Welcome to the 38th issue of PhotoFlash

Hi there

If you're still kicking yourself for waiting too long, you're in luck! Our May 4-Week Short Courses are just getting under way. These short courses are not extensions of any previous class, but are independent and begin with Lesson #1. See the schedule at:
http://www.betterphoto.com/online-photography-courses-better-late.asp

In this issue of PhotoFlash, be sure to check out the gallery and article on hot air ballooning, as well as an excellent collection of photo discussions. Also, try your hand at guessing the location of my Where in the World photo!

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: Friday, May 05, 2006

• Featured Photo: Those Eyes
• Featured Article: Photographing Hot Air Balloons
• Where in the World?
• New Photo Discussion 1: Twilight
• New Photo Discussion 2: Looking Forward
• New Photo Discussion 3: Temple Falls, Fall, Zion N.P., Utah
• New Photo Discussion 4: Spring blooms
• New Photo Discussion 5: Groom & Wedding Bands
• New Photo Discussion 6: Jacaranda Tree
• New Photo Discussion 7: Embarrassed
• The Next Step: Where to Go From Here

Featured Photo: Those Eyes

Those Eyes A simple shot with a 50mm f/1.8 and window light. © Josh Hudson Nikon D1X Digital ...

Featured Article: Photographing Hot Air Balloons
Hot air balloon festivals are great to watch and fun to shoot. And why not? The balloons are bold, bright and beautiful! But shooting them successfully does take some planning. For inspiration, check out BetterPhoto's recently updated ballooning gallery:
http://www.betterphoto.com/gallery/dynoGall2.asp?catID=251

This is also the time of year when balloon festivals really start taking off. For tips and tricks on shooting these colorful events, check out instructor/author Kerry Drager's article.
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.

© Jim Miotke Miotke.com One-Year Complete Digital Photographer Course Digital SLR Photography Canon EOS 5D Digit...

 

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New Photo Discussions

New Photo Discussion 1: Twilight Twilight All colors and effects created in-camera. (Nikkor 180 mm, Fujichrome 64T,...mixed lighting) © Bob Cammarata cammphoto.com Nikon FM2 Manual E... WOW!! I love, love, LOVE this! EXCELLENT composition, colors and DOF! WOW! - Cristi Bastian See Cristi's Premium BetterPholio™ Response 1:Ssuper!!! Love it!! - Carolyn Fletcher See Carolyn's Premium BetterPholio™ Visit PickYourShots.com - Carolyn's Deluxe BetterPholio™ Response 2:Awesome shot... love the lighting! - Linda D. Lester See Linda's Premium BetterPholio™ Visit lindadlester.com - Linda's Deluxe BetterPholio™ Response 3:Thanks Cristi, Carolyn and Linda for your nice comments. I've used this exact same background before on other photos. It's nothing more than a chunk of granite embedded with mica crystals I found lying in the woods. The sunlight reflects off the mica and creates out of focus halos of light. On this particular photo, I wanted to see if a tungsten-balanced film would help to create the illusion of a star-filled deep blue sky. To keep the snail shell white, I shined a flashlight on it during exposure. A thin layer of amber celophane was held in place over the flashlight head. - Bob Cammarata Visit cammphoto.com - Bob's Deluxe BetterPholio™ Read this discussion online Respond to this discussion

New Photo Discussion 2: Looking Forward LOOKING FORWARD LOOKING INWARD Congratulations to all the participants!! Captured this image at Neeldhara{ Haridwar} where different streams of river Ganges merge to form The Great Holy Ganges. Resubmit from earlier work in to Travel and place. © Rakesh Syal Nikon D70 Digital ... A very peaceful image,Rakesh. Congrats on all your great work last month. - David L. Luchowski See David's Premium BetterPholio™ Response 1:Very cool portrait, great work, love the lighting! - Donna Pagakis See Donna's Premium BetterPholio™ Response 2:Great image Rakesh, love the sense of solitude and tranquility. (ac) - Ray & Audrey Clarke See Ray & Audrey's Premium BetterPholio™ Response 3:Your images look like they're straight out of a magazine. They never fail to inspire and awe me. Did you just happen to come across this scene, or did you ask them to sit this way? Spellbinding either way! - Jill M. Flusemann See Jill's Premium BetterPholio™ Response 4:Thank you so much my friends for your thoughtful words! Jill, they were all sitting by themselves. It was 7 in the morning, I just noticed them, and there was no hint in my mind to capture them. The sun was coverd by a thick layer of fog. I kept shooting here and there. Suddenly the sun started showing up on their side. When I looked in the view finder, I thought this is something I am looking for. I moved and composed them and this was all by the grace of God I could do this. - Rakesh Syal See Rakesh's Premium BetterPholio™ Read this discussion online Respond to this discussion

