LIGHT Photographic Workshops

New RRS Tripod and Ben Willmore/Light Review from Joe

2012-01-23T15:22:00.000-08:00

Really Right Stuff recently released their new travel tripod. The link will take you to their description and also to a great review. Joe Jr. joined Light and Ben Willmore recently for a weeklong class and attached a review in the RRS newsletter.

RRS Newsletter

Cannot wait to get my hands (and camera) on this tripod.

Fiat Lux!

Non iTunes Interview Link

2012-01-23T14:47:00.001-08:00

Here is the non-iTunes interview link from last week.

Fiat Lux!

Build a Better Photograph

On the "Radio" with Michael Stern

2012-01-13T13:03:00.000-08:00

Had a great time with Michael Stern this morning on the Build a Better Photograph online radio/podcast show. He also had a guest on who is an expert on search engine optimization (SEO) for photographers. Definitely worth a quick listen.

The link below will take you to the podcast download.

Build a Better Photograph

Fiat Lux!

Lightroom 4 Beta Quick Look

2012-01-10T02:41:00.000-08:00

Adobe released the Lightroom 4 Beta earlier today and this video is a quick first look at the major changes in the program that relate to still photos. I used a fairly broad brush to cover the changes and will go more into detail as the Beta test progresses.

Unfortunately, not a single one of my main upgrade requests is included in version 4 of the program. Regardless, there are some interesting and useful new features and functions.

I think the new Book module will be very useful to many users. Adobe partnered with Blurb and it is now very simple to layout a photo book design. For those that do not use or have not used Blurb you can also export the book to PDF.

There is also a Map module for use with geo locating or geo tagging your images. It's pretty cool.

Inside the Develop Module, the Basic tab changed (more detail in the video), there are more options for local adjustments, and CA removal has been simplified (although I have not found it to work all that well.) Soft proofing was also added to the Develop Module for use in prepping an output file.

There are some very large changes to video handling and optimization. I did not have the time in this quick look to go through them. But if you do video, you will like them.

I will discuss more regarding the Beta soon.

Fiat Lux!

Top 50 Images from Click

2012-01-02T13:10:00.000-08:00

The Top 50 images from the 2011 California Photo Festival are up on the Festival SmugMug page. Our next group of judges will select 10 of these images as the Top 10 and will also pick one Overall Winner.

Click 2 Top 50 Images

The photographer who shot the top image will receive a free pass to the 2012 California Photo Fest (Click 3) and a Smug Mug Pro account.

Other prizes are Lightroom books, Smug Mug Pro accounts, and Corel Painter!

Thanks again to Adobe, SmugMug, and Corel for the tremendous support of Light and the California Photo Fest.

The 2012 Fest is taking shape and registrations will start the day we announce our contest winner, 15 January. We are adding more instructors and different events to make Click 3 even better.

Fiat Lux!

Happy New Year! (Time for a couple DAM changes)

2012-01-01T13:44:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year from the crew at Light. Here is a quick video discussing a few changes we should all make to keep our Digital Asset Management process working smoothly.

Fiat Lux!

Don't miss Photography and Photoshop: A Creative Fusion with Ben Willmore!

2011-12-02T15:07:00.001-08:00

Push your photography way beyond what is possible "incamera" to produce fine art imagery that takes full advantage of a purelydigital workflow. Only a week left to register!

Preventsnapping

When dragging a layeror selection near the edge of a document or layer, Photoshop snaps the edge ofthe object you’re working with to the edge of the document, layer, or selectionthat’s currently active. To prevent this, hold down the Control (PC: Ctrl) keyafter you start dragging the layer or selection and the snapping will betemporarily disabled.

Repositionselections

Click-and-drag withthe Rectangular Marquee tool (M) or Elliptical Marquee tool and thenpress-and-hold the Spacebar to reposition the selection before releasing themouse button. This is especially useful when attempting to create an ellipticalselection

that aligns with anexisting object.

Cyclethrough blend modes

When the Move tool(V) is active, hold down the Shift key and press the plus (+) or minus (–) keyto change the blend mode of the active layer in the Layers panel. If the Brushtool (B) or a retouching tool is active, then the same keyboard shortcut willchange the

blend mode of theactive tool instead in the Options Bar.

Fit onScreen

If you evercopy-and-paste an image from a larger image into a smaller one, and thenproceed to transform (Command-T [PC: Ctrl-T]) the resulting layer, you’ll find that the transformation handles appear outside your view of thedocument (because they’re beyond the document’s bounds). When that’s the case,press Command- 0 (PC: Ctrl-0) to use the Fit on Screen command to seethe transformation handles that are attached to the active layer.

Reset anytool

If any tool is actingoddly, consider resetting the tool. Right-click on the tool icon in theupper-left corner of the Options Bar and choose Reset Tool from the menu thatappears.

Multipleundos

Command-Z (PC:Ctrl-Z) works fine when all you want is to undo a single step. If you need toundo multiple steps, add the Option (PC: Alt) key to the aforementionedkeyboard shortcut first to be able to apply multiple undos. You can also controlhow many undos are available. Choose Photoshop (PC: Edit)>Preferences>Performance and in the History & Cache section, change the History Statessetting.

Cyclethrough open windows

Press Control-Tab tocycle through the open documents in Photoshop. Adding the Shift key willreverse the direction that the documents are displayed in.

Brush toEyedropper

Any time the Brushtool (B) is active, hold down the Option (PC: Alt) key and click on an openimage to choose a color within the document to paint with. This is the same astemporarily switching to the Eyedropper tool (I).

Painting ona mask

When painting on amask with the Brush tool (B), press X to swap the Foreground and Backgroundcolors, press D to reset the Foreground and Background colors to theirdefaults, and use the number keys on the keyboard to change the Opacity of theactive brush in the Options Bar.

Target alayer

When the Move tool(V) is active, hold down the Command (PC: Ctrl) key and click to target thetop-most layer that contains information that’s directly below your mouseposition. Hold down the Shift key to add additional layers to the ones that arealready selected.

2011-11-18T12:26:00.001-08:00

The final chapter for your checklist!
By Hal Schmitt. Embellished by Victoria Schmitt

Select Desired Aperture
Do you want a shallow depth of field to isolate your subject or do you want as much of your scene in focus as possible? Remember the bigger the hole (smaller the number f4.5) the more shallow your depth of field, the small the hole (larger number f22) the more depth of field you will get.

Compose the rough scene
Look into your viewfinder and start to compose your scene. You can scan left right, up and down see what you want included or centered in your frame.

Meter and set exposure
Hopefully at this point your back-button focus is going to be your primary meter and focusing button. Depending on what exposure your aperture is giving you adjust the shutter speed to compensate for your exposure. If you are having a hard time getting a fast enough shutter speed, you will have to either change your ISO or your aperture to get the desired focus and exposure for the scene.

Focus
Make sure the primary subject is in focus.

Fine tune composition
If you now have to move your composition so that your subject is not smack dab in the middle, make sure your focus is set and move accordingly.

Fine tune your exposure

Shoot! (Or just take a photo, picture or snapshot if your lingo does not include a shooting reference)

Review as necessary
Look at the back of your LCD. Make sure you are looking at your histogram!!! You don't want your histogram piled high on either side, but don't worry if there are parts of you scene that have a black point and a white point built-in. If you have a large amount of 1 "gray" tone (Blue sky, red rocks) you may have strange peaks and valleys in your histogram. What you're looking for is a balanced exposure. Do not depend on the picture you see on your LCD and always refer to your histogram. Remember, these are pixels. It's information being captured on a sensor, so rely on the information it gives you and not how pretty the LCD picture is.

Happy Shooting and Fiat Lux!

2011-11-04T14:55:00.000-07:00

Last week I started with a checklist created by Hal to help you set up your inner camera settings before going out to shoot. Here I have another great checklist to help you start getting your camera working the way you want it to work.

Camera Setup Checklist - Part 2
Checklist by Hal, embellished by Victoria

Select Mode– We recommend Manual- Always. Yes, there are those out there who want the "P", "professional mode" because life happens fast, right? Well, yes, but do want to capture life the way your camera brand wants, or how you want to capture it? Your camera doesn't know that your subject is back-lit and running quickly. But you can make your own adjustments in order to accommodate what you want exposed properly, in focus etc.
AV and TV is nice, but the camera is still making those critical decisions for you. Practice in Manual now so that later on you know how to control your camera quickly. If you have a camera that can create custom functions then you can set those to help you quickly change from your custom portrait settings into action settings as good starting points. But never assume that a camera should or can think for you.
Set White Balance- Cloudy? Sunny? Are you using a strobe? Yes, you can kind of "correct" this later in RAW, but there are more than a few reasons to save yourself a step or a few steps before you even take the photo.
ISO- We recommend starting at your lowest ISO that your camera will give you for the cleanest noise-free image possible. If you're in lower light see if you can adjust your aperture (smaller number, bigger hole) to get a fast enough shutter speed to hand-hold your camera. If you're on a tripod then there's are very few reasons to be on a higher ISO. You don't want your stars to be dots of noise from your sensor.
Metering modes- Try to stick with Evaluative metering, or Matrix metering.

Auto focus- Set correct mode for the scene you have. A simple guideline:
If you are photographing a moving object you will want Ai Servo, if you are shooting a non-moving subject/object then put it in "one shot" mode.
Drive mode- You have single, continuous, or timer. Single (one square) is 1 shot per press of the shutter button. Good for portraits or slow moving scenes etc. Continuous mode and Continuous mode "H" for high speed (multi-squares and a multi square with an "H") is awesome for the soccer mom/dad, shooting horses on the beach at the California Photo Festival, or birds etc.
Select Auto Focus point/points: If there is a moving object you may want to set these point on one of the sides of your focus choices. if the object is running from Left to right, I will set my primary focus point on the far right side of my viewfinder. That way as I follow the object the front of the object is always the point of focus.

Lens modes: These are for the larger lenses and lenses that have these options. not all lenses have these options available.
-IS/VR: Image stabilizer/Vibration reduction- This send out a small vibration to counter the vibration you are giving your lens while holding it. We recommend you turn it on when hand-holding and turning it off when you're on a tripod.
-Mode 1 or 2 for IS/VR? Mode 1 is better if you are simply hand-holding your camera. Mode 2 is better if you are panning or moving while you're shooting.
-Focal Distance? On my 100-400, for instance, it has a choice of either 1.8m to infinity, or 6.5m to infinity. This is setting your minimum focusing distance on your lens.

I hope this helps you during your next adventure or local photo-shoot!

Fiat Lux!

Victoria Schmitt

Here is a sneak peak to next week's list:

Select Aperture (which one and why)
Select your shutter speed
Is your Shutter speed or Aperture more important?
Compose the scene (how and why)
Review as necessary (where, why and what to look for)
...and more...

2011-10-28T14:23:00.000-07:00

Part 1 Camera Setup Checklist – In General

Written by Hal and Embellished by Victoria

I have received a few inquiries about how Hal and I set up our cameras and our gear before we go out on a shoot. Hal, being the thorough instructor that he is, has created checklists for this very thing. We usually hand these checklists to our "Basics of your DSLR" workshop attendees. In this class Hal teaches, in detail, his methods and recommendations for camera set-up as they go through the checklist. Since you don't have his in-person charm to explain his points, I went through them and added a few embellishments.

So here is his simple check-list (the first of 3 parts) as good starting points for you to set up your camera before going out to shoot.

In your camera setting menus

1. Set Image Quality

PictureStyle for JPEG? All cameras give you “JPEG preview” for your LCD. We recommend theNeutral setting which gives you the closest “look” to your RAW image.

2. "Shoot without card" Option

Turnthis Off! That way you don’t realize 100 shots in that none of your images havebeen recorded because you didn’t put a card in your camera…This has never happenedto us, of course.

3. Color Space

Adobeis preferred: Adobe 1998 etc. Give yourself the largest color space possible tostart out with. That way you have the choice of minimizing color space later onif needed.

4. Highlight Alert

Enable(remember to check your histogram also!) This is a friendly reminder from yourcamera that you have over exposed your highlights. It says you are “void” ofpixel information where the “blinkies” occur.

5. Auto rotate

On- Save yourself some time in the post process!

6. File numbering

Continuous- If you aren't renaming your files when importing, this will keep from having duplicate numbers- which could create confusion or overwriting your files in your folder.

7. Set Correct Dateand Time

Ultimately,you will be using this for your import process, key wording, searching forimages. For wedding and event photographers that use a second shooter or camera,this REALLY helps when combining second shooter/camera images into your catalogor “time-sorted” folders.

8. Program back button focus only

AF-On: Opposed to shutter button focusing.

AF-Onor the “Back-button” (*) focus is what we recommend to all who use auto-focus.

Important Information for all Festival Attendees

2011-10-10T11:36:00.000-07:00

Dear California Photo Festival Attendees!

We are getting very close to festival time and we hope you are getting excited!
Here are a some important things to know and to bring on your trip for a smooth and memorable experience during the week! There is a lot of information, but it is important that you read through it all so you can make the most out of your experience at Click!

1. Make sure you print out your schedule right before you leave!
To do this use the Export my Schedule button at the top of your schedule after logging into Click.
Each attendee has been given their own account to the festival controlled by your own user name and password. You are in charge of creating and SAVING your own schedule. We do not assume responsibility if you have not successfully saved your schedules. If you have not successfully saved your schedule and find your classes are full, we at Light and the CPF team, will do our best to suggest appropriate classes for you but are NOT obligated to add you to full classes.
**Keep your attendee schedule on you AT ALL TIMES during the festival.

