Scott Wyden Imagery

A Photographers Challenge: Your favorite HDR Photo

Scott — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 16:00:24 +0000

I didn’t want to us the word “best” in the title of this challenge. In my opinion we (photographers) never get to a “best” point. We just keep learning improve on our work. To quote one of my photograph professors I had in college:

“Practice does not make perfect, practice makes permanent” – Charles Luce

The challenge: Comment with a link to your photo of your favorite HDR which you photographed. I will choose my favorite of all of the HDR photos submitted and the winner will receive a surprise gift and an invitation to HDRSpotting.com where you can increase your exposure on the internet! Runner up will also receive an invitation to HDRSpotting.com.

Please don’t comment with someone else photos!
Please tag your photos with SWIHDRChallenge
This challenge will end on March 8, 2010.

The HDR Pictured above is available for sale at photos.scottwyden.com

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Jesse Ian Dunn

Scott — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 16:00:04 +0000

I took this on Saturday night at Maxwell’s in Hoboken, NJ. That night was a big reunion since I was seeing my old band Fairmont play. In addition an old friend Jesse Ian Dunn played and some other friends showed up which I haven’t seen in years. I decided to keep it light and only bring a camera and lens but no flash. I pushed my ISO up to 5000 and started shooting away. Yes, some photos are still going to come out blurry but if you have a steady hand you can get some sharp images even at 1/25.

This is an example of one of the many photos I took that night. You can see more on in my Flickr set for the Mint 400 Records Showcase.

Nikon D700
Shutter 1/25
Aperture f/2.8
ISO 5000
Focal Length 70 mm
Lens 24.0-70.0 mm f/2.8
Post Processing in Topaz Adjust and Lightroom

Credit: Scott Wyden Kivowitz
Copyright: Scott Wyden Kivowitz | www.scottwyden.com

Unique Bike Challenge Winner!

Scott — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 16:00:41 +0000

On January 5th I posted my first photographers challenge. The challenge was titled “Unique Bicycle“. Yesterday was the last day to submit and on this wintery morning I spent some time picking which submission I think is the most unique. It was a tough choice. I really appreciate everyone who took the time to photograph a bicycle for the challenge and I do hope you submit again for the next one. With that said the winner of the Unique Bicycle challenge is Paul Giunta. Paul photographed the bicycle you see above at Long Beach, California. When I look at the bicycle it gives me a sense of a moving business card. The Polaroid in the wheel and the artist’s name, ”Jeff Nisbet – Artist”. So while it might be a street side art installation. So all you photographers who ride around on bicycles, why not make yours into a moving business card? It would be unique, no?

Paul is a chemist from Long Beach, California who loves photography. Please check him out on Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and on his website and blog!

Although there is no prize for second place, my choice would have been the Urban Escape from Chris Casciano because of how creative he got with putting together his bicycle montage. I really love.

Please take a look at all the submission by either looking at the comments on the challenge post or by searching Flickr for swiuniquebicyclechallenge.

Thank you again to everyone that submitted. You all made my choosing very difficult but fun! The next challenge will be posted on February 8th. I hope you submit your photos!

Thanks for reading and happy shooting,

Scott

Church in the rock in black & white

Scott — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:00:20 +0000

Melissa and I were on vacation in Arizona visiting her friend Katie. We took a drive from Tempe to Sedona in order to experience the famous red rocks. During the road trip we head about the Church in the rock. When we pulled up to the incredible sight I knew I had to spend some time capturing the church in all of its glory. The color version of this photo was published in Issue 19(11/2008) of JPG Magazine on pages 40 & 41.

http://jpgmag.com/photos/961074

Date: 08/16/2008
Location: New York City, NY
HDR: Nine Exposures

Available for print http://imgry.net/e2
Available for print in color http://imgry.net/e3

Aperture: f/20
Camera: Nikon D3
Copyright: Scott Wyden Kivowitz | www.scottwyden.com
Focal length: 24 mm
ISO: 100

Lightroom spot removal tip on Outdoor Photo Gear

Scott — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 16:00:06 +0000

My second guest blog article was posted on Outdoor Photo Gear, January 29, 2010. The tip is on removing spots and imperfections right in Lightroom. This will keep your workflow running smooth and fast. Please give it a read!

