Back In The Saddle Again & One Way Cool Website!

Hi Gang,

I promised I would get back on the bloging wagon again so today I’ve climbed back in the saddle and off we go.  I have to tell the reason for the slowdown was really because of all the traveling LaDawn and I have been doing over the past 4 years. I appreciate all the calls and emails to LaDawn concerning my health. I’m feeling GREAT!

We have been traveling for up to 7 months of the year enjoying the world’s wonderful sights, sounds and experiences.  That’s our Spain itinerary from 2014 – what a trip that was!  I know that sounds like a lot of time traveling and lots of folks think we’re crazy for being gone so long and often, but we LOVE it!

OK you ask, “Why so much travel? Are still shooting any more?” To that I answer a resounding,YES! But, in all honesty, a lot less wedding/portrait photography.  I’m still shooting for my VIP clients – now what does that mean? I’ve been in this business for many years and have built up a great many loyal clients. 

LaDawn likes to say that my “client reach” is not very broad but it is very deep as I have been photographing the same families for many, many years and they are still calling me for weddings and important events – a good thing!

As you become closer to that magic age of Medicare, and dare I say retirement, you wonder how it’s going to change your life. Well, I could never get used to the idea of a complete retirement because as a self-employed business owner I always have an iron-or-two still in the fire.

Yes, I was still shooting for many past clients – all the Bar/Bat Mitzvah kids I have photographed over the pass twenty plus years are now getting married.  Yep, the image on the right - I photographed her Bat Mitvah many years earlier.

I along with our good friend Randy Fraley, took up the responsibilities of producing PhotoPro Expo, the biggest, best and most successful photography convention in the midwest! We’ve got great plans for 2017 – I’ll keep you posted.

So like I said earlier, I figure I’ll always have an-iron-in-the-fire till the day I die.  That’s all good – it keeps the mind and body active.  And I have to tell you that I love it all.  Add to that all the travel and we still have a pretty full schedule for our lives. So that said, let’s get back to work.

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Exporting JPEGS but What Compression Ratio – Oh My!

OK, before I share some of our photographic travel experiences with you – I’ve taken over 150,000 photos over the last four years and have enjoyed each press of the shutter.

Over these next several weeks I’d like to share with you some of our stories, our images, and our experiences these past few years but before I begin I want to tell you about a very cool website I stumbled across the other day.

So how many of you guys and girls out there really know or care about what the optimum compression ratio is to use when you export JPEGs? Well… I run into that same delemma myself.  I’m working on a task and  need to export 400 images over to my client for a small project. The images won’t be any larger than 20x10.  Exporting at FULL RES can give me a folder that could easily be over a GIG in size.  That sure won’t work for my DropBox account.

So, just how far can I crunch those JPEGs down and still have them look acceptable? After doing some extensive search the answer I can up with was 50% at 240dpi. Yep, 50% at 240dpi – that’s a BIG crunch of the pixels you say.  But I say, “How do they look after that kind of crunch?”  The answer to me is “Just fine!”.

OK, how did I reach that conclusion? Check this super informative post over at Jeffrey Friedl’s Blog [link]  Ahhh.. the website therin lies the solution.  To be honest, I have never seen a more thorough explanation of what so many of us take for granted.

Jeffrey’s interactive DEMO – I pulled the image above from that DEMO - showing how JPEG compression affects the final image is unsurpassed in it’s presentation.  You simply mouse over the compression settings on his DEMO images and see the result of that compression setting in real time – amazing! Again, check it out right here – way cool info! Also, don’t miss his Resources at the bottom of the post.

Another very good source of info on the subject can be found at Graeme Cookson’s website Shutha – Free Training For Professionals right here.  He goes into even more explanation about the result of compression on your image.  Between both sites you should be able to come to your own best solution for crunching your JPEGs - depending on your application.  Enjoy the read – DAZ.

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Hey gang, I’m going to let that be it for tady.  I really wanted to let this post be more of an intro as to what I plan to post over the next several weeks.  Although the posts will be  more photo-centric, I plan to spin them with my own photograpgic backstory including the where’s, why’s, and how’s of all the images.  I hope you enjoy the journey.

All the Best,

“Back In The Saddle Again” David

Very Weird Blogging Experience Today–It’s All Chinese or Japanese To Me

Good Afternoon Everybody,

I was nearly complete with today's post – about 1,500 words - when something very weird happened. I was working in Windows Live Writer, hit some unknown keystroke combination, and suddenly all of my English text change to Japanese – at least I think it's Japanese, maybe Chinese. I've spent the last hour trying to figure out what happened and recover the post but to no avail.  Here is a screen shot of what I’ve been looking at. Anybody have any ideas? 

It looks like it's back to the drawing board and square one for me. I'll plan to have it completed and up online tomorrow before noon.

I also have a Technique Tuesday post ready to go. So let's look on the bright side. Tomorrow will be a 2-for-1 post day!  Anyway, it's getting late and I’m going to call it a day.

