William Eng Photography

Starla + Jason Wedding Teaser

2010-10-12T14:58:00.004-04:00

My buddy John Lo asked if I wanted to be his second shooter as well as help assist with lighting at a Atlantic City wedding so I said YES! Well, not in that huge way but it was still a resounding yes.

The wedding was held at the Showboat Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey at the House of Blues "VIP members only" Foundation room. The place is pretty nice and cozy for an intimate wedding.

Here are some teaser images of the wedding:

To view these at larger size, please visit my blog site: William Eng Photography

Favorite Photo of the Week

2010-10-06T12:15:00.001-04:00

Samantha + Barry's Wedding | Nicotra's Ballroom | Staten Island, NY - October 3, 2010

Check back later on www.wengphotography.com for updates!

Trash the Dress Session

2010-09-30T23:08:00.001-04:00

My buddy John Lo asked me to join him in a ‘trash the dress’ session with a newlywed bride in New Haven, Connecticut. This is where Yale University is located. It’s a very nice homely town with a few contemporary touches to it. This is a first for me as I have never done a session like this before. I guess creative ideas started flowing around in my head and next thing you know, the newlywed bride ended up in the town’s fountain!

Overall it was a fun shoot. We all had fun and that’s what count most!

For the rest of the photos, check out my photography blog

I'm trying to "retire" this Xanga page but perhaps I can post concurrently with my other blogs:

www.wengphotography.com/blog/ - This is my main photography blog

www.eggrollboy.com - This is my personal blog. Posting to this will be the same content as Xanga

http://engphotography.blogspot.com - Exactly same as my photography blog

http://eggrollboy.blogspot.com - Exactly same as my personal blog

Happy Birthday Spikey!

2010-09-27T15:55:00.001-04:00

Spikey's 6th Birthday was on September 20. He's getting old! (but still acts like a baby...)

Coming Soon!

2010-08-31T12:23:00.003-04:00

After weeks and weeks of working on this, I can finally have my portfolio viewable of any mobile device! That's right folks, including all APPLE products! Since APPLE isn't budging on this Flash issue, my portfolio will be in the new HTML 5 format. You can view it from any web-enabled iPhone and iPad! My portfolio is already viewable from any other devices like the popular Droid and Google phones but no longer limited to just those.

Here's a screen grab sneak peek:

Right now you can still view the portfolio at this URL: http://www.wengphotography.com/portfolio/

Please bookmark and check back in a week or two for big changes! :-)

Brooklyn Wedding Video

2010-08-20T13:16:00.001-04:00

Just uploaded the Brooklyn wedding video. Enjoy!

J & J Brooklyn Wedding

2010-08-16T23:06:00.002-04:00

Visit my new blog which is now live on another web host:

J & J Brooklyn Wedding

Professional Photographer

2010-07-20T10:39:00.001-04:00

Often at times brides are turned off by the prices for wedding pictures. Most brides don't know what goes on behind the scenes and as to why professional photographers charge what they do. Also this pertains to professional photographers and not to someone new to the industry. I would also be wary of a photographer charging waaaaay under the market prices.

Top 10 Reason Professional Photographers Charge What They Do:

10. Professional photographers are in business, and as a business, need to make a profit. Because they make it their career, they dedicate themselves to becoming the best they can be, and share that knowledge with their clientele.

9. Professional photographers have to buy professional equipment. Nope, they don't just pick up a point-and-shoot from Wal-Mart and declare themselves a professional. They spend thousands upon thousands of dollars getting multiple camera bodies, the finest lenses, flash equipment for every situation, tripods, light stands, backdrops, props, carrying and storage cases. And then when you think you have it all - you need to get backups for everything to make sure you never miss an image.

8. Professional photographers continue their education, and learn as much as they can about the business. They join groups like Professional Photographers of America or the National Press Photographers Association. They attend seminars and training by some of the best names in the business. They concentrate on becoming the best they can be.

7. Professional photographers don't just snap a picture, they create a photograph. They understand positioning. They understand lighting. They understand placement. You're not just paying for the ability to place a finger on the trigger and snap a picture. You're paying for the years of experience it took to create the perfect image.

