6.21.11 Tuesday's Talented Twitter Find: Michael Downey

June 21, 2011 in twitter

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

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

June 21, 2011 in Galapagos

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!

June 18, 2011 in SmugMug, times square

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.

Getting Dad an iPad This Father's Day? Give Him an App, Too!

June 17, 2011

Hey, if you are getting your great dad the great gift of an iPad this Father's Day, why not include a photo app to help him capture the family photo fun, as well as his creative endeavors? Here are my iPad and iPhone apps. I think your dad will like 'em.

My flagship comprehensive how-to app: Rick Sammon's 24/7 Photo Buffet - iPhone and iPad. It's basically an interactive, how-to e-book that you can keep with you 24/7. This app features my best tips for making pictures . . . indoors, outdoors, in bright light and in low light, with a flash and with a diffuser and reflector. People, wildlife, landscape, city scape photography are covered.

Click here to see a serious review of the app. Click here to see a fun movie about the app.

Rick Sammon's iHDR

My newest how-to app for the iPad is now available: Rick Sammon's iHDR.

This app (formerly called Rick Sammon's HDR Portfolio) is packed with HDR photos (my latest from around the world), info and movies. It's a great way to learn and experience HDR.

The app has the same great content as HDR Portfolio, but with an added Favorites section. So, if you already have the app, you don't need to download this version.

It's called iHDR because the app is all about how you can create cool HDR images using your imagination – combined with HDR photography innovations.

Click here to download and to start the HDR fun.

Rick Sammon's Underwater Wonders

Calling all moms and dads, aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters - and friends and neighbors who have or know youngsters. Underwater Wonders, my first iPad app for kids, is now available.

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

I took most of the photographs in the app while I was president and chief underwater photographer (1980 to 1995) of the marine conservation organization CEDAM International, an organization dedicated to Conservation, Education, Diving and Marine-research.

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.

Rick Sammon's Light It!

Light It! and Light It Light!: My basic lighting apps – iPhone and iPad.

Click here to see the into movie to Light It!

Cool new feature: You Light It! Photo Club. This club showcases your best photographs, along with the photographs of other talented photographers, based on the tips from this app. Simply click here to join the fun . . and to enter the monthly photo contest. The prize for the contest: 1/2 hour portfolio review with yours truly via Skype or iChat.

Butterfly Wonders