Candid Photography

Candid photography is a type where the photographer aims to capture a photograph of what would normally be an uncatchable moment. Candid photographs aren't "overly posed" and they tend to capture the subject in moments of pure thought, laughter, surprise, heartbreak, anger, etc. I personally like candid photography because it allows you to capture people in a different light.

Here are my top 3 tips when it comes to capturing a candid photograph- 

1) Continue to shoot photographs even when the subject isn't looking, this will ensure that you get a few candid shots among all the other posed shots. 

2) Make your subject laugh and give a real smile by telling jokes and shooting at the same time.

3) Take photographs while your subject is distracted - for example, the flower photographs above. This will ensure that you have some extra interesting non posed photographs.

Abstract Photography

Abstract is a type of photography that allows the photographer to capture creative images. The images could produce optical illusions, or they could simply be images of normal things captured in a not so normal manner. I personally like abstract photography because it allows me to let my imagination shine through, and it allows me to look at things in a new light.

Here are my top 3 tips when it comes to taking abstract photographs- 

1) Get creative! If you haven't before, I would really recommend taking some abstract photographs and getting really creative with it.

2) Take a page out of the Macro Photography post from last week, and get up close to your subjects. This makes it so that you are seeing them in a new way.

3) This is one of the few types of photography that I would recommend you stay away from the black and white filter with. It's abstract, so you want colors to shine through!

Macro Photography

Macro photography is when you take an up close photograph of your subject. Macro can be used to show more details of a certain subject by getting up close and personal with it. This is an interesting type of photography, because it allows you to get a different look at certain subjects. Taking Macro shots was new for me, as I had never experimented with it before. When it came to taking Macros, I experimented over the period of a week to find and take different shots of the subjects that I chose to focus on. 

Here are my top 3 tips when it comes to Macro Photography-

1) Use a camera with a good zoom - as this ensures that you will be able to get up close with the subject, and have it still remain in focus.

2) Try to find subjects that will show a lot of detail when you get up close, like the caterpillars above, however, it is okay if the subjects are quite simple as well. 

3) Be creative! Make a photograph out of a few different pieces, like I did with the bottle caps and the doily. 

NY Cemeteries Part Two - Halloween Series

Part two of the NY cemeteries series is finally here, as is my last post for the Halloween series! This week's post is dedicated to showing the "creepier" side of cemeteries. While it is not really creepy, some of the stuff I found was quite old and even a bit weird (the teddy bear head). Some of the statues were a bit decrepit as well. However, no amount of decay could take away from the beauty of cemeteries - a little decay even adds some character to the place in my opinion.

Here are my top 5 tips for visiting cemeteries in general- 

1) Please be respectful of the deceased! Do not destroy their gravestones or any of the statues and other artifacts in the cemeteries. Look but don't touch. 

2) Also be respectful of anyone who is there grieving. 

3) If you are taking photographs, just be cautious of what you are photographing. I like to try to avoid taking photographs of actual gravestones (unless they are that of someone historical or famous).

4) Most cemeteries are only open during daylight hours - so be cautious of that.

5) Lastly, if you want to give your photographs a creepy feeling - put a black and white filter on them. Black and white is one of the most versatile filters. With cemeteries, it can give off an eerie and old timey feeling. 

NY Cemeteries Part One - Halloween Series

This entry is part of a split two part series on a few cemeteries in New York State. None of them are "haunted" per se, I just really loved the statues I saw in them while I was exploring. This post features some of the more beautiful statues/other objects in some of the cemeteries, while the next post will be with some of the more creepy ones. I think cemeteries are so beautiful, especially in the fall - as evidenced by some of the photographs below.

 

My tips for cemetery photography will be added in with next weeks post - so I don't repeat myself. 

Sarah Winchester's Final Resting Place - Halloween Series

The story of Sarah Winchester's life is one of the most fascinating tales of heartbreak and mystery. Sarah was married to a man named William and they had a daughter named Annie who passed quite young according to her gravestone. However, that is not where the heartbreak ended for Sarah. Her husband also passed away while he was still relatively young. Sarah is responsible for the continuous building of The Winchester Mystery House - which is on my bucket list of amazing places to visit. When Sarah passed, she was buried in the Evergreen Cemetery in New Haven, CT - and you can go and visit her during the daylight hours.

Here are my top 2 tips for if you want to visit the resting place of Sarah Winchester-
1) Her grave is large, but quite hard to find. Just keep driving around until you find Highland Ave and her plot is along that row.
2) Be as respectful as you can, speak in low voices and if there is anyone else around - try to not disturb them.

The Crypt at Center Church - Halloween Series

Underneath Center Church on the Green in New Haven is a burial ground that dates back to the 1600's. The church was built over the burial ground, and the graves were all left exactly how they were. You can go down into the crypt and look at the tombstones, and learn about the history of the crypt. The crypt is only open on Saturdays from 11am-1pm from April through October, so make sure you plan accordingly. Tour guides are available, although I think you can do a self-guided tour if you would prefer that. My tour guide was incredibly knowledgeable about the crypt and the church itself. She explained everything in great detail and made me feel almost like an expert on the area. If you want to get an in depth knowledge of the crypt, I would recommend the tour - however most of the information can also be found on their website - http://centerchurchonthegreen.org/history/crypt/. This is certainly one of those places that appears to be creepy before you go, but is actually quite interesting.

Here are my top 5 tips for if you want to visit The Crypt -
1) Please be extremely careful down here. All of the tombstones are old, so that makes them incredibly fragile. Most of them have seen their fair share of damage due to the conditions in the crypt. Do not touch them, just look.
2) When you go down the stairs, just watch your footing as the staircase is kind of narrow.
3) The ceiling is low, so you need to crouch down in some spots. Also, if you suffer from claustrophobia - I would recommend you sit this one out.
4) Lighting is dim, so if you want to take pictures make sure you do so with a decent camera - and then you can edit the lighting in photo shop if you need to.
5) The directions on how to get in were kind of confusing. On the GPS it led to this one church, that I guess is technically considered to be a part of the area - however, the crypt was nowhere to be found there. I ended up walking down the street a bit before I found the right church - and they had signs out front indicating that the crypt was open for tours. Just look out for the signs, and you will know that you are in the right place.