Dreams - Call for Entries

The Center for Fine Art Photography has announced an international call for entries for the theme titled "Dreams". All entries are due on or before August 6th. A description of this theme is:

Dreams are a creation of images, ideas, sensations and
emotions that occur in our conscious and subconscious mind.
They can be the manifestation of our aspirations, goals, and
fears both realistic and fantastic.

The Center is located in Fort Collins, Colorado, but has over 1300 members from all over the world. It stages regular photography competitions on a variety of themes. To learn more see the images below. To register go to: DREAMS.

Bokehs and Chimping

In any field of human endeavor participants invariably develop a certain "lingo" or "terms of art" used to describe activities specific to that field. Photography is no exception. Two that I've come across recently are Bokeh and Chimping.

In photography, Bokeh refers to a blurring of a portion of the image hopefully made in a manner that adds to the aesthetic quality of the final image. This can be achieved through the use of various lens and F stops to throw parts of the scene outside the depth of field.



It can also refer to specular reflections caused by shooting with a lens "stopped down" smaller than its maximum aperture, so that out of focus points are blurred into the polygonal shape of the aperture blades of the lens used.


Chimping in digital photography is used to describe the act of checking images on the LCD screen immediately after capture. Some photographers use this term to refer to amateur photographers who constantly check, and often show off the images on their LCD to others while shooting. However, others point out that checking images simply takes advantage of the power of the digital camera, and leads to more creative shooting.

Once Upon A TIME

Dallas commercial photographer Tom Hussey did a stunning and poignant series of photographs for a new Alzheimer's drug by Novartis featuring "a look back in time". The purpose of the advertising was to market a medical patch that helps patients of the disease maintain long-term memories during its early stages.



To see all 8 of the images in the series and more of his work, including his Motion photography pieces, go to: Tom Hussey.

To Be Published or Self-Publish?

Excelsior, Minnesota native Mary Virginia Swanson is the co-author of a book called Publish Your Photography Book. It is described as: "the first book to demystify the process of producing and publishing a book of photographs".

Ms. Swanson is giving a free lecture on July 20th on the subject of publishing a photography book at Excelsior Bay Books in her hometown. The lecture starts at 7:00 pm this Wednesday at 36 Water Street in downtown excelsior. She will talk about the many avenues to pursue and the pitfalls to avoid when deciding to publish a book, including information to help navigate the publishing world.

In addition to the lecture, Ms. Swanson will be signing copies of her insightful book. This lecture is a must for any photographer thinking of publishing.

For more information go to: Excelsior Books. For a map to the lecture go here: MAP.

Stunning Time Lapse of the Milky Way

Check out this amazing time lapse video of the Milky Way:

The Mountain from TSO Photography on Vimeo.

Master Photographers

My fellow blogger Barb Smith directed me to a great website that features selected works of the masters of photography. Below are photos of Ansel Adams and Edward Weston, and a partial list of those who's images are featured.









To view all of these masters of photography go to: MASTERS.

Abandoned Russian Riviera in Photos

Once upon a time, in a subtropical climate on Georgia’s Black Sea coast, there were glorious scenic wonders like beautiful beaches, lush wooded mountains, and buildings of grandeur at a resort paradise known as the Russian Riviera. But a bloody war erupted in Gagra and countless thousands were murdered, an extermination of the Georgian people. Gagra became a war-torn paradise resort in ruins. Now this “Russian Riviera” is an abandoned ghost town.







Go to: Russian Riviera to view all 46 images of this once popular ghost town.

St. Paul Camera Club on History Detectives

The History Detectives program on PBS has finalized a date for the story they did on Marion Carpenter and the St. Paul Camera Club. The show will be aired on PBS Tuesday, August 30, 2011. This story will be the first one run that evening.

For more information on this story refer back to this blog's entry on March 28, 2011. You can visit the History Detectives website for showtimes and more information about the program.





Also, Herb Gustafson and Gene Schwope have petitioned the U. S. Postal Service to create a Marion Carpenter commemorative stamp. They were recently notified that a Marion Carpenter stamp will be considered in 2014.