Ivett Chicas

Calm Before the Storm

2011-08-27T21:19:00.010+02:00

Hurricane Irene is set to hit NYC early Sunday morning. This news has NYers in a frenzy and out of precaution has me indoors and catching up on my, too long neglected, photography.

Here is a panoramic of lower Manhattan with the Willaimsburg Bridge at the far left. This image was taken last May from the Greenpoint area of Brooklyn.

St. Patricks Day, NYC, it all feels so right [Día de San Patricío, Nueva York, todo se siente MUY bien]

2011-03-18T21:05:00.008+01:00

I've only just landed in NYC but it all feels so right. I even ventured to the St. Patrick's Day parade to soak in all that great NYC vibe.

He llegado hace nada a Nueva York pero me parece que todo esta en su sitio, todo esta donde debe estar. Hasta me atreví a ir al desfile del día de San Patricio en la 5ª avenida. El desfile de San Patricío mas grande del mundo.

Hotel Santo Mauro, (Madrid, España)

2010-11-11T17:52:00.009+01:00

I'm beginning to get used to the Photocalls, although I still have SO much to learn. Lesson learned today: upon arrival, if set-up is not ready, place backpack in the line to hold your place, first ask which end is last. I figured this out after about 10 minutes of sitting and waiting and wondering. I then went and had some cookies and coffee.

[Estoy empezando a acostumbrarme a los Photocalls, aunque aun tengo MUCHO que aprender. Lección de hoy: cuando llegas, si el podio aun no esto preparado, pon tu bolso al final de la cola para guardar tu sitio. Me entere después de 10 minutos de estar sentada, esperando, y preguntándome. Después de este descubrimiento fui a coger galletas y café.]

Today's photocall was for the movie 'The Other Guys', it was early (10AM) and it was COLD! The set-up was outside which is much more convenient for me as my flash is not as potent as I'd like it to be. In general I prefer to not use flash. Did I mention the set-up was OUTSIDE and that it was COLD.

[El Photocall de hoy era para la película 'Los Otros Dos', era muy pronto (10 hrs) y hacia FRIÓ! El podio estaba fuera en el jardín, que es mucho mas conveniente para mi ya que mi flash no es tan potente como a mi me gustaría. En general prefiero no usar el flash. ¿Ya he mencionado que el podio estaba fuera y que hacia frió?]

Eva Mendes was a total trooper:

[Eva Mendes fue una campeona total]:

She was upbeat and friendly and made a true effort to look at all the cameras.

[Estaba contenta, amable y hizo un gran esfuerzo en mirar a todas las cámaras.]

Yes, there were cameras up there ... thankfully I scored with a front row spot.

[Si habían cámaras allí, muy, muy arriba. Por suerte cogí un sitio en primera fila.]

Oh, Will Ferrell was there too. Although he got less attention then Eva, poor guy. They seemed to have a great rapport with each other.

[Ah, Will Ferrell estaba también. Aunque al pobre le dieron mucho menos atención que a Eva. Parecía que los dos actores tenían una buena relación.]

Will Ferrell was equally friendly. I had to remind the other photogs what his name was ... crazy.

[Will Ferrell fue igual de amable. Les tuve que recordar a los fotógrafos de su nombre ... una locura, en EEUU casi todo mundo le conoce.]

After some begging Eva Mendes came out for a few more shots and I was able to capture this last one. Which I love.

[Después de muchas suplicas Eva Mendes volvió a salir para unas cuantas fotos mas y pude capturar esta ultima imagen. Que me encanta.]

I've written a review of the movie (in Spanish) here. And quite possibly my images will be used on another blog. Unfortunately I had to watch the movie dubbed over in Spanish and I think many of the jokes get lost in translation. But the slow motion bar scene is FANTASTIC.

[He escrito una critica de la película aquí. Y es posible que usen mis imágenes en otro blog también. Desafortunadamente tuve que ver una versión de la peli doblada en Español, creo que muchos chistes se pierden en la traducción. Pero la escena con cámara lenta en el bar es ESTUPENDA.]

All images ©Ivett Chicas

Emma Stone in Madrid [Emma Stone en Madrid]

2010-10-28T15:19:00.011+02:00

Today I went on my first ever photocall. The kind folks over at Sony Pictures gave me a press pass for the 'Easy A' ('Rumores Y Mentiras' in Spanish) photocall. The movie premieres in theaters tomorrow, Oct 29th ... yes, this is the same movie which premiered in the States back in September.

[Hoy asistí a mi primer photocall. Los de Sony Pictures, muy amables por cierto, me dieron una acreditación para poder ir al photocall para la película 'Rumores Y Mentiras' ('Easy A' en Inglés). La película se estrena mañana, 29 de Octubre ... sí, es la misma película que se estreno en Septiembre en EEUU.]

Below are some pictures of Emma Stone (Olive Penderghast in the film) and Director Will Gluck. I also wrote up a review of the film (it's in Spanish only) for the blog Mentelequia. In case you're wondering, I quite enjoyed the film, had many, many high points. I especially liked the homage to all the 80's teen romance comedies. But best of all, I loved seeing a female lead in a teen comedy, not only that but she's smart, witty and self confident.

[Abajo podéis ver algunas fotos de la actriz Americana, Emma Stone (quien interpreta el personaje de Olive Penderghast) y el director Will Gluck. También he escrito una crítica de la película que podéis leer en el blog Mentelequia.]

As for the photocall, it was quite the experience. Most all the photographers were male, but there were 2 lady photographers and they were nothing but kind. Also, I was absolutely the new face in town as everyone knew each other thankfully all were welcoming and I felt at ease. We waited around for about an hour, holding down our selected positions, (I scoping out everyone's AMAZING camera equipment) the actual shoot lasted less then 5 minutes.

[En cuanto al photocall, vaya experiencia! La mayoría de los fotógrafos eran chicos, pero entre el grupo había 2 chicas y las dos fueron super amables. También, se notaba mucho que era la nueva cara del grupo ya que todo mundo se conocía, pero otra vez lo digo - todo mundo fue muy acogedor. Esperamos alrededor de una hora, todo mundo mas o menos manteniendo sus posiciones, (yo aprovechaba a echar un vistazo a todo el equipo fotográfico) lo de hacer fotos duro menos de 5 minutos.]

All images © Ivett Chicas

A Sunday Afternoon [Tarde de Un Domingo]

2010-08-29T20:07:00.006+02:00

I was sitting in my room, comtemplating how to execute an idea, when suddenly the breeze caught my attention. I had a sudden impulse to capture my view on this Sunday afternoon.

Warm. Calm. Relaxed. Quiet. This is my Sunday Afternoon.

[Estaba sentada en la habitación, contemplando como ejecutar una idea, cuando de repente la brisa llamo mi atención y tuvé el impulso de captar mi vista esta tarde de Domingo.

Cálido. Tranquilo. Relajado. Apacible. Esto es mi Tarde de Domingo.]

52 x 52

2010-08-27T16:59:00.013+02:00

My most recent photo project was very specific. A portrait to be placed in a frame measuring 52cm x 52cm. The client is familiar with my work and I was free to get creative, keeping in mind that the portrait would hang in the living room for all to guests to see.

[Mi proyecto mas reciente era muy específico. Un retrato para un marco de 52cm x 52cm en tamaño. El cliente está familiarizado con mi trabajo así que me dieron libertad creativa, teniendo en cuenta que el retrato ve estar en el salón a vista de todo visita.]

We met one afternoon in the clients home and I set about finding the right light. Thankfully their living room faces West and so I was able to take advantage of the slowly setting sun.

[Quedamos una tarde en casa del cliente y rápidamente empecé a buscar la luz adecuada. Por suerte el salón mira hacia el Oeste así que pude aprovechar la puesta del sol.]

I shot about 100 images, this was narrowed down to 15. I retouched the top 10 and the client selected their favorite. The whole process was smooth and the project was completed within 2 weeks time.

[Hice unas 100 fotos, estas se redujeron a 15. Luego retoque las 10 mejores y el cliente selecciono su favorita. Todo el proceso fue muy fluido y el proyecto se completo en 2 semanas.]

Here is the final image which now hangs in their living room:

[Aquí tenéis la imagen final que ahora se encuentra en el salón del cliente:]

This 2nd (below) image was my personal favorite but the blue sky didn't match the colors of their living room and so this image had to be put aside. This is the only image in which I used artificial light, an SB600 mounted on camera.

[Esta 2ª (abajo) imagen era mi preferida pero el cielo azul no coordinaba bien con los colores de su salón, así que esta imagen tuvo que ser descartada. Esta es la única imagen donde hice use de lux artificial, un SB600 montada en cámara.]

A more classical portrait (below).

[Un retrato mas clásico (abajo).]

And this final one I love because of their body language. But the crop didn't work for the frame they wanted to fill.

[Y esta última me encantaba por el lenguaje de sus cuerpos. Pero el corte de la imagen no funcionaba para el marco que querían usar.]

