HUNT'S 32nd ANNUAL WEEKEND SHOW SPECIALS/October 31-November 2, 2008
If you are interested in purchasing an item that is not listed, please contact Gary by phone or by e-mail during the weekend. He or his associate Keith will respond and quote you the Hunt's Show price. If you email, please be sure to include your telephone number. These prices will be good only from 10:00 am Friday October 31st to 4:00 pm Sunday November 2nd, 2008. Most orders being placed during the "show" weekend will receive "free" shipping; please call or e-mail for details. Gary looks forward to hearing from you.
Gary Farber
Vice President
Hunt's Photo and Video
T 800-221-1830 or 800-924-8682 ext 2332
Email mhtml:%7B1EA003C9-7922-4346-9B08-12672C113169%7Dmid://00002065/%21x-usc:mailto:digitalguygary@wbhunt.com
F 800-336-3841
To receive email notification of online specials and discounts, please sign up at http://huntsphotoandvideo.com/shopcart_login/join.cfm. Email subscribers receive exclusive discounts during online promotions. Sign up today
Gary Farber (contact all weekend): tel 800.221.1830 or 800.924.8682 x2332. Fax 800-336-3841. Email: digitalguygary@wbhunt.com. Or John Duggan (Friday only): tel 800.221.
HUNT'S 32nd ANNUAL WEEKEND SHOW SPECIALS/October 31-November 2, 2008
1) Purchase any Canon Digital SLR camera during the weekend and receive an 8 gig Sandisk Cruzer Flash Drive free ($59.95 value)
2) Purchase any digital Canon Point and Shoot camera and receive a 2 gig San Disk Cruzer Flash Drive free ($59.95 value).
3) Sandisk 2 Pack 2 Gig Ultra II SD card (limit; 2 per customer)…$19.99
4) Ask about the pricing on all Sandisk cards including the Extreme III and IV. Mail in rebates as high as $200.00 are being offered.
5) Hunt’s is offering event pricing on the Canon 50D, Canon 50D body, Canon 50D body with the 18-200 lens, Canon 50D body with the 18-135 lens, Canon G10, Nikon D300 body with the 18-200 lens, the Nikon D90 body, and the Nikon D90 body with the 18-105 lens. Ask for pricing on other digital SLR cameras.
6) Hunt’s is offering instant savings on select Canon lenses in addition to Canon’s own instant rebates.
7) Ask about the event pricing on the Canon 18-200 3.5 5.6 IS lens.
8) Currently in stock is the Nikon 200-400 lens and Nikon 24-70 lens. Ask about the event pricing on these lenses and other Nikon lenses you may be interested in purchasing during this weekend.
9) Being sold at a 10% discount off the Hunt’s every day low price are Mac Group products which include: Tenba bags, Sekonic meters, all Eye One products, and all Induro tripods and ball heads. This offer excludes Color Munki.
10) Color Munki Calibrator…$399.99
11) During the weekend Hunt’s is offering a special price on the purchase of the Epson 2880 printer and other Epson printers. Call or email Gary for details.
12) Purchasing NIK filters, entitles you to a 10% discount off the Hunt’s every day low price. These include: Silver Efex Pro, Sharpener Pro 3.0, and Viveza.
13) PhotoShop Element 7 for windows….$99.99 and PhotoShop CS 4 Upgrade are now in stock (a limited supply)…$199.99. Orders placed for Adobe software receive “free” shipping.
14) When making a purchase of two or more LowePro bags, a 50% discount is being offered on the “lower” priced bag.
15) Purchase a Tamron lens, and receive a $25.00 Gift Gas Card.
16) Olympus Evolt E-410 with 14-42 lens and 40-150 lens (after mail in rebate)…… $469.99
17) All DataColor products will be on sale. Spyder III Elite…$202.58 Ask about the special pricing on Spyder III Studio. DataColor is offering mail in rebates valid through November 30, 2008.
Friday, October 31, 2008
St. Jude Celebrate the Children photo contest
Celebrate the Children – “Give thanks for the healthy kids in your life, and give to those who are not.”
Submit inspirational pictures of your child and encourage family and friends to vote for your photo and donate to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®. St. Jude is one of the world’s premier pediatric cancer research centers. Its mission is to find cures for children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases through research and treatment.
Grand prize winner
The top 10 photos receiving the most votes will be submitted to a panel of judges who will select the Grand Prize Winner. PNY will donate $20,000 to St. Jude in the winner’s name.The winner will receive a PNY prize package valued at $500.
How to enter:You can enter online at www.pny.com/stjude by completing the contest registration form and submitting/uploading an inspirational photo of a child (“Theme”).
The format of the Photo must be jpeg or gif.
One entry permitted per Entrant.
Photo Entries not meeting all of the following minimum requirements will be disqualified:
Each Photo must contain an inspirational photo of a child
Format of the Photo must be jpeg or gif
Each Photo entry must include: entrant’s full name, phone number, e-mail address.
Each Photo must not, in the sole and unfettered judgment of the Sponsor, contain any sexually explicit, disparaging, libelous or other inappropriate content or nudity.
Official web site: stjude.pny.com/index.aspx
Copyright: By submitting a Photo, Contestant irrevocably assigns, conveys and otherwise transfers to Sponsor, its successors, and assigns any and all right, title, and interest in perpetuity throughout the world in and to the Contestant’s Photo, including, without limitation, any and all copyrights, trademarks, contract and licensing rights, moral rights or “droit moral,” and other intellectual property and proprietary rights in the Photo, and the exclusive right to edit, change, revise, reproduce, display, perform, publish, distribute, license, sublicense, and sell the Photo in whole or in part, and to prepare, use, and exploit derivative works or improvements thereof, in all forms and media now or hereafter known, including material in digital and electronic media, computer, audio and audiovisual versions, and translations and adaptations, all in any language throughout the world and in Sponsor’s sole discretion in perpetuity.
Eligibility: Only for legal U.S. residents 18 years old or order.
Entry deadline: 31 January 2009
Entry fee: Free
Instant JPEG from Raw.
Imagenomics has released an update to the utility “Instant JPEG from Raw.”
The update (like the utility itself) is free with added camera supports and some minor fixes.
Download it free from RawWorkflow.com
The update (like the utility itself) is free with added camera supports and some minor fixes.
Download it free from RawWorkflow.com
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Presets - Graduated Filters
http://feeds.feedburner.com/adobelightroomkillertips
Presets - Graduated Filters from Matt Kloskowski
"When you download them, you’ll see they’re listed in -1, -2, and -3 stop increments (just makes more sense to me then 0.3, 0.6, and 0.9). However, if you’re the traditional filter kinda person, then by all means feel free to change the names once you import them (just right-click on the preset name to rename it). You’ll also see that I’ve included placement for 3 locations. Top Third, Bottom third, and Middle. The top and bottom probably make sense since we typically try to position a horizon at the top third or bottom third. However, after looking through some of my photos, I’ve realized that when there’s another subject in the photo the horizon will often need to shift toward the middle which is why I included that one. Oh, and there’s also separate presets for vertical and horizontal photos because Lightroom has issues with presets created for just one or the other. Finally, there’s a few other settings thrown in there to help enhance the sky as well as any clouds in the sky. Whew! That sounds like a lot for some simple presets doesn’t it? The good news is all you have to do is click on them to use the preset.Anyway, I hope you enjoy them. I’ve got a few more ideas which I’m sure you’ll see in the coming weeks. Thanks and make sure you leave (them) a comment and let us (them) know what you think. "
Click here to see a sample of the presets.Click here to download Matt’s Graduated Filter PresetsClick here to see a video on how to install presets.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Nikon releases firmware update for D300
Tuesday, October 28, 2008 by Rob Galbraith
Nikon releases firmware update for D300
Nikon has released firmware v1.10 for the D300, introducing a long list of refinements and fixes to the midrange digital SLR.
Nikon's support pages list the following changes:
The following improvements have been made in version 1.10
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Photo Challenge: Pumpkins
Closes 11-7 at mignight. Send me your pumpkin photo and then I will psot them here and you can vote on your favorite.
need inspiration...look here http://www.jpgmag.com/themes/154
Any Fall/Halloween photo can be submitted, but their must be a pumpkin in the shot!Saturday, October 25, 2008
Photomatix HDR Export Plug-in for Lightroom
From Matt Kloskowski http://feeds.feedburner.com/adobelightroomkillertips
Photomatix HDR Export Plug-in for Lightroom
Thursday, October 09, 2008, 9:50:22 AM jgilbert@photoshopuser.com (Matt Kloskowski)
One of the problems I’ve had with using Photomatix Pro in my HDR workflow is the fact that there wasn’t an easy way to go from Lightroom into Photomatix. Well, HDRsoft has recently released an export plug-in for Lightroom that does just that. Yep, once installed, you just select your photos and go to File > Plug-in Extras and Export to Photomatix Pro will appear. Now the company claims the requirements as “The export plugin works in Lightroom version 1.3 or higher, and requires Photomatix Pro version 3.1 or higher. Photomatix Pro 3.1 is currently in beta release.”. However, I have Photomatix Pro 3.0.2 (not the beta 3.1) and it still works fine (I haven’t done any research on that part yet). Anyway, I think it’s newsworthy because HDR is hot these days and most HDR enthusiasts agree Photomatix is the way to go (yes I know there’s others but I’ve found Photomatix to be my favorite as well). Here’s a link to the plug-in page if you want to check it out.
Oh yeah, if you don’t own Photomatix yet and you’re a NAPP member you can get a 20% discount on the purchase using the code in the NAPP members website discount area.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Winter Workshop -- White Mountains
Space is Still Available for my Seminars. http://www.jerryandmarcymonkman.com/
I've just scheduled two different winter workshop opportunities in the White Mountains. The first is an overnight trip to the summit of Mount Washington. This is a unique opportunity where we take a snowcat to the summit and stay in the comfortable living quarters of the Mount Washington Observatory staff. If you have ever wanted to experience the extreme conditions of winter on Mount Washington in a safe and comfortable manner, this is the trip to take. The trip is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, March 21 and 22. For more info and to register, please visit the Mount Washington Observatory website.
If you're looking for something less extreme, I'll also be offering a three day workshop titled, Light and the Winter Landscape, at the Appalachian Mountain Club's Highland Center on February 27, 28, and March 1st. Registration is not yet open for this workshop, but if you're interested, keep it on your calendar and I'll be sure to let you know when you can sign-up.
Our Price: $495.00 for Mt. Washington, $499.00 for the Highland Center
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Review: Epson P-7000 Multimedia Photo Viewer
From: http://www.ppmag.com/web-exclusives/2008/10/review-epson-p7000-multimedia.html
Review: Epson P-7000 Multimedia Photo Viewer
By Joan T. Sherwood, Senior Editor
The new Epson P-7000 Multimedia Photo Viewer takes the same basic package of the P-5000, puts in a new screen (Epson Photo Fine Premia Technology), adds 80 more gigabytes of storage (160GB total), and includes a travel pack (case, viewing stand, car adapter, dual battery charger, cleaning cloth and a bit of clear film to protect the LCD). A new jog dial under the four-way navigator also adds convenience in menu navigation and browsing through large sets of images. This review is based on a pre-launch sample unit.
By far the biggest viewer assets are the 4-inch, 720x480-pixel screen, large storage capacity and the ability to backup direct from media cards. The viewer is compatible with UDMA CF cards and Secure Digital/SDHC cards. Epson boasts a 35-percent increase in transfer speed over previous models, but Epson doesn't provide any actual transfer rates based on card types. The new model also offers a wider viewing angle, and display color that covers 94 percent of Adobe RGB.
The colors are, indeed, beautiful on the display, and there’s even an Enhanced Photo Display Mode that is supposed to optimize color based on the image content, but it seems more trouble than it’s worth—I couldn’t really see a difference. It may be more obvious if you’ve got a set of images that aren’t popping the way you’d like.
For pro photographers, the slideshow capability may be the feature that could make the viewer pay for itself in terms of potential on-location marketing. At events, meetings or civic functions—wherever there may be a dull moment—you can take advantage of the opportunity to draw a crowd and show off some images.
