Weekly Photography Tips

And the 5 winners are!...

2012-01-27T15:43:00.011-05:00

Before I announce our lucky winners I have two things I want to say/share (actually 3 things).

First, you folks have put forth a phenomenal effort for this contest and I'm sorry that there can only be five winners.

Second, I have some big announcements next week, on Monday will be posting the details on how/why we will be giving prizes to lucky readers of Weekly Photo Tips every single Friday for the entire month of February and on Wednesday (February 1st) we will be announcing the biggest thing we have ever done on this blog.

Now, without further delay, our randomly chosen winners and the prizes they won:

1. terakinnane - You have won "Work Like a Pro Photographer in Aperture 3"

2. ZERO CEM - Your prize is "Photographically Speaking: A Deeper Look at Creating Stronger Images"

3. Daniel*1977 - You will be getting the great software "Organize"

4. Alexander Cordeiro - You will be getting a one year membership to 500px.com

5. fatlab99 - You too are getting a one year premium membership to 500px.com

Most of these are your Flickr names, so you will need to contact me with your snail mail address, or the email address you want your download link and license sent to.

A BIG THANK YOU and congrats to everyone.

Big sale on photo gear...

2012-01-26T06:11:00.008-05:00

Adorama is having a sale right now that has something for (almost) everyone.

Not only are the prices outstanding, everything on sale here comes with free shipping too.

An iPad Bluetooth Keyboard with a Stand & Folio for the iPad & iPad2 at almost half of at just $29. Use the coupon code S0116120 at checkout.

They have all kinds of Kingston memory cards and readers on sale, compact flash, SDHC, memory sticks, and more.

Get a Fisheye, Macro, and Wide-angle Lens for the iPhone 4 / 4S.

Creative Light collapsible reflectors with your choice of gold, white, and silver surfaces and metal frames all are 25% off.

You will also see 20 different Smith Victor lighting setups, complete with softboxes and cases.

Nikon Coolpix S4100 D Digital Camera - Refurbished by Nikon U.S.A. only $59.

Tokina 11mm-16mm lens, all mounts, they are on sale with rebates which will save you $90.

And now for the big gun, a Nikon U.S.A. refurbished D3 (with warranty) for $3499.

Time for another wedding Wednesday...

2012-01-25T09:43:00.007-05:00

Welcome back to wedding Wednesday (previous WW's can be found here and here).

Here are three images from the same wedding that were not on my "shot list" for the day and the first two I normally would not have had the opportunity to shoot.

Usually I'm positioned inside the church, waiting for the bride to make her entrance, but at this wedding I was outside because the church was tiny. There was barely room for one photographer, never mind two.

So I was hanging outside, thinking I would grab a shot of the bride and her dad (from behind) as they entered the church. I got more than I expected.

In this image they paused, brides father turned to her and told her how much he loved her and how beautiful she looked.

As they walked towards the church they paused again, dad was just a little emotional, so the bride put a comforting hand on his shoulder and just as she did a breeze kicked up and "wrapped" him in her wedding dress.

This final shot was after the wedding, we were actually hiding from the guests (so they would leave) and we could shoot the bride and groom. While we waited this image presented itself, another "happy accident".

(click on any image to view larger in a new window)
So the take away from todays shots are be prepared. You never know what photographic opportunity will present itself and if you're not ready, if your camera is just dangling around your neck, you'll miss some great shots.

And the best camera you can shoot with is...

2012-01-24T19:35:00.008-05:00

I told you yesterday that if you came back today I would tell you the best camera to shoot with... but I am not going to spout out a specific brand... nope.

What I am going to say is something many of you have heard before (and I believe to be true), that the best camera you can shoot with is the one you have with you at the time.

Let me submit my two humble photographs, taken with my phone, as proof.

Both were shot when I had no intention of taking a photograph.

The first image. It had snowed the night before and I was rushing out the door, looked up and thought the trees looked pretty cool, pulled out my phone and took the shot.

