Shannon Smith, 831 Photography

Danielle and Victor

2010-06-06T02:04:00.001-04:00

What a great time. Enjoy this sneak preview!

Stephanie and Rufus

2010-06-06T00:04:00.001-04:00

Congratulations Stephanie and Rufus!

Christine and Marcus

2010-06-05T23:59:00.002-04:00

Congratulations Christine and Marcus!

Shannon and Sam's Engagement Session

2010-05-09T21:57:00.000-04:00

This was my first experiment with some video clips during an engagement session. I hope you enjoy the results!

Congrats Shannon and Sam! I can't wait to shoot your wedding!

Linux Workflow - Darktable

2010-03-29T10:17:00.005-04:00

One of the strengths of linux is it's total flexibility. If there's one tool for the job, chances are there are another dozen that you don't know about yet. For ADD tinkerers such as myself, this blessing is also a curse! ;)

All that aside, recently I found Darktable. It's a RAW workflow software, based on the excellent DCRaw converter that is practically ubiquitous in linux, and even sneaks into more well known software (rumor has it that adobe based their raw conversion off of this as well).

At first glance, lightroom users will feel right at home. The dark interface, thumbnail view, and even the "end flourishes" look remarkably similar, and with good reason - it's a nice layout. Darktable has a nice feature called "zoomable light table", which basically allows you to drag the images around as if you were panning on an actual table. You can still scroll by using the "file manager" view (which is almost identical), but I'm impressed with the speed of the light table view.

of course, you can always zoom, re-order, filter, tag, group, etc. Both sidepanels (as well as the top and bottom panel) are collapsible, so you can use practically all of your screen for viewing. Nice touch.

Double clicking on an image brings you to the "Darkroom Mode". This is where all the heavy lifting is done.

On the left, you see your navigation, snapshot, metadata, and history windows (all collapsible, of course). The right, your histogram and various "plugins". The creators of darktable really went out of their way to make sure there was no wasted space. The histogram is not only a display, but it allows you to adjust the exposure by simply clicking and dragging right on the histogram. Nice touch for quick adjustments.

Everything you'd expect in a RAW processor is there, and even some you may not expect. For example, one thing that really impressed me was the "Auto Exposure". Not that it had it, but the way it actually works. Take a look at this screen shot:

If you look at the image, you'll see a box around my couple. When you check "Auto" under the exposure tab, it actually SHOWS you where it is calculating the exposure from - it takes about the center 50% and adjusts accordingly. Have a backlit image? Well, Darktable lets you choose what part of the scene is most important - you can just box the area you want to adjust your image from. In this example, I wanted to make sure my couple were exposed properly, and to ignore the open sky behind them. Quick and easy!

White balance is done in a similar fashion. You have the option of presets, or you can select an area. You're not just stuck with a small pixel area.

Monochrome is done very well, if not a bit different than other tools. You simply activate the Monochrome plugin (if you don't see it, go to "More plugins" at the bottom and click the icon), then you get this view:

by dragging the circle around the color palette, you can adjust your monochrome filter. Using the scroll wheel allows you to focus in on single colors (and makes the circle smaller) or to have a more balanced filter (thus making the circle larger). Very fast, very intuitive.

There are some oddities as well (to be expected for a version 0.5). You'll see a plugin called "clipping". Most photographers would think this means blown highlights or blocked up shadows, but they're actually talking about cropping. The "Equalizer" tool apparently is for noise reduction. When exporting, it doesn't tell you where the images will be (they're in a folder under your raws called "darktable_exported", btw). There's no cancel on the export, and for some reason on my system it set the initial quality of exported images to zero. (I can tell you, a zero quality level results in some very, very bad images....lol)

Of course, there are some things I'd like to see. The ability to work on multiple images at once, and presets are almost a requirement for anyone doing high volume work. The great part about open source software is the people that write it are real human beings, and actually respond to questions, suggestions, and emails. You have to love that!

Overall, I was very impressed with the speed which it responded. Very rarely was I waiting on the program to do anything. Many times with RAW conversion software, you are waiting on the software to re-convert the image when you make adjustments - not so with darktable. It was always quick and snappy to respond to even the most complex adjustments. The interface was easily on par with the commercial software I use, Bibble5. It's not on the same level as bibble in many aspects (conversion speed, workflow speed, noise removal, among other things) but it does very well, and has the potential for great improvement. I'll be watching it closely!

You can download darktable from their website: http://darktable.sourceforge.net/

Ubuntu users can install with the software center by adding Pascal deBruin's ppa: ppa:pmjdebruijn/ppa

Until next time!

Shan

Adobe's (new?) Content aware fill

2010-03-26T23:06:00.003-04:00

Many people have seen the preview video for Adobe CS5's new flagship feature, "Content Aware Fill". If you haven't seen it, this takes the healing brush to a whole new level, taking into account the surrounding content AS WELL AS the area you're trying to repair. This makes quicker, easier work of difficult areas such as across shadows, lens flare, etc.

What is really amusing is that GIMP users have had access to this for quite a while with the free plugin called "Resynthesizer". It works just like Photoshop's new Content Aware Fill, yet has been available for free!

Open source win. Way to lead, guys.

Picasa 3.6 - New custom size collages

2010-02-24T20:26:00.004-05:00

If you're looking for a quick and easy way to create collages or album spreads in linux, look no further than Picasa from google. A small but very useful tool is the collage creator. Simply select the images you want on the collage, click the "Collage" button at the bottom, and it will open the collage dialog.

On the left, you'll see settings. Notice down at the bottom you now have the option of adding a custom aspect ratio.

This tiny feature now allows you to create custom sized albums! From the limited time I've used it, it appears the resolution is fixed at 256DPI, so this my 20x10 spread creates an image with 5120x2560 pixels. Maybe not optimal 300DPI for a 20x10 album spread, but very acceptable.

If you want full control over the size and location of your images, just select "Picture Pile". If you want just a quick, full page collage, choose "Mosaic".

Now if we can just get a touch more control over the borders (right now, they are fixed size and color - white only) and the drop shadows (no adjustments now), but overall, super quick and easy!

Accounting on Ubuntu (aka: The Quickbooks Online Conspiracy)

2010-02-12T13:12:00.003-05:00

We run a business.

We need to account for income and expenses.

We need to be able to access that data from anywhere.

Quickbooks Online Edition. Problem solved.

Whoa, there big guy - not quite. I see you run linux. We know that firefox is a cross platform browser, and the web is supposed to support open standards, but since your browser reports you as a linux user, you can't get in.

!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Intuit has been remarkably slow about cross platform support (only recently supporting Mac with their standalone Quickbooks software, as well as their online version), but this seems a slap in the face. When you access any website, your browser sends information to that website in what's known as a header - it tells the website information such as browser name, version, and (among other things) your operating system. While this can be used in a good way (automatically sending you to the correct download link for your OS, for example) Intuit has actually blocked. Here's what you're presented with:

Awesome.

Fortunately, there's an easy fix: Tell firefox to lie. Yup.

Get the "User Agent Switcher" add-on for firefox (available here) and set up a new user agent.

(My screen show shows "Edit User Agent", just hit "New" and make sure it looks like this when you're done.)

Hit OK, then go to "Tools->Default User Agent->Firefox 3 (Windows XP)"

Hit refresh, and you're in!

So, a rather simple workaround for a limitation that was set by a website (rather than an actual limitation of linux).

Now for my CYA: This works for me. If it doesn't work for you, I take no responsibility. If you lose all your data, mess something up, catch super-herpes, or just feel bad because you forced your innocent web browser to lie, it's on your head. I'm not telling you to do it, just telling you I've done it and it seems to work just fine. I am not your parent (except you Ian and Christian! LOL) so take responsibility for your own stuff, k?

I emailed Intuit, and mentioned the increasing number of linux users with netbooks, ex-windows users, etc. Here was their response:

Hi Shannon,

Thank you for taking the time to provide us with your feedback. The QuickBooks Online team values your thoughts, comments, and requests.

I want to say a second thank you for such a well though out and stated email as well.

It is because of requests such as this that online eventually started to allow access to users with firefox on windows and In the Macintosh world Safari and Firefox.

