Digital Photo, Outdoor Photographer and Sony are teaming up to present The Art Of Photography Photo Contest. I am a huge (huge) fan of my Sony Alpha 850 DSLR which is one of the prizes. The contest, as the name implies, celebrates the artist in each photographer which makes it a little more complicated than submitting snapshots.
There are 4 themed categories in which you can submit up to 5 images for each. Each theme has been linked to a world-renowned photographer who have made tip-filled videos to help you produce your images. The themes and their associated photographers and prizes are:
Theme: Conservation In Focus
Photographer: Cristina Mittermeier
Prize: Sony A550 DSLR with a Carl Zeiss 24-70mm ƒ/2.8 Zoom Lens and publication in Outdoor Photographer
Theme: Action Storytelling
Photographer: David McLain
Prizes: Sony A850 DSLR with a Carl Zeiss 16-24mm ƒ/2.8 Zoom Lens and publication in Outdoor Photographer
Theme: Environmental Portraits
Photographer: Brian Smith
Prize: Sony A850 DSLR with a Carl Zeiss 24-70mm ƒ/2.8 Zoom Lens and publication in Digital Photo
Theme: Light Is The Subject
Photographer: Andy Katz
Prizes: Sony NEX-5 Kit with 16mm ƒ/2.8 lens and publication in Digital Photo
Read more about the contest and enter your images on The Art Of Photography Photo Contest pages of the Outdoor Photographer or Digital Photo sites.
If I had to limit my Phoenix photography spots to just a handful Arizona Falls would, without a doubt, be on the list. Located in Phoenix off Indian School Road and 56th St., the falls are a hydroelectric plant that double as a public space and work of art. From a photography standpoint there are an abundance of image opportunities.
Arizona Falls is one of the things that make photography exciting, thrilling and fascinating to me. Yes, those are a lot of adjectives, but this is a place that reinforces my passion for photography. I have been there to photograph more times than I remember. And still, it is a different place every time I go.
It is a solid concrete and steel structure. Yet it is fluid, literally and figuratively. The water that flows through the falls creates an ever changing scene. The light, both natural and artificial, brings out highlights and shadows that transform the structure at various times of day and night. On top of that, I personally view it differently every time I go. I bring a new perspective and a new eye each time. That turns every photo trip to Arizona Falls into a unique experience. That is what photography is all about to me. Seeing the ordinary, something you have seen a million times before, in a new light through the lens of the camera. And more than just seeing it, capturing your vision with the camera to share with the world.
f/1.7 – 1/50 sec – ISO 400 – Focal Length 50 mm
f/2.5 -1/80 sec – ISO 400 – Focal Length 50 mm
f/1.7 – 1/10 sec – ISO 400 – Focal Length 50 mm
f/1.7 – 1/10 sec – ISO 400 – Focal Length 50 mm
f/5.6 – 1/6 sec – ISO 400 Focal Length 70 mm
Circles of Sky
f/4.0 – 1.6 sec – ISO 400 – Focal Length 40 mm
Tamron, maker of a wide range of SLR and DSLR lenses, has announced a new photography contest. The third in a series of four contests they are hosting in 2010 this one’s theme i is Summer Rituals. Photographs for this contest should capture the essence of summer. If it makes you think of summer it is game – BBQs, fireworks, swimming pools, you get the idea. The contest runs from July 1, 2010 to September 30, 2010. The grand prize winner will receive their choice of the following lenses as well as some great exposure through Tamron’s website and Facebook fan page.
AF18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 VC Di-II
SP AF17-50mm F/2.8 Di-II VC
SP AF10-24mm F/3.5-4.5 Di-II or
SP AF60mm F/2 Di-II
Twenty finalists will also be featured on Tamron’s website. Details on how to enter with all the fine print can be found here.
Also, remember today (June 30th) is the last day to enter contest #2 in Tamron’s series, Backyard Wildlife.
The Sedona Photo Fest 2010 is a week long event celebrating photography in the natural beauty of Sedona, AZ. Put on by the Sedona Arts Center the Photo Fest runs from July 18th to the 25th and is packed with something for just about everyone. Here is a sampling of some of the events that I think look particularly interesting. You can download the full Sedona Photo Fest program of events here.
- Sedona landscape photography competition
- Sedona International Film Festival Photo Fest Cinema Night – Features two films: Resurrection: Glen Canyon and A New Vision for the American West and Ansel Adams: A Documentary Film
- A three day symposium filled with speakers and panels is the center point of the Photo Fest. A few of the presentations that stand out to me are:
- Fine Art Exhibit and Sale – Sedona is known for its galleries and many of them will be featuring photography during the event.
