Technique Tuesday!

I can't believe it's Tuesday,

We had a great group of photographers in Columbus, OH yesterday. One of the highlights was that my buddy, Bob Hughes and his wife Elaine were able to set up an on-location shoot for us over at Jefferson Mansion. This is the former home of the governor of Ohio. It has since been donated to the city park board and is a favorite venue for parties and weddings. We weren't able to get inside, but that was fine. The grounds were beautiful. On top of that, we were able to hook up the computer and electronics outside so I was able to shoot wirelessly and the class could see the images instantaneously. This has proven to be a great way to ramp up the learning process at my workshops. After our session at the mansion we headed back to our meeting room and wrapped the program there. We were supposed to end at 6:00 p.m., but the class agreed to stay an extra hour which let me cover some additional material. We wrapped at 7:00 p.m. and were on the road back to Cincy by 8:30 p.m. A very nice day.

It's Technique Tuesday Again so How About Some Techniques

Flash Flavor - Nice Shot:
Matt Adcock over at Flash Flavor has a nice post which shows an easy filtered flash technique that produced a really nice reception shot. I wasn't going to swipe his pic so head over to his site to check it out. He had his assistant place a red gel over the remote flash and pointed it at the floor. He took the shot from over head to get a great perspective and terrific image. Check out Matt's great image and whole story right here.

Variation On a Theme - The "Pole Cam:"
I think Matt used some kind of painter's pole for supporting his camera. I've had my friend Kent Smith tell me about such a painter's pole at Lowe's. I still need to check it out. Anyway, for about three years now, I have been using a mono-pod to get the same result. I call it my "Pole Cam". I attach my Canon 30D with Sigma 8mm Fisheye lens to the monopod, manually focus on the subject, set the self timer to 10 seconds, put the wide angle diffuser over my Canon 580EX flash, and hit the shutter. As the the count gets to about 7 seconds, I lift the "Pole Cam" and hang it over the crowd and let the camera take the shot. It's a great perspective for a great image. By the way, the same technique works just as well if you put the camera on the floor and have the crowd look down at it. Here is a little slide that shows the various room shots and party images I capture with my "Pole Cam."


More on Infrared Photography and More:
I knew I had another lead on Infrared camera conversions around here somewhere. I finally found it. The company is called MadMax.com and they do IR conversions on just about anything - cameras, video recorders, etc. Not only that, but they also do "Image Enhancement" modifications to cameras, too. Their first page shows how they have improved the resolution of a Canon 5D. They have a fascinating site. Check it out right here. While you are there, check out their IR imaging devices - so "James Bond."

Picture Doctor: 3 Ways to Polarize Properly:
Placing a polarizing filter over your lens can really enhance you landscape images. The sky can be made darker and it can reduce or enhance reflections - it all depends on how the filter is oriented on your camera. Here is a nice (and short) article on the topic over at Pop Photo. I also like the nice "kicker" link in the article which discusses "Photographic Filters" vs. Photoshop. A quick read with good info - check it out right here.

Don't forget - check out our Photoshop tutorial "Touch of Color - With a Twist" next.

See everybody tomorrow. --David

Touch of Color - With a Twist

This "Technique Tuesday" Photoshop tutorial reviews a technique that some of you may be familiar with. I've added a nice little creative twist at the end. Hope you enjoy it. --David

"Agave Plant - Sedona, Arizona"

© David A. Ziser Photography

During a trip to Sedona last year, I made this image while on one of the ever popular "Pink Jeep" tours. It was originally captured as a color JPG with the Canon 5D at ISO 400, F 10 at 1/160sec. I used a Sigma 12-24mm lens at the 12mm setting to really accentuate the agave plant in the foreground. The image was then taken into Photoshop where I used "Channel Mixer" in "Monochrome" mode to get the proper balance of tonality in the image. After removing about about 10 tourists from the ridge, I had my finished image.

Monday's Quick News Tips

A Great Good Morning to Everybody,

I am in Columbus, Ohio today presenting a program for the Professional Photographers of Central Ohio. I'll be seeing a lot of friends today as this is the part of the country where I spent my "formative" years as an aspiring photographer - so many years ago. As a little side bar, LaDawn and I spent Sunday with our good friends Kent and Sarah Smith. They are truly two of the best photographers in the country. Kent and I have "grown up" in this profession together, knowing each other for more than 25 years. Anyway, check out their studio websites. They have two - one for portraits and the other for seniors. Their web sites and photography are inspirational - give them a look right here.

How About Some Quick News

Layers Tennis - Say What?:
You heard it right here. Here is an excerpt from Coudal.com about what is going on...

"Coudal.com that is announcing the return of the very popular and inspiring Photoshop Tennis. We'll be playing matches using lots of different applications, from Adobe Photoshop to Adobe Flash, but the basic idea is the same no matter what tools are in use. Two artists (or two small teams of artists) will swap a file back and forth in real-time, adding to and embellishing the work. Each artist gets fifteen minutes to complete a "volley" and then we post that to the site. A third participant, a writer, provides play-by-play commentary on the action, as it happens. The matches last for ten volleys and when it's complete, everyone visiting the site votes for a winner." You can get the whole story right here.

Sounds kind of interesting - REALITY INTERNET. Sounds like something for Photoshop World to me.

What Flame Brushes - The Devil Made Me Do It:
This very "hot" news item has been on the "back burner" - OK, enough already - Sorry. I found this cool tutorial over at PhotoshopSupport.com. It's called "Flame Brushes". You can download the brushes at no charge and get the tutorial on how to use them right here. The results are very interesting - kind of fun to play with on a rainy day. I know some of you think Ziser is nuts offering these kind of links, but hey, "No Rest for the Wicked" - sorry, just had to get one more in. You better bookmark this one - 8 months from now when it hits you - where did I hear about "Flame Brushes" - you know you got it right here.

