"Desert Majesty"

"Desert Majesty" 
©David A. Ziser

OK, I love shooting out of the plane windows and yesterday was no exception.  Yes, Delta had nice clean, clear windows to shoot through and I was able to get a nice shot or two.  This one is my favorite.  We had just left Salt Lake City and were just minutes outside Las Vegas when this vista presented itself.  The mountainous terrain in the foreground offered a nice visual balance and contrast to the mountains in the background.  From the height of 30,000 feet it’s cool to see the curvature of the earth too. Camera specs; Canon 50D fitted with 18-200mm IS lens at 18mm, F 13 @1/400 second, ISO 400.  Enjoy!  -David

p.s. Want to see the rest of the story before the Lightroom tweaks? Hit the “Read More…” link below and prepare to be AMAZED!!!! ;~)

Here is the "Before" pic. Isn’t Lightroom wonderful?  -David

Wednesday: Forget The Flash, Let's Just Rock On!

Good Morning Everybody,

We had a very leisurely flight out of Cincy yesterday arriving in Las Vegas for Photoshop World just as the Gate Gourmet was loading 1000 pounds of peanuts into the plane’s cabin. Ok, just joking. 

We landed safe and sound, got checked in, and then it was off to a 4 hour meeting with Adobe. Boy, the travel and the meeting sure made for a long day. But, no problem, I’m fired up today for my Wedding Shoot out.  I’ll post an image or two this week. 

A quick note, we are still looking for volunteers to help at my DWUC tour in Boston - 10/5, Hartford – 10/6, and New York – 10/7 & 10/8.  Please drop LaDawn a note at ladawn@ziser.com if you would like to help.

OK, gang, on with the show…

Hawaii Is Calling, Why Not Write It Off?

Sounds like a good deal, doesn’t it?  Did you miss my Digital WakeUp Call tour when we hit your town?  Well now you’ve got a second chance to catch it.  Where, how about Hawaii.

Hey gang, I’m really only half joking, but why not consider making the tax deductable trip to Hawaii to catch my DWUC tour being presented in Honolulu on November 18, 2009. Then, heck stick around a few days for a little well deserved R&R.  What a sweet deal!  Hey, thought I would just put the “bug” in your ear ;~)

Forget The Flash, Let's Just Rock On!

Last week I started this series where I just wanted to discuss how much fun we can have just by leaving the flash in the gear bag and shooting "naked". Hey, it's only a metaphor gang.

Let's talk some more about that today. There are times when some of the wedding party members can really get caught up in the evening's festivities.  That was the case at this wedding.  The music was rockin',  the crowd was fired up, and the bride was having the time of her life.

Try to think what you would do in that situation.  How would you shoot it? Flash on as normal, second light, just a quick candid?  Sure, lot's of possibilities. But which technique would have produced the best results?  On camera flash - NOT! That would have "killed" the shot stealing all the excitement and emotion for the moment the bride conveys in this image.

Even with a second light, the colors, shadows, and details of the shot would have been terrific, but the shot would be missing a lot of the flavor of the moment had the ambient light been over-powered with strobes.

What lens to use? Another creative question we need to answer if we want the best shot.  In my opinion, anything but a wide angle lens would have diminished the result.  Next what angle did the shot need to be taken from?  With all the ceiling treatment, this pre-supposed a very low angle.

Now let's put all the pieces together. No flash could be used so that I could preserve the very dramatic colors of the ambient light on the ceiling.  It was a given for me that I wanted the widest angle lens that I could possibly use and that lens was the Sigma 12-24mm on my Canon 5D.  The low angle vantage point was the last ingredient in my recipe for this great shot. 

It was the bride's enthusiastic response to the music, the wide angle lens and the very low camera position that accentuated the bride's reach towards the sky, and all the party colors that captured the "rock on" feeling of this image - hence, it's title.  You can find the original "Image Of The Day" post and all the camera specs right here.

Hey gang, that's it for me today.  My wedding Shoot Out at Photoshop World Las Vegas starts shortly so we are heading out the door.  See everyone tomorrow for another Business Day Thursday.  See ya' then.  David

"Grabbing A Kiss On The Square"

"Grabbing A Kiss On The Square" 
©David A. Ziser

I made this image a few months ago.  The wedding and reception were being held at one of the major hotels in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio not far from the square.  Fountain Square has always been a favorite location for wedding photographers when working in the area.  Unfortunately, the city changed the position of the fountain giving us a little less variety in which we can point our cameras.  The large bank building in the background still serves as a nice backdrop for this shot.  Yes, many tweaks in Lightroom to juice the sky blue and a trip to Photoshop to remove the people strolling near the fountain.  Still a nice shot. Camera specs; Canon 40D fitted with 12-24mm Sigma at 12mm, F8 @ 1/250 second, ISO 100.  Enjoy!  -David

Technique Tuesday: From Good To Great!

Good Morning Everybody,

We are out the door in just about an hour so this post is going to be short and sweet.   A couple of quick notes. In the press, they call it errors, omissions, and corrections. 

I'm calling it a big "goof."  In Friday's post [link] I said we had visited with over 800 in our three weeks on the road - Wrong!.  The actual number should have been 2400 attendees strong. Thanks again to all those attending the presentation.

Then yesterday in my post about "Four Hours of Training for $4.00," I left out the PhotoVision link for the $4.00 special.  Duhhh!!!  Here is the link again. BTW, both errors have been corrected on DPT.

Anyway, we are going to be pretty busy at Photoshop World.  Here is where you can find me the next few days:

• Wednesday - I'll be doing my "Wedding Shoot Out" Pre-Con.

• Thursday -  From 2:30 - 3:30 p.m. I'll be in the B&H Theater presenting a new program, "Make Your Lighting Exciting."

• Friday -   At 8:15 a.m. I'll be doing my "Lightroom For Wedding Photographers" program.  Then at 1:00 p.m. you can find me at the Westcott booth doing lighting demos.

• Saturday - You can catch me at the Peachpit Booth at 1:00 p.m.  and then at 2:15 p.m.  I'm presenting my program, "Flashing For Fun And Profit."

Please be sure to come by and say HI.

LaDawn’s HELP WANTED AD!

