Shooting Outside Gallery

January 8th, 5pm till 9pm at Northbank Artists Gallery, 1005 Main St, Vancouver WA 98660. Local artist April Kiessling has invited me to be among 4 artists to display their works. These are the prints I have decided to show. The first is a canvas of 30x60" dimension and is titled 'Light From Beneath', which is a rather dramatic photo I took and spent time creating the effect. The next is a 20x30" titled 'Tulip in Red', a close-up of a new classic in tulips which demands a respectful placement in the home. And the 3rd is another 20x30" titled 'Orchid', which has a black and white treatment allowing for a minimal amount of color so as to mimic the tepid scent of an orchid. Understand these photos are web-class only. I realize many of you will not be able to attend. But for those who are local and can I'd enjoy meeting you and of course I'll bring along my portfolio of many other prints available. ________________________________________

Merry Christmas to everyone, even if you don't normally celebrate this holiday. Because to all of us who do, the meaning goes far beyond all the glitter and wrapped presents. It is more a celebration of love and good feelings, wishes of an abundance of cheerful spirit, glad tidings, as they say and a merry heart. And how proud am I of my new Grand Daughter Elli And of course may we wish all of you your best year ever ahead.

I want to preface this with a hearty congratulations to all of the artists and to Elizabeth Edwards who is the web master of 1stAngel Art Network . I am grateful to be included in this second edition, and look forward to the third. Artistic Expressions 2 is the second collection of works of International artists publishing their work on the world wide web. 1stAngel Arts Magazine has a growing reputation for gathering some of the greatest artists of the age in one place. This, the second volume of collected works from just some of those artists, should appeal to all tastes, from the abstract to the realist minded among us. Each artist has chosen works they feel sum up best who they are and what they produce. Each artist has included one piece of work that is not published elsewhere, either in print or on the www. In some cases this piece was created just for Artistic Expressions. We hope you enjoy viewing ARTISTIC EXPRESSIONS 2 as much as we enjoyed publishing it. ****A smaller version

No photos to post, but I did want to wish all those who celebrate this famous Holiday a Happy Thanksgiving. We have a full house of relatives here today and the day is full of watching two football games, cutting and chopping, dicing and slicing, basting and pie-making, decorations laid on the main table, and many phone calls to far-off relatives and loved ones. A wish for all of you, a thankful spirit in all of us.

Mossy Forest Grove Art Print by Rich Collins In Print sizes 7x10" up to 32x48" to 72" x 48" On Canvas or archival papers Framing selections are numerous Shipping options to fit your needs 100% Guaranted

Available for Purchase Print sizes 7x10" up to 40x60" On Canvas or archival papers Framing selections are numerous Shipping options to fit your needs 100% Guaranted

This one will not be a showstopper to many of you, but for those of us who like to move a bit faster than we have become accustomed to with Photoshop and the Raw5 software application for adjustments, this article will address how to make those adjustments in some situations without even moving into Photoshop. Photoshopcafe which is known for their incredible advice and great tutorials offers this seemingly basic, if Wow-style improvement. But before you go, pick out an image you'd like to work on. Follow some of the steps if you like and enjoy. However if you don't have Adobe Photoshop CS4 and Camera Raw4 then this may just tempt you to look into upgrading.

Carving pumpkins is a national tradition and you can find dozens of articles with instructions for this, but taking a great Halloween photos is also a part of this holiday. I found this article at ehow.com submitted by marymac. Costumed kids, pumpkin patches and spooky yard displays provide great photo subjects. Here are some tips for making the best of your Halloween photographs. Instructions Things You'll Need: good digital camera nice sunny day for daytime shots lots of extra lighting/spotlights for night shots willing subjects! Step 1 Big inflatable pumpkins are nice too! Head to the pumpkin patch. Taking photos with fields of pumpkins behind your subject makes for a fantastic scenic fall shot. Let the kids sit right on the ground or on a pumpkin and stand back to get t

The best ideas come from our readers and we want you to send them in. If we like the ideas, we'll include your link to your blog, website or shop just for telling us about it. Instructions for doing so, by clicking on the Title Bar above, or here . And here's an example of a tip. Shooting into the sun presents multiple problems, but you really want that sunset. You could take your chances on getting a good shot by just aiming your lens into the setting sun and hoping for a nice capture. But what more than likely will occur is you will get a blown out upper and a darkened lower half image. The worst case is a burnt sensor, if you are using a digital body. Try adjusting the angle of the lens away but not at 90°, say slightly oblique and add a lens hood to further block any direct sunlight from entering the lens directly. The other tool many of us use is a Cirular/Polarizer lens which darkens down the brightest rays adding a saturated look to the blues and greens. This is merely a

