“no matter who you are, no matter where you go in your life, at some point you’re gonna need somebody to stand by you…”
(if the video does not come through on the feed, be sure to stop by the blog to watch it)
How to test a lens for sharpness...
Ever shoot with one of your lenses and think it doesn't look quite as sharp as it should?
Ever buy a used lens and want to make sure it works like it should?
Ever stand in front of a mirror in woman’s clothing and think you look pretty? ah... wait, strike that last one, I just meant to think it.
;)
Here's a great video tutorial on testing your lens sharpness.
Ever buy a used lens and want to make sure it works like it should?
Ever stand in front of a mirror in woman’s clothing and think you look pretty? ah... wait, strike that last one, I just meant to think it.
;)
Here's a great video tutorial on testing your lens sharpness.
Memorial Day Weekend...
Beginning the Friday evening of Memorial Day weekend (5/22) Weekly Photo Tips will be offline and forwarded to a slideshow honoring those Americans who have "gone on ahead".
We will return Tuesday morning (5/26).
I am a little embarrassed to admit that I did not have time to put together a new slideshow and will be using last years.
We will return Tuesday morning (5/26).
I am a little embarrassed to admit that I did not have time to put together a new slideshow and will be using last years.
Six DIY grid projects...
I have several gridspots (grids), one "professional" and several "do it yourself" kind (I have the pro one only because it was given to me), and use them quite a bit.For those who don't have one or haven't used one before, these are handy dandy little light modifiers. A grid is simply a snoot that has honeycomb cells that will give you a small circle of light on your subject, your background, or for a rim light on your subject.
It is similar to a snoot in looks and function but is a bit more restrictive and gives you more control over your light.
A grid is perfect for helping you to create dramatic lighting effects.
Here are a bunch of shots taken with grids, they will give you an idea of the possibilities.
So here are six different (easy to make) DIY grid projects, three made with straws, and three made with coroplast (a plastic corrugated cardboard):
The straw projects are from Lighting Mods (part 1 & part 2), LightChasers Photography, and Stephen Zeller.
The coroplast grids can be found at Instrucatables, Pamela Helme, and DIY Photography.
Now go make a grid (or two)!
Cleaning your camera sensor...
I stumbled across a site that is dedicated to one very important task, cleaning your camera sensor.
Guess what it's called.... yup, Cleaning Digital Cameras.
Cleaning Digital Cameras has more sensor cleaning information and resources than you can shake a stick at (though I'm not sure what purpase there is in shaking said stick) and needs to be added to your "favorites".
For those of you for whom reading is just too much of a chore, here is a very well done sensor cleaning tutorial.
Guess what it's called.... yup, Cleaning Digital Cameras.
Cleaning Digital Cameras has more sensor cleaning information and resources than you can shake a stick at (though I'm not sure what purpase there is in shaking said stick) and needs to be added to your "favorites".
For those of you for whom reading is just too much of a chore, here is a very well done sensor cleaning tutorial.
Photographing cars with a single flash...
To look at these images you can easily imagine that there were lights all over the place, but I guess the title of this post tells you otherwise.The images and video are from Ken Brown. You may not realize it (I know I didn't), but he was on the blog recently as he is one of the photographers featured on the Strobist Lighting Cards.
Be sure to check out Ken's website, you will be inspired.
I Love Strobist...
Today David Hobby started a series "Variations on a Two-Light Theme, Pt. 1".
In it he shows you how, with just two flashes, you can get a great portrait.
Run, don't walk, over to Strobist and read the full story.
In it he shows you how, with just two flashes, you can get a great portrait.
Run, don't walk, over to Strobist and read the full story.
Happy Mother's Day...
To my mom, my wife, and all the other moms out there.
Being a mom has to be the hardest, least appreciated job on the planet.
I consider myself an intelligent observant kinda guy (though others may argue against that statement) and I thought I understood just how hard my wife's job was.
WRONG!
A few years back her sister was moving to Florida, driving her belongings from Maine and setting up her new home in Port Charlotte. My wife drove down with her and stayed the week helping her get settled. My job was to stay home and fill her shoes.