Concert Photography Tips:
I just got a nice email from Scott Kelby complimenting me on the Photoshop World "After Party" shots - thanks Scott. The NAPP house band, Big Electric Cat performed at the party and I ran around, like any good (wedding) photographer would, capturing all the band action and dancing. You can actually find the post and the those images right here. I'm not ready to make the career change to concert photographer just yet, but for those of you looking to do a better job at this kind of photography, there is a great article on it over at the RRD PhotoBlog. Ryan Dlugosz, who runs this well done site has done a great job listing and documenting with several images on just how to photograph concert artists/bands with their unique and special lighting effects. Check out the article right here.

A Cup on Inspiration for Monday - Absolutely Beautiful Landscape Photography:
When we got back from our 2 weeks of travels, I needed to hit the computer to see what was happening for next week. As I was doing that I checked out a few of my "bookmarks" I had carried over from my old computer - I just set up a new computer right before we left 2 weeks ago (what a hassle-whew!) and wanted to see if I had missed anything. Anyway, the good news, I had bookmarked this site a while back, but went back to review it again. It all came back to me - Joseph Holmes Photography, Natural Light Photography - what absolutely astonishing work. Just take a few minutes to review his site and his images. Here is the link. You won't be disappointed.

That's it for today, I'm off to my program. Don't forget - tomorrow is "Technique Tuesday". See you then, have a good one. --David

"Beach Dancer"

David A. Ziser Photography

I made this image a few years ago at Cape May, New Jersey. The setting was beautiful. There were just a few hitches - I wanted the sun in the image, so I used my off-camera flash to create a direction of light on the subject. Next I adjusted the flash exposure with the exposure of the setting sun to get the light balance I was looking for. And lastly, I brought the image into Photoshop and removed my assistant and 9 other people who were in the shot. Don't you love digital. --David

Friday Highlights

A Great Friday Morning to Everyone,

LaDawn and I are packing our bags and heading for home. After a nearly a week at Photoshop World, and now another week in New York, I think we are both ready to head back home. We spent our last full day yesterday checking out the sights over at Brooklyn Heights - what a nice area to visit. Bert Monroy gave us the tip a few weeks ago when he came through Cincy on his Photoshop Creativity Tour - he is from New York originally. Brooklyn Heights turns out to be America's first suburb. It's quiet, full of shops and restaurants, and the view from the Promenade is best of NYC and the Brooklyn bridge. You can check out a short slide show of the images over at our sister Blog "Dave and LaDawn on the Road". In fact we have been blogging the whole week over there as well. (Two Blogs a day, not for the "faint of heart.") Take a look.

Before we headed out yesterday, we took a "time-share" tour. If any of our readers have had that experience you know what I'm talking about here. The sales person tries to sell you part of a piece of property that you get to use for a week, once a year. I don't want to spend a lot of time here describing the concept, but, just as a heads up, I'm going to spend some time on "Sales" next week and I will share some of my insights about yesterday's experience. Check back next week for the rest of the story.

Anyway, even though we had a terrific time here in the Big Apple, we are looking forward to heading back. I have the weekend off, but on Sunday we are heading for Columbus to prepare for an "all-day" program for the Professional Photographers of Central Ohio we will present on Monday - hope to see some of you there. Next week I will also be putting finishing touches on my week-long Digital Master Class that kicks off September 24. (Still 1 or 2 seats left - call Susan at 800.292.2994 if interested.) So I will see everyone back in Cincinnati.

How about a little news.

True Digital Infrared:
I have had this saved in my "Favorites" folder. I first saw the story month's ago, and now it's popped up again. Here is the scoop. Back in the film days I remember reading and seeing many articles and images on "Infrared Photography". Photographers were producing B&W infrared images by placing an infrared filter over the camera lens, and after a very long exposure and focus shift, produced very striking images where the sky was black and the greens were almost white. In fact Konica eventually developed a special high speed IR film that would help photographers get the same effect with much faster exposure times. It was kind of a niche product which some wedding guys used occasionally - with great results. So how can we do it digitally? There have been many tutorials on how to do it in Photoshop with "Channel Mixer" and the like, but the results has never been as good as the real thing. Enter Life Pixel, a service that will turn your digital camera into a REAL infrared digital camera for only about $300. I have seen the results of the conversion and they are amazing. I have been planning on making the conversion to one of my older Canon 20D's - I'll keep you posted. The Pop Photo blog just did a story about Life Pixel. You can check it out here. Life Pixel's web site and a short video can be viewed right here.

The Largest Photograph in the World - and it's not Digital:
I thought this was a great story - it's about six photographers who literally created the largest photograph in the world via the "camera obscura" technique. They call it the "Legacy Project" They coated a giant size piece of visquene specially ordered from Germany, with photographic emulsion, exposed it for 35 minutes, and then processed it in 1800 gallons of B&W chemistry. You can get the quick recap right here, but also check out the "Legacy Project" web site right here for all the details about the world's largest photograph - very cool.

Ansel Adams (or maybe his twin bother) Returns:
Wow! check out Clyde Butcher's work over at his web site. It is truly amazing. As I was cruising his site and there are quite a number of similarities between Mr. Butcher and Mr. Adams - large format camera, beards, beautiful B&W images, involved with environmental causes, and making an impact on the world. Mr. Butcher's work is simply outstanding. Please check it out right here. You can even sign up for his newsletter.

Nighttime Digital Photography
We all know 'Nighttime " photography is not the easiest to pull off particularly with the contrast range we are often faced with. The old film guys would over expose then undevelope to try to protect all the details in the shadows. Heck, Ansel Adams wrote a whole book on it. So how do we pull it off digitally? Here is an entire book on the subject. It is written by John Carucci. Read the entire review here. It looked good to me so I headed over to Amazom and just ordred it. I'll do a follow up down the road.