6. Professional photographers can spend hours producing one professional photograph. Time can include:

creating the marketing

answering emails and phone calls

meeting with the client to talk about the event

setting up for the event

drive time to and from the event

time for the actual photographing

running to and from the lab

meeting with the client for previews and decisions

processing the image

retouching the image

mounting the image

framing the image

packaging the image

dropping off final images

production work

follow up work

Add it all up, and you can see why one portrait session may include hours worth of work. It's impossible to stay in business if you only make a few pennies per client.

5. Professional photographers have to be more than photographers. They have to be CEOs and marketers, and bankers, and salespeople, and production workers, and janitors, and buyers, and negotiators, and networkers, and drivers, and organizers. And photographers. That's a lot of skills for one person to master.

4. Professional photographers will do it all. Want to get married at the top of a 14,000 foot high mountain, where the only way up is a 30 minute ski-lift ride? A professional photographer will be there. Want a portrait running through the waves on a Southern California beach? A professional photographer will be there.

3. Professional photographers aren't just order takers, they provide total customer service. Professionals photograph dozens or even hundreds of clients a year. They understand what looks good, how to put together albums, and how to group multiple photographs together. Their goal is to provide you with what you need and what's best for you - not just have you sign on the dotted line.

2. Professional photographers watch for the newest, most innovative, creative products available. They stay up to date on industry news, and find things that perfectly match their clients taste. They don't try and fit you into something you don't like - they find out what you want and search the world over for the perfect things. They are the professional.

1. Professional photographers have the knowledge and the skill to make you look the best you can be. I can buy a hammer for a few dollars at the hardware store. Yet I spent hundreds of dollars for a handyman to repair my deck. I can buy a needle and thread for a few dollars at the fabric store. Yet I spent over $100 on alterations at a local tailor. It's not about the tools; it's about the outcome.

Sure, anyone can buy a camera and take a picture. You can head down to your local discount store, wait several hours and have a minimum wage clerk place you on an X and snap a few pictures. But they can't get what a professional can get. They won't concentrate on expressions. They won't advise you on outfits and locations. They won't provide 110 percent customer service. You won't get a professional portrait.

Isn't it time to see a professional? :-)

Source: Hubpages

J & J Brooklyn Wedding Teaser

2010-06-23T15:18:00.002-04:00

Here's a quick teaser for J & J's wedding in Williamsburg Brooklyn. This was such a beautiful day for a wedding! The day was beautiful. The bride was beautiful. Everything was just a beaut!

Accompanied by my associate JohnLo and assistant Jasmine, we made magic happen...

Memorial Day Weekend 2010

2010-06-09T00:08:00.002-04:00

This has got to be the hottest, longest and most busiest Memorial Day weekend I can ever remember!

I even had a bit of a sunburn walking down the Boardwalk of Coney Island in Brooklyn. The boardwalk is totally renovated. They even opened up a new amusement park called Luna Park.

On Memorial Day, I ventured down to the Meatpacking District in the west side of Manhattan for a portrait shoot. The temperature wasn't as hot as the day before so it was definitely an ideal day to shoot.

Katie & Jamal's Engagement Session

2010-05-17T16:40:00.001-04:00

May 15, 2010 | Prospect Park | Brooklyn, NY

Saturday was such a beautiful day. Even a better day for an engagement session!

My buddy JohnLo was shooting an engagement session for Katie & Jamal at Prospect Park Brooklyn, NY. I assisted John with some off-camera lighting techniques. It was definitely fun to work with other photographers. You can see John’s engagement session here.

Here are my images since we’re both shooting with different style so we can complement each other:

N & H Wedding

2010-05-11T12:09:00.002-04:00

Here are some of the photos from N & H's Wedding. Unfortunately I can't post all of them since I took hundreds so here are a few for your enjoyment.

Makeup Tips

2010-04-29T11:16:00.001-04:00

Here are some very useful makeup tips to use prior to having a portrait or wedding shoot with me.

"Oh wait, but you're a guy! What do you know about makeup?"