I will spare you the details, but upon her return she found me cowering in the corner, in the fetal position, and mumbling incoherently.
Three things happened that week:
1. I finally got a glimpse to what her job was really like
2. I realized I need to show my appreciation for her hard work
3. She has never been allowed to leave the house for an extended period of time since
;)
Happy Mother's Day!
Being a mom has to be the hardest, least appreciated job on the planet.
I consider myself an intelligent observant kinda guy (though others may argue against that statement) and I thought I understood just how hard my wife's job was.
WRONG!
A few years back her sister was moving to Florida, driving her belongings from Maine and setting up her new home in Port Charlotte. My wife drove down with her and stayed the week helping her get settled. My job was to stay home and fill her shoes.
I will spare you the details, but upon her return she found me cowering in the corner, in the fetal position, and mumbling incoherently.
Three things happened that week:
1. I finally got a glimpse to what her job was really like
2. I realized I need to show my appreciation for her hard work
3. She has never been allowed to leave the house for an extended period of time since
;)
Happy Mother's Day!
Digital Photography Boot Camp Finalized...
This week we put the finishing touches on our workshop "Intro - Digital Photography Boot Camp" scheduled for Sunday May 31st.Three instructors (including yours truly) will take you through this all day hands-on workshop, the morning session will walk you through equipment, exposure, lighting, DIY photography projects and much more, while the afternoon will be all shooting with individual instruction.
All the workshop details can be found here.
We are also fortunate enough to have some very generous sponsors who are providing some cool stuff to giveaway to seminar attendees:
Kubota Imaging is providing 2 $100 gift certificates and discount certificates for every student.
PRESSlite is sending 6 VerteX small strobe light modifiers.
Dane Sanders - one lucky student will get a copy of his audio book "Fast Track Photographer"
Lumiquest provided a nice variety of their light modifiers, a Pocket Bouncer, an 80-20, an Ultrasoft, and a copy of the book "Flash…The MOST Available Light"
Trade Secret is sending 5 decks of their Strobist cards (yup, the ones we reviewed yesterday)
Every student will recieve the handy battery cases from PowerPax.
And finally, one lucky seminar student will recieve my friend Scott Kelby's Digital Photography 2 book boxed set that includes a signed print.
And finally, one lucky seminar student will recieve my friend Scott Kelby's Digital Photography 2 book boxed set that includes a signed print.Review of Strobist Lighting Cards...
At any given time there are 8-12 products waiting to be reviewed and posted on this blog (tough job, I know), and on rare occasion something comes in that is so neat that it leap frogs ahead of everything else in line and moves right to the top of the list.
The "Trade Secret Cards" is one of those "leap frogging" products. Though there official name is "Trade Secret Cards Strobist Favorites Gallery Vol. 1", a big name for a small product.
How to put this... hhmmmm.... These cards are cool!
They are about the size of a deck of playing cards, on the front is a well done, well lit image, on the back is both a diagram of the setup and a paragraph containing the details of what was used and how.
(click on any image to view larger & in a new window)
You get 24 different cards showing 24 different setups, portraiture, product shoots, cars (including a big 'ol caterpillar dump truck), indoor and outdoor sessions, and each setup is well documented and easy to replicate.
These cards are also a heck of a lot easier to bring on a shoot than a book.
The cards are printed on UV protected thick stock so they are durable and should stand up well to being carried in your pocket or your camera bag from one shoot to another.
It did not escape me that "Volume 1" is in their title, which already has me looking forward to what may follow in "Volume 2".
If you aren't already online ordering your Trade Secret Cards, maybe this will help push you over the edge:
1. They are on sale (only $19.95)
2. The shipping is free (and fast)
3. And the return policy is generous (though I promise you, once you have them in your hands they ain't never going back!)
Coming soon - ACDSee Pro Photo 3...
I have been a user (and a big fan of) ACDsee Pro Photo Manager for quite some time and was fortunate enough to be selected as a member of the beta testing team for version 3.
You can learn more about the features of version 3 here, as testing and development moves forward I will keep you posted.
