"A Cold Winter's Morn”

"A Cold Winter's Morn”
©David A. Ziser

We were up early every morning during our trip to Orlando.  Each morning we got to watch the sunrise.  Most were beautiful but somewhat uneventful but a few were simply spectacular and others were almost surreal like you see in the image above.

It was Sunday morning the the fog had been rolling in over the last two mornings. Sunday morning was different. Yes, we got the fog but as the sun rose into the sky, the fog still hovered on the ground. 

While packing I took a quick glace out the window and caught the sight of the sun backlighting the scene and casting the eerie shadows of the barren trees and shrubs across the blanket of fog. What a cool sight.  Once again I grabbed the camera, headed to the balcony and grabbed a few more images.

I had complained a few times about the cooler than usual temperatures we were having in Florida during our trip – it even dropped to 33 degrees on one morning.  While working with this image in Photoshop the final manipulations kept pointing me to the colorized version of the scene.  Instead of being taken in Florida, it looks more like the very chilly surrounds of Minnesota in winter.

I really like the finished result.  The cascading streaks of light and shadow almost give  a brushed stroke appearance to the image. And, since I’m talking about print competition in the following post, I thought I would give it a gallery treatment as part of the finished presentation.

Camera specs: Canon 7D fitted with 18-200mm IS lens at 180mm, F10 @ 1/800 second, ISO 200. Enjoy! –David

"Into The Sunset"

"Into The Sunset"
©David A. Ziser

I made this image last week during our catamaran sunset cruise.  We've taken this cruise once before last year and it is quite a photographic adventure.  

This image was made right before the sun settled below the horizon.  The timing was perfect with beautiful orange textures in the sky and the alignment of the ships on the horizon which gave me this great sunset composition.

OK, I did tweak the colors a bit in Lightroom 3, removed one small boat that just didn't look right, and slightly extended the sea and sky on the left.  The minor adjustments, I think, really added to the overall impression of the image.

Since we've been talking image competition all week, I thought I would finish the image with two color key-line strokes added around the image to accentuate the predominant colors in the scene and give the image the look of a gallery presentation. Be sure to double click the image to see the larger version.  I love it!

Camera specs: Canon 7d fitted with 18-200mm IS lens at 200mm, F8 @ 1/500 second, ISO 200.  Enjoy! -David

"Gates of Wonder"

"Gates of Wonder"
©David A. Ziser

This is another image from my little neighborhood photo walk the other day.  I was still shooting with the Sigma 85mm F1.4 lens at f1.4 to see what I could get.  I found it to be quite the challenge to get the result I wanted.  More importantly, I had to realize that I was out of my comfort zone with this assignment and WAS missing pretty many shots.

But that's the challenge with self assignments isn't it.  The experience just made me want to try harder to get the shot I wanted.  Practice makes perfect, as they say.  I think it behooves each of us to PRACTICE our craft if, indeed we want to prove our ART.

Anyway, back to this image. I just love the light to high key, mostly white tonalities, of the scene with just the one part of the gate in sharp focus. Look how everything else around it goes well out of focus leaving this one "soldier" all alone in the mist.

Notice too the rhythm of the composition, the easy curve of the lines running through the image, even with most of the lines out of focus.  But still being out of focus, it adds a nice harmony to the overall composition.

Yes, I tweaked the tonalities just a bit in Lightroom 3 and even considered converting the image to B&W, but it was mostly white anyway, I decided to keep the color rendition.

Camera specs: Canon 7D fitted with Sigma 85mm F1.4 lens at F1.4, 1/250 second, ISO 200.  Enjoy!  -David

"Wrong Side Of The Bars"

"Wrong Side Of The Bars"
©David A. Ziser

This image was captured during another down-the-street photo walk yesterday. I had given myself an assignment to shoot with Sigma’s 85mm F1.4 lens exposing the images at only F1.4.

As I passed by one of the homes I liked the streaking bright light across the rough textured wall on the other side of the fence.  I framed up the shot and pressed off a few frames.  The very wide aperture threw the bars of the fence well out of focus.

