Very cool online lens selection tool...

Actually, it's both a lens AND a camera body simulation selection tool.

If you are considering the purchase of a lens, or just curious about the angle of view or focusing range of a given lens this tool is for you, regardless of what brand of camera gear you shoot.

If you shoot Nikon you can play even more with the ability to "play" with any combination of lenses and camera bodies Nikon offers.

This simulation tool allows you to select from both a DX or FX format, there are three images from which to choose, and you can zoom in and out to your hearts content to see if a certain lens and/or body is right for you.

If you come across a combination you like you have the ability to save it as well.

So give it a try, it's both fun and informative.

(click on image to view larger and in a new window)

A (late) Wedding Wednesday...

Though the day is coming to a close, I did not want it to pass without posting at least a couple wedding shots, as I find myself rather looking forward to "Wedding Wednesday".

But alas, today there are not lessons, no "takeaways", not one single "TA DA!" moment... just a couple shots of one of last wedding seasons stunning brides.


(click on either image to view larger and in a new window)

Wait, maybe just a little lesson in these. Both of these images were taken with a "long" lens (Nikon 70-200 2.8), and both were taken during "down time".

The lens allowed me to be off at a distance and capture the bride in candid moments. Had I been too close she most likely would have been a little more "formal" considering there was some guy up in her face with a camera clicking away.

A 5 part series on "Web Marketing Workflow"...

I recently had the pleasure of reading (and reviewing) “55 Smart Web Ideas for Photographers” and was so impressed I asked both authors if they would contribute to Weekly Photo Tips.

Zack Prez wrote a post about how photographers can best use Pinterest, and today Wendy Roe is starting a 5 part series on "Web Marketing Workflow" for photographers.

Before we get to Wendy's first post "Naming and Branding Your Images", let me tell you a bit about her.

Wendy Roe has spent the last 10 years ingrained in all things web marketing – from design/development to search/social media. In May 2010, she decided to quit the corporate life and join forces with her husband, Byron Roe, to shoot full-time one of life’s ultimate highs – weddings! She now focuses on business development and her role as a second shooter for wedding photographers, Byron Roe Photography, based in Bend, Oregon.

She is the co-author of "55 Smart Web Ideas for Photographers” e-book, a 2-time speaker at WPPI Photographer’s Ignite, and has traveled through west coast speaking and consulting with photographers on web marketing. She’s known as an "interpreter", changing technical language into easy to understand information. Above all, she’s an educator at heart and believes: “Web marketing and wedding photography are two passions that drive bringing the best out of beauty and brands.”

And now, ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Wendy Roe.

First off, thank you Scott for inviting me to partake in Weekly Photo Tips blog as guest poster. I'm excited to share some of my web marketing workflow strategies with you over a five part series.

These are NOT going to be conceptual (off in Neverland, out there) tips, they are going to be action oriented, important tasks to include in your regular workflow to maintain and continue to grow your exposure online. Web marketing encompasses so many industries: Design, Development, Social Media, SEO, Usability, Link Building, Analytics, Google Places (Local) and more - so it can be absolutely overwhelming, I get it.

So, here's an outline of what I'm going to cover in the five part series (just so you can't wait in suspense!) for the posts to arrive!

And I'm excited to finish it off with a podcast with Scott to wrap up the entire series. If you have questions, don't hesitate to leave comments on the post or contact me directly and I'll be sure to get back to you!

Web Marketing Workflow Series Outline:

Step 1: Naming and Branding Your Images

Step 2: Web Marketing Workflow Guide to An Individual WordPress Blog Post

Step 3: The Protocol To Announcing and Releasing on Facebook

Step 4: Adopt and Promote Pinterest Pinning

Step 5: Link Building Through Directories and Local Search Engines

--------

Step 1: Naming and Branding Your Images

Welcome to part one of the five part series on the web marketing workflow. We're going to jump right in with the first step by talking about naming and branding your session images with a purpose.

Branding your images (each and every ONE) is one of the most important things in your workflow. Whether you watermark them in Photoshop, Lightroom, or use a third-party tool like Mogrify for Lightroom (my personal favorite) or any other app, it's imperative that your images are branded by a watermark or border (again, my personal favorite).

