Moving to a New Blog Address

After the long break, I've decided to move the blog to Albumshowcase.net/blog.

I'll leave this log in place, and all of the videos will still play. New posts will be made on the new blog, but you can still reach me through the email contact link on this page.

One of the reasons for moving is that the new blog will allow me to display larger images, so I will begin show more of my own photography, as well as provide tipsand lessons to fellow photographers. Come on over and let me know what you think.

Paul

http://www.albumshowcase.net/blog/

Taking a Break

As you might have noticed, I have been taking a break from blogging. No worries -- I will be back with a new blog, in the Fall. This one will still be available, but updates will be on the new version.

You can still 'follow' me.

First, check out my Facebook page: http://tiny.cc/lkCqS

I don't Tweet very much, but you can follow me at: http://twitter.com/socalcamerapro

Of course, you can always find me in the b school. If you aren't a member, but you are a professional photographer, you should join: www.thebschool.com

For those of you in the Southern California area, I am conducting an Album Design class, at the Calumet store, in Santa Ana, next Saturday -- Aug. 1st.: http://bit.ly/1rKatl

Finally, we have had over 260,000 viewers of our youtube videos. Check them out. http://www.youtube.com/user/socalcamerapro

You can always email me with questions. Depending on the question, I may write a blog post, email an answer, or even call you. If you are in North America, or Western Europe, include a phone number and the best times to call. Give me the times in GMT (I am GMT -8 hours).

Rock & Roll and Tattooed Ladies

Last weekend, I had a chance to shoot a couple of Roller Derby games, in Huntington Beach, CA. Not having seen Roller Derby sine I was a kid (black & white TV days), I had no idea how popular it is.

I Can't Say It Any Better

Yesterday, I went with some friends -- all photographers -- for a mental health day -- just shooting for fun. Joe Photo led us on a 50 miles hike (OK, maybe it was only 5 miles) down a box canyon in Anza-Borrego State Park -- in California.

Here is a long distance shot of one of the big-horn sheep who live in the area -- and yes, I wish I would have had something longer than a 200mm lens -- now that I am home. Of course, if I had to carry it, I might have left it there. Realize, some of my companions where less than half my age, and I'm just happy that they didn't have to carry ME :-)

Oh -- the part about "I Can't Say It Any Better" -- read Joe's blog.

On Joe's blog, your learn that he got down on his belly, to shot a caterpillar. Here, you'll see that Matt Seville likes to shot from a different angle.


Speaking of Matt, and a different angle, here he is, in the background, capturing an image of Hanssie Trainor. Why do this?

1. You can just never have too many photos of women laying in the middle of the road.

2. There where no railroad track to tie her to.

A Conversation About Flash

I saw this question in a discussion group on the [b] school, today. so I called Ashley -- this is the conversation that we had.

===
Flash is not my friend at the moment and I wondering if anyone has any tips about learning to use flash and making it look good when you have to use it. My problem is underexposure in low light settings. Last time I used it I shot on manual at an ISO 800 (I occasionally used AV), and tried to keep the shutter between 50 - 100. I'm not sure if it's the direction in which I pointed the flash or the fact that the location had high ceilings, but I tried to avoid pointing the flash forward bc I wanted to avoid that look. My husband had the same issues as well! Any suggestions?
-Ashley
===

Photographing Children

I first photographed Jayden two days before he was born. Actually, I did some maternity shots, for his mother, on a Friday, and Jayden was born on Sunday, a month early. Since them, I've had birthday party cake, taken family photos at the beach, made a Baptism album, and watched him grow. Yesterday, we just sort of hung out. We took a few pictures, in the house, then went to a little park where I got to answer "why" a thousand times :-)

Throughout the day, I was reminded of how old we both are getting -- I mean, Jayden will be 3 in May and I'll be 64 in July. Another thing I was reminded of is how easy it is to forget to get down on the child's level -- How often do we see pictures of kids from the adult's point-of-view. The best images come from when you get down into their 'world'.

This example was taken with a D700, and a 24-120mm lens. Lighting was with two Nikon Speedlights, on small light stands, with Gary Fong Lightsphers, for diffusion. Camera was on Manual and both flash units where on TTL. The aperture range for this lens in 3.5 to 5.6. I set the lens at it's widest -- 24mm, and the f-stop to 3.5. If you do this, the lens will automatically adjust to keep the aperture at it's widest available, as you zoom through the focal length range of the lens. In this case, I was at about 48mm and the aperture was 4.5. Shutter speed was 1/60 and ISO was 200. Both of us where on our tummy.

