2009 | Photocrati

Using Your Tripod: Why and How

In my last two articles, I talked about how to select tripod legs and a tripod head, with that gear assembled it’s time to get out into the field and learn how to use your new tripod to best advantage.

One of the primary reasons we use tripods is stability. It is simply impossible to hold a camera steady enough for a critically sharp image as shutter speeds get longer and longer, and longer shutter speeds are often an inevitable requirement of smaller apertures and wider depth-of-field. (more…)

Piece of mind!

Every now and then a device comes along that makes you think, how did I ever live without this? How many of us would ever think of venturing on a long drive without our cell phones? For me, that device is my Epson P-5000. Two years ago, while transferring photos from my card, to my G5, the computer decided to “burp”, okay not a burp, it was more like a projectile vomit!

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Copyright, part two

Part Two – Licensing usage

Now that we’ve determined that artists are entitled to profit from their creations, we’ve got to answer the question of who actually holds the copyright, ie who owns the work. US copyright law was originally codified in 1790 but for practical purposes, the Copyright act of 1976 and the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) are the laws that currently affect us. (more…)

Get the shot

Last Saturday I was working a Bar Mitzvah when something happened that is pretty common lately: The lights came down and the glow sticks came out.

Bar Mitzvah photographers know what I’m talking about here. The DJ at a Bar Mitzvah has one of the toughest jobs in that industry because they have to entertain a room full of 13-year-old kids and their parents at the same time. (In fact, a friend of mine who used to hire DJ’s for a national chain of nightclubs told me that he would seek out Bar Mitzvah Jocks because they knew how to play to the whole room.) One of the ways that they make the kids happy is with glowsticks.

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Copyright, Part One

This is the first of several in a series on copyright, as it stands in the US, and how it affects photographers.

Part One – The basics.

Photography is copyrighted intellectual property, just like books, music and software. Like musicians, authors and filmmakers, photographers are paid a fee for creating the work and then residuals or royalties for the subsequent use of those works. An artist’s ability to profit from their creations is a Constitutional right, Article 1, Section 8:

To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;

Not to get too political here, but… The framers realized that a stable and prosperous society is aided by the ability of the innovative and inventive to profit from their innovations and inventions. This may all seem like political mumbo jumbo, but in the face of those who think copyright is a hindrance to free expression (if you liked Napster, this means you) it’s an important rebuttal. Without the profit motive to, well, motivate us, why create.

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Selecting a Tripod: Tripod Heads for Nature Photography

This is the second of a two part article on selecting a tripod, and covers the selection of tripod heads and quick-release systems. The first part discusses tripod legsets and can be found here.

For most nature photography tasks, I’d recommend using a large, high-quality ballhead. The best of these feature a large ball, adjustable tension, and a can hold quite a bit of weight. The Kirk Enterprises KB-1, Arca-Swiss Z1, Markins M-20, and (if you can find it) the Burzynski Protec are all excellent choices for general-use tripods. (more…)

Facebook alters TOS; big rights grab

There are lot's of social networking outlets. Many of them can be great for finding old friends and new ones, and the occasional client. But many of them also have…

Quest for knowledge

I love books, all types of books, fiction, self-help, history and my favorite – photography books. I love reading about how other photographers work, their style, what equipment they’re using and how they handle difficult assignments. My recent purchase and quickly becoming a dog-eared classic is by Joe McNally and The Moment it Clicks.

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Selecting a Tripod: Legsets for Nature Photography

One of the most common questions I get from students who are just starting to get serious about their photography is “what sort of tripod should I buy?” This quickly breaks down into two questions, “which tripod legsets?” and “which tripod head?”. In this article, I’ll talk about how to select a good legset for your needs, in part two, I’ll cover tripod heads and quick-release systems. (more…)

Let’s make a deal…

218_retouched1 — Copyright Booray Perry Photography All Rights Reserved

Last week I was talking to a potential client who was wanting a portrait session for her baby. She wanted my full session and she planned to buy three 16×20 prints. When I told her the price she said, “Oh, that’s way too much money… especially in today’s economy.” (more…)