What! A Five Day FREE Lightroom Conference - Yes, It's True

Good Morning Everybody,

I've got some news "Hot Off the Presses" for you today. Earlier yesterday I had a fun conversation with Dave Cross of Photoshop fame.  

We had an exciting discussion about he and Matt Kloskowski's brand new 5 Day Virtual Lightroom Summit 2021 [link] which begins Monday, May 3, next week. Check out my interview with them and all the conference details below.

Also, our Safari to deepest, darkest Africa only has three spaces left. See update below.

And, finally, I'm putting out my For Sale Sign. Those details are also shown below.

____________________________________________________

My Video Interview With Dave Cross about his and Matt Kloskowski's FREE Lightroom Virtual Summit Begining Monday!

Hey Everybody, this is about the hottest news I have to report today and I wanted to get it out to you right away! This morning I had a video meeting with Dave Cross. He and Matt Kloskowski have put together an exciting, brand new Lightroom Virtual Summit 2021 [link] which begins Monday, May 3, 2021!



20 Instructors, 40 Classes, 30 hours of classes, and FREE!!!

That's right I said FREE! That is for 48 hours after each lesson becomes available. If you want to have unlimited access to all 30 hours of programming till the end of time, it will only set you back $99 for the VIP Access Pass [link].

Please Note - The VIP Access Pass increases to $149 noon on Monday.

And wait, there's more ;~) Each attendee receives a "Swag Bag" of added goodies supplied by many of the Instructors and Sponsors. Plus, if you opt-in for the VIP Access Pass, you become eligible for some great prizes, like the complete Creative Cloud Suite for a year - an over $600 value! Or a $100 Gift Card from B&H and many more prizes too.

It was great to catch up with Dave again and hear about this exciting Lightroom Summit. Why not drop in on our conversation below - it was fun to visit. Just drop in on our conversation below.

_____________________________________________________

Update: Our Africa Safari May 3-12, 2022

I mentioned our May 2022 Safari a few times here on my blog and in my recent newsletters. I need to let you know that we are now nearly SOLD OUT for our second Safari.

As you can see in this photo, this is a small group safari maxing out at 11 couples only with three guides in three safari vehicles and everybody has a "window seat" (Singles are welcome too.)  We just a few seats left, so if you want to join us, and I hope you will, just follow the info and contact links below.

Here are the Safari dates and trip info [links]:

May 3 -12, 2022: The Best of South Africa With Kevin and David Photographing the Big Five!

To register

Call Tricia or Kevin at 505-345-6302 or 505-401-2988

or email them at idubephotosafris@yahoo.com 

______________________________________________________

For Sale: Mavic Mini Fly More Combo - hardly used!

Hey everybody, I can't tell you how much fun this little quadcopter is to fly! It's the perfect way to try out a brand new hobby without breaking the bank.

I purchased my Mavic Mini Fly More Combo [link] in November 2019 for $499 which I thought was a "steal". It's still selling for that price at B&H and Best Buy right now.

My quad combo is in perfect, almost brand new condition, and includes everything you see above. Heck, some of the extra parts are still in the original plastic bags. It has only been flown about a dozen times and no crash landings ;~)

I'm looking to get the newer Mavic Mini 2 - it costs $100 more and LaDawn says "No Way!" till I sell this one. So if you want a super bargain, the first $349 plus shipping takes it. Just drop me a note at david@ziser.com if interested. Thanks.

____________________________________________________

Hey Gang, 

That's going to be it for me today. I wanted to get this post up before it got too late so you have time to check out Dave and Matt's Lightroom FREE Virtual Summit coming up Monday. I'm planning to be there - maybe I'll see you there too ;~) 

Stay safe and...

Cheers for now, David

PhotoPro Expo 2017 Kicks Off It's Best Photo Conference EVER At The BEST Black Friday PRICE Ever - ONLY $119.99!

Hi Gang, You’ve got yo check this out!

PhotoPro Expo 2017 Kicks Off It's Best Photo Conference EVER At The BEST Black Friday PRICE Ever - ONLY $119.99 with PROMO CODE PPE17BF  - only till Midnight Monday!

