WOW! Eye Opening Numbers For Wildlife Photography!

Good Morning Everybody,

Last evening we had a fun Zoom meeting with our first Safari group.  Don Dickson, who runs the "Internationally" famous Texas School [link] put the whole thing together for us.  It was a "hoot" reminiscing about the great times we all had on that trip.

Yep, we do get kind of close to the animals, lion included.  That's probably the biggest surprise for first-time safari adventurers. Thanks to Kevin Dooley of Idube Photo Safaris [link] for sending this photo over to me this morning. That's me next to the driver with LaDawn behind him. We are really only a few feet away from the lions - safaris are definitely an adventure!

We joined the Dicksons on their Safari and then were to follow up with two more of our own when the bottom dropped out of our travels. No problem though, we already have them rescheduled for about the same time next year.  I put the links at the end of this post.

Anyway, I hope you all got a chance to view the YouTube video I put up just a few days ago.  It really shows what an exciting trip it was. If you missed it, here is the [link] to the video one more time - Enjoy!  Now on with the show....
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WOW!  Eye Opening Numbers For Wildlife Photography!

Last Thursday I did a post entitled "Camera Settings for Wildlife Photography - Mostly Manual Mode and Why" [link] which really got down to the "nitty-gritty" of my wildlife shooting strategy.  Today I want to ramp up that post with some surprising statistics about the Shutter Speeds, Apertures, and ISOs I used most often.  These numbers are based on the EXIF data of 20,179 wildlife images I made two years ago during our safaris back then.

Shutter Speed

Take a look at the table to the right.  I think you will be surprised by the numbers here. As you can see, my exposures ranged from 1/50 second and lower up to 1/8000 second.  OK, how did I come up with this data?  It was easy once I really got the "hang" of some of Lightroom's EXIF data reporting features. I asked Lightroom to just report all exposure data from my Canon 5D Mk3 and my Canon 7D Mk2 and presto, the Shutter Speed info appeared!

OK, back to the numbers. Take a closer look at the chart to the right. Notice that 67% - that's 67% - of my shutter speeds were 1/1600, 1/2000, or 1/2500 second! A quick point of clarification... NOT all those exposures were made on Manual mode. A large number of them were made on Shutter Priority mode as well.  I'll cover that shooting strategy in an upcoming post next week. Needless to say, two-thirds of my photos were made at very high speeds for all the reasons stated in my post referenced above.

Keep in mind that safari shooting conditions vary widely.  Birds are flying, animals are moving, and the safari vehicle is bouncing, sometimes like crazy.  All these factors require faster shutter speeds to freeze the action.

Aperture

Now let's move on to Apertures. I used the same Lightroom reporting technique to determine my most used range of shooting apertures. Once again, check the table to the right.

In most cases, I was shooting wide open with my telephoto lenses. When shooting the Canon 5D Mk3 I mounted my Sigma 150-600mm lens with its maximum aperture of F6.3.

When shooting my Canon 7D Mk2 fitted with its 100-400mm lens (my all-time favorite wildlife shooting combo), again maximum aperture F6.3. You can see from the data that nearly 1/2 of all my exposers were at the maximum apertures of both the lenses.

If the light was bright, like at mid-day, I would stop down 1/2 to one full stop just to pick up a little more depth of field.  I found that mostly helped with my bird photography.

Still, you may be questioning my use of both lenses maximum apertures for so many of my photos.  The answer is quite simple - both of these lenses are super sharp lenses.  I never felt I was compromising the image in any way when shooting wide open.

ISO

Now on to ISOs ...  As I mentioned in my early post (referenced above), I do like to "float the ISO in these kinds of shooting conditions. I don't want the ISO to go to high, but I do want it fast enough to allow me to use the necessary shutter speeds I need for my wildlife photography. Now take a look at the ISO chart to the right. OK, OK, I did let the ISO float a little on some occasions - I'll get to that in a minute. But DO notice that 56% on my images were in the ISO 1600 - 6400 range.

The reason for the higher ISOs is accounted for by our early morning and our late afternoon/early evening shooting.  But, let's re-analyze the data differently. If you total the ISOs from ISO 400 to ISO 2000, the total number of exposures accounts for over 44% of my images.  That means that most of my images were made at very manageable ISOs.

With the use of software like Lightroom, I can easily manage the slightly higher ISOs.  Heck, back in my "wedding days"  I would routinely shoot all my reception images at ISO 3200.

Still, I think the analysis of this data is really fascinating to see.  It really shows what the Apertures, ISOs, and Shutter Speeds need to be to get the optimum photograph with the gear I was using. Had I been using a 300mm/F2.8 lens, my data would have been different, obviously.  But I was using gear that worked great for these wildlife shooting situations.  The gear is reasonably priced and gave me a great result for our Safari experiences.

