The Digital Photo Guy

Burrowing Owls and Lavender Fields

On Saturday, May 12, I plan to be around Salton Sea to photograph burrowing owls. It’s a bit late in the season but I’m hoping there will be some fledglings still hanging around. Burrowing owls are active all day long but the best light will be early morning or late afternoon. During the middle of the day, their beaks cast heavy shadows. You should have a minimum 300mm lens. With that, you can get fairly close with a bit of patience.

On Saturday, May 19, I plan to be at the Keys Creek Lavender Farm in Valley Center, CA. The first time, I was unwillingly dragged out there by my wife but found myself oddly attracted to the farm. It’s an interesting place and I’m sure there are many photo ops that I haven’t yet explored. The lavenders will be in full bloom in May and June so, if you miss the 19th, you have until the end of June for the 2012 bloom.

In case you missed it, join the San Diego Photography Collective (no, you won’t be assimilated by the borg) at Deer Park Winery on June 10 for the Gathering on the Green, a mini-Concours de Elegance. Cuties for a Cause will be there to raise money for ArtHatch, a local not-for-profit that sponsors and supports youth in art. Mea culpa: the original announcement said the fund raiser is for an animal welfare group but that was last year’s cause.

San Diego Fair Photography Workshops

The fair opens Friday, June 8 and runs through Wednesday, July 4. It’s too late to enter the Ehibition of Photography contest but there are tons of workshops and some 1-day shootouts on tap. Follow this link for the latest info.

Landscape, Nature, Pin-Up and Portraits

In 2012, I plan to focus my efforts on landscape and nature photography with an eye toward entering more competitions and producing sellable fine art pieces. A secondary goal is to expand my pin-up and portrait portfolio. I want to create more images like these below.

On April 22 & 23, I’ll be at the Clay Blackmore portrait workshops in Tempe, AZ. Blackmore was trained by the legendary Monte Zucker. I was scheduled to take a class with Zucker in 2007 when we learned of his passing. I’m hoping Blackmore will be able to fill in what I missed. These are two separate classes with the 22nd being a seminar type session with 200 of your closest friends crammed into a hotel auditorium. I generally eschew such sessions but it was cheap when combined with the hands-on class on the 23rd. The cost of both classes was $249. Let me know if you plan to attend and we’ll try to meetup.

Although it’s a bit late, in early May I plan to visit the Salton Sea to look for burrowing owls, my favorite small birds. BO breeding season generally starts around late March to early April. After the chicks hatch, they hang around for 6 weeks before fledging so we may be able to catch some naive young chicks poking their heads out of the burrows.

My annual Eastern Sierras photo trip is tentatively scheduled for the week of October 8-14. That’s the week after the Lone Pine Film Festival so I may be there the previous weekend to check out what’s new at the festival. The festival offers guided photo tours to various movie sets around Alabama Hills so that may be a good way to see several new sites in one swell foop.

In late November/early December, I plan to scout the area around Willcox, AZ for wintering sandhill cranes. I had heard there were sandhills in the area but recently learned there can be as many as 20 to 30 thousand. That’s more than Bosque del Apache, my favorite sandhill crane reserve. The major difference may be accessibility. At Bosque, areas like the Railroad Pond and Flight Deck make it easy to practically be on top of the birds before their morning flyout. I hope to discover the best places for crane photography.

There will be other photo shoots during the year so stay tuned if none of these float your boat.

Stop Copying, Start Doing

For years, I’ve subscribed to several magazines because the articles often gave me ideas for new lessons or techniques in my classes. With my recent decision to no longer teach classes, I haven’t renewed my subscriptions to most. The only one I still read is Outdoor Photographer because I find inspiration in the photographs.

Today, I received my last issue of a well known magazine put out by a company that stages several annual orgies of Photoshop excess. Basically, these are large parties for geeks who wouldn’t normally be allowed out of their cubicles. I also received a copy of a magazine that covers Photoshop Elements. That subscription expires at the end of this year and I won’t be renewing.

The cover of one rag breathlessly proclaimed, “Unlock the secrets of…” I rolled my eyes and recalled something I had learned years ago, “The secret to good photography is that there are no secrets!” Scanning the rest of the cover, I realized the whole magazine was geared toward people who were simply trying to gloss over bad photography with visual eye-candy.

Turning my attention to the Photoshop oriented rag, I flipped through the pages to see what might be of interest. First, I was struck by the number of ads and ad-like articles for products, each promising to make me a PS maven if only I sent them a few dollars. Next, there were the graphics design articles of no interest to me. Third, beginner articles that bored me to tears. And, finally, a few photography articles that promised to show me how to achieve a particular look or effect. Why would I want to constantly copy others’ look or effect?

Reports of My Demise Are Greatly Exaggerated

I haven’t posted much over the past two months because I’ve been dealing with the excruciating pain of gout. With no history of gout in my family, the doctors have chalked it up to, “Stuff happens!” In any case, I finally broke down and saw a rheumatologist. I actually met with two to get a second opinion. The pain and swelling are now under control and the doctor plans to put me on a long-term drug after the current attack.

I think the word, “drug” has always made me wary of medication. I remember all too vividly the effects of illegal drugs on friends in Turkey and Vietnam. I swore I never wanted to be so out of control that I didn’t know when I was endangering myself or those around me. Fortunately, in our home, I can do whatever I want so long as my wife lets me. In this case, she “let me” see a rheumatologist before she strangled me. Therefore, rumors of my demise are greatly exaggerated.