Have a great rest of the evening and I'll see you tomorrow, David

Technique Tuesday: Fabulous B&W Conversions For Wedding Photographers

Good Morning Everybody,

I was playing around with my blog design again this morning adding a widget or two.  I have to say, I’m constantly surprised by the Google Analytics reporting – over 300,000 pageviews in the last 30 days but only 60 comments for the same time period. That’s less than 0.0005% of all DPT readers.  I figure DPT has a very quiet, but loyal readership out there;~)  Anyway, my sincere appreciation for those folks that do take the time to leave a comment.

Hey gang, today I’m closing off comments and suggestions for my new book, Make Your Lighting Exciting: A Practical Approach To Great Lighting For Everybody.  [link]  You can still add your comments and suggestions right here.  On Thursday I’ll announce the winner of the $50 B&H Gift Card. Thanks to all who offered there suggestions, topics, and ideas for the book.  I’m formalizing the chapters over the next few days and I’ll give you a peek next week.  Again, thanks a bunch for your input!

OK, I finished with the housekeeping – time to get on with today’s post.  Here we go…

Fabulous B&W Conversions For Wedding Photographers

I really like the B&W look in my wedding portraits. There’s something about those soft shades of gray that let the viewer forget all about the color and place all their attention directly on the subject.

But converting those portrait images to B&W, although easy, demands a bit more tweaking to get the look I want. The adjustments I make are NOT your normal B&W adjustments either. I use some sliders in Lightroom that you may have never considered using for B&W enhancements.

The finished result is what counts though. Let me walk you through two images that will show you how a beautiful B&W portrait can be produced in Lightroom 4. Hit the PLAY button below and enjoy the show.

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Hey gang, that’s it for me today.  We’ve got to wrap up a few chores around the studio today and, with my Master Class right around the corner, we’re throwing in a few new twists for our largest international class ever!  It’s back to work for me ;~)

Have a great rest of the day and I’ll see you soon.

-David

New DPT Blog Design; New Lighting Book; $50 B&H Gift Card; & New Italy Workshop Announced!

Good Afternoon Everybody,

New DPT Blog Layout!

How do you like the new DPT blog layout?  Let me know what you think of it and if you have additional suggestions, please let me hear your ideas. I've also removed Retweet button at the top right of each post. It was giving me problems so I just dropped it off the blog. I added a new set of “SHARE” buttons at the end of each post. I'm going to run DigitalProTalk in this configuration for a few weeks just to see how it plays out from my posting standpoint.

The new layout has several benefits. One of the BIG benefits of the new format is the fact that I can post much larger size images.  You can also double-click on each image to see it in it’s full blown glory. Secondly, It also allows me to embed our Technique Tuesday videos at a 50% larger size as well – pretty cool!. And lastly, it’s easier to read – the background has been changed from black to dark gray.  I hope that’s easier on your eyes. 

I’ve actually gone back and updated all the posts for the last two weeks to accommodate the new layout – enjoy! Anyway, let me know what you think. I sure would appreciate your feedback.

My New Book Moves To The Front Burner! And I’m Giving Away A $50 Gift Card From B&H!

That’s right – I’m finally beginning my new book.  The title, as it stands for now, will be “Make Your Lighting Exciting!” and I’m stoked to get started on it! 

Here's a quick update as to what I plan to cover in my new book. I’m reposting my post from last year [link] which included lots of input and comments from my DPT readers. I’m opening the door one more time for you to have some input into the book project. I’ve got over 30 great suggestions so far on additional topics to include.  Why not add your ideas to the list. 

Let me show you what I've got so far.  Here is the super rough draft of ideas and it targets all photographers, not just wedding photographers.

Make Your Lighting Exciting:

- The characteristics of light

• Small Light sources
• Large Light sources
• Hybrid light sources

- Do brands make a difference - Light is Light

- What kind of lighting and when to use it:

• For brides
• Larger groups
• Character studies
• Lighter skin vs. darker skin tones

- Why understand lighting ratios:

• Contrast control
• Specular vs. diffused highlights

- Make your lighting exciting:

• Lighting for mood
• Lighting for beauty
• Lighting for dramatic effect

- The right lighting for your lens choice

• Wide angle lens, what kind of light
• Telephoto lens, what kind of light

- Light sources

• Shoe mount strobes
• Off camera portable strobes
• Studio lighting
• Continuous output lights

- Using lighting to create shadows

• Shadows for backgrounds
• Shadows for dramatic effect
• Shadows to hide defects
• Shadows to create dimension
• Shadows to flatter the subject

- Lighting gear that doesn't break the bank

- Easy lighting setups to get great results

- Reflectors made easy

- Telephoto reflectors, or how to really throw the light

- Everyday items that make creative light sources

- Creating your own lighting studio on a "shoestring budget"

OK, What do you think so far?  I'd like to hear from you, my DPT readers, with any additional ideas and topics you would like to see covered.

How About A $50 B&H Gift Certificate For Your Thoughts?