Take a look at the photo having "lunch" to the right. Notice the camera specs: Canon 7D Mk2 fitted with 100-400mm Sigma lens: 1/2000 second @ F5.6 zoomed to 123mm at ISO 2500. Anything less than the higher shutter speed and high ISO and I would have missed the photo.

I hope everyone enjoyed the discussion today and I certainly hope it will at least give you some starting points in any upcoming African adventures you may have in your future.

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Hey Gang,

That's it for me today.  I can't believe it's Friday already. Have a great weekend and I'll hope to see you next week for a few more ideas and discussions.

Cheers for now, David


Oh, BTW, Here are the links to our rescheduled Safaris for next year.

South Africa at Thakadu: March 30 - April 9, 2021 [link]

Botswana, Africa at Mashatu: April 9 - 19, 2021 [link]

We are sorry we couldn't continue on Safari this year but both LaDawn and I are really looking forward to next year - hope to see you there!  David and LaDawn

Technique Tuesday: Happy B-Day & New Orleans Wedding Shoot – Part Two

Good Afternoon Everybody,

First off, let me thank everyone for all the birthday wishes that came pouring in from around the world.  I read each and everyone of them and really THANK YOU all for the very kind thoughts. Yes, it’s another year older for me today – should I try that box of Grecian Formula or not ;~) All joking aside, a person is as old as they feel and I really don’t feel as old as I’m suppose to be.  I think it comes down to how one embraces life, always looking on the bright side, and always embracing all the new challenges that we sometimes must face.

This past weekend, after all the trials and tribulations of dealing with 3 cancelled Delta flights, and all the frustrations in trying to get my daughter, Elizabeth into town, I can happier report that we all had a great weekend even though it was much shorter than expected.  The highlight of the weekend had to be the trip to Kings Island and the marathon riding of the coasters. 

I remember a few years ago, I mentioned to LaDawn that I felt my coaster days were over. I was heading into that 6th decade of my life and felt like I was needing to slow down.  Part of those feelings were due to the extra weight I had put on and an overall felling of losing some of my never-ending energy. 

But about 4 months ago a few students in my Master Class and I were discussing getting and staying in shape. They convinced me it was my time to take the “bull by the horns” and do something about how I was feeling. The following week I began my journey to do just that. Now 4 months later I’m walking 7-8 miles a day, eating sensibly, and am currently 50 pounds lighter than I was at the beginning of my journey 4 months ago.  I felt alive again – and ready for the Kings Island coasters!!!

Now you have to picture this.  I am quite literally the “most senior” person in all the coaster lines.  I read with trepidation all the cautions about riding the coasters with bad backs or necks, high blood pressure, and the myriad listing of ailments that I probably have to some degree or another.  But, none of that deters me away from a great coaster ride. And, I want the front car too!!

Anyway, this weekend showed me that I have a few more years in me to ride the great coasters of the world and I can’t wait!!! Alright gang, time to get back to our regularly scheduled feature – Technique Tuesday.

Technique Tuesday: New Orleans Wedding Shoot – Part Two

As I’ve previously mentioned, we had a great time in New Orleans a few weeks ago. My wedding shoot-out was a kick because I got the opportunity to shoot with the new Canon 600 EX-RT speedlites and I really put them through their paces. In my first post about my shooting experience [link1], I covered a lot of details about the strobes. I also posted two other very informative articles covering my use of the strobes that you can find right here - [link2 and link3].

In today's shoot I will walk you through several more images from that session. As I review the series of images I’ll discuss the lighting, the exposure, and the compositional challenges we faced during that shoot. I was thrilled with the results that I was getting.  During that class-time, the bride had her mother with her, so I shared all the images with her mother as well as with the bride.  The bride and her mother were both ecstatic over the results.  

Why not hit the PLAY button below and let me share a few more those images with you here today.  I think you'll enjoy the show.

Other links discussed in today’s post:

Quick Hit Monday: My First Day With Canon 600EX-RT Speedlights–WOW!

Technique Tuesday On Wednesday: New Orleans Wedding Shoot - Part 1

Bonus Post: Canon 600EX-RT Works Great For Reception Photography

Canon 600 EX-RT speedlite info: [link]

David Ziser’s 42” Zumbrella: [link]

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Hey gang, that's it for this Birthday Boy today.

Have a great rest of the day and I'll see you soon, David

Technique Tuesday: The Only Wide Angle Lens You’ll Ever Need!

Good Afternoon Everybody,

Just to bring you up to date, let me tell you what’s happening around here - it’s all good stuff.  Yesterday, I typed the first 2,200 words of my new book, “Make Your Lighting Exciting”.  I just started typing and the words started flowing – a very good thing for an author ;~) 

Anyway, the book in now on the “front burner” an I’m giving it TOP PRIORITY over everything else here at the studio, including daily posts to DPT.  If I’m going to finish this thing by the end of August, that’s how its’ going to have to be the next few months.  The first words I type each day will be for my book – no exceptions! 

