February 2010
16 posts
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Friday Photo Links: 02.26.10
It has been a busy week and today is no exception. But, a lot of great photography related content has been published this week and and I hope you’ll take time to check ‘em out. If you like these links be sure to check out the other Friday Photo Links post for more great reading.
80 Awe-Inspiring Photographs Taken With a “Nifty Fifty”
Do You Manipulate Your Images?
How To Capture...
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100+ Photographers on Google's Buzz
Google’s Buzz is all the buzz these days and Justin Korn, a fellow photographer who’s active on the Buzz, asked a simple question the other day and received a ton of responses. Actually, he asked two questions: “Are you a Photographer? Are you active on Buzz?”
So far he has received over 120 comments of active photographers who are on the Buzz and I wanted to take the...
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The Artist In The Office by Summer Pierre
Summer Pierre’s The Artist in the Office is a down-to-earth and refreshing book about artist who juggles two jobs: the job that pays the bills and the job they love doing. I ordered a copy, it’s only ~$10, which arrived last Friday and I finished reading it over lunch on Monday. I’m a terribly slow reader but the book flowed well and kept my attention throughout each page.
The...
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Night and low light photography tips from...
I’ve been a big fan of the guys over at DadLabs.com for a long time. Their humorous and practical approach to fatherhood always provides a refreshing point-of-view on an otherwise challenging role for many men. And, since many dads are not photographers, and may not know how to use their DSLR, I was happy to see the DadLab guys put together a basic, easy to follow video about how to...
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My WHCC metallic prints are perfect...almost
When WHCC (White House Custom Color) had a metallic print sale a couple of weeks ago, I jumped on the opportunity and had 3 prints made. They are the prints you see above: two 12” x 18” prints and one 12” x 12” square print. The total order for all 3 prints, including mounting and shipping, only came to about $45 which is a great deal considering the quality of the images...
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Friday Photography Links: 02.19.10
Now that the GRE is behind me, I have a little over 3 weeks until I begin my MBA program. I don’t expect it to take up all of my time and I will have to focus on creating a new balancing between work, school, fatherhood and photography.
Once I get into the groove of school I’m sure I’ll be able to carve out some time to keep up with my photography. At least that’s my...
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Sago Palm in black and white [photography]
A couple of weeks ago the family and I went to dinner at a local Mexican restaurant. As we approached the front door, we passed by this young, dying/dead Sago palm which was sitting off in a corner all alone. The moment I saw it I knew I had to come back with my camera and capture it on film my SD card. I hate to admit it but, I thought about this plant, and its resulting images, for...
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Friday Photo Links: 02.12.10
This is the second installment in my new, weekly Friday Photo links series where I scour the web to share my favorite reads over the past week to 10 days. My goal each week is to bring you at least 10 informative or inspiring blog posts that are directly photography related. However, I might throw in a link or two that photographers and other visual artists may find inspiring.
I’ll start...
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Snow photography can be challenging
We woke up to a surprise 4-6” of snow yesterday morning; It meant for a snow-day for the kids and allowed me the opportunity to take some additional snow pictures. This photograph is quite a bit different than my last snow photograph but the simplicity, symmetry, and feel of this photograph conveys what the day was like for me and also how I felt about the surprise snow.
I took quite a...
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Not your typical Super Bowl photography
Just because I won’t be on the sidelines of this year’s XLIV Super Bowl in Florida doesn’t mean I can’t send some love out to the New Orleans Saints. My mom’s side of the family has always lived in south Louisiana so if there’s any one team I have an allegiance to, it’s the Saints.
On that note, I thought I’d share a photograph that I took which...
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Friday Photography Links: 02.05.10
Not too long ago I mentioned that I read quite a few photography related blogs so I plan on starting a weekly round-up, so to speak, of great links that I bookmarked over the past week or so. That’s not to say that the articles here were published over the last 7 days, but these are links that I found over the last few days that I’d like to share.
I bookmarked these links using either...
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WatchHere’s a cool video I found on Vimeo showing some awesome photographs taken with LED, lasers and various combinations of other types of lights. I experimented with a little light painting myself awhile back but my photographs pale in comparison to these. Kudos to the photographers from this video.
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Pixmonix vs ScanCafe: The Final Verdict
It has only been about a month since I placed my first order with Pixmonix to have about 60 of my old slides scanned and every time I look at the pictures I’m pleasantly surprised with the quality of the scans, and with the end result. This is the third, and final, post about my experiences with Pixmonix and ScanCafe and I hope to shed some light on the differences between the two scanning...
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Sites to share your photography portfolio online
I don’t want to give too much away, but in David DuChemin’s The Inspired Eye Part II, he emphasizes the importance of sharing your photography, as well as other types of visual art, with the world. He emphasizes that the world is a better place when artists share their work with, not only other artists, but also with the general population.
But, with so many options out there,...
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Winter Photography: "Snow on leaf" in black and...
