Do you have any idea what 'One Thing' every photographer can never get enough of? It's not a new camera or lens nor is it traveling to a new and exciting location. It's not getting published or selling a stock photograph either! In fact the one thing that every photographer can never get enough of can be found at The Perfect Picture School of Photography and that one thing is INSPIRATION!

Let PPSOP turn your bone dry cup of inspiration into an overflowing reservoir of ideas and images, with any number of our 4-week, 8-week or six-month photo courses. Once a photographer is inspired, there is no telling what may happen next!

Want to learn more? Then join us for the most comprehensive course taught on the internet about wildlife photography and compelling composition today! Don't delay, sign up now and you too can learn how to take the PERFECT PICTURE! Your "INSPIRATION" starts September 12th, so sign-up today!

Labels: news

In case you missed it, here are some tidbits we've come across the last couple of days:

• Not to be outdone, Nikon unveiled their newest Digital SLR – the D90.  Not only does this camera take some outstanding photos, but it can take up to six minutes of high definition video!  At a bargain basement price of $995 (body only), this SLR is primed to take the industry by storm. More info here and here
• Nikon also introduced a new “kit” lens – an AF-S DX 18–105mm f/3.5–5.6 with Vibration Reduction.  Being a Nikon shooter, I’ve always been just a little jealous of the Canon 24–105mm lens.  It looks like I now have something equivalent I can get for the Nikon.  MSRP of $399.95.  More info 
• I’ve been a customer of MPix for a couple of years now – the quality of their prints is outstanding.  They have just re-vamped their entire process and released a new website – Mpix 2.0!  This is without a doubt the best place to get online prints that I have found.  Check them out. 
• If you are looking to improve your photography skills, sign up for a course at the Perfect Picture School of Photography. New classes start on September 12, 2008.

Overall, a light week in photo news because of the holiday.  Expect a lot of news to trickle in from PhotoWorld this week.  See ya next Tuesday!

 

Labels: news

I saw on the radar that a huge storm was racing across northern Tampa Bay, so I made a beeline to Honeymoon Island to see if I could get a great stormy sunset. I arrived at the park ahead of the approaching storm and set up in front of the salt marshes and waited for it to come to me.

As it got closer, it got darker and darker. Thunder started to really rumble, and lightning started to streak from the storm. It was impressive to say the least, as two storms came together to form a unbelievable series of events. I stayed out as long as I could, but the lightning really started to hit all around me, so I packed up and took cover at the bath house.

Just as I made my way under shelter, the skies opened up and torrential rains closed in all around me. It was loud, and the storm was so intense, it started to hail. One of the lightning strikes hit less then ten yards from where I was at, and that was a sound that makes you jump. I was having a ball watching this amazing storm as it passed right over my head.

About 30 minutes later, it stopped, and the skies opened up and the sun came back to give way to some amazing colors. I made my way back to the salt marshes, and began to capture the amazing colors in the sky, the cloud formations and the reflections in the tidal pools from low tide.

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View A HDR Photo Of A Stormy Sunset On Honeymoon Island   (JPG - 184KB)
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So the next time you are out, don't overlook the dramatic possibilities with combining landscapes with summer storms. They can provide a very unique and beautiful images of the power of mother nature. However, it is always best to take in account your personal safety, so if there is a risk of lighting, take cover.

(Click on the thumbnails for a larger photo)


Want to learn more? Then join us for the most comprehensive course taught on the internet about photography composition today! Don't delay, sign up now and you too can learn how to take the PERFECT PICTURE!

Labels: photo tip

This is without a doubt the most useful and necessary accessory you will ever buy. If you buy no other accessory, a good study tripod needs to be at the top of your list. There are many different makes and models of tripods, which also can make for a confusing experience when looking for a reliable tripod. Take it from someone who has bought and used many: don’t skimp!

Take a look at some well-respected and well-known tripods and avoid the cheap off brands often found at electronic and some large local camera stores. These tripods are light, however they are poorly made, hard to use, and fail after minimal use.

Some of the best tripods use carbon fiber, which is strong, light weight and durable. However, they can be costly, so a good alternative is aluminum that is a little heavier, but sometimes half the cost. Be sure to look at how much load the tripod can hold, for if you have a camera, ballhead, and a long telephoto lens, add up all that weight and make sure the tripod you select can handle the weight.

Even if you don’t have a heavy lens and camera body combo, plan for it in the future. If you don’t, you will be replacing that tripod when you do, for it will be very unstable, and you run the risk of it falling over and collapsing from the weight.

I personally like the aluminum models, for they are generally much more steadier then carbon fiber, and they really carry the weight well. Keep in mind however if you plan on doing lots of walking or hiking, for all that weight can be a pain (literally). Some wildlife photographers will have two models, one for short trips, and another, much lighter model for longer treks.