Hey gang LaDawn wanted me to put out the call for a volunteers who want to help for the next leg of the Digital WakeUp Call tour.  Starting October 5 she needs help in Boston 10/5, Hartford 10/6, NY-LaGuardia 10/7, and NY-Manhattan 10/8. Here is the link to the cities and dates.  Please email LaDawn at ladawn@ziser.com for additional times and information.

OK, gang, it's time for this week's Technique Tuesday: From Good To Great!

From Good To Great!

Last week I posted one of the prettiest sunrises I had ever seen as the "image of the day."  Here is the link to "Morning Glory."The sunrise was gorgeous all by itself  but, I thought I could enhance it even more with a Lightroom/Photoshop tweak or two.

The resultant image was beautiful and was more that a simple "saturation" push. In fact what happened encompassed the entire creative process we photographers go through to obtain that great image.  That's what I wanted to share with you today.  Hit the PLAY button above to see what the original image looked like; then where it ended up, and what the sky looked like about 2 hours later.  I think you will enjoy the creative journey.

Hey gang, that's it for me today.  We are loading up the bags and heading out.  See everybody tomorrow in Las Vegas.  Just a reminder; I'll be on Pacific time so the post may be a little later in the day for all you East coasters. - See ya' tomorrow.  -David

"Last Words Of Advice"

"Last Words Of Advice" 
©David A. Ziser

I remember taking this image years ago back in the film days.  We were in the Rabbi's study for the signing of the Ketubah, the Jewish marriage license, when I saw the Father of the bride lean over to his daughter and offer her one more word of advice.  The shot is an extreme crop of that moment, hence the film grain.  I enhance the image a bit more in Photoshop to further capture the feeling of the image.  The light tonalities of the image together with Dad's whisper combined with his soft touch on his daughter's hand make for a very strong image.  Camera specs: Hasselblad 500CM fitted with 80/2.8 Planar lens at F2.8 @ 1/30 second, Kodak Vericolor 400 film (best recollection.) Enjoy!  -David

Quick Hit Monday: Tons Of Training, Great Wedding Photography, and More!

Good Morning Everybody,

Hope everybody had a great weekend.  We arrived back home late afternoon on  Friday, unpacked the van and managed to return the van just two minutes before the extra charges kicked in - clean livin' I guess ;~) We got a chance to recharge our batteries and are packed and ready to head out for Photoshop World tomorrow. 

My sold-out Pre-con happens on Wednesday.  I love roaming through Mandalay Bay looking for the cool locations for some of my shots.  I've done a PSW pre-con here three times and each time there is a new place to place a camera.  Then we head to our off-premise location for real wedding pictures in a real church. This church is actually the Shrine of The Most Holy Redeemer, a very contemporary Catholic Church right across the street from the Mandalay Bay.  It's always a great place to capture some dramatic images. Let's see what happens this time around.

I'll keep you posted on what's happening this week, so stay tuned.  Hey gang, I've got a few interesting things to tell you about on today's Quick Hit Monday.  Here we go...

Four Hours Photography - Four Bucks

That's right. My good buddy and friend, Ed Pierce is offering 4 hours of photography training for only $4.  Ed has been producing his PhotoVision series for a number of years now.  They are hugely successful.  It's a video collection of lessons from some of the top wedding/portrait shooters and trainers in the country.  Here is the link to his site right here. Like Ed says, "The lessons are Guaranteed to educate, entertain, and captivate."  I'm planning to pick up my copy - all good stuff!

More Great Wedding Photography

OK, one of my favorite sites to visit is Crash Taylor's Photographers Interviews site right here.  I'll tell you, I don't know how he lines up the talent for his series each week.  What caught my attention this week is the fact that he is interviewing Chris and Lynn studios.

I actually featured them here at DigitalProTalk in my post "7 Inspirational Photographers."  Here is the link to that post right here.  Anyway, I love their work.  Check out Crash's interview with them right here - great images and great info.  Good job Crash!

Is Social Media Important - Wait, Keep Reading

Blogging buddy and great landscape photographer, Jim Goldstein, is presenting a program at Photo Plus Expo next month.  He asked me to spread the word about the Social Media survey he is putting together and requested that I ask our DPT readers to take the short survey [link]. 

Hopefully you can help Jim out.  He's a great photographer with a great blog [link] and is an all around nice guy.  Don't forget to check out his blog too - I just came across one of his latest posts, "11 Must Have Photo Apps For Your iPhone" right here.  I'm heading there right after I finish Jim's survey.

iPhotoshop On An iPhone

Well, something like that anyway.  I get a message via my Facebook page from Photoshop World buddy, Richard Harrington.

I'll tell you, Richard in one smart Photoshop of guy.  He just released his first iPhone app entitled, "Understanding Photoshop: Quick Fixes." Here is the link right here.

Man, this app looks "way" cool.  17 videos easily viewable on your iPhone,  down-loadable images you can use to follow along, and lots more.  It's only $ .99 cents if you grab it this week.  It jumps to $2.99 next week - oh, my aching wallet ;~) Hey gang, this sounds like the deal of the century.  I'd be heading there right now.

Oh, don't forget to check out Richard's RPProductions site right here too - more good stuff.

One Last Thing - More Great Training In My Backyard

Before I hit the road, let me leave you with a plug about our KPPA Fall Conference [link] coming up in Louisville Kentucky on October 4 -6, 2009.  Once more, top talent, beautiful images, and lots to learn.  Craig and Debra Davis, my good friend Ernie Johnson from Tennessee and his wife Lorraine, the extremely creative Thom Rouse, and the wonderful Lew Everling are scheduled for workshops and presentations over the weekend.  This time around we even have a Photo contest with prizes in each category and a grand prize worth $1000!  If any of you guys and girls are in the neighborhood, you should plan on attending.  The talent list is impressive will be well worth your time. Here is the link to all the info. It's always a great time sharing with all the photographers and with this list of speakers you are sure to come away with TONS of info.

