Canon Blogger: Home of the Learning Digital Photography Podcast

Lighting Review: Rogue Flash Benders

jason@canonblogger.com (Jason Anderson) — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 04:30:42 PDT

One of the most common search criteria on Google that coincides with photography is that of lighting. It’s no surprise as photography really is all about the light, and when making and taking photos (yes, there’s a difference), one of the key things that people can grasp quite easily is the success of a photo is often very dependent on the lighting. To that end, it’s to our advantage to control the light as much as possible. An entire sub-industry has grown over the years catering toward controlling the light in your photos too. Everything from grid spots, to gels, … Continue reading →

August Winner – September Begins!

jason@canonblogger.com (Jason Anderson) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 04:00:28 PDT

Ahhh, month-end. Contest announcement days! As most know, this is the time when the previous month’s winner is typically announced and the next month theme is opened up for entries. Today is no exception… First up, congratulations go out to Evelyn B. for her winning metal-themed image: Not only is this a perfectly-lit image, but the details are spot on, and it totally fits the theme of Metal! Congrats to Evelyn B. from Flickr – please email me your contact information so I can submit to Red River Paper for you to get the pack of Pearl Metallic Paper (which … Continue reading →

Five Ways to Deal with Harsh/Low Lighting

jason@canonblogger.com (Jason Anderson) — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 04:30:27 PDT

A common question I get here is how to deal with harsh or low light situations. This is a great question, and for event photographers, it’s simply part of the job to recognize various lighting conditions and address them accordingly. Today, I’d like to share Five Ways to Deal with Harsh/Low Lighting: 1. Cranking the ISO and hoping to fix in post With advancements in technology, noise handling both in camera and in post production has resulted in some astonishing results that in previous years would have been literally unrecoverable. While we should always endeavor to make our images shine … Continue reading →

Copyright Isn’t Just for Photographers….

jason@canonblogger.com (Jason Anderson) — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 04:30:50 PDT

The web makes for an interesting place, and often I get emails from folks asking for suggestions and recommendations on how to best protect their images from being used without their permission (and let’s not mince words here – nobody wants to have their work stolen). Often my response is a bit of this and that, suggesting to make images “web-safe” (i.e. low resolution so they can’t really be re-printed), and to limit the images you publish. (The more you put out there, the more you have to monitor.) Online resources like TinEye are becoming more common, and people often … Continue reading →

It’s not the body, it’s the glass! (New Canon gear…)

jason@canonblogger.com (Jason Anderson) — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 00:07:22 PDT

Okay, while everyone is salivating (or slamming) on the new 60D Canon just announced, let’s not forget that it’s not really about the body upgrades – it’s the glass we want to invest in. And, true to form, there are also a significant number of additions and upgrades to the Canon lens line-up that bear some discussion, so here we go: Canon EF 8-15mm f/4L Fisheye USM lens – Touted as the worlds widest fisheye zoom, it’s an impressive feat, but not many shooters really need such a lens. At $1400 price point, the price point will likely be too … Continue reading →

The 60D Cometh! New Canon Gear!

jason@canonblogger.com (Jason Anderson) — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 23:13:23 PDT

It’s official – about ten minutes ago I got the word from the horses’ mouth directly (a.k.a. Canon), that the new 60D is hot off the presses! Rather than spout all the technical details, (which the rest of the blogosphere will do in short order), here’s the ones I like the most and why: The Vari-Angle Clear View LCD Screen Just the other day over on Camera Dojo, I was lamenting with Kerry Garrison about how the LCD’s in Canon EOS bodies didn’t have the resolution. In addition to having the tilting LCD for a variable angle of view (great … Continue reading →

Hardware Review: Think Tank Airport International V2.0

jason@canonblogger.com (Jason Anderson) — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 04:30:04 PDT

We all have camera bags. Whether you use a Point-and-Shoot, an SLR, or any other type of camera, you are putting it somewhere eventually that could be defined as a bag. These bags are made in such a variety of shapes, sizes, colors, and straps, it’s really amazing sometimes how many options there are for the photographer today. But like it or not, if you have a camera – you are gonna need a bag! If not for the camera, the accessories almost make bags a requirement, whether it’s media cards, batteries, lens pens, cloths, business cards, lenses, filters, flashes, … Continue reading →

A visit from Andie Smith!

jason@canonblogger.com (Jason Anderson) — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 04:30:23 PDT

Friend of the blog, Andie Smith has generously donated her time again here to share some insider tricks and tips to get the most out of Lightroom 3 – she shows her work flow, what the effect of various presets are in LR, and how to effectively use them. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you…Andie Smith It is no secret I love Adobe Lightroom… the rumors are true, I refuse to edit without it. As I’ve created my own presets I realized if they are created correctly you can “stack them”. What is stacking? It is similar to using more … Continue reading →