2. Check-in: The Check-in station will be located at Embassy Suites. Check-in is open Wednesday 6:30am-1pm; Thursday/Friday/Saturday 7am-1pm; and Sunday 8am-10:30am. You will receive your Festival Badge, Canon sponsored Festival t-shirt (week passes only), festival swag bag, and festival booklet at check-in.
**For those of you who are signed up for a sunrise workshop and have a day pass, you must check-in the day before to get your pass. If, for some reason you cannot make the check-in times you must contact us before the festival starts to make alternative arrangements. YOU MUST HAVE YOUR FESTIVAL PASS ON AT ALL FESTIVAL EVENTS OR YOU WILL BE ASKED TO LEAVE.

3. Workshops: When you arrive at your festival events you will need to first sign-in with the volunteer on duty. Each volunteer will have an attendee list (printed the day prior) for each of the festival events. If you are not on the attendee list and the class is full, you will be asked to leave and find another workshop to attend. We are trying to keep all of our classes below a certain number so that each attendee has a chance to have some hands-on time with the instructors.
**Please be respectful of this system. Again, if you simply show up without having added the class to your schedule, you will be turned away from full classes.

4. The Festival booklet: The Festival booklet will have important information on all of our festival events, instructors, and the local area, including GPS coordinates, announcements and other festival information needed to make a successful week for you. You will receive the booklet at check-in. No additional copies will be available so please keep it handy and keep it safe at all times.

5. A few of our events during the festival are comprised of "Part 1" and "Part 2" sessions. We understand that there are many awesome events to take, but these Part 1 sessions ARE IMPORTANT for you to participate in the following sessions. If your workshop has an intro "Part 1" please make sure you have signed up for these before going to the following sessions.
These "Part 1" sessions is where you will be given the necessary instruction to participate in "Part 2".
**Our instructors will NOT be repeating the information discussed in prior sessions out in the field as there won't be time to cover the basic important concepts during the shooting times.

6. Dinner with a Pro (DWP). If you are signed up for a Dinner with a Pro, you are responsible for chipping in and paying for the instructors tab at the end of dinner. The wait-staff will divide the bill amongst the group to make this happen equally. If you want to volunteer to solely pick up the instructor tab you may do so, just let the waitstaff know when you arrive. You will know where your restaurant will be once the festival starts. We will have additional sign-up sheets and information at the check-in desk located at Embassy suites for those who are looking to sign up last-minute.
**If an instructor is not scheduled for a DWP do not hesitate to ask us to set one up! We will make the arrangements to make it happen! Let Victoria or the Check-in volunteers know and we will do what we can to assist.

7. LIGHT Computer Lab: Some of the festival events will be held at the LIGHT Workshops computer lab. You are welcome to bring your own laptop to work on or use one of the LIGHT computers. If you choose to use a LIGHT Computer, you will need to have a PC compatible external hard drive to access and download your images. Please do not download images directly to the LIGHT Lab computers. Your images will not be saved on our machines. For more information about the LIGHT computer lab click here.

Some recommendations of what to bring::
-Valid form of picture ID.
-Your most up-to-date festival schedule.
-Laptop computer: If available, so you can work on your images at night and take notes or follow along with instruction during lectures.
-Wind jacket/rain jacket in case our coastal weather decides to give us some great clouds to photograph!
-A Hat: A sun hat and a warm hat is good to have in your box of tricks for the outdoor shoots as well as the early morning and sunset shoots, it can be windy when the sun is down.
-Sunscreen.
-Water bottle: We will also have water stations at Embassy suites for your water needs through the week.
-Snacks: You never know if you're going to be out shooting past breakfast and lunch! Don't be caught hungry.
-Camera bag: Camera, battery, CF cards, SD cards, lenses, battery charger, tripod, external hard drive and/or flash drive
-Hiking shoes: Some workshops will have a small amount of hiking, scrambling, beach walking and mud to trample through.
-Cell phone charger
-iPad and charger: Download our festival app so you can read up about your instructors throughout the week!
-Extra pair of clean shoes: to change into when entering into Light Workshops and the hotels/restaurants in the area. Don't make your mark by being muddy!
-Cash: Some restaurants in Los Osos, Cayucos and other areas only accept cash. Our raffle will only accept cash as well and you will want to get in on these awesome prizes!
-Additional Forms of Payment: We will have a few vendors at Embassy Suites like Samy's Camera, Alpha Strike Paper company, Really Right Stuff and a few others who will be able to sell items to you during the festival week. Some of our vendors will also offer special pricing for buying on site.

**Look for additional gear suggestions in the event descriptions on your schedule!

Events you won't want to miss!
Wednesday 8am: Opening Ceremony: Including some great announcements that you won't want to miss
Wednesday Afternoon: Parish Kohanim's Canon Sponsored lecture: All are welcome, open to the public
Wednesday Evening: Dinner with a Pro! Sign up online now! Suggest additional instructors to dine with!
Thursday: Festival on the beach! Just imagine 200+ photographers at Morro Bay's Rock!
Friday: Dinner with a Pro! Sign up online now! Suggest additional instructors to dine with!
Saturday: Festival Open House at Light Photographic Workshops
Sunday: Rick Sammon Keynote, Festival Raffle: prizes from Adobe, Nik, Canon and many more! And a closing presentation by Canon regional rep Jim Rose!

Festival Photo Contest
This year we are sponsored by SmugMug for our photo gallery of your images during the festival!
Please read through the terms and conditions for the gallery. You will see that it is a great way to help share your images and get noticed by our models, sponsors, instructors and fellow attendees who will be going to the site. We hope that all of you utilize the gallery and help us allow our models and horse riders to contact you for your images for their portfolio and as a thank you for giving you and our festival these incredible opportunities. Once all of the images are uploaded our instructors and team here at Light will go through them all and take your votes and our votes to announce the "Top 3 Images of the 2011 Festival" in order to win one of 3 incredible prizes. More info will be shared as we get through the week!

Please Remember: Be courteous when out shooting. We are invited guests to many of our venues and we must remember to be respectful and grateful to our hosts. Please, also be respectful and considerate to our fellow attendees and instructors around you. We are all here to have a good time, take turns and get as much education out of the week as we can!

FAQ and more information:
Utilize our Facebook Page! Carpooling, announcements, information, more FAQ, correspondence and more are all listed on our Facebook page. You can even get a great outline on model release and property release information on our discussions board.
**This letter will be posted on our discussion board as well.

Make sure you check-out our Terms and Conditions for very important and legal information including information about model, property and event image rights and usage. Please read through it to stay informed and protected. You should also take a look at our FAQ page in case any of your questions might be on there. If you have additional questions for the staff and team here at Light please let us know.

We want to thank each and every one of you who have signed up this year. This is an amazing opportunity for us here to have these incredible instructors join us in this beautiful area and celebrate what we all love! We are happy to make it happen as it is a passion of ours. We thank you for coming this year and we hope to see you back for years to come!

-Victoria and Hal Schmitt and the Light Team.

Tim Grey- Your Digital Imaging Guru!

2011-09-27T11:44:00.000-07:00

Tim Grey is a highly regarded digital imaging specialist that has been educating photographers for over 10 years. Tim's vast understanding of the various outlets for image enhancement, including Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, and Photoshop Elements, has led him to write over a dozen books on digital imaging for photographers. He has also been published in several magazines such as PC Photo, Digital Photo Pro, and Outdoor Photographer.

Tim is returning to the Central Coast for a second year of teaching at the California Photo Festival, October 12-16, 2011. Each day Tim will be sharing essential techniques for photographers of all levels. His courses this year will include Fundamentals of Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom, a series on Time Lapse Video and more!

We've asked Tim why he is coming back to teach at the California Photo Festival for a second year...

What do you like about teaching at the California Photo Festival?
"Are you kidding?! It is a great event in a beautiful location with lots of incredible instructors and wonderful attendees. This is easily one of my favorite events to teach at."

Why should other photographers join you at this years event?
"It's quite simple. This event is in a beautiful location that photographers will love, it features the best photographers in the industry, and there are many other enthusiastic attendees to mingle with. Don't miss it!"

Learn more about Tim by visiting www.TimGrey.com

Don't miss out on your chance to deepen your photography skills, with hands-on instruction from this digital imaging guru!

Click here to see all of Tim's classes during the California Photo Festival.

With 16 world-class instructors, over 150 events, and the beauty of the Central Coast, this year's California Photo Festival will be an amazing learning experience for all! Get your pass today at www.CaliforniaPhotoFest.com!

Juan Pons- Wildlife Conservation One Photo at a Time!

2011-09-23T14:00:00.000-07:00

Juan Pons is a world famous wildlife and nature photographer with an uncanny ability to connect with the creatures of this world and their habitats. With more than 20 years of experience behind the lens, Juan has dedicated much of his work to supporting wildlife and natural habitat conservation, often donating his images to non-profit organizations with nature and wildlife conservation goals.

With the photo industries recent movement towards video, Juan has become a recognized expert in the idiosyncrasies of of shooting High Definition video with the latest DSLRs.

Image © Juan Pons
Taken during the 1st annual California Photo Festival

Juan is part of our incredible line -up of instructors at the 2nd annual California Photo Festival October 12-16, 2011. With events scheduled for all five days of the festival, you can learn essential shooting techniques for capturing beautiful landscape and wildlife images. Juan's workshop topics include vDSLR shooting and editing, Shooting Better Wildlife Photography, Sunrise- Capturing the Pink Light and more!

Here's what Juan is saying about the California Photo Festival...

What do you look forward to the most about this year's California Photo Festival?

Image © Juan Pons
Taken during the 1st annual California Photo Festival

"I love the energy, enthusiasm and the real desire to learn that each and every festival participant brings to the event. Plus I love meeting new people who are passionate about photography."

Why should photographers join you at the California Photo Festival?

"One of the things that is not mentioned enough is the camaraderie and friendships that are forged amongst festival participants as well as with the instructors. Spending 5 days with like minded people does wonders for feeding that love of photography and supercharging your creativity."

To learn more about Juan Pons and his adventures visit www.JuanPons.org

Join Juan and other amazing photographers for the largest photography event on the Central Coast this October for the 2nd annual California Photo Festival.

To see all of our events, instructors and more visit www.CaliforniaPhotoFest.com

Our Tip of the Week by Lee Varis!

2011-09-22T09:55:00.000-07:00

The Dreadful Banding, Bane of the Photo Printer

and How to Get Rid of it!

Most photographers who print their work encounter this sooner or later. It often rears its ugly head in clear sky gradients – the dreaded banding, posterized tonal gradients that break into discrete bands that destroy the smooth appearance of the sky. This is a "digital" artifact that is mostly blamed on 8 bit files! The fact is that banding in a print can often result even with high-bit depth files during the conversion to the printer profile for output. The problem is hard to predict or pre visualize and this can result in wasting expensive paper to discover that you have to "fix" something in the file.

The following image demonstrates the nature of the problem.

It looks smooth doesn't it... but, if we look at the individual channels maybe we can spot the problem...

The green and blue channels don't really show anything but here in the red channel we can just barely see that there might be an issue. It's subtle though so we can't really be certain that there will be a problem. The issue of banding in skies, or any smooth gradient for that matter, has been around as long as digital imaging has existed and there have been numerous attempts to solve the problem. Back in the day, when real high-end imaging was only possible using Scitex and Quantel Paintbox systems the solution was more or less the same as it is today - one has to add noise in some fashion or another to break up the bands. Outputting a file only to discover that there were bands was quite expensive so many shops resorted to adding noise as a standard procedure before outputing anything. However, adding noise often resulted in a gritty appearance and if it wasn't necessary it wasn't desireable.

One of the original Quantel Paintbox engineers, Ed Manning, invented a technique to pre visualize the bands and old timers like myself will still refer to this as "Ed's Curves" – Now its mostly referred to as "solar curves." This technique is still useful as part of our strategy to eliminate bands. Begin by duplicating the background to a new layer...

To setup "Eds Curves," make a new Curves Adjustment Layer at the top of the layer stack and, once you are in the Adjustments Panel, place multiple points on the Curve...

Now, pull the points up and down so that you end up with an extreme sine wave sort of thing like this:

The result puts all the tone transitions on a mostly vertical segment of the curve so we have a lot of contrast between tones – we also have a fairly psychedelic image...

Despite the rainbow color the image shows very obvious sharp ridges running through the sky. We can leave this temporary Curves adjustment on to help visualize just how much noise we need to eliminate the ridges. Select the duplicate layer and run the noise filter: Filter->Noise-> Add Noise...

The idea is to use enough noise to completely hide or obscure the ridges. This is the traditional approach that most prepress professionals use. The problem with this approach is that often quite a bit of noise is necessary and it can lend the image a harsh look...

Sometimes this will not look as bad in a print but there is a better approach. Instead of using the standard noise filter, use: Filter->Brush Strokes-> Spatter...

The large filter dialog allows you to select multiple artistic filters intended for creating painterly effects.

For our purposes, we want to have a high "Spray Radius" and a Smoothness setting of "1"

This filter is much more effective in smoothing out bands in a gradient than simply adding noise. The only trick is in masking off the dark "spatter" of the non-sky elements at the horizon. For that we can turn to the Blending options dialog...

Setup the "Blend If" sliders for the Blue channel as shown above - the idea is to blend through the dark, non-sky tones to reveal the "un-spattered" image in the Background. Sometimes you can get away with only using the slider in the top layer – here I've used both to get a cleaner image. Often you'll have to do a little bit of masking for final cleanup – add a layer mask to the "Spatter" layer and mask out the dark speckles with black.

The final result is smooth with less obvious noise...

Compare this with the original and with the noise version! Spatter breaks up the bands with diffusion instead of adding light and dark noise so there is no grittiness and no bands. At this point you can throw away the Curves Adjustment layer and print with full confidence that you have vanquished the dreaded bands forever!

Remember "Ed's Curves" and use them whenever you have the slightest suspicion that banding may be present and you can clearly visualize the 'bands" before they bite you in the butt...

