Friday’s News

I hope that your Friday is going well.  I’m working on planning some sort of shoot this weekend, but haven’t gotten anything in the works as of yet.  This has partly to do with the fact that it’s a little cool here in Maine, and I’m not really used to it.  I’ve spent the last 7 years in San Diego, CA and my blood has become more than a little thin.  Trying to get out at sunrise and click off some landscape shots is tough when after five minutes you can’t feel your fingers!  They are predicting temps. down around 14 tonight!  Some of you hardcore photographers may say I’m just being a wimp about it, however it’s me that has to be out in the cold.  We’ll see what I decide on and I’ll post some photos at the end of the weekend.

I spent a couple of hours yesterday taking portraits for my command as well as doing the post-production work.  The more and more time I spend on this I realize how much I really love photography.  It allows me to express my creativity.  It’s one of the few ways that I can.  I am NO GOOD with a pencil or brush!  I can’t seem to make my hands do what I envision in my mind.  However, photography allows me to do so.  Maybe that’s why I’m addicted to it.

Here’s to an enjoyable weekend and I hope everyone can get out and shoot!

Thoughts For Wednesday

Yesterday I posted about the Lightsphere II designed by Gary Fong. I did have one comment from hollynla who mentioned that she has had very good luck with the Demb Flip-It. I haven’t heard of this product before, however that’s irrelevant. I went to their website and there are some very nice looking shots that you certainly couldn’t achieve using direct flash. They even make a product that fits the Nikon SB-400 flash. Good on ‘em! I’d say that it’s definitely worth checking out and you can find them on the Demb Flash Products website, here.

Above is a photo that I shot this weekend using the Lightsphere II. The post-work was done in Photoshop CS3 using the 7-Point System from Scott Kelby’s new book. Adding the techniques from the 7-Point System to my workflow has produced incredible results that I have been very pleased with. Be sure to check out Scott’s new book, and you can pick up a copy from Amazon.com or your favorite local bookstore.

The last thought for today is in regards to the new Nikon D300 which is on the street. Tech guru Terry White received his new body and has already written a review on it. You can read his review and more details about the hot new camera from Nikon on Terry’s Tech Blog.

That’s all the news that is news for today. Just a couple more days until the weekend!

NAPP

Since I missed posting yesterday, I feel the compelling need to post a couple of things today. So, here goes. I would like to discuss an organization that I recently joined. That organization is the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (or NAPP). Made up of all different flavors of Photoshop users, the organization does a LOT for it’s members. First of all, you receive a subscription to Photoshop User magazine which is printed eight times per year. The newsstand price of the magazine is $10.00 per issue. Considering the $99.00 yearly membership fee, the magazine almost pays for the membership! You also receive numerous discounts on products, services, shipping, and more! I just ordered some more photography gear from B&H Photo and received a considerable discount on Next Day shipping. NAPP provides the most comprehensive Photoshop training anywhere in my opinion. Members also receive discounts on training seminars that are put on by Kelby Training. You can get more information and join right on their website.

I hope you enjoyed the double dose of photography info. Until next time!

Buy This Or Throw Away Your Camera!

Okay, I was only kidding with the title. However, I just bought one of these awesome flash diffusers and am VERY impressed with the results. I first read about them in Scott Kelby’s “The Digital Photography Book”. He mentioned them for use while shooting weddings to get soft, diffused light from your hot shoe flash. Even though you can pick one up from B&H Photo for $39.95, I kicked around the idea of getting one for awhile. I got mine last Friday and I’m in love with it! Not only do you get soft, more flattering light from your flash, but it also lights up your background as well. You can read more about them on Gary Fong’s website here. You can order direct from there, or you can pick one up from my friends at B&H Photo here.

Be On The Lookout!

Today I would like to mention a new book that will soon be on the shelves of bookstores everywhere. I’m talking about Scott Kelby’s new book, “The Digital Photography Book, Vol. 2″. According to Scott’s blog, the new book picks up where Vol. 1 of “The Digital Photography Book” left off. Mr. Kelby states that he wrote the book based off of reader’s feedback and that they asked for more information about shooting weddings, landscapes and travel photography. Readers also asked for information about studio lighting and off-camera flashes.

