White sunset by torremountain, on Flickr

Winter in Merstham Feb 2012 by Ben124., on Flickr

Stinchar Ice by overgraeme, on Flickr

Rollei35T_Snow_20120123_19 by Jun Takeuchi, on Flickr

Michigan Transit Museum, Mt Clemens, MI by jkdevleer04, on Flickr

Not All Hope is Lost… by Ev0luti0nary, on Flickr

1st True Water Reflection by LadyDragonflyCC – TY for 300,000 Views!!!!, on Flickr

Windmill in Winter by h.koppdelaney, on Flickr

Lonely village in the dark by Terence S. Jones, on Flickr

Circo de Gredos, Avila, Spain by javi.velazquez, on Flickr

Simply Leaving by LH|Photography, on Flickr

Shadow in the snow by angelocesare, on Flickr

Golf course in the fog. by sidibousaid60, on Flickr

Cattle grid. by sidibousaid60, on Flickr

14/366 – Waterfall by Andreas Øverland, on Flickr

Awaiting Spring by jumpinjimmyjava, on Flickr

Chill’n by IcyAero, on Flickr

flow snow by onigiri-kun, on Flickr

Silver sky by Ernst Vikne, on Flickr

10/366 – Night, fog, snow by Andreas Øverland, on Flickr

65/365 by Alexis Fam Photography, on Flickr

Central Park In Snow by Randy Le’Moine Photography, on Flickr

Circo de Gredos, Avila, Spain by javi.velazquez, on Flickr

3/365 by bgottsab, on Flickr

so sparkly by Danielle Scott, on Flickr

The division snow by angelocesare, on Flickr

White view by Salmando, on Flickr

Ola de frio by anieto2k, on Flickr

Winter Photography Resources

• How to Photograph Snow
• How to Shoot in the Rain
• 35 Cool Snowscapes [INSPIRATION]
• Shooting in Extreme Conditions (Outdoor Photographer)

Photography Tutorials, Case Studies and Discounts - LightStalking Photography Newsletter.

Flowers are the easy subjects to come by and to photograph, even close to home. You can go to local park or find a flower bed downtown or at the mall. You can visit a botanical garden, there is one in every major city. You can ask the neighbors if you can photograph in their garden. You can also just go the flower shop and buy potted or cut flowers, and set them up in your living room.

The easiest way, as I discovered this year, is to plant small flower garden in front of your house. Even for the sole purpose of having a photographic subject handy, they do not require that much work, especially if you choose the local wild flowers. The diversity in types and colors will help keeping you interested and returning often to add to the collection of images. Each day, the flowers will looks different, some will be already dying, and some will just start to bloom. There are new and different photos to be taken each and every day.

Don’t Forget to Check The Weather!

Weather is going to be your worst enemy. Sun and wind are two ingredients you need to be aware of at any moment.

They say that macro photography of flowers (and other plants) is the one type of photography allowed in the midday harsh light. Don’t believe it. It will at times create as much contrast between your highlights and shadows as for any other subject. Unless of course your flower subjects are in the shade or under a scrim. Pay attention to the light, and either photograph during “golden hour” or at times when the sun in on opposite side of the house. It will create far more beautiful images.

It is going to be quite difficult to avoid the wind. Even a small breeze can shake high stem flowers enough to result in blurry images. Especially if you photograph in the shade, with stepped down aperture (large f/ stops) for increased depth of field, the shutter speeds will be slow and the slightest movement of the flower will be magnified in your photograph. There is not much you can about it. Check the wether and pick the day of the week and the time of the day with the calmest conditions. Pick the side of house for your garden opposite to prevailing wind direction in your area. But also, you can just incorporate the movement into your photographs for fresh, creative look.

What Gear Do You Need for Flower Photography?

Photography of flowers is oftentimes at borderline of close-up and macro work.

If you have a point and shoot camera, many have excellent macro mode, which will allow you to get close. Turn it on.

On a dSLR, you will get the best results from dedicated macro lens. They come in few focal lengths, which vary by manufacturer. I found the Nikkor 85 mm works well for me and my shooting style. In fact, all images in this post but one were take with this lens. You can rent and try different lenses from one of several reputable online services (like BorrowLenses.com, LensRentals.com, LensProToGo.com) or check in local camera store before investing your money in one. Also consider that many all-in-one zoom lenses, like the Nikkor 18-200 mm or Sigma 18-300 mm I use, will allow you to focus from just few inches away. Other options include extension tubes and macro filters. This last option is the least recommended, but the least expensive at the same time.

Use These Settings for Best Results

The camera settings you choose will have strong effect on the final image. Play with them, if your camera allows it.

The ISO is best left alone on the highest setting you are comfortable on your camera. The higher the ISO, the shorter your shutter speed will be, but the more noise you will get. On most dSLRs, 400 or 800 is the best choice.

The other parameter you probably don’t need to worry much is the white balance. First, most dSLRs are quite good on the Automatic mode. Secondly, if you shoot RAW, you will have the most flexibility to change it afterwards. Third, the flower images are usually fine art not documentary, and as such are subject to artistic freedom. You might even try changing the white balance to warmer or colder for some artistic reason.

The Aperture priority or Manual mode will give you the most control over remaining settings. But stay away from really wide open apertures like f/1.8, or even f/5.6. Many beginners enjoy the shallow depth of field, especially shortly after upgrading from point-and-shoot which typically have unlimited depth of field. When you are close to the subject, the depth of field is too narrow and just not enough for any part of the flower to be in sufficient focus. You will quickly realize that anything starting from f/11 or even f/14 gives enough depth of field to avoid the feeling of out-of-focus, blurry image. Many times it is best to go as high as lens allows, up to f/22 or f/32 depending on the lens. Be also careful in how you position the camera in relation to the flower. The more parallel the sensor and the part of flower you want in sharp focus are, the easier it will be to achieve crispy look.

At the same time, the stepped down aperture might cause your background to come in focus and make the image too cluttered. To avoid it and have more control over the aesthetic of your background, replace it with your own. Take several different out of focus photographs- of cloudy sky, trees in several shades of green etc. If it is not single, solid color, it will look more natural. Print them as 11×14, and glue them onto foam core for more sturdiness and use as on-demand background. The more color choices, the more flexibility.

Getting Better Flower Photos With Precision

The last two pieces of advice in this post are going to have the most impact on your flower photography. These are also the two things too many of beginning photographers ignore, thinking they will be just fine without them. The results are mediocre instead of excellent.

First, put the camera on tripod. Really. It does not need to be fancy setup with ball head and removable center column, although it helps. What it has to be, however, is sturdy enough to keep the weight of the your camera. I am using Manfrotto 055XPROB with 488RC2 ball head. I went through several cheap, plastic tripods before giving up and finally investing into it. Avoid my mistake.

Secondly, use manual focus. Even with stepped down aperture, the depth of field will still be narrow. With the stabilized tripod, now you can make the decision if the middle of the flower or the petals are where you want viewers to look first.

I hope those few basic tips will get you interested in finding some flowers now and photographing them. Be creative. Have fun. And if you feel there is anything important I forgot, please ask a question or add your tips in the comments section.

Photography Tutorials, Case Studies and Discounts - LightStalking Photography Newsletter.

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you’ve almost certainly heard that the ancient Maya long-count calendar rolls over in December this year. Along with spurring the release of a frenzy of apocalyptic books, this event is also helping spawn renewed tourist interest in Maya ruins. Not to miss out on the opportunity (and free publicity), Mesoamerican communities are hosting a number of special events to celebrate the historic occasion. And governments in what was once the Maya realm have funded a new wave of restoration projects at ruin sites.

So regardless of whether your driving interest is culture, history, art, or archaeology, you may well be considering (if not yet planning) a photography trip to the Maya realm. If this is the case for you, please allow me to give you a few pointers based on my experiences in the area.

The Seasons

The Yucatán Peninsula basically has just two seasons: wet, and dry. For a visiting photographer, each has its plusses and minuses.

The wet season runs roughly from June through October – and as you’d expect, brings frequent rains. But the rains tend to come in the form of late afternoon showers – so they hit fast and strong, but are over in a few hours. The wet season is also hurricane season, although that particular travel hazard peaks at the end of the wet, in September and October. On the bright side, vegetation is at its best during the wet season, and morning skies can be very clear. Most uncomfortable is the fact that the wet season is also bug season, and most bite.

The dry season spans November through May, and in general is a more pleasant time to visit. The bugs dissipate as the Yucatán dries out, and the dryer weather leaves you the whole day for exploring. The only real disadvantages are that the shooting environment can get hot and dusty as the dry season wears on, so capturing blue skies in your shots gets trickier. May is particularly dicey, since it’s the month when farmers burn their fields to clear them. Depending on how close your stay is to agriculture, you can be in for a smoky time. The vegetation looks more sparse and less photogenic as the dry season wraps up as well (it’s essentially the tropics’ version of winter).

