Don’t Forget the Details
Epic Imagery is not Everything in Photography! I am returning to my photos of Italy in this post but with a difference! I have been sorting through the thousands of photos captured during a magical two-week trip through Rome, Florence and most of Tuscany. There are...
B&W Tone Control for Rendering Success
Some More Thoughts on B&W I thought I would write a little bit about the decision process when creating B&W renderings from color images. The images that follow were all captured in and around Los Osos on the central coast of California. I have often said that...
The Pleasures of Black and White
The Upcoming Workshop in Los Osos Before I return to my photo adventure in Italy, and while I’m preparing for my B&W workshop at Light Photographic, I thought I’d share some thoughts and B&W images of the beautiful locations in and around Los Osos....
On Location in Italy – 2
Lee Varis shares some panorama insights in Florence Well… the dust has settled, somewhat, from my trip to Italy, and now begins the long process of evaluating the thousands of images captured during my tour of Tuscany. Our first stop after Rome was the...
On Location in Italy – 1
Rome, Amalfi Coast, and Pompeii I’m just throwing up a quick post from the road here in Italy. Stay tuned for more detailed posts later. First stop was Rome and a quick walking tour. Our hotel was just a few steps away from the Trevi Fountain: We spent the first...
Landscape Composites – How to Solve the Boring Sky Problem
My latest, Very Brief, Joshua Tree National Park Adventure At the beginning of April, I participated in the Palm Springs Photo Festival—something I do every year, this time, not as a teacher, but simply as a participant in the portfolio reviews. I make it a habit to...
Death Valley Adventure – 3
Using Puppet Warp to un-distort panoramas Well… my Death Valley adventure has inspired many discoveries and I thought I’d share one of them for part 3. This takes advantage of the distortion capabilities in Puppet Warp to correct for some common...
Death Valley Adventure – Part 2
The Pleasures of Lightroom 4 Process Sliders Every personal photo safari I go on is a great learning experience, and often this extends to discoveries in my post processing experiences. Fortunately, I have been working with the new Lightroom 4 for a while before its...
Death Valley Adventure – Part 1
Sampling the Visual Pleasures of the Lowest Point in the US Every year, if I can, I spend and extended weekend in Death Valley with a small group of friends—we’ve been going to Death Valley to photograph for that last 30+ years. In the past I’ve been known...
Improvising at the Shoot: Getting Creative Inspiration from Problems
Sometimes you have to embrace problems to find solutions. I recently had the good fortune to shoot some photos for a friend’s headshot. Renee Sher needed a headshot for her therapy practice but also wanted some “play” photos to indulge her alter ego...
Architecture Interiors — The Broad Stage Revisited
Creating Panorama Scenes in Photoshop I’ve been quite busy lately—the first part of the Month I was in Death Valley, then immediately after returning, I jumped into a photo shoot for the Broad Stage in Santa Monica, part of the Santa Monica College arts campus....
Lightroom 4 and the Digital Zone System
While Lightroom 4 is still in beta, it is clear that there have been major changes to this preeminent photographers tool, especially with regards to RAW processing. This has serious implications for my digital zone system. Fortunately this doesn’t require...
Recording Adventures in New York with the Canon 5D
I have just returned from an assignment in New York where I had the pleasure to follow a pair of phenomenal musicians around. Joseph and James Tawadros are a unique duo from Australia, of Egyptian heritage, playing new world jazz on traditional arabic instruments....
Report from Fotofusion 2012
Escaping the Cold with Total Immersion Photography Its that time of the year when a good percentage of the country is starting to experience serious cold weather—not the biggest problem for me, living in Santa Monica, CA, but it is still good to get away to the warm...
B&W How to – 3D Tone Sculpting
Think like a sculptor and shape your tones for ideal B&W conversions. Often, when confronted with the need for a B&W version of a color image, the process of conversion is treated as an afterthought. There may be some thought as to what the best method will be...Up Coming Events
Join us for a magical photo-vacation adventure in sun soaked Tuscany. We are taking over a villa in the Val D’orcia region of Italy near Siena. The luxury villa has a pool, jacuzzi, and sauna, 9 bedrooms, full vegetable garden, with a vineyard, and fantastic views of the countryside. The Villa is located on an organic farm estate that extends for over 300 hectares, in the beautiful rolling hills of Val d’Orcia, a wonderful area in Tuscany nestling between Siena, Montalcino, the Crete Senesi, Pienza and Montepulciano. Renovated in 2014, Villa Mariolina is a truly luxurious villa, equipped with all comforts and amenities. It is centrally located in some of Tuscany’s most impressive scenery and in an area protected by UNESCO for its beautiful scenery
Bobbi and Lee lead you on a tour that explores the natural beauty of the Scottish highlands, including the beautiful Isle of Skye, and Lewis and Harris, in the Outer Hebrides. This tour is ideal for photographers (both experienced and budding), nature enthusiasts, and anyone who dreams of experiencing the best of Scotland’s stunning landscapes. From the picturesque villages to the rugged coastlines and dramatic cliffs, you’ll capture the unique beauty and essence of Scotland with your camera. Our knowledgeable tour guides will make sure you get the most out of your experience, and we’ll provide you with the tools to capture truly unforgettable photos.
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