Photography Class

Saturday, March 17,

DSLR Photography Class

Introducing you to the basics of digital photography, and helping you learn how to get past the automatic settings for you to get creative!

This will be a great day of alternating in class and practical experience combined with a fun potluck lunch for those in attendance.

If you are interested in developing your skills with your DSLR camera then this class is for you. Space is limited, so please be sure to send in your registration ASAP !

Topics to include: Shooting Modes, Understanding F-Stops, Shutter Speeds, and Composition – all covered in your easy to follow workbook.  As we well will go through Proper Cleaning & Care of your camera.

To Register, send your name and contact information and camera model to: Heather@capturedinnocence.ca. We will have a pot luck lunch as well to break up the day.

NOBS Photography

NoBS

NoBS Photography, these guys have been around for quite a while – and have put out some good stuff for photographers.  I can’t honestly say I’m a big fan of the business sense, mainly, it turned me off right away as a Mom and Photographer seeing a company called No BS Photography having one of their main target groups being children.  (The other option for reading their company name of course is Nobs, which didn’t instil a lot of confidence at first either) These guys do seem to be making it work though – So check them out, and see how your may learn more and earn more, with your business today.

Kodak Files For Bankruptcy

 

During my second year of college the entire photography department packed up and took off to New York.  We camped at a K.O.A. – I’m thinking it was late October when we went – what I do know, was that it was cold!  The next day we went to the iconic Kodak Factory!  Now according to the latest news, Kodak itself may soon be just a memory.

 

 

Kodak

A New Year

365 Projects are well known in the photography field.  Whether it is a landscape, abstract, or lifestyle topic, every area allow you as a photographer to grow in your skills.  Here’s a challenge set out – all can take part – it’s  free and and a great opportunity!  Here is a video link to check out more with the MA 365 Club Contest: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=4TWAlLQcW10

A fellow Canadian who has now been at this for Years!

Jeff Harris: 4,748 Self-Portraits and Counting from We Know Music on Vimeo.

If you are interested in joining my 365 Club Contest, here are the Rules:
1. Take a picture of yourself everyday. It can be with ANY kind of camera. (Be creative how you are "in" the picture. It can be a shadow, reflection, body part, footprint, anything that could technically constitute "you").
2. You must be in the picture.
3. You must push the shutter button, or a remote or timer.
4. Each image should be clearly and obviously different.
5. Post each image in my Michael's 365 Project Club Forum - CLICK HERE - You will need to sign up and we approve on an individual basis (it takes about 1-2 days). We do this to limit Spam and Bots.
6. If you miss a day or 2 it is ok, as long as you can catch up by the end of the weekend (Which I will consider to be Sunday Night). I don't want anyone quitting because they miss one or two days).
7. Remember, as busy as I am, I am playing with you guys. If I can find the time to do it, you can to!
8. This contest is to help and encourage you to grow and get better with your photography. I can promise you that if you stick it out, you will get really, REALLY good. Nothing will push you further and faster to learn your camera. We also want participants in the 365 club to help each other out.
9. Contest is open to ALL photographers of all ages. If you are under 18, you must have your parents permission. All they need to do is post with you the first time saying that you have their permission and they are aware of the forum, what/where it is, etc.
10. This is a family friendly effort. If you are mean, or post anything inappropriate, we will ban you from the forum.
11. You can quit anytime you like if you decide it isn't for you and no one will think negatively of you for it if you do.
12. Contest will end Jan 30 2013. You can start or enter any time before Jan 30 2012. If you haven't entered by then, the opportunity will close.
ALL Photographers who stick it out the whole year will get the following-
1. 16 GB Michael Andrew Leather or Bamboo Thumb drive
2. A $300 Gift certificate to my online store (Can be used towards , Michael Andrew Paintballer Pro Presets , Michael Andrew Lollipops ® Action Set! or any video, Apps excluded).
3. Arden Ward Photography will be donating her new Bridal and Portrait Posing Instructional Video- $100 Value, to ALL photographers who finish.

Michael The Maven’s 2011 Photography Contest

Deadline Tomorrow Night !

Michael Andrew’s Third Annual Photography Contest

Show Off Your Talents!

Photoshoots & Clothing

I am often asked for suggestions on what to wear for photoshoots and recently I came across this jpg – a great asset for blending colours for group shots!