Belize on a smoky day in late May

The most comfortable time to see the Yucatán is early in the dry season, December through March. But of course, this is well known, so this is high season for tourism. Between Christmas and Easter in particular, accommodations are at their most expensive and “marquis” sites get crowded quickly.

Personal Safety

Maya archaeological sites are generally in high-poverty areas, so you should expect a background level of petty crime. There will be pickpockets in crowds, unattended gear can grow legs and walk off – it’s nothing you haven’t faced before if you’ve ever travelled in a less-developed part of the world. Keep your wits about you, and an eye on your gear, and you shouldn’t have any problems.

Looking out our window in Tulúm Pueblo: standard yard protection in a good neighborhood

Narcotic-related crime gets lots of press coverage, and for good reason – about 65% of Mexico is considered by one government or another to be severely impacted by drug-related violent crime. Fortunately, Maya areas of Mesoamerica (including Mexico) are still considered to be safer than other areas on this count. In any case, you should double-check on the situation before you go. The U.S. State Department publishes up-to-date information on the safety situation in various areas, other governments do similar things for their residents.

Fortunately, some safety precautions can be both simple and cheap. Just keeping a low profile can help keep you from looking like a target. I covered all the shiny (silver / gold colored) parts of my camera and lenses with black “gaffer” tape to make my gear look less appealing to potential thieves. I took an old unlocked GSM cell phone (purchased for $20 via eBay) for calls from the road — pre-paid country-specific SIM cards are easily purchased on the internet. It’s also a good idea to dress down, unless you’re out for a night on the town in a resort district.

Carry any necessary valuables in a travel wallet around your neck, or in some other pouch hidden under your shirt — not in a pants pocket or a purse. When you’re in town or riding busses, carry your photographic gear in something that doesn’t look like a camera bag — maybe in a thrift-store backpack that’s showing some wear, or a non-flashy messenger bag. You can use inserts to turn almost anything into a camera bag these days.

Photography Restrictions

Along with site-specific restrictions on photographic gear, there are some broader ones you’ll need to keep in mind too.

Mexico treats its archaeological sites as outdoor museums, so you can’t use “professional” photography gear there without prior written permission – tripods in particular are explicitly forbidden.

By the way, “prior written permission” involves filling out paperwork in person in Mexico City, so you’re well advised to save yourself the headache and just reserve your tripod for use outside of ruins. When I checked the permission forms for “professional” gear, aside from tripods they only mentioned “special” photographic equipment. You’ll want to do your own due diligence, but my reading of the situation is that a good camera is fine, but you should leave the lighting stands and large reflectors at home.

For what it’s worth, I’ve carried a “pro-grade” DSLR, flash, and handful of lenses through dozens of ruins and have never been hassled at any of them.

In Mexico, every ruin levies an extra charge for use of camcorders and other video cameras — in 2011, this was only M$45 (about $4 US). Oddly, you don’t have to pay extra if you record video with a DSLR or point-and-shoot camera – but I suspect that it’s only a matter of time until they get wise to this “loophole.” Some sites also ban flash photography, but this is the exception rather than the rule; look for signs near the entry and ticket desk for restrictions specific to the site.

Maya sites in Guatemala and Belize don’t tend to have as many limits (in particular, tripods are OK), although some are even more restrictive in specific places. For instance, photography is banned entirely in the on-site museums at the ruins of Tikal.

Tikal: cameras are welcome, but only outdoors

Planning Ahead

Particularly if you visit in (Northern Hemisphere) summer, you’ll need to drink LOTS of water while you walk through the ruins. Since water isn’t available for purchase at some sites, this means you’ll often need to pack 4 liters of water (or more) per person per day when you head out in the morning. And of course, most tap water isn’t safe to drink in these areas, so you’ll most likely be packing bottled water. You can often get it for free at your hotel, but in any event you’ll need to make water logistics part of your morning checklist. I took a UV water sterilizer (made for backpacking) as a backup – you should consider doing likewise if you’ll be visiting some of the more far-flung sites.

Skype (or some other VOIP software) on a smartphone is a good backup to a local cellphone in a pinch (if your travel phone breaks, or runs out of minutes, or you can’t get a connection). Check before your trip to see if WiFi is available in places you’ll be staying, often it’s available at cyber cafes in larger towns if you’re not staying at a hotel or B&B with this service.

If you’re like me, you’ll find it impossible to have as much time at sites as you’d like – you’ll want to do some homework in advance, so that you can use your time strategically. You should also try to get in decent shape before you leave on your trip, and take comfortable (closed) walking shoes or boots. You can easily cover 10 or more miles a day hiking around Maya sites, and sandals just won’t do the job in many places (few trails in archaeological sites are paved).

Conclusion

A trip to see Maya ruins is the trip of a lifetime, and there’s even more to see than usual this year. Particularly if you live in the western hemisphere, few adventures are both as interesting and as achievable. So go have fun and take lots of pictures — you won’t regret it!

Eric Seale is an avid travel photographer and the author of a series of photography guides to Maya ruins.

Photography Tutorials, Case Studies and Discounts - LightStalking Photography Newsletter.

almost may by paul (dex), on Flickr

Check out the Toad’s photoblog featuring Canadian landscapes and historical artifacts, and his Fine Art Landscape Photography website.

TUTORIALS

Ask JoeB: Chainlink Fence – another wonderful and highly informative blog post from Joe Baraban discusses textures and lines in art.  The image being critiqued is just wonderful, producing fabulous leading lines and a frame for the slightly out of focus window in the background.  This is a truly wonderful post sure to teach almost everyone something about image composition, and specifically photography.

Ask JoeB: Zoom Range – another post from Joe Baraban delivers a critique on a specific composition.  The comments and thoughts he shares with the reader are guaranteed to help almost everyone with their image compositions, producing a post that is a real gem in this weeks links list.  This quick read is well worth the time to visit.

Photography Exercise That Teaches You How to Shoot Better – a wonderful tutorial exercise that is spot-on and will undoubtedly help everyone who reads it create better compositions in their own craft.  This short article is full of details on a great concept that I am just heading out the door to try myself…

Bringing Beauty Home with Panoramas – master photographer Lee Brown shares with us a truly breathtaking panorama landscape photo, but he also does one better by sharing some really great tips and tricks for capturing these types of images.  Lee goes into pretty great detail in this post, discussing some of the more technical points behind the challenges that are encountered with panoramas.

GREAT PHOTOGRAPHY

Learning to See Part 9 – our very own @tomdinning continues his running series “Learning to See” with this absolutely profound post.  Magic, indeed, is seen, captured and shared by Tom in this epic article, leaving the reader with a strong sense of the profound, as well as a renewed eye to the craft.  Once again, the harshest critic is ourselves, and when we look through all the rules and geometry that intrinsically makes up the art of photography, and more generally, imagery, we find ourselves.

The Shed – moody, eerie, dramatic and absolutely wonderful!  This incredible black and white image as photographed and shared by Jim Denham delivers a piece of imagery that is compelling and captivating; a must see shot in this weeks list for sure!

Spiritual – this is one of my favorite spots in the world.  When I was growing up we used to visit the Jasper National Park almost every year on vacation and it was one of my mom’s favorite places.  This epic and storied photograph of the world famous Spirit Island on Maligne Lake in Jasper is hands-down one of the very best I’ve ever seen.  One day we hope to get here and try our own hand at this unbelievable location, but in the meantime we’ve got this top drawer shot from Len Saltiel to view and enjoy!

Dior creme in a splash flower – a wonderful and highly dramatic piece as delivered from the studio of Alex Koloskov showcases a staged product image that really delivers a message in a glance.  Fabulous details and drama are all present in this exquisite image, well worth the time to visit and view.

Travel Adventures: The Louvre, Paris, France – a stunning collection of truly epic photographs taken in The Louvre, Paris.  Doug Pruden captures a great series and showcases it in a slide-show presentation format, producing an absolutely riveting and compelling piece to enjoy.

Two Worlds – The Bean People – what a fabulous post here by Erik and Kathleen Kerstenbeck!  We get a unique and wonderful shot of the infamous Chicago “Bean” which is wonderfully composed to literally deliver two images, two messages, in one shot.  Absolutely fabulous, well worth the time to visit!

Moonlight – a highly dramatic and captivating black and white photograph from the studio of Barbara Youngleson shares a wonderful moonlit water scene.  This highly emotional piece delivers a powerful message and is exquisitely processed by Barbara, definitely a highlight in this weeks list.

Little Caesar – a wonderful and evocative image of a primate straight from the studio of Tim Stanley.  The image itself is absolutely top drawer, but the expression on the face of the chimpanzee add a ton of interest to the photograph, producing something truly special and unique.

Misty morning by Steve-h, on Flickr

GB Heron and Roseate Spoonbill – a truly wonderful photograph showcasing two beautiful birds, as captured and delivered by Mark Paulson.  The perfect composition and depth-of-focus work together in this stunning piece to bring a stunning image to life for the viewer to enjoy.

