foto Priority

Hi all, creativeLIVE.com is a world wide creative classroom that has only been around a couple of months but by the looks of the site and its content it’s going to be a real winner amongst creative types like us. There are a host courses covering a fairly wide cross section for photographers, from beginner type introductory courses to something more specific like aperture3 or writing java applications.

Each live presentation/webinar is FREE! Yes FREE, you just have to enroll prior to the start time and watch them live, you can even ask questions at Q&A time. The only time you pay for the online course is if you miss it live and you want to watch the recording.

Take a look around yourself, be sure to check out this very cool Photoshop CS5 video, it introduces us to some cool new features and in addition you get a feel of how the classes are run.

It was that time again where Daniel and I put on our judge’s hats and began the process of choosing the top 30 images from the first intake for 2010 - Digital SLR 8 week beginner course

With just under 1000 images presented on the final night we knew we had a challenge on our hands to pick the 30 stand out images.

This final selection was based on, originality of idea, overall impact of image (mood), use of colour and composition, and technical execution.

Congratulations to all those who made the final cut!

Click on the image below to reveal the top 30!

This years Canon Photo5 competition brought many challenges. One of those being the pair of cardboard spectacles. Andrew Foo submitted the below image to Canon and has kindly shared his insight to the creation and thought process behind it. Enjoy

© Andrew Foo

Getting creative… creative flash that is!

Thinking up an idea that is both original and witty for a creative portrait is hard. Well, actually I lie. Neither isn’t terribly difficult, it’s executing on the idea where the hard yards are.

The inaugural competition Canon Photo5 competition came and went again this year and there’s nothing better than a good competition to bring out the best in your creative side.

The “portraiture” brief commanded the use of a supplied black spectacles made from thin piece of cardboard paper. How you used it in the shot, was open to the photographer’s interpretation. In keeping with the competition’s judging brief I wanted to create an image that would engage and probe more questions from the viewer. In “Think it’s time for a new pair…”, I played with the idea of a different kind of portrait and uniting fake with reality. Having worn the spectacles, the main subject could not see any better and proceeds to attempt to clean the cardboard spectacles with a lens cloth. This somewhat felt like a surreal moment, so I thought a ‘dreamy’ cast to the image would be a neat idea.

Having had the opportunity to attend one of SPW’s recent Shots @ The Arthouse (Flash Dance night) I felt more equipped to introduce some off-camera flash in getting a bit more creative. Shot inside one of my rooms in my house later in the day I didn’t have much ambient light to play with. I started by exposing for the ambient lighting for the room’s background. The idea was to keep the foreground pin sharp and in focus, so I dialed in a higher ISO to maintain a shutter speed of 1/50th of a second to eliminate camera shake. Using a wide aperture of f/2.8 allowed me to keep the foreground sharp and throw the background out of focus in emphasizing the action and the object in hand.

A radio remote trigger fired off a flashgun placed left of camera through an umbrella for a softer light. Needless to say I had a lot of fun doing this and comps are a great way to focus on a specific theme and get your creative juices flowing!

Camera and Lens: Canon EOS 450D, Canon EF 50mm f/1.8

Off-Camera Flash: Canon Speedlite 430EX II attached to stand and shot through umbrella @ ¼ power

Remote triggered by Speedlite Radio Kit

Exposure: Shot handheld at f/2.8, 1/50sec, ISO800, Flash WB

Cheers,

Andrew Foo

Check out the link to the image – Think it’s time for a new pair

© Don Smallwood

In Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) make the curves adjustment (strong contrast) and back on basic tab check for blown highlights. These shots were pretty good so no worries there.

Opened image in Photoshop, first thing I noticed was that the hem of her dress on her right thigh was a little high and showed the dark elastic at the top of her tights. Not very attractive. So I cloned the hem in to hide this.

Next I lengthened her legs a touch. Now Olivia is tall and leggy but probably my perspective was wrong. To do this I made a large selection using the rectangular marquee tool. I select a large rectangle from one side of the screen to another (starting just below hem of dress) and as far down the pic as possible whilst still leaving me a little room to crop within that bottom line later. Then I selected free transform and dragged the bottom of the box down a touch.
I then cropped the picture to my liking, cleaned up the skin (not that she need much) and take away one or two creases in the skin(around the armpit) Sharpened her eyes and mouth and saved.

© Don Smallwood

Open image in Adobe Camera Raw (ACR), adjust the curve to strong contrast. Back to the basic tab and adjust the temperature to ‘flash – 5500′ Then open image in Photoshop

Cropped to get the perspective I wanted.

