Pixels Away

Digital Pinhole Photography – No Lens but a Touch of Photoshop

Marek — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:57:03 +0000

Digital pinhole photography is a nice escape from my every day shooting for stock.

I have never made my own pinhole camera, but I was always experimenting with cameras I was using at a time. I used to shoot pinhole images with 35 mm slides and 4×5 Polaroids, but I got a little bit more serious with my digital SLR camera.

Pictures in this gallery were shot about 6 years ago with Canon EOS 10D, my first DSLR camera with a pinhole installed on a camera body cap. Exposure times were from 15 to 30 seconds with a desktop lamp, a small flashlight, a piece of white board as a reflector and some fabric as a background. Photoshop was used to remove dust and add a dry brush effect.

I tried a similar setup and Photoshop dry brush filter with my current camera, Canon 5D Mark II, but did not get so nice results. Too many pixels? I need more experiments or just find my old Canon 10D.

Related posts and resources:
New Belgium Blue Paddle through a Pinhole
Pinhole photography – books from Amazon.com
Digital pinhole photography on Flickr

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Turmeric, Goldenberry, Almonds and Himalayan Salt in Roayalty Free Images

Marek — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 16:07:54 +0000

Some recent shots from my food portfolio (superfood and ingredients galleries): sliced almonds, goldenberries, turmeric root and powder, and Himalayan salt crystals. What do they have in common? The background. I used old weathered barn wood with white paint peeling off. Turmeric with its intense color is a popular photography subject.

My collection of wood backgrounds and textures is also growing. Old barn wood is definitely my favorite. It appears in many food and still life pictures.

These are just some pictures available for licensing as royalty free digital downloads starting at $2. I am also available for similar assignment projects.

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Editorial Photography – Fort Collins Public Art, Paddling and Racing

Marek — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 15:31:55 +0000

I have just opened a gallery for my editorial photography. Editorial pictures can be used to illustrate truthful articles in print and electronic newspapers, magazines and journals. Not to be used in commercial designs and/or advertisements. They are available for licensing and immediate download in one size, usually 5100x3400px.

Right now there are three galleries of editorial photography and more is coming:

Paddling. Kayak, canoe, and SUP (stand up paddling) events like annual Joint Club Paddle Trip on the South Platte River in northern Colorado or Missouri River 340 race.
Meetings. Scientific conferences fashion shows and other gatherings.
Public Art. Mostly public street art in the city of Fort Collins like painted pianos or murals on transformer cases.

Of course, majority of pictures from my stock photography portfolio can licensed as royalty free images and used commercially.

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Yacon Slices – Ancient Snack from Andies in Superfood Gallery

Marek — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 20:48:46 +0000

Yacon slices, an ancient South American snack from Andies, is the newest addition to my superfood photography portfolio.

Yacon is a delicious tuber that tastes more like a fruit than a root. It has an outstanding reputation for being one of the healthiest alternative sweeteners available on the market due to its high concentration of inulin, low glycemic impact, and healthy naturally occurring probiotics. When simply sliced and dehydrated, yacon has a taste resembling a dried apple with a hint of smokiness. Enjoy these pure and natural yacon slices as a snack, cut into salads, or as an exotic alternative to other dried fruits.

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Old Rusty Dumbbells – Fitness with a Nostalgic Mood

Marek — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 16:20:06 +0000

The newest addition to my fitness gallery: old rusty, but shiny, dumbbells against barn wood. A fitness concept with a little bit of a nostalgic mood?

Other pictures in that gallery include more exercise weights – kettlebells, adjustable dumbbells and, also, exercise balls. Personally, I exercise with 50lb kettlebells. 5lb dumbbells are not heavy enough for my workout, but a fun to photograph.

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Spirulina, Baobab Fruit, Camu, Chia Seeds, Coconut Flakes, Pine Nuts – New Superfood Pictures

Marek — Sun, 24 Mar 2013 17:39:12 +0000

My portfolio of superfoods (or just healthy foods and supplements) is growing. Here are my recent additions:

Chia seeds are not exactly new on this list. I have a separate gallery featuring these healthy seeds. I just like to photograph them. They are quite photogenic if you look closer. They remind me painted Easter eggs or some colorful river pebbles. Just check my macro shot. Now, I am trying something different. Recent pictures show chia seeds with a shallow depth of field.

Coconut palm sugar? Can it be considered a “superfood”? I added several pictures of coconut sugar to ingredients gallery.

Am I missing any new exciting superfoods?

