Photos for New "Posing DVD"

Just wrapped up filming and photography for our DVD on Posing!

It will take Ken about 3 weeks to edit everything and we should have it ready for January 15.

These are just a few of the many photos taken.

We have examples of children, toddlers, women, couples, and families. We filmed all the examples on location in peoples homes using studio lights and at the park using natural light. This DVD gives you clear and precise instruction on how to properly pose your subject(s) no matter where you are. Posing that looks real and natural not stiff like a mannequin. It also will give you clear instruction on how to conduct the portrait session for maximum efficiency and results. Lastly it will show you how to get every ones attention and how to get real expressions that are natural and not fake or forced.

Create a self assignment

Want to really boost your creativity? Give yourself an assignment. Think of something that you like or dislike. Then go out and photograph it. Photograph it from different angles and at different times of the day. Look at it with a different point of view. Photograph it out of context. Perhaps something about it looks unusual or different when compared to other similar things. Accentuate likeness and differences.

Here is the nice thing about a self assignment, you're the boss. You are not trying to please a client and you can spend as much time and resources as you wish. Give yourself a time frame so you don't put it off each year till your 90th birthday.

This is where you unleash your creativity. Use whatever equipment and skills you have to the fullest.

Here is the first step; just pick a subject. It's that easy. Perhaps you like flowers or dogs. Maybe you think tennis balls are unique or maybe you want to make a statement about empty plastic bottles. Once you start thinking this way it will be hard to narrow it down to just one subject.
Once you do stay with it. Don't change your subject or theme. That will force you to think of different possibilities. Before you know it you will have an entire body of work on that theme. My first self assignment was in 1994 "The Sensual Guitar." I thought it was about time I gave myself a new one. Smoking Statues.

I was in New York over the summer to give a lecture at B and H Photo Video. While I was there I took photos of the skyscrapers with the 15mm fisheye lens. When I go back I'll continue that self assignment. Maybe I'll call it "Concrete Redwoods".

This creativity will flow into your daily photography because you'll start to look at everything differently. So what will your self assignment be?

Equipment Review Page

It's coming, the equipment review page on our getthepicture.tv website. "Gearing Up"

Often I am asked, "What equipment should I buy?" Having the proper equipment for the specific photo assignment does make life easier. When purchasing a camera, lens, lights, tripods, and software it's important to keep in mind what kind of photography that it will be used for. There will always be those unusual jobs but what kind of photography do you do most of the time? Answering that determines what is best.

In today's digital world there are so many choices of equipment some of which is really good and some not. Some built to withstand use and abuse and some built to give you a headache.

I do have my share of equipment. The photo above shows me with about 60% of the equipment that I have.

We are now putting together the newest page on our website http://www.getthepicture.tv/. I will review the "stuff" that I think makes our job easier. There is nothing so frustrating as spending your money on something that just doesn't measure up for the task at hand. So get ready for "Gearing Up"

Boca Raton Seminar

I have been so busy with the weddings and seminars this past two months that I have not been able to blog as much as I would like. Below are some photos from the Boca Seminar.



The Boca Raton Seminar was a real success! Not only was it well attended but we kept right on schedule. As a bonus we got into posing and were able to do a good amount of photography.

Amanda, our model was very pretty and patient. When we went outside it got cool (76 degrees).

I would like to thank everyone for attending. Especially those who really traveled from as far as Seminole and Tampa to attend. Our seminars, and DVDs are really taking off.

Our website is being viewed by people in 34 countries and the blog is viewed by people in 11 countries. Thank you all!

Please do sign up for our NEWSLETTER if you have not done so yet. Although it goes out only once a month it is more detailed. You can do that at http://www.getthepicture.tv/

Two Seminars left this year. Jacksonville and Orlando.

Using the telephoto lens to capture wildlife

How many times have you looked at those National Geographic photos and wished that you could get some great photos of wild and untamed creatures?



Capturing wild and exotic animals usually means traveling to an exotic place like the Arctic or Africa and the like.

Not so! If there is a zoo near you the possibilities are endless. In one place and one day you will be able to photograph animals that normally inhabit different continents. Think of the time and money you will save!

I decided to take my camera and the 70 to 200mm Zoom lens and go to the Lowery Park Zoo in Tampa, Florida. It is about 45 minutes from where I live.