To create a quick-pick slideshow, use the star button to rate your favorites, filter to show one star or more, and choose slideshow from the menu.
The native slideshow options are a little disappointing. Transition effects are None, Blend, Random, Tile, and Roll. With the Blend effect, the image fades in, in-motion from a corner or side, fades out, then fades in a centered, full-screen view, then fades out to the next image in motion. It’s a bit much, and you can’t select the keypoint where the motion stops and starts, so if you tend to compose using the rule of thirds with a lot of open space, the transition of your image may not look quite right. Random, Tile and Roll options are a waste of the big screen. You can set the duration for the image display, but not for the blend transition.
Click the image below to see a video of the Blend, Roll and Tide slideshows, each set to 1-second duration. The sample music that comes on the player is pretty generic stuff. Go to Broken Joey Records or Triple Scoop Music and pick out some great music for your slide presentations.
My wishes for the next version include a simple cross-fade style and faster transition options. It would also be great to be able to save particular slideshow settings and music selections to particular photo folders.
You can change the slideshow settings by pressing the Menu button during a slideshow.
The player supports several types of video files, so your best option is to load the viewer with a few of your own well-edited multimedia presentations, created with third party software like iMovie, ProShow or ProSelect. If you want to create slideshows on the P-7000 with images you’ve shot on site, you’ll have to keep it simple.
Some of the P-7000 functions are very intuitive and take minimal effort, like copying a folder from the Backup files to the Photos folder. Others, such as creating a Playlist, take some User Guide research.
I tried the Print Wizard with my PictBridge-enabled Canon Pixma Pro9000, and it worked beautifully. The custom print adjustment (image editing) settings are simple, and there’s something a little freeing about that. You start with the Print Wizard, select from several print options (custom, crop, original, contact sheet, etc.), then select the image(s) you want to print. You can also add a watermark to your prints. The watermark can be simple text created on the viewer or a PNG file created on your computer and transferred to the viewer.
Like all the Epson viewer models before it, the P-7000 is an impressive tool to have in your bag, especially when you want to work without a laptop. It’s great looking and constructed with high-quality material—you’re not afraid a button will fall off or stop working over time, as I have been with a few other viewers I’ve tried.
But there are a few additional small issues that I have with the design.
The jog dial/scroll wheel is small. My hands are small, and I found myself getting a bit of a thumb cramp scrolling through a large folder of images and applying star ratings to my favorites. The 4-way nav occupies the optimal thumb placement, and the scroll is a little below that, making it not quite ergonomic. A combination circular scroll wheel and 4-way nav button like the ones on the back of high-end Canon cameras would be much easier on the thumb.
With my Mac setup, even though I would disconnect properly, the viewer screen still displayed a warning not to disconnect the USB cord. That issue may be fixed with post-production models.
The battery icon indicates general remaining battery life, but an option to check a numeric estimate of the percentage remaining would be more comforting to a photographer in the field. Many of the new DSLRs have this feature. The photo viewer uses more or less battery capacity depending on what you’re doing, so Epson may be a bit nervous about users feeling misled if the juice doesn’t jibe with expectations.
The Epson Link2 software (below) is crude looking, but effective in keeping images organized optimally for the viewer and encouraging you to have a complete backup. I couldn’t always adjust the interface windows to a larger view—in some sessions the expand handle would pop up, in others it wouldn't—making the file names difficult to read when there was deep folder nesting. Also, my mouse wheel wouldn’t work to scroll in the interface.
Finally, it’s not Epson’s fault, but you can’t use this viewer to play videos or TV shows purchased from iTunes because of encoded copyright restrictions.
Be aware, too, that the viewer will not support RAW format images from some of the highest resolution DSLRs, like the Canon EOS 1D series or the Nikon D3. It will certainly download, transfer and backup the images, but you may not be able to see a thumbnail or do any of the RAW image editing that the viewer is capable of with the cameras it does support. I wouldn’t recommend raw editing with the viewer anyway—it’s just not the right tool for that kind of work.
The P-7000 supports RAW format images from the following digital SLR cameras:(as of Sept. 8, 2008)Canon: EOS 5D, 10D, Digital Rebel, Digital Rebel XT, Digital Rebel XTi, 20D, 30D, 40DEpson: R-D1, R-D1sNikon: D2X, D2Xs, D70, D70s, D80, D50, D40, D40X, D200, D300Olympus: E-330, E-500Pentax: *istD, *istDs, *istDL, *istDs2, *istDL2, K100D, K10DSony: DSLR-A100
From the Epson FAQs: If you play continuous videos with audio, using headphones, the battery supplied with your P-7000 should last approximately 3 hours. The following table gives the approximate battery life expectancy for various activities.
Playing a slide show (in default settings): 3 hoursPlaying video (MPEG4, 2 Mbps, using headphones): 3 hoursPlaying audio (MP3, 128 kbps, using headphones): 6 hours
The Epson P-7000 is available now at an MSRP of $799.99.
Review: Epson P-7000 Multimedia Photo Viewer
By Joan T. Sherwood, Senior Editor
The new Epson P-7000 Multimedia Photo Viewer takes the same basic package of the P-5000, puts in a new screen (Epson Photo Fine Premia Technology), adds 80 more gigabytes of storage (160GB total), and includes a travel pack (case, viewing stand, car adapter, dual battery charger, cleaning cloth and a bit of clear film to protect the LCD). A new jog dial under the four-way navigator also adds convenience in menu navigation and browsing through large sets of images. This review is based on a pre-launch sample unit.
By far the biggest viewer assets are the 4-inch, 720x480-pixel screen, large storage capacity and the ability to backup direct from media cards. The viewer is compatible with UDMA CF cards and Secure Digital/SDHC cards. Epson boasts a 35-percent increase in transfer speed over previous models, but Epson doesn't provide any actual transfer rates based on card types. The new model also offers a wider viewing angle, and display color that covers 94 percent of Adobe RGB.
The colors are, indeed, beautiful on the display, and there’s even an Enhanced Photo Display Mode that is supposed to optimize color based on the image content, but it seems more trouble than it’s worth—I couldn’t really see a difference. It may be more obvious if you’ve got a set of images that aren’t popping the way you’d like.
For pro photographers, the slideshow capability may be the feature that could make the viewer pay for itself in terms of potential on-location marketing. At events, meetings or civic functions—wherever there may be a dull moment—you can take advantage of the opportunity to draw a crowd and show off some images.
To create a quick-pick slideshow, use the star button to rate your favorites, filter to show one star or more, and choose slideshow from the menu.
The native slideshow options are a little disappointing. Transition effects are None, Blend, Random, Tile, and Roll. With the Blend effect, the image fades in, in-motion from a corner or side, fades out, then fades in a centered, full-screen view, then fades out to the next image in motion. It’s a bit much, and you can’t select the keypoint where the motion stops and starts, so if you tend to compose using the rule of thirds with a lot of open space, the transition of your image may not look quite right. Random, Tile and Roll options are a waste of the big screen. You can set the duration for the image display, but not for the blend transition.
Click the image below to see a video of the Blend, Roll and Tide slideshows, each set to 1-second duration. The sample music that comes on the player is pretty generic stuff. Go to Broken Joey Records or Triple Scoop Music and pick out some great music for your slide presentations.
My wishes for the next version include a simple cross-fade style and faster transition options. It would also be great to be able to save particular slideshow settings and music selections to particular photo folders.
You can change the slideshow settings by pressing the Menu button during a slideshow.
The player supports several types of video files, so your best option is to load the viewer with a few of your own well-edited multimedia presentations, created with third party software like iMovie, ProShow or ProSelect. If you want to create slideshows on the P-7000 with images you’ve shot on site, you’ll have to keep it simple.
Some of the P-7000 functions are very intuitive and take minimal effort, like copying a folder from the Backup files to the Photos folder. Others, such as creating a Playlist, take some User Guide research.
I tried the Print Wizard with my PictBridge-enabled Canon Pixma Pro9000, and it worked beautifully. The custom print adjustment (image editing) settings are simple, and there’s something a little freeing about that. You start with the Print Wizard, select from several print options (custom, crop, original, contact sheet, etc.), then select the image(s) you want to print. You can also add a watermark to your prints. The watermark can be simple text created on the viewer or a PNG file created on your computer and transferred to the viewer.
Like all the Epson viewer models before it, the P-7000 is an impressive tool to have in your bag, especially when you want to work without a laptop. It’s great looking and constructed with high-quality material—you’re not afraid a button will fall off or stop working over time, as I have been with a few other viewers I’ve tried.
But there are a few additional small issues that I have with the design.
The jog dial/scroll wheel is small. My hands are small, and I found myself getting a bit of a thumb cramp scrolling through a large folder of images and applying star ratings to my favorites. The 4-way nav occupies the optimal thumb placement, and the scroll is a little below that, making it not quite ergonomic. A combination circular scroll wheel and 4-way nav button like the ones on the back of high-end Canon cameras would be much easier on the thumb.
With my Mac setup, even though I would disconnect properly, the viewer screen still displayed a warning not to disconnect the USB cord. That issue may be fixed with post-production models.
The battery icon indicates general remaining battery life, but an option to check a numeric estimate of the percentage remaining would be more comforting to a photographer in the field. Many of the new DSLRs have this feature. The photo viewer uses more or less battery capacity depending on what you’re doing, so Epson may be a bit nervous about users feeling misled if the juice doesn’t jibe with expectations.
The Epson Link2 software (below) is crude looking, but effective in keeping images organized optimally for the viewer and encouraging you to have a complete backup. I couldn’t always adjust the interface windows to a larger view—in some sessions the expand handle would pop up, in others it wouldn't—making the file names difficult to read when there was deep folder nesting. Also, my mouse wheel wouldn’t work to scroll in the interface.
Finally, it’s not Epson’s fault, but you can’t use this viewer to play videos or TV shows purchased from iTunes because of encoded copyright restrictions.
Be aware, too, that the viewer will not support RAW format images from some of the highest resolution DSLRs, like the Canon EOS 1D series or the Nikon D3. It will certainly download, transfer and backup the images, but you may not be able to see a thumbnail or do any of the RAW image editing that the viewer is capable of with the cameras it does support. I wouldn’t recommend raw editing with the viewer anyway—it’s just not the right tool for that kind of work.
The P-7000 supports RAW format images from the following digital SLR cameras:(as of Sept. 8, 2008)Canon: EOS 5D, 10D, Digital Rebel, Digital Rebel XT, Digital Rebel XTi, 20D, 30D, 40DEpson: R-D1, R-D1sNikon: D2X, D2Xs, D70, D70s, D80, D50, D40, D40X, D200, D300Olympus: E-330, E-500Pentax: *istD, *istDs, *istDL, *istDs2, *istDL2, K100D, K10DSony: DSLR-A100
From the Epson FAQs: If you play continuous videos with audio, using headphones, the battery supplied with your P-7000 should last approximately 3 hours. The following table gives the approximate battery life expectancy for various activities.
Playing a slide show (in default settings): 3 hoursPlaying video (MPEG4, 2 Mbps, using headphones): 3 hoursPlaying audio (MP3, 128 kbps, using headphones): 6 hours
The Epson P-7000 is available now at an MSRP of $799.99.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Chasing the Light DVD Waiting for the Light book
Learn the art of Landscape Photography this Christmas with David Noton’s inspirational DVD - Chasing the Light – a 90 minute programme, from one of our best known and respected landscape and travel photographers. The perfect gift for any budding landscape photographer! Or how about a signed copy of David’s stunning debut book – Waiting for the Light - containing more than 150 pages of stunning images from around the globe, together with David’s fascinating travel diaries.
Canon Overview and New Products Workshop
Hi Folks,
Please note that the November 10, 2008 workshop at Charter Oak will be a Canon Overview and New Products presentation by Canon Technical Representative, Carl Peer. Carl will provide an overview of Canon Digital cameras and Canon Digital lenses along with information on new releases and advances.
Plan to attend and bring along a friend or two and get the latest info on Canon as well as getting your questions answered by a Tech Rep.