I then cleaned the skin on the models face and leg using the clone tool.  Whilst on the skin I then run a small home built action called high pass that smooths it a little.

I also used color efex pro to add a little glamour glow.  

Next I cloned the background a little to added a little smoke and to hide a little more the leg of the background light.

If her eyes had been more open I sometimes run an action to increase contrast but not in this case.

Last thing I do is size and then sharpen. I only sharpen selectively on a separate layer so I can see the effect.  Normally with a feather @20-40 I select eyes/eyebrow area and the mouth and then run a little action I got from the world famous ‘Manny Librodo’  If you want to build this the steps are:

Filter/Sharpen/Unsharp mask:18/40/0

Filter/Sharpen/Unsharp mask:150/0.3/0

Edit/Fade Unsharp mask:Darken 100%

Filter/Sharpen/Unsharp mask:150/0.3/0

Edit/Fade Unsharp mask: Lighten 50%

by Don Smallwood

Approximately every 8 weeks a new batch of SPW “Beginners DSLR Workshop” graduates go out into the world armed with their new cameras and enough new photographic knowledge and inspiration to make the most of them.

From chatting to the tutors and also the students themselves, one of the most beneficial, and I would say fitting ending to the course, is the Final Night presentations where each student brings along a selection of images created during the 8 weeks for a final slide show to music. Being able to see other photographers interpretations of the various exercises and subject matter as, well as uses of basic techniques in unique ways, often broadens the creative mind and can offer a new perspective on an otherwise familiar subject.

Images are created to be shared, to teach, to inspire and off course, to communicate the creators vision of the world. I always make a point to encourage ALL to attend this final night as the value gained from seeing the results of others often outweighs any that can be passed on verbally or by the written word. After all, photography is a visual medium.

For myself, the reward is seeing the quality of the images created and the breadth of ideas from a group who just 8 weeks earlier had little or no photographic knowledge. So it is with great pleasure that we present the first selection of our ‘Final Night Top 30′.

To view the image larger, just click on the photographers name below the thumbnails

[svgallery name="SPW09 T4 Final Night"]

This set of Top 30 Images was selected anonymously from over 800 final night images presented. In the selection process we considered; initial impact, originality of idea/concept, technical execution, composition and overall mood and feel.

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THOSE WHO MADE THE FINAL CUT!!!

by: Daniel Linnet

If you have never tried to recreate an iconic image from the past, then you’re probably missing out on a great way to push yourself out of your photographic comfort zone. The process of pulling apart a shot, working out how it was done and then dealing with the technical aspects of recreating it can often lead to nice little boost to your learning curve.

Here’s how one of our Photographing People Workshop students Tina Fiore tackled her flash phobia, by jumping straight in at the deep end on a paid gig.

We think she did a fabulous job!

FABBA - Tina Fiore

ABBA tribute band FABBA recently asked if I could recreate an iconic ABBA album cover for their promotional material.  After reviewing the image, I thought “Oh just like the shoot we did at SPW.  Sunset in the background, light on the face and…., Voila we will have it!!”

We even found an exact match for the helicopter used on the album cover at Sydney Helicopters in Paramatta, with the only catch being that we could only shoot between 11.30am – 1.30pm.  I thought, “Great… the worst time for creating a dusk look.”.

On the day it was a clear blue sky and strong sun, not a cloud in the sky, so I set off with every piece of equipment I owned, which isn’t really that much.  I thought of using an umbrella on each side of the set for 2 exposures with the camera locked off on a tripod, and then blending the two exposures together to get both sides balanced with my one flash. As we arrived, the band got dressed in their jumpsuits and the pilot flew the helicopter from the tarmac to the grass area I had previously selected.  As a little sign, the blades stopped in the exact position as the album cover. So far everything was going well!

I set up my tripod and umbrella with flash on one side, getting ready for my first exposure when the pilot asked if he could watch.  “Of course!!” I said, immediately deciding to put him to good use, holding the reflector on the second couple.

So we got it all set up.  I took a bunch of practice shots with just one person to get the exposure the best I could.  Constantly repeating to myself…., “Aperture = Flash Exposure.”.  Finally when I got exposure and lighting as good as I could the cast moved into place.  We did a series of shots and then swapped the umbrella and the pilot with the reflector and took another series of shots.  We then reviewed the shots and changed composition a little and repeated.  We did three series of shots and it was looking good.  I knew however I had some work in photoshop to get it looking like dusk.

Original capture

At home I masked in a red sunset that I had on file and went to work. In the end I did not need to use two photos for the people  The reflector had done a good job reflecting some sun and some flash.

