Photography That Heals

Photography is not just about capturing a beautiful image or recording an event, it can build self awareness, build self confidence, and most importantly a tool for healing. 

Two significant projects that inspire me are:

1.   http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/brianmccarty/war-toys

"We’ve all been there: not having the words to express what we feel. Kids in war zones know this too well.

Brian McCarty had a thought: what if cameras were the key to teaching kids how to tell their stories?

He traveled to Jerusalem, the center of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, to find out.

Brian asked kids to draw what they’ve seen, and then recreated the scenes in a photograph with toys. He found that a combination of play and art therapy was a powerful and life changing way to give kids a voice.

Photographers often turn to their camera when words just won’t do. Turns out kids are no different."

2.   http://www.kids-with-cameras.org/bornintobrothels/

"In Calcutta, there are over 10,000 women and girls who live and work as prostitutes. In 1997, New York-based photographer Zana Briski moved to Calcutta to live with these women and document their lives through photography.

While living in the brothels, she developed relationships with their children and after recognizing their fascination with the camera, began to teach them basic photography.

77th Academy Awards Winner.

Born into Brothels, by Ross Kauffman and Zana Briski, is the winner of the 77th annual Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. A tribute to the resiliency of childhood and the restorative power of art, Born into Brothels is a portrait of several unforgettable children who live in the red light district of Calcutta, where their mothers work as prostitutes. Zana Briski, a New York-based photographer, gives each of the children a camera and teaches them to look at the world with new eyes.

The film, released by THINKFilm, premiered theatrically at the Film Forum in New York City in December 2004. It has since opened in over one hundred theatres nationwide. It premiered on HBO/Cinemax on Tuesday, August 16th, 2005.

The photographs taken by the children in Born into Brothels are available for purchase in the Kids' Gallery, and as a signed limited-edition portfolio, or as a compilation in our companion book. 100% of proceeds from sales of the children's prints go directly to support their education and well-being.

The film is now available on DVD."

Editorial Lighting - The Minimalist Way by Thomas Park

This is a great article written by Thomas. He shows you and explains how he got his shot using minimal lighting in a less than ideal setting.


http://dpreview.com/articles/7670130459/editorial-lighting-the-minimalist-way-

More about Thomas - http://thomasparkphoto.com/

Model: Ira Z
All images©2011 Thomas Park

Remotely Control Your DSLR With Your SmartPhone/Tablet for $8.52

For $8.52 you can tether control your DSLR using your Android phone/tablet and shoot remotely.

Photo courtesy of www.dpreview.com

DSLR Controller by Chainfire, is the first and only app that allows you to fully control your Canon EOS DSLR from your Android device with only a USB cable. No computer or laptop required, no root required, only a compatible mobile device, a compatible camera, and the right USB cable.

This has been found to work with EOS T2i, T3i, 50D, 60D, 7D, 5DmkII and 1Dmk4.

More about it here - https://market.android.com/details?id=eu.chainfire.dslrcontroller

Is Your LCD Monitor Showing The Correct Colors?

I chanced upon this monitor testing site that is worthy of sharing.

If you care about your images, you need to care about the condition of your monitor (s). Monitor quality factors like: Contrast, display settings, clock and phase, sharpness, gamma, black level, white saturation, gradient, inversion, response time, viewing angle, contrast ration, and subpixel layout. It sounds a whole lot of scary! The good news is, monitor calibration is fairly easy.

Here are LCD monitor test pages that will help you judge and correct the image quality seen on your monitor.  Follow the step by step instructions provided by Lagom and you'll be closer to getting the most out of your LCD monitor.

http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/

Photoshop for Digital Photography

Photoshop Skills acquired:
. Basic Setup, Workflow, and Fun with Filters
. Rotating and Cropping
. Black and White photos
. Layers and Levels
. Retouching with Cloning and the Healing Brush
. Curves, Color Balance, and Hue/Saturation
. Resolution, Image Sizing and Sharpening
. Using Text and other graphics to Create a Promo Piece or Greeting Card

What you will need:
. Digital Camera
. Computer or Laptop with Adobe Photoshop or Elements

Course Times:
An 4 week course. Once a week. 1.5 hour sessions.
Group size minimum 3, maximum 5.
Private one-to-one instruction also available.

Location and dates to be determined based on group preference.

Course Price:
Group - $150.00
Private - $250.00

Please contact me at 808.3878899 for more information.
www.mafotografix.com

Neutral Density Filters (ND)

Neutral density filters are very useful for photographers that like manual control in bright light. 

The filter filters the amount of light coming into the camera, making long exposures, depth of field, and other effects easier to do, like those dreamy shore scenic photos which appear to be shot at dusk or sunrise but were actually shot in the middle of the day!

