Shooting Outside Gallery

Getting the Details

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 02:10:00 +0000

A shoot entails capturing images that either you want or your client wants. In this case I was asked by the owner of the horse team to capture his draft horse in as many facial expressions as I could muster. Most every shot was a typical closed-mouth plodding kind of boring shot. I walked back and forth waiting for a shot of the horse to give me something but after twenty minutes of walking through freshly plowed fields, my legs were weary, as the soft overturned earth was difficult walking through. My feet would sink in several inches and it was tiring lifting them back out of the earth only to sink in again while trying to keep up with this magnificent animal who took it in stride.

What my client needed escaped me and because the horse was working I didn't feel comfortable prodding or verbally encouraging him for a shot I couldn't seem to capture. At one point he rolled his eyes toward me but that wasn't much to work with, more a warning to stand clear. I took it but it was not accepted. Then when nearly an hour had passed the draft horse shook his head and dropped his chin when I was finally able to grab what the owner considered a great shot.

Now remember that of all the shots I waited for this one was the only one which I was able to sell that captured what the owner defined as an expression. He said it was typical of a draft horse to roll his tongue when he was beginning to get into the job at hand. So this one was a winner. I've added the watermark-email as protection since he bought this as an exclusive use rights managed image for a specified time.

Quite honestly I was close to giving up and trying it on another day as my legs were exhausted, but I stayed just long enough to capture this. Patience was the go away word for the day. The idea that I was able to maintain a constant focus which showed in great detail this particular draft horse's nostril and chin hairs and small beads of sweat was done without the use of AI-Servo which means I was keeping the same pace, the same distance and the same height for a long enough time to reach the level of sharpness in the details which can often be lost without the use of AI-Servo when your subject is moving.

How to Take a Contest-Winning Photo

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 01:45:00 +0000

All you have to do is buy an expensive camera and press the shutter button. Don't you wish. Yes we all do, unfortunately its not that easy. But its not impossible either. First let's look at how the winning photos are selected.

Here's a winning photo from http://images.nationalgeographic.com (link below)

Now why would this one make the photo of the day, while another might not? The obvious reason might include that it is certainly not the shot you and I get when we shoot a bird flying since it means you would have to had set yourself up, anticipating its flight into your lens, and more that, its wings are not affixed in their normal position of wide open. Next it is an extremely sharp image, meaning the focus was spot on. Also the background does not compete with the subject, the owl. And too it fits the one thirds rule, the subject is 1/3rd of the image, rather than in the center.

Can you replicate this? Not if you are taking a walk and chance upon an owl suddenly flying into your vision. But what if you had set out to capture a bird inflight? What else might you have taken with you and your camera in order to capture this winning photo?

How about a tripod, a remote shutter release, great ambient light, a fast lens, and a setting that allows for moving subjects (Canon calls this AI Servo Mode), and of course PATIENCE.

Patience is necessary even if all the other conditions and tools aren't available. Here's that link but prepare to wait for an ad, then exit the ad: http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/000/456/cache/eagle-owl-flight_45673_990x742.jpg

Fungi in Dry Creek

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 17:56:00 +0000

A few photos captured from a hike through Dry Creek in Washington State.

These are available to purchase as individual prints or as a set. Digital rights are also an option. Contact me at rcphotos AT q DOT com

Free e-book

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 02:59:00 +0000

For as long as this free e-book is available click on the link and some specific instruction on 11 levels of photography.

11 Ways You Can Improve Your Photography

This eBook is jam-packed with 11 articles that will help photographers of all levels improve what they do. And yes, it’s free. Craft & Vision is a collection of hands-on, practical articles written by the following photographers (David duChemin, Piet Van den Eynde, Andrew S. Gibson, Nicole S. Young, Alexandre Buisse, Stuart Sipahigil, Eli Reinholdtsen and Michael Frye).

Readers will gain fresh ideas and insights into improving their photographic vision and the skills required to compose the images they want to make. It is 67 spreads (as in 134 magazine pages) which makes it the second largest ebook we’ve ever produced.
Download it. Enjoy it. Tell your friends about it.

