Merry Christmas

In case you all have not learned.. that I love to take the ordinary and make it extraordinary for something else!

This is the garland that I wrap around my banister every year. Blur the background and used a free program to add text!

Merry Christmas to all. Have a safe and happy holiday!

Spin on Christmas Lights-

PHOTOS OF THE WEEK

Cool things to do besides the standard Christmas Tree Snap Shot

Technique: Zoom out during open shutter!

Tripod or sturdy surface

f10

2.5 sec shutter

ISO 200

Hand held for camera shake

f.22

3.2 sec shutter

ISO 200

Blur and use as a background or add text!

f5.6

1/20 shutter

ISO 200

Sturdy Surface-- No Tripod

Fill the frame with cool blur!

f6.3

1/20 shutter

ISO 200

Sturdy Surface- No Tripod

 

Happy Holidays to everyone!

Merry Christmas

 

 

What do you recommend?

I hope everyone is doing well and ready for Santa to slide down the chimney or at least an awesome family member who has listened to your "All I want for Christmas" Rant.

I wanted to cover something real quick because I get asked this question A LOT!

What camera would you recommend someone who is starting out and what advice can you offer about dealings in the business?

Have a budget? Of course you do,,, we all do!

Shop accordingly. Most cameras come as kits. You can get a camera, lens and memory all in one box for the most. Ive not purchased a camera in a long time but it doesn't seem to vary much.

What kind of lens with the kit? Most will offer 1 or 2 options on the lens. It will not even be that big of a deal. It will be a zoom lens. I would get the standard zoom. It should cover most of what you want to do in wedding and portrait photography. If you want to be come a bird photographer, order your mega telephoto zoom separate, pay the price $$$ and save yourself some grief and get a "L" series glass.

A flash, something more powerful than the pop up (if yours comes with a pop up)

A light diffuser-  they are fairly cheap and I have seen photographers make theirs until it was plausible for their budget. What works,, WORKS!

A tripod- go ahead and get a real sturdy one. Once you begin to add more hardware to your camera the heavier it will get. Tilt with Panning!

Remote shutter release chord. Wireless or non Wireless.. Why? Camera shake! From non flash rules in churches to firework photography.. You will need it and the timer built in is ok, but you do want more freedom?

I say that is a good start!

Where do you buy your equipment? I buy from B&H Photo, I have never had an issue and they are up to par with pricing and sometimes being a member you get perks, Plus you get this awesome catalog you can drool in while sitting on your porch outside, having coffee! I call it my Photography Bible!

Business Advice:
Should I get a license? Yes! Check according to your state. Call your local county's office and check with your CPA about filing your taxes.

What to charge? Charge based upon your experience, time and travel. Check local photographers in your area and see what they are doing.

This is what I recommend to everyone starting. Charge per hour and cut a disc. Most everyone wants to take their photos to a five and dime for printing. So let's just face it.  Make your workflow easy and develop prints and other products as you go.

I hope this helps!

Raw vs. Jpeg

Raw vs. Jpeg

 Upon talking to two friends of mine the other day, I was asked about Raw formats, what’s good or bad about them and should they be using the Raw when they shoot.

 

What is Raw Format?

Raw means that not all of the information associated with the image is compressed. In the Raw format you can adjust some of the information and have minimal loss of quality. You can adjust exposure, colors and contrast, etc.

 Have you ever cropped a Jpeg and it becomes pixilated? Yes, limited! Enough said because I’m sure you all have done this at least once! I know I have.

 The drawback is that these files are extremely huge and will eat up your space on the storage card. Also when your files are loaded to your computer, you will NOT be able to see any of the images until you use a Raw Conversion Software.

 There are many free conversion only software and you can find those by a general search. I think its better to find software that has Raw conversion and gives you tools to make adjustments.

 I prefer Lightroom to Photoshop for this process. This will be a decision only you can make and according to how you want your workflow to go.

 If you want to convert the files to a Jpeg format , then use another program to make adjustments, you will begin to lose data and freedom you would have had if you had chosen a program that will let you see the file as it is raw, adjust what you like, then convert.

 When to use Raw? I can not answer this for you. You know what your knowledge and skills are, I do not.

 

If you have not learned basics… use Raw to save yourself and a few photos that you really want to keep! Then go back to my Basics portion of the blog and LEARN what Shutter, Aperture, and ISO ARE!!  Please do not be photographing for people and not have a clear understanding of these. You are not giving your clients/friends/family what they deserve. You are not going to become a good photographer winging it!