You can learn more about the features of version 3 here, as testing and development moves forward I will keep you posted.
Links housekeeping and updates...
Over the weekend I updated all of my links, cleaning out some and adding a bunch of new ones.
One of the the "newbies" is Planet Neil, which is full of instructions, tutorials, and all the things you need to improve your photography. The amount of information listed on this site will keep you there for quite some time, so pace yourself.
I also added a completely new category, "Marketing Resources".
Two of my favorites marketing links are:
1. Help my Business Sucks! is both funny and informative. It's a weekly video podcast that usually runs less than 15 minutes and I promise that every single week you will get at least one snippet of information that you will be able to use/apply.
2. If you have a blog, or are considering one, you need to include Pro Blogger as part of your strategy. It will help you plan your new blog, or grow the blog you already have. Take the "31 Days to Build a Better Blog" and you will do just what the title says, build yourself a better blog. Of the "How To Blog" websites out there, I think this to be the very best.
I reader once emailed me and said "even if your content sucked, it's worth coming to your blog for the links. I think you have the best accumulation of photography links in one place".
Hopefully they just got a little better.
One of the the "newbies" is Planet Neil, which is full of instructions, tutorials, and all the things you need to improve your photography. The amount of information listed on this site will keep you there for quite some time, so pace yourself.
I also added a completely new category, "Marketing Resources".
Two of my favorites marketing links are:
1. Help my Business Sucks! is both funny and informative. It's a weekly video podcast that usually runs less than 15 minutes and I promise that every single week you will get at least one snippet of information that you will be able to use/apply.
2. If you have a blog, or are considering one, you need to include Pro Blogger as part of your strategy. It will help you plan your new blog, or grow the blog you already have. Take the "31 Days to Build a Better Blog" and you will do just what the title says, build yourself a better blog. Of the "How To Blog" websites out there, I think this to be the very best.
I reader once emailed me and said "even if your content sucked, it's worth coming to your blog for the links. I think you have the best accumulation of photography links in one place".
Hopefully they just got a little better.
Portraits from this weekend...
For Mothers Day I am doing portraits of each of my three daughters.
This weekend I brought Emma (aka "peanut") to the beach for her images, and as we were unloading the van what runs by us but a fox! As we stood there with our mouths open a little fur ball skitters by after her (about 10 feet in front of us), then a second, a third, and finally a forth little fox brought up the rear.
It was only then that I realized that I had a camera in my hand and should start snapping images. But by then they were a bit far away and what you see are rather unremarkable.
On the other hand, the pictures of Peanut are remarkable, as she is a beautiful young woman, but maybe I am a bit biased.
I did use an off camera flash (held by my voice activated light stand) for just a little fill light.
This weekend I brought Emma (aka "peanut") to the beach for her images, and as we were unloading the van what runs by us but a fox! As we stood there with our mouths open a little fur ball skitters by after her (about 10 feet in front of us), then a second, a third, and finally a forth little fox brought up the rear.
It was only then that I realized that I had a camera in my hand and should start snapping images. But by then they were a bit far away and what you see are rather unremarkable.
On the other hand, the pictures of Peanut are remarkable, as she is a beautiful young woman, but maybe I am a bit biased.I did use an off camera flash (held by my voice activated light stand) for just a little fill light.
Another Beauty Dish for the SB-800...
I was perusing David Tejada's blog (and added it to my links collection) and came across his plans for a DIY beauty dish. Though it says it is for a Nikon SB-800, there is no reason this would not work for any speedlight.
These plans are crisp, clean, and easy to follow. In fact he has enough pictures that even if you couldn't read you would still be able to follow along and build your own dish.
So if you haven't made your own beauty dish, maybe this will be the final push you need to make one. So check out these plans, get your supplies this weekend and "get 'er done".
These plans are crisp, clean, and easy to follow. In fact he has enough pictures that even if you couldn't read you would still be able to follow along and build your own dish.
So if you haven't made your own beauty dish, maybe this will be the final push you need to make one. So check out these plans, get your supplies this weekend and "get 'er done".
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