I think this camera needs a name…I am leaning towards Minx. Or Trixie. Not sure yet.

Our morning looked like this through her eyes…

The camera arrived with the mail yesterday so I have not had a chance to give it a proper play beyond charging the battery and adding my own SD card, but I must say that it happens to be the most darling little thing I have ever seen. I am going to get her a tiny strap and wear her as much as possible, treating this little digital gem like an instant camera. I am going to embrace her grain and give her the light she craves.

Come on, Minx/Trixie, we have places to go…

A proper review will be coming on the 10th of Feb when I post my next 10 on 10 series that I plan to shoot with this little Minox tomorrow. You can get your own on the Photojojo webstore.

We spent Adventure Thursday at the Melbourne Museum (which I will be dedicating a full blog post to soon…with a chance to win free Melbourne Museum passes!) but I had to share these two seemingly random images from our day. I think they sum up pretty well the wide range of experiences on offer at this great place.

Photo Info: D3 and my trusty 50mm f/1.4G lens.
Now, I had hoped to take a great all-purpose zoom lens with me as I knew that I would be needing a selection of different focal lengths to best tell story of our day. The problem is, I don’t really have one. This is the one area of photography gear that I have never found my happy place. No, wait, I did once…the Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8, but four years ago I went to the full frame D3 and have not been able to use that lens since. Four years and I am still thinking about that lens. In that time, I have had many lenses try to fill the void, but nothing, not even the most expensive options have lived up to my  simple requirements of sharp and light. I brought one lens that I thought would “do”, but it let me down again. I am not going to name names, but I was glad to have my 50mm today to swap with it.
I have not given up hope though! Maybe Tamron would let me try their 28-75mm f/2.8lens before buying it…

and that more was a chance to really get to know some amazing people, come away with a whole new group of fascinating and brilliant friends plus experience a fantastic city that I had only ever seen pictures of in travel magazines.

Air Asia X was our official travel sponsor for this trip and flew us from Melbourne to Kuala Lumpur and back again. I have never flown a budget airline for a long haul flight before and I have learned from this trip that there are a few things one must do to make the journey comfortable. If you are planning on flying Air Asia X (or any other budget airline, I suppose) take note. Fork out some cash for the pre-booked meal, the comfort pack (aka: a blanket, pillow and mask), extra baggage allowance (because they even weigh your carry on) and if you are feeling spendy, book the “hot seat”. Those are the ones with extra leg room. Make sure your own personal entertainment is sorted or bring cash money to rent one of theirs. All in all, do as much of what you can online at least 4 hours ahead of your flight (including check-in) or it will cost you extra on top of the extra it is already costing you. If you really want my advice, unless you are a 19 year old back packer on a super tight budget, consider keeping your budget airline flights 4 hours and under. While I am grateful for the flights they gave me, I have to be honest, I think my joints are a bit too old at this point to be shoved into those tiny budget seats for a 9 hour red eye flight ever again.

After the flights arrived, we were met by someone from Nuffnang Malaysia and taken to the Marriott with enough time to kill in the spa (heaven!) having some wonderful tea and getting my nails done.

Followed by a quick bite to eat with a cute and tasty lunch companion.

Back up to the room with a great view over the killer pool. That is what I want my back yard to look like, ok?

Since we flew the red eye and were there first thing in the morning, I had time for a nap before our big night. I love naps and luckily my darling roommate for this trip is halfway into her pregnancy and was more than delighted to have a nap too!

I woke up to a thunderstorm that signaled the arrival of late afternoon in the tropics. It was time to get gussied up in my Hen’s Night dress of 8!! years ago (it was touch and go for a minute there) and head down for pre-awards show drinks with the team from Nuffnang Australia. I had not yet had a chance to ever meet any of them in person before so it was great fun. They are all great fun, and gorgeous and young…so freaking YOUNG. I digress.

Insert the Nuffnang Asian Pacific Blog Awards night here. I did not take my real camera down with me and just enjoyed being one of the five finalists for Best Photography Blog! While I did get one shot of the category board in the lobby with my phone camera, I will have to hunt down a picture of the GIANT panel photo they projected on the stage during the category announcement. That was cool. Also, I think I may have to borrow some wording from the sign as I have decided my new blog tagline should be “gorgeous photos of the mundane.”
Fitting, don’t you think?

