Basic Photography Class March 28, April 2, 4 and 9.

I will be teaching my Basic Photography Class starting on March 28, 2019.  The class will start out with learning the basics of photography - light, shutter speed, aperture and how to use them on your camera.  From there we will get into color, composition, lighting, techniques and photographic gear selection.  We'll talk about some common photography

challenges and how to overcome them. We will go over different photo editing packages, organizing photos, printing, and sharing online.   The class will be a combination of classroom teaching, practicing our new photography skills, and reviews of photography assignments.

The class is designed for a photographer who has a DSLR, mirrorless camera, or advanced compact camera.

Classroom sessions are March 28, April 2, 4 and 9 from 6:00 PM– 8:00 PM in the Eastman Employee Center.   There will be one field trip on Saturday, April 6 to practice what we have learned.  The Saturday time will depend on what works best for the majority of the students.

In every Class we will have time for:

• Review of Homework – yes, we are in school again.
• Teaching
• Problem Solving - Bring your camera and problem photos to class
• Questions and Answers

The class is open to Eastman Camera Club members.  The good news is anyone can join the club by going to http://eastmancameraclub.com/ and clicking on About near the upper left of the page.

Cost - $45/person.   Maximum of 14 people per class.  Call Eastman Recreation Office at 423-229-3771 to sign up.   This is a popular class and always fills up so don't wait.  Contact me if you have any questions.

A Fun Little Experiment With Lady Slippers

That catchy little title is meant to get your attention. No, I'm not wearing June's house slippers. This experiment involves photographing the Lady Slipper flower on Buffalo Mountain in Johnson City, Tennessee.

June and I went hiking on the Lady Slipper Loop Trail with our friends Dina and Peter. We had great conditions for close-up flower photography.  It was late in the afternoon, the skies were overcast, and there was no breeze at all. Best of all, these rare wild orchids were abundant along the trail. Thanks to Dina and Peter for guiding us right to the flowers.

This time I brought along my flash and two remote triggers. I don't normally bring these along on hikes but I wanted to try a little experiment with the flash and flowers.  I placed one remote trigger on my Fuji camera and the other on my old Canon flash.  I was using both camera and flash in manual mode so it didn't matter that I was mixing brands. Using the remotes allowed me to hold the flash and point it at the flowers from any direction or distance.  I also used a Rogue Flash Bender on my flash to soften the light.

Here are two examples from my little experiment.

No flash, 1/40 sec, f/2.4

With flash, 1/250 sec, f/2.4

The two photos illustrate how the flash can emphasize the flower while letting the background go dark. The faster shutter speed in the second shot made anything lit only by the ambient light darker. I tried to position the flash to light the flowers without lighting the background.

The problem with this technique is the light from the flash can create harsh shadows on the subject, in this case, the flowers. Here's a series of shots that show what happens when the flash is in different positions.

If you click the first image then use the keyboard arrow keys you can flip through each one to easily see the differences.

The camera and flash settings were the same in each photo. Notice the shadows?  There are bright and dark spots in each photo due to the different position of the flash. I want to have more even light to make a more pleasing flower photo.   

Here's the really cool part of the experiment.  Remember I said there was no breeze?  Because the camera was on a tripod and the flower was not moving I was able to blend these five shots into one using the HDR tool in Adobe Lightroom.

Blended Image

I used the Lightroom HDR tool because it tends to create a more realistic result. In this case, the shadows and bright spots are smoothed out to a more pleasing image.  The problem is, it also made the background brighter, which I didn't want.  I used one of the darker original images and manually blended it's background into the image using Photoshop.  Turning the image a little made the stem come from one corner and the petal point to the opposite corner for a better composition.

Final Result

This all sounds much more complicated than it really was.  It's actually pretty easy with some basic Lightroom and Photoshop skills.

I learned how to manually control remote flashes while working on my real estate photography skills. It's interesting how skills learned in one area help in a completely different application. There are good reasons to learn new photography skills, even in areas that might not be you favorite.

Know Someone Interested In Nature Photography?

Are you interested in nature photography?  Do you know someone who might be interested in taking photos like these?  Read on...