Next it was into Lightroom 3 where I tweaked the colors and tonalities. Originally the fence was quite a bit lighter, but with the “Black Level” slider, I was able to darken it’s tones considerably.  The darken result was to give the image the look, in my eyes, of a prisoner’s view of haunting prison bars.

The bright streaks of light beckon the prisoner to hope and freedom, but the dark bars forbid him from making that journey.

Camera specs: Canon 7D fitted with Sigma 85mm F1.4 lens @ F1.6 (it got nudged up from F1.4 inadvertently), 1/800 second, ISO 200.  Enjoy!  -David

"Good Morning Sunshine"

"Good Morning Sunshine"
©David A. Ziser

Everyday since we arrived in San Jose Del Cabo, Mexico almost two weeks ago, I have photographed the sunrise from our second floor balcony.  The morning sun presents itself from about between 6:00 – 6:30 a.m.  Every morning is different.  Some morning are more spectacular than others, but all are a beautiful beginning on a joyous day in this part of the world.

This is today’s morning sunrise.  I spent about 30 minutes shooting several variations of the landscape as the sun slowing welcomed itself into the day.  I think this image is my favorite.  I’m a big fan of the rich, vibrant colors many of these sunrises exhibit.  This one was no exception.

As I’m framing up the photograph, I strive to pick up other elements like the palm frawns in the scene that I think contribute to the overall composition. 

If your sunrise was not so nice, let me offer our sunrise as a suitable replacement to the start of your day ;~)

Camera specs:  Canon 7D fitted with 18-200mm IS lens at 32mm, F4.0 @ 1/50 second, ISO 100.  Enjoy!  -David

"Catching The Last Wave"

"Catching The Last Wave"
©David A. Ziser

I headed to Javier's Restaurant ahead of the others to get a ringside seat for the evening's light display.  I was not disappointed.  Although not spectacular, the sunset was still a beautiful display of color over the Sea Of Cortez.

I had made several images, ranging my exposure and crops for various renditions of the scene.  I got several keepers but this one was one of my favorites.  Just as I was about to make an exposure, I saw a young boy carrying a surf board running into the bottom corner of the camera frame.  I decided to wait a split second more till he was more prominently positioned in the frame.  There was the shot - hit the shutter and I knew I had image I wanted.

Into ACR for a little tweaking of the colors. Sometimes timing is everything.

Camera specs: Canon 7D fitted with 18-200mm IS lens at 40mm, F4.5 @ 1/80 second, ISO 250. Enjoy! -David

"Evening’s Away"

"Evening’s Away"
©David A. Ziser

That was my first thought when I looked at this image on the back of the camera.  The evening was just beginning to slide away. Sunsets are always gorgeous down here in Cabo.

We were relaxing by the pool at the end of the day and LaDawn noticed the sunset’s reflection on the water’s surface.  I grabbed my camera and got off several photographs before the evening’s color completed faded.

I really wanted to pick up the reflection on the water but the clouds kept shifting and had to get closer and closer to the pavement.  Finally, with my head nearly resting on the sidewalk, I captured this image creating almost an infinity pool effect.  I think it really captures the everyday beauty of this wonderful part of the world.

Camera specs: Canon 7D fitted with Sigma 8-16mm wide angle lens at 8mm, F 5.6 @ 1/50 second, ISO 100.  Enjoy!  -David

"Paradise In View"

"Paradise In View"
©David A. Ziser

I captured this image as we made our approach into Cabo San Lucas yesterday afternoon.  The sun was hanging low in the sky and was just starting to kick up a little of those beautiful Cabo colors.

This image has a slightly surreal look to it.  The distant mountains with their varying tonalities seemed to be shrouded in mystery almost implying that one does not know what to expect upon arrival.  We’ve never flown into Cabo this late in the day but we DID know what to expect ;~)

Looks like the perfect time of the year for magnificent sunsets. Our sunset was beautiful later in the evening as this glimpse predicted for us.