In addition, a Hunt's Representative from their Hadley, MA store will be on hand for your shopping pleasure. Hunt's will bring mostly items releated to the workshop. If you would like other items or something special call either Eric or James in the Hadley Store at 413-585-9430 or call Gary Farber at 800-221-1830 ext. 2332 or e-mail Gary at DigitalGuyGary@wbhunt.com.
Directions to Charter Oak are as follows:
DIRECTIONS TO ELMWOOD COMMUNITY CHURCH
26 Newington Road, West Hartford, CT
From the East: Go West on I84 to Exit 42 (this is a Left Exit), Trout Brook Drive . Stay to the Right at the Exit fork. At the stop sign, go straight a short distance to the traffic light. At the traffic light take a Right on South Quaker Lane . At the next traffic light take a Left on New Britain Avenue . At the next traffic light take a Right on Route 173 South, Newington Road . The church is behind CVS (CVS on corner, DO NOT PARK IN CVS LOT ). There is parking available in the church yard immediately before the church or across the street.
From the West: Go East on I84 to Exit 41, South Main Street/Elmwood. At the end of the Exit take a Right on South Main Street . Get in the Left Lane , and at the 2nd traffic light take a Left on New Britain Avenue . At the 3rd traffic light on New Britain Avenue , take a Right on Route 173 South, Newington Road . The church is behind CVS (CVS on corner, DO NOT PARK IN CVS LOT ). There is parking available in the church yard immediately before the church or across the street.
From the South: Take Route 91 North to Exit 22 N-S. Stay Left and get on 22 N, Route 9 North. Continue on Route 9 North and follow signs for Newington/West Hartford. Take Exit 29 Route 175. At the end of the Exit go straight across onto Fenn Road . At the 4th traffic light on Fenn Road take a Right on West Hill Road . At the 2nd traffic light take a Left on Willard Avenue which becomes Newington Road , Route 173 North. The church is about 1 mile on your Right. There is parking available in the church yard immediately after the church or across the street. DO NOT PARK IN CVS LOT.
Option From the South: Go North on Route 5 & 15 ( Berlin Turnpike) to the Exit for Route 175 Newington/Wethersfield (across from the Siesta Motel). At the end of the Exit take a Left on Route 175 West. This becomes East Cedar Street and then Cedar Street . At the 5th traffic light take a Right on Route 173 North, Willard Avenue which becomes Newington Road . The church is about 3.5 miles on your Right. There is parking available in the church yard immediately after the church or across the street. DO NOT PARK IN CVS LOT.
From the North: Go South on Route 91 to Route I84 West. Go West on Route I84 and follow directions above for From the East.
Entering the Building:
Conte Hall (Judgings and Workshops), enter by going down the steps (outside church) that are on the side of the building off the parking lot. You will enter the kitchen area. Conte Hall is to the Right of the kitchen, but use the door to the Left and take your first Right into Conte Hall.
Best,
Audrey
Please note that the November 10, 2008 workshop at Charter Oak will be a Canon Overview and New Products presentation by Canon Technical Representative, Carl Peer. Carl will provide an overview of Canon Digital cameras and Canon Digital lenses along with information on new releases and advances.
Plan to attend and bring along a friend or two and get the latest info on Canon as well as getting your questions answered by a Tech Rep.
In addition, a Hunt's Representative from their Hadley, MA store will be on hand for your shopping pleasure. Hunt's will bring mostly items releated to the workshop. If you would like other items or something special call either Eric or James in the Hadley Store at 413-585-9430 or call Gary Farber at 800-221-1830 ext. 2332 or e-mail Gary at DigitalGuyGary@wbhunt.com.
Directions to Charter Oak are as follows:
DIRECTIONS TO ELMWOOD COMMUNITY CHURCH
26 Newington Road, West Hartford, CT
From the East: Go West on I84 to Exit 42 (this is a Left Exit), Trout Brook Drive . Stay to the Right at the Exit fork. At the stop sign, go straight a short distance to the traffic light. At the traffic light take a Right on South Quaker Lane . At the next traffic light take a Left on New Britain Avenue . At the next traffic light take a Right on Route 173 South, Newington Road . The church is behind CVS (CVS on corner, DO NOT PARK IN CVS LOT ). There is parking available in the church yard immediately before the church or across the street.
From the West: Go East on I84 to Exit 41, South Main Street/Elmwood. At the end of the Exit take a Right on South Main Street . Get in the Left Lane , and at the 2nd traffic light take a Left on New Britain Avenue . At the 3rd traffic light on New Britain Avenue , take a Right on Route 173 South, Newington Road . The church is behind CVS (CVS on corner, DO NOT PARK IN CVS LOT ). There is parking available in the church yard immediately before the church or across the street.
From the South: Take Route 91 North to Exit 22 N-S. Stay Left and get on 22 N, Route 9 North. Continue on Route 9 North and follow signs for Newington/West Hartford. Take Exit 29 Route 175. At the end of the Exit go straight across onto Fenn Road . At the 4th traffic light on Fenn Road take a Right on West Hill Road . At the 2nd traffic light take a Left on Willard Avenue which becomes Newington Road , Route 173 North. The church is about 1 mile on your Right. There is parking available in the church yard immediately after the church or across the street. DO NOT PARK IN CVS LOT.
Option From the South: Go North on Route 5 & 15 ( Berlin Turnpike) to the Exit for Route 175 Newington/Wethersfield (across from the Siesta Motel). At the end of the Exit take a Left on Route 175 West. This becomes East Cedar Street and then Cedar Street . At the 5th traffic light take a Right on Route 173 North, Willard Avenue which becomes Newington Road . The church is about 3.5 miles on your Right. There is parking available in the church yard immediately after the church or across the street. DO NOT PARK IN CVS LOT.
From the North: Go South on Route 91 to Route I84 West. Go West on Route I84 and follow directions above for From the East.
Entering the Building:
Conte Hall (Judgings and Workshops), enter by going down the steps (outside church) that are on the side of the building off the parking lot. You will enter the kitchen area. Conte Hall is to the Right of the kitchen, but use the door to the Left and take your first Right into Conte Hall.
Best,
Audrey
The Printed Picture exhibit
MoMA http://www.moma.org/exhibitions/exhibitions.php?id=9801
The Printed Picture October 17–June 1
More than one hundred works featured in Richard Benson's book The Printed Picture—published this month by MoMA—trace the history of image making, from woodblocks and engravings to today's digital innovations.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
This Saturday- Going to the 2008 PhotoPlus Expo?
Going to the 2008 PhotoPlus Expo?? Why not go with fellow photographers? Email or call Wayne if you are interested.
Could you blog possibly advertise groups or individuals who are planning to go to the 2008 PhotoPlus Expo and won't mind others joining. I can share gas and parking expenses but won't drive in myself since I am not familiar with roads down there. I could also go with someone by train who is more familiar with the New York transit system.
Wayne Nolting - iMix Studio w.nolting@cox.net
Interactive, Flash, & Streaming Audio Visual Designer/Producer
Newington, CT 860-930-6113 Producer@iMixStudio.com
Could you blog possibly advertise groups or individuals who are planning to go to the 2008 PhotoPlus Expo and won't mind others joining. I can share gas and parking expenses but won't drive in myself since I am not familiar with roads down there. I could also go with someone by train who is more familiar with the New York transit system.
Wayne Nolting - iMix Studio w.nolting@cox.net
Interactive, Flash, & Streaming Audio Visual Designer/Producer
Newington, CT 860-930-6113 Producer@iMixStudio.com
Canon IS lens for sale
Wayne Nolting has a Canon EF 28-135mm F/3.6-5.6 IS lens for sale
with a circular polarizing filter and a UV filter (including front and rear caps) in excellent condition. Price is $175.00. please contact Wayne if you are interested w.nolting@cox.net
with a circular polarizing filter and a UV filter (including front and rear caps) in excellent condition. Price is $175.00. please contact Wayne if you are interested w.nolting@cox.net
Monday, October 20, 2008
great high speed photos
From Bill Hoikala (thanks Bill!)
Here's some great high speed photos...
http://weburbanist.com/2008/10/09/high-speed-photographers-and-photos/
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Nikon's "Look Good in Pictures" Photo Series
The videos are free and can be found on www.lookgoodinpictures.com
Nikon Launches Online How To Photo Series
Style expert and TV personality Carson Kressley Hosts Nikon's "Look Good in Pictures."
By Theano Nikitas October 10, 2008
Carson Kressley, currently the host of Lifetime's "How to Look Good Naked" and the style guy of the Fab Five from "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" hosts Nikon's new online video series "Look Good in Pictures." Kressley will provide advice on how to look better when you're having your picture taken. Topics will cover a wide range of situations including how to look good for online dating photos, in vacation pictures, for the holidays and other common scenarios.
In the near future, you'll also get a behind-the-scenes look and watch as Carson accompanies political photographer John Harrington on the campaign trail and travels to the Hollywood Life: Style Awards to get tips from red carpet celebs.
From: http://www.popphoto.com/photonews/5599/nikon-launches-online-how-to-photo-series.html
Nikon Launches Online How To Photo Series
Style expert and TV personality Carson Kressley Hosts Nikon's "Look Good in Pictures."
By Theano Nikitas October 10, 2008
Carson Kressley, currently the host of Lifetime's "How to Look Good Naked" and the style guy of the Fab Five from "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" hosts Nikon's new online video series "Look Good in Pictures." Kressley will provide advice on how to look better when you're having your picture taken. Topics will cover a wide range of situations including how to look good for online dating photos, in vacation pictures, for the holidays and other common scenarios.
In the near future, you'll also get a behind-the-scenes look and watch as Carson accompanies political photographer John Harrington on the campaign trail and travels to the Hollywood Life: Style Awards to get tips from red carpet celebs.
From: http://www.popphoto.com/photonews/5599/nikon-launches-online-how-to-photo-series.html
Create an Amazing Nike Logo
From Photoshop Lady
This tutorial is about creating a Nike Logo. It looks very simple. But, it is nice. It is always good to apply a little change on the existing logo or design as I mentioned in our previous tutorials. And, the your adjustment can, sometimes, make the original design to be surprising.
Basic Photoshop for the Outdoor Photographer
Space is Still Available for my November Seminars.
www.jerryandmarcymonkman.com
Maximize Your Images.
Do you have a year's worth of digital photos sitting on your hard drive waiting for you to turn into to stunning images you are proud to hang on your wall? Are you feeling bogged down in gigabytes of photo files that you want to efficiently manage and process into easy-to-find, beautiful images? If you answered yes, then you may want to sign up for one or both of my upcoming digital seminars.
On Saturday, November 8th, I'll be teaching Basic Photoshop for the Outdoor Photographer, a class that will teach you all of the important Photoshop skills you need to maximize 95% of the images you shoot.On Sunday, November 9th, I'll be teaching Lightroom in a Day, which will bring you up to speed on the most powerful digital photography organizing, photo editing, and printing software out there.There is still plenty of room in both classes, so check out our website now for more info or to register.
Our Price: $95.00 per seminar, $170.00 for both.
Learn more about the seminars here.
www.jerryandmarcymonkman.com
Maximize Your Images.
Do you have a year's worth of digital photos sitting on your hard drive waiting for you to turn into to stunning images you are proud to hang on your wall? Are you feeling bogged down in gigabytes of photo files that you want to efficiently manage and process into easy-to-find, beautiful images? If you answered yes, then you may want to sign up for one or both of my upcoming digital seminars.
On Saturday, November 8th, I'll be teaching Basic Photoshop for the Outdoor Photographer, a class that will teach you all of the important Photoshop skills you need to maximize 95% of the images you shoot.On Sunday, November 9th, I'll be teaching Lightroom in a Day, which will bring you up to speed on the most powerful digital photography organizing, photo editing, and printing software out there.There is still plenty of room in both classes, so check out our website now for more info or to register.
Our Price: $95.00 per seminar, $170.00 for both.
Learn more about the seminars here.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
NEW YORK CITY October 23-26, 2008
From: http://www.popphoto.com/mentor-series-upcoming-treks/5410/new-york-city-october-23-26-2008.html
Once in a Lifetime Photo Ops:
• Hop on board and experience New York from the harbor on a private boat tour, with majestic and up- close views of the Statue of Liberty, Battery Park, United Nations and the Manhattan and Williamsburg Bridges.
