Welcome to the 23rd issue of PhotoFlash

Hi

February has just started, but what an exciting month it is shaping up to be at BetterPhoto! Topping the list is our spring schedule of online courses, which has just been posted. Check them out at:
http://www.betterphoto.com/photocourses/categories.asp

Our Instructor Interview series has been launched, with master photographer Bryan Peterson kicking things off. Read this fascinating interview at:
http://www.betterphoto.com/interviews/photography-instructor-interviews.asp

In this issue of PhotoFlash, instructor and author Jay Forman shares some keep-shooting advice in his article, "Capturing Your Kids in Pictures". Also, check out our "Where in the World?" quiz and the Featured Photo. And, as always, the photo discussions offer lots of insight and inspiration.

To read the online version of PhotoFlash at our Web site, visit http://www.betterphoto.com/photoflashes/

Have a great month!
Jim Miotke
http://www.betterphoto.com/MG.asp?ID=124

In This Issue: Thursday, February 03, 2005

• Featured Photo: Double Trouble
• Featured Article: Capturing Your Kids in Pictures: Keep Shooting ... by Jay Forman
• Where in the World?
• New Photo Discussion 1: Three Ranchers in the Storm
• New Photo Discussion 2: Single and lonely
• New Photo Discussion 3: Paige
• New Photo Discussion 4: Green River
• New Photo Discussion 5: Alloy
• New Photo Discussion 6: Wheeeeeeeeeeee
• New Photo Discussion 7: Smile 2
• New Photo Discussion 8: AG-4394
• New Photo Discussion 9: Autumn Beauty
• New Photo Discussion 10: Spiral Light
• New Photo Discussion 11: Self-Portrait and Pier Shadows
• New Photo Discussion 12: Shopping Blur
• New Photo Discussion 13: Geese1
• The Next Step: Where to Go From Here

Featured Photo: Double Trouble

Double Trouble Canon 70-200mm L @ 130mm 1/800 sec, f/5 Mode: Av Metering: Evaluative Exp comp: -1/3 ISO: 200 © Bob Jones Canon EOS 20D Digi...

Featured Article: Capturing Your Kids in Pictures: Keep Shooting ... by Jay Forman
Too often, parents take only one or two shots of their kids, says author and BetterPhoto instructor Jay Forman. And, for every additional child in the photo, the chances for facial quirks and distractions increase exponentially. In his excellent article, Jay shares expert tips and techniques for capturing your children in pictures.
Read more...
 

Where in the World?
Can you guess where this picture was taken? If you think you have a clue, try offering a response.

To learn the correct answer to the last quiz - and see who came the closest, visit the previous Where in the World quiz.

© Adam Orzechowski Minolta Dimage A1 ...

 

DVD of the Month: Jim Miotke's Digital Photography Unleashed

Our online store showcases the fantastic books and DVDs from our staff of BetterPhoto instructors. For February, we put the spotlight on Jim Miotke's awesome DVD, "Digital Photography Unleashed: Capturing Wildly Great Photos." If you buy this fine DVD before the end of February, you will receive free U.S. shipping. For all the details, including a sample trailer to view:  Learn more...

 

New Photo Discussions

New Photo Discussion 1: Three Ranchers in the Storm Three Ranchers in the Storm © Jim Miotke Miotke.com Canon EOS 10D Digi... Horses scare me ... aside from that, I love this picture! The vapor coming from the nose of the center horse is awesome! However, I was wondering how you were able to capture the snow without having huge snow blobs in the forefront of the image? Even when I turn my back to the direction of the snow, I have the hardest time ending up with small pretty flakes. - Kathleen Peterson Response 1:Thanks very much, Kathleen. I love this picture too. Had so much fun shooting it. The main thing regarding the snow was that I simply watched my lens a lot. I covered it with a shower cap when I was not shooting, and then wiped it clean often when shooting. Once those flakes get on the lens, they look enormous. I have several other pictures from this shoot to prove it :) Thanks again! - Jim at BetterPhoto.com See Kathleen's Premium BetterPholio™ Visit Miotke.com - Kathleen's Deluxe BetterPholio™ Read this discussion online Respond to this discussion