Camera specs: Canon 7D fitted with 18-200mm IS lens at 110mm, F14 @ 1/1000 second, ISO 200.  Enjoy!  -David

"Cabo Afterglow"

"Cabo Afterglow"
©David A. Ziser

Since we are heading to  Mexico tomorrow I thought I'd post one of those fabulous Cabo sunsets.  This image was taken last December about a year while on a visit to San Jose del Cabo, Mexico. Every time we head to Cabo this time of the year, the sunsets are always magnificent.  This evening was no exception.

This view is from the beautiful Westin Hotel which is on the way to Cabo San Lucas, near where we stay when visiting that beautiful part of the world.  Even with a few tweaks in Lightroom 2, this is pretty much how I remember the sunset that beautiful evening.

The foreground is actually a reflection pool.  I positioned myself very near to its surface so I could get the "infinity pool" look in the image. The two lone palms framed the image of the sky, sunset, and reflection perfectly.

The results of this image speaks to the beauty of the moment. Moments that we should all strive to make a bigger part of our busy lives. 

Camera specs: Canon 7D fitted with 10-22mm wide angle lens at 10mm, F 8.0 @1/200 second, ISO 200. Enjoy!  David

"Red Lining!"

"Red Lining!"
© David A. Ziser

Here we are again with one of my very fun abstract images.  Sort of makes you feel kind of dizzy doesn't it? This image was made during our Scott Kelby photo walk last October. I love our urban photo walks because there so much color to be seen everywhere in the city.This is simply a close-up of one of the building facades on Fountain Square, a very popular place to hang out.

I just went in close and isolated on the brightest colors of the façade.I think it's kind of a fun photograph and I offer it as kind of a welcome to the holiday season which begins tomorrow with Thanksgiving. Don't worry… I'll get back to portrait images in a day or two.

Camera specs: Canon 7D fitted with 18-200mm lens at 100mm, F7.1 @ 1/125 second, ISO 400. Enjoy!  -David

Quick Hit Monday: Inspirational Wedding Images; Fabulous New Photographers; Photoshop Freebies and More!

Good Morning Everybody,

I hope everyone had a great weekend. We spent most of the weekend completing post production on a 600 image five volume wedding album order for one of my top, not to mention favorite, clients at my studio.

We’ll be putting the finishing touches on it today, doing our final inspection, and then shipping it off to Zookbinders so we can  have it back in time for the holidays. It was a BIG push but, I have to tell you these albums look beautiful thanks to LaDawn’s great design work and Jennifer’s fabulous image enhancement!

Wireless Keyboards - My 1 Star Review

I made my weekly trek to Sam's Club yesterday – I simply love looking through the latest hot deals on all the geek gear. I stumbled upon what looked like something that would be just perfect for newly installed computers – a Logitech wireless keyboard/mouse combination – the Wireless Wave Combo MK550.

A quick check of the reviews online and I saw it had a gazillion five star reviews. After having the thing installed for about 30 minutes on my new computer this morning, it's back to Sam's Club for my refund.

I've always enjoyed using wireless devices on the computer but this keyboard/mouse combination, although looked very promising in the beginning, was driving me crazy with it’s relatively sluggish response after about 30 minutes of usage. I quickly reinstalled my old Dell keyboard and my cheap, $18 Logitech wireless mouse and I was off and running once again.

White Lights and Tears Galore!

You know it's getting close to the holidays when you head up to the attic and pull out about 50 boxes of Christmas decorations. Yes, that what was on our agenda too for this weekend. We're into the Christmas season in a big way with LaDawn decorating eight trees, that’s just in-doors, around our home/studio. 

She begins with a large tree in the family room, slips in an old VHS tape of the Bing Crosby/Danny Kaye classic White Christmas into the VCR tape player (yes, we still have one hooked up to the TV).  Then she begins stringing lights and hanging the ornaments as she tearfully watches the movie and decorates the Christmas tree. It's an annual event for her that she claims brings back many special memories. I never know if she’s going to run out of lights or tissues first ;~)

Anyway, we’ve got a short posting week so let’s get right on with today's post.  Here we go…

Monday Morning's Photography & Inspiration Section:

I've got a lot of things to cover in our Photography and Inspiration section today. These links cover all ranges of photography from portrait photography, wedding photography, scenics, landscapes, and fine art. Feel free to dig into any of them as I'm sure you'll enjoy the surfing.

