The Digital Photo Guy

Lots to Report Today

First, be sure to check out the details of the 4-hour Photoshop Elements class. This class is for those who don’t want to waste time. In 4 hours, in the comfort of your own home, Rob Sheppard will teach you everything you need to know to immediately start doing useful, creative, fun projects with Photoshop Elements. Take advantages of the Early Bird Special pricing before Sept 30.

Second, Photoshop World in Las Vegas is just around the corner. On Oct 3, 4 and 5, three million crazed PS users will descend on Las Vegas for 72 hours of ’round-the-clock Photoshop (OK, so it’s only 3000). If you’re an old hand, you know how much learning can be crammed into 72 hours. If you’re a noob, you’ll be blown away by how much you learn in 72 hours. If you’d like to connect at PSW, let me know.

Third, for San Diego locals, great news. Deer Park Winery in Escondido has reopened after a hiatus of several years. The winery boasts one of the most complete antique American car collections in the US. Over the next few weeks I’ll be scouting the site for photoshoot classes so if you’d like to join me, send an e-mail. Entry is just $5 and there’s a nice deli on the grounds. The winery is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10AM until 5PM and is located on Old Highway 395 between Welk Resort and Old Castle Road.

Fourth, in case you missed my earlier announcement, 2 more videos have been uploaded to the video area. I’m finding videos easier to produce and pack more information than MMTs so I’ll be doing more videos over the next few months. For the moment, low resolution versions will be on YouTube and high rez versions will be on this site. As I get more proficient, I’ll start differentiating by putting more complete videos on this site and using YouTube for teasers and trailers.

Fifth, I’ve posted a bunch of SoCal events on the Tips & News page so check out what’s happening from Native American Pow Wows to Bates Nut Farm to Art Tours to Canon Events. If you know of any photo ops that may be of interest to others, send me the link and I’ll post them here. Also check out the Fall Photoshoot schedule. Wild Animal Park photoshoots are back starting on September 19.

Sixth, you may recall my post where I mentioned Benjamin Kanarek, a Paris-based fashion photographer. He must have followed my link from my post on his site. The guy actually posted a reply on this site. I was surprised that he took the time to review and comment on my post. Now, if I can only figure out a way to get him to hire me as an assistant on one of his shoots!

Finally, Canon has agreed to give away 1D Mark III dSLRs to my readers (kidding, just checking to see if you’re still awake). This is the year I finally get off my duff and photograph some burrowing owls at Salton Sea. If you’re interested in joining me, let me know and we’ll coordinate. Since I can probably get away easier than most of you, I plan to go out to Salton Sea on a Wed or Thu and have prime locations scouted by the time you arrive on the weekend. This is tentatively scheduled for November.

Rob Sheppard to Teach Photoshop Elements

On Saturday, November 14 from 9AM until 1PM, Rob Sheppard will teach a 4-hour Photoshop Elements class jam-packed with tricks, tips and shortcuts used by professional photographers. Whether you are a complete newbie or an experienced PSE user, you will learn more about Photoshop Elements than you ever imagined possible. After this class you will be able to enhance and edit digital photos faster, easier and more precisely than ever before. Most of the material from this class also applies to Photoshop CSx.

If that’s not enough, you’ll receive 60 days of e-mail support after the class. That’s right, for 60 days, if you encounter a problem and just can’t figure out how to apply Rob’s tips, send me an e-mail and I’ll get you an answer. What class have you ever taken that offers that kind of help?

Anyone with the slightest interest in photography knows the name Rob Sheppard. He’s the editor of Outdoor Photographer magazine and editor/founder of PCPhoto as well as author of over a dozen books on photography. Obviously, it’s not easy to book someone as much in demand as Rob.

The cost is just $59.95 ($49.95 early bird special until Sept 30). Rob’s classes typically range from $150 to $950 so this is a screaming deal. Click HERE to register today. Seating is limited.

Monday Morning Tip

Until I started teaching digital photography, I didn’t realize there are just as many female gearheads as there are male gearheads. (A gearhead lusts for shiny new toys regardless of whether they know how to use it or will ever need it.)  One of the regular questions I see on forums is, “What lens should I buy?” This is usually from someone who hasn’t even learned how to use the current lens(es) they own. Somehow, digital photography has become enamored of the idea that buying a new lens will improve one’s photography. I think this is an extension of the first era of digital photography when everyone was convinced that buying more megapixels would improve one’s photos. Allow me to disabuse you of such silly notions. Buying more lenses means you have less money in your wallet.

Today’s MMT is for the more rational among us who are interested in the art of photography and not in being a one person economic stimulus program for camera companies. As always, the full MMT is in the password protected area of Tips & News.

Two videos covering PSE7 Selection Tools have been added to the site ahead of the next MMT. You can see them on the Videos page.

Rob Sheppard to Teach Photoshop Elements

On Saturday, November 14 from 9AM until 1PM, Rob Sheppard will teach a 4-hour Photoshop Elements class jam-packed with tricks, tips and shortcuts used by professional photographers. Whether you are a complete newbie or an experienced PSE user, you will learn more about Photoshop Elements than you ever imagined possible. After this class you will be able to enhance and edit digital photos faster, easier and more precisely than ever before. Most of the material from this class also applies to Photoshop CSx.

