Frank Wise Photography

No Man Get's Left Behind

2012-01-21T20:43:00.001-08:00

20120121-IMG_7003-2
Originally uploaded by fwisneski
I obviously didn't shoot this, but my fellow Warrior teammate Kevin did. We were at the Newport Beach Marine Beach Challenge, and I had just finished my 5K obstacle course in the sand. Here, I was cheering on my daughter during her 1K obstacle course.

I'd imagine that somewhere in the not too distant future, she's not going to want my help, or insist she doesn't need it. As a matter of fact, she wanted to run by herself today, and told me to stay behind. I gave her plenty of freedom and stayed on the sidelines. But I was never far, as she IS a type 1, and this was a very tough course, I didn't want to be far if her blood sugar crashed. And then it happened, for a fabulous couple of minutes, she needed me, wanted my help, and I was able to give it. I will cherish this moment, and this picture, forever.

Hope

2011-12-09T10:57:00.001-08:00

Hope
Originally uploaded by fwisneski

I work with an amazing group of people that go into the Baldwin Park Shelter every other week to photograph, video tape, and upload a bio of 70-80 homeless dogs, in an effort to help get them adopted and rescued.

That group is http://www.unitedhope4animals.org/ And they work tirelessly beyond the every other week photo shoots to talk with potential adopters, foster several of the animals, keep the images and bios updated, and upload all this info to FB, www.adoptapet.com , and the like.

This image symbolizes all of the work the hard work that goes into this effort, and exactly who we are fighting and hoping for.

Best Friends

2011-12-03T20:43:00.001-08:00

Best Friends
Originally uploaded by fwisneski
Rule #1 No clutter in the background.
Rule #2 Choose your location carefully
Rule #3 Watch for lens flare
Rule #4 Forget the rules

This image was taken in a mall parking lot. A brief passing moment of my daughter and her service dog Major. But wow, what a moment. These 2 have been working together for 3 months, and have quite the bond. My daughter is a type 1 diabetic, and Major is trained to detect fluctuations in her blood sugar.

Yep. A parking lot in the mall. You normally wouldn't even bother to bring out your camera. After all, there are rules that need to be followed. But then, you wouldn't have this image. And the only rule I've ever payed attention to, is to "listen to your gut"

For more info on their story, go here: A Guardian Angel for Stella

Waiting

2011-11-29T13:32:00.001-08:00

20111127-IMG_4230-2
Originally uploaded by fwisneski

Stella and Major waiting for mom at the Huntington Beach Dog Beach.

Did a light vintage effect to it in Lightroom

Dog Beach

2011-11-28T10:40:00.001-08:00

20111127-IMG_4202
Originally uploaded by fwisneski

Took the family down to the Huntington Beach Dog Beach for the very first time yesterday. 11/27/11. It was 85 degrees, and the water was great!

The family had a blast, and here you can see Major really enjoying himself.

A happy lab is a tried lab. Covered in sand. And salt water. With a tennis ball in his mouth . ;-)

20111126-IMG_3683

2011-11-26T20:06:00.001-08:00

20111126-IMG_3683
Originally uploaded by fwisneski

Today I ran the San Dimas Turkey Trot 10K. After that race was over, my daughter participated in the kids race. I had a blast running with my daughter today. A year ago, this was not even a remote possibility. Such an amazing feeling. Loved it all!

A big thank you to Robert Abitia for shooting this!

Eerie morning

2011-11-22T20:13:00.001-08:00

Eerie morning
Originally uploaded by fwisneski

Really happy with the way this came out. IPhone 4 and Instagram

Dia de Los Muertos

2011-11-09T12:59:00.001-08:00

20111102-IMG_1897
Originally uploaded by fwisneski

I shot the annual Dia de Los Muertos event at Turner Live Oak in Monrovia for the 3rd year in a row. This year, I was told that I couldn't use flash. I'm always up for a challenge, so I set my camera to ISO 2000, and 1/30 sec. I only had my 24-105 f4 with me, so I used f4. The limiting of my settings I actually found very freeing. I had to tell myself that "It is what it is" and I was pleasantly surprised by what turned up.

The violin

2011-11-07T15:02:00.001-08:00

20111105-IMG_3347
Originally uploaded by fwisneski

Shot a wedding on Saturday (my last of the year) and they had a Mariachi group perfoming. My assistant shot the group, while I go some detail shots. I like the way this one turned out

Margo's Bark

2011-10-24T20:10:00.000-07:00

The family went to the Race for the Rescues on Sunday. One of the vendors there raising money for the cause was Margo's Bark Soda Company, an amazing company that gives all it's proceeds back to shelter dogs and rescues. We knew about them as they have offered up money to help get critical dogs out of shelters, and we bought a 4 pack of soda to try out.

It's really good soda! Next time your at Whole Foods, pick up some. Or go to the website and order it. The money goes to a cause very near to our hearts. And as always, please stop by A Guardian Angel for Stella

Good Low Major!

2011-10-18T09:56:00.001-07:00

Good Low Major
Originally uploaded by fwisneski

Major, our diabetic alert dog (DAD), alerting us to our daughter's low blood sugar, using the bringsel (the baton in his mouth). We were in the midst of thousands at the Cal Poly Pomona Pumpkin Patch, with farm animals, BBQ's, and lot's of other scents and distractions going on. He really does shine when we are out and about in public.

The look on my daughters face shows you exactly how she felt at the time.

For more info about Major, and DAD's in general, go here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Guardian-Angel-for-Stella/253843297977243

"Saving the life of one animal may not change the world, but the world will surely change for that one animal"

Wind in her hair

2011-10-17T12:31:00.001-07:00

Wind in her hair
Originally uploaded by fwisneski

As my daughter and I were running some errands Saturday night, we had the windows down. It's been a while since it as so nice that we didn't have the AC on. We were listening to some good tunes (I believe at this point it was the Smashing Pumpkins), and having a good time. I looked in the mirror, and saw the shot. I took a couple, 1 with me, and 1 without, but I really like the way this came out. It makes me smile, remembering how great the evening was, and the fun we were having.

Shot with the iPhone, obviously :-)

What my son does in the middle of the night ;-)

2011-10-17T11:28:00.001-07:00

What my son does in the middle of the night ;-)
Originally uploaded by fwisneski

My son has been editing his film in the middle of the night. Cup of coffee in hand.

