Boudoir Posing Guide #2 is a great addition to the first guide or a perfect stand alone guide for a great variety of posing ideas and principles.

The 36 page pdf and over 100 individual poses contain many examples of flattering poses and how to achieve them, tips and tricks on how to compensate for problem areas and to enhance your client’s best features.

Hands, detail shots, bathtub poses, camera angles and variations of many poses are all covered. Also included are countless tips on how to make your client look as natural and relaxed as possible with hand and arm positioning.

The art of “flow posing” is demonstrated – being able to flow from one pose to the next to keep your shoots flowing efficiently and capturing a great number of flattering, sellable images.

The 100 individual poses are ready to be uploaded to your mobile device and used as a reference during your shoots or to be studied on your computer.

Available now at the Boudoir Business Boutique http://boudoirbusinessboutique.com/posing-lighting/boudoir-posing-guide-2

Will the iPhone art form and new advances in smartphone cameras bring extinction to professional photographers? I think it’s a long way off…but I’m not sure it’s impossible. However CNN reported: “Smartphones accounted for more than a quarter of all photos shot in 2011, according to research from NPD. The iPhone has even been called the snapshot camera of today by celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz.”

Here is somethings CNN is reporting that will be new for 2012 in smartphone camera tech…

• New sensor technology: Smartphones are often used to take shots in low-light situations, but low-light capture has always been a glaring weak spot. Luckily, Sony recently developed a new CMOS sensor that will take the pain out of shooting stills and video in scenarios where ambient light is lacking.
• Name-brand optics: Nokia is taking a name-brand approach to defining its smartphone cameras in 2012. Carl Zeiss lenses grace the company’s high-end Lumia 800 smartphone (which is currently available across the pond), as well as its follow-up, the Lumia 900, which will debut in the coming months.
• Improvements on the software: For instance, the HTC Rezound has settings that let you adjust the ISO, white balance and exposure, as well as the type of scene you’re shooting. You can also choose from 13 different Instagram-like filters. Features like this were once the sole province of dedicated cameras, and unavailable in phones. Many other smartphones are including different scene modes, and optimizing their cameras for night shots and action shots. They even offer panorama modes for capturing wide (or extra tall) compositions.
• Packing in the pixels, pulling in the light: Sony packs 12 megapixels into its Xperia S, which made its debut at CES earlier this month. Not to be bested, the HTC Titan II packs a 16-megapixel camera onto the rear of its 4.7-inch frame.
• And More: ”We’ll also likely see more features that have appeared in higher-end digital cameras, such as more sophisticated high-dynamic range or motion-blur reduction,” NPD analyst Ross Rubin told Wired. This will be done by combining multiple rapid-fire exposures into a single image.

So again we are left to marvel at the advances and wonder, in the end will consumers choose a smartphone over a pro photog……

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World Photography Organisation

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Photo Dough

When trying to get celebrities talking about your work, or advertising for you there are a few key things to keep in mind. One is the celebrity status….you can go local celebs, out of the picture celebs or all the way to main stream celebs. It depends on your budget and dedication. About a year ago, Twitter was holding a benefit celebrity tweet auction on Ebay where you could bid on celebrities tweeting about you or your business. So there are ways out there, you just have to do some work. A recent article named a few ways I want to share. One was One-time appearances, which is a little easier on your pockets! With this option you are hiring them for a one time quick promo! Another was the previously mentioned Swag Bags. And last is direct mail, where you mail out samples, advertising, etc to celebrity agents or reps.

You will find that with these options price is always a factor and hiring a celebrity that is no longer main stream is going to be a bit easier than trying to get Madonna. Below you will find a few links that will surely get you moving toward celebrity buzz!

Jewels and Pinstripes Swag Bags

Distinctive Assets Swag Bags

Celebrity Reps

1. Map it- using tools like Google Maps is a very important way to let the locals know you are there. It only takes a few minutes and you can add images, business info, etc.
2. Local Businesses- believe it or not going door to door to local businesses, networking, leaving your card, brochure etc isn’t totally out dated. Another great way to utilize local businesses is to see if you can display your work there. You can also do this buy offering to do them images displayed of their product..win-win for all!
3. Social Media- of course this is on the list and it’s a no brainer. Reach out and touch the millions of social media users. Wow them with your work and create a buzz. One key thing here is make sure you are consistent and stay on top of your postings.
4. Give aways, Client referral Programs and Greeting Cards- Create a free marketing team without them even knowing it by offering client referral programs, give aways to bring traffic in and by sending past clients holiday/birthday greeting cards to keep them remembering you.
5. The dreaded SEO- It works, but you are going to work for it! SEO can be very disappointing if you do not do your research and stay on top of it. There is no easy free way to the top.Work, work, work!

