The Digital Photo Guy

Save an Extra 50 Bucks

I twisted George Jardine’s arm into offering an extra $50 discount on his San Diego Lightroom 3 weekend intensive workshop. This is two full days of LR3 training that will help you step up to the next level.

All the photos you see on this site have been edited in LR. Without George’s videos, I would still be putzing along. Now, I get back from a shoot with several hundred to a thousand files and blow through them in no time so I’m ready for my next shoot. If you’re a serious photographer who prefers to spend time behind the camera instead of in front of the monitor, this workshop is for you!

George Jardine will pump you so full of LR tips, tricks, techniques and concepts that you’ll think your head will explode. If you think a $49 class in a conference hall filled with 300 of your best friends is good training, you’re in for a shock. Get the discount code from George and get ready for some serious LR training!

How Much Is Too Much Editing?

Most photo contest only allow minimum editing including cropping, adjusting levels and sharpening. Cloning and healing are generally not allowed and removing an entire element is definitely verboten.

The San Diego Natural History Museum Best of Nature Photography Show is different in that it’s more of a fund raiser for the museum so pretty much anything goes. With that in mind, I decided to try the following.

The first image is the original and the second is the edited version. Most contests would never allow the edited version but I felt the single landing eagle was more impactful. What do you think? Is this too much editing? Does it change the essence of the photo?

This was made at Bosque del Apache NWR, San Antonio, NM with a Canon 40D and a 300/2.8 and 2x TC on a Gitzo 3530LS with a Wimberly Sidekick. Exposure was 1/160, f/25, ISO 1600, 0EV. It’s titled The Eagle Has Landed.

This photo will be used in the Wacom tablet webinar this Wednesday, 10/26 from 7 to 7:30PM.

Check All Memory Cards Before Formatting

Back on October 9, I posted photos from Alabama Hills including a night shot of Mobius Arch framing Lone Pine Peak. I wasn’t happy with the full size print because the photo was slightly out of focus (OOF) and a large print emphasized the misfocus.

While taking photos of the two B&W prints in the last post, I discovered a dozen in-focus photos of Mobius Arch at night made with my Canon 40D and Sigma 10-20. I had switched to the 40D after framing the Mobius Arch with the 24-105 and realizing it was too long. I had completely forgotten these photos and nearly formatted the card without checking. Ergo, I am an idiot. The take away is very simple: Always check and double check your memory cards before formatting, d’oh!

The one on the left is 20mm and the one on the right is 10mm. These were made within 2 minutes of each other. They appear quite dark because a) it was night and b) compressing and resizing reduces the brightness. Printed at 13×19, they appear fine.

As an afterthought, although I typically print at 13×19, the Epson 3880 is capable of printing 17×24. The reason I don’t is because of increased cost and greater hassle to store and display larger prints.

The Complaint Department is Closed

I received an e-mail stating George Jardine’s video on B&W conversion was, “…filled with too much technical stuff…” I deleted the reader from my mailing list to protect him from himself. I’m sorry if everything isn’t simple and easy but, if it were, any 6 year old could make photos like Ansel Adams or David Meunch. The complaint department is now closed!

Topaz Black & White Effects Plug-In

Topaz Labs produces some of my favorite PS, PSE and LR plug-ins so when Nicole Paschal of Topaz invited me to try B&W Effects, I jumped right on it. Unfortunately, life has a way of getting in the way including a prolonged health issue (see bottom) and I never got back to it.

Today, feeling well enough to review and edit photos for the first time in two weeks, I fired up Lightroom to find a photo for B&W conversion. I’m not saying this is the best I have available but I thought it turned out well (If you disagree, tell me why in the Comments below.)

Topaz plug-ins will be among the subjects I cover in my 30-Minute Webinar series (below.) I’ll show you what the controls do so you can customize the Preset to your own vision. Below is another photo that I made years ago. It never did anything for me in color but the Topaz B&W (middle) looks nice. The second conversion used BW Presets in LR3 Develop Module. It reminds me of the Twilight Zone.

Fast, Easy and Cheap – 30 Minute Webinar Series!

What more can you ask for in photography lessons? Are you aware that I have a separate site called Photography Webinars and Shoots? On that site, I list photography webinars and photoshoots. In fact, many of the photoshoots are free.

At least once per month and, sometimes, more often, I present a 30 Minute Webinar covering some aspect of digital photography and photo editing. To date, webinars have covered Cleaning Your dSLR Sensor, Applying Unsharp Mask, Using Layers in Photo Editing, Tips for Restoring Old Photos and others. Click HERE for a sample 30-Minute webinar (no password.)

