The Digital Photo Guy

It’s time for a new photo contest. This time, the theme is holidays. Being American, I’m partial to Thanksgiving during this period. For readers from other countries, the photos must reflect some sort of national celebration. The contest is open to registered readers of this site. Registration is free. The contest is open now and submissions will be accepted until December 8, 2009. The winner will be announced in time for them to receive the prize by Christmas 2009 unless they happen to live outside the USA in which case, all bets are off as to ETA.

800+, 8.5" x 11" pages

The prize is a Photoshop World Workbook from Photoshop World 2009 in Las Vegas. It is 800 pages of PS tips, tricks and hints from virtually every class at PSW. For a peek at the contents, see this description on my site. Because the book is heavy, I’m asking the winner to pay US$10 via PayPal for shipping.

Photos will be judged on three criteria:

1. Exposure – is the photo correctly exposed. Correctly does NOT always mean right edge of histogram at right side and left edge touching the left side. Many photos look better when one side or the other is pulled in to achieve a specific “look”. Color balance will also be evaluated.
2. Focus – is the photo in focus or was blur used artistically. If your portrait has a sharp ear but blurry eyes, it will be noticed. Not only must the important parts be in focus but the unimportant parts must not be distracting. Controlling DoF is an integral part of good photography, it will be evaluated.
3. Composition – what is the emotional impact of the photo? Does it tell a story or do the colors/shapes/lines/negative space evoke an emotion? Does the photo engage the viewer? Does it create tension through unanswered questions? More than anything else, I’m looking for photos that have impact, that makes me sit up and notice.

Since I am the sole judge and arbiter, here are some of my biases. As much as you think your kids/grandkids are precious, I rarely find any redeeming artistic value in photos of children or pets. On the other hand, I love landscapes, portraits, wildlife, birds, flowers, still life, architecture, old things, new things, shiny things, rusty things and just about anything. See photos on this site to get an idea of what yanks my chain, floats my boat, tingle my toes and, in general, makes me happy, sad, excited, thrilled, thoughtful or otherwise emotional. BTW, I’m also not a fan of street photography unless your name happens to be Henri Cartier-Bresson.

All photos must be resized to 640 pixels along the longest side and no larger than 1MB. Send it to me via e-mail or post it on your own website and send me a link. If you send a link, it should be a link to one photo. In other words, don’t link to a page with a gazillion photos and expect me to figure out which is your entry. The photo must have been taken with a digital camera (any type, make, model) and the only edits allowed are crop, color correction, levels and sharpen. No composites or collages will be considered. HDR will be accepted but the more it looks like a single frame, the better your chances. Each person is limited to three (3) submissions. Once a photo is submitted, it can be withdrawn but not replaced.

The purpose of this contest is to promote photography as an art. I want people to elevate their photography beyond snapshots of Fluffy & Rover at the backyard barbeque. I want more people to see the potential within themselves. Even if all you ever take are photos of your kids/grandkids, I want you to make them into art, not simple snapshots.

Legal stuff – By entering a photo(s) in this contest, you affirm that you are the photographer with all rights appertaining including, but not limited to, copyright. You agree to hold harmless the owner and publisher of this site and contest promoter from any claims, past, present and/or future arising from any actions related to the photo(s) submitted by you or in your name. By submitting a photo(s), you agree to convey an irrevocable, non-exclusive 5 year license to The Digital Photo Guy (Lee Otsubo) to display the photo(s) and use them for teaching purposes. All other rights remain with you. Any part of this agreement/contest may be modified by The Digital Photo Guy without notice.

Time Flies When You’re Having Fun

I can’t believe it’s been almost a month since I wrote my last full MMT. (A full MMT is a separate article that’s archived as a PDF or video in the password protected MMT area.) The closest was my Depth of Field Calculator video back on Sep 23. Speaking of which, I’m going to renew my FREE DoF Calculator offer but I need some feedback regarding what lens focal lengths you need/want. Tell me via the poll to the right.

This week’s MMT is a review of a boring but necessary device for photographers, a monitor calibration system. It’s called a system because you need both the hardware (colorimeter) and software to calibrate your monitor. The reason you need to calibrate your monitor is because different monitors display the same color differently. In other words, you want the fire engine to look the same color red on all monitors. More importantly, if your monitor is off, how can you identify the problem point? When that fire engine print comes out looking like an orange, how do you know you sent the correct info?

It used to be that monitor calibration was expensive and tedious. Today, there are several choices well below US$100 that are a snap to use. Read my review of the Pantone Huey Pro monitor calibration system.

If, after reading the MMT, you decide you want to calibrate your monitor, check the Tips & News page for a screaming deal on colorimeters. Since I only bought these as tests and don’t need them for daily use, I have the original Huey and the new Huey Pro for sale along with a bunch of Canon gear I need to cull from my inventory. I recently sold my Canon 100-400 so now I’m motivated to thin my excess equipment even more.

As always, MMTs are here. You’ll need to register to get into the password protected areas where about 100 MMTs are archived.