There is currently an open enhancement ticket for the ability to expand to Linux. I have added your feedback to that request but can not say when (or even if) it will be added.

Hopefully though, your comments (and others like yours) will be heard and we will move to expand our functionality.

At this time I am going to close this feedback case but once again, thank you for your valuable suggestions!

Jonathan

It makes one thing clear: if you want support (for any software, not just intuit), make sure the company knows it. It appears that Intuit knows people want to use their software on linux, are willing to PAY for it (obviously), and are taking it into consideration. If there is a market, companies will produce product!

Hope you find this helpful. Keep moving forward linux users!

Oh, and if you're in the Northeast Ohio area, there's a LoCo meeting tonight at 6PM at Panera in Montrose, OH. Come hang with us, meet fellow Ubuntu users, or if you're just interested in seeing what the fuss is all about, swing by anyway. We'll throw a liveCD in so you can try it out without touching your existing system. Hope to see you there!

Shan

Linux + Photography != insanity

2010-02-06T01:28:00.003-05:00

For you non-coding people out there != means "does not equal".

I wanted to post this thread to hopefully dispel some of the more common Linux myths out there. For most people, the thought of running linux ranks somewhere below cutting your own arm of with a rusty knife and dental surgery without novacaine.

This really couldn't be further from the truth. I've been running linux for the past 3 years, and many people I know have switched (including Stephanie, my brother, and my 60 year old mother!).

First, a few things so everyone understands the linux philosophy:

There are several distributions, or flavors, of linux. I personally use Ubuntu, but several other popular ones are OpenSUSE, Knoppix, and Debian. Each is maintained by it's own community, and have slight variations, but all run a linux kernel, or core. Each distribution may even have it's own derivatives. Ubuntu, for example, is based on Debian. Derivatives of ubuntu include Kubuntu (which uses the KDE desktop, more later), Edubuntu (which is focused towards education), Xubuntu (which is very lightweight for older machines), and Linux Mint (which is designed for simplicity, and has most multimedia plugins already installed).

Unlike Windows or Mac, linux offers several desktop environments. KDE and GNOME are the two most popular, but there are others. For simplicity, KDE has a more "windows" feel (with a start button and floating widgets), while GNOME has a more OSX feel (with the menu bar across the top). Both are feature rich and totally customizable, and have their own strengths. You can have both installed on the same computer and use them interchangeably.

Most linux distributions have a built in Package Manager, which is one of the great strengths of linux. To install software, one usually just goes to the package manager (known as the Software Center in Ubuntu), selects the software they need, and hit Install. The package manager automatically downloads the software from the repository (an online storage center for the software), and configures it for you. Think of it as an "Add/Remove Programs" on steroids. This also greatly simplifies updates, as the package manager not only automatically watches for updates in the OS, but if any changes are made to the software you have installed, it will usually automatically update that as well.

That being said, let's look at some myths:

Myth #1: Linux is too hard.

This really couldn't be further from the truth. Most desktop linux distributions are amazingly easy to use, very intuitive, and have several features that make them much easier than their windows or mac counterparts. Yes, some things are different, but different does not always mean hard. The software center, for example, is a great system to keep everything up to date and find new software. As far as installation goes, every system I've installed took less than 20 minutes, and it automatically detected and configured everything, including dual monitors, network printers, wacom tablets, you name it. To borrow from apple's great marketing, It just worked.

Myth #2: My _________ isn't supported.

This is kind of a vague myth, but a common one none the less. People seem to think that linux doesn't work on new or certain hardware. To be honest, I have yet to find something that didn't just work. Printers seem to be the most common, but lately not only have I not seen it work, but when I went to configure it after installing linux, it had already done it for me. I'm currently running dual monitors, several external hard drives, just purchased a new dvd burner, and had to do exactly ZERO config (unless you count telling it which side each of my dual monitors sits, but that's hardly difficult!)

Myth #3: I can't calibrate my monitor, so I can't use it for photography.

This is really a two part myth. First, you CAN calibrate your monitor under linux. ArgyllCMS supports many calibration devices, including the spyder and huey. It is actually creates a much more detailed profile than the software that came with my spyder, which results in even closer color matching. For those who don't have a calibration device, you can easily install the gamma adjustment software (like Adobe Gamma) to get a "close enough" manual calibration. Secondly, most of the software (both free and commercial) that runs on linux does support monitor profiling, so you can use it for photography.

Myth #4: My software doesn't work with linux.

This myth is probably true. There is a program called WINE, which ~~emulates windows~~ interprets windows calls from windows programs. Many windows programs work under WINE, without any speed sacrifice. (In fact, batching in photoshop is actually faster under WINE, because it doesn't redraw the screen every time. Go figure.) It isn't perfect, though, and can be a source of irritation. (Canon's DPP has a glitch that makes the folder tree look weird. You have to hide and show the tree to fix it).

The thing is, practically every program you currently use as a linux equivalent, and it's usually FREE. Yes, you read that right - free. The linux community has millions of people, and if a vendor doesn't provide a linux version, someone has probably written one. For example:

Photoshop -> GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program)
InDesign -> Scribus
Illustrator -> Inkscape
Premier -> KDENLive
MS Office -> Open Office
Lightroom -> Raw Therapee (or my personal favorite, Bibble)

Yes, I can already hear people screaming: Well, GIMP doesn't handle 16 bit, this doesn't do that, it's DIFFERENT, yadda yadda yadda. I'll get to the 16 bit editing in GIMP in just a second, but honestly, most of the issues are the fact that it is different. It will be. There are some big advantages (as well as the big disadvantage: the learning curve).

Myth #5: GIMP doesn't handle 16 bit, so it's useless for photography work.

You're right - GIMP (in it's current form) doesn't handle anything higher than 8 bit images. Here's the thing: when do you need 16 bits of information? The development stage. When you're converting from RAW, you absolutely need software that can handle all the information stored in that format, otherwise it's pointless to even shoot raw. A good conversion program (such as Bibble or RAW Therapee) will allow you to convert your raw file into a well exposed 8 bit JPG. How many of you actually export to 16 bit TIFFs? While I'm sure there are some, for the most part, it's a waste of space. Printing on photographic paper? 16 bit TIFFs are overkill. You just won't see the difference between a high quality (8 bit) JPG and a 16 bit TIFF print. Pixel peepers aside, the end result is, for all intents and purposes, the same.

So now that you've converted your RAW files into high quality JPGs, GIMP handles them just fine for you final retouching, actions, and finishing.

You say I haven't convinced you that 8 bit is good enough? Fine. Get Cinepaint, the 16 bit version of GIMP (although it's based off an older version of GIMP, and doesn't have quite as many features).

Myth #6: Linux isn't professional enough for photography.

Well, hopefully you feel that we're professional, but in case you want further proof, take a look at Hollywood. Most of your big name studios (Pixar, Dreamworks, Sony, ILM) all use linux rendering farms. http://www.linuxmovies.org/

So there are some of the more common myths. The question remains, why should I bother? It seems like lots of work just to get back to where I currently am now. Well, here are some of the linux advantages:

No viruses.

There are currently no viruses that affect a linux desktop (a la Macs).

Faster (oh so much faster).

With such a small overhead, running linux usually results in a 10-20% increase in speed. Boot times are in the seconds, not minutes. In fact, Ubuntu 9.10 gets to the login screen on Steph's computer in under 30 seconds from totally off. From standby, it's even faster.

Stays faster.

With no registry to corrupt, linux practically stays as fast as the day you installed it.

Lower cost.

Seriously, this is a huge benefit. When was the last time you got free updates on practically ALL your software?

An amazing community of support.

Linux users are extremely helpful, and chances are if you're having a problem, several hundred have had the same problem before you. Google gets you results faster than most support companies can even finish their first pre-recorded welcome message. If you want "commercial quality" support, that's available too from several places. Canonical (the company that sponsors Ubuntu) offers professional level support at an amazingly low cost: http://www.ubuntu.com/support/services Google sponsors the Summer of Code, where they pay students to update, create, and fix bugs in open source software.

More hardware options.

