Welcome to my photography blog!

Posted on December 15, 2011 by Craig

So, with my official photography site at www.imagesbycraig.com and a Facebook fan page, you might be wondering why in the world I would want to also create a blog.   Well, it seems those sites are appealing to people who are most interested in seeing end results (and I greatly appreciate their interest, word of mouth promotion and purchases).   But I thought there may be some folks who are curious about what I'm learning as a developing photographer.  A blog seems like a great way to share what I have learned and continue to discover, the photo journeys I take, my opinions, personal reviews, and some of the more technical aspects of my craft.  Whether you are an aspiring photographer, an established photographer who likes to see what others are doing, or if you just like to know some of what goes on behind the lens for me, I trust you will find some information here that is informative and inspiring!

 

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Kudos for Kelby

Posted on February 4, 2012 by Craig Douglas Gephart

Here I sit on a Saturday morning, "in class".   Well, sort of; I'm actually kicked back in my recliner, sipping on coffee and getting really inspired!  If you know my background behind the lens, you may know I'm a self-taught photographer; what I have learned has been through trial and error, looking at the work of other photographers, reading online resources, photography magazines, books, etc. I haven't invested hundreds of dollars to go to photography school or instructor led weekend safaris.  However, for Christmas this past year, Kelby Training (www.kelbytraining.com) was offering their annual membership at a special discount. If you're not familiar with Kelby Training, they offer instructor-led online videos for photography, Photoshop, etc..  In my first encounter with Kelby Training, I watched one of the photography videos from Moose Peterson (www.moosepeterson.com)  and learned some very practical field tips in the first 5 minutes...  If, for less than $200, I could learn practical tips and techniques from a variety of respected professionals that I could put to use immediately it was an investment worth making!

If you're a beginner or intermediate photographer who wants to take your craft further, I recommend Kelby.  You can learn in-the-field techniques, post production tips (I'm finding, this morning, that I really want to watch more of the Photoshop sessions so I can start taking greater advantage of Photoshop's usefulness!), and more.  Kelby Training is a great resource, allowing you to learn at your own pace.  It's full of practical, money-saving, tips (yes, I found some tips that have prompted me to remove a several hundred dollars worth of slickly-marketed "must have" gizmos from my "wish list").  What makes Kelby Training especially cool is that I can watch it on my laptop, my iPad or even my cell phone.  Way cool to have that training available anytime, anywhere I want!

BTW, I'm not getting any reimbursement for promoting Kelby.  I have simply found it to be a worthwhile investment for me and believe it could be for you if want to take your craft to a higher level!

 

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A little pre-Spring Cleaning – sifting through old images

Posted on January 11, 2012 by Craig Douglas Gephart

I've been down with a pretty bad cold and recurring fever the past several days.  Today was actually the first day I felt half-decent.  So, finally feeling I could do more than spend my sleeping and waking long enough to take medication, I opened up LightRoom and decided I would start sorting back through a portion of my collection.   Taking pictures is fun but the truth of the matter is, in my own experience and that of other photographers I have read about, more images end up in the trash than ever see the light of day.

Since I've only been involved with photography for about two years, I'm still finding may way when it comes to managing my images.  I probably throw out about 1/2 to 2/3  of my original images within a few days of taking them.  Others, however, I hang onto until I have more time (or I'm recovering from being sick!).   Anyhow, it was actually kind of fun going back through the old images;   Read more »

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Lessons in Planning a Shoot

Posted on December 29, 2011 by Craig Douglas Gephart

Over the Christmas holiday, while visiting in-laws, I had several hours to run to Gloucester and Rockport, MA, to do some landscape photography.  I had mapped out a few sights I wanted to focus on; two of which were lighthouses.   I had mapped out my trip on Google Maps, had seen photos other had taken using another great app, Stuck On Earth (a great app for inspiration) by Trey Ratcliff, and was up and on the road at 5:30 AM for the hour drive.   My goal was to be positioned at one of the lighthouses by the time the sun was coming up at 7:11 AM.  Upon my arrival at the first lighthouse, I found it was on private property and not within view from any location that I could find suitable for parking (actually, I never saw it!).  I turned my car around and headed for the second lighthouse in the time remaining before the sun was to rise.   Upon getting to the turn-off for the second lighthouse I found that it was on a road marked with private property signs (again, it was too far away to even see from the road).   So, the two lighthouses I had hoped to shoot were not to be shot.   Bummer.

Fortunately, as with all good photographers, I already had other images in my mind and headed to Rockport, where I was finally able to begin my photo expedition.   In the end I did come away with shots from several locations, some of which were not on my itinerary, so it was not a total loss. However, as I was driving between locations and scoping out the area, I couldn't help but think that, if I want to be successful in my photo expeditions, I need to do more than do basic research of the area and plan my schedule.  In the future, I will be doing even more research on locations that I am planning to photograph and will

  1. Determine whether there is public access to those areas (never assume because you've found photos of something that you can photograph it without making some contacts)
  2. If there is no public access, find out who to contact and get clearances in advance.   I'm sure I could have done some great things with those lighthouses.  Next time I will make arrangements to shoot them!
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Photographer’s Ephemeris – a great tool for planning your next shoot!

Posted on December 16, 2011 by Craig

There are some great free or inexpensive apps available for photographers.  Unfortunately, finding those gems that cross platform boundaries and work on multiple devices can be a challenge.   One great program that I have really come to appreciate is Photographer's Ephemeris.  In short, PE gives sunrise/moonrise/sunset/moonset direction in relationship to a point you choose on Google Maps.  It's fun to use, and has features you would likely expect to find in a premium app.  It's available for Mac, PC, iPad, iPhone, Android.   I have it installed on my Macbook Pro, my iPad and my iPhone, so it's always nearby.   It's especially nice to have on my iPhone when on location planning or conducting a shoot; I always know exactly where the sun or moon is going!   Check it out today at http://photoephemeris.com/.

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