I can't believe it - PHOTOPRO EXPO 2017 is right around the corner January 26-30. That's only 8 weeks away and has our best line-up ever! Just check out all the famous faces below. Click here for all the conference details

For the next few DAYS you can register for ONLY $119.99 with PROMO CODE PPE17BF - on-line registration only.  That's our special Black Friday pricing and our BEST price ever!

USE PROMO CODE PPE17BF

to get special $119.99 pricing!

I'm really going to get into trouble with the PHOTOPRO EXPO accounting team for pricing the show so low - so grab it while you can before they make me change it back to the regular price of $159 ;~) 

You really don't want to miss this year's show!

_______________________________________________________________

Hey Gang,

That's it for me today. Happy Turkey Day to everybody and I hope to see you soon.

Adios for now,

David

”Colors of Norway”

”Colors of Norway”
©David A. Ziser

While traveling through Norway a few years ago on a wonderful ocean cruise we stopped at the fascinating and beautiful city of Alesund, Norway. On a cloudy, rainy morning and after departing the ship LaDawn and I explored the city on foot eventually finding our way to the Aksla View Point overlooking the city below.

The geometric layout of the city from that vantage point really facinated me.  There were so many colors repeated and so many shapes and details also repeated that all combined into a certain photographic rhythm that I found fascinating.

After a little post-production in Lightroom and Photoshop to enhance the colors and details, I had the result I wanted.  To me it looks like a photo-realistic painting of the city more than a photograph – I like it.

Camera specs: Canon 5D Mark III fitted with Tamron 28-300 VR lens at  84mm, F8.0 at 1/400 second, ISO 800.

Enjoy!  -David

Good Morning Everybody! What’s The BIG DEAL?

Hi Gang,

Yep, I’m back with some great news! 

First of all a quick update. LaDawn and I have been traveling down the long European rivers and high seas for the last two months. We started with a wonderful, tulip-filled week in Amsterdam. Then we traveled from Amsterdam to Budapest on a wonderful 2-week  river cruise, spent a few days in Budapest, then flew over to the Cotswold’s in England for 10 more days of spring flowers, amazing rolling scenic hillsides and quaint rustic villages.

We then drove  to Southampton and boarded the beautiful Celebrity Eclipse for a two week ocean cruise through the Baltic including, Estonia, Helsinki, Copenhagen, Stockholm up to St. Petersburg, Russia. It was quite the trip and I’d love to share some stories and images with you in these upcoming weeks.

But first I have to tell what’s happening right now!  While on our cruise I received an email from my good friends Mia McCormick and R.C. Conception about a hugh opportunity they were putting together for photographers everywhere.  It’s called The Big Deal 2016 [link].  I was involved in last year’s project and it rocked the socks off everyone who participated and raised as I recall about $80,000 for charity. I told Mia and RC to count me in again this year.

Well, I have to tell you, this year’s Big Deal really blows past last year’s deal – only $99 for $3000 worth of videos, presets, eBooks, Software, and much more! Mia tells me they have 25 of the top photographers and trainers – Joe McNally, Peter Hurley, Rick Sammon, Matt Kloskowski, Tamara Lackey, yours truly and many more - involved in this year’s offereing.

This bundle is evenly balanced with a wide range of training on Photography, Post Processing, Design and Video and the training comes from some of the icons in this industry.  These are people who’ve made this their life’s work and they are passionate about teaching it.   Plus there’s enough training included to keep you busy until next year.

The software included this year is just outstanding. Think of it this way….  While Lightroom and Photoshop are invaluable tools - photographers out there working in the space swear by the sheer speed of Photo Mechanic. That’s a $150 dollar tool you’ll immediately add to your arsenal in the Big Deal.  Add in Clarity and ParticleShop - and great images will come easy.

I read through the contents of the entire pachage and was blown away by everything included!  There are hours upon hours of video training videos, 100’s of presets and special brushes for Lightroom and Photoshop, software offerings from some of the top vendors, plus so much more! 

