The Digital Photography Book Part 1 – Second Edition
Okay, Scott already announced the release of the new version of his best-selling book, The Digital Photography Book Part 1 – Second Edition. But since today is Free Stuff Thursday, I figured we would give away FIVE FREE copies to some lucky commenters! Whether you already have the first edition and just want the latest version, or if you want to give a copy to a friend, or if you just don’t have any version of this book and want it, leave a comment for your chance to win! Or, you can head over to KelbyTraining.com, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or wherever you like to buy great books and buy a copy!

Kelby Training Live
Want to spend a day with Scott Kelby or RC Concepcion? Check out these seminar tours!

The Shoot Like A Pro Tour with Scott Kelby
May 23 – Seattle, WA
May 24 – Los Angeles, CA

Photoshop CS6 for Photographers with RC Concepcion
June 12 – Nashville, TN
June 17 – Ottawa, ON
June 19 – Toronto, ON
June 21 – Calgary, AB
June 26 – New Orleans, LA

Leave a comment for your chance to win a ticket to one of these events!

Hollywood Film Tools for Photographers with Mike Kubeisy
The newest addition to the KelbyTraining.com library of classes is Hollywood Film Tools for Photographers with Mike Kubeisy! Mike has been a photographer in Hollywood for a number of years, photographing on the sets of CSI (and all of its versions), NCIS, just about any other medical/crime show you can think of! Join him as he takes you through his Hollywood toolbox and shows you all the things he uses to create amazing images. This class will be up sometime today, so check it out at KelbyTraining.com!

Leave a comment for your chance to win a free rental of this class!

Winners
Zack Arias Class Rental
- Brian Rusinko

Kelby Training Live Ticket
- Davlan Shaw

Introduction to Adobe Creative Cloud eBook
- Holly T.

WPPI On The Road Ticket
- Cheryl Tadin

How To Become A Professional Wedding Photographer DVD from Fstoppers
- Maarten Mennes

If you’re one of the lucky winners, we’ll be in touch soon. Have a great Thursday!

A Tale of Two Photos

Once a year, on the anniversary of Guest Blog Wednesday, Scott affords me the opportunity to share some thoughts. All I can say is that it is a good thing that he gives me a year between these guest blog posts. Once again, thank you, Scott, for your gracious generosity.

Tale 1

Of all of the images I have or will take in my life, I suspect “Paris in Snow” will be by far my most iconic. It is the cover of my book From Oz to Kansas, and Epson uses it as the image on their worldwide packaging of Cold Press Natural paper. So the image has received some airplay.

This image is one of the best examples I have of how to capture “timelessness” in a photograph. There is no way to tell if the image was shot yesterday, one, 10, 50 or 100 years ago. This has to do with an observation I made several years back when photographing New York City: “modern” happens four stories and below, and “timeless” happens four stories and above. The shops at street level come and go, fashions change, cars change, and the banners that get hung for this or that special event all tend to be hung from the floor of the fourth story (or the ceiling of the third if you want to be picky) and below. But the truth of the city and the age of its creation all live four stories (from the floor up) and above. Case in point: in this image, I am nine stories up, and I am shooting down toward the fourth story of the buildings in the foreground.

Note: This is also an ExDR image (Extended Dynamic Range). Not merely an HDR image (High Dynamic Range). For me, HDR images tend to be ones that scream “I AM AN HDR IMAGE!!!” and are an exercise in how to make a photograph look like a Harry Potter set. Just because something looks weird does not make it art. It just means it looks weird. In this image, the dynamic ranges of focus, time, and gesture have been extended. The goal of any technique is that when the image is completed you cannot see the technique in the image.

But I digress…. Back to the tale of this image. 

It was February 1, 2010, two months after the year we all wish we could forget—the economic nightmare known as 2009. To say that the previous year had not been kind to many photographers is an understatement, and truth be told, I had been luckier than most. What I remember about February 1, 2010 is looking at my career and seeing that I had no work lined up so far into the future that I could see the word “bleak” stretching to the infinity perspective point. At the time I had no idea that 2010 was to be one of the best years I have ever had as an artist; in early 2010 it just looked like I was going to have to learn to start saying, “Would you like fries with that?” as part of my new job description.

So when I received an email in which I was offered the opportunity to go to Paris to attend a convention—all I had to do was be willing to be asked questions and answer them—and the hotel room was free and all I had to do was get there….

Well, I had nothing better to do, and all I had at the time on my dance card was to bemoan my economic demise and fate. I could do that in L.A. all by myself, or I could just as easily do that in Paris where the food is better. The math here was: 1) all it would cost me is to burn off some of my pile of frequent flyer miles, 2) the room was paid for, and 3) if I ate off of the craft service tables I could eat for free. As you might guess, the decision was a tough one, but off to Paris seemed the best call. The trip started with me being placed in the last row, in a middle seat that required a shoehorn to be fit into it, and I spent the next 19 hours sandwiched between two “seatmates” that had yet to discover soap, were so big that they each had their own zip code, and they each occupied—in addition to their own seat—a third of mine. Well…at least the ticket was free. And free has always been my favorite four-letter word. All I can say is that by the end of the flight I knew what a pimento feels like stuffed into an olive.