The following day we were treated to a bus tour of Kuala Lumpur by Tourism Malaysia. What a gorgeous city and there was so much to see and do that I know I could easily have spent a week just beginning to scratch the surface. I also know for sure that I will be back. I think the kids would love it.

Some of the dedicated were a bit tired still from the previous evening’s protracted festivities.

but everyone rallied in the end. Beyond the monuments and palaces, there was shopping to be had…

That shot of my feet is for Sarah.

These Petronas Towers at night are something else…they look like they are made of sparkling crystal.

Right on cue, the late afternoon showers started to roll in and we headed back to the hotel.

All too soon, the day was over and it was time again to get ready for an evening out. Let me just say that Nuffnang knows how to throw a fantastic party. What a wonderful trip it was.

So there it is, my first ever blogging awards trip recap in pictures (and just a few words) because that is what I do…I am a photoblogger. And after this weekend, I am even more proud to be able to say that. Thank you for coming back week after week to celebrate the mundane (yours and mine) with me. Sometimes it is just a simple change of angle that makes something so little like moments from our daily lives seem grand. Often you just need to come back when the light is better to capture the diamond sparkling in the dirt. I have a feeling that 2012 is going to be a great year…after all it is only how I look at it that matters.
It is a wonderful thing to be able to appreciate the ordinary as extraordinary through photographs and I am grateful for your support. I look forward to following the beauty you find in your daily lives as well, so make sure you link up your blogs in the comments so we can all find our way. I will be joining a great little blog round-robin of like minded lifestyle photobloggers who, once a month, pick a day and then shoot pictures of their life every hour for 10 hours and post the resulting photos on the 10th of that month. Look for my 10 on 10 starting in January!

Photo information: I only took my D3 and the manual focus 35mm f/2 lens. I was hoping to pick up some new camera gear while I was there, but I just did not have the time I wanted to make my choice. I take that as a sign that it is just not the right time to add/change equipment and maybe one of the rumored new Nikon bodies due in 2012 is actually what I have been waiting for. Once again, I enjoyed the challenge of having to shoot all manual (including focus) and in the end the plenty that I already have is well…plenty.

We are surrounded by light here just outside of DC and preparing everything for tomorrow’s first Camera Therapy workshop. Looking forward to meeting everyone.

Oh how I wish I could just wave a magic wand at the computer and have all the design changes on the blog just happen.

*poof*

Like that.

How great would that be? All the magic wands I found in the house just beep and light up, but don’t actually appear to do any actual spells. Therefore, as we roll out the new logo, design, colors and features of the blog, you will see our undies, so to speak. Please excuse the mess around here as we get it all sorted.

I am excited for the way it will all look in the end though. And please be patient…just based on the fact that I still have not blogged all the images from my Italian trip that took place in June, it may be a while.

Workshops, that is. I am, at last, putting my heart into workshops. Well, I will call them that for now, but the word is bugging me. Until my brain comes up with something better, they will be referred to as workshops.

I know! It has been years of me “thinking about it”, but I finally decided after doing much one-on-one mentoring and many online classes that I would put together my first group workshop. I was not sure if there would be any interest, but with the ebook on kid photography (an ebook that I wrote on my way of kid photography) coming out for Digital Photography School in September and the Beyond Snapshots book getting up to #9 on the photography bestseller list at Amazon (on one of the presale days), I thought NOW is the time if there ever is going to be a time. I know that these days everyone and their cousin hosts workshops… but not me, nor my cousin that I know of.

Until now.

There were a few things in particular that I had to make sure about before I went ahead and designed mine.

