ken zirkel

The basic idea is that any GPS logger that exports a .gpx file can be used with any digital camera. Assuming the clock on your camera is correct, during post-production you sync the .gpx data file with your photos using Lightroom or other software. Your location data is matched to your photo based on time [...]

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I’ve been a longtime user of Adobe Lightroom, and I love it. I’ve been asked to give presentations on Lightroom at my photo club, and I sometimes use my notes from that session to share on bulletin boards on Reddit. So here it is, for my own reference: Q: How is Lightroom different from Photoshop? Photoshop [...]

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We all know that the best times for landscape photography are sunrise and sunset. And we can reliably predict that the sun will set each evening. The question is, how do we know when the weather conditions create a beautiful sky? It does seem to me that low humidity can correlate with the blue skies [...]

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Someone on Flickr noticed that I uploaded some photos using the Sigma 50-200mm f4-5.6 DC OS HSM lens, and asked me what I thought about it. I always find it so hard to answer these kinds of questions. Obviously, a $160 lens is not going to be as sharp as an “L” lens, or as [...]

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This question comes up a lot on online forums: “I’m new to photography. What are some good subjects to photograph? How do I come up with subjects?” The short answer is shoot what interests you, shoot what you can get to. Almost any subject can become a photo project. Shoot that subject frequently, at different [...]

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I hang around a lot (too much) in online forums, and this question comes up all the time. A beginner photographer is new to the hobby and would like advice on what DSLR to choose. If you are buying new: Of course Canon and Nikon are the most popular brands; they have the lion’s share [...]

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An image of mine was recently used in a Salon.com article about distaste. Apparently broccoli wasn’t quite right, but they still used my model, who of course is  my daughter. That’s another few bucks into the college fund. Original image available here:

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I saw a print ad in American Photo magazine for Meridian Professional Imaging. The ad specifically touted their panoramic printing, so I tried them out. They have a software package that makes it really easy to order enlargements; you can set the crop and preview the results. They have 1:3 and 1:4 and other ratios [...]

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This is a theme that goes around from time to time on internet bulletin boards. Here are my thoughts at the moment: Level indicator in the viewfinder, so that I know if the camera is perfectly horizontal or vertical. Further, I want the camera angle saved in the metadata, so that I can correct for [...]

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I have four artworks in the 2010 “Save the Bay Exhibition and Sale.” Opening reception was at the Save the Bay Center, November 18.

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