Thanks to Ana and José for entrusting me with this project.

[Muchas gracias a Ana y José por confiar en mí para realizar este proyecto.]

Hard at Work [Trabajando Duro]

2010-08-16T16:59:00.005+02:00

I've been busy the past few weeks looking for work, working on work and finally delivery my work. Concretely I had two projects come up. The first of which I'm happy to tell you about now!

[He estado ocupada en las ultimas semanas buscando trabajo, trabajando en dicho trabajo y finalmente entregando el trabajo. Concretamente, surgieron dos proyectos. Y es un placer hablaros del primer proyecto aquí y ahora!]

In the town of Loeches (Madrid) you'll find a factory specializing in package design. If you've bought an item in any Spanish pharmacy, odds are you've seen their work. The Company is Hispagraf and one of the owners contacted me a few weeks ago requiring images for web and print.

[En el pueblo de Loeches (Madrid) encontraras una fábrica especializando en el diseño visual de un gran numero de productos. Si has comprado algún producto en una farmacia Española es posible que hayas visto su trabajo. La Empresa es Hispagraf y uno de los dueños contacto conmigo necesitando imágenes para web y publicación.]

Here are some of my personal favorites:

[Aquí os presento algunas de mis preferidas:]

print [impresión]

cut [corte]

folding [plegado]

panoramic interior [panorámica de interior]

Suburbia [Suburbios]

2010-06-15T13:56:00.011+02:00

Suburbia, according to Merriam-Webster: (noun) : an outlying part of a city or town.

[Suburbios, según Merriam-Webster. (substantivo): zonas residenciales de la periferia.]

Suburbia, according to Uncyclopedia: is a mythical land which, according to most middle-American legends, is filled with fairies, enchantment and sport utility vehicles.

[Suburbios, según Uncyclopedia: es una tierra mítica que, según la mayoría de estadounidenses tradicionalistas y conservadores, esta lleno de hadas, encantamiento, y vehículos de todoterreno.]

Suburbia, is a curious thing, you never really know what to expect.

[Suburbios, es una cosa curiosa, en realidad nunca sabes que te espera.]

Laguna del Duque (Solana de Ávila)

2010-06-11T16:01:00.007+02:00

Last weekend I went rock climbing and then camped overnight near Solana de Ávila. The spot is near Laguna del Duque (translated: Duke/Duchess Lake). I decided this would be a good opportunity to play with long exposure ... so I lugged my tripod and both cameras up the mountain. I am truly surprised I didn't roll down the mountain with all the weight I was carrying. (I also had sleeping bags, food etc.)

[El pasado fin de semana fui a escalar y de acampada cerca de Solana de Ávila. El lugar estaba al lado de la Laguna del Duque. Decidí que esto seria una buena oportunidad para jugar con exposiciones largas ... así que arrastre mi trípode y dos cámaras por la montaña. Estoy verdaderamente sorprendida que no me fui rodando hacia abajo con todo el peso que llevaba. (También iba cargada con los sacos de dormir, comida, etc.]

To my great surprise we spent the night next to the lake and I was able to capture the below images:

[Para mi gran sorpresa pasamos la noche al lado del lago y pude captar estas imágenes:]

Interstate 10 headed East

2010-05-28T13:52:00.005+02:00

A big thank you to the models, Melissa and Sarah, for their tremendous help. Most all the clothes is vintage and provided by the models themselves. More info and photos to come ...

[Mil gracias a las modelos, Melissa y Sarah, por su gran ayuda. La mayoría de la ropa es de epoca y proporcionada por las modelos. Mas información y fotos dentro de poco ...]

Location: California, off the I10 headed East

Long Weekend, Friends, Paella [Fin de Semana Largo, Amigos, Paella]

2010-04-12T20:51:00.011+02:00

For Holy Week we decided to take a trip up to Barco de Avila and stay at Fernando's Mom childhood home. I always love going here. I turn off my cell phone, ignore the TV, and well, internet is non-exsistant - I disconnect from the world. We decided to invite a couple a friends along for the adventure.

[Para Semana Santa decidimos irnos a Barco de Avila y quedarnos en la casa donde se crió la Madre de Fernando. Siempre me encanta ir allí. Apago el móvil, ignoro la televisión, y bueno, internet casi que no existe - desconecto del mundo. Decidimos invitar algunos amigos a la aventura.]

I didn't take many pictures, I've been lacking in the inspiration department, but I was able to document the Paella making - for 8 people!

[No hice muchas fotos, he tenido poca inspiración estos días, pero si pude documentar como se hace una Paella - para 8 personas!]

'The Genius Cooks' [Las Genias Cocineras]

'The Observers' [Los Observadores]

Rotating the pan so all the rice cooks evenly.

[Rotando la paellera para que se hiciera todo el arroz]

'The Masterpiece' [La Obra Maestra]

I'm pretty certain everyone had seconds and even thirds.

[Estoy casi seguro que todo mundo cogió dos o tres veces.]

Fashion Victim [Victima de la Moda]

2010-03-08T15:59:00.006+01:00

Location [Localizacion]: Livingroom [Salon]

Model [Modelo]: Fernando Tabernero

Photographer [Fotografa]: Ivett Chicas

Set-Up: Nikon D40 mounted vertically on tripod with SB600 from the side. Reflector/bounce at foot of tripod facing model.

[Montaje: Nikon D40 montada verticalmente en trípode con un flash SB 600 desde el lado izquierdo. Un reflector en base de trípode reflejado hacia modelo.]

La Rioja

2010-03-05T12:30:00.012+01:00

We recently took a trip to the La Rioja region of Spain. It was a weekend of relaxation but I did manage to capture a few images.

[Recientemente nos fuimos de paseo a La Rioja en España. Fue un fin de semana de tranquilidad pero si pude captar unas imágenes.]

Darien Vineyard [Viñedo Darien]

Logroño (La Rioja)

Anguiano (La Rioja)

Valvanera Monastery [Monasterio de Valvanera]

Laguardia (Álava)

Somewhere on the Najera Highway [En algún lugar de la Carretera de Najera]

Bare Feet [Pies Descalzos]

2010-02-13T21:16:00.007+01:00

I recently posed with bare feet for an image I submitted to a photography contest. The contest theme was something along these lines: "the world of footwear and leather fashion accessories, in any of their scopes." The contest was organized by the Footwear Museum in Elda, Alicante.

[Recientemente pose con pies descalzos para una imagen que presente a un concurso fotográfico. El tema del concurso era el siguiente: "el mundo del calzado y los complementos de moda en piel, en cualquiera de sus ámbitos." El concurso fue organizado por el Museo del Calzado en Elda, Alicante.]

The idea to have my boots in motion, sans a body, was instant.

[La idea de tener mis botas en movimiento, sin un cuerpo, fue instantáneo.]

Location: El Retiro Park, Madrid

The day was slightly chilly and wet, it had rained the previous night. The set-up was comical - me slipping in and out of my sneakers, mud everywear, passer-bys scoping out the scene.

[Fue un día un poco frió y mojado, había llovido la noche anterior. El montaje en el parque estuvo un poco cómico - poner y quitar las zapatillas varias veces, barro por todos lados, gente parando para ver la escena.]

The final image is a composite of 4 takes. 1. background 2. legs 3. boots in motion 4. boots still to capture inside.

[La composición final son 4 tomas. 1. el fondo 2. las piernas 3. las botas en movimiento 4. las botas sin mover para captar la parte de dentro.]

I then brought all the layers together using masks, some cloning, duplicated some layers and blended using the multiplicity mode to get additional contrast and color.

[Luego ajunte todas las capas con mascaras, use la herramienta de clonar, duplique unas capas y cambie la capa a modo multiplicar para mas contraste.]

I'm happy with the piece whether it wins a prize or not. = )

[Estoy contenta con la obra, si gana un premio o no. = ) ]

Dark Glare [Resplandor Oscuro]

2010-01-26T19:43:00.007+01:00

My photography classes have ended (for now) but my quest for new knowledge continues. I have lots of ideas in my head and lots of doubts as to how to develop them but I'm working on a series I hope to one day share with you.

[Las clases de fotografía han terminado (por el momento) pero mi búsqueda de nuevos conocimientos continua. Tengo muchas ideas y muchas dudas sobre como desarrollarlas pero estoy trabajando en una serie que espero compartir con vosotros un día.]

At the moment my computer rests from processing 2GB images and I surf the web in search of new and neat photoshop tricks to keep my creative juices flowing.

[Por el momento mi ordenador descansa de procesar imágenes de 2GB y yo navego por la web en busca de nuevos y geniales trucos de photoshop para no perder la creatividad.]

Today I read about the Dark Glare Effect on the Photoshop Support Group bulletins. I've adjusted their system to my tastes, below my images you'll find the steps I followed and you can see more examples on the link above.

