The Photog Buzz

Extreme Black & White

2010-02-27T17:04:00.001-08:00

Yesterday my friend and fellow photog Chris came by the studio for a photo session. We had a blast. These are a few of the black and white images I created using studio strobes.

Canon G11 – The Little Camera the Rocks!!

2010-02-24T16:44:00.001-08:00

If you want the versatility of a DSLR with the size and convenience of compact camera the Canon G11 is the perfect solution. For years I only had DSLRs. The problem is that they are big and bulky… great for shooting portraits and weddings, not exactly ideal for long backpacking trips or downhill skiing, two of my favorite activities.

When I found the G11, I found the answer to a lot of my problems (not THOSE types of problems). Now I have a camera that gives me the creativity to shoot in manual mode, etc. I can also attach an external flash such as the 580EXII (it also has a built in flash), and I can shoot at 800 ISO without much of a problem.

SHOOTING VIDEO WITH THE CANON G11

Another huge benefit is that it shoots video. I’ve posted a short video clip that I shot while skiing with my daughter at Mnt Rose Ski Resort a couple of weeks ago. The video is a little shaky because I am skiing and video taping my daughter snowboarding all at the same time… just take note of how high quality the video is coming out of the G11.

I love having the ability to carry such a versatile camera in my pocket while I’m enjoying the great outdoors. You won’t find me skiing and taking pictures at the same time with my Canon 1D Mark III, that’s for sure!

TAKING GREAT CANDID SHOTS WITH THE CANON G11

I created several 24” x 36” posters for our local cub scout pack using photos that I shot with the G11. Here’s one of them. Note that the photos have not been adjusted in Photoshop or Lightroom in any way. They are straight out of the camera! I assembled the poster in Photoshop and had it mounted on foam core. I photographed my son’s back (the shirt on his back I should say) to use as the poster backdrop and then added the photos that I took with my G11.

RYAN’S PHOTOGBUZZ CHUCKLE!

“You wouldn’t worry so much about what people think of you… if you realized how little the do!”

Blogging with Windows Live Writer

2010-02-24T05:27:00.001-08:00

I have been blogging a while now and I think I am finally starting to get my blog workflow a little under control. When first started blogging I just typed my post directly into my blog. Although this works, I am finding that it is not best solution.

I recently switched to Word for my word processing needs. I used Word Perfect for years and was perfectly content. It seems the rest of the world is using Word, however, and I got tired of being asked to convert my documents to Word every time I tried to send something to a client. Tables, especially, seem to get really screwed up during the conversion process.

Word, I discovered, gives me the option of creating a “blank document” or a “new blog post.” I was stoked. Using Word seemed so much better then typing directly into Blogger. But when I tried writing my blog post using Word I found that the formatting seemed to get screwed up when I would try to publish it to my blog.

Today I learned about Windows Live Writer and so far it seems to be doing exactly what I need. I was able to insert pictures and type multiple paragraphs without seeing any formatting problems. If you are using a PC and want to try blogging check out Windows Live Writer.

COMING UP NEXT: CANON G11 – THE LITTLE CAMERA THAT ROCKS!!

I have had some more time to use the Canon G11 that I got for Christmas and let me tell you folks… it is an awesome little camera! It is small enough to fit in my pocket, has the control and flash features of a DSLR camera, and takes great video! I have finally figured out how to take that video and, through You Tube, post it on my blog and Facebook account. It’s very cool! That’s what we’ll be discussing tomorrow so stop back by!

RYAN’S PHOTOGBUZZ CHUCKLE!

“Ever wonder who loves you more… your dog or your wife? Stick em’ both in the trunk and see which one is happier to see you when you open it back up!”

Redford Photography and the Art of Marketing

2010-02-23T05:50:00.001-08:00

Yesterday I watched a webinar featuring Redford Photography. It is easy to see why these guys have such a successful studio. They have marketing down to a science and they work really hard at it. They discussed their senior portrait program and how they go about generating business. If you ever get the chance to attend one of their seminars (or webinars) I would say that it is worth the money. These guys don't sit around waiting for client's to come to them, they actively go out and get them. Their Ambassador program is pretty amazing. Check out their website if you want some inspiration. Here's the link.

ONE MORE THING: THE ART OF BLOGGING
I am trying get more streamlined with my blog workflow. Instead of writing directly in Blogger I am starting to write my blogs using Microsoft Word. When you open a "New" document in Word it gives you the option of creating a new blog post. There seems to be a glitch when I try to save my documents and I have lost some of the information I've written. I will have to see if I can figure out a fix.

Shooting Tethered Through Lightroom… It’s So Easy!

2010-02-22T20:06:00.001-08:00

Each weekend I try to learn something new about photograp and get some shooting practice in. This weekend I decided to learn how to shoot tethered (with my camera hooked up to my computer). I already know how to shoot tethered to my computer, but I wanted to learn how to shoot tethered using Lightroom.

I read a lot of Scott Kelby's books and I learn a lot about photography through Kelby Training. I have written about Kelby Training in previous blogs. It is an online program providing instructional videos on photography. It is a great deal. Here's the link.

For those of you who are not familiar with Scott Kelby, he is a big proponent of shooting tethered in the studio. That is, having your camera tethered to your computer so that you can see your shots "live" on the computer instead of having to check out your shots on that tiny screen on the back of your camera.

I shoot with Canon cameras, which come boxed with the software you need to shoot tethered. If you shoot Nikon, the software does not come with your camera but you can download if for free from the Nikon website. I have known how to shoot tethered for a while now. What I didn't know, was how to shoot tethered and have my photos open directly into Lightroom.

I have attended the Photoshop World Conference in Las Vegas for a couple of years now, and at every convention I would hear speakers talk about Lightroom. I finally broke down and bought it a few months ago and I've got to tell you folks… it's an awesome program. It makes my photos look dynamite and my workflow has become a whole lot easier.

What I didn't know, however, is that I can shoot tethered and have my photos open directly into Lightroom. This gives me a large image to look at and I have my histogram and a ton of control right there at my finger tips. And the REALLY cool thing is that is was so easy to set up. All you have to do is use the free software for your camera to select a destination folder on your computer for you images. Then you choose that folder to be "watched" in Lightroom. There are a couple of steps to complete the process but it is REALLY easy.

BACKUP EQUIPMENT NEEDED!

This week a friend of mine who happens to do some modeling work is going to come over to the studio for a session. We have been planning to do this for weeks. Wouldn't you know it, this weekend my 70-200mm IS lens decided to act up on me. Something is going on with the image stabilization. I press the shutter button on my camera to pre-focus and the thing whirs like a well-fed cat… and won't stop. That's fine for a well-fed cat, but not for my camera.

Today I have to call Canon and see what I need to do to get it fixed. I'll let you know how that goes. It reinforces the point that, if you want to get into wedding photography, make sure you have backup equipment. You never know when it will decide to go south on you! You don't want to be shooting someone's wedding and go, "oops, sorry, my equipment just broke down and I don't have a backup!" That would be very, very bad!

That's it for today. At 10:00AM I will be watching a webinar put on by Redford Studios. It should be a good one. I'll give you a short re-cap tomorrow.

Digital ProTalk: 12 Mistakes New Photographers Make When Starting Their Business – Part 1

2010-02-21T09:15:00.000-08:00

I woke up to a foot of new snow today and it is still coming down hard. The family decided to stay home from church since we live on the side of a hill and the roads are treacherous. My eleven year old son just suggested that we go outside and play some catch with the football today. That should be fun in the snow!!

I usually don't blog on the weekend but was checking out David Ziser's blog from earlier this week and really enjoyed his post about the 12 mistakes new photographers make. As you know, I am one of those "new" photographers David is referring to. The mistakes he lists seem to be common sense to me, but are certainly worth thinking about. I have not linked to any of David's posts before so I thought I would give it a try. Here goes...

Digital ProTalk: 12 Mistakes New Photographers Make When Starting Their Business – Part 1

Have a great day and I'll see you Monday. Now for some football!!

We are not alone in the universe... unfortunately.

2010-02-19T16:40:00.000-08:00

I recently attended the Imaging USA conference in Nashville, TN... along with about 10,000 other photographers! Although the Professional Photographer's Association raved about the attendance numbers, I couldn't help but wonder if my decision to pursure photography might not be a mistake. 10,000 people!! That tells me that photography is a highly competative business and you will have to be creative and set yourself apart from the crowd if you hope to establish a successful and lucrative career.

That's kind of the bad news... although needing to be creative and cutting edge is not really a bad thing. The good news is that, of those 10,000 people attending the conference, I would guess that not all of them are willing to put in the hours and effort that being successful in any type of business requires.

The late, great photographer Monte Zuker completed a book just before he died (it was published in 2008). In his book Monte wrote, "I am continually asking professional photographers (and aspiring professionals), "to what extent are you willing to put yourself out in order to become the best photographer that you can be? To what lengths are you willing to go to create the best portrait that you can make?" The answer keeps coming back, "whatever it takes! I'm ready to go all the way!"

Monte went on to write, "I don't believe it any more - not for the majority of people with whom I have come in contact. People say that, but when push comes to shove, the answer really is, "Whatever it takes... as long as I don't have to put myself out too much."

I don't know about you, but that makes me feel pretty good. If you are one of the few (in Monte's opinion) who are willing to work hard and really go for it... then chances are, photography can be a great career!

I wrote about Colonel Sander's in yesterday's blog. There's one guy that was willing to work hard and create a unique image for himself... at 65 years of age?

The question I find myself asking is... what can I do to make my brand new studio and my photography different? What can I do to set myself apart from the rediculously large group of photographers out there peddleing their services?

That's what I am going to think about over the weekend. But right now it's Friday night and I'm about to head out to dinner with my wife. Take care and I'll see you next week!

The Colonel's Secret Recipe... Revealed!

2010-02-18T06:24:00.000-08:00

Last week I watched the biography of Colonel Sanders on TV. I recommend watching it if you get the chance. I found it inspirational and motivating. I did not realize that the Colonel, whose real name was Harland David Sanders, was 65 years old and broke when he started Kentucky Fried Chicken. He held numerous jobs over the course of his life before buying a gas station and going into business for himself. He lost that business, and all his money, when he was 65.

