« March 2014 | Main | May 2014 »
April 23, 2014
Academy curriculum adding two Canadian cities
Nikonians Academy Director Mike Hagen tells us the list of cities slated for workshops this year continues to grow.
The two newest destinations for the Academy instructor staff are Calgary and Edmonton (in Alberta province, Canada) this June. Your choices in the Masters Series include:
▪ Master the Nikon D600, D610, D7000
& D7100 - In
Depth 1
▪ Master the Nikon D600, D610, D7000
& D7100 - In Depth 2
▪ Master the Nikon D800,
Df and D4 - In Depth 1
▪ Master the Nikon D800, Df and D4 -
▪ The Passionate Nikon Photographer
with Steve Simon
The Calgary sessions run June 12-15 and the Edmonton workshops will be held June 19-22.
Other cities around the USA for our Masters Series workshops are:
Note: Depending on the city scheduled, the number and specific titles of Masters Series workshops may vary, so it helps to check your desired city and dates to make sure your preferred courses are available.
Photo adventures abound
Spring wildlife photograph is around the corner in America's National Parks. Join us this May and June for incredible photography with Jim Stamates.
Wildlife photographers, now is the time to sign up for Jim Stamates' incredible wildlife trips to Grand Teton National Park (starting May 26) and Yellowstone National Park (starting June 2).
In previous years, we've photographed most of the big North American wild animals such as bear, elk, moose, wolves and lots of smaller animals and birds.
Jim is one of the foremost experts on wildlife photography in these national parks. Join him for a trip you won't forget.
We have a brand new black and white workshop in Yosemite titled Exclusive Yosemite: Black & White Digital Zone.
Nikonians Academy instructor Michael Mariant will be hosting this rare, private-format, one-time-only workshop May 16-18, 2014. It will be limited to only five Nikonians students.
The new workshop is aimed towards photographers who want to follow in the footsteps of the famous landscape masters. Michael will be teaching black and white theory, manual exposure, composition, and post processing.
There are a couple of seats remaining, so don't delay.
Rick Hulbert is well known for both his photography and his architectural knowledge. Join him in Seattle this June for his best selling Urban and Street Photography Workshop.
He is running his new signature series of workshops Mastering Composition in Photography and Mastering Architectural and Urban Photography in Atlanta, Vancouver BC, Houston, San Antonio, Washington DC and Los Angeles throughout the rest of this year.
Posted by flashdeadline at 2:14 AM
April 22, 2014
Digital Tidbits: Filling In Missing Pixels From Panorama Stitches
Panoramas are a lot of fun not only because of the pleasing visual effect but also because of the challenges they may represent to get it right. One of such challenges is missing pixels while stitching together the images made. In this article, Mike Hagen shows us how to go about it without much hassle.
Posted by Ronny89 at 12:25 PM
April 21, 2014
Switching "skins" is easy
Want a different view as you read our forum discussions?
It's easy.
Many of our new members have been asking how to switch from our classic white lettering on black background to another view with black lettering on a light background.
When you first join the community your default viewpoint looks like this:
This has long been a preferred approach for our members who want black backgrounds behind photographs for an enhanced viewpoint. However, there are just as many members who prefer a traditional black lettering on light background approach, and they can "switch skins" to make it look like this:
If you want to switch your "skin" just go to your User Menu
and click on the Preferences Tab.
There you will find (the second item listed) your option to change from the classic white on black, to the newer black on white, called Nikonians V2.0.
Choose that skin and make sure you go to the bottom of the screen and hit "Save."
You will now be viewing in the Nikonians V2.0 mode.
Posted by flashdeadline at 8:29 AM
ANPAT 14 attendees prepare for Colorado
The 14th edition of the Annual Nikonians Photo Adventure Trip (ANPAT), already has 11 of 32 seats reserved.
You are invited to join Nikonians founders Bo Stahlbrandt (bgs) and J. Ramón Palacios (jrp) for the Nikonians field event of year, at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado, USA.
The adventure will be held from September 28 to October 4.
Rocky Mountain National Park is a photographer's dream location with classic landscapes, sweeping panoramas, and giant mountain vistas.
If you are an ANPAT veteran, you well know why you should not miss it. If you are new to our Annual Nikonians Photo Adventure Trips you must come to learn why Nikonians is not just "a site" but a full rewarding community experience. Don't miss it!
Posted by flashdeadline at 7:45 AM
Founders meeting leads to future plans
Nikonians founders Bo Stahlbrandt (bgs) and J. Ramón Palacios (jrp) have been meeting to discuss future innovations in the community.
The meeting was held in Los Cabos in Baja California, Mexico (about a 25 Km strip between San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas in South Baja California, Mexico).