And the second. This image was taken while sitting at my computer, the sun came through the window and cast (what I thought to be) a cool shadow on the wall. Now if I went to dig out my camera body, a lens, a memory card and came back to take the picture the sun would have moved and the shot would be gone. So again I grabbed my phone and grabbed the shot.

(click on either image to view larger & in a new window)
Are they the best images ever? Nope, but I like them and had it not been for my phone, I never would have had them.

So don't be afraid to take a photograph with your best camera, that one you have with you.

Would you like to play with Lightroom 4?...

2012-01-23T19:30:00.006-05:00

If you answered yes then today is your lucky day.

Adobe has opened their beta testing of Lightroom 4 to the public.

You can play with the full version (along with any/all release candidates) from now until the end of March (2012).

Follow this link to read more about it and get the download link.

Here are just some of the new Features in Lightroom 4 Beta:

* Highlight and shadow recovery brings out all the detail that your camera captures in dark shadows and bright highlights.

* Photo book creation with easy-to-use elegant templates.

* Location-based organization lets you find and group images by location, assign locations to images, and display data from GPS-enabled cameras.

* White balance brush to refine and adjust white balance in specific areas of your images.

* Additional local editing controls let you adjust noise reduction and remove moiré in targeted areas of your images.

* Extended video support for organizing, viewing, and making adjustments and edits to video clips.

* Easy video publishing lets you edit and share video clips on Facebook and Flickr®.

* Soft proofing to preview how an image will look when printed with color-managed printers.

* Email directly from Lightroom using the email account of your choice.

Here's part two of our Flickr explosion...

2012-01-23T15:39:00.006-05:00

This is a follow-up on our Friday post on how you crazy photographers are blowing up our Flickr page.

:)

All in response to our latest contest.

Over the weekend a bunch more images were added and I continue to be amazed at both the quantity and quality of images being uploaded.

I hope you enjoy the latest offering of reader images.

Click on any image to view larger and in a new window.

And if you come back tomorrow I promise we will settle the age old argument about what camera is truly the best... once and for all.

Just when you think you're having a bad day...

2012-01-21T09:58:00.006-05:00

First, I just want to let all of our new visitors and subscribers know that if we post on weekends, it will most likely be off (photography) topic, sometimes waaaaaaaay off topic.

So, having been duly informed, let's head off topic.

While getting my news fix yesterday I came across this story about children in Indonesia who make their way to school every day by going over a semi-collapsed bridge (and then cross it again on their way home).

My first thought was, "if this bridge has already partially collapsed, how safe can what's left really be?".

And then I would waffle between feeling such sadness for these children and embarrassment at just how much I have, and take for granted.

Fat, dumb, and happy.

So I wanted to share it (the story, not the fat, dumb, happiness), so that maybe for today we can take a moment and appreciate how lucky we are.

You can find the full story and more images here.

You are blowing up our Flickr page!...

2012-01-20T11:02:00.010-05:00

And I could not be happier about it.

Every time we have a contest and you good people upload images I think "these are some of the best images we have had". It is certainly true of the latest batch of photographs you are blessing us with.

Not only are these some of the best images we have ever had, more than ever have been uploaded, and they are coming in from all over the world!

Great job everyone. Truly great job.

If you don't know what I am talking about you can get all the details about our latest contest & giveaway right here, and you have another week to get yourself entered, so come on in the water's great.

There are sooooo many great images but I can only display 8 of them today, but if you come back Monday I'll show you 8 more. If you can't wait, or want to see more you can head over to our Flickr page and drink them all in.

(click on any image to view larger and in a new window)

Time for another wedding Wednesdays...

2012-01-18T11:10:00.010-05:00

Just in case you missed it you might want to check out our first "Wedding Wednesday".

Each week I will post a couple images from wedding I shot during the 2011 "season" and explain why I like them, how they were shot, and (on occasion) what I might have done differently.

Here are this weeks images.

This image is from the "first dance".

I know some people will look at it and think that I cut off too much of the groom, but let me explain why:

1. There was light hanging down behind the grooms head.

2. There was a guest standing very close over the grooms left shoulder.

Had I left those two things in the image they would have been huge distractions that took away from the bride and groom and have your eyes wandering all over the place.

