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GIVE A GIFT OF PHOTOGRAPHIC EDUCATION AND CREATIVITY
Gifts. Always a difficult decision as to what you are going to buy for someone you care about. WHY NOT GET THEM a Blue Ridge Workshops GIFT CERTIFICATE - CLICK HERE EVEN BETTER SEND THEM TO A CLASS IN JANUARY
OR AN UPCOMING WORKSHOP. THE WHOLE STORY BEHIND OLYMPUS MICRO FOUR THIRDS CONCEPT - LIGHTEN UP - FEEL BETTER 
There’s a trend in the wind and the wind is getting stronger and stronger. The trend is smaller, lighter, user friendly interchangeable lens cameras that have digital slr image quality. The Olympus EP-1 and EP-2 cameras are just that. Oh! and they do HDVIDEO too.
CHECK OUT THE OLYMPUS EP-1 RIGHT HERE
HERE IS A SPECIAL VIDEO WITH KEVIN SPACEY THAT REALLY SAYS A LOT OLYMPUS A LITTLE LARGER - BUT STILL SMALLER 
I've been shooting the Olympus E-620 quite a bit in the last few weeks and I have to tell you that the Olympus engineers really figured out how to build a full size Dslr small, light, with an imager that will knock your socks off. It just an absolute pleasure to use. Of course most of you know my feelings about cameras today. There simply are no cameras that take bad pictures anymore. All of the technology is great and the images when cameras and lenses are used correctly are just outstanding. But what separates cameras today is COMFORT and that means the FEEL OF THE BODY and LENSES and the ease of getting to all the buttons and menu features. THE OLYMPUS E-620 MEETS ALL THE CRITERIA.
TAKE A LOOK.
YOU CAN FIND THIS CAMERA AT PENN CAMERA - CLICK HERE -OR GO TO YOUR LOCAL PENN CAMERA STORE-CLICK HERE
1-WORKFLOW - ADOBE LIGHTROOM CLASS - JANUARY 9TH 2010- SATURDAY-CLASS CLICK IN THE BLUE BELOW
.....CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS CLASS AND REGISTRATION __________________________________________________________________________________________________ BELOW IS A LIST OF OUR 2010 WORKSHOP SCHEDULE AS OF DECEMBER 6 2010 - PLEASE GO TO OUR WEB SITE LINK BELOW FOR MORE DETAILS
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE WORKSHOPS ON OUR WEB SITE VIDEO WORKSHOPS AND CLASSES
V I D E O - January 17, 2010 - THIS CLASS IS ABOUT LEARNING ABOUT ALL THE NEW MULTIMEDIA CAPABILITIES OF YOUR WONDERFUL CAMERA GEAR AND IS PRESENTED BY TOM SULLIVAN, MASTER STILL AND VIDEOGRAPHER
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CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS WORKSHOP AND REGISTRATION __________________________________________________________________________________________________________
STILL PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOPS
SNOW SNOW SNOW - WINTER WORKSHOP - NOTHING CHARGED UNTIL THE ACTUAL WORKSHOP TAKE S PLACE Trying to predict when snow is going to fall is usually pretty hard to do. Even weather reports are not reliable, so we have decided to set up a workshop that you can register for without paying for until we can be reasonably sure the weather is coming. It would have to be an overnight, more or less decision on your part to attend. So If you have been longing to photograph beautiful winter scenes, pre register for this workshop today. WINTER SNOW WORKSHOP - PRE-SIGNUP NEEDED FOR WHEN THE HEAVY SNOW ARRIVES CLICK RIGHT HERE _______________________________________________________________________________________________________
March 19,20,21-2010-BLACK AND WHITE - A REBIRTH WITH EVEN MORE CREATIVE CONTROLS FOR THE SERIOUS PHOTOGRAPHER WANTING TO MAKE THEIR OWN SPECIAL STATEMENT BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY HAS BEEN AN INCREDIBLE ART FORM FOR SO MANY YEARS, AND THE SUBTLE MOODS AND TONAL QUALITIES ARE VITUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO PRODUCE IN COLOR IMAGES. THIS WORKSHOP RE OPENS ALL OF OUR EYES TO THE WONDERFUL CREATIVE POSIBILITIES THAT BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY WILL GIVE US. SHOOT WITH YOUR INSTRUCTORS WHO WILL BE GUIDING YOU, AND LEARN THE TECHNIQUES THAT DIGITAL PROCESSING CAN GIVE YOU TO ENHANCE YOUR BLACK AND WHITE IMAGES. LEARN TO PROCESS AND PRINT WITH TODAYS DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES. JOIN US IN SHENANDOAH AS WINTER LEAVES US AND SPRING IS IN ITS EARLY STAGES.