Latest New Years Day wedding photos
Well, I been busy and haven’t added the images to the blog as I have completed them so I have a few images completed that haven’t been seen as of yet so Here is the updated gallery.
New Year’s Day Wedding
While Visiting family for the holidays I volunteered to shoot a low budget wedding of the niece of my step-brother’s new wife. It was sort of a last minute thing and I used my Step-brother as a VAL (voice activated light-stand). I also used a couple of small Bogen 3360 stands. I used my Canon 40D with the following lenses 70-200f2.8LIS, 17-55f2.8IS, and a 50MM2.5 Macro. I used 2 Canon 550ex, a 580ex and a 580ex2 speedlites. Powering them were a Quantum Turbo w/CZ Cable (VAL), and 2 JJC FB-1 battery pack copies of the Canon CE-4 Battery Pack. The VAL used a telescoping Paint Stick from Lowes w/ Kacey Pole Adapter as pioneered by David Ziser. The post commitments shots are done using my Giottos Tripod w/Bogen 322RC2 grip head. When the camera wasn’t on the tripod I had it on the Black Rapid R-Strap. On each of the speedlights I had a StoFen Omni Bounce. When an AA battery was needed I used Sanyo eNeloop Batteries which were charged the day before the event. I used the Pocket Wizard Mini TT1 radioTrigger on the camera to trigger the Canon speedlites using 4 Pocket Wizard Flex TT5s between the litestands and the flashes. I also used a Zumbrella on the Val and a Photoflex Convertible umbrella with the reflector cover removed shooting thru both umbrellas placed close to the subjects when possible. I transport all this and more in a Pelican 1650 case w/padded dividers and a NalPak travel case plus a couple more light/tripod padded cases.
I was very disappointed in most of the shots because the lighting wasn’t perfect or in some cases even close. I wish I could redo some of the images when more time to concentrate on the group shots, better yet would have known that I was shooting medium sized groups and I would have brought my Speedotron Lights set from NM. The Customers or clients are happy with just having the images and since it was ProBono they are happy with anything. I downloaded it from the Hoodman 4gb UMDA CF Card using Breeze Software’s Downloader Pro. It copies, renames and builds the directory structure for each job or set of images using a job name and tokens. I wished that Lightroom had the same type of naming options plus it places a backup copy on another drive and it adds a BU to the name so that it is different from the original image name to reduce redundancy errors. After DL Pro is done I import the images in place into Lightroom 3 Beta and start culling the worst ones out. Then go back and compare the like images and select the best of the group and give it a star. After that is done for the whole shoot I begin to tweak the image in the Develop module of LR3. And one of the things I am doing is to blur the backgrounds using the -100 Clarity &-100 Sharpness setting on the adjustment brush settings. Then erase the areas that I want to be clear and sharp like the eyes. I used the auto White Balance and Auto Tone to get a good starting point then from there I tweak the tone curve and black/white point then add some clarity and vibrance to the image and then from there if more is needed or this doesn’t work I move the image in to Photoshop CS4 for the heavy work.
Here are the first tweak images this may not be the final image when everything is done said.ds
Check Back Regularly to see the images as they are added!
Christmas at the White’s
Christmas morning found me waking up at my father’s home. After Syliva(his wife), Him and myself got up and going we exchanged the gifts that we had for each other. Then later in the day we when to my Step Brother’s(Bob) and his wife(Pam) place to exchange gifts with them and for a christmas feast. My half brother (Ricthie) and his significant other (Joan) went with us. We went over to Ritchie’s afterwards for a snack and gift exchange. It was one of my best christmases since I was younger, much younger. Here are some shots from that day. Most shots used the Strobist Xmas Day Photography/Lighting technique except instead of being in manual mode I use ettl2 with a ST-E2 on a Pocket Wizard Flex on camera and Canon 580ex(I &II) on a Pocket Wizard Flex on a light stand in opposites corners of the room. It worked great.
What I am thankful for
Well there is nothing like being stranded in a small town hotel room in the middle of no where without any transportation to get you thinking.
I am thankful for What health I do have… some are worst off
I am thankful that I live in what is the best country ever.. most do not
I am thankful for my family and friends…Some have neither.
Sorry been busy with problems here lately
Well I had a H2O leak underground where the line goes into the the house. It took several clues to figure it out. Spent the last several weeks preparing to leave the area for the holidays and dealing with the insurance company and City Water people.
