8.1.10: Five More Free Redeem Codes for 24/7 Photo Buffet/iPad Version

Back in January 2010, Dr. Dave Wilson developed my first iPhone app, Rick Sammon's 24/7 Photo Buffet. The interactive app – new & improved & of course up sized for great image quality – is now available for the iPad.

The how-to app has been completely redesigned, so the content – the best of my photography and Photoshop tips, tricks and techniques – looks bigger and better than ever. What's more, the app is easier to navigate, more fun to use, and of course lets you see the pictures horizontally and vertically. How cool is that!

Speaking of cool, the original 24/7 Photo Buffet for the iPhone was a Staff Pick on the App store for a few weeks. :-)

For more info on the app, as well as info on my other apps, click here.

To celebrate the release and success of the app, Dr. Dave and I are giving away five more free redeem codes for this specific version. (We gave away five yesterday.). Here are the redeem codes for today. I hope you can grab one. They go fast.

LJK6F6YY34HH
P7AJM363XR3L
3HAPK9WHHKY6
R9Y9R96JNXWK
TWHE77ENEJJR

Note: To redeem a code, go to the home screen of the App Store and click "Redeem" in the upper right hand corner. Enter your redemption code and sync your iPad (in this case). Make sure to do so immediately as promo codes do expire and cannot be replaced if this occurs. Sorry friends around the globe, but the codes only work in the US App Store. Also note that the process for redeeming a code is Apple's standard process, not ours.

Explore the light – and have fun exploring the app.
Rick

Five More Free Redeem Codes for 24/7 Photo Buffet/iPad Version

Back in January 2010, Dr. Dave Wilson developed my first iPhone app, Rick Sammon's 24/7 Photo Buffet. The interactive app – new & improved & of course up sized for great image quality – is now available for the iPad.

The how-to app has been completely redesigned, so the content – the best of my photography and Photoshop tips, tricks and techniques – looks bigger and better than ever. What's more, the app is easier to navigate, more fun to use, and of course lets you see the pictures horizontally and vertically. How cool is that!

Speaking of cool, the original 24/7 Photo Buffet for the iPhone was a Staff Pick on the App store for a few weeks. :-)

For more info on the app, as well as info on my other apps, click here.

To celebrate the release and success of the app, Dr. Dave and I are giving away five more free redeem codes for this specific version. (We will give away five tomorrow, too!). Here are the redeem codes. I hope you can grab one. They go fast.

9F4TWW3J4NRA
J3WMR9AYH3YM
3W4KTXW6XYPE
W3KX9HKW9L4N
K4MRH6YNMYAE

Note: To redeem a code, go to the home screen of the App Store and click "Redeem" in the upper right hand corner. Enter your redemption code and sync your iPad (in this case). Make sure to do so immediately as promo codes do expire and cannot be replaced if this occurs. Sorry friends around the globe, but the codes only work in the US App Store. Also note that the process for redeeming a code is Apple's standard process, not ours.

Explore the light – and have fun exploring the app.
Rick

Bronx Zoo Photo Shoot. Join the Fun.

Photograph © Rick Sammon

I am doing a photo walk/shoot at the Bronx Zoo on September 7th – the day before my first Croton Workshop. The plan is to meet at the Jungle World exhibit (inside the entrance) at 1 PM. We'll shoot there and then move onto a few of the other exhibits. I'll be happy to offer photo advice and share some of my favorite shooting spots.

We'll wrap up around 4 PM – but you can hang out as long as you like.

Bring your telephoto and wide-angle lenses – and your flash. You'll want to tell the whole story, which you can do by shooting with different lenses.

Simply show up! But if you want to shoot me an email – ricksammon @ mac.com – in case plans change, that's cool.

Hope to see you there.

Explore the light,
Rick

Tulip Trick

Picture above is a nice enough photograph of some tulips. Below is an image I created from that image using a simple Photoshop trick. The effect works great on flowers, but try it on other subjects for a surprising effect. Here's how to do it.

In Photoshop, go to Filter > Distort > Polar Coordinates > Polar to Rectangular.

Next, go to Image > Rotate > Flip Vertically.

Next, go back to Filter > Distort > Polar Coordinates, but this time click Rectangular to Polar.

That's it. For added fun, play with Hue/Saturation, or change the Image Size to square.

If you like photographing tulips and playing in the digital darkroom, check out the workshop that I am doing in The Netherlands in 2011.

Explore the light,

Rick

April 2011 The Netherlands Photography Workshop: Tulips, Landscapes, HDR and More!

