Welcome to the 69th issue of PhotoFlash

Hi {FirstName} {OPENEDEMAILMARKER}

Many awesome things are happening at BetterPhoto this holiday month! Topping the list is our December 4-week PhotoCourses that are just getting under way. So what are you waiting for? Sign up now, and we'll send out Lesson 1 pronto. See the schedule...

A big "Thank You" goes to everyone who participated in Tuesday's extremely successful book event! ... In this issue of PhotoFlash, don't miss the excellent article ("How to Photograph Performers on Stage") by instructor Ibarionex Perello, and a fine collection of photo discussions.

Enjoy the holiday season, and don't forget to keep your camera handy for capturing all of those seasonal memories!

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: Wednesday, December 03, 2008

• Featured Photo: Amanda
• Featured Article: How to Photograph Performers on Stage by Ibarionex R. Perello
• Where in the World?
• New Photo Discussion 1: New Image of the Mansion at the Huntington
• New Photo Discussion 2: Christmas Lights
• New Photo Discussion 3: Carmel River Beach Sunrise, CA
• New Photo Discussion 4: Freedom
• New Photo Discussion 5: Star of Monterey
• New Photo Discussion 6: Dog Kisses!
• New Photo Discussion 7: Orange
• The Next Step: Where to Go From Here

Featured Photo: Amanda

Amanda Taken in late afternoon light. © Dawn E. Schubert Canon EOS 5D Digit...

Featured Article: How to Photograph Performers on Stage by Ibarionex R. Perello
Dancers, musicians, actors and singers offer excellent opportunities for photographing people, says BetterPhoto instructor Ibarionex Perello in his "How to Photograph Performers" article. Ibarionex, by the way, teaches five excellent courses here at BP, including Available Light Portraiture and DSLR Features: When, Why and How to Use Them. Read the 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 Zuckerman corporatefineart.com 4-Week Short Course: Making Masterpieces with Corel Painter 4-Week Short Course: Stock Photography 4-Week Short Course: Taking the Mystery Out of Flash Photography 4-Week Short Course: Techniques of Natural Light Photography 4-Week Short Course: Wildlife Photography Developing Your Creative Artistic Vision Eight Steps to More Dramatic Photography Fundamentals of Photography Made Easy Making Money with Your Photography Perfect Digital Exposure Photoshop: Advanced Creative Techniques Photoshop: Creative Techniques Self-Discovery in Photography: Where Does Your Passion Lie?

 

December 4-Week Classes: Fast, Fun, Great Value!

Our awesome online photography courses give you personal interaction with top pros - regardless of where you live. Classes are just getting under way, so enroll in a December 4-week course today and take a big step in your photography in just 4 weeks! See the 4-week schedule... ... Too soon? Or too short? Our 8-week courses begin January 7th!  Learn more...

 

New from Lensbaby: Composer!

With the Composer, Lensbaby introduces a completely new lens, based on a ball and socket configuration that delivers smooth selective focus photography with unparalleled ease. The new Composer retains its position after being bent and is easy to use even with one hand.  Learn more...

 

Shop for the Holidays - at BetterPhoto!

Treat yourself to an easy gift-buying experience this year, while also giving your favorite photographer something really special! Our BetterPhoto Gift Cards are redeemable toward PhotoCourses, BetterPholios, or books. Best yet, no wrapping required!  Learn more...

 