Personally, I am really looking forward to the release of this book. Scott Kelby is an amazing author and teacher who disseminates the information in the same manner in which he would teach a personal friend. If you are interested in photography, or anything to do with Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, his books are worth more than their weight in gold if you ask me.

Scott wrote in his blog that the book is due to go to press the first week in December. Amazon.com has the book available on Jan. 5th, 2008 with Barnes & Noble.com showing availability on Dec. 28th, 2007. One thing to keep in mind though, once the book goes to the publisher it may not make it to the shelves at the time the book stores say it will. If that’s the case, please don’t go to Scott’s blog and leave a disgruntled comment as it wouldn’t be his fault. Just fair warning.

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! I’m staying in today while everyone else is out chasing bargains and knocking each other down to get the latest craze! Another reason why I REALLY love the internet and online shopping! Until next time, keep clicking that shutter release!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Today is the day that we give thanks and I certainly have a lot to be thankful for. I am truly blessed and I’m extremely happy to be spending the day with my family and friends.

So here’s to you and yours, and I wish you all the best on this day of Thanksgiving.

A Photographer’s Ideal Gift!

As you all know, the Holidays are upon us. I can’t think of a better gift for the photographer in your life than a Gift Card from B&H Photo and Video. They have all the gear that any photographer could ever wish for, including camera equipment, video equipment, computers, and more. They start at amounts of $20.00 and go up from there. They even go to as high as $1,000.00 for those who are extremely generous. The best thing about gift cards is YOU CAN’T GO WRONG! There is no need to worry about whether or not the recipient of your gift will like it, need to return it, etc. You can find the gift cards on their website here.

Taking The Plunge

Okay, so it’s not really as serious as it sounds. At the encouragement of my wife and a few others, I decided to enter a couple of photos into a photo contest. Why did I title this post “Taking The Plunge” you ask? Simply put, it’s really the first time that I have put my work up against other photographers in a contest.

The contest is being held on a website called Winkflash. They offer free unlimited storage of your photos and you can organize, edit, and order prints and other items with your images printed on them. You can also share your albums with your friends and family, all for free. They even offer you 50 free 4×6 prints to try their printing service and all you have to pay is the 99 cent flat rate shipping fee. Not bad if you ask me! Please keep in mind that I don’t receive one red cent for mentioning Winkflash or their services.

The theme for this contest is “Funny Faces”. I entered a couple images that I think have a chance of winning. The entries are judged based on content, style, photographic skill, and theme relevance. They choose a first, second, and third place winner as well as 10 Runner Ups. The First Place winner receives 2,000 4×6 prints! What a great prize considering the contest is free to enter. You can view more information and the official contest rules here. If you feel you have a couple of images that could be a winner, create a free account and enter. It’s another great way to gain some experience.

Well, that’s it for today. Below are the two images that I entered into the contest. Maybe they will be good enough to win. One never knows.

Sunday Morning Shoot

On Sunday morning I woke up bright and early and went out to shoot around Brunswick. Rumor has it that in the photography business if you want to get landscape images published, there are only two times of the day that you can shoot… sunrise and sunset. (Which means getting up VERY early!) But, that’s the topic of another post. So I decided on trying to shoot around the Androscoggin suspension bridge on the Androscoggin river that runs along US-1. The shoot went ok and I was able to get a couple of good shots, but overall I was a little disappointed. But I did learn a few things and I have some different things to try out next time with camera set up, location, etc. The trial and error process is a big part of what any artist goes through. Even the pros have off days and take bad shots occasionally. By learning from their mistakes and applying it to what they do in the future is what allows them (and anyone else) to become better. Here’s a shot from Sunday and have a great week!

Recent Adobe Software Updates

Adobe announced several new updates yesterday to their software most commonly used by photographers.  These updates include Photoshop CS3 10.0.1, Photoshop Lightroom 1.3, Camera RAW 4.3, and Bridge CS3 2.1.1.  You can check out and read more about all of these updates on Adobe’s website.  Probably the largest update was to Lightroom, which added support for the Nikon D3 and D300, as well as the Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III.