All photos from 2016 walk

Each year I do a one hour program on nature photography followed by a casual walk/stroll through the woods at Warriors Path photographing nature.  These free programs are part of the 38th Annual Spring Nature Festival at Warriors Path State Park in Kingsport April 21 - 23, 2017.  My talk is Saturday, April 22 from 9 - 10 AM in the Recreation Building on Duck Island.  The walk is 10 - 11:30 in the park.  

The program is suitable for beginner photographers with any kind of camera, including a cell phone. The walk is along a stream where we will find wildflowers and other things to photograph.

No need to register.  Just show up.

Be sure to check out the other programs Friday - Sunday.

Pass this along.  Spread the word.

A Personal Creativity Challenge

I tend to get in a photographic rut.  I take my camera out to some really cool places and come back with photos that are similar to what I have taken many times before at other places.   I shoot from a comfortable place where I compose similar shots using the same lens.  Not good and definitely not very creative.  Every once in a while I need something to bump me out of that rut.

Today I took my camera and one lens on a little hike at Bays Mountain Park in Kingsport.  The lens is a Rokinon 12mm f/2.0 manual lens on a Fuji X-T2 mirrorless camera.  This lens is completely manual.  No automatic aperture and no automatic focusing.  It is also a wide angle prime lens (18mm full frame equivalent), meaning the only way I can zoom is with my feet.  My creativity challenge to myself was to see what photos I could come up with using only that lens.

I found this lens is very sharp when focused properly.  At 12mm I can get a nice deep depth of field, making everything from the sign post to the far trees in sharp focus.

I was lucky enough to have some cool clouds building up while I was there.  These looked good reflected on the surface of the lake.

Spring has not really gotten started yet at Bays Mountain. When there is not a lot of colors, I like to remove all color and convert to black and white.

Despite the clouds, there was enough light to make it difficult to get an exposure long enough to blur the water.  One-half second was the slowest exposure I could get.

1/2 second exposure, f/22

Ruts are not fun.  Challenges like this are what I need to make myself tackle from time to time to get bumped out of the rut.  I am also participating in the Petapixed 52-week photography challenge where I have a new challenge each week for an entire year. I find I have to stretch my creativity muscles to come up with new photos to meet the weekly challenge.  

Solving Color Problems in Photos

Selective colorization of a photo is not something I typically do.  In fact, I'm pretty sure this is only the second time I've ever done it.  In this case, it solved some serious color issues and made the story of this photo more dramatic at the same time.

Original

When you have strong lights of dramatically different colors it can make it almost impossible to make a photo with realistic colors.   The blue lights from the patrol car and the yellow street lights made this scene appear like something from The Twilight Zone.   I don't know how I could have fixed these colors.  Converting the image to black & white removes those color problems.

Black and White

This conversion caused another issue.  The red and blue of the flag were now gone and it just sort of blends into the photo.  The key to the story in this photo is the man preparing to carry the flag in the race that was to start in just a few minutes.   I want to draw the viewers attention to the man with the flag.   Bringing back the colors in the flag can do that.

Final

The blue lights made some of the red stripes appear purple and I had to use Photoshop to edit out some of that purple in the flag.  In addition, I turned down the brightest spots, increased the contrast and cropped a little off the left to remove some people that added distractions and took away from the scene. 

What do you think?   Do you like the original or final version better?   Leave a comment and let me know.

Want To Get Pumped Up This Weekend?

Something is happening in Kingsport Tennessee this weekend that few communities have.  There is an event that will get your heart pumping and juices flowing.  It's not a sporting event or the appearance of a rock star.  What it is is the Liberty Celebration 2016 Concert, A Musical Extravaganza Honoring God and Country.

Since 1997 volunteers from our communities have come together biannually for Liberty Celebration, a patriotic musical celebrating Independence Day. The event provides an opportunity to celebrate freedom in a family atmosphere with emphasis on the traditional values of God and Country.  The show features a large adult choir, children’s choir, full orchestra, soloists, dance groups, dramatic presentations, along with a strong military presence emphasizing and recognizing our service men and women all combine to anchor Liberty Celebration.

This year I have been blessed to get to take photos of the volunteers rehearsing and preparing for this weekend.   Tonight I had a blast photographing the dress rehearsal in the Eastman Employee Center.  