If that’s not enough, you’ll receive 60 days of e-mail support after the class. That’s right, for 60 days, if you encounter a problem and just can’t figure out how to apply Rob’s tips, send me an e-mail and I’ll get you an answer. What class have you ever taken that offers that kind of help?

Anyone with the slightest interest in photography knows the name Rob Sheppard. He’s the editor of Outdoor Photographer magazine and editor/founder of PCPhoto as well as author of over a dozen books on photography.

I literally ran into Rob at the NANPA (North American Nature Photographer’s Association) summit earlier this year and asked him to teach a Photoshop Elements class for my readers. He was enthusiastic but, understandably, his schedule was filled.

Rob is now available to teach that class on November 14 via webinar. Even better, the cost is just $59.95 ($49.95 early bird special until Sept 30). If you had attended Rob’s class at NANPA, you would have paid $155 plus hotel, meals & travel to Albuquerque so this is a screaming deal!

Click below to register today. Seating is limited.

Monday Morning Tip

When I first converted to digital in 1998, almost everyone used JPEG. This was reinforced for me because I was a sports photographer who came home from events with upwards of 1000-1200 frames. All the frames except total disasters were quickly processed for levels and sharpness before resizing and uploading to my web site for people to order. As orders came in, I reprocessed each photo for printing but, during the initial rush, there wasn’t time for messing about with RAW files.

 

Today, one of the most frequent questions I hear is, “Should I shoot in RAW or JPEG?” Even rank newbies are pressured into thinking they should be shooting RAW because “that produces better photos.” Let’s set the record straight. It’s just as easy to capture crappy RAW photos as it is to capture crappy JPEGs.

 

Today’s MMT addresses this question head-on for newbies. This MMT will answer this age-old question once and for all. As always, the MMT is in the Tips & News page of this site.

Quick Tip

One of the trickiest things to do in Photoshop or PSE is selecting hair when you’re trying to knock out a person’s head from a photo. Let’s say you took a family photo at the reunion but Cousin Ernie couldn’t attend. You try to paste Cousin Ernie’s photo from last year into this year’s photo but it’s nearly impossible to get a good selection of Cousin Ernie’s curly blonde hair which was photographed against a white wall.

Whenever you have friends and family together, take several head shots against a contrasting wall. Cousin Ernie’s blonde locks will stand out nicely against a dark wall while Aunt Ruthie’s mousey brown hair contrasts with the standard Navajo White found on most interior walls.

Next time you want to knock out Cousin Ernie from a busy background, use hair from the easy photo. You don’t want to use too much because the light and angle probably won’t match but little wisps here and there will help fill out areas where his hair blends into a white object in the background.

Pala Band of Mission Indians Pow Wow

Saturday was a perfect day for the pow wow but it was a brutal day for photography. The sun was ablaze, directly overhead. There was so much glare off everything, I thought my sensor was going to throw up it’s photosites in despair. However, I was able to get the photos I had in mind. Below, from the left, are Greg Red Elk, William Buchanan and Michael Valenzuela.

I wanted people who looked like someone straight out of a Hollywood casting call for American Indians and I couldn’t ask for better than these 3 men. All three had the high cheekbones and aquiline noses characteristic of native Americans. I’ll have the rest posted as soon as I get caught up on some other things.

I feel like the bumper sticker I used to give away that read, “Business is Great, People are Terrific, Life is wonderful!” Since my epiphany last week, I find it so much easier to get my priorities straight. Here, in no particular order, are some of the thoughts and ideas that struck me this past week. Remember, these are my opinions. If you don’t agree, you can post a comment or start your own blog.

UV Filters – I have no skin in this game so you can take it to the bank when I say it doesn’t make any difference to me, I’m just giving you my honest professional opinion when I advise against keeping an ultra-violet (UV) filter on the front of your lens as protection for the front element. For some odd reason, this seems to fall into the same category as religion and politics when on Internet forums. One can literally feel people seething with anger when I make recommendations contrary to their belief. I don’t get it.

Here’s a MMT about UV filters that I wrote back in 2007. It’s still valid and, below, I’ve added even more reasons that I believe bolster my position. If, after reading this, you want to continue using UV filters, it won’t hurt my feelings. Everyone has their own opinions and habits.

Reason 1 – If UV filters provide so much protection, why don’t photographers use them on the “big guns”, the super expensive, super telephotos like the 400/2.8, 500/4, 600/4 and 800/5.6? The answer is because there aren’t any available for such large front elements. Surely, if they were so useful, some enterprising company would have figured out a way to attach a piece of glass to the front of a $4000-$11,000 lens and charge a king’s ransom? Wouldn’t someone who just paid $11,000 for a Canon 800/5.6 pay $800 to protect it? Even a Canon 300/3.8L IS that only costs $4000 would be a candidate for a protective filter for $400 if they did any good. No one has developed such a product because there isn’t any demand. People who buy this sort of equipment know that a filter doesn’t offer any protection.

