The Canon 5D Mark III has arrived!

Today, after three years of rumour and speculation Canon has officially announced the Canon 5D Mark III. Building on the 5D Mark II the new camera (we’re told it’s not going to replace the mark II), the 5D Mark III closes the gap between the 5D and 1D series cameras.

Today, marks another mile stone in the photographic industry with yet another highly specified machine to join the Canon EOS range. More than three years have passed since the announcement of the ever-popular Canon 5D Mark II (Sept 08), which in the photographic world is an absolute lifetime! Today, the suspense has reached an end and Canon has confirmed what we have all been waiting to hear, but will it live up to our expectations? Let’s have a look at the specs.

Specifications

• 22.3 megapixel CMOS sensor (36 x 24 mm)
• A standard ISO range of 100-25,600 (expandable 50-102,400)
• Next-generation DIGIC 5 image processing engine
• Full HD 1080p movie capability
• 3.2″ 1,040,000-dot LCD screen
• Dual card slots: one for CF cards and one for SD cards
• Up to 6 frames per second
• 61-point AF system (41-cross type sensors)
• £2999**

 
The Canon 5D Mark III holds onto the impressive level of specification as the respectable and legendary Canon 5D Mark II but with a boost of technological enhancements in all the right directions.

22.3 Megapixels

With only but a little nudge in megapixels, Canon has chosen not to enter the 5D Mark III into the race of “who has the most megapixels” and focus more on what is essential to users looking to upgrade.

The revolutionary DIGIC 5+ Processor

Wildlife and Sports photographers who require a fast burst rate will be pleased to see Canon have increased the frame rate from 3.9fps (found in the Canon 5D Mark II) to 6fps. Working together with the CMOS sensor, the DIGIC 5 processor ensures fast continuous shooting and provides exceptional image quality in low light and is designed to be six times faster than the DIGIC 4 and create 75% less noise, previously found in the Canon 5D Mark II.

61-point Autofocus System

While the Canon 5D Mark II was everything and more, the obvious and headline improvement would be that of the AF system – Canon has hit the nail on the head with this one! The Canon 5D Mark III now features an impressive 61-point AF system including 41-cross type sensors, the same found in the Canon 1D X. Like the 1D X, the 5D Mark III can also detect a subject that is completely out of focus by utilising the entire sensor, rather than just a single AF point, thus ensuring rapid and effective AF control at all times.

Night capability, ISO 50-102,400

The standard ISO ranges from 100-25,600 which is impressive in itself but the ISO performance doesn’t stop there, the Canon 5D Mark III’s ISO can reach down to as low as 50 and expand to a remarkable 102,400.

Get the full view

The new viewfinder as been upgraded to offer 100% coverage (98% on the Canon 5D Mark II), on par with the 1D X.

Movie mode 

With a quick press of the dedicated movie button, the Canon 5D Mark III offers Full HD 1080p recording with manual control over depth of field, exposure, shutter speeds and in a selection of frame rates – 30, 25 and 24, with 60 and 50 available at resolutions of 720p.

Design and Weather Sealing

The button arrangement is a similar feel to the Canon 7D, so it is designed to suit all needs for anyone looking to upgrade from this older cousin. The Mark III also gets some improved weather resistance, with extra sealing throughout the body – around the buttons, LCD, battery and more importantly the memory compartment.

Dual card slot

The Canon 5D Mark III now includes dual card slots, one for Compact Flash and the other for SDHC.