This event will make you proud to be an American.   The music is rousing, upbeat, fun and best of all it highlights the best of what makes America great.   Little of what we hear or the radio, YouTube, or the internet today will make you feel good like this music performed by a choir of over 100 voices, an orchestra, and very talented soloists.













The shows are

July 1 at 7:30pm
July 2 at 2:30 and 7:30pm
Auditorium at the Eastman Employee Center
Tickets are $5 at the door.

I have really enjoyed being the "Official Photographer".   I took over 1,200 in about 2 hours this evening.   I'll be narrowing those down to a manageable number to share with the volunteers that make this show so great.  Here's a few I picked out tonight.

What Makes A Good Photographer?

On October 11 there were photographers of all skill levels with all kinds of photo gear wandering the streets of Jonesborough Tennessee for the Scott Kelby Worldwide Photowalk.

Some of the Photowalk Crew

There were Nikons, Canons, Sonys and other brands represented.  Some of these were pretty nice cameras.  There were also many excellent photographers.

The photo below is not mine.  It was taken on the photowalk in Jonesborough by one of the photographers/walkers in the photo above.  Each of the photographers who participated in the walk could pick their favorite photo and submit it to be judged against all the other favorites from that day.  The photographer with the best photo won a full year membership to Kelby One online training (a $249.00 value). That's a pretty nice prize.  As the walk leader I had to choose what I thought was the best photo of the day.  This is never an easy task because they are all good and each one is different.  This year I picked a red leaf in water as the best photo.

Leaf in Water Fountain - Prize Winner

So what makes this a good photo?  Of course, there is a lot of subjectivity in picking a photo.   What I like may not do anything for you.  The thing is, photography is art and everyone has different things they like and appreciate in art.  Here's some things I thought this one had going for it.

Color and color contrast - red is a powerful color and one that people's eyes are naturally attracted to.  This photo has a strong dominate red but also has a slightly blue tint in the background, creating a nice color contrast between the red and blue.

Angle - the fact that the photographer thought to angle the camera so the leaf points at an angle makes this a more dynamic photo.  If the leaf had been vertical, horizontal or placed in the center of the frame it would have felt static and uninteresting.

No distracting elements - simple, just a leaf in water.  There are no other things, such as twigs or other leafs, in the photo.   Generally the simpler the photo the better.

Sharpness - the eye is drawn to the sharp parts of a photo and the part of the leaf that is out of the water is nice and sharp.  You can see the interesting texture in that part of the leaf.  That part of the leaf is also placed at one of the power point intersections created by dividing the photo into three vertical and horizontal sections (rule of thirds).

Besides the composition of this photo, I like the fact that the photographer found this.  An eye for seeing photos before taking them is a skill that not everyone has.   My wife June has a good eye for photos, which is why my photos are always better when she comes along with me.

Some of you may be thinking that this is not a perfect photo, and you're right.   The top of the leaf was cut off and there is a circular shadow in the top, maybe from the photographer.  The thing is there is no perfect photo.  In my opinion, this is a very good photo.   I wish I had taken it.

So a good photo is made by a photographer with a good eye who can create an interesting composition.  What about photo gear?   What kind of camera was used?   In photography circles there is always some friendly jabs between the Canon and Nikon shooters.  Lately, there have been some Sony and Fuji shooters showing up to claim the top gear of the year/month/day award.   What about this one?

Because of the info embedded in the digital photo I was able to look up some interesting facts about the photo.  It was taken with a shutter speed of 1/145 second, at ISO of 50, and an f-stop of 2.2.  This was taken with a 13 mega pixel model SCH-1545 digital camera.  Not familiar with that one?  Click here for info on the camera.  That's right, it was taken with a cell phone!

Now, I'm not suggesting we all go out and trade our cameras in on cell phones.  I am saying the most important piece of photography gear you can have is not the hardware you hold up to your eye.  It's what's behind your eyes that makes a good photographer.   Photography is all about light, seeing, and knowing how to compose a photo in such a way that it is pleasing to view.  The good news is you can easily upgrade your photographic mind by taking classes, workshops, online training or just hanging out with other photographers.   Being with other photographers and practicing are the two best investments you can make.

