Tag: Articles

I Resolve To…

Jason3 Comments

Happy Tuesday to all!  As we wind down the Year of the Tiger (2010 was the Year of the Tiger according to the Chinese Calendar), I find myself, as always, looking at the events of the past 365 days, and wonder to myself what I’ve done.  Have I accomplished my goals? Did I challenge myself in new ways?  What have I learned?  All of these questions are ones we should ask ourselves periodically.

Setting Goals
Setting Goals

While I answered yes to many of the questions, I did have to admit that I had not devoted as much time to the learning side of things.  After spending time on writing blog posts, taking pictures, going on shoots, recording podcasts, talking to vendors, and the whole schmear, I had only attended 1 workshop!  While the workshop was a phenomenal one (David Ziser’s Captured By The Light tour), it’s just one aspect of photography.

So,  2011 will hopefully be a year of learning.  I know it seems odd that the host of the Learning Digital Photography podcast and author of Canon Blogger is endeavoring to learn more, but that brings up a very good point that bears mentioning – we never stop learning! I had a colleague say something to me recently after we had several discussions about various aspects of the craft.  His words went something like “I could learn a lot from you about licensing and copyright.”  It reminded me that no matter who we are, or where we think we are in our craft, there is always going to be someone out there that knows more than us about something.  Whether it’s licensing, printing, composition, or any other topic – there is always more to learn.  And you can learn from anywhere!

With that in mind, one of my priorities in 2011 is to attend more workshops and seminars  From my perspective, when you stop learning, you’ve stagnated, and creativity begins to subside.  What a great opportunity to move forward with in 2011!  And it all came from a little introspection, and looking at my goals for 2010..it gave me motivation, desire, and a resolution for 2011!

As always, let’s turn the question out for the reading/listening audience.  What were your goals for 2010?  Did you reach your goals?  Are you happy with what you’ve done? What about 2011?  Any photography goals for the year?  Share your thoughts, views, visions and dreams in the comments or via email.  Don’t forget to keep on shooting!  We’ll see you back here again tomorrow for more photography goodness!

To sharpen or not to sharpen

Jason4 Comments

I was having a conversation recently with a fellow photographer and the discussion turned to taking the sharpest possible photos with your camera, and what was needed for it.  Inevitably, post production came into play, and being very much a purist, he claimed that he does no sharpening in post production.   It struck me that this sounded odd to run no sharpening algorithms in a digital world, as my understanding was quite different.  I tried to make the case orally, but was hard-pressed to really make a convincing argument for it without supporting documentation.  Given my penchant for writing, the resolution was my advice to “read the blog in a few days…there will be a post on sharpening”!  So, for Paul (and for others who may be interested, here’s my take on whether or not to sharpen your images, and when!

The way I understand the digital photography landscape (no pun intended), is that there are three phases in which you can (and should) sharpen your images:

  1. Capture Sharpening – This type of sharpening is done on initial import from your camera to your image editor.  Whether that is through ACR in Photoshop, in Lightroom (which has ACR built in), or any other application.  This initial one is of utmost importance because of the inherent softening of images during the demosaic process when interpreting raw sensor data.  As I understand it, the settings used here are relative to the camera you are using, but not so much the specific image.
    2. ACR Sharpening
    ACR Sharpening
  2. Creative Sharpening – After import, this would be the time when selective and subjective interpretations are done on images.  Whether you choose to apply USM (unsharp mask) in Photoshop, a High Pass overlay layer, or some other means, these types of effects are always done to taste, and very much open to interpretation.
    3. Creative Sharpening using High Pass Filter
    Creative Sharpening using High Pass Filter
  3. Output Sharpening – Last, but not least, output sharpening is when you apply sharpening effects specific to your output device.  These settings are dependent on the output device, such as a printer, the web (screen), as well as the size and resolution of the output image (smaller size requires less sharpening than larger files).  Even within output sharpening there are settings specific to the printer you are using, and to the paper you are using,

Again though, these are just my impressions on whether sharpening is needed in a digital age or not. I know someone is going to ask, so should probably state here that an entirely different set of criteria should be used when talking about film sharpening techniques…but I digress! 🙂  Back on topic, there’s actually a couple really good resources (from my biased perspective of course) that discuss sharpening in much greater detail than I did here.  First off, a book called “Real World Sharpening” by Bruce Fraser and Jeff Shewe is one I would highly recommend.  For those with an online reading preference, here’s another good article on the subject, also by Bruce Fraser.

