click by Lynne Rigby

Winter 2011

The official magazine of ClickinMoms

Cover Contest Winner Summer Maddox of Summerlyn Photography 1

“I knew I wanted to throw my hat in on this contest. So I racked my brain about what to do. I thought about the way CM made me feel when I first knew I wanted to learn everything I could about photography. The gals here were so welcoming and knowledgeable. It was like a warm cup of coco on a cold winter morning with a little girlie chit chat on the side. For those who do have to shoot in the cold (like me), I cut the finger off of the pointer finger in my glove so I can move quickly. You all probably already know that....but I thought I’d just leave a little tip.”

Home Blog

Editor’s Choice Winner Linda Gentry of Linda Gentry Photography

editor’s note Here it is, the inaugural issue of Click, the quarterly eMagazine for Clickinmoms.com. Most of you reading this are members or have been members of CM and know what we’re all about, but if this magazine is your first introduction to ClickinMoms, then I’ll give you a little back story. Clickin Moms was founded in March 2008 by Kendra Okolita after she saw a trend on another forum of moms getting dSLR cameras. She wanted the board to be supportive and kind for women photographers at all stages of their journey. The board has grown by leaps and bounds in three short years. We currently have over 8000 active members, a kick butt blog and we have recently implemented CMPro, a store and amazing workshops. And even more is in the works!

This magazine is an extension of the forum. A little about shooting, a little about editing, lots of inspiration and some fun along the way. Nearly every photo credit and byline here is clickable, so be sure to check out our contributors. I also want to take the time right now to profusely thank everyone who wrote articles, allowed their images to be featured and helped me pull this thing together. A big thank you to Sarah Wilkerson and Kendra who had faith in my abilities to actually do this and Ashley Spaulding for fixing all my foibles. So go grab yourself a cup of coffee (or a diet Coke with lime, if you’re like me) and sit back and enjoy our first issue!

e n n y L

Lynne Rigby Editor lynne@clickinmoms.com

clickc n t e n t s

shoot

Snowflake Macro {a how to}

Rock What Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve Got {turn off that flash and rock your point and shoot!}

Cut the Cheese

{10 tips to getting real smiles}

Meet Your Meter {a new photographerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s guide to your meter}

365

{surviving the challenge}

p.6

p.12 p.14 p.39 p.44

Speedlite 101 {how to get started with that bad boy!}

Flickr Challenge {unusual perspective} 4

p.48 p.57

edit p.52 p.58 p.24 p.60 p.20

{smart filters and why they’re awesome}

Lightroom Tutorial {soft, hazy cross processing}

be inspired Photographer Spotlight {Sarah Cornish of My 4 Hens}

Winter {featuring ClickinMoms talent}

features Click ‘n’ Cook {yummy asparagus}

p.21

Clickin’ Quiz

p.34

{A photographer’s guide to buying a computer}

p.40 5

PhotoshopTutorial

p.51

{are you a CM rockstar?}

Technology Gear {kit Lens vs. the nifty fifty}

Business {are you really ready?}

Bring on the

Snow Days

Snow

by Kara Roberts Seattle, WA

By Kara Roberts Seattle, WA

A lot of us think that winter brings fewer opportunities to get out and shoot. But actually, winter is one of my favorite times to get unconventional shots, including my favorite macro. Snowflakes are difficult to capture. The three keys to successful snowflake macro are: light, focus and the right kind of snow.

Here are a few tips on how to capture snowflake macros: • Start with newly fallen, DRY snow. Wet heavy snow will not work • Find well-defined flakes • Try to find flakes that are either “standing up” (and therefore have some sort of background other than more snow) or snow on a dark background. The shots here were shot on my BBQ grill cover and my patio chairs! Unlike portrait photography, macro is typically more successful the more shut down your aperture is. Since you are dealing with small detail, a higher f/stop is required to have enough of the object in focus. I would start at f/5.6 and go up from there. Watch your shutter speed. My 100mm macro is a heavy lens; I try to keep it at 1/80 or above to reduce camera shake. Higher is better. You are working with tiny objects - the slightest move can cause you to miss focus. A tripod can be helpful but a bit tricky to maneuver with the snow. If you are not using a tripod, breathe out as you are pushing the shutter to reduce shake. Use manual focus. Focus in as close as the lens will go, and move your body slightly forward and back until you get the focus you want. It’s tough for auto focus to successfully lock - especially on a snowflake. When you are controlling focus, you can be sure it’ll fall where you intend. Protect your gear! If you’re shooting when it’s actively snowing, make sure your camera body and lens are covered. Lastly, go inside, and have a cup of hot chocolate and revel in your accomplishment!

Photos Courtesy of: Top: Shannon Bjorgaard of Basic Beauty Photography Middle: Kara Roberts 10

Bottom: Lynn Burton

photo by Sarah Wilkerson 11

Rock 2. what you’ve Got!

So, you have your flash turned off, right? What do you do now? Find a window in your home that gets bright light. Here is a pull back shot of the room I used.

by Elisabeth Ross Tyler, Texas

Natural Light 101 Instructor

You don’t have to have pro equipment to take great pictures of your children. You just need to know a few basic things. Perhaps the most basic of all, the key to a great picture is great light. Without light, you have no picture. Let’s look at some ways you can make your snapshots look more like portraits just using a point and shoot and great light.

Now let’s work on where to position your child. You are probably thinking that you need the window light shining directly on them, right???

Turn off your flash!!! Nothing kills a portrait faster than direct flash.

YIKES!!! Flat light, harsh shadows, pin lights, OH MY! Can you say snapshot? You don’t need that flash at all if you know how to find the right light.

Wrong! See how half his face is overexposed and the other half is underexposed? Harsh sun spots like this will make it impossible to get a good exposure with a nice balance of light and shadows.

Point & Shoot You want to move your child just beyond any bright patches of light. That way you will get diffused light bouncing up on them and not shining directly on them. So, you have your child sitting in diffused light. What’s next? You face them with the window directly in front of them, right? Go right ahead if you want a flat lit picture like this with ZERO dimension.

Final Image: That wasn’t so hard, was it? Now go and have fun ROCKIN’ your Point & Shoot!!! 13

I much prefer to position my child at a 45 degree angle towards the window to give some soft shadows and depth to the picture. Here are some pull backs to show where I positioned my subject.

