How to be a GOOD PHOTO ASSISTANT

How to be a GOOD PHOTO ASSISTANT ......................................


The title says it all......I read this great article on being a good PHOTO assistant by photographer / blogger Scott Bourne ......Here is the Link to his Article http://tinyurl.com/25pzpbs If you know anyone that is wanting to be an assistant print the article out and give it to them or at least email them the link to the article.................

Post Processing of Digital Images

I started in Professional Photography a little over 30 yrs ago.....At that time there were 4 or 5 Professional labs (plus a plethora of 1 hr labs) here.  i tried each Pro lab out with a roll of film and decided on the Quality of work, customer service, price, & if they were open on Saturday mornings as to who got my business..........so now I was able to shoot, put my film in an envelope with instructions as to what I wanted, slip thru a mail slot in the building and go pick up in 3 or 4 days.......Life was good I could concentrate on shooting and honing my craft.........

Digital came and I was with a processing lab...all the labs still printed but as to the actual Processing of the image, was left upto the photographer.......that means new computer, or at least a better than low end computer, software like photoshop or painter or some other processing software...which is now cutting into my shooting time or sleeping time :-}} ........so I was on the search for a processor that I could trust to turn my images into wonderful files for printing.......well the search literally took a few years.......basically because there did not seem to be any one doing that work, secondly because when I did find a random person claiming to be a professional processor they charged more for processing than I charged to shoot a wedding.........so I was backed into a corner.....it was not that I did not want ot learn to use photoshop but simply a time issue for me.......I like to work in photoshop but just like my 4x5 darkroom in the past, i wanted to do my fine art work myself and leave the weddings and portraits to others.........so I searched on I started seeing a few processing companies pop up here and there but still none that fit the bill with me......mostly because they had minimum quantity for wedding images and they would not mess with fewer images, so no portrait processing....so I searched on............then I found a mention of a company Called HAPPY FISH Professional Album Design and Post Processing ........ Looks promising.....sent an inquiry, got a very profession and swift reply......I asked questions that were actually answered on the the home page, but not once was a scolded for not reading the website......I was politely and professionally given answers and they have pricing set from 0 (yes zero) image on up.........so you can send them 1 image to run thru Lightroom or several hundred or more..........pricing is very good I believe...as I write this I am FTP'ing almost 400 images to be processed............

Life may be great once again........if I can concentrate on the shooting and let Happy Fish be my processor and not have to double or triple my prices just to pay the processing........


My FTP service is FileZilla an open source FTP software.....seems to work good but it is slow...or it could be the amount of stuff open and running at same time that is slowing it down........

I am anxious to see Happy Fish's results with my files..........

TRIPOD STABILITY

I use a Giottos Tripod that has a removable / repositionable  center column.....so I need extra stability to keep the cam from shaking during exposures when I have the center column in a weird angle.....

I get that extra stability from a grocery bag.....before I go any farther...You can carry expensive "sandbags" to fill with sand, dirt , rocks or whatever to get more weight to stabilize the tripod and center column......but why spend $15 - $50 for a specialty item When at your local Walmart or Grocery Store yu can get a "green" recyclable reusable grocery bag for the huge price of 99¢ to $1.99......that is all you need and they fold up very small also and do not weigh hardly anything and are machine washable (at least all that I have had are)........I started useing them by accident.....I was out shooting flowers and got my center column in about a 45° angle......and needed a bit more stability due to the wind.......looking in my car there was the grocery bag....it has loop handles....what the hey......it worked....it was dirt cheap and it serves multi purposes.....groceries and photography.

Have a great week / weekend.......Keep Shooting.......................

Garage / Yard Sell

Garage Sale: Thur-Sat 2738 S Yellowstone Court ....Pro Photo packs/bags, Lots of CD's, books & and non photo related items also...juicer, food processor.....Ice Packs...not blue ice but Medical type: have a special foam in them...man are they great and some small foam chests.........lots more.....

I Really Really Hate Having MY Eyes Dilated............

I Really Really Hate Having  MY Eyes Dilated............well it is not so mujch ahving the dilated but having to drive afterwards.......every year I beg for an early morning appointment and every year
I told there are none available.......my reasoning... the Dr. office is on east side of town.....I live on west side........going to Dr. Office wit ht he rising sun beaming into your eyes (prior to dilation) is not a real problem....I have dark sunglasses.............HOWEVER driving home after dilarion and driving into the yello/orange ball of light in the western sky is total hell.......I do mean total hell......a total of 4 pairs of sunglasses just so I could try to see and of all the stupid idotic stuff to run into (not actually run into as in crash) this idiot in a black car had a silver sunshde covering his rear window and the sun was reflecting off it directly into my eyes.......2 police....yes 2....1 city and 1 state passed right by him and did not even look his way......it was shift change time and the hiway was packed, so I could not pass this idiot at all.....now I sit in the dark with lighter sunglasses on as the  brightness of this screen is killing my head.....I already had a headache from the drive from the Dr.s office but this is adding to it..........


Well the visit to the Dr. was a success, I guess.......he was all compliments on my check up.....he siad I had better eyes than a lot of his normal patients ......by normal he was refering to non diabetic patients........so my eyes were really really really good since I have had diabetes for around 12 yrs now......so I can handle a little headache, knowing that the diabetes has not started damaging my eyesight as of now.......which is good since I am a photographer................

Something a few will find useful.........especially if you are selling online

Something a few will find useful...the dollar sign is on your keyboard right above the number four....so for cents where do you go.............. well here are the "codes" for cents, euros and pounds sterling..... alt + 0162 (cents) alt + 0163 (pound sterling) ....alt + 0128 (euros) .

I know I have had to keep searching the internet for how to make these symbols several times......so i just thought I would share......

Have a great weekend,

 

I know it is only Thursday...............

Wet 4th

Glad I did not go to Corpus Christi for this weekend.....rainy, with storms from hurricane....does not add upto good coffee table book photos about city..........Oh WELL soon tho...................