Comparison table

	5D MK II	5D MK III	1D X
Megapixels	21.1	22.3	18.1
ISO range	100-6400	100-25,600	100-51,200
Max extendable ISO	100-25,600	50-102,400	50-204,800
Image Processor	DIGIC 4	DIGIC 5	DIGIC 5
HD Video	1080p (30fps)	1080p (24, 25, 30fps)	1080p (24, 25, 30fps)
Autofocus	9-point	61-point	61-point
FPS	3.9	6	12
Card Slot	CF	Dual SDXC & CF	Dual CF
Screen (dot resolution)	3.0″ LCD (920k)	3.2 LCD (1,040,000k)	3.2″ (1,040k)
Weight*	810g	950g	TBC
Price**	£1688	£2999	£5299

*approximate body only weight (without battery or memory cards)

**Prices as of today (2nd March) and are subject to change 

Final thoughts

When the Canon 5D Mark II first hit the market, it was priced at £2299.99, so that’s £699.01 more to save. Whilst not exactly cheap, the Canon 5D Mark III is still within reach of many semi-professional photographers and with this set of impressive features there will be many clamouring to buy one. Watch this space for more specifications and important updates on this impressive full frame DSLR.

Start a year-long Photography Project in 2012!

As a keen photographer, your list of 

resolutions for 2012 might include an 

intention to photograph a particular 

subject you’ve always dreamed of 

capturing, to learn more about your

camera and what it’s capable of or 

simply to take more photos, more often.

Many photographers choose to embark on a year-long photography project as a result of a new year’s resolution or just from a desire to focus their photographic efforts with a specific goal in mind.

Why?

Personal photography projects can benefit photographers of any experience level – from keen enthusiasts to working professional photographers. Tim Gander is a photojournalist-turned-commercial photographer who praises the benefits of fitting a personal photography project into your schedule. In the past he has undertaken a project to photograph the unique characters and everyday goings-on at an old pub in Bath which has since shut down. More recently he has been working on an ongoing personal project to photograph the bustle of the local livestock market. Previously on the Wex Blog, Tim wrote about what personal photography projects are and why photographers should consider doing one…

Personal projects have an intangible value. They allow a photographer the opportunity to stretch their creativity, try out new techniques without the risk of jeopardizing a paid assignment, or explore a subject which fascinates them.

To find out more about Tim’s personal photography projects, his post Photography: this time it’s personal! is definitely worth a read, or check out his blog here.

The 365 project

A photography project that many photographers choose to get involved in is a 365 project. If it’s not obvious already; you take a photo every day for a whole year (and since 2012 is a leap year, you’ll need to take an extra photo!) Mark Stephenson completed his first 365 project in 2011 and we caught up with him to find out how he got on…


Congratulations on completing your 365 project in 2011! How did you feel on December 31^st when you finished the project?

Thanks! It was a strange feeling on the last day. I had a massive sense of achievement, but also the sad feeling that it was the end of an era. For a short while I toyed with the idea of carrying the project on and doing another year of photos, although for my sanity I decided not to.

This mage of a kiwi fruit is one of Mark's favourites from the year

Have you taken the time to look through all 365 of your photos in one sitting yet? Did you notice any significant changes in your photography, whether it be your style, level of skill or otherwise, over the course of the year?

I haven’t actually but it’s something I will definitely do soon. It will be fun to relive the whole year in pictures and I’m sure it will bring lots of memories back. Personally, I haven’t noticed a massive jump in skill level but I’ve had plenty of comments telling me I’ve improved a lot over the year.


What are the biggest positives that came out of doing the project?

The biggest positive was that it got me using my camera gear on a daily basis. That was the main reason I took on the project – I felt I wasn’t shooting enough. I would find I’d go for weeks with the camera gear sat lonely in the cupboard. Another benefit that’s come out of doing the project is I feel myself thinking more like a photographer every day. Spending a whole year constantly looking for interesting shots changes the way you see the world and even after the project I find myself looking for shots where before I may have missed them.

When all else fails, your cat may provide some photographic inspiration

What did you struggle with the most while working on your 365 project? Were there days where you really didn’t want to pick up your camera?

The struggle is the sheer relentlessness of the project. It’s the days when you have to stay late at work and just want to go to bed when you get home that I found the most difficult. I found it really helps to have some backup ideas. I’d recommend making an “ideas list” for those days when your creativity is lacking. Failing that, the cat was always a good fallback.


Do you have a favourite image from 2011? We’d love to hear the story behind it if you have one!

