When times are tough and disappointments get me down, I can see your shadow next to me reaching out before I touch the ground. As a thank you is about to be said you disappear without a trace, you never look for glory or fame just a simple smile filling my face. You are my source of strength and your words of wisdom inspire, you have given me the gift of Life and a spirit filled with desire. As I  journey through Life thoughts of you are etched in my mind, special moments we have shared will live in me until the end of time. -Robert Louis Vanelli

Skills taught: Cropping, color cast, sharping, cloning, noise reduction and artistic interpretation.

Video Type Available : Novice to Advance-Speed Clinic and Beginner- In-depth (coming soon)

Click here to view the embedded video.

It all starts in the camera

While in Boston, a group of us went on a photo shoot of  the city. I saw a father and daughter standing on the subway holding hands. I quickly took a shot. Sounds simple?  Let’s explore the thought process and technical issues I had to face in a matter of seconds.

I was dealing with poor lighting, a moving platform, lots of people in the way and TIME. I calmly observed the situation and set the camera to ISO 1250, F/2.8  at 1/60 of a second using my 80-200 lens. Well if I were Joe McNally that’s what I would have done. Instead, BEFORE I entered the subway, Sandy Foster suggest I try a great feature found on most Nikon cameras, auto ISO. Now before you judge me, let me finish. On Pro and Pro/Consumer Nikon cameras you are able to dial in when to change the ISO. In my example, I programed the ISO to start at 200. If the shutter falls below 1/60 of a second, then the ISO changes but won’t go any higher than 1600. I kept the camera in Aperture Priority and steady myself against a pole. This feature is amazing. It let’s the photographer focus on composition while still allowing creativity by changing the aperture. A plus or minus EV (exposure value) can also be used.

You are probably wondering why not just keep the camera in the AUTO mode. Although you can, you are now letting the camera make ALL your creative choices for you. As a photographer, it’s always best if we can decide when to make a change to our settings. By using the method I just described, we would have come up with those setting IF we had an abundance of TIME.

This brings me to our tutorial, how to fix a really bad photograph. It’s always best to get the shot right in the camera. Under the difficult situation I was faced with, this was the best I could do. With a few tweeks in Photoshop, Lightroom and the help from a few plugins I was able to save this photograph.

Before the digital age, photographers were making incredible images. Don’t get caught up in the tools I’m using; Lightrrom, Photoshop, ect.., Try to focus on the concepts and work flow I’m demonstrating. Understanding these  concepts will enable us to work faster.

This tutorial will be available as a video and written instructions Monday, April 26, 2010.

With that being said, here was my thought process. Street photography made me think of Sandy Foster, who’s street photography images are stunning. Which made me think she needs to get signed model release forms which reminded me of a class Jack Reznicki and Ed Greenberg taught on model release forms. That made me download Jack and Ed’s simple model release form which made me think of a post Larry Becker did on “Invite Models to Your Pad”. The pad being your model release forms made into a pad from an office supply company. While editing the form in Adobe Indesign, I thought of a class Terry White did at Photoshop World that taught us how to use conditional text so the forms can be changed on the fly. Now you have a glimpse of what’s inside Vanelli’s  head when he prepares for a project!

So to recap before I explain what I did… Street photographers (Sandy Foster) need model release forms (Jack Reznicki and Ed Greenberg), and it would be convenient to have the forms on a pad (Larry Becker) that can be designed (Terry White) so other photographers could use them too! Whew that was a lot of thought to prepare for one photography class (Joe McNally and Moose Peterson).

The Model Release form

Jack and Ed drilled into our heads the importance of  having a signed release form. Even if you don’t think you are going to use the images in the future, it’s a great safety net that can protect you if you change your mind. I am not a lawyer, so the best advice I can give you is to take their class or watch it on Kelby Training.com. This way you are getting first hand information. I asked Jack if I could share the Limited Model Release form and he was more than happy to let me share it with you.  Keep in mind, this is a generic form. Each state has their own laws.