Am I off base?  What are your thoughts on sharpening?  Is it needed in a digital world?  When and how do you sharpen your images (if at all)?  Sound off in the newest poll (also in the sidebar):

[poll id=”14” ]

25 Gift Ideas for 2010 – Part 2

Jason5 Comments

Last week began the grand-tastic gift guide for 2010, where I shared 5 of 25 great gift ideas for the photographer in your life.  I keep the criteria simple.  First, I must either own or want it!  Second, It must be $50 or less.  To read the first five in part 1, feel free to hit the archive for it here.  Otherwise, today, we continue with Part 2:

1.  Wireless Trigger System:  Pocket Wizards, Radio Poppers and Cybersyncs are great if you’ve got the moolah, but for those on a budget, there should be some happy medium to get reasonably reliable triggers.  I had tried the Cactus triggers myself, and they were a good point of entry, but really just were too unreliable.  My buddy Kerry Garrison from Camera Dojo has researched the heck out of this and knows his stuff on lighting.  He’s put together a great kit that includes everything you need from transmitters to receivers, and PC Sync cables too, all for the budget-friendly $50 rate!  Check out his demo video here and get your photographer a set of these.  I can’t wait to get my own set!

Wireless triggers from Camera Dojo
Wireless triggers from Camera Dojo

2.  Lexar Memory:  Everyone could use an additional memory card, and with prices dropping rapidly, the 8GB UDMA CF cards are now within the budget-conscious range, so pick up a spare (or two) of these as we never have enough in our bags…this one is linked from B&H but pick your own vendor of preference as the deals are across the internet.

Lexar CF Cards
Lexar CF Cards

3.  Black Rapid RS7 – Okay, so it’s 8 bucks over the limit, but for the portability and easing of camera holding during extended sessions, the Black rapid RS 7 is a godsend.  If you don’t have one – get one, plain and simple.  Visit here to buy one today!

Black Rapid RS-7
Black Rapid RS-7

4.  Online Training – a month or two from either Kelby Training or Lynda.com is just the ticket to help the photographer in your life help themselves.  Whether it’s a refresher on Photoshop, boning up on Indesign, or even learning how to set up a WordPress blog or website, these are great resources for online training.  Monthly rates are $25 on average, and with the holidays approaching, you could easily find discount codes or bonus offers for signing up, so consider this valuable option.  It’s all part of the mentality of helping people advance in their craft through education!

Online Training
Online Training

5.  Light Stand – I have been procrastinating getting a second light stand for some time now and there is just no excuse.  The primary is an Impact stand I got from B&H and it has served me well, so I just need to add this to my own wish list, and encourage you to add one to yours (if you don’t already have enough that is…but then again, do we ever have enough lightstands – it’s a VAL you don’t have to feed or take out for beers after a shoot!)!.  Here’s my own preferred one:  10′ Impact Lightstand (Tracy, are you reading this?) I should probably note here that I am linking to the 10′ tall heavy duty one – well worth the extra investment in my opinion, but for the super budget-conscious, these can get as cheap as $20 for a light duty 6′ one!

Impact Light Stand (6' to 10')
Impact Light Stand (6' to 10')

Okay, so consider it 5.5 suggestions today.  I’m sure you have your own ideas too, so feel free to throw your own suggestions in the mix.  Remember, with two down and three to go, keep the ideas coming as I do have some room open for a few more!  Happy shooting and we’ll see you back here again tomorrow!