On that note, gang, I'm out of here.  Lot's to to today before we hit the road tomorrow.  I'm planning a rather interesting Lightroom/Photoshop tutorial for tomorrow's Technique Tuesday.  So, I'll see ya' then.  Adios, David

"Love Lost In Time"

"Love Lost In Time"

©David A. Ziser

I posted this image way back in the early days of DigitalProTalk before I was giving the back story on the images. I thought I would revisit it again today. This image represents one of my all time favorites. This is a film image, I believe from around 1988. We received permission to shoot in the Monroe County office building, one of the most beautiful buildings in Rochester, NY. The setting was one of the most dramatic I had ever seen. It was lunch hour and not a soul was in sight. I positioned the couple on the second floor and I headed up to the 4th floor – what a view through my wide angle lens. It was quite bright as there was a skylight directly above us. The challenge was to get the brightly lit building to render much darker than normal. That meant using a fast shutter speed and smaller aperture than I would normally use. Once the exposure was determined for this setting, I had to make the bridal couple pop out of the scene. This was accomplished with one strobe positioned behind them. I also had my assistant holding a flash and hiding behind the pillar just to the left of the couple. Flashes were triggered by radio and the rest is history – one pretty photograph. Camera specs; Hasselblad fitted with 40mm Distagon lens, F8 @ 1/500 second, Kodak Vericolor 400 film. Enjoy! -David

p.s. Hey gang we are just getting back in town and I just had time to get this image post up. Look for the regular post tomorrow. Time for an adult beverage;~)

18 Hours A Day; Fast Food; and You!

Good Morning Everybody,

After three weeks on the road, we finally arrived back home yesterday and got to sleep in our own bed. Boy, it sure felt good. Even though we’re only here for a few days, it’s still the pause that refreshes.

We had one of our most enthusiastic groups in Columbus Thursday night. I think about the loudest cheering I’ve heard at Door Prize Time. Everyone was so excited and I believe it was a good time for all in attendance.

It was more that that too.  We had a few of our friends come by – Kent and Sarah Smith from Kent Smith Photography, whom I feature in my DWUC program. It is always GREAT to catch up with old friends.

You know, even though being on the road is long 16-18 days and nights with a McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Subway or an Arby’s restaurant in between, it’s still a good time.  I love the audiences and the people we meet on the road, including our sponsors that are also hanging with us from city. Both LaDawn and I feel truly blessed!

Everyone is looking for a way to take better pictures and maybe add to their bottom line just a bit.  I think my DWUC tour tries to provide some of the answers.  Thanks to all for the wonderful blog comments, emails, and Facebook notes.

Let me share with you a few of the highlights of the tour from these past three weeks. One of the first surprises was the fact that my friend and Canon rep showed up in Indianapolis and brought along a pre-release version of Canon’s new 7D. WOW, it is expected to be released in about a week – not much longer to wait.

We headed up the road to St. Louis but missed the Arch for the first time ever.  I guess our GPS didn’t want us to see it this time.  Next stop was Kansas City.  Again, another great group on attendees. 

I didn’t have a wedding that weekend so we just hung out at this wonderful, slightly secluded and very quiet Doubletree Hotel in Overland Park.  I think LaDawn and I both OD’d on the chocolate chip cookies that weekend.

Of course one of the highlights of the KC stop was the barbeque. A wonderful taste treat!  The best restaurant stop was T.A.S.T.E, a relatively new restaurant in Overland Park that serves food that will knock your socks off! – Outstanding!!! A definite Ziser recommendation.

Next it was off to Omaha on Monday, Des Moines on Tuesday, Minneapolis on Wednesday, and concluding the week in Milwaukee on Thursday.  In Des Moines, some old friends showed up to help LaDawn with the room setup.  I hadn’t seen Wayne for years, but in Des Moines, we had a nice visit.  Wayne took my class over 20 years ago.  Yes, he still operates a successful photography studio,  and now he also wears a full fledged M.D. hat, as well. Maybe I didn't do a good enough job teaching and he had to look for another line of work;~)

I wanted to say too that are drives through the Midwest were beautiful.  A lot of people around the US don’t even know how scenic the Midwest can be.  Again, that is one of the joys of our travels.

Minneapolis was our  biggest crowd to date – 275 attendees, that was till we hit Chicago the following Monday where we had over 350 photogs stop by for the presentation.  I didn’t get hardy any sleep the night before – I was so worried the fire marshal might come in and shut us down.

We actually spent the weekend in Chicago and caught up with our long time friends, Ron Stewart and his wife Paulette. Ron has been running a successful studio and art gallery in Wheaton for many years – he doesn't want me to reveal how very, very, very long;~)

We had another great meal at Ivy’s in Wheaton, Illinois. Hey gang, if you are ever in the area, this is another restaurant not to be missed. OK, it’s starting to show, isn’t it – LaDawn and I “live” for good restaurants on the road and the weekends are the only time that happens.

After Chicago, it was off to Grand Rapids on Tuesday. We misjudged the time change and arrived 1 hour later than scheduled. Oooops!! THANKS to the spectacular volunteers who jumped right in and quickly set the room and prepared the welcome packets. On Wednesday we we off to Detroit where we saw that spectacular sunrise Thursday morning before leaving for Columbus. Again, we had great crowds in each city, but by the end of Thursday night, both laDawn and I  were running out of gas.

Another nice surprise, another visitor and friend who showed up at Columbus. It  was Erik from Animoto.  Erik is Animoto’s marketing guru and it was good to catch up with him.  More on my visit with Erik on Monday.

Just because we have arrived home doesn’t mean the work stops!We are working on another project this weekend. I can’t tell you what’s happening over the weekend. Just know it involves shooting some special video sequences for an upcoming project – I’ll keep you posted.  After we wrap that project, hopefully today, it’s time to re-pack the bags for Photoshop World in Las Vegas.

So gang, in closing, I want to personally THANK all LaDawn’s volunteers for helping set the meeting room, prepare welcome bags, assist with product sales and then tear down the room and assist with packing the van. It is about a 2-3 hour process before each show and an additional 30 minutes after the show. We are truly blessed by the willingness to help by these special people.

I want to thank the great hotel staff in Overland Park, KS for outstanding front desk service.  I want to personally thank the whole hotel “Banquets Department team at the Westin in Detroit for being so responsive to our set up requests. Especially I want to thank Daris, the bellman, who was the most responsive and helpful bellman out of all the hotels we visited.

To the vendors that help to make the Digital WakeUp Call seminars even more informative and exciting. The door prizes are amazing! We really appreciate those that travel from city to city - setting up, tearing down over and over and over. A big THANK YOU!

I want to thank Gabe’s (from B&H) wife, Nancy for being my model for our impromptu posing session in Columbus. I also want to thank wholeheartedly the over 800 2400 photogs that came out to hear my DWUC program over these last three weeks and for all their enthusiasm, cheers, words of appreciation, gratitude and support.

