This is an attempt to remind you this is the time for book order requests. Please, only one book at a time per person; it becomes too much to keep track of and we can only order one at a time anyway. I currently have one from Roy. Someone else sent an email and I thought I got it but evidentially I was thinking of Roy's.

Please send your requests to me; the sooner I get them an pass them along to KaCe the more likely we can fill your request for the December meeting.

Now I'm running off to the photo shoot at the old dairy: brrrrrrrr!

Cheers

Paula

Though color photography was in its infancy, Russian photographer Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii traveled around Russia, taking spectacular color photos using his own methods.  He'd take 3 consecutive shots of each subject, using red, green, and blue filters, then combine them to produce beautiful color photos.  This was pre-Photoshop, yet these photos are perfect as is.  http://www.newsweek.com/id/214585

I wanted to do a brief report on the photo shoot I hosted Sunday, Oct. 18.  There were five of us (Eldon Estep, Barbara Jackson, Bob Moffatt, MaeLou Larson, and me) and Mother Nature put on a spectacular display for us.  Olalla Bay was calm and mirror-like, perfectly reflecting the fall colors of the trees lining her shore. 

The seagulls and cormorants lent a whimsical note to the picturesque old pilings.  Each piling had a bird atop it, and they stayed there the entire time while we shot pictures.

The vegetation and undergrowth--blackberry vines, seed pods, dried-up flowers, seaweed--provided another focal point for photographs. 

Then we trooped down to Crescent Lake for more pictures of colorful trees along the shore and reeds in the water.  After that, we stopped at an old cabin and took more pictures, then moved on to a small park where we photographed a weathered totem pole.

The fall colors were just spectacular, and for once the weatherman's predictions of "no rain" were spot on.  The weather was good, the photographic subjects endless, and the company was fine!

I've posted one picture below, but you can see more on my Flickr site: 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11774081@N06

Overview:  Making High Definition Mosaics

(One person’s workflow)

 

Purpose:

1.      Larger high quality prints

2.      Change aspect ratio

 

In the field:

1.      Choose your subject carefully

a.      Avoid objects in motion

b.      Avoid changing light conditions

c.      Plan desired aspect ratio

2.      Use a tripod

a.      Helps with composition

b.      Helps with overlaps

c.      Minimizes camera shake

d.      Possible without it, but more difficult

3.      Level the tripod

a.      Level tripod keeps camera level with rotation

4.      Level the camera

5.      Avoid parallax

a.      Rotate around “nodal point” of lens

b.      Panorama head ideal for rotation around “nodal point”

c.      Less of a problem if nothing in foreground

6.      Maximize depth of field

a.      Focus at hyperfocal distance

7.      Expose all images the same

a.      Preview exposure range, then choose an average value

b.      Set camera on manual

c.      Avoid polarizer  (or use very carefully)

8.      Capture all images you might need

a.      Generous margins

b.      Bracket exposures if needed

c.      Change depth of focus if needed

9.      Overlap images by 20-25%

           

At the Computer:

1.      Avoid correcting individual images

a.      Wait until mosaic is assembled

2.      Assemble mosaic (stitch images together)

a.      Can use Photoshop (File|Automate|Photomerge)

b.      Alternatives: PanoTools, PTAssembler, etc. etc.

3.      Resolve stacked images

a.      Exposure blending

b.      Deep focus

4.      Clean up

a.      Hide seams

b.      Check focus

c.      Can defects be swapped from overlapped image?

d.      Key technique: Layer mask with white/transparent gradient

5.      Crop

6.      Make global edits

a.      Color balance

b.      Exposure

c.      Contrast

7.      Make local edits

8.      Continue usual workflow

 

Some Links:

 

Overview:

www.dchung.com

www.tawbaware.com/maxlyons/

 

Technical details:

www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials.htm

 

Finding lens entrance pupil or “nodal point”:

www.outline.be/quicktime/tuto/

 

PT Assembler Tutorial:

www.tawbaware.com/ptasmblr_tutorial.htm#colors

 

Panorama Wiki:

http://wiki.panotools.org/

 

Online Forum:

www.tawbaware.com/forum2/

 

Examples:

www.yosemite-17-gigapixels.com/

www.gigapan.org/viewGigapan.php?id=17217

www.judyarndt.ca

 

John Taylor

jtay66@gmail.com

October, 2009

I just wanted to thank everyone for being so welcoming at the last meeting.  I had a great time meeting the people I did and look forward to attending more in the future.  It was worth the trip from Ephrata! Hope all is well. 

Steve Lovitt

I found out about this contest through photographer Scott Bourne's Web site:

 

Enter to win a Lensbaby Composer.  No obligation. 

http://lensbaby.com/scottbournecontest

 

And at the risk of being repetitive, let me once again recommend that you bookmark Scott Bourne's Web site for excellent photo tips.  http://photofocus.com/

 

Scott also has a podcast program where he talks about photo tips.  I highly recommend it.  This guy gives back so much to the photo community.  A bonus is that he is very articulate and easy to listen to.  Here's his most recent podcast:  http://photofocus.podomatic.com/player/web/2009-08-24T17_29_24-07_00  I am listening to this podcast as we speak, and I'm taking notes like crazy.  Lots of good stuff!

 

(The below photo was taken a couple days ago.  It's Olalla Bay, near where I live.  In the fall, the leaves are a riot of oranges and yellows, and look gorgeous reflected in the water.)

That's "senior" as in high school kids, not old fogies.  Here's a link to a photographer who does teen portraits. The photos are innovative, original, and really show the subjects' personalities.  The technical mastery is awesome.  Take a moment to view some of the lovely photos. 

http://teenidentity.com/#/photos--magazine---video-to-unleash-the-true-beauty-in-every-teen-girl-/

Sherrie

(No, this isn't a picture of me. It's my cat, Christopher the Assassin)

I just finished the last repair on the last wedding photo. Now for the acid test: looking at a print copy! Toseetheoriginal please go to my original post about these pictures. I can't wait to see what others in our group may have done!

Whew!

Paula

            Adobe Photoshop CS4 for Photographers

            Martin Evening

            Focal Press

 

 

Martin Evening has written a comprehensive book about using PS CS4. The Chapters are color coded for easy reference. Evening begins with a chapter to introduce and familiarize the reader with the program, its tools and capabilities. He recommends everyone read this chapter and not skip it regardless of skill level. While assuming all is new to his reader, it is a good read of what is new with CS4 for the experienced user. And we all know, Photoshop is so broad and deep it is not possible to know everything about it.

 

Evening uses a style of writing that is easy to read and imparts knowledge without effort. The figures are clear and simple to read. Pertinent items are usually highlighted some way so the reader doesn’t have to search through the text a second time to find it. The author’s margin notes allow for quick reference.

 

The chapter “Configuring Photoshop” ought to increase ease and pleasure of software use as well as eliminate the mystery for the beginning user.

 

Evening brings many years of experience to us as a user, an author of other Photoshop books and as an alpha and beta tester for Adobe Photoshop. He keeps things simple and relevant to the needs of most photographers. He covers what is new in CS4 as well as the essential tools in Photoshop so event if this is the reader’s first experience with Photoshop, the ground work is here for them.

 

The help guide in the accompanying DVD is a great reference tool to use while working in Photoshop rather than referring back to the book. Each tool has its place in the user’s hands. This book will enhance the skills of any photoshop user.