Spring in London

Every time that I post a photo or an article either on Facebook, Google+ or here, there  are usually some people who will comment or “Like” it.  However, there are also a large number of other people who never comment, which is Okay…but I now know that you are out there.

This past week I was in London Ontario giving a presentation and a 2 day workshop for the London Camera Club. I noticed that quite a few people were using the Sigma 70-200 F2.8 EX lens. I mentioned to them that I was one of the Canadian Sigma Pro Photographers. To my surprise, everyone already knew that and they had also seen my post about how I loved the bokeh (out-of-focus blurring) that this lens produces.

Tomorrow I am leaving for Greece where I will meet-up with my photography workshop group, I can’t tell you how excited I am to be going back!  Usually, in the past when I have been away teaching I rarely post any photos. But now that I know, YOU are out there I will try to post a few of the photos from the trip.

I have been posting some photos on my two Facebook pages HERE and HERE. If you haven’t already, add me as a friend or “LIKE” my Fan page. If you are not on Facebook, here are a couple of the photos that I have recently posted to those pages.

Sunrise Cabo San Lucas - Mexico

Scotland Workshop - September 2012

Ottawa Spring Workshop 2012

Just Processed - From last year's France Workshop

Studio Photo Shoot Workshop

Nikos Taverna - Mykonos, Greece

One of the most asked business related questions that I am asked is about model and property releases. FYI – The most common question is “how to make a living as a photographer?” The American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) has a series of very informative business resources, including releases. If you have ever wondered if you need a release, then this is an excellent article that you should definitely read.

http://asmp.org/tutorials/frequently-asked-questions-about-releases.html

Yesterday I picked up the new Canon 5D MKIII camera. Then when I got home I discovered that the Really Right Stuff L-Bracket from the 5D MKII didn’t fit the new camera. My wife wasn’t too thrilled about that, as I had told her that the camera was the only thing I was going to buy. To make a long story short, she suggested that I should part with all of the backup tripods that I have and don’t use. So here are four tripods that I have for sale, all are in excellent condition.  If you happen to be interested in a old beat up tripod, I have one of those too.

MANFROTTO TRIPODS

#190B (previous version to this one)     3-section black aluminum tripod W/ 3 Way Pan Tilt/Head and 354 quick release plate……….$90,.00

#190B   (previous version to this one)    3-section black aluminum tripod W/ 484 RC2 Ball Head and quick release plate……….$90.00  SOLD

#055CB    3-section black aluminum tripod W/Super 3D 229 Head and quick release plate……….$180.00

#075B      3-section black aluminum tripod W/Super 3D 229 Head and quick release plate. This tripod is huge and heavy it is designed for large or medium format cameras……….$225.00

Interested? Contact me: email or Phone: 613-824-9295

Once again I would like to thank everyone who has either called or written asking about my mother’s recovery following her stroke. I am happy to say that she is making a remarkable recovery, all things considered. She was discharged from hospital last week, thanks to the social worker at the hospital who forced her into a ‘rushed” move into her new home The Rockcliffe Retirement Residence.  So much for caring about the patient’s well being, thank God the staff at the Rockcliffe were able to make arrangements and accept my mother immediately. Over the past month I have learned a lot about our health care system and the people who work in it. There are some people who actually do care about the patients and then there are others for who it is only a job, guess it is no different than any other profession. The problem is compounded with all of budget constraints and cut backs imposed on them.

This past weekend, we moved some of my mother’s furniture into her new home. All that would fit into a smaller space. She is adjusting to her new surroundings, home and condition. I am sure that this is stressful for her, however she appears to be adjusting to her new life. Anyone up for a game of bridge or giant crossword?

Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick, Canada

The London Camera Club is pleased to have Garry present his seminar “Exactly How I Had Pictured It!” on Saturday April 28th. As a bonus event Garry will lead a casual “Photo Walk”  in the London area on the afternoon of Friday April 27th.

Garry Black is one of Canada’s top selling stock photographers and is widely published. Noted as one of CAPA’s distinguished professionals, this Ottawa photographer leads workshops to destinations around the world as well as in Impressionistic, Landscape, Travel and Fashion Model Shoots.

“Just before you release the shutter what do you see through the viewfinder on your camera (or the LCD screen)?  Are you capturing the feeling, mood, interaction, experience that has occurred between yourself and the subject/scene? Creative photography is about using your vision, the elements of visual design and all of the photographic tools at your disposal to create the image that you see in your mind.

Everyone’s vision is different but there many techniques and visual principals that are common in creating images that help you capture “Exactly How I Had Pictured It!”  In this workshop we will cover the essentials that will help you to create the image that you see. We will discuss composition, visual design, light, angle, lens, perspective and subject matter. As well as Photoshop techniques that will help to make your photograph!”

Limited number of Tickets now available:

Friday afternoon April 27th  ”Photo Walk with Garry Black” and  Saturday April 28th Seminar 9:00a to 4:00p $75.00 - Saturday Seminar only $65.00

Friday location - TBA

Venue Saturday:

Free Methodist Church

402 Commissioners Road West

London On

For ticket purchases and payment options please email with subject “tickets” to email:  londonCCImages@gmail.com

Maybe I can paint?