There's a the ultimate guide to Neutral Density filters - http://www.redbubble.com/people/peterh111/journal/4421304-the-ultimate-easy-guide-to-neutral-density-filters

However, do note that, like everything else, not all filters are made equal. Here's an example: http://www.flickr.com/photos/brentbat/2372603825/

Hyper Prime Lenses

These are 'super' wide lenses that are made for ultra low light photography ... their f-stop hover around the f1.0 range, Besides being quite rare (many are out of production) and a challenge on the wallet for many, you'd wonder how challenging it is to focus manually at such a shallow DOF.

There are two great reviews on one such lens, which is a new production, called the Noktor 50mm f0.95 (!) - http://www.slrmagic.com/ (p/s: take their product survey and select the camera mount you want them to make.)

Lens Reviews:

http://www.stevehuffphoto.com/2010/03/03/the-noktor-50-f0-95-lens-review-diary/

http://philipbloom.net/2010/03/10/review-of-noktor-f0-95-hyperprime-50mm-lens-for-micro-four-thirds/

Currently this lens works on these cameras without the need for any adaptor:
Panasonic: Lumix DMC-G1, DMC-G2, DMC-G3, DMC-G10, DMC-GH1, DMC-GH2, DMC-GF1, DMC-GF2, AF-100, AF-101, AF-102, and AF-103
Olympus: PEN E-P1, PEN E-P2, PEN E-PL1, and PEN E-PL2
Sony: NEX-3, NEX-5, NEX-VG10, and NEX-FS100

The Useful Canon Lens Specifications and Accessories Table

When you are shopping for a lens, don't only read the reviews, and check prices, also make sure to read the Canon Lens Specifications and Accessories Table. There's valuable information like the number of shutter blades for smooth bokeh and the minimum focusing distance. This distance is important. If you notice, many of the fast primes do not focus close. Close should be like 0.8ft or 0.25m, especially for wider lenses.

Sample:

Here's the link to download the complete pdf table. When new lenses come out, hopefully Canon will keep this table updated -

http://www.usa.canon.com/app/pdf/lens/EFLensChart.pdf

Alien Looking Duo Flash Mount for Macro Photography

The world of camera accessories is only limited by your imagination. Take this alien looking duo clash mount from Fotopro.

Here's the specs from Fotopro:
Fotopro Arca Compat Macro Duo Dual Flash Mount 2 Shoes
Metal plate is 140mm (5.5") long.
Includes: 2 x 1 /4"-20 cap screws, 1 hex safety screw and allen wrench.
Permanent articulated arms will hold up to 1.5lbs (.7kg) each
and can be adjusted to any position.
Arms are 12" (30cm) in length (including the ball head)
Each shoe is mounted on a metal ball head with lock

Fotopro is a China company that creates a host of very competitively priced products. Namely camera support systems

www.fotopro.cn - tip: use google translate to read the pages.

Highly Recommended Lenses for Canon EOS Cameras

So once in a while you have this urge, this craving, this NEED to buy a new lens!

You've got a problem!

But don't worry, there are many photographers who are just like you and that's why there are so many different lenses for sale. The REAL problem is which lens to buy? How to hide it from the Mrs? How not to be so obvious ... how not to break the bank, well at least not too badly.

Here's a list that will help you (it helped me) - reproduced courtesy of BobAtkins.com

Canon EF 135mm f/2.0L USM - Rating 9.8, price $900. Not cheap, but a really outstanding lens.

Canon EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM - Rating 9.6. A very good lens indeed for "only" $650. The highest rated low cost "L" series lens.

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro - Rating 9.6, price $470. Highest rated lens under $600. Very sharp and gives 1:1 magnification.

Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM - Rating 9.5, price $1000. Highest rated EF-S series lens and one of the highest rated of all zooms.

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM - Rating 9.5 and Canon EF 100mm f/2.0 USM - Rating 9.4, Two very reasonably priced ($350-$400) fast short telephoto lenses which are ideal for portrait work.

Canon EF 70-200mm f/4.0L USM - Rating 9.4, price $550. A highly rated zoom and the cheapest "L" series lens.

Tamron SP AF 17-50mm f2.8 XR Di-II LD Asph. IF - Rating 9.3, price $450. Very highly rated "general purpose" lens for APS-C sensor cameras. God wide to short telephoto range at a constant f2.8 aperture.

Canon EF 300/4L USM - Rating 9.2, price $700 (used). One of my favorite lenses and (if you can find one) a great telephoto that's affordable (and works great with a 1.4xTC too!).

Canon EF-S 10-22/3.5-4.5 USM Rating 9.1, price $690. An excellent lens which doesn't appear in the above lists because it's too expensive for the $600 list and the rating is 0.2 points too low to appear on the absolute best list. However a 9.1 rating is very good and the price is still affordable.

Sigma 50mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro - Rating 8.9, price $270. A high ratings/low cost for a 1:2 50mm macro lens.

Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM - Rating 8.9, Price $550. A very good telephoto zoom with very effective Image stabilization.

Tamron AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di LD Aspherical IF - Rating 8.5, price $390. A well regarded lens at 1/3 the cost of the Canon 24-70/2.8L (rated at 9.1).

Canon EF 28mm f/2.8 (Rating 8.5, price $170) and Canon EF 35mm f/2.0 (Rating 8.7, price $230). Either one makes a good "normal" lens on an APS-C sensor DSLR.

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II - Rating 8.5 , price $100. Clearly the best bang for the buck.

Canon EF 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5 II USM - Rating 7.8, price $230. A good solid zoom for a very reasonable price. [Now discontinued].

Being Discreet is a good thing with Puleme Backpack Inserts

This I have to share with you guys.

It is cool to have a 'camera' type branded bag or backpack but at times it is better to not be so obvious ... especially if you're traveling. I'd rather let people think its a regular backpack than scream: "THERE"S A DSLR IN HERE !!!"

You can easily turn your regular backpack into a camera bag with this smart insert called Puleme Backpack Inserts. There are others like it and they come in all shapes and sizes to suit your needs be it a backpack or a shoulder bag.

To purchase just Google and they are all over the web.

Introduction to Canon Speedlite Flash Photography - Course Outline

This is a beginner's course in Speedlite flash photography. If you already have a fairly good grasp using your Canon DSLR and want to venture into the world of off camera flash photography with one of Canon's Speetlite flashes, this is the course for you. Start understanding your flash and learn how to use it creatively.

Course Outline:

Week 1 - Control and Modes
. Basic Flash Operations
. Exposure Modes
. Flash Exposure Compensation
. Sync Modes

Week 2 - On and Off Camera Flash
. The Importance of Shadows
. When On-Camera Flash Works Well: Fill Flash
. Moving One Speedlite Off-Camera
. Creating Dramatic Shadows

Week 3 - Modifying Flash Output
. Making The Speedlite Appear Larger
. Modifiers That Make The Speedlite Appear Smaller
. Change The Color Of A Speedlite
. Limit What The Speedlite Illuminates
. Speedlite’s Built-In Modifiers

Week 4 - Shoot out.

What you will need:
. Canon DSLR
. Canon Speedlite 430ex or 580ex

Course Times:
A 4 week course. Once a week. 2 hour sessions.
Group size minimum 3, maximum 5.
Private one-to-one instruction also available.

Location and dates to be determined based on group.

Course Price:
Group - $150
Private - $250

Lens reviews for Canon cameras

These are two very good websites that I refer to for lens reviews for Canon cameras:

http://www.photozone.de/canon_eos_ff

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/

There are others but I like their format and their range of lenses reviewed.

Right now, I'm exploring going all manual, including lenses. And the Samyang lenses look rather interesting and even tempting for their price point as well as quality.

Several new Samyang releases here:

http://dpreview.com/news/1105/11050505samyang35mm8mm.asp

Beginner's Digital Photography and Adobe Photoshop - Course Outline

This course is open to anyone with a digital camera but is best suited to beginners with a DSLR who want to know how to go beyond using the camera's 'Auto' mode and getting more out of their investment. It will also introduce the powerful yet indispensable photo enhancing software Photoshop which is the darkroom for all digital photographers.

Photography Skills acquired:
. Selective Focusing
. ISO, F/stops (Aperture), and Shutter Speeds
. Understanding Lenses
. White Balancing
. Understanding Flash Photography
. Understanding Macro Photography
. Basic Do's and Don'ts in Picture Taking
. Simple Rules of Composition
. Shopping for Accessories and Other Photo Gear

Photoshop Skills acquired:
. Basic Setup, Workflow, and Fun with Filters
. Rotating and Cropping
. Black and White photos
. Layers and Levels
. Retouching with Cloning and the Healing Brush
. Curves, Color Balance, and Hue/Saturation
. Resolution, Image Sizing and Sharpening
. Using Text and other graphics to Create a Promo Piece or Greeting Card

What you will need:
. Digital Camera
. Computer or Laptop with Adobe Photoshop or Elements

Course Times:
An 8 week course. Once a week. 1.5 hour sessions.
Group size minimum 3, maximum 5.
Private one-to-one instruction also available.

Location and dates to be determined based on group preference.

Course Price:
Group - $300.00
Private - $450.00

Please contact me at 808.3878899 for more information.
www.mafotografix.com

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Beginner's Digital Photography and Adobe Photoshop

I've will be launching a private 1-on-1 coaching program in March for beginners who want to learn how to use their digital cameras and how to edit their photographs using Adobe Photoshop.

It will be an 8 week program. 1 hour, once a week session. Lots of hands on.

You will need your own digital camera and Adobe Photoshop program.

So stay tuned, I will announce the program schedule next week.