[Hoy leí sobre el efecto llamado resplandor oscuro en el foro Photoshop Support Group. He ajustado el sistema a mi gusto, abajo de las imágenes encontraras los pasos que yo sigue y puedes ver mas ejemplos en el link de arriba. Y perdonad pero no he incluido la traducción de los pasos pero si te interesa me lo dices y te lo envío.]

'CORPORATE ANGST'

ANGST'

1. Open image in Photoshop.

2. Immediately duplicate image as a new layer.

3. Go to IMAGE, then ADJUSTMENTS, select HUE/SATURATION, desaturate duplicate layer. Change blend mode for this layer to MULTIPLY.

4. Duplicate original image again in a new layer.

5. Go to IMAGE, then ADJUSTMENTS, select HUE/SATURATION, desaturate duplicate layer. Change blend mode for this layer to OVERLAY.

6. Duplicate this last layer.

7. Go to IMAGE, then ADJUSTMENTS, select HUE/SATURATION, desaturate duplicate layer.

6. Adjust opacity of layers as necessary and to your liking.

7. Adjust contrast via CURVES or LEVELS as necessary and to your liking.

At this point the tutorial went into blurring and coloring etc. I didn't find these steps necessary as I like my images completely focused but everyone has their own style so you may enjoy. Check out the link above. I skipped ahead to the following:

8. Go to LAYER on the toolbar. Select NEW FILL LAYER, select SOLID COLOR. Here I went with a sepia tone type color.

9. Change blend mode for this layer to OVERLAY and reduce opacity to between 5 - 10%, depending on your taste.

At this point I masked and unmasked some areas to my liking but it's not necessary. I hope I didn't miss any steps and if you ever end up using this method, let me know how it works out. = )

Let It Snow [Dejale Nevar]

2010-01-10T21:43:00.004+01:00

It's been snowing quite a lot all over Europe. In fact, it's been downright FREEZING! This is what happens when you forget you've set your clothes out to dry:

[Ha estado nevando mucho por todo Europa. La verdad es que estado HELADO, HELADO! Esto es lo que pasa cuando se te olvida que haz tendido la ropa:]

But really, I can't complain. The city just brightens up with all the snow. Here's the view from my bedroom window tonight:

[Pero la verdad es que no me puedo quejar. La cuidad simplemente brilla con toda la nieve. Esta es la vista de mi habitacion esta noche:]

Good night! [Buenas Noches!]

La Prima Visits [The Cousin Visita]

2009-12-18T00:42:00.010+01:00

When you're far from home the Holidays don't quite feel like the Holidays. Thankfully my cousin Jessica hopped on a plane and came out for a visit. Visits are always a great excuse to photograph much too photographed locations and review technique. Here are some photos from our recent escapades.

[Cuando estas lejos de casa estos días de fiesta no se siento como días de fiesta. Por suerte mi prima Jessica cogio un vuelo y vino a visitarme. Las visitas siempre son un buena excusa para fotografiar sitios que muy a menudo fotografiados y tambien repasar tecnica. Aqui podeis ver unas fotos de nuestras recientes escapadas.]

San Lorenzo El Escorial

(no tripod, no worries. use what you have, the floor works wonderfully.)

[sin tripode, no te preocupes. usa lo que tengas, el suelo funciona estupendamente.]

(a closed down aperture {F22} will get you this star effect. also works great with lights at night)

[un obturador cerrado {F22} te dara esto efecto de estrella. tambien funciona muy bien con luces por la noche.]

Segovia

Parque El Retiro

We also went into the studio but it's been a while since I posted non-studio pictures. = )

[Tambien estuvimos en plato pero hace mucho que no pongo fotos fuera del plato. = )]

New Website Launch [Lanzamiento Nueva Pagina Web]

2009-11-25T10:55:00.009+01:00

Last night (Madrid time) we launched version 2.0 of www.ivettchicas.com. The new design was put together by Antonio Jesus Palma. He structured the uploading of photos via the flickr API system which makes it easy for me to update photos and add galleries. For more info you can go ahead and email Antonio.

[Anoche fue el lanzamiento de la version 2.0 de www.ivettchicas.com. El creador del nuevo diseño es Antonio Jesus Palma. Estructuro la subida de imagenes usando el systema API de flickr que hara la actualizacion de fotos y gallerias super facil para mi. Para mas informacion le puedes enviar un email a Antonio.]

Since this is a launch there may be some glitches and your help would be great. We believe the site is best viewed on Firefox 3.x and Internet Explorer 7 but if you're on IE6 or IE8 you may be seeing it differently. If any of the images look pixelated or if the galleries are out of whack, please leave us a comment so we can correct the problem.

[Como esto es un lanzamiento puede ser que necesite ajustes y vuestra ayuda seria genial. Creemos que la web se ve correctament en Firefox 3.x y Internet Explorer 7 pero si lo estas viendo con IE6 o IE 8 puede ser que lo veas differente. Si alguna de las images se ve pixelada or si las galleries no se ven bien, por favor dejarme un commentario para poder solucionarlo.]

We're looking forward to your comments about the new website!

[Estamos ansiosos por oír vuestros commentarios sobre la nueva pagina web!]

The Silver Necklace [El Collar de Plata]

2009-11-17T00:14:00.009+01:00

I tend to lean toward a white background when in the studio. Mainly because I enjoy playful and more lighthearted images. I personally feel the white backdrop is better suited for that type of picture. But the black backdrop is equally beautiful and can be great for more dramatic and mysterious shots.

[Normalmente me gusta trabajar con fondo blanco cuando estoy en el estudio. Principalmente porque me gustan las fotos alegres y no tan serias. Personalmente creo que el fondo blanco funciona mejor para este tipo de imagen. Pero el fondo negro es igual de lindo y funciona estupendamente para fotos mas dramaticas y misteriosas.]

I recently went into the studio with fellow photographer, Izzy Hudgins, and model, Rosa Elswood. Below are some images from that session.

[Recientemente estuve en el estudio con la fotografa, Izzy Hudgins, y la modelo, Rosa Elswood. Abajo podeis ver algunas imagenes de esa sesion.]

I used two lights. One flash to the right of the model with a large softbox. To her left was a large white foam (don't know the technical term) to slightly fill in the shadows. The second light was facing the backdrop. Over it was an aqua-blue-ish filter which gives the backdrop that slight color.

[Use dos luzes. Un flash a la derecha de la modelo con un ventana grande. A su izquierda estaba un tipo de reflector blanco, grande, (no me se el nombre tecnico), esto era para rellenar las sombras un poco. La segunda luz iluminaba hacia el fondo y le puse una gelatina tipo azul-verde que le da ese toque de color al fondo.]

Model/Make-Up [Modelo/Maquillaje]: Rosa Elswood
Wardrobe/Jewelery [Vestuario/Joyas]: Izzy Hudgins
Photography [Fotografia]: Ivett Chicas

Wind of Pity ... [Viento de Pena... ]

2009-11-09T22:54:00.008+01:00

Location [Ubicación]: Sintra, Portugal (Palácio do Pena)
Protagonist [Protagonista]: The Wind [El Viento]

I was reminded I had this photo when I ran across an image by Miss Aniela titled 'The Balcony Breeze'.

[Recordé tener esta foto cuando encontre una imagen de Miss Aniela titulado 'La Brisa del Balcón'.]

Multiplicity [Multiplicidad]

2009-11-03T20:23:00.008+01:00

'5'

The above image I submitted to a photo contest. I've been sunbmitting to various lately but the competition is fierce! Regardless of the outcome I'm proud of the above image for various reasons.

1. I thought of the idea as I was falling asleep and actually executed the very next day.

2. I had to preplan the set-up, like an actual production. Set-up the books, fruits, veggies etc. Think of warddrobe, make-up, hair.

3. I had to plan and be aware of lighting at all times, make sure it was consistent for all characters at all times.

The theme was 5 per day, as in 5 fruits and vegetables each day.

[Participe en un concurso de fotografía con la imagen de arriba. Ultimamente he participado en varios pero la competicion es feroz! A pesar de como salga todo estoy muy orgullosa de esta imagen por varias razones.

1. Pensé en la idea la noche anterior en lo que me quedaba dormida y lo ejecute el siguiente día.

2. Tuvé que planear todo con anticipacion, como una produccion real. Tenia que preparar las frutas, hortalezas, libros, etcétera. Tuve que pensar en el maquillaje, peinado y ropa.

3. Tuve que planear y estar consiente de la luz en todo momento, asegurarme de que era consistente para todo los personajes en todo momento.

El tema era 5 al dia, 5 frutas y hortalezas al dia.]

Filters [Filtros]

2009-10-28T23:53:00.006+01:00

I've been exploring and trying new things lately - both in photography and life - here I'll stick to photography. Most recently I discovered the work of Dave Hill, my favorite is his series titled 'Girl on an Adventure.'