There are only two things you have to overcome. First, the distance between you and the animal you are trying to photograph. Second, the fence that is going to ruin your shot and let everybody know that you really didn't go to the Congo to photograph that Panther. Don't you just hate it when someone whips out their zoo photos to tell you about all the cool animals they saw, and all you can see is a fence.


Let's start with the distance. Your zoom lens set at 200 will bring your subject fairly close to very close depending on the size of the animals' habitat. That leaves us with that annoying fence.

Just do what I do. Jump over it. NO! DO NOT JUMP OVER THE FENCE. Even the most huggable and cutest looking animal will tear your face off and eat you alive. A wild animal is dangerous at all times even if it looks bored stiff and yawning.




So how do we get rid of the fence? Luckily the lens set at 200mm has "shallow" Depth of Field. This means that the only thing in focus is your point of focus and not much else.

(If you are not 100% sure of Depth of Field and how it works I will give you a precise definition and explanation of it in my next newsletter. Please sign up for it if you are not on it yet. I have heard a lot of explanations but this will be the one and only explanation for Depth of Field that will put you in the know.)



Get as close as you can to the fence but still at a safe distance. In other words, close but not close enough that the animal on the other side could stick it's arm or paw and grab you. For example I got close to this fence but there is a lower wood fence not visible to prevent people from putting themselves up against it. Safety first.

Next, put your cameras' auto setting on AV (Aperture Priority). Manually set the lens at the widest opening. Your camera will choose the appropriate shutter speed. Now when you focus the lens on your subject the fence magically disappears. Why? By focusing your lens on something far away only the point of focus is sharp. The fence which is close to you is so out of focus that the light is bent and goes around it. It is almost invisible. If you look closely at the very first photo in this article the fence is visible only as faint diamond pattern.

The bird wanted to disembowel me and peck at my face as soon as it saw me. So I kept a little distance between me and the fence in case it decided to charge.

I don't know about you but I like my organs where they are. Although some will say my face could use a little improvement I have become used to it. Which brings me top this last photo. This is a Rainbow Lori. At the Lowery Park Zoo you can buy this stuff they like to eat and go in the enclosure with them. They are very friendly and will not eat you. They will eat the food you bring them out of your hand. Bring the kids.
Tell your friends you just got back from the rainforest and you got these cool photos to show them.

Go to the Trade Show!


The Florida Professional Photographers are having the yearly convention this Sunday the 23rd and Monday the 24th.
If you would like to go to the Trade Show and see the latest cameras and equipment go to http://fpponline.org/trade_show_coupon_form.php and get a discount on the entrance fee. ($20)

All the major companies like Canon and Nikon will be there plus frame companies, backgrounds, lights, tripods. If it has anything to do with photography and video you'll see it there.

Trip to New York

Trip to NEW YORK CITY

My wife and I drove to New Jersey. We stopped at Lane Farms in Georgia. I love peaches but hate the peaches we by at the store so I wanted to go to the source.

We went inside and they had big juicy peaches everywhere. We bought a box for $30. We ate peaches all the way to N.J. By the time we reached New Jersey I had peaches coming out of my ears.

We took some photos inside.

Ever take a photo indoors using flash? If you want to make your background lighter or darker put the camera on MANUAL and change your shutter speed. To make the background darker use a higher speed like 1/60 or 1/125th of a second. The photo of my wife was taken at 1/125th of a second at f/4.

If you want to pick up the ambient light (existing light) lower your shutter speed to 1/30 or 1/15th of a second. The shutter controls the ambient light and the aperture controls the flash. At this lower speed look at how brighter the background came out.

Hold the camera steady. As you pick up ambient light at slower shutter speeds you will start to pick up movement so don't go too low.

I think we were in South Carolina when we came across this water tower. Pretty cool.

When we got to New Jersey my inlaws treated us to dinner and we celebrated my wifes' birthday. She is 29 "plus". I don't know what the "plus" equals. The last person that knew her real age was accidentally run over by a Fiat.

By the way, the waiter that took this photo really needs to come to one of my seminars or buy my DVD's. If he keeps taking bad photos like this he might get hit by a Fiat.

