It is time to get your Holiday Family Portraits. Here is image from our most recent studio session…..
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Very cool to announce that our image “Into the Center” image won 1st place in the Macro division of the SCVPA Print Competition. The image was captured at the Frederik Meijer Gardens in Grand Rapids, Michigan during this past year.
It has certainly been an interesting and exciting year, and last night was one of the high points, as our image “Beauty from Behind” created by Mel Carll was awarded “2010 Image of the Year” by the Professional Photographers of Los Angeles County (PPLAC) during their January 2011 meeting. The image was created at the SCV Center for Photography studio, and has won several awards this past year, including a “Best of Show”.
I have been experimenting with Nik Software’s new HDR Efex Pro. I am really liking the results and the ease of use in using this new software. Nik has also incorporated the U-Point technology that is in many of their other programs, so making local adjustments instead of global adjustments is very easy.
If you are interested in purchasing the software, then head over to www.niksoftware .com and during checkout, put in the discount code of SCVPHOTOCENTER and receive a 15% discount on ALL Nik products.
Here are a few examples using the new HDR Efex Pro software:
Show your camera some love. Always clean your camera after a shoot. You take it out in to the world and ask it to capture some amazing images for you. It gets exposed to the air and wind and dirt – maybe even some sea mist. Give it some TLC afterwards by using a clean, dry cloth to wipe away the dirt and grime. When necessary, take it in to your local camera shop for a thorough cleaning – including the sensor. You can, of course, clean the sensor yourself, but this can be tricky business and cause major harm to your camera. Unless you are 100% sure of what you are doing, do not attempt this at home! Take it to a professional. When you take care of your camera, it will take care of you! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at the SCV Center for Photography.
Today I got to do one of my favorite things – take pictures of cupcakes and cookies from Lady Di’s. What a perfect way to end the week! These mouthwatering treats are as good as they look. Stop by her shop located on The Old Road and Valencia Blvd. in Valencia and take some home today. Tell them we sent you!
On Sunday SCV Center for Photography hosted our Wedding Photography Intensive workshop with the awesome Wedding Photographer William Innes as our fearless instructor for the day. The dedicated group started at 8am, yes, on a Sunday morning, and the entire group was early at that. By 9am the group was shooting our totally decked out models Sarah & John, who did a fantastic job. We were back in the studio b early afternoon for lunch and Q&A. After lunch, it was all about workflow and editing the images from the day. By 5pm the group was spent, but thrilled with the images and new found knowledge. To see more on the workshop and about our totally awesome instructor, head over to http://williaminnes.com/blog/
Nikon announced today the release of several new lenses. The first that caught my attention was the 28-300mm f3.5-5.6 VR lens that compete directly with Tamron. This will provide the everyday photographer with a great range, thus reducing the need to change the lens. This will be a welcomed addition to the vacation photographer as it will improve the range from the Nikon 18-200mm VR.
The next lens is the 24-120 f4 ED VR. The great thing about this lens is it is geared toward the full frame sensor, so no loss of megapixels. Great addition for those with the D700 and D3 cameras.
The other lens is the 85mm f1.4 which has been a little late to the game. While the 85mm f1.8 is a great lens, this should rock with the f1.4 aperture.
On Saturday 8/14 we photographed Eric’s 16th birthday party at the Hyatt Valencia. What a grand party indeed. He invited 90 of his close friends for an evening of music, food and all around fun. Thanks Eric for letting us share and photograph your birthday event, and I do mean event. Here are just a couple of tease photos from the event. SCV Center for Photography supplied 2 photographers for the evening, and it was more fun than work, as the kids were a blast.
There are times when your photographic creative juices fail you, and you just can not come up with any ideas of what to photograph, but you want to photograph. Here are a few ideas for you to consider:
- Your Yard: You may think this is funny, but your yard is a target rich environment. Most of you are likely to have flowers, roses, herbs or plants. These items always make great macro subjects. And don’t forget the grass, which first thing in the morning with dew and sunlight can be pretty pleasing.
- Your House: To be more specific, the kitchen. Consider those hanging pots, or the many utensils you have laying around. If you just look around, you may be surprised what you see.
- Park: Most us have a park fairly close to home. The kids play area always has some interesting objects, that might be interesting macro shots. The kids playing, laughing and running are great photos to send the grandparents. You may even be lucky to have a water fountain or other textures to consider.
- Industrial Park: Take a drive though the local business park. Check out the textures on the building, as they can make for some interesting abstracts. A lot of businesses have some pretty nice landscaping, so again, flowers, plants and even water treatments can make for great photos.
- Farmers Market: Most towns today have a local farmers market, and this can be an awesome place for photographs. You should always ask the vendors if they mind having the produce photographed, but generally, most have no problems.
Hopefully these tips can you help you jump start your creative juices on those slow days. Enjoy, and keep shooting. If you are interested in other ideas, please log onto our website at www.scvphotocenter.com and check out our many workshops each month at the SCV Center for Photography.