To prove that we actually get some snow here in south west Tennessee, I took this photograph of some snow that fell and landed gracefully on this dead leaf. I was drawn to this image because of the contrast between the fresh, delicate snow and the old, dried-up leaf. I also like how the snow added depth, contrast and shape to this textured leaf.
I literally took this photo a couple steps...
January 2010
20 posts
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Winter weather equals cabin fever
We don’t get much in the way of snow and ice in western Tennessee, but when we do the joke around is here is to call it “White death <insert year>”. Our weathermen always overstate the nature of the storms which has a tendency to get everyone all riled up. Before you know it, there’s no bread or milk left in the grocery stores and every school and church within a...
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My photography loves Adobe Lightroom
I’m a self proclaimed n00b when it comes to not only photography, but also to the awesomeness of Adobe’s Lightroom software.The above image is a great example of how Lightroom can combine the picture that your camera captured with the image that you saw in your mind. I took this picture of a large elephant ear plant at the Memphis Zoo and Lightroom, with the help of a preset, turned...
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Ansel Adams Master Photographers BBC Series On...
I was browsing YouTube tonight and came across a great, 4-part series on Ansel Adams from the 1983 BBC series, Master Photographers. There’s no doubt that you’ve seen the work of Adams, but to sit and watch him be so candid and humble in his old age (he died the following year) about his photography is something else entirely.
Although Ansel died when I was only 7 years old,...
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What are your favorite photography blogs?
Since I consider myself a blogger (albeit, a casual one) and, since I’ve been a blogger for a couple of years now, I tend to read a broad assortment of blogs. However, since I have been focusing more on my photography lately, my focus has shifted away from dad and technology related blogs to ones whose focus revolves around helping me become a better photographer.
On that note, I wanted...
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Pixmonix vs ScanCafe Part II
Not too long ago I asked, “Is Pixmonix better than Scancafe?” after placing a 60 slide order with Pixmonix. Well, within a short 2 weeks, Pixmonix received and scanned my slides and had my previews online ready for my review. With Scancafe, that process took at least 6-7 weeks and then I waited another couple of weeks to get my slides and CD. With Pixmonix, I placed my order, for...
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Fine Art Black and White Photographer Cole...
I recently came across Cole Thompson’s work after reading about him the latest issue of Fotoblur magazine (Get the latest edition here). I immediately fell in love with his work and contacted him to ask about using one of his images in a post and he graciously said “yes”. I want to thank Cole for letting me use one of his images here and I highly encourage you to check our his...
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iPhone photography with the Best Camera app
“iPhone Photography| Moo and Loo photography”
I recently downloaded Chase Jarvis’s iPhone app called The Best Camera and taking pictures now on my phone just got a lot more fun. I’ve used the free Photoshop app for a little while now but I like how The Best Camera app has built in sharing plus I like some of the effects better. I also use an app called GorillaCam which...
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Creative men (Photographers) are happier, less...
I recently came across a story about a study from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology that found men who engaged in creative activities were less likely to be depressed. The study had ~ 50,000 participants but I’m not sure how many of them actually practiced photography or if the study focused on other types of art - theater, writing, painting, music, etc.
In any case, I...
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Ansel Adams on the importance of visualization in...
I have long been influenced by Ansel Adams…I think it comes from a combination of, not only my love for landscape photography, which drew me to pick up a camera in the first place, but also his nerdy, technical approach to his final prints. Ansel did extensive manipulation of his negatives in the darkroom to produce the prints and images you see today…if he were alive today...
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Use FriendFeed for photography news
I’ve been involved with *social” media for over 2 years now (not long compared to others) and now that I’m getting back into photography, I’ve found that using FriendFeed can be very useful in finding almost real-time photo news from around the web.All you have to do is search for “photography” and the results come pouring in.
If you’re not sure what...
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Cold winter weather and lack of inspiration
Cold winter weather has hit our hometown pretty hard over the last week or so and all I think about it “When is it going to warm up!?” Last night it got down to about 10 degrees (damn cold for this part of the country) and I think our furnace has been going non-stop all week trying to keep the house comfortable.
I have a digital picture frame on my desk at work and this picture...
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Elizabeth Gilbert on how to embrace your...
As a photographer, and just as part of the way I think, I’m constantly asking myself and wondering where my creativity comes from and why some days are better than others. I’m also constantly questioning myself not only why do I love to photograph but also what’s the real point of my photography? I mean, it’s not like I’m going to end up like Ansel Adams or...
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Take better, not just bigger photographs
I was listening to a podcast awhile back (I can’t remember which one) where David duChemin was being interviewed and he said something to the effect of “as photographers, we need to focus on taking better, not just bigger photographs”. His comment struck a nerve with me and has been on my mind for quite some time - how can I start taking better photographs and stop worrying...
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Is Pixmonix better than Scancafe?