Once again this year’s BIG DEAL raises money for three very special charities and I think that’s great!  Not only do you pick up a fabulous $3000 collection of educational resources, post-production shortcuts, and FREE software and discounts for only $99, you also get to help those in need. You really have to check it out [link]!

__________________________________________________________________

Hey gang, that’s it for me today. I know a lot of folks are sad to see me fall off the grid a bit but I have to say that life could not be better.  LaDawn and I continue to travel extensively around the world, photograph a few special events and we miss you all.  I promise I’ll try to get a post or two up about our recent travels.

All the best everybody,

David

Summer's Ultimate Photography Bundle is Happening NOW! - Only 3 Days Left!

OK gang - here is the back story of one of the most fabulous photographic educational/value offers EVER!  I get a call from one of my buddies over at Think-11, a major player in many things photographic – training, actions, gear, etc.

They tell me they plan to put together the BIGGEST offer EVER for photographers wanting to take their photography to the next level with 100's of  hours of training videos, eBooks, and over 825 Presets an Actions, 6 full 1 Year subscriptions, and more from over 30 of the industry's best photographers and trainers.

First let me say - I was honored by the request to be part of the great educational adventure. And, not only that but the whole deal was going to raise a 10's of 1000's of dollars for two great charities. Hey, they raised over $30,000 in the first few days!!!

For all the details

or click on the image below.

Just check out who's all involved in this summer's amazing photography bundle - I told you it was the "who's who" of world class photographers and trainers.

* Lindsay Adler - Designing an Image & Studio Lighting Guide, Subscription to NEW website

* Jared Platt - Comprehensive Collection of 400 Lightroom Presets & Lightroom Webinar

* Mylio - 1 Year Subscription

* Dave Cross - 1 Year Subscription

* Tony Sweet - 13 Videos Covering Macro Photography, Texturing, Infrared, Mirroring plus more

* Rick Sammon - Master the Art and Craft of Bird Photography Video

* Simply Color - Simply Cash

* PhotoshopCafe - Photoshop Destination CC LIVE

* Lee Varis - Online Course in Mastering Image Creation & Photo Illustration in Photoshop

* Bobbi Lane - Posing & Directing Video

* Craig Minelli - Retouch Toolkit & BeautyBar Pro set of Actions for Lightroom/Photoshop

* Phlearn - PhlearnMethod Bundle, Photoshop 101 & 201, Beginners Guide to Levitation

* SharkPixel - Landscape Photography Presets for Lightroom

* Lesa Snider - The Skinny Ebooks Series

* Scott Wyden Kivowitz - E-Book: Time Is On Your Side: Exploring Long Exposure Photography

* Lance Sullivan - Architecture Power Pack of Presets

* Tyler Meade - 73 Sports and Commercial Photography Lightroom Presets

* Sean Duggan - Photoshop CC Essentials: Selections, Masking & Compositing Video

* Nik Pekridis - Video Training Course: Wedding Photography in Action

* Gavin Gough - Photographers Workflow: Ebook & Videos

* Perfectly Clear - Photoshop and Lightroom Plugins

* Cris Duncan - Photography Business Starter Set: Ebooks & Video

* Dane Sanders - Fast Track Photographer Audiobook

* Andrew S Gibson - Mastering Photography & Understanding EOS Ebooks

* ViewBug - 1 Year Membership

* Eyefi - 1 Year Cloud Subscription

* Peter Eastway - Subscription to Better Digital Photography & Photoshop Layers Class-

* David Ziser – Over 10 hours of Training Videos

* Stephanie Cotta - Mastering the Art of Newborn Photography

* Kelby Media - KelbyOne Photoshop and Lightroom Creativity Bundle

* Richard Sturdevant - SturDaVinci Art Tools Photoshop & Corel Painting Bundle

* Photofocus -  Develop Great Images in Lightroom & 72 Essays On Photography Ebooks

The generous contributions from all the partners allow FotoPromos to give back 20% of all sales to Team Jessie Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and SeedLight charities.

______________________________________________________________

Hey gang, That’s it for me today. I really hope you check this out.  For only $99 it really is a "no-brainer" for this "best in class" educational/value opportunity.

