Lava Lamps... they just never get old!

Our 17 year old daughter received a lava lamp for Christmas from her 19 year old sister.  You know... that is just one gift that never gets old, and they make for some fun photos.  I photographed this image last night after we got home from dinner.

I cropped the image to show just the melting, stretching, goo inside the lamp (I'm not sure how else to describe it).  It makes for an interesting, different image.

Camera specs: Canon 1D Mark III with EF 24-70mm lens at 34mm; 1/30 sec at f/5.6; ISO 400; no flash; hand held the camera.

Here's one more image...

It is always a fun photo exercise to try and look at the usual in an unusual way.  Here is a glass of Merlot looking straight down into the glass.

Have a great day, get inspired, and go take some photos!

Ryan

Finally... I've got my hands on the Canon G11 "Backpacker" Camera

For Christmas I got the Canon G11 "Backpacker" as a gift from my wife.  I know, I know... it's not called the "Backpacker."  It's called the Power Shot G11.  I made up the "Backpacker" term, but I think it is just a matter of time before the term catches on! 

You see, the G11 is kind of like a point-and-shoot on steriods... and I think it might be just the thing to take with me with I go backpacking.  This little baby offers the controls of a DSLR.  It even shoots RAW images.  But it is much smaller and much lighter then a DSLR and will fit nice and neat in the pocket of my backpack.

I have a 1D Mark III which is just too big and bulky to lug with me into the deep backwoods of Yosemite.  I have a 20D that I took with me last summer but it is a little heavy.  I think the G11 is going to work great.  I am going to read through the manual and spend the next week playing with the camera.  I will let you know what I think, good, bad, or ugly.  If it passes the mustard, so to speak, it is going to become my official backpacking camera.  Look for my review after the first of the year.

I hope everyone had a great Christmas!  Our office is closed until January 4th so I'm taking the family and heading to eastern Washington to celebrate New Years with my two brothers and their families.  The lap top is going with me so I'll be bloggin' from the road.

Keep shooting!

Ryan

Wedding Photography Gone Bad!

You know... if your wedding photographer comes cheap, or for free, there is probably very good reason!  My wife and I have been married twenty years and if you ask her if there is anything she wishes she had done different for our wedding she says, "I wish we had hired a good photographer."  Here are a few of our wedding photos so you can see for yourself why she holds that opinion.

We can't really blame our hair on the photographer.  Hey, it was the 80's man!

  Nice photo... if you're in the witness protection program!

Need I say more?

It is ironic, and perhaps no coincidence, that I would became such an avid photographer.  Perhaps to help others avoid such blunders in the future.

Here's a video/news report about another couple who appear to have "cut costs" when it came time to hire their wedding photographer.

Watch this at My Fox Boston

Enjoy your Tuesday and keep shooting!

Ryan

Getting creative with the shutter speed

I took this photo of the sunrise yesterday (Sunday) morning.  I felt like playing around so I adjusted the coloring in Lightroom and came up with this image.  It kind of has that "Lion King" feel to it don't you think?  The sky was hazy over Reno this particular morning, but the sunrise created a thin band of dramatic color just above the ridgeline of the mountains.  I cropped the image down to display just that line of color.

Camera Specs for the shot were: Canon 1D Mark III with EF24-70mm lens at 68mm; 1/8 sec @ f/8.0; ISO 100.  I took the photo at 7:14AM.

Here is the photo I took a minute before, at 7:13AM.

I decided to slow the shutter speed down a little and wave my camera around to see what I could come up with.  I thought this image was kind of interesting.  It looks more like a forest fire then a sunrise.  The orange "flame" is the same orange that makes up the first image.  If you look closely you can see the trees (giant sequoias) through the haze.  I cropped all that haze out of the first image.

My camera specs for this shot were: Canon 1D Mark III with EF24-70mm lens at 68mm; 1 sec @ f/11.0; ISO 100.

A Video by David Ziser...

If you use Lightroom in your photography workflow, here's a video by David Ziser you might like.  He demonstrates how to "paint" with light to create a dynamite image.