• Enjoy exclusive access to the famous “Top of the Rock”. Photograph the city from 70 stories in the sky during early morning light. View this spectacular city at a 360 degree panoramic view.
• Join us at the distinctive photo event of the year, Photo Plus Expo, the leading show for the photo industry. Enjoy this inspiring opportunity to discover the most up-to-date products and services.
• Capture New York City’s must-see avenues and hot spots in the evening light on a Double Decker bus specially arranged for our group.
Travel with our mentors and try out all of the latest equipment from Nikon! Including world class digital SLRs, Nikkor lenses and the Coolpix line of Digital Cameras.
Travel alongside Nikon professional photographers Mark Alberhasky and Steve Simon and capture a whirlwind of dazzling activity and fast-paced movement in New York City. This sleepless city plays host to an unending array of sights and sounds that will wow your lens like no place else.
Kick off your trek on a mid-morning, private boat cruise through the New York harbor where stunning views of the grand buildings and bridges, so much of the city’s history and character, will unfold before you. As the sun goes down, walk across the East River on the Brooklyn Bridge’s elevated walkway. This significant landmark is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the country. Marvel at its majestic gothic style arches and spectacular views, but don’t forget to point your camera back for a breathtaking perspective of the Manhattan skyline, or point it down to capture boats on the East River. Practice panning with the cars that zoom by underfoot. As night falls, make your way over to Times Square and fill your lens with images which are quintessential New York: lightning fast cabs, the glow of neon lights and hordes of hurried passersby.Go on a walking tour of the historic Central Park, the most visited city park in the US. This landmark covers 843 acres and offers a green haven from the urban bustle for both tourists and locals alike. Turn your lens on Strawberry Fields (the John Lennon Imagine memorial), the Bethesda fountain, a turn-of-the-century carousel or the Wollman Skating Rink—all of which have been featured in many movies and television shows for decades. This park will provide no shortage of natural areas beautifully landscaped, modern sculptures, local artists and street musicians—clearly countless unmatched photo opportunities for you to explore.
You can be sure that around every corner of this urban landscape awaits another unique photo opportunity; so don’t miss your chance to capture it all.
Once in a Lifetime Photo Ops:
• Hop on board and experience New York from the harbor on a private boat tour, with majestic and up- close views of the Statue of Liberty, Battery Park, United Nations and the Manhattan and Williamsburg Bridges.
• Enjoy exclusive access to the famous “Top of the Rock”. Photograph the city from 70 stories in the sky during early morning light. View this spectacular city at a 360 degree panoramic view.
• Join us at the distinctive photo event of the year, Photo Plus Expo, the leading show for the photo industry. Enjoy this inspiring opportunity to discover the most up-to-date products and services.
• Capture New York City’s must-see avenues and hot spots in the evening light on a Double Decker bus specially arranged for our group.
Travel with our mentors and try out all of the latest equipment from Nikon! Including world class digital SLRs, Nikkor lenses and the Coolpix line of Digital Cameras.
Travel alongside Nikon professional photographers Mark Alberhasky and Steve Simon and capture a whirlwind of dazzling activity and fast-paced movement in New York City. This sleepless city plays host to an unending array of sights and sounds that will wow your lens like no place else.
Kick off your trek on a mid-morning, private boat cruise through the New York harbor where stunning views of the grand buildings and bridges, so much of the city’s history and character, will unfold before you. As the sun goes down, walk across the East River on the Brooklyn Bridge’s elevated walkway. This significant landmark is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the country. Marvel at its majestic gothic style arches and spectacular views, but don’t forget to point your camera back for a breathtaking perspective of the Manhattan skyline, or point it down to capture boats on the East River. Practice panning with the cars that zoom by underfoot. As night falls, make your way over to Times Square and fill your lens with images which are quintessential New York: lightning fast cabs, the glow of neon lights and hordes of hurried passersby.Go on a walking tour of the historic Central Park, the most visited city park in the US. This landmark covers 843 acres and offers a green haven from the urban bustle for both tourists and locals alike. Turn your lens on Strawberry Fields (the John Lennon Imagine memorial), the Bethesda fountain, a turn-of-the-century carousel or the Wollman Skating Rink—all of which have been featured in many movies and television shows for decades. This park will provide no shortage of natural areas beautifully landscaped, modern sculptures, local artists and street musicians—clearly countless unmatched photo opportunities for you to explore.
You can be sure that around every corner of this urban landscape awaits another unique photo opportunity; so don’t miss your chance to capture it all.
Friday, October 17, 2008
PAINTING WITH SHUTTER SPEED Noooooooo Tripods Allowed!
To read the rest of this interesting article and to see example of his technique visit:
http://ppsop.blogspot.com/2008/09/painting-with-shutter-speed-noooooooo.html
PAINTING WITH SHUTTER SPEED
http://ppsop.blogspot.com/2008/09/painting-with-shutter-speed-noooooooo.html
PAINTING WITH SHUTTER SPEED
Noooooooo Tripods Allowed!
Bryan F PetersonFounder/PPSOP www.ppsop.net
Until recently, the 'rule' of photography has been to "keep the horizon line straight and above all else, make sure its in focus". It was also unthinkable for a photographer to deliberately handhold their camera at a very slow shutter speed without the aid of a tripod. For those who did venture out of this 'norm', they were often scoffed at because the resulting images were of course "blurry and out of focus" and on more than one occasion the photographer was asked "were you drunk when you took that shot?"
Fortunately times have changed and the idea of "painting with a slow shutter speed" has been embraced. But, unlike panning, which is already challenging enough, painting with a slow shutter speed is a real "hit or miss" affair, BUT when everything does come together, it is truly rewarding. (Have you priced 'abstract art" lately? Doing it yourself is not only 'cheaper', but since you 'painted' it yourself, its also that much more rewarding.
Painting with shutter speed is a simple technique really. The challenge is in finding the 'right' subject to paint. Once you feel you have found a subject to paint, you simply set a correct exposure that will allow you to use, a 1/4 or a 1/2 second shutter speed, and at the moment you press the shutter release, you twirl, arch, jiggle, or jerk the camera in and up and down, or side to side or round and round motion; PRESTO an instant abstract painting! Just as Monet discovered with his brush and canvas, flower gardens continue to be the number one choice of photographers for painting with shutter speed, but don't overlook other compositional patterns as well, such as boat harbors, fruit/vegetable markets and even the crowd in the stands at the NFL football match. Also, consider painting with shutter speed in low-light where shutter speeds can range from 2 to 8 seconds-the difference here is that your movements are slower then the quick and hurried 'jiggle' mentioned above, and the resulting effect can look like that of an artist who uses a palette knife as the exposure time builds up one layer upon another.
Not much is required to create some truly exciting abstract paintings with your camera other then a slow shutter speed and the willingness to perhaps look 'foolish' in the presence of others. Defying all the 'laws' of photography, strangers stop momentarily as they find it odd to see you with your camera pointed at a given subject, jiggling, spinning, jerking and/or turning your camera while pressing the shutter release, and they cant for the life of themselves understand what on earth you could possibly be so happy about it. You may even perhaps give the impression that you suffer from a nerve disorder which would no doubt accounts for why you cant obviously hold the camera steady. Like I said, we do look foolish, but do we really care?
To read the rest of this interesting article and to see example of his technique visit:
http://ppsop.blogspot.com/2008/09/painting-with-shutter-speed-noooooooo.html
Fortunately times have changed and the idea of "painting with a slow shutter speed" has been embraced. But, unlike panning, which is already challenging enough, painting with a slow shutter speed is a real "hit or miss" affair, BUT when everything does come together, it is truly rewarding. (Have you priced 'abstract art" lately? Doing it yourself is not only 'cheaper', but since you 'painted' it yourself, its also that much more rewarding.
Painting with shutter speed is a simple technique really. The challenge is in finding the 'right' subject to paint. Once you feel you have found a subject to paint, you simply set a correct exposure that will allow you to use, a 1/4 or a 1/2 second shutter speed, and at the moment you press the shutter release, you twirl, arch, jiggle, or jerk the camera in and up and down, or side to side or round and round motion; PRESTO an instant abstract painting! Just as Monet discovered with his brush and canvas, flower gardens continue to be the number one choice of photographers for painting with shutter speed, but don't overlook other compositional patterns as well, such as boat harbors, fruit/vegetable markets and even the crowd in the stands at the NFL football match. Also, consider painting with shutter speed in low-light where shutter speeds can range from 2 to 8 seconds-the difference here is that your movements are slower then the quick and hurried 'jiggle' mentioned above, and the resulting effect can look like that of an artist who uses a palette knife as the exposure time builds up one layer upon another.
Not much is required to create some truly exciting abstract paintings with your camera other then a slow shutter speed and the willingness to perhaps look 'foolish' in the presence of others. Defying all the 'laws' of photography, strangers stop momentarily as they find it odd to see you with your camera pointed at a given subject, jiggling, spinning, jerking and/or turning your camera while pressing the shutter release, and they cant for the life of themselves understand what on earth you could possibly be so happy about it. You may even perhaps give the impression that you suffer from a nerve disorder which would no doubt accounts for why you cant obviously hold the camera steady. Like I said, we do look foolish, but do we really care?
To read the rest of this interesting article and to see example of his technique visit:
http://ppsop.blogspot.com/2008/09/painting-with-shutter-speed-noooooooo.html
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Non-photographers Say the Darndest Things
I am sure that we all have had experiences like this.
http://www.naturephotographers.net/articles0908/kl0908-1.html
Non-photographers Say the Darndest Things
Text and photography copyright © Kerry Leibowitz. All rights reserved.
" At various points when photographing in the field I'm sure we've all run into our share of characters. I know I have. In fact, I think I've run into more than my share. Some of these folks have been photographers themselves, but for some reason, the most memorable encounters I've had in the field have been with non-photographers. I always try to be pleasant and I'm usually happy to engage these folks, as long as I'm not deeply involved with the subject matter. Sometimes, however, this isn't as easy as it seems. I've compiled a diary of my favorite in-field experiences. Here they are in no particular order."
http://www.naturephotographers.net/articles0908/kl0908-1.html
http://www.naturephotographers.net/articles0908/kl0908-1.html
Non-photographers Say the Darndest Things
Text and photography copyright © Kerry Leibowitz. All rights reserved.
" At various points when photographing in the field I'm sure we've all run into our share of characters. I know I have. In fact, I think I've run into more than my share. Some of these folks have been photographers themselves, but for some reason, the most memorable encounters I've had in the field have been with non-photographers. I always try to be pleasant and I'm usually happy to engage these folks, as long as I'm not deeply involved with the subject matter. Sometimes, however, this isn't as easy as it seems. I've compiled a diary of my favorite in-field experiences. Here they are in no particular order."
http://www.naturephotographers.net/articles0908/kl0908-1.html
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
The Hummingbird Guide
The Hummingbird Guide – How to Photograph Hummingbirds Using High-Speed Multiple Flash by LINDA ROBBINS with Arthur Morris
Linda Robbins began work on this guide in late 2007 and promised that it would be finished by February 1, 2008… As you might guess, it turned out to be a lot more work than Linda envisioned. We now have the first 100 CDs burned and ready to ship, and believe me, the guide was well worth waiting for.
There is a smattering of information available on line and in various books and publications, but never before has everything that you need to know to get started in this highly specialized field of photography been assembled in one place in a pleasingly designed, easy-to-read format. The guide is comprehensive in its scope; among the topics covered are choosing cameras and lenses, suitable tripods and tripod heads, choosing and purchasing suitable flashes, the needed equipment (flash stands, articulated arms, mini ball heads, etc.), choosing and setting up your feeder(s), how to create your artificial backgrounds, detailed, step-by-step instructions on setting up including flash and background placement, determining the right exposure, an explanation of the flash theory involved in high speed flash hummingbird photography, helpful odds and ends, digital and Photoshop considerations, the best rechargeable batteries and battery chargers, dealing with ants, bees and wasps at the set-up, dealing with the guarding birds that keep all others away from the set-up, the best photographic strategies including focus-acquisition tips, introducing perches to the set-up, and selecting flowers and adding them to the set-up. In addition, Linda writes eloquently on the topic of becoming addicted to high speed flash hummingbird photography (consider yourself fore-warned). Also included is an informative section entitled “About Hummingbirds.” Photographing perched hummers, creating pleasingly blurred images, and using macro lenses for hummingbird head-portraits are dealt with in photo-illustrated gallery format.
