As I was outside today taking pics of our cute little kitty, Oreo, I realized I had the white balance set on my camera for incandescent light sources. As I was reviewing the images I laughed, thinking that we used to get the same results shooting tungsten film in daylight. The results of my mistake were not unpleasant as it gave them an overall cyan wash, and it really accentuated the blue in Oreo’s eyes. However, the images I had already shot of the woodpecker singing as he hopped up a nearby tree were not very pleasing.

Now, I could spend hours trying to re-balance the images but then I recalled that Adobe Lightroom has the option to adjust tones, white balance, etc. In just a few clicks, the corrections were made.

If you have not tried Lightroom, it might be worth checking out. It can quickly and easily create catalogs which are like albums. It can export with copyright watermarks, export as Digital Negative files (.DNG), allows you to quickly and easily apply corrections to a quantity of images, add/append metadata and so much more.

I have not really explored all the possibilities, but Adbobe continues to amaze me at how it can deliver for the professional photographer. Workflow tasks are whittled down to size with no problem.

Another tool which you may have discovered is Adobe Bridge.  This existed prior to Lightroom and allows you to quickly and easily view your images before you even import them into your workflow. If you shoot in RAW, you can view and edit through Bridge and then bring it into Photoshop. These are two very similar products from Adobe but you may prefer one over the other, use both or neither.  As with everything, we each must find the path that works best for us as an individual. As I tell my photo students in every class, what works for me, may not work for you.

This is the end result of our precocious Oreo…

Just like fall, the lights, colors and photo ops during this joyous (and stressful) time of year can be very rewarding. I love to take detail shots- ornaments on trees, presents, ribbons and bows. The lights especially can be fun to shoot. Numerous yard displays all aglow just waiting for you.

Ornaments

Lighted snowman display

Prima dona Missy under the tree

Ornaments and lights with flash

Family time can be especially challenging. Everyone moving at the speed of light, ripping through paper and tearing open boxes before moving on. It is during these fast paced encounters that shooting with bent flash head with a reflector card and a manual flash setting can really prove worth while. For those who have never tried a bounce flash technique, the benefits are two-fold.

Flash bounced off the ceiling

First, the flash is not a direct light source. It bounces off the ceiling and the reflector card giving a broader, softer, dual-light source. The reflector card is not absolutely necessary however. Just bouncing off the ceiling alone will give a more pleasing  light overall. Second, the manual setting gives you complete control over how powerful the light source will be. If you are in a room with very high ceilings, a higher maual setting will be needed. Your individual settings will vary depending on the ISO, how far away your subject is located and what focal length/zoom you are shooting. Remember, with a bounce flash technique your flash-to-subject distance is the distance from the flash head to the ceiling and back down to the subject NOT from the photographer to the subject.

Bounced flash is more flattering to subject

Granted these are not priceless to anyone but me, but there is nothing I hate worse than direct, harsh flash. It is well worth the few extra minutes it takes to make a few test shots to ensure your manual flash settings are correct. Try shooting in Shutter Priority- usually designated by S or Tv on your camera dial, and set the shutter speed for 1/60 of a second. If you are really brave, you can lower it to 1/30 but any movement by you or the subject will blur.

I understand that TTL is meant to take the guesswork out of shooting photos, but your camera is fallible. By having complete control over the camera and flash settings, you can accurately reproduce your results. TTL does not allow that. You are solely at the mercy of the internal workings of the machine in your hands and therefore powerless!

I LOVE Fall! The colors are warm and bright. The light starts to change after Daylight Savings time (which, hello, is TONIGHT). I don’t have to wait until later in the day to get the beautiful long shadows and gorgeous warmer light temps.

I also have lots of opportunities to use one of my favorite pre-sets…Night Portrait/Night Landscape mode. The nice thing about this preset is that I can quickly get slow shutter speed and flash combination without fumbling with the controls or menus.

If you haven’t tried this setting, now is the time! Here are just a few of the great ambiance pics you can shoot…

The only thing you have to worry about is how slow the shutter speed is.  The slower it is, the harder it will be to hand-hold and shoot. The flash will freeze anything that might be moving in the foreground, but the background might be too blurry because of the motion. You can eliminate some of this by using a tripod, bracing the camera against your body and relesing the shutter after exhaling.

Another way to achieve this type of ambient light/flash combo, is to use Shutter or Time Priority. This method allows you to choose an appropriately slow shutter speed (try 1/30 or even 1/15 of a second) coupled with your flash. Experiment with lower power on your flash in Manual Mode to achieve the best combination. You don’t want the flash to over power the ambient light!

