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WHITE BALANCE - WHAT IS IT? HOW DO YOU USE IT? 
White Balance? What the heck is white balance and why is it important? What does Auto White Balance mean? What does custom or present white balance mean? What about all the other white balances i.e. CLOUDY? What about ???COLOR TEMPERATURE????
Let's try to break this all down as simply as possible.
Light comes in all different colors. Those colors are combinations of red, green and blue or better known as RGB. Colors change as the sun rises, throughout the day, and of course into evening hours. When we use flash we add light but because light falls of rapidly from flash units, surrounding light stays at its current temperature while the closer subject receives the color balance of the flash unit. Confusing? Maybe it is, but to give you a reference I am going to include a color temperature chart so you have some idea as to how light is represented in COLOR TEMPERATURES (((CLICK ON THE CHART ABOVE)))------>>>>>>>>
Photographers love very early morning light because of it beautiful warm tones. This holds true for light in the latter part of the day. As the day progresses from warm sunlight, to blue in different tonal ranges and back to warmth, there are also other variables to consider. Cloudy, shade, incandescent, fluorescent, flash all provide different renderings of color, and you have the choices on how that rendering will look in its final output.
All of this information about Kelvin temperatures is interesting, but why should you worry about it when you have an Auto White Balance (AWB) mode on your camera? The AWB mode uses your sensor to calculate the white balance for the image. Usually, the Kelvin temperature range for AWB is 3000 – 7000 K. Using AWB will normally provide a good image. HOWEVER, YOU WILL OBTAIN BETTER RESULTS BY USING THE APPROPRIATE WHITE BALANCE SETTING FOR THE CURRENT COLOR TEMPERATURE OF LIGHT. Try shooting the same scene with AWB and then with the appropriate white balance setting. In many cases, the differences will be obvious. In some situations, the differences will be subtler. Your cameras will have white balance symbols for Auto, incandescent, fluorescent, daylight, shade, cloudy, and preset or custom.
Most Digital Slr Cameras now in the market have either custom white balance or preset white balance capabilities. This camera setting in the white balance menu allows you to take a reading of the exact color temperature you are working in. There are a variety of devices that enable you to get this setting accurate and it would be best to check your local camera stores. An example of one popular offering is the EXPO DISC. LASTOLITE makes a foldable round disk several inches across, gray on one side and white on the other, not to mention probably a dozen more. Check with your dealer. By setting a preset you are utilizing all the light and color reflections in the picture to determine what should be an exact Kelvin which should give you a superior white balance.
Another solution is to shoot in Raw and then through the use of your raw converter you can make as many adjustments to your white balance as you please. Is it a better representation of a preset? Probably not. I am still a firm believer in getting it right in the camera. ___________________________________________________________________________ CANON OFFERING FREE CLEANING FOR 1DMARKIII CAMERAS - CLICK THE LINK NEW CLASS 10 SD CARDS FROM PANASONIC CANON 5D MARK II UPGRADES - EFFECTIVE JUNE 2ND. DPREVIEW REVIEWS THE CANON REBEL 500D ___________________________________________________________________________ IS ONE CAMERA SYSTEM BETTER THAN ANOTHER CAMERA SYSTEM? 
