#1010 Web Distractions

Posted on October 16, 2013 by admin

It’s time for more of you web distractions – thanks for sending them in!

• Red Bull Photo Contest Winners
Theresa H offered this group of amazing photos from the Red Bull photo contest. Red Bull? It’s a highly caffeinated drink that promotes big adventures!

• Totally Cool Hallowe’en Camera Costume
A big thanks to Mimi for sending us this amazing WORKING digital camera Halloween costume. It has plans and everything to make it work!
Wow.
What are you going to be for Hallowe’en?!

Photo Tip #271 LESS computer time. More photo time. Please…

• Michel Campeau: Icons of Obsolescence
&
Robert Burley: Disappearance of Darkness
A reader who prefers to remain anonymous suggested these two links from the National Gallery of Canada featuring exhibitions around the declining world of darkrooms and film photography.

Photo Tip #278 – Notice the value of leading lines and where they can take your viewer…

• “Place Hacking” and Photography
Hold the Press!
We just got this link from Lois about the dangerous ‘sport’ of entering forbidden areas for fun! Often with cameras…
Be careful out there!

• Photo Tips
Read our latest photo tips.
And somebody that likes our Facebook page this month will win a free three month membership in our Online Photo Program.

… We’re always looking for photo tips and web distractions. Send us your best!

#1002 Exposed! Photo Newsletter – Three BORING Tools to improve your photography.

Posted on September 25, 2013 by admin

They’re not sexy.
They’re not cutting edge.
They’re not even hard to find.

But they are indispensable for better photos.

This month we round up three of the most boring ways to improve your photography.

Read about the tools to improve your pictures!

Boring tools for better photos…

#1001 Building Magic Worlds with Photoshop and Richard Desmarais

Posted on September 22, 2013 by admin

Good news!
Our Lightroom Seminar with Peter Handley is almost full (at time of writing.)
And we’ve just booked Richard Desmarais to share his skills in Photoshop.

Creating Fantasy Worlds with Photoshop
In November, Richard will be helping people learn to build new worlds using specific elements of Photoshop.

About Richard
Richard has spent 30 years working as a photographer for high profile clients. In that time his photoshop skills developed enormously. He brings some of these skills to you in this seminar!

Details
November 10th, 2013; 1-5pm
$100 + HST

Register! And see more details.

#998 Web Distractions

Posted on September 16, 2013 by admin

Welcome back – this collection of web distractions comes from many people (thanks!)

• Good news for film!
First up Peter Handley (link opens to his course) & Dave Andrews both brought my attention to good news in the film department! Ilford is opening a black and white film lab in California based on the success of its lab in the UK. That IS good news.

• Overused photo tricks
Steve Gerecke posted this fun – overused photo tricks…

• Prime Photo Tips
And we bring you some of the latest photo tips at PrimePhotoTips.com.
Ahem, somebody that likes our Facebook page of photo tips this month will win a free three month membership in our Online Photo Program.

Photo Tip #241 Look for ways your background can support your subject:

• Tips for sunset photos and drops…
Nancy Belanger found some fun photos and tips on:

Sunset photo tips

Liquid Art

• Milky Way photos
Carol Halls (link opens to her business) of Sutton, Qc offered us this fun Facebook page of Deep Space photos!

Photo Tip #254 Add some motion to your photos!

#995 Online Photo Program – Bad News / Good News

Posted on September 8, 2013 by admin

We’ve offered our monthly challenges for 15 months now. We have bad news and good news!

Online Photo Program – Fast Photo Challenge – © Cathy Vanners

The Bad News is that, after 15 months, we’re raising the price. Just a little. The cost used to be $180 for 6 months – that’s $30/month. We’re raising it to $195 for 6 months. That’s only $2.50 extra per month.

The good news is we’re offering a fall promotion that makes the Online Program cheaper… for a limited time!

Yes, we’re offering 6 months of the Online Program for $160. That’s just the price of one dinner at a restaurant each month!

This offer only lasts until Wednesday, September 18th!
$160 + tax for 6 months of photo challenges, video tutorials, tips, photo community and personal critique.
This deal has finished but you can still join at the regular price:
Register NOW!

What do you get from the Online Program?
Think of it as a new photo class every month with:
• a video lesson
• course notes
• weekly email check-in with tips, encouragement and news
• ongoing group support through a private Facebook group for Members only
• and a compreshensive video critique of member’s photos at the end of the month.