I'll tell you what I'll do.  Everyone who submits an idea or topic will be eligible to win a $50 Gift Certificate from B&H - how about that for a little incentive;~)

I can't wait to see what you come up with.  Please leave all your suggestions in the Comment section below with your name.  In a few weeks, I'll review the ideas to date and see what we've got and then select a winner. 

I want to rework the chapters and I should have the final outline ready in about a week or two. Writing the book is no easy chore but I'm really looking forward to it and planning to put together a publication that really does allow you to make your lighting exciting without going to great expense of having to buy the latest greatest, most expensive equipment.

As I progress on the book, I'll drop some excerpts into my daily posts here at Digital Pro Talk. I will always be open to your feedback and look forward to your suggestions, ideas and critiques.

 

Clay and I Announce Our Italy Master Class

Located in a castle in Tuscany Italy, this Masterclass is a photographer’s dream. Not only will you build your portfolio and sharpen your photography skills as you practice in one of the most scenic places in the world, but you’ll learn under the hands of two of the world’s most acclaimed portrait and wedding photographers.  Clay Blackmore and I are teaming up to bring you the best professional photography Masterclass since the Renaissance!  During the course of the week each student will learn from both instructors—giving you double the creativity and inspiration—and bringing your photography skills to a level you never dreamed of.

• Price: $2,295 per person. Discounts are available for multiple people or for people sharing a room.  Prices start at just $500 additional for spouses/friends who aren’t attending the class.  Call for details.

• A private room on the Castle property for 7 nights is included with your Masterclass, checking in on Sunday September 30th and checking out on Sunday October 7th.  Several different room configurations are available at the satellite villas on the Castle grounds.

• The Castle is south of the Florence Airport (1½ hours drive along route E35/A1) near the town of Chiusi . Students are responsible for their airfare to Italy and their transportation to and from the Castle.  A car rental is recommended, however, Chiusi is well served by the train system and it may be possible to arrange for you to be picked up at the train station.

• There are 4 class days of instruction and we’ll be going from sunup to sundown and then some…be prepared for 12 hour days. The class days are Tuesday October 2nd through Friday October 5th.

• All meals are provided on the class days…and that includes wine, too!

Topics covered will be in-depth posing, lighting, and composition, specifically:

Posing: men, women, couples, and groups. Hand positions. Feet positions
Lighting: How to light men, women, couples and groups. All natural Lighting. Ultimate window-light portraits. Use of Reflectors. How to effectively add speed lights to any scene.
Composition: How to position the subject within the frame to create an impacting and meaningful photograph.

Equipment to bring: your camera, lenses, speed lights, reflector, and a laptop.

We just announced the Master Class and have several registered already. Clay and I are expecting the Masterclass to sell out quickly so don’t wait too long to reserve your seat in the class.  You can get all the info right here.

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Hey gang, that’s it for me today.  We’re gearing up for a big wedding tomorrow and I’ve got to get the cards cleared and the gear bag packed.  Everybody have a great weekend and I’ll see you on Monday, all the pixel’s willing.

See you then, David

Business day Thursday: Sales & Marketing Webcast With Charles J. Lewis

Good Afternoon Everybody,

Did you get a chance to read through everything I posted yesterday? There was a “ton”of information.  I’m going a little lighter with today’s post since I have my webcast with marketing/sales guru, Charles Lewis at 3:30 p.m. EST.

I know we have a full house (1000 attendees) for the webcast but as generally happens at the last minute, some folks wont be able to attend, so you may still have a shot at getting in. You can still try to register right here. 

Now let me say this before I get into trouble. You may be able to register because GoToWebinar will over-book an event. That's being said, with the no-shows, most everyone gets in, but there is always a chance at this late date that you may be unable to attend even if you are registered. Anyway, that being said, I gave our DPT readers an early heads up last week so you know what they say, “if you snoozed, etc….”

I’m “LIVE” Blogging Our Webcast Today

Here is my plan for today’s blog post.  Since Chuck and his son Todd will be carrying most of the 90 minute program, I’m going to “LIVE” blog from my end.  You are welcome to follow along. The plan is to constantly update this post via Windows Live Writer.  You’re RSS reader may “ding” several times when I post new info, but at least you’ll know there’s fresh content up and ready to read.

And, if you can’t follow along, no problem, just read my posts later when you have some time.  It’s something brand new I want to try so today is as good a day as any to give it a shot.  My expectation is the by the end of the posting, we will have one info packed post.

Hey gang, Webcast starts in just a few minutes.

We’re on the air.  Chuck just shared a great bit of advice about PST.  We need to Plan, Study, and Train at least one hour each day!  I agree 100%. You’ve got to apply your effort and energy pro-actively to your success.

Chuck’s quick poll showed this is what photographers want to solve:

The 4 Biggest And Most Costly Sales Mistakes Every Photographer Makes:

1.  You know what the client is looking for. 

Wrong – We need to discover the client’s Dominate Buying Motive

2. Your work will sell itself.

Not – Our work may turn heads, but it’s up to us to make the sell.

3, Selling is a bad thing and manipulating people.

