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April 16, 2021

Friends of Nikonians

We are starting today with a new feature, Friends of Nikonians, highlighting interesting workshops, courses and webinars provided by talented professionals, both in North America and internationally. These photographers are considered by the Nikonians team to be true friends and supporters of our organization.

We are planning to regularly highlight upcoming, interesting events held by the Friends of Nikonians.

The photographers we list do not pay us for doing this, nor is there any commission, kick-back, exchange of services or of goods. We are listing their offering at no cost as a benefit to the members of the Nikonians community.

The photographers including in this blog have all been team members at Nikonians at one point in time.

Should you have a good, or less good experience with any of the mentioned workshops, webinars or courses, please say so in the Workshops forum. As always, remember to follow our Terms of Use when you do, e.g. no bashing allowed.

If you have a suggestion for something we might have missed, please do get in touch with us and let us know.

JasonOdell-MultNomah-EnhancedAA.jpg

The Image Doctors Rick Walker and Jason Odell have a series of workshops:
Oregon Waterfalls & Coastal Landscapes May 9 - May 13, 2021

Digital Infrared Photography, Portland, OR May 13, May 14 , 2021

Colorado Wildflowers with The Image Doctors, Jul 18 - Jul 21, 2021


RickHulbert-Vancouver-Skyline-750.jpeg

Rick Hulbert, Fine Art Photography
Rick is running a series of virtual Fine Art Photography workshops and the latest one for April-May is already sold out. Make sure you sign up to his newsletter to stay up-to-date on upcoming courses and workshops.


SteveSimon-PersonalProjectCourse-WhenInDoubt-750.png

Steve Simon, The Passionate Photographer
Steve has kicked-off several new courses and is going to run a workshop in Japan again, Nov 7 - 13, 2021. More on that in an upcoming Friends of Nikonians. He has started a new virtual course: The Passionate Personal Project - A transformative 5-week online workshop. The first course runs Apr 14 - May 12, 2021 and the second chance is Jun 23 - Jul 21, 2021

Posted by bgs at 9:19 AM

July 29, 2012

Creative shutter speed

shutter.jpg
Shutter speed is, together with aperture and ISO, the key element of photography. You have to balance those three ingredients to allow exact amount of light to reach your sensor for correctly exposed images. There are many rules to follow related to shutter speed and there is also dedicated shooting mode on your camera dedicated to shutter speed, that important it is.

Let's leave the physics to those who care about it and let's focus on how creative you can get if you will mess with the settings. You probably know the aperture is responsible for depth of field. The smaller "f" number you set, the shallower focus range you get. This is the most common "creative" technique and every one of us probably started creating really shallow depth of field when we first get our hands on SLR or DSLR camera. Yes it is fun.

Next step is the ISO. If you set higher ISO, you get more grain for moody pictures and if you convert them to black and white you get nice "film-like" look. Here has to be said digital noise is a bit different than film grain, but still it is quite close. And there are plenty of products on the market which help you achieve this in your computer if you've forgotten to set your ISO high.

And finally, if you mess with shutter speed, you can either freeze the action happening in front of you, or you can let the movement get into your pictures. Especially with long shutter speed you can create some interesting pictures. Let me show you some examples what can be done with long shutter speed, but first let's have a look at the equipment required. As usual, I don't like to carry much equipment, so line up is quite simple. You'll need a good quality tripod, camera, lens (your choice, depends on what you're going to shoot), ND filter, remote shutter trigger (optional). 

Water
Pictures with "frozen" waterfalls are missing something. That something is flow of the water falling down. Waterfalls are quite easy, because usually water moves fast, so you might even get away without tripod. Set camera to M mode, or Shutter priority and set your shutter speed to something around 1/5 - 1/2 of the second. Set the other values accordingly, or leave it to your camera, but check your histogram after each shot to avoid bleached out highlights on the water. It might take you few shots until you are satisfied with the water flow.

waterfalls
f22, 1/5 s, ISO 100

Same trick can be used with fountains.

fountain
f5, 1/2 s, ISO 800

Moving sky
Moving clouds on the sky can either add more drama into your pictures, or on the other hand, make them really peaceful and calm. Here you will definitely need a tripod, because shutter speed will be somewhere around 20 seconds and more. 

moving sky
dramatic sky, f22, 20 s, ISO 100

moving sky beech
calm sky, f8, 30 s, ISO 100

People free photos
If you'd like to have your photos from interesting places without crowds, you can use long shutter speed to make people "disappear". But be careful, if people are stationery, e.g. sitting on the bench, or just standing, they still will be in the picture. But if they just walk in front of your camera, with long shutter, they will not be recorded in the picture.