SOPA according to the wiki article found HERE “The originally proposed bill would allow the U.S. Department of Justice, as well as copyright holders, to seek court orders against websites accused of enabling or facilitating copyright infringement. Depending on who makes the request, the court order could include barring online advertising networks and payment facilitators from conducting business with the allegedly infringing website, barring search engines from linking to such sites, and requiring Internet service providers to block access to such sites. The bill would criminalize unauthorized streaming of copyrighted content, with a maximum penalty of five years in prison for ten such infringements within six months. The bill also grants immunity to Internet services that voluntarily take action against websites dedicated to infringement, while making liable for damages any copyright holder who knowingly misrepresents that a website is dedicated to infringement.”

Now PIPA, Also from a wiki article, found HERE “The PROTECT IP Act (Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act of 2011 or PIPA), also known as Senate Bill 968 or S. 968, is a proposed law with the stated goal of giving the US government and copyright holders additional tools to curb access to “rogue websites dedicated to infringing or counterfeit goods”, especially those registered outside the U.S.”

CNN quote one protestor as saying ”The provisions that are being suggested right now would undermine the way the Internet works.”

There are a lot of good point about these bills. We have all complained for a long time about copyright infringement but the bill has too many loopholes, and is not specific enough. It seems Protestors want the bill opposed until it can be re-wrote. So yes, why we need copyright protection, censorship we do not need. Right now it appears congress is seeing that the people are outraged. Let’s hope it helps them come up with a better alternative bill.

What wikipedia looked like yesterday-

Fotoshop by Adobé from Jesse Rosten on Vimeo.

A few more rumored features include:

• Editing adjustments can now be applied to both video and stills
• Includes support for Facebook and Flickr
• Built-in email client
• Map & GPS for image locations
• and much much more!!

There are several ways you can take part in the unveiling. You can watch the webcast at Kelby. You can check out video and details at NAPP. Or head right over to Adobe and Download Now!

Nikon D4 Specs:

• 91,000 pixel 3D color matrix metering system
• 10 frames a second
• Full HD video
• 16.2 Megapixel
• 3.2″ LCD display with 921,000 pixels

Nikon States:

“Every aspect of the new Nikon D4 D-SLR has been designed to emphasize rapid response and seamless operation to help professional photographers consistently capture incredible content. Nikon’s proven 51-point AF System has been further enhanced for maximum speed in a variety of challenging shooting situations, even at 10 frames per second (fps). Considered the new Nikon flagship, the D4 renders supreme image quality, a feat accomplished with a new 16.2-megapixel FX-format CMOS sensor, coupled with the latest generation of Nikon’s EXPEED 3 image processing engine to help produce images and videos with stunning clarity and color. Photographers are also able to shoot in even the most challenging environments and lighting conditions with the assistance of Nikon’s new 91,000-pixel 3D color matrix meter and a broad ISO range from 100 to a staggering 204,800 for low-light capture like never before. The Nikon D4 is engineered for the modern professional and incorporates never before seen HD-SLR video features for those who also need to capture multimedia content from the field.The heart of the new D4 is the Nikon-developed 16.2-megapixel FX-format (36 x 23.9mm) CMOS sensor that provides amazing image quality, brilliant dynamic range and vivid colors in nearly any lighting condition. By achieving the optimal balance of resolution and sensor size, professional photographers will realize exceptionally sharp, clean and well saturated images throughout the entire ISO range.Another factor contributing to the camera’s rapid performance and stellar image quality is Nikon’s new EXPEED 3 image processing engine that helps professionals create images with amazing resolution, color and dynamic range in both still images and video. From image processing to transfer, the new engine is capable of processing massive amounts of data, exacting optimal color, perfect tonality and minimized noise throughout the frame”.

The Nikon D4 will be available in late February 2012 for the suggested retail price of $5999.95.

CNN reports: “Arnold moved to London in 1962 to put her son through school and remained there for the rest of her life, apart from a six-year period when she worked in the United States and China, Magnum said.n the 1960s and 1970s, Arnold turned her eye to the black civil rights movement in the United States, as well as traveling widely in China, Russia and elsewhere. Behind the Veil, which documented life in Arab states, including for the women inside harems, was published in 1971.”

In 1980, she had her first solo exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum in New York City. She also received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Magazine Photographers that year. In 1993, she was made an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society,and elected Master Photographer by New York’s International Center of Photography.In 2003 she was awarded the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II  for her services to photography.

We would like to send out our heart felt condolences to Eve’s family and friends…

“It is the photographer, not the camera, that is the instrument.”   ~ Eve Arnold

Photo by Eve Arnold-

The press release states: “The Samsung DV300F builds on the success of Samsung’s DualView technology with a 1.5” front facing LCD screen that helps ensure users are capturing the most challenging shots. Child Mode displays an animation to keep little ones focused, and the visual Self Timer makes it easy to put oneself in the picture. n response to evolving consumer demands for maximum creativity and shareability, the DV300F is the first DualView model to offer Wi-Fi connectivity. The camera’s built-in Wi-Fi connectivity enables users to email their images or upload them to social media sites including Facebook, Picasa, Flickr and YouTube. In addition, images saved onto the camera’s microSD memory card, can be saved to a home PC without wires, by using the Auto PC Backup function. Cloud services, including Samsung’s AllShare Play and Microsoft SkyDrive, allows users to store and share their precious pictures from anywhere.”