Yesterday on Facebook  a friend of mine asked the question “How many friends use a Wacom Tablet for Post Photo work?  What do you think of it and does the Wacom make Post Photo work easier to do than a mouse?”

Some of the answers were:

“Absolutely use a tablet! You’ll wonder how you ever used a mouse before.”

“I have one, but I ended up with my mouse. I have spent so much time with a mouse, I just couldn’t make the transition.”

“I have been using one for years. Love it. Can’t work without it!”

“I have one but I am finding it very very hard to not use the mouse, I have been using it for so long.”

My answer was ”A Mouse! I can’t draw a straight line with a pen and my handwriting looks like chicken chicken scratch! However I really good using a mouse.” Now while I don’t use a tablet, I know many people who do use them and they swear by it. If I were to use a tablet, I would probably just swear at that it.

That got me thinking about my attempts at drawing and painting with paper, pens, pencils, paints etc. My experience with that medium has been pretty much a complete disaster, going all the way back to elementary school. I have always been able to see in my mind what I wanted to create, but my eye-hand coordination just wouldn’t co-operate.  I have always wanted to be able to paint and draw, and you know what now with my mouse and Photoshop, I can!

So what do you use for Post Photo work : Wacom Tablet or Mouse?

UPDATED MARCH 24, 2012

Here are some of the comments from my Facebook friends.

Steph K: “ Yeah, buy one ”

Andrew K: “ Wacom tablet by far! After using a tablet a mouse feels like you are using a brick!”

Rob S: “ You don’t have to give up the mouse though. Tablet on the left, mouse on the right, keyboard in the middle. ”

Rich G: “ I am right handed so I use tablet on right but honestly after a few weeks a mouse will feel like you are cheating poorly on your hand! You will regret grabbing the mouse.. I have an original Intuos 9×12 purchased in 2002 or so…I hardly use it now due to the fact I have little real estate for it at my new house. I think it’s time for a 5 Medium, not only that but my arm gets tired from having to move so much on the 9×12. Got to check and see if the older pads can be mapped smaller, large would be good for dual monitors with mapping 50% of the pad to each screen.”

Andrew K: “ Just ordered the Intous5 Medium. Have always used the Medium size. Tried out the Small but felt too restrictive.”

Steph K: “I have the small Intuos5 and LOVE it!! I had a Intuos4 Medium previously. BTW LOVE LOVE LOVE the hand gestures that you can set up…….. very cool.”

David L: “I just started using a Wacom bamboo capture pen/touch and I love it. My workflow has been sped up and I find myself switching to touch and have gotten rid of my mouse all together. Getting my tablet was the best thing I did. I will eventually upgrade to the intuos as I didn’t have the money which is why I got the capture. The capture is great but you don’t have as many options as you do with the upper end Wacom’s. Having a few more preset button would be nice.”

Roger W: “Using an Intuous 4 wireless – great!”

Stan K:  “Tablet -it’s faster and more precise- for Photoshop manipulations and heavy edits. -Mouse-for adjustments in Lightroom .”

Gilles V: “I love my Cintiq 12″, great for detail work.”

David P: “ I use both: the tablet (Intuous2, 6×8) for anything where I’m using a brush (e.g. masking, dodging/burning, etc.); for pretty much everything else I use the mouse.”

Barry F: “I tried to comment on the blog but got blocked. I’m in the tried to but can’t draw a straight line camp. So I have one but use the mouse. Not as well as you but I’m working on it.”

Garry Black:  “Barry all the comments on the blog have to be moderated, or else there is a ton of SPAM comments. So when you post a comment, it won’t show up for a little while.If you are using a mouse the size/shape is important, I spent ages trying many different styles before settling on a Logitech MX700, which has now been discontinued.”

Sheila R: “I love the tracPad, have barely touched a mouse since it came out. I use Intuos4wireless when editing.”

Tom B: “ I’m the same with the mouse. I’m just used to it.”

Barry T: “I just adjust my hand to fit – I did find it’s like driving (years ago) my race car, you have to look where you want to go not where you are.”

Carol N: “ I could not live without my Wacom! For detail-editing work, and for building photo-composites. As I can spend hours doing work of that perfectionist nature, I cannot imagine using a mouse… when I do my hand takes a beating! Some folks get a tablet that is too big… I have a huge one in one location and a smaller one in another… the big one is great for motions like drawing. For photo-retouching the small one is just fine… somewhat mores scrolling, that`s all.”

Barry T: “ Carol what is smaller in inches?”

Carol N: “ my smaller tablet = working area 6.5 x 8.8.25 inches. Large one is twice as big (at least 14 W), good for larger arm movements.”

Bright Ideas

Recently a friend suggested that I start writing some of my own favourite sayings. So here are a few of my quotes!

When critiquing workshop participants photos “Why did you take that picture?”

“You can ask a dozen photographers their opinions about camera equipment and you will get a 1000 different answers.”

“Q: Are you using Mac or PC?   A: It doesn’t matter, you will get the same results!” (You can interchange Nikon and Canon here too)

“I just have one more shot to take” or “Just one more shot”

“Of all of the 10,000′s of times that my photos have been published over the years, the only time that I have been asked which camera I used to take a picture was from a camera manufacturer who wanted to buy that shot.”

Do you have any quotes that you’d like to add?