Technique Tuesday: Top 10 Hits of 2011

Good Morning Everybody,

I’m a little light on my report from Imaging USA today.  I was in meetings most of the day and attended the tradeshow late in the day.  I plan to be there all day today so I hope to have more to report tomorrow.

At the beginning of a new year many sites will report top 10 lists on about everything.  Hey, DigitalProTalk is no different ;~)  This is the week for my listings of DPT’s top 10 lists.

For today’s post I spent quite a bit of time reviewing ALL the Technique Tuesday posts from last year, checking the stats, and arranging the posts in order from most viewed tutorials. 

The topics range from off-camera lighting with small speedlights, lighting in lousy locations, my favorite wedding images, Lightroom tips and tricks, and more.  All told, these videos give you about 4 hours of great information. I sure hope you enjoy revisiting each of the links listed today.

TOP 10 Technique Tuesdays For 2011

1 . Trigger Happy Budget Flashes -

2. Impossible Location - Amazing Portraits

3. Supercharge Your Portable Speedlight's

4. You Won't Believe Your Eyes

5. 5 Steps To Better Wedding Portraits

6. Oh, The Lightroom Auto Mask Feature – I Love You, I Hate You!

7.  Light Painting With Lightroom 3

8. 5 Of My Favorite All Time Wedding Images

9. I Just Feel So Vibrant Today!

10. Super Bowls & Weddings

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Hey gang, that’s it for me today.  The programing starts early this morning and I need to hit the road to get to the show. I still have nearly half the show to cover and hope to share with you the more interesting happenings from the show tomorrow.

How about I plan to see you same time, same place tomorrow.  Have a great one and I’ll see you then.

Keep your pixels smiling -David

Quick Hit Monday: All The Latest News; Lots Of Inspiration: and Photoshop Freebies!

Good Afternoon Everybody,

I'm back home today and sticking around for about 4 days before we head off to New Orleans for the big Imaging USA Convention on Friday.  It was kind of nice to come back to all the Christmas decorations still decorating our home. Heck, I even caught a whiff of the pine scent still lingering from the main Christmas tree.  Alas, the job of taking it all down begins today. 

As usual, it's a busy week.  I'm finishing up guest blog posts for Rick Sammon, B&H, Datacolor; working on my Digital Newsletter which goes out this week, and trying to keep DigitalProTalk on schedule.  AND, on top of all that, I'm continuing to push the word about our PhotoPro Expo happening in only 3 weeks!  WHEW!  Let's get right to todays news.

The Latest News From PhotoPro Expo!

One of the main events at PhotoPro Expo this year is the juried print competition [link] where you can win part of the $5,000 in prizes and trophies being awarded. Every year photographers will submit their favorite images to be judged by our esteemed panelists.  It is truly one of the best ways to improve your photography. I can remember my first print competition many years ago  – I selected my four favorite images, printed them up to 16x20 perfection, and submitted them to the jury panel. I was pretty disappointed when my highest scoring print only scored a 79, just to point shy of a 80 score blue ribbon print.

I continued submitting prints year after year in the early days of my profession and within four years was taking the top awards at the state and regional conventions. In fact, one of my images scored a perfect 100!  That was quite a thrill. It is an excellent way to compare your work to others in the photography profession. You can get all the details of this year's PhotoPro Expo Print Competition right here. 

Why Print Competition?

Anyway this year's PhotoPro Expo Print Competition is a wonderful opportunity for photographers to see how their images stand up against their peers. We all think we are so good until we see our work compared to other really great photographers. The excitement this year begins on February 2, the first day of our PhotoPro Expo. It's exciting to watch the prints being scored and hear the judges comments. It's easy for me to sit there for hours and just hang on every word.  I did an earlier blog post discussing what the judges are looking for in print competition [link].  If you are seriously considering entering the print competition, I suggest you give it a read right here.

Bet On The Print Scores & Win CASH!

At this year's PhotoPro Expo Print Competition we have a brand-new treat for all photographers who enjoy the judging process. This year we are hosting our Clubhouse Print Lounge where you'll be able to bet with the judges.  The photographer most closely guessing the judges’ scores has a chance to take home $50-$100 in the process. We have my good friend, Ralph Romaguera, flying all the way in from New Orleans to moderate the event. It should be a great time and a lot of fun.

