Back Up, Back Up and.... Back Up!

Well, the recent snow storm here in Westchester, NY was yet another illustration of how important it is to have a back up. Power was out for almost three days, and for someone who spends as much time on a computer (while a home) as I do, no power is a fate worst than death :-)

The top photo shows one of our Honda Hybrids (100,000+ miles) at the peak of the storm. Look at all that snow.

Fortunately, I have all my stuff backed up in several places on accessories drives that I can plug into my laptops with Firewire 800 cables.

By the way, I do have a pull-start generator (great back up), but I could not get it started for a day and a half. Brrrrrrrr!

Land-line phones were down, of course. However, my trusty iPhone worked - but it needed power, too.

Good news: My always-charged Versa Battery came to the rescue, powering my laptop and my iPhone.

The Versa Battery provides anywhere from 6 to 15 additional hours of power for a laptop - depending, of course, on what you are doing. Processing raw files, for example, will require more power than writing a Word document.

If you think you'll ever need a battery back up, check out the Versa Battery. Also, it's great for airline coach passengers on long trips who don't have access to power outlets like the folks in the front of the plane. (The battery fits neatly under your laptop.)

The Versa Battery is also great for those going on safari, where power is sometimes not available.

Explore the light - and think back up,
Rick

P.S. Yes, the Versa Battery also works with PCs.

Atlanta Seminar, Prelude to a Workshop

Hey Gang,

DPE’s Rob Knight and I are doing a workshop in Atlanta: August 13-15. This is a hands-on workshop: lots of shooting and lots of personal digital darkroom work.

As a prelude to the workshop, I am giving two seminars for Showcase Photo&Video on April 10: HDR and Digital Imaging.

Hope you can join the fun!

Explore the light,

Rick

P.S. I took this shot in Atlanta’s Little Five Points. A great place to make pictures.

Beware of Banding, Notice the Noise, Forget the Filter & Raw Rules!

I got the idea for this post after receiving the latest issue of one of my favorite magazines. Great images, as always. However, I was a bit surprised to see that one of the low-light images, great as it was, showed visible and obvious banding.

• • •

One of the reasons why I use a high-end digital SLR (currently the Canon 5D Mark II and Canon 7D) is to get the cleanest possible image, that is, an image with as little noise as possible. I like to keep it clean, so to speak.

In my quest for a clean image, I always shoot Raw files, and use the lowest possible ISO.

In addition, I strive for the best in-camera exposure, trying not to underexpose the image, which can add noise to an image, especially in the shadow areas.

At its worst, underexposing can cause what is called "banding" in a file – an effect in which you can actually see the bands of pixels. Banding, by the way, is exaggerated with JPEG files, which is another reason for shooting Raw files. (But as someone just pointed out (and reminded me) on twitter, you can get banding even with a Raw file if it's poorly exposed and processed.)

I actually don't have a good example of banding because, again, I strive for the best in-camera exposure - always checking the histogram on my camera's LCD monitor. So, in an effort to illustrate banding (and noise), I opened up the shadow areas from one of by Botswana images using Curves. The long white boxes illustrate the most visible bands in the picture, which you probably can't see because it's a low res file.

I used this image to illustrate this point: If you underexpose a file too much and try to open up the shadows, you'll get an image with noise and banding.

About my properly exposed elephant image: check out the tonal range. The sun in not washed out and you can see into some of the shadow areas. This is an example of why I say, "Raw Rules!"

Speaking of noise, if you do have a noisy image, Topaz DeNoise does a great job of reducing it.

On another topic, check out the ghost image of the sun in the top picture. It was actually in the bottom picture, too, but I removed it with the Burn Tool and Clone Stamp tool in Photoshop.

The ghost image was caused by the sun reflecting off the front element of my lens and then bouncing back onto my UV filter. This is when I leaned that you gotta remove all filters when shooting into the sun :-)

Explore the light,
Rick

Digital Frame or Standard Mat?

I could use your help/advice on a project.

I am having my first exhibit of my travel work later this year in NYC. Which of these printing options do you prefer: Printing the image without (top) or with (bottom) a digital frame?

Printing the image with the digital frame would let me sign the print itself.

If I print the image w/out the digital frame, I'd print full frame on the paper and sign the white mat.

Also, price not being considered, would you be more likely to buy a 24x36-inch print or a 24x16-inch print?

Your help sure would be appreciated.