By Popular Demand

Subscribers come and go on my site all the time. Many don’t give a reason for unsubscribing, some lose interest in photography, others are satisfied with their current skills and some have progressed beyond the beginner level material on this site. Last week, I had a first. A person unsubscribed because, “Too many under-dressed female models…” Well, today’s post is dedicated to that former subscriber.

Next week, I’m shooting Tina and several other pin-up models for the launch of their 2012 calendar for Cuties for a Cause. This year’s cause is the San Diego Animal Support Foundation, a private, volunteer organization dedicated to improving the welfare of animals. So, if you’re an animal lover, buy a calendar to support their cause. And, if you’re offended by pin-up models, this is not the site for you. (I feel so much better now. ;-))

Restore Old Photos – 30 Minute Webinar, Wed Sep 14

If you have old, ratty, torn photos with dog-eared corners, creases, coffee/water stains and “goop” of unknown origins, you’ll want to register for this 30-Minute Webinar. In 30 minutes, you’ll get a quick overview of restoration techniques to make your photos useable.

Combined with tips and techniques learned in other 30-Minute Webinars such as levels adjustment, color balance and layers, you’ll be able to confidently fix badly damaged photos. As always, 30-Minute Webinars are on Wednesday evenings at 7PM Pacific Time and, currently, just $3. Later this year, prices will increase to $5 per 30-Minute Webinar or $50 for a dozen.

Lightroom Tips – 30 Minute Webinar, (TBA)

If you’re new to Lightroom and want to get started on the right foot, this is the 30-Minute Webinar for you. Because LR is totally different from Photoshop or Photoshop Elements, it takes a few moments to figure out where to start. Heck, if you just climbed onto the bandwagon without really knowing about LR, you might not even know what LR does. Don’t laugh, many people buy LR simply because “it’s on sale at a killer price!”

In this webinar, we’ll cover what LR does and demo some basic tips for making the best use of LR’s powers. As always, 30-Minute Webinars are on Wednesday evenings at 7PM Pacific Time and, currently, just $3. Later this year, prices will increase to $5 per 30-Minute Webinar or $50 for a dozen.

Gloria Hopkins Composition Webinar Video Available

Click THIS link to register to view the video recording. Registration is $19.95. If you bought Gloria’s book, Natural Design, after April 20, 2011, send me an e-mail with your name, e-mail address and date of purchase. You will receive a $5 (25%) discount code.

Pacific Southwest Railway Museum – April 30

On Saturday, 4/30 from 9AM to around noon, I’ll be at the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum in Campo, CA to photograph big, old, rusty, broken railroad engines, cars and equipment. Here’s more info.

HDR Tools, Tips and Techniques Webinar, May 7

On Saturday, May 7 from 9AM until noon, learn about the latest in HDR from a National Geographic photographer. Click HERE to register. For more details, click HERE.

Bighorn Sheep Scouting Trip, May 20

On Friday, May 20, I’ll be in the Palm Springs/Morongo Valley area to search for a herd of wild bighorn sheep. I only recently heard about this herd so I can’t guarantee I’ll find anything. I don’t know of any accommodations or services nearby, I’ll be in my RV. To join me, click HERE to send me an e-mail.

Palomar College Summer Classes Posted

Digital SLR for New dSLR Owners, June 14 & 15
Photoshop Elements for Digital Photographers, July 12 & 14
Hands-On Photoshoot at Kit Carson Park, August 6

Photoshop Elements in Six Weeks, May 11

Learn Photoshop Elements in six weeks, just one hour each Wednesday.

Eastern Sierras, October 2011

In either the second or third week of October 2011, I’ll be in the Eastern Sierras to photograph Mono Lake and Ancient Bristlecone Pines National Forest. If it snows, I may change the schedule to include Bodie, a magical place in the snow. If you’d like to join me, reserve the middle weeks of October. I’ll be in my RV so if I can tell you about campgrounds and BLM land where you can car/tent camp. If you need a hotel, you’ll have to make your own plans. To join me, click HERE to send me an e-mail.

$2 Webinar Series

If 20 or more people express interest, I’ll schedule a $2 webinar on just about any dSLR photography-related subject. The first two covered Buying a dSLR and dSLR Exposure Basics. Post your requests/comments here and we’ll see which subjects have legs.

Death of an R1800

My Epson R1800 has been a real love-hate affair. When it’s working, I love the rich, vibrant colors on Calumet Brilliant Luster paper. When it clogs, which is frequently, I hate the stupid printer and the idiot who designed it. I’ve had this printer for over five years and I’ve produced wonderful prints which have hung in galleries and sold enough to pay for itself. But, factor in the emotional toll of not knowing when it will throw another clogging tantrum and I’m ready to chuck it off the roof. Well, it saved me the hassle by finally dying last week.
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I stopped by Fry’s Electronics to look at an R1900. As I hemmed and hawed about an R1900 and the dinky 11ml (milliliter) ink cartridges (see comparison to left,) it struck me that an Epson Stylus Pro 3880 with 80ml cartridges dropped my ink costs down to 75¢ per ml versus $1.27 for the R1900, a 40% savings. That pushed me over the edge. Before my wife could say, “What the *$%+!” I threw down the plastic and walked out with a $1295 printer. My rationale was as follows: More