The cab ride to the hotel started during rush hour, right at sunset, and ended in complete darkness. Paris in February is nothing but gray—low-hanging gray clouds, leafless trees that look like props for a bad Halloween movie remake, and nasty biting cold. It almost never snows in Paris, maybe a little flurry here and there but nothing beyond that. Upon arrival at the hotel—an old swank place that they just finished remodeling— we entered into the lobby where there was this cardboard cutout, grinning like an idiot man/boy dressed in a 1920s bellhop suit, replete with the round cap, with a word bubble saying in several languages, “Kome Join our Koncierge Klub! Enjoy the benefits of Koncierge Klub Klass!! Why? Because you deserve the best we can offer and best of all it’s FREE!!” I remember thinking, “What’s with changing all of the Cs with Ks? And do I really want be a member of the Parisian version of the KKK?” I am a card-carrying liberal after all—so liberal that there are those who think I will not fly on an airplane unless it has two left wings. But to become a member of the Koncierge Klub Klass cost the right amount—my favorite four-letter word, “FREE”—and that made the decision for me.

Throughout the course of my career I have traveled a bit, and I belong to every frequent flyer, frequent sleeper, and frequent diner program I can sign up for. So sign up I did, and the next thing I know I am now “Koncierge Klub Klass” staying on the “Koncierge Klub Klass Level.” I have a “Koncierge Klub Key” that gives me access “24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, and Sundays too!!” Who knew that Sunday was a day in addition to the seven days in a week? But I now have, with my free Koncierge Klub Key, access to the “Koncierge Klub Klass Klubroom,” whatever the hell that means. All I know is it’s free and it has its own level. Membership has its privileges.

Next thing I know I’m all checked in and my bags are on a cart (or would it be Kart?) and the bellman who looks nothing like the grinning idiot on the cardboard sign is asking me for both my room and Koncierge Klub Keys. He then puts the KK Key into a nondescript slot and a set of elevator doors open, and wooosh we go up to the Koncierge Klub Klass Level. As the elevator door opens, directly in front of me is the Koncierge Klub Klass Klubroom. Easily a quarter of the Koncierge Klub Klass Level floor. It had a beautiful Carnelian marble counter with a super swoopy high-tech espresso machine that grinds every cup of espresso, café Americano, and cappuccino you might want to order, complete with a self-frothing frother. There is also a Champagne refrigerator filled with multiple bottles of several upper-end Champagnes, a cheese board with a selection of cheeses that looks like all of the cows, sheep and goats in France contributed to it, all sorts of grilled meats and smoked fish, yards of savory tarts, sweet pastries, fresh fruits, macaroons, and bread (fresh made in the hotel daily). Lots of different types of freshly baked bread. Now, I am a to-the-core-San–Franciscan, and there are three things we believe we invented: fog, great bread, and great coffee. After spending time in Paris, only two inventions are true—SF invented fog and great coffee. While visions of sugar-plummed tarts, macaroons, cheeses, coffee, champagne, and freshly baked bread danced through my head, I could not wait to be nestled all snug in my Koncierge Klub Klass room’s bed…. If this was the Kommunal Klubroom, the rooms have to be Krazy Kool!

The revelry of the quality of my French free lunch was broken by the bellman (flesh not cardboard) clearing his throat and saying, “May I take you to your room, monsieur?” Which was an immediate turn to the left down a hallway off of the elevator. I’m thinking “Score! Private hallway! Big-ass room!!” I should have known this was too good to be true when I noticed, as we walked down this separate hallway, that the room number placard was smaller than the slightly discolored larger rectangle that was in the center of door, and that the room was so close to the elevator that if it were any closer it would be in the elevator shaft. Next to my hotel room’s door was a grey metal door with an industrial black and white sign with “Salle des machines d’ascenseur” engraved in the plastic. As the bellman opened the door, it hit the bed. The closet was so small that half of all of the clothes hangers were hanging outside of the closet. The shower, toilet, and sink were all in one. Convenient, I guess…if you wanted to brush your teeth while sitting on the toilet while taking a shower. Bottom line: this room was so small that you could not change your mind in it. Then there was the view. There was an amazing view of a three-story tall steaming heating/cooling exchange unit that eclipsed the entire window. The window was completely fogged over, but from the outside.

The bellman then asked, “Monsieur, where shall I place your bags?” Well, I thought, at this moment his guess was as good as mine, considering I was standing on the bed so he and I could fit in the room. I said, “I don’t know. You tell me?” Whereupon my luggage wound up on top of a desk that the bed was also the chair for, under the bed, and a piece or two in the combination toilet-sink-shower room to be moved to a place to be found later.

After handing him a few Euro, he asked if I would need any ear plugs. I said, “No, I don’t see why,” to which as he was leaving I thought I heard, “You will,” and he left. So after getting to the airport two hours before the flight, 19 hours in the last row, non-reclining middle seat playing the part of pimento, going through French customs with enough camera gear to start my own store, being interrogated as to why I was here with this much gear for an hour and a half, followed by a two-hour cab ride in Parisian rush hour traffic I had not slept for 32 plus hours…. I was tired. I fell back onto the bed looking up at the ceiling light, thinking maybe it will turn itself off as I started to finally drift off to sleep. No sooner had he left, and I started to pass out, when I heard the faint ding of the elevator doors opening, and then it felt as if the room was about to shake from the foundations of the hotel and become one with the steaming heating/cooling exchange unit just outside the window. Loud whining sounds were swirling around the room. It was in that moment I discovered what Salle des machines d’ascenseur means. It is French for “elevator motor room.”

