Simplify And Beautify Your Lighting With Portable Gear And David Tejada

Posted on May 18, 2012 | 0 comments

I like to give you tutorials and information in videos that you can watch right here … but that is not always possible. Sometimes I have to give you a link to those sites that really are worth checking out. And today is one of those days (sigh). David Tejada is a corporate portrait-ist who is pretty well-known and in demand … with good reason. He knows portraits and he knows the lighting that makes those portraits stand out in the crowd (and the photography world is a rather crowded place these days). David ditched most of his studio lights for speedlights some time ago, traveling light and getting the job done in fine style. Today I want to give you the opportunity to view three tutorials (for FREE) from Nikon and David (and forget that they even contain Nikon gear. These tutorials will work with absolutely any speedlights that you choose to use).

First is a really neat six minute video that turns day into night using two speedlights. The effect is simple (David’s hallmark) but dramatic. It won’t take you much time to come up with a person or two and location or two of your own that would work with this technique. There is a written explanation, a diagram and a video. Just take a quick peek by clicking here and tell me if the opening photo doesn’t make you want to see the rest. Thank you, David!

Then we are are going to create some artificial daylight (geesh, David, which is going to be? Day to night or dark to sunny?). In this setup, using speedlights again, we create that golden hour of beautiful sunlight – on a day that is gray, cloudy and raining. Pretty neat and pretty easy. Click here to watch the seven minute video and put this one in the memory bank. David, thank you! Again.

And finally I urge you to click here and watch a straight, rather ugly hallway become a giant softbox (courtesy of David and one speedlight). This bounce technique really could not be much easier and is ideal for those tight spots where you very little room in which to set up your gear (even a minimal speedlight). The video is only five minutes, but they are very worthwhile ones. Thank you, David! Again. And again.

Now, it’s Friday! The weekend beckons to you … camera in hand.

Bill Fortney’s Camera Bag … Or One Of These … Or Just Order The ThinkTank

Posted on May 17, 2012 | 0 comments

It’s camera bag day! Check out all the recommendations and options.

My dear friend and mentor Bill Fortney is a self-confessed member of the camera-bag-of-the-month club. As a professional photographer for almost 43 years now it is safe to say that he probably knows as much about camera bags and how to carry gear around as he does cameras and photography. So when he describes what he is shooting with and how he is carrying it at any given time, I pay attention. And you could do worse than clicking here to see what he is carrying as standard shooting gear right now and how he packs it for shooting trips, both far away and close to home. And note: it doesn’t matter that Bill is a Nikon shooter. Canon and Sony and any other camera company’s gear all will fit in Bill’s recommended bags. Hint: you have your choice of three systems.

And, speaking of camera bags … Scott Bourne is a well-known photographer and reviewer who has been around awhile himself. And he just updated his list of favorite camera bags this month. Now Scott feels you need just the right bag for the job at hand, just as you would need the right camera and gear for that same job. So he has several favorites, ranging from well-known names to not-so-well-known names and from fairly reasonable prices to some rather really expensive prices. But there are some really, really nice bags on his list. Click here to check them out and see if one may be on your list of things-I-really-really-need.

For what it is worth I carry my gear in a ThinkTank Streetwalker Pro backpack. Their products are top-of-the-line as far as materials and workmanship and there are plenty of models to choose from. Those good folks have recently announced two new models ideal for airline travel (and airlines seem to be getting pickier and pickier about what you carry on and size and all that). The Airport Essentials and Airport Commuter look like a couple of very handy bags at fairly reasonable prices. The only drawback right now is that the bags have been announced as “coming soon.” That means, not available if you want or need one. Click here to check them out if you think you ever are going to need a new bag. I am thinking Christmas ………..

Okay, forget that jelly-of-the-month club that Mom wants to get you for your birthday. Or the fruit-of-the-month club that Harry and David are offering at a special price this month only. Camera bags are what we need (and want). Enroll now … only seven more months left in 2012!

D800E vs. Medium Format Shootout Video. Now THIS Is A (Leica) Camera!

Posted on May 16, 2012 | 0 comments

No matter how much I read reviews and tests of Nikon’s D800/E or talk to my friends who have received theirs and are busy shooting, the amazement continues. This camera literally does it all. It is an industry game-changer. And its price is very, very attractive compared to its peers (the medium format big boys). Want more proof, right in front of your own eyes? Today we have it.