[He estado explorando e intentando cosas nuevas - en fotografia y en la vida - pero aqui hablare de fotografia. Recientemente descubri el trabajo de Dave Hill, mi favorita es su serie titulada 'Chica en una Aventura.']

Looking at his work I was motivated to look into all the filters available for use with photoshop. Photoshop has some great ones, I'm a big fan of the gaussian blur, but there are companies out there specifically dedicated to creating filters ... and they're amazing.

[Ver su trabajo me motivo informarme sobre los filtros disponibles para uso con photoshop. Photoshop viene con unos estupendos, soy una gran fan del desenfoque gaussian, pero existen compañias dedicadas especificamente a crear filtros ... y son impressionante.]

My current explorations took me to two websites, Lucisart and Imagenomic. Go on, explore, see what results you can get. When using filters remember that a filter is not created in a new layer, so it's best to duplicate your layer and then apply the filter --- just in case you change your mind.

[Mi reciente exploracion me llevo a dos sitios, Lucisart y Imagenomic. Hechales un vistazo, mira los resultados que te puede dar. Cuando uses filters recuerda que un filtro no se aplica en una nueva capa, asi que es mejor duplicar tu caa y despues aplicar el filtro --- por si cambias de opinion.]

Below is a picture from May of this year. It was the first time I went out and shot in RAW. Back then I didn't like all the reflections, now this is what I love most. In this image I used the portraiture filter from Imagenomic.

[La foto abajo es de Mayo de este año. Fue la primera vez que hice tomas en RAW. Entonces no me gustaban todos los reflejos, ahora es lo que mas me encanta. En esta imagen use el filtro portraiture de Imagenomic.]

Parque El Retiro, Madrid, España (Jardines de Cecilio Rodriguez)

... & Gentlemen [... & Caballeros]

2009-10-19T21:46:00.006+02:00

A big, BIG thank you to Fernando and Ivan for letting themselves be dolled up by the wonderful make-up artist Belinda Alonso.

[Muchas, MUCHAS gracias a Fernando y Ivan por dejarse maquillar por la estupenda maquillista Belinda Alonso.]

Models [Modelos]: Ivan Sanchez España/Fernando Tabernero Sanchez

Make-Up [Maquillaje]: Belinda Alonso

Photography/Direction [Fotografía/Dirección]: Ivett Chicas

© 2009 Ivett Chicas

Fall Has Arrived [Primavera ha Llegado]

2009-10-15T22:54:00.005+02:00

I've been out shooting tons. Hence the lack of updates, my apologies. I recently took a road trip to Navas Del Marqués. This is near Avila, Spain. My friend/model describes this place as 'little West Virginia' in Spain ... I tend to agree.

[He estado tomando muchas fotos. Por esa razon no habia estado al tanto del blog, mis disculpas. Recientemente hice un paseo a Navas Del Marqués. Queda cerca de Avila, España. Mi amiga/modelo lo describe como un 'pequeño West Virginia' en España ... estoy de acuerdo. (West Virgina queda en el Noreste de EEUU y los Otoños son encantadores!)]

Model [Modelo]: Monica Jimenez

Make-Up [Maquillaje]: Belinda Alonso

Photography/Direction[Fotografia/Dirreccion]: Ivett Chicas

Professional Models Are Great! [Modelos Profesionales Son Estupendos!]

2009-10-02T21:53:00.021+02:00

I now realize why photographers work with certain models over and over again. Smart models are the bestest. They're patient, they know where the light hits them best, they know how to move their body, and they follow direction without hesitation. Like I said, they're great.

I've been lucky to work with Mani twice now. She already knows what I want before I've even finished my sentence. Here is the latest from her:

[Ahora me doy cuenta porqué los fotógrafos trabajan con ciertos modelos una y otra vez. Los modelos inteligentes son estupendos. Son pacientes, saben donde la luz incide en ellos mejor, saben cómo mover su cuerpo, y saben cómo seguir la dirección sin vacilar. Como he dicho, son estupendos.

He tenido la suerte de trabajar con Mani dos veces. Ella ya sabe lo que quiero incluso antes de que termine de decir mi pensamiento. Este es el último trabajo con ella:]

I'm thinking of something more creative I can do with her ... stay tuned.

[Estoy pensando en algo más creativo que puedo hacer con ella ... estad atentos. ]

Today I had the privilege of working with a new model. Unfortunately I didn't get her info as I was busy exchanging info with a fellow classmate, but again, stay tuned. Today we were shooting publicity shots for sunglasses. You can see the light set-up in her shades, but just in case, scroll down for a shot of the studio.

[Hoy he tenido el privilegio de trabajar con una modelo nueva. Lamentablemente no he cogido su información porque estaba intercambiando datos con un compañero de clase, pero os digo otra vez, estad atentos. Hoy era clase de publicidad, el producto -- gafas de sol. Podáis ver el conjunto de luz en sus gafas, pero por si acaso, mas abajo podáis ver el estudio.]

Tengo Una Corazonada [I Feel It In My Bones]

2009-09-28T00:11:00.011+02:00

Madrid, España [Madrid, Spain]

27 Sept 2009: Plaza de Cibeles

'Tengo Una Corazonada' ['I Feel It In My Bones.]

MADRID2016 Cuidad Candidata [MADRID2016 Candidate City]

Nerves [Nervios]

2009-09-23T16:59:00.018+02:00

Working with a model makes me a little nervous. Working with an experienced model that knows her way around a studio is just plain intimidating.

Below are my favorite shots from a recent class studio session. If you're interested in lighting and camera specs click on the images.

[Trabajar con una modelo me pone nerviosa. Trabajar con una modela con experiencia, con mucho conocimiento del plato, es una experiencia aterradora.

Abajo están mis tomas favoritas de una sesión de clase en plato. Si te interesa leer sobre la iluminación y criterio de cámara haz clic en las imágenes.]

Model [Modelo]: Mani Roth

Dress/Make-Up [Vestido/Maquillaje]: Mani Roth

Direction [Direccíon]: Ivett Chicas

... and then we held our breath.

2009-09-09T00:42:00.011+02:00

We'd been on the road for over 3 hours. We weren't quite sure where we were in relation to where we were headed. All we had was word from our friends that the sunsets at Cabo do São Vicente were remarkable. A drop everything and go type of scene.

This is how we found ourselves racing against the sunset on an unknown road in the Algarve region of Portugal. We almost missed it, the wind was mad and my body begged for some warmth.

We made it just in the nick of time, the view was astounding ... I almost forgot to breath. The pictures need no retouching.

[Habíamos conducido durante más de 3 horas. No sabíamos exactamente donde estábamos en relación a donde íbamos. Lo único de que si estábamos seguros era la palabra de nuestros amigos que el atardecer en Cabo do São Vicente era impresionante. Era una experiencia para parrar todo e ir inmediatamente.

Es así como nos encontramos en una carrera contra la puesta del sol, en un camino desconocido en la región de Algarve en Portugal. Casi se nos escapa, el viento estaba enfadado y mi cuerpo suplicaba por un poco de calor.

Llegamos justo a tiempo y la vista asombraba... casi olvide respirar. Las imágenes no necesitan ningún retoque.]

Balance on Belém [Equilibrío sobre Belém]

2009-09-04T18:43:00.014+02:00

My constant travel companion and cheerleader of all things photoshop, decided to give me another montage project while in Portugal. You may recall his last assignment involving the Valdecorneja Castle. This time he wanted to balance on the Belém Tower in Lisboa. Quite a feat considering the Tower was closed for visits the day we went.

[Mi compañero constante del viaje y animador de toda cosa photoshop, decidió darme otro proyecto de montaje mientras estaba en Portugal. Vosotros recordaréis su última tarea que involucraba el Castillo de Valdecorneja. Esta vez él quería parecer estar equilibrándose en la Torre de Belém en Lisboa. Gran hazaña teniendo en cuenta que la Torre estaba cerrada para visitas el día que fuimos.]

But I'm never one to turn down a challenge, here is the result:

[Pero no soy una que le guste rechazar un desafío, así que aquí está el resultado:]

I won't go into detail on the steps but I wll mention that I used vector masks - A LOT. Masks are your best friend, they allow you to place elements from various photographs into one without cropping or cutting. This can be a true lifesaver if you change your mind or make a mistake.

[No detallaré el proceso paso por paso pero mencionaré que utilicé máscaras - MUCHAS. Las máscaras son tu mejor amigo, te permiten colocar elementos de varias fotos en una sin cortar la imagen original. Esto puede ser un verdadero salvador si cambias de opinión o cometes un error.]

The final image above is composed of 4 individual shots, see below if you're curious.

[La foto final está compuesta de 4 imágenes individuales, lee abajo si tienes curiosidad.]

Image one: a miniature model of the actual Tower of Belém

[Imagine uno: una miniatura de la verdadera Torre de Belém]

Image two: Fernando balancing on a pole with a similar color to the above miniature.

[Imagine dos: Fernando equilibrado sobre un poste de un color similar al de Torre.]

