All Photo Buzz

A few thoughts....

2011-05-16T09:28:00.000-06:00

Sitting at the home-office (AKA..Living Room, Man Cave, Lair of Doom....) working right now and had a few quick thoughts I felt like posting. Few means 3 in case you didn't know!

#1:Working from home as a photographer can be both a blessing and a curse.... if you find yourself working too much...curse. Slacking and playing video games.... curse. Balancing life perfectly? Blessing. Most people fall into the curse genre...

#2:You can never have too many images. Shoot every opportunity you get, and don't pass up on a chance shoot just because you're doubtful of the outcome. The more images you shoot, the higher the chance of landing great images. It's simple math. Even a monkey could land a great shot if he fired enough! Not that you are monkeys... just more food for thought...

#3: No matter how badly you wish for it, that random unexpected million dollar check is not going to show up in the mail (my fingers are still crossed!) You actually will have to spend time marketing your work, or at least landing an agent to do that part for you. With the right marketing approach, even photographer's that aren't very good can make a living. Be a great photographer, and make a living with great marketing!

That's it for now... more thoughts to come.

Action Photo School

2011-04-14T09:00:00.000-06:00

The rumors are true, if there were any rumors... dang.... should have started some rumors first!! I've started a website with action photographer extraordinaire, Daniel Milchev. The website is called Action Photo School and is located here: www.actionphotoschool.com It embodies everything action (skate, surf, ski, board, bike, etc..) and includes ton's of techniques for capturing, editing, and marketing action images. It's even got a forum at www.actionphotoschool.com/forum/ for you to discuss action photography technique with me, Daniel, and everyone else who is joining! There's a TON of articles already on the site to keep you entertained.

We can't wait to hear feedback from everyone regarding the site and are very excited about this, thanks for following All Photo Buzz, which WILL CONTINUE TO EXIST, but with less frequent posts (though more frequent than the last 2 months...) and we hope you will follow Action Photo School too! If you like it, please click the like link on specific articles that you enjoy, or on the homepage. We have a facebook page too that you'll find in the top bar, along with our twitter. Enjoy!

Grade "A" Skiing or/ Gray Day Skiing?! How about both!

2011-02-07T08:35:00.000-07:00

I've been shooting a lot of "gray bird" powder shots the last two days, and have realized a few things that are quite helpful. First off, it can be pretty tough to bring the camera out on a gray day! Especially when there's 18" of new snow overnight. Secondly, there are few techniques that really work on gray days, that you must rely on. More on that below.

I've headed out to get great powder shots the last two days in a row due to the INSANE amount of snow we've received here in Vail. I wasn't looking for cliffs, though those do shoot fairly well on gray days. The shot's I went for were more along the line of "classic" powder images. The skier is chest deep with one arm forward. (I know, I know, it's been done before!) But that's ok, because almost everything has been done before and people have a tendency to forget what they've seen!

The first tip is that you must always over-expose on a gray day or your images will be, you guessed it, gray! Gray is not appealing and our minds think of gray looking snow on a gray day as white. It's crazy what our minds will trick us into believing. To make a picture reflect this we need to over-expose. On a really gray day 1.7-2 stops is needed. Switch to your wide lens and up that number to 2.3-2.7 stops. Wide lenses will expose more for the sky and will darken the image even more.

Now that we have the exposure nailed, what are some techniques that will work? Find objects that give the scene definition. Trees, rocks, or logs will add a lot to a shot. Shoot in the trees and your gray day shots will be 1000 times better than on a wide open run. Try and build these elements into your images to make them far more exciting.

Don't shoot from behind on a gray day with a lot of new snow. Behind shots rarely work unless the lighting is killer. Focus more on capturing the athlete's expressions to bring emotion to the images. This means shooting from the front-side area, or head-on. Maybe to the side directly if you feel risky!

So how do you manage focus on powder shots? Well, if your shooting in the trees it can be tough with the trees affecting your auto-focus every time the athlete passes one. Set your camera focus lag (controls how long it takes to re-focus on a new object) to a longer delay, and shoot on auto with the minimal point selection to make it run quicker. It should keep track and the trees won't affect your focus now. Don't set the focus point to the middle... or all your shots will be way too centered and look amateur-ish. Set it off to a side or to the top or bottom.

Gray day photos can be fun, and are a great time to practice your techniques for when the sun hits after the storm. Just because gray shots don't typically sell as well doesn't mean it's not worth your while. And, if you get bored shooting on a gray day, it's because you aren't trying hard enough to be creative. Have fun when you shoot and your images will shine!

Go get some "Gray Bird"!

*******EXCITING NEWS!!!!!*****

Fellow action photographer Daniel Milchev and I are starting a brand new website DEDICATED to action photographers! It's called Action Photo School, and will be up and running within a month or two. We can't wait to share all of our knowledge on action photography with you, and think that this site will be a HUGE help and great place for the action community to discuss/learn action photography! Can't wait to see you there!

For now, you can follow our tips/techniques on twitter at @APhotoSchool, and share/discuss your images in our Flickr group here: Action Photo School Flickr

We will announce the launch date soon via twitter and flickr!

Call for entries, win $10,000

2011-01-24T13:00:00.001-07:00

Do you have a lot of great action and lifestyle images in your portfolio? Why not enter the Whistler Pro Photo Showdown. I'm putting together my submittal all week. They are looking for a 3-minute quicktime video slideshow, no special effects, just slides and music. And if you compete in it you'll be competing with me! It only costs the price of shipping a DVD to Canada!

Here's a link to the competition along with all the rules and where to send your slideshow: http://www.wssf.com/event/olympus-pro-photographer-showdown

Good luck and I hope to see you in the Finals (and me too!)

Don't Give Up!

2011-01-19T12:14:00.002-07:00

[ If your looking for more photographic inspiration, or action photography tips, follow my twitter account @APhotoSchool ]

Becoming a professional photographer is not as easy as you may think. It seems like all you would have to do to make money would be producing great images. This is far from the truth. As I've said before, and I quote myself, "The most talented photographer in the world may remain largely unnoticed and never make a sale, while a sub-par photographer may be known for his work and make a great deal of sales." It's the way it works and it doesn't seem quite fair, but it is!

Most photographers are the artsy type of person with no business background, and no real interest in learning business. They can produce great images but are only barely scraping by month to month on small paychecks, and maybe working additional jobs. Sound like you? Don't let this be you! If you have skill (and even if you don't) you should be able to make sales. 90% of a sale is you approaching the client and sharing your winning personality. Your work should seal the deal but if the client really likes you, they may hire you without hardly seeing your imagery.

We live in a business world. Photography may be your business, but it won't necessarily bring you business. Get out there and network to make sales. Meet new people, step out of your comfort zone, and you will be greatly rewarded with a profitable photography career. Don't sit around hoping that the fancy new website you built is going to land you jobs. It almost definitely won't. It sucks but it's true.

So are you stuck in a rut with your photography and contemplating selling your gear and sitting behind a desk for the rest of your life? DON'T! You'll always look back at what you were doing and dream of what could have been. Don't be that washed out high-school football star reliving the "Glory Days" every night to your friends who are doing nothing with their lives.

Becoming a professional photographer is a commitment. It takes time and a lot of work to be known and build your steady client base. It may take a few years, but stick with it. And whatever you do, don't waste all your time dreaming of who you could be, it's a waste of who you are. Be proud of yourself for sticking with it and enjoy these slow days even if they are a bit of a struggle. When you find your niche and start turning a profit, you won't have a moment to sit down again!

Now get out and market yourself. Your not going to be famous sitting on your couch eating potato chips. (Theres a time and place for that.... not mid-workday!)

AlienBees VagaBond Mini In House!

2011-01-13T10:56:00.001-07:00

Just received the brand new AlienBees Vagabond Mini Lithium Power Pack. WOW!! For a few years now I've been lugging around the beast (Vagabond II) which weighs in at a whopping 18.6 lbs. The new mini is just 3.5lbs!

My back say's, "thank you", my chiropractor say's "NOOO!!" The crazy thing? This power pack shoots almost as many shots per charge as the huge Vagabond II, and is about 1/4 of the size and weighs about 75% less. I'll have a more in depth review coming soon, but I can tell you now that this is a HUGE change for the better for me. Now I won't have an excuse to leave my Bee's at home. Also, it makes NO SOUND when it charges. For users of the older II, the annoying whine is gone with this. It also generally does not make a sound when shooting until it's been fired a lot or if it's hot outside. SWEET! And no, alienbees has not paid me for this, I only blog about what I truly believe in.

BTW... It's backordered, and if history repeats itself, will probably be backordered for several months. I'd still say to get on the order list on the off chance that they were more prepared for this unit than the Einstein flash heads......

Frostbite, gray skies, and photography

2011-01-06T21:09:00.000-07:00

The other day was one of those days where I questioned my choice to become a skiing photographer. Why couldn't I have chosen to shoot in a studio? Or maybe work as a skateboarding and mountain biking photographer year round? Days like this are part of my love/hate relationship as a skiing photographer.

It was a miserably cold day. One run, warming hut, one run, warming hut.... The endless cycle of trying to find warmth and then the determination to head out and ski regardless of the freezing -40 degree wind chill.

The kicker of it all? My dog had chewed my Swany Toaster gloves so i was stuck with regular old mittens. The toasters have a zip open side, and a warm liner that fits all fingers individually inside. When its time to shoot, simply unzip the side and pop your fingers out. This helps keep your hands warm all day as you click away! This was not the case for me.... I had to remove my mittens and sit in place for several minutes at a time waiting on the athletes and as i adjusted my settings. My fingers would quickly turn white and lose all feeling. Frost bite is serious and fortunately for me I restored color to my fingers quickly each time.

Get the Swany gloves and be a happier photographer. And no, Swany does not pay me or give me free gloves or anything for this mention. It's just how I feel, honesty is my policy. Over dress to stay warm because its easy to peel off layers and not easy to get warm when you don't have any to put on.

The day was all about straight pow shots, and when it's this gray, you need to use terrain features to separate all the drab grayness. Try putting trees in the frame, and show your athletes face. Faces can bring a lot to a shot and are very important when the scenery is drab and not detailed. Shoot overexposed! At least one full stop to make the true white of the brightest parts of the snow show through. Amateur photographers images usually turn out quite gray. Overexpose and the results will be much greater.

Gray days are not the best for skiing photographers, but are still worth your time. Skiing wouldn't exist if it never snowed, and hardcore skiers can appreciate images no matter how gray they are.

So why do I shoot skiing even when its freezing cold and gray outside? When I'm out there I am living life to the fullest! Its all about the friendship with the skiers I'm with, and being miserably cold together. Also, the excitement we all get when we do finally get that great pow shot. Its a labor of love, even when I'm miserable and about to lose a finger. It's tough to explain, but maybe when your passionate about something, it doesn't need to make sense. Or maybe I'm just rambling on like a maniac! However you read into it, I love what I do and am very lucky to be able to do it everyday.

Have fun shooting what you shoot and if you love what you do, you'll never have to work a day in your life.

Win FREE LumiQuest Product on Twitter!

2010-12-30T21:02:00.001-07:00

Here's a cool (and easy...no skill required) competition to win some free gear. I've copied the rules and info. from the LumiQuest website for you to sign up if your on Twitter and like free stuff. Should be a no-brainer!

LumiQuest and Action Photo School
are giving away a FREE LumiQuest SoftBox LTp and UltraStrap on Twitter!

Just follow these three simple steps for automatic entry.

1. Follow @LumiQuest on Twitter.
2. Follow @APhotoSchool on Twitter.
3. Re-tweet this message on your Twitter account:

"Win a free LumiQuest SoftBox LTp and UltraStrap! For automatic entry, follow @APhotoSchool and @Lumiquest and re-tweet this message!"

That's it! Make sure you complete all three steps and you are automatically entered to win. One winner will be randomly selected on January 31st and notified within three days, we will then request their mailing address to ship the SoftBox LTp and UltraStrap.

Good Luck!

Yet another Apple IPad photography post for the net.....

2010-12-27T16:08:00.000-07:00

I'm not going to bore you by repeating the specs of the IPad and how amazing it is in this post. Instead, I thought I'd offer a short and sweet list of why I already love the IPad I just got for Christmas, and how I see it being helpful to any photographer.

#1: It seems like it will be a great way to show a little portfolio to new/potential clients, and will always be current unlike my print portfolios.... which are easy to go WAYY too long without adding new and better images. Just make sure and keep your galleries concise with your 10-20 BEST EVER images.

#2: I downloaded a sweet task manager program called To Do. It was $1 and is replacing my planner and multiple task lists on my desktop. Gone are the day's of notes all over the place. I set my due date and time and every morning I will check it to see what MUST get done that day. Organization at it's finest, and it's easy to bring with me wherever I go.

#3: Tethered shooting! I have yet to try this as I don't have a cord, but can't wait to test it out. Should be a great option for on-location. ( I will post about this once I receive the cord.)

#4: There is model release software. This also works on the IPhone and the camera on the phone will take a picture for the release as well. Soo much better then carrying around a stack of model releases. The program is called EasyRelease and is accepted by Getty!

#5: E-mail management anytime, anywhere. Replying to e-mails on my phone is too much of a pain most of the time due to the small screen for typing. The IPad is easy to type on, and was very simple to setup with all my e-mail accounts.

#6: Movies and games. Ok, so this one is very indirect... But when your on planes traveling to shoots, the entertainment is awesome!

#7: Battery Life. It lasts for hours and hours, unlike most laptops (pc's especially...hmm hmm.)

Those are the features I see being most useful to photographers. As I find more I will update this list. Now go buy one. End sales pitch......

Real Estate Shoot -- Main house, carriage house, hot tub: all in one shot!

2010-12-22T10:53:00.000-07:00

Real estate photography is all about showcasing all the features, the size, and quality of the property. To do it correctly takes serious technical work and a lot of trial and error. I was approached to shoot this 7000 sq. ft. home near Beaver Creek, CO last week and was thrilled with the opportunity. But when I arrived at the house, I immediately realized how hard it would be to capture it in a great way. The house sits in tight trees, and there are no real vantage points that are further than 45 feet away to shoot the house from. (One note: Next time I will bring a ladder which will help a lot with a more direct and higher angle)

Right away I put the widest lens I have on my camera, and looked for a good angle. The realtors wanted to see the whole back area including main house, carriage house, and hot tub. The catch? They wanted it all in ONE shot!

After walking around and taking test shots, it quickly became obvious that there was only one angle to properly do this. Fortunately, the angle accomplished everything, and looked great! The angle is key in real estate, as one angle can make a room look small, or awkward, when another one will make it look spectacular and cause more interest in visiting the property.

This house is MASSIVE. The other issue? The house goes away from the camera somewhat like a hallway. My approach was to try and get the flashes in between the main and side house, and light up the house. I knew right away that if I had all my flashes near me, the light falloff would be way too much and the back of the house would be dark. A general rule of thumb is that if your flashes are all at full power (and the same kind), they should all be the same distance from the area they are meant to light. This way the distribution is very even.

I ended up using 6 flashes (excessive I know....). One AB-1600 was to the left of me and aimed up left to light that far side of the house. An Alienbees ringflash was held above my camera to light the immediate area. Another AB-1600 was 25 feet to my left and aimed to light up the main part of the house. Then I had a Nikon SB-900 just before the stairs past the hot tub aimed at the chimney on the right. An SB-800 was above the stairs before the next flight aimed to the right to light the back of the side house. Finally, one more SB-800 was on the ground above the next flight of stairs and aimed up towards the side of the main house to light the rest. WHEW.... Lots of light!

The flashes were all triggered with Pocket Wizards, with 2 of them in SU-4 mode since I have just 4 PW's. The advantage to having flashes further away from me was that they lit up the house in a three dimensional way. This helps accent the chimney, and keeps the house from appearing in 2D.

Unfortunately, the hot tub's LED lights were broken. Problems like this always occur so think quick on your feet! I did not have a flash light, so I put my SB-800's into repeat mode, and set the camera on a 2 second exposure. Then I held one as the realtor held another, and we triggered them as many times as we could in the 2 seconds. This captured the water and made it look soft and smooth, while lighting it up perfectly and accenting it's blue color. It also made the waterfall appear to sparkle, an effect I didn't know would happen!

I blended the hot tub into the final shot with Photoshop using Layers and am very happy with how that turned out overall. I should have checked my histogram as I was shooting because the final image was a bit underexposed. Sometimes at night the screen will make the image look brighter than it actually is. Check your histograms!!

My camera settings included about a 1/30th shutter to let some of the lights from the house show through, and keep the sky dark. The aperture was set to f/11 to keep sharpness through the house, and the ISO was at 400 to keep the flashes bright, and capture a bit more ambient. The final image is one of the best I've ever shot, and I'll be posting it on my personal site soon at www.cnwphoto.com.

If you've had any real estate shoots you'd like to share, or have any questions, please ask them or share the stories in the comments below.

Skiing Shoot Tips for Any Day!

2010-12-13T13:27:00.000-07:00

A few days ago I headed out with my photo gear to shoot some side-country skiing (like backcountry but with easier lift access from a resort). We'd had over a foot of new snow the day before, and woke up to perfect bluebird skies. These are the days that skiing photographers live for!

Not everything was perfect though.... I had no plan of attack. No run that I knew would have good light, and no real set of features that I planned on shooting. That's the lesson I learned on this shoot, and have learned too many times before. PLAN YOUR SHOTS, SCOUT YOUR LINES, AND THINK AHEAD!!!! Sometimes you can get lucky winging it though, as was the case on this shoot. I got some good shots (no award winners, but definitely good quality images), and had a blast, which is very important!

There are a few pieces of advice that I would like to share with you that I should have (and did with some) kept in mind to make this shoot go smoother:

-Plan ahead as much as possible, based on when features have good light on them at certain times of day. The days are short this time of year, and North or North-East exposures always have the best snow but the shortest amount of light.

-When shooting into the sun going for the starred effect, there can be NO clouds whatsoever over the sun or right next to it. This will ruin your starred effect.

-Listen to your athletes, communication is key and if they have something they think will look good, it probably will!

-Keep your safety and your athletes safety at the forefront of your mind. Avalanche danger is very real and likely in back or side-country. Take an avalanche class, practice with your beacon, carry a probe and shovel. Have your athletes do the same.