Here's your link 11 Ways You Can Improve Your Photography

Austin Lobo - December 5, 2011
Thanks so much for this – I love exploring the fine art aspect of photography and this book is certainly a great source of inspiration and will add a whole new perspective to imagery making. I thank you for offering such great material for free – Happy Holidays :)
LORAINE - December 5, 2011
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS GREAT READ.

Can't unlock a PSD image file. Can you help?

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 19:21:00 +0000

OK I've discovered how to do this so I'll share the fix. An Adobe employee contacted me and answered my question. Since this image had been saved in Multichannel Mode, I could not unlock it, until I changed the Mode to grayscale, then added a new layer, Saved As and now I can resize the image according the the buyers need for a larger image file. I don't think I've ever dealt with leaving a file in a multichannel mode with an Alpha Channel so this was news to me. I have a workflow I pursue and rarely ever work outside it so this was a tough one.

Great news and many thanks to ssprengle.

_______________________________________________________________________

Ever found that you cannot unlock an image file in Photoshop? Often times all we have to do is right-click, choose rename and we are good to go. Alternatively you could use the Windows system browser (Mac system browser) and then choose, Properties and unclick the Read only box under the General Tab toward the bottom.

But I have found that I cannot unlock an image file and am looking for your help. I saved it originally as a PSD from CR2 (RAW in Canon-speak). Then somewhere along the way I must have created an Alpha Channel as following the file name in parenthesis is this (Alpha 1/8). I have tried all the known ways and am hoping someone can help me with this.

________________________________________________________________________

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 15:32:00 +0000

. . What kind of photography have you been doing lately? And what are you hoping to learn? It seems most every photographer I know, including myself, is almost always looking for a way to improve, or learn a new skill to take their photography to a higher level. But sometimes we could go back a level and do something so basic that perhaps we've even forgotten the use of a tool which can really make our efforts at getting great shots much easier. Remember the gray card and white balance (WB)? I'd be willing to bet you rarely use this. Let me know if I'm mistaken.

How simple is setting WB? Very simple. However you will need a gray card. You can pay a little or a lot depending on where you choose to purchase one. The reason WB is so important and worth the time and the price? Well I suppose if you shoot everything in Auto, and set your camera for Auto WB too, then you can get by with some reasonably good shots. But if you shoot in RAW capture as most of us photographers do these days, then after ingesting all of your shoot, you'll want to choose the one photo which has the gray card in it, and if using Photoshop RAW plugin, you simply select the WB icon, an eyedropper, then click on the gray card and you'll have produced a near perfect WB. Now you only have left to select all of the images from the exact same lighting series of shots and synchronize them. What a difference and what a time-saver too.

Here's hoping your Fall shoots were successful with the use of white balance control.

Finding my Photography

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Sun, 03 Jul 2011 13:53:00 +0000

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Imagekind.com is a terrific place to purchase my photographic prints in your choice of archival papers, or canvas. It is my hope that you'll find prints to suit the location you wish to hang art.Your purchase provides you with a great work of art, and me with the motivation to continue creating work which most have told me they find inspiring.

I've worked for many years to present the public and the corporate environment with choices for every wall, every room, every mood. Let me know if you are looking for a specific image, genre, or color scheme, and I'll get back to you.

Traditional to Alternative Photographic Prints

found here

Soft Proofing in Photoshop

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 17:29:00 +0000

Soft Proofing an image is the most accurate way to achieve the look of how the print will appear on paper.

Ever noticed that your print doesn't come out quite as vibrant as it looked in Photoshop? Surely there are a host of reasons outside the scope of this article, but I'll make the assumption you already are familiar with image preparation and color profiling, paper selection and the how of printing basics. Once you have these down the next step is to get your image to the very closest that your camera's image sensor captured.

Open your file in Photoshop. Next choose View, Proof Setup, Custom. The window reads Customize Proof Condition. Select Device to Simulate, then proceed to choose the paper profile you will be printing on. There will come associated with the imbedded profiles Photoshop and your printer software has already configured. You may also have added a few for certain papers or profiles from your print shop.

Select the one you wish to print to, for example I chose Premium Luster, an Epson favorite of mine. I also made sure that one of Relative Colorimetric or Perceptual was selected along with Black Point Compensation checked, a must for accurate color retention. Finally put a check next to Simulate Paper Color.

