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November 24, 2015

Nikonians Academy 2016 Highlights

Academy-SQ-Hulbert_125.jpgPreparing for the new year, Nikonians Academy Director Mike Hagen has compiled his personal thoughts on some highlighted workshops.

Two will take members to exotic locations while two in the United States will use architectural and street methods as a focus for improving your skills in photography.

As a bonus, Mike includes links to sites showing examples of the images you will have an opportunity to capture (with your own artistic interpretations).

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Sri Lanka
Picker-175.jpgIf there is one location on Earth that is still a photographic ?sleeper? it would have to be Sri Lanka. This lovely island off the southern coast of India is so scenically rich and varied it is hard to believe that it is not more popular than it is with photographers.

Where else can one find antiquities stretching back to Buddha?s visit, replete with temple ruins that still amaze? Or a coastline with blue-green waters that supports a huge population of blue whales and colorful fishermen? Now add in wild elephants and the densest population of leopards on the planet and you have a photographer?s Valhalla, right? Now for the best part; nowhere else will you find friendlier people who love to be photographed!

Join Les Picker on his bi-annual photo tour of Sri Lanka March 12-23, 2016.

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Urban and Street Photography Workshops
Hulbert_175.jpgRick has brought back his very popular Urban and Street Photography workshops for 2016.

Rick aspires to teach participants how to create photographs in urban, target-rich locations. Although our classes are set in beautiful Seattle and Chicago, Rick shows how to translate skills so you can create beautiful urban photography anywhere in the world.

Seattle, WA - March 17-20, 2016
Chicago, IL - September 15-18, 2016

Check out some of Rick's architectural photography here.

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Tanzania Wildlife Photo Safari
Mike-Hagen-175.jpgMike Hagen leads his 10th safari to Tanzania November 4th-15th, 2016 and he would love to have you along. His photography trips to Tanzania are completely focused on maximizing the time we spend in the outdoors in the pursuit of stunning images.

Mike works with one the best guide companies in the country and has optimized the trip for the best experience possible. Join him to photograph leopards, lions, cheetah, the great migration, elephants, and everything else under the African sun.

This is definitely a bucket list opportunity you don't want to miss.

Check out the African wildlife photos he's been posting to Instagram here.

Posted by flashdeadline at 5:53 PM

November 17, 2015

Nikonians Academy 2016 Preview Highlights

Academy-square-125.jpgNikonians Academy Director has updated the preview highlights for the coming year.
Near the top of his list we find a photo adventure an island nation with unparalleled photographic possibilities, a perfect trip for couples to participate in a safe, yet intrepid adventure together and your opportunity to learn how to create jaw-dropping images that will be the envy of both your friends and potential future clients.

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Join Les Picker on our 2016 Sri Lanka photo tour.

Sri Lanka Les9.jpgLes has traveled to Sri Lanka on numerous occasions and says the photographic experience is "truly unparalleled."

Our adventure runs from March 12-23, 2016 and includes photography of wildlife, stunning landscapes, and compelling culture.

This 12-day (11-night) exploration of the unparalleled photographic possibilities of an island nation located off the southernmost coast of India features some of the friendliest and most photogenic people on Earth, and wildlife that rivals Africa?s best locations − all at a fraction of the cost. The workshop is limited to 12 participants. Sign up here.

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Galapagos_Yacht_300.jpgOur Galapagos 2016 photo adventure with Nikonians Academy Director Mike Hagen already has seven seats sold and we have just a few more seats available.

For those of you wanting to photograph giant tortoise, marine iguanas and the blue footed booby, this is your chance! The trip includes seven nights on a Galapagos cruise and two nights in Guayaquil Ecuador (September 17-25, 2016).

Our expedition yacht has the ability to anchor close to our attractions and our small group size means that we can be nimble while photographing nature's splendor. This is the perfect trip for couples to participate in a safe, yet intrepid adventure together. If you've been looking for a time to check Galapagos off your bucket list, then this is it!

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Hulbert-Chicago_300-st.jpgRick Hulbert's passion is photographing the urban landscape. He's added two new Urban and Street Photography workshops for 2016 in San Francisco and Chicago.