The section on needed equipment is especially impressive as Linda does a thorough job of exploring the variously priced options and lets you know exactly what she is using at present. The book is lavishly illustrated with both of our images (most of them, and all of the very best, are Linda’s.)
In truth, I cannot say enough in praise of this great new work. Linda is a skilled photographer and her hummingbird images are among the best you will see anywhere. And Linda is a skilled writer. I enjoyed both editing her words and authoring a section or two for the guide. Your purchase will include periodic free updates via e-mail PDF files.
You can order your copy of “The Hummingbird Guide – How to Photograph Hummingbirds Using High-Speed Multiple Flash” (on CD only) today for $50 plus $3 shipping and handling ($53 total) in the US. Florida residents need to add 7% sales tax: $53.50 plus the $3 shipping and handling ($56.50 total). To Canada the cost is $50 plus $6 shipping ($56 total). For overseas customers the cost will be $50 plus $8 shipping and handling ($58 total). A check made out to “Arthur Morris” and sent to us at BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855 is fine. As is a Paypal payment. Or, call us at 863-692-0906 with credit card in hand.
Whether you are just thinking about getting started in this field or have been doing it for years, there is tons for you to learn from Linda’s great new guide. We are proud to add it to the BIRDS AS ART information-in-digital-form line-up. Even better news for folks who can never envision spending big bucks on a flash set-up and traveling overseas with all that gear: Linda will be leading several high speed flash hummer trips to various South and Central American hotspots. All you need to do is bring a camera, lens, tripod, and tripod head and show up. Linda will have everything else that you need. Two photographers per set-up. For info write Linda at lindaasart@aol.com
Lastly, BAA Mail Order will be carrying most of the specialty items that you need to get started; details to follow.
Linda Robbins began work on this guide in late 2007 and promised that it would be finished by February 1, 2008… As you might guess, it turned out to be a lot more work than Linda envisioned. We now have the first 100 CDs burned and ready to ship, and believe me, the guide was well worth waiting for.
There is a smattering of information available on line and in various books and publications, but never before has everything that you need to know to get started in this highly specialized field of photography been assembled in one place in a pleasingly designed, easy-to-read format. The guide is comprehensive in its scope; among the topics covered are choosing cameras and lenses, suitable tripods and tripod heads, choosing and purchasing suitable flashes, the needed equipment (flash stands, articulated arms, mini ball heads, etc.), choosing and setting up your feeder(s), how to create your artificial backgrounds, detailed, step-by-step instructions on setting up including flash and background placement, determining the right exposure, an explanation of the flash theory involved in high speed flash hummingbird photography, helpful odds and ends, digital and Photoshop considerations, the best rechargeable batteries and battery chargers, dealing with ants, bees and wasps at the set-up, dealing with the guarding birds that keep all others away from the set-up, the best photographic strategies including focus-acquisition tips, introducing perches to the set-up, and selecting flowers and adding them to the set-up. In addition, Linda writes eloquently on the topic of becoming addicted to high speed flash hummingbird photography (consider yourself fore-warned). Also included is an informative section entitled “About Hummingbirds.” Photographing perched hummers, creating pleasingly blurred images, and using macro lenses for hummingbird head-portraits are dealt with in photo-illustrated gallery format.
The section on needed equipment is especially impressive as Linda does a thorough job of exploring the variously priced options and lets you know exactly what she is using at present. The book is lavishly illustrated with both of our images (most of them, and all of the very best, are Linda’s.)
In truth, I cannot say enough in praise of this great new work. Linda is a skilled photographer and her hummingbird images are among the best you will see anywhere. And Linda is a skilled writer. I enjoyed both editing her words and authoring a section or two for the guide. Your purchase will include periodic free updates via e-mail PDF files.
You can order your copy of “The Hummingbird Guide – How to Photograph Hummingbirds Using High-Speed Multiple Flash” (on CD only) today for $50 plus $3 shipping and handling ($53 total) in the US. Florida residents need to add 7% sales tax: $53.50 plus the $3 shipping and handling ($56.50 total). To Canada the cost is $50 plus $6 shipping ($56 total). For overseas customers the cost will be $50 plus $8 shipping and handling ($58 total). A check made out to “Arthur Morris” and sent to us at BIRDS AS ART, PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855 is fine. As is a Paypal payment. Or, call us at 863-692-0906 with credit card in hand.
Whether you are just thinking about getting started in this field or have been doing it for years, there is tons for you to learn from Linda’s great new guide. We are proud to add it to the BIRDS AS ART information-in-digital-form line-up. Even better news for folks who can never envision spending big bucks on a flash set-up and traveling overseas with all that gear: Linda will be leading several high speed flash hummer trips to various South and Central American hotspots. All you need to do is bring a camera, lens, tripod, and tripod head and show up. Linda will have everything else that you need. Two photographers per set-up. For info write Linda at lindaasart@aol.com
Lastly, BAA Mail Order will be carrying most of the specialty items that you need to get started; details to follow.
Upcoming Photo Events
Hi Lisa, I consolidated some upcoming photo seminars and photo ops into one list. Rick
Upcoming Photo Events
Sat 10/18/08 Klingberg Antique Auto ShowKlingberg Family Centers Campus, New Britain, CT$5www.klingbergautoshow.org
Sat–Sun 10/18 – 10/19/08 CAP NJ Lighthouse Trip13 NJ lighthouses are open for visitation & climbing (open to the public); free souvenirshttp://capinct.org/Documents/Lighthouse%20Trip%20Oct%2008-1.pdfhttp://www.njlhs.org/challenge/challenge.html
Thu-Sat 10/23 – 10/25/08
PhotoPlus Expo
Jacob Javits Center, New York City
http://www.photoplusexpo.com/ppe/index.jsp
Mon 11/10/08 Boston, MA
Tue 11/11/08 Queens, NY
Thu 11/13/08 Saddlebrook, NJ
An Evening With Jack Davis
The author of the Photoshop ‘WOW’ books will present a 3-hour seminar on Photoshop CS4 and Lightroom 2 $39
http://www.software-cinema.com/page/wowsc
Sat 11/15/08
CAP All-Day Seminar
Adam Jones & Onne van der Wal
Holiday Inn, North Haven, CT$25 in advance
http://capinct.org/Documents/CAP%20Seminar%2011-15-08-students.pdf
Sat 11/22/08
Yankee Photographic Society All-Day Seminar
George Lepp
Danvers High School, Danvers, MA$25 in advance + optional $6 buffet lunchhttp://www.neccc.org/New_Outline_14.htm
Sat-Sun 3/14 – 3/15/09
Rocky Mountain School of Photography 2-Day Seminar
Mass Mutual Center, Springfield, MA$159 for both days ($119 for one day) – NECCC Club Members use Discount Code GC117
Save $20 per person with group of 5 or more5 tracks offering 3 different programs each track for a total of 15 different courses (of which you can attend 5) A 6th track offers a personal critiqueIndustry representatives will be on hand
https://www.rmsp.com/weekends/Courses.aspx
Register online at www.rmsp.com/weekends or call 800-394-7677 to register by phone. You may also download registration forms from www.rmsp.com/weekends.
Upcoming Photo Events
Sat 10/18/08 Klingberg Antique Auto ShowKlingberg Family Centers Campus, New Britain, CT$5www.klingbergautoshow.org
Sat–Sun 10/18 – 10/19/08 CAP NJ Lighthouse Trip13 NJ lighthouses are open for visitation & climbing (open to the public); free souvenirshttp://capinct.org/Documents/Lighthouse%20Trip%20Oct%2008-1.pdfhttp://www.njlhs.org/challenge/challenge.html
Thu-Sat 10/23 – 10/25/08
PhotoPlus Expo
Jacob Javits Center, New York City
http://www.photoplusexpo.com/ppe/index.jsp
Mon 11/10/08 Boston, MA
Tue 11/11/08 Queens, NY
Thu 11/13/08 Saddlebrook, NJ
An Evening With Jack Davis
The author of the Photoshop ‘WOW’ books will present a 3-hour seminar on Photoshop CS4 and Lightroom 2 $39
http://www.software-cinema.com/page/wowsc
Sat 11/15/08
CAP All-Day Seminar
Adam Jones & Onne van der Wal
Holiday Inn, North Haven, CT$25 in advance
http://capinct.org/Documents/CAP%20Seminar%2011-15-08-students.pdf
Sat 11/22/08
Yankee Photographic Society All-Day Seminar
George Lepp
Danvers High School, Danvers, MA$25 in advance + optional $6 buffet lunchhttp://www.neccc.org/New_Outline_14.htm
Sat-Sun 3/14 – 3/15/09
Rocky Mountain School of Photography 2-Day Seminar
Mass Mutual Center, Springfield, MA$159 for both days ($119 for one day) – NECCC Club Members use Discount Code GC117
Save $20 per person with group of 5 or more5 tracks offering 3 different programs each track for a total of 15 different courses (of which you can attend 5) A 6th track offers a personal critiqueIndustry representatives will be on hand
https://www.rmsp.com/weekends/Courses.aspx
Register online at www.rmsp.com/weekends or call 800-394-7677 to register by phone. You may also download registration forms from www.rmsp.com/weekends.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
RMSP Weekend event in Springfield
In the attached letter you will find details regarding the RMSP Weekend event in Springfield, Massachusetts on March 14-15, 2009 and the group savings code for New Haven Camera Club. Please pass the information on to your club members. Thank you.
Bob
Bob McGowan
Programs Specialist
Rocky Mountain School of Photography
210 N. Higgins Avenue, Suite 101
Missoula, MT 59802
(800) 394-7677 x107
Rocky Mountain School of Photography (RMSP) is bringing one of its Weekend events to Springfield, Massachusetts on March 14-15, 2009. Each year RMSP travels around the country teaching our unique brand of photography education. RMSP Weekends are two fun-filled days, loaded with information about the latest tools and techniques in photography. Following are some important details for the Springfield Weekend.
Location: MassMutual Center
1277 Main Street • Springfield, MA 01103
What: Fifteen classes to choose from, a professional critique session, industry representatives and great door prizes. Visit www.rmsp.com/weekends for a schedule of classes and a list of course descriptions.
Who Attends: Class content is suitable for digital or film shooters, beginner through intermediate amateur photographers.
Group Pricing: $159 per person for both days, $119 for one day. Online and early
registration savings have been included in your group pricing (a savings of
$20 for two days and $10 for one day).
Your group code is: GC126 Submit this code when registering to receive the special group price mentioned above.
Registration: Register online at www.rmsp.com/weekends or call (800) 394-7677 to register by phone. You may also download registration forms from www.rmsp.com/weekends and mail in your registration if you would like.
Please keep in mind that in 2008 most of our Weekend events sold out ahead of time. We encourage you to register early. In order to secure a spot, registrations must be received in our office before an event has sold out. You can register now using any of the methods mentioned above.
Please do not hesitate to call if you have questions regarding the RMSP Weekend event in Springfield.
Hope to see soon!
Michelle Lousen
Weekends Director
Rocky Mountain School of Photography
210 N. Higgins Ave., Suite 101 • Missoula, MT 59802
(800) 394-7677
weekends@rmsp.com
Bob
Bob McGowan
Programs Specialist
Rocky Mountain School of Photography
210 N. Higgins Avenue, Suite 101
Missoula, MT 59802
(800) 394-7677 x107
Rocky Mountain School of Photography (RMSP) is bringing one of its Weekend events to Springfield, Massachusetts on March 14-15, 2009. Each year RMSP travels around the country teaching our unique brand of photography education. RMSP Weekends are two fun-filled days, loaded with information about the latest tools and techniques in photography. Following are some important details for the Springfield Weekend.
Location: MassMutual Center
1277 Main Street • Springfield, MA 01103
What: Fifteen classes to choose from, a professional critique session, industry representatives and great door prizes. Visit www.rmsp.com/weekends for a schedule of classes and a list of course descriptions.