That's when he decided to start KFC. In an interview the Colonel said, "everyone talks about retiring at age 65. People should stop thinking like that. At 65 I was just getting started!" What great advice. Rather then focusing on retiring early, it seems like a better plan would be to try and find something we enjoy so much that we don't ever want to retire! I believe that was the Colonel's true secret to success... not the 11 herbs and spices that he used to make his chicken.

Another interesting thing about the Colonel is that he was a GREAT self promoter. To be successful in business you need to set yourself apart from the competition. This is especially true in photography. The Colonel didn't always look like the Colonel. He took on that persona, even changing his appearance, to set himself apart, and it worked like a charm.

Today I am running short on time, but tomorrow I want to take a closer look at how I might be able to set my new photography studio apart from the competion. There's a lot we can learn from the Colonel. Hopefully you can stop back by.

What's all the Buzz about?

2010-02-16T22:35:00.000-08:00

The Photog Buzz is an online diary (some might prefer to call it a journal... which certainly sounds more manly) that follows Ryan's day to day successes and/or screw ups as he strives to start a home-based photography studio in the basement of his house.  Ryan has never worked in a studio or even as a professional photographer. He has, however, taken a lot of pictures, absolutely loves photography, and has owned and operated a very successful non-photography business for twelve years. If you want to learn more about Ryan check out "Ryan's Story." There is a link to it under "Buzz Info."

Here's the deal. Ryan has always loved photography and figured he would become a photographer after he retired from his "real" job.  Ryan still has his "real" job, but the economy sucks right now and as a result work is verrrrry slow, giving him a lot of extra time. Rather then sit around, he decided to speed up his plans by about fifteen years and start a photography studio NOW.

There is an amazing amount of information available on the internet and that is Ryan's main source of knowledge.  He also follows several blogs, attends conventions, and studies photography through Kelby Training On-line.

So... you're probably wondering if this guy can really become a successful photographer.  Ryan believes he can. After all, he already knows how to run a successful business and has a strong work ethic. All he needs now is to apply that knowledge and drive to photography. The only way you'll know if he's successful or not, though, is to follow this blog.

Here we go!

Making your basketball action photos shine using Lightroom

2010-01-08T05:58:00.000-08:00

On Monday I wrote about how to take great basketball action photos in gyms where you are cursed with low light, fast moving subjects, and where flash is sometimes not allowed (I never use flash when shooting basketball). Here are the main things to remember when shooting basktball indoors:

Set your ISO as high as you can and still get a clean picture. I set my 1D Mark III to 1600 or 3200. Remember that you can always clean up some noise using Noise Ninja, or whatever program you prefer.
Set your auto focus to AI Servo
Set your mode to shutter priority (tv) and select as fast a shutter speed as you can while maintaining proper exposure (1/250 sec is my norm.)
Position yourself as close as you can behind the basket on the offense side of the floor (depending on which team you are focusing your shots on).
Ideally you need a fast f/2.8 lens.
Basketball action shots are best when you can see the players face or number, the basketball and/or the basket, and fans in the background.

After you have done all that you should get some pretty good shots. In fact, you may think they're great shots, but bringing them into Lightroom is where you can really make them shine. Here is one of my favorite Lightroom workflows for basketball:

Step One

Follow the (6) tips outlined above and you should get some pretty decent shots straight out of the camera... like this one. But like I said... you'll want to take it into Lightroom to make it really shine. If you're like me a lot of shots won't turn out this good even if you follow the steps outlined above.

Step Two

In Lightroom go to Basic in the Develop module and adjust the exposure as needed. If you calibrate your monitor you should be able to trust your monitor. If not, keep a close eye on the histogram, making sure you don't start to blow highlights or lose detail in the shadows. Typically I would crop and straighten a photo as needed. This layup shot is fine right out of the camera with no cropping as far as I'm concerned.

Step Three

I like to adjust the Tone Curve (usually changing the Point Curve to Medium Contrast. Another option is to select the General Punch Lightroom Preset. This step will remove the fuzziness that is inherent with digital photos no matter how good a photo you take.

Step Four

Most of the time I like to add a quick, subtle vignette to my photos using Post-Crop... or another option I like is to paint around my subject using the Adjustment Brush (K) and then lower the exposure a little. This can really pop a subject off the page. You can move the slider to increase or decrease the exposure to your own liking. Very Cool!

That brings this week to a close. I'm catching a plane to Nashville tomorrow to attend the ImagingUSA photography conference. This will be my first time to attend. It will be interesting to see how it compares to the NAPP Photoshop World Conference which I have attended in Vegas a couple of times (and plan to attend every year... it's that good!). I'll let you know how things go. I am there until next Wednesday so hopefully I can get in a blog or two while I'm there.

Keep shooting!

Ryan

Calibrating your monitor with the Spyder 3 Elite... Can you say E.A.S.Y.

2010-01-06T10:48:00.000-08:00

Before I get going on today's post I want to show you this picture I took Tuesday morning. This is the view I saw when I glanced out my window. It was pretty awesome so I grabbed my camera, dropped it on my tripod, and got off a shot. I did very little in Lightroom except increase the contrast to eliminate the fuzziness that is inherent in digital photos. I was amazed at how quickly the light changed. A couple of minutes after I took this shot, literally, the sun had risen and the sky had lost it's color. For a brief moment, however, the suns reflection off the clouds and the atmosphere was spectacular.

On monday I wrote about how to take great basketball photos, and I said that on Wednesday I would talk about how you can make your sport photo really "shine" through post-processing in Lightroom. Now it's Wednesday... and I really want to talk about the Spyder 3 Elite calibrator because I calibrated my monitors for the first time yesterday and was really impressed with the result. So I have decided to bump the post-processing blog to Friday.

Calibrating your monitor with the Spyder 3 Elite

I use two side by side computer monitors at the office and they have never matched colorwise. I have tried manually adjusting the monitors to get them to match and have had no luck. I finally bit the bullet and decided to purchase a display calibrator. After doing some research I decided to buy the Spyder 3 Elite from B&H Photo. Let me tell you... there are a lot of options out there.

I joined the PPA and NAPP groups through my LinkedIn account and posted a question about whether or not it is important to calibrate your monitor, and if so... what calibrator would they recommend? I recieved 24 comments from NAPP members and 5 comments from PPA members. LinkedIn is a social networking site for professionals and I recommend checking it out if you haven't already. I find it very helpful in that I can pose questions to other professionals and gain great information... for free! Spyder was one of the recommended calibrators and, based on price point and those recommendations, I decided to give it a try.

To set up and run the calibration was amazingly simple and quick. It only took me a few minutes to start calibrating the monitors. After loading the program, you simply hang the calibrator over your screen and you are walked step by step through the process.

Before Calibration

After Calibration

I know this is not the best picture... but trust me the monitors are very closely matched now. That's it for today. I will provide more of a review as I use the Spyder 3 on some of my other monitors including my laptop.

Keep shooting!

Ryan

How to take great basketball shots

2010-01-04T16:27:00.000-08:00

Have you ever taken pictures at a basketball game only to have them turn out blurry or dark? Basketball is probably one of the harder sports to photograph because you are usually in a gym with lousy lighting. I don't use flash (for sports photography) and at some basketball games it is not even allowed if you wanted to. My brother is a high school coach in Washington state and here are a few pictures I took last week when I attended a couple of his games.

So what is the trick to getting great basketball photos? It's pretty simple really, it's all in the equipment. To take good photos of fast moving subjects in a poorly lit gym you need to use a high shutter speed of about 1/250 sec. To achieve a fast shutter speed I usually have to set my ISO at 3200. The problem with cheaper cameras is they tend to have a lot of noise (graininess) when you use a high ISO setting.

I shoot in shutter priority (tv) which automatically adusts my apurture, usually to about f/2.8 You need a fast f/2.8 lens if you hope to achieve consistently good results. I use a Canon 1D Mark III to shoot sports because it shoots 10 frames per second. This is important if you hope to catch the action at it's peak. Set your auto focus to AI Servo and your good to go. This will adjust your focus as your subject moves.

Another trick to great basketball shots is to shoot from along the base line where you can get a clear shot of the action underneath the basket. If you can get a shot of the packed stands with fans cheering in the background... all the better.

Does this mean you need an expensive camera to shoot sports? I would say that you definately need a good DSLR. The point-and-shoot cameras do not work at all for this type of photography. They just can't shoot fast enough and the lag in shutter response results in missed action.

After the shot there is some post-processing work that needs to be done if you really want your photos to shine. I will discuss that on Wednesday.

That's it for today. I'm off to watch the Boise State Bronco's take on TCU in the Fiesta Bowl. Both teams are undefeated. Should be a great game!

Keep shooting!

Ryan

Lava Lamps... they just never get old!

2009-12-26T08:02:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-25T22:30:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-12-22T09:14:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-21T06:01:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-18T06:01:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-17T05:53:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-16T07:55:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-15T05:30:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-14T05:42:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-08T05:44:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-07T08:53:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-04T06:43:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-03T05:52:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-01T16:55:00.000-08:00

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)

2009-12-01T11:33:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-01T06:13:00.000-08:00

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

Shooting in harsh sunlight

2009-11-30T06:18:00.000-08:00

I was visiting the in-laws in Florida for Thanksgiving so it has been a few days since I posted a blog. I took all my camera gear and we took some family photos at my father-in-laws house. I especially like this one of the grandkids.

Piling them all into a boat made for a great informal pose. The sun was very bright and I have discovered that my personal favorite lighting in this situation is to have the sun directly behind the subjects so the sun doesn't cast shadows on their faces, and to lighten them up with a little fill flash. I have tried having the sun behind me and I think it makes the light unflattering. I have tried having the sun off to the side of my subjects, but have found the shadows to be too harsh even with some fill flash.

Keep shooting!

Ryan

Take control of your TTL flash photography

2009-11-24T06:42:00.000-08:00

One of the toughest things for me to gain control of has been my TTL (through the lens) flash. It always seemed to be hit or miss when it came to the right exposure. It didn't matter what setting I used on my camera: program mode, apurture priority, manual... The results always seemed to vary. Sometimes the shots would turn out great, but a lot of times they didn't.