Well, I have done many portrait and weddings to know how makeup will look like after a loooong day especially if it's a hot & humid one.

So here it is, my Top 10 Makeup Tips:

1. BLEND, BLEND, BLEND. You can use your everyday makeup, but use more than you normally use every day. Many makeup professionals use airbrush makeup, the method of choice for high-definition TV, because it’s lightweight, waterproof and gives flawless coverage.

2. SOMETIMES LESS IS MORE. Use less makeup for a day wedding and more for evenings. You can get dramatic with eye makeup.

3. DON’T SKIMP ON CONCEALER. Use a moisturized concealer on the thin, sensitive skin under the eyes. If your concealer isn’t moisturizing, blend it with a skin cream. For blemishes, first treat them with a natural or over-the-counter anti-inflammatory, then cover with concealer.

4. DO A MAKEUP TRIAL RUN. It’s the only sure-fire, stress-free way to make certain your makeup will look beautiful.

5. NOT ALL MINERAL MAKEUP IS CREATED EQUAL. Titanium dioxide, a chemical used as sun block, can reflect flash, giving the bride a ghostly appearance. In 2009 makeup artist Annie May launched a line of mineral makeup especially formulated for photography called Advanced Mineral Makeup. May promises it won’t white-out the bride under a flash.

6. USE WATERPROOF MAKEUP WITH STAYING POWER. You don’t want to spend your reception in the bathroom reapplying your makeup. Foundation, eyeliner and mascara all should be waterproof. And in case you cry (and you probably will), have a tissue or handkerchief handy to gently blot your tears right at the eye.

7. KEEP YOUR LIPS MOISTURIZED AND COLORED. Dry lips look dreadful in photos. Have someone carry your lipstick for you and touch up often. Matte and gloss lipstick both photograph well, and be sure to use blended lip liner for enhanced definition.

8. DON’T FORGET THE GROOM. If the groom is red faced due to too much sun (or drinking), a little powder can help. That goes for shiny heads, too. And it’s a good idea to slip a tube of Chapstick in the groom’s pocket for his dry lips, as well as a handkerchief to dab well-wishers’ makeup smudges off his suit.

9. DON’T SPRINKLE ON GLITTER. In photographs, it tends to look like little white spots, as if there’s something wrong with the camera.

10. REMEMBER to apply foundation and powder to your neck, shoulders and décolletage—you want your head to look like it belongs to your body!

Special thanks to the Moore Agency of Atlanta for these helpful tips :-)

N & H Wedding Teaser

2010-03-26T23:12:00.000-04:00

Shot a wonderful wedding on such a wonderful day!

Here's a teaser...

STAY TUNED FOR MORE COMING SOON!

First of Spring Portrait Session

2010-03-24T23:49:00.001-04:00

It was a sunny Saturday afternoon. The sun was out. The warmth of it
filled the air and onto our skins. Oh what’s a photographer to do??

Shoot!

So we gathered up with our fellow photographers and some models and
had ourselves an all out photography shootout!

It was definitely fun showing techniques to the new faces as well as
the familiar. It never hurts to learn more right?

Check out the photos from the session as well as the video at the end
of the photos. Enjoy!

PocketWizard AC7 RF Shield

2010-03-08T10:46:00.002-05:00

Photographers LOVE the latest photography gadgets. With technology, there’s always something new coming up. Even better when that technology helps with my photography.

One of the PocketWizard guys had asked me to Beta test their upcoming accessory, the AC7 RF Shield.

Long story short, what this AC7 Shield does is to extend the distance & range of my portable Canon flashes. These things are based on radio frequencies and the Canon stuff was emitting a high amount of these frequencies thus making my radio based remote flashes less effective with distance. I have tested the AC5 Soft Shield in a school gym and proved its effectiveness.

Brides Beware!

2010-03-02T16:40:00.002-05:00

ATTENTION ALL BRIDES!

Please make sure you research your wedding photographer before hiring him/her to photograph your wedding. Things like this cannot be redone. There's no rewind button or do-overs.