In a montage it's important to keep in mind lighting. I had to make sure the shadows on Fernando matched those on the Tower.

[En un fotomontaje es importante tomar en cuenta como cae la luz. Tuve que asegurarme que las sombras sobre Fernando eran similar a las sombres en la Torre.]

Image three: Background. This flat looking sky and sea is a wall painting at the Aquarium, also in Lisboa. As soon as I saw it I imagined it would work well as the miniature Tower would look flat. But once I started to put the elements together I didn't like the sky. It was too flat.

[Imagine tres: Fondo. Esta imagen plana del cielo y mar es una pintura de pared en el Acuario, también en Lisboa. Cuando lo vi me imaginé que funcionaría bien con la Torre en miniatura porque esto también saldría plana. Pero una vez comencé a poner los elementos juntos no me gusto el cielo. Era demasiada plana.]

Image four: Sky, this is on the road between Madrid and Aranjuez.

[Imagine cuatro: El cielo, esta foto es en la carretera entre Madrid y Aranjuez.]

Portugal Panoramics [Panorámicos de Portugal]

2009-09-01T15:35:00.013+02:00

Last week we took a little roadtrip to Portugal. We headed out from Madrid to Lisboa, made stops in Lisboa, Sintra and Cascais and even a drive-thru of Estoril. From there we drove South to Alvor. Once here, we drove up and down the coast for a few days, from Carrapateira, to Vila do Bispo, to Cabo do São Vicente, to Sagres, to the beaches of Luz, Lagos, and even Portimão.

[La semana pasada tomamos un pequeño paseo en coche a Portugal. Nos dirigimos desde Madrid a Lisboa, hicimos paradas en Lisboa, Sintra y Cascáis e incluso un ‘drive-thru’ de Estoril. Desde allí conducimos hacia el Sur a Alvor. Una vez aquí, pasamos unos días moviéndonos por la costa, desde Carrapateira, a Vila do Bispo, a Cabo do São Vicente, a Sagres, a las playas de Luz, Lagos, e incluso Portimão.]

Naturally, I packed my photo gear in hopes of capturing some of the beauty.

[Naturalmente, empaqué mi equipamente de foto en esperanzas de captar parte de la belleza.]

There are tons of photos I want to share but I was most anxious to put together some of the panoramic shots I worked on. I'll point out some of my errors in hopes you'll learn from my mistakes.

[Hay muchas fotos que quiero compartir pero estaba más ansioso por completar las fotos panorámicos. Indicaré algunos de mis errores en esperanzas que vosotros aprendéis de mis errores.]

The very first shot is taken in Lisboa. Location: Praça do Império in the Belém area of town. This is in front of the Planetarium and Naval Museum.

[La primera imagen fue tomada en Lisboa. Localización: Praça do Império en la zona Belém de la cuidad. Esto es en frente del Planetario y Museo Naval.]

The final image you see above is made up of 7 separate captures. My first error was not bringing my tripod along. Mental note: commit to carrying tripod at all times. The 7 images were captured while holding the camera vertically then panning across from left to right. I've started to use vertical shots because I felt I was loosing too much information at the top and bottom of the frame. Specifcally in this shot I love the tile floor of the plaza. I wanted to be sure and capture this.

[La imagen final que veis arriba esta compuesta de 7 capturas individuales. Mi primer error fue no llevar mi trípode. Nota mental: comprometerme a llevar el trípode siempre. Las 7 imágenes fueron captadas al sujetar la cámara verticalmente y girando de izquierda a derecha. He comenzado a utilizar los disparos verticales porque sentía que perdía demasiada información en la parte superior y en el fondo del marco. Específicamente, en esta imagen me encanta el mosaico del suelo en la plaza. Quería estar segura de captar esto.]

Also, as you can see, the sky is overexposed. Why? Well, it was very sunny but the sun was setting so the plaza was beginning to fall in the shade. If I measured the sky I would loose detail in the plaza, specifically on the left hand side where there are people. I made an executive decision to measure in the shade as that's where I wanted detail.

[Además, como podéis ver, el cielo esta sobreexpuesto. ¿Por qué? Bueno, estaba muy soleado y el sol comenzaba a ponerse así que la plaza comenzaba a caer en sombra. Si medía la luz del cielo perdería detalle en la plaza, específicamente en el lado izquierdo donde hay personas. Tome una decisión ejecutiva, medí la sombra porque ahí deseaba el detalle.]

Had I had my tripod I could have done 2 exposures for each frame. One measuring the sky and one measuring the shade. Then I could have merged the images and I would have had a capture close to what I was viewing.

[Si hubiese llevado el trípode podría haber hecho 2 exposiciones para cada marco. Una con medición del cielo y una con medición de la sombra. Entonces podría haber unido las imágenes y habría tenido una captura cercana a lo que veía.]

This next image is taken in Sagres. You're looking at the port. It was about 4PM and the sun was high in the sky. That means no shade/shadow to worry about.

[La imagen que sigue fue tomada en Sagres. Vosotros estáis mirando el puerto. Eran aproximadamente las 4 de la tarde y el sol estaba alto en el cielo. Eso significa que no había sombra por cual preocuparse.]

The above image is also composed of 7 separate frames. You're probably wondering why I like to merge several images to create one. There are various reasons, one is the detail and quality I'm able to obtain. In the original file of this image, if you zoom in to the horizon on the left hand side you can see some windmills.

[La imagen arriba también está compuesta de 7 capturas individuales. Probablemente os preguntáis porque me gusta unir varias imágenes para crear una. Hay varias razones, uno es el detalle y la calidad que puedo obtener. En el archivo original de esta imagen, si os acercáis con zoom en el horizonte en el lado izquierdo, podéis ver algunos molinos de viento.]

One of the prettiest things about Portugal are the sunsets. The word gorgeous doesn't even fully describe the phenomenon. The below image was captured at the Port in Alvor at about 8:40PM.

[Una de las cosas más bonitas de Portugal son los atardeceres. La palabra, magnífica, no describe completamente el fenómeno. La imagen abajo fue captada en el Puerto de Alvor alrededor de cuartó para las 9 de la noche.]

This final panoramic is made up of 6 frames, again while holding the camera vertically. In this instance I wanted to capture the colors of the sky so I measured the sky and exposed accordingly. That's the reason the sand and boat look very dark. If you zoom in on the orignal, toward the middle of the image, right on the horizon, you can see a flock of birds.

[Este panorámico final está hecho de 6 marcos, otra vez sujetando la cámara verticalmente. En este caso quise captar los colores del cielo, así que medí el cielo y expuse por consiguiente. Por esta razón la arena y el barco aparecen oscuros. Si os acercáis con zoom, hacia el centro de la imagen, en el horizonte, podáis ver una multitud de pájaros.]

I'm currently using the photomerge tool in Photoshop CS3 to merge the images together. It does have it's limitations so I'm on the hunt for any other programs. If anyone knows of any please let me know ... preferrably a program that allows me to work with TIFF or PSD files. I've only been able to find programs that are limited to JPEG.

[Actualmente utilizo la herramienta ‘photomerge’ en ‘Photoshop CS3’ para unir las imágenes. Pero tiene limitaciones y estoy en busca de otros programas. Si alguien sabe de alguno por favor dejarme saber... preferiblemente un programa que me permite trabajar con archivos TIFF o PSD. Sólo he logrado encontrar programas limitados a archivos JPEG.]

Blending and Textures [Mezclando y Texturas]

2009-08-20T10:19:00.019+02:00

I've wanted to use textures in my images for a while now. But I'll admit I was intimidated and didn't know where to begin. Flickr has been a great research and resource tool for me. While browsing I found this great free textures website, I like it because it's simple and organized - good stuff! Here is my very first image with texture:

[Hace tiempo que quería usar texturas en mis imágenes. Pero admito que la idea me aterraba y no sabía por dónde comenzar. Flickr ha sido una buena herramienta de investigación y recurso en esto. Mientras buscaba por aquí encontré esta magnífica página de texturas gratis. Me gusta porque es sencilla y organizada - cosas buenas! Aquí está mi primera imagen con textura:]

This image has a lot of ingredients, if you're curious as to what, continue reading.

[Esta imagen tiene muchos ingredientes, si tienes curiosidad de que se trata, continúe leyendo.]

The image that inspired it all is a picture I took while in Barco de Avila. It's a picture of the backyard as the sun was setting. I love the colors in the image but felt something was missing. I kept opening up the image and staring at it ... thinking that if I stared long enough an idea would come to mind. Here is the original:

[La imagen que lo inspiro todo es una foto que hice en Barco de Avila. Es una foto del patio en el atardecer. Me encantan los colores de la imagen pero sentía que algo faltaba. Abría la imagen y lo miraba fijamente... pensando que si lo miraba lo suficiente alguna idea se me ocurriría. Aquí está la original:]

Then I ran across a self portrait I captured months ago while experimenting with the lighting in my apartment. The lighting is all natural light coming in from one window, I believe it was about 5PM (summertime), so not too strong.

