One Day Workshop Schedule
ALL ONE DAY WORKSHOPS ARE TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED
Workshop details are available from the Registration Page.
Macro and Close-up Photography
Flash Photography, High Speed flash, creative lighting
Portrait and Lighting Techniques
Digital Photography A-Z. This is a one day three part course that will teach you camera basics, post processing and printing.
The Digital Darkroom - a course that covers image capture, asset management, processing and enhancement, output to print and web media. A one day program for digital image making workflow
Timelapse Photography, post processing and video assembly
If you have any questions or would like more information please call 617-759-0010 or email sv@shivverma.com
Please use this REGISTRATION link to register for these workshops.
One week left to register for Namibia or Botswana
One week left for registrations to this once in a lifetime adventure. Best photo opportunities at an incredible price that can't be matched..June 11 - June 23, 2016This is a double adventure, Namibia alone, Botswana alone or both.The Namib Desert may well be the world's oldest desert. The Namib-Naukluft Park includes five main regions: Namib, Sandvis, Naukluft, Sesriem and Sossusvlei. The apricot-colored dunes at Sossusvlei are beautiful and photographic opportunities for landscapes abound. Herds of mountain zebra, gemsbok and springbok roam the area.Botswana is undoubtedly Southern Africa’s most prestigious safari destination where the landscape has an abundance of wildlife. From islands of and waterways of the Okavango Delta to the open savannah and woodlands of the Chobe National Park, Botswana is a nature and wildlife photographers heaven.During this exclusive photo safari we will explore and photograph the stunning African wildlife of Botswana. From the endangered Wild Dogs to Lions, Leopards, Cheetahs, Giraffes, Elephants and many deer, antelope, and birds we will have opportunities like no other.Our camps and lodges have been picked to maximize your experience where you will ride in vehicles with a single row assigned to each photographer.In-field photography instruction will be provided and during our down time we will conduct photo-critique sessions.(CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS)
ND Filters' Color Cast comparison - Vü 10 stop Sion, Lee 10 stop (Big Stopper) & Formatt Hitech 8 stop
The Lee Big Stopper was introduced in 2010 to compete with the Hitech 10 stop filter that was known to have flare and other issues. Subsequently Hitech reengineered their 10 stop filter and emulated some of Lee’s design features. In particular the the light blocking gasket. Soon Lee introduced the Little Stopper while Hitech developed a wider range of solid ND filters the Pro Stop line from 6 to 10 stops and in multiple sizes. Most recently I was introduced to the Vü system and hence this test as a comparison. I will do a full review of the Vü system in the near future.As I own the Lee Big sStopper and the Hitech 8 stop with the Hitech holder (I do prefer the Hitech to the Lee holder) I was keen to understand the differences in the way high f-stop ND filters impart a color cast when used. Hence this test. Please click on the images to see a larger version.The set up was fairly simple. Using a Sony A7R II and a Zeiss Batis 85mm f/1.8 lens set at f/2.0 and a base ISO of 50, shutter speed 1/125 sec. The light source was two Elinchrome studio strobes positioned to give a 1/3 stop exposure variation at the edges. The camera was focused on a white foam-core board with a X-Rite Color Checker Passport clamped to the upper right corner. Camera white balance set for flash rather than a custom white balance (5450 Kelvin) and an "as shot" tint of +9. I wanted to allow for any variation in the white of the foam-core board that is typically not 100% white be adjusted in post.The test exposure was made and the white balance adjusted in post using Lightroom - this is the image below. White balance adjustment yielded a temperature of 4750 Kelvin and a tint of -1:
Next the strobes were adjusted to full power providing 8 additional stops of light. The ISO was adjusted to increase sensitivity by two stops while the aperture of the lens was kept at a constant f/2.0 for all the exposures. Each filter was tested for color cast only.
