Veiws from the X-treme

Indian Summer Camp for Children with Caner

2009-07-13T11:10:00.000-07:00

6 or 7 photographers from Central KY have volunteered to capture the fun of a week at camp for the kids. This is the 3rd years for us participating and it's incredible. We burn a dvd slide show and include the files for the kids to take home with them on Sat. morning. We also do a large group and cabin group photos for the kids.
They have a ball and I'll try to post some images from the week when I have time.
The volunteers are me, Jennifer Palumbo, Linda Durhan, Deborah Kaye Montgomery, Kara Beth Brunner, Nate Mann and Don Moore.

Posing and Lighting Seminar

2009-05-01T08:38:00.000-07:00

The Hagan Girls

I had a fun day working with the girls and invited them back to model for a posing and lighting class that Jessica Vogel and I were teaching here at the studio.
We got some great shots for them and they did a fantastic job modeling for us. We also got a treat at the end of the session as they played us a couple of tunes on the fiddles.

Wisconsin PPA

2009-03-01T07:59:00.000-08:00

WOW! What a great judging. I had the priviledge to chair one of the best panels I've ever worked with. This group, consisting of Jim Freize, J. Michael McBride, Nancy Emmerich, Stewart Powers, Dori Arnold and Andrew Jenkins were fantastic.

They definitely used the range and were many times at both ends of the range on the same print. The great thing is they discussed the images in a very positive manner and came up with a good result without making it about the jurors instead of the prints. This is the way every panel should work together!!! Bravo to all of you, you rock!!!

I'm so lucky to get to travel, judge incredible images, make freinds and share my photographic knowledge. This has to be the best job in the world to get to do what we love and get paid to so.

I hope to get back on track and work on the rest of the 12 elements in the upcoming weeks and days.

Take advantage of PPA's Print Competition Webinars. It's essentially free. You pay $95 but you get it back by entering the 2009 competition for free. The 1st of the 4 is finished but the next one by Mark Garber and Rich Newell will be on the 12 elements of a merit print. You should definitely take advantage of this opportunity.

The webinar will be Wed. March 4th. Find out more at PPA.com

Leading Lines

2009-02-07T05:14:00.000-08:00

Composition continued...

We talked about basic rules of thirds and the eye movement created by subject placement in the last installment. This time we'll discuss leading lines and the use of them not only in nature but when we add them to a pose to create interest.
Above are a few examples of leading lines used in portraiture.
The use of leading lines moves our eyes through the image. Holding our interest by allowing us to visually move through the image and discovering the elements of interest throughout.
These lines are easily found in nature, in fences, streams, roads, tree lines, etc.. but in portraiture to create the same interest we have to use the body, limbs, & hair to create that same movement.

KPPA Convention Wraps Up

2009-01-27T08:06:00.000-08:00

The KY PPA Convention wrapped up yesterday and we're all glad to be home. The convention was great, fantastic speakers, The 1st annual Mid-East Red Carpet Gala was a huge hit and KPPA's awards banquet highlighted Service and Print Competition winners.

Jessica, took the oath of office as President of KPPA for 2009. She is the hardest working person in photography! I worked with her some but realized I couldn't hang after about 2 days. Check out David Zisers blog to see what David had to say about Jessica.

She also received the Kentucky Award for Service to Photography which was well deserved as she has gone above and beyond for the organization for many years now.

Her print of the Grand Canyon scored a 90 and won her the ASP Award. She finished in the top 5 in KY.

Dave had a great convention as well becoming "Photographer of the Year" for the eighth time in his career and 6th time in the last 8 years. He was also awarded "Outstanding Master Illustrative" and 2 Court of Honors. He finished in the top 5 of the Mid East States judging and received recognition for being one of only 6 photographers to have all four of their entries merit.

Grand Canyon

2009-01-18T14:37:00.000-08:00

Seven of us from KY went out to Sedona and the Grand Canyon after IUSA. Had an incredible time and got some nice images.

We traveled from Sedona to the Canyon in a mini van that became know as the "Clown Car" because when we would pull up to a spot to shoot it seemed like there was an endless stream of photographers "clowns" gettting out.

