Here is an image that shows the great fall colors of the Mid-West that we just don’t get to enjoy in California. Image was processed using the various filters of Nik Software Color Efex Pro 4. If you do not own this, do not hesitate to purchase at www.niksoftware.com You can use the discount code SCVPHOTOCENTER to receive 15% off your purchase of any Nik product.
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.
Come join the SCV Center for Photography in welcoming back Scott Robert Lim. He will be in the studio on Thursday, November 10th from 7pm to 10pm teaching his high energy Off-Camera Flash workshop. When Scott was last here in the studio his workshop sold out, so don’t miss out on this incredible deal. Cost will be $20, and payment must be made in advance to reserve your spot.
Scott is a master photographer and internationally renowned photographer having taught all over the world. He is one of America’s top[ photography educators, having had his work published in books and magazines all over the world.
SpyderGallery: Color Calibration Now a Reality for Your iPad, and Free
By David Saffir, Instructor at the SCV Center for Photography
Almost any photographer who owns an iPad enjoys its form factor, usability, and overall coolness. But color on the iPad is something of a mystery that raises a few questions—does it use the sRGB color space? (no) Something else? (yes) Can it be calibrated? (finally: yes, it can!).
A new product from Datacolor, SpyderGallery, makes it dead easy to calibrate your iPad—versions 1 or 2—and the results are noticeably better: image quality, color accuracy, saturation, shadow detail, and detail in highly saturated areas are improved, within the constraints of the iPad color range of course. It uses an existing screen calibration instrument from Datacolor, the Spyder3, and some new, and unique, software applications.
It’s an elegant setup. Download the free SpyderGallery app to your iPad, and download the corresponding software to your desktop machine. Connect your Spyder3 to the host computer. Enable your wireless network, and connect the iPad and the host computer to the same wireless network.
SpyderGallery will show you a pop-up screen that asks which wireless network you want to use. Specify the network that includes the host/desktop.
From the SpyderGallery opening screen, choose Calibrate Viewer. Make sure you’ve plugged your Spyder3 into the USB port on the host computer, and place the device in the outline on the iPad screen.
When you start the application, the host computer and the iPad communicate wirelessly. The instrument and the host computer communicate via the USB cable.
The next screen, System Setup, makes sure you’ve installed the desktop/host application, and that you’ve connected the Spyder colorimeter to the host via a USB port.
When you press OK, the app loaded on the iPad communicates wirelessly with the host application, and USB for the Spyder.
The next screens will prompt you to place the colorimeter on the iPad screen, and press OK.
A Reading In Progress status will pop up and the app goes through a series of color patches, read by the colorimeter. Voila! Your iPad is calibrated!
The application does not generate an ICC profile. Instead, it creates its color corrections pixel by pixel. The results are remarkably effective. I could easily see the difference even though it’s working within the constraints of the iPad color range.
When calibration is completed, you can view your images through the included Viewer, which includes an on/off slider that lets you see the image with calibration enabled, and disabled.
Note that Datacolor provides an on/off slider (lower right in each screen shot) so you can compare before and after.
I see improvements in my own images in shadow detail, neutrality, color accuracy, and detail in highly saturated areas. This doesn’t turn your iPad into the equal of your desktop display—that’s not possible given the limits built into the iPad—but I’m much more comfortable showing my images to a client when the screen is calibrated. In fact, I had a chance to try this out just last week, and the results were satisfying, to say the least. Better images build credibility with clients, after all. This is a unique tool, effective and easy to use. Well worth the download and minimal effort.
To learn more about this hot new product, join David for his workshop, “Mastering Creative Color” on Saturday, June 11th from 1pm to 4:30pm at the SCV Center for Photography. Cost of the workshop is $79, and if you have an iPad, bring it and David will color calibrate for you.
David Saffir is a photographer, fine art printmaker, and author. He lives in Santa Clarita, just outside Los Angeles, California. His blog address is davidsaffir.wordpress.com.
In an effort to bring great products at reasonable prices to our fellow photographers and students, we are now offering the SRs Flash, SRs Small Triggers and SRs Video Lights for sale here at the studio. I have been using all of these products and have been very impressed and happy with the results. In a partnership with Scott Robert Lim, we are now selling the above products immediately for purchase. Details of each of the products are as follows:
SRs Tiny Triggers $229
The absolute best small format triggers on the market- small, simple, reliable, affordable! Say goodbye to extra cords, trigger caddies, bulky set-ups. Tiny Trigger Set includes 1 Transmitter and 3 Receivers. THIS SET WILL CONTROL UP TO THREE HOT SHOE STROBES OF ANY BRAND.
These triggers have been rigorously tested by professional photographers around the world with rave reviews- outperforming popular modes yet at a fraction of the price. They are extremely dependable and easy to use. Every kit uses four independent channels so each transmitter can control its own flash group.
Technical Parameters:
Transmitter
Receiver
Power Source
23A – Transmitter
AAA x2- Receiver
Outdoor operating distance (open area) > 200 ft
Indoor operating distance > 30ft
Frequency Channels – 4
Operating Frequency – FM 433Mhz
Outdoor Synchronous Speed (open area)- Max 1/500sec
Indoor Synchronous Speed – Max 1/250sec
Instructions Included
This product comes with a limited one year USA Warranty
SRs Strobie 130 Flash $139
The Strobie 130 is the best affordable compact flash. It has very powerful GN128 at 35mm with an extremely fast recycle time- better than 4 sec on a fresh set of batteries. This flash will work on any camera with a standard hotshoe in MANUAL MODE. This is not a TTL flash. Perfect for the strobist who wants precise manual control for the ultimate creative lighting set-ups. Flash can also be triggered in slave mode- will fire when it “sees” another flash go off but needs a line of sight in this mode, no trigger necessary. A durable low cost/high value flash and perfect for multi-light set ups.