Like I said, I am a San Franciscan, and when a room shakes like that you find a doorway real quick “’cuz it might be the big one.” So as I was shooting upright the room stopped moving and I found myself once again standing on the bed staring at the door. In every room of every hotel on the back of the door, or right next to the door frame, is a framed diagram of the floor you are on. It is ussally the same age of the hotel and never gets changed, even after a remodel. This diagram shows where the emergency exits are located, the room numbers (26 on this floor), as well as all of the functions of the non-guest rooms. Why this caught my attention—in addition to the room next to mine being titled “Salle des machines d’ascenseur,” the room I was standing on the bed of was the only other room on the Koncierge Klub Level floor that did not have a number. The room I was in was labeled “Stockage Linge.” French for “Linen closet.”

Stockage Linge?!?! I have just had my heart kick-started by the elevator motors moving the earth, and now I find out my room is a linen closet!?!? I squeeze myself against the wall to open the door of my “room,” and I walk down the hall to the elevator. I am so tired I actually fall asleep standing up, and a bellman wakes me up as the doors open. I stumble to the front desk to what I hope would be a sympathetic ear. I asked to speak to the hotel night manager about my room. As I discussed my plight about being put in the linen closet next to the elevator machine room, I was greeted with, “No, monsieur, we would never put anyone in a linen closet, and no, monsieur, there are no more rooms.” When I asked again to speak to the Hotel General Manager, I was told, “Monsieur, he is gone for the night, you can try to speak to him in the morning. He will be in at 7 a.m. but there are no more rooms. All he will tell you is what I have said. Would you like ear plugs?”

So back it was into the Koncierge Klub-o-vator I went.

On the way back up to my closet of a room all I could think of was the beautiful Carnelian marble counter and all sorts of the wondrous French food treats I was going to eat. I’ll just grab a little snack, well, maybe a lot of snack, and that will take the edge off. After all, I am a professional photographer, and my understanding is that “professional photographer” is actually pronounced “eat as much free food as possible.” All the letters are actually silent. As the elevator door opens, I am greeted by the same cardboard cutout grinning like an idiot 1920s bellhop suit, replete with the round cap with a word bubble saying in several languages, “The Koncierge Klub Klubroom buffet is now closed for the evening. It will open again at 7:30 a.m. Please feel free to enjoy as many cups of coffee as you like! Till then…ENJOY!” It is now 11:30 p.m. Who knows what time it is for my biological clock. What happened to 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year and Sundays too?

So back in the Klub-o-vator, down to the lobby, back to the front desk, back to the night manager who says, “Food service stops at 11:00 p.m. Coffee service is 24 hours.” So back in the Klub-o-vator, back the Koncierge Klub Level, back down the hall and into my closet that also doubles as an Earthquake simulator.

It is now just before 7 a.m. the next morning. I have not yet slept going on 40-plus hours. Time does not fly when you have not slept. The only thing I have accomplished is to change into a pair of sweat pants and a tee shirt. Every time I started to drift off, every time, my room shook me awake. I get up, stand on the bed, open the door, go back down the hallway, back in the Klub-o-vator, down to the lobby, back to the front desk. In front of me is the back of a shaved headed man, and in a voice tempered with the steel of 40 hours of exhaustion I say, “I would like to speak to the Hotel General Manager now.” He slowly turns and looks at me and with more attitude than I would get from a room full of ex-girlfriends he says, “ I am the Hotel General Manager.” At this moment I notice that his tie in the stripes has “Versace. Versace. Versace.” as part of the pattern. On each of the arms of his eyeglasses—again, “Versace.” His belt buckle? Yep, “Versace.” In that moment all I could think was, “I own you.” Keep in mind that standing in front of this walking billboard for haut couture is a bloodshot, disheveled, barefoot man in sweats and a tee shirt who has not slept going on two days. As we both engage in a death stare, I say to him without breaking eye contact, “I cannot believe that you would put me in a linen closet.”

“Monsieur, I can assure you, none of our rooms are now linen closets. Besides I have no more rooms and I am sure you have the class of room you paid for.” He said.

“Really…” I said.

“Yes, really.” He said. “What is your room number?”

So I told him the room number. As he typed it in again, he said “There is nothing I can do. We are completely boo….” At that moment, before he could say the “ked” part of “booked,” my last name came up on the screen. His eyes got the size of saucers. He slowly looks up from the screen. He starts to sputter, “Monsieur Versace I had no Idea tha…tha…that….”
At which point, I figure, in for an ounce, in for a pound, so I decided to just go for it. I put up my hand and say, “I don’t want to hear. I am going to breakfast. Fix it.”
“Monsieur Versace I will take care of this, breakfast of course is on us, I will move all of your belongings, I will have your key to your new room brought to you. I am sooo sorr….”
To which I again put my hand up and say, “I expect nothing less.” I turn around, take two steps, then turn back to face the now sputtering out-of-control Hotel General Manager and say, “Nice tie,” and then walk to the restaurant.