New Photo Discussion 2: Single and lonely Single and lonely © Mauro Bighin Canon EOS Digital ... This shot is great! Don't know how you do it, but it's great! Please tell me how if you would like to! - Kevin Nugent Response 1:Thanks a lot. It's simpler that you may think. Just put a small chocolate candy under the puzzle piece and ... voilą le jeux sont fait ... That's it ... - Mauro Bighin See Mauro's Premium BetterPholio™ Read this discussion online Respond to this discussion

New Photo Discussion 3: Paige Paige © Jennifer A. Okamoto JenniferOkamotoPhotograph... Nikon D100 Digital... Nice work, Jennifer. - David L. Stevens See David's Premium BetterPholio™ Response 1:Thank you, David. I am taking Charlie Borland's Lighting for Commercial Photography course thru BP, and this is one of the photos created for the class. (Paige is my daughter). - Jennifer A. Okamoto Visit JenniferOkamotoPhotography.com - Jennifer's Deluxe BetterPholio™ Read this discussion online Respond to this discussion

New Photo Discussion 4: Green River Green River This shot was taken through a 28-90mm USM Canon lens with a Tiffen polarizer filter. I used evaluative metering in aperture priority mode and set my aperture at f11 resulting in a 1/250 sec. shutter speed. The camera was mounted on a Bogen Manfrotto tri-pod at Dead Horse Point State Park in Utah. © Lyle R. Bates Canon EOS Elan 7/7... Beautiful, breathtaking and a joy to behold, Lyle.John - John Davis Response 1:Thank you very much for your generous comments. This is the first photo I have sent in to this site, and it pleases me that you enjoy it. Lyle - Lyle R. Bates Response 2:Lyle, We can only hope that you'll continue to send. John - John Davis Read this discussion online Respond to this discussion

New Photo Discussion 5: Alloy Alloy © Bonnie Lackey Nikon D70 Digital ... Great abstract... - Colleen Braun See Colleen's Premium BetterPholio™ Response 1:Superb perspective on this abstract, Bonnie. - Paul Michko See Paul's Premium BetterPholio™ Response 2:WowWhee!!! Boy, this is just great Bonnie! It could almost pass for flower stamens in alloy or something like that...this is just a super abstract! Love it! - Cindy Paquette See Cindy's Premium BetterPholio™ Response 3:Thanks so much for the generous comments. I took my camera with me when I got my car serviced and "played" in the showroom! - Bonnie Lackey See Bonnie's Premium BetterPholio™ Read this discussion online Respond to this discussion

New Photo Discussion 6: Wheeeeeeeeeeee Wheeeeeeeeeeee Ice patterns on the window © Stan Kwasniowski Nikon Coolpix 4300... Great title and shot. - Douglas N. Jameson See Douglas's Premium BetterPholio™ Response 1:Super title/image combo Stan! Looks like the ice crystals are riding the rollercoaster :0) - Murry Grigsby See Murry's Premium BetterPholio™ Visit photomurrage.com - Murry's Deluxe BetterPholio™ Response 2:This is so fun ! It reminds me of growing up in the French Alps, going down hill in plastic bags (much faster than luge!). Great image and good eye, Stan! - cathy stancil See cathy's Premium BetterPholio™ Response 3:Wow! This is TREMENDOUS, Stan!! Love the energy your excellent composition implies! I'm sure we'll see this one again! - Dan J. Holm See Dan's Premium BetterPholio™ Response 4:Dan, thank you, as I said to Murry, this reminded me of a long toboggan slope with fun and zest ... lol - Stan Kwasniowski Read this discussion online Respond to this discussion