Win The LexJet Award & $200 Gift Card!

Also this year we are offering a brand-new print award sponsored by LexJet. Any photographer submitting their entries on LexJet media will be eligible for the LexJet award which includes, not just a beautiful trophy, but also $200 in LexJet media. I think this is a wonderful opportunity for someone to take home a great prize. Lexjet has available an outstanding blog post on just what is involved to win the Lexjet award. You can find that link right here.

To be eligible to enter PhotoPro Expo Print Competition, you need to be a member of the PhotoPro Network. The cost to join is only $49 a year and there are a ton of membership benefits just for joining including being able to enter the PhotoPro Expo Print Competition. You can get all the details about PhotoPro Network VIP membership right here.

Seriously, Wedding Photography

Hey gang, I've got three great links for you today pertaining specifically to wedding photography. I found all three excellent reads. 

Denis Reggie: The State Of Wedding Photography 2012

The first is from a post [link] from my good friend Denis Reggie who photographs the top weddings in the country. Denis, like myself has seen wedding photography change dramatically over the many years we have both been in business. I've certainly blogged about the state of affairs here DigitalProTalk many times. Here is another great article on that topic right here from one of the industry leaders – highly recommended.

BTW, Denis will be offering complimentary portfolio reviews this Sunday afternoon at PPA ImagingUSA in New Orleans at 2:00 p.m. along with Joyce Tenneson. Please come by the Canon trade show booth with a selection of your images... laptop, iPad, or an album is fine. We hope to see you in New Orleans.

History Of Engagement Rings With 40 Wedding Ring Photography Ideas

This second link discusses the history of wedding rings.  As a wedding photographer, I've always been this interested in wedding customs not only in the United States but also around the world. I encourage you to give this quite interesting article a read right here.

In addition to picking up a little bit of history on weddings, the article also includes 40 very creative wedding ring ideas that you just may want to incorporate in your next wedding shoot. Some of these images are off-the-wall, some are quite beautiful,  but they all get the creative juices flowing  when looking for new ideas on how to photograph the wedding bands.

Winter Wedding Light Painting
I found the image below and this third link really interesting. Years ago I was photographing a Fourth of July wedding and the bride and groom asked me to find a way to use sparklers in one of my wedding photographs that illustrated the Fourth of July holiday. I set the camera on a tripod and held the shutter open while they traced the heart through the air with the burning sparklers. As they touched the sparklers together at the bottom of the “heart” I fired my off-camera flash, had them kiss, and got a great image.

The photographer featured in this post, Danny Turcotte Jr., used something completely different – steel wool. Yes, that's what I said steel wool. I didn't even know that you could set fire to a piece of steel wool but apparently you can. Anyway he came up with this great wedding photograph – why not give a read right here on exactly how he did it.

So What Have You Done Lately – A Little Inspiration 

One of the highlights of my week is to peruse Zite on my iPad and find interesting sources of photographic inspiration and then share that information with you, our DigitalProTalk readers. This week I have three great links that I think you'll really, really enjoy. 

Top 20 Young Photographers 2012

The first features the top 20 young photographers of 2012.  Check out the link right here to see what some of these new top guns, like 21 year old Faye Thompson above are accomplishing photographically. As I look through the list, and yes, you will recognize a few of the names, it sure puts me in awe of the talent these young photographers exude.

As you review this list of wonderfully talented photographers, I also want to point out that PhotoPro Expo’s very own Lindsay Adler is featured in this list. Yes, Lindsay is one of the speakers presenting at our PhotoPro Expo in just three weeks. Her fashion work is truly amazing. She has an eye for color and composition that rivals the best of the best. I sure hope you can check out her program here at PhotoPro Expo in three weeks.

44 Beautiful Eyes Photography

I also enjoyed looking through the images of this link. You know, a person's eyes other Windows on the world. How we photograph a person's eyes is important in capturing the essence of our portrait subject.  Each of these images [link], captures something truly special in each one of the subjects featured in this post.

