The Gift of Better Photography

Howdy everyone,

It is that time of year when retailers shamelessly plug their products as the best “Christmas Present EVER”, well they are lying…because I have the best “Christmas Present EVER!”

For this is no flashy trinket, no fruit cake, no new piece of exercise equipment that promises you titanium abs, no discount boob job, no tacky tie, or any other lame gift that will surely lose its lustre come February (except for maybe the boob job, that might last a whole year before it ruptures and seeps dangerous materials into your body). No, no, no. This is the gift that truly keeps on on giving. The gift of learning. You see learning is scientifically proven to add years to your life, what better gift is there than that?

Do you, or does anyone you know, want to learn how to take better pictures or vastly improve their photography skills? Wow them this year by securing them a spot at Coast in Focus, the cannot-should not-would not-don’t dare-miss photography workshop event of 2010. Click CIF Poster to download information on the event.

Join myself, Kelly Funk and Emma Levez Larocque in the classroom and more importantly in the field as we share with you the fundamental tips needed to really bring your imagery to life! Whether you are a passionate novice shooter, or you just need some fine tuning to get you to the next level, this workshop will be your meal ticket to enhancing your skills and knowledge of the fine art.

We’ll cover topics such as camera functions, lighting and lighting techniques, composition, working in the field, shooting wildlife (without a gun), accessories and so much more. Please see the attached PDF for more details.

Stay tuned as we post more info on Coast in Focus (May 28-30) in the New Year. Happy Holidays and cheers to ridding the world of tacky ties and rupturing boob jobs 🙂

Lightpainting

Hello friends. With the sun setting before I even have a chance to leave my house these days, thanks to the short days of winter, I have been playing with lightpainting techniques to see how they impact my images, especially in the dark. I must say, this technique can definitely take an ordinary, run-of-the-mill image, and turn it into a winning shot….one with some real pop.

First, I tried the technique on a rather phallic looking stump that graced the shores of Willingdon Beach on a recent trek along the beach. I really like the drama that unfolded in this picture.  Because of the beautiful sunset sitting directly behind it, without lightpainting, this shot would be nothing more than an average sillhouette. By utilizing a long exposure (I had on my George Lepp Solid ND Filter www.singh-ray.com/morefilt.html) which gave me an 8-second exposure at f 11 (so everything is sharp). After I released the shutter, I “painted” the stump and foreground rocks with my 10 million candle flashlight for the duration of the exposure, lighting the entire stump in a fluent, “painting” motion. The result, is a dramatic oceanscape, one for the website 🙂

Since I was in light painting mode (and since my flashlight was full of juice), I decided to try adding some drama to a couple of my wife’s clown-like-dolls.  As if these little fellows needed the opportunity to look any more frightening.  The room was completely dark, allowing for a 25-second exposure. Stacy and I then painted the dolls with a couple of smaller flashlights.

Lastly, I went to one of my favourite shooting spots in Powell River, BC (Palm Beach) and light painted this funky log that reflected perfectly in a tidal pool, accentuated by the end of a December sunset. With a 12-second exposure (thanks Geaorge Lepp) I painted the log (and its reflection) with my flashlight.  I find this picture to really pop, adding drama to relatively unexciting natural light situation.

If you are interested in learning more about light painting, stay tuned for more info on my photography event Coast in Focus, happening here in Powell River May 28-30. I will have the poster up here next week. People are starting to get excited about it.