The YouTube video below is a shootout under some demanding conditions in some beautiful landscapes. It pits the $3,300 Nikon D800E against the $10,000 Pentax 645D (and some moire tests are thrown in for good measure). It is most informative and entertaining. I originally watched it over at The Luminous Landscape, but through the magic of the computer spirits you can watch it right here, right now.

How can you not love Nikon’s latest? Everything I see and read and hear keeps making the same incredible points … this is a real game-changer!

Then a camera with a legendary name – Leica. Doesn’t the name evoke a certain mystique among photographers and non-photographers alike? You picture yourself capturing the classic sights of Europe while aboard the Orient Express, wrapped in a double-breasted trench coat and sporting a gray Hamburg. Or something like that in your own fantasy, right? My good friend Jeff Schemmer found this video yesterday and passed it along. It has nothing to do with taking better photos or finding your next camera (unless you hit the lottery this week). But it is a fascinating glimpse at what goes into the making of (at least a few) Leica cameras. It really is a fun video. Try it; you’ll enjoy it. I promise.

How many would you like? And will that be cash or charge?

Oh, and this just in (literally) … the D800 we watched above has just won the Camera Grand Prix 2012 title from the Japanese Camera Journal Press Club (a big deal around the world, folks). Click here for the details over at dpreview. I tell you, this camera is the face of photography today. Canon, are you listening and watching?

Add A Spotlight Where You Need It … Thank You, Glyn Dewis! And A Camera Tattoo?

Posted on May 15, 2012 | 1 comment

Ever find yourself in a situation where you needed another light? Or a different light? Or more room or more time to set up the way you would really like? Sure, we all have. And we all have come home wishing for more or different light; it’s just the nature of the game. Well, what we lose on one hand we gain on the other. Especially with master re-toucher and compositor Glyn Dewis on our side. And a little bit of help from Photoshop.

Glyn has a (short) two-part method of adding that spotlight just where you want or need one. And then how to make sure the light stays the color you want and doesn’t morph into some muddy gray shade. The two methods are quick and easy to use; the YouTube videos fun and interesting to watch. And the most important part of all this is that these are techniques you (and I) will use repeatedly. I guarantee it.

Click below and enjoy. First, adding a spotlight. Second, keeping the color you want.

Thank you, Glyn Dewis. And to view more of the magic Glyn has up his sleeve, click here to visit and bookmark the master’s website.

And I have to admit: I am a sucker for the sometimes weird, mostly fun merchandise the good folks over at Photojojo keep finding. The latest is a bit on the expensive side for what you get, but still awfully tempting for that very special occasion or that very special person. Click here to check out these washable, wearable camera tattoos - yeah, tattoos for photographers! Add water, press, and hold (and look totally rad). What could be cooler?

And finally – thanks to all of you who gave me feedback about the look of my blog images on your own machines. It seems there isn’t much to worry about. The vast majority of you see the images just as I post them and the rest find them okay. I’ll go back and take a look at our laptop. Perhaps the problem lies there. Thanks, again.

Faded, Washed-out WordPress Images

Posted on May 14, 2012 | 1 comment

I went to black and white today to avoid a washed out image!

I need your help, faithful readers. While visiting my mother over the weekend for Mother’s Day I took along my wife’s laptop. While showing family members some of my images on this blog I discovered my photos were uniformly faded. washed-out and terrible looking. On my desktop they look saturated and vibrant, just as I processed them. On the laptop (a good PC one) they really were just horrible. If any of you who have sent me kind comments in the past have been in actuality viewing these faded images … well, thank you for being kind, but you really should have told me how terrible they looked.

I am poring over WordPress materials and web solutions, but thus far I am coming up empty-handed. I’ll stay with it, but it is discouraging. So, in the meantime, please do me a small favor. Write and tell me if my photos have that washed out look and, if so, on what kind of computer and monitor you are viewing them. Oh, and if it is just the images on my blog or if you are seeing the same effect on other blogs or web pages. That could help me find a solution for what is unacceptable now.

