As a wedding photographer myself, I always appreciate exceptional photos that tell a story. This is quite a story and so wonderfully captured. 12 photos on Facebook that tell you so much.

Katie (21) was diagnosed in 2002 with a cancerous brain tumour. Despite surgery, the cancer spread to her lungs. Katie died in 2005, just five days after her wedding to Nick Godwin, her grade 11, high school sweetheart (23).

You can see the photos in a gallery here on Facebook.
Below is some info about the photos in the order they show up in the gallery:
Pic 1, Katie had to rest as the pain made it difficult to stand for long periods
Pic 2, Katie’s husband and friends sing to her.
Pic 3, Nick’s parents and Katie with her constant companion, the oxygen tank.
Pic 6, Even in pain and dealing with her organs shutting down, with the help of morphine,
Katie took care of every single part of the wedding planning.
Her dress had to be adjusted several times due to Katie ‘s constant weight loss.
Pic 8, Taken prior to their wedding January 11th, 2005. Katie spends hours in chemotherapy. Here Nick awaits while she finishes one of the sessions.

Although I know who the photographer is, it seems as if he isn’t interested in publicity surrounding this story and isn’t credited on the Facebook page. A true professional! The photos speak for themselves

Cheers and good shooting
-Peter Zack

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© Peter Zack for Enticing the Light, 2012. All rights reserved, do not reproduce without permission. | Read article with proper formatting.

In the interview Bruce was asked about the how he seems to have a real instinctual energy in his images. Bruce answered:

“Something either affects me or it doesn’t. It’s not a thinking process. It’s like in sports: when you go onto the field you don’t have time to think, you have to react. This is how I work: If I see something, I take a picture. If I don’t see anything, I don’t.”

Now Bruce’s style of photography is confronting and controversial (not only his subject matter but the way he goes about it when on the street – see this video to see that) but whether you’re into it or not I thought his quote was worth pondering.

Often what sets a great image apart from a good one is the feeling it conveys – something that almost always starts with the photographer and what they are feeling when they take a photograph.

While I’m not sure I completely agree with Bruce that ‘it’s not a thinking process’ – thinking about your images can also add a lot – I do believe that learning to ‘feel’ and convey that feeling in your images is something that many photographers could do well to focus more upon.

What do you think about this Bruce Gilden quote? Do you bring feeling to your images or are you more a ‘thinking photographer’?

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

Thinking vs Feeling Photography: Discuss

My weekend blog post routine includes posting links to a handful of tools or great content I ran across during the week.

I don’t go into depth about the finds, but encourage you check them out if they sound interesting. The photo in the post is a favorite for the week from Flickr or something I shot in my travels.

I captured this gem at a cafe on the Colorado, New Mexico border

Good stuff I found this week:

Freedom – Pretty interesting tool that allows you to block yourself from the Internet for a determined period of time. The only way around it is to reboot. Great tool for when you need to focus on something like writing instead of wasting time on Twitter.

KissInsights – free tool that allows you to ask your website visitors one simple question and instant feedback on design, what works, what’s missing, or how they heard about you.

moShare – Tool that allows you to send an video, article, or image that you find on the web to a mobile device via text. You must have a verify a mobile phone as well so it’s really just an easy way to text content to someone. There’s a bookmarklet and website button.

The images in this series were shot at Snoqualmie Falls in Washington state on a very blustery day.  The flow over the fall was moderate to heavy and that is an important factor in shooting any waterfall: if there flow is light (low volume) then the effect will be different. A moderate flow means the water has enough volume to pick up speed toward the bottom without fanning out and drifting off as mist. A very heavy flow often means a lack of definition for individual ribbons. Moderation, again, is typically the key, but not an absolute.

That being said, I ran a test at a moderate to heavy flow shooting at 1/8000, 1/3200, 1/1000, 1/250, 1/100, 1/30, 1/20, 1/10, 1/5, .5, 1 and 2.5 seconds. Not everyone has a chance to get out and shoot waterfalls as often as some of us can (evidently the middle of the USA is fairly flat) and this post is for them. It’s a chance to get an idea of what effect happens with which shutter speed. It’s a chance to practice mentally for that trip to Hawaii and its hundreds of waterfalls. Or Costa Rica. Or some place warm with ample rainfall.

If you already have your waterfall shooting data dialed in, great. There is no need for you to read any further. Might I suggest you check out the latest Dilbert cartoon?

For everyone curious about how these shutter speed show up in images of falling water, let’s take a look!

The first few shots are taken with a high ISO as the falls were in shade (the sun doesn’t get very high around here in the Winter). I have used a bit of noise reduction but not so much as to take away from the detail. All images were shot with a Canon 7D and 28-300mm L lens. Clicking on an image will bring up a 3000px tall version if you want to dig a bit closer. I apologize that the 2.5 second image is a bit less stable….it was hard to hold the camera steady with a constant 20MPH wind in my face. The shots at 1/5 and slower were shot using a variable neutral density filter to achieve the slower speed.