Adios for  now, David

”Gentle Souls”

”Gentle Souls”
©David A. Ziser

I find this image utterly fascinating. Or maybe it’s the subject matter. We all know jellyfish are not so gentle, especially if you are stung by one.  But in keeping your distance and watching them move made this title come to mind.  Somehow watching the movement of a jellyfish just mesmerizes me. The gentle, delicate structure of the miracle of nature is just beautiful to see.

This image was made while we were visiting Valencia’s wonderful City of Arts and Science. Your right – this photo was taken in an aquarium.  I made most of my images during that visit with my Sigma super wide angle lens.  I found it worked perfectly in that situation. Something about that wide angle perspective just made the subject matter more dramatic.

I still like the monochromatic color and easy diagonal composition.  The image was further enhanced in Lightroom 5 with a tweak of the contrast, Vibrance, Clarity, and Noise Reduction

Camera specs: Canon 5D Mark III fitted with Sigma 12–24 mm lens at 24mm, F5.6 at 1/60 second, ISO 12,800.  Enjoy! David

My Barcelona (and maybe last) Master Class - Only 7 Seats Left!

Mark your calendars NOW!!!  October 6 - 13, 2014

How would you like to visit one of the most beautiful cities in the world, make new friends, and spend some time with some really enthusiastic photographers?  For the last two years legendary wedding/portrait photographer Clay Blackmore [link] and myself have have conducted what I believe are the most value priced, most informative, most fun Master Classes held anywhere in the world.  This year we're headed to Barcelona, Spain - DETAILS HERE!

Sure, I'm a little biased but those are not just my comments they are echoed widely by all those attending.  In fact we have about a 30% return rate each year. 

This year I'm pleased to announce that we have the amazing Jared Platt [link] joining us!  Jared is a talented photographer/teacher who has rocked it on Creative LIVE several times.  He brings not only his photographic expertise to Barcelona this year but will also work with each attendee in streamlining and enhancing their post-production techniques.

Our "Classroom" this year is in the amazing city of Barcelona, Spain. I have to say, it's one of my favorite world cities to visit. We've gone out of our way to provide the best accommodations at a VERY reasonable price possible for this year's Master Class.  Just check it out below.

With a price of only $2,895 which INCLUDES accommodations, food, drink, and classes with 3 instructors there is simply no better educational value available anywhere! (only $650 for add'l family members and friends not attending classes)

It's just a good time, a great way to make new friends, enjoy a beautiful part of the world, and live, eat, sleep, and breathe exciting photography!

We all hope to see you there! [All the Details Here]

p.s. Just for the record, this may be my final Master Class - the rest of life is calling to me ;~) dz

TOP TEN IMPORTANT THINGS YOU PROBABLY DON’T KNOW ABOUT PHOTOPRO EXPO 2014

Good Morning Everybody,

I know, I’m back already - only a day later ;~)  But it’s because I am so excited to tell you about the BIGGEST thing happening here in the Midwest for Photographers, Artists, Graphic Designers, and anyone else who loves lighting, photography, composition, Photoshop, Lightroom, & running a better business.  It’s PhotoPro Expo 2014 and it’s happening NEXT WEEK!

This show has been a big part of my life these last four years – I’ve always wanted PPE to be the best valued educational experience for everyone and anyone really excited about photography.  Now, thanks to so many photographers that feel the say way, it’s grown into the the biggest photographic convention and trade show in the Midwest! When you REGISTER RIGHT HERE be sure to use PROMO CODE PPEDPT14 to save $120 from the regular price of $279.

Last week we passed our registration numbers from last year's attendance numbers and last year was a BIG show too.  WOW! And we still have one week to go.   In fact, our main hotel is already sold out! No problems though, the Embassy Suites right next store still has plenty of rooms.

