Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Moving Day Has Arrived!

I will no longer be adding to my blog at this location.

I have found more suitable digs here


http://grossingerphotography.com/

Please bookmark the new location.

Friday, July 9, 2010

The Amazing Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX5


The amazing Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX5 strikes me as the ideal camera to take everywhere.
Watch this video
Finally, a fairly cheap camera with wads of features that will stand up to use and abuse.
Some of the features that impress me are:
Small size (almost credit card size) of  W x H x D: 3 3/4" x 2 1/4" x 23/32, makes it easy to take every where. The fact that the camera is flat, with no lens sticking out, makes this an ideal tote-along.
The TX5 has a cool HDR mode captures two successive images at different exposure values each time you press the shutter, and then combines the files instantly inside the camera to produce one image. OOH RAH!

The camera is waterproof! Yup, need that in a tote-along.
The TX5 has a decent video mode. Something that does come in handy for those unexpected events. I don't use video in my DSLRs but can find uses for it in a tote-along camera.


In short, the Sony TX5 is a rugged (I wonder if TX stands for TEXAS TOUGH?), compact, feature laden little camera that won't bust your budget.

If you like the post then please use the provided links for your shopping. Stay safe and have a fun time with your camera.
Don't forget to write me if you have any tips, or news. I like to hear from you!


My Flicker Photostream
My babe photostream on Flickr
My SmugMug account

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Have Fun With Your Pictures

                                                           Click on image for a better view

Some time ago I started a "Sarah Palin Saturday" gig on my Flicker Photo stream. Of course she is controversial. That is why I started the series. I get a huge kick out of the comments I receive. They are at times better than the picure. Now, I am not going political with this blog. American poly-tics has become corrosive, mean spirited and down right nasty. So I won't add to it here.
The point I'm trying to make is for folks to have fun with their cameras and expensive software. We all love our toys, so let's step outside the box a bit and create images that have impact, get people to stop and look and at the same time are entertaining and unique. With the digital age photography is no longer about taking a snap and sending the film off to get developed. We are entering an enirely new age of image manipulation and creation. Purists are free to back away in horror, it matters little. Technology marches on.

The new PS5 selections features makes this so much quicker and easier. Give it a try!
Adobe has a free 30 day trial for Photoshop and Kelby Training has the lessons to quickly get you up to speed. 
Photography has never been this much fun and this easy!

If you like the post then please use the provided links for your shopping. Stay safe and have a fun time with your camera.
Don't forget to write me if you have any tips, or news. I like to hear from you!

My Flicker Photostream
My babe photostream on Flickr
My SmugMug account

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Portrait In Sepia

Click on image for a better view
Whenever I do a photo shoot with a beautiful woman I go soft and easy with the images. I love to use fresh roses for every shoot because I believe they enhance the feminine softness. I believe sexy is more than just boobs and butts. I think that is way overdone in most of the pinup images I see. To me sexy means "desirable", which goes far deeper than just anatomy 101.


I converted this image to sepia using the Imagenomic Realgrain filter. Just google them for more information. I give myself extra control by first creating a layer in Photoshop in order to be able to control opacity and sometimes even the blending mode.


I used my usual 3-light setup for this image.


AlienBee 800 to the left and high thru a white umbrella for my main light


AlienBee 800 also thru a white umbrella, on the right for a fill, set about 2 stops below the main light.


My third light is a Savage CM-250 with a color gel, usually blue. I have it behind my white-sheet background. This lets me change background colors without changing the background.


Click on image for a better view

When it comes to backgrounds I like to stay simple and subdued because I don't want it competing with the model.


Shooting is manual shutter speed and f-stop, auto focus and auto color balance.


I use Imagenomic Portraiture to get the soft skin tones and finish the image with Image Trends "Pearly Whites" for whiter teeth and eyes.

If you like the post then please use the provided links for your shopping. Stay safe and have a fun time with your camera.
Don't forget to write me if you have any tips, or news. I like to hear from you!

My Flicker Photostream
My babe photostream on Flickr
My SmugMug account

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Neutral Density Filters For Depth of Field Control

Click on image for a better view

You are outdoors, you want to do a beautiful portrait or photograph a flower. You want a very shallow depth of  field in order to isolate your subject. Your ISO is already at 100, shutter speed is locked at 1/125th so you can use flash but the aperture is at f/9 or more because of the bright sun.
Your choice is now down to having a greater depth of field or using neutral density filters.
Try a nice dark ND filter next time you are trying to use flash out doors. The ND filter is one of those very few filters you just can't do without and can't duplicate in editing.

If you like the post then please use the provided links for your shopping. Stay safe and have a fun time with your camera.
Don't forget to write me if you have any tips, or news. I like to hear from you!

My Flicker Photostream
My babe photostream on Flickr
My SmugMug account

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Photographing Fireworks

Click on image for a better view
Photographing fireworks is fun and surprisingly easy.

As with everything else in life, photographing fireworks has it's MUST OBEY rules and a lot of gray area "should do" rules.



You must have a camera! Absolutely
You must have a sturdy tripod. Don't try to get away with using a dinky $9.95 model you bought at a drug store.
You must arrive at the shooting location at least one hour before show time.
You need to get to the shooting location early so that you will have plenty of time to scout a good location.
Even though I know the exact spot I'm going to be shooting from this year, I will still arrive an hour early just to be sure I'm the one that will be standing there and not someone else.

The nitty gritty of camera settings is simple enough:


Manual exposure
Manual focus set to infinity
ISO 200 or so
f/22 or so
Shutter speed on bulb


Now if you have one of those wireless remotes then you will be way ahead of the game. Second best is a cable release.

Twiddling around with your fingers to trip the shutter is not good but if you have to do it then set the shutter speed to 10 seconds.

Click on image for a better view
If you have a remote shutter release then open the shutter when the fireworks go off and close it when they begin to recede. I vary this and sometimes leave the shutter open for 30 seconds or more in order to catch more fireworks in one frame.
If you don't have a remote shutter  release then you can still vary the time but just setting the shutter speed at 10, 20 or 30 seconds.
Not all of your images will turn out to be masterpieces but you will get some great shots.

I am going to move this blog to a new location with new software. It's going to be a long process.
The new location will be here. This is just for the search engines to get used to the new URL. There is nothing there yet.

If you like the post then please use the provided links for your shopping. Stay safe and have a fun time with your camera.
Don't forget to write me if you have any tips, or news. I like to hear from you!

My Flicker Photostream
My babe photostream on Flickr
My SmugMug account

Monday, June 28, 2010

Solar-Powered Camera Strap Could Energize Outdoor Photography

Click on image for a better view
By Adam Hadhazy, TechNewsDaily Staff Writer
28 June 2010 11:27 AM ET

That sunlight beating down on your neck while you frame the perfect camera shot could be put to good use, as demonstrated by a new "Solar Camera Strap" concept.
It is not a stretch to imagine that other devices, such as a phone in need of charging, could draw on this energy with special adapter plugs.
Designer Weng Jie, who submitted the green idea to the Yanko Design blog, suggested that such a solar strap could be particularly handy on photo expeditions lasting several days.


If you like the post then please use the provided links for your shopping. Stay safe and have a fun time with your camera.
Don't forget to write me if you have any tips, or news. I like to hear from you!

My Flicker Photostream
My babe photostream on Flickr
My SmugMug account