Redirecting To www.TheLightroomLab.com Soon

Good Morning Loyal Readers and Old Friends,

It is closing time for this blog. I started this project back in 2008. It was my first experiment in the world of social networking both as a business communication tool and as an educational platform. It's been a lot of fun and I have learned so much along the way. The time has come though to shut this one down.

It turns out that running a blog is a full-time job. Running two is more then I can handle so I'm closing this one down but I am not leaving the web! As most of you know, my other educational site (www.thelightroomlab.com) has exploded in popularity this year. Keeping up with the comments, forums, and posts on that site is all I can handle so starting October 1 this site is going to go dark and visitors will be automatically redirect to TheLightroomLab.

Old friends, I want to say thanks and please drop this site from your rss feeds. Please drop this feed and then subscribe to this feed for ThelightroomLab.com so that our conversations can continue. See you there!

--
David

Lightroom 3 is Live and I have a Bunch of New Tutorials

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 is live!

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 is now available! I have been working hard creating articles and video tutorials for www.thelightroomlab.com. Check out:

• Five New Features of Lightroom 3 for Professional Photographers


• Advice on Buying Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3


• Scott Rouse's excellent advice on Upgrading from Lightroom 2 to Lightroom 3


• Getting Started Right: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3 Setup and Catalog Creation

Sunset Time-Lapse from the Sacajawea Center in Salmon Idaho

Thanks to my students and the Salmon Arts Council for a fantastic class last week!

Sacajawea Center Salmon Idaho Time-Lapse from David Marx on Vimeo.

Time-lapse sunset shot at the Sacajawea Center in beautiful Salmon, Idaho. Images captured using a Canon 7D SLR and compiled in Adobe Photoshop Premiere CS5.

Nashville Flooding Photos

This photo is from the neighborhood where I grew up during last weeks flood in Nashville. More photos from The Big Picture.com here and from my friend Bob Windel's blog.

What Software Should I Add to A Mac For Photography

The updated version of this post is now available at http://thelightroomlab.com/2010/05/what-software-should-i-add-to-a-new-mac-for-photography/

Great footage of Flooding in Nashville

Photographer Michael Deppisch posted a wonderful article and video on the human side to the flooding in Nashville. His words are worth reading too.

Flooding in Nashville

Holly cow! This is the neighborhood Kroger where I grew up. There is now a huge rapid where the water flows down into their parking garage. There used to be a liquor store down there too.....

Adobe Photoshop CS5 is Now Available

Adobe Creative Suite 5, and all its parts including Adobe Photoshop CS5 Extended, are now available. Happy new toys day to all of us visual artists!

Adobe is currently offering free shipping for orders placed through their online store. This free shipping offer expires on May 31, 2010 so don't wait too long.

I am downloading the 30-day trial version right now even though I already ordered the latest version of Photoshop and the Adobe Production Premium CS5 video suite two weeks ago. If the past is any guide, the copy that I ordered on disk should arrive long before the 30-day trial runs out. Once it gets here all that I will have to do is to key in my new serial number and my version of the free trial will become fully licensed!

Ready to learn about all the new features? Check out the Adobe Photoshop CS5 learning center from NAPP.

My Camera Equipment: 2010

This article is all about the photography equipment that I use professionally. Although some of this material is brand specific, I hope that there is some good advice in here for any serious digital photographer.

I make my living teaching digital photography and in the winter I love to shoot sports particularly skiing and snowboarding. I need durable, portable equipment that I ski around with everyday. As a professional photographer, I usually carry just one lens and one camera body. I carry whatever I am going to use for the day in either a LowePro Off Trail 2 hip sack or a waterproof Pelican Case. For true camera protection, noting beats a Pelican box but they are awkward to lug around!

Advice on Camera Bodies

Among photographers there is no easier conversation starter then the question "what camera do you use?" For some reason, we photographers are obsessed with our camera bodies. I currently own two Canon bodies; a Canon EOS 7D for everyday use and an old beater that I converted for black and white infrared capture only. I shoot Canon because this is the system that I knew back in the film days. If I could start all over, I might stick with Canon but I truly believe that there are phenomenal camera bodies on the market right now from Nikon (D3x, D3S, and D700) from Olympus. There are great bodies from all these brands but since I have been using Canon's system for such a long time this is the one place where I feel qualified to give detailed advice on all of their current DSLR models.