I think my favourite image is the kiwi fruit shot. I love the vibrancy of the colours and the simple nature of the photo. I took it quite early on after reading about someone doing something similar. It’s a shot I’d like to have printed on a canvas for the kitchen some time. The photo that gets the most attention is the pigeon shot, people seem to love it. Apart from that I proposed to my girlfriend one day using a photo which I suppose is pretty memorable! And now we will always have that picture to look back on.

One of Mark's more memorable photos from his 365 project

Any advice for those considering starting a 365 project or something similar?

Do it. It’s a big commitment but if you’re even considering it then I think you’d benefit from the experience. Once you’re over that initial hurdle of starting and you’ve overcome all your commitment issues, don’t give up. There were many days when I really didn’t want to take a photo, but I also found I got some of my best images on those days as I really pushed my imagination and creativity. As I mentioned before, making a list of ideas is a great help, and please just don’t give up. For the sake of that one photo on the day you want to throw in the towel you’ll thank yourself in the long run if you get through it.


You can find Mark’s final set of all 365 images from his project on Flickr.

Tips for completing a 365 photo project

We also spoke to Helen Ogbourn, another successful 365 project photographer who finished her year-long photography project on 31st May 2011. She shares with us some of her tips for getting through the year and finding inspiration when you get stuck…

1. Take your camera everywhere you go because quite often the best photos come when you least expect it. Try using your camera phone or a compact camera for a change if you usually use a DSLR.
2. Don’t be too particular, not every photo in a 365 project is going to be brilliant. Some days will be far better than others and some days are just about getting any photo. Don’t give up, it’s worth sticking to it for the better days!
3. Share your photos online and get people to follow along, then you are accountable to an audience! It’s nice when people enjoy the photos and follow your experience.
4. Have back-up ideas.  Some days will be full of inspiration and you’ll be spoilt for choice. Make a note of the extra ideas so that you can go back to them on a day where you are feeling less inspired.
5. Join a photo sharing site such as Flickr. There are many groups out there to join and plenty of encouragement from other 365-ers to keep you going.
6. Set some themes for yourself or ask others for suggestions. For example, you could spend a week taking black & white photos or a week of street photography.
7. If you don’t want to think of ideas yourself, websites such as The Daily Shoot will set you a theme each day and can be followed online, by email and twitter.
8. Take the opportunity to learn more about your camera while you do the project and challenge yourself to take photos using different settings.
9. Don’t leave taking your photos until the evening. Get used to thinking about them from when you get up in the morning, it’ll soon become a habit and then you won’t have that evening panic.
10. Go to the library or a bookshop and browse photography books and magazines – you’ll get plenty of inspiration.

Other projects to consider

Taking one photo each day for a whole year will not appeal to everyone, but there are plenty of other weekly and monthly photography projects that may be more practical for some people.  We asked Helen about her photography project experience over the past year and found out a little more about the personal photography goals she has lined up now that her 365 project is done and dusted…


Why did you decide to start a 365 photo project?

Having received a compact camera the year before as a gift, I decided it was time to learn how to use it to its potential and in no time I had caught the photography bug. The only issue was that I had no real idea about types of photographs I wanted to take. It was then that I took on the challenge of taking a photo every day for a year to explore the possibilities.

What is your advice to someone who’s thinking about starting a 365 project or other daily photography project?

365 photo projects are certainly not to be underestimated! They require commitment, imagination and a bit of patience but after a short while the project becomes a part of your everyday life. The challenge of finding a photo opportunity each day can be difficult, however, it’s worth persisting for the satisfaction and rewards that you experience throughout the year.


What are the biggest positives that  have come from working on your various photography projects?

I soon realised I was taking a lot more notice of the world around me and enjoying otherwise mundane activities such as my commute to work! Over the course of my 365 project I got to know my camera incredibly well and used it as an opportunity to shoot with other types of camera, try all different camera modes and use different processing techniques. I’ve became a much more confident photographer and have started to realise that there are types of photography that I find particularly rewarding.

