"London At The Edge Of The Themes"

"London At The Edge Of The Thames"
©David A. Ziser

I made this image as we were crossing a pedestrian bridge late one afternoon while in London last month. The combination of colors from so many different light sources really lit up the river, buildings, ships, everything with a beautiful wide ranging spectrum of colors. The evening sky also did it's spectacular thing by adding the striking colors and hues of the changing clouds as dusk slowly set over the horizon. Camera specs; Canon 40D fitted with 180200mm IS lens at 35mm, F 4 @ 1/13 a second, ISO 1600. Enjoy! -David

Gear Bag Friday: Wait, There's More - The Little Flash That Could

Good Morning Everybody,
LaDawn and I are holed up in Florida working on blogs, books, and 2009 tour plans- Digital WakeUp Call - A New Dawn.

Oops! Did I say tour plans - yep, it's true - 58 cities throughout the USA from March 30 - November 15, 2009 covering lighting, software Magic Bullets, video with the new DSLRs, and 20 products to polish up your bottom line. I know I'm letting the "cat out of the bag" a bit early - just consider it a heads up. I'll fill you in a bit more next week.

Anyway, I thought this post might get lost in the middle of the holidays but I'm posting it anyway. Next week will finally return to some sort of normal schedule around here at DigitalProTalk.com. Let's get to it...

Wait, There's More - The Little Flash That Could
Okay gang, this question only comes up about once a week and has been covered on the blog previously a number of times. But, since it's Gear Bag Friday I'm going to give this little flash a special place in my gear bag and give you the complete lowdown on it's use.

Whenever I'm creating a nice photograph of my bride in church, one way to add a little pizazz to that photograph is to just have a little accent light on the back of the veil. That little accent light is created with my little mini slave as shown here. It's a fairly low power flash unit that is fired optically by my other off camera strobe.

What I love about this little strobe is that it has a little foot on the bottom of the unit with which I can adjust the flash in an upward direction instead of just the unit laying flat on the floor. By adjusting it upwards, just a bit, I can direct it into the back of the bride's veil with the mini-slave positioned on the floor of the church.

Here are a couple things to consider when using this little strobe.
1 -- I prefer a working distance of around 10 or 12 feet from the subject when using my mini slave.

2 -- The thickness of the bride's veil can have an effect on how the backlighting is rendered. If it is a very thin veil, the backlighting may be a bit too strong and actually blow-out the veil. In this case, I simply cover the flash head with a single layer of a clean handkerchief. This reduces the flash output by two stops and accents of veil softly without blowing it out. On a thicker veil using the handkerchief simply isn't enough twinkle lighting effect. It is simply your discretion as to how much effect you prefer on your subject in your own situations. Remember; just don't cover the optical eye with the handkerchief.

3 -- I use an off-camera flash 99.9% of the time. Therefore, with the off-camera strobe coming from the left side or the right side of my subject, therefor it is never any problem with my little mini flash seeing the light coming from my off-camera flash. If you are using just your on camera flash, then the mini slave may not trigger because you're on camera flash will be blocked by the subject. An additional reason why off-camera flash is so important!

Anyway, this little flash is inexpensive, easy to use, reliable, and just adds that final twinkle touch to the beautiful bridal images. Here is a listing of some models that may work for you.

Here are links to 3 models available at B&H. Smith Victor PG250S Wireless Mini Slave – my favorite right here – about $23.50. Smith Victor PG160S Wireless Mini Slave – a little less powerful right here, and only $16.50. SP Systems Mini Slave Strobe – another version the first one right here – only $24.50

Hey gang, that's it for me today. I hope everyone is enjoying the holidays and I'll plan to see you next week. Just remember, pixels count their calories during the holiday season. See everybody on Monday, -- David

"Happy New Year"

"Happy New Year"
©David A. Ziser

Well, the fact of the matter is -this image was not captured last night, New Years Eve, but on a 4th of July weekend. I still thought the fireworks look of this image represented the New Year's celebration too. This image is actually from the same wedding as the outdoor image I posted a few days ago. The couple wanted me to try to capture them among the wonderful Cincinnati firework display. Well, I did, but with the help of iStockPhoto and Photoshop. I had to get them properly exposed with the city lights in the background which was the easy part. I then found these great fireworks shots on-line and dropped them in. The client loved the result. So even though it's a 4th of July image - Happy New Year!!! to everybody. Camera specs; Canon 5D fitted with 24-105mm IS lens at 50mm, F4.5 @ 1/12 second, ISO 1600. Enjoy! -David