Limited Model Release

I give Robert Louis Vanelli (“Photographer”) and designees and those acting with Photographer’s authority permission to use the photographs created or made on _____________ for the sole purpose of fine art gallery shows and exhibits, photography books and video tutorials, and for use in photographer’s portfolio, self-promotion, lectures, and books.

I waive any right to inspect or approve the finished images, or other printed matter that may be used in connection therewith. Except as stated above, I do not give permission for the use of my name or said photographs for the purpose of advertising or endorsing any goods or services.

Model acknowledges that he/she has read this release and has received a copy of this release.

_______________________________________         _______________________________________
Model’s Name                                                                                    Model’s Signature

_______________________________________         _______________________________________
Address                                                                                                Date

_______________________________________         _______________________________________
Witness Signature                                                                            Witness Address

If you plan to use this form, please send Jack and Ed a simple thank you email.

Designing the form

I wanted to keep the form small enough to carry in my bag yet big enough for the model to fill out. I chose to use legal size; 8.5 x 14, paper and print 4 to a sheet. The final form size is 6.5 x 3.75. Using concepts from Terry White’s conditional text tutorial, I made the Photographer’s name, address and phone number conditional text. Now I can print the form for other photographers without changing my design.

Creating the Pad

Larry Becker’s post, “Invite Models to your Pad” gives great advice about creating a pad for your model release forms. After reading it, I went to Staples to have them make a pad for me. The only problem, Staples has a 3 day turn around. I called Office Depot and they have a one day turn around. My last call was to Kinkos. They have a 4hr turnaround! I went there and the staff was great. I explained what I needed and they suggested an alternative option. For 30 cents a sheet they can print the form on a carbon paper. At first this sounded expensive but then I realized I’m printing 4 forms to a sheet. The cost would be $5.00 for a total of 80 forms or 6 cents a form. The downside, the forms would be individual not a pad. I decided to stick with my original plan  and have them make a pad for me. The cost is about $9.00.

Street Photography

I can’t wait to go on the NAPP Photo Safari with Moose and Joe. I really can’t post anything on the actual shoot until we go. Look for my review later in the week.

Moral of the Post

Integrate lessons you are taught by different instructors!

Register

SPECIAL NEWS: First 5 paid attendees can stay for FREE in the 4 bedroom condo unit!

Five Day Vacation Workshop with Vanelli!

The vacation workshop is designed to be hands-on (Vanelli expects many hugs). All levels from beginners to advanced can attend. The fun starts at 5:00 pm on Monday, March 8th and drags on until sometime Friday, March 12th. If you need help deciding what to bring, visit the Survival Kit’s Packing List. Ritalin and earplugs are highly recommended.

The meeting room and living arrangements are one in the same. Yeah, it’s a lot of time to spend with Vanelli, so if you think you can’t handle it, contact us for other accommodation options.  The 4 bedroom condo has 1 king bed, 2 queen beds and 2 single beds. Sleeping arrangements are first come, first serve.  There is a grocery store and local shops within walking distance, and the condo features a full kitchen. Participants staying on-premises will have access to the resort amenities.

Although the workshop is structured, you will also have free time for vacation-type activities on your own if you wish. Vanelli will always be available (he never sleeps); Sandy will be available most of the time (she does sleep). Peer knowledge and advice will be plentiful with our group Breakfast Babble and Dinner Discussions.

Helpful links

2010 Outerbanks Guide

Barrier Island Station-Kitty Hawk

Getting There

The closest airport is Norfolk International Airport 64 miles away. It’s about a 90 minute drive (that’s an hour and a half for all you non-mathematical types). It’s not that Vanelli’s driving skills are bad; it’s his ability to stay off the Android while driving that makes it scary to be a passenger, therefore, carpooling is not arranged or provided by Vacation With Vanelli. If you wanna talk to other participants about carpooling, send a shout and we’ll hook you up.

Detailed directions and the condo address can be found in the Survival Kit. Only paid participants have access. No party crashers allowed.

Helpful Hint:

When you arrive in Kitty Hawk, get out of the vehicle and listen for the sound of Vanelli’s voice. Follow that sound to the condo. Shouldn’t be hard to do.

Refund Policy: If you chicken out, your dough is refundable up to 30 days before the workshop (minus a $25 restocking fee). If it’s less than 30 days we will transfer your registration to a future workshop, or to a different victim.

Adobe, the Adobe Logo, Photoshop and Lightroom are registered trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated. NAPP and National Association of Photoshop Professionals are a registered trademark of Kelby Media.

I spent less than 5 minutes on this sample. I’ve included the original, (right out of the camera no adjustments), cropped and the Silver Efex versus Adobe’s Black and White adjustment layer.

Sunday we started off. All is well with the world. We are headed North on the thruway. The sun is shining. It is a beautiful day. But wait… Headed North, isn’t Delray South? Oops! Just a slight miscalculation. A quick U turn and we are on our way. Robbie’s artistic eye is seeing all these wonderful things to photograph. However I don’t think it would be a good idea to slam on the breaks while driving down the thruway, just to take a picture of an old building.

I was so excited to be going on this shoot. My photographic experience is to put my camera on auto, point, and shoot. Just as we pulled into the Japanese gardens it started to pour. My spirits sank. I thought we would have to turn around and just go home. Rob never hesitated. He just muttered a note about bringing rain gear next time.

First thing I learned was how to stand properly. Putting my left foot forward and holding my camera properly greatly reduced camera shake. Then I had a lesson on how to shoot in the aperture mode. Rob’s words. “The higher the f stop the more of the story you will see.” The lower f stop will blur your background . I also learned it is important to take a few pictures. Then take a break and review your pictures. Looking at mine revealed that I had strange white spots on my pictures. The cause was rain drops on my lens. Another lesson learned Always make sure you lens is clean. I also learned how to use the ev button. This allowed me to control the amount of light in my picture. Also it is very important to make sure that your camera is zeroed out. Having the wrong settings will greatly affect the color in the picture.

The last lesson that I learned was to arrive early. Then you have the time to take all the pictures that you want. The guards really don’t enjoy taking you by the collar and throwing you out.

Thank you Rob for a wonderful day. I learned so much!

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Boston National Historic Park / Charlestown Navy Yard!

We’ll be shooting along the HarborWalk with special interest in two ships – the USS Constitution, the oldest commissioned warship afloat in the world, and the USS Casin Young, a World War II destroyer. This area offers many interesting opportunities, as it is a historic Naval Yard with artifacts that span its 174-year history.

Once we get there, we’re going to have several models on hand to pose for us. Our instructors will be working with the models to teach us lighting or posing techniques.

About our instructors…

Moose Peterson is an author, lecturer, and well-known wildlife photographer. He is also the first major wildlife photographer to begin shooting exclusively in digital format back in 1999. He made it his lifetime goal to photograph North America’s most elusive and endangered wildlife using the most advanced tools and techniques possible. But, Moose gets true personal and professional satisfaction from teaching others to express themselves artistically through photography.

Joe McNally is an internationally acclaimed commercial photographer and long-time photojournalist. He was LIFE magazine’s staff photographer from 1994 until 1998 and he was selected as one of 10 photographers worldwide to work on promoting the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Joe’s most recognizable work is a collection of 246 giant Polaroid portraits taken in a three-week period immediately after the events of 9-11 known as “Faces of Ground Zero – Giant Polaroid Collection.”

As you can probably see, we are in fairly capable hands for this outing. They have been doing these Safaris for a while now, and have yet to lose anybody…to boredom or to “the wild.” It’s guaranteed to be a fun-filled day, and we are bound to learn a lot from both Joe and Moose…as well as our fellow attendees.

Stay tuned for notes on the safari!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Click here to view the embedded video.