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS WORKSHOP AND REGISTRATION _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ April 10,11-2010 -CAPTURING ALL THE LIGHT - THE HDR SOLUTION - LEARN THE PROPER WAYS OF APPLYING HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE CORRECTIONS TO YOUR IMAGES Photographers don’t always have control over the range of light in their subject, particularly when photographing landscapes, and the range of light can be as high as 100,000 to 1 or 17 stops of light and sometimes higher. Even the latest cameras from Canon, Nikon, and other camera manufacturers can’t capture more than nine or ten stops of light. Using high dynamic range or HDR imaging, a photographer can capture and represent the full dynamic range of light found in a scene with high perceptual accuracy. The HDR process is theoretically simple: Capture a sequence of images at different exposures and combine those images into a HDR image. However, this process has numerous pitfalls and nuances and capturing a realistic HDR image can be very difficult. This workshop will include both field and classroom instruction time.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS WORKSHOP AND REGISTRATION April 17,2010 -THE BACK ROADS OF LEESBURG VA. A wonderful photographic walk through Leesburg Va. bypassing the main roads and walking the rarely traveled side streets. The photographic possibilities are unlimited. FOR ALL SKILL LEVELS ____________________________________________ Learn the proper use of light and composition to record the fine details of this wonderful historic town.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS WORKSHOP AND REGISTRATION _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ April 18, 2010-JOIN US IN PHOTOGRAPHING WONDERFUL PARTS OF OUR PAST, OUR PARENTS PAST AND GRANDPARENTS PAST-PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP THIS IS A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO PHOTOGRAPH IN A WONDERFUL PLACE IN LUCKETTS, VA. HERE YOU WILL LEARN TO MODIFY YOUR LIGHT, WITH SUBJECTS THAT ARE UNIQUE IN OUR TIME. THERE ARE A GREAT MANY SUBJECTS TO CREATE IMAGES OF BOTH INDOORS AND OUTDOORS. LEARN COMPOSITION AND THE USE OF LIGHT TO ENHANCE YOUR CREATIONS. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS CLASS AND REGISTRATION
A VERY SPECIAL WORKSHOP April 23,24,25 - 2010 - THERESA AIREY AND BARBARA ELLISON WILL PRESENT THE ULTIMATE FINE ART CLASS UNLIKE ANY OTHER YOU HAVE EVER TAKEN OR HEARD ABOUT- GET READY FOR THE ULTIMATE FINE ART EXPERIENCE Barbara and Theresa are some of the most incredible fine art photographers and printers I have ever worked with and they are offering this wonderful opportunity for you to tap into their techniques and knowledge. This workshop is limited to twelve (12) students and those students have an opportunity to walk away with inspiring concepts that they can develop into their own personal art form.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS WORKSHOP AND REGISTRATION _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ -April 30th thru May 2nd, 2010-- SPRING SHENANDOAH PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP
We shall meet at THE LINK, which is the gateway to Sperryville Va. nestled in the heart of Sheandoah. We shall be located just a few miles from the Shenandoah National Park where we shall be photographing beautiful sunrise and sunsets, water falls, flowers, and wildlife. The Link iserves as our base of operation in the Blue Ridge Mountains and we shall hold classes and pre shoot meetings either indoors or outdoors depending upon the weather. There is also lots to photograph right in, and around Sperryville. We have arranged for Blue Ridge participants to get to beautiful locations not generally given access to the public. PLEASE CHECK THE LINKS BELOW FOR MAKING YOUR ROOM RESERVATIONS. BOOK EARLY AS THIS IS A POPULAR AREA.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS WORKSHOP AND REGISTRATION _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
