TUTORIAL; WORKING YOUR SHOT MAKES YOU AS WISE AS AN .....!!!!!

"You kids have everything handed to you, it's too easy, you don't have to work for it.": followed by, Wait for it, wait..." like we did when I was a kid." There it is. I heard this when I was a kid and I'm guessing that kids are still hearing it from the older generation, of which I am now a part. Let me take a moment to stop being depressed at that thought.

I don't know maybe it's true. Is it easier for each generation? It sure is for the photographers in the digital age. We have it much easier then even 20 years ago. Everyone with a camera feels that they can photograph great images and for the most part, it's true.  Cameras can be much simpler to use, from your IPhone to 35 DLSRs, you can take a good picture, maybe even a great one. That you can do it on a continuous basis, I believe, depends on educating yourself and practicing your techniques over and over again: putting in the work to improve. That means being in the field shooting or reading books or being on the Internet watching and learning from the great photographers that you admire.

Yesterday, Phyllis and I were at Disney's Animal Kingdom with my brothers. It is a great place to practice photographing animals that you would not normally see everyday. It is also a great place to test yourself. I decided that yesterday I would only take my camera (D300s) and one lens ( Nikon 70 - 200 VR 2.8).  It was interesting to try and get the images with just this one zoom. Next time, I want to try using my 17 - 55 zoom which will be even more challenging. In a later post, I will discuss what it was like shooting with just this combination.

When we started out, I thought this self challenge would be the subject of this post. As will happen with nature photography, things changed. As we were waiting to see one of the shows, I spotted a young lady (staff person) holding a Great Horned Owl. Well, not really holding it but rather the owl was perched on her arm. One of the challenges shooting in any zoo is to capture images that do not look like they were taken in a zoo. So that is what I was going to do. It would  have some of the same challenges as if we were shooting out in the wild. I didn't know how much time I would have to photograph the owl, for one. Plus, I needed to eliminate some distracting areas around the owl: first, being the staff person who's arm it was sitting on. This would mean I would not be getting any full body shots but more of a portrait. Also there were some very distracting background elements as seen in these images.

After taking these  two images, I started thinking and pre-visualizing what my final image would look like. As I was thinking about the shot I would try to capture, a young person with a Canon 35mm DSLR walked up next to me. They pointed the camera, took one or two shots, and I heard them say to their companion, " Ok, that's great. I got it, let's go." They were there less then a minute and they left.  Now I never saw their image but looking at their setup, they had a small zoom and could have taken a good image, I guess. I have no idea what exposure method they were using but it was possible. If they did, they are either a much better photographer than I am or really lucky.

When I see an image, I start "working it" right away. My first shots are documenting the image, testing exposure baseline and composition. This shot or two takes less then a minute. It also gives me at least one image to document in case the animal or person leaves. As I look at the first shots, I decide what I need to do by asking myself questions: 1) Is the exposure where I want it? 2) Is it sharp? 3) Do I like the composition or do I need to move myself in order to get a better composition like zoom in or out? Once I've answered these questions, I start shooting.

As I shoot almost each image, I look at my screen and decide if I like what I have, if not I keep tweaking. I would rather do it in camera then in Photoshop. I liked both of the above shots: the bottom one even better then the top. I think the spot of white on the bottom is distracting. I could take it out in PS but again, if I can do it here, even better. When I saw the bottom shot, I knew I had an image I liked, that would work for me. So do I leave now? No, I go for the dessert: that little extra that you can sometimes get. I wasn't in a hurry and the owl was still there so I kept tweaking and shooting: changing exposures and composition a little with each shot.

I realized that a cloud had moved and when the owl looked to my left, the sun would give him a natural sidelight. (Keep shooting keep observing!!) I ended up shooting 15 shots of this owl: the last one being the one above: a full face image filling the area with it's face. This is my favorite shot, although I also like a few of the profile poses.

You might notice that some of the images seem to be shooting up slightly, this was to eliminate the background clutter. I also stood on my toes, balancing to get that extra inch (the last shot). This is what I call 'working the shot', not settling for an ok shot but tweaking and shooting till I get "the shot": the one that makes me stop and smile.

They were right.. work is good for you! It makes you as wise as an OWL!

