Amazing Directing Motion Tour With Vincent LaForet

Just check out the trailer available at the Directing Motion tour website [link] and you will be blown away!!! It's the absolute best I've ever seen!!!

Vincent's tour is indeed the "hottest" tour of the summer.  Read what F-STOPPERS has to say about it right here. Their take away - "I'd consider it invaluable. It is basically a one day, action packed trip down the rabbit hole of camera motion and directing technique."

Vincent still has a many cities to visit on this year's tour [link] and all my newsletter readers get the best price available, as usual.  Just use PROMO CODE DMTDZ to save $15 off regular price when registering.

Quick Hit Monday – New Canon Flash News; Another New Camera??; Inspirational Photography; and More!

Good Morning Everybody,

Hey gang, I'm stoked this morning - we are kicking off my 5-day Digital Master Class/Workshop.  The batteries are charged - mine included,  workbooks are printed, models are ready to go, we've selected all the locations , and my coaches are waiting in the wings ready to assist for another great week.  And, the weather looks like it's going to hold for our shooting sessions too - always a good thing for a workshop;~)  Of course, I'll keep you posted with our progress throughout the week.

Anyway, before I get to class, I've got a few HOT links for you to check out for today's Quick Hit Monday.  Here we go...

Canon 5D Mark III & 600EX-RT Flash Update!

I was doing my web cruise over the weekend and saw that my blogging buddy and good friend, Syl Arena, just nabbed three of Canon's NEW, not yet released in the US, 600EX-RT (for radio control) strobes from his European Canon connection!  Hey Syl, I wish we all had connections like that ;~)

Here is the deal'; Syl ran the strobe units through about every test and shooting situation you could possibly put those "flash puppies" through and reports on his experience in these next two links.  Enjoy!  Hey Syl, can I play with them when you're finished?

-First Impressions: Testing Canon’s New Speedlight 600EX-RT & Speedlight Transmitter ST-E3-R: [link]

 

-Video: Hands-On With The Canon 600EX-RT Speedlight & ST-E3-RT Speedlight Transmitter: [link]

 

Ok, you know how I'm blown away with the High ISO abilities of the new Canon camera.  Check out this video over at YouTube that once again shows amazing results of some high ISO night videos captured with the new camera - amazing!!

-Canon 5D Mark III High ISO Performance Tested at Night: [link]

How About Some Inspiration Photography to Get Your Week Off To A Great Start

40 Gorgeous Photographs of Wedding Couples: Some really nice images and some good ideas too. [link]

Absolutely creative people photography by Elox:  Very exciting and captivating images - worth the trip. [link]

PDN's 30 2012: New and Emerging Photographers to Watch:  Check out each of these photographers - some absolutely amazing images!!! [link]

Is This My Next Camera?

A few weeks ago I blogged about how I shot some HD video at a recent wedding and then used Lightroom 4 Frame Capture feature to nab the best frames - in JPEG, of course.  I then used those frame grabs to design in Lightroom 4 some cool wedding album pages for the client.  The size limitation of the frame grab let's me get, just barely, up to an 8x10 image. [link]

So have you checked out Canon's latest 4K Cinema EOS C500/C500 PL digital cinematography camera announcement? [link]  What’s a 4K camera? It's a video camera that captures 4x the resolution of the 5d Mk 3.  It can output quad full-HD (3840 x 2160) 10 bit RAW video stream.  Now were getting serious!  With that kind of resolution, I suspect you’ll have the ability to output some amazing images from those frame grabs!

Does this mean the end to still photography as we know it? I would think not. But just wait until the price drops and more photographers capture images from video grabs.  Looks like a brand new way of thinking and capturing images to me.    Here is the entire story right here.  What do you think?

Some Cool Lightroom 4 and Photoshop Tidbits For You

Advanced Portrait Retouch on a Male Subject in Lightroom 4 – Part 1 of 3:  This is a hit-it-out-of-the-park LR4 tutorial.  It's well thought out and makes some great points about how to use many of the new features of the recently released Lightroom 4. Definitely worth the trip. [link]

Colorize a Black and White Photo in Photoshop: This is an utterly fascinating tutorial on how to colorize a black and white image.  The walk through of the techniques is definitely worth the visit. [link]

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Hey gang, that should get you going for the week.   Once again we have an international student roster which always makes the  Master Class even more exciting and informational as we explore weddings from other parts of the world.  After the class today, it's back to our home for our Welcome Party.  It's a fabulous way to begin the week and allows everyone get to know each other in a casual atmosphere.  On that note gang, I've got to get moving - class starts shortly. Have a great rest of the day and I'll see everyone tomorrow for another brand new Technique Tuesday.

