LENS CAPTURE

Vol. 2 No. 13
It's that time of year for our Annual Spring Photo Walk. When the color starts taking over the barren landscape. Blossoms begin to open to show their beauty, the breeze gets a little warmer, the light stays longer. It's Spring in all its glory!

Photo walks are a great way to share your love of photography, and learn from one another. Absolutely no experience is required. You can even participate with a disposable camera.

Vol. 2 No. 12

If you have been following the Lenscapture Blog, you have seen some of the images I have posted from my latest trips to the Southwest of the United States. These recent adventures have taken me to the Grand Canyon, Sedona, Verde Canyon, Zion National Park, Kodachrome Basin State Park and the amazing Bryce Canyon.

Sharing these adventures with others is one of the main reasons for starting this blog more than a year ago. Another way to share and preserve these memories is to create a photo book. The great thing about a photo book is how it can be used. You can use it to create a portfolio of your work, to remember and re-live a fantastic vacation, to share an event such as a wedding or sweet 16, or to just decorate your coffee table.

Vol. 1 No. 44

With our Sunset Photo Meet quickly approaching, I thought I would compile a list of tips for photographing great sunsets.

• If you plan properly, you will have about a 30-45 minute window to capture some spectacular images.  This time includes the lead up to sunset and twilight - the soft, diffused light from the sky when the sun is below the horizon, from sunset to nightfall. The light changes significantly during this period.  So you need to think about the elements you want to capture before sunset or you might miss the action.  With sunset at 6:51 pm EDT on the day of our shoot, I recommend arriving no later than 6:00 pm.  The magic of sunset normally begins a half hour prior to the sun setting.
  
  
• Always be careful looking through a viewfinder directly at the sun.  It can be dangerous if the sure is not very low to the horizon.
  
  
• Composition - the act of combining parts or elements to form a whole, or in our case a stunning sunset photograph.  If you have the option of shooting with a variety of focal lengths - do it!  Wide angle focal lengths are great for providing the expansive vista, but the setting sun will extremely small in the image.  If you want the sun to be a feature in your image, then you'll need to zoom in.
    
• Include foreground elements.  Since these will usually be lit from behind by the setting sun, they will become silhouettes.  This will add visual impact.
  
  
• Experiment with your white balance.  If you are shooting with a dSLR then this is easier to manage.  Switch between daylight, cloudy, shade and tungsten (indoor).   If you are using a point and shoot camera, you can achieve similar results by switching through the various scene modes you camera offers.  The result of applying different white balance will be dramatic.
  
  
• If your camera begins to hunt for focus while photographing the setting sun you might miss the shot, or wind up with an out of focus image.  If you are using a point and shoot camera or a dSLR, you will need to focus on something in the frame that has contrast.  Focus on where the horizon or skyline meets the sky, then press and hold the shutter release half-way down until the focus locks.  Continue holding half-way down while you re-compose the image.  Once you have the scene framed the way you want, then completely press down on the shutter release to capture the image.
  
  
• Set you camera's ISO to 100-200.  This will reduce noise in your image and result in slower shutter speeds. 
  
  
• I like setting my camera to aperture-priority (usually marked A or Av) mode especially when shooting sunrises and sunsets.  I start by dialing in an aperture between f/11 to f/16. Just like white balance, you need to experiment.  You will grow tired of hearing me say this during photo walks and meets.
  
  
• If your camera allows for bracketing, I suggest using a one stop difference.
  
  
• In order to keep the colors saturated, I like to shoot slightly under exposed, so I adjust my exposure value (EV).  This is a personal preference since I don't like to add saturation in post production.
  
  
• Do not just photograph the sunset. Turn around and look at areas behind you.  Look how the wonderful colors illuminate the many subjects that will be present.  This lighting might also offer a great portrait opportunity.
  
  
• Tripods are essential for sharp images when you slow down the shutter.  Some sunset/twilight captures can drop the shutter speed to several seconds.  If you can't bring a tripod, look for someplace stable to place the camera. A park bench, a rock or railing might do the trick.
  
  
• Change up the look.  Rotate the camera from horizontal (landscape) to vertical (portrait).  This can add a lot of interest.
  
  
• Don't forget every sunset is unique.  Enjoy it like it's the first one you have ever seen.

Vol. 1 No. 27
Summer is here and there are several great events coming up. There's the 4th of July, which I plan to post about photographing fireworks, and the Worldwide Photo Walk on July 18th. I already have 26 registered to join me at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden! If you're interested in joining us, don't delay - register now before it it's too late.

In the interest of time, and while I finish up the article on capturing firework displays, I have put together some speed links I think you'll find interesting.

