Feb 1st, 2012 – VANCOUVER, CANADA: PhotographyBB announced today, the release of the 48th edition of the downloadable PhotographyBB Online Magazine. PhotographyBB Magazine is a free, downloadable monthly publication with the goal of educating beginner to intermediate level photographers, and has become a leading resource in the future of free information distribution. PhotographyBB Magazine offers readers: Digital Photography tips and techniques, DSLR camera function training, discussions on issues surrounding the photo community, and image post processing tutorials in Adobe® Photoshop, and RAW processing in Photoshop Lightroom.

PhotographyBB Magazine is available for free download: http://www.photographyBB.com/magazine

This edition discusses the benefits, pitfalls, and logistics of effective goal-setting, along with techniques for achieving growth through realistic goals. Volume #48 also explores high-speed photography techniques, sports photography tips, along with a Photoshop tutorial on creating more engaging images that pull viewers deeper into the photo.

Editor in Chief, Dave Seeram had these comments regarding this recent release:

This is one of the most interesting times of year for us. Both as photographers, and also as publishers of PhotographyBB Magazine. We tend to think of the New Year as a time for setting new goals (and it IS), but in actuality, anytime is a time for setting goals.

Our 48th edition closes out our 4th year of publications, and man it’s been an incredible ride so far. Our thanks goes out to each and every reader who not only enjoys our magazine, but whom have also taken the time to share it with others close to them. Next month, we launch our special 4-Year Anniversary Edition – and we have some great things in store for PhotographyBB – Season 5!

By way of download in PDF format, PhotographyBB continues its trend through the future of free downloadable magazine distribution. Each edition contains informative and educational tutorials for amateur and intermediate level photographers. In addition, the PhotographyBB Magazine also features useful and practical tutorials on how to use image processing tools such as Photoshop and Lightroom to build on digital photography post-processing skills.

PhotographyBB Magazine is available for free download through the PhotographyBB Website at: http://www.photographyBB.com/magazine

PhotographyBB was founded in Oct, 2006, and is a division of PowerButton Central (2004).
For more information, visit the PhotographyBB website at: http://www.photographybb.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/photographybb
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/photographybb

A few months ago, we ran a little tongue-in-cheek piece in the PhotographyBB Magazine about the best way to back up your digital photos – print them. It’s true, as digital storage technologies change (how many of you still own a CD-ROM?), the fine art of printing our images truly do make them stand up to the test of time. Not unlike the craft of photography, or the skill of working with lighting and flash, printing is a fine art unto itself. Every photographer, from amateur to professionals could all use a masterclass in preparing images for print, profiling, sharpening, etc… and where better to get that education from one of the best and most affordable sources, Craft & Vision.

Making The Print: Printing Techniques for the Digital Photographer – A MASTERCLASS by Martin Bailey is the second eBook in the Craft & Vision Masterclass Series, and as expected, it’s packed with the good stuff when it comes to photographic education. This eBook is a primer on printing and image preparation (for print), and includes excellent step-by-step instructions with plenty of visuals to help make the printing process exciting.

Here’s what you’ll gain from this eBook:

• Calibration: Your monitor, your printer, and your camera.
• Print Profiles & Color Management – How to get the most accurate color reproduction.
• Sharpening for Print – The skill and technique for perfectly sharp prints.
• The right way to size images for printing with borders.
• Printing for canvas wraps, and how to do it yourself!
• Printing for an exhibition.

Hey, there’s a discount!

Whether you are learning photography as a beginner, a hobbyist, or you are a professional, there’s no better investment in the continued growth of your photography for $5, although today thru Dec 21st, 2011, you get it for only $4 with the discount code: PRINT4 or us the code PRINT20 to get 20% off if you are purchasing any 5 or more eBooks (codes expires at 11:59pm PST Jan. 21st, 2012).

Click to view larger, additional page samples.
The downloadable PDF is just $5USD. (or only $4 today if you use the discount code: PRINT4)

You can view some page samples or download the ebook here: Making the Print: Printing Techniques for the Digital Photographer – A MASTERCLASS.

Happy Photographing folks!

We look forward to it all year long and now Christmas is just a few short days away. Each year brings new precious memories, and as photographers, we enjoy preserving those memorable moments as best we can in photo. Our skills, techniques, and vision improve year over year, and I felt that these 8 tips would help to provide a solid base for capturing some great images this Christmas.