Happy New Year!!!; The Best of The Best At DigitalProTalk

Good Morning Everybody, or afternoon, depending on your partying proclivities last night;~)

What a year it was last year here at DigitalProTalk.com - over 1,500 posts to date since I started DigitalProTalk.com about 18 months ago. Reader ship has tripled since last year at this time and I offer each of you my sincere, hearth-felt thank you for making that happen. My deepest gratitude too, to my fellow blogging buddies who felt DigitalProTalk's content was worthy to share with their readers. CameraDoJo.com just named DigitalProTalk as one of the top 20 photography sites for 2008 - thanks guys.

A special thank you to Scott Kelby at PhotoshopInsider.com, David Hobby at the Strobist.com, R.C Concepcion at Layers Magazine, mega-blogger 1001 at 1001 Noisy Cameras, Jim Talkington at ProPhotoLife.com, uber news blogger ImagingInsider at The ImagingInsider.com, our friends over at PhotographyBay.com and so many more for their timely mentions throughout this past year - A Great BIG "Thank You" from me to each of you! And one last Extra Big Thank You to my wife, LaDawn, who proofs every entry and makes the final posts day or night. By the way.... all those mistakes you find happen to be her fault, not mine;~)

Here are some of the highlights from this past year:
Podcasts were introduced and get quite a number of listens - 630,000 listens from its current library of interviews. One of my favorite was my interview with the famous Donny Hoyle of "You Suck At Photoshop" fame. Even John Nack over at Adobe picked up on it. Just hit the G-Cast widget in the right column to hear all the episodes posted to date. Look for many more episodes in 2009.

One of the surprise hits for me was my post "Conversations/Discussions/Insights" just a week ago [link]. This post provoked great response and, I think, proves to me that these kinds of posts can generate a wonderful collaborative resource for DPT readers worldwide. Look for more of these types of posts for sure in the new year.

I'm also stoked about the video capabilities of fusion of the new Canon and Nikon DSLR/Video cameras too. I plan to use this new technology to bring much richer content to DPT. These cameras make it that much easier to do just that. So, look forward to some pretty cool Technique Tuesdays.

I still love doing the "Image of the Day" posts too - over 300 for 2008 alone!. Although I feature wedding and portrait images primarily, I also like that it is not wedding photography each day. I've said it before here and I believe it. We need to get our Brain Juices flowing in other directions too. It's only then that we bring that new creative energy to our primary field of endeavor. I pledge to continue to keep those images interesting and diversified and informative to our DPT readers.

And, don't worry - Technique Tuesday and Business Day Thursday will continue though out 2009 along with many other topics as well.

That said, I promise that DigitalProTalk will continue to bring interesting, informative, content, insights, and news from our exciting digital photography world as long as my two typing fingers are up to the chore.

How about a look at the top traffic posts, most popular posts, and top videos from the past year. Here they are, Enjoy! -David

Top 5 Posts
1. It's Revelations Monday: 8 Hours With The Canon 5D Mark II
2. Canon 5D Mark II Video Monday!!!
3. Heads-Up Wednesday: No Photos In Westminster Abbey & The Analysis Of A Wedding Shoot - Part 1
4. Technique Tuesday: My Cheatin' Light - Or How To get Your Flash To Sync At Higher Sync Speeds Than Normal, and Alligators On Location
5. Highlight Tone Priority - Image Salvation!

Top 5 Video Tutorials
1. Technique Tuesday: My Cheatin' Light - Or How To get Your Flash To Sync At Higher Sync Speeds Than Normal, and Alligators On Location
2. Technique Tuesday: Dancing With The Light Fantastic - Getting The Best Light At Wedding Receptions With Multiple Strobes
3. It's Technique Tuesday This Thursday - Rembrandt Lives: Classical Portraiture
4. "Evening Blues" - A Cool Photoshop Tutorial
5. Technique Tuesday - "Our Emerging Future"

Most Commented Posts
1. Quick Hit Wednesday: Too Much Blogging?; New Training Session on Kelby Training; Inexpensive DYI Flash Gels; and Tom Hogarty Over At Photo
2. Technique Tuesday Again: Conversations, Discussions, Questions and Insights
3. Inspiration Friday: Game Changing Camera Technologies - Who Cares About Video On My DSLR
4. [B]Business Day Thursday - 7 Really Easy Things To Sell To Add To Your Bottom Line
5. I Don't Think I'm Dumb, Maybe I'm Just Stupid