Green-winged Teal – an image so crisp and sharp, at first glance it almost appears to be a painting.  The wonderful details in the beautiful bird are masterfully captured and shared by Jay Taylor, producing a piece that is a must-see image in this weeks list.

Storm Ridge – an epic and powerful piece, captured here in the same city I live in.  The power and wonder of a powerful storm is carefully captured using long exposure techniques which in turn add so much mystery and drama to the scene.  I love the foggy effect a well done long exposure shot can produce in violent waters, and this post highlights this effect just wonderfully.

Chasing creativity – we all experience this at one time or another; the loss of the feeling of creativity.  In this case, however, this loss results in the creation of an absolutely wonderful and breathtaking landscape photograph.  Great leading lines can be found in the natural shoreline, and the sun poking its way through a diffused sky work together to create a highly dramatic piece that truly exhibits the notion of tension in an image.

Dream Theatre – Morecombe Winter Gardens – wow, what a truly epic series of images of an iconic entertainment complex in the UK.  A team of prolific UrBex photographers captured and share a wonderful set taken inside this theatre, producing a piece that is truly captivating and compelling to view.  Well worth the time to visit.

Autumn Trail – paths and roads can produce dramatic leading lines for the viewer to follow through a frame, and this is a great example of this.  Scott Hovind captures and shares a powerful autumn image with great colors and details to enjoy by all.

Through the Fence – a wonderful and emotional piece from Rachel Cohen shares an image of a character home.  Fabulous lighting and shadows add further interest to the inherent composition, producing a stunning piece that is everyone is sure to enjoy.

Down in the Valley – a colorful and vibrant landscape image awaits the viewer in this wonderful photograph from Tim Stanley.  Virginia is a beautiful place in the world, and here Tim captures a shot of the rolling vista that is absolutely compelling.  It also gives the viewer a strong sense of scale with the way the image appears to go on forever.

Family Visits – an absolutely profound post discusses remembering those who came before us and the importance of carrying these memories forward for future generations awaits the viewer here.  The wonderful sentiments are punctuated with fabulous photography of flowers, completing this post and producing something wonderful.

Four in a Row – master HDR photographer at Farbspiel Photography delivers a wonderful and colorful macro shot of water drops on a flowers petal.  Truly great colors and intricate details await the viewer with this shot, producing a compelling and captivating piece that is well worth the time to visit and view.

Sunday, Peaceful Sunday – a wonderful installment in the running series as produced by Heather Neil.  These picture posts include no words as the image is intended to convey the entire message in one look.  This wonderful rolling landscape photo from Heather really delivers a great piece of imagery in this regard, one that is a true pleasure and joy to view.

Luscious Tomato Slices – if you like intrigue, color and tons of interest in one place you will LOVE this image posted by Helene Kobelnyk.  I don’t even know how she did this, but somehow we get a translucent image of tomato slices from Helene in this absolutely stunning picture; one that is well worth the time to visit and view in this weeks list!

Leaving Yerevan… [Explored] by 85mm.ch, on Flickr

A history of plant and animal death – our very own @astaroth here at Light Stalking produces another great series to view and enjoy by all.  A natural tragedy unfolds in the park he visits, and in this case he carefully photographs the outcome of this event and some of the other interesting elements in the park, and delivers a truly compelling post to view.

Creek Swirl – Jerry Denham captures and shares a great shot of natural swirling action in a creek.  Long exposure techniques were utilized in the capturing of this shot, producing a piece that is both absolutely beautiful and completely interesting, at the same time.

Primate Reflecting – this image is the pure definition of tension in imagery.  Scott Hovind captures and delivers a truly compelling and stunning image, of a primate sitting and looking out what appears to be a window of sorts.  The incredible look in his eyes and the wonderful lighting in this picture converge to really create something special and highly emotional.  A great picture to be enjoyed by all.

Green Eyed – wow, this is a truly stunning shot of a Tiger as it sits gazing over it’s kingdom.  This exquisite animal is perfectly captured with this incredible composition from North Metro Photo and is full of great details and interest for everyone to take in and enjoy.

Rest in Peace – a highly poignant and profound image from the studio of Steve Beal remembers someone who was important to him.  This wonderful landscape photo looks down the wandering shoreline which creates a lovely natural leading line, and is accentuated with incredible clouds to add mystery and drama.  A great shot to remember someone special.

In The Spotlight – a gorgeous shot of a cascading waterfall accented with exquisite natural light.  This epic picture is captured and shared by Curt Fleenor, delivering a beautiful and special piece that is sure to delight and amaze everyone who pops by to view.

Cold Case Files – a wonderful, gritty, texturey picture from the studio of John Sotiriou delivers a shot so full of visual intrigue it’s difficult to tear your eyes away from it.  The exquisite shallow depth-of-focus brings the viewers eye right to the best part of the subject, producing a piece that is stunning and alluring all at the same time.

Desiccate – I don’t even know where to start with this one.  This picture, taken at the Salton Sea which is in-and-of itself an utterly fascinating and strange place in the United States, really delivers a macabre view of what remains.  Aaron Barlow skillfully and carefully composes and processes a shot that really speaks to the place itself, albeit with a touch of creepiness to it.

What You See in an Airport – a truly wonderful series, all captured with a cell-phone by Chris Nitz.  Chris captures and documents a visit in an airport with a series of truly inspiring and incredible photographs each full of drama and tension.  This is a wonderful series, sure to be enjoyed by all who visit.

Sunset at Fort Foster – what a truly profound landscape photograph, captured by Bob Lussier.  Great colors in the sky are accented by the awesome natural leading line of the dock, combining to produce a piece that is guaranteed to delight and amaze all who visit to view.

St Stefano Rotondo – a truly awesome interior architectural study of St Stefano Rotondo basilica delivers a strong and compelling piece to enjoy.  Giuseppe Sapori does a great job of capturing all the details and elements of interest in this iconic location, producing a piece that is a true must-see image in this weeks list.

The Temple Bar, Dublin – full of both incredible architectural details and wonderful colors, this shot from the studio of Jim Nix is just chock full of great textures and crisp details.  This iconic spot in Ireland offers Jim the picture-perfect location for his masterful photography, creating a breathtaking piece that rewards the viewer who spends time taking in all the details.

Chinese Soldier by Jonathan Kos-Read, on Flickr

Loophole – I just love great reflections and I love great architecture.  In this top drawer image from Barbara Youngleson we get the best of both worlds in one jaw-droppingly awesome photograph.  There is so much of interest in this shot, the viewer is captivated for an extended time taking in all the rich details that are carefully captured and shared here by Barbara.

Autumn Mirror – another incredible reflection awaits the viewer in this stunning, stunning masterpiece from the studio of Len Saltiel.  A landscape photograph so beautiful and compelling is produced here, delivering something that is sure to delight and amaze all who visit.

Wool Grading Sheds – Ironwork – fabulous details and textures are all to be found within this great image from the studio of Mark Blundell.  Classic ironwork is the main subject of this image, but the textures and details in the abandoned room also share a story themselves, one that will be enjoyed by all who visit.

West Parks – The Links – viola, indeed!  Chris Maskell captures, processes and shares another incredible picture from his UrBex outings.  This shot of a covered walkway is so perfectly composed, with top drawer lines and tons of great textures.  This one is guaranteed to delight and amaze all who pop over for a visit.

Which Came First – a poignant and thoughtful post from the studio of Steven Perlmutter delivers both a strong and compelling image, but also poses a truly interesting question for which there appears to be no real answer.  This is a truly memorable picture employing just a wonderful shallow depth-of-focus to add further interest, well worth the time to visit and view.

Shhh – Sleeping Here… – Rob Hanson captures and shares a most wondrous image here with everyone.  Fabulous and rich details are all masterfully captured in this fabulous shot of a, um, sleeping bee.  Seriously, it’s a bee and it’s asleep.  This is definitely a shot that will delight and amaze everyone who pops by for a viewing.

Churchyard, Toronto – a wonderful and brutally cold photograph is captured and shared by Ren Bostelaar in this iconic shot taken in Toronto, Canada.  A church in the background provides architectural interest, and the lovely snowfall in the foreground of the scene provides the sense of bone-chilling cold, combing to create an epic winter shot sure to delight everyone.

Friday Night – sometimes an image tells an entire story with one quick look, and this shot as captured by Helene Kobelnyk really exemplifies this quite nicely.  A simple shot of a beer bottle is accented by it’s surrounding, and the exquisite shallow depth-of-focus helps to combine with these factors to produce a quintessential shot to express what a Friday night truly is!

Blue hour on the River Liffey – a stunning architectural study of Dublin’s city skyline awaits the viewer in this truly incredible shot from Jim Nix.  Great colors and tones adorn the sky, and the inclusion of the wonderful lights of the city really adds so much to the overall scene; this is a picture that is truly well worth the time to visit and view.