Answwers to Viewer Questions

This is a quick web cam video that I made to answer questions from viewers of a video that I posted in a Classroom, inside the [b] school. The video was called, "I might not be the photographer for you ... and I don't work for you."

You can see the trailer for the video, and get [b] school info here: http://thebschoolblog.com/index.cfm?postID=276

Sometimes It Doesn't Suck to Live in Southern California

I think that's Mt. San Gorgonio. The Camera is at the Bolsa Chica Wetlands, in Huntington Beach. D700, 200mm, f2.8. 1/3200, ISO 200, on a tripod, timer.






... and across the street(Pacific Coast Highway), looking toward the Huntington Beach Pier. That spec in the upper left-hand corner is a helicopter -- not dust on the sensor!!

Nishi

On Tuesday, I had an opportunity to do some portfolio work for a Southern California model named Nishi. While I'm a Lakers fan, I sort of like this image.

The image is straight out of the camera - D700, 50mm, 1.8, 1/30, auto WB, ISO 200. Light is from two Nikon Speedlights - an SB-800 camera left, with a Gary Fong Lightsphere and an SB-900 to camera right, using the pull-up white bounce card into a large gold/white herringbone reflector.

It's a Six Pack!

Need I say more:-)

I do believe in the magic of the Terrible Towel, but in a tight game, I put my faith in Poncho Power!

GO STEELERS!

KISS One Package All Sizes

This is the third industrial espinage video. I'd better stop, before I get busted!!!!

KISS - Old vs. New Packaging

Another one of those 'secret' videos.

KISS Drop Test:

I don't think we are supposed to see this, but what the hell -- it's cool. Security at KISS and/or the Bui Brothers seems to be lacking :-)

Don't ask me how I got this!!!! I'd have to shoot you.

Photo-a-Day #5

D-700, 100mm, f2.8. 1/60, ISO200, WB = flash, backlit w/ SB-900, Gary Fong Whaletail w/ blue gel, triggered w/ CLS, water at 38 degrees :-)

Album Design Software

Occasionally, I get asked what software I use to design my albums. I've been using the Album Designer from Gary Fong, for five or six years. In November 2006, my daughter got married, in South America. Her mother warned me that if I showed up with a camera, they weren't going to let me in the church -- something about wanting me to actually be in some of the pictures!!

I was fortunate to have a very talented friend - someone who had shot many wedding with me and whom I trusted. Her name is Keats Elliott and she had a friend -- another talented photographer, Marisa Holmes. The two of the them spent 1o days in Ecuador, with my daughter, her fiancee, and our families.

I made two books - one covering the 10 days, and a second for the day of the ceremony.

Gary's Album Designer is a set of actions the run within Photoshop (CS, CS2, CS3, or CS4). There are no templates - but the actions really speed up the process. Without the actions, just using Photoshop, it used to take me about 45 minutes to lay out a two-page spread. Using the Album Designer with Autodrop, I average 3-4 minutes per spread.

Photo-a-Day #4

D-700, ISO 2200, 50mm f1.8 @2.8, 1/60

Photo-a-Day #3

Ok, so I missed a day -- yesterday, I shot three basketball games, and didn't get all the files copied to a had drive, until after midnight -- then, today, the Steelers where on, so.... anyway, this series of shots is called "Concentration".







D-700, 200mm, 2.8, 1/400, 3200 ISO

Photo-a-Day #2

The Kitchen Sink

D-700, 50mm @f8, 1/200, 3200 ISO, slight curves adjust and sepia tone applied in CS3.

Photo-a-Day

So, I've been thinking about posting a photo every day. I saw a lot of people deciding to do this at the beginning of the year. To be honest, I don't think I have enough free time to capture a new image, and post it, everyday. OK, maybe I do have the time, but doesn't doing that say that I have way too much free time? :-)

Well, this is my plan -- I'm going to capture an image and post it, each day, for a month -- or until I get bored, or forget. Here are the rules: 1. The photo has to be posted within one day of being taken -- no shooting 30 images in one day, and then just uploading them. 2. The images have to be candid -- what I mean is there is no pre-production staging -- I just see it and shot it as I see it. 3. The subject has to be within, or visible from, my apartment or patio. (This may be flexible if I shoot something interesting, outside the home). 4. No flash -- available light, only.

Here's the first one -- my sofa, taken yesterday morning. D-700, 50mm 1.8 lens @4.5, ISO 200, 1/200. Converted to b&w via CS3, Channel Mixer method (70, 15, 15).