If a wedding photographer is charging less than $2,000 in any metropolitan area, then something must be wrong.
The average rates for a wedding photographer in most metropolitan area goes somewhere $2,000 to $5,000 for their packages.
The rates apply the moment you book the photographer to the day the products are handed to you.
It's not about just taking pictures...it's about the service.

Please remember...
Don't be fooled by a person claiming to be a "Pro" Photographer with low-ball prices.
Professionalism, quality and talent goes a long way.
Food, flowers, and decorations only last for so long after your wedding, but
quality photographs will last your entire lifetime and generations to come.

ATTENTION ALL PHOTOGRAPHERS!

Please know what you're doing. Don't fudge up a bride's wedding by taking sub-par photos.
In my own opinion, I hate seeing brides unhappy about their wedding photos.
Please know that they CAN sue you in small claims court too!

See this video...

2010 Chinese New Year Parade

2010-02-23T11:32:00.002-05:00

It's the Year of the Tiger and in NYC's Chinatown celebration was the 2010 Chinese New Year Parade!

Can't believe the crowd turn out this year. I'm guessing it's due to the nice 40 degrees weather we're having. This is definitely one of the biggest celebration by far!

For most of the parade I hooked up with the local school's marching band, the New York Chinese School Crimson Kings.

There were many other floats with a lot of sponsorships as well

Happy Chinese New Year!

2010-02-15T15:50:00.005-05:00

Happy Chinese New Year! It's 2010 and it's the Year of the Tiger! May everyone be blessed with happiness, good health and great prosperity!

[Taken by iPhone]

Collected some "red envelopes" during the Chinese New Year Festivities. I still need to stop by johnlo to get some from him too!

New Boda Bag

2010-02-10T16:51:00.000-05:00

As James Brown said "Papa's Got a Brand New Bag!"

I'm all about the camera bags. It's like a part of me whenever I go out with my camera and lenses for a photo gig. More than that, it's a necessity! How else can I shoot efficiently without the right equipment?

The new Boda Weatherproof Lens Bag is a Godsend! I can carry my lenses with me and change them out on the fly with no worries of missing a crucial shot. The new bag is also sturdy enough that I have confidence in protecting my gear.

Thanks to Armin for the promo code and John for the arm twisting to buy this. I'm glad I listened.

Maternity Photography | Central Park

2009-11-10T16:14:00.002-05:00

Paula & Hector - Plus One

Maternity Photography @ Central Park, NYC

2009-10-15T11:07:00.002-04:00

Paula's Maternity @ Central Park

M & E Wedding @ Central Park - Video

2009-10-11T21:13:00.001-04:00

Manhattan Bridge Centennial Parade

2009-10-09T12:18:00.004-04:00

What: Manhattan Bridge Centennial Ceremony
Where: Manhattan Bridge, New York City
When: October 3, 2009

The Manhattan Bridge turns 100!

The Manhattan Bridge, the youngest of the four East River Bridges, celebrated its 100th birthday today. But with 375,000 New Yorkers crossing it everyday it is perhaps the most important bridge in New York City.

M & E Wedding @ Central Park

2009-10-03T17:22:00.003-04:00

What: Central Park Wedding Photography Shoot
When: Sept. 26, 2009

Fifth Avenue Portrait Session

2009-09-24T10:29:00.001-04:00

Back from Vacation!

2009-09-16T13:17:00.004-04:00

I'm back from vacation with a much needed time off!

I'll update more once I finish downloading the photos from my trip.

Update:

We stayed at a wonderful Disney Coronado Springs Resort. The views are definitely breathtaking!

L.E.S. Photoshootin'!

2009-07-27T11:37:00.001-04:00

What: Models + Photographers = Photoshoot @ Lower East Side, NYC
Date: July 25, 2009

The theme of this was Alternative, Punk Rock, Modern Medieval, Grunge, Urban, Gothic, Hip Pop, Heavy Metal and Bad Girl....So what's the best place for this? The Lower East Side at the 'lower east side' of Manhattan!

As Group Leader #2, I lead a few photographer and our models around the urban streets of the Lower East Side. While I didn't get to shoot that much, it was fun to direct the models as well as helping out the photographers on getting the shot. I don't usually lead a lot of people because I like to work independently but this may be the start of a new venture. I may soon offer technical workshops for photographers of all levels just as soon as I finish my professional photographer certification.