Can you tell us a bit more about the self-portrait project that you’re currently working on?

Having thoroughly enjoyed my first photo project, I wanted to continue to push myself to learn more about photography and decided to take on another one. I’m currently approaching the end of a 30 day project of self portraits which has been a huge challenge! I don’t love being in front of the camera and haven’t previously had a lot of experience of taking photos of people, so I thought this would really get me out my comfort zone.
Initially I was unsure about what a self portrait should be. 26 photos into the project I find myself in a very different position. I enjoy the challenge of thinking of new ideas, I don’t mind being in front of the camera and I’ve come to the conclusion that self portraits can be anything from capturing the very ordinary to the more creative and posed shots. They’re also a great way to experiment with focus settings as a much more manual approach is required here. Tripods are also very useful for this kind of project, but not necessary if you are willing to experiment a bit more.


Do you have any plans for another year-long photography goal in 2012?

I’ve started to take weekly photos in 2012 to reflect my year, in which all photos must include some part of me and an item that has been significant in the week. I am processing the photos using Adobe Lightroom presets, all with a similar tone, so that they fit nicely as a collection to print in a photobook at the end of the year.


A 365 project isn’t for everyone, do you have any other suggestions for those wanting to embark on a photography project that doesn’t require taking a photo every day for a whole year?

Here are some more ideas you may want to consider for photo projects:

• 52 week photo project – one photo each week for a whole year
• 30 day photo project,  perhaps using a particular theme. For example: black and white photos or mobile phone photography
• A day in the life – take one photo every hour for a day
• Work your way through the alphabet and take photos of things beginning with the letters A-Z
• Photograph the seasons throughout the year
• A self portrait project
• A time specific project, for example, taking a photo at 3pm every day, week, month or year

To see more of Helen’s work, visit her blog or Flickr.

So, are you planning on starting a photography project in 2012 or have you already begun? If so, let us know in the comments below – we’d love to hear what you’ll be focusing on photographing this year!

Source: blog.warehouseexpress.com

Ten Top Wedding Photography Tips

Article from Kapow - www.kapowphotography.co.uk. You can read more wedding photography tips and business advice with Kapow’s new iPhone app titled: Wedding Photographer's Starter Kit.

At every wedding we shoot we meet guests with shiny new DSLRs. It’s amazing how often one of them will come and ask for advice because they are about to photograph their first wedding. Karl and I are total photography geeks so we never mind chatting about our equipment and sharing some of our techniques. Because of this approach we find that we make a lot more friends (and therefore customers) rather than if we strive to keep our wedding photography ‘secrets’ to ourselves.

Wedding photography can be one of the most rewarding professions around. The emotion that you can evoke when you give a newlywed couple their wedding photographs can be incredible. Once you have experienced this you will be addicted to improving your work and growing your list of satisfied customers.

Unfortunately shooting your first wedding is not as easy as buying a big camera with a bigger lens and turning up at the church. You are going to be capturing the most important day in the couple’s life and you should prepare accordingly.

So here are 10 tips to consider when you're asked to photograph your first wedding:

1. Manage expectations

Every photographer with aspirations of becoming a professional wedding photographer should start out shooting weddings for free. In this ‘current financial climate’ a lot of couples are looking to reduce the cost of getting married and would be grateful for some free photography. This will take some pressure of you and as long as you explain to them that it is your first attempt, they will understand if your work isn’t quite up to the standard of Damien Lovegrove.

2. Create a 'Shot List'

It’s important when you are starting out to create a photography shot list to use during the day. Speak to the bride and groom beforehand and come up with a plan of what photographs they would like and when they will need to be taken. Great uncle Bob might be sat in a corner for the entire wedding day but if he’s on your list, make sure to seek him out for his portrait.

Once you have ticked off all your official photographs you will be able to relax and have fun with the camera capturing the emotions of the big day.