I will try to get some travel shots in when I stop n the trip since I am pulling my home away from home all the way to the east coast again. Well, a little past Atlanta on I20.
I plan on doing some shooting while there both Photography and cowboy action.
So stay tuned!
Fire in the Sky
Here are a couple of images that I took at sunset today. I like the fire in the sky but would have loved some more color but it wasn’t so.©2009 M.D. White
Photoshop World 2009 West Day 1
Day one saw me heading to the Keynote address:
After the opening ceremonies I went to Dave Cross’ Fixing common Image Problems class. Then Scott Kelby’s Portrait Retouching class part 1. then the final class fr the first day was Andrew Rodney’s Organizing Strategies Using Photoshop Lightroom. Then I headed to get a bite to eat at the House of Blues where I saw Scott and the band practicing. Later in the evening I headed Back to the HOB and grab some eats while listening to Scott and the Band. Here are the images from Day 1.
Photoshop World West Pre-Con Day
Well sorry for not getting this out earlier. I tried to post using my Centro but ran in to problems.
I going to give you a day by day brief on my experience at PSW. I took the Canon Live Pre-Con because the other two pre-cons were sold out by the time I signed up for one.
The Canon-Live Pre-Con was taught by Eddie Tapp and Jack Reznicki.
The first part of the class was a lecture on lighting by Jack. It was the only organized part of the class. We were given misinformation about what to bring. Most of brought cameras, we needed laptops but were not told that. At lunch we were instructed to retrieve our latops and have them after lunch. For me this ment 1hour driving between Nellis AFB where I was spending the night the first two nights in Vegas before moving to the more expensive hotel of the convention.
When I return from retreiveing my lap;top I was assigned to one of three setups. One was an oriental model with studio lights. The next was an African-American under speedlights and the final was a caucasian model under studio lights. All the settings were the same for the camera. Manual f8, ISO 400 1/125 sec.
I shot several frames under the Speedlights. Then while waiting I would as it was refereed to poach several frames of the other models using a high iso and the modeling lights. I had two of these images that I thought were good enough for submitting in the contest for the camera. And I shot a few frames in control of the lights with the asian model that one was good enough for me to submit for the camera.
The shoot part of the class was very disorganized and one of the instructors took 3/4 of the shooting time doing demos and teaching those in his group. The other two instructors just got everyone started and then walked to the back of the room to answer questions and talk. Some shooter were considerate of the time and only took 5-10 minutes with the model at each station but there were a few that shot 100 frames or more with changes in the model position or the the lights or both in between every 5 or ten frames.
The last part of the class was to be the post production of the images that we shot. Eddie Tapp was the instructor for this section. He demoed two or three of his techniques then went to assist the students with questions and problems. I showed him my three images and asked him for advice and his response was what do you want to do with them and I had do clue what to do and he walked away. I later complained and was given a refund for the class. I thought the class was to allow us to shoot models with our equipment if we had it and then print out the best images. I was wrong. Next time I will take the NAPP safari with Moose Peterson and Joe McNally.
Next time I will cover the first day of PSW.
Here are the Three images that submitted for the camera
In Vegas for Photoshop World West
Well I made it to Vegas this evening. Right now I am in the Warrior Inn on Nellis AFB. I got a room for tonight and tomorrow night here before moving to the Mandalay Bay Hotel for the main part of the convention. I left Home Monday morning, Stopped by the VA in ABQ to have the stitches removed from my mouth post the last surgery putting in the sockets for the implants on the lower right side. We made the final plan of my treatment. Install the two other implants sockets and then crown the rest of the bad teeth. Then all the crowns will be made together and we will be done. I stayed last night at billeting on Kirtland AFB and then stopped by the lab this morning to have some blood drawn and an hour late two hours later I was heading for Vegas.
The wind was bad as was the drivers. I only had one driver pull in front of me in the left lane where I didn’t have to hit the brakes to keep from running over them. And they must be working on every mile between Flagstaff and ABQ in 5 mile increments and twenty mile apart. Speed up slow down repeat many times.
Vegas almost looked deserted at 6pm when I drove in on Las Vegas Blvd. I had heard the town was taking the recession hard. Maybe that will help with the water problem this town has been in for the past decade or so.
Lake looked up from last year or down so much thaat I lost my markings will verify later.
Tomorrow I get up early and head to the convention for a Pre-Con and check-In. I am taking the Canon shoot seminar that starts a couple hours earlier than the rest of the half day seminars and a couple hours later than the full day ones.
I will post some photos tomorrow…