Hey gang, That's it for me today. Thanks again for a great year and let's make 2009 even better. Check back tomorrow for another episode of "Gear Bag Friday: The Little Light That Could". See ya' then, -David

"A Quiet Moment"

"A Quiet Moment"

©David A. Ziser

This is another image I came across during a recent "hard drive" cruise of our 6 Tera-bytes of data at the studio- yep, 6 Tera-bytes and I've only been RAW the last 9 months. I have no clue how many images I have on our system, but it is quite a lot and I love looking back over some of my earlier images. This is one of those earlier images made back in my film days shortly before starting our migration to digital in 1999. Anyway, it was taken at the Phoenix - another favorite wedding venue in Cincy. The couples love the beautiful staircase here. The architecture really lends itself to some great wedding shots. Camera specs: (to the best of my recollection) Hasselblad camera fitted with 50mm Distagon lens, F5.6 at 1/20 second, Kodak Vericolor 800 film.
Enjoy! -David

Wednesday: Analysis of A Wedding Shoot Part 5

Good Morning Everybody and Happy New Year's Eve,
Wow, I feel a whole lot better today than these last few days around here and am getting fired up for the new year! Well, can you believe it- LaDawn and I are heading out on yet another trip super bright and early this morning. We are heading to Orlando, Florida to bring in the New Year and work some more on my wedding book. My deadline is the end of the month so I've really got to get a lot of the major editing wrapped up on this trip. I'll continue to keep you posted.

Being in Florida allows us to give a little different look to some other projects, Tour plans and studio procedures I've got lined up to review for the next few weeks - at least that's my hope. Anyway, I took a little break from my series, The Analysis of a Wedding Shoot during all the holiday happenings - but joyfully it is back again today. Hope you enjoy it. Off we go...

Analysis Of A Wedding Shoot: 5 More steps for shooting “Altar Return” and Limo Photographs:
A few weeks ago I discussed basic group shots you need to take of the wedding party, families, and friends. This week, we want to add some sizzle to that series of images. I call them my “Signature” images – a short series of images that are definitely a part of all of my wedding coverages. These images signal the style that my clients seek out and have become familiar with DAZ Photography over the years. Let’s hit it with 5 more steps for shooting the “Altar Return” images.

1 -- These images usually include compositions that are quite more dramatic than just standard wedding photographs. The first one is a back-lit aisle photograph. My assistant simply gets about 12 feet behind the couple, with a flash about 4 feet off the ground and points the flash at their shoulder blades. I've actually covered “Backlighting” in an earlier post here at Digital ProTalk – here is the link.

2 -- Next, I'd like to get a couple great photographs of the bride and groom within the beautiful surrounds of their magnificent church. We move about two thirds of the way back down the center aisle towards the back of the church. Here I set up a few more dramatic photographs -- dramatic because of the composition. I want to show the bride and groom in this wonderful location. I only allow myself about six or seven minutes for these images. Once I've captured the images were heading outside the church.

3 -- My assistants and I are pretty well rehearsed at this point, my assistant is grabbing the gear, and we are making our way outside the church first so that I can get a shot of the bride and groom as they come down the church steps. My assistant knows to be behind the couple and I quickly shoot off a few more photographs.

4 -- The next shots I need to capture to continue the wedding day story is inside the limo series. Once they are seated in the limo, I peek in the back door of the limousine, ask the bride to fall into the groom's arms, have them both looked back at the camera giving each other a big hug. This is my last photograph before they drive off.

5 -- Next, if I can, I try to get one more photograph of the front or the rear of the limousine in front of the church building. This basically wraps up the ceremony coverage and the next images I'll be making will be at the wedding reception.

Folks, I tried to move through this fairly quickly but, it still gives you a pretty good idea what I'm trying to capture in those last few minutes I’m with my clients before heading for the reception. I work quickly and try very hard not to detain the couple more than about 10 minutes for these images.

Check in tomorrow for my New Year's wrap up here at DigitalProTalk.com.