You will discover how to better frame and crop your images using the long established principles of fine art painting and drawing. You will learn how to create jaw-dropping images that will be the envy of both your friends and potential future clients. You might even be able to impress your kids!

Finally, if there is an interest, we can talk about the best gear and broadly touch on software solutions that will make your images sing. If you've been to one of Rick's workshops, then you know how much fun they are and how much you learn. Join him in 2016 for a learning experience guaranteed to make you a better photographer.

Posted by flashdeadline at 7:25 PM

Seven Things I Learned by Photographing 500 People

Whether you will be photographing a single person or group or many, you will benefit from this article where Nikonians Academy Director Mike Hagen tells us the seven most important things he has learned, after doing it more than a few times. Read article >>

Posted by Ronny89 at 9:19 AM

November 10, 2015

Nikonians Academy Director pens new book

Hagen-Autofocus-Book-2015-SQ_125.jpgNikonians Academy Director Mike Hagen's new book titled The Nikon Autofocus System, Mastering Focus for Sharp Images Every Time is now available for purchase.

Created in conjunction with Rocky Nook and NikoniansPress, this book is aimed at photographers who want to improve their autofocus skills with Nikon DSLR cameras.

With today's advanced camera technology, achieving focus on a photographic subject seems like it should be a straightforward task. But many photographers know that it can be deceptively difficult, especially when shooting moving subjects or in challenging situations. Now, there is a complete guide available for Nikon shooters that will help them get tack-sharp photos every time.

Hagen-Autofocus-Book-2015_250.jpg

In The Nikon Autofocus System, photographer Mike Hagen, author of the bestselling The Nikon Creative Lighting System, takes his deep knowledge of Nikon technology and concentrates on its focus features. 

In this book, which covers all current Nikon DSLR models, Hagen fully explains how Nikon autofocus works, including detailed discussions of all the autofocus modules, drive systems, and camera buttons and menus. 

He also devotes an entire chapter to explore how focus works with Nikon?s lenses.

Armed with this general knowledge, Hagen then dives deep and offers camera setups, settings, and best practices for specific field techniques that address the photographic genres that are notoriously challenging for focus: action and sports (indoor and outdoor), wildlife (including birds in flight), and macro photography. 

He also covers genres such as portrait, landscape, underwater, low-light, and street photography. 

Mike-Hagen_175.jpg

Hagen not only advises on the best ways to set up the camera and focus systems, he gives helpful tips and tricks throughout the book.

 

The Nikon Autofocus System also covers:

? Live view autofocus methods and settings

? Achieving great focus in video

? AF tracking

? AF shooting styles, such as back-button AF and shutter-release AF

? HDR, panoramas, and other techniques for shooting with a tripod

? An entire chapter on additional terms and techniques, such as hyperfocal distance, calibrating lenses, focus and flash photography, and more

Ebook versions are available for purchase right now and paperback versions will be in stores during the first few weeks of November, 2015.

Links:

The Nikon Autofocus System eBook at Rocky Nook

 Paperback

? The Nikon Autofocus System at Rocky Nook

? The Nikon Autofocus System at Amazon

? The Nikon Autofocus System ? Autographed Copies

Posted by flashdeadline at 9:23 PM

Scheduled maintenance 11 Nov 2015 07:00 AM UTC

We are performing maintenance on our systems and we will have a scheduled downtime of up to 15 minutes starting

11 Nov 2015 02:00 AM EST (07:00 AM UTC)

During this time Nikonians.org and NikoScope.com will not be reachable.

Posted by bgs at 4:59 PM

November 4, 2015

Nikonians Academy preps for Sri Lanka, Chicago, Seattle

Academy-Sri-Lanka-SQ_125.jpgNikonians Academy Director Mike Hagen is finishing up the paperwork for the 2015 curriculum and he's now setting his sights on the coming year.
Two items on the 2016 curriculum are in this week's Academy Spotlight.
It is important to note that while the first item (Sri Lanka) may be several months in the future, there is a November deadline for booking your reservation.
The workshop is limited to 12 participants.
In this photography tour you will intimately explore Sri Lanka's landscape, from vaunted mountains to its pristine seashore, from its tidy and colorful tea plantations to its lush forests.