I wonder how many of us spend time thinking about a Vet in our family? We see them and we greet them, perhaps even invite them over for a gathering or a meal. But how often have we planned a celebration get-together or a meal in honor of them and their service? Perhaps this November, on the 11th, we might take an extra step and do just that. We may or may not have heard much about their experiences, some of which may have been extraordinarily stressful, others which ring a grand sense of humor. Let them share some of it with you this Veterans Day. And as a tribute perhaps a few photos taken during their visit and a prints of a few special ones to give them once printed. Or if your veteran is no longer with you, then consider a visit to their grave site or special place they spent time at or talked of often. And after that you might wish to hang a photo of your visit as a remembrance.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and here is an image from my Collection "White Borders" from which I am donating 50% of profits for the month of October. Choose from 16 pieces. If you are considering a print to purchase do consider these, for a great cause.

You've decided to add some art to your wall(s). I just did today. But you haven't decided where to get the order done. Take a look at Imagekind . Shipping is included through the 4th of October. If you find what you are looking for at my Galleries, great, the purchase will be reasonably quick and simple. If not, there are a few more artists to view. Wild Mushrooms on a log by Rich Collins Here's one from Ken Dietz . And here's another from DocPixel See you there.

When visiting my store purchasing a print is made so easy as to almost be effortless. You will find looking through my galleries that images are much easier to view. I'll be glad to personally respond to any questions, and in the meantime, take a look at all the new images ready for purchase and shipping.

When you have a shot you really like and want to get the very best print out of it, here's a technique I find very successful. It involves just a few manipulations that you'll find easy to master assuming you have Adobe CS-CS4. This shot I got of a Spring cloud formation in March of this year was very acceptable. As I ingested it into a new gallery I thought this will be a good shot I can do something with one day. So I gave it a star, but did not name it. After a few months of working on other images I decided to revisit it and upon looking it over I clearly decided it would need some revision.The image above is the before image. Here's my workflow. After opening and duplicating your image, and I find the easiest way to duplicate is to drag down the original background image onto the create a new layer icon under the layers palette, go to the Layer Tab, then New Adjustment Layer, then Levels. From here you can define a much stronger contrast ratio by utilizing the histog

If you happen to be looking for new prints for your walls or a you know a friend who is looking, these contemporary images of waterfalls will be just what you're looking for to stimulate your surroundings while keeping you in line with your budget. These are not the traditional shots you are used to. Link by clicking on the title above, then on the Gallery Waterfalls and decide for yourself.

We know that most of us find ourselves in a quandry about what Dad will most treasure for a Father's Day gift. And while I cannot promise you your Father will find exactly what he wants here, until you click on my galleries you won't know if this is it. Take a moment for the one you love and choose from Eight Galleries .

Do any of us still shoot film? You say "No I don't see anyone shooting film, but I've heard there are a few". However some of us would say "Yes about half the people I know still shoot film". Certainly it would be rare unless of course you are among the crowd who shoots for a specific venue. Digital is so quick and easy. True, but is it as good? Well that depends. Digital certainly seldom fails to produce a good image in a relatively easy manner. But does it produce as good as image as film? When printing up to say an 11x14" print digital looks fantastic and can go way beyond that if a lot lines up well. But when you try to print larger and are not getting truly nice prints, sharp from center to edge , then you might see why film can produce some very very good large prints for those of us who demand the very best Image Quality. I'll keep this brief as someone else has done an excellent job of describing the details of the differences between film a

You can imagine a Mother, any Mother in any part of the world which celebrates Mother's Day, when she receives her flowers, or her invite to brunch, or that special call, but one I like to think is even better is the print she receives which will hang on her wall for years which celebrates her. Hopefully your gift is on time, but even if it is late, make certain you remember her this year in a most special way. Linking to the title 'Happy Mother's Day' above, will give you a number of prints to choose from in my Gallery titled WhiteBorders.

Hints may be provided depending upon the guesses. OK OK I'll give you one; it is the headwaters of one of the world's least known rivers, but one of the world's most talked about sources. And I'm facing South. Hint number 2: It lies just below the most famous mountain known for a volcanic blast about 30 years ago....

Well according to Wiki>(Right Click) , in 1912, Anna Jarvis trademarked the phrases "second Sunday in May" and "Mother's Day", and created the Mother's Day International Association. You have just enough time to take care of your gift to your Mother by choosing a print for her to hang on one of her walls. You think she doesn't have a wall for a new print? You think all of her walls are full? Well just ask her. She'll know exactly where she wants it. Even if it arrives a bit late, and she'll never forget what you've done in her honor. Now where do you find this print for your Mother? Get one right here and your name will echo in the halls of your family for decades to come. Especially when you sign the matte with your name as a gift, from you, for Mother's Day 2009. And if you'd like me to sign it as the photographer, just be sure you contact me before you purchase. Happy Mother's Day May 10th and you'd better get moving.

The Mother's Day Contest has ended and the winners have been selected. Thanks for those who entered and subscribed to OutsideShooters Blog. Your prints will be on the way soon. For those of you who missed your chance, sign up or become a follower and you'll be notified of the next update, post or contest as they happen. ______________________________________________________________________________________ Enter the Mother's Day Contest by subscribing with a valid email to OutsideShooter's blog, and we'll award you one of five prints of your choice. First one to sign up gets their choice of any print at 12x18", next two, any print at 11x14", the final two, any prints at 8x10". Where do you find these prints? Scroll down to About me OutsideShooter and click on Subscription Contest . Now here's the key: just let me know which one you want. Give me the name of the print. Post a comment at this blog under any article to let me know. We can control any

We get into habits and one of them may well be when we get back from a shoot, of taking the media card out of the camera, be it a Compact Flash (CF), a Secure Digital (SD), or whatever and placing it into the reader slot in our PC's to ingest for saving or working on them. Then once they are in the PC we right-click on Format. Done, now we are ready to shoot again. But should we do it that way? OK this is not an example of format corruption but I thought I'd scare you anyway. I would not and I do not allow my PC to format my flash memory. A PC has it's own formatting procedure and it does so from the PC angle. To prevent this I never take the card out unless it is full and I need a fresh card for more shots. When I get to the ingesting of data into my PC, I will USB cable to PC. The camera is specific to the type of formatting it was engineered to do even given the media card format specifications. All Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Hasselblad, Mamiya and so on (with few exceptions)

I'd like to give credit to shortcourses.com for the following article. It's a good read on sensor types. For those of you who have never used film, be patient, as the article quickly gets to the digital point. When using a film camera you can insert any kind of film you want. It's the film you choose that gives photographs distinctive colors, tones, and grain. If you think one film gives images that are too blue or red, you can change to another film. With digital cameras, the "film" is permanently part of the camera so buying a digital camera is in part like selecting a film to use. Like film, different image sensors render colors differently, have different amounts of "grain", different sensitivities to light, and so on. The only ways to evaluate these aspects are to examine some sample photographs from the camera or read reviews written by people you trust. Initially, charge-coupled devices (CCDs) were the only image sensors used in digital cameras. T

 Why Use a Layer? If you're new here, click to subscribe to the latest post. Assuming you are using Photoshop, you want to create a better looking image than your camera settings have delivered, you can open this file and make adjustments without harming your photo and losing information captured in your original photo. Since many use the standard JPG format, a lossy configuration, they find that each time their image is altered, data is lost, meaning that accurate sensor information is gone forever. If your image file is nothing special then you have nothing to worry about. However if you are shooting to sell any of your images, or are particularly fond of your photo then following this brief tutorial will give you an advantage. Open your JPG image in Photoshop. If you choose Image> Adjustments> then choose an option you'll be changing pixels within the original file. Not a good thing if you make a mistake and then save in original JPG format, because you

Among other great artists I was particularly pleased to note that one of my recent pieces of digital art was displayed on the Jan 26th Homepage at Imagekind, an Artist Community and Art Buyer's Showcase Mine is the dual image overlay of a pair of black thistles on tan background of a Bumble Bee approaching a Lupine Flower. You can't see it very well here, but if you'll link to it here at my IK page, you can get a closeup

Is EXIF an important issue to you? If not you won't get much from this. On the other hand if you are considering selling your images online this could give you an option for uploading. Let's say you are about to send some photos to a website. If your upload is to a social networking site (SNS) it's a simple 'Save for Web' command and its gone. You don't care if EXIF data attaches itself to the file or not. The photos are only for sharing. The trouble is we tend to get into a habit of uploading because of habit. And if you are sending files to an online gallery for sale or to your agent for rights managed images, or even a gallery in which you simply want to hold while adding more images for future use and you have the settings available to anyone you don't know, EXIF is crucial. And 'Save for Web' is not the choice you want since it has parameters for stripping out all of the metadata in order to make the upload quick. This is when you will be using