Learn more incredible digital imaging techniques from Lee Varis at the California Photo Festival, October 12-16, 2011! Lee will be teaching all 5 days during the festival, discussing topics like The Digital Zone System, Mastering Exposure, High Speed Camera Techniques and more! Click here to see Lee's full festival schedule.

Lee Varis- A Digital Capture Master!

2011-09-20T13:12:00.000-07:00

Lee Varis is a well know veteran of the photography industry. Jumping in head-first when the digital age came about, Lee has become an expert in utilizing the particularities of digital capture and digital imaging technologies to create beautifully crafted images.

Lee's creative imaging has been featured in National Geographic and Fortune magazines as well as numerous trade publications including: Photo-Electronic Imaging, Studio Photography, PC Photo, Rangefinder Magazine, Photo District News and Mac Art & Design.

Image © Lee Varis

As a guest instructor here at Light Photographic Workshops, Lee has taught many students how to capture and enhance photographs with incredible detail and "pop" without the plastic feel of many of today's digital photographs.

We talked to Lee about his experiences here at Light and why he is excited to be part of this year's California Photo Festival...

Why do you enjoy teaching at Light?
"Light Photographic Workshops offers a great facility as well as one of the most picturesque locations on the California coast. The students here are passionate about photography and learning– the combination of these two makes for a wonderful experience!"

Why will students enjoy attending workshops at Light and the California Photo Festival?
"The intimate setting provides a truly exceptional learning opportunity, and contact with other dedicated photographers and instructors makes for fun times in picture making!"

Image © Lee Varis

Lee will be sharing many of his digital imaging techniques at this year's California Photo Festival, October 12-16, 2011. His workshops include Intro to the Digital Zone, High-Speed Camera Techniques, and Skin-Natural Enhancements for Portraits (based on his book acclaimed book series!). Click here to see all of Lee's events at the California Photo Festival.

Learn more about Lee Varis by visiting www.Varis.com!

Don't miss your opportunity to learn the latest tips and techniques from this digital imaging master! Sign-up today at www.CaliforniaPhotoFest.com!

Parish Kohanim and the Dynamic Figure

2011-09-19T16:45:00.000-07:00

Parish Kohanim has been successfully involved in the photography industry for over 25 years. Working commercially for a large portion of his career, Parish has shot for advertising agencies, design firms and Fortune 500 companies including IBM, AT&T, DeBeers, and Coca-Cola. His work has also been published in Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Forbes, Time and Newsweek.

In recent years Parish has turned his focus towards fine art photography, creating stunning imagery using figure and dance including projects with members of Cirque Du Soleil.

We are happy to have Parish Kohanim joining our incredible team of instructors at this year's California Photo Festival, October 12-16, 2011. Parish will be teaching a number of workshops including Creating Dynamic Figurative Shots and What Makes a Portrait Successful.

Here's what Parish has to say about the California Photo Festival....

Why do you look forward to teaching at the California Photo Festival?

"I am looking forward to meeting participants of the workshops who share the same passion for photography that I do. I continuously search to find exciting and diverse perspectives of the world around me, evolving and expanding my vision and that is what I want to share with the class."

Why will students enjoy participating in your workshops?

"It is exciting to push all of the workshop participants, as well as myself, not only to see differently, but to shoot in new ways, breaking not only my comfort zone, but every one's in the class. We will find ordinary objects and make them extraordinary through our vision."

Join Parish at this year's California Photo Festival to learn the latest tips and techniques from a portrait and fine art photography master!

Learn more about Parish at www.ParishKohanim.com. To see all of Parish's events during the California Photo Festival click here! Also, take a look at these great videos showing Parish at work in his studio and get a feel for what you can learn from this talented photographer.

Parish will also be giving a free and open to the public Explorer of Light presentation, Wednesday, October 12th from 3:30 - 4:45pm at Embassy Suites in San Luis Obispo, as part of the California Photo Festival and sponsored by Canon.

This Week's Tip from Rob Sheppard!

2011-09-15T13:38:00.000-07:00

A Difference in Seeing

One of the things we do very well is see all sorts of detail in a scene in nearly any light except when it gets very dark. So as photographers, it is very easy to see the subject.

Unfortunately, the camera does not work that way. The camera sees and emphasizes light and contrast. This different way of seeing is a challenge we all face as photographers. Often photos are unsuccessful because what we see and what the camera sees are two different things. We want the camera to see the subject as we do, but it doesn't.

A good way to see what the camera is seeing is to focus on light, not on subject. That does not mean you don't think about the subject -- that is only what gets you started. Then you try to photograph the light. That makes me remember a really eye-opening exercise, too. Go out for an afternoon and photograph the light and its effects, including shadows. Don't photograph "subjects" at all, just light.

It also helps to check your LCD and see what is emphasized -- the light helping your subject or the light fighting your subject. Remember that bright areas in a composition will always attract a viewer's eye and so they can be very distracting if in the wrong place.

Finally, realize that sometimes you just have to say "no" to a subject in a particular light that just will not work. As Steve Jobs said once, "It's only by saying no that you can concentrate on the things that are really important."

-Rob Sheppard

For more of these great tips from Rob check out the new iPad app "Rob Sheppard's Digital Landscape" developed by our very own Juan Pons! Based on his recent book "The Magic of Digital Landscape Photography" this app delivers essential tips on how to capture better landscape photographs and is paired with fantastic imagery.

Rob also has a great new eBook "Selling Photos" available for download through the Kindle Reading app (can also be download on to your home computer or laptop)

Rob Sheppard and Juan Pons are both part of our incredible line-up of instructors at the California Photo Festival, October 12-16, 2011. See who's coming, the schedule of our awesome events, and last year's highlights at www.CaliforniaPhotoFest.com!

A Photo is Worth a Thousand Words with David H. Wells behind the Lens

2011-09-14T15:09:00.000-07:00

Davis H. Wells is a master of creating the photo essay. Throughout the years his stories and images have been published in countless publications including Life Magazine, Los Angeles Times Magazine, New York Times Magazine, and Chicago Tribune.

David was recently featured in Photo District News as one of "The Best Workshop Instructors." We are very excited to have this experienced photojournalist and inspirational teacher as part of our team of instructors at this year's California Photo Festival, October 12-16, 2011.

David will be teaching a variety of workshops including Creating the Photo Essay, Light Studies, and several hands-on shooting courses.

Here's why David is coming back for another awesome year at the California Photo Festival and why you should join him!

Why do you enjoy teaching at the California Photo Festival?
I love being part of the community that is created at the California Photo Festival! I also love working in the most beautiful part of California. As a teacher, I thrive on helping others become part of that community, enjoy the environment and then make photographs of that experience to share with others.

Why do you think students will enjoy learning at the California Photo Festival?
Learning so many things in smaller doses (as compared to full week workshop) enables you to learn many things that you can practice and refine after the workshops. It also gives you the opportunity to try new styles of working that you may not have tried before and would not likely try if it required the commitment of a full on workshop.

Don't miss your chance to get incredible feedback and learn how to create a powerful series of photographs from this world class photographer. Learn more about David H. Wells by visiting www.DavidHWells.com

There's only 28 days left to join the largest photography event on the Central Coast! See all of our incredible instructors, festival events and register today by visiting www.CaliforniaPhotoFest.com!

So Much to Learn from Jane Conner-Ziser

2011-09-12T12:42:00.000-07:00

Jane Conner-Ziser has been teaching digital imaging courses here at Light Workshops for the last couple years and has quickly become one our most popular instructors. As a photographer, media artist, independent consultant and teacher for the professional photography industry, Jane is internationally recognized as a leading expert in digital imaging technology.

Jane will also be a big part of this year's California Photo Festival, October 12-16, 2011, teaching a variety of classes including portrait retouching, painting in Corel Painter and Adobe Photoshop, and several hands-on shooting workshops.

Here's what Jane has to say about her experiences at Light and the awesome events at this year's California Photo Festival...

Why do you enjoy teaching at Light Photographic Workshops?

Light has such amazing energy and the people at Light are tireless in providing variety of locations, newest technologies and meaningful learning experiences - AND they are really, really nice, down to earth people. Come once, and you'll count the days til you get to go back again.

Why will students enjoy learning at the California Photo Festival?

You're going to get a wide variety of creative learning experiences from the best in the business. You'll make new friends, connect with peers from all over the country and you'll have an awesomely (is that a real word?) FUN time!

Between digital painting, incredible portrait retouching, studio and location lighting and even marketing, there's so much to learn from this talented and fun instructor!

Click here to see all of Jane's events at this year's California Photo Festival.

Learn more about Jane Conner-Ziser by visiting

www.janeconner-ziser.com

Join in on the fun at this year's California Photo Festival, October 12-16, 2011 and get the expert instruction you've been looking for to enhance your digital photography skills! Check out our incredible line-up of instructors and all the events by visiting www.CaliforniaPhotoFest.com. Sign-up today and become part of the largest photography event on the Central Coast!

Teachers Learning from their Students

2011-09-09T12:12:00.000-07:00

Don Monkerud is a writer from Santa Cruz, California, and one of our students here at Light Workshops. Recently, Don sent us a story that we feel is a great lesson for amateurs and pro photographers alike.
****

Photography Tip to Keep in Mind

Anyone who photographs people, especially in public, invariably runs
into the irate subject or bystander who objects to having their, or
someone else's photograph taken.

My rule of thumb is always to ask permission, but occasionally I'm
working too fast, already gained permission earlier, or simply

Image by Don Monkerud

overlooked asking the subject for their permission. Sometimes such oversights can become costly, in embarrassment, rejection, mistreatment or even loss of a job.

A recent incident in the local jazz club where an experienced photographer has been taking photographs for years can be a reminder to all photographers. Over the years, he became somewhat lackadaisical about showing up at the beginning of musicians' sets, instead showing up midway through their sets and simply snapping away.

While posted signs and an announcement at the beginning inform listeners that there is to be no recording or photography during the show, the club photographer volunteers to take photographs for the
club's website.

The last time he showed up after a show began and started snapping
away, the singer stopped the musicians in the middle of a song and
demanded that he erase all the photos on his card. Who the hell did
he think he was? He mumbled an expletive half under his breath, which
didn't go over well either.

Image by Don Monkerud

The new photographer makes a point of showing up during the sound check to ask permission. A valuable lesson, for I'm sure the original photographer was not only embarrassed but also humiliated, and he lost his gig. The lesson is to always ask permission and not get so used to a regular gig as to become lackadaisical.

A question about usage also arises. While this has been a volunteer job, what rights does the photographer have to the work? The initial meeting with the musicians is the time to set the parameters: Can the photographer use the photos only for the club? What about art shows or sales on a website? Should an agreement be signed? etc.

Whatever rights are requested and granted, the photographer must to
be aware of the first rule in taking photographs in such a setting:
Always ask permission.

By Don Monkerud
Copyright2011
****

We are happy that Don was willing to share this learning experience so that all of us could learn from it. If you have had a photography experience that you feel others can learn from please share them with us! Contact us at info@lightworkshops.com with your tips and shooting stories.

For more photography tips you can visit our Light Photographic Workshops Page or our California Photo Festival Page on Facebook. Sign-up to receive our weekly Newsletter and be the first to see the latest updates to our workshop schedule and get more photography tips from our fabulous instructors!

Fiat Lux!

A Great Tip from Wildlife Photography Specialist Juan Pons

2011-09-08T13:38:00.000-07:00

Connecting with your subject

The most compelling photos are those that create a connection between your subject and your viewer. This not only applies to wildlife photography, but just about every other type, such as portrait, wedding, human interest, travel, Photojournalism, etc.

As the old cliché goes, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression”, so make sure your viewer connects with your image right from the get go.

The most effective way to create that connection is to maintain eye level with your subject, I am always amazed by how so many people will take images from a standing position without regard to their relative eye level to their subject. I see this all too often when judging competitions at local photo clubs.

Photo by Juan Pons

For example, a beginning photographer will go to a local park or botanical garden to shoot some of the very tame and accessible waterfowl on a local pond, they will stand at the bank of said pond and as the birds are accustomed to being fed, they will approach. While standing the photographer will let it rip and take a bunch of images.

Unfortunately most, if not all, of those images will be very uninspiring. Why? Because they will show the subject while you are looking down at it, with hardly any eye contact. Without that eye contact it will be very difficult for the viewer to make a connection to the subject of your image. Also we are all accustomed to seeing ducks and other waterfowl from a standing position. An image that presents an unusual or fresh view on a subject has a better chance of having an immediate impact on the viewer, hence a good first impression.

Photo by Juan Pons

Getting down low, very low, even lying down on the ground, to get at eye level is crucial in this situation in order to get an eye level shot.

In the two images shown accompanying this tip, I was in such a park, where the birds were tame and accustomed to humans. They would get very close looking for a handout.

I was lying down on the ground, with my lens on a beanbag getting shots as close to eye level as I possibly could. Being eye level to the Wood and Ruddy ducks present images of subjects that are engaged with the viewer and as such they are much more attractive and appealing; hopefully images that connect with the viewer.

We're excited to have Juan Pons as one of our instructors at this year's California Photo Festival, October 12-16, 2011! Juan will be here teaching wildlife photography, video DSLR techniques and more!

Click here to see all of Juan's festival events!

Join us this year for the largest photography event on the Central Coast! Register today at www.CaliforniaPhotoFest.com

Get more tips from our festival instructors by visiting our California Photo Festival Page on Facebook!

Tethered Shooting Spacer

2011-09-07T15:32:00.000-07:00

I have always found it a bit unwieldy when shooting in a vertical/portrait orientation with a tethering cable attached. Recently, Really Right Stuff (RRS) made the perfect solution and I was fortunate to shoot with the Cable Release Spacer (CRS) today.