One of the best times to visit Amsterdam is in spring, during the height of the tulip blooming season. Photographers travel there from around the world to focus their cameras on the dramatic colors and forms presented by Holland’s star flower – the tulip.

Based in Amsterdam, this workshop will take participants to ideal locations to photograph flowers, gardens, and tulip growing fields. We'll also photograph windmills, canals and castles. How cool is that!

During this 4 day/5-night, workshop, photographers will have an opportunity to work side by side with me as I illustrate how to capture the beauty of flowers, as well as country landscapes and charming villages.

In addition, I plan to use the local architectural features to teach you the finer points of HDR photography.

As former workshop participants know, I will offer lots of practical tips, techniques and advice in an entertaining and fun atmosphere. Yes! We will process our images in the digital darkroom. I'll be there to help.

What’s included: 5 nights hotel, 4 days touring by private motor coach, local guide, most meals and entrance fees.

What’s not included: air transportation, airport transfers, some meals, tips, and personal expenses.

Limited to 12 participants.

Dates: April 18 - 22, 2011.

Costs:
$1,995.00 per person for double occupancy
$2,345,00 per person for single occupancy
(One of the best-priced workshops to this area on the web! Compare.)

Shoot me an email if you are interested in joining the photo fun. Send to: ricksammon@mac.com.


P.S. Compare prices. This is one of the most affordable Netherlands photo workshops on the Web.

Explore the light,
Rick

P.S. I used an iStock image to illustrate this post - as the workshop will be my first visit to The Netherlands. So excited to be going someplace new!

Light Illuminates, Shadows Define

When making pictures, keep this in mind: Light illuminates, shadows define.

No light, no picture.

No shadows, no definition.

Have a great weekend!

Explore the light,
Rick

September Workshop in San Francisco

Wanna shoot in one of the most picturesque cities in the country? If so, I hope you can join the workshop that I am leading with Frederick Van Johnson (of TWiP fame) this September 16-19.

You'll learn how to:
• see the light (the contrast range in a scene as well as the color, direction and quality of the light);
• control the light (with a flash, reflectors and diffusers);
• play with the light (in Lightroom, Aperture and Photoshop);
• and turn a snapshot into a photograph (as illustrated by the two pictures in this post).

We'll be photographing people and places, during the day and into the night.

For more info, shoot me an email at: ricksammon at mac.com.

I hope to see you there.

Explore the light,
Rick

Unique HDR Images at Unique Photo Workshop

Just wanted to say a big "thank you" to my friends at Unique Photo in Fairfield, NJ, for putting together yesterday's HDR seminar/workshop at Unique University and Kip's Castle.

Here are a few quickly-processed HDR images.


We had a great group, had great fun – and everyone made some great HDR images.

I made these images with my Canon 5D Mark II and Canon 15mm full-frame fisheye lens.


I'll be speaking at the Unique Photo boot at Photo Plus Expo at the Javits Center in October.

We'll also be shooting lots of HDR images at my Croton Workshops in the fall.

Hey, if you are new to HDR, you can get a discount on Photomatix, the HDR imaging program that I use, on this page of my site.

Explore the light,
Rick
P.S. For more on this cool event, click here.

Five More Free Redeem Codes for 24/7 Photo Buffet/iPad Version

Back in January 2010, Dr. Dave Wilson developed my first iPhone app, Rick Sammon's 24/7 Photo Buffet. The interactive app – new & improved & of course up sized for great image quality – is now available for the iPad.

The how-to app has been completely redesigned, so the content – the best of my photography and Photoshop tips, tricks and techniques – looks bigger and better than ever. What's more, the app is easier to navigate, more fun to use, and of course lets you see the pictures horizontally and vertically. How cool is that!

Speaking of cool, the original 24/7 Photo Buffet for the iPhone was a Staff Pick on the App store for a few weeks. :-)

For more info on the app, as well as info on my other apps, click here.

To celebrate the release and success of the app, Dr. Dave and I are giving away five more free redeem codes for this specific version. (We gave away five last week). Here are the redeem codes. I hope you can grab one. They go fast.

Y7TLPXMFKW67
L6Y73J4KJREW
ATEF9WF3AMTX
XAR3JWHEJ6HL
6YRPPMKTKATR

Note: To redeem a code, go to the home screen of the App Store and click "Redeem" in the upper right hand corner. Enter your redemption code and sync your iPad (in this case). Make sure to do so immediately as promo codes do expire and cannot be replaced if this occurs. Sorry friends around the globe, but the codes only work in the US App Store. Also note that the process for redeeming a code is Apple's standard process, not ours.