Some manufactures I can fully recommend is from Manfrotto and Gitzo, for they are both made of high quality components, and both have excellent reputations.

This tip was taken from the new and exciting course at the Perfect Picture School of Photography, Wildlife Photography 101. Want to learn more? Then join us for the most comprehensive course taught on the internet about wildlife photography today! Don't delay, sign up now and you too can learn how to take the PERFECT PICTURE!

Labels: photo tip, wildlife

In case you missed it, here are some tidbits we've come across the last couple of days:

• For all you Canon lovers out there waiting for a new body to compete with the new Nikon rigs, Canon has officially announced their newest camera body - the EOS 50D. The new camera has some impressive specs: 15.1 megapixel sensor, ISO to 12,800, 1.6x crop factor. List price of $1099 and it should start hitting the stores in October.
• Moose Peterson just announced his latest base camp - Fort Meyers, FL! Spend four days learning how to shoot wildlife from one of the true icons of wildlife photography. The five day workshop is Feb 16-20, 2009. More info can be found here.
• Canon has been busy the last week - they've also announced their latest top end point and shoot. The G10 is a replacement to their popular G9 which includes a 14.1 megapixel sensor and the ability to shoot RAW. Also available in October at an MSRP of $499.
• If you live in the Florida area, one of our all-time favorite destinations is promoting literacy week September 7-13. Honeymoon Island is giving free access to the park just by showing your library card. More info here.
• If you are looking to improve your photography skills, sign up for a course at the Perfect Picture School of Photography. New classes start on September 12, 2008.

That's all the news for this week. Be sure to check back every Tuesday as we post news items and interesting tidbits that you may have missed!

Labels: news

(1/25s, f/22, ISO 200)

Have you ever come across a scene and had a hard time getting the exposure right? Try the Sunny 16 rule! I was in Colorado recently and noticed the wonderful cloud formations in front of the flatirons and just knew that if I let the camera expose the scene, it wouldn't have gotten the clouds the nice white color I wanted. I decided to set my camera to Manual and use the Sunny 16 rule.

The Sunny 16 rule states that if you have a sunny day, set your aperture to f/16 and your shutter speed to 1/(Your ISO) you will be VERY close to properly exposed. In this case, I had my Nikon D300 set to ISO 200 so the correct exposure would be 1/200s shutter speed, f/16 and ISO 200.

Well that's all fine and well if you want to always want to shoot at f/16. What if you want to shoot at f/22? Using the knowledge that changing your aperture from f/16 to f/22 is effectively eliminating one full stop of light, you can do one of two things to get that stop of light back. The easiest is to change your shutter speed and allow one more stop of light. The slower you shoot, the more light you allow to hit the sensor so changing the shutter speed to 1/100s would ADD one full stop of light and our scene would be properly exposed again.

The alternative would be to leave your shutter speed at 1/200s and change your ISO from 200 to 400 - again, adding one stop of light to make up for the light you lost by going from f/16 to f/22.

In the shot above, I opted to use a 2 stop circular polarizer to enhance the blues and greens of my image. Because I shot this at an aperture of f/22 (1 full stop) and I used a 2 stop Circular Polarizer, I needed to recoup 3 full stops of light. Keeping my ISO constant at 200, I changed my shutter speed 3 full stops to 1/25s and got a correct exposure.

Keep in mind that the Sunny 16 rule will get you really close to a properly exposed scene. The only thing that is left is to check your LCD to make sure you are on target and use your exposure compensation button (the +/- button) to dial in your exposure to really nail that shot!

Labels: photo tip

In case you missed it, here are some tidbits we've come across the last couple of days:

• The iPhone apps that are coming out are getting better and better. Adair Systems has released their Photo Calc application. This gem has exposure reciprication, depth of field, flash exposure and even a sunrise/sunset calculator!
• Whoa. How did I miss this one? Cooliris (formerly PicLens) is a wicked cool 3D Image browser. I'm going to have to find some time to play around with this in the coming days!
• Have you been getting into the Olympics as much as I have? Newsweek has a really nice photo blog from the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
• Popular Photography had recently listed their Top Buys for 2008 - great photo gear that won't take your bottom dollar.
• Over 6,500 people have officially signed up for Scott Kelby's global photowalk! If your local photowalk is already filled up, you can still show up and take part, you just won't be eligible for any of the prizes.

That's all the news for this week. Be sure to check back every Tuesday as we post news items and interesting tidbits that you may have missed!

Labels: news

One of the most important tips when photographing subjects, especially when the composition included a horizon, was to make sure it was straight. It wasn’t until I learned that valuable tip did I truly begin to understand the importance of the Rule of Thirds, and I was astonished one day when I went back and looked at some of my early work, that many had horizons (especially landscapes) where the horizon was not straight and also ran right through the middle of the composition.