The restaurant was this beautifully elegant room with carpet so luxurious you sink to your ankles in it. I know because I still have no shoes on. The buffet was everything that the Koncierge Klub Klass Klubroom buffet promised to be but by a factor of a bazillion. In the time it took for me to walk from the front desk down the stairs to the breakfast room there was a table for six with one place setting with a placard with my name on it. The table was surrounded by waiters. Fresh breads from the bakery on the table.

Chair pulled out, napkin in my lap, asked what I wanted from the buffet, café Americano order taken and brought, glass of Veuve Clicquot champagne poured. On about my fourth glass of champagne the hotel concierge (with a “C” not a “K”) appears at my table to give me my new room key and tells me all of my things have been moved and the room is ready whenever I am. Every now and again life deals you a momentary lapse of reason that must be savored. Here I am sitting at a table for six by myself, barefoot in sweat pants and a tee shirt, surrounded by a gaggle of waiters with the hotel concierge bringing me my new room key. From nightmare to daydream in as fast as it takes to say, “Nice tie.” So I say to the concierge, “I am ready,” and he says, “This way Monsieur Versace,” snaps his fingers at my dining room team, points to some of the items of my dining carnage, and then gestures to follow him.

In the elevator we go. He slides my key in a slot with “Niveau Exécutif” engraved on a brass placard, and he presses the button for the ninth floor. Whereas on the Koncierge Klub Klass Level there were 26 doors, on this floor there are only 10. Five on each side of the hallway. We walk all the way to the end of the hall and the concierge says to me, “We are so sorry for the grave inconvenience we caused. Please enjoy your stay. Whatever you need please contact me directly.” He slides the key into the slot, opens the door, hands me my key and his personal business card, and leaves.

I find myself standing in the foyer of a corner two-bedroom suite with a wraparound balcony with a view of the Eiffel tower. All of my clothes hung up in the master bedroom and my camera bag and tripod in the middle of the living room room.

It is at this moment it starts to snow. Not a flurry. But a serious heavy snow.

I quickly move to my camera bag to get my gear out. Before I can get the bag unzipped I am interrupted by a knock on the door. I open it to find one of my waiters from breakfast with a tray. “We saw that you liked café Americano and our fresh bread. This just came out of the ovens.” He hands me the tray and leaves. No sooner had I closed the door and put down the tray, but I have another knock on the door. “Here is a bottle of the champagne you like at breakfast.” I take the bottle, shut the door, and go back to my camera bag. The snow has stepped up from heavy to blizzard. I grab my tripod, set up the camera, connect the cable release, and go to the balcony. I frame the shot and close the sliding door. It was cold outside…. As I come back into the warmth again someone is knocking at the door. I open it and there is another of the waiters. “Monsieur Versace, here are some of the macaroons you like so much!” I thank him, take tray, grab a few of them, break off a piece of bread (still warm from the oven), grab my cup of coffee, sit in a chair, grab the cable release, and start take pictures. At which point there is yet another knock at the door….

Tale Two

I was up and out 0-Dark 30 to catch the sunrise at Bryce Canyon. As is always the case in these moments, I am finding myself questioning my intelligence as to why I gave up the comfy studio life of being a humble Hollywood Headshot photographer for the glamorous life of fine art landscape photography. Which for me is the experience of my interpretation of what it feels like to be a Popsicle. I had a runny nose, and said precipitate from my nostrils has frozen into a snot-sicle at the tip. The upside to this is even though I am running a 102-degree fever I am just frozen, not frozen solid. All I know is that it’s freezing it’s really dark, it’s freezing, I can’t feel my toes or feet, it’s freezing, I look like the unholy offspring of the Stay Puff marshmallow man and the Michelin Man, and all that there was to be had in the form of caffeine was 7-11 coffee, which now has a layer of ice at the top and my gloved hands can’t take the lid off to break the ice with out spilling coffee all over me. (I know this to be true because I have frozen coffee all over my down jacket.) Also, did I mention that it is really dark and really, really cold?

So here I am walking back and forth down these switchbacks, miserable. I am in the dark carrying a carbon fiber tripod, a metric butt-ton of camera gear and a gear bag with all of the useless crap that if I don’t carry I will inevitably need, so to ward of the evil spirits I carry it. (Duct tape, Q-tips, shower caps, extra back caps, a multi-tool that I have no idea what it really does, that stuff.) My cup of now solid iced coffee—the acid flavor one—frozen to my gloved hand that even if I wanted to I can’t drink, and which I am wearing half of, wondering if the stuff works in the same way the blood from the creatures in the move Alien works.

Then I see the briefest glimmer of light!!!! The light at the end of the Bryce-sicle maker of photographers tunnel…. I set up my tripod…. Boom! The sun comes up! With the sudden sunrise also comes this monster thermal inversion and a hurricane—no, make that typhoon-force blast of wind (maybe I am exaggerating a little…but not much) shoots up from the canyon floor. I proceed to watch my camera and tripod levitate, and the next thing I know: “Houston we have lift-off.” Like a rocket, the camera and tripod are over my head and rocketing off the cliff down to the switchback about 40 feet below me. As we all know the first law of photographic physics is “all falling cameras are attracted to the largest rocks”. Next I hear…SMASH, BAM, THUD thud. (Insert your personal list of colorful expletives and epitaphs if this were you).