-For safety I also wear an Ava-Lung. These are important for a photographer because we are in places where we could likely be buried. Breath through it while you shoot in case the snow slides above you. It will let you breath for far longer under the snow while your athletes/friends can dig you out. Thankfully I've never had to use mine!

-On spotty weather days (i.e. clouds passing over the sun), set the camera in shutter-priority, there's no need for full manual.

-Over-expose by about 0.7, or the camera will try and meter the snow to a neutral gray instead of white.

-Work closely with athletes and pick a safe position to shoot from. They need to be aware of where you are at all times.

-Purchase a set of two-way radios to communicate with the athlete. If you are under a cliff they are on you won't be able to communicate without radios!

-Zip your pack while your shooting, even if you believe there is no chance snow will get in. The one time you forget, your gear is sure to get covered in snow. It's just the way things work.

-Get creative with your shots, don't just shoot action, capture everything!

Hopefully these tips are helpful, keep them in mind and make safety a priority. One great shot is not worth your life.

Ski Season is HERE! 5 Great Posts On Skiing Photography +1 MUST-READ APB POST

2010-12-05T19:52:00.002-07:00

All Photo Buzz -- The Do's and Don'ts of Skiing Photography : This article contains a lot of tips that I've learned from personal experience and covers a lot of subject matter that usually is left out.

Flash Compensation : Posted this one mainly because the photo is great and was captured with on-camera flash by a well-known skiing photographer: Yves Garneau. The article is short but covers pop-up fill flash for a quick lifestyle photo.

Ski Photography Tips : This article contains 10 helpful tips for people just learning to shoot skiing. The only one I would discard is to keep your camera warm. I keep mine in my pack and the batteries still last for several thousand shots, seems like a very out-dated suggestion with the new batteries.

Jack Affleck Interview : A great article by famous Vail photographer, Jack Affleck. Almost every Vail ad photo you've seen in the last 10-20 years was taken by him. This is some solid advice!

Grant Gunderson Interview : This is an interview with photographer Grant Gunderson who is consistenly published in all the top ski magazines. He has some solid advice in there and it's a motivational read.

http://chrisoconnell.com/ : Probably the TOP ski photographer and most well known. Chris O' Connell's blog covers all his cool shots. There's a lot to see here so look around and prepare for motivation and inspiration to shoot more!

Nik Software HDR Efex Pro Reviewed

2010-11-29T15:15:00.000-07:00

Over the past several years HDR photography went from a trendy editing style, all the way to a realistic look that allows images to showcase far more detail and dynamic range than ever before. Programs have been making this process easier all the time, and Nik Software's HDR Efex Pro takes this process to a whole new level. I was immediately impressed with how quick and simple the program was to use.

Before HDR Efex Pro, I used PhotoMatix Pro which did a great job of rendering the HDR, but to make the image look good, I had to spend a lot of time in photoshop. Finally there is a solution that makes this workflow simpler, and more real looking than ever before!

(HDR Image from Moab, UT created from 7 exposures using Nik Software HDR Efex Pro. Click to Go Bigger)

(Correct original exposure of scene combined with 6 other exposures to create HDR above. Click to Go Bigger.)

For an explanation on dynamic range, please skip to the bottom of the article before reading the review.

Here's a great article from PhotoTut's+ that goes in depth for those just learning how to capture HDR images.

Using HDR Efex Pro

HDR images begin at capture. Typically you’ll want at least 3 exposures, 1 over-exposed, 1 under-exposed, and 1 correct exposure. This is where bracket mode in your camera comes in handy. It’s also best to shoot HDR’s on a tripod, but not fully mandatory since the program auto-aligns your images very well. The more images you bracket, the more dynamic range for your final image.

The other way to create an HDR, is to open one image multiple times in RAW, and save copies of it with it’s correct exposure, 1 over, and 1 stop under. Then merge them in HDR Efex Pro. It’s a faux HDR but the results can be incredible. No other HDR program that I’ve used can render faux HDR’s as well as HDR Efex Pro. Below is a video demonstrating the software, and how to render one image multiple times with Adobe Lightroom 3 and HDR Efex Pro.

(HDR Image from video made from multiple copies of single exposure below, notice how much more detail is visible in snow while still retaining a realistic look. Click to go bigger)

(Original Image. Click to Go Bigger.)

There are several different ways to run the program, but I’ve found Lightroom or Bridge to work best. In bridge, click “tools-nik software-Merge to HDR Efex Pro” in the top menu after selecting the images you want to merge. For Lightroom users, simply select all images you want merged, right click on one, and choose “export-Nik Software HDR Efex Pro. Aperture and Photoshop also incorporate HDR Efex Pro in their export options once installed. This way you can access and run the program through whichever editor/file manager you prefer.

It will take a minute or so for the images to be processed and the HDR Efex Interface to load the preview. With previous HDR Software, I had to spend time changing all kinds of settings (most of which were hard to understand or remember what the function of each setting was). And even with as much tweaking as possible, the image still looked pretty rough. The programs also ran fairly slow. This is not the case with HDR Efex Pro, which results in much faster processing times for photographers with a far simpler and more easily understandable adjustments.

(Click image to view HDR Efex Pro interface larger)

The interface is incredibly simple to understand right from the start. The left side displays all the different presets that will automatically change the way the image is rendered. There are plenty of cool presets in here, and just like lightroom you can create and save your own! This works great if you want to render a couple different angles of the same shot since you can run them all through the same preset. The presets load very fast and previews are displayed in the middle. There are also filters to help you find presets for the specific style of image your working on. I find that these can help narrow down the selection but for most images I rely on the most realistic settings.

Once you’ve chosen a preset that looks good, navigate to the right panel and play with tone compression. Typically setting the slider to the left renders more realistic, while a shift to the right gives that artistic HDR style that is very popular right now.

Below that is your global adjustments, here you can modify basic settings as if you were processing a RAW image. This is where the magic happens since most programs don’t go this in depth. Global adjustments help make it so that the images won’t need any additional editing after HDR Efex Pro.

After you’ve set your global adjustments, you can modify the HDR method. This is basically the “style” of your image and the amount you want that “style” applied. It’s easy to create some really cool looks with these settings!

(HDR created with 6 original exposures, black vignette and bright contrast curves added in HDR Efex Pro. Uses realistic strong preset. Click to Go Bigger.)

(Original median exposure combined with 5 other exposures to create HDR above this image. Click to Go Bigger.)

If you’ve ever used any of Nik Software’s programs before (and I highly recommend you start if you have not), then the selective adjustments will be easy to understand. If you haven’t, simply click “add control point” and place the point on an area of your image that you would like to modify. The point will have sliders including one that adjusts the size of the area affected. Move the setting sliders and the specific area is instantly affected! It’s really simple, and when used correctly will look completely natural without any weird blend markings. You can add as many control points as you would like to an image. This kind of control makes it possible for any user to edit like a professional re-toucher with ease.

Finally, you move on to finishing adjustments. Here you’ll find options for vignette, levels, and curves. Everything you could need to even out the toning and contrast of the image, plus vignettes to add some style and depth.

That’s it! No photoshop needed aside from selective sharpening. It seems like a lot of settings to work through at first (that's a good thing!), but if you work through them in this order it all makes sense quickly. If you create a really cool look, save it as a preset, and you can export and share the preset with other photographers, or apply it to your other images!

My Final Opinions:

As an architectural and action sports photographer who often shoots several exposures to create one perfect image, I’ve been looking for a well-built solution to edit quickly and precisely. Programs in the past have done a good job, but with little control and a lot to be desired. Before, I would often find myself making my own blends in photoshop since the programs could not render images to my liking. This is not the case with HDR Efex Pro.

HDR Efex Pro is the answer to all of my complaints about previous HDR software. It’s incredibly powerful, customizable, and easy to use. I highly recommend it for any photographer that’s interested in shooting HDR, learning how to shoot HDR’s, or hoping to achieve the HDR look by merging different exposures of a single image. It’s a tool that I find myself drawn to more and more and continue to discover new uses for. HDR Efex Pro has dramatically shortened my edit times and given me far more control with it’s selective editing. I’m now much more comfortable shooting HDR’s for clients because I know that I can render a usable version in a reliable manner.

This is one of the most useful tools for any landscape and architectural photography that I have found. My only complaints are that the default realistic presets tend to look over-rendered, or under-rendered with no real median. However, this is a very minor issue since I was able to create my own to my specific specs.

Try it out for yourself with a free 15 day trial, and see if it’s right for what you do.

http://www.niksoftware.com/hdrefexpro/usa/entry.php

(HDR image created from 3 original images. Notice detail in clouds and stone work, also trees are lighter while still retaining a natural real look. Click to Go Bigger.)

(Original median exposure combined with 2 others to create above image. Lacks level of detail seen in final HDR. Click to Go Bigger.)

Brief Explanation of Dynamic Range:

Dynamic Range is the latitude with which an image shows detail. The more detail in the shadows and highlights, the higher the dynamic range and vice-versa. The human eye can see a range of nearly 24 f-stops of light (though there is some debate over this). Most DSLR’s fall into the range of 10-12 stops of light, with the best ones coming in at about 14 according to DXO Marks. This explains the loss of detail in shadows and highlights from what your eye can see. If you are sitting inside and look outside, your eyes can see all the detail outside, along with everything inside.

A picture from your camera will render the inside as completely dark, or the outside as blown-out depending on what you expose for. HDR stands for “High Dynamic Range” meaning that the image showcases far more dynamic range than a typical photo. This is accomplished by combining several exposures such as the outside and inside exposure to create one image with both areas perfectly exposed.

No longer just a common trend or artistic editing style. HDR is quickly becoming a very important photography method for showcasing all the detail available on a particular subject.

(HDR image created from 3 original exposures. Click to Go Bigger.)

(Original median image combined with other two images to create image above. Click to Go Bigger.)

Marketing your photography is not as obscure as you may think....

2010-11-23T14:31:00.000-07:00

Professional photography is a business. It's also an art. Artistic people tend not to be businessmen and vice-versa. This is the fundamental downfall of most aspiring photographers, they simply are bad at marketing. Here's a truth that may very well change your life: The best photographer in the world, may make almost no sales. The worst photographer may make millions of sales. The difference is that the worst photographer was a great businessman.

It's tough to comprehend at first, but pure artistic talent may never get you anywhere as a professional. You must also view your photography as a business. If your anything like me, you've been viewing photography as an obscure, and tough-to-market business. This is not the truth.

So how do you find clients? Don't just sit in front of your computer hoping they will stumble over your name or website and call you up because your so good. It's not going to happen. You need to be going out and networking. Walking into businesses even if you think there is no chance they would ever need your work. You'll be surprised at how easy it is, and how many people actually are interested in hiring you for your time and talents.

How do music bands make it to the big time?? In Today's environment they set up a myspace page and put their music up, but this alone does not drive them to the top. They network. They go to any clubs or bars that they may be able to play at and introduce themselves. That's what we need to do as photographers. People drive business, so go to the people and land some business.

Hopefully I've put this all in a way that makes sense to you, because for me it was a revelation. Market hard, shoot well, and good luck!

Cold and Warm Grit: free Lightroom 3 Presets

2010-11-21T16:16:00.003-07:00

There are literally thousands of different methods to edit images. One that seems to be very popular is a very gritty look. It has a lot of clarity and a very edgy look. Click below to download a preset for Lightroom 3 that will give your images this look. I've created 2 new presets that are both included in the file: One that makes the image look cold and gritty, and another that makes it look warm and gritty.

Click here to download the new APB-ColdGrit and APB-WarmGrit presets.

Remember, these presets may not improve images depending on lighting and capture/subject settings. Though they will work great for most! Installation instructions are posted below the sample images.

Original

WarmGrit

ColdGrit

Here's a few samples. This effect is intended to give your images a little more edge, lower the vibrance, and up the clarity and contrast. The overall look is very stylistic and unique.

To install the APB-Action*PoP* preset(s):
1) Unzip the preset zip file on to your desktop (macs will automatically unzip)
2) Go to the Develop module. NOTE: YOU MUST BE IN THE DEVELOP MODULE
3) Go to the Presets panel on the left. Right click anywhere in it and choose “Import”.
4) Select the .lrtemplate files you unzipped in Step 1 and click Import.
5) Enjoy!!

Shoot for fun, not just money.

2010-11-17T13:35:00.001-07:00

For most photographers, the dream they begin with is to see their work published. Once that's happened it seems they lose sight of their dream and why they shoot. It's easy to shoot mainly for the money, especially when you need that money to pay rent. Today I'm here to tell you to try not to lose sight of your original goals and dreams. Remember your roots and think of how far you've already come! If your just starting your journey as a professional photographer, than chances are you have not lost sight yet.

When I first began back in '05, photography was my passion and something I did everyday without really thinking about why I was shooting or if the shots would even be good. I took every opportunity I had to go out and take as many photos as possible. My camera was permanently attached to my right hand. At this time, I dreamed of one day seeing just one of my photos published in Powder magazine, or even in the local newspaper.

This passion and drive has brought me to where I am today with many publications. It's because of this that I know how to work my camera, what makes for a good shot, and how to have fun shooting. Over the last year I became a bit more money driven. This is not necessarily a bad thing because I do need the money to continue shooting all the time. However, I sometimes find that I'm sitting at home trying to market and make money, when I should probably be outside shooting. This realization has led me to shoot much more in the last few weeks. Because of this I can honestly say that I'm happier, and feel like I'm making more progress as a photographer then ever. Money keeps me in business, but being in the field shooting is why I am a photographer. These are my roots.

Don't let yourself over-think an opportunity to go shoot. Just head out and do it. So what if the images aren't salable (they probably will end up being salable because your doing what you love). Who cares if the images just sit on your hard drive? It's about having fun. Photographer's have the best job in the world.

Even if you are in a dry spell and not making any money, try not to sit inside waiting on e-mails to bring more work. Get out and shoot with some friends. It will help you stabilize and calm down about the fact that the money is not coming in. Keep marketing, but shoot for fun as well. Allowing your camera to become your work, and not using it for enjoyment will lead to an unhappy career. Don't follow the 9-5er's out there who complain about their jobs. Love what you do, and do it every chance you get.

If you've ever had a time where you didn't shoot for fun simply because the photos might not be salable, please share your story below in the comments.

Shoot Journal: Studio Portrait Session

2010-11-15T16:08:00.000-07:00

Photography is fun. That's a very obvious statement for anyone reading this, but I couldn't help myself! It's easy to get caught up in a dry spell where you aren't shooting much for some reason or another, and your getting tired of sitting in front of a computer all day. The answer to a dry spell is to go shoot. Even if you don't feel you have anything worth shooting. Go shoot.

I realized the other day that due to the off-season (too much snow for any summer related sports, and not enough for winter sports) that I hadn't shot for over a week. That's a long time to be away from a camera. I was really missing it. So my answer? Call up a close friend (pro skier: Matt Luczkow) and shoot some portraits.

Matt is a great person to shoot with. He loves to spend as much time as possible experimenting with different flash setups and lighting, and rarely becomes bored. These are rare finds because a lot of people have no interest in photography and get bored easily if your spending time experimenting with flash settings.

The whole point of this shoot aside from capturing some great images was to practice some more lighting setups. Practice makes perfect and the more you practice, the more comfortable you will become when you've landed a client and the pressure is on.

It's a lot of fun to step away from the uncontrolled environment of extreme sports photography, and head into a controlled studio. Makes for far less variables and is more comfortable. It also allows you time to setup and control every single source of light.

Don't have space for a studio setup you say? Well... neither do I.... kind of... I moved my couch, chair and coffee table, and hung my $89 white muslin backdrop (switched to a black one later) over the drapes in my window. Re-arrange your house a bit and I'm sure you will find a way to fit in a makeshift studio for the day.

If you don't have something to hang a backdrop from, here is a sweet kit for $194 that has a stand, and white/black backdrops. Sure, more space would be spectacular, but I at least had enough to setup all my flashes and soft-boxes.

There were a few different setups that I tried, and I will explain each one below the picture that was created using that particular setup. Lighting can be tough and takes a lot of experimentation. Challenge yourself to come up with several different setups in a shoot. It's too easy to just shoot one that consistently works and always yield similar results. Diversify.

For the image above (cigar image). I set up a B1600 at full power on a backlight stand aimed at the backdrop. This is to fully white-out the backdrop and add a little wrap around glow as well. Notice the highlights that help define the sides of the face. This flash was in SU-4 mode which means it automatically pops when any other flash in the room goes off. I used this for all setups so that I would only have to radio or cord trigger one flash.

I placed a B1600 at 1/16 power to the top and right with my 30"x40" softbox, as you can see in his eyes. Below that on the right was my ringlight set at 1/4 power. The ring light gives that great round dimple in the bottom of his eyes. The ring light was triggered with my PW's. Placing the lights to one side added more dimension to his face, and the softbox helped wrap the light around to evenly illuminate. The flashes were both about 5-6 feet away from him and he stood about 6 feet in front of the background.

For this image I chose to shoot with a modified clam shell look. A clam shell is when your main light sources are in front of the model with one above camera and one below. For this image I had one B1600 above the camera and slightly right of the model giving the hat some depth. I then had my ringlight low and centered and shot through it. This puts the ring lights catch light in Matt's eyes perfectly centered. I still had the backlight set to full power since this was taken on the white backdrop. Power settings were the same for the other flashes as in the previous image.

Matt's eyes are the key focus in this image. To accent them I again shot through the ringlight as evidenced by the catchlights. You'll also notice a slight box to the left of both eyes which is my softbox mounted on my B1600 to the left to add a bit more depth. On the right of the image you'll notice a highlight. This was meant to accent the hat and the side of his face. This is provided by a B1600 set to 1/2 power in a 60" shoot-thru umbrella. It's positioned far right and back so that it doesn't contaminate the side of his nose with extra light. Alway's watch out for that because it can ruin an image. There is no backlight aimed at the backdrop since I wanted pure black.

For this final image I wanted a simple and soft look. I used the same settings as the previous shot but moved my umbrella flash a bit farther forward to wrap around the face more. I also shot through the ringlight and was about 5 feet farther away making for a smaller catchlight. This is a great and simple setup and works well as a go-to when all else is failing.

All images were shot at f/16, 1/250th, and ISO 100. This provided solid focus on all details. Shooting studio work is great because you can really nail your focus. These images at 100% reveal great and extremely sharp detail in the eyes.

If you have some great images that you captured just for fun, please share them on flickr in the All Photo Buzz Group and give us a link in the comments below.

