Breaking News: My photo appears on Wall Street Journal's website

by Sheba Wheeler/Council on Foundations

This week's earlier coverage of the Council on Foundation's annual conference in Denver continues to offer amazing exposure for my studio. Today, one of my photos I shot of of White House adviser Valerie Jarrett appeared on Wall Street Journals' website!

Jarrett, a long-time adviser to President Obama and manager of the White House Office of Public Engagement, was a keynote speaker who addressed about 1,500 members of the nation's philanthropic community. I turned in about five shots of Jarrett the council's public relations department. The shot the WSJ staff chose was my favorite. I don't know if any other images were actually published in the Journal. But I will check it out to see!

This Weekend: Shooting first senior portrait session of 2010

This morning, I and at least one of my photography buddies will be shooting the second portion of Paul's senior portrait session. Paul, a Montbello High School senior, chose to split up his 90 minute photo shoot with one portion in studio and the second on location. His in studio shoot was held in December, and he chose his yearbook photo from that initial set of images. Here is one of my favorites from that quickie session:



Paul has chosen to have his second photo session in an urban setting, so I suggested we meet in downtown Denver along the 16th Street Mall and take some shots there. Paul is just at home in suits as he is in jeans and t-shirt, so I can't wait to see what kind of cool images we can create together. Denver's Pedestrian Mall may seem like an overdone location, but I honestly believe the possibilities are endless depending on how my vision as well as the students mesh. I've asked Paul to bring several changes of clothing to reflect his moods. When he asked if he could bring a friend, I said, "Sure!" because I've often found that when a subject brings a close friend or family member, it places them almost immediately at ease. The shoot guests have a way of helping the subjects pose or give me some genuine laughs and smiles to be captured on camera.

Here are a few of my favorite shots from previous senior portrait sessions held in downtown Denver. Book your senior portrait session today by contacting me at 303-548-6112 or email me at photos@pictureyourworld.net

JORDAN



MIKE



NANO

Saturday Morning Cartoons

Here is my favorite "What the Duck" comic from this week. Rock on Aaron! "What the Duck" is an online comic strip created by Aaron Johnson. I just love how Aaron's wry sense of humor reflects the current state of the photography industry. But what really freaks me out sometimes when I read his strip is how much they reflect whatever situation I'm currently experiencing too...whether it's working with clients or desperately trying to stay on top of technology like Facebook or Twitter or a host of other things that all add up to being a professional photographer.

The genius of his strip is the way viewers can interact with Aaron and his comic character. Folks are welcome to link, post, copy/paste, or save the strips to their own sites, blogs, forums, newsletters, etc. Aaron also allows viewers to suggest titles for his individual strips, and post photos of their own plushy and stuffed W.T. Duck working or hanging out.

Get Connected: My wedding photos appearing on a website next month!

Bella Sera Event Center owner Elisabeth Montoya is poised to unveil the center's newly developed website on May 3 and will include a large collage of 12 of my best images from Patience and Jack's Wedding. The collage will showcase my logo, website link and contact number too, offering accessibility and convenience to clients who will be thankful that the Bella Sera is a one-stop shopping center, complete with preferred vendors including photographers and videographers.

Elisabeth sent me this sneak peak of the site that should be live the first week in May:



Tomorrow morning, I will be using YouSendIt to email Daniel Harrington of Alpha Bee Design based in Massachusetts a dozen photos which he will place and format on the webpage. The hardest part has been narrowing down the nearly 600 wedding shots to just a dozen of not only my personal best, but those shots that will resonate with potential wedding clients as well as those highlight event center features such as the grand staircase, the chandeliers in the ladies dressing room, the wedding altar and the reception hall. So far I've gotten them down to 17 but I have to have 12 ready for Dan.

BREAKING NEWS: My photo to appear in upcoming magazine editions!

An email I received today just blew me away: One of my photos has a chance to appear in upcoming editions of Digital Photo, Digital Photo Pro and Outdoor Photographer magazines!

Back in August 2007, I won the Digital Photo Academy Assignment for "The Allure of Water" with this image of a little girl running through a fountain at Northfield Stapleton:



My photo along with images from other monthly DPA assignment winners were featured in a traveling exhibition in 10 museums and art galleries where DPA classes are held around the country.

And I thought that was cool!

This new development is simply amazing!

The DPA recently secured plans with Werner Publishing to feature my image in upcoming editions of Digital Photo, Digital Photo Pro, and Outdoor Photographer magazines. Six previous assignment winners' photos will appear in the magazines beginning in June congratulating each DPA assignment winner, says DPA's Mike Zeiler. Not only will the displays advertise the great work DPA is doing but expose its students' works to a world-wide audience!

What's so amazing to me is that that photo was one of THE FIRST images I ever shot with my then Canon Rebel XTi in my first digital photography class taught by Efrain Cruz when he worked at the Denver Darkroom. Since then, Efrain started his own company called Illuminate Workshops. I can't even remember what the class assignment had been...shoot outdoors, or urban photography or some such other thing. But I do remember this little girl following me around the shopping center while I was fumbling with and trying to learn how to work my new camera. I told her that if she didn't stop following me, I was gonna shoot her! She and her friends didn't stop, so I shot them while they were getting soaked in the fountains. The image was definitely a foundation for the kind of captured moments I now look for as my professional photography career has progressed. You can even see my feeble attempts at trying to burn out distracting elements (I was taking my first Photoshop class at the time too!)

The exposure opportunities that DPA continues to make available for their students is just unbelievable. If you haven't become a part of this program yet, then do so now. It continues to grow by leaps and bounds, has secured some amazing sponsors, including Panasonic Lumix, has the best teachers available and is always finding ways to get more exposure for their students. For example, students can have their work be showcased on webinars and online classes hosted by instructors for an international wide audience. Our photos appear in online galleries. And the networking possibilities are endless. DPA is available in more than 20 US cities, so there is bound to be one close to you!

