WHAT IS BOKEH?

We recently led a workshop where we ended up at a park photographing the lighthouse and Tappan Zee bridge. We taught people how to take Bokeh, long eposures and  zoom blurs, what fun!

WHAT IS BOKEH?

"Bokeh describes the rendition of out-of-focus points of light. Bokeh is different from sharpness. Sharpness is what happens at the point of best focus. Bokeh is what happens away from the point of best focus. Bokeh describes the appearance, or "feel," of out-of-focus areas. Bokeh is not how far something is out-of-focus, bokeh is the character of whatever blur is there." http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/bokeh.htm. The article also discussed "How to See Bokeh"

This is the type of image you see in movies a lot (these three image are from Google Images)

Bokeh Photography Tutorial

Also check out Zeiss' lengthy article on Depth-of-Field and Bokeh.

Take a look at one of the following articles too

Nifty Fifty: The Benefits of a Fixed 50mm Lens

The Art of Bokeh

Or check out Psdtuts+ roundup of More Than 620 Bokeh Background Textures!

Enhance Images with Bokeh and Special Blur Effects

Sara Kiesling

David Olkarny

Mario

Akhilesh Sharma

Here are a few resources that can help you acheive a similar effect.

How to Achieve Better Bokeh – 4 Simple Tips

50+ Lens Bokeh Comparison

DIY – Creating Custom Shape Bokeh

Custom Bokeh With the Bokeh Masters Kit

Moon Phases Calendar

"This moon phases calendar tool or moon schedule is an easy way to find out the lunar phase for any given month. Simply select a month and year, and click "Go", and it will show you what the moon will look like for any day that month. The internal phase calculator is very accurate, but the images are approximations. Moon calculations are based on your time zone as specified by your computer."

some good links on here too
like
Moon Phases Explained

Aurora Borealis In Adirondacks, NY, USA

Aurora Borealis In Adirondacks, NY, USA 

this entire post was taken from here 

Taken by Johnathan A Esper on May 18, 2013 @ Lake Placid, Adirondack Park, NY, USA

Click photo for larger image

Exposure Time: 25/1 Aperture: f/4.0 ISO: 3200 Date Taken: 2013:05:18 04:56:58

More images Details: Thanks to checking spaceweather.com at 2am tonight and seeing a kp level of 5, I ran out to a local pond to witness this aurora (colors un-enhanced) over Whiteface Mt reflecting in Connery Pond, Adirondack Mountains, New York State. I'm looking forward to another season upcoming photographing the northern lights and leading tours in Iceland, but it turns out I didn't have to wait till this winter!

Zion Long Exposure Night Photography

http://youtu.be/8h_YZMeeuNY

Time Lapse Photography given by Shiv Verma

Gateway Camera Club invites you to a presentation on Time Lapse Photography given by Shiv Verma.  The date is Tuesday June 4th at 7:30 PM.  Please feel free to share with your friends. 

Hunt's Photo and Video will be there for your shopping convenience.

For directions, please go to:  http://gatewaycameraclub.org/index.php/directions

Thanks,

Paul Smith, Education Chairman

Gateway Camera Club

Jerry Ghionis presents "In Camera Artistry" Windsor CT 6-27

Jerry Ghionis presents "In Camera Artistry"

Hartford/Windsor Marriott Airport, 28 Day Hill Road, Windsor, CT--- Thursday, June 27, 2013

 Join us for registration at 9:00 am.  The program will begin promptly at 9:30 am and will concluded at 5:00 pm.  Our first print competition of the season will begin shortly after the program, so if you are interested in entering and have questions, please contact Print co-chairs, Susan Wacht-Goralski and Tina Petta-Pelletier at print@ctppa.com.

CTPPA members----------------------FREE
PPA and other state affiliates----$95.00
Non-Member Guests----------------$125.00

To register go to www.ctppa.com

The Hartford/Windsor Marriott has graciously extended the low, low room rate of $89.00 per night for attendees of Jerry's program.  Take advantage of this great rate to stay with us for a great day and night of education. 
Go to http://www.marriott.com to book your room night.


If you have any questions regarding this program please contact me at president@ctppa.com.

Night photography workshop at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery Friday, May 31, 2013

Night photography 

at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery

Friday, May 31, 2013(7:30 PM to 1:00 AM)

http://www.sleepyhollowcemetery.org/  

540 North Broadway, Sleepy Hollow, NY

Register here: http://www.meetup.com/Image-Enhancement/events/120110832/

We have special after hours access to Sleepy Hollow Cemetery! (Just over an hours drive from Hamden, CT). The cemetery usually closes at 4:30pm but we will be there after dark. We will meet at the gate by 7:30pm and shoot until 1:30am! You will how to control the ambient light with your long exposures and the local light with your flashlight.

