The Digital Photography Show #78: Our Holiday Episode With Rick Sammon and Your Questions and Comments (46Mb, 64 mins)

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December 20, 2007: Welcome to the seventy-eight episode of The Digital Photography Show!

Today we’re joined by the fantastic Rick Sammon, who teaches us how to apply a vignette effect in Photoshop, how to use a graduated neutral density filter (this one’s for you, Laurel!) and how to take better pictures of people.

Rick is the greatest, and we’re so glad he could join us for our holiday show.

Rick teaches at xTrain. xTrain is a great resource for learning skills that will enhance your photography and your photo-processing skills. You can take two of his lessons for free on the site, and if you want to sign up for more, you’ll get, FOR A LIMTED TIME THROUGH THE END OF THIS MONTH, a 25% off discount on any xTrain course or membership plan by using the code DPS on the page you’ll find here.

If you’re thinking about using the xTrain service, I don’t think they’re going to do a better discount than this one, so I’d sign up now. In January, I’m told, the discount will go back to the generous – but-not-quite-as-generous – 15%.

A special shout-out to Randy at Randy’s PhotoBlog for this great review of the show. We also appreciate the mentions at Sightlines, Fotonomy and Jennifer Elaine . And just today, too late for the taping of the show, I see we were also chosen as a pick of the day over at Canon Blogger. We’ve gotten so many nice comments lately – it’s the holiday spirit at work!

We live for your love.

We’re in the second week of our latest photo contest, “Spotlight on Giving.” The prize will be a wonderful Wacom tablet. Thanks, Wacom!

Here are the rules for DPS Photo Contest #7:

Title: A Spotlight on Giving

Theme: A subject demonstrating the act of giving.

Technique: Add a vignette to your image. A vignette can draw the viewers eye to the subject of your photo.

You can achieve a vignette by:

• Darkening around the subject, highlighting it. This works because the eye is generally drawn to the lightest object in a photo. (You can also do a reverse vignette, which lightens the area around your subject, although it’s rarely done, and rarely done well).
• Adding a selective blur around the subject, so it’s the sharpest thing in your photo.

1. Email jpg images to dpscontest@gmail.com.
2. The image must be in jpg format, and no more than 800 pixels on its widest side.
3. You may only enter three photographs.
4. If more than three photographs are entered, the first three received shall be entered.
5. The photo must be one that you created.
6. Please include the original exif info within the image.
7. Rename the image file with the photographers first and last name (so we know its yours).
8. If you are inclined to title your image (titles are optional):
   1. Append the title after the photographers name of the image file name.
   2. Example file name: MichaelStein_ElbowStuckInEar.jpg
9. Only one image per entrant can be eligible as a finalist.
10. Please provide us permission to post the image on our Phanfare site.
11. Photos will be accepted through Friday, 19 January, 2008.

Enjoy Being Creative!

If you want to buy DXO Optics Pro, remember the 20% discount they are only offering to listeners of this show. Try the program for free, and when you’re ready to buy, use the code DXODPS.

We’d love to hear what you thought of the show either here on the blog or at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.

We also appreciate the sponsorship of Wacom (www.wacom.com) and Lensbabies (www.lensbabies.com), two great products for when you want to get creative with your photography.

Wanna participate in the show?

• Send us an email at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.
• Leave a comment at www.TheDigitalPhotographyShow.com
• Call in a voice mail to US 301-637-7767
• Join the listener-run (thanks Laurel and Frank!) Flickr group Friends of The Digital Photography Show at http://flickr.com/groups/thedps.

Thanks for joining us here and hope you enjoy this week’s show. Now, go out, picture giving and put a spotlight on it!

Scott

This entry was posted on Saturday, December 22nd, 2007 at 11:12 am and is filed under Podcast. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.