Today is Stinky's birthday!...

Molly, the oldest of my Irish triplets turns 19 today. It's a very happy happy/sad day.... I love the woman she is becoming but I miss the little girl she was.

When she was really little Molly thought all the hoopla on Halloween was in celebration of her birthday, and of course I did nothing to dissuade her from thinking that. I still don't.


I think there is at least one story that shows who you really are as a person, please let me share two quick stories that demonstrates what kind of person my Molly is.

Story 1:

She was 6 at the time, had long hair, way down her back long hair, and one day came into the kitchen and announced to us that she wanted to have her hair cut off so she should could "donate to the company that makes wigs for sick kids", then she turned on her heals and walked away. Her mom and I just looked at each other until one of us finally said "where did that come from?".

Our plan was to just wait and see if it was something she still wanted in a few days. Well, by the end of the week she had bugged us so much that I was ready to let her shave her head, get tattoos, and pierce anything she wanted.

So down to the hair salon we want, off came her hair, and it was sent to Locks of Love.

Story 2:

We really get into Christmas at our house, especially when the girls were still "believers", for weeks we'd tell elaborate stories about what we want most and why, and one year I wanted a telescope. We had marked the day on the calendar when Santa was going to be at the fire station (he lands on the roof and comes down the big ladder to see the kids) and when the day finally arrived it was cold and the line was long, Santa long, so it took quite some time before we reached the big guy. When it was finally her turn with Santa he asked Molly what she wanted and without hesitation the first things she said was "I want you to bring my dad a telescope".

Ya, I was speechless.

Now she is taller than her mom, looks far more like a woman than I like, and I am no longer the coolest man she knows (I have been replaced by some guy named Jason Aldean).

This has been a busy year for her, she has graduated high school, started college, and now drives around in her own car (his name is Steve), but she still kisses me before she leaves the house, will sit next to me on the couch while we watch TV, will say she loves me in front of her friends, and is still the same caring girl who gave her hair away and used her time with Santa for the benefit of someone else.

Happy birthday Molly, I love you!

Win a Fuji x100s from 500px.com!...

500px is celebrating their 4th birthday and are doing it in style, they are giving away a Fujifilm X100S!

This is a great camera and don't take my word for it, check out what Dave Hobby, Zack Arias, and Ken Rockwell all had to say about it.

Dave Hobby - "As for myself, I am starting my 2013 round of HCAC assignments and many will be shot with this camera. It's that good" - read Dave's full review

Zack Arias - "The x100s is my desert island camera" - read Zack's full review

Ken Rockwell - "the world's best available-light camera" - read Ken's full review

You will find plenty of sample images Dave and Zack shot with the X100s that you will surely want to see, so be sure to check out their reviews.

Simply follow this link over to the 500px blog for all the details on how you can enter the contest.

Good luck!!!!

The secret to getting a press pass...

As a photographer, how many times have you gone to an event and thought how much fun it would have been to have unrestricted access to go back stage, behind the scenes, to places where the "normal public" simply is not allowed to go and take pictures?

Well, today I'm going to share with you a secret on how to get a press pass, the secret that I have used to get press passes to 9 out of 10 events that I request them for.

Are you ready?

I ask... yup, I ask, I find out who the public relations person is for the event and drop them an email requesting a press pass.

Okay, there is a bit more to it than that, but not much.

Make it easy for them to say "yes" to you, this can be done in a few easy steps:

Provide them with a business card and/or an online venue where they can view some of your photography (a website, blog, or an online portfolio on a site like 500px.com).

And because they are doing me a favor by providing unrestricted (and free) access to their event, I will say "thank you" by letting them know I am happy to provide a disk containing some of my images (usually 14-20 of what I consider to be my best from that day) for them to use for promotional purposes. I provide these images without a monetary charge, but I do request that they give me photographic credit (both name and website) each/anytime they use one of my images.

Another thing that will help them say "yes" is if you tell them you intend on sharing with your readers that you'll be photographing the event (assuming you have a blog), as this will give them a bit of free publicity prior to the event date. Free publicity to a PR person is pretty enticing.  ;)

Put all this information together in the first email you send requesting a press pass as these poor folks are pretty busy organizing the event and don't have time for a "back and forth" email conversation. I also recommend an email over a phone call as (again) they are busy and a phone call will interupt their day, where as an email can be dealt with at a time that is most convenient to them.

