7.19.11 Tuesday's Talented Twitter Find: Celtic Camera

This week's Tuesday's Talented Twitter Find is Celtic Camera.

Follow Celtic Camera, a.k.a. Gareth Glynn Ash, 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 Celtic Camera!

 

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.

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!

Is Google+ The Next Big Marketing Tool?

Well, I've only had my Google+ account up for about a for a week - and I'm loving it. (Google+ is not officially launched. You need an invite to join.)


I'm not alone in lovin' Google+. Many of my fellow professional photographer friends (more than 50) are currently in my main Circle (a cool feature that lets you make select groups). What's more,  even a few well-respected pros are having Hangouts (where you can quickly and easily set up live video chats with folks in Circles).


I'm lovin' how easy it is to upload a picture, and a bunch of pictures - and to share those pictures. Adding links and videos is easy, too.


All this stuff is easy to learn with the videos that Google+ offers.


I also like the super clean look of Google+ pages. That look makes one's pictures really stand out.


Getting back to my fellow professional photographers, many are starting to use Google+ as an additional social media marketing tool - adding it to twitter and facebook as ways to spread the word about the stuff they are doing. Guess what? Me, too!


So if you are a pro or an aspiring pro, I'd recommend that you check out Google+ and look at its possibilities are as marketing tool. In the meantime, my guess is that your fellow photographers will be doing just that. :-)


Of course, Google+ is also great for keeping up-to-date with what your family members and close friends are doing. Yup! Just create another Circle.


Take a tour of Google+. Stay tuned for the official launc.


Explore the light,
Rick


P.S. I'll be covering many topics on my creativeLive class in October, including the Business Side of Photography/Social Media Marketing. I'm sure by then I'll be much more into Google+ . . . . and whatever new social media marketing tools come our way. Hope to see you there.

Croton Creative - Master Your Flash, HDR and More!

Join me in my backyard – literally – for my creative (and fun) digital SLR workshop on September 28th to Oct 1.

Here's the scoop.

During the workshop we'll explore landscape and HDR photography, painting with light, interior low-light photography, working with reflectors, diffusers and fill-flash... and much more!

 

Digital Darkroom Stuff: Photoshop and Lightroom.... what fun! Bring your laptop!

Photograph by Andy Williams

Instructors: 

Rick Sammon, lead instructor

Joe Brady,  co-instructor - Lighting and color

Jeremy Pollack - Lightroom

Andy Williams - Landscape

 Interior of the Buddhist Temple - HDR vs. non-HDR

Workshop Fee: (includes workshop, portfolio review, digital darkroom lessons, welcome and farewell dinners - minus drinks): $800.00.

Base: Croton-on-Hudson, NY

Tentative Schedule (Subject to change):

    Wednesday   

Welcome Dinner/Rick’s Slide Show

Thursday 

 Buddhist Temple Shoot/Landscape Photography
Download
Photoshop and Lightroom Tips

Friday    

 Croton Dam and River Shoot
Download
Photoshop and Lightroom Tips

Saturday

Speedlite Shooting/People Photography (indoors and out) and Download 

Farewell Dinner/Slide Show

  

Sunday   

Depart  

 More info? Contact Rick.

Places to Stay

Comfort Inn (15 minutes from Croton).

Bed and Breakfast (in Croton). Our recommendation.

Payment: $800

Send check to: 

Sammon and Sammon

Two Fox Road

Croton-on-Hudson, NY 10520


Digital SLR Photography Workshop 

This workshop is supported by Nik Software. 
Save 15% if you use this code: RSAMMON upon check-out.

Rick at Google x2 Plus Google+

With all the buzz over Google+ this week, I thought I'd re-post a previous post on Google+.

 

I have received many emails about the Terms of Service. See below. Check out the bold type, which was omitted from some blog posts. Important stuff.

 

Also, since diving into Google+, I have been following what my friend Trey Ratcliff is doing with it, including his Hangouts. Quite cool! Read Trey's take on Google+: Google+ is Great for Photographers.

 

• • •

 

Last year, I was honored to be invited (thanks to an intro by my friend Tray Ratcliff of Stuck in Customs fame) to speak at the Googlplex. Here's the YouTube link to my talk. 