Seriously, he was watching the new Muppet Movie trailer on Youtube, but he was holding onto my coffee mug. Yes, that mug is mine. And I LOVE that coffee mug. :-)

Power Pole Zooms By

2011-10-14T14:52:00.001-07:00

Power Pole Zooms By
Originally uploaded by fwisneski

Just a quick grab shot using the iPhone and Instagram. Sometimes you get lucky!

Major Goes Hiking

2011-10-11T13:18:00.000-07:00

Having diabetes sucks. Being a kid with type 1 diabetes is even worse. Not having a pump, and still doing injections probably sucks even more. There are no impromptu runs to Baskin Robbins, no cake at a child's birthday party, the general highs and lows that come from everyday life, that on top of everything else, now play havoc with your blood sugar levels.

But as a kid, having a dog is awesome! And having a well trained dog, that loves to do some of your favorite activities is better. And if that same dog get's to sleep in your bed, well then, that's the best!

One of the great things our family loves to do (my daughter and I especially) is go hiking, and our favorite place to go is the Eaton Canyon Falls. It can be anywhere from a 1.5 mile to 4 mile trek depending on where you park, but my daughter is always game for it. So we took Major, our in training diabetic alert dog (DAD for short) on his first hike back to the falls.

The weather was gorgeous, so we loaded up the backpack with water, cheesesticks, and the trusty Canon S90, diabetic kit and supplies, we strapped a backpack on Major (he carries in his own water, dish, poop bags, & tennis ball) and away we went. There was hardly anyone there, which is so different from what we are used to there. Major loved plowing through the stream with Stella. Just look at her smile!

This is my first experience with a Lab. I've never really had a dog that loved the water (Roxy "tolerates" the stream) so we had a blast! Major was very happy to walk through the stream, and at 1 point we had him fetching tennis balls in the pool at the face of the falls!

On our way back down from the falls, Major gave me an alert. He jumped up on me and put his 2 wet and muddy front paws square on my chest. Then he refused to sit, down, or stay. Very out of character for Major, he is extremely well behaved, so this is a pretty typical alert for him. This one did feel a little different though. Stella seemed fine, and without Major alerting, I never would have checked her at this point.

So, we stopped, pulled out the testing kit, and tested. The result? 110. A perfect #. But Major still wasn't letting go, & still wasn't going into a down stay. I didn't acknowledge Major because the # wasn't a low, but I decided I would check again in 10 minutes. We hiked a little further, and I checked again. This time she was at 90. Dropping pretty quick. So I treated Stella as if she had a low, giving her some Smartees (our treatment of choice), as we still had a ways to hike. We then got to the car about 15 minutes later, and I checked again. She dropped to 64. A great low for Major, and he gave me a great head start on treating my daughter during an exercise activity in a fairly remote location. This type of reinforcement of his abilities, even while he is out playing in the water, makes me more comfortable knowing there is one more way my daughter is being watched. Good boy Major!

For more info on Major, or to donate, go here: A Guardian Angel for Stella

For more info on DAD's, or applying for your own: Guardian Angel Diabetic Alert Dogs

It's All In The Eyes

2011-10-08T20:11:00.001-07:00

20111008-IMG_1294
Originally uploaded by fwisneski

This little puppy is one of 9 litter mates available at the Baldwin Park Shelter. The eyes just struck me. You can see my silhouette reflected in them. Such a cute little puppy!

Major is focused!

2011-10-03T08:08:00.001-07:00

Major is focused!
Originally uploaded by fwisneski

We've had a very busy week around here, and for us, Sunday was a play day. We spent time with friends in the morning, and in the afternoon, we went to my mom's house to introduce her to Major.

She has a pool, and I was curious to see if Labs really love the water, and I wanted Stella and Major to have a bonding activity. I've never had a dog that liked to get wet. Well, it became very obvious that he REALLY loves the water. Here you can see his focus as he goes after his other love, fetching a tennis ball.

It was fun to watch him move so beautifully, from the run, the jump, and the swim.

Peace & Harmony

2011-09-28T14:24:00.001-07:00

Peace & Harmony
Originally uploaded by fwisneski

On Major's first full day at our house, we introduced him to the ladies. Very happy to report that the intro's went off without a hitch. Of course, he did have ME as his wing-man. :-)

57 North

2011-09-25T15:43:00.001-07:00

57 North
Originally uploaded by fwisneski

On my way to shoot a friend racing in a triathalon. I had 10 grand in gear on my back, and my iphone. :-)

Major and the girl

2011-09-23T14:57:00.001-07:00

Major and the girl
Originally uploaded by fwisneski

We will be working with Major, and bringing him home for real time diabetic training tomorrow. Our family is SO excited to get this opportunity. Stay tuned for what will be a barrage I'm sure of photos from this new Dynamic Duo!

Via Flickr:
Having a training session with Major, our potential Diabetes Awareness Dog

Dog day afternoon

2011-09-19T08:12:00.001-07:00

Untitled
Originally uploaded by fwisneski

Spent Sunday morning at the North Central Shelter photographing their homeless dogs for the network list. Spent the afternoon editing said pix with more dogs at my feet. They have no idea a new member will be joining them next weekend...

The big white one is our Dane Roxy. The black one is our 12 year old Rotty, Smidge.

Save me

2011-09-10T16:01:00.001-07:00

20110910-IMG_9347
Originally uploaded by fwisneski
I am drawn to this shot. I take it over and over again. The eyes draw you in. I just want to save them all...

Major, The Diabetic Alert Dog

2011-09-09T19:13:00.000-07:00

Meet Major. Major is in training to become a Diabetic Alert Dog (DAD). DAD's are trained to sense high and low blood sugar levels in diabetics. We were approved to get a DAD for our daughter earlier this year. Major is in training with Guardian Angel Diabetic Alert Dogs. Normally, service dogs come from reputable breeders, that maintain very high standards. In this particular instance, that is a good thing, as the amount of training these dogs get is astounding. They cost anywhere from $6,500 - $20,000 based on that training, and they are expected to be serving their "person" for a very long time. As such, it becomes very important to know all about the animals history, and to get a guarantee against hip issues, blindness, or other issues that may be prevalent in poor breeding.