“The spot removal tool looks like a big O with an arrow pointing to the right. It can be found in the Develop panel, in between the crop tool and the red eye tool. “

Head over to OutdoorPhotoGear.com to read the tip.

A Photographers Interview with Neil van Niekerk

Scott — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 16:00:02 +0000

Please tell us about yourself as a person and as a photographer. Where did you grow up and what sparked your desire to photograph? Were you active with the photography department in high school? Where are you living now? Can you describe the defining moment or image that made you want to become a photographer?

I am originally from Johannesburg, South Africa, but I immigrated to the USA in 2000. I am now a resident of New Jersey, USA, where I live with my wife and daughter.

As a teenager I had an intense interest in nature and wildlife and was a keen birdwatcher. From this grew the interest to photograph what I saw … and from there the photography interest became an overriding passion.

What was the first camera you ever owned and how did you come across it? Was it a hand-me-down, purchased at a garage sale, found on the side of the road?

My first camera was a Praktica with a 300mm Tokina lens that my dad lent me. My first camera that I owned was a Pentax ME super, later replaced with a Pentax Super-A.

What was your first paid photography job? Did you enjoy it? Were you scared? Did you make any mistakes?

My first paid photography job .. I can’t even remember. It was probably a few Rand for something I had shot. Something inconsequential.

The first big shoot that I had, was for a company that assembled trucks. They wanted some images of a new line of trucks they were assembling there in South Africa, and they wanted the images to be used on advertising flyers. The terms and requirements weren’t properly defined beforehand, and when I delivered the images, they claimed that 35mm was too small for use on their A4 sized flyers.

What is the biggest mistake you have ever made?

In my early days as a part-time photographer, I can think of several. For example, not bracketing my bounce flash shots taken during an interview with an important businessman for a French business magazine. The transparencies were all nearly 2 stops under-exposed. Ouch!

I very quickly realized that I had to be very prepared for every shoot. I had to make sure that I anticipate every eventuality before the time, and figure out how I could produce work of a high standard, regardless of what happens.

How did you decide to make photography more than a hobby? If photography is your full time job, how did you make that decision? What was your backup plan if the photography career didn’t take off? Any regrets? If you are not a full time photographer, what is stopping you? What is your full time job? Any plans to become a full time photographer in the future?

I worked as a Television Broadcast Engineering Technician back in South Africa. My photography hobby had picked up speed to the point where it was a parallel career. Then in 2000 we emigrated to the USA under my wife’s work permit. I was a stay-at-home dad for 3 years until I received my USA work permit in 2003. I had to make the choice, whether to try and get into the TV broadcasting field, or do what I love – photography.

I applied at a studio nearby where I was living, and was accepted as a 2nd photographer. I worked for various studios here in north New Jersey for 4 years until I started my own business late in 2006.

I now work as a wedding and portrait photographer here in New Jersey. I also present workshops and seminars on photography, specifically flash photography and lighting. I also maintain a website (Tangents) dedicated to teaching other photographers.

What was the last straw, the final decision maker to make you go digital? What do you miss about film.

During the first two shoots for that wedding studio (back in 2003), I shot film for them, but realized I had better move to digital or I will be left behind.

What do I miss about film? Nothing. This past year I’ve started to re-scan my 35mm Fujichrome slides .. and I only wish that they had been D3 captures. The Fujichrome slides had a vibrancy to them .. at the time.

But right now, compared to what I know is possible with the Nikon D3 .. there is no comparison.
The digital images are crisper, sharper and have more clarity and vibrance to them. Right now, digital is vastly superior to film.

What is the hardest part of the job when shooting for a client?

Creating unique images from each wedding, and not falling into patterns. With weddings, it is useful and necessary to have certain techniques and stylings that you can rely on to produce consistent work .. but I also feel it as a constant pressure upon myself to move beyond that on every wedding shoot to create unique images for my client.

What is the hardest part of the job when shooting for yourself?

Finding something that will be unique and inspiring. Something that will stand up if viewed alongside the great names in photography.

Do you try to help others learn about photography? If so, please explain how.

My Tangents blog has numerous articles on flash photography, lighting, wedding photography, and various aspects of digital photography.

Do you consider yourself an artist first before thinking about the job ahead of you?

That seems to be self-indulgent to me, to be thinking in those terms before a professional shoot. I’m a photographer. Hopefully one with a strong artistic approach. But I don’t think of myself as an artist per se ahead of a professional shoot.

What is the best advice you would give a photographer just starting out?

Do your homework.

The key to creativity is…

.. always be willing to learn. From others, and from your own experiences.

What is your favorite camera that you have used or owned? What camera and lens combination do you use most of the time when photographing for a client? What about when photographing for yourself?

Nikon D3 and the Nikon 24-70mm f2.8 AF-S
This is a combination that gives me confidence I can cover nearly everything in a wedding shoot.

How do you deal with rejection of your work, losing a job, not making a sale or a negative comment?

I assure myself that I need to do more. My only limitations are my own.

Do you prefer RAW or JPG and why? If RAW, would you prefer a system that uses the DNG RAW format?

RAW. JPG isn’t an option.

What music sparks your creativity? Do you listen to that when shooting a job?

I’m a music junkie. I could identify so well with the character in High Fidelity. The genre I am most fond of is Trip-Hop, but I also listen to Electronica, House, and Trance-House. I also really love British Punk and New Wave (from the late 70’s and early 80’s), and Alt-Rock.

When I am editing or working or driving, I mostly listen to electronic music. I find that music with lyrics tend to pull me out of whatever I’m concentrating on.

What is your favorite band?

My favourite bands are two very different bands: Van Der Graaf Generator, and Massive Attack.

Book?

The book that had the most impact on me recently,is by Bill Bryson – A Short History of Nearly Everything.

What is your favorite photograph you’ve ever taken?

It constantly changes, but this recent image of my daughter is currently my favourite

If you could take your art in any direction without fear of failure or rejection, where would it lead? What new thing would you try?

Fashion.

Do you find yourself always looking at the World wondering how it would look as a photograph?

I think most photographers do this at some level.

If you could only shoot one thing over and over, what would it be?

beautiful women.

Do you prefer big lighting, a strobist style lighting or mostly natural light?

Whatever looks the best for the subject, combined with whatever is the most practical. I detest dogma in this regard. The best photographers are those who are adaptable to the situation and subject they find themselves with.

What was the most challenging photography job you ever had?

I would say that boudoir photography is the most challenging. In the space of a few hours you have to come up with unique images that will transcend any self-doubts and negative self-image that your subject may have, and have them react with an, “wow! is that me!?”

What do you do to challenge yourself?

Study books on lighting, and soak up as much as I can from them, as a built-in library of techniques to be used later on shoots.

Any projects you are working on currently? Anything planned for the future?

I’m currently writing another book on flash photography – this time on off-camera lighting.

Anything you would like to add for our readers?

Photography has a life-long learning curve, and you can never allow yourself to stagnate. Learn from other photographers wherever possible. Read as much as you can. Immerse yourself.

View more photographs by Neil van Niekerk: neilvn.com, planetneil.com, twitter.com/Neil_vN

Thank you for reading the interview. This interview was presented to the photographer with questions asked by me and submissions from other photographers. The photographer is asked to answer only what he/she is comfortable with. If you would like to contribute to future interviews, please submit your your questions to me on Twitter, Facebook or on the Interview intro blog post, What would you ask a photographer?. Thank you for reading and enjoy the interview.