So until then, Ariverderchi, -David

Related Links 1-4
Altar Returns - Analysis of A Wedding Shoot - Part - 4 - Groups
The Analysis of a Wedding Shoot- Part 3 - The Ceremony
Analysis of a Wedding Shoot- Part 2 - The Beginning
Analysis of a Wedding Shoot- Part 1 - Preparation
Back-lighting For Fun and Profit or How to Add Pizazz to Your Wedding Photography

"Taking A Break From The Party"

"Taking A Break From The Party"
©David A. Ziser

I ran across this image as I was cruising through some wedding images over the weekend. I had forgotten I had taken it, but loved it when I saw it again. It was made at one of our most popular venues - Drees Pavilion - here in the Cincy area. The really cool thing about this venue is the fact that it over looks the entire Ohio River valley giving great opportunities for capturing some wonderful photographs. It was a hot July evening and some of the wedding guests had stepped outside to enjoy some fresh summer air and take in the view. I thought if I added a little light to the scene, I could pull off a great shot. The rest is history. I had my assistant line up in front of the crowd, pointing the flash back to me. I selected a shutter speed and aperture that would capture the effect I wanted and made the exposure. I love the contrasts, the long shadows, and the colors of the city in the background - I got just what I wanted. Camera specs; Canon 30D fitted with 17-85mm IS lens at 17mm, F 5.6 @ 1/8 second, ISO 1600. Enjoy! -David

Technique Tuesday: Revisiting A Classic - Rock Mountain High

Good Morning Everyone,
I know, I know - what happened to that tutorial on "Finding The Light" I've been talking about? Well, it just wasn't meant to be today. I woke up with a major "bug" yesterday, spent 3 hours in the doctor's office and pharmacy and was down most of the day.
I thought I would just put together a quick substitution, but then was reminded by my very sore throat that I could hardly talk. LaDawn suggested I do what network TV does when they run into content issues or when Letterman or Leno are under the weather, on vacation, or out of town on a gig - run a re-run. Oops - Encore presentation!

I stressed about the suggestion, fretted about the impact here at DigitalProTalk.com - Would my readers leave in droves claiming that, "Ziser just runs the same old stuff, let's see what's happening over at the Strobist?" No, no - please don't go!!!

I wrestled with my decision, but then heartbroken decided to take her advice. Hey, it sure beats a "No Blog" Tuesday, doesn't it? So today, I give you "Rocky Mountain High - the Director's cut." Well, it's not really a director's cut, but it's still a terrific episode.

Why am I running this episode? Because it represents a very early episode which many of you more recent readers may not have had an opportunity to view. It's one of my first Technique Tuesday posts and had a very low view count. Secondly, it covers some really cool Photoshop techniques which we use around the studio nearly everyday. And thirdly, because I truly need to get some rest ;~) Doctor's, not to mention LaDawn's orders!

Anyway, give it a watch, even if you've seen it before - it's still great information. On that note gang, I'm out of here. The doc says I should be fine by tomorrow, so I'll see you then for another episode of "Analysis of a Wedding." See you then, -David

"Mountain Magic"

"Mountain Magic"
©David A. Ziser

This image was made on our recent trip to Asheville, North Carolina. We were visiting the Biltmore Estate and had just completed touring the home and decided to stroll the outside gardens and surrounds. The late afternoon filtered sun coming in from above and behind the mountain ridges with the mountain mists just starting to settle in the valleys was adding very interesting tonalities to the Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance. It was the graduated, almost monochromatic tones complimented by the gentle curves of the ridges themselves which works so well in this composition. Looking closely, you can discern the individual trees lining the tops of each ridge. I loved the scene. Camera specs; Canon 5D Mark II fitted with 70-300mm IS lens at 300mm, F8.0 @ 1/2000 second, ISO 800.

Enjoy! -David

Quick Hit Monday- Master Class News; Short Wait List For Canon 5D Mk II; How To Use 5D MkII Video Feature; Free Presets and Actions

Good morning everybody,
Well, I hope everyone made it through the first phase of the holidays. Now if we can all make it to the New Year, we will be home free. Things are a little slower at the studio. We always take this time off to catch our breath, regroup, and get ready for a brand new year. Things will be pretty much back to normal at DigitalProTalk too so how about on with the news…

Conversations/Discussions, and Insights- Oh My!
Hey gang, I just wanted to say thank you for the great response to my post Conversations/Discussions, and Insights that I posted last Wednesday. Here is the link again. That’s what I was hoping would happen.


By reading though all the comments from our DPT readers we were presented with a wealth of ideas and perspectives on the subject. Thanks to all who contributed to the post. We will have to do that again soon. I’ll fill you in on what I decide my shooting strategy will be as soon as I continue to fine tune my process.

