Installment #2 — Pathways to Distinctive Photographic Accomplishment

Technique

This category represents activities that will make your photographic life easier, fluid, controlled, and a constant pleasure. This is all about building your mechanical skills with your craft. You absolutely need to reach a state of proficiency where shooting decisions become second-nature and you perform with ease. This may seem daunting at this point, but I assure you that by trying some of these things, you can develop rapidly into a confident shooter.

• Specialize in What Works for You – You need to look deep into your heart and understand your photographic calling. It also helps to listen to others. If people sincerely comment on your suitability for a particular genre of photographic art, they may see something you need to pay attention to. The rationale behind specialization is that it cuts down on the mass of generalized knowledge you must master and concentrates your effort on honing a smaller set of skills. Specialization leads to mastery. Recall the saying, “a Jack-of-all-Trades is a master of none.” Look around at our photographic idols – they are specialists.
• Master Your Fundamentals – How many times have you heard this? Are all these sages wrong? No – of course not! I am here to tell you that a prerequisite to photographic happiness is a full understanding of principles of lighting, exposure, composition, optics, and process. Unfortunately, the digital era has brought about a culture of “tips and tricks” that people find very appealing as “silver bullets” for advancement before they actually master the camera and basic digital workflow. That results in chaos, frustration, and disillusionment. If that is where you are, you need to step back and consider everything from a holistic approach. That is the driving force that made me develop the original DSLR Boot Camp concept that I use in all my present day training courses. You should consider attending this type of training to clear your mind and develop a strong foundation in digital photography. This is not the typical “Photoshop 101/Tips and Tricks” shotgun approach. More info on my current training offerings can be found at www.bobkulonphoto.com.

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Come back often for remaining installments.

© 2010 Bob Kulon | All Rights Reserved

Moving Into 2010

I feel compelled to close out 2009 with sincere best wishes for all of you that have been part of my life’s journey. 2009 has been experienced with new friends, new finds, and sense of standing on firm ground. Whatever your circumstances, I hope the coming years uplift us all to a life of joy and prosperity. I have a few announcements to make…

1) I will be regularly posting excerpts from photographic essays I have prepared. I am kicking this off today.

2) I will be occasionally posting personal experience reviews with photo gear and vendors. Look for that very soon starting off with the x-rite color checker kit.

3) This blog will no longer contain pages that list my shows, training courses and gear. The pages will still be there but they will only contain links to the appropriate section of my main website www.bobkulonphoto.com. It is too complex to update this in two locations.

In closing, Happy New Year everybody!

Photoshop—Lightroom Integration

Dixie State College Community Education in St. George, Utah is sponsoring my new class: Photoshop—Lightroom Integration. This class will be held in four 2-hour Tuesday evening sessions on the following dates: 3/30/2010, 4/6/2010, 4/13/2010, and 4/20/2010. The classes run from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. The college’s fee for this class is $59 + $15 for materials. The following topics will be covered:

• This class will answer your perplexing questions regarding using Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom together to get the maximum benefit from each.
• We will discuss where each program can be best exploited, transfer methods and file formats, the use of smart objects, and plug-ins.

Materials Students Bring

• You should own a Digital SLR Camera. The camera you have is probably just fine. Bring it.
• You should own or intend to purchase Photoshop CS4 and Lightroom 2.
• Bring some examples (files or prints) of your work for us to discuss in class.

Who is This Class For?

• You should have a working knowledge of both programs before attending. (The Photoshop and Lightroom Throughput classes cover this background.)

Contact Dixie State College Community Education at (435) 652-7675 to sign up.