Worthing pier
no people on pier f13, 15 s, ISO 100

Abstract
With long shutter you can create come interesting abstract pictures, or pictures you don't usually see. If it is windy, you can have moving plants, or if you move your camera, you get nice wall art.

moving trees
f11, 40 s, ISO 100

tree abstract
f8, 1 s, ISO 100

Those were just few examples, how long shutter can be used in creative way. There are many possibilities and options, just go out and try them.

Posted by pkuzmin at 11:50 AM

June 23, 2012

Polarizing filter in digital photography

CPL filter.jpgAs have been said in article about filters in digital photography last week, polarizing filter is a must have accessory for every photographer. Firstly because it has got usage across all fields of photography and secondly because its effect is very difficult, if not impossible, to reproduce in Photoshop. 

So what is polarizing filter and what it does? I don't want to bore you with complicated physics of light and stuff, so simple explained, polarizing filter is a filter which allows only some rays of light from the spectrum through and the rest reflects out. At the same time, it regulate chaotic rays of light spectrum to much cleaner flow.  For example light reflected from shiny surfaces such as water, glass and metal is polarized and by using polarizing filter, this polarized light will not get through the filter. That is why you can get rid of some reflections using this filter. 

Usage of the polarizing filter

Polarizing filter has I think biggest usage across landscape photographers thanks to its ability to darken sky, increase contrast in clouds and eliminate reflection from foliage which gives you richer green color. But be aware, this only works if you shooting in certain position related to sun. Effect is at its best if you shooting in 90 degree angle from sun, any different angle will decrease the effect, but it is still usable, except if you shooting directly towards sun, or with sun behind your back, where the effect is equal to zero. 

landscape no CPL.jpg landscape with CPL.jpg
Polarizing filter in landscape photography - sun is coming from left side, position was not 90 degrees, but effect is still enhancing. Left - no filter, right - with filter

Polarizing filter is architectural photographer's best friend as well. Photographer will benefit not only from its ability to darken sky and make stand out clouds, but also from eliminating reflections. Using polarizing filter, photographer can control if he wants to have reflection of the building in water, same with windows on the building. For this it is very important to shoot with the polarizing filter, because unlike with dark sky, you won't be able to do this in Photoshop, unless you are a graphic designer and you will paint there a completely new building.

building with reflection.jpg building no reflection.jpg
Left - no polarizing filter used, building with its shiny surfaces makes reflections, right - those reflections eliminated by polarizing filter. 

Polarizing filter can be used in product, portrait or fashion photography as well. In fashion and portrait especially if you shoot outside, where your background can benefit from "landscape effects" of polarizing filter. If you'd like to shoot products, polarizing filter will help you to get rid of some nasty reflections and make picture cleaner.

bentley with CPL.jpg RR with CPL.jpg
Details of the cars shoot with circular polarizing filter to get rid of distracting reflections.

For Black and white shooters, circular polarizing filter will make good foundation to your later conversion from color RAW to black and white final picture. After conversion to B&W, pictures thank to polarizing filter has more dramatic, little bit infrared look, especially sky. If you like converting your pictures to black and white and you've never tried polarizing filter, it is about the time for you to start, it may takes you to another level.

Broadway tower CPL colour.jpg Broadway tower CPL BW.jpg
Image shot with polarizing filter is quite dramatic in color, but black and white conversion took it even further.

Polarizing filter and Photoshop

Some say you are not able to simulate effect of polarizing filter in Photoshop. I'd say it is not completely truth, because some effects you can simulate to certain extend. With clever plugin it is not even that difficult and time consuming. But it is fair to say it will never be as good as filter shot. See examples bellow.

example no filter.jpg example CPL in Photoshop.jpg example CPL.jpg
Left - image without any filter, center - left image with Photoshop simulated polarizing filter effect, right - image shot with actual polarizing filter. You can see the difference.