My Very Popular Digital Master Class – At The Best Price Possible
I’ve mentioned my Digital Master Class [link] occasionally over the last few months. Here's the deal – we are also trying to help with this country’s economic stimulus package too and are holding the cost to $795 for a full week of eating, sleeping, and breathing digital photography, Lightroom and other magic bullet software solutions, business building and more.

After January 1, 2009 the cost will be $895. So give the studio a call at 1-800-292-2994. If we are out, leave a message and Jennifer will reserve your seat at the $795 price. Next week, that price ($795.) will be gone forever.

Tired Of The Long Waiting Lists For Your New Canon 5D Mark II
Wait no more, or at least, don’t wait so long. Someone asked me in a post how I had gotten my Mark II so quick. Everybody else had the super long wait lists so I just gave my buddies at K&R a call.

K&R Photographics is run by my buddies Rob and Wilma Kumler literally just minutes down the road from me about one exit away. They are one of the biggest Hasselblad dealers available dealing with all that high end photo equipment. I got my first Hassey from them many years ago. Anyway, they just became a Canon dealer earlier this year – hence no long waiting lists for the camera. Give a call at 859-341-6986 and see if they can shorten the wait for you too.

Canon 5D Mark II Tutorial On How To Use The Video Feature
And speaking of The Canon 5D Mark II, check out this handy tutorial I found over at 1001 Noisy Cameras. This is like a twenty minute lesson but covers a lot of the camera settings to get the most out of this new camera feature – worth a peek - here is the link right here.

Free Lightroom Presets and Actions From Epic Edits:
I got an email from fellow blogging buddy, Brian Auer over at EpicEdits.com. Brian runs a very hot site covering a lot of different and interesting topics ranging from shooting film (must be that San Diego sun – just KIDDING!!!) to setting up a project to create a resource for free presets and Photoshop actions [link].

I opened the email late so I’m just getting the news out, and I’m afraid, a bit late. But, hopefully, the Preset/Action goodie basket is worth a peek. He did a review of a very cool action submitted a week or so ago – check it out right here.

Hey everybody, that's it for me today. But, don't forget to check back tomorrow for Technique Tuesday -- Finding and Seeing the Light. (If the weather holds, that is.) See you then, -- David

Holiday Wishes From DigitalProTalk

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas
Good Morning Everybody,
Let me extend from the bottom of my heart, Christmas wishes to each and everyone of of our DigitalProTalk readers every where in the world. May your holiday be filled with peace, joy, and love. May you find some time today just to catch your breath, pausing the world around you, if only for a moment, to celebrate the goodness of this day regardless of your faith, background, or beliefs. Again, may you be filled with peace and joy this day. Merry Christmas, Everybody! -David

P.S. We will be taking tomorrow off as well to spend time with family, friends, and loved ones. Be sure to check back in next Monday and we start to wrap things up for 2008 and get ready to kick things off for 2009. I'll see everyone then. Have a great extended weekend and just remember, pixels are counting their calories too during the holiday season. See everybody on Monday, -- David

"Madonna and Child"

"Madonna and Child"
©David A. Ziser

This is an image I made of a mother, one of my brides, and her newborn baby just a few weeks ago. I thought is was a good post for today this being Christmas Eve and all. I love the shot because of the tenderness and feelings from the mother and she softly caresses her newborn innocent babe. The expression, composition, and subtle tonalities were enhanced in Photoshop to draw viewer's' attention to the gentle interaction of the mother and the baby. I think it works well. Camera specs; Canon 40D fitted with 100mm Macro, F 11 @ 1/80 second, ISO 400.
Enjoy! -David

Wednesday: Shifting Gears On Christmas Eve – Business Day Thursday On Wednesday - Saying Thank You To Your Clients

Good Afternoon everybody and Merry Christmas Eve,
Many of us are at the height of the holiday season celebrating and enjoying good cheer with all of our family and friends. And that's all good. This post was for Business Day Thursday, but since tomorrow is Christmas, I thought it would be more appropriate to post it today on Christmas Eve.

I was thinking how I could make this post not too much business but still a beneficial post for our Business Day Thursday on Wednesday. Here is what I've come up with.

I thought I would you share with everyone what we do at David A. Ziser Photography during the holidays. You know, we should all take time to sit back and reflect about our successes and the reasons for those successes in our business each year.

