ON-LINE PHOTO INSTRUCTION-- with detailed critiques of your work
My new 4-week and 8-week courses begin again at Betterphoto.com on September 7.
To improve your compositional skills, for example, click HERE to check out the outline of the Developing Your Creative Artistic Vision course to see if you feel this subject matter is exactly what you need.
I have a new photoshop course called Photoshop: Thinking Outside the Box.
You can click HERE to see the outline of this unique course that will introduce some intriguing techniques that you've probably not tried before -- like 3D, making a sketch, and more. It is very different from my other Photoshop courses, and it's a lot of fun.
Do you want to make money in photography? Want to feel more confident in using natural light outdoors? Interested in learning more about Photoshop (like putting fireworks in the sky or removing lens flare). Are you insecure about your exposure skills?
The way the courses work is this. Every Wednesday you receive a lesson that consists of text and photos, explaining various principles in photography, marketing your work, digital manipulation, or whatever subject you are studying. At the end of each lesson there is an assignment, and you have plenty of time to take pictures and upload them for my critique. You can use photos you did specifically for the assignment or images that you have taken previously.
On-line photo courses are like virtual classrooms but not in real time. Other students can see your pictures, read my critiques, and comment on your work. Similarly, you can comment on the pictures of other students. It is a unique and wonderful learning experience.
One of the great things about these on-line courses is that students participate from all over the world. In a single lesson's uploads, you may see pictures from Bryce Canyon or Brazil, or from Singapore or South Carolina. It's a very stimulating environment, and it will help you become the photographer or digital artist that you would like to be.
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Getting Flash Exposure Correct  All photographers, pro and amateur alike, are insecure about using flash. That's why I am writing an ebook on flash (it will be available in about two weeks), to address the issues that frustrate and intimidate everyone. In this article, I'd like to explain how you can deal with the inconsistency of exposure. First, there are two main reasons why flash is problematic. First, the brief burst of light is too fast for us to analyze the lighting and exposure with our eyes. Second, flash output is often unpredictable and inconsistent. Amateur photographers look at the poorly exposed pictures and are disappointed. They think they failed, and they don't know how to fix the problem. Pros do something else, and this is the secret: We look at a bad exposure as a test. From there, we make adjustments to the flash output until the picture is exactly what we want. It's that simple. Much of the time our initial exposures are not good also, just like what happens with you. But then we continue the process to make them correct. 
In the past when we all shot film, professional photographers would make a Polaroid test print. In other words, we would set up one or more flash units and then take a picture with a Polaroid camera. The film would develop in a minute or so, and that would tell us if the exposure was correct, how the shadows were falling, and so on. If any of these things needed adjusting, we would make the correction based on an educated guess and then take a second test print to make sure the light was perfect. If it wasn't, we'd make another correction and try again. Today, we have the advantage of the immediate feedback of the LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor on the back of our digital cameras. We don't even have to wait one minute to see our pictures. We can see if the exposure is too light or too dark instantly If an adjustment is needed, it's a simple matter to adjust the flash output and make the correction. The bottom line, then, is you must know how to increase or decrease the exposure from the flash, and this is done with the flash exposure compensation feature that all of our cameras have.  In each of the photos of this beautiful little red head, Ellecie White, this is what I did. Whether I used one flash or two, I would study the exposure that each flash was giving me and then tweak it until I liked the result. This isn't mysterious and it's very doable -- by everyone. The flash exposure compensation feature is usually located on the flash itself in a button or in a menu, and sometimes there is a way to control it on the camera. Check the instruction manual that came with the flash to locate this all-important control. It is the only way you can make the flash exposures you take perfect. There are many reasons why flash is inconsistent in exposure, and I discuss these in my new ebook (see below). But just realizing that you can adjust the light output will go a long way toward your ability to use flash as a creative too. I wanted to mention one other thing about flash that I think you'll find interesting. The profile portrait of Ellecie at the top of this article was taken with a single flash, the Canon Speedlite 580EX. I used black velvet for the background, and the reason the lighting is so soft on her is that I diffused it. How did I diffuse the light? Instead of using a commercially available diffusion panel, a softbox, or a white umbrella -- all valuable studio tools -- I wanted to see if I could get a beautiful look using nothing but white computer paper. I like showing photographers how to take beautiful images with not much more than imagination. I taped four pieces of 8 1/2 x 11 computer printing paper together and a friend held the improvised diffusion screen up in front of the off-camera flash. The light turned out to be beautiful, as you can see, and this proves that you can create wonderful portrait lighting without spending any money at all.