PHOTOS FROM 2009

So after spending quite a bit of time in my yard and loving the macro capabilities of my new Nikon P6000, I have been able to take a few more interesting specimens for you and identify them!

The caterpiller that I posted last is a White-marked Tussock Moth caterpillar. The identification was made using BugGuide.net. This has so many great photos of insects and you can post photos and get expert advice on what is “bugging” you!

Here is my latest find…

This beautiful thing I knew was some kind of orb weaver simply because of the web, but what kind I didn’t know. By using a few keywords, I was able to find out about orchard spiders on wikianswers but the librarian in me needed to verify that information (editable websites or wikis should never be taken for gospel)…so back to BugGuide.net where I did a little search again and identified it as a Venusta Orchard Spider or Orchard Orbweaver! Fascinating huh?

I love to research and learn new things. There is so much useless knowledge rolling around in my head. My kids make fun of me but you never know when you’re gonna need that knowledge. So keep shooting and keep learning along the way!

One of the best things about having a small pocket camera, is being able to keep it with you at all times. Then you have it handy for when you see something really spectacular. Now, I don’t normally carry my camera with me when I take out the trash, but on this particular day it was in my purse as I headed off to pick-up my daughter from school. I decided to clean up some trash in my car and take it to the outside can and this is what I found.

This little guy was fascinating and I photographed it from every possible angle. Later, I looked through my National Audobon Society Field Guide to North American Butterflies (Knopf, 1995) but could not find even a close match to this caterpillar. However, what I did find was a great reference in the back- “”How to Photograph Butterflies”.

In part, the entry talked about using a higher aperture for greater depth-of-field, a macro lens, and using a high ASA/ISO. All great tips! Additionally, the article also suggested shooting in “early morning when temperatures are fairly low and butterflies are just warming up.” Also, the photographer needs to keep “low and slow,” keeping your body even with or not much higher than your butterfly.  “Kneel a few feet from the butterfly and slowly inch forward.” You should also avoid rapid or jerky movements.

On a recent field trip to the Armstrong Atlantic State University’s international gardens, my students had the chance to shoot bees and butterflies. Many were successful in capturing these sometimes elusive creatures. But as with all of God’s creatures- patience is a virtue!

Superhereos in disguise.

As I prepare for my continuing education classes that will start in September, I am shooting more and more with my classes in mind. Will this be a good shot to illustrate this or that technique? This is a great way to really think about what I am shooting and how I am doing it. This week I have been gleaning more knowledge about Photoshop and how to create some fun portraits. This is one of the easiest and most fulfilling ways to take an okay shot and turn it into something memorable! This particular shot consists of  five layers (add another two for the thought bubble and text) and three filters to create this comic book effect. I have tried a few different ways but this one is the most like a real comic book illustration because of the black line effect used on one of the layers. Other techniques create cartoon-like images that are closer to avatars than comic book characters.

If you haven’t hear, I will be teaching through Armstrong Atlantic State University’s Continuing Education Department beginning in September 2009.

I have revamped my classes. The Art of Digital Photography will cover digital imaging basics and new information in the field, how to use the various automatic and scene modes of your digital camera, a small sampling of editing techniques, and storage and print options. ( 5-  2 hour classes)

The second class that will be offered is my Photoshop class. Anyone who wants to use Photoshop or Photoshop Elements better should take this class. This, however, is not a beginner class. You should already have a good understanding of the tools.  Step-by-step instructions will be demonstrated on using curves, layers, masks and more. A computer for class is not necessary. I have found that students tend to get bogged down in trying to emulate what is being demonstrated and get lost. ( 4 – 2 hour classes)

For more information or to register, go to their website at:

http://ce.armstrong.edu

Macro of lily

Well after about three years searching for my perfect P&S (point and shoot) camera, I have finally found it. I even bought it for myself for my birthday! Yeah, me. It is the Nikon Coolpix P6000. Some of the features that I required when searching for a small, light camera that would fit in my purse or pocket included a view finder (LCD displays really drain the battery), the ability to shoot in RAW mode and a Manual setting. Now, one would think with all the cameras available on the market today that it would be EASY to find a camera with all three…nope. Darn near impossible. I shoud have known that Nikon would be the company to provide all of my requisite features. Nikon has been manufacturing cameras for the discerning professional for decades. This beautifully made camera is sharp too. In macro mode, I was a scan few milimeters from the center of a beautiful lily.