Cut the

Cheese! Photographing Children: 8 easy steps to getting real smiles

by Lisa Tichane Marseille, France 14

When you’re photographing children, whether you’re a professional photographer in the middle of a session, or a Mom trying to capture memories, getting smiles on camera is one of your goals. But real, genuine smiles are not always easy to provoke. If you’re photograhing a 2-3 year-old and he or she understands that you actually WANT a smile, you’ll most likely not get it. And with an older child, who is aware of his or her self-image, you’ll probably get the lamest cheesy smile.

So, how do you get GENUINE smiles? The easiest answer would be: wait for them! Children smile, children laugh, you don’t have to make them do it. You just need to be patient, let them forget you, and catch it when it comes. But if you don’t have time, or if you want it right now… here are a few tricks that can help you.

1. Ask them NOT to smile That’s the oldest trick in the world when you want children to do something: reverse psychology. Tell them it’s forbidden. “OK, now I want a very serious face. NO smile, all right? Are you ready? Wait!!! Be careful, I think I saw the beginning of a smile here. No!! Stop!! You’re going to smile! Nooooooooo!!! Don’t smiiiiiiiiile!!”

2. Play hide and seek Tell them to hide themselves. And find them. And express your surprise as loudly as you can!! 15

Cut the Cheese

3. Make them yell Easy, and effective. Yelling leads to laughter. Especially if you make them yell repeatedly (Louder!! I didn’t hear anything! I said louder!!)

4. Make them jump Jumping is like yelling. If you jump repeatedly, you can’t help but laugh. So ask them to show you how high they can jump. Click. “Amazing! But I didn’t see it well...can you show me again? Fantastic! Again! And again! Higher now!!” Don’t forget to snap in the meantime! In the end the child will just give up and collapse with laughter.

Cut the Cheese 5. Bribe them Yes. I said it. Once in a while, you can cheat and bribe. But not the bribe that will lead to cheesy smiles. Like, “give me a smile, I’ll give you a candy.” NO. Make them WIN the candy. Or the apple, in my example. And make them feel that they did something quite extraordinary to win this. The moment you give them their “prize” must be a moment of pride and joy.

6. Give them a role to play In the example below, I said: “OK, you like rugby right ? Show me what a strong, fierce player would look like. Mmm, not bad, but it wasn’t fierce enough. I want to be scared. Eeeeeeeek!!! So scary!!!”

Cut the Cheese 7. Bring an imaginary friend That’s my favorite trick. Your “friend” can be a toy, a lens pet, whatever. Bring an assistant. When I use a lens pet (I have the cutest crab and snake), I always tell a little story. About how my friend is the sweetest monster ever, unless he’s hungry. “He can get REALLY mad when his stomach is empty. And I’m a bit scared about what he might do right now because he hasn’t eaten yet. Would you pleaaaaaaase help me?? Would you find something to eat for him?” (you ask for whatever is available around, like “his favorite meal is a niiiiice wood stick”). When the child brings the “food” (I use my hand as a “mouth” between the child and my lens), grunt really loud with pleasure, chew noisily…whatever gross noise you can do, and you’ll get this (that’s when you don’t forget to SNAP!!)

8. Have fun!!! Children have a radar… They know when we fake it. If you’re forcing yourself, if you’re not truly enjoying the moment, they will feel it and start to fake too (or even completely refuse to cooperate). So if none of the 7 previous steps really speak to you, don’t force it! Just find YOUR way to have genuine fun, and you’ll get genuine smiles. 18

HAPPY SMILING!!!

Click ‘n’

Cook

by Monica Wilkinson Seattle

1 bundle of asparagus (the smaller the diameter the better) Dash of fresh squeezed lemon Dash of onion salt ~1/8 cup of diced sun dried tomatoes ~2 T of finely diced garlic (from jar, if you’re using fresh garlic, use 1 clove) ~1/8 cup of water Cut ~1/2 inch off stock end of asparagus (not the tip).

Toss all the ingredients into a non-stick pan Cover. Saute over medium heat for about 8 minutes or so (tossing frequently to assure an even cook). Asparagus should be crisp when done not mushy.

Are you a

Rockstar?

Clickin’

by Stephanie Neal Kentucky

Quiz

1.Can you walk your way around an exposure triangle? a. Heck yes! I can adjust my settings blindfolded using my toes and still get the perfect exposure. b. A little, but sometimes it feels like more of an improper exposure polygon. c. Is that something I was supposed to learn in geometry?

2. Quick! You just spotted aliens in your yard! You: a. quickly press the shutter without any hesitation (you ALWAYS have your camera on hand) then ask the aliens if they possess the technology for higher ISO capabilities. b. feel a surge of sheer terror, then you see the UFO lights out of the corner of your eye and think “Hmmm…. I wonder if I could use that in my studio?” ………and then faint. c. run in circles screaming “Help!” and then faint.

3.Your camera is decked out with a kickin’ f/2.8 lens. Your aperture is set to 2.8, your ISO is 200 and your SS is 1/125. You are trying to capture a child playing in a field but your images are underexposed. You would resolve this by: a. bumping up your ISO. b. raising your shutter speed. c. sending that camera back in for a tune up! Auto mode isn’t working right.

4. The rain was pretty heavy the day before and now you are on a photo shoot. You just can’t seem to get the angle right. Squatting lower and lower.... almost there, you: a. plop those elbows and knees right on that muddy ground of course! You are being paid for this, and you aren’t going to disappoint! (Of course you nailed that sunflare too!) b. feel bummed that it had rained the day before your shoot. Mother nature can be your foe! c. Hmmmm….. I never thought of squatting I always shoot straight on.

5. You keep your skills on the rise by: a. scouring ClickinMoms with a notebook at hand. You often post images with specific questions b. taking lots of pictures; you are getting a little better all the time. c. waiting for someone to fill you in on the secret. 21

Quiz Answers: Mostly A’s

You are The Official CM Rock-star!!

WOOT WOOT! You may have just found your forte! With your expertise and talent, the newbies swoon at your feet. Your dedication to photography has paid off, and you should be proud. Understanding what it takes to develop talent and keep growing are what make you such a valuable part of the ClickinMoms community. We couldn’t do it without you!

