Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Brushing around in Photoshop. Before vs. After

 Just brushing up my editing skills. I need to do this more often.

eh!

What can you spot from what i've done?





Out with the Katz's at Rochester park, NY


I was wondering, what would it be like if I didn't write anything and we play a game of "I spy"

If you've been my blog for awhile you know that each photo session usually has a story and I try to type it out to you. 

If you had to imagine what happened during this one, just by looking at the images. What do you think happened this time? 

(Sorry no hints) lol 

Enjoy the rest of your week. 







Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Where Tefillin are made

How are Teffilin made? 

After finishing a fun shoot with a few cousins of mine at the park, I stopped by my uncles Yossi's house.

My uncle Yossi is a Scribe, in his basement he has a whole bunch of interesting tools and equipment for making Tefillin or writing a Sefer Torah. 

Its an interesting procedure from when the skin comes off the cow and is brought in, to when it leaves as a "Ready to wear" pair of Tefillin for a new Bar Mitzva boy or its a fully written Sefer Tora. 

In the photos below you can see my cousin Mendel in its first steps of preperation as he stretchs out the skins to dry and scraping off any shmutz thats on it.

Maybe one day I should make a full video of the entire process which is quiet an interesting one.







Monday, July 9, 2012

Impulse - Watch photo shoot


I havent taken any watch photos in awhile so i figured why not take a photo that I find online and then use it as an outline for a final image. 

Above you see the image I found online.

And below are the few that I took.




One of the most difficult things are the reflections, I only used one light and took about 8 photos then compiled them in photoshop so I can use the highlights around the entire watch in a careful setup.

Youll notice mine isnt as smooth, the reason is because my watch is more glossy so its a much contrasty image.


Sunday, July 8, 2012

Big Ben - Chef

How does the last picture look so neat compared to the others? 

Good question, Ill try to walk you through on the story and it may help to understand his facial expressions. 

Let me give you this character description: Ben! 

The Yeshiva chef for a few years now, throughout the year we got to know him well, he has fed Bochurim for so many years and he says how its a privilege to make our food as he knows that we are studying very hard back at the shul. 
He knows all the lingo in Yiddish and Hebrew and other catch phrases that we say around the dorm.

There is alot more, but that is enough for now.

1. I came to visit after 12 months of being away, and surprised them!  


 Offering to take photos of them in a up hype, type of mood. I was already making jokes and on high gear I was already in the mood and I know him well enough that it would be easy and quick.

 That is him! (he did complain about something with his teeth and he was a little sore and couldnt smile)
He has this shy smile, so humble and kind. I dont think I've ever heard him raise his voice, hes just in a happy place and gets so emotional when we either come to visit or leave.


"Can I make you something" - Ben. He stopped with what he was doing and made sure I had a lunch and a supper for my drive back to the place where I was saying. 
He didn't let me go stomach empty. 

Final picture perfect!

Having that authority of his kitchen I figured I would get him from a lower angle and not so "humble" rather a little lower, and his arms out. "Taking control"

Thank you ben for all the delicious food.
We still talk about it 15 months later!

Before / After - Bathroom

This is a old photo I took while visiting out of the country.

Looking at the before, you can see that I under exposed the photo, its a little dark. I promise its a clean bathroom but because this was a quick photo you will see the imperfections in the "Before" and youll be able to see what I touched up by looking at the "After"




What else would you have touched up?

(for those squinting your eyes at the screen, im not trying to trick you. I did this as a quick one just for you checking the blog)