Top 12 For 2012: My Top Viewed Technique Tuesday Posts, …Way Cool Stuff!

Good Morning Everybody,

Hey gang, I’m back at it this week coming to you with some exciting tutorials that you guys and girls ranked as your favorites during 2012.  Total DPT video loads for 2012 worldwide amounted to over 1,000,000 - WOW!!

I checked in with Vimeo, where all my videos are currently residing, and did a quick tally of the numbers associated with all the 2012 videos.  From those calculations, today’s post lists my TOP 12 videos for 2012.  I’ve also listed some notes with each video to give you a quick peek as to each one’s content.  There is some really good information in the listing, you might have missed, so I hope you enjoy giving a peek.  ENJOY!  -David

Here we go…

1. Give Me A Show Of Hands: [link]

Good portraiture is not all just smiles and pretty faces. It's about making the client look the best they can. And, that means right on down to the details. Those details include, in addition to so many other aspects, how the client's hands look in the image. It's our job to make them look flattering and pleasing in our images.

Most photographers pay NO attention to such things, but artists in the past had to be sensitive to the finer points of the portraits they painted as they were painting for the royal court. If those in the royal court looked bad, heads would roll.

Why not hit the LINK above and enjoy the presentation.

 

2. Exciting Event Lighting: [link]

I'm pretty excited about today's post because I want to review with you some new lighting techniques that we just instituted at a recent wedding. I've mentioned that several times that the new high ISO cameras offer us all kinds of easy, efficient lighting opportunities when photographing our events. That’s what I want to talk about today. And, I have to tell you, after this past Saturday's shoot, I am more stoked than ever to make these lighting changes to all my upcoming events.

The bottom line is this – this weekend everything went as smooth as silk and we captured some great images. Why not hit the LINK button above and I'll share with you the lighting techniques that I’ll be using from this point forward on all of our events.

3. Lightroom 4 Breaths New Life Into DOA Images! [link]

I've selected two horribly under exposed images and two horribly over exposed images, let's call them my Lazarus images. I'm going to see if I can save them in Lightroom 4.

Remember, I'm NOT trying to make a "silk purse" out of a "sow's ear" - OK, yes I am. All joking aside, I'm not trying to make a visual masterpiece out of these 4 images. I'm only trying to get them to a sell-able condition for, as example, the bride's wedding album.

Why not hit the LINK tab above and enjoy the show.

 

4. Lightroom 4 - Never Miss A Shot Again! [link]

Lightroom 4 is introducing some very cool new features. Much better integration with video is one of those features. The other is the new Book module which let's you design albums and picture books effortlessly.

But, it's understanding how these two features can work together that open up a whole slew of new possibilities for the wedding/portrait photographer. Hit the LINK button above on this video to see what I mean.

5. Fast, Easy Event Lighting - Part 2: [link]

Two weeks ago I posted a lighting centric Technique Tuesday. It was a big favorite among our DigitalProTalk readers. Because of a new high ISO cameras I was able to change up my lighting techniques at a recent wedding reception. The new lighting technique gives me a tremendous amount of versatility and ease in capturing the reception candids.

I received a few comments and emails from several of our DigitalProTalk readers asking me how I would change up the lighting set up in a smaller space. Well folks, that's exactly what happened this past weekend. I was working in a much smaller space and didn't have the benefit of second-story balconies in which to place my lights.

The cool thing this weekend was that my technique was exactly the same as two weeks ago. I chose to use one eight-foot light stand and one taller, 12 foot light stand. I attached my Quantum T5d flash heads to the light stands with each powered by the Quantum Turbo 3 power packs.

Because of the high ISO capabilities of my Canon 5D Mark III, I was able to use ISO 1600 for all of these candids. This allowed me to set the power on my Quantum strobes to only 1/16th power. At 1/16 power I was getting nearly instant recycle time from my strobes for the fast paced wedding reception.

Why not follow along with me on my video tutorial, LINK above. I walk you through exactly how I set everything up, how I covered the various locations on the dance floor, and got a great coverage at this past weekend's event.

 

6. Stylized Image Enhancement: [link]

I've been saying for months that we photographers have two tremendous resources at our disposal when it comes to creating great images. First off, we have the best digital cameras ever that let us capture the image like never before.

But more than that, we have the best software available, too. Today's iterations of Photoshop CS6 and Lightroom 4 are the best ever and are necessary upgrades to make. Today it's not just about the hardware we use on the job, it's the software too that helps us finish that job the best we are able. The combination of both gives us an unbelievable amount of versatility in creating our finished images.

Even though I captured a great image in the camera, as you'll see in this tutorial, the brand new Lightroom 4 allowed me to push the image to an even more wonderful stylized result that the hardware could not so easily do by itself. But more that that, Lightroom 4 saves me a few more steps over to Photoshop making our post-production duties even that much easier and quicker.

Why not hit the LINK button above to see what I'm talking about.

 

7. Great B&W Conversion Techniques For Wedding Portraits: [link]

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. Let me walk you through two images that will show you how a beautiful B&W portrait can be produced in Lightroom 4. Simply hit the LINK button above.

