On Scene Video From Vermont

The new episode of Photoshop TV was just posted yesterday, and for those of you who have been following my Vermont "rain forrest" artic expedition here in the blog, you will certainly want to catch this episode because it features an on scene report (by yours truly) direct from the shoot. You'll see Moose (not the animal--the photographer); Joe McNally, Vincent Versace, Laurie "The Equipment Lady" Excell, and other fine folks freezing their butts off in the drizzly, rainy frozen trunda they call Vermont. Make sure you check it out, if for nothing else to see me wearing a really cool red coat, not unlike Santa's.

This is What I've Become...

....an animated bobblehead on a Website. Our IT guy found this and sent me the link. OK, how our IT guy found it, and why he found it, is a story for our HR dept., but nevertheless, here it is: my head turned into a floating bobblehead, courtesy of a NAPP member I met at Photoshop World. He was a really nice guy, but if I had know he was going to turn my head into a bobblehead, I'm not sure I would have posed. ;-) Here's the link (by the way, it's a manual bobblehead--you have to click directly my head, move it, and then release it). This is what I've become. Sad, isn't it? ;-)

Joe's technique follow-up

Here are some answers to comments posted about the black & white photo I took using Joe's technique: (1) I didn't use an SB-800 for the shot; I used a Photogenic StudioMax II 320 studio flash with a Photoflex Multidome Q39 soft box attachment (as shown here). (2) The subject was turned to the 10 o'clock position (the camera position being 12:00, if seen from above), and the softbox was positioned to his side, and just a little higher than his head. (3) It was shot at 100 ISO; 1/60 second at f/8, at 95mm using a Nikon D2Xs, mounted on a tripod, and fired with a cable release. Hope that helps. :-)

Putting Joe's Training To Work

So, after learning lots of cool stuff at the DLWS in Vermont, this weekend I pulled out a strobe with a softbox to try one of the portrait lighting techniques I learned from Joe McNally. The technique gives a dramatic light for male portraits that fades to solid black. Here's a portrait of my father-in-law (click on the photo to see a larger version) taken using that black Westcott Illuminator background (the same one I used for my daisy and calla lilly shots) using a single 2x3 softbox on a Bogen light stand. I shot tethered (to my laptop) using the new Nikon Camera Control software ($79) so I could see the shots full screen so I could tweak the lighting.

Vermont Wrap-Up

I survived multiple delayed flights (which culminated in the airline losing my luggage) and I'm finally back home (here's another shot taken from the last day's morning shoot). Now for my trip wrap-up report: I had an absolute blast from top to bottom. Sure, the weather stunk, but I have to hand it to the folks at DLWS (the Digital Landscape Workshop Series), because they took lemons (rainy cold weather for four days straight) and turned it into lemonade (a learning experience that had the students totally energized from beginning to end).

I've been to a number of DLWS workshops, all in nearly ideal weather, but this is the workshop where I learned the most. First off, the planned, and impromptu, flash lighting sessions from Joe McNally were brilliant, not to mention what I learned from Anne Cahill from Nikon (AKA: The Flash Queen) who was so incredibly helpful and knowledgable. Moose Peterson showed us how to shoot in the reality of bad weather, and helped us "work" the scene even when the elements were stacked up against us. It really made you think more about composition, more about light in challenging situations, and more about communicating with photography. If you can shoot in weather like this, imagine how you'll do on a beautiful sunlit morning. I learned some cool new masking tricks (and a retouching trick) from Vincent Versace, and Laurie Excell not only taught some great Photoshop techniques, her photography was really stunning. Every instructor really shared their passion, their humor, their good spirits, and their inspirational images, and everyone left feeling they had been through something very special (which is why I guess their workshops are sold out in advance).

Their next stop is Yosmite on Feb. 25-28, 2007, and if you haven't signed up, go to their site and snag a space now before it's too late. You'll leave a better photographer, a better Photoshop user, and you'll get some shots, no matter what the weather. My personal thanks to the entire DLWS staff for putting their heart and soul into every workshop. I can't wait for my next one!

