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DSI Blog

Selecting a Nature Photography Trip

April 4, 2012 by Digital Silver Imaging

©Russ Burden 2012

I had the pleasure to talk with Russ Burden about photography tours and trips. Russ is a renowned nature photographer, author and contributor to Outdoor Photographer, Popular Photography, PHOTOgraphic, www.takegreatpictures.com. Russ has lead over 100 photography tours and is a fulltime workshop leader. Russ was kind enough to answer some questions about the ins and outs of photo tours and trips.

Q: How long have you been organizing and leading nature photography tours?

Russ: 20 plus years, full time since 2000. I run about 10 a year, all over the US mostly in the West, the Pacific Northwest and Florida.

Q: Do you have a favorite location for a nature photo tour?

Russ: That’s tough because I love doing them all. Close to the top of the list for me has to be the Tetons, especially in the fall. The landscape, the colors, the wildlife, and the light is beautiful. Having said that, they are all my favorites. All the trips I lead are great and each trip is different. So in a way my favorite is the last one I took.

Q: How long do you typically spend on a trip like the one to the Tetons?

Russ: Those trips are 10 days because the photographic possibilities are too great for a short one. The majority of my tours run for 7.

Q: Why not a short trip, like 3 days for instance?

Russ: That would make it too rushed and also at times the weather is a factor. My last trip to Florida, that focused on aquatic birds, we had terrific weather for every sunrise and sunset but that’s not always the case. For example, if you go on the trip to Monument Valley and you want that iconic shot of the dunes and it is raining, you miss that opportunity. With a week or 10 days, I can shuffle the schedule around so if we have a break in the weather, we can take advantage of it.

Q: Sometimes you can’t control the weather. What if the weather just isn’t cooperating?

Russ: I do a lot of advance work preparing the participants on what to expect. We shoot if the weather is great or not so great. On a recent trip to Canyon Lands we set out in the rain and pulled up to the scheduled location and sat in the van. We were chatting about various things and all of a sudden the rain stopped. We got out of the van, the clouds parted and we had a double rainbow. If you sit in the hotel you miss that. I wrote a piece in Outdoor Photographer

about just this subject. http://www.outdoorphotographer.com/how-to/tip-of-the-week/a-mist-shot-better-fog-photography.html. I am driven to give the participants a good experience on my tours.  A not-so-perfect day can also be a good teaching opportunity. Overcast conditions are great for flowers, macro work and some wildlife.

Q: What makes a good trip leader?

Russ: Someone who really knows the location. I never take anyone on trip where I haven’t been multiple times. It’s also about the time of year and knowing what to expect during that season.  A good leader knows how to plan so I have my students bring their laptops so I can teach them Photoshop or show them other tools like Nik Software when we have down time. I also keep the number of participants low so my instruction can be one-on-one. I find it next to impossible to make a great outdoor image when you are in a big group. It’s hard to keep 20 people quiet when that rare bird appears out of nowhere. To get back to your question, it’s about passion and love of photography and I want to share that with others.

Q: Let’s say that all your trips are booked, how does someone find a great nature photography trip/tour?

Russ: First you look at the track record of the leader. If he/she has been doing this for a while chances are they know what they are doing. Pick up the phone and talk to the trip leader. Do you feel comfortable with the level of knowledge of the leader. Will the leader be actually teaching or is he/she simply a tour guide? Does the leader have experience teaching? Does the trip leader take the kind of photographs that you want to take? Ask the leader how many times they have run the trip? How well do you know the area? Do you know the roads?  Experience is very important.

Q: How should someone evaluate the price/value of the trip?

Russ: I believe that the number of people going is the most important factor. I only take 5 people because I want to teach them what I know. The hotel, food, transportation that is all just a fixed cost. The hotels need to be clean and comfortable, the food good, but for me its about the photography. My trips are very competitively priced, I know the areas, the great places to shoot, where the wildlife is, and I am passionate about photography and that enthusiasm spreads throughout the group.