One of the ways many photographers get their compositions straight is to use the frame in your viewfinder, while others use the focus points to get their horizons straight. Today, many new cameras can have their focusing screens replaced with focusing screens that have the Rule of Thirds etched in them to help the photographer line up their shot. Another new technique that some cameras have is that they can overlay a grid over your LCD to show you where to place your points of interest.

While all of these tools certainly can help the photographer, they still won’t help you to line up your horizons straight for you. One of the best tools I have in my camera bag, and one that I find invaluable when shooting landscapes, is a spirit level. You’ve probably seen builders use big ones (they have a little bubble in them to show you when something is straight). You can also get little ones to attach to your camera that work similarly, and the best ones slide right into your cameras hot shoe (where you would attach your external flash). For example Adorama sells my favorite, a 2-axis Hot Shoe Bubble Level made by Bogen-Manfrotto. Simply slide this level onto your camera the next time you line up your composition, and your horizons will be nice and straight. Nice!

Want to learn more? Then join us for the most comprehensive course taught on the internet about photography composition today! Don't delay, sign up now and you too can learn how to take the PERFECT PICTURE!

Labels: photo tip

A few weeks ago, I was on a personal photography workshop with a student, and something odd hit me. One of the objectives of the works was to get a a great sunset image, so we ended up at Clearwater Beach, Florida to capture the sunset as it set over the Gulf of Mexico behind it's most famous landmark, Pier 60. We set up our cameras, and after some great tips on how to get the shot, in terms of settings, composition etc, we waited for just the right moment to capture another award-winning sunset in Florida.

While we got the sunset we had hoped for, and was the perfect ending to a great workshop, I turned to my student and said to pack up, we still have work to do. He looked at me, puzzled, and said "What is left to shoot? The sun has disappeared!". It then struck me that many photographers didn't realize that the "twilight" is the best time to capture some of the most intense and breathtaking scenes and images. He told me he never had done this before, and was thrilled to learn something he never had thought of before.

We made a beeline over the Clearwater Memorial Bridge and found a park that is directly under the bridge for us to get to work. After some brief information on what we hope to achieve and how to do it, we started to snap away. I started to hear the "WOW!, AMAZING! and THIS IS SO COOL!" from my student, and I knew I had given him the tools for the rest of his life to really make some amazing images.


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View A Photo Of The Clearwater Memorial Causeway After Sunset
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Some of my best cityscapes and landscapes are taken right after the sun has disappeared over the horizon, and this is commonly called the "Golden Hour" by many photographers who tap into its power. Since you will be dealing with much longer exposures, this will enable you to capture amazing colors and details. So the next time you are out later in the evening, explore some "After Hours" photography, and you too will become hooked!

Want to learn more? Then join us for the most comprehensive course taught on the internet about photography composition today! Don't delay, sign up now and you too can learn how to take the PERFECT PICTURE!

Labels: photo tip

Have you ever come across a scene that begs to be shot but when you get back to the computer it looks flat and lifeless?  Try converting it to black and white and see if that helps!  Often images that appear flat make great black & white images.  In this quick tip, we’ll use the photo above to show how you can create a great looking black & white image in as few as 4 easy steps!

Step 1)  Open an image in Photoshop

Step 2)  Click on the black/white circle in the layer palatte to create a new Adjustment Layer.  The type of Adjustment Layer we will be using initally is Gradient Map. 

(Choose Gradient Map… from the popup menu)

 

Step 3)  Make sure you choose the correct gradient in the dialog box - the third choice in the top row

(The correct option to choose is the third option in the top row)

 

Step 4) [optional]  At this point, your image may be done already.  If you want to further tweak it, create a new Adjustment Layer by clicking on the black/white circle in the layer palette.  The type of Adjustment Layer you will be using in this step is Levels

(Choosing Levels… from the popup menu gives me the following dialog)

 

(You can move the center slider left or right to help lighten or darken the image as necessary.  In this example, I moved the slider to the left from 1.00 to 1.10 to help lighten the resulting image just a little bit)

 

Step 5)  Save your image!

(I always choose to save for web in photoshop and choose JPEG and High)

 

There you have it – Five easy steps and you’re on your way to making GREAT black & white images like the one below!

(The final result – quite an improvement over the flat, lifeless original!)

 

Extra Credit  If you really want to have some fun with your images, choose different gradients in Step #2. 

If you would like to learn more tips like this be sure to check out our online photography course - Compelling Photographs - "Must Know" Fundamentals of Composition exclusively at the Perfect Picture School of Photography.

Labels: photo tip, photoshop