Don’t worry, I’m not giving up on the blog for that time period but look for the blog posts to come later in the day.  I figure 2,000 words a day and I can have the book hammered out in no time.  Total words for my Captured By The Light book last year totaled about 65,000 words so you can see I’m on a “tear’ this time around.  Hey, they always say to write your second book first because you know what you’re doing ;~)

That’s the quick update from me today.  How about we get on with a super-cool Technique today.

The Only Wide Angle Lens You’ll Ever Need!

OK, not really but with what I’ve got to show you today you’ll be surprised to see what I pull off with my new Canon 8-15mm Fisheye lens.  The cool thing is that it has little to do with Fisheye photography.  Today it’s all about super- duper extreme wide angle lens photography.  How wide – how about 150 degrees rectilinearly corrected wide angle wonderfulness!  That makes the new Canon lens the new wide angle winner in that department.

OK, so you’re asking, “How in the world can I use a fisheye lens as a regular wide angle lens?”  It’s easy folks, Lightroom 4 and it’s built in lens correction feature. That’s the point of this week’s lesson. Today’s post answer’s the question of what the REAL “Field of View” is for a rectilinearly corrected fisheye image.  OK, I’ll let the “cat out of the box early here. 

Using the Canon 8-15mm fisheye on my Canon 5D Mark III full frame body, I will show you can achieve a true rectilinearly corrected image with a “Field of View” that ranges from 150 degrees down to a still super-wide 133 degrees depending on the zoom setting of the lens.  The studio image below is shot with the Canon fisheye at 14mm corrected in Lightroom showing a 140 degrees “Field of View”! Nothing else comes close to this wide angle feat!

Hopefully I’ve got your attention with this intro.  I’ve spent a lot of today developing and organizing the data and the images for this post.  Why not hit the PLAY button below and enjoy one of my favorite Technique Tuesdays ever.  OK, on slight word of caution – I did get little carried away on today’s tutorial and it does run a little long – about 34 minutes long.  But it’s still worth every minute of you time.  I think (and hope) you get a kick out of the video today.  Enjoy!!

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Hey gang, that’s it for me today.  I’ve still got to get my 2,000 words under my belt for today – yes, I gave DPT first billing today because I got so wrapped up into putting things together this morning so now I’ve got to get moving.  I’ll plan to see everybody here again real soon.

Adios for now,  David

"Touched By The Light Of Your Smile"

"Touched By The Light Of Your Smile"
©David A. Ziser

This is an image I made a few years ago while shooting some of the Kelby Training videos. I remember shooting in his beautiful church, Sacred Heart Church [link], in downtown Tampa. It was around Christmas and we had to photograph around the poinsettias. I remember joking to one of the videographers that this could be the first Kelby Training Christmas video;~) I believe that this is the oldest church in Tampa and maybe even Florida as well. The architecture in some of these old churches is just breathtaking.

I chose a wide-angle lens to capture the awesome beauty of the church’s interior. The low camera angle really added to the convergence of the pillars in the church. In next week’s Technique Tuesday I'm going to discuss that exact same topic.

Anyway, the low camera angle, wide lens, the light coming from behind the subjects (my assistant holding my Quantum flash at 1/4 power 12 feet back, 4 feet off the ground and pointing at their shoulder blades created a nice rim light on the both the bride and groom. By balancing the ambient light with the flash exposure, we pulled off an extremely powerful wedding image.

Camera specs: Canon 40D fitted with 10-22mm lens at 10mm, F5.6 @ 1/50 second, ISO 800.  Enjoy!  -David

"View From The Top"

"View From The Top"
©David A. Ziser

This is a one of a kind image.  It was made a few years ago when Plum Street Temple’s 1866 Koehnken pipe organ was going to be restored.  The “pipe organ” story is another story all by itself.  This historic musical instrument was being entirely dismantled and removed from the Plum Street Temple for about an 8 mouth restoration process.

During that time, that part of the synagogue was going to be completely renovated. In order to complete the restoration, scaffolding was installed from floor to ceiling where the pipe organ was originally installed. It reached to the top rafters of this historic landmark. 

I received a call from the contractor, whom I had known,  doing renovation.  He asked me if I would like to climb the scaffolding and see some never before views of the temple.  I quickly said “yes”, grabbed my camera, and met with him at our agreed time. 

The climb to the top was exciting but the final view was truly amazing. I made an entire series of images at different heights of the climb that day.  This image is from the very top.  It is the most breathtaking view of the temple I had ever seen. This vantage point is at least 40 feet higher than the balcony I normally photograph from for weddings and Bar/Bat Mitzvahs.

The shot was made out of a small opening far above the top of the pipe organ.  I had to lean out and stretch to capture the image.  There was no room for tripods so the entire photography session was completely handheld.

The pipe organ has since been restored and replaced –it sounds magnificent.  You can here it played right here. The space that was once open is again completely inaccessible.  How often do you get to make that “once in a lifetime” shot.  Don’t miss the opportunity if it comes your way.