Now go to Image, Duplicate and click OK. Then go to Window, Arrange, Match Zoom & Location. I actually had to correct the zoom manually so both images matched precisely in the lower left hand corner which shows the zoom level at 25.66%. The key here is to compare your selections. The original image will look exactly as your profile converts it, but with a somewhat diminished vibrancy. The reason is that a printed copy will not ever match the brilliance of an lcd with backlighting. So you'll need to attempt to bring some of that back as much as is possible without, unless it is your intent, pushing beyond the limits of accuracy.

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You can do this to the duplicated image by massaging with Layer, New Adjustment Layer, then Curves, Brightness, Hue, Saturation. And as they are side by side you'll see clearly the differences as you make these adjustments.But I think you'll discover a great new way to compare rather than just using feel as a manner of comparing your image variables. It is the most accurate method of judging the final print, and can obviously save you a bundle on ink costs. You probably won't find this article on any ink manufacturer's web site.

Printed out of course, with all the variables, you'll find some will not meet your expectations, but as you become more and more comfortable with the adjustments, you'll get closer to what you are expecting of the printed outcome.

The images above are low resolution (96 ppi) images for online viewing only.

Art Specifier a site for art buyers and artists alike

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Wed, 02 Feb 2011 01:40:00 +0000

Because art sales of all types are seeing a resurgence you might want to take a look at a site which recently caught my eye, Art Specifier.

I decided to join as have many other artists have, because of the owner's history in art consulting. Her expertise and her tenure in the industry is not easily matched from what I can tell. The genre of art listed there, which includes 28 different categories, from Copper to Gold Leaf, Wood, Glass and Bronze, Etchings, Architectural Elements, and Photography, which is of course is what I do, has a breadth of talent I am impressed by.

As a buyer, I know the world you live in keeps you somewhat confined to a few select companies, but you might consider Joyce's site. I know this as I have a couple of friends in NYC who make a good living in the art world and know the names that count. She is reachable if you have the need. Register if only to keep up with the new artists adding their names and galleries. There's a bit of a learning curve to the site but it's well worth the time.

And as an artist, once you've registered, click on the 'Medium' at the top to view examples of artists you may recognize from the art community. And of course many you'll see for the first time. Joyce will answer any questions you might have, but patience would be good as she is at least as busy as the rest of us are.

Here's the site bio.

Who We Are

Artspecifier.com was started by Joyce Creiger, a pioneer in the art consulting business for over 38 years specializing in bringing art to the hospitality, health care and corporate environments. As a leader in the art consulting field, she has worked with designers and architects all over the world. With the available current technology, she feels it’s the right time to bring both US and Internationally recognized artists directly to the designers and architects through the power of the Internet. They have asked for this access and now it is possible for them to see hundreds of artists appropriate for their projects in one place and designed just for them.
Joyce Creiger is a graduate from Boston University with a degree in Art History. Joyce was involved in the formation of the Danforth Museum in Framingham and is a corporate art specialist. She is the former owner of Creiger Dane Gallery on Newbury Street, Boston, MA.

Joyce Creiger~ Curriculum Vitae

Creiger Group 2007-present - http://www.creigergroup.com
Creiger Associates 1972-2007 An art consulting firm specializing in corporate, healthcare, and hospitality
Art Consulting firm specializing in Corporate, Health care and Residential client art projects.
Creiger Sesen International - 1973 to 2008 -Art Consulting firm specializing in Hospitality art projects
Creiger - Dane Contemporary Art Gallery - 1994 to 2000 -Fine Art Gallery located on Newbury Street, Boston MA
Art beCAUSE - 1994 to present Founder Emeritus of non-profit art charity that works to fund breast cancer research
BA Art History - Boston University

The success of this site depends on the quality and quantity of artists exhibited on www.artspecifier.com. A unique invitation was sent to specific artists familiar to us at the time. This site is not limited to these artists but we encourage other artists who feel their work is appropriate to submit for membership. There is no guarantee all will be accepted but we encourage artists to send us their information for consideration.

Printer-friendly format Contact Us

To see my work, type my name as one word, 'RichCollins' in the search bar. This article and my references to the website are not compensated in any way.

Let me know what you think.

Enter your email address at the bottom of the blog page.

