Photo Sorcery

Rialto in Dusk - Namets Movie Premiere

2009-02-08T23:24:00.001-08:00

A night to remember. Another well organized fund raising from the "Babes of Bacolod" for Tapulanga Foundation. Featuring the first US movie premiere of "Namets". An ilonggo film featuring the best dishes Bacolod has to offer. Familiar faces blessing the viewers with a night of laughter and cravings. Directed by Jay Abello. Dvds for sale ran out as fast as the cheese pimiento sandwiches and siopao did from the snack shop. Well done Babes.

View the rest of the gallery, click here

Antony Crossfield - Painting with Light

2009-01-22T13:39:00.000-08:00

How many times have you heard me say it. A cliche I have been using for years, but now, I finally found someone who actually paints with light. Antony Crossfield - painter-turned photographer has been featured all over the net lately. He has a very unique perspective through his lens. He describes it as "God's Eye View". He incorporates his talent in illustration, photography, 3D rendering and photoshop retouching skills, to a level none of us would even dare travel.

You can see most of his innovative and provocative stills www.thefstopmag.com/?p=374

The Inversion by Antony Crossfield

Obama Effect on photos you ask?

2009-01-20T09:15:00.000-08:00

You've seen it and may have asked the same question... how the hell do I get that photoshop effect? Well the style was inspired by Frank Shepard Fairey's Obama mixed-media stenciled portrait.

Spice up your portraits through this website. http://obamiconme.pastemagazine.com

It consists of a stylized stencil portrait of Obama in solid red, beige and (pastel and dark) blue, with the word "PROGRESS", "HOPE", or "CHANGE" below. The image became one of the most widely recognized symbols of Obama's campaign message, spawning many variations and imitations, including some commissioned by the Obama campaign. In January 2009, after Obama had won the election, Fairey's mixed-media stenciled portrait version of the image was acquired by the Smithsonian Institution for its National Portrait Gallery.

Credits to Leonard for asking this question. You can find more of his work here http://flickr.com/photos/7121893@N02/

Pops Fernandez at the Grand Theater in LA

2009-01-16T21:24:00.001-08:00

Pops Fernandez at the Grand Theater in LA, originally uploaded by photosorcery.

So far, this image I took of Pops Fernandez has over 890 views. I had the opportunity to rush down right below the stage pretending to be one of the media. Rubbing shoulders with the paparazzis with my trusty Nikon D50 and a very short & stout looking 50mm lens.

Note to self: tag images properly from now, because people will find you, evidently with this image.

High Rise Portraiture

2009-01-14T15:15:00.001-08:00

Hollyland, originally uploaded by photosorcery.

Real life application of the lighting technique explained below, with upcoming photojournalist Leonard as my subject.

Balancing the ambient

2009-01-14T15:11:00.001-08:00

Whats left of St. Nick, originally uploaded by photosorcery.

SB-800 Camera left. This is the most basic flash technique that you'll find the most essential. Balancing the ambient.

STEP 1: Meter for the background scene (Flash turned off). Take a test shot if you are unsure. I included the incandescent lights to symbolize my ambient lighting.

STEP 2: Light your subject (off camera of course). This may require trial and error to get just the right flash power. I used a bounce card to spray some of the light on St. Nicks lovely beard.

Same technique applied on the streets of Hollywood... www.flickr.com/photos/photosorcery/3196989329/

Figueroa street HDR

2009-01-14T15:10:00.001-08:00

Figueroa_HDR_Panorama, originally uploaded by photosorcery.

A gem in the streets of dowtown LA. Figueroa street.

Hollywood Panorama

2009-01-14T15:03:00.001-08:00

Hollywood Panorama, originally uploaded by photosorcery.

5 image panorama. Stunningly perfect weather in January.

Century City

2009-01-14T15:00:00.001-08:00

Century City, originally uploaded by photosorcery.

Waiting for the ambient skylight to blend with the building lights, is the only way to capture these images. Whats the secret... patience

Sushi Me

2009-01-14T14:56:00.001-08:00

Sushi Me, originally uploaded by photosorcery.

One of my favorite subjects. Because I get to eat it, right after

Neon Leon

2009-01-14T14:55:00.001-08:00

Neon Leon, originally uploaded by photosorcery.