This year we’re expecting over 1200 attendees  to participate in the weekend activities.  That’s a HUGE number of people for a convention in this part of the country.  So, don’t miss it – it’s a great opportunity to have a wonderful time and an awesome way to make new friends and connections.  And heck, you may just learn a thing or two ;~)

TOP TEN IMPORTANT THINGS YOU PROBABLY DON’T KNOW ABOUT PHOTOPRO EXPO 2014

1. Everyone attending the Expo receives FREE NIK Software's Complete Suite of 7 great programs and plug-ins ($149 value)

2. PLUS $600 of additional valuable items generously donated by our vendors and sponsors. You can find the entire listing right here.

3. On top of that, this year's tradeshow is even larger than last year's  with over 115 booth spaces laid out on the trade show floor.

4. PLUS, you get 14 hours of FREE programming by the "best presenters in the business" right on the tradeshow floor over Saturday and Sunday.  You can get a trade show pass from most of our sponsors or RIGHT HERE.

5. Part of that Expo excitement has been because of our guest speaker line up and our brand new Hollywood Model Shoot Out and prizes for the most creative image taken at the shootout.

6. This year we also have Portfolio Reviews and, new for this year personal Business Reviews conducted by a select group of successful photographers. Their vast experience and knowledge will  point you in the direction towards your own business success!  

7. Two BONUS programs FREE Thursday night – one on Green Screen Sports Photography and the second on How to Win In Print Competition.

8. Plus we’re having a knock-your-socks-off  Oscar Party with the award winning Teeny Tucker and her 7 piece band Saturday night!

9. Annual Print Competition where you can win nearly $2000 in prizes just for entering regardless of your print score!  Hey, beautiful trophies will be awarded for the highest scoring prints too.

10. Two "LIVE" broadcasts of our ever popular Print Competition [link] on Thursday.  You can get all the details and sign up for the webcast right here.

How that for an exciting convention!!!! Add to that the amazing speakers and programs in the regular convention line up and you can’t beat this fun, educational, exciting convention anywhere!  Check it out right here!

Sure beats sitting home in front of your computer monitor watching YouTube videos ;~)

Hey gang, I really hope to see you there.  A lot of people have gone to a lot of work to make this year’s PhotoPro Expo 2014 the best ever! 

David

Shooting By The Light Of The Silvery Moon: More Budapest Images

Good Morning Everybody,

Today is our last day in Rovinj, Croatia.  We’re planning a short day trip to Porec, Croatia to check out a few of the sites then it’s back to our home away from home and packing the bags for an early departure tomorrow.  Before we head to Salzburg, Austria  I thought I’d take a chance with the internet and share with you the last day’s shoot from our Budapest Master Class. 

Shooting By The Light Of The Silvery Moon

Well, not really the moon light, but some pretty blanketed daylight.  Most of the day was overcast and the clouds were pretty thick in the sky making for a really gray (and dim) day.

The images are quite a bit different from the others I’ve posted so far from our class because today’s images are mostly made with just the available light present in the locations featured in this day’s shooting session.  I’ve got about seven favorites so lets get right to them.

Photo 1: Ballroom Dance

This first image was a quick grab shot.  The ballroom was off limits to all hotel guests because a wedding was taking place in the room in just a few short hours.  As we walked past the ballroom, I asked our model to step in so I could get a quick photo.  We quickly set up the off camera flash, posed the bride and shot away.

My only regret is that I didn’t have a wider lens on the camera.  The room was beautifully set and the wider optic would have captured the grandeur all the better.  But hey, we were going to get kicked out any second so I grabbed what I could ;~) In about 60 seconds I had the image I almost wanted.

Camera specs: Canon 5D Mark III fitted with my Tamron 28-300mm VC lens at 28mm, 1/50 second at F6.3, ISO 800.  Lighting camera right, Canon 600 EX-RT speed-lite through my Zumbrella. 

Photo 2: Stained Glass Fantasy

I loved how the stained glass windows lined up the stairs of the hotel and had been eyeing them all week hoping to capture an image or two with one of our models.  This one is probably my favorite.

My technique is the same as what I’ve described in many photos from the week’s shoot – off camera flash through my Zumbrella and balance the light with the ambient.  I did tweak the image in Lightroom 5 for my final result.