Macs are great, but when was the last time you saw a 32 core mac? I know there's a rumor about a 16 core, but 32? Last year at WPPI I worked with Bibble Labs and got to play with their 16 core AMD. Talk about amazingly fast. It appears they may have some other stuff in the pipeline too:

Macs are limited to their own hardware. While the products they offer are top shelf, they are hardly cutting edge. With linux, you get the best of both worlds: fast, secure OS with cutting edge hardware. You also get all the other perks too (not least of which everyone thinks you must be a genius to be able to run linux! [;)] )

Ok, so that's all I have. I've tried to be as un-biased as possible, and if I've missed anything, I'd love to know. Hopefully this will have opened some minds to the thought of linux as their next operating system. If you have any questions, I'll be more than glad to help in any way I can.

Shan

Joe and Jenny's Wedding

2009-08-14T23:13:00.005-04:00

What a great couple, such awesome personal touches. Check out the fish hook boutonnieres!

Ceremony: Family Farm
Reception: Guy's Party Center

Enjoy!

Natasha and Scott

2009-06-28T23:56:00.003-04:00

What a great couple! I first met them at a previous wedding, and they knew then that they wanted Stephanie and I to shoot their wedding just outside of New York. We were thrilled!

An amazing historical church in Stamford, CT - then a quick sail across the bay to the Stamford Yacht Club for an amazing Irish reception. What fun!

Thanks for everything guys, and congratulations!

Shan & Steph

Samantha & Ben

2009-06-28T23:51:00.003-04:00

Ben is a firefighter, and Samantha has the patience of a saint to deal with 3AM alarms, crazy hours, and the stress that comes with being a firefighter's wife. Their day was perfect, stopping by the fire house for some great pictures with his unit. This group was all about having fun - the expressions tell it all.

Congratulations Samantha and Ben! Thanks for having me as your photographer!

Dave & Megan's Wedding

2009-06-28T23:48:00.004-04:00

Dave and Megan were absolutely a blast to work with. Fun loving, great friends, and an amazing attention to detail - perfect!

Enjoy!

Tudor and Naomi's Engagement

2009-06-03T17:29:00.001-04:00

Congratulations Tudor and Naomi! I'm looking forward to working with you at your wedding!

Guest Blog post on MPix.com

2009-05-27T11:06:00.003-04:00

Hey guys -

The great guys over at MPix.com invited me to share some tips with other photographers, and I was super excited to do so!

Check out the post here.

More to come!

Shan

Stacey & Ernest's Wedding

2009-05-03T15:26:00.002-04:00

What a beautiful wedding at the Akron Civic Theatre. I was totally impressed with the style and organization of LW Special Event Planning from Los Angeles, California. LaTonya was super easy to work with, and kept everything right on track.

Stacey had a very unique way of receiving her bouquet - the women in her life most important to her each delivered a flower, and at the end, her mother hand tied the flowers into a bouquet - very original!

If you've never had the pleasure of visiting the Akron Civic Theatre, I'd suggest you make time! It's a very beautiful location, in the middle of being restored to it's original glory. The ceremony took place in the Grand Foyer, an absolutely amazing room with beautiful carvings, artwork, and lighting. The manager was extremely helpful, basically giving us full access to all the amazing areas of one of the most unique theatres in the country. It is only one of a handful of theatres in the US that have an ambient ceiling - projected clouds, twinkling lights, and a seamless look. You'd swear you were outdoors!

Thanks again to an amazing couple for letting us capture your day. Stacey & Ernest, best wishes for your future!

Shan

Kelly & Tom's Wedding!

2009-04-24T17:35:00.001-04:00

What a perfect day. Hope you like it!

Flashwaves radio triggers - after playing a bit, still impressive!

2009-03-20T21:05:00.002-04:00

Well, I got to play a bit tonight. I was able to trigger them reliably at about 250 feet (line of sight, with the transmitter antenna raised - with it down, it was about 175 feet). That's quite a bit further than the cactus triggers - they stopped at about 100-125 feet. It's definitely not in the pocketwizard range (which they claim 1600 feet) but it's farther than I can see needing. The falloff was pretty much cut and dry. When it triggered, it ALWAYS triggered. When I was too far away, it NEVER triggered. Surprising, actually, but nice that it had such a small grey area.

The build still surprises me. This feels like Canon or Nikon OEM quality - nothing flimsy, nothing protruding in weird places, nothing loose or rattling. Even the antenna on the transmitter, which is movable, feels nice and tight. How it will last over the long haul, only time will tell - but it feels much more solid than Canon's ST-E2 transmitter, which has always felt very toy-like in build to me.

The size of the transmitter is very nice. It's hardly noticable on top of my camera, very light and out of the way. The receiver could actually be a bit larger, IMHO. It's small enough to fit 4 in my inner zipper pocket of my camera bag (where I usually put a filter and some business cards). By going with a larger receiver, they could have used AA batteries (rather than AAAs) or a larger receiver antenna (which might increase the distance?).

I've also attached one of the self-adhesive coldshoe mounts to my alien bee - that's really nice. It also came with a 1/8"->1/8" male adapter, so I could just plug it straight into the alien bee, but I think over time, that might stress the plug too much and cause damage. The cord that was included is super nice - sturdy, coiled, and just the right length. It's nice that they included practically every cord / adapter you'd realistically need. They do offer a camera remote adapter separately ($15 I think?), but other than that, it comes with the PC, 1/8", and 1/4" adapters, plus lots of brackets / screw mounts / shoe mounts you'll need. Again, the built in hot shoe - perfect. With this receiver, I can put a light right on any of my light stands without a single adapter. Of course, there's enough different ports there to attach anything to it!

I'm quite impressed overall. I'll have more of a review after next weekend, but so far, they get an A.

Durability / Feel: A+
Size: A
Distance: B
Reliability: A+
Features: A
Accessories: A+
Price: A

Hope this helps someone!

Shan

Flashwaves radio triggers - initial impressions

2009-03-16T22:47:00.000-04:00

I just received a set of flashwaves wireless slaves today, and I wanted to share my initial impressions.

For comparison, I've used the ebay "Cactus" triggers, Pocket Wizard Transcievers, and now these.

The flashwaves transmitter is very nice and compact - just slightly larger than the ebay transmitters. They have an external antenna which is moveable, and a nice dial for the 10 channels. It has a very sturdy feel, even more so than the PWs (which always seemed to give under the slightest pressure).

The receivers are extremely compact - I was quite surprised. They are about the same size as the flash head on a 580ex (width and height) and only about 1/2" thick. Again, surprisingly sturdy.

A few nice surprises:

The receivers have a 1/4" threaded mount underneath. While this wasn't a surprise, included in the box was a coldshoe->1/4" adapter, so you can put the receiver in any hotshoe/coldshoe mount. It also included two adhesive coldshoe mounts, presumably for mounting on a monolight.

It included a coiled 1/8"->1/8" male plug, which works perfectly in Alien bees monolights. It also included a 1/8"->1/4" adapter, as well as the standard pc port.

From what I've seen, these can trigger three lights at once (one in the built-in hotshoe, one by the pc terminal, one by the 1/8" terminal). Nice touch, especially for multiple battery powered flashes on a monopod.

The transmitter uses a specialty battery, but they come with two - one in the transmitter, and an extra in the box. They aren't so crazy that you can't get them from wal-mart or radio shack, but they aren't AAAs (which the receivers use). Nice that they give you a spare though.

The receivers have an indicator light on the front, which blinks occasionally to let you know that it's on. It's positioned well, so you can easily see it from across a room, without being a huge distraction.

Shipping was extremely quick - only about 4 working days. Not bad for shipping from korea.

Just some intital impressions, I plan on putting them through some serious tests later this week. I just wanted to share, in case anyone is thinking about these.

Shan

John & Jessica's Wedding

2009-02-25T14:03:00.001-05:00

What a beautiful Valentine's day wedding. Congrats guys!

John and Jennifer's Wedding

2009-02-25T11:47:00.001-05:00

Congrats John and Jennifer! What an absolutely beautiful wedding. Thanks for having me!

Getting ready for WPPI

2009-02-12T17:33:00.003-05:00

Well, it's that time of year again, and I couldn't be more excited. This year, I'm going to be sharing with my fellow photographers at the MPix booth. It's a great honor to be speaking for them, and I'm totally excited to take on such a leadership role among my peers!