Who Attends: Class content is suitable for digital or film shooters, beginner through intermediate amateur photographers.
Group Pricing: $159 per person for both days, $119 for one day. Online and early
registration savings have been included in your group pricing (a savings of
$20 for two days and $10 for one day).
Your group code is: GC126 Submit this code when registering to receive the special group price mentioned above.
Registration: Register online at www.rmsp.com/weekends or call (800) 394-7677 to register by phone. You may also download registration forms from www.rmsp.com/weekends and mail in your registration if you would like.
Please keep in mind that in 2008 most of our Weekend events sold out ahead of time. We encourage you to register early. In order to secure a spot, registrations must be received in our office before an event has sold out. You can register now using any of the methods mentioned above.
Please do not hesitate to call if you have questions regarding the RMSP Weekend event in Springfield.
Hope to see soon!
Michelle Lousen
Weekends Director
Rocky Mountain School of Photography
210 N. Higgins Ave., Suite 101 • Missoula, MT 59802
(800) 394-7677
weekends@rmsp.com
Is there a preference in saving the file in TIFF vs. PSD
Digital Darkroom Questions (DDQ) October 9, 2008
by Tim Grey http://www.timgrey.com/ Books: www.timgrey.com/books/index.htm Blog: www.timgrey.com/blog
##########
After editing a file in Photoshop CS3, is there a preference in saving the file in TIFF vs. PSD?
==========
Not really. You can actually use either format interchangeably in terms of the features supported for your images. That includes multiple layers, alpha channels, layer masks, smart objects, and more. You won't lose anything in your images by choosing one format over the other.
Because of the compression options available in the TIFF file format you can achieve smaller file sizes (I recommend using the LZW compression option in the TIFF Options dialog box that is displayed when you save a file as a TIFF). That's really about the only difference from a practical perspective.
Having said that, I still use the Photoshop PSD file format for saving all of my master image files. The reason is mostly historical, but it still provides a benefit to me in terms of basic file organization. Because Photoshop didn't used to allow you to save layered TIFF files, if you worked with layers (which I've always strongly recommended) you needed to save the resulting image file as a PSD. As a result, when you looked at a list of files on your hard drive, you would know the PSD file was the layered "master" file, and any TIFF images were derivative files created for specific output.
Based on that history, I use PSD for the master image file with all layers intact, and TIFF for the flattened version of the image I'll produce when including images in my books, newsletter, magazines, or other output.
That's my reasoning, but it is admittedly only a minor advantage. If reducing file sizes is more important to you I'd suggest using the TIFF file format with LZW compression applied.
##########
Support the DDQ E-mail Service
Contributions from readers like you are the only compensation for the time and effort that goes into producing this email service. You can help support this effort by becoming a contributor. Besides helping to ensure this service remains viable, you'll gain access to a searchable archive of all prior questions and have the opportunity to have your own questions considered for inclusion in the DDQ email. Details can be found here:www.timgrey.com/ddq/
The Fine Print: Please feel free to forward this e-mail message to any friends that may be interested, and recommend that they subscribe to the free service. All I ask is that you forward the message in its entirety.
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Contents of this e-mail are copyright by Tim Grey. All Rights Reserved.
Monday, October 13, 2008
The Smartest Camera Strap Ever
The Smartest Camera Strap Ever
~Have a cool photo product or site? Reach 220,000 photo fans
We’ve been hearing a lot about the R-Strap lately, but we thought, “Really? It’s just a camera strap. What’s the big deal?”
Turns out it’s a really smart design. The strap hangs diagonally across your chest like a messenger bag, so:
It’s more comfortable than a neck strap, and…
Your camera stays out of the way at your hip.
The smart bit is the little slider attachment that allows you to glide the camera up the strap to your eye so you can take a picture. The camera moves, but the strap doesn’t. See it in action here.
It’s really clever, and we’re kind of kicking ourselves for not thinking of it first.
Added bonus! For all of our thrifty brethren out there, we’re including a couple of ways to make one yourself. Either way, your neck will thank you.
The Original R-Strap ($44)
Make Your Own R-Strap (Version 1)
Make Your Own R-Strap (Version 2)
~Have a cool photo product or site? Reach 220,000 photo fans
We’ve been hearing a lot about the R-Strap lately, but we thought, “Really? It’s just a camera strap. What’s the big deal?”
Turns out it’s a really smart design. The strap hangs diagonally across your chest like a messenger bag, so:
It’s more comfortable than a neck strap, and…
Your camera stays out of the way at your hip.
The smart bit is the little slider attachment that allows you to glide the camera up the strap to your eye so you can take a picture. The camera moves, but the strap doesn’t. See it in action here.
It’s really clever, and we’re kind of kicking ourselves for not thinking of it first.
Added bonus! For all of our thrifty brethren out there, we’re including a couple of ways to make one yourself. Either way, your neck will thank you.
The Original R-Strap ($44)
Make Your Own R-Strap (Version 1)
Make Your Own R-Strap (Version 2)
Going to the 2008 PhotoPlus Expo ??
Going to the 2008 PhotoPlus Expo
Why not go with fellow photographers? Email or call Wayne if you are interested.
Could you blog possibly advertise groups or individuals who are planning to go to the 2008 PhotoPlus Expo and won't mind others joining. I can share gas and parking expenses but won't drive in myself since I am not familiar with roads down there. I could also go with someone by train who is more familiar with the New York transit system.
Wayne Nolting - iMix Studio w.nolting@cox.net
Interactive, Flash, & Streaming Audio Visual Designer/Producer
Newington, CT
860-930-6113
Producer@iMixStudio.com
Antique Auto Show
Thank you Howard for passing this along!
http://www.klingbergautoshow.org/
Klingberg Antique Auto Show, Saturday, October 18th, 2008
Show Time: 10 AM to 4 PM on the Klingberg Campus
In addition to viewing hundreds of antique vehicles, you can spend an entire day strolling around the beautiful grounds enjoying an array of fun activities. The children will especially appreciate the clowns, stilt-walkers and other entertainers, face painting and balloons–all included in the $5 price of admission. Throughout the day, dancers will delight you with a selection of tangos, trots, waltzes and mazurkas done with great panache, and in period costumes.
Driving Directions
From Major Interstates
via Route I-91
Route I-91 North from New Haven Or South From Hartford
Leave Route 91 at Exit 22N (New Britain)--Follow Route 9N
Leave Route 9N at Exit 24 for Routes 71 and 372 (Kensington)--This is a left hand exit
Follow 372 to the first set of lights
Turn right onto Route 71A (High Road/Kensington Avenue)
Take the second left, Cambridge Street
At the end of Cambridge Street, take a left onto Linwood Street
Klingberg Family Centers is at the top of the hill
I-84 (East & West) to Exit 35 (Rt. 72 East)
Take first exit: Corbin Ave, turn right and follow signs
Rt 9 North to Exit 24 (left hand exit) Rt 372
Spectators take first exit
At light, continue straight into Rock Cats Stadium parking
Antuque Car Owners contiue to the end of Rt 372 & follow signs.
Rt 9 South to Rt 72 West
Take first exit: Corbin Ave, turn left and follow signs
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Days are shorter, make your longer exposure count
DUSK and LOW LIGHT
1 SECOND AND BEYOND
LOW LIGHT AND NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY
Make your longer exposure count, now that your days are shorter...
An excellent article by Bryan F Peterson/Founder of The Perfect Picture School of Photography http://www.ppsop.net/
It seems to be this unwritten rule that before the sun comes up or after the sun goes down that its really not possible for most shooters to get any good pictures. These same two reasons I hear today are the same two reasons I heard years ago; "there is not enough 'light', and/or "you need one of the more expensive cameras don't you?" or "I don't know how to get a meter reading." But clearly as the following images show there is ALWAYS enough light and getting a meter reading could'nt be easier as I will show you. Truth be told, I am convinced that the real reason most shoters dont venture out at night to shoot is because shooting at these hours of the day CAN interefere with one's lifestyle. (Just ask my wife and kids!)
Low light and night photography do pose special challenges, not the least of which is to use a tripod, (assuming of course you want to record exacting sharpness) and some degree of mathematical skills (simple adddition or subtraction) in some cases to come up with a correct exposure, but again, it is my feeling that the greatest hindrance in shooting the low light of predawn or at night is in the area of self-discipline. "It's time for dinner". (Next time pack a sandwich.) It's time to go to a movie." (Save your money and buy the movie when it comes out on DVD.) "It's time to go to a party." (Showing up an hour or two later, when everyone else has had a few glasses; now that's fun!") "I'm not a morning person." (Then don't go to bed the night before.) "It's time to watch my favorite television show". (You can tape it or use TIVO and see it after you're done shooting.) "My friends are waiting for me back at the car." (Make photographers your friends and they will gladly join you on the shoot.) "I'm all alone and don't feel safe." (Again, make photogrpahers your friends or join a camera club.) "I don't have a tripod." (Buy one!)
In my on-location workshops and in my on-line courses, students quickly learn just how much photographic opportunity exists before the sun comes up and after the sun goes down. And the rewards far outweigh the sacrifices. If it is one's goal to record compelling imagery, and it should be, then low light and night photography are two areas where compelling imagery abounds. With a little planning and a little forethought, you can soon find yourself in countless locations to shoot some show stopping exposures. Once you've arrived at a given location and conclude that this is where you will set up the only question remains is how to set the exposure for the upcoming 'light show'.With the sophistication of today's cameras and their highly sensitive light meters, getting a correct exposure is common place, even in the dimmest of light.
Yet this is an area where many photographers often find themselves under a cloud of confusion. "Where should I take my meter reading from? How long should my exposure be? Should I use any filters?"
In my years of experience in taking meter readings, there is nothing better nor more consistent then when taking a meter reading off of the sky; whether I am shooting backlight, frontlight or sidelight, whether I am shooting the first light of dawn or the last remnants of light at dusk.What should my exposure be when shooting in low light or at night? Now that's a really good question, but by now, you should know the answer or feel a lot closer to being able to answer it. Your exposure will be based on the very same principles of a creative exposure discussed already throughout this book. Does the scene present any motion-filled opportunities or are we simply shooting a classic skyline of some city, large or small? Either way, the principles of metering are the same in so far as where to take a meter reading from, BUT if there is motion involved, such as the flow of traffic, then you do have the option of setting an exposure that will render that flow of traffic as fluid streaks of color. For example, if one wishes to shoot a simple exposure, (and I really do mean simple) in manual exposure mode of a city skyline, set your aperture to f/8 and raise the camera to the dusky sky above the cityscape or landscape and adjust your shutter speed until a correct exposure is indicated and then return to your composition and press the shutter release. (It's important to note that its entirely possible that once you return to your composition, after you have set the manual exposure, that your meter may now indicate an underexposure, but just ignore it and shoot. The underexposure indicated is in response to what the meter 'see's' as dark buildings but in this case the meter has been fooled as the buildings really are not all that dark.)
For those of you who prefer to shoot scenes like this is in some kind of 'atuo-mode', e.g. Aperture Priority Mode, ditto on the use of f/8 and while pointing your camera to the dusky sky, hold your "exposure lock button" and then recompose and shoot. The exposure lock will 'save' the exposure for the dusky sky so when you shoot, it will be at the dusky exposure. Chances are in either case, and with 100 ISO, f/8 will render an exposure time of about two or four seconds. IF you are in fact shooting a motion-filled scene, than set your aperture to at least f/11 if not f/16, which in turn will increase your expsoure time from 2-4 seconds to 8-16 seconds. The longer the exposure time, the greater the amount of motion will be recorded.