Silk Road #9 by Jonathan Kos-Read, on Flickr

Shane’s Milky Way – nighttime photography can produce breathtaking results, and in this shot as delivered by the good folks at Hansrico Photography really shows why.  The beautiful stars paint such a wonderful scene on the night sky, which in turn is punctuated by the wonderful silhouette of the trees.

Cactus and Towers – a great shot focusing on the beauty and inherent interest in cactus using a city skyline as a backdrop.  Shane Lund captures and shares a truly wonderful shot, one that is guaranteed to delight all who visit.

White Gazebo – a wonderful, wonderful image from the studio of Jimi Jones shares a scene of a lovely white gazebo in a field.  Jimi employed painterly type processing techniques on this image, producing a beautiful and compelling piece, sure to be enjoyed by all who visit to view.

Cotehele – Potting Shed – this image will keep you engaged and mesmerized for quite some time, taking in all the details and textures that Mark Blundell so carefully captured and processed.  This old potting shed is full of history, and in this jaw-droppingly amazing shot, Mark really captures the full character and in the end produces something that is both very special as well as utterly unique.

Awaking in a Snow Covered Dream – the white and vibrant peaks of Austria provide the perfect snow covered setting for Adam Allegro to capture and share.  These mountains are majestic and beautiful beyond words, and Adam really does a top drawer job of capturing these breathtaking scenes to produce a set of shots that is just stunning.

The Twilight Zone – there is no way to describe this image any better than the title that Aaron Barlow came up with for it.  This exquisite and unique black-and-white image utilizes a different framing technique and composition to share a full story with the viewer, one that is well worth the time to visit and view.

Broken – wow, this is amazing.  One of the most dramatic and subtle shots I’ve seen all week, straight from the studio of Scott Frederick.  This black-and-white shot taken inside a dilapidated room really brings all the moodiness and intrigue to life for all to enjoy.  This is a top drawer image, pop over to see for yourself.

Ready to Depart – fabulous natural light drapes over the main subject in this shot, bringing with it a strong sense of drama and tension.  Chris Maskell masterfully captures and shares a shot taken in an abandoned institution that is so compelling it’s sure to delight everyone who visits and views.

Skunked – a truly epic and incredible shot of a sunrise coming up over a lake produces an utterly captivating piece by Jerry Denham.  This HDR shot uses all the best elements of the composition to produce an image that is alive with color and literally pops out of the monitor at the viewer.

Bancroft’s Castle – I keep coming back to this image to marvel in the absolutely perfect composition that John Sotiriou managed to use to capture this shot.  A castle, mostly in ruins now, forms the main subject for this image, but this great subject is further enhanced by a truly epic sunflare that comes shining through one of the stone window frames.  Absolutely stunning.

Columns – Jim Denham masterfully captures and processes a great composition of this old, now unused church.  Fabulous textures and details all emerge as the viewer spends time taking this image in, making it well worth the time to visit in this weeks list of links.

Inside an Icy Mossy Cave – oh wow, what an amazing shot as captured by Kristi Hines!  An ice cave sits and awaits her photography, whereby she captures a truly wonderful shot expressing the story of this incredible location.  Well worth the time to visit and view, to say the very least!

Glaciers – Mount Rainier delivers the perfect setting for Scott Wood on his photographic adventures in the sky.  This iconic mountain is very famous in the Pacific Northwest, and in this top drawer shot Scott really shows why.  The scale of this natural feature is amazing, well captured for all to visit and view.

Nut 3 by Jonathan Kos-Read, on Flickr

Oh Beautiful Blue Lake of Grandale – a gorgeous landscape awaits the viewer with this great image, as captured by Jay&Jacy Photography.  A beautiful lake, indeed, provides the perfect landscape, which in turn is masterfully captured using HDR techniques to share with everyone.

Buzzard Eagle Pounces – a wonderful wildlife photo from the studio of Bev delivers a stunning shot of this engaging and compelling bird.  Perfect composition works together with the wonderful and crisp details captured to really create something wonderful and unique.

Green Heron and His Reflection – another stellar bird photo, this one from the studio of Kerri Farley.  A great shot that shows this gorgeous bird in his natural habitat.  Wonderful details in the heron combine with a stunning water reflection to deliver something that is a joy to view.

INTERESTING BLOGS

About Cormorants – we live a few short kilometers away from this location, I believe, yet we were completely unaware of this wildlife in our own proverbial backyard.  This is a great and educational post on the lifestyles of the Cormorant coupled with photography.  Definitely well worth the time to visit and view.

Whymper, the Matterhorn, and the Monte Rosa Hotel – this wonderful post by LensScaper (Andy Hooker) is peppered with great photography, but also serves as an educational piece.  Our roving photographer friend, Andy, goes into great detail on the history of mountaineering in this area of the world and the first folks who attempted this incredible and dangerous activity.

The 2012 Book of Lists Party – My Favorite Night EVER! – an inspirational piece by Michael Glover showcases an honor he received for a truly stunning and epic shot he took.  Congratulations are most definitely in order for Michael here, and when you see the photograph that he took that was selected, you’ll immediately understand why it was chosen.  To call this top drawer doesn’t come close to doing it justice.  Personally, I found inspiration in the story…  a story of how life can change with a phone-call.

February 2012 Desktop Wallpaper Calendar – Curt Fleenor shares another desktop calendar image for everyone to download and share for free!  This is a truly wonderful image processed in black-and-white, producing a great and dramatic scene to drape your desktop for the month, pop over and help yourself!  Thanks, Curt!

The Haunting Late Night Photography of Michael Kenna – you have simply got to see this collection of incredible photographs!  These slightly minimalistic images taken in what appears to be mostly Japan paint a strong and compelling picture of the natural landscape of it part of the world.  This is a truly amazing collection, well worth the time to pop over to see.

How My Wedding Dress Snuck By Me – this is a truly wonderful post, full of interest and humor through the writing which gives us a glimpse into the inner thoughts of Kate as she goes about trying to find the perfect wedding dress for their upcoming wedding.  Kate and Pat at O’Brien Photo are usually the ones going about the work of capturing people’s special day in photographs, but in this post we get a chance to see the tables turned a wee bit as Kate busily tries to ready herself for her own big day.  This great post is punctuated by a truly wonderful photograph of a wedding dress hanging on a door; the perfect way to wrap up this great post!

Photography Tutorials, Case Studies and Discounts - LightStalking Photography Newsletter.

So what does it do? Well put simply, when activated it records the inputs that you are making to your image and saves them, allowing you automatically apply the same inputs to further images. The actions are very flexible, you can create an action to carry out a simple repetitive task in the middle of more complicated manipulation or you can create one to carry out all the operations in one fell swoop and then rename the image and change it’s format.

I will give you a very simple example one how to create an action and then run it on a batch of images. In this action we will open a JPG file, resize it suitable for web and save it as a PNG file.

First open a JPG of your choice. If the actions palette is not already open, open it from the Photoshop menu WINDOW – ACTIONS.

The actions pallete should now be visible on the right side of the Photoshop screen. If you have not used actions before you will see a folder called default actions at the top. This is a set of actions provided with photoshop.

You can create your own library of actions and assign them to different folders called sets. Lets create a new set called My Actions. Click the new set icon on the bottom of the actions palette and enter the name.

Now select that set in the main window and click the create new action icon at the bottom. Give your action a name, in this case Web Size.

With your image open and the Web Size action selected click the record button. We are now recording our Photoshop moves. From the Photoshop menu, select IMAGE – IMAGE SIZE. Set the resolution to 72 pixels per inch and make sure Constrain Proportions is checked. Enter a new height or width size, in our case a width of 800 pixels. Click ok when everything is set.

Now we will save the image so click FILE – SAVE AS rename the file as required and select PNG from the File Type drop down. Click SAVE.

This next bit is important, we will now close the image from FILE – CLOSE. If you do not do this, when you are running a batch of images, they will all remain open, slowing down your computer.

With the actions finished, we must now stop the recording. Click the square box next to the record icon, you action is now saved.

We can run the action two different ways, from Adobe Bridge where you can define which images to batch or from inside Photsohop itself where you can batch an entire folder of images. We will do the latter.

From the Photoshop menu, select FILE – AUTOMATE – BATCH. At the top you will see the Set drop down menu, choose MY ACTIONS. You can now select the WEB SIZE action from the next drop down. For source select FOLDER and from the CHOOSE icon select the folder of images you wish to batch.

Under DESTINATION, select FOLDER and choose a suitable folder to send the images to.

Check the “Override Action Save As Command” tick box

Next you have options for renaming, I usually create a new name using the Document dropdown box then add a 2 or 3 digit sequence number in the next drop down, finally in the third dropdown select extension. Set your serial number to 1 and click ok.

You will now see your images wiz past in Photoshop as the program applies the action and saves the file and you can make a cup of tea and put your feet up knowing you have saved hours of work.