New Photo Discussion 3: Temple Falls, Fall, Zion N.P., Utah Temple Falls, Fall, Zion Natl. Park, Utah © Tim Cooper 4-Week Short Course: Understanding Natural Light - April 4-Week Short Course: Understanding Natural Light - May Wisner 4x5 Expedit... The lighting here brings out the beautiful colors! - Gary R. Lange See Gary's Premium BetterPholio™ Response 1:Thanks Gary! It had just rained and was quite overcast. It may have even been raining a little when I took the shot. - Tim Cooper See Tim Cooper's Premium BetterPholio™ Take an Online PhotoCourse™ with Tim Cooper: 4-Week Short Course: Understanding Natural Light - April 4-Week Short Course: Understanding Natural Light - May Read this discussion online Respond to this discussion

New Photo Discussion 4: Spring blooms Spring blooms Details of a Spring boquet after misting it in my bathtub in the morning light. © Donnarae Moratelli DonnaraePhotography.com Canon EOS 20D Digi... WOW!!! This is stunning, Donnarae. - Paul Michko See Paul's Premium BetterPholio™ Response 1:I guess you have good bathroom light! This is gorgeous! - Carolyn Fletcher See Carolyn's Premium BetterPholio™ Visit PickYourShots.com - Carolyn's Deluxe BetterPholio™ Response 2:BEAUTIFUL!!! WOW from me too! - Colette M. Metcalf See Colette's Premium BetterPholio™ Response 3:Thanks; Paul, Carol & Colette! Carol, my bathroom light is terrible but I use a reflector to reflect window light back into the tub area. This image has backlight and reflected light only. - Donnarae Moratelli See Donnarae's Premium BetterPholio™ Visit DonnaraePhotography.com - Donnarae's Deluxe BetterPholio™ Response 4:Really beautiful! Great use of lighting! - Anne D. Eigen See Anne's Premium BetterPholio™ Read this discussion online Respond to this discussion

New Photo Discussion 5: Groom & Wedding Bands Groom & Wedding Bands © José Alvaro Colíndres Canon EOS 20D Digi... I like this shot! SO much in fact that I am going to use it at my next wedding. Great job! - Michelle Robinson Response 1:I agree this is pretty cool. I am actually shooting my very first wedding tomorrow... A little nervous but excited! I am gonna try this as well. TR:))) - Tiffaney A. Reardon See Tiffaney's Premium BetterPholio™ Response 2:Tiffaney: You'll do great. If your wedding is first thing in the a.m., get your equipment cleaned and ready tonight. Double-check you have everything. When you go in tomorrow, take a deep breath, smile and just be confident in your abilities. Let me know how you do, I will keep good thoughts for you all day tomorrow, and I know your gonna be awesome! - Michelle Robinson Response 3:Thanks for your feedback. I kept seeing this shot, and the groom was very willing. I grabbed one of the small flower arragements from a cocktail table and found a shady spot in the garden without filtered light coming in through the foliage. Happy shooting! -Alvaro - José Alvaro Colíndres Read this discussion online Respond to this discussion

New Photo Discussion 6: Jacaranda Tree Jacaranda Tree Polaroid Image Transfer, handcolored © Kathleen T. Carr Polaroid Image and Emulsion Transfer Beginning Photoshop for Photographers Nikon FE2 SLR Came... Wow, We have hundreds of Jacarana in South Africa and I have yet to see one look so great!! How do you get the painting feel to this shot? It is great. - Tony Roy Response 1:Tony, thanks for the compliment. To get the painterly feel, I first double exposed the image in the camera - one in focus, and one out of focus. Then I made a Polaroid image transfer with peel-apart Polaroid film and transferred the image onto watercolor paper. The final step was handcoloring with pastel pencils. I teach this process through Betterphoto in an online course - Polaroid Image and Emulsion Transfer. Thanks again, Kathleen - Kathleen T. Carr See Kathleen Carr's Premium BetterPholio™ Visit Kathleen Carr's Web Site - www.KathleenCarr.com Take an Online PhotoCourse™ with Kathleen Carr: Polaroid Image and Emulsion Transfer Beginning Photoshop for Photographers Read this discussion online Respond to this discussion

New Photo Discussion 7: Embarrassed Embarassed F18, 1/100, ISO 100, 60mm macro + 2 tubes, shot inside with 2 strobes. © Athena W. Carey Canon EOS 20D Digi... This is hilarious... awesome capture. At first, I only noticed the "head: down and redness in the 'face'", but then at a closer look I saw the leaf like a hand holding in front of the face... lmao... Awesome!!!! Was the plant like this or did you have to arrange a little? - Jennifer M. Combs Response 1:Thank you. Believe it or not, it was actually like this all on its own... even the little rascal on the righthand side laughing at the big guy's expense. ;) All I had to do was get the lighting right and choose the dof. :) - Athena W. Carey Response 2:Great fun and super macro as well! S - Sharon Hinze See Sharon 's Premium BetterPholio™ 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
• Read archived issues of PhotoFlash

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

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