Imaging USA

2009-01-13T15:17:00.000-08:00

Jess and I wrapped up 6 speaking assignments today at Imaging USA and Imaging Expo in Phoenix, AZ.

We did a platform program on Monday to a group of approximately 500 people. We then did 3 programs for StudioPlus Software in their booth and 2 sessions at Miller's Imaging booth.

We've had a great time sharing with fellow photographers and have received great comments on the program as well as being asked to speak at several other conventions in the future.

Check out the photo of us at the Millers booth, is Dave playing the air bongos, nah just doing the usual talking with the hands thing.

Thanks to everyone who attended our program for making us feel welcomed and appreciated!

Vist the X-tremeimaging web site regularly for new ideas, free tools and just general fun stuff.

Dave

Imaging USA

2009-01-10T01:07:00.001-08:00

Today's the day. We've spent a lot of time over the past 6 months working on our program for PPA. We've pulled images, talked about a million things and tweaked the show to what we feel we can cover in an hour and half.

It's tough taking a weeks worth of info and editing into and hour and half program that gives enough details that you can go home and do something with it, but that's our goal. No fluff, real info that photographers could use to help them succeed.

Gotta go for now, it's 4 am and we'll be heading to the airport soon. I'll be posting some pics from Phoenix, Sedona and hopefully the Grand Canyon over the next few days. Enjoy.

Composition - the 4th element

2009-01-03T07:51:00.000-08:00

Good composition is what moves the viewers eyes through and image.

In the USA we typically view images from the lower left, moving to the right, up and then back across to the left, completing the circle.

The basic compositional tool to keep in mind is the rule of thirds. Where the image is divided into 3 vertical and 3 horizontal panels. The intersections of those lines create the power points where subject placement is the strongest.

The eye travels through the image in a curve. It is best that we don't put anything in the image to stop the eye until it has moved through the entire image. The examples below show how roadblocks or stoppers (elements that visually stop your eye movement) can effect an image.

Notice below in the final image how we eliminated several of the visual roadblocks to strengthen the image.

There are many other elements to composition, such as c curves, s curves, diagonal leading lines, etc... In our next installment we'll talk about S & C Curves in portraiture and nature.

Technical Excellence the 3rd element

2009-01-02T06:51:00.000-08:00

Technical Excellence is not an element that I can show you on the web. It is the technical quality of the image.

As a juror sitting on a panel when an image spins around you can tell almost immediately if an image is technically well done. The colors are correct in value, the shadows are not blocked up. The term blocked up means no detail in the tone Highlights and Shadows tend to block up when an image is over or underexposed.

Underexposed images generally appear weaker in the colors without the punch that you want an image to have. In days of film underexposed images tended to have a blue cast in the shadow areas.

Overexposed images also tend to lack punch because the shadow areas or blacks tend to go gray from the overexposure. Blocked up highlights are a problem as they eliminate separation from one bright area to the next.

Well exposed images generally have information in the highlights and shadows. You can see this in your histogram. When the data bunches up on either end or on both ends of the histogram you are generally clipping or cutting off data in the highlights and shadows. There are times when it is ok to have a pure white or pure black as they are values found in what we see but we need to be judicious about those areas.

Some of the other areas of technical concerns are Chromatic Abberation (color fringing around edges).

Oversharpening, usually obvious by a contrasting line following the edges of the image elements.

Poor quality retouching, not blending facial retouching or retouching some areas while ignoring others. Cloning tracks, where the item being cloned has not been blended to make the cloned area unnoticeable.

These are a few of the more obvious concerns when looking for technical excellence. If you'll keep these elements in mind when working on your images you'll find the quality in your everyday work improving dramatically.

Impact - the 1st element

2008-12-30T17:58:00.000-08:00

Impact is the feeling that an image gives you as soon as you see it. That impact can be a simple calm that comes over you as you view a serene image. It can be a WOW that makes you take a longer look. Any emotion evoked by an image is a result of it's impact.

The 2 images above have a completely different type of impact on the viewer.

"Ariel" the photograph by Jessica Vogel of a High School Senior makes you go WOW! The pose, lighting, clothing, expression, everything about this images gives it impact. That impact was why this image won several awards and was selected for the PPA Loan Collection.

