Shooting A Car For eBay

Posted on: April 25th, 2013 4

Keeping It Simple

Shooting a car isn’t easy. It has lots of reflective surfaces, and is big…..too big to shoot indoors unless you have a huge studio space. My wife, Lucille, wanted to sell her 2006 Honda Civic on eBay, and needed a good exterior shot. As someone who almost always over-complicates things, my first thought was, “Uh oh, gotta hang a bedsheet in the driveway to act as a big softbox, get out by studio lights”…..you get the idea. Well, I wound up doing something really simple, with NO extra lighting (just the sun), and got a pretty good shot!

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Using TriggerTrap with Flash

Posted on: April 11th, 2013 1

TriggerTrap Can Trigger a Flash!

If you watched my previous video on TriggerTrap, you learned that using TriggerTrap in “Bang” mode carries with it a significant shutter lag. FYI, in “Bang” mode, your camera’s shutter can be activated by a sound via the mobile TriggerTrap app plus the dongle, which connects to both your iPhone and camera. Well, you can also trigger a flash, and do so with any perceivable lag. Watch the video below to see how:

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A Review of TriggerTrap

Posted on: February 20th, 2013 1

What Is It?

Well, watch the video to get the full answer, but basically TriggerTrap is a mobile app AND an optional dongle. The app alone adds functionality to your iPhone camera. The dongle allows you to add the functionality in the app to your own camera! It really is a pretty cool system, and works with MOST DSLRs that have a shutter release port. Check out the video after the jump:

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Layers and Layers Masks in Photoshop

Posted on: February 5th, 2013 0

3 of Me

I created this image in Photoshop Elements for a class I teach:

Layers and Layer Masks in Photoshop

click for larger version

The thing is, this technique is really easy to do. I didn’t make it up, it’s widely known and used by many Photoshop users, both pro and amateur. It’s just fun to both shoot and then assemble in Photoshop (or Elements 9 and above). (more…)

There Are No Principles of Composition

Posted on: January 29th, 2013 0

Group Think on Photographic Composition

I’ve been laboring under the illusion for some time now, that there are certain principles by which you can improve your photographs. These principles are commonly known as the Rules of Composition. They include the Rule of Thirds, Leading Lines, Layering, etc. I have tried to create images that are influenced by these rules, and since I teach a few classes on photography, I too have tried to explain these principles and their use. (more…)