AARON'S JOURNEY, LIVING WITH LEUKEMIA, MY RECOMMENDED BLOG OF THE WEEK! " AARON OUTWARD"

Being a photographer, I find inspiration in many things. Looking up at the sky can be very inspirational to me, not always and not in a soul searching way. But when I see a beautiful blue sky with interesting cloud formations, I feel inspired. Inspired to try and capture what I see and inspired to appreciate this wonderful planet we live on. When I am in a lush green field in the very early morning and I spot a deer with her young doe beside her grazing, that also inspires me. It inspires me to capture that beauty and hope that it might influence people to venture out into nature, see what I see with a camera and not a rifle: to enjoy nature and the beauty that surrounds us.

Another thing that can inspire me is the written word. That is one of the things I am looking for when I read a blog, to inspire me, make me learn something new about myself or life.
When I first came upon a blog with the name "Aaron Outward", http://www.aaronoutward.com/,  I had no idea what it was about.  I started reading and the second paragraph stated:

"This past year has been quite the adventure with many ups and downs. On February 8th, 2010, I was officially diagnosed with B-Cell Philadelphia Positive Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. The hghlights of my past year include:

- successfully completing Induction therapy and achieving remission
- completing a Central Nervous System Intensification Cycle
- completing 10 Intensification/Consolidation cyles 
- completing 2 rounds of Maintenance Chemotherapy
- asking Amy to marry me and her actually saying yes J You can find the story here – She Said Yes
- successfully completing an Unrelated Allogenic Bone Marrow Transplant"

I realized that it was going to take me on a journey and the pilot had a story that would touch not only me, but all of us because cancer has touched us in some way. I find Aaron to be very honest about what he went through and what he continues to go through.  Aaron tells the reader that the focus of his blog is changing as he progresses.


"Going through Cancer teaches us so many things, and most of us don’t get the opportunity to learn these lessons until we are personally faced with a life altering event. But why should that be the case?  Why should only cancer survivors be privy to these lessons?"  

Those words made me smile. It is a very strong couple of sentences. Many would think " I don't want to learn those lesson". So why should you learn those lessons and why should you read his blog?  Well, I think its just because we do not want to learn those lessons that we need to. Unless you are very, very lucky, you or someone you love will learn these lessons. I have not been that lucky. I have loss loved ones to this disease that not only robs you of your life but also your dignity. We need to hear these lessons to understand what our love ones are going through!
If we cannot lessen the pain maybe we can lessen the loss of dignity and the worry that our love ones go through or will go through.  Aaron writes, "I have shifted the main focus of the blog to speak about the wonderful things cancer teaches us about personal growth and self development."


This is a young man who has his head on straight, who understands where his life is at and chooses to find positive lessons in it all and share them with us. I am going to continue reading, learning and being inspired by this young man, his wife and their child.  Please join me as we follow Aaron on his journey.
http://www.aaronoutward.com/   

A TUTORIAL!! LIGHTING A BRIDE & GROOM PORTRAIT WITH OUR XENON FLASHLIGHT

In one of my posts, I mentioned that we sometimes use a flashlight when lighting a bride and groom for an image. I received emails asking two questions: why and how. I will try and answer those questions today. These are usually taken at the reception after most, if not all the planned shots; the first dance, cutting the cake and tossing the bouquet are over. We try to pull the couple away for ten minutes or so to get a romantic image for the album. Our first step is one of the most important in capturing the image. That step is when we plan ahead of time for the shot. We scout out the venue and find the place that would be ideal. Then we have our lighting ready and my camera readings set to a starting point but not the final settings. You have to remember that this is their wedding. They are having a lot of fun so you do not want to interfere with their night so you really need to plan it out. We also let the couple know about the shot before the wedding day and then again when we reach the reception. We assure them it will take about ten minutes or less.

This particular image is one of our  favorites using the flashlight. It was taken at Wendy and Antonio Huertas 's wedding reception in New Hampshire. They looked amazing and it was up to us to try and capture just how amazing. This was photographed outside at 11PM.  We knew we wanted to try and capture an image under this beautiful trellis. As you can see, there were many little lights lining the structure. Could we have taken it using a flash? Yes, of course but we would have lost the wonderful atmosphere that we saw when we looked at the two of them in this setting. We would have blown out all the shadows and the darkness of the night with a flash. Our set up is actually was quite easy and quick. After we have the couple in a relaxed pose, Phyllis stands with the flashlight off to my right. I am in front of the couple at 6 o'clock and Phyllis stands at 8 o'clock. She points the light at the couple so that we are illuminating just them and I notice how the light falls off gently down the length of their bodies. I quickly refine my settings and shoot till I feel we have the shot. This usually takes about 1 minute, once I actually start photographing them. We then thank them and walk back inside and finish shooting the rest of the reception.