3. Enlist the help of the Groomsmen

Ideally you should ask a friend or relative to help you shoot your first wedding but if this isn’t an option, ask the groomsmen for help. After all, they are really there to help with the smooth running of the day and not just to look pretty.

Give the best man and each of the ushers a copy of the shot list and a timetable of events. Ask them to give you a hand calling the guests for the group shots especially. When you are preparing the photograph of the entire wedding party you won’t want to be running round on your own, retrieving guests from the bar.

4. Know your camera inside out

We often joke that anyone with a decent camera can photograph a wedding and this might just be the case if the weather is perfect, the vicar is cooperative and the wedding is being held on a beach in Mauritius. In reality you probably won’t be getting at least two of these whilst shooting your first wedding. You might get a rainy day, the vicar will only allow you to shoot from the back of the church (without flash) and the venue might be cramped and dark. These are the situations where a professional photographer will make his work stand out.

You must know what your camera is capable of in every situation. Experiment with different ISO settings and know where the acceptable range is in case you need to squeeze a bit more light out of a badly lit room. Learn how to use the different focusing modes to track a moving subject. Practice using flash as a main source of light and also a fill light and ensure you are competent in any lighting situation.

These techniques will ensure you are ready to tackle anything that the wedding day will throw at you and they’ll ensure that you are shooting with the camera and not fiddling with it.

5. Shoot a lot

It costs nothing to fill up a memory card so shoot and keep shooting all day. I don’t mean keep lining the guests up for group shot after group shot but shoot everything you can. The venue, the cars, the flowers, etc. should all be on your standard list but try putting on a long lens and shooting the guests again and again from different angles. If you are standing back and not getting in their way they’ll ignore you after a while and you’ll get some great shots of them relaxing and enjoying themselves.
You’ll find as you shoot more and more weddings you will become more efficient and the amount of ‘keepers’ you’ll get on a typical day will increase over time. When you are starting out you can try and offset this by keeping that shutter busy.

6. Research the venue

Always go and see the church and wedding venue before the big day. Especially if you haven’t been there before. Try and meet the wedding coordinator and explain to them that you are a novice photographer. You’ll usually pick up some great advice from them and they will show you all the usual spots for the best photography.

At your first wedding you are not trying to create unique images that have never been seen before so have a look at what others have shot in the past. Visit the websites of local wedding photographers and the chances are you’ll find some photographs from a wedding shot at your venue and you will be able to take inspiration from them.

7. Hire but don’t buy

It’s very tempting when you have been booked to shoot your first wedding to go out and buy a new professional camera with all the accessories that inevitably come with it. The trouble is, it will probably cost you more money to buy the camera than you will earn from the wedding. This means that you are running your business at a loss right from day one.

It’s much better in my opinion to rent the equipment that you need for the day. That way you’ll have excellent gear to use and it also means that your current camera can be used as a backup if things go wrong.

Do ensure to book the rental for a day or two before the wedding. This will give you time to familiarise yourself with the different button layout and tune the camera to your ow preferences.

8. Be polite and professional

There are a lot of stories about wedding photographers being rude to guests. A guest told me he’d been to a wedding once where the photographer was stood on the steps setting up the group shot, smoking a cigarette whilst whistling and barking orders at the guests. Don’t be that photographer!
After a wedding only a handful of the guests will actually see your wedding photos. The only experience most of the guests will have of you is watching you work. If you are rude or discourteous then you can forget any referral work, no matter what the standard of your photography is.

If you are polite and professional with the guests this will also reflect in your photography. Most people hate having their photograph taken so making this as painless as possible is your aim for the day.

9. Backup, backup and backup again

Alex Lindsay from Pixel Corps is often heard saying ‘A photograph doesn’t exist until it exists in three places’ and we tend to agree. During a wedding there is usually some downtime when the guests are eating and this is the first opportunity you have to start your backup strategy. We always take a laptop with us and copy the cards to the hard drive while we are on our break. This also gives you the chance to quickly scan through the photos that you have already taken and you can double check that you have everything that you need so far.

