NoBs Digital Dogbowl
The NoBs Digital Dogbowl Newsletter:
Keeping you up to date and informed on the latest, coolest, and outrageous happenings inside the world of NoBS Photo Success.
Loaded with Free photography tips, Photoshop tutorials, photo reviews,
and other totally relevant essentials. Be sure to check out the whole thing!
Hungry for more? Visit our digital photography forum.
June 2009 Digital Dogbowl
On The Road Again...
The boys of NoBS, Rob and James, are hitting the road in a few days to enjoy the sights from their respective motorcycles for a couple of weeks.
James will be heading east, while Rob is heading farther east to Newfoundland.
You can follow James on his Two Wheels To The East Coast blog page.
Rob will also be recording his trip on his blog .
Don't shoot any bears along the way!
A Report from the 2nd Annual Team Steve Senior Workshop
NoBs was a proud sponsor of this year's 2nd Annual Team Steve Senior Workshop which took place in Park City, Utah from June 12 until June 14. The event highlighted photographing seniors in a studio setting as well as on location in scenic Park City, which once hosted the Olympics. NoBS members and hosts Steve and Shelley shared their ideas on posing and lighting seniors in unique settings and rounded out their workshop by also discussing senior marketing and sales.
The lucky attendees not only got a sneak preview of the new "Inspired by" backgrounds from Silverlake, but they also got the chance to be the first to photograph on them.
The three-day event also taught attendees how to quickly adapt in changing lighting conditions and inclement weather thanks to an unexpected torrential downpour. The changing lighting conditions proved difficult even for the seasoned pros. Although unexpected, it was a great lesson in learning how to deal with the cards dealt and how to turn a not-so-ideal situation into a gold mine of great images. The group even learned how to avoid being struck by a lightning bolt!
NoBS Member/Photo of the Month: Warne Noyce
Ok, ok we know what you're thinking. Wasn't Warne (combine pilot) the recipient of the May Photo and Member of the Month honor? Why, yes he was. But it looks as if NoBS members can't get enough of Warne's photography. And it's no surprise as he has time and again produced high quality imagery.
Since you already know Warne's story (or at least we hope you remember some of it), let's cut to the chase and see what he had to say about his winning image:
This girl was meek and quiet but when she was in front of the camera she was like a movie star! Very elegant. I knew when we started the session I wanted to shoot a high key headshot of her. (my fav thing to shoot) Then just a few minor edits and a touch of Andy's "icestorm " action and this is what I ended up with!
The Adventures of NoBS Member Sandy Puc
Esteemed NoBS member Sandy Puc recently took a trip to China with her two eldest children and got an unexpected surprise. A passenger on her flight was diagnosed with the swine flu and consequently several passengers, Sandy and her children included, were put into quarantine. She has humorously posted on Facebook about her adventures and has even developed some "Quarantine Grunge Brushes" to raise money for a Chinese adoption agency.
Here's a recent post from her Facebook with the link to buy the new brushes:
Webinar Recap and Upcoming Event
June brought us a rather tantalizing webinar with Mike Long of Times Two Studios. An expert retoucher and fantastic photographer to boot, Mike shared just enough of his secrets to get tongues wagging for more. To see the webinar, go to this link.
Also, recently announced was an upcoming webinar with NoBS Business and Marketing moderator William Foster, a very talented photojournalist who has photographed the likes of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and President Obama among others.
In this NoBS Webinar, William Foster (wfosterphoto) will show you how to ensure your website and Wordpress blog are optimized for search engine rankings. We'll cover everything from the basics like titling, choosing keywords and image ALT tags to more advanced techniques like writing good copy, creating heading texts and analyzing keyword weighting. Plus, we'll go over how to supercharge your Wordpress website or blog for Search Engine Optimization. Lastly, we'll cover some tactics that can get you banned or at least demoted. Avoid the known Google black hat tactics. Plus, as a special for No BSers, Foster will provide a downloadable pdf of the presentation for future reference. Get yourself ahead of the competition by knowing for sure what works and what doesn't.
Reminder: Niagara School of Imaging
As was mentioned in last month's newsletter, Rob and James will once again be teaching classes over at the Niagara School of Imaging this August. It is a week-long course that will rejuvenate your creativity and help you get over the proverbial hump if your business is not doing as well as you'd like. For more information go to this link.