Wrong - Selling is a service you offer your clients.  Find out what they want and help them get it.  Selling is central to building a relationship.

4. They never make the effort to find out what the client needs.

It’s up to us to discover what the client is looking for.  That too is central to successful sales.

Audience poll # 2:Key Points For Successful Sales:

The relationship is the whole deal!

Secret #1: People invest in photography for EMOTIONAL reasons.

Secret #2: What’s UNIQUE about you? Know the answer.

Secret #3: In photography, your GUARANTEE is one of the all time most important secrets to your success. A guarantee removes the risk from the buyer in making the buying condition.

Secret #4: Your TELEPHONE is  your most important tool. You better be able to communicate on the phone.

Telephone Tips:

1. Ask questions – get to know your client, make them feel important.

2. Use the “re-direction question” and that question is the magic question.  Use the magic question – “If you don’t mind me asking, what’s most important about your wedding, family portrait, etc.” Then shut up!

3. Use the “Volunteer Statement.” – Do you mind if I give you an idea what the photography will cost?”

4. Ask the “Qualifying Question.” – “Is that within your budget?”

To have a successful telephone outcome, don’t “wing it”, work from a script based on the telephone tips above.

Heck, you can use these same tips in email communications with your clients.

5. Your Photo Business Layout and Design is critical – You sell what you show!

6. Design consultation sales chats – Yes, don’t try to book the session over the phone.  Every successful sales is the result of this preliminary design consultation meeting. If you don’t meet them in person the sales goes nowhere.

7. To be successful with photography you must use the correct words – the vocabulary is  way more powerful than to realize!

8. Overcome “Sales Resistance” the easy way – by being enthusiast.

9. The 1st impression is the most lasting impression – always project! Be pro-active is your approach to sales!

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Hey gang, that’s it for me today.  I hope you enjoyed the “LIVE” Blog-cast today – it was quite an experience for me – listening and typing ;~)  I also hope that all of you that tuned in the actual “LIVE” webcast really enjoyed it too.  I’ll see about getting the web-cast rebroadcast right here at DigitalProTalk – stay tuned.

Chuck and his son Todd had so many tips, techniques, and insights to really help you take your sales to the next level.

Have a great one everybody,  David

 

It’s Day Off Wednesday

 Hey Everybody,

I’m taking the day off, other than the image of the day post above, to get caught up on some things around the studio.  Hope you don’t mind.  Plan to stop back tomorrow morning for a sizzling Business Day Thursday – it’s very cool.

Hope to see ya’ then,  David

PhotoProExpo Really Hot!; Best Blogs 0f 2010; Captured By The Light DVD Set Nearly Ready; Sony TX9; and Good Eats!

Good Afternoon Everybody,

We left sunny Florida this morning and landed in snowy Cincinnati about 1:00p.m. this afternoon. Of course we get home and it's right back to work preparing for the Imaging USA convention in San Antonio, TX. Fortunately, the team has most everything ready to go for us but there are still several late minute items to take care of.

On top of that, we've got our own state convention to prep for too, which is the following weekend. That's going to be a blockbuster too - more below. Whew, we'll need another vacation after all the running these next few weeks ;~). OK, let's get right to today's post. Here we go.

PhotoProExpo Only 9 Days Away!!!

Folks, our PhotoProExpo 2011 is going to be three of the sweetest days of photographic education and inspiration!!! You don't want to miss it. We are expecting our largest crowd ever for this special weekend of sharing, learning, and fun.

Come on down and hear one of the Top 10 wedding photographers in the world, Cliff Mautner. Listen to two of the most successful photographers in the country, Kent and Sarah Smith who run one of the few $1,000,000 studios in the country - 3 years in a row! Learn from one of the best lighting instructors on the planet, Tony Corbell. His is world renowned for his easy presentation style and simple to understand lighting techniques.

That's just 3 of the 10 photographers presenting. Come early and sit in on the print competition Thursday afternoon. Don't miss Friday night’s Boudoir program (all in good taste, of course) and the party on Saturday night. Plus you get a chance to visit the trade show  where you'll find the latest and greatest in software, hardware, frames, backgrounds - oh, did I mention all the good deals too! There will be plenty!

Plan to stay two nights and all three days, the room rate at the Marriott, the best hotel on the river, is only $99! There is no better opportunity happening anywhere in the country for 2011. Don't miss it - Register right here!

Best Photography Blog Posts of 2010

I was in a hurry to get the post up on Monday and forgot and forgot the link to the PDN’s Best Photography Blog Posts for 2010 [link]. Since then the post has been updated with the proper links. Don't want to make the trip back to Mondays post- then you can find that link right here - enjoy!

My New Toy - Sony's New TX9 Cybershot Camera

I packed three camera with me on this trip - Canon 7D, Canon G12, and the Fuji HS10. That's plenty of cameras, right? Well, we were walking through the Millennia Mall in Orland the other day and happened to stop into the Sony store. I was sort of in the market for a small point and shoot - I had been a fan of the Canon ELPH for years.