Not only have I had the pleasure of photographing fairs, festivals, races, museum exhibits, and other events I normally would have paid to see, I got to see them in a new, exciting way AND I get to combine it with my love of photography.... it really doesn't get much better than that.

It has been far too long...

Yes it has, it's been far too long since I last posted.

First let me say to all of the people who have reached out to me, emailed asking how I was, hoping all was well, and wishing me their best.... THANK YOU.

Since I started this blog waaaaay back in 2007 folks could expect to read at least 5 and sometimes as many as 7 posts a week, at least that was the case until this past August.

It was then that I felt as if I had finally been overtaken by the circumstances that life will sometimes throw at us. I will spare you the details but suffice it to say that I didn't feel like I was waiting for my ship to come in, or that it was here, it felt much more like I was watching it sail away.

But like they say "being defeated is a temporary condition, giving up is what makes it permanent".

So I wanted to let you know that I am still here and that you can expect to see more posts (starting now!), though they will probably not be as often as they used to be... at least not at first, it may take me awhile to work up to that, but that too will come.

So thank you for your concern and thank you for your patience.

I may not have fully realized what a phenomenal community had built up around Weekly Photo Tips, but I do now and I am truly appreciative of it.

Have a great weekend everyone, I'll see you next week.

Full version of Adobe Lightroom 5 just $99!...

Yup, you read that correctly, you can get Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5 (while supplies last) for just $99.

 This is the full version, on a disk, and in a boxed version for both Windows and Mac (not a downloadable upgrade).

The display price you'll see is $149.99, but when you put in coupon code S987654321 during checkout you'll get the $99 final price.

And despite what the graphic says, even if you didn't buy a lens, camera, or computer you can still get the $99 price.

If you are wondering what is different in Lightroom 5 and should you move up to the latest version, Laura Shoe has put together an informative series of videos walking you through many of the new, improved, and different features you will now find Lightroom 5.

You can also check out Terry Whites video of his 5 favorite features in Lightroom 5.

Below is Laura's video review/over view of Lightroom 5, enjoy.


For those who received this post view email, you'll need to return to Weekly Photo Tips to watch the video as they are not pushed thought via email, sorry.

A bazillion DIY photography Projects...

Okay, maybe it's not a bazillion projects (it's more like 67), but listed here are plenty of low cost/no cost DIY photography specific projects that will keep you busy for quite some time (and also save you a dollar or two).

If you have a DIY project not listed here please let us know so we can add it to our list as we are going to maintain a "DIY Project" list that our readers can refer to.

If you complete one of these projects (or have done one in the past) we would love to learn how you did it and see pictures of the completed project, so please let us know about that too.

New, let the fun begin.

Adjustable Snoot

Backdrop Stand

 Beauty Dish

Beauty Dish for SB-800

Beauty Dish flash modifier

Beauty Dish (stainless steel)

Boom Arm Reflector Holder

Budget DIY Lighting System

Camera stabilizer for $15

Canvas Photography Backdrop

C-Stand

Cheapshott Collapsible Umbrella DIY

David Hobby Grid Hack

Digital White Balance Filter (like ExpoDisc)

Film Can Diffuser & Color Gel holder

Flash Diffuser (cigarette packet)

Flash Mini-Bouncer

Floor Light

Foldable Softbox

Free Printable Lens Hoods

Gary Fong Lightsphere

Gary Fong LightSphere II

Grids (and snoots)

Grid (gutter adapter & black straw)

Grid (Speedlite)

Gridspot

Large Softbox for Small Strobe

Light & Backdrop stand

Lighting Diagrams, Planning and Explaining

Light Tent

Light Tent

Light stand in a paint can

Light stand in a paint can II

Macro Lighting

Macro Photo Studio (for $10)

Monopod (for $11)

Monopod (with ballhead)

Monopod (mini)

Monopod (telescoping)

Muslin backgrounds

Panoramic Tripod Head for $10

Pop-up flash diffuser

Pop-up flash diffuser (soft screen)