Eye candy fountain lights

Vintage Marilyn

2009-01-14T14:53:00.001-08:00

Vintage Marilyn, originally uploaded by photosorcery.

One of the many celebs, the hollywood walk of stars has to offer.

Metro Rapido

2009-01-14T14:51:00.001-08:00

Metro Rapido, originally uploaded by photosorcery.

Metro rapidly increases fare as economy worsens.

Rodeo Drive

2009-01-14T14:44:00.001-08:00

Rodeo Drive, originally uploaded by photosorcery.

One of the few places, photographers are actually welcomed to shoot pictures.

Weights in Hard light

2009-01-14T14:43:00.001-08:00

Weights in Hard light, originally uploaded by photosorcery.

First upload to strobist group. Simple and harsh!

Obama Peeking In

2009-01-14T14:42:00.001-08:00

Obama Peeking In, originally uploaded by photosorcery.

President Elect, getting ready to implement change in his upcoming administration. Even though "change" is what we have left after the Bush administration.

Rodeo Drive

2009-01-14T14:37:00.001-08:00

Rodeo_Drive_panorama, originally uploaded by photosorcery.

Elegant. A must see if you are visiting Beverly Hills.

Brand Americana

2008-10-17T16:59:00.001-07:00

pano_brand_final, originally uploaded by photosorcery.

First crack at making a VR image handheld. A few fixes here and there, but i was pleased of the outcome of the image. VR image from this rectilinear image come out very well.

Raise 'em as high as you can

2008-10-17T16:53:00.001-07:00

DSC_2268, originally uploaded by photosorcery.

I was invited to be a part of a Baptismal Ceremony. Lighting inside the church was surprisingly good with all the natural light coming in from all corners. More images on my flickr account.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/photosorcery/sets/72157607984840981/

Photography Sells

2008-10-17T16:46:00.001-07:00

DSC_1990, originally uploaded by photosorcery.

Photography surely does sell, doesn't it. This storefront looks like it came out of a magazine. Lighting is perfect and all I had to do is snap that camera. Less is more, evidently so, when it comes to billboards. - Primm Valley Mall, Las Vegas.

Fashion Mall Panorama

2008-10-17T16:42:00.001-07:00

Fashion Mall Pano, originally uploaded by photosorcery.

Very easily done, 3 images handheld (with a basic understanding of the nodal point) at 12mm DX format. Its fun implementing this technique on uninteresting compositions and see what you'll get.

Vegas - Fashion Mall

2008-10-17T16:36:00.001-07:00

DSC_2134, originally uploaded by photosorcery.

We got to see how they turned the center space into a runway in a matter of minutes. Models pop-up from the ground floor and into the runway. See more of the images during our trip. http://www.flickr.com/photos/photosorcery/sets/72157608118498460/

HDR Frenzy

2008-04-25T12:13:00.001-07:00

outside_looking_in2, originally uploaded by photosorcery.

Cathedral Tower, originally uploaded by photosorcery.

Framed HDR, originally uploaded by photosorcery.

Here are some HDR collections from the same place (Downtown Cathedral). Enjoy !

Downtown Cathedral

2008-04-25T11:44:00.001-07:00

cathedral+autopano, originally uploaded by photosorcery.

To Whom the Bells Toll, originally uploaded by photosorcery.

Pano shot of the old Downtown Cathedral in Bacolod. This is in front of the plaza. People engage in sleazy business transactions near the plaza during wee hours, ironically located in front of this magnificent Cathedral.

Second picture was a fluke shot. I wanted to take a picture of this gorgeous church bell. After I saw someone sleeping, I got really excited and anxious to take multiple exposure shots.

Autopano software was used to generate this panorama.

Cadiz Old Port

2008-03-28T11:01:00.000-07:00

pano_old_pier, originally uploaded by photosorcery.

I decided to take a few shots while crossing over this bridge in Cadiz City. They recently constructed a huge port on the other side of this channel.

Its weird going back home after almost 10 years. Im dazed and confused the first half of my trip... observing mostly with little participation.

Cornell Swimming Pool

2008-03-27T11:07:00.000-07:00

cornell_swimming, originally uploaded by photosorcery.

Nostalgia once more! Pano shot from the top floor of Cornell Swimming Pool. 10 minute drive from our Cadiz vacation house. This is my happy place. Almost drowned several times when i was a kid, but its all good.