 

8. Central Park Revisited – Three Lighting Tips To Make Your Lighting Exciting! [link]

Hey gang, I think I've got a very cool Technique Tuesday for you today. I reviewed all the images I did at my B&H Shootout last week and selected about 15 images I want to share with you today. The gist of today's program is to focus on three specific lighting techniques I demonstrated during my shoot out.

The point of all this is that too many photographers around the country, no, around the world are satisfied with ordinary lighting on their subjects. Folks, it comes down to this - put ordinary lighting on your subjects and you get ordinary results.

Let's change it up a bit – let’s put exciting lighting on our subjects and get some exciting results. That's the point of today's lesson - how to make your lighting exciting, easily and effortlessly, without breaking-the-bank with a ton of expensive gear. Why not hit the LINK button above and see what I'm talking about.

 

9. No Flash Pizzazz: [link]

In today’s lesson I’ll walk you through about two dozen images discussing why I think these images stand on their own without any use of extraneous additive lighting.

In this tutorial you’ll get a peek as to how I compose my images, what I’m seeing in the camera before pressing the shutter button, and how I utilize all the elements of the scene to capture exciting images without secondary light sources.

Hit the LINK button and enjoy the show.

 

10. Magical Sunsets - Using Photoshop's Content Aware Fill Tool To Add Impact To Your Sunset Photos: [link]

Check out this video and see how easy it can be to add a more dramatic look to your sunset wedding photographs. It's super easy and you get a great result.

 

11. The Only Wide Angle Lens You'll Ever Need! [link]

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.

I’ve spent a lot of today developing and organizing the data and the images for this post. Why not hit the LINK button above and enjoy one of my favorite Technique Tuesdays ever.

 

12. High Flying Party Photography: [link]

I'm always looking to create images that neither clients nor, photographers for that matter, see very often. I want my images to grab the viewer's attention immediately.

One way to grab the viewer's attention is with a dramatic change of "camera position". A shot taken from overhead fills the bill. We've all seen those overhead shots from the Goodyear blimp taken during a football game. But, to see them taken at a wedding or Bar Mitzvah is quite the treat.

So how can we capture those kinds of images at a party. Let me show you my very easy "Pole-Cam" technique that produces images that are both fun to take and excitingly different to view.

As a bonus with today's lesson, I'm throwing in a bit of multi-lighting reception coverage too. Enjoy! I think you'll get a kick out of this week's "High Flying Party photography" tutorial. Hit the LINK button above and enjoy the show.

_______________________________________________________________________________

Hey gang, that’s it for today.  I hope you enjoy the walk back in time and get a kick out of re-visiting some of my Technique Tuesday audience favorites.

See ya’ soon,  David

Monday's Photoshop Freebies

Monday's Photoshop Freebies

Every weekend I enjoy scouring the internet for the latest collection of brush sets, textures, patterns, tutorials, and what ever other Photoshop tidbits I might find interesting for myself and my DPT readers.  I've found a pretty good collection for you today.  Here we go.

Free – Modern and Professional Brochure Design Templates: Thinking of putting together that new brochure to promote your photography business?  These pretty cool brochure templates may just do the trick for you. [link]

30 Awesome Cool Photoshop Text Effects Tutorials:  I'm a huge fan of fonts and text effects - always have been.  Even back in the early DOS/Windows3 days, I was a collector of fonts - I have thousands.  Today it's about adding the various effects to text.  This link features some of the most unusual text effects I've seen.  Enjoy TEXT fans! [link]

60+ Must Have Best Paisley Patterns for Photoshop:  I've said it a million times - I'm a child of the sixties and have to tell you that I really got fired up when I found the link to these best paisley patterns.  So, for all you ex-hippies and even current hippies, this link is for you ;~)  [link]

A Collection Of Free Photoshop Hair Brushes:  OK, this one is the most interesting, and I think the most useful link I've found today - hair brushes.  Wait, no, not hair brushes you find in a beauty salon.  Hair brushes for Photoshop.  That's right, now you can bring your beauty salon to Photoshop.  Hey gang, don't take this lightly - this is good stuff.  How many times have you had to clone hair in one of your portrait/wedding images and the clone tool simply was not the best solution for the job?  Well, now you have a brand new solution - just comb the problem away with these Photoshop hair brushes - I love them! [link]

That’s it for this week’s Freebies –more next week.  -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.

________________________________________________________________

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

Technique Tuesday: Top 10 Hits of 2011

Good Morning Everybody,

I’m a little light on my report from Imaging USA today.  I was in meetings most of the day and attended the tradeshow late in the day.  I plan to be there all day today so I hope to have more to report tomorrow.

At the beginning of a new year many sites will report top 10 lists on about everything.  Hey, DigitalProTalk is no different ;~)  This is the week for my listings of DPT’s top 10 lists.

For today’s post I spent quite a bit of time reviewing ALL the Technique Tuesday posts from last year, checking the stats, and arranging the posts in order from most viewed tutorials. 

The topics range from off-camera lighting with small speedlights, lighting in lousy locations, my favorite wedding images, Lightroom tips and tricks, and more.  All told, these videos give you about 4 hours of great information. I sure hope you enjoy revisiting each of the links listed today.