One does not really run in a down suit made from the mating of the Stay Puff marshmallow and Michelin Man. I get to the camera and there is a hole punctured through the pentaprism housing. The word Nikon has been so scraped so that all it says is, “Nik.” I look at that and think, “Well that is a bit of an understatement,” more like “DENT.” Also, one of the carbon fiber tripod legs is snapped and the lens can no longer manually focus. But the auto focus is on line, and when I put my finger over the hole in the pentaprism housing the meter works and the camera still focuses. Then I remember in the stuff-that-I-will-never-use-but-must-bring-because-if-I-don’t-I-will-need-it part of my camera bag is duct tape! If you are unfamiliar with the powers of duct tape, just know…duct tape is like the force. It has a light side a dark side, and it holds the universe together.

First, I tape the prism housing—problem #1 solved. Second, tape (seriously tape) the tripod leg together so it holds, set the camera up, and take the shot. Right next to where the forces of nature felt was a better place for me to shoot than the place I had originally chosen was a bronze trail placard. It reads as follows: “When Ebeneezer Bryce was asked about his discovery of what is now called Bryce Canyon he replied, ‘Well…it was a hell of a place to loose a cow.’” All I can say in response to Ebeneezer’s observation is, “Ay-yep.”

The Point

If you correct your mind, the rest of your life will fall into place.
–Lau Tzu

There is no way I could pre-visualize these two images. There is no way that I could ever know that the complexities of a series of events that led up to these two decisive moments in my life would conspire to create the moments in time that took me to take these two images. At best, what I pre-visualize is to prepare to be amazed.

Complexities are made up of many simple things. A photograph speaks a thousand words, but not even a thousand words can ever define what it is we see and feel when we look at a well-executed photograph. Every image we create has a story that is often different than the story it tells. In other words, the journey we go on is the destination, and we will not know what the destination was until after we have been there. All the while we are in the moment of that journey, we have no clue if we have arrived or not. For, me the photographs I create are nothing more than the postcards of the journey of the vacation that is my life. They are also nothing less. They are the reflections of the best times of my life. They are always more for me than for anyone else.

Unfortunately, today we find ourselves frequently dazzled by the technology in this new world of digital photography. We are in a world where the default settings of the cameras we shoot with and the post-processing software we use can quickly replicate what it took years to master in the analog darkroom. Is all of this stuff amazing? Yes it is. Is it seductive if we are not careful? Again, yes it is. We find ourselves in a place where we are willing to accept that just good enough is good enough.

But no matter how amazing the tech is, it will never be a replacement for the dazzling beauty of the human artistic voice, the sprit of the moment that takes us to want to commit the image to print. Techniques and technology only exist so that the voice does not need to shout to be heard. But when the fault of our work becomes not seeking out the best way, but to default to the path of least effort, we go from finding the simplest possible way of making things to trying to make things simpler than possible.

Approach photography, or any creative pursuit, as being the one thing that inspires you. Don’t make your pursuit of art a journey of looking for courses of action, but rather make it a journey of looking for causes to act. No matter how many missed shots you make or how slow you feel your learning is going, you are still light years ahead of everyone else who is not trying.

To paraphrase the great improvisational acting teacher Viola Spolin, the point at which we say it does not matter is the point at which we say the image does not matter. Everything matters; we just do not know what is significant until we make the fat pixel sing. Not squeal or scream. But simply sing.

Every artist has an instrument, every artist has a voice, every artist has within them the capability to manifest an act of creation on the level of Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, Michelangelo’s Pietà or Paul Caponigro’s Running White Deer. All we need to do is slow down to the speed of life, and allow the amazing to take us. The Cherokee Indians believe that there are two wolves within us. One is evil—it is anger, jealousy, greed, resentment, lies, inferiority, and ego. The other is good—it is joy, peace, love, hope, humility, kindness, empathy, and truth. The wolf that wins? The one you feed.

You can see more of Vincent’s work at VersacePhotography.com, and follow him on Google+, Twitter, Facebook, and Flickr

(Above) Here’s a behind-the-scene shot from Friday’s shoot.  This is a three-light shoot: Two 4-foot strip banks above (with Elinchrom strobes), and there’s one additional softbox in front (you can see the light-stand right behind my laptop) that’s putting some extra light on the engine — it was a little dark in there with just the two strobe directly above the bike.

OK, if you already have the first edition of the book, DON’T BUY THIS ONE!!!! That’s because it’s a “refresh” and not a “rewrite.”

The original book was published back in 2006, so I brought the book up-to-date with a pretty significant refresh using today’s latest cameras, updates and changes in gear; plus I added a short chapter with some advice I’ve learned since then; I went through and updated all the photos  (man, it’s excruciating to look back at the images you were taking seven years ago), and techniques where needed throughout, and I re-wrote from scratch the most popular chapter, the “Photo Recipes” chapter with all new images and descriptions (because again, I hated those old photos from 2006).

So, as much as I’d love you to rush out and buy a copy….
I want to keep you as a reader and that means being straight with you, which is why I’m letting you know it’s still essentially the same book. So, why am I mentioning it at all if I don’t want you to buy it? This is the book of mine that given as a gift to other new photographers more than any other, so if you’re thinking of passing one on to someone new, I want to make sure you get them the latest edition (it says “Part 1, 2nd edition” right on the cover — see below right).