Explore the light – and have fun exploring the app.
Rick

Thoughts on Photography Turning Points

Recently, someone asked my why I have not scuba dived in several years – after having published five books on the underwater environment and heading up the marine conservation organization CEDAM International for 20 years.

The quick/funny answer was, "I did not need, and the world did not need, another picture of a clowfish." A few clowfish, swimming in the Red Sea among the protective tentacles of a sea anemone, are pictured below.

The real reason, I went on to explain, was that I had a turning point. While I was on a scuba diving adventure in Lombok, Indonesia, our group stopped at a school where I talked about protecting the underwater environment. After my talk, I did some magic tricks for the kids in their classroom. After the "magic show," the kids followed me out the main gate, cheering and laughing and jumping and smiling. They would not let me leave!

That was a magical moment for me. The above picture captures that magic. From that moment, I started to turn my attention more and more toward people photography, as well as learning about different culture, beliefs, and so on.

Sure, I sometimes miss scuba diving and some of the underwater close-encounters I've had, such as swimming with this school bus-size whale shark.

But photographing people at events such as the Sister's Meal Festival, where I took this shot, make up for it.

I'd like to hear from you! Did you have a turning point in your photography. Was it an event or perhaps an encounter with another photographer – or even a picture in a book or magazine? You don't have to be a pro to participate.

I know you can respond on twitter and facebook, but if you leave a comment here, everyone (including me) can see your response.

Explore the light – and be prepared for unexpected turning points.
Rick

Ringlights Rule in Close-Up Photography

When it comes to close-up photography, a ringlight is a valuable accessory. A ringlight fits over the camera's lens and can produce even (shadowless) or ratio (such as 1:2) lighting.

By rotating the ringlight and by turning off one of the flash tubes, you can create top, bottom and side lighting effects.

Most ringlights, such as the Canon MR-14EX model that I use, offer variable flash output control, meaning that you can adjust the light output so your flash picture does not look like a flash picture. Most also work in the TTL mode, making getting good exposures quite easy. Still, it's important to check your camera's histogram to ensure a good exposure.

Ringlights, as with all flashes, can cause reflections on a subject. In my red-eye tree frog image, the rightlight was reflected in the frog's eye. I easily removed it using the Clone Stamp tool in Photoshop.

When using a ringlight, you may not need a tripod, even when photographing a fast moving subject. This is an advantage when photographing in places where a tripod is not allowed or not practical.

By the way, all these pictures were taken in my kitchen. The black background is one of my t-shirts. :-)

Here is a list of some close-up gear that can help you make great close-up pictures.

Here is an article I wrote on close-up photography. Enjoy!

Explore the light,
Rick

Brain Dead? Think Again.

As readers of my blog know, my dad died in April of this year.

Here's an interesting story about his death, one that may help someone out there.

While I was in Seattle, Washington, my 91-year-old dad, who was living in his home in New York, had a massive brain hemmorage. My brother, who was visiting my dad at the time, rushed him to the hospital in an ambulance. He called the sibs with the sad news.

After a brain scan and family/doctor conservations, it was decided that my dad was brain dead, and that it was time to pull the plug. His brain was a total mess. He had a DNR.

Well, before they pulled the plug, I really wanted to say good-bye to my dad. I called my brother, who was in the hospital room at the time, and asked him to hold his cell phone next to my dad's ear. My brother had to dash out of the room to take care of some business, so he handed the phone to my dad's nurse/caregiver.

I said a final good-bye to my dad.

About a month later, I called the nurse/caregiver to inquire about something that my sister told me shortly after my dad's passing: "A tear rolled down dad's cheek when he heard your emotional goodbye."

Originally, I thought my sister had told me the "tear" story just to make me feel good.

Well, the nurse/caregiver confirmed the tear story. She said, four times in the phone conversation, that my dad definitely heard me, and cried a tear when he heard me crying.

I am sharing this little story with you for a simple reason: When you think it's too late to say goodbye to a parent, loved one or friend, think again . . .

Rick
P.S. Doctors say that hearing is the last sense to go.

Save A Photo – and Save Your Car

Just a quick post to remind young photographers to photograph what's important to them - and to save those photos.

Here's a photo of my dad and his first car, taken in the early 1940s. I am glad my dad saved the picture. Imagine if he had saved the car!

Explore the light,
Rick

iPad HD Version of "Rick Sammon's 24/7 Photo Buffet" App Now in The iTunes Store

Back in January 2010, Dr. Dave Wilson developed my first iPhone app, Rick Sammon's 24/7 Photo Buffet. The interactive app – new & improved & of course up sized for great image quality – is now available for the iPad.

