Luigi’s Alley

I was looking around near where I work in D.C. recently when I happened upon this alley.  Not just any alley, but Luigi’s alley.  I like the way the light was that day, and I like the glow on the pipe to the left of the frame.  In general, I just enjoyed shooting this photo.  I did bring up some of the shadow detail in Lightroom and work with the contrast just a little bit.

Many photo contests (including a certain high-profile one from Microsoft) have Terms of Agreement that include essentially full ownership of your image. Not only can the contest runners use your image in any way they like; they can even prevent you from using it! Don’t fall into this trap. Contests are fun and great but you should always check the rules and terms.

I think this is a neat concept and I know Old Town is rich in photo material, so I’m quite looking forward to this.

Trying Out the New Profiles (yay!)

It’s here! The new Lightroom has been released.

Also, a new DNG Profile Editor for creating and editing custom profiles released. These profiles contain information about every camera supported by Camera Raw:

labs.adobe.com/wiki/index.php/DNG_Profiles

The DNG Profiles include “Camera Matching profiles that match the camera manufacturers’ color appearance” This is going to be huge for many people because it means theoretically, your RAW files in Adobe programs can now match the camera manufacturer’s settings. -My D300 presets may now be are obsolete. (see test image above)

Also, an update to Camera RAW 4.5 is up:
Mac: www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=3940
Win: www.adobe.com/support/downloads/detail.jsp?ftpID=3941

One is zooming a flash to a narrow beam (he uses the new SB900 flash but you can achieve this with any flash and a home-made “snoot” [a tube to narrow the beam of your flash]) so that you get a splash of light on the torso and head of a model in an otherwise dim scene.  The other is the idea of throwing a beat up wooden crate in front of the flash to create dramatic shadows for an environmental portrait.  Looks like a million bucks, and it’s not exactly rocket science.

Which reminds me; great photos aren’t found, they are created.  Whether that means complicated studio flash setups or simply waiting for the sun to go down and using a bit of fill -it’s the fact that great light (and thus great photos) doesn’t just “happen.”  (ok, once in a while it does, but that’s luck not skill)  The effort is in creating (or waiting for) just the right light.

I’m definitely guilty of just “pretending” the light is right.  I think a lot of amateur photographers put little effort into the light.  It can be the pressure of friends and family to get on with the day’s activities, or a lack of thought when placing / diffusing flash.  In any case, we have to remember that good light does take some effort and patience.  That’s why I think it’s so cool that pros like Joe post simple techniques like I mentioned above that anyone can pull off.

Magazine Subscriptions

I’m definitely the type of person who turns to the internet for everything; instruction, critique, reviews, examples, anything I want to learn about. Magazines, however, can make for a nice break from the glow of the computer screen and occasionally offer new angles on old subjects. So, naturally, I took a look at several magazines when I began getting serious about photography. Here are my thoughts about these three I have read over the course of a year or so.

• Digital PhotoPro - Bi-Monthly. This could be my favorite magazine right now. This magazine covers a lot of personal interviews and stories about working photographers. You can find a lot of beautiful photography and discussion with pros in this magazine. It also covers technique and there have been a few good articles about specific techniques and things to try. This is a great magazine to inspire creativity. Gear is covered by the magazine, but not quite to the degree of…
• Shutterbug - Monthly. This is a gear-lovers magazine. I enjoy it because I always like to know about the latest gadgets, new cameras and new photo technology. The quality of the writing is also very good and they do cover technique and some professional photographer pieces which are well worth reading. It’s always packed with information and you are guaranteed to find something in every issue that is of interest.
• Popular Photography - Monthly. The old granddaddy of photo magazines. Chances are, this magazine is quite a bit older than you. This is the first photo magazine many people pick up and it’s good for that audience. I find it’s a bit light weight on content (a product of an aggressive monthly release, I suppose) per issue and the information presented can seem basic at times. There is no question this magazine has value, but I decided to cancel it now that I am fairly confident about most of the established rules and techniques of photography. It’s time to move on!

Next I hope to try out some photo magazines from other countries. Any suggestions? I noticed the other day that David Hobby (Strobist) posted about receiving magazines such as Pix from Australia. I’m sure there is a lot out there to explore!

There is still room in our digital world for physical, printed publications -tho it may seem like digital is overtaking everything.  For example my iPhone can read web pages, discussion groups and even digital books while I am traveling away from the computer, and there are many other ways to participate and learn online without even having access to your home or work system.  Still, there is something about a printed, monthly publication… a deliberate scheduled slow-ness that online resources don’t have.  The process of collecting written articles, interview, reviews, etc for a time and then organizing everything into a complete issue definitely produces something different from rapid fire discussion group posts.

I should also mention a really interesting publication: JPEG magazine.  It seems there was an upheaval among the founders/management of the magazine a while back, but the concept is still the same.  The magazine is comprised entirely of images and articles submitted by readers and then released in a simple style showcasing the work.  Definitely something different!

Blue Blues

I’m not much of a bird watcher or shooter, but when this guy came along, I had to shoot!  I’m glad I did.  I didn’t really notice the color was so intense until I processed it in Lightroom.  Neat!

On Flickr.

Sun Well Drops

In The Air

I’ve been shooting a lot of these type of images as of late… just what has presented itself to me in the parks and plants in downtown DC, where I commute every day. I don’t know if these images have a story or speak to some great artistic movement, but they make me happy and I enjoy taking them.

I’m going out to clean the pasture spring;
I’ll only stop to rake the leaves away
(And wait to watch the water clear, I may):
I sha’n't be gone long. You come too.

I’m going out to fetch the little calf
That’s standing by the mother.
It’s so young, It totters when she licks it with her tongue.
I sha’n't be gone long. You come too. - Robert Frost