Here's a list of gear that I used for these images:

-Nikon D3S
-Nikon 105mm f/2.8 macro
-Nikon 50mm f/1.8 (very affordable!)
-Backdrops
-PocketWizard Radios
-60" umbrella (highly recommended and only $30!)
-AlienBees B1600's
-AlienBees lighting stands
-AlienBees softbox
-AlienBees BR-400 Ring Light

10 Tips That Will Take Your Skateboard Photography to the Next Level!

2010-11-10T09:49:00.003-07:00

#1 – Go to a local skate-park with the intentions of shooting. While your there don’t just shoot random people, scope out some of the best skaters and ask them if they are interested in shooting. Be sure and tell them you’re a great photographer and will e-mail them copies of the shots. Ask them what their best tricks are and have them demonstrate. These are usually what you want to be shooting!

#2 – Get creative with your angles. Get low or bring a ladder and go high, shoot through bushes on the side, climb a tree next to the skate park, stage other people in the shot. Anything that makes the shot more exciting!

#3 – Go wide and go zoomed. Most skate shots are taken with fisheyes and ultra wide-angles. Many are also taken with a zoom. The vast majority of published skate shots are taken from opposite ends of the spectrum.

#4 – Shoot with flashes. Strobes make a huge difference and will make your shots look more professional. Often times, tricks look best when shot from below the athlete. Fill flash can light up the athlete and will show their expression. Expression is key.

#5 – Skaters in general have very short attention spans. I’m not saying this to be mean, it’s just what I’ve experienced. Set up the lights and compose the shot with a few test shots to make sure everything is right. That way, the athlete won’t have to do a tough trick multiple times, and will be stoked when you nail the shot first try.

#6 – If your camera has a fast burst, use it for cool sequences. This is a type of shot I often forget but one that when done correctly get’s published.

#7 – Always be on the lookout for the little details. Skaters have unique style making for great photos. Try and capture them when they are not skating as well. Environmental lifestyles make for incredible images. Watch for every detail. Sometimes it looks cool to get just the board flipping and the athlete’s feet.

#8 - If a shot isn’t working and you can’t seem to make it look good no matter what you try, ask the athlete if there is another feature he can trick on/off. Some features won’t shoot well and are not worth wasting your time on.

#9 – Go pick up a copy of TransWorld Skate, Concrete Wave, Thrasher, or Skateboarder magazine. Reading through these and looking at the photos they run will show you what tricks are considered the gnarliest and the most likely to get published.

#10 – Once you feel your getting the hang of it, ask the athlete if they know any cool street spots. If they don’t skate street, ask them if they have any friends that do and would be down to shoot. Unique street locations are a thousand times more likely to get published in magazines. Park is just too easy to shoot.

Video Tutorial: Remove logos from your images.

2010-11-08T10:27:00.000-07:00

Video is easiest to watch in full screen mode, click the bottom right corner button to enlarge!

Guest Feature: Bret Edge's Five Steps to Better Adventure Photography

2010-11-05T11:44:00.001-06:00

By: Bret Edge www.bretedge.com

My interest in landscape photography evolved as a natural extension of my love for the outdoors. I hike and backpack to gain access to high alpine lakes surrounded by jagged mountain peaks and deep desert canyons carved by raging rivers. Why not use the time in between sunrise and sunset to expand your photographic horizons by shooting adventure images?

Hiker Gazing at Mountains

The words “adventure photography” conjure up images of daring climbers clinging precariously to granite cliffs and river rafters navigating huge rapids. But such high adrenaline pursuits aren’t the only outdoor sports that make for dynamic adventure photos. Day hiking, backpacking, mountain biking and even car camping can offer opportunities for interesting photography all day long. With a little practice and a little knowledge you’ll soon be making photos on par with those in Backpacker, Outside and the now deceased Adventure magazine (RIP). Here are some tips to get you started:

Spouses Make Great Models

Spouses work for free, they’re usually with us while out exploring, they don’t complain a whole lot and they won’t give you flak about signing a model release. Just remember: even if you’re married to a professional model your better half will need a little direction during the shoot. Be patient with them and explain exactly what you need them to do for you, i.e. turn left 1/4 turn and gaze lovingly at that big mountain. Okay, maybe just gaze at that big mountain.

Storm Cloud Forces Hiker Retreat

Adventure Couture

Since we’re on the topic of models, let’s talk about what they should wear. A photo of a hiker wearing jeans and a cotton flannel shirt isn’t going to make it into Backpacker magazine no matter how dramatic the scenery. Your model should wear clothing and gear appropriate for the activity and environment. Additionally, your model should know how to properly use any gear in the photo. I once received an image request from an outdoor magazine for a “hiker fording a waist deep creek using trekking poles and wearing a pack with the hipbelt and sternum strap unfastened.” Why? Because it’s the proper technique when fording a creek.

Here’s the part your model spouse will really like - they’ll probably get some new outdoor clothing out of the gig. Choose colors that will contrast with the environment. For example, a hiker in the mountains wearing a bright red top will stand out dramatically from a background of green trees. That same red top won’t contrast as strongly against the red rock of Canyon Country. Maybe a green or blue top would work better. Think camoflauge, in reverse.

Get Low. Get High.

Just as in landscape photography, you can use unusual camera angles to create dynamic images. Lay down on your belly or climb up above your subject. Shoot from in front, behind and to the side of your subject. One angle may work better than another. The more you experiment the more creative your images are likely to be.

Get Low and Go Wide

Go Wide. Go Long.

Altering your perspective isn’t the only path to creative adventure photography. Get down low with a wide angle lens and shoot close to your subject’s feet. Use a telephoto lens to compress the distance between a hiker perched on a rock outcrop and the snow capped mountain behind them. There is no “right” technique. Each situation calls for a different approach. As you experiment in the field you will discover what works and what doesn’t. Chances are you’re shooting digitally. Carry lots of memory and don’t forget that it doesn’t cost you a penny to push the shutter button.

Go Long for Compression

It isn’t always easy to convey motion in a still image. Using a slow-ish shutter speed and panning the camera with your moving subject works great for trail running, kayaking and mountain biking. Your subject remains reasonably sharp while the background blurs into streaks that imply fast movement. Or, set your camera to motor drive and fire off several images in a row and you might just capture your subject in transition with both feet (or both tires!) off the ground. A human hovering in mid-air is pretty much a dead giveaway that they’re not standing still.

Mid-Air Motion

Show The Whole Story

The adventure begins long before you step foot on the trail. Photos of friends setting up a tent, chilling around a campfire and performing seemingly mundane tasks like cramming gear into every available inch of the SUV are all part of the story. Find a fun way to depict the action. If your spouse or friends are willing to look a little silly, use a wide angle lens and photograph a tight composition of their puffy cheeks filled with air while blowing up an air mattress.

Tell the Whole Story

Location is a big part of your story. Show it off in your photos. Include a prominent, well known peak in the background with your subject hiking in the foreground or show a hiker standing in awe on the rim of the Grand Canyon. Found a killer campsite near an alpine lake? Scout out a composition that shows your tent surrounded by wildflowers next to that jewel colored lake and your friends who bailed on the trip will cry tears of regret.

While this primer is by no means everything you need to know about adventure photography it does give you a few things to consider on your next adventure. Don’t waste mid-day. Get out there and burn through some memory!

Show Off the Landscape

About the Author/Photographer

"Bret Edge is a nature and adventure photographer in Moab, Utah. His interest in photography evolved as an extension of his life long passion for the outdoors. He is an avid hiker, backpacker, mountain biker and canyoneer. A visit in 1999 to an exhibit featuring photographs by Ansel Adams, Jack Dykinga and David Muench stoked Bret's creative fire such that he immediately purchased his first SLR camera, a Canon Rebel. In the years since, he has traveled extensively throughout the American West creating a diverse portfolio of dynamic images.

 Bret's work has appeared in magazines, calendars, travel guides and advertising campaigns. His clients include Backpacker magazine, Popular Photography, the Utah Office of Tourism, Charles Schwab & Co. and Jackson Hole Mountain Guides.  

While Bret enjoys seeing his work in print, he receives the most satisfaction by helping others realize their potential as photographers. He accomplishes this by leading several group workshops each year and guiding photographers on private photo excursions. For information about his workshops and guided excursions, visit www.moabphotoworkshops.com. To view a collection of Bret's images, visit www.bretedge.com.

Bret lives in Moab with his wife, Melissa, their son Jackson, and two All-Terrain Pugs named Bierstadt and Petunia."

Check out more great articles from Bret Edge at his blog here.

More accurate and sensible focusing for your Nikon or Canon

2010-11-03T12:48:00.000-06:00

Recently, my friend Daniel Milchev (www.photovenom.com) separated the focus away from his shutter button and instead using the back AF-ON button. The idea is very simple and I've finally adopted this smart method. With the focus no longer a part of the shutter button, it's much easier to pre-focus for action images. It also becomes simpler to run continuous focus when shooting action coming towards you.

Why does it work? When it comes to pre-focus, I find that I'm often setting my focus on a certain point that is about the same distance the athlete will be away from me. The problem is that occasionally no focus points cover that location so I have to recompose the image after setting my focus. With the back AF button, I can simply lock in my focus and recompose the image. No more switching to manual focus or holding down the shutter half way to lock in the point. Instead, press the AF button on the location you want focus, release the button, recompose, and shoot away.

With this setting you have the ability to CHOOSE when you want to focus. The camera won't try to re-focus every single time you hit the shutter button. This makes things much simpler so that you will no longer have to switch to manual focus or press AF-Lock to maintain focus on the point. It even works better than the AF-lock button since you no longer have to hold the button to ensure it maintains focus.

Another benefit is the ability to override your AF focus with manual. Say your continuous AF is completely off all the sudden, you can simply twist the barrel and fine tune it manually. This way, when you go to press the shutter, the AF feature won't override your adjustments.

It will take me a little time to really get used to it. But After getting adjusted to it, Daniel had become so used to it that he forgot for a second how to focus the test cameras at the New York photo show with the shutter button. I would not recommend changing this before a major shoot. Change the settings when you have time to go shoot with some friends or just around the neighborhood for fun.

Once you've switched you probably won't go back. Below are instructions to change the settings on a Nikon, and further down is an explanation for Canon users.

Separate Your Focus & Shutter (Nikon Users):

Instructions provided by Simply Knot Photography

Step 1: Go into your custom settings menu

Step 2: Select A (autofocus)

Step 3: Select A5 (AF Activation)

Step 4: Choose AF-ON only

Instructions for Canon Users:

table provided by www.usa.canon.com

EOS Model Custom Function for Back-Button AF
EOS Rebel XS: C.Fn 9
EOS Rebel XSi: C.Fn 10
EOS Rebel XT: C.Fn 04
EOS Rebel XTi: C.Fn 04
EOS 20D: C.Fn 04
EOS 30D: C.Fn 04
EOS 40D: C.Fn IV-1
EOS 50D: C.Fn IV-1
EOS 5D: C.Fn 04
EOS 5D Mark II: C.Fn IV-1
EOS-1D Mark II (N): C.Fn 04
EOS-1Ds Mark II: C.Fn 04
EOS-1D Mark III: C.Fn IV-1
EOS-1Ds Mark III: C.Fn IV-1

It's all in the location and style.

2010-11-01T16:39:00.000-06:00

Here's a quick thought to get the creativity flowing. What separates a technically good image from a great image? Content. This consists of the location, the model, and clothing/make-up. It really doesn't have anything to do with camera settings.

Camera settings do make a difference, but the content of the picture is key. Taking pictures of ordinary things, no matter how great the camera settings and lighting, will still be ordinary pictures. It's important to try and make the content as different as possible. Location plays part of this in a HUGE way.

Shoot a skateboarder on a normal street performing a very simple trick and spend time making sure the angle, color, lighting, and composition are all great. The picture looks technically sound and is a quality image. Now take that same shot in an incredible and stunning location (i.e. mountaintop road, grungy alley, etc.) and you've created an extraordinary image. What changed? Not your camera settings. The content!

I firmly believe that about 98% of the population (not formally trained in photography) will look at a picture based purely on it's content. Of course it's important for the exposure to be right, but the amazing content brings the image to the next level.

Location scouting is key in all types of photography except for studio/backdrop work. Spend some time looking around (we will call this field research...) and find unique and different locations to shoot at. Your portfolio will improve dramatically.

Camera tutorials and books tend to leave this point out. Content is key for great and jaw-dropping images. Look at your favorite photographer's portfolio and you'll almost certainly notice that the locations are extraordinary.

The other factor in this equation (and this applies to studio photographers as well) is the way your model looks and the clothing they are wearing. Ordinary looking models are less exciting. Find models that are truly individuals and have them wear strange or unique outfits.

In photography, great lighting and angles will impress other photographers, but not the general public. Don't waste your talent shooting lackluster subjects in less than impressive locations. Take this advice to heart and boost that portfolio. I'm going location scouting tonight and will bring my camera with me to have reference images for future shoot locales.

If you have some great images that really showcase this point, please post them in the APB Flickr Group.

Quick tip for the day

2010-10-28T09:09:00.000-06:00

Today is a day and it's just like any other day. Except...... Today you are going to make a positive difference or at least try to make a positive difference in your photography career.

I'm talking marketing here, and marketing in it's simplest form: E-mail. Send a company or person that you are interested in working with a nice and personal e-mail. That's it. Don't let your fear of rejection run your life. If you want a photo published in Pop Photo magazine, go ahead and contact them about it. If you want a new client, reach out to one and let them know who you are and why your so good at what you do.

The main thing your doing here is opening a line of communication. It's the first step to any great working relationship. Take the step and never look back. Commit and jump-start your future today.

Why today? Because you know that if you put it off until tomorrow it's just not going to happen. Don't let fear or laziness run your life.

Get outta that Funk! GO SHOOT!!!

2010-10-27T09:00:00.003-06:00

As aspiring professional photographers it's very easy to get into the photographer's funk. I just coined that term but feel free to borrow it and spread it around. Photographer's funk is when you aren't out shooting enough cause your always finding excuses not too. I've been there before and am sure it will happen again. Next time I will get outta that funk quick!

It's really disappointing when it happens and kind of depressing. Whether your not shooting cause the weather is bad, or your spending all your time in front of the computer hoping to land more jobs. The funk happens, and when it sets in it's tough to break. It's kind of like writer's block.

Photographer's are SMART people, some of the smartest in fact. We are tech savvy, artistic, and intelligent. Sometimes, we are thinking too much, and let that thinking block us from shooting. So here's a phrase you need to block out of your mind "I can't shoot today because...." There is always an excuse. Quit making it.

Just go out and shoot some images.

That's it. Shoot now, shoot tomorrow, shoot everyday.

Call your friends up and get them to come with as models, make it fun and don't worry about what to do with the images when your done.

I can guarantee right now that your career will fall out of it's depressing downward run.

Nikon Rumors - Nikonrumors.com

2010-10-25T09:00:00.000-06:00

If your anything like me, than announcements of new gear and even rumors of new gear are mind-blowing and extremely exciting. Nikonrumors.com has provided me with some rumors to be incredibly excited about! They are constantly posting updates on anything and everything Nikon. If you love Nikon, then this is a site you'll want to add to your list. I won't forget about the Canon users either (though this post is all about Nikon). If your a Canon user, be sure to check out canonrumors.com.

Then new Nikon D4 (When it's released) is speculated to be 16 megapixels (finally we get some more pixels....) and shoot full HD video with a continuous photo drive of 11 images per second. These are some outstanding numbers. I'm also going to speculate that autofocus will work continuously through HD video shooting like the D3100.

After that, the D4X should be released, only it will shoot 34MP. HUGE IMAGES with what I'm sure will be OUTSTANDING QUALITY!

And finally, the D700 will be replaced by the brand new D800. It will shoot full HD as well and run at 24MP, SWEET!!

All this is great and exciting, but I'm sure it will come with a steep price tag. I would like to remind all of you that gear does not make you a better photographer (it can help with quality) and that you should be proud of and happy with what you already have. Don't let the excitement of new gear overpower the excitement of capturing a great image. New tools are sweet but they are useless unless you know how to use them to create something great!

10 Awesome photography articles and tutorials for learning and inspiration

2010-10-22T09:00:00.001-06:00

The internet is such a vast source of information that it's sometimes tough to wade through all the junk and get to the good stuff. As a loyal APB reader, you have already found one site that's loaded with the good stuff so go ahead and give yourself a pat on the back!

Here are some articles that any photographer can find useful. I've placed links with a brief description. So check em' out and spread that APB love.

These links are in no particular order, and all are highly recommended.

Digital Photo Buzz - Lighting- Keep it simple - This great post covers a philosophy that I've tried to convey many times here at APB. Don't overcomplicate your work. Sometimes the best images occur naturally and don't need any flash or extra gear. I like this philosophy and think that Mark does a great job explaining it in this article.
Chase Jarvis Blog - Take a Chance - Chase Jarvis is a huge name in the photography world right now, and he continues to grow. This post talks about the risk you need to take to make it big. In photography, it's important to take risks and put it all on the line. I love the way Chase explains it here!
Speedliting.com by Syl Arena - Dimming the sun with high-speed sync part 1 and part 2 -This amazing article will teach you all you could need to know about high-speed sync on your flash. Syl's explanations are very clear and easy to remember. I highly recommend spending some time on his site learning even more about your flash (specifically Canon users but just as useful for Nikon guy's like me.)
Strobist.com - Lighting 101 Series - David Hobby is the man, myth, and legend when it comes to off-camera flash. His blog contains more lighting information than you would believe could be possible. Check out all these posts to learn about taking your flash off-camera. Then spend some time really looking around the site. Your photographic life could be changed because of it!
blog.epicedits.com - 10 things photographers should NOT do - This article pretty much sums up your life as a photographer and what you should NOT be doing. Though I typically tend to focus more on the things you SHOULD be doing, this article is very smart and well-written.
Digital Photography School - 5 Steps to Better Photography (by: Eva Polak) - Eva does a great job with this article because it's not what you'd typically expect. Most articles are all about camera settings, light settings, or more technical aspects. Photography is not all about the technical. It's about creativity and using design/lighting to showcase your vision. This is a great article that really does make you approach photography a bit differently.
PetaPixel.com - 13 tips for staying motivated in your photography - These tips are all very good and incredibly useful. Not only will they help you stay motivated as a photographer, but I guarantee that if you follow these you will become a better photographer. Read this one through a couple times because these are tips that should be taken to heart.
GoingPro2010.com - Are you trying to get published? Editing counts - This site is chock full of great information for becoming a professional photographer. Rather than discussing techniques or photography skills, it covers marketing and photographer's rights. This article discusses the importance of editing down your image selections to only the very best work. I really liked the last line where the author mentions, "just because you fell in love with one of your images, doesn’t mean the photo buyer will too. This statement is something I learned a few years ago and firmly believe in. It's easy to get attached to an image because of sentimental value, or how tough the capture was. Don't let that rule your view of the image, ask someone else to look at it too.
Lightstalking.com - How using strong ND filters can create awesome results - ND filters are something that aren't discussed as much as they should be. I'll admit that I have some too, and usually forget to bring them along. This article inspired me to start carrying mine. It also teaches you how to get those amazing sunrise/sunset photos at the beach where the water is blurred. There's a lot more useful information at lightstalking.com as well so be sure to checkout the rest of the site.
Photocritic.org - In photography, rules aren't laws - What a great article! The author is very funny and entertaining, a highly recommended read. Bring out your inner rebel and start breaking the rules, don't let all the guidelines and books about technique control your imagery!