The how-to app has been completely redesigned, so the content – the best of my photography and Photoshop tips, tricks and techniques – looks bigger and better than ever. What's more, the app is easier to navigate, more fun to use, and of course lets you see the pictures horizontally and vertically. How cool is that!

Speaking of cool, 24/7 Photo Buffet was a Staff Pick on the App store for a few weeks. :-)

For more info on the app, as well as info on my other apps, click here.

To celebrate the release of the app, Dr. Dave and I are giving away five free redeem codes for this specific version. Here they are, and I hope you can grab one. They go fast.

P7HH3LL346HW
TR94Y4ATA4JP
LM7934LWY3WH
LKE3LWXX9JE3
TN4R3RF976FA

Note: To redeem a code, go to the home screen of the App Store and click "Redeem" in the upper right hand corner. Enter your redemption code and sync your iPad (in this case). Make sure to do so immediately as promo codes do expire and cannot be replaced if this occurs. Sorry friends around the globe, but the codes only work in the US App Store. Also note that the process for redeeming a code is Apple's standard process.

Explore the light – and have fun exploring the app.
Rick

Coming Soon: Hide and Seek Under the Sea – an iPad App Just for Kids!

Juan Pons and I are working on our first app for kids: Hide and Seek Under the Sea. It's an app that illustrates how fishes hide from predators and seek out prey. The idea is that parents will read this app to their kids . . . if the kids don't already have an iPad :-)

Pictured here: Whale shark, the largest fish in the sea, seeks out a meal: microscopic plankton. This fish, which can grow to the size of school bus, is harmless to scuba divers and snorkelers.

Stay tuned!

Explore the light,
Rick

Too Much Fun at Tokyo Tower After PhotoFest Japan 2010

PhotoFest Japan 2010 official ended last night, but the fun did not – as Hal "Bull" Schmitt would say. Several of the workshop participants joined me for a photo walk around Tokyo, which ended at dusk at Tokyo Tower.

We had some fish-eye lens fun, working with reflections.

We had some Topaz Adjust fun.

We shot wide to take in the beauty of the tower at dusk. By the way, the best time to take nighttime pictures is not at night – but rather at dusk, when there is still a bit of light in the sky. A black sky can produce too much grain in an image – as one of the participants found out the hard way last night. Uh . . . setting her camera to ISO 3200 did not help either :-)

We took the subway to Tokyo Tower, making a few stops of our own to make some HDR images.

I hope to see you at a future PhotoFest Japan.

Explore the light,
Rick

More On Making Pictures In Tokyo

Here is another example of picture making.

Above: Making a picture.

Below: Taking a picture.


After taking a snapshot of some friends eating ice cream, I asked one of the girls to walk with me down the street to where I had spotted a cool and colorful background and bike. I posed the girl on the bike and asked her to look up, over her shoulder, toward the sun – so that the sunlight illuminated her face.

I soften, blurred and darkened the picture by using the Midnight Filter in Color Efex Pro by Nik Software.

Just another example of making a picture, which we do on all my workshops.

Make pictures,
Rick

P.S. Here is a behind-the-scenes look at our shoot.

Making Pictures at PhotoFest Japan 2010

Yesterday's PhotoFest Japan events were focused on making pictures - as opposed to simply taking pictures. We walked through the streets of Tokyo and set up people pictures against cool backgrounds - illustrating the point that the background can make or break a picture.

Above is a shot I took of the coolest dude we found – right within the ranks of our workshop participants. Bob graciously posed for us (I guess after a workout), helping us make a picture.

We could have taken the shot straight on, but the photograph would have looked flat. Rather, we shot from an angle to create a sense-of-depth in the image.

For the above image, my favorite shot from the shoot, I set my Canon 24-105mm IS lens (on my Canon 5D Mark II) at 24mm. I shot at f/7 and focused 1/3 into the scene to get everything in the scene in focus. To spice up the image, I added a touch of Topaz Adjust (Spicify effect).

Below is another image from the day's shoot that illustrates the same basic shooting and processing technique.

Below is a behind-the-scenes look at one of our shoots. Juan is assisting with a reflector; Hal is off camera leading another group. The guy in the red shirt is Scott Hards - the dude who heads up PhotoFest Japan.

Below is my shot from the above shoot - with Spicifi added. Although I did not shoot at an angle, this picture has a sense of depth because the steps lead off into the background.

Explore the light – and try to create a sense of depth in your images.

Rick
P.S. For info on Topaz adjust, as well as other plug-ins, and discounts on some plug-ins, click here.