Although the effect above can be more or less simulated, you will not get rid of the reflections in Photoshop. At least not in easy and painless way.

polarizing simulation.JPG polarizing simulation1.JPG
Here are pictures I've used at the top of the article, now I've tried simulate polarizing filter in Photoshop. As you can see, left picture was shot without polarizing filter and Photoshop polarizing filter has no effect at all, if you forget about darker sky. Right picture was shot with polarizing filter, again, no change with Photoshop polarizing effect.

What filter should I buy?

For this question there is a very simple answer, which is as well universal answer to all gear-related questions. Buy the best one your wallet, or wife lets you to buy. You get what you pay for, it is simple as that and there is no point to spent thousands on camera and lens and then ruin it with cheap filter. At the top of the game, there are B+W and Hoya, bit cheaper is Kenko, which is basically made by Hoya, but it comes in different pack. Always look for Multicoated filters, which will do the trick you want, but they won't mess with color balance. Also consider on which lens you will use the filter. If it'll be wide angle lens, you should look for the thin filters to avoid vignetting in the corners of the picture. Thin filters are in general more expensive, but if you have wide angle and tele-zoom with same diameter, you can use one thin filter on both lenses. Also if you'll combine filters, two thin filters are as thick as one thick filter, so consider that as well.

Next time ND filters.

 

Posted by pkuzmin at 12:35 PM

May 9, 2012

Shooting Motorsport

IMG_9549.jpg
I do consider myself as a good marriage material. I am kind, understanding, I keep telling girls they don't look fat and patiently wait in a shoe store while my better half is trying 27th pair of shoes. The eye contact with the fellow sufferer is priceless. I am not that fat, I don't drink that much and I gave up smoking, shall we say quite successfully, more than a year ago. And now the best bit, I love cooking. As I've said, the dream. So what are the cons to all this? 

Nothing. Well, nothing but a bit of patience form my wife-to-be every other Sunday afternoon while Formula 1 race is on. And on Saturday for qualifying session. And MotoGP. And WRC. And BTCC. And so on... The weird thing is, I still don't have a wife. Maybe I should do some life  revaluation, but about that later...

So of course as a big motorsport and photography lover, I did what needed to be done, I went to the racetrack with my camera. And boy oh boy, was I ready for that slaughter? No I wasn't, I left speechless. There were big guys with big cameras and even bigger lenses. Well at least something, I had 100 - 400mm lens, so I wouldn't be immediately recognised as a first timer. I've placed myself at the edge of the action-hungry photography gang and opened my ears for some hints. And than it came... "How did you get this shot?" "Well, I've got this great camera, I've just let it show what it can do on auto." Wait a moment, what? An AUTO? Someone must be kidding here and I had a feeling it wasn't me...

I left an auto guys to their talks about what's the world's fastest camera processor and how great it is to have a million mega pixels rather than nine hundred and ninety nine thousands... Yep. For me, M is for magic, so let's set the camera up.

First thing first, the exposure. In motorsport, the most important is your shutter speed. You want to get this right, because you want those nice panning pictures. Without being too technical, this depends on how fast the cars are and how far away you are from them. From spectators distance from 1/250 sec to 1/125 sec will do the trick. In sunny, or partly cloudy conditions f11 and ISO 100 or 200 is a good company to that shutter. You can always adjust it depending on how happy you are with the result.

FIA GT3, Silverstone, ISO 100, f11, 1/160s
bmw panning.jpg
Secondly, the focusing. Set your camera to auto focus, than select your AF point. I know new cameras have got like a hundred of them, but all you really need is one. Usually the middle one, because usually it is the strongest one, so it should be able to track your subject and keep it in focus. Oh, regarding auto focus, set it to servo mode, so it can really track your subject. And set continuous shooting of course.
 
ISO 100, f11, 1/250s
formula 3.jpg
I always shoot motorsport on JPEG. It's easier for my camera and card to take, it saves lots of space on memory card and I can't be bothered to process so many RAWs. If you can adjust your JPEG outcome in your camera, give it more contrast, sharpness and saturation and you can walk away with very little post process to do. And that's it regarding the camera setting. I bet the auto guys wouldn't believe it's that simple, but trust me. Technique and luck is more important. For post process I use Lightroom's batch processing ability and I crop some pictures. 