Camera specs: Canon 5D Mark III fitted with my Sigma 12–24 mm lens at 24mm, 1/50 second at F6.3, ISO 2000.  Lighting camera right with Canon 600 EX-RT speed-lite through my Zumbrella.

Photo 3: Dancing In The Clouds

I love this image.  Or maybe it’s the fabulous bridal gown I love.  I have to say, it was the most unusual and beautiful gown I have ever seen.  It was a hit with all the other models and the class as well.

The photograph is just a simple window light image.  What I like about the composition is how I positioned the bride against the relatively plain-looking, rectangular wood paneled shapes in the background.  I had to be careful with my camera position that her profile fell in between the rectangular shapes you see on the back wall.  Had I been less careful and caught one of the shapes on her face, it would have completely distracted the viewer from my main subject. By stepping back and really using a longer focal length lens I was able to compress this mundane background into something that looked quite pleasing.

Camera specs: Canon 5D Mark III fitted with my Tamron 28-300mm VC lens at 119mm, 1/40 second at F5.6, ISO 12,800 – yep, that’s right – super high ISO. 

Photo 4: Line Dance

This is another straight available light photograph.  From the second floor of the hotel LaDawn spotted the arrangement of the outdoor furniture below and thought it might make an interesting setting for a portrait.  It looked compositional interesting to me so we went to work.  I carefully positioned Clara among the pieces of furniture till I had the composition I wanted.

Notice that the only vertical element in this image is the model.  Everything else is a diagonal line.  I think it’s that “contrast of line” that makes the image. The lines seem to frame up our subject perfectly.

The original monochromatic feel of this color image created by Clara’s black jacket and the very dark rattan furniture led me to de-saturate the image completely for an interesting black & white photograph.

Camera specs: Canon 5D Mark III fitted with my Tamron 28-300mm VC lens at 135mm, 1/100 second at F5.6, ISO 3,200. 

Photo 5: Beauty Among The Ruins

This is a very simple, straightforward portrait made once again with the existing light of the scene.  The light was coming in beautifully from camera left and really defined Clara’s facial features splendidly.  Notice too that with the very broad light source how beautifully her eyes are illuminated.

Compositionally, I wanted to pick up the repeat of the architectural elements you see in the background. By positioning our subject opposite the vanishing point of those elements your eye is easily drawn directly to our lovely subject.

Camera specs: Canon 5D Mark III fitted with my Tamron 28-300mm VC lens at 260mm, 1/100 second at F5.6, ISO 3,200. 

Photo 6: Evening Beauty

I’m wrapping this series of images with my second favorite image of the day. (My favorite was the image I posted in yesterday’s post.) This structure is right of the entrance of the Gellert Hotel. I’m told by one of the locals that it is not everybody’s favorite piece of architecture in Budapest.  It design seems incongruent with the historical surrounds of the city.  Hey, what can you say – some like it - some folks don’t. I happen to like it for this image especially.

I think it offered a very cool background for this photograph.  The sun had long since set but I was still able to pick up a little sky color with my exposure.  I like that the sky did not go deep black.

I knew I needed to add my off-camera flash – Zumbrella/speed-light combo – to get the dimensional lighting I wanted. The initial test shot needed something else though.  The subject was blending into the background too much.  I needed a back light.  And, my little speed light did the trick nicely.

The combination of center symmetry composition and by “go-to”  lighting gave me the shot I was looking for.  Hope you like it too.

Camera specs: Canon 5D Mark III fitted with my Tamron 28-300mm VC lens at 28mm, 1/160 second at F5.6, ISO 400.  Lighting camera right, Canon 600 EX-RT speed-lite through my Zumbrella and Canon 600 EX-RT speed-lite pointed at the subject 12 feet away at 1/2 power.

Photo 7: Gellert Girl

This image is a variation of yesterday’s image.  I just shot it with a much wider view.  I do like how I pulled in most of the Gellert Hotel for this composition. This image is without the added backlight of yesterday’s post [link] but still looks pretty cool.

Camera specs: Canon 5D Mark III fitted with my Sigma 12–24 mm lens at 12mm, 1/25 second at F5.3, ISO 1600 Lighting camera left with Canon 600 EX-RT speed-lite through my Zumbrella.