Camera specs: Canon 20D fitted with 17-85mm IS lens at 26mm, F 5.6 @ 1/13 second (handheld), ISO 800.  Enjoy!  -David

Quick Hit Monday: Radio Interviews; Mark Your Calendars; Great Reading; and Book Update!

Good  Afternoon Everybody,

We got our first dusting of snow on the ground this past weekend, always a beautiful site - unless of course you were hit by the giant Nor'easter that hit the east coast I understand you received 24 inches in Philadelphia and lots more up the coast.  Hope you guys get dug out soon.

Hey, if you can't get out today, just sit back and enjoy anther episode of Quick Hit Monday. Here we go...

My Interview At New Genesis Productions

A few months ago, I was invited to be on the radio - WMOH, that's 1450 AM on your radio dial.  It's a local station, but Tony of New Genesis Productions (and fan of DigitalProTalk.com), who put the whole thing together, and I finally got together two weeks ago.

The interview covered many topics including wedding stats that were quite interesting. Like in our metro area, the wedding budget is $26,000 per wedding -WOW! The wedding photography budget is only $750 though - WHOA! 

We discussed photography, photographers, brides, and what brides need to know in finding their photographer. Anyway, if you want to take some time to listen to the interview, you can find it right here. Please note: This is not a streaming file - the MP3 file needs to download in it's entirety first, about 3 minutes on a reasonably fast connection, before it will play. Still, I think you will enjoy the "listen."

Wait, there's more.  Tony also did an interview with my buddy, Larry Becker, Executive Director Of The National Association Of Photoshop Professionals.  You can find that interview right here. Poke around the New Genesis blog a while, too. Tony's got a good start on a nice photo resource for blog readers out there.

Mark Your Calendars - Three Great Workshops Coming Up!

A Day With Denis Reggie

First, let me tell you about the Denis Reggie seminar coming up January 18, 2010. Denis photographs the "Who's Who" clients around the world. He is also one of the finest wedding photographers I know. If you haven't seen Denis's program you are missing a great instructor who gives a passionate message about what he believes in most - wedding photojournalism. Head over to Denis' site right here for all the info on enjoying a very personal learning experience with a master.  Register by the end of the year and save yourself $250.

3 Days With Wedding Legends - Denis Reggie and Joe Buissink

February 22-24 - a three Day seminar with wedding legends, Denis Reggie and Joe Buissink.  Hey gang, this is your opportunity to hear 2 on the list of American PHOTO's "10 Best Wedding Photographers in the World."  The experience is limited to only 12 attendees and will take place in the intimate surrounds of Denis' personal residence.  This could be one great opportunity and one of the best educational experiences of 2010!  Here is the link for all the info.

Light, Location, Love Workshop

Fellow blogging buddy and excellent photographer, Kerry Garrison along with Jules Bianchi, are conducting a one day workshop from noon to 9 p.m. on January 26, 2010.  Their program is primarily about lighting and they are planning plenty of demos during the program. They are also shaking it up a bit with a "live" model shoot including an entire wedding party.  You can get all the info right here.

Good Reading Over The Holiday Break

Syl Arena has just posted a great doubleheader list entitled, "Online Resources For Canon Photographers – Part 1[link]" and  "Online Resources For Canon Photographers – Part 2 [link]"

The fist set are all Canon specific sites coming from Canon themselves.  The links are an invaluable resource for any Canon shooter.  The second is a list of 31 Canon centric links dealing with photography, cameras, gear, and video.  I love it when bloggers put together these lists - it's like a road map to all good information.  

Be sure to bookmark both links and enjoy your "browse" over these next few days.  Thanks a bunch, Syl!!!

Quick "Captured By The Light" Book Update!

I just talked with the good folks over at Peachpit this past Friday.  As you know, my book "Captured By The Light" landed there last Thursday and is almost on the presses.  Peachpit's final edit is nearly complete and is due on the presses right after Christmas. 

I can't believe it - things are getting very close. Forget what you've seen on Amazon or Barnes and Noble's sites. The release will be much sooner than their sites have posted.  Peachpit promised me an update this week so I'll continue to keep you posted.  From those who have seen the book so far, the "reviews" have been wonderful - I'm stoked!!

Hey gang, I've got to get moving.  The day is getting away from me and we still have a few more projects to get out the door this week.  I'll plan to see everyone tomorrow for Technique Tuesday.  See ya' then,  -David

Quick Hit Monday: Zumbrella Makes Scott Kelby’s Gift Guide List; Canon 1D Mark IV – Your Next Wedding Camera; A Cool Digital Frame; And Much More!

Good Morning Everybody,

Last week Hawaii, this week Cabo San Lucas – Ahhh! are my pixels happy today!  After our 60 city tour the R&R is a welcome break.

