I have spent all day trying to come up with something totally random for my post today, and I am feeling really lost as far as something random. I am a very structured person… I have everything in its place I know where my money goes, I know where it comes from and I have a hard time being spontaneous. For example I will be upgrading one of my lenses very soon. I would like to have it in time for the bulk of my wedding season. Nikon 24-70mm f2.8 will be the replacement for my Sigma 28-70mm f2.8-4 and I have been going crazy researching if it is worth the money, especially because I have to buy a new car within two or so weeks, and I want to know it will pay itself off in no time at all. This isn’t an upgrade, it is a huge leap from what I have and will make a huge difference in my images and comfort as a photographer. The comfort is only because I can trust my equipment a little more than I have had to deal with. Did this come out Random enough? I think so.

Like all great styles: bell bottom pants, jean jackets, head bands, and vests; styles shift and move in and out as time passes for style in photography as well. In most cases, and I would think the most prevalent, weddings have a very obvious feel to them. They are not 100% reliant on the idea that styles will cycle around to give an illusion of something new and different, but these “repeats” in style as a whole are a huge tool. Not only should they be noticed and practiced but also chosen. Someone officially ignites a past trend into “the latest greatest thing”.
Currently in wedding photography the use of vignette has boomed in the past three or so years, and it seems one of the biggest trends for this wedding season is/will be blur vignette. A very simple, idea easy to execute, and a great tool people often forget about.

Observe the difference between the two photographs. This is one of my favorite images! I love the simplistic composition with the more neutral colors, but when you make the slightest changes it makes it even more so about the couple (the buyers of your images).

My little way of thinking as a wedding photographer: take your time, there are plenty of pictures, and keep it simple you can’t fail being so safe.

Ok for your Tuesday tech update I would like to narrow the next few weeks down just with Features in Photoshop! This week’s feature is curves… until I order my CS5 upgrade (which will be soon) I will be discussing the “features” from CS3.

For our first in depth look into some of the tools and possibilities CS3 has to offer I’ll start will my most used adjustment… Curves!

I prefer to use curves as an adjustment layer to give me total control and ability to use or change at any point during my edit. I love the ease of curves, it will take a nice RAW file, containing the maximum amount of information and in a few simple steps allow for me to color correct, give contrast, and remove UV fog that can occur to most natural RAW images while shooting near the direction of the sun (which is the recommended for use of fill flash). Observer the steps to setting up your curves layer.

When selected choose the “options” button and see the magic!

One the changes are made play around with the RGB line. I bring the contrast up by setting the lowest point inward 5 points and the highest point inward 5 as well (inward in this case is toward the center).

See the difference the image on top was straight from the camera, great capture and use of fill flash. The bottom one is with the curves layer adjustment only added to it. the color correction, contrast, and even the illusion of a better sharpness too.

Give it a try and see what you think.

So… to the followers I may or may not have, you may have noticed a missed blog post. 4-16-10, last Friday, I typically do a review on Friday’s; however, I had skipped it last week to prove a point. The point is, details can be there out in front on your average review or hidden completely from view. Details in macro photography; those must be the greatest of importance for you images. Take for instance this image here.

Now the obvious detail would be the water droplets, in fact they are the reason this image becomes so astatically pleasing to the eye, although since we are engrossed in the image as a whole, one begins to notice the accents to the main subject. Start with the large drops surrounding the main drop in focus. There are a solid 6 that surround it in an “A” formation although they point to nowhere. They do hold the viewers eye in place to now give the base of the image a second look. The palette of colors is soft like the focus and delicate because they are earth tones, what’s more it gives truth to our setting of this particular image.

 These details, all beyond the main focal point, are the border, the frame, the support. I, when shooting macro photographs, do not see those areas of the image as details, but only as the holding place for the details. The real “details” in my eyes are the veins of the leaf, the tiny hairs holding the droplets, and the wonderful line through the image (edge of the leaf) these are the little things that get me close to the subject because they are the last thought when I see water droplets on a leaf. Enjoy!