As mentioned this is a very simple example but with a little practice you will find yourself creating more advanced actions and drinking more tea.

Jason Row is a British born travel photographer now living in Ukraine. You can follow him on Facebook or visit his site, The Odessa Files. He also maintains a blog chronicling his exploits as an Expat in the former Soviet Union

Photography Tutorials, Case Studies and Discounts - LightStalking Photography Newsletter.

Untitled by Rob_Wood, on Flickr

Where Do Monkeys Gather? – One of the big challenges of photographing any wild animal is actually getting to a position where it’s possible to photograph them. Now, many types of monkey are not shy, but if you’ve made the decision to photograph these animals, then you might like to take a while to research where large numbers of them live. The monkeys in this article were shot at Batu Caves in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia where they are everywhere!

Untitled by Rob_Wood, on Flickr

What Gear is Best for Photographing Monkeys? – A medium to long focal length lens is almost a necessity due to the fact that you don’t want to get too close to any wild animal for safety’s sake. These images were all taken on a Nikon 70-200mm f2.8, but there are several cheaper options including the Nikon 70-300mm f4-5.6 which retails for under $200. It’s slower, but still capable of great photographs. The other major lens makers all make cheap options at similar focal lengths. A mid range kit lens is also perfectly serviceable for shooting monkeys as they won’t be shy about getting closer to humans than most other wild animals.

You might also want to consider a circular polarising filter (CPL). A lot of the time with monkeys, you are looking up to shoot and it is very easy to get parts of the sky showing through the trees and branches and giving you small areas that are blown out. A CPL will help minimise this distraction in your shots.

What You Need to Know About The Animals – Monkeys have a well-deserved reputation for being cheeky, aggressive and a little insane. While they are a great subject for photography, there are a few things you should keep in mind while there are monkeys around.

Untitled by Rob_Wood, on Flickr

Monkeys Are Thieves! If you leave anything just lying around, then expect it to be stolen. That goes from food to bags and even camera gear – these little creatures don’t really discriminate and it can lead to an expensive time if they take something from you. Keep everything securely fastened to your body or expect to lose it.

Monkeys Can Be Aggressive! While they are very cute, any wild animal deserves respect for the small fact that it is physically capable of ripping your face off. It’s a good habit to stay well clear of monkeys that are not tamed for human contact. Spend a few minutes watching how the locals interact with the monkeys and you will get a feel for each group. If the locals are staying clear, then you would be well advised to do the same thing.

Anecdote – As I was wandering around Batu Caves taking photographs of monkeys, I innocently sat down on the stairs to take a break. Little did I know that the railing a foot from my face was a common thoroughfare for the monkey population. I was lucky enough to discover this when I looked up to discover an alpha male, a foot from my face, hissing at me and baring his rather large fangs. Luckily one of the local shop-keepers saw this, happened to be passing by and also happened to have a very large stick in his hand that he used the scare the monkey away from me. Luck saved the day for me.

What Camera Settings Should You Use? – While there are no particular set rules for photographing monkeys, I was trying to minimise depth of field to isolate interest on the animals while freezing motion. That meant a wide aperture (around f 2.8 to 5.6) and fast shutter speed (while I sometimes took advantage of the Vibration Reduction of my lens, usually you will want to match your shutter speed to your focal length at a minimum to minimise camera shake).

Untitled by Rob_Wood, on Flickr

Monkeying About With Composition – Backgrounds are going to be one of the most challenging parts of shooting monkeys. The animals themselves do enough interesting things and strike enough cool poses that you won’t have to worry about the main subject, but what is behind them can often break an otherwise great photograph. Be careful of the sky showing through the trees and adding blowouts to your shot.

One trick is to observe where the monkeys actually spend time (often they will have common thoroughfares or places to gather) and then look at how you can get to a position to photograph that particular spot with a good background. In these images (below), I noticed that the monkeys often climbed along a certain fence and I was able to position myself so that the fence was between me and a giant golden Hindu statue.

I also like to give the subject a little space to look into. In these shots you will notice that the animals usually look towards the center of the frame or area with the greatest amount of space.

Untitled by Rob_Wood, on Flickr

Untitled by Rob_Wood, on Flickr

And in the image below I found a rock face with lots of moss, lichen and overgrowth that gave a pleasant effect in a limited depth of field photograph.

Untitled by Rob_Wood, on Flickr

Don’t Forget to Have Fun – It’s almost impossible not to have a ball while you’re around these hilarious animals. They are always doing something funny and are a heap of fun to shoot. With a few of the tips above, hopefully you should be able to come away with a few good photographs too!

Photography Tutorials, Case Studies and Discounts - LightStalking Photography Newsletter.

At first glance many will probably have tongue firmly in cheek and I might well be stating the obvious, however, it’s the little things make big differences in this photography lark, changing the whole dynamic of a photograph just by using the simplest of techniques is hands down the best way to take better images.

Generally, when shooting a scene, you hold a camera in front of your face just as the manufacturer intended, unless it’s a person, then you rotate it 90 degrees. I am going to let you into a little secret; the opposite works for either, both formats are a really effective way of capturing your subject.

When to Landscape a Portrait

“If your pictures aren’t good enough, your not close enough” –Robert Cappa.

This is a good time to screw on your wide-angle lens, a wide-angle gives you the option to move in close to your subject and maintain a wide field of view in the viewfinder. I recommend a 24-28mm on full frame or 18-20mm on a cropped sensor, much wider and it will lead to an unnatural distortion, unless that’s what you were after in the first place.

Shooting a portrait in landscape is at it’s best when up close and personal, head and shoulders – then try off centering your main subject in the frame, and my favorite; include a few graphic elements, lead in lines or interesting parts of the background. If you are telling a story it is a good way to include the surroundings and environment. The aim here is to imagine the image entirely made of arrows all pointing towards the subject. Visual interest is the key.

… And When to Portrait a Landscape

This is probably a bit less common photographically and I would say 9 times out of 10 you will still want to ‘landscape a landscape’, however, you can still use it along with a strong sweeping lead line to create a solid composition and successful image.

For example hiking along a mountain trail, use the path moving your eye from bottom to what should be the main subject, the mountains (not forgetting you can also chuck in a person for a bit of scale).

It’s quite an effective method to un-clutter a scene, going for a nice tall dynamic sky instead of that annoying parked car that pulled up into the right hand side of the frame. You might want to watch out for perspective though, try to keep the camera parallel to the subject otherwise you get the converging effect (like when photographing buildings and they appear to lean backwards).

Sunset and sunrise are good for this too; portrait format produces an image of just ground and sky (or sea and sky if you’re at the beach) – the image comes alive with colour and dynamics.

Its always worth experimenting to see what works best, when next out photographing either a portrait or a landscape, do a few of the opposite, and you may surprise yourself with the result.

Photography Tutorials, Case Studies and Discounts - LightStalking Photography Newsletter.

DSLR by 1000zen, on Flickr

So what are the reasons for shooting video on a DSLR? Well the primary reason, and the reason so many professional filmmakers are using them now, is getting the shallow depth of field most often associated with 35mm cinematography. This is achievable because of the large sensor size of DLSR’s compared with most camcorders in the sub $15000 range.

So what are the pros and cons?

Lets Start With the Pros of Using a DSLR for Video

Firstly as mentioned above, the large sensors give a film, cinematic quality to the video. This has been the Holy Grail of independent filmmakers for many years and allows many low budget films to be produced with out the expense of hiring film cameras and the costs of the film itself.

Secondly, until the advent of the DSLR, the possibility of a large format sensor with interchangeable lenses was beyond the dreams of the average indie filmmaker. Now, if shooting APS sized sensors, you can get a cinematic look using a sub $1000 camera and lens combination. For less than $10000 you can set up an entire full frame system with multiple lenses, steadycams and auxiliary mics.

Most prosumer level camcorders come with a fairly limited range, fixed focus lens usually in the region of 28-300mm equivalent. With a full frame DSLR you can mount a super-wide 14mm or a ultra telephoto 600mm, achieving results that a few years ago would be out of the reach of all but the biggest studios.

Another advantage of the DSLR is their size and portability. This is a distinct advantage in shooting documentaries or other video shot on the streets on in crowded locations.

What About the Cons of Using DSLR for Video?

The first and for me killer con is ergonomics. Whilst this has got better with the latest cameras, there are still some major issues. The primary one is that using video modes requires the mirror to lock up. This means your only viewfinder is the LCD screen, which can be very tricky not only in having to position yourself behind it but in bright sunshine it can be difficult to see the screen.

Canon DSLR Rit by Bob Bekian, on Flickr

Secondly, a lot of the auto functions are limited or removed entirely when shooting video. Depending on your camera you may find you have to manually focus or set the exposure. This can be very limiting if you are trying to cover many shots very quickly.