I apologize for what is going out over my name if they look as bad to you as they do on my wife’s laptop (it is a pretty new Lenovo Thinkpad with an upgraded screen). She rarely looks at my blog, so she never thought to mention this to me (gee, that is really hard to admit). So, I need your help. And thank you in advance.

The Sunny Rule For Bight Sunshine. Keeping Reflections Off Glasses. An Easy Cheap Shots Contest.

Posted on May 11, 2012 | 0 comments

When shooting outside in bright sunlight start your exposure at 1/200th of a second at f/11 when at ISO 100 (that’s 1/100th at f/11 when your camera only goes down to ISO 200). If you want a shallow depth of field start at 1/2000th of a second at f/4 at ISO 100 (that’s 1/1000th at f/4 at ISO 200). Memorize those. Use them as starting points so you can get right down to business when forced to shoot in bright, unforgiving sunlight. Memorize them again. Try them out this weekend. Then memorize them some more.

Experienced shooters will recognize those formulae as variations of the classic ‘sunny 16′ rule (when in bright sunlight your shutter speed should be the inverse of your camera’s ISO setting at f/16). We try NOT to make it tough on ourselves by shooting during those bright, harsh, sunny periods … but sometimes you just have to shoot in what you are given. And these settings will get you in the ballpark right off the bat (is baseball still the great American pasttime?). For a fuller explanation (okay, and a better one) click here to visit with Neil van Niekerk and view the illustrations that will drive these points home. Neil knows lighting very, very well and his article on this valuable tip is well worth a read.

I frequently mention MCP Actions as a place to enter a contest or a giveaway. But today I urge you to visit that site for a list of 10 Tips For Photographing People Wearing Glasses And Avoiding Glare (whew! The title is about as long as the list). Click here for illustrated tips that are worth reading and remembering. Sometimes I think everyone I know wears glasses, so getting a good portrait of how they normally look (with glasses on) and avoiding pesky glare is a bit of a trial. Remembering one or two of these suggestions might make the entire process more enjoyable for all involved.

And then a great contest from a really good site that regularly features advice on saving money, photo-style. Larry Becker is giving away a couple of Rogue prize packages from the good folks at Expoimaging. The Rogue line is not especially inexpensive, but all the products work as advertised and are most valuable as speedlight modifiers. And all you have to do is email Larry your shipping address (no, it’s NOT a scam. He needs that in case you win) and then leave a comment on his blog. That’s it, I promise (and so does Larry). Click here to check out the prizes and the email address you will need. Larry is part of the Kelby Group and is a very cool guy. In fact, this is such a cool giveaway that I kind of hate to have all of you enter and ruin my own chances at these great prizes. But, we are friends and that is what friends are for, isn’t it? Enter today; enjoy those Rogue modifiers later.

Detailed Nikon D800 Review … Win An iPad 3 … How To Pose Hands.

Posted on May 10, 2012 | 0 comments

Okay, a bunch of stuff to pass on today. Good stuff. Some of it requires a little bit of reading and watching. But, trust me … it is worthwhile reading and listening. So here goes.

Click here to visit dpreview, the go-to people for trusted camera reviews when you want the complete story about what is under the hood, for a detailed review of Nikon’s D800. This camera has been getting rave reviews from all kinds of shooters, and it is described correctly as a game changer on Nikon’s part. Now, this is a very favorable review (I’ll skip the suspense), but the authors didn’t exactly go ga-ga over the D800, either. The review is detailed and complete. If you are interested at all in this new bad boy or if you still don’t understand what all the fuss is about, read this review.

Next a nice little contest that may just win you a new Apple iPad 3 (I know, the New IPad to be correct about the name). This contest has few entries so far, and that increases YOUR chances of winning. Click here to read the details about submitting your photo representing Spring. You can submit up to five images, and at the time of this post only 32 had been tendered. And I don’t mean to be cruel here, but I took a peek at the current entries … a whole lot of you can do a whole lot better than what has been posted thus far. I’ll bet you have an image or two on your computer representing Spring-time. Why not send one in and take a chance of that new iPad?

And finally, a place for all of us budding portrait photographers to learn a great deal about a very difficult subject that is a part of our efforts virtually all the time – posing hands. Yes, hands. Very difficult to get just right; very easy to get wrong. And it is the little details that can make or break your portrait, making it one that is just to die for versus one that is pretty good. And which of those two do you try to capture when you go shooting? Click here to visit noted wedding photographer David Ziser’s website and view a 25-minute video on posing hands. That’s right, 25 minutes just on hands. Hey, you want to learn to do it right? Take your time and learn to do it right. David knows posing, and he is a very fine instructor. Check out this video if you are into portraits in any way.