For today's blog I thought I'd let you in on a little secret. Will Crocket's shootsmarter.com is listed as one of my "Top 10" photography sites and there is a good reason for that. Shootsmarter.com provides a huge amount of free information that will make you a better photographer. One of the items they have for sale that I would strongly recommend is their "TTL Flashfacts" video. Here is what the copy I have looks like.

If you want to finally understand how to get the most out of yourTTL flash then check out this video. I have watched it over and over and I am finally starting to understand this TTL stuff. You may not have to watch it as many times as I have, but what can I say... I'm a little slow.

Keep shooting!

Ryan

Did You Forget the Fill-Flash?

2009-11-23T06:07:00.000-08:00

Well, I made it to Florida and I'm hanging out with my wife's family this week, enjoying the warmer weather and looking forward to eating way too much this Thursday. Last Friday I showed you this picture that I took of my brother when we were backpacking in Washington.

The camera exposed correctly for the background scenery. The problem is that my brother looks like he's in the witness protection program. I should have used fill-flash to correctly expose my brother and I am going to explain how you do that later this week. But what can I say? I screwed up this photo, so why not take this opportunity to show you how it can be salvaged using Photoshop and Lightroom.

The dynamic range of the photo (the difference between the shadows and highlights) and the exposure on my brother was sooooo far off that image noise (grainyness) is going to be a huge problem. If you look closely you can see Mnt. Rainier (I believe it was Mnt. Rainier) in the background. Mnt. Rainier was over exposed to make matters worse. I really like this photo though, so here is what I did to make it an image worth keeping.

STEP ONE - I opened the photo in Photoshop and created an "Exposure Adjustment Layer." I then increased the exposure by 3 1/2 f-stops (I told you it was way off), hit Ctrl I on my PC (Command I on the mac) to invert the layer mask, and painted my substantially brighter brother (and I don't mean mentally... or do I?) into the photo. This is what I had after step one.

STEP TWO - Next I opened my drawing in Lightroom (one of the best programs of all times) and I put a Graduated Filter on the sky, decreased the exposure on the sky, and added some blue saturation. Here is the photo after Step Two.

STEP THREE - Finally I applied the "Sharpen-Landscapes" preset that comes with Lightroom and I added a subtle vignette to get my final image.

All of this took maybe ten minutes and I think the photo is definately better... but, it would have be a LOT better if I had used "Fill-Flash" to correctly expose my brother "in-camera." I will explain that technique tomorrow.

I am an early morning blogger, but the family is starting to stumble out of their beds so I am going to wrap this up for the day and enjoy some of this Florida sunshine.

Keep shooting!

Ryan

Who needs Jenny Craig when you've got istockphoto.com?

2009-11-20T05:49:00.000-08:00

This is a picture of my sister-in-law's brother, Kenny, and our nephew. When I showed this picture to him he said, "great picture, but can you shave 40 pounds off me?"

Now... Kenny's got a good sense of humor and I don't think he's going to kick my butt for this, but I wanted to have a little fun, and try out istockphoto.com at the same time. istockphoto is an online source for royalty free photos that you can purchase at a fairly reasonable. price. I have heard and read about istockphoto and decided to make a purchase just to see how the whole thing works. I purchased a picture of a body builder and dropped Kenny's head on it. Not bad... don't you think? I definately shaved off the 40 pounds.

As for istockphoto.com... I messed up and accidentally downloaded the body builder image more then once and at different resolutions, which depleted my $20 worth of credits and left me wondering what the heck happened. It was totally my fault, but I shot an email off to the folks at istockphoto.com and they graciously added the credits back to my account. It really is easy to make a purchase... now that I have done it once. I will definately use them as a resource in the future.

COMING UP NEXT WEEK... "Fill-in Flash... the basics"

Have you ever had this happen to you? I was backpacking with my brother a few years back when we came upon this perfect scene along the trail and we had to take a picture. I pulled my camera out of my pack and took this shot.

Arghhh! Have you ever done this? The background scene looks great, but the subject looks like a bad version of the man in black? Well, there's an easy fix and it rides a horse by the name of "Fill-in Flash!" It is a really easy technique and it will vastly improve your photos.

You may already have a picture like this that you would like to "fix". I will show you how you can greatly "improve" this photo in Lightroom and Photoshop. I say "improve," not "fix" because I believe a photo always looks better in the end if you capture the best exposure possible in your camera. But... you can make it look pretty darn good, and that's what I will show you.

Well... that wraps up another week of the Photog Buzz. Next monday I will be 2,340 miles from where I'm sitting right now, but I plan to be blogging and hope you'll check back in. Until then...

Keep shooting!

Ryan

An Old Truck in HDR

2009-11-19T05:16:00.000-08:00

I have spent this week fiddling with Photomatix, the HDR program that is preferred by a lot of photographers. This old truck is parked in an alley about a block from my office and I thought it might make a good HDR subject. It looks like some kind of old rusted out research vehicle.

Obviously I need a little more practice. But overall I am pleased with the program and I like the creative aspects of HDR. As with most anything, all it will take is a little more study and practice and I should have it down... right?

Photomatix is free to try out and it doesn't expire. You just have to put up with the watermark until you fork out $99 for the program. I think it's a pretty good deal, but check it out for yourself at http://www.hdrsoft.com/

I'll see you Friday. Until then, keep shooting!

Ryan

Using Photomatix for HDR Photography

2009-11-18T05:28:00.000-08:00

Here is an HDR (High Dynamic Range) photo I took of the train located at Victorian Sqare in Sparks, NV.

Everything I have read seems to say that Photomatix is the program of choice for HDR. I am testing it out as you can tell from the Photomatix watermark that is plopped on the front of the train. So far it seems to be a great program. I may have to put in on my Christmas wish list.

This photo was created using a combination of 5 exposures with 1 f stop between each exposure to capture all the shadows and highlights. It was high noon when I took the photo so shadows were very harsh. I shot this with my Canon 1D Mark III set to Auto Exposure Bracketing and mounted on a tripod.

Hope everyone is having a great week and looking forward to the holidays as much as I am.

Keep shooting... and think about adding Photomatix to YOUR wish list.

Ryan

Balloons Over McCarran

2009-11-17T06:14:00.000-08:00

I decided to fiddle around with a photo I took at the Reno Air Balloon Races back in September. I cropped it into a square which is a format I really like. Then I added a black and white adjustment layer with a layer mask in Photoshop and painted the balloons back in. I think it looks kind of cool the way the balloons pop out of the black and white image.

Camera specs: Canon 1D Mark III with a EF70-200mm lens at 70mm; 1/320 sec at f/13.0; ISO 200.

Keep shooting!

Ryan

HDR Photography

2009-11-16T06:43:00.000-08:00

This weekend I decided to try some HDR photography. HDR stands for High Dynamic Range and refers to the difference between the highlights and shadows in a photo or scene. Have you ever taken a photo where some parts of the scene are pefectly exposed while other parts are too dark or too light (blown out). The scene looked great to you but the camera just couldn't capture it. This is because our eyes can see and adjust for a much broader range of highlights to shadow then our camera can.

HDR is a photographic technique of taking multiple exposures and combining them to create a photo that captures a much wider dynamic range then a camera can do with one single exposure. I will explain HDR in greater detail in an upcoming post, but this is one of the pictures I took this weekend. It is a bridge over the Truckee River in Reno. There are a couple of different ways you can use HDR. One is to recreate an image as you saw it... in other words realistic. The other option is to create a surreal type of image that leans more toward fantasy. I used a surreal style with this photo.

Here is what the image looked like coming out of my camera as a single exposure.

To create this HDR photo I used Photomatix and Lightroom 2.

That's it for today. I plan to continue this discussion on HDR in this weeks blogs so check back in if you're interested, or if you just want to see some cool looking pictures.

Keep shooting!

Ryan

Heads in the clouds

2009-11-13T05:21:00.000-08:00

I had a little fun with Photoshop and Lightroom last night and came up with this photo of a friend of mine and his daughter. I really saturated the colors to give it a bit of a surreal look in my opinion.

I made it by combining this photo...

with this photo that I took from my back porch last night of the clouds over Reno.

It's finally Friday which means we're heading into another fantastic weekend! Enjoy... and remember, if you're not having fun, you're probably not taking enough pictures.

Keep shooting!

Ryan

From Ordinary to Awesome

2009-11-12T05:39:00.000-08:00

Here is a photo I took of a friend of mine with his son when we were camping this past summer. I think it is a pretty nice profile shot with the lake in the background.

But here's the shot as it looked coming out of the camera.

So the question is... how did it go from that... to this..

to this... (hey, where did those trees come from?)

and finally... this?

That's a great question! One I hope to answer for a class of high school students I am planning a presentation for. Maybe I'll tell you after I tell them. I'll give you a hint... it involves Photoshop and Lightroom.

Keep Shooting!

Ryan

Fast Food Photography

2009-11-11T05:28:00.000-08:00

I was reading the photography blog by Roger "Mzungo" Moore this past weekend. The guy bills himself as a photographer, explorer, adventurer, and mentor. If you like adventure photography you might his blog. You can check it out at http://mzungusafaris.wordpress.com/

Roger was talking about the image that comes out of the camera vs. the final image after editing and processing. He put it this way, "the Before image is the fast food provided by the camera and the After image is cake complete with icing, after editing and processing, and ready to print."

I thought that was a great analogy. Here's an example.

This is the "Fast Food" shot right out of the camera. These are 4th graders and their adult chaperones marching up Sand Mountain in the Nevada desert. Not a bad picture right out of the camera. I like the composition.

Here is the "Cake" shot. I added some blue to the sky in Lightroom 2 and removed the yellow utility markers and some of the foreground stones to create a cleaner image. It's better then the "Fast Food" shot don't you think?

If you want to set yourself apart as a photographer one of the things you should do is learn all you can about the power of post processing in programs like Photoshop and Lightroom. You will be amazed at the results you can come up with... and so will your friends and/or clients.

I hope you enjoyed todays blog. Remember... life's short, so take lot's of pictures!

Keep shooting!

Ryan

How Can You Compete With This?