With that being said, we still told our trainer that we would prefer a shelter or rescue dog. And here is where Major came in. He was rescued from an abusive trainer, training him to be a gun dog. He was overworked, and severely abused when mistakes were made. When our trainer found him, he was living in a crate in a trailer, his coat stained from his own urine. But he is a very loving dog, and is responding well to training. His main issue is he can only do 1 thing at a time right now, like "Stay". If he is placed in a stay, he stops alerting low blood sugars for fear of punishment from breaking the stay. Our trainer seems to think she is making progress in this area with him, and she has some alternative training methods she is working with him on. And we, as a family that places high priority on the rescue aspect, are willing to accept what some might call issues, to be able to give a rescue dog a new lease on life, in a very important role.

I left work early today, picked up the kids from school, and raced home to meet the trainer and Major at our house. What we thought would be a fairly short visit, turned into a magical 3 hours. Major is very affectionate, is very good with basic obedience, and is very handsome. He is a Black Labrador, and at first, I thought he was just a puppy, but he is about 18 months old. Apparently for hunting/gun dogs, small, sleek, and quick are all traits that are bred into the dogs. He showed us how well he behaved, and played fetch with us for awhile. At 1 point, we headed outside so he could go potty. My daughter was running around, and being very active. He jumped up on her. That was not common behavior for him. When the trainer corrected him, he jumped on her too. We went back inside, and my daughter told us she was starving. That is a tell-tale sign she is going low. Since Major didn't have his bringsel (a signaling device) he was alerting us anyway he could. We tested her, and her BG reading was 50, very low for her. Major alerted us that Stella was low at our very first meeting! That was amazing to see.

I couldn't have been more impressed with Major. He will make an amazing DAD very soon. He is still in training, so it is too soon to say that he may be ours, but he certainly seems like he'd be a great fit for our family. And he loves to hike, swim, and run!

We still have a long way to go in our fund raising efforts, so if there is any possibility you would be willing to donate the cost of that next Venti Carmel Macchiatto, please go to our Guardian Angel for Stella Facebook page to learn how to do that. Every little bit counts, and is appreciated! We hope to be able to see him again soon! We will keep everyone updated on our journey.

The Dogs of the Baldwin Park Shelter

2011-09-07T10:24:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!

I know it seems like I've been gone for a while, unless you follow me on Facebook...

I never went anywhere, I have just had a major change in focus, both personally, and with my photography. Shortly after leaving Tri, I noticed that Sonia Tapia (a fellow Tri Alum and amazing photographer) was doing a lot of work with homeless animals at the Baldwin Park Shelter through a group she works with called United Hope for Animals. Those of you that know my family understand that both through my wife's work at Adopt A Pet and our own rescued dogs both big and small, this is something very important to us. I asked Sonia if she would let me tag a long, and the rest is history. I found passion in my photography again. Feeling, importance, responsibility, emotion, happiness, and yes, much sadness. But it's all there. Thank you for allowing me to become part of the team Sonia, it means the world to me.

Through United Hope and the Baldwin Park Shelter, we put together a photo shoot every 2 weeks and we photograph the dogs and cats at the shelter in an effort to get them adopted ASAP. The shelter does euthanize animals, it is not a "No-Kill" place, and the word "Shelter" sometimes paints a safe or nice picture. It becomes important to present these animals in the best possible way, to make them more adoptable. We photograph them, post a video of them interacting with a volunteer, and post a bio on each and every dog we photograph. You can find all that info at the Baldwin Park Shelter Facebook page. If you are ever looking for a dog or cat, I urge you to look at your local shelter or rescue and adopt your next pet. You will be saving 2 lives, the animal you adopt, and the animal that we just made room for at the shelter. And please, please, please have your pet spayed or neutered.

Since working there, our family has started to foster dogs, so, along with our 3, we will maintain a rotating door policy of fostering another dog that may not be doing so well in the shelter, but with a little love and affection can really come out of their shell and make an amazing pet for someone. And below is the face that started all of that, our first foster Chauncy. I'm happy to say that he's been adopted, and has a huge Golden Retriever to call his very own ;-)

I have added a whole gallery of animals over at my website that will be a "work in progress" called "The Dogs of the Baldwin Park Shelter". The first image is of an emaciated dog that was dumped at the shelter named Lancelot. The image of Lancelot started a drive to raise money and awareness, and a Facebook page with over 7500 likes was formed amazingly quickly. Sadly, Lancelot couldn't recover from the damage that was done, but he did finish off his life in a caring and loving environment.

If you are ever looking to volunteer your time and effort to a very worthy cause, please go to United Hope's website and the volunteer tab. We are always looking for dog handlers, photographer's, videographers, etc. You could wind up like this guy here:

So please remember, don't shop, adopt! There are some AMAZING animals at your local shelters or rescues. You could even search for an animal from the comfort of your own home by going to Adopt A Pet!

Thank you # 44

2011-09-06T07:52:00.001-07:00

Thank you # 44
Originally uploaded by fwisneski
My family has been fund raising for a DAD (Diabetes Awareness Dog) for my type 1 diabetic daughter. Every time we get a donation, we take of picture of her holding a thank you sign.
A Guardian Angel for Stella

This time, we let my son in on the act :-) and I think this one is my favorite so far.

For more info on DAD's, here are some links:

www.guardiandiabeticalertdogs.com/

www.diabeticalertdog.com/

iPhone HDR Sun rise

2011-09-04T21:44:00.001-07:00

iPhone HDR Sun rise
Originally uploaded by fwisneski

Had a little fun on my run this morning with the Camera+ app, and the HDR setting. It was a gorgeous morning.

Puddingstone Sun Rise

2011-09-03T18:17:00.001-07:00

Untitled
Originally uploaded by fwisneski

Started running around Puddingstone Lake 3 weeks ago. The sun rises have been amazing! Shot with my iPhone

Malibu Sunset

2011-09-02T20:16:00.001-07:00

Malibu Sunset
Originally uploaded by fwisneski

Walking along the beach where Sunset meets PCH

My son

2011-09-02T08:22:00.001-07:00

My son
Originally uploaded by fwisneski

My son found my wife's glasses. My camera was sitting on my desk, so I snapped away. I love the HUGE eyes!

Life's Prizes

2011-01-20T11:00:00.000-08:00

I talk often about being thankful. Grateful. Appreciative. I struggled for years with all of those. Asking for help. Assistance. Acknowledging you can't do it alone. I still struggle with these. But I'm getting better.

The end of last year/beginning of this year has been all about change for me. Mostly personal, health related. Several changes involve throwing some things against a wall to see what sticks. But I have faith. This week is the 3rd anniversary of my heart attack at 38. And while that alone wasn't enough for me to quit smoking, the last 3 months of my life have gotten me prepared. My 10th wedding anniversary just passed too. I've been very reflective these past couple of weeks. Some may even say to the point of paranoia. But I'm feeling better. And it's getting easier. And I am tending to things that needed some maintenance. And I'm happy. And today I came across this, and needed to share. It was an ad campaign for the United Technology Company:

Most of us miss out on life’s big prizes.