It's not all work & no play for us photographers...

Photoshoot @ Bryant Park

2009-07-02T11:33:00.002-04:00

Models + Photographers = Photoshoot @ Bryant Park, NYC

Here I am waiting to set up my next shot

Just goofing around

Amy & Eric's Wedding

2009-06-22T13:04:00.004-04:00

Amy & Eric tied the knot on June 20, 2009 at Jin Fong Restaurant in Chinatown NYC.

Daughter & Father Dance

Mother & Son Dance

Portrait Photo Session 6-6-2009

2009-06-08T11:24:00.000-04:00

Had a Portrait Photo Session this past Saturday with a few models.

It was such a wonderful day for a shoot too!

Here are my personal faves:

Spring is in the Air

2009-05-06T20:38:00.003-04:00

Spring Time is Here!

Took a nice trip out to the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens and what a pleasant day it was!

Le Cirque

2009-04-15T12:33:00.007-04:00

Just finished another photography job last night at Le Cirque

This is is supposed to be some fancy schmancy place which was also featured on a HBO Documentary, A Table In Heaven

I asked my buddy John to come help out as well as an experience for him to shoot events.

So we were waiting for Sirio Maccioni (owner and founder of Le Cirque) to make an appearance until they announced the one and only, Mr Chocolate..

JACQUES TORRES!

If you have never experienced his chocolate, then you're missing out.

Website Updates!

2009-03-19T16:07:00.002-04:00

There are some new updates for www.WEngPhotography.com

HTML alternative for people who cannot access Flash websites (working progress)

A new portfolio for my other photography

You can visit it at www.WEngPhotography.com/portfolio/

Grand Opening

2009-03-10T11:06:00.001-04:00

March 8, 2009

Grand Opening of L.E.S. Weddings & Silk Cakes

Site Updates

2009-02-20T16:09:00.007-05:00

Oh boy, what a start of the new year! When I said there were going to be changes, i didn't realize how much will need to be changed!

I'm finally finishing up on my website as well as importing my blog to my web host. So far so good but I'm really bad at customizing Wordpress.

My new blog address will be at www.wengphotography.com/blog but will mirror this same blog. Not much will change. I guess it's an option for a Blogger or Wordpress user.

Also in the works is my new site. I'm so excited about it. It really showcases my photos plus there's a fullscreen option. So far so good:

Also forgot to mention that we will be having a Spring Savings Sale!
There will be discounts and freebies for anyone booking from now until June 21, 2009.

Yes, I did say FREEBIES :-)

Chinese New Year Festivites

2009-02-02T11:02:00.003-05:00

2009 Lunar New Year Parade
February 1, 2009
New York City, NY

Errrr...?

Happy Chinese New Year!

2009-01-27T23:22:00.006-05:00

Hope everyone a healthy and prosperous Happy Chinese New Year! May good wealth and fortune be bestowed upon you and your family!

*** Also announcing my new business card design! ***
I've gone green! Doing my part for the environment, I now have new business cards which are more environment friendly. The paper are sourced from sustained forests and the card holder is from recycled pulp board. :-)

Happy New Year!

2009-01-12T11:51:00.002-05:00

Hope everyone had a Happy New Year and started 2009 with a new outlook.

Mine had a slightly rough start such as my website having some glitches. So far I have reverted back to my previous design. Don't worry though, everything is about progressing and moving forward. My approach is, if we come upon a steep hill, we can still climb it. It may take some time we heck, we'll do it!

Nothing is impossible. :-)

As for the photography business, there's been plenty of inquiries. A lot of people are still shopping around though.

Maybe I'll start a contest. How about a referral contest? The person who referred the most people to me wins a prize? Ideas ideas...

Site Under Maintenance

2009-01-07T22:43:00.003-05:00

Hi guys

Presently my website at www.wengphotography.com is going through web server changes.

You may visit the alternative site at www.wengphoto.com instead.