New Photo Discussions

New Photo Discussion 1: New Image of the Mansion at the Huntington New Image of the Mansion at the Huntington Made with Norman 900 Series lights, 4 heads and two power packs. Without the strobes the outside and inside wouldn't match so well. © John H. Siskin john-siskin.com 4-Week Short Course: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting 4-Week Short Course: Portrait Photography Lighting on Location and in the Studio Kodak DCS 14N Digi... John you are a light master... great job! Sherrybear :} - Sherry McClead See Sherry's Basic BetterPholio™ Response 1:Hi Sherry, I really enjoyed this job, in large part because I got to do it with the senior photographer at the Huntington. It is really nice to be able to work with another skilled photographer. Although I often work with assistants they don’t always bring anything useful to the discussion. I set up two power packs with about 3500 watt seconds for this shot. Two lights were just behind the camera, and on the left and right sides, additional lighting was at the far end of the hallway. The key here is to work with the daylight to open up the hallway, which would otherwise be too dark. Strobes are perfect for this kind of lighting, they have a color that matches daylight, and it is easy to manipulate them to balance the power of the strobe to the existing light. There was another photographer working in this site at the same time. He was using large banks of fluorescent tubes. I saw some of the work, his depth of field was to small for a museum shot and his color wasn’t as even as it should be. Strobes, preferably big ones, are really the best friend a photographer can have. Thanks, - John H. Siskin See John Siskin's Basic BetterPholio™ Visit John Siskin's Web Site - John-Siskin.com Take an Online PhotoCourse™ with John Siskin: 4-Week Short Course: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting 4-Week Short Course: Portrait Photography Lighting on Location and in the Studio Read this discussion online Respond to this discussion

New Photo Discussion 2: Christmas Lights Christmas Lights © Dorean Beattie Canon EOS 20D Digi... Very cool!!! Makes me dream of Xmas!! - Symona R. Wood Response 1:Glad you like it, Symona! My inspiration for this shot was remembering when I was a kid. My dad would test the Christmas lights by stretching them out across the floor and plugging them in. I never knew why he stretched them out, but I loved how they looked. When we moved into a house last fall that had hardwood floors just like my childhood home, I knew I had to get a shot of what I remembered. To me, this is the shot that means Christmas. Ah, memories! - Dorean Beattie See Dorean's Basic BetterPholio™ Response 2:Great picture! Really like the colors, DOF and your story. Reminds me of Christmas memories too. - Rick Clark See Rick's Basic BetterPholio™ Read this discussion online Respond to this discussion

New Photo Discussion 3: Carmel River Beach Sunrise, CA CAMT_DSC9420: Carmel River Beach sunrise, CA USA: California: Monterey County: Carmel River State Beach: Sunrise waves from the Pacific Ocean wash through the rocky coastline (Point Lobos State Reserve off in the distance) © Sean Arbabi arbabi.org 4-Week Short Course: Better Exposure: How to Meter Light Nikon D200 Digital... Nice composition and action shot! - Paul Cutino Visit cutinovisions.com - Paul's Deluxe BetterPholio™ Response 1:Thanks Paul- it's always worth getting your tennis shoes and socks soaking wet to get shots like this! I was showing BP members (at the recent Summit) how to compose a landscape shot with a wide-angle (always needing a good foreground). Everyone ran when the waves came rushing in - I understand for sure, but to me, that's nature photography! - Sean Arbabi See Sean Arbabi's Basic BetterPholio™ Visit Sean Arbabi's Web Site - Arbabi.org Take an Online PhotoCourse™ with Sean Arbabi: 4-Week Short Course: Better Exposure: How to Meter Light Read this discussion online Respond to this discussion

New Photo Discussion 4: Freedom Freedom ~0169~ © Paul Cutino cutinovisions.com Canon EOS 5D Digit... Lovely image here, Paul. - Dominick M. Dimacale See Dominick's Basic BetterPholio™ Visit dominickmdimacale.com - Dominick's Deluxe BetterPholio™ Response 1:Nice soft pastels Paul- nice job! - Sean Arbabi See Sean Arbabi's Basic BetterPholio™ Visit Sean Arbabi's Web Site - Arbabi.org Take an Online PhotoCourse™ with Sean Arbabi: 4-Week Short Course: Better Exposure: How to Meter Light Response 2:Thank you Dominic! Greatly appreciate your comment. Thank you Sean! This shot was all about light, time, luck and a little skill. The pelicans where flying across that path for an hour and I kept trying to time a wave as a pelican flew past and out of two dozen shots I got this one. - Paul Cutino Visit cutinovisions.com - Paul's Deluxe BetterPholio™ Read this discussion online Respond to this discussion