My sister ordered (and paid for) our favorite cake. A Napolean Cream Puff cake from Carlos' Bakery in Hoboken, N.J. It is the house special. Nobody makes it better. I mean nobody. $100 serves 20 people. I should have taken a photo before we devoured it. It was a work of art.

Next stop was Liberty State Park in Jersey City New Jersey. I wanted to take a photo of the Statue of Liberty but did not have time to go to Lower Manhattan or the Island itself. So I had to settle for a back view of the statue. New Jersey is a great state but has always been the butt of everyones' jokes. They even placed Miss Liberty with her back to the state. Oh well.

Now, if you have been using my rules of composition you know that this is a badly composed photo.

The photo below is much better.

I walked around a bit and came across this Monument below. It is of an American soldier of WWII carrying a Concentration Camp survivor.

Nothing that is worth anything in life is ever free, especially freedom.

Next blog will be about my day in New York City. I went to my favorite place. B and H photo. It is the most colossal photo, video, electonics store ever. Don't miss it!

In the meantime, if you should see a Fiat run for your life!

Went to see the Shuttle take off!

There were people everywhere waiting to see the Shuttle blast off. Some were standing on the island in the middle of the road. It was fairly crowded.

To bad it was cancelled because of the weather. Oh well, that's okay I prefer taking photos of people. Which brings me to the next set of photos.


The photo below was taken around 11:30 AM. on the beach. Normally taking a portrait of someone mid day is not good because of the harsh shadows on the face caused by direct sunlight. Fortunately the sun was behind some clouds and we had "Flat Lighting". Whether the shade is provided by a tree or a cloud the end result is almost the same. The photo was taken without flash or reflectors.

We later took photos at sunset. When photographing a person with a sunset remember to get the exposure for the sunset first. Here is what I did.

First I put my camera on "manual" and set the ISO for 100. Then I put the shutter speed at 200. This is the highest shutter speed that the camera will synchronize with the flash. Next I aimed the camera at the sun and adjusted the f/stop according to the light meter indicator in the viewfinder. I took a photo to make sure the exposure (brightness level) was good. I took this photo at 1/200th of a second at f/8. Background looked good.

All that is left now is to turn on an external flash. The built in flash in your camera is not strong enough so you'll have to use a flash that attaches to the top of your camera. Even though your camera is set to "MANUAL" both flash and camera "talk" to each other. Your flash will set itself to f/8. Now your flash will match the brightness on your subject to the brightness of the background. Both will expose properly. The end result will be similar to the photo above.

If you want your photo to come out exactly like mine you will have to invest in a second flash. This photo was taken using two flashes. One was on camera and the other my assistant held to the right of me. Using two flashes makes a world of difference when you print the photo.

When buying a flash unit buy the most powerful. Canon and Nikon flashes have built in transmitter and receiver so one will set off the other. If you have any questions about this technique call me and I will explain it to you over the phone. 727-375-0480. Typing is not one of my strengths.

To everyone that has ordered my Instructional DVDs thank you. Thanks to those of you that emailed me to tell me how much you liked them. In the future I will post some of those emails. . If you still have not ordered yours now is the time!

Women are from Venus where they like to spend their time at the mall. Men are from Mars and there are no malls on Mars!

Ah, here is my lovely wife getting ready to go to the mall to shop. Why am I not in the picture? Because I don't like to be photographed with the look of fear and dread on my face. I know what I am about to experience.












You are looking at a photo of the Apocalypse. These are two of the Angels that will destroy the Earth. One mall at a time. You have not expeienced shopping untill you accompany my wife and her sister.










If going shopping with my wife and her sister is so bad Why is Cosimo smiling? He is coming back to tell me he has found a store that sells rope so we can hang ourseves. :)

Posing

How should you pose a subject?

There are specific poses that I can show you and I could show you how posing works. Weight distribution and body language are important.

Rather than trying to describe something that is better left to a live demo let me give you a few ideas.

Learn to be a really good observer. The best photographers are just that. Great observers, and then they translate what they "see" on paper. It's no different when it comes to posing. Most people pose themselves really well by just being there. However, the moment you point a camera at them they become self conscious and "break" the pose.

After I take a photo where I have posed someone I tell them to "relax" while I set up the next shot. As I move the camera or tripod I keep on eye on the subject. Without fail they will relax into a really terrific pose. If at that point I tell them I am going to take a photo they will freeze up and break the pose. So I simply tell them, "don't move that looks great" or " do what you just did a second ago".

