Bass Harbor Light - Time-Lapse

This was captured last week during my Glorious Acadia workshop.The second Acadia workshop is October 18, 2013 - few spaces are still open and hotel discount rates are in effect. Click here for detailsUnfortunately the embedded video does not work for all so here is a link to the video on Vimeo - click here[video type="vimeo" id="75489717" width="600" height="300"]

Adobe Camera Raw 8.2 and Lightroom 5.2 Released

Adobe has released Lightroom 5.2 and ACR 8.2Though Adobe had indicated that ACR 8.2 was designed for Photoshop CC , it is compatible with Photoshop CS6 on both the MAC and Windows. Please use the update link from the Photoshop help menu to update ACR.  You can use the links below to upgrade Lightroom Lightroom 5.2 - WindowsLightroom 5.2 - Mac 

Tigers and More - India 2014 - April 17 - 28, 2014

This is a unique wildlife photography trip, focused on getting great shots of Indian wildlife, especially tigers.We have selected parks which offer the best game viewing opportunities and our prices are unbeatable.BANDHAVGARH  has the highest density of tigers among all the national parks and sanctuaries in India. Photography from 4WD jeeps and elephant back will allow for spectacular opportunities for photographing this truly magnificent and awe inspiring feline.  In addition, Bandhavgarh boasts the gaur (Indian bison), sloth bear, leopard, porcupine, wild boar, sambhar and spotted deer to name some.TADOBA Often referred to as “The Jewel of Vidharba”, the Tadoba National Park lies in north-eastern Maharashtra.  Located in the heart of a reserved forest, it is an infinite treasure trove of wildlife that includes tigers, panthers, sloth bears, hyenas, jackals, wild dogs, bison, barking deer, nil gai, sambar, and spotted deer.In fact, the Tadoba National Park and Andhari Wildlife Santuary together form the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve.Our itinerary is also structured to maximize your chances of wildlife photography in the early morning and late afternoon.  We will also spend the time seeking out some of the lesser known, but no less interesting, species that are found in these parks.CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS AND A DOWNLOADABLE PDF DOCUMENT 

Bosque del Apache and White Sands Dec 7 - Dec 14, 2013 Finalized

Bosque del Apache which translates to Woods of the Apache is a most spectacular congregation of birds. The Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge is a 57,331-acre wildlife oasis of upland desert and floodplain that was established in 1939. The Rio Grande flows through the area providing water to the refuge. Close to 15,000 Sandhill Cranes and over 30,000 Snow and Ross’s Geese migrate here for the winter.7  Days in the Bosque and White Sands - instruction, lodging and breakfasts included for and unbelievable price of $1,050 double occupancy.Click Here for Details

Iceland II - March 22-29, 2013

The Mach 15 to 22 Iceland trip is fully subscribed.  I will arrange a second trip March 22 to 29 if can get a minimum of 6 participantsCLICK HERE FOR DETAILS - DATES ARE  March 22 to 29, 2014

Think Tank announces to new products for Apple users

Think Tank Photo just launched two new product lines whose intention is to help those of us using Apple® devices have an easier time of organizing our accessories and ourselves.My Second Brain – The four ultra thin My 2nd Brain™ bags were created with pockets specifically sized for Apple® computers and accessories and all the tools needed to support a digital lifestyle.  Slide a MacBook Pro® or iPad® into the zippered padded pocket that also has an organizer for pens and more.  Keep an iPhone in the top pocket with a pouch for earbuds or a Bluetooth headset. Unzip the main compartment to organize and secure adapters and small items in clear zippered pockets. Stow documents in the rear pouch. Even the removable padded shoulder strap has a clip for full-size headphones.

Click here to order or learn morePowerhouse – Created for MacBook Pro® laptop power adapters and AC cable plus pens, small cables, USB drives, and other small accessories.