Lightroom 2 Throughput

Dixie State College Community Education in St. George, Utah is sponsoring my popular class: Lightroom 2 Throughput. This class will be held in seven 2-hour Wednesday evening sessions on the following dates: 1/20/2010, 1/27/2010, 2/3/2010, 2/17/2010, 2/24/2010, 3/3/2010, and 3/17/2010. The classes run from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. The college’s fee for this class is $99 + $25 for materials. The following topics will be covered:

• All about RAW files and how to expose them properly.
• Understanding color spaces (Pro Photo, Adobe RGB, and sRGB).
• All about Metadata and the Catalog/Folders/Collections concepts.
• File ingestion using Library Module.
• File backup and storage strategies.
• Evaluating, ranking, labeling, and keywording files using Library Module.
• Using the Develop Module…
  • Color & Tonal adjustment
  • Noise reduction, Sharpening, and CA removal
  • B&W conversion and Toning
  • Spot removal
  • Vignetting
  • Presets & Batching
• Using the Print Module
• Using the Web Module
• Using the Slideshow Module

Materials Students Bring

• You should own a Digital SLR Camera. The camera you have is probably just fine. Bring it.
• You should own or intend to purchase Lightroom 2.
• Bring some examples (files or prints) of your work for us to discuss in class.

Who is This Class For?

• This class assumes you possess the fundamental skills of camera operation. You should be adept at exposure setting and operating your camera. Photographic principles of a fundamental nature will not be covered (see the Photographic Principals and Camera Operations course for that).
• The typical attendee is an enthusiast, ready to move into a self-structured process of working so they can work efficiently and effectively.
• People that believe that they want a solid grasp on fundamentals before they become confused with all the “razzle-dazzle” “tips and tricks” seminars out there.
• You do not need to know Photoshop to attend this course. There is no connection.

Contact Dixie State College Community Education at (435) 652-7675 to sign up.

Photoshop CS4 Throughput

Dixie State College Community Education in St. George, Utah is sponsoring my popular class: Photoshop CS4 Throughput. This class will be held in eight 2-hour Tuesday evening sessions on the following dates: 1/19/2010, 1/26/2010, 2/2/2010, 2/16/2010, 2/23/2010, 3/2/2010, 3/16/2010, and 3/23/2010. The classes run from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. The college’s fee for this class is $99 + $25 for materials. The following topics will be covered:

• All about RAW files and how to expose them properly.
• Understanding color spaces (Pro Photo, Adobe RGB, and sRGB).
• File ingestion using Bridge.
• File backup and storage strategies.
• Evaluating, ranking, labeling, and keywording files using Bridge.
• Using Camera Raw to extract working files…
  • Color & Tonal adjustment
  • Noise reduction & Capture sharpening
• Workflow in Photoshop itself…
  • Lens Corrections
  • Principles of Layers & Masks
  • Tonal and Color touchups
  • Cloning and Healing
  • Using Filters and Plug-ins
  • Actions & Automation
  • Printing techniques
  • Other outputs (Web, ProShow, PowerPoint)

Materials Students Bring

• You should own a Digital SLR Camera. The camera you have is probably just fine. Bring it.
• You should own or intend to purchase Photoshop (CS4 is not essential).
• Bring some examples (files or prints) of your work for us to discuss in class.

Who is This Class For?

• This class assumes you possess the fundamental skills of camera operation. You should be adept at exposure setting and operating your camera. Photographic principles of a fundamental nature will not be covered (see the Photographic Principals and Camera Operations course for that).
• The typical attendee is an enthusiast, ready to move into a self-structured process of working so they can work efficiently and effectively.
• People that believe that they want a solid grasp on fundamentals before they become confused with all the “razzle-dazzle” “tips and tricks” seminars out there.

Contact Dixie State College Community Education at (435) 652-7675 to sign up.

Photographic Concepts and Camera Operation

Dixie State College Community Education in St. George, Utah is sponsoring my popular class: Photographic Principals & Camera Operation. This class will be held in six 2-hour Thursday evening sessions on the following dates: 1/21/2010, 1/28/2010, 2/4/2010, 2/18/2010, 2/25/2010, and 3/4/2010. The classes run from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm. The college’s fee for this class is $79 + $20 for materials. The following topics will be covered:

• Exposure principles: Light, Aperture, Shutter Speed, ISO.
• Proper application of various lenses and tripods.
• Focusing techniques, depth-of-field.
• Dealing with lighting and weather conditions.
• Composition and aesthetics.
• How to set your camera for personal control.
• Using memory cards and card readers.
• Loading your files into the computer and organizing them.
• Selecting files to work on.
• Editing JPEG files (cropping, size, color, brightness, contrast) in Photoshop Elements.
• Tips on scenics, people, candids, and pets.
• Tips on close-ups.
• How to prepare in advance (mentally and photographically).