25 Gift Ideas for 2010 – Part 1

Jason9 Comments

We are officially into the holiday frenzy, and with Black Friday sales creeping up quickly, it’s time to start thinking of some gift ideas for the photog in your own family…or to drop subtle hints to others (if you want it for a present)!  Over the next few weeks, I’ve got 25 great gift ideas to share with you.  I’ve tried to keep true to some principles with these gift selections, so just to let you know, here’s my barometer for inclusion:

A.  I either own it or want it!  If I don’t own it, how can I say it’d be a great gift?  Only if it’s something I want!

B.  Let’s be realistic, the current economic trials are hitting us all hard – and throwing $100+ ideas on a gift guide is too rich for the blood of many photog-types in the trenches, so it’s gotta be cost-effective (nothing over $50)

To keep this manageable, it’s been parted out into five posts – each with 5 items.  These are in no particular order, with no favoritism or affiliation to the actual products or vendors.  So, without further ado:

1.  Ditty Bag – My brother had some of these on our canoe trip earlier this year, and they proved invaluable in keeping my gear dry.  $27 for a three-pack of dry ditty bags is a steal!  From REI:

 

REI Ditty Bags
REI Ditty Bags

2.  The Photo Mug – What can I say?  I want one of these muchly.  With my own expenditures being withheld to ones that are needed versus wanting, and not splurge items, I just have to hope someone in my family sees this:

Photojojo Lens Coffee Mug
Photojojo Lens Coffee Mug

3.  The Battery Caddy – I know, this was in last years showcase, but that should tell you how much I love this.  Mine was won in a photo contest online about three years ago and it has never left my camera bag.  Brilliant idea, and worth its weight in gold!  More options available than the AA clip shown here.

Battery Caddy
Battery Caddy

4.  Flickr is probably one of the most recognizable photo sharing sites.  With a pro account ads are banished and you are not limited in your daily uploads nearly as much.  Only $25 gives the gift for a year!

Give the Gift of Flickr
Give the Gift of Flickr

5.  Pocket Rocket from Think Tank.  A sponsor of the Lightroom workshop, Think Tank gave us a bunch of these to include for each participant.  I had to have one myself too, so out went the $17 – totally worth it!

Think Tank Pixel Pocket Rocket
Think Tank Pixel Pocket Rocket

Number 6-10 will be out soon, but I still have room on the list for some late additions, so if you’ve got some ideas, feel free to share (sharing is a good thing) either here in the comments or with me via e-mail.  Happy shooting and we’ll see you tomorrow (or possibly Friday)!

Close to Home – from Craft and Vision

Jason1 Comment

I was on the verge of taking a day off on account of tired – my new shift at work goes from 6:30am to 3:30, and the adjustment on my internal body clock has been a challenging one to accommodate.  However, I remembered a quick post I wanted to make to share with everyone a great eBook I had the pleasure of previewing from the crew working with David DuChemin.  So, now is as good a time as any! Continue reading “Close to Home – from Craft and Vision” →

Does Fall Foliage Make for Good HDR?

Jason7 Comments

One of the best tips I’ve ever received is to look all around for photos – even in your own back yard.  Over the weekend, while on the daily dog walk, a few scenes happened to catch my eye.  Not satisfied with what the camera phone could do, I quickly came back to the house and got the SLR out.  A few minutes later, started capturing some of the scenery that remained of the fall foliage that is still present at the lower elevations.  The next thing I knew, I was looking up, looking down, looking behind me, and poof – I had a whole new set of images for a “fall foliage” collection!  These are the types of images that definitely benefit from some subtle HDR processing both to enhance the colors, as well as bring some light to shadowed areas while allowing for the lighter whites of the clouds.  Here’s some of the scenes I captured from just this one outing:

Yellow and Blue
Yellow and Blue

Iydillic Scene
Iydillic Scene
Orange, Red, and Blue
Orange, Red, and Blue

Yellow, Green, and Blue
Yellow, Green, and Blue

Colors Colliding
Colors Colliding
Going Low
Going Low

As you can see, the subtle HDR processing really added something to the photos.  Is it good?  Is it bad?  As in most things artistic, there is something of a judgment call involved.  Perhaps an important side note here in learning more about composition is to realize that something came out of an otherwise normal exercise (taking the dog for a walk), and in looking all around yourself, images are available everywhere.  Where should you look for your next photo?  Right there!  You just have to know to look for it!

Happy shooting and we’ll see you back here again tomorrow!