by Judy | Nov 9, 2009 | Uncategorized
I wasn’t in Berlin when the wall tumbled amid the crumbling of communism, but I cheered as I watched the television coverage from my living room in East Hampton, NY. Four years later I visited Berlin and walked through the Brandenburg gate, stood on the steps of Reichstag, and entered the Potsdammer Platz subway station, an act that would have gotten me shot five years earlier.
Once we removed the wall that divided that wonderful, vibrant city, and the world for that matter, it was marvelous to see everyone come together in the name of peace, freedom and democracy. I met a friendly Iranian there, too, and I found that the interaction between us of two people whose governments have a very uneasy truce, personified what the absence of the wall represented.
Well done Berlin!
Photos at this link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/08/berlin-wall-photos-a-look_n_350263.html
by Judy | Nov 8, 2009 | Uncategorized
Winter time is a popular season for the Vivid Visions Cameras Computer and Cyberspace Digital Photography classes, and the Southold Recreation Dept. has finalized the schedule.
We’ll be doing things a bit different next year, with the biggest change that the classes will be held at the Recreation Center instead of the Southold High School. We have been grateful for the use of the High School’s computer room, but as the course has evolved to meet the needs of the students, it has become less than ideal.
The first four week session will cover the real basics—downloading images to the computer, organizing and tagging image files, and sharing to social networking sites or online galleries. We’ll use Picasa, the free program offered by Google. The second four week session will cover the basics of the digital darkroom using Photoshop Elements and Picasa to perform basic editing and retouching.
Classes fill up very quickly, so mark your calendars and keep an eye out for the Southold Recreation Dept. brochure.
Hope to see you next year!
by Judy | Nov 1, 2009 | Weddings
Of course the pro photography studio you have hired for your special day will capture beautiful images; that’s why you hired them. But as you are planning your day’s timeline, you may want to consider some scheduling changes that will allow for candids of the special moments to be captured while everyone still looks fresh in their finery.
A typical wedding timeline allows time right after the ceremony for the family and group formals, along with the romantic intimate photos of the bride and groom. Everyone primps to make certain hair and make-up are touched up, and the gentlemen straighten their ties and button their jackets. And everything generally stays in place until after the cocktail hour and the formal introductions of the wedding party.
Next is the Bride and Groom’s first dance as husband and wife and the best man’s toast. Everyone still looks great…then the partying begins…energetic dancing, a few more raised glasses, the ladies ditch the high heels, hairdos start to fray, the men loosen their ties and hang their jackets on the back of their chairs. Well that’s fine for the guests, but what about the wedding party? There will be another round of photos when the Bride dances with Dad and the Groom dances with Mom, the bouquet is thrown and the cake is cut.
Of course there are some events that must wait until its proper time later in the reception. The cutting of the cake and the bouquet/garter toss both come to mind here. However, the Bride and Dad dance and the Groom and Mom dance can be moved to the beginning of the reception, right after the introductions. Emotions are still high in the beginning, but everyone still looks fresh and beautiful which will make a world of difference when presenting these images in the bridal album.
So, as you finalize the details of the big day, why not consider it? Your photographer will thank you, and you’ll love the images!
by Judy | Oct 31, 2009 | Uncategorized
There is no doubt that Halloween, like Christmas, is really for the kids, and the kids at heart. But Halloween is a great time to try out your night photography skills too. There are so many yards decorated for the trick or treaters, and they look their best lit up for the evening.
Here on Eastern Long Island, a local pumpkin farmer has made a tradition of carving some jack o’lanterns out of the left over squashes, and displaying them for the revelers to enjoy as they pass by. It has always looked to me like a Halloween party for the ghosts and goblins.
To capture night images, a photographer must do three things:
1. Find a tripod or other method of keeping the camera steady, besides holding it in your hands (shutter speed will be too slow for hand held images-even you folks with image stabilization)
2. TURN OFF THE AUTOMATIC FLASH
3. Set your shutter speed to around 1/8 or 1/4 second. Or if your camera will not allow you to set the shutter manually, use the night mode—just make sure the flash is disabled.
Here’s Krupski’s Pumpking Farm 2009 Halloween:
by Judy | Oct 25, 2009 | Uncategorized
