March, 2009 Blog Archive

By: Peter Gold

With all this snow lately, it’s hard to imagine that warm weather is just around the corner.  The days are getting longer with great light in the early morning and beautiful long shadows in the evening. Those are the best time to capture landscapes with a three dimensional quality to them. The only stumbling block we have in recording these scenes is the tremendous exposure differences that exist between the sky and the terrain below. Automatic exposure on your camera won’t do it. Either the sky will be exposed properly and the ground will be too dark or alternatively the ground will be recorded properly and the sky will be white. The range is just too much for film or the digital sensor to record with one exposure value. There are two techniques you can use to handle this extreme lighting situation.
Firstly, you can use graduated neutral density filters to even out the exposure. The filters are darker on top and that fades to a clear filter on the lower half.
Made by Cokin or Singh Ray, they are rectangular shaped filters 84 mm wide that fit into holders that have three sets of slots so you could stack up to three different filters at a time. The purpose of the graduated neutral density filter is to balance the intensity of the exposure from the sky with the light on the ground area. The reason for a rectangular filter is to give you the ability to slide the filter up or down in the holder to line up the filter’s density change with the horizon so the filter effect will look natural. Graduated filters are available in neutral gray tones or in different shades such as blue, tobacco, red, etc. for different effects.
Another method to equalize the exposure difference involves digital Raw files and a process referred to in Photoshop as “merging to HDR”. In simple terms, you set your camera up on a tripod, select Raw as your file format, and compose your image. Keeping your aperture fixed to maintain the same depth of field and varying your shutter speed, shoot one image with the correct sky exposure, another shot with correct shadow exposure, and about three or four shots with different exposures between the first two. You now have a full range of exposures from highest to lowest values in the scene. When you merge these images through the HDR process, the final image that emerges will have proper highlight detail as well as shadow detail and everything in between. It’s a great process and can create images that are not possible through normal means. Raw files are available using any dSlr camera and a few higher end compact digitals such as the Canon G10.
The HDR process is available with Photoshop but there are several dedicated software programs such as Photomatix that also create  excellent images under extreme lighting conditions.

Until next month,

Peter Gold MPA
The Camera Store
403.234.9935
pgold@thecamerastore.com   
 
 

LETTERS FROM LITEIN will be having its theatrical debut starting Calgary on APRIL 24, 2009 at the Globe Cinema (617 8th Ave SW). We are asking for your support to come and see the film at the theater - especially if you can make it on the first weekend. It is very difficult to get Canadian documentary films into theaters and having a big first weekend will help us to get a second week, and hopefully gain us attention so that other cities will book the film. Please pass this along to all your friends, and check out the trailer on You Tube on the link below or on our website.

All Producer net profits from the film will go to the Mary A Tidlund Charitable Foundation to fund programs for children in Litein.

LETTERS FROM LITEIN was directed by Matt Palmer and produced by Petros Danabassis, Matt Palmer and Kaari M. Autry. This film is distributed in Canada by KINOSMITH.

For more information please check out www.lettersfromlitein.com

“LETTERS FROM LITEIN” THEATRICAL RELEASE APRIL 24, 2009
CALGARY ALBERTA



 
 

Celebrate the world outside: landscapes, vistas, adventures, and the big beyond with the Great Outdoors Photo Contest. Amateurs and Professionals are welcome to this contest and may qualify for some fantastic prizes.

GRAND PRIZE
A five-night stay for two at Mandarin Oriental Riviera Maya Hotel in Mexico, including breakfast daily, one dinner for two at Ambar restaurant, and two aromatherapy massage treatments. Contributed by Mandarin Oriental Riviera Maya.
 

CATEGORY WINNERS
Each category winner will receive:
$100 B&H Photo gift card
Gold Pass - PDN PhotoPlus International Conference + Expo
Winners in the professional category will also receive valuable prize packages including:
A digital camera
A PDN Photoserve portfolio
A subscription to PDN magazine and PDNonline.com
APDN swag bag
 
Professional winners' work will also be featured in the August 2009 issue of PDN magazine and in a winners' gallery on PDNonline.com. Great prizes, great professional exposure!
 
CATEGORIES:
PARKS AND SAFARIS
PLANTS, ANIMALS, INSECTS, AND GARDENS
BEACHES, ISLANDS, AND UNDERWATER
SCENES OF THE NATURAL WORLD
OUTDOOR SPORTS AND ACTIVITIES

ENTRY FEES

* PRO: $35
* AMATEUR: $12

ENTRY DEADLINE
APRIL 20, 2009

CAN'T MAKE THAT DEADLINE?
FOR AN EXTENDED DEADLINE OF
MAY 4, 2009, AN ADDITIONAL $10
PER ENTRY WILL BE CHARGED.

 Visit www.thegreatoutdoorsphotocontest.com to enter!
 

Canon has introduced the EOS Rebel T1i, an evolution of the Rebel XSi that incorporates a 15.06 million image pixel CMOS sensor, DIGIC 4 processor and three inch LCD into a body that's nearly identical to its predecessor. An exciting feature of Canon's newest entry-level digital SLR is ability to capture HD video with sound, making it a fantastic budget alternative to the EOS 5D Mark II for Canon still shooters wanting to capture moving pictures with their SLR.

The EOS Rebel T1i is expected to ship in early May 2009.

For the full story and details visit Canon online.

Now you can purchase Inkpress paper online.

Click here to view our fantastic selection.

Have you taken a photo in Kananaskis Country that you think would make a great poster?

Each year the Friends of Kananaskis produces a poster set featuring one animal and a complementary scenery photograph for purchase from the Visitor Information Centres in Kananaskis Country.

$400.00  cash prize awarded to each person whose photo  is chosen for the 2009 poster series

 Send your pictures to:
 
The Friends of Kananaskis Country
Suite 201,800 Railway Avenue
Canmore, AB
T1W 1P1
Attn:Kathy

Please submit your photos in one of the
following formats:
 
High Quality Digital Prints
Slides
 
(If chosen, digital files must have a minimum of 300 dpi)

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS:
MONDAY, MARCH 30, 2009

(See PDF attached)
 

Photography Long Weekend for Ladies Only at the Aurum Lodge with Leslie Degner June 18th to June 21st, 2009.

If you want to get a better understanding of the basics or take your photography to the next level, then this workshop is for you. You will learn photography at a relaxed pace and in the company of like-minded women.

Through a series of lectures and field excursions in the vicinity of Aurum Lodge, Leslie will help you to increase your understanding of photography and show you how to create an image, not snapshot. Some topic to be covered in the lectures and field sessions include: digital photography basics, understanding exposure and its creative uses, light recognizing it and how to with it, composition - creating an image that works, filters and how to use them and macro photography.

Although the emphasis is on outdoor and nature photography the principles covered can be applied to any photographic situation. Leslie has been photographing for over twenty years and is a successful stock photographer. Her images have appeared in greeting cards, calendars, posters, books and magazines.

Package includes:
-three nights accomodation at Aurum Lodge in the Rocky Mountains

-all meals and refreshments during your stay for the workshop

-starting at 5PM on the Thursday and Wrapping up around 1:30 on Sunday

-cost is $999 per person, single occupany or $849 per person,double occupancy

-all taxes (5% GST and 4% Tourism Levy)

-Limited to seven participants

For more information please contact:
Alan and Madeleine Ernst at Aurum Lodge
(403)721-2117
info@aurumlodge.com

Send Your Best Mountain Shots to Banff!

The Banff Center is pleased to announce that the 14th Annual Banff Mountain Photography Competition is now open for submissions.

The Camera Store is proud to be involved in the 2009 Banff Mountain Photography Competition. Many of our customers have accepted prizes and recognition for entries in past competitions including Darwin Wiggett and Scott Dimond for the 2008 Banff Mountain Photography Competition. We look forward to seeing more amazing entries from our valued clients, and wish all participants the best.

Last year The Banff Center, posed a question to all who entered our competition, asking them to explain what inspired them to submit their images. The overwhelming message that came through was one of a deep connection to the landscape, to the natural and cultural life of these magnificent places, and to a strong commitment to helping to preserve this fragile environment.

And…this year you can send it digitally – all the details are in the regulations and on the entry form. (See PDF attached)

In addition to over $4,000 in cash and gifts from our sponsors, the winning photographers will have their images on exhibition at The Banff Centre, on the website, and on a whirlwind tour to select locations worldwide.

All entries must arrive at our office in Banff by Thursday, April 30, 2009.  Winners will be notified by June 30.

We’d also like to remind you to mark your calendars for the Banff Adventure Photography Workshop. September 25 – 28, 2009.

View the gallery of past winners.

Enter Online!

The Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers is proud to present an exciting new season of film-related workshops taught by industry professionals. This season's classes cover lighting, Super 8 transfer, location sound recording, independent producing, screenwriting, and more! And for the inexperienced filmmaker the CSIF offers "Filmmakers Boot Camp," an intensive weekend workshop taught by award-winning filmmakers Sandi Somers and Corey Lee.

See PDF attached for complete schedule and details. Or visit www.csif.org/ for more information on this and other fantastic CSIF events.

Now you can purchase your photography magazines from The Camera Store on our website! Choose for our exclusive collection of titles including Layers The How To Magazine for Everything Adobe, Photosho Canadian Photographers Shocase and more.

Click here to view our selection!