Also, it’s no longer “Volume 1, or Volume 2″
After the original book, subsequent releases were named Volume 2, Volume 3 and so on, but what I found was people were buying Volume 4 because it was the newest one, but actually each one is completely different and picks up where the previous title left off, so by starting with Volume 4, they were missing all that essential stuff up front that leads up to it. In fact, some folks complained that Volume 4 was too advanced for them, but that’s because they weren’t ready for Volume 4 yet — they needed to start with Volume 1 and work their way up. That’s why we changed it now to Part 1, Part 2 and so on (I’d much rather someone bought Volume 1 and ever bought another, than starting with Part 4 and being lost).

It’s here. Now.
It just went “in-stock” this week:

> Amazon and Barnes & Noble have the Print edition for $13.90

> Amazon has it for the Kindle at $9.99 and B&N has it for the Nook at $11.39

> Peachpit Press (the book’s Publisher) has a bundle (both print book & ebook together) for $26.99

I hope if there’s someone you’d like to help along the way in their photographic journey, you’d consider picking up a copy for them. Of course, if you don’t have the original, snap this puppy up now! LOL!! :)

Thanks to everyone out there who has made this book, Part One, the top-selling digital photography book of all time. I thank you. My kid’s college fund thanks you (My son’s off the college in just two years. My daughter still has…well…about 11-more years to go. Maybe I’ll have a Part 10 by then). ;-)

All my best,

-Scott

P.S. If you already have one or more of the books, come and see me in Seattle this Thursday or in Los Angeles on Friday with my “Shoot Like a Pro Tour” which is based on this very same series of books. Here’s the link if you want to come out.

This week we kicked off the new season of Photoshop User TV (the weekly Photoshop show) and I got the honor of introducing our viewers to our new co-host of Photoshop User TV, and the latest addition to “The Photoshop Guys”, it’s  Jessica Maldonado, our own “Photoshop Girl.” (wild cheers ensue!).

I know what you’re thinking. About #$&% time! (I totally agree) 
I also know what some of you are thinking, and just so you know, Jessica chose the nickname “Photoshop Girl” herself (though some suggested “Photoshop Gal” cause they thought it fit the whole “Guys & Gals” theme, but Photoshop Gal doesn’t sound like a super-hero, and Jessica is definitely a Photoshop super-hero!)

Jess has been working with us for years in our design dept. She’s the main designer on all my books, and books like Joe McNally’s “The Moment it Clicks,” David Ziser’s “Captured By the Light” and Moose Peterson’s “Captured” but I think her best work yet is coming later this year as I’ve seen her layouts for Frank Doorhof’s upcoming book and they are absolutely fantastic!

So, how did Jess get the gig?
Well, first you have to be really, really, really good at Photoshop (like the guy she’s sitting next to on the set, Corey Barker). I know a lot of people who are really, really good at Photoshop and Jessica is among the very best — but I just didn’t realize how good a teacher she was until she recorded some tutorials and sent them to me, and I was like “Wow!!! She is GOOD!” So, we asked her (more like begged her) to join us on the show as a regular co-host and I’m super-psyched she said “yes!” Even though she was really nervous, she survived the first episode (which aired on Monday and I’m rebroadcasting below) despite the fact that Pete “The Juice” Collins was on that episode too and that’s a recipe for unpredictability and mild forms of chaos.

Join me in welcoming Jessica
Here’s this week’s show (below) and Jessica’s debut (I loved her very cool tutorial), and I hope you’ll please join me here in welcoming her to our show (you can leave a comment below if you like). It’s an honor to have her as our new co-host and I’m excited to see all the cool stuff she’ll be sharing with our viewers this season.

The show airs every Monday at KelbyTV.com and then we rebroadcast starting the next day. You can subscribe for free via iTunes our watch it on our site (complete with all the back episodes).

Cheers, –Scott

Free 24-Hour Trial for National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP)!
Want to know what you’re missing out on by not being a NAPP member? Try it out for FREE for 24 hours right here! Check out the full-length classes and quick tutorials from the top Photoshop instructors in the world for a full 24 hours. Whether you’re a photographer looking for Camera Raw, Lightroom, and Photoshop tips or a designer looking for new techniques and getting in-depth with layers, blend modes, and type, you can find it at NAPP.

Straight From My Camera with Zack Arias
The newest addition to The Art of Photography line of classes at KelbyTraining.com is Straight From My Camera with Zack Arias! In this class, he sits down with Mia McCormick to discuss everything from getting started and developing a style to finding inspiration and getting out of a rut so photography doesn’t become just a job.

You can check it out right here, and leave a message for your chance to win a free rental of this class!

Kelby Training Live
Want to spend a day with Scott Kelby, Matt Kloskowski, RC Concepcion, or Ben Willmore? Check out these seminar tours!

The Shoot Like A Pro Tour with Scott Kelby
May 23 – Seattle, WA
May 24 – Los Angeles, CA

Photoshop CS6 for Photographers with RC Concepcion
May 17 – Milwaukee, WI
June 12 – Nashville, TN
June 17 – Ottawa, ON
June 19 – Toronto, ON

Photographic Artistry with Adobe Photoshop with Ben Willmore
May 21 – Boston, MA

Leave a comment for your chance to win a ticket to one of these events!

