abigailschmidt

My not-so-favorite photos I've taken.

Not every photo is the best or a winner, but I think it’s important to appreciate and remember the photos that aren’t your favorite. These photos might not even be bad, but in my opinion, they just don’t speak to me, or I don’t feel like I executed my vision properly. Let’s explore some of my “meh” photos - again in my opinion.

These three photos above were taken in August of 2018. At the time, Andrew and I were living 10 minutes outside of Ames in a farmhouse. There were a lot of interesting things to take photos of, but not all of my ideas worked out. Personally, I think these photos lack interest. They’re interesting in their own way maybe, but they don’t have that “thing.”

Three little birds…all taken in March of 2018. They’re not terrible, but they’re not incredibly sharp photos and not the best as far as composition goes. It doesn’t help that I was shooting behind thick glass! I feel like these shots were just lazy. I didn’t put much thought behind them, which is why they’ve made it here on this list.

On a Saturday morning, in April of 2019, I decided to subject myself to torture by waking up at 5:00am in order to get some shots of the sunrise. These obviously aren’t sunrise photos. I took these later in the morning after my sunrise photos failed. I’m not a fan of these because I feel like they were a last-ditch effort to get a good shot that day. That being said, I’m glad I pushed myself to go out and shoot regardless of what I captured!

This is my failed sunrise shot. The colors are kind of pretty, and it was a gorgeous morning, but there is no interest in the sky and there isn’t a foreground. It’s mostly just silhouette, which is okay, but I don’t think works great in this photo. I think some clouds would have made this more interesting, but I obviously had no control over that. I am proud of myself for getting out there in the brisk spring air before the sun came up, though!

Okay, I’m sorry. I know it’s August, but these make the list. These snowy shots were taken in early 2018. I was working at the farm at the time, but for some reason, I had a day off, so I thought I would try to capture the freshly fallen snow. It was beautiful, but the photos just really didn’t do it justice. They ended up coming out quite “blah” which is why they made the list of my not-favorites.

I often explore my yard to find little details to shoot. Sometimes it works out, and sometimes…I just take pictures of random bits of junk! It’s fun though, because it takes pressure off of me. I always feel the need to take a good picture. Every photo I produce has to be great, but the truth is…that is unrealistic and impossible.

Well there you have it. Those are some of my not-so-favorite photos. I’ve kept them, obviously, which is a way for me to document my progress. At one time, I thought these photos were alright, but as I grow and learn, I hold higher standards for myself. Like I said above, it’s unrealistic to expect perfection. Always do your best, but don’t put so much pressure on yourself that you end up procrastinating (I’m guilty). A short-term goal I have for myself is to just do more, and shoot more even if I don’t like what I shoot. Just get out there and do what you love, and good things will follow!

Δ Abbi

Small Business Spotlight: Down Home Creations - Albia

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I moved to Albia, Iowa in November of 2019, and ever since then, I have felt inspired to highlight various small businesses around Albia. My soon-to-be Husband, Andrew, was raised here and although I’ve only been here for about a year and a half, I’ve really found this town to be an enjoyable place to live. The people in the community are incredibly supportive and loyal to each other.

Without further ado, I’d like to share my first small business story.

I had a pleasant experience of meeting up with Chris and Carol Ann, the owners and operators of Down Home Creations. They’re located on the south west corner of the Square in Albia, Iowa. They began their small business journey in the middle of 2019. Down Home Creations is a gift store of hand-made goods, made by local crafters and artists. Chris and Carol Ann had a clear vision of what they wanted to do. They had 15 vendors set up before opening, and only 3 days after moving into their location, they opened their doors.

You can find pretty much everything you would be looking for in a gift. Paintings, candles, jewelry, home decor, and furniture are among some of the many things you can find at their store. Chris and Carol Ann even make their own goods which include custom wooden signs and embroidered clothes and trinkets!

Their favorite things about Albia is the supportive community, the fun events - such as the Victorian Stroll - and they find that it’s a great place to raise their family.

Owning a small business does have its challenges, including publicity and of course, Covid-19, but it does have many benefits which allow them to be flexible with raising their family and it gives them the opportunity to be involved with the community. Their relationships they’ve built with their customers are valuable to them and they are always excited to make new connections.

I asked them if they had any favorite pieces they’ve sold, but they struggled to come up with any specific answers, and that’s no surprise. The gifts are all so unique and beautiful! They show much appreciation and love to all of their vendors.

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They see so much potential in Albia becoming a fun shopping destination, and they hope more shops will join them in future events in town. I share this vision, as I see so many possibilities in this small town as well!

If you haven’t been there before, I highly encourage you to check out Down Home Creations! Chris and Carol Ann are super warm and friendly people. They’ll have exactly what you need, and tell them I sent you!


Δ Abbi

iPhone Photographer vs. Professional Photographer

There’s a difference between someone who does photography for a living (or on the side), and someone who does photography as a hobby. Both of these people could be great photographers, or they could both be bad photographers.

But I’m going to speak in general terms for the sake of this blog post.

Professional photographers understand the Exposure Triangle, they understand the importance of Composition, and have an appreciation for Art. Professionals know their craft and know how to tell the story of the subject.

Hobby photographers, like your generic Uncle Jimmy Bob, who shoots on an iPhone, may not understand these things (maybe he does, but like I said, for the sake of argument).

I would like to demonstrate the difference by showing you my work compared to my brother’s work. We took pictures of the same person, Kayla, in the same location, with the same lighting conditions. However, my brother took photos with his iPhone XS, I took photos with my Nikon D5600 and my Nikkor 24mm-120mm f/4 lens. He had the natural light to work with, while I had access to my speed lights and reflectors. He used Mac’s built-in photo editing software, and I used Adobe Lightroom.

I would like to thank both Casey and Kayla for participating in this with me!

Casey’s photo is on the left, my photo is on the right. Casey put Kayla right next to the shed. I positioned her a few feet away from the shed in order to separate her from the background. I also adjusted my aperture in order to more easily allow for the the bokeh (blur) effect.

Casey had the right idea here. It’s not a bad shot. I like to shoot my subjects at more of a 45 degree angle and I prefer to shoot downward on them. The reason for this is because it makes the facial features more flattering, like the nose and chin. Straight-on shots or even shots from below can sometimes be harsh.

There are times, however, when shots from below are flattering. Most of Casey’s shots were taken at eye-level. There’s nothing wrong with shots taken at eye-level, but experimenting with angles can add variety.

I also noticed that Casey had Kayla standing in all of his shots. I like to add variety by having my subject sit, stand, lean, etc. Again, you will notice that Casey put Kayla right in front of the tree instead of separating her from the background.

I will give Casey credit for creativity. He shot before I did, and he did a pretty good job of coming up with different photo ideas. He decided to get a photo of Kayla on our deck, while I decided to get a photo of her in front of the tall grass.

And lastly, the studio shot. Casey only had access to the LED lights in the basement, whereas I used my speed lights here. Now obviously, your Uncle Jimmy Bob could have access to speed lights, but again, for the sake of argument, we are demonstrating what the general iPhone shooter may have access to. Casey’s photo has some harsh shadows, and he had Kayla right in front of the backdrop. I pulled her away from the backdrop and I was able to reduce harsh shadows by positioning the speed lights accordingly.

I just want to be clear that photos taken on a phone or point and shoot camera can be great, because quite frankly, a great photo is a great photo no matter what kind of equipment was used to capture it. The point I am making here is that photography isn’t as simple as pointing a camera and pushing a button. Photography is an Art that requires practice, knowledge, and a bit of a natural eye.

Some people don’t need or want a high end, professional photographer, and that’s okay! However, if you are wanting quality photos taken, it’s important to consider who takes them for you.

Δ Abbi