Our Great American Southwest In Photos

Posted on May 9, 2012 | 3 comments

My wife and I were so privileged to tour some of our great national parks and landmarks in the Southwest two years ago with Bill Fortney, Jim Begley and Scott Kelby (and a tight-knit group of other instructors and friends). It was a very special time, and it made for memories and friendships that never will be forgotten. I put together a slideshow when we returned home and posted it here, but I never was very satisfied with the quality of the slideshow. It just didn’t do that wonderful scenery justice. I have been experimenting with a new technique and using Vimeo to produce better shows, so I thought I would re-upload the old show and see what would happen. It’s better, far better.

Some of you have seen this show beforre, but the quality is much better now. I can only apologize for the artist’s eye and camera skills, not the Vimeo result (make sure the HD is turned on). If you enjoy the wonders of our beautiful West as much as most of us do, click on the slideshow at the top of the post. I only hope you may enjoy the sights even a fraction as much as we enjoyed being there.

More FREE Lightroom 4 Presets. And Photoshop CS6, Of Course.

Posted on May 8, 2012 | 0 comments

Processed using the Sunflare Left preset described below.

Matt Kloskowski truly is a fine man, in addition to being a very fine shooter and Lightroom expert. I had the privilege of spending some time with him on a Bill Fortney tour through New England, and he was just a pleasure to be around. And he keeps on giving. Today he has two new FREE Lightroom 4 presets that also will work just fine with version 3 (if you still are using that program). Click here to visit Matt’s site and check out the Warm Sun and Sunflare Left presets (I used Sunflare on the image at the top of this post). And in case you need help installing those presets, Matt even has a short video for that. Thank you, Matt!

And I know you know that Adobe’s Photoshop CS6 is available for download and purchase today. But it is such a staple of the photo world that I have to mention it. So here goes: click here to visit Adobe’s site and get details (including price) and even look for a free trial copy. And, of course, they would be most happy to sell you a spanking new copy. Now, let me repeat myself … To find the very best introduction training to this gangbusters new program visit lynda.com by clicking here and go through the FREE lessons. I have looked a bunches of sites related to CS6 and this one still is the best (by quite a bit). Be sure to check out the Content Aware move tool … unbelievable!

Make The Most Of That Photo Workshop

Posted on May 7, 2012 | 0 comments

Bill Fortney runs some of the best workshops in the country!

Most any time of year will do as time to attend a photo workshop … a chance to learn new skills, hone old ones, study under a fresh set of eyes, fellowship with other photographers. But we are in and moving into even more prime workshop season (perhaps surpassed only by those designed to take advantage of Mother Nature’s beautiful fall colors). So once you take the plunge and sign up, are you prepared to take full advantage of that opportunity to really improve your skills? Can you work the odds in your favor that you definitely will come home with a feeling that your hard earned dollars were well-spent? I have some tips for you today designed to accomplish exactly that.

Actually I can’t take credit for these tips, but well known and respected Canon shooter Rick Sammon can. He has a concise set of tips ready for you if you will click here to visit his webpage. Rick teaches all over the world and he spends time as a student himself on occasion. So we all would do well to read this short article and commit some of his advice to memory. For example, stick like glue to the instructor (he or she has undoubtedly scouted the locations where you are shooting. He already knows where some of the best shots will come from and when). Or how about, set goals for what you want out of the workshop before you arrive? Rick has some good advice. I urge you to check it out today.

Shoot Star Trails Like A Pro With This Photoshop Action

Posted on May 4, 2012 | 1 comment

You can do this easily this summer!

First, one piece of housekeeping. Three days ago I suggested you watch a webinar from noted Photoshop guru Eddie Tapp on creating a gallery-quality print (the webinar was broadcast yesterday afternoon). I watched it; it was not very good. Eddie and his co-host tried to cover so much territory that they didn’t cover any of it very well. I mention this just in case any of you were looking for an archived version. Spend the hour on something else.