It's only Monday, but if you're like me you're staring down the barrel of a short work week.  We close our business down between Christmas and New Years and I'm really looking forward to it.  It is a great time to hang out with family and friends.  Keep shooting!

Ryan

Creating your website

Creating your website...

Yesterday I posted that my photography website was almost ready and I told you that I had chosen to use SiteWelder to create and host my site.  After I posted that blog, though, I realized you might like to know what other website companies I looked into.  They are:

SiteWelder
LiveBooks
Marathon Press

I know that there are many more, but this will at least give you a good start if you are interested in creating a website for your business... pretty much a "must do" if you want to truly succeed.

I own another business and we built that website inhouse.  It turned out pretty nice... but, boy, did it take a while.  It would have been much faster and cheaper to use one of the above-mentioned providers.  The end result would have been pretty much the same... a professional looking website for clients (and potential clients) to check out when they are contemplating hiring us.  A big drawback is that I depend on someone else to update it (remember, I don't know too much about HTML).  Needless to say, it does not get updated as often as I would like.

Image of the day...

Can you guess what it is?  Post your answer to my Facebook page.  Good luck!

Ryan

The website is almost ready... and some other stuff

Website Update...

My photography website is almost ready!  Nowadays it is pretty easy to get a quality website going without spending a ton of money.  I looked at several website companies before finally deciding to go with SiteWelder.  I orginally learned of SiteWelder because it was highly recommended by the late, great photographer, Monte Zuker. 

I love the fact that you can add your logo to your website and make other changes with ease.  You have complete control .  I know very little about HTML (the written code that makes your website look like, well... your website), but it is very important that I be able to update the website so that it stays current.  If I have to count on someone else to make the changes, chances are it won't happen too often.  I was considering a different website company because they were a little cheaper... until I realized all the "extra charges," like $45 min. to change your font (are you crazy!), $800 for branding, etc., etc.

I hope to have the photography website up and running by the end of the year.

I Can't Wait for Christmas...

My wife hates buying Christmas gifts for me so she told me to just order whatever I want from B&H Photo (pretty much everything I want comes from B&H) and she'll wrap it when it gets here.  Works for me!

I placed my order today for the Canon PowerShot G11 digital camera and a Spyder 3 Elite Display Calibration System.  I have been shooting Canon cameras for many years.  I have a Canon 1D Mark III and a Canon 20D, both DSLR's, but I am looking for a small camera that I can carry with me where ever I go.  You know what they say... the BEST camera is the one you have with you.  The G11 is a 10 meg point-and-shoot that can shoot in RAW format and has a hot shoe mount.  The guy from Strobist just got one and raves about it.  I'll let you know what I think after I have had a chance to play around with it.  I'll also let you know what I think about the Spyder 3 Elite.

Image of the day...

Here's a photo I took recently.

Be the first to tell me what it is and I will send you a Starbucks card for a free latte.  Leave your answer here as a comment, or on my Facebook page.  Be specific... good luck!  If no one guesses what it is I'll tell you next Monday.

Ryan 

Learning... it may be cheaper then you think

Only 16 days until start of the "Sunrise 2010 Exhibit."

Although I like this photo, it is missing the 3D effect that you can achieve with directional lighting.  In otherwords, I think think photo is a little flat.  Check out the photo in yesterday's blog to see if you don't agree.  To achieve directional lighting you need to get your flash off of your camera.  Move it to a 45 deg angle from your subject and see the improvement.  Raising it up above your subject a few feet to create what is called "loop" lighting.  I will discuss loop lighting in an upcoming blog.  To acheive directional lighting with natural light you need to study where the light is coming from and adjust your position or camera angle accordingly.

One more thing...

It has never been easier to learn photography, or whatever else you may be interested in.  The web has a wealth of information.  A lot of it is free.  But even the stuff that isn't free is very affordable.

Case in point... every time I receive the Extended Studies catalog in the mail from our local university I feel compelled to write a plug for Kelby Training, without which, I would be nowhere close to where I am today as a photographer.

