Had a great time in Winston Salem last night, presenting www.picsreasy.com to the Carolina Nature Photographers Association (CNPA.org) Triad chapter. Did the same for the Charleston area chapter and had a great time at both meetings. It's fun to show fellow nature photographers how to create photo books, canvas wraps, calendars, photo cards and puzzles with the digital images they take. Many of them were like me before PicsReasy.com...I'd take a weekend and shoot several hundred images and then they would reside on my hard drive or maybe sent to friends via email. The folks were excited to learn that in a few minutes, you can put together a coffee table quality photo book that you can share or give as gifts. I showed them the newest features at PicsReasy.com, including being able to spread an image across the entire spread(two opposing pages) and the gradients we've added in the backgrounds section. Now you don't have to be a Photoshop guru to get special effects. I also showed them the 1 image per page option in the photo books module. What that provides is a really quick way for you to create a book with one image per page, so you can then add to it as you see fit. Complete flexibility is still there, so you can add as many images on a page as you like and can add borders, backgrounds, etc. There were great questions about how to do certain functions and it was fun to show them how easy it is to get the results they want with minimal effort. We also had some requests for features we don't currently have, which is great...we're always looking for ways to improve the site and add new features and products.

I came away with the feeling that the folks at the meeting enjoyed learning about PicsReasy.com and I know I came away with more knowledge about our site and a belief that we are on the right track. I always learn more by teaching than I expect.

The following questions were asked by a new  www.PicsReasy.com customer and I thought they were great questions that may help someone else new to the process of creating a photo book. If you have questions, click on the "contact us" button and shoot us an email. We'll respond quickly and make sure your experience is a good one. Here are the questions and my answers(in red):

• What is a “printable cover”.  Does the print have an edge like a postage stamp (as is illustrated)?  What material is the cover made from (some of your competitors use linen) A printable cover means we allow you to print images on the cover. We actually create a coffee table quality book with whatever you design for the cover. The image(s) you place on the cover design can be on the front, the back cover, or completely wrap from the front to the back. As with elsewhere in our program, you can add text, borders, clip art and backgrounds to the cover, including text written vertically on the spine.These covers are laminated so they are impervious to the elements and retain their “new” look for years. We opted to do this rather than printing dust jackets…every one of my coffee table books at home with a jacket are nicked, torn or otherwise look worn. We also have what we call “standard hard cover books”, which are the linen or leather look with or without the window punched.
• Can I import a folder, or does it have to be individual pictures. Currently, it is individual images only. I’m sure you know that you can select multiple images and upload them at one time…if not, let me know and I’ll walk you through that process. If you are a PC user, you have the option of downloading the desktop version of the software(free). That eliminates the need to upload images until after your design is complete. The desktop version is currently limited to books only but soon our entire line will have that option. We will also be releasing a MAC version soon, if you’re a MAC user.

• When the photos are imported and loaded, seems like the best approach is to organize their order in “My Pictures” – I assume this is how they are loaded…..otherwise, appears quite complex, please confirm Actually, the best way to organize them( for the order in which you want them to be in the book) is to do that in step 2 of the book design process. This is where you choose the images for the current project. You drag the images from the lower display window to the upper window. The order you drag them is the order in which they are populated in the book. You can choose images from any “album” you have created and uploaded images to by doing the same thing. One thing to remember if you are doing them in a specific order is not to forget your front cover image(if you’re doing the printable cover design). It is the first image you drag and it is to the left of the window that the bulk of the images are held.
• Don’t understand Text options – are there different font types available?  What other text options are available. When we build a book, we assume you will want to have text about each image, so we place a “text box” next to each image. If you wish to actually have text, you simply click on the text box and a text dialogue box opens below, ready for you to type your message. You can change the size of the font by clicking on the font size box….a drop down opens and you choose whatever font size you wish. Same is true for the font style and color of the text. You have complete control over the appearance of the text. You also have complete control over the position of the text on the page by simply clicking on the text box and dragging it wherever you wish. You can also rotate the text to match a rotated image. You can also control how wide the text is in a spot, by choosing the “width” button the text edit box. This is handy if you want to have 3 or 4 lines of text but limit it’s width to fit in a particular spot.
• Must images be properly oriented before loading?  The “rotate” function does not appear to work. You do not have to orient your images before using them. The program places them the way you have them. If you wish to rotate an image, you click on the image and open the photo editing box. The “rotate” is designed for rotating the image to an angle for design purposes. To rotate the image within the frame, click on the “edit photo”(right below the “rotate” button in the photo editing box and it will open a dialogue box that allows you to rotate the image within the frame.
• How many characters in a text box – under customize, can make it longer, how about wider?  I’m don’t believe there is a limit to the number of characters(I’ll check) in the text box, you are only limited by the size of the text box, the size of you font, and the page size. The text box automatically enlarges to accommodate the text you have entered….you can see the text on the page as you type it, so you can adjust the size, style and width(see above answer on text box width). You can either do vertical text by having a very narrow box(1 character) and then type a word. It will appear one letter on top of the other. This is how we do the text on the spine of the cover on our printable cover books.

The Canvas Wraps you see below were produced without the need of programs like Photoshop.  PicsReasy.com gives you the tools to design endless varieties of Canvas Wraps, Photo Books, Postcards, etc. Get those images off your desktop and share them as gift books or as stunning wall decorations.    

