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Posts for: JohnCadellPhotography
Jan 18, 2013 20:51:32   #
Imagine checking your website for activity to find out it's been yanked because the company who maintains your domain registration failed to notify you your registration was due for renewal. Their way of letting you know at register.com? Pull your website!! If there is a more lucid demonstration of unethical and gross misconduct, it would be hard to be beat by that move today!! Fortunately, there are alternatives. Go Daddy.com is a much more reasonable service and they don't pull underhanded middle-of the night switches without notifying you. What register.com did is nonsense - and they know it. A friendly warning from someone who got burned by these boneheads!! :evil:
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Oct 29, 2012 06:53:21   #
A few 'rules of thumb' to keep in mind. Basic rule of the relationship between aperture openings also known as f –stop and shutter speed, which controls how long the shutter is kept open for light exposure of the sensor/film. The faster the shutter speed, the less blur due to subject movement. The higher the aperture opening (f-11-f-16) the more background details will pop out. Conversely, the lower the shutter speed, the higher probability for blur, and the less amount of background detail at a wider opening (f-1.8-f-2.8/3.5) The middle range that will give you the best balance of detail is found in the f-4 through f-8 range. For handheld photography, shutter speed needs to equal that of the focal length of your lens - so if you are using a 50mm f1.8, your shutter speed should be 1/60th of a second or faster. Are the people in the picture sitting down or moving around? If moving, 1/125th to 1/250th of a second, for sure with the lens wide open (f1.8). The background will be blurred due to the wide-open aperture. If you are looking for greater detail, stop it down to f8 or f11. This will cause a corresponding decrease in shutter speed – something to keep in mind. Your ISO regulates the sensitivity of the sensor (in the old days of film, this was called film speed and was also known as ASA) meaning that the higher the ISO setting, the more reactive to light it becomes – specifically ISO-400 is 4 times faster than ISO-100, and is great for low-light. The problem with higher ISOs (400 and above) is that they tend to generate a lot of noise, or graininess in the image. The model you are using will have visible grain at ISO 640 and above in low-light settings such as you described. There are a couple of ways to work around this – the most productive one is to use a tripod with a shutter release. Having a stable camera will allow you to use a lower ISO provided people are sitting still to reduce the visible noise. If that isn’t possible, you might want to look at purchasing a very nifty application called Noise Ninja. This application integrates with all forms of Photoshop and will accept Picassa-sourced post-edited images as well. Noise Ninja will significantly reduce the noise factor. Note that I said reduce not eliminate. For more info about your camera, try this link: http://www.cameralabs.com/reviews/Canon_EOS_550D_Rebel_T2i/noise_JPEG.shtml To learn about Noise Ninja - http://www.picturecode.com/index.php .
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Sep 28, 2012 08:25:53   #
I have been a customer of B&H since I got started in photography in the 70s. There's a reason WHY B&H is generally regarded as the Macy's, and Adorama as the Gimble's in the photography world. These two are the veritable giants on the East Coast, with Samy’s in Southern California being the top place(s) for the West Coast – they have several locations throughout Southern California with Pasadena being their main professional store. A vast majority of the equipment in my two main gadget bags (including the bags) came from B&H. I got a tad bit annoyed with Adorama on a recent purchase of a Nikon 24mm-70mm f2.8 when I bought a used D2XS – B&H offered a set of filters with theirs, but Adorama didn’t – which really surprised me, as they generally will match each other. Both stores have terrific people who are knowledgeable and stand tall on their ethics. However, I think that B&H has the edge on sheer expanse and ability to bring in anything needed. After the issue with the prime I just bought, I’m sticking with B&H and Samy’s. 8-)
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Aug 28, 2012 21:32:39   #
Please feel free to check my main website - http://www.johncadellphotography.com then go to the ECSC section. Alternatively, our team photography (I am part of a 15 pro-photographer team for the ECSC) is on http://www.ecsc360.com.

I see you are a fire department photographer - I'd like to learn about that some time - johncadellphotography@verizon.net.
Hope you haven't had too rough of a vacation here with the weather we've been having all month.
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Aug 28, 2012 21:29:25   #
Here's another one you might like - and of course, please feel free to go to my main website to the ECSC page. I'll be uploading more tomorrow - still editing walleyball and the bikini contest.

Girl's Competition - Day-3 ECSC 2012

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Aug 28, 2012 16:57:41   #
Thanks for letting me know - I believe the issue has been resolved. If you have a moment and don't mind, please test and let me know how the link works now. Thanks for your time.

John

Chesapeake Bay Bridge Virginia Beach - © John Cadell Photography

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Aug 27, 2012 09:20:28   #
The Virginia Beach Jaycee's have been hosting this ever-growing competition since 1962. This year's event showed lots of new talent in addition to some of the legends of surfing on the East Coast. Although I am a Southern Californian to the core of my soul, there is a certain amount of 'cool' in what I saw this past week. I hope you'll enjoy these images. If you'd like to see more, please go to my main website and check the ECSC pages.

Young Lady Surfer


Going for Air...

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Aug 14, 2012 09:42:45   #
Gitzo is rock-solid - and with the pricetag and weight to match. Manfrotto makes some good stuff - I use the 055XPROB and the 327RC2 ball head to hold either a D2XS or a D200. Prime 24mm-70mm f2.8 or long glass 70mm-300mm f4.5 (slow but clear) on either body remain quite stable. Make sure you are using a good shutter release cable or wireless. Any time you push on the shutter release directly, you are causing a vibration. When you use your tripod, any tripod, make sure you go with a shutter release too.
The key is to make sure the feet of a tripod are anchored properly. If in the sand, terrific. If you are shooting from on top of a rock (like the Grand Canyon) there's gonna' be a problem. Bring some trash bags with you, and fill them up with rocks and sand where possible to anchor your tripod. If you'd rather not, check out the various weighted bags from B&H or Adorama - but remember, you are paying $$$ to haul more stuff with you, when you can achieve the same results without screwing up the environment. Just a thought.
The other manufacturers - SLIK, Sunpak, etc., they're all fairly similar in both the carbon fiber and steel types. Stability is key to ANY tripod, no matter who's name is on the plate.
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Aug 14, 2012 09:30:48   #
All of the places you have talked about are for consumer-level printing. The only thing you could try with Ritz is their metallic printing - which will give you the 'pop' in your images. Are you using Noise Ninja to clean things up before you go to print? It would be a worthwhile investment. Another one is Portrait Professional.
If you want to invest time and funds in true professional lab work, Miller's is recognized as about the best in the United States...
Miller's Professional Lab: www.millerslab.com
Mpix: www.mpix.com
White House is another, and there are several more. Check in Professional Photographer's Magazine (PPA) or Shutterbug (any Barnes & Noble) for other labs. Check their ratings. If they have recommendation from the PPA or NPPA (National Press Photographers Assoc.) or NANPA (North American Nature Photographers Assoc.) then you have a very good reference from which to choose. When you choose a major lab like Miller's or Mpix, they use the ROES system - it's an application that you will have to download to enable processing of files. The folks in the customer service depts of the labs are very friendly and will patiently guide you. They know you are a photographer, not an applications fanatic!!

If you want others, check www.adoramapix.com (Adorama in NYC) .

If you are in Southern California - go to the nearest Samy's Camera (Several in Los Angeles, I go to the one in Pasadena, also in Santa Ana, and elsewhere around LA).
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May 18, 2012 06:38:48   #
Check with the priest/pastor/rabbi who is going to conduct the wedding. Please respect his/her wishes as far as using a flash during the wedding is concerned, along with standing up or in the center aisle during the procession.
Go to the church/temple where the wedding will be held and look things over - get a feel/understanding of how the lighting is. This will be your biggest asset and challenge in knowing beforehand what you will be facing, and prepare accordingly. I would suggest a good fast lens in the 24mm-70mm f2.8 or a 17mm-100mm f3.5 if you have them. Make sure you have back-ups to your back-ups. Double and triple redundancy on batteries, cards.
If at all possible - get the bridal portraits done on a separate day from the wedding. Wedding day - the bride will more than likely NOT be focused on ANYTHING - she will be a nervous bundle of energy, and distracted by various well-meaning relatives and friends. It is far better to have a quiet couple of hours spent on getting her best look without the pressures of the wedding. Watch out for the Uncle Harry and Aunt Mildred who are self-taught photographers. They will distract your subject in the blink of an eye. Politely inform wedding guests that they are welcome to take all of the pictures they want - AFTER you have gotten yours done.
When framing either the couple, bride/groom/groomsman/etc. (single or couple situation), use the vertical format to give you that 'tight-in' approach. Use your horizontal bubble to ensure you are level edge-to-edge for the family and bridal party portraits. There's quite a bit more, like a shot list, but this will give you some very basic starters to go with.
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Apr 14, 2012 08:19:03   #
Overall, I can see where you are working hard on improving your photography. Nice job!! I've attached a few images to give you some ideas on what to look for in shooting sunsets, sunrises, and beach scenes.
Key West image: A nice idea, but perhaps in your intention to show the sailboats on the beach, you might want to consider referring to the "Rule of Thirds" in composing your image. Less foreground, and the elimination of the tip of that surfboard on the left side would be a first consideration. A second would be your lighting. This looks like it was taken in the middle of the afternoon - when the sun is directly overhead, it gives you really harsh lighting. The best time to photograph most beach scenes is early morning, or late afternoon before and (of course) during sunset. This will give you warmer tones without the harshness of what resulted here.
Sunset silhouette: Here, your lighting is challenging, as you are shooting directly into the sun. The hair on the female in the image is blurred, which suggests perhaps a not quite so gentle breeze. Switching to manual vs. the automatic settings will give you (a) Learning how to truly control light and motion by understanding the relationships between shutter speed and f-stops, and (b) Improve your skills immeasurably as an emerging photographer who wants to truly learn our craft. A higher shutter speed will correct that issue.
Sun over the ocean: Nice idea with the cloud lines and the ocean, but lighting was not your friend here. Neither was the young child and his/her boogie board, which looks like they were attempted to be shopped-out. Patience is key here. Taking pictures on a public beach in the middle of the day will create frustrations in anyone, professional or someone aspiring to become one. Instead, perhaps you might wish to consider the time of day you are working with. The benefits as previously outlined elsewhere will be a huge improvement.
Ocean City NJ lifeboat: Please watch your peripherals - the sloping effect can be avoided by checking your levels side to side, top to bottom to ensure you are 'squared-off'. Again, the lighting here will make/break how your images will look.
8-) 8-)

Sunset - Corona del Mar California - © John Cadell Photography


Sunrise - Virginia Beach, Virginia - © John Cadell Photography


Twilight - Outer Banks, North Carolina - © John Cadell Photography

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