Chris Marquardt

Today, Chris joins Leo to talk about using layers in photography. Layers make depth. So if you consider foreground, middle, and background as layers, you can create depth in your photo composition, and that makes your photographs more interesting. Lenses can also make a difference. Layers in telephoto will look differently than layers with a wide-angle. Wider apertures flatten out the layers, while smaller apertures can create bokeh (out of focus background). Depth of field.

Our first photo assignment review of 2021: UGLY. Here are the photos Chris says stood out:

Review photos:

https://flic.kr/p/2kg9D2u

https://flic.kr/p/2kkeeyz

https://flic.kr/p/2knYMid

All photos:

Chris joins Leo to talk about using Bokeh (boke-eh) to make a visual impact in your photography. Bokeh is the out of focus background in your image. Bokeh helps put the viewer's attention on the subject, which is in focus. Bokeh can also set a mood, with lights out of focus. It can also be used to disguise a busy background. Bokeh is accomplished by opening up your lens all the way (the lowest f stop setting). And the faster your lens, the more bokeh you can achieve. 

Today's photo topic is winter photography. Here's the gallery for it: 

http://tfttf.com/winter

Colors tend to look "cooler" in Winter scenes because of the skewed white balance. So post-processing your Winter photos to make them "blue" can make them look better. You can also dial your exposure compensation to +1 or so to compensate for the skewed white balance that can make your photos look grayer than they appear. 

Chris joins Leo to review our latest assignment ... TEXTURE! 

All photos:

https://www.flickr.com/search/?group_id=362537%40N20&sort=date-posted-desc&view_all=1&tags=TGtexture

Review selection:

https://flic.kr/p/2k9a6ec

https://flic.kr/p/2k9SBr4

Chris joins Leo to discuss the use of size in photography. Size can change what we think of a subject. Small things that look big or big things that look small can really change how we see a subject. Using contrasting sizes can showcase the relationship between the two. 

Here's today's gallery: 

http://tfttf.com/size

Today, Chris talks to Leo about the use of space in photography. Space gives the user control over where things fit in a photo.

Here are some examples:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/nubui/galleries/72157716898735438/with/50599044132/

He's also talking with Leo through a new app called OBS Ninja. Great for doing remote video podcasting.

Chris joins Leo to talk about shooting images in black and white, vs. color. Color can be distracting, or can really pop when used for effect. 

Black and White can also accentuate the light in soft shadows. 

Here are some pictures:

http://tfttf.com/bwcolor

Another month has passed. Here is Chris' review of the SMOKE assignment.

All photos:

https://www.flickr.com/search/?group_id=362537%40N20&sort=date-posted-desc&view_all=1&tags=TGsmoke

Assignment review:

https://flic.kr/p/2jXpZZk

https://flic.kr/p/2jQxNu8

Chris joins Leo to talk about focal length. Telephoto and wide-angle focal lengths can dramatically alter the way your subject appears to the camera. Focal length can also increase or decrease the "bokeh," or things out of focus in the background. Telephotos can also flatten an image to get things in focus from different planes. Telephoto can also keep lines parallel, while wide-angle causes lines to converge. 

Here are some visual examples: http://tfttf.com/focallength