Michael’s Photography Contest

Michael The Maven has recently announced his third annual photography contest!  Once again the contest is loaded with prizes and it is a great opportunity to send in your entries to show off your talents!  Please see the full details below!

Michael The Maven's - 2011 Photography Contest!!

2011 Photography Contest Information

(Please Read this VERY carefully. Failure to adhere to rules will result in disqualification from contest. I know some of these rules may seem a little harsh, but we expect between 5,000-10,000 entries this year. Last year with just 2,500 we had a lot of problems of organizing everything, so if we have a rule it is for a very particular reason that helps everyone have an enjoyable experience. :)
I normally prefer to give out a single camera as a grand prize, the first year it was a T1i, the Second Year it was a 7D and a T2i. I was considering a Canon 5Dii this year, however, I realize that there may be a replacement coming very soon. I also considered Canon 60D's for each category, however, I also realize there are many photographers out there who may not want another camera, but would prefer a lens or other nice piece of gear. I also realize there are some people who would just like some $$. So, I thought we would try this to see what the response will be:

6 GRAND PRIZE AWARDS - $1000 Each!!

(We are still looking for sponsors in the TBD slots, if you are interested or know someone who is, please contact me at mavencontest2011@gmail.com
Prizes per Category:
1st Place - $1000 CASH!! (Or Bhphoto.com Gift Card in restricted areas)
2nd Place - $300 Coupon to Michael's Online Store -
3rd Place - Michael's Business Photography Crash Course DVD Set (a $250 Value)
4th Place- $150 Coupon For Michael's Online Store
5th Place- Think Tank Digital Holster (Thank you to Think Tank for Sponsoring!) - ($60 Value)
6th Place- TBD - $50 Value
7th Place- Custom Michael The Maven 16GB Thumb Drive
8th Place- Angelina Hills Matted Print (Her Work is outstanding, I have it hanging in my own home.)
9th Place- Ocean Waves Relaxation DVD by Heath Snow
10th Place- TBD $15 Value
Honourable Mentions (2) - No Prize
All Winners will receive a PDF Certificate of their Achievement
Main Categories:-
Portraits -
Landscape-
Sports-
Animals-
Abstract / Textures-
Macro-
RULES (Rules are subject to change, but for now this is how I would like to run it this year) - READ THIS CAREFULLY BEFORE SUBMITTING!
1. There are no entry fees, however this is a family friendly website and we reserve the right to disqualify entries for any reason. This includes but is not limited to any image which may be deemed as inappropriate, offensive, pornographic, poor taste, cruel to animals, advertising, spam etc. We are looking for fantastic imagery that inspires all of us to get out and shoot. If you are under 18, you must obtain your parents permission before entering.
2. Entrants may submit up to 2 photographs in each category on the following condition; One image was taken in the last year (From the Period of October 9th 2010 to October 9th 2011) and a second image being taken during the duration of the contest submission dates, from October 9th - December 1st 2011. The whole idea of the contest is to get everyone out shooting, but I also recognize you may have some great shots taken earlier in the year. Contestants may submit only one image from either of those periods if they choose. This is an honour rule (meaning we expect you to play fair on this), but if we have evidence to the contrary, we will have to disqualify the entry.
3. Once your images(s) are submitted, these are your final entries. Contestants sending in multiple images, or changing submissions are disqualified. You should receive a confirmation email after submitting your images. Note; do not wait until the last day, it crashed our email account last time. ;)
4. Contest is open to all ranges of experience of photography, from beginners to amateurs, semi-pro or even professionals, however, we ask that semi pro and professional photographers do not submit images for the contest in the category in which they specialize. For example, if you are a wedding or portrait photographer, you may submit images in any category but "Portraits". This is also an honour rule.
5. Images which have been submitted and placed into other contests are not eligible.
6. By submitting your images for either division, you give Michael The Maven and its representatives, permission to reproduce & show on websites, social media or other materials for promotional purposes. We also reserve the right to print your image to inspect image quality if necessary. Copyright remains property of photographer of course.
7. We reserve the right to expand the number of winners and make adjustments to the rules and prizes at our discretion.
8. You can use any type of camera, DSLR, Point and Shoot, Cell Phone etc. (Photoshopping is allowed, HDR is allowed, presets/actions are allowed, heavy compositing is NOT (this is where many images and components are assembled together into one image.) It should pretty much more or less look like a single image. Please make sure it is a JPEG, and properly submitted & you are good to go!
9. There will be an initial selection process by Michael, which will narrow contestants down to 20 or 25 per category. The Final round of voting will be done by viewers (1/3), Our Judges (1/3) and Michael (1/3)