We are spending the week with our friends, Kent and Sarah Smith, whom I have mentioned several times on this blog so I’ll be reporting from Cabo all week – and yes, I’ll try to get the posts up in a timely manner and hopefully with a little Cabo color tossed in for good measure.

Before we get to today’s news, I have to tell you about my $4500/mo. phone bill – YIKES!!! At least it was almost YIKES.  I’ve heard these horror stories about people using their iPhone while traveling internationally and receiving  horrendous bills after they returned.

I decided to do a little checking before we left and boy, am I glad I did.  Based on my current usage here in the states, my international costs would have been $4,500/mo – or $1,200 for the week we were in Cabo -  unbelievable!!!  I opted for ATT’s international phone and data plan for one week which should protect me from those exorbitant charges.  Anyway, I thought you should know should you be planning any travel out of the country.

OK, time to get on with today’s post – here we go.

My Zumbrella Named One Of Scott Kelby’s Top Holiday Gifts For 2009!

Can you believe it, my specially designed collapsible Zumbrella made Scott Kelby’s Gonzo Gift Guide!  Here is the link to Scott’s story right here.  The cool thing about my Zumbrella is how quickly it works in any shooting situation. 

Want to see what I’m talking about – hit the PLAY button below to revisit my Technique Tuesday episode entitled, “Love Lines – Another Live Wedding Shoot”  to see how efficiently we work with it on the job.

We just got more Zumbrellas in last Wednesday and are shipping them out daily. Here are the links to the Digital Resource Center for the Zumbrella alone, Zumbrella with lighting DVD, and the entire Zumbrella/DVD/Bracket kit. Order right away before we run out of stock again.  The Zumbrella has been a BIG hit among lots of photographers across the country.

Canon 1D Mark IV As A Wedding Camera

I came across this post while on my weekend internet cruise and found it quite intriguing.  It seems that renowned photographer, Jeff Ascough,  got his hands on one of the new Canon cameras and had it long enough to use it to shoot wedding over the weekend.

I am always intrigued by the low noise capabilities of these latest, greatest, anti-noise machines.  Jeff was using the camera at ISO 6400 and 12,800 and was blown away with the results.  You can read the whole story right here.

A Digital Frame That Does Video Too

As you know, I’m a BIG fan of Animoto because of it’s ability to easily incorporate short video clips with still images.  Anyway, we were passing through the Las Vegas airport about 10 days ago and were “killing” some time before we boarding our connecting flight. 

We popped into the Brookstone Store, always a good place to visit, to look over the latest greatest electronic gadgets.  The item that got my attention was a digital frame [link] that they were displaying which was doing the Animoto trick – combining the stills with the video – very cool, I thought.  For $99, I decided to pick one up and give it a try.

I’m thinking this could be a nice add-on product for wedding and family portrait packages. The quality looked good and the image/video transitions were very pleasing, too.  I’ll keep you posted on my further thoughts on this very cool item once we return and I get a chance to “play with it for a while. My “wheels” are turning right now with some pretty good ideas on how we can incorporate the frame into our product mix.

How About Some More Reading Material For Your Spare Time

Over the weekend, I stumbled on Photography BB, a photo e-magazine that seemed to be pretty jammed pack with solid info on many fronts.  The latest issue of Photography BB magazine includes stories on macro photography, Lightroom 3 Beta, a cool Photoshop tutorial, and lots more.  You can check it out right here.  Hey, while you’re at it, you may as well check out the 21 proceeding past issues too;~)

Color Photography Before Color Photography Was Invented

OK, gang, you have to check this out.  I want to point you towards some of the most fascinating photography I have ever seen. It is beautiful color photography from the early 1900’s taken long before Kodachrome film was ever invented!  Many of the images are simply breathtaking and considering the techniques used to obtain the finished result, it makes the imagery that much more remarkable.

Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii (1863-1944), a turn of the century photographer from Russia and photographer to the Czar produced these wonderfully amazing images from B&W glass plate negatives.  Here is the main link to Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii photographs.  Be sure to check out all the links on the page.  It’s a wonderful journey back into time.

Hey gang, that’s it for me.  We are off to catch some fun in the sun today.  I’ll see everybody tomorrow for another episode of Technique Tuesday. I just might have a little surprise in store for you, so be sure to check back,  See ya’ tomorrow.  Adios, David

Technique Tuesday On Wednesday; What Do These Buttons Do? and ISO 102,400 on the Canon 1D Mark IV

Good Early Afternoon Everybody,

Wow, almost back on schedule today - what a concept!  Anyway, things are cookin' around here – we just about have all the loose ends taken care of for next week's Master Class, we've also planned some cool, new things for DigitaProTalk, and my DWUC tour is rounding third and heading for home in a few weeks.

