Quick Hit Monday: Heading To Photoshop World; HDR Webinar; Understanding AI Servo Focus; and More

Good Morning Everybody,
We are on the plane bright and early this morning heading for Boston and Photoshop World. We get in early enough to have time to get settled and stroll around the local neighborhoods for a bit. Although checking the weather it looks to be a bit cold. That's one thing I love about Boston it's neighborhoods - it's the city's small little centers of energy like Back Bay or Beacon Hill spread throughout the city that make it such fun to explore.

Anyway, we should be good to go for my class the next day. But before we head to the airport, let me point you to a few things I found quite interesting on the net recently. Here we go...

HDR Webinar; Understanding AI Servo Focus; and More
Just a quick note - blogging buddy, Gavin Seim, has an HDR Webinar coming up soon. Gavin's work is outstanding, particularly his HDR work. His webinars are reasonably priced so this might just be what you're looking for. Anyway, you can check it out right here. Heck, I wish I could go, but the tour calls, you know.

How To Use AI Servo Focus
I tripped over this article last week while looking for something on the Canon website. Know in advance this article targets the Canon 1D Mark II user but most of the info is quite informative about how AI Servo Focus works and how to obtain the sharpest pictures with this feature on any camera. So many people want to know when and where to use the AI Servo focus mode on their cameras and how to get the best results, etc. Well even though the info is available on the Canon site it's a good source of information for anyone wanting to be enlightened on the subject. I read it and enjoyed the info - I think it's a good read. Check it out right here.

Testing And Anything You Wanted To Know About Any Piece Of Gear
That's right and it's right here at TestFreaks.com. I got an email from these folks last week asking me to check out their site. I thought it was just another one of those test sites that are all over the net. After my visit to their site, reading the press reports, and seeing their Alexa rating - these guys look like the "real McCoy" to me. It seems they aggregate over 4000 test sites from around the web and consolidate all the results on their site. Their site is not just cameras - they consolidate tests on everything from LCD TVs, PlayStation's, Computer gear, just about anything electronic. I think your find this a worthwhile visit and definitely worth a peek - here is the link. I've now have them tagged as a favorite on my browser.

Levitation - It's Real!
Yes, it true. My buddy, tech support guru here at Photographic Resources, Inc, and my ace second shooter, Nicholas V has pulled off the unbelievable feat of levitating himself for his series of images he posted on his blog last week [link]. I couldn't post them earlier because I was still in shock over his results. His photographic documentation proves beyond any shadow of a doubt that with the right scientific ingenuity, anyone can levitate themselves.

Folks, this is not trick photography; this is not super Photoshop, this is the real thing. The images prove it - just look how natural he looks - well, Nicholas is looking as natural/normal as he ever looks - just kidding Nicholas. Look how his clothes are showing no signs of weird manipulation - he is levitating. How did he do it? I had to know. I made a call to him hoping he was earthbound and I could track his location. He answered - I asked - he told - mystery solved. All kidding aside, Nicholas has decided to emerge himself with photographic assignments each week, each with a different photographic challenge. Last week was levitation. I thought he pulled it off quite well!

Here is how he did it - his blog is a no-tell sight which is why DPT is the only place in the universe where you will find out how it was done. It seems Nicholas owns a remote control camera trigger. He would jump into the air and just at the moment his upward direction started to transition downward because of the pull of gravity - literally when he was weightless - he made the exposure.

His timing is what gives the images such a natural look - except for the element of levitation of course. Here is the rest of the story - he took over 300 images to get the 7 he posted! He was telling me how little kids in the park were looking at him strangely as he tried to get it just right. Here is the link to his blog one more time right here. You can check out his outtakes right here in the short slide show at the bottom of his post.

You know, sometimes you've got to just go out and play. This idea of play can lead to learning and it looks like learning can be a good time. Hey gang, that's it for me today. I hear the jet engines firing up and we don't want to miss our flight. We are jetting out of here right now. See ya' in Boston tomorrow morning, -David