And lastly, I want to thank my wife, LaDawn, who puts so much behind the scenes work into this tour.  She is the real power behind the success of our tour!  Hey, Sweetie, I love you.

On that note gang, I’m out of here.  Video starts shortly.  I hope to see many of you at Photoshop World next week. See ya’ then.  -David

P.S. One more note, don’t forget, you still have time to register for that colossal 16 hour marketing program that kicks off at 9:00 A.M. Monday. Lot’s of top marketing talent to capture some wonderful tips and techniques.  You just might to tune in. For additional information or to sign up just hit the registration link right here.

-David

"Morning Glory"

"Morning Glory"
©David A. Ziser

This was our visual gift this morning as we peered out our hotel window about 7:15 a.m. this morning. It’s one of the prettiest, most spectacular sunrise’s we’ve seen on our travels.  I’m posting it today just because of the shear beauty of the rich colors and hues. I tweaked the image in Photoshop, slightly, so the the brightest part of the sky would fall in the bottom right quadrant of the scene.  With it’s placement at the point in the shot, it enhances the leading lines of the clouds which seem to be racing to meet the sun as it triumphantly makes it’s entrance into the day. Camera specs; Canon 5D Mark II fitted with 24-105mm IS lens at 70mm, F4.0 @ 1/8 second, ISO 800.  Enjoy!  -David

p.s. Hey gang, we’re hitting the road early so I’ll get the rest of the post up later today.  In the mean time, enjoy this morning’s sunrise, stop for a minute or two and smell the roses.  We’ve been blessed with another beautiful day! See you a bit later today. -David

Business Day Thursday: Nudge It Up A Notch Selling and New Contest Announced

Good Afternoon Everybody,

Lots of things happening today. I’m announcing a new contest where you can win a $50 B&H gift card. Take a read about it further down the page.

Once again we had a great turnout and a fired up crowd in Motown last night. Today we are in Columbus, Ohio for the last city of the week. But do we get a break, not quite yet. After we get home tomorrow, we’ve got to repack the bags for Photoshop World next week.

This will actually be a nice break from our whirlwind travels and 18 hour days these past three weeks. You’ll be able to find me at the B&H Theater and Westcott’s booth doing some demos. I’m also doing the wedding pre-con and two more programs, one on Thursday morning and another on Saturday afternoon. I hope to see everybody there.

Hey enough of my travels – let’s get on with today’s post and contest announcement. Here we go.

Quick Update On FREE Marketing Summit

I just checked with the Joy of Marketing people – the folks putting together this giant 16 hour marketing program coming up next Monday September 28, 2009, at 9:00 A.M. sharp.

One more time – here is the link.

So far there are about 8,000 people registered for this once in a lifetime marketing extravaganza. Be sure to register – It's FREE!!! Hey, I hope you stick around for my segment, too. ;~)

A New Contest And “Nudge It Up A Notch” Selling

The other night in Chicago we had dinner at Parker’s Grill. You’re thinking, “so what.” Well, the “so what” is what I’m talking about today. What I witnessed at Parker’s was about the softest upsell I’ve ever seen.

After sitting down we were presented with the menus and lots of items looked really good. Our server came by and asked to take our order for appetizers. We ordered what looked good on the menu – it was an order of 3 spicy bite sized wontons – I don’t remember the fancy restaurant name for them.

Anyway, his quick response was, “Instead of just three items, he could add a forth and that way we could each have 2 each.” We easily said yes to his offer. That was “nudge it up #1 at Parker’s.

I never gave it a second thought until we were offered the wine list. LaDawn and I both opted for the “wine by the glass” list as she likes reds and I was in the mode for a white.

Looking at the wine list, there it was again. This time I caught on to what was happening. The wines by the glass were listed in two sizes – 3 oz. and 6 oz. A glass of wine is typically a 4 oz pour. With the wine list I was viewing, I had the choice of a glass that was a bit smaller than a regular pour, but was also given the option of ordering the larger 6 oz size. Not a bad “nudge up” to a glass of wine that was 2 oz larger, and pricier than a regular glass of wine. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the larger pour.

It was after the “wine “ pricing experience that it hit me. What a great way to marginally upgrade the sale. In any business, a small 5-10% increase here and there in a sale could do a lot to anyone’s bottom line.

Did I care about the “sales nudges”? Heck no – hey it worked for Parker’s. We were happy “dining campers".” I just loved how smooth and easy it worked for the restaurant.

So, how can we take this same idea and adapt it to our businesses? I’m just thinking out loud here but here are a few of my suggestions.

1. Bundle 2 framed 5x7’s of the bride and groom for one price. Then offer your client a third for a modest increase in price for another special relative.

2. Selling slide show videos of the wedding to your clients? We sell the first at one price, but the second and third are substantially less because most of the production cost is covered the first time around. We even offer a forth for safe keeping in their safety deposit box – kind of like “picture insurance.”

3. I was even thinking about offering a 6x8 size image as a slight nudge over the typical 5x7 size image. It’s slightly larger than what most people are used to seeing, but still smaller than an 8x10. And, it’s different, size-wise at least, than what your competition is offering.

I think there must be a lot of other great ideas out there too. What are some of your ideas? Here’s what I’ll do. If we get 20 or more suggestions in the “Comments” section below on how we could nudge up the sale, I’ll award the winner of the best idea a $50 Gift Card from B&H. What a deal! Let’s get those ideas flowing.

Hey gang, I’ve got to get moving here. We’ve got to grab some road food and get over to Columbus for tonight’s program. Again I hope to see many of you there. See ya’ tonight (and tomorrow.) -David

“Leading Man”

"Leading Man"
©David A. Ziser

Maybe I should have called it “leading lines” man since nearly every line in the image leads right to the groom. The hand rail easily leads the eye to our subject, but notice too how I placed him in the composition so that all those lines in the ceiling direct the viewer’s eye right to our groom – pretty cool.  Lighting was accomplished by placing a Metz 45 CT-1 camera positioned left out of camera range up the stairs.  It was fired remotely with my Quantum radios.  The accent light on the groom’s left was the result of the light coming in a window behind him.  This is an older film image but I still enjoy it for it’s compositional values.  Camera specs; Hasselblad 500 CM fitted with 40mm Distagon, F5.6 @ 1/60 second, Kodak Vericolor 800 film.  Enjoy!  -David

Wednesday: Forget The Flash, Let’s Just Play

Good Morning Everybody,

Again we had a great crowd in Grand Rapids last night.  Only one hitch. We forgot about the time change and we were setting up thinking we had an hour to go.  We didn’t find out till 4:15 p.m. – ahhhh! Into high speed mode we went and all was good to go by the time the crowds started to arrive.

