A Night at the Ball Game

For todays blog I thought I would share one of my recent images with you.  I took my two boys to the Reno Aces ball game last week at the new stadium.  It's a beautiful ball park on the Truckee River in downtown Reno.  I took this photo as the sun was going down and the stadium lights were coming on.  Did a little bit of tweaking in Photoshop including using the lens correction filter to darken the edges.  It was getting pretty dark outside and I was shooting without a flash so I cranked up the ISO to 1600.  Shot in RAW mode.  Shutter speed was 1/80 sec at f/8.0 using my Canon 1D Mark III on a monopod with a Canon EF 15mm fish eye lens.

Ended up with a pretty good picture and a great memory.  Actually ended up sleeping with my boys that night on the outfield grass and watching "The Sandlot" on the megatron.  Good times!

Try to squeeze in some fun today!

Ryan

The first week!

Whew!!  That's it... I made it through the first week of this blog and I think I've at least got the basics down.  Now to refine the layout and work on providing consistent, helpful content relating to photgraphy!  I've got some big things planned so keep checking back in.  I'm also hoping to get some guest blogs going.  If you have any suggestions to make this blog more beneficial, or if you are involved in some aspect of photography and want to be a guest blogger... please let me know.
 
It's Friday and I'm heading up to the lake (Lake Tahoe) for a few hours.  I'll be spending the weekend working on the blogs and content for next week.  I hope you'll stop back by!

Have a fantastic weekend!

Ryan

B&H Photo - A great place to shop!

It's Thursday... another GREAT day to be a photographer!

Today I am going to let you in on a little secret.  If you are in the market for a new camera or camera equipment such as a tripod or lense, you might want to check out B&H Photo on the internet.  Their store is located in New York City.  Pretty much every photographer I know buys at least some of their stuff from these guys.  I have bought everything from cameras and strobe lights, to backgrounds and posing chairs.  In my opinion they have great customer service and competitive prices. 

Check them out at http://www.bhphotovideo.com/

If you live in Reno you might want to check out my friends at Gordon Photo.  You may pay a little more for certain items at this brick and morter store, but you get to ask questions of their very knowledgeable staff.  That is a HUGE benefit in my opinion.

Happy shooting!

Ryan

Retirement Redefined: 401Play

It's Wednesday... another great day to be a photographer!!

Today I thought I would write about something that isn't necessarily about photography, but then again might be: Retirement, "post-recession," redefined.

The traditional way of planning for retirement has been: work until you're 65 at a job you don't really enjoy, while counting the days until retirement; or... work really, really hard at a job you don't enjoy, and hopefully retire at an "early" age, say 55. A third option, of course, is to work at a job you don't enjoy while spending every penny you make. Then, after "retiring," get a job as a greeter at Walmart. I am in no way criticizing those friendly folks that smile at me every time I enter my local Wally World. I am simply saying that, perhaps there is a better way. And what is that better way you ask? Passion!

I love photography. I love everything about photography... capturing memories, learning about natural AND artificial light, getting creative with Photoshop... Photography is truly a "passion" for me. So my thought is this... instead of doing something I don't really love, and praying I can retire early... what if I figured out a way to make a living, a GOOD living, doing something I'm truly passionate about. Instead of watching the "retirement clock," I would be enjoying each and every day. This is not a new concept. The old saying is, "do something you love and you'll never have to work a day in your life." But how many of us really do that?

Maybe it is time to consider a new retirement plan for yourself. Instead of 401K, we could call it 401Play... What do you think?

I'll see you tomorrow. But until then... I hope you are having fun doing whatever it is you do!

Ryan

Core Values of the Photog Buzz

A well defined set of core values are what helps guide any successful organization.  These are ours:

1. Everyone deserves a good camera
2. Canon and Nikon owner’s can live side by side in harmony
3. When it comes to a man’s lens... size does matter
4. Life’s short... take lots of pictures
5. It is one’s camera... not one's political affiliation... that really matters
6. Photography is fun, and should be approached as such

Please note that our values may change without notice.

A Great Way to Learn Photography

It's Tuesday morning and another great day to be a photographer! I just started my Photog Blog and my goal is to write something everyday... Monday through Friday. Today I thought I would share about how I learned (and continue to learn) this art we call photography.