Okay, for today a simple and concise guide to a fun summertime shooting trip – star trails (the night sky and the movement of the stars). It’s easy to do with equipment that you undoubtedly already own. You just need a bit of technique and a way to process the result you get out of your camera. The good folks over at Photojojo furnish the guide … and a link (which I will pass along) to download a Photoshop action to do the processing. All for FREE! What a deal, readers.

Click here to visit the Photojojo webpage and copy down the star trail tutorial. Then click here to read the (very short) directions on using the Photoshop action and to download it for your use later this summer.

It’s Friday … might be a good time to try out the technique above and that Photoshop action. Camera in hand.

192 Tips For Improving Your Photos. Win $1200 Worth Of Baby Photography Props. And Update Photoshop’s Camera Raw For The D800.

Posted on May 3, 2012 | 1 comment

Neil van Niekerk recently solicited readers’ one-best-tip-for-improving-your-shooting (you had a chance to enter if you are following my blog) and offered a nice little speedlight as a prize (no, I didn’t win. Sniff, sniff). But actually we all won. If you will click here and scroll down the page you can read all 192 tips (they are very fast reads). There are a few clunkers in the bunch, but not many. And there are some really good ones, too. The winner? Don’t let your pursuit of the PERFECT shot paralyze you so that you don’t get any shot at all. You can drive yourself crazy out there trying to do everything so perfectly that you end up doing nothing. Good advice, eh?

And a giveaway from the good folks over at MCP Actions. What could be cuter than a photograph of that newborn baby in the family (or in the neighborhood, or in your studio)? Well, maybe a puppy, but that’s just me thinking out loud. No, babies are darned cute and they get cuter the more you can dress them in cutsie clothes and set them in cutsie props. I’m not being facetious here; you can go a long way by having a few extra items on hand to dress up that baby shoot. So how about winning $1200 worth of really (and I mean really) cute and useful props? Click here to jump over to the MCP Actions page and leave a comment. That’s all you have to do: leave a comment on your best baby tip or what tips you would like to hear about from the pro’s out there. No spam will fill your mailbox; no pesky salesman will come knocking on your door. But the UPS man just might come calling one day with some sweet prizes. What have you got to lose? (The winner will be announced on the MCP Actions site on Sunday, May 6th).

And for all you photoshop CS5 users out there: just in case you haven’t heard there is an update to Camera Raw released yesterday. Open your copy of Photoshop and click on Help. Then check for Updates. Adobe will do the rest (and all you satisfied D800 users out there will now find support your your raw images).

Another FREE Lightroom 4 Preset … A FREE Master Printing Class … And A Photomatix Upgrade

Posted on May 2, 2012 | 1 comment

You already know (perhaps the hard way) that your Lightroom 3 presets don’t work the same way in Lightroom 4 (the sliders have been changed and updated). So we all are busy tweaking presets and looking for new ones. Today I have a good one for you, just in time for the sunny, lazy, crazy, hazy days of summer (hey, what a great song title! Your age is showing if you remember that one). Matt Kloskowski, the guru of Lightroom, has generously shared with us a new preset that will give your image a summer-y look. Click here to view the preset, download it, and even get instructions on doing so if you have forgotten how. Thank you, Mattie K.

And everybody’s go-to HDR program, Photomatix, (well, most of us at least started out with this stand-by program) has an upgrade to its latest (Photomatix 4.2). If you own 4 now or heaven forbid are still using version 3, open your program and click on Help, then click on Check for Upgrades. Photomatix will take it from there. Or you can click here to visit the Photomatix site and download the latest (if you own version 3 all this is free for you). And if you never have tried Photomatix at all, I urge you to at least see what you are missing. The program is easy to learn and pretty easy to use. Millions of us have done so; you certainly can, too.

And finally, me on my little soapbox. We all have become so used to today’s social media sites and sharing our images online, on our computers, and our phones, and our iPads and whatever other devices are floating around out there that we have forgotten what goes into making a decent print. And the job’s not done, folks, until you have a print that can be mounted and hung, entered in a show, sold, or even presented as a gift. And not every print is worth doing any of that. You need to know how to prepare your files for printing and how to find a decent print house if nothing else. And you need to know whether or not you are receiving good service from that printer. You just do if you are going to call yourself a photographer. Whew! Okay, getting down from soapbox now.

