Joe Grossinger Photography

Moving Day Has Arrived!

2010-07-14T14:49:00.000-07:00

I will no longer be adding to my blog at this location.

I have found more suitable digs here

http://grossingerphotography.com/

Please bookmark the new location.

The Amazing Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX5

2010-07-09T00:31:00.000-07:00

The amazing Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX5 strikes me as the ideal camera to take everywhere.
Watch this video
Finally, a fairly cheap camera with wads of features that will stand up to use and abuse.
Some of the features that impress me are:
Small size (almost credit card size) of W x H x D: 3 3/4" x 2 1/4" x 23/32, makes it easy to take every where. The fact that the camera is flat, with no lens sticking out, makes this an ideal tote-along.
The TX5 has a cool HDR mode captures two successive images at different exposure values each time you press the shutter, and then combines the files instantly inside the camera to produce one image. OOH RAH!

The camera is waterproof! Yup, need that in a tote-along.
The TX5 has a decent video mode. Something that does come in handy for those unexpected events. I don't use video in my DSLRs but can find uses for it in a tote-along camera.

In short, the Sony TX5 is a rugged (I wonder if TX stands for TEXAS TOUGH?), compact, feature laden little camera that won't bust your budget.

If you like the post then please use the provided links for your shopping. Stay safe and have a fun time with your camera.

Don't forget to write me if you have any tips, or news. I like to hear from you!

My Flicker Photostream
My babe photostream on Flickr
My SmugMug account

Have Fun With Your Pictures

2010-07-07T16:26:00.000-07:00

Click on image for a better view

Some time ago I started a "Sarah Palin Saturday" gig on my Flicker Photo stream. Of course she is controversial. That is why I started the series. I get a huge kick out of the comments I receive. They are at times better than the picure. Now, I am not going political with this blog. American poly-tics has become corrosive, mean spirited and down right nasty. So I won't add to it here.

The point I'm trying to make is for folks to have fun with their cameras and expensive software. We all love our toys, so let's step outside the box a bit and create images that have impact, get people to stop and look and at the same time are entertaining and unique. With the digital age photography is no longer about taking a snap and sending the film off to get developed. We are entering an enirely new age of image manipulation and creation. Purists are free to back away in horror, it matters little. Technology marches on.

The new PS5 selections features makes this so much quicker and easier. Give it a try!

Adobe has a free 30 day trial for Photoshop and Kelby Training has the lessons to quickly get you up to speed.

Photography has never been this much fun and this easy!

If you like the post then please use the provided links for your shopping. Stay safe and have a fun time with your camera.

Don't forget to write me if you have any tips, or news. I like to hear from you!

My Flicker Photostream
My babe photostream on Flickr
My SmugMug account

Portrait In Sepia

2010-07-01T06:01:00.000-07:00

Click on image for a better view

Whenever I do a photo shoot with a beautiful woman I go soft and easy with the images. I love to use fresh roses for every shoot because I believe they enhance the feminine softness. I believe sexy is more than just boobs and butts. I think that is way overdone in most of the pinup images I see. To me sexy means "desirable", which goes far deeper than just anatomy 101.

I converted this image to sepia using the Imagenomic Realgrain filter. Just google them for more information. I give myself extra control by first creating a layer in Photoshop in order to be able to control opacity and sometimes even the blending mode.

I used my usual 3-light setup for this image.

AlienBee 800 to the left and high thru a white umbrella for my main light

AlienBee 800 also thru a white umbrella, on the right for a fill, set about 2 stops below the main light.

My third light is a Savage CM-250 with a color gel, usually blue. I have it behind my white-sheet background. This lets me change background colors without changing the background.

Click on image for a better view

When it comes to backgrounds I like to stay simple and subdued because I don't want it competing with the model.

Shooting is manual shutter speed and f-stop, auto focus and auto color balance.

I use Imagenomic Portraiture to get the soft skin tones and finish the image with Image Trends "Pearly Whites" for whiter teeth and eyes.

If you like the post then please use the provided links for your shopping. Stay safe and have a fun time with your camera.

Don't forget to write me if you have any tips, or news. I like to hear from you!

My Flicker Photostream
My babe photostream on Flickr
My SmugMug account

Neutral Density Filters For Depth of Field Control

2010-06-30T00:03:00.000-07:00

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You are outdoors, you want to do a beautiful portrait or photograph a flower. You want a very shallow depth of field in order to isolate your subject. Your ISO is already at 100, shutter speed is locked at 1/125th so you can use flash but the aperture is at f/9 or more because of the bright sun.
Your choice is now down to having a greater depth of field or using neutral density filters.
Try a nice dark ND filter next time you are trying to use flash out doors. The ND filter is one of those very few filters you just can't do without and can't duplicate in editing.