You will be surprised how many poses your subject will give you if you just observe.

A mistake I often see is the photographer asking the subject to pose. This will only give you awkward poses that look fake because you are asking the person to perform making them self conscious.

Lastly I look for poses that the subject looks good photographed as a full length (head to toe). If he or she looks good full length I can also take some from the waist up and head and shoulders without making the person move. This way you can create extra photos from the same pose.

If you look at these three photos you'll see that I started with a full length pose. Then I took a photo from the waist up and finally a head and shoulder. All within a matter of seconds. If you repeat this 10 times you'll have 30 photos.

All this by just observing how someone is seated or standing

What's Going On?

Okay,

We are just a few days away from completing the most fantastic set of DVDs on photography! I did a lot of research before starting this and this set is light years ahead of the rest.

Clear, concise explanations of some of the most difficult techniques and concepts. With exciting examples and bonus footage.

The set includes three DVDs This is the cover of the case

Composition

Camera Functions

Lighting

Then there is the photo contest;

At the moment there are over 320 images submitted. The prize is a $400 gift Certificate to B and H photo. Don't wait till the last minute. Upload your 5 best now!

Lastly,

I am going to get up early Friday and go out and do what I tell everyone else to do. Make a point to take photos. Yep,, I'll be up at sunrise and I am coming back with stunning photos. I don't know where yet. I am going to get in the car, close my eyes, drive for 15 minutes and wherever I end up I will stop and create great photos using the rules of composition and lighting.

Well, maybe I won't close my eyes.

Photo session at University of Tampa for DVD

All filming for the GET THE PICTURE "Jump Start Your Photography" is done. Ken is doing the editing and The DVD's should be ready in 3 weeks.











This is how it looked Sunday at the University of Tampa. We had a two man film crew. Ken in red and Mike in white. If that wasn't enough we had Greg Nicolisi taking stills of all of us. Pretty exciting stuff!







No photo session is complete without the pretty model, (and very patient model ) Amber.





This is a photo illustrating Composition.








These Instructional DVD's are the BEST out there! Not because we produced them but beacuse of the time, talent, and expertise that everyone put in. We spared nothing and everyone gave 150%.










Greg brought his Porsche. I'm telling you this is exciting stuff! What's great about the way the DVD's are produced is that they are extremely informative but also fun and exciting to watch.










Just one thing. Is the star expected to do heavy lifting? Where's the road crew?

Understanding more important than memorizing

Understanding why something works is paramount if you are going to master it.

I read an article in the local newspaper about a high school graduate that received a $250,000 scholarship from Microsoft to continue his education in computer science. I can't imaging how many applied and did not get it. So why him? What could he have possibly done or said to come up on top?

I believe that many others who applied had similar talents and resumes. Something however made him unique in the eyes of the judges.

He was quoted as saying this; "A lot of people like to memorize formulas, I like to understand the logic part of formulas and how they work."

This statement is so profound that I believe it is the major reason he was chosen instead of other applicants.

This statement explains why some people do the status quo and others excel. Why some are miles ahead in a given field.

Photography is no different. I tell the story of a fellow photographer that I have not seen in at least 15 years. We went to the same workshops, attended the same seminars, and conventions.

We even had similar equipment but our photographs were different. Mine told a story and had impact. Mine quietly lured you in emotionally. His were sharp, high end snapshots. The lighting

and composition on mine were different. When we entered prints in competition mine would hang with ribbons on display and his would not. The funny part is he knew more rules on lighting and composition and camera technique than I did. He was in photography longer than I and had more experience.

One day I figured it out. He had memorized more than me but understood less. Memorizing a rule is one thing but understanding why and how it works is what separates you from the pack.

Memorizing a formula is simply the ability to regurgitate information. It is the status quo. Understanding is having a firm grip and command of the formula. It is how you excel.

When learning photography techniques it is important that you learn not just the rules but why and how they work. This is what will make you excel way beyond your piers.

Memorizing the rules allows you to copy someone

elses work. Understanding the rules lets you create your own and establish your own style.

I encourage all to learn not only the rules but why they work. This is what my seminars, DVD's and classes are all about.