Not common to find red fungi during the Fall in the Pacific NW. Color is unretouched, that is, no settings within the camera or Photoshop were pushed to create a redder red, or more saturated tone. The sky was overcast and not bright, so the natural color bump which can occur on an overcast day was also not sufficient to amplify the range of red. This is an example of what can be achieved on a gray, and sometimes miserable day in the Pacific NW so go grab your camera and head out. You'll likely catch many periods during your outing when the wind and the rain gives you an opportunity to capture some better than imagined shots on a day such as this, even in the midst of Winter.

Mojave Desert Wind Turbines



available, print or digital file, flexible licensing, click on photo

A personal Shoot

Shooting a subject I enjoy, this is not a work assignment.

 

Triptiych Effect from Tim Grey

Tim Grey has added a new video which makes creating a triptych so much simpler than I was aware of and I wanted to share this with you. You can watch this and then if you find this helpful, show your appreciation by signing up for his email alerts'
If you don't see this video, just click on the Title above. After starting the video, wait a few seconds for the sound, or if you prefer link to YouTube for a larger display, . Thanks Tim.

RCPhotos Newsletter

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I decided to make signing up to our twice yearly RCPhotos Newsletter even easier


Just add your email above and you're done. I'll send you 2 newsletters a year, because we know how valuable your time is, and we all have plenty to read as it is. But we are so convinced that our newsletters will be of great value to you, that we are urging you to consider, by signing up today. Your email is safe and won't be given to anyone outside of RCPhotos, and unsubscribing will be as easy as emailing us with the request.

Now as an added bonus for signing up, you'll get a personalized answer, sent only to you, for any photo-type question you may have, whether it is pre-shoot or post processing your images.  And you won't have to wait till the newsletter is sent. I'll get back to you in a reasonable time, say within a week, sooner if my schedule allows. All we ask in return is you sign up ASAP and add us to your Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook pages.

Unleash your Creative Spirit and sign on Today

Getting the Details

A shoot entails capturing images that either you want or your client wants. In this case I was asked by the owner of the horse team to capture his draft horse in as many facial expressions as I could muster. Most every shot was a typical closed-mouth plodding kind of boring shot. I walked back and forth waiting for a shot of the horse to give me something but after twenty minutes of walking through freshly plowed fields, my legs were weary, as the soft overturned earth was difficult walking through. My feet would sink in several inches and it was tiring lifting them back out of the earth only to sink in again while trying to keep up with this magnificent animal who took it in stride.

What my client needed escaped me and because the horse was working I didn't feel comfortable prodding or verbally encouraging him for a shot I couldn't seem to capture. At one point he rolled his eyes toward me but that wasn't much to work with, more a warning to stand clear. I took it but it was not accepted. Then when nearly an hour had passed the draft horse shook his head and dropped his chin when I was finally able to grab what the owner considered a great shot.

Now remember that of all the shots I waited for this one was the only one which I was able to sell that captured what the owner defined as an expression. He said it was typical of a draft horse to roll his tongue when he was beginning to get into the job at hand. So this one was a winner. I've added the watermark-email as protection since he bought this as an exclusive use rights managed image for a specified time.

Quite honestly I was close to giving up and trying it on another day as my legs were exhausted, but I stayed just long enough to capture this. Patience was the go away word for the day. The idea that I was able to maintain a constant focus which showed in great detail this particular draft horse's nostril and chin hairs and small beads of sweat was done without the use of AI-Servo which means I was keeping the same pace, the same distance and the same height for a long enough time to reach the level of sharpness in the details which can often be lost without the use of AI-Servo when your subject is moving.

How to Take a Contest-Winning Photo

All you have to do is buy an expensive camera and press the shutter button. Don't you wish. Yes we all do, unfortunately its not that easy. But its not impossible either. First let's look at how the winning photos are selected.

Here's a winning photo from http://images.nationalgeographic.com (link below)



Now why would this one make the photo of the day, while another might not? The obvious reason might include that it is certainly not the shot you and I get when we shoot a bird flying since it means you would have to had set yourself up, anticipating its flight into your lens, and more that, its wings are not affixed in their normal position of wide open. Next it is an extremely sharp image, meaning the focus was spot on. Also the background does not compete with the subject, the owl. And too it fits the one thirds rule, the subject is 1/3rd of the image, rather than in the center.

Can you replicate this? Not if you are taking a walk and chance upon an owl suddenly flying into your vision. But what if you had set out to capture a bird inflight? What else might you have taken with you and your camera in order to capture this winning photo?

How about a tripod, a remote shutter release, great ambient light, a fast lens, and a setting that allows for moving subjects (Canon calls this AI Servo Mode), and of course PATIENCE.

Patience is necessary even if all the other conditions and tools aren't available. Here's that link but prepare to wait for an ad, then exit the ad: http://images.nationalgeographic.com/wpf/media-live/photos/000/456/cache/eagle-owl-flight_45673_990x742.jpg

Fungi in Dry Creek

A few photos captured from a hike through Dry Creek in Washington State.

These are available to purchase as individual prints or as a set. Digital rights are also an option. Contact me at rcphotos AT q DOT com

Free e-book

For as long as this free e-book is available click on the link and some specific instruction on 11 levels of photography.

11 Ways You Can Improve Your Photography

This eBook is jam-packed with 11 articles that will help photographers of all levels improve what they do. And yes, it’s free. Craft & Vision is a collection of hands-on, practical articles written by the following photographers (David duChemin, Piet Van den Eynde, Andrew S. Gibson, Nicole S. Young, Alexandre Buisse, Stuart Sipahigil, Eli Reinholdtsen and Michael Frye).


Readers will gain fresh ideas and insights into improving their photographic vision and the skills required to compose the images they want to make. It is 67 spreads (as in 134 magazine pages) which makes it the second largest ebook we’ve ever produced.
Download it. Enjoy it. Tell your friends about it.

Here's your link 11 Ways You Can Improve Your Photography 

1. Austin Lobo - December 5, 2011
   Thanks so much for this – I love exploring the fine art aspect of photography and this book is certainly a great source of inspiration and will add a whole new perspective to imagery making. I thank you for offering such great material for free – Happy Holidays :)
   
2. LORAINE - December 5, 2011
   THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS GREAT READ.
   

 

Can't unlock a PSD image file. Can you help?

OK I've discovered how to do this so I'll share the fix. An Adobe employee contacted me and answered my question. Since this image had been saved in Multichannel Mode, I could not unlock it, until I changed the Mode to grayscale, then added a new layer, Saved As and now I can resize the image according the the buyers need for a larger image file. I don't think I've ever dealt with leaving a file in a multichannel mode with an Alpha Channel so this was news to me. I have a workflow I pursue and rarely ever work outside it so this was a tough one.

Great news and many thanks to ssprengle.


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Ever found that you cannot unlock an image file in Photoshop? Often times all we have to do is right-click, choose rename and we are good to go. Alternatively you could use the Windows system browser (Mac system browser) and then choose, Properties and unclick the Read only box under the General Tab toward the bottom.

But I have found that I cannot unlock an image file and am looking for your help. I saved it originally as a PSD from CR2 (RAW in Canon-speak). Then somewhere along the way I must have created an Alpha Channel as following the file name in parenthesis is this  (Alpha 1/8). I have tried all the known ways and am hoping someone can help me with this.

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