10 Beautiful Landscape Photos From Chip Phillips

And finally, some of the most inspirational links that I find feature landscape photography. There's a lot of great landscape photographers but the images featured in this post are just absolutely amazing. I always enjoy making landscape photographs myself as we tour around the country and the world. I just wish that when I press the button that occasionally what I capture is something similar to these incredibly beautiful images featured in this post today.

Photoshop Freebies

I got some great Photoshop freebies for you today. Just consider it is my New Year's gift to all of our DigitalProTalk readers.  All kidding aside, I think there's some great resources  that we can all use on or 2012 projects. Enjoy!

• 30 Free Photoshop Actions Which Never Fails To Amaze: [link]
• 25 Useful Dirt Texture Collection: [link]
• 80 All-You-Need Photoshop Brushes: [link]

Thanks to H.W Capps, one of our DPT readers, for sharing the link with me to share with you.

One For The Road; 20 Mile High Flying, and Dropping iPads

I don't know about you but I'm just not a huge fan of watching lots of YouTube videos. But, every now and then one comes along that captures my attention.

iPad Survives 100,000+ Foot Fall From Space

This YouTube video posted by Mashable [link] shows how they used a weather balloon to carry an iPad about 20 miles in the air just at the edge of space then pop the balloon and let the iPad drop 20 miles back to earth.

It's a fascinating video because they filmed both the accent and the much more rapid descent of the iPad. Their entire balloon apparatus also included  GPS devices that they could use to track where the iPad finally landed.

It was amazing to me that after rising nearly 20 miles into the air and then dropping 20 miles back to earth, that the iPad landed only about 70 feet from where they had released it.  To have such little drift over that 40 mile iPad journey the wind sure must've been nearly non-excitant.  Anyway, like I said, I don't watch many YouTube videos but the scientific aspects of this one  piqued my curiosity, hope you enjoy it too.

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Hey gang that's it for me today. I have Tom Nickell, CEO of Delux Gear, stopping by for a visit. Delux Gear is a brand-new company and is producing some very fascinating photography gear for the wedding and portrait photographer.  I can't wait to see what Tom has to show. I'll fill you in on our visit in tomorrow's post.

Have a great rest of the day and I'll see everybody tomorrow for a brand-new episode of Technique Tuesday: 5 Fabulous, Fantastic, Fun Ways To Super Cool Backgrounds.

See you then, David

"A Majestic View"

"A Majestic View"
© David A. Ziser

This image was made at the St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica in Covington, Kentucky. It is one of the most beautiful sanctuaries in the region.

When photographing a Catholic service, I always check beforehand with the priest asking permission to take a few shots from this location - it's never been a problem but it's a simple, courteous question to ask.

From this side aisle location, with a very wide lens on my camera, we can capture and unbelievably dramatic view of the architecture of this historic cathedral. It makes a great addition to any wedding album.

Camera specs; Canon 5D fitted with Sigma 12-24mm lens at 12mm, F4.5 @ 1/30 second, ISO 1600. Enjoy! --David

Business Day Thursday: Do You Really Need A Professional Wedding Photographer These Days?

Good Afternoon Everybody,

Sorry for the very late post.  I’m up to my eyeballs working on all the last minute details of our fabulous PhotoPro Expo convention coming up in only four weeks.  I’ve been working the phones since  8:30 a.m. this morning, non-stop, hence the very late post. Our Expo Trade-show is about sold out with nearly 60 vendors setting up shop in nearly 100 booths in our 19,000 sq. ft. exhibition area – yea, it’s BIG!

Soooo…. that means what I had planned to post today is going to be postponed till tomorrow.  I think you’ll like the topic: “Make BIG Money Being A Shoot and Burn Photographer”.  OK, I know the title should “stir the broth” just a bit but be sure to tune in tomorrow for the rest of the story.

The GRID: "Do You Really Need A Professional Photographer These Days?

I sure hope you get a chance to check out the re-broadcast of the GRID yesterday.  It was certainly a lively discussion.  The topic - "Do You Really Need A Professional Photographer These Days?” You won't want to miss the conversation between Scott Kelby, Matt Kloskowski, and myself.  Check it out right here.  It’s also a kick to be on the show – hope you enjoy it!

