My Photography Thread

[Erin Loves Dwarf Hamsters]

Some of you know that I am a massive lover of photography and I want to get into the world of fashion photography sometime in the future as a career, so I thought I would share some of my favourite photos with you here they are mixed genre so photos of everything and anything. So far all of my photography skills have been self-taught, but after months of saving some point this year I will be starting my online university course in the subject which lasts 6 months to a year depending on how I do in each module and how my personal tutor thinks I am doing. I would like to have attended an actual university to study but because of personal and financial reasons it's just not something I will ever be able to do so I have spent a long time finding the best course available that results in uni-equivalent diplomas :)

My current camera is the Nikon D7000, it is my 4th camera and I love it so much but having only had it a few weeks I have yet to finish reading the instruction manual or fully understand what each button and menu does, I'm getting there though! So here are a few of my favourite photos and there will be plenty more to come, the quality should improve once I have mastered this camera so bare with me ;)

These were taken around the village I live in -
http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/550507_3896475457799_72231831_n.jpg
http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/554762_3896478417873_675388938_n.jpg
http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/543253_3896477817858_61365506_n.jpg
http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/182318_3896476897835_861576331_n.jpg

These were taken at a Jubilee fayre yesterday, a local owl keeper brought his owls to show and had about 6 or 7 of them in an open gazebo -
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/576934_3955895823271_1456474840_3512091_1758149982 _n.jpg
http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/389244_3956094508238_1456474840_3512160_1055663385 _n.jpg

[Willow's mummy!]

I love these, especially the owls - elder son came in & saw the first owl & asked if it were a cuddly toy! Did you clean up the background with editing or were they taken against the black background?

My parents are both keen competing members of their local camera club, & I find I am increasingly looking at photos with a more critical eye due to hearing their informed criticism of their own photos :-)

I like the different angle for the poppies on the remembrance slate (I'm guessing that's what it is?), and the bleak loneliness of the monochrome trolley in the car park.

[Erin Loves Dwarf Hamsters]

The owls were actually in a dark green tent and it just happened that at the angle the sun hit them and the way my lens caught the light the background looked almost completely black, I did drag the levels down a mark or two in photoshop to make the owls stand out a little more though :)

Posting the photos here has made me spot the glow on the left side of the telephone box and it is really bugging me now, I used a smaller monitor when I edited it and I think I feathered the selection too much... time to send that one back to post-prod :p

I could spend hours criticizing my photos, I think once you really get into it it can be hard not to find something wrong but that is when you know you have found a truely perfect photo, when you can't say a thing about it ;)

[Charley101]

Amazing Erin :D

[Willow's mummy!]

Lol, mum & dad have gone from taking snapshots of us all the time, through posing us - balanced family group to sing happy birthday to a grandchild, & now sigh & say the lights not quite right when we take snapshots! At least with digital cameras you can get instant results & tweak as needed to sharpen it up to the image in your head.

[Charley101]

I really love the red telephone box. Such an iconic image!

[suga]

Stunning photos Erin. Love the phone box and the trolley picture. Its amazing what you can do with a camera and how a picture can say so much.

[Poptart]

Wow these are amazing! I really want to be a photographer after i finish highschool (people and animals, but mainly animals haha) and so far im okay...no where close to you! Maybe im over critcal on myself.... but i really hope ill be as good as you

Those owls look beautiful, and the phone booth photos look so pretty. I love how the phone booth stands out in the frst one and how the red fades in the second

Good luck with the course!

(Really hoping this post doesnt come off as whiny and such, i dont intend for it to. My apologies if it does :oops: )

[gutterglitterxx]

Beautiful pictures! And beautiful owls. :)

[souffle]

They are lovely Erin.
Photos should make you feel something and somehow the phone box made me feel sad :( Almost like is had gone past it and like all the paint is peeling and windows broken and it is left behind by the advance of the mobiles - unwanted.
So there you are - it worked :)
The owls are lovely too.

[Erin Loves Dwarf Hamsters]

Souffle - I love that interpretation of it! I might have to go and re-shoot it with that thought/theme in mind :)

I haven't had the chance to take any proper photos this week just some snaps of the hams so here are some of my older favourites. These were taken on a cheapy Panasonic Lumix FZ38 at the end of last year, they were taken with a white piece of paper behind them to make it seem as though they were in a studio :)

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/299388_2334711014664_475088881_n.jpg
http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/305353_2334706094541_308935132_n.jpg
http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/312608_2334710814659_1015903264_n.jpg
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/314392_2334706334547_58758824_n.jpg

[Lucinda]

Great stuff! Massive fan of the phonebox pics.
I do some fashion modelling - where in south wales are you? Would be cool to get together for a TFP shoot if we cross paths!