The Pulitzer.

The Nobel.

Oscars.

Tonys.

Emmys.

But we’re all eligible for life’s small pleasures.

A pat on the back.

A kiss behind the ear.

A four-pound bass.

A full moon.

An empty parking space.

A crackling fire.

A great meal.

A glorious sunset.

Hot soup.

Cold beer.

Don’t fret about copping life’s grand awards. Enjoy it’s tiny delights.

There are plenty for all of us.

Relish the small pleasures. And be grateful. Thankful. Let someone else know they contributed to your good mood. Help someone else. Enjoy. Relax. Share. Give out a nice "That'll do Pig". A hug. Let someone know you appreciate the things they do for you. And don't expect anything back. It will come back to you. I promise

Who Wants To Go On A Photo Walk?

2011-01-14T10:23:00.000-08:00

I miss you guys. The camaraderie, the war stories, the photography, the beer...

So what's say we get together for what should be an amazing photographic opportunity? On Saturday, February 5th in Chinatown, The Chinese Chamber of Commerce will be hosting the 112th Annual Golden Dragon Parade at 1:00 in Chinatown to celebrate the Chinese New Year. All the details are here: http://www.lagoldendragonparade.com/

Perhaps we could meet at Union Station or Olvera St at noon and head over. So who's in?

Happy New Year!

2011-01-01T10:13:00.000-08:00

"We will open the book. It's pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity, and it's first chapter is New Years Day." ~ Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Here is hoping you and yours find this New Years day happy, healthy, and ready for anything. As I reflect back on 2010, I can honestly say it was an amazing year, with many lessons learned, and new appreciations granted. So many of us look at a years passage as a marker of time, getting older, getting closer to the end. I prefer to look at it more like a road map, with markers showing where we've been. Prior to 2010, and even during a good portion of 2010, I was racing to see how quickly I could get to the end. That all changed for me on 7/30/2010, when I was reminded of what really, truly is important to me. For that, I will always be fond of 2010.

That was the day my daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. All though I will always be sad that my daughter and family will have to deal with this horrible disease, it did come with several gifts. I reconnected with several friends, who have been amazingly supportive of my family. A big thank you to Tommy & Elizabeth, Pete & Kristen, Liz, and our #1 Peanut Gallery supporter Barger, for all your support and caring, and for understanding that when we get together, things have changed, and just aren't as easy as they were before, but require planning and understanding. I love you all.

I also fell in love all over with a girl. Again. We tend to maintain a breakneck pace around here, and I had many commitments outside of the house this past year, and for the past several years for that matter. I was away a lot of the day, and my wife, with no fan fare, and little support, just kept this place running, and very well. 2 kids, 3 dogs, a guinea pig, and a full time job on top of all of that. My respect and love for all she does, and for her as a person, is at an all time high. And can I just say that she is gorgeous? And I still get butterflies when she walks into a room. I knew after my daughter's diagnosis, that changes needed to be made. It still took me several months to fully commit, but I am here, and I am present in my own life. Finally.

It was also a year spent reconnecting with family. I'm an only child, from a single mother, so my family has always been very small. Again, through having a hospital stay with my daughter, I realized again, just how important family is. And perhaps even more important, that we don't have to handle all of this on our own. We have a support network, and I love that. Thank you Mom, for everything you do for us, I love you. And I'm thankful that we are spending more time with Laurie's family, and as tough as this is to say, I'm also glad my sister in law has moved close by, and we get to spend so much time with her, Brian, and that my daughter and son have a cousin Ava that they get to play with often.

And to all my photographer friends and Tri-students. Thank you for all of your support, and for allowing me into your lives. All though I am no longer teaching at Tri, I want you to know I loved every minute of it. I miss it tremendously, but I am hopeful we all get an opportunity to shoot together again. And with that said, perhaps you should pencil in 2/5/11 for one of those chances.

This past month has been the best. I've had lot's of time to connect with friends, family, my wife and kids, and it has been a great way to roll right into 2011. I have also created some images I'm very proud of. I feel I ended this year with my priorities in their proper order. The emphasis on 2011 will be family and health. Having recently quit smoking, I bought some running shoes. Hopefully a few pounds will be shed this year. A huge emphasis will be placed on the constant reminder that I will get there when I get there. And while I'm on my way, a need to remember to sit, enjoy, and participate. Because there is no prize for reaching the end first, but there are many rewards found along the way.

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover" ~ Mark Twain

Want to keep track of how I'm doing this year? Want to share with me what your 2011 will be filled with? Come join us in our Focused on 2011 flickr group, a 365 group for sharing 1 image a day, every day for a year.

"The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot." ~ Michael Altshuler

2011 365 Group

2010-12-30T14:38:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year everyone! Hope you are planning on joining us on 1/1/2011 by adding an image a day to our flickr 365 group, Focused on 365. Images can be from your DSLR, point and shoot, phone, anything, but it must be taken that day. You will need to sign up for a flickr account, and they are free for 200 images, which means only your most recent 200 images will be viewable. The pro account allows unlimited images, and is $25 a year.

If your new to flickr, here is a quick tutorial on how to upload and add images to the group. Can't wait to see all of your images!

The Salton Sea

2010-12-29T10:45:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, I headed out to the Salton Sea with 2 other photographers to shoot for a day. I haven't been out there in 15 years, and I had never been to Bombay Beach, which was our destination. We tried to get some models, but as usual, the same excuses came up. Grandpa died, no gas money, I'm sick, blah, blah, blah.

No matter, as Tammy (one of the photogs) graciously offered to model. I knew she had her wedding dress still, and she was looking to do a shoot with it, so off we went. I think it worked out better than I could have imagined.

The weather was absolutely perfect, about 80 degrees, and there was no wind. We got there at a little after noon, met in what was onv=ce going to be a boat marina, and explored and shot for a couple of hours. This place is a photog's paradise, with lot's of birds, abandoned buildings, and just some real crazy things. I knew as soon as we got there that I wanted to do the bridal dress at sunset, so we shot Tammy in various outfits and locations around the area. Here are a couple of things we did:

Shot with available light, in an abandoned house

Shot at an abandoned trailer, also available with available light.