PHOTO#1-#2-
What better place to try your hand at 'nightime' exposures then the greatest city on earth, New York! And a simple exposure too! With my camera and 17-55mm lens on tripod and with my ISO at 100, and my aperture set to f/8, I raised the camera to the dusky, partially cloudy sky above and adjusted my shutter speed until two seconds indicated a correct exposure. I then recomposed the scene and fired the shutter release and just like that, I had my dusky nightime exposure of the Big Apple. Because this scene did not present any real motion-filled opportunities, I did not find it necessary to increase my exposure time longer then two seconds. I have often 'caught' my students shooting an exposure like this with apertures of f/22 and exposure times of 15 seconds and when pressed as to the logic behind such a long exposure, they are hard pressed to give an answer since the 'same' exposure can be achieved at larger apertures (f/8) and shorter shuttter speeds (two seconds) in the absence of any motion-filled opportunities.Something to keep in mind, especially if you find yourself out shooting dusky scenes such as this with temperatures below freezing.
PHOTO#3-#4-#5-Part of the history in Lyon, France includes the work done by the Lumiere Brothers, both of whom are responsible for the birth of film. Not only could their invention, the Cinematograph, make a movie, but it could also project that same movie as well. Their first of more than 1400 films was shown in Paris in 1895 which showed a train pulling into a staiton and to some in the audience, this experience proved so frightneing that some went running for cover certain the train would come crashing into them.
For some years now, the City of Lyon has been holding a Lumiere Festival every Decemeber, partly in honor of the Lumiere Brothers and one main staple of the festival is the arrival from Germany of the largest Ferris Wheel on the European Continent. Situated at Place Bellcour for more than a month it does offer up numerous motion-filled opportunities, including the opportunity to incorporate this lone rider and horse statue against the background motion-filled ferris wheel.With my tripod mounted camera and 70-200mm lens set to f/11 and with my ISO at 100 I simply adjusted my shutter speed until four seconds indicated a correct exposure off of the dusky blue to the left of the ferris wheel. In effect, I metered this scene off of the dusky blue sky just like I did in the example shown of the New York City skyline.
I was now ready to shoot, BUT it certainly would'nt make any sense to shoot a four second exposure IF the ride was not moving, so I waited a few minutes for the ride to fill up with riders and soon it was making revolution after revolution and it was during this time I made a number of exposures, one of which you see here. And sure enough, I found myself taking a vertical composition as well, also at the correct exposure of f/11 at four seconds.
PHOTO#6-#7-San Francisco, Califronia, a city that many would swear is the ONLY city worth bragging about, but for me, it will always be a city that I could never quite get my head around. Don't get me wrong. I find San Francisco a shooters paradise, but try as I might, including live there, I could never embrace it as a city that I could call home. I am sure it will be one of those cities where even if I were to live there again, I would still feel that I was only visitor. From atop the steep incline on Treasure Island, a truly magnificient view of the city awaits. With my tripod mounted camera set to 100 ISO and 70-200mm lens, I chose an aperture of f/11 and with my camera pointed into the dusky blue sky to the right of the bridge, I adjusted my shutter speed until a corrrect exposure was indicated at four seconds. I returned the compositon you see here and fired away. At this slow shutter speed of four seconds I was able to record the slow but steady flow of traffic heading into the City by the Bay.
Of the many discoveries my students make in my on-location workshops it is the realization that many of their wonderful compositions that they create do in fact have additional photographic opportunities inside that frame. As idyllic this scene of San Francisco is, there is still yet at least one other dynamic image to be made, an image that is for the most part, resigned to strong graphic elements, primarily LINE and COLOR.
After switching my 70-200mm for my 200mm-400mm, I simply set the aperture to f/11 and for those same four seconds, compsed this vertical composition of just the bridge.Take a closer look on your next outing inside that viewfinder of yours and see if in fact you have another photographic opportunity to shoot. You might discover that you have been picking up your tripod and moving on to the next great shot a bit too premature.
PHOTO#8-For some men, (and women too I am sure) a scene like this speaks to the desire to simply get away from it all, out there in the wilderness for some long overdue solitude. No cell phones, no e-mails to check and no deadlines; just you and the sound of crickets and a crackling fire. With my tripod mounted camera set to 100 ISO and my 35-70mm lens I set my aperture to f/11 and pointed it to the pre-dawn sky above the camping spot and adjusted my shutter speed until a two second exposure indicated a correct exposure. Just like city lights, that campfire and the small Coleman lantern that is illuminating the inside of the ten, share a similar exposure value. Therefore, what that dusky sky indicates as a correct expsoure will be just as correct for the campfire and lighted tent and sure enough as this photograph shows, the overall exposure is spot on.
I feel the need to really stress what is meant by a dusky blue, sometimes magenta sky.It is a Western sky that is metered and photographed around 20-25 minutes after sunset or 15-20 minutes before sunrise and it is an Eastern sky that is metered and photographed around 15-20 minutes after sunset or 20-25 minutes before sunrise.
Saturday, October 11, 2008
7 Bad Habits of Digital Photographers
From: http://blog.epicedits.com/2007/12/27/7-bad-habits-of-digital-photographers/
7 Bad Habits of Digital Photographers
By Antoine Khater
Want more great projects, amazing photos, Photoshop tips, and articles on photography? Subscribe to Epic Edits today so you don’t miss a thing.
I have been taking pictures seriously for about 5 years and been around major photography forums for about the same time. Here are, compiled in one post, the 7 bad habits of digital photographers…
1. NOT DOUBLE CHECKING YOUR GEAR BAG
Photo by John Harvey [CC by-nc-sa]
It never happened to you? It sure did to me! I can’t remember how many times I went shooting just to notice later on that I forgot the CF cards at home. Just a few months ago my wife and I took a photography trip to Croatia and I totally forgot to pack the battery charger with me! So if you are as clumsy as I am, maybe you should trust your wife in packing things up for you.
2. NOT DOUBLE CHECKING ISO SETTINGS
Photo by Tom Hensel[CC by-nc-nd]
This is surely one of the most common post subjects you will find if you linger long enough in Digital Photography forums. We are all somehow used to reaching for our ISO settings button just when we need to go “higher” and we too often take it for granted that the camera is set to the “correct” one every time we take it from the bag. And that is why so many people are asking for the ISO setting to be displayed in the viewfinder, until then and to avoid surprises, good or bad, make sure to double check that ISO setting every time you turn your camera on.
3. I’LL GET THIS STRAIGHT LATER
Photo by Grant Lindsay [CC by-nd]
Let me first say that I have nothing against Photoshop or any other kind of photo retouching I even pointed out some times ago an easy way to correct tilted pictures in the digital dark room. However I believe that if you can get it right on the field it is better. So if you have the bad habit of tilting your pictures, here are 6 tips that will hep you get them straight next time.
4. I SHOOT RAW, I DON’T CARE ABOUT EXPOSURE
Photo by Rich G. [CC by-nc-sa]
RAW is wonderful tool and gives us, photographers, a great deal of flexibility during post processing. The ability to tweak the exposure in RAW should be used ONLY within limits — blown highlights and and underexposed shadows can’t be recovered. So make sure to always get the exposure right.
5. DELETING PICTURES TOO FAST
Photo by Vitor Sá [CC by-nc]
Well I’m writing this specially for myself! I delete pictures faster than I take them sometimes… Here is a recent article from LightChasers explaining why we should never be doing this.
6. BETTER BODY INSTEAD OF BETTER LENS
Photo by BryanFenstermacher [CC by-nc]
I guess it is just a human nature but every time a new camera is released we have all tendency to become green with envy and deep down we should know that we would be much better investing in a better lens than in a better camera.
7. BLAMING THE MATERIAL
Photo by Sergio Bertolini [CC by-nc-sa]
And, of course, on the TOP of the list “Blaming the material”! When we do not manage of getting a decent picture we go like “AH if only I had that lens!” but if someone looks at a nice pictures of ours and says “Wow you should have a nice camera!!!” We go crazy… Anyway, remember folks, it is always the photographer never the Camera.
7 Bad Habits of Digital Photographers
By Antoine Khater
Want more great projects, amazing photos, Photoshop tips, and articles on photography? Subscribe to Epic Edits today so you don’t miss a thing.
I have been taking pictures seriously for about 5 years and been around major photography forums for about the same time. Here are, compiled in one post, the 7 bad habits of digital photographers…
1. NOT DOUBLE CHECKING YOUR GEAR BAG
Photo by John Harvey [CC by-nc-sa]
It never happened to you? It sure did to me! I can’t remember how many times I went shooting just to notice later on that I forgot the CF cards at home. Just a few months ago my wife and I took a photography trip to Croatia and I totally forgot to pack the battery charger with me! So if you are as clumsy as I am, maybe you should trust your wife in packing things up for you.
2. NOT DOUBLE CHECKING ISO SETTINGS
Photo by Tom Hensel[CC by-nc-nd]
This is surely one of the most common post subjects you will find if you linger long enough in Digital Photography forums. We are all somehow used to reaching for our ISO settings button just when we need to go “higher” and we too often take it for granted that the camera is set to the “correct” one every time we take it from the bag. And that is why so many people are asking for the ISO setting to be displayed in the viewfinder, until then and to avoid surprises, good or bad, make sure to double check that ISO setting every time you turn your camera on.
3. I’LL GET THIS STRAIGHT LATER
Photo by Grant Lindsay [CC by-nd]
Let me first say that I have nothing against Photoshop or any other kind of photo retouching I even pointed out some times ago an easy way to correct tilted pictures in the digital dark room. However I believe that if you can get it right on the field it is better. So if you have the bad habit of tilting your pictures, here are 6 tips that will hep you get them straight next time.
4. I SHOOT RAW, I DON’T CARE ABOUT EXPOSURE
Photo by Rich G. [CC by-nc-sa]
RAW is wonderful tool and gives us, photographers, a great deal of flexibility during post processing. The ability to tweak the exposure in RAW should be used ONLY within limits — blown highlights and and underexposed shadows can’t be recovered. So make sure to always get the exposure right.
5. DELETING PICTURES TOO FAST
Photo by Vitor Sá [CC by-nc]
Well I’m writing this specially for myself! I delete pictures faster than I take them sometimes… Here is a recent article from LightChasers explaining why we should never be doing this.
6. BETTER BODY INSTEAD OF BETTER LENS
Photo by BryanFenstermacher [CC by-nc]
I guess it is just a human nature but every time a new camera is released we have all tendency to become green with envy and deep down we should know that we would be much better investing in a better lens than in a better camera.
7. BLAMING THE MATERIAL
Photo by Sergio Bertolini [CC by-nc-sa]
And, of course, on the TOP of the list “Blaming the material”! When we do not manage of getting a decent picture we go like “AH if only I had that lens!” but if someone looks at a nice pictures of ours and says “Wow you should have a nice camera!!!” We go crazy… Anyway, remember folks, it is always the photographer never the Camera.
16 Inspirational Portrait Photography Techniques
http://blog.epicedits.com/2007/12/10/16-inspirational-portrait-photography-techniques/
16 Inspirational Portrait Photography Techniques By Brian Auer
I feel that these photos are strong enough to stand on their own without lengthy descriptions.
Want more great projects, amazing photos, Photoshop tips, and articles on photography? Subscribe to Epic Edits today so you don’t miss a thing.
1. PHOTOSHOP
If you’re good with post-processing and manipulations, use it to your advantage. Get crazy with the adjustments, try some new Photoshop techniques, and maybe even a composite image.
Photo by Paul Moody [CC by-nc]
2. TEXTURE
If texture is a big part of your subject, make it stand out and make it obvious. Match up the textures between your subject and your background. You might even try texturizing the entire photo for additional impact.
Photo by Sukanto Debnath [CC by]
3. OVEREXPOSE
Blowing out the highlights or making a high-key image makes a nice soft portrait with kind of a light airy feeling. Another advantage of high-key photos is that the smaller details and defects are blown away, making the image look much smoother.
Photo by sam_samantha [CC by-nc-sa]
4. UNDEREXPOSE
A dominantly dark or low-key image will naturally draw your eyes to the lighter parts. These tend to have a grittier and harder look to them than the high-key images.
Photo by ConfusedVision [CC by-nc-nd]
5. BACK-LIGHT
Hair lights up like crazy when it’s back-lit, so if hair is a big part of your subject make it stand out by placing your subject between you and a light source. You could also take this a little further and push the image to a silhouette.
Photo by Caleb Sconosciuto [CC by-nc-nd]
6. POSING
Get crazy with the pose and positioning — extra points if it looks uncomfortable. Not only with the poses, but also with your own positioning — shoot from different angles to achieve different impacts.
Photo by Socar Myles [CC by-nc-nd]
7. CULTURE
Capture the local culture — what’s mundane to you is exotic to us. Culture is everywhere, even in your own town. Just image you’re visiting from a different country — what things would then seem more interesting to you?
Photo by vodkamax [CC by-nc-nd]
8. REFLECTIONS
Make use of different surfaces to add that extra dimension — windows, mirrors, and water are all very good reflective surfaces that give a different result and texture.
Photo by Gary H. Spielvogel [CC by-nc-nd]
9. SHADOWS
Make the shadow an important part of the image. Sometimes the shadow can even be more prominent than the actual subject casting the shadow.
Photo by Brian Auer [CC by-nc-nd]
10. GET CLOSE
There’s no rule against cropping out most of the subject’s face. This draws more attention to the parts that are left in the frame.
Photo by Phil Hilfiker [CC by-nc-nd]
11. (UN)FOCUS
Out-of-focus subjects can be more interesting than the in-focus subjects. It kind of adds some mystery to the image because you can’t quite make out who that person is.
Photo by a bout de souffle [CC by-nc-nd]
12. MOVEMENT
Use movement to show action, even if it blurs out the subject entirely. In cases like this, think of the person as a means of creating the subject rather than being the actual subject.
Photo by ArtWerk [CC by-nc-nd]
13. CAPTURE THE MOMENT
Catch somebody doing something they love, even if it’s not staged. Street photography is one of my favorite genres because it captures life as it happens — unstaged and unposed.
Photo by Mireia [CC by-nc-nd]
14. COLORS
Use vibrant and contrasting colors to draw attention to parts of your subject. This could be makeup, clothing, accessories, or whatever else you can get your hands on.
Photo by TNT Photo [CC by-nc-nd]
15. GET SERIOUS
Not all portraits need to have a smile, capture the serious emotions too. Some of my favorite portraits have no hint of a smile in them, and they’re highly emotional.
Photo by Saad Akhtar [CC by]
16. PROPS
Use the props and tools around you to make the setting more interesting. Find things to place your subject in, on, under, around, etc.
Photo by Bachellier Christian [CC by-nc-nd]
Friday, October 10, 2008
New October Seminars and Courses added to Workshops@Adorama
Thanks Gary for passing these along!
New October Seminars and Courses added to Workshops@Adorama; Register now!
We at Workshops@Adorama wanted to remind you that there's still time to register for our October Workshops, and to register in advance for the many great Workshops we have in store for November...but wait, this just in: We've added two more in October! Follow the links to learn about...
On October 27, 6:30-9:00 PM Seminar Sponsored by Adorama, NIK Software and PictoricoThe Dynamic Portrait - From Creation to Selling your Photography in the Fine Art Market with instructors: Michael Gilbert, international photographer and Janice Wendt, professional retouch artist.
On October 30, 6:30-8:30 PM Seminar Sponsored by Adorama and CanonCanon's EOS 50D: Introduction, Exploration and Experience with Jeff Fuller, Canon Professional Market RepresentativeEach of these Seminars cost $25, but each registered attendee will receive a $25 coupon at the event, which is redeemable for 30 days, either at Adorama's retail location or at www.adorama.com.
In addition, you still have a little time to register for other exciting courses taking place this month, including:
October 12: Photowalking in Central Park and Central Park Zoo with Joe DiMaggio
October 12: Digital Infrared Photography with Jean Miele
November Workshops Registration Open In November, Workshops@Adorama swings back into full gear with an extensive variety of popular and new Workshops for photographers at all levels of experience. They include:
Nov 2: Adobe Photoshop Understanding Layers & Masks with Jean Miele
Nov 3: Getting Started with Adobe Photoshop: Beginner's Level with Jill EnfieldNEW
Nov. 6, 13 & 20: Portfolio and Promotions Boot Camp: Learn How to Edit and Present Your Work Successfully with Gina Alyse Lengyel
Nov 9: Nikon D40/D40X/D60 Seminar (10:30AM)
Nov 9: Nikon D300 Seminar (1:30 PM)
Nov 9 & 12: Discovering the Artful Landscape Design and Architecture of Central Park with Allen Rokach
Nov 9 & 12: Seeing New York in a Different Light: Night and Low Light Photography with Jill Waterman
Nov 9 & 16: Overcoming Fear of Flash: Lighting Boot Camp with Arlene Collins
NEW Nov 11: Seminar Sponsored by Adorama and CanonSelecting and Using Canon Lenses with Jeff Fuller, Canon Professional Markets Representative
Nov 16: Photoshop in B&W: The Next Step with Jean Miele
Nov 18: Business of Photography: Panel Discussion with Top Creatives moderated by Louisa Curtis
Nov 19: Color Management: What is it and How to Use it to Get Better Prints with Maria Ferrari
Nov 23: ABC's of Digital Photography and Digital SLRs with Steven Hirsch
There are many more Workshops to choose from! Go to our 2008 Fall Workshops page for complete details and to register. Unless otherwise indicated, Workshops take place in The Adorama Building, 42 West 18th St, New York, New York. Advance registration is required for all Workshops. We look forward to seeing you! If you have any questions or need assistance in registering, please contact Carl Nilson, Monday-Thursday, from 9:00AM-6:00PM by email at carln@adorama.com or by phone at 212-741-0401 ext. 2216.
How to Chrome Plate your Cherries
http://www.worth1000.com/tutorial.asp?sid=161155&page=1
How to Chrome Plate your Cherries By briansteenstry
Chrome is tough... It doesn't really have any properties other than reflectiveness, which makes it a real challenge to represent in a photographic image. It's mostly about the reflections, and I will attempt to show how I got the reflections dialed in for the Chrome Cherry entry. I have divided the process into 7 steps on the following pages. I am not going into great detail about selecting and masking, assuming everyone who reads this is an old pro at that stuff. (Skip to the end if all you want is a screenshot of the layers pallete : )Thursday, October 9, 2008
15% discounts on all of the Adobe software
The new CS4 will be out soon and can be pre-ordered. It is $199 for the upgrade but I got it thru Adobe for $169.
You can receive 15% discounts on all of the software at Adobe's site (incl. CS4 & LR2) by visiting this link at the Adobe store, then clicking on the 'Product Categories' arrow on the right, and finally by clicking on 'Photoshop Family'.
just a funny, I wrote CS4 and held the shift key by accident and got CS$ -- kind of true, eh? but worth it...
Top Ten New Features in Photoshop CS4
I could sit here and talk to you all day about what I think is amazing in the new Photoshop CS4. Let me give you my top ten features. By RC Conception
THIS weekend “The Art of Nature Photography; It Ain’t Just Birds”
PORTLAND, MAINE: “The Art of Nature Photography; It Ain’t Just Birds” Weekend How-To Seminar/WALK-INS WELCOME
“The Art of Nature Photography; It Ain’t Just Birds” Weekend How-To Seminar in Portland, Maine
October 11-12, 2008
Eastland Park Hotel, 157 High Street, Portland, ME
This just in: Canon Pro Markets Rep Carl Peers will be joining us with a trunk-load or two of the latest Canon cameras and lenses and a ton of knowledge.
Thanks to Canon USA’s David Carlson for arranging that and to Explorer’s of Light Coordinator Steven Inglima for his support.
WALK-INS WELCOME
Time is growing short. We have 81 folks signed up. Walk-ins are welcome. Do consider joining us for great weekend filled with learning, slide programs, demonstrations, and super door prizes. Saturday: creating great images in the field. Sunday: optimizing your images quickly while making them look great.
The cost of the weekend seminar will be $169. The cost of either single day will be $99. Members of qualifying camera clubs are invited to apply a $10 discount. (If you are a member of a camera club or other photography organization please e-mail us before registering to learn how your group can become a qualifying club). Register with a friend or a spouse and take $10 off each registration. Register in groups of four or more and take $20 off of each registration. Register in a group of ten or more and take $30 off each registration. It is highly recommend that folks purchase the buffet luncheon option ($15/day includes tip and tax). Those purchasing the lunch option will receive their lunch coupon when they check in each morning.) The cost of the weekend seminar plus the two lunches is $199.
There are three ways to register:
1- Send a check for the full amount made out to "Arthur Morris" to PO Box 7245, Indian Lake Estates, FL 33855.
2- Call us with a credit card at 863-692-0906.
3- Send us a Paypal (using either any link on our site or your Paypal account) to us at birdsasart@att.net.)
In all cases, we will need your e-mail address, your mailing address, and your daytime and evening phone numbers.
Epson 7 day sale
Epson is having a 10% sale (end 10/15)
Use code 8TZCASE to get 10% off on ink and paper
Also Free Overnight Shipping on Orders of 3 or More Ink products
Get Free Overnight Shipping on any order which contains three or more ink products shipped to the contiguous U.S. If you add items to your shopping cart other than ink products, standard shipping charges will apply to your entire shopping cart. This offer is valid in the U.S. only online at the Epson Store. Offer cannot be used in combination with other special offers or sale items. Subject to change without notice. Limited to stock on hand.
Create a Vintage Polaroid Effect
http://www.myinkblog.com/2008/06/23/create-a-vintage-polaroid-effect/
I love anything graphic design that has that vintage grunge kind of look. This tutorial will show you how to create a stunning vintage polaroid effect. It’s fairly simple to make and can be used in many different types of projects.
What you’ll need
This tutorial will be completed using mostly filters and fills, but we will need three photos to complete the look. The first is the tractor image we’ll fill in the polaroid with, if you have an image you’d like to substitute, by all means use that. Also in the zipped file are two grunge textures. Download them all here. Note that the photo was one I found at stock.xchg, an awesome free stock photography site, that is nearly as good as IStock (but it’s FREE!) I found the textures at grungetextures.com, another useful and free site.
I love anything graphic design that has that vintage grunge kind of look. This tutorial will show you how to create a stunning vintage polaroid effect. It’s fairly simple to make and can be used in many different types of projects.
What you’ll need
This tutorial will be completed using mostly filters and fills, but we will need three photos to complete the look. The first is the tractor image we’ll fill in the polaroid with, if you have an image you’d like to substitute, by all means use that. Also in the zipped file are two grunge textures. Download them all here. Note that the photo was one I found at stock.xchg, an awesome free stock photography site, that is nearly as good as IStock (but it’s FREE!) I found the textures at grungetextures.com, another useful and free site.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Nature Conservancy 2008 Photo Contest
Nature Conservancy 2008 Photo Contest
The Nature Conservancy is requesting submissions for its 2008 photo contest. The winning image will be featured in their 2009 wall calendar. For details and submissions see http://support.nature.org/site/PageServer?pagename=contest_ph6
Non-photographers Say the Darndest Things
http://www.naturephotographers.net/articles0908/kl0908-1.html
Non-photographers Say the Darndest Things
Text and photography copyright © Kerry Leibowitz. All rights reserved.
Non-photographers Say the Darndest Things
Text and photography copyright © Kerry Leibowitz. All rights reserved.
Talking pictures
An iInteresting Blog: Talking pictures http://natashamhatre.blogspot.com/
It has very unique images like: Mushrooms and fireflies (twin obsessions)
Actually any kinds of photographer needs to learn about light. It's right there in the name, learn
to write (graphy) with light (photo). http://natashamhatre.blogspot.com/2007/04/wildlife-photo-secrets-2-learn-about.html
It has very unique images like: Mushrooms and fireflies (twin obsessions)
Actually any kinds of photographer needs to learn about light. It's right there in the name, learn
to write (graphy) with light (photo). http://natashamhatre.blogspot.com/2007/04/wildlife-photo-secrets-2-learn-about.html
Current Photo Contests
What I like about this site is that is summarizes the contest. For example...
Copyright: Photographers remain full copyright owners of all images submitted to The Visual Culture Awards
check the terms of any contest before you enter it.
Eligibility: Professionals and students alike are encouraged to enter.
Entry deadline: 1 November 2008
Entry fee:
some contests have an entry fee while others are free -- they have this in their summary so you don't have to search for it.
Current Photo Contests
Currently open amateur and professional 2008, 2009 photo contests and competitions around the globe
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