The easiest way we can do this is by saying thank you to our clients. And, the easiest way to say thank you around the holidays is to send a holiday greeting card. I have been doing this for a number of years here my studio.

Hit The Read More... link below for the rest of the story.

Here's how we go about doing it. Our holiday card list is composed of three groups.

Group 1: Long-term clients. This group represents our best clients; clients that have been doing business with us for a number of years. This group also reflects clients that continue to recommend us to their family and friends. This is a very important group to stay in touch with. This group gives our business continuity year after year. Many of our clients in this group have been receiving holiday greeting cards from us for a very long number of years.

Group 2: Current clients. This group is pretty self-explanatory. It includes clients that are active -- a client whom you are in the process of working with and still in the process of delivering their final order. This group also includes all clients that have done business with us in the current year and clients, particularly wedding and bar bat mitzvah clients, that have you booked for an upcoming event in the future.

Group 3: All your vendor buddies. This is a super important group for your business. It's your vendor's who grease the wheels helping you provide great customer service to your clients. Our vendor list includes everybody we do business with. There may be some instances where we don't do business with them very often in the course of the year but they're still on our list. Basically, any vendor that has been active with us within the past three years is part of this group.

We review and update the entire list every year. We verify the names of all the contacts and their current addresses. Once we are sure that our list is complete and accurate, we run the labels.

Holiday cards are just off the rack cards that you can pick up at any retail location, but are always the best. It's important to me that these are some of the best looking cards that are clients and vendors will receive.

You may be wondering why we just don't order preprinted cards with the studio's name printed right on them. Well to me, this is what makes our holiday card-sending project special. Each card is personalized with a thank you wish to each of our clients and each of our vendors together with a wish for them to have a great new year. The card is then personally signed, sealed, and delivered to the post office.

I think, psychologically, what this does for the studio, is that it gives us a sense of appreciation for our clients and our vendors -- the clients and vendors who support us. It also makes us pause, if only for a moment, and recall that connection with that client or vendor. It's these connections, these relationships, which any successful business needs to maintain in order to continue their success and grow their business.

Yes, it seems like a hassle to get these out right in the middle of the holiday rush - we sent out 300 this year - but, I think it's vitally important to say thank you to our clients and supporters as many times as we possibly can in the course of the year but, especially during the holiday season.

Just another food for thought.

Merry Christmas, Everybody, -David

"Radiant Splendor"

"Radiant Splendor"
©David A. Ziser

This is another image I made during the Bat Mitzvah service I photographed a few weeks ago. I had just picked up my new Canon 5D Mark II and was stoked about putting it through its paces. One thing I wanted to try were a few shots with my Sigma 8mm fisheye lens. On the full frame Canon 5D Mark II, it would render a circular image. Since I could shoot at higher ISOs with the new camera, I was able to take the image at F8 -- the sweet spot of the lens -- and get a much sharper image. I cropped the final image square and loved the finished result. Even though I threw away one-third of the pixels, I still had 14 mega-pixels left after cropping with which I could still print a great image. Camera specs; Canon 5D Mark II to fitted with Sigma 8mm Fisheye lens, F8.0 @ 1/30 second, ISO 3200. Enjoy! -- David

Technique Tuesday Again: Conversations, Discussions, Questions and Insights

Hey Gang,
I wrapped with my clients about 5 p.m. The ice storms just hit Cincy and things are a mess on this Christmas Eve Eve. Anyway, my clients just left - I hope they travel safe, another just showed up to pick up a gorgeous family portrait, and I just hit the keyboard with this new idea - Conversations, Discussions, Questions and Insights.

Give the video a watch, post you feed back, and let me know if we can go anywhere with this interactive concept. Now it's time to check in with the real world - LaDawn, Christmas, & Law and Order on TNT ;~) See ya' tomorrow. -David

Technique Tuesday: Something New Happening Later Today - All The Pixels Willing

Good Afternoon Everybody,
Whew! Things are jumping a bit too much this time of year. We celebrated Christmas yesterday with LaDawn's family and got in late last night. Early morning holiday responsibilities took us both up to 12: 30p.m. today. And, I've got a client arriving in 30 minutes - no time to get the Technique Tuesday organized that I had planned. Plus the weather dropped to 5 degrees Fahrenheit which negated my outdoor tutorial.