"Winter in the Bluegrass" by Dave Huntsman gives you the sense of cold, isolation, beauty and peace. Major impact but so very different from the senior portrait. This image won Best of Show in KY and won the Kodak Gallery Elite Award in 2005.

The initial impact is what makes us take a second or longer look at an image but an image also must maintain that impact. How many times have you seen the judges immediately lean forward or get up to look at image only to have it score very poorly. The image had something that made the judges excited but most likely the image didn't have lasting impact due to a problem of some sort.

Creativity - the 2nd element

2008-12-25T08:02:00.000-08:00

In todays world where we are overloaded with imagery it is hard to standout. Being creative, to me, means looking at an ordinary subject and finding an unordinary way to portray it.

Whether photographing people, places or things to make your images jump out and say look at me you've got to show the judges something they haven't seen. Jumping on the band wagon of what's been done might get you a merit but showing the judges something unique and well done might get you in the loan collection.

Do what you do and then try something else just for the fun of it.

And remember the 12 elements don't apply just to competition. If you apply the elements to all of your work you'll find yourself standing out and you'll be recognized for your photography.

Above are a couple of examples of finding unusual way to capture or present a subject.

12 Elements of a Merit Print

2008-12-25T02:51:00.000-08:00

The Twelve elements have been defined as necessary for the success of an art piece or image. Any image, art piece, or photograph will reveal some measure of all twelve elements, while a visually superior example will reveal obvious consideration of each one.

The Twelve elements listed below are in accordance to their importance.

Impact is the sense one gets upon viewing an image for the first time. Compelling images evoke laughter, sadness, anger, pride, wonder or another intense emotion. There can be impact in any of these twelve elements.

Creativity is the original, fresh, and external expression of the imagination of the maker by using the medium to convey an idea, message or thought.

Technical excellence is the print quality of the image itself as it is presented for viewing. Retouching, manipulation, sharpness, exposure, printing, mounting, and correct color are some items that speak to the qualities of the physical print.

Composition is important to the design of an image, bringing all of the visual elements together in concert to express the purpose of the image. Proper composition holds the viewer in the image and prompts the viewer to look where the creator intends. Effective composition can be pleasing or disturbing, depending on the intent of the image maker.

Lighting—the use and control of light—refers to how dimension, shape and roundness are defined in an image. Whether the light applied to an image is manmade or natural, proper use of it should enhance an image.

Style is defined in a number of ways as it applies to a creative image. It might be defined by a specific genre or simply be recognizable as the characteristics of how a specific artist applies light to a subject. It can impact an image in a positive manner when the subject matter and the style are appropriate for each other, or it can have a negative effect when they are at odds.

Print Presentation affects an image by giving it a finished look. The mats and borders used should support and enhance the image, not distract from it.

Center of Interest is the point or points on the image where the maker wants the viewer to stop as they view the image. There can be primary and secondary centers of interest. Occasionally there will be no specific center of interest, when the entire scene collectively serves as the center of interest.

Subject Matter should always be appropriate to the story being told in an image.

Color Balance supplies harmony to an image. An image in which the tones work together, effectively supporting the image, can enhance its emotional appeal. Color balance is not always harmonious and can be used to evoke diverse feelings for effect.

Technique is the approach used to create the image. Printing, lighting, posing, capture, presentation media, and more are part of the technique applied to an image.

Story Telling refers to the image’s ability to evoke imagination. One beautiful thing about art is that each viewer might collect his own message or read her own story in an image.

12 elements info courtesy of the Professional Photographers of America

Over the next few days we'll post tips and tricks to improve your photography and raise your print scores.

Welcome to Veiws from the X-treme

2008-12-23T18:29:00.000-08:00

Jess and I have been teaching together for about a year and half. We're so excited that we'll be speaking at Imaging USA in Phoenix, Jan. 11th.

The one thing that we aren't about is fluff! We're about sharing useful information that you can take home and put to work RIGHT NOW!!!

Our goal for the blog will be to expand on our teachings, philosophies and products as well as offer some freebies from time to time for you to download.

We look forward to starting a dialogue with you on the topics of Photography, Posing, Lighting, Business, Marketing, Branding, Photoshop and even a little Dreamweaver as I'm trying to become a web guy.