Ring Flash

Ring Flash

Ring Flash (disposable)

Ring Flash (square)

Shutter Release (Canon)

Softbox

Softbox (under $10)

Softbox - Flash Mounted

Softbox Grid (under $10.00)

Softbox (for perfect portraits)

Softbox (using umbrella)

Softbox from an umbrella

Spiderlight Strobe

Spiderlight Softbox

Strip Light

Strip Light (cheap)

Studio Backdrop Mount

Studio Lights (under $20)

Tinker Tubes

Umbrella Softbox (aka Brollybox)

Vagabond power pack

Wired Remote (Canon)

The 2013 Scott Kelby Worldwide Photo Walk...

Yup, it was just announced yesterday, that the 2013 Scott Kelby Worldwide Photo Walk will be kicking off in October.

And yours truly will be leading the walk to be held here in Portland Maine. I have led this walk before and it has always been a great deal of fun, you get to make new (photography) friends, take some great shots, and fill your lungs with fresh air.

All good things.

The walk does not take place until October 5th, but your can reserve your seat today.

I really hope to see you there.

Gardens in Focus Photography Competition...

If you enjoy taking pictures of flowers (and who doesn't?), then the Gardens in Focus Photography Competition could be right up your alley.

One of the cool features about the competition is not only do you have the chance to win money, there is the opportunity (only if you want it) to sell prints of your photograph as well.

Here are a few of the details:

Categories:

* Plants in a Botanic Garden (Amateur)
* Plants in a Botanic Garden (Professional)
* Creatures in a Botanic Garden (Amateur)
* Creatures in a Botanic Garden (Professional)
* Out & About in a Botanic Garden (Amateur)
* Out & About in a Botanic Garden (Professional)
* International Botanic Gardens (Open)
* My Secret Garden (Open)

Prizes:

The photographer of the overall winning image will be awarded the first prize of $2,000 in cash and will have their images displayed with the prestigious International Garden Photographer of the Year competition in the UK and published in the IGPOTY book.

Second prize - $1,000 in cash

Third prize - $500 in cash

Category prizes - $150 each category

People’s choice prize - $300 in cash

Plus all winning and grand finalist photographs are featured printed and framed under glass in an exhibition at the Royal Botanic Garden in Sydney. Selected framed prints from the exhibition will be available for purchase (subject to the agreement of the photographer).

"Pic of the Month" - monthly prize

You can get the rest of the details here.

The father daughter dance...

Today (Saturday) is traditionally the day people get married, so I thought it would be appropriate to post this video of a touching, unusual father daughter dance.


If you didn't get the video with your subscription (and it's likely you did not), please return to Weekly Photo Tips to view it.

The Nikon D800, possibly the best camera Nikon makes!...

As a follow-up to our last post, here are a few things I wanted to share regarding one of the cameras we talked about, the Nikon D800 (a camera I own and LOVE).

Did you know that the video quality is so good that there are some TV shows that shoot exclusively with the D800? Check it out.

In my interview with Michael Clark, he said that some of the best video files he sees are coming out of the D800.

As many of you know, I shoot weddings with Stacey Kane, and she has become a huge D800 fan, having moved from the Nikon D3 to the D800 for one reason, image quality.

There is a reason those images look so good, according to organizations like DXO Labs, is that the D800 sensor is the best in the world.

Two very thorough, informative (and glowing) reviews you will want to read:

1. The first is the "Nikon D800 Review" from PhotgraphyLife.com - "I am very impressed... the Nikon D800 will become the camera of choice for my photography needs".

2. Is from Ken Rockwell, here is his review of the Nikon D800. "The D800 is the best DSLR ever made by anyone at any price".

Both of these reviews are phenomenally in-depth.

If you are seriously considering a new camera, you can not do better than the Nikon D800 and you can get it for $2700 with free shipping.

Lastly, if you own (or are expecting to own) this camera you can get an in-depth step-by-step tour of the Nikon D800 with John Greengo over at CreativeLive for just $49.

Nikon D4, D800, and D600 comparisons...

I recently read three posts comparing the Nikon D4, D800, and D600 that I want to share with you.