Sri Lanka can arguably be called the most beautiful island in Asia, a tiny gem with a rich mix of culture, wildlife, history, people, geography and tropical weather. Join Les Picker and the Nikonians Academy for a 12-day (11-night) exploration of the exciting photographic possibilities in this magnificent island nation.
SriLanka_300_arch.jpg
Sri Lanka is replete with some of the oldest Buddhist and Hindu temples in the world, some of the friendliest and most photogenic people on Earth, and wildlife that rivals Africa's best locations.

One of the highlights of the tour will be spending two days (four safari treks) in famed Yalla National Park, which boasts the densest wild leopard population on earth, along with bull elephants, crocodiles, water buffalo, monkeys and an incredible variety of colorful birds. We will also do safaris in two other National Parks famous for their wild elephant populations, monkeys, crocodiles, colorful birds, and other wildlife. Most evenings we will have an optional image review and critique.

Our trip runs March 12-23, 2016 and we are accepting signups through the end of November.

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Hulbert-Chicago_300-st.jpgRick Hulbert's highly reviewed Urban and Street Photography workshops are back for 2016 in Seattle and Chicago. Learn from the architectural master how to photograph urban environments using principles that will make you a better photographer.

Rick teaches the science and art of urban photography in a light-hearted, but technical 4-day workshop designed to help you see the urban world from a different perspective.

This workshop is designed to improve your photography regardless of whether you consider picture taking a hobby, or you are a serious enthusiast, professional photographer, or earn your living as a member of the global real estate, design, and construction industries.

There are accepted principles for photographing buildings and other man made structures. Knowing these principles will make you a better photographer. Understanding the science and art behind these principles will allow you to learn how to 'break rules' in a deliberate, meaningful way.

Seattle is scheduled for March 17-21, 2016 and Chicago is scheduled for
September 15-18, 2016.

Posted by flashdeadline at 2:23 AM

Congratulations - September Contest Winners

Sept-Contest-SQ_110.jpgNikonians Contest Coordinator David Summers (dm1dave) has posted the results of the September contests. 
Congratulations to our winners! Our member driven contests are unique in many ways. 
Unlike most other photo competitions the workings of our contests are transparent. 
Our members choose the monthly themes, all entries are visible to the entire community as they are posted and you are the judges not an invisible behind the scenes "expert."

Check our winning images legend below and scroll down for the names of the winners.
Each photo title serves as a link, which will lead you to explanations behind some of the photographs and an overall look at the competition.

SEPTEMBER-2015-Legend_499.jpg

1. Wildlife ? "Show Offs" Theme winner Don Rich (dwr857), from Winston Salem, North Carolina USA with his image titled Adult Tri Color Posing.

2. Landscape ? "Details" Theme winner Henning Bossen (henbo), from Tistrup, Denmark with his image titled Val di Funes ? Italy.

3. Macro ? "Sweet Things" Theme winner Gregg Heckler (gheck58) from Aliso Viejo, California, USA with his image titled Cookies N Honey.

4. Sports ? "Speed" Theme winner David Malaro (dmalaro), from Revere, Massachusetts with his image titled Running to win.

5. Travel ? "Off the Main Drag" Theme winner Russell Whittemore (rosewood_ltd), from  Akron, Ohio, USA with his image titled Decisions, Decisions.

6. Online Assignment ?"Specular Highlights" Theme winner Tom Ferguson (tekneektom), from Land O Lakes, Wisconsin, USA with his image titled Flowers with Water Highlights.


Interested in submitting your photos?

If you want to participate, please be sure to enter one of the monthly competitions listed in David Summers' contest guide.

The Online Photo Assignments category is coordinated by Rob Migliaccio (rmigliaccio) from Rhode Island, USA. You can check his recap of past winners here.



Posted by flashdeadline at 1:38 AM

November 2, 2015

Nikon WR-R10/T10 Radio Wireless Camera Controller Review

After using The ML-3 Infrared Wireless Remote Control on his Nikon D7200, Jerry Harris decided to switch to the WR-R10/T10 Radio Wireless Controller, despite its price. He tells us how he chose it, and why he is now very happy. Read article >>

Posted by Ronny89 at 3:01 PM