[Liz'sHammies]

They are all so great:) i especially loved the owl ones, they are just marvelous

[Erin Loves Dwarf Hamsters]

Not what I would call proper photos but a couple of cute snapshots of one of my cats and one of my dogs out enjoying the sunshine today :)

Ginger
http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/598630_4017780850358_1688307102_n.jpg

Amber
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/s720x720/545184_4018173380171_1668717495_n.jpg

I also had a very bored moment on Photoshop and decided to make a 'retro poster' using the photo of Amber and the saturation tools :lol:
http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/538210_4018179900334_1884094026_n.jpg

[Biscuit]

Awww. Love the one of Ginger!
And I can tell that someone was bored on photoshop! lol ;) xxx

[HollyHamster]

Wow, I am so jealous of photographers. I am lucky if I get a picture in focus, let alone a good shot.

[Sterluv]

Wow, these are really nice! I have a cheap $100 camera (or something like that) and the pictures aren't that great. Even if I had a nice one I could never do anything like that!

[Erin Loves Dwarf Hamsters]

Thank you :)

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/303083_2394374226207_1227698708_n.jpg
I shot this in bright daylight, the sun was shining and I had this set up on a baking tray in the garden with a piece of black cardboard behind it. I used a water sprayer to create a rain effect.

Some mushrooms growing out on the road -
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/313776_2449263798412_1664365047_n.jpg
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7168/6491970835_f30f164863.jpg
A few beach rocks
http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/310259_2449263638408_1167561480_n.jpg

The eye of a butterfly -
http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/294294_2444427237501_1954604128_n.jpg

And one of my favourites, a cheeky pigeon!
http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/297731_2444510399580_677794530_n.jpg

[Kissa]

Hello Mr Pigeon! :lol:

[LawaRawr]

haha love the one of the pigeon :D
Beautiful pictures as always erin.

[Charlottington-K]

A.....MA.....ZING!!!!!!!! :o x

[Erin Loves Dwarf Hamsters]

Thanks guys :D
Despite having my camera on me 24/7 this weekend I only managed to take one photo that I really liked, it was of Mr Bobtail's new converse trainers with some biscuit crumbs :lol:
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/547991_4157546504412_394825256_n.jpg

[Charley101]

I love Converse!

[Iluvhamsters]

I love your pics :-)

Btw, the pic of Ginger is a real photo (in my opinion anyway), it's a lovely candid shot :-)

[Erin Loves Dwarf Hamsters]

We took the dog out in the lovely whether yesterday so I could try out my brand new lens and I caught this wonderful shot of him playing in a rain river, I am entering this one into the dog photographer of the year competition at the end of the month along with a few others yet to be taken.
http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/s720x720/558662_4310327163833_352992782_n.jpg

[Ramyun Noodles]

These are simply amazing!

[HammieandMerlin]

Love love the telephone booth and the converse (only shoes I wear lol) great stuff!

[Erin Loves Dwarf Hamsters]

Thank you :)

Two more photos, one for the contest (I changed my mind on entering the one above and have decided on this one instead) -
http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/s720x720/523298_4312025526291_160448237_n.jpg

and one of a local mare and her foal :)
http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/426752_4272509898425_550640432_n.jpg

I am hoping to get some photos of the local wild rabbits when they come out this evening so I may have more photos for you later! :)

[Hope]

I love your photos Erin, you have such a great eye for getting good angles! :)

[HorseyMandz]

I DEMAND more pictures :) Okay?

[Erin Loves Dwarf Hamsters]

Well I took some lovely photos of some cows and calves today so I will hopefully upload those in a few days! I was going to do it today but ended up having to take Mr Bobtail to A&E after he came off of his bike and ripped up his arm. We only just got home so I have barely had chance to do anything today, I was too focused on making sure he was going to be ok :)

[Erin Loves Dwarf Hamsters]

Here are some of those calf photos I promised :)

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/419800_4336525378772_551940489_n.jpg

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/538697_4336527098815_2130678583_n.jpg

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/228431_4336526258794_793196543_n.jpg

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/528045_4336526658804_771670070_n.jpg

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/546004_4336530898910_247807575_n.jpg

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/576931_4336529898885_578016609_n.jpg

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/377198_4336528138841_1732687859_n.jpg

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/294395_4336530378897_549857741_n.jpg

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/577075_4336530058889_2077575663_n.jpg

[PezPus]

awww! so cute! I love cows ^_^

[Erin Loves Dwarf Hamsters]

Also a quick sunset photo :)

http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/394187_4336404455749_1284162355_n.jpg

[PezPus]

Woow! amazing colouring on the sky <3

[CoolcatNatNat44]

I love the cow/calf photos! What camera do you use? :)

[leedsgurl]

Beautiful photos :) I love the pictures of the cows and calves :)

[Erin Loves Dwarf Hamsters]

Thanks :)
Nat I have the Nikon D7000, the calf photos were taken with the Nikkor AF-S 55-300mm lens :)

[Cupcake]

Great pictures! I really enjoy wildlife pictures :) (well animal pictures in general)
And the Nikon D7000 is an amazing cameraaa :shock: but then again it's the photographer that counts too.
I'm getting a new lens for my birthday and I cannot wait to use itttt!!! :D

[Erin Loves Dwarf Hamsters]

A bit of portraiture today!
One of the things I really love love LOVE to do is dress up and tonight I spent a good hour rummaging around in my make-up bag trying a ton of different outrageous looks just for the fun of it! The last look I tried I actually really loved so I took this portrait to try and bring out some character in the look -

Lady Gaga meets Edward Scissor-Hands ;)

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/484586_4348466477292_1909790606_n.jpg

[PezPus]

oooh! I love that look! and very nice lipstick! very geisha'ish :D LOVE it!

