Nov 28, 2013 | WRP Ed Zone
Combining the Elements to Tell the Story, Chapter 5 is now available, FOR FREE (how anti Black Friday, right?)! Thanks to our friends at B&H Photo, my iBook Photography FUNdamentals is ALL free which includes this new chapter.
Chapter Five is all about bringing all those elements that go into a photograph together to tell YOUR story about the subject. Some might summarize it in the one word, composition, but I feel there is so much more than some rules. And the beauty of being an iBook, this entire chapter is all video.
It’s a total of a two hour slideshow where I talk about the strength and weakness of an image, using elements like Light & Bright and Sharpness to move the eye around in the frame. I go into how this lens worked for this subject, minimum DoF worked for that. There are birds, mammals, rocks and water, grand vistas, people and I think even a macro shot in the chapter. Being a video, you can pause, repeat and go back over and over again as you teach yourself the best way for YOU to tell YOUR visual story. If you’re looking for rules and formulas, those are not included. The story is yours to tell visually your way. This chapter is how you empower your passion in your photography taping your heart more than your head. Power up the iPad and if you already have Photography FUNdamentals, you’ll be prompted to download the update. If you don’t have it, click on the link above and you can have this iBook FOR FREE!
Note: Yes, Andriod versions of all our iBook / iMags are in development. Look for them in 2014.
Nov 20, 2013 | WRP Ed Zone
A few weeks ago, the opportunity of my lifetime, ever!, was afforded me by some of the best to do what I do best, tell stories. The Texas Flying Legends Museum made it possible for the Kelby Training crew to tag along with me and film our first documentary. The subject of our film, well I can honestly say it has nothing to with f/stops and shutter speeds. Nope, it’s about a higher plane of photography and life, sacrifice above self. How the today’s legendary pilots flying legendary aircraft honor those legends from the past.
photo by Kevin Dobler
“Betty’s Dream” is making a run on enemy transport like it has done so many times in the past, having racked up an impressive score sinking enemy ships. All of a sudden it’s jumped by a zero. Betty’s top turret spins into action and is blasting away at the Zero when a P-40 appears that was flying top cover to make the final kill. While I love to tell that story verbally, I would much rather tell it in a photograph. Lucky for me, when I proposed this idea to Warren (pilot of the Zero, great pilot and friend), he said, “Ya, let’s to that!” The skill of Alan Miller at the stick in “Betty’s Dream,” Warren Pietsch in “Last Samurai” (A6M Zero) and Doug Rozendaal in the P-40 “Aleutian Tiger,” we were able to create the dog fight in real time in the air (my pilots in my Bonanza photo platform, Flydaddy & Scottie had a HUGE hand in the success as well). As all the pilots said, “they’d never seen that ever done before!” That’s just a itty pitty taste of the 11k images we shot in the air that day with nine aircraft. And that’s only one part of the documentary.
photo by Kevin Dobler
While the still photographs are the visual storytelling, where does the story itself come from? It comes from our experiences as life unfolds. For this image to come to life, those who lived these moments had to share their story. You see here just a couple of the amazing WWII vets who are also part of our documentary, LtCol Dick Cole, right seat, 1st plane of the Doolittle Radiers and Bud Anderson, Triple Ace and test pilot having conversations with me on camera. Others like three Tuskegee Airman, navigator for “Betty’s Dream” during WWII, George Preddy’s wingman when he was shot down. Even had a conversation with the pilot for the 3rd B-29 scheduled drop the atom bomb, a known suicide mission at the time which we now know from history, didn’t have to fly its mission. And so many more! The inspiration for the Texas Flying Legends Museum, the inspiration for my storytelling and therefore photographs come to life for you as these greats tell their story.
Photography is never what you think it is, noticed that? I’m incredibly fortunate the Scott Kelby understands this better than most and when I proposed this concept, they not only jumped on it but upped the anti to create their first documentary. Because photography has to be more than f/stop and shutter speeds, it must contain not only commitment but an driving passion. Having put in the most amazing week of no sleep photography in my life and seeing everyone else putting in the same 110%, I know you’ll see it come out. I want to thank all the pilots and the Kelby Training crew for their hard work and dedication. And want to especially thank ALL the vets who shared their stories on camera. Be watching for it next year, it will be an experience in visual storytelling you don’t want to miss!
