Tag: contests

The first ever Comment Contest!

Jason18 Comments

After a short (and unexpected) break from blogging yesterday, here’s a Friday Free-For-All for you!

Here’s where reader input is going to be what makes or breaks the content – that’s right, I am putting it all on the reading audience.  You can link to your own site in the comments, and the “Comment Luv” plugin will show the most recent post for fellow bloggers too.  Here’s what the content topics are to chose from (you can pick one, two, three, or all of the topics to address in your comment):

  1. What are your favorite iPhone/iTouch applications (for photography)?
  2. Who would you like to see guest-write here on the blog (you can include yourself too)?
  3. If Canon Blogger were to start a monthly newsletter, what would you like to see in said newsletter?
  4. If Canon Blogger were to start publishing eBooks for download, what topics would you like to see addressed?
  5. What one photo tip would you share with others above all else to help improve their photography (and “Take off the lenscap” is not allowed! LOL)

The best part of this?  Some lucky commenter will win a $25 gift card to B&H Photo from yours truly!  Yup, no sponsors, no tricks, no gimmicks, no nothin’ but free moolah to the best photo store on the planet!  All out of my pocket!  What am I looking for?  Useful content and ideas that will help me generate more resources to share with everyone.  So, get your thinking caps on and get to commenting.  If you post a comment and think of something later, feel free to add it – but your name can only be “entered” in the Comment Contest once!

When does it end?  Midnight Sunday!  (August 30, 2009 – so if you are reading through archives and this is like March 15th, 2035, sorry, the contest is over…)

And speaking of contests, you also only have three days left to get your shots into the Flickr thread for the “Win a Wacom” contest!  The contest pool of entries has increased a tad bit, but you can’t win if you don’t play, so get a shot or two in over the weekend – as they say at the Lotto – “Hey, ya never know!”

Finally, on this last Friday of August, I’d like to share yet again, an absolutely hysterical strip from What The Duck (I shared it earlier this week), but this  just floored me, so had to give another shout out for those that haven’t picked up WTD in your readers yet (and you should!).  So, have a laugh, then have some fun and share your thoughts – the sky is the limit.  Have a great weekend everyone and we’ll see you back here on Monday!

Post #500: Celebrating a Milestone!

Jason11 Comments

balloons-42

Not sure where to begin really – this is all kind of surreal, because I really didn’t think that this milestone would see me where things are today with the blog.  Needless to say, the blog has succeeded beyond my wildest expectations, so thanks to everyone who’s made that possible.  Without further ado, here’s the big news (via YouTube video, so feed readers, stop in and get the news by taking a few minutes out of your day for this exciting video news bulletin!):

For the data hounds, here’s a rundown of some of the stats for a snapshot of what’s that’s happened thus far on the blog:

  • Posts = 500
  • Comments = 1107
  • 107 Categries
  • 544 Tags
  • Total Visitors = 231,000
  • Single Highest Traffic Day:  Thursday, April 10, 2008
  • Subscribers:  1006
  • Highest Subscriber Count Ever:  1018 (4 days ago)

That’s a lot of stuff when you think about it.  So, for all the thousands of you that have been tuning in regularly, thanks so much for all your kind thoughts, words, and contributions over all this time.  Tune in to the YouTube video for the contest news and some other fun stuff!  In the meantime, keep on shooting – you know what’s coming up in the next 500 posts!  Happy shooting everyone.  Have an awesome weekend and we’ll see you back here on Monday for post #501!

Post # 499: Audioboo Addition!

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As promised, as we gear up for magical #500 tomorrow – more content has been added to the blog.  This is not something that can be gotten from the feed though, so for you feed readers out there, stop over the the blog and check out the new widget in the side panel that has links to… AudioBoo!

audioboo

So, what is Audioboo?  AudioBoo is a unique way for people with iPhones and iPod Touches to share their short audio recordings – courtesy of the folks at Audioboo.fm  It’s kind of a cool concept, because the recordings (called “boos”) are typically short – 2-5 minutes in length, and if you visit the site, you can see there is quite a bit of content there.  If you’d like to pick up my audio feed from that directly, you can grab the RSS for that by following this link:  http://audioboo.fm/profile/CBJason.

The whole premise behind this is that I can deliver audio tips and tricks, thoughts and ideas relating to photography to you whenever a good idea strikes!  It should be a fun experiment and I can promise that there will be some personal stuff to give a little more variety too (like my favorite brew at a local microbrewery!)  Fair warning – as football season rapidly approaches, you may here more Broncos talk too!  I’ll try to stay on point with photography ideas though, so either pick up the feed there, or (preferrably) visit the blog regularly for content updates.  This is definitely in a beta stage and may grow or fade away depending on interest, time, and other factors.

