Shooting Outside Gallery

Up to $300 Off  Offer Expires 11/23/2013   This is one of the best travel lenses made by Canon, the 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM Zoom. Here's the Deal Here we go again for those of us who love the Canon lenses and Speedlights. Canon is offering up to $300 off of these items. And if you shoot with a Canon body it is a great time to purchase one. Why only one? Well that's because they are limiting their rebates to one lens per household, that is one lens per street address. Used to be we could get Instant Rebates but these were replaced a few years back with Mail in Rebates. Ok well that's the new deal, I may not like it as much but a sale is a sale. Caution, Warning, Read Carefully. What, a warning signal? yes. You know that rebates save companies lots of money because buyers don't follow instructions carefully, and instructions come with details which can be a bit too complicated. In this case you have to be very careful. I'm not going through all o

The Classic Photo When traveling one is always advised to shoot a waterfall, a canyon, an overlook, a trail head, a lake or any vantage point from a specific viewpoint. It is always "thee classic shot" to get. And as usual you come home with some pretty terrific photos. Everybody Ooohs and Ahhhs and you feel great. You've captured the quintessential viewpoint of a particular special feature. But what about turning it around just for a moment. The Alternate View The photo above is a good example of Thee Classic Waterfall in the Columbia River Gorge, called Multnomah Falls, though you would never recognize it from this view. And it won't be your main shot you hang as an identifier for Multnomah Falls. Yet you may find that you like it equally as well, if not better than the one everyone else captures just because it is so different, so uncommon, in fact the one that everybody else missed. The views you can achieve from a slightly alternative location or angl

Got your sleeping bag? It appears for those in the I-Can't-Wait queue, which is probably already forming somewhere, that the new iPad 5 is slightly smaller (9.7") and getting really close to its debut in October or November. Last years event took place October 23rd. Dimensions above show a very slight length difference with a modest width reduction. You might think of it as the iPad mini on steroids. Faster CPU  As with the iPhone5s, it too will come with a version of the new A7 CPU chip, for faster processing, much faster.  Compact thinner design It is also rumored that the iPad5 will have mini-style dual speakers and dual volume buttons. And because of the switch from dual LED to a single LED light bar, it allows for a thinner case and a higher power efficient lighting technology which then allows for a smaller battery, supposedly with similar use time.  Video showing dimensions Here is a video posted at macrumors showing the differences between th

Rainy , cloudy, windy weather is fast approaching or already has reached us and it's time to pull out all of our photography gear to make sure everything gets its once a year review. The first thing I do is line it all up and make cleaning a priority. Sure we all wipe our lenses and clean our cameras off when we finish an assignment or even a simple shoot, but what I'm referring to is a full force cleaning on all parts to include the sensor, the filters if you still use them, the camera bodies and your lenses, the focus rings, the tripod base, the lens caps, everything you normally clean but not a quick wipe. You should have a sensor cleaning kit, if not look into one, I still like the Copper Hill products for basic sensor cleaning, about $30. Then it helps to keep a Giottos Rocket Blower in your bag, about $40. You can buy a number of different kits or single pieces but I stay with the simple kit and blower, but if you like here's a b

1st Native American Day celebrated in 1916, honoring American Indians is celebrated today and every year on this date. This particular tribe are from the Nez Perce Nation. The following data are from Wikipedia. The Nez Perce area at the time of Lewis and Clark was approximately 17,000,000 acres (69,000 km 2 ). It covered parts of Washington, Oregon, Montana, and Idaho, in an area surrounding the Snake, Salmon and the Clearwater rivers. The tribal area extended from the Bitterroots in the east to the Blue Mountains in the west between latitudes 45°N and 47°N. In 1800, there were more than 70 permanent villages ranging from 30 to 200 individuals, depending on the season and social grouping. About 300 total sites have been identified, including both camps and villages. In 1805 the Nez Perce were the largest tribe on the Columbia River Plateau, with a population of about 6,000. By the beginning of the 20th century, the Nez Perce had declined to about 1,800 because of epidemics,