[Después encontré un retrato proprio que capte hace meses cuando experimentaba con la luz en el piso. La luz es todo natural, entrando desde una ventana, creo que era las 5 de la tarde (en verano), así que no muy fuerte.]

Since I was using the backyard image I wanted to replace the closet doors and mirror frame with something you might find outside. A wooden shed of some sort came to mind so I used an image of a door I had captured in Barco de Avila.

[Como estaba usando la imagen del patio quería reemplazar las puertas del armario y el cuadro del espejo con algo que encontrarías fuera. Un cobertizo de madera de algún tipo se vino a mente, así que use la imagen de una puerta que también capte en Barco de Avila.]

The final ingredient was a texture. I found one by JustN8 on Flickr that I enjoyed.

[El ingrediente final fue una textura. Encontré uno hecho por JustN8 en Flickr que me gustaba.]

Combine all these and voila!

[Combinar todo esto y voila!]

Valdecorneja Castle [Castillo de Valdecorneja]

2009-08-10T13:48:00.021+02:00

I recently went on a weekend trip to Barco de Avila. It's a tiny town which pertains to the province of Avila in the Castilla y León region of Spain. A mere two hour drive from the center of Madrid.

[Recientemente pase un fin de semana en Barco de Avila. Es un pequeño pueblo perteneciente a la provincia de Avila en Castilla y Leon, España. Tan solo dos horas en coche desde el Centro de Madrid.]

This adorable, often missed, town has everything you'd want to see and photograph. An ancient roman bridge, a river, a centuries old Cathedral, and of course, a 15th Century Castle.

[Este adorable, muchas veces olvidado, pueblo tiene todo lo que quieras ver y fotografiar. Un antiguo puente romano, un rio, una Catedral secular, y por supuesto, un Castillo del Siglo XV.]

My Pro model, frequent vistor of this town, and photoshop fan, decided it was time to give me a photo assignment.

[Mi Pro modelo, frecuente visitante de este pueblo, y aficionado del photoshop, decidió que era hora de darme una tarea fotograficá.]

Idea: Take a regular photo of the Castle and make it dark.

Location: Valdecorneja Castle, Barco de Avila, Spain.

[Idea: Tomar una foto normal del Castillo y hacerlo parecer oscuro.]

[Localización: Castillo de Valdecornejo, Barco de Avila, España.]

Below is the orginal image.

[Abajo veras la foto original.]

Normally I can capture great clouds in this area but it had just rained the day before and the sky was as clear as can be. I decided to look through my archives for some cloud images. I found this one from when I was in Rome.

[Normalmente puedo captar muy buenas nubes en esta zona, pero justo llovió el día anterior y el cielo estaba lo más claro posible. Decidí buscar entre mis archivos algunas imágenes de nubes. Encontré una que hice cuando estuve en Roma.]

It's always best to capture the best image possible from the beginning. I could have gone to the Castle on a cloudy night, made a long exposure and captured the moon. Perhaps that would have made a better image. But you have to work with what you have and I was leaving town that afternoon.

[Siempre es mejor captar la mejor imagen en la toma. Pudiese haber ido al Castillo por la noche, haber hecho una exposición larga y captar la luna. A lo mejor eso hubiese sido una mejor foto. Pero tienes que trabajar con lo que tienes y yo me iba del pueblo esa misma tarde.]

For now I'm learning the photoshop tools and their possibilities. Maybe in the future I won't even use them ... but as with most anything in life - it's better to be informed and learn what's out there. That way, when you decide yes or no you'll at least know why.

[Por ahora estoy aprendiendo las herramientas de photoshop y sus posibilidades. A lo mejor en el futuro no las usare... pero como la mayoría de las cosas en la vida - es mejor estar informado y saber lo que está disponible. Así, cuando te decidas que si o que no, por lo menos sabrás porque.]

'En Casa' [At Home] 27-07-2009

2009-07-30T12:57:00.011+02:00

Fotografiado el dia 27 de Julio 2009. Barrio Ibiza en Madrid, España.

[Photographed July 27, 2009. Ibiza neighborhood in Madrid, Spain]

La idea era dar una sensación de exploración, la sensación de que estas viendo algo muy privado sin ser percibido. Si, es un hogar muy ordinario y sus habitantes hacen cosas muy ordinarias pero lo que ves es su espacio seguro, donde se sienten mas cómodos, donde son mas vulnerables.

Puse la cámara al nivel de un niño y me paseé por la casa - comenzando y terminando en el mismo puesto pero llegando de diferentes direcciones. No me decidía si quiera los colores un poco desaturados o totalmente desaturados. Pero si estaba segura que no quieria que los colores distraerán.

[The idea was to give a sense of exploring, a sense that you're looking at something very private without being noticed. Yes, it's an ordinary home and it's inhabitants are doing very ordinary things but what you're seeing is their safe space, where they feel most comfortable, where their guard is always down, where they're at their most vulnerable.

I placed the camara at about the eye level of a child and went about the house - beginning and ending in the same spot but approaching from different directions. I went back and forth on the colors a lot, wasn't sure whether I wanted something semi desaturated or completely desaturated. What I was sure of was that I didn´t want the colors to distract.

Thoughts?]

Is It A Real Photo?

2009-07-24T19:14:00.012+02:00

We're moving deep into Photoshop territory in class. We've already played with alpha channels and masks - amazing.

Today's lesson was very heavy and after seeing what can be done in post-production my classmate Carlos brought up a very valid point.

To what extreme should we apply these tools? If we change the hue of the sky, make it darker or lighter, add more contrast to the road, add a filter so the mountains in the far off distance pop out more --- is this a real image?? Afterall ... it's not what you captured. This all led to a nice discussion and got everyone thinking about the images we see everyday.

The truth is that every image has some adjustments. Even back in the film days ... it took longer and if you made a mistake you had to start all over, but each photographer altered the image to their taste. Back then (and even now) it was done with cardboard cutouts, filters for varying contrast, films with varying ISO, the list goes on and on. Now we do it all in photoshop.

The question I ask myself is ... Did photoshop create better photographers or is photoshop a crutch? As for myself I often prefer my film images to my digital images. Why? I'm not quite sure, perhaps I prefer the darkroom process over the in-front-of-my-computer-photoshop process. Maybe it's because I don't have the image instantly and I have to really stop and think about what I'm going to capture. Afterall, I only have 36 exposures and if I don't get it right I may not get an opportunity to repeat.

This is, of course, all subjective and will certainly depend on what you're shooting. But I think it's an ongoing discussion.

Interestingly enough, a few days ago I read about two French art students that entered and won a very pretigious photojournalism contest. Their story was fake and the images staged ... they did it to prove a point. It's one of those things that makes you go hmmm?!? I read about it on Chase Jarvis' Blog in case you're curious.

For your viewing pleasure below is a picture taken from my bedroom window. Should I have left as shot? Hmmm?

Original Photo: No Retouching

Subtracted Exposer in Camera Raw to keep detail in sky, added temperature to make it a warmer image, added mask and adjusted levels to buildings to bring out the white and detail in the cracks.

Critique, pointers, tips are always welcome. = )

PHOTOESPAÑA2009: Festival Off

2009-07-20T14:39:00.012+02:00

A big part of learning photography is discovering other photographers, both new and old. And seeing the evolution of whats come before and where it´s all headed.

There is currently a Photography Festival in Spain, you can walk around Madrid and pop into any gallery. It's all free and there is something for everyone. The main Festival takes place in the major galleries, such as Bellas Artes and Sala Alcala - the biggies offer up such greats as Dorothea Lange and Annie Leibovitz. The organization that puts this on offers classes and various activities year round, you can check it out here: PhotoEspaña2009.

And then you have the 'Festival Off' which gives us a rare opportunity to see new and emerging work in it's full glory. There are two works that I recently discovered that I love, they're similar to the extent that they shoot landscape in panoramic style ... but that's about where the similarities end.

The Gallery: Blanca Soto (C/Alameda 18, MADRID)is featuring a series by Paco Mesa and Lola Marazuela titled PARALELO 45º25’ NORTH 2º PART: EUROPE

And right next door in the Gallery: Camara Oscura (C/Alameda, 16 MADRID) you'll find the most recent series by Ellen Kooi titled BORROWED LANDSCAPES

Some of the very best ideas come from before the digital era. I recently fell in love with a series by Duane Michals titled THINGS ARE QUEER done in 1973.

Back to Black & White

2009-07-14T16:17:00.026+02:00

I've always been a big fan of Black & White photography. Old photographs printed when paper still had real silver has some of the best tones which are just not available with the papers we have today --- especially not with digital. (To see some of the best range in grays check out Ansel Adams.)