I'll be speaking again at Google in October. I'll also be giving a lighting demo, along with my friend Derrick Story of The Digital Story fame) to the Google camera club. Again, quite an honor.

Speaking of Google, I know much has been written on the Web about Google plus - and the Terms of Service. I have put in bold extra important statements that you should consider -  important points that were not mentioned in some posts.

11.1    You retain copyright and any other rights you already hold in Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services. By submitting, posting or displaying the content you give Google a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, and non-exclusive license to reproduce, adapt, modify, translate, publish, publicly perform, publicly display and distribute any Content which you submit, post or display on or through, the Services. This license is for the sole purpose of enabling Google to display, distribute and promote the Services and may be revoked for certain Services as defined in the Additional Terms of those Services.

11.2    You agree that this license includes a right for Google to make such Content available to other companies, organizations or individuals with whom Google has relationships for the provision of syndicated services, and to use such Content in connection with the provision of those services.

11.3    You understand that Google, in performing the required technical steps to provide the Services to our users, may (a) transmit or distribute your Content over various public networks and in various media; and (b) make such changes to your Content as are necessary to conform and adapt that Content to the technical requirements of connecting networks, devices, services or media. You agree that this license shall permit Google to take these actions.

Hey, this is all brand new to me, too. I'll keep you posted as to how I'll be using this service.


Explore the light,
Rick

7.15.11 Friday's Fab Photographer: Randy Van Duinen

Lobby of the Luxor Hotel, Las Vegas, NV

Today's Friday's Fab Photographer is Randy Van Duinen. I've known the dude for a few years and, for sure, he is one of the best architectural photographers (and HDR photographers) out there. He's also a heck of a nice guy.

These are the two reasons why I invited Randy to lead off my Friday's Fab Photographer series.

Take it away, Randy!

• • •

First of all I would like to thank Rick for inviting me to write this article on his blog. I've worked with Rick at Photoshop World and have photographed with him at Dinosaur World and find it a wonderful experience every time.

I'm an architectural photographer in St. Petersburg, Florida and I cannot imagine doing anything but photography and feel blessed that I am able to do it everyday. I didn't start out this way though, in high school I thought I wanted to be an architect until I picked up a camera in my senior year and could not put it down. As I explored photography I discovered that most of the images I took were of architecture, realizing this relationship, I have merged my two passions together.

Union Restaurant & Lounge inside Aria Resort, Las Vegas, NV

When I'm photographing architecture for clients there are many components that have to come together to create an image that will communicate both my clients and my own visual sensibilities. The architect has an idea and vision for their project and it is my job, as a photographer, to capture that vision. I collaborate with the architect, client and my assistants to capture the building in the best light to achieve the greatest impact. This is accomplished by either bringing in strobes and/or tungsten lighting to enhance what's already there, or deciding the best time of day to capture the building in the best light.

When I made the switch from film to digital it was one of the happiest days of my life. It allowed me to explore architectural photography in a whole new light; I was more mobile, faster and able to post process images like I never was able to before. Then Adobe came out with Photoshop CS 2 with HDR processing. HDR photography allowed me to photograph architecture, both interior and exterior spaces the way I envision the spaces should look.

Tampa Bay History Center, Tampa, FL

My art photography has been expanded as a result of HDR and how I see what is in front of the camera. When I used to shoot 4x5 film I had to pre-visualize the shot before I would setup 30 pounds of camera equipment. With HDR photography and before I even click the shutter, I pre-visualize how I want the photo to look and how I am going to work on that image in post processing. Many photographers today shoot hundred of images and hope for a great shot, instead of composing a great photograph. This is one of the things that digital photography has changed and not for the better.

Dale Chihuly Gallery, St. Petersburg, FL

My advice to any photographer, beginner or advanced is to get up from your computer, grab your camera and take the time to compose a great photograph. Take the time to look at your subject from many angles, high, low or close up. Ask yourself what does this photo means to me and will it convey that message to my viewers.

When you take the time to do this you will see yourself develop as a photographer and an artist.

You can reach me at:

www.rvdphotography.com my architectural site.

www.studiophotoshop.com my blog.

www.vanduinenphotography.com my art site.

randy@rvdphotography.com e-mail

• • •

Thank you Randy. You're the man now dog!

Explore the light,

Rick