Mostly B’s Junior Rockstar

You have definitely earned your Jr. Rockstar status. There are countless people who grab a camera and set it on auto. They then proceed to imagine themselves a bona fide photographer just because they sport a strap that says ‘DSLR’. You, however, are working your way down Aperture Avenue and learning the ropes. You have found a general understanding of photography, and you are learning more everyday. Keep up the great work and keep enjoying the journey! Be sure (if you aren’t already) to contribute your knowledge on the ClickinMoms board as well! Sometimes we learn the most when teaching!

Mostly C’s A CM Rockette

If you are a newbie, don’t fret! We were all there at one time or another. You have so much room to grow and develop your own personal style! It’s great you have found a place such as ClickinMoms so early in your journey! Be sure to ask for help and try to remain open to critique. Don’t let impatience get the best of you. People aren’t holding out on some magical secret. With all the resources posted on ClickinMoms you can learn to get excellent exposures and creative compositions! Don’t be shy about joining the fun on CM! It is one of the most welcoming forums around. We love our new members just as much as our veterans! If you aren’t a newbie and things just aren’t clicking (pun intended) don’t give up! It doesn’t come easily and sometimes we need a little help and some organized guidance. ……… Stop, take a breath and sign up for the next round of RYC 101- The basics !!!

Featured

Photographer

Voice

Sarah Cornish of

My Four Hens

by Megan Moore Boston 25

If there is one topic that comes up frequently among photographers itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s finding our style...defining our voice, making our name and our work shine among so many other amazingly talented artists. Sarah Cornish of My Four Hens Photography in Connecticut is one of those supremely talented photographers whose personal style resonates, both in her photography and in her action sets.

She has an incredible eye for artistic processing and capturing real moments in her sessions, and she has one of the biggest hearts Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ever come across. Her sincerity and passion for her work are obvious in her images, as you will see! Sarah is an active member at CM, and a member of CMPro. She is one of the most supportive and helpful people we have on the board, and her energy and enthusiasm are contagious. I am beyond honored to have gotten the chance to chat with Sarah, and so excited to share with you all!

How long have you been into photography, and what made you decide to go into business?

I started years back without quite realizing that this was the path I would formally choose for not only a career I suppose you could call it but a lifestyle. Anyone that is into photography or calls themselves a photographer, whether it be as a hobbyist or a professional, knows that photography envelops you. At some point the lines blur and its something you dream of, even in your waking moments. It is incredibly obsessive. Especially for me. I honestly cannot get enough! I started as a little girl wanting a Polaroid camera. I was totally fascinated with the fact that you could take a picture and see it right then! When I was 15 I had the opportunity to take a trip across the United States with my aunt ,who happens to be a nature photographer and it changed my life! It sparked something in me that I canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t quite explain. As I got older and began having children that spark was reignited and by the time I could afford my first digital camera I was well on my way! Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only snowballed from there! I finally got to that point where people started to acknowledge my work and ask me

to take photos and I got a ton of affirmation from friends and family. I was already a part of a couple popular photography communities and knew that was only more reason to stay the course and work more on my business and craft more before fully committing to a business. In 2009 I took first steps to making it legal and official, and inearly 2010 I began building my portfolio! I am now a full-fledged business and even taking on a partner in 2011 to branch into weddings as well!

What is your best tip for getting genuine expressions from your clients? How about your kids? To get genuine expressions from my clients I talk a lot (yeah, just like in real life I suppose!). I get them thinking. I get them talking and chatting. I get them to relax, and we take it from there. I think as a general rule, most people are nervous to start out and if they are like me, they don’t love having their photo taken, so it’s an uphill battle. Once they get comfy with you though its so much easier! You just kind of have to give the session time (I usually have a 15 minute warm up period) and keep your clients chatty! For kids, I ask a ton of questions. I act like a total goofball, we sing songs, we act silly. I try to keep them interested in me because kids don’t have the longest attention spans. And of course sometimes the best photos made are the ones when a family isn’t paying attention! Its great to remember to break some rules or think outside the box because those in between moments produce the most gorgeous images! 27

What three words would you use to describe your photography style? Oy, three, thats tough!! Emotive, organic and unique, I would say. It’s so hard to choose the three right words but I really try to not only stay true to my own “style” but also take the mundane and make it special!

If you could choose one famous person or family (celebrity or otherwise) to photograph,who would it be, and why?

It’s so funny, I get all the celebrity gossip magazines, and I always see photos of little Suri Cruise. (the daughter of Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise). I love her style and that they let her express herself through her wardrobe and I think she would be a blast to photograph! Not to mention she is completely gorgeous!

What is one thing we don’t know about you? Another tough one! I am a very “wear your heart on your sleeve” type of person, so you might just know everything there is to know about me! Hmm... I would say one thing people don’t know about me is I come from a ton of different nationalities and backgrounds. My mother is Filipino, German, and Irish, and my father is mostly Italian and some Portuguese! My husband is Caucasian and African American, and I am naturally blonde with green eyes and my kids have big blue eyes and blonde hair. Yeah I haven’t figured that one out myself!

Describe a Dream Shoot. Something you have on your “Photography Bucket List”(think as big as you want!). A dream shoot for me would be pure lifestyle! I would love to be a fly on the wall for a day. I am trying so hard to find a market for this in my area because I love connections, and families are my absolute favorite to shoot! I would also LOVE to be a birth photographer! It is such an amazing, once in a lifetime event! To be able to give a family photos that I know they will cherish and be able to pass down forever of such an momentous occasion is something I cannot even describe as special, because it’s way more than that!

What do you listen to while you are working? I put Pandora on and then put in Ingrid Michaelson and it works its magic for me!!! I also love any kind of Christmas Music! I could listen to it in July!