See ya' then,  David

HD Video For Great Wedding Sequences, Cheap Fisheyes, & My New Wedding Camera ;~)

Good (late) Afternoon Everybody,

This day is really got the best of me hence, the very late post today. We returned home yesterday late afternoon from our wedding in the mid-Ohio area. 13 hours and over 4000 exposures later we wrapped the job.  I had a midmorning appointment today that took a little longer than usual and then spent some time importing those 4000+ photographs and videos into Lightroom 4. That's about the time I started getting sidetracked - to many new goodies to experiment with and too little time ;~)

A Cool Way To Get A Great Series Of Images!

One thing we tried this weekend was to use my Canon 7D to shoot HD video of the couple as they interacted romantically with each other. My game plan was to do the frame grabs from the HD video in Lightroom 4 and then create some album pages from the sequence of images I captured from the video.

It took a little bit of time to work through the sequence but once we figured it out LaDawn was able to create some really fabulous looking pages. I'll go into more detail about what I was up to in tomorrow's Technique Tuesday post.

My New Wedding Camera ;~)

I was also experimenting with my new iPad 3 at the wedding. Yes, I'm the proud owner of the brand new iPad. I opted for the Verizon version this time around because of one very compelling feature. The Verizon version has one very cool feature not yet enabled on the AT&T iPad. The Verizon feature lets you use your iPad 3 as a hot-spot supporting up to five devices once enabled.

I was already paying Verizon $60 a month for my MiFi hot-spot card. I was able to cancel the MiFi card subscription and then I re-upped for the 5gig data plan on my new iPad which gives me plenty of bandwidth for my web surfing and hot-spot functions. In effect it was a $35 monthly savings for me. After I cancel my 2gig data plan on my old iPad, saving me $25 a month, and I've saved $10 with the 5gig plan on my Verizon iPad leaving $35/month extra cash in my back pocket - where it rightfully belongs.

Photographing with the iPad is like shooting with a view camera. We've all seen plenty of blog posts around the web showing people shooting with their iPad but, with the brand-new 5 Meg iSight camera on the iPad 3 it really is a lot of fun.  The images look quite good and will easily enlarge to an 8x10 photograph.

It's also easy to get those images into Lightroom with the Photo Stream feature on the new iPad 3 and iCloud. With the Photo Stream feature enabled, any images I capture on the iPad are immediately sent to iCloud. There I can easily retrieve those images onto my desktop computer.

Once retrieved I simply import them into the job in Lightroom and I'm good to go. Do I plan to make my iPad 3 my new backup camera for my weddings – no not really. It's just kind of fun to play but more importantly the iPad is an integral part of our wedding coverages as I've mentioned many, many times. It's easy to do a quick selection of the images, get them imported into the iPad, and then have a slide presentation ready to go for your clients.  A great WOW factor for any photographer photographing weddings.

A Handy Dandy Fisheye Lens For Only $349!

Eric Cameron, a great photographer from Dover, Ohio came down and helped me with the wedding shoot this weekend.  It was great to have Eric on the job.  He has a terrific eye and a nice sense of timing in capturing the image.

Eric also brought along his Bower Fisheye lens [link].  It’s a totally manual lens but you can get the hang of it in no time at all.  It does a great job producing a full 180 degree field of view on the APS size sensor cameras like my Canon 7D.

Eric and I both had a good time “playing” with the Bower Fisheye lens for both stills and video.  The image quality, at first glance,   looks quite good to me – more later on our results.  Needless to say, it was a BEAUTIFUL wedding celebration with perfect weather. Chelsea and Joe were a great, easy going couple to photograph. The wedding party was fun. We captured some gorgeous images, and I can’t wait to take a closer look at them in Lightroom.

__________________________________________________________________________________

I started working on my Technique Tuesday for tomorrow and I can't wait to tell you what I discovered. Why not tune in and I’ll give you the full report on the HD video experience I had.

On that note, I'm out here. Everybody have a great rest of the day and I'll see you tomorrow.

Adios, David

Is The Decisive Moment Dead Or At Least Less Decisive?

Good Morning Everybody,

I sure hope you had as good of a weekend as we did around here.  The weather has been unbelievably gorgeous for the last few days - we'll all wondering if we really did skate by most of the snow for the winter.  We're keeping our fingers crossed ;~)

In addition to great weather, I also had a wonderful Bar Mitzvah shoot on Saturday.  It was one of those parties where everything went off without a hitch, the clients were wonderful to work with and everybody had a fun time.  This was actually the third event I photographed for the family and as I said everything went smooth as silk.

