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I've made it to Hawaii and am completely screwed up since the last time zone I had time to get used to was 12 hours different from here... so when it's noon here it feels like midnight to me!
I took these photographs just before my Pre-conference session started at Photoshop World in Las Vegas. The first two are HDR shots and the rest where only processed using Camera Raw. As always, you can click on any of the images to see a larger version.
Today, I'm flying to Maui to present a week long hands-on workshop that covers the creative side of Photoshop. I'll then head to Hilo to present a two-day Shooting for Photoshop workshop.
The two photographs shown here were taken at the Jokulsarlon lagoon in South West Iceland. The image above shows how the colors can vary between icebergs while the image below is an example of what happens to the icebergs when they have almost completely melted. I thought the right side of this ice looked like a bird, which is why it caught my eye.
I'm flying to Detroit today. I'll be presenting my Photoshop for Photographers seminar on September 28th.
It's a little late to be listing seminars for this month:
I had a great time exploring Iceland with Lewis and Marv. We ended up making a huge loop around the island and made a habit out of sleeping near waterfalls (five nights worth) or icebergs (three nights worth). I also got a chance to see the Northern Lights and even needed a rescue team to come save us from very severe winds that were strong enough to make standing up virtually impossible and that were as risk of tipping over the motor home we called home. I shot a total of 67.88 GB worth of photographs and can't wait to start processing them.
I'm writing this post from the airport in New York. Jet Blue was nice enough to cancel my flight to Nashville and the next one isn't until morning. I will then have less than 24 hours before I have to leave on my next multi-week, multi-leg trip. To make matters worse, I forgot my keys in a Zip-lock bag back in the motor home in Iceland, so I'll have to buy new clothes for this trip since I can't get into my Jeep or the bus before I have to leave again. I will never fly Jet Blue again unless they have a direct flight to where I need to go (they don't accept baggage from other airlines, so you have to re-check your bags if you have a connection and they are too cheap to pay for a hotel when THEY cancel my flight and make me stay a night in New York).
The photograph at the top of this post was taken in the parking lot for the waterfall that's known as Dettifoss. That's the motor home that we lived in during the trip, which was lit using a flashlight. The Northern Lights look almost exactly like what is shown here. Below is a photograph I shot at a very cool lagoon full of icebergs that's called Jokulsarlon in South West Iceland. I shot it by placing my 15mm fish-eye lens right on some ice chunks that were slowly melting at the edge of the lagoon. The bottom photograph shows just how close you can get to major waterfalls in Iceland... my finger is in the water in that shot.
I've recorded a bunch of video segments for Inside Digital Photo TV that cover some of the unique equipment I use when shooting. You can watch the first segment below.
If you have trouble watching the video this way (it's the first time I've tried to post one this way), then consider watching it on the YouTube web site instead.
I have a brand new on-line class available for beginners that describes how to get started with Photoshop. The class is divided up into four modules:
I developed this course because I was amazed when watching and reading materials designed for beginners... most of them covered every single preference and file format available instead of trying to simplify the interface and concentrate on the absolute essentials so students don't get overwhelmed.
I think you can get a 15% discount on the course (but don't quote me, since I haven't tested it yet) by entering "Ben" as a coupon code when signing up for the class (minus the quotes).
I currently do not have plans to make this class available on DVD.
Above is a photo I took at the Neon Graveyard in Las Vegas. I really liked the shattered bulbs all piled up in the corner. This is a three-shot HDR image processed in Photomatix Pro with further adjustment in Photoshop.
If you'd like to learn how to transform your images by incorporating High Dynamic Range imaging (that's what I used), then consider taking my new on-line course on HDR. Use "Ben" as a coupon code to receive a 15% discount.
The photo above is a composite of about 15 shots. All the light is coming from a small flashlight that I used to light-paint the scene. I painted each section as a separate shot and then stacked the images on top of each other in Photoshop and used Lighten blend mode to combine them.
This shot was taken in a ghost town just outside of Beatty, CA. Once of the buildings had a bunch of funky art in the front yard. As always, you can click on the image to see a larger version.