2009-11-10T05:39:00.000-08:00

I was at my son's soccer game a couple of weeks ago and a guy came up and started talking to me. Turns out he was a professional photographer and he assumed I was because I was carrying my Canon 1D Mark III with 70-200mm lens. We got got to rambling about cameras and photogaphy like photog addicts do. This guy tells me he works for a local photography company that specializes in school and sport photography, a mass production type of setup. He told me he worked on his own for years but decided it was impossible to compete with the Walmarts of the world...

Then this add showed up in my mail box today.

This all got me to thinking... why would anyone in their right mind want to be a professional photographer and compete with this? Look at what you get for $9.95! That's insane.

The way I figure it, the bottom line is this, if you want to make it as a professional photographer and not make a living mass producing photos in the corner of a strip mall you are going to have to set yourself apart... and in a big, big way. That will take work! Funny thing, though, the same holds true for just about any profession.

I came across the website of a guy in Louisiana named Kevin Beasley who is doing just that. I actually saw his site recommended on David Ziser's blog Digital Pro Talk, which I have listed as one of my "Top 10." David is another awesome photographer making a decent living specializing in wedding photography.

Problem is... Kevin Beasley's stuff is so good that I am going to have to add him as one of my Top 10 picks. I only pick 10 (hence the name) so I am going to have to give somebody the boot! But don't just trust me. Check Mr. Beasley's stuff out for yourself at http://www.kevinbeasley.com/site2/index2.php

That's all I've got for today. I have to go decide who's getting axed from my Top 10! Hmmm, I'm gonna have to think about this.

Keep shooting!

Ryan

The Tube Shot

2009-11-09T08:24:00.000-08:00

Over the weekend I gave myself an assignment... take some "common" photos, but in a "new and unique" way. For my first shot I decided to take a picture the family dog. To make it unique I shot through a rolled up set of plans that I grabbed out of my office. She is a golden retriever, which is a bird hunting dog, so I thought taking a photo of her through the barrel of my shot gun might look cool. That didn't work out because the barrel is so dang small. The rolled plans worked much better. Here is the result:

I like the circular glow it put around Tahoe. I decided to convert it to black and white and cranked up the sharpening in Lightroom. I pushed the sharpen amount all the way to the right (150) and this is what I got.

I think this gave the photo an almost hand drawn look which I really like.

Here is a picture of me taking the photo. What an awesome model Tahoe is... and cheap too! She agreed to work for a handful of raunchy smelling dog treats.

I shot aiming down towards the ground because I wanted the grass to serve as a simple backdrop.

For those who are interested, my camera specs were as follows: Canon 1D Mark III with an EF24-70mm lens at 25mm; 1/100 sec @ f/5.6; ISO 400.

Keep shooting!

Ryan

Gordon's Photo Service in Reno Rocks!

2009-11-06T05:44:00.000-08:00

Last night we attended the end of season party for my son's SYFL football team. The team mom had this photo mounted and framed for the six coaches. I took this picture at the end of our last game in Quicy, CA.

I was really impressed with how great the prints looked. Sometimes the prints I have had done at local printers turn out like crap... for lack of a better term. When I asked her where she had the prints made she told me Gordon's Photo Service in Reno.

I have bought camera equipment and supplies from Gordon's, but for some reason I never thought about getting prints made there. Based on the quality I saw last night, though, I think I'm going to start.

If you have a photo and you want a quality print I suggest you give Gordon's a try. I have included this link to their store http://gordonsphotoservice.com/ so you can check em' out for yourself.

It's Friday and I'm looking forward to the weekend! Have a great one and I'll see you back here on Monday.

Keep shooting!

Ryan

Looking for a New Camera?

2009-11-05T14:54:00.000-08:00

Due to my enthusiasm for photography people often tell me they need a new camera and ask me what I would recommend. A friend of mine showed me this article by Kim Komando that provides some interesting information on cameras in the "under" $300 range. With Christmas just around the corner I thought I would pass along the link... just in case anyone is interested.

The Kim Komando Show

Keep shooting!

Ryan

Sports Action Portfolio

2009-11-02T21:33:00.000-08:00

Fun with Panoramas

2009-11-02T06:03:00.000-08:00

If you haven't tried to put together a panorama (multiple images stitched together to create an extreme wide angle shot) in Photoshop (I am using version CS3) you don't know what you're missing. It is so easy and the final result is really impressive.

This weekend I took three photos of the Pony Express Station ruins out in the Nevada desert and I combined them using Photoshop's "Photomerge" tool. You simply choose two or more photos to merge into a panorama, run fill up your coffee, and by the time you return... Photoshop has nice panorama sitting there waiting for you! How cool it that!

These are the three photos along with the final result. It was a cold grey day so I "blued" up the sky a bit in Lightroom. All in all it probably took me less then five minutes... but don't tell anyone!

and here is the end result!

Give it a try.

Ryan

"Just Between Brothers"

2009-10-30T05:27:00.000-07:00

I love taking candid shots of people without them knowing. If you're lucky you can capture a moment or an emotion that might have been lost had the shot been posed. I took this shot of these two boys at scout camp. Their parents are friends of our family. I noticed the older brother instructing his little brother on the finer points of rock climbing. This was the picture that came out of my camera.

This is an OK picture... but this is what I saw in my mind.

Much better! An intimate moment between two brothers. That's why I love Lightroom and Photoshop, they allow me to recreate what I saw in my mind... something a camera cannot always capture. Converting the photo to B&W in Lightroom seemed to really enhance and soften the natural lighting. It also enhanced the weathered look of the climbing wall behind them. I cropped out the distractions and added some vignetting (darkening of the edges) to really focus on the subjects. I really like this picture and it probably took only about five minutes in the digital darkroom.

Keep shooting!

Ryan

From Picture to Portrait!

2009-10-29T05:11:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture I took of a friend of mine and his son at scout camp this summer. I thought it was a nice picture, but all the people and activity in the background really detracts from the subjects, don't you think?

The trees and sky are really over exposed and, since our eye is drawn to the light, we are pulled toward the trees, almost missing our subjects altogether. No problem! Using Lightroom and Photoshop (my two favorite programs on the planet!), I was able to turn that picture... into this portrait!

Much better don't you think? This went from being a nice picture of my friend and his son, to being a great little candid portrait that they will hopefully cherish for a very long time.

The original picture was shot with my Canon 20D with a 17-85mm lens at 44mm; shutter speed was 1/60 @ f/8.0; ISO 800; no flash.

Keep shooting!

Ryan

The Disappearing Kid

2009-10-28T00:26:00.000-07:00

A buddy of mine sent me this photo recently and asked if I could photoshop the girl in the yellow and the guy in the black out of this picture for him. The little girl with her arms around him is his niece. I have no idea who the others are or how the little girl in yellow ended up so prominently in the photo.

A couple of hours later this is the photo I sent back to him.

Poof! Like magic they're gone. Pretty cool, huh? I did a little adjusting to the exposure and sharpness in Lightroom to remove some of the original photo's haziness. I cropped out the guy in black since he was close to the edge of the photo anyway. Then I moved over to Photoshop to remove the little girl and repair the lettering on the sign. I finished things off by using a slight Gaussian Blur to throw the background just a little out of focus and pop the subjects off the page.

I recently started using Lightroom and it is a fantastic program. I used to think I could do everything I needed to do in Photoshop and didn't want to "waste" my money on yet another program. Boy was I wrong! I am finding that I probably do 80% of my photo processing work in Lightroom, using Photoshop for the "heavy lifting," such as removing little girls dressed in yellow!

Keep shooting!

Ryan

"The Climb"

2009-10-27T05:45:00.000-07:00

This is why I keep my Canon 20D around. When you are trying to take a picture at a place aptly named "Sand Mountain," and the winds are howling, you do not want to use your 1D Mark III.

I took this picture on the annual Jessie Beck Elementary School field trip to Sand Mountain. You can see the sand blowing at the top of the mountain. Those are 4th graders (with a few adult chaperones mixed in) heading into the heart of an amazing (amazing in a bad way) wind storm. To be honest, it was miserable hike... but I really like this photograph. It does what any good photograph does... it tells a story. This story is about peoples ability to overcome obstacles. The group moving towards the hill convey a sense of scale. Without them the picture would lose all meaning and interest in my opinion.

Camera specs: Canon 20D with a 17-85mm lens at 41mm; 1/640 @ f/8.0; ISO 200. The sky was gray and boring so I used the Graduated Filter in Lightroom to give it a little color.

Keep shooting!

Ryan

"The Uncle"

2009-10-26T06:06:00.000-07:00

Today I thought I would share this photo I took at my nieces wedding. It is my nephew JJ and his Uncle Kenny.

At weddings sometimes you have to shoot in the worst conditions... bright sunshine in the middle of the day. That doesn't mean you can't get a great picture. I love pictures that capture an emotion. It is clear from looking at this photo that these two guys really like each other. That is what I think makes good photography. I have learned a lot since I took this photo. I could have used a scrim to reduce the harsh brightness of the sun and eliminate the funky shadows, and gotten my flash off the camera to create directional light and create more shadow depth. Even so, I like this photo!

Camera Specs: Canon 20D with 17-85mm set to 53mm; 1/100 @ f/22; ISO 200. The on-camera flash fired giving a little fill light and I darked down the background about 1 stop in Lightroom to pop out the subjects.

Keep shooting!

Ryan

Welcome to the Photog Buzz

2009-10-21T16:47:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my blog... the Photog Buzz! In life you pretty much have two choices: you can think about doing something... or you can actually do it! That's where I'm at with this blog.  I have always wanted to get involved in charity at a little bit deeper level then writing a check or volunteering my time for a day. I have thought about it and talked about it with my wife for years, but I have never done anything about it. What with owning my own business (non-photography) and raising five kids, I just always seemed to be too busy. And the years went by.

I finally decided that I had talked about it long enough, it was time to do something. So what could I do for charity that I would really enjoy? I love photography and creating portraits, so I decided to offer portraits for charity... and thus, "Portraits for Water" was born. I chose to support charity: water with my "Portraits for Water" campaign because 100% of your donation goes towards building wells for people who don't have access to clean, safe drinking water. Something most of us take for granted without giving it a second thought.  All administrative costs for charity: water are paid for through corporate sponsorships.