TOP 10 Technique Tuesdays For 2011

1 . Trigger Happy Budget Flashes -

2. Impossible Location - Amazing Portraits

3. Supercharge Your Portable Speedlight's

4. You Won't Believe Your Eyes

5. 5 Steps To Better Wedding Portraits

6. Oh, The Lightroom Auto Mask Feature – I Love You, I Hate You!

7.  Light Painting With Lightroom 3

8. 5 Of My Favorite All Time Wedding Images

9. I Just Feel So Vibrant Today!

10. Super Bowls & Weddings

_______________________________________________________

Hey gang, that’s it for me today.  The programing starts early this morning and I need to hit the road to get to the show. I still have nearly half the show to cover and hope to share with you the more interesting happenings from the show tomorrow.

How about I plan to see you same time, same place tomorrow.  Have a great one and I’ll see you then.

Keep your pixels smiling -David

Today It’s All About Lightroom 4!

Good Afternoon Everybody,

Lightroom 4 is introducing some very cool new features. Much better integration with video is one of those features. The other is the new Book module which let's you design albums and picture books effortlessly.

But, it's understanding how these two features can work together that open up a whole slew of new possibilities for the wedding/portrait photographer. Hit the PLAY button on this video to see what I mean.

Enjoy! -David

 

Also let me also point you towards some great links to get you up to speed with Lightroom 4’s new features – all very cool!

1. Here’s the “skinny” from Adobe on all the new features, improvements and system requirements for Lightroom 4 – a good outline of what to expect. [link]

2. Julieanne Kost has several short videos highlighting the latest greatest features of LR4 – always an entertaining and informative presentation. [link]

3. Our good buddies Scott Kelby and Matt Kloskowski have 11 videos also pointing out the new and best features of LR4 Beta. [link]

4.  Here’s Scott’s and Matt’s quick cheat-sheet that you can save or download for LR4 too. [link]

5. Photoshop Café also has four nice tutorials on the subject – these were actually the first ones I watched – enjoy. [link]

6. My good buddy, Kerry Garrison also a nice peak at the LR4 Beta. [link]

_______________________________________________________

Hey gang, that’s it for me today. 

Enjoy the video treats and the Lightroom 4 Beta download - life is good!

Se you soon, David

Technique Tuesday: Photoshop Fashion With Suzette Allen

Good Morning Everybody,

We had a great time at my Dave Cross Workshop yesterday.  It was a small group which made it nice for all involved to really interact  making it a nice educational experience for all of us, me included.

I think the location shoot at Philippe Park was my favorite.  I have shot a few Kelby Training videos in Philippe Park over the last few years including my soon to be released “couples” video. 

It is a beautiful, large sprawling park with Spanish Moss hanging from most of the trees, a beautiful water-walk right on the bay, along with several other wonderful locations that made it a real kick to work in yesterday.  I’ll share a few of the images with you over the next few days.

We wrapped the evening with a great dinner at our favorite restaurant, City Fish Seafood Grill, with our good friend R.C. Conception of Layers TV fame.  We were also joined by Kathy, one of our class members who also arranged the very beautiful Liz to be our model.  It was a great way to wrap the day.

Kicking Off Our Captured By The Light California 2011 Tour Tomorrow!

That’s right, early this afternoon, we board a jet to San Diego where tomorrow evening I’ll present my first program in our three city CBTL 2011 seminar series.  You can get all the info and register right here. 

What A Deal!

The very cool thing about this year’s series is that for only $59 you get the entire 4 1/2 hour program, $600 worth of real goodies, a DVD set with the entire presentation on it along with an additional 5 hours of info, the tour handbook, and a chance to win over $2,500, yes, $2,500 of door prizes just for showing up!!!

Can’t Make It – No Problem!

Can’t make it to one of the three locations, NO problem! You can still receive the 4 1/2 hour presentation DVD set, bonus 5 hour DVD of additional information and the valued $600 goodies. Simply go to THIS LINK RIGHT HERE and place your order for the Summer Success collection. It’s still only $59.00 (plus shipping).

Tons Of Info & Door Prizes!

This is a great program jammed packed with info on lighting and composition, I love to present it.  As usual, we have tons of door prizes to give away at each of the three cities – $2,500 per city!!!!

All the info is right here.  Hope to see you there!

Technique Tuesday: Photoshop Fashion With Suzette Allen

A few weeks ago DigitalProTalk and PhotoPro Network hosted a fabulous webcast with my good friend and Photoshop Fasionista, Suzette Allen.  Here are a few of the comments that come across during Suzette’s program:

“Fun,Fun,Fun!” Victoria H.

“Applause, Applause!!!” Dave D.

“This is an amazing presentation!” Lee E.

And from many others: “Great job!, Outstanding!, Fantastic!”

Anyway, you get the idea.  Everyone really loved the program.  I knew a lot of folks would not be able to make it at the scheduled time so I recorded it for re-broadcast today.

In this program, Suzette will walk you through some very clever, easy to understand, tips and techniques to really take your images to the next level with ease and aplomb.  I sat there mesmerized as I watched Suzette work.  I think you are really going to enjoy the webcast.  Why not hit the PLAY button below and enjoy the show!