Look at the brides face, if ever there was a "look of love" this is it and I didn't want your eyes to wander away from her because THAT was the photograph.

Image two runs contrary to what I usually do, I don't like "posing" photographs, I try to take a journalistic approach when shooting a wedding.

(clicking on either image will open them larger and in a new window)
But this shot is an exception, the bride had lost both her parents and her dog, so on her bouquet she had a locket that contained images of her mom & dad from their wedding day and at her table was a picture of her dog.

So while she was away from the table I opened the locket, set the bouquet near the framed picture her dog, then grabbed this shot.

I thought it made much better memory for the bride.

An important point with this image was that I knew about the locket because during the day I listen to everything going on around me, it allows you pick up on details and insight that you otherwise would never have known about, allowing to capture some important details, creating better memories of their special day.

Time to give some great photo stuff away...

2012-01-17T12:15:00.007-05:00

We are launching another contest today, giving away 5 prizes.

Here what you have a chance to win:

1. The book "Photographically Speaking: A Deeper Look at Creating Stronger Images" By David DuChemin. David may be one of the best photographers you have never heard of, he is also a prolific writer, and teacher. Be sure to check out his website and blog (there is an image of tents at the top of his blog that will knock your socks off).

2. The learn by Video DVD and booklet "Work Like a Pro Photographer in Aperture 3" By Joseph Linaschke.

3. One of my favorite tools, a license for the pro version of Organize (for Windows or MAC). It is the best project management software that I have ever used, you can run it from your computer and sync it with your iPhone and/or iPad (or sync from your mobile device to computer) so that changes made one place will update everywhere and you have a backup copy on the cloud. So regardless of what device you are using, you will always be up to date.

4. A few days ago we raved about 500px.com, a photographic community powered by creative people from all over the world. Well they have been kind enough to give us not one, but two annual (and awesome) memberships!

Some pretty cool prizes and winning them could not be easier, here's all you have to do:

1. Leave a comment on any blog post or any of our YouTube videos.

2. Upload any image that you shot to our Flickr group.

That's pretty much it (see, I told you it was simple).

You can find detailed information on how to join our Flickr group here.

This contest starts.... 1... 2... 3... right now, it's open to everyone, and the five winners will be chosen at random from all of the qualifying entries.

Those winners will be announced here on the blog next Friday (January 27th).

Good luck everyone, looking forward to seeing your images and reading your comments.

Here is the small print (literally):

All rights and ownership of submitted images remain with the photographer who took it.

You can enter the contest as many times as you like, 1 image upload + 1 comment = 1 contest entry.

Winners outside of the US will need to cover the cost of shipping.

Spring must be right around the corner...

2012-01-14T10:25:00.008-05:00

Why?

Because I got my first seed catalog yesterday, spent the evening marking out my selections for the upcoming gardening season, and will most likely have my order in the mail later today.

:)

Yes, I am a gardening nerd, with a major in tomatoes.

Not being a big fan of winter (actually, not even a small fan), I use all those seed catalogs that stuff my mailbox as a "happy distraction" from the cold and snow, like the 10 inches that just fell on us.

But sadly, much like the political primaries, the catalogs are coming earlier and earlier which is making it a bit harder to trick my (simple) mind.

Gotta go, the mailman just pulled up and he might have more seed catalogs.

(click on any image to view larger and in a new window)

Is this one photograph worth $6,612?...

2012-01-13T12:54:00.010-05:00

According to photographer John Mueller it is, and I fully agree with him.

His argument is that if you had to purchase everything he used to re-create this photograph the cost would be $6,612.

And it would actually cost more, as I was going through his list of expenses I did not see the cost of his memory card, his time, the wear and tear on his car, and all the things that go with editing (electricity to run his computer, the value of the space where he did his editing, heat, lights, etc.).

But he makes a great point, that others (and sometimes photographers) undervalue the worth of a photograph. What we do has value, and John gets that.

Please take the time to read John's full article.