I needed to ensure that these workshops would be very Sesame Ellis. I did not want this to be something that just anyone could host. No packaged workshop (yep, people sell workshops in a box these days) here. I wanted a small group so that I could give personal attention to each attendee. The agenda had to be filled with my best tips and tricks and my theories on photography. We needed to cover not only the how of shooting kids, but the why…the part where I share how photography is a daily element of my life and that part is essential to my work evolving over the last *uh-hem* 16+ years in business. It would have to be great fun too…nothing stuffy. Must cover sparkly eyes in addition to the heart and soul, I thought. We’ll chat about what I call “The Myth of Digital Perfection”, how I now shoot digital like I used to shoot film, why I don’t even know how to set my camera to burst mode, let alone teach people to shoot in it. I must also get people started on their two roll assignments. All questions would be answered openly. No answering around the question.  Everyone’s work will be reviewed. This workshop will cover a lot and in a setting that felt like hanging out all day with great like-minded friends. Attendees get my attention for 9 hours on the day and for 2 months afterwards in a private online setting. I will not just chat at you and send you on your way…I genuinely want to see your work progress. We will have our cameras out the entire time and put them to use in the afternoon with a shoot. And because I love goodie bags, I wanted to have great stuff to send home with people (a copy of the new ebook and an epiphanie camera bag, among other things anyone?).

OH! I also needed to make sure that the location had wonderful light and lots of coffee.

So with all the required boxes checked and a fantastic project manager (THANK YOU, MEREDITH!), this inaugural Camera Therapy workshop is coming together and to my sheer happy surprise, we had to offer a second date due to the first one filling up! There are a small number of spots left if you are able to make it to the DC area that first week of October. Details for signing up can be found on that page linked above.

I feel that this is just the beginning. Actually, this isn’t a beginning, rather the next stage. I am looking to do the subsequent workshop in Melbourne. We are also already are planning something for NYC for next August when both Peta and I hit BlogHer 2012! If you can’t make DC, but are interested in either hosting a Camera Therapy session or adding a city suggestion to the growing list, please email or leave a comment here.

It may have taken a while, but I am happy to have waited until the time was right for me.

Messy, a wee bit overexposed and the real us. Just taking photos in the playroom.

It is funny how I would instantly love these photos for the moment that they represent in all their imperfect glory if they came from my phone camera. I loved the way that Gemma was getting Kieran to look at the camera by holding a toy over the lens. I was very proud. That bright morning light pouring in behind her was heavenly.

I feel that when we take something like this with the DSLR though, we agonize over the color and the sharpness and the grain and the mess. (I say “we” but I know not everyone feels the same way…just a general observation of mine here. Some people rock freedom with their digital cameras, trolls, be damned. Those people inspire me.)

All of this is part of the motivation behind the two roll rule that I use for myself. It comes from a combination of thinking about my days where I shot film only and also really analyzing the reasons why we love the images on our phones. Sort of that same feeling of Polaroids, but with a little give. It isn’t about just taking crap photos and being OK with it. It is about thought, “rule” breaking for a reason, composition and storytelling.

The goal is to get more of the moments I love in fewer photos taken.

To spend less time in the editing not waste time on the modern mistakes of digital perfection.

Have it all cost a lot less by just shooting my DSLR like the LCD is broken. Knowing the strength and limitations of my current gear and not just running out for new stuff (my D3 is from 2007…that is old in dog/digital camera years and my D200 is working way past retirement age).

I am about to head out of town without my laptop. I will be shooting as mindfully as possible because I might just run out of “digital” film. (I will be updating from the road with the Android tablet, just not my laptop to edit and sort and edit…I am giving myself a true vacation.)

There will be more coming on this topic and I plan to have projects, examples, more theory posts. What I am most excited about though is the results from the readers. I will be featuring your two roll projects this year.
While I am gone, why don’t you get started on a two roll project. It is really quite easy. Here is how it works:

Two Roll Rule Project Guidelines :
Get an old 1GB card and dedicate it to this project. Mine has “2 Rolls!” written on it in Sharpie.
Shoot JPEG. Think about the settings before and as you take the photo. Make your decisions then. We are getting back to basics here.
Take 72 frames only. Do not delete in camera any of the frames, there will be winners and there will be clear non-winners…the point is to see it as a whole. And to up your average the next time.
You can take the card out of the camera and then put it back in if you do not take the 72 frames all in one go. In fact, that is the golden lining in this digital age, you can even change the ISO!
All subjects are a go here. This is not just about kid photos. Let’s see your life.
Some post processing is fine. (These images above have a tone to the highlights…2 second fix.) The lab technicians used to color balance, tone correct and all that when printing for us, there is no magic digital photo fairy dust. Just don’t sit there for ages trying to “perfect” each shot.
Create a contact sheet proof of your 72 frames in order. (Most editing and organizing programs will let you do that. If you have Photoshop, you can easily do it as a batch process.)
Post them to flickr, facebook or on your blog and then link that up here. The point is, I want to see them!