Introduction to Adobe Creative Cloud eBook
Want to know the ins and outs of the Adobe Creative Cloud? In the Introduction to Adobe Creative Cloud eBook, Conrad Chavez shows you ways to improve your workflow and save time while working on projects like designing apps, websites, portfolios, and more. The best part is it’s only $2.99, and you can grab it right here, or leave a comment for your chance to win a free download!

WPPI On The Road in Chicago with RC Concepcion and Pete Collins!
RC Concepcion and Pete Collins are joining up with other instructors like Lindsay Adler, Doug Gordon, Jared Platt and more for WPPI On The Road in Chicago next week, May 20-21! This is a 2-day event for photographers looking to get their business off the ground, and they’ll be covering everything from editorial, wedding, and portrait photography to post production.

You can get more info and sign up right here, and leave a comment for your chance to win a free pass! We’ll be picking the winner tomorrow (May 17) and will notify you via email by the end of the day so you have the weekend to prepare.

How To Become A Professional Commercial Wedding Photographer
Patrick Hall, Lee Morris, and their team at FStoppers put together a DVD (digital download) called How To Become A Professional Wedding Photographer that covers everything you need to know to get started in the wedding photography business. It’s over 14 hours of content covering gear, lighting, video, slideshows, covering all aspects of a wedding ceremony and reception, post processing, delivering the final product, and even an interview with none other than Cliff Mautner!

There’s more info and a 21-minute preview over at FStoppers, plus they’ve given us a free copy to give away to one lucky commenter! Leave a comment for your chance to win.

Winners
Indoor Lifestyle Photography Class Rental
-Edwardson

Kelby Training Live Ticket
-KC

Jeremy Cowart Class Rental and Lifefinder DVD
-David A

That’s it for today. If you’re one of the winners, we’ll be in touch soon!

How to Create an Architectural Photo: Manhattan Style

I’d first like to thank Scott and Brad for inviting me to be a guest blogger!  When I was asked to write a post, I was very excited and immediately began thinking about what to share.  I love when photographers show how they created one of their favorite images from start to finish, so that’s what I’m going to do for you.

Although architecture is a relatively small niche of photography, there are many architectural photographers out there; each with their own style of shooting and retouching.  Some do very minimal retouching, if any, to their photographs, but I am not one of those.  I put just as much time, love and attention to detail in post as I do on set.  Every square inch is accounted for whether I’m behind the camera or behind the computer monitor, and here’s how I do it.

The Assignment:
The image I’m going to talk about is of a residential townhouse on the Upper West Side.  This street happens to be one of the few in that neighborhood that’s not landmarked, so the architect was able to redesign the entire façade with a modern twist.  It’s very different from the rest of the townhouses on the block (and really all of New York City), yet the colors and materials used allow it to blend well with its surroundings.

Final Image

The client wanted a dynamic shot of the building with no cars parked out front.  I knew that the best time to do this would be about 15 minutes after sunset time.  Twilight skies emit a vibrant blue color, and with the lights in the townhouse turned on (which my client had arranged for), the house really comes to life.  I also had to find out the street cleaning hours for the building so that I could get a clean shot without the cars.  Since there would be cars parked outside during the optimal twilight period, I planned on doing the same shot at two different times with the intention of compositing them in post.

Shooting at Night:
I arrived a few minutes before sunset to prepare for the first shot (sunset times can be found at SunriseSunset.com).  While waiting for that magical blue light, I took note of the street cleaning time, which was going to be Friday from 11:00am – 12:30pm.  I stuck three small pieces of Gaffer’s tape on the street where my tripod was set up so that I could return to the exact same spot on Friday.  I also waited for a few cars to pass by to get a few swooshing lights going across the bottom of the image for added color and drama.

Unretouched twilight shot of the building

On Friday I returned to my spot during the street cleaning time to recreate the same shot, only this time there would be no cars parked out front.  I positioned my tripod over the tape marks that I’d left from the night before and composed the image as best I could to mimic the composition of the twilight shot.  I knew the alignment wouldn’t be perfect, but it would be good enough since I only needed to use the sidewalk portion of this picture.

Left: unretouched daytime shot of the building. Right: same shot only darkened using Curves in Photoshop

Post-Production:
As you can see above, the daytime shot was made darker to make the sidewalk appear to have been shot at twilight.  I layered and aligned the daytime and twilight shots together, created a mask, and painted in the sidewalk from the daytime shot.

Left: original, RAW twilight shot. Right: final image after retouching

Equipment:
I created this shot with my Canon 5D Mark II and a Canon 17mm Tilt/Shift lens at ISO 200, f/11, and a shutter speed of 6 seconds.  I use tilt/shift lenses for about 80% of my work, both exteriors and interiors.  Even with this small townhouse, the 17mm TS lens needed to be shifted upward to capture the entire building.  When I can’t get the whole building in one frame, I’ll compensate by taking two shots – usually the bottom portion including some of the street, and then the upper portion including some extra sky – and then I stitch them together in Adobe Photoshop.  In this case, only one shot was needed.

I always shoot on a tripod so that I can bracket the exposures for manual HDR processing.  I say manual because I don’t use HDR software, which processes and merges the bracketed exposures together.  Instead, I choose which parts of each exposure I like the best, and I blend them by hand.

