Found Objects...

Have fun taking pictures creatively! For this photograph, I placed my Nikon D3 with a 14-24mm wide angle lens directly on top of a glass counter. The lens faced downward to randomly capture tobacco memorabilia. Resting it on the counter allowed me to creatively "compose" without the limitations of a tripod, but still retaining the benefits of stability with a longer exposure. The results were serendipitous, as I couldn't quite see into the viewfinder for most shots, depending on where I placed the camera.

Have fun enhancing your pictures creatively! In Photoshop, I added a layer of texture for interest and to "age" the image with vintage effects. A single texture layer using a Blend Mode of Overlay, made the composition look even more nostalgic. The image was processed using Lucis Pro, and a finishing touch was added that darkened the edges. We do this and more in my online course, Photoshop - Enhancing Images and Creating Works of Art. Class starts next week, I hope to see you there!

See you at Florida's Birding and FotoFest...

Mark your calendar for April 22-25, 2010 for Florida's Birding and FotoFest in St. Augustine, Florida! It's the perfect location to spend a few days this spring, and a fantastic opportunity for photography, workshops, presentations, and to meet fellow photographers! I photographed this egret at St. Augustine's Alligator Farm, which has an incredible bird rookery.

There will be many presenters and events, bird and photography related! My talks will be about digital infrared photography, a creative approach to photography, and a workshop too. More details to come, and I hope to see you there!

Adventures in Photography & Graffiti Art...

Today was graffiti day... To start the adventure, I invited friends to meet for lunch at Graffiti Junktion, a trendy little restaurant in downtown Orlando, Florida. Graffiti by artists and chefs, the walls, and even the tables are colorfully painted...

Later, we headed out to photograph graffiti art. We were lucky to come across some amazingly talented graffiti artists in action!

Masking, we do this in Photoshop too...

Veni, vidi, vici... I came, I saw, I conquered. In several hours time, with a little music and creativity, the graffiti team completed a work of art.

Have fun shooting!

Havana's Waterfront...

Everywhere you look, Havana is bustling with activity in the mornings. The harbor is no exception. As soon as the sun rises, fishermen are getting their boats ready. It reminds me of the book by Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea.

I added texture for more depth and interest, creating an illustrative effect that might go with the book I had in mind. This is easy to do by adding a texture layer over the photo layer and choosing a blend mode that complemented the image.

Here's a tip to find just the right blend mode. With the Move tool selected, scroll through the blend mode options by holding down the shift key and the plus or minus key. This way you can see the effect each blend mode has on your image. Make great pictures!

Book Review...

My heartfelt thanks to Joe Farace at Shutterbug Magazine for the wonderful review of my book Digital Infrared Photography, and for including it in the Top Photo and Imaging Books of 2009! Look for the December Issue of Shutterbug magazine at bookstores. In addition, you can read it online right now at Shutterbug!

Joe Farace was also the technical editor on my book, and he graciously contributed beautiful infrared photos and helpful tips! Check out his photography, articles and books, plus he is a classic car fan too!

The Shutterbug article is called Digital Imaging Books: 2009; New Books That Belong On Your Bookshelf. I'm honored to have my book included in this informative article. There are quite a few books featured that I'd like to have in my library too! I'm putting them on my Christmas list. Have fun reading!

Graffiti and the Classic Car...

This classic car resides somewhere between poetry, cartoon and work of art! The lines of the car are almost impossible, and it was such fun to photograph. The purple and green engine detail in my previous blog belongs to this car, no surprise there! The outside is just as amazing as the inside.

Photographing at car shows presents a host of challenges, especially when trying to shoot for HDR. Inevitably someone will walk into the scene during one or more of the exposures. There are often distracting or unflattering background elements. The easiest solution is to replace the background. I keep a folder of various backgrounds, and chose this colorful graffiti wall photographed in downtown Orlando, FL.

Replacing the background is easy. Try Topaz Remask or the Quick Selection Tool in Photoshop to select your classic car, and move it into place with a new background! You can add finishing touches to create drama. We do this in my course at BetterPhoto, Photoshop - Enhancing Images and Creating Works of Art! We're having a lot of fun, and I hope you can join us in December!

Tinkering with Engines...

This weekend I had the opportunity to photograph exotic cars at the Tour d'Elegance in Winter Park, Florida. What a treat - the most beautiful cars I've ever seen in one place. The engine detail above is from "Tuff Enuff" - based on a 1950 Mercury creatively handcrafted by Gary "Chopit" Fioto. It's entirely amazing!

Tinkering with this engine was great fun! To start with, it was photographed in HDR, three exposures to capture the dynamic range in the composition. It was processed using the Photomatix Tone Mapping filter working more with micro-smoothing, and less with micro-contrast. The colors were wonderful for a car engine, purple and green, who would have thought? To accentuate the abstract and painterly feel to this image, I used several Photoshop plug-ins. Try Topaz Labs Simplify, Adjust and Detail, a trio of my favorites!

Reflections...

Colmar, France is one of the most picturesque places on earth with its historic villages and quaint architecture. It's an excellent location to photograph, put it on your bucket list! But you don't have to go to France to capture a great reflection, you can find them everywhere.

Reflections are wonderful, they add another dimension to a subject. A long exposure enhances a reflection with a soft painterly look. On a windless day, a watery reflection can be mirror perfect. A slight breeze results in brushstrokes of color and patterns, creating a magical composition. Make great pictures!

Impromptu Panorama...

Savannah, riverside, the view from Rocks on the Roof after sunset. This is one of the most relaxing and beautiful places in Georgia. Sipping Savannah tea and watching the sun go down, it doesn't get any better than this!

Boats and ships make their way up and down the river, and there is always something unique to see. This was a perfect opportunity to create a panorama of the wonderful view. Although I didn't bring my tripod up to the busy rooftop, I was able to make a quick panorama by placing the camera on a ledge. The subsequent images were combined using Photoshop's Photomerge tool. Have fun shooting!

Have a Seat...

Welcome to my office, have a seat! This was a fun shot, actually several shots merged in Photomatix and processed using the Tone Mapping filter. The room was separated by a half door and shelf, which served as a tripod for my camera and wide angle lens. Sometimes we have to improvise!

To enhance the vintage look, and create more depth and drama, I added a layer of texture and burned in the edges of the image. The cracked and peeling wall texture adds warmth, a little grunge, and keeps the background from looking too clean. The added effect is that it creates a more nostalgic image.

You can create your own vintage look by adding a texture layer and choosing a blend mode and opacity that suits your image. Make great pictures!

Honeymoon Shack...

Welcome to the Honeymoon Shack! I think it was a fishing shack, and the locals of Cedar Key also call it the Honeymoon Cottage. If you visit Florida's west coast, head up to Cedar Key. This is a wonderful historic landmark, and probably not long for this world.

One of the perks of my Nikon camera is that it can create image overlays and multiple exposures. I photographed the shack and then photographed the moon, creating a single exposure in-camera. In Photoshop, I added a layer of clouds for interest, and a little romance!

Wednesday, November 4th class starts for Photoshop - Enhancing Digital Images and Creating Works of Art at BetterPhoto.com. There are a few spots left, hope to see you there!