Shooting the Moon

March 20th, 2011
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A couple of days ago I had the opportunity to shoot a lunar ecplise.

Lunar Eclipse

There are a couple of things you should keep in mind when shooting celestial bodies.

Believe it or not, they move! Your naked eye may not be able to tell, but your camera will. You need to take your shots faster than 1/50 of a second…. Yes, you read that right…faster than 1/50th. Objects in the night sky are moving fast enough that you won’t be able to get a clean shot, otherwise. You should not see stars that look like streaks in your images. If you do, your image is blurred.

Another thing to keep in mind is that you’ll need a REALLY big lens. This image was created with a 400mm at an L4 setting. And that is still considered be smaller than what should be used. Optimal lens size would be in the thousand range 1000mm or better.

The above shot is still not close enough to meet my personal standards for clear imagery.

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The most wonderful time of the year!

March 2nd, 2011
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It’s that time of the year ( in the US ) where all good companies and the regular folks fill out and send in some government forms.

Basically, it’s true up time for the US folks. If you haven’t paid enough taxes to the government you’ll need to belly up to the bar and pay up.

If you’re like me and make sure your bases are covered, you will most likely get a nice little check back in a couple of days.

So what is the point…..

I am a professional photographer! Not an accountant or a lawyer. I PAY other people to do that job for me because they are PROFESSIONALS in their field.

My guys/gals know I don’t ever want to run afoul of anyone so this is why I have these people. And you should too! If you’re serious about your business, then this is just what you have to do.

Treat it like one!

The rules and regulations for  these are too numerous for me to keep up with so I pay someone else to do it for  me. And it works for me.

There is an old saying about this. “Pay me now a little, or pay me later ALOT”.
Don’t be that “pay later” type!

Popularity: 24%

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Why I stick with Apple products

January 27th, 2011
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If you haven’t picked up on it yet, then I will have to admit something:

Ipad, MacBook Pro, Iphone

Ipad, MacBook Pro, Iphone

I am addicted to machines, computers and gadgets that work well together! In my life, I have no more time for fixing, repairing, or working around glitches for the devices I’m using. And when I talk about using a device, I will literally use it farther than the fullest extent the device was designed for. I am really big on things working well together because it gets me closer to my goals and assists me with my everyday life. If it doesn’t work or stops working, there are no second chances… I will throw away or sell off that device immediately, since I have no patience for “down-time”.

So here are the reasons why I like Apple products, not in any particular order….

A Macbook laptop is a well-designed machine. I can put it in my camera bag, take it on airplane flights, and to-date it has never let me down. The only maintenance I ever have to do is a software upgrade here and there. I have never experienced the “blue screen of death”, hard drive crashes, or errors that destroy important data, files and photos. The cases are designed to take the beating I don’t mean to give them. And when I am back at home base, my system is able to back itself up without any input from me. If I am going to have a hard drive problem, with a little bit of knowledge of UNIX systems, I can actually TELL when it is going to happen. So when that time comes, I know all I have to do is run to “the Apple store”, use my protection plan to get a new hard drive and reload everything back from my time capsule. I just love when things work well together.

My iphone is totally integrated in my system. I can capture information on it and in a matter of minutes it will be copied to my Mobile Me account and redistributed to all my other Apple devices, such as the laptop and ipad. If I have to update any business and personal information on any one device, MobileMe will update all my other devices with the changes. There is nothing I need to do because it is done automatically.

My ipad started out as just a gadget, but it really helps me write the code for these websites. It holds my 20 book collection of recreational reading material, as well as manuals for my cameras, computers and anything else I’m taking with me. This is great for those times I’m traveling and don’t want to carry all my reading material with me. Another great feature is that my ipad becomes the world’s largest remote when combined with my Comcast cable account. It also allows me to carry my photography portfolio with me at all times.

In a world where I have no more time to spend doing the things I don’t like to do, this helps me get my ideas, thoughts and dreams out. So, why not make them all work well together! It just helps to create a better me in my personal and professional life. I hope some of this helps you!

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Be Safe when you shoot

January 24th, 2011
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Stock Show Bull locking onto me

Okay, so after walking/running with the bulls during the Denver Stock Show Parade a thought just hit me. There are varying degrees of danger I am willing to put myself into to get a great shot. Now granted, I’m not giving you any leeway for doing something dumb, but I usually size up the situation I’m in to get the shot that I need. Some of us have no problem standing in the middle of the street to get a great perspective on a building and its surroundings in the shot. There are even those times when I’ve stood in the way for a moment to frame up a great shot…like directly in front of the bulls during the parade.

I personally don’t recommend you do this.

Also, depending on your situation and personal experience, choosing to put yourself in a bad spot is actually colored from your own experiences. For instance,  I am Chicago-raised and I’ve been around. It doesn’t phase me to stand in a downtown street in Colorado to get a shot. But I would never dawdle in the middle of a NYC street. Drivers in that state and city will actually change lanes to try to hit you. (That is scarier than anything!)

But would you believe that even after standing in front of the bulls as they walk towards me for this shot, or standing in the middle of the street or anything else that I do…. nothing really scares me as much as standing on a 12 foot tall studio ladder. Yeah, go figure. I will hang out of  a car, dangle from a sailboat, stand on the edge of a cliff, but those damn tall ladders…..Ewwwwhhhh, those really get to me!

So, let it be said, be safe when you go shooting. You need to live another day to keep creating great shots!

Popularity: 43%

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