Exploring the Light in Mexico!

 

I just arrived in Mexico City for my workshop and seminar for Foto Workshops Mexico.

What a warm welcome at the airport! Juan Jose Marquez, the director of the workshops, greeted me with a big hug and custom made shirt. More fun to come, I am sure!

The seminar will be held here tomorrow at the World Trade Center.

The workshop will be held Sunday to Tuesday in San Miguel de Allende.

Below are a few shots from my previous trip to San Miguel. I just love the colors of the cool colonial city.

Juan and I are planning an international photo festival for 2012. If you want to get on the list shoot, Juan Jose an email.

More photos to come.

Explore the light,

Rick

300+ Teriffic Images From Times Square Shoot Made Choosing Top Shot A Challenge

Top shot from Times Square Shoot. Photograph by Margie Strange.

Last Saturday, 60+ talented photographers met in Times Square for a fun-filled photo shoot. The event was sponsored by our friends at SmugMug, who designed a custom web site and gallery for uploading and viewing the participants' images. If you want to see some awesome shots, and if you need some city-shooting inspiration, go through the gallery - slowly.

Photo pros photo by David Ortiz.

Part of the project was to selected a favorite image. That daunting task was assigned to the pros who lead the group (left to right): me, Juan Pons and Jeremy Pollack.

After reviewing all the images, we selected the opening shot for this blog post as our group favorite – a cool shot by Margie Strange of a low rider.

Left: Monte Rudze. Right: Tony Marchesano.

Above: These two shots also caught our eye. One for creative lighting, one for creative composition and humor.

A big "thank you" goes to all our Times Square photographers. You did an amazing job of following the assignment: Tell the Whole Story.

Group photo by Jeremy Pollack

Margie: shoot me an email so we can work out the prize: A Free Year of SmugMug Pro and a Metal Print of your image. 

Photograph by Andy Williams.

Our next SmugMug/Sammon shoot will be at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco on October 17th at 5 PM. Juan Pons, Derrick Story and I will be there to help photographers turn snapshots into great shots. Stay tuned.

Hey, if you need some detailed how-to info on how to shoot in NYC, check out Jeremy's book (co-authored with Andy Williams):
Photographing New York City Digital Field Guide

Explore the light,

Rick

P.S. Get 20% off your first year of SmugMug Pro with code RICKSMUG20. Just click here to start a free trial and then click "I'm Sold" to sign up for the Pro account. Enter your coupon code at checkout.

Why use SmugMug? So you can shoot as much as much as you want and upload every photo into your galleries. SmugMug gives you unlimited uploading, a fully customizable website and tons of easy commerce options that help you market your brand and make more money. Shoot, proof and sell for just $20/month.

Guest Blogger: Glenn Taylor

Today's guest blogger is Glenn Taylor. Glenn has been on a few of my workshops and is one talented dude. 

Take it away Glenn.

On a recent trip, traveling through Northern Arizona, my wife and I spent a day visiting some old mining towns along the way to Hoover Dam and Las Vegas. One of the towns we found was Chloride, 20 miles northwest of Kingman. It was named for the chloride silver ore that was discovered nearby in 1863. The mining ended in the 1950s and the town dwindled. Now it’s a cool little place off the highway that’s home to artists and folks that enjoy the wide open spaces.

In the center of town there is a colorful former filling station, with old gas pumps out front, it’s covered with old junk and signs, and mining tracks circling the building. On the front door is a sign, “This is a private home. You may take photos, but please respect my home.” That sign was all the invitation I needed. The structure had character, the sun was bright in the mid-afternoon desert and it was the perfect opportunity for an HDR image.

I shot it a from a few different angles, but when I got back, I liked the wide view from the right side the best. The tip here is to shoot a subject at different angles - so you have a choice when you get back home as to the best view.

I captured the three exposures on my Canon 5D MkII using my 24-70mm L lens at 42mm, ISO 100 at f/9 for 1/400, 1/100 and 1/25 of a second. I normally use either Photomatix or NIK HDR EFEX PRO depending on what feels right for the image and the look I want to achieve.

On this image I liked the look that Photomatix gave the sky and the building textures. I finished the image in Adobe Lightroom by adjusting the tone balance, some color tweaks, a little dodging and burning and some selective sharpening on the building details.

I love the way this image turned out and was thrilled that Rick noticed it. I learned a lot of tips on HDR from his workshop in Florida earlier this year and got to put them to use on this trip.

Here is a link to Rick's 2012 Florida Photo Caravan.