Sorry for the inconvenience. :-)

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-22T15:05:00.003-05:00

Hope everyone have a safe and happy holidays!

Uploaded via iPhone

I've Been Blogged! (Again)

2008-11-10T16:31:00.004-05:00

I lost count on how many times I have gotten blogged.

I just like having my photos blogged elsewhere especially when it's for a good cause.

I don't mind taking photos of non-profit events and giving them out for free. It just feels great to give something back. :-)

"Yosakoi Dance Project is a non-profit dance organization that has gotten a lot of people into dancing with awareness to their own culture."

http://10tecomai.blog69.fc2.com/blog-entry-47.html

My Faves

2008-10-28T23:04:00.004-04:00

Everyone has their personal favorites when shooting weddings. Some are based on looks or the overall composition.

Mine are usually based on the emotional connection when viewing the photo. Here are some are my personal faves:

Helen & Brady's Wedding Slideshow

2008-10-17T00:13:00.002-04:00

Helen & Brady's Wedding - 10/11/08

2008-10-13T16:22:00.007-04:00

Had a wonderful time being a second shooter for John Lo for Helen & Brady's wedding. Being a second shooter gives me a lot of freedom for my photojournal and creative styles. I believe that weddings should never be "posed" or intrusive. I just love capturing those natural moments without being in "their" way.

I'll post up more photos once I have downloaded them onto my computer later on this week.

Bronx Zoo

2008-09-15T23:25:00.010-04:00

One of the best childhood past times was visiting the zoo.

Even when I'm older now, I still feel like a kid on his first time on going to the zoo.
I really had a great time there. The animals were out in full force (I'm talking about the zoo animals, not humans). Despite the hot weather, it was a great outing.

You're never too old to enjoy stuff. =)

We Never Forgot

2008-09-11T10:39:00.003-04:00

I don't think any New Yorker nor any American would ever forget that day...

Free to Succeed in NYC!

2008-08-26T10:12:00.007-04:00

I had the opportunity to attend David Jay's Free to Succeed seminar on Monday.

That man is an amazing speaker. He's on key with the photographers on every topic. I'm glad to know that I'm also on key with most of what he said.

Jasmine Star was amazing as well. Becker also happened to be in NYC so he stopped by to speak for a brief moment.

(Photos courtesy of John Lo)

Overall we had a great time and it was also a great pleasure to have met these great people.

(Photo courtesy of John Lo)

Free To Succeed Tour Updates

2008-07-14T23:06:00.003-04:00

The David Jay Free To Succeed NYC location will be held at:

8/25/08 - New York City, NY
Sheraton LeGuardia East
135-20 39th Ave.
Flushing, NY 11354

View Larger Map

Old New York

2008-06-22T17:53:00.004-04:00

What was old is now new again.

Sometimes things may seem like is outdated but with people reviving the styles, it becomes new again.

Free to Succeed Tour

2008-06-15T17:34:00.005-04:00

David Jay is coming to New York City as part of his Free To Succeed Tour! Plus guest speaker will be Jasmine Star (in select cities)

The first 30 signups in each city get 50% off and space is limited! Use "FREETOSUCCEED" during checkout to get 50% off!

I think this would be a great education experience for many photographers. If you haven't checked it out yet, go now!

Morimoto

2008-06-12T00:45:00.006-04:00

I recently got a gig for a corporate event at Morimoto NYC.

It was fun working with people at these types of events.

Memorial Day

2008-05-26T23:15:00.002-04:00

A Day of Remembrance...

The Brooklyn Memorial Day Parade
The 141st annual Brooklyn Memorial Day Parade in Bay Ridge Brooklyn is the oldest continuous parade in the Nation.

29th Annual Asian Pacific American Heritage Festival

2008-05-13T13:32:00.004-04:00

The 29th Annual Asian pacific American Heritage Festival was held at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza in NYC. It's right by the United Nations.

The 29th Annual Asian Pacific American Heritage Festival2008 from Bill on Vimeo.

Toy Dog Meetup

2008-04-21T17:16:00.005-04:00

Recent photos from the Toy Dog Group on Meetup.com
This event took place at Animal Haven in Soho, NYC.