We will spend the first part of the session going over camera settings and tips for long exposures, light painting etc. We will be there for sunset at ~8:13pm, but more importantly AFTER sunset, the blue hour and then the stars. We are meeting at 7:30pm so you have time to get your camera set up, look at some mausoleums, sculptures, etc.

Take exposures less than 30 seconds for pinpoint stars or 1-5 minutes to capture the star trails, point your camera at the north star and get star trails (8-60 minute exposures); light the headstones, walk among them and be a ghost in your own image, the sky is the limit.

Things to Bring:

• dSLR
• Sturdy tripod
• Cable release (you will be shooting for more than 30 seconds so you need a cable release)
• RED Flashlight (Walmart sells them or use red cellophane or red overheads from staples and tape to flashlight)
• Small flashlight for light painting
• Water, Snack (there is a bathroom on the premises)
• Sturdy shoes (hiking boots provide good ankle support) and appropriate outdoor clothing, layers in case it gets cold, bug spray??
• There is a bathroom on the premises

Check out all of our workshops here

http://www.meetup.com/Image-Enhancement/

and sign up for our group (free)

Upcoming workshops with Lisa and Tom Cuchara

Upcoming workshops with Lisa and Tom Cuchara, small classes, two instructors, lots of fun and learning!

• Photograph with tripods Bapst Library, Boston College
• Wednesday, June 5, 2013
• Learn how to use ACR (Adobe Camera RAW)
• Tuesday, June 4, 2013
• Field Trip to Garden in the Woods -- Flowers, Ponds, etc.
• 
  

  Thursday, June 6, 2013
• Photoshop Plugins - Topaz, Nik, Fractalius, etc.
• 
  

  Wednesday, June 19, 2013
• HDR post processing and finishing Project Night
• Wed Jun 26
• Layers and Masks
• Sat Jun 29
• Get a new headshot
• July 17, 2013
• This is a NOT workshop, but rather a chance to get a good photograph of yourself to print, use as your profile on Facebook, Meetup, LinkedIn, your website, your business card, etc.
• HDR (High Dynamic Range) Workshop with tripods at Grand Central
• Tue Jul 30
• HDR and Macro at Holcombe-Jimison Farmstead Museum
• Sat Aug 24

Sign up for our Image Enhancement group here and keep updated

Water! May 29th Submission Deadline

Current Call for Entries               Image Credits: The Ark © Stephen J. Carinale, Untitled © Noah Addis, Tide One © Nijole Kurdika, Plastic Assembly No. 1 © Marilyn Waligore Water! Water is transformational; it carves the political and physical landscape of our world. Water is visually stunning in all forms e.g. liquid, clouds, steam, snow or ice. We use it to calm us, to inspire us and to sustain life. It is symbolic, coveted, feared and increasingly scarce. Explore water and its complexity. Juror: Walter (Wally) Mason  Submission Deadline: May 29, 2013 For More Information Click Here  Upcoming Call for Entry: Center Forward 2013 Juror: Hamidah Glasgow Submission Deadline: June 26, 2013 For More Information Click Here    Sponsors

Denise Ipplolito will be conducting a one day HDR Photography Workshop on June 16, 2013 at Pennhurst Asylum.

Denise Ipplolito will be conducting a one day HDR Photography Workshop on June 16, 2013 at Pennhurst Asylum. 

"We will photograph for 4 hours inside the Mayflower building and maybe one or two other buildings. This will be my first visit to this asylum so those joining me will be receiving this workshop at a discounted price. It will sell for $250.00 after the first trip. We will not be photographing in any of the “Haunted House” areas as that does not appeal to me at all. This workshop has a minimum of 15.

Place: Pennhurst Asylum in PA
Date: June 16, 2013
Time: 10:00am- 2:00pm
Price: $195.00 which includes the $100.00 entrance fee.

Tripods recommended, a detailed information sheet including location and meet up spot will be provided upon registration.

Pennhurst first opened its doors in November of 1908 and quickly became over crowded. By the 60′s the asylum housed 2,791 people, most of them children with disabilities including mental retardation and autism. In 1987 Pennhurst closed its doors due to overcrowding, lack of funds, inadequate staffing and decades of rumored reports of abuse and neglect. 

See more and sign up here

Night photography at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery May 31st

Night photography 

at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery

Friday, May 31, 2013(7:30 PM to 1:00 AM)

http://www.sleepyhollowcemetery.org/  

540 North Broadway, Sleepy Hollow, NY

Register here: http://www.meetup.com/Image-Enhancement/events/120110832/

We have special after hours access to Sleepy Hollow Cemetery! (Just over an hours drive from Hamden, CT). The cemetery usually closes at 4:30pm but we will be there after dark. We will meet at the gate by 7:30pm and shoot until 1:30am! You will how to control the ambient light with your long exposures and the local light with your flashlight.