The Lee Big Stopper (10 stop ND)
The Lee Big Stopper (10 stop ND) was mounted and the image as shown below was captured. This is as a screen shot so as to show the RGB histogram. The info panel shows the reading from the center of the captured image. Values are R=219, G=229, B=243
In this next image the Info Panel shows RGB values from the lower third of the image. Values are R=187, G=203, B=222
Next the image was white balanced in Lightroom WB to 8600 Kelvin and tint +43. Compensated for the color of the board and the lights the calculated readings are 7900 Kelvin and a +35 Tint adjustment.
The Lee Big Stopper exhibits a heavy blue cast in both the center and the edges.
Formatt Hitech 8 stop ND filter
As I do not have a 10 stop Formatt Hitech filter, I chose to do the same test with the 8 stop that I own. As with the Lee filter before, here the info panel shows the reading from the center of the captured image. Values are R=234, G=238, B=236
In this next image the Info Panel shows RGB values from the lower third of the image. Values are R=209, G=220, B=212
Next the image was white balanced in Lightroom WB to 5750 Kelvin and tint +52. Compensated for the color of the board and the lights the calculated readings are 5050 Kelvin and a +44 Tint adjustment.
The Formatt HiTech 8 stop exhibits a heavy green cast at the edges but is more neutral in the center.
Vü Sion Q 10 stop Neutral Density Filter
The Vü Sion 10 stop ND filter mounted using The Vü professional filter holder (more abut this in a future post) and the same test was performed. As before the image captured is shown as a screen shot showing the RGB histogram. The info panel shows the reading from the center of the captured image. Values are R=235, G=235, B=239
In this next image the Info Panel shows RGB values from the lower third of the image. Values are R=211, G=214, B=219
Next the image was white balanced in Lightroom WB to 5800 Kelvin and tint +13. Compensated for the color of the board and the lights the calculated readings are 5000 Kelvin and a +5 Tint adjustment.
The Vü Sion 10 stop is very neutral in the center an has a negligible shift at the edges.In conclusion I am very impressed with the Vü Sion 10 stop and is near neutral rendering. My full review of this system is forthcoming.
HAPPY WORLD WILDLIFE DAY
Come and celebrate the wildlife of Africa, India and the USA by joining me on one or more of my photo tours and workshops. The photo opportunities are exceptional as are the locations. Each location is picked to give you the best experience.Namibia and Botswana - 2016Yellowstone and The Grand Tetons - 2016India - 2017Namibia and Botswana - 2017Iceland - 2017Tanzania - 2017
MYANMAR - A Photo Adventure
November 7 - 20, 2016This is an all inclusive trip - your international round trip airfare from JFK - New York, Newark, NJ or Atlanta is included.Myanmar formally Burma is one of those rare unspoiled locations photographic allure. The people exude warmth and their hospitality is is exceptional. The land has a certain magical feel and a place that you will definitely want to come back to.Our itinerary includes Yangon and its famous Pagodas, Mandalay, the ancient city of Bagan the land of over one thousand temples, Mount Popa and Inle Lake, where we will photograph local fishermen and local markets.. Each location has been selected to maximize photographic opportunities.CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS
Light of Cape Cod - Photo Workshop
A 4 day 3 night photo workshop that includes lodging and site feesMid Spring in Cape Cod is a multi faceted photo opportunity with truly spectacular scenics and some wildlife. The tourists have not crowded the roads and traffic is not a nightmare. This very special workshop is for all levels of photographers from beginner to advanced. The Cape provides some of the most incredible landscapes and seascapes and the light during spring is exceptional. We will explore and photograph the Cape's classic sea shore, sand dunes, light houses and some wildlife (including migratory birds). We will determine schedules and locations based on weather forecasts, tides and sunrise/sunset times. We may even explore the opportunity to do some night photography.(CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS)
Double Africa - Namibia & Botswana Photography Safari
This is a fast track once in a lifetime adventure. Best photo opportunities at an incredible price that can't be matched..June 11 - June 23, 2016This is a double adventure, Namibia alone, Botswana alone or both.The Namib Desert may well be the world's oldest desert. The Namib-Naukluft Park includes five main regions: Namib, Sandvis, Naukluft, Sesriem and Sossusvlei. The apricot-colored dunes at Sossusvlei are beautiful and photographic opportunities for landscapes abound. Herds of mountain zebra, gemsbok and springbok roam the area.Botswana is undoubtedly Southern Africa’s most prestigious safari destination where the landscape has an abundance of wildlife. From islands of and waterways of the Okavango Delta to the open savannah and woodlands of the Chobe National Park, Botswana is a nature and wildlife photographers heaven.During this exclusive photo safari we will explore and photograph the stunning African wildlife of Botswana. From the endangered Wild Dogs to Lions, Leopards, Cheetahs, Giraffes, Elephants and many deer, antelope, and birds we will have opportunities like no other.Our camps and lodges have been picked to maximize your experience where you will ride in vehicles with a single row assigned to each photographer.In-field photography instruction will be provided and during our down time we will conduct photo-critique sessions.(CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS)
TWiP Episode 453 – Hot New DSLRs!