Happy tax day to all of America!

Yeah right.

Taxes are no fun, and most especially when not nearly enough taxes were taken in the first place. What’s worse is being a moron… like me, and waiting until today to send them out. Lines at the post office were the biggest waste of time ever! People there, both patrons, and employees seemed to have no sense of time. It was as though I was the only person trying to get something done and still needed to go to work.

WORK! There is a word I hate more than the devil. Being self employed is really nice, that at least reminds me I am doing something I love, but work, that is a swear word. It is four letters for starters, is something that, not shouldn’t be, but is disliked around children, and when read backwards it is krow (crow) which is a bird associated with death.

All in all, tax day, was not a great one for me. With the increase of business and doing more of what I love, let’s wait and see what next year will hold.

Keeping it random. Confuse you next week!

Here is a nice, little, easy access, password protected, payment option, logging documented, sales assisting, useful, FREE way to display your wedding proofs.

Instaproofs.com is a great tool, allowing your guests to preview pictures in color, B&W, and sepia. Set your price, set time limits, passwords, descriptions, details, and much more all in one nice simple free online proofing gallery! Take a look at my account, each gallery is on a protected, password required gallery. However you may go to robkrueger.instaproofs.com give it a look there.

There is an option to give to your clients to order their prints online and pay by credit card. You as a user must give up 15% of your pay for the order to Instaproofs. But then they send you a check every two weeks as long as you have a balance yet to be paid. Just one more wow tool for your wedding work!

Well the official announcement for Photoshop CS5 was yesterday. Just in time for all of us to realize we have a little extra from our tax returns… why not give it to Adobe. However if you begin to look at the prices, one finds a ridiculous amount being asked for the product. For example: to upgrade your CS4 that will run you as much as $899.00 from the current Master Collection to the newest version Master Collection. To leap from CS3 you find a price of $1,849.00 the idea behind these upgrade prices makes sense, and are actually a reasonable deal, all things considered. 

 

I would hate to be starting out and wanting to jump right into CS5 Master Collection, because there is a nice little number of $2,599.00 to deal with. Ouch! All the talk and recent hype about “content aware fill” this looks like a great investment. I will be ordering my Master Collection one this tax season is taken care of… two days. I better get moving!

Deck out to Tech out!

Everyone…

Scoot in nice and close…

Stay focused…

There you go.

Wait fooor it…

Wait foor it…

Wait for it…

That is one major practice all must understand and be comfortable doing. Waiting, that is. “Patience is a virtue”, some say.

Patience - the ability to endure waiting, delay, or provocation without becoming annoyed or upset or to persevere calmly when faced with difficulties.

Virtue - the quality of being morally good or righteous.

I feel that saying is not taught enough these days, and I find in macro photography; beyond the image, patience is a virtue. Selecting what subjects would make for a great image is challenge enough, but to know the image and then to execute it. Huge difference, especially with macro photography. This image photographed by: Miroslaw Swietek shows exactly my point for today’s post.

NOW!

Go out there all motivated and ready to capture great images… and

Wait.

Until next time, you just got focused! Let’s make this a great week!

The Sigma 28-70mm f2.8-4 DG lens is most decidedly, affordable! This lens will run you about $68.00 not including tax. Now for any starting photographer, $68.00 feels like enough to spend if it will get the job done… the best thing to know about this lens is:

Yes! It will get the job done. However when a person dedicates themselves to the idea of becoming a professional one then begins to see the going rate on a pro lens is nearer to $2,000.00/lens. Now that amount can seem somewhat outrageous, yet lenses of that caliber can last you 10, 12, 15, 28 years. Your equipment usually matches the owner. I personally know a great number (most I know) of photographers who do not care for their equipment much at all. This lack of care reflects not only in the physical appearance of the gear, but in most cases the quality of the images. Take for instance this Sigma 28-70mm f2.8-4 DG my first lens for my digital gear and the care I maintain of my equipment still allows for me to take fantastic images with even this cheap (for lack of a better word) of a lens. Seeing as how photography is essentially: the documentation of light and its reaction/reflection off of objects/subjects and the processes in which that reaction/reflection is recorded through the use of lenses and digital cameras or sensitive films. I feel that with taking care of your equipment and having what we all refer to as “an eye” for the subject of photography, any lens available as the potential to produce a great image. Although the added bonus of post production in Photoshop can also play a part in overall quality, there will always be a difference in equipment, but this is just to say that some starter lenses hold up for some amazing images at times. There you have it, a review; tell me how you like the described equipment. See you next week! shoot your weekends away.

Photoshop Content Aware Option CS5 is 100% real…

Or is it?

Let’s be sure to investigate the truth before we all rush out and spend yet another $600.00 like we’re getting an iPad or something.

Look for my Photoshop CS5 review!

However, before you go… give this “White Rabbit” one last look.

Random

Weddings. Every little girls dream, every boys nightmare, and a whole lot of money all being invested in the biggest celebration of a lifetime. Just because it’s a dream, does it always become a living fairytale you would find in a Disney movie. Not likely. Not for most photographers anyway. The expectations of brides, and more importantly their parents, has become almost unrealistically high. However, there have been more and more “photographers” to choose from, making it easy for people raise their expectations, because they know there is always someone else who needs the work too.

Customer service is becoming the leading difference in wedding photographers, because while people have less money to spend, prices have not moved a whole lot, therefore leaving only attitude to be the only difference. As I had mentioned before “does it always become a living fairytale” well now it does. As a fellow wedding photographer I find that if you engulf yourself into every aspect of their day as possible, that brings out your interest in their day. While shooting I have noticed the spiked interest really reflects in my photos as well. This ongoing inclusion with what you do for your clients is more than just “good customer service” it builds the obvious client relationships, but also if builds (on a more personal level) friendships. Along with the heightened enthusiasm and modern technology to be personally connected at any moment; a photographer is given some of the biggest tools to building their business and maintaining their clients.

Keep personal, become a part of their lives (not their wedding), and make their dreams come true!

Happy weddings

Time for a little tech talk!

TechWedding.com is a new website. So new it isn’t even live or viewable yet, but it is going to change the face of weddings and their media in a big way! I have only heard whispers about the services this place will offer, but I do know it will be one of the biggest selling products/services in the wedding industry for 2010. It gets so involved in the bride and groom (on a more in depth, but not too personal level) and user friendly (almost easier than facebook or twitter); all while keeping the couple more on top of their schedule, informing possible guests, offering things like (live feed of the actual ceremony), and having so many features. You’ll want to be first to use it, become a part of it, or just learn from it. I am in no real position to give any specific details at this time, but once they launch, look out. I give my vote to it right now, Tech wedding.com will become a house hold name for anyone Chicago based between the ages of 19-34 by the end of this calendar year.

And that’s your   Tuesday   Tech   Topic!

FLOWERS!Ͼ

Flowers are naturally beautiful and they are also simple, at least at first. I have been shooting flowers as a hobby of mine for four years now; I also have spent 2 ½ years trying to find what works for me as a photographer.

An instructor once told me, “flowers can be really easy, but you want them to be a huge challenge. Anyone can photograph a flower, but to do it well and with your own element (style)… now that is a task.”

I had taken that task on with nothing but problems. This is the part where I bring up the star of Mondays, the Macro lens!

Using a macro lens gives a person a whole new way of looking at these beautiful specimens. Just the fact that you could be close enough to maintain a 1:1 ratio changes how you view these obvious choices for a subject. However, learning, trial and error, and practice are what really get the images looking their best. Here you see an image of a simple wild flower beginning its blossom. A nice shot, not a total macro shot, and still there is something about the image that grabs you. The best part, it has nothing to do with the subject. The background is truly the reason this image came out as well as it had!