On that note gang, I’ve got to split.  Here we are at 5:00 p.m. in sunny (but chilly) Florida and I’m still at the computer.  LaDawn is going to “kill me” if I don’t catch some of this sun ;~)

Plan to stop back tomorrow for Business Day Thursday on Friday.

See ya’ then,  David

"Summer Serenade”

"Summer Serenade”
©David A. Ziser

This image is from a year or two ago and has been featured a times  in my Technique Tuesdays and other lighting/composition discussions. I made it while photographing one of my favorite brides. She wanted some really nice outdoor images and the park across the street from the wedding venue filled the bill nicely.

The larger aperture isolated her nicely from the background. The lines of the canopy structure lead the viewers eyes right to her face. Lighting is from the left - Quantum T5d shooting through my Zumbrella which gives the very soft quality of lighting on the bride's face. The summer colors give a really nice feel to the image as well.

Camera specs: Canon 5D Mark II fitted with 70-300mm IS DO lens at 265mm, F5.6 @ 1/125 second, ISO 200. Enjoy! -David

"Baby, It's Cold Outside!"

"Baby, It's Cold Outside!"
©David A. Ziser

In keeping with the holiday spirit and our wintry weather I thought I would post one of my favorite candid wedding images of years past.  This image was made nearly 12 years ago during my digital debut of shooting my very first digital wedding with my very first digital camera.  I was a little nervous about shooting digital for the first time. You can bet that I had my medium format Hasselblad gear in the trunk of my car – just in case. The fact of the matter is that I didn't resort to film at all on that December 30, 2000 date.

I don't exactly recall in what mode I was shooting but I suspect I was in, dare shall I say it, “P” for “professional” mode ;~) I remember it being quite cold and blustery that day. I still love this image of the bridesmaids rushing up the front church steps trying to get inside where it was warm and cozy.

I love how the patches of snow throughout the scene accent the girls’ petticoats peeking out from under their dresses as they scurry up the steps. It's a fun, storytelling moment that easily represents the winter nuances of this particular wedding day.

Camera specs; Fuji S-1 Pro fitted with Nikkor 18-35mm lens at 18mm, F 4.0 @ 1/70 second, ISO 400.  Enjoy!  -David

"Standing On The Corner Watching All The Boys Go By”

© David A. Ziser

Here is another image captured from that great Dave Cross Workshop I gave back in October. Our model was just beautiful and the park we worked in was to “die for” photographically speaking of course.

This image was made in the middle of the road.  Yes, we were dodging the cars, but the background from this vantage point was just amazing!  Look how the tree branches camera right lead your eye directly to the subject. That, BTW, is why I brought the light in from that direction too.

This is an easy natural pose that really flatters our bride – notice the smooth S-curve line running through her body from head to toe.

Lighting was easy – just my strobe through my Zumbrella coming in from camera right at 1/4 power.

Camera specs: Canon 7D fitted with 18-200mm IS lens at 120mm, F5.6 @ 1/125 second, ISO 200.  Enjoy! –David

Quick Hit Monday: Print Competitions; Wedding Photography; Photoshop Freebies & More!

Good Early Morning Everybody,

I sure hope everyone had a great weekend. LaDawn and I got a chance to hang out with many good friends we haven't seen in a long time over the weekend. It was truly a blessing to revisit and was a nice break from our, too often, chaotic rush. The break didn't last long though. We are utterly swamped these next two days trying to get the last of our projects completed before we leave for Cabo, Mexico on Wednesday morning.

Join The Fun – Print Competition Coming Your Way!

One of the big things I spent a lot of time on over the weekend was organizing our online HOT SHOTS Print Competition & Review coming up on Thursday, December 8, 2011. I sure hope you got a chance to read my complete post on it over the weekend. [link]

The print competition is being hosted by PhotoPro Network and gives all the photographers in our association a chance to submit their images to see how they might fare in our full-fledged print competition coming up in February at our PhotoPro Expo.  We've opened up the competition to all photographers around the world. You can submit up to six digital images for the very small entry fee of only $25. And, the good news is that you have a chance to win up to $1000 in prizes. Those prizes include software from NIK software, OnOne software, Graphic Authority, and many more.