How Does Help-Portrait Help? [link]

In about 10 days we travel to Cabo San Lucas with our very good friends Kent and Sarah Smith. Joining us this year will be my good friend Ralph Romaguera and his wife Cindy. In addition to getting together with good friends,  enjoying the glorious weather, and  the wonderful flavors, we are also joining Jeremy Cowart with his Help-Portrait project again this year taking place December 10, 2011.

Last year we worked in the most impoverished sections of the city and produce some wonderful images for the families that came by that day. This year were planning for a much bigger crowd but with six of us shooting we’re looking forward to a very rewarding afternoon.

Many people are unaware of the Help-Portrait project. Let me point you towards this link right here which will give you the whole back story. Once again I'm putting out my call to all readers of DigitalProTalk.com to join us December 10 for the worldwide Help-Portrait project. You can get all the information on how to get involved right here.

Wedding Portraits After the Reception – A New Trend? Check Out This Great Wedding Photography [link]

Okay, this is the first time I've heard about doing wedding photographs after the wedding reception. Rocky Gunn, many years ago suggested capturing beautiful pictorial images, that he was famously known for, the day after the wedding or even after the couple returned from their honeymoon. I’ve taken that same approach for these many years and have some great results to show for our efforts. That said, you have to check out the work of Christina Craft, a very talented photographer from Victoria BC, Canada.

Christina is my new favorite wedding photographer. I was drawn to her work after reading this article right here about how she does many of her wedding photographs after the wedding reception is complete. No longer constrained with wedding day time tables, she's able to create some very exciting wedding images for her clients. She has a couple hundred images on her site and just about every one of them is a joy to view. Anyway, check out her site right here.  I'll think you'll really enjoy Christina’s inspiration.

Suggestions When choosing Your Wedding Photography Studios – More Nice Wedding Photography [link]

I also stumbled upon some great wedding photography. The link, right here, will lead you to a story about how to choose your wedding photography studio. The story is more about choosing the studio whose work is featured in the article.

I've got no problem with that because I think their work is very different, innovative, and exciting to see. Anyway, if you want to get another good, healthy dose of inspirational wedding images then check out the link right here.

Creative photography by Sarah Yun – Outstanding Imagery! [link]

Next, you have to check out this simply outstanding work of 29-year-old photographer Sarah Yun. She's only been pursuing her dream of photography for three years but after seeing her work you would think that she has been at it her entire life.

For me, her images just seemed to jump off the page. The way she brings the elements of her images together results in some of the most creative and exciting photography I've seen anywhere. Take a minute or two and check out Sarah's work right here.

Adventure Without Risk! Some Adventurous Moments By Nat-Geo [link]

Okay, how about one more healthy dose of inspiration for you this morning.  You've got to take a moment and check out these unbelievable sports images available at National Geographic.

I, for one, can't believe real people really do many of the things portrayed in these images. I think when you see the images right here you'll agree with me that these activities are not for the faint of heart, or the sane.

LIFE's 20 Worst Covers [link]

I just spent some time pointing you to some of the coolest photography I've seen in the last week on the web. Somehow or another I stumbled onto the link right here that led me to Life Magazine's 20 worst covers. That isn't to say that the photographers who made the images were not great photographers. In fact, the image I featured below, was taken by none other than Mr. Ansel Adams.

It turns out that Ansel worked for a number years as a commercial photographer. He, like the rest of us, had to pay the bills too. But, thankfully for us, he was able to quit his day job and pursue the imagery that excited him most.

By the way, just so you don't feel too bad after you've reviewed the 20 worst covers in this link.  Be sure to check out Life Magazine’s best covers right here. It's always a joy, for better or worse, to look back over these historic collection of images for their storytelling value.

27 Gorgeous Photos of Trees from This Fall [link]

How about one more link to raise your spirits as we near the end of the fall season. Check out these 27 gorgeous photographs of trees right here. Fall is in the air and just about every one of these images captures the season perfectly.