______________________________________________________

Hey gang, that’s it for me today.  We’ve got bags to pack, people to see and planes to catch.  How about I see everyone tomorrow in sunny California and hopefully at my program tomorrow evening.

Have a great rest of the day and I’ll see you then,  David

FREE Webcasts, CBTL Kicks Off, Seats Open For Fall Master Class & More

Good Afternoon Everybody,

Wow!  It seems it’s been quite a whirlwind around my Studio this week.  We got our mini California tour launched late yesterday and seats are beginning to fill. We’re wrapping details on my Fall Master Class and working hard on PhotoPro Expo 2012.  Let me give you the quick updates on everything going on.

FREE Webcast: Photoshop Fashion For The Wedding/Portrait Photographer

First, don’t forget our FREE webcast with Adobe Certified Expert, Suzette Allen next Thursday at 4:00 p.m. EST.  We have nearly 250 signed up already so you will have no problem reserving your space. And, yes, we will be giving away lots of Door Prizes too.

REGISTER RIGHT HERE! 

Here is the lowdown of the webcast:

October 6, 2011 4:00 p.m. EST. That’s 1:00 p.m. PST

Suzette is a very talented photographer, studio owner, and she is accredited as an Adobe Certified Expert!  She recently showed me a Photoshop trick or two that easily simplified what I had been doing the hard way for many years. I was blown away!  

Suzette will show you not only what she showed me but lots of her latest Photoshop tips and tricks for the Wedding/Portrait photographer.

I promise you, this is going to be one terrific program!  -David

My Mini Tour Captured By The Light California 2011 Kicked Off This Week

I’m really stoked about this. Mark your calendars now.Three cities only – San Diego 10/19, LA (Orange County) 10/21, and Napa/Sonoma 10/26.  I’m bring my highly acclaimed Captured By The Light tour to California.  I’m already receiving emails – yes, I would like to get to more cities too but that’s all we can schedule for this year.

I promise you, you will love this program.  Plus you’re going to get the entire recorded seminar to take home with you too!  And that folks, is a first for any seminar!

More program details, door prizes and give-a-way goodies, and registration info right here. Remember to use promo code CBLDPT11 to save the $20!

PhotoPro Expo 2012 – Save $100 & Receive $139 In Great Offeres!

OK, I have to tell you about another great special they’re running at PhotoPro Network.  You can save $100 off the registration price of $279 by using promo code SAVE100.  Here is the link for all the info.

We already have 200 attendees registered for the best photo event in the Midwest for 2012.  We have photographers coming from states around the country - Washington to Florida and have even had inquiries from as far away as Sri Lanka!  Hey, with the talent line up we have scheduled, why wouldn’t they come from around the world ;~)

Wait, there’s more.  Register at this special price and also receive a $50 Gift Card from Marathon Press, a $50 Gift Card from Nation's Color Lab, and 1 month FREE Animoto Pro ($39 value)!  Wow! that’s like getting PhotoPro Expo 2012 for FREE!

Scott Kelby Photo Walk This Weekend – One Space Left!

I can’t believe Scott Kelby’s Photo Walk is this weekend.  The weather is looking great in the Cincinnati, Ohio area and we are looking to have a great time. A few folks had to drop out at the last minute so we still have one space left if you’d like to nab it and join us.  Here is the link to reserve you space right here.

My Fall Master Class – A Few Seats Have Opened Up

Hey gang, we’re also getting a lot closer to my Fall Master Class [link] scheduled for October 10 – 14th. It’s only a little over a week away.  We always have a few people that need to change plans at the last minute which opens up a seat or two for someone else. 

Earlier this week we had two photographers who had to reschedule to my Spring 2012 Class so we have 3 seats still open for our Fall class.  You still have time to reserve your space.  Just give Jennifer a call at 800.202.2994 if you would like to nab one of the few remaining spaces.  It’s a great week and  everyone really enjoys the experience.

_________________________________________________________

Hey gang, that’s it for me today. We’ve  got a very busy weekend with Photo Walks, Charity events, family portraits, and more web design.  But who cares, the weather is predicted to be beautiful – blue skies, white puffy clouds, and soft breezes.

I hope things are that good in your part of the world and I wish you a fabulous weekend!  .

I’ll see you on Monday all the pixels willing, David

Technique Tuesday: Dramatic Before and After Wedding Images

Good Afternoon Everybody,

Yes, afternoon – I told you I was going to get back on schedule – I’m practically there ;~)  All joking aside, we are back at it with TONS to do after being on the road so often.  My first session was at 8:00 a.m. this morning photographing the national president of the American Bar Association.  It was quite an honor. 

We did the photography on location and after we finished, we headed back to the studio, uploaded the images into Lightroom, and he and his wife selected their favorites.  All went very well, but there was a lesson to be learned.  What was that lesson – always pay attention to detail!

Upon image review Bill selected his favorite image, but then pointed out that his right cuff wasn’t showing from the sleeve of his jacket. “Darn,” I’m thinking, “I should have caught that!”  The fact of the matter was that I was paying too  much attention to lighting and background and missed a very small point that I always pick up in the studio.

