Event Photography Tips
I have recently been asked to consider shooting a class reunion this summer by one of my wife’s colleagues. Always wanting to make sure I’m covering all my bases and that I know what I’d be getting myself into, I reached out to a few wedding photographer friends of mine to see if they had any insights that I might draw from as I make my decision and, potentially, prepare for the job. (more…)
November 2009 Desktop Wallpaper Calendar
Each month I publish a new photographic desktop wallpaper featuring one of my photos as well as a custom calendar with holidays and other important dates listed. The images for the November 2009 Desktop Calendar were taken in Ithaca, NY during a photowalk I led there back in April. These were the last shots of the day, and we just happened upon the bike. They’re my favorites from the day.
Click on one of the links below to download yours today so you’ll be ready for November!
*If your screen resolution is not displayed, please leave a comment and I’ll be sure to include it next time!
Also, if you would like to sponsor the monthly desktop calendars to get your name/brand in front of readers on a daily basis, or if you would like to partner with us on one of our other regular series, projects, or to advertise on this site, please visit our “Become a Sponsor” page today to learn how!
One More from the Photowalk, BIG Photo Contest Deadline Coming!
That’s right! This Friday, July 31st, marks the end of my 1000th Post BIG Photo Contest and the process will begin to select our winners! This post right here is post 991, which means that the winners will be announced next Friday, August 7th.
There’s still time to throw your hat into the ring for your chance to win and be a part of the celebration for reaching this blogging milestone – which, by the way, takes place in the same month as my online anniversary – so there are big things happening all around.
Also, don’t forget to submit your photos into the July Photo Contest, also closing on Friday.
Good Luck!
The shot above was taken during Scott Kelby’s Worldwide Photowalk – Cazenovia, NY.
Versailles Planet
I was searching for some photographic inspiration because I’ve been feeling a little designer’s block or photographer’s block, or whatever you call it. Then I remembered a post I wrote awhile back about creating photographic planets based on a panoramic shot I made in Rochester, NY in November 2007. So, I thought I’d give it another go.
Full instructions can be found in the panoramic planets post but I basically found a landscape shot from Kim’s and my trip to Versailles last year and followed the steps outlined there. I had to do some cloning to take care of the seam and, after masking out the sky I added an inner shadow to the planet to give it some more dimensionality – and to clean up some of the fringe left over when masking the sky.
In the end, I think it turned out pretty cool. I want to try it a few more times with buildings and things sticking out into the sky – I have an Eiffel Tower shot I think would work well – for some added interest.
Give it a try and, if you come up with something good, leave a link in the comments or email it to me at reviews@jasondmoore.com and I’ll post a collection of them here.
Photowalk This Saturday
In case you haven’t heard, this Saturday is the day for Scott Kelby’s 2nd Annual Worldwide Photowalk!
As of today there are 915 walks scheduled with over 24,000 walkers and counting! We have 18 so far for our Cazenovia Photowalk as part of this worldwide event, a good-sized group, with room for more! And the weather is looking good up in our part of the country for Saturday.
Wherever you happen to be, if you are free, signup for a walk near you before they fill up, many are already to capacity. If you’re in Upstate NY, and haven’t signed up for a walk already, head on over to our photowalk page and join us for the Cazenovia photowalk.
Home Stretch for Photo Contests
We’re coming up on the home stretch for two Photo Contests ending this month. First, the July Photo Contest is well under way with a pretty awesome prize in the form of a 16″x24″ gallery wrap, generously donated by our friends over at Mpix – a $100 value! Thanks guys!
Next, and even more exciting, is the BIG Photo Contest, now in its final weeks. Celebrating my upcoming 1,000th post you are invited to submit a collection of 5 photos, each fitting into one of five categories, to be judged as a series for a chance at over $1,000 in prizes from our sponsors.
Both of these photography contests are timed quite nicely to end after you have a chance to participate in the Worldwide Photowalk on the 18th. That way you will be able to really get out there and shoot before submitting your images for either or both of the contests. Full details can be found on our photo contest page.
And, while I’m at it, speaking of the photowalk there is still room in the Cazenovia Photowalk that I will be leading. So, if you are in Upstate NY and have yet to sign up, please join us for a fun afternoon of photography.
Good Luck!
Somewhere in the Pacific
The seas were a little rough yesterday. Making it hard for some to keep their stomachs under control. And the rest of us were getting pretty close to that point as well. Luckily, today has been pretty tame.
Classes have gotten off to a good start. I am taking Core which is a geography/cross-discipline course for the entire shipboard community – students, professors, adult passengers, and all. We cover the cultures, geography, political climate, economy, and other useful information about each country we will be visiting. A different professor gives the lecture each day in his/her area of expertise, which not only helps us get the best info from the most knowledgeable on the subject but it also offers a good variety of perspectives and voices on each country. My next class is Religious Ethics. Here we will be approaching various prominant social issues from the points of view of each of the multiple religions of each port. I am also taking a class that focuses on the arts of Asia – and will also touch on some Islamic art to fill the class time post-India. Finally, I am taking a class about nationalism. We will be in search of what that concept means for individuals of each country we visit. There is a lot of reading to be done, but no more than I’ve been accustomed to in years past. A large part of our coursework is done through journals and papers that are focused on our personal observations and interactions with the cultures, locations, and people we meet along the way. There really is no better way to do it.
Activities have begun as well. As of right now there have only been the preliminary meetings to see what interest there is and to provide an overview of the groups. I’m going to be working with the onboard website and, to some degree, with the religious/spiritual commuity. I’ll be finding out later in the week what role I’ll be playing with the website. I’m the lead photographer so be sure to check that site through www.semesteratsea.com as well. Also later this week we will be given our teams for the Vicarious Voyage program. This program will match us up with an elementary or high school class (in either NY or MA in my case) and we will periodically mail them pictures, letters, discriptions of the countries, menus and other objects with foreign writing, and other educational items so they can follow along with us and learn from what is beyond the textbook. Depending on where the school is, I may get the opportunity to visit and give a presentation once I return.
Aside from classes and organized groups, there is a lot to do onboard. Certainly happy hour at the end of the class day is popular. In the evenings there are generally movies playing in the theater or on our closed-circuit tv’s in our cabins. The selection isn’t great but we generally see films either with a theme or setting in the next port or one produced in those countries. Though, there have been exceptions. The Union which is basically the central meeting place on the ship and the location of our Core class is always full of people doing pretty much everything from playing cards to playing music to studying to just hanging out or passing through to something else. One of my favorite spots is the port side sitting area on the Promenade Deck (that’s the left side when looking at the front, or bow).It’s generally pretty quiet and you can sit and watch the water and listen to the waves for hours. I can’t get enough of it!