Nov 6, 2013 | Landscape Photography, Moose Adventures
Sharon & I are taking a small group of photographers to Monument Valley 10-14 March, 2014 to photographically explore a magical world. You will arrive in Flagstaff, AZ which is the airport we will be picking folks up from and taking them back to. Transportation to & from the airport as well as for the week is provided. We are staying at The View and have the best rooms reserved giving those who want to, the opportunity to do time lapse / stars trails (and we’re there to teach you how) as well as sunrises and sunsets. We have no set agenda, that’s one of the trademarks of our workshops, we chase the light but that will over the course of the workshop take us to Monument Valley at the very least. If you’ve seen any of my Kelby Training videos, Romancing the Landscape, then you know that I not only have an intimate knowledge of Monument Valley, but many who call it home are dear friends. That get’s us some amazing photo opps.
The price for instruction & transportation (once in Flagstaff) is $2095. Half is due on registration and the other half is due 30 days out. Information for reserving your room will be provided once you reserve your spot in the workshop. Lodging & food not include in the price.
What do you need for the workshop? Utmost is an adventurous spirit! We’ll be up early and out late shooting and in between, we’ll be learning, laughing and working on images. This will be the most laid back, jammed packed workshop you’ve ever been on! Computers & camera gear are highly recommended and a packet will be sent to you with specific information some time prior to the adventure. Limited to 6, now full, call 760.924.8632 / 661.204.1506 if you’re up for the adventure in the land of the setting sun!
Nov 5, 2013 | B&W Photography, WRP Ed Zone
K&M Adventures is taking on the the elements with a winter Oregon Coast Adv, 19-23 March, 2014! This magnificent region is one Kevin & I have journeyed to and photographed many, many times. The coast in the winter is a spectacular photographic playground as Mother Nature chisels away at the rock! As you might notice, I think it’s a great place for B&W and is the same region featured in my Kelby Training Black and White Landscape Class. You’ll wanna fly into Portland on the afternoon of the 19th (by noon) and fly out on the 24th (after 2pm). We’ll pick you up from the airport and escort your around until we take you back to the airport. That, along with instruction are all included for the price of $2195 (limited to 7). We spend from breakfast until last up together shooting, eating, shooting, digital darkroom, laughing and other things you just can’t imagine! Which means you might find yourself in front of a subject you never imagined. (Unlike our other Adventures, there will be a lodging change half way through the trip. Lodging not included in the price). And after those long days, you want to kick your shoes off and relax. Give the office a call 760.924.8632 and we’ll get you all signed up!
We’ve had a number of calls asking about our K&M Adventures for 2014. Well, we’ve had a bunch of past participants that had so much fun together (and you know who your are buds!) that they had K&M create custom Adventures just for them. With only so many days available in a year to offer them, that’s why you don’t see the many listed. So, here’s your opportunity to join us.
Oct 21, 2013 | WRP Ed Zone
As visual communicators, there is a lot of things we need to know. Among the top of the list is #1 – the mind’s eye goes to light and bright and #2 – the mind’s eye goes to sharpness. The focus on the subject and the depth of focus around that subject (also known as depth of field) is often what determines what lens I’m going to shoot with and the aperture desired. This all has to do with #2, grabbing the attention of the mind’s eye. The rest of the elements in the photograph tell the story, but subject is the same as a noun in a sentence and it has to be sharp. It’s what the whole photo is all about and we use sharpness to take your to the subject first thing. With that said, my camera’s are nearly always in Aperture Priority, were I control the DoF with the aperture and the camera sets the shutter speed. I want to control where the mind’s eye goes in the photo so I set the Aperture. This is the first reason I feel Aperture Priority is a photographer’s best friend.
The second reason Aperture Priority is your best friend is speed. The camera’s computer can come up and recommend the best shutter speed much faster than we can permitting us to keep our attention on the subject. Of course, you must use exposure compensation to use exposure to express the emotion you want to convey. And with that input from you the camera is lightning fast. Keep in mind that in Aperture Priority, the shutter speeds are stepless. If you don’t know that term, you need to learn it because it puts accuracy with speed in your back pocket. Sure, there are times when Manual Exposure modes might help you, but I’ve never understood why folks spend thousands of dollars on a computer just to turn it all off. Every time you can remove any variable in making a photograph so you only concentrate on the subject, your photographs will improve. It is up to you what tools work best for your photography in this pursuit, but keep an open mind. You might find that giving exposure control to your camera actually gives you more control over the photograph.
Oct 8, 2013 | WRP Ed Zone
It’s the time, fall color is starting to peak in some regions (about 7 days off here in the Eastern Sierra). The emails are coming is asking for help and the best resource I know, is, well, me. Check it out, it’s all HERE just for you!