If you like the post then please use the provided links for your shopping. Stay safe and have a fun time with your camera.

Don't forget to write me if you have any tips, or news. I like to hear from you!

My Flicker Photostream
My babe photostream on Flickr
My SmugMug account

Photographing Fireworks

2010-06-29T00:48:00.000-07:00

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Photographing fireworks is fun and surprisingly easy.

As with everything else in life, photographing fireworks has it's MUST OBEY rules and a lot of gray area "should do" rules.

You must have a camera! Absolutely
You must have a sturdy tripod. Don't try to get away with using a dinky $9.95 model you bought at a drug store.
You must arrive at the shooting location at least one hour before show time.
You need to get to the shooting location early so that you will have plenty of time to scout a good location.
Even though I know the exact spot I'm going to be shooting from this year, I will still arrive an hour early just to be sure I'm the one that will be standing there and not someone else.

The nitty gritty of camera settings is simple enough:

Manual exposure
Manual focus set to infinity
ISO 200 or so
f/22 or so
Shutter speed on bulb

Now if you have one of those wireless remotes then you will be way ahead of the game. Second best is a cable release.

Twiddling around with your fingers to trip the shutter is not good but if you have to do it then set the shutter speed to 10 seconds.

Click on image for a better view

If you have a remote shutter release then open the shutter when the fireworks go off and close it when they begin to recede. I vary this and sometimes leave the shutter open for 30 seconds or more in order to catch more fireworks in one frame.

If you don't have a remote shutter release then you can still vary the time but just setting the shutter speed at 10, 20 or 30 seconds.

Not all of your images will turn out to be masterpieces but you will get some great shots.

I am going to move this blog to a new location with new software. It's going to be a long process.

The new location will be here. This is just for the search engines to get used to the new URL. There is nothing there yet.

http://www.grossingerphotography.com/

If you like the post then please use the provided links for your shopping. Stay safe and have a fun time with your camera.

Don't forget to write me if you have any tips, or news. I like to hear from you!

My Flicker Photostream
My babe photostream on Flickr
My SmugMug account

Solar-Powered Camera Strap Could Energize Outdoor Photography

2010-06-28T19:43:00.000-07:00

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By Adam Hadhazy, TechNewsDaily Staff Writer

28 June 2010 11:27 AM ET

That sunlight beating down on your neck while you frame the perfect camera shot could be put to good use, as demonstrated by a new "Solar Camera Strap" concept.

It is not a stretch to imagine that other devices, such as a phone in need of charging, could draw on this energy with special adapter plugs.
Designer Weng Jie, who submitted the green idea to the Yanko Design blog, suggested that such a solar strap could be particularly handy on photo expeditions lasting several days.

If you like the post then please use the provided links for your shopping. Stay safe and have a fun time with your camera.

Don't forget to write me if you have any tips, or news. I like to hear from you!

My Flicker Photostream
My babe photostream on Flickr
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The dawn of photography

2010-06-28T00:35:00.000-07:00

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SALEM — In a dark corner of a back room at the Peabody Essex Museum, the curator stumbled upon a faded shoebox. Inside was a small treasure wrapped in paper: a gold-framed daguerreotype showing a Parisian street scene. On the back, somebody had written the date of its origin: 1839, the dawn of photography.
In fact, no more than 20 daguerreotypes are known to exist from that year. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has nothing dating to 1839.

“It’s quite early, and it’s an outdoor scene in Paris, reportedly in good condition, by someone who is quite well known,’’ said Laura Paterson, a specialist in the photographs department at Christie’s auction house. “All of these things add enormous value. It sounds as if they have a rare find on their hands. It’s of immense historical importance.’’

If you like the post then please use the provided links for your shopping. Stay safe and have a fun time with your camera.

Don't forget to write me if you have any tips, or news. I like to hear from you!

My Flicker Photostream
My babe photostream on Flickr
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PEEP (Photo Enthusiasts of El Paso Texas) Gave great show!

2010-06-27T00:24:00.000-07:00

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Show time! PEEP (El Paso Texas photography club) gave a photography show at Rulis' International Kitchen, located at 318 North Mesa Street. That is across Mesa street from the Alligator Plaza. Rulis' dining room is perfect for this kind of show.