Here is the final image next to the original we were trying to recreate.

by Tina Fiore

Tina Fiore Photography

Image on FABBA site

ABBA Original

FABBA - Tina Fiore

Chris Belyea has kindly agreed to become regular contributor to our “tripod holes around Sydney” category. We’d say looking at Chris’s photos on flickr he is certainly qualified to give everyone a “how to” guide for getting those awesome landscape and seascape images he has been producing lately. Keep reading below to find out how to get “that shot” at Mona Vale Tidal Pool.

If you live on Sydney’s north side, or are looking for something different to shoot at sunrise, I would suggest that you take a look at Mona Vale pool as there’s plenty there to inspire you as well as keep you occupied, and if you strike it ‘just right’ (more on that later) more than likely you’ll be rewarded with some great images to take away

Just a word of caution … I’m only an amateur photographer, who still has a lot to learn, and the information I’m offering is based on my experiences, and I’m sure that there will be plenty of better ways to do this, but we all have to start somewhere and hopefully this might help an aspiring photographer

OK, now back to the action !

There is a huge variety of shapes and textures at the pool, and as it sits at the end of a rock shelf, at low tides the background, depending on where you’re shooting from, can be as interesting as the foreground.

The simple geometric lines of the pool, and the wonderful stainless steel railings and chains, offer a huge variety of compositional possibilities.

Aside from the main pool itself there’s also some great shots to be had of the pool steps, the ramp leading to the smaller play pool and the wonderfully rusted valves on each pool

Mona Vale Tidal Pool - Chris Belyea

About this shot

Canon EOS 5D Mk II, ISO100, f/11 at ½ s, Av mode, -1/3EV, Evaluative metering

Manfrotto tripod, mirror lockup, cable release

EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM at 24 mm

I set up on the steps of the pool making sure that I had everything level and then focused on the 4^th railing from the right at the far end of the pool and selected f/11 to get as much of the texture in the foreground in sharp focus. This also made sure that I was shooting through the axis of the lens so as to avoid and weird distortions.

As the lighting was fairly ‘even’ (nothing too bright or dark) I went for Evaluative metering and deliberately underexposed by -1/3EV to gain a little more contrast. Admittedly, I can get away with this with the 5D Mk II’s low noise and light ability, however the results with other setups may vary

Bearing in mind that the 5D Mk II is a full frame camera, to get this angle/perspective with a crop camera you’ll need to have a wide angle lens of around say 10 – 15 mm. Canon shooters with the EF-S 18-55 lens should be OK and I’m presuming Nikon has a similar lens in this range

The RAW files was processed in Lightroom to get the basic image to where I wanted it, and then used Nik Software plugins in Photoshop to finish things off

Things to Consider

1. As with most Sydney beaches, the pool is illuminated by a set of sodium vapour lamps which will play havoc with your white balance, so the easiest solution is to set your camera’s white balance to Auto (I know some will certainly disagree with this) and take a test shot with an 18% grey target (I use a WhiBal) making sure that the pool lights fall on the card. It’s then a simple matter to adjust your white balance in Lightroom (or Photoshop, or Aperture)
2. Don’t even think of shooting here in anything but RAW as you’ll have no chance of getting rid of the orange glow cast by the sodium lamps
3. The lights are on a time clock and appear to shut off at around 6:00 am
4. The pool is very popular with early morning swimmers, so as the saying goes ‘ … the early bird …’ however I’ve always found them to be extremely friendly and more than happy to chat
5. Tides and wind direction can play a big part in how the pool ‘looks’ and behaves. At low tides, the rock shelf is exposed and the surface of the pool takes on a fantastic glassy look which is great at sunrise. At higher tides there will quite possibly be waves crashing into the pool, both situations offer great possibilities
6. Whilst Mona Vale is not typically a ‘big surf’ beach, you obviously need to be aware of the conditions around you … cameras and salt water are usually not a good combination

Equipment

The pool faces due east so at sunrise you will be shooting directly at the sun so graduated neutral density filters can help if its particularly bright.

Needless to say, a tripod is essential as the shutter speeds can get rather low, and I’d suggest you get familiar with how to put your camera into Mirror Lockup if that facility is available.

A remote shutter release is also a great asset, however if you don’t have one, simply put your camera into self timer mode

As you’ll be shooting in a less than kind environment, some microfiber cloths are a good idea to clean your gear off with when you get back to the car

Best Time to Shoot

I’ve found the best time to shoot is definitely pre dawn and sunrise, however mid winter during the day, if you’re lucky enough to score of those magical crisp, clean and cloudless days also offers up a few possibilities

The best time to shoot is definitely at ‘first light’, typically about 30 minutes before sunrise as this allows you to set up and assess what’s happening with the pool, the sky etc

How to get there

Mona Vale pool isn’t that difficult to find, and there’s usually plenty of parking.