White Balance

Christmastime is one of the trickiest times for white balance control. If you’re outdoors shooting snowy landscapes, all of that white snow can play tricks with your camera’s metering and white balance. The best bet is to set a custom white balance as soon as you go outside to shoot. Alternatively, you can shoot in RAW and adjust the white balance in post process. We also have some great tips for snow shooting and white balance control in our December 2011 Edition of the PhotographyBB Magazine (Vol. 47).

If you’re not going to be braving the cold, there will be plenty of indoor moments to capture also. Take care to set your camera’s white balance based on the indoor lighting so that your images don’t come out looking too warm (although a little is nice this time of year).

Capture Moments, Not Faces!

It’s not always about getting everyone to sit still and pose with a big smile. Memorable moments are all about creative spontaneity. One way to capture such photos is to shoot the Christmas Day action without your subjects knowing. Try photographing your children from the back as they open a present. Look for ways to capture the festivities while purposefully not including faces. It can be challenging, but the results are worth it.

You’re on Candid Camera

As with the previous tip, make photos of your family/friends that are not posed. This time, look for expressions of wonder, excitement, laughter… In the beginning it can be difficult with everyone being aware of the camera, so keep shooting throughout the day. People become less aware and you’ll be able to grab some great shots of natural moments and pure expressions. Posed photos of loved ones are great, but candid shots that capture reality in a frame can be timeless. Shooting in burst mode with a fast lens is ideal in these situations.

Blur is Good, Bokeh is Better

We all love beautiful bokeh, but Christmastime has to be one of the best times of year to experiment. Throw your camera out of focus and aim for those Christmas lights. Indoor or out, a whole new world of creative opportunity opens when you bypass detail for shapes and colours. Set your camera/lens on manual focus and have a ball. This works great on lights, but try it out with some of your candid shots of people too.

Don’t be Too Flashy

When shooting indoors at Christmastime, flash can be a tricky thing to use. Too much flash and you’ll overpower any lights from your tree, and without a flash your portraits may wind up looking too dark. If you are shooting with a flash unit, aim it up towards the ceiling or facing a wall at a low power, and use the bounced light instead of directly flashing your subjects. You can also try using rear-curtain sync mode to capture some ambient light from the room. If you are shooting with a point-n-shoot camera, try using the “indoor” or “night mode” presets to work the flash while still grabbing some of the ambient room lighting. If the flash is too harsh, you can hold a small piece of tissue in front of it to diffuse the light further.

In many cases, simply increasing the ISO to around 800 will be enough to shoot without a flash. Flash is good for any posed family shots, while you’ll want to stay flash-less for those candid photos as it is less distracting, and produces more natural looking images. Again, in both cases (flash or no-flash), remember to set your white balance!

Creative Apertures

This is one of the coolest little tricks I’ve learned over the years. Craft stores sell hole-punchers in different shapes (such as hearts, stars, etc…). Get a thick piece of black construction paper, and punch out a shaped hole. Next, open your camera’s aperture as wide as it can go (shoot in Aperture Priority mode for this), while holding your punched out card over your lens. This allows light to enter through the shape you cut out, and the resulting bokeh takes on that shape. It’s a cool effect that can add some kick to those light-filled backgrounds.

On the subject of apertures… Shooting in Aperture Priority mode is a good bet on Christmas Day, so that you can keep adjusting as necessary. Wide apertures (such as f/2.8) are good for single subjects and even those up-close, detail shots. When shooting images with depth, such as a dinner table shot with family seated, you can close down the aperture to f/8 or even f/11 to widen the depth of field and keep everyone’s face (and all that delicious food) nice and sharp.

It’s All About the Details

There are plenty of great photo opportunities to be found in the details of Christmas Day. Get up close and personal with decorations, wrapping paper, and let’s not forget – food! Our loved-ones (and ourselves) work hard to put up decorations, strategically place ornaments, and cook that amazing food. It’s all about the details, so look for things like patterns, repetition, and textures. A few detail shots will add interest and life to your Christmas photo collection this year.

Beware the Background

When shooting indoors on Christmas Day, it’s important to be aware of the background whether you are shooting posed or candid shots. Backgrounds can be especially busy at this time of year, especially with all of the lights, decorations, wrapping paper, or even people (if there are many around). Great photos are ones that draw the eyes of your viewer to a particular subject (or point-of-interest). You can minimize distracting backgrounds and isolate your subjects by shooting with a wide aperture to play with the depth of field.