There used to be a diving board and used to be a lot deeper over 10 feet deep. Now they constantly shallowed the whole pool to about 5 feet.

Thats my cousin Basti in the middle of the pool.

Hand held pano shot and stitched using CS2. I really can't spend more than 10 minutes on each photo so pardon me for imperfections.

Bacolod City - Best Place to Live in the Philippines

2008-03-18T13:19:00.000-07:00

Bacolod City topped the list of “Best Places to Live” by MoneySense magazine.

Most Competitive Mid-Sized City in the Philippines for two consecutive years.
Based on the results of the PCCRP for the years 2003 and 2005, Bacolod City ranked high in all criteria from among the cities under the mid-sized category. These are non-metro cities with a population of more than 200,000.It ranked highest on Infrastructure and Quality of Life.

Most Business Friendly Local Government Unit in the Philippines
Bacolod bested 130 other cities when the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry declared it the “Most Business-Friendly Local Government Unit in the Philippines” in 2007. It was the second year in a row for Bacolod to be named the “Most Business-Friendly City in the Visayas”. As the regional winner, it became a finalist and competed with the other regional winners and was chosen as the national winner.

To checkout the full write up, visit www.promdiliving.com

http://www.promdiliving.com/2008/03/19/bacolod-city-best-place-to-live-in-the-philippines/

Chicken House Inasal

2008-03-04T12:33:00.000-08:00

DSC_3114, originally uploaded by photosorcery.

Bacolod's Finest barbecue chicken (Inasal) can only be experienced at "Chicken House". Is it just me or the rice itself tastes 10 times better? I kid you not!

One thing I truly miss about Bacolod is the local flavor, and your experience would not be the same without dining at "Chicken House".

Tell them that Leo sent you and get a discount! JK.

Talisay Ayala Plantazionne Club House

2008-03-03T12:26:00.000-08:00

DSC_3005, originally uploaded by photosorcery.

Quiet neighborhood and 10 minutes away from the hustle & bustle of Bacolod's laid back lifestyle. Truly impressive to see such developments in Bacolod.

Like they always say around here, "Everywhere in Bacolod is 5 minutes away". This is a bit far don't you think? Seriously?

Rock Star

2008-03-01T11:38:00.000-08:00

Rock Star, originally uploaded by photosorcery.

"Remember this face!" ... he personally called me to get his picture taken when i got out of the car with my camera.

What defines happiness? Im guessing, probably not money! Im just happy to take his picture.

Location: Downtown - Plaza Mart... Bacolod.
Processing style: JoeyL's Mud Grundge trademark

Mahjong Ivory Tiles

2008-02-15T13:00:00.000-08:00

DSC_2010, originally uploaded by photosorcery.

Beware of this fun yet addictive past-time most Filipinos play. Originated from China, brought to the Philippines by Chinese merchants and settlers. A game of Skill, Strategy and Calculations.

Place I Stayed in Bacolod

2008-02-13T10:55:00.000-08:00

gra'mas_casa, originally uploaded by photosorcery.

For those of you unfamiliar, Bacolod City is in the provice of Negros Occidental, Philippines. You probably don't care much about it, what's it to you anyways.

This is a pano shot of the place i stayed for 2 months. Its Grandma's House... had plenty of fond childhood memories here and i couldn't wait the next day to go around this massive residential area and take my first few shots.

Plenty more to come, i'll be busy posting when i arrive back in LA, please be patient.

Wedding Day Photo of the Year 2007

2008-01-23T11:11:00.000-08:00

I stumbled upon a great site and story that moved me. These pictures made me feel that i was at their presence, as a spectator witnessing an incredible love story. The photographer who captured this amazing moment in time is Rob Sigler.

Read about the photographers nostalgic tale:

Two summers ago, I received an inquiry to shoot a wedding in Philadelphia. The bride-to-be, KC, said both of her parents were in poor health, so she was unsure about the actual date. A few months passed, and KC called back and explained that her father's health was quickly deteriorating, and "because they are too sick to travel, we are bringing the wedding to them." KC, an only child, was insistent that both of her parents were able to attend her wedding. She called again that day and said, "Are you available Tuesday?"

I said sure, and cleared my schedule for the day.

KC quickly put together a small wedding ceremony in her parent's hometown. It was going to be a nursing home where her father had just been moved. At this point, KC was frazzled, so I was happy to do anything I could to help her out.