There are some great advantages of having been around for this many years. One of them is being able to watch the developement of camera systems and the transitions they have made fromn analog (film) to digital (sensors). Technology defines the current image producing devices in the market today, and I have watched the major companies like Canon and Nikon, continuously leap frog each other in the developement of their products. But in the end, what does it all mean? What is the final thing that it really comes down to? What makes one better than the other if that is actually the case? Nikon, Canon, Olympus, Panasonic, Sony, Pentax, Leica, etc. In reality, every one of the brands will take iincredible images at their base iso and probably will perform quite well with current models right through 800. There are of course differences in performance and build at different model levels, and today there are full frame and aps sensor sizes as well as fourthirds, and now the mini fourthirds. There are Digital Slr cameras anywhere from 10 to 25 magapixels. And with all of this it is virtually impossible to find a camera that technically will produce a bad picture on its own. So what ever you own or are anticipating buying you almost can't go wrong. How about upgrading. Well, why not. Cameras continue to have more and more FEATURE SETS allowing new ways to be more creative. Cameras, even if they have the same megapixels that you have been using have newer technology sensors which are capable of higher iso performance, less noise, and better image rendition over all. So there is always a good reason to change what you currently own to something more technologically advanced. Perhaps moving from Aps sensor to Full Frame Sensor. Perhaps adding new and better optics to deal with new and better sensors. It will all boil down to what your needs are, what your desires are, how it feels in your hands and at your eye, and what your budget is. If you need help making a decision, please email us at Blueridgeworkshops@mac.com and we shall try our best to steer you in the best direction for you. ___________________________________________________________________________ 
How many times have you been out there photographing and the light is either to harsh, to cool, to warm, or simply in the wrong place. Well get over it. Get under it, get to the side of it, but get that light to look the way you want it to look. Modify that light around you. How do you do that? We do it at our workshops. Where can you see these reflectors, diffusers, and other light modifiers? At your local camera store. Ask about flash modifiers as well. Ask for Lumiquest and Honl. Check out the Honi line at this store. (((CLICK HERE))).
Who makes the reflectors and diffusers for modifying stuio light and natural light? LASTOLITE AND WESCOTT. CHECK THEM OUT RIGHT HERE. There is another brand under the PROMASTER label which I have been using. It is somewhat lower priced then the aforementioned brands buit is excellent quality. Many other names in the market or not particularly good. You will find that no name brands have silver and gold reflectors that flake. Tiny minute particles of Gold and Silver will get into all of your camera and bags with a more than excellent chance that it will get in your lenses and camera bodies and of course on your sensor. The PRO BRAND can be found by CLICKING RIGHT HERE AT THE PENN CAMERA WEB SITE ___________________________________________________________________________ WE TEST THE TAMRON 200-500MM ZOOM LENS 
I wrote briefly about this lens a few news letters ago, but have had the time to do some testing. Operation in the field for frame filling close ups or long range bird and landscape captures has proven that this relatively medium priced lens is one excellent performer. Is it built like a 5000-10000 dollar lens? Of course not. Does it focus as fast as a 5000-100000 dollar lens? Of course not. Is it of the same optical caliber as a 5000-100000 dollar lens? Of course not. But, are the images sharp? Yes. Is the lens well made? Yes. Is the mechanism good? Yes. Is the mounting shoe on the lens solid? Yes. I was personally very surprised at the performance. Most lenses in this price range have optical failure at the long end and short end with decent middle. This lens seems to be quite good through out the focal length range. While some instructors at Blue Ridge Workshops are bird photographers, my need for an ultra long telephoto lens is not critical, but I really wanted to have one in my arsenal of glass just in case an opportunity came along. If it has any draw backs, it is the fact that it is slow. Not focusing slow, but aperture slow. At 200mm it is a 5.0 and at 500mm it is 6.3. That said, I personally feel that it is the best bang for the buck in this focal length range. There are not many people I know that can afford that 5000 - 10000 dollar range for a lens that probably is not theie take everywhere lens. This lens is light enough, optically wonderful, and not out there to empty your bank account. So if you are looking for some long glass and a great deal, go look at the Tamron 200mm - 500mm lens. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION AT THE PENN WEB SITE. ___________________________________________________________________________
WHAT LINE OF BAGS HAVE WE SETTLED ON? 