Eddie Tapp is a legend in the photo world. And he is so generous and we are so fortunate that he is going to be participating in a FREE webinar class on Creating A Gallery Quality Print. Click here to read the fine print and to bookmark the site. Because all you have to do is show up online this Thursday, May 3rd, at 1 PM (EST). Log in, sit back and prepare to be informed. You’ll learn the entire magilla – from shoot to process to print from a true expert. Eddie is the real deal, and printing is the real test of a great final image. Thank you, Eddie!

Why You Need Lightroom 4 … Version 4.1 (Release Candidate 2)

Posted on May 1, 2012 | 0 comments

Window and Turret Arches with the chromatic aberrations removed.

Let’s get this out of the way first … if you are not using Adobe’s Lightroom as step one of your organizing/processing workflow you are missing out on the best tool out there for doing the job. Period (IMHO). So if you are not, click here to download a free, fully-functioning trial copy and begin using it. Today. And if you are using Lightroom, make sure you REALLY are using it and not just having it sit there on your computer because you haven’t taken the (short) time necessary to get the hang of it. Every program out there has a learning curve of some sort. Lightroom’s is an easy one; if you have struggled at all with it, DON”T give up. Stick with it just a bit longer, because the effort is worth it. I promise! And if you want some tips, tricks and lessons, click here to get started with one of the best in the business, Julieanne Kost.

So, okay … you’ve got Lightroom loaded and you know your way around. The next step is to download version 4.1′s release candidate 2 (release candidates are versions almost-but-maybe-not-completely finished). I usually wait for the actual release rather than go with the beta candidates. But Adobe isn’t going to hurt your machine or goof anything up that you already have (again, I promise). And this candidate has a new, improved feature so good that I am not waiting. And you shouldn’t either.

Chromatic abberation is that pesky red-green or blue-yellow edge you get around and in some of your images (typically in high contrast areas where a real highlight meets another, darker hue). And they can ruin the look of that otherwise perfect image. Lightroom has a feature in the Detail Module to work on this, but it hasn’t been perfect. Perhaps not until now. that is. This new release candidate features a new method of removing these problem areas, and it looks easy enough to use and plenty effective. And many, many of our images need this correction if you look closely at all!

I could try to explain how all this works and how the new method will cure your CA woes, but how about we let the actual author of the method illustrate it (in text and in photos)? Eric Chan is the developer (read: genius) behind the curtain and you can read what this newest of marvels is all about by clicking here. Okay, read it yet? If so, join me in a big, THANK YOU, ERIC!

One last link for you today. Click here to download the beta version and get rid of those pesky chromatic aberrations.

D800/E … A Definitive Field Review. FREE Glyn Dewis Webinar

Posted on Apr 30, 2012 | 0 comments

The D800 (in both versions) has rightfully been described as a game-changer, a landmark camera, and the best DLSR ever produced. That is high praise indeed from quite a few respected shooters/reviewers. The hype is only hype when a product is over-rated and in need of a boost. Praise is praise when the object-of-your-desire delivers the goods. And the D800 delivers the goods.

Click here to read a definitive review of both the D800 and the D800E from noted and most-respected photographer Michael Reichmann (over at The Luminous Landscape). Michael has been using all kinds of high-end cameras for a long time now, and the knows what makes a good camera and what makes a good review. He features both in this report. If you are at all interested in the new Nikon marvel or if you just want to know what all the fuss is about, check out this most informative report today.

And a real bonus this Monday morning that may keep on giving throughout the week (or month, even). I have urged you for some time to check out English re-toucher and photographer Glyn Dewis. He is an absolute master at Photoshop and the art of the realistic composite. He has a newsletter that costs you nothing and comes with no strings attached. It usually is filled with tips, tricks and advice at getting better at what you love to do (making your images BETTER). And if you would like to sign up (remember, it costs you nothing) Glyn will give you access to a new, 2-hour webinar that you can watch at your convenience. Glyn was a big hit at the recently concluded Photoshop World (put on by NAPP), and this webinar includes a lot of that material, for FREE! Glyn is the real deal of this genre, folks, and he is being most generous in supplying this training. Click here for the details and then scroll down to the link for his newsletter to be included in the webinar. What a deal! And thank you, Glyn.