Making of the Image Part 1.
Today’s image is the first in a series dedicated to explaining how I go about selecting and making an image.Tomorrow, I’ll walk you through the processing. I’ll show you the original image and the steps I took to get today’s final version.
Chicago June Workshop
I’m happy to announce my Chicago workshop coming this June 19th-20th . My game plan is pretty simple- to have fun teaching eight willing participants the in’s and out’s of how I go about taking photos.
2010 Calendar/Goals
It’s been said that it takes 10,000 hours to master a craft. Here are a few goals I set for myself and a few I would recommend to anyone looking to improve their photography.
Understand your Photos with Self Critiques
Self critiquing can be a lot more difficult than critiquing a peer, but I’ll tell you how I handle it. I ask myself what my gut says, how’s the composition, contrast, and subject?
Back to Chicago
I’ve had a wonderful time here in Montana (as always) and look forward to coming back in the spring. I think I mentioned this before, but I’m planning on doing a Yellowstone workshop next year. If you’re interested drop me a note here on the blog and I’ll put your name on the mailing list.
Chicago workshop was a hit
I couldn’t have handpicked a better group of people to kick off our first Chicago workshop. They were awesome. We ran the gamut of cameras from SLRs to point an shoot.
Happy Labor Day! Workshop update.
Happy Labor Day! Today I’m planning on hopping on my mountain bike and riding around Lincoln Park to finalize locations for the upcoming Chicago Workshop. I’ve exchanged emails with a few of the attendees, and I’m must say it sounds like it’s going to be a fun group. I still have one space available, so if [...]
September’s Desktop Calendar
September’s desktop calendar is available HERE for download. If you haven’t already, here is a reminder to check out the The “low light” photo contest HERE. Lastly, I have one spot available for this October’s Chicago workshop, if you’d like more information or are interested, click HERE.
Should I buy a postcard?
I just happen to be one of those guys that if I’m there, and have camera in tow, then I’m taking the image, whether it be a statue, a building, a mountain or parade.
October Workshop in Chicago
I’m happy to announce I’ll be hosting a one day workshop in Chicago on October 3, 2008. The workshop will begin at 9 a.m. until 3p.m. and be limited to four participants.
Bob Krist’s Stuff Rocks
Check out Bob Krist’s work…it’s amazing. Also, sign-up for my online workshop.
Change your viewpoint
Last week I wrote a post about, “the rule of thirds” and it’s rule of photographic composition. There are many rules to basic composition, but one of my favorites has to be, “changing your viewpoint”. Changing your viewpoint can make an ordinary photo interesting. One of the assignments I give to my online students is [...]
Hire a professional
Have you ever had a class that you thought was going to be a waste of your time, but ended up being quite the opposite? A couple of days ago I attended one of Scott Kelby’s live seminars. The seminar was dedicated to teaching the ins and outs of Lightroom, and its integration with Photoshop. [...]
Back to school
What a crazy weekend. I shot nearly 1500 photos this weekend between two portraits and one family wedding. I had a blast and was able to experiment a bit at the wedding with my flash. I’m not a wedding photographer by any stretch of the imagination, and I must admit I admire anyone that can [...]
All about the eyes
I’m a big believer that a strong portrait is all about the eyes. There’s been a lot written throughout the years about catchlight. Catchlight is the reflection of light in the eyes of the subject. This reflection can convey any number of different emotions dependent upon the light source. Most importantly, it conveys “life” because [...]
Filling the Frame…
I heard Rick Sammon once say “filling the frame is the name of the game.” I don’t think he coined the phrase, but it’s one I’ve come to enjoy over the years. Often times the biggest mistake we make as beginning photographers is not filling the frame. I like to add another rule to this [...]
The rules of thirds..
In my photography course, one of the rules we cover is the coveted “rules of thirds”. From Liz Masoner: “The rule of thirds is an imaginary tic-tac-toe board drawn across an image to break it into nine equal squares. The four points where these lines intersect are the strongest focal points. The lines themselves are [...]
Student appreciation week..;)
You know you’re getting old when you’re wearing earplugs to a Jonas Brother’s concert. Yep, I made the plunge this weekend and did the unthinkable. A buddy and I treated our daughters to their very first concert. My friends often tease me that I have horrible taste in music, and it’s apparent my daughter is [...]
And the winners are……..
A pet contest, what was I thinking? 300 plus photos. A ton of great shots. Did I mention this is like picking someone’s baby for the cutest baby contest? Next time I think I’ll just keep it to the nicest sunset shot and let all of you vote on the winner. But, a winner must [...]
Odds & Ends
I’ve fielded a few questions lately about image stabilization and if it is really worth it. In particular, this individual was looking at the Canon 70-200 (2.8) with image stabilization (I.S.). I.S. is extremely helpful in correcting for hand shake and allowing photographers to shoot at slower shutter speeds. There have been countless times I [...]
It’s as easy as learning to fly a kite…;)
I’m happy to announce I’ll be offering a Digital Photography for Beginners online class this June. Here’s how this four week class will work: Class enrollment will be limited to six individuals, so sign up quickly to secure a spot by emailing me at john@batdorffphotography.com. Each student must have a digital camera with a basic [...]
John is an award winning landscape and travel photographer who splits his time between Chicago and Montana. His work has been featured in National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson Hole. John loves the outdoors and traveling, and sharing his images with others.