In other news, I’ve had a number of people as about photos taken from the star tracking station I built and recorded onto YouTube.  Unfortunately, the astrophotography gods have not been kind thus far as the night sky has had a lot of cloudiness.  Hopefully this weekend will be more favorable – but I am planning on packing it into the bottom of my checked back on my upcoming trip.

Speaking of which, thanks to everyone who gave their thoughts on what the last book should be for the trip.  I’ll likely be making my book purchases through Amazon this weekend (unless the library comes through for me again! 🙂 ), and I’ll have an announcement on Monday of who wins the B&H gift card, so be sure to stay tuned for that!

Given the title of this post – you should at least have an idea of what’s coming tomorrow – but it’s a two-fold announcement, and because it’s just so cool, I am going to be announcing something big for the September Giveaway too!  And how’s that for a great segue to let you know that there is little time left in the August Giveaway – where you can Win a Wacom!  (Click the link for the Flickr thread and details.)

Well, that’s enough for today – happy shooting and we’ll see you back here tomorrow for the big one!

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Great Scott, Mat, and Contests, Oh My!

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Heh, cheesy headline, but they all seam together on this week’s episode of Learning Digital Photography!  Yup, the podcast is done, and for those that didn’t catch my Twitter tease, this week I had the distinct pleasure of talking with none other than Scott Bourne on the show!  If you don’t know who Scott Bourne is, then you’re living in a cave.

Scott is a regular contributor to Mac Break Weekly, This Week in Photography, and owner/operator of PhotoFocus.  You can find him there, via his Bourne Media Group online presence and a bazillion other places like Photoshop World, Aperture Nature Photography Workshops, Bosque Del Apache, and much much more.  I could link to it all but that would take an entire post of it’s own, so will point you to his main presence at Photofocus and Twitter:

http://www.photofocus.com

http://www.twitter.com/scottbourne

We had a great talk on this week’s show, covering his photo background from Motocross to Wedding work, and of course his Avian work as well.  We took a look at a little of the gear side, got some nuggets on branding and the business side, and even had a chance for a couple twitter questions.  Great stuff and all packed into a mere 30 minute interview!  Thanks again to Scott for taking the time to talk to me on the podcast!

Other content from the show includes a discussion on some of the things to consider on matting and framing (hence mats in the title), and an in-depth look at the finalists from the last LDP contest.  There’s also nuggets and links for other contests out on the web as well as what to look for in future LDP contests, so some teaser stuff there too.  All in all, a great (but long) show so grab it from your preferred source point, whether with the folks at PLM, or in iTunes!

Here’s the links, as promised from the show!

Mats and Framing

  1. American Frame
  2. Redimat
  3. Guide to Preservation Matting

Contests

  1. OnOne Top Ten Finalists
  2. Wacom Giveaway
  3. Bogen Imaging Macro Giveaway
  4. Music/Band Photography Contest

Gear: Ring Flash

  1. Canon Ring Flash
  2. RayFlash
  3. Metz Ring Flash

Technique: Causes of Blur

  1. Camera shake
  2. Subject Shake
  3. Sharpness/Depth of Field

So, there’s the link love for the show – it was a lof of fun this week, but the weekend is almost upon us.  This Saturday it’s another photoshoot with the Meetup Group and then some night photography as I prep for the next article of PhotographyBB Magazine! Make sure you get out and do some shooting too.  Have a good weekend everyone and we’ll see you back here on Monday!  Happy shooting!

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Galleries Addendum

Jason4 Comments

Yesterdays post on how to get into galleries generated some great questions and comments both via email and on the blog, so in the interests of keeping that interest and momentum going, here’s a few more tips on Getting Into Galleries, courtesy of Dave Warner from LensFlare 35 and Rich Charpentier (who I’ve interviewed here on the podcast).  Thanks guys for chiming in and offering your assistance!  Onto the 5 additional tips:

  1. Make sure the gallery shows photography – if gallery owners deal primarily with paintings, sculptures, metal work, and such, the odds of being accepted are much less.  This involves actually doing a little research into the gallery.  Perhaps a visit or two during different showings could help determine whether the venue is appropriate for your work.
  2. Make sure the gallery shows your type of work – if you are primarily a landscape artist and the gallery primarily shows urban gritty work, portraiture, or architectural types f work, then again, reconsider the venue.
  3. Contact the gallery – let them know you are interested in being considered, and give a few small samples via email.  Ask if you can schedule a time to visit with them.  Like Dave and Rich said, nothing can be a bigger turnoff than showing up unannounced and possibly interfering with a scheduled appointment or client sale.
  4. Be professional – treat a prospective gallery showing like a job interview.  Just like you wouldn’t want to show up with 4×6 photos in a binder album, also don’t show up on site wearing cut-off shorts or be un-groomed.  It’s not just your work that is being considered, it’s YOU.  If you are accepted into the gallery, in all likelihood, they will want you there for the opening day, so people can meet you, learn about you and interact with you.  If you don’t present yourself with your best foot forward, then clients and gallery owners will probably be less interested.  Once you are big and famous, sure, being unkempt can be part of your “flair” or quirks, but until then, you are just messy!
  5. Be prepared to be told no.  It’s tough to hear, but don’t take it personally if at all possible.  Running galleries is a business, and when it comes to running a business, it’s not personal – it’s just a business decision.  Consider also that gallery owners get many many requests from aspiring artists, and simply do not have room or space all the time.  In the most recent podcast, Matt Timmons mentioned this briefly.  Just because someone says no, doesn’t mean a lifetime of “no”.  It just means “No” today.  Ask again in a few months.  Sometimes people like to see persistence, especially if your craft is getting better.

So, there you go, two days of tips on getting into galleries!  Ten tips total, so go forth and good luck!

Speaking of luck, best of luck to everyone who has been submitting their “Numbers” themed photo contest running right now over in the Flickr forums.  I took a quick glance this morning, and there are just shy of 50 entries.  Amazing given that only one entry is allowed per person!  And there’s still time – you have until midnight tonight to get your picture in.  The winner will walk away with a free copy of the OnOne software Plugin Suite (valued at over $500 retail)!  If you are thinking of getting in the game, now’s the do-or-die moment.  Like they say in lotteries – you can’t win if you don’t play!  Here’s the link to get in the game:  Numbers Contest

Have a great weekend everyone – Happy shooting and we’l see you back here next week for the latest and greatest in photography news, nuggets, interviews, reviews, and all that goes into Canon Blogger.  We’re closing in on some pretty fun dates, including the 500th post, the 2 year anniversary of CB, 1000 Twitter followers, and much more, so be sure to pick up the feed.  I know I had mentioned the next contest on the podcast as well, so be sure to stop back in Monday for the news on what the theme is, and to pick up the tag on Flickr for the thread.

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Show Notes for Episode #28

Jason3 Comments

No cheeky title today, just a straight up informational one because the podcast was a super long one with all the news, interview time, and listener Q&A so I’ll stick to the meat and potatoes.

  1. On the Photo News Beat
    1. Canon Announces Hybrid IS technology
    2. Stock Exchange joins Getty Images
    3. Think Tank Photo Announces a New Bag System
    4. OnOne Software expecting to release a Remote Capture update soon
  2. LDP/CB Notes
    1. The OnOne Software Plugin Suite Ends Friday – last chance to get your best image in the Numbers Contest
    2. The August Prize is announced:  A Bamboo Fun, courtesy from the folks at Wacom
    3. Exposure Denver Photo Club
  3. Interview With Matt Timmons – MTM Studios
  4. Listener Q&A
    1. The Sony A100 DO Range Optimizer – Bog Segrell from NJ
    2. Martini Memory Lighting Setup? – Alistair M from New Zealand
    3. Where do you get the EOS Digital Capture from Canon? – George Maskaly from Nevada

Here’s links, as promised for the show notes to for those coming over from either PLM or iTunes.  Please let me know if I missed any (it’s getting late here)…

A last little bit of blog news – closing in on 2 yrs, 500 posts, and 1000 feeds – I don’t know how this ever happened, but there’s definitely going to be some prizes coming soon in celebration and to say thanks to all the loyal, faithful readers and listeners!  I teased the date a few days ago on Twitter so if you’re not on Twitter, get there for extra added value too! Happy Shooting All, and we’ll see you back here again tomorrow!

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Photo News, Interviews, and Contest News

Jason1 Comment

As you may have guessed, the podcast that was delayed Friday is now compiled and ready for your listening pleasure.  I would like to take another moment to thank Terry Reinert of TKR Photo for taking the time to participate in the interview series – not only is he full of useful information, but a great guy to boot.  We literally could have B.S.ed on Skype for another couple hours if time permitted.

This does mean the hardware review was supplanted for this week, due to the dentail fiasco from Friday.  On that note, I would also like to clarify that it ended up not being the crown, rather a filling next to it (my mouth is a mess – surprise surprise), that was hitting a nerve.  So, it looks like another root canal is headed my way.  Fun stuff!

So, without delay, here’s the show notes for this weeks episode of LDP, which you can listen or subscribe to from the PLM site here (it’s also linked in the header up top):

Photo News

Contest News

  • OnOne Software Contest currently underway (make sure you submit your images in the next couple weeks – time’s a’wastin’!)
  • Congrats to Fred for winning the discount coupon for Fotoquote Pro
  • Wacom Contest is coming up next month – details TBD

Interview with Terry Reinert

Listener Questions and Answers:  Exposure Triangles, Filters, and Hair Lights

Thanks for subscribing, and have a great day all.  Happy shooting and we’ll see you back here tomorrow!