We're limiting the number of total prints submitted to only 200 to be sure that we can get them all judged in our allotted two hours. You can do the math – with a limited number of entries you have a great chance to win some of our great prizes.

In addition to the print competition, we also have arranged to do a Worldwide Webcast of the competition and critique of those images. The webcast is FREE and open to everyone. Were all set with our three-judge panel of experts to judge the prints on December 8 and we already have a few entries with my quick announcement on Friday.

I'll be moderating the webcast from San Jose Del Cabo, Mexico; the three print judges and print moderator will be near Lexington Kentucky: Our tech support person is in Atlanta, GA and I'll have my staff standing by to monitor everything at my studio in the Greater Cincinnati area.

So, I hope you'll be able to join us by both entering your prints into the competition and also following along during the webcast. Oh, one more thing – even if you can't tune into the webcast, you will be instantly notified of your image scores via text and e-mail. It's all part of the new technology that we are test driving during our HOT SHOTS Print Competition & Review. It should be very informative as well as great fun. You can get all the information right here.

Update on PhotoPro Expo 2012

I am so stoked that our PhotoPro Expo 2012 Convention is coming together so well. Today I'm working with a web developer to put the finishing touches on the website and it should be live by the end of today.

Once I know everything is ready to go, I'll amend this post later today to show the new link. I sure hope you'll check it out, and I sure hope you'll consider joining us here in the greater Cincinnati area on Super Bowl weekend, that’s February 2nd through the 5th.

We are so excited to bringing to the Expo 16 world-class speakers including Scott Kelby, Jerry Ghionis, Sarah Petty, Kirk Voclain, Joel Grimes, Vincent Laforet, and nine others which should make it one of the top photographic convention destinations for next year. As I said, I’ll give you the update to the link as soon as I know everything is working smoothly. I sure hope you'll check it out and join me in the Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area for this outstanding opportunity to learn form the best.

Quick Hit Monday – Here We Go!

Those were two of the most important tips I wanted to get out to you today but, I think it's now time we get to our Quick Hit Monday. I've scoured the Internet looking for the most scintillating links to include in today's post. They cover wedding photography, inspirational photography,  Photoshop and Lightroom tutorials and freebies, and even a few iPad centric links for you too. Let's get right to it.

Photography At It’s Best

Anna Kuperberg’s Best Piece of Advice Ever for Wedding Photographers: [link]

Anna Kuperberg is an extremely talented wedding photographer. In this post she gives some concrete advice on how to capture great images at your next wedding. If you're a beginner ready to explore photographing weddings, you don't want to miss this post.

Extreme Architecture: [link]

Along those same lines, check out these architectural images as well. If you have followed my blog for any length of time, you know that I'm a big fan of line, shape, and form when it comes to composing my images. That's one thing that really turned me on about this post – all the elements that make a great image represented in this series of images. Check it out and you'll see what I mean.

Tiny gadgets: World’s Smallest Functional Digital Camera: [link]

OK, it could be said that I am sort of a gadget freak. That's why I like this post about the world's smallest functioning digital camera. In my early days of photography, I was always interested in small cameras and owned one of those very small 16mm cameras of many years past. If you're kind of a geek freak like me, check out this post… just kind of fun.

When Too Much Photography is Barely Enough: 126 Amazing Links:  [link]

Just when you thought I was giving you way too many links to check out, this link right here will keep you busy through the New Year.  126 amazing photography links and many of them are pretty cool. Take your time and enjoy the browse.

Photoshop Tutorials and Freebies

How to Replace a Face in Photoshop in 6 Easy Steps: [link]

When I first looked at this tutorial, I thought another “head swap” tutorial. But then as I reviewed it more closely, I noticed that this tutorial was going into much greater depth in using some techniques for face alignment that I had never even thought of. That's why I'm including it in today's post. If your wedding or portrait photographer looking for a better way to do your “head swaps” then this post is for you.

Use the Black & White filter in Photoshop: [link]

I'm a huge fan of black and white and always enjoy a post that shows me how to obtain a better result. This is a great post that explores that topic.