The CRS attaches to a standard L-bracket and adds about 1.25" for your tethering cable. It also has a small locking bar to "lock" your cable to the spacer. This is great since any tugging on the cable can easily damage your camera's ports, a very expensive fix by the way.

Vertical orientation. The CRS firmly attaches to your L-bracket for stability.

Horizontal orientation, not much change but cable is firmly attached.

If you are a tethered shooter and are tired of dealing with work arounds for your cable when shooting vertically, pick up a RRS Cable Relief Spacer and all is good.

Click here to visit the RRS site.

Fiat Lux!

Why Jennifer Wu Loves the California Photo Festival!

2011-09-07T13:26:00.000-07:00

Canon Explorer of Light, Jennifer Wu, is an amazing instructor and has taught many workshops here at Light. She will also be joining us for a second year at the California Photo Festival, October 12-16, 2011!

Jennifer has shared her reasons why she can't wait for another year of teaching at the California Photo Festival and why you should join us for this incredible event!

Why do you enjoy teaching at Light and the California Photo Festival?
"I love teaching workshops at Light Photographic Workshops and the California Photo Festival. The facilities are great but even better is the supportive environment. We have fun and get in lots of great shooting as well."

Why should students join us for the California Photo Festival?
"The California Photo Festival is a blast. There is so much going on with plenty of interest for all types of photography. I have a great time leading the field workshops and giving the lectures. There is something for everyone at the event with so many different instructors who cover portraits, digital imaging and processing, wildlife and of course my favorite, landscape photography."

Image by Jennifer Wu.
Taken while teaching a workshop at Light.

Click here to see a list of all of Jennifer's classes happening during this year's California Photo Festival.

Jennifer will be on display at the Epic Light Gallery at Light Photographic Workshops starting September 30th. As well as teaching our Print Perfection workshops with Hal Schmitt and Barbara Ellison October 6-9, 2011.

Learn more about Jennifer by visiting www.jenniferwu.com

As the California Photo Festival quickly approaches we are getting more and more excited about hosting the largest photography event on the Central Coast!

If you would like to join us for the 2nd annual California Photo Festival this October, sign-up today at www.CaliforniaPhotoFest.com!

Fiat Lux!

Why Rick Sammon Loves Working with Light!

2011-09-06T16:09:00.000-07:00

Recently we have spoken with several of our guest instructors about why they decide to come back to the Central Coast and teach at Light Photographic Workshops.

Canon Explorer of Light, Rick Sammon, is a popular guest instructor here at Light, as well as our Keynote speaker for this year's California Photo Festival. Here are his thoughts on why he enjoys teaching at Light Photographic Workshops and why you'll enjoy attending one of our fantastic digital photography classes.

Why do you enjoy teaching at Light?

"I enjoy teaching at Light for three reasons: One, the picturesque setting is ideal for creative photographers. Two, the students are dedicated to serious learning and serious fun (we have a lot of fun after hours). Three, I learn from the other instructors."

Why do you think students will enjoy learning digital photography at Light?

"Light offers a unique combination of shooting in a wonderfully peaceful setting that gets the creative juices flowing. What's more, the small class size is unique among workshops."

Image by Rick Sammon. 3 shot HDR
Shot with the Canon 5DII and Canon EF 15mm Fisheye lens.
Taken during the "Exploring the Light" workshop
at Light Photographic Workshops.

We're happy to have Rick Sammon joining us for this year's California Photo Festival, October 12-16, 2011! Rick will be teaching a variety of topics including HDR, Social Media Marketing, Lighting and more.

Click here to see the full list of Rick's festival events!

Learn more about Rick at www.ricksammon.info

Visit www.CaliforniaPhotoFest.com to see our incredible line-up of instructors and all the events happening at this year's California Photo Festival!

Back in Cali

2011-08-31T12:26:00.000-07:00

Great to be back home after a somewhat wet, windy, and no electrical power trip out east. The school has been busy working the California Photo Festival and I am very impressed with the work the staff has done. Should be another killer week of fun, photography, and learning.

Even though Irene let loose with an unreal amount of rain I was able to make some interesting images over the four days I was in New York.

The following images are from a little indoor HDR trip just down the road from Rick's place.

3 Shot HDR with Nik's HDR Efex Pro

Same 3 Shot HDR with HDR Soft's Photomatix Pro

I often use multiple methods to process my HDR and then pick the best option. Of course, there are times I pick and choose different parts to use from different finished images. Whether using Layer Blend Modes or Layers/Masks, there is no limit to what you can do.

The B&W Effects conversion, for giggles.

All shots are from a Canon 7D and an EF 14mm f/2.8L. I processed initially in Lightroom and then sent to the respective plug-ins.

Fiat Lux!

Topaz B&W Effects Available Tomorrow

2011-08-29T14:25:00.000-07:00

Topaz will release B&W Effects tomorrow. It has been fun as part of their beta test group. What has been even better is they made quite a few changes based on input we submitted.

I think this is a strong entry into the black and white conversion market. There are some good features you will not find other places. I am a big fan of the brushes for local adjustment to tone, detail, smoothness, and color.

I should have some tutorials up soon and hopefully a webinar on B&W Effects in September.

Baby humpack having fun.

The day was very muted so with little color to begin with

black and white seemed a natural option.

Click here for the Topaz purchase/upgrade page.

B&W effects will be on the page tomorrow.

Fiat Lux!

Slow Shutter/Waterfall Tips with Rick Sammon

2011-08-28T18:34:00.000-07:00

New Croton Dam, NY

I am in New York this weekend with Rick Sammon. Hurricane/Tropical Storm Irene just passed through the area. My discussion in NYC was cancelled so we spent the day shooting around Croton-on-Hudson.

We recorded a quick video discussing the top slow shutter speed and waterfall photography tips. Rick and I, along with Juan Pons and Jennifer Wu, did a battle of the sunset photo tips last year at the California Photo Festival (2011 California Photo Fest) so we thought we would do a smaller version.

The top tips on the video, and one or two more, were:

1. Use a tripod for stability. When shooting slow a tripod allows you to keep everything solid except for the moving water.

2. Use your cable release or camera's timer.

3. Bring a neutral density filter or polarizers.

4. Use live view.

A small "stream" that had popped up as a result of Irene.

5. Reference live view's magnification frame to act as an expanded spot meter for perfect exposure. I normally place the frame over the brightest area of the water I am trying to blur. This area is normally (but not always) the shot's highlight and drives the overall exposure.

6. After the shot reference your histogram to make sure the exposure is tight.

7. Target half a second as your shutter speed. As water speed changes you may need more or less.

8. Keep a lens cloth and absorbent cloth nearby to wipe your lens and LCD.

9. Maintain your SA (situational awareness,) always look behind you to make sure you are not missing a great shot.

Those were just a few we thought of on the spot in beautiful Croton-on-Hudson, NY.

Same as above but with "enhancement." Took the image to Silver Efex and then blended the result using the Luminosity blend mode in Photoshop.

Check out a bunch of cool tips at Rick Sammon's blog here.

Fiat Lux and see you at the California Photo Festival!

First Conversion with Topaz BW Effects

2011-08-24T16:08:00.000-07:00

I began playing with and testing the soon-to-be-released Topaz B&W Effects plug-in today. There is some serious power in the program.

My first take is the black and white conversion is very good. In addition, the plug-in gives me access to Topaz Adjust-like effects and control over exposure and contrast transition. There is so much in the program it will take me a couple days to give a full report. Another great tool to have in the kit.

B&W from Topaz B&W Effects

Color from Canon and Lightroom

Should be fun testing this one out.

Fiat Lux!

The California Photo Festival- Don't miss the biggest photography event on the Central Coast!

2011-08-22T16:26:00.000-07:00

Get your pass now to the 2nd annual California Photo Festival, October 12-16, 2011!

This year will be better than ever with 17 world class instructors, awesome hands-on learning, and the beauty of the Central Coast.

Our incredible line-up of instructors includes Rick Sammon, Hanson Fong, Rob Sheppard, Jennifer Wu, David H. Wells and Hal Schmitt. Click here to see the full line-up of instructors.

With 170+ events during the week we have something for every level of photographer, from shooting horses on the beach at sunset to mastering indoor lighting techniques. Click here to see the full schedule of events!

Get your pass before August 30th and pay only $449 for all 5 days of the festival with our Early Bird discount. Use discount code "earlybird2011" to take advantage of this killer deal.

Visit www.CaliforniaPhotoFest.com or call the office 805-528-7385 for more details.

Fiat Lux!

Recent Topaz Webinar is Up for Review

2011-08-11T17:10:00.000-07:00

Topaz Labs just posted the webinar I did with them a couple weeks ago. Enjoy and, as always, send me any questions, comments, or concerns.

Fiat Lux!

Bull

A Shooting Tip from Jennifer Wu!

2011-08-11T13:23:00.000-07:00

Photographing Water in Motion

by Jennifer Wu (Canon Explorer of Light)

Vertical water f/16,

Shutter speed .6, ISO 100.

I used a polarizing filter.

Photographing moving water at varying shutter speeds will offer different looks, from the silky to having detail and texture. When photographing the ocean surf, waterfalls, streams or any moving water, I would consider bracketing the shutter speeds for a variety of results.

In the vertical photographic example of a waterfall in Iceland provided, the water features a smooth, silky looks. In the horizontal image of the same waterfall, the water presents more detail. I like both effects, so I vary the shutter speed to get more or less detail. I recommend bracketing the shutter speed and reviewing the image on view screen to judge the results. If you see silky water with no detail where it is all white, then use a faster shutter speed. If there is too much detail, use a slower shutter to create the velvety water effect.

Horizontal waterfall: f/16,

Shutter speed 1/10, ISO 100.

I used a polarizing filter.

Shutter Speed Choice: The water flow will be fast with a large waterfall and slow with little stream, so the shutter speed will vary for each scene. In addition, depending on the focal length of the lens, it will provide less motion (wide angle) or more motion (telephoto).

I photographed the waterfall in Iceland while leading a photography tour in the horizontal image has a .6 second shutter speed for a satiny effect, while the vertical has a 1/10 shutter speed to get more detail.

In another example, the ocean images have a 10 second exposure to create the smooth look of the ocean surf.

In Yosemite, I use around 1/125 of a second for having some detail in the powerful, fast moving waterfalls yet 1/15 to 1/30 of a second for smooth streams in the valley.

Tripod: Using a STURDY tripod will be necessary for the slow shutter speeds. It is still a good idea for higher shutter speeds, as it will help with fine-tuning the final composition. Keep in mind it is often windy at the base of a waterfall or around the ocean surf.

Exposure: when taking a photograph, I decide whether the shutter speed or f/stop is the most important and set that first. Normally, I use manual mode and set the shutter speed then set the f/stop I want for the scene when photographing moving body of water as that is the most important. Next I would set ISO. I would use the native ISO for the camera, such as ISO 100 for Canon, or 200 for Nikon. If the shutter speed is too slow, I would raise the ISO to the proper exposure. Finally, I would use a filter, as discussed below.

Shutter Speed: In order to get slow shutter speeds for the satiny effect, try photographing in low light conditions as full sun maybe to too strong for slow motion. For example: photograph at low light near sunrise or sunset on sunny days, with the subject it by the first or last rays of light or when the water is in the shade. That can be on an overcast day or after sunset or before sunrise.

Filters: Using a polarizer will reduce your shutter speed time by about two f-stops. Turn the polarizer to see the effect on shinny rock surfaces. Be careful when using a polarizer so as not to take out desired colorful reflections. Neutral density filters, grey in color, will reduce the light to the sensor, allowing for a slower shutter speed.

Ideas: Some ideas include waterfalls, streams, cascades, ocean surf or a lake in stormy weather. I like photographing streams in the shade with green leaves reflected onto streams in the afternoon (Yosemite’s Fern Spring is good for that). I like to photograph along Yosemite’s Merced River at sunrise to get the warm reflections of the mountains in the river. Fall colors are another good one to look for.

Morro Bay rocks and surf, F/16, 10 seconds, ISO 100. I used a 3-stop neutral density filter and a polarizer.

The ocean examples were photographed during a Light Photographic Workshop I lead earlier this year. I will be going out to the same location, leading field workshops for the festival. I can’t wait! Hope you have fun photographing moving water and creating inspiring images!

Morro Bay sunset, F/16, 13 seconds, ISO 100. I used a 5-stop neutral density filter.

We are proud to have Jennifer returning to the California Photo Festival October 12-16, 2011!

Jennifer will be joined by fellow Explorers of Light Rick Sammon, Hanson Fong, Parish Kohanim and more!

See all of our 170 + events by visiting www.CaliforniaPhotoFest.com!

Top Ten Creative Imaging Tips by Jeff Greene

2011-08-04T12:26:00.000-07:00

Have you ever returned from a prime photo location, reviewed your images, and realized that most of them look exactly the same? It’s quite common for photographers to become awestruck by the scenic wonders before them and then overwhelmed to the degree that they forsake their creative vision and robotically capture the same scene repeatedly. Not only is this an editing chore, but it also produces significant disappointment about the great images we should have captured, but didn’t.

To avoid “Shooter’s Regret”, I always carry along a creative cheat sheet in my camera bag. It’s a simple list of all the different techniques I like to use when shooting on location and it ensures that I come home with a collection of images that employ a diverse range of styles, formats, and techniques.
Here’s a list of my top ten creative imaging tips.

1.) Vary your focal lengths. Start out wide, move to medium, and finish with a telephoto and/or macro. This is a basic storytelling technique that sets the scene then provides more detail and intimacy with each successive image.

2.) Shoot horizontal AND vertical. Even when it doesn’t seem logical. Try a few. I promise it won’t break your camera.

3.) Try different angles. Avoid the “human-pod”, that is, always shooting a scene from a standing position. Mix in a few extreme angles; from a very low “bugs-eye” view, to a “Hail-Mary” overhead shot for an aerial effect.