Materials Students Bring

• Typically, attendees have (or will buy) a digital SLR camera (any will suffice) or a digital point-and shoot camera that is flexible enough to allow some manual settings. Many people consider this course as a way to familiarize themselves with their new camera acquisition or to become informed to plan for a downstream purchase. The camera you have is probably just fine. Bring it
• To apply what you learned, you should own a computer for editing (and/or even printing) your photos. Ideally, you will also have consumer editing software like Photoshop Elements installed.
• Bring some examples (files or prints) of your work for us to discuss in class.

Who is This Class For?

• This class is targeted at people that are just beginning to develop an interest in serious photography and want to get started on the right foot.
• This includes people that feel they have been shooting for several years on “automatic” camera modes and want to benefit from more personal control of the camera.
• The last types of candidate attendee are those that have been away from the craft for a while and would like a good refresher on the basics, with a slant on digital. 

Contact Dixie State College Community Education at (435) 652-7675 to sign up.

Pathways to Distinctive Photographic Accomplishment

A little over two years ago I distributed an article I prepared to help my photographer friends and acquaintances find ways of improving their skills. This was done in response to a repeated inquiries as to how I personally progressed. I am reloading this document for you free use at http://www.bobkulonphoto.com/pdf/Pathways_2009.pdf. Feel free to copy and distribute in whole for reading as long as my copyright notice is respected. Here is the opening paragraph:

“After spending considerable time with many enthusiast photographers in our burgeoning community, it crosses my mind that many folks are becoming quite serious about making their mark in the field, either professionally or as a serious amateur. It seems that the allure of the Digital SLR camera and the creative options presented by Photoshop and other photo productivity computer solutions has captivated the masses. The promise is undeniable. Artistic expression is well within the grasp of everyone.”

Consider this my Holiday Gift to you. Cheers!

Main Website Updated

I am pleased to announce that my main website www.bobkulonphoto.com, has been updated today.

Changes made:

• (12) new gallery photos
• additions to shows
• revisions to training

4 New Saturday Clinics Sponsored by HVAA

In conjunction with Hurricane Valley Arts Alliance (HVAA), we are pleased to announce four new one day clinics to be held in Hurricane, Utah. If you will recall, these are the great folks that recently sponsored my successful DSLR Boot Camp.

Each of these clinics are independent – you can pick and choose, mix and match, to suit your individual needs. They are held mid-day on Saturdays in late September and early October. These clinics will take place at the Rainbow Canyon Community Building in Hurricane, Utah. The clinics run from 9 AM to 4 PM with an hour break for lunch. Registration fee for any of these is a mere $65 (which includes handouts). Contact Carol Larson at (435) 635-6966 or musiccarol@msn.com.

Here’s the rundown on what we have in store…

Taking Better Digital Pictures – September 12, 2009

• Composition
• Focus
• Lighting
• Exposure
• Posing
• Intended for Point and Shoot owners on up!

Photoshop Elements – September 19, 2009

• File cataloging
• Easy Editor
• Full Editor
• Special Effects
• Printing and Output
• Intended for folks that [want to] use Adobe Photoshop Elements

DSLR Camera Concepts – September 26, 2009

• Lenses
• RAW files
• Macro Techniques
• Tripod Usage
• Camera Modes
• Accessories
• Perfect for the Digital SLR owner or someone contemplating a DSLR purchase

Juried Art Shows – October 3, 2009

• Finding and Planning
• Entering
• Preparing
• Setup and Tear down
• Marketing
• For all artists and crafters seeking involvement in the world of juried shows.

DSLR Boot Camps Return

My relocation to SW Utah is full circle now. I have scheduled a full blown DSLR Boot Camp in Hurricane, Utah on June 3, 6, and 10. This event is sponsored by the Hurricane Valley Arts Alliance. Full details are available at: http://www.bobkulonphoto.com/training.html

You may view or download the entire brochure at http://www.bobkulonphoto.com/pdf/boot_camp_package_hurricane0906_v01.pdf