That's it for now, gang. I've got bags to pack and planes to catch. Have a great weekend. See you Monday. --David

"Black and White"

David A. Ziser Photography

One of my favorite images - I love the contrasts - white wall, dark wall; white dress, dark tux. The expressions really play into the image as well. The subdued expressions let the viewer just sit back and enjoy the play of densities over the scene. In hindsight, I wonder how I would have liked it if I would have switched the Bride and Groom. But, it's a normal situation - we were out of time. Enjoy.

Thursday News

Good Morning Everybody,

To the readers of Digital ProTalk - have you noticed the news stories on the right side of this page change several times a week. I've been using this blogging resource to get additional interesting items on the front page. So be sure to check out the RED STUFF >>> to the right of this page.

In addition to keeping this page up to date, LaDawn and I have also been tracking our trip to NYC this week. Hey, I know there are so many hours in a day - so who wants to look at travel pics - but, heck, some of them are pretty cool. Think of it as a "Vacation" resource. Anyway if you want to check it out here is the link to Dave and LaDawn On the Road - just click here.

Alrighty then, on with quick news:

The Top 10 Best Places to Take Photographs:
I know this is a combo National Park/Ford Promo, but that's OK with me. I started taking my kids with me to National parks many years ago. My son, loved it nd said, "hey Dad, why don't we do this once a year." We had a pretty good run at it while they were young. That's why I have added these recommendations. So here is what is happening. This year, the National Park Service and the National Park Foundation teamed with Ford Motor Company for the official “Share the Experience” photo contest. So not only do you get great pics, but might win a car too. Here is the link.

Fireworks Tutorial - Or Where Did the Black Tones Go?
When I first saw this come up, I thought we are way past the 4th of July - what good is this? (kidding) but then I took a closer look. The guys over at Watch and Learn Photoshop have a nice little tutorial here. Look beyond the "fireworks" part - the best part is seeing how certain "Layer Modes" work with blacks in the image. Check it out here.

Hands On With the Canon 40D over at Luminous Landscape.
OK, I admit it - I'm a Canon 20D then 30D, now 40D nut. I can't believe they get so much stuff into that camera - Highlight Tone Priority to save my highlights, full screen "blinkies", fast focus, etc. As a matter of fact, I ordered the new Canon 40D from B&H last week at Photoshop World. It's just a lot of "bang for the buck." So when I caught yet another "hands on" experience, especially from a really well respected source, I wanted to share it with you. If your a Canon shooter or just thinking about becoming one here is the link for some great info.

Finally - Batteries That Hold a Charge
Tired of the constant "drain the recharge" cycle with the AA NiCads, or are you like me and never drain them so six months later after about the zillionth recharge, you end up with no charge. This story came up the other day over at our buddies at 1001 Noisy Cameras. It's talks about this new kind of battery (AA and AAA) that hold their charge for quite a while. Check out the whole story here.

Hey Gang, got to go - I've got an early appointment today - see ya tomorrow. --David

"Blue Boy"

David A. Ziser Photography

One of my favorite and most lasting images I have ever taken over the years. I remember trying to get "Mr. Nicholas" to smile and he just would have nothing of it. Even his dad was tying to coax him from behind my camera - still no luck. He finally pushed his hands into his pockets and pouted back. I hit the shutter, and knew I had the shot. Nicholas is now in his mid twenties and has his own little "ring bearers" running around the house.

Wednesday - Very Interesting...

Hi Everybody,

Hope you liked our "Technique Tuesday" yesterday. I know it's only going to get better from here. In addition to photographic and Photoshop tips and techniques, I want this site to also bring inspiring and interesting photography to our readers. There are so many creative photographic styles to explore and enjoy, and I hope I can bring some of those photographers' images to Digital ProTalk. We are doing that very thing in today's post. Check out some of the items today and let me know what you think.

Anyway, on with the news and photography.

Wilderland by Ralph Lee Hopkins:
I looked at Mr. Hopkins images and was "blown away" by their spectacular beauty. Each image was mesmerizing, beautiful, and elegantly photographed. Please take a look at these wildlife images from this latest issue of Rangefinder Magazine. I hope you will enjoy a luxurious viewing. Here is the link.

Harry Nowell has done it - he has exposed... The Happy Histogram
Harry Nowell has a nice article on histograms over at his website. It gives some good insights into reading and understanding just what all those "peaks and valleys" mean. Give it a read right here.

If Photoshop Support Loves Her, So Do We.
Jennifer Farley is an Irish designer and design instructor based in Dublin. Her Blog features a lot of Photoshop tips, tutorials, and the like. Well, she must be pretty darn good - Photoshop Support recently featured 7 of her tutorials on their site. Check them out, here is the link.

One More For the Road - Camera and Lens Testing
I just came across this site while on an early morning "surf". It's called Photozone, and what a great site. I'm writing about it here because, as a photo geek for many years, I always loved reading the reviews of new equipment and camera -- and still can't resist today. So, when I came across Photozone, I thought I just had to mention it. This site has more lens tests and camera tests than I have ever seen in one location. You can spend many a "rainy day" perusing the reviews, so if you are considering a new lens for your current on new digital camera, then check it out right here first.

That's it for today. See you tomorrow. --David

" Look of Love"

David A. Ziser Photography

Technique Tuesday

Good Morning Everybody,

Well here we are our first "Technique Tuesday." I want this part of the blog to give you some solid information, insights, and techniques that can really make your photographs stand out from the crowd. But hey, if everybody reads and incorporates all the techniques, maybe your work won't stand out so much. But, at least the crowd's work would look better too - and that's not a bad thing either. So off we go to:

Ziser Lighting 101 - Part 1:

There are a "million" new shooters out there thanks to the explosion of digital photography. Many of these new shooters are also trying to do wedding photography on weekends, maybe not as a full time occupation like many of us, but just as a way to bring in a little extra income - and that's a good thing, too. A little extra income never hurt anyone.

