blog.artwolfe.com » Technique

Vanishing Act – Can You See the Crab?

Jay Goodrich — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 18:00:51 +0000

Candy Crab on soft coral, New Britain, Papua New Guinea.

Come back next week when we will give you a new Vanishing Act image along with the location of the candy crab in this one.

Can you see the Common Snipe?

Jay Goodrich — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 20:00:04 +0000

Can’t find it? We will show you later this week.

Spring Seminar Tour 2010

Jay Goodrich — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 18:00:43 +0000

THE ART OF COMPOSITION

Drawing form 36 years of international travel, Art will delve into a vast range of subjects; from discovering the subject to elements of design and even new works such as time lapses. Imagery of nature, wildlife and the world’s varied landscapes will round out the curriculum to provide the most comprehensive and imaginitave class available. For more information visit our workshop website. Don’t delay, our first two events in Toronto, Canada – May 20 and New York, NY – May 22 are filling fast.

Photoshop Tips and Tricks

admin — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 19:27:25 +0000

My friend Scott Stulberg will teach a class on how to use Photoshop plugins, layer masks, and other retouching techniques to enhance your photographs, whether you wish to extract a more realistic effect or play with extreme effects. The class runs August 29-30, 2009.

Working on your own computer in class and a Wacom graphics tablet, you learn how to:

* Correct color casts
* Add beautiful blurs
* Selectively sharpen
* Dodge and burn
* Convert photos to rich black and whites
* Create painting effects
* Tone down noise
* Master layer masks
* Use blend modes
* Retouch Portraits – make the eyes pop, whiten teeth, soften wrinkles, smooth the skin and more.

The class will also focus on many of the best third-party filters available for Photoshop and cover creating useful actions to speed up your workflow. We will provide trial versions of the software.

Scott brings unmatched enthusiasm to his classes. He regularly teaches at the UCLA extension, leads photo trips for Julia Dean, and is represented by Getty and Corbis.

If you want a broad introduction to enhancing photographs in Photoshop, I recommend two day intensive class. It will be fun.

Check out Tips, Tricks, and Photoshop Magic in Learning on artwolfe.com for more information. And, to see the range of Scott’s photography, visit his website, www.asa100.com.

Art’s Comments onJune Photo Submissions

admin — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:54:32 +0000

The June photos were all about atmospheric conditions and showed a marked increase in quality of work, making it harder to decide which were my favorites. Nearly all the images were unique and engaging and made me feel like I was standing next to the photographer. The images all demonstrated fresh, new approaches with high technical quality. Three photos in particular inspired me this month:

(To see all photos submitted in June 2009 on Flickr, click here.)

Forest Rain

Photographing rain is no easy task, but this photographer nailed it! The image is artistic and “feels” wet.

Sunbeams

The rising mist captures the quiet beauty and timelessness of the forest.

Light Becomes Art at Balance Rock

Whatever the photographer did here (car headlights?), it worked. This image captures the ethereal essence of the subject and conveys a rooted, yet other-worldly feeling.

Art’s Comments onMay Photo Submissions

admin — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 22:23:05 +0000

The photos submitted during May were fantastic! Thanks to everyone for their time and interest. It is really inspiring to see how people capture locations I’ve been to many times in a completely different way, all conveying their own interpretation of what the location means to them. This month two photos in particular caught my eye:

(To see all photos submitted in May 2009 on Flickr, click here.)

Mono Lake Tufa at Sunset by Craig Stocks

Although the tufa are a popular subject, this image nails the mystery and the drama of this unique landscape, evoking a sense of solitude and the wild. I love the surreal light and layering of foreground, middle, and background. The only thing I would suggest is to remove the sticks in the foreground that distract from the unique shapes of the rocks.

Rivals No More by Stephen Bennett

This image is a perfect example of Cartier-Bresson’s Decisive Moment. We grasp the story at a glance: survival of the fittest, eat or be eaten, the struggle for life. At the same time there is some tension because we don’t know how the story ends. It’s well-composed and sharp. The foliage bordering the image adds a sense of place without distracting from the main subject.

Tim Grey Videos

admin — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 18:17:42 +0000

When Tim Grey taught at our classroom, he paused to record his thoughts on the life of a photographer and the advantages of digital photography for our Expert Interviews, found under Learning on the site. He also talked about targeted adjustments in Photoshop CS4, found under Tips in Learning. Check them out.

Handheld Graduated Neutral Density Filter

admin — Sat, 07 Feb 2009 19:23:30 +0000

People are often surprised when they see me holding my graduated neutral density filter in my hand instead of putting it in a holder. The reason is simple: speed. When conditions are changing rapidly, or even when they aren’t, it’s a lot faster to hold the filter in front of the lens. If I change lenses, I don’t have to take the time to remove holder from one lens and place it on the other. I can reframe or switch from horizontal to vertical in an instant.

You need to watch out for reflections, though. The filter will reflect light if pulled away from the lens too far.

Skagit

admin — Fri, 16 Jan 2009 20:19:57 +0000

I drove to the Skagit River flats last weekend. The area had flooded and I heard that the bald eagles were congregating in trees on high ground. It was a grey day, drizzly and dark. The reports were true. We found 15 eagles in a tree, and as soon as we stepped out of the car, we saw why. Voles swam in the flooded fields, scurried under the car, hid in the tall grass. A few drowned voles lay on their sides in the water. It was a buffet for eagles, and they acted showed no interest in further dining. I never touched a camera. Exposing for the black backlit eagles would have pegged the histogram to the right, blowing out the sky. Without light, natural or artificial, there is no shot. Sometimes the experience is enough.