Today it’s a short drive over to Detroit so we’re hoping to catch our breath a bit. We have another big crowd in Motown tonight, too. Today is city #40 out of 60.  I kind of feel we are in the final stretch of the tour, but still having fun.

Hey gang, I’m heading down a different path today with the posts.  I' thought I would begin a new series of articles, this time focusing, no pun intended, on having some fun with how we photograph wedding receptions.

I’m planning to cover how we mix things up in our reception coverages just to keep things interesting and creative for us and our clients.  So read on – I hope you enjoy the series.

Forget The Flash – Let’s Just Play

I’m always lamenting the fact that so many photographers shooting weddings these days are just shooting away with only one flash on camera.  Sure, most of my Digital Wakeup Call Tour demonstrates techniques that can make your lighting exciting by using on-camera and off-camera flash, but today let’s keep the flash in the camera bag.

Heck, if one flash is all you’ve got, could none be even better?  Maybe so.  OK, why am I saying that.  The purpose of this post is to get everyone thinking about how they can revive and elevate their level of photography for their clients.

So whether you shoot with one or more flashes, I'm suggesting you take a series of reception images without any flash at all.  I know, you must think I’m crazy for even suggesting such a thing with the low light levels at wedding reception venues.  But, who cares, with our much wider aperture lenses and the super high ISO’s the new cameras are capable of obtaining, it makes shooting without a flash a “piece of cake” and fun too.

 Check out the first image.  This is the first time I gave it a try digitally.  I was shooting a Nikon D1x at the time and I could crank up the ISO all the way to ISO 1600 – WOW!  The fastest film I was shooting with just the year before was Kodak’s Vericolor 800. I was now way ahead of the game with my new digital camera.

The other factor to keep in mind was the fact that I could use lenses with really large apertures like my 50mm F1.4.  Man, the wide aperture coupled with ISO 1600 meant that I could shoot in light that was only – get this – 1/8th as bright as what I could shoot with my film camera.  That struck me as an amazing opportunity to try some of these low light candids at my wedding reception.

The image you see above was taken at 1/60 second at ISO 1600 – a fast dancing candid at 1/60 second – unbelievable – I was hooked.  Check out the second image too.  The main light was from the videographers light.  For this image, I believe I was around 1/150 second.  I just remember it was a very fast shutter speed.  So fast, in fact, that it easily stopped the action of the bride and groom putting on their best dance moves.

As I said, I was hooked.  I was using Noise Ninja’s beta at the time to cut down the noise and it worked quite well.  NIK’s Define 2 is my favorite these days. So I don’t consider noise to ever be a problem.

I suggest you too throw caution to the wind, keep your flash in the bag, and go out and have a flashless blast at you next wedding reception.  Not ever image, just a few selections. You’ll find you will be creating a brand new flavor of wedding images for your clients, and might get a nice creative tingle out of the experience yourself.

Hey gang, that's it for me today.  LaDawn likes to hit the road early so we can get to our next stop and get the room set up.  So the bellman has been called and we are out of here.

See everybody in Motown tonight.  Be sure to come on up and say HI.  See ya’ tonight.  -David

"Classic Beauty"

"Classic Beauty"
©David A. Ziser

This image was made years ago as I was transitioning from film to digital. As I've mentioned  before, I'm a big fan of wide angle lenses.  Using the 30mm Distagon - Hasselblad's $6000 fisheye lens -was always fun to use.  In this shot, I used the much more affordable - about $600 - 8mm fisheye from Sigma.  Using it on a APS size sensor camera causes some cropping of the 8mm lens field of view.  That never bothered me, I still liked the shots I was able to obtain.  The important thing to remember is to keep the subject in the center of the viewfinder to minimize distortion.  The other challenge was to get enough light on the bride in the bright outdoor setting.  My assistant was bringing the light in from "camera left".  In the original shot, you could actually see the flash head and monopod in the top left quadrant of the image are.  I always say, "If you need the lighting close and find the need to photograph your assistant holding the light close to your subject, always keep them is a "Photoshopable" area of the scene."  That's exactly what I did in this example.  It was easy to remove the strobe and monopod from the sky using the "Rubber Stamp" tool in Photoshop.  Back in those days - we were up to version 5.0 of Photoshop - we didn't have the "Patch Tool" yet. Camera specs: Nikon D1x fitted with Sigma 8mm fisheye, F 16 @ 1/500 second, ISO 200.  Enjoy! -David

Technique Tuesday: Design Lines - Part 2, Learning To See Differently

Good Afternoon Everybody,

WOW!  What a crowd we had in Chicago last night - 350 strong (and loud.) We got started just a little late, maybe 10 minutes, which means I'm playing catch up for the whole show.  No problem for out friends in Chicago last night.  Nearly everyone stayed till the end.  We wrapped at about 10:50 p.m. making it a pretty long day for all of us.  My thanks to everyone last night for a great time.

Today we head over to Grand Rapids with a pretty good turnout waiting for us over there too.  I still can't believe it, but when we finish this week, we will have completed over one this of the Fall leg of the tour. 

LaDawn and I both feel it is going quite fast.  I thinks it the photogs that show up at each city.  Everyone we meet just makes each visit to each city memorable.  We'll wrap this week and then head to Photoshop World next Tuesday.  The week following, it back on the road again and we start in Boston then head down the East coast.  Hopefully, you'll join us.

Hey gang, I managed to get my Technique Tuesday episode organized for today and I think you are going to like it. So, without further ado, let's get to it.

Design Lines - Part 2, Learning To See Differently

About two weeks ago I posted "Design Lines - Part 1, Learning To See."  Here is the link. I discussed how to find the leading lines in the setting and how to position the subject with respect to those "compositional pointers."