Member Comments:
• “We’re lucky we have you to guide us”
• “Thanks so much Harry, couldn’t have done it without you and the online course.”
• “I am very much enjoying the challenges and the format of what you’ve created here with the online program. For me, just the right balance of freedom to work at your own pace and structure to keep you honest and get something done. With good advice along the way. I appreciate it, and am very happy to support it.”
• “It was a tough assignment and needed a lot of elements to come together for it to work. But a great learning experience. I’m loving this and the FB group is terrific.”

Watch a sample video on YouTube. This is from one of our more technical challenges.

See one (there are three) of the critique videos from the lesson above on YouTube.

This offer only lasts until Wednesday, September 18th.
$160 + tax for 6 months of photo challenges, video tutorials, tips, photo community and personal critique.
This deal has finished but you can still join at the regular price:
Register NOW!

#990 Exposed! Photo Newsletter – iPhone Photo Tips

Posted on August 27, 2013 by admin

This spring my web developer, Tanya, told me I needed an iPhone.

I protested.
She insisted.

Guess who won…

In this month’s Exposed! photo newsletter learn to take better Smartphone photos…

Photo Tip – Make your whites white by touching the blue sky to expose well.

#987 Web Distractions

Posted on August 20, 2013 by admin

A big thanks to readers for this week’s set of fun photo links to the web!

• The “A-Z guide to street photography.”
Ron L sent us this link from DazedDigital.com with 26 tips to street photography.

• Too much equipment, not enough clicking…
Wayne S sent us this article about buying too much gear and what’s really going on!

• Colouring Classic Black & Whites
And Mimi G offered this link showing some coloured interpretations of classic imagery.

• Photo tips = Better Pictures
Finally, take a look at these photo tips – simple and fun!

As always – send us your favourite photo distractions from the web!!

Photo Tip #229 Learn from your child’s perspective.

#985 Who’s doing what in Ottawa photography

Posted on August 15, 2013 by admin

Each Friday over at Ottawa Studio Works we offer insight into what photographers are working on in Ottawa & Gatineau.

Ottawa Art Studio

For three years we’ve covered photo fun like:
• Tony Fouhse’s review of Ed Burtinsky.
• France Rivet’s devastating story of Innuit on display in Europe.
• Justin Van Leeuwen’s extreme family portraits.

As well as our own photo classes and photo tips.

What’s new this week on the OSW Blog?

Ottawa Studio Works Event

#984 Latest Photo Tips

Posted on August 13, 2013 by admin

A year ago we started posting photo tips on our photo Facebook Page.
That became popular enough that we created PrimePhotoTips.com.

The Facebook page gets tips first but there’s no way to easily search archived tips.
PrimePhotoTips lags a few days behind but you can search for all tips on portraits.

Please like our Facebook page (ahem, someone got a free three-month online program for liking the page last month, just saying) and check PrimePhotoTips regularly to keep inspired to shoot.

Here are some recent tips:

Photo Tip #230
Do things differently.
Most people take photos of trees from the outside. Try going inside the tree’s canopy – everything changes perspective.

Photo Tip – Do things differently – Try shooting from within the tree’s canopy!

Photo Tip #229
Learn from your child’s perspective.
Give them your camera/iPhone etc. – they produce some beautiful (and perhaps unusual from-an-adult perspective) photos.
We can learn so much from them…

Photo Tip – Learn from the perspective of your young kids!

Photo Tip #228
Dedicated to all of our photo students:
“With time, small steps will take you a long way!”
Photo below by Morina Reece of Ottawa (who has come a long way in her photo skills!)

Photo Tip – With time, small steps will take you a long way.

Photo Tip #227
Ask yourself “What is this portrait about?”
• Physical appearance?
• Their soul & passion?
• What they represent?
Then, reflect and shoot.
This thought process can take days or more.
But it’ll help you produce better portraits!

Blacksmith Portrait – what’s the photo about?!

Photo Tip #224
Choose what you are exposing for.
• Don’t let the camera do it for you!
• Different light levels can have a huge impact on your photos depending on whether you expose for the sunny or shady areas…
A simple shot of backlit towels on a clothes line can produce some magic if YOU control the light settings properly.

Photo Tip – Backlighting can add magic to your photos