This will be the second time some of my photography has been featured in a magazine. This image appeared as a full page feature photo in the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation's magazine, BUGLE!

Get Inspired: Denver Post Photographer Wins Pulitzer

I am proud to announce that one of my colleagues, Denver Post Photographer Craig Walker, won the 2010 Feature Photography Pulitzer for "Ian Fisher: American Soldier." In May of 2007, Ian Fisher was a high school graduate looking for a new direction in life. He chose the military, where he could put his fighting instincts to work in defense of his country. Craig and reporters Kevin Simpson, Michael Riley and Bruce Finley tracked Fisher from high school graduation through basic training, assignment to Colorado’s Fort Carson and a year-long deployment in Iraq. The narratives and photos reveal how Fisher also had to win a battle with himself before he could defend his nation. Meanwhile, videos in the comprehensive online multimedia project of Fisher’s friends, relatives and military colleagues discuss his decision to join the Army and how his military career path has impacted them.

The Pulitzer couldn't have gone to a more deserving, hardworking photojournalist. Craig's accomplishments with his lens has spanned the years from chronicling the last 6 months of a one young woman's battle with cancer to risking his own life while shooting in Afghanistan. He has always been one of the most supportive photography staff members here at the Post encouraging me to continue with my own photography studies and even fighting for my ability to be able to shoot here at the Denver Post.

During his speech, I chuckled when I learned that Craig's favorite photo from his series on Ian Fisher was Ian's most disliked photo. Sounds familiar, huh, considering the fact that as a photographer, often my favorite shots are the ones the clients could care less about. It was very poignant to hear Craig talk about living through the emotional ups and downs along with Ian who gave unprecedented access to he and his family throughout his journey of becoming an American soldier. The Fishers were in attendance today when the Denver Post staff saluted them and Craig with a champagne toast and a party complete with a live band later that evening. Publisher Dean Singleton and Editor Greg Moore spoke about Craig's win as validation of all the sacrifices The Denver Post has overcome in the past year to stay alive in the aftermath of the closing of the Rocky Mountain News, including surviving layoffs, and cuts in salaries and benefits.

Instructor's Tip: Dramatic Coastal Shots

I hope you enjoy this week's "Instructor's Tip" by one of my favorite instructors, award winning nature photographer Russ Burden. To learn more about how Russ captured the above image, join him on one of his photo tours. Visit Russ Burden Photography to get more information.

Photo by Russ Burden


Two quick things:
1) There won’t be a Photo Tip of the Week next week as Russ will be in Monument Valley and The Slot Canyons of Arizona leading my photo tour. He'd love to have each of you join him on one so he can share his knowledge and enthusiasm with you.
2) Great News - if you’ve been following his weekly tips on Take Great Pictures, you noticed they weren’t being updated these past few months. Well that’s all changed and they’re back along with a new "Photoshop Tip of the Month." See below for all the details.

Dramatic Coastal Shots
Having lived on the east coast for many years, I developed a strong love for the ocean. While I was living there, I made many photo excursions to capture coastal light at both sunrise and sunset. Since moving to the Denver area, I now get my once a year ocean fix when I run my photo tour to Oregon and northern California in late May (one opening left - hint hint). The sunrises and sunsets of the landscape are gorgeous, but coastal photography goes far beyond capturing a fantastic seascape. The subject matter in any coastal area is endless. As a nature photographer I try to incorporate natural subjects into my images, but I’ve also shot my fair share of lobster traps, fishing villages, old salts working their boats, and many other subjects found in these areas.

As with most subject matter in photography, getting out early and staying out late to capture the sweet light of sunrise and sunset is key to getting the best images. The colors are richer, the tones are warmer, and the sidelight emphasizes the textures and patterns that grace these areas. Don’t overlook getting to each location at dawn and staying till dusk to capture the subtle colors at these times. If Mother Nature doesn’t provide you with a light show in the sky, try using colored filters to add some punch. Another filter you’ll find quite useful is a graduated neutral density to tame the contrast of the rising or setting sun if you include darker foreground areas in your composition.

Tides are important to coastal shots. Low tide means tide pools teeming with life and provide lots of subject matter. Low tide also means having rocks revealed that can be used as strong foregrounds. High tide may bring more dramatic wave action crashing on rocks or simply make for better subjects unto themselves. You’ll also want to be aware of the tide times for the sake of safety as you don’t want to get caught in an area from where you can’t escape if the tide comes in while you’re wrapped up in your photography.

Please help spread the word about my Nature Photo Tours so I’ll be able to continue sending The Tip Of The Week year after year. As I’ve re-designated 2010 to be The Year of the Photo Tour, I’d love to have you join me so I can share with you first hand all the great free tips I’ve sent out over the years. I look forward to seeing you on a tour.

Take a class with Russ or a fellow Digital Photo Academy instructor in your area, check out the Digital Photo Academy. I took Russ' intermediate and advanced courses last year, and he continues to be a strong source of knowledge and encouragement as I progress in my photography.

Check out Burden's "How To Tips" featured on Outdoor Photographer's website. The seven that are dated February 4th are his. Just underneath the articles, be sure to click on page 1 to see an additional 9.

Don't forget to check Take Great Pictures for Burden's most recent tips. On the home page, click on the "Photo Tips And Techniques" button in the left hand column. Additionally, check out his "Digital Tip of the Month" found by clicking on the Digital Photography button.

To learn more about this subject, join Burden on one of his photo tours.