What type of equipment do If you could only take one you use? lens with you on your next shoot,what would it be, and I am a Canon girl! I shoot with the Canon 5d and recently upgraded to the 85mm 1.2L. I why? also own the 50mm 1.4, the 50mm 2.5 macro, a 24mm 2.8 and a Lensbaby composer! My goal is to upgrade to all L versions of the lenses that I don’t have as of yet and maybe get myself something fun like a tilt shift and a fish eye!! I also have a 580ex II speedlite that I am trying to use more often but is kind of collecting dust at the moment. I would LOVE to learn off camera flash! 30

The Canon 85mm 1.2L hands down! I am worried it’s never going to leave my camera! Its new but I rented it for a few weeks during the summer and it’s to die for!

on my processing style. I figured I would take the leap and was so excited to see that people were interested enough to invest in them!! It’s going on a year and a half now and getting bigger than ever and I am SO excited with the way things have come along! I am going to be opening a bigger shop because I can’t hold everything anymore! My favorite action right now is Just Love from Hippy Dippy Trippy! I use it a ton! I am sure that will change though! I swear I have ADD because I can never commit to one action too long!!

What inspires you? (Can be other photographers,art,nature,anything!) I am inspired by everything! Just by life in general! By nature, by photographers, by TV commercials LOL! My kids, other people’s kids. Its crazy. I see something and it just takes off. I think photographywise though, what really inspires me is LIGHT! I am always looking for it, looking at it. If we are in the car and the sun is setting behind the trees or there is an amazing sky. I am all over it. My husband always says he thinks I see the world in a different way than most people !

Name three non-photography related things (no people!) that you love. This is easy! Chocolate covered pretzels, tea or coffee, and digital scrap-booking!

Quick Answers! What made you start designing actions, and what would you say is your favorite, that you use the most? I started designing actions shortly after my first failed attempt at my project 365 in August of 2009! I am also a digital scrapbooker and used to get a lot of questions 31

Favorite song? Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley Favorite food? Lumpia Favorite time of day to shoot? The Golden Hour What would you be doing if you weren’t a photographer? Graphic Design Dream vacation? Ireland Mac or PC? PC Editing software? Cs3 or Cs5 Favorite photographer? Katie of Claire Alyse

Secret Sales Weaponry It's proven than Chocolate elevates the mood, and when clients are a good mood it does two key things for you. First, prospects make a subconscious association between the elevated mood they're in and being around you and your photography. Second, an elevated mood makes them much more receptive to sales presentations. Overall, it's a small part of delivering a great experience that will help sway clients in your favor. Go with wrapped chocolates of an expensive variety. Don't be cheap, Hershey's Pot Of Gold doesn't make the same statement as Ghiradelli or another expensive brand. And let's be honest, you'll probably end up having a bit of chocolate yourself. If you really want to impress, a box of fine truffles from a local chocolatier is the ultimate. Also have on hand some bottled water. Don't ask if clients want one, many people will decline. Go ahead and hand them a cold bottle of expensive water and make a friendly statement. It's not being pushy when it's done genuinely and with a smile. This is helpful for two reasons. One of the most basic sales techniques, is getting people to agree with you and building upon that. Handing someone a bottle of water (which they accept to not be rude) starts this, in a very small but significant way. Second, it is a friendly and considerate gesture. Everyone appreciates a kind gesture, whether or not they're thirsty. I've heard of other photographers serving freshly roasted coffee or espresso or fresh baked cookies for clients when they arrive. Feel free to get creative and try things that might work well for you.

Affiliates

When your photo-lovinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; friends use your affiliate code to purchase a CM membership, you earn 20% on their initial purchase and every time their subscription renews! It couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be easier!! Spread the word - make some cash! You must be a member to participate in the affiliate program; more information about the program is available on the CM board. Not a member? Use the code: ClickMag for 20% off your membership! 32

The Smart Photog Purchasing a by Sarah Wilkerson Colorado Springs ACC Instructor

photographers are diligent about our research and enthusiastic about our equipment purchases when it comes to filling our camera bags … so why is it that buying a new computer seems like such a chore? Those pictures don’t go straight from the camera to the lab. In fact, most of us spend more than half of our photography related time in front of the computer, but too many photographers cut corners or don’t make conscientious decisions when purchasing computer equipment. You don’t just need “a computer” – you need a system that will maximize your productivity and deliver great performance and image rendition – and you want to make sure you get the most bang for your buck. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some general rules for purchasing a new computer system … 34

grapher’s Guide to a Computer Rule #1: Get Your Game On A wonderfully reliable shortcut – especially when choosing among PCs – is to get a “gaming” computer. Computer technology changes rapidly, so it’s hard to stay on top of the differences between current models or components, like the difference between i3, i5, and i7 Intel processors. However, the same components that make a computer great for gamers also make it wellsuited for graphic designers and photographers. A gaming system generally includes components designed for graphics intensive computer use, resulting in better performance when working with resource-hogging programs such as Lightroom, Photoshop, and others. Pick the best gaming system rated by PC Magazine or PC World. For example, the December 2010 issue of PC Magazine recommends the Acer Aspire Predator AG7750-U2222 ($1,999), Lenovo ThinkStation E20 ($1,163), and the Cyberpower Gamer Dragon ($1,099). 35

Rule #2: Get a Desktop If you only want one computer system – and unless you have to travel frequently – get a desktop. Desktops tend to be more reliable, and you’ll get more power per dollar spent. Furthermore, laptops are subject to viewing angle inconsistency, which can make it difficult to gauge brightness, contrast, and color reliably; they also afford you the least control over your hardware controls when calibrating your monitor. Of course, it is nice to be able to do work (other than photoediting!) from the comfort of your couch or when you’re on the road, so if you can afford it, adding a great laptop to your wish list certainly isn’t a bad idea.

Rule #3: OS Matters

Mac OS X Snow Leopard, Windows 7, and Windows XP (yes, you can still buy it) are operating systems with good reputations and high marks for user satisfaction. Stay away from Windows Vista, which has notorious stability issues.

Rule #4: Pay Attention to Critical Components

Faster processors (higher GHz; more cores), more RAM (8 GB or more), and faster hard drives (higher RPM) will yield noticeable improvements in performance. Greater hard drive space is also important and can be used by your computer as “virtual memory” to improve system performance; however, you can always store archived images on an external hard drive and/ or DVDs to free up hard drive space. Also keep in mind that you can usually add RAM pretty easily to most laptops and desktops, and you can often add additional hard drives to your desktop. You should also pay attention to the memory included in your video/graphics card (512MB or more), whether it supports OpenGL, and whether the card is dual head (which can support two monitors).

