stephmanuel1980's photostream  

I should probably say that my style tends to be towards documenting and appreciating everyday life and all the little things I encounter that I think are cool. I like to draw attention to things that most people ignore. I don't always post what are "awesome" or artistic pieces of work. I put up what I like, not necessarily what is "good." You can probably tell that I've never taken a class in photography or computer graphics / photo editing. My mom tells me I take good pictures, LOL!

I like to photograph life as it happens. I tend to shy away from intentionally "artsy" images; I have a deeper appreciation for things in their natural environment rather than a staged environment. My goal - most of the time - is to make subjects look as natural and realistic as possible. I usually attempt to fill up the frame, and I often like to have multiple objects in the frame. Sharpness and clarity are important, of course. I like to make sure I get down to the level of my subject; camera angle is important. I use digital cameras almost exclusively. It's too easy to waste film. I love taking pictures in low light, and I like a challenge, whether it be shooting under specific circumstances or digitally manipulating images. Though only if I have an idea how to get the effect right. If a subject or event is of great interest to me, rather than paying attention to the event or subject itself, I will continually take pictures until I need to replace my card. I am more likely to pay attention to something through my viewfinder or LCD rather than looking at it directly if it really is of interest to me. I'll write more on this subject if I think of something new.

These pictures are generally unedited, save for minor cropping. I try to take a picture and just have it look right without tweaking. I've used Photoshop, yes, but really just for special stuff. Like I said, I like to make things look as natural as possible. It feels more "honest" that way. I let other people Photoshop their pictures to death; sometimes they look good that way. It just won't be my pictures. If I'm going to put a lot of effort into my photograph, it's to make it look real, not surreal. There may be special circumstances where I might experiment, but as I said before, I think realistic pictures are more honest.

Another thing: if you're going to take a picture, you should be doing it for a reason. Even if the only reason you can articulate is that you "like" the subject. Maybe later on you'll figure out why. And just because you like it doesn't mean other people have to, as well. Every person has their individual tastes.

And yet another thing: I think that sometimes art must be explained by the artist for other people to "get it." However, I also think the best art should be able to speak for itself without a long, drawn-out explanation of what it means or why it is significant or distinct.

Beware: I am notorious for my lame, disastrous use of puns in my captions and such. Or at least, I am so in my mind.

If you want to use one of my images, just ask me, as long as it means there are no strings attached and I don't have to put out any effort (like having to sign up for some stupid website).

I sometimes like to go on commenting sprees though peoples' photos. Feel honored if I do.

My father used to take lots and lots of pictures. He has probably a couple dozen older film cameras. I guess I get this from him.

My Youtube profile: www.youtube.com/user/bubbleglass (be prepared for lame videos)







(Hell, this is worth a shot....) Want to be really nice to me? Buy me something from my Amazon wishlist!!! (Take note of the priority of the item... highest is what I want the most; lowest I want the least at this time. You can sort the items by priority at the top of the list).

5/6/09... I am currently trying to get views on ALL my photos. I've been too distracted by other things to really invest time in taking and editing photos. Anyway... leave no photo behind!

9/1/11... I think photography is a compulsion for me. I must do it. Must.