On Thursday night, the phone rang. It was KC's fiancé. He said that KC's mom (who was recovering from a recent stroke) had just fallen and broken her hip, and the wedding (for a second time) was cancelled. He said they were just going to have a small ceremony in her hospital room as soon as possible. By this point KC was completely devastated. I felt awful for them both. What is supposed to be an incredible experience for this young couple was turning into disaster.

I called him back, and told him I would be more than happy to come to the hospital and shoot the ceremony. He said thank-you, but no thanks. I understood.

Five minutes later, the phone rang again. This time it was KC asking me to come down to the hospital.

So, I packed up my bag, and off I went.

When I got there, the nurses were fashioning bed sheets to create an alter, and KC's mom was in bed and in obvious pain, yet she was dressed in her attire that she would have worn in Philadelphia. Several hospital staff members gathered around the room of the door to catch a glimpse of what was probably the first wedding ever in this hospital. Their hands were filled with Rice Krispies to throw at the end of the event.

As KC walked into the room with her father, a nurse sang "Ave Maria." The ceremony was beautiful. There were no ice sculptures, no flowers (except a few from the gift shop), no limos, but the love this family had for each other was more beautiful than any traditional wedding "thing." There wasn't a dry eye in the room, including mine.

This experience really made me think about my life, and think about what we do as photographers. It's so easy to get caught up in gear, flashes, trashing dresses, etc., and lose sight of what we are really doing. I walked out of the hospital knowing that I had just captured an amazing moment for the family that can now live forever.

Here are a few more pictures from the ceremony.

Read the entire article at: DWF Photo of the Year 2007

Seven Ways to Get Happy & Stay Happy

2007-09-10T16:56:00.000-07:00

I came across a website alittlenews.wordpress.com. A blog site from a small town newspaper photojournalist for 17 years. Gary Cosby, Jr. dreamed of becoming a photographer for the THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC as a young photojournalist.

He started his blog just a couple of months ago, and its quickly gaining popularity. Ive had the chance to read his "Seven Ways To Get Happy And Stay Happy!" Article which actually helps all of us struggling photojournalists find inner peace and improve our skills along the way.

He humbly admits that some of his pictures are results of having found a blog about off camera lighting. Which blog? Strobist.com of course, the mother of off camera lighting ran by Mr. David Hobby.

Here's a summary of his article. Seven Ways to Get Happy & Stay Happy:

1) Work For Yourself. When you are happy with your own work, others will like it too.
2) Dont’ Worry, Be Happy - Focus on your work, not on things that are beyond your control.
3) Whistle while you work. A good attitude means more than good photos.
4) Be an educator rather than a complainer.
5) Every day, every assignment, push yourself to get better.
6) Be a proactive member of your newsroom.
7) Stand on your head. It will give you a different perspective from the everyone else.

Strobist Seattle Meetups Video

2007-09-05T13:43:00.000-07:00

Seattle strobist meetup group has been very active in response to the Florida meetup that garnered nearly 50,000 views a few months ago. This time they came out with a video of what transpired during their meet. I cant wait to participate in such an event in my area, which Im anticipating won't be too long now.

This video is worth watching.Checkout what happened to Panda!

Find your meetup groups in Flickr.com

http://www.flickr.com/search/groups/?q=meetup&m=discuss&w=71917374%40N00&s=act

Checkout the official link of Seattle Strobist Flickrites

Related Articles:
Florida Meetups Photography Session

DIY Photography - A Better Bounce Card

2007-08-28T13:40:00.000-07:00

I have tried most DIY bounce cards. Purchased and used a few, like gary fong's lightsphere, stofen omni-bounce, etc. None of them struck me more than this ABBC (A Better Bounce Card) DIY tutorial video.

You owe it to yourself to try it.

You Can Learn How To Make A Better Bounce Card!!!! Do it yourself . . . FREE. Watch the Free Learning Video!!!

Gothic Photoshop Photography Effect

2007-08-27T14:37:00.000-07:00

brendan.oshea Flickr Pro User was kind enough to share the photo retouching secret to this gothic effect look in photoshop by using Unsharp Mask tool and overlay blend mode technique.

