Today’s featured download is from Glacier National Park in Montana. I took this shot early in the morning, as the alpenglow played on the peaks in the distance. I needed a long exposure in order to capture the small amount of light – and to smooth the surface of the lake . . . → Read More: Featured Download: Once in a Lifetime]]>

Click to Download

Today’s featured download is from Glacier National Park in Montana. I took this shot early in the morning, as the alpenglow played on the peaks in the distance. I needed a long exposure in order to capture the small amount of light – and to smooth the surface of the lake for a dreamy, opalescent effect. Rain and splashing waves made it hard to keep my lens dry. I had just enough time to take three shots before the alpenglow disappeared… and only this one was free of water droplets.

As always, these images are provided for personal use as computer wallpaper or backgrounds ONLY. Copyright belongs to the photographer, and photographs cannot be used, redistributed, or recreated in print or on the web or in any other medium without written permission from the photographer.

Technically, this was a challenging image to capture and process. The range of light was extreme because I was shooting directly into the sun – but a GND filter wasn’t helpful because . . . → Read More: September Sky]]>
This shot is from Snowmass Wilderness in Colorado. We were lucky enough to catch a storm breaking up over this beautiful landscape.

Technically, this was a challenging image to capture and process. The range of light was extreme because I was shooting directly into the sun – but a GND filter wasn’t helpful because the horizon isn’t strait. Instead, I took 3 separate bracketed shots and blended them using our iHDR manual blending workflow.

To learn more about iHDR Workflow click on the image below:

I took this shot before sunrise at Graveyard Flats – Banff National Park in Alberta Canada. The mist was hanging over the mountain in the distance, and I loved the stark beauty of the scene. It was still pretty dark, so this shot required a long shutter speed… ten seconds at f 7.1. Processing . . . → Read More: Graveyard Flats]]>

I took this shot before sunrise at Graveyard Flats – Banff National Park in Alberta Canada. The mist was hanging over the mountain in the distance, and I loved the stark beauty of the scene. It was still pretty dark, so this shot required a long shutter speed… ten seconds at f 7.1. Processing was easy – just a matter of getting the white balance right.

Not too long ago, Jay sold this shot of Cedar Falls (titled The Looking Glass) as part of a collection of fine art images. He has many shots of waterfalls, and this is not one of his favorites. The image lacks the vibrant colors or grand vistas that you typically find in Jay’s more . . . → Read More: What Sells: Local Images]]>

Not too long ago, Jay sold this shot of Cedar Falls (titled The Looking Glass) as part of a collection of fine art images. He has many shots of waterfalls, and this is not one of his favorites. The image lacks the vibrant colors or grand vistas that you typically find in Jay’s more popular landscape photographs. When the client asked about waterfalls, his first instinct was to send them samples of the most popular waterfall images in his portfolio. One of the first shots he sent was Arizona Dreaming… the brilliantly colorful “icon shot” from Havasu Falls in Arizona.

But, the client passed on all the iconic and popular shots from Jay’s gallery. Instead, she chose the quieter image… one that he had never sold before. He was curious about her choice, and he asked her about it. The answer was simple – she wanted images of local icons… no matter how ordinary they looked in comparison with those iconic locations.

Next time you attend a local art fair, make sure you have plenty of local images. Colorful photographs capture the eye of the viewer – but familiar places capture their hearts.

Take a look at this photograph and ask yourself… Where do I want to go – and what do I need to do to get there? Now, go do it…Life is short!

This was an easy shot. I lowered my tripod down as low as I could so that my camera was close to . . . → Read More: Ahhh… Paradise!]]>

Take a look at this photograph and ask yourself… Where do I want to go – and what do I need to do to get there? Now, go do it…Life is short!

This was an easy shot. I lowered my tripod down as low as I could so that my camera was close to the sand. I have the appropriate hyperfocal distance memorized for my wide-angle lens, so it was easy to ensure that everything was sharply in focus. And then, I waited for the wave to come towards me. I released the shutter – and that was it. All done. The shot needed very little processing. Doesn’t this workflow prove that the best things in life are simple. :)

Location: Sunnyvale, CA (near San Francisco)

Address: Country Inn & Suites, 1300 Chesapeake Terrace, Sunnyvale, CA 94089

Early Registration before Feb 29th: $120

Regular Price: $150

The Beyond Exposure workshop experience is designed to help you make your artistic vision a photographic . . . → Read More: Beyond Exposure: A Two Day Photo Workshop]]> Date & Time: 9:00AM to 5:00PM, April 14 2012

Location: Sunnyvale, CA (near San Francisco)

Address: Country Inn & Suites, 1300 Chesapeake Terrace, Sunnyvale, CA 94089

Early Registration before Feb 29th: $120

Regular Price: $150

Register Now:

Description

The Beyond Exposure workshop experience is designed to help you make your artistic vision a photographic reality. Award-winning professional photographers Colby Brown, Varina Patel, and Jay Patel will walk you through the intricacies of the photographic process – from the equipment they carry on-location, to the processing techniques they use to finish their images in the digital darkroom.