These dancing neutral tones project splashes of color here and there throughout. The amount of this, what we call “dead space” was not only intentional, but perfectly placed. The flower really is now become the detail to bring out the background; which, as always, is the reason this imperfect balance works so well and really keeps people interested. 

Review Friday’s

I like to unwind by getting one last bit of new information before my weekend.

For this first product review I have chosen a newer lens on the market. Please also note: this is for Canon as well as Nikon users; that way anyone can be interested.

The lens is Tamron’s 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC. Tamron has had a 28-300mm for quite a few years now, but this new glass is changing lenses all together. The ability to photograph a wide scene fitting in the 18mm range is always great… especially if you know in a ½ of a second you could be at 270mm. One of the high points to this lens is that it is set for cameras like the D200-D300 etc. (Nikon) 40D-50D etc. (Canon) however this lens would be a poor choice for any digital full frame sensors (ie. Nikon D700, D3, Canon 5d Mark II)

As a photographer you need to know what you have and where you picture yourself, photographically speaking, in the future. Are you eventually going to own a full frame camera? If so then this lens would be a waste of money… the range is beautiful the f stops… not so much. When one chooses to purchase a full frame sensor camera body the amount you’re spending should be 100% usable. If you are willing to invest that kind of money in your camera body a fast lens is even more worth it to you. The typical f2.8 lenses you find for both Nikon and Canon are strong materials and will last a number of years! Therefore, I find, making it worth the money to ensure your full potential, earned, by owning a full frame sensor.

Tamron has truly produced an amazing product here! The range is more than accommodating for most situations. There is one aspect lacking in this lens, and that would be the overall speed (or aperture) of the lens. At 18mm f3.5 isn’t very hard to work with, but at 270mm f6.3 being the most open it can be could be frustrating for users of the lens. Although, Tamron is strictly a lens company, therefore they have come up with three ways to persuade Nikon  and Canon users to choose Tamron’s products. 1) Tamron has applied their Vibration Compensation technology to the lens from 18-270mm. This means users have up to a 4 stop correction from lack of light or camera shake. 2) MONEY! Nikon  has produced a lens with the range of 18-200mm f3.5-5.6 and an average price of $789.99 while Canon has also produced a lens, range: 18-200mm f3.5-5.6 and an average price of $699.99. The Tamron 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC is running at an average price of 629.99 and with the extra 70mm added to the full focal length, that is an awesome deal.
 3) Tamron’s Lock feature, this is the one thing that really caught my eye. This lock is a switch located 90⁰ from the Vibration Compensation switch, the lock will hold your selected focal length in place. I have been working with the 18-200mm Nikkor and find if I let the lens out to 75-100mm and need to move in a way where my lens point toward the ground, gravity lets out the lens to its full capacity of 200mm. By the time I raise my camera back to my eye and think I’m just about set I notice the lens has slipped again. Tamron’s Zoom Lock Feature prevents this unpleasant inconvenience.

Overall, for the cost, range, features, and ease of use the Tamron 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC is a great and very useful lens. It is near perfect for outdoor wedding photography and street photography.

Get shooting! Tell me about the products you use.

RaNdoM  ThurSDaY!

Today I talk about our biggest fans…

Our selves! We are the only ones who truly drive our own business. You may work hard and market your business, but that’s all you; you may have many friends who recommend you and direct business to you, but really that’s all you. You’re your own biggest fan. For that I urge everyone to take their love of facebook to the next level…

Chances are good that you have a facebook account. If not the steps to setting one up are simple, just go to facebook.com, and click “sign up”. For those of you that do have an account with facebook, use this tool to your advantage! Create a fan page based on the work you do. Use this vast network to find fellow photographers, see others work, learn, teach, and just be involved with the environment. If you would like, start by becoming a fan of my page http://www.facebook.com/rkphoto?ref=ts. Join others to build your network, but also create your own as one more place to show your portfolio. Be sure to link people to your website and or blogs as well. You don’t want to run your business through facebook that would be much too hard to appear professional.