Reason 2 – “But (enter big name photographer) says to use a UV filter!” Anyone who advises so is getting paid to push products. In some cases, they actually design and market filters. In other cases, they push products carried by their sponsors. Whenever someone advises you to purchase something, the first question should always be, “Where’s the money trail.”

Reason 3 – The point of photography is to do everything possible to make the best possible photos. If you spend all your time obssessing over protecting your lenses, how can you possibly have time to actually make photos? It’s just a lens, an inanimate object made of glass and metal. It’s a tool, a means to an end. If I were to damage an $11,000 lens, I’d be upset but my first question would be, “Did I get the shot?”

Next, cleaning sensors. Dust on a dSLR sensor is a real pain, especially if it’s on the bottom half of the sensor where the sky will be after the image is inverted passing through the lens. Because it’s a real issue, many companies have sprung up to offer solutions. The original solution was called the “wet” method using methanol and a PecPad wrapped around a plastic spatulas. This quickly evolved into pre-assembled, single-use spatulas, each costing several dollars, not a very cost effective method. Once companies found that people were willing to pay outrageous sums for dubious devices, the flood gates were open. Each iteration seemed more expensive and less effective.

Here’s what I discovered after years of using the “wet” method. This new method is definitely faster, easier, more effective and less expensive than any other method I’ve heard or seen. You have to buy the kit from Artie Morris’ site because he’s the only one who includes the specific instructions for using LensPens for cleaning sensors. If you don’t already own a Giottos Rocket Blower, I suggest you buy the kit with LensPen, Giottos blower and microfibercloth. At $36, it sure beats weird little devices costing $100+. There are many LensPen knockoffs so be sure to buy from a reputable source. A knockoff may damage your sensor.

I follow fashion photography but rarely ever mention it here because I feel my readers wouldn’t be interested. One photographer I recently started following is Benjamin Kanarek, a fashion photographer out of Paris. While reading his blog, I came across a comment that caused my dim little 15 watt bulb of a brain to light up like the sun.

A reader left this comment on Benjamin’s blog:

“I’m not sure I have ever in my life read a blog that says so much of “Look at me me me me me. I’m the God of Photography!!!” as your blog shows. Your work is good, but certainly not as good as your ego is big.”

To which Benjamin replied:

Sally…That is what Blogs are for. I think you might be better off finding a Forum…You are in the wrong place.

When I read that, it struck me that I had it all wrong. My blog is MINE! It’s all about me, me, me. I write my opinions about what interests me from my perspective and in my style. In the past, I tried to make my blog appealing to a wide audience because I wanted people to like and agree with what I wrote.

Well, that’s gonna change. I have 40+ years of photography experience and I’ve been an engineer, marketing VP, college instructor and now, a professional photographer. I’ll be the first to admit, I’m not the best photographer in the world. No one can be the best photographer because there are too many niches within photography. My niche is teaching photography. Photography today is a chaotic swirl of art, technology, art, talent, did I mention art. My forte is the technology of photography. I reduce incredibly complex technologies down to simple, easy to understand lessons that make it easy for people to connect-the-dots.

Like anyone who hasn’t been hiding under a rock for the past 25 years, I regularly surf the ‘net for new information and ideas. I visit an ecelectic assortment of sites and read a wide range of opinions. Much of what I read is such total, complete nonsense that it always reminds me of something I heard from my friend, Dr. Mits Tomita, “Keep an open mind but not so open that your brain falls out.”

If you want to learn the art of photography, register for my classes for the following reasons:

1. I answer your questions long after the class is over. Students have e-mailed me 4 or 5 years after they sat in my class and I still help them if I can.
2. I know how to teach. I’ve taught students in college, university, corporate and adult education classes. I reduce complex technologies down to simple analogies.
3. I demonstrate why something is important. It’s not always clear why you need to know something. I make sure you see the whole picture, not just the nuts and bolts.
4. I always relate it back to the art of photography. I don’t mistake technical excellence for artistry.
5. I have no patience for whiners or slackers. If you’re tired of classes where the pace is set by the slowest person in the group, you’ll love my workshops.

I feel so much better now, as if I can just be myself and not try to please others. Here’s a photo I made at the San Diego Fair. It breaks all the “rules” of composition but I like it because it reflects the wild, chaotic, colorful excitement of the fair.

It Ain't Art but It's Fun

If you’re the sort who reads all the way to the bottom, here’s a reward. This Saturday, August 15, the Pala Band of Mission Indians is hosting the 2nd Annual Powwow. It starts at 10AM and continues until 7PM. I’ll be there from 10AM until about 2PM. If you’ve never taken a class with me and would like to see how I teach, meet me there. If you’ve taken a class and just want to hang out, I’d be pleased to have you join me.

Also, on Sunday, August 16 at 5PM, I’ll be at San Diego Zoo to photograph flamingos, bonobos and guenons. If you’d like to join me, meet me just inside the front entrance at 5PM.