But alas, you have to adapt to the times. This means shooting in color and converting to grayscale later. There are various ways to convert to grayscale ... how you do it will depend on the picture and your liking. I'd recommend selecting a picture, doing all the below listed steps and seeing the differences on your own.

NOTE: You can convert to grayscale straight from Camera Raw, below are the methods in Photoshop. ALSO, before your play with the below methods, go to HISTORY OPTIONS and select ALLOW NON-LINEAR HISTORY. This will record all the below actions so you can easily compare differences. Each time you convert go back to the original color image in the HISTORY panel and try the next method.

1. Go to IMAGE in the toolbar. Go to ADJUSTMENTS. Select DESATURATE.

2. Go to IMAGE in the toolbar. Go to MODE. Select GRAYSCALE.

3. Go to IMAGE in the toolbar. Go to ADJUSTMENTS. Select GRADIENT MAP.
----Under this selection a dialog box will open, click on the little down arrow next to the gray box. Select the 3rd option from the left, which is a box that goes from black to white. Click OK.

4. Go to IMAGE in the toolbar. Go to MODE. Select Lab Color.
----Under this selection you'll now need to go to CHANNELS. Here you will see 4 boxes, click on the box that says 'lightness' ---- be sure to click the image and not the little eye. = ) Once you've clicked on 'lightness' and only that box is highlighted, go to IMAGE in the toolbar. Go to MODE. Select GRAYSCALE.

5. Go to IMAGE in the toolbar. Go to ADJUSTMENTS. Select Black & White.
----This will convert to grayscale and will open a dialog box so you can adjust colors. The color adjustments work similar to filters used with a camera. For example if you take away blue your sky will get darker. If you add blue your sky will get lighter. This option is good except there is no way to know when you are loosing information in your image, you'll need to rely on your visual preference.

6. Go to IMAGE in the toolbar. Go to ADJUSTMENTS. Select Channel Mixer.
---- This will open a dialog box. At the very bottom select where it says MONOCHROME. this will convert to grayscale and will allow you to adjust the colors similar to the above option. However, be sure that Red, Green and Blue add up to 100% --- this is the advantage over the above method. Also, if you go to the top of the dialog box and hit the down button you can select presets such as Infared Filter etc.

I'm a big fan of method #6. I used this for the below images and kept most of the color at red. A red filter is great for portrait shots as it evens out the skin and gets rid of blemishes.

Madrid Orgullo [Madrid Pride]

2009-07-06T15:56:00.006+02:00

Each year Madrid celebrates Gay Pride with a weekend full of parades, parties, and concerts. The center of Madrid shuts down for the festivities and the party takes to the streets all night long. I only braved taking my camera out one night, Thursday, which was a bit calmer and allowed me to trek up and down with my tripod, camera and flash.

The mission was to capture up close portraits of some of the concert goers. This was a big deal for me as I have trouble asking people for permission to photograph them. Simply ... I'm afraid of rejection. But seems as though if you approach with sincereity and a nice demeanor more then likely people will be ok with it.

Here are some of my favorites:

Fotografiado el 2 de Julio, 2009. Chueca, Madrid.

Things of note: select aperture you'll be working with first. Measure light before you ask someone to pose. I learned people get tired of posing after about 10 seconds. And lastly, don't feel pressured, if someone wants to see the image right away, be ready to give them your email address and tell them you're happy to email them.

XXII Concurso de Fotografía EFTI

2009-07-02T15:15:00.006+02:00

This past month my school had a photography contest. The prize ... a full scholarship for the Master program. A value of over 7,500 euros. Not to mention it's one of the best programs in Europe.

At this point my photoshop knowledge is limited and I believe I need to develop my idea further.

All that said ... I'm pretty proud and extremely excited that I made the list of finalists. YAY.

I've always loved panoramic shots. I've played with the idea before, as early as 2002/2003 when I worked at Hollywood Video in Boston. It was a bit tougher back then as I was working with a film versus digital camera. (http://www.ivettchicas.com/panoramic_hollywoodvideo.htm)

I wanted to take it a step further by incorporating a subject. I wanted the images to be playful but I found that by using myself as the subject the poses seem more staged then playful. I'll continue to develop the idea and scout new locations.

You can see the contest winner and all the finalists at the below link. The school only posted one picture, I imagine their personal favorite. Although the one seleted from my series was not my personal favorite ... go figure!

http://www.efti.es/site/microsite/concurso_junio09/index.html

Here are the rest of the images from my series:

Note: The focal distance on the shots vary, this is something I also need to work on. The one in the garage is shot with a wide angle lens, a mistake with panoramic shots because the lines don't align correctly. A good starting point is a focal distance of about 35.

Stay tuned for more ... = )

Flash

2009-06-27T19:11:00.008+02:00

I've started to learn about using a speedlight (flash de mano) with my camara. I've bought myself the Nikon Autofocus Speedlight SB-600. I invested in this flash for two reasons:

1. It is compatible with both my digital and film camera.
2. It can be used in both Manual and TTL mode.

The built-in flash on digital SLR camera's works for most situations but it's has less reach and doesn't lend itself for more creative lighting scenarios.

Dedicated to Mel´s Future Landscaping Business

2009-06-16T18:38:00.006+02:00

Fotografiado el dia 7 de Junio de 2009.

Real Jardin Botanico, Plaza de Murillo, 2. Madrid, España.

Getting the Best Color

2009-06-14T12:05:00.013+02:00

A few things to do in order to capture the best color:

1. Shoot in RAW mode.

2. Set the color setting on your camera to Adobe RGB.

3. Set the color setting in Photoshop to Adobe RGB.

Why shoot in RAW? Really, there are so many reasons, I think I teared up when I realized how many pictures I love were shot in JPEG. You live and you learn.

JPEG is a compressed file format, it' size = 8 bits. This means you only get 256 color combinations. If you're not going to retouch your photos or enlarge them too much, this works perfectly fine. NOTE: Since a JPEG file is a compressed file format, each time you make a change and close your file ... it's compressing. You're therefore losing quality each time.

A RAW file is a non-compressed file, as are TIFF and PSD files. It's size = 16 bits. (in theory it's 16 bits, the companies have stated this number for compatibility between all products, in reality all cameras offer somewhere between 12 and 14 bits). With RAW you'll get approximately 16 million color combinations, hues and shades. In essence, you'll be able to capture more accurately what the eye can see.

Having such a wide variety of combinations also allows you to adjust hue, saturation etc. without too much distortion or loss of quality.

As for setting your camera and photoshop to Adobe RGB, this gives you a wider color gamut, giving you more color selection. Most cameras and Photoshop are normally set to sRGB mode, which is fine but if you're shooting in RAW you'll want to take advantage of a larger color gamut.

Also, when printing, keep in mind that printers work in the CMYK mode. CMYK is not capable of capturing luminosity, colors, hues, shades created by the light (which by working with the above modes you'll capture nicely). When converted to CMYK you may loose some luminosity, you can see it in Photoshop by clicking on VIEW ----> PROOF COLORS & GAMUT WARNING. Whatever will not print correctly will show as gray, you can then adjust accordingly.

NOTE: If you shoot in RAW, you'll need to install the appropriate Camera Raw Plug-In for your Photoshop. You can get it for free at adobe.com.

Also, you'll be working in either TIFF or PSD, when done and if you want a JPEG version. You'll need to save a new file in 8 bit mode and then save as JPEG.

A final note, it's also important to calibrat your computer monitor, a calibrator can be bought at any computer store, I think. I'm still missing this step but thankfully the school has one I can borrow. It's on my "to-do" list for the coming week.

The day after I learned about color gamuts and modes I was antsy to test it out. Thankfully I was headed out to the country for some games of Paintball and BBQ:

Until the next lesson.

Studio: White Backdrop

2009-06-04T14:50:00.007+02:00

I've been in the studio twice now. The first time I went in blind, took me about 10 minutes to figure out I was measuring the light incorrectly. But I got to know my classmate Karla a bit and we agreed to meet again the following Tuesday ... which was this week.

Initially, we went in thinking we would do still life again but we had a third companion this time --- his name is Antonio --- and between the three of us, portrait (retrato) shots seemed like more fun.

A few things of note:

When you want to use a white back drop (fondo blanco) be sure that the light measurement (medicion de luz) is the same both where the subject will be located and also against the backdrop. This will make the white appear overexposed (sobreexpuesta), which doesn't matter because white is white is white. Better to have an overexposed white ... which looks white, then an underexposed (subexpuesta) white which will look gray.

For our session we placed two lights facing the backdrop, one on either side facing the center. To light our subject we used a third light, which we covered with a "window" --- this is like a screen that is square shaped and goes over the bulb. Perhaps I should take pictures of the equipment so you know what I´m talking about. We then moved this third light back and forth and from side to side depending on what we had the subject do and we used various reflectors to fill in the shadows. (Side note: Miriam, in case you read this, thanks for the reflector you gave me ... I´ve been using it tons!)