The thing that really stood out for me this weekend were the people - not just Charlie's family, but Charlie himself.  I have never seen such a self assured, generous, attentive young man in quite a while. Remember he is 13 years old and he was just a joy to be around.  Mark my words mom and dad, if you are reading this, Charlie is headed to the top of his field at what ever career he eventually chooses.  I captured some terrific images and plan to share a few of them with you this week - so stay tuned.

Is The Decisive Moment Dead Or At Least Less Decisive?

I've kind of a different post from our normal Quick Hit Monday post for you.  Today I want to pose the question: When it comes to photography, is the decisive moment a thing of the past?  OK, do I have your attention?  You're obviously thinking that I must be crazy to even ask the question.  That's what photography, or at least a good part of photography is all about right - capturing the decisive moment.

Henri Cartier-Bresson was a master at capturing the decisive moment as are all good photojournalists, especially sports, and event photographers need to have this ability.  But to accomplish that took skill,  practice, timing and a specially trained eye for anticipating that decisive moment. 

Do we even need that trained eye anymore?  Do we even need to get our timing perfect to get the shot?  My quick answer - I think not.  Technology now allows anyone to capture the decisive moment quite easily and effectively.   Here's why I make such a statement.

Fleeting Moments Are Not So Fleeting…. These Days

Moments are fleeting but it’s much easier to capture those fleeting moments these days. Look at the evolution of digital photography.  We've grown from a few megapixel cameras 12 years ago to 45MP monsters and beyond today.  The new Canon 5D Mark III is pushing 22MP and the new Nikon is pushing 36MP.

Three years ago Canon added decent HD video to the 5D's feature set and the entire movie world went gaga over the camera.  My gosh, the camera shoots 30 frames a second at a 1920x1080p resolution - that's not far from the resolution of my first DSLR, a Fuji S-1 Pro coming in at 2048x1536 – pretty astonishing isn't it.

Why not just shoot a few seconds of video during those special emotional moments, say when the bride and groom kiss, when dad makes the heartfelt toast at the wedding reception, or any other special times during an emotionally charged event.  Heck, at 30 fps, 5 seconds of shooting should net me 150 separate frames/images - the decisive moment MUST be in there somewhere - right?! 

Actually, I think so. OK, the images won't be RAW images but they will certainly be adequate for me to get the one or two images I need to tell that part of the story.  With the image processing capabilities in the new Lightroom 4, I'm sure I could knock out some better-than-acceptable images for the wedding couple's album.  At the 1080p setting on my DSLR, I could easily get the quality I need for a good 8x10. 

If you think I'm still crazy let me tell you about a little test I did – see the above image.  A few years ago after the Canon 5D Mark II was released, I ran such a test. My friend Kent and I did some quick  HD video footage of a high school senior.  I pulled a few frame grabs, made the necessary adjustments in Photoshop and printed them out as 11x14's - and they looked great.  OK, I know a close up of a high school senior is no real test when it comes to a highly detailed subject matter, but for "people" subject matter, the images looked just fine.

Here is the deal - the cameras are getting better all the time.  Take the RED ONE video camera , the RED HD video that started it all shoots the equivalent of a 9.4-megapixel still 24 times a second in RAW!.  You don't think a frame from that camera would make a great printed image. Well it does. The cover of the June 2009 issue of Esquire magazine that was shot with the RED ONE camera - the quality was amazing.  You can read the entire Esquire/RED ONE story right here.

The frame grabbing technique to pull the images for the Esquire cover works the same for our new digital wonders like the newly introduced Nikon and Canon cameras.  And, YES, we can get good looking 8x10 images from those grabs. The HD DSLR cameras once again give us the technology to capture more effortlessly than ever before those decisive moments.

So to answer the question, Is the decisive moment dead? No, never – it’s just far easier to capture than ever before!

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Hey gang, that’s it for me today. We spent the night in Lexington, KY – got an early PhotoPro Network meeting today to discuss our upcoming 2012 events and put a little planning into the 2013 convention.  A busy day then back to Cincy tomorrow and another wedding this coming weekend. 

Have a great rest of the day and, all the pixels willing, I’ll see you sometime tomorrow for another Technique Tuesday.  The topic – Just How Far Can Your Push Your Images In Lightroom?

See ya’ then,  David

Quick Hit Monday: Inspirational Wedding Images; Fabulous New Photographers; Photoshop Freebies and More!

Good Morning Everybody,

I hope everyone had a great weekend. We spent most of the weekend completing post production on a 600 image five volume wedding album order for one of my top, not to mention favorite, clients at my studio.