In his week's episode, I approaching composition from a different direction.  This time I want to show you how to explore the setting, looking for design elements in the background that you can use to better feature your subject in the finished image.  This week, I'm discussing how regular objects like wall decor, lamps, and credenzas all come together creating a series of rectangles that offer a striking background to our images today.

The techniques discussed today work well for executive portraiture as well as wedding photography.  So hit the PLATY button below and we will travel back to San Diego for this week's lesson, I hope you enjoy the show.

Hey gang, that's it for me today.  We are cruising down the highways and by ways of our great mid west and plan to land in Grand Rapids within a few hours.  See ya' tonight.  -David

"Beauty Eyes"

"Beauty Eyes" 
©David A. Ziser

This image is from a high school senior shoot I did a few weeks ago.  I was putting a final edit on all the images for my client and just kept coming back to this image. It's simple, relaxed and beautiful.  All the lighting is strictly available light without any use of auxiliary strobes. The soft background along with the wonderful expression make for a great portrait.  Camera specs; Canon 50D fitted with 70-200mm IS lens at 78mm, F4.0 @ 1/160 second, ISO 200. Enjoy! -David

Quick Hit Monday: More On Video; HDR; iPhone Photo Apps;, and Canon 7D News

Good Morning Everybody,

After another easy weekend of R&R and catching up with friends  in Chicago, we are fired up and ready to go for tonight's Digital WakeUp Call program.  Tonight's crowd will be the biggest ever! We are expecting around 350 photographers - WOW!!! It should be a great time.

I can't believe that after this week, we will have completed over 1/3 of the Fall DWUC sessions. Next week it's out to Photoshop World but more on that later.  Let's get right to today's post - lots of good information to cover.  Here we go.

More On Combining Still Images With Video

Last Friday in my post I listed 10 clips you need to shoot with your new video enabled digital camera at a wedding. Here is the link to the article. I mentioned how Animoto makes it easy to put together a very cool show with your still images and video clips.

Today I also wanted to remind you that Jen and Steve Bebb have taken this whole video/still media fusion to a brand new level.  They call it "Fusion Is Now" and you can find out more about it over at their FusionIsNow.com website right here.

I purchased their DVD on just how they go they go thru the processes and their procedures last January. I wanted to get myself up to speed on the entire process.  It was money well spent.  The DVD set contains two DVDs.  The first DVD shows exactly how they plan the video project - what to shoot, how to shoot it, and how to "mic" it.  The second shows how easily they edit the still images and video clips with iMovie09 to obtain their great result.  Check out their site to see what I mean.

Now some good news.  I asked them to come on board with my DWUC tour and they gladly obliged.  Not only that but if you use the tour code of Ziser2009 and place your order for their DVD set, it will save you $60 off the price - not bad.

Inspiration Station

That's what I'd call Westcott's new Top Pros Gallery - here is the link right here.  Right now it features the work of 33 photographers covering everything from wedding photography, several shots from yours truly, to commercial work and lots in between. I'll tell you, there are some great images over there - a wonderful and enlghtening browse.

Westcott also has a promotion on their new Stroblite - a very affordable studio strobe - going on right now, too.  You can check it out right here.  They've promised to send me one to check out - I'll keep you posted.

HDR Is Here Again

I received a note from fellow blogging buddy, Gavin Seim over the weekend.  Gavin is about the busiest guy I know.  He runs ProPhotoShow [link] which features tutorials, podcasts, interviews, and just all things "photography."  It's a fun site to check out.

Also, Gavin just announced his new HDR workshop. Man, I would love to go, but I'm still on tour.  Anyway, Gavin does some of the best HDR I've seen and is now offering a 3-Day workshop on the subject from October 19 - 21, 2009.  Here is the link for all the info.  Be sure to scroll down and check out his images.  Hey Gav, I'll plan to catch your next workshop.

Just What A Photographer Needs - More Photo Apps For Your iPhone

Since I just picked up my new iPhone about a month ago, I'm on the great Apps hunt. Not only does Terry White do an iPhone app of the week over at his site [link], I just saw that ImagingInsider.com is also doing frequent posts on iPhone apps, too.  Here is a link to over 18 iPhone apps for photography right here. Hey, we all need to take a break and play now and then.  So check them out. Some of these apps look pretty cool.

Hands On With The Canon 7D

I just wish it were my hands.  Anyway, if you are as fired up about the new Canon 7D as I am you might want to get a peek at what others have said about it so far.My blogging buddies at PhotographyBay had a nice piece on the new 7D and Canon's new 100mm Hybrid IS Macro lens.  Here is the link. 

I did a quick search to see what others were saying about the camera as well.  Here is a quick link roundup from some of the top sources. I'm actually trying to get my hands on one for my Photoshop World Pre-Con shoot. That would be sweet if I could pull that one off.  I'll keep you posted.

Hey gang, that's it for me today.  The room for tonight's meeting looks great. We have a  huge 12 foot screen and Bose sound systems.  We'll be rockin' in Chicago/Downer's Grove tonight.  Hope to see you there or at a location near your.  -David

"Fantasy Evening"

"Fantasy Evening"
©David A. Ziser

This image was made back in my film days.  I still love the shot.  Today a lot of photographers are doing what's called a "trash the dress" session with the bride and groom a few weeks after the wedding. It allows the photographer to capture some very cool images of the bride and groom without the wedding day constraints of weather, time, and sometimes inconvenient circumstances. I've been doing "trash the dress" sessions since 1980. Only thing is - we've always called it a Bridal Pictorial session.  Regardless of the name, it's a perfect way to capture some wonderful series of images of the bride and groom that normally can't be made on the wedding day.  These images become a striking addition to any wedding album. This image was from one of those sessions.  It's a fantasy setting, if the gown gets a bit damp because of the location - no big deal.  The colors, composition, and lighting come together for a great shot.  Camera specs; Hasselblad fitted with 150mm Sonar lens, F5.6 @ 1/30 second (best recollection), ISO 800 Kodak Vericolor film.  Enjoy!  -David

p.s.  Hey gang, I know I've got the second part of yesterday's post to get on-line.  We just hit Chicago  an extra 2-hours in travel time due to traffic) and it's already early evening. LaDawn and I are going to grab a late dinner and chill a bit.  Look for the post tomorrow.  See ya' then.  -David

10 Video Clips You Need To Capture With Your New Digital Camera Continued...

Good Morning Everybody,

It's not often I do a weekend post, but with the tour things can get backed up a bit. We got into Chicago late yesterday - you know, traffic, construction, rush hour, all of the above. We got settled into the hotel, checked out the ballroom for Monday night's program, and just relaxed - what a concept!