A few tips: the flashlight we use is a Brinkman dual Xenon tungsten spot light. You can find it at http://www.brinkmann.net/products/details.aspx?item=800-2200-0. I believe it cost us about 20-30 dollars, a few years ago. Remember, it is tungsten and is a pretty intense light source. With those two facts in your head, first, set your camera to tungsten white balance. Then realize that your camera's light meter might be fooled as to what your exposure should be. That is why I said I get my setting to a starting point. You need to take a few test shots before you're ready for the actual photograph. I will usually use the aperture priority mode and an ISO of 800 to 1200.

When you look at this image, I hope you can see why we photograph some shots using this technique.
I think it gave this image a fantasy storybook look. I know this couple loved it and it was chosen for their albums. This technique also works great for portraits and other shots. We would love to hear your comments about the images and the technique. This is my first attempt at a tutorial and we will see by your response if is something I will try again.

A personal note: Wendy and Antonio are expecting their first child in the next few months.  We are so happy for them and wish them all the best, they deserve it.

A WALK IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD (ABS)

It was a great morning here in Port Saint Lucie, Florida. The sun was shining and the air was cool enough to make it an enjoyable crisp and clean 6:30 AM. It was a great morning to take a walk in our neighborhood and of course keeping in mind ABS (Always Be Shooting), I grabbed my camera. Now I will say that this area makes a walk always interesting, if you're a nature freak like I am. You almost always see birds like herons, egrets and cranes.  If you take walks in your neighborhood with your camera, you may or may nor see these birds but I'll bet you'll see something interesting to photograph each time you walk or take a short drive. It will make you a better photographer and help you appreciate where you live. These are a few shots I took this morning: just the birds of PGA Village.

PRODUCT REVIEW: HAVING YOUR IMAGES PRINTED ON ALUMINUM!

Today's post is a product review, my first, although it will not be my last. A couple of months ago, I was looking for a new way to present my fine art prints. This would be for both my personal use and in what I could offer customers who were interested in fine art prints. I have prints that are printed on high quality archival papers and on canvas and while really happy with their quality, I had a place in my house for two images that I thought might be better suited for something different. After searching online, I found what I thought might be perfect. It is a company called ImageWizards. This is not a new company, they have been around for a few years. Remember when you first saw a person's face imprinted on a coffee mug? These folks invented the process. In the early 80s when mouse pads were made with customized imprints, they invented the process. The owner is Roger Laudy and is described as part scientist, part eccentric mechanic and part eight-year old mischievous boy.

Not one to rest on his laurels, his newest innovation is AluminArt. It's gorgeous brushed satin and white satin or high gloss aluminum that is considered a breakthrough in 'high definition imaging'. I saw examples on their web page, http://imagewizards.net/, and saw that some photographers I respected had used them for prints: one being Moose Peterson, who is one of the best wildlife photographers in the world.  I went about selecting two images and using their web page, sent them to be processed. When they arrived in about 10 days, we were extremely happy with their product and their service department, which worked with me to insure the great prints.

Some of the readers know that we just bought a new home and are still decorating it. I found a spot where we needed a rather large piece to finish our living room area. My first thought was Imagewizards. I was actually excited by the thought of seeing another of my images printed on aluminum. Once again, I sent the file to them and once again their service department and printers worked with me till we were all satisfied that the image would be the quality and size I needed. We ordered a 36" x 24" print of a South Beach scene that I took just a few months ago. Within a week, my doorbell rang and when I went to the door, I saw the package. It took awhile to open it, (this company does a great job of securing it) and then I saw my image. I could not have been happier with the results. Their process shows the image the way I saw it on the day I took the picture: with the same colors and depth which makes you feel you're looking out a window at the beach in front of you (picture number 1). They have multiple ways of hanging your images. I chose the frame less floating mount system which you can see in picture number 2. They even include a cloth that you can use to wipe any fingerprints that may end up on the image when your family can't help but want to touch it lol.