________________________________________________________________

Hey gang, that’s it for me today.  The sun is shining bright (finally) and the air is cool.  It’s a perfect day to take another exploration around beautiful Croatia.  Check back again soon and I’ll share a few more of our travel experiences with you.

See ya’ soon, David

”The Beginnings Of A Great Day!”

”The Beginnings Of A Great Day!”
©David A. Ziser

Good Morning Everybody,

Today I thought I'd share with you an image I took on the way to Ptuj two days ago. We were out early in the morning for our hour+ long trip.  The day started a bit overcast but as we drove through the countryside the clouds started to break and let a few of the suns rays peak through.

Just by chance those rays of light we're falling on a small country church in the distance, I quickly pulled the car over and made a few quick images.  I liked this one the best.  

LaDawn and I both felt the same way when we viewed the final image - it captured the exact magical feeling we felt when we first set our eyes upon the scene.  Hope you enjoy the image too.

Camera specs: Canon 5D Mark III fitted with my Tamron 28-300mm VC lens at 164mm, 1/400 second at F10, ISO 200. Enjoy!  David

DAZNOTE:  Today is our last day in Hungary.  Our friend Roland and his wife Ildie are making the 3 hour drive over from Budapest and joining us later today and then for dinner tonight – I’ll be the Hungarian chef preparing the festive meal – where’s my paprika ;~)

Tomorrow we are heading out to all points west maybe stopping at Ljubljana the capital of Slovenia and spending the day.  For LaDawn and I, it's then onto the Adriatic Sea to the beautiful town of Rovinj, Croatia about five hours away where we will be spending all next week.  Once we get settled in I’ll check back in with you and give you all the latest, greatest updates.

See you then, David

My Budapest Master Class: A Day At The Opera, Part 1

Good Morning Everybody,

We continued to have our photographic socks knocked off with the magnificent locations set up for us by Jeff and Roland. Thursday’s shoot, I think, was the “pièce de résistance” for the week!

On Thursday morning it was off to an on-location photographic shoot at the VERY impressive Hungarian State Opera House for our morning session. Built in 1875, the richly-decorated building is considered one of the architect’s masterpieces and one of the finest opera houses in all of Europe and the largest in all of Hungary. Built in the neo-Renaissance style, with it’s gilded vaulted ceilings covered in gorgeous murals, it’s marble columns, chandeliers, floor to ceiling mirrors,  vast sweeping staircase, rich velvet draping's, arches, arches, arches……truly a spectacular location.

The auditorium was being used for rehearsal for the upcoming production of Falstaff and was off limits for any interruptions. We were allowed a sneak peek at the end of our 4 hour session. The auditorium was built in a horse-shoe shape, holds 1261 seats, impressive box seats, spectacular staging and is said to have the third best acoustics in all of Europe. It was a first for the Opera House to “rent” the location for a photographic event and we extend to Jeff and Roland for making the arrangements a VERY BIG thanks.

A Day At The Opera: What a Shoot!

I’ve included several photos I want to share with you today.  I’ve given a brief recap of each image, what I was seeing in my mind’s eye and how I put the image together. Please enjoy the series.

Photo 1: This first image was really a lesson in composition. Look at the marble staircase.  Notice how I position the subject, Gary, at the intersection or where “X” marks the spot.  My rule: Wherever the eye is being led in the image – place your subject there.

Camera specs: Canon 5D Mark III fitted with my Canon 24-105mm IS lens at 40mm, 1/50 second at F5.6 ISO 3200.  Lighting camera right, Canon 600 EX-RT speed-lite through my Zumbrella.

Photo2: This image below looks like it was taken pretty much like the first image but, in fact, there was a BIG difference in the lighting. The light was brought in from camera right obviously but not through my Zumbrella.  There just was no room for it in this tight corner space of the opera house.  I asked my assistant to remove the Zumbrella, flip the speed-light 180 degrees and bounce the light off the beige marbled wall.  Since the light is still coming from the same direction, the lighting pattern is still the same as if I used my trusty Zumbrella.