[Erin Loves Dwarf Hamsters]

Cookie's Anyone? I baked some Grantham Gingerbread Cookies today, just a cute photo of them :)
http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/294501_4352299653119_350142039_n.jpg

[Willowthehamster]

yummmmmyyy! :D

[gellerbing]

they look like rusks, nom noms :D

[PezPus]

Me want!!!!! :D

[Erin Loves Dwarf Hamsters]

Scanning through some old photos I came across some of my digital art! Way back when I was still learning the ropes of photoshop and photo editing I spent around 3 months creating digital posters of random things and just thought I would share a few of them with you. Most are from 2009/10

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/63896_1711288909501_8042403_n.jpg

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/65711_1711338670745_8191712_n.jpg

http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/67837_1711290149532_4395967_n.jpg

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/154202_1710029438015_6409674_n.jpg

(This was my first ever photoshop creation)
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/20171_1297323720630_1154128_n.jpg

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/30727_1459435453322_4443766_n.jpg

Here I did a couple of make-overs on celebs, one was a basic magazine makeover and the other an extreme makeover on a celebrity who had millions of pounds worth of plastic surgery to look like her husbands favourite animal, a lion. I never got to finish editing it but I made her look at least half normal :L
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/19771_1339656578925_3263161_n.jpg
http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/19771_1344517700450_4172643_n.jpg

And finally I created my biggest project, using photos of my own pets and other people's I created this magazine cover and contents page -
http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/37723_1518192882221_6559201_n.jpg

http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/37723_1518192922222_5251146_n.jpg

[Erin Loves Dwarf Hamsters]

Oh I found one more, I painted these lips on photoshop from scratch and was impressed by my own results ;)

http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/14130_1399853083800_882766_n.jpg

I haven't done much digital art since these...

[September]

Oh wow, amazing! Those are all really neat, though I love the eclipse sort of thing. :)

[Erin Loves Dwarf Hamsters]

Yet more reminiscing! I just found a project I began in 2010 to take a photo every day... I gave up after about a week :lol: These were taken on a compact pocket camera.

Taken back when I was in school -
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/19771_1336612942836_4605599_n.jpg

And some jars we have in the kitchen -
http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/19771_1337552686329_873065_n.jpg

And some old water droplet photography, I think it's high time to try this again now I have more knowledge!
http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/32277_1467459853927_7434367_n.jpg
http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/32277_1467459293913_6513281_n.jpg
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/32277_1467459933929_3737649_n.jpg
http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/32277_1467459333914_6520949_n.jpg
http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/32277_1467459133909_689122_n.jpg

[PezPus]

woooow! these pics are amazing! :D you are very talented!

[Erin Loves Dwarf Hamsters]

Went on a shoot with Mr Bobtail a few mornings ago, though he wasn't all that impressed about being woken up at the crack of dawn ;) I got some nice shots :)

Sailors Eyes
http://sphotos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/402922_4414795575478_993139854_n.jpg

If You Go Down To The Woods Today...
http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/546174_4414796815509_818436585_n.jpg

Berry Thief
http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/305004_4414797495526_1231003079_n.jpg

Disabilities
http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/296826_4414798175543_601175095_n.jpg

Dreamer
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/560964_4414798975563_689716663_n.jpg

The Inspection
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/548555_4414799615579_1755351780_n.jpg

Little Hunter
http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/228076_4414799975588_29785654_n.jpg

Nutkins
http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/381208_4414800495601_975101919_n.jpg

Pay The Bill
http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/523229_4414801335622_1162905218_n.jpg

Red Breast
http://sphotos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/386276_4414801615629_946483241_n.jpg

[September]

. . . Amazing. Just amazing. You take the hope away from people like me with your wildlife pics xD

[Erin Loves Dwarf Hamsters]

Who is loving this weather?!?!
In all honesty not me :lol: I HATE cold weather but snow does make such a wonderful opportunity for photos! :D

http://sphotos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/317995_10200154992064980_965555675_n.jpg
http://sphotos-c.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/578613_10200154986104831_374777562_n.jpg
http://sphotos-g.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/184658_10200154986344837_190247171_n.jpg
http://sphotos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/552928_10200154999905176_989024685_n.jpg
http://sphotos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/265018_10200155035546067_878226089_n.jpg
http://sphotos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/530745_10200155036346087_647623376_n.jpg
http://sphotos-e.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/321049_10200155037106106_415364898_n.jpg

[September]

Oh, I'm so jealous of your snow shots!! It never snows down here, and just my luck that the one day there was snow outside, I was laid up in bed recovering from my wisdom teeth surgery :/

You're pics are soo beautiful

[strawberrysmom]

Your photography is gorgeous!!!

[Cupcake]

I am the biggest snow fan!!! :lol: Nice shots