I flipped open the catalog that I received in the mail today and saw that I can take a beginning Photoshop class for $349.  What amazes me, though, is that I can take as many online courses as I want over an entire year for only $199 through Kelby Training, and these are GREAT courses folks!  They are taught by top professionals in our field.  How cool is that!  You can find a class on just about anything photography related... wedding photography, Photoshop, web design, Lightroom... it goes on and on.  Another benefit is that you can take the same course over and over, if you're like me and it takes a few times to sink in.

That's enough of my sales pitch.  I am not tied to Kelby Training in any way, but you can probably tell that I think it is an awesome resource.  Check it out for yourself.

That's it for today.  Keep shooting!

Ryan 

Using directional light to create image depth

I have been shooting the sunrise from my deck for the past few weeks.  For this image I turned the camera towards this snow covered honey locust tree in our backyard.  The reflection of the morning light through the branches gives the photo a great 3-dimensional quality.  Directional lighting on the giant sequoias adds additional depth.

I am beginning to understand why David Ziser http://digitalprotalk.blogspot.com/ is such a big proponent of directional lighting.  I have found that the images I really like all have directional lighting (flash or natural) which creates shadows and depth, making the  image come alive.

This photo was taken just after sunrise at 7:31AM.  Camera specs were: Canon 1D Mark III with EF24-70mm lens at 40mm; 1/125 sec @ f/8.0; ISO 100.  I focused manually, using a tripod and cable release to eliminate camera shake.  A small amount of post-processing was done in Lightroom 2.0.  It is amazing how much better your photos look in the lighting that occurs in the one or two hours after sunrise.

One more thing...

Here's a link to an interesting site on photography with some great tips on how to take a better picture.  It's called lifehacker.  Check it out at http://lifehacker.com/5424825/most-popular-photography-hacks-of-2009

I hope your week is going well and the hustle and bustle of the holidays isn't getting you too frazzled.  Keep shooting!

Ryan

A Storm is Coming

Sitting in my home office writing these early morning blogs I get to watch some spectacular sunrises .  So a few weeks ago I decided to grab my camera and photograph them.  I took this photo last Saturday morning a few hours before another snow storm rolled into the Reno area.  Clouds and sunlight make for some splendid imagery. 

I like to process my images in Lightroom 2.0.  I usually spend no more then few minutes in post-processing.  I always shoot in RAW which allows me greater flexibility with my exposure and white balance settings, I use a tripod, keep my ISO as low as I can, and focus on the sky manually.

My camera specs for this shot were: Canon 1D Mark III with EF24-70mm at 40mm; 1/100 @ f/8.0; ISO 100

Shooting in Snow

I woke up yesterday morning and this was the view out my kitchen widow.

We got about a foot of snow yesterday and I spent most of my day shoveling the driveway.  Needless to say, when I was thinking about what to post for today's blog I had  snow on my mind.  So I figured, write something about shooting in the snow.

When you shoot in snowy, cold conditions there are a couple of things to remember.  First, batteries drain very quickly in cold weather, so take extra batteries and keep them warm by carrying them in an inside pocket close to your body.  The second thing to remember is that when your camera tries to read all that white it has a tendancy to underexpose.  Bump up your exposure at least 1 stop.  For this picture out my window I increased the exposure almost 1 1/2 stops.  Play around with your camera and you'll figure out what works best for you.

You may also find that your LCD screen doesn't always work in very cold conditions.

Long underwear and a good pair of gloves ain't a bad idea either.

Keep shooting!

Ryan

What a difference a day makes

I woke up to 10 inches of snow and still falling.  It is amazing how many different photos you can get of the same view, especially when you include the sky... which is constantly changing.  Starting January 1, 2009 I am going to attempt to photograph the sunrise everyday for one year.  In the mean time I have been getting up and shooting the sunrise from my back deck just to fiddle with camera setttings, etc.  Here is the photo I took at 7:00 AM yesterday, and the one I took today at the same time.

Dec 6, 2009 - Reno, NV

Canon 1D Mark III with EF24-70mm lens at 46mm; 1/400 @ f/8.0; ISO 100

Dec 7, 2009 - Reno, NV

Canon 1D Mark III with EF24-70mm lens at 48mm; 1/60 @ f/8.0; ISO 1600

Enjoy your Monday... and keep shooting!