Quick Tip

In Photoshop CS4 and Photoshop Elements 7 (may apply to earlier versions but not tested), in the past if you wanted to unlock the Background layer, you double-clicked the lock icon and dismissed the dialog box that appeared with a suggested new name Layer 0. It wasn’t a big deal but a minor annoyance. It turns out you can simply click the lock icon and drag it to the trashcan. Whoulda thunk? It’s a lot quicker and more efficient.

More Eastern Sierras Photos

This is a hokey way to display photos but I just haven’t had time to figure out how the gallery software works. Like most anything in WordPress, I have a choice of about 10 gazillion photo gallery modules and they all seem to be written by Martians so bear with me.

In case you missed them the first set, here are some of my favorites in an earlier post.

I thought readers might be interested to get a peek at what’s inside the 800+ pages of the PSW Workshop that will be given away during the November 14 webinar by Rob Sheppard. It’s one thing to see a photo of an 800+ page book but a completely different thing to see and read some of the contents.

There were 77 classes at PSW proper broken down into 13 tracks: General Photoshop, Photoshop 101, Photoshop Design, Photoshop Fixes, Productivity, Lightroom, Techniques, Creative Suite, Creativity, Photo Studio Live, Motion Graphics, Digital Photography and Print/Prepress. There was another 20 classes (fee and free) before and during PSW. Some were inside the PSW Expo (trade show) and others were extra cost, several hours long seminars called Pre-Cons (pre-conference) before PSW. Also, many vendors in the Expo Hall (about 30 companies) had their own classes and demos where a serious amount of information was sprinkled in among the sales pitch.

All classes are taught by well known NAPP Photoshop and digital photography experts like Scott Kelby, Matt Kloskowski, Dave Cross, Joe McNally, Ben Willmore, David Ziser, Russel Brown, and Lesa Snider. Some are superstars like Jay Maisel, Katrin Eismann, Kevin Ames and Vincent Versace.

One of the classes I sat in was Fixing Common Image Problems by Dave Cross. This was a mix of old materials with new twists as well as a few new fixes. Let’s face it, there are a limited number of fixes that can be applied to a photo before it’s easier to just reshoot the scene. Dave’s notes for the class comprises 14 pages in the Workbook. Because Dave is an excellent teacher, he starts with a general concept that he recommends for all PS fixes: don’t try to make a perfect fix in one swell foop. Almost every PS/PSE instructor, including yours truly, recommends that you use a combination of tools to arrive at the final fix. For example, don’t try to use just the Magic Wand to make a selection unless it’s a simple job like selecting a white cue ball against a green pool table. Use the Magic Wand or Quick Selection Tool to make a gross selection first, then refine the selection using the Lasso Tool, Magnetic Lasso or Polygonal Lasso to select small areas that weren’t selected by the gross tools. This is where knowing keyboard shortcuts like Shift, Alt/Option, Control/Command can pay off big time in efficiency.

Dave covers Fixing White Balance, Changing Text Background to Transparent, Colorize White Objects, Changing Black to White, Removing Harsh Shadows, Extending a Photo, Fixing Distortion from Glasses, Recovering Blown Details and Fixing Group Shots in the 14 pages. More importantly, he finishes most tips with a tip on how to avoid the problem in the first place. For example, under Fixing White Balance, Dave recommends the use of a Gray Card which makes applying a white balance adjstment a snap. But, what if you’re not in a studio or someplace where a gray card is convenient? In that case, try to get something white, gray or black in the scene. You can issue your kids white index cards before an outing to the zoo or park. For the first photo in every different light condition, ask them to hold up the card. If they’re won’t cooperate, staple the card to their forehead (just kidding).

Check back often for more tips from the PSW Workbook or, better yet, subscribe via RSS so you’ll know as soon as I post new material. Even better, register for Rob Sheppard’s Photoshop Elements for Digital Photographers webinar for a chance to win your own copy of the PSW Workbook.

Win a $179.99 Software Suite!

Another score for the Photoshop Elements webinar with Rob Sheppard. Topaz Labs has graciously donated a complete suite worth $340 to a door prize winner during the webinar on November 14. I watched the Topaz Labs demo at Photoshop World and I can honestly say it “blew my mind”. It takes a lot to impress me with software anymore but the Topaz products were in a totally different class. (bundle does not include Enhance and Momentum which are video plug-ins).

Go to the Head of the Winner’s Line

If you want to just grab a complete Topaz Suite for free and skip the door prize effort, get 3 people (including yourself) to register for the Photoshop Elements webinar on November 14 from 9AM to 1PM (Pacific Time). The webinar is just $59.95 and covers everything a digital photographer needs to know about Adobe Photoshop Elements including the newest version 8.

If you’ve already registered, just get two more people to register and put your name in the PayPal Comments section. Be sure to also send me an e-mail with your friend’s name in case your friend wrote something like “Peggy’s friend” when you’re registered as Margaret.