We’ll be putting the finishing touches on it today, doing our final inspection, and then shipping it off to Zookbinders so we can  have it back in time for the holidays. It was a BIG push but, I have to tell you these albums look beautiful thanks to LaDawn’s great design work and Jennifer’s fabulous image enhancement!

Wireless Keyboards - My 1 Star Review

I made my weekly trek to Sam's Club yesterday – I simply love looking through the latest hot deals on all the geek gear. I stumbled upon what looked like something that would be just perfect for newly installed computers – a Logitech wireless keyboard/mouse combination – the Wireless Wave Combo MK550.

A quick check of the reviews online and I saw it had a gazillion five star reviews. After having the thing installed for about 30 minutes on my new computer this morning, it's back to Sam's Club for my refund.

I've always enjoyed using wireless devices on the computer but this keyboard/mouse combination, although looked very promising in the beginning, was driving me crazy with it’s relatively sluggish response after about 30 minutes of usage. I quickly reinstalled my old Dell keyboard and my cheap, $18 Logitech wireless mouse and I was off and running once again.

White Lights and Tears Galore!

You know it's getting close to the holidays when you head up to the attic and pull out about 50 boxes of Christmas decorations. Yes, that what was on our agenda too for this weekend. We're into the Christmas season in a big way with LaDawn decorating eight trees, that’s just in-doors, around our home/studio. 

She begins with a large tree in the family room, slips in an old VHS tape of the Bing Crosby/Danny Kaye classic White Christmas into the VCR tape player (yes, we still have one hooked up to the TV).  Then she begins stringing lights and hanging the ornaments as she tearfully watches the movie and decorates the Christmas tree. It's an annual event for her that she claims brings back many special memories. I never know if she’s going to run out of lights or tissues first ;~)

Anyway, we’ve got a short posting week so let’s get right on with today's post.  Here we go…

Monday Morning's Photography & Inspiration Section:

I've got a lot of things to cover in our Photography and Inspiration section today. These links cover all ranges of photography from portrait photography, wedding photography, scenics, landscapes, and fine art. Feel free to dig into any of them as I'm sure you'll enjoy the surfing.

How Does Help-Portrait Help? [link]

In about 10 days we travel to Cabo San Lucas with our very good friends Kent and Sarah Smith. Joining us this year will be my good friend Ralph Romaguera and his wife Cindy. In addition to getting together with good friends,  enjoying the glorious weather, and  the wonderful flavors, we are also joining Jeremy Cowart with his Help-Portrait project again this year taking place December 10, 2011.

Last year we worked in the most impoverished sections of the city and produce some wonderful images for the families that came by that day. This year were planning for a much bigger crowd but with six of us shooting we’re looking forward to a very rewarding afternoon.

Many people are unaware of the Help-Portrait project. Let me point you towards this link right here which will give you the whole back story. Once again I'm putting out my call to all readers of DigitalProTalk.com to join us December 10 for the worldwide Help-Portrait project. You can get all the information on how to get involved right here.

Wedding Portraits After the Reception – A New Trend? Check Out This Great Wedding Photography [link]

Okay, this is the first time I've heard about doing wedding photographs after the wedding reception. Rocky Gunn, many years ago suggested capturing beautiful pictorial images, that he was famously known for, the day after the wedding or even after the couple returned from their honeymoon. I’ve taken that same approach for these many years and have some great results to show for our efforts. That said, you have to check out the work of Christina Craft, a very talented photographer from Victoria BC, Canada.

Christina is my new favorite wedding photographer. I was drawn to her work after reading this article right here about how she does many of her wedding photographs after the wedding reception is complete. No longer constrained with wedding day time tables, she's able to create some very exciting wedding images for her clients. She has a couple hundred images on her site and just about every one of them is a joy to view. Anyway, check out her site right here.  I'll think you'll really enjoy Christina’s inspiration.

Suggestions When choosing Your Wedding Photography Studios – More Nice Wedding Photography [link]

I also stumbled upon some great wedding photography. The link, right here, will lead you to a story about how to choose your wedding photography studio. The story is more about choosing the studio whose work is featured in the article.

I've got no problem with that because I think their work is very different, innovative, and exciting to see. Anyway, if you want to get another good, healthy dose of inspirational wedding images then check out the link right here.

Creative photography by Sarah Yun – Outstanding Imagery! [link]

Next, you have to check out this simply outstanding work of 29-year-old photographer Sarah Yun. She's only been pursuing her dream of photography for three years but after seeing her work you would think that she has been at it her entire life.