Looking to retouch your photos for free?
Look no further than the freely distributed GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program). Now in version 2.6 and originally released officially in version 1.0 in 1998, this powerful piece of software is available for most operating systems such as Linux, FreeBSD, MacOSX and Windows. The Digital Photography School has posted an excellent introduction to the power, tips and tricks of this freely licensed post production tool.
GIMP - An Intro

Police in trouble for taking photo
So, you thought only photographers get in trouble capturing the moment? Seems a city attorney from Indiana had a little too much to drink and tried to sleep it off. One of the responding officers snapped a quick shot of the barrister while he slept in public and is now in "hot water."
Attorney Trashed

Joining a Photo Walk?
Laurie Excell, a professional nature photographer and instructor, guest blogs on the World Wide Photo Walk. She discusses participating in the PhotoWalk and how to properly prepare for the event. If you are joining my walk, or signed up for any of the other walk on July 18, you should take a few moments to read her post.
Laurie's Advice

Photographs from the International Space Station
The Boston Globe posted 35 awesome photographs from the recent eruption of the Sarychev Peak Volcano to stunning images from recent NASA archives. 35 photos in total, definitely worth a visit.
View From Above


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Today's post is written by guest blogger and friend, Conrad Tinney. A former film shooter, Connie's been "hooked on digital" for the last 3½ years since moving into the high-end dSLR arena. Conrad recently attended the Nikon School during its tour through New York City. Here's his account of the day.

On March 22, 2009 at the Pennsylvania Hotel, here in the great city of New York, The Nikon Corporation held one of its many seminars. The title of the aforementioned gathering was, “Next Steps, Color, Light, Technology”. The guest speakers were Reed Hoffman and Bill Durrence. Both of these gentlemen are long time professional Photographers of great renown, and have been instructing for many years as well.

Photo: © Conrad Tinney
Nikkor 10.5mm Fisheye in Brooklyn Bridge Park

The following six hours were bliss, the audience that included both Professional and Amateurs, film and digital shooters, had many of their photographic questions answered by these masters. Discussed were many of the basic fundamental photographic skills that are the mainstay of the art, and we were continually reminded that we as photographers should always stay focused on the basics, even with the ever-growing digital camera transition.

After the noon lunch break (included with the price of admission) the lecture, combined with a few demonstrations continued. The topics that were covered went from workflow to how to pack for a field trip, resizing images for output, the latest software, and its effect on RAW images. There was also a short talk on lens and how to choose the correct one for the situation. We were given a rather cool demonstration concerning the use of remote flash technology and the benefits of not mounting your flash on the camera hot shoe.

And like any other seminar, Nikon had a product table set up and it was loaded with all sorts of goodies, there was the new SB-900 (which I ran right out and purchased), the 35mm f/1.8GAF-S lens along with the D700 (yum!) and D90 –etc, etc, I could go on for hours but I won’t, what I will do is suggest that the next time Nikon, Canon, or any other camera company or software or anyone having something to do with photography announces that they are scheduling a seminar near your home town, “GO” you might learn something and meet so very interesting people, I did.

It's that time of year. When the color starts taking over the barren landscape. Blossoms begin to open to show their beauty, the breeze gets a little warmer, the light stays longer. It's Spring in all its glory!

Let's start a tradition by getting together on Sunday, May 17, 2009 at 10:00 am at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, main entrance location 900 Washington Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11225. The Garden is 52 acres of beautiful theme gardens and walks which was founded more than 99 years ago. The garden sits adjacent to Prospect Park and the Prospect Park Zoo.

As stated on the BBG.org website, during our visit we should encounter, "Lush, intoxicating lilacs bloom in tones of lavender and purple in the Lilac Collection. Azaleas are ablaze in pink, magenta, and red in the Osborne Garden. Tulips explode in every imaginable hue in the Annual Borders and Fragrance Garden. Bluebell Wood is aglow with 45,000 Spanish bluebells."

Everyone is welcome, regardless of your skill level. If you are interested in joining us click - Brooklyn Botanical Garden Photo Walk RSVP.

Here are a few images I've captured over the last few years at the Garden around this time of year.

It's March already! Where does the time go? I thought it would be a good opportunity to point out some interesting video resources on the photography
scene. With the financial situation the way it is, the good news is these videos are FREE! There's something about free that warms my heart.

Attention: Nikon shooters
Scott Kelby and his trusty sidekick, Matt Kloskowski, over at Kelbytraining.com have done it again. They have created a new weekly video Podcast for Nikon dSLR owners called DTownTV. Each week, Scott and Matt bring you cool tips and tricks, news and accessories for Nikon's Digital SLR cameras. If you own a D-series Nikon camera, you won't want to miss an episode.

Visit DTownTV


The Basics
In searching the iTunes Store Visual Arts section, I ran across several excellent photography video podcasts. Ted Forbes publishes a great weekly video podcast that covers equipment, technique, shooting and a wealth of information for beginners to intermediate users interested in photography. I definitely recommend everyone view Ted's coverage on the Rule of Thirds. His presentation is easy to follow and understand.

Visit The Art of Photography on iTunes


The Longest Day
If you're into photography and reality TV, then I have a video podcast for you! The Longest Day splits 24 top photographers into two teams charged with writing, shooting and editing an original short film about photography. Additionally, each team has to produce a public service announcement (PSA) for their chosen charity. It definitely shows these superstar photographers as real people. I just finished watching the first few episodes and I definitely want to see the result of their efforts culminate into the final videos and Team A & B's PSA.