May 8, 2010- GREEN SPRINGS GARDENS -OLYMPUS USERS AND WANT TO BE USERS WORKSHOP FROM BLUE RIDGE WORKSHOPS AND OLYMPUS AMERICA CORP -Macro and Closeup photography -sponsored by Penn Camera CALLING ALL OLYMPUS DIGITAL SLR CAMERA USERS. BLUE RIDGE WORKSHOPS TOGETHER WITH OLYMPUS CAMERA CORPORATION, AND WITH THE SPONSERSHIP OF PENN CAMERA, IS BRINGING YOU A HIGHLY SPECIALIZED WORKSHOP FOR THE PURPOSE OF ENHANCING YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH OLYMPUS PRODUCTS, AND TO PROVIDE YOU WITH LOANER EQUIPMENT AS WELL AS TECHNICAL EXPERTISE IN WORKING WITH ALL OF THE INCREDIBLE FEATURES THAT OLYMPUS CAMERAS HAVE TO OFFER. THERE WILL BE SEVERAL OLYMPUS TECH PERSONS TEACHING THE CLASS AND FIELD PORTIONS OF THE WORKSHOP WITH BLUE RIDGE PERSONNEL ASSISTING THEM...........................Perfect your skills in both Macro and Scenic photography, using outdoor available lighting techniques using reflectors and diffusers. Learn the the proper use of fill in flash. Learn how filters will enhance your images and how to properly compose and expose your images. FOR ALL SKILL LEVELS. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS WORKSHOPS AND REGISTRATION _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
MAY 15TH 2010 - HOW A BLACKSMITH TURNS IRON INTO ART - VISIT WITH NOL PUTNAM FOR AN INCREDIBLE PHOTOGRAPHIC OPPORTUNITY-and then JOIN US FOR EVEN MORE INCREDIBLE PHOTOGRAPHIC VENUES-
Stuck away in the rolling hills of Rappahannock, is a wonderful place where raw iron is turned into beautiful sculptures, by Nol Putnam, who is an incredible blacksmith. Nol has been practicing his trade for over 30 plus years, and has had many impressive assignments. We shall visit his forge and have an opportunity to photograph Nol banging and clanging with sparks flying, and furnace roaring, as he hammers away to create, while we photograph his efforts as well as the surroundings that make up his work place. THERE WILL BE SEVERAL INSTRUCTORS ON HAND TO ASSIST YOU.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS WORKSHOP AND REGISTRATION _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ May 16th, 2010- GREEN SPRINGS GARDENS -Macro and Closeup photography - Perfect your skills in both Macro and Scenic photography, using outdoor available lighting techniques using reflectors and diffusers. Learn the the proper use of fill in flash. Learn how filters will enhance your images and how to properly compose and expose your images. FOR ALL SKILL LEVELS. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION AND REGISTRATION _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ JUNE 5, 2010 - A WORKSHOP ABOUT GOING BEYOND THE NORM-(((((((SCANNING/HAND COLORING A TRUE PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTFORM))))))) MAXIMUM 8 STUDENTS JOIN BARBARA ELLISON AND GAIN NEW INSIGHT
ON HOW TO PRODUCE FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY. DEFINE YOUR OWN, SPECIAL AND PERSONALIZED LOOK. We have incredible fine art workshops planned. as you can read all the details below. The education that Barbara Ellison will give you, will take you INTO AND BEYOND the normal fine art output you have produced, or want to learn how to produce. It will help you create your own personal look and feel in ways you never imagined possible. In the three classes described below you will learn to turn your images into wonderful works of art. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS WORKSHOP AND THE WONDERFUL THINGS THAT BARBARA IS GOING TO TEACH YOU.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ JUNE 6, 2010 GO BEYOND WHAT YOU THINK YOU KNOW ABOUT FINE ART PRINTING-MAXIMUM--- 8 STUDENTS
GAIN NEW INSIGHT ON HOW TO PRODUCE FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY. DEFINE YOUR OWN, SPECIAL AND PERSONALIZED LOOK. We have incredible fine art workshops planned. as you can read all the details below. The education that Barbara Ellison will give you, will take you INTO AND BEYOND the normal fine art output you have produced, or want to learn how to produce. It will help you create your own personal look and feel in ways you never imagined possible. In the three classes described below you will learn to turn your images into wonderful works of art.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT BARBARA'S SECOND WORKSHOP IN THIS SERIES JUNE 11,12,13 - 2010 ----MACRO / CLOSE-UP / TABLETOP PHOTOGRAPHY - AN INFINITE WORLD OF CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHIC POSSIBILITIES BOTH IN THE FIELD AND IN THE "STUDIO"