You can see additional images from this trip and other subjects on my Flickr page at:             http://www.flickr.com/photos/gtaylor57

• • • 

If you are new to HDR, you can get discounts on HDR Efex Pro and Photomatix here.


Explore the light,
Rick

P.S. If you need some HDR tips, check out my iPad app, Rick Sammon's iHDR.

Hope You Catch a Free Redeem Code for My Latest iPad App: Underwater Wonders

It takes a lot of sardines to feed a great white shark. (A variation of my well-known phrase: It takes a lot of peanuts to feed an elephant.)

Anyway, in celebration of my 7th app, Underwater Wonders, I am giving away 10 codes for the app. Sure, the app only costs a couple of sardines, but what the heck, all those sardines add up - just like peanuts add up.

About the app: Underwater Wonders is not a photography how-to app/app book, like most of my other apps. Rather, it's an app/app book that falls into the Nature, Wildlife and Marine Conservation categories.

Underwater Wonders, designed for kids and for adults who are kids are heart, features underwater photographs of my favorite marine animals. The photographs are accompanied by fascinating and fun fish facts, as well as some of my personal anecdotes. (For 20 years, underwater photography, and helping to protect the world's fragile coral reefs, was my main focus.)

Here is a nice review of the app.
 

Good luck. I say that because redeeming a code on the app store is not as easy as hooking a hungry fish.

Here are the free redeem codes:

K3N33LF49L3Y
HKTL49NHT3E3
KMHFYPPWPL4L
EEP6EFM9WP3F
3MTHKAMJRLFH
E6J394RN6PNT
P6MAEH9XRHRA
J99N3L36EKYY
N3J43K77J3M4
LLMPE9TXFEAH

Click here to see all my apps for the iPad and iPhone.

Explore the light,

Rick

6.21.11 Tuesday's Talented Twitter Find: Michael Downey

This week's Tuesday's Talented Twitter Find is Michael Downey.

Follow Michael on Twitter.

About My Tuesday's Talented Twitter Find: Each Tuesday (when I am not traveling) I will pick a talented photographer I find on Twitter - and promote the talented photographer here on my blog and on twitter, etc.

Nice work, Michael.

Explore the light,

Rick

P.S. If you are not following me on Twitter, click here to keep up to date with what I'm doing. And, keep posting interesting photo stuff on Twitter!

Photographing in Galapagos - The Enchanted Islands

All images © Rick Sammon. All rights reserved.

A while back, one of our DPE podcast listeners asked us about photographing in Galapagos. We addressed her questions on the show, but here are some of my photos that illustrate a few of the tips that Juan and I shared.

Above: Always be ready for action. This short-ear owl grabbed this dove in a split second. Canon 100-400mm IS lens.

Above: Sure, bring your telephoto zoom lens, but don’t forget your wide-angle lens. You can get very close to the animals. Canon 15mm lens.

Above: Shoot eye-to-eye . . . rather than standing straight up and shooting like a tourist. Canon 17-40mm lens.

Above: Don’t always shoot eye-to-eye :-)  Get down to give the subject the feeling of power! Canon 15mm lens.

Above: Stick like glue to the guide. He or she can help you get great shots. Canon 100-400mm IS lens.

Above: Look for pictures that tell a story. Canon 17-40mm lens.

Enjoy the wildlife experience. It’s like no other on the planet! Canon 100-400mm IS lens.

You’ll find quick tips like this – and some Galapagos photographs – in my flagship app, Rick Sammon's 24/7 Photo Buffet.

Explore the Light,

Rick

Share Your Times Square Photos on Sammon's SmugMug Site - And View the Gallery!

Thanks to all those who joined the fun at my Times Square photo shoot today!

Thank you Juan Pons from joining the fun and for recording a Q&A segment for our DPE podcast.

Thank you Jeremy Pollack for taking our group shot.

And thanks to all our friends at Smugmug for all their help!

Here is the link for uploading your pictures to the special SmugMug site. You don't have to have a SmugMug account to post your shots. Also, everyone can view the Gallery!

We'll take a look and pick the winners early next week.

Like the design of the SmugMug site? The folks at SmugMug can customize a site for you. Click here to start building your site. Save 20 percent the first year by using this code: RickSmug20.

If you want to spice up your photos - with cool colors and details - try the Spicify filter in Topaz Adjust. I used it on the shot above. You can save a bundle on Topaz plug-ins when you order a bundle. Click here for info.
 

Explore the light,

Rick

P.S. Below are two of my behind-the-scenes shots. We had a blast! More behind-the-scenes- and end-result shots on the SmugMug site.