Action*PoP free Lightroom 3 Presets

2010-10-20T15:12:00.002-06:00

Action images look awesome when they have a lot of pop! To me, pop is a boost in saturation, color channel boosts, and more contrast/clarity. I've created two new presets that really make images POP! Click the link below to download them.

Click here to download the new APB-Action*PoP* and APB-Action*PoP* Light presets.

I'm turning every week into a time for giving here at APB. There will be free presets for the Lightroom 3 develop module posted and available for download each week. Some weeks there will be several, other's just one. If you have any ideas for a style you like, send me a link to a picture, or explain it to me in e-mail and I will do my best to create an accurate preset to render edits like it. Also, any suggestions are greatly appreciated for making the presets I release better. Contact me at info@cnwphoto.com.

Remember, these presets may not improve images depending on lighting and capture/subject settings. Though they will work great for most! Installation instructions are posted below the sample images.

Here's a few samples. This effect is intended to give a more vibrant and contrasty look to your images, also to add a bit more depth so they appear to POP right off the screen.

The samples below are too small to really show the effect and how well it works. Try it on yours to see what it does.

Action*PoP* Action*PoP*Strong

(Original Image)

Camera Basics 101: Shutter Speed

2010-10-19T09:04:00.000-06:00

Shutter Speed is one of the most important aspects of capturing any image. When I think of the settings I need to adjust for a shot, there are three that are the most important. These three include: Aperture, ISO, and Shutter Speed. These are THE most changed and used settings on your camera for creating proper exposures.

So what is shutter speed exactly, and how does it work? The concept is actually fairly simple and relates directly to how long the shutter is open. The shutter is what lets light onto the sensor thus creating an image.

(This is an example of a long shutter speed taken at night. The colored lines are cars tail lights and headlights.)

When the shutter speed is set for a longer time period, say 1 second, this means that the shutter will stay open for 1 full second. When it's set shorter, 1/2500th of a second, then the shutter is only open for 1/2500th of a second.

Why do we need to change this setting? It all depends on your subject matter, what your ISO is set at, and also what your aperture is. If your shooting at night time there is far less available light. This means that for the sensor to capture an image, the shutter speed must be longer to expose the sensor to more light. The same goes for shadowy situations, indoors, or cloudy days, etc.

Think of it like placing pennies in a jar. When the lid is only open for a very short time, you can only put in so many pennies. Hold it open for longer though, and you can put many more in. Sensors do the same thing to build an image, and the shutter is like the lid of the jar with it's speed being how long the lid is open controlling how much light can come in (light being the pennies). The light builds up the longer the shutter is open, making for a brighter image.

When you have a smaller aperture, meaning that the lens is less open and allowing less light in, you need a longer shutter speed to correctly expose an image. When the aperture is more open, you won't need as long of a shutter speed. Check out this article for more information on aperture.

ISO also affects your shutter speed. The higher the ISO you set, the more sensitive the sensor is to the light. With a high ISO, you can use faster shutter speeds. With a low ISO, you need longer shutter speeds to expose correctly. Check out this article for more information on ISO.

Another effect of shutter speed? It will change the way motion looks in an image. If you shoot movement with a long shutter speed, the action will appear blurry. This is because the light coming in from the athlete is building while the athlete is moving, capturing the movement. This can work very well with an action image.

(Fast shutter speed used causing water to appear frozen and harsh)

(Long shutter speed used causing water to look smooth and in motion.)

Use a fast enough shutter speed, and the action will appear stopped. When I speak of action I'm not always referring to people, but am referring to any type of movement. Use a fast shutter speed on a snowy day and the snowflakes will look natural. Use a longer speed and the snowflakes will look more like sleet or freezing rain.

(Slow shutter speed making the snow appear natural and still.)

(Long shutter speed making snow appear more like sleet or rain.)

The best way to learn your shutter speed is with a bit of practice. Try setting your camera in Shutter-Priority mode (allows shutter speed adjustment only and solves the rest for you). Set it low and try to capture action, then set it high and see how the same shot looks.

Then try switching to manual. Set your aperture at f/22 and see what shutter speed you need just to expose the image. Set it at f/4 and try again. Also try changing your ISO, set it high and see what will work, then low to see how it effects your image.

When you've mastered your shutter speed, aperture, and ISO, you'll know what you need to change to get certain effects. This is when your mind becomes the limit, and your camera an extension of your vision. Practice, practice, practice! Digital images can always be deleted!

If any of this article is unclear, please comment below so that I can help you understand the concepts better. All Photo Buzz is here to help you!

That's the BUZZ for Today! Please check back soon for more.

10 Tips for Shooting Action Sports Like A Seasoned Pro

2010-10-15T16:21:00.000-06:00

Action sports is a tough genre of photography to learn. It takes a lot of practice, knowledge of the sport, and know-how to create great images. I can tell you all of these tips, but there is only one way for you to make them work. Experiment! Get out there and shoot as many action sports as you can, and try applying at least one of these tips to every image. You won't be a pro overnight but with practice and effort I believe that anyone can take great action sports images!

#1: Know the sport your shooting -- Simply heading out and shooting randomly can yield good images, but to truly create great images, you have to know what the athlete will be doing. I find that a big part of the reason that I've been successful shooting skiing, mountain biking, and skateboarding images is because I enjoy and spend time participating in these sports. Know-how can take you a long way while understanding why the athlete loves the sport and what the key moments are is necessary to get awesome and creative images.

#2: Guy-in-the-sky shots rarely ever work, or impress as much as you expect them too -- Sometimes it's fun to turn the camera up and just get a photo of a person in mid-air. It can be exciting and make you feel like a great photographer when you fill the frame with the subject and the sky. However, these images rarely impress the way you expect them too. I'm not saying don't ever shoot them, because they can be fun. But, your imagery should tell at least a bit of a story. Include at the very least the reason they are in the air, or where they will land. These key components add depth and understanding for the viewer of the image. Make it so that if anyone picks up the image (unless your going for abstract art) they know what's going on without evening knowing too much about the sport. Appeal to a wide audience!

#3: Include some environment in your image -- Action sports often take place in very cool places. Especially extreme sports. Your goal should be to WOW your audience with the images you take. If the location is cool show it off! Figure out where the athlete will be in the image, and build an image that includes the environment, with the athlete. Look around when you first get to a location and try taking in as many angles as possible. With digital, you can shoot every angle and then review them with the athlete to figure out what will work best.

#4: Take the athletes opinions into strong consideration, especially when working with a pro -- Athletes know the sport. They live and love the sport. Hear out their ideas and at least consider them. Often times my athletes will suggest an angle, or when shooting a sport I've never shot before, tell me that the action will look better from somewhere else. I take this advice to heart because I know they are as passionate about getting great images of themselves as I am of taking them.

#5: Go Wide -- I've mentioned this in a LOT of APB posts. I find that action shoots best wide. Sometimes a trick or move may not show it's intensity very well unless shot wide. It's not that the trick is not difficult, it's just that the wide-angle dramatizes the scene and gives the viewer angles that their eyes would never see. Also, if the athlete is going big, the wide angle will showcase the shear size of what they are doing and will include the elements in the image.

#6: Compose the image before capture -- Setup at the angle that you like best and figure out where the athlete will be in the image. It's tough to do sometimes but with a little practice it will become your sixth sense. The rule of thirds adds a lot to an action image (read about that here). Another thing to work on is to compose so that the subject is coming into the frame. Typically this looks better than having them exiting from the frame.

#7: Think outside the box -- What could make this image unique? What is something that I could do that no photographers ever done before? Chance are that someone has done it before, but that doesn't mean you won't do it better. I'm talking here about different approaches (i.e. from up on a ladder, across the valley, in a tree, below the athlete, camera mounted on athlete, anything different). These are the approaches that many photographers never think of. They go with the first angle that looks great, but is very accessible. Be different. Explore your options.

#8: Shoot during the golden hours (sunrise/sunset) -- Many extreme action sports take place during business hours. Downhill mountain biking and skiing generally occur when the lifts are running from 9-4PM. Though skiing does shoot well midday due to snow's reflectivity, it looks the best at sunrise or sunset. I know it can be tough to get out an shoot during dinner time, or to wake up so early, but it's worth it! Don't hit the snooze button anymore, get up early and shoot when most photographers are too lazy to get out.

#9: Incorporate flash into your images, off-camera flash works best -- For more information on this type of lighting, check out the Strobist website which is dedicated to teaching off-camera flash. I trigger my flashes wirelessly using PocketWizard radio triggers. Flash is an expensive investment but will take your work to a whole new level. It add's depth to the image and helps isolate the athlete from the background. I could go on-and-on all day about using flash in action sports, it really puts you ahead of most other photographers and gives you a million new opportunities for shooting.

#10: Don't miss out on all the little details and easy-to-shoot moments -- Keep using your photographer's eye and looking for any and all opportunities to shoot. Sometimes a foot resting on a bike pedal, an athlete talking with his friends, or dust flying off a bike tire are the best shots. Look for these small details to accentuate the sport and capture the excitement or tranquility. It's rare that you see a shot of the most extreme person sitting on a log fully relaxed. These moments are all too often overlooked by photographers.

That's the BUZZ for Today! Please check back soon for more.

Video Tutorial: Selectively brighten shadow areas of an image using photoshop.

2010-10-14T08:54:00.002-06:00

This video works best when viewed full screen, please click the full screen option in the lower right corner.

Eliminating the specialty work mindset (sell your work to the world!)

2010-10-12T09:45:00.001-06:00

I do it, you probably do it, we all do it. And no, I'm not talking about procrastination, though this does relate (and we all do that as well)! What I'm talking about is when we don't believe that theres much of a market for the type of work that we do. I call this the "specialty work mindset". By definition (which I'm making up right now...) this means that we believe that our work is very niche and only has a very small and certain market.

Action sports photographers find themselves in this niche all the time. My eyes were first opened wide to what I was doing when I spoke with pro skier Trevor Hiatt. He explained to me that "the money is outside of the ski industry." But how can that be? Here I was thinking the whole time that the only places to sell skiing photos, was to skiing companies, resorts, and ski related magazines.

What I had failed to do at this time was think outside the box. I had never realized that maybe watch companies, sunglass companies, clothing companies, may all want a ski shot, or even real-estate companies (to add to their portfolio and show the cool activities you can enjoy near your new home), or maybe even on the back of a Cheez-IT box. The last one may sound ridiculous, but everyone has different needs for different photos.

Stock agencies helped me realize this as well. I noticed a few months back that Getty Images had sold one of my skiing photos to a company in Croatia as wall-art. Who would of known?? I would never have found that client on my own (Thanks Getty!). I do recommend looking into stock agencies as one way of getting photos out that you are having a tough time selling on your own.

My point in this rant? Explore all your options, think as obscurely as possible, and never block a company out as a possible client due to the type of imagery you make. You never know when something great may come along! Think outside the box and show your work to everyone and everywhere you can think of. Great things will happen and you'll create your own market.

Clients can't find you if your sitting around with just a website. Send out e-mails and start marketing more Today (Not tomorrow for all you procrastinators, myself included occasionally.) The mindset that your work is only valuable to a small niche group is way off. It's possible that any company in the world that's completely unrelated may still have a need for your work. Good luck, and hopefully this has been a major eye-opening experience. Just writing it makes me think about marketing... WHICH I WILL DO TODAY!

That's the BUZZ for Today! Please check back soon for more.

Nik Software HDR Efex Pro now available!

2010-10-08T15:59:00.002-06:00

Just downloaded the free 15 day trial and ran two super-quick HDR's. The program is UNREAL!! Soo fast and simple, yet full of every adjustment you could ever need. I was using photomatix pro before which I enjoyed, but this program put's it to shame! I'll have to test it a bit more before I give the full review here on APB. For now, head over to Nik Softwares Site and test it out for yourself.

The program has far more adjustments than I've ever seen, and they all work at hyper-speed. This IS the next-generation of HDR imaging tools!

Here's the two sample HDR's that I created in a just a few minutes. Let me know what you think of the program in the comments below based on your experiences with the trial. Definitely going to have to buy this one!

That's the BUZZ for Today! Please check back soon for more.

Grunge (2 versions) Free Lightroom 3 Presets

2010-10-08T10:00:00.004-06:00

I'm feeling a bit Grungy today, maybe it's because I haven't showered in weeks (ok, so that's not true, just showered today.) Most likely, it's because I'm sitting here listening to Pearl Jam. And finally, because I'm a skater and skaters love the grunge look! Anyway, here's the preset(s) for this week, scroll down for samples, or for installation info.

Click here to download the new APB-Grunge and APB-Grunge Light presets.

I'm turning every week into a time for giving here at APB. From now on, there will be free presets for the Lightroom 3 develop module posted and available for download each week. Some weeks there will be several, other's just one. If you have any ideas for a style you like, send me a link to a picture, or explain it to me in e-mail and I will do my best to create an accurate preset to render edits like it. Also, any suggestions are greatly appreciated for making the presets I release better. Contact me at info@cnwphoto.com.

Remember, these presets may not improve images depending on lighting and capture settings. Though they will work great for most! Installation instructions are posted below the sample images.

Here's a few samples. This effect is intended to drastically change your images and create stronger texture and grain, while at the same time giving the image a more "grungy" black and white look while still retaining saturation in the very colorful areas.

With Grunge Effect Applied

Without Grunge effect applied

With Grunge Light effect applied

Without Grunge Light effect applied

To install the Grunge preset(s):
1) Unzip the preset zip file on to your desktop (macs will automatically unzip)
2) Go to the Develop module. NOTE: YOU MUST BE IN THE DEVELOP MODULE
3) Go to the Presets panel on the left. Right click anywhere in it and choose “Import”.
4) Select the .lrtemplate files you unzipped in Step 1 and click Import.
5) Enjoy!!

That's the BUZZ for Today! Please check back soon for more.

Video Tutorial: Make your images pop using LAB mode in Photoshop

2010-10-07T10:53:00.005-06:00

Video is easiest to watch in full screen mode, click the bottom right corner button to enlarge!

Magazine Submittal Season

2010-10-05T08:56:00.000-06:00

It's fall and magazine submittal season is upon us. Nope, not winter shots, it's time to send in your summer sports imagery. Magazines are typically looking for image submittals about 6 months before the magazine goes on shelf.

Anyways, here are a few previous articles that I've written to help you establish contact with photo editors, and begin making submittals.

Magazine Submittal Season

Get Published!

These should help get you on your way. If you have any advice please feel free to add it in comments to the articles it relates to.

Good luck!

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Setting up flashes on uneven ground

2010-10-04T09:39:00.003-06:00

Often times, I find myself off deep in the woods, needing to mount a flash from a high angle, or on rough uneven ground. This is where traditional flash-stands fail. Unless you have perfectly even ground they tip over. All three legs are always the same length, and they are clearly designed for in-studio work, or on perfectly level pavement. What's with that? I get the idea that they are quicker to setup, but there are better ways.

When I'm shooting biking or skiing I know the ground will be uneven. Here are the two solutions I've come up with to help in almost any situation:

Solution 1: Bungie-Ball Cords. At least that's what I would call them. (See picture below) Also known as "Canopy Tarp Ties". Picked these up at Home Depot, conveniently located next to Wal-Mart (See Solution 2).

These cords will stretch around small to medium diameter trees and branches, wrap around the flash, and hold it in place. You can even wrap it around your pocketwizard with the flash. This allows me to set them up on high tree branches for overhead lighting, or low to the ground, and only takes a few seconds.

They literally weigh NOTHING, so putting a few in your pack makes no difference. They will also work if your shooting indoors and have a railing or something similar to attach the flash too.

The much cheaper alternative to Justin Clamps at only $2-3 for 8 of them!

Solution 2: Standard cheap wal-mart tripod. Yes I said it, WAL-MART! This tripod may only cost $15-20 but its legs are adjustable. The other great aspect? It is very light-weight.

Make sure you purchase an aluminum tripod. I mount the plate directly onto my hot shoe stand that came with my flash. Then I simply take the flash out of my bag, setup the tripod, and snap the hot shoe in. Simple and effective! The legs are fully adjustable allowing for me to place the flash on the steep slopes beside the trail. Also, if I decide I need to use a tripod for a shot, I have this with me and can mount up my camera as well! Works so good I might buy another (which I can do without breaking the bank, pretty cool Eh?)

Oh, and theres yet another advantage. It has a tilting head! You won't need to tilt the flash head or be limited by angles anymore, just tilt the tripod head up and down.

That's the BUZZ for Today! Please check back soon for more.

Fall PoP Lightroom 3 Preset

2010-10-01T10:10:00.000-06:00

Fall is here and if your anything like me, you've been gathering a ton of great fall images! If not, get out there now!

I'm turning every week into a time for giving here at APB. From now on, there will be free presets for the Lightroom 3 develop module posted and available for download each week. Some weeks there will be several, other's just one. If you have any ideas for a style you like, send me a link to a picture, or explain it to me in e-mail and I will do my best to create an accurate preset to render edits like it. Also, any suggestions are greatly appreciated for making the presets I release better. Contact me at info@cnwphoto.com.

