Tag Archives: photography advice

Imaging USA :: Favorite Booths & Vendors 2

By Chris | Published February 22, 2011

Round two of my favorite booths and vendors from the show!

Meet :: Finao

I’m always intrigued by Finao’s booth, its usually a lounge style and samples of all their books are strewn about on coffee tables and couches. Their books are also always really cool, lots of textures and styles and covers.

P.S. I love this book. I wish I knew who the photographer was because the whole thing was fantastic!

Meet :: moo.com

I’ve been lusting after moo.com for months, and when I saw they were at the show I screamed with glee like a tiny little girl. My over excitement may have freaked out the employees working the booth. It was awesome to finally hold their products in my hand and their booth was pretty fantastic as well.

I try never to purchase anything at a show, even though all the vendors offer great deals, I avoid impulse purchases at all costs (or no costs…teehee). The only exception to the rule is if I know before hand that I was already planning on purchasing a product. So when I heard that their 100% recycled business cards were on sale I said and yes I shall have some.

And yup you guessed it, another change to Diliberto Photo & Design, new business cards, and made of 100% recycled paper too! I’m giddy with excitement!!

Meet :: White House Custom Color

Ok so I failed at this one, the one vendor I use the most, my beloved printer, I forgot to take pictures of their booth. But they did have one of the coolest contests. They give away T-shirts every year, and if you’re wearing one you have the chance to win a camera. Well, this year they stepped it up and they encouraged everyone to go crazy and be creative with their shirts. The most creative won an ipad! Nice. So I took my T-shirt and created a scarf.

With some hand stitched ruching, and some big yellow buttons, it was quite warm. Unfortunately I didn’t win the iPad, but I did win a free 8×8″ book! SCORE!

I’ve got one more new vendor to share with you, but that will have to wait until later. ;)

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Playing with Fireworks and Long Exposures

By Chris | Published January 31, 2011

I love long exposures. There is a grand crispness from a long exposure at a low ISO. Plus you have the opportunity to bend and play with light depending on the situation. Its fantastic. And really that is all photography is, light and shadow.

So we played with some sparklers and fireworks and I took the opportunity to pull out my dusty tripod and play with some long exposures.

You get to create ghost humans and art made of light.

I encourage you to play…take the camera out, be brave and toss it to the M setting.

Do an exposure at F8 for 2 seconds or F 22 for 10 seconds.

Write your name in the air with a sparkler.

Get friends together.

You can try anything that glows: flashlights, glow sticks, matches. Just remember safety first and be willing to take your camera off automatic. :)

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Forbidden Photography Adventure: Remember the Alamo

By Chris | Published July 31, 2010

This passed weekend we took about 20 or so 13-18 year olds on an overnight trip to San Antonio, Texas and Six Flags. So fun. It amazed me how many of these students had never been to the Alamo, so we gave em a little ed-ju-cay-shon on their Texas heritage.

Meet The Alamo. Its kind of striking how small it is. You turn the corner and then, there it is.

After entering this Alamo (the actual building, not the garden area around it) like any self respecting photographer I had my camera out, holding it close to my heart. This old man in a red sport coat, I assume he was a guard said, “NO PICTURES!” I said, “You mean no pictures with a flash, right?” He said, “NO PICTURES!” So I left.

Now, let me tell you, never tell a photographer that they can’t take pictures. Its like challenging them. We turn into one of those crazy bulls with their male bull parts all in a bind and you telling us we can’t take photos is like walking around with that big flashy red cape, taunting us. That man in his red blazer, yeah, he was that person.

Out side I thought hard about what the light readings might be in there. It was kinda dark and I needed the shutter to be fast enough to be able to sneak shots while holding the camera at my hip and while moving. I didn’t white balance, which looking back I should have at least tried. But I think I hit it right on, or at least pretty close. (Above photo of my feet is in the Alamo.)

So ha man in the red coat. I got to capture part of my states history from my perspective.

And this made me chuckle.

Meet Sarah, meet Sarah’s fanny pack. Yeah she’s awesome. (Also awesome that she was my partner in Forbidden Photography Adventure: Remember The Alamo.)

More from Six Flags to come.

Posted in Life, Photography, Travel | Also tagged , , , , 3 Comments

The Rogers Kids

By Chris | Published May 8, 2010

I’m trying to find my niche in my photography work. I think I’ve got it figured out. Maybe. Still, the photo session with the Rogers Kids was such a blast. They are such awesome people, fun, silly, and like silly putty in my photographer hands. (ie. they did whatever I asked of them).

Note to all photographers, talking about farts makes people laugh, it doesn’t matter what age they are.

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