Why spend the time you ask? Because one of the first things that clients do when they see a preview image or their blog post for the first time, or Google grabs the images for Google image search - whatever or whomever grabs the images needs to see your branding as a professional studio.

This is becoming all the more important with the onset of the Pinterest CRAZE. (EXAMPLE 1) Without the branding, your images can be easily tossed around without you getting the credit due. You are loosing new potential work if you are not branding your images because of the sheer likelihood that every image you share will be re-shared and indexed. It's just the way of world today and we have to adapt, get used to it, and work within those parameters.

If you are interested in Mogrify (donation ware), which is what we use, it's super easy to add the Lightroom plugin and customize the export to wrap a border around your image and place your logo on it. We have a separate collection for our blog/Facebook images and export those with the border to a blog/Facebook folder under each client. Easy, Peasy.

The next super important thing is to name your images with both your prospective client and Google in mind.

When we export from Lightroom, we have a preset to fill out for naming our blog/Facebook images that includes, 'Custom Name - Sequence', with the field default to: venue-city-state-wedding-photography-byronroephotography-1.jpg. (EXAMPLE 2)

For each client, we update the field with dashes so for example our images are named, 'sunriver-resort-bend-oregon-wedding-photography-byronroephotography-1.jpg.

Naming the image is so vital because Google is scouring the web for relevant images to place inside of a search result page when your future client is looking for 'Sun river Resort Bend Oregon Wedding Photos.'

Adding naming and branding to your Lightroom or Photoshop workflow before publishing online will help set everything in motion and that's why it's the first step to the web marketing workflow for photographers. Besides, who knows when your next fabulous wedding image will go VIRAL!?

So that wraps "Naming and Branding", stay tuned for part two that builds on this post: Web Marketing Workflow Guide to An Individual WordPress Blog Post.

Happy commenting,

Wendy Roe

(EXAMPLE 1) Who's using your images on Pinterest? Use the URL: http://pinterest.com/source/yourcompany.com to find out!



(EXAMPLE 2) Lightroom Export Preset:

(click on either image to view larger and in a new window)

See you all next week for part 2 "Web Marketing Workflow Guide to An Individual WordPress Blog Post"

You can contact WendY for a 1on 1 coaching session, purchase her e-book or just stop by and say hi on Facebook!!

Review of Kevin Kubota's "Lighting Notebook"...

Let me share with you what I like so much about Kevin Kubota's "Lighting Notebook".

The first 6 chapters cover most of the important things you will ever need to know about lighting.

Chapter one - is a brief history of lighting that will actually walk you back to the 1930's.

Chapter two - goes over the "lingo of lighting". So as you read this book (or delve deeper into your lighting education) you'll understand what is being talked about, things like 2-point lighting, Rembrandt lighting, back-lighting, etc., if there is a lighting term, Kevin covers it in this chapter.

And just so you know Rembrandt lighting comes from, who else, Rembrandt and references the lighting style he would use when painting portraits, here is an image that is a perfect example of what this lighting style represents:

(click on any image to view larger and in a new window)

Chapter 3 - talks about metering, balancing natural and artificial light, high speed and rear curtain sync, white balance, color temps and more.

Chapter 4 - covers lights and lighting tools like softboxes, beauty dishes, umbrellas, triggering tools, etc..

Chapter 5 - will help you build your own lighting kit, selecting the kind of tools that will best fit your photography style and practice.

Chapter 6 - demonstrates creating light in software such as Lightroom, Photoshop, Bridge, and Aperture.

I know this is not the "fun & sexy" part of taking photographs, but you can't build a house without a solid foundation and these first six chapters are the solid foundation you will use to build your "house of lighting techniques" on.

It's once you have finished with the foundation that the fun truly begins, because what follows are 101 different beautiful photographs and everything you would need to know about how they were shot.

Each image is a two page spread and is set up like this:

On the left hand page is a key in the upper left corner telling you what type of lighting was used, be it Natural, Artificial, or a combination of the two.

It will also tell you if any assistants were needed, and if so, how many. Last of the keys is a cost key. It will let you know at a glance if the image was inexpensive, expensive, or somewhere in between shoot (related to the gear needed to make it happen).