This is a work in progress. It is kind of exciting... but at the same time I don't know if anyone will even be interested in what I'm trying to do. But you know what they say... "nothing ventured, nothing gained."

So here we go!  Check back in every now and then if you want to see how things are going!

Ryan
Member: Professional Photographers of America

"Portraits for Water"... How It Works

2009-10-19T16:40:00.000-07:00

The "Portraits for Water" concept is simple... create a beautiful studio or location portrait, but rather then charge for the portrait session and prints, we ask that you make a donation to charity: water on behalf of the Photog Buzz. Our goal is to raise $5,000... enough to build a freshwater well in a village and provide 250+ people with clean drinking water. How cool is that!

You can visit this blog and track our progress towards achieving this goal. We suggest a $50 donation for a portrait sitting.

At this time we are offering photography sessions by appointment only. If you are interested in scheduling an appointment you may contact us at photogbuzz@charterinternet.com We will contact you shortly after receiving your request.

Click here if you would like to learn more about charity:water and their extraordinary efforts.

The Idea Behind the "Portraits for Water" Campaign

2009-10-19T12:45:00.000-07:00

For years now my wife and I have been going on a weekly "date night" to the Outback Steak House. With five kids at home, this chance to get together and reconnect is a very important part of our routine. Besides that, Outback has a really great Tilapia dish and the seared tuna appetizer is fantastic!

For as long as I can remember, one of things my wife and I have discussed is my desire to do something for charity that goes beyond just writing a check. We have always been pretty good about supporting our kid's schools and the various fund raisers they are involved in, but I always felt like I wanted to do just a little bit more, and perhaps... just a little bit different. In fact, I talked about it for so long that my wife finally got tired of hearing about it. You can only "talk" for so long... eventually you need to "do".

We own a successful landscape architectural firm, but over the years I have also pursued my passion for photography, going so far as to set up a fully operational portrait studio. I always figured that when I "retired" from landscape architecture I would do portait photography. I have been content doing photography "on the side." Over time people have found out about my "side" passion and mention that they want to have me do a family portrait for them. I also take a lot of photos at local sporting events and am frequently asked by parents if they can pay me for some photos of their kid? I always say... don't worry about it, I'll just email the pictures to you.

The more I thought about it, though, I started thinking that instead of saying "no" when people make the offer, why not say "sure," and donate that money to charity. That it how the idea for the "Portraits for Water" campaign was born.

If you want to learn more about having a portrait done for charity click here, or on "PFC... How It Works!" in the blog sidebar.

Backup... or wish you had!

2009-10-12T21:34:00.000-07:00

Last week a friend of mine told me that their hard drive crashed and they lost all of the family photos that they had taken over the past several years.  One company told him they could try and retrieve the information from the hard drive for $3,000... but there were no guarantees how successful they would be.

That's a lot of money, especially considering how easy it is to back up the information on your computer. I own a landscape architecture firm and for years now I have taken an external hard drive to the office every Friday.  We back up all the information on our server and I store the external hard drive in a safe at my house. This way, at the very worst, we would lose a weeks worth of work if our hard drive crashed on a Friday. I kept the back up at a seperate location in case of fire. This system is better then nothing... but far from ideal.

A few months ago we decided to try Carbonite, an online company that backs up your information whenever you are not on the computer. When your computer is idle, Carbonite automatically backs up new and changed files. You don’t have to do anything! When you’re using your computer, Carbonite goes to sleep so it will never slow down your computer or internet connection. And get this, it only costs about $50 per year!

We have already used our Carbonite account to retrieve some plans that I accidentally deleted from our system.   It was a really simple process. I am going to set up an account for my photography business as well. I have heard a lot of people say good things about Carbonite... and I have definately been impressed. You might want to look into it for yourself. After all, $50 seems like pretty cheap insurance.

I have no affilliation with this company... I just wanted to pass along what I found.

Ryan

A Piece of Advice From Joe McNally

2009-10-07T04:30:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned yesterday, I recently attended the Photoshop World Conference in Vegas. Joe McNally, a world renowned photographer who has worked for such note worthy magazines as Life and National Geographic, gave this piece of advice. He said that you should blog... even if no one is reading it. It is important to "be out there, to have a voice." Well, I have been blogging for a few months now and, sure enough, no one reads it... so, according to Joe McNally, I guess I'm doing something right.

One real benefit to blogging is that it helps the writer learn. I blog about photography even though I do not have decades of experience like some of the bloggers I read. What I have discovered in doing this is that it forces me to delve deeper into subjects so that I can blog about them. The act of blogging then serves to further reinforce what I have learned. It's the old adage that the best way to learn... is to teach. That is what I am doing through my blog, conveying information that I have learned. In other words, teaching.

Try it sometime. You might find that it works for you too.

Ryan

Fun at the Photoshop World Conference in Vegas

2009-10-06T05:08:00.000-07:00

I just spent three days at the Photoshop World Conference in Vegas. This was my second time to attend and it won't be my last. PWC is a first class photography and Photoshop conference. The staff at NAPP (National Association of Photoshop Professionals) do a fantastic job and all of the instructors and speakers are first rate. The only drawback to the conference is that there are so many fantastic seminars going on it is extremely difficult to choose which one to attend.

This video starring Scott Kelby and Joe McNally was used during the opening "ceremony," I guess you would call it. They always start the conference off with a bang.

This was just one of the many clever things they did. Enjoy it... I certainly did!

Ryan

Lesson 1 - Digital Camera Types

2009-09-30T10:47:00.000-07:00

There are basically three types of digital cameras to consider, and among those types there is a broad range in price. The three basic types of camera are:

Compact - This is the “beginner” class of cameras commonly known as “point-and-shoot.” If you want the camera to do everything for you... at minimal cost... this is the camera for you. I use the term “beginner” loosely though. Compact cameras are great when you want a camera you can conveniently carry in your coat pocket.

Advanced Compact - These cameras are for the more serious photographer who wants the features of a DSLR, such as image quality and flexibility, but in a smaller package. The Advanced Compacts will cost a little more and be a little heavier. Some of the Advanced Compacts even come with add-on lens options and off-camera flash!

Digital SLRs - SLR stands for Single Lens Reflex. These are the big boys of the camera world. Stepping up to a DSLR opens the creative floodgates. Interchangeable lens, sophisticated in-camera light metering, wider dynamic range (detail between the highlights and the shadows), and better sensors are just some of the benefits. DSLRs are more expensive and bulkier then the Compacts. I believe a lot of people who purchase DSLRs never really learn how to use them to their full potential (there is a Photog Class on that very topic called “Digital SLR In-Depth”).

So which one is right for you? Answer that question and you can eliminate a good chunk of the choices at the counter of your local retailer.

Do you want a camera you can keep in your shirt pocket or your purse that you can pull out and snap a picture with whenever the moment strikes? Consider a Compact.

Do you want a camera that you can get a little more creative with but don’t want to spend the money or time to master a DSLR? Consider an Advanced Compact.

Do you really enjoy photography and want to explore your creativity in greater depth? Consider a DSLR.

Now that you have an idea of the type of camera you want. Let's look at the factors that go into choosing the right camera for you. The next lesson in on understanding resolution.

Ryan's "Top 10"

2009-09-27T09:27:00.001-07:00

Ryan's "Top 10" is a list of the web sites/blogs that I have found to be extremely helpful in trying to better understand both the artistic and technical aspects of photography. These are sites that I visit regularly. This doesn't mean they are necessarily the "best" sites... I am sure there are a lot of great sites out there that I have never seen. But they are very good and they provide a wealth of information.

I have seen some blogs where they provide an enormous list of site/blogs that they recommend. I restricted this list to my favorite top 10 so as not to overwhelm you with sites to visit.

This list may change, but there will always be just 10. If I find another site that I like, it may bump one of the current recommendations off the list. If a site is not updated (afterall, technology is constantly changing) and becomes stale, that recommedation will be bumped in favor of another.

For your convenience the sites are listed along with a description of the sites "specialty" in parenthesis (see right hand column of the Photog Buzz). If you know of a particular great site that is not on this list, feel free to share it. I will gladly check it out.

What's going on?

2009-09-25T06:17:00.000-07:00

It has been kind of a crazy week. I am working on the first Photog Buzz class so that has me a little (a lot) preoccupied right now. I am hoping to get downtown to Street Vibrations tomorrow and shoot some HDR photos of all the motorcycles. I will be using Photomatix Pro to combine my exposures and I will post new shots, camera specs, and information on Monday (hopefully). Until then.... have a great weekend and keep shooting!

If you need to get a quick Photog Fix today and this pathetic blog doesn't cut it... check out the strobist. This guy provides a wealth of information on lighting.

Ryan

The First Photog Buzz Class is Officially in the Works!!

2009-09-24T05:40:00.000-07:00

The first Photog Buzz class series is underway!! It is titled "DSLR In-depth" and it is designed to teach you how to get the most out of your DSLR camera. If you don't know what a DSLR camera is... that's OK... I'll teach you. A lot of folks buy a DSLR camera and never really learn how to use it to it's full potential. That is what this class is all about... learning to get the most out of your DSLR. I will be posting each class as they become ready... so join in. It's gonna be great!

Fill Flash on a Sunny Day

2009-09-23T05:37:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to use fill flash when you are outside on sunny days to soften the harsh shadows of the sun. I recently volunteered to take photos at a charity golf tournament. I drove around the course taking photos of groups as they waited to tee off. Under the circumstances I had to work very quickly. I took two things into consideration. The first was the angle of the sun - I didn't want them squinting. Secondly, I took into consideration the backdrop. I wanted the course visible behind them. I had them position themselves so that the sun was to their left and slightly behind them. I took this first shot without the flash. This put them in the shadows which, as you can see, are very harsh.

To bring them out of the shadows I set my camera on manual mode and exposed for the background. Then I turned on my flash and set it to 1/2 power. Yes, the flash was sitting on top of my camera. Not a great way to shoot, but these guys were in a hurry so you do what you got to do, right? The shot ain't perfect (I probably could have turned downed the flash just a smidge) but it is a huge improvement over the previous shot.

Keep shooting!

Ryan

Did a Moose Just Walk Through My Picture?!