Click on image for a better view

Peep did an outstanding job putting on this show. Members were able to purchase the mat boards at a huge savings because the club bought them in quantity. The fact that all mats were the same size and color also made for a really beautiful and orderly display.
Outside judges were brought in to judge the images and award prizes.

Peep charged an amazing $5.00 entry fee for 3 images. So, if a member entered 3 pictures the cost came to $27.50 - mat boards included. For that price I entered 4 pictures myself and Lila did one. We did not win but had a great learning experience and a good time.

For those of you living in the El Paso/Las Cruces area, I encourage you to join the club. Meetings are held every second Saturday, 10 AM at the Memorial Park Library. I promise you will have a good time and will learn something new about photography at every meeting.

Click on image for a better view

PEEP does monthly field trips and photo contests, making this group highly interesting, fun and educational.

During every meeting we also hold photo critiques where you bring in a few of your images so the entire group can look at them and make friendly, constructive critiques. I love this part of every meeting because I learn a lot.

Come on down!

If you like the post then please use the provided links for your shopping. Stay safe and have a fun time with your camera.

Don't forget to write me if you have any tips, or news. I like to hear from you!

My Flicker Photostream
My babe photostream on Flickr
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The future location of this blog

Edith Shain passed away

2010-06-26T00:44:00.000-07:00

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"Who is Edith Shain?" you say. She is the woman in Alfred Eisenstaedt's famous kiss photograph on V-J Day (victory over Japan) in Times Square. She died this week at age 91. Eisenstaedt passed away in 1999, leaving a huge void. Slowly the greatest generation is passing into history.
Eisenstaedt has always been my favorite photographer. I try to emulate his style with every snap but of course fall far short.

Eisenstaedt was the ground breaking photo journalist everyone else followed. He did it all. This was also at a time when he had to struggle with crap for equipment, improvising as he went.

Click on image for a better view

This shot of a waiter on skates illustrates Eisenstaedt's ingenuity. He took this picture in 1932. He wanted to photograph this waiter skating but he had a problem. The camera he was using was slow, cumbersome and limited. I don't recall exactly which brand he was using, most likely a Leica. At any rate, back then there was no such thing as "auto focus" and even manual focus was slow and cumbersome.

Hence the chair. Eisenstaedt placed the chair and focused on it. Then as the waiter came even with the chair, he snapped the picture. Remember that the next time you bitch about your equipment!

Click on image for a better view

This picture of a fallen soldier brings home the reality and humanity of war. This photo is always with me and accounts for my penchant to get in close when photographing anything.

Click on image for a better view

This is the magic image that is so amazing and riveting. Alfred Eisenstaedt shot this picture at a puppet show. I think it's absolutely priceless.

You can find books on Eisenstaedt's work on Amazon.com. You can buy a lot worse and you won't learn as much as you can studying Eisenstaedt's images. They are haunting, beautiful, shocking and amazing.

If you like the post then please use the provided links for your shopping. Stay safe and have a fun time with your camera.

Don't forget to write me if you have any tips, or news. I like to hear from you!

My Flicker Photostream
My babe photostream on Flickr
My SmugMug account

A really cool video about dogs

2010-06-25T00:28:00.000-07:00

Our two Great Pyrenees pals. The Puppy is Xena she now weighs 120 pounds.

This is a really cool video, probably shot at about 1000 frames per second.
Amazing stuff!

Dog lover or not, you will love this video.

If you like the post then please use the provided links for your shopping. Stay safe and have a fun time with your camera.

Don't forget to write me if you have any tips, or news. I like to hear from you!

My Flicker Photostream
My babe photostream on Flickr
My SmugMug account

Photosho Keyboard Shortcuts I like to use

2010-06-24T11:12:00.000-07:00

Click on image for a better view

Z * Zoom Tool — This command just brings up the zoom tool, which allows you to zoom in. Like with the hand tool, if you hold down the Alt key, it temporarily switches to the zoom out mode.

Ctrl + 0 * Fit on Screen — This is a quick-and-dirty command to get the entire photo in front on the monitor screen. It's the number zero not the letter O

B * Brush Tool

Ctrl + Z * Undo I use this the most.

Tab * Hide/Show Palettes

[ * Decrease Brush Size

] * Increase Brush Size - Really speeds up your work. I use both of these all the time.