And while you're at it be sure to check out the photography at his website and his Flickr page.

Let me say right up front, I'm sorry...

2012-01-12T12:20:00.006-05:00

Why?

Because I am sure there are some folks out there who cringe every time I post about this, but when I do (without fail) I get emails from people thanking me.

What is the deal of which I speak?

A 16" x 20" x 1.5" gallery-wrapped canvas from Canvas on Demand for the unbelievable price of just $45 (that includes free shipping too!).

Ironic that I received this email just a few days ago:

"I wanted to thank you for posting the deals on the gallery wraps during the past year. I took advantage of them and could not be happier with the results. Thanks."

I too take advantage of these deals as they come up because the quality of their work is outstanding and price is so ridiculously low (far cheaper than I can get them with my pro account).

The only two things that you should be aware of are:

1. The deal is over in 36 hours (though it will likely be back in a few months)

2. Because this is an extremely popular offer the turnaround time is slightly longer than usual

They're so confident that you'll love their work, every wrap comes with a full 1 year money back satisfaction guarantee!

Not only have I been singing their praises for three years, I put my money where my mouth is too, here are just a few of the (8) canvases I have purchased:

(click on any of these images to view larger in a new window)
So go check out the details of this offer, but do so before it's over.

Introducing Wedding Wednesdays...

2012-01-11T15:55:00.013-05:00

I was going through the bazzillion images I shot last "wedding season" and realized I hadn't really posted any of them so for the next few weeks we are going to have "Wedding Wednesdays".

Each week I will post a few wedding shots from 2011 and explain why I like them, how they were shot, and (on occasion) what I might have done differently.

Here are two images from one of the very last weddings, shot along the northern coast of Maine.

Usually when we shoot the bride and groom it's from "afar" (this was shot with a 70-200 2.8 lens), we walk around the grounds (away from everybody else) so the bride and groom can have some private time, just the two of them, to talk, to catch their breath, to "drink each other in". It is likely the only quiet time they have had (or will have) for days. So the long lens gives them some privacy and allows us to capture some candid moments.

There's a bunch a like about this picture, but what I like the most is the look on their faces, something I never would have captured had I been right up on them "clicking away".

Two things to take from this shot:

1. Don't be afraid to shoot into the sun

2. If you want to capture an intimate candid moment, don't be part of it, be as far away as possible

This image is from the same wedding, captured just a few minutes later, we had just walked inside to join the reception and the bride paused for just a moment in front of a window and I knew the time to shoot was right then. No time for camera adjustments, no time for better composition, and just as the shutter closed the bride walked away from the window and into a crowd of people.

And from this image:

1. You can never go wrong with a photograph of the back of a wedding dress, it's the one thing the bride will not see on her wedding day and she'll likely appreciate it when she sees it later

2. Sometimes you don't have time to think, to properly frame, to make camera
adjustments.... JUST FIRE!

(clicking on either image will open them larger and in a new window)

Happy Birthday.... Happy, happy birthday...

2012-01-11T08:51:00.009-05:00

Yes, today is my birthday, and I had not intended on posting about it but something happened last night that I just could not keep to myself.

But first, let me say that one of the way cool benefits of writing Weekly Photo Tips is the fact that I have met (and continue to meet) some wonderful people. I have developed relationships with people from all over the world and have even had the pleasure of breaking bread with a handful them and truly feel enriched because of what you folks add to my life.

One of the people with who I have developed an email friendship with is Ray Sanford, Ray loves photography and though he shoots Canon, I don't hold it against him.

:)

Well, yesterday the UPS truck rolls down my street and pulls to a stop in front of my house (my absolute favorite sound) and the driver hands me a small box. In it I found a thoughtful hand written birthday card and a Nikon 18-35/3.5-4.5D Wide Angle Lens! I kid you not!

I am not often rendered speechless, but surely I was left dumbstruck by this generous gift.

And though I am still having a hard time speaking, I wanted to publicly thank Ray for his thoughtful consideration.

THANK YOU RAY!

And a big thanks to all of you for hanging out here with me.