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A video short on HDR and bracketing

Jason4 Comments

One of the more popular posts here on the blog has been two that consisted of explanations on how to bracket multiple exposures in camera in order to capture a wider range of exposure values than is typically permitted in a single frame.  Typically, these various exposures are then seamed together in some editor like Photoshop, Photomatix or other that is available to produce an effect called HDR – high dynamic range.  You can get some impressive results with various techniques that appeal to different subjective perspectives.

Here at the blog though, rather than take sides on such post processing methods, it’s more fun to show people how to do things, and then let you all take your own liberties either with the approach or with your processing afterward, or both to get results that appeal to you!  With that in mind, the feedback I’ve received from the previous discussions included a large number of people that asked for visuals of the process (I guess they are all visual learners).

Well, rather than take several dozens of images showing all the various settings and then explaining how I got toeach, a video seemed a more appropriate approach.  So, here’s the video short for those of you that requested visual aids.  It’s not the most professional but you should be able to get the gist.

This would also be a good time to remind everyone that we are in the dwindling days of the Adobe Lightroom contest.  You can win your own free copy of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, courtesy of the folks at Adobe, simply by entering images you’ve taken in May over at the LDP Flickr thread.  Limit two images per person, but there’s still room for many more entries (no limit on the number of PEOPLE that can participate!)  just join the group for free and post your images.  Good luck to all and may the best photo win!  (Final results will be posted in June – I’l send my top ten picks back to Tom Hogarty for final judging when he’ll pick the winner!)

That’s it for today – I should have the podcast up tomorrow, but as always, no promises as my schedule has been fluctuating at work lately.  Happy shooting, and I will be back with more news, information, insights, tips and tricks tomorrow, whether in written or audio form.  Thanks for tuning in and we’ll see you back here again tomorrow!

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What’s This? – Week 17

Jason2 Comments

It’s a little late in coming (busy morning today at work), but here is the Week 17 edition of “What’s This?”:

What's This? - Week 17

As always, those who correctly identify the image from this cropped portion win fabulous prizes, win fame and fortune, money, money, money, and lots of photo gear and software….yeah okay, that part’s not true…but you do get bragging rights!

Some of you may have noticed that there is now a widget on the sidebar for my twitter account.  It’s kind of fun actually and I can see how so many are addicted.  I’m trying to post there more regularly, but cannot guarantee a lot of activity.  It’s really just daily stuff – work stuff, occasionally photo-related, but if you want a glimpse of the “personal me”, that would be the place to find out.

Also, don’t forget – today is the last day to vote in the TWIP photo contest.  The prize is a 1st generation Drobo.  I am currently in 7th place for vote tallies, so any help would be appreciated (not that I expect to win or anything, but stranger things have happened…)  The link to vote is here (you have to have a Photrade account)

In other news, be sure to stop in tomorrow for the latest Thursday Thoughts with Jason D. Moore!  Thanks in advance to Jason for taking the time to sit down with me and talk about a variety of photography subjects.  It really was an informative session and I learned a little more about him (which of course is the goal…).  If you’d like to be featured in an upcoming edition of Thursday Thoughts, and get some free referrals to your blog, let me know in the comments or via email and we’ll see what we can work out to help one another!

Well, that’s it for this Wednesday. Happy shooting and we’ll see you back here tomorrow with Jason D. Moore!

The Beauty of Bokeh

Jason2 Comments

Happy Monday to all – before getting into this week’s first post, I’d like to take a moment and remind everone of the NEW CONTEST that CB has started.  The theme is Photograph Freedom, and there are prizes to be had.  More details can be found on the post from 7-3, linked here.

On to new news, I was thinking about subjects over the course of the weekend that could serve as useful material for fellow photographers and aspiring photographers that has not seen much coverage lately (no sense in repeating everything that everyone else has already said 10 different ways, right?).  I got to thinking about everything that makes for capturing great images, and one aspect that contributes (or detracts from) that I’ve not seen much attention on lately is that of bokeh.  So, in the spirit of putting out new and original (as well as useful) content, I did a bit of research over the weekend, and have put together an article on The Beauty of Bokeh. Any who would like to read this initial version are welcome to download the PDF file attached to this post.

In closing for Monday, I’d like to leave it to the readers out there:  what are your thoughts on the quality and nature of bokeh?  Do you clean up your bokeh or do you like the effect it has on images?  What types of bokeh appeal to you and what do you find not as appealing?  Share your thoughts in the comments!