Rule #5: Educate Yourself

If you’re deciding between a couple of models, consider the reliability ratings released by Consumer Reports. For February 2010, the 5 most reliable manufacturers were: 1) Apple, 2) Asus, 3) IBM/Lenovo, 4) Toshiba, and 5) HP/Compaq. You can also find some useful information by searching for your preferred models on Amazon. com, CNET.com, and Newegg.com – all of which are great resources for consumer and 36

expert opinions on various products. You can even search for individual components if you are trying to decide between specific options (such as different graphics cards or processors).

Rule #6: Don’t Rush Into Your Purchase Don’t buy a computer just before the new model is released. For Macs, watch for upcoming models at MacRumors. For example, the recommendation for purchasing a Mac Pro is “neutral – mid product cycle” since the last release was July 27, 2010 and the average product cycle is 258 days. For PCs, search for news of the company’s upcoming product announcements. With that said, don’t paralyze yourself as a purchaser; when it comes to technology, there is always going to be something better right around the corner, so unless you find a reliable report that a new release is imminent, go ahead and buy now – just buy smart.

Rule #7: Timing is Everything If your need for a new computer is not immediate, you can save money by buying in August or September. Some states have tax free holidays; some manufacturers have back-to-school discounts. Apple’s back-to-school promotion is usually a free iPod. Keep in mind that very high end / “professional” systems are often not subject to the major back-to-school discounts.

Rule #8: Score a Discount Code Become a follower of the manufacturer’s Twitter feed and a fan/friend on Facebook before you purchase; you might land a nice socialmedia coupon. Also, search coupon sites like retailmenot.com or Google for coupon codes, promotion codes, or the like. Check with manufacturers to see if you are eligible for a discount directly through your employer or educational institution; if you or an immediate family member is a student, teacher, government employee (including military), or member of another such group, you may also be eligible for a significant discount. If you’re looking at a Mac, for example, use one of Apple’s discount codes through a participating institution (education, military/government, NAPP, etc); the best discount at the Apple Store is usually 5-10%. Military members and their families can also save money by shopping for deals through AAFES.

Rule #9: DIY to Save Money For the brave, consider building your own PC. Bear in mind that this is a fairly complicated (and often frustrating) process, and you’ll have no

support during the build or if something goes wrong down the road. Nonetheless, building your own PC is an extremely cost-effective way to get yourself a blazing fast, high performing computer, especially for systems over $1,000. Read general guides from Lifehacker and Tom’s Hardware to get a sense of the build process; for example, Tom’s Hardware guide from September 2010 profiles 3 different price points - $400, $1,000, and $2,000.

Rule #10: Display is Key What good is a great computer if you can’t rely on what you see on the screen? Getting yourself a calibration device (I recommend X-Rite’s i1D2) is a necessary first step, but if you’re serious about your color, you probably want to invest in a wide gamut monitor, which will allow you to take advantage of more of the image data produced by your RAW files. You’re looking for an S-IPS or (preferably) H-IPS panel monitor for superior image quality, wider viewing angles, better contrast ratios, and high color accuracy. While you’re at it, consider a 26” inch or larger monitor and/or dual display, which will really maximize your photoediting and proofing productivity. Recommended brands: Dell (great budget IPS panel monitor), NEC, LaCie, or Eizo (top-of-the-line).

Rule #11: Don’t be Afraid to Ask Questions!

My computer system: Mac Pro

Processor: Two 2.40GHz Quad-Core Intel Xe Memory: 16GB (8x2GB) Buying a computer system is a momentous (and Graphics Card: ATI Radeon HD 5870 1GB expensive) decision! Don’t forget what a great Hard Drives: Two 2TB 7200-rpm Serial ATA 3Gb/s resource you have on the Clickin Moms board – with over 8000 active members, you better NEC 3090WQXi wide gamut 30” monitor believe that there are tons of us who have asked Wacom Cintiq21UX wide gamut tablet monitor ourselves the same questions, who have the Eye One Display 2 calibration unit by X-Rite same needs, who have had to make the same decisions that you are making right now. Find MacBook Pro (15”) out what has worked well for different people – Processor: 2.66GHz Intel Core i7 and what may not have worked so well. As for Memory: 8GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x4GB me…well, after staying faithful to PCs for years, Hard Drive: 500GB Serial ATA Drive @ 7200 rpm I finally made the big jump to Mac in October Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M with 2010, and love my current system, which is listed 512MB below. Happy Shopping!! Display: 15-inch Hi-Res Antiglare Widescreen

Rock Your Camera 101: Photography Basics

e h T

First

A-ha!

by Lynne Rigby Orlando

Rock Your Camera 101 Instructor

So you were a really good girl last year and Santa left you a brand spankin’ new DSLR under your tree! Yay!! You need to put that bad boy to use. Sure you can use like your point and shoot, but don’t you want to be better than that? Don’t you really want to get kick butt pictures all the time?

A negative reading means that your camera is seeing everything dark and that it’s darker than the middle gray that it sees at 0. Middle gray? Think elephant gray. Some cameras see wet elephant gray at 0, others see dry elephants and others see in between. That is why some cameras expose differently.

The first step is making friends with your meter. “My what? I don’t think mine came with one...” Move it off the green box! Be crazy! Try P, or Tv/ Shutter Speed priority, or Av/Aperture Priority!

If you are taking a picture of a black car, then you want your meter reading to be on the negative side. If you’re taking a picture of those elephants, then you’d want your meter at zero. An image of your blonde haired, blue eyed 5 year old will need to be on the positive side.

This is your meter, you have it in at least 2 places on your camera. On your LCD:

and through the viewfinder

What is it telling you?

Your in camera meter is reading tones, from white to black. I’m going to assume you’re shooting in evaluative/matrix/pattern metering. That is the default metering mode of DSLRs. Your camera evaluates the whole scene, does some fancy math on the fly and spits out a meter reading.

Making it work for you

If you are shooting in the automatic modes, you won’t even see your meter. In the semi-automatic modes, like P, aperture priority or shutter speed priority, you can adjust your meter using exposure compensation. And if you’re feeling exceptionally wild, move that dial to M and let the fun begin! You adjust the meter by adjusting your ISO, shutter speed and/or aperture. Figuring out that equation of goodness is more than I can explain here.