If money were no object, I would love to have a Canon EOS 1D Mark IV. I loved my 1D-Mark II and 1D-Mark III bodies. These are top of the line equipment and they are built like a tank! Yes, these are very heavy cameras, but for the professional level sports / action photographer they are a solid investment that will hold their value for many years. When I sold my perfectly good Mark III last fall I considered putting the money into a new Mark IV, but could not justify the difference in price over the Canon EOS 7D.

For my needs, the Canon 7D is the perfect mix of professional image quality at an affordable price. I love this camera's 100% viewfinder, its image quality, and the electronic bubble level feature is cool. The sensor in the 7D is definitely not as good as the sensor in the 1D Mark IV, or the Canon EOS 5D Mark II. The Mark IV and the 5D Mark II definitely take cleaner pictures, with more useable detail especially at higher ISO settings, than the 7D. Still, the 7D's image quality is more than adequate for my professional needs and it is a whole lot less expensive.

This is the camera body that I recommend for any serious photographer unless you are making a living shooting only landscapes, studio product images, or architecture. If products, or architecture, are your market niche then I would definitely pick a Mark IV, a 5D Mark II or a Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III over the 7D. For these types of photography, a full-frame sensor is essential, but for a sports shooter like me the Canon 5D Mark II is painful slow and the Mark IV is just out of my price range.

For those on a really limited budget, I recommend the Canon T2I / 550D. This camera has a lot of the features that I love in my 7D though its controls and ergonomics are not nearly as good. Still, for under $1000 its image quality is excellent. Ironically, its sensor far exceeds the quality of the "kit lens" that Canon usually bundles with the body. To get your money's worth out of this, or any of the other camera bodies that I recommend, you need to invest in a very good lens.

Advice on Lenses

Digital SLR camera sensor's can record amazing levels of detail with today's technology. Unfortunately this is double-edge sword. When everything is right, our photos look amazing. Sadly though if you put a low quality lens in front of a great sensor then you get lousy photos. The image quality suffers because the sensor will record every flaw that the lens creates. Low-grade lenses are prone to soft spots and create a lot more chromatic aberration.

My advice is to get the best lens that you can possible afford. I would rather have just one great lens then a bag full of mediocre choices. Trust me, every year I teach hundreds of photographers and I lead dozen classes. If you are just starting out then I urge you to buy just one good lens!

As a professional photographer, I can build powerful images with just one lens. I may have to move my feet a lot more but the photos that I create will be winners. With cheap glass though, I am just going to get frustrated and create more work for myself when I get home. Instead of getting it right in the field, I am going to waste a lot of time in Adobe Photoshop, or Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, repairing the flaws that were created by the low quality lens the moment I clicked the shutter. Start with just one great lens and learn to use only this lens for at least three months. If I were you, I would not buy another lens until a job, or event, comes along that is clearly beyond your current equipment's capabilities. Even then I would consider renting gear from a company like www.borrowlenses.com before purchasing more glass.

Still you have to start with something on your camera. Starting out, I would put my money into high-quality "wide to telephoto" zoom lens. In the Canon product line, the best lenses are marked with an "L." For Canon users the "L rating means the best glass and the first one that I would buy is the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM Lens. This is my favorite lens for everyday photography and it is the one that I use ninety-five percent of the time. For wide angle work, my top choice is the Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II USM. I love the Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L USM for telephoto work though I carry around the smaller, lighter, and not quite as sharp Canon EF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 DO most of the time. I love the 70-200mm, but it is just a little too big for the waist pack that I wear when I am skiing. Again though, my advice is start with just one lens and add others only when you need them.

I hope you found this helpful. For more advice on digital cameras please visit:

• www.dpreview.com
• www.steves-digicams.com
• Lens Advice from Neil Chaput owner of the Rocky Mountain School of Photography
  

Always remember that these are just tools. They don't make art for us. Buy what you need but never forget that a talented artist does not need a huge bag of expensive toys to create great work.

__
P.S. This article, and most of my posts, are peppered with hyperlinks to products from retailers like Amazon.com and B&H Photo Video. If you use any of these links to make a purchase then I get a tiny reward as a "click-through revenue affiliate." I have no problem with this since I am not a paid endorse any item and I truly use every item that I recommend in this article. I too buy my gear on the retail market and I support these merchants.

