Where is Ben?

Back to Route 66 Once Again!

I started exploring Route 66 again today. If you've been following my blog for a while, you should be aware that I followed the full length of Route 66 from Los Angeles to Chicago last year. This time around, I'm not making a big effort to stay on Route 66 all the time... instead, I've looked through my previous shots and a few guide books and picked out specific spots where I felt I either missed something, or didn't quite get the shot I needed. 

I started shooting with a PhaseOne P45+ 39 megapixel digital back on a medium format camera today. I only shot one setup with it since I haven't really found the optimal HDR setup yet. This camera is limited to a three shot bracket with a maximum of a single stop difference between exposures. I'm used to having my Canon camera setup to do a three shot bracket with two stops of a difference between shots. That means I'm being forced to work in manual mode on the medium format camera and manually changing the settings between each shot. I'm sure I'll get the hang of everything over the next few days.

The image above was shot at around 7:30pm tonight. It was taken in the parking lot of the Bagdad Cafe in Newberry Springs, CA. While I was there, I was lucky enough to meet Andrea who owns the place. I gave them a print of my "Lost Capsule" image that I shot there last year. That photo is of the same airstream trailer pictured above along with the motel sign framed up in the window. She was very happy to see me and seemed to really enjoy the print.

Tonight, I'm parked right across the street from Roy's Cafe in Amboy, CA. I plan to shoot that spot in the morning and then make my way to Kingman, AZ where I might spend a full day shooting.

Up to Speed CS4 Now In Stock!

Our inventory of my new book just arrived. If you've ordered a copy from my web site, then it should be making its way to you very soon. FYI: Amazon is still listing the title as a pre-order with no expected ship date and peachpit's web site (the publisher) has it listed as in-stock, but is charging $22.49 as their discounted price. If you order it from us before 11/16/2008, then you'll get $7 off the cover price, which brings your price down to just $17.99. 

If you want to learn what's new in CS4 and you want the most in-depth coverage of these features that you'll find anywhere, then this book is a must. It covers every change made to Photoshop CS4 and nothing else (other than just enough about CS3 to make the CS4 features make sense). If you have a working knowledge of CS3, then this book was written specifically for you. Also, if you're on the fence about upgrading and really need to know if it would be worth it in your specific situation, then this book will allow you to assess exactly what you'd get by upgrading to CS4.

Here's what some industry insiders said about the book after reviewing a pre-publication copy:

“Ben is, without a doubt, one of the most gifted and talented Photoshop teachers on the planet, and this book is a brilliant way to learn the new features fast, in a way that only Ben can teach it. Highly recommended!”

–Scott Kelby  Editor & Publisher, Photoshop User Magazine  (PhotoshopUser.com)

“I don’t read Photoshop books anymore, except one—Ben Willmore’s Up to Speed. Even though many of us in the photographic community are members of the Photoshop development and beta teams, we still read this book. You don’t need to read another thing. Ben is a force of Nature.”

–George DeWolfe  Senior Editor, View Camera and Camera Arts Magazines  (GeorgeDeWolfe.com)

“Ben is no shill, he doesn’t just tell you what’s new and great... if he sees a weakness he’s quick to point that out as well. If you want a comprehensive and easy to read update on the latest version of Photoshop, then Ben’s book is the one for you.”

–Taz Tally  Author, Avoiding the Output Blues  (TazSeminars.com)

“Ben has done it again! He has taken the voodoo out of the new release of CS4 and made it simple and easy to do more then just get up to speed. I depend on his book to make the new release a quick learn and usable tool in my workflow and teaching. He does not disappoint, his new book makes me look like a genius!”

–Moose Peterson  Author 23 books and Nikon Legend Behind the Lens  (MoosePeterson.com)

“The quickest way I get up to speed on EVERY new version of Photoshop is to talk Ben in to letting me read his Up To Speed books just before they go to press. I find them to be concise, to the point and explained in such a way that just makes sense. I wish every Photoshop book was written with the ease of Ben’s books.”

