Sometimes getting the right color balance is easy with the right camera settings. When I opened this image in Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) I didn’t need to change a thing. After the bride’s portrait, this was a relief.
POTD: The Moment of Birth!
Moment of Birth
There are very few moments on earth that match the birth of a baby. Such wonder, awe, and love. It was a privileged to be asked by the parents to be there and photograph the big event.
POTD: The Baby is On the Way!
POTD: Baby’s First Footprint
Footprint
Baby’s first footprint. The story behind this delivery room photo shoot (lighting, metering, color temperature issues, RAW file conversion) is here.
POTD: A Few Minutes Old
Baby Boy, A Few Minutes Old.
I had the happy privilege of being asked to photograph the birth of a baby boy. The mother found some of my photos on the internet, she was impressed with my work, and sent me an email asking if I was interested in photographing the delivery of her son. Of course I was!
National Geographic Would Disqualify This Photo
Sunstar Over Turnagain Arm, Alaska
If I had submitted this photo to the 2012 National Geographic photo contest it would have been disqualified. Why? It hasn’t been digitally altered in any way. And the “sunstar” isn’t the problem.
This Text Message Made My Day!
When I work hard on photos for someone and get a thanks like this, it really makes my day!
How To Test Your Camera’s Color Exposure Latitude
Color Exposure Latitude Test for a Canon 7D.
Testing your camera’s color exposure latitude is a key to getting good color in your digital photographs. This is a sequel to The Best Colors Come From the Best Exposures. I would suggest you read that article first.
The Best Colors Come From the Best Exposures
Gretag-Macbeth ColorChecker
When it comes to your digital camera, the better your metering skills, the better your colors will be. If you learn how to master exposure, you will get the best possible colors your camera is capable of producing. Why not put your camera on auto exposure and then correct the exposure on the computer? Because you won’t get the best colors. In auto exposure mode your camera is designed to give you average exposures, not the best exposures. This is very important: If you don’t nail the exposure in the camera, the colors in a photo will shift in different directions and no amount of computer work will bring them back. This is one of the best kept secrets of great color and it is why professional landscape, fashion, and advertising photographers are obsessive about exposure. There is no getting around mastering exposure if you want great color.
How To Do A Business Headshot
Kristina – Business Headshot
A business headshot requires pretty even lighting.This portrait was created with three studio lights against a black backdrop, a main light, a fill light, and a hair light.
Portrait Retouch in 6 Minutes
My first YouTube video. I did a video screen capture of a 90 minute retouching job and sped up the video 16x to a little over 6 minutes (not counting opening and closing titles). Watch it here or see a larger version at YouTube.
Adobe’s Improved “Process Version” for Adobe Camera Raw
Vermilion Lakes Sunset, new and old ACR “process versions”. Click on the photo to see a larger image.
Adobe has a new “process version” for Adobe Camera Raw (ACR). This means better image processing for your RAW camera files.
Q&A: Is Photoshop 6 The Same As “CS6”?
Adobe Elements 11, Lightroom 4, and Photoshop CS6
Question:Â “I’m looking at photography courses online. The courses are free but some require students to own or have access to various versions of Photoshop. Does anyone know if Photoshop 6 is the same as Photoshop CS6?”
How to Create a Portrait Using Window Blind Shadows
Window Blind Shadows Portrait
One of the things I like about winter is the sunlight streaming through one of my studio windows at a low enough angle to create window blind shadows portraits. In the summer the sun is too high for me to do this and get the angles I want.
Never Underestimate Your iPhone Camera
Christmas Tree Impressions (iPhone 4S)
I never thought I would sell prints from my iPhone. I was wrong.
How To Photograph City Lights at Night From a Commercial Jet
The Las Vegas “Strip” from the Air at Night
There are serious challenges to photographing city lights at night from a commercial jet. Here are some suggestions that will help.