One of the most challenging, but rewarding types of photography is Macro / Close-up. Learning to master this highly detailed and creative form of photographic art is what this workshop is going to teach. Most people think a class like this is about photographing bugs and flowers, and in part, it is. However, the amount of subject matter that falls into this category of photography is virtually unlimited and the opportunity for you to create images that go beyond the standard portrait or landscape will absolutely amaze you. Learn how to manipulate the light, the subject, and create effects and outstanding images you did not think possible. Learn how to do Macro and Close-up photography from subjects in nature to subjects in every walk of life. Learn how to do macro portraits as well as macro scenics.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS WONDERFUL MACRO WORKSHOP _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ June 26,27-2010 -CAPTURING ALL THE LIGHT - THE HDR SOLUTION - LEARN THE PROPER WAYS OF APPLYING HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE CORRECTIONS TO YOUR IMAGES
Photographers don’t always have control over the range of light in their subject, particularly when photographing landscapes, and the range of light can be as high as 100,000 to 1 or 17 stops of light and sometimes higher. Even the latest cameras from Canon, Nikon, and other camera manufacturers can’t capture more than nine or ten stops of light. Using high dynamic range or HDR imaging, a photographer can capture and represent the full dynamic range of light found in a scene with high perceptual accuracy. The HDR process is theoretically simple: Capture a sequence of images at different exposures and combine those images into a HDR image. However, this process has numerous pitfalls and nuances and capturing a realistic HDR image can be very difficult. This workshop will include both field and classroom instruction time.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS WORKSHOP AND REGISTRATION _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ July 10th 2010 THE LILYPONS IN FULL BLOOM - PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP
Beautiful country side to photograph beautiful lilies, lotus and bees, and lots of other wonderful scenery. A great place to learn your Macro, Wide Angle, and Telephoto skills, along with outdoor lighting techniques. Learn to put your images together with proper composition. Learn to see your subjects in different ways. This is a class for all levels of photographic expertise. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS WORKSHOP AND REGISTRATION _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ July 11, 2010-SUNFLOWERS! THERE IS NOTHING LIKE PHOTOGRAPHING GIANT SUN FLOWERS UNDER EARLY MORNING LIGHT
Finding a good photograph in the middle of the summer in Washington, DC, can be difficult. However, there is one place that never fails. In mid-July, every year, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources plants two or three fields of sunflowers and this field trip will take you to the sunflowers for several hours of photographing the sunflowers during the early morning hours. There is nothing like early morning golden sunlight to enhance the photography of these wonderful flowers.............It is our goal to provide the location and to teach you the best ways of capturing these endearing flowers through proper use of exposure, light modifiers, fill flash, creative blur, and proper control of front to back depth of your image, your creation.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS WORKSHOP _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ POINT AND SHOOT CAMERA WORKSHOP - Get the most out of your pocket camera - September 11, 2010
Master your point and shoot camera at a great location. Enjoy a day out with Blue Ridge Workshop instructors, and learn about the advanced features of your point and shoot and how to take better exposed, better composed for more dramatic memories of your friends, families, pets, and the world around you. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS WORKSHOP _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ September 18, 2010 - Proper composition is crucial and makes all the difference as to whether or not the image tells the story you intended to convey
CHALLENGE YOURSELF IN THIS UNIQUE WORKSHOP WHICH IS TO HELP YOU GET CONTROL OVER YOUR IMAGE CREATION TECHNIQUES. YOU WILL EXPAND YOUR SKILLS IN COMPOSITION, PROPER USE OF APERTURE AND SHUTTER SPEED AS WELL AS METERING SYSTEMS AND OTHER CREATIVE CONTROLS THAT YOUR CAMERA OFFERS. YOU WILL BE WORKING AT ONE FOCAL LENGTH EITHER USING A PRIME LENS, OR A ZOOM LENS TAPED DOWN TO A FOCAL LENGTH OF YOUR CHOICE. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS WORKSHOP _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ October 15,16,17 - OLYMPUS USERS WORKSHOP FROM BLUE RIDGE WORKSHOPS AND OLYMPUS AMERICA CORP. sponsored by Penn Camera
CALLING ALL OLYMPUS DIGITAL SLR CAMERA USERS AND THOSE WHO WANT TO BE AND SHOULD BE. BLUE RIDGE WORKSHOPS TOGETHER WITH OLYMPUS CAMERA CORPORATION, AND WITH THE SPONSERSHIP OF PENN CAMERA, IS BRINGING YOU A HIGHLY SPECIALIZED WORKSHOP FOR THE PURPOSE OF ENHANCING YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH OLYMPUS PRODUCTS, AND TO PROVIDE YOU WITH LOANER EQUIPMENT AS WELL AS TECHNICAL EXPERTISE IN WORKING WITH ALL OF THE INCREDIBLE FEATURES THAT OLYMPUS CAMERAS HAVE TO OFFER. THERE WILL BE SEVERAL OLYMPUS TECH PERSONS TEACHING THE CLASS ROOM AND FIELD PORTIONS OF THE WORKSHOP WITH BLUE RIDGE PERSONNEL ASSISTING THEM.
CLICK HERE FOR THIS VERY SPECIAL OLYMPUS USER WORKSHOPS _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ October 1,2,3 - 2010 - C A N O N C A M E R A W O R K S H O P - Specifically for Canon Digital Slr Shooters & THOSE WHO WANT TO BE- THREE (3) FULL DAYS PACKED WITH PHOTOGRAPHIC EXPERIENCE- Canon and Blue Ridge Workshops have set up a three (3) day workshop that will enhance your knowledge and capabilities with Canon Digital Slr cameras, lenses, and flashes. You will have an opportunity as a Canon owner and user to learn more about your cameras and try a variety of lenses that will grow your skills in all catagories of photography.
Penn Camera is providing special discount coupons as a Canon / Blue Ridge Sponser CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS SPECIAL CANON WORKSHOP _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ October 8,9,10-2010-BEAUTIFUL WEST VIRGINIA IN THE FALL WORKSHOP
There has never been any doubt that when Fall comes to West Virginia it becomes even more beautiful than in any other season. The richness of the saturated colors, the crisp air, the beautiful water ways will all provide some of the most wonderful images you will ever have an opportunity to create and share. YOU CAN PRE REGISTER FOR THIS COURSE WHILE WE COMPLETE ALL OF OUR UPDATE INFORMATION-all you need to do is click on registration and your name is automatically entered. We shall contact you soon if you do so. YOU CAN PREREGISTER RIGHT HERE FOR THE WORKSHOP _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ October 22,23,24-2010- SHENANDOAH & SPERRYVILLE & THE BEAUTY OF FALL COLORS - PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP
We shall meet at LINK, which is classroom facility, nestled in the heart of the very artsy town of Sperryville Virginia. This gallery is located just a few miles from the Shenandoah National Park where we shall be photographing beautiful Fall colors, sunrise and sunsets, water falls, flowers, and wildlife. The Link is our base of operation in the Blue Ridge Mountains and we shall hold classes and pre shoot meetings either indoors or outdoors depending upon the weather. There is also lots to photograph right in, and around Sperryville. Our guide, Ray Boc, has arranged for Blue Ridge participants to get into beautiful locations not generally given access to the public. There are bed and breakfasts, rental houses, and several restaurants right in the main part of town. Book early. PLEASE CHECK THE LINKS BELOW FOR MAKING YOUR ROOM RESERVATIONS. BOOK EARLY AS THIS IS A POPULAR AREA
ESPECIALLY THIS TIME OF YEAR. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS WORKSHOP AND REGISTRATION NOVEMBER 19,20,21-2010-OLYMPUS USERS WORKSHOP FROM BLUE RIDGE WORKSHOPS AND OLYMPUS AMERICA CORP. - THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF CHINCOTEAUGE VIRGINIA
CALLING ALL OLYMPUS DIGITAL SLR CAMERA USERS. BLUE RIDGE WORKSHOPS TOGETHER WITH OLYMPUS CAMERA CORPORATION, AND WITH THE SPONSERSHIP OF PENN CAMERA, IS BRINGING YOU A HIGHLY SPECIALIZED WORKSHOP FOR THE PURPOSE OF ENHANCING YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH OLYMPUS PRODUCTS, AND TO PROVIDE YOU WITH LOANER EQUIPMENT AS WELL AS TECHNICAL EXPERTISE IN WORKING WITH ALL OF THE INCREDIBLE FEATURES THAT OLYMPUS CAMERAS HAVE TO OFFER. THERE WILL BE SEVERAL OLYMPUS TECH PERSONS TEACHING THE CLASS ROOM AND FIELD PORTIONS OF THE WORKSHOP WITH BLUE RIDGE PERSONNEL ASSISTING THEM. A wonderful weekend on the eastern shore of Virginia where you can drive away the stress from your daily lives and photograph numerous migrating and local bird species. Capture the warmth of sunrises and sunsets along the incredible marshes and get to record, only the way you can, the local flavor of
Chincoteaugue. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THIS EASTERN SHORE OLYMPUS WORKSHOP _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ November 5,6,7-2010 - THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF CHINCOTEAUGE VIRGINIA PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP - Drive away the stress from your daily lives and photograph numerous migrating and local bird species. Capture the warmth of sunrises and sunsets along the incredible marshes and get to record, only the way you can, the local flavor of Chincoteaugue.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS WORKSHOP AND REGISTRATION
First off and really most important is dress for the cold. If you are comfortable, which means your toes and fingers are not numb, your ears are not aching and you don’t have the shivers, then you are prepared to go shoot. A: LET YOUR CAMERAS AND LENSES GET AT LEAST CLOSE TO THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE. THAT WAY FOGGING and CONDENSATION MAY NOT BE A REAL PROBLEM. When coming in from the outside I like to put my gear in a plastic bag because coming from COLD TO WARM is where your real condensation problems can occur. The plastic bag helps to eliminate this. You can also B: TRY TO WORK WITH A TRIPOD WHEN YOU CAN AND IF YOU CAN, THEN HOPEFULLY AT LEAST ONE LEG OF THE TRIPOD HAS A GRIP PAD AND WILL NOT GET FROZEN COLD. C: IF YOU ARE DRESSED FOR FOUL WEATHER IT PROBABLY IS A GOOD IDEA FOR YOU TO DO THE SAME FOR CAMERAS AND LENSES. 1-Water proof camera bag. 2-Camera protection like a STORM JACKET OR PELICAN 3-Plastic garbage bag a: To protect your camera b: To lay your camera bag or camera gear on 4-Micro fibre cloths for wiping away moister build on the LCD, VIEWFINDER, LENS. Have several with 5-Last but never least. Have a lens hood on your lens. 2-It will help to eliminate flair BATTERIES KEEP EXTRA BATTERIES FOR CAMERA AND FLASH INSIDE YOUR CLOTHES CLOSE How about exposure? Snow, like anything white and bright can be an issue. The reason is simple. All cameras today have EXPOSURE METERS in them. But as smart as these cameras and their meters are, they are also dumb. They are calibrated to look at everything as 18 percent gray. Because of that, IF I WAS PHOTOGRAPHING A BLACK WALL AND METERED FOR THE BLACK WALL, IT WOULD COME OUT GRAY. IF I WAS PHOTOGRAPHING A WHITE WALL – OR A PREDOMINATELY WHITE SNOW SCENE, IT WOULD COME OUT GRAY. To compensate for the meter being DUMB here is what you do. TO MAKE SNOW WHITE, YOU NEED TO OVER EXPOSE. YES, OVER EXPOSE. Most cameras have a +/- button on the camera, or a menu You could also work manually with your camera and set aperture and shutter speed to accomplish the same thing. HOW MUCH COMPENSATION TO MAKE WHITE, WHITE? I usually compensate for snow by over exposing by HOW ABOUT WHITE BALANCE? White balance can also be tricky. If you stay in Auto The time of the day is important and I personally prefer But both daylight and cloudy white balance is the norm for me. WHAT ABOUT THE METER SETTINGS ? HOW ABOUT MACRO OR EXTREME CLOSE UP PHOTOGRAPHY? This type of photography in wonderful in the snow. Look for snow on branches and maybe even combine with last of fall leaves for a nice composition. Ice crystals formed on windows, door knobs, branches. Get