All of these photos were shot without using a flash.

"How??" you ask? Just by pumping up the ISO setting on your camera.
Don't be afraid to try out different settings on your camera.

I was able to capture these fast fur-babies with a high ISO setting. If I had a low ISO setting, then my shots would probably have ended up being blurry or too dark.

Busy Hiatus

2008-02-05T22:45:00.001-05:00

I have been so busy lately that I didn't even have time to update my blog! Here's a quick update what I have been working with on my photo gigs. Below is a slideshow of a photo gig I had done for American Latino TV's Holiday party. I found this great slideshow on Animoto.com! It's worth checking it out.

Happy Chinese New Year!

2007-02-26T16:53:00.000-05:00

Lightroom 1.0 Released!

2007-02-19T19:40:00.000-05:00

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 1.0 is finally out as of today. according to Adobe.

"New Adobe® Photoshop® Lightroom™ software is the professional
photographer's essential toolbox, providing one easy application for managing,
adjusting, and presenting large volumes of digital photographs so you can spend
less time in front of the computer and more time behind the lens."

This is one nifty software. If you haven't tried it yet, I suggest downloading the 30-day Trial version and see for yourself.

Here are a few resources for Lightroom:

I'll have some simple video tutorials soon.

Pump it Up!

2007-01-30T23:43:00.001-05:00

Scenario: You're in a dark dimly lit restaurant and you wanted to snap a shot of your food or person but you don't want to use the flash. You opened your aperture as wide as possible and the shutter is at 1/4 of second. *SNAP*

Outcome: One blurry photo due to camera shake.

Solution: Pump up the ISO!

Yes, don't be afraid to pump up the ISO of your camera. Most cameras these days can take nice sharp pictures a high ISO. The photo below was taken at 1600 ISO @ f/1.4 and a shutter of 1/50. I always use the shutter that's equivalent to the focal length of my lens to ensure a non-blurry picture. It's sorta like a safe-zone.

Another solution most folks say is "I'll fix it in Photoshop!" Well, contrarary to beliefs, while upping the exposure in post-processing will most likely end up in a lot of digital noise. So, its a safer bet to shoot at higher ISO and getting the correct exposure than to underexpose it and fix it afterwards. A lot of dynamic range will also be lost.

Exposure Tip

2007-01-19T14:41:00.000-05:00

Notice how when you properly expose your setting with a snowy scenery that the image always come out gray? Who really wants gray snow? (Unless you live in a polluted area then its unavoidable)

Your camera's sensors see pure white as gray or middle gray (18% gray). To compensate this when shooting, just increase your exposure by 1 stop (to the right). You can do this in Manual mode by either opening up your aperture or decreasing the shutter speed. The latter is preferred if you're looking for a shallow depth of field if shutter speed is good enough to be handheld without blurring.

That's a good thing about digital cameras. You can play it back on the LCD screen and check the histogram. The bulk of curve should be in the middle and to the right. As you see the histogram below, majority of the "hills" are towards to the whiter shades while there's a slight lump in the darks which indicates some light shadows.

White Balance Tutorial

2007-01-15T01:03:00.001-05:00

This is my first of many series of tutorials for basic photography corrections. Nothing too big. These are just the basics for correcting or fixng the problems of photos taken with digital cameras and/or even scans!

This first part will be about White Balance. I'm sure everyone has taken photos where it came out with a slight color cast? Well, it's not your fault for that. It's basically the camera's sensor where it "thinks" should be the perfect color tempertaure for the scene. But sometimes the sensor is not always correct. You can always set your own color temperature in the camera but how do you know how much is enough? Do you know the difference between 2800 and 5500? If yes, then go right ahead and adjust in-camera. If not, you can set it after in post-processing..