For me, her images just seemed to jump off the page. The way she brings the elements of her images together results in some of the most creative and exciting photography I've seen anywhere. Take a minute or two and check out Sarah's work right here.

Adventure Without Risk! Some Adventurous Moments By Nat-Geo [link]

Okay, how about one more healthy dose of inspiration for you this morning.  You've got to take a moment and check out these unbelievable sports images available at National Geographic.

I, for one, can't believe real people really do many of the things portrayed in these images. I think when you see the images right here you'll agree with me that these activities are not for the faint of heart, or the sane.

LIFE's 20 Worst Covers [link]

I just spent some time pointing you to some of the coolest photography I've seen in the last week on the web. Somehow or another I stumbled onto the link right here that led me to Life Magazine's 20 worst covers. That isn't to say that the photographers who made the images were not great photographers. In fact, the image I featured below, was taken by none other than Mr. Ansel Adams.

It turns out that Ansel worked for a number years as a commercial photographer. He, like the rest of us, had to pay the bills too. But, thankfully for us, he was able to quit his day job and pursue the imagery that excited him most.

By the way, just so you don't feel too bad after you've reviewed the 20 worst covers in this link.  Be sure to check out Life Magazine’s best covers right here. It's always a joy, for better or worse, to look back over these historic collection of images for their storytelling value.

27 Gorgeous Photos of Trees from This Fall [link]

How about one more link to raise your spirits as we near the end of the fall season. Check out these 27 gorgeous photographs of trees right here. Fall is in the air and just about every one of these images captures the season perfectly.

Now A Little Geek Technique

Al Capone’s Cell – HDR Collaboration [link]

At first glance I thought this post was just another HDR photography post. Maybe I was just reading the text a bit too quickly but upon further review it turns out that there is a ton of information on image processing and postproduction in this article. 

Scott Frederick uploaded nine images taken of the famous mobster, Al Capone’s jail cell. This article right here is an in-depth look on how 8 photographers interpreted that scene. No brand of software is left untouched – from Photoshop, Photomatix, NIK’s Color Effects 4, and more – to achieve the various results all the photographers have showcased in this article.

I really enjoyed getting the insights from how the other photographers interpreted the scene and I also appreciate their tips on the techniques that they used. Give it a Monday morning read right here – you'll enjoy it.

This Week's Photoshop Freebies

Top 10 Best Free Fonts of 2011 [link]

This week's Photoshop freebies include a font set and an action set. I have to admit, that I never felt any particular urge to like one font over another. But, these 10 free fonts are elegant in their simplicity and design. Check them out right here. I'm planning on downloading the sets myself.

Attractive Photoshop Actions for Image Enhancement [link]

There are about a gazillion free Photoshop actions available and every now and then a new and exciting technique will pop up. Check out this link right here and see if you don't find a gem or two for yourself.

One For The Road: One More Link You Can Use

10 Free Video Apps [link]

Okay, this is showing a little bit of my geek side but when you check out these 10 free video apps right here, I think you will find one or two that just might work for you. I will admit that this is one of those rainy day posts.  You know, it's raining and you can’t go out and play.  But don’t worry.  This link set will encourage you to have a little computer fun until the weather clears. Hey, looks like it's raining outside right now. Guess I'll check out these links one more time ;~)

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Hey gang, that's it for me today. I've got dozens of empty Christmas decorations boxes that I promised LaDawn  I would help her replace in the attic. Plus a few photography projects that need finishing touches before Thanksgiving .

How about I plan to see everybody tomorrow, same time, same place for a brand-new Technique Tuesday. Tomorrow's topic will discuss how to get beautiful portrait results out of your shoe mount flash. I hope you'll join me.

Have a great rest of the day everybody, I'll see you tomorrow.

– David

Must See “Get In Motion” Tour Kicks Off This Sunday In Atlanta – Video For Everybody!

Good Morning Everybody,

Good news, in my little home away from home visit these last two days I did have access to the internet band was able to get pretty much done on my trusty iPad including today's post. 

We've got another super busy day with my big Bat Mitzvah event this weekend, a follow-up members only webcast with Chuck Lewis tomorrow, and finalizing my newsletter and some promo materials for my good friend, Jeff Medford's, new 39 city Get In Motion Tour kicking off this Sunday.  I'm breaking today's post into two separate sections so it will be easier for you to bookmark them if you want.  Let me first tell you about the Get In Motion tour first.

In Motion Tour Kicks Off This Sunday In Atlanta

This is BIG news folks and in a few minutes I'm going to tell you how you can attend this groundbreaking seminar at the BEST price anywhere - only $45!

You must use the secret code “ZISER” we registering to save the $15 right here!.