F9 * will toggle the Actions menu

Ctrl + J * New Layer via copy

Ctrl + Alt + Shift + K * Show Keyboard Commands

If you forget any of these commands, or if you want to check on other commands, use this to bring up the help dialog on keyboard shortcuts.

If you like the post then please use the provided links for your shopping. Stay safe and have a fun time with your camera.

Don't forget to write me if you have any tips, or news. I like to hear from you!

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My babe photostream on Flickr
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The most expensive camera in the world

2010-06-23T03:29:00.000-07:00

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The daguerreotype camera is a fine example of old technology sold at auction in 2007 for 576,000 euro, or about $775,000 at the time. The Susse Freres is believed to be the oldest commercially manufactured camera in the world. But this camera may not be the most expensive example for long: In May, a daguerreotype camera is expected to fetch as much as $950,000 at auction.

If you like the post then please use the provided links for your shopping. Stay safe and have a fun time with your camera.

Don't forget to write me if you have any tips, or news. I like to hear from you!

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Another reason to avoid Apple's crap

2010-06-22T08:21:00.000-07:00

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Apple Inc. is now collecting the "precise," "real-time geographic location" of its users' iPhones, iPads and computers.
In an updated version of its privacy policy, the company added a paragraph noting that once users agree, Apple and unspecified "partners and licensees" may collect and store user location data.

When users attempt to download apps or media from the iTunes store, they are prompted to agree to the new terms and conditions. Until they agree, they cannot download anything through the store.

The company says the data is anonymous and does not personally identify users. Analysts have shown, however, that large, specific data sets can be used to identify people based on behavior patterns.
-From the LA Times

If you like the post then please use the provided links for your shopping. Stay safe and have a fun time with your camera.

Don't forget to write me if you have any tips, or news. I like to hear from you!

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My babe photostream on Flickr
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Share Photos of the same event taken by many different people.

2010-06-20T23:27:00.000-07:00

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LensFolder is a website that enables you to join photos of the same event that were taken by different people together into the same folder. On holiday or at events, it's so easy to say, "Oooh, send me your photos when we get back", yet that never happens because it's so difficult and complicated. Now everybody can just upload their photos to a private folder on LensFolder and then download them all once they are all uploaded. Easy!

How does it work?

One person takes responsibility of the online folder that will be used for all the photos from the occasion or event. They set up the folder by clicking the I want to set up a folder for everyone to upload to option on the LensFolder homepage. They then tell everybody who has photos of the event to upload their photos to the folder by clicking the I have the details for a folder somebody else has set up button on the homepage and then email them back once they have uploaded their photos. Once everybody has confirmed they've uploaded their photos, those who want them all can download them easily by clicking the Everybody has now uploaded their photos and I want to download them all option. And you're done!

If you like the post then please use the provided links for your shopping. Stay safe and have a fun time with your camera.

Don't forget to write me if you have any tips, or news. I like to hear from you!

My Flicker Photostream
My babe photostream on Flickr
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Don't forget to photograph the elephant

2010-06-20T12:44:00.000-07:00

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On US 67 between Marfa and the ghost town Shafter in Texas.

Driving on the US Interstate system is sort of like flying. It's fast, it's convenient and you miss the flavor of traveling. I think this accounts for the Route 66 nostalgia.

When on a road trip I get off the Interstate and use local roads instead. I don't necessarily get off just to see a popular attraction but sometimes its great just to drive thru a few small towns, stop for a cup of coffee at a local cafe and maybe visit with a few locals.

On one of my recent Texas road trips I encountered this rock elephant on US 67 between Marfa and Shafter. Perhaps not the greatest tourist attraction but certainly an interesting sight few people ever get to see.

America is full of places like this, but they are not visible from the Freeway.

If you like the post then please use the provided links for your shopping. Stay safe and have a fun time with your camera.

Don't forget to write me if you have any tips, or news. I like to hear from you!

My Flicker Photostream
My babe photostream on Flickr
My SmugMug account

Photoshop LAB color and a windmill

2010-06-18T23:04:00.000-07:00

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I like vivid, bodacious, poke you in the eye color. There are a lot of outfits that pretend to be masters and have you believe you need their product to get these kinds of colors. Trust me, you don't.

I have this simple process in an action I created ages ago:

In Photoshop

Click Image - Mode - Lab color

Click Control-J to create a new layer via copy

Click Image - Apply Image

You will get a little pop-up screen that has a lot of cool stuff you can play with but I don't want to get into.

Just click OK

Your image will now have some super-saturated colors.