Visit the Longest Day on iTunes


If you don't already have iTunes, you can download it here: Download iTunes from Apple.com

And remember, you don't need to own an iPod to watch these free podcasts.

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Spend a day amongst magnificent aquatic wildlife, understanding the critical role the oceans play in human survival, while photographing exhibits featuring thousands of unique creatures. Aquariums can offer some challenging conditions such as low ambient lighting to thick glass walled tanks.

During this photo walk, you'll learn the simple tricks that will help you capture stunning images. Point and shoot, and digital SLR owners will both benefit from the techniques presented.

Date: Sunday, March 22, 2009
Time: 10:00 AM - NY Aquarium closes at 4:30 PM
Meeting Place: Main Entrance

The New York Aquarium at Coney Island
Wildlife Conservation Society
Surf Avenue & West 8th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11224

The Aquarium is easily accessible by subway via the F or Q train, by the B36 and B68 bus routes, and by car (paid parking available).

General admission is $13.00. If we can get enough people to join us, the NY Aquarium offers a $6.00 group rate if we reserve 2 weeks in advance. If you're interested in joining me, let me know as soon as possible by clicking on the link below and completing the RSVP form:

NY Aquarium Photo Walk RSVP

Here are a few more images I captured recently at the Aquarium:



Hope you can join us for what will be a very fun day of photography.

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As I posted earlier this month, I signed up for a free workshop at the B&H Event Space in the Manhattan Superstore.

The workshop was held this past Thursday (Jan. 22) on Studio Workflow and was sponsored by Westcott, the manufacturer of the Spiderlite series of continuous fluorescent studio lights. What I liked most about this workshop was the presenter, John D. Williamson, Westcott's Technical Customer Service Rep, did not do a "hard-sell" sales pitch during the 2 hour event.

John, an accomplished portrait photographer from Ohio, presented the attendees with his standard studio workflow. Basic and easy to follow steps for getting the best possible headshots and portraits with a straightforward approach. John's enthusiasm for photography definitely keep the audience engaged throughout the session. And the stunning Julia KochMar, our session model, made it impossible to take your eyes off the action.

John demonstrated the various lighting patterns such as broad, short and split lighting, loop and butterfly, and Rembrandt lighting. While these patterns are sometimes difficult to visualize, the continuous Westcott Spiderlites made it real easy to see how the light falls on the subject. John also demonstrated how easy it is, with just a little practice, to get the proper light to fall "just right" over the face, and how to finesse the light to achieve the look you a going for.

The B&H Event Space staff were on hand to videotape the presentation. Unfortunately, they have not yet posted this workshop session. So, below is a YouTube video by Scott Kelby, president of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals, demonstrating the TD5 Spiderlites by Westcott.



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If you're a new digital SLR owner or considering a purchase of a dSLR, this is a great course to take.
I have attended the Nikon School offerings in the past and have always come away with new and helpful information. This seminar is being offered in New York City on Saturday, April 21, 2009 and runs from 9:30 am until 4:30 pm at the Hotel Pennsylvania.

Here are some of the topics to be covered are:

• Understanding ISO, shutter speed and aperture
• Creative use of exposure controls
• Light, composition and framing
• Image resolution and resizing for email and printing

If you just got your first dSLR this past holiday season, or you have had it for a while and it still seems a mystery, this is definitely a good starting point.

If you're interested, sign up here. Act quickly, these courses fill up quickly.

I ran across this video from Rick Sammon, a pro photographer who has published more than 2 dozen books on photography. Rick writes regularly for magazines such as Outdoor Photographer and PCPhoto. He is also featured on the site KelbyTraining .com with titles like Exploring Digital Photography, Digital SLR Basics, and On Location Photography to name just a few. Here's a great video where Rick goes over his Top Ten Tips.
Pay attention! This is good stuff.

In a future post, I'll devote some quality time to the KelbyTaining site. There you'll find fantastic tutorials from some of the world's top photographers and graphic artists.

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I count myself as extremely fortunate to live so close to what could be considered the photographer's heaven on earth. I speak of B&H Photo (oh yeah, video - pro audio, computers, home entertainment, astronomy, and the list grows on). The superstore, at 34th Street and 9th Avenue in Manhattan is a retail marvel. If you get the chance, it is a must stop if you are anywhere near the City!

B&H is now hosting free workshops and special events in the Manhattan, NY superstore called "Event Space." I've already signed up for the Studio Workflow presentation by Westcott. Other offerings this month are Better Photographic Composition: Beyond the Rule of Thirds, Intro to the Digital SLR (dSLR), Toying with Plastic Cameras, and The Photo Essay: Learning to Tell a Story Through Imagery. B&H has an online reservation system and an interactive calendars of events. I would highly recommend the RSS feed so you find out about new event offerings when they're announced. The majority of the events are already booked solid this month. Check out bhphotovideo.com/eventspace. The Event Space is located on the second floor of the superstore at 420 9th Avenue New York, NY 10001. Definitely plan to spend some time afterwards browsing through the 70,000 square foot expanse of photo gear.

I"ll try and give you guys a heads-up on events of particular interest. You can't beat free!!!

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