Vermont, Day 3: That Old Rusty Truck...

....makes a pretty sweet black & white. The conversion was all done in Adobe Camera Raw in three simple steps. Here's how:

(1) Drag the saturation slider all the way to the left, to remove all the color
(2) Drag the Shadows slider to the right, until the shadows look nice and saturated
(3) Drag the Contrast slider to the right, until the photo looks nice and contrasty.

That's it. Three simple moves of a slider. After the conversion, I opened the photo in Photoshop and sharpened it using the Unsharp Mask filter.

Vermont, Day 3: Day of the Locust

Actually, as Dave and I stood there this morning, about 5:50 am in the coldest, rainiest weather yet, we both were thinking that the locust plague I mentioned yesterday would be preferable, because at least then we'd have something to shoot. Undaunted by the torrential rains and occasional snow flurries, we drove for about 45 minutes until we came to a gorge, where Dave and I both took some of the most forgettable photos ever. After the shoot, we set-up for the class photo. We stood there, in a group, each one shivering, cold, wet, and huddled together for warmth, and just then, at around 9:00 am, it happened. The weather gods sensed our shooting was done for the day, and the magical dawn light was safely over, so they released the sun. Harsh, direct, bright sun beaming down on our damp gear. Nevertheless, Dave and I had seen a couple of cool things on the way to the shoot; some old farming equipment in a nearby field and an old abandoned truck, so we jumped in the car and raced there. Of course, this angered the gods, and gray clouds quickly formed. I'm amazed it didn't rain. Here's one of the shots I got of the old truck. I call it, "old truck."

I call it "Pots"

Despite the catchy name, I kind of like this one. Kind of. It was taken in color, through a window at a historic site, and it was converted first to black & White, and then to a quadtone in Photoshop. Perhaps the reason I like it, is that I was able to shoot it while standing on a covered porch, thus avoiding the near-constant drizzle that follows Dave and I like a swarm of angry bees. Tomorrow is our last day, and tonight they are expecting one of these three atmospheric phenomenon to occur: (1) more rain, (2) snow showers, or (c) a locust plague. It could possibly be all three, but that's unlikely, because we're flying out tomorrow afternoon, so by that time the most gorgeous weather to grace the trees of Vermont will surely move into the area. Dave and I will scramble to shoot the first decent light we've seen from our seats in Airside B, Gate 13, but alas, it will be too late. If we get anything tomorrow morning, I'll post it. Don't hold you're breath. ;-) By the way, I did three posts today, so scroll down to catch the rest of "Day 2: Vermont Rainforest"

Back Up Plan B: Shoot Your Instuctors

When all else fails (and you've already shot your buddy), shoot Vincent Versace. Vinny is available (since it's raining, after all), and doesn't mind posing at a moment's notice. He's also kind to animals and small children, and as long as you don't make any sudden moves, he's really quite docile. The shot was taken in color and converted to B&W in Photoshop (click on the photo for a larger version).

Vermont, Day 2

Despite the fact that the sky is gray, it's drizzeling at all times, and I haven't got a shot I'm happy with yet (despite shooting hundreds of shots between the raindrops), I'm having a blast. Here's a shot from tonight's shoot. It's a small waterfall next to an old-fashioned grist mill in Weston, Vermont. The light was...well, there was no light, but at least it was 38 degrees, so that way when the rain trickled down upon our digital camera gear, it was refreshing (see, that's called marketing).

Rainy Day Backup Plan: Shoot Your Buddy

So, what do you do when it's raining, and the sky is gray? You shoot an on-location portrait of your buddy Dave (shown here on a farm in Vermont. You can't tell it from the photo, but Dave's hand is frozen to his D200 Camera body. It took four grown men to pull his hand free. You're not buying any of this, right?). Anyway, I couldn't shoot the broad side of a barn (literally), so I took this shot of Dave (click for a larger version), and I also got a decent portrait of Vinny, and one of Moose this morning, which I'll post later, once I put down the Vermont Mable Syrup. ;-)

Vermont: Day 1

OK, technically, it's day 2 because the Digital Landscape Workshop Series (DWLS) kicks off on Sunday night with three absolutely inspiring (and informative) sessions from Joe McNally, Moose Peterson, and Vincent Versace. It's a very social kick-off, and the photo presentations you see (on screen, and on the wall of the conference room), really get you inspired to get out there and shoot. This morning (Monday), at 6:15 am we did just that, in the nastiest, gray drissly cold weather this side of Buffalo. Even with the nasty conditions, we had a blast----everybody made the best of it, and although I didn't get a decent shot, my best buddy Dave Moser (who's here shooting with me) got two great shots. This evening, we did a dusk shoot, under the same gray cold skies, but for just about 6 minutes the sun came through and I was able to catch this pano of a small farm near the farm where we were shooting (click on it to see a larger version). The weather didn't dampen anyone's spirits, and the DWLS crew was just great. Having a ball, and tomorrow we'll have snow, so hopefully I'll have better luck. Still learning lots of great stuff, and hanging out with some really great people, and inspiring instructors. More tomorrow. :)

I'm Off To Vermont

Well, this weekend I'm off to do one of my absolute favorite things: spend a week shooting, in some just beautiful scenery, with some of my good friends. I'm heading up to Vermont tothe Digital Landscape Workshop Series (DWLS) to shoot with Moose Peterson, Vincent Versace, Laurie Excel, and Joe McNally. I couldn't be more excited. They make the shooting, and the learning, so much fun, and honestly it's about as enriching of a photographic experience as you can have. If you're not on board for Vermont, go check out one of their upcoming workshops before they're sold out at http://www.digitallandscape.org. It will change the way you shoot forever. By the way, if I get any decent shots, I'll try and post them here on the blog, but they work you pretty hard (your shooting day starts at around 4:30 a.m. to get in position for the best light), so I'm not making any promises. By the way, did I mention "I Can't Wait!!!" Well, "I can't wait!!!!!"

Dave Black's Amazing Photography

Earlier this year I got the opportunity to split a teaching day with sports photographer Dave Black. We sat through each other's sessions and he was just amazing, and that's why I was so excited to see him featured on the Nikon Pro site. It's a great article, and you get to see some of Dave's amazing photography, which is worth a visit by itself (click on the small thumbnails on the right side of the page to see larger versions of his work). Check it out at http://www.nikonpro.com/tech_talk_main.php

Nature Photographer? You've got to get BT Journal

I subscribe to a lot of different magazines and newsletters, but if there's one that I'm always psyched to see in my mailbox, it's BT Journal (written by legendary wildlife and nature photographer Moose Peterson). If you're a wildlife photographer, this quaterly newsletter will become your Bible because it gives you an insight (and images) that are both enlightening and inspirational. An annual subscription is only $28 and it's worth every penny---I highly recommend it. (By the way, you can download a sample issue at their Web site, or even request a free sample issue). Check it out at http://www.moosepeterson.com/journal/index.html

Introducing "The Photoshop Lad"

If you've been by the NAPP member website in the last month or so, you know we've been looking to add another Photoshop Guru to NAPP's in-house team of educators. Well, after an exhaustive search, I'm proud to introduce you to the newest member of our team, Corey Barker (shown above, center, on this week's Photoshop TV). We knew of Corey's work because he had won numerous Photoshop World Guru Awards, including the "Vincent Versace Award for Digital Photographic Excellence," and he's been a finalist in nearly every single Guru category, as well. He's an amazing artist, photographer, illustrator, and he's a really great guy, with a great sense of humor and he's a top-notch trainer to boot. Corey will be writing tutorials, writing for the magazines, doing videos, online training, and filling in for any of the Photoshop Guys when we can't make the taping of an episode. We had originally thought of calling him, "The Photoshop Dude" but Pamela, our Photoshop TV Producer, came up with the name, "The Photoshop Lad" (or, the Photoshop Laddie") and it just fit, even though he has no Scottish in his background, which makes it even more fitting! So, please join me in welcoming Corey---drop him a "welcome aboard" line at cbarker@photoshopuser.com

A Very Cool Photoshop Add-on Just Got Cheaper

By now you've probably heard of the Logitech's NuLOOQ Navigator for Photoshop (it came out in earlier this year), which is a brilliantly designed hardware device (shown here) that lets you take control of Photoshop's brush sizes, navigation (scroll and pan), it gives you assignable access to five of your most used Photoshop functions, and a whole bunch more, right at your fingertip. It's one of those things that once you see it in action, you say, "Oh, I've got to have that." However, there were two things keep this amazing product from being on every Photoshop users desk (1) it was only available for Macintosh users, and (2) it was kind of pricey. Luckily, both of those hurdles are gone: (1) it's now available for Windows, and (2) the price has dropped down to "the right price" of $79.99 (down from $149.99). If you hadn't looked at the NuLOOQ stuff before, now's the time to check it out at logitech.com

Long Live The Texture King!

I saw this site mentioned on the CreativeGuy blog and it rocks. It's a site that features free stock photography downloads of more than 250 textures; everything from fabric to rock, rust to glass, and everything in between. Plus, the site just has a very clean, easy to use design. All the way around it's a great site (plus, did I mention the downloads are free?). Love live the king! http://www.textureking.com/

Radio Interview on my new Digital Photography Book

I did an internet radio interview with Shawn King of "Your Mac Life" on my new book, "The Digitial Photogaphy Book." You can hear the interview at rtsp://qt.yourmaclife.com/yml/YML or http://www.yourmaclife.com

Why I Love The Adobe Blogs

A number of product managers and engineer's at Adobe have their own public Adobe blogs, and something happened this last week that reminded me of how much I enjoy having this great insight into what Adobe is thinking/feeling.

Last week a Web site posted an article trying to paint the case that Adobe and Apple are at war over Apple's Aperture. I read the article, and it seemed to me that there were some major misstatements of facts (to say the least). PhotoshopNews.com jumped on the story right away (those guys are on the ball), and right on the heels of it was a great post from Adobe's John Nack (one of the Photoshop project managers) on his Adobe blog addressing the "Adobe and Apple at War" article directly, immediately, and frankly. This is the kind of insight, comment (and emotion), you'd usually never get from your average Fortune 500 company, whose only communication with the public is normally through carefully orchestrated press releases. I think these Adobe blogs are priceless to us, Adobe's customers, and I applaud Adobe for giving their product managers and engineers a real voice and connection to their end users.

Read John's blog post at http://blogs.adobe.com/jnack/ and check out all the Adobe blogs at http://blogs.adobe.com/

I Want to Send You To Rome, Italy!

I really do, and I want to send you romantic Rome, Italy and pick up your airfare (for you and a friend), your hotel, and even your expenses while you're there. All you have to do is enter NAPP's "Photoshop User Awards: the first worldwide Adobe Photoshop Competition) and win the grand prize and the trip is on me. Not only that, you'll get to design a cover of an upcoming issue of Photoshop User magazine. Not bad, eh? OK, so what if you don't win the Grand Prize? Well, we're also picking winners in 11 different categories to win a $2,500 prize package, plus all the winner's art will be featured in an article in Photoshop User magazine. But if you don't enter, you can't win, so enter your work today. Check out the full details at http://www.photoshopuserawards.com/

Shooting Horses

OK, the first thing Linda, our gracious host for our dawn horse shoot on Friday, said was "Can we use some other term instead of "Shooting Horses?" So, on Friday morning we "photographed" some beautiful horses on a farm in Odessa, Florida. Here's one of my photos from that early morning shoot.

Shooting the Moon!

Last night we had a fairly darn glorious full moon, so I stepped out front, set up my gear and shot it (shown above--click for larger version). Shooting the moon, and getting good detail, is actually simple, but most folks get the shot on the left---the totally blown out, no detail moon. That's because they didn't use the "magic bullet;" two simple settings that work perfectly for shooting the moon. I included this trick in my new book "The Digital Photography Book" and I also included how to do a digital double-exposure in Photoshop to add the moon to any night time sky. Anyway, here's the simple steps (from the book):

(1) Use as long a telephoto lens as you've got (at least 200mm). I used a 200mm telephoto lens, but I added a 1.4 teleconverter last night so it was effectively almost a 300mm.
(2) Use a tripod. It's a must.
(3) The big trick is to then switch to manual mode, and use these exact settings: set your aperture to f/11, set your shutter speed to 1/250 of a second, aim and shoot. It's that easy, and that's exactly what I did to get the shot you see above, taken last night around 9:30 pm.

By the way, Amazon.com is selling the book for only $11.99. Cheap!.

New Nikon and Canon Users Rejoice: Adobe posts Camera Raw 3.6 Beta

If you're the proud owner of a new Nikon D80 or a Canon Rebel XTi, your Raw prayers have been answered, as Adobe just posted a beta version of the Camera Raw plug-in that now supports all those cameras and more! Download the Mac beta version, or Windows beta version.

Last Calla Lilly (and shot set-up info)

Here's one final Calla Lilly shot from Tuesday's shoot (made into a tritone in Photoshop CS2). I had a question posted (and some emails) asking about the set-up and camera info on how the shots I posted yesterday were taken. I did them using the exact (and I mean exact) same set-up I used for the daisies I shot last week (Scroll down to Wed. Sept 27th, and the step-by-step set up is there---I used the same camera, lens, tripod, background---every bit the same, and all shot with natural light. The camara settings are: Shutter Speed 1/125, Aperture Priority, 150mm focal length (Macro zoom), at f/5.6.

Calla Lillies

With apologies to my friend Vincent Versace (the master of photographing flowers), here are some shots I took yesterday late afternoon. I wasn't too thrilled with the shape of the Calla Lillies I wound up with, so I bought some white roses too, as a back-up plan (which you can see below).

White Rose

One More Lilly

My interview on PCBookReview.com

The computer book review site "PCBookReview.com" did an interview with me this week. The interview features a photo of me that includes no retouching whatsoever. You see, I don't believe in retouching, because I feel it obscures the real soul of the person, and distorts...it....aw, who in the hell am I kidding? That photo is so highly retouched, I'm not even sure if it's me. ;-) If you want to check it out (the interview, and my "unretouched" photo), it's at http://www.pcbookreview.com/content/view/241/26/

A great quote about portraiture

I ran across this brilliant quote in an article by portrait photographer Arthur Levi Rainville where he talks about about his credo, his "golden rule," and the reason he is a portraitist. He said, “A Picture is of somebody, but a Portrait is about somebody.”

My One-Day Seminar in LA is Coming Up!

If you live in the LA area (or are just looking for some semi-legimate excuse to go to Hollywood for the weekend), then come spend the day with me, on Tuesday, Nov. 2nd for "The Photoshop Power Tour," my one-day seminar that's coming to the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Since you're a NAPP member, you can attend for only $79 for the full day (the public pays $99), but there are a limited number of seats. For the full class schedule, or to sign up, go to PhotoshopSeminars.com Hope I'll see you there!

LA Splash Magazine Reviews Photoshop World

Judith Orr, from LA Splash Magazine, did an in-depth review of the recent Photoshop World conference, which appears in her Tech Talk column on LA Splash's Web site. There's lot of behind the scenes photos, and a great overview of the goings on. Check it out at http://www.lasplash.com/