Yes, I'm actually "seeing a little light at the end of the tunnel" as they say - I just hope it's not a freight train;~) 

Not much new to report today other than to say I spoke with my buddy and Canon rep, Mary Mannix, this morning and asked when I could take a peek at the new Canon 1D Mark IV.  I even suggested she bring it to my class next week. It took a few seconds for the laughing to stop - so I guess that's not going to happen.

Turns out she had the camera in her hands yesterday but had to return it for Canon’s Photo Plus show coming up this weekend in NYC. I asked her if she clicked off a shot at that unbelievable ISO 102,400 yet.  She told me she had and the result was unbelievable. Sure it's a bit noisy but if you have to get the shot, now you can - even if the subject is in nearly complete darkness!

Want to see what an ISO 102,400 shot looks like? Check out this link right here - pretty interesting! Heck, download a few and run them through Noise Ninja, or NIK DFine 2. Like Mary said, if you need to get the shot, now you can. Now you've got that opportunity to open up that little private detective agency on the side;~)

By the way, here is another take on the Mark IV by Vincent Laforet right here - a must read if this new camera might be for you.  Wait, there's more.  Check out Vincent's latest video "Nocturne" made with the Canon 1D Mk IV over at Photography Bay right here.  He shot the entire video at ISO 6400! As Maxwell Smart would say, "Very interesting!!!"

OK, back to real business - let's get on with today's tutorial. Here we go.

So What Do These Buttons Do?

How often do we get a new piece of software, load it up, and just learn it's basic functionality? Boy, how many of us have done that with Lightroom? Like I've been saying on my DWUC tour - Too much software, too little time to learn it all.

If we dig under the hood just a bit more though, we just might find some more "creativity sliders" that will add a bit more sizzle to our images.

That's what I've attempted to do in this tutorial.  I think Lightroom is just a kick to use when I'm "playing" with my fine art images.  I love the way I can range, saturate, and de-saturate the various colors within the image. And, I like the fact that I don't have to make the trip to Photoshop to get the job done.

This tutorial shows how I use the Hue and Luminosity sliders in Lightroom's color channels to finesse the image to it's final result.  The process is always fun so hit he PLAY button below and enjoy the show.

Hey gang, that's it for me today.  Everybody have a great one and I see you tomorrow for another Business day Thursday. Over and Out, -David

Technique Tuesday: Moving To Wednesday This Week; Studio Production Changes, and Upcoming Canon 7D vs. 5D Mk II Comparisons

Good Late Afternoon Everybody,

I hit DigitalProTalk World Headquarters about 6:30 a.m. this morning and have not hardly let my seat. Hence the vary late post again today. I had ton's of plans and details to go over with the staff today. We were recapping tour items but more importantly, my Digital Master Class for next week.

We are doing a completely different version of the class which is demanding a lot of coordination with staff, models, and my photographer coaches, too. We just wrapped that meeting and are excited with our new plans for next week.  I can't wait to give the new format a try in spite of all the added complexities.  Thank goodness, I have a good team around me to help make things go smoothly.  Stay tuned - I'll keep you posted next week.

Instead of trying to get my Technique Tuesday Episode up super late today, I going to hold off till tomorrow.  Look for me to go back on some kind of regular schedule with the tutorial hitting in the morning.

And just so your visit to DPT today was worth the trip, let me fill you in on a few things we're trying around here to enhance studio workflow.

Making A Few Workflow Changes - Hopefully For The Best

As I write this, I've got my IT buddy, Paul, checking out the computer network.  While on the road, my team has been complaining of things running mighty slow. We're checking network speeds, transfer rates, network conflicts – almost anything could be causing the problem.

I’m sure part of the problem is simply the larger file sizes we are dealing with these days. Heck, the 5d Mk II files and the 7D files are much larger than what we dealt with back in my 40D JPEG days.

The other part of the problem is hard drive speed and too many USB drives attached to too many computers.  Storage, even cheap storage, is hanging off of two many photogs' computers these days.

On a whim and at the clerk's suggestion at Micro Center yesterday I picked up a new D-Link NAS Raid chassis with two 1-T Western Digital eSATA drives spinning at 7200RPM.  We are hoping that will speed things a bit.

We are trying a different Lightroom production strategy at the studio.  Because Lightroom does work on a network, at least for now, I've picked up a couple of the little Toshiba pocket drives - only $149 for two 320 gig drives from Sam's Club.

The plan is to copy an entire client folder to one of these pocket drives then let it travel to each workstation as needed to complete the order. That makes all the Lightroom folders, image files, and anything client related all in one place.  We'll back things up on a daily basis for safe keeping.  I'll keep you posted as to our success at the new workflow.

DAZNOTE: I was planning to use the brand new Western Digital Passports for the above mentioned project, but they kept crashing my computer - very weird.  I've always had good luck with them in the past, but the latest crop of them just are not the same.  I have no clue what gives.

Canon 5D Mark II vs. 7D - Inquiring Minds Want To Know

Lots of folks have been commenting in the Skribit Widget in the right column about my doing some comparisons on the two cameras.  Well, the DWUC tour has made that impossible to do since I've only had the camera for a week or two.