A Few Details include:

• 16 Megapixel
• Image stabilization
• Point-and-shoot
• F2.5-6.3, 5X zoom
• 720p video
• Built-in Wi-Fi
• Front-facing 1.5″ LCD-3 inch rear LCD

Visit SAMSUNG HERE for more information!

Here’s an example taken from one of my wife’s side projects, her Divinity Series “Lucifer, Pride & Lust”, which she is playing with the idea of doing a coffee table book on. All sticks with the theme, and similar editing style.

So with side projects in mind let’s take a look at some tips on how to get your photography shown in an exhibit!

• Put together an amazing resume and portfolio
• Find the right kind of gallery for your work, learn if they take up & coming artist
• Don’t forget coffee houses and local business (anywhere to get your work out there)
• Don’t assume you know everything
• Don’t assume you are in control of your work that is being shown
• It isn’t free-Remember most galleries will take a share of any profits
• Don’t be afraid of rejection, you are going to get tons of it until you find the right gallery
• Be professional
• Hit the streets, you are going to do a lot of searching, asking, talking before you find the gallery for you
• Have an agent- having an agent to do all this wonderful work for you is a plus
• Host your own exhibit
• Plan, Plan, Plan
• Stick with a theme for the portfolio and only show a small amount of your best work
• Know the art world-learn about how galleries work, learn about art, learn about each gallery you plan on visiting
• All in all have patience

Wether you are planning to host your own exhibit or dream to have a gallery showing it all takes time, hard work, persistence and dedication! So good luck to you on journey and don’t forget to let us know when you have your showing!

A recent CNN article states “Timeline will arrange a user’s posts, photos and important milestones (weddings, births of children, etc.) chronologically in two columns of information, with a blue line marked by dates running vertically down the middle. On the right, visitors can easily skip to certain months or years to see what was happening at that time in a person’s life, and below that is advertisements.”

In addition to a standard profile picture, users can now set a cover photo, a large shot that appears at the top of each Timeline profile. I have heard through the grapevine to make your Timeline header image fit you need to crop it to 851×315. I’m glad I found that info, because I hate it when sites auto resize my images and distort them!

The CNN articles goes on to state “Facebook has said the idea behind Timeline is to chronicle someone’s life and its major events over many years instead of the social network’s current profile pages, which tend to emphasize the here and now.For those anxious to see what kind of past info or photos Facebook may find, the clock starts ticking as soon as Timeline is turned on. Once that happens, a user has seven days to review the new layout and edit things before it goes public and can be viewed by friends. Each user can choose during that time to unveil their page before the seven days are up; regardless, Facebook will publish the page automatically after a week.People can choose to “feature” major life events, such as engagements or injuries (which is now an optional type of status update), or hide more embarrassing ones. A new Activity Log page makes it easier to see everything and to find certain posts.”

So will we end up loving the new layout or will we just give in because we can’t live without Facebook? I think the latter will be the answer for most of us. We will just have to wait and see how it plays out. It looks pretty cool, and I do see some advantages, however I for one will not be changing over until it’s forced. I love change and improvement but this one I’m a bit in the air about….

You can learn more about Timelines through Facebook HERE

10 Great Baby Photos From One Pose

Newborn baby photos are one of the most exciting experiences for parents.   Babies really do grow quickly and the first days of the baby’s life are fleeting.  Typically infants are brought in for their first photos when they are less than two weeks of age; they can be more sleepy and we are able to achieve a wide variety of looks with them.

Basic photography poses for newborn babies are crucial for a successful session. One of the most popular baby poses is when the baby is on his back.  One thing to be sure of for these shots on their back is you see the tip of the baby’s nose versus up his nostrils. If you are short use a small stepladder and while photographing from above I recommend to always have your camera strap around your neck for safety.

An issue I typically troubleshoot in this pose is keeping the hands and feet in place and close to his body.  One way to do this is to bury an indention into the beanbag so the baby is slightly nuzzled down and his arms and feet will stay in place a little better.  You can also have an assistant or a parent hold the hands and feet in place and they then remove their hands immediately before snapping your shot.  Sometimes it does work out beautifully if you let the baby stretch his arms out for a couple shots too.

I always achieve a variety of shots from just this one baby pose: bare baby, detail shots, with a hat, in a cocoon, in a wrap, from above, from the side, etc.

I shoot from various angles rotating the bean bag for a variety of light if needed and I change out the blankets to achieve a variety of colors too.

From this shot it is convenient to transition the baby into a prop for your next pose. I typically use deeper bowl type props so the baby easily can be moved right on over.

I find wooden bowls at local antique shops but I’ve also seen them on EBay and Etsy.  This kind of newborn prop is easy to use and most importantly they are safe for the babies.

For lighting I have one large window with indirect light slightly above or perpendicular to the baby’s head.

 When working with natural light the light can change from one minute to the next so evaluating the light is a constant process in sessions.

I try to achieve a reasonable amount of shadow, just enough to show all the details in the face.  Being close to your natural light source and not lighting up the nostrils are also key for obtaining a quality baby photograph.