Final tips for shooting urban architecture:

• The size of the building will determine which lens you need to use (I strongly recommend using tilt/shift lenses for architectural photography).
• Season – are there trees in front of the building? If so, would the shot look better with foliage?
• Scout out parking rules and regulations – it’s best if you can shoot the building without cars parked out front.
• Time of day – if you’re shooting during the day, it’s important to consider the direction of light to avoid harsh and unwanted shadows.

The final ingredient for shooting architecture is passion.  Study the location you are going to capture.  Visit it during the day and also during the night to see how it looks in different light.  Think about the purpose of your photo and who your client is.  An architect wants to see the beauty in what they created through form and functionality.  Thanks for reading, and I hope you learned something useful!

Architecture by workshop/apd

You can see more of Donna’s work at DonnaDotan.com, and follow her on Google+, Facebook, and Twitter.

When I recently got the chance to shoot the Audi R8, I only had an hour from start to finish, so I figured I’d give the new Priolites a try because of their “run and gun” wireless capabilities for on-location shooting, and they worked amazingly well. Check out the video to see ‘em in action (and to see one amazing car)!

Great video clip from my buddy Matt Kloskowski on what he thinks may well be the most useful button in Lightroom (he originally ran this over on LightroomKillerTips.com last week). I can’t say I disagree, because I use it literally every single day dozens of times (if not more). If it’s not “the” most useful button, it’s surely is among the very top!

Hope you all have a great Monday. :)

Audi R8 Detail Shoot with some interesting new lights
When I found out one of my friend’s had a brand new red Audi R8, I was begging them to let me shoot it, and this week I got about an hour to shoot some detail shots (here’s a few above), and the car was, just insane! I’m hoping to get another chance soon to shoot the full car in an airplane hanger, so I’m pretty psyched. But for this shoot I tried out some groundbreaking new lights, and I don’t want to spill the beans because I did a behind-the-scenes video (hopefully I can share it here next week), but they were pretty darn slick, and I can’t wait to share it with you as soon as the video is ready.

Location shoot for Empower Boxing
Yesterday I snuck out of the office with Brad to do a quick portrait with James, the owner of the literally just-opened Empower Boxing gym in Tampa, Florida. Very cool guy and a very cool set-up, with heavy bags hanging…well…everywhere. Some behind-the-scenes shots coming next week as well.

Wednesday’s Episode of “The Grid”
If you missed this week’s “Scott Responds to the Creative Cloud Feedback” episode of “The Grid,” the rebroadcast is above. The first half of the show is about Adobe’s subscription-only announcement, and the 2nd half is about an idea I had for Adobe for photographers, and it got lots of love from the community. If you’re going to comment here, make sure you watch the Grid first, before you comment, ’cause if I can tell you didn’t watch it, I’m pulling it. Just so ya know.

That’s it for now. Hope you all have a great Friday, and a kick-butt weekend.

Cheers,

-Scott

P.S. I’m in Seattle with my new tour on May 23rd, and then LA on the 24th. Hope you can join me

Indoor Lifestyle Photography with Erik Valind
In his latest KelbyTraining.com class, Indoor Lifestyle Photography, lifestyle photographer Erik Valind photographs scenes in various locations and shows you how to use various light modifiers, pose your subjects, compose your shots, and deal with challenges on location. Learn how to mix artificial light with available ambient light to look natural, then utilize that to perfectly light different locations like living rooms, retail locations, and restaurants.

Leave a comment for your chance to win a free rental of this class!

Kelby Training Live
Want to spend a day with Scott Kelby, Matt Kloskowski, RC Concepcion, or Ben Willmore? Check out these seminar tours!

The Shoot Like A Pro Tour with Scott Kelby
May 23 – Seattle, WA
May 24 – Los Angeles, CA

Photographic Artistry with Adobe Photoshop with Ben Willmore
May 15 – Columbus, OH
May 21 – Boston, MA

Photoshop CS6 for Photographers with RC Concepcion
May 10 – Salt Lake City, UT
May 17 – Milwaukee, WI
June 12 – Nashville, TN

Leave a comment for your chance to win a ticket to one of these events!

Jeremy Cowart Workshop – The Field Sessions
Our buddy and Kelby Training instructor Jeremy Cowart is putting on a unique workshop called The Field Sessions this month at his studio in Nashville. In this workshop, Jeremy will be using “non-traditional (bizarre)” techniques to create fine art portraits of musicians and bringing you along for the ride. He’s showing you everything from lighting and gear, to directing, wardrobe, and “experimental post-production techniques  that may or may not include laser pens, fire, projectors, chemicals, pastels and baby unicorns.”

These workshops take place on May 10 (tomorrow), May 15, and May 25. You can get all the info and register right here. Leave a comment for your chance to win a free rental of one of Jeremy’s KelbyTraining.com classes and a copy of his Lifefinder DVD!

Winners
Kelby Training Live Ticket
-Marcel Bauer

KelbyTraining.com Rental
-Garrett Dollar

Lightroom 4 Book for Digital Photographers eBook
-Martin Boling

That’s it for today. If you’re one of the winners, we’ll be in touch soon. Have a great Thursday!