That's all about to change shortly.  As I said, we've got my class starting next week and I plan to run the Canon 7D through it's paces.  I'll have some definitive results for you then - stay tuned.

And speaking of Canon cameras what do you think of Canon's new 1D Mark IV announcement? I'm REAL curious about it's new 6 digit 100,000 ISO speed! Can't wait to see the tests on that one.

Hey gang, that's it for me today. I've got to tend to things back on the farm so I'll see you tomorrow, bright and early.  See ya' then,  -David

Quick Update Friday

Good afternoon everybody,

Well, it seems that there's no rest for the wicked. We arrived home late last night, or was it in the very early morning hours, we woke-up early this morning and were back at it again. I've got an early start for the wedding shoot today -- 2 PM. I hope that the weather continues to cooperate and I have an opportunity to capture some great outdoor photographs. What that means in photo lingo is that the clouds continue to hang in for an overcast, cloudy day. So far the temperature is on my side for a reasonably cool day, (at least for July in Cincy). I can't wait to get some great shots of my beautiful bride . This week we're at  the Phoenix which is my second favorite location to shoot in Cincinnati. I should have some good images to show our DigitalProTalk readers next week.

PhotoWalkin’ Through Cincy

Can you believe it – has the year flown by. I’m leading another Scott Kelby worldwide photo walk tomorrow. Why in the world did I schedule us to meet at nine o'clock in the morning – not much sleep again it  looks like;~)   I checked the weather and we are looking forward to a very comfortable, overcast day which should make a great day for photo walk. I can't wait to see the photographs that my group captures and the hundreds of images from around the world. It was such a kick last year. So for all the rest of the 25,000 Photoshop walkers out there…….. have a great time too.

Trying Out The New Canon 50D  

I almost forgot to mention - I ordered my new Canon 50D on Monday and it arrived while we were in Chicago. After getting in late last night ,I couldn't resist opening the box and checking it out.

I'm really looking forward to checking out the low light capabilities of the camera. I don't expect it to be as low noise as the Canon 5D Mark II but from reports I've read around the web and from photographers I talked with, it seems that we should  be able to get another stop or two from this camera in the low light department.  I’ll give you an update of my impressions of the camera on Monday.

And Finally…

Don't forget to check out my new Digital Resource Center which I mentioned in Tuesday's post [link]. We've got a couple great deals running, especially on my new Zumbrella, so check it out. Here is the link for the Zumbrella/DVD bundle right here.

Also, we still have some seats on next Wednesday Webinar – Creating The Dramatic Bridal Portrait. It's going to be jam packed with information on lighting and composition and how to create that dramatic bridal portrait on location in a church.

Don't worry, I'll show you how to create a great shots in fancy, dancy locations and also locations that might be a bit more challenging. Anyway, hope to see you there. Here is the link for the direct registration.  Hit the “MORE Information” button for all the info. Be sure to enter DISCOUNT CODE WEBLLC09 to get the $19.95 pricing.

Folks, that's it for me today. I'm meeting my team in just under one hour from now.  Everybody have a great weekend and I'll see you on Monday. -- 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

A Few Newsbits and Tidbits For The Road

I was going to wrap the posts today from "Rumor Mill Central". I was going to tell you about the rumors of the brand new Canon 50D - 15.1 mega-pixels, 6.3 fps, 920,000 dot/VGA resolution - four times the pixel count of the EOS 40D, ISO's up to 12800! But, it seems Canon let the "cat out of the bag" yesterday and announced it to everyone. Here is the press release [link].

The specs look pretty impressive to me. At first glace, the 50D looked to be the replacement for the 40D, but no, the 40D stays in the line. Hey, that's probably good news for us 40D owners, we can still sell them at a better price before they are discontinued. I'm not quite sure where this model fits in within the Canon line. Check out this Canon link right here which shows the 50D below the 5D, above the 40D at $1099, and two steps above the 30D at $1299 - I'm so confused. Rumor has it the the 50D will come in about $1500.

Wait, there's more - you know, when I was test driving the Nikon D3 and D300 - alas, I had to send them back this week - I loved their 18-200mm VR lens. It seemed the perfect zoom range for us wedding guys and girls. Well, guess what Canon just announced? You got it - their new EF-S 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens, costing $700, and also availability due in October - finally.

While I'm discussing zoom ranges, did you see this one? Tamron just announced their latest greatest - get this, 18-270mm VC (vibration compensation) lens [link]. I'm guessing it will be priced about $650. I can't wait to get my hands on that one. I got to shoot with their 28-300 VC lens at my last Master Class in July and the jury was still out on that lens for me. I want to try this new puppy before I comment on the 28-300mm lens - I'll keep you posted.