Thank you!

Explore the light,
Rick

After Midnight

If you like the after effect (right) you see here, check out the post I have over at the Digital Photo Experience.

Don't miss the video, too!

Explore the light - day and night,
Rick

Two of My Favorite Discs

Fred Morrison, the inventor of the flying disc we know as the Frisbee, died earlier this month at the age of 90. He was a cool dude.

The Frisbee is still one of my favorite discs; lots of fun to toss around.

Another one of my favorite discs is the ExpoDisc – basically a custom white balancing device that fits over your lens like a filter.

The ExpoDisc is also fun to use, because it helps me get accurate skin tones of the strangers that I photograph in strange lands - like this Tariano woman who I photographed on a trip to Brazil. Oh yeah, I also use it closer to home to photographed family and friends.

I could tell you how easy it is to use the ExpoDisc, as well as why it's important, but my friends Eddie Tapp and Judy Host (among other pros) do a great job here.

Explore the Light,
Rick
P.S. Here are some more pictures and some info from that Brazil trip.

24/7 Photo Safari App Being Developed

Dr. Dave Wilson and I are currently developing our next app: Rick Sammon's 24/7 Photo Safari.

The app, due out in May, is divided into six text/photo sections:

• Wildlife

• Captive Animals

• People

• Landscapes

• Cityscapes

• Underwater

There is also a section that features five Photoshop movies:

• Creating the Panning Effect

• Faking the Full-Frame Fish-eye Lens Effect

• Saving a Back-lit Shot

• Simulating Rear-curtain Synch

• Wow Them With the Telephoto Lens Effect

In our Help section, you can read about the team that assembled the app. While you are there, you can also check out some links and make suggestions for this app and future Rick Sammon 24/7 apps.

Hey! If you have a suggestion for an app, let me know here.

Explore the light,

Rick

What Do These Two HDR Dudes Have In Common?

I just finished watching my friend Trey Ratcliff's talk at Google. Quite cool! Top screen grab.

Then I watched my recent PhotoshopUser TV segment. Bottom screen grab.

So here is the question: In addition to lovin' HDR and wearing glasses, what else do we have in common?

Explore the light,
Rick

Analyze This

One of the most important digital darkroom skills is analyzing an image when you open it.

If you ask yourself what you don't like about an image - what's wrong with it - you can easily figure out how to improve it.

Here was my analysis of the top picture - taken in Mongolia in extremely dusty and overcast conditions:

Problem: No deep shadows and no highlights
Solution: Adjust Levels

Problem: Flat
Solution: Boost Contrast

Problem: Could not see faces
Solution: Adjust Shadows/Highlights

Problem: Soft
Solution: Sharpen

The next time you open an image, take some time to analyze it. The more you analyze, the better you become at self analysis.

Explore the Light,
Rick

A Business Lesson From Genghis Khan’s Wife

Hey Gang,

I have a new business post over at the Digital Photo Experience. Check it out.

Stick together,
Rick

Turning a Big Negative Into a Big Positive - With a Little Help From My Friends

Think positive! Never give up! That's my motto.

Here is an example of that kind of thinking.

Last week, I was stuck in Dallas during the blizzard. I was on my way to the Winter Wings Festival in Klamath Falls, Oregon. More than 160 photographers were looking forward to my talk on Wildlife and Nature Photography the following night. Interest in the festival was generated by the festival folks, social media marketing efforts (the topic of another post), and by a local newspaper article.

Due to the snow (more snow than Dallas had seen in years), I did not make it - live, that is.

However, thanks to the hard work of my on-site friends at Canon, and the show organizers, I actually gave the talk - virtually from Croton-on-Hudson, New York. You see, we simply could not let the folks down.

Here's what we did (over a period of several hours):

I first uploaded my Keynote slide presentation (turned into a PDF) to a server. My Canon pals downloaded the file and put it on a Mac laptop.

We used the Mac's iChat's Screen Sharing feature - which let the audience see me and ask me questions before and after my talk. Best of all, this set-up let me scroll through the images, which were projected from the computer with a Canon projector. On screen, it was like me being there.

Sound is always important in a presentation. I used my Rode Podcaster microphone, which offers great sound! I could hear the audience during and after my preso via my Bose Noise-Reduction headphones.

Of course, we did a test first!

So, a big "thank you" goes to the guys who "got me there," virtually: Jim Dicecco, Genaro Arroyo and Shawn Weishaar. You guys rock!