                   There's a couple in here you may never have heard of. Everyone takes pictures, many of us shoot photos and a few of us create images. Don't take this lightly, there is a difference and it can be a big one. Whatever type of photography you do you probably have an idea of what type of camera you are looking to buy next. A few of us have always wanted to shoot Medium Format but others might want the new iPhone 5s. Alternatively you may be looking for the next Point and Shoot camera from numerous manufacturers such as Pentax, Sony or Canon. Or you may want a new Digital SLR. While a very few others might lean toward a Large Format body. And even newer you may be looking for a mirrorless body. And some of us may want a new cell phone and a new digital slr. Then there's one you may not have heard of, at the end, it's the half-camera. The website The Phoblographer has some info on Canon's new rumored entry into the MF (medium format) field which so

 Winning the Noise Battle   If you're new here, click to subscribe to the latest post. It's nice when you take picture and it turns out looking great right out of the camera isn't it? The colors are smooth, the shadows look smooth and even within the given areas of shades of shadows it looks good. And it prints well. That's what we are all looking for. But when you are inside or outside on a gloomy day and the sky is covered with clouds, which at this time of year may well be quite dark from threatening storms, sometimes we get photos that we cannot go back and take and they are full of noise. The noise I'm referring to is the grainy look within color areas or shady areas because of a lack of sufficient light.Here's a photo that's clearly too dark to be acceptable. Now here is that same photo lightened up with a simple Brightness Control and it looks better, but when you zoom 100-200% to examine for printing some issues remain. You'll wan

Mirrorless Cameras Worth A Look? For the 5 years mirrorless cameras have been on the market, it seems their biggest flaw or downfall is their inability to focus on moving subjects. And let's be clear, when it comes to subjects moving away from and toward the lens, it has always been difficult even in continuous shooting mode for even the top end DSLR bodies. Also keep in mind that mirrorless bodies lack an always-on viewfinder and their rather short battery life. Nikon, Olympus and Panasonic have recently made improvements to the speed of AF in single shoot mode, but even these are not up to the potential of a high end ProSumer or Pro body camera. Now we hear rumors that Canon may well have made some progress in that AF dilemma. Know that these are rumors only at this point, but their new rumored, M2 mirrorless body with the typical APS-C sensor may give someone looking for a far less expensive camera a chance to capture a child on a swing, moving away and toward in continu

It appears even the Koi in our pond recognize that it is a day of change. They are beginning to rise and swim closer to the surface, one can be seen at the top edge hoping something wiggly and tasty will slip in as a gourmet snack. Today is the first day of Autumn. This is the time of year I begin to seek out trails and flat-lands along streams and lakes for those scenes which produce some classic images of leaves in assorted colors. Though this year may not produce near as many as in years when the rain holds off for a frosty Fall. Autumn photography is so much better when cold comes in before the rain, as color in leaves set so much stronger when it is dry and chilly. Still there will be select trees which, if not spectacular, are dependable in their show. If it is cooler in your area and dry, don't delay in getting out to shoot perhaps one of your best photos ever of the Fall season. Then let us know where we can see them, leave a link and share your photography. 

 How Good are Your Prints?   If you're new here, click to subscribe to the latest post. A brief outline among many offered from other great photographers out there. How many times have you taken a picture that you or someone else wants printed larger, and your first reaction is "What are the limits in size?" Its an art of science if you will, and it takes some understanding, but it boils down to some pretty simple techniques. So for the sake of brevity and simplicity, I'd like to give direction for the non-technical among us. Because I am familiar with the Adobe Products I'll be describing this with their software terms. First you can't start with an image that is not already sharp from a native resolution standpoint, that is, from within your camera. So take the image you want to print large, open it in Camera Raw, make no sharpening or luminous noise reduction, zoom to 100% and if you satisfied that your focus is sharp, proceed, if not try another