Due to the popularity of these short, to-the-point lessons, I’m incorporating them into my annual subscription services. Starting December 1, 2011, I’ll offer two annual subscription plans: Basic and Premium.

Basic Subscription Service includes all 30-Minute Webinars (minimum 1 per month) for one year, free access to videos of all 30-Minute Webinars and e-mail support for questions of general interest. So, if you have a question about digital SLR photography or photo editing that may be of interest to other readers, I’ll post an answer on the web site. Until December 31, the Introductory Price for a Basic Subscription is $50 per year. After December 31, 2011, the price is $60. Readers who have previously attended 30-Minute Webinars are eligible for an Introductory Subscription price of $36 (send me a copy of your PayPal receipt.)

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Premium Subscription Service includes access to all 30-Minute Webinars (minimum 1 per month) for one year, free access to videos of all 30-Minute Webinars, e-mail support for all digital SLR and photo editing questions, free photo review and analysis for up to 12 photos per year and three hours of 1-on-1 consulting time via webinar. The three hours can also be used for a webinar class (does not include guest speakers.) Until December 31, 2011, the Premium Subscription price is $99. After 12/31/11, the regular price is $120. Readers who have previously attended 30-Minute Webinars are eligible for an additional discount, just $89 for 2012.

An added benefit is “Competition Review and Feedback,” a new service to members wishing to enter photo competitions. Honest, detailed feedback is important to win photography competitions. The Digital Photo Guy will provide insightful and incisive reviews of your photos to not only select the best photos for a particular competition but also ideas for improving your chances of winning.

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Eastern Sierras Photoshoot

Next Friday, Sep 30, I’ll be in the Eastern Sierras for 10 days. Anyone who wants to join me is welcome. I’ll be in some areas you may never find on your own and I’ll be experimenting with techniques such as star trails and long exposure night photography. For details, click this LINK.

Facebook Paradigm Shift

I recently read an article titled, “Does Facebook Really Care About You?” by Douglas Rushkoff. As I read the article, I suddenly realized what it was about FB that I don’t like. To quote Rushkoff, “…on Facebook we’re not the customers. We are the product.” In other words, FB packages your information and resells it. That, in turn, makes FB users unpaid employees, “The hours Facebook users put into their profiles and lists and updates is the labor that Facebook then sells to the market researchers and advertisers it serves.” Think about it.

Reports of My Death Have Been Exaggerated…

But, not by much. I rarely get sick but, when I do, it’s a doozy. Also, as I get older, it it takes longer to recover. Over the past two weeks, I experienced the worst gout attack in ten years. Then, I developed a sinus infection from allergies. Knowing I had just a few days before the infection dropped down to my chest and put me out for 6-8 weeks, I rushed to my doctor for amoxicillan. The point to all this is that I missed posting a Monday Morning Tip last week.

A Grand Time at Cruisin’ Grand

What more can a guy ask for? I spent Friday evening at Cruisin’ Grand Friday evening cruise with three cuties (Tina, Michelle and my wife.) Tina is my favorite pin-up model and Michelle is one of her “Cuties” from Cuties for a Cause. We had a great time photographing two pin-up cuties with classic cars from the ’40s and ’50s.

If you’re interested in photographing pin-up style models, Cuties for a Cause will be featured at the ArtHatch reception on Sept 9 after Cruisin’ Grand. The reception offers live music, book signings (available for purchase), pin up girls, Stone beer, hors d’oeuvres, plus over 30 local artists works and 75 national and international artists works on display for $25 at the door or $20 in advance.

Learn Something Useful in 30 Minutes

Last month, I started offering a 30-Minute Webinar Series. To date, we’ve covered an overview of photo editing programs, a tutorial on cleaning dSLR sensors, how to apply USM and an overview of layers in photo editing. The next 30-Minute Webinar, on Wed, August 24, covers High Dynamic Range (HDR) Photography.

The advantage of short, focused webinars is minimal time and money investment. Anyone can set aside 30 minutes to learn something they really enjoy. To date, the webinars have been priced at just $3. Later this year, the price will increase to $5 per webinar.

Anyone who registers for a webinar before the price increase will be eligible to register for 12 webinars for $36. After the price increase, the series will cost $50 for 12 webinars or $5 each.

Here’s a short sample video of the Layers webinar.