ok…where would you like me to be? to teach that is. peta and i are “workshopping” ideas with our wonderful organizer, melissa, about where to take our workshop when we hit the road/air and we want your input.
if you would be interested in attending a workshop run by us, please click here to go to the beyond snapshots blog and vote in our poll on possible locations!
details and polls for more input from you will be coming soon! since these workshops are for you, we want to know what you want to get out of them. let us know what you would want and you will help create a really fantastic photography workshop from the beyond snapshots team!
i have to say, i am really looking forward to meeting you all in person!
As I have been mentioning…there is a lot going on in 2010 for my work and I am so thrilled. The response to the release of Beyond Snapshots – the blog has been so amazing. Peta and I are happy that so many people are enjoying the site. We are busy polishing the new online classroom for our next session. We are also working very hard at getting our official teaching tour together and will announce the details as soon as we can. And more on top of all that.
If you think a fun and detailed Beyond Snapshots mentoring session sounds like a great idea, tell the people over at BlogHer! We have been pitched (although at the time of the pitch it was not yet confirmed that Peta would be able to come too so you can now add “& Peta” after every Rachel) to speak at BlogHer ’10 this August in New York City and we need your votes to get on the schedule. Click this link and choose “I would attend this session” to get Beyond Snapshots on the official line up. You will have to sign up or into BlogHer to see the voting options, but it is a great site and easy to do.
If you are already attending BlogHer, this will be a great presentation…a mini version of our upcoming workshops.
Do it for the small bunny:
a standing ovation today for my nikon 50mm f/1.8 lens as it is retiring from service after over 15 years with me. it will be replaced with a shiny new nikon 50mm f/1.4g lens
and i could not be more excited.
i found these these 2 shots from 1998 taken with that nikon 50mm f/1.8 lens
on my nikon fm2 (huh?)
with real black and white film (what?)
i remember that day in virginia…i remember the oreo cookie face. i am glad i could locate these prints and (poorly) scan them for the blog. this lovely girl is now a gorgeous 15 year old. the godsister to my kids.
the lens has served me well.
i get asked all the time about my gear. why i shoot with nikon, what is my favorite lens, do i have the latest “this or that” etc…
well, i don’t upgrade every time the latest thing comes out. i only have one d3 (one of the first they released in 2007) and i have kept my d200, but it is sorely in need of a trip to the camera hospital. i buy prudently and i make sure that i get the most out of my gear.
does it mean that i would turn down free gear to review? heck no.
does it mean that i would not like the equivalent to a stocked camera store in my closet? heck no again!
i love stuff. i love trying out new stuff, but my point is to the beginners out there who email me over and over again in despair that they don’t have “the newest and most expensive whatever piece of equipment they think they need or were told they need to even think about taking photos”, it is ok. neither do i.
you need a camera and a lens, a memory card or film and a computer to edit on. make what you have shine. don’t go into debt to obtain what you really do not need.
see jamie, teddy,danielle, maendi and jessica for inspiration on absolutely rocking the equipment that you have.
so to answer the questions:
i shoot with nikon because i understand nikon. i really don’t get the spinny wheel thing on the back of canon cameras. my advice to anyone looking to buy a new camera is go and fondle it, touch it, work with it in a store. a camera has to feel right. the adjustment of the controls have to become second nature to your hands.
my camera body is the nikon d3
my favorite lens changes all the time since it really depends on the shoot.
for portraits i love the tamron 90mm macro
(my last new lens purchased with the d3 body.)
and the nikon 105mm f/2.0
(which i bought used many years ago.)
in fact, i used that 105 at a recent client session after ignoring it for some time and it reminded me why i love it so with the amazing creamy shallow depth of field in portraits.
i have long loved the nikon 60mm f/2.8 micro
but it will be joining the d200 for some tlc at the camera clinic soon.
i try to keep consistent color by doing custom white balance on my commercial shoots. if i remember to do it for my daily life photographs, then i consider myself on the ball that day. this lens cap tool makes it a no brainer. i have tried other things for custom white balance and none do a better job or are more convenient.
i edit on a dell laptop
with adobe photoshop lightroom 2
and adobe photoshop cs4
.
one thing i can’t live without is my spyder monitor calibration system
i like to know that my color is as “correct” as possible.
my slik tripod is from 1991 and and has this really cool pistol grip head.
i cart it all around in in this case by tamrac
, but have you seen these new camera bags? i can’t wait to get my hands on one of them and there just may be one that will be given away right here on this blog, so check back!
and heck, while we are talking about my favorite things…no one asked, but these shoes rarely leave my feet
and i blame jen. i coveted her black ones and bought my own pair in brown. yesterday gemma asked me if i was ever going to wear any other shoes?
so if i have not gotten back to you about recommendations, i hope this list will help.
i like helping and luckily i have no problem with tmi!
i am very excited for the opportunities that are coming in 2010 for me to help a lot of beginners with their photography journey. stay tuned!
processing photos is a huge time destroyer for any photographer, so why not speed it up a bit with actions in photoshop? processing photos is a double edged sword for me. in one way, i love it…it is my knitting…keeps my hands busy while i watch tv at night. then again, large shoots can take hours to get through. being a perfectionist does not help that. while the christmas rush has a lot of professional photographers slammed with last minute orders and proofing holiday sessions, it can be the time of year for getting a first camera! or upgrading from elements to photoshop for some! no matter what, the holidays mean lots and lots of photographs to edit. some purists will tell you, no actions…that using actions is cheating or trendy or not professional. a big bah-humbug and lighten up to those! i have said it before, but i will say it again…take any opportunity to learn. actions can be a great teaching tool.
you may just be starting out and not know a curve from a level…
you may love the vintage/dreamy look, but don’t know how to begin
you may have trouble getting just the right black and white conversion
you can have any reason you like…
there is nothing wrong with using actions especially when you are a beginning photographer and eager to learn how to get certain effects. the key is to get the very most out of them that you can, so instead of just running them and being done, break them down. look at each step and learn what is done to the photograph in the program. make some minor tweaks to an adjustment layer and see if you like that even better! once you see what is happening, you can try to make your own actions. do you do something to your photographs that you like? do you do it over and over again? make it into an action and cut your editing time down.
getting into the holiday spirit, i am announcing 25% off any and all of my actions and presets!
photos are outtakes from our 2009 holiday (e)card shoot.