1/8000th of a second

1/3200th of a second

1/1000th of a second

1/250th of a second

1/100th of a second

1/30th of a second

1/20th of a second

1/10th of a second

1/5th of a second

.5 seconds

1 second

2.5 seconds

What do you see in the falling water at different speeds? I see an obvious change in the silkiness of the water but it takes a while to get started from 1/8000th (and is my main reason for not shooting every stop or 1/3 of a stop as the images in between have very little noticeable change). My normal favorite shooting speed of 1/10th of a second doesn’t cut it here, in my opinion. The water is blurred, but not enough for my liking. Again, that is just my opinion.

What’s your take on a ‘good’ speed to shoot this waterfall? How will the images help you see possibilities differently the next time you are shooting a waterfall?

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

Picking A Waterfall Shutter Speed For The Best Look

Rich Harrington shows you how to use the Synchronize command in ACR.

DISCLAIMER: This post isn’t intended to be definitive – we’re not claiming this is the ONLY way or even the BEST way to accomplish this task in Photoshop, Aperture, iPhoto or any other post-prodcessing program. We’re merely offering it as A way you might accomplish this task. These tips are free, offered only because they might be helpful to someone.

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BorrowLenses.com - Renting Canon, Nikon, Olympus & Sony, bodies, lenses, etc. / SmugMug - Professional Photo Sharing /
Digital SLR Store - Cameras, lenses, accessories and everything else.

While not everyone will have an atmospheric abandoned factory to race out and photograph – hopefully it’s a theme that with a little imagination everyone can participate in.

• Perhaps there’s an old abandoned building in your area?
• Perhaps you’ve got something around the house that has been lacking attention (some old gym equipment in our garage springs to mind)
• Or perhaps there’s something more symbolic that springs to mind that you could photograph?

It’s totally up to you – and we’re not going to judge you for what you photograph. The main thing is to get out and use that camera and show us what you end up doing!

Once you’ve selected the ‘Abandoned’ image that you’d like to share – upload it to your favourite photo sharing site or blog and either share a link to it or – embed them in the comments using the our new tool to do so.

If you tag your photos on Flickr, Instagram, Twitter or other sites with Tagging tag them as #DPSABANDONED to help others find them. Linking back to this page might also help others know what you’re doing so that they can share in the fun.

Also – don’t forget to check out some of the great shots posted in last weeks challenge – Street Photography challenge where there were some interesting shots submitted.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

Abandoned: Weekly Photography Challenge

Copyright Scott Bourne 2012 - All Rights Reserved

It’s a done deal. The war on photography is in full swing. Mindless, mind-numbing attacks on all sorts of photographers and their photography occur world wide. Even here in the USA where we are supposedly a “free” people, we’re not THAT free if we have a camera in our hand.

Whether it’s just badge-heavy cops who want to throw their weight around, or poorly-trained security forces who think that a camera means there is a terrorist nearby, it really doesn’t matter. The consequences are the same. It’s harder than ever to get the picture.

I’ve tried to fight it. I’ve written to politicians, filed civil rights lawsuits, you name it, but the bottom line is that the war is in full swing and it’s going to take extraordinary methods to win.

So I have decided to take the easy road. I don’t like it, and it might not be something everyone can or will want to do, but after a few years of this I know it works. The answer? Good old fashioned grease. I’m not talking bribes mind you, but the reality is, money is the best way to get the access you need and the best way to do it hassle free. The fact that it works also proves that almost none of this madness has anything to do with security and everything to do with power.

Want to get the best shot you can of the Seattle fireworks from the Space Needle, find a Capital Hill resident who will let you use their property for a fee. Need to go shoot pictures of airplanes at the airport? Offer to pay the airport management for access and security so your camera pointed at airplanes doesn’t end up in having you visited by the FBI.

Whether it’s special access in national parks or regular opportunity to shoot in public places, if you have a police escort, nobody will bother you. If you call your local police agency and ask who to speak to about hiring private security, you’ll be put in touch with local police unions who arrange off-duty police security for your event. So while these officers are off-duty, they still have all the power and connections of any cop and having them by your side will eliminate any pesky, nosy, busybody who has nothing better to do than to harass anyone with a “professional-looking camera.”

This works at all levels. Need early access to a park or refuge? A $50 bill given to the guy/gal who works the gate usually allows for early access. Sometimes the answer is just to rent access for a “private event” and make that event your photography.

For example, I wanted to make some stock shots of the Las Vegas strip years ago. I knew which hotel would provide me with the best shot, but the hotel policy regarding photography, combined with overzealous security guards made getting that shot impossible. My solution? I rented the suite with virtually the same view and got the shot. I also paid one of the bouncers at the hotel (er, excuse me “security people”) to come up and run interference for me. What is “impossible” under most circumstances becomes “no problem” with a few bucks placed into the right pocket.