As a photography teacher for Armstrong Atlantic State University’s Continuing Education Department, I see lots of different models of cameras. Many of the cameras I have recommended to my students are great for them. As with any purchase what is good for one person, is not necessarily good for another. My students do not need some of the features that I crave but I admit I have been pretty impressed with a few. The Panasonic Lumix models sport a Leica lens which is top of the line in camera lenses. The are small, lightweight and take great pictures, but lack the additional features that I craved.

I am a control freak and despite the cool features like Color Accent and Blink Detection, I wanted more basic control. One of the first things I tell my beginning digital students, is the LCD displays will drain your battery faster than anything. Without a viewfinder, the LCD is constantly on and therefore a constant drain. Second, the quality of a JPG image deteriorates the first time it is compressed and saved. That is why JPG/JPEG files are lossy file types. Unlike PNG, RAW, PSD and other files types that preserve image color and detail that are lossless file types. So, being able to shoot images in RAW is essential to me.

Additonal features that impress me on the P6000 include GPS information for photos (beats carrying around a norebook, although I do it anyway) and the ability to connect to the network via a LAN cable. I can also customize not one but two user mode (preferences and settings I use most)  and a quick access Fn button that I can set to make changes to the menu option I use most frequently. I can also attach an external flash unit or slave via the hotshoe. Shall I go on? How about the Active D-Lighting (preserves the details in the high and low light areas when ON) and so many more…

Although I still prefer slide film over digital most days of the week, it is hard to beat a small, sleek, camera such as the P6000 designed with the professional in mind!

Happy shooting!

Mike Jones, candidate for Sheriff of Chatham County

It has been a grueling four months, but I can see the clearing up ahead and cannot wait for November 4th. I have been working on a local political campaign for Mike Jones, the democratic candidate for Sheriff of Chatham County. It has been an eye-opening experience to say the least. We have seen some of the slimiest tactics used by the incumbent, Al St. Lawrence.

In St. Lawrence’s own words, “I am not here to play nice with this man.” Now, I ask myself, why not? Jones has not done anything remotely underhanded or personally insulting to deserve anything but a nice, clean campaign, but St. Lawrence made it personal.Our illustrious sheriff, has used county time, resources and personnel numerous times during his campaign to conduct an abusive and spiteful campaign.

County ordinances (Chapter 5, pg.43) strictly prohibit the use of county assets for incumbents’ campaigns, but the powers that be don’t seem to care. Or, maybe, it’s because they are all doing the exact same thing. Not only has St. Lawrence broken our local codes, he has also misused personal information and paperwork from his office to fabricate lies about Mike Jones. The last time I checked, forging official documents was not just a local crime, but a Federal crime!

All this being said, I am completely disillusioned by voters as well. The inability to seperate themselves from a party is unbelievable. There are people in this county, state and nation who will vote Republican or Democrat because that is what they are. As a nation we have moved beyond the strict two party system. Democrats are no longer Democrats- they do not tow the party line. The same for Republicans. We should be voting for the person, their ideals and on their record. Moreover, we shouldn’t look to the government to solve our problems- look at what a fine mess we are in because of government’s mismanagement.

Locally, we have a county commission who rubber stamps budgets withouut a word of question. For instance, the administrative budget for the sheriff’s department has a line item for uniforms. This is not for the jail but for the 124 employees who work in the main offices. Last year’s budget for uniforms was over $100,000. That amounts to over $800 per employee just for uniforms. The prior year, they spent over $50,000. That’s another $400 per employee.  That, my friends, is but one line on one budget.

Yesterday, local news outlets reported that the commission has approved spending another $4 million dollars on a work release facility, a seperate facility from the $80 million we are spending on the newest jail expansion. Why not invest that $4 million on an ankle monitoring system for the deadbeat parents who owe child support? I wonder if St. Lawrence thought this was a coup for his campaign showing his track record is great? In my mind, it just shows how great our elected officials are at spending OUR money without care. The $4 million is just the beginning. It may be built with SPLOST money, but once it is competed it must be staffed, maintained and run. Guess that means our property taxes are going up again!

Some days it seems like all of my creative juices have dried up and on other days, I am overflowing with ideas and techniques I want to try. This particular Photoshop class came at a great time. I had been scouring the internet for more resources and learning outlets. Lo and behold, of course I find exactly what I am looking for on Adobe.com. Now this is the FIRST place I tell my students to go after they have completed the Photoshop tutorials that come with the software, but even for seasoned professionals like myself there is always more to learn and Adobe has it all. They never stop learning themselves and sharing! Many of their database/knowledgebase is free too!