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SELF-CRITIQUE I am leading a photo tour to New England next month, and I have autumn colors on my mind so I'm using these images in the self-critique column to make a point. The original photo, above, is a typical shot of the wonderful combination of color that is everywhere in New England and the mid-West in late September and early October. I like the composition, the color, and the lighting. Soft and diffused light is ideal for fall foliage -- not direct sunlight. The water line placed in the middle of the frame works in this case (even though this violates the Rule of Thirds) because it underscores the symmetry of the image. I think the image has very nice balance. What isn't good is the fact that the entire surface of the pond is sprinkled with floating leaves. The brown, dead leaves litter (if I can use that term) the scene, and in my opinion they ruin the artistry of the shot. Yes, this is natural, but nature has no sense of artistry. It is what it is. We as photographers find the artistry. Much better in my opinion is the picture below. I used Photoshop to create a reflection by mirroring the top portion of the image, and that solved the problem. I know there are many nature photographers who find this kind of manipulation of the natural world to be sacrosanct. If these people would prefer to take a net and skim the entire pond to get rid of the leaves to make the reflection perfect, more power to them. In the film days, I actually did something like that on a beach in Bora Bora. I borrowed a rake from the hotel and spent three hours cleaning up all the washed up seaweed to make the beach look pristine. Now that we have Photoshop, it's so much easier to create visual perfection. The bottom line is this. Do you see yourself as a photojournalist or a photo artist. I see myself as the latter, hence I'll do whatever it takes to create the vision I see in my mind. That's what every artist does. 
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Adding Fireworks
I took this picture of the Singapore skyline during a spectacular fireworks display. However, the problem was that the fireworks were not exploding in the right place for me to get an optimal picture. They were bursting high in the sky to the right of the buildings, so I took many pictures of the fireworks and also shot the architecture. Putting them together was easier than you might think.
In Photoshop, it's not possible, and not necessary, to select the fireworks with precision. All you have to do is use the lasso tool to make a rough selection around each burst or group of bursts, and then use the pull down menu command Edit > copy. This places the selected area in the clipboard, a temporary (and invisible) holding place that allows only one photo or one portion of a photo to be held there at a time.
I then opened the skyline picture and used Edit > paste. This placed the fireworks image -- along with the original sky that immediately surrounded the fireworks -- into the city background. To instantly eliminate the unwanted original sky around the fireworks, I went to the blend modes in the layers palette.
The blend modes are found in a pull down submenu within the layers palette that shows the word 'normal' in the tab (red arrow, above). Pull that down and you'll see the 'lighten' blend mode. Use this and instantly the fireworks look like they were photographed in front of the city. If you want to move the bursts into place, click on the move tool and drag it wherever you want. If you want to change the size of the fireworks, use Edit > transform > scale (the keyboard shortcut is Command/Ctrl T), and that puts a box around the layer. Hold the shift key down to maintain the correct proportions, and drag a corner of the box until the image is sized as you wish.
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Black velvet
I have made it a habit when I travel to carry with me a piece of black velvet. It looks great as a background behind all kinds of subjects. The picture you see below was taken on my photo tour to Indonesia in July. I was on the patio outside my room at our lodge, and the area was in shade. This worked to my advantage because this kind of diffused light is the best case scenario for macro work. There is a minimum of shadows and the contrast is low, and that means the detail and texture of the subject being photographed shows up much better than had you used direct sunlight. The velvet is my fabric of choice because it absorbs light better than other fabrics, and the background stays a nice, rich black.
 I also used the velvet to photograph a Balinese dancer, below. I took many pictures of this young lady, including in front of a temple background which I like a lot. But there is something very dramatic and compelling about seeing her against the black background. 
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New eBook -- Flash Made Easy
I wrote this ebook to help you get over the fear of using flash. This is all about using a portable flash like the Canon 580EX II or the Nikon SB-900. I don't address popup flashes because if you want to take creative control over your flash photography, you must be able to have options ... such as taking the flash off the camera and using it to the side of the subject. In this ebook, I start at the beginning and explain basic flash terminology, the pros and cons of on-camera versus off-camera flash, flash exposure, diffusion techniques, using flash with closeups, and creative experiments you can do with flash. After reading this ebook, flash will no longer be a mystery. You will actually like working with a flash. eBooks are great because they are much less expensive than conventional books, and you can carry them with you on an iPad, iPhone, or laptop. And trees don't have to be cut down to make the paper for the books. The colors in the images are dazzling, too -- much more so than in a conventional print book because the photographs seen on a computer or iPad are illuminated from behind. What a great time it is to be a photographer! The ebook will be available on my website (jimzuckerman.com) in about two weeks. Below are some photos from the ebook that demonstrate various points made in the text.  
eBook on Nik Software
In my second ebook that has become very popular, I demonstrate unique and creative ways to enhance and embellish your images using many of my favorite Nik Software filters. These filters expand your creativity in every direction, and I use them all the time. When you combine Photoshop techniques with the various Nik filters, you can produce some astonishing images. Techniques using Silver Efex Pro 2.0, Color Efex Pro 3.0, Viveza 2, and HDR Efex Pro are included in this book. Think of this as an idea book to get your creative juices flowing. It is now available on my website -- click HERE for a direct link. Below are a few images using techniques I discuss in the book. If you order any of the Nik filters, use the discount code JZUCKERMAN and you'll save 15%. 