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Alphabet and Numbers – Isolated Sets of Vintage Letterpress Symbols

Marek — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 22:28:12 +0000

During last 3 years I have added several wood and metal letterpress type sets to my collection. They are featuring in numerous pictures in my stock portfolio: words, phrases, slogans, proverbs, questions, typography abstracts. They are also used in custom projects.

Some type sets are more than 100 years old and have a lot of character: scratches, dents, stains. Wood printing blocks have beautiful ink patina.

I have prepared several images of alphabet and number sets isolated on white. Each printing block is shot separately (usually a top view) and then a collage of 26 alphabet letters or 10 digits is created. So, they can be used to create any flat text or numbers. I should point out that I shoot my words, logos and phrases in a somewhat different style – at certain angle to show sides of printing blocks which gives more 3-dimensional effect.

The files for alphabet and number sets are much larger than other pictures. I am offering them at the same price, but only in large sizes and the price for the original size picture is higher.

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Love, Romance and Happy Valentines in Vintage Letterpress Typography

Marek — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 22:23:32 +0000

Valentine’s Day is coming, so I created a gallery in my stock photography portfolio dedicated to love and romance. You will find there mostly pictures created with vintage letterpress printing blocks – words like love in different languages, romance, flirt, and, of course, “Happy Valetine’s Day” wishes. The gallery is not limited to words and phrases in wood type. There are several images created with chalk and blackboard and handwriting on sticky notes.

These pictures are ready for licensing as royalty free digital downloads starting at $2. I am also available to work on custom typography images. I have added several sets of vintage wood type to my collection. The love word abstract below shows the most of letterpress wood fonts I can use.

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Chia Seeds Superfood in Royalty Free Images

Marek — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 07:15:05 +0000

Seeds of Salvia hispanica commonly known as chia are getting a lot of publicity lately as a super food rich in omega-3 fatty acids and other nutrients. They are also popular in my stock photography portfolio.

Backgrounds of brown and white chia seeds including 2 times life magnification, seeds in different containers (scoop, tablespoon, jar, bowls), chia gel, ground seeds sprinkled on yogurt, chia seeds together with other healthy seeds like flax or hemp. These are just some picture available for licensing as royalty free digital downloads starting at $2. Check my super food gallery.

Healthy Seeds, Berries and Other Nutritional Supplements in Royalty Free Pictures
Chia Seeds Pictures Added to My Stock Photography Portfolio

Books:

Chia: The Complete Guide to the Ultimate Superfood. For people trying to lose weight and enhance well-being, it’s a little miracle: chia, a tiny seed that the Aztecs used for centuries as a super food, provides a complete source of dietary protein with more omega-3 fatty acids than salmon and more fiber—but fewer carbs—than rice, grains, and corn. In fact, chia is a gluten-free natural appetite suppressant that helps regenerate muscle, sustain energy, and balance blood sugar. This definitive work covers the history and benefits of chia, and features a comprehensive daily strategy for weight loss, plus delicious recipes!

The Chia Seed Weight Loss Diet: The natural and hunger free way to lose weight and feel good. Using the natural properties of chia seeds, this diet gives easy, natural ways to lose weight effectively and without hunger.

Chia Seed (Woodland Health). Tiny chia seeds-packed with protein, fiber, antioxidants, calcium and more-are the richest plant source of omega-3 fatty acids in the world! Discover the history of this ancient Aztec grain and learn how it can support optimal health. Find out how chia seed can benefit your waistline and your wallet. Learn to quickly and easily incorporate this superfood into your diet with practical tips and delicious recipes.

Chia: Rediscovering a Forgotten Crop of the Aztecs. One of the four main Aztec crops at the time of Columbus’s arrival in the New World, chia is now a forgotten food of the Americas. Chia seed oil offers the highest omega-3 fatty acid content available from plants, but today this species is known only for its use in “chia pets.” Yet pre-Columbian civilizations used chia as a raw material for medicines and nutritional compounds, while chia flour could be stored for years as a food reserve and was valued as a source of energy on long journeys.

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Cowgirls in a Tack Room at Sylvan Dale Ranch – Natural Light Portraiture

Marek — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 18:26:37 +0000

June 5, 2008. I attended one day photography workshop with Karen Kuehn – “Natural Light Portraiture”. It was a very rainy day in northern Colorado. We were shooting at Sylvan Dale Ranch near Loveland, and, then, at Stanley Hotel in Estes Park.

The picture above of two girls in a tack room is just one of hundreds images taken during that very inspirational day. I like dark tone of this image. All workshop participant were standing with cameras outside of the barn in a rain.

Camera: Canon EOS 40D with Canon EF 15-55 mm lens.

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