• Day One: Learn how to capture rich color and intricate detail in-camera. Discover the post-processing tools that can help make your workflow easier. Explore some of the diverse software options that can help you expand your creativity and artistic expression.
• Capture the Moment: Learn how to use proper equipment including Filters, Tripods and more.
• Post-Processing Workflow
• Workflow using LR & Bridge.
• Photoshop Techniques: How-To, Tips & Tricks, Layers, Masks, How to make targeted adjustment to parts of the image and Manual Blending.
• 3rdParty Software Tools: Nik, OnOne Software
• Day Two: Join the team of professionals for a free hands-on photo walk at a nearby location (weather permitting). This is your chance to get your questions answered, shoot alongside the pros, and get to know them in person!

Colby Brown:  ABOUT | WEBSITE | PORTFOLIO
Colby Brown is a professional photographer, photo educator and author based out of Denver, Colorado who specializes in landscape, travel, and humanitarian photography.

Jay Patel:  ABOUT | WEBSITE | PORTFOLIO
Jay Patel’s photographs feature rich vibrant colors, intricate details, and the broad range of light found in nature.

Varina Patel:  ABOUT | WEBSITE | PORTFOLIO
Varina Patel’s award-winning articles and images have been published in magazines and other media all over the world. She travels frequently, shooting in remote locations and teaching in a wide variety of educational forums.

Nature has a way of arranging elements perfectly. For this photograph, I found perfection in the parched desert landscape of Death Valley in California. While scouting locations for our upcoming workshop, we stumbled upon an area where mud and salt were juxtaposed in complex jigsaw patterns.

This was an easy shot – just point . . . → Read More: Jigsaw Puzzle]]>

Nature has a way of arranging elements perfectly. For this photograph, I found perfection in the parched desert landscape of Death Valley in California. While scouting locations for our upcoming workshop, we stumbled upon an area where mud and salt were juxtaposed in complex jigsaw patterns.

This was an easy shot – just point and shoot. We had lightly overcast skies that provided diffused lighting just right for detail shots like these. The trick was to get an interesting composition – and then to get everything sharply in focus. I used a long lens to isolate just a few pieces of cracked mud.

I took this shot of Skógafoss with a 70-200mm lens, a circular polarizer, and a neutral density filter. I needed a longish shutter speed to blue the surface of the water in bright conditions, so that the rainbow would stand out against a smooth background. The neutral density filter helped with that – and . . . → Read More: Rainbow in the Mist]]>

I took this shot of Skógafoss with a 70-200mm lens, a circular polarizer, and a neutral density filter. I needed a longish shutter speed to blue the surface of the water in bright conditions, so that the rainbow would stand out against a smooth background. The neutral density filter helped with that – and the polarizer allowed me to increase the shutter speed even more, while also helping to bring out the brilliant colors in the rainbow. With both filters, I could reduce the shutter speed to .6 seconds at f/11. Just enough to smooth the water to my liking.

This was such a beautiful location – but the climb was steep. After my little run-in with the icebergs the day before, I couldn’t climb the hill… so I stayed behind. At first I planned to just sit back and enjoy the beautiful sunshine while I waited, but the more I looked at the falls, the more I wanted to shoot it. The view from below wasn’t very exciting… I wanted something a little different. And this is the result. This was the best weather of the entire trip, too. Warm and sunny! Such pleasure after yesterdays difficulties!

This shot is titled Distortions. This image uses reflections to showcase patterns and color in sandstone formations . . . → Read More: Shooting Abstracts]]> Abstracts may lack a clear point of interest. They are often about form, color, or mood. When you shoot abstracts, think about what you want to convey with your image. Here are a few examples to get you thinking.

This shot is titled Distortions. This image uses reflections to showcase patterns and color in sandstone formations in the Coyote Buttes region of Arizona. Jay placed his camera very close to the surface of the water and zoomed in. The goal was to fill the frame with pattern and color.

Here’s a shot called “Broken Heart.” Varina chose a recognizable shape as a point of interest and filled the frame with the patterns in cracked mud. Notice that the heart shape is the only closed shape in the photograph. This helps to define it as the point of interest.

Sometimes a recognizable locations or object can be imbued with an abstract feel with the help of in-camera techniques, special filters or lenses, or processing. Jay took this shot of Old Faithful with a Lens Baby. The result is dreamy and blurred.