Our founders (Bo on the left and JRP on the right in the photo below) had a full schedule of annual meeting agenda items to handle during their short stay, working on topics such as improving design and navigation, and expanding the support for beginners and mobile users.
They also are preparing steps to enhance the visibility and awareness of the complete Nikonians experience.
Their full schedule, with lots of data to analyze, left very little time (if any) to photograph any of the local world famous icons, such as El Arco de Cabo San Lucas (Lands End).
Posted by flashdeadline at 7:16 AM
April 16, 2014
May includes two new workshop opportunities
Two new additions to the Nikonians Academy curriculum highlight our weekly report from Academy Director Mike Hagen. 
Nikonians Academy instructor Michael Mariant will be hosting a rare, private-format, one-time-only workshop in Yosemite National Park.
This three day workshop (May 16-18, 2014) will be limited to only five Nikonians students and two seats are already taken.
The brand new workshop is called Exclusive Yosemite: Black & White Digital Zone and is aimed towards photographers who want to follow in the footsteps of the famous landscape masters.
Michael will be teaching black and white theory, manual exposure, composition, and post processing.
Michael asks that the Nikonians signing up for this course are:
• Comfortable in shooting in manual mode
• Understand how to use the in-camera spot meter or a hand-held spot meter
• Understand how to use the histogram not for exposure but for reading the tonal range of the image
• Are comfortable with RAW format coupled with exposure camera controls
• Are comfortable and can navigate their way around Photoshop or Lightroom, and use adjustment layers
• Are willing to participate in the workshop planning and prep via email discussion prior to the workshop start
Our Masters Series workshops continue to get fantastic reviews and Steve Simon has been scheduled to take the series to Boston (May 28-June 1).
Steven and Mike Hagen have just finished up workshops in Chicago and New Jersey and are now headed to Texas for classes in Dallas and Houston. We'll be in Seattle this June. Mike Hagen tells us he has plans for many more to come around the USA.
Wildlife photographers, now is the time to sign up for Jim Stamates' incredible wildlife trips to Grand Teton National Park (starting May 26) and Yellowstone National Park (starting June 2).
In previous years, we've photographed most of the big North American wild animals such as bear, elk, moose, wolves and lots of smaller animals and birds.
Jim is one of the foremost experts on wildlife photography in these national parks. Join him for a trip you won't forget.
Rick Hulbert is one of the masters when it comes to urban and architectural photography.
He is running his signature series of workshops Mastering Composition in Photography and Mastering Architectural and Urban Photography in Atlanta, Vancouver BC, Houston, San Antonio, Washington DC and Los Angeles throughout the rest of this year.
Our Iceland trip is sold out for this summer, but we are headed back in February for Northern lights, ice caves and landscape photography.
We still have space on our Tanzanian Wildlife Photo Safari, Galapagos Photo Adventure, Sri Lanka Culture/Wildlife, and Cuba Photography/Cultural Tour.
Posted by flashdeadline at 2:24 AM
April 14, 2014
Share Nikonians with others through membership vouchers
Invite friends, colleagues and family members to join Nikonians and to sign up for a membership. The new member gets 5% off on a Silver, Gold or Platinum membership. For every new member you successfully recruit, you get one additional month added on to your membership.
To start inviting others today, go to the Usermenu in the Nikonians forums and select the Invitation tab.
You can send the voucher via email and also print it out and hand it over personally.
Posted by bgs at 10:46 PM
April 11, 2014
Nikonian Northern Exposure # 16
The Art of Black and White Photography. Great tips from Peter on how to Shoot Black and White Photography
Click here to listen to the Podcast
Posted by pspence at 8:24 AM
April 9, 2014
2014 workshops cover cameras, techniques, adventures
The Nikonians Academy 2014 workshop curriculum has our instructors preparing for workshops and photo adventures in North American cities, National Parks and International scenic islands. In a brief report from the road, Mike gives us a glimpse at some of the highlights for this year::
"I want to invite our members to join our professional wildlife photographer Jim Stamates one or both of our spring wildlife shoots in Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park. These are scheduled for the last week of May and the first week of June to coincide with all the new baby animals.
Rick Hulbert just finished up his very successful Urban and Street Photography workshops in Germany and the UK.
His next workshops are set for the USA beginning in June with Seattle, Atlanta, and Vancouver on the agenda.
We've changed the model a little bit and have split the workshops into two, 2-day sessions.
Mastering Architectural and Urban Photography and Mastering Composition in Photography.
Although you may take either workshop on its own, they are designed to be taken in conjunction with each other. If you sign up for both workshops, you will be eligible for a bundling rebate. Details are in the course descriptions.
Rick guarantees that you will come away with a better understanding of composition that goes far beyond 'artistic feelings' and 'divine proportions.'
Join us for an international photo experience to somewhere wild and exotic.