If I could though I would gladly fill up this article with hyperlinks for Stephen Neal, owner of Neal's Photo in Philipsburg, Montana. Unfortunately Steve doesn't have a website yet. This is a small-town one-man country camera shop. This is a reliable business though where the guy who answers the phone is the owner and sole employee! Neal's is not a major corporate player, but he is a Canon, Epson, Lowepro, etc. dealer. His business may be small but his prices are fantastic and he has never let me down. if you are shopping for equipment then I urge you to give Neal's Photo a call first at 1-800-859-3855 or 406-859-3855.

Shameless Self-Promotion: New Photos and the Beginnings of a New Workflow

I uploaded a bunch of new photos to my website this weekend. While I am proud of the images these photos are the "test pilots' for a new workflow that I am designing piece-by-piece. My new routine utilizes the efficiency of Adobe Photoshop Lightroom plus the professional keywording and stock submission services of Lookstat and the instant e-commerce magic of a Photoshelter website.

I'm also using Lightroom v3 Beta's new publish services engine to painlessly share my new images through Flickr's cool geo-tag mapping technology. More details on the new routine coming soon.....


Landscapes and Travels - Images by David Marx

Teaching for FirstLight Workshops in Dubois, WY July 12-17!

I will be teaching Lightroom and digital workflow for FirstLight Workshops in the stunningly beautiful Wind River Range of Wyoming this summer! At this amazing event I'll get to teach alongside Pulitzer-Prize winner and National Geographic photographer Jay Dickman, local star Jeff Vanuga, and Pulitzer-Prize winning photojournalist Skeeter Hagler. Now that is an all-star cast!

Participants in this program will spend five days photographing working cowboys rounding up herds of horses, fly fishermen patrolling pristine mountain streams, local artists and craftsmen at work, and the annual rodeo. This is an immersive workshop with an emphasis on developing your photographic instincts and improving your digital workflow. Daily critiques will help you improve your editing skills and provide you with a professional response to your work. At the end of the week participants will have their work displayed in a traditional gallery show to which the entire community will be invited.

Because FirstLight Workshops maintains a special relationship with the Dubois community you will enjoy unprecedented access to the gorgeous area. You’ll spend mornings and afternoons surveying, studying and shooting your subjects and the amazing landscape. At a pre-assigned time participants will return to the workshop headquarters to download images and discuss the morning shoot with your photo editor. You will then have the afternoon to explore a new subject or to return to your morning assignment to take advantage of the “golden-hour” of photographic light.

Space in this program is extremely limited; so don’t delay in signing up for this incredible photographic opportunity. Bring your own equipment, or use one of the Olympus E system digital SLR outfits, which will be available for your use throughout the workshop.

Click Here For More Information

Digital Photography Weekend Class in Salmon, ID: May 22-23, 2010

I am delighted to announce that Doug Johnson and I will be teaching a weekend seminar for the Salmon Arts Council this May. Come join us for a fun-filled weekend in beautiful Salmon, Idaho while building your skills and boosting your confidence as a photographer.

Our weekend workshop provides the opportunity to learn and practice new techniques in a small-group environment. Topics covered will include digital camera basics, tips on sunrise, sunset, and night photography, techniques for close-up (macro) photography, and a demonstration of digital image processing from start to finish using Adobe Photoshop Lightroom.

Whether you’ve just picked up an SLR camera for the first time, or you are an experienced photographer looking for a few pointers, our photography weekend is the perfect opportunity to enhance your knowledge and to practice new skills. We have two days of lectures and demos planned for this event plus an evening field shoot in a truly picturesque setting.

Click here for more information.

Lighthouse ©Doug Johnson

Digital Photography Weekend with David Marx and Doug Johnson

Useful Sunrise and Sunset Websites for Photographers

Sunrise and Sunset Links

I teach a class on sunrise and sunset photography for the Rocky Mountain School of Photography. Knowing exactly when and where the sun will rise each day is a big part of getting better images. I find these websites useful especially when I am traveling to new places.

When Will the Sun Rise?

• www.wunderground.com
• www.sunrisesunset.com

Where Will the Sun Rise?

• Solar and Lunar Azimuth Charts from the US Navy
• Current Compass Declination
• Understanding Compass Declination

For virtual scouting nothing beats Google Earth!

I Added a Few New Ones to the Grand Canyon Rafting Gallery

Added a few new pictures to my gallery of rafting and landscape photos from last years trip down the Colorado River through Grand Canyon National Park.

Telemark National Championship Ski Racing Photos

New photographs from the USTA Telemark National Championship at Whitefish Mountain Resort in Whitefish, Montana. Now why isn't this an Olympic event?


Telemark National Championship Ski Race 2010 - Images by David Marx