4.) Shift shutter speeds. Obviously fast shutter speeds freeze action, but try using a tripod and slow shutter speeds to record motion blur. Especially effective on wind blown grass, water, and other moving objects…

5.) Filters. I only carry three types… Polarizing filters that reduce glare and reflection to enhance natural color, an R79 infrared filter, and a set of neutral density filters to slow down shutter speeds or accommodate wide open apertures.

6.) See the Black & White. An incredible advantage of digital imaging is the ability to capture in color AND create a fine art black & white image. Take a moment to “see” just the tones and texture; key elements for black & white photos.

7.) Panoramas. Almost every outdoor scene offers an opportunity for a panoramic image, a unique perspective that exceeds our normal field of view. A level tripod and a level camera with manual settings will result in the best quality, but I have successfully created many hand-held panoramas by just carefully composing each panel within the viewfinder. Create vertical panels for maximum field of view and try the occasional vertical panorama of tall objects. Panoramas can be created with a variety of software applications such as Canon Photostitch or the Photoshop Auto-Merge tool.

8.) Harris Shutter Effect. A very cool special effect that combines three similar images in the red, green, and blue color channels. Static elements are rendered normally, but anything that moves will be rendered separately in red, green, or blue. Great for water fountains.

9.) 3D Anaglyphs. Although twin cameras on a 3D mount produce the best results, a single camera can also create a 3D image by simply capturing a “left” and “right” image and combining them in Photoshop or Callipygian (www.callipygian.com/3D/ ), a shareware application.

10.) Capture some video. Since all digital cameras now capture video, take some time out to record a couple of minutes of video and make a short movie. Try to limit each capture to 10-15 seconds and then use Windows Movie Maker or Apple iMovie to create your masterpiece.
These are some of the techniques I use to keep the creative juices flowing when I’m out in the field and need some inspiration. Feel free to print this list, or create your own, and put a copy in your bag. It’s the most valuable piece of gear I have in mine…

Jeff Greene will be at Light Workshops August 25-28, 2011 for his "Photoshop for Photographers" workshop as well as his "Small Flash, Big Light" September 22-25, 2011.

Register www.LightWorkshops.com or call the office at 805-528-7385

Fiat Lux!

$600/lb. Prawns?

2011-08-02T13:06:00.000-07:00

Proof of why I should not quit my day job. With the cost of fishing licenses and a really small catch, our prawns were effectively $600 per pound. Tasty, tasty spotted prawns but somewhat pricey.

This was onboard the Alaskan Legend last month during a killer photo tour.

Thanks to Dr. Kevin Keating for shooting this embarrassing image.

Fiat Lux!

Canon Speedlite Intensive- The things we do for our students

2011-07-31T14:39:00.000-07:00

This weekend is our Speedlite Intensive workshop with Hal Schmitt. Yesterday, after a great morning of instruction on the ins and outs of speedlite photography, we headed out to Sweet Springs Nature Preserve to put theory into practice.

Victoria and Becky were good sports and stood in as the models and they were very creative with their costumes. This just shows how dedicated we here at Light are to helping our students learn!

Today, we will be using these powerful little lights to create beautifully soft light as well as edgy and dramatic light for their images.

If you missed this course and want to improve your lighting skills we have another speedlite workshop coming up this September 22-25 with instructor Jeff Greene. Jeff's workshop "Small Flash, Big Light!" will be a great opportunity to learn small strobes and enhance your lighting skills.

California Photo Festival Spotlight: Rob Sheppard

2011-07-28T11:06:00.000-07:00

We are very excited to have Rob Sheppard back again for the 2nd annual California Photo Festival!
Rob will be teaching a number of techniques including Lightroom workflow, Basics of Digital Video, and Landscape Photography.

Get a sneak peak of what you can learn from Rob by checking out this great video and tip on shooting
video with your DSLR.

Nature Connections from Rob Sheppard

A lot of photographers are interested in shooting video because most new cameras include this capability. Good video needs good sound, which is not something a photographer has usually paid attention to.

First off, you need to be close to your subject, or find a way to get a microphone close. No DSLR with video capabilities has a quality microphone built into it. In addition, built-in mics tend to pick up a lot of camera noise.

For a simple, easy to work with solution, try a small shotgun mic that fits into the camera's hotshoe and plugs into the camera's mic jack (your camera has to have such a jack). I use a Sennheiser MKE-400 microphone that gives great quality at a reasonable price and is compact enough to fit any camera bag. This video was shot with that mic and a Canon EOS 60D.

Courses are filling up for the 2nd annual California Photo Festival! Get your pass today by visiting www.CaliforniaPhotoFestival.com. Early bird pricing ends August 30th, save $50 off your pass!

Hal Speaking in New York at B&H

2011-07-27T11:20:00.000-07:00

Hal will be speaking in New York on the 28th of August. He will deliver the new and improved Lessons from a Fighter Pilot that Will Make You a Better Photographer at the B&H Manhattan Event Space. The Event Space is located on the second floor above the SuperStore.

I am biased but it should be a great time! Click the link below for more info and to register for the discussion.

Details and Registration

Fiat Lux!

Moonrise over the Mountains

2011-07-26T09:07:00.000-07:00

This moonrise capped an amazing day of photography on a recent trip. We were shooting all day with subjects varied from glaciers to brown bears to crazy, trumpeting whales and everyone was tired. Needless to say the moon rising over the high peaks and snow/ice fields invigorated our group and we shot a little bit longer.

I used a Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L mounted to a 7D body. A Really Right Stuff PG-02 and Induro CT314 provided the stability. Stability was incredibly important as I was on an anchored yacht in calm water but it was still rocking as a result of six whales lunging, diving, and surging. Turns out 200+ tons of whale makes a ripple or two.

The dynamic range was fairly large and in order to get enough detail in the moon I sacrificed a little in the shadows. I shot a bracketed sequence for HDR as well but did not prefer the image to the one you see above. Since the shadows were a bit dark I used Photoshop to bring up the tonality in the lower portions of the image.

When I want to brighten an area I often use a Curves adjustment layer. Instead of moving the curve though, I switch the layer blend mode to Screen. This brightens the image by approximately one stop. I liked the result everywhere but the moon so I masked it out and kept the original tone.

Fiat Lux!

Tim Grey Vs. Survival Suit - Photo Adventure Alaska

2011-07-25T16:46:00.000-07:00

A little video we shot of Tim Grey donning a cold water survival suit. The standard is to get into the suit and be ready to get into the water in under a minute. Take a look and see how Tim does.

Just came home from two back to back cruises in Alaska. It just keeps getting better every time I go up there. Hope to have you join me on one of the cruises soon.

Tim will be back with us here for Lightroom (Tim's Lightroom) in August and in October for the California Photo Fest (Photo Fest) You can find more info about tim at www.TimGrey.com

Fiat Lux!

Set Specific Goals: A Tip from Rick Sammon

2011-07-21T10:14:00.000-07:00

In photography (as well as in life, of course), it's very important to set goals. If you don't set goals, how do you know where you are going?

Here is an example of what I mean.

While teaching a private workshop in Mongolia, the student and I had the opportunity to get the shot that every horse photographer wants to get: a shot of the horse with all the hooves off the ground.

To get the shot, I told the student that we had to (and you can use these tips when photographing fast-moving subjects):

1) Set our Canon 5D cameras to the AI Servo focus mode - which tracks a moving subject right up until the moment of exposure.

2) Choose the rapid frame advance mode.

3) Compose the scene (using our Canon 100-400mm IS lenses) with lots of space around the subject – so no important parts were cut off.

4) Choose a shooting position where the light was just right.

5) Carefully watch the background so that the subject was completely isolated.

6) Take several series of images to ensure at least one good shot.

7) Use a shutter speed of at least 1/000th of a second to freeze the action.

8) Shoot with both eyes open - so we could see if something was coming into the frame that would ruin our pictures.

9) Check all our camera settings (ISO, Image Quality, white balance, etc.) to get the best possible in-camera exposure.

• • •

Setting the specific goal beforehand, and going through the motions of taking the shot in our hotel rooms, we became comfortable with the process. When we got on site, we practiced the process again and again - before the show.

All our practicing made getting the shot relatively easy - again, because we set a specific goal.

So . . . I told this story to my students while teaching a workshop at the Light Photographic Workshops in Los Osos, CA. The next day were were going to photograph horses running on the beach.

Guess what? They all set goals . . . and they all got the shot.

Set specific goals, and you'll have a better chance of getting the shots you envision in your mind's eye.

Explore the light,

Rick

Rick Sammon
www.RickSammon.info

Don't miss seeing Rick Sammon and 4 more Canon Explorers of Light at this year's California Photo Festival.

Early bird pricing ends August 30th! Register today at www.CaliforniaPhotoFest.com

Going Back Out for More

2011-07-14T10:18:00.000-07:00

Heading back out onto the water this afternoon for another photo tour of south east Alaska's amazing scenery and wildlife. Took a quick a break in Petersburg after the first trip. I needed a little time to catch up on sleep as we were shooting all day for over a week.

We had another incredible trip filled with amazing photography, incredible camaraderie, good food and wine, and pure fun. I look forward to sharing some of the images we made and the techniques used to capture them once I get back down to Cali.

Lion's Mane

Humpback tail and barnacles

Rolling in

Fiat Lux!

Free Webinar on the 29th!

2011-07-13T23:03:00.000-07:00

Very Old Ice with a little Topaz and Photoshop.

Hal will be presenting a webinar on the 29th of this month, noon on the West Coast, 1 PM Mountain, 2 PM Central, and 3 PM East Coast.

He will discuss using Topaz Detail and Adjust combined with Adobe Photoshop to enhance your HDR and image optimization workflow.

Register at the link below.

29 July Webinar

Hope to see you online!

Fiat Lux.

Color Balance Delicate Subjects

2011-07-01T09:55:00.000-07:00

We have been approached by a local silk scarf maker who creates beautiful, one of a kind scarves. The process that you can see on her website looks very fun and very messy! She comes in with dark colored finger tips which gently caress her light fragile looking colorful scarves and says "I can't photograph the color close enough to post on my website".
She indeed came to the right place. Between listening to Kevin Ames, Jim DiVitale and, of course, master of the studio, Hal Schmitt, they have all shown me awesome tips and accurate techniques in the studio about lighting and post production for commercial purposes.
First you want to set up lights that are as balanced as you can get. We use the ProFoto D1 Air Kits along with the Creative light strip boxes. You can see in the photo I'm using 2 strips. The other softbox in the upper left is just hanging for storage purposes only.
I tried the scarves on white first and got a few good images but wanted to see if black would create a more rich color. Turns out- it didn't matter once I color balanced, set my white and black points and cropped in, but I like shooting on black better. I also prefer having the option of showcasing the entire product and for me, color seems to stand out nicer with a black background.
I hung the scarves on a C-stand to pull them away from the black background to allow the light to fall off quickly behind the subject, making the black background darker. If you are ever getting to much light on the background pull the subject forward, back up and the background will naturally get darker.
Also, make sure your camera in not in AWB (auto white balance). This could give you varying color balance in the studio depending on what and how you're shooting (thank you Hal). I put it in flash mode, but ultimately I used my trusty X-Rite color checker- incredibly important to maintain neutral, honest color in your scene. If I changed the lights in any way I would take the photo with the color checker again in case any inconsistencies came up.
I then loaded the images into Lightroom to see how I did. Bring up the image that has the color checker into the Develop Module. In the basic tab there is a small eye dropper next to your exposure slider. Take that eye dropper and click on middle gray or 18% gray. That will help bring your color balance to a neutral state. Set your white point and your black point. Some photographers are a bit more technical than that, but I find that this method works for me.

Sync your settings to all the images with that developed image and you are color balanced and ready to crop.

I had a little fun with some "posing" and folding of the scarves to see what the client will like, but I can tell that that is going to be the main challenge. Have you ever tried folding silk? Maybe get a wind machine... I can't wait to get started on her other few hundred once we get a good system for her images worked out.

To learn more and get more detailed workflow instruction, come to our California Photo Festival and check out Jim DiVitale and Parish Kohanim for your commercial shoots as well as Rob Sheppard and Tim Grey for your Lightroom workflow.

Fiat Lux
-Victoria

Blending Landscape Exposures with Marc Muench

2011-06-12T11:35:00.000-07:00

This weekend we are happy to have Marc Muench here to teach Light students the latest tips and techniques in exposure blending. Last night we shot along the Bluff Trail in Montaña De Oro State Park to gather images for HDR processing.

The fog left us alone just long enough to get some great shots of the sunset.

Today we'll be using the images from last night to explore the different ways to blend multiple exposures together to create stunning High Dynamic Range images.

We hope to have Marc back soon for another awesome workshop.

There will be more HDR learning opportunities during the California Photo Festival Oct. 12-16, 2011.

Check out our website www.LightWorkshops.com to see the rest of our summer workshops.

Fiat Lux!

Great Idea from Lee Varis

2011-06-10T12:32:00.000-07:00

Lee Varis will be with Light a few times this year and he has set up a carpool discussion board for those coming from SoCal.

Check out his link below for info.

Lee's Blog and Carpool

If you have not experienced a Lee Varis workshop it is time. Check out his two offerings here this summer; Photoshop Fundamentals and The Digital Zone System. These will be great fun and tremendous learning opportunities. Take a look at the course description here and you might be surprised by what Lee considers "Fundamentals."

The Digital Zone System is a modern take on the original Zone System by Ansel Adams and Fred Archer. If you want to know light, exposure, and your camera this is for you. Description here.

Off to Toronto this weekend to watch Victoria's Dad and Brother play a major concert event.

Dad and brother play for Supertramp.

Fiat Lux!