Check out MPix's blog for more details, and to learn about the other speakers they have lined up. You won't want to miss it!

http://community.mpix.com/blogs/mpix/archive/2009/02/12/wppi-mpix-presenters-unveiled.aspx

Around Tortola

2008-12-22T14:05:00.002-05:00

We rented a car and went around the island. It was quite fun learing to drive on the left side of the road!

Jason and Kirsten also invited us to go on a catamaran trip with them. Of course, we took our underwater camera with us! Yes, that's me underwater with the thumbs up. ;-)

All in all, it was a great time. There's no doubt we'll be friends forever with these guys! (If for no other reason, just because they kick our butts in Euchre! LOL)

Enjoy!

Tortola part 2: The Formals

2008-12-22T14:00:00.002-05:00

There's nothing boring about the formals when you're with a great couple willing to explore such an amazing location! Watch for the series on near the cliffs where the wave actually crashes on Jason and Kirsten! What great sports!

Kirsten and Jason's Wedding: Tortola, BVI

2008-12-22T13:55:00.002-05:00

The trip to Tortola with Jason and Kirsten was absolutely perfect. Oceanfront cabanas, great people, and chickens everywhere! (They eat all the bugs, hilarious!)

Oh, and when you go - make sure you seal EVERYTHING. The ants get everywhere! LOL

Enjoy!

Shan

Yes, I'm crazy!

2008-12-17T09:39:00.000-05:00

One awesome thing about Tortola is the amazing cliffs and rocks on the shoreline. Since it's all volcanic, it is super easy to climb. Wet or dry, the rocks are as grippy as you could ever hope for.

Out on the point near our cabana, was this amazing set of cliffs and coves, complete with caves and rocks in the water. At one point, the waves were crashing 20 feet over these rocks!

At this point, however, the waves were relatively calm. The water between the cliff and the rocks is only 2-3 feet deep - until the waves come in. It's only about 6 to 8 foot from the cliff to the rocks, and I really wanted to get a shot of a wave crashing over this rock - from the rock (yes, UNDER the wave!). So, I decided to give it a shot and cross over.

Let's just say that King Trident decided to have some fun with me. :-)

Enjoy!

Destination: Tortola

2008-12-09T12:58:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was a very long day of travel. We left at 4:30AM in Akron, and arrived at Long Bay Resort in Tortola, BVI at 7:30PM.

Two layovers, a flight on a 10 passenger Cesna, and a 45 minute taxi trip on roads that are hardly wide enough for two cars (much less the van we were in!) but it was an awesome and amazing trip.

We still haven't actually seen Kirsten and Jason in person, but we talked on the phone. They upgraded us to a beachfront cabana, complete with stilts!

This is already turning into an amazing trip, and it's really just day 1!!

Enjoy!

Shan

Mark and Nancy's Wedding

2008-12-04T21:00:00.001-05:00

Mark and Nancy were a great couple to work with. Mark is into photography himself, so he really knew all the technical stuff!

Their ceremony was at St. Louis Church of Louisville and their reception was in a dairy barn - seriously. They spent months converting it to an amazing reception location. There were personal touches everywhere - from the candlesticks that her mother had collected, to the 100+ votives that lined the driveway all the way to the barn. It was so cool to see all their work come together. The amazing part is while their ceremony was here in Ohio, they actually live in Chicago. Quite a feat planning this from out of town!

Congratulations Mark and Nancy!

Jeanette and Joey

2008-12-04T17:44:00.000-05:00

What a great couple. These guys were really in love, and were an absolute blast.

Enjoy!

Brad and Melissa!

2008-12-04T13:51:00.000-05:00

Ok, so this was a bit overdue, but these guys were an absolute blast.

Check out this slideshow!

No Mac, No Cheese - The happy dance.

2008-11-27T21:40:00.000-05:00

When you're happy and you know it, do the happy dance.

Feel free to laugh. Steph does!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Shan

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T18:57:00.000-05:00

And I just had to share.

I got an email from someone very, very well known in the photography community yesterday saying they loved my work. They're working on a project and wanted some stuff, yadda, yadda, yadda. The short list of people they emailed included Dennis Reggie, Joe Bussnik, Hanson Fong, among others. Just to be on the same list with these people (about 12 in all!) made me literally put down my laptop and do a little happy dance. (Right in the middle of the library - no kidding!) These guys are some of the best of the best in the photography industry, great human beings, and just to be included in the same category as these people is absolutely amazing - especially when it comes from someone who is well respected in the photographic community. (I'm not trying to be secretive, but I want to let this project pan out on their side before releasing any more information. To say the least, I'm honored!)

Today, I got an email from my potential bride in NY, and I'm going to be doing their wedding at the Stamford Yacht Club in Stamford, CT. (Freaking sweet location, they're sailing into the reception on a 32 foot sailboat). Great couple, they met me at another wedding, and we've been communicating for a few months, and I'm really looking forward to working with them.
(doing another happy dance!)

To top it all off, her sister is getting married at Ashford Castle in Galaway, Ireland. (Pierce Bronson got married there - http://www.ashford.ie/index.php ) It's not for certain, but there's a good chance I'll be shooting that wedding too. (It's all very early, so it's not complete, but it's such an opportunity that I had to share it.)

(doin' the super freaking happy dance!!!!!!!)

I have tons to be thankful for today, and I'm just so excited I had to share.

WOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

I don't even know what to say I'm so excited. Seriously.

I hope everyone is having as good of a day as I am!!!!!!

Shan

Megan & Jeremy's Engagement Session

2008-11-12T15:14:00.000-05:00

Megan and Jeremy were quite a bit of fun. Jeremy was a bit camera-shy at first, but he really seemed to open up with my style of shooting.

I'd set them up in a situation, let them be themselves, and captured some great expressions and moments. At one point they fell off a rock they were sitting on!

They were great sports about everything, and even had fun with Chris of Graham River Productions who shot with me during the shoot.

Thanks guys!

Congratulations Bryn!

2008-11-07T09:56:00.003-05:00

Congratulations to Bryn on her Bat Mitzvah.

Mazal Tov!

Congratulations Abigail & Taylor!

2008-11-06T22:52:00.003-05:00

Abigail and Taylor were a blast to work with. She lives in San Diego, so most of our communication was through email and telephone. Not a problem though, and the day was absolutely perfect!

They got married at Wadsworth United Methodist church, and after that we went to beautiful Lake Anna for some outdoor formals. What a perfect day!

Finally, we headed over to the Galaxy for their reception and had a great time. If you've never been there, they really are a unique location. They had the coolest oreo wedding cake I've ever seen!

Thanks guys!

Shan

No Mac, No Cheese - Episode 51: External Flash Battery Pack

2008-11-06T20:54:00.000-05:00

With photography, speed is important - especially if you're counting on your flash. I use the Canon CP-E3 battery packs to help my recycle time. They are relatively inexpensive, use standard AA batteries, and if they run out of power, I can just pull the plug and use the internal batteries on the flash.

I use "Tenergy" brand rechargable AA batteries for my flashes. They are rated for 2600MaH (higher #s are better) and I get them through a vendor on ebay. I usually keep 24-36 batteries charged at all times (enough for 2 flashes, 2 battery packs, and some to spare).

Enjoy!

Shan

Go vote - unless you're an idiot.

2008-11-04T21:11:00.000-05:00

Go Democrats.
Go Republicans.
Go whoever.

But if you're this stupid, do the world a favor and keep your vote to yourself.

http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/news/strange/offbeat_cnn_woman_flips_coin_to_decide_vote_200811041529

Voting is a responsibility, and you should take it seriously. I voted today, and based my decision on my beliefs and intelligence. If you're letting a coin decide who you believe in, it's pretty sad.

Hope your vote was based on more than this.

Shan

Jared & Tara

2008-10-01T15:45:00.000-04:00

Jared and Tara were such a great couple! Open for just about anything, they really had lots of fun on their wedding day. There ceremony was at Green Valley United Methodist Church, and after that, we headed over to beautiful Chenoweth Country Club for the reception.

Congratulations guys!