–Vincent Versace  Author, Welcome to OZ: A Cinematic Approach to Digital Photography(VersacePhotography.com) 

“Ben has once again saved me valuable time in getting going on the latest version of Photoshop. What I like most about Ben’s way of addressing Photoshop is that he has become an excellent photographer, understands how photographers think and makes it all understandable and relatively simple. That’s a pretty neat trick with all that Photoshop does!”

– George D. Lepp  Field Editor, Outdoor Photographer and PC Photo Magazines (GeoLepp.com)

“Tastes Great - Less Filling!!! That’s right, Ben delivers ALL the meat about what’s new in CS4, with none of the wasted calories associated with wading through giant buffet-sized books! An absolute must-have! Don’t hesitate. Without this book, you are wasting precious time, energy and money.”

– Jack Davis  Author of the Photoshop Wow and How to Wow series (AdventuresInPhotoshop.com)

“Ben’s insights in his Up to Speed books always save me so much time.  With Ben’s help I can quickly learn the newest, most important features in Photoshop without having to wade through a lot of useless information.  Ben delivers all I need in a comprehensive and easy to understand manner.  Once again he delivers a book I can’t live without!”

–Lewis Kemper  Contributing Editor, Outdoor Photographer and PC Photo Magazines (LewisKemper.com) 

“I have always enjoyed the way that Ben explains things. He makes even complex subjects seem easy. Add to this, his passion for the art and you have a book that not only informs but also inspires.”

– Colin Smith  Author or Co-Author of more than 15 books on Photoshop (PhotoshopCAFE.com)

“You’ve worked with Photoshop for years. You already know the program. You don’t need a refresher course. You just need to know what’s new. This book is for you!”

–Pete Bauer  Author, Photoshop for Dummies

“One of the reasons I look forward to a new version of Photoshop is not necessarily in the program itself or the new bells and whistles as much as knowing that there will be a new UP TO SPEED book that will make all of the new stuff really rock for me. If you want to be the best at what you do, Ben’s book is just for you.”

–Randy Hufford  Director of New Technology, Institute Of Visual Arts Maui (ivaMaui.com).

“A new version of Photoshop! What do all these new things do? Don’t worry, Ben guides you through what is new in a way that makes the anxiety go away. Ben is the medicine for the headache of the upgrade transition.”

– Bert Monroy  Hyper-realistic Artist and Author Photoshop Studio: Digital Painting (BertMonroy.com)

The table of contents is as follows:

Chapter 1 Bridge CS4 2

Where’s My Stuff? 3

Interface Changes 6

Path Bar 15

Collections Panel 16

Output Panel 17

Misc. Changes 20

Chapter 2 Camera Raw 5.0 26

Where’s My Stuff? 27

  Adjustment Brush 28

Graduated Filter 33

Post Crop Vignetting 34

Misc. Improvements 36

Chapter 3 Interface Changes 38

Where’s My Stuff? 39

Terminology 40

Redesigned Panels 41

Application Bar 42

Tabbed Windows 44

Application Frame 45

Misc. Changes 46

Chapter 4 Adjustments 48

Where’s My Stuff? 49

Adjustments Panel 50

Vibrance Adjustment 55

Targeted Adjustment Icon 57

Misc. Changes 58

Chapter 5 Tools 60

Where’s My Stuff? 61

Brushes 62

Retouching Tools 64

Notes Tool 67

Rotate View Tool 68

Navigation Methods 69

Misc. Changes 72

Chapter 6 Layers 74

Where’s My Stuff? 75

Content-Aware Scale 76

Auto-Align Layers 80

Auto-Blend Layers 83

Photomerge 89

Smart Objects 90

Masks Panel 94

Misc. Changes 98

Chapter 7 General Improvements 100

Where’s My Stuff? 101

Color Range 102

Flash Panels 108

Save for Web & Devices 110

Color Management 113

Misc. Changes 120

Index 124

Order your copy today!

Photos from Maui Trip

 

Here are some shots to prove that I was actually in Maui a while back. The shot above was taken by Peter Liu who was one of the students in the class I taught.

I spent some time hanging out with Mark and Shayla who were in my class on both this trip and the one before it. Here's what life looks like through Mark's lens. 