Craft Great Black & White Images in Lightroom: [link]

And, since I'm a huge Lightroom fan, I'm also interested in how I can achieve the best black-and-white image result in Lightroom. This tutorial will give you some good insights into how to make your black-and-white images better in Adobe's great software.

15 Photoshop Effects To Add Life to Your Photos: [link]

Everybody wants their images to look their best. This post shows you 15 ways in which you can enhance your images in many creative ways. It's worth a look.

Weekly Freebies: Flourishes and Ornaments: [link]

Now on to the Photoshop Freebie section.  This is one of my favorite links that I found over the weekend. LaDawn's put together a great collection of swirls and twirls for use in the LumaPix:PhotoFusion software [link]. The swirls and twirls featured in this post looks like were going to have to convert them for use in LumaPix as well. There are some really good enhancements – check it out.

Ultimate Collection of 220 Free High Quality Fabric Textures: [link]

On that same thinking - LaDawn loves using textures in her LumaPix:: FotoFusion software projects and this is one of the best collection of fabric textures I've seen in a long time. It's a definite download for us.

Top 20 Creatively Designed Grunge Fonts: [link]

I'm not huge font family – it's like, just how many fonts do you really need. But every now and then I'll read about a new set of fonts that looks quite interesting. I think these fonts fill the bill. One should check them out right here – their free.

40 GIMP Photo Manipulation Tutorials for Designers: [link]

With all the evidence of our Nation’s economic down turn, and Adobe's new upgrade policy on its future releases of Photoshop as outlined in Scott Kelby’s open letter to Adobe [link], you just might want to check out the open source image manipulation software – GIMP.

I been following the development of GIMP for several years and it has really matured into a very robust product. Many of you may not even know what I'm talking about but check out these photo-manipulation tutorials right here using, not Photoshop,  but GIMP which is free.  More GIMP tutorials right here.

iPhone/iPad Anybody

7 iPhone and iPad Apps For Business That Have Just Been Made free: [link]

The world is a big fan of Apple's iPhone and about 30 million people  are huge fans of the iPad. That said let me point you to seven iPhone and iPad apps that went from costing money to free overnight. These apps are not photography centric but business centric and I think there's a few gems in the listing. You can check them out right here.

Turn Your iPad Into A Flash Drive and Awesome File Manager! [link]

And for the iPad geeks out there, I thought this was an extremely interesting post.

16 Incredible iPad Apps For Any Photographer: [link]

I think there is an amazing number of iPad apps available for photographers. My favorite to date has been NIK Software's Snapseed. But, check out these additional 16 photo apps for your iPad. These look kind of fun.

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Hey everybody, that's it for me today. We are utterly swamped and it is going to be one full day. I still plan to get a brand-new Technique Tuesday online sometime tomorrow.

I hope things are good in your part of the world and that you were able to share many blessings with family and friends over the weekend. Have a great rest of the day. I'll plan to see everybody again tomorrow, same time - same station here at DigitalProTalk.

See you then, – David

"Maybe, Maybe Not"

"Maybe, Maybe Not"
© David A. Ziser

This photograph has fascinated me since I first captured it earlier this year.  This image was created during a fantastic half day shoot during my David Cross workshop.  Our bride was an outstanding subject and the camera does seem to love her.

What I loved most about that day’s shoot, was the wide variety of backgrounds that we had to work with.  I’ve blogged many images from that session but this one, I believe, is still one of the most intriguing.

It's not your typical wedding portrait – it seems a bit darker and foreboding.  Granted, I did a little tone control with Lightroom 3 but, still I love how the dark tones make the subject project even more from the scene.

I think the bride’s a atypical pose, her downward expression, the dark, heavy stones all combined add a heavy feeling to this image.

Let's explore the image just for a minute.  Compositionally I have a nice C-line running through the brides pose.  I also like her dead centered positioning between the stone walkway.

Lighting was simple – just my strobe through my Zumbrella coming in from camera left. The light sculpted the bride beautifully and captured the detail of the bridal gown as well.  Since she's looking down, I thought it would be interesting to add a brighter highlight to the sidewalk  below her to which she seems to be looking.