You know, the fact of the matter is that Bill’s profession is based on that kind of attention to detail.  As a photographer, I should have been paying closer attention myself.  Sure, I can easily remedy the situation in Photoshop, but that’s not the point.  I should have caught it in the camera.

So, ask yourself the question, “How much attention do you spend on watching for the details?”  I think the answer helps define what level as a professional you stand.  Attention to detail something we must constantly be aware of and strive for. Food for thought.

Technique Tuesday: Dramatic Before and After Wedding Images

You know, sometimes it’s just fun to play.  That’s what I’ve done in the week’s episode of Technique Tuesday.  I think the most important question you can ask yourself is, “What happens if…” The answer to that question can sometimes lead to some very creative results.

In this video, I asked myself the question “What happens if… I gel my flash with a tungsten flavored filter, set the camera to tungsten, and photograph my subject outdoors?  Well, you should be able to easily guess the answer – the tungsten illuminated area, in most cases the subject, should be the proper color balance, but the area of the scene NOT illuminated by the flash should be all blue tonalities. Hummm… maybe kind of a cool image.

I did run this video a few years ago but have updated it with a few more of my thoughts on the subject.

Also, in this video I’m testing my new Flip video camera recently discontinued.  I wanted to check the video and sound quality.  In the future I plan to have the Flip camera record the scene as I’m shooting the image. 

I know what you’re thinking, “Why doesn’t he just use the Canon 7D for the video?” Here’s my quick answer.  If I use the Canon 7D, I must pull the camera away from my face to see what I’m filming.  That’s very inconvenient for me since I wear glasses. 

Anyway, I’m looking forward to giving the idea a try. 

How about we get right on with this week’s Technique Tuesday.  Hit the PLAY button below and enjoy the show.

________________________________________________________

Hey gang, that’s it for me today.  Tomorrows post should go up even earlier than today’s – I’m so excited to be getting back on schedule.  See everybody tomorrow, same time, same station.

Adios, David

Quick Hit Monday: Tantalizing Photography; Photoshop Galore; and iPad Nirvana

Good Morning Everybody,

After the Blogger outage last Thursday and Friday which sure made getting the post up last week a bit more difficult – LaDawn and I settled into a fairly easy weekend.

Probably the highlight of the weekend, besides meeting Vivian the new baby daughter of my Ace #1 Assistant Nicolas Viltrakis and wife Terri, was seeing Cirque du Soleil’s show OVO on Sunday evening.  LaDawn and I are both huge Cirque fans having seen just about every show playing in Las Vegas.  It’s nice to have one come to town right in your own back yard.  “O” playing at the Bellagio is still our all time favorite but OVO was very entertaining with fun exciting costumes.

I’m spending this week catching up on a few projects and loose ends and finalizing plans for my Kelby Training DVD shoots next week.  My next training videos will focus (no pun intended) on Engagement Portraits and Composition. I’ve completed both the outlines for the shooting schedule. I’m just wondering how we’re going to get everything edited down to just two 2 hour training sessions ;~)

Hey  gang, I’ve got some pretty tantalizing reads for you on today’s Quick Hit Monday so why don’t we jump right in.  Here we go…

In The Photography Department

1. I know I’ve mentioned this before, but while in Banff last month we attended a wonderful program by two fresh new wedding photographers – David and Quin Cheung.  They were entertaining, funny, and very informative.  Just for the fun of it, head over to their site and check out their exciting wedding photography – you’ll love it!  Here is the link right here.

2. Last week while visiting After Dark in Cincinnati, I ran into Neil Van Neikerk, author of the best selling “On Camera Flash”.  We had previously met at WPPI so it was a nice surprise to get a chance to visit again.  During our quick visit he showed me his latest camera he was shooting with – a Fuji X100.  I’ll tell ya’, it was one interesting camera – a rangefinder camera that look’s like an old Leica rangefinder camera of years ago.

Apparently it was quite a hit at Photokina last year and is in very short supply right now – even B&H has been out of stock.  Anyway, Neil allowed me take a few shots and I was really impressed.  I even took a few at 3200.  The images looked great.  Is this my next wedding camera?  We’ll have to see on that one, but the camera sure looks like it could be a possible addition.  Want to read more on it – here is a link to a recent review right here.

3. Creative Wedding Photography Option for Those on a Budget [link].  This is a very interesting article reflecting the trends in today’s wedding client but I really liked the images accompanying the article.  Give it a peek right here.

4. My buddy and long time friend, Terry Deglau, recently started a blog entitled “A Creative Mind Is A Moving Target” and is brain dumping his vast amounts of knowledge into weekly posts.  One of my recent favorites is “Sometimes Slow is Better” where he has a very thorough discussion on slow shutter exposure photography. You’ll get a kick out of reading Terry’s posts – check it out right here.

5. National Geographic just released a new iPad app that  is receiving “rave” reviews.  It’s called “50 Places Of A Lifetime”.  You can check out some of the amazing images and download the app right here.  Even with all the traveling we do, most of these locations have been off our radar.  Yes, I’m planning to down load the app;~)

6. And a few more inspiring images from nature can be found right here in this post entitled “41 Most Refreshing Pictures: Sweetness Of Nature”.  Hey, we all need a little Monday morning inspiration don’t we – check it out.