Heather & Jack

2008-10-01T13:51:00.000-04:00

Heather and Jack were quite a beautiful couple. You could see the compassion and love for each other in their quiet moments together.

Hope you enjoy the show!

Katie & Ed

2008-10-01T11:33:00.001-04:00

Katie is quite the animal lover. She hand-raised the butterflies herself!

Their wedding was at Lake Forest Country Club in Hudson, OH, and their reception was at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Aurora, OH. Their wedding had so many little touches that spoke of their personality it was amazing.

One thing they did that was quite unique was they auctioned off the first piece of cake (her family have a large auction company here in Northeast Ohio). It was amazing to see the bids go over $900! I thought that was a really great way to incorporate the family traditions, and a new twist on the "dollar dance" (or honeymoon dance).

Enjoy!

Shan

Playing catch-up...

2008-10-01T10:39:00.004-04:00

Ok, so I owe you guys an apology. I've been so busy with my tutorials, weddings, and everything else crazy, that I've forgotten to post some of my recent work!

Today I'll be playing a bit of catch-up, and sharing some of my slideshows from this year.

First, we have Stacy and Al. You may have seen some of the teaser images a few months ago, but I wanted to share their slideshow.

Their wedding was at New Trinity Mission Baptist Church in Akron, and their reception was at Guys Party Center (great place!). They were the cutest couple, and so much fun. Watch for the excitement during the kiss - the guests were cheering!

Hope you like it!

Shan

John & Jessica's Engagement Session

2008-09-24T03:19:00.000-04:00

I was in Chicago about a week ago, and I worked with John and Jessica.

My engagement sessions are very fun. I'll generally put my couples in a situation, and just capture their natural reactions. I direct a bit, but not much!

Here's some highlights from their session. As you can tell, they had quite a bit of fun!

Enjoy!

Shan

Linda and Tim - Stop Motion Video Project

2008-09-23T00:52:00.000-04:00

This is a little project I tried a few weeks ago. It's stop-motion video produced completely with linux.

To create this, I used a canon 20D with a 50mm f1.8 lens. I set the camera in drive mode, and took sequences of images. To keep the buffer up, I shot in small JPG. To keep the exposures consistent image to image, I shot in manual mode (manual WB as well).

I resized the images to 640x480, added a slight vignette, and desaturated the images to give an old-movie feel. (The batch took 7+ hours)

I then compiled the 12,000 images into a movie with StopMotion. The resulting video was edited using Cinelerra. I added the "aging TV" effect to further enhance the vintage feel, and trimmed the 28 minute video to fit the music.

Hope you like it!

Bibble 5.0 announced Sept 23 - LR Killer

2008-09-15T03:41:00.000-04:00

For all you lightroom lovers, Bibble is releasing v5. It has a more friendly interface than the older versions (4.10 and older) but still with the things lightroom lacks, such as PerfectlyClear processing and Noise Ninja noise removal. Plus, you're not stuck waiting for images to import, REASONABLE Digital Asset Management (you're not locked into their system, you can choose to use it or not), and a company that actually talks to their users in their forums. (Anyone ever had adobe respond to a question on a forum? LOL)

Oh, and it's up to 88x faster with conversions.

Did I mention it's only $150? (Buy the current version now, and they'll upgrade you for free).

Oh yeah, works on PC, Mac, and Linux.

Life just keeps getting better for linux users.

Check it out:

http://www.bibblelabs.com/press/pr20080915.html

Shan

Destined Evolution (New Canon Teaser)

2008-09-06T01:27:00.000-04:00

Ok, I have to admit- Canon is absolute MASTERS of buzz marketing.

Their 5D has been due for a replacement for quite a while now, and many of the forum junkies are absolutely screaming for a new camera to be released to compete with the latest impressive offerings from Nikon.

Well, it's coming.

Soon.

If anyone doubted that Canon knows what happens on the forums, and just how much chatter goes on, take a look at this enigmatic teaser:

http://www.canon.com/moon/en/index.html

What does it mean?

Only the marketing guys at Canon know. But it's mysterious enough to have half of dpreview.com forum readers going absolutely nuts. People have even decompiled the flash teaser to see if a full image is in there - nope, just the outline (nice touch Canon!)

Anyway, I just wanted to share the little spark. This year is going to be amazing for Canon pixel junkies and tech-heads like me.

I'm already drooling over the new 50D. I can't wait to see what's next.

Shan

Hacked!

2008-08-15T02:10:00.000-04:00

Well, if you've visited our website in the last few days, you probably noticed that we were recently hacked. We're still working on restoring everything, so please bear with us.

It looks like there was a security issue on the server. IX has been great about it though - they actually replaced the actual server, patched the hole, and restored our site. They're working on restoring a previous backup, so we have everything back to the way it was though.

This brings me to my point - if you have a website, it's probably a good idea to keep regular local backups as well. What I mean is by using FTP, actually downloading your site to your local computer. I had most of it locally, but there were a few things that I had to rely on IX for. This means I have to wait for them to load my backup, along with any other customers they have that were affected. If I had everything on my local computer, I could have had it restored a few days earlier.

I'm back though, and I have quite a few weddings to share with you, but I thought I'd give you guys an update!

Shan

No Mac, No Cheese - Episode 48: Using a tripod

2008-07-09T15:19:00.000-04:00

A tripod has benefits that go beyond stable images. Check it out!

Shan

No Mac, No Cheese - Episode 47: Quick Backgrounds

2008-07-08T21:51:00.000-04:00

Sometimes you need a quick and easy background, but you're in a less than desirable location.

Check out how easy it is to find a clean background in these areas!

Enjoy!

Shan

I'm not quite dead yet!

2008-07-08T00:30:00.000-04:00

Ok, so I've missed a few days of the tutorials - sorry about that!

It's been an extremely busy weekend, and I really want to do these justice. I've been rushing them lately and the video quality has suffered.

And in case your wondering, Graham River Video hasn't been doing them lately - they just had a healthy baby boy! Congratulations Deb & Chris! (I'll share a few pics as soon as I get over there!)

So thanks for your patience, and if you have any topics you'd like to see, post 'em up as a comment!

See you guys tomorrow!

Shan

Happy 4th of July!

2008-07-05T00:03:00.000-04:00

I was going to make a video today.

Really.

But this morning, I had a Hindu ceremony. Beautiful.

Then, this afternoon we had my son's 5th birthday party (yesterday was his birthday). I wanted to make sure I actually spent time with him! He got a few super-soakers, so we had a nice little watergun fight! I'm not sure who won, but Steph definitely lost! We kept shooting her instead! LOL

Then tonight, we took the boys downtown to see the fireworks.

So, instead, I'm going to wish you guys a happy 4th of July, and hope your day was as good as mine!

Shan

No Mac, No Cheese - Episode 46: Optimal Sharpness

2008-07-04T03:28:00.000-04:00

Ever wonder why your images aren't quite as sharp as you'd like?

Most lenses perform their best when stopped down 1-2 stops.

f1.8 lens: best at 2.8-4.0
f2.8 lens: best at 4.0-5.6
f5.6 lens: best at 8.0-11.0

You'll increase your depth of field, and improve the overall sharpness of your images!

Enjoy!

Shan

Nicole and Sanjay's Mehendi Ceremony (Henna)

2008-07-04T01:48:00.000-04:00

Today I got to work with Callie covering Nicole's mehendi ceremony. I got to meet an incredible Henna artist, Maya Anjum.

She has a website dedicated to her henna art (http://www.auspiciousart.com) and another for her services as a makeup artist (http://www.mayamua.com/). She was even kind enough to give me a tatoo with my quasi-famous "Nerd Husband" icon!

Unfortunately, I bumped it as I was leaving, so I wiped the paste off before it really set, but it still shows up pretty well!

Every design she did was done by hand, and super fast. It was amazing to watch such an artist at work.

Anyway, I just wanted to share some images from today. Nicole and Sanjay are amazingly gracious hosts, and made us feel right at home!
Tomorrow is their Hindu ceremony (which I will be assisting Callie with) and Saturday is their Catholic ceremony.

Congrats Nicole and Sanjay!