I hope you find these tips helpful to your Christmas Day shooting. As always, Happy Photographing. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas.

Gear is Good, Vision is Better. When David duChemin released “Within the Frame”, he went from world-renowned humanitarian photographer, to best-selling photography author almost overnight. The reason – his mantra: Gear is Good, Vision is Better. Today, “The DUCHEMIN” releases Vision is Better 2: Free the Mind, Free the Camera. Again. which is a follow up to the first in the series on lessons learned in life, the hows / whys, and the craft of photography. The first Vision Is Better is one of Craft & Vision’s best selling eBooks, and this one is sure to surpass the previous. Want to talk exceptional value? This eBook is a gargantuan 95 page spreads of pure insight and brilliant imagery from the man himself. 

Let’s be clear about one thing… This is not a how-to photography book, yet the teachings in here will absolutely elevate the way you perform with your camera, and yes, even the way you look at the world. A quote from David reads, “What can I say? After flogging the concept of vision for a few years now, I still remain unrepentant about my overuse of the world.” And why not? This is precisely what separates the great from the good. Learning how to see differently, interpret differently, relate differently, and create differently are exactly what great vision is all about. When you arm yourself with a strong vision straight from the heart, your gear matters less, and your photography becomes better.

Here’s what you’ll gain from this eBook:

• Lessons on doing what you love, inspiration, originality, and more
• Isolated By Light: Why LOW Dynamic Range images can be more effective than HDR.
• Buy the Tickets: A (very) brief but insightful economics lesson on gear vs opportunity
• Filters and the Creative Process
• When to break the “rules” and when to follow them
• Art and Risk

Hey, there’s a discount!

Whether you are learning photography as a beginner, a hobbyist, or you are a professional, there’s no better investment in the continued growth of your photography for $5, although today thru Dec 21st, 2011, you get it for only $4 with the discount code: VIB4 or us the code VIB20 to get 20% off if you are purchasing any 5 or more eBooks (codes expires at 11:59pm PST Nov. 19th, 2011).

Click to view larger, additional page samples.
The downloadable PDF is just $5USD. (or only $4 today if you use the discount code: VIB4)

You can view some page samples or download the ebook here: Vision is Better 2: Free the Mind, Free the Camera. Again.

Happy Photographing folks!

What could be more exciting than the news of a brand new Craft & Vision eBook? How about one for FREE! Craft & Vision: 11 Ways to Improve Your Photography has just been released as a free download. You can get your copy right now at: http://www.photographybb.com/free-ebook

We’ve all seen the hundreds of “__ Ways to Improve Your Photography” blog posts, which sometimes contains useful information, but often lacks substance. This eBook goes light years beyond the usual. We’re not talking about cheap camera tricks or techniques. Craft & Vision is written as a compilation of articles from some of the world’s most renowned photographers, such as David duChemin (who incidentally, is also the book’s editor). There’s no recycled material or excerpts from previous eBooks – it’s all original material packed into meaty 69 pages. Stunning imagery. Exceptional techniques. No catch.

If you were to take a week to seriously practice each one of the “11 ways”, by the end you will experience a quantum leap in your proficiency and growth as a photographer.

Here’s just some of what you’ll gain from this eBook:

• Make your images more dynamic (and what that means)
• Learn how to direct and lead your viewer’s eye through your image
• Refine your composition
• Make (much) stronger portraits
• The two fundamentally different ways to approach exposures, and which is right for you

Click to view larger, additional page samples.

Download the ebook here: Craft & Vision: 11 Ways to Improve Your Photography

While you’re at it, spread the free eBook love and pass this review on to your friends and colleagues. Enjoy!

Nov 30th, 2011 – VANCOUVER, CANADA: PhotographyBB announced today, the release of the 46th edition of the downloadable PhotographyBB Online Magazine. PhotographyBB Magazine is a free, downloadable monthly publication with the goal of educating beginner to intermediate level photographers, and has become a leading resource in the future of free information distribution. PhotographyBB Magazine offers readers: Digital Photography tips and techniques, DSLR camera function training, discussions on issues surrounding the photo community, and image post processing tutorials in Adobe® Photoshop, and RAW processing in Photoshop Lightroom.

