Campbell Valley Park & Friends

This past weekend, May Long weekend, Matt & I ventured around Langley scoping out locations for upcoming photoshoots...which we are so excited for!!! We stopped @ Campbell Valley Park, which is a beautiful area, and found some friends in the pond!

That little frog was so funny! He'd let me get so close to him, but not Matt. Whenever Matt tried to get near him, he'd just leap back into the water...I think this is because when Matt was younger he'd capture frogs, probably catching some of this little guys ancestors...I think the frog sensed that Matt was a danger!

More to come...

~Claire

Victoria Lily

Our good friends Mandy & Joe brought this little angel into the world December 2007. This photo was taken just 2 weeks after she was born...so precious!

Night Shooting

Well, on Sunday night I got pretty restless...so I went out for a drive, with my camera of course. I found my way around Surrey; I stopped beneath Alex Fraser Bridge and got this image...

After spending some time on a railway line, in the dark, I moved on to the SkyTrain Suspension Bridge near King George Highway. Now, this photo has an interesting ending. I drove down a side road off of Scott Road, down towards the bridges, and parked in a pub parking lot. I saw a sign that mentioned something about fees for boat-launching so I assumed it was a public area. So I entered and spent about 15-20 minutes setting up a few shots, one of which will be shown later. After taking this awesome shot of the bridge I packed up and started walking back to my car. As I was walking back I noticed a shadowy figure walking across the lot! "WHO ARE YOU!?!" The voice of an old drunk man! I basically told him I was taking photos of the bridge. "GET OUTA HERE! OR I'LL TAKE A PHOTO OF YOU...*insert curse words here*..." he said. So I kept on walking and he kept on yelling! It was really quite something to experience. Especially in a totally unlit parking lot! CREEPY! So, after all that....here are the two AWESOME images I captured in a creepy dark parking lot!!! Ready....

I Heart Books, Shoes, & Cameras

I got bored one day, one very long day of cleaning the house, so I decided to pick random things in our house and shoot them(photographically speaking)...I'm liking how they turned out! ~Claire

Photo Editing with PS CS3

Photo Editing with PS CS3:

Hi, Matt here. I would like to share a little of my most recent photo shop work. Claire and I made a trip to Penticton, where I took this photo of an old classic car on the outskirts of the little town o' Hedley. To the right is the original photo in all it's un-edited glory. Using PS CS3 (Photo Shop Creative Suite 3) I made some alterations, by creating a black and white back ground using the original photo. After creating two seperate layers, one as black and white and the other in full color, I placed the black white layer on top and the color layer on the bottom. In short form, I erased the black and white color on the top layer to reveal a "hidden" red color beneath. The trick is to erase ONLY the parts of the upper layer that were originally red. Sounds tricky but it's pretty simple...it just takes FOREVER! This finished product, complete with color replacement and enhancement of the visible red, is what I have posted for your viewing pleasure.

Thanks for reading!

Matt Heard

Misty Reflection

This photo was taken during a foggy winter day just outside Fort Langley, BC. I love the look of this photo. The mist gives it a spooky feel.

Matt's Stuff.....

Matt-
I am currently shooting a 10.3Mp Pentax K10D. The K10D has proven itself to be versatile and easy to use, the basic controls are literally at your fingertips. It fires a good rate of 3.0 frames per second (fps) from 1 nice and slow 30 second shutter speed, up to 1/4000 second shutter speed (four thousandths of a second). I have had my camera for almost two years and I love it. It's easy to use and really easy to get photos from the camera to the computer. It has awesome battery life, if I don't use the built-in flash, and even has an optional cable to charge the camera, rather than having to drag around the charger with me. I don't have that cable....yet! I actually have THREE dedicated batteries for the camera. The K10D uses a Lithium battery called a D-Li50. Not like having AA batteries, the Pentax KM uses 4 AA batteries.
The other REALLY AWESOME aspect of the K10D, or any Pentax DLSR for that matter, is that you have the option of using ANY Pentax lens with it! Whether it's a new digital lens or an old 35mm lens, it will fit on my camera, as long as it has the Pentax K-mount. Pentax manufactures their digital cameras with the Auto-Focus (AF) motor and Shake Reduction (SR) built right into the cameras! Whilst other companies, like Nikon, tend to build these options into the lenses. This means that some lenses are not compatible. Also, if the lens is compatible but has no SR built into it....you have no SR at all! Pentax is SR compatible no matter what! AWESOME!

Lenses! I love lenses! Small ones and big ones! I currently have Pentax 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6 Lens and the Pentax 55-300mm 1:4-5.8 Lens.....My problem is, I still want a bigger lens! My "want" is a 2x extension and a 500mm lens. This will basically give me a 1000mm lens and the ability to get "closer" to subjects that are further away! One day I will have my "want"!

Tripod! For a long time I had a Slik U-212! I bought it off a friend of mine for $50, which was a pretty good deal at the time! However, it was old and heavy and a little cumbersome. So, I bought myself a Manfrotto 190XB with a 486RC head unit! It's an amzing little thing! All I have to do is turn one knob and the whole thing moves in any direction I want. In addition, it has totally independant legs on it. I can actually spread the legs out at 180 degrees to the camera. I highly suggest spending the extra money on a good quality tripod. Manfrotto and Gitso offer some really nice options from $150 upto $500. Don't let prices fool, it's really worth the money! All I can say for Manfrotto is "Italian"....like a Ferarri! It's good stuff!

Finally....how to carry all my great stuff?!? I spent about $100 on a Lowepro FastPack 250. My FP250 allows me to carry my camera, in an easy-to-access pouch; as well as my lenses, cables, filters, etc. THe FP250 also has a large pouch to hold a 15.4 inch laptop! AWESOME BAG!! I would HIGHLY reccomend a Lowepro bag! HIGHLY!!

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DSLR w/ 18-55mm Lens - $1200
55-300mm Lens - $400
Manfrotto 190XB w/ 486RC Head - $200
Lowepro FastPack 250 - $100
The experience of making a picture no one else can make - PRICELESS!

Thanks for reading!!
Matt Heard

"click-click"

Image of Colour

* Whiterock, BC, Canada; Taken with the Pentax K10D w/ 55-300mm Pentax Lens. Image color and quality was edited using Photoshop CS3.

Welcome!

Hi there! Welcome to Heard Images' Blogspot! Heard Images is a photography company made up of a husband and wife team, Matt & Claire Heard. Currently residing in beautiful British Columbia, these two are avid photographers...anywhere they go, you'll always find their cameras in sight! Matt Heard has always had a passion for photography. From an early age you could always find him roaming around, snapping away, producing some gorgeous shots. His speciality is nature and wildlife. Claire has also always been into capturing memories on film. Having shown an interest in photography, Claire took photography classes in highschool, and became even more enthusiastic about it! She loves taking photos of light(sunsets/silver linings), and really anything creative that captures her attention. After years of solo work, Matt & Claire are finally teaming up to start their own business. We hope you enjoy the work they've done, and what is to come!