Now A Little Geek Technique

Al Capone’s Cell – HDR Collaboration [link]

At first glance I thought this post was just another HDR photography post. Maybe I was just reading the text a bit too quickly but upon further review it turns out that there is a ton of information on image processing and postproduction in this article. 

Scott Frederick uploaded nine images taken of the famous mobster, Al Capone’s jail cell. This article right here is an in-depth look on how 8 photographers interpreted that scene. No brand of software is left untouched – from Photoshop, Photomatix, NIK’s Color Effects 4, and more – to achieve the various results all the photographers have showcased in this article.

I really enjoyed getting the insights from how the other photographers interpreted the scene and I also appreciate their tips on the techniques that they used. Give it a Monday morning read right here – you'll enjoy it.

This Week's Photoshop Freebies

Top 10 Best Free Fonts of 2011 [link]

This week's Photoshop freebies include a font set and an action set. I have to admit, that I never felt any particular urge to like one font over another. But, these 10 free fonts are elegant in their simplicity and design. Check them out right here. I'm planning on downloading the sets myself.

Attractive Photoshop Actions for Image Enhancement [link]

There are about a gazillion free Photoshop actions available and every now and then a new and exciting technique will pop up. Check out this link right here and see if you don't find a gem or two for yourself.

One For The Road: One More Link You Can Use

10 Free Video Apps [link]

Okay, this is showing a little bit of my geek side but when you check out these 10 free video apps right here, I think you will find one or two that just might work for you. I will admit that this is one of those rainy day posts.  You know, it's raining and you can’t go out and play.  But don’t worry.  This link set will encourage you to have a little computer fun until the weather clears. Hey, looks like it's raining outside right now. Guess I'll check out these links one more time ;~)

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Hey gang, that's it for me today. I've got dozens of empty Christmas decorations boxes that I promised LaDawn  I would help her replace in the attic. Plus a few photography projects that need finishing touches before Thanksgiving .

How about I plan to see everybody tomorrow, same time, same place for a brand-new Technique Tuesday. Tomorrow's topic will discuss how to get beautiful portrait results out of your shoe mount flash. I hope you'll join me.

Have a great rest of the day everybody, I'll see you tomorrow.

– David

"Three Sisters"

"Three Sisters"
© David A. Ziser

With today being the anniversary of my 3,000th blog post, I thought I should work the number three into my “image of the day” post ;~) This image was made earlier this year. We were attending a family function and on the way home passed a beautiful sunflower field.  I steered the car down the country road to get much closer to this very beautiful site.

I took several images that afternoon and already have posted a few of those images here at DigitalProTalk.  This is another one of my favorite images from that afternoon shoot.  With all the bright colors already present I wanted to accentuate those colors and contrasts even more.  I worked on the image a bit in Lightroom 3 and then over to Photoshop for a few experiments and then back to Lightroom 3 to finish up my post production work.

I really like the stylized almost surreal effect that I was able to create with this image.  It reminds me, ever so slightly, of one of the van Gogh paintings.  Compositionally I like the three sunflowers gracing the foreground of the image.  Behind them are five new baby sunflowers about ready to blossom.  The background is nicely out of focus leaving the three bright sunflowers in the foreground as primary points of interest making for wonderful color play throughout.

As I was working on this image I couldn't help but think how cool it may look printed up in a much larger configuration and hanging in our home.  Over the weekend I’ll just give that a try.

Camera specs:  Canon 7D fitted with 18–200mm IS lens at 200mm, F8.0@ 1/500 second, ISO 400. Enjoy!– David

"Blue Steel"

"Blue Steel"
© David A. Ziser

This image was made during our Scott Kelby Photo Walk in Cincinnati, Ohio in October. I'm always a big fan of the urban photo walks and this year was no different. We headed out in a different direction than we've done in the last three years so that really gave me a chance to see the city from a new perspective.

The primary building in this photograph is a large skyscraper in the background. It contributes the small, repeating rectangles to my composition. I rotated the image just slightly in order to introduce more diagonal elements into the scene.