At a different abandoned house, and a big thank you to Andy Warhol for showing up :-)

As it was getting closer to sunset, we headed back up to the marina, where the most amazing dilapadated structures are. Tammy had this great red tu-tu that was going to set off the warm sunset colors and wood tones perfectly. And she lent me her 85mm f1.2. I can't remember if I gave it back...

Then it was off to the water. Tammy had no concerns about getting her dress dirty, so we had her climb on rocks, the sand, and out onto some concrete (at least I think they are made of concrete) pylons in the water. As we were setting up the flash and stands, I put her on a rock for what may be my favorite shot of the day:

I had originally planned the stereo typical sunset shot, lighting the bride, and getting the great colors of the sky and sun over her shoulder. But we couldn't help but notice just how still the water was, and the amazing reflections you could see. All we needed to do was turn around.

This was the original shot I had envisioned. All though very beautiful, we knew there was more to it. All I needed to do was change my position, and turn around.

The colors of the sky, and the nirrored surface of the water really pull this all together. These are basically straight out of the camera, with just a slight contrast boost and some dust removal. All the lake shots were done with my Canon 5D MKII, the 70-200mm f/2.8L IS, and Todd's SB900. Why the SB900? As I was shooting the flash manually, I wasn't locked into any special TTL mojo. I knew Todd would be a considerable distance from Tammy, and all though we didn't need to use the flash at full power, we were working fast, and if I was going to need more power, I wanted it available. Plus, if anything fell in the water, it wouldn't have been mine ;-) Thanks Todd!

This next shot is where everything all comes together.

The model, the sky, the colors, the reflection. It just all works out in this image. Lot's of people thought this was a composite image, or a flipped image done in Photoshop. Well, to be honest, I'm not that good at Photoshop ;-). If it wasn't for the small lights in the background at the horizon, you would have a hard time telling where the water ends, and the sky begins.

Here is a behind the scenes image of our actual set-up:

Tammy is out on the dock, Todd is on the rocks on the beach, using the flash on a stand, shooting through a white umbrella, hand held, as there was no way to prop up the stand, and I wanted to angle the light at Tammy out over the water.

A huge thank you to Tammy and Todd. I had a fantastic, fun day shooting, and got some great images that I'm very proud of. Again, if you need to build a portfolio, grabbing some friends, a dress, and a fun location is a great way to do it.

And if anyone is interested, I'm starting to plan an excursion back out there soon. I will need models, so if your interested in shooting, or you are a model or no someone who could model for us, let me know below.

Have a great New Year!

My Christmas Wish For You

2010-12-23T22:35:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope this note finds you well, and surrounded by people you love this holiday season. It seems to be a crazy time of year, with us occasionally focused on perhaps some of the wrong things, and I have spent quite a bit of time this past week reminding myself of what is important, at least to me, and I hope you'll allow me to share. And know that everything is great with me. I'm one of the luckiest people I know.

I'm sure we are all familiar with the Christmas story, and the tale of Mr. Scrooge. In that story, he was visited by 3 ghosts. I was given the amazing gift of being visited by one myself this week, the ghost of Christmas future. To say I was upset by the vision would be an understatement. I have spent much of the last few days thinking about what truly is important to me, and that, perhaps, wasn't what I have actually been focused on. Until now. So my wish to you is this. That you cherish what you have. The friends. The family. The relationships. The talents. And that you share them with the world. Not everyone is nearly as lucky as we are, and fewer still as lucky as me. These last few years have been rough for many, with lost jobs, lost homes, lost medical benefits, lost relationships, lost lives. If you are suffering from any, or all of those things, my heart goes out to you. If I can in any way, shape, or form help, do not hesitate to call me. And if you are suffering from none of those things, be thankful, and then smile. And spread that smile. Share. Talk. Hug. Tell someone that you love them. That you are happy they are in your lives. That you cherish time spent with them. And then do this little thing for yourself. Become an active participant in your own life. Put down the cell phone. Step away from the computer. Instead of shooting the next gathering you go to, leave the camera at home and be involved. Engaged. A participant. Make sure people know your there. And that they enjoyed your presence. Help your kids with their homework. Help your wife with dinner. Help a friend in need. Bring a bottle of wine over to a friends house and just chat. Better yet, chat with your spouse. Your kids. Your mom. Your dad. Your sister. But damn it, above all else, participate.

2011 will be a very transitional year for me. I left some things behind, and I'm searching for something new. It will involve photography, of course. It will involve sharing. It will involve the transfer of knowledge. And it will involve my giving of myself, my talent, my time, my work. We photographers create a lot of work. Much of it never get's seen. I want to change that. I really wish I would just give more of my work away. To people that would enjoy it. Cherish it. Embrace it. And I think you would to. Stay tuned...

I love you all. Merry Christmas to you and your family. Now stop reading this, turn off the computer, and go make someone's day.Tell them you love them. Tell them you cherish them. Don't spend any more money. Spend more time. Tell them they are important to you. Make sure they know it. And don't you forget it.

Happy Holidays, from my heart to yours.

2011 365 Group

2010-12-16T09:32:00.000-08:00

The images that you see here were all shot and used as part of my 365 photography challenge this year. The premise is simple. Shoot and post 1 image a day, every day, for 365 days. The reality is that it's just not that simple.

Life has a funny way of getting in your way sometimes. We get busy, have major milestones, traumatic events, vacations, illnesses, any number of things that can happen on our way to creating, capturing, and posting 1 image a day. But I managed to make it happen, and I will complete that task this year, my first ever. And when going back through the images (some good, some were just a snapshot to keep the streak alive), I'm amazed at all the things I've gotten to do this year, how much my kids have changed, some of the challenges and hurdles my family have been through. It's an amazing little photo diary of a life lived. I'm very proud of this collection of 365 images. I've earned every single one of them. I have the scars, smiles, memories, and images to prove it.

So I'm going to do it again. And I invite you to join me. 1 image a day. Should be easy, right?

So here is how this years group will work. First, you need a Flickr account, as that is where our group will be hosted. Flickr is free for a basic account. The group we ran this year limited posting to 1 image a day. If you missed posting today, you couldn't make it up. For the 2011 group, I have changed that to make it 7 images posted a week. That means if you go camping for the weekend, have an emergency, or forget to post, you can still catch up. Every 7 days, you can post 7 images. So you can shoot your 1 image everyday, and post them on the weekends. But I highly encourage you to try and post daily, as that seems to work best, and as a constant reminder.

