Out of Africa - and into Texas - Canon Destination Photo Workshop

February 13, 2015

Registration is open for my Canon Destination workshop at Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose, Texas – where I took all the photographs in this post.

Dates: May 27 to 29.

Register Here!

NOTE: CPS Gold and Platinum members get $100 off any Canon Destination workshops - like this workshops and my Atlanta Old Car City/South East Railway Museum workshop.

We booked the entire camp - and we have special photo tours.

Tip: You can stay in the Lodge, but the tents give you a real safari experience. About the tents: they have hot and cold running water, a shower, a hair dryer and AC – same as the lodge.

Small group, big fun! First come, first serve.

I've been there five times (once teaching a photo workshop where I took these images) and still enjoy the experience - and that is after going on safari in Kenya four times.

See some of my Africa photo safari images here.

If you are planning a photo safari, check out my KelbyOne Wild Safari class.

Here is a Fossil Rim video of a younger Rick Sammon discussing daylight fill-in flash. And here is a Fossil Rim video on composition.

One more video: A Quick Look at Fossil Rim Wildlife Center.

As illustrated in the videos, you can see how long I have been going there. :-)

Explore the light,
Rick

P.S. Yes! We will have plenty of time for digital darkroom work, too.

Today's Guest Blogger Dave Ray Takes Us to Bali and Java

February 11, 2015

I want to express enthusiastic thanks to Rick for the honor of being invited to write this third guest blog.

A vital part of capturing strong images is to discern, appreciate and capture the rich patterns and textures that we see around us in this awesome creation that we get to enjoy every day.

Of all the regions I’ve visited, there’s no region that serves up more beauty & variety than the exotic Indonesian archipelago.

Opening Image: Mount Bromo and the Sea of Sand, from Cemorolawang, East Java, Indonesia

This dawn view of Mount Bromo and its surrounding sea of sand—the Grand Canyon of SE Asia—provides beautiful contrasts. Roughly eroded volcanic peaks, jagged cliffs surrounded by wispy, walk-in-the-clouds mist and the vaulted clear sky above nearly always provide remarkably memorable landscapes.

Above: Borobudur Temple & Central Java Plain at Sunrise, Indonesia

From this hilltop in Central Java you have opportunity to capture the continuity and contrast of Borobudur Temple rising slightly above the mist enshrouded plain just as the sun begins to peak over the shoulder of Mount Merapi’s volcano. Bororbudur—still the world’s largest Buddhist shrine 1,100 years after it was completed—subtly stands out above the tree tops.

Above: Javanese Village Tofu Maker, near Borobudur, Central Java, Indonesia

I shot many photographs of this young Javanese man making a local version of tofu in a rustic village “factory.” When culling through my images, I noticed this yin-yang pattern in the mix. I selected this image not only because its aesthetics. I prefer to use photographs that reflect the locals’ worldview and that they themselves, as much as anyone else, will appreciate as a faithful depiction of their lives.

Above: Moonrise over Pemuteran Beach, Bali, Indonesia

We’ll be rewarded when we view our world with anticipation—being conscious to discern the patterns and color-plays appearing before our eyes. The curve of a cloud line mirrored by the water’s edge and a couple admiring the moonrise over the cape—they all cry out to be captured and remembered.

Like the landscapes and cultures that you see here?

Don’t miss out on what’s likely to be 2015’s best value in a photo tour. You’ll travel in this stunning region during dry season—the safest and most comfortable time of year to travel here.

Take your photographic skills beyond the next level with Rick Sammon’s world-renowned coaching while enriching your portfolio with your very own stunning images from these legendary locales. You’ll get to shoot in each of these locations with a small group of no more than twelve participants.

And, hey, you’ll doubtless be the first of your friends to shoot in this—one of the world’s hottest emerging locales for photography tours—the exotic Indonesian archipelago!

If you pay in full before the end of February you’ll get a hundred extra dollars knocked off the cost! If the price shows as $4,250, enter the Promotional Code “FebruarySavings”.

See the details and register for the August-September 2015 Java-Bali Photo Tour with Rick Sammon at a one-time, introductory special price.

It's Macphun Friday: Intensity Pro's Presets are Pretty Cool, but the Adjust Panel is Awesome

February 06, 2015

When I teach Macphun's Intensity Pro (and other plug-ins) on my photo workshops, I suggest starting with presets. With a preset, you may get a cool-looking image with just one click of your mouse, as illustrated below.