OK, now it's time to get creative. You can do panning, panning and zooming, long panning with slower shutter speed to create abstract shots, moving and tilting the horizon, zoom in really close, or just simply freeze the car in the corner. You'll shoot hundreds of pictures, and majority of them would the trash, so stack up on memory cards, or get a big one. After all day shooting you be getting quite impressive results. You spend time outside, so it's also healthy. I bet you, if you'll carry your equipment all day long around the circuit and next day somebody tell you photography is an easy job, you would punch him into his face. It a good exercise, you might loose few pounds, so your wife won't be that mad at you.

ford.jpg aston.jpg Porsche.jpg
lambo.jpg bmw.jpg vette.jpg
f430.jpg lamborghini.jpg seat.jpg

Posted by pkuzmin at 11:05 PM

April 24, 2012

Street photography

Thumbnail image for 220px-Henri_Cartier-Bresson.jpgIf we want to talk about "street photography" we must talk about Henri Cartier-Bresson (left) and the old photograph taken in 1932 somewhere in France, with a man about to get his shoes quite wet on it first. Why? Because it is a mother of all streets photographs same as Henry Cartier-Bresson is basically a founder of this ever so popular photography style. 

All definitions of street photography, which could be possibly worded, are in that picture. Nothing and no one can describe what the street photography is about better, as this photo and two words: "decisive moment".
Thumbnail image for FP-HenriCartierBresson.jpg

So why is street photography so popular? It is basically an essence of photography. It is a headstone of photojournalism. Street photography capture the moment and tell the story in one picture with no words required. And Henri Cartier-Bresson was a master of this. He was a master of decisive moment, moment, where scene is set up and ready for action and in split second it is going to change. And that is when you should push the button. If you capture decisive moment, you know you've got great street photo and you'll be laughing all the way to the darkroom. Just google more Herni Cartier-Bresson pictures if you still have no idea what I'm talking about. They all tell the story. You look at the picture and you feel like you've been there and you know exactly how does everybody in the frame feel.

Basic rules of street photography say, it should be in black and white. This is and this is not a true. Martin Parr is a great example how street photography could be done in colour. He uses colour as an expression, as a third dimension of his photos. If you loose it form his pictures, they wouldn't be the same. His candid pictures of UK society on holiday in vivid colours are unforgettable.  

Right, now we all are fired up to grab camera bag full of equipment and go out, aren't we? Well, not that quick. You can leave your camera bag at home, you won't need it. This is beauty of street photography, which I like the most. You don't need loads of equipment. You don't need zoom lens. You don't even need a DSLR! Shocking, isn't it? Just imagine how would people feel, if you grab you brand new D4 with 70-300 lens and point it at their direction. Correct, they will run away. 35mm or 50mm prime lens is your best bet for the job. The smaller the lens and camera, the more invisible for the public you are. In fact, you can buy an instant film camera and you can walk away with great shots! Nobody will pay attention to you and that is exactly what you need. You must get really close, you must be in the scene. And if Robert Capa, the most famous war photographer of the 20th century said: "If your pictures aren't good enough, you're not close enough", there must be some true in it. Than he get too close to the mine that killed him in Indochina, but that is different story...

Street photography is actually great to explore new places, for example on holidays, or weekend city breaks. Your wife wouldn't be mad at you that you carry your tripod and massive camera all the time and you can take her to for nice latte and still get back to your hotel room with decent images. It's a win - win situation! You'd just sit there, drink your latte, watch the high street and from time to time take the picture. Of course after few minutes you'd predict what's going to happen, so you wouldn't need to have camera on your face all the time.

In street photography everybody is a journalist. You are on the mission to shoot cover picture for TIME magazine! How exciting is that? And assignment is your choice. You can be as creative as you like. To help you with understanding street photography and your street creativity, Nikonians Academy Europe has organised a London Street Photography Experience workshop. This great weekend in London (obviously) starts 9th of June 2012, so don't miss it out!

Posted by pkuzmin at 2:12 PM

June 10, 2010

Nikonians Academy expands to Europe

NA-Hat.jpgMarking five years of successful growth, the Nikonians Academy expands to Europe and will start to offer workshops in Europe this year.

Started in 2005, the Nikonians Academy has been offering high quality personalized photography training in all topics related to modern photography in North America.

For this exciting new expansion we are looking for highly motivated instructors with photographic backgrounds.

Sound interesting? Please send your application if you are interested in becoming a Nikonians Workshop Leader or the Head Instructor for Europe.

You can find both job descriptions at the Nikonians jobs page.

If you live in North America: We are always looking for additional workshop instructors, so feel free to contact us!

class.jpg    workshop.jpg


Posted by joef at 1:03 PM

April 7, 2010

Blurb photo book contest could win you $25,000

Logo_Blurb.gifBlurb, provider of online photo books, started a competition for photographers "who are the age of 18 years or older, are self-identified photographers who currently receive or have received payment for their photographs".

If you meet these specifications you may submit your photo book (online or hard copy) and win the Grand Prize of $25,000.

The submission period started on March 25, 2010 at 11:59 PM Pacific Daylight Time (PDT), and ends on July 15, 2010 at 11:59 PM PDT.

We should mention that there is a contest submission administration fee of $35 for every submission.

The categories are "Fine Art", "Editorial" and "Portfolio", there is no limit to the number of submissions that any contestant can make in any category.

All details can be found at Blurb's micro page on the competition.

Blurb shipped more than 1.2 million books in 2009. If you intend to create a photo book with Blurb, please support your community by ordering through the Nikonians Partner Page, Thank You!

Blurb_page.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted by joef at 3:53 PM

March 4, 2010

Become your own boss -- Nikonians Rewards Benefit Alert

Logo_Zensario-kl.jpgWe would like to introduce you to an application that enables you to put your images online and to manage and distribute them: Zensario.ImagePool.

Zenzario.jpgThe big difference to the usual stock photography solutions is the fact, that you are your own boss: presentation, image management, image copyrights and prices are fully under your own control.

Zensario also has a unique automatic payment processing (PayPal, credit cards) with no additional cost.

The application price starts at $90 per month. Silver, Gold and Platinum members can test is for free and save $50 when buying it.  Just get the rebate code from your Rewards Page.

See how Zensario.ImagePool works in this demo movie.

 

Posted by joef at 8:00 AM

May 26, 2009

Airshow Photography With Roberts Imaging

Are you looking to improve your airshow photography? Roberts Imaging can get you to the next level with their popular field events; featuring seminars from leading airshow shooters and one-of-a-kind access to live show events and equipment.

On May 30th, 2009, Roberts Imaging will be hosting a half-day seminar with veteran airshow shooter Bob Burns. In the afternoon, you'll be guided by Indy Airshow Chairman Ted Brindle for up close access to a select group of pilots and planes. Weather permitting, you'll then be treated to a live aerial display to practice your skills.

And on June 7th, 2009, join Roberts Imaging at their popular Indy Airshow Experience. Enjoy exclusive access to Roberts Imaging's chalet, right on the flight-line. While enjoying the great perspective, you can also chat with pro shooters and sample the top-quality equipment available for use during the show. Always wanted to try that 200-400 VR? Now you can, and you can grab some great aviation images while you're at it. Parking, lunch and admission included.

Both events are available for a nominal fee. To register, see the contact details on Roberts Imaging Events page.

Posted by covey22 at 12:53 AM

September 21, 2007

"America At Home" - The Nikon S51C Campaign

Nikon is arming 100 preeminent photojournalists with Nikon S51C Coolpix cameras and sending them out to capture a week in the life of American households across the nation. "America at Home" is the latest mass-photojournalism project from the producers of "America 24/7" and "One Digital Day." Thousands of amateur photographers will be participating as well and the entire workflow is digital - only digital still cameras and cameraphone images are allowed.

Posted by covey22 at 2:59 PM

September 11, 2007

Claus Brandt FotoCampus 2008 Schedule

The FotoCampus Tours, hosted by Nikonians' own Claus Brandt, has released the 2008 schedule. Join Claus and new team member Bence Mate in mastering your wildlife and nature photography in three beautiful locations: Helgoland Island - The Pearl of the North Sea, the lively Pusztazer Bird Sanctuary in Hungary and exotic Krueger National Park in South Africa. Register now to save a seat!

Posted by covey22 at 6:06 PM

July 10, 2007

Roberts Imaging Airshow Photography Experience

Roberts Imaging is offering a unique photography experience; for 75 USD, shutterbugs will be granted admission to the 2007 Indianapolis Airshow on August 26th featuring the US Navy's Blue Angels jet demonstration team, along with exclusive benefits.