The flickr group I set up is Focused on 365 2011. Go join now, but no posting until 1/1/11. You will get to know some great people. You'll be inspired. You'll be attached to the other member's lives. You'll be happy for them, saddened for them, amazed by them. And you will learn more about photography. I promise. 1 image a day. Sounds easy, right?

I hope you'll join me. And if you do, remember to be an active participant. There is a discussion board for questions, thoughts and ideas. Comment on the other members images. Get invested. Get more out of it. Have fun. And then this time next year, spend some time and reflect on your year. It's all there. And you can prove it. You have the pictures...

If you have any friends that enjoy photography, and would be interested in joining, let them know. We would love to have them.

The new Flickr Focused on 365 2011 group

Some more reading!

2010-12-14T16:59:00.000-08:00

Shot at Bombay Beach in the Salton Sea. More from this day later this week

Some more interesting links from around the web for you to enjoy. And details for a (weather permitting) opportunity for us to get together, shoot some Christmas lights, and revel in the holiday spirit!

First up, the links:

28 free Lightroom presets from Preset Heaven

Is it cheaper to print at home, or send them out? How-to-Geek has the answers

X-Equals looks at Lightroom and iPhone photography

Speaking of iPhone, how about an app to tell you ISO, aperture, & shutter speed data

Janine Smith had a great guest blog at Scott Kelby's site last week

X-Equals will be running specials next week. A great time to pick up something for yourself!

Now, if your not busy this Saturday afternoon, why not come join us? As long as the weather looks good, we will be heading up to Thoroughbred Street in Upland, to walk the Christmas lights. Bring the kids, bring the cheer, the more, the "merrier"! We will be meeting at 4:30 on the corner of Turquoise and Thoroughbred. Please park on Gardenia or Turqouise. Here is the map. Hope to see you there!

And 1 last Bombay Beach image, again, I will post more later this week. Thinking about organizing a shoot out there early next year, anyone interested? Let me know below...

Interesting reading

2010-12-10T14:58:00.000-08:00

Some interesting reading for your weekend. Sorry I haven't been around more, been fighting a cold all week. Promise more next week, maybe even a tutorial ;)

Lightroom and ACR were updated this week. Here is a look at what's new: Lightroom Queen

Free Sepia preset

Rudy Winston looks at Canon off camera flash

5 easy PS retouching tutorials

Color correction in Lightroom from DPS

Wish you could fade your presets? Well would you looky here...

Lifehackers top 2010 photography hacks

X-Equals looks at Publish Services in Lightroom

Links, links, and more links

2010-11-30T07:08:00.000-08:00

Here are your links for a beautiful winter day!

How to take better vacation photos

How to shoot "Better" Christmas lights

Terry White talks about the advantages of Virtual Copies in Lightroom 3

Free vintage presets from Digital Photo Buzz

A take on Lightroom vs Photoshop vs Bridge vs ACR

No tripod allowed? No problem...

DPS looks at 5 hot features of Lightroom. And #1 is why I am such a HUGE fan

Developement of a great app: Hipstamatic

2 tips to make Photoshop faster

Got an iPhone? How bout a free light meter!

And yes, I do still take pictures... :-)

Lightroom Video Tutorial: Portrait Sharpening

2010-11-22T07:50:00.000-08:00

Have a new video tutorial on how to do portrait sharpening in Lightroom, which sometimes requires a different process than just a general image sharpening, because you may not want the effect to be global.

Watch it and let me know what you think. As always, if there is something specific you would like me to cover in Lightroom, let me know in the comments.

Hot links, get yer hot links!

2010-11-16T12:31:00.000-08:00

Links for a beautiful Tuesday afternoon

Joao Silva, an amzing photographer, had his legs blown off when he stepped on a land mine 2 weeks ago. He kept shooting... http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/24/world/asia/24silva.html?_r=2
And would love our support: Support Joao

The Photoshop channel on YouTube

David. Nuff said

35 photos. 35 stories

X-Equals link party

Have fun!

The most important photo walk ever...

2010-11-15T17:14:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, this past Saturday, 11/13/10, was the American Diabetes Association's Step Out Walk at Universal Studios. My daughter Stella was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes this past summer. I have been involved in many different charities, and have shot many previous events for the MS Society, but this one, well it was personal.

As soon as we heard about the walk, my wife and I were all in. We created our team, "The Peanut Gallery" and started fund raising immediately. At this point, our team has raised $5740. If you haven't yet donated, but were meaning to, please do so. They are accepting donations through December 8th. I am so proud, and amazed by our efforts, and the generosity of many of you. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I was pulling double duty, both shooting for the ADA, and walking with my family. It was great to walk with family and friends, in our fantastic team shirts designed by Jeffery Saddoris. My daughter was very excited to know that there were so many people that also were walking to find a cure and that all the people there were focused on the same goal, finding a cure for diabetes. She proudly wore her Red Strider hat (only offered to those with diabetes) and walked the whole distance.

The weather was beautiful, and walking the back lot of Universal was a lot of fun. There were plenty of refreshments and snacks along the way, and the support staff and volunteers were amazing. The end of the race, and mass exodus of walkers proved to be a bit of a challenge, as it seems the amount of participants was grossly under estimated, but it's something to work on for next year.

A big thank you goes out to Jeffery, Nikki, Joe, Mike, Geo, and Voytek for taking images. I created a Flickr group to post all the images here.

After the walk, we went to BJ's for lunch in Burbank for a celebratory lunch and a beer. Would have loved to have had lunch at Universal, but sadly, none of the restaurants at City Walk have the nutritional information. And of course, a reminder of why we were there in the first place

Thank you everyone.

Got Links?

2010-11-12T14:03:00.000-08:00

This weeks assortment of randomness from around the web!

3 free presets from Preset Heaven

Take your DSLR out for a spin

Moose Peterson with some insights from his new book "Captured: Lessons From Behind the Lens of a Legendary Wildlife Photographer"

11 tips for landscape photography

National Geographic Photography Contest

Buy an Eye_Fi memory card, and get a free 1 year Flickr Pro account

Lot's and LOT"S of Lightroom resources from Adobe

5 basic portrait lighting set-ups

3 seperate resources on your camera and the law:

Top 10 misconceptions

Legal rights of photographers

From USA Today

And if you haven't had a chance to, we are still seeking donations for the American Diabetes Association. If we reach $6000 by 5:00 today, I will shave off the goatee... ;-)

Lightroom Tutorial Before & After

2010-11-10T22:31:00.000-08:00

In this 3rd installment, watch as I fumble around, my computer inexplicably slows down, I grab the wrong after image, and I have several seconds of dead air. Do you like train wrecks?