Traveled to Scotland Neck, NC to the Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Center to shoot birds from around the world. What a great opportunity to see and be able to photograph waterfowl and other species from each continent. Sylvan Heights was originally started as a research and breeding facility and has transformed into a fine educational facility. It's an easy hour and a half drive from Raleigh and you get to see a part of Eastern North Carolina you've probably never seen, because Scotland Neck isn't on the way to anywhere. The facility is a series of aviaries separated for the most part by origin of species. You'll find ducks, geese and other water birds from Europe, Australia, Africa, South and North America. The animal enclosures are kept impeccably clean and the birds are healthy. My only criticism is that the sides of the ponds are "rough" concrete....practical I'm sure but not very photogenic as a background. The variety of species is fantastic and I am amazed at the colors of some of the birds...they really look surreal. I plan to make a canvas wrap from a couple of the shots and a photo book of the rest. It's so easy to do a photobook at picsreasy.com that I make it a part of any shooting opportunity I take. Sylvan has several membership options and membership at one of the NC Aquariums will get you in here and a membership at Sylvan will also get you into the NC Aquariums. They also have a photographer's pass available that will allow you to get in the park an hour before opening to the public and stay an hour after closing time. Their hours are 9-5 so getting in early and staying late gets you better light conditions, especially in the summer. Make it a point to plan a trip to see this little known treasure....you won't be dissapointed.

We are photographers.  We do not take pictures, or pitchers as it sounds like some people are saying.  To me a pitcher is a vessel to hold milk, water, or here in the south, sweet tea. As a photographer we must not just record objects.  We should produce photographs or better yet images. It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words.  True, but a photograph/image can turn those words into a story, a dramatic mood, or a peaceful interlude of the mind.  A photographic image can be a mirror or reproduction of what's in front of the camera or it can depict or portray, feelings, inspiration, whimsy, story telling elements. Don’t let anyone ever belittle or downgrade this powerful craft/art by calling it a picture.

  Canvas wraps, Gallery wraps, whatever you call them...Picsreasy.com just added 3 new sizes to the site and our customers are happy to have the new options. We've added 24x36, 30x40 and 36x48 sizes to our line up so you can find an 8x10 all the way to 36x48. Our canvas wraps use the same easy design tools to allow you to easily and quickly create, proof and order a wrap from your digital photo that you will enjoy for a lifetime. Portrait, Landscape or Square are available and all allow for wrapping the edge with your image or adding a custom border to the wrap edge. The wraps are printed on archival quality canvas and are coated with protective varnish to allow for cleaning and dusting. The frames are professionally constructed with fine art grade wood and are ready to hang.  

 

Digital Cameras are a real blessing to many who would otherwise never experience the joy of photography. Learning about tools that can correct or enhance the images you take so that your photo book or calendar will look the way you remember the subject can take you to yet another level of pleasure with the craft. Now that it is easy to create Photo books, Canvas Wraps and the like at PicsReasy.com, the next thing to focus on is how to make the most from the images you take.

I just renewed my membership to NAPP(National Association of Photoshop Professionals) and was reminded of how valuable a resource it is for photographers. While the name suggests you have to be a pro to join(or to benefit), let me set you straight. The organization is a great place to learn how to take your skills to a higher level, no matter where you are in the skills learning path. For $99 a year, you gain access to tons of discounted products and services, including Adobe's products like Photoshop, LightRoom and CS4. You can easily save enough in discounts to pay for the membership. Plus you get a subscription to their magazine, Photoshop User, which is loaded with articles devoted to image modification. The NAPP site is loaded with many resources for learning about image improvement including training videos, classes and blog forums.

I was looking around and found the following blog post for Lightroom (which I use all the time). It lists a bunch of sites and links related to Lightroom.. . what a great resource!By the way, Picsreasy.com has a page devoted to Photography Resources and there is an article about how much Lightroom has changed my photography experience.

Here are the links for Lightroom users:

Websites:

http://www.lightroomkillertips.com

http://lightroom-news.com/

http://inside-lightroom.com/

http://www.lightroomextra.com/

http://lightroom-blog.com/

http://regex.info/Lightroom/Meta/

http://www.pixels.nu/lightroomexperts/index.html

http://www.pixels.nu/lightroomexperts/index.html


Podcasts:

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/M...t?id=116073210

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/M...t?id=204006901


Shortcuts:

http://www.photoshopservices.co.uk/lightroom.htm

This last weekend I had the opportunity and and pleasure to photograph at the “Alligator Farm” in St. Augustine Fla.  I usually shoot carefully and take time to pick my shots.  In this case I literally went into image overload.  I filled two cards in two hours, and had to borrow two more.  This location is definitely a nature/birder/graphic photographers wonderland.  When photographing subjects like this I always shoot raw and most importantly I set my playback  on histogram or better yet the blinking highlight screen.  Most of there elegant birds, as you can see, have stark white and delicate feathers.  To hold detail in these feathers you must underexpose them at least 1/3 of a stop.  You can overdo this and end up sacrificing shadow detail which will pick up noise or grain when you try to bring them back.  White feathers and dark green foliage gives the dynamic range capabilities of any film or digital cameras a real test. To sum up, watch that histogram and take a lot of cards.