Image 1

Image 2

The cost of this great product, for the 36"x 24" print, is $160 including shipping. I can not recommend this product enough. You will be so thrilled with the results, you may never want to print on any other surface. Tell them you heard about them on our blog. If you have any questions, call Dani Ghramm. You will receive great service from Dani and a great product from, http://imagewizards.net/. Thanks!
Dani Ghramm - Image Wizards, Inc. 105 Rogers Road, Lexington, NC 27292
800.849.3390 ext. 232

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY AND HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO MY LOVELY WIFE, PHYLLIS!!

Today millions of people celebrate Valentine's Day. In our house we also celebrate our anniversary and today is our 24th wedding anniversary. I met Phyllis around two weeks after she was born, it's true. I was only 5 at the time but I was there at her Christening. Our parents were great friends. Her dad was my father's best man and as families, we spent many days together. I like to tell people that on that day I looked at her in her crib, I said, "I'm going to be in there with you one day". It took over 30 years but I kept my word.

I was living in Arizona and Phyllis wrote me a letter saying that she had spoken to my parents and had learned that my marriage had ended and wanted to let me know she was sorry to hear it. (To this day I don't believe she was that sorry lol) We spoke on the phone that night and for every day after for a month. I then decided to come home to Massachusetts to visit. I was home two days and proposed at around 6PM and she quickly accepted, 8 hours later. I knew I had her after the first 5 hours, she was getting tired lol.  That was in August and we set the upcoming February 14th as the date. When we told people we were getting married, everyone said the right things but I'm pretty sure some people thought, "Sure this will last! They had not seen each other for over 12 years and had started speaking on the phone for a short while then became engaged and are getting married in 6 months. Yup this is a sure thing!!!!"

Well, the good news is, it was the surest thing out there. We have spent the last 24 years exploring much of this country and each other and learning to love the country and each other more and more.
I have been a very lucky man my entire life (although a lottery win has escaped me) but the luckiest day was 24 years ago today. When I finally said, "So why not, what do we have to loose?" and Phyllis answered, "You're right, lets get married" (or words to that effect), the best years of my life started.

Here are a few images of Phyllis doing what we both love to do, enjoying our love of nature, photography and each other.

SHOULD WE CELEBRATE VALENTINE'S DAY..YES OR NO?????

I have been reading articles that denigrate Valentine's Day lately: To accuse it of only being a holiday made up by the greeting card companies. Like most arguments, they can make pretty persuasive points, if not really thought out. The most common argument is that we should show love all year long, not just on one day a year. Ok, on this point I totally agree. We should show our love all year for all the people we love especially that one special person. They say we shouldn't have to spend our money on one single day buying candy, flowers and sexy lingerie. (On this point in particular, I don't agree). One person wrote that it is just another reason for your wife or girlfriend to get mad at you when you forget, just like your anniversary. OK, wait a minute, maybe we have seen the real reason that some do not want to celebrate Valentine's Day lol. I think these people have bigger problems then this holiday lol.

Others will point out that those who are not in a relationship feel really bad during this time. All right, we can all have sympathy for those people but you think they are going to feel better if we do not celebrate this day, once a year?? Next year, if we suddenly stopped celebrating, are they going to wake up alone, go to work, come home to a empty home and feel great because their neighbor is not going out for dinner and celebrating Valentine's Day? I'm guessing not that much better. Should we stop celebrating Arbor Day because it might make the lumberjacks sad?? 

 Look, these people are missing the point about Valentine's Day. It's not just about LOVE, it is ( in my mind) also about ROMANCE. We are very busy people, juggling many things including; jobs, lack of jobs, kids, the economy, the price of gas going up and politics and many just want to come home, eat dinner and watch TV before going to bed, especially if you're a mom with young children and you're the dad working two jobs. You still love each other but maybe the romance is not at the forefront of your lives most days. Hopefully, it is on your anniversary and your birthdays (if you do not forget it lol). What can possibly be wrong with a weekend or a day that helps the romance grow in your relationship? I say a very loud, NOTHING.

Here are some images that show love and romance. Enjoy!!!