Wow! I have to tell you - Monday night's program is shaping up to be the largest crowd ever - over 300 photogs are registered already!!! It should be a "wild and woolly" evening - I'm looking forward to it. Let me make a few announcements and then I'll get on with the rest of the post. 

Master Photographers Marketing TeleSummit Update – 7000  Registered So Far!!!

I had an opportunity to check in with the Joy of Marketing people on how registrations for this gigantic 16 hour Master Photographers Marketing TeleSummit were going.

The TeleSummit is scheduled for September 28 & 29, 2009. So far over 7000 registrants signed up. Oh,  did I say it was FREE - unbelievable. You'll get to listen to 16 of the top photogs in our profession point you towards marketing success for your own business. You still have one more week to sign up, and yes, it is FREE. Here is the link to register right here. Don't miss this wonderful opportunity!

10 Video Clips You Need To Capture With Your New Digital Camera Continued...

I started this article on Thursday and kind of left you hanging because of a shortage of time.  Today let's wrap it up with the rest of the story. 

Let's see, where did I leave off...

...with Animoto allowing the short 3 to 10 second video clip uploads, I think our problems are halfway solved. Hear me out here. I'm thinking if we at least want to get our feet wet in combining short video segments with still images, Animoto gives us the quickest, easiest, best way to do just that.

If you have one of the new digital cameras that shoot video - for instance the Canon 5D Mark II - this is how I suggest you might photograph your next wedding…

Photograph the wedding as you normally would. You still need to take all the still images that you would normally capture for your client. But, now be thinking about how you might enhance your media presentation to your client with some short video clips.

My suggestion is that we grab about 10 video clips as part of our shooting routine on the wedding day. Remember, these clips only need to be a few seconds long. Instead of just guessing what you want to capture in video, it would be nice to have a plan before you arrive at the wedding.  That would simplify and organize the entire process and make it easier to accomplish.

So, these are my 10 must-have of video clips that you need for your Animoto show. 

1. One of the most important video clips we should shoot is when the father sees his beautiful daughter for the first time. Sure we would shoot still images, too, but be sure to capture just a few seconds of video of the father's expression - a dynamite moment for the video.

2. Next be sure to capture just a few seconds of the bridesmaids, the bride and her dad at the back of church right before everyone starts down the aisle. This clip will be a nice intro to the ceremony.  

3. I think another important moment, if you can get it,  is when the bride's father hands off his daughter to the groom. I know most of us are shooting like crazy at that time but if we can capture 3 seconds of video at the same point I think that would be cool to include as one of my top 10 video clips for the show.

4. Most important - capture a few seconds of the ring exchange. This clip would be very easy to capture.  You've got plenty of time to get it.

5. Another easy clip to grab - the announcement of the bride and groom to the entire congregation. Just get a few seconds of the moment as they turn and start walking down the aisle. You would still have time to get back into still photography mode and capture the regular photographs we all take of the bride and groom coming down the aisle.

6. After shooting all the altar-return or group photographs, just capture a few seconds of the bride and groom just hugging and kissing on each other.  This clip would look great in your Animoto presentation.

7. Now let's head to the reception. Be sure to also capture a few moments of their first dance together.  This is another easy clip to capture because we have plenty of time during their dance.

8. Equally important would be a few seconds of the bride and groom cutting a cake. My suggestion is to just get a short clip of them around the cake, smiling at their guests, and looking  at the cake. Now jump back in "still mode" for all the cake cutting action. 

9. Don't forget to capture a few seconds of the bride dancing with her father and maybe the groom dancing with his mother. Again, these would be easy to capture because we have plenty of time to get both the video and the still images.

10. And lastly, I would be sure to have a 3 second clip of the bride in the groom toasting champagne glasses with big smiles on their faces and then maybe giving each other a kiss. Or the groom lifting the bride and spinning around with laughing, smiles and kisses.

That's about it. That's where I would start anyway. You probably have plenty of ideas yourself too.  The secret to making this work is in having the time to capture both the still images and video segments.  Most of my 10 suggestions are of moments that are extended moments where there is plenty of time to capture both.

Now back to Animoto - the cool thing is that after everything is uploaded to Animoto, you can trim up the videos and get all the "media pieces" - still images and video clips - in a logical order right on the Animoto site.  Don't forget to add a front and back title to the show, too.

Next just select your music and let Animoto do the rest - way cool!  Remember, if you want to sell the video Animoto produces, you've got to be signed up for the commercial access license. The music on the consumer side is not licensed for resale.

Now for some good news - Animoto offers 3 months of commercial access for only $99 and if you use the code from my Digital WakeUp Call tour - Digitalwakeup1 - they will kick in another month for free.  And now even better news - if you feel it's not a good fit for you, no problem.  They will refund your money up to 7 days after you've signed up.  Think of it as a 7 day FREE trial in reverse.

I think after trying it a few times we would all get pretty good at producing some very cool shows for our clients.  The video clips will really add dramatics to the still images and sizzle the experience. And the best part, we didn't have to learn any new software to get the job done!

Hey gang, that's it for me today. Have a great weekend and I'll plan to see you at the program Monday night in Chicago.  See ya' then.  -David

"Azure Beauty"

"Azure Beauty"
©David A. Ziser

I have to say, I'm a sucker for this rich blue color. This image was made on a recent trip to San Diego while walking through Balboa Park. There was a water pool filled with flowers of many different colors. This flower was my favorite. The sun's strong backlighting further enhanced the striking color of the flower. The original image showed much more of the surroundings, but I liked this tight crop on this single plant. The dark background makes the subject really "pop". Camera specs: Canon 50D fitted with 18-200mm lens at 110mm, F8 at 1/250 second, ISO 400. Enjoy! -David

Business Day Thursday: 10 Video Clips You Need To Capture With Your New Digital Camera

Good Afternoon Everybody,

We had a great time in Minneapolis last night. When you have almost 300 people in the room things get a bit rowdy, especially around door prize time. Last night we had our biggest crowd ever at my Digital WakeUp Call tour.