Lens Flare Technique

2011-06-08T08:19:00.000-07:00

Victoria's IR pano of the Midnight Cellars vineyard

Yesterday's post featured a Photoshop Lens Flare filter placed strategically on my head. If you want to use the flare in your creative process try the following technique.

Open an image in Photoshop as a Smart Object. If you are going through Adobe Camera Raw, hold down the Shift key and click on "Open Object" (the button normally says "Open Image"). If you are already in Photoshop, right click on your background thumbnail (in the Layers Panel) and choose "Convert to Smart Object". Finally, if in Lightroom, right click your image thumbnail and choose Edit In-Open as Smart Object in Photoshop.

To add the Lens Flare, go to the Menu and click Filter-Render-Lens Flare. This will bring up the Lens Flare filter dialog. The radial buttons let you choose your lens category and the brightness slider controls the intensity of the effect. Sometimes difficult to see is the third control, the small crosshair in your preview image. Drag the crosshair to place the effect.

Once you click "Ok" a smart filter is created and the flare will be visible in your image. I chose an IR image so you can easily see the filter effect.

The beautiful thing about a smart filter is you can go back and make changes at any time. To do this click on the smart filter "Lens Flare" and the dialog will reopen to adjust your filter.

The Lens Flare is a great little trick to bring out every now and again.

Fiat Lux!

With Friends Like These...

2011-06-07T17:12:00.000-07:00

Rick's Blog

Never a dull moment when your friends are Photoshop experts!

Although I do thank Rick Sammon for showing everyone how angelic I really am.

Would love to hear comments on a good caption for this shot.

Fiat Lux!

Support and RRS Link

2011-06-03T08:51:00.000-07:00

Mountain goat from moving boat.

Canon 1D Mk III, EF 800mm f/5.6L, and RRS PG-02

Day five of my Lightroom "Zero to Hero" class here at Light. Wanted to put up a quick blog before class.

I was looking through some of my AK shots and found these two examples of camera support working in my favor. We (and most photographers, photo magazines, blogs, etc.) speak a lot regarding capturing the sharpest images. Hands down the best techniques we have found are to shoot from a STABLE platform and use Live View when possible to compose, expose, and focus (built-in mirror lock-up too.)

A stable platform to me means good tripod and Really Right Stuff gear. I am using the PG-02 panning gimbal head these days which supports my long lenses and serves double duty as a multi-axis panorama kit.

The goat shot above is an effective 1040mm with a 1/400 shutter speed from a moving boat! That is only possible when the platform is stable. I also used Live View to focus and set my exposure. The PG-02 makes that probable but the addition of a long lens support kit makes the shot probable. There is not a gear solution for everything but having the right equipment certainly helps.

24 shot HDR pano taken from a boat with the PG-02.

For a cool writeup from Joe at Really Right Stuff about an awesome trip check out the following link.

Cool Trip Write Up and Tips

Now back to Lightroom for me. We are learning the final workflow step today - Output. So plenty of time with export, Print, SS, and Web. Good living.

Fiat Lux!

Lightroom in the House this Week

2011-05-30T19:09:00.000-07:00

After three minutes in Lightroom

Raw capture straight from the camera

Our Lightroom 3 course is in full swing at Light. People are often surprised we offer a five day LR course and remark "What could you possibly talk about for five days?"

Lightroom is such a powerful program it will make your workflow as effective and efficient as possible, but only if you use all of the tools, tips, tricks, and techniques. To get a full understanding of the digital workflow and how each LR module, feature, and function applies takes some time. We have found five days is the perfect amount to go from total beginner to complete master. Interestingly, the same often applies to folks who have been using LR for years.

I have always thought much of Lightroom's power is in the Library Module. Most of the photographers we meet have some inefficiency when it comes to the first three stages of the digital workflow, Import, Edit, and Organize. This is where a strong understanding of digital asset management and Library functions come together to save the day. I find it this aspect so important I normally spend two full days with the Library Module ensuring everyone has a supreme grasp of its power. Only after the required legwork can we get to the fun and sexy stuff in the Develop Module.

Man cannot live in the lab alone so we will be out shooting tomorrow morning and for the rest of the week to build some source material and hone our workflow.

We did get to experience a fun little bug in Lightroom today though. Always interesting when the big demos do not go as advertised. Not sure whether this is new in 3.4.1 or was in 3.4 but will do a bit more troubleshooting tomorrow. Fortunately, the bug is a very limited scope issue. I do a demo Import of several files and rename the files in the process. The files I use have a combination of upper and lower case file extensions. If you happen to have "Leave as Is" selected in file extension on the import dialog-File Renaming tab, LR will not rename files with an upper case extension. This only seems to occur when the import source contains files with both upper and lower case extensions. So probably only applies to me in a few demos.
Fiat Lux!

Good times at the Epic Light Gallery Reception

2011-05-28T14:47:00.000-07:00

Love at Last Light by Victoria Schmitt

Barren Beauty by Kevin Cole

Last night was our 3rd monthly artist reception at the Epic Light Gallery. A big thanks to our featured artists, Kevin Cole and Amanda Valena, for putting on a beautiful display of fine local photography! We had a great group of people come out to support our artist and saw some new faces too.

We also had some new work added to our display from house artists Bob Canepa, Victoria Schmitt, and Becky Sloat.

Fine cheese and tasty local wine was provided by Light. As always we were pouring the 2005 Volatus; a 60/40 syrah malbec blend created by Hal Schmitt.

If you couldn’t make it last night don’t despair, this display will be up until June 17th. Our next artist reception will be June 24th with the return of Kevin Cole and a new guest artist.

Get all the news and updates about the our gallery by liking our

Epic Light Gallery page on Facebook.

The Muse by Amanda Valena

Fiat Lux!

Years End 2009 by Kevin Cole

Topaz Detail Webinar Replay

2011-05-26T15:55:00.000-07:00

Here is the replay of the webinar I did with Topaz Detail a few weeks ago.

The mask process I quickly describe is available here.

Please send me any of your questions or comments to hal@Lightworkshops.com

You can find other Topaz webinars here.

Fiat Lux!

Fisheye Pano and A Little Video

2011-05-26T00:44:00.000-07:00

Hobart Bay Pano with Northern Song bookends

An early morning fisheye pano I shot recently. I liked the effect I was getting with the boat framing the vertical edge of the image but the only way to bookend was with a pano. With the 15mm FE on my 5D Mk II, I was able to get the effect with only two shots. I knew from previous efforts though I would have a problem trying to stitch just two fisheye images together with Photoshop. In order to make the stitching process go a little simpler (or go at all) I shot an additional frame for a total of three.

I stacked all three shots, expanded my canvas, and moved each into position manually. If you ever need to do this the trick is to switch the Layer Blend Mode of the layer you are moving to Difference. This will give you a weird ghosted effect but you can easily see where to position. After everything was in place I selected all layers and clicked Edit-Auto Blend. With the Auto layout selected Photoshop did the rest.

In the end the image was just under 10K pixels wide so I almost reached a 2:1 ratio for the pano. More importantly, I got the effect I wanted. I think the main lesson is pixels are free. If you have an idea shoot away and see what can be accomplished in post. If it works, great. If not, find another way.

The video below is the final from our last trip ashore. I posted the other two already so I figured I might as well finish it. As you can see my lens is still wet and I was not microphoned up. Hopefully, it captures some of the flavor.

Send Off from AK from Hal Schmitt on Vimeo.

The "sushi" bar comment in the video is when the fish rush ashore and the eagles stand in or near the water. They reach down with their beaks and snatch the fish up; just like a sushi-go-round restaurant.

A single eagle at the "sushi bar" with one on deck.
Notice the fish jumping out of the water in the foreground.

The final shot below is the yacht I reference in the video. I will admit it was kind of small in the frame so here is a closer view.

Fiat Lux!

"Mask" with Blend Modes for Easy Composites

2011-05-24T18:03:00.000-07:00

The two images above do not really work for me separately. I thought they might look better combined so I played around with them a bit. I am not a big fan of spending a large amount of time selecting or masking unless I absolutely must. When I do mask I use either Photoshop alone or Topaz Remask. For this composite, I wanted to try a blend mode switch and see if I could avoid any selections or masks. The process I used is below.

The first step was to create a stack by layering the two images in Photoshop. I used the trees as a background and added a few Curves Adjustment Layers to fix tonal range, color cast, and add contrast (you could also do that in Lightroom first.) At the top of the layer stack is my eagle fight shot. I moved the eagles into a possible position and am now ready to try a blend mode switch.

With the eagle layer active I changed the blend mode to Darken. The Darken blend mode works by displaying only the parts of the active layer that are darker than underlying pixels (in lower layers.) I thought the eagles are darker than the sky so maybe it would work. Unfortunately, the sky in the eagle layer is darker than the background sky.

To fix this little issue, I added a Curve Adjustment Layer and set it to affect only the eagle layer. To do this click on the the click to clip to layer icon that looks like a dark circle on top of a light circle at the bottom of the Adjustments panel or hold down the Alt/Opt key and click on the line separating the eagle layer from the Curve layer (you will know you are in the right place when your cursor changes to the dark/light circle icon.) When we set up a clipped layer the adjustment will only effect the layer it is clipped to. In this case, the curve only modifies the eagle. As I drag the curve up notice less of the sky around the eagles is visible.

I continued to move the curve up until the sky on the eagle layer was lighter than the sky of the background. Now only the eagles themselves show up with the Darken blend mode.

Final step for me was a Black and White adjustment layer. Not sure I will ever use the image but I like the result better than where I started and the technique is a great tool to have in your kit. This also works in reverse using the Lighten blend mode.

The final composite

Fiat Lux!

Couple of HDRs and Component Pre-Processing Tips

2011-05-23T00:32:00.000-07:00

Bridge shot from Lightroom, Photomatix Pro, Photoshop, and Topaz

Lens is a 400mm f/2.8L AKA "killer glass"

I showed a Nik HDR Efex Pro processed ice cave the other day and wanted to balance that with a couple of Photomatix Pro HDRs.

Both images started in Lightroom where I processed the components. My workflow includes removing any of the default settings in the Develop Module that effect tonality. From top to bottom I do the following: Blacks-0, Brightness-0, Contrast-0, Tone Curve's Point Curve-Linear, Detail's Sharpening Amount-0, and Lens Correction to remove vignetting and chromatic aberration. I will warn you here, after you make those adjustments the components will not look good.

You can easily make a Preset and the process goes much quicker.

Once the image returns from Photomatix I will go through my normal optimization workflow. This often returns the above sliders and options to near their default.

In the case of these two images, I processed them twice in Photomatix, adjusted in Lightroom, and then combined the two in Photoshop. For the interior shot I also used Topaz Detail to add some shape and form.

Fiat Lux!

Ice Cave

2011-05-20T13:50:00.000-07:00

Alaska Ice Cave from Hal Schmitt on Vimeo.

Video shot as I was getting ready to make some HDR source images. Always be extremely careful when dealing with ice caves. Many are not safe at all so perform a good survey of the scene and judge integrity, traction, and overall security. It is also a great idea to not do this alone. With at least one other person assistance/rescue gets much easier.

The textures, color, and tonal range inside the cave were amazing. Shooting here was a challenge. The biggest issue was the melt water. Keeping the camera and lens relatively dry required full protection. I do not use any fancy type of rain gear. I prefer fish fillet bags and rubber bands or gaffer's tape. They make a simple, effective, and economical solution. Light levels overall were low so I used a tripod. Tripod setup was a little challenging with very slippery, uneven terrain (ice) as the cave floor. The ability to rapidly adjust my tripod leg length and angle was very helpful.

I shot a single image to assess the tones and decided I needed to shoot multiples to cover the entire range. For the HDRs on this blog, I shot only three source files at -2, 0, and +2 E.V with a Canon 5D Mk II. This gave me about 9ish stops of usable data which worked perfectly. Had I needed more shots I had my Promote Control with me.

HDR processed with HDR Efex Pro from Nik

I used Nik's HDR Efex Pro for this scene. As many of you know I am not all that faithful to one HDR software. I primarily find myself using Photomatix Pro but I will almost always try other options and pick the best result. Sometimes my final result is a blend of output from different programs. For this shot I wanted the result to show texture more than anything else. Click on the attached images for a larger version since only when big will the real texture come out.

On this version I pulled some saturation and pushed texture a bit more.

Now I need to go back in July with my Fisheye. Of course, this cave will be gone but I should be able to find another. Come out and join me.

Fiat Lux!

Eagle Tips

2011-05-19T00:56:00.000-07:00

Dial it up (as we used to say at TOPGUN)

As many of you know I am a big fan of photographing eagles (might be that fighter pilot thing again.) There are a huge number of tips and tricks when shooting eagles but I will give two of the simplest. These two might seem a little bit flippant and MOTO (master of the obvious) but they are true.

My best tip is go where there are a large number of eagles. The rock above has 19 eagles on it. What is not shown are the other 30 rock outcroppings just like this one covered with birds or the trees full of birds. When you surround yourelf with 500-1000 eagles you will have a much higher probability of getting the shots you want. Photographing eagles in flight is not the easiest task so the more you shoot the better. Tough to do as you wait for the lone bird to fly by again.

Tip number two often goes hand in hand with number one, go where this is a non-stop supply of eagle food. I have no problem with feeding eagles to get images but there is a finite amount of frozen herring. Food equals eagle action. The birds will feed almost non stop. I have seen eagles feed until there are fins sticking out their beaks. With plenty of birds and food you increase your opportunity in a major way. In the image above the fish are literally jumping out of the water into the waiting talons of the approaching eagle. There is also something a little more raw and natural about a freshly ripped apart herring; half in the beak and half in the talons. In the gory image above note there is another whole herring in the talons as well.