Some questions supplied from the following Twitter users:
@pjtaylorphoto, @ishootinraw, @donkeymaster, @GrfxGuru

Some questions supplied from the following Facebook users:
Brian Walter, Faylin Myhre, Leslie DeLorean, Patrick Connor

A wonderful companion to the Canon S90

Scott — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:00:34 +0000

So you purchased a Canon S90 and a memory card to get yourself going. The S90 is a powerful and pocketable camera so great choice! Did you pick up a case? My favorite choice is the Canon PSC900 because it’s a molded leather case that fits on your belt. I highly recommend checking it out!

2010 Desktop Calendars

Scott — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 16:00:50 +0000

Better late than never right? I have created a couple 2010 desktop calendars. Feel free to download them for you computer. The dimensions are 1680 x 1050 so you may need to adjust your scale settings for “fit to screen” as seen below.

Fit To Screen

If you download these for your computer please share your screen shots with me. Upload a screen shot to Flickr and comment with a link for me to see. It’s always fun and interesting to see how people arrange their desktops.

Have you created your brands calendar? I’d love to see it! Please comment with a link to yours.

Click to view images and download

Bookmark the gallery see more calendars when they are created.

To download at the gallery, choose and click on an image to bring up its page. Then move your mouse over the photograph and select DOWNLOAD ORIGINAL from the slide-out menu.

Philly Ally HDR

Scott — Sat, 30 Jan 2010 16:00:29 +0000

Photograph from an ally in Philadelphia, PA. Such a colorful scene! I didn’t have a tripod with me so I had to handhold this shot, but fortunately I have pretty steady hands when holding a camera. Crazy how some things come naturally, don’t you think? When I hold a pen my hands are not steady. Go figure!

Nikon D700
Shutter 1/50
Aperture f/8.0
ISO 400
Focal Length 28 mm
HDR in Photomatix
One Exposure HDR

Credit: Scott Wyden Kivowitz
Copyright: Scott Wyden Kivowitz | www.scottwyden.com

Building a DIY Photo Booth using Party Booth

Scott — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 16:00:49 +0000

Since I’m working on building a photo booth I have researched long and hard on how to go about the computer part of it. There are many ways to go about it but I found a very affordable way to do it.

While I am not a fan of Adobe AIR because of how slow the apps typically run and how much memory they usually need, Party Booth is the greatest choice.

I don’t want to share too much detail about how I’m building the booth but I can tell you that it will contain an iMac with Party Booth as its focus. Having a built-in webcam the iMac is the perfect choice for the computer part.

So why Party Booth? The developer, John Wu, not only built a great solution to a DIY photobooth but also gives great support. I have had problems which he figured out and helps me resolve within hours. Oddly enough a big problem was with Adobe AIR but John figured it out.

Since John created Party Booth he has made improvements including some of my own suggestions. You can have the software automatically upload your photos to Facebook or a Twitter service. John is also looking into incorporating other services like Zenfolio and SmugMug as automated uploads. The software will save the images and print them if desired.

The best part is that having the photo booth built around an iMac the users really will never know that they are looking at an Apple computer. Party Booth can load full screen to take complete control over the computer.

By using a remote, keyboard or usb button set as the “space” key the booth users can take their own pictures.

Party Booth will also add your custom designs to the photo booth files so you can customize it for different events.

I really do feel John has something great going here so go check out software. There is a limited demo you can try. Until January 31st, 2010 the software is only $28 so hop on it now if you think you may want to build a photo booth in the future.

Party Booth Requires:

Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Mac OS X, or Linux
Webcam
Adobe AIR

If John can incorporate the use of a digital SLR as the camera source then the app could capture amazing quality images instead of webcam quality. But like I said, the application is a great start at a low price!

note: I do not make any commission off the sales. I really believe in this app and its future.

http://www.partyboothapp.com
http://twitter.com/partybooth

Images from partyboothapp.com