The majority of our bags are Think Tank bags, which are available in the Washington DC region, through Penn Camera only. The line of Think Tank bags and accessories for carrying your equipment is extremely extensive. From highly funtional, light weigt shoulder bags to every type of back pack, and award winning roller bags. My favorite is the BELT SYSTEM. Log in to the Penn Web Site or the Think Tank Web site and check out the three different belt systems they have. If you are going to carry more than you need then you might as well carry it comfortably and balanced. Check them out. ___________________________________________________________________________ IF YOU WAIT - IT WILL BE TOO LATE In the past several years a great many of our readers have purchased anywhere from $1000.00 and higher for photograpy gear. Cameras, lenses, tripods, ball heads, and all kinds of related gear can add up to incredible amounts of money. If the need arose to replace that gear due to theft, severe damage from drops, floods, etc. it could be a stretch for many to do so. Last month, I saw a student on the last day of a workshop, lose their grip on the tripod they were using and a brand new Canon 5D Mark II and a 70-200 2.8 tumble down some rocks and into a fast moving river. While the gear was retrieved, it was really totaled. Not more than a week later one of our instructors went back to almost the same location. He too had an incident. The camera which appeared to be tightened on his tripod ball head turned out to be loose and the camera made it down almost the same rocks and into the water. It too was totaled. The need to total an electronic camera and lens is not uncommon. They are not like the old machanical gear. They have lots of electronic chips built in which once wet will more than likely render the camera and lens useless. These two nice folks had one thing in common, they HAD INSURANCE. The person with the 5d was covered by their HOME OWNERS POLICY and the other was covered under a COMMERCIAL POLICY, having a buisness to which the equipment belongs. They both were covered, and they both recieved brand new cameras and lenses. Accidents, thefts, take place every day, 365 days a year. I cannot stress how important it may prove, to be covered for these occurences. In reality most will put it on homeowners, and it does not cost that much money. Commercial policies are a bit more money. Insure today, or you may have to pay a lot of money to replace equipment you thought you would never have to replace. ___________________________________________________________________________ WORKSHOPS ARE ALWAYS FILLING UP - HERE ARE SOME THAT ONLY HAVE A COUPLE OF SPACES LEFT THE LILYPONS -JULY 11TH CLICK HERE FOR SIGN UP AND MORE INFORMATION GO BEYOND WHAT YOU THINK YOU KNOW ABOUT FINE ART PRINTING-MAXIMUM--- 8 STUDENTS -AUGUST 8, 2009 2009 PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP - THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF CHINCOTEAUGE VIRGINIA 11/6,7,8 2009 ___________________________________________________________________________
We are working on a workshop that will be taking place near Lexington Virginia, that will be a whole new venue. We shall be photographing a leading custom knife maker who makes his home in that part of Virginia, and you will have the opportunity to get up close and personal with your cameras, to see just how these incredible blades are made. From the beautiful engraved blades to the outstanding carved grips, you will go through the whole process. This is a very unique experience that I know will provide you with some incredible images that you could not otherwise create. We shall work on your camera controls, methods of lighting, depth of field, special macro techniques and special macro software that enhances the depth in your images. This workshop will encompass not only the knife maker, it will get you into photographing old blackpowder weapons in action, beautiful archecture, and the scenic beauty that surrounds the Lexington area. PLEASE LOOK FOR AN UPCOMING EMAIL DIRECTING YOU TO MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS UNIQUE WORKSHOP. IF YOU HAVE AN IMMEDIATE INTEREST AND WOULD LIKE TO BE PUT ON A SIGN UP CALL LIST, PLEASE EMAIL US AT BLUERIDGEWORKSHOPS@MAC.COM ___________________________________________________________________________ |
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Welcome to the June, 2009 newsletter. In this Issue THINGS TO THINK ABOUT _______________________ FEISOL TRIPODS - LIGHT WEIGHT CARBON FIBER - EXTREMELY WELL MADE - CHECK IT OUT RIGHT HERE Manfrotto / Gitzo / Bogen Tripods - Check them out right here THE LILYPONS -JULY 11TH CLICK HERE FOR SIGN UP AND MORE INFORMATION GO BEYOND WHAT YOU THINK YOU KNOW ABOUT FINE ART PRINTING-MAXIMUM--- 8 STUDENTS -AUGUST 8, 2009
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