New Photo Discussion 7: Smile 2 Smile 2 © Arya Bandyopadhyay Nikon F90X 35mm S... Great portrait, Arya! - Karen Engelbreth See Karen's Premium BetterPholio™ Response 1:Thanks, Karen!! I'm happy that somebody in the BP family likes it!! I was documenting a UNICEF project in Maradabad in Uttar Pradesh, and saw this man watching me. The moment I pointed my camera at him he smiled. I like the pure white against the black and the grey cap and the dark complexion seem to have gelled well! - Arya Bandyopadhyay See Arya 's Premium BetterPholio™ Read this discussion online Respond to this discussion

New Photo Discussion 8: AG-4394 AG-4394 © Hasmik Hatamian HasmikHatamian.com Canon EOS 20D Digi... This is really cool Hasmik ! Is this oil in water or something ? Greta shot ! - cathy stancil See cathy's Premium BetterPholio™ Response 1:Thanks Cathy. This actually is my water bottle that had been sitting in the car under the sun during my lunch break. I put a blue object behind the bottle to get that blue effect. :-) - Hasmik Hatamian See Hasmik's Premium BetterPholio™ Visit HasmikHatamian.com - Hasmik's Deluxe BetterPholio™ Read this discussion online Respond to this discussion

New Photo Discussion 9: Autumn Beauty Autumn Beauty This is my beautiful sister-in-law and niece who pose often for me. © Kimberly J. Whipps Canon EOS Digital ... I love this angle! Where you up in a tree? - Stephanie Sherwood See Stephanie's Premium BetterPholio™ Response 1:Beautiful subjects and wonderful picture. Love how you composed this with the trees/leaves, and your angle is terrific! - Kristy E. Lane See Kristy 's Premium BetterPholio™ Response 2:Nice colors..interesting perspective! Nicely done. - Kathryn Wolfe See Kathryn's Premium BetterPholio™ Response 3:Thank you very much ... I was actually standing on a tall stool. This picture always gets comments on the angle. Thanks again. - Kimberly J. Whipps See Kimberly's Premium BetterPholio™ Response 4:Wow, this is just awesome, Kimberly! Love the perspective and color! And your models are just gorgeous! Well done and congrats on the new gallery! :o) Mel - Mellanie White See Mellanie's Premium BetterPholio™ Read this discussion online Respond to this discussion

New Photo Discussion 10: Spiral Light Spiral Light Overhead light at the Casa Batllo, Barcelona Spain, designed by Antoni Gaudi. Taken on my back on the floor with available light. Sigma 18-125mm DC lens, 18mm, f/3.5, 1/13sec, ISO 400. © Jordan Steele Canon EOS Digital ... Very nice Jordan!, I really like your image, Amalia - Amalia Arriaga de Garcia See Amalia's Premium BetterPholio™ Response 1:WOW, Jordan - fantastic capture. Thanks so much for all the information on how you took such a great photo. :-) Donna (from "downunder") - Donna Roberts See Donna's Premium BetterPholio™ Response 2:Thanks! Barcelona is filled with Gaudi's architecture, and it really allows for some neat shots. If you want, you can see some of the rest of my photos at http://www.jordansteele.com - Jordan Steele Read this discussion online Respond to this discussion