Still needing photos for my Photo of the Week portion for my blog.
Criteria:
Small bio
Watermarked Image
Image Settings
Equipment
Software
Story behind the photo
Send to : Laymanphotography@windstream.net

Thank you all for your continued participation and support.

Photo of The Week-Test Your Ability!

Happy Holidays to everyone! I hope you are all doing well and have all the shopping done! I have all mine done finally. Even wrapped the presents for my babies(Doggies)...

This photo is a small decorative fiber optic gazebo that I sit out every year as part of my Christmas decor. Cold and not wanting to remove myself too far from my fireplace.. I grabbed my camera.
 I like to test my ability, knowledge and creativity not having equipment that I normally use.

I set my camera on another small table. It was a bit low for the proper angle, so I grabbed a tv remote control and propped my barrel up. I then used the timer for the camera instead of a remote shutter release.

So,,, with out tripod and remote shutter,, this is my result.

iso 200
f/14
10 second shutter speed (why? because the fiber optics change color and I wanted to get as much colors as possible)

Have a great day!

Photo of the Week: Will Copestake

Hello everyone!
Today's Photo of the Week comes to you by photographer Will Copestake.

How I met Will?
I met Will thru a shared social group in linkedin. I followed through on connecting with him on Facebook and I was in awe of his work. He has such a wonderful composition and I have come to know him as an oustanding person! He is full of adventure and he has yet to start his life really... considering his age... He sure does make me wish I had started earlier.

Here is Will's Story...

 Will Copestake’s love of the outdoors started from an early age. Growing up in the North West highlands of Scotland Will was immersed in Sailing, Kayaking, Cycling and hiking. Encouraged by a loving family and the local field club a love of natural history developed.

At age 17 working as a deckhand for a local cruise boat to the Summer Isles will discovered a passion in photography and between working on the boat and as a lifeguard funded an 10 month trip to New Zealand.
At age 18 Will hiked solo across the 8 “Great walks” of New Zealand , including the 11 day North West circuit on Stewart Island. Will also Volunteered as a hut warden in Tongariro National Park for the New Zealand Department of Conservation.

Returning to Scotland Will enrolled in a four year degree in Environmental Science and Outdoor Education at the University of Stirling. Meeting like minded friends Will and close friend Remi Mcmurtry hiked 600km across Iceland in 27 days, as part of a three month self planned expedition in the summer of 2011 three months were spent living in a tent and eating copious quantities of S.M.A.S.H.

Now approaching his final year at university Will is focusing on pursuing a career in photography, and has his sights set on the next expedition, a solo sea kayak journey around Scotland followed by the summing of all the Scottish “Munros” (mountains over 3000ft) using only a bicycle to travel between.

Photo below: "Emergence"

                                                           

 

 Mt Snæfellsjökull. The 1,446m (4744ft) high mountain rises from a western peninsula of Iceland.

Most known for the setting for the entrance to the centre of the earth in the book by Jules Verne I and expedition partner Remi were keen to climb it.

 

We had been in Iceland for a few weeks and had retreated from a failed first attempt at an expedition to cross iceland on foot (we succeeded later that month tackling the 650km+ hike in 27 days).

Sitting at the base of the mountain in bitter wind and cloudy skies we lay at the tent, looking up for the third morning there was still cloud surrounding the peak. We noticed that each day that cloud would rise and eventually dissipate and with this in mind took a gamble.

"We arn't lost, just misplaced..." wandering in the cloud a transition to snow lay somewhere before us, we couldn't tell where. The map of the area was outdated and due to a mistake in the American US satellite was 11º wrong on the longitude marks...we had adjusted and continued under GPS.

Crossing the glacier, and walking up slope in the cloud the occasional spattering of red rock bore reminder that we were in-fact on a dormant volcano.

It was late when we reached the summit, the only "technical" section, two 40ft+ pillars covered in Ice. No more than an Icy scramble Remi ascended the first pillar as i climbed the other.

Peering through the mist the cloud cleared, before us lay a soft heavenly blanket...this is why we climb!..

Snapping a few shots Remi patiently waited for 20 minutes as the cloud drifted in and out, the silence was broken only with the occasional clatter of falling ice dislodged by my precariously balanced tripod...

It was past midnight before we reached the tent in the Icelandic eternal daylight... I had been a day to remember.

Settings and details

Shot with a Canon 5D MKII with 24-105mm L-series lens

Tripod - Gitzo Traveller

F11

Iso 50

1/125

Focal Length 50mm

 

How to find Will?? Thats easy... click away below!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/WillCopestakeMedia/407725702598590?bookmark_t=page

and website ..

www.willcopestakemedia.wordpress.com

Thank you so much Will for participating! Best of wishes for a bright future!