The rest of the page has the finished image and a description of how the shot was setup and taken.

On the right page you will find camera settings, gear list, a lighting diagram, and two or three action shots of the photograph being taken.

If there is an alternative piece of gear that could be used to get the same results, you will find that listed here as well.



The Lighting Notebook is one of those books that is a true page turner, once you pick it up it won't leave your hands until you get to the last page, then again you may start going through it a second time before putting it down.

Just in case you aren't picking up my "vibes" the review is two thumbs way up for this book.

This is not the first thing from Kevin that I have truly liked, as I have been a big Kevin Kubota fan for some time and have posted about what he has to offer to photographers more than once (or twice) on Weekly Photo Tips. Like:

You will find my interview with Kevin Here.

I had the pleasure of attending his seminar in Vermont, which was HUGE fun.

In this post I shared his trick on how to correctly synchronize the capture times in Lightroom for images shot from 2 or more cameras, so they will all the images will appear in the correct chronological order.

And I have raved in more than one post about his Lightroom training DVD's, because they contain so much useful information, much more than just editing in Lightroom.

OMG, this kinda makes me look like a stalker!

;)

I am sure if you buy this book you will find it as educational and useful as I did.

I love feel good stories...

The kind of stories where a person does something not expecting anything in return (especially recognition), but they do it because it's the right thing to do.

Then they are found out, it catches on, and even more good is done.

There was exactly this kind of story recently in our local (Maine) news and not only did it catch on locally, it caught on nationally and a whole bunch of people got involved.

It took place in the little town of Dixfield, Maine, and it started when Ike Libby of Hometown Energy had several customers who simply didn't have the money to buy the oil they needed to heat their homes.

As anyone who has been to Maine in the winter knows, going without heat here is simply not an option.

So what did Ike do? He delivered oil to them anyway.

Somehow the New York Times got hold of the story, ran it, and since then Ike has received over $200,000 in donations to help pay for the oil for those who can't.

As Ike said, "Kind of makes you love America".

Sure does, Ike, sure does.

Here is the video of his story:



If for any reason you can't view the video, or it did not came through with your subscription, just follow this link view it.

Fantastic Flickr fotos...

Everyday I go over to Flickr to approve images that folks have submitted to our Flickr group and it never fails that I end up spending a good deal of time looking through the images that have been submitted.

It's really hard to pick the ones to post on the blog , because they are all so wonderful (and I feel badly leaving anyone out), but space is limited... here are a handful that I will share today.







Luca Rossi has done a series on shoes, and not only did he submit shoe photos, he also included a photo of the setup which I thought was pretty cool (check out the "shoe" series here, and his blog here).




And a few more beauties:

(click on any image to view larger in a new window)

If you would like to join our Flickr group you can find all the details here.

Lens cleaning tip from a reader...

Here is a tip that was sent in by Miguel, one of our (long time) regular readers and I wanted to "share it with the class", so here it is (including a before, during, and after images):


You know how sometimes after you've had a lens for a while, the rubber grips (those external ones used on the focus and zoom rings) become a little gray?

Well, I came up with a quick method that makes the lens look like new again.

I thought maybe some of the other readers might appreciate it.

The cleaning process is fairly simple (just three things), Q-tips, Armor ALL, and a gentle cleaner (I used Windex).

1. I used a Q-tip with Windex on it to clean the rubber rings around the entire lens. Be careful to use enough cleaner to be effective, but not so much that it drips all over (or into) the lens.

2. Once the rubber grip(s) are thoroughly cleaned and completely dry, I applied a thin coat of Armor ALL in the same fashion, And just like the Windex, do not use so much that it drips all over (or into) the lens.

3. Let it dry completely (which takes just a couple of minutes) and then re-apply.

That's it, it's that simple!

(click on the image to view it larger and in a new window)

Thanks Miguel, and if you should have a tip or trick you'd like to share please feel free to email it to us.

Welcome back to another "Wedding Wednesday"...

Today we are going to follow a similar theme of a Wedding Wednesday from a few weeks back, that you can shoot the same shot in different ways.

The first set of shots is from the "mother & son" dance.