To date, here’s a list of all the door prizes for the webinar:

Black Rapid camera strap the easiest, most comfortable way to carry a dSLR

1-2-3 of Digital Imaging v5 (PC), a 3500+ page DVD book to learn PS and PSE

Photoshop World Workbook, 800 pages of hints, tips and tricks from PSW

Topaz Labs Bundle, a $340 suite of programs that normally sells for $179.99

Monday Morning Tip

Photography is a journey. If you ever arrive at your destination, you’re dead. Photography is a life-long pursuit of an ever changing vision. Even professional photographers are constantly learning and challenging themselves to improve their skills. The best way to learn is by listening and watching others who are better than you. In the beginning, it’s best if your teacher isn’t too far ahead of you on the learning curve but, as you improve, you want teachers who stretch and expand your horizons. Sometimes, you may feel as if the lessons might break you but always remember, what doesn’t kill you, just makes you better.

I just got back from 5 days in the Eastern Sierras on a Great American Photo Workshop led by Rob Sheppard. It was a great workshop with lots of fieldwork and, what I wanted, in-depth critiques. Too often, we drink our own KoolAid and start believing all the praise heaped upon us by friends and family. When you attend a workshop, you’re paying a professional for their honest feedback about the quality of your work and, more importantly, how you can improve. The GAPW workshops are a bargain at just US$795 (excluding lodging, meals and travel).

Here are some of my favorite photos from the workshop. I haven’t processed all my photos but these stood out. My MMT for the week is: take lessons at every opportunity. In the beginning, local camera clubs and camera stores can provide lessons for free or very minimal cost. As your skills improve, you might want to take paid local workshops. At the high end, workshops can range from a few thousand dollars to $10,000+ for exotic locales and name instructors. Just keep in mind that a big name doesn’t always translate into better lessons.

Ancient Bristlecone Pine

Fast Water

Color at Sabrina Basin

Magic Light

Nudes

Score, Again!

I snagged several extra Photoshop World workbooks for drawings to be held during the Nov 14 webinar with Rob Sheppard. These workbooks contain class materials from virtually every class offered during PSW this week. That’s over 800 pages of material covering everything from Fixing Common Image Problems by Dave Cross to Graphic Secrets: Totally Text by Lesa Snider to The Perfect Panoramic by Jim DiVitale.

For me, yesterday was more about recharging the batteries and gaining new inspiration than pushing sliders, tweaking colors and adjusting angles. For inspiration, Jay Maisel is at the top of my list. He’s an oddball (synonym for New York photographer) but his ability to see while the rest of us simply look is amazing. His photos of what, at first glance, appear to be everyday, mundane objects is nothing short of brilliant. If B&H had a “Jay Maisel Eye” in their catalog, the owners would be multi-billionaires. Even his photos of kids, which rarely do anything for me, inspire and amaze me. He’s not a splashy, entertaining presenter but he doesn’t need to be, his photos speak for themselves.

Fay Sirkis presented The Eyes Are the Windows to the Soul. The beginning was slow and I was concerned when she said she was going to show us a technique that she applied to every photo. It turns out she’s a 1 trick pony but it’s a huge pony. I was impressed at the breadth and depth of information she was able to pack into a single tip. Her one technique had more product extensions than a MacDonald’s hamburger!

Jack Reznicki was, as usual, full of great tips, tricks and hints but, also as usual, he’s a photog, not an instructor. He was all over the place and it would have been difficult for less experienced photographers to follow. I had to laugh at the people using camera phones to try to capture his exact set-up instead of understanding the concepts.

Joe McNally was my favorite. He most reminded me of my own style: immediately useful tips and info presented in a rapidfire, humorous manner that always kept you on the edge of your seat. I really liked that Joe used V as his model instead of the typical, svelte, 20-something blonde. V was about 350 lbs of muscle and looked like a bouncer at a Las Vegas bar. He was amazingly agile and could leap into the air on cue for McNally.

There was only one disappointment during the day. It was obvious the instructor really didn’t know how to express themselves and convey their ideas. The one thing that surprises me is the lack of preparation most photographers put into their presentations. They don’t seem to understand that presenting an instructional lecture is a completely different animal. I’m also amazed at the frequency of equipment failures.

Today is slow until noon so I’ll be scrounging in the Expo area again. I’m really looking forward to 2 sessions with Ben Willmore, The Newest in HDR and Mastering Curves. PSW wraps up at 5PM this afternoon but a lot of it is, “Rah-rah, sign up for next year!”

One final point of philosophy. After one attends a number of these conferences, it becomes obvious that the tools change and the techniques get better but the desired results are always the same. We’re always looking for ways to get the most out of our art. Bottom line, it’s useful to come to these conference once in a while but don’t drink the Kool-Aid. It’s not Scott Kelby’s art, it’s YOUR art. If you find a way that works for you, don’t let the “next big thing” seduce you into trying something just for the sake of trying something new. This falls under my favorite Dr. Mits Tomita saying, “Keep an open mind but not so open that your brains fall out.”