Remember, these presets may not improve images depending on lighting and capture settings. Though they will work great for most! Installation instructions are posted below the sample images.

Here is the grab link for this weeks free preset titled Fall *PoP* and designed to pop the sky and golden colors in your fall images: Click Here to Download the Fall Colors Preset

Here's a few samples, the small scaled down images don't show the dramatic difference, so download the preset and try it on your own images. The effect is not intended to be overdone, just enough pop in just the right color channels!

With Fall *PoP* Effect Applied

Without Fall *PoP* effect applied

With Fall *PoP* effect applied

Without Fall *PoP* effect applied

To install the Fall *PoP* preset:
1) Unzip the preset zip file on to your desktop (macs will automatically unzip)
2) Go to the Develop module. NOTE: YOU MUST BE IN THE DEVELOP MODULE
3) Go to the Presets panel on the left. Right click anywhere in it and choose “Import”.
4) Select the .lrtemplate files you unzipped in Step 1 and click Import.

5) Enjoy!!

Rechargeable Batteries- Sanyo Eneloop

2010-09-30T10:00:00.003-06:00

The photographers quest for perfect batteries is never-ending. There is NO perfect solution out there. I've tried just about everything and for a long time gave up on rechargeables. I'm not a wasteful person so running through batteries and throwing away money on them is incredibly annoying. In my opinion, everyone shooting flash should be using rechargeables. I have not tried every option out there by any means, but I've found a solution that works well for me. Enter the Sanyo Eneloop battery.

(Product Shot taken with Nikon D3S, using SB-900 flash unit with LumiQuest SoftBox 3 under the batteries, and one SB-900 bare unit from above and left. All triggered via PocketWizards.)

Not only does it look cool (coolness is very important to my generation) but it has the performance to back that up! I used to use the energizer rechargeables and found myself disappointed that I would put the batteries in my flash, use them for a few shots, try and shoot the flash again a week later, and the batteries were almost dead. The problem with most rechargeables is that they lose their energy very quickly if stowed away and not used within a few days of charging.

This was THE most annoying thing ever. I have the 20 minute quick charger, but found that it worked very poorly, and needed to be run twice just to fully charge my 2500 mAh batteries. When you talk about mAh, that's the amount of power the battery can hold. A higher mAh equates to more flashes per charge. The Eneloops run at 2000mAh which is still great, but I wish it was a bit higher. They will be releasing the 2500mAh batteries called the "XX" this December. Those may be the perfect battery.

Back to the annoying discharge.... The Eneloops are engineered in a different way (That's all I really understand.) They hold their charge for WAAYYYYYYYY LONGER than any other rechargeables!! So much so in fact that when you first pull them from the box, they still have 80% or more of their charge! Even if they've been on the shelf for a full year. This is huge for photographers that aren't running their flash every single day of the week.

I've found that they run plenty long and actually are always fully charged in one charge cycle. Also, their website states that they run better than alkaline or other rechargeables in cold weather. This is great news as I'm often out shooting in -10 degree weather.

There are so-called "quick-chargers" available for the Eneloop, though I'd hardly consider it fast. The standard charger takes 7 hours. The "Quick-Chargers" take 4.......

Because of the slower charge time, I went ahead and ordered 3 chargers. There are chargers available from other companies that could work well and charge 20 or more batteries at a time, but Sanyo recommends only using theirs and I'm sticking with that. I also purchased about 20 batteries. 20 batteries and 3 chargers cost me $72.49 through B&H Photo. Check them out here: B&H Photo Video Eneloop Batteries

It may seem costly initially. But when you think that 24 alkaline batteries (6 flash sets) which will die and end up in a landfill costs at least $20, your saving a ton. Sanyo claims the new batteries get 1500 or more charges before they die. For the same amount of sets in alkaline batteries, your price would be $4,995! That's a crazy thought! $18.50 for 4 batteries and a charger, or $4,995 for 6000 alkalines, the decision is yours, but I'm all set and happy with my Sanyo Eneloops!

Composition 101

2010-09-29T09:32:00.000-06:00

This is a basic post for photographers just getting into photography, but it is also a great refresher for those of us who shoot professionally. Composition is one of the most important lessons to learn in photography. It takes practice and skill to get it correct, and is easily learned using a point-and-shoot when your beginning. If you try and learn this at the same time as full manual control it might become overlooked.

Great pictures don't always mean full manual settings like many pros believe. The composition of a photo is key to creating amazing images. Let's start off with the "Rule of Thirds" which is simple to understand once you see what I mean. Below is a diagram showcasing the rule of thirds. The "Rule of Thirds" is simply a way to compose your image by dividing it into sections. The frame is visually divided into 3 even rows, and 3 even columns.

So how do you apply this to your images? Try and move the elements into the individual thirds. For landscapes, place your foreground feature in the bottom third, background in the middle, and sky in the top. It's more appealing this way then placing the horizon in the middle (most of the time...). This rule can apply to any type of work that you shoot. Most action images typically look best when the athlete is one-third of the way into the image. Here is an an action image I captured that really demonstrates this composition:

In this image, the athlete is right in the crosshair of the top third, and left third, moving into the frame. The basketball hoop is in the middle third, and bottom brick wall is in the lower third. The houses help frame the whole composition together by filling the side thirds.

Try and keep the rule of thirds in mind when you go out shooting next time and practice it tell you always think about it.

As with all good rules, however, the best results can occur when they are broken. Here's a shot that works great without the rule of thirds. The athlete is in the center of the frame. With some experience and depending on what your shooting, you'll learn when to use the rule of thirds to your advantage, or break it for your advantage!

There are tons of ways to compose a single image. One of the key ingredients that make any image work, is finding a way to separate the subject from the background. When you isolate your subject this way, it makes them pop more and helps the viewer know where to look. A subject blending into the background is quickly lost in the image. When picking an angle, look for a good contrast between subject and background. If the subject is white, try and find a dark background, and vice-versa. Flash is also a great way to isolate the subject.

Color is another key component of separating subject from background, and if you have a person in your shot, help them choose a clothing color that will isolate them.

Alway's be on the look out for interesting features that you can build the image around. Such as a blade of grass, or a unique tree. Adding objects/things of interest into the image can take a solid image to the next level. Sure a skier jumping off a cliff is great, but add some crazy rock in the foreground and a starred out sun, and you have an incredible image!

Most great action images tell a story. It's almost never just a "guy in the sky" where there is no environment. Try to tell a story with your image. Let the viewer know what's going on. For action images, include where the athlete left the ground in the shot, and where he/she is going to land. Show the beauty of the environment! There is beauty all around us and as photographers we have the privilege of sharing the beauty that we see with everyone else.

As with all photography techniques, practice and shooting for fun makes your composition better. Shoot lots and don't be afraid to throw the camera in auto mode while you learn composition. It helps de-clutter the mind and will make you better quickly!

That's the BUZZ for Today! Please check back soon for more.

Shoot Journal: Basketball Dunk

2010-09-24T10:00:00.001-06:00

Looking through my current portfolio, and thanks to my friend Daniel Milchev, I've realized that I need to expand my realm of shooting. The idea is to capture more mainstream sports and work those into a more full portfolio. I'm also trying to achieve a more "commercial" look to my work. Sure, I've got a ton of great skiing and biking shots that are very artistic. But I would also like to be shooting exciting portraits and sports action from other sports. So the other night I headed out and shot some basketball images with a friend.

Luckily for me, my friend has some serious talent and can actually dunk! Exactly what I was hoping to capture!

My plan? Bring all the lights I've got and build the shot from the ground up, 1 flash at a time. I captured the shot I had in mind, and then went on to capture an even more exciting and unique image. I was hoping to get on location earlier, but there was a holdup with the athlete and we had to head out later. That's ok though, no dramatic blue sky, just dark!

The darkness made focusing a serious issue. There are no lights near the park, and some cloud cover was blocking the moon. The trick I've learned is to have the athlete stand still and shine his phone (or mine) on himself or an object near where he will be to lock in single auto-focus. Then I flip it to manual and fire away.

I brought my softbox as a main fill light to help secure a more even lighting. It's best to have no harsh shadows anywhere on the athlete, otherwise it's a very distracting element. The softbox was placed about 8 feet high to help light up the athletes face more, and was feathered up a bit to not contaminate the court with light.

Then, I placed another flash that was bare to the left and behind the athlete, and yet another one on the other side. I could have built in more flashes, but this seemed to be a good starting point. The images were looking pretty good, but that's not good enough! I brought out my AlienBees ring flash and held it just below my lens feathered upwards. This was to eliminate more shadows that the softbox seemed to be missing. If your ever really struggling with shadows, don't be afraid to bring out the ring light! Plus the AlienBees ring light is only about $400.

Once the lighting was good, it was all about coordinating with the athlete. If you've ever watched a Joe McNally video you'll notice that he spends more time coordinating the model/athletes position than setting up the flashes. Without great material, great lighting will only get other photographers excited. Most people look at a photo with great lighting, but bad content and could care less. Keep this in mind always!

I had the athlete move more to the left, and jump earlier to get his body isolated from the hoop. Showing him images along the way so I could really demonstrate what would look better made for great results. Work closely with talent and you can achieve the look you desire. I also worked with him on arm placement and pulling his legs up more to make the jump more dynamic. It was great working with such a talented athlete.

Once he'd nailed the jump, and I'd nailed the shot, it was time to get crazy. I headed over to my backpack to grab my tele lens, but noticed something on the way... The pad on the hoops post looked perfect for climbing up. Without saying a word I set my camera down, and walked over to see if I could get above the backboard. I probably looked like a crazy person as I charged up the hoop and hung off the bottom like a monkey until I made it on the top. The post was at a right angle and stuck out about 5 feet from where it started. This made for some seriously shaky, wobbly business. Oh well, I've been in crazier positions than this. Pass the camera up and lets get this shot!

I'd envisioned climbing up and down about 5 times to get the flashes right, but figured I should take a test and see how the pre-existing light looked. The athlete passed up the camera and I had him do a test dunk to see the light quality.

Turns out it was PERFECT. Nice and 3D looking light with perfect fill on the athlete. I had turned off the ring light before heading up because I figured I couldn't hold it while wobbling. (Note: Sketchy situations like this call for placing the camera strap around your neck. It's not lame if it will actually save your gear!)

My athlete adjusted down the softbox a bit and with a quick aperture adjustment the shot was ready. All in all we took about 30 shots from on top of the hoop until I felt we had the perfect image. Through lots of communication with the athlete we managed to get the jump from the right spot without blocking his face with the rim. Awesome!

I can't stress enough how important working closely with the athlete/model is. This is where many photographers move on to be professionals. When they quit heading to the park and taking pictures of random people, and start arranging their own shoots. (Of course you can't do this if your an event photographer but that's a different story.) Work with friends at first and figure out the best approach to make images work.

Gotta love great photo shoots with some excitement!

Shoot Journal: Slack Line Photography

2010-09-22T13:50:00.002-06:00

Basic slack lining takes a lot of balance, strength, and determination to learn. It's a lot of fun, but doesn't appear to be too exciting (photographically at least). For my shoot last night, I decided to try and capture it in a more artistic and dynamic way. My goal was to make the athlete look like a model on the slack line. It was tough to accomplish this, and the results aren't what I was intending for, but I ended up with some very cool shots by changing the approach part way through.

On any shoot you need to be ready for the unexpected. Luckily for me, I wasn't expecting much so no matter what I did it was unexpected! I planned on scouting and finding a good spot for the slack line to setup and to start shooting it by 5:30. This just wasn't happening. I finally had a spot at 5:45, and the athlete (Thanks a lot Matt.....haha) didn't show up until 6:15.... Here's my plan from the start: Shoot Matt on the slack line, and create a dynamic look to add some excitement to the image.

When he finally arrived, I set up my flashes one by one. Always build up your flashes, setting multiples up right away makes it tough to figure out what's missing, or isn't working. I placed a 60" umbrella over my main fill light, and no modification over my other two lights. This way, I could use the other lights as rim, or side lighting to make the edges stronger, and use the fill light up front for some soft even lighting.

I know that typically wide angle lenses make things look more dramatic. So I figured I would start out with my 14-24mm f/2.8 Nikkor and see what I can get. My approach was to make sure and capture the images that I know would work, and then look for some experimental angles once that was set. I wanted the pond in the background to add some scenery to the image, so I worked around that.

My bare flashes were set up to the left front, and right behind of the athlete to strengthen the edges and help separate him from the background. The modified flash was just to left and above me. I wanted it at the height of the athlete to help get rid of any shadows, and feathered up so as not to over contaminate the grass on the ground.

After shooting this until I had a shot that I knew would work, I decided to throw on the telephoto (This covers both extremes). I ran all around the scene, and quickly realized that we were having an amazing sunset. I knew I had to work that into the shot! I set up facing the amazing clouds and re-worked my lighting around it. This time I went with just the two bare flashes on opposite sides and towards me from the athlete. I knew it would light him well, and also accent the slack line to show that he's in the air. Not to mention it brightens up the grass and adds some light to the trees on both sides.

Unfortunately, the only way to get the trees in the shot and not show the flashes was to place them far enough back that they contaminated the trees a little. Nothing that a bit of editing can't fix but still an inconvenience. I zoomed both these flashes in fairly far to make sure they didn't catch the trees too much, and still lit Matt well.

Here's when the magic happened. I would call this a "happy accident", but in reality, if your looking for details as you shoot great things will happen all the time. Alway's be alert and looking for a better shot and it may just jump out at you. I noticed the reflection in the pond, and how vibrant the flash was making the colors. I had to work this into the shot!

I composed to include the reflection, athlete, and sunset. It took a lot of running around fast since light levels were dropping, but the results speak for themselves.

After about 30 minutes of shooting, and the sunset complete, I decided to take a lifestyle involving a reflection. I placed the umbrella flash across the outlet of the pond about 12 feet from the athlete, and added the other two flashes to the sides. Ideally, I would have liked to work this one out more, but the "alway's late" model was "already late" to his next appointment.

End of shoot.

Lesson(s) to be learned: Look for the small details and work quickly. If a shot is not working, move along and find something else. Capture the safe and easy shot first to guarantee you have a good image from the shoot, then look for all the details and let the magic happen!

That's the BUZZ for Today! Please check back soon for more.

Photographers Blogs you should follow: Chase Jarvis

2010-09-20T10:00:00.004-06:00

Chase Jarvis Blog

Chase Jarvis had quickly become a HUGE name in the photography world. His work is diverse, stylistic and inspirational. It seems like he somehow is involved with all the top photography companies, runs his blog, a studio, captures breathtaking imagery, creates artistic and unique videos, and finds time to take tons of pictures everyday with his camera phone in between. Many of us find it tough just to manage a shooting schedule each week. I'm pretty sure he never puts his camera down. And that's a lesson in itself. If you want to be a photographer, you must live, eat, and breath photography. Oh, and did I mention that he also works with Creative Live to create videos teaching photography?

I'm posting this article, because I found his video titled "Benevolent Mischief" made me want to head out and start filming an artsy/stylish video right away, with my video-capable DSLR. The movie is very cool and unique. It also shows that with some hard work, the right people, and some skills/direction, anyone can create an indie style movie. Video is embedded below:

Chase's philosophy is that "the best camera is the one thats with you". It's an idea that no matter how crappy the camera you have is, you can still take photos and get great images. I really have taken to this idea. Since I first picked up a DSLR I've decided that I must always have it with me if I want to capture anything good. This isn't true! Sometimes, the cheaper cameras defects make them take amazingly cool pictures. Plus, having a crappy camera with you is better than having no camera at all when you see something you need to shoot!

So check out Chase Jarvis' Blog and start following it. There's tons of information there so spend a little time and soak it all in. It will be very beneficial to your shooting and outlook on life as a photographer.

That's the Buzz for Today! Please check back soon for more.

Shoot Journal: Winter Park Day Shoot

2010-09-15T09:44:00.001-06:00

When preparing for a mountain biking day shoot (or any significant shoot for that matter), I go over the equipment I'm bringing probably a million times. It would be devastating to drive 2 hours to a shoot and realize I forgot a lens, or my camera! I highly recommend making a list of everything you need for specific types of shoots. This way you can go over the list and ensure that you've packed everything. Of course, it's also good to check that list again as soon as all the gear is in your car! Sometimes I've even stopped halfway to a shoot just to make sure I have everything, it's kind of OCD but it ensures that I'm prepared.

It's always important to have a backup for your camera and flash, should something really go wrong. My main rig is a Nikon D3s, but I held onto my D300 as a backup just in case. Every shoot I go to, I place this is a separate bag and keep it in my car. Before that, I shot the D300 with a D200 as a backup. One day, my D300's CF door latch broke, and I couldn't get the card out to replace it. The D200 saved me, and gave me something to shoot while the 300 was in for repairs. You just never know what may happen in the field. Being over-prepared is always better than just taking what you think you'll need.

For this shoot, Winter Park was looking for lots of action shots showcasing new features on their trails. If your into downhill biking and like to hit jumps, WP is the place to be! The mountain is now littered with tons of HUGE berms and large fast jumps.

Since the shoot was scheduled for mid day, I knew I would need to bring a couple flashes to try and make the rider pop out of the spotty forest lighting. For these conditions I typically like to set my camera in Shutter-priority mode (gotta keep it around 1/320th to avoid blur) and under expose by about -0.7. This makes the forest darker, and also helps reduce the overly bright light shining through. From there I mix in flashes that I trigger via pocket-wizards. The flashes are aimed to keep the lighting on the athlete even and make them stick out from the surroundings.

Sometimes you can get away with great shots by using the spots where the light is shining through. If you have an area that's wide enough, choose an angle where the background is dark, and spot meter on the area you want to shoot. This will keep your athlete even, and lower the lighting behind them. Don't lower your compensation when using spot metering like this.

Back to the flash rigs. For tripods, I use a cheap ($20) wal-mart tripod with tilting head and independently adjustable legs. The legs are very important because almost all flash stands are made for perfectly level ground and cannot be adjusted. For $20 you can get a stand from wal-mart with adjustable legs that is more than stable enough for a flash or two. Just thread your flashes baseplate onto the tripod mount and your good to go!

The other device that I used costs about $2 and can be purchased at your local hardware store. It's a round bungee strap with a plastic ball on one end. Just wrap the strap around the flash and a tree or branch, and pop the ball through the other end. Instant flash stand that costs and weighs almost nothing! Plus, it lets you place your flash in higher areas for different lighting effects.