Another, often unexpected issue is moire patterns. This is an unsightly jagged edge that can show in straight lines and ironically in the case of the DSLR is caused by the higher resolution sensors. The issue is that in producing HD video the sensor only needs a maximum of 1080 pixels of vertical resolution and so has to discard excess pixels that a 16-18mp camera will have.

Another issue is rolling shutter. This is an issue where the footage appears to have a wobble in it. It is often caused by handholding the camera whilst shooting video or poor panning and tilting techniques on tripod.. It is actually common to all CMOS type sensors but because of the larger size of DSLR sensors it is exaggerated.

So in summary, DSLR video shooting can give a superb cinematic result but you have to be aware of the ergonomics and limitations of the camera.

Photography Tutorials, Case Studies and Discounts - LightStalking Photography Newsletter.

Chinese Border Town #2 by Jonathan Kos-Read, on Flickr

Check out the Toad’s latest acclaimed photoblog series “The Toad And The Lodge”, showcasing a series of images captured of a long term care facility that lies abandoned for over 17 years now.  This 5 part series discusses the history of the location as well as drawing on metaphors for the meaning of life.  Pt 1: Tillicum Lodge: A Lost Facility | Pt 2: The Silence Is Deafening | Pt 3: The Overgrown Courtyard | Pt 4: Field Of Whispers | Pt 5: Echoes Of Our Elders.  The Toad also maintains a large gallery of images on their Architecture and Landscape Photography website.

TUTORIALS

Project in development: Inexpensive way to shoot expensive jewelry – Alex Koloskov is one of my favorite photographers, not only is he one of the leading photographers of our generation, he also selflessly continues to give back to the photography community through his blog posts.  This post is a great example of this; here Alex shows us how to achieve GREAT results in the genre of product photography using relatively inexpensive and easy to use photographic components.  If you’re interested in emulating fabulous lighting for your imagery then you just simply must see this article.

Quick Tip: Duplicating a Project – sometimes a brief article with tips and tricks can be just as helpful as a full on 1,000 page tutorial.  This blog post is a great example of this.

Dunure waves by overgraeme, on Flickr

Quick Photo Tip: Turn Your Photo Upside Down – another fabulous article by Joe Baraban gets the photographer thinking differently about the photography they produce.  This is a great exercise, guaranteed to get everyone looking at their compositions with a different perspective.

Portrait Editing In Photoshop-part 2 of a series – a great piece that shares some awesome insights, tips and tricks into performing portrait editing in Photoshop.  Complete with a sample image, this tutorial will definitely get the creative juices flowing in terms of using this tool for your post-processing needs.

Composing Better Backgrounds in Photography – a great tutorial that gives the reader some great tips on how to compose a shot with a great background.  This short and easy-to-read article delivers some great ideas on how to come home with the perfect shot, well worth the time to visit and read.

Red White and Blue Shoe – this post and image belongs in two categories for this weeks list, here in the Tutorials section and in the Great Photography section below.  Ultimately, the great tips and tricks on studio lighting won over, and we placed it here.  Erik and Kathleen Kerstenbeck capture a truly unique shot and discuss the intricacies of the lighting employed to achieve this look, producing a post that is guaranteed to delight in terms of great photography, but also shares some great tips and tricks on this particular style of photography.

Photo Composition Technique – The Feinberg Rule – I have a voracious appetite for learning about compositional and lighting techniques and this article delivered something absolutely new to me.  This brief tutorial discusses The Feinberg Rule and supplies an example image to use to visualize how to apply it.  This is an exciting technique that I have never heard of myself, and am very much looking forward to trying it out in our practice.  Check it out yourself!

GREAT PHOTOGRAPHY

Girls School L – Into the Light | Abandoned Girls School L | Corridor | The Conservatory | The Grand Staircase | Staircase Detail | The Upper Rooms | The Pool Party – what a completely fabulous series posted here by one of our generations leading UrBex photographers, Chris Maskell.  This fabulous bit of heritage architecture that once was a girls school now lies in near ruin.  Chris carefully and purposely composes a stunning series and provides some background history on the location to provide extra depth.  No matter what your taste in art, this series is guaranteed to delight and amaze everyone who pops by for a visit.

Learning to See (Part 8) – profound, touching, emotional and accented with some of the best photography the world has ever seen, this post from Tom Dinning takes us deep into ourselves and answers some questions about why we pursue this craft.  Guaranteed to inspire you to push further and harder, this wonderful post will leave you with as many questions remaining as answered.  This is a must-see post for this weeks list!

View from the Burj Khalifa – the most difficult thing to do while viewing this iconic photograph is to try and take your eyes off of it!  Good luck there; this truly epic shot by Barbara Youngleson shares a view taken high atop the worlds tallest structure, showing a burgeoning and busy world below.  This is a true must-see image in this weeks list!

View from the Burj Khalifa (No. 2 in a Series) – this is the second installment in Barbara Youngleson’s latest post series.  Taken high atop the worlds tallest building, this is a truly breathtaking image that is guaranteed to absolutely amaze and delight everyone who visits!

A Walk in Richmond Park – a truly wonderful post, straight from the studio of Viveca Koh shares two distinctive images from a recent visit to the park.  Her wonderful talents in the realm of textures really comes shining through in this set of photographs, and they are complete with fabulous details, drama and tension, making this a must-see post in this weeks list.

Wool Grading – Dodgy Room #2 – a breathtaking image awaits the viewer with this incredible photograph from the studio of Mark Blundell.  Risking life and limb in the name of art, Mark goes to incredible lengths to capture and deliver an image that is so stunning, it is guaranteed to delight and amaze everyone who visits.

Reflections – this has to be one of the most beautiful and stunning photographs of a fireworks display I have ever seen in my entire life.  Michael Glover scouts out the perfect location for the composition he had in mind, and sets about capturing this breathtaking photograph that has the most wonderful reflection in a pool of water in the foreground to add so much interest.  A must-see shot in this weeks list!

Passport – history and wonder intertwine in this great blog post by Bob Lussier.  Two passports are reminders of the families that came to North America to establish it are the subjects in this truly great photograph, a piece that is guaranteed to delight and amaze everyone.

IMG_9023 by efanphotography v2, on Flickr

Hospital B – The Bends – delectable textures and details await the viewer with this great shot from the studio of Mark Blundell.  Mark specializes in abandoned facilities and with this shot he strikes a proverbial home-run.  Definitely one of the best shots posted in this weeks list, this is a true must-see.

Following in the footsteps of Passport and Moreno – this is a truly epic post by our very own @astoroth here at Light Stalking.  In this post, he attempts to produce works that were done previously by photography masters, and here he captures his new images in modern times using his own skills to achieve incredible results.  Join him on this journey, you will not be disappointed.

Peep Show – now don’t get too excited, this is a G rated show we host here.  But, with that being said, this set of great photos from Sarah Ria gives us a great glimpse into a texture-rich vehicle that is long out of commission.  This great set is a wonder to see, well worth the time to visit and view.

External corridor leading to wooden door, Ca’ d’Zan Mansion – a great architectural detail study, straight from the studio of Mark Summerfield, shares a view of an iconic mansion that is absolutely wonderful.  Using HDR techniques, Mark is able to highlight all the details and contrast in the scene producing a strong and compelling piece.

Sunset at Joshua Tree Park – this is a jaw-droppingly awesome photo, full of great color and details to enjoy.  In this image, Chris Frailey captures a great scene of the iconic Joshua Tree as the sun sets, producing a ton of drama through the wonderful composition.

Seattle White Stuff - Jay Taylor creates a wonder piece of imagery with the storm that hit the Pacific Northwest area.  The snow delivers a sense of beauty and wonder, and in the background the frozen city of Seattle sits…  a beautiful and dramatic scene, all at the same time.

Wrecked in the Snowy Desert – this is a truly dramatic image by Kristi Hines that showcases a long wrecked and abandoned car in the desert.  Surrounded by it’s own parts and full of truly wonderful textures, this highly dramatic image is full of interest and wonder, well worth the time to visit and view.

Wandering at the Ritz – what a great architectural study, and full of color, too!  In this great post by Jim Nix, we get a view of an iconic hotel as it sits water-side, producing a truly compelling and wonderful image that is a joy to view.

Winter Barn Sunset – fabulous colors and details await the viewer in this wonderful photograph from Jerry Denham.  An iconic barn sits behind a body of water as the sun sets, and Jerry masterfully captures the landscape scene, complete with stunning colors displayed in the grasses in the foreground.

Abandoned Warehouse – a stellar shot from Scott Hovind takes us inside an abandoned warehouse for a really well composed shot that delivers a dramatic and compelling piece of imagery.  Strong details and elements of interest begin to emerge further as the viewer spends time taking the image in, a picture that is well worth the time to visit and view.

Breaking News: Huge Blob Consuming Jupiter – a highly creative and utterly fabulous shot straight from the studio of Erik and Kathleen Kerstenbeck shares a slightly abstract piece with us.  Great colors and details all converge in this mostly abstract piece, delivering a photograph that is guaranteed to mesmerize everyone who visits.