HOW TO ENTER

A. --> Entries must be submitted digitally as a JPEG image by email to mavencontest2011@gmail.com. All other formats (RAW, TIFF, PNG, ETC)will be disqualified. Be absolutely sure to include the Category in the Title. We are not accepting prints this year.
B. ---> Very, very important: Please submit only one email with per Category, with the year and Category division in the subject of the email. For example, if you are entering 2 Portrait Images, we would ask that you submit both together, and title the email "2011- Portrait . This allows us to organize submissions and greatly speeds things up.
If you have questions, please ask below in the comments box and I will update with answers.
Even if you are not interested in entering, please help me get the word out because I do all of the marketing for this on my own, sometimes people would love to enter and just don't about it.
These contests take up a tremendous amount of time and money to put on and I would like to make it a yearly event, getting bigger and better each year. This is the 3rd year and so far we have done this. We are super lucky to have the following celebrity photographers on board to help with judging and I am extremely grateful to them for offering to help:
Judge Panel-
Michael Andrew
Shannon Morgan - 2009 Grand Prize Winner
Fely Simion - 2010 Grand Prize Winner
Angelina Hills - World Class Maui Portrait and Wedding Photographer
Arden Ward - World Renown Alabama Portrait and Wedding Photographer
BTW- If you are feeling intimidated, Fely won last years contest. She was 16 years old at the time and won a Canon 7D Kit. If I am not mistaken, it was her first contest as well.
We must have your submissions no later than Dec 1st, 2011 at midnight Hawaii Standard time! Thank you for your support!

Part II

Part II Cheat Sheet!

Manual Photography

I found this cool looking little cheat sheet while cruising Pinterest last night and had to share!

Video Snapshot

With the rise in video recording by DSLR cameras, I hear more often where people are wishing they could get a picture from their video.  But how do you do that?  This is just one of the many ways to grap a “snapshot” from your video using a standard program that many computers have – NERO.

Using Nero, simply import your file (upper right corner), drag your video from the video log into the video track.  Almost Done…press the play button to watch the video play, and as it does, simply click on the camera icon located below the running video.  As you click on the camera icon, a snap shot of the video image will automatically be saved to your pictures file!  Note : Be sure your video is good quality, otherwise the snapshot image will be of low resolution as well.

Transform ~ by Zack Arias

Take a few moments to watch this short video Zack Arias made for Scott Kelby’s Blog.  For those of you who don’t know these two guys – two words – photographic genius’s !

Zack Arias

Win A DROBO

Time to Win!

Fro Knows Photo is giving away a DROBO, a 4 Bay DROBO, and you could be the winner of it.  Check it out by clicking on the image below, or clicking the link below the image.  Check out his other videos too – Good Stuff!  – Have Fun!

http://froknowsphoto.com/win-a-drobo-contest/

Get Your New Facebook Profile Picture Taken At Funion Days!

 

Now Is The Time To Show Off Your Style!

Bring Your Friends, Your Pet, Your Vintage Car…

Be Creative! 

And Get A Cool New Facebook Profile Picture!!!

Saturday Morning During Funion Days In Thedford I will be taking Facebook Profile Pictures as together we take on the fight against MS!   All Pictures will be taken by donation,

Saturday 8am till 12 noon, 72 Allen Street in Thedford

Pictures will be edited and posted on the Captured Innocence Photography Facebook Page for you to tag yourself and add as your New Profile Picture!  Many of you know of the Fundraiser Kandis Hodgins has been forging as she prepares for her climb of Mount Everest in an attempt to raise money to fight MS.  Several events have taken place already, and more including a silent auction shortly will take place as well.

 Kandis had asked if Captured Innocence Photography would be able to take part in order to help raise funds, and after some thinking – I decided to have some fun with it that anyone can take part in!  So here’s the deal…Get your New Facebook Profile Picture taken and Support The Fight Against MS!  All Pictures will be taken by donation, from 8am till 12 noon, at the Smith Home on 72 Allen Street -  will only take a few moments, and will create a great memory!  Not on Facebook ?  No problem – come out and create a memory ! 

So come by- lets show our support as a community together!

Photographers & Watermarks

Watermarks can be a Huge debate for photographers…and Sometimes, a huge hindrance for those who steal images off of the net.  I’m not really one to go for the huge markings on my images, I simply figure it’s not that difficult to alter an image and remove a copyright – so I’m not going to destroy the look by plastering marks all over it.  I do know of some photographers however, who’s logo’s actually add to the look of the image…and others, that basically made a great image look cheap by “protecting their image”.  At least one photographer I know of marks their images in a way that I like – Matt Nicolosi – he is creative and fun in how he does it.

There are of course two main reasons why photographers watermark their images 1: Advertising purposes  2: to keep others from copying their images off of the net and reposting it as their own.  Recently a fellow Canadian photographer became aware of one of her images being blatantly used online for advertising by another fauxtographer. 

The photographer who actually took the image was Vancouver Portrait Photographer | Cathy Empey Photographer, a well established and talented Photographer out of British Columbia, Canada.  The image was re posted however by a “fauxtographer” in Atlanta.  Now I’m quite sure the actions are prevalent among “want to be photographers” who simply do not have a portfolio due to lack of work, however – be sure – if you take this route, you will be found out.  In this case – the fauxtographer was actually foolish enough to steal from multiple photographers sites, and or flickr pages, and posted them as her own as advertising.

  In essence, it is almost impossible with today’s imaging tools to stop image theft even with a watermark – plain or elaborate.  (the more elaborate methods will stop those really poor at PS though)   That said however I would like to direct you to a post specifically dedicated to a variety of watermarking methods, as well as encourage you to be sure to set your metadata in your Lightroom or Photoshop settings (as again – those who really don’t know what they are doing, wouldn’t know to check metadata either).  Check out “Creating Safe and Effective Watermarks” at Photoshop Tutorials for more details. 

        

Visiting History

I had an opportunity yesterday to capture some memories of a home that has apparently been vacant since 1973.  It is so interesting to just think about the fact that at one point, this would have been a vibrant home filled with smiles and laughter.  An intriguing piece of history.

The Latest From Hassleblad

The Hasselblad was my first professional camera after graduating college with my photography diploma in 1990.  Worth a small fortune, however I was fortunate enough to begin working for another photographer and worked it off over some time.  It was a totally manual camera, with the special “speed wind dial” – WOW – how much camera’s have changed in 20+ years!  You can now pick up the latest Hasselblad camera boasting 200 – yes – Two Hundred megapixels…for a mere $45,000 – now shipping

The Following Post By Joe Pollicino posted May 26th 2011 6:02AM At EndGadget.com

Hasselblad's H4D-200MS is yet another upgrade to its H4D camera line that we want badly, but wouldn't have a need -- or a budget -- for. This latest piece of kit is nearly identical to the 50 megapixel H4D-50MS externally, but internally adds an astonishing 150 more megapixels to the mix -- yes, that's an astounding 200 megapixels! Don't feel forgotten just yet if you have the older model, though, as Hasselblad can upgrade your sensor for €7,000 (roughly $10,000) -- a great deal considering the full kit costs €32,000 (about $45,000). With that said, we should note that details are null on the medium-format sensor's native resolution -- similar to the multi-shot feature on the 50MS, the new 200MS combines six shots to create ridiculously detailed 200 megapixel still images, and it handles less intensive photos with a four-shot 50 megapixel still mode. Should you dare to venture outside the studio, there's a 50 megapixel single-shot live mode for quick shots as well. Excuse us while we wrap our heads around the sheer number of pixels; you'll find more info after the break in the meantime.

Wedding Photography Spoof

It’s always fun to see photographers making fun of our industry.  Matt & Katie do a great job in this fun little video – Enjoy!

Wedding Photography Spoof Video from Matt E on Vimeo.

The Royal Wedding Photographer

Who will be the Royal Wedding Photographer?  It was announced in April that Hugo Burnand, also the photographer for Charles and Camilla will be the official wedding photographer for William and Catherine.

Image Above By: www.dailymail.co.uk

The Following is a direct copy from Hugo Burnand’s Blog Site:

“Why do I take photographs? More than the spontaneous image or the thoughtful portrait, it is the unpredictable pleasure of photography that glues me to my camera” (Hugo Burnand).

Hugo Burnand was born on 24th Sept 1963, in Cannes, France.

He first learnt about developing pictures and printing photographs on the kitchen table at home with his mother, the photographer Ursy Burnand. With all the windows shuttered, and the dark room assembled among the pots, kitchen sink and saucepans, they developed her photographs together. With his mother beside him, Hugo’s lifelong passion for photography was born.

Education –

1971 – 1976 Hugo Burnand attended Cheam Preparatory School in Berkshire. (Alumni include HRH The Duke of Edinburgh and HRH Prince Charles).

Hugo then went on to Harrow School 1977 – 1981. (Alumni include William Fox Talbot the inventor and pioneer of photography, and the iconic society photographers Cecil Beaton, Patrick Lichfield and Geoffrey Shakerley).

Career Milestones –

Early accolades include winning the Cheam School Photographic Competition aged 7.

At Harrow School Hugo became the un-official school photographer, taking school-leavers portraits.

In 1991 Hugo became assistant to photographer Julian Calder at Alma Studios.

In 1993 Hugo was appointed by Tatler (Conde Nast) as the official Bystander (Social) Photographer.

In 1994 Hugo moved to his own studio in Notting Hill.

1994 – Present Day. Hugo has been commissioned both privately for portraits, weddings and parties and for editorial in locations around the world including Paris, New York, South Africa, Kenya, Hong Kong, Barbados, India, and Spain and his photographs have been published all around the world, in publications ranging from The Times to Tatler.

In 2005 Hugo was the official photographer at the wedding of HRH Prince Charles and HRH Duchess of Cornwall.

In 2008 Hugo was commissioned to take the Official 60th Birthday Portrait of HRH Prince Charles.

Individuals who have been photographed either privately, portrait or in a ‘lifestyle’ capacity by Hugo Burnand include David and Samantha Cameron, President Gorbachev, Bill Clinton, Sir Dennis and Lady Thatcher, HM The Queen, HRH The Prince of Wales, HRH The Duchess of Cornwall, HRH Prince William of Wales, HRH Prince Harry, Lucien Freud, Victoria Beckham, Graham Norton, Bruce Oldfield, Ben Fogle, The Duke and Duchess of Roxburghe, David Hockney, David Linley, Sacha Distel, Uma Thurman, Ruth Rendall, Peter Godwin, The Earl of Derby, Imelda Staunton, Santa and Simon Seabag Montefiore, Linda Evangelista, Rob Lowe, The Duke & Duchess of Bedford, Brent Hobermann, Tom Parker Bowles, Sienna Miller, Emma Sergeant, Michael Jackson, Spike Milligan, Natalie Cole, Barry and Oscar Humphries – to name just a few…

Hugo’s high profile clients value his unique ability to capture the essence of their personality in his photographic portraits. The sessions are always full of energy and Hugo’s clients value his discreet confidentiality.

Family –

In 1993 Hugo married Louisa Hallifax and they now have 4 children. Louisa is very much involved with Hugo’s work and often assists him. They live in Notting Hill, London W2.

HDR Of The CN Tower

 

The CN Tower – an incredible build, and yet sadly it is no longer the highest structure in the world – China built not one, but two taller than it as of last year.  However, the Skypod - the upper ring, is supposedly still the highest man made look out in the world.  Our family recently went for a visit to this massive structure, so I figured what a great opportunity to practice some HDR.  The image to the left, is an HDR from the three images below.  After which, I used the content aware feature in CS5, along with some colour tweaking.  All three images were taken hand held standing at the base of the tower, which of course makes for a little more work, however using the “Difference” blending mode is quite helpful with this.  Many HDR tutorials can be found online on YouTube, and last week I took an online class as well.  In the end I found that using techniques from here and there (because every tutorial will be different using different tools and techniques) to make up my own blend was how I went.

SoftStep Key Worx

I happened to see this in a Facebook ad last night.  Interesting concept.

SoftStep Keyworx

• Keystrokes: send any key plus modifiers to any application
• Mouse Control: move the cursor, click or double-click left or right
• Open and Focus: launch programs, folders and files, and bring windows forward
• Navigation Pad: use as arrow keys or for pixel-precise control of the cursor