That is it. Who is in? No time limit, but there may be prizes. hehehehehehe.

Oh and if you did not see it, my first guest post for dPS is up on their site now. There will be some more good stuff in the future!

the :: sweet, but fake, smile

the ::  ”oh mom”

the :: just got tickled

the :: bunny face

the :: real gemma

all in under a minute out front last night.

I shoot with my own (© ® ᵺ patent pending totally kidding, but watch this show up everywhere now) Two Roll Rule. I only have small capacity CF cards and I shoot like I only have 2 rolls of 35mm film in my digital camera. That is 72 frames. I don’t delete in camera, I just shoot mindfully. This series is no exception. I shot 10 frames and here are 5 that I loved. There are 2 more that I loved as well, but they did not fit in this little series. That is 7 out of 10 frames.

The Two Role Rule makes my job easier on the post processing end of things because I do the majority of the work when I am shooting. I love the photographing part, so that is where I want to spend my time anyway. This is something that Peta and I cover in our Beyond Snapshots book and class and it is something that I spoke about at the Alt conference in January. Over the next few weeks, I am going to be explaining this more in depth and issuing challenges. I am also going to be featuring the digital film strips of those who choose to join me in this Two Role Rule shooting style. I am determined to get back to being the photographer I was when I only shot film. I hope that some of you will play along!

Whenever I try new things in Photoshop and get a result that I love, I stow a PSD version of that image with all the adjustments away in a folder on my desktop. I think of it as my editing closet. Well, it was time to sort through all those old things and see what treasures I could find and the result is this new Spring Cleaning Photoshop action set. It is stuffed full with 27 new actions ranging from useful tools on through pops, tones and even 3 new black and white conversions. I have been getting back into (slowly) shooting film and when I got prints back from the lab I was reminded of the imperfections that I loved with that medium. There were color shifts and softer contrast areas in the darkest shadows so this set of actions came from my desire to find that subtle hint of film in my digital images.

Here are a few examples where I have been using these on my shots.

and one before and after with SOOC on the left and “flat cola” on the right:

We are currently revamping the old action sets and presets to include a new instruction sheet and updated examples. There is even going to be a price reduction on The Basics set! That set has been out for over two years, it is time to make room for new stuff! I still use those actions myself on almost every JPEG that I post so it is still a great set to have. Later in the year we will be releasing the Elements collection with the favorites of all the action sets.  Best of all, every download will be available right here on the blog in the new “digital darkroom” section. (Right now you can still get to the original sets of actions and presets on the old website, but as soon as the revamped pages are ready, they too will be moved to the blog! Note: The “whole kit and caboodle” does not currently include this new action set and will be included with a price adjustment when we move everything to the blog).

Streamline, reduce costs and get new stuff out there…it is spring cleaning time!

Hope you have signed up for news on the Facebook page because there are some great deals (starting with one on this new set!)

Join Healthy Child and me for an hour tomorrow as I answer your questions on Twitter about how to get the best pictures of your kids! This will be my first time as an “expert” in a Twitter party / Tweet-a-thon, so I am excited! I will be getting up super early here in Melbourne to make a nice hot latte and enjoy a quiet hour dedicated to your questions! It is my favorite time of day. Luckily for you in the states, it is a more reasonable 4PM EST!

Here is the description from the great people at Healthy Child who will be running the show:

Okay – so photography doesn’t have much to do with living healthy or creating a healthy world, but everyone takes pictures of their kids and we want to help you take the best pictures possible. Also, we want to see them! Actually, from April 15th to May 15th if you follow us and @BabyBjornUS and post a picture of your cuties using the #HealthyBaby hashtag – they’ll donate a dollar to Healthy Child!

So get on Twitter and follow me, healthy child and the hash tags #healthybaby #healthychild!

And finally, go here to RSVP with your twitter handle!

Don’t miss this hour of Thinking Thursday LIVE on Twitter!

Want more photography instruction? We have our next online class starting in June and we are excited to announce the Lite version for those who want to save a little cash!