No, not going to share my age, but it won't take a rocket scientist to figure it out with the date stamp on this picture (June is when the picture was developed, not taken).

Something really big here at Weekly Photo Tips...

2012-01-10T14:17:00.012-05:00

Moving forward we have a new supporter of Weekly Photo Tips, it's Adorama.

They will be the sole sponsor of our blog, our YouTube channel, and our podcast (which will launch next week).

I have been an Adorama customer since my very first digital camera and have continued with them as I learned, progressed, and eventually became a professional photographer because I really like how they do business, they offer great prices and phenomenal customer service.

We have had several companies approach us looking for a "relationship" and have always said "NO", but with Adorama it was different because it was a perfect fit... for us AND for you.

There will be more products to review, even more photography gear and do-dads to give away, including seats at some of their outstanding seminars held at their New York City location.

If you are not familiar with them, here is what you know about Adorama:

* You will find what you’re looking for and it will be in stock.

* You will get your order as quickly as possible.

* They provide the lowest prices and the best value.

* They seek to inspire and teach.

* All while offering heroic service.

Because I always have been upfront and honest with you our readers I am sure the first question will be "will you be making money?", and the answer is yes (but trust me, I won't be quitting my day job), what we make will help support of the cost of running our sites (domain names, hosting, production, etc.) but you should also know that 25% of every penny we get will be split between Operation Smile and food pantries here in Southern Maine.

This new relationship will allow us to do do more, more reviews, you will learn about more specials, we'll have more giveaways, AND we'll get to help people in need... this is going to be beneficial for everyone.

A big thanks to you for being our readers and to Adorama for joining us.

We are all going to have fun together.

If you like Black & White Photography...

2012-01-09T14:12:00.006-05:00

If you like black & white photography you have the chance to spend an hour with a person who (I think) does it the best, Vincent Versace.

On Wednesday January 11th he will be teaching 2 (1 hour) webinars "Oz to Kansas with Vincent Versace", the first is at noon and the second at 2pm (EST).

Here are just some of the topics to be covered:

- The importance of color management particularly to black and white.

- When and why you should and should not use global de-saturation.

- Split Channel conversions - what they are good for and a way to get the same effect with a file two thirds the size.

- When to use the Black and White adjustment layer to bring out and separate the tones in a color image.

- Multiple Channel mixer black and white conversions that replicate the physics of film.

- What is "Faux-infrared" and a look at how to convert files to black and white from digital cameras that have been modified to shoot Infrared.

- When and how to most efficiently use the Gradient tool for black and white conversion.

If you want to understand how to make the best black & white images possible then this one hour webinar is for you.

The signup forms are time specific, so register for noon webinar here and the 2pm webinar here (You will see "class full" on the registration page, ignore it, fill our the short registration from you will get a seat, I promise).

The image below is from the very first wedding I ever shot, I entered it into print competition heard one of the judges say "This is one of the best black & white images I have seen", which made me think I might have a future in photography.

:)

The value of a family portrait...

2012-01-05T08:03:00.008-05:00

Sometimes we as photographers fail to recognize just how important what we do is, so it is easy to understand why clients (or potential clients) do as well.

But think about it, we are capturing a moment in time, a tiny slice of life that will be gone forever and will never return, so it's hard to understand why some people will balk at the price of a print but have no problem spending hundreds of dollars for just a single night out.

Here is a letter that will reinforce the importance of what we as photographers do and also reinforce the value of a printed image.

Thanks to photographer Jeanine Thurston for having the courage to post it.

What does 2012 hold for you?...

2012-01-03T11:32:00.010-05:00

Now is the prefect time to think about and plan for the upcoming year and I was going to put together my list of ideas but before I could put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) I read the guest blog post from Rick Sammon "Getting Ready for 2012 – Or 12 New Year’s Resolutions for Photographers" which is full of great ideas for not just making your photography better in the coming year, but making your life better as well.