More Information on shooting in manual: Rock Your Camera 101: The Basics Tutorials on CM Understanding Exposure by Brian Peterson

Awesome Album Design Strong Start & Finish. The first shot should make a strong statement and set the album’s tone. For a wedding, you might use a shot of the venue, or a detail with the bride and groom’s date. For portraits, a playful shot is a great way to start. You don’t want the first shot to be the best one. It should pique interest then the pictures should heighten as the album goes. Your final image ends the story. This can be a shot of the bride and groom’s car decorated, or for family portraits a picture of your subjects walking away, or something else!

Variety.

A great way to keep the album interesting page to page, is to make sure the layouts feature some variety. If your last spread was a large image with three smaller ones, try mixing the next spread up a bit.

Picking.

A general rule of thumb I use for the number of images, is 2.5 pictures per page. I also try to keep my selections so they follow the chronology of the shoot, and I pick groups of images that are related to one another. Some photographers have their clients make the selections, which might save you some time but could delay the album (and your final payment on it) for a long time.

Spread Grouping. Of course, your album won’t have exactly 2.5 pictures on every page. A half image would look stupid and some spreads will have lots of images and others might only have one image. Start by grouping your images into spreads. With a 20 page album, you’ll have 9 spreads plus a first and last page. This may vary depending on your vendor, but finding out what you need to design is as easy as asking them. Simplicity.

Now that you have your images grouped into spreads and know where they will appear in your album, it’s time to start the layout. This is a part where many photographers get a little worried. There’s good news for you, the most elegant albums today are super simple. The focus is on the photography, not on the design. When you’re laying out your albums you don’t need anything extra, though you might prefer it.

Showcasing.

One of the easiest ways to make your albums look great, is by showcasing images. This means one large shot, and a group of small shots that support the overall design. So, for example you’d have one full shot of the cake from top to bottom. Then you would also have closeup shots showing the cake flowers, decorations and other accompanying details.

Shoot For It.

Think in groups, shots that go together well. This can be a series of action shots like the bride walking down the aisle, or the bride and groom going in for their first kiss. When you’re doing portraits, you can shoot things in a similar style to keep the album flowing when you’re doing portraits.

For more great tips and sample album designs, visit www.FundySoftware.com 40

Sample Album Design by Ann Hamilton 41

Gear Report

Kit Lens: Skip or Buy?

by Lynne Rigby Orlando

Rock Your Camera 101 Instructor

When buying your new DSLR, you are faced with the option of buying the body only or buying a package inclusive with a lens or two. The “kit lenses” are a great buy if you are planning to leave your camera on the automatic modes and use it the same as you use your point and shoot. Kit lenses do have a few advantages. They have a wide range of focal lengths, they’re generally inexpensive and are also lightweight. However, if you plan on really learning your camera and how to shoot in manual modes or semi automatic modes like aperture priority or shutter speed priority, you will quickly learn the limits of the kit lens.

Kit lens drawbacks: Small, variable apertures What it means: The lens doesn’t allow a lot of light in, causing you to have to use flash (yucky light), a slow shutter speed (causing motion blur), or a high ISO (causing digital noise). Small apertures also give you a wide focal plane which can make it more difficult to get creamy, blurred backgrounds. Attempting a shot of my 18 month old daughter playing inside near an indirect sun window. My aperture is as wide as it will go to allow the most light possible (f/5.6), my ISO is as high as it will go at 1600 (again letting in the most light possible), and I know I need a shutter speed of 1/125+ to prevent motion blur. This is what I get: These images were taken with my 18-55 kit lens and a Canon xti:

Yep, th at ’s nearly pure black.

My only option is to slow down my shutter speed to 1/5 to get proper exposure, and that leaves me with massive motion blur:

e h s t ’ Isn y? t t e r p 43

Background clutter is prominent because the aperture is small. It is more difficult to isolate your subject.

e m e g as d u m j t nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Chris ds = o D he i k s e t by s! Fiv ristma mes ng Ch o a l n up! clea

A kit lens is usually a variable aperture lens. That means the aperture will close up and let less light in as you zoom in and more light as you zoom out. So if you set your ISO, aperture and shutter speed so that your image is properly exposed at 18mm and then decide you want to zoom into 55mm and forget to change your settings, you get something like this.

My aperture changed from f/3.5 to f/5.6 and therefore left the 55mm image 1 and 1/3 stop underexposed.

“If I don’t buy the kit lens, then what should I buy?” The usual answer to this question is the ‘nifty fifty,’ Aafixed focal length lens that has a nice wide aperture to let light pour into your camera. The kit lens can add about $100 to $250 to the price of your new DSLR and seems to be a good deal when you compare it with the price of buying them separately.

A 50mm lens can run between $90 and $450. You do get what you pay for, so if you can afford the more expensive lens, do it. There is a learning curve with a prime lens. You can’t zoom. You are going to have to “zoom with your feet” meaning physically move toward and away from your subject. The payoff is worth it, however. Same settings, kit lens is on the left, my 50mm/1.4 is on the right. Look at the difference of the digital noise.

Because I can open up my aperture, I can lower my ISO which gives me less digital noise and greater clarity. On the right, the kit lens at 50mm, f/5.6, 1/80, ISO 1600 on the left, f/1.4, 1/80. You can also see the improvement in color with the prime lens.

The kit lens is capable of taking amazing images... just be aware of its limitations. 45

365

Sur viving the Challenge

Photographer and mom to four Shannon Heimsoth, recorded life in 2010 and improved her photography along the way.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;My 365 Simple Joys have blessed my life in so many ways. I am documenting my life as a wife, mom, daughter, sister, and friend. I am capturing the growth and constant change in my children. I am practicing and improving my photography skills. I have met great peopleand built great friendships. I am seeing the positive in my everyday life. I am capturing the Simple Joys of my life.â&#x20AC;? 47

Where did you find the inspiration?

How did you keep it going?

I am inspired by my children reading a book, a sunset, birthday candles, bare feet, my husband napping with one of our children, blue skies, reflections, messy faces, sunflare, folded laundry, dew on the grass, laughter, tears, runny noses, and toys scattered everywhere. I am inspired by the everyday simple joys of my life.