Everybody stayed to the very end of the program which ended about 10:45 p.m.. I thank everybody for the very kind remarks about the program afterwards too. We'll definitely plan on coming back to Minneapolis next time around.

We had an early wake-up call this morning because of a long drive over to Milwaukee today - about five hours. It makes it a little tougher to get the blog up, but I'm still giving it my best shot for our DigitalProTalk readers.

Right now we're in the middle of "cranberry country." You know it's cranberry country when you pull into the gas station for a fill up and you see a big sign for cranberry wine on the shop window. Gosh, I sure wish I would've picked up a bottle. ;~)

I want to get right to today's post just because time is short so let's get to it.

Here we go.

10 Video Clips You Need To Capture With Your New Digital Camera

The last couple of days I've been working on the interview I'm doing for Animoto. You should be able to catch it online sometime next week. I'll keep you posted when it goes live. Anyway, I mentioned about a week ago that Animoto.com is now allowing photographers to upload short video clips along with our still images.

I think this is a powerful new feature that they offering. I've always had a lot of fun with Animoto since signing on with them back in their beta testing phase. I've watched the company grow and continually add new features that can be extremely beneficial to us photographers.

Whether it's embedding an Animoto show into my blog, embedding it on a client's Facebook page, or downloading a high res video which then I burn to a DVD - all these features give us photographers a wonderful opportunity to expand our product line with a product that is both engaging and exciting for our clients.

The video feature makes it just that much better. The video capabilities of the new digital cameras, which many of us have been trying to figure out, have been a stumbling block for many photographers. We don't want to learn new software. We didn't even want to consider making video part of our wedding coverage simply because we don't want to deal with the added technical impact of the camera's new capabilities.

I think by Animoto allowing the short 3 to 10 second video clip uploads our problems are halfway solved. Hear me out here. I'm thinking if we at least want to get our feet wet in combining short video segments with still images, Animoto gives us the quickest, easiest, best way to do just that.

If you have one of those digital cameras that shoot video - for instance the Canon 5D Mark II - this is how I suggest you might photograph your next wedding............

Hey gang, I'm out of time. How's that for a tease? Tune in tomorrow for the rest of the story. Got to go - 200 Milwaukeeians are calling. See ya' tomorrow. -David

"A Beautiful Day"

"A Beautiful Day"
©David A. Ziser

This is the image featured in today's tutorial.  It was made at one of Cincinnati's most popular wedding venues.  I love this location because of all the creative possibilities it offers for exciting compositions with my brides and grooms.  This is just a straight forward portrait of the bride but it's how she's framed and how the various elements surround her that make the shot work. Want to see how I put these kinds of images together, check out the tutorial below. Camera specs; Canon 50D fitted with 18-200mm lens at 28mm, F5.6 @ 1/50 second, ISO 1600.  Enjoy!  -David

Wednesday: Better Late Than Never Technique Tuesday: "All Boxed In"

Good Morning Everybody,

We had a great turn out in Des Moines last night and Omaha the night before - almost 400 photogs strong for both nights.  Last night's crowd was really excited and definitely looking for a good time. What an honor it was to receive a standing ovation at the end of the evening from the very warm Des Moines crowd. Thank you everybody! It's our first time to visit Des Moines but you can be sure we will be back!

Today we head over to Minneapolis and are looking forward to meeting  our biggest crowd ever - almost 300 photogs are already signed up for tonight - WOW!

You know one thing that strikes me as we crisscross the country is just how beautiful America is.  The fields of Nebraska and Iowa are alive with shades of yellow, tans, and greens.  The play of these colors on the rolling landscape is truly beautiful in an even so peaceful way.  I've grabbed a couple of shoots along the way and hope to share them with you yet this week.  Stay tuned.

OK gang, time to get on with today's post.  First, let me announce that my Hot Shots series is finally available! Yesterday was quite the "computer hassle" day but everything is back on track again and I think you'll enjoy today's tutorial. So let's get started - here we go...

My Hot Shots Image Reference Series Now Available!

That’s right gang, hot off the presses.  Here is the lowdown. 

These portable 4x6 inch reference guides are small, durable, and jam-packed with instant information on how I created some of my most dramatic photographs. Just throw them in your camera bag for ready reference. Here is the link to all the info right here!

What could be easier than finding your favorite image in one of the Hot Shots guides, setting your camera, lens and flash to my settings, and shooting away?  

It is all right there for you: diagrams showing the lighting and camera positions along with all my camera settings: F-stops, shutter speeds, ISO's, lens selection, and flash settings along with the back story on each image. My Hot Shots Reference Guides are the quickest, easiest way to ramp up your creativity, expertise, and enthusiasm for portrait and wedding photography. You will love them!

TeleSummit Announcement Crashes Server

It's true.  On Monday I announced the huge Master Photographers Marketing TeleSummit that I'm involved in coming up in just two weeks - September 28 & 29.  It's a 16 hour marketing extravaganza - the largest educational event of its kind ever!  Yes, 16 hours of marketing tips and ideas from 16 of the top market savvy photographers in today’s market. And its FREE!  Here is the link to register.

Anyway, it seems that all 16 of us announced the Marketing Summit at the same time on Monday.  The overwhelming response crashed the dedicated site server. WOW, what a response.

Anyway, things were back up and running in no time, so it you tried to register on Monday and didn't get through, no problem, you can register right here.  See ya' there.

Technique Tuesday; All Boxed In – A Tutorial On Composition

I decided to do a tutorial on composition today.  This is always a hot topic at my programs. I love to survey the lines, shapes, and forms that make up the aesthetics of the photograph - wedding or otherwise.

In today's tutorial I'll walk you through how I put an image together, not so much with Lightroom and Photoshop tweaks, but instead by looking  and understanding the compositional elements of the scene.

By understanding compositional dynamics, we get a better idea how to crop the image for its best presentation to the viewer.  In this tutorial I'll discuss how to frame up the image within the camera. I also want to take it a step further and discuss other elements within the scene, that when recognized within the composition, can add further interest to the final result.

I know all this may sound a bit complicated, but its not.  Just hit the PLAY button below and enjoy the show.

Hey gang, that's it for me today. We've got to hit the road.  It's about a 3 hour drive to Minneapolis and we've got lots and lots to do once we arrive.  Hope to see a lot of you there this evening. Please be sure to come on up and say HI.   -David