Tinted Windows – a dramatic and highly detailed architectural study graces our screens with this fabulous post from Jimi Jones.  As you spend some time taking in the wonderful details and tones, the strength of the image itself really begins to captivate; a really incredible photograph to say the least!

Storm Rocks with Tidepools – a wonderful surreal and slightly ethereal shot from Ehpem really delivers a dramatic and captivating image to enjoy.  Using long exposure techniques to capture the picture, this technique also serves to produce a strong sense of mystery and interest; well worth the time to visit and view!

Setting Moon – a stunning, stunning image using long exposure techniques awaits the viewer in this spectacular post.  The moon creates a long and gently glowing reflection across the water, creating the most beautiful natural light.

Wool Grading – Two Ways – displaying the mastery of the equipment at hand, Mark Blundell captures and shares a truly breathtaking scene in an abandoned building.  Using the corridors as natural leading lines through the frame, the viewer is gently guided about the entire scene taking in all the details and textures that are so carefully captured and shared here.

HDR Fun in Illinois – using HDR techniques to produce great imagery complete with textures and details, Shane Lund creates a series of wonderful photographs.  Abandonded and weathered locales provide the perfect subjectry for Shane, and he masterfully captures and shares a truly incredible set for everyone to enjoy.

Weekend Relaxer #3 – the master of photography using Lego’s as props delivers a wonderful and humorous post.  Chris Nitz carefully intertwines great photography with a touch of levity to bring everyone a completely unique view of the world.  A truly wonderful post, well worth the time to visit and view.

Out of Control – textures, details and rust are the words of the day in this epic masterpiece from the studio of Scott Frederick.  His UrBex work is truly second to none, and in this post he takes us inside an old abandoned train car for a look at it’s weathered interior.  Absolutely top drawer, a must-see image for this week!

Great Blue Heron – a stunning view of this incredible bird awaits the viewer in this wonderful photograph from the studio of Jay Taylor.  The perfect composition and wonderful details in this shot converge to bring the viewer right into the scene, producing a striking and compelling piece to be enjoyed by all.

I’ll Take Mine On The Rocks – a wonderful landscape photo of a fast moving stream, complete with great and crisp details of the rocks to enjoy.  Mike Victorino captures a scene with some frozen water on the rocks, creating wonderful details and textures to take in; a piece well worth the time to visit and view.

Ladies In Red – Carlos captures and shares a set of images of bright and vibrant red flowers.  The accompanying blog entry really adds an element of profound to this set, producing a short series that is absolutely delightful.

Water’s Edge – the Boston city skyline is most wonderfully captured and processed by John Sotiriou in this post.  The beautiful lights from the city and it’s skyscrapers present a breathtaking scene to the viewer, one that is a must-see from this weeks list.

Ruby-Throated Hummingbird Stare Down – this is a truly top drawer image of a hummingbird in mid-flight, straight from the studio of Mark Paulson.  Mark masterfully captures and shares an image of this beautiful bird as it goes about it’s business, producing a truly compelling shot that is truly mesmerizing.

Glowing Graffiti – I love old and abandoned buildings, they are full of rich character and details.  In this iconic shot by Scott Hovind, he takes us inside a warehouse where we can see some great graffiti as well as a few other truly compelling elements, like a great reflection in a pool of water that sits in the middle of the building.

Downhill Run – Jim Denham shares a wonderful action shot taken of an athlete in motion.  He also shares some technical insight into the process he used to capture the shot, which serves to further add interest to this already incredible photograph.

Shadows, Toronto – this is a really dramatic image with wonderful shadows, producing a photograph full of tension and questions yet unanswered.  Ren Bostelaar masterfully captures a couple in a dark alley, and their silhouettes serve to add so much drama and personality into the scene.

Sky on Fire – an epic landscape shot by Helene Kobelnyk captures and shares a mountain scene with incredible colors in the sky.  The most wonderful tones are present here, and Helene really brings to life the setting as presented to her, producing a strong and mesmerizing piece sure to delight and amaze everyone who visits.

Flight – a truly great set of images by Adam Allegro showcases some paraskiers as they go about jumping off a perfectly good mountain, all in the name of thrills and excitement.  What’s really exciting here is the truly wonderful images that Adam has captured of the event to share with us all; top drawer shots!!

Pontevedra-A fonte dos nenos3 by juantiagues, on Flickr

Reflections – indeed, reflections are in order here!  Steve Beal risks life and limb in the process of capturing this truly mesmerizing image.  A paper mill sits on the shore in the distance, creating incredible interest and natural lines to the shot, one that is a must-see image in this weeks list!

Sector A – Edin Chavez masterfully composes and captures a shot of a main train station in Europe, producing a true work of art that is absolutely captivating and mesmerizing.  Fabulous lines produced by the grand architecture are combined with the natural interest inherent in trains to create a truly dramatic and compelling photograph to view and enjoy.

Wengen – Learning to Ski – this is a truly wonderful set of images taken in the Swiss mountains at a ski lodge.  LensScaper (Andy Hooker) masterfully captures the wonder of the surrounding landscapes and accents it with careful and meaningful compositions to bring this wonderful set of images to life for everyone to enjoy.

First Snow of 2012 – what a fabulous trio of images as captured and shared by Jimi Jones.  In particular, the first shot leads the viewers eye really naturally through the frame by the way the shot is composed with a creek running through.  All three pictures really exemplify the winter, producing beautiful pieces that are absolutely captivating.

Rooftop View – so many wonderful details to take in with this incredible black-and-white shot by Edith Levy.  In this scene, Edith carefully captures a scene from the window of her room at the Chateau Frontenac, producing a piece that is so full of wonder and detail it’s guaranteed to delight and amaze everyone who visits and views.

Malahat Building – a heritage building in Victoria, the city I live in, is the subject in this great blog post by a local photographer.  Fabulous architecture and compelling colors merge here to create something absolutely wonderful and unique.  We at Toad Hollow Photography did a post of this same building, shot in HDR, last year in case anyone would like to see that.  “The Toad Loves Customs”

Before Self Serve – a classic and character-rich gas station poses for John Sotiriou in this truly wonderful photograph.  The picture-perfect composition and surrounding elements combine to create a strong and compelling piece that really takes us back to a time now long past.  What a fabulous image, well worth the time to visit and view!

First Sunrise in Everglades National Park – stunning, colorful, interesting and full of tension, this incredible image from the studio of Anne McKinnell delivers a truly colorful and incredible photograph.  The sunrise produces striking colors, and Anne masterfully captures a pair of shots to really bring the scene to life for all to enjoy.

Once Upon a House – a wonderful house sits in a forest, and Rachel Cohen captures and shares a set of images of this now abandoned place for everyone to enjoy.  The incredible landscapes that circle this property add a ton of interest to the scenes, and Rachel skillfully brings us all along on her journey as she discovers this place.

Venice Rooftops – incredible European architecture is the main subject of this epic photograph by Len Saltiel.  Great tones and details in the buildings that surround the main subject, Scala Contarini del Bovolo, accent the overall setting and combine with Len’s exquisite composition to deliver a truly breathtaking shot of this iconic city skyline.

Scene With Remixed Joy – a minimalistic shot complete with intrigue and tension is shared by Gareth Glynn Ash.  The black-and-white processing utilized is truly sympathetic to the subject-matter, and Gareth captures and delivers a piece that is utterly dramatic and full of interest.

Nashville Glistens – the cityline of this beautiful city forms the subject of this iconic shot by Jim Nix.  Beautiful lights light up the city, and the wonderful tones and colors evident in the skyline add a strong sense of beauty and interest to this exquisitely composed shot.  This image is a highlight of this weeks list, and is guaranteed to delight and amaze all who visit.

River Crossing – Curt Fleenor uses a bridge as a leading line and creates a wonderful composition of a fast-moving river.  A sense of the strength of the running water is offset by the gracious bridge span that crosses the waterway, producing a strong and compelling piece for this weeks list.

St. Andrew Church – a strong and compelling HDR piece by Giuseppe Sapori delivers an image of this iconic church that is full of great details and textures to enjoy.  Incredible colors and intricate details all emerge as the viewer spends time taking the scene in, producing a piece that is well worth the time to visit and view.

A photographer’s holiday – here on Light Stalking, a thread came up on our forums this week by Tom Dinning (@tomdinning) that was so amazing and full of great photography, it warranted being highlighted in this weeks list.  An epic set of images is merged with fabulous prose to create a storybook tale, guaranteed to delight and amaze everyone who pops over to see.

Garage Door, Toronto – spot-on composition merges with a great subject that is framed perfectly awaits the viewer in this great shot by Ren Bostelaar.  The true nature of life in Toronto comes to light here in the exquisite image, well worth the time to visit and view.

Moraine Lake Waterfall – this image is a colorful and vibrant metaphor for the message that the good folks at Hansrico Photography are sharing with everyone.  This gorgeous waterfall deep in the forest of Moraine Lake in Banff, Alberta, Canada provides the perfect subject for Rick, as he truly captures and shares something very special.

