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I have been shooting small pieces of footage throughout the past 6 months while hiking and and exploring the Pacific Northwest. I am of course drawn to water and this is the culminating result of these clips. My very first study was in Black and White and full of shake as I learned how to do video.

I thought that this would be about shooting cinematic video. This is how most project start though: thinking it will be one way and turning out totally different. I soon lost interest in putting together a plastic and too polished video like what I had seen before. Instead I strived for rhythm and made it about my own personal experience. After all, I needed to consider am I making this for myself or for a client? Myself.

Striving for the authenticity, I hope you enjoy.

These shots are taken on my iPhone 7 Plus using the Osmo Mobile Gimbal (version 1) or my Tripod. For more about my gear I use check out this post and video here.

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I thought it was high time to post another photo project. This is a favorite of mine and has a primary focus on training your eye. Making the mundane magical is exactly what artists do regularly. This project works on honing that skill.

First you will need to select a mundane object. Mundane simply means everyday or ordinary. Nothing special or particularly defining of this object. I will also say that the smaller the object, the more flexibility you have with your photographs.

Here are some ideas for mundane objects:

  • Army Man/ Legos
  • Banana/ Apple
  • Fork/Spoon
  • Soap/ Nail Clippers
  • Cup of tea or coffee
  • Most random item you carry with you in your backpack or purse

Remember simple is a good place to start and will offer you many options.

Challenge:

Choose a mundane object and focus at least 30-40 images on this one object. You must make your object look like the following:

  • Light
  • Heavy
  • Beautiful
  • Ugly
  • Tall
  • Micro-Small
  • Soft
  • Hard

Remember these words can have different interpretations for different people. That is the fun part! 

After you select your object, consider setting up a home studio of sorts. You will need:

  • Light- any type of house lamp or position you studio by the window
  • A Surface to Shoot on- Choose something with texture or pattern like a stump or bubble wrap
  • Background- Find a simple plain background- this could be a sheet, metal, foam core etc
  • Reflector – Grab a piece of white foam core or even white paper to pop the light back onto the subject from the window.
  • Objects and Items – Have some plants or other items to highlight your object

Here is my 2 Minute Home Studio when I need to shoot a product or item quickly.

Things to Think About

These are some suggestions to help you get the creative juices flowing.

  • Lighting- How can you use this to create drama and emphasis (maybe backlight it ?)
  • Shadows- the shadow of the object can also make a photo
  • POV – Point of View and angles can make a huge difference in the size of your item
  • Fishing Line- Consider a way to stage your object and have it suspended
  • Composition- Use the Rule of Thirds and make sure to check out the 8 Basic Composition Styles to help you.
  • Destroy it- if you have multiple, manipulate the form and break it apart
  • Get Close Up– Use a macro lens and focus on texture
  • Motion– drop it, throw it, or slowly drag it to capture the motion.

Results:

Spending this much time with one subject will be beneficial. It will be a challenge to force yourself to look at something for a long period of time. Whenever I do this photo project I am always challenged and inspired at the same time. Let me know how it goes! I would love to see your images, so make sure to tag me on Instagram or drop a link below.

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Hello friends! I am always shuffling through creative apps on my phone, but have a found a few keepers too. As a photographer it is important to switch it up and try new things. It should be only natural as we evolved as artists.

In addition to this, as a phone photographer having a system in place to organize creative content is also important. Most of us do not have multiple phone and use our devices for our work and daily lives as well. I have a few favorite habits and apps that help me keep all of this in check and keep my phone functional.

Watch the video below to see what is on my phone at this very moment and how I stay organized.

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Photographic images are containers for information. They tell a story. Or at least they should right? We are conditioned to expect images to talk about something so when they offer very little and are in fact abstract what does this mean? Abstract photography evolved out of frustration, but turned out to be one of the best things I ever investigated.

This talk investigates my path to the abstract photograph and the ideas behind that slur of information. On here and on Instagram I rarely share this portion of my work. I save this for my fine art that resides on my artists website.  However, I am still making this work and felt it could be appropriate to share my Ted Talk here as well.

If you struggle to understand the abstract or are drawn to creating the abstract this talk gives insight into both as well as my journey with photography.

As always, I welcome your ideas and commentary on abstraction and the photograph.

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Hello friends! As you know I am obsessed with the Moment lenses. They will transform your phone photography game. I decided to create a video featuring the Moment Macro Lens. Decide if it is worth it for yourself!

The moment macro lens has a 25mm focal length and diffuser lens hood. Although I do not remove the lens hood often, since you can basically just set the hood on the object and know it will be in focus.

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I have recently had a few questions asking me what gear I use for phone photography. This is all of the general gear I throw in my backpack in various combinations depending on the shoot or occasion.

The entire idea with me starting this blog was to talk about how to photograph and travel in a very minimal way without giving up the quality of the capture. (Plus a few sprinklings of conversations on art of course!)

Each item here is a purposeful choice and added weight for my bag. If I were to throw everything listed here in a bag it weighs not even 10lbs. However, I typically only take part or pieces for local hikes and outings; while traveling it all goes with me.

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Photographing in the rain can be tough. It feels dreary and often uninspiring when all the lighting is an overcast diffused gray. However, I have to get over this and shoot despite the weather.

As you know I am an avid hiker and try to get outside and at least once a week. In my current location and the surrounding areas it rains….ALL the time. I live in the Pacific Northwest, home of green and lush forests, but this means rain for about half the year. The video above was one such day on a hike.

The same can be said for some of our travels. An equally dreary place was Ireland that held a similar climate. We visited in the summer and were able to experience some glimpses of sun, but the constant spitting of rain was common.

Here are some of my top tips for shooting in the rain starting from the gear to what you can look for. Watch the video or read the post! 🙂

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Hello Friends!

I have been experimenting with video outside of the “How To” realm. This started with my “On the Road” series which will continue, however now I am starting to create  new series. These will develop overtime in 2018 and I already have a whole list of ideas.

These will be cinematic videos and all titled “A Study of ______”. I was inspired to explore this idea after I put together a small sequence of square black and white images titled “A Study“. This can be viewed on my Artists website bethanymccamish.com along with additional series.

For years photography as been used to capture both the real and imagined. It can be a close and intimate look at the photographers world. It can also be an objective assignment to gather data or document.  In my case it is always the latter.

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