POTD: Southwest Jet Over Las Vegas
Southwest Jet Over Las Vegas at Dusk
I was getting impatient as our flight was delayed over an hour. I was anxious to get a photo of the Las Vegas Strip from the air before the sun set. But impatience turned to gratitude when our delay made this photo possible.
Hitler Rants About the Price of the Nikon D3X
This was created three years ago but it is still very funny and well done. If you have ever mumbled and grumbled about the price of a high end digital camera, this is for you.
How to Photograph the Milky Way
Night Sky Over the Mojave Desert.
How do you photograph the Milky Way, that milky band of light across the night sky that has our galaxy’s brightest concentration of light? With a wide angle lens and a tripod it is simple if you know a few tricks. Finding a dark enough sky is more of a problem.
Metering People in the Snow
Kristina in the Snow
The snow in a winter scene will often fool a camera meter into underexposing a photo, so here are the steps to take to get the right exposure. I throw in a few portrait suggestions too.
Metering Wildlife in the Snow
Elk in the Snow, Horseshoe Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado
Metering dark toned wildlife in the snow is a major exposure challenge. It is usually best to avoid large “burned out” areas (washed out, featureless white) in a nature or landscape photograph, but with properly exposed snow, the wildlife can be so dark as to lose all texture. On other hand, metering for the wildlife can burn out the snow.
Best Digital Cameras of 2012 (Including 2009 – 2011)
(Originally written Nov. 19, 2012. Most recent update: Jan. 16, 2013.)Â Â It’s that time of year. The holiday season is here and I am getting the usual questions about which digital cameras I recommend. The camera lists below will point you to the highest rated models. There is also some information and advice on choosing a camera. The lists will be updated throughout the holiday season as new, highly rated cameras become available.
Metering Evening Winter Scenes
Snow Hummocks, Merced River
Just like metering daytime winter scenes, the key to metering evening winter scenes is knowing what to meter and deciding how much exposure compensation to use.
Metering Snowy Winter Scenes
Mount Hunter from a Bush Plane. Denali National Park. Alaska.
Metering for scenes with a lot of snow can be tricky since the snow fools the camera meter. I see a lot of winter photos online with gray, underexposed snow, which means the camera meter did what it was designed to do and the camera owner didn’t know how to use exposure compensation. The solution is quite simple provided you know what to do.
POTD: Vermilion Lakes Sunset
Sunset, Vermilion Lakes, Banff National Park
Bad weather can lead to great sunsets. It was rainy day with a leaden gray sky when I picked up my coat, photo backpack and tripod to leave the “fireplace room” at the bed and breakfast in Banff. Some of the other guests asked if I really expected to get any good pictures in the bad weather. “I hope so!”
Instagram Says It Can Sell Your Photos Without Permission or Notification
You are online and to your surprised yo see a photo of one of your children in an ad for a product you don’t approve of. How could this happen? Do you use Instagram? As of January 16, 2013, Instagram claims the right to sell your photos to anyone they choose without paying you or notifying you. You will have no control over who the photos are sold to or how they will be used. And you won’t be notified.
PopPhoto Reviews: Canon 5D Mark III, Nikon D800, Sony Alpha 99, Fuji X-Pro 1
The Popular Photography magazine article in my December 12 post is now online. The editors picked the Canon 5D Mark III, the Nikon D800, and the Sony Alpha 99 as the three best cameras of 2012, with the Canon as the winner. The honorable mentions are the Fuji X-Pro 1 and the Olympus OM-D EM-5.
Jim Brandenburg: Chased by the Light
Can a world class, National Geographic photographer lose his passion? Yes! How does he get it back?
Christmas Gifts for Photographers – 2012
Gifts for Photographers
Looking for the best photo gifts for a photographer? You’ve come to the right place. I have dozens of gift recommendations with prices starting at less than $4.
“Eye of the Mind”, Canon 5D Mark III Demo Video
Originally shot in HD and resized for the web, this will give you an idea what the Canon 5D Mark III is capable of doing.