New Photo Discussion 5: Star of Monterey Star of Monterey The REAL Star of Monterey was Jim Miotke and group of INCREDIBLE photographers he brought with him to the Summit. It was an HONOR to meet the man who put this wonderful family/community together. I learned so much and can't wait for next years summit. THANK YOU SO MUCH Jim M, Sean, Jim Z, Kerry, Lewis, Ibarionex, Jennifer, and Vik for sharing the gift of all your years of experience. PLUG-PLUG - Take their classes people!! © Ann J. Przyojski Canon EOS Digital ... So happy to hear you had such a fantastic time, Ann! Can't wait for details! Beautiful capture, reflections and lighting! - Jessica Jenney See Jessica's Basic BetterPholio™ Response 1:Oh, you caught that magical Coast Twilight!!! What a great shot, Ann! I am also so glad you had a fantastic time at the Summit - and learned so much - and got to meet everyone!!! Sounds so great! I really like this boat - great reflections, late evening light! - Nadya Johnson See Nadya's Basic BetterPholio™ Response 2:Ann, thank you so much for the great response to the summit. Hearing reactions like this make it all worth it! - Lewis Kemper See Lewis Kemper's Basic BetterPholio™ Visit Lewis Kemper's Web Site - LewisKemper.com Take an Online PhotoCourse™ with Lewis Kemper: 4-Week Short Course: Adobe Lightroom - A Comprehensive Look 4-Week Short Course: Compose with Color Photoshop Toolbox I: Exposure and Color Photoshop Toolbox II: Actions, Automate and More Photoshop Toolbox III: Bridge, Raw and More Response 3:Hi Ann, I agree totally with Lewis! Thanks for sharing your thoughts - AND this splendid photo. I'm so glad that you enjoyed the experience ... thanks for attending!! - Kerry Drager See Kerry Drager's Basic BetterPholio™ Visit Kerry Drager's Web Site - KerryDrager.com Take an Online PhotoCourse™ with Kerry Drager: 4-Week Short Course: Creative Close-ups Creative Light and Composition Read this discussion online Respond to this discussion

New Photo Discussion 6: Dog Kisses! Dog Kisses! © Jenni Bidner jennibidner.com 4-Week Short Course: Basic Photography for eBay and Online Auctions 4-Week Short Course: Photographing Your Dog with an SLR Camera Canon EOS 5D Digit... Sweet! :) - Tammy Espino See Tammy 's Basic BetterPholio™ Response 1:Thanks Tammy! The dog is a kisser, but we couldn't get him to perform on cue. So the secret to this shot was a smear of peanut butter or lamb baby food on the boy's cheek :-) - Jenni Bidner See Jenni Bidner's Basic BetterPholio™ Take an Online PhotoCourse™ with Jenni Bidner: 4-Week Short Course: Basic Photography for eBay and Online Auctions 4-Week Short Course: Photographing Your Dog with an SLR Camera Read this discussion online Respond to this discussion

New Photo Discussion 7: Orange Orange Nikon D300, 18-200 mm lens at 32 mm, ISO 200, 1/125 at f/8.0. Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic. (All the colours are as they were.) © Kay Beausoleil KayBeausoleilPhotography.... Nikon D300 DX Digi... Kay, beautiful - Stan Kwasniowski See Stan's Basic BetterPholio™ Response 1:Thanks, Stan and Dominick. Other than USM and the usual curves adjustments when converting from RAW, no effects here. That was indeed the colour of the lady's hair and the building. While setting up to photograph the reflections in the stories above the ground floor, from the corner of my eye I saw her approaching. Quick change of subject! - Kay Beausoleil See Kay's Basic BetterPholio™ Visit KayBeausoleilPhotography.com - Kay's Deluxe BetterPholio™ Response 2:Thanks, Bonnie, Bill and Diane! Yes I was lucky with the colours and also the light. The upper part of the building is a modern glass creation with pieces jutting out, so the light bounced back and forth across the street from the windows on both sides creating the patches in the image. - Kay Beausoleil See Kay's Basic BetterPholio™ Visit KayBeausoleilPhotography.com - Kay's Deluxe 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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