I realize this is a bit off-topic for me but since I've been considering upgrading to the new 5S I thought I'd plant a link to the first intelligent review I've read so far on the new Apple iPhone to date. It covers the whole gamut a review should in my estimate. Anand's iPhone 5s Review   Apologies to all who have visited but the link above, was not active, it is now. Subscribe by email

Top Ten Quiz for Photographers Ever ask yourself what keeps you going through all the motions of photography? Desire to produce something really special or just fun, or do you have a business? Whether it’s a cell phone, a point and shoot or a single lens reflex with accompanying equipment. Do you have concerns about the whole range of accessories that many of us carry with us? The answers you give will give you a true picture of why you shoot and what your goals are as a photographer. And when finished if you think of any questions to add to my next Photo Quiz, please add them in the Comments section. 1. What causes you to pick up a camera and shoot? a. Urge to capture a moment b. Beautiful scene c. A theme or series I am working on 2. Which camera do you most often shoot with? a. Cell Phone b. Point & Shoot c. Single Lens Reflex 3. During which activities do you shoot the most? a. Family gathering, party or social event b. Planned outing,

Do you have time to watch video interviews this week? The subjects will interest you if you are serious about income from your photography. Be sure to register and watch live broadcasts from creativeLive starting today. They'll offer interviews from over 50 professional photographers about tons of shooting subjects then between broadcasts you'll have 15 minutes to gather your notes, have a cup of coffee or just stretch. Enjoy and click the link below. creativeLIVE It won't help to contact me if you have problems, I am not affiliated with the site, nr am I being paid in any way. Best of luck. Subscribe by email

Its Autumn in some locations. Where I live in the Pacific North West the summer heat has been holding on some, but soon I'll be able to start another Fall series of shoots.   But some of you must have shots you like, and perhaps you can link to your photos. In fact if you are feeling especially generous you could share the metadata along with your pics giving your viewers a chance to see what settings you chose, or your Auto settings chose, when shooting your Autumn photos. Just place a link in your Comment.   And of course this doesn't have to be only about leaves. How about some different varieties of mushrooms, fungus, conches or whatever else you can think of for Fall. Share what you have and show off your gorgeous pics, we'd love to see them.   Subscribe by email   

It's Your Turn.............. Can you think of someone you know who loves, I mean lives, photography, and not be able to describe what kind of photographer they are? I doubt it. When someone is dedicated to shooting pics, you find it easy to give a short brief of their style. What about your shooting style. You wouldn't be here, would you, if you didn't find shooting to be a passion, or yearn for it to be. So now its your turn to voice what kind of photographer you consider yourself to be. So tell us. Are you an event photographer, shooting car racing, or weddings, music festivals, seasonal events, protest rallies, sports? Or are you a portrait photographer, nature, wildlife, animal, landscape or pinhole enthusiast? So what kind of photographer are you? Tell us and also let us know what drew you to your love for that type of photography? And what are you doing with it? Are you sharing it online, gifting it to friends and family, selling it or perhaps at le

I wanted to answer a question I received from a reader this July following the 4th about settings within the camera. What are the best settings for the independence Day fireworks. While I can't say what's best for every camera, lens and degree of darkness or sunny vs cloudy skies, I can demonstrate how settings can affect shooting fireworks with the following photos. These are all shot with a Canon 30D and a 24-105mm. This top photo has a stop at F/4 with the focal length at 105mm, ISO at 1600 and focus on Matrix for a 0.5 sec exposure. This second shot has a stop at F/7 with the focal length at 105mm, ISO at 1600 and focus on Matrix for a 1.3 sec exposure. And the last shot has a stop at F/4 with the focal length at 105mm, ISO at 1600 and focus on Matrix for a 0.01255 (1/80) sec exposure. The thing one is always advised to do is to use a tripod. But that can get pretty hard to lug around and to spin around as these bursts are constantly being shot