The cost will also include exclusive access to the Roberts Imaging Chalet located on the flightline, a catered lunch and access to Nikon, Canon and Bogen equipment onsite for use during the show. Representatives from all three companies will be on hand to lend expertise. Seating is limited, so those who have a hankering to try out the latest long lenses with VR or IS should sign up quickly.

Posted by covey22 at 3:25 AM

May 3, 2007

Nikon's Wildlife Weekend at London WWT

Nikon UK has teamed up with the London Wetland Center to offer a wildlife photography weekend 12-May and 13-May.

This is the second year of the program, with noted photographer Chris Packham lecturing and leading participants in shooting opportunity walks around the reserve. Nikon Solutions Manager John McDonald will also speak on wildlife photography techniques and there will be a full range of Nikon equipment to try out during that time.

Normal admission will be charged, but the activities above are free of charge. Reservations are recommended, so call to save a seat now.

Posted by covey22 at 5:58 PM

October 16, 2006

Fujifilm's Giant Panda Habitat To Open At Smithsonian Zoo

Visitors to the Smithsonian National Zoo in Washington DC in October will have the unique opportunity to attend the grand opening of the Giant Panda Habitat as sponsored by Fujifilm.

The exhibit spans across six acres and provides a home for seven different animals including the Giant Panda, sloth bears, fishing cats, clouded leopards, a giant salamander and otters. Built at a cost of USD53 million, the grand opening will be held on October 17th.

Posted by covey22 at 12:09 AM

June 30, 2006

Carlsbad Offers Cave Photography Basics

The Deming Headlight reports that Carslbad Caverns NP and Carlsbad Caverns-Guadaloupe Moutains Association are offering a one-day course on cave photography on July 22nd. The one-day workshop will feature "discuss photographer safety, protection of cave resources, lighting, accessories, and basic techniques." Opportunities to practice these techniques will then occur along several parts of the Caverns. Registration in advance is required.

Posted by covey22 at 10:52 PM

May 17, 2006

Nikon Alpine Safari

Four our Australian Members: Local Nikon distributor, Maxwell Optical Industries will host the Nikon Alpine Safari on the October long weekend to celebrate the continuing Nikon sponsorship of the Perisher Blue resort.

Posted by covey22 at 3:16 PM

April 13, 2006

SanDisk Red Sea Underwater Photo Contest

SanDisk announces it's 2006 Red Sea Underwater Photography Competition, which takes place in Eliat, Israel from April 24-29th. The main contest will be with the Eliat competition, where divers will take to the waters of the Red Sea to get the best photo. For shooters not able to travel, the Images of the World shootout is offered, where you can send in your best frames from home. The grand prize, however, will only be awarded to an Eliat participant, and what a whopper it is - USD10000 in cash and a three week diving trip for two to Papua New Guinea.

Posted by covey22 at 10:05 PM

April 12, 2006

Carlsbad Caverns: No Photography

The National Park Service has taken the extreme step to forbid photography inside the famed Carlsbad Caverns. The Park Service wants to prevent further disruption to the native bats that inhabit the caves. Despite strong enforcement, visitors persisted in using flash and bright video lights that caused disorientation to the bats during their evening flights.

Posted by covey22 at 10:49 PM

February 15, 2006

Images for Conservation Fund Holds Nature Photography Symposium

The nonprofit Images For Conservation Fund (ICF) has announced its inaugural Pro-Tour of Nature Photography coming up the entire month of April. Twenty Texas Hill Country ranchers will be teamed with 20 top nature photographers from across North America to compete for a share of up to $200,000 in prize money.

For information or to register for events, visit www.imagesforconservation.org, or call Sam Mason or John Martin at (956) 381-1264.

The Images for Conservation Fund is a Texas-based, nonprofit organization dedicated to the creation of a sustainable, self-funded wildlife conservation industry based upon nature photography tourism. ICF hopes to establish exciting nature photography leasing destinations while simultaneously generating significant income for the private landowners who lease them. To raise public awareness of these opportunities for both landowners and photographers, ICF has created the Pro-Tour of Nature Photography and a number of supporting events.