Q: What lets you know that your trip was successful?

Russ: When my customers tell me they wish the trip wasn’t over. When they thank me for teaching them how to read the light. When they leave with great images. Those are just some of the measures of a good trip. Of course, when we have a great time, which is easy when you are in a beautiful place making photographs. I also get a lot of repeat customers, so I think that says a lot.

Filed Under: General News>Friends of Digital Silver Imaging Tagged With: Nature Photography|Nature Photography Tours|Photography Excursions|Russ Burden

New Photography Magazine for the iPad Rocks!

March 6, 2012 by Digital Silver Imaging

Photographersi is an iPad and Newstand compatible photography magazine put together by our friend Marti Saltzman. Marti has been a force in the photo industry. Before launching Photographersi she was the creator of the web site Pixiq.com and the VP of Photography Books at Sterling Publishing. She is now the Executive Editor of Photographersi.com. Photographersi is loaded with top rate content including: text, audio, still images and video. It uses the internet in the best possible way and it’s a resource we think you’ll return to again and again. You can download a free “taster” issue or subscribe at iTunes.

Filed Under: General News>Friends of Digital Silver Imaging

Unleash the Creativity of Your iPhone Workshop

March 6, 2012 by Digital Silver Imaging

© 2011 Joseph DeRuvo

April 14, 10:00 am, Location Digital Silver Imaging – 11 Brighton Street, Belmont MA 617.489.0035

With over 50 million of these devices in our hands, the iPhone has become the great democratizer of photography. When using the iPhone we are no longer distracted by which lens, how many megapixels, or what setting for indoors or outdoors, the iPhone has freed us to be singularly focused on what is happening in front of us.

The iPhone Photography Workshop will show its participants how to get the creative best from their iPhone. Join photographer and teacher Joseph DeRuvo in an exploration of seeing with your iPhone. Learn what the camera is doing, what apps can give you greater creative control, the magic of post-production and printing your images. This workshop is for iPhone users of all levels.

This Course will last 2 hours with an informal period of discussion and refreshments after. Bring your iPhone (please update your iOS to the latest version), and some printed examples of your iPhone imagery to display and discuss.

All participants will also receive a $15 print coupon from Digital Silver Imaging.

Instructor

Joseph DeRuvo has been viewing the world through his camera for over 30 years. He is the owner of DeRuvo Photography shooting weddings, portraits and events. He does computer consulting and private tutoring. In the past Joseph has taught conventional darkroom photography at his own facility The Photographers Workplace, Silvermine Arts Center, and New England School of Photography. He has designed cameras, enlargers and a tablet computer. He has done beta testing for a number of software releases. On being dyslexic, Joseph says ” I have always counted it as one of God’s greatest Blessing to me! It has allowed me to see things from a unique perspective, to come to problems with a fresh approach. It is because of this I believe  that I have been drawn to teaching”.

Unleash iPhone

Filed Under: Workshops Tagged With: IPhone|IPhone Workshop|Joseph DeRuvo

The Monkees in St. Louis 1967

March 6, 2012 by Digital Silver Imaging

In the wake of Davey Jones sudden death, we have worked with another amazing archive of images from the great era of musical history.  All the images were shot by a young Tom Morton working for Teen Magazine. The collection consists of 325 black and white Kodak Tri-X negatives.
Pictures taken of The Monkees and Lulu Kennedy-Cairns on the1967 US Tour in St. Louis, Mo. August 5th at Kiel Auditorium and at the St. Louis Lambert Field Ramada Inn.  The stars included were Davey Jones, Mickey Dolenz, Peter Tork, Michael Nesmith and Lulu. .
At the Ramada Inn swimming pool and putting green area the pictures include the following:  Davey (always in bathing suit at this location) signing autographs for kids, Davey taking pictures of fans, and on putting green with golf club, Davey and Mickey on the phone calling home, Mickey and Davey, and Lulu in the pool, Nesmith being interviewed in coffee shop, great shots with fans.  Shots with Johnny Rabbit St. Louis disk jockey (Don Pietromonaco, who played Little Beaver on the Red Rider show)
At the venue (Kiel Auditorium)  Shots include:  Incredible mobs of fans screaming and taking pictures as the group arrives, interacting with fans, shots of the stage performance, crowd. All photographs copyright Tom Morton – traditional silver gelatin prints are available upon request.  Contact Digital Silver Imaging.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