2009-09-22T05:50:00.000-07:00

I was at the Reno Air Races this weekend with my two youngest kids when we came across the Jelly Belly plane... and they were handing out free Jelly Bellys!! We've been to the JB factory in California so, of course, my kids wanted me to take their picture in front of the plane. I had my 70-200mm lens so I needed to step back a little to get my kids and the plane in the shot.

They posed, I shot, and as I did, this guy strolled between right through the scene. No problem... I''d just wait for the guy to move on through and retake the shot. But this guy was with some other photographers and they all stopped in front of me. The guy who had strolled through our picture REALLY liked the Jelly Belly plane. He took a picture of it with his camera (a professional grade Nikon) and then he took a picture with his phone.

That was when I noticed that the guy looked kind of familiar. He had this big ol' mustache. Then it dawned on me! Moose Peterson, the world renown wildlife photographer, and one of my personal photog heros, had walked through my picture. He was heavily engaged in a conversation with the photographers he was with and I didn't want to interupt. So I didn't say anything like, "Oh my God! It's Moose Peterson!" I kinda wish I had... but it's just not my style. I did take this photo though... real stealth like. Maybe I'll print it out and see if he'll sign it when I'm at the Photoshop World Conference in Vegas in two weeks.

Moose took some great photos at the air races. Check them out at his website.

Hope you enjoyed the story.

Keep shooting!

Ryan

That's It... Only One Decent Photo!!

2009-09-21T05:30:00.000-07:00

I went to the Reno Air Races this weekend thinking I would take a bunch of great photos. Unfortunately I was chaperoning a class of 4th graders from Jessie Beck Elementary School. I figured the principal would frown on me telling her I got a GREAT shot... but lost a kid. As we were about to leave, however, a skydiver jumped out of a plane with the American flag and it made for a pretty good, quick shot. One rule of photography... if you need a good shot take a picture of the American flag. They always seem to turn out pretty good.

The white in the sky is smoke from two planes that were circling the sky diver as he descended. I darkened the sky a little using "curves" in Photoshop. I darkened the shadows while maintaining the highlights. This made the flag "pop" out of the photo.

Camera specs in a nutshell: Canon 1D Mark III with EF 70-200mm lens at 200mm, f/9.0 @ 1/500, ISO 200.

Keep shooting!

Ryan

Heading to the Air Races

2009-09-18T05:46:00.000-07:00

It is Friday and I'm heading to the Air Races to take photos. Sunday I will be at a charity golf tournament taking group pictures. Next week I will be posting some of the pictures and blogging about them. I am also going to start working on the first class for the Photog Buzz, "How to choose a Compact Camera." We will also be adding a class on the history of photography, and another on how to get the most out of your DSLR camera. Should be some good stuff. More advanced classes will be coming as well.

For my last image of the week I thought I would post this picture I took from the inside of one of the balloons at last weekends Reno Balloon Race. Remember... always try to look for a unique view when you are shooting a fairly common subject such as a hot air balloon.

Camera specs in a nutshell: Canon 20D with Canon EF 15mm Fisheye, f/7.1 @ 1/100, ISO 400

Keep shooting, and I'll see you Monday!

Ryan

Gotta Love Those Cloudy Days

2009-09-17T05:33:00.000-07:00

Living in Nevada we don't see very many cloudy days. But when we do, grab your camera and head outside for some great photo opportunities. I went to the the Reno Air Balloon races last Friday and there was not a cloud in the sky. I took a picture of the balloons and the moon which I blogged about Monday. The sky provided a deep blue backdrop for that image.

I went to the balloon races again on Saturday and clouds had rolled in. I took this picture of the vintage fighter planes flying over during the national anthem.

Look at the drama provided by the clouds. They are dark and ominous. You can just imagine these planes flying on a mission during World War II. I slightly lightened the pockets of sky and the smoke trail using the dodge tool in Photoshop.

Notice that there are five planes (odd numbers make for great composition) and they form a V pattern (again... great for composition).

Camera specs in a nutshell: Canon 1D Mark III with EF 70-200mm lens at 70 mm, f/20 @ 1/250, ISO 800

Keep shooting!

Ryan

Look for Unique Views of Common Subjects

2009-09-16T06:24:00.000-07:00

It's already Wednesday and this is my third picture from the Reno Balloon Races. At this point I think I will just go ahead and dedicate the whole week to photos from the balloon race.

With so many people taking pictures I was really trying to find unique ways to get a shot. I was standing near some trees so I decided to take a picture through the leaves. I had to switch to manual mode to stay focused on the balloon. In auto focus the camera kept jumping back and forth between the balloon and the leaves, unable to make up it's mind.

Shooting through the leaves made for an interesting perspective and broke up the monotony of the blue, cloudless sky. Take away the leaves and I venture to say that this would be a very boring photograph. I set the camera aperture to f/2.8 to throw the leaves out of focus as much as possible. If I didn't tell you they were leaves you might think it is a reflection in a pond.

Camera specs in a nutshell; Canon 1D Mark III with EF 70-200mm lens at 200mm, f/2.8 @ 1/6400, ISO 400

Keep shooting!

Ryan

I Like to Move it Move it - a lesson in composition

2009-09-15T05:52:00.000-07:00

When you're taking a photo remember to move in close. By taking an overall shot of your subject and then moving in close you can get two very different pictures. Kind of like "two for the price of one." I took this photo at the Reno Balloon Races this weekend.

Camera specs in a nutshell; Canon 1D Mark III with EF70-200mm lens at 80mm, f/2.8@ 1/800, ISO 400 with a little lens flare added in Photoshop.

Then I moved in closer and took this shot.

Same subject, dramatically different picture.

Camera specs in a nutshell; Canon 1D Mark III with EF70-200mm lens at 173mm, f/8.0 at 1/160, ISO 400.

Keep Shooting!

Ryan

To the Moon - a lesson in composition

2009-09-14T05:51:00.000-07:00

I went the the Reno Balloon Races this weekend to take some photos. There were about a zillion cameras at the balloon races and I wanted to try and get a shot that was at least a little different from everyone elses. The moon was still out on Friday morning when the balloons were heading up up and away, so I decided to keep my eye on the moon. As soon as a couple of balloons lined up with it I took this shot.

Odd numbers make for good composition. Your eye tends to move around a composition made up of odd numbers... whereas your eye will jump back and forth between even numbers. I really liked the compostion of the two balloons and the moon (3 elements). That blue Nevada sky makes a perfect backdrop for this type of shot.

Camera specs in a nutshell; Canon 1D Mark III with EF70-200mm lens at 200mm, f/11 @ 1/500, ISO 800

Keep shooting!

Ryan

Sometimes Even Bad Photos Make Great Pictures!

2009-09-11T05:37:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you need to just forget about the technical aspects of photography and just enjoy the picture for what it is. A great moment in time. If I was in a critical mood I would say that I do not like the column in the background that splits the photo in half. Also the lighting is a bit flat and lacks the contrast needed to give the photo a strong sense of depth.

But you know what? I don't really care about that stuff in this photo. This is a picture of my twins that I shot one summer afternoon in our backyard. They just happened to take a break from trying to kill each other and I caught this "look" they gave each other. To me the photo conveys their fondness for each other. It is more then a moment in time... it shows emotion. That's what I love about this photo and that is what I try to capture when I press the shutter button on my camera. That's not to say I'm always successful, but hey... at least I try. I converted this photo to black and white in Photoshop which I feel dramatically improved it by removing the "busyness" of the color.

Camera specs in a nutshell; Canon 20D with 17-85mm lens at 64mm, f/6.3 @ 1/80, ISO 200

It's Friday and I'm off to the Great Reno Air Balloon Races to shoot some photos with my photog buddy Randy. Hopefully I'll have a picture or two to share with you next week.

Until then... have a great weekend!

Ryan

Sometimes You Just Get Lucky!

2009-09-10T05:41:00.000-07:00

I could have titled this blog, "Who Needs All That Fancy Crap!", but I thought "Sometimes You Just Get Lucky!" sounded a little classier. I have a couple of cameras... my old Canon 20D and my newer 1D Mark III. The 1D was a LOT more expensive then the 20D. I typically take my 20D when I go places where I don't want to take my 1D... places where it might get a damaged... like camping, or boating, or as a backup to my 1D.

We were on a camping trip in northern California with some friends of ours when I spotted their oldest son explaining the finer points of rock climbing to their younger son. The sun was coming through the trees and hitting at just the right angle to create this beautful aura and depth. I had my camera set in aperture priority to f/8 so that whatever I shot should be in focus (unless I was to screw up the shot which is always a distinct possibility). I threw the camera up to my eye and pressed the shutter. The result is one of my favorite pictures. I converted it to black and white in Photoshop which I feel gives it more emotion. The simplicity and weathered look of the climbing wall in the background completes the picture. Goes to show that you don't need the fanciest equipment to get a great photo!

Camera specs in a nutshell; Canon 20D with 17-85mm lens at 73mm, f/8 @ 1/100, ISO 800

Have a great Thursday!

Ryan

Fireworks 101: How to shoot em'

2009-09-09T05:46:00.000-07:00

Our office is near Victorian Square in Sparks, NV and each Fourth of July they shoot fireworks off the top of the Nugget hotel and casino. We have a great view of the festivities from the front yard of our office and each year I take the family and we head down there to set up on the grass. Sometimes we invite friends, fix ice cream sundaes, and make a party of it. I, of course, take my camera and shoot pictures.

Shooting fireworks can be a little tricky so I thought I'd let you in on a few secrets. (I know... this would be a great blog to write leading up to the Fourth... maybe I'll re-post it then). I took this picture last Fourth of July while sitting in my lawn chair. Here's the trick.

For this type of shot you want to use a zoom lens so you can get in nice and close to the fireworks without setting your hair on fire. I used my 70-200mm. Set your aperture to f/11 so everything is nice and focused. I controlled the shutter myself by setting my camera to bulb mode. I simply pressed down as the rockets burst and released the shutter as the trails started to fade. Don't have bulb mode on your camera? No problem. Just set your shutter speed to 4 seconds. See how the picture looks and tweak your shutter speed as needed.

Camera specs in a nutshell; Canon 1D Mark III with 70-200mm IS lens at 85mm, f/11 in Bulb Mode, ISO 400

With a little practice you'll nail it!