PhotographyBB Magazine is available for free download: http://www.photographyBB.com/magazine

This edition explores some of the new ways in which photographers are thinking about composition. Recent considerations include breaking through the boundaries of traditional compositional rules, taking a more creative approach instead. Additionally, photographers will learn important safety tips and techniques for shooting during the cold Winter months.

Editor in Chief, Dave Seeram had these comments regarding this recent release:

We tend to think of January as the time to commence new things, yet I feel that we’re breaking new ground with the release of this edition. It’s become increasingly important to myself and our team, to start looking at deeper photographic issues as they relate to how we manage our creativity. While continuing to explore techniques for improving your photography, we’re also going to start taking a deeper look at improving our creative vision.

And speaking of vision, we have a FREE eBook announcement. In addition to downloading your copy of this free, monthly magazine, be sure to download your free eBook, Craft and Vision: 11 Ways to Improve Your Photography at http://www.photographybb.com/free-ebook

But we’re not finished there either… We’re giving away another Drobo to our readers who enter our draw! Entry is free and open to everyone, and details are in this edition of the magazine. I wish all of our readers good luck, and Happy Photographing!

By way of download in PDF format, PhotographyBB continues its trend through the future of free downloadable magazine distribution. Each edition contains informative and educational tutorials for amateur and intermediate level photographers. In addition, the PhotographyBB Magazine also features useful and practical tutorials on how to use image processing tools such as Photoshop and Lightroom to build on digital photography post-processing skills.

PhotographyBB Magazine is available for free download through the PhotographyBB Website at: http://www.photographyBB.com/magazine

PhotographyBB was founded in Oct, 2006, and is a division of PowerButton Central (2004).
For more information, visit the PhotographyBB website at: http://www.photographybb.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/photographybb
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/photographybb

Of all the key ingredients to great photography, composition is the single most important facet to building compelling imagery.  Beyond Thirds: A Photographer’s Introduction to Creative Composition introduces the so-called traditional compositional rules, and then blows right past them. Andrew S. Gibson examines things like the Rule of Thirds, and shows us why it works in some cases, and why we should consider throwing it right out the window in others.

This quote pretty much sums up everything you’ll learn in this eBook, and why it is so important to creating great photographs: “There is no such thing as ‘correct’ composition, just bad composition, good composition, and inspired composition.”

Here’s what you’ll gain from this eBook:

• A refreshing and suspicious view of the Rule of Thirds
• Moving beyond the Rule of Thirds
• Creating great images by achieving “compositional balance”
• Compositions with multiple focal points
• Composition for different frame sizes, aspect ratios, and cropping.

Hey, there’s a discount!

Whether you are learning photography as a beginner, a hobbyist, or you are a professional, there’s no better investment in the continued growth of your photography for $5, although today thru Nov 19th, 2011, you get it for only $4 with the discount code: BT4 or us the code BT20 to get 20% off if you are purchasing any 5 or more eBooks (codes expires at 11:59pm PST Nov. 19th, 2011).

Click to view larger, additional page samples.
The downloadable PDF is just $5USD. (or only $4 today if you use the discount code: BT4)

You can view some page samples or download the ebook here: Beyond Thirds: A Photographer’s Introduction to Creative Composition

Happy Photographing folks!

Oct 31st, 2011 – VANCOUVER, CANADA: PhotographyBB announced today, the release of the 45th edition of the downloadable PhotographyBB Online Magazine. PhotographyBB Magazine is a free, downloadable monthly publication with the goal of educating beginner to intermediate level photographers, and has become a leading resource in the future of free information distribution. PhotographyBB Magazine offers readers: Digital Photography tips and techniques, DSLR camera function training, discussions on issues surrounding the photo community, and image post processing tutorials in Adobe® Photoshop, and RAW processing in Photoshop Lightroom.

PhotographyBB Magazine is available for free download: http://www.photographyBB.com/magazine

This Special Commemorative Edition includes a tribute to Steve Jobs for his contributions to the world of technology and how he affected the lives of so many. PhotographyBB authors and industry professionals have included their thoughts on how Steve Jobs has personally impacted their lives as photographers, both personally and in business.

In addition, Volume 45 includes photography tips for creating a mood of mystery, 3 killer Photoshop effects that can be accomplished in seconds, an in-depth exploration of the photographer-model relationship from both points of view, and much more.