Shan

No Mac, No Cheese - Episode 45: White Balance Lens Caps

2008-07-03T00:56:00.000-04:00

This is a great little tool that serves a dual purpose! Plus, you can't beat the price! Check it out!

Enjoy!

Shan

No Mac, No Cheese - Episode 44: Fluorescent Light Color Shifts

2008-07-02T02:10:00.000-04:00

If you've ever shot in a room with fluorescent lights (who hasn't?) you may have had some images show up with a strange green band across them.

Here's why this happens, and how to prevent it.

Again, no intro - sorry!

Enjoy!

Shan

No Mac, No Cheese - Episode 43: Canon 40D AF point selection methods

2008-07-01T00:26:00.000-04:00

When you're shooting with a shallow depth of field, being able to choose your auto focus point is critical.

The Canon 40D offers several ways to select the appropriate point. Remember, the center AF point is the most sensitive, but not always the best choice!

Sorry no intro, I'm away from my video drive, so this is just the raw footage. :-)

Enjoy!

Shan

No Mac, No Cheese - Episode 42: Lighting Photography

2008-06-27T00:54:00.000-04:00

If you've never shot lightning images before, it's time to give it a try!

First and foremost, BE SAFE! Make sure you're not directly under the storm.

My example in the video is for a daytime storm. At night, I would use a slightly different setup:

ISO 100, f16, bulb mode.

Make sure you don't have any extra light in your image, or as little as possible (up your f-stop if needed). Press and hold the shutter release, and your shutter will open. You can keep it open for 30-45 seconds, or until a good strike hits in your camera's field of view. Release the shutter, and there you go.

Adjust to your liking!

BE SAFE!

Enjoy!

Shan

No Mac, No Cheese - Episode 41: Mirror Lock Up

2008-06-25T23:56:00.001-04:00

This useful (but really poorly documented) function really helps remove another potential cause of camera shake when using a tripod.

Practically a requirement for good macro photography, here's how to use it with the Canon 40D!

Enjoy!

Shan

No Mac, No Cheese - Episode 40: Macro Photography and Extension Tubes

2008-06-25T01:46:00.000-04:00

If you're looking to get into macro (close up) photography, but you're not ready to plop down $400 or more for a dedicated macro lens, give extension tubes a shot!

I have a Kenko tube set (3 sizes, which can be stacked, as shown in my video) and they are great. Now realize that your depth of field drops dramatically as you get closer to your subject, so a tripod is really needed, unless you're in extremely bright light!

Enjoy!

Shan

Morgan & Eric

2008-06-24T23:54:00.000-04:00

Last week I got to work with three great people: Morgan & Eric, and a good friend of mine, Marti Stutzman. Marti was my second shooter at my wedding on Saturday, and she always inspires me to think creatively!

For some fun formals, Marti actually took a wingback chair outside, and put the bride in it! How fun!

Morgan & Eric also had a fun tradition of their own. Eric's family has owned this 32 Ford for quite a while, and apparently many in his family has used this for their getaway. Of course, they were all about that!

(Someone told me they haven't purchased tires for it since 1973 - I guess it doesn't get out much! LOL)

Anyway, I just wanted to share some of my latest wedding. Congratulations Morgan & Eric!

I'm honored, humbled, and stunned!

2008-06-24T00:15:00.000-04:00

First of all, I want to say thank you to everyone who subscribes to my tutorials. I really enjoy sharing with you, and I love the feedback I get from you.

Today I was searching on Google Reader to update my home page feeds (I like to keep track of what all is going on out there!) and Steph asked me to see how many people were subscribed (through Google Reader) to our blogs.

I shrugged, and typed in "No Mac, No Cheese" in the Discovery box.

My jaw practically hit the floor.

18,599 subscribers!

I just don't even know how to express my appreciation. Thank you very much for watching, it means the world to me.

I wanted to see how I compared (at least through Google Reader!) with another photographer who I greatly respect and admire, [b]ecker. If you've never been, he has a first rate tutorials blog as well. I can't say that I didn't borrow ideas from his site, and I do this in a tribute to his openness and willingness to share his knowledge, passion, and talent with other photographers. I totally respect any photographer willing to help others (which is why I do it myself!) and [b]ecker is the original video blog teacher.

If you're not familiar with his blog, you can see it here (it's totally worth the visit!):
http://www.thebschoolblog.com/

Now, I know this isn't really comparing traffic (I'm not in the same country as his, I'm sure!) but for a reference, I looked up how many google subscribers he had.

Imagine my surprise to see that at least in this isolated comparison, my numbers were higher.

So to my subscribers, thank you from the bottom of my heart. It means the world to me that I can be in the same league as those who I look up to and respect, and it's all because of you guys.

Now I just have to make myself look as good as [b], but that may take a little more time! LOL

Thanks again everyone, I'll keep doing these videos, you keep sending me blog love and ideas!

Yours sincerely,
Shan

No Mac, No Cheese - Epsiode 39: Single light shading

2008-06-23T22:46:00.000-04:00

Using a single, hard light source really helps you focus in on where your shadows will fall. Check out this quick demo.

Shan

Sorry, no class today

2008-06-21T01:45:00.000-04:00

Hey guys!

Steph was sick today, so I didn't get a chance to record a tutorial today.

BUT -

I promise, I'll post some images from my wedding tomorrow! I'm working with Marti from the mpix boards, and there's some great stuff in store!

See you tomorrow!

Shan

No Mac, No Cheese - Episode 38: Vertical Grip Problems

2008-06-20T00:46:00.000-04:00

The vertical grip is great, but there are a few issues that may not be obviously related to it's use. Check it out to see what to watch for.

Enjoy!

Shan

No Mac, No Cheese - Episode 37: Quick Grunge Effect

2008-06-19T00:58:00.000-04:00

This is a quick and easy way to create a "grunge" effect on your image (like I used in my WPPI entry from the last episode).

Enjoy!

Shan

No Mac, No Cheese - Episode 36: Print Competition

2008-06-18T03:50:00.000-04:00

I'm sitting here finishing up my WPPI print competition stuff, so I thought I'd share some things I've learned!

Enjoy!

Shan

No Mac, No Cheese - Episode 35: Backups!

2008-06-17T00:12:00.001-04:00

If you haven't experienced it YET, you will.

Hard drives fail.

Make sure your important stuff is backed up. We have at least 3 copies at all times.

Enjoy!

Shan

PS: YouTube was down when I was trying to upload this video, so I went with blogger's video. What do you think? Better than before? Worse? About the same? Let me know!

No Mac, No Cheese - Episode 34: Tv mode for intentional blur

2008-06-13T01:36:00.001-04:00

How to use a slow shutter to intentionally blur. In this case, I make the water on a waterfall nice and silky smooth!

Special thanks to Sandi for helping me video tape this episode!
(Sorry for all the noise, that waterfall was quite loud!)

Shan

EDIT: Ok, with all the noise, here's what I'm saying:

Transcript:

Hey guys - Shan here.
Today on no mac, no cheese, I'll show you how to get beautiful silky smooth water.

(intro)

your at this waterfall, got your lens on,
have it in the automatic "P" mode.
When you take your picture, the camera's going to choose a fast shutter speed and freeze that water like this

(image)

nice picture, doesn't really show all the motion

instead, turn your camera on time priority (TV) on nikon use S (shutter priority) and turn your shutter as slow as it will go.

You'll know when it's the slowest you can get when your aperture blinks.
(I'm adjusting the camera)
1/6 of a second.
With this slow of a shutter, you definintely need a tripod, so get your tripod, lock it on real tight, and take your picture.

Now you have beautiful silky smooth water, and pictures to die for.

Anyway, that's my tip for today, see you next time!

No Mac, No Cheese - Episode 33: Back Button Focusing with a Vertical Grip (40D)

2008-06-12T00:40:00.000-04:00

If you're a 40D owner, have the vertical grip, and are a back button focusing fan, you've undoubtedly run into this problem.

Fortunately, there's an easy solution!

Enjoy!

Shan

No Mac, No Cheese - Episode 32: Grain or Blur?

2008-06-10T23:09:00.000-04:00

Which is worse - grain or blur?