IMPORTANT STEP - Click Image - Mode - RGB color

That will bring Photoshop back to normal.

What I do at this point is change the layer opacity from 100% to something around 40%. You can use any number from 100% to 0% according to your taste. In my view this is what makes doing this with a layer so much more useful.

I don't intend to turn this blog into a "recipes for photoshop" blog.

I just want to show those of you new to Photoshop what can be done with an image.

Scott Kelby and others have some excellent books on Photoshop and he also has a cool online training center that can teach you all about Photoshop and also the Elements series of photo editors.

I have taken several courses and by following along with my own image and Photoshop, plus taking notes, I have learned a great deal.

They have several enrollment plans but I like the $24.95 a month subscription and use that. I don't always have time to take online courses or feel like immersing myself into the arcane secrets of Photoshop.

Let me tell you from experience, you can learn a lot on just a one-month subscription.

I hope you have a lot of fun playing with Lab color.

Of course you can get a lot more information of the net and also on YouTube.com.

If you like the post then please use the provided links for your shopping. Stay safe and have a fun time with your camera.

Don't forget to write me if you have any tips, or news. I like to hear from you!

My Flicker Photostream
My babe photostream on Flickr
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Why I don't use a polarizing filter

2010-06-17T23:28:00.000-07:00

Click on image for a better view

This image is OK in my view, except the sky is a bit weak and the desert could use a little more punch in the colors. I will get to the way I fix this in a second but first let me tell you why I don't use a polarizing filter:

They are a pain in the butt to use. You have to turn the polarizer in order to make the sky lighter or darker, sometimes it works and sometimes it don't. If you see no change in the appearance of the sky, you need to change your angle to the sun. It does not take much of this before photography stops being fun and starts being a pain. Far too often only a part of the sky is darkened because of the angle between lens and sun.

Other lesser factors are the cost of buying a polarizer for each lens, losing one or two f-stops and having more junk to carry around.

I have not used polarizers in years and the reason I get away with it is this:

Click on image for a better view

I use LAB color in CS5 to punch up the sky a bit and I can do it in the comfort of my home, sipping on ice tea instead of fiddling around with a polarizer out in the desert.

The first step in the above picture was to create a new layer and select just the sky. With CS5 that is easier than ever. The quick selection tool is a miracle of modern science.

Once I have the sky selected I go to Image-Mode-Lab color. Next click Image again and select Apply Image. Click OK on the Apply Image panel. Now you have to click Image again click on Mode and then click RGB Color to get back to normal. I have this in an action I wrote, so the process only takes seconds.

You can read all about LAB colors on the net, just google "photoshop lab color" to get all the information you never wanted in the first place.

Scott Kelby has a good series of books called "The Adobe Photoshop CS(pick your number except 5)

You should get the book for CS5 as soon as it's released. I have mine on pre-order with Amazon.com. The book will be out some time in August. This is the only book in photoshop that I bother with. I can read it at my leisure and then go to the computer and work Scott's examples.

In the following example I really punch up the colors by not selecting just the sky but doing the entire image.

Click on image for a better view

A lot of outfits selling plugins that promise super-duper colors are actually just using LAB color.

I believe photo editing is everybit as important as composing an image and most certainly is a fundamental part of photography.

If you like the post then please use the provided links for your shopping. Stay safe and have a fun time with your camera.

Don't forget to write me if you have any tips, or news. I like to hear from you!

My Flicker Photostream
My babe photostream on Flickr
My SmugMug account

More On HDR

2010-06-16T23:03:00.000-07:00

These are the three images I took of a tree while on a photography tour last November. I was a bit disappointed with the original images and converting them to HDR in CS3 did not make me any happier.

You know how it is, you see something and visualize the completed image in your mind and then comes the huge let down when the image can't live up to what you envisioned.

I just recently started working in HDR again but using CS5's new HDR Pro feature. Now, I am not going to give a course in PS5 HDR Pro, I just want to introduce it and let you see a little bit of what it can do for you.

In this image I adjusted the sliders I did not write about and did not adjust in yesterday's post. The photo realistic preset works well for those images that don't need and should not have a lot of color saturation. However, some images just beg for a bit more color, a bit more definition, a bit better sky. That is how I came to working on those images of the beautiful tree.

That tree came back to haunt me so I decided to give CS5 HDR Pro a go at the images.