Click here to order or learn moreDon’t forget, as a subscriber on my blog, when you click on these links and order $50 or more of Think Tank Photo gear you receive a free gift, such as a Pixel Pocket Rocket memory card holder.

Carnival - Cambridge, MA

Spent Sunday Sept 9, 2013 afternoon with a few fellow photographers from the Plymouth Digital Photographers Group in Cambridge.  It was the Caribbean Carnival - a parade, a mass of color, feathers, loud musicand gusts of wind.  All this made for a great photo pop.  I carried one body and two lenses - the 40mm pancake was on my 5D Mk III all afternoon except the last half hour when I switched to the 85.  I must say the 40 performed flawlessly, fast, unobtrusive and sharp.  Most shots at f/ 5.6.  It was nice to carry such a light kit.  Next time a I want to use a mirror-less (Sony NEX, Olympus, Panasonic or .........)  I do like the APS-C form factor of the NEX but find the menu system not user friendly.Out of camera images with some cropping.

Adobe's 9.99 Offer - Scott Kelby's take on it.....

I just finished reading Scot's take on the Adobe limited time offer so I have posed a link here:http://scottkelby.com/2013/adobe-announces-a-much-better-deal-for-photographers-than-i-was-expecting/The blog post also provides a link to Adobe's FAQ on the topic.I wish Adobe would be more definitive in their statements and be clear with their intentions and plans.

Don't you love Facebook?!?!

This is a rare post, it is not about photography alone but it is about disappointment, the feeling of being let down, being cheated and anger.It is bad business practice when you have years worth of personal information and assets collected on a social networking site and you change the terms to benefit yourself with no regard for the community you established - what is Facebook's greedy logic - monetize??I am waiting for these words soon - "Read the fine print dear FB user. We own your identity and your intellectual property and will do as we please.............."The issue of the new terms of service released on Sept 5th is best stated on the ASMP site "Facebook is now able to exploit your name, likeness, content, images, private information, and personal brand by using it in advertising and in commercial and sponsored content — without any compensation to you. Facebook is monetizing not just your images, but a sizable portion of your entire online identity."The next question - which social network will follow and which one might survive.It may be time for a Gramm Leach Bliley (financial privacy) or HIPPA (health privacy) type of "Act" to protect us from such exploitation.

Adobe finally makes it a good deal for photographers.

Adobe at Photoshop World annouced that Photoshop CC and Lightroom 5 in the cloud will be priced at $9.99 a month with no end date.  This is a good deal as it includes:

• 20 GB of online storage
• Behance Prosite
• All ongoing updates and upgrades
• Creative Cloud Learning

There is a caveat, you must own Photoshop CS3 or higher to be eligible for a special Creative Cloud membership offer and you must sign up before December 31, 2013.  This offer will be go into effect with the release of Lightroom 5.2 - possibly later this month.