And a big "thank you" goes to the audience, who made it fun!

So think positive. If you think you can, you can! If you think you can't, you can't.

Explore the Light (in person, if you can),
Rick
P.S. Here is an article on wildlife photography that I hope you enjoy.

Got Photoshop User TV?

Hey Everyone,

My friends at Photoshop User TV were kind enough to have me on as a guest a few weeks ago. Here is the segment. Thanks Dave for being a great host!

What? You don't get Photoshop User TV? Whatcha waiting for?!?!?

Explore the Light,
Rick

The Beauty is in the Details – Topaz Details 2 in this Case

Before reading on, click this image for a larger view.

You know the old saying, "The beauty is in the details." Well, I agree with that saying, especially this chilly Saturday morning, because I am playing with Topaz Details 2 - a cool plug-in from Topaz Labs.

Here you see:
Top: Original
Next: Color Jump effect
Next: Desaturated Blush Detail effect
Bottom: Screen grab of Topaz Detail 2 dialog box.

The creative effects that are at your fingertips are endless, and even totally original - if you take advantage of the sliders in the sub-menus on the right side of the dialog box: Detail, Tone, Deblur and Color.

Hey, if you come up with a cool Details 2 image, send me a low-res version at ricksammon at mac.com. Low res meaning: 5x7, JPEG, 72 PPI. We'll consider it for The Plug-In Experience - a cool source for learning about plug-ins, as well as getting discounts on popular plug-ins.

Remember: when you remove some of the color from a scene, you remove some of the reality. When you remove some of the reality, your picture becomes more artistic.

Awaken the artist within,
Rick
P.S. If you are new to plug-ins and love 'em and wanna save some $, Topaz offers a cool savings on its Photoshop Bundle. Click here for info.

Topaz Adjust Tip: Remove Reality

When you remove the sharpness from a scene, you remove some of the reality. When you remove some of the reality, your pictures can become more artistic.

The same goes for color, by the way. Remove the color, and your pictures can become more artistic.

I created this artistic effect using Topaz Adjust 3. In the Noise window, I checked the DeNoise box and moved the sliders to the the right to the point where the details in the image were blurred - giving the image a painterly quality.

This effect does not work on every image. Try it on some of your landscape and scenic pictures. I think you'll like it.

Click here to check out Topaz Adjust.

Explore the Light,
Rick

The Best Part of Snow Holidays: Family Fun & Pictures!

Today's snow holiday in NY reminds me of past snow holidays - and fun in the snow and cold. So I browsed through some snow photos - taken for work and taken for fun.

Here are two of my favorites - one taken in Antarctica four years ago and one taken in my driveway about 10 years ago. Guess which one brings a bigger smile to my face, and guess which one is more valuable (precious).

My message: Take those fun family photos - even if you have to brave the cold. And, back up your photos in at least two places - one off site.

Explore the light,
Rick
P.S. Caption for bottom photo: Rick and Marco Sammon demonstrate the power of the XL-5000i Snow Remover.

Excerpts From My "Social Media Marketing For Photographers " Slide Show: Part I

I just put the finishing touches on my "Social Media Marketing for Photographers" slide presentation, which I will be giving to the students at the Hallmark Institute and to the photographers at the Palm Springs Photo Festival next month.

The preso is about an hour long and features 162 slides.

From time to time I'll post a few of the slides here along with some tips . . . because one of my points is that we all need to share in this world of the web.

Top slide: What's in a name?
Tip: The name of your blog is very important.

When I started, my blog was called: Rick "Raw Rules" Sammon. When I changed it to Rick's Digital Learning Center, the number of hits went way up - because learning was more important than simply following a photographer.

Ask yourself this question: Is the name of my blog effective - or do I need a name change?

Bottom slide: It takes a lot of peanuts to feed an elephant.
Tip: Sign up for as many affiliate/associate programs as possible - amazon.com, plug-ins, camera stores, etc. All those peanuts add up!

I am thinking of turning my presentation into a QuickTime movie. I'll keep you posted if I do.

Explore the light - and don't forget those peanuts. Also remember: "Your money can work harder for you than you can."

Rick
P.S. Bonus tip: Sing up for Google Analytics. Do well and share your numbers with potential clients.

Version 1.1 of My Digital Photography App is Now Available

The first update for my first app - Rick Sammon's 24/7 Photo Buffet - is now available on iTunes. The update is free.