All of his suggestions are outstanding, but the two I liked the most were "Think Free”, which involves making other peoples lives better by giving part of yourself. The other was a book from Dr. Wayne Dyer. I have been a huge fan of Dr. Dyer and have (about) 12 of his books in audio form and start every year by re-listening to all of them in an effort to better focus my life.

You can get a "Best of" 4 CD collection of Wayne Dyer for just $16 and I would highly recommend it.

Rick also suggest embracing technology and I think that nothing is more helpful (technologically speaking) than the iPad, and Terry White has put together his list of the top 100 Apps of 2011 and there are plenty of Apps on there for photographers.

These are some of the best free Apps that made my "best of" list in 2011:

Strobox - a lighting diagram creator that will serve as a setup reminder of your photo-shoots and it allows you to share your setups with others. It generates PNG file that you can share with anyone as easily as sending an email.

Pocket Light Meter - I think its name pretty much says it all.

Adobe Photoshop Express - a phenomenally powerful editing tool.

Soft Box Color - will allow you to turn you iPad into a soft box.

Pack The Bag - this will help you manage all your gear, create custom packing lists, and make sure everything you need for a location shoot will be there.

Frame Up - waaaaay cool. Not only will it allow you to show your clients what their images will look like on the wall, you can take a shot of the room they will hang in and use it as the background, so your client will see their images hanging in their house. An outstanding sales tool.

Lastly, not every photographer has the luxury of having a studio, if you have ever thought about setting up a home studio then you will want to sign up for (another) free seminar from the good folks at CreativeLIVE "Setting Up a Home Studio" is scheduled for Tuesday January 10th. You can sign up here, but if you can't make it not to worry, they are offering the one day course for download for just $29, but you will need to pre-order otherwise it will be $39.

I have purchased 4 of the CreativeLIVE courses and have loved every single one of them.

Closing the books on 2011...

2011-12-31T12:09:00.012-05:00

There are a few milestones all coming at me at once that are cause for me to pause... The new year starts tomorrow, my birthday is just days away, and we will hitting blog post number 1,000 in the next few weeks.

1,000 posts, who'd a thunk it. This blog started out as a way for me to inform my photography friends of the cool photo stuff I would find on my (endless) internet wanderings, I thought a blog was much kinder than stuffing their inbox's with photo related emails day after day.

This blog was not the trip I had planned on when it all started back in July 2007, but I could not be happier about where it has led.

And as I think about the posts that have meant the most to me (and our readers), they have little to do with photography. Like the images I created to memorialize local boys lost in Vietnam, birthdays (my daughters here and here, and my moms), and fathers day.

But the one post that stands out the most (to me) was about Mary Lake. Mary is a retired grandmother who makes by hand (on average) a dress a day for little girls in foster care or living with people other than their parents.

As if that alone wasn't amazing enough, Mary sews those pretty little dresses on an antique manual Singer sewing machine (meaning no electricity, you operate it by a treadle using your feet).

You can read the original posts about Mary and her wonderful work here and here.

What made me feel so good about these posts wasn't just Mary's heartwarming story, it was how you, the readers of Weekly Photo Tips responded. Mary has received gift cards (to buy sewing supplies), much needed material, and one of our readers even offered to buy her a brand spankin' new electric sewing machine.

I was blown away by your generosity (as was Mary).

Mary continues to make dresses, as of the last count she is up to 700 dresses. She sent me two (along with matching bags) as a thanks for a recent "care package" I sent her (I am looking for special little girls to give them to).

If anyone out there is looking for a good cause drop me an email and I will put you in touch with Mary.

Funny (coincidental) thing is that while I was planning this post I received an email from a reader:

"Most of your posts are very photography oriented (which I highly enjoy), while others are more heart-felt. I just wanted to let you know that because of your blogging I've accomplished quite a few things this year (including volunteering for a help-portrait event, giving my time to local pet shelters to take photos of their adoptable pets, and taking free photos of graduating college students). I've noticed that I get a lot of joy from sharing my photography expertise (although limited) to others. I just wanted to thank you for your thoughtful posts and I look forward to seeing more in 2012!"

This reinforced that I am in fact on the right track and that we have great readers.