The first, "Nikon D4 vs D800 vs D600 full-frame low-light showdown" is from Pocket Lint and does a very nice job comparing noise between the three cameras.

The Second is from my photography man crush Ken Rockwell and his post is "The Nikon D600, D800 and D4 are the same camera inside!" in it he gives you his side by side comparison of all three (along with links to his in-depth reviews of each) and explains why the D600 is the smartest financial move.

Third, is a lively discussion covering "D800 High ISO" with Shun Cheung at Photo.net, lot's of visual evidence, lots of reader input.

Considering price, the Nikon D4 is $5996 (or $4899 refurbished) , the D800 is $2796, and the D600 is $1996 so (unless you are a sports photographer and need high frames per second rate) the choice is rather obvious.

Cooling down with Flickr...

It has been so darn hot, I mean like Africa hot. Even here in Maine where breaking 90 is not all that common in the summer we have been doing it on a pretty regular basis.

And as they say, it's not the heat, it's the humidity... it has been like walking in water.

I know it has been worse, much worse, in other areas around the country.

So here are a few images from our Flickr group to help cool you off.

Click on any one of them to view larger.

And just in case those didn't help cool you down enough, these may help even more:

If you are not already part of our Flickr group we would love for you to join us, you can get all the details on how to join right here.

Here are several hundred free Photoshop actions...

You can't be too rich, too smart, or have too many Photoshop actions, so here are some that just might fit your editing needs.

1. We had mentioned this one several weeks ago, but it's well worth mentioning again, the free Kubota DASHBOARD 4 Pro for Photoshop that comes with 50 (free) actions.

2. Here are 20+ Useful and Free Photoshop Actions For Photographers from MediaNovak.

3. 50 Free Photoshop actions for amazing photo effects from The D Photo.

4. I love the stuff over at MCP Actions, you can can get these 12 free actions from them.

5. Another great resource is photo tuts+ and you can get instructions on how to create your own actions, how to install actions, and 100 free actions.

6. Creative Blog has another 50 actions.

7. 35 Fresh and Free Photoshop Actions from Vandelay Design, they also have another 50 actions here.

8. 40 Free Photoshop Actions For Vintage Effect from 1st Web Design.

9. Noupe is offering 80+ Time Saving and Free Photoshop Action Sets To Enhance your Photos.

10. 70 Useful and Free Photoshop Actions Packs For Photographers from I can Be Creative.

11.  50 more actions for portrait photographers from Digital Camera World.

12. And lastly, 60+ Useful Photoshop Actions For Photo Enhancements

If my calculator does not fail me, that's that's well over 600 free Photoshop actions.

Enjoy.

Here are hundreds of free Lightroom presets...

This post goes well with our post on Lightroom educational resources from last week, so once you finished all the tutorials you can get to work using some of these free presets.

There's a lot, so lets get at it:

1. From f/stop spot - Free Lightroom Workflow Presets for Portrait Photographers

2. Free Lightroom Presets for Your Portrait Shots

3. Fine art photographer Andrew S. Gibson - Using Lightroom Presets for Portraits

4. Presets Heaven - TOP 5 most downloaded Lightroom Presets

5. Nicole S. Young (one of my favorite people) - Free Lightroom Presets

6.  Matt Kloskowski (another of my favorites) - Lightroom Presets – Wedding Fairytale Glow

7. Matt Kloskowski II - You'll find all of his free presets here

8. You have just one guess at what you'll find at FreePresets.com

9. Tonja Petrella has put together an extensive list of free and almost free presets on Pinterest

10. Free Lightroom Presets for weddings from Dror Eyal

11. Here's a list of presets, tutorials, and more from Digital Photo Buzz

12. Gavin Seim - The Ultimate Free Presets List (pretty darn extensive)

13. A big pack of free Lightroom presets from William

14. Lightroom Presets from onOne Software

15. photo tut+ - 100 Free Lightroom Presets (And How to Make Your Own)

16. 14 free presets from Wonderland Adobe Lightroom Presets

17.  Inside Lightroom - Black & White presets (be sure to click on all the categories under "Lightroom Presets" so see all of the free presets available)

18. Another Pinterest list of Free Lightroom Presets from Genevieve Winters