I love how the two heavy, black, dark structures in the foreground simply rip crossed the more delicate rectangles in the background. I manipulated the tonalities in the scene to really play the darker tones against the lighter tones in this composition. I think it's the contrast of the smaller repeating rectangles against a large black areas in the foreground that add interest to this image.

I also like the fact that there was not one line in this composition that is either perfectly horizontal or vertical. I think it's the play of the diagonals across the scene that add to its interesting, abstract nature.

Camera specs: Canon 7D fitted with 18–200mm IS lens at 70mm, F7.1 at 1/200 second, ISO 400. Enjoy! – David

"Frosty Desert Morn"

"Frosty Desert Morn"
© David A. Ziser

This is an image I made during our Sedona, AZ trip last week.  It was just about a week ago when the weather service forecasted  snow for the first time of the year in the Sedona area. We awoke to a very foggy morning with the clouds just beginning to clear.  About 45 minutes later the sun began to peak through the clouds casting it's rays onto the distant hills.

What’s cool about this image is how one large cloud, which I’ve cropped out completely, shadowed the rocks in the mid-ground area of the image leaving them as a silhouette.  If you look closely at the bottom of the image, you’ll see that the trees in the foreground just beginning to receive some of the morning sunlight.

I think that’s what I like best about this composition – I like seeing just the mostly snow covered mountains which otherwise would have been the bright red rock.  Anyway, what can I say, our room had quite a view ;~)

Camera specs: Canon 7D fitted with 18-200mm IS lens at 100mm, F10 @ 1/500 second, ISO 200.  Enjoy!  -David

"Clearing Storm"

"Clearing Storm"
© David A. Ziser

This image was captured last Saturday morning while in Sedona Arizona.  We awaken to the fallen storm over the mountains in the distance.  I grabbed some early morning photographs and decided to grab a cup of coffee.

Upon returning to our balcony view, the morning sun had begun to break through the clouds and splash it’s light on the snow covered mountains.  It was amazing to me how much the scene had changed in just a few minutes.  I grabbed the camera again and made this image.  It’s probably my favorite.

I remembered seeing an Ansell Adams image by the same name that he had captured in Yosemite National Park.  I thought, why not give my image the same name. 

The remembrance of Ansell’s image also gave me the idea to work this image as a B&W image and over to ACR and Photoshop I went.  Within a few minutes, I had the image I wanted – sorry Ansell, no darkroom for me on this one ;~)

Camera specs: canon 7D fitted with 18-200mm IS lens at 50mm, F10 @ 1/320 second, ISO 200.  Enjoy!  -David

"Afternoon At Cathedral Rock"

"Afternoon At Cathedral Rock"
©David A. Ziser

This image was taken a few years ago on a trip to Sedona, AZ. The scenery, colors, geography, and rocks are just beautiful to see.   Since we are spending time again in Sedona this week, I thought I would re-visit this image that I made on that earlier visit.

This image is one of the iconic locations from the Sedona area, Cathedral Rock.  This image was taken downstream of Cathedral Rock. It was taken in the late afternoon/early evening. The light was beautiful. The blue sky and white clouds reflecting in the calm waters added the azure peacefulness to the scene.

I also love this very wide angle view.  My low vantage point accentuated the stream foreground and contrasted beautifully with the red rocks in the background.  We have this image hanging in our home along with a many other images from Sedona.  It’s a great way to remember this beautiful part of America.

Camera specs; Canon 5D fitted with 12-24mm Sigma lens at 12mm, F9.0 @ 1/125 second, ISO 400. Enjoy! –David

____________________________________________

Hey gang, I’m cutting it short today.  We’ve got another super busy morning today and I promised LaDawn the rest of the day off after we wrap up our business here in the area.

It’s back to Northern KY on Sunday morning and I have to say, even with the great experiences we’ve had these past three weeks, it will be good to get home cold weather or not.

How about everybody have a wonderful weekend and I’ll plan to see you Monday morning.