I found myself looking at the new Sony TX9, a 12.2M jewel complete with 1080p HD video capabilities [link]! I played with the camera these last few days and I have to say that I love it! It's fairly responsive, far more so than the Fuji HS10 I'm always gripping about. It's great in low light and the video is amazing too, in low light.

I took it with us to Disney's Animal Kingdom last Sunday and took some videos of shows we saw. Seeing the results on our flat screen TV in our hotel room was a very positive surprise - they looked great. It not "Blu-Ray" by any means, but it sure looked good.

I don't want this to be a camera review but the features I like the most are the HD video complete with Dolby sound, the super close macro capability - like .4 inches close, decent 12.2M resolution, 4x zoom, and the novel 3D feature.

You can find the TX9 anywhere, but the Sony store offered an additional 20% off so I jumped at it. More to come as things develop.

Captured By The Light DVD Set Almost Ready!

I tell ya', I had a great time presenting my "Captured By The Light 2010" seminar last year. As I've mentioned before, lots of folks were disappointed we couldn't make it to their city with our program. Time was just too tight to make it work.

The good news is that I recorded the two presentations in California with the intent of being able to share all the solid information for  those who couldn't be there. The presentation went wonderfully well and the crowd loved it. Several even commented that the presentation was "AWESOME" - thank you for that.

That AWESOME presentation is on the way to the "presses" as we speak and should be ready for shipping in about 14 days. If you missed it the first time around, don't miss it this time. Also, the program was so jam-packed with information, if you did attend, then this is your chance to add it to your reference library. You can pre-order your copy right here.

Here's what's included so far:

1. 4 DVD set of my fast paced 5-hour presentation.

2. 1 Bonus DVD with 9 hours of tutorials from Kelby Training, NIK Software, Westcott, DigitalProTalk, and many more.

3. 1 Tour Handbook that every attendee received that attended the original program.

4. And your chance to win one of the many door prizes valued at over $5,000 that we will be awarding to many of the lucky purchasers of my DVD.

BUY NOW! [link] to be eligible for over $5,000 in door prizes!!!

One For The Road - Good Eats

One thing LaDawn and I enjoy about traveling is good food - who doesn't, right? Anyway, here at DPT I occasionally list restaurants in which we have had exceptional dinning experiences. That is not to say they are the most expensive either because they are not.

While staying in Orlando we discovered two that were wonderful. The first is Seasons 52, a perennial favorite every time we hit Orlando - good prices, delicious presentation, great service.

The second is Crave up near the Millennia Mall link. We encountered Crave quite by accident for lunch one day last week. The sushi looked outstanding. We headed back a second time and enjoyed an equally wonderful dining experience. I know this sounds a little "Yelp" like, but what can I say, we like to eat ;~)

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Hey gang, that’s it for me today.  We got some planning to do for PhotoProExpo so we’re out the door in 5.  See ya’ tomorrow for another scintillating Business Day Thursday: “Is It Time To Lower Your Prices”.

See ya’ then,  David

Catching Up Friday: Thank Yous; Facebook; Lightroom 3; and More

Good Morning Everybody,

Whew!  What a week it's been.  Each day seemed longer than the next so I'm really glad the weekend is right around the corner.  You probably are too;~). 

I want to make this short and sweet today and try to savage some of the day for a little time off - hope you don't mind.  On that note then, I'm off and running.  Here we go...

First Off, A Few Thank You's

If you haven't been over to Moose Peterson's site [link] for a while, you should make the trip.  Moose always has great advice, gorgeous images, and informative resources for photographers.  I want to send my personal thanks to Moose Peterson for his kind words about my "Captured By The Light" book right here. 

You might be asking what a wild life photographer would be reading a book on wedding photograph.  Maybe this is why "...Don’t let the wedding stuff fool ya’, yeah it’s in there but the book is really about the play of light." Thanks again Moose.

Also thanks to Mike Wiacek for his very kind words in his review right here of my recently released 2010 Success Collection.

Mike mentioned to me that he had one major complaint as he watched the DVDs. I was really concerned and asked about the problem. He said that regardless how many times he watches the DVDs, and he told me he has watched them many, many times, that he has NEVER won a door prize ;~). Thanks for the good giggle and your kind review!

Problems With DPT Posting On Facebook

As many of you know, I have the DPT blog post automatically to my Facebook page.  Everything seemed to be working just fine, although I did see a "hic-cup" now and then.  Well, it must be "hic-cup" time again.  I received a message telling me that the posts were coming across all bundled together and the older posts were easy to miss.

I was talking to my Internet guru buddy last night who confirmed with me that Facebook has been having some problems recently.  Hey, with 500,000,000 million users and still growing, I guess things get bogged down occassionally.

My advice to to all my Facebook buddies is to just plan to stop by DigitalProTalk.com directly to pick up your daily dose of all things digital.  I'll keep an eye on the issue and hope it will resolve shortly.