Here is what Brendan.Oshea had to say about this method:

I've done this on a few of my other photos Jimmy, and I've documented the process in one of the shots I've posted previously. It involves cranking up the radius slider in unsharp mask more than the amount slider. (opposite of what you'd usually do) desaturate a little, then repeat until it starts to look too silly.

Sometimes I'll get one of the channels, paste it into a layer and use overlay mode to desaturate. Depends on the image.

To tell the truth, I usually only use this technique when I want to hide technical flaws. Unfortunately, I use this technique alot. The lighting is critical though, and it just doesn't work unless I use this particular style of lighting.

Single Sunpak 383 Super on full power, newly acquired shoot thru 28" umbrella, triggered with Elinchrom Skyport.

Im in search of the Manny Librodo photoshop retouching technique, and this might be one of the secret ingredients as to how Manny comes up with his stunning photoshop effects. Manny is smooth and subtle when it comes to photoshop effects, and this is more deliberate, but effective. I'll talk more about my Idol in the upcoming articles... I can't wait!

Fake Wind Tunnel Photography Effect

2007-08-26T23:35:00.000-07:00

I ran across this cool photography effect on Flickr.com, im sorry I forgot who took this picture, I will surely come back and update it as soon as I find it again.

Very cool "light painting" technique.
Here is an excerpt on how this artist came up with this awesome shot.

This was harder to do than I expected. I wanted to follow the contours of the car more closely, to make it look like the smoke you see in a windtunnel. But that was too slow, and I had to run back and forth pretty quickly, making the streak a little "bumpy." A longer exposure would work well, but my driveway is too bright for that.
Double exposure created in camera:
1) 13 seconds for lighting the car: large softbox to left of camera, White Lightning X-1600, 3 pops at 1/4 power + handheld SB-600 at 1/4 power to light rear of car. Also, the streetlight to camera right is contributing more than I wanted, giving the right side of the car a yellow cast and lighting the background.
2) 30 seconds for the fake "windtunnel smoke" -- created with a Fenix P1D LED flashlight on low power, and me running back and forth as fast as possible
Inspiration is from this image
http://www.flickr.com/photos/51035610542@N01/28201733/

(RED) Annie Leibovitz - Vanity Fair

2007-08-24T14:32:00.000-07:00

Annie does it again! How many times have we seen her photograph world leaders and icons, and stretching the boundaries to produce incredible pictures everytime. She keeps amazing us with her ability to choreograph her subjects and lighting scene (with the help of a million assistants) in a very limited time.

Vanity Fair July Issue features (Red), an awareness campaign which seeks to benefit the people of Africa by donating a portion of the money, when we buy (red) designated items. I saw the youtube video and can't help but share it to the readers and also inspire to help aid the people of Africa through (red).

Enjoy this video and try to study the lighting scenario she designed.

GBTimelapse and a Canon DSLR

2007-08-23T16:29:00.000-07:00

This is "News to me"! This video came out a good 3 months ago (May 19th, 2007), but I just saw the time lapse video and it looks amazing. I guess you'll have to see it for yourself to believe it. This software, GBTimelapse is available to Canon DSLR owners only. Im sure they'll market it for all DSLR soon.

Nikon D3 and D300 Digital SLR Specs & Video

2007-08-22T13:25:00.000-07:00

Finally! Something to cheer about for my fellow Nikonians. The new Nikon D3 has been announced, and you can checkout the video of the sassy new Nikon D3 Digital SLR. With hopes of meeting of exceeding the Canon EOS-1D Mark III in high ISO image quality, im very optimistic. Its said that it definitely produces cleaner images at high ISO over its predecessor the Nikon D2Xs.

In addition to the FX format (Full-frame) D3 Nikon has also announced the new DX format D300 which also features a 12 megapixel CMOS sensor. The D300 will be available in November. My favorite site to read about the specs and features is DPreview.com
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0708/07082313nikond300.asp

Here's the DPreview page of the New Nikon D3. http://www.dpreview.com/news/0708/07082312nikond3.asp

Checkout the video of this new Nikon D3. Looks like a tank, and its being described as rugged and heavy. We'll just have to wait and see how it competes with its competitor, the Canon 1D Mark III.