And here's proof that I went paddle-boarding with Mark and Shayla. It was my first time out and I had a great time.

The view from behind my lens with much dimmer (probably due to lack of sleep), so I had to use some extra illumination in my shots. Above is my buddy Bron standing next to a vintage bandsaw being lit with sparklers. 

I also used sparklers when shooting Melissa at her drum set. 

Other times I simply used a flashlight in an otherwise dark room as was the case with Batel above.

Can you tell that I've been addicted to HDR (via my Route 66 work) and light painting lately?

Teakettle Junction Panollage™

Here's crazy image that is made from about 75 shots. It was taken at teakettle junction in Death Valley. I merged the images using an early beta version of Photoshop CS4 and just ran across it again today, so I thought I'd share it with you. The old version of Photoshop was not able to stitch this image, but the new version had no problem with it. In this image I actually walked around an object, capturing the scene from more than one angle. The resulting panollage™ shows two of the teakettle signs even though there's only one on the site.

My Book Has Arrived!

Regina let me know that the first copy of my Up to Speed book has arrived at the office and that our first order of books is in transit. It sure feels good to know the book is real and done. Now I just have to get my hands on a copy. 

My Images All Over Epson's New Printer

 

Go visit Epson's web site and mouse over their new 7900 and you just might see an image your recognize. Epson asked if they could use one of my images in their advertising for their newest printer. You should find the image on large banners at the PhotoPlus Expo in New York this week as well as many brochures relating to their new printers. 

I'm still trying to figure out if I want to sacrifice my lounge chair in the bus for one of these new 44" wide printers. I know it would fit, but I don't know if I want to deal with trying to walk by the unit when it's printing a gargantuan print (after all I'm shooting with a 39MP camera this month, so I'll be able to print big).

Preorder Up to Speed CS4

My publisher's web site claims the publication date on my new Up to Speed book is today! That means we should be receiving our first shipment very soon. You'll find a limited time special offer on my web site for $7 off the cover price.

This week I'm finishing up the new handbook for my completely revised Photoshop for Photographers seminar tour. The new version of the seminar will feature many of my HDR techniques along with a lot of special shooting techniques that really take advantage of Photoshop's possibilities. I'll also show how I help to direct a viewer's eye through my images to get them to pay attention to what I want them to and not be distracted by anything I don't want them to notice. Look for the new seminars tour soon... dates are already being posted and more should be added soon. 

If you can't wait for the seminar, keep in mind that you can learn about my HDR techniques on my HDR Mastery DVD and don't forget that you can receive a discount on Photomatix Pro (the software I use to tonemap HDR images by clicking the Equipment Discounts link on the left edge of this web page).

I should be receiving a 39 megapixel PhaseOne P45+ medium format camera with a sweet 28mm f4.5 lens on Friday. I plan to return to Route 66 to capture more images and print them absolutely huge once I'm done. 

More Night Photography

Here are some more of the photographs I shot last weekend while attending a night photography workshop. I'm now done with the corporate training event I've been working on for the last three days. I'm now going to take a few days off before jumping into two big projects and then I plan to head back to Route 66 with a medium format camera.

 

 

As usual, you can click on each of these images to see a larger version.

Night Photography Shots

 

Just thought I'd share with you a few of the shots I took last night. I have one more day of this night shooting workshop before I have to drive to Palmdale, CA to teach a three-day corporate training event.

Guest Blogging on Scott Kelby's Blog

 

I'm the guest blogger over on Scott Kelby's Photoshop Insider blog. I wrote an extended post about how living on the bus has helped my photography evolve over time. 

The image above is a Panollage™ which is a combination of a panorama and collage. I was demonstrating how to create them during the Advanced Photoshop for Photographers class that I'm currently teaching at the Lepp Institute. This is a shot of the classroom taken yesterday.

I'll be attending a night photography and light painting workshop this weekend. I'll finish my Lepp class on Friday afternoon and then I'll need to drive for five hours to get to the workshop location. We'll be shooting until 1:30am on Monday morning (mentally Sunday night). I then will be teaching an in-house seminar at a corporation in Palmdale, CA Monday through Wednesday.