This shot from the Hot Rain Forest in Olympic National Park is an example of a creative in-camera technique. Varina took a shot through a rain-spattered window in order to capture this surreal impressionistic image.

A high shutter speed can freeze motion and allow us to see something that might be invisible to us otherwise. Jay took this shot of an exploding mud bubble in Yellowstone National Park. A 1/2500 second shutter speed shows off the incredible patterns that appear as the bubble bursts.

Capturing abstracts might mean you have to think outside the box. Next time you are out shooting, get creative. Try some of these simple techniques to build an unexpected photograph!

To learn more about how to capture creative images and brilliant colors check our the ebooks below:

The day before a workshop in Glacier National Park, Jay and I took a short hike out near Logan Pass. It’s an incredibly beautiful place… and at that time of year, the meadows were in full bloom. Trickling streams, waterfalls, and mountain peaks all around you. Breathtaking.

While we were there, a couple of . . . → Read More: What the…?]]>

The day before a workshop in Glacier National Park, Jay and I took a short hike out near Logan Pass. It’s an incredibly beautiful place… and at that time of year, the meadows were in full bloom. Trickling streams, waterfalls, and mountain peaks all around you. Breathtaking.

While we were there, a couple of mountain goats were snacking in the fields. We took lots of photos, but this one really had me laughing, so I thought I’d share it with all of you. What do you think it going through his mind right now? Make me laugh! :)

Happy Friday, everyone! I hope you have a great weekend!

This beautiful place is a tourist hot-spot in Iceland. A steep trail provides access to the mighty Skógafoss waterfall. The view gets better and better as you get closer to the fallsl. If you ever get a chance to visit Skógafoss, don’t forget your camera – and be sure to take . . . → Read More: Featured Download: Rainbows in the Mist]]>

Click to Download

This beautiful place is a tourist hot-spot in Iceland. A steep trail provides access to the mighty Skógafoss waterfall. The view gets better and better as you get closer to the fallsl. If you ever get a chance to visit Skógafoss, don’t forget your camera – and be sure to take some time to climb to the top of the falls. Click on the image above to download the image for your desktop background.

As always, these images are provided for personal use as computer wallpaper or backgrounds ONLY. Copyright belongs to the photographer, and photographs cannot be used, redistributed, or recreated in print or on the web or on any other medium without written permission from the photographer.

The usual blue colors you see in this image are all natural… they are not caused by a . . . → Read More: Strike A Pose]]>
This multicolored heron was in perfect position holding very still to catch his food, when an wandering alligator disturbed its concentration and scared the fish away. I never did get to see him catch a fish.

The usual blue colors you see in this image are all natural… they are not caused by a polarizer or enhanced in photoshop. So why does the water look so blue? All the light reflecting on the water was bouncing away from me. Why? Because I took this shot early in the morning when the angle of the sun was low. So, the only thing I could see on the water was the reflection of the clear blue sky. Additionally, in order to expose the subject properly, the parts of the image that were in shade (along with the reflections on the water) were under exposed. This gave the water an even deeper hue.

Here’s a shot from Death Valley National Park. I love shooting by moonlight! The soft glow is incredible – and when you are in a place like this, it’s so hard to pack up and go home! Why not stay just a little bit longer and capture the moonlight on the sand? :) This . . . → Read More: Moon Rise]]>

Here’s a shot from Death Valley National Park. I love shooting by moonlight! The soft glow is incredible – and when you are in a place like this, it’s so hard to pack up and go home! Why not stay just a little bit longer and capture the moonlight on the sand? :) This is a composite shot. I took one shot for the foreground and sky, and a second shot – slightly zoomed in – to capture the moon with the proper exposure. I combined the two images in Photoshop to produce an image that looked as much like the reality of the scene as I remember it as possible.

Have you ever tried to make the reflections an entire image? This is exactly what Varina did in the image above.

This image of stork was taken in Everglades National Park during our 2011 workshop….Varina was looking for something creative that would set her shot apart from other animal shots.

Often times with reflecting . . . → Read More: Quick Tips: Reflections]]>

Have you ever tried to make the reflections an entire image? This is exactly what Varina did in the image above.

This image of stork was taken in Everglades National Park during our 2011 workshop….Varina was looking for something creative that would set her shot apart from other animal shots.

Often times with reflecting images you get imperfections in the rippling water… like the bending beak in this shot. But these imperfections give the image a bit of character.

Compare this with Jay’s image of another stork (below). In Varina’s shot, the subject is isolated against the reflected blue sky in the water… and the upside-down bird with all its imperfections adds interest and grabs your attention. My shot below is just another bird portrait – full of distractions. And the head of the bird gets lost in all those grasses behind him.

So next time you go out in the field… look for reflections. Maybe you’ll capture something unique!