I feel that it is important to capture and document life. To me, documenting life isn’t about capturing just the big events (birthdays, trips to the zoo, Christmas, etc.). It’s about capturing every day… no matter how simple the day may be. I wanted to focus on the “joy” of each day that God has given me. My simple joys do include sickness and sadness. I have somehow found joy in those times as well.

How did your skills improve? I have picked up my camera every single day in 2010. There were days that I used my point and shoot or my phone but I was still paying attention to the lighting and the right moment to press the shutter button. Photographing every single day is a perfect way make you a better photographer. It forces you to build a strong relationship with your camera gear and to get creative. 49

How did you get past the road blocks? The thing that has surprised me the most about my project is how others have noticed it. It seems that my daily Simple Joys have inspired others to notice the simple joys in their life as well. I have received countless emails and comments about my Simple Joys, andI have truly appreciated those comments and that support.

Speedlite

101

by Sarah Phillips Boston

When

I got my speedlite all I knew was that it went on top of my camera and that I could now bounce my flash. I had no idea which mode to put it in and thinking about how it affected setting exposure actually hurt my brain. My first few test shots were completely blown so I blindly fiddled with the settings until I got the exposure right. Then I bounced it off of every surface and angle imaginable. Once in a while I would luck out and get a shot that I thought looked like it should, but there was no rhyme or reason to it. I’m usually good at figuring out how things work, but flash was a mystery to me and I gave up on it pretty quickly and deemed myself a photographer who “shoots exclusively with natural light.” Sound familiar?

One of my resolutions for 2010 was to master my flash. While I’m far from that lofty goal, I did make a lot of progress. Using flash no longer terrifies me and I would even say that I am very comfortable with it. Getting to this point involved a lot of head banging, talking to myself, countless hours of learning by trial and error and more a-ha moments than I can count. Here are a few things that I wish I’d known when I took my speedlite out of the box for the first time.

Put your camera in manual and your flash in TTL. While it’s true that manual flash is more consistent than TTL, it’s not practical for on-camera flash and situations where the photographer and subject are moving. Manual flash gives off a set amount of light each time it’s fired. That means, if you move closer or farther away from your subject and don’t change your settings, your shot will be over or underexposed. In TTL mode, your camera’s metering system measures the reflectivity and average tonal values of a scene and determines the amount of flash needed to produce a correct exposure. However, because it is exposing for average tones, the exposure will not always be perfect. It should be close though and flash exposure compensation (FEC) allows you to tweak it until it’s perfect. 51

The rules for manual flash and TTL flash are different With manual flash, aperture controls the exposure of the area being lit by the flash and shutter speed controls the ambient light exposure of the background. With TTL flash, you are not limited to using shutter speed to control the amount of ambient light in the exposure. Aperture, ISO and shutter speed can all be used control ambient light. This creates endless possibilities and gives you almost complete control over the way the ambient light appears in your image.

Your camera settings do matter. I discovered pretty quickly that with TTL flash and FEC, you can pick any camera settings (as long as you stay under the maximum shutter sync speed) and get a properly exposed photo. Unfortunately, when using flash, properly exposed photos are not necessarily good photos. A good rule of thumb is to meter for the location, use FEC to set flash exposure and then change the camera settings to underexpose the background a stop or two. This will separate your subject from the background and make your photo pop.

Bounced flash is not the secret to good flash photography.

While bouncing the light from your flash effectively is important, it’s only part of the equation. More often than not, on camera, non studio flash looks best when some ambient light is part of the exposure.

Settings Do Matter

Pointing the flash straight up at the ceiling isn’t a good idea. When you do this, the light falls down and lights the subject from above which creates dark eye sockets and generally unflattering light. Bounce it behind you, over your shoulder or 90 degrees to your left or right. Try different angles and different surfaces (I love windows). Just don’t point it straight up in the air unless you are using a flash modifier that is designed to be used that way.

f/2.5, ss 1/80, ISO 1250.

Flash modifiers are great but your pics won’t look like the ones on the product’s website if you don’t know how to use your flash. I have a ridiculous number of commercial and home made diffusers that I once thought didn’t work. Turns out, with the exception of the one I made out of the bottom of a soda bottle, they all work pretty well.

Neil van Niekerk and David Ziser are wonderful teachers.

f/2.5, ss 1/250, ISO 1250.

I got a D700 and 24-70 2.8 in 2010 but van Niekerk’s book On-Camera Flash and Ziser’s Captured by the Light were the best photography investments that I made this year. If you’re interested in learning to use your flash in 2011, I encourage you to buy their books and check out their websites, www. planetneil.com and www.digitalprotalk.com and then practice! Your speedlite isn’t nearly as scary as you think it is. I hope these tips give you a head start (and save you some head banging) and that 2011 is the year that you and your flash become friends.

f/10, ss 1/80, ISO 1250.

So You Want to Own a Photography Business? Owning a business is TOUGH. Balancing a home business and life at home is even tougher. Having small children and trying to work from home can seem nearly impossible at times. But it can be done! It can even be profitable and fun! I wouldn’t give up this job for anything, and I feel incredibly blessed that it has worked out for me like it has. Having a job that I love and being able to be my own boss is incredibly fulfilling.

If you’re at the point where you feel you are ready to jump into business. . .stop. Take a step back and make sure you are really ready. If you don’t want to be one of the thousands of photographers failing the business side, make sure you have done all you can to be successful in a market that is clearly over-saturated. So first things first, make sure your skills are at a place where you feel confident in yourself and know you can deliver a quality product. Second, get your “ducks” in a row. You’ll most likely need a business license, which can be obtained through your city office. You may also need to file for a Fictitious Business Name, which allows you to do business as a particular name at a minimal cost. Another thing you will need is a Seller’s Permit (aka, Resellers License, Wholesale License, Resale Id #). This will allow you to buy wholesale (i.e., prints from your lab without paying sales tax) and will also allow you to sell retail to your clients. This will also enable you to collect sales tax on the items you sell so you can pay your state what it is owed. Another thing you’ll need to decide is your business’s legal structure (Sole Proprietor, LLC, SCorp, etc.). This is important for tax filing purposes and a lot of information on what each one is can be found online or by asking your accountant or finance advisor. 53