Features:
Compact Size
GN128- pro quality power!
Full to 1/64 (7 stops)
Recycle time < 4 sec max with fresh batteries
Scott Robert Flash Guide Calculator- quickly compute flash exposure
Slave mode- will trigger when is “sees” another flash
White bounce card
Diffuser filter for wide angle coverage
Includes: mini flash stand, protective pouch
SRs Killer Video Light $229
This is an amazing video light that with 126 LEDs perfectly calibrated to 5400k to simulate sunlight. The light is big and soft- perfect for portraits, detail images, etc. This would be the perfect companion for low light, high ISO situations or if you just want to add catchlights in the eyes when shooting in a shaded area. Using a constant light source is the best way to see and set up light because you can see exactly the results you want. Try using this light with a shoot through umbrella or diffuser panel, it will create very soft light and very usable at ISO 800 and above. This is the video light if perfect of the photographer that likes to shoot wide open at very large apertures like 1.4/1.8, etc. Videographers and fusion photographers who shoot video will make use of the this amazing mini light panel that can produce big results. The impressive run time on this light will keep you going for hours instead of minutes as with other popular video lights- say goodbye to heavy battery packs!
Features:
-126 LEDs
-Brightness control dial
-Diffuser panel: Clear and 3600K
-Cold shoe mount
-Power gage- 4 LED indicator
-Multi-power source: AA x 6, CGR-D16S, NP-FJ70, NP-FM55H, NP-F550
-70-90 min run time at full power.
-Mini Stand
This video light is very comparable to popular brands selling for more than twice the price. It comes with a one year USA warranty.
So drop on in to the studio and check out the next products and they are available for immediate purchase at the SCV Center for Photography.
If you interested in seeing Scott Robert Lim, he will be here on March 12th for Off-Camera Flash workshop from 1pm to 4pm. Cost is $10 and you must pre-register and pay as a very limited number of seats remain.
The SCV Center for Photography is pleased to announce that Scott Robert Lim is coming to the studio to present his Off-Camera Lighting workshop on Saturday, March 12th from 1pm to 4pm. Learn Scott Robert’s amazing off camera lighting and glamor posing techniques that has turned him into an international superstar. Scott will teach his simple techniques using available light and portable strobes that will allow the photographer to create amazing images on location and almost anywhere within minutes. See how to shoot in extreme bright sun and in low light situations, how to find the best light. Discover how to maximize shooting time to create a variety of stylized images. He will also have his amazing flash and trigger systems available for purchase.
Scott’s glamor portrait techniques not only work for weddings but for any type of portraiture however we will place an emphasis on fashion and glamor photography.
SPACES ARE GOING FAST. WE ONLY HAVE SPACE FOR THE FIRST 50 PARTICIPANTS THAT RESERVE AND PAY IN ADVANCE. COST OF THIS WORKSHOP IS AN AMAZING $10. Your spot will not be reserved until payment is received. Please call me for additional information (661) 904-2092.
The Rebel T3 is a replacement for the 2.5 year old Rebel XS model, and incorporates quite a range of updates to bring the camera up to date in the company’s line. the new Rebel T3 has increased the sensor resolution to twelve megapixels. Also new in the Rebel T3 is a nine-point AF system. The Rebel T3 also now supports the latest generation SDXC cards, including the very cool Eye-Fi cards, and includes a greater selection of reduced resolution shooting options.
The Rebel T3 also has a much wider ISO sensitivity range of 100 to 6,400 equivalents, an expanded +/-5 EV exposure compensation range, an adjustable Auto Lighting Optimization function, and the Highlight Tone Priority mode seen on many recent Canon DSLRs. It also adds high-def 720p movie shooting capability, HDMI video output, and a slightly larger 2.7-inch LCD display. Not all the changes are entirely positive, though. Burst shooting speed is barely changed at 3 frames per second, but burst depth falls to just 4-5 large/fine JPEG or two Raw frames.
The Rebel T3 ships with a new kit lens, the EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II, in a bundle priced at around US$600. This lens’ image stabilization system is said to offer a four-stop improvement. the new Rebel T3 should be in stores around March 2011.
So once you purchase that new Rebel T3, head on over to the SCV Center for Photography and sign-up for our Basic DSLR Camera workshops and we will help you get started.
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”.
When you are out on location it is very easy to get caught up in the moment of taking photos and you forget to look at your composition and what is happening within the frame.
It is very easy to miss the unwanted items within your image, so you need to check you viewfinder and make sure there is nothing in your frame that will require you to remove it in Photoshop.
Make sure your horizon is straight, as it is very easy to tilt your image is you are not using a tripod, or if you are using a tripod, that it is level. If needed, you can get a bubble level that slips onto your hotshoe to assist you getting a straight horizon.
And lastly, consider your depth of field, and the control you want with you foreground and background. It is much easier to determine this in the field and select the aperture in the field, than it is to blur an image in Photoshop.
So just be aware of what is going in your image before you snap the shutter…..
If you need additional assistance, we offer Basic and Intermediate Camera workshops at the SCV Center for Photography. See our workshop schedules for more information.
I hear so many beginning photographers that come through our workshops talk about how you need to spend thousands of dollars in order to take great pictures. But in reality, the equipment is just the vehicle that helps you create the photograph. Yes, certain cameras have different functions, or handle things better or worse, but all of the current DSLR’s give you the basic functions to take that photograph. No question, having a wider range of lenses and accessories helps, but acquire those items over time as you find what interests you and while you are learning and growing as a photographer.
So take your time in buying equipment, so that you only buy an item once. As you grow as a photographer, let your creativity tell you what equipment is necessary in capturing the photographs that move you, thus not purchasing equipment that will just sit in a camera bag.