Check Out These Podcasts

I don't remember if I've blogged this before but I still didn't want you to miss Rick Sammon's site, DPExperience right here. Rick has lots of stuff posted so the site is definitely worth checking out.  A few months ago, I along with several others at Photoshop World did a podcast with Rick.  You can find that podcast right here.

1001 Noisy Cameras Always Has Something New Happening

Fellow blogging buddy, 1001 Noisy Cameras just started a new feature on his unbelievably dynamic site. I actually think his site is secretly the work of hundreds of bloggers ;~).  Anyway, all joking aside, he just stated his "Site of The Day" feature. You can check it out right here. Very cool - it's always nice to see what new surprises await.  My thanks to 1001 for featuring DigitalProTalk in the June archives. Keep up the good work 1001!

Jules And Julia - Kind Of

A few weeks back my "Google Alerts" picked up a story at Mike Kennamer's blog Manual DSLR Project [link]. Here is a short excerpt from Mike's opening page.

"Inspired in part by the movie Julie and Julia (my wife made me watch it) and professional photographers like David Ziser (who blogs on Digital Pro Talk six days a week), Kerry Garrison (of Camera Dojo fame), Gavin Seim (Pro Photo Show), and others, I am giving myself one year - 365 days - to learn to use manual mode on my Nikon D300. Rather than taking that journey alone, I am inviting you to join me in this journey. Learn from my mistakes. Celebrate with me as my fingers remember which wheel adjusts the shutter speed and which controls the aperture settings."

Mike, I have to say, I'm very flattered to be mentioned, but I think you've really hit on an amazing idea.  The best way to learn is to practice.  I'm going to be checking back with you now and then to see how your project is progressing.  Best of luck!

Just One Minor Disappointment With Lightroom 3

One reason I fell a little behind this week was because I was playing around just a little too much with the brand new Lightroom 3.  Overall, I am ecstatic with the new release. But, and it's a giant, big booty BUT - Lightroom 3 STILL DOES NOT WORK across a network.  What a bummer.  We have been working around the LR NO NETWORK issue for that last two years or so, but it occasionally leads to a few workflow snafus at my studio. 

Rumor had it this latest, greatest version was going to solve the issue.  I know a few large studios that are continuing to steer clear of Lightroom simply because of it's lack of network usability.  It's too bad Adobe hasn't addressed this major issue.  It was not a deal breaker for us, but it is still a "pain in the neck" to deal with on a daily basis.  Come on Adobe, you can do it - we all know you can!

You can find further discussion on the issue right here at Allen Gambrell’s blog.

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Hey gang, that's it for me today.  I'm slipping' into my “shorts and tennies” and heading out to enjoy the rest of the day.  You guys and girls try to do the same this weekend. 

I'll plan to see you next week, same time, same station. Keep you pixels smilin' and I'll see ya' on Monday.

Adios,  -David

Quick Hit iPad Centric Monday: My First iPad Disappointment; Blogging From Your iPad; 115 Wedding Tips; Pinhole Cameras: and More

Good Morning Everybody,

Hope everyone had a great weekend and your favorite horse won the Kentucky Derby - yep, that's real big in this part of the country. I thought the best story was about Glen Fullerton, selected from a group of 67,000 entries to place a $100,000 bet at the Derby. Glen bet on the winner Super Saver, and won $900,000 - not a bad day at the races.  Here is all the Derby news right here.

It was pretty rainy in Kentucky over the weekend, but it was one of those really nice rains, steady, cool, and refreshing.  Anyway, the forecast is for beautiful blue skies for the rest of the week.

I had a really cool experience happen to me over the weekend. I was shooting a First Communion at Mother Of God Church this weekend - I always like to see the smiling faces of the kids and the proud expressions from the moms and dads.  Anyway, as I was hanging around, I had a couple approach me, introduce themselves, and proceed to tell me I had photographed their wedding, get this, 31 YEARS AGO. Now that's going back a few!

I, believe it or not, remembered shooting the wedding - I was renting my apartment from the bride's aunt at the time.  It was way back in the early days of Focus Photography - the original name of my studio.  It was a joy to see the couple and we shared a nice visit.

Then I went to the church's social hall for a doughnut and cup of coffee.  I ran into another one of my brides that I had photographed 26 years ago! What a morning this was shaping into. This bride told me how she kept her wedding album in a special place in their bedroom and told me how she paged through it nearly every day - kind of a nice story.  I'm thinking maybe it's my photography that's kept these two couples together all these years;~)

With my Master Class behind us, it's slowing down around the studio for the next few weeks. That's like a really good thing. It will give me a little time to catch my breath and work on a few projects that are not deadline based all the time.

The main item I'm working on this week is images for my latest Kelby Training video.   I promised the images to them this week, so look for my latest release, "Shooting A Real Wedding", to be coming down the instructional pike very shortly.

Hey, time to get on with our iPad centric Quick Hit Monday.  Here we go.

My First iPad Disappointment

I have to say, just like they say in the McDonald's commercial, "I'm loving' it.” That's about 98% true for me and my new iPad so far. I do have a few nits to pic. The first is the  placement of the apostrophe key - it's on the numerical side of the keyboard - not a big deal, but still a bit inconvenient.