onOne Software announces Perfect Photo Suite 8.0

New Perfect Enhance module, Perfect Eraser, Perfect Batch utility, and re-engineered Perfect Effects module create a complete photo editing solution that seamlessly integrates into any workflow                    Perfect Photo Suite 8—the photographer’s choice for photo editing. Perfect Photo Suite 8 is a full-featured, standalone photo editor that integrates seamlessly with Adobe® Photoshop®, Lightroom®, Photoshop Elements, and Apple® Aperture® and it includes all the best tools a photographer needs to create extraordinary images. Key new features include the Perfect Enhance module for essential photo adjustments, the Perfect Eraser with content-aware fill technology, the Perfect Batch processing utility for applying workflows to multiple images at once, and a re-engineered Perfect Effects module with twice as many filters, customizable presets, and integrated FocalPoint™ technology.The new tools and capabilities alongside Perfect Photo Suite 8’s eight modules—Effects, Enhance, B&W, Portrait, Mask, Layers, Resize, and Browse—allow photographers to enhance, retouch, and stylize images in a layered workflow, replace backgrounds, create high-quality enlargements, prepare images for output, and batch process workflows. The modules share a unified interface, each targeting a specific imageprocessing task. Each module provides only the tools necessary to complete the job at hand, eliminatingscreen clutter and confusion for the user.New in Perfect Photo Suite 8:• Perfect Enhance module – Perfect Enhance provides essential tools for basic enhancements. Use it to adjust brightness and contrast, remove a color cast, remove dust spots and power lines, and add sharpening and vignettes. It is an ideal module to start with when using Perfect Photo Suite 8 as a standalone application or when quick corrections are needed.• Perfect Eraser – Using content-aware fill technology and simple brush strokes, the Perfect Eraser removes objects and automatically reconstructs the image with realistic results.• Twice as Many Filters – The Effects module now includes new adjustable filters including: HDR Look, Dynamic Contrast for tonal clarity, Vintage, Grunge, Antique, and more.• Customizable Presets – All built-in presets included in Perfect Photo Suite 8 may be deconstructed by their filter settings and personally customized.• FocalPoint is now in the Effects Module – The best parts of FocalPoint technology to create bokeh, tilt-shift, and selective focus effects after the shot, are now in the Effects module as theLens Blur filter.• New Browse module – Images can be browsed and directly accessed from Perfect Photo Suite wherever they are stored—on the computer, an external drive, a connected network, and even on a cloud-based storage service like Dropbox, Google Drive, or Apple’s photo stream.• Perfect Batch Utility – Powerful batch processing of actions from one or multiple modules, including the insertion of a watermark.• Multiple File Handling: As a photo editor, you can now open and work with more than one image at a time. Move between images to edit or copy layers from one file to the next.• Improved Masking Bug: Redesigned Masking Bug in the Effects and Layers modules make mask creation easier and more intuitive.• Higher Quality Effects: Performance enhancements improve effects by minimizing artifacts without sacrificing processing speed.• Improved RAW file handling: Open and process RAW files faster and with better quality. Support for new cameras also added.onOne Software Announces Perfect Photo Suite 8, a complete photo editor for every workflowAvailability and PricingThe new Perfect Photo Suite 8 will be available November 26, 2013. Pre-orders are available immediately CLICK ON THE IMAGE ABOVE. Perfect Photo Suite 8 is available in three editions: Premium, Standard, and an edition for Adobe Lightroom & Apple Aperture. The Premium Edition works with Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, Aperture, Photoshop Elements, and as astandalone application. Owners of previous versions of Perfect Photo Suite Premium Edition can upgrade for $99.95. New users may pre-order the Premium Edition for $179.95. For a limited time, pre-orders of Perfect Photo Suite 8 Premium Edition will include a complimentary Essential Video Guide to Perfect Photo Suite 8, which provides a comprehensive collection of getting started training videos for Perfect Photo Suite 8 ($40 value).CLICK ON THE IMAGE ABOVE TO ORDERPerfect Photo Suite 8 for Adobe Lightroom & Apple Aperture works with Lightroom, Aperture, Photoshop Elements, and as a standalone application. It is available for $129.95 | $79.95 upgrade. The Standard Edition works as a complete standalone photo editor and is available for $79.95. New users who pre-order Perfect Photo Suite 8 will immediately receive a complimentary license for Perfect Photo Suite 7.5. Customers who pre-order Perfect Photo Suite 8 will receive all upcoming Loyalty Rewards that will be delivered monthly to owners of the Perfect Photo Suite 8. For those who have purchased Perfect Photo Suite 7.5 on or after August 1, 2013, onOne Software will issue a complimentary upgrade to Perfect Photo Suite 8 via download when it is available.

Iceland 2014 Aurora Borealis and Landscape Photo Tour

After this year's back to back workshops I found that we were a day short in Hale the - Southern Iceland.  The 2014 Tour and Workshop has an extra night in Hale and we have extended the tour by one extra day.  Once again, the famous Icelandic photographer Olgeir Andresson will be my co-leader.The last two workshops filled up in hours so please register early. Click Here for DetailsPlease use the Workshops Tab for registration forms etc.