As with anything new I tend to get a bit confused and put off by all those switches, buttons, sliders and other highly complicated crap. I don't actually try to learn any of that stuff, it's way too arcane for me. What I did for this image was click on the field called Preset and then scrolled down to a preset called "More Saturated".

That was my starting point. I was still unhappy with the image but now all those switches, buttons, sliders and doohickey's were activated and set to give a saturated image. One by one I adjusted all that complicated crap until I got my image. I love presets!
In actuality there are only 5 sliders I had to work with. By switching back and forth between "Photo realistic", which had little or no color boost and "More Saturated" I was able to see what the experts did to boost the colors.
Sliders are cool, you can just scoot them a little to the left or right, keep a close eye on the picture and then stop when things look right. When I was satisfied with my image, I saved the preset so I would have it again at a later time.

This is my finished tree, just about the way I envisioned it last November.

Click on image for a better view

Yeah, I like Photoshop CS5!

If you like the post then please use the provided links for your shopping. Stay safe and have a fun time with your camera.

Don't forget to write me if you have any tips, or news. I like to hear from you!

My Flicker Photostream
My babe photostream on Flickr
My SmugMug account

What you need to know about HDR

2010-06-15T23:52:00.000-07:00

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This image is a 3-image HDR with each expsure 1 stop above and below the correct exposure.

Most cameras and that includes the better point and shoot models can bracket their exposures. The thing about HDR is not super saturated colors as a lot of people think, but a greater dynamic range. For a well made HDR there should not be any black shadows nor any blown highlights.

The funny thing about HDR images is that most photographers hate them and most people that don't do a lot of photography love them. It's a funny disconnect that has more to do with being afraid of gimmicks in the case of professionals and the love of a crisp, beautiful picture in the case of everyone else.

HDR photography has come a long way since I started working in HDR about four years ago. There were a lot of problems with the software and to be sure, a lot of folks just blasted away and created some really ugly pictures in HDR. I initially loved the idea of having high dynamic range but then cooled on HDR because of the crap software.

Adobe's Photoshop CS5 has changed all that. Ghosting is no longer a problem because of that cute little "Remove Ghosts" button. It works!

Photoshop does not bother you with a bunch of stupid questions you probably have no answer for anyway and just goes ahead and produces the HDR.

After PS has produced the HDR, it only takes a few seconds, you are given some sliders to tweak the image. I generally don't do a lot in that panel except to crank Vibrance up to around 80%. Vibrance is cool and smart, it only saturates those colors that need it. Thanks Adobe!

At any rate, now that I have PS5 and have seen how well HDR Pro works, I'm going back to shooting a lot of HDR. There no longer is any reason not to. The software works exceptionally well to the point where most folks don't know it's HDR unless you tell them.

I learned a long time ago on FlickR that my images were a lot more popular if I did not state a picture was HDR.

The smart asses that know all about how bad HDR is don't know it's HDR unless you tell them.

Photograhy is changing rapidly, the equipment is so much better today than five years ago and so is the software.

Even though I shoot in RAW, I still don't have to sweat memory space because memory cards have become dirt cheap.

HDR is not a good choice for any kind of action shooting, but for architecture, landscapes, car shows and that sort of thing where you have a static subject, I think HDR is a great tool.

So, go ahead and shoot some HDR if you have PS5 because you will love the results.

If you don't have PS5, you should. Yes, it's pricey but the cheaper software is cheaper for a reason.

If you like the post then please use the provided links for your shopping. Stay safe and have a fun time with your camera.

Don't forget to write me if you have any tips, or news. I like to hear from you!

My Flicker Photostream
My babe photostream on Flickr
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You just can't beat a Nikon!

MIAMI – Paul Shultz was walking along the pier of a Key West marina when he saw what looked like a rotting tomato pounding against the rocks.

The Coast Guard investigator waded ankle-deep into the water to fish out the ocean rubbish: a bright red Nikon camera, small enough to fit in the palm of his hand. Its waterproof plastic case was covered with six months' worth of crusty sea growth, but the camera itself was almost pristine when he found it May 16.
However, clues to tracking down its owner were few. So Shultz decided to test his investigative skills.
There were photos of two men preparing to scuba dive and a towheaded family nestled together on a couch. There was a mysterious relic settled deep into the sea floor. And even a puzzling video clip of splashing water that appeared to have been taken as the camera thrashed around under the control of something that wasn't human.

"There was nothing on the pictures that said this camera belongs to so and so," Shultz said.

After looking through the pictures, Shultz adopted the screen name of "Aquahound" and took his hunt online.