Ryan

Flash Photography: Getting past that love/hate relationship!

2009-09-08T05:44:00.000-07:00

I'm back at the blog after a great Labor Day weekend. I hope you all enjoyed the holiday! Today I thought I'd talk a bit about flash photography.

A few years ago I attended my brother-in-laws wedding in Florida. He had hired a friend to photograph his wedding who was "starting" her own photography business.  During the wedding, and then at the reception, I observed that the "photographer" was not using flash.  The church, as with most churches, was dimly lit.  The reception, held at my brother-in-law's country bar, was downright dark except for the strobe above the dance floor and the soft glow from the lights above the tables.  I was curious why any photographer would shoot in this situation without a flash, so I asked. She said flash makes photos look terrible and that she was specializing in "natural light" photography.  She had her ISO cranked up to 1600 and was firing away.

I had a Canon 20D at the time (still have it in fact) and I noticed she had the same camera. This was/is a great little camera, but it is not a high end model and shooting in low light and cranking up the ISO will give you some noise. I also knew that the rooms we were in were so dark that even with a high ISO she must have had her shutter speed pretty darn low... and she was shooting hand held.

Needless to say...   a few months later I asked my brother-in-law how the pictures of his wedding turned out and he said "not so good." My wife and I had done the same thing about 17 years earlier. To save money we paid a family friend to take photos at our wedding and they turned out like crap!  My wife regrets that decision to this very day.

So why did this "photographer" not want to use flash... which could have greatly improved her photos? I'm guessing it is because flash photography is tough to master.  If you don't know what you're doing flash can jump all over the place and leave you with photos looking like your subject was staring at an atomic explosion, or with eyes that make them look like their possessed. When I hear people say that they specialize in "natural" light, I wonder if that is because they love natural light, or because they haven't mastered flash? After all, if you want to be a photographer, it seem's you would want to be able to use all the tools available.

So where am I heading with today's blog? I am simply encouraging you... if you aren't already... to become a master of the flash. It would take a lot more time then I've got, however, to teach you how to use your camera's flash. Fortunately, someone has already done a lot of the work... and that is the purpose of todays blog. I wanted to let you know about a great blog/website that does a great job of teaching about flash photography... and it's free! How can you beat that? It's called Strobist, and you can find them at http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/02/welcome-to-strobist.html

Check em' out. You might just find that flash photography ain't so bad!

Ryan

The Golden Hour - Best Time to Take a Picture

2009-09-04T06:02:00.000-07:00

If you love photography like I do I'm sure you know what the golden hour is, that "magic" hour just after the sun comes up and just before it goes down when the natural light has a special quality that makes for some great photos.

This is what they say about it on Wikipedia:

In photography, the golden hour (sometimes known as magic hour, especially in cinematography) is the first and last hour of sunlight during the day,[1] when a specific photographic effect is achieved with the quality of the light.

Typically, lighting is softer (more diffuse) and warmer in hue, and shadows are longer. When the Sun is near the horizon, sunlight travels through more of the atmosphere, reducing its intensity, so that more of the illumination comes from the sky. More blue light is scattered, so that light from the Sun appears more reddish. And the Sun's small angle with the horizon produces longer shadows. The golden hour is a mild version of alpenglow, as described by Galen Rowell.

“Hour” is used here quite loosely. The character of the lighting is determined by the Sun's altitude, and the time for the Sun to move from the horizon to a specified altitude depends on a location's latitude and the time of year[2] (Bermingham 2003, 214). In Los Angeles, California, at an hour after sunrise or an hour before sunset, the Sun has an altitude of about 10°–12°.[3] For a location closer to the equator, the altitude is greater (or the time less), and for a location farther from the equator, the altitude is less (or the time greater). For a location sufficiently far from the equator, the Sun may not reach an altitude of 10°, and the golden hour lasts for the entire day if the Sun indeed rises.

In the middle of the day, the bright overhead Sun can create too-bright highlights and dark shadows. The degree to which overexposure can occur varies because different types of film and digital cameras have different dynamic ranges. This harsh-lighting problem is particularly important in portrait photography, where a fill flash is often necessary to balance lighting across the subject's face or body, filling in strong shadows that are usually considered undesirable.

Because the contrast is less during the golden hour, shadows are less dark, and highlights are less likely to be overexposed. In landscape photography, the warm color of the low Sun is often considered desirable to enhance the colours of the scene.

It's pretty darn easy to find out when sunrise and sunset is. Just check your local newspaper or the internet. Here is a link to a website that will tell you the golden hour anywhere in the world. It's kind of interesting and you might enjoy playing around with it... then again... maybe not.

http://www.golden-hour.com/

It's Friday and we're lookin' down the barrel of a three-day weekend. At least I am... and I hope you are too! Try to get some shooting in and I'll see you Tuesday!

Ryan

Business "To Do" List: Get a Website and Keep It Updated

2009-09-03T06:26:00.000-07:00

Not only am I a photographer, but I play one on TV... wait!... that's not right! Let me start over.

No only am I a photographer, but I also own a Landscape Architecture and Park Planning firm that I started in 1998. (There... that's much better... and accurate!)

One similarity with these businesses... they both need a website. In this day and age it is extremely important to have a website. But it is just as important to keep that website current once it's up and running. For me personally, it raises a red flag when I go onto someones website and it appears that they haven't touched it in two years. The thoughts that go through my head when I see an outdated website (i.e., not current projects, etc.)... are these guys still in business? Are they going to stay in business?

I had one of my employees build the website for my landscape architectural firm. It is a great little website but it is difficult to keep it updated because I can't do it myself.

For my photography business I decided to take another route. As a photographer I read a ton of books, watch videos, and attend seminars by some of the best photographers in the business. I figure if I want to become one of the best (which I am not!)... these are the guys I should be listening to. It was from the late, great photographer Monte Zucker that I learned about SiteWelder. This company provides professional website templates which you can customize to fit your needs. They then host the site for you. I am currently building a website and it is sooo easy to understand. And the really cool thing about it? I will be able to update my photography website 24/7.

I have a friend who owns a company that just paid several thousand dollars to have a web designer build them a site. It was expenseive, and he has to go back to the web designer to update the site. If you are in need of a website you may want to check out SiteWelder http://www.sitewelder.com/sitewelder-users.html

I'm impressed with them so far... and... after all, Monte Zucker recommended them.

See you Friday!

Ryan

Photographer Joe McNally is the Man!

2009-09-02T05:16:00.000-07:00

It's 4:30 in the morning and I'm so excited about Joe McNally's book, "The Moment it Clicks," that I decided jump out of bed and write about it for today's blog. I mentioned a few blogs back that I had renewed my membership with Kelby Training http://www.kelbytraining.com/ , one of the most cost effective and efficient ways to learn photography and photoshop as far as I'm concerned.

As part of the deal for signing up, Kelby Training sent me two books ("The Moment it Clicks," by Joe McNally and "The Adobe Photoshop CS4 Book for Digital Photographers," by Scott Kelby). The books arrived in my mail yesterday. If you have read any of Scott's books then you know that this one is going to be awesome!

This is the first book by Joe McNally that I have read (I read the first 38 pages last night while sitting at my son's football practice) and it is such an easy read. If you have ever been to one of Joe's seminars you know that he is a pretty funny guy who is VERY interesting to listen to. He writes the same way!

The book is extremely informative, as Joe tell's you about each photo and how he set up the shot, but I also found it to be very inspiring. It made me want to get out there and try new things, photographically speaking... to think outside the box. I can't wait to read more!

To be blunt, the economy sucks right now. I read on the internet that the recession is over, but apparently that news hasn't trickled down to Reno where I hang my shingle. With great adversity, however, comes great opportunity... you just have to think outside the box. Take a break from all the crap about the economy and bury yourself in a good book. Who knows... it might just trigger your "next big move!"

Hopefully I'll see you back here tomorrow. Keep shooting!

Ryan

Want a Great Picture? Simplify Your Background!

2009-09-01T07:51:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Tuesday. The kids are back in school and the world has returned to it's normal rotation! I have been so busy trying to get this blog up and running that I almost forgot to write todays blog!

Today I thought I would share a quick, simple tip that can make your photos look a lot better... simplify your background. Whenever you're going to take a photo take a quick look to see what is in the background... and foreground for that matter. The less "clutter" you have competing with your main subject, the better your picture is going to look.

Take a look at this photo of my oldest son. We spent the day up at lake Tahoe and I got this great shot of him leaping off the back of our boat. It was smoky that day due to a forest fire in Yosemite so we could not see the shoreline on the opposite side of the lake. That lack of detail on the shoreline made for a very clean, simple shot in which my son is clearly the subject. The boat in the background is a nice detail that gives an interesting scale to the photo and helps tell the story.

Another example of a pretty good shot but a GREAT memory.

Enjoy your Tuesday!

Ryan

A Night at the Ball Game

2009-08-31T06:54:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-08-28T08:07:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-08-27T06:02:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-26T05:37:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-25T13:25:00.000-07:00

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

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

Please note that our values may change without notice.

A Great Way to Learn Photography

2009-08-25T06:30:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-24T08:50:00.000-07:00

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:

Get a business license
Start up a web site
Start a blog (done)... now I've got to keep it going!
Get my photography info. onto Facebook and Linked In... free advertising! I'm not to sure about Twitter... we'll see...
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

2009-08-23T08:20:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-10T12:43:00.000-07:00

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.

My Goal

2009-07-03T19:53:00.000-07:00

Right now, 1.1 billion people on the planet don't have access to safe, clean drinking water. That's one in six of us.
Just $20 can give one person in a developing nation clean water for 20 years.
Unsafe water and lack of basic sanitation cause 80% of all sickness and disease, and kill more people every year than all forms of violence, including war.
Many people in the developing world, usually women and children, walk more than three hours every day to fetch water that is likely to make them sick. Those hours are crucial, preventing many from working or attending school. Additionally, collecting water puts them at greater risk of sexual harassment and assault. Children are especially vulnerable to the consequences of unsafe water.
Of the 42,000 deaths that occur every week from unsafe water and a lack of basic sanitation, 90% are children under 5 years old.
$5,000 can build a freshwater well in a village and provide 250+ people with clean drinking water.