We just sold out for our Iceland Birds and Landscape trip, but still have room for Tanzania, Sri Lanka, Galapagos, Cuba and Costa Rica.
These trips are designed by photographers for photographers so we take full advantage of the beautiful light and stunning scenery.
If you are looking for a photo adventure in one of the USA National Parks, you need to check on Michael Mariant's outings this year. He knows the western national parks like no one else.
His workshops to Yosemite, Death Valley, Eastern Sierra and the Giant Redwoods are well designed and highly educational."
Posted by flashdeadline at 12:34 AM
April 7, 2014
A beginner's guide: What a lens can teach you
It is many times a tough nut to crack to decide for the right "glass" from a vast variety of lenses, especially for beginners. Jan Stimel brings his own point of view on this topic and shares his story.
Posted by Ronny89 at 1:34 PM
April 6, 2014
Nikonians App expansion to Android begins
Nikonians.org has launched the Android version of mGallery.
It can be downloaded from Google Play and just like the previous iOS version it helps you make an easy connection to the Nikonians Gallery on smartphones and tablets.
Nikonians founder Bo Stahlbrandt (bgs) tells us this is the first of several Nikonians Android clients in the pipeline:
"The app gained a following on iPhones and iPads, and this new release is our way of responding to our members using the Android OS, and will run on both Android phones and tablets."
The application is free of charge and can be used by all Nikonians members.
All users, even non-Nikonians, can browse and bookmark existing galleries.
As a logged in Nikonians user you can access "My gallery" which serves as a shortcut to reach your own gallery, and share your portfolio with others.
You also have the capability to store images in the camera roll (photo album) of your device, for sending it via email to someone else.
You can also seek gallery images by username.
More information and directions for using the app are available in our Nikonians wiki pages.
-------------------------------
History
Version
1.0 for Android available since March 28, 2014
Version 1.1
of the application is available in the iTunes applications store since August
19, 2010.
Version 1.0
of the application is available in the iTunes applications store since July 28,
2010.
Posted by flashdeadline at 10:24 PM
April 1, 2014
Nikonians Academy - Report from the road
Nikonians Academy Director Mike Hagen is on the road, and he took time to give us an update on the coming months.
Mike tells us a new city has been added to the Master Series workshops: Seattle, Washington. He will be leading the workshops, covering the Nikon D800, Df and D4, in June. The workshops cover the In Depth 1 (June 13) and In Depth 2 (June 14) curriculum.
Steve Simon and Mike are running workshops this week on opposite coasts. Steve is in Los Angeles and Mike is in New Jersey. There's still time to sign up.
Next week, they will be running the Masters Series workshops in Chicago, then off to Dallas and Houston - The Woodlands, Texas.
In a brief report from the road, Mike gives us a glimpse at some of the highlights for this year::
"I want to invite our members to join our professional wildlife photographer Jim Stamates one or both of our spring wildlife shoots in Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park. These are scheduled for the last week of May and the first week of June to coincide with all the new baby animals.
Rick Hulbert just finished up his very successful Urban and Street Photography workshops in Germany and the UK.
His next workshops are set for the USA beginning in June with Seattle, Atlanta, and Vancouver on the agenda.
We've changed the model a little bit and have split the workshops into two, 2-day sessions.
Mastering Architectural and Urban Photography and Mastering Composition in Photography.
Although you may take either workshop on its own, they are designed to be taken in conjunction with each other. If you sign up for both workshops, you will be eligible for a bundling rebate. Details are in the course descriptions.
Rick guarantees that you will come away with a better understanding of composition that goes far beyond 'artistic feelings' and 'divine proportions.'
Join us for an international photo experience to somewhere wild and exotic.
We just sold out for our Iceland Birds and Landscape trip, but still have room for Tanzania, Sri Lanka, Galapagos, Cuba and Costa Rica.
These trips are designed by photographers for photographers so we take full advantage of the beautiful light and stunning scenery.
If you are looking for a photo adventure in one of the USA National Parks, you need to check on Michael Mariant's outings this year. He knows the western national parks like no one else.
His workshops to Yosemite, Death Valley, Eastern Sierra and the Giant Redwoods are well designed and highly educational."
Posted by flashdeadline at 11:53 PM
Top 10 tweets from March 2014
Don’t miss out on anything important that took place on nikonians.org during last month! This post lists all the most popular tweets to keep you on track. Articles, news, podcasts, discussions – everything is in here.
1. Thousand shades of gray: How to improve the look of your black and white photos
5. Should you be shooting RAW, or is JPEG sufficient?
6. Finding emotion and soul in digital pictures through lightning
7. Poll: Who is getting the Nikon 1 V3?
9. Is it worth to choose the Nikon D800E over the D800?
Have a twitter account? Follow us
Posted by Ronny89 at 1:45 PM