A preset, however, is only the start of using Intensity Pro (and all plug-ins). For almost endless creative options, I suggest using the creative options panel, called the Adjust panel in Intensity Pro.

In the Adjust panel, you have total creative control, among other things: Shadows, Highlights, Contrast, Vibrance, Micro Sharpness and Structure. With total creative control, you can create one-of-a-kind images.

Whatever plug-in or stand-alone digital enhancement you use, experiment with creative options to awaken the artist within.

Save 10% on Macphun software when using this code upon checkout: RICKSAMMON.

All the plug-ins I use are listed on my Save on Plug-ins page.

I took the photograph of a Carmargue horse in this post on my 2013 Provence photo workshop. Click here for info about my return workshop to Provence later this year.

Explore the light,
Rick

How Come I'm Not Getting the Shots?

February 01, 2015

I teach a lot of workshops throughout the year, and I 'm currently teaching one in Delray Beach, Florida. The photographs in this post are from yesterday's shoots.

Every so often a workshop participant asks: "How come I'm not getting the shots that the other photographers are getting?"

I heard that again yesterday.

I've seen this happen on all different types of workshops - wildlife, people, landscape and so on. I've heard this from my fellow workshops instructors, too.

The answer, sometimes, is equipment. In some situations, a certain lens, say a 400mm or a 15mm, is indeed needed.

In other situations, it's luck.

Of course, sometimes the photographer is a novice and has not yet acquired the skills to get specific shots.

Sometimes, and this is the point of this post, it's the photographer's responsibility.

To help all workshop participants, here's my list of "A Workshop Participant's Responsibilities."

Know your camera - especially when it comes to fine-tuning the exposure with the +/- exposure compensation control - or dialing in the correct exposure manually. After all, for every photographer, there is only one correct exposure. (For more on exposure, check out my class on Kelby Training: Light - the main element in every photograph.)

Know your computer.

Stick like glue to the instructor.

Ask to see the instructor's photographs, and the photographs of the other workshop participants.

Know that the instructor is not a "mind reader" when it comes to your needs.

Show the instructor, and the other participants, your pictures as often as possible on your camera's LCD panel.

Be part of the "team" - and join in the fun, as well as the work.

Ask questions.

Do your homework before leaving home on the location, subject and the equipment that's needed.

Sit with the instructor during Photoshop and Lightroom sessions and see how your shots can be improved.

Set goals, and maybe even a specific goal.

So my friends, speak up, join in, ask questions, know your camera, do your homework, don't assume anything, set goals, stick like glue . . . and you'll get the most out of a photo workshop. The more you put in, the more you'll get out.

I hope to see you on one of my workshops.

If you like the stuff you see here on my blog, you can subscribe here.

Explore the light,
Rick

P.S. I'll be back in Delary next year for my annual Digital Delray photo workshop. Can't wait!

It's Macphun Friday! Tonality Pro Can Take You Back in Time

January 30, 2015

Yesterday, I made quick visit to the Wings of Freedom tour , which was in Pompano Beach, FL. Today the tour is moving to Ft. Lauderdale. The opening image for this post is the ONE shot I envisioned before I set out for the shoot – the one image I wanted to make.

Envisioning the end result is often the key to making a good image, and it's the title of my next book, Creative Visualization for Photographers, due out in April.

Knowing in advance that I wanted to capture as much of the plane's cockpit as possible, I shot with my Canon 15mm fish-eye lens - which is discontinued and is replaced by the 8-15mm lens. I shot with my Canon 5D Mark III.

I also knew that in order to capture the entire dynamic range of the scene, I needed HDR. Above is the seven-shot bracketed sequence I used to create my HDR image. It's a hand-held sequence processed in Photomatix.

Hands down, Photomatix is the best HDR program out there. Why? Three reasons:
1) You can create realistic-looking HDR images;
2) Image alignment is awesome, even for hand-held shots;
3) The Program is easy to use.

You can get a 15% discount on Photomatix when you use this code upon checkout: ricksammon.

I liked by HDR color image, but I wanted to create an image with the feel of yesteryear - the feeling that I get when I watch old movies. To reach that goal, I used Macphun's Tonality, and selected the Great Depression filter in the Vintage Collection.

Yes, the Tonality Pro is fun, but it also offer dozens of creative options to help you awaken the artist within.

You can get a 10% discount on Tonality Pro and all the MacPhun products by using this code upon checkout: RICKSAMMON.

Click here to read another post I did on Tonality Pro.