Anyway, Plan B popped into my head last night over a late night cap - so it was a great idea - and I can't wait to give it a go today. It's something a bit different but I think still pretty cool. That's the good news, the bad news is that I won't have the opportunity to produce the post till later today - probably late, late this afternoon. Anyway, check in again, check it out, and let me know what you think. Got to go, clients due any second. See ya' later today, -David

"Hanging Out In Winter Wonderland"

"Hanging Out In Winter Wonderland"
©David A. Ziser

I made this image at the Bat Mitzvah I photographed last weekend. This party was a pretty big deal and quite a bit of planning had gone into the theme and all the preparations. The setting was to be a Winter Wonderland and I think it was pulled off beautifully both in lighting and decor. Of course, my job as a photographer of the event, is not only to capture the guest of honor, in this case are beautiful Bat Mitzvah girl among the surrounds, but to also capture the magnificence of the room (tent) and decor.

Once again, I used my magic Z-Ray lighting technique to make the shot. I positioned my young subject among the beautifully created wintry surrounds for the best composition. I next determine the exposure for the scene and then adjusted the distance of the Z-Ray flashlight to spotlight our subject consistent with the overall exposure of the scene. Camera specs; Canon 5D Mark II to fitted with a Sigma 12-24mm lens at 24mm, F6.3, 1/30 second, ISO 3200.
Enjoy! -David

Quick Hit Monday: What Recession; Canon 50D Review; 50 Photography Photoshop Tutorials

Good morning everybody,

Well we made it back to Cincy late yesterday afternoon - a much easier drive if you blow off the scenic route at midnight over the mountains in the fog as we traveled last Sunday making our arrival into Cashiers N.C. We woke to the first sunny day all week and a gorgeous drive home.

Things are revving up for the holidays around here so I'm making it short and sweet today. The post is not necessarily holiday related but still a good read and a little giggle along the way. Enjoy!

Recession, What Recession – Seen The Price Of Cameras Lately?
Wow, I hear about the recession every day on the news but have you checked the prices of cameras lately? I caught this story over at 1001 Noisy Cameras last week but it still makes me smile as I read it. It seems that the Canon 5D Mark II has been selling at a premium price because of its limited availability at several places on the Internet. Check out the whole story right here.

And speaking of high prices, our intrepid newshound at 1001 Noisy Cameras, also posted this hot deal from Willoughby's camera [link]. Wow, at $12,700 for the camera bundle -- what recession?

And did you see this one over at You-Tube where an infamous face of yesteryear looking forward to his new Nikon D3x but was shocked when he saw the price of the new camera. Here is that link. It's pretty funny and I think you'll get a giggle out of it. Thanks to DigitalProTalk reader, Doug Peek for the heads up on this one.

Still Need Christmas Ideas – How About A New Canon 50D

Christmas right around the corner and you still don't know what gift you're going to get your wife or girlfriend? Well, you can read the latest review on Canon's new 50D camera over at Photography Bay. Here is the link. Need some more information on the camera? Here is more info right here. That should help you make up your mind for this gift giving season and heck, she might even let you borrow it now and then.

One for the Road -- 50 Photography Photoshop Tutorials

Hey gang, before I hit the road let me point you to this link over at Smashing Magazine -- a terrific blog by the way -- where they have listed 50 photography Photoshop tutorials [link]. These aren't your junk run-of-the-mill tutorials but a great series that you can really sink your teeth into. Just consider this link a little gift from me to you this holidayseason;~)

Hey everybody, that's it for me today. We are celebrating Christmas with LaDawn's family this afternoon and evening and Chef Daveed Arnold is doing the cooking - watch out Emeril, where ever you are, because I'm kickin' it up two notches!

And, don't forget to check back tomorrow for Technique Tuesday -- Finding and Seeing the Light. See you then, -- David

"The Old Sentry"
©David A. Ziser

I captured this image yesterday while we were visiting The Biltmore House in Asheville, North Carolina. Although there were some wonderful mountain vistas all around, I was taken by these craggy old trees in the valley behind the house. Something about the textures and colors were intriguing to me. This one tree in the foreground was the biggest and appeared to be the oldest and most weathered compared to its younger siblings in the background. I also liked how the last vestiges of fall, the last few leaves on the trees, were still clinging to their winter counterparts. Camera specs; Canon 5D Mark II fitted with 70-300mm IS lens at 140mm, F8 @1/100 second, ISO 800. Enjoy! --David