So what's blatantly missing from the Canon announcement? We all know what's missing - no word of the 5D's replacement! I've found the best place for rumors about the 5D happen to be over at our fellow photo blogger's site - 1001 Noisy Cameras. Here is the link to the latest round up of Canon 5D rumors [link].

Hey everybody, that's it for me today. I'm calling it a day today a little early. Fellow Cincy blogger, Jim Talkington of ProPhotoLife.com is heading over for lunch and then an afternoon of blog tech-talk. I'm really looking forward to the visit.

Be sure to stop by tomorrow for further discussions on what software to use in your studio for client presentations. Hey everybody, I'll see you tomorrow for Business Day Thursday: Secrets To Salesroom Success. See ya' then, -David

Not Too Noisy Here Anymore - More on Camera Speed

And the new low noise winner is... Take a peek at these two links over at Imaging-Resource. They recently posted images from Nikon's D3 showing ISO's up to 6400 right here, and Canon's 1Ds Mark III with ISO's up to 3200 right here. I have to say, I was blown away by the Nikon's extremely low noise at that "monster" ISO setting.

I downloaded both high res files and brought them into Photoshop for closer inspection - the Nikon image was amazing. That is not to say that the Canon image at ISO 3200 was bad, but it just was not as noise free. I ran both through one of my favorite noise reduction software tools - Noise Ninja because it shows a relative "noise index" of the image after being profiled. I like to guess what the "noise index" will be before I profile the image. (I know, simple minds, simple pleasures.)

I ran the Nikon ISO 6400 image through first, it's noise index showed 36 - a little noisy but not to bad, and remember, we are at ISO 6400!!! Next, I ran the Canon ISO 3200 image through - noise index 50 - pretty darn high, and the Canon image was half the Nikon ISO 6400 image. Canon has been the "low noise, high ISO" leader for quite a while, but the baton now clearly goes to Nikon.

New Canon 7D

OK - that's the latest rumor over at Crave's Blog. Seems someone caught a newly issued UPC Code going to Canon for a new camera proposed to be their new upgrade from the 5D. How do people find these stories. Anyway, read at your own risk of buying into the rumor mill. If you Crave this kind of news, the entire story is right here. I've got to hit the road and do some more real work, everybody have a good one. See you tomorrow. --David

Monday Morning Wake Up Call

Good Morning World,

Boy, that's kind of how I feel this morning. I just checked the stats on the site and - drum roll please - Digital ProTalk is being read in 69 countries (or territories) in 35 languages around the world!

Canon and Nikon Follow-up:
This is going to be less of a "News" day and more of an "Info" day. The dust has yet to settle on all Canon's and Nikon's news last week. If you've been on safari in Kenya, hiking the outback in Australia, or stranded on a remote desert island all last week, you can check out all the news over at dpreview or Rob Galbraith sites. Both sites have posted follow up stories and images to the announcements.

Adobe Lightroom Tip:
I'm kind of new to Adobe's Lightroom (intro and feature set here) but I am always looking for good info on how to get the most out of it. We are currently investigating how to best incorporate it into my wedding/portrait business. More to follow here in future posts. But in the mean time, here is a nice little video tutorial on how to get the best black and white conversions out of Lightroom using the Auto-Adjust Grayscale button in conjunction with the White Balance sliders. The video takes a few minutes to download, but worth the wait. Click here for video link.

Developing Greatness: The Origins of American Photography:
If you are a photographer and live close to Kansas City - like within 250 miles, then head over to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and check out this exhibit running from June 9 through December 30. Here is an excerpt... "A groundbreaking exploration of the first generation of American photography. The exhibition presents classic works from this pivotal era, as well as many newly discovered images that have never before been exhibited or published. " The exhibit is featuring Daguerreotypes and paper prints. Here is the link to the Museum's site. Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the page and click on their links to get a sampling of the images - fascinating!

So What's a Pixel Look Like?
That has been a burning question in my mind ever since I went "digital" in 2000. Well, you can say you saw it here first - unless you saw it somewhere else first. Click here and behold a Pixel. My life is now complete.

News Alert - Keywording Scam:
I receive the Professional Photographers of America's e-newsletter and caught a very interesting article in it. They were discussing a new scam on how some studios are using "keywording" to drive google searches to the sites. Some photographers will add a competitor’s studio name to their own website in order to appear when a search is done for that competitor. This way it is possible that a competitor will also appear on a list of search results even if your studio name was the one searched. Just a "heads up. You can sign up for the PPA e-newsletter here.

Pretty Cool Video:
I have always been fascinated by "time-lapse" photography - you know, one picture taken every minute or so. Maybe it goes back to those good old days watching Walt Disney World on TV when I was a kid. Every now and then, they would show the flowers opening , the sun setting, etc. Anyway, I just came across the "time-lapse" video where the photographer made it with his Canon 20D camera. Check out the separate post following this one to view the video - pretty cool.

That's about it for today - have a great Monday. --David