3 Years down! What’s Next?

jason@canonblogger.com (Jason Anderson) — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 04:00:32 PDT

In the blogging community, a year is a significant milestone, as most bloggers don’t make it to this point. Interests wax and wane, jobs and passions change, and audiences swell and sag as the community of readers often will gravitate toward new topics and content. The idea behind retention of readership is to change with the times. Here at CB/LDP, that has not been a problem. From the beginning, this blog has always been about sharing my experiences in photography with the larger community. So, as new technologies develop, and I learn about them, the writing reflects changes and advances … Continue reading →

Digital Photography: Where do we go from here?

jason@canonblogger.com (Jason Anderson) — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 20:30:57 PDT

I’ve often wondered about the development of technology and the patterns that go with it. As technology has advanced in other areas such as computing, the World Wide Web, and mobile platforms, cameras have also seen similar changes in recent years. The difference between cameras and the rest of the industry though is that with cameras, it’s been a very recent development. Photography has been around a lot longer than the digital world, and the underlying principles and foundations that are the basis for the craft haven’t changed much. Shutter speed and aperture size are still the dominant forces that … Continue reading →

The Newsletter is Back!

jason@canonblogger.com (Jason Anderson) — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 07:34:58 PDT

After a hiatus on the newsletter, I thought it might be a fun experiment to bring this back (enough of you have also sent me email asking if it would be coming back ever so thank you for your support)! However, rather than just putting it out there, I have decided to make this a bonus feature for the email subscription group. So, if you’d like to receive the newsletter, please let me know by signing up for the free delivery monthly! Here’s what I hope to include in each newsletter: Recent updates for events and photo galleries Best of … Continue reading →

Raquette Lake Rendezvous

jason@canonblogger.com (Jason Anderson) — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 10:41:08 PDT

Every year, the men in the family (cue Tim Allen-esque Home Improvement style grunts) depart from their women and the rigmarole of daily lives to embark on a quest to re-connect with nature. We build fire, we eat man food, we emit bodily sounds not allowed in most social circles, tell jokes that are decidedly not PC or appropriate for most audiences and all sorts of other debauchery. This year I had the chance to attend (I missed a few years due to work), and with a new generation of men-in-training to initiate, it was quite the sojurn! We also … Continue reading →

Delayed

jason@canonblogger.com (Jason Anderson) — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 05:35:10 PDT

Just as I start to insert myself back into reality, civilization and all that “real” stuff, the very real weather of the East Coast yesterday decided to extend my trip by another 24 hours against my will. Yes, the flight was delayed sufficiently from my starting city that I would have completely missed my connection flight back home. So, I must spend another 24 hours here with the family in upstate New York – oh the tragedy! It does mean that my blog post schedule needs to adjust slightly, so consider today a pseudo “no blog” post day. I may … Continue reading →

Where in the world am I?

jason@canonblogger.com (Jason Anderson) — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 08:17:48 PDT

Thanks to the timely receipt of the Photoshop Guys Q&A sets, I was effectively able to go “off the grid” for nearly a week! That’s right – completely off the grid! No email, no Twitter, no Facebook, no phone, no internet – nada! It was quite the enjoyable experience. While a select few people did have a “need to know” before I left, I did try to keep this on the down low… In the interests of keeping things going though – here’s a brief hint at me “off the grid”. Can you guess where I am? Subscribe to the … Continue reading →

Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Scott Kelby!

jason@canonblogger.com (Jason Anderson) — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 04:30:39 PDT

You’ve surely learned by now that my Q&A with Dave Cross on Monday, and the subsequent discussion with Matt Kloskowski on Tuesday, had to mean that another one was coming, right? For those of you living under a rock for the past ten years, those two are but 2/3rds of the Photoshop Guys crew. The guy that started it all, Scott Kelby, has taken the time to sit down and chew the fat with us here, so to wrap up this series, I’d like to present, the Founder of NAPP, the CEO of Kelby Media, and Photoshop Guy – Mr. … Continue reading →

Q&A With Matt Kloskowski

jason@canonblogger.com (Jason Anderson) — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 04:30:46 PDT

Picking up where we left off yesterday with Dave Cross, I’d like to welcome Matt Kloskowski to Canon Blogger and the LDP crowd. He’s taken time out of his schedule to answer a couple questions about his approach to photography, Photoshop and graphic design! Without further ado, I give you: 1. I’ve often heard that in LR post production the top-down and left-to-right approach is good, but also that setting camera profiles is a good first step, which is on the bottom right. What’s your approach? Once Adobe added the camera profiles, it messed up my whole top-down approach. So … Continue reading →

Q&A With Dave Cross!!

jason@canonblogger.com (Jason Anderson) — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 04:30:19 PDT