We will spend the first part of the session going over camera settings and tips for long exposures, light painting etc. We will be there for sunset at ~8:13pm, but more importantly AFTER sunset, the blue hour and then the stars. We are meeting at 7:30pm so you have time to get your camera set up, look at some mausoleums, sculptures, etc.

Take exposures less than 30 seconds for pinpoint stars or 1-5 minutes to capture the star trails, point your camera at the north star and get star trails (8-60 minute exposures); light the headstones, walk among them and be a ghost in your own image, the sky is the limit.

Things to Bring:

• dSLR
• Sturdy tripod
• Cable release (you will be shooting for more than 30 seconds so you need a cable release)
• RED Flashlight (Walmart sells them or use red cellophane or red overheads from staples and tape to flashlight)
• Small flashlight for light painting
• Water, Snack (there is a bathroom on the premises)
• Sturdy shoes (hiking boots provide good ankle support) and appropriate outdoor clothing, layers in case it gets cold, bug spray??
• There is a bathroom on the premises

Your Raw Files Aren’t Being Held Hostage by Adobe by Richard Harrington

Your Raw Files Aren’t Being Held Hostage by Adobe by Richard Harrington

"The recent Creative Cloud announcement has left some of you feeling hostage.  You worry that you won't be able to upgrade cameras as they won't be supported by the version of Adobe Camera Raw that you have. Here are four solutions you should know about if you don't want to make the move to the subscription model of Photoshop CC (priced at $9—$19 per month"

Read the article here

20 Photography Tips Every Travel Photographer Must Know

20 Photography Tips Every Travel Photographer Must Know

Read more: http://digital-photography-school.com/20-photography-tips-every-travel-photographer-must-know#ixzz2UE3TDnHt

Fix in Lightroom Finish with onOne Software

Interesting that other companies are  starting to step up and fill the void that Adobe has left... OnOne is now touting that you can use their software in Photoshop or if you are leaving Photoshop then you can use it in other programs! I see photographers trying out DPP (Canon Digital Photo Professional) and hoping that Nikon capture will step up to the plate. This is going to be an interesting time for us digital photographers! Lisa Perfect Photo Suite 7.1 Special Offer Fix in Lightroom® Finish with onOne Software Add more image editing power to your Lightroom workflow with Perfect Photo Suite 7.1 Lightroom & Aperture Edition. The seven modules in Suite 7.1 give you the fastest and easiest way to enhance, stylize, mask, retouch, and enlarge your images. Buy now and save $50 plus get the Creative Companion 3 for free! It includes over 100 bonus presets and textures created by industry professionals ($100 value). Go » Expires May 30, 2013 Photoshop lovers will find that the Perfect Photo Suite is a great complement to their workflow, saving them hours of time in post-production. Others will find that Suite 7.1 is a great alternative to Photoshop! Read more... Watch this video and see what Perfect Photo Suite 7.1 can do!

Camera Raw 8.1

Camera Raw for High-Resolution Displays
 

Camera Raw 8.1 Release Candidate now available at Adobe Labs offers support for HiDPI displays and new lens profiles.

How to Interpret/Understand and Use Histograms Effectively

A good article on histograms. Everyone should be "chimping" and checking their histogram after every image! Set up your camera to display the histogram (color and brightness) after every image capture. Lisa

How to Interpret/Understand and Use Histograms Effectively

"Histograms display a graphic representation of the exposure on a captured image. They provide highly accurate information, but their use is often misunderstood, or, worse yet, ignored."

"A "good" histogram doesn't have to stretch entirely from the left to right side to indicate proper overall exposure."

"Histograms – brightness only, or color information as well

Conventional histograms measure only brightness, as recorded (or about to be recorded) in an image file. But, it's possible to view histograms that not only show overall brightness, but the brightness of each color channel. Canon EOS cameras offer the choice to display a brightness histogram or a color (RGB) histogram."

http://www.learn.usa.canon.com/resources/articles/2012/understanding_histograms.shtml#showAll

Hands-On With the Canon 200-400mm at the London Olympics

From Syl Arena's Blog 

Guest Blog—Peter Read Miller: Hands-On With the Canon 200-400mm at the London Olympics

A guest blog for PixSylated by Peter Read Miller, Canon Explorer of Light

"Last summer, while on assignment for Sports Illustrated at the London Olympics, I was one of the lucky handful of photographers who were given a pre-production version of Canon’s EF 200-400mm f4L IS USM Lens with Internal 1.4x Extender to shoot during the games."

Click here to read the original post or to add a comment.