The BIG disappointment is with the iPad VGA adapter. You would think that you just plug it in, attach a projector, and project away. NOT - it seems the iPad projects only video ready apps and then not all of them. It DOES NOT show what's on the iPad screen at all! In fact, it freezes the iPad screen when it goes to video view.  It will project YouTube videos without a problem, but who cares?

It will project my Keynote presentations, but blanks the iPad when projecting the presentation. What's that about? That means I have to constantly look at the screen to follow my own presentation - really inconvenient.  That makes it useful only in an emergency situation and of little value in real world audience presentations.

And now the BIGGY - it won't project the movies I play on Netflix.  I love having Netflix on my iPad - to bad I can't do a BIG SCREEN presentation of the movies for the neighborhood kids :-(  Years ago I used to have a neighborhood "Drive In Movie Night". It was quite a "hoot" for the entire neighborhood. More information over here at PC Magazine.  I'm kind of in agreement with many of the commenter's on the post.

BUT, even with those minor disappointments, I'm still loving' my iPad.

Getting Pictures On Your iPad

Terry White, at his Tech Blog right here has a good video tutorial showing how to use the iPad's camera adapter.  The most interesting part of the video is how he shows how to hook up the iPad's USB connector to a Delkin flash card reader so that you can easily move images from ANY type of camera card, not just the SDHD variety that the iPad features.

Sure, you can also import your images through iTunes but remember, to get different albums to show up on your iPad, you need to put the separate albums in separate folders within your My Pictures folders on a PC. The iPad won't read nested folders individually. Subfolders will all be combined into one iPad album. Thought you would like to know.

Blogging From Your iPad

OK, I'm writing this post this morning out on our back deck on my iPad just listening to the birds sing their morning songs and watching the squirrels romp in the backyard.  OK, that might be to "Bambi" like sounding for you, but all joking aside, it is a pretty nice experience.  Now let's say I was in Timbuktu and needed to get my post up for the day, how could I pull it off? The easy answer is with this cool little app called BlogPress [link].

I found it over at AppVee.com during my weekend cruise.  I'll tell you, it is really easy to use, has spell check (and, boy do I need spell checking), will let you add more than one image to your post. I found a free one called BlogWriter Lite, but BlogPress, even at $2.99, looks pretty good to get the job done. 

One minor issue, it won't let me add HTML links to the posts.  I've dropped them an email - and just received a response.  He tells me that feature will be in the next update.  Things keep getting easier and easier.

More Wedding Tips Than You Could Ever Want In A Blog Post

It was a nice over the slow weekend to visit some of my favorite blogs and see what they were up to. EpicEdits has a great post featuring lots - actually 115 - good wedding tips. It's a good read - check it out right here.

More On Pinhole Cameras

Since I was a kid, I've been a pinhole camera aficionado. DYIPhotography has a great post on the subject right here - 23 pinhole camera designs that you too can make in your own backyard ;~)

Got Lots Of Time On Your Hands, Then Read More

Hey gang, here is a pretty cool link to all things photographic at ePhotozine.com.  I remember visiting this site months and months ago, but it has really come into it's own.  Lots of good articles on all things photography. Here is the link - definitely worth the browse.

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Hey gang, That's it for me today. I've got to get started on my Kelby Training edit.  Also, look for a recap of last week's Master Class later this week. Oh, by the way, my Ace #1 Assistant, Nicholas Viltrakis, did a brief recap right here - Thanks Nicholas.

OK gang, I'm hitting the road.  I'll see everyone tomorrow for another mind bending episode of Technique Tuesday.

See ya' then, -David

PhotoFavs Wednesday: Make Your Blogging Easier; 10% Store Wide Sale

Good Morning Everybody,

Sorry for the late post yesterday, Viddler had a hiccup during the encoding process and I had to head over to Vimeo to get the job done.  And, we had a few additional unsuspecting things pop up around the studio, but things finally went live in the afternoon.

DigitalProTalk Contributes To Nation’s Economic Stimulus Plan!

Hey gang, I've got some good news for all our DPT fans. As many of you know, we opened our online store, the Digital Resource Center,  about 7 months ago to offset the expenses of keeping the DPT blog on the air.  Thanks to all who have supported our efforts.  We always try to deliver great value at a fair price and will continue to do just that.

Today we are announcing our first 10% OFF Store Wide SALE - just like Macy's don't you know.  That's right - for 2 weeks everything at the Digital Resource Center will be priced at 10% lower than it's regular selling price.  That includes my Zumbrella, my CBTL photography book, and lots more. Folks are all ready figuring out that’s a pretty good savings on the higher ticket software items. Anyway, head on over and take a peek, lots of good deals  - and save yourself some cash.  Hey, it’s our contribution to the economic stimulus plan.  Here is the link right here.