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eBook on Macro Photography
My first ebook was published last January. The subject is macro photography, and it opens the door for you to this unique and exciting aspect of photography. Macro is an intriguing blend of technical know-how and artistry, and it's one of my favorite aspects of picture taking. In addition to explaining the pros and cons of equipment options, depth of field issues, and the artistry of macro work, I also give you a lot of ideas of what you can shoot. This is among the most exciting aspects of photography, and if you haven't seriously delved into it yet, you owe it to yourself to explore the creative possibilities of filling the frame with small subjects. You never know where it will lead you.
To purchase the macro ebook, click HERE and scroll down the page.
 
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PHOTOSHOP WORKSHOP in my
HOME Sat. & Sun., November 26, 27, 2011
Photoshop is a photographer's best friend, and the creative possibilities are absolutely endless. In a personal and 'homey' environment (I have a very cool classroom setup in my home), I start at the beginning -- assuming you know nothing -- but I quickly get into layers, cutting and pasting, plug-ins, using 'grunge' textures, modifying lighting, and a lot more. I promise to fill your head with so many cool techniques that you won't believe what you'll be able to do.
The photo above was taken at the Jember Fashion Carnival in Indonesia, and the original background was terrible. I replaced it with a digital landscape to make a strong visual statement. I spend a lot of time in the workshop explaining how to do this so the composite looks believable.
Photoshop instructors approach teaching this program from different points of view. My approach is to be as expansive in my thinking as possible in creating unique, artistic, and compelling images. In addition to showing you how to use the various tools, pull down menus, layers, and so on, I spend a lot of time giving you creative ideas that will inspire you to produce amazing images with the pictures you've already taken.
A lot of people, once they learn what the tools and commands do, still need help in deciding what images to work with, what composites look good, and how to be artistic within Photoshop. This is one of the main things I address in this workshop.
I live in the Nashville, Tennessee area, and if you fly into the airport (BNA) I will pick you up. If you drive, I'll give you my address and you can find it on Mapquest. For the $450 fee, I include one dinner in my home (prepared by my wife who is an amazing cook and hostess) and two lunches, plus shuttling you back and forth from my home to your nearby hotel. 
Contact me if you would like to participate in the workshop and I will tell you how to sign up (photos@jimzuckerman.com).
I will do my best to inspire you with all the great things Photoshop can do. All you need is a laptop. If you don't have one, I have two laptops (they are Macs) I can loan out.
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LISTING OF PHOTO TOURS/WORKSHOPS FOR 2012
The entire emphasis on my photography tours is on getting great pictures of great subjects. You will expend a lot of energy in that pursuit, and you may be tired when you get home, but you'll take the best pictures of your life. My motto is "you can rest from your vacation when you get home!"
Most of these trips require a lot of walking (with some exceptions), and often there are steps to negotiate in archeological ruins, hotels, temples and churches, or in the case of Venice, Italy, there are many bridges over the canals that can only be traversed by climbing stone steps. If you have problems regarding your hip, knee, or feet, keep this mind when deciding on a photo tour. If you are in doubt of your physical abilities, contact me about a particular trip and ask what the challenges may be.
I invite you to check out the Student Showcase on my website that features pictures that were taken by people participating in my photo tours and workshops. They are inspiring to say the least. Click HERE to see them.
WINTER WILDLIFE SHOOT, Jan. 6 - 8, 2012
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It's a special experience being up close and personal with wolves, mountain lions, bobcats, lynx, arctic fox, and other North American wildlife, and to be able to take great shots of them in a natural environment is truly exciting. I am conducting a workshop in Minnesota to photograph these animals in their full winter coats, and the pictures you'll get are guaranteed to be fantastic. Even though this is a captive shoot, the enclosures in which the animals are placed are large and they look entirely natural as you can see from the photos below. Click HERE for more information and to see more images.