So, this is where I start my White Balance video tutorial:
P.S. Don't mind my voice. I'm not used to making tutorials. =P

Photo by eggrollboy

Music For Slideshows

2007-01-11T22:43:00.000-05:00

With all the issues with pirating and the RIAA, I think I'll play it safe using cheaper or FREE music. I saw the link posted by another OSPer but I can't seem to find it anymore. It's a site which has royalty free music and it's $7 per song. Each song include several durations depending on how long your slideshow is.There is a free system and it's based on a "buddy" referral system. That's how I got a free song! I created a new account after clicking the link posted by the OSPer. So, I'm going to leave my referral link here so someone else may get a free song as well:Stock20.com creates high quality music for media production. If you create a free account using my referral link, they will give you a $7 store credit (which will get you one free song).

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Here's how: Click this link, then create a free account (it takes about a minute): http://www.stock20.com/gvr.php?rc=65xl2nv5903asd5v2x You will get a gift certificate by e-mail for $7 of in-store credit. Note: You can be assured that Stock20.com will not give away your info. They send out one e-mail per month when they release their new songs.
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1-2-3 Action!

2007-01-02T11:13:00.000-05:00

I've recently acquired some of the Kevin Kubota Actions and Showit Effects for Photoshop CS2 and wanted to experiment it on some of my photos just to jazz it up a bit for "marketing" purposes.

Here I have used Adobe Lightroom to process the RAW file and then opened it up with Photoshop CS3 Beta to apply the Kubota Actions and Showit Effects on it. Here's the original.

Sometimes you really do need to jazz up a photo such as a small glow and blur to help it pop more.

Happy New Year!

2007-01-01T10:57:00.000-05:00

Happy New Years to everyone.

Hope 2007 will be a prosperous one for you.

Now take out that camera and start shooting!

Merry Christmas!

2006-12-25T10:52:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas everyone!

Wishing everyone a happy happy and joy joy!

Tip of the Day: Sometimes you don't have to focus to get a nice photo. The photo above was taken while setting my lens to Manual and using the focus ring to get the desired effect.

And here's the little one getting his Christmas presents:

He's one happy camper!

Adobe Releases Beta Version of Photoshop CS3

2006-12-19T12:41:00.000-05:00

Read all about it and download it here: http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/photoshopcs3/

Size Does Not Matter

2006-12-18T10:33:00.000-05:00

Here's a scenario:

You're out on the town one night and you happen to catch a celebrity. But what do you do? You left you SLR at home because it was too big to carry. Now you've missed a chance to take a pic of the celebrity.

Well, this is where a point & shoot camera would come in handy. With today's point & shoot cameras, the megapixel wars has them going up past the 6 megapixel range to as high as 10 megapixels! Plus with the new sensors being out on the market, the image quality will be pretty nice.

These compact point & shoot cameras are even small enough to fit in a purse or even a shirt pocket! Want something just your size but not sure how it'll fit? Then try this site out. Just input the dimensions and you can make comparisions to certain objects such as a deck of cards or even a cell phone.

http://www.sizeasy.com/

Fixed Lens

2006-12-11T11:50:00.000-05:00

Tip of the Day:
Sometimes using a fixed lens can be very limiting. You have to "zoom" in or out by walking closer or away from your subject. What if there's no room to move? I guess this will cause you to me more creative in your shots.

The following are a series of shots taken at a restaurant. I had ordered a sushi platter which took up the majority of the table space. I was using a 50mm lens and couldn't back up to take the entire shot so I was forced to take them in parts:

Shot #1

Shot #2

Shot #3

The Final Creative Output

People seem to like the collage better because it looked more interesting.

So bottom line is, if you have a 50mm lens and think you're not getting any nice shots, try thinking outside of the box and maybe you'll see things in a different light.

Gary Fong Lightsphere

2006-12-11T11:48:00.000-05:00

This is the Gary Fong Lightsphere system I got from the Photo Plus Expo. My buddy John also got a set of these.
It's an nice flash diffuser that gives you more of a natural look where it doesn't look like you had used a flash at all. Included with the system are 2 domes. One is the Amber Dome which gives you more of a warm overall ambient feel and the Chrome Dome which can output at least an extra stop of flash.

My First Post Since 2002

2006-11-15T10:41:00.000-05:00

A re-launch!

Yes! My first entry after having this account since 2002!

Well, we can all guess what this and the preceding blogs will be about: Photography!

That's it for now. I'll put more later on.