I just submitted an order to Pixmonix to have them scan 60 of my old slides and I can’t wait to see how they turn out. A few months ago I sent 60 other slides to ScanCafe which was my first time to ever have any of my old slides professionally scanned. The reason I went with Pixmonix this time around is because I wasn’t too impressed with the scan quality of my slides from...
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What are your photography goals for the New Year?
There’s a great article over at Digital Photography School that gives 30 photographic goals to consider for the new year and it got me thinking about what I plan to do with my photography over the next 12 months.
Granted, I’ve only had my new camera for just over a week but there are 1,000 things I’d like to do/learn about over the next 365 days. But, I have to be realistic...
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Inspiration: The Paintings of Leonid Afremov
To me, painting and photography go hand-in-hand. Not to say that a painter can be a great photographer or vise versa but the fundamentals are very similar (color, light, composition, depth, etc) which makes it easy to draw inspiration from each other.
Leonid Afremov’s paintings are just that - an inspiration to my photography. I love the way he uses a pallet knife and broad brush strokes...
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December 2009
14 posts
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How to get Lightroom 3 to import duplicate RAW and...
I’m knee deep playing around with and learning about my new D90 and so far I love it. One of the settings I’ve been wanting to use is the camera’s ability to shoot RAW (or in Nikon’s case, .nef files) and .jpeg files at the same time. But, when I plugged in the D90 for the first time and imported the files all I saw were the RAW files. I was puzzled as why Lightroom only...
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WatchThe Story Behind The Still - A Canon and Vimeo video contest spearheaded by Vincent Laforet. This has the makings of a great mash-up of still photography and motion video and I’ll be following this to see to see how it turns out. Watch the video to get the gist on how this project will combine photography with DSLR video.
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Photographer Spotlight: Christopher O'Donnell
In my “Why start another photo blog?” post I mentioned that I would be highlighting photographers who’s work I find inspirational and moving in one way or another. Well, the first photographer I’d like to share and call attention to is Christopher O’Donnell (blog | portfolio) who’s work I found from a comment he left on another blog.
First, I’d like to...
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Boston.com's Photographs of the Decade
I’m a huge fan of Boston.com’s The Big Picture blog and they recently put together 50 amazing photographs that visually define the news over the last 10 years. The images that Boston.com put together for this series speaks to the triumph and tragedy that surrounds us everyday and also sheds light on the great divides across our nations.
Some of the photographs are pretty graphic but...
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Why start another photography blog?
I asked myself this very question over and over again over the course of a few weeks before I began Moo & Loo. Ultimately I decided to start this blog because I needed a place to share not only my photography, but also the things that inspire me as a photographer and a visual artist. Tumblr is a great format because it’s free and I can easily create simple posts to store and share all...
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Moving on up with my new Nikon D90
Santa was good to me this year. He She (my wife) gave me the green light to pick up a new DSLR for Christmas this year and after tons of research and a lot of waffling back and forth, I decided on the Nikon D90. Why Nikon and why the D90?
I used to use and old Nikon N70 (film camera) and I still have 2 lenses that I wanted to be able to use again.
The D90 is the cheapest Nikon that will still...
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iPhone Photography: Light Through The Tent
“Light” was my first subject/assignment in my Photo I class in college and ever since then I’ve kept a keen eye on how light can do amazing things to the most simple of subjects. Without some form of light a photograph can’t exist and if you notice it enough, light itself can become its own subject as it is here.
I caught this image on my iPhone while I was playing with...
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David duChemin's "Within The Frame" Photography...
I’m a big fan of David’s work ( blog |portfolio |twitter ) and I was thankful to receive his first book, Within The Frame (<— not an affiliate link) from my sister for Christmas today. I haven’t had time to read much of the book but just thumbing it through it and looking at the images is a treat in and among itself. The text, I’m sure, is no less exciting.
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“When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs. When images become...”
– I shamelessly took this quote from The Giving Lens’s Facebook fan page (<— Link). I’ve been a huge fan of Ansel Adams for years and his wisdom both behind and away from the camera constantly amazes me and for that I am grateful.
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So, what's up with the name Moo & Loo?
It’s simple really…My wife and I have 2 daughters their nicknames end in “Moo” and “Loo” so it seemed fitting to put the two together. Our oldest is only 4 and our little one is 17 months old and they are more of an inspiration and motivation to me than anything you’ll see here.
When I got a job and transitioned into the “real world” which...
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WatchNational Geographic’s Most Incredible Photos: Afghan Warrior
Ever since my grandmother got me a subscription to National Geographic I’ve been a big fan of photojournalism. Now that I think about it, looking at all those magazines probably had more of an effect on my photography than I realize.
Anyway, I caught this show in TV tonight and it’s a very interesting look into how...
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A new blog with a new direction: Photography
It’s hard to start over sometimes as is the case here but I’ve been looking for a place where I can create a photography journal of sorts and this is it. See, for 2 years I was the author of Building Camelot - a blog about being a father - but after we had kid #2 it slowly became more and more of a hassle to maintain plus my desire just wasn’t there anymore.
What prompted the...