If you are new to the app, read about it here.

The always-expanding app (like a never ending story) include lessons on close-up photography and shooting in the snow.

Here is a preview.

Close-Up Tips

Practice.
Before we set out to take some serious close-up pictures, we need to practice using different f-stops, shutter speeds and lighting at home. That's what I did before embarking on a trip to Florida to photograph butterflies.

I experimented with different camera, lens and flash (ringlight) settings at home so that when I arrived in Florida, I could focus most of my attention on composition, without having to worry about making camera adjustments. This picture of Spicebush Swallowtail was taken with my Canon 50mm macro lens and Canon Macro Ring Lite MR-14EX. That lens lets me get full-frame pictures off butterflies, as well as close-ups of a butterfly’s wings.

Depth-of-field.
When shooting with a macro lens, depth-of-field is extremely limited – and important. Even at small f-stop, depth-of-field is limited. Use your depth-of-field preview button to check what’s in focus – and what’s out of focus – before you shoot.

Ringlight.
A ringlight lets you shoot at small apertures for good depth-of-field. It also offers even or ratio lighting. Your choice!

Shooting in the Snow Tips

Don’t Be Fooled.
All that white can fool a camera's exposure meter into thinking that the scene is brighter than it actually is, therefore setting the camera for an underexposed picture. The remedy: Set your exposure compensation dial to +1. The increase should give you a better exposure, which, of course, you can fine-tune further with exposure compensation and in the digital darkroom.

Pack a Polarizing Filter.
Another important tip: Pack a polarizing filter to reduce glare on snow and ice.

Future 24/7 Photo Buffet updates will include:
Hyper HDR (because I am so hyper) and Flash Photography.

Hey, let me know what you'd like me to add to my 24/7 Photo Buffet app - or what apps you'd like to see.

Rick Sammon's 24/7 Photo Safari is in the works! It should be available in April.

Explore the Light,
Rick

Crop My Pictures and You Are a Dead Man

“Crop my picture and you’re a dead man.” That’s what David Page, one of the contributors to my books, Digital Photography Secrets, said to me in an email when he submitted one of his pictures for publication. After his demand was a happy face!

Basically, David, a heck of a nice guy and former fine art photographer and teacher at Duke University, was asking, in a nice way, that his image not be cropped.

David’s comment was the inspiration for a column that I wrote for Layers magazine.

I agree 100 percent with David's philosophy. To me, and to most of my photographer friends, cropping in-camera and in the digital darkroom is one of the keys to a good image – a good exposure and an interesting subject being among the other key ingredients that make a good photograph.

In fact, when I work with publishers, including my friends at Layers magazine, the only request I have is to please not crop my pictures. It’s a request that surely makes the art director’s job more difficult, and I appreciate their extra effort.

Cropping goes hand-in-hand with composition, because if you have an expertly composed photograph and then it’s cropped poorly, the composition goes down the tubes, or maybe to Davy Jones’ Locker, according the David Page.

Explore the Light,

Rick

Every Mile is Two in Winter

Every mile is two in winter.
George Herbert

No Flower Blooms For 1,000 Days

No flower blooms for 1,000 days.
- Chinese proverb

Tech info on this image:
Canon EOS 1Ds
100mm macro lens
f/13 @ 1/60th sec.
Canon MR 14-EX ringlight
ISO 100

If you are serious about close-up photography, invest in a macro lens and ringlight . . . as well as a sturdy tripod.

Quick close-up tip: Watch your focus and background very carefully. Even at small apertures, depth-of-field is very limited.

All my gear is listed on this page of my site.

The 1st update of my app will be available next week. I've added an entire lesson on close-up photography. Also added: Shooting in the snow.

Explore the light,
Rick
P.S. Does this flower remind you of anything?

Lost in Space

Writing captions for our photographs is good way for us to realize what we were trying to say with an image (and how we were feeling) when we took the shot. Try it . . . you'll find it an interesting exercise.

My caption for this image: Lost is Space.

The man has lots of stuff in his space, but seems to be lost . . . lost in time, too.

If you have a caption for this image, post it here. All in fun.

Explore the Light,
Rick

P.S. This is an HDR image created from three images, processed in Photomatix and then enhanced in Topaz Adjust and Photoshop. I took the shots with my Canon 15mm lens on my Canon 5D Mark II.