Understanding White Balance by Bill Guy
In the modern world of Digital Cameras one thing that comes up in conversations with other photographers is White Balance. This is code for color because today’s cameras see color differently than film cameras. In the old darkroom ages we would purchase film that color balanced as to what we were shooting. If we were going to shot outside we would pick up Daylight Balanced film. Shooting inside grab some Tungsten balance film for incandescent lighting. These were our only two choices. Shoot the wrong film and daylight film would go red or really golden inside or for artsy look tungsten film would go blue outside. This was because film manufacturers understood that outdoor sunlight was cyan / blue light from the sky or to put it in math terms a color temp of 5500 kelvin. The indoor light was coming from a red hot filament burning in the bulb so it was very reddish or 7200 kelvin.
Staying Inspired
Feeling tired and stale from shooting for others? Here's a summer project for you: try something totally outside of the box just for fun. Fun???
Not long ago, NoBS moderator Mike Long urged NoBSers to do just this and then he shared with the gang some work he has been doing just for the heck of it. No one hired him to create these series of images; he did it to fuel some creative fire. The result of Mike's playing has been nothing short of awesome. What was born of that playing was a series he called the Sinful Carnival. To see his results, go to this NoBS link.
Another NoBS moderator, Andy Armstrong, decided to try something different as well. He, too, played around with a concept and got a pretty cool result. To see what Andy did, go here.
Are you working on a fun project already? Let us know so we can share it with the rest of the forum!
You've Come A Long Way, Baby
A hearty NoBS congrats goes out to Jason Abbot who announced that he finally has a studio space. Jason has come a long way under the guidance of the NoBS family. For anyone who has followed his progress, you know that Jason has suffered some extreme highs and lows but has managed to land on his feet and continue his journey to become a professional photographer. His talent is undeniable and he continues to progress at an amazing pace. To read Jason's update on his studio, read this.
NoBS member Derek was kind enough to create a video review of the BlackRapid RS DR-1 Double Strap for fellow NoBS members. Here is the link to his YouTube video .
Check out Derek's cool palm tree polo shirt, too!
While in Ohio, Rob met photographer Shawn Ankrom. Shawn got his start in photography and journalism while in the military; he made the plunge to full time photographer a mere five years ago. In this interview, Shawn shares some of his marketing strategies with Rob. To hear the interview click here.
Rob literally has given us the opportunity to be a fly on the wall during one of his wedding consultations. He recently recorded a meeting with a prospective bride and groom and posted that interview here. It's worth listening to as you are able to hear Rob ask leading questions to get the couple to talk a little bit more about themselves and their upcoming wedding.
Simply Canvas recently announced the release of a new product line, photo stands.
"Lightweight yet sturdy, simple to set up and take down…Use them in your studio, at tradeshows or for a stunning marketing display in local businesses. And, offer them to clients with an engagement photo for wedding receptions or to parents for display at a child's birthday party. The ideas are endless. You can even split one image across three banners to make an impact with clients!"
To see the stands, go to this Simply Canvas link and click on Photo Stands.
Do you need any more convincing that NoBS members are some of the best photographers in the world? Well, the proof is in the pudding. Senior photography guru and NoBS members Steve and Shelley Harrington announced that they were invited to present at the 2010 WPPI Convention. They will be presenting a master class on lighting and posing high school seniors. To read more about their fantastic news, go to this NoBS link.
Go to NoBS' KrisG whose studio has been nominated as best photography studio in Fort Wayne, Indiana through Fort Wayne Newspapers. Voting will take place in July.
Recently, FilmGal74 (Shannon) wrote an extremely in-depth analysis of her experiences with finding awesome packaging while also keeping the cost of goods sold down. Your "appearance can be everything," says Shannon, and packaging is a great way to set your studio apart. Check out this thread filled with costs and links to great packaging ideas.
NoBS Radio: Denise Rehse Watson
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with Expert Denise Rehse Watson
 of VTalkRadio Photography Spotlight  Sponsor www.nobsphotosuccess.com  Read Transcript  Play Show  |
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