That’s right, you read that right – I got a chance to get with none other than the Photoshop Guys and ask a few questions about Photoshop, their own projects, and tackle everything from product preferences to personal projects and activities, and even a few personal perspectives thrown in for fun! Here’s a chance to catch up on the latest with them including their podcasts and shows. So, let’s just get right down to the brass tacks here…with so much content, it’s broken into three separate posts for today through Wednesday. Getting things started is Mr. Dave Cross!!! 1. I’ve … Continue reading →

Friday Round-Up

jason@canonblogger.com (Jason Anderson) — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 04:30:18 PDT

A bunch of news for today – as most of you know, our inaugural workshop was this last weekend in Anaheim, and boy was it rockin’! Great participation, great input, and super feedback from everyone. On the anonymous feedback forms, every ranking was either a 9 or a ten (and there were more of the latter than the former)! Such a rush to see so much appreciation, and Denver is sure to draw an even bigger crowd. There’s only a few early bird seats left (3 I think), so if you haven’t registered yet – better sign up while the … Continue reading →

A bit of Tea, Chap?

jason@canonblogger.com (Jason Anderson) — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 04:30:53 PDT

A recent visit to the parental units in upstate New York was long overdue for a number of reasons. First off, I’d not been back in nearly 4 years! Second, they had done some pretty extensive renovations and were clamoring for family to come see all the newness of their kitchen (and for the record, it was pretty fabulous), but third, and perhaps most importantly – the maternal unit is quite the avid gardener, and she prides herself on the beauty of her English-style gardens. Needless to say, this last one was the final push I needed as the photo … Continue reading →

Episode # 49 is in your podcast feed!

jason@canonblogger.com (Jason Anderson) — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 08:11:09 PDT

As we approach the half century mark in the Learning Digital Photography Podcast series, Erik Bernskiold joins us on the show for another session of doling out some good photo tips – great ways to take and make better pictures and take your photography to the next level. For those that are grabbing from the iTunes feed it should be published shortly… you know the drill! For the rest of the world, here’s a direct link to the show for listening to during the day or your workout/commute/etc. Skype gave us a few issues so there is one point … Continue reading →

Fly, Teach, Fly!

jason@canonblogger.com (Jason Anderson) — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 16:59:46 PDT

The adrenaline has worn off, and the inaugural workshop for Learning Lightroom 3 came to an end in Anaheim yesterday! It was a great workshop, and the feedback we got was just off the hook – 9′s and 10′s across the board. What was everyone’s favorite part? Naturally the prizes took the top notch, but a surprising second was our tips and tricks for how to get the most out of Lightroom 3. People really seemed to feed off the suggestions we made for everything from backup recommendations to advanced retouching techniques, and catalog maintenance and image management. It’s events … Continue reading →

The problem with words…

jason@canonblogger.com (Jason Anderson) — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 04:00:56 PDT

Recently, I learned that the Isle of Palms (IOP) in South Carolina has made it illegal for photographers to take commercial photography onto the public beaches. The specific phraseology of a recently posted page for IOP states that: “Commercial activity, including photograpy, is prohibited on the Isle of Palms beach. Unless a special exemption is granted by City Council, photographers who take portraits or photographs on the Isle of Palms beach as part of a commercial transaction are in violation of City ordinances.” For now I will ignore the part where they mis-spelled photography as ‘photograpy’ (because it’s probably just … Continue reading →

Lightroom 3 Contest Winner!

jason@canonblogger.com (Jason Anderson) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 10:06:45 PDT

After much deliberation over the fantastic compilation of images for the July contest, I’ve finally had to just make probably one of the toughest judging decisions I’ve had to make thus far in the history of the contest series. However, in light of the theme of the contest (Slick), and the creativity that went into the image itself, I have to give the nod to Stephen Ludgate for his submission: This image has the perfect amount of abstraction, yet also technically is very well thought-out, and the symbolism/timeliness of it to topical events of late is pretty amazing. Congratulations to … Continue reading →

Shooting From the Hip

jason@canonblogger.com (Jason Anderson) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 04:30:38 PDT

While recently taking a reality break and visiting family in my old stomping grounds, I had a chance to tour the Farmer’s Museum in Cooperstown, NY. Viewing museums like these is a lot of fun for both kids and adults – kids because of the activities, and adults because I think as you get older, you can start to appreciate with more awareness just how tough things were (or how easy they are now). In keeping with just going to take it all in, I left all my camera gear at home, save my Motorola Droid, which I wasn’t really … Continue reading →

Creating the color video

jason@canonblogger.com (Jason Anderson) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 02:00:40 PDT

As promised from last weeks post on Youtube, I promised to share the “how to” on the creation of the little teaser video for transitioning from a black and white photo to color. For those that don’t remember, the video is here: To start, I took an image and pulled it into Photoshop. Realizing that I would need to do some virtually identical steps across several images, on the first one, I started the process of creating an action. The action in essence, creates a duplicate layer of the image, converts it to black and white, then repeats the duplication … Continue reading →