All-in-all I love this image as a portrait study rather than a simple bridal image.  As I continue to explore this image and as I continue to enjoy it -  I’m really enjoying the mystery of this photograph.

Camera specs:Canon 7D fitted with 18–200mm IS lens at 100mm, F5 .6 at 1/200th of a second, ISO 200. Enjoy!– David

"I’ll Take Romance"

"I’ll Take Romance"
© David A. Ziser

This is one image from the wedding in Phoenix, AZ that has been processing through our post production procedures.The bride and groom and I slipped away for about 15 minutes after the wedding and before the start of their reception, actually during cocktail hour. This allowed me the minutes needed to capture a few pictorial images around the beautiful Royal Palms Resort.

This is one of my signature images and I tried it capture a simple variation of it at all my weddings. The groom’s perfect tip of the bride during their kiss provided the added flare/motion for this image. We actually closed the front door of this historic hotel which, I believe adds a sense of privacy, to the moment.

The rustic setting, the lovely foliage and the dramatic backlighting all combine to give us a beautiful wedding photograph. Lighting was from my radio triggered Quantum flash at half power approximately 12 feet behind the couple

Camera specs: Canon 7D fitted with 24-105mm lens at 45mm, F5.6 @ 1/320 second, ISO 800.  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

"She's The Center Of Attention"

"She's The Center Of Attention"
© David A. Ziser

Take a close look at this image. Sure, I positioned the bride nearly dead center in the scene.  But more importantly look at all the compositional elements leading your eye right to her.  The lines of the split rail fence that she's leaning against, the railing on the walkway to the left leading right back up to her, and the sweep of the guard rail in the top right-hand corner leading your eye again right back to the bride.  There is no escaping her beautiful face.

Her positioning in this image was done on purpose. A lower camera angle would've meant that your eye would have been distracted with a lot of those other elements being directly behind her instead of around her. With this high camera angle I was able to position her head against  the more non-descript grass in the background. 

With the bride's eyes directed upwards towards the camera, we also get a great expression for this beautiful wedding image. Along with all the curves and lines that you can clearly see in this image, notice the S-curve running through her body. The S-curve is easily defined by the line running from the top of her head down to her chin and dropped shoulder, then from her chin/shoulder down to her waist, and then from her waist  down her hips/legs. Do you see the easy S-curve running through her body now?

Once the composition was set, it was a simple matter to add the lighting. The key light is coming in from camera right, my Quantum flash shooting through my Zumbrella. I wanted to separate the bride from the darker background just a bit so I triggered my small shoe mount flash positioned behind her and dialed it down quite a bit -I'm recalling maybe 1/32 power - to light up the veil just slightly to create the separation I wanted from the darker background.

I think everything came together beautifully for this wedding portrait.  It sings for me on many different levels – color, composition, line, and expression – yet a simple, easy wedding portrait.

Camera specs Canon 7D fitted with Sigma 8-16mm wide-angle lens at 16mm, F11 at  1/250 of a second, ISO 200. Enjoy! – David

Inspiration Day Wednesday: Amazing Photographers, Amazing Photographs!

Good Morning Everybody,

I have to be honest with you, I am running lean today on ideas for a post. I spent all day yesterday working on our PhotoPro Expo 2012 convention, didn't quite finish, and ran out of time at the end of the day before heading off to my next meeting early in the evening. Today is shaping up pretty much the same - too much to do, a few too many appointments, and too little time to get everything finished.

Inspiration Day: Amazing Photp0graphers, Amazing Photographs!

So, like they say, “turn a lemon into lemonade”. As I was collecting photographs from all of our speakers at PhotoPro Expo 2012, I was blown away by the imagery I saw by our lineup of speakers! I thought what I could do for you today is share with you some the excitement I was feeling yesterday perusing the many fabulous images that I was collecting for the PhotoPro Expo 2012 website.

It was the range of imagery that impressed me most. At next year's PhotoPro Expo 2012 I'm bringing together a collection of SUPER speakers whose work really expands all fields of interest in photography. As a result, I think next year's PhotoPro Expo 2012 is going to be one outstanding “Education Destination” for all those that attend.

