Nikon MB-D11 Battery Grip D7000

Today I recieved my MB-D11 Battery grip from Amazon. I have been saving and waiting for this grip for a VERY long few months. Does it live up to my expectations? Honestly, yes. I recently I did a photoshoot with my D7000 and after a few hundred photos with a heavy lens my hand was cramping. On the D7000 I find that there is not enough room for my hand to hold the camera properly without my hands fatiguing quickly. The handgrip offers plenty of room for my pinky and the rest of my hand to hold the camera comfertably. Vertical shots are simply amazing now. Before the handgrip, vertical shooting made me curl my hand over the camera to depress the shutter button. The smarty-pants' at Nikon added another shutter button on the side of the grip so that vertical shots are the same as horizontal shots (the button ends up in the same place). I hated to see the money go but I love the benefits of my hand grip. I would reccomend this to anyone, and I can see why other photographers never shoot without one. 

So much for a weekend out. This tropical storm is ruining all of the FUN!

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Photoshop Elements 10- A New Adventure

A few days ago I decided to purchase another photo-editing software. Photoshop CS+ was out of my budget so I had researched and settled, happily, on Photoshop Elements 10. After installing and playing with the program I realized that I had no idea what I was doing. I have used Photoshop before, but that was many years ago and I have long since forgotten the basics. So what now? You Tube. I researched tutorials and how-to's on the program but that wasn't a permanent solution; many of my questions were left unanswered. I will have to teach myself I concluded. Still needing resources to learn from I loooked at the books that cover  Photoshop Elements 10. The best book I have come across (and am currently using/learning from) is : Photoshop Elements 10: The Missing Manual, by Barbara Brundage. This book is simple to understand, an easy read, and covers PSE 10 from top to bottom. There is no technical jargon in between these pages. Simple: "Click Here and it will do this". Im sure that by the time I am done reviewing and learning this book, I will have mastered Adobe Photoshop Elements 10 and my digital editing competency will rise past my expectations.

Bottom Line: If you have PSE 10 buy THIS book. You WILL learn something.

What is Panning?

Panning is moving the camera while focusing on a moving subject using a slower shutter speed to blur the background and leave the subject clear and focused. Sound difficult? It is! I tried using this technique while photographing racing go-carts at the Lee Civic Center in Ft. Myers Florida. I shot about fifty photos and out of those I was only satisfied with one.ONE! The majority of my shots were blurry and everything was out of focus. Using my Nikon D7000 I would spy a cart coming up around the corner where I was positioned on the bleachers. Looking through the viewfinder I start to trace the path of the cart as it moves around the corner and closer towards me. Once I felt confident that I was panning at the correct speed I would click the shutter button and continue moving the camera. Again, I found this very difficult to perfect and am going to need ALOT more practice. When done properly panning can produce breathtaking results and capture the movement of a subject or object.

Dogs Went Swimming Today

Took the Pups swimming today! They Loved it!

Photoshop Panoramic Photo Compilation

Adobe Photoshop Elements 10 has a great feature that allows you to create a panoramic photo from a group of photos. The photo below was my first attempt using this feature I combined four images together and I would say that it turned out quite well.

How Do I Make A Panoramic Picture in Adobe Photoshop Elements 10?

1. Load your images on to your computer.
2. Open Photoshop Elements and select File>New> Photomerge Panorama.
3. A dialog box will open prompting you to select the "layout" and "source files".
4. For my picture below I chose the "auto" layout feature.
5. Click "Browse" under source files. Select the photos you would like to use.
6. Check the box "Blend Images Together".
7. Select "Ok".
8. Relax and let your computer work its magic.
9. After compiling the images, a dialog boc\x will appear titled "Clean Edges". Select "Yes" or "No" to fill in the edges of your photo (If it allows you to).
10. Finished! Congratulations, you just made a panoramic photo in Adobe Photoshop Elements 10!!