After the wedding we return to the office and back the photographs up to our main editing machine. We use Macs so once this has completed we use Time Machine to make another backup of the photographs to an external drive. After this round of backups has completed, the external drive is taken off site and put in a fire safe at one of our houses.

Then and only then do we know that we can reuse a memory cards for the next wedding.

10. Keep it simple

There’s a saying in sport ‘Don’t try to win the game with a miracle shot’. The same theory applies to wedding photography. Don't attempt to be over creative because you think you have to. Keep it simple. Good, sharp, uncluttered and in focus images are what you are aiming for. Trying to be too arty and spending too much time looking for that miracle shot could waste precious time that could be used to capture a dozen other ‘banker’ images.

Shooting your first wedding can be nerve-wracking but you’ll soon find that it can also be tremendous fun. Get to know the groomsmen and bridal party before the wedding day if you can. This will help you all relax and the fun you are having will be reflected in your photographs. Share your work on all the social media sites and before long you’ll be receiving referrals, gaining a reputation and hopefully be well on the way to building a successful wedding photography business.



Article from Kapow - www.kapowphotography.co.uk. You can read more wedding photography tips and business advice with Kapow’s new iPhone app titled: Wedding Photographer's Starter Kit.

Photographing Fireworks – How to Get It Right All the Time!

With the New Year just a few days away, you have the perfect opportunity to catch all those magical fireworks display on camera. But do you know how to make it work? Do you have the skills to capture all those breathtaking moments on camera? While a lot of people are not sure if they can do it right, you need to know that photographing fireworks is not as difficult as most people think it is. It’s really quite easy – if you know the tricks!
So, what do you need to do if you’re planning to photograph fireworks? Here are some tips you may need to consider:

Bring the right equipment.

When shooting firework displays, it is always advisable to use a tripod. Since you will be using longer shutter speeds to capture all those sharp images, you need to make sure that your camera remains as rock solid as it possibly can. And relying on your hands to do the job can be a very challenging one, to say the least. Just how long do you think you can keep your hands steady? It just can’t work. Period. My advise – get a tripod.
Another necessary equipment that you need to bring along with you on location is a remote release device – wheter it be a cable or an RC unit. This will help ensure that there will be no unnecessary shakes as you release the shutter.

And please don’t forget to bring a flashlight with you. It’s really hard to fumble in the dark when you are trying to adjust your camera settings, right?

Lastly, don’t forget to pack in some spare batteries and memory cards. You’ll be shooting a lot of photos so it’s better to be prepared for any eventualities.

Get the best possible view.

To do this, you may need to visit the area at daytime so that you can plan well ahead of time. Scout for areas that offer a clear view of the spectacle that is about to happen. Consider sites that satisfy the following criteria:

• Free from all possible obstructions such as buildings, trees, cables or other people’s heads. A high vantage point such as the top of a roof or a hill will be ideal for such purposes.
• Includes a famous historical landmark that may help enhance your shots.
• Has a vast body of water. The fireworks’ reflection in the water can add drama to your photos!

Don’t put yourself in smoke’s way.

All fireworks produce smoke and this can get between you and that perfect shot you’re aiming for. So, find out where the wind is blowing and pick a location that is not against it. This way, the smoke won’t affect the quality of your photos and you’ll get sharper, more vivid images.

Know the perfect settings.

To capture the best fireworks display photos, you may need to consider the following camera settings:

• Don’t use your flash. It will take the focus out of the bursts.
• Keep your ISO low (preferably at 100) to increase your chances of getting sharper images.
• If your camera has a fireworks mode, use it. If it doesn’t, don’t forget to keep your aperture at f/8 to f/16.
• Set your shutter speed between 1 to 15 seconds. But if you really want to capture some really good photos, use the bulb mode.
• You may use the infinity focus or the manual focus mode. Different experts have different opinions on this one so go ahead and see what works best for you.

