I chose to feature some items from a trip to Germany which I took with a group from SCC last March during spring break. I hope the photo generates the feeling of relaxing with a beverage while reminiscing about interesting places visited on a trip. Berlin was one of my favorite spots we visited, and I have highlighed a few sites within the postcards. The Brandenberg Gate on the bottom is likely the most famous site in the city. The Berlin logo is very modern and bright, 2 aspects I enjoy that are pleasing to my eye. I took many shots to get this one that I like and made many changes as I went along. I paired down from 5 items to 3 in the frame, which looked much better. I shot this without a flash, using a variety of light sources in the dining room, including light from the window on the right side, an overhead light, and a light on the wall above the items. I like the shine/reflection the postcard made on the mug, and was careful not to have any noticeable reflection of me in the black, shiny mug. I shot from above so I could see the beverage in the mug. I used a tripod and timer, with the shutter speed at 1.6 and Fstop 11 in order to get the postcards in focus, which I could not obtain at 5.6. The last 5 shots were taken with an adjustment in the White Balance, which I switched to the Tungsten light setting. The positive effect, was a brighter white border on the postcard, much more true primary colors on the logo, and a brighter green tone on the tablecloth. I chose to use a cloth with a raised pattern since the rest of the items are very slick. I think it set them off better than had I chosen a hard, flat, or reflective surface. Lessons I learned with this photo assignment are to remember to adjust the white balance for lighting conditions, simplifying with fewer items at close range can have a pleasing result, and the many features of adjusting a tripod that I did not know existed. I also learned that short photographers need a stool to access some advantageous tripod heights!

A pretty pink travel mug, placed in the park gardens on a cool Spring evening. Somehow it seemed at home with the other lovely foliage there. This is my favourite travel mug ever. It's got pretty pink flowers on it, it doesn't leak, and is a small size, which is rare to find. Good for keeping your hands warm when you're taking photos on a chilly day.