My goal is to raise $5,000 for Charity: water... enough money to build one well. How will I do it? Simple... one photograph at a time!

Sports Action Portraits for Charity

2009-07-03T18:59:00.000-07:00

Your son or daughter standing in a row with their teammates on picture day is... OK... but wouldn't you rather have a portrait taken in the heat of battle? That's where real memories are made! Now you can get an awesome picture that will be cherished for generations, and help a great cause in the process.

For a suggested donation of $100 we will attend an entire game and shoot your athelete in action! Divide your donation amongst multiple players on a team to reduce your cost. It' s a simple idea, and if you want to donate more you certainly can!

100% of all donations go to Charity: water

How does it work? I'm glad you asked! It is so easy! If you live in the Reno/Sparks area and would like us to come shoot at your game simply send us an email with all your vitals. Provide your name, address, and phone number. We will respond to your inquiry through email.

Let us know if there is a specific game that you would like us to shoot with the date, time and location. We shoot games on a first come, first serve basis so you might want to provide us with a few choices... or the entire season schedule if you aren’t interested in a specific game. We shoot only a limited number of games so you might want to think about booking early.

The suggested donation is $100, which you pay directly to Charity: water (We will explain that when you set up a booking). If you want to donate more that would be awesome! For $100 We will come take photos during the entire game. We will take shots of the team during warm ups in order to get at least a few shots of each player. If a player doesn’t make it into the game we can’t really get an intense action shot of them, but I will try to get something.

You can have us focus in on just your son or daughter if you like. If you go it alone, or if a few parents go in together, We still request a minimum donation of $100 since we will be spending the same amount of time at your game either way.

A cool idea is having us attend senior night and focus on just the seniors.

Within about a week after the game we will provide you with a CD of high resolution images for you to use as you like.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Ryan
Member: Professional Photographers of America

Infrequently Asked Questions

2009-07-03T12:11:00.000-07:00

These are not actually questions people asked. They are more like... questions I made up that I thought you might ask.

1. What made you decide to take sports action portraits in exchange for charitable contributions?

I have followed Charity: water for a few years now and have always thought what they do is really cool. My kids play a lot of sports and I love photographing their games... in fact I love shooting any game... actually I love photographing just about anything. I wanted to become more involved in a charity and thought combining my love of photography with Charity: water's efforts would be fun. It is a great excuse to attend local sporting events!

2. Do you shoot games outside the Reno/Sparks area?

Possibly. If someone wants me to I would be willing to entertain ideas.

3. I don't have kids on sports teams. Would you consider any other types of portraits for charity?

Hmmm... good question. I might. Drop me an email and let's discuss it.

If you think of any other questions just leave me a comment. I will answer them as quickly as I can.

Ryan

People Portraits

2009-07-01T21:14:00.000-07:00

Contact Me

2009-07-01T15:53:00.000-07:00

You may contact me through email at photogbuzz@charterinternet.com

Show Off Your Mad Skills

2009-07-01T12:14:00.000-07:00

Think you're better then me? Well... you probably are. But just to be safe why don't you go ahead and email us a before and after shot, along with a brief blurb about what you did and who you are. If we like what we see then we just might publish it as one of our weekly blogs. You'll get a little free publicity and I'll get the day off from blogging... it's a win win situation!

Email us your photos and background information to photogbuzz@charterinternet.com

Remember, please don't send us any photos that are in poor taste. Porn is a definate no no. We will simply delete your photo if you do... so why bother?

Send Us a Photo to Fix

2009-07-01T11:50:00.000-07:00

Want to see what we can do with your photo? Simply email it to us at photogbuzz@charterinternet.com

If we select your photo we will do our best to "improve" it. We will post the before and after shots as one of our blog entries. We will also email you a copy of the improved photo for you to do with whatever you like. Please let us know if there is anything in particular you would like us to do... like remove an old flame, etc. Any background information we can use in our blog would be helpful too.

Here's the deal, by sending us your photo you are giving us permission to publish it as a part of our blog. Which is what you want anyway, right? Otherwise you wouldn't have sent it to us in the first place. Afterall, that's what we do!

One more thing. Don't send us any photos that are in poor taste. Porn is a definate no no. We will simply delete your photo if you do... so why bother?

About the Buzz

2009-07-01T11:05:00.000-07:00

If this is your first time to the Photog Buzz... welcome! The concept is simple. Think of this site as a free classroom on photography where you can learn about what you want, when you want.

The site is a work in progress. Besides a daily blog I will be developing and adding photography related classes under the following categories:

1 Photography and Cameras
2 Photoshop
3 Lightroom
4 Photomatix and HDR

I also provide a "Top 10" list of photography/educational websites that I think are pretty awesome! You can check them out to learn additional information or to gain a different perspective.

Enjoy the site and I hope you stop back by often.

Ryan

Ryan W. Hansen... Photographer

2009-07-01T05:35:00.000-07:00

Ryan Hansen is an admitted photography addict. He has been taking photos ever since he received an Argus Argoflex Seventy-five as a kid, a hand-me-down from his dad. The advent of digital reignited his passion, opening the door to a whole new world of possiblities.

Ryan studied photography through the New York Institute of Photography, but considers Kelby Training to have played a huge role in both his technical and compositional education. His digital tools of choice are Canon DSLR cameras, Photoshop, Lightroom, and Photomatix.

Ryan is an active member of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals and the Professional Photographers of America. He is constantly striving to impove his photography skills, attending multiple photographic conferences each year including the Photoshop World Conference and Imaging USA.

When not pursuing his passion for photography (and sometimes even when he is) you will find Ryan goofing off with his wife and kids. They live in Reno with a golden retriever and a cat that seems unable to catch mice.

Megapixels and Print Size

2009-06-01T21:09:00.000-07:00

Camera makers tout the size of their cameras in megapixels and they seem to get bigger every year. That's all fine and dandy, but the question is... how many megapixels do YOU really need? I shoot with Canon cameras and I love em'.   Here are Canon's recommended sizes that an image should be printed according to the resolution and print sizes (suggested maximum) of the digital camera:

2 MP     4"x6" print (1,600 x 1,200)
3 MP     5"x7" print (2,048 x 1,536)
4 MP     6"x8" print (2,272 x 1,704)
5 MP     8 1/2" x 11" print (2,592 x 1,944)

7 MP     11" x 17" print (3,072 x 2,304)
8 MP     13" x 19" print (3,264 x 2,448)
12 MP     16" x 20" (4,000 x 3,000)
15 MP     16.5" x 23.4" (4,416 x 3,312)

What this tells us is that the resolution of most quality cameras will satisfy the print needs of the average shooter. Instead of megapixels look for features that will improve your photos. See "Choosing the right camera for YOU" for a list of features.

Where's My Camera?

2009-05-01T05:49:00.000-07:00

I love to write about photography. In order to write about it, though, I have to get out there and experience it. These are some of the cool events where you will find me and my camera:

Reno Balloon Races, Reno, NV Sept 11-13, 2009
Reno Air Races, Reno, NV Sept 18-20, 2009
Jessie Beck Charity Golf Tournament, Sparks, NV Sept 20, 2009
Photoshop World Conference, Las Vegas, NV Oct 1-3, 2009
Imaging USA, Nashvillle, TN Jan 7-12, 2010

Fun Photos

2009-05-01T05:29:00.000-07:00

I love exploring the fun and creative side of photography. These are photos that I have experimented and played with in Photoshop, Lightroom and Photomatix. In the future I will be adding links to tutorials where I explain how they were made.

"Balloons Over McCarran"

"Victorian Avenue Train"

Pets

2009-01-01T21:47:00.000-08:00

For the story behind this shot of Tahoe (Ryan's Golden Retriever) see "The Tube Shot" blog http://photogbuzz.blogspot.com/2009/11/tube-shot.html

What People Say

2009-01-01T21:32:00.000-08:00

This is why I love Photography.

"I am by no means an expert at art. I only know what hits me, and I was immediately taken by your photo of Max and Milo. Of course, I'm already emotionally involved with the photo, but to me, the complexion of the shot, the framing, the obvious intimacy of an older brother showing his little brother the "ropes" is what really takes it to another level. It it exquisite." Written by Dave Longfield, Reno, NV regarding a photo Ryan took of his sons.

"Wow!!! That is freaking amazing! Nice Job. Thanks." Email from Kenny Miller, Seattle, WA regarding Ryan's post-production work in Photoshop and Lightroom.

Ryan's Story

2009-01-01T08:36:00.000-08:00

Born in California, Ryan Hansen grew up in the rain spattered, slug filled forests of the Pacific Northwest. At the start of seventh grade his family moved to a small farm town in southern Idaho where he attended junior high and high school. Ryan's father was a minister who specialized in small congregations made up of what seemed like extremely old people at the time. Ryan and his brothers spent their time playing basketball, shooting bb guns, and reluctantly attending church whenever the doors were open... which was a lot! In 1984 he left home to attend the University of Idaho, earning a degree in Landscape Architecture in 1988.

After college Ryan moved to Reno, NV to work as a landscape architect.  Laid off after only six months, he decided to move back up to Seattle where he found work with an environmental firm designing wetland mitigation projects. While there he met and married Shonee Anderson. After five years of very little sun and very pale skin, they decided to escape the dreary weather and move back to Reno where they have remained ever since, raising five children and a host of family pets.

In 1998 Ryan opened a highly successful landscape architecture firm specializing in the design of community parks and commercial landscapes which he still manages on a day to day basis. Ryan always loved photography and became even more interested in it with the advent of digital and the art of post processing using programs such as Photoshop.  He incorporated both digital photography and Photoshop into the workflow of the firm, creating digital visual simulations for clients such as Nevada Power and the Nevada Department of Transportation.

Ryan developed an interest in the art of portrait and landscape photography which quickly tranformed into a passion.  He joined the National Association of Photoshop Professionals and the Professional Photographers Association. As his passion and knowledge of photography grew he decided to open a wedding and portrait studio... which brings us to today and this blog.

This blog is a daily journal of Ryan's adventure as he follows his dream of photography by opening a home-based studio.  His goal is to share everything along the way... his successes and triumphs, his failures and disappointments.

Feel free to follow along!