7. Danger!  Danger!  Will Robinson! I almost linked you to the article below but upon verifying the link, my Norton Antivirus software immediately notified me of a virus attack. DON’T check out this article “35 Useful Digital Photography Tips And Tutorials” at Tripwire Magazine – sorry, no link provided.

I really work on keeping the links I post here at DPT safe for all our readers and haven’t seen anything like this for quite a while.  This kind of stuff really irks me though – a promise of good content only to have the well meaning visitor be hit with a virus. Please be forewarned of other sites like TripWire out there playing the same game.

But now on to more fun stuff.

Photoshop, Photoshop, and More Photoshop – 7 Hot and Helpful Links For You

This part of Quick Hit Monday is turning into a weekly feature, most because of all the cool content available.  Each week I’ll try to nab the best links for the Portrait/Wedding Photographer.  I’ll also toss in something that goes beyond portraits and wedding just because the links contain such interesting content.  I hope you enjoy them. 

1. 15 Photoshop Cheat Sheets That Will Make Your Task Easier [link]

2. How To Repair Scratched and Damaged Photographs or Scans [link]

3. How to Soften Skin in Photoshop For Portraits [link]

4. Best Photoshop Tutorials [link]

5. 40 Tutorials Poster Design to Improve Your Skill and Creativity [link]

6. 25+ Nature Inspired Unique & Exceptional Photoshop Tutorials [link]

7. Out Of Bounds Attention Grabbing Photo Manipulations [link]

Don’t Stop, There’s More! On The iPad That Is

I almost ran these series of links last week but just ran out of space.  Heck, I’m out of space this week too but I’m running them anyway for all my iPad geek buds out there.  Enjoy the reads.

1. How Much Would the iPad 2 Cost If It Were Made in the U.S.? About $1,140 [link] 

2. The Coolest Thing Anyone’s Done With iPhone Camera+ [link] 

The quality is getting better all the time.  I hear rumors of an 8 MP in the iPhone 5

3.  What Happens When Sixth Sense meets an iPad? [link] 

Way cool video – DAZ

4. Next iPad to Offer 3D Display? [link] 

5. iPad 2 Vs. Asus EEE Pad Transformer (video) [link] 

6. Pro HDR for iPhone and iPod Touch [link] 

7. The Always Up-to-Date Guide to Jailbreaking Your iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad [iOS 4.3.3] [link] 

____________________________________________________

Hey gang, that’s it for me today.  I’ve got to get back to my real job. How about I see you tomorrow for another episode of Technique Tuesday: You Won’t Believe Your Eyes!  It will be a good one – I promise.

See ya’ then.  -David

Technique Tuesday: Magical Black & White Conversions – Saving the Under/Over Exposed Image

Good Morning Everybody,

In reading over all the comments that have been posted the last few days, I want to begin today’s post by offering a great big “THANK YOU” to all of you who attended my Texas School class held in Dallas last week.  Thank you for all your kind comments and remarks you’ve been posting here at DPT.

It was a great time with a great group of people, and that includes class members, wranglers, and staff.  I hope our paths cross again in the not too distant future.

After Dark Update:

Yesterday I headed down to the big After Dark event being held at the Netherland Hilton Hotel, in downtown Cincinnati. There were about 300 folks from all over the US enjoying the myriad of educational festivities.

I got a chance to meet Joel Grimes, an amazing photographer and Photoshop artist. If you haven’t seen any of Joel’s work, be prepared to be “blown away” with his outstanding images right here.  He’s been featured over at the Strobist site and is presenting at Photoshop World in September.  We got a chance to visit briefly – he was showing a small group his latest, greatest “pole cam.” Again, be sure to check out his work right here.

I wondered around for a few hours yesterday and also got a chance to meet Dave Junion, the genius behind After Dark.  Dave is an extremely talented photographer hailing from Wisconsin.  I’ll tell ya’, we had a good time just joking around for a bit.  In fact I MAY even be doing a “bridal shoot” Wednesday evening with a boa constrictor – that’s if I can wrestle it away from New York fashion photographer, Lindsay Adler, who’s planning a fashion shoot with the same snake.  Like I said, it’s a little “crazy” at the Netherland Hilton Hotel this week.

Magical Black & White Conversions Part 2: Saving the Under/Over Exposed Image

Hey gang, I’m pretty excited about this week’s Technique Tuesday. Last week I began to get carried away with the length of the tutorial and decided to break it into two parts.  I covered the steps I take to get the B&W images I like for my wedding photography. One of the things I covered was how to stylize your images for maximum viewing impact. You can catch that post right here.

This week we’re gong to spend some time on saving the image. Yep, every now and then we all take an image or two that just misses it in the exposure department – me included.

The thing is that some of these images would still be great additions to the wedding coverage if we could somehow correct the errors of our ways.  That’s the topic for this week’s tutorial – basically, how to save an under exposed or over exposed image and still get a saleable result.  Why not hit the PLAY button and see how I do it.  And, enjoy the show.

_____________________________________________________

Hey gang, that’s it for me today.  I’m heading back down to After Dark this afternoon to see what’s happening and check out a few more of the programs.