Bump up that ISO to make sure you're getting a fast enough shutter speed for the lens. Remember - it should be at least 1/focal length, or at least close!

Enjoy!

Shan

No Mac, No Cheese - Episode 31: Business Tip (Framing)

2008-06-09T21:48:00.000-04:00

Do yourself and your customers a favor by offering framed prints.

Here's a few companies I regularly use:

www.AmericanFrame.com
(They have a priceless sample site at www.framesamples.com)
www.AlbumsInc.com
www.mpix.com (they offer pre-framed prints, ready to hang!)

Enjoy!

Shan

No Mac, No Cheese - Episode 30: Av Mode for brighter backgrounds

2008-06-07T00:49:00.000-04:00

Tired of getting dark backgrounds and that "flashed" look?

Av mode + High ISO to the rescue! Brighten up your backgrounds by dragging the shutter.

Here's how:

Enjoy!

Shan

No Mac, No Cheese - Episode 29: Setting a custom white balance

2008-06-06T01:00:00.000-04:00

When you're in mixed light (tungsten / daylight / fluorescent / etc) getting colors to actually look like what they really are is a pain.

Setting a custom white balance is easy, and gets great results.

Check it out!

Shan

No Mac, No Cheese - Episode 28: Soft light

2008-06-05T00:04:00.000-04:00

Soft light is much more forgiving (which is why it's used 99% of the time!).

Check out some tips to work that light!

Enjoy!

Shan

No Mac, No Cheese - Episode 27: Hard Light

2008-06-03T23:54:00.000-04:00

Hard light is beautiful, dramatic - and VERY unforgiving. It's a great teacher, however.

Check out some of these little tips:

Shan

No Mac, No Cheese - Episode 26: My Favorite Forum

2008-06-02T23:12:00.000-04:00

Photography forums are a great source of inspiration, friendship, and learning. One of my favorites is MPix.com forums - http://community.mpix.com.

I'm "The Nerd Husband" over there (hence the nickname!) so if you get a chance, stop over and say hi!

Enjoy!

Shan

The perfect day to go sailing.....or not.

2008-06-01T00:40:00.000-04:00

Today started out so good. Got the boys up early, got hair cuts, went to get our church directory picture, actually got a smile out of both of them! (Amazing feat when you have a 2 year old and a 4 year old!) Beautiful day, no wedding, and a strong wind. We haven't been out on the boat for almost a year, so I figured, let's go enjoy ourselves!

Of course, that's when it all goes horribly wrong. (I should have seen this coming!)

Christian (my 2 year old) decides that now would be a good time to start screaming for the next 45 minutes straight. He wanted nothing - no binkie, no bottle, no food, didn't want to be held, didn't want to be put down - he was pissed and nothing was going to change it. We figured he was just tired (he was) so we went back to the house to let him get a nap.

No problem, I'll just get everything ready for the boat this afternoon.

Battery charged - check.
Motor & Mount - a little dusty and some cobwebs, but still working - check.
Lifejackets - Ian, where is the other kids lifejacket? (I dunno.....). Ok, a trip to wal-mart. No problem.
Boom (for the sail) - hmmm...doesn't fit in the van. No problem, hang it out the window - check.
Anchor - check.
Main Sheet - check.
Sails - man, I really need to clean these - oh well. check.
Keys to the truck (in storage with the boat)...........
Me: Steph, where are the truck keys?
Steph: I'll get them.

Sweet. Check.
Keys to the trailer locks.

um......

Me: Steph?

45 minutes later, check.

drain plug.....must be with the boat.
Oh good, Christian's up. We can just all go.

Me: Everybody in the van!

Hmm...they changed the access hours at the storage unit. No problem, we just have to be back by 9. (It's about 6:30 at this point). Steph and Christian, you go get a new lifejacket for Christian, Ian and I will uncover the boat and hook it to the truck......

Why won't the truck unlock?

Crap. Dead remote batteries.
(unlock door)
Nope. Dead truck battery.
<sigh>
No problem, we have jumper cables.

Me: Steph, pull the van up.
Christian: (Binkie in his mouth) suck suck suck.

(hook up the jumper cables, truck factory alarm goes nuts).
HONK-HONK-HONK-<start>-<die>-HONK-HONK-HONK-<start>-<die>-HONK-HONK-HONK

Crap. The remote batteries ARE dead. I can't turn off the alarm.

HONK
HONK
HONK

Me: STEPH, GRAB THE OWNERS MANUAL TO SEE IF WE CAN FIGURE OUT HOW TO TURN OFF THE ALARM!
Christian: (Binkie in his mouth) suck suck suck.

HONK
HONK
HONK

Steph: WHERE'S THE MANUAL? SHOULD BE IN THE GLOVE BOX! IT'S NOT THERE!
Christian: (Binkie in his mouth) suck suck suck.

HONK
HONK
HONK

(disconnect the jumper cables)

HONeeeeeewwwwww.....click....click...cli.....

Wow, the battery died really quick. Not a good sign.

Me: Is the manual in the center console? How about under the back seats?
Christian: (Binkie in his mouth) suck suck suck.

Where is that thing?

Oh well, let's just try again.

(hook up the jumper cables)

HONK
HONK
HONK

Ian: DADDY, THE TRUCK IS HURTING MY EARS!
Christian: (Binkie in his mouth) suck suck suck.

HONK
HONK
HONK

Me: GO GET IN THE VAN IAN!
Christian: (Binkie in his mouth) suck suck suck.

HONK
HONK
HONK

Ian: I GOTTA GO POTTIE!

HONK
HONK
HONK

(of course, the storage unit has no bathroom.....)
Me: GO OVER IN THE BUSHES THERE BUD!

HONK
HONK
HONK

Me: NO! DON'T CLIMB THE BUSHES! PULL YOUR PANTS UP, JUST GO ON THE BUSHES!

HONK
HONK
HONK

..........

Oh, using the key in the drivers door turns it off. Good.

<Truck finally starts>

Me: Ok Steph, go get the new lifejacket, we'll finish up here.
Christian: (Binkie in his mouth) suck suck suck.

Me: Ian, Did you see the drain plug?

Ian: This one?

Me: Nope...that's the wrong size......

<20 minutes of searching>

Me: <on cell phone> Steph, I need a new drain plug. 5/8 or so.
Steph: They only have 1".
Me: Ok, that's too big. Just get a 5/8 dowel. We don't have much time anyway.

<10 minutes later>
Ah, here in the overhead compartment.

<on cell phone again>

Me: Nevermind Steph, we found it.

Me: Ok Ian, stand way over here, and let me know when this hitch is near the front of the trailer, ok?

Ian: OK Daddy!

<pull the truck forward, put it in reverse>

<sputter sputter die>

grrrr...should have come over and started the truck this winter.

<turn the key> click...click...click....

<sigh>

<on cell phone>

Me: Steph, where are you? The truck died again.

Ian: Daddy, I'm going to throw up.

Me: Huh? What's wrong?

Ian: I drank too much propel.

Me: Well, go over there bud and just sit down, ok?

<Steph pulls up>

20 minutes later.....

Truck finally starts. We really need to get a new battery so it doesn't die on the launch ramp.

Steph: It's 8:00 already......

Me: Ok, we'll go to Wal-Mart. I'll kill it, and if it doesn't start back up, I'll get a new battery.

Ian: I'm still going to throw up.

Me: What's the problem bud? You've been saying that for half an hour.

Ian: I drank too much propel.

Steph: Here, I'll give you a bag. If you get sick, you can use this, ok?

Ian: Ok.

In the truck, 5 minutes later.....

Ian: Zzzzzzzzzz........

<at wal-mart, turn it off, try to start it....click-click-click>

Me: Ok, I'll get a new battery.

30 minutes later....

<truck starts right up>

Steph: We have 1/2 an hour to get back in the storage unit.

Me: Ian, we're going to have to go boating next week.

Ian: <yawn>But.....but I wanted to go today! <sniff><whine>

Me: I know bud, so did I.....

Ian: Can we go to Chuck-E-Cheese instead?

<I'm covered in grease and battery acid>

Me: um...no bud, not tonight. We'll take the boat out on Monday, ok?

Ian: <whine>Ok.....