He uploaded the images on Scubaboard.com, hoping some diving aficionados could help identify where they were taken. Within days, the Internet sleuths had parsed the pictures and found some clues all pointing to Aruba, a Dutch island off Venezuela's coast that's 1,100 miles from Key West.

There was a plane's tail number â€” and a computer search showed the aircraft was in Aruba the day the photo was taken. There was a blue-roofed building that searchers pinpointed to the island using Google Earth. And there was a school poster written in Dutch.

But could the camera make such a trip? Villy Kourafalou, an associate professor of physical oceanography at the University of Miami, said such an odyssey is possible. The buoyancy of the plastic case combined with various currents could have taken the camera to Key West, she told The Associated Press in an e-mail.

With Shultz's search narrowed, the resolution came quickly. He posted the pictures on the travel websites Cruisecritic and Aruba.com, and within two days was contacted by an Aruban woman who said she recognized the children in some of the photos as classmates of her son.

She contacted the family, the de Bruins, and all the pieces came together.

"I have a smile on my face ... I can't stop laughing about it," Dick de Bruin said in a phone interview from Aruba. "It's really big news (on the island) and in Europe."

De Bruin, a sergeant in the Royal Dutch Navy, has been stationed with his family in Aruba for three years. The camera floated away from de Bruin while he and a dive team were salvaging an anchor from the USS Powell for a World War II memorial. The American ship protected Aruba, a major oil producer, from German forces during the war.

"There's a big connection between America and Aruba ... first with the anchor, and now the camera brings us together again," de Bruin said.

The camera is on its way to the de Bruin family via FedEx and should be there any day.

Shultz said he's thrilled the story is ending well â€” for a brief moment when he first viewed the mystery video, he feared the camera's owner had met a tragic end.

There was footage of the divers recovering the anchor, and then in the next video, "the camera started thrashing around and a fin came into the picture," Shultz said. "Then 20 seconds in I realized there was no blood."

The culprit: a hungry sea turtle trying to take a bite out of the floating camera in January, two months after it was lost. The camera's leash apparently got caught on its flipper, and the animal's splashing turned on the video camera. Shultz's best guess is that the episode happened off the coast of Honduras.

That video clip has been seen more than 200,000 times on YouTube, with viewers everywhere from Alaska to Africa to Australia. It's de Bruin's favorite part of the whole story.

"When I told people what Paul had done, they were astonished. They didn't believe it," he said. "But we have the sea turtle on film proving the camera floated from Aruba to the U.S. It's unbelievable, but it's true."

The video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E43sg-Ytt58

Photos from the camera: http://travel.webshots.com/album/577735131ZvBWTi

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Expect the unexpected photography opportunity

2010-06-15T00:34:00.000-07:00

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I am not the kind of person that carries a camera everywhere they go. I generally don't carry a camera unless I am going to a shoot or coming from one. I have a small point and shoot I never use. Basically, that kind of photography is not for me. However, when a photographic opportunity presents it's self and I am packing cameras, then of course I have to see what can be photographed.

This house fire is a case in point. I arrived after the fire was put out, so I was left with looking around for something to shoot as it were. People shots are always interesting and everyone loves fire engines, so I decided to try and do some interesting shots of both. I parked my truck in an out-of-the way area and then walked up to the scene. That gave me some time to switch the gears in my head and start thinking about what I'm going to shoot.

When I encountered the group in the shot above I found the uniforms interesting and knew they would photograph well. So I just yelled at the group "smile" and took this shot with the Nikon D5000 and the 18-200mm vr lens. This is my favorite combination to photograph with. The lens was set to f/7.1, the shutter at 1/30th and ISO was a low 100.

I also had the Didymium photographic filter on the lens. I have been using that filter since April and it just stays on my lens instead of a UV filter. I love this "intensifier" filter! Check out the colors in this photo, especially the foliage. I did a post on this a while back. Check it out when you have the time. It's not an easy filter to find, you might try Amazon.com, I that is where I got mine.

Anyway, I just walked around looking for interesting scenes like this:

click on image for a better view

Lots of color, lights and reflections.

I had fun doing this little shoot, nobody was hurt in the fire and fire departments from Horizon City, Socorro and El Paso County all took part and prevented a much larger fire.