in tight for wonderful shots. FILTERS POLARIZERS AND NEUTRAL DENSITY FILTERS CAN BE HELPFUL. IF YOU HEAVILY INTO FILTERS THEN SPLIT NEUTRAL DENSITY FILTERS CAN REALLY COME IN HANDY. CABLE RELEASES A MUST. Especially when using gloves. This way you pushing a button on the electronic cord instead of trying to get that gloved finger on the button of the camera body. ONE LAST THING! SOME CAMERAS HAVE A BEACH AND SNOW SETTING. WHILE I AM NOT AN ADVOCATE OF PRESETS IN CAMERAS IT SURE MAY BE WORTH WHILE TO TRY IT OUT. YOU CAN CHECK OUT ALL OF THESE ACCESSORIES AT YOUR PENN CAMERA STORE. ________________________________________________________________________
Holiday lights and decorations always provide us with wonderful seasonal subjects to photograph, but how to photograph them can be a challenge for a lot of people so I hope this short list of things to do will help those who need a push in the right direction. SUPPORT A tripod is a must. That is all I am going to say about tripods. CAMERA My recommendation is a camera that allows adjustments of shutter speeds and apertures, with shutter speed being most important. This can be a Dslr, Hdslr, or a Bridge type camera that allows these adjustments. There are some point and shoots that give you control in this area too. TIME OF DAY The best time of day for shooting lights and displays is while there is still a little bit of daylight left. Shooting in total darkness is not at all recommended. Just before sunset is a good idea, but remember that the lighting will change very quickly.
Shooting at this time of day allows you to silhouette the background, giving an identifiable background. CAMERA SETTINGS NOW FOR THE NITTY GRITTY ABOUT SETTINGS For available light photography (no flash) a good starting point is probably around about ½ second, lens wide opened and then work from that speed to achieve the effect you like. Probably the best general setting for iso is your cameras base iso 100,200 in most cameras, but as good as your cameras are at higher iso’s I would not stretch to far beyond this limit. Noise can still be an issue in very dark or close to dark situations no matter how well the spec numbers appear in the literature. There is also a provision in some cameras which is high iso long exposure noise reduction. This allows you to shoot long exposures at high iso and get rid of noise issues to some degree, but it takes a long time in camera to process. It is not good if lights and decorations are blowing in the wind. Another method which is available in a lot of cameras today is the ability to set in the menus, a dynamic range increase providing detail in highlights and shadows. In Nikon it is called D-Lighting, in Olympus it is called Graduation, and in Canon it is Highlight Tone Priority and Automatic Lighting Optimizer.
FILL IN FLASH If you have an adjustable type of camera then it is more than likely that you have a provision for controlling the flash on your camera, or with an add on flash called SLOW SYNCH. In this mode the camera is permitted to go to very slow shutter speeds to record the ambient light in the background. The flash fires to record the foreground and then the shutter stays opened long enough to record the background light. It is great for doing portraits or groups in front of the lights and decorations. REMEMBER, SLOW SYNCH MEANS YOU MUST BE USING A TRIPOD.
One more word about flash is if you are in a home setting, and your ceiling is no more than 10' high, you should consider using bounce flash. Even better, use a Gary Fong flash accessory for a nice even soft light. CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION ON THE GARY FONG ACCESSORIES & CHECK WITH PENN WHICH WOULD BE BEST FOR THE EQUIPMENT YOU OWN. YOU CAN ALSO VISIT THE GARY FONG WEB SITE Getting an Emotional Reaction to Your Prints: Exhibiting Your Print-By Brian Zwit
Getting an Emotional Reaction to Your Prints: Exhibiting Your Print-By Brian Zwit Two months ago, we began a discussion on how to get an emotional reaction to your prints and focused on how to choose a printer and then we discussed how to choose the appropriate “paper” for your image last month. We will finish up our series this month with a discussion on how to present your image.