Have a great rest of the day and I’ll see you tomorrow for another episode of “The One That Got Away”.

See ya’ then,  David

p.s. Sorry about the late posting today.  Not only did we have connectivity problems at our end today, Vimeo managed a few hiccups in the process too. Don’t you love technology ;~)

Technique Tuesday: Magical B&W Image Enhancements

Good Morning Everybody,

We finished our first day at Texas School yesterday and a long day it was.  We began class about 8:30 p.m. and most of us instructors wrapped the teaching day 12 hours later at 8:30 p.m. No, it wasn’t time to turn in just yet – the Mardi Gras parade started at 9:00 p.m. followed by a party till about 1:00 a.m.  I’m kind of curious to see who’s going to be at class on time this morning;~)

I have to tell you – it was a hoot.  All the classes was responsible to build from a small wagon a version of a Mardi Gras floats for the parade thru the hotel lobby.  I thought our class came up with some pretty good ideas.  We draped a wedding gown and tux over a light stand. Then we lit our float from above and below with three gelled Quantum strobes which we fired rapidly with remotes.  The finishing touch was the New Orleans jazz boom box we had playing loudly under the weeding gown as we paraded through the hotel. Mardi Gras beads and feathers completed the look. Hey, I think we had the best of the floats is the parade ;~) Unfortunately this is an instance where a photograph just doesn’t tell the entire story as our float looked much better in real life – too bad I don’t have a video to show you.

Just to add to the fun, many of the instructors and students dressed the Mardi Gras theme for the party too.  That’s me with my buddies King Ralph Romaguera and Hanson Fong. Just all in good fun.

Today it’s back to class with a full day of on location shooting. So let’s get on with today’s Technique Tuesday before I run out of time.

Magical B&W Image Enhancements

There are many ways to convert an image to B&W and there are any number of tutorials on the subject.  Regardless of all the different ways one could use to obtain a good B&W image, my method is super simple and always gave me the exact result I wanted.

With the introduction of Lightroom a few years ago, B&W conversions could be handled even more easily and manipulated to your heart’s content by sliding a few color channel sliders around in the B&W panel in Lightroom.  I even did a cool tutorial on the subject right here in my post “Ansel Adams In A Box” several months ago.  After jumping to this previous link, scroll down a bit to watch the video tutorial.

When it comes to “people photography”  and that includes wedding photography, I rarely use those color sliders in the B&W panel of LR3. Instead, I prefer a different set of slider controls.  I keep it really simple and love the results I achieve.  Sometimes I like a soft ethereal result and other times I like a straight B&W image.  In this tutorial I’ll walk you through my simple steps and show you how to get some great results with your wedding images.

B&W images should be part of every wedding.  A B&W image lets you focus directly on the action and the subjects without being distracted by a multitude of colors in the scene.  With B&W images we get to enjoy the simplicity of the image itself. 

Not all images are enhanced as B&W images.  I like to say, “That when you convert an image to a B&W image, it either “sings” or it doesn’t “sing” at all – there seems to be no in-between.”  Why not hit the PLAY button below and see what I’m talking about. Enjoy!

______________________________________________________

Hey gang, that’s it for me today.  It’s a super busy day with my class on location all day.  I hope to have a few cool images for you from today’s shoot so be sure to check back tomorrow and let’s see what I come up with.

Yes, there is another BIG school wide party again this evening.  It’s a concert in a park with a live band rocking and rolling to after midnight. It should be another great night of fun with over 1000 students and instructors in attendance.  Whew, three more days of this – I hope I survive!! ;~)

See ya’ tomorrow,  -David

Technique Tuesday: Oh, The Lightroom Auto Mask Feature – I Love You, I Hate You!

Good Afternoon Everybody,

Well, it looks like the “crashed car” drama is finally coming to a close.  Yesterday, I made the final decision on my replacement vehicle. I decided against the very fast and more nimble Mercedes CLS 500 – it probably would have gotten me a ticket or two in the long run and decided on a low mileage late model S 550.

It was pricier than I wanted to pay even after the showroom haggle, but wow, it has all the “bells and whistles” and what a gorgeous ride! It should be one sweet trip to Photoshop World next week ;~)

Oh, The Lightroom Auto Mask Feature – I Love You, I Hate You!

But you didn’t tune in to hear about my car, you’re looking for a  brand new Technique Tuesday.  Well folks, here it is. I hope you enjoy it. 

Oh, by the way, I used my new nifty little battery operated Fotodiox battery powered LED light I blogged about right here. The video light was used for the intro and exit video segments.  I thought it worked out really well.

Lightroom’s Auto Mask feature has always been a bit problematic for me.  Maybe it’s because I’m a heavy handed retoucher and I want Flow and Density cranked up to 100% when using Auto Mask.  But by doing that, you will definitely see some artifacts at the edges.

By using the Auto Mask a little more judiciously or less aggressively, you really can obtain a good result. In this Lightroom Tutorial I’ll walk you through two images and show you the “ins and outs” of the Auto Mask feature in Lightroom. Using it correctly can and certainly will enhance your post-production efficiency.