Checkout this Nikon global special site that features the new Nikon D300 and the Nikon D3. Sweet Patunias! http://nikonimaging.com/global/twoflagships/index.htm?cid=IJD78BJZIJ0

Here is the Official Nikon D3 Specs PDF. http://chsv.nikonimaging.com/global/products/digitalcamera/slr/d3/pdf/d3_2p.pdf

Photography Meet-Ups

2007-08-19T14:23:00.000-07:00

Photography Meet-Up in Florida? I have been wondering all this time, how an event like this can be put together? Thousands of aspiring photographers and professionals flock to join such an event. I bow down to those that were able to successfully organize an event like this.

Nicholaus Haskins came up with this idea in Florida Park. Im drooling over this, thinking how valuable the experience could have been if I was there watching how these pictures were molded, and what tools were used to light the scene.

Looks like everyone who participated has a smile on their face! Well at least we get to see the "Behind-the-Scene" shots.

Here is the link to their FLICKR site:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/strobistmeet/pool/

And the site of the brilliant organizer that made this happen Nick Haskins:
http://www.nicholaushaskins.com/2007/08/tiffany-and-mike-get-trashed.html

Who is Phil Ratio?

2007-08-18T16:20:00.000-07:00

Check this site out for your self, from popphoto.com , includes a great PDF explaing all about fill ratios. If you have been playing outside with your flash lately, you'll notice that you can get stunning effects if you meter for the sky (or background) and fill the subject with flash. 1:3 fill ratio is the magic ratio. But rules are made to be broken, so keep firing that strobe and you'll soon get the hang of it. Ratios will depend on how you want to project the final outcome.

DONT FORGET TO DOWNLOAD THE PDF. Cheers!
http://www.popphoto.com/article.asp?section_id=4&article_id=706

Trash the Dress Photography Sessions

2007-08-17T14:17:00.000-07:00

Wow! Im blown away! That certainly shows how clueless I am about wedding photography. I thought Matt Adcock & Sol Tamargo was the pioneer of this "Trash the Dress" session, only the find out that there is a blog all about trashing the bride's dress on wordpress.com

http://trashthedress.wordpress.com

Florida Nature Photographer - John Moran

2007-08-16T16:11:00.000-07:00

John Moran - Florida Nature Photographer
John uses unconventional setups to create a spectacular shot of the fireflies on the Ichetucknee.

His setup involves:

• Stobe on a boom, for water sparkles.
• Continuous light, for scene painting.
• Custom-made black box to emulate the blinking of an amorous female firefly

Visit his website at http://www.johnmoranphoto.com

Here's the fruits of his creativity. Phew!

Photo Retouching Expert

2007-08-15T23:09:00.000-07:00

You got to see the before and after shots of these models, celebrities and actors/actresses.

Here is a retouch the struck me the most. Awesome job!

AFTER RETOUCHING

http://www.iwanexstudio.com

Note, that iWanex Studio doesn't claim ownership to any of the pictures. (Obviously, copyrighted to their photographers). ONLY the retouching of each photo is copyrighted to them.

Canon vs Nikon Digital SLR Cameras

2007-08-14T14:07:00.000-07:00

Here we go again! I hate opinionated and biased answers from pros and amateurs alike, but we all would like to know WHY you like your SLR camera.

Well after getting input from professional photographers, we are still unsure which one is the best! But I hope that these insights will help you choose the right path.

Why Canon?

1. Less noise when using ISO 1600 - 3200 compared to Nikons.
2. Dedication from Canon over the last years, they always have new equipment one after the other.
3. Array of professional lenses that are available for the consumer.

Why Nikon?

1. Built and feel is better than Canon bodies. (IMO depends on the user)
2. Fast and accurate focusing under low light conditions.
3. CLS (creative lighting system) with Nikon's Speedlight flashes.
4. Noise looks more like film grain unlike Canons.
5. Better and more superior glass and better QC, compared to its counter-part.

There you have it, i'll keep it updated as soon as I hear more positive or negative comments.

In my opinion, Its best to have both. Use Canons on low, natural light situations because of the noise situation with Nikons. Use Nikons when you'll be using flash. Of course, you can't always get the best of both worlds, especially in my case.

Bottom-line is that your clients wants to see your results. None of it is going to matter, unless you have the pictures to prove it.

www.planetneil.com

2007-08-12T13:06:00.000-07:00

I was browsing on one of the sites and I came across a link on how to use flash effectively. This site talks about how to balance ambient light with flash light, how to make it flash, not look like flash. We all agree that light coming from a strobe looks artificial. Try to read through this site and it will greatly improve your ability to work with your flash.

http://www.planetneil.com

Cheers!

