the February 2010 russellgraves.com newsletter

RUSSELLGRAVES.COM UPDATES2010

February

Made with 100% Texas grit...

IN THIS ISSUE SEARCHES MADE EASY

FEATURED COLUMN

NOCTURNAL

Page 2

SYNDICATION INFO

PHOTO ESSAY

PHOTO TIP

Page 3

Page 4

NEED TO KNOW NEWS

Page 2 [1]

Page 8

Searches Made Easier

PHOTO TIP

Over the past month or so, I’ve been working behind the scenes to make searches easier to accomplish at www.russellgraves.com.

Here was the problem: With about 19,000 images on-line images, searches often yield too many results. For example, when you do a search for the word “turkey”, you get 1,538 images returned in the search results.

The reason for so many results is that my system searches each image’s metadata for the keyword. Therefore, when you do the search, you get to see every image with the word turkey in the metadata. Images like turkeys, turkey vultures, turkey tracks, turkey hunters everything with the word turkey...

That’s great if you want to see many images. However, what if time is tight and you only want to see a few images? All of a sudden, 1,500 images to browse is a bit daunting.

Therefore, keeping an eye on ways to save time, I’ve implemented ways to do a search within a search.

It works like this: once you do a search for turkey, you’ll still get all those images returned by the search engine.

Suppose you want to see just tom turkeys gobbling. Above the thumbnails, there’s language that says, “To refine search results, click HERE.” Once you click the link, another search box appears so that you can refine your search. When you type the term “gobble,” in the refine box and click on the search button, the number of images returned shrinks to 87 - a lot more manageable number.

Of course, you can keep on refining and drilling down the search results forever. Now, all is takes is a few keystrokes and a couple of more seconds to find that perfect image.

-Russell Graves

The sky makes creates a great point of separation between your subject and the background.

A Cheap Hair Light When I photograph people outdoors, I often forego setting up a lot of flash equipment.

I often only use a single light and perhaps a reflector.

I do, however shoot with my subjects against the sky.

The sky makes an excellent hair light that separates the subject from the background and eliminates the need for another flash.

[2]

FEATURED COLUMN Being Texan

organized Mexican army. The Texas spirit I've often lamented on what it means is a mix of fierce independence, guts, to be a Texan. Born and raised in gusto, a love of Texas, I've been keenly interested in neighbor, and a love the Lone Star State for a while.

“I am of our heritage. Six When I was young, my dad was a proud to show flags have flown truck driver and he would plant me in my love of Texas over our state. The the cab of the truck and point out by contributing to great state of Texas things like Guadalupe Peak, our culture.” has been a melting Enchanted Rock, or Fort Parker while pot and a our glorious state rolled past the cab conglomeration of of his Freightliner. He'd talk about answered the demand with a Texas people and places and haul my cultures for centuries.

When I visited the shrine of Texas cannon shot, & our flag still waves family to see and experience the Texas liberty back in July, I was reminded of proudly from the walls -- I shall culture. His underlying lesson: be the sacrifices that brave men made on never surrender or retreat. proud of who you are and where you behalf of a burgeoning nation. In a Then, I call on you in the name of are from. Be proud that you are a letter from the Alamo, William Barrett Liberty, of patriotism & everything Texan.

Travis, commander of the Alamo dear to the American character, to I am proud to show my love of Texas wrote: come to our aid, with all dispatch -by contributing to our culture.

"To the People of Texas & all The enemy is receiving True story: In 1995, I led my ag Americans in the world-Fellow reinforcements daily & will no doubt science classes to lobby the Texas citizens & compatriots-I am increase to three or four thousand Legislature to name the Texas besieged, by a thousand or more of in four or five days. If this call is Longhorn the State Large Mammal of the Mexicans under Santa Anna--I neglected, I am deter mined to Texas. have sustained a continual sustain myself as long as possible & As Texans, we are a unique breed.

Bombardment & cannonade for 24 die like a soldier who never forgets The fact that our state was once a hours & have not lost a man -The what is due to his own honor & that sovereign nation isn't lost on many enemy has demanded a surrender of his country -- Victory or Death” who live here. Our nation was borne at discretion, otherwise, the out of rebellion when a handful of brave Texans fought a much larger and garrison are to be put to the sword, William Barret Travis if the fort is taken -- I have Lt. Col. comdt exponentially better armed and

About Russell Graves Outdoors

Newsletter Sponsorship

Russell Graves Outdoors is a

If you are interested in sponsoring this

syndicated newspaper column that

newsletter, contact me for more

RUSSELLGRAVES.COM UPDATES

appears weekly in newspapers in

details.

Russell@russellgraves.com

Texas and Oklahoma. If you’d like more information about how to get the column in your newspaper, feel free to contact me.

[3]

NOCTURNAL

Photographing in the Dark Once the sun goes down, photography doesn’t stop.

Where I live in the Texas Rolling Plains, big skies, clear air, a lack of population, and interesting subjects makes for an ideal situation for capturing nocturnal landscapes.

The technical part of making images like these is easy. The hard part if finding cool subjects to photograph. Thanks to lonely places on the plains, finding cool stuff comes easy.

[4]

The Skinny Date: Various Location: Near Childress, Texas Camera Gear: Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 1D Mark III, 16-35mm f2.8 lens, Canon 580EX II Flash with various gels, Q-Beam portable spotlight with colored gels

[5]

[6]

[7]

NEED TO KNOW NEWS DOCUMENTARY

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

After a year in production, I am

Nature Photography Seminar

currently wrapping up the postproduction work on my half-hour documentary about a lake flooding a hardwood bottomland where I was

February 13th @ 1:30pm Heard Nature Center McKinney, Texas

raised. It is scheduled to screen in April and on the website shortly thereafter.

Magazine Photojournalism Seminar Austin, Texas

Connect with me!

Facebook Twitter

March 17 @ 7pm Click HERE for more details

You Tube

SPARKLE

Check out this month’s issue of Texas Parks & Wildlife for the story behind my documentary.

If you haven’t seen the video Sparkle, you have to check it out.

Bailee and I are both excited because it was recently licensed for showing at a children’s film festival!

RUSSELLGRAVES.COM UPDATES www.russellgraves.com Russell@russellgraves.com

To subscribe for FREE, send me an e-mail at russell@russellgraves.com