The symposium will feature two programs open to the public. One is for photographers wishing to learn about wildlife photography techniques and the existing opportunity to photograph wildlife on premier private ranches in the Texas Hill Country, according to Bob Petersen, chairman of the Images for Conservation Advisory Committee. "The other program is for landowners who are interested in learning about the income potential that nature photo tourism offers for their ranching operations," Petersen said. "The classes will be taught by some of the world's best professional wildlife photographers, plus private landowners and tourism experts," Petersen said.

The symposium will be held at Texas Military Institute, the Episcopal School of Texas, in northwest San Antonio from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $75 and includes lunch.

The Images for Conservation Fund (ICF) is partnering with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to hold a nature photography symposium for landowners and photographers, as well as the launch party for the inaugural Images for Conservation Pro-Tour of Nature Photography coming up in April. The daytime symposium and evening launch party will be held March 18 in northwest San Antonio.

The Pro-Tour launch party is also an organizational event leading up to the inaugural Pro-Tour of Nature Photography. At the launch party, professional photographers from across North America will be paired into teams with Texas Hill Country landowners for the month-long tournament-style event April 1-30. It is the world's first all-professional nature photo competition, and the 20 teams will compete for a share of up to $200,000 in prize money. The launch party will be held at the historic Gallagher Headquarters, located 23 miles northwest of San Antonio. Admission is $50 and includes a light supper.

Petersen noted the symposium and launch party mark the first public events associated with the inaugural Pro-Tour of Nature Photography. In January, representatives from the 20 Pro-Tour ranches heard suggestions from professional wildlife photographer Larry Ditto on working with their photographer teammates.

For information or to register for events, visit www.imagesforconservation.org or call Sam Mason or John Martin at (956) 381-1264

Posted by drjay32 at 3:36 AM

November 3, 2005

Race Shooters: Give Them Your Best Shot!

Action fans close to the Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California, have an opportunity to win and become a track photographer for a day as well as publication of their image on the 2006 Program brochures.

SONOMA, Calif. (IMMEDIATE RELEASE) - Don't miss the chance to demonstrate your photography skills with the InfineonRaceway.com Photo Contest. You could have your image posted on InfineonRaceway.com, and possibly win a chance to be a race photographer for a day during the 2006 Big O Tires Racing Season at Infineon Raceway.

Beginning on Nov. 3, race fans are invited to submit images taken at any of the 2005 Infineon Raceway major events by visiting www.infineonraceway.com <https://www.infineonraceway.com/> . The raceway will post 10 images each day through Nov. 30, with all images accessible for viewing.

Infineon Raceway officials will select an overall winner on Dec. 5, and the winning photographer will be treated to an Infineon Raceway prize pack that includes a one-day photo pass at one of the raceway's major events in 2006. The photo pass will allow you the same access as photographers from all of the major media outlets that cover Infineon Raceway. The prize pack will also include a cap, T-shirt, and the winning image will be published in one of the raceway's 2006 event programs.

Submissions must be from any of Infineon Raceway's major events during the 2005 Big O Tires Racing Season, and images are not limited to racing action. Facility and fan images are also welcome. This contest is limited to amateur photographers, and only two images may be submitted per person.

To submit your photos, visit www.infineonraceway.com <https://www.infineonraceway.com/> beginning Nov. 3 and click on the Photo Contest link on the homepage. Images can also be e-mailed to photos@infineonraceway.com. Please be sure to include your name, e-mail address, mailing address and phone number, as well as the event at which the image was taken. Images should be no larger than 6 x 4 inches at 300 dpi.

Posted by covey22 at 5:27 PM

October 31, 2005

A Rare Photo Op: Shoot Karchner Caverns

We've just heard of a rare opportunity available to nature photographers. The Karchner Caverns State Park near Benson, Arizona, will be made open to photographers from 10-4 on November 5th. The catch? The privilege of shooting some of the most spectacular natural caves in the US will set you back USD150. But it's a small price to pay given that photography is normally prohibited to public visitors to the site. Friends of the Arizona Highway will be on hand to provide guidance on how to best capture the breath-taking interior views. Proceeds will go to nonprofit organizations helping to combat homelessness and preserve park lands. See more details in the Tucson Citizen. For tickets, go to the Arizona State Parks Foundation site.

Posted by covey22 at 3:35 PM