Look at what’s happened in only 3 years!

First, let me tell you the back story.  Since the introduction of onboard hi-def video on most higher DSLRS cameras introduced since 2008, many photographers have been toying with the idea of including some kind of video products into their studio offerings.  I have to admit that I was very surprised to learn that the introduction of Canon's groundbreaking Canon 5D Mark II has been three years ago next month. WOW, time flies.

Most of us were blown away with Vincent Laforet's breathtaking and haunting beautiful video "Reverie" [link] which he produced in under 72 hours showcasing the 5D's video capabilities.  The video was so popular that it CRASHED the Canon website - can you believe it?

Anyway, video enabled DSLRS soon became the rage in the film industry and have been used in the filming of everything from the opening of the 35th episode of Saturday Night Live,  the last episode of House, to a scene or two in the recent Terminator movie.

Who has been sitting on the sidelines through all of this - mostly us, the still photographers, those of us shooting weddings, portraits, high school school seniors, etc.  We have been sitting on the sidelines while the film guys have embraced the new technology enthusiastically and wholeheartedly.

The playing field is changing quickly for all of us in this industry.  We need to move forward with the new technologies or end up being left in the dust by everyone that DOES embrace these wonderful new digital possibilities.

DSLR Shooters - Now Is Our Time!

Sure, the shooting concepts are different and the software is different, but the results are truly our opportunity to differentiate ourselves from the competition.  That brings me to the must see IN MOTON TOUR kicking off this weekend in Atlanta. 

Jeff Medford and fellow filmmaker Ross Hockrow will share with you 4 1/2 solid hours of information, inspiration, and technique that will make you better prepared to consider,  no even better,  to commit to including this wonderful new world of cinema as part of your photographic offerings.

Everything you need to know about filmmaking

The Get In Motion Tour is a Call-To-Action for photographers everywhere to use their artistic talent, training, and equipment to also make moving images. We will teach the fundamental principles of filmmaking to photographers and show examples of specific films they can make right now with the tools they already have to open up their home markets to these services.

The GET IN MOTION TOUR travels to 39 cities around the country and I'm proud to say that DigitalProTalk.com is one of the sponsors.  Yes, I talked Jeff into giving away door prizes just like we do at our programs - his sponsors have agreed to give away over $3000 worth of prizes each evening!  As president of PhotoPro Network, I'm even throwing in one complete pass ($279value) to our PhotoPro Expo 2012 which features Vincent Laforet in person as one of our top presenters - more info right here.

Anyway, please check out the new GET IN MOTION tour coming your way, use CODE "ZISER" and get registered right here for only $45! 

I've already got my tickets for the Indianapolis stop - I hope to see you there!  -David

Weekend Update - Part 1: Half Price For PhotoPro Expo 20102 Extended Through Labor Day!

Good Afternoon Everybody,

Before we head out to Las Vegas and Photoshop World I wanted to update you on a few items.  First, PhotoPro Expo 2012 has extended it’s half price off through Labor Day – ONLY $139!  After that it’s gone forever!

I know you may be getting tired of me talking about it, but it’s my baby and I want it to be a huge success.  So far, we have nearly 200 individuals registered for this fabulous event.  I’m trying to push it to 700-1000.  Attendees are traveling from 16 states around the country – from California to New York – and we have the tradeshow about 40% sold out too!  We’re shooting for an 85 booth tradeshow and we’re about half way there with months to go!

I’m trying to make this the “go to” photographic event for 2012 – with your help, we can pull it off.  I promise, you won’t be disappointed.  Just look at the talent line up – these are the “who’s who” in our industry.  What could be more exciting than meeting in person each and everyone of them and experiencing an exciting and informative presentation over a long weekend. It will be a total “Brain Fry!”

Check it out right here – don’t miss this last opportunity to attend one of the best photographic events of 2012. REGISTER NOW!

Kelby, Ghionis, Laforet, Petty, Voclain, Grimes & Many More! PhotoPro Expo 2012 Blasting Off!

OK gang, today I’m pulling the trigger on the most exciting photographic event of 2012. Mark your calendars for

When: February 2, 3, 4, & 5, 2012

Where: Greater Cincinnati, OH

Lodging: Marriott Rivercenter 4 star hotel $99!

 Register today – only $139 till August 31, 2011! 

Here is the deal!

• 4 Full Days! - 12 World Class Speakers - 1 Fantastic Opportunity!
• Print Competition, Image Review,$10,000 in Image Awards and Door Prizes!
• Largest tradeshow ever - 50 Vendors, Model Shootouts, Speedlighting Clinics, & Tech Help Desk
• VIP Seating for first 100 to register!