Another very important note which I will go into more in another blog ... if you are going to retouch your photos in photoshop always, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, shoot in RAW mode. I have taken a vow to never shoot in JPEG again. Why, oh why, did I not take a digital photo class before???

Here are some pictures from this weeks session:

Stay tuned for next weeks session. ; P

Digital Jargon

2009-06-01T18:26:00.013+02:00

Yes, I've been a little absent from the blog ... but I promise I've been busy learning and practicing.

I've started my Dark Room Lab course and I'm learning a lot about film (pelicula or carete), film processing (revelado) and printing (positivado). I'm combining some of what I learn to my digital photographs. Sometimes with success, other times, not so much.

In digital we were beginning to work with studio lights and portrature. I've always had difficulty with portrait shots because I get nervous when directing the model. When I'm not nervous I'm focusing on the camera and forgetting to give the model instruction and direction. So I decided to take my good friend Sarah Milligan's advice and put myself in front of the camera. (Note: Sarah gave me this advice while I was shooting her [with my camera that is], she was a fantastic model, directing herself wonderfully.)

I decided to do a self portrait session. In addition, I liked the grainy effect you get when you shoot with a high ISO film. So I took to the streets, set up my tripod, and set my ISO to 800.

NOTE: In film a high ISO gives grain. In digital a high ISO gives noise. NOT THE SAME THING. In digital that noise (grain) is the camera making up pixels --- never a good idea.

Lesson learned: In digital, shoot at the lowest ISO your camera has available, you can always add a grain effect later in Photoshop. But for your viewing, here are some shots from that day:

Here are two frames shot at ISO 200, which is as low as my Nikon D40 goes. Some cameras have ISO 100 available. Just go on and keep it at the lowest your camera offers.

On a different note, La Feria del Libro (The Fair of the Book) is currently set up in El Retiro Park. There are stands and stands of books, all at discounted prices, and of every genre you can imagine. It's here for two weeks but I've seen the stands going up for weeks and as soon as the doors opened I headed down to take a look. My mission -- to find the latest from Annie Leibovitz titled "Annie Leibovitz At Work".

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

I miss Kiara ... but Queca is pretty cool ...

2009-05-18T22:24:00.016+02:00

I finally got to go hiking a couple of weeks ago. I must admit that putting in to practice what I´m learning in photo class is MUCH tougher with moving objects/everyday life. However, I also realized that I truly love landscape shots.

I went with a couple of friends to El Parque Regional de la Cuenca Alta del Manzanares (The Regional Park of the High Basin of Manzanares). Note that the ´z´in Manzanares is pronounced ´th´... ManTHanares. The óh, so confusing´Spanish accent. For short, everyone calls this hike, La Pedriza´{La PedriTHa} --- (The Heap of Loose Stones).

You should first meet Queca ... the ´c´ sounds like a ´k´. She belongs to Ruth and Sergio. She´s young and very, VERY active. As I spent the day with her I missed Kiara (back in Los Angeles) more and more. I now realize I will have a dog at some point in my lifetime. It´s necessary.

This is the first shot of the day, Queca having the time of her life:

(fast shutter speed)

Here are my hiking buddies. From left to right: Ruth, Sergio, Raul & Fernando.

Look at how blue and clear the sky is ... ah, fresh air!

Here I am. My hiking buddy didn´t realize that my camera was in Manual mode. So as you can see the image is underexposed. Thankfully I discovered the EXPOSURE tool in Photoshop CS3. I can´t wait until the school actually starts to teach us Photoshop. They gave us a textbook and everything! See the corrected image below.

Fernando and Raul, pretending they know how to rock climb. ; P

Final shot of thge day. Queca, finally relaxing a bit.

Fun times were had by all.

primavera ha llegado (spring has arrived)

2009-05-14T19:01:00.006+02:00

Chavales jugando en Parque Juan Carlos I (Young kids playing in Park Juan Carlos I)

fotografíado dia 8 de Mayo del año 2009

Playing with White Balance

2009-05-14T14:34:00.011+02:00

Most cameras have the white balance option. You can select incandescent (incandescente) typically a desk lamp, flourescent (fluorescente), direct sunlight (luz del sol), flash, cloudy (nublado) and shade (sombra). Each source of light has a different temperature and the camera adjusts accordingly depending on your selection. If you leave the camera on automatic and there are two sources of light (e.g. a desk lamp and a window with direct sunlight) the camera will adjust to the dominant source of light. Typically depends on which source you´re facing.

If you have direct sunlight and a desk lamp and the camera adjusts to the desk lamp your picture will be blue. If the camera adjusts to the sunlight then the desk lamp and perhaps the whole frame will have an orange tint. I had some fun playing only with the white balance option. The below pictures are from Parque Juan Carlos I.

White Balance: Incandescent

White Balance: Direct Sunlight

I´ll try and post some more pictures later today.

Ivett becomes a Model

2009-05-06T21:39:00.017+02:00

The photo classes get better and better! In the last few days we've looked at light measurement, light temperature and studio lighting (luz de flash and luz continua). Here are some of the things I learned:

1. The meters built into our cameras measure ONLY reflected light (luz reflejada).

2. The other light to be measured is incident light (luz incidente)

3. Medium and large format cameras do not have built-in meters, oh dear!

4. All built-in camera meters automatically calibrate to medium gray (gris medio) aka 18% reflected light. What does this mean ... ?

Well, turns out that a camera doesn´t capture true white or true black automatically. You need to manually Overexpose (Sobreexponer) or Underexpose (Subexponer). I don´t want to bore you with the details but this info is great to know if, for example, you go skiing and want to capture the true white of the snow capped mountains.

5. Most cameras have 4 different settings for the exposure meter (fotómetro). My camera (Nikon D40) only has 3 different settings. These are:

a. partial measurement (medicion parcial) measures 9% of your frame

b. exact {punctual} measurement (medicion puntual) measures 3% of your frame

c. general measurement (medicion matricial/evaluativa) measures the entire frame and through various algorithms figures out which light is more dominant

d. average measurement with central preponderance (the Nikon D40 doesn't have this setting, but the professor is also of the opinion that this option is pretty useless)

I've been playing with options b. and c.

b. medicion puntual for when I have drastic contrasts. I can pick whether I want detail in the light or detail in the shadow. I imagine with time I'll develop a knack for a nice in between so that I can capture detail in both the strong light and the shadows. Stay tuned, but for now, here is the result of exposing to either the light or the shadow.

Exposed using exact measurement(b.)

Measuring the sunlit area of the frame

Exposed using exact measurement (b.)

Measuring the shadowed area of the frame

c. medicion matricial/evaluativa is great for landscape shots in which there is an even amount of sky and landscape in the frame. The below shot is in the gardens of El Retiro Park. The gardens are a bit too dark and I imagine it's because there is much more sky in the frame. I'm practicing ...

At the end of class we had one final exercise. Portrait shot with sunlight behind the subject. Unfortunately I somehow wound up being the model ... but, the lighting was perfect for capturing my classmates.

I'll save my studio lighting notes and examples for the next time. Hasta luego.

First Shots

2009-05-05T19:13:00.019+02:00

I've been in Madrid for a little over a month now. (1 month and 3 days to be exact) The beginning was a bit rough, getting my Foreign Identification Number (N.I.E.: Numero de Identidad de Extranjero) was tougher then I thought. For now, I'll omit the messy details of getting settled in a new country and instead will focus on my reason for being here: PHOTOGRAPHY.

I started my Professional Digital Photography course about 3 weeks ago on April 15th.

First class was essentially reviewing school rules (Las Normas) and getting acquainted. The course is 9 months long, give or take depending on Holidays and such. We already had a Holiday on Friday, May 1st - (Dia Del Trabajador), and we have another one next week on Friday, May 15th. If things continue at this rate I may be here for much longer then I anticipated.

Second class was more exciting. We looked at various photographers, who by chance were mostly American. I discovered a new photographer to admire: Mark Seliger (www.markseliger.com). We also looked at Richard Avedon, Martin Parr, Joel Meyerowitz, Steve Hiett, Edward Burtinsky, and David LaChapelle.

The classes that followed became more technical and we reviewed the following:

Aperture (Diafragma); Shutter Speed (Velocidad de Obturador); Law of Reciprocity (Ley de Reciprocidad), ISO (Sensibilidad de Pelicula), Focal Length (Distancia Focal); Lenses (Objetivos); Depth of Field (Profundidad de Campo)

The photo classes double as spanish classes!

Our first excursion was to the park across from my apartment:

Profundidad de Campo (Aperture was open all the way)

Profundidad de Campo (Aperture was closed all the way)

Velocidad de Obturador (Fast Shutter to capture jump)

Barrido (Sweep or Swept): Follow moving object; object is focused, background is blurred. This is best done with a tripod but I didn't have one this day, you can still get a sense of the effect. Fun times, I hadn't done this before. I captured bicyclists, motorcycles, joggers, and below - cars.

That's all for now, Folks.