As I mentioned, feeding to attract eagles is not really any different than planting flowers to attract butterflies or using sugar water to bring in hummingbirds to an elaborate flash setup. I do believe in full disclosure though and will discuss if an eagle was baited or not. Most often it is pretty easy to tell if there is a fish in the frame (in the water or in the talons/beak.) Recently caught live fish bleed and still look alive. Frozen herring are slightly discolored, the tail contracts, and the eye is very dead. For example, check out the gull below picking up a frozen herring.

A few more shots for giggles.

Yep, the sky was that blue.

Love the dirty birds (juveniles)!

Notice the bright spot in the talons. Normally a piece of bait...as it is here.

Fiat Lux!

Composite Images for Easy Expanded DOF

2011-05-18T17:17:00.000-07:00

I shot the two images above for this demo while onboard our yacht tour a couple weeks ago. We weren't in perfect position for the composition I really wanted but pixels are free so I shot anyway. The eagles are separated from the mountain and glacier background by about 10 miles. I had a Canon 400mm f/2.8L on my 7D at the time and could not get both foreground and background in focus with the given focal distance. I decided to quickly shoot with eagle focus and again with glacier focus; the only thing that changed between shots was focal point. Although I was on a tripod the boat was moving so there was a slight shift in the images.

Once back in Lightroom I performed some basic optimization, selected both images, synchronized, right clicked, and chose the option shown below. If you are working Bridge, the same optimization and synchronization may be done via ACR. Select both images and then choose Tools-Photoshop-Load files into Photoshop Layers.

With a stack (a multi layer image in which each layer comes from an individual image) in Photoshop I needed to do some masking in order to selectively reveal and conceal each layer. I wanted the foreground from one image (with the eagles in focus) and the background from the other (mountain and glacier.) As always with Adobe I had at least three options: 1) I could add a mask to my top layer and then use a brush to paint. or 2) I could select the eagles and rock in the foreground and then add a mask (turning my selection into a mask.) or 3) I could let Photoshop do the work and Auto-Blend. The Auto-Blend option (Edit-Auto-Blend Layers)when set up as below uses contrast as a discriminant to build a mask.

There are two main "gotchas" with Auto-Blend. The first is if there is a shift in the images you might need to Auto-Align first. Interestingly, in this case Auto-Align did not work as the images were fairly different without enough common pixels to scene map. Second, to activate Auto-Blend as an option multiple layers must be selected. Use click + shift click functionality to select multiple layers.

After the blend, Photoshop gave me the layer masks you see above. Not perfect but pretty good and extremely fast. I made a few more changes to the images in order to correct color and boost contrast in the background. I used a Curve adjustment layer for color correction and then stamped visible and set the resultant pixel layer to the Multiply blend mode with a reduced Opacity. I copied a layer mask from above in order to reveal the effect on only the background. To copy layer masks from one layer to another hold Alt (Win) / Opt (Mac) and click, hold, and drag a layer mask.

I also wondered what the image might look like with only one eagle so I removed the bird on the left. To do this I first selected the left most eagle with the Quick Select Tool and then Filled using Content Aware Fill. This did most of the job but left a few places to touch up with the Healing Brush and Clone Stamp. Finally, I cropped a bit differently.

In the end, the eagle is too centered for my taste. Normally the center is deadly (As Rick Sammon likes to say.) Potentially, an argument could be made that the extended depth of field allows the viewer to leave the centered eagle and explore the in focus, interesting background. Regardless, I think this image will only serve as a demo.

Fiat Lux!

Out and about on the Moraine

2011-05-17T12:27:00.000-07:00

Glacial Moraine from Hal Schmitt on Vimeo.

A quick video shot from the highpoint of a glacial moraine in AK. This is the far end of the moraine I discussed in yesterday's post.

We had intermittent showers throughout our trip ashore as you can see on the lens and hear. Regardless of the weather, the landscape and scenery were pretty cool. I found the most interesting part of this area to be that the landscape was completely fractal. Regardless of scale, there were similar features. For example, the glacier and its moraine were very similar in appearance to the small water flows and deposits of glacial silt.

I will put up a few more videos from this location and other spots around the area.

Video was shot with a Canon 5D Mk II and EF 24-70mm f/2.8L. I processed very minimally in Adobe Premiere Pro.

I make a plug in the video for the best photography pants I have found. They are made by a company called Crye Precision. Crye makes combat and field gear without equal. The best thing about the pants is they have ten pockets distributed along your entire leg. One of the things I most miss about wearing a Navy flight suit everyday is the lack of useful pockets in normal clothing. The lower leg pockets on the Crye field pants are perfect. Crye is not bashful about charging a good amount for their gear but you get what you pay for.

Check them out at Crye Precision.

Fiat Lux!

Humpback Bubble Net Feeding Lunge

2011-05-16T22:23:00.000-07:00

The Flash sequence above shows the end game of the humpback whale bubble net feeding lunge. These huge animals have developed a technique to corral their prey into a tight ball to make eating a bit easier; not a bad plan when you have to eat so much.

Either singly or in groups the whales dive and coordinate releasing air to create a curtain of bubbles around, in this case, tens of thousands of herring. The whales slowly come together in a decreasing spiral to concentrate the bubble curtain and the fish. The survival instinct of the fish kicks in and they form tighter and tighter balls driven towards the surface by the bubbles and the whales themselves.

Mouth open @90 degrees!

Nearing the surface the whales propel themselves aggessively upward and lunge out of the water with gaping jaws open almost 90 degrees. As is seen in the detail shot herring are leaping out of the water to get away.

Click on the detail shot above to see flying herring.

Interestingly, bubble net feeding is not seen in all humpback populations around the world. We were fortunate to observe bubble net feeding although we typically saw only two or three whales at a time. This was not because of lack of food, there were billions of herring in the water for the annual spawn. Rather it was a lack of whales. In late April and early May, the Alaskan humpback numbers are fairly small as most whales are still making the swim from their winter grounds around the Hawaiian islands.

When we go back in July, we expect to witness bubble net feeding with groups of 15+ whales. Almost makes me embarrassed to show a sequence with only two. I will re-engage in July with more whales!

The trick to photographing the lunge is twofold. First, expect there will be a large splash and significant whitewater. These will be your highlights and will drive the exposure. Metering off dark water without any concern for the splash/bubbles will yield blown highlights. I prefer to shoot in Manual mode with an exposure to properly expose white. Second, watch the whales and learn. You will see patterns in the water immediately before the whales surface. When the patterns show up, point your camera with exposure set for the highlights, focus, and shoot!

Fiat Lux!

Do No Harm and Leave No Trace

2011-05-16T15:26:00.000-07:00

We as photographers are extremely fortunate to experience, tour, and capture many unique and interesting places around the world. There are myriad benefits to both photographer and the local area/environment associated with our travels and shoots. On the flip side, we must be cognizant of any damage we could do to the location. In and of itself, photography is not a destructive process; we are normally not going to harm anyone or anything with the depression of our shutter release. With that said, we know there is more to the process of making a great image. We must consider how to structure our visits and use techniques and habit patterns that do no harm and leave little to no trace of our presence.

As with all photography, it pays to research our subject. This is not just the subject itself, but also the environment in which the subject is found, the habits, patterns, rituals, etc. With full knowledge we are able to capture more effectively and make a compelling image while at the same time minimizing impact. If we consider the possible consequences of our visit we will be forced to look at things such as destruction or damage to native species, unkowing introduction of non-native species, pack it in/pack it out principles, waste management, how to appreciate, capture, and preserve vice removal and disturbance, and respect/standoff from wildlife. This is just a quick list of things we should consider when entering any environment but especially those that might be sensitive.

The largest impact we often have as photographers is based on our overland travel habits and what equipment we set up on location. The simple act of walking to a desired shooting spot with gear and then setting down our bags, setting up our tripods, and remaining in one spot could cause problems.

Of course, any impact is magnified when a group is involved. Precautions must be taken to minimize the impact of more than one person. For example, if there is a trail, all should stay on trail. If there is not a trail, is it better to each take a different path to minimize repeated impact to the same area or does it make sense to limit our impact and follow in each others footprints. There will probably never be one right answer but if we are educated and plan each trip properly we will, hopefully, choose the correct course of action. Of course, sometimes the right answer is a place that is perfect for you might not be the best place to take your 50 person strong MeetUp or tour group.

We were fortunate to visit an amazing and sensitive area in south east Alaska a few weeks ago. After a quick RHIB (rigid hull inflatable boat) ride we landed on a rolling ground moraine from a retreating glacier. At first glance, it seemed to be just rocks. Fortunately, our local guide prepared us with additional knowledge. We understood the area was nesting habitat for migratory birds (made even more complicated as the nests looked like groups of rocks and the eggs look just like small rocks) and was also an emergent area (a place where local species were just taking hold. Think of the initial reforesting process after a fire or after the deposit of volcanic ash.) With this knowledge we soon saw that we needed to apply leave no trace principles in everything we did while ashore.

For those curious, Canon 1D Mk III, EF 800mm f/5.6L, and RRS PG-02

The Arctic Tern nests on the ground in some very sensitive locations.

The images in this post were captured by our group as they toured this amazing location. It was an incredible experience to photograph this environment and I feel confident we did the best we could to minimize our impact.

For more images of this awesome place check out Rick Sammon's blog at Chasing the Light with Light.

Fiat Lux!

Tons of Falling Ice...A Cool Calving

2011-05-15T17:50:00.000-07:00

A quick story to accompany the sequence above. We were shooting the glacier face and watching fairly small calving events. As it neared time to go, the Captain decided we could pull a "Jericho" and blew the yacht's horns to expedite a large icefall. As we were about 1/2 mile from the glacier, it took the sound about 3 seconds to hit the face. By the time the echo returned to us the first small pieces of ice were already falling.

I am not exactly sure how much ice calved in this sequence but it was a lot. For reference, the face is about 500-600 feet high. The ice created a 100+ foot splash and a 25 foot wave that fortunately dissipated to about 15 feet when it reached the yacht. I have to imagine it was easily hundreds of tons of ice crashing.

A still to show the size of the central spire that came down.

I am still not completely convinced the sound energy brought down the ice but it is not outside the realm of possibility and it was one hell of a coincidence.

For the image sequence, I shot handheld with a Canon 5D Mk II and EF 70-200mm at just under four frames a second. I processed the images in Lightroom and then stacked them in Photoshop to align (making up for slight differences in my positioning.) I ultimately created a series of 19 JPEGS and took them to Adobe Fireworks to create the Shockwave Flash file. Playback is at four frames per second so the sequence is pretty close to how the 5D Mk II captured it.

Fiat Lux!

Quick Sunset Tip

2011-05-15T01:37:00.000-07:00

Near sunset, photographers tend to fixate on the setting sun itself and often lose situational awareness to everything in their periphery and at six o'clock. Every now and again turn around and see what is behind you. These images demonstrate the difference 180 degrees can make.

8 shot stitched panorama

There are 50 eagles easily identified in this shot, by the way

Not sure if I will ever use or finish optimizing these images but I thought they showed an incredible variation that we sometimes miss. Interestingly, on this photo tour we had a total of eight photographers; six stayed with the setting sun and two looked east. The important thing is everyone was aware of what was happening with the light and made an informed choice where to shoot.

Fiat Lux!

Food, Glorious Food

2011-05-13T22:34:00.000-07:00

White king salmon

A quick post celebrating one of life's true pleasures, amazing food! As many of you know I have been fortunate to do some incredibly exciting and adventurous things. On occasion I have used the following expression trying to describe my former line of work flying high-end fighters for the Navy. People would ask what it was like to rage around the sky pulling Gs at high speed and low altitude and I would say "Simply put, it is the most fun you can have with your clothes on," and it was. Unfortunately, I can say now that I was mistaken.

Black cod or Sablefish

Onboard the Northern Song, I was lucky enough to sample two of the most incredibly savory and tasty (a technical term) dishes known to my red-blooded, American male palate, white (also known as ivory) king salmon and sake marinated black cod . I will admit that I had neither heard of nor tried either of these before our recent cruise but will never forget them.

Prepared under the talented hands of Chef Ocean and Captain Dennis these two fish were transformed into the most delectable and mind blowing meals. I can now state diving into perfectly portioned, seasoned, and cooked wild Alaskan white salmon and sablefish could be the most fun you will ever have...with your clothes on, that is.

To make it even better both of these fish are remarkably good for you, a veritable bonanza of Omega-3s. Do yourself a favor and try them out. Two sources are Coastal Cold Storage in Petersburg, AK and Vital Choice. Coastal Cold Storage may be contacted in Petersburg or via their website. Take a look at Vital Choice's website here.

It was awesome to watch the tour participants eagerly await each meal and then attack when the food was served. Cannot wait to taste what our July trips will offer!

On a photography note, all images were shot with a Canon 5D Mk II and either an EF 24-70mm f/2.8L or an EF 100mm f/2.8 macro. I used a 580 EX II flash bounced off the ceiling and filled with a bounce card.

Fiat Lux!

So Here We Go

2011-05-12T09:06:00.000-07:00

Everybody wants to fly!

I have taken a few days to reflect on last week's Alaska photo adventure. The only way I can really describe it is with the word amazing. The yacht, the crew, the participants, the weather, the landscape, the wildlife, the food, the camaraderie, the experience, the everything...amazing.

It is almost unbelievable the diversity of subjects we found in just one day. As an example, one day's worth of shooting included hundreds of eagles, bubble feeding humpback whales, cruising killer whales, tens of thousands of seabirds, alpine landscape, temperate rainforest, deep green fjords, waterfalls, mountain goats (billies, mommas, and kids,) bears, seals, otters, glaciers, calving glaciers (will post my 20 shot sequence of a 200 ton block of ice falling...wow,) and more. Literally one day packs more than most will see in a week.