Between the two of these I'm set to conquer whatever the woods have for me. This shoot involved 3 different models and the resort was looking for some shots that would show the multiple athletes at the same time. This is where it get's tricky!

Knowing that there would be two athletes in spotty forest lighting, I needed 2 flashes to make sure that they would stand out from the background. For these shots I used the athletes to build in the flashes by having them stand where they should be in the shot. First, I set up one flash on the farthest back athlete, and took several test shots until the lighting looked right, and had the perfect amount of *pop*. Then, I went ahead and set up the other flash from a similar angle (keeps the lighting more natural) on the closest athlete to get the right lighting on them.

The key for these shots was to have the athletes hit the jumps a certain way to ensure that both could easily be seen in the frame. Since the jumps were so wide, I could have them go off the right or left sides to separate them. Once I was all setup, it came down to timing, and my focus. For jumping shots, I typically choose a point near the landing, and pre-set focus with single auto mode. I then swap to manual to lock in the setting.

I help the athletes figure out the distance they should be apart, but since these were pros they could nail it the first time with no instruction. When this type of shot works, you really create something unique and exciting! Few photographers are capturing more than one athlete with flash like this. Another note: set the back flash a little lower, you want the athlete closest to the camera to pop more.

When it came to shots involving three athletes, I typically avoided the flash and tried to capture them out of the forest. This makes the shot look clean and keeps all riders evenly lit. Stock photography tip: shoot multiple athletes, it's easy to shoot just one and that's why the agencies are already pretty saturated with single athlete shots. Add in a rider or two more and suddenly your shots are edging out the competition and look extremely dynamic and exciting.

For the shot above, I decided to mess around with motion blur. This is an area that I've never played too much with, but thought it could make it more dynamic. I set the camera to 1/40second shutter speed and exposed for the outdoors. This put my aperture around f/20 with an ISO of 100. f/20 requires a LOT of flash power, so I cranked both flashes to full power and fired them side-by-side.

As always, on a shoot like this, I cannot stress enough the importance of listening to your athletes. They tend to know the mountain better then you, and often have several ideas in mind for shots. Listen to them and you will get better shots. If you know it won't look good though, tell them why and move away from it. Don't waste time on shots you know will be bad.

It helped that we had the mountain all to ourselves, but typically you'll have other riders coming through. Setup everything (including yourself) in locations that are off the trail. If you have to be on trail, face up trail (head-on shot) and be prepared to jump off when other riders are coming.

Another great shoot and everything went well (aside from a few blurry shots, damn sync limitations....) What more can you ask for?! If you have any tips that you would like to add from your own personal experience, please feel free to add them in the comments below.

Thanks to Winter Park, Willy Warren, Nick Simcik, and Angela for making this shoot possible, I look forward to more shoots at Winter Park!

That's the BUZZ for Today! Please check back soon for more.

Specify terms explicitly before starting a job.

2010-09-09T10:00:00.002-06:00

Let's face it, photography is often undervalued and mis-understood by the clients. They see that the results are great, but don't understand what it took to achieve that look. It's easy to undervalue your work as a photographer as well because the image was quick to shoot and edit. Remember that your expertise is what makes it expensive, it's the years of training and skills that you've learned. That's what the client doesn't see. You walk in, set up, shoot, and are out in an hour. In the standard business world, an hour of work equates to a fairly low dollar amount. Photography is not like this! Don't undervalue yourself!

That's not the end of the rant either.... As a photographer, you MUST specify terms explicitly before you start a job. It's the difference between hours and hours of frustration and smooth transaction. I've messed up many times. That's why Today, you are going to take this advice to heart, and arm yourself with a whole new knowledge. Don't get trampled over by your photography clients.

This bike rider is clearly upset after dealing with a bad client because he never specified terms.

The single most dreaded and feared term for the photographer? FREE RE-SHOOT! There are clients out there who expect the shot re-taken from a new angle, even though you captured an amazing shot with great lighting and a perfect edit. Or maybe they wanted to change something slight that would involve re-shooting the whole picture. On top of this, they expect you to do it for free since they "decided" that the angle they originally wanted was not as good as another one. Add to that the fact that it's an outside shot, and needs to be re-taken at sunset. There goes another sunset for a stupid free re-shoot....

Stating your limits, and creating boundaries for a shoot up front will save hours of hassle and pain later on. Don't re-shoot for free unless YOU truly did poorly the first time around. When the client hasn't paid you, and expects a free re-shoot, you will probably have to do the shoot. Try explaining to them that you charge more for a re-shoot first and see where that gets you. Hopefully they are reasonable and willing to work it out.

Find the perfect balance with your clients through great terms.

This is where the up-front payment comes into play. Ask for at least enough money up front, to cover all of your expenses. I would typically ask for about 50-70% up front. When you send them the invoice for this payment, include all of your terms (length of image use for client, exclusive or not, if a re-shoot is included, how many shots all said and done, if photo credit needs to be on each image, etc.) This is not a bad practice, and will not scare your client off (unless they were planning on not paying ever, so scaring them off is a great thing!)

There's another approach as well. The advantage to business as a photographer, is that you can send small samples, but hold the full resolution images until payment is received. Watermark your low-res images so they can't just throw them on their website, and send the high-res images upon payment. This also get's you paid MUCH faster since the client is wanting the images right away!

Not only does specifying terms save you when the %#$@ hits the fan, but it also makes you appear more experienced and professional for the client. It's a Win-Win situation! Don't let your art be taken advantage of.

That's the BUZZ for Today! Please check back soon for more.

Dodge and Burn: Two tools that can take your images to the next level

2010-09-07T08:36:00.001-06:00

Photoshop is a complex program that contains more potential uses than any person could ever figure out. You may be amazing with photoshop, but a year from now you'll look back and laugh at some of the methods you used to use. About a year ago, I thought I had it all figured out and that I was editing my images to their full greatest potential. Man was I off! I bet within a year I will be putting these current edits to shame, but for now I'm pleased with the results.

(After Dodge and Burn applied + lens correction)

One of the tools I've used and learned to love, is the Dodge and Burn tool. (It's actually two tools but they work the same.) If you don't have CS4 or above, you probably won't want to mess around with this one. The older versions of photoshop don't have the "protect tones" feature and really will mess up a great image.

(Before Dodge and Burn + Lens Correction)

Here is what the tool looks like when right-clicked to reveal both functions (we won't be working with the sponge tool today):

These tools actually come from the day's of the darkroom (yes, the darkroom did exist......). Use the dodge tool when you want to brighten things up. Make sure the "protect tones" checkbox is selected, you will never want that one to be turned off.

The selection for highlights, mid-tones, and shadows needs to be adjusted. Look at what you want to brighten, and determine which of these applies. Most of the time you will be working in either shadows or mid-tones. Choose a low opacity, say 8-10%, create a duplicate layer with Command-J or Ctrl-J and select the size of the brush that will work best.

Now it's time to go to town and start brightening up the details. Remember that every time you run the brush over a spot, it will become brighter, so try to evenly paint similar areas. The reason you created a new background layer, is so that you can lower opacity when your done (if needed) and can also remove the layer all together if something goes terribly wrong.

When your happy with all the dodging, it's time to move onto the burn tool, this performs just the opposite of the dodge tool and darkens the areas painted. First select the burn tool, now create a duplicate layer with Command-J or Ctrl-J and select the size of the brush that will work best. Make sure "protect tones" is checked, and choose a low opacity. Maybe 6-10% with this tool.

The selection for highlights, mid-tones, and shadows needs to be adjusted. Generally with this tool you are darkening either the highlights or the mid-tones. Shadows almost never need darkening by this method.

When you've "burned" everything as much as you wanted, slide the opacity of the layer down and choose an opacity that won't look overdone. Your image should look drastically better if done correctly. It takes time to get this right without being too splotchy looking.

These tools take a bit of practice, but can push your images to the next level! Experiment and have fun!

That's the BUZZ for Today! Please check back soon for more.

Balancing personal photo projects and paying work

2010-09-03T10:03:00.000-06:00

Professional photography involves so many different tasks in a day, that it's sometimes nearly impossible to balance with your life. Because it's easy to work from home, it's also easy to over-work and become stressed out. My first suggestion: Move the computer out of your bedroom, and keep it anywhere else in the house. This will de-clutter your mind and help you sleep at night!

One of the biggest struggles that I find, is trying to balance my payed shoots, with personal work that may or may not end up making any profit. It will take time to find your own balance here, and you may never find it. But here are a few tips that can help you along the way!

When your just starting out, chances are that 90% of your work is not paid. You are building your portfolio, and it's very important to get the best quality images showing the direction you want to take your business. This is a tough time as well, because you need to be marketing your work, and landing payed shoots to get rent in on time. Use this time to perfect your art and craft portfolio boosting images.

The balance will start to reveal itself more once you get paying jobs. Many photographers have enough paying jobs to keep them busy everyday, but never take the time to go work on their personal projects. It's ok to fall into this category, but beware that it may cause you to lose touch with your artistic self. Photographers are artists and need to constantly craft a more unique vision. This is what separates them from the pack!

Personal projects are where the vision and art is created. These are the essence of photography and where the most enjoyment lies. Spend time on these as often as you can, while still making enough money to live. Comfortably. The personal project takes some convincing to do as you're becoming more successful. It's easy to think that because it's not paying money (and may not) it is not worth your time. This is where you are wrong!

Spend time working on your skills through personal projects, and you will be able to land more work that relates to those. With the right marketing, those images could even be sold (just remember your shooting them for fun and hoping to get some portfolio boosters). So here's what I propose: Shoot paying jobs as they come, but set aside at least 1or 2 evenings/mornings a week to go shoot what you love, and spend time on it. You'll be a happier photographer from it, and you'll land more jobs since your shooting and perfecting what you enjoy.

Don't let it get into your head that shooting is a waste of time if there is no pre-determined place for the images. Photography is a lifestyle, not just a job. Enjoy life and love what you do!

That's the BUZZ for Today! Please check back soon for more.

Anatomy of an Image #7

2010-08-31T10:00:00.004-06:00

Capturing architecture seems like it would be incredibly hard. The area you have to light is very large, and the shot should be technically perfect. With a few little things to remember, you will be well on your way to capturing great images. So here's some advice for approaching a shot like this. And remember, practice makes perfect, your first attempt might not come out very good.

When setting up for a shot like this, I will first always scout the location. If you don't know what your shooting, how can you expect to show up at sunset and create a great image in a matter of minutes? Determine whether the shot will look best at sunset or sunrise. (It sucks and no it isn't fair, but sometimes shots actually do look best at sunrise....) So good morning sleepy eyes! Lucky for me, this was one of the shots that looked best after sunset.

It's easy to forget that the light is often best 10 minutes after the sun disappears over the horizon. I would know this because I do it all the time... I'll show up and start shooting too early, and become frustrated that the shots aren't looking great. Don't let this happen to you! This shot worked best at sunset because the front of the house would have odd shadows in the morning, and no light on it until about an hour after sunrise. Because it faces to the west, I knew I would get a great looking gradient in the sky after sunset.

Now that I know the shot is after sunset, I will want to bring flashes to light up the property. This is where it starts to get interesting! If you don't have a good set of flashes, AlienBees is a great place to start. With their (comparably) affordable power packs and flash heads, and great power output, they work incredibly well for architecture. You can get a 2 flash setup with a power-pack for under $800!

For this image, I started by building up my big flashes. I used 2 AlienBee B1600's triggered by pocketwizards wireless radios. One flash was setup to my right, and aimed toward the entryway of the house. This one was set at 1/2 power and had a 70mm flash output modifier to extend it more into the area. The other flash was set at 1/4 power to my left, and was aimed directly at the corner of the house. I knew that this combination would spread the light evenly, and cover the majority of the house.

From there, I added a Nikon SB-900 directly in the middle of the courtyard area, and in the shot at 1/2 power. This was the best way to light the bushes, and I knew that with a slight clone stamp afterwards, I would be able to remove the flash from the image.

The final flash was a Nikon SB-800 that I held above the camera, and zoomed to 14mm wide. I aimed it slightly forward and used it as fill for the driveway.

That's my setup. The camera was set by spot-metering the sky, and checking a test exposure on the screen. My camera settings were as follows: ISO 200, f/11, at 1/80th of a second.

Post-processing helped bring the image together with some Dodge/burning, clone stamping, LAB color corrections, and lens correction. Plus a couple selective area curves adjustments for contrast. With a final Smart Sharpen to finish it off.

That's the BUZZ for Today! Please check back soon for more.

Shoot what you love to shoot

2010-08-30T10:00:00.000-06:00

Photography is a passion, an art, a lifestyle, and if your smart enough, a career. As a photographer, you are challenged to come up with consistently enticing and amazing photographs for clients and yourself. The vision grows with you and becomes better with time, but for success, should follow a basic rule: Shoot what your love to shoot. In other words, don't force a career by shooting subjects that don't entice you. Spend your time shooting the things that you enjoy shooting, and build your career off those subjects.

If you follow your passion, and really stick with it, you can become a huge success. But when photography turns into work that your only doing for the money, you lose some of your vision and passion. Stick with the subject matter that is important to you and your photos will reflect your happiness. If skateboarding is your favorite thing in the world, shoot it! If weddings are your cup of tea, shoot them! The one's who shoot just for the money rarely get great images.

Few people in the world seem to do what they love to do. This is great for the rest of us, because they do the jobs that help us in our daily lives. However, it's quite disappointing when you meet someone who has all kinds of passion for something, but wastes their time away just to make a paycheck. As photographers, we get to do a job that we love. What could be better in the world?

The main thing to take from this if your just starting out, is that your work should reflect your passions and interests. Without this, your imagery will not be of the highest quality, and you will be working purely for a paycheck. Artists should do what they love, and photographers are artists too.

In the world we live in, a person can create a job that may have never existed. Say your interested in shooting pictures of chairs, and only chairs. In many countries, you can make a living at that! How, you might ask? Create or find a need for photos of chairs. It sounds ridiculous for sure, and kind of like a scam, but this is the truth! How do you think that people have made millions of dollars selling products that no one should ever need or want?

I'm getting a little off track here.... Life is too short to waste capturing images of things that are uninteresting. Does this mean that you should pass on every job that may come your way that might not be fun? NO! If you need the money, then you may have to take a lame assignment every once in a while. But really work towards your passion, and you will make it happen!

That's the BUZZ for Today! Please check back soon for more.

Shoot Tips: Shooting an amphitheater

2010-08-25T09:25:00.000-06:00

Over the past few evenings I have been on assignment capturing images of the Ford Amphitheater in Vail, CO. The assignment seemed quite intense, and lighting everything was not a possibility, until it was dark enough out. Fortunately, theaters have excellent lighting (at least for the stage).

(more images to be added soon after editing!)

There are several things I learned on this shoot, and I felt the best way to share them was with a list.

-If the subject-matter is too big to light exclusively by flash, build natural light in as much as possible, and use flash to fill in the holes.
-Don't force the light if it's just not right. Typically the best light is just before and right after the sunsets. Also, because it's darker, it's easier to balance the interiors lighting with natural light outside.
-Bring an assistant along to help position lights and move quickly before the light goes. (preferably someone willing to work for free! Now I owe you a shoot Daniel.)

-Bracket your shots while using flash and you will be able to compile an evenly lit HDR image later in photoshop.
-Capture separate exposures if the lighting can't be balanced, of sky, scenery, and subject-matter so that you can blend them in Photoshop later.
-Change only shutter-speed, not aperture for merging exposures later.
-If you can make it work, use the existing lighting, then just add a splash of flash light where needed.
-Bring your tripod. Bracketing images can be a nightmare without.
-Shoot with a remote shutter release. Pushing the button on the camera can move it's position enough to make post-production even more difficult.
-Worry first about composition, and shot angle. Never set up lights and then build your shot around that.
-The best sunsets occur when there are some clouds in the sky.
-Sunsets can look amazing either East or West depending on the weather conditions. Have an angle for both sides that will work depending on what looks most impressive. (Remember, sunsets don't last long!)

-Some of the photos I captured were from a ladder. To do this, I needed a stable platform for the camera, and my tripod would not work. I attached a Manfrotto magic arm with clamp to the top of the ladder, and attached that to my camera. I also used this for shots from the catwalk where I needed the camera to reach out farther.
-If you need a lot of flash power (almost more than your flash has) ditch any light modifiers like umbrellas or softboxes. They take a bit of power away. Also, crank up your ISO to where you are comfortable, and shoot the most open aperture that you can afford too.
-ND filters like the ones from Cokin work great to balance the sky and subject-matter. Unfortunately I didn't bring mine during this shoot.....
-PhotoMatix is a great program for creating HDR's and is fairly simple to figure out. Highly recommended.
-Relax and practice Zen Photography, and you will complete the assignment well!

That's the BUZZ for Today! Please check back soon for more.

Shoot Video! My first experiences...

2010-08-19T15:15:00.003-06:00

Last night I went and really tested out the video capabilities of my D3s for the first time. Shooting video is so much fun, but is actually a lot more different than what I had initially expected. First off, it's got a few similarities to photography, which helps quite a bit. Then, there are the differences, which can be very tough to understand/figure out at first. The main difference being the entire approach to the shoot. For photographers who spend days setting up a single photo, this should be no big deal. But if you generally fly by the seat of your pants, you are in for a surprise with video!

Luckily for me, I had Daniel Milchev, or www.photovenom.com there to help (and be the talent!) Thanks Daniel! One of the very first things he pointed out to me was that I needed to shoot more of a story, and really get shots of many angles of the same thing, so I can blend them together and make it interesting. My best advice: shoot all the small details, It's not just the action that counts.

Here's my crazy idea I had starting out: I brought a few flashes along, and figured that I could mix a photo into the video mid-action scene. To do this, I had to shoot the scene through once for the video footy, then again with flashes in place for the photo. From there, I spliced the photos into the clip using Adobe Premiere. And it all actually worked! The important thing here, is keeping your camera at the same exact position on the tripod.

Camera settings in video can be quite confusing. You may think that shutter speed would not apply, but it does. Set your camera up so that it's exposed well just like a photo. Start with shutter, because typically for video, the best results come at 1/30th. I chose to use shutter mode so that all I had to do was set my ISO and my shutter speed. This makes it very easy to shoot with changing light from different angles.

