Free WPPI registration!

The 2012 Wedding and Portrait Photography show is coming up next week in Las Vegas.

If you never attended before you might want to check it out:

WPPI 2012 trade show

To register for free WPPI tickets just follow the link:

Free WPPI Registration

Select New Registrant and follow the prompts, that's it!

If you are in Vegas, make sure to come by the Canon booth and say hello :)

Introducing Lensbaby Edge 80

Those of you who are familiar with the Lensbaby line of optics will be able to appreciate the new Edge 80 optic that was announced today.
In-case you are not sure what Lensbaby is all about, it's a line of inexpensive manual optics (lenses) that have a "sweet spot" of sharp focus you can shift around to create unique selective focus images.

The difference with the new optic is that instead of a sweet spot of focus in the middle of the frame that will render everything AROUND it out of focus, the Edge 80 employs a SLICE of focus that runs through the length of the frame (in any direction depending on the angle of tilt/shift).
But wait, there is more :) when the optic is not being manipulated, i.e is facing strait forward, it behaves as a normal, flat plane lens enabling you to take regular "normal" looking photographs.

The benefit I see is being able to employ the Edge 80 on commercial shoots where creativity is appreciated but you want to be careful and keep images looking natural, where optics such as the Double Glass might land you a bit of an "over the top" look.

I already posted my little hands on test with the Lensbaby Composer+Double Glass (which I love) so I was curious to see what the Edge 80 will do.

First, some specs:

The Edge 80 has a maximum aperture of f/2.8, a 12 blade rounded aperture, and 5 multi-coated GLASS elements in 4 groups. The front of the lens sports a 46mm thread for additional accessories and/or filters.

The Edge 80 resting in the Composer Pro. The large aperture ring is easy to grab and turn and has a noticeable, but slight click at each full stop from f/2.8 to f/22

The tech info above was provided curtsey of Mike Zawadzki, Mike was the first to do a real review on the Edge 80, you can read a detailed description along with photos on Mike's blog.

Here is a short video showing how the new optic works:
Edge 80 video

I only had it for a short period of time and spent about 20 min strolling around Grand Central station in NYC.

(The comparison shots you will see with the Composer+Double Glass were taken earlier that week and have a different color setting in camera, I wanted to leave all shots "as is" so I did not do any color match later in post.)

The top image of the ceiling has the optic parallel to the camera film plane. Below it, just a little shift sideways produces a soft transition isolating one row of lights, creating a whole different feel :



The top image of Grand Central main hall has the optic parallel to the camera film plane rendering everything equally in focus.
The bottom image has the optic tilted causing the crowd to be blurry drawing attention to the clock:



Contrast that image with the one produced using the Double Glass (shot earlier in the week, different color balance):



Here is another example of tilting the lens up/down to select the part of the image you want in focus:



Again, compare that to the image taken with the Double Glass:



Below you can see the same image (hand held) using the Edge 80 flat on, then tilted in two directions. The difference is pretty dramatic:



As dramatic as it is, it's still natural looking, as oppose to the Double Glass which adds a bit of "flare":



From L to R, optic is pointing straight ahead, then tilted in different directions:





Top image taken in normal mode, bottom one isolates the sitting man in a very natural way:



The Double Glass offers a unique but less natural look (I happen to like this shot :)):



A few more Edge 80 vs Double Glass images, while I like them both, I can see different applications for each one:

Edge 80

Double Glass


Top image taken in normal mode, bottom one has a vertical slice of focus:



Double Glass

Double Glass

In conclusion, I can see many ways to use this new lens in everything from event photography (some wonderful, natural isolation of wedding elements) to commercial work (food, table top, architecture) and portraits (isolating the eyes, baby's feet, old hands).
Another avenue I think will be very rewarding is using the Edge 80 in various video productions...I think I'm going to rent this lens again and give that a go :)

Inside info - Unique Photo is holding a launch event party this Thursday, Feb 16 - if you live in the NY/NJ area and want to see an up close and personal demo of the new gear as well as do a hands on for yourself, bring a camera (if you want) and check it out! lensbaby launch Event

May we live in interesting times...

"May you live in interesting times", often referred to as the Chinese curse, It is reported that it was the first of three curses of increasing severity, the third one being:

• "May you find what you are looking for." This is sometimes quoted as "May your wishes be granted." or "Be careful what you wish for, you might just get it"...

I have no intention suggesting this is a curse, it could very well be a wonderful blessing but we can't know, only the future will tell - I'm talking about the digital revolution of the last decade.

It has unleashed creativity and talent in an unprecedented way, with unlimited opportunities.
But does democratized culture mean better art or is true talent instead drowned out? This is the question addressed by PressPausePlay, a wonderful documentary film containing interviews with some of the world's most influential creators of the digital era.

As an artist, you might be experiencing a similar mixture of good/bad as technology makes it easier for you to create but at the same time puts you on a longer, more crowded line for true recognition and worthy compensation...would love for you to share your thoughts with me/us here on the blog!

Lensbaybe baby!

I wanted to try out a Lensbaby, the "Composer" model to be exact, so I borrowed one from Unique Photo (they have a big rental department).

Just in case you are not familiar with the Lensbaby product line, the Composer acts like a tilt/shift lens with a sweet spot in the center that stays in focus while the rest of the image "smooshes" out :)

It sat in my bag for two weeks waiting for the right opportunity to shine...

That "opportunity" didn't really happen so I decided to just pop it on my camera (5D2) at the end of a test shoot.

knowing what the lens can do I wanted to create some elements for it to "work it's magic" on - I wanted an overall gold and copper tone, so for backdrop I put up a rich textured brocade I got at an upholstery shop which I lit using a dark orange gel, I added details around the model's pretty face in the form of orchids (I chose them for their texture as well as their complimenting colors) and added a rich, dark burgundy lip color that matched the orchids.
Finally, I covered the model's shoulders with black chiffon (she was wearing jeans and a wife beater, you can see some of the white in the picture, like I said, this was not planned in advance).

I shot with the Lensbaby for a few minutes just to get a feel for it, then put the camera on video mode to see how the look translates to moving images (I didn't even rotate the camera to a horizontal position...) - I have to say, I really like the way it came out :)
I heard rumors about a new product coming out from Lensbaby, with better glass elements and more control flexibility, can't wait to get my hands on it and test it out!
Go ahead and push your creative comfort zone, you'll be surprised how much fun you can have!





Model: Laurence-G-Yang
Make up: Tara Lauren

Free graphic viewer and more!

I recently upgraded my computer and installed a brand new solid state drive (ssd) to act as my C drive. In the process, I had to come to grips with the fact that I will have to reinstall all of my programs...well, the ones I still remember where I put the serial key/CD for that is.

One of the programs I didn't easily recover was a viewing/photo managing application I liked using. The company was less then helpful in retrieving my user information (zero customer care skills, not even a coupon towards the new version which I would have used... ) but as they say, when one door closes, a window opens :)

A friend recommended IrfanView , a free software that does exactly what I wanted!

You can easily create slideshows/ contact sheets/ web galleries, view and organize your images including EXIF data, add comments and even marking on the image itself!
It supports multiple file extensions (including animated GIF!) and handles multimedia/sound files (plus a lot more :))

For a comprehensive list of features see here what is IrfanView.
If you want to give it a try, make sure to click on the PlugIn tab and download them as well (also free).

I just started playing with it and it's a lot of fun! - and have I mentioned it's FREE?...

Looking for an adventure?

Unique Photo just announced their yearly photo safari to the biggest Hot Air Balloon festival in the country (NJ) (details coming soon!).

They also have a close up and personal class for the sports fans amongst you - where you will get to photograph your favorite NBA stars right from the court of a NJ Nets game!

When you participate in events as part of the Unique team you have access to privileges not commonly available to the general visitor/photographer :)
Watch the videos to see past adventures and check out the link at the bottom of the page for more detailed information!

Hot Air Balloon Adventure:



NBA up close and personal:



Follow this link for the Unique event calendar :)

What would you do if someone stole your images?

A funny thing happened to me this past week; I got a short email titled "Copyright Infringement - Possibly", that read:


"Unless you've given permission, I think someone is using your images.

I see no credits or byline and am suspicious."

(A link was provided)

(I'm keeping the guardian angel's name anonymous but am very grateful!)

So I follow the link and low and behold there were my images promoting another photographer's workshop in Colorado...

I wrote in his comment section, asking that the photos be removed immediately since he had no right to use them (but a lot of nerve!). I also posted a screen shot of it on my FB page...it touched a sensitive point with my friends because not only are they decent human being, most of them are photographers and artists themselves...I was very touched by their support!

The photos were changed in less then 30 min (and replaced with someone else's ?...), my comment was removed and I was blocked from being able to further comment on that site...NO apology was sent...

Has anything like that ever happened to you (that you know of)?

Let's keep our eyes open and have each others back :)