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Get in close when out photographing events

2010-06-14T00:22:00.000-07:00

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I planned to arrive at the day's events at least a half hour early so that I could have a look around, spot likely places for me to position myself and to look for photographic targets of opportunity. I snapped this picture while I was watching the members of the Six Guns and Shady Ladies load their real weapons with blank ammunition. I like getting in close for a shot like this and I'm not afraid to ask for a change in position or to hold a pose so I can get my picture. This is key. Don't be afraid to ask.

It also pays to be curious. I shot the following picture because I saw this huge book on a podium. I wanted to see what was inside. Well, did I get a surprise!

Click on image for a full view

The funny part is that I never did get to see what the book was about. I was so busy with trying to get this shot and the show was about to start, so I needed to clear out. I had to hold my Nikon D5000 directly over the book, flip out the LCD screen and shoot in live view. What a great camera the D5000 is!

I photographed the entire show with the D5000 and the Nikkor 18-200mm lens. I was shooting aperture priority, at f/5 because I wanted to get realistic looking shots and needed to blur the background as much as possible. I set the ISO kind of high at 400 because despite the bright West Texas sun and 103F temps, there were some really deep shadows and I wanted to just stay quick and nimble.

I was shooting RAW, which I processed in DXO and never did have to touch a RAW file. The noise is minimal because after all, I was using a great Nikon camera. DXO speeds processing RAW files immensely and I had the assurance of being able to go back to the original file should the need arise.

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Billy The Kid Reenactment

2010-06-13T09:18:00.000-07:00

click on image for a better view

Yesterday I attended a Billy the Kid reenactment in San Elizario, Texas. One thing I like about these kinds of shows is that I can move around and look for photographic opportunities other than what I came to shoot.

Spectators, props, setting, close-ups of every kind, all offer pictures to the alert photographer.

That is how I came by this picture. I looked in this actor's direction and instantly liked what I saw. I was shooting with the Nikkor 18-200mm vr attached to my Nikon D5000. The huge zoom let me compose the picture very quickly and I snapped the picture before she moved. That is key for this kind of photography. You have to be able to do a very quick composition before the situation changes.

I was shooting aperture priority set to f5.6, ISO was at 400 and so was the shutter speed. 1/400th.

The lady in the picture was a actress, part of the "Six guns and shady ladies" reenactment group.

They put on a good show, all the while they were sweltering in 103F "warmth". Hey, it was a dry heat.

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Gorgeous Texas Babe

2010-06-12T00:12:00.000-07:00

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Yesterday I wanted to photograph a Western style Ho-Down taking place in San Elizario. On my way there I got detained by a house fire. Fire engines, firemen and fire women all over the road, police redirecting traffic and so on. I will get to more of that in a later post.
I did meet this beautiful young woman in San Elizario and naturally asked if I could take her photo. She kindly agreed and you see the result. Her eyes are absolutely fabulous!
The nitty gritty on this photo is:
Shot with the Nikon D5000 using the 18-200mm vr lens. I had the camera set on 400 ISO because the sun was about to set and it was getting a wee bit dark. The setting sun did make for a great light on the girl's face. The aperture was set to f/7.1 and that forced a shutter speed of 1/80th. Plenty fast for the vibration reducing lens.
That was my adventure for today.

Thanks for reading, and a special thanks for your links and clicks. I really do need to be linked to other sites and would appreciate that favor.

If you like the post then please use the provided links for your shopping. Stay safe and have a fun time with your camera.

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/elpasobirdman/
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Photoshop CS5 HDR Sampler

2010-06-11T02:00:00.000-07:00

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I just finished playing around with PS CS5's merge to hdr pro mode.
For this test I chose 3 images I took some time ago with my Sony R1. I never could get a decent HDR image out of the three images because of terrible ghosting. Someone once told me to use a tripod if I'm going to do HDR, but someone else told me I have a hard head. No, I usually do not use a tripod and the above picture is proof of that.
The new merge to hdr pro mode has a cute little button called "Remove Ghosts" with this picture being the result of that.

Click on image for a full view

Wowsers! This is way too easy.

When doing a merge to hdr in PS CS5 you have several presets that are pretty cool. Here is the monochromatic artistic mode.

Click on image for a better view

Personally, I think this rocks and I don't even like B&W for the most part.

This is just a short demonstration of what the new Merge to HDR Pro feature can do for you.

In my humble opinion I believe that the best photo editing software just got much better.

Thanks for reading, and a special thanks for your links and clicks. I really do need to be linked to other sites and would appreciate that favor.

If you like the post then please use the provided links for your shopping. Stay safe and have a fun time with your camera.