Make your way along Barrenjoey Road, turn into Darley Street and then into Surfview Road. Park at the northern end of the car park and then make your way towards the beach.

Google ‘Apex Park, Mona Vale’ and that will take you where you need to be

If you’re planning a sunrise shoot, you can’t miss the pool as its illuminated by those wonderful sodium vapour lamps

Have fun !

more of Chris Belyea’s work

Andre Code - Fallen Angel

Congratulations this week to Andrew Code for taking out the “Shots @ The Arthouse” Shot of the Week, selected from the Shots Flickr Group. I asked Andrew to pen a few words about his inspiration along with some of the technical aspects of it’s creation.

‘The shot was inspired by one of my favourite TV shows Supernatural. The purpose was to focus on creating a simple but effective composition using a couple of lights to light the model. It was taken in my warehouse, hanging from a window on the second floor looking into it.

The lighting was a couple of cheap flood lights from Bunnings behind a diffuser. The wings were added post (after experimenting with drawing it on the floor). Taking the photo from above using the floor as a back drop really created the different look i was after. It would have been much easier to take it standing against a wall – but the result would not have been as effective.’ – Andrew Code

This months Student focus (no pun intended) is on Chris Belyea. Chris is working on an interesting project that we had to share with you all, it’s no doubt inspiring to all up and coming photographers and enthusiasts a like, and a great way to keep those creative juices flowing. Have you got the commitment?

Read below where Chris explains Project 366-1

“… How hard can it be ? You take a photo every day for a year. Simple ! …”

In case you’re wondering, Project 366-1 is a Flickr group, and there’s quite a few of them, where you take a photo each day for an entire year, and after 239 days (as of today) I can still hear myself saying those exact same words.

Is it as easy as it sounds … far from it !

Is it rewarding, and will you develop as a photographer … without a doubt !

OK, maybe a little background will help

I’d dabbled with various cameras over the years, but certainly nothing more serious than holiday and birthday happy snaps, and in July 2007 my wife presented me with my first DSLR, and after the initial burst of enthusiasm that everyone has, motivation and inspiration began to fall right away, and the DSLR began to gather dust.

That is, until I came across a Blog in December 2008 that made mention of Project 365, so I had a look, signed up and hence the basis for

“… How hard can it be ? You take a photo every day for a year. Simple ! …”

The simple part was taking the first image on Day 1.

After about Day 10, reality bites and you very quickly realise that there’s a huge difference between taking birthday snapshots and actually making an image that you’d feel proud (well, most of the time) to post on Flickr for the world to see.

Like most people, I strive to be reasonably good at what I do, and Project 366-1, from a photography viewpoint, has inspired me to learn more about the craft, to experiment and generally be a lot more creative, and as with most things in life, the more you practice, the more skilled you become.

Every now and again it all comes together … I’ve thought about what I wanted to achieve, given it a try and managed to produce a few images that I’m actually proud to call my own.

Now, to put things into perspective, I’ll give you the Pro’s and Con’s of a doing a Project such as this, and then you can decide if it’s the right thing for you

Pro’s

-You’ll be exposed to a lot of good work on Flickr that will just possibly inspire you.
-You will be part of a larger photographic community that will inspire, support and provide feedback on a daily basis.
-You’ll challenge yourself to explore different areas of photography that will challenge and inspire you.
-You’ll actively seek new avenues to learn about photography, and Sydney Photographic Workshops is a good place to start.
-You will DEFINITELY improve your photography !

Con’s

-Time consuming and addictive
-Frustrating beyond belief at times
-You’ll immediately realise that you’re not as good as you thought you are … that could also be a Pro
-You’ll quickly understand that you can’t, and won’t, produce a masterpiece each day (see the Con above)

Would I do another Project 366-1 after I finish this one ? … quite possibly … so that I can go back and re-shoot most of what I’ve already done, armed with what I’ve learnt and experienced so far 

There’s a quote by Kent Reno that I came across a while ago

“I discovered that even if I didn’t always take a picture, the simple act of carrying a camera and searching for something to photograph greatly sharpened my powers of observation and allowed me to experience much more life”

That quote is printed out on a card that is fixed firmly to the bottom of my PC monitor !

For anyone that wants to have a look at what the current Flickr group is up to, point your browser to The Project 366-1 flickr group.

Chris Belyea ( aka CB 357)

You can also see more of Chris’ other work at by visiting his Photostream at http://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisbelyea/