Friday, February 29, 2008
Sunfellow Mailing List
I have a new mailing list for folks who are interested in photography. Along with sending out weekly summaries concerning the great information I regularly post here, I will also be letting my photography readers know when new images have been uploaded to my SmugMug galleries. To join the list, simply send a blank message to:
sunfellow_photography-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
sunfellow_photography-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
Sunfellow: Jill & Kert's Wedding
I just finished putting together a quick website with photos from Jill & Kert's wedding, which was shot at Back O' Beyond in Sedona, Arizona. It was a perfect day, with Sedona red rocks still wet from recent storms. I shot these images using three different Nikons, each of which was fitted with a different lens. Since this was a one-hour "no frills" elopement ceremony, all of these images were processed in Lightroom without any additional tweaking in Photoshop. Click here to see the 77 images I have posted. I used Lightroom to process the images and throw together a quick website.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Sunfellow: The Mother Load Of Ancient Rock Art
I've done a lot of hiking in and around Sedona and know where many of the best ruins and rock art is located. But this past week, when I was out hiking with James Gregory, an avid hiker and dear friend of mine from Canada, we stumbled across the mother load of ancient rock art. It was, by far, the best collection of clear, clean, undisturbed rock art I have seen. I've posted a few photos below. You can find more images in my SmugMug gallery.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Sunfellow On SmugMug
In a previous blog, I told you about SmugMug. And one of the reasons you haven't heard from me over the last coupe of days is that I've been busy setting up a base camp on SmugMug! Yes, after poking around, I decided to take the leap and become a pro-level customer. And while my photo offerings are still sparse, I have set up four galleries:
• Sedona, Arizona
• Sedona: Ancient Ruins & Rock Art
• Sedona Panoramas
• Wedding Photos
In the coming days and weeks I will feature a few of the images I have posted on SmugMug here. In the meantime, you can check out my first four galleries by going here.
Generally, the SmugMug website is beautifully designed and easy to use. Along with offering a variety of different templates to choose from (I chose their default to start with), there are also options for creating your own unique designs. Creating new galleries, making those galleries public, or private, uploading and moving around photos, all of this is easy. You can also add or remove watermarks, list (or hide) camera and camera setting information, choose the viewable sizes of your images, choose the way you would like your images displayed, allow comments on your photo pages, even password protect galleries. And these are only a few of the options available to pro users.
Some of the features are, however, a bit confusing. The most confusing part for me was figuring out how to price my images. Instead of having one easy to reach, clearly marked button to price photos, you have to navigate through a sub-menu beneath individual images. Once discovered, this oddly placed sub-menu gives you the power to set prices for individual images, galleries, even your entire portfolio, but finding it is very counterintuitive.
You know from my previous post that SmugMug offers a vast array of products: prints, greeting cards, photo books, canvass prints, mugs, mouse pads, buttons, aprons, coasters, puzzles, key tags, refrigerator magnets, ceramic tiles, t-shirts, sweatshirts, even playing cards. They also offer an impressive variety of print sizes and allow you to sell downloadable prints in various resolutions.
In addition to all this, their customer service is surprisingly fast. As I went about setting up my portfolio on SmugMug, I ran into two issues: One involved some pages not loading correctly, while the other question pertained to printing panoramic images. Within a couple hours, I heard back from two different support people: they knew about the page loading problem and were working on it; and while they weren't able to print panoramic images yet, they pointed me in the direction of a helpful workaround.
How good are their finished products? All the comments I've seen have been positive. I'll be ordering my first few prints in the coming weeks and will report back.
Finally, here are a few quick SmugMug statistics from a February 22, 2008 USAToday article:
SmugMug is a "son and pop" shop. Don MacAskill, 30, is founder and CEO, and dad Chris, 54, the president who reports to Don. Also answering to the eldest son: Mom, two brothers, a sister, an aunt and various in-laws.
What it is: Premium ad-free photo- and video-sharing site.
Founded: 2002.
Subscribers: More than 100,000.
Pictures hosted on SmugMug: More than 230 million.
Sales in 2007: $12 million.
Yearly plans: $39.95 for unlimited photo uploads; $59.95 to share video clips and customize home page with unique look; $149.95 a year adds high-def video clips and the ability to sell photos for a profit.
Read the USAToday article here.
• Sedona, Arizona
• Sedona: Ancient Ruins & Rock Art
• Sedona Panoramas
• Wedding Photos
In the coming days and weeks I will feature a few of the images I have posted on SmugMug here. In the meantime, you can check out my first four galleries by going here.
Generally, the SmugMug website is beautifully designed and easy to use. Along with offering a variety of different templates to choose from (I chose their default to start with), there are also options for creating your own unique designs. Creating new galleries, making those galleries public, or private, uploading and moving around photos, all of this is easy. You can also add or remove watermarks, list (or hide) camera and camera setting information, choose the viewable sizes of your images, choose the way you would like your images displayed, allow comments on your photo pages, even password protect galleries. And these are only a few of the options available to pro users.
Some of the features are, however, a bit confusing. The most confusing part for me was figuring out how to price my images. Instead of having one easy to reach, clearly marked button to price photos, you have to navigate through a sub-menu beneath individual images. Once discovered, this oddly placed sub-menu gives you the power to set prices for individual images, galleries, even your entire portfolio, but finding it is very counterintuitive.
You know from my previous post that SmugMug offers a vast array of products: prints, greeting cards, photo books, canvass prints, mugs, mouse pads, buttons, aprons, coasters, puzzles, key tags, refrigerator magnets, ceramic tiles, t-shirts, sweatshirts, even playing cards. They also offer an impressive variety of print sizes and allow you to sell downloadable prints in various resolutions.
In addition to all this, their customer service is surprisingly fast. As I went about setting up my portfolio on SmugMug, I ran into two issues: One involved some pages not loading correctly, while the other question pertained to printing panoramic images. Within a couple hours, I heard back from two different support people: they knew about the page loading problem and were working on it; and while they weren't able to print panoramic images yet, they pointed me in the direction of a helpful workaround.
How good are their finished products? All the comments I've seen have been positive. I'll be ordering my first few prints in the coming weeks and will report back.
Finally, here are a few quick SmugMug statistics from a February 22, 2008 USAToday article:
SmugMug is a "son and pop" shop. Don MacAskill, 30, is founder and CEO, and dad Chris, 54, the president who reports to Don. Also answering to the eldest son: Mom, two brothers, a sister, an aunt and various in-laws.
What it is: Premium ad-free photo- and video-sharing site.
Founded: 2002.
Subscribers: More than 100,000.
Pictures hosted on SmugMug: More than 230 million.
Sales in 2007: $12 million.
Yearly plans: $39.95 for unlimited photo uploads; $59.95 to share video clips and customize home page with unique look; $149.95 a year adds high-def video clips and the ability to sell photos for a profit.
Read the USAToday article here.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
SmugMug
My brother, Wes, sent me a link to SmugMug this morning and I thought I would share it with the rest of you. Along with offering folks a place to post their photos online where you can control the look and feel of your website and gallery, it also offers folks a place to sell and print their images. End products include: prints, greeting cards, photo books, canvass prints, mugs, mouse pads, buttons, aprons, coasters, puzzles, key tags, refrigerator magnets, ceramic tiles, t-shirts, sweatshirts, even playing cards! Annual prices range from 39.95 for a standard account, $59.95 for a PowerUser account, and $149.95 for a Professional account. I probably going to take this for a spin and would be interested in hearing from any of you who may have used this service.
Finally, here are a few great photos that are currently featured on SmugMug.
Finally, here are a few great photos that are currently featured on SmugMug.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Nik Software's Viveza Plug-In
Introducing Nik Software Viveza, powered by U Point® technology for direct on-image editing, the most powerful and precise tool available to control light and color in photographic images. For the first time, corrections and enhancements can easily be made without the need to create complicated selections and layer masks.U Point powered Color Control Points, placed directly on colors or objects in an image (such as sky, skin, grass, etc.), reveal easy-to-use controls that photographers can use to quickly adjust brightness, contrast or color in a fraction of the time needed by other tools.
Click here for details.
The Best Photo Books Of 2007
The Best Photo Books Of 2007
From Afghanistan to the plains of North Dakota, affluence to homelessness, this year's books define photography's big world.
From Afghanistan to the plains of North Dakota, affluence to homelessness, this year's books define photography's big world.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Nikon Issues Firmware Update For D300
Nikon has released firmware v.1.02 for its D300 Digital SLR. The update resolves an issue with vertical banding which (very rarely) can appear in images that have been taken at shutter speeds slower than 8 seconds.
Click here to download Nikon D300 firmware v.1.02 for Mac
Click here to download Nikon D300 firmware v.1.02 for PC
Click here to download Nikon D300 firmware v.1.02 for Mac
Click here to download Nikon D300 firmware v.1.02 for PC
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Sunfellow: Loy Butte Hike
While Michael Dowd and Connie Barlow (of "Thank God For Evolution") were visiting Sedona, I took them out to Loy Butte to see some ruins. Click on the photos below for a larger view. I have included some brief statistics about Sedona below the photos.
Some quick statistics about Sedona, Arizona:
According to Coconino National Forest officials, the 160,000 acres that make up Sedona's red rock country has been populated by human beings for at least 8,000 years!
Today, Sedona is home to about 12,000 people, many of whom are devoted hikers and environmentalists. The area also attracts about four million visitors annually.
Along with human beings, Sedona is also home to deer, coyote, mountain lions, more than 550 types of seed plants, 80 kinds of fish, amphibians, and reptiles, over 180 birds, and 55 mammals. Within 10 miles of Sedona you can also visit seven distinct biological communities.
Some quick statistics about Sedona, Arizona:
According to Coconino National Forest officials, the 160,000 acres that make up Sedona's red rock country has been populated by human beings for at least 8,000 years!
Today, Sedona is home to about 12,000 people, many of whom are devoted hikers and environmentalists. The area also attracts about four million visitors annually.
Along with human beings, Sedona is also home to deer, coyote, mountain lions, more than 550 types of seed plants, 80 kinds of fish, amphibians, and reptiles, over 180 birds, and 55 mammals. Within 10 miles of Sedona you can also visit seven distinct biological communities.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Rio de Janeiro's Statue Of Christ Struck By Lightning
Now here's a photo you don't see everyday: Rio de Janeiro's world-famous statue of Christ the Redeemer struck by lightning!
Here's an excerpt from the Daily Mail article about this unique event:
"Rio de Janeiro's world-famous statue of Christ the Redeemer was struck by lightning during a thunderstorm over the Brazilian city on Sunday. The statue -- which towers over the city as the largest statue of Christ in the world -- did not appear too damaged after the strike, according to Brazilian reports. The statue stands 39.6 metres (130ft) tall, is made of 700 tons of reinforced concrete, and is located at the peak of the 700-metre (2,296ft) Corcovado mountain overlooking the city. It was named one of the new Seven Wonders of the World in 2007. Sunday's lightning storm felled trees and wreaked havoc in several Rio neighbourhoods."
Here's an excerpt from the Daily Mail article about this unique event:
"Rio de Janeiro's world-famous statue of Christ the Redeemer was struck by lightning during a thunderstorm over the Brazilian city on Sunday. The statue -- which towers over the city as the largest statue of Christ in the world -- did not appear too damaged after the strike, according to Brazilian reports. The statue stands 39.6 metres (130ft) tall, is made of 700 tons of reinforced concrete, and is located at the peak of the 700-metre (2,296ft) Corcovado mountain overlooking the city. It was named one of the new Seven Wonders of the World in 2007. Sunday's lightning storm felled trees and wreaked havoc in several Rio neighbourhoods."
Michael Dowd Comes To Sedona
Michael Dowd, author of "Thank God For Evolution", has been in town the past week. Here are a few photos I took of his presentation at our local library.
You can find more photos of Michael and his Sedona "Thank God For Evolution" presentation posted here.
You can find more photos of Michael and his Sedona "Thank God For Evolution" presentation posted here.
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