7th Annual Worldwide Photo Walk Comes To Jonesborough Tennessee

Event Hailed as the Largest Global Social Event for Photographers

On Saturday, October 11, 2014, photographers will gather in cities across the globe to capture a slice of life through their eyes during the 7th Annual Worldwide Photo Walk.  It’s the world’s largest global social photography event in the history of photography itself.  Photographers of all walks of life and skill levels gather together, on the same day to socialize, learn new tips from each other, and explore their corner of the world through photography.  Last year over 1300 walks took place in countries like the Philippines, Iran, India, Great Britain and the United States. This year Tennessee’s oldest town will be the site one of the photo walks.

The Worldwide Photo Walk was founded by Scott Kelby, president of Kelby One and a #1 bestselling photography and technology book author.  He leads a walk each year in a different city and credits the success and popularity of the event to the social aspect of photography. “Photography is usually viewed as a solitary activity, but the truth of the matter is that people love to shoot together, compare notes and just have fun with photography.”

I will be leading the Jonesborough Photo Walk this year and I hope you will join me.   Photography is my passion and I enjoy sharing that passion with others.  I believe spending time with other photographers is the best way to learn and improve your photography skills.   The historic city of Jonesborough provides unlimited photo opportunities.

The walk starts at 8:30 AM and will wrap up around noon.  For those that are interested we will meet for lunch in Jonesborough to share photos and enjoy time with others on the walk.

The best part is the Photo Walk is free.  Just go to the Worldwide Photo Walk site  find the Jonesborough walk, and register. You don’t have to be a professional or expert.  All you need is a camera and a passion for photography. It doesn’t even matter what kind of camera you use, a smartphone will work.  You do have to register online before the walk.

This year, the Worldwide Photo Walk Team is attempting to step up its charity efforts for the Springs of Hope Kenya orphanage in Africa.  Scott Kelby is asking walkers and walk leaders alike to consider a dollar donation.  100% of the proceeds will go to the orphanage - at a very critical time for them.

Anyone who registers in advance is eligible to win prizes from the Worldwide Photo Walk’s sponsors if their photo is chosen as the best photo of the day for Jonesborough Photo Walk. Each winning walk photo is then entered into a global competition where Scott Kelby picks the single “best photo” of the event along with 10 runners-up.

Learn all the details about how to get involved at worldwidephotowalk.com.

2013 Kelby World Wide Photowalk - Elizabethton Tennessee - Saturday October 5

According to the Scott Kelby website "a photowalk a social photography event where photographers get together (usually in a downtown area or trendy section of town) to walk around, shoot photos, and generally have fun with other photographers."  Last year, they had close to 30,000  people participate in the Worldwide Photo Walk in over 1300 cities.  I led a walk through Jonesborough TN a couple years ago and had a blast.

I was planning to go back to Jonesborough again this year.  Problem is October 5 is the weekend of the International Storytelling Festival and the crowds will be huge.  In East Tennessee vernacular "you won't be able to stir them with a stick!"

After some thought and a quick scouting trip I have decided to move to Elizabethton Tennessee.  Now Elizabethton does not have a "trendy section" and downtown is pretty small, but it is an interesting historic town.  My plan is to start downtown and wander the historic district, where we can shoot old stores, historic homes, and a covered bridge.

From there we'll drive a couple miles to Sycamore Shoals State Park and Fort Watauga.  

The will be having a "Knap In" that day and we can get shots of  primitive skills craftsmen making arrowheads, spear points, and other survival tools. There will be demonstrations of primitive tools such as the bow, arrow, and atlatl throughout the day.

Anyone who is interested in old cars will want to hang out for the Saturday night Cruise In from 5:00 - 9:00.

Tennessee is playing Georgia in Knoxville that day, but they have not announced the game time yet.   I'm going to start the walk early enough for people to have time to get back for a late afternoon or evening kickoff.

Anyone with a camera can participate.  All levels, including kids, are welcome.   One of the best parts is the sharing and helping that goes on in the group.

Click here for more info on the photowalk and to sign up.  The walk is free but you must sign up to enter the photo contest and be eligible to win prizes from Kelby Media.  The group is limited to the first 50 people.  Wouldn't that be great?!

Sign up and be there to Step Stop Click Repeat.