Over the years I have taken classes and attended seminars trying to become a better photographer. Some things have been really helpful... others not so much. I have taken several university classes for about $300 each and I attended the online degree program through the New York Institute of Photography. The problem with these learning venues, besides being expensive, is that I don't remember eighty percent of the information. Don't get me wrong... I think NYIP is a good program, but when I took it they seemed to be focused a lot on film photography, and I was deep into digital. I believe that has changed but you would need to check that out for yourself.

In my opinion, one of the best ways to learn photography and photoshop (a must know program for photographers these days) is through a web based program called Kelby Training. You may have heard of Scott Kelby, he is a wildly successful writer of photography and photoshop books. He started Kelby Training which provides online classes by some of the best folks in the business. And, what's even better, is you can take as many classes as you want, as many times as you want, without breaking the bank!

I just renewed my annual membership. It was only $179 dollars for the whole year ($199 if you are not a National Association of Photoshop Professionals member) and they threw in two books on top of it... "The Moment it Clicks" by Joe McNally and "The Adobe Photoshop CS4 Book for Digital Photographers" by Scott himself. I checked out prices at Barnes & Noble and the books alone cost $75. That means I am getting an entire year of top-of-the-line photography and photoshop classes for about a $100. That's a screamin' good deal where I come from.

I don't know Scott and he doesn't know me, so I do not get any benefit from making this recommendation. I simply think Kelby Training is an awesome way to become a better photographer and thought I would pass it on to you.

Check it out for yourself at http://www.kelbytraining.com/

Until next time...

Ryan

I Need a Plan... a Business Plan

First things first... I need to write a business plan so I have an idea of where I'm heading. It doesn't need to be super complicated, but I do need one. I will let you see it as soon as I'm done. In the mean time some of the other things I will need to do include:

1. Get a business license
2. Start up a web site
3. Start a blog (done)... now I've got to keep it going!
4. Get my photography info. onto Facebook and Linked In... free advertising! I'm not to sure about Twitter... we'll see...
5. Volunteer to shoot different events (this is a great way to get my name out there... plus get in some shooting!)

This is a pretty good start. I guess I had better get busy!
Keep shooting...
Ryan

In the Beginning - Starting a Photography Studio

There are a lot of photography blogs out there by fantastic photographers such as Scott Kelby, David Ziser, and Joe McNally. Why would I toss my hat in the ring with folks like that. Well... No. 1, I love to write, No. 2, I love photography, and No. 3, I thought it might be interesting to read about the photography business from a little bit different perspective.

I have owned a successful landscape architecture firm for over 11 years and have been a practicing landscape architect for over twenty. We design parks and commercial projects throughout Nevada. But I have always loved photography and have taken classes off and on. I have even attended a few seminars here and there. I, however, have never been a professional photographer.

I have decided to see if I can turn my passion for photography into a viable business. Like most of you... I am not going to quit my "day" job. But I am going to take the business principles that have made me successful as a landscape architect and see if I can trasfer them into a successful photography business.

I plan to blog every step of the way, sharing my success and failures. At 44 years of age I'm out to prove that it's never too late to try something new. I hope you enjoy this blog, find it encouraging, perhaps inspirational, and maybe... just maybe, learn something along the way.

Keep shooting...

Ryan

Photog Addiction... It's Symptoms and Treatments

Wondering if you might have the disease... or how to treat it?

The Photog Buzz’s very own Dr. Digital has come up with the following symptoms of a photography addiction. If you show any of the following symptoms... you just might be a photog addict:

Classic Symptoms of a Photog Addiction

• you’re easy to shop for because the only thing you ever ask for is a gift card to B&H Photo;
• you have at least one camera lens that cost more than your mortgage payment;
• you do not show up in any of your family’s photo albums because you’re always the one taking pictures;
• you believe that Nikon and Canon are not only cameras... but ways of life;
• if you had to choose between your camera and your spouse, you’d choose... Uhmmm... your spouse... of course;
• you believe that... no... size really DOES matter! (have you checked out Canon’s
• you walk through a crowd and people say things like, “hey dude/babe, nice camera!”;
• you always need “just one more lens/fix”;
• you know what that little red stripe on a Canon lens means;
• when you meet people you secretly judge them based on the camera they are using;
• you have been to the Photoshop World Conference more than once.

Do you have a symptom you would like to share with Dr. Digital? Just leave us a comment. We might add it to the list.


Recommended Treatments for a Photog Addiction

Fortunately, at the Photog Buzz we do not believe there is a cure for Photog Addiction or any proven treatment. The good news is you probably won’t die from it. The bad news is you might go broke.