Let me close out this post (and 2011) with my hopes and wishes for you.

If I could make a wish for all of us it would be that we not squander that most precious commodity, time.

In 2012 don't wonder "what if?", put it all out there.

Live, laugh, love, be loved, and gobble up life up with both hands.

Don't assume that the people in our life know how we feel about them, let's tell them, leaving nothing unsaid.

Be slow to anger and quicker to forgive.

We should put more effort into being happy than we do into being right.

Be the kind of friend we wish we had.

And as often as we can, let's perform an act of kindness for someone who has absolutely no way of paying us back.

Thank you for spending some of your time here in 2011, your presence has enriched my life, and I look forward to seeing you back here in 2012.

A very happy, hopeful, and healthy New Year to you and yours!

Weekly Photo Tips 2011 product of the year...

2011-12-29T10:25:00.007-05:00

Today we have the pleasure of announcing that Lighting in Layers from David Hobby of Strobist fame is our product of the year for 2011.

Several factors went into making our selection.

Quality of content: Lighting in Layers starts out with the absolute basics, shooting with a single window as your only light source and then builds in small steps until you are shooting high speed action with multiple lights.

Quantity of material: You get 7 DVD's that contain over 9 hours of learning. The first 6 DVD's are the 16 different on location shoots in hi def, DVD number 7 is the entire course in low def for use on your mobile device and will make your learning portable.

Appeal of the product: Lighting in Layers has information that people new to photography will be able to easily learn from, but there is also plenty for those folks who have been shooting for years, you'll find tips, tricks, and techniques that will help advance your craft. Bottom line, there is something here for everyone.

Price: You get the entire 7 DVD course for just $159 (with free shipping), which puts it into the price range that (almost) everyone can afford. If you want to understand (and control) light you really can't afford not to get this.

We reviewed Lighting in Layers back in September and you can read the entire review here.

If you would like to dig a little deeper into what Lighting in Layers contains before you buy, you can check out the complete gear list for each and every shoot right here, the final images shot at each shoot here, and the Flickr discussion thread here.

(click on any image to view larger in a a new screen)

At Weekly Photo Tips we have the good fortune of getting to test and use some pretty outstanding photography products and without a doubt, because of the quality of information and its affordability Lighting in Layers is head and shoulders above everything else we used this year.

A year end deal on a Canon Rebel T3i with lens...

2011-12-28T19:19:00.013-05:00

Adorama has a phenomenal deal on a Canon EOS Rebel T3i DSLR Camera / Lens Kit that comes with a Red Giant software bundle AND FREE shipping and you'll get it all for about $350 less than any other camera store out there!

Let me tell you what you will be getting for just $839 (not $1130 plus shipping others are charging):

* Canon EOS Rebel T3i Digital SLR Camera

* Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens

* 16GB SD Memory Card

* Slinger Camera Bag

* A second LP-E8 Lithium-Ion Rechargeable Battery

* USB 2.0 SD Card Reader

* Digital Camera & Lens Cleaning Kit

* Red Giant Adorama Production Bundle for PC/MAC (a $599.00 Value)

If you would like to take a tour of the Canon EOS Rebel T3i along with a 360 degree view just follow this link.

If you want to check out everything this deal has to offer take a quick trip over to Adorama, if you decide you want to purchase use the coupon code "S1234567" to get the special pricing of just $839.

Inspiration, motivation, determination...

2011-12-27T11:12:00.015-05:00

This is one of those year end, looking towards the future kind of a post. It was "born" after watching the Ted Forbes Christmas Eve video post over at The Art of Photography.

Here it is:

Videos aren't pushed through to subscribers, so you folks can find the video at this link.

Ted talks about being "remarkable" but it's not uncommon to get in a "rut" for many reasons, the holidays cut in on your photography time, if you live in paces like here in the northeast where the weather restricts your mobility as well as your ability to go outside and shoot. So you might need to put in some extra effort to break out of that rut, so I want to give you just a few resources that might help.