Digital WakeUp Call Tour 9 Hour/5 DVD Set About Ready To Ship

What a process this has turned out to be.  I had last year's Digital WakeUp Call tour recorded because so many people wanted to see it again.  Here is the deal - I added almost 5 more hours of content to the original program!!!

The DVD is now 9 hours long on 5 DVDs!!! Wait, it get's better.  I've also talked to several of our sponsors about adding addition value to the DWUC tour DVD set. Things are coming along very well in that department.  I'll give you the details as soon as we have them firmed up.

The DVD is currently priced at its pre-release price of only $69.  That was before we found out is was going to be 9 hours long on 5 discs.  I'm holding that price, less the 10% store savings, for just two more weeks. That means you can pick it up for about $62.  That folks is one steal of a deal for all that info.  The DVD will ship shortly.

OK, enough of all the money saving news - time to get on with today's post.  Here we go...

Not A Big Fan Of Blogging? Now Make Your Blogging Easier

You know, blogging on a daily basis and punching out about 1500 or more words a day to many can seem quite daunting.  Lots of us daily bloggers have joked about joining "Bloggers Anonymous" because to many, it does look like an addiction, but a kind of a fun one anyway.  I don't smoke or do drugs - I blog instead ;~)

OK, all joking aside, what's my recipe for getting the job done each day.  I truly believe blogging is necessary to run a successful business.  It's the discipline to stick with it that makes it difficult for most people who only end up making excuses for not getting that part of the job completed.

I thought a peek behind the scenes here at DPT might be helpful for other would be bloggers out there.  Whether you are on using Blogger or WordPress as your blogging platform makes no difference to what I'm going to tell you today. 

It's the tools I use daily that work with with any blogging platform that make my blogging pretty fast and efficient.  Here is how I pull it off.

Hit the “Read More…” link below for the rest of the story.

Those main blogging tools for me are Blogger, Google Docs and Windows Live Writer.

I have Google Docs formatted for my daily posts by date, day, and title.  Look at this screen grab and you'll get an idea how I have the page formatted. Google Docs is ALWAYS open on my desktop all day long. That way, if I get an email, see something on-line that I think may be interesting for our DPT readers, I can quickly copy and paste the info, link, whatever right into my Google Docs.

As the week progresses, my Google Docs just sort of populates with possible ideas and stories.  With this kind of structure, I can actually be thinking about what my daily topics will be.  Topics I don't use can easily be moved to the following week and be in the running as a possible story.  It's sort of like the way a newspaper works.  The good stories make the post. The others get saved for a "rainy day."

Keeping everything in Google Docs also makes the topics easily accessible to me wherever we travel - just fire up the laptop, log in and I'm good to go right where I left off.  I archive each month's posts. Unfortunately, if my document becomes any longer than that, Google Docs starts "hiccupping" on me.  This allows me easy access to all past blogging posts.

Now I've got the posts ready to go, how do I get them up to Blogger?

DAZNOTE: I started using Blogger first because it was so easy to use.  I think Wordpress is lots more sophisticated and I may switch one day.  The fact of the matter is that since Blogger let's me add up to 10 TABS to the header of my blog these days (see above), I may be a while before switching. Those 10 TABS just give me that much more flexibility in DigitaProTalk's layout.

The next blogging tool I use is about the slickest thing out there for blogging.  It's called Windows Live Writer and it is truly a blogger's dream to use. Formatting text and adding images is OK in blogger, but Windows Live Writer puts the entire process on steroids!

I simply copy and paste from Google Docs into Live Writer.  It's easy to format the text of the post and Live Writer "holds" the formatting unlike the less reliable Blogger platform.  The next step is to add the images and art, position and format them where I want, and even adjust the image density a bit if I need to.  Nothing could be easier.

Once everything looks good, just hit the publish button.  You can easily schedule your posts too. I seldom do that since it's always a race for me to get the posts up each day;~)  If you "goof" up a post, just retrieve it, make the changes, and re-post - piece of cake.

Another thing I like about Live Writer is that it's quite portable.  I can always save the posts to "My Weblog Posts" in my "My Documents" folder and easily transfer them to a thumb drive for a later post if I'm traveling.

My last favorite resource/tool is Fotolia.  I was an iStockPhoto fan, but when the prices doubled earlier this year, I finally said no.  I love pics in my posts and would make the trip to iStockPhoto a few times a week.  It simply became cost prohibitive for me to continue that route. 

That's when I decided to try Fotolia - I have to say, I love them. They have a very large selection of really good images and art and the cost is just $1.20/image - now that's fits my budget. I never have any problem finding a piece to illustrate a post and I'm never surprised by the price.

Folks, that about it - Blogger, Google Docs, Windows Live Writer, and Fotolia (and a little blogging discipline) - my PhotoFAVS for today.  Hey, if you have some suggestions for me and any fellow bloggers, please pass the on in the comments section below.

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On that note gang, I'm out of here.  We are gearing up for a BIG 3-day Bar Mitzvah shoot this weekend and I’ve got lots to get ready for the big event.  I'll plan to see everyone tomorrow for another episode of Business Day Thursday.

See ya' then,  -David