21 Day Shoot'n Challenge

This is a personal challenge I’ve made for myself to pull up out of a bit of a rut I’m in. Basically for the next 21 days* I plan to go on a short shoot each day and then post the best shot.

The rules:
1) Nothing from the archive, that day’s shot must be taken, processed & posted that day.
2) Mix it up so some landscape / macro / wildlife / indoors if necessary.
3) No captions (the cheeze stands alone).**edit on Day 7
4) Creative processing as required… I need the practice.
5) And finally, no cat photos.

I’ll just keep editing this post to add the new photos.

*(21 as that is how long it’s supposed to take to form a habit)

Day 1 (March 3, 2009)

12:42pm | Canon Rebel EOS 300D | 1/1000 | f 5.6 | iso 200 | 55mm | flash DNF | Handheld |
Processing (Lightroom): punch | crop | black clipping | vignette
Backstory: A bright melting kinda day so I went out for a longer lunch (since I actually had a secretary for a change) and pruned my pet apple tree… yes, only I know where it is… and I took about 30 shots of various things… it was hard to choose but catching the drop handheld made this one the daily selection.

Day 2 (March 4, 2009)

7:33am | Canon Rebel EOS 300D | 1/1000 | f 5.6 | iso 200 | 39mm | flash DNF | Handheld |
Processing (Lightroom): autotone | punch | black clipping | vibrance
Backstory: A truly ‘random’ shot as I was fueling my truck in the ‘yard’ … didn’t even notice I was still in manual mode from the day before. Oddly enough it turned out better than subsequent shots that I tried harder with. Except I think it looks crooked. Worked thru lunch then went to watch basketball so hooped so to speak… only four shots to choose from.

Day 3 (March 5, 2009)

8:07am | Canon Rebel EOS 300D | 1/160 | f 9.0 | iso 200 | 25mm | flash DNF | Handheld |
Processing (Lightroom): crop
Backstory: Crapola day on the roads so I thought I’d try and shoot the blowing snow. Wasn’t intending for this to be my shot… went for a detour after work and shot some deer and saw some eagles but the deer were out of focus and the eagles too far back from the road. I would have moved closer except it was private property, it was cold, and I was hungry. Hope to get an eagle shot yet though as they are in migration mode.

Day 4 (March 6, 2009)

6:20pm | Canon Rebel EOS 300D | 1/640 | f 5.6 | iso 200 | 55mm | flash DNF | Handheld |
Processing (Lightroom): crop | angle | punch |strong contrast preset
Backstory: Two shoots today, worked from home so a hike mid-day looking for birds. Eagles had moved on with the better weather, woodpecker eluded me high in the cottonwoods and the ADHD chickadees just plain pissed me off. Went out again in the evening with Tess and took about 50 shots along the river. This one I’m pretty happy with.

Day 5 (March 7, 2009)

5:38pm | Canon Rebel EOS 300D | 1/100 | f 8.0 | iso 200 | 31mm | flash DNF | Handheld |
Processing (Lightroom): crop | punch |strong contrast preset
Backstory: Saturday, you’d think I’d take lots of shots… felt like crap, then cleaned up the garage (various messes back to November Silverland window project… so really messy) and finally got around to a shoot just before dinner. This is a much loved truck that lasted from when the kids were preschool. When it was finally time to move along those items this one became ‘garden sculpture’. Tonka makes good stuff… check out all the scratches… and it used to be bright yellow.

Day 6 (March 8, 2009)

7:14pm | Canon Rebel EOS 300D | 1/100 | f 5.6 | iso 200 | 18mm | flash DNF | Handheld |
Processing (Lightroom): crop | punch | autotone | custom white balance | cloned out some branch tips on right side of frame
Backstory: Snowed and blew overnight and was freaking cold all day. Earlier shoot didn’t pan out so went out again after dinner with Tess with an architecture shot in mind. Had a destination in mind but the wind was freezing my face so I went to plan B, then C, but this church – St. Benedicts Anglican Church – had always been a favorite of mine. The plan was to process in B&W but retain the red door. Didn’t like the result but kept the shot. Cosy little church inside, my great Aunt’s place of worship… I was last there for her funeral.

Day 7 (March 9, 2009)

12:19pm | Canon Rebel EOS 300D | 1/800 | f10 | iso 200 | 300mm | flash DNF | Handheld |
Processing (Lightroom): crop | exposure adjustment (slight) | punch preset
Backstory: This is in the 'yard' at work, mama and yearling Mule deer, two of a group of ten or twelve that have been munching on the bushes. Bonus shot as I was out at lunch shooting the especially puffy chickadees and was just about done freezing my fingers (-20 plus the windchill) when they popped out of the windbreak.