Here is the situation - the giant wave of new shooters has certainly leveled the sea in the level of "Sameness" in the wedding market - "Sameness" is on the rise in wedding photography. But, we can do something about it - each and everyone of us can, if we choose. By choosing to do so introduces a brand new way to be creative in our photography.

The "Strobist" started a blog discussing off camera flash about 18 months ago that is now off the charts. The phenomenon David Hobbie - "The Strobist" - created was the result of people wanting to be less the same, more different, and more creative. If you have never visited his site, check out his blog here - tons of info there.

I want to create the opportunity for each of our readers to be more creative in the context of Wedding Photography. I will post a series of tips over the next several weeks that hopefully will spark one's initiative to reach out for that goal of being different. Remember, "It's the Difference That Makes the Difference!"

Let's look at what is being shot, how it is being shot, and how we can easily change it for the better. Look at the following 4 images. This first one was shot with a single on-camera flash. Look how ordinary it looks. It's "blasting" right into the face. Because of the smallness of the flash head, it creates substantial and unflattering specular highlights on the subject's forehead, cheeks, nose and chin . Good morning, Uncle Harry and Aunt Mary - this is how the bulk of new photographers are lighting their subjects. Not bad for the occasional family snap, but not acceptable for the professional or "want-to-be-professional" wedding photographer.

To solve the "specular" problem, many photographers will bounce the light off the ceiling by turning the flash head skyward under the impression that the "bounced" light will give a softer look. Softer yes, but from the right direction - NO! Look at the second image here.
You might say, Hey Dave, look, no more "specular" highlights". You would be right there, but look at the brand new "raccoon eye sockets" we created on our bride's face - again, not flattering. I call this "office lighting."

OK, one more try, suppose I use the little fill flap to bounce a little more light back into her face. Sounds like a good idea at first glance, but let's look at the next image. What do you think? You might be inclined to say - WOW! that's a lot better, I can see her eyes again. Yes, that's true, but notice that the specularity has returned. Granted, there are flash attachments out there that are basically larger "fill flaps". My buddy Gary Fong makes one that is quite good, in fact I occasionally send my second shooter off to use his original "Lightsphere" in some "Cocktail Candid" situations. A larger light source reduces the "specularity" - it basically puts non-directional fashion lighting on the subject. Another name for this lighting is "Butterfly" lighting. This might be good for the fashion model. But my brides, while incredibly beautiful, are not typically fashion models.

How can we get a much more flattering directional light on our bride with our on camera flash? The answer is simplicity in itself. Have the on-camera flash send it's light to another location, bouncing off of the new location and returning from a direction that really flatters our bride. Take a look at the last image - it's the "Treasure Image" - the one that captures the beauty of the bride, the one that has the light coming in from a direction that places a highlight next to a shadow, creating detail, depth, dimension, and color saturation. This is the image that will produce a look that is different from the rest of the pack.

The lighting on this image was effortlessly created. I simply turned my flash about 90 degrees to the right pointing at a flat white panel that my assistant was holding to the right of the bride. That mass of little "photons" headed out of the flash head, traveled to the reflector, most of those little guys - and they are very small, just ask Einstein - pushed off (or were reflected) back into the direction of the bride, and illuminated her face beautifully. What do you think? I love the result.

Here is an image of the exact set-up.

Hope you all enjoyed the first lesson. I'll hit some news again tomorrow.

See you then, --David

"An Elegant Day"

David A. Ziser Photography

Monday in NYC

Good Morning from NYC,

What a week it was last week. I hope you were following the news and pics I posted from Photoshop World held in Las Vegas. That show is just non-stop. Full of GREAT information. I presented the Wedding Shootout out on Wednesday, visited with lots of people I had met at previous PSW's at the Tech Expo, and presented 3 more programs on Friday. Thank you to everyone for the very kind remarks about the three programs. Hope to see everyone again next time around. Hey, don't forget to check out the Wedding Shoot-out images in last week's post and also some great party pics from the "After Hours" party on Thursday.

LaDawn and I were up not too bright but really early - about 4 A.M. to catch the first flight to NYC. We headed up to the "Big Apple" for a few days of R&R and to catch up with some of our sponsor buddies from last years "Digital WakeUp Call" tour. You can catch some news of our New York trip over at our "Dave and LaDawn on the Road" blog starting today.

I was going to keep this a short news day today, but found some really interesting items I thought everyone would enjoy - including lots of really cool photography items today. I'm breaking it up into a couple of posts for easier reading.

Enjoy, --David

Announcements from Digital ProTalk

You have been asking for it so here it comes. In addition to the Photoshop tutorials you have seen here, I'm going to start posting lighting and photography tips and techniques right here. Yes, you are going to see it right here as Mr. Ed Sullivan used to say. Some will be short and sweet and others - a bit more extended. Look for the first tip tomorrow on Technique Tuesday. I'll start the series by dissecting and discussing an image or two from the PSW Wedding Shoot-out. Hope your enjoy the info. --David

More Cool News with NYC Views

And You Thought 22 Megapixels Was Big

John Nack, one of the all time Photoshop gurus had this really, really interesting piece over at his blog. He posted a link to a - get this - a 13 GIGAPIXEL image of Harlem, New York. You can navigate the image, zoom super close. It is truly amazing - check out the image here. Check out the entire story at John's blog right here.

Smoke Sculpture Photography:

This piece caught my attention because I had seen some similar images by a photographer in Indiana about two years ago, but these images are just outstanding. I stumbled on them over at F1.0's site. They were produced by Mehmet Ozgur. Check out the images here. Amazing!

Lighting For Commercial Applications:

Here is a nice article on commercial lighting published by my friends over at Rangefinder Magazine. It was also written by Linda May, whom I just finished an article with last evening. More on that later. Anyway, this piece gives you some good insights as to how to get it right on your next commercial shoot. Here is the link. It's a down loadable PDF so print it out and give it a read.

Freebie of the Day - Wondershare iPod Slideshow:

Here is the description - Wondershare iPod Slideshow is an innovative and easy-to-use tool to show off your imagination and create your entertaining slideshows on iPod. Tons of dazzling transitions & Ken-burns styled effects, powerful photo/video editing, various photo/video formats to iPod mp4 files converting, and the program’s simplified three-step workflow enables you to make show-n-tell custom movies for enjoying easily on the go! Click here for the link.

Meridian iPod Dock Upscales Video to 1080p:

Hot on the heels of the Freebie of the Day News comes news of Meridian's new iPod dock. It lets you res them up to 1080p for presentation on your big screen TV. Does this have the same "ring" as giant shrimp? Anyway, that's it for today.

See everyone tomorrow, All the Best -- David

Big Electric Cat Band Brings Down the House at Photoshop World!

Good Morning Everybody!

What a non-stop day it was yesterday here in Las Vegas. Photoshop World opened it's largest conference to it's biggest crowd ever! We visited with a lot of wonderful people at the trade show and saw a lot of friends from previous PSW's. After the Tech Expo closed we headed over to the Peachpit Press party at the Border Grill in Mandalay Bay. It was really cool to "rub elbows" with Peachpit star authors - David Cross, Matt Kloskowski, Jeff Schewe, Deke McClelland, just to name a few.

Next we headed to the famous Photoshop World "After Party". Last Spring in Boston, we were all entertained by the rock group; Big Electric Cat Band. Who's that on "keyboards and vocals" - it's Mr. Scott Kelby along with his lovely wife, Kalebra, doing a knockout job on lead vocals, and Mr. Felix Nelson on bass. Most the the five band members have been playing together for over 20 years and are now the official NAPP "house band". Here is a piece of "Big Electric Cat" trivia - the NAPP house band was named after Adobe’s internal code-name for Photoshop 4.0. The band sounded great and the crowd loved it. A very fun night.

We got back to the room kind of late, but I was anxious to get the images downloaded and edited. Take a peek at the pics and enjoy! One great party!!!

I'll post a follow up on Monday. Have a great weekend. Catch ya next week, my first program begins in about 90 minutes. --David

Wedding Shoot Out and Photoshop World Opening

Hey Gang,

Photoshop World kicked off today with Scott and the Histograms performing the opening set. The whole theme this time around was how Scott's band rose to fame with a brand new set of songs with Photoshop lyrics - you had to be there - it was hilarious and brought down the house. How do those guys think of that stuff. Between presentations, the Tech Expo, and the other zillion things that happen out here, I just grabbed a few minutes to get these images up from yesterday's Wedding Shoot Out. The session went great with a terrific group of people in attendance.

We go to about 10 p.m. tonight and I'm presenting 3 programs tomorrow starting at 9:30 a.m. so postings may be brief. Anyway, got to go for now - the Tech Expo/Trade Show is about to open. Enjoy the images, and have a great day wherever you read this.

Signing off for now. --David

" Magnificent Day"

David A. Ziser Photography

Wednesday - Photoshop World Pre-Con Day

Good morning everyone,

Today is the day - Photoshop World kicks off today with a great line up of pre-conference sessions. I have the honor of presenting the "On-Location Wedding Shoot". This is always great fun and the attendees love it. Last year, the man himself - Mr. Scott Kelby - came by to say hi along with Photoshop guru Dave Cross. Scott told me a few weeks ago he was planning to be here today, too. I wonder if he gets a special discount ;-) I'll have images up here tomorrow from today's session.

Just a short note about Bert Monroy's visit to Cincy last Friday. Boy, does he really know his stuff. I have never seen anyone "mouse" so quickly through all the Photoshop Stuff he showed us at the program. It was like that old Maxell ad years ago that showed the guy holding on to his chair for dear life, hair blowing straight back. Many of us felt like that at Bert's program. Be sure to catch the Photoshop Creativity Tour when it comes to a town near you - it's well worth it.

Follow up to Bert's visit - I was strolling through the mini - trade show at one of the breaks and saw a very attractive lady at the Photoshop User booth. I knew she looked familiar, and then it hit me - it's Debbie, Scott's "Bride model", we have been seeing in his new Lightroom and Photoshop for Digital Photographers books. I even took this souvenir photo of us.

A Bit More on Sunday's Wedding - I just wanted to leave you a few more notes on Sunday's big wedding. In the back-lit images, I had my assistant positioned behind my couple about 12 feet away. This gives a nice wrap around effect to the rim lighting. In the image of them on the stairway, the flash was only a few feet behind them because of the space limitation, but we still got a good result. I also tested the Canon Mark III at the ISO 6400 setting - looked darn good to me. After Noise Ninja, I'm sure it will be fine. The sax player was at ISO 6400. That's about it on the wedding. We will get some more photo tips posted as the blog settles in. Check yesterday's slide show for the images I'm referring too.

A Few News Flashes - then I "gota" go:
I'm intrigued by GPS data being added to the image meta data. I posted an article on it a while back. Today over at Terry White's blog he has found another one from Sony and goes into great depth on it. It's a GPS Sony Unit for Digital Still Cameras - Give it a read at Terry's blog - he has the entire low-down on it right here. - very "geeky" but still cool.

Now Everybodys Getting Into Digital:
Here is a funny story from the Telegraph over in the UK - Longleat Meerkats take photos of themselves. Yep, that's what it read. The article showed the inquisitive Meerkats taking - are you ready for this - Family pictures! It's good read for a "giggle" today. Here is the link.

Photoshop Tutorial:
Here is an interesting Photoshop Tutorial on how to create a photo woven from interweaving strips. The result looks very interesting. I'll give it a try when I get back to the studio. Here is the link.

I Save the Best for Last:
I have always been intrigued with pinhole cameras since I was a kid. To be able to make an image on film where the aperture was this very small pinhole was fascinating. While cruising the web today, I inadvertently came across an entire site dedicated to the Art and Craft of Pinhole Photography. It's called "Pinhole Visions" Here is the link - really cool!

Thanks for the read, everyone. Got to go and set up for my program - see ya tomorrow. --David

"Lifestyles of the Rich"
David A. Ziser Photography

Wedding Recap - WOW!

WOW! What a weekend – 14+ hours and over 4200 images later we made it back to the studio about 1:00 a.m. the next morning! My team and I met at the studio at 10:30 a.m. to review the day’s shooting strategy. We were to be on site at 11:30 a.m. I was lucky enough to have Mary Mannix – our regional Canon representative on board to help out. Mary was a successful studio owner for over 25 years before joining Canon in January, and boy, she knows her stuff. (And she brought along her Mark III and a 40D too!).

A funny thing happened at the wedding when a camera enthusiast guest asked her what camera she was shooting and when she showed him, to his great surprise, that it was the not yet available, brand new 40D. It almost “blew her cover” as my team member.

We arrived on time, and entered cameras blazing – mostly scene setters, bridesmaids in the “make-up” chair, etc. But, as luck would have it the girls were running a bit behind schedule. I kiddingly suggested I could come back next week same time - minor giggles especially from the father of the bride. I have been hired previously by the family six times - three other lifecycle events – Bar and Bat Mitzvahs of three of their children, one senior portrait, and two family portraits. I was honored and thrilled to be invited to be the photographer at their daughter’s wedding. They are such a wonderful family and feel more like friends than clients.

Once we got started, we were flying – 20 people in the wedding party, large families, high noon lighting conditions, and time running out. Thanks to our advanced planning, we pulled it off, albeit with only seconds to spare.

Here are a few of the shooting strategies we used. All indoor portraits, with the exception of a few window light images were illuminated with my Quantum T5d flash shooting though an inexpensive 36” translucent umbrella held by my assistant. This makes for a very fast and beautiful lighting set up. I filled the scene occasionally with my on camera flash, but dialed down about 2 stops as to not ruin the beautiful direction of light I was getting from my umbrella.

For the outside “small group” images, two things are important to note here. First, I need to balance the lighting on the background with the lighting I am placing on the subject so I set the ISO at 100 and the flash output to full power. I am limited by the sync speed of the camera. My 1/200 sec fastest sync speed on my Canon 5D at ISO 100 lets me shoot at about F5.6 – my preferred aperture because of how soft the background becomes with my Canon 70-300 D-O IS lens. With my flash at full power, I can still get the direction of light on my subjects without the ambient over powering it.

For the large “Wedding Party” images, I always keep one thing in mind – ALWAYS BACKLIGHT with the sun. This puts the camera side of the subjects’ faces in the open shade. Now I can create a direction of light with my off camera flash once again. One hitch though – the assistant has to be so far enough away from the group so he is not included in the shot. In this case, we have to “loose” the umbrella which cuts down 2 stops of light when attached to the flash. The direct flash is now four times stronger without the umbrella. Now it’s light can reach the subjects at its greater distance – and give us that “pretty” light once again.

The ceremony is always photographed “hand-held” with image stabilized lenses. For the close ups, I love my 70-300 IS lens on my 30D – that gives me almost a 500mm optic to get up close and personal for the ring exchange, and those wonderful expressions from family as well as the attendants and the bride and groom.

Reception images are always created with one “room light” supplying and overall illumination. This light is bounced off the ceiling. My assistant travels with a second flash and adjusts power output as needed for the working distance he/she is to the subject. Yes, we are using the Quantum in “manual” mode. My “on-camera” flash is set to give the best exposure on the subject. The position of the lighting is as such – consider the face of a clock. The subject(s) are at the clock’s center. I am at the 6 o’clock position. My assistant is at either the 10 and 2 o’clock position depending on his/her position relative to the room light. This set up gives a beautiful three dimensional lighting on the scene eliminating the “cave” look so prevalent in wedding photography today.

One of my favorite images from the evening is the image of the couple dancing and looking over at the bride’s mom and dad. Notice how my assistant’s flash bounced off the bride’s gown while still creating a strong “rim” light on the couple and illuminated mom and dad, who have great expressions, by the way.

Well, the battery is getting low and the plane is about the land. Enjoy the small selection of images in the slide show and see if you can pick up on my techniques discussed here. I’ll try to pick up any “loose ends” in tomorrow’s post. Vegas, here we come! --David

Early Tuesday News

An early good morning to everyone,

Here are a few interesting news items I thought I would try to post before LaDawn and I head to the airport . I also promised a recap of my wedding over the weekend - look for it later today - some cool stuff.

On with the news:

Sept. 4, 1888: Photography Leaps Into the Late 19th Century
Yep, today was the day - 119 years ago, that George Eastman received a patent for the first roll-film camera and registers the name "Kodak." This article is a nice read for the photo-history buff. Here is the link.

Vincent Versace - Podcast - Nikon D3/D300:
With all the new camera announcements over the last few weeks, I thought I would point you to Vincent Versace's podcast on the Nikon D3 and D300. Vincent Versace, Photographer, Trainer, and Author. One of Nikon’s “Legend Behind the Lens” and premier product beta tester joins host Scott Sheppard for a first hand look on Nikon’s newest digital SLRs. I'll be seeing Vinney at Photoshop World this week - what a terrific photographer. Here is the link to the podcast.

In Depth Canon 40 Review:
Let's give Canon equal billing here. I just saw this review of Canon's latest and greatest 40D. I had my hands on one this weekend - Sweet. Click here for the link.

Which Batteries for digital and How to Make Them Last:
I just replaced some of my NiCads before the wedding this weekend. Want to know which batteries are the best? The Strobist had a nice piece on just that topic. Give it a read right here. Now that you've made the battery choice, how do you make them last. Here is the tell - all article - right here - posted over at John Nack's blog that gives you the low-down. I feel so recharged already.

World’s Fastest-Shooting Digital Camera:
This story has been popping up all over the web lately so I thought I would post it more as a - "Look to the Future" item. Just where is all this technology going these days? Just when we think we hit the megapixel sweet spot and all is perfect, new technology points our imaginations into a new direction. Here is the news piece. Casio has just revealed plans of an as yet unnamed twelve times zoom, six megapixel CMOS based digital camera which can capture a burst of full-size six megapixel images at sixty frames per second and VGA AVI movies at an astonishing three hundred frames per second (obviously shutter speed allowing). Exact specifications and details are currently a little vague but we do know that it has a 2.8" wide-screen LCD monitor, electronic viewfinder and sensor-shift image stabilization. You say so what? the "so what" is this - things are moving fast, think of the posibilities. It's great to be along for the ride! Click here for the story.

Hey Gang, that's it for now - got a plane to catch. Check back for the wedding recap story later today. See you in Vegas! --David

Haystack Rock - Cannon Beach, Oregon

David A. Ziser Photography

A Labor Free - Labor Day

Happy Labor Day to all. Hey, Gang, I'm taking it easy today - we wrapped a 15 Hour! wedding yesterday - Whew. But is was beautiful. I give you the low-down tomorrow along with some pics of the event.

LaDawn and I are getting ready to get on the plane early tomorrow morning - heading for Photoshop World in Las Vegas. We are really looking forward to it. Come on up and say "Hi" if you are Las Vegas bound too. I'm doing the Wedding "Pre-Con" on Wednesday and three more presentations on Friday. You can also catch us in the trade show - we will be showing some cool album design software - Thursday and Friday. See you there!

Until tomorrow everybody, have a great holiday today! --David

"Rhapsody In Blue"

David A. Ziser Photography

Friday -

Good Morning Everybody,

What a nice dinner LaDawn and I had with Bert Monroy last night. We took him to the "world famous" Montgomery Inn at the Boathouse. If you ever hit Cincy - this place is the place to go for "finger lickin' good" ribs - they sell more ribs than any restaurant in the world. Bert told us about a new project he is starting that is going to take him two years! to complete - and the technology to complete the huge project is not quite in place - whew! I'll let him tell you the whole story when he visits a city near you on the Photoshop CS3 Creativity Tour. Nice visit last night.

Speaking of visitors, I asked Mary Mannix, our regional Canon rep, if I could borrow her Canon EOS 1D Mark III and the WFT-E2A Wireless File Transmitter for my Pre-Con shoot at Photoshop World next week. She graciously agreed and headed on over to get me up to speed on the wireless system. I have to say, this was really easy to set up and it worked flawlessly - and it is super small. I really loved the "Live View" mode too. This is going to be a great teaching tool for me. Can't wait to give it a try. And, look closely now, what's that in my hands - you are right - the brand new Canon 40D. Huge viewfinder, highlight Tone Priority, and a bunch more features - can't wait to get my hands on one - I hear they are shipping in the next few weeks. I'll keep you posted. Thanks to Mary for all the help and the Canon 40D preview.

Well, how about we get on with some news.

Canon Mark III Review:
Speaking of the Canon Mark III, I just found a brand new review over at Steve's Digicams. Click here for the link and review. This is a thorough review of the camera, so if you are thinking of making the jump, give it a read.

Podcast with Pete Turner:

Since I was a kid reading Popular Photography - I still read it by the way - I have always admired Pete Turner's work. He is the "Master of color photography." He talks about how he got started in photography and his early experiments with color. Along the way this legendary pioneer of color photography talks us through the creation of dozens of his “signature” photographs. Here is the podcast link. Enjoy.

Canon 580EX Replacement Foot with Sync Port:

I was checking on the comments posted to the Digital ProTalk blog and saw a note from Ryan Dlugosz. He is a freelance photographer and tech guru in Cincinnati, OH. Can you believe it right here in Cincy - we are almost neighbors. He has a great site, by the way - check it out here. Anyway, while reviewing his posts I saw this little piece of great news about the Canon 580Ex replacement foot. I've been been looking for something like this since I purchased my 580EX's. I always wanted to fire them remotely with my Quantum radio transmitters - finally a solution. If you are the least bit interested in this, check out - here is the info and link. Hey Ryan, thanks for the tip - great blog too.

Apple talking with Volkswagen over 'iCar':

I know what you are thinking - an iWhat? - yep, an iCar - a car with more Apple gadgets in it than any car in the world. Actually Bert mentioned this last night to me at dinner so I had to check it out when we got home. Click here for the link for the AppleInsider news story. What will they think of next?

Food for Thought:

MediaStorm has another great piece of photo-journalistic media that is worth a look - it's only about 10 minutes long. It's entitled "Two Years After Katrina - Finding a Way Home." The manner in which the images are combined the video and dialogue makes the a compelling documentary on a subject that has been to soon forgotten by many of us. The beautifully produced and thought provoking presentation can be found by clicking here.

Well, after my wedding shoot on Sunday (I'll post a few images next week), I packing my bags and heading to Photoshop World in Las Vegas. Hope to see you there. Have a wonderful labor-free Labor Day weekend everybody. --David

"Man of the Year"

David A. Ziser Photography

Thursday Highlights

Good Morning Everyone,

We are off and running towards a wonderful day today. Bert Monroy - legendary Photoshop guru - is heading into the Cincy area today. Bert's presenting the Photoshop CS3 Creativity Tour right here in good ol' Covington, KY tomorrow and I plan to be there. He hits town this evening - LaDawn and I are going to catch up with him for dinner - looking forward to it. I've got a few more "studio" things happening today, but not too heavy of a schedule. So on with the news...

Kenny Roger's Hits town too:

Well, actually Louisville, KY. I know what you are thinking - why is Ziser reporting on Kenny Rogers. Here's why - Does anybody remember the beautiful portrait photography book he published entitled Your Friends and Mine back in 1987 - I still have my copy. It's a collection of beautiful portraits that he shot with a 4x5 view camera - the work is awesome! The whole point is this - Kenny Rogers is quite an accomplished photographer. Check out his work here. I think you will enjoy it.

Attention Film Photographers!

What? Ziser's talking film - I thought this was a digital site. Well, it is, and that's why I'm reporting on what looks to be a really cool scanner from Epson. Here is the news item - "Epson Unveils Scanner Featuring 6400 DPI Resolution, Earth-Friendly LED Technology For Breakthrough Price Under $250." OK, it was the $250 price tag that caught my eye because we all know that photographers are .....? But in all seriousness, I have "tons" of really good images I shot on film over the many years in this business that I would love to have scanned. In fact all the "Images of the Day" for this week have been film images. This scanner looks like a lot of "bang for the buck." I'm going to check it out more thoroughly. I'll keep you posted. Here is the link for more info on the Epson Perfection V500 photo scanner.

Creating a Better a Logo:

I know I said this site is about digital photography, Photoshop, etc, but it also being more successful in your business. If I find something interesting that I think benefits our readers and the success of their business, you will find the post here. Anyway, many of us struggle with coming up with a good logo - not many of us are "logo experts". Well, here are 6 things a good company logo must have. Click here for the link. Enjoy.

Panorama Stock Photography:

Panoramas have always held a special interest for me. I'm looking forward to working with Photoshop CS3's new "Photomerge" feature to create a few myself. Mike Wong has a great write up on how to use it right here. Mike's going to be at Photoshop World next week in Las Vegas. Anyway, the point of the news item was to tell you all about this new photo stock site called World Panorama Stock. If you are interested in Panorama photography at all or just trying to get some ideas for shooting panoramas, check out the link here - some really nice stuff.

More Good Ideas?

All of us can use the proverbial "kick in the pants" when trying to refresh our "creativity" brain cells. You need to check out The FStop's online magazine site. Here is their intro - "The FSTOP is an online magazine featuring the work of top advertising, editorial, and fine art photographers. Published six times a year, each issue explores the work of four professionals. Articles combine an in-depth interview with a comprehensive behind-the-scenes deconstruction of the process of creating one powerful image from the photographer’s recent portfolio." It's the "scenes deconstruction" part that got me - they tell you how the image was made in detail. Click here for a the link to one of their recent articles featuring the work of Andreas Smetana, named "Advertising Photographer of the year in 2006 and 2007. Well done - highly recommended!

That's it for today, gang. See you tomorrow. --David

P.S. Don't forget to vote in the "Flash Card Poll" over in the right column - this poll closes today. Thanks, David

"Sea Mist's Embrace"

David A. Ziser Photography

Wednesday - Turning Up the Heat - Part 1

Good Morning Everybody,

Hope everyone had a good one yesterday. Well, the heat is back in good ol' KY - yep, heading for the hundreds again. But hey, we had a great solar eclipse, the sun came up in the morning, and I had a great location shoot. About six people I talked with yesterday also happened to see the eclipse early yesterday morning. What's that Ben Franklin used to say - "Early to Bed, early to rise, make a man..." I digress - looks like another multi-post day today so - On with the news.

Blog Buzz!

Yesterday turned out to be a pretty darn good day for Digital ProTalk. I got an email from Jason Moore over at Soup Questions. Jason runs a blog that is a great resource for any photog out there wanting to keep up with the "latest and greatest". He has "hand picked" the best of the best photo blog sites in the whole blogsphere and provides links, updates, and blogger profiles on those sites. Be sure to put his blog on your "visit list". Good Stuff over there. Here is the link. By the way, I just checked out his site again, and he has a very nice profile about Digital Protalk posted - thanks a bunch, Jason.

Jason's also gave me a "heads up" on our mention over at

PhotoshopUserTV too. Mr. Scott Kelby - the Photoshop Super Ninja, extraordinaire - gave us a very nice compliment also. Check out Episode 96 right here. You can also subscribe to the podcast over at iTunes. I love watching these episodes - they are always a "hoot" and jam packed with good Photoshop info. Thanks a bunch, guys.

Last week, I got a note from Matt Adcock over at FlashFlavor - it was Matt's story I featured a few weeks ago about the wedding photog who was almost literally blown away by a hurricane while he was photographing a wedding. You can read that story here. Anyway, he writes me telling me how much he likes my "Image of the Day" - "Somewhere in Time" which I featured last week, and asks if I could put together a story about the technique behind the image. You can catch all the background on this image right over here at FlashFlavor. Thanks Matt.

The images I am posting this week are all from film - dare I use that word, and all shot on a Hasselblad. They are still some of my favorites. I saw three comments from readers that people would like some more of the "behind the scenes" stories, so look for them to pop up now and then. On to Part two --