Christmas in August Rates

4 Full Days - Only $139! ($279 value)

Must be booked by August 31, 2011

PhotoPro Expo 2012 is shaping up to be one of the top 2012 photography conventions nationwide! The anticipated speaker line up will blow you away!  Just check out the line up so far:

 

Scott Kelby:  Editor and Publisher of Photoshop User Magazine, Editor-in-Chief of Layers Magazine; training director and instructor for the Adobe Photoshop Seminar Tour, President -National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP), CEO of Kelby Media Group, and author of a string of bestselling technology books.  Since 2004, Scott has been distinctly awarded with being the world’s #1 best-selling author of all computer and technology books, across all categories. [link]

Jerry Ghionis:  Widely regarded as one of the top five wedding photographers in the world, Jerry Ghionis’ theatrical and iconic images have redefined modern wedding photography. He was the first Australian named in the first ever list of Top Ten Wedding Photographers in the World by American Photo magazine. Jerry is also proud to have won the WPPI (Wedding & Portrait Photographers International) Wedding Album of the Year for a record seven times among his long list of accolades. [link]

Vincent Laforet: Vincent, a three-time winner at the prestigious 2010 Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival, is a Pulitzer Prize–winning photographer who is known for his forward-thinking approach to image-making and storytelling. In addition to having been commissioned by just about every important international publication—including Vanity Fair, The New York Times Magazine, National Geographic, Sports Illustrated, Time, Newsweek, and Life. [link]

Sarah Petty:  Sarah is a highly-acclaimed speaker, author, MBA and coach who has inspired thousands of boutique business owners to use beautiful marketing to take their business to the next level. Her expertise is based on over 20 years helping build the Coca-Cola brand, meeting the marketing goals of a top regional advertising agency's clients and building her own successful  boutique photography studio. This studio was named one of the most profitable in the country within just five years in business. [link]

Kirk Voclain: Kirk Voclain is the award-winning owner and photographer of Kirk Voclain Photography in Louisiana. Kirk is one of the top portrait photographers in the country, honored with numerous Fuji and Kodak Masterpiece Awards, and he is published in many popular photography magazines and spoken at several national conventions. When he isn't shooting, Kirk manages Pro4uM.com, an online community he founded for professional photographers. [link]

Skip Cohen:  Skip Cohen is President/Founder of Marketing Essentials International, a marketing consulting firm specializing in projects dedicated to photography. He is also a guest editor for Photo District News and responsible for Focus on Weddings, published in December. He is the past president of Wedding and Portrait Photographers International Association, and served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Hasselblad USA Inc. [link]

Lindsay Adler:  Lindsay is a professional fashion and portrait photographer based in New York City. Her work has been featured in several international fashion and photography magazines including Sublime Magazine, Popular Photography, Professional Photographer, Shutterbug, Rangefinder and dozens more.  Her visual art work crosses many disciplines within photography and video.  Lindsay teaches photography workshops at major conferences and seminars reaching thousands of photographers worldwide. [link]

Joel Grimes:  Joel worked with the top advertising agencies across the globe for clients such as Abbott, Arizona Office of Tourism, AT&T, Febreze, Discovery Cannel, Goldman Sachs, Hewlett Packard, Honda, Hyatt, Qwest, Sony, Visa, Volvo, and Red Bull. His has traveled on assignment to all 50 states in the US and over 50 countries worldwide. His book “Navajo, Portrait of a Nation” received numerous photographic and design awards, as well as an eighteen-month solo exhibit at the Smithsonian American History museum. [link]

Syl Arena:  Syl recently published his best selling book 432 page opus, the Speedliter’s Handbook, detailing the use of Speedlighting – all their features, functions, and applications. Syl Arena specializes in commissioned and stock photography for advertising, editorial, hospitality and private clients. Syl studied commercial photography at Brooks Institute and fine art photography at the University of Arizona.  Syl's first blog, PixSylated.com, gained a global audience within a year of its launch. Syl launched his second blog, Speedliting.com, as a way to share his expertise on Canon flash techniques. [link]

Janice Wendt:  Janice Wendt is one of the industry’s most respected retouch and image enhancement artists, one who “trains the trainers” on numerous techniques related to digital imaging. As an education and training manager at Nik Software, Janice instructs professionals across the country in all aspects of digital capture and digital workflow. Her practical approach to retouching features alternative, timesaving techniques for professional and beginning photographers alike. Janice is also a commercial and portrait photographer with more than 25 years of experience in film and digital photography. [link]

And more speakers to be announced! 

