Tampa Hotel UFO ceiling HDR photography

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I thought this ceiling was very interesting looking in a Tampa hotel - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/8 ISO 200 5-exposure HDRThis image is from a wedding I photographed a few years ago in a hotel in Tampa.  I was at the reception area early to shoot the table settings, wedding cake, etc.  Upon entering the ballroom I was immediately taken with the ceiling.  To me it looked like a UFO floating right on top of everything.  In editing I added some effects to heighten the alien look to the ceiling and room in general of this HDR image.  What does it look like to you?

Just at Sunrise in St. Petersburg Florida Snell Isle Florida Panorama

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A view of Smacks Bayou in Snell Isle St. Petersburg Florida at sunrise - 4 image panoramaKiki wakes up around 6:30am each morning wanting to go out and depending on the time of year it is totally dark or already full daylight.  At this time of year, January, it usually times out so that I get a glimpse of the sunrise.  Instead of just going right back into bed as I usually do, this morning I came back inside and got my camera to go and make a few photos.  I ended up hand holding four consecutive shots that I later stitched together into a panorama in Photoshop.  

Realtor Professional Business Headshot in St. Petersburg Florida with Maria

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St. Petersburg real estate agent Maria came to my home studio for a professional business headshot - Nikon D300 Nikkor 80-200mm @ f/8 ISO 200 1/200th - Strobist: SB-800 & SB-600 A few years ago Maria bought some fine art prints from me and in that time she has become a real estate agent.  She contacted me about having a professional headshot made she can use on her business card and on your agent profile page.  She came to my home studio in St. Petersburg, Florida where I setup a portable background and two light stands.  She was seated actually to help put her into a more natural position and to avoid leaning backwards, etc.  She was a natural though and the headshot shoot went smoothly.  Next I will actually be helping Maria learn how to use her new MacBook Pro!

Photography Tip - point your shadow at the subject

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Point your shadow at the subject to get the best exposure chance.Pointing your shadow at the subject is the photography tip I have given the most perhaps.  I have told it to every past photography student (300 and counting!).  The most common way to express this though is to say put your back to the sun to help get the best exposure when shooting outside on a sunny day.  I find it is even easier just to point your shadow at the subject.  For a subject you can move, then definitely place yourself between the subject and the sun so that your shadow is pointing at the subject and your back is to the sun.  Sometimes of course the subject cannot be moved so then you have to compromise or come back at a different time when the sun would be behind you.

For moving subjects I follow this same rule.  I will position myself as much as possible with my shadow pointing in the general area of the subject and wait for it to move in front of me.

Pointing your shadow at your subject will give you the best chance at getting a good exposure throughout the photo when shooting during the day.  It's a very simple way to dramatically improve your final image.  Let me know how it works for you.

Canon T3 1-on-1 DSLR Photography Lesson in St. Petersburg with Ken

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Ken focuses his Canon T3 during our 1-on-1 DSLR Photography Lesson in downtown St. Petersburg FloridaMy 1-on-1 DSLR Photography Lesson with Ken was a long time in the making.  He first contacted me in November of last year, and at last his schedule freed up so we could meet in downtown St. Petersburg.  Ken had some familiarity with photography terms and he did read his Canon DSLR manual.  We began the lesson by going over in detail how to change the necessary settings on his specific Canon T3 camera body for shooting in manul mode.  Up until then, Ken had been shooting in auto-mode.  My introductory 2-hour lessons are designed so that the person never has to use auto mode again and can shoot in manual mode just like the pros do, and really how a DSLR wants to be used.

After having that in-depth tour of his DSLR, we practiced how to control DoF and make the background disappear and create a subject surrounded by bokeh (photography term for out of focus background).  We also covered a few shooting tips including favoring shooting flowers in shade rather than the harsh midday sunlight of Florida, and as much as possible when shooting in direct sunlight, to get your back to the sun.

I look forward to seeing Ken's progress when we meet for our next photography lesson soon.

Nikon D7100 1-on-1 DSLR Photography Lesson in St. Petersburg Florida with Joe

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Joe with his Nikon D7100 during our 1-on-1 photography lesson in St. Petersburg FloridaJoe was visiting Florida from out of state for a series of photography excursions with Rick Sammon.  Those were largely about having the chance to photograph unique subject matter like dirtbikes jumping in the air and running horses.  Still, I guess I should feel flattered to follow up photography instruction by Rick with my own 1-on-1 style lesson!  

What Rick wanted to learn from me was my (patented?) 5-step process for making a well exposed and sharp photo in any given shooting situation.  He was already shooting in manual mode, but wanted to get better at it.  I told him there is a very exact and repeatable process for shooting still subjects in manual mode.  Photography really is science and math, at least as far as getting exposure right.  There is no mystery to it.  The process I teach tells you exactly if this, then do that in a very specific order.  Now composition and making a final image that delights people, that is another matter for practice!

Joe and I plan to stay in contact once his Florida vacation is over for receiving feedback on his photographs he makes as he learns my 5-step process better.  

Tampa Jet Center in Florida at Dusk

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A view from Tampa Jet Center with Raymond James Stadium home to the Bucs in the background - Nikon D300 Tamron 17-50mm @ f/8 ISO 200 5-exposure HDRI have had the chance to attend several events at the Tampa Jet Center in Florida.  Most of my photographs focus on the cars and people at those events, but I liked the airport setting itself and as one cannot exactly stroll onto a runway and make photographs legally in most situations, I appreciated the unique opportunity I had to shoot on the tarmac.  Luckily Mother Nature provided a nice background as the setting sun sent some orange light into the clouds at dusk that evening.