The first resources is from Ted himself, if you head over to The Art of Photography you'll find some wonderful learning opportunities, like his Master Class Live and his podcast.

Another resource worth investing some of your time into is Adorama TV, where you will find folks like Joe McNally, Chase Jarvice, Kevin Kubota, and David duChemin covering gear, techniques, and lighting. You name it and chances are really good you'll find it there. In their latest video offering you will find Bryan Peterson in a junk yard making the point that you can take pictures anywhere.

This next resource is not specifically photography related, but it is all about doing something everyday that will allow you to move closer to your dream, it's the 30 day challenge. It will give you everything you need to run a successful online business, teaching you about social media, keywords, market research, tracking visitors, and more. And it's broken into 30 days so that it comes in small easily digestible bites and it will help you create the positive habit of doing something everyday to "make it happen". You can download it for your iPhone, iPod, or iPad, and yes, it's free.

Lastly, if you want to be inspired by the work of others and get your own creative juices flowing I don't think there is anyplace better than 500px. You will see some pretty stunning work.

From their website: "500px is a photographic community powered by creative people from all over the world that lets you share and discover inspiring photographs."

You can signup for a free account which will give you a portfolio, a photo blog, and will also make your portfolio iPod and iPad ready so you can share it with clients (you can get the free app here). The paid version gives you this and soooooo much more.

So, I hope this is enough to spark you to move forward, to be remarkable.

A very Merry Christmas to you and yours!...

2011-12-24T10:30:00.011-05:00

Yesterday was Christmas cookie making day at our house, the sound rolling from the kitchen was the laughter of my wife and three daughters and it was a beautiful as any music I've ever heard.

Though it was only after I walked into the kitchen to fulfill my obligation as "taste tester" that I realized things are "different".

When my girls were younger it was simple, they would pile as much frosting, sprinkles, M&M's (and whatever else they could find) onto freshly baked cookies. How those delicate little cookies ever stood up under the weight of all that sugar was simply amazing.

And now it's... well, it's less sugar and more "let's see if we can embarrass dad". Yes, my daughters cookie decorating skills have definitely changed.

It is my hope that you and yours have a warm and loving holiday season.

I hope there is always food on your table and those you hold most dear sitting around it.

That your home is warm and your heart is always happy.

That as you look back over this past year you see happiness, and as you look forward to the new year you see nothing but hope.

In closing, a picture from a not to distant Christmas past... when my girls were believers... and they left goodies for the big guy and his reindeer.

Merry Christmas everyone.

My top five Christmas movies..

2011-12-23T11:54:00.008-05:00

Here I sit, listening to Christmas music (Johnny Mathis), our Christmas tree is dominating the room, and I'm really waaaaay more into Christmas than photography at this very moment so thought I would share my "top five" Christmas movie list.

Number one on my list is "The Bishop's Wife" with Cary Grant, Loretta Young, and David Niven. It's the story of an Episcopal Bishop who is losing sight of his family and why he entered the church as he becomes engrossed in having an elaborate new cathedral built, that is until an angel enters his life and helps him refocus on what is really important.

Second on the list is "A Christmas Carol"... don't really think I have to tell anyone what this movie is about.

Third is "It's a Wonderful Life", a story about how George Bailey spent his entire life trying to get out of Bedford Falls but for one reason or another never succeeds. Feeling his life has been wasted he has the rare opportunity to see what the lives of those he touched would have been like had he never been born, it's then he realizes he is the richest man in town.

Fourth is "Scrooged", a remake of A Christmas Carol set in modern days with Bill Murray. It is as heart warming as it is funny.

Fifth, and last on my list is "The Shop Around the Corner", another movie with Jimmy Stuart and is not really a Christmas movie, more that it takes place at Christmas time. If you've seen the movie "You've got Mail" you already know the plot line.

These are my favorites because they beautifully demonstrate love that we (should) have for each other and the better side of mankind. If you like sentimentality at Christmas (like I do) you just can't go wrong with any of these movies, if you haven't seen them I would strongly encourage you to do so.

Please, I would love to hear what movies have made it to the top of your Christmas list.