The Digital Photo Guy

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.

It’s time for another MMT and we’re still on “Back to Basics”. I was at San Diego Wild Animal Park last week with several former students to photograph butterflies in the Butterfly Jungle exhibit. If you’ve been to Butterfly Jungle, you know the light is mottled and streaked. Bright patches of sunlight cut through dark areas shaded by huge leaves and tall trees. Under such conditions, it’s imperative that you quickly and accurately add or subtract light to get the desired exposure. Exposure Compensation (EC) helps you do just that.

This MMT applies to both dSLRs and compact digicams. Every digital camera I’ve seen in the past few years has an EC control. The only difference between dSLRs and digicams is that dSLR controls tend to be somewhat standardized while digicams are less so. The worst digicam designs require you to drill down into a menu to adjust EC.

You can read the full MMT by logging in to the MMT area on the Tips & News page. To get the password for that area, please register for the site.

New Video Posted

Part 1 of a 3-part video on restoring old photos has been posted. Although the material is the same as what I presented to the Computer Genealogy Society of San Diego, I enhanced the video with call-outs and annotations. If you saw the CGSSD recording, please view the new video and leave a comment regarding your preference. If the call-outs and annotations don’t add value, I want to avoid putting in so much time and effort.

New Videos

How much interest is there for videos covering Photoshop CS2/4? If there’s enough interest, I’ll produce a few but, if there’s no interest, I don’t want to waste time. Leave a Comment if you’re interested.