Anyway, hit the PLAY button below and enjoy the show.

________________________________________________________

Hey gang, that’s it for me today.  I’ve got to clean out the bank account and go pick up a car ;~)  Have a great rest of the day and I just might see you tomorrow for a Photoshop Marathon Love Fest.

See ya’ then,  David

Quick Hit Monday: Deals, Deals, and More Deals, and Lots Of Freebies

Good Morning, uh… Afternoon, Everybody,

My day started at 5:00 a.m. this morning working on a client order.  Then the “bear” reared it’s ugly head and thought he had me today. It’s been quite a day, you know, a day that starts to go “south” just when you are trying to leave for a two week vacation – whew!  I think I got the best of it now though – at least I hope so.  Anyway, on to a brighter things…

I hope everybody had a great weekend. With the Thanksgiving holiday right around the corner for us, LaDawn was anxious to get started on the holiday decorating. The weather was perfect and we even got a start on the outside of the house. You can begin to feel the seasonal excitement in the air.

We also had a great KPPA Print Review webcast yesterday. So many great images and so little time. We had about 150 images submitted and I think each maker got a fair shake from our judges. Winners will be posted soon so stay tuned. Also, I recorded the Print Review so I’ll let you know when its ready to view too.

We've got a pretty busy week wrapping up a few more client orders for the holidays and then we are heading to Cabo, Mexico after Thanksgiving. Actually I’m DRIVING to Cabo, Mexico with my buddy, Kent Smith, leaving on Friday. Hey, it's only a 3,200 mile drive!!! It's a long story - I'll plan to fill you in as things progress ;~)

Hey guys and girls, we've got lots of things to announce today so let's get right to it. Here we go...

Printer Deal Of The Century!

Folks, if any of you are looking to purchase a new inkjet printer, call my friend Kelly right now at   800-453-9538. This is the time to do it. I couldn't believe this when I got the email from Lexjet last week [link]. First of all, Lexjet worked a deal with Canon to offer the Canon iPF 8300 with a complete set of the 330mm for only $2,299 till the end of the year - a steal of a deal!

But last week the deal was sweetened beyond compare. LexJet just added an iPad to the deal. That's right - the printer, inks, and now an Apple iPad for only $2,299!!! This deal expires on November 26, 2010. Give my friend Kelly a call if you're interested.

More Photos, Always The Best Just Got Better

You know, when your clients view their images on line, they want a great viewing experience. Too much "finger gymnastics" means a very frustrating time for your clients and only fills them with negative feelings as they look at your fabulous images you worked so hard to produce for them. You want them to feel good about the experience.

More Photos new web experience is exactly that - a great viewing experience. Now it's easy to log in to the client order and see the images. What makes the More Photos site so cool is the fact that it let's the client view the images as a slide show AND mark their favorites without stopping the show.

Like I said, too many "finger gymnastics" to view 100's or 1000's of images on line is a royal pain. With More Photos new site, we just direct the client to start the slide show, grab an "adult beverage", and enjoy the show in the comfort of their home - so nice.

More Photos were CBTL sponsors and had a fabulous intro offer for anyone wanting to give them a try. I called them earlier today to see if they would extend it to our DPT readers and they gladly obliged.

They are extending our CBTL special for Black Friday and Cyber Monday.  The setup fee for only $50, normally $200 (75% off).  Just call (231) 932-0855 ext 4 and mention the CBTL special. They are happy to lock it in and you can set it up after the holidays – but you’ve got to call by Monday. 

Even More Good Deals and Some Freebies Over at Graphic Authority

I just received this email from Graphic Authority mentioning their Thanksgiving Day Specials. Not only are the prices hard to beat, but they are also throwing in FREE brushes every Friday. Here is the exact wording and links from their newsletter. Check it out. FREE is always a good deal!

The celebration starts now for Thanksgiving!

The celebration starts now! Click the link or paste and copy it into your browser and get a set of 15 free brushes by Cheryl Walsh http://graphicauthority.s3.amazonaws.com/downloads/Rockstar-Free-Brushes/Rockstar-Free-Brushes.zip 

The celebration will continue with freebies posted on our Facebook page every day Monday through Friday at noon CST. You will have 24 hours to take advantage of downloading the freebies. The freebie links will only be posted on our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/GraphicAuthority, and will not be emailed.

We will then top it off by a super Black Friday sale. More details on the sale will come in my weekly email next Wednesday.

Have fun!!!

How about a Treasure Trove Of Tutorials and More Freebies

It seemed like the week for "Good Deal" newsletters. Hey, maybe it's that Black Friday thing going around. Anyway, I get this newsletter from Photoshop Roadmap. I don't remember getting it before or maybe I missed it. I didn't miss it this time and I'm glad I didn't.

The newsletter was jammed packed full of goodies on all things Photoshop! Here is the link to tons, of tutorials, freebie brushes and so much more. You won't believe your eyes - check it out right here.

________________________________________________________

Hey gang, that’s it for me today. I’ve just flat ran out of time today and I’m taking the team out for a little pre-holiday celebration.  I’m still looking to have a Technique Tuesday land here sometime tomorrow.  So check back and I’ll see you tomorrow.

-David