With that many subjects it can be a daunting task to photograph them all. I hear too many photographers say "I am a landscape photographer," or "I only photograph birds." Often the explanation is something like "I don't know anything about landscape (or birds, or portraits, etc.) I do not understand that. Although one subject may interest a photographer more than another the actual photography is remarkably similar; it's all about the light. If we understand light then most photography becomes available to us immediately.

Our cruise participants quickly learned they could not specialize while on the trip, there were too many fantastic opportunities. Tactics, techniques, and procedures might change a little for different subjects but there were some important constants.

One of the real "tricks" regarding any subject (especially wildlife or people) is you must know the subject. Learn the environment in which they live, learn the behavior, learn the communication, etc.

For example, I wanted to capture a breaching humpback whale. Initially that did not seem so easy with dozens of whales spread from horizon to horizon. As I learned the light, I set up my camera for the proper exposure and enabled the settings to capture action. I then sat back and watched. I tried to learn the behavior and patterns of the feeding whales. One in particular caught my attention as he would feed for a while (using bubble net patterns by himself, will discuss those more on another post) and then commence to long session of tail slapping.

After ten minutes of banging his tail around three or four breaches would occur. Well I did not get the shot I wanted from the first session but soon saw the pattern repeat and was ready (pattern repeated throughout the morning for over three hours.) Learning all we can about a subject not only makes for better photographs but also allows us to try and understand different animals, environments, and ultimately, ourselves.

More later.

Fiat Lux!

Marc Muench- Blending Landscape Exposures

2011-05-10T16:06:00.000-07:00

If you haven't already heard, Marc Muench is returning to Light for his workshop Blending Landscape Exposures, June 11-12, 2011.

Marc will teach you how to get the most range out of a single landscape exposure with specific in-camera techniques as well as in post processing. We'll move beyond working with a single exposure and look at the best techniques for bracketing exposures and how to combine them using Photoshop CS5.

Your registration not only includes an incredible learning experience but also Marc's new book "Exploring North American Landscapes"

This book is a great look at the iconic landscapes of North America and the latest techniques in landscape photography. As a third generation landscape photographer, Marc has a unique perspective on how photography has made a huge impact on how we experience these beautiful and famous places.

Don't miss this great opportunity to learn from a master photographer!
Register online or call the office 805-528-7385 today!

Fiat Lux!

Off the Yacht and Headed to Seattle!

2011-05-05T10:45:00.000-07:00

Back in Petersburg after 8 incredible days cruising the inside passage. This will be the first in a series of posts describing the trip. Although I am sometimes prone to hyperbole; this was AWESOME.

The shot at the top is a 9 shot panorama shot from our yacht, the Northern Song, just after we left the harbor last week, beautiful, bluebird day for shooting. Biggest tip for panoramas overall, keep everything the same except field-of-view. When shooting from a moving platform remember to keep the shutter speed up.

We were joined shortly after I shot the pano by four Dahl's porpoises. These are the fastest marine mammals and they put on an incredible show for us. The shot below was taken just before the porpoise surfaced. The detail in the exhalation bubbles about to burst the surface is very, very cool.

Off to Seattle now to meet the folks at Creative Live.

I will have posts up everyday detailing the trip and passing on some of our lessons learned.

Fiat Lux!

Introducing Bobbi Lane!

2011-04-27T15:36:00.000-07:00

Portrait and wedding photographers check this out!

Portrait Lighting: Natural and Flash

with Bobbi Lane

May 26-29, 2011

We're bringing the famous Bobbi Lane back to the Central Coast for 4 incredible days of portraiture. Bobbi will take you through all the ins and outs of the professional portrait including how to work with natural and strobe lighting. This is a great course for anyone trying to improve their technical skills in portrait lighting and perfect for those looking for a little creative inspiration!

As a teacher on the regional, national, and international level, she brings insight and enthusiasm to her classes, each year inspiring hundreds of students. Bobbi's excellent rapport and open communication with her students stimulates creative thinking, while her straight-forward teaching style motivates students of many different skill levels.

Check out this video for a sneak peak of Bobbi at work and get a taste of what you can expect to learn at her upcoming Portrait Lighting workshop, happening here at Light May 26-29, 2011.

Get more information or register today by visiting www.LightWorkshops.com or call the office at

805-528-7385

Fiat Lux!

Off We Go

2011-04-27T09:38:00.000-07:00

Loading everyone onto the yacht this morning. Not sure I have ever seen so much camera gear for such a small group. Makes sense though, although the focus of the trip is eagles there is so much subject matter from macro to panoramic, HDR landscapes and more. Never hurts to be prepared for anything that might wander in front of our lens.

Fiat Lux!

Petersburg, AK

2011-04-25T22:57:00.000-07:00

Quick shot of the north harbor before dinner. Will be able to shoot a bunch more in town tomorrow.

Our first photo tour of the year is here. We have a couple of folks here already and everyone else will arrive tomorrow. Rick Sammon should arrive in the morning and the other four participants will be here in the afternoon.

Everything is lining up perfectly for us this trip. The yacht is in top shape and will be fully loaded tomorrow. The timing of the herring spawn is spot on and the eagle/whale/sea lion/otter/etc. spectacle should begin very soon. I cannot wait to get out on the water and start shooting. We are on the Northern Song this year and it is an incredible yacht for photography; luxury accomodations but small enough to get us in the middle of the action.

Last year I was fortunate to field test the Really Right Stuff PG-02 (gimbal head) prototype. This year the full-up production model is in my bag and will be helping me track with the Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L and the EF 800mm f/5.6L. Tracking and long lens, action shots with this kit are awesome.

We will try to post as often as possible but there is some limited coverage when we are deep in the fjords.

Fiat Lux!

A Bit of Painting

2011-04-22T15:00:00.000-07:00

Day five of Jane Conner-Ziser and Jack Davis. We are painting a little bit today with both Corel Painter 11 and Adobe Photoshop CS5.

This has been an awesome week for the class and for the Light staff. When you are surrounded by talented, creative, and charismatic people like Jack and Jane you cannot help but learn and laugh.

We are planning to bring Jack and Jane back several times this year and next. They will also join us at the California Photo Festival in October (California Photo Fest) Try and check this pair out, you will not regret it.

Going international, Jack, Jane, and Hal will be leading a photography tour of Italy in springtime 2012! This will be very cool. Wet concrete details soon.

I decided we should finish this post by comparing a Painter Master (Jane Conner-Ziser) and a Painter zero (Hal.) He has a long way to go. Both images were shot and painted (Jane) / mangled (Hal) during class.

Hal's feeble attempt.

Fiat Lux!

Jack and Jane

2011-04-21T10:21:00.000-07:00

Jack Davis and Jane Conner-Ziser are here this week with a Photoshop, Lightroom, Painter, and shooting extravaganza. I cannot say enough about this course. The amazing tips, tricks, and techniques from these two Masters are nonstop.

The multi-instructor workshop is an excellent opportunity to pick up two unique points of view for the entire digital workflow. To me one of the great things about photography is the ability to apply our creative vision to the shoot and after capture process. There are very few cookie cutter approaches when shooting and optimizing. Listening to two instructors, we are forced to accept and use multiple techniques and options to achieve the final image.

Jane Conner-Ziser fine tuning a pose

The attached shots are from a location shoot we did here in Los Osos. Jack and Jane are masters of light, posing, and composition. The shoot was an excellent break from the computers and a huge learning experience for all (also made some cool images.)

Jack Davis shooting (note big camer over shoulder and iphone in hand)

We are back in the lab today hitting it again.

Fiat Lux!

Happy to be Home

2011-04-15T17:40:00.000-07:00

8 shot pano ready for optimization

Back in Cali after a 16 day adventure up north. I was fortunate to make it back in time to say hello to Rob Sheppard who just finished a "Magic of Wildflowers" course.

Looking forward to this weekend as we shoot Easter specials and I get to judge a Bloody Mary contest!

While I was gone we picked up Corel as a full time sponsor; will be perfect as Jane Conner-Ziser is here next week with Jack Davis for shooting and painting.

Hope to see ya'll at the Topaz Webinar next week.

Fiat Lux.

Free Webinar with Hal 19 April - Output Sharpening with Topaz Detail

2011-04-02T13:20:00.000-07:00

Working on an eagle from one of my Alaska tours.

I will be holding a free webinar on the 19th of April. The basic content of the webinar is listed below. As many of you know we do a lot of printing and print testing here at Light. I have been looking at incorporating Topaz Detail into my sharpening workflow, both for content and output, for a while now. The simplicity, speed, and effectiveness is definitely worth a look

Click on the link to register. Hope to see you online.

19 April Free Topaz Detail Webinar -"Join Hal as he builds and demonstrates an effective and efficient output sharpening workflow using Topaz Detail. Output sharpening is one of the most challenging and contentious subjects in digital imaging. With a strong understanding of sharpening Why's and How's, and a simple, repeatable workflow using Topaz Detail, you can master this critical step."

The full April schedule for Topaz Webinars may be found at Webinar Schedule

Epic Light Gallery Opening Ceremony

2011-03-30T23:02:00.000-07:00

Tonight was an "Epic" night of photography, wine, good friends, and great fun.

The Official SLO Chamber Ribbon Cutting!
Thank you Amanda (second to left) for hanging the ENTIRE gallery!

Light Photographic Workshops celebrated our opening of Epic Light Gallery tonight with a great turn out of local photographers, students and photography/art afficionados -as well as our students participating in Jennifer Wu's workshop this week!

Hal Schmitt giving his intro to the gallery and school

Bob Canepa showing his work to Jennifer Wu

Mike Baird and his lovely Wife

Thank you To SLO Chamber for joining us and presenting us with their ribbon cutting ceremony to help us become an official part of the SLO Chamber. You will be able to see the ribbon cutting photo posted on their website within the week.

Bob Canepa

Mike Baird and Dan O'Donnell

We launched our gallery with two incredible local guest photographers in the area, Mike Baird and Bob Canepa. Bob brought framed prints and Mike went the "technology" route with a slide show on his brand new HD TV screen with Cd's of the images for sale and 2 gallery wrapped canvases printed by Light.

We had live music performed by local singer/songwriter Reese Galido http://www.reesegalido.com/. Reese will be joining us again next month for our showing with her stand-up bass player who compliments her style of music beautifully.

We, of course, had to have wine and cheese! Volatus 2005 was debuted at this wonderful event as well! Volatus 2005 will be labeled early April and will be available for $30 a bottle through Light and a few select carriers in the area.

Fiat Lux!

Day 1 of our Wildflower Intensive

2011-03-25T20:11:00.000-07:00

The fully laden bee butt shot.

Another great day at Light. Hal's Wildflower Intensive is in full swing. We spent the morning in the studio, gallery, and around the school perfecting our techniques of live view, expanded depth of field, flash, multi flash, reflector, diffuser, and more.

After a quick break we took off for a few acres of poppies. Weather cooperated beautifully with full sun, blue sky, and cool (but light breezes.)

Deep cover.

Five and a half hours in the field with the flowers was incredible photography. Off early tomorrow morning to do it all again with different subject matter (ok, I'll probably sneak a few poppies in.)

Fiat Lux!

Poppies are Here

2011-03-22T21:39:00.000-07:00

Happy as a bee in pollen (a little more blog friendly than the other expression.)

Out scouting again today and found huge fields of poppies. I am always impressed by the intensity of the orange. I am always underwhelmed by the sRGB conversion for web. Hope to see you out here for a wildlfower excursion.

All shots today were handheld with a Canon 5D and EF 180mm f/3.5L macro.

Fiat Lux!

Welcome to Wildflower Season

2011-03-21T17:37:00.000-07:00

Out scouting today to locate the first wave of wildflowers. The storms of the weekend parted just as we, Reagan and I, began some quick shooting. We visited a huge area so we only took a shot or two here and there. Cannot wait to get out there and do it right with tripod, live view, flash, multi flash, diffuser, reflector, and more.

Looks like a good start to the season.

Had to add an 8 shot IR pano as well.

Fiat Lux!

Hard to find pink out there so I had my daughter put her foot behind the flower.

Fun use of pink rain boots!

2011 California Photo Fest Site and Registration are Live!

2011-03-18T13:03:00.000-07:00

Black Hill sunrise pano! Come shoot it with us!

The 2011 California Photo Festival site, schedule, and registration are up and live!

We have assembled a group of 17 talented instructors, over 170 courses, and some really cool events. Even though it's live, we will continue to add instructors, courses, sponsors, and more as we get closer to the fest. Our goal is to make this the best photography and digital imaging immersion available anywhere.

Follow the link below and check it out. I will warn you, block off an hour or so to check out all of the classes.

2011 California Photo Festival

When you register you will create an account and then build your schedule. At any time you can log back in and modify your schedule as desired. Hopefully, a tremendous improvement over last year.

Fiat Lux!

Hal

Magic of Wildflowers with Rob Sheppard now only $595!

2011-03-11T17:35:00.000-08:00

Rob Sheppard is coming back to Light April 11-15, 2011 to teach you everything you need to know about creating beautiful and unique photographs of the Central Coast wildflower bloom!

We've just lowered the price for our Magic of Wildflowers workshop from $895 to just $595!

This class is one of our favorites and now we're offering it for a killer deal. This offer is only good for 1 week, so get your spot before March 18th!

You can register online at www.LightWorkshops.com or call the office 805-528-7385.

Fiat Lux!

A Day in the Life

2011-03-10T10:52:00.000-08:00

A quick slideshow of images from one day's shooting up in Alaska. Pretty amazing the different subjects, lighting, techniques, and more you can encounter in one day.

Shot with the Canon 1D, 5D Mk II, and 7D with lenses from the EF 15mm f/2.8 fisheye to the EF 800mm f/5.6L. Slideshow from Lightroom with music from Victoria.

You should join me up there sometime!

Fiat Lux

Hal