Some more useful tips in photographing fireworks:

• Keep shooting. It’s good to take a lot of pictures to increase your chances of getting that perfect shot.
• Track your results from time to time. Make sure you’re not shooting a batch of duds.
• Don’t be afraid to experiment. Do you want to shoot from a wider perspective? Do you want to include silhouettes in the foreground? You can do these and more! Feel free to do whatever you want. Keep experimenting!

So, there you have it – the secrets to shooting perfect fireworks photos. Now, do you feel confident that you can shoot some pretty good photos this New Year’s eve? Go for it!

PS. It's one thing to learn a few tips from these articles I provide you for free but this link takes you to where you will learn how to get 'paying customers' to your photography business. Hey, but if you don't need customers, skip it!

FREE: 11 WAYS YOU CAN IMPROVE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY

CRAFT & VISION have just released their latest e-book:  11 WAYS YOU CAN IMPROVE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY. 

It’s a compilation of articles from proven Craft & Vision authors. There’s no recycled stuff in here, no excerpts from existing eBooks. It’s all new and made with love.

This eBook is jam-packed with 11 articles that will help photographers of all levels improve what they do.

And yes, it’s free.


Craft & Vision is a collection of hands-on, practical articles written by the following photographers (David duChemin, Piet Van den Eynde, Andrew S. Gibson, Nicole S. Young, Alexandre Buisse, Stuart Sipahigil, Eli Reinholdtsen and Michael Frye).

You will gain fresh ideas and insights into improving your photographic vision and the skills required to compose the images you want to make. It is 67 spreads (as in 134 magazine pages) which makes it the second largest eBook they’ve ever produced.

Download it. Enjoy it. Tell your friends about it.

Click here to view more details

P.S. This e-book has proved very popular! There is a limited number of downloads per day. So if you can't download today, please come back tomorrow.

Trick Photography and Special Effects

This is cool stuff and it works. 

There's sooooo... much you can do with your next shoot and even apply to your existing photos here.

**You can truly amaze people with this! Wait until you see the stuff he uses as samples I'm still reeling from it....

I'm surprised it's so cheap given they also provide a bunch of good extra free stuff I've tried to describe below:

In addition to the (190 page) Trick Photography and Special Effects e-book, you get four additional bonus miniature e-books, at no extra charge:

Core Photography Fundamentals - This e-book goes over the basics concepts like aperture, depth of field and bokeh, shutter speed, ISO, focusing, white balance, how to get the sharpest photo possible, various accessories you can get for your camera, etc.

Introduction to External Flash Photography - Using an off-camera flash can be very useful when photographing people (as you know). This e-book tells you about the most popular techniques and suggests useful equipment needed to get started right away.

How To Make Money with Photography - Learn how to get your photos accepted into stock photography agencies and how to sell photos as fine art prints. (if you learn just one thing you're ahead right?)

Filters for Lenses and Plug-ins for Photoshop - This e-book reviews the effects filters and Photoshop plug-ins so you'll know how to create fun and 'trippy' effects. 

I think I was getting a little serious with photography of late so I'm pleased I found this ... it has given me ideas I hadn't considered earlier ...probably will you too!

This link explains it better than I can plus you cansee the sample photos

...have fun with this one,

Krister

PS. Let me know of any good trick or special effects shots you do.

PPS. If you look around the site carefully there's a cool little pdf you can download for free too (it's worth downloading)

Win PhotoShop for Life!

Today I learned about this contest, and it seems pretty good to me, so I'm sharing the info ...

Here's the deal --


If you like to edit your photos, here's a contest to win what many people think is the best graphics package available.


The winner gets the current version of PhotoShop, and every upgrade as long as you're alive.
(They won't allow you to upgrade after you are dead, apparently. Sorry, but there's gotta be a limit!)

The contest is legit. I know the company offering this deal.


I've entered; maybe you'd like to enter, too. Why not?

Sign up here: http://appsumo.com/~PALB

All the best!

Krister