by Kristin Brown San Diego

of Kristin Rachelle Photography

Business 101 Instructor If you are already charging money for your services and are selling cd’s of images for $100 (or even $300 for that matter), you are selling yourself short. First of all, if you are working legally and charging that amount, you aren’t making any money. I highly suggest everyone does a break-even analysis to give them a general idea on where to price themselves. A photography business is not just about taking pictures that is only a small fraction of it and sooo much more goes into it than the picture-taking part. There are equipment costs, license costs, taxes, permits, insurance, packaging, props, websites, web hosting, gas, cell phone bills, classes, books, etc., etc., etc. Then there is the time factor. Booking a client, emailing back and forth, prepping before a session, travel to the session, doing the session, travel home from the session, uploading, editing, re-sizing for web, uploading to a gallery, more emails/phone calls to the client, prepping an order for the lab, ordering, packaging, and shipping/delivering an order. Then you also have hours you spend on book-keeping (or costs accrued with having someone do it for you), time you spend updating your blog, website, or developing your skills further. As you can see, starting a business (and running one!) is a bit complicated. It’s not as easy or as glamorous as one may think. However, if done the right way, you can be successful with it and even have fun in the process. Just be careful not to kill your love for something that may have been a wonderful hobby for you to begin with. I wish you all the best of luck in your photography journey!

Photoshop

Using Smart Filters in CS 5 by Lisa Harrison Vermont Photoshop 101 Instructor

This feature allows you to apply filters in a non destructive way, meaning you are not destroying or damaging any of the pixels in your image. Normally, when you choose a filter, it is applied to the chosen layer in the layers panel and permanently alters those pixels. However, when you use a smart filter, a full copy of that layer is embedded into the Photoshop file so that you never damage or lose pixels 54

Open Photoshop and your photo. Go to “Filter” in the Photoshop menu bar. Choose “Convert for Smart Filters.”

Once you’ve done that, your background layer will look like this:

Now, let’s choose a filter. We go to Filter and choose any of the filters that are not grayed out.

I chose “Add Noise” and when I do so, the “Add Noise” dialog box pops up. I make my adjustments and choose “OK.”

And if you look in the layers panel, you will see that the “Add Noise” filter has been added below the layer. It tells us the filter name. It gives us an eyeball and it gives us the icon with 2 arrows.

If we click on the icon with the arrows (in the red box) we can get our “Add Noise” blending options box where we can change the blending mode and opacity of the filter.

If we click on the filter name, in this case “Add Noise” we get the filter menu to come back up, where we can adjust our original settings.

You can use the eyeballs to toggle the visibility of the filter on and off.

You can even apply more than one filter. Each filter can be turned on and off individually. Each filters opacity and blend modes can be changed individually. You can also change the stacking order of the filters at any time by clicking and dragging them. So, what are you waiting for? Start using those smart filters today. You’ll have total control over visibility, blend mode, opacity, as well as stacking order on each filter. The best part of all? Non destructive editing. That, my friends, is what Photoshop is all about. If you’re a visual learner like I am, you can watch the video tutorial HERE. 58

is proud to announce our first CLICK Magazine Flickr group challenge. You will be given a theme/idea for each challenge. You will then submit your photos to the Click Magazine Flickr Pool. Â The pool will be open for 30 days and you are allowed to submit 2 photos per week. All photos must be taken within those 30 days. The top 10 photos chosen will be featured in CLICK, the ClickinMoms magazine. You do not need to be a ClickinMoms member to enter. Our first challenge will be Unusual Perspective. So lets get out there and look at the world from a different angle.

Lightroom

by Lynne Rigby Orlando Lightroom 101 Instructor

{Soft and Dreamy} using split toning and the tone curve

I am

a lightroom kind of girl. I don’t have time or the patience to take every photo into photoshop. Admittedly, I learned to do a lot in lightroom because photoshop shuts my wireless keyboard down and then I’d have to turn my computer off for it to function again. It’s been like that for a year, and I did finally buy a regular keyboard, but I digress. Lightroom is underrated by so many photographers. I read about so many people just using it for white balance and importing, but there’s so much more!

I’m also a girly girl. I love haze actions and the soft, low contrast look that they give my images. I don’t love taking every image into photoshop to run and tweak an action, so after a lot of playing, I’ve learned how to give my photos that look in lightroom.

Here is my beginning edit: I import using the default lightroom settings. It gives me a good starting point. It was underexposed SOOC, so I added exposure until my histogram spanned the graph without blowouts. Proper brightness and exposure is key to achieving a good soft edit; otherwise you’re going to have a muddy mess. 60

Next, I head on down to the tone curve. I clicked the little square to take me to a point curve. I pulled the top right point down which essentially adds recovery to highlights and I lifted the curve until I had this look. The contrast and softness looked how I wanted it, but it’s now too bright, so I went back to exposure and took it down a few notches.

Onto the split toning panel. Since this image is very girly - ruffles, bows, polkadots and sparkly shoes, I pick some girly colors, but this is where you can experiment. Here, I’ve decided I’d like to add a warm yellow to the highlights at a low saturation and pink in the shadows. I moved the balance slider toward the right so that the effect was greater within the highlights than the shadows. And the before and after. Here is a video of the tutorial. All CM members can download this preset for free in the lightroom tutorial section of the forum.

Winter

When I put an all call out for a “winter” image on ClickinMoms for a cover image for our first magazine, I quicklly realized that more than one person deserved to be featured. I am always blown away by the talent on our little board and this challenge was no exception. Here are a few of my favorites. Almost all the photo credits are clickable if you’d like to take a look at more of the photographer’s work.

photo by Danielle Maverick 63

photo by Merisa Coertze

photo by Crystal Samson

photo by Katrina Gotschall 66

photo by Jessica Holden 67

photo by Monica Wilkinson

photo by Katrina Gotschall

photo by Kara Roberts

photo by Noel Kelley 70

photo by Christal Houghtelling 71

photo by Vic Kupek

72 photo by Shannon Heimsoth

photo by Carrie Small

photo by Linda Gentry

photo by Laurie Yuenger

photo by Mandy Leonards

photo by Andrea Kitner

photo by Megan Moore

photo by Lynne Rigby 74