Editor in Chief, Dave Seeram had these comments regarding this recent release:

This edition is very special for me, and for our team. It’s a great honour for us to be able to share our thoughts about Steve Jobs – his impact on my life and our business cannot be measured. Steve, you will be missed by all of us, and with this edition of our magazine, we pay tribute and we thank you.

This month also includes tips for Autumn photography, as well as a discussion on how to find a photographic mentor, along with the importance and benefits of having an experienced mentor who’s right for you. Additionally, we take a deeper look at the relationship between a photographer and a model, from both sides of the coin. For anyone who is just getting started or wanting to get started in model photography, this article will be important for them.

By way of download in PDF format, PhotographyBB continues its trend through the future of free downloadable magazine distribution. Each edition contains informative and educational tutorials for amateur and intermediate level photographers. In addition, the PhotographyBB Magazine also features useful and practical tutorials on how to use image processing tools such as Photoshop and Lightroom to build on digital photography post-processing skills.

PhotographyBB Magazine is available for free download through the PhotographyBB Website at: http://www.photographyBB.com/magazine

PhotographyBB was founded in Oct, 2006, and is a division of PowerButton Central (2004).
For more information, visit the PhotographyBB website at: http://www.photographybb.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/photographybb
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/photographybb

Learning how to use off camera flash is a fantastic hobby (and skill) in itself. It’s actually quite easy to grasp the basics and start seeing results right away, and can lead you into years of practice where you learn to develop those basics into artful mastery. Making Light 2: Advanced Use of Off-Camera Flash picks up where Making Light left off and just keeps on going. Here we start getting into the good stuff – going beyond sync-speed, working with multiple flashes, using different modifiers, even going beyond the use of small flashes. The author also includes 10 case-studies, all loaded with helpful tips showing how each image was accomplished (my personal favourite way to learn). And like Piet’s other books, this one is BIG – 77 pages big!

Here’s what you’ll gain from this eBook:

• How to use high-speed sync flash for FAST shutter speeds and dreamy depths of field effects
• In-depth explorations of light modifiers and advanced triggering (great stuff here!)
• 10 case studies with examples of lighting setup and description of the process
• Options when you outgrow your “small” flash units
• 4 interviews discussing things like inspiration, business, creativity, and technique

Hey, there’s a discount!

Whether you are learning photography as a beginner, a hobbyist, or you are a professional, there’s no better investment in the continued growth of your photography for $5, although today thru Oct 24th, 2011, you get it for only $4 with the discount code: MAKINGLIGHT4 or us the code MAKINGLIGHT20 to get 20% off if you are purchasing any 5 or more eBooks (codes expires at 11:59pm PST Aug 24th, 2011).

Click to view larger, additional page samples.
The downloadable PDF is just $5USD. (or only $4 today if you use the discount code: MAKINGLIGHT4)

You can view some page samples or download the ebook here: Making Light 2

A Lighting Masterclass: Making Light Bundle (Limited Time Only)

If you haven’t yet purchased any of the Craft & Vision eBooks, then this is the perfect time to get in on the education. For a very limited time, you can basically get a masterclass on off-camera lighting by getting the Making Light Bundle – for only $8 The first Making Light is a great primer for anyone who is interested in using their hot-shoe flash to make truly dynamic images. You’ll learn about different options for triggering it remotely, where to place it, and how to balance your flash with the ambient lighting. Yes, it’s one of those topics which can be intimidating, but going through this book will provide you with a dramatic improvement in learning to master your flash.

There’s no product page for this bundle, you can only get it by adding it here.
Making Light Bundle: $8

Happy Photographing folks!

PhotographyBB would like to express our recognition and gratitude to Steve Jobs for redefining an industry like no other. Steve’s passion, focus, and innovative spirit have forever changed our lives in immeasurable ways.

While Steve cannot be credited with pioneering the craft or industry of photography, he has left an indelible mark on the path to its future. In our recent 44th volume of the PhotographyBB Magazine, we published an article demonstrating how smartphone technology has impacted the evolution of photography. This is largely, if not solely, because of the iPhone – now ranked as the number 1 most used camera on Flickr.

Steve Jobs has forever changed the digital photography landscape; for the better – he’s changed the way we learn, the way we edit, the way we archive, the way we publish, and the way we share our photography. But more importantly, Steve taught us to ‘think different’, be passionate, and to never stop creating.

- Dave Seeram
Editor in Chief,
PhotographyBB Magazine