This is your once in a lifetime chance to experience the top trainers in the world, all at one conference:

The PhotoPro Expo 2012!

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.

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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

What To Say, What To Ask, and What To Shoot – Creating Compelling Engaged Couples Videos

Good Morning Everybody,

Posts  are going up a little later than usual for the next week because of the 3 hour time change while here in Arizona – no daylight savings time available here.  The morning sky was bright by 4:30 a.m. this morning!  Nevertheless we landed safe and sound in Phoenix yesterday, got settled in, and scoped out the location for my wedding tomorrow. The Royal Palms Resort and Spa is just beautiful.  The hotel grounds are really beautiful ands should provide some amazing locations to capture some great images.

We're going to have a few of those locations a try out when we catch up with our engaged couple later today.  The plan is to round out an engagement slide show I'm showing this evening at the rehearsal dinner. 

I'm running the slide show out of my laptop's HDMI output right into their large screen TV.  The couple has selected a few songs that I downloaded from Amazon which will play in the background using Windows Media Player as the show runs continuously in Lightroom 3.  It's a simple setup but should work just fine for our needs his evening.  We’ll convert it into a playable DVD in iMovie and iDVD when we return to the studio.

Tomorrow I'm planning to shoot directly into my iPad during the wedding day shoot and then presenting the slide show via iPad to the couple and families tomorrow evening.  Don't you just love technology?

And speaking of weddings and engagement shoots, I've got a great post for you today on how to expand your engagement shoot to include video.  Let's get right to it.

What To Say, What To Ask, and What To Shoot – Creating Compelling Engaged Couples Videos

Today's video equipped DSLRs have really given today's digital photographer some wonderful opportunities to create some really exciting products for their clients.  One such product is an engagement shoot with video snippets of the couple sharing their feelings with other and the video camera.

Presenting the still images complete with the video clips is a very exciting way for the couple to share how they feel about each other and with their guests at the rehearsal dinner or wedding reception.  A DVD of this presentation is a very compelling product which you can offer your clients, too.

The question is how do make it happen easily and efficiently when you're involved in you engagement session?  In my Kelby Training video we shot last week, we included how we pull it off.  I want to give you a brief peek today on how I organized the video part of the shooting session.

First Things First

The first thing is to get yourself comfortable with the video features of your video enabled DSLRS. I've had a Canon 5D Mk II and two 7D's for a few years and I'm still getting comfortable with the features and functionality.  I prefer the 7D better when it comes to shooting video.  Why? Because you don't have to go through so many "finger gymnastics" to get the video rolling.

Anyway, that's the easy part.  The part where most photographers come up short is in planning and preparing for the video segments.  The still shooting goes just fine but two many of us are still uncomfortable with the video side of our photography sessions.  Today I want to make the video part very easy for you.

Next, what do we want to capture on our video? 

The quick answer is the authentic feelings of the couple in love.  So how do we do that?  It's really easy - I've created a list of questions to ask the couple that when answered should really bring out how they feel about each other.

Here's my list of 7 questions:

1. How did you first meet?
2. What are your favorite dating memories?
3. What's special about him/her?
4. Explain your most embarrassing, most fun, exciting dating situation?
5. When did you know you were in love?
6. How did you feel when you proposed/were proposed too?
7. Your thoughts looking to the future.

6 Tips on asking these questions

1. Find a comfortable spot after you still shoot with the couple where you can conduct an intimate interview.
2. Review with the couple the intent of these questions and how exciting the final video will be.
3. Prepare the couple to answer the questions in about 5-10 seconds - think "elevator" interview.
4. Use a tripod.
5. Ask the couple the questions to each one individually.
6. Ask the questions in an easy, gentle tone of voice.

Stop the video recording after each question is answered - remember, we only want short video snippets.

8 Additional Video Clips To Cover

1. Holding hands
2. Toasting wine/Champaign/beer glasses
3. Soft kiss
4. Easy gazes
5. Walking - away and towards the camera 
6. Twirling
7. Snuggling with each other
8. Playing (in the leaves/snow, etc.)

Anyway, can you see what I'm trying to accomplish? I want a set of great images that I can blend together with some very compelling video clips so that in the end, I can show the presentation at the rehearsal dinner or at the wedding reception, and offer them a copy of the show on DVD which they can enjoy any time.

I’ll keep you posted as soon as I get the show together from last week’s shoot

Got some ideas you want to add to my list - feel free to do so in the comments section below.

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Hey gang, that's it for me today. We've got to get ready for our couples shoot and tie up a few more loose ends about the wedding photography.  All is good.

See ya' tomorrow,  David