Focus must be manual for action. The live view auto-focus mode is no where near fast enough to track a quick moving subject. I pre-set if before the shot, and if I will have to change it during the clip, generally will perform a few run-throughs just so I know how far and fast to turn the focus dial.

The camera needs to be on a tripod or have some type of stabilizer. Without this, the shots might be too shaky to use. I use a manfrotto tripod with the $157 Manfrotto 701-HDV tripod head. This is a fluid head that will enable you to pan and tilt with very smooth motion, and is lightweight for carrying.

With video, there are tons of options for shots. There are far out zoomed in shots, low depth of field footage, zoom shots, focus push or pull, panning shots, close shots, close panning, still shots, and anything else you can think of. Don't be afraid to experiment, after all, it's basically free to shoot since you aren't running any real film.

Try to compile and tell a whole story through the film. This means showing every little detail that tells what's happening. Without this, and if you shoot with no real order, then it will be tough to create an enticing video. Every good video needs a good story as well. It's like when you got all excited to see "2012" and then discovered that the story sucked, and the whole movie was just about special effects. It ruins it when the story is missing, no matter how good the footage,

The best way to learn video is to practice. Get out there and experiment and don't be afraid to try crazy new ideas. It just may turn out that video was your calling as well! Happy shooting!

(The photos in the article became part of the video. I will upload the full video when it's completed in the next 2 weeks.)

That's the BUZZ for Today! Please check back soon for more.

Lists!

2010-08-18T11:04:00.000-06:00

Life can be crazy sometimes, and a million thoughts go through my head every day with new ideas for where to take my photography. Things like sponsorship, setting up shoots, current shoots, editing, people to contact, places to send sample images, and new ways to market. These really build up and amount to a lot of work!

This is where the "all-important and never-ending list of success" comes in. You may call yours something different (I'm thinking I should get that trade-marked...) In the past I've had many great ideas, and then only let them slip through my mind because of other work that must be done first.

Lists will organize your life as a photographer. I've tried using programs on my computer, including digital calendars, but to my surprise, a simple list on my desk works the best. It's something to actually look at, and physically cross off completed tasks. Plus it's always sitting right there, even when my computer is off.

Try organizing it in the order of most important, to least important tasks. Remember, just because a project is big, doesn't mean it's the most important task at hand. Clients can't always have their work pushed through first when there are multiple projects still in the editing process before them.

Add every idea that you have that may get your name out there more, and when a list has most things crossed off, start a new one with the remaining tasks. I've gone through hundreds of full page lists over the last couple years, and really feel that this is a big driving factor in my career. Not only am I adding objectives that NEED to get done, but I also place tasks that could potentially lead to more sales on the list. Every small thing makes a difference!

Start making that list, and watch your career advance. It sounds so simple that it's almost stupid, but will honestly help your career get rolling and hone in your direction and focus as a photographer.

That's the BUZZ for Today! Please check back soon for more.

Shooting the Skate Park with style.

2010-08-13T10:00:00.001-06:00

Here are some great tips if you are just starting out, or working towards shooting skating professionally. Here's the first truth: You don't have to shoot pros. They are not willing to sign releases usually and are tougher to get a hold of. The amateur guys are often just as good, and are far more fun to work with since they don't shoot all the time! They are more excited about getting great images and often more willing to work with you.

So how did I find these athletes to shoot with? It does help that I'm at the skate park quite a bit skating for fun.... However, often times I'm shooting people that just happen to be at the park and are good. And no, shooting them from a distance and hoping to get a good shot is not the best approach. Walk up to the athletes and ask them if they want to take a few shots. They are usually very interested! Also, get them to sign model releases if they are willing after the shoot. This way you have them in case you sell the images for stock purposes.

With skateboarding photography you can't really be timid. If your staying back too far you may not get the best shots. A lot of published images are taken in close with wide angles lenses. This is because it makes the trick look a little bigger and showcases how extreme the sport really is.

So here are my 2 favorite shots from an hour of shooting with Will, the descriptions contain my setups and why I set them up the way that I did.

The above image was taken late in the evening right after sunset. Thanks to my D3S and it's extremely good high ISO quality, the shot was captured at ISO 1000. I set a flash up behind Will and to the left because I wanted somewhat of a ring light on his side. When shooting in the skate park, it's often very limiting on where you can setup your flashes. Work with the athlete and figure out your angle first. A lot of the time you'll find the best angles are in the danger zone. Don't risk it too much! From there, build up your flashes one at a time, and have the athlete pose in the location for test shots to get the light just right.

The flash that is behind Will is set to about 1/4 power, is at 85mm zoom, and is roughly 20 feet behind him. Zooming the flash head in gives it more power, so use this to your advantage. Then, I added a second flash to the left of me, and up on top of the wall. This flash was set to 1/16 power, 85mm zoom. The lower power is because this is the main light, so I want the lighting to be even and not blown out.

This creates a very cool look, because the overblown edges highlight the athlete, and separate them from the background more. This was shot at 1/250 sec. sync speed so that the flash fills the whole frame, and an aperture of f/4 so I don't have to power the flashes up too much. When the light starts getting darker, to retain ambient, lower your flash levels, and bring up your ISO and aperture.

Look for great angles in the photo, and try to showcase the landscape as opposed to just the action. These shots are more appealing as they tell more of a story.

First off, the coolest part of this shot to me (besides the gnarly grab over the spine) is the rain falling into the image and the spots that show up on the wall. At first it would be tough to tell what this is, but to me it gives the image a very surreal look.

This image was approached completely differently. I knew that because it was so dark out, and the rain was coming, I would not have time to create a setup showcasing more of the park. So I really wanted the lighting on the athlete to bring him to life. I set a flash on either side of the athlete directly on top of the spine. Both flashes were set at 1/16 power and 50mm zoom, with the athlete directly in the middle of them.

The side lighting look is really in right now, and is highly dynamic. The reason the flashes are zoomed back out a little from the other image, is because the light would be more distributed, and would therefore light up the landing. Without being able to see the landing, this shot would be a throwaway for me. I'm a firm believer in that there needs to be more than just an athlete to tell a story.

Skateboarding is a blast to shoot, and way more accessible for using lighting gear than mountain biking or skiing. It's a great way to experiment and learn what works. Not to mention it's a ton of fun, and it's easy for the athletes to try the trick multiple times so that you can get the shot!

That's the BUZZ for Today! Please check back soon for more.

Zen Photography and The Multiple Flash Approach

2010-08-11T10:00:00.001-06:00

Sometimes I'm overwhelmed by using even one remote flash. It can be a little stressful, especially if you are trying to rush and get the shot. But to use multiple flashes? Surely chaos will ensue and the shot won't come out right due to lack of time!!!

So here's my new approach/attitude: Take more time setting up each shot. It's pretty easy to feel over rushed and not spend as much time as you should, securing an incredible image. Take time and build up your shots with flashes, rendering a unique dynamic a look. This is yet another trick that will put your work WAYYY above the competitions. The world is your studio!

I discovered this while shooting at the CrankWorx Mountain Bike Event for Winter Park Resort. The first day, I was feeling stressed by the amount of images that was expected of me, and the number of angles the resort was hoping to obtain. So I rushed a bit and got some good shots, but felt incredibly stressed all day. Stress will actually slow down your shoot, and give you less quality shots. This is probably the most important lesson I've learned in a while.

The next day I changed the approach. I developed a plan and stuck with it. I started at the top of the course with all my gear, and relaxed. Gradually building up several flash setups on each feature as I worked my way down the course. No stress, no worries. And the results? Significantly better images than I had taken the day before, along with more energy to shoot all day.

Take some time, gather your thoughts, and craft your vision to perfection. Logically it seems like it would take longer if you analyze each shot more. This is not quite true. Mentally, because you are relaxed, you will set up the shot better, and will be able to capture it in faster time. More mistakes happen with stress and when your rushing, including simple errors that can ruin the shot (focus). Relaxation will change your shooting life. I think I'll call this method Zen Photography, and I'm a strong convert to this new attitude.

The multiple flash approach is something that developed from this event work as well. Shooting the event was a ton of fun. But at the end of it, I now had a strong desire to create incredible images and spend time making each one an insane portfolio booster. This is where I'm at now. I'm going to shoot the stuff I love (Biking, Skateboarding, Skiing) but turn it up several notches. No rush for me, no single flash action (unless that looks best, or no flash looks best for that matter). I want to bring 2-3 flashes into each shot and craft it into dynamic and beautiful lighting.

The method? Build up your images one flash at a time. If your shooting action, try and have the athletes make test runs for you (Doesn't work well with skiing because the snow get's wrecked) or have them stand where the action will take place as you build the image up. If you add all flashes at once, the image may (not likely) work great, but it will be tough to tell what flash needs adjustments, and how much it needs.

Take the Zen Photography approach added to your multiple flash approach, and you will create the best images you've ever made. On your next shoot, pack as many flashes as you can (you don't have to use them all) and take a deep breath while you enjoy shooting. Enjoyment is reflected in the imagery. If your not enjoying what your doing as a photographer, then why would you want to be a photographer?

Please post any comments that you have below, and let me know about your experiences with Zen Photography. Take a hint from the Buddhist Monks and let peace and relaxation (not chaos and lack of control) rule your imaging life.

That's the BUZZ for Today! Please Check back soon for more!

Inspiration to make you more successful as a photographer!

2010-08-04T12:22:00.000-06:00

It's been a bit of time since the last post, and I'm sure the wait has been almost unbearable for many loyal APB fans. I've been off shooting Crankworx Colorado with barely enough time for sleep each night, and will have posts all about it later this week! I've also been on a custom film/photo shoot sponsored by Red Bull to shoot Dirt Jumping on Mountain Bikes. And finally, I'm now sitting at home trying to heal my mouth after having my wisdom teeth removed. Whew, what a week!

This is something I've noticed and been faced with all along in my career, and it's an issue every photographer will have to face. The issue at hand? Other photographers talking about never making money, or how there is NO money in the industry that your trying to break into. The reality of this? There is money, and you should stick with what you know how to shoot and love to shoot. If you stick with your passion, I guarantee you will one day succeed. It might take 5 years just to get it rolling, but it will be worth the wait when your loving your job every day!

Photographers that are telling you "don't even bother with this industry, theres no money" have no idea what they are doing, or just had some bad luck (most likely bad marketing....) and that's why they've given up on it. These people are serious downers. They will make you question what your doing, and think about changing industry. Don't do this!

Instead, hear them out, don't argue, and laugh about it later. You will prove them wrong. You will do better then them by far with a positive attitude. One of the things these people don't understand is that you can sell your images outside of the industry. What? I can sell my skiing photos outside of the main ski companies? Yes, this is true! And that is often where the money lies. Look in many magazines or commercials and you'll see Gatorade ads with extreme action photos, watch ads with skiers going off cliffs. Sometimes the best representation for a rugged or "extreme" product, is an extreme shot having not much to do with it.

Think about all of your options, and pay attention to different magazines that have nothing to do with what your shooting. There are BILLIONS of image needs out there. Why should you not be targeting every one you can? Think outside the box and you will succeed where these "downers" are failing. Don't get washed up and if you ever start to doubt that you'll make it, get out of that rut, shoot some images, and market them everywhere. You will make it! Keep that in mind and work hard.

It's easy to think that the market is saturated with better photographers then you. Keep working at it and you will get better images then them. The sky is the limit and since we are all human, we can all do anything that anyone else can, and even more.

The best photographers sometimes make the least money due to poor marketing, don't be one of them. The worst photographers sometimes make the most money because of great marketing, don't be one of them. Alway's strive to do better and be more creative, while still marketing everywhere you can think of.

Finally, never be afraid of rejection. Whether it's because the company doesn't like the image, or simply don't have a need for it, it's not a big deal if they don't use it. Someone else will!! It's a huge world with lots of imaging demands that you can market too if you have the courage and skill.

Ignore "downer" photographers and let your passion run your life and business. If you don't have passion or care about what you do you'll never be successful, even if you make an exorbitant amount of money. Happiness is also success, not just wealth.

So ends my rant, hopefully this helps inspire like I hope it does. Get off your couch and make it happen, you have it in you to be the best!

That's the BUZZ for Today! Please check back soon for more.

Using Layers in Photoshop to merge exposures

2010-07-26T10:00:00.004-06:00

Photoshop is a gargantuan program developed for people to do everything they could ever want (aside from vector graphics..) It's a huge undertaking to learn, but honestly I feel that no one knows everything that the program can do. That's why it works well to break it down, experiment once in a while, but stick with the things that you know how to do for each image that needs it.

Final Image with outside and inside exposures combined.

Just typing this article seems daunting for me, but hopefully once you've read it you will have the know-how to layer your own images.

Don't be scared.... I'll hold your hand all the way through this!

Layering can begin at capture with two different exposures, or in post process by editing the same file two different ways. This article will focus on the first one, but the whole thing can be easily applied to a combination of two different copies of the same image.

First, start off by capturing two different exposures. This is a process that I use all the time when shooting architecture or real estate. I will first nail my indoor exposure and make sure everything looks well exposed. If there are reflections in the windows, I really won't need to worry because that will be my 2nd exposure.

Inside exposure with reflections in window. (you can see my arm with a flash!)

To create the 2nd exposure, meter for the outside, but be careful not to move the camera. A tripod is a must for this, especially with wide lenses. I use spot meter and put a focus point over the window to get this right.

Now that you have the images, it's time for "The Hammer" as pro photographer Daniel Milchev calls it. Normal people just call it Photoshop.... Run your initial RAW processing and open both images in photoshop. Here I will use the indoor exposure as my main exposure, and "cut" the outdoor exposure into it.

View the outdoor exposure, and select the whole thing with the square marquee tool. It looks like a box with a dash as the edge. Copy this exposure, and move over to the indoor exposure. Paste the exposure on this one. You can use Ctrl+V or CMD+V as a paste shortcut, with Ctrl+C or CMD+C as your initial copy shortcut.

Outside Exposure to be combined with interior from above.

You should now see the outside exposure as a layer over the interior exposure with none of the interior exposure showing through. Select the top layer, or "outside exposure" layer in your layers panel. Then move the opacity slider down to about 50%. This is just to check that the exposures are well lined up and save you some time later. Just press your arrow keys to move the top layer around and line it up perfectly with the bottom one. Once you are satisfied with the alignment, slide opacity back to 100%.

With your top layer selected. Press the alt key while you click on the "Create new layer mask" button at the bottom of the layer's palette. The alt key automatically inverses the layer mask so that all you see is the bottom layer, or inside exposure. If you don't do this, you can still press Ctrl+I or CMD+I with the mask selected to inverse it.

Don't know what a mask is? Think of it as a mask for your face, when you put it on, it shows the mask, but not your face. When you take it off, you see your face with no mask. Apply this to Photoshop and you have the Layer mask. When it's black it means that none of the layer is showing, white means the whole layer is showing. If you have black with some white, only the white parts are what's showing of that layer.

Now it's time for the fun part. This part is exactly like when they finally "move the bus" on Extreme Home Makeover. I call this the "reveal". Here we replace the poor outside exposure, with a perfect no-reflections exposure, it's really amazing how much this changes the whole image!

There are several tools to help you do this. The paint brush, magic wand, the new "Quick Selection" tool in CS5, the lasso, polygonal lasso, and magnetic lasso. The marquees will work as well.

For windows the polygonal lasso makes the most sense. Select this tool to draw in your selection. If you mess up, click the option in the top bar that lets you subtract, or add from the selection, it looks like this (hover over each one in your copy of photoshop for a pop-up telling you what it does):

There is also an "add-to" selection option that you can use if you miss an area. Make sure you have black as a foreground color, and white as a background when using the lassos. If these are not correct, when you press delete later, nothing will happen. Flip these options if using the paint brush to paint-in the outside exposure.

Once you have the area selected that you want to replace with the new exposure, press delete to "cut" it out and reveal the new image in that area. If you mess up you can alway's press Ctrl+Z or CMD+Z to go back a step. If your happy with it, press Ctrl+D or CMD+D to de-select the area. Repeat for all needed windows/areas of an image.

That's pretty much it! Save your image and if you did this correctly it should look great! This technique works well with a single image also, just edit the same image two ways, and then layer the areas that you need. It also works to lighten exposures in certain areas by use of the soft paint-brush. Please comment below if any of this is confusing, and I will fix the article to clarify.

That's the BUZZ for Today! Please check back soon for more.

Hard Drive Failure Update

2010-07-20T13:24:00.000-06:00

Good news everyone! The Hard drive was fully recovered and my images are back! YESSSS!!!!!!!!!! Don't let this happen to you, read why here: Backup!Backup!Backup!!! I can't believe the amount of hassle I've gone through to get these images back (not to mention the money too...) One more lesson I learned that saved me? Get Insurance on your camera gear. Luckily I had insurance, and it also covered drive failure with a deductible, what a relief! Plus, should something happen to my gear, they've got my back.

Look for many new posts at APB now that my photos are back and I can sleep again. Thanks for your patience and visits!

RAW Conversion with Adobe Lightroom

2010-07-20T13:15:00.004-06:00

After RAW Conversion

Before RAW Conversion

Converting images can be a bit confusing at first. Think of it as your preliminary edit where you are doing the strongest adjustments, then use Photoshop for the more technical and finer details. It's a global edit (some local if needed) of your image. The best part is that none of the adjustments are actually affecting the RAW file, so you can do whatever you want with no image degradation or damage! So how do you know where to start?

Well first off, I adjust everything from top-to-bottom. This seems to be the most natural flow, and will create less chaos for each edit. I choose not to add too much fill light on most images because it looks better to render this with local adjustment brushes or using curves later.

After RAW Adjustments Applied

Before Adjustments

Start off with your temperature adjustment. The easiest way to do this is use the picker tool, which looks like an eyedropper and is to the left of the WB sliders. Then click on a neutral gray or true white somewhere in the image. The WB should look pretty much perfect now. If not adjust manually via the sliders, move right for a more warm yellow look, and left for a blue colder look. Below this is the tint adjustment and if the image looks too green or pink, slide it the other way.

Next is your exposure adjustment, this way you have the image perfectly exposed to work with (assuming it wasn't perfect already, but I have high expectations from you.) Once this is narrowed down, slide the recovery tool to the right to bring back any burnt highlights if needed. Careful here, if you go too far right it will look pretty bad.