In the first shot you see the groom and his mom dancing (and in focus) and in the second shot the bride and her dad are the "focus point" of the shot. I think they both work nicely.

The irony of these shots is that we were shooting this reception in a DARK tent that only had two doors in it and it just so happened that the tent was lined up perfectly so that as the sun went down it shined through one of the the open doorways, directly onto the dance floor. And then it just so happened that they did the dance as the sun was going down AND shining through the door. Perfect, perfect (accidental) timing.




At this wedding the ceremony was in a large open space that was made more intimate by surrounding the ceremony area with white sheer material and in the first photo I took a "standard" shot of the ceremony and wondered what it would be like if I held the camera up to the material and shot through it.

Here are the results, and again, I think they both work.




Of course you can always take in in another (slightly) different direction, the image above (shot through the sheers) still has a hint of color in it, you can always convert it to black and white.

(click on any image to view it larger in a new window)

55 (very) Smart Web Ideas for Photographers...

Though I had not planned on making a third post today, I just finished reading "55 Smart Web Ideas for Photographers" by Zach Prez and Wendy Roe and did not want the day to end before I posted about it.

"55 Smart Web Ideas for Photographers" is an easy read (about 70 pages) and it covers 4 major areas, Facebook, driving traffic to your blog (while engaging your readers), Google, mastering email, and the 5th and final chapter that is literally the "icing on the cake". This eBook will walk you through all the steps you need to complete in order to drive more traffic to your website and/or blog.

Because your web presence is not a "build it and they will come" proposition.

Each of the 5 chapters has 10 to 14 tips (actually they're way more than a tip), they're the "must do's" for that given area. Though each task is concise and no longer than one page long, it gives you all the information you need (including screen shots) to make your web presence competitive and that delivers results.

So when you finish the chapter on Facebook, you will be taking maximum advantage of what Facebook can do for you, nothing will have been missed or glossed over.

Not only to we get to benefit from the wisdom collected by Zack and Wendy, there are a bunch of successful photographers who have contributed to the information contained in "55 Smart Web Ideas for Photographers" like Kevin Kubota, Andrew Funderburg, Jules Bianchi, Khara Plicanic, and Leah Remillet just to name a few.

In any journey you need a map to get you from where you are to where you want to go, "55 Smart Web Ideas for Photographers" can be your map to a successful web presence and this map can be yours for just $29.

We will be giving away a copy of "55 Smart Web Ideas for Photographers" in our very next contest.

It's official - Adobe Lightroom 4 has arrived...

Lightroom 4 was "officially" released today.

You can purchase the full version of Lightroom for $149 or if you are a previous Lightroom owner you can upgrade for just $79.

Below is the Adobe "intro" video for Lightroom 4, it is 17 minutes long, but well worth the watch of you are trying to determine if upgrading to Lightroom 4 is for you.

Introducing the Canon EOS-5D MARK III...

Just in case you didn't know, you can now pre-order the (soon to be available) Canon EOS-5D MARK III, the body only is $3400 or you can purchase the body along with a 24-105 lens for $4299.

Key features:

· Full frame 36x24mm, 22 megapixel CMOS sensor ISO range 100-25600, expandable to 104,200
· 14-bit A/D conversion
· Shutter speeds 1/8000-30 seconds
· 63-zone dual layer iFCL Metering
· Exposure compensation in +/- 5 stops in 1/3 or 1/2-stop increments
· 61-point high-density reticular AF with up to 41 cross-type points
· 3.2-inch LCD finder with 1.04 million dot resolution
· 1080p HD video capture in AVI, RAW, H.265, MOV and MPEG-4
· Manual exposure control and multiple frame rates in videos
· CF and SD card slots
· 6fps burst rate HDR mode Magnesium-alloy body
· enhanced dust and weather resistance
· New customizable controls
· Electronic level
· Claimed shutter durability of 150,000 cycles
· Slilent & Low vibration modes

The Canon EOS 5D Mark III is built around a new 22.3 megapixel full-frame, self-cleaning CMOS sensor and promises high perforance and claims improved noise reduction at higher ISOs with its DIGIC 5+ sensor and up to 6 frames per second burst rate in RAW and JPEG. Additional technological advancements include an Intelligent Viewfinder, Canon's advanced iFCL metering system, High Dynamic Range (HDR), and Multiple Exposure mode.