Photoshop Smart Saturation Technique

2007-08-10T18:03:00.000-07:00

The right way to increase saturation on your images? Well there's a boat load of tutorials on this, but this one pops out among the rest. Give it a try and you'll see what i mean.

Steps to increase saturation in photoshop:

1. Duplicate the image.
2. Gaussian Blur slightly to avoid color fringing when you increase saturation later.
3. Change BLEND MODE TO COLOR on this new layer.
4. Apply the hue/saturation ADJUSTMENT layer.

Thats it! Not to shabby ay? Well if you hardly noticed any difference then, I suggest you disregard this tutorial. I surely think its cool.

Photoshop Color Correcting Color Casts

2007-08-09T11:23:00.000-07:00

This I have to try. But unfortunately only works on really bad color cast images.

Steps to correct color on images with color casts:

1. Duplicate the image.
2. Invert the image. IMAGE > ADJUSTMENTS > INVERT
3. Set the BLEND MODE TO COLOR on this inverted layer.

Ta da! ... Let me know if it works.

Photoshop Soft Effect with Blur, History Brush and Blend modes

2007-08-08T14:00:00.000-07:00

Here's a really neat unconventional way of softening portraits using Gausian blur of course, history brush and blend modes. Tutorial method taken from www.eddietapp.com.

Lets get started:

1. Gaussian blur the image.
2. Take a History Snapshot (New Snapshot Icon)
3. Undo the Gaussian blur. (yes, trust me on this)
4. Select the History Brush tool with Blend mode to DARKEN (10% OPACITY)
5. Set history source to the new snapshot.
6. Use the history brush to apply a foundation on the face and neck.
7. Set blend mode to LIGHTEN (10% OPACITY) and do the same.

TO APPLY OVERAL SOFTNESS:

1. You can choose to FILL and select history in the contents menu. (BLEND MODE TO LIGHTEN) and start at 50%.

2. Repeat the history fill, but this time BLEND MODE TO DARKEN, and start with half the opacity (25%).

Wedding Photography Guide

2007-08-07T17:56:00.000-07:00

Drama is the responsibility of the photographer.

Where to find customers:

Theres plenty of resources to find customers. You can start by having your friends recommend you, advertise in local newspapers, printers, bridal shops and suit rental places, florists, beauty solons and the list goes on. You have plenty of time for the wedding, so don't rush into it. Get an appointment book or scheduler.

Presentation:

What you present to the client is very important. Present the whole package from the start all the way to the thank you cards after the wedding in a well lit location for them to get the feel of the whole package. Some of the stuff you will be presenting are stuff the bride is unaware of, until you presented it. Its very important to sell the whole package and not just your photography skills.

The Complete Service:

1. Studio sessions and poses are taken for publicity purposes.
2. Wedding Ceremonies - Photographer takes the entire wedding day from start to finish, and checking his/her "pose" checklist to make sure that they are taken.
3. Wedding album

Shooting the wedding:

What you need to do is bring a big camera. You need to look professional and there's no way you are going to look like a pro with a tiny SLR camera. Thats the public's concept of a professional photographer, undoubtedly. Aside from the basics, here are some items most photographers will be needing to shoot weddings.

1. Exposure Gray Card - Make sure to attach a white sticker to help in the color balancing.
2. Flash light - Very important for dim lit situations and checking your camera settings, if your camera doesn't come with an lcd light.

Wedding Photography Scenarios:

Bride Preparing for the ceremony.

1. Bride informal without veil having her hair done.
2. Bride pinning corsage on her mother.
3. Bride adjusting father's tie.
4. Bride displaying bridal garter.
5. Bride looking out of the window (best in natural light)
6. Bride Formal pose together with mother and father.
7. Tableau: Bride with Maids and Flower girls.
8. Bride leaving the house and in the car.
9. Bride coming out of the car and entering the church steps.

Ceremony (Catholic Ritual)

1. Processional: Ushers and Grooms.
2. Groom seeing the bride for the first time in church.
3. Ceremony Proper.
4. Bride and Groom kneeling.
5. I do's and the First Kiss.

Ceremony (Jewish)

You need to be fast on these four shots

1. Lifting the veil.
2. Breaking the wine glass wrapped in towel.
3. Kissing of the bride and groom.
4. Toasting for best wishes.

