My Thoughts On The Photography Industry, Tips, and More!
March 4th, 2010 — Travel
The Patowmack Canal is an inoperative canal located in Virginia, United States, that was designed to bypass rapids in the Potomac River upstream of the present Washington, D.C. area. The Canal is managed by the National Park Service as it is within Great Falls Park, an integral part of the George Washington Memorial Parkway.
February 25th, 2010 — Photography, Travel
February 22nd, 2010 — News, Travel
If you’ve got an iPhone (or iPod Touch), and you’re going to the upcoming Photoshop World Conference & Expo in Orlando, Florida (March 24-26, 2010), then you’ll want to download our brand new, free Photoshop World iPhone App.
The App lets you create your own custom class schedule on your iPhone, and has loads of other info like a list of conference events and times, a list of exhibitors, instructors, the latest news, and more (click on the graphic above for a much larger view).
Download the free Photoshop World App
August 4th, 2009 — Events, Travel
This summer, come home to Mother Nature with Canon with FREE photo workshops throughout the month of August in Acadia National Park.
The official rules are posted on their website. All participants will have a chance to learn tips & techniques from professional photographers and will have an opportunity to shoot with various Canon cameras and lenses or you can bring your own lightweight Canon Digital Rebel XSi 12.2 MP Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens (Black)
Prizes will be awarded to contest winners.
To register click here to view the complete workshop schedule here.
August 1st, 2009 — Macro, Photography, Travel
After the Civil War, 37 acres of land were bought as a farm by W.B. Shaw, a war veteran who had come to Washington to work in the Treasury Department. Shaw pursued his hobby, the growing of water lilies, on the marshy sections of his land. Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens is located in northeast Washington, DC, near the Maryland boundary along the tidal Anacostia River.
A photographers dream; amphibians, birds, fish, and insects congregate in the marshland in numerous numbers along with various plants and wildflowers between late spring and late summer. If you can’t find a great photo opp at this garden maybe you should find a new hobby. According to a species count by the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, there were 650 species of insects, 150 species of land plants, 76 species of birds, 18 species of fish, 9 species of mammals, and 8 species of reptiles along with other organisms such as algae, lichens, mushrooms, and worms.
During my visit I focused on flowers, however, the abundance of wild waterlilies is enough to keep you visiting often.
July 18th, 2009 — Editorial, Events, Photography, Travel
On July 18th, 2009, in over 236 locations around the world, photographers gathered for the 2nd annual Worldwide Photo Walk hosted by Scott Kelby. It’s a social photography event where photographers get together, usually in a downtown area or trendy section of town, to walk around, shoot photos, and generally have fun with other photographers. Its also a great time for families to get out and enjoy their city.
I participated in the Philadelphia photo walk, capturing the south side and Italian Market. The photo walk lasts approximately 2 hours. Afterwards, photographers share images from the location they shoot from around the world and compete for prizes. Check out other great locations such as San Jose and Cork City, to name a few.
Professional photographers such as Laurie Excell often share tips and tricks to help your photo walk be successful. Over 24,000 photographers have participate thus far, and this year promises tofurther increase that number.
Here are some stats from last year’s event:
8.324 photographers register for local walks
47 Countries had participating cities
44 States in the US had Photo Walks
We had a total of 236 cities worldwide
More than 1,017,125 photos were taken on walks that day
If you would like to learn more about the Worldwide Photo Walk, or lead a photo walk in your city, please review the FAQ’s from the official website.
June 16th, 2009 — Editorial, Photography, Travel
On June 9th, 2007 I visited Great Falls, along the Potomac River. Roughly 35,000 years ago, the Potomac River began carving out the Great Falls of the Potomac. The waters of the river gather speed as they are forced through the narrow Mather Gorge and cascade over a series of several 20-foot (6-meter) falls. The water falls a total of 76 feet (23 meters) in elevation over a distance of less than 1 mile (1.6 km), making the Great Falls the steepest and most spectacular fall line rapids of any river in the eastern United States. It is one of the most amazing things to see.
I captured the following image while at the falls that day.
Like many of my images, I filed it away in my personal collection. A few months later I shared the image on the popular photo sharing site flickr. I was later contacted by an individual from Schmap, Inc., who asked if they could use the image for their online map of famous destinations in the Washington, D.C area. I agreed, with a few requirements, to allow use of the image. Later that year I was contacted by the company again as they were preparing to launch their now popular Schmap application for the iPhone, and again, they wanted to use the image for their new mobile application. They sent me a link to how the image would appear on the iPhone app when someone searched for Great Falls Park.
Admittedly, I prefer google maps over schmap, however I did install their application on my iPhone so I can take an occasional peek at my photo on their map 
I use it as motivation to keep shooting and sharing.
April 3rd, 2009 — Photography, Travel
Back in February I posted a blog about using your own photos to make your own postcards . If you’re like me, on vacation you tend to a) send a quick cheesy “having some fun” postcard you purchased at the airport, or b) purchase a huge stack of postcards but were having so much fun you forgot to mail them, or c) forgot to purchase postcards altogether!
Thanks to The2Buds, its easier than ever before to use your own photographs as postcards. They offer really inexpensive peel & stick postcard backings, available in two sizes, 4×6 and 5×7.
But who says you have to be on vacation to send postcards? Send them to family and friends just to show off that new photo you took, or send them to customers as thank you notes.
March 3rd, 2009 — Editorial, Photography, Travel
Just north of Lititz, PA (Dutch Country) a group of unsung heroes maintain a Wolf Sanctuary on 22 acres of natural woodland; the Darlington Family has offered refuge to Wolves who have found themselves without a place in the natural world. The Sanctuary currently provides food, shelter and veterinary care for over three dozen Wolves with no government or corporate assistance. Here is where your help is needed. Shoot the Wolves! Although entrance is free into the sanctuary, and they welcome photographers, a small $7 tour donation goes a very long way in ensuring a home for these photogenic canines.
When I visited the sanctuary, the staff was remarkable! They welcomed me with open arms, gave me a tour, full access to the grounds, and they even let me feed the wolves!!!! The wolves, of course, were very happy to have visitors as they played and roamed, showcasing themselves in front of my camera. I encourage all photographers in the area to make a visit to the sanctuary.. its a photo opportunity you will not regret. Visit their website (http://www.wolfsancpa.com/), and start planning your trip today!
February 24th, 2009 — Photography, Travel
The DC/MD/VA area is full of opportunities to capture “postcard” images. What better way to show family/friends who have never been to the area, how much fun it would be to visit. Send them a postcard with an image taken by you. We often take our nation’s monuments for granted because we see them everyday… but if you have family members like I have, some of them have never been outside the state they were born in.
Here is a tip I learned during some of my travels. When you get to a city you’ve never visited before, visit the local gift shop and purchase postcards of all the photogenic areas you want to shoot, then go shoot them… and make your own post cards that you can mail or email to family and friends. Not only will you get some great travel images, but you will save a little money while you’re at it.
