Attached Link: http://www.popphoto.com/article.asp?section_id=4&article_id=706

Well Tom ya' got me on "4:1 might be too contrasty".... what?? *smile* You really don't need any fancy lighting equipment. A flash unit such as the SB600 or the SB800 that is meant to work with Nikon's CLS is all you really need. That, and a flash bracket with a diffuser (I recommend a Lightsphere II, no flash bracket needed) which will diffuse the light will work fine. Do a google for Gary Fong, and you'll find the Lightsphere..... Learn how to use fill flash. Or bounce flash if indoors. The secret is to have it look as if you didn't use flash at all. The link goes to a cheat sheet at POP Photo that will help. As far as backgrounds go just remember the DOF is your friend..... if you're faced with sub-par in the beauty department locations shoot wide open..... When you shoot on location as much as I do, you learn quickly that even the best plans don't always work out. This appointment was scheduled 4 weeks in advance. We were supposed shoot at a pumpkin patch.... back up plans for this was to use the covered barn at the patch which is filled with bales of hay and pumpkins..... It was still raining heavily the day of the appointment, but the Mom did not want to reschedule because she wouldn't be able to do it for at least another 2 months.....and besides we had the barn! Well due to 7 days worth of torrential down pours, the Pumpkin Patch was submerged under 2 feet of water because of flooding. I didn't find out that the location was completely shut down until 45 minutes before the schedule time. We spent a frantic hour trying to find another suitable location, roads were flooded... it was a mess... But it all worked out in the end...... 3 locations and 2 state beaches later, we ended up here. And the sun came out! Mom was happy..... Lesson learned: have a backup plan for the backup plan.... These two images were both taken using a 50 f/1.8 lens, SB800 flash and a Lightsphere II.....

Pascale.... thanks for pointing out the typo! Wasn't sure about that when I was writing it.... Tom, thanks!

oscilis.... yes prices are too low.... I'm in the process of writing out my business plan, and come January I will be raising my rates!

You've all been a big help.... I'm going to play around with a few other fonts, maybe I can find a script font that's similar but easier to read.....

Message edited on: 10/24/2005 13:43

Thanks everyone...... ok so the "/" has to go.... should be easy enough to change. Will work on that font that's hard to read..... although I hate to change it because I think it's a very beautiful font..... is it the size or just to swirly that's making it hard to read? Glad to hear it's loading up quickly.....

Kort... my settings are #333333 for BG. #CCCCCC for text. #F8F8F8 for links, and #405160 for visited links..... I was so used to the black background that when they changed the defaults I was NOT happy..... This almost black color seems to work well for my eyes....

You did a great job on this Sheila... looks good!

It's a nice image Sheila.... Had a few seconds... here's my take on it. This took me all of 2 minutes in PS, and it can be done in PSP if that's what you're using. I happen to like this toned version the best, but I like the crop of the gallery version.... and the wagging tail looks fine! Happy dogs wag their tails.... it looks natural.... although it would be even better if his feet weren't cut off. I duplicated the layer.... did a guassian blur.... erased out the blur from your brother's body with the eraser. Then on the same blurred layer I created a black to white gradient mask, to create the appearance of a more shallow dof. What I like about this technique is that the blur fades gradually from blurred in the background to sharp in the foreground, *almost* as if it was done in camera. (I can usually spot a *created in PS* dof a mile away, because the blur falls off too sharply, or is too strong.) The layer opacity can then be adjusted to taste, although I left this at 100% for this image so you could see it better, I might were it my image take it down to about 80%.

You should have your camera set up to name files progressively, so that the same file name will not be used more than once. You should be able to do this within your camera's menu... look in your manual. DC_3800, DC_3801, etc...... when you put in a fresh flashcard in the next # should be DC_3802..... And then as Jeff suggests coincide the camera image files with the names of the clients as they were taken, along with all the other pertinent information you will need to make contact with them at a later date. You may want to enlist the help of an assistant to help with the paper process, while you concentrate on taking images. Having the client hold a piece of paper with their name on it is NOT GOOD... imo it's unprofessional looking....

Hahaha... hahahaha.... I gotta ask.... did it taste like chicken? Cool entry!

And the thumber.....

Wonderful news..... congrats Cindy!

Lyme Disease is an epidemic in my area of Rhode Island, and after Connecticut has the second highest rate of Lyme in the USA. I found a deer tick (the carrier of Lyme) attached to my leg about a month ago.... they are very tiny and hard to see, and in fact I thought it was a nick from shaving my legs until I looked more closely and realized what it was..... This was just from spending time in my own backyard. Not to mention the times that I've merely walked down the street and ended up finding Dog ticks crawling up my face, down my arms or up my pants..... Keep in mind deer ticks need to be attached for about 48 hours before they can transmit. There is no doubt that this is a serious disease. My poor dog has it. Luckily his symptoms disappeared with antibiotic treatment. I have no idea when he was bitten, but very suddenly he became lethargic, and the joints in one leg became so swollen and painful. He could barely walk. I felt so bad for him....

I like it! Streamlined.... not cluttered.... balanced...... great job!

My honest opinion for what it's worth..... some of these things may already have been mentioned..... Word of warning this is just my personal opinion.... I am by no means a graphics designer, and my own business card is amazingly simple. Which is how I prefer most things...... Let me say I do like the colors chosen and I like the image of you both in the corner. First, the design seems a bit busy to me. I feel there are too many graphics, and too much text spread out all over. Second, if you're advertising your photography services and art what does the world map mean? Third, as already pointed out, the camera looks very much like a video cam...... Fourth.... suspect more than one font type was used..... stick to one for consistency. Fifth..... from a business perspective I think the name of your business and the name of your website url should be the same. Creative Adventures is well..... creative..... and I like it, but your URL is kemalandsheila.com... if someone is looking for you by name they won't find you so easily. Six.... I think I already mentioned that I like the pic of you and Kemal in the corner, but wouldn't it make more sense to show a piece of artwork or a photo that you've created instead? Over all I think it's a good start but to be honest... other than the fact that there's a blurb about Photo and 3d art..... if I were a potential client, I really wouldn't be too sure what you were trying to sell...... I also think your business card should match the style and feel of your website..... I've scanned one of the cards that I use an example..... all it has is my business name, address and phone # and website on it..... Now that I think about it more..... you may want to consider two separate business cards..... one specifically for photography and one for 3D..... I've one of my cards as an example.... I have a few different ones......

First question...... You need to write up a license for one time use. It needs to be very specific. Fee paid for use. Where it is going to be used, when it is going to be used and for how long. I'm sorry I do not have an example to show you. As to the second question the model release simply protects you from being sued. They are giving you permission to use their likeness for promotional purposes etc..... A form letter with your letterhead or logo on it given to your clients or included on the cd of images which says you have waived your copyright and that they have your permission to use the images in any way they see fit should suffice. Disclaimer: I'm not a lawyer.... if you want to make sure you do things right you may want to check with your attorney.... or give a call to some local photographers to find out what they do. :~)

9:10 on an LCD ........ some were pretty obvious to me..... others not so obvious, I found that the two images on the black backgrounds were the most difficult. By looking at areas along the edges of an area that had light/dark contrast differences, I could see artifacting.