Fill light is next and this is a great one to recover some of the darker areas of the image, just don't overuse it or you'll get too unnatural of a look, and photoshop really does a better job of this. Slide the blacks to make them look true, or more if you want an extremely contrasty image.

Adjust brightness as desired (note that the brightness tool is WAY different than exposure, experiment with the two.)

Now it's time for contrast, in my opinion, the tone curve is a much better way to bring in or reduce contrast than the slider. So let's skip this one on more images. I generally leave this at it's default +25.

Clarity adds darkness to the edges so this slider can create a very cool look, slide it left and you get a bright halo kind of image.

Vibrance adds more saturation to the more saturated colors of the image, and saturation adds more color to every color in the image, use these carefully because it's easy to overdo it.

We've finally arrived at the Tone Curve. This is one of the most useful tools in Lightroom, and Photoshop. I prefer to use the sliders to get accurate control over each range. There are presets below the sliders that add more or less contrast as well. If you want more contrast, generally boost the lights, and decrease the darks. Less is the opposite. Then do your fine tuning in the highlight and shadow areas based on your personal desires.

That's pretty much it for the basic global adjustments. The sliders below Tone Curve for HSL, Color, and B&W are all for correcting specific colors in the image, experiment with this to fix a bad color or too change colors in the image. Most images will not need any of these.

Split toning helps you convert an image to different colors. This is not necessary for most images.

Almost all RAW images need some degree of sharpening, if I'm editing the image in Photoshop, I leave lightroom on it's defaults here and add my own export sharpening in Photoshop. If you do an export from lightroom you can choose to have it apply low, medium, or strong sharpening. Apply in lightroom if you need to add a lot, and in photoshop if you need local sharpening.

Under lens corrections in Lightroom 3, you will find distortion corrections, which are great if your verticals are tilted, pin-cushioned, or bulging. I only need to use these for architectural shots, and use Photoshop's Lens Correction features instead. Vignetting is also an option to fix and is very easy to adjust here. Sometimes I like to add a vignette for effect.

Now on to the local adjustments. These are the adjustments right below the histogram at the top of the bar. From left to right we have: Crop & Straighten, Clone/Heal, Red Eye Removal, Gradient/ND Filter, and Adjustment Brush.

Since the first one is obvious we will skip that. Next one is the clone/heal which I prefer to do in Photoshop. If there is a small spot or dust in the image, I will use this to remove it. Just click on the spot and it should automatically clone from a great area. If not, move the source point to a better position. Red eye removal is something I never really need since my flash is way above or away from the lens plane.

Here is where it starts getting really fun! The Gradient filter is an amazing and simple tool. Choose the setting you want to change first. I usually want a dark blue and saturated sky, so I will boost saturation a bit, and lower the exposure a little. Then simply click where you want the gradient to take effect, and drag it to reduce the harshness. That's it! You can make it wider for a more gradual effect, and narrower for a more harsh look. You can also click on the middle and move it or redirect it. Once it's in place and selected, you can also slide any sliders to change it's effect. If more than one gradient is desired, simply click new at the top. To edit the last one, just click on the dot in the image that represents it. This is the same way the adjustment brush works.

Select the adjustment brush icon, and you will see a menu similar to the gradient, but including a set of options for brushes. Here you choose the size of your brush, how harsh it is (feather) and smooth it flows. I leave feather and flow on the standard setting for most applications. The check box that say's "Auto Mask" will help keep your brush between the lines if selected. If that's not what your looking for, de-select that option.

That's pretty much it for Lightroom. Just right click on any image and choose "Edit in" and then "Photoshop" to bring it into photoshop. When you choose save there, it will automatically place your edited copy next to the adjusted RAW file in Lightroom. Any adjustments you are not happy with can be removed in the "History" panel on the left. Have fun, and remember that experimentation is key to mastering RAW adjustment in Lightroom!

That's the BUZZ for Today! Please check back soon for more.

Shooting Skateboarding 101

2010-07-14T09:47:00.000-06:00

The other night, I was out capturing some photos of skateboarding and I realized that I don't offer much advice for skate photography on APB. If your interested in getting involved in this type of thing, there's a few bits you should know.

First off, skateboarding photography can actually be dangerous if you are not smart about your position (or are trying to get in close for the best angle) Most published skate photos are taken wide and close placing the photographer in the danger zone. Skateboards are not attached to the athletes feet so they tend to fly away from them when they fall and right into you.

Second, like any new type of photography, look through the magazines that represent the current trends in the sport first. These are your guide to style and if you know what makes those images work, you will be able to apply those techniques while your out shooting.

Athletes know what's cool and what their best tricks are. However, sometimes the tricks will not look good for stills, or are at a bad location. Don't be afraid to ask them to show you something else, and be honest by telling them that you can't make a great shot with that trick in that spot. It's great to start out with any suggestions they have because they know more than you do most likely.

Never ask them to push far out of their comfort zone. This results in bad photos because they won't be able to make the trick stylish, and may hurt themselves. You don't want to have to deal with the hospital...

When shooting skating, I generally like to add flash. Like most of my photography, I feel that flash is what pushes me ahead of the competition and gives me an advantage over other photographers. I generally use Nikon Speedlights and AlienBees flash heads. To trigger everything I have a set of pocketwizards Plus II's, though I would love to have the new ones with TTL built-in.

The best location for flash varies, but for me it will work best to have someone else hold it so that I can reposition them, and don't have to risk setting up a flash in a dangerous area. My general guideline if I'm only using one flash, is that it will light up the athletes face, arms, and board. If shooting into the sun it works best to have the flash close to me. Shooting away from the sun I like to add a strong light to the side, or place a powerful unit directly behind the athletes. This adds a great looking rim light. Experiment with this and you'll find a look you like that will be great!

Flash sync speeds are usually around 1/250th or 1/320th, however, you can push it a bit higher if you have the athlete in the top half of the frame. This way the athlete is well-lit, but the bottom half of the frame has no flash in it. This really only works during daylight hours because then there will still be plenty of detail in the bottom half of the frame. If at nighttime you will end up cropping a bit.

Aperture is light dependent, but I like to stay around f/5.6 to f/10 so that the athlete is in perfect focus. With flash I'm only shooting 1 or 2 shots of a trick, so I pre-set focus on the main spot where I want to capture an image. Without it I will shoot with continuous AF and follow the athlete. Expose for the ambient first, then build in a flash. If you want to add more flashes, build them in one at a time and have the athlete stand where the trick will be taking place to check exposure. You don't want to make them try something they may be nervous about more than once or twice so nail it the first time.

That's about it, please comment below if you have anything else to add from your experiences of shooting skating. Now that you've read this, get out there and shoot! You may be smarter for the article, but your never going to get better without the experience, enjoy!

That's the BUZZ for Today! Please check back soon for more.

Get Sponsored!

2010-07-09T09:45:00.005-06:00

First off, what are sponsorships? In an ideal situation, a sponsorship is where the photographer (you) get's free gear or some cash-money, and in return helps increase sales for a company. To truly do this though, the photographer must have a big name or something going for them. There are cases however, where a photographer may just be starting to make a name, and can land sponsors. In this situation the sponsor helps the photographer become well known, and hopes that by doing so it will attract more people to the company and the companies products.

It takes some time to wrap your head around it, but think about pro athletes. When Tony Hawk is in a commercial or advertisement for a company, that is because of sponsorship. His name adds credibility to their product, and makes all the Tony Hawk wanna-be's go out and purchase it.

So how do you go about landing a sponsor? This is tough, but not as tough as it seems. Before you do anything, take this advice to heart: Never be discouraged when you are rejected for sponsorship. It's nothing personal. Head out and try with other companies, or approach the ones who've rejected you again once you've landed some other sponsors or publishings. Sponsors bring on more sponsors and fame builds on itself.

Here's my approach. Try and get an in with the company, although not necessary, this is a HUGE help. This can be as simple as going to trade shows and meeting the owners/managers. These people are at the top, and if you can get their business card, you are way ahead.

With companies that you don't have an "in" with, start out by e-mailing any contacts in the company you can find, and asking them who you would speak with about sponsorship. Some companies either don't sponsor, or are not looking for new photographers. It's nothing personal, they just feel they don't need to give any more sponsorships at the time. Try those again later.

I've found that it is best to approach sponsors when you have something big and current. If all of your "big" accomplishments are from 2 years ago, you may want to wait until the next one happens. I worked for sponsors when I landed the cover, and a full article inside of Photoshop User Magazine. This was very beneficial and shows that I am making a name for myself. It's best to wait until something exciting happens, but if you CAN get a contact at a company, send them regular updates about what you are doing, and where your photos are appearing. These updates show your dedication, and will make them consider you more seriously.

So what do you send to the sponsor? This is something only you can decide. In the past I've sent in slideshows consisting of ONLY my top 15-20 images and set to match some good music that most people seem to like. If you choose bad music (even if you think it's good....) it only makes you look bad. My other thought on this is that certain "independent" artists will add to your artistic appeal, I just don't know where the borderline is here.

Always send in your photographic resume. Have a little write-up about yourself and include all of your biggest accomplishments/publications. On top of that, add a letter as to how a sponsorship with you could benefit the company. This is something that you could build from a "template" for each company, and then customize key parts. Reference your website and recommend that they review it along with the slideshow. Include a couple business cards and your good to go!

You could take it to the next level however....

For my next packets I will be filming with my NIkon D3S as well. Not only will I film an interview with myself, but I will also do a really slick edit showcasing mountain biking video, and incredible imagery. Anything that I can do to make my packet and work stick out above all others.

Package everything in a way that looks good and unique, and make sure to put all your contact information on the CD/DVD slideshow, resume, and letter. This lets them keep your work in line and shows consistent branding.

Mail these in to your contact. Sending e-mails asking for sponsorship will probably not work. Companies get way too many of these to really even consider any of them. The mail gives them something they physically have to look at and keep a copy of.

Follow-up with an e-mail making sure they received the package, and with more emails as you land some more "big" jobs or publications. Use proper grammer and spelling, but let your personality show through. The personal connection shows them that you are not some boring photographer who just wants free gear. You have to want to work with the company, not just get free gear! Think of all the way's that you could help them, and they will be more likely to help you.

Good luck landing sponsorships! I hope to land Nikon as a sponsor one day soon, and eventually release my own pro-model camera dubbed the NiConnor

That's the BUZZ for Today! Please check back soon for more.

Camera Basics 101: Fireworks

2010-07-04T16:16:00.002-06:00

Capturing great images of fireworks may happen with the first shot, or take a lot of practice. Fortunately, the displays last long enough that you will get some great shots! Here's a few tips:

- Set your camera up on a sturdy tripod and don't bump it while exposing.
- Experiment!! Try anything you can think of.
- Shoot long exposures, and put a dark object (i.e. lens cap, construction paper) in front of the lens. remove it when a good firework is full size and quickly move it back in front to block others. This way it is like you are constructing the image with the fireworks you select.
- Set your focus at infinity and it will probably be dead on.

- Bring a good wide angle and get in close.
- Use water for reflections of low fireworks to add to the image greatly.
- Compose the image with an interesting silhouette.
- Shoot with a high-ISO, wide-open aperture, and long shutter if you want to capture the scenery as well as the fireworks. Use the opposite if you are just hoping to capture the fireworks burst.
- Experiment with pulled focus, and focus blur. Use a shorter exposure and spin the barrels, you may find some great results.
- Add something of interest to your photo. Just showing fireworks has been done time and time again. Shooting the fireworks with a lake, or a monument, however adds a lot of interest and gives the image location.
-Mix in flash on a subject with the long exposure, who knows, it may look great!

The most important thing to remember with fireworks, is to experiment!! This is true in all aspects of photography. If you shoot the same as everyone else you will never be different, and it's tougher to make a name for yourself.

Have fun, and Happy 4th of July!!!

Fireworks shot 7-3-10 from Connor Walberg on Vimeo.

That's the BUZZ for Today! Please check back soon for more.

Ten things to know before shooting lacrosse.

2010-06-29T10:00:00.003-06:00

Last week, I was fortunate enough to spend the day shooting Nike Elite Lacrosse Camp for ESPN Rise in Denver. The temperature was 101 degrees and I spent almost 5 hours outside shooting. The camp worked it's way up from stretches and training exercises, to 3-on-3 competitions. There's many things that I learned in the process of shooting, that really would have helped to know from the start!

That's just the way it works sometimes.....

Here's the top 10 tips I have in no particular order:

1. Shoot as much as possible. You may have to spend more time on your edits and narrowing down the top pics later, but it's always better to have too many images instead of too few.

2. Keep your ISO as high as possible to capture the quick action with a higher shutter speed. The ball is always moving a million miles per hour and players pass faster than you would believe.

3. Try and keep your aperture above f/8 to increase your chances for sharp images.

4. I found that it worked very well to choose a fairly closed aperture and set my focus in the middle of the field about 20 feet in front of the goal. Most shots are taken from this area so I would have more in focus. Trying to follow the athletes with the ball using auto-focus is tough since it moves player to player so quickly. Pre-focus was my best friend.

5. Choose angles that allow you to have the most uncluttered background possible. With too much clutter, you can't tell what's going on with the action.

6. If you aren't coming up with any great images from a certain angle (or sharp images) move to a new angle and change your approach.

7. Talk to the coaches. They know the sport better than anyone and will help you know who to follow and what angles you will see good action from.

8. As always, capture other elements beside the game. Lifestyles are always in high demand and some of the best (most salable too) shots come from shooting the sidelines.

9. When using continuous auto-focus, narrow down your focus point selection so that you can have the fastest auto focus your camera allows. 9 points is faster than 51 because the points are wider.

10. Zoom and go wide. Both are very different and will give you a far more diverse set of images for your client. Also, vary the height of your angle, stand up and hold the camera up high if you must, or lay down!

That's the BUZZ for Today! Please check back soon for more.

Photographer's blogs you should follow: Focal Flame

2010-06-22T18:08:00.000-06:00

In this huge tangled web that we all live in, and that includes our lives too, not just the internet, there are literally thousands (maybe millions) of photography blogs. How are we supposed to wade through all the useless crap and find something that matters? With a little guidance from APB. Luckily you have me to support you and show you what matters..... or at least what I feel matters.

If you would like to have your blog featured here (assuming it passes the review and offers something unique to the world) please contact me at info@cnwphoto.com.

The Focal Flame Photographers offer a VERY unique service. Seeing their unique approach to a world full of similar photographers is inspiring and eye-opening. They have literally created their own genre of photography. Focal Flame Photography was just recently launched, so I'm sure they have a ton of new material to be posted in the galleries on the website soon.

The photography is not all that matters in focal flame however, it's all about a combination of writer/photographer, and consists of husband-wife team, Clint Thayer and Robyn Perrin. The approach is narrowed down to just the client, an athlete. They follow the athlete in training and competition and focus on them, capturing images showcasing the skill, determination, and efforts of the athlete. From there they will create a book with a narrative (after interviews with athlete, coaches, family and friends), portfolios for sponsorship, and several other options.

One very cool thing is that their prices are actually affordable! I feel the rates are extremely reasonable and believe that their is a HUGE market for their services. Most parents would gladly spend that amount to have a book chronicling their child's dedication and love of sports.

According to Robyn, "We have a business model that is a bit unusual in the sports genre: we do individual client-engagement photo sessions at events (and in training), rather than the on spec/en mass work that is more typical. Think wedding photography meets triathlon (or cycling, or running, etc etc). We also provide written services, interviewing athletes to develop custom books or websites. I take a journalistic approach, sitting down with not only the client but family, coaches, or others whose quotes are critical to telling the athlete's story."

In my years of photography I have never heard of anything like this. I'm excited to see such a different style, and a valuable service. The professionals in any sport get this kind of coverage, but for a high school athlete, or any other athlete, this is great! As a kid I would have loved if my parents did something like this to showcase my skills as a mountain biker or skier.

On their blog, the writing approach has a more professional, polished, and novel-like feel then 99% of all blogs I've seen. The articles read almost as short stories and are very entertaining. Clint's excellent images are showcased throughout the articles and really give a great and artistic feel to the story. I highly recommend reading through their posts. They have different styles in different posts, so be sure to check out a few.

This dynamic duo has some great ideas for the photo world. If your struggling right now to make ends meet as a photographer, maybe its time to change your approach. There are literally millions of outlets and options for what we can do as photographers, add a journalist to your photography approach and you've opened up even more doors. Take a chance and try something different! It seems to be working great for Clint and Robyn!

You can view the Focal Flame website here.

That's the BUZZ for Today! Please check back soon for more.

The 100th article: Top 10 Posts in APB history!

2010-06-17T14:00:00.003-06:00

It was tough coming up with something spectacular for the 100th article. But considering how many articles full of useful information are on APB, I decided it would be fitting to list the top 10 articles of all time.

Enjoy!

#1: Get Published in Magazines

#2: The Ins-and-Outs of Event Photography

#3: Photoshop Basics: Sharpening 101

#4: Do's and Dont's of Skiing Photography

#5: Pricing, Your Professional Life Depends On It

#6: Mountain Bike Action: Top Tips

#7: Balancing Fill Flash with Ambient Light

#8: Creating Soft and Even Lighting

#9: Extreme Sports Photography

#10: Creating Your Website Portfolio

These, in my opinion, are all must-reads. But be sure to check out the Index page and see what else is offered at APB. Learn all kinds of tips, and see some of what I do in the "Shoot Journal" section. From dealing with clients, to learning photography and editing, APB has something for everyone.

Thank You for visiting All Photo Buzz and helping me make it what it is Today. From here the sky is the limit and I couldn't keep this up without the support of my loyal readers! Feel free to comment below with links to articles that have helped you in any way.

That's the BUZZ for Today! Please check back soon for more.

EOS Model	Custom Function for Back-Button AF
EOS Rebel XS:	C.Fn 9
EOS Rebel XSi:	C.Fn 10
EOS Rebel XT:	C.Fn 04
EOS Rebel XTi:	C.Fn 04
EOS 20D:	C.Fn 04
EOS 30D:	C.Fn 04
EOS 40D:	C.Fn IV-1
EOS 50D:	C.Fn IV-1
EOS 5D:	C.Fn 04
EOS 5D Mark II:	C.Fn IV-1
EOS-1D Mark II (N):	C.Fn 04
EOS-1Ds Mark II:	C.Fn 04
EOS-1D Mark III:	C.Fn IV-1
EOS-1Ds Mark III:	C.Fn IV-1

All Photo Buzz

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