Edit: Day 7:
** So, modification to rule #3 as after some consideration (and criticism from Moe) I’ve decided to include the metadata and backstory for each photo. It was my objective that this wouldn’t be required and I still maintain that it is not… the objective for each photo is that it stands alone with no explanation but I agree it does make things more interesting in particular since he is participating in this challenge. So thanks for the input Moe, hope you like.

Day 8 (March 10, 2009)

12:08pm | Canon Rebel EOS 300D | 1/200 | f6.3 | iso 100 | 300mm | flash DNF | Handheld |
Processing (Lightroom): crop (landscape to portrait) | autotone | punch | exposure (slight) | custom white balance | vibrance
Backstory: Shoot'n birds on my lunch break. Black-Capped Chickadees, Red Polls, Red-Breated Nuthatch, female Pheasant (who decided not to hang around in a most explosive fashion), and this little Downy Woodpecker. Also got a so-so shot of the full moon at dusk with an orangy glow but limited time so couldn't set it up the way I wanted... ok, I would have burned supper if I'd gone further than the middle of the street.

Day 9 (March 11, 2009)

12:17pm | Canon Rebel EOS 300D | 1/100 | f14 | iso 100 | 75mm | flash DNF | Handheld |
Processing (Lightroom): punch | autotone
Backstory: Be vewy vewy quiet... I'm hunting Wabbits!
11:59pm... holy crap better post!
Ok, a small edit past the deadline... what a day. Long story... how about the shoot options. Full(ish) moon was setting in the west on the way to work and I thought I could get it on the skyline with the mountains and bonus a bit of alpenglo... but I had to wait for a school bus and by the time I got to the point from which I wanted to shoot it was gone behind the mountains. All the times I've watched that happen it never moved so fast as when I wanted to shoot it. Maybe I'll get another chance while its fairly full. Anyway, another walk-about in the yard at work for todays shot.

Day 10 (March 12, 2009)

7:49 am | Canon Rebel EOS 300D | 1/125 | f5.6 | iso 200 | 300mm | flash DNF | Tripod |
Processing (Lightroom): punch | custom WB | crop (landscape to portrait + | contrast (slight) |
Backstory: So, same trick as yesterday only ten minutes earlier and reasonably successful. Ok for the web, the crop and noise would show up in an enlargement but that's a limitation of the gear. After work coyote, eagles etc on a short drive and poke by the river but they weren't stellar &/or focus issues. Cold weather finally broke (got above freezing today) so that helps a lot!

Day 11 (March 13, 2009)

9:40am | Canon Rebel EOS 300D | 1/250 | f13 | iso 200 | 20mm | flash DNF | Tripod |
Processing (Lightroom): autotone | punch | custom WB | crop | contrast (slight) |
Backstory: A few hours working from home this morning and then off to Three Hills for Zones basketball so you get today's shot early and tomorrows will undoubtedly be late. Went out to shoot the Chinook arch this morning, and it shows in this shot a little bit, but I liked this shot with the cattails best. We haven't seen too many Chinooks this winter, at least not strong ones, so it is a welcome sight.

Day 12 (March 14, 2009)

10:13am | Canon Rebel EOS 300D | 1/400 | f 13 | iso 200 | 24mm | flash DNF | Handheld |
Processing (Lightroom): autotone | punch | custom WB | crop |
Backstory: All along Hwy 27 between Olds and Three Hills there were signs of recent drifting and Shannon actually spotted this one. We also saw the first gophers of the year and hungarian partridge. I got out later in the afternoon from Three Hills for a few shots but the evening light was what I wanted and it didn't happen before game time.

Boys played incredible ball and lost in the gold medal game by 11 points to the best team I've seen play all year. Good news is because their zone is so competitive they get a wildcard slot to go to provincials! So no banner but a shot at the big show... not bad for a squad of mostly grade 11's.

Day 13 (March 15, 2009)

7:43pm | Canon Rebel EOS 300D | 1/60 | f5.6 | iso 800 | 55mm | flash DNF | Handheld |
Processing (Lightroom): crop | black clipping | contrast | clarity | vibrance | saturation
Backstory: This the ancient neon sign on the Wales theatre here in High River. The theatre dates back to 1927 and has seen a few upgrades since then but still has the 'kettle' style popcorn popper, makes it hard to walk by the place when its open.

I was out earlier today, but without the camera... dog needed a long walk. Left it a little late and didn't take my tripod so a few ok pictures that were just a little too shakey to use. This one will have to do.