Till then,  David

Quick Hit Monday: iPad Card Readers; HDR Coolness; Zone System Wonderfulness; & A Little Inspiration

Good Morning Everybody,

When I signed off Friday, I mentioned that I would be hailing to you today from Phoenix.  Well, not quite, today I’m coming to you from beautiful downtown Palm Springs, California.  We left the Napa/Sonoma area about 9:30 a.m. yesterday and made it as far as Palm Springs, CA. about 7 hours later. Here is the view from our hotel room – pretty nice. 

We checked in, grabbed an adult beverage, ordered room service, watched the football game (sorry Dallas), and hit the sack. We are really living the high life aren't we;~)

Today we head out to Phoenix, about a 4 hour drive though the desert, and should land by early afternoon.  We got a little business to take care of but the trip also includes a few days off in Sedona, AZ.

Steve Jobs Bio – Very Interesting

I have to tell you, the highlight of our travels from Northern California has been listening to Steve Jobs biography which I downloaded from Audible.com.   So far, it has been a fascinating listen.  What is coming across so far is that he could be a real jerk, but he was one of the top visionaries of our time as well. The book is more than an biography of Mr. Jobs, but coincidentally a biography of Apple too which is also quite interesting.  Anyway, we'll get to listen to 4 more hours today as we travel to Phoenix.

Hey gang, I thought for today's post I'd get back to our regular Quick Hit Monday series. I've got a few tidbits for you so let's get right to it. 

New Card Readers for iPad

That's right.  I just caught this over at Photojojo.com  Ever since Apple neutered the power to the  USB adapter, it's been a bit trickier to get your images conveniently onto the iPad, particularly for us wedding photographers.  I've blogged about a few solutions over the last few months. 

I think these two adapters from Photojojo.com look very promising. Here is the link right here.  The price is right too.  These may be the ones I'm picking up for my iPad.  Hey, while you're over there shopping, check out the other very interesting items they have in their store too [link]. Many cool, geeky camera items that look kind of fun.

HDR - Multiple White Balances

A few weeks ago, I stumbled on this very interesting article by John Neel at Pixiq.com describing a HDR technique using multiple white balances.  The results looked very cool.  I've only considered doing HDR the old fashioned way but never considered HRD with different color balances.  Check it out right here.

Why You NEED the Zone System for Digital Photography

In my Captured By The Light tour which we  wrapped last week, I discuss in depth how I establish the correct exposure.  Part of that discussion includes how I relate my correct exposure to Ansel Adam's Zone System.  By the way, if you missed my Captured By The Light tour, you can pick up the entire LIVE recording right here.

Anyway, you've got to check out this post right here by blogging buddy and talented photographer, Gavin Seim, which goes into a quit a bit of detail about how the Zone System can be used in many aspects of our digital photography.  High 5's to Gavin and F164.com for a great post!

How About A Little Monday Morning Inspiration for You?

1. 20 Impressive Examples Of Panoramic Photography (far right):  Way cool panos that are just fun to look at and enjoy.  Here is the link right here.

2. Nighttime Locations Illuminated Through Light Painting on an Epic Scale (left): Epic scale may be an understatement - very cool images right here.

3. Digital Art by Nathalia Suellen (below):  I am constantly amazed by the work of digital artists and have previously posted links to many artist's work here at DPT.

You know, it's just a different way to look at the world and I love it.  Please check out the work of Nathalia Suellen right here.

Learn Digital In Delray

I'm doing this plug for my buddy Rick Sammon because I loved the images that went along with his announcement of his upcoming workshop series.  They were just so striking to me - the colors and composition really got my attention.  Rick has an entire series of workshops happening in 2012 and the price is right too - why not check them out right here.

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Hey gang, that's it for me today.  We are hitting the road shortly for Phoenix but before we head East, I'm trying to wrap tomorrow's Technique Tuesday post.  It's a bit more involved than I thought pulling all the images for the post.

I know I've got your curiosity up just a bit.  It's the post I wanted to do last week of cheating the sync.  It will be an in depth peek on how you can make that little bit of camera trickery really open up some cool ideas for your portrait photography.  Tune in on Tuesday and check it out.

See ya' tomorrow everybody,  David