SPAIN & PORTUGAL, April 5 - 15, 2012
I choose a different itinerary almost every year in Europe because there is so much to photograph there. In 2012, I've chosen Spain and Portugal. Spectacular castles, beautiful cathedrals, ultra modern architecture, fascinating history, and warm and friendly people make this destination a great photographic experience. We shoot twilight in the evening, we take advantage of sunrise and sunsets, and as always I find the best vantage points and I choose subjects that will, well, knock your socks off! For more information, click HERE. 
FROG & REPTILE SHOOT, Feb. 4, 5, 2012
Join me for a fun-filled and unique weekend photographing poison dart frogs (they are not poisonous in captivity because their diet is different than in their natural habitat), exotic reptiles, and a few other unique creatures. Your friends might think you are crazy, but when they see your awesome pictures they'll change their tune. The location is St. Louis, Missouri, and you are guaranteed visually arresting images. This workshop is really all about macro photography, and the subjects you will be shooting (over 50 species) will keep you excited and engaged for the entire weekend. Everyone who has taken this workshop over the past 4 years has loved the experience. To have close encounters with these rare and engaging animals is fascinating, and to return home with award winning photographs is tremendously gratifying. The plants I buy for backgrounds add color and pizazz to the images and make the shots look like they were taken in the tropics. For more information, click HERE.
WHITE HORSES OF THE CAMARGUE, FRANCE, April 21 - 29, 2012
The first Camargue trip has sold out, so I'm offering a second chance to photograph these incredible horses as they charge directly into your lens. We have six sessions with the horses including shooting some of them running in the surf, mothers and foals, and the herd running at sunset on land. The photographic opportunities are phenomenal, as you can see from the pictures.
This takes place in southern France, and after our horse encounter we visit some of the classic villages in Provence as well as a 2000 year old Roman aquaduct, one of the most photogenic in existence. We are based near the lovely town of Arles, famous for its Roman theater and a favorite subject in some of van Gogh's paintings.
If you are interested in this exciting photographic opportunity, click HERE for more information. Let me know if you have any questions.  
ICELAND, May 3 - 13, 2012 What a contrast Iceland is between fire and ice! Glaciers, volcanoes, geysers ... the landscape photography here is spectacular because the geological events that formed Iceland were cataclysmic. You will see breathtaking waterfalls, lots of blue ice formations in the form of glaciers and ice floes, truly wild landscapes, and of course the stunning Icelandic ponies. There are also beautiful churches and architectural details to be photographed, too. Click here for the itinerary and pricing: Iceland 
INDONESIA PHOTO Tour, June 29 to July 15, 2012 The photo tour I led in July to Indonesia was extremely successful. The pictures my group and I took were incredible, and everyone was overwhelmed how kind and friendly the Indonesians are. The trip includes several days on Bali because there is so much to shoot there, and then we visit some fantastic sites on the island of Java including the outrageous fashion festival in Jember. This photography tour is not to be missed if you love color, beautiful faces, ancient ruins, graceful dancers, and exotic cultures. My wife is from Indonesia, and she acts as the interpreter and chief negotiator when you buy souvenirs. Trust me on this: Her negotiating skills are brutal! She'll get you the best price on anything you want to buy. When vendors are faced with my wife, they always turn to me for help! 
We stay in four and five star hotels where available, and during the Jember Fashion Carnival we have 'all access' VIP credentials to go anywhere and photograph anything. It's very special, and you'll love the experience. 
HUMMINGBIRDS in COSTA RICA, March 13 - 19 2012  It is impossible not to be captivated by hummingbirds, and to be able to photograph them with tack sharp clarity -- to freeze their wings -- is something very special for nature photographers and especially for those of you who love photographing birds. With four strategically placed flash units (I supply all the flash units, light stands, etc.), it's possible to get frame-filling shots of these brilliantly colored birds, and in Costa Rica the variety of species is what you'd expect from a tropical environment.
My friend and superb nature photographer and instructor, Adam Jones, co-leads this trip with me, and between us you have many decades of experience. This is a technically challenging photo set up, but in the end it's the easiest bird photography you'll ever do. You sit in a chair (with drink in hand if you like), and when the birds drink nectar from the flowers we position in front of complimentary backgrounds, you fire away and a certain percentage of the shots are guaranteed to be stunning award-winning images that will make you proud. 
On this trip, we also have a fantastic reptile shoot where you can get up close and personal with native Costa Rican species of snakes, frogs, basilisks, etc. This is a highlight of the trip. There are also superb opportunities to photograph many other species of birds, tropical flowers, insects, and some unique jungle mammals. For more information, click HERE. |
For a listing of other photo tours and workshops I'm leading,
please click here.
Drop me a note for any additional information you may want
at photos@jimzuckerman.com
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