Why is my PC running so Slow?

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 15:26:00 +0000

Writing this short PC Health piece is something we can all benefit from. And rather than running all over the www world through search engines, I'll recommend my personal favorite website for quick descriptions and facts about pc health and help. It is called PCPitstop.

Much of the time our laptops and pc's run like a dream. But every so often we experience a hang or a slow start up. These are not random events we should ignore. As a photographer with large images and large applications hogging memory I need to know that my desktop is running at peak performance at every action required whether I am working on a file in Photoshop or Bridge, LightRoom or uploading to a website which hosts my images for sale. And even if you only surf the net, you need your laptop to run smoothly and efficiently. So where do you find out about the processes that are running while you are doing whatever you do?

PCPitstop's Libraries

However unless you are familiar with executable files you'll want to read and think before immediately taking action as most of the files you'll read about are necessary for your pc to run normally. So if you are experiencing any slows, hangs, crashes of browsers or applications, go here to read about the possible fixes. Proceed with caution as it can be a real pain to get back to where your pc performed well, and you can potentially risk losing all data if you ever need to use a Restore Point.

There is also a forum at the top to register in and ask questions or share your knowledge.

I am not being compensated in any way for this article.

How to Measure Sharpness in DOF Terms

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 13:59:00 +0000

Link this to your 'Lovers of Photography' friends, they'll thank you I promise.

Often we wonder how photographers get those amazing shots that keep the entire landscape in focus, or those where we can only see a single subject in focus, while all the rest is a blur. How they do that involves some real familiarity with your camera, or some calculations which, because they involve math have always boggled my mind. Sorry most artists are right-brained. So here's a calculator I found that can save you a ton of trouble and time.

Assume you have a subject in mind, you take the shot and find that along with your subject, everything else is also in focus and you want your subject to be the sole sharp feature in your capture. How do you go about creating this effect?

You have to think about why everything in the Depth Of Field, or DOF, has that sharp focus. The calculator below will give you the opportunity to play around with. A basic rule of thumb, is that the closer you are to your subject, the greater the tendency for your photo to have a blurred effect or shallow DOF, which is true in the flag photo above. Tendency being the keyword. There are other settings to consider, the distance you are from your subject, the focal length in millimeters, say 17mm vs 300mm, and the aperture or f-stop.

Depth of Field Calculator

Camera, film format, or circle of confusion

Focal length (mm)
Selected f-stop
Subject distance

Subject distance	40 ft

Depth of field
Near limit	20.9 ft
Far limit	451.5 ft
Total	430.5 ft

In front of subject	19.1 ft (4%)
Behind subject	411.5 ft (96%)

Hyperfocal distance	43.9 ft
Circle of confusion	0.03 mm

Use the actual focal length of the lens for depth of field calculations. The calculator will automatically adjust for any "focal length multiplier" or "field of view crop" for the selected camera.

Focal lengths of digital camera lenses are listed here .

Focus at the subject distance, 40 ft

	430.5 ft
20.9 ft		451.5 ft

	Focus at the hyperfocal distance, 43.9 ft

	Depth of field extends from 21.95 ft to infinity

Depth Of Field Calculator

Article written solely for reader benefit as no affiliate income is being received and full credit is given to the website dofmaster.com.

And so this is Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 17:17:00 +0000

Wishing you all a Very Best Christmas and Holiday Season as well as a coming year.

With almost all the gifts bought & wrapped, a short shopping trip today, (yes I drag my feet sometimes), the balance of this weekend will be filled with family & friends, cooking a Holiday ham and all the trimmings, phone calls, emails, short photo trips and a little lounging.

So put on your favorite Christmas music, mine just happens to be The Trans-Siberian Orchestra and get into the excitement of Holiday Cheer & Chatter, gift-giving, whether self-made or store-bought, and spending time together, in-person or via the cell.

Remember if you don't you'll have to wait another entire year for the next opportunity. And of course if you've waited too long to get a gift for someone you should have (shame on me) link to my Photo Store.

And my personal favorite Wizard in Winter.

Or should I say Elli's, my Grand Daughter's favorite. She sits on my lap at my computer desk and pretends like she is playing the keyboard on a mere glass-top desk. But it is fun to watch her get so excited.