Without a doubt, the final impact of an print on a viewer, whether a critic, friend, or family member, depends on how you present the image to them. How you present a print tells the viewer what you think about the image and will, rightly or wrongly, influence their opinion of your work. The bottom line is your prints will have a greater impact if they are presented in a polished and professional manner.
So, how do you display a print? The most obvious way is matted and framed. However, there are less expensive ways to display your prints. (Note that I said “less expensive” and not cheap. As most of you know already, the price of everything goes up when its name includes archival, acid-free, or a multitude of other adjectives.) There are also a variety of sources for framing and presentation materials so shopping around as well as doing it yourself can save you money. For maximum impact, nothing beats a good mat and frame. It is also the most expensive and formal way to present an image. For my own work, I always choose (unless I am being paid to choose something else) the museum look: A plain black metal frame (a narrow frame for small images, i.e.
, less than 16x20, and a wider frame for larger images, i.e., 16x20 and larger) and an off-white, double mat (increasing the size of the mat as the image gets larger, e.g., 4 inch margin for a 24x36 inch image and 3 inch for a 16x20 image). However, frames and mats are available in a multitude of styles and colors. The only real rule is to avoid frames that take attention away from your image. Your image should be the center of attention and not the frame. An alternative and more affordable solution to framing a print is to simply display your images in a portfolio. You can use standard mats with a backing board and display and store the matted images in a portfolio box. These are available from your
Penn Camera Store. Many paper manufacturers also offer portfolios that include pre-punched photographic paper. You print your image on the paper and simply insert the finished image into the portfolio. This has the advantage of being very portable and yet images can be changed out to fit in your current work.
While the ultimate expression of our work as photographers continues to be the print, I personally suspect that its days as such are quickly coming to a close. This doesn’t mean that we all won’t continue to print our images or the print will be an important expression but we are seeing a proliferation of ways to display our images and many of those are starting to get respect in the photographic community. We can display images on our televisions, the Internet, digital photo frames, coffee cups, t-shirts, and mouse pads.
Just because these new ways of displaying images might seem to be frivolous or temporary, doesn’t mean that we can be sloppy when presenting our images. In fact, because many more people may see our images with these new methods rather than as a framed print on the wall, we need to be even more careful to make sure that our images are presented in a professional way. For example, if you are creating a slideshow, using music can give it a polished and professional feel-just remember to only use music for with you have the rights.
During the course of the past three months, we have talked about how to get the best even an emotional response to your images. You start with the right printer, choose the best paper for the image, and then finish off your image with the right mat and frame or with a mat in a elegant portfolio. Now, display your prints and enjoy the compliments. Framing prints can be time consuming so remember that there are also framing stores that are available to you. One such store is right inside
Penn Camera Tyson’s and they do excellent work. Brian’s images can be found at his web site. CHECK IT OUT HERE |
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Welcome to the December, 2009 newsletter. In this Issue THINGS YOU NEED TO LOOK AT AND LEARN ABOUT
THE HOODMAN. DESIGNED TO MAKE VIEWING YOUR IMAGES ON YOUR LCD EASIER, SHARPER, CLEARER AND NOW IT HAS BECOME THE PERFECT ACCESSORY FOR THOSE HAVING A DIGITAL SINGLE LENS REFLEX WITH THE ABILITY TO SHOOT VIDEO. CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE STORY. CHECK IT OUT AT YOUR FAVORITE PENN CAMERA STORE ===================== THE BENRO TRAVEL ANGEL. ARE YOU LOOKING FOR A LIGHT WEIGHT TRAVEL WITH YOU EVERYWHERE TRIPOD THAT CAN HOLD UP TO THE CHALLENGE. CHECK THIS OUT and check this out too. Click right here it's one of the fastest monopods I've used =====================
OUR FIRST OLYMPUS ONLY WORKSHOP WILL TAKE PLACE IN MAY AT GREENSPRINGS GARDENS.
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