Camera specs: Canon 5D Mark III fitted with my Canon 24-105mm IS lens at 40mm, 1/80 second at F5.6 ISO 3200.  Lighting camera right, Canon 600 EX-RT speed-lite bounced off the wall camera right.

Photo 3:  Set up for this image is pretty much like the first image with the minor exception that I wanted the bride’s head to be positioned at the corner of the two intersecting arches you see behind her.  I also added a second speed-light behind her dress to give a bit more background separation or backlighting to the bride.  I really love the final results in this image.

Camera specs: Canon 5D Mark III fitted with my Sigma 12 – 24 mm lens at 24mm, 1/80 second at F5.6 ISO 3200.  Lighting camera left, Canon 600 EX-RT speed-lite through my Zumbrella.  A second Canon 600 EX-RT speed-lite is place on the floor behind the bride about 10 feet away pointing up at her shoulder blades.

Photo 4: This image was made seconds before the above image.  I simply moved a bit closer to the bride and re-positioned the bride’s face in the arch you see behind her.  A nice close up, don’t you think?

Camera specs: Canon 5D Mark III fitted with my Sigma 12 – 24 mm lens at 24mm, 1/80 second at F5.6 ISO 3200.  Lighting camera left, Canon 600 EX-RT speed-lite through my Zumbrella.

Photo 5: Here is another image where I’m playing around with subject placement in the space of the opera’s magnificent staircase.  This time I wanted to see more of the grandeur of staircase.  I carefully positioned the bride’s head with in the interior frame element, or better said, in front of the window you see behind her.

Camera specs: Canon 5D Mark III fitted with my Sigma 12 – 24 mm lens at 13mm, 1/80 second at F5.6 ISO 1600.  Lighting camera left, Canon 600 EX-RT speed-lite through my Zumbrella.  A second Canon 600 EX-RT speed-lite is place on the floor behind the bride about 10 feet away pointing up at her shoulder blades and dialed down from the earlier image above.

Photo 6:  In this next image I took the top position on the staircase and shot down the steps.  The composition is quite different that in all the previous images yet still strikingly impressive!  To add to the impressive scale of the space, I used my Canon fish to bring in as much of the grandeur of the surrounds as possible.  I subsequently did a giant lens correction in Lightroom 5 to remove any hint of the fisheye effect.

Lighting-wise: Due to all the highly reflective marble of the staircase railing I really needed to control the light on the railing camera right.  Using my Zumbrella would have heavily illuminated the rail.  I reduced the “cone of light” coming out of my flash by placing a black “beer koozie” over the flash head to give me a very restricted “cone of light” falling on the subject but not on the marble railing. Pretty  easy, cheap and cool solution, I think ;~)

Camera specs: Canon 5D Mark III fitted with my Canon 8-15 Fisheye at 15mm, 1/40 second at F6.3 ISO 1600.  Lighting camera right, Canon 600 EX-RT speed-lite through my beer koozie.  A second Canon 600 EX-RT speed-lite is place on the floor behind the bride and groom about 10 feet away pointing up at their shoulder blades.

Photo 7: This is a signature “Ziser” shot, as LaDawn likes to call it!  I take this photograph at every wedding – but not necessarily is such spectacular locations.  Wide lens, add some backlighting and shoot away. This image was again captured using the Canon 8-15 Fisheye but correcting the “fish” effect in Lightroom 5 certainly added to the dramatics. If this had been an actual couple the next image would have been the couple sharing a kiss and then sometimes I even have the groom dip the bride, all in the same location and using the same lighting.

Camera specs: Canon 5D Mark III fitted with my Canon 8-15 Fisheye at 15mm, 1/80 second at F6.3 ISO 2500.  Lighting from behind supplied by my Canon 600 EX-RT speed-lite placed on the floor behind the bride and groom about 10 feet away pointing up at their shoulder blades.

________________________________________________________________

Hey gang, I’ve still got about another half dozen images to show you but time is running short on this end so I’ll try to get them up over the weekend.

Have a wonderful weekend in what ever part of the world you’re reading this and I’ll see you again soon.

David