If you’ve been listening to TWIP over the years you probably know how we feel about the relatively slow pace of innovation in the “mirrored” camera space… also known as the dSLR.Click here for the Youtube ChannelHere is the link to the TWiP page
Topaz DeNoise 6 released
Topaz releases DeNoise 6, an updated version of their excellent noise reduction software, complete with new features. As always, the update is free to anyone who already owns DeNoise. And for those who don’t own it, DeNoise 6 will be on sale ($30 off!) from February 24th – March 20th. Please use the coupon code "NOISEFREE" with you can take advantage of the discounted price of $49.99 (regularly $79.99).CLICK HERE TO GET DeNoise 6Topaz DeNoise is designed to let you shoot anywhere in any light and still get crisp, clear and noise-free images. Specializing in extremely noisy high ISO images, DeNoise removes distracting image noise while preserving image detail, giving you the image you wanted without the noise you don’t. Major features introduced in Topaz DeNoise 6 include:
- Standalone Application - DeNoise 6 now works as a standalone product and doesn’t require a host editor to work. Although it can still be used as a plugin through Photoshop, Lightroom, and other supported host programs.
- Camera Specific Presets - DeNoise 6 introduces dozens of presets based on various camera profiles, with multiple ISO presets for each camera.
- Batch Processing (in standalone mode only) - DeNoise 6 introduces batch processing, allowing you to process a whole folder of images at once. That means no more need for Photoshop actions! Note that batch processing is only available in the standalone version, not the plugin version.
- Support for High DPI (4k) monitors in Windows 7/8/10
Please click on the images for a larger view.
A Day on the Coast
This is a blog post. You can login, go to Posts, and edit each of these to get some initial blog posts set up. Just update the title, change the featured images, and add a paragraph or two of text. Image courtesy of www.unsplash.com.
Important Days
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Along the Shore
This is a blog post. You can login, go to Posts, and edit each of these to get some initial blog posts set up. Just update the title, change the featured images, and add a paragraph or two of text. Image courtesy of www.unsplash.com.
Portraits and Light
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In the City
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Afternoon Light
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Splashes of Color
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A Million Lights
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Adobe Creative Cloud BUG may delete files in your root directory if you are a MAC user
From PetaPixel "Here’s a major warning to those of you who use Adobe Creative Cloud on a Mac: the latest version of Creative Cloud has a bug that deletes unrelated data from your root directory without warning.The bug in Adobe Creative Cloud version 3.5.0.206 was discovered by the cloud backup service Backblaze, whose customers were having their data deleted by Adobe’s app."CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ON PETAPIXEL
Everyday Wonders
This is a blog post. You can login, go to Posts, and edit each of these to get some initial blog posts set up. Just update the title, change the featured images, and add a paragraph or two of text. Image courtesy of www.unsplash.com.