DSI Adobe Lightroom 101 Workshop

February 29, 2012 by Digital Silver Imaging

 Saturday March 24, 12-6 pm DSI will conduct an Adobe Lightroom Workshop.  Lightroom is the essential software tool for any serious photographer. Come and learn the fundamentals of this incredibly powerful tool that many professionals have come to rely on. Experienced instructor Kathy Tarantola will help guide you through the basics.

The class will thoroughly cover the Library and Develop modules where you manage, keyword, edit and enhance your images. With hands-on practice, learn how to import, organize, edit, rate, fix and enhance your images, and how to work through large shoots efficiently with synchronized settings and presets. We will discuss how Photoshop will still fit in your workflow, and learn how to move between Lightroom and Photoshop easily.

We will take several images through the entire Develop workflow, reviewing tools as we go. Topics emphasized will be based on student needs. You will have time to practice with your own images, ask questions, and get feedback on your work.

Library Module 

• Import process • Organizing and naming your photos  • Editing photo shoots – synchronizing  • Using ratings and filters  • Collections and smart collections  • Mastering metadata and keywording  • Exporting

Develop Module 

• Evaluating photos and making creative decisions  • Perfecting tone and color in each photo  • Applying sharpening and noise reduction  • Correcting lens distortion and chromatic aberration  • Using virtual copies  • Making great black and white conversions  • Applying special effects

The class will also cover the basics of the Slideshow, Print and Web modules, all of which take your workflow to a professional conclusion.

No prior experience with Lightroom is necessary; however a working knowledge of computers is necessary for you to get the most from this workshop. A laptop computer loaded with the current version of Lightroom 3 is required. You can download a trial version at Adobe.com.

You will gain a fresh outlook on how to manage your workflow and process your digital images faster and with more precise control.

The fee for this course is $149, Space is limited. Call 617.489.0035 to reserve your spot or purchase online now.

Lightroom 101

Filed Under: Workshops

Grand Opening – Thank You

February 27, 2012 by Digital Silver Imaging

When our building was sold we didn’t know what to expect. DSI Karma must have been good because our new landlord, JW Construction, moved us into a larger, beautifully renovated space that perfectly fits our growing company.

When you get lucky there is only one thing to do…have a party! Saturday, 2/25/12, we had our official Grand Opening. It was a fun day of free demonstrations and good coffee thanks to Peace River Coffee roasters.

Folks brought in their digital files and we converted them to black & white using Nik Silver Efex Pro software and made a free 11×14 silver gelatin print on our Durst Theta processor.  We capped off our extravaganza with refreshments and a lively gathering. All total, 12 hours of fun, learning, and some good deals to boot.
We’d like to give a huge pat-on-the-back to Ray Nayson and Brenda Hipsher from X-Rite for their excellent demonstrations on the Colorchecker Passport, i1 Display and Color Munki products. Also Congratulations to the participants that won Nik Software, and Colorchecker Passports.
Last but not least a big high-five to our amazing interns: Alexis, Anai, Kristen, Emily S. and Emily J. We couldn’t have pulled off the Grand Opening without their help. If you couldn’t make it to the Grand Opening Event please stop in, say hello, and see our beautiful new space.

Filed Under: General News Tagged With: Grand Opening

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Digital Silver Imaging

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Belmont, MA 02478
617-489-0035
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Digital Silver Imaging

9 Brighton Street
Belmont, MA 02478
617-489-0035
email us
map and directions
shipping info
Hours: 9–5:30 Monday–Friday

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