Even if you don’t have the cash, you can save yourself some trouble by sometimes just taking an extra minute to notify authorities of your intentions. When I go to any national park, despite the fact that I have an absolute, complete right to photograph as long as I don’t go off road or cause the park to provide security and staffing for my access, I still stop in the ranger station and let them know who I am and what I am doing. It sometimes even yields free advice on where to find the best wildlife or best scenics.

I hate the fact that my country has become a place where everyone is suspicious of everyone else, but that’s the way it is. So you can either run from it or deal with it. These ideas are how I deal with it. They may not be your cup of tea but they have certainly kept me out of trouble. Hopefully they will help some of you too.

_______
This Post Sponsored by:
Viewbug - Fun Photo Contests /
Animoto – Great animated slide shows from your photos /
BorrowLenses.com – Renting Canon, Nikon, Olympus & Sony, bodies, lenses, etc. / SmugMug – Professional Photo Sharing /
Digital SLR Store - Cameras, lenses, accessories and everything else.

Today I found myself surfing through flickr admiring a growing number of images on the theme of abandonment and urban decay. While perhaps not an every day kind of subject for most of us – there’s a growing number of photographers exploring a theme that can produce striking images. Here’s a few that caught my eye today. Click these images to be taken to their home where they can be viewed larger and where you can learn more about the stories and the wonderful photographers behind them.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

25 Evokative Images of Abandonment and Urban Decay

Marketing podcast with Greg Cabtree (Click to play or right click and “Save As” to download – Subscribe now via iTunes or subscribe via other RSS device (Google Listen)

Woodlouse via Flick CC

Far too often business owners trick themselves into believing their business is healthy, when in fact it’s one bad month away from disaster. Or, they become so focused on beating the IRS in the tax game that they miss the entire point about building wealth.

In this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing podcast I visit with Greg Crabtree, a CPA who’s spent most of his career helping business owners see beyond the numbers that blind and focus on the simple numbers that help unlock business potential.

Crabtree’s book – Simple Numbers, Straight Talk, Big Profits!: 4 Keys to Unlock Your Business Potential – should be required reading for every business owner on the plant.

In Simple Numbers you get some very practical talk about how to manage your business based on the numbers that count.

Today’s break even is 10% Net Profit.

You get a salary on what you do and a return on what you own. So many business owners confuse profit with revenue or treat profit as salary. A salary is what a job pays. If you’re not focused on creating a net, after tax, after salary profit then all you’ve created is a job.

Taxes have become the tail that wags the dog. Business owners jump through tremendous hoops in order not to pay taxes – including doing things that rob from the future of the business. Crabtree advises that we need to stop focusing on the tax implications and focus on the true financial dynamics of the business. We need to take the energy we spend on not paying taxes and go make money.

Another crucial number that Crabtree reveals is something he calls the Labor efficiency ratio – Hiring people can either lift a business or sink it. But, good labor is a lever if you understand how to calculate what every dollar of labor produces in terms of profit.

You must understand how to hold your labor cost accountable for profit. Once you can do this you can set what you need in terms of additional revenue and additional profit for each hire.

Crabtree has created a number of tools for better understanding both labor cost and profit.

The last issue we discuss is cash flow. Many business owners struggle with cash flow. The thinking is that I must manage cash flow before I can think about profit. I believe and Crabtree certainly supports this notion, that if you focus on profit, you’ll fix cash flow.

The real problem with cash flow is that people don’t get cash flow considerations in the right order. On average 40% of your profit must be paid in taxes – that needs to come out first. Far too many businesses sink on this number because they consume based on total profit.

Simple Numbers is a very accessible read and just may do more towards helping business owners come to grips with the right numbers and right priorities than any other book on the subject. Go get it and make everyone in your organization read it!

Then start having discussions about labor productivity and profit at your next all hands meeting.

What if Photographers Stopped Trying to Combat Change and Embraced it Instead?

It’s a question worth asking again and again. And again! That’s why this Dispatch seems familiar to you. It is. Re-releasing “The Mashable Movement” is a challenge to you to consider this inescapable question and find your unique answer.

What if YOU stopped combatting change and embraced it instead? What would that look like in your unique business?

Let’s take a look together.

What’s Inside:

A challenge to look at your photography business in a different way, to see your clients as collaborators rather than consumers. Inside you’ll also find practical tools for identifying the collaboration methods that work for your business.

Take a Look:

Collaboration can’t be formulaic, which is a good thing because neither can your business! In this Dispatch we aren’t offering quick-fix solutions for collaborative success. Instead we’re offering a road map to find the right direction for your unique business.

In this worksheet we’ll identify specific avenues of collaboration for your business, both through products and creative processes.

PART 1: CREATIVE COLLABORATION
Curious about how to utilize collaborative techniques throughout the client experience without committing to unfamiliar mashable products? Reflect on these questions. You might be surprised by the ideas you come up with!

Continue to Connect:

Continue to connect with Volume 7 of The Photo Life Dispatch by sharing your thoughts here on The Photo Life Blog, and on the Pictage Facebook and Twitter,#ThePhotoLife.