That said, let me share with you a few of the images from three of our extremely talented speakers that we have scheduled for the show. Let's see if you don't feel the same level of excitement that I did yesterday collecting these images.

Scott Kelby – What more can you say?

Scott is one of the best-selling authors on Photoshop and Lightroom. Always the constant learner, about five years ago Scott started hanging out with some of the top photographers in their profession and, being a really quick study, morphed himself into one of the top photographers shooting today. His style ranges from landscapes to fashion to sports photography and everything in between.  He seems to be a master at just about anything he tries.

This is one of my favorite images that most impressed me from his on-line portfolio at 500px right here.  I just love this landscape photograph – the composition, the colors, the energy makes this image one of most exciting Western landscapes that I've seen. What I think makes this image particularly interesting is the fact that there was a pool of water in the foreground that reflected the sky and, having photographed in a similar situation myself, it's quite a treat to see. Scott has many exciting images over 500 pixels.com.

Now check out this football image – it blows you away! It’s completely the opposite end of the photographic spectrum demanding a photographic skill set far different that the landscape image but Scott still nails it.  What a visual treat!

Jerry Ghionis - Wedding Photographer Extraordinaire!

Another of our headline speakers is Jerry Ghionis, one of the top wedding photographers in the world. I've had a chance to get to know Jerry over these last couple of years and, whether I hear him speak from the stage or cruise his website, I'm always excited about the wedding imagery that he produces.  It is astonishing beautiful and exciting to behold. I think it's his creativity that far exceeds just about every other wedding photographer working today.

I just love this photograph of the bride and groom backlit with the splashes of water also highlighted in the scene. The juxtaposition with the saxophone player completes a composition and captures one very special moment for this bride and groom.

Jerry just has a way of bringing all the elements together to make that final image just seem to sing. He definitely has the magic touch when it comes to wedding photography. Just check out his portfolio images right here.

I'm thrilled that we have him on board for PhotoPro Expo 2012 next year. And, he is also scheduled for an additional day-long program on Monday, February 6, 2012!. I can't wait.

Lindsay Adler - Quite The Fashion Statement!

Another photographer's work that just absolutely blows me away is the work of Lindsay Adler, a fashion photographer from New York City. I had the occasion to hear Lindsay speak at WPPI earlier this year and also a second chance to visit with her when she came to Cincinnati for the After Dark program.

She also had the market cornered at Sigma’s booth at the WPPI convention this past spring. Every image in the Sigma booth was created by Lindsay and every single one of those images had an absolutely mesmerizing effect on the viewer.

Lindsay is also part of our PhotoPro Expo 2012 lineup for next year. I think she brings a sense of style to her photography that should excite any photographer attending her session regardless of whatever field they happen to be working in. 

The image I posted here is one of my favorite Lindsay Adler images. It's more than her use of light and color in this image that makes it such an exciting photograph for me.  She breaks a lot of the portrait rules that I've learned over the years. When photographing profiles of people I was always taught to create a base with the subject’s shoulders that the head could rest upon. What Lindsay has done is completely sidestepped that rule.

In the above image she has done exactly the opposite by completely minimizing the model’s shoulders by how she has turned them away from the camera. That shoulder view, together with the overblown hairstyle makes the model’s head look that much larger – almost alien.

Then Lindsay adds her special touches to the composition - the blue skin, the matching blue background light, and the green highlights on the hair – these touches make for an outstandingly beautiful image!

I highly recommend you check out her website right here. I think I spent way too much time there yesterday but, I enjoyed every moment looking at every single one of her images – truly inspiring.

Hey gang, that's a quick preview of a few of the great speakers we have lined up for our PhotoPro Expo 2012 next year. We’ve got a grand total of 15 speakers coming to town and the photographic collections of the other 12 speakers is equally as impressive as the few I high-lighted.  Over the next few days I'll share a few more of my favorite images from our other superstar lineup of photographers. I hope the photographs in the links today will inspire you as much as they have inspired me.

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Hey gang, that's got to be it for me today. Once again it's a very busy day and I better get back to work. How about I see everybody again tomorrow for a brand new “Business Day Thursday: Selling The Appropriate Sized Wedding Coverage”.

Have a great rest of the day and I'll see you then.

Adios, David