Post Ceremony

1. Bridal Group at the altar.
2. Recessional. Bride on the groom's right arm.
3. Kiss at the end of the aisle.
4. Entire bridal party on the steps of the church.
5. Rice Throwing, leaving the church.
6. Rear window view of the couple leaving.

Reception

1. Bride and groom entering the room.
2. Couples First Dance.
3. Bride dancing with father.
4. Groom dancing with mother.
5. Take a picture with the Bride on every table if possible.

Dinner

1. Jewish - breaking of the bread starts dinner.
2. Drinking with interlocked arms.
3. Bride feeding the groom.
4. The couple toasting.
5. Best man toasting bride and groom.
6. Brothers and sisters behind bride and groom.
7. Bride and groom with bride's family.
8. Bride and groom with groom's family.
9. Bride showing ring to friends.
You can also take "Gag Shots" like Dad displaying he's broke (empty pockets).

Extras

1. Bouquet throwing
2. Garter throwing.
3. Peeking behind the door.
4. Leaving the room, entering the car.
5. Guests signing the guest book.

The "Starving Student" Off-Camera Light Kit

2007-08-06T15:55:00.000-07:00

http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/05/round-up-starving-student-off-camera.html

These items are cheap after I looked around on the net. I'll take some pictures of my equipment as soon as I get it. For now I have managed to use SU-4 mode on my sb-800 speedlight.

For those of you unfamiliar with SU-4 mode on SB-800 speedlights. Its a way to fire your strobes using infrared coming out of your camera's pop-up flash. You can use an SLR or any point-and-shoot camera for this matter.

What I try to do is adjust the camera's pop-up flash to TTL with the least amount of light coming out. In my case (Nikon D50) its negative 3 (-3). This allows me to shoot with minimal light coming from my camera's flash, but still fire the infrared to trigger the speedlight.

Since D50's don't have commanders built-in, I had to rely on the SU-4 mode which allows infrared to trigger the flash. Without this option, it leaves me no choice but to run a sync cable, purchase additional speedlights or upgrade my camera.

With this setup im able to partake in some of the exercises on strobist.blogspot.com. This is great! I was thinking of purchasing continous light sets. But after sucking up these information, I have concluded that this is way better and mobile. Cheers!

Strobist.blogspot.com

2007-08-05T20:49:00.000-07:00

I purchased my handy-dandy SB-800 over a year ago, and I haven't been this excited since i was 9 on the eve of Christmas. I heard about strobist a long time ago. I was thinking its just another blog, who cares, I'll surely stumble upon a better site soon.

Well I checked it out after looking around to check out some DIY photography lighting setups. I have to say that this is the ultimate site for photographers like me, who own equipment and never had the chance to tailor their flashing skills. (Opps, sounds like Mardi Gras).

Hands down, strobist.blogspot.com is an awesome site, and they also have a flickr site to show case their honed skills. I'm certainly hooked! I'll probably spending more time on this site than any other site for a month.

Im excited. Got up early on a Sunday morning (7AM) Ive recharged 3 sets of batteries, took test shots of Build-a-Bear stuff toys (not mine), created Gobos and ordered umbrellas. And its only 9:30AM.

DIY Photography

2007-08-04T19:35:00.000-07:00

Why purchase, when you can create it yourself for a lot less? Start-up photographers should really think about alternative solutions before purchasing photography equipment right away. If you inherited a lot of money and starting out as a photographer, then be my guest! But most of us who want to tap into this photography sickness, don't have a lot of money to burn.

Bare Necessities:

1. SLR Camera

2. Lens (prime or zoom lens)

3. Curiousity

DIY (Do-It-Yourself) Equipments:

1. Lighting

2. Back drops

3. Soft boxes (for product shoot)

4. Reflectors

and the list goes on!

Great sites that offer step-by-step instructions are, http://diyphotography.net, http://diynetwork.com, http://strobist.com.

Justine Ungaro Photographer

2007-08-02T23:58:00.000-07:00

I was looking for gigs Craigslist to showcase my ever-growing ability (or sickness). I don't know how I got to myspace.com, but i found a brilliant photographer by the name of Justine Ungaro. Great photos, one after another. I just had to post a little article about her.

Here she is with her award winning photos. Very talented photographer which goes really well with her striking good looks.