5 minutes later:

Ian: ZZZzzzzzzzz.....

Ah, the joy of boat ownership!

At least we're ready for Monday. Hopefully we'll actually get to SEE the lake at least! LOL

Hope your day was more productive!

Shan

No Mac, No Cheese - Episode 25: Using a vivtar as a kick light on overcast days

2008-05-30T19:08:00.000-04:00

Add a little direction and kick to your overcast outdoor images. Here's how:

Enjoy!

Shan

No Mac, No Cheese - Episode 24: Foofing

2008-05-30T02:13:00.001-04:00

You may have heard this term before (or not), but foofing is just another way of bouncing your flash to get a more natural look.

In this episode, I have examples of straight flash, bounced flash (ceiling), and "foofing" (bounced off a wall).

Enjoy!

Shan

Extra cheese - personal service

2008-05-30T02:01:00.001-04:00

Hey guys!

Thanks for all the emails and comments! I'm glad you guys are enjoying this series.

Some of you have been asking about more detailed information, so here's how to get all that ewwey-gooey-cheesy-goodness for yourself....

Click on any of these links for more information:

Personal 1-on-1 classes: Starting at $40 / hour

Shoot with Shan: Starting at $500 / weekend

Cheese to go - Shan will come work with you at your wedding / event. Prices vary

There is limited availability for these private sessions. Get 'em while they're hot!

Shan

No Mac, No Cheese - Episode 23: Repairing the Vivitar Flash foot

2008-05-29T02:04:00.000-04:00

If you have a vivitar flash, the question isn't IF, it's WHEN will the foot break.

Fortunately, high quality replacement feet can be had for less than $10 with shipping on ebay. Watch as I repair a 285HV with simple tools!

Enjoy!

Shan

Stacy and Al's Wedding!

2008-05-29T01:11:00.000-04:00

I had a BUSY weekend over the holiday, but I got to work with some great people!

Friday, I worked with Stacy and Al. What a fun couple! Stacy has a more animated face than a cartoon character - I never got the same smile twice! She's such a cutie!

Al is the quiet type, but is quite fun once you get him around his friends and family.

Thanks for having me capture your special day guys!

Here's a few teaser images:

More to come!

Shan

No Mac, No Cheese - Episode 22: High Speed Sync

2008-05-27T19:44:00.000-04:00

How to use High Speed Flash Sync to get those super low apertures in bright light.

Enjoy!

Shan

No Mac, No Cheese - Episode 21: Using fill flash to get blue skies

2008-05-22T23:48:00.000-04:00

How to use a flash to control contrast and capture outdoor scenes as you see them.

Enjoy!

Shan

No Mac, No Cheese - Episode 20: The Canon 40D Menus (part 3 of 3)

2008-05-22T00:39:00.000-04:00

This one is a bit choppy. I had to cut it down to fit in the 10 minute time limit on YouTube!

Enjoy!

Shan

No Mac, No Cheese - Episode 19: The Canon 40D Menu settings part 2

2008-05-20T20:04:00.000-04:00

The different menu settings for the Canon 40D. Part 2 of 3.

Enjoy!

No Mac, No Cheese - Episode 18: Canon 40D Menu

2008-05-19T23:22:00.000-04:00

Part 1 of 3.

Enjoy!

No Mac, No Cheese - Episode 17: Flash Diffuser Special

2008-05-18T11:58:00.001-04:00

A slight "oops" slipped through the censors on this one - so it's PG-13.

A bit of a spoof on all those new "lighting gadgets" out there!

No Mac, No Cheese - Episode 16: Gelling your flash

2008-05-16T20:35:00.000-04:00

By gelling your flash to match the color of the ambient light, you'll get much more natural looking images.

I used 2 gels in this scenario so I could fine tune the color. They were straw colored, rather than a full CTO (Color Temperature Orange).

Enjoy!

Shan

Thanks to Allie (Chris' daughter) for her great job!

No Mac, No Cheese - Episode 15: Aspect Ratio and Cropping

2008-05-15T23:40:00.000-04:00

What to watch for when shooting images that will likely be cropped.

No Mac, No Cheese - Episode 14: Create an action in Photoshop

2008-05-15T00:35:00.000-04:00

It's really easy and VERY useful!

No Mac, No Cheese - Episode 13: Picasa

2008-05-13T23:41:00.000-04:00

A quick overview of Google's great Picasa program.

Available free from Google for Windows and Linux. (Sorry mac guys!)

http://picasa.google.com

Recovering...slowly.....

2008-05-12T23:17:00.000-04:00

For all of you who have been following my tutorials, I want to say sorry for the delay.

My son brought home one whopper of the flu last week, and I have spent the entire weekend with practically no voice! So rather than try to whisper into a microphone hoping you can hear me, I'll post up some new videos in a few days.

But in the meantime, I wanted to share a few great photography forums I visit regularly. Forums are a great way to share and learn, plus make some great friends! I go to be inspired, to learn new techniques, and to share some of what I know. Plus, they're usually full of goofy people just like me!

Here's some of my favorites:

http://community.mpix.com
Probably my favorite place. Great people, an absolutely awesome company.

http://www.opensourcephoto.net/forum
Amazing group of photographers here. Founded by David Jay, you'll be hard pressed to find a more professional, talented group of photographers.

http://www.c2kneighborhood.com/c2ktalk/index.php
A new forum from Candid 2000. This is another great lab, good customer service, and a growing forum community.

Those are the top 3 I visit regularly. Go, read, and post! You'll make some great friends along the way.

Over on the MPix board, we're even planning a cruise! It's great meeting everyone, and what better to do in January then spend time on a ship in the Bahamas!

Like Steph says, "I love my computer - my friends live in it!"

See you next time!

Shan

No Mac, No Cheese - Episode 12: Faststone Image Viewer

2008-05-08T23:53:00.000-04:00

Another software tip today.

www.faststone.org

Free for personal use, commercial use requires registration. It's extremely affordable and extremely useful!

No Mac, No Cheese - Episode 11: Automatic Modes on the Vivitar 285HV

2008-05-08T00:17:00.000-04:00

How to use the Vivitar 285HV in the automatic modes.

No Mac, No Cheese - Episode 10: Vivitar 285 and Battery Packs

2008-05-06T23:44:00.000-04:00

Links:
www.aljacobs.com - Great battery packs if you don't want to DIY

Battery Mart 6v charger: $15.95

Disclaimer: Use common sense! If you're not comfortable doing it, order one! Al Jacobs stuff is top quality, and he really stands behind his products.

More about the vivitars later!

Shan

No Mac, No Cheese - Episode 9: Location

2008-05-06T00:47:00.000-04:00

In this episode, my son Ian helps me out. (I'm sick, so my voice is going!)

Take a look at the backgrounds I found (look for the distractions too!) Simple, clean backgrounds help keep the focus on your subject.

Until next time!
Shan

No Mac, No Cheese - Episode 8: Getting ready for a wedding

2008-05-03T00:37:00.000-04:00

This is my quick checklist of most of the things I bring to a wedding.
(I didn't talk about the vivitar flashes, but I'll go into more detail on those later!)

Enjoy!

Shan

No Mac, No Cheese - Episode 7: Back Button Focusing

2008-05-01T23:57:00.000-04:00

How (and why!) to use back button focus.
(Lots of fun outtakes in this one! Thanks Chris! LOL)

Video review of the MPix Midwest Conference

2008-04-30T20:28:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago we had a meetup with some people from the MPix group. We had an absolute blast, and Steph and I taught quite a few classes. We had some great models who were brave enough to get into lake Erie (the water was 43 degrees! BRRR!!!)

Thanks again to Chris Baldwin of Graham River Productions and MPix for their generous donations for the print competion.

Check out the forums if you haven't been there. Lots of great people! http://community.mpix.com If you're not doing anything in January of 2010, come join us on the MPix cruise! Lots of great stops in the Bahamas, beautiful tropical weather, and of course, a few photography lessons along the way! Don't worry though - it's not ALL work....
(Check out the forums for details - http://community.mpix.com/forums/t/68396.aspx

Enjoy!

No Mac, No Cheese - Episode 6: White balance

2008-04-29T18:17:00.000-04:00