Ryan

Two of my favorite things: cotton fields and Lightroom

My wife is from north Florida and whenever we go down for a visit I love seeing the cotton fields in bloom.  I think that is about as southern a thing as there is.  I took a quick shot of this field from my brother-in-laws car as we were whizzing by at about 60 mph.  I thought I would show a quick before and after shot to demonstrate, once again, why I am such a fan of Adobe's Lightroom.  I spent literally one minute making a few adjustments to improve the photo.  It is just a quick shot out the window of a speeding car so it's not perfect... but I like it.

Before - the "fast food" shot

After - with a little help from Lightroom

That's it for me.  See you on monday!

Ryan

Just in case you missed it... yesterdays sunrise

Sunrise can make for some beautiful pictures.  Unfortunately you have to get up early to take them.  Yesterday's sunrise in Reno was at 7:02AM according to the Reno Gazette Journal, an acceptable hour, so I decided to take some shots and see what I got.  From our backyard balcony you can see planes leaving Reno Tahoe International Airport and heading south.  If you look closely you can see an early moring flight leaving just before the sun popped up from behind the mountains (no it is not sensor dust, it is a plane!).

My camera specs were: Canon 1D Mark III with EF24-70mm lens at 54mm; shutter speed 1/30 @ f/8.0; ISO 800.  I had my camera on a tripod and focused manually.  I used Lightroom to bring out the colors and artistry of the image.

Photog Buzz Library

I read a lot of photography books.  Some are really great... others are not.  I am only going to tell about the books on my bookshelf that I think are really good and would recommend to a friend.  I will be adding more books to this list as time allows.  To start things off I figured I would tell you about the most worn out book(s) on my shelf.  These are the three books and they are a best-selling series.

 
If I could only buy one book about digital photography it would be "The Digital Photography Book, Volume 1, 2, and 3," by Scott Kelby.  I know... thats actually three books, but you can buy them all together in a slip case.  If you are an amateur wanting to take better photos, or a pro looking for some good reference books, these are great!

Just Warming Up (Sunrises of Dec 2009)

These photos are a warm up for the start of my "Looking East: Sunrises of 2010" project on January 1, 2010.  I plan to take photos of the sunrise, where ever I may be at the time, for one year.  This month, however, I am taking these early morning shots all from the same spot... my back deck.  It is interesting (to me anyway) to see how many different images I can create shooting from the same exact location.

#1 December 2, 2009; 702AM; Reno, NV

#2 December 2, 2009; 702AM; Reno, NV

#3 December 4, 2009; 704AM; Reno, NV

#4 December 6, 2009; 7:23 AM; Reno, NV

#5 December 7, 2009; 7:07 AM; Reno, NV

#6 December 12, 2009; 7:28AM; Reno, NV

#7 December 13, 2009; 7:31AM; Reno, NV

Clothing tip for group photos

What your subjects wear can greatly effect the overall quality of an image.  Not everyone is going to listen to you, but strongly encourage your clients to coordinate their clothing for group shots.  It is a pretty simple thing to do and your image WILL look a lot better.  It is also more likely to endure the test of time.  Simple, solid colors are best.  Take a look at some portraits from the 1970's if you don't believe me.  Here is a picture of my wife (second from the right) with her dad and siblings.

They are all wearing the same color shirts, and because the shirts are darker your attention is immediately drawn to their faces... which is what a portrait is all about.  They all wore long sleeves which is another plus.  Your eye is naturally drawn to the brighter parts of the image.  You can see how Kelly's forearms distract a little from the faces.  If everyone was in short sleeves you can imagine how distracting it would be and that the image would lose some of it's quality.

The ground sloped to the right and it might have looked better if I had had them reverse order, so that the taller two were on the downhill side of the frame.  That's something I can place in the "maybe next time" file that I keep stored in my head.  But then again, I kind of like the way the image composition slopes from left to right.  Switching their order may have evened out their heights and made the composition a little boring.

It was a sunny day in Florida.  To get rid of the strong shadows from the sun I had them move into the shade.  Simple... but effective.

Keep shooting!

Ryan