A newly-designed 61-Point High-Density Reticular AF system is said to be Canon's most sophisticated AF to date, featuring multi-zonewide-area AF for better tracking. A new dedicated AF menu tab saves users from digging through menu functions. A new Multi-layer iFCL (intelligent Focus Color Luminance) metering system takes color and luminosity surrounding chosen AF points into account, whichCanon says will provide new levels of accuracy in fast-changing, tricky light.



If you don't want to wait for the Canon EOS-5D MARK III or simply want a great camera but don't want to spend as much you can get a Canon EOS-5D Mark II Digital SLR Camera Body / Kit for $2199.

The kit includes:
· 8GB CF Memory Card
· Spare Canon LP-E6 Battery
· Slinger Camera Bag
· Flashpoint Professional Battery Grip
· Red Giant Adorama Production Bundle for PC/Mac ($599.00 Retail Value)

Weddng photographer Michelle Turner reviews camera straps...

Wedding photographer (and friend) Michelle Turner took the time to sit down and review (as well as demonstrate) a handful of different camera straps and explains what she likes about each of them and it what situation each works the best.

Some of the straps she reviews are those designed specifically for a woman's body.

Here is a list (with links) of the straps Michelle talks about (and demonstrates so beautifully):

Tamrac Strap

Phat Strap

UPstrap (our review of the UPstrap is here)

Op/Tech Pro Strap

Crumpler

Black Rapid R-Strap (our review of the Black Rapid is here)

* - Woman's Single

* - Double Strap

Here is the video, for those of you receiving this post via email you will need to head back to the blog to watch the video or go directly to our YouTube channel and watch it there.

So here it is, our 1,000th blog post celebration!...

We have been teasing at something "big" happening all month long, and though we are celebrating our 1,000th blog post this surprise is something for you our readers (and podcast listeners).

It comes to us courtesy of the Riley brothers of Riley Photographic and RPG Keys fame.

So what is the surprise? For the first 25 people who register at this link, you will get a free 60 day trial of RPG Keys, free shipping, free presets... it will cost you nothing to give this serious productivity tool a 2 month test drive, at no cost and no obligation to you.

First, what do RPG Keys work with? Windows and MAC, including Lightroom (3 & 4), Photoshop (CS3, CS4, CS5), Bridge (CS3, CS4, CS5), Aperture 3 (MAC), Photo Mechanic (MAC).



Second, how can you get your set? Follow this link and click the "TRY IT" button and you'll get to try the new USB version of the RPG mini for free for 60 days! ($10 shipping outside the US). At checkout simply enter the coupon codes listed below and your keys will land at your door step in just a few days.

Coupon Code for US Residents: WEEKLYPHOTOTIPS-USA

Coupon Code for non US Residents: WEEKLYPHOTOTIPS-INT



Third, how can you learn more about the RPG Keys? You can read my original review here, or even better, head over to SLR Lounge and read their in-depth review and analysis of how the RPG Keys significantly changed their workflow forever. It cut their image editing workflow in more than half.

Here's a little math for you: Average time per photo edit - without RPG Keys: 18.65 seconds per photo / with RPG Keys: 7.6 seconds per photo.

Fourth, how can you learn more about what they can do for you? You can head over to their YouTube channel and watch one of their over 100 videos on setting up and using the keys, and, you can watch the intro video below.

You can also head over to The Photography Podcast and listen to them being interviewed today (by me).

Just remember, it's for the first 25 who register at this link, so don't watch too many videos.


(if the video starts "green" simply pull the slider back to the left and start over)

The final February Friday winner is...

The final contest winner for our month long February extravaganza giveaway is....

Sandy Khau!



Congratulations Sandy, you have just won an autographed copy of "Photo Recipes Live: Behind the Scenes: Your Guide to Popular Lighting Techniques" from Scott Kelby.



Sandy, just send us an email with your snail mail information and we'll get your prize right out to you.

And speaking of Scott Kelby, for the second consecutive year Scott was named the top selling photography book author.

Congratulations Mr. Kelby!