Check the Sedona Photo Fest 2010 site for information on pricing and how to buy your tickets and have fun if you are able to attend.
Night at the Falls
f/5.6 – 3.2 sec – ISO 200 – Focal Length 45 mm
Loews Hotels and Resorts in sponsoring a Dog Days of Summer photo contest in celebration of their Dog Days of Summer package. Submit a photo of your dog enjoying summer through the Loews Facebook page and you could be one of nine lucky winners. The contest ends on July 11th, so get photographing. And if you need some tips on photographing your dog you can check out my past pet portrait posts.
First Prize:
One special three night “Dog Days of Summer” package: a three-night stay at any of Loews Hotels 18 participating properties in the U.S. and Canada. Package includes three nights in a luxury room, treats, toys and tips including a special room service meal of veterinarian approved “Scooby BBQ Sliders,” one “Fling Thing” Frisbee from West Paw Design and dog walking tips from “It’s a Dog’s World,” pet expert Wendy Diamond’s new book.
Second Prize:
One one-night “Dog Days of Summer” package: a one-night stay at any of Loews Hotels 18 participating properties in the U.S. and Canada. Package includes one night in a luxury room, treats, toys and tips including a special room service meal of veterinarian approved “Scooby BBQ Sliders,” one “Fling Thing” Frisbee from West Paw Design and dog walking tips from “It’s a Dog’s World,” pet expert Wendy Diamond’s new book.
Third Prize:
• One copy of pet expert, Wendy Diamond’s new book, “It’s a Dog’s World”
• One “Fling Thing” Frisbee from West Paw Design
• $50 food and beverage credit for winner at any of Loews Hotels 18 participating properties in the U.S. and Canada.
Does the equipment make then photographer? I do not believe that fancy equipment, in and of itself, makes someone a better photographer. The ability to use that equipment and an artistic eye are what make good photographs. However, there are some pieces of equipment that really can make all the difference between an adequate photograph and a good or great photograph. The tripod is one such piece of equipment.
My case in point is these two photographs. They were both taken at about the same time of day (although on different days) from about the same vantage point. The one on the left was taken with a hand held camera and the one on the right was taken with a tripod mounted camera.
The biggest issue with hand held shots at these light levels is camera shake. Even the Sony Alpha DSLR’s
Steady Shot feature is not going to be able to correct for the shake that can occur at the shutter speeds necessary to accomplish this image. So without the tripod (left) I needed to get a long enough shutter speed to capture the image in low light while not making it so long that all I got was a blur from movement of the camera. In order to decrease the length of time I needed the shutter open I could have used a larger aperture (smaller f-stop number) and/or increased my ISO. For the image on the left, without the tripod, I used the widest aperture available on the lens I was using (a prime 50 mm), which was f/1.7 along with an ISO of 800. This allowed me to use a shutter speed of 1/10 second and get a good exposure. But 1/10 of a second is really still too slow for hand held photography. Anything longer than 1/60 of a second is likely to cause you problems. If I had bumped up my ISO any higher (the Sony Alpha 850 can go up to 6400) the noise would have been distracting. Even at 800 ISO at larger sizes the noise in this image is noticeable.
So that takes us to the image on the right, the one taken with the camera mounted on a tripod. The sure footed-ness of the tripod allows me to take camera shake out of the equation. So now I have more options for a more crisp image with less noise. For this image I used an aperture of f/5.0, an ISO of 200 (less noisy) and a shutter speed of .8 seconds. This combination of settings resulted in a photograph that, when viewed at high resolution, is cleaner and far less blurred.
So although the tripod alone was not responsible for these images. The right equipment combined with a little camera know-how and a bit of an artistic eye can combine together for much better photography.
Through the Fence
f/5.6 – 2.0 sec – ISO 400 – Focal Length 135 mm
There are daily photo blogs all over the Internet now. One popular form is the city based blog. You can find a daily photo blog for almost any city you can think of. For cities you are familiar with (or even those you are not) it is great to follow photo blogs for cities like Phoenix, New York City and Tucson. I am particularly fond of www.tucsondailyphoto.com because Tucson is where I grew up and is “home.”
The Tucson blog recently requested submissions from readers so I sent one in and it was posted today. If you are at all familiar with Tucson, or even if not, this blog is worth taking a look at.