Day 14 (March 16, 2009)

3:49pm | Canon Rebel EOS 300D | 1/500 | f9.0 | iso 200 | 155mm | flash DNF | Handheld |
Processing (Lightroom): | custom WB | exposure (slight) | crop | contrast | punch |
Backstory: In the 'yard' on a break at work. Wasn't feeling overly inspired but thought I'd better get something 'in the can' in case tonight got busy & holy crap a Pileated Woodpecker! Sneaky thru the trees but she was intent on tearing apart that dead aspen. I took about 50 frames and think this is one of the better ones.

Day 15 (March 17, 2009)

7:45am | Canon Rebel EOS 300D | 1/400 | f7.1 | iso 200 | 235mm | flash DNF | Tripod |
Processing: None
Backstory: Yeah it's that time of year already... had to step out of the office for a sunrise shot. Decided not to process this one as it was pretty good without any and I figured since that is what Moe is doing I'll give it a shot.

Day 16 (March 18, 2009)

10:11am | Canon Rebel EOS 300D | 1/2 sec | f5.0 | iso 200 | 39mm | flash DNF | Handheld (braced) |
Processing (Lightroom): crop | b/w high contrast preset |
Backstory: To the boards due to time needed to go watch basketball part of Thursday & Friday & calls out (no secretary) so couldn't wander far from the phones today. Then bolt dinner, run to meeting & then the meeting 'debrief' (aka Guiness or the part of the meeting where things actually get decided) and I've got 35 min to spare... so long story short I shot around the shop today & came up with this. Good practice hand-held with longer exposures shooting for some bokeh. I'm finding that if I narrow my focus (no pun intended) I get better results than if I just wander around.

Day 17 (March 19, 2009)

8:15am | Canon Rebel EOS 300D | 1/60 | f4.5 | iso 200 | 24mm | flash DNF | Handheld |
Processing (Lightroom): punch | direct positive |
Backstory: Sunrise-fail, Eagles-fail, Geese-fail, ... I am however happy with my shots of the river. Winter is finally loosening her iron grip. This open water is home to ducks & geese right now so it's the drive thru for eagles. All of the above really warry... perhaps they've been getting shot at all winter or something.

I noticed in my processing I have been cropping a lot so I've been concentrating on getting the 'crop' I want in camera. Also watching the exposures closer and trying to shoot manual when possible. That and not falling in the water... that's pretty key (stupid ice)

Day 18, 2009 (March 20, 2009)

8:10pm| Canon Rebel EOS 300D | 1/5 | f3.5 | iso 800 | 18mm | flash DNF | Handheld |
Processing (Lightroom): Autotone | PH Green Door |
Backstory: Happy first day of spring! Ok I totally blew the deadline for the upload so I downloaded some Lightroom presets to play with and found one I liked for today's shot. Was in Picture Butte for Provincials basketball and it's a small town so it's easy to get to edge of it on foot. Warm day and it really felt weird to walk on soil that wasn’t frozen solid.

Day 19 (March 21, 2009)

7:55pm | Canon Rebel EOS 300D | 1/30 | f3.5 | iso 200 | 18mm | flash DNF | Handheld |
Processing (Lightroom): Cloned out a few branch tips | (Preset) Intensive Heaven |
Backstory: Really nice earlier and then some kind of cold front coming in and grey sky... This shot turned out kinda neat, the orangey glow is from the adjacent coachlight & the preset I used intensified the blue tones in the sky. The sculpture itself is kinda weird looking... in the core of High River, been there as long as I've lived here so I don't know its story.

Day 20 (March 22, 2009)

4:29 pm | Canon Rebel EOS 300D | 1/320 | f13 | iso 100 | 41mm | flash DNF | Handheld |
Processing (Lightroom): Autotone | Punch |
Backstory: 4"-6" of wet spring snow overnight. Mother nature: feel the love.

Day 21 (March 23, 2009)

8:16pm | Canon Rebel EOS 300D | 1/13 | f5.0 | iso 800 | 25mm | flash DNF | Handheld |
Processing (Lightroom): Autotone | PH Naturally BW |
Backstory: So I was hoping for an eagle shot to end the challenge, or a nice bright spring shot... then I was trying to find the owl at dusk (could hear him but couldn't find him) so after all that I settled on a photo that fits the mood of the day. In the bleak of winter... 'cause this snow really screwed up my plans for the week.

And that's a wrap. I'll make one more edit on this post and that will be tomorrow to get all philosophical on ya about what I've learned from this... or to maybe post a few of the runners up. (Actually that might go in another post) And Moe and I are cooking up another challenge more suited to our busy skeds, but that won't happen for a week or so as I have collected a few loose ends that need to be tied off. Like a few days are gonna make a dent in that list...