Labor Day and a Great Sale at Gura Gear

Gura Gear is having a Labor Day sale on both the Kiboko 22L+ and the Bataflae 18L.  I love the way the Bataflae opes as two individual sections - so light and so secure.The sale is valid August 28 - September 3.

Think Tank Photo releases a new line of sling bags, the "TurnStyle"

Our friends at Think Tank Photo just announced the release of a new line of sling bags, the TurnStyle.  Lightweight with easy access, the three TurnStyle™ models are ideal for DSLRs and mirrorless systems. Their soft, body-conforming shape means all-day comfort and their tough water-resistant fabrics offer lasting protection.

Easy rotation gives you fast access to your gear, including a zippered tablet pocket on all three sizes. These hybrid bags can we be worn as a shoulder sling bag or as a belt pack for increased versatility and comfort.

• TurnStyle™ 5: Fits a mirrorless system with two to four lenses plus a small tablet. The front organizer pocket holds memory cards and other small accessories. Examples: Fuji X-Pro1 with 50mm f/1.4 attached + 38mm f/2.0 + 60mm f/2.8 with hoods reversed OR Olympus E-P2 with 14-42mm attached + 17mm f/2.8 + 40-150mm f/4-5.6 + VF-2 viewfinder + FL-14 flash.
• TurnStyle™ 10: Fits a standard size DSLR with one to three lenses plus a small tablet. The front organizer pocket holds memory cards and other small accessories. Examples: Nikon D800 with 24-70 f/2.8 attached + 50mm f/1.4 hoods reversed or Canon 5DMIII with 50mm f/1.2 attached + 16-35mm f2.8 hoods reversed.
• TurnStyle™ 20: Fits a standard size DSLR with one to four lenses plus a large tablet. The front organizer pocket holds memory cards and other small accessories. Examples: Nikon D800 with 70-200 f/2.8 attached + 50 f/1.4 (or flash) hoods reversed or Canon 5DMIII.

And don’t forget, as special friend, when you click on this link you receive a free gift with your purchase.CLICK HERE 

Phottix Products - Discount through July 31, 2013

Hunts is running an exclusive special for my workshop participants, blog subscribers and visitors to my web site.  The discounts are good through the end of the month.I have been using these products and can say they are truly awesome.Phottix Wireless Timer/Release Canon – $84.99http://www.huntsphotoandvideo.com/detail_page.cfm?ProductID=PH15651&sp=U0HYePhottix Odin Wireless Trigger and Receiver for flash and strobe photography– 329.99Nikon – http://www.huntsphotoandvideo.com/detail_page.cfm?ProductID=PH89055&mfg=Phottix&show=yesCanon  - http://www.huntsphotoandvideo.com/detail_page.cfm?ProductID=PH89050&mfg=Phottix&show=yesPhottix Mitros Flash Canon (this fall between a Canon 600-EX and the 580-EX II  – 299.99http://www.huntsphotoandvideo.com/detail_page.cfm?productid=PH80340&mfg=Phottix

September Acadia and Cape Cod Workshops - Spaces Open

Due to a few last minute cancellation a few spaces are available for the Acadia (Sept 22 to 26) and Cape Cod (Sept 26 - 29) workshops.Click on the links for details or visit the Workshops PageAcadiaCape Cod

DSLR Video Boot Camp

Hunts of Melrose in association with Benro are conducting a two day DSLR Video Boot-Camp.Click here for details

2013 NECCC Conference Presentation Notes

As indicated during the sessions on Saturday and Sunday, I have provided the slides with more details as notes.A big thank you to all who attended - your participation is most appreciated.Click on the link for the PDF document Photoshop Masking and SelectionPlease remember to sign up on my blog for future notifications.

Photographing Fireworks

Here is a link to my tips page on photographing fireworks.Click here

Gura Gear - 4th of July Specials