Ice Cave – something dramatic, something alluring, something mysterious…  all these elements combine in this landscape photograph taken in Alaska.  This ice cave is a true gem to behold, and Len Saltiel shares some details of it in his post including the fact that it will likely disappear in the coming months.  Absolutely fascinating.

The Greatest Remedy – this is beyond fabulous.  I love imagery of old and character-rich artifacts, and in this shot Edith Levy delivers!!  Wonderful details and textures are all here to be enjoyed, producing an image that is a must-see shot in this weeks list.

El prisionero by Jonathan Rubio, on Flickr

47th-50th Street — Rockefeller Center – great framing in photography has a huge ability to produce drama and tension if used correctly, and in this wonderful photograph from Mark Garbowski we’ve got this.  The viewer can spend a considerable amount of time taking in all the wonderful details in this shot, as the people standing on the platform create an infinite amount of interest here.  Well worth the time to visit and view.

Deadwood – natural elements in the form of the deadwood help to create the most perfect natural leading line in this fabulous shot from the studio of Aaron Barlow.  The black-and-white processing used to create this image adds so much drama and intrigue to the shot, producing a strong and compelling piece.

Fire On The Salton – the most incredible colors await the viewer in this epic landscape shot by Chris Frailey.  A wonderful reflection adds so much interest and allure to the image, a piece that is guaranteed to delight and amaze all who visit and view.

Just Peachy – wonderful colors and tones are captured in this beautiful flower photo from Bev.  The details in the petals as so carefully captured here really work to produce a lovely image, one that is a true gem in this weeks link collection here.

Ladybug and Nature’s “Bling” – a photograph so crisp, so detailed, you can make out all the finer points in this ladybug who is covered in dew.  The incredible macro photography work of Kerri Farley comes to us today, delivering a truly wonderful picture that is guaranteed to bring joy to the nature lover in us all.

A Walk In The Park – a Griffon Vulture strolls across the park, posing and creating the perfect subject for Bev and her incredible nature photography.  All the wonderful details come to life in this shot of this truly incredible bird, well worth the time to visit and view.

Be Aware of Wonder – Kerri Farley captures another incredible wildlife photograph with this top drawer picture of a Blue Jay in the winter.  The details are so crisp and sharp here, you can almost read this little birds mind as it sits in the tree and tries to stay warm from the ravishes of the harsh winter climate.

Time Is Fleeting – a truly wonderful piece, from the studio of Andy Gimino, shares an interesting ice formation formed in the dead of winter on the shoreline.  Abstract in nature, this image is full of interest in the form of natural leading lines, as well, the ice formations themselves are absolutely mesmerizing and a real joy to view.

The Little Things – another wonderful wildlife post from Anne McKinnell shares a great shot of a tree frog going about it’s day.  The wonderful details in the image really help to bring this great little amphibian to life for us all to enjoy, producing a piece that is a pure delight to view.

Notre Dame de Lourdes – Casablanca – Mark Blundell delivers an epic 360* panorama presentation done in HDR of Notre Dame de Lourdes in Casablanca.  Truly stunning colors and details are all here to be enjoyed by everyone as Mark shares an image that is absolutely compelling and revealing, something that is a true joy to experience.

Evening Towers – a wonderful detailed and colorful architectural study by Tim Stanley shares a wonderful view of skyscrapers in Houston.  His subtle use of HDR as a technique for photography really brings extra interest and depth to this image, producing a truly compelling piece to enjoy.

Architecture Gallery – a truly wonderful gallery of architectural pieces and city skylines as posted by Michael Klement.  This is a breathtaking set of images, well worth the time to visit and view.

INTERESTING BLOGS

Power Plant – Most Wanted – what an absolutely amazing must-see post in this weeks links list!  An abandoned power station provides the perfect subject matter for an UrBex photographer, who gains access and then goes about procuring an absolutely astonishing set of photographs to share with the outside world.  The tip of the cake, the cherry on top if you will, has to be the articles he’s included in the post that mainstream media reported on..  and these are all complete with alien sightings, just to add a touch of interest and levity to the whole operation.

25 Awesome Castles You Should See – being an avid lover of castles, there is no way I could miss this post!  This feature blog shares 25 of the most incredible castles you’ve ever seen in your life, and we have to say that the photography is absolutely breathtaking here!  Great shots punctuate the inherent interest in the structures themselves, delivering a must-see post for this weeks list!

Singing To Freedom – we’ve seen the documentary that discusses the event that Erik and Kathleen talk about in their blog post, and it was beyond astonishing.  The Kerstenbecks head to Estonia in this post to capture an epic set of images and merge that with incredible details in the accompanying blog post to create a piece that is just so stunning and well worth the time to visit and see for yourself.

Desert Treasure: Red Wreck – this is a wonderful post that discusses the hidden treasures that are found in the desert.  In this case, we find ourselves exploring a classic red car that has somehow found itself upside down and utterly wrecked; a great post with some fabulous photography that is well worth the time to visit and view.

Photographing the Life of Orphaned Burmese Refugees – photography isn’t always about capturing alluring shots of butterflies and flowers, sometimes it’s a very important medium used to tell a story to a wider audience that would not know of it otherwise.  This post is a great example of this.  An orphanage full of beautiful young faces beckons the viewer in this post, producing a strong and compelling set of dramatic images guaranteed to leave everyone highly emotional.  This is a must-see post for this week.

Photography Tutorials, Case Studies and Discounts - LightStalking Photography Newsletter.

Well, his is a response to a question posted on the Forum about storage solutions for the traveling photographer.

Portable Hard Drive by tonyhall, on Flickr

thetravelingstach wrote:

“… any insight into storing files that big, en mass, while out on the road? I do a lot of travel photography in some remote places — usually 3 – 8 weeks at a time — and at 48mgs a piece, it seems like I’d be blowing through SDHC cards (in places where I can’t just buy more cards)…”

My answer to this question is based on personal experience and is not a comprehensive review of all the storage solutions for the itinerant photographer.

Dropbox

If you are going to carry your laptop any way as you travel and you are lucky enough to have an internet connection, a great solution is Dropbox. Dropbox is a free service which works like a remote folder much like a folder would be on your desktop.

You can download Dropbox and install it on every machine you own, and it automatically synchronizes every time you are connected to the internet. It works pretty much like a big folder. You can save a lot of files in it, up to 2GB for the free account.

Dropbox allows you to share folders by emailing a link from the Dropbox website to the person with whom you want to share the files in a folder. If that person signs up for the service, you get a referral bonus of 500MB added to your account.

iPhone Dropbox by yto, on Flickr

In my work, I can get files to an editor even when on the road, or across the city, without hassle, so there is this added benefit of having a Dropbox. The only drawback I see with Dropbox is that large files, like submissions of TIFF or Illustrator files, take a long time to synch—sometimes when I am submitting some 16 GB of files, it will take up to two days to synch my folders. But I have never had a problem with Dropbox and it has helped me with storage and space management on the road.

Epson Multimedia Storage Viewers

The Epson multimedia storage viewers have made it possible not to have to bring your laptop on a photo shoot. Epson storage viewers have a double function: as a hard drive (the latest model, the P-7000, has up to 160GB of storage capacity) and as a viewer for after hours editing.

Obviously having that much space allows a lot of mobile storage, and your photos are always with you while you’re on the road. The second advantage, being able to edit after a day’s shoot, means you can free up space on the Epson storage viewer while you are on the road, culling the files that don’t really work, and keeping only those that do.

I have worked with the Epson P-2000 (40GB), P-5000 (80GB), and now have the P-7000 as well. If I am on a very long trip of up to 8 weeks, shooting in RAW and having both the P-5000 and the P-7000 helps to lighten the load on the road. These machines are the size of a thick pocketbook, fitting easily into a side pocket of the camera bag.

dinner’s served (bitches) by limaoscarjuliet, on Flickr

For editing while on the road, the Epson storage viewers are indispensable. The screens are four inches wide, making it easy to see the image versus how it would be on the camera’s LCD. There is a zoom button to check for detail and sharpness.

An added bonus is being able to store a folder that contains portfolio shots in your Epson. Before the iPad, the Epson held my portfolio of 12 signature shots, and allowed me to take it to every place I went. Why is this important? If an opportunity arises for you to show someone work and they hire you, you’re ready with the portfolio if they ask.

These are just two backup solutions when on the road, that worked for me. What’s worked for you?

Aloha Lavina is an Asia based photographer whose photographs have appeared in CNNGo (USA), Canon PhotoYou Magazine (Singapore), Seventeen magazine (USA), Estamos! (Ecuador), The Korea Times (South Korea), and several books. You can see her work at her website, read her articles on her blog or follow her on Twitter.

Photography Tutorials, Case Studies and Discounts - LightStalking Photography Newsletter.