30% Off Everything at Imagekind

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Sat, 27 Nov 2010 15:36:00 +0000

Voyagers Powder Bag by Rich Collins

Copper Kettle by Rich Collins

McLoughlin House Marker by Rich Collins

Icy Fort by Rich Collins

Take advantage while you can at a first time ever event this Holiday through only Monday at Midnight.And remember this includes framing options too.

Back it Up & Clean it Up

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 16:25:00 +0000

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Usually a little later, following the Holidays, I remind myself and you, to back up your photo image files and clean up your HDD's.

If you have only an internal Hard Disk Drive, you'll need to back up your image files, photos that is, to CD's or DVD's depending on the room needed. But remember these have a lifetime so doing this once a year keeps the lifespan worry a minor concern. But forget it for a couple of years and you're likely to forget it more and more often. Do it annually at the very least. I backup my image files every time I make a change to any photo. I keep an external hdd right next to my desktop, unplugged and turned off, then I go through the motions and disconnect and shuut down. I don't like running the risk that it could fail while connected so this ensures that the lifespan is extended. Yes I know there are no guarantees.

I also take a hdd to work for safe-keeping as an additional safeguard against fire & theft, F/T. Hdd's are fairly cheap insurance. For the price of a 1TB hdd you have already paid for the alternative of cloud backup, online backup storage. However it is somewhat less convenient. The way that Mozy, Carbonite, PCPitstop and others have made automatic backups, so easy, one could easily argue that it is the best way to go. For me? I like my hands on my image files. Some of us buy gold in an etf, others buy the actual coins.

Then don't forget to clean up your hdd. Clean out all the clutter and temporary files using the tools in Windows or any other application you trust. I stick with the basics or use PC Pitstop's tools.

Here's a review of several of the online backup companies: http://www.nextadvisor.com/online_backup_services/index.php and if this is no longer available try their main site: http://www.nextadvisor.com/index.php

I am not being compensated for any of the Companies mentioned or links provided

20-25-30% Off

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Mon, 08 Nov 2010 17:00:00 +0000

Take whichever per cent off you like as you shop for art for your home, business office, hotlier or medical spaces. Dress up your walls for a limited time only through November 11th till midnight.

30% off $200 or more

25% off $$160 or more

20% off $$100 or more


Wild Song Birds

And here's one I just finished working on, a montage of a song bird captured recently.

Saving 25% is a Economic Windfall

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 01:40:00 +0000

If you don't mind rushing off to select an art print at imagekind within 48 hours, then here's an offer that's hard to beat.

Imagekind is offering 25% off everything, that's any print, any frame, any poster, any canvas for the next 48 hours only.

Now of course I'm going to send you to something I'd like you to view, but please take a look at the many artists there. Here's one from one of my new galleries I've titled Critters, Critters at 25% off

Wild Song Birds in Western WA by Rich Collins

Improving Exposure Compensation

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Sun, 31 Oct 2010 16:13:00 +0000

Classic example of over-exposing. Take a look at the subjects, the field and everything looks fine. But looking over the horses shoulders into the bright clouds on the horizon and you'll be blinded by the light. The trouble is it draws your eyes into it and makes a great photo a near total loss. Let's try cropping it.

Not much help, because though the horses are better viewed and with even better detail, you are not able to overcome the too high an exposure in the background. Maybe if we crop even more to focus our eyes on only the subjects within the frame. Let's see.

One could make an argument for a nearly acceptable shot, but when nothing is done to better prepare for exposing, the result is pretty much the same. How did this happen?

When looking into your viewfinder, and here I'm assuming your camera is a dslr (digital single lens reflex) you will see an exposure meter. The meter I saw was dead center, and I took the shot assuming the outcome would be perfect. What I didn't do was expose for the brightest area within my composition, the sky. If I had I might have had an under-exposed shot, but it would then have been easy to increase the exposure with a simple adjustment.

Your dslr will have a settings adjustment wheel or button to increase or decrease exposure compensation. If you are not already familiar with this setting, you will find that it should become on of your first tools when exposing for that first, half-depression of the shutter button.

Now let's take a look at a slight move of the meter to the right after exposing for the brighter background. What the camera did was to underexpose to counter that far too bright skyline, then I was able to within less than a second scroll the wheel for adding back exposure compensation.

Not only is there slightly better detail in the shadows, but the background while still being brighter than the immediate foreground is less blown out, making it easier to keep focused on the main subject of the photo, the draft horses and their gear. Location of you and your camera may not always be optimal, as the public needed to remain behind a wooden fence for safety, so lowering of your lens to help eliminate the bright background and exposing for the bright area, as well as slight increases in exposure can lead to much better shoots.

Call for Colors Competition

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 00:03:00 +0000

Enter Iron Creek

http://www.lightspacetime.com/current-competition-2/

Current Competition

The theme for October 2010, our current competition is "Colors". The submission process for artists ends October 29, 2010. All winners will be selected, announced and be featured on the Light Space & Time website on November 1, 2010 and remain online in the gallery through November 30, 2010. Thereafter, the artworks will remain online in the Light Space & Time Archives with links to the artist's websites.

At the bottom of this page is a link to enter this competition, along with the procedure to enter this exhibition. The sizing and labeling of your images is very important. Please size your images, not to exceed 534 x 356 pixels with a resolution of 100. Label your image files in the following manner; last name, image number, competition name, image name. Following is an Example: Smith_1_Surfaces_Wave.jpg. Please fill the entire form and load all three (3) images before sending the upload. Also, you may upload additional images if required, along with the additional entry fees.

After the upload, go to the PayPal Payment Center and make your payment of $9.00. Additional images may be uploaded for $2.00 each. The PayPal Account Name is submissions@lightspacetime.com. After the successful upload of your images and the successful payment through PayPal, you will receive a confirmation of each procedure. If there are any problems with any of these procedures email us at info@lightspacetime.com

A group exhibition of the top five finalists will be held online at the Light Space & Time – Online Art Gallery during the month of November 2010. Awards will be for 1st, 2nd and 3rd places. In addition, 2 artists will recognized with Honorable Mention awards.

SUBMIT HERE

Color Separation

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Sun, 10 Oct 2010 23:42:00 +0000

Color Separation is a process which takes more than a few steps to accomplish. The rewards of accomplishment are gratifying. The work or fun, as you wish, are satisfying, if arduous. See a few more by visiting my Gallery titled Black and White Color at my website.

Why DNG? Why not just RAW?

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 01:53:00 +0000

Why DNG? Why not just RAW?

Photographers like to save their photos in a format which will work for many years to come. So what format is that? TIFF? JPG? RAW? What do you save yours in? Most of us save in the standard JPG, but some of us have decided to move to RAW. Is that the answer?

Formats ought to be a simple approach for saving image files. But we choose different formats. Or our cameras choose them for us. Every camera manufacturer ought to make it simple for us to convert an image file no matter their particular format to a standard format, but they don't. It's called proprietary use. What is the format for saving image files that is universal? It's called DNG, by Adobe. Why is that important?

What happens when we save to our preferred format? Nothing so long as we don't change cameras or computers. We could conceivably save them and open them forever, well for a long time. But, if we shoot and save in RAW, then as soon as we change camera models, or we upgrade our Macs or PC's we run the risk of not being able to open them. Seems compatibility is the issue.

Adobe has issued the DNG format to help solve this issue. Once we have shot in JPG or TIFF or RAW, we can then convert to DNG, a universal, format, and know that in the future our new PC or Mac will reliably open and then re-convert to any format we choose. This is important for those of us who care about being able to create another use for our images, according to the format of choice at the time. I sell my images both locally and online and though many of the websites and buyers prefer one format over another. some are particular about the use of another format. In these cases DNG is especially useful because in the years ahead, a website's preferences may change. They may have a need for a buyer's preferences which the DNG format would be able to solve.

The DNG format is becoming a widely accepted norm among not only among software but hardware manufacturers such as Apple, Leica and Samsung. Here's a read from Adobe about the benefits:

Key benefits for photographers:

DNG format helps promote archival confidence, since digital-imaging software solutions will be able to open raw files more easily in the future.
A single raw processing solution enables a more efficient workflow when handling raw files from multiple camera models and manufacturers.
A publicly documented and readily available specification can be easily adopted by camera manufacturers and updated to accommodate technology changes.

http://www.adobe.com/products/dng/index.html

We might ask, what are your preferences?

Creative Photography Class

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 15:11:00 +0000

For only a short time I'll be teaching individual classes on Creative Photography.

You'll have the freedom of asking questions prior to your shoot and following your shoot to learn the How To of creating a photo for an effect you'd like to finish with.

For a fee you'll have personal training, but time is limited through October 2nd. Click on the title above.

How Would You Have Shot This?

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 22:46:00 +0000

I think it is quite common to just grab our cameras and snap. And so the day goes, if you are just out and about. But when you are actively seeking a shoot, do you take into consideration the subject, the focus, blur, distance, horizon, background, angle, light & shadows, the effect what you wish to create with your shot, centering?

Take a look at this photo, and with all of these in mind how would you have shot this?

A Top Ten Photography List of Considerations

Consider the angle. Would a straight on shot or another angle have been more to your liking? Often a well-chose angle can make a dull shot like this one a dramatic shot.

The subject? Is this an appropriate subject for the distance you are at? Or might you have motored up closer? Or chosen another subject?

The focus? Would you have been able to focus on the entire ship or just a part, or is the focus on another area in the photo rather than the ship? Taking time to focus on the subject is worth a few seconds of your time. This shot was rushed and the focus is not at all on the subject. Watch your focus points in the viewfinder and place them squarely on the subject as you squeeze.

The blur? Has a proper bokeh been created? Or is the photo improperly blurred? And what could you have done to correct this. As above unless you wanted to create a great background or foreground blur, you might have captured a much better shot had the aperture been at a far smaller setting, say F18 or F22, rather than wide open at F4, in this case.

The distance? Could you have created a better image if you had been closer, even if your shot captured only the bow or the stern of the ship? Distance plays a great part in determining whether your subject is in a good frame referenced to the distance.A telephoto lens would have been better in this case as it would have brought a part of the ship in better view.

The horizon? Is the horizon level? And if it is would a slight tilt either way have given a more interesting capture? This depends on how you end using the image and you could adjust this in post processing if you wish, however it is an extra step you could have avoided had you considered the use beforehand.

The background? Could the background be fighting with the subject? While the bow and the stern are clearly outlined, the center has foliage from the trees competing with the bridge for a clear look. Making the subject the absolute main

Light and shadows? Do you see a way to have better set up the camera or lens for better detail in both the light and dark areas? For the most part the details are ok in this image, but there are parts of the bridge that are not a high enough dynamic range to show details in the shadows. Raising the ISO or adjusting up the Exposure might have given this photo a much better dynamic range.

Creating an Effect? Overall is the effect this shot demonstrates, an effect which appears interesting? Dramatic? Perhaps you are shooting with a associated product or story in mind. If this were a freight liner product ad, is the effect created successful? Sometimes this is what you want, at other times it is your client, be they another person or a Corporation.

Centered or Rule of Thirds? Is this subject properly within the frame for centering or the Rule of Thirds? It is not. Generally speaking movement begs for more territory ahead of the subject. In this case the open part of the frame is behind it, so the appearance is action which has already happened, rather than the anticipation of what is still ahead.

I have used this photo as it is a good demonstration of nearly everything one can fail to accomplish in an image. Use this guide to plan out a shoot or use this to review some of your existing photos for a way to look at not only the photo, but the camera settings to see if you are learning how to think ahead.

Now here's another with most done correctly.

Worlwide Photowalk For Everyone

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 17:14:00 +0000

If you didn't join Scott Kelby and thousands of others around the world for his 3rd WorldWide Photowalk Saturday, August 31st, you can join him for the results posted at his Scott Kelby's World Wide Photo Walk Winning Photos. Now since he may not have these up yet, try again very soon as he is quick about these things.

Our local Vancouver, WA Photo Walk at Flicker,

If you want to see your local walk just type it in the search bow below the video box.

And if you want to do one yourself even if you missed it, well there's always today or next weekend, or next year. You won't be able to sign up for next year's walk yet because as it is stated at his site: Registration for leader applications has expired as of July 10, 11:59pm Eastern. And until leaders are approved for walks, you won't be able to sign up to go along.

But check back and bookmark it for next year cause theses walks may proe to be one of the best things you've ever done when it comes to meeting up with like-minded individuals who enjoy walking about and shooting scenes you may not normally do. And if you want to become a leader well he also goes through that in this video: What's Involved in being a Leader?

Do you ever shoot for free?

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 01:18:00 +0000

Give your opinion in the Comments section below after signing up. Our readers want to know how you feel. For those of you who'd rather not sign up answer the poll in the column to the right.

I've created a typical scenario which I've discussed with many photographers over time who've shared their talent alongside starving artist status. The discussion is almost always the same, ENP (Every New Photographer) seems to feel the need to give freely of their skills in order to gain business. After all how do you get business without giving a little? The discussion usually goes something like this.

RCPhotos: So when does one start charging for your photography skills? Do you?

ENP: Oh I'm new at this so when a friend asked if I'd take a few shots of their new baby I said sure, no problem. My idea was that they'd see some really good results and maybe pass my name around.

RCphotos: How did it go?

ENP: Well they said they'd tell everyone they knew but after a few weeks I only heard form one of their friends. She was about to celebrate her baby's 1st Birthday and wanted to know if I would like to be there. She would have about 15 friends and family members who would get to know me and to bring along some business cards. Sounded good to me.

RCPhotos: And you said?

ENP: I said sure I'd love to. After showing up and of course shooting for about 20 minutes, I told her I'd get in touch with her to show her the results. Fine she said. I passed out a business card to 1 person who expressed an interest. 2 days later I called. Left a message. Then she left a message for me: "Oh could you just email them to me. I'll take a look and let you know." I did and never heard from her again.

RCphotos: Hmmm. So she didn't like them?

ENP: I have to believe she did, they were very good photos. The lighting was very good and I cropped for great pictures. I think she just didn't have the money.

RCPhotos: You then called again to set up a portfolio viewing? You bring an 8x10" and a few 5x7's?

ENP: I tried but she never called back.

Interesting how these situations often lead to great photos and no money. I want to know how you've reacted when asked for a little helping hand. I can think of a hundred other scenarios where offering to do a little shoot for free sounds like a way to get a paid gig. But most often it ends in a free shoot and no money in your pocket. From a business sense we feel we have failed, from a social sense we feel perhaps we've done a nice thing for someone. And we have failed and we have done a nice thing. So where do you draw the line?

Let us know how you feel.

Just how large should my RAW image files be saved for printing?

noreply@blogger.com (Rich) — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 01:39:00 +0000

A photographer recently asked about the size of her image files when uploading. Her need was in producing larger prints. Her concern was the enormous size of the files and the time it takes to upload. She was getting 100-200MB files once converted to sRGB from an original 10MB RAW file, twice that size if converted to TIFF or PSD, when working in 16 Bit.

RAW files are what they are, unconverted image data. Their size is the size which the camera sensor is capable of capturing, so if your sensor has a 10MP or a 12MP sensor it will roughly produce a RAW capture about that size. Converting to a JPG, a TIFF or a PSD will then produce a file size as managed by the Bit size you are working with. If working in 16 Bit you'll get an image file somewhat close to 5-7 times original RAW capture, and if working in 8 Bit you'll get a file 2-3 times the RAW capture. These are always approximates because of many factors of software and hardware but one can guestimate in this range.

Clearly if sending these size files are taking too long and yet the need is to provide these to an online printer, one step in improving the speed is to purchase a faster upload speed. However this is always the bottleneck because even when paying more for download speeds, uploads are seldom increased in unison to the cost. You may have to go many times the upload speed you are currently using to receive a significant increase in upload speeds and the cost will not be just a few dollars more.

The other approach is to use an FTP uploader which is then using their server with usually many times the upload speed. I've never seen a cost attached to this service, but I'm sure someone will find an exception. You would need to register, probably at the online printer's website, and it is not always obvious, as the way around charging for this is to suggest the ever-popular, 'Upgrade Your Account' option. Or you might still be able to use their FTP service but only maintain a few MB's of images until you 'Upgrade'.

So if you decide not to upgrade your ISP speed or your Account then you must make the choice to convert using 8 Bit or lowering your resolution from say 360 to 160. You'll have to compromise or exercise patience.

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