To learn more about composition and color check out our eBooks below:

Here’s a shot from Nine Mile Pond in the Everglades. It’s a beautiful place to watch the sunrise – but on this morning, I wasn’t getting any good photos. Although the sunrise was pretty, it wasn’t very photogenic – and the water was a bit choppy. A couple of test shots failed to get . . . → Read More: Calm]]>

Here’s a shot from Nine Mile Pond in the Everglades. It’s a beautiful place to watch the sunrise – but on this morning, I wasn’t getting any good photos. Although the sunrise was pretty, it wasn’t very photogenic – and the water was a bit choppy. A couple of test shots failed to get me excited.

I wanted to transform the scene. So I pulled out my neutral density filter. The idea was to block some of the light coming into the lens with a grey filter – that would mean I could use a much longer shutter speed. The effect was exactly what I wanted. A 25-second shutter speed (f/8) blurred out the waves, giving the water a smooth, calm surface. The slowly moving clouds blurred just a bit – which left the sky looking dreamy. Most importantly, the reflected light on the water scattered with each wave, producing an opalescent glow.

Simple, in-camera techniques like this one can turn an ordinary scene into something just beyond the usual. Have you used a neutral density filter for a similar effect?

I wanted the flower to stand out, so I blocked all the light except for a little beam that was falling directly on . . . → Read More: Glow of Life]]>
Life is beautiful! Here’s a touch of fresh new life to give you a little pleasure as you wait for Spring! I took this photograph in Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

I wanted the flower to stand out, so I blocked all the light except for a little beam that was falling directly on the flower. The light on the flower is completely natural, but there were other spots of light in the scene as well. I had to use my body and my camera bag to block the light that I didn’t want to include in the image. I wanted just one trillium flower in the frame. I chose the title to match the image…Glow of Life!

I was waiting for sunset near Badwater, but the . . . → Read More: Salt and Sand]]>  This is a shot from Death Valley National Park in California. The salt flats are huge – 40 miles long and 5 miles wide – but it’s the tiniest details that grabbed my attention. The largest of these crystals is just three or four millimeters wide.

I was waiting for sunset near Badwater, but the clouds were gone, and there wasn’t much change of getting a gorgeous sunset. So, instead of searching for appealing foreground objects, I pulled out my macro lens and started looking for details. It didn’t take long for me to notice that in some places, the salt crystals were more spread out, so that I could see each one individually. I loved the graduated sizes spread out across the sand.

I set up my tripod nice and low to the ground, and then adjusted my lens so that the glass was parallel to the ground. When you are working with a macro lens – and when you get in this close – your depth of field is incredibly narrow. I wanted to get everything in focus, so I spent extra time making sure I had my camera set up just right.

I also needed to make sure to provide a clear point of interest for my viewer. When you are working with hundreds of similar objects, that can be pretty difficult! I chose my composition carefully so that a single larger crystal dominates – and smaller crystals fill the frame. Notice that the largest crystal is off center – and the others seem to get gradually smaller as you move through the image from the bottom left to the upper right. The placement of the crystals is random – but the composition is anything but. Despite the randomness of the natural objects, there is a clear, diagonal structure to this image. That was important to me, since a diagonal comp is usually more dynamic and interesting than a horizontal or vertical one.

Post-production was pretty easy. I wanted to make sure the patterns in the salt stood out, but it was equally important to make sure I didn’t lose any detail in the brightest white areas. A little bit of contrast and a careful white balance adjustment did the trick. I brightened the largest crystal just slightly to make sure it grabbed your attention. I also removed two small corners of crystals that punched their way into the image at the bottom. They were distracting, and I didn’t mind seeing them go.

Format: eBook, PDF format, 37 pages

Size: 21.9 MB

Requirement: Adobe Acrobat Reader 9.0 or greater

This in-depth guide to histograms provides all the information you’ll need to learn to make the most of one of the most powerful  - and often overlooked – tools in digital photography. A quick glance . . . → Read More: eBook: What the heck is a Histogram?]]> Price: $10.00

Format: eBook, PDF format, 37 pages

Size: 21.9 MB

Requirement: Adobe Acrobat Reader 9.0 or greater

Description

This in-depth guide to histograms provides all the information you’ll need to learn to make the most of one of the most powerful  - and often overlooked – tools in digital photography. A quick glance at this little graph on the back of your camera can tell you if  you have captured detail in the shadows, if your highlights are blown, if you need to bracket your images, and if your image is properly exposed. Professional nature photographers and accomplished teachers, Varina and Jay Patel will walk you through the process of reading, interpreting, and using histograms – while you are in the field and during post-processing in Adobe Photoshop. They use simple language and a wealth of real-world examples to teach you how to use your histogram.

Click on thumbnails below to see sample pages from this eBook: