Joe McNally in the Desert

One of my favorite photographers is Joe McNally He's a genius when it comes to his gear, and he is so creative when using off-camera flash. He also gets to shoot some incredible subjects thus making some very memorable pictures.

This video is of a shoot he did in the Dubai desert using Nikon SB800's. If you are at all intimidated by off-camera flash, watch this video and then go subscribe to David Hobby's blog, "Strobist". It's so important to understand how to be able to take pictures using your flash.... good pictures. If you are a Nikon shooter, consider purchasing the DVD titled "Speed of Light" featuring Joe McNally. It's well worth the $25!

Kevin Kubota Actions

Just purchased a set of actions from Kevin Kubota. They will definitely change the way I use Photoshop and save me a ton of time. I chose the Artistic Tools Volume 4 and I can already tell that all those actions will be worth the money. I had taken a few shots of Brooke and Ainsley the other night at "bed time" and this was my favorite frame:

That is the original in-camera shot. Pretty good, but after sampling a few of my new actions, I chose the "Punch Drunk" action and here is the final version:

Awesome! I can't wait to continue to use more of these actions and find my favorites. Check them out at Kevin's website here.

Welcome back to Assignment Wednesday

It's been a couple of weeks so let's get back to it! This week's assignment is....

--EYES--


The eyes, the window to the soul? The tell tale sign when we've done something wrong? The eyes are so many things, and, in a portrait, I find are key to either setting it off or making it work or not.

Get out there and make a great frame! Bring it back next Wednesday so we can see what everyone did.

Frames, Edges, Templates...

I received a DVD in the mail today from GraphicAuthority.com. It has frames, edges, and templates for Photoshop CS and Photoshop Elements. I have had so much fun playing with these today, and I even used one of the templates to make my Senior Portrait flyer that I'll be using to advertise this fall.

The DVD came complete with video tutorials for each of the different types of files and after watching half of one video, I had it figured out. Very easy, very fun, and very cool! Make your images stand out from all the rest. Check out their website for all the different products.

Here's the flyer I made:

Harsh Sunlight

Taking pictures in the middle of the afternoon when there is harsh sunlight can be very difficult to do, but not impossible. Last weekend while at the beach with the Jones', I shot some family portraits for them at about 5pm in the blazing hot sun. So I immediately tried to figure out how to get them or myself in some shade (so the sun wouldn't be glaring into my lens). I also usually like to have a dark background behind my subjects so I can expose for their skin much nicer. Here's the pictures that I thought were keepers:

Tamrac Big Wheels

When I first decided to start my photography business, I looked for a backpack that would hold all of my gear and my laptop. I bought a great Tamrac Expedition 7x that held everything and protected it well. However, when you put EVERYTHING in a backpack, you do NOT want to put it on your back! So... last week I sold my backpack and purchased a Tamrac Big Wheels LP2. It looks just like a carry-on suitcase but is made for cameras and lenses. It also has a spot for my laptop.

UPS delivered it today and I am more than happy with it. I can easily fit 2 cameras and all of my lenses along with 2 strobes, batteries, cards, and more. And the big thing... it rolls!!! I'll be using this bag for years to come.

Professional Prints

If you're serious about your photography, and if you're reading this I assume you are, you need to find a good printer. Walgreens, Walmart, Target, or your own home inkjet do not count! There are some great printers out there that create true professional prints and they won't cost you and arm and a leg. You'll be blown away by the products and the quality that are available to you these days.

The last couple of orders I've placed, I've used Mpix and have been thrilled with the outcome. So take a little time to search for a good printer on the internet and start doing your photos justice!

Easy Portraits

We are at the beach this weekend with the Jones' and this afternoon I saw beautiful light coming through the huge window that is the balcony door. I sat each kid down one at a time and fired 2-4 shots of each of them, and I was finished. Light like this is a gift and makes for very easy portraits!

First, see the light. This takes some practice, but once you start looking for light, you will find it everywhere! Put on your longest lens, fill the frame, and then snap away. It works really great when you can find a dark background, but just remember to lower your exposure compensation to make up for your camera trying to make the picture brighter than it should be.

A Day To Remember

It's hard to believe that it has been 7 years since that terrible day. Time has a photo slideshow on their website that will help you to remember and reflect on that day.

First Shots with the D700

Opened up the D700 last night and couldn't wait to take a few pictures. I should tell you that I'm thrilled with it! It's everything my D3 was so I have absolutely no regrets of selling the D3 to get two of these. We had company for dinner last night so I didn't take too much time with it, but here are a few pictures. The one of Ainsley and George was shot at ISO 3200 and I did NOT use any noise reduction after the fact! There was only one 40 watt bulb in a lamp over to camera left and the rest of the room was dark. Amazing!

Inspiration for Monday

I know Monday's are a drag so I thought I'd give you a site to look at for a little inspiration. I met Sylvain in Philadelphia at the Cliff Mautner Workshop. He's a great, laid-back guy from California and a fabulous photographer! I'll look forward to keeping up with him in the future as we both move forward in this business.

Check out his site by clicking here.

New Gear

Don't worry, I'm not going out of business! I was just selling some stuff this week on eBay that I don't ever use like my 35mm f/2.0, my light meter, and my SB400. Also, I sold both cameras because I have ordered two Nikon D700's. Now I will have two great cameras instead of one great one and one ok one. Also, since I won't have a DX camera anymore, I sold the 18-200mm lens (even though it hurts to see it go). And then finally, I sold my Tamrac Expedition 7x backpack because I've decided that a backpack that holds that much stuff, is too HEAVY!! So I'll be purchasing a roller case in the coming weeks.

I can't wait to get the first D700! I'm thrilled that I will get the same great images as the D3 in a smaller and lighter body! Also, now with two of the same camera, I will only need one type of battery and one type of memory card. Bonus!!! Oh yeah, and because the D700 has a built-in flash (that I will NEVER use for flash) that controls a wireless flash, I sold the SU800 commander. Good week!

Perspective Assignment

Your assignment this past week was to get a different perspective... to move around, to get higher or lower than your subject, or to shoot from a different direction. Maybe use a wide angle lens if your first instinct is to use your telephoto. Exercises like these will help you to see things in new ways.

My picture from this week was taken of my kids in the foyer of my house. I thought the dark hardwood floor would make a great background so I grabbed a ladder and made a portrait from above. I think it turned out great:



As always, you can click on the picture for a larger version.

Comment to this blog with a link to your picture so we can see it. Hope you had fun!

Next week's assignment:

-- Get a Flickr Account!! --

It's the easiest way to share your photos and it's free! You also will get an URL for every photo you upload so it will be easy to link to it from the comment form on my blog. Maybe this way we will get more photos to look at. So go do it! Here's the link:

Put Your Pictures To Music

Music is a huge part of everyone's life... at least it seems that way to me. Whether you listen in the car, on your computer, during your run, or whatever, we all listen to music. Music is powerful. It helps you remember moments in life. How many times have you heard that song on the radio that was playing during your first kiss and it bring back all those memories?

Try putting your pictures to music the next time you view them or show them off to some friends or potential clients. It makes the pictures come to life when you choose just the right song, and it's really more fun to view them that way. I have found that when I show clients their slideshow on a huge screen and put to great music, they fall in love with the photos even faster!

If you aren't sure how to do this, try iPhoto to get started if you are on a Mac. It's really simple and you can use any song that is in your iTunes library. If you're not on a Mac... I'm sure you have something that will let you do this... it just won't be as cool or as easy!

Labor Day Sale!

Happy Labor Day to you all! Just thought I'd let you know that I have some gear for sale on eBay if you are interested. A couple of lenses, cameras, and more. You can see all of the listings by clicking the eBay logo below:



Enjoy your holiday and I'll be back here tomorrow!