New Photo Discussion 11: Self-Portrait and Pier Shadows Self-Portrait and Pier Shadows Pier shadows, Central CA Coast, 24mm lens, Fuji Velvia - and a tripod! © Kerry Drager kerrydrager.com Point, Think, and Shoot: Beyond the Snapshot Field Techniques: Light and Composition 4-Week Short Course: Details and Close-ups 4-Week Short Course: Details and Close-ups (2nd Session) Nikon FM2 Manual E... Now this is cool ... I love the light and the long shadow lines ... and, of course, the self protrait ... - Kelly Heaton See Kelly's Premium BetterPholio™ Visit mycreativeeyes.com - Kelly's Deluxe BetterPholio™ Response 1:Hi Kelly, Thanks for your nice comments ... I appreciate it! Kerry The Story Behind the Making of This Photo This was one of those cases in which I followed two great sunset "rules": 1) No matter how much you plan your shooting strategy (and I had scouted out this pier as a potential late-day silhouette subject earlier in the day), always be open for new perspectives. 2) Although the scene in front of you may be super stunning (i.e., a colorful sky and just-above-the-horizon sun), it never hurts to periodically look behind you! Incidentally, I kept my shadow in the composition for two good reasons: 1) Because I always like shadow self-portraits. 2) To show that I actually do use a tripod on just about every non-action, non-candid scene ... just as I always urge others to do. :-) The use of a wide-angle lens and a small aperture (f/22) helped keep everything sharp - from front to back. A high horizon line helped place the emphasis right where I wanted it: on the long shadow lines. By the way, after I captured this photo, I turned right back around and captured the pier silhouette. But my favorite image of that coastal shooting session turned out to be this "unplanned" shadow shot! - Kerry Drager See Kerry Drager's Premium BetterPholio™ Visit Kerry Drager's Web Site - KerryDrager.com Take an Online PhotoCourse™ with Kerry Drager: Point, Think, and Shoot: Beyond the Snapshot Field Techniques: Light and Composition 4-Week Short Course: Details and Close-ups 4-Week Short Course: Details and Close-ups (2nd Session) Read this discussion online Respond to this discussion

New Photo Discussion 12: Shopping Blur Shopping Blur NYC © Peter Anderson Nikon Coolpix 8700... Excellent photo, Peter! Tells it all and I worship slow synch. :) - Piotr M. Organa Response 1:A question for you Peter: What shutter speed did you use? I'd love to try out a photo like this, but although I LOVE taking pictures, I usually use autofocus. Therefore, I don't really know how to achieve cool affects like this. I'd also love to try to take those crazy, blurred waterfall pictures. I assume that's about the same. Isn't it the slower the shutter speed, the more blurred the image? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks! :) - Amanda Olson Response 2:Yes Amanda, you are exactly right. The slower shutter speeds will give you the blur effect. The difference with the waterfall is that you keep the camera still (perhaps using a tripod), so that the surrounding shore and rocks are in focus. My shot here is called a pan action, in which the camera is moved to be in sync with the movement of the subject and everything around the subject is then in blur - while the subject (hopefully) is in focus. Depending on the lighting situation, I have found that pan action shutter speeds will be around 1/2-1/15, but they can be longer. You can also use a tripod with pan action and use the head swivel to move the camera throughout the exposure. It takes some practice. Have fun with it. - Peter Anderson See Peter's Premium BetterPholio™ Read this discussion online Respond to this discussion

New Photo Discussion 13: Geese1 Geese1 © Tony Sweet tonytsweet.com Image Design: Revealing Your Personal Vision Fine Art Flower Photography 4-Week Short Course: The Four Essential Filters for Film and Digital Cameras 4-Week Short Course: The Four Essential Filters (2nd Session) Nikon F5 SLR Camer... Really nice detail on the geese, almost like a painting. If you don't mind me asking, what lens did you use? kathrynjeremiah@msn.com - Kathryn Jeremiah Response 1:Thanks for taking time to view the image, Kathryn, and for your inquiry. The painterly appearance is purely a function of the soft morning light on this day. It was shot with an 80-200mm lens. - Tony Sweet See Tony Sweet's Premium BetterPholio™ Visit Tony Sweet's Web Site - TonySweet.com Take an Online PhotoCourse™ with Tony Sweet: Image Design: Revealing Your Personal Vision Fine Art Flower Photography 4-Week Short Course: The Four Essential Filters for Film and Digital Cameras 4-Week Short Course: The Four Essential Filters (2nd Session) Read this discussion online Respond to this discussion

 

The Next Step: Where to Go From Here

• Browse more photo discussions at BetterPhoto.com
• Start your own discussion on any photo in the Galleries
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If you would like to be featured in PhotoFlash, we look for photo discussions that educate, inspire, and encourage BetterPhoto members. In the spirit of helping others become better photographers, we encourage you to share details, tips, and techniques in your discussions... after all, that is what BetterPhoto is all about - honest answers for budding photographers.

Until next time, thanks for reading and keep having fun with photography!
Jim Miotke
BetterPhoto.com, Inc.

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