Come on, would you have it any other way?

In this Lightroom tutorial, I take you completely through the editing of an image, from start to finish, as we touch on a lot of the major adjustment tools in Lightroom. The develop pallette, adjustment brush, gradient tool, vignette, the spot removal tool (which for the life of me, I couldn't remember the name of!) and a preview of the sharpening mask.

Lightroom Tutorial Before & After from Frank Wisneski on Vimeo.

As always, if there is something specific you would like to see in Lightroom, let me know in the comments.

The American Diabetes Step Out Walk

2010-11-09T16:49:00.000-08:00

This is a big week at our house. This Saturday will be the American Diabetes Step Out Walk. I have never had a more important or personal connection to any organization. My daughter was diagnosed on July 30th of this year. We are so proud of how well my little peanut has handled all of the life altering things that have bombarded her since her diagnosis. She was thrust into a very adult situation, and has been forced to forgo a lot of the spontaneity that goes along with being a child, and I am amazed everyday by her.

We created our team, The Peanut Gallery, to raise money and awareness for this nasty disease. In our first year, we raised over $5000, and I am blessed to have such amazing friends and family that contributed to that. Thank you everyone that did so! If you have been meaning to donate, please do so as quickly as possible, every little bit helps.

For those of you planning on attending this event, Here is the ADA Step Out Fact page with directions, instructions on where to park, what to bring, and a map: ADA Step Out Faq.

All photographers also need to check in at the Volunteer Check In tent to get your volunteer badges. As for the photography, the reason we have been invited is to be able to share our images with the ADA and the world in an effort to raise awareness. As such, I have set up a Flickr group so the staff members of the ADA can go in and look at these images. They are hoping to get images that can be used for news letters, email campaigns, event coverage, and on their website. That group is here: ADA Step Out Universal Studios

When you upload your images, please tag them the following way: "ADA Step Out Universal Studios" to make them searchable by the ADA staff. I will inform the ADA staff that if there are images they like, and would like to use, to leave a tag on the image so the photographer that took the image can send them whatever size image they are looking for.

The event staff are looking for images of the presenters, the staff, the participants of the event, basic coverage, and images of the sponsor and exhibitor booths and events.

Again, a BIG thank you goes out to all of you that helped us reach our goal. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Before & After

2010-11-08T19:30:00.000-08:00

I get asked a lot how I add so much "POP" to an image. Well, here is a little teaser. Stay tuned for a tutorial on how I made this image "POP"!

Here is the before:

And hit the jump for the after...

Everything was done in Lightroom, and very quickly too. The tutorial will be served up before the end of the week.

Is there something specific you are looking for in Lightroom tutorials? Let me know in the comments.

My 2nd Lightroom Tutorial!

2010-11-04T20:48:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

And tonight we have another video Lightroom tutorial. This is another take on making collages in the Lightroom Print Module. Create a collage that can be used for business collateral, such as gallery posters, a concert poster for a client, postcards, etc.

Come listen and watch as the little dog barks, the big dog gnaws a bone, I make up a new word, and see if you can spot the MAJOR spelling error! Hopefully, the sound is much better on this one, let me know.

Maybe 1 of these times, I'll do this after a few New Castles. It could only be better. ;-)

And don't forget, if you joined us for the Dia de los Muertos event at Live Oak Memorial Park, post your images HERE!

Thursday 11/4/10 Photography links

2010-11-04T12:42:00.000-07:00

More helpful links to get you through your day...

Shooting kids "Guerilla Style"!

The Adorama Learning Center for photography and post tutorials

Syl Arena is 1/2 way through his 4 part series on Canon Speedlights

Canon has rebates! DSLR rebates through 11/24

Canon lens rebates through 1/8/11

The top 10 ways to automate Lightroom with Julianne Kost pt 1

Hasselblad has a promotion too... :-)

Enjoy! And just keep shooting

Live Oak Memorial Park Dia De Los Muertos

2010-11-03T08:22:00.000-07:00

Hey there everybody!

Had a fantastic time at Live Oak's annual Dia De Los Muertos event last night. And WOW has it grown! If you are stopping by to view images, you can find them here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/liveoakdiadelosmuertos/

In order to view or post images you took there you will need a flickr account. Sign up is free. It is the only way we can get this many photographers to share the images with the viewing public. If you took images at the event, please feel free to post them to the group. Remember to tag them with "Dia De Los Muertos" and "Live Oak Memorial Park". If the images weren't shot at that specific event, they will be removed.

Hope you had a wonderful time, and I look forward to seeing all the images. There are already images in the group, and I would imagine that by this weekend, there will be many more.

Enjoy!

Frank

Link madness!

2010-11-02T13:41:00.000-07:00

Happy All Soul's Day everyone! Here are some things I've found interesting in the past couple of days.

Have you gotten your free OnOne presets yet? They also have free Photoshop actions/frames and presets for ACR: OnOne freebies

Joe McNally discusses mistakes

David duChemin on loosing your vision

Scott Kelby shoots fashion

An interesting take on Creative Commons

More free actions for Photoshop

More tutorials from Adobe

And the Speedlighter lights the OneLighter

Armageddon

2010-11-02T07:56:00.000-07:00

When it rained Saturday morning, I knew I wanted to be up at the Griffith Park Observatory for sunset, as it would be a nice, clear view. So after a few hours at Hollywood Forever's Dia De Los Muertos, a few of us headed up to Griffith Park for sunset. I had a jonesing that nothing but a sunset could cure ;-)

All though all the clouds cleared out, I wasn't disappointed. And then they fired off the nukes...

Shot with the old Canon 5D and the Canon 17-40 f4L. A couple more after the jump

The above also taken with the old 5d and 17-40.

These last 2 were shot with the Canon 5DMKII and the Canon 100-400 f4.5-5.6L. The beauty below is a good friends daughter.

It was a great day for photography...

Dia De Los Muertos at Live Oak Memorial Park

2010-11-01T14:19:00.000-07:00

For those of you planning to attend the Dia De Los Muertos event at Live Oak Memorial Park with me on 11/2/10 in Monrovia, the management there would like us to provide images. To make it easy for all involved, I have set up a specific Flickr group just for images shot there. Please do not submit images that were shot at Hollywood Forever Cemetery or anything else, they will be deleted.

The Flickr group is here: Live Oak Dia De Los Muertos

Tag your images "dia de los muertos" and "Live Oak Memorial Park"

Thanks everyone, and see you tomorrow!

The event is here:

View Larger Map

A day of change

2010-11-01T13:24:00.000-07:00

Lot's of changes going on recently, and I thought I would let you know about a few of them. Many of you already know that today is my last day teaching at Tri-Community. Will I be back? I don't know, but I do know that it will be quite a while before I would consider it. The demands on my time have taken their toll, and my family, and my own photography need me more. If you get the chance, please stop by tonight and say "see you soon".

As a few of you already know, mostly by keen observation, I have also left Faded & Blurred. My participation there, and ability to contribute new content have not been to a level that I could consider myself a partner. With all of my other obligations taking precedent, it wasn't fair to Jeffery and Nikki, so I have opted out. I will now just be a participant, and plan to continue joining in on the photo walks. Better step up your game too, because if they have a contest, I will be eligible to win... ;-)

Now with that being said, and with all of these other constraints being lifted, I feel better. I'm smiling. I'm happy. My family and daughter are good. And I am turning this little spot right here around. I will need something to do every Monday Wednesday, and Thursday night, so expect to see a lot more, right here. As witnessed last week, I plan on producing more Lightroom tutorials (another one will go up this week), links to photography related articles and tutorials, and showcasing my work.

If you have some specific Lightroom questions you want answered, please let me know below. As always, If I don't know, I will go find out.

And don't forget tomorrow night (11/2/10), the Dia de los Muertos event at Live Oak Mortuary in Monrovia. Many of us will be there at 7 pm.

Stay tuned...

And please enjoy this, I sure did:

My first Lightroom video tutorial!

2010-10-30T06:15:00.000-07:00

In my last Event Workflow Class, I showed the students how to create photo collages in Lightroom. As it was my very last class, I ran through this rather quickly, as I had a lot of ground I wanted to cover. So I made a video tutorial. I really had no idea I could even do this, so consider this first one a "proof of concept" for me. Yes, it's kinda weak, rough around the edges, and there are some slip-ups. But hey, it's my first, and I got it done, and they will get better. Besides, would you really have it any other way?

In this first tutorial, I show you how to make a several image overlay in Lightroom like I did here. It's almost like working with layers in Lightroom. This seemed to be a big hit in my class, but perhaps I went through it to quickly, so here it is, available to you to watch, pause, and play along. Tell me what you thought below. Video after the jump

Of course, I had to do this after all the kids had gone to bed, and the dogs finally settled down. This place can get loud! And if there are more specific things in Lightroom you'd like me to do a tutorial on, let me know what those are. I should have some free week nights to start putting these together. ;-)

Get to know more about Zack Arias

2010-10-29T14:46:00.000-07:00

You saw the video last night and were intrigued, right?

Well here is more info on Zack Arias.

His site & portfolio are here: Zack Arias

His excellent blog

The OneLight workshops

And from a guest post he did on Scott Kelby's blog, the video that I probably watch 4-5 times a year. It's amazing, and often times is just what you need, when you really need it

The 5DMKIII

2010-10-29T12:58:00.000-07:00

It's funny because it's true...

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-29T07:24:00.000-07:00

And the beginning of my favorite (and most busy) time of the year. Here are some images I shot of the kids at the Cal Poly Pumpkin Patch:

Don't forget to take lot's of pictures of your holiday gatherings, traditions, and parties. Great memories are made at this time of year. Be sure to include items that clue you in to the particular event, pumpkins, wreaths, presents, turkey, etc. And also remember to enjoy the event, the friends, the family, and not be solely focused on capturing images.

Dia De Los Muertos

2010-10-28T13:39:00.000-07:00

We have 2 Dia De Los Muertos events that we will be attending in the next week, and everyone is welcome to both of them.

The first event is BIG! Come meet up with the Faded & Blurred crew at The Dia De Los Muertos event at Hollywood Forever Cemetery . We will be meeting out in front at 2pm. Last year was my first year attending, and I was blown away. The event is family friendly, and is $10 for a ticket.

Some images from this event last year:

Then on Tuesday night, We will be heading over to a much smaller event at the Live Oak Memorial Park in Monrovia to shoot their event for the 2nd year in a row. We will be there at 7pm, more details are here: Pasadena Star News

Here are some images from that event last year:

I hope to see you all at both events!

Lot's o links!

2010-10-28T12:48:00.000-07:00

Got some time on your hands, and don't know what to do? Click the links!

Why do you take photographs? From Permission to Suck

Syl Arena on the Canon Speedlight system

Subscribe to the X-Equals Digest for some free B&W presets

Vote for my image at Capshured

DPS tells you what they don't mention about being a wedding photographer

Craft & Vision has a new ebook out, "Close to Home" Buy it soon for a chance to win a Livebooks website!

10 excuses for failing at photography

Ju;ieanne Kost's blog on Adobe.com

That's probably enough to keep you busy for a while...

Layers in Lightroom?!?

2010-10-26T19:24:00.000-07:00

For my very last "Event Workflow Class", I wanted to show my students something cool that they may not know they can do. I will teach them how to fake "layers" in Lightroom. If your interested, stop by to learn how I did these Wednesday night. Great for making print packages, album pages, or poster collages. All 3 of these were done completely in Lightroom, no Photoshop required.

The above back screened image works great for album page design

As always, you can click on the images for a larger view. See you Wednesday night!

Give me something to believe in...

2010-10-22T10:43:00.000-07:00

"Something to Believe In"

The link above takes you to the YouTube video for Poison's song "Something to Believe In". It's not available to embed. It's a great song with a poignant message, but it never mentions anything to actually believe in, it's more about the search. I posted a blog post very similar to this earlier this year, but I have had a strange week, with some emotional ups and downs this week, and this song has been in heavy rotation on my iPod recently. I will be going to see Bret Michaels (also a sufferer of diabetes) this weekend at an American Diabetes Charity show, and I have a feeling, when he performs this song, it will be pretty powerful for me.

Since my initial post, to say I've had some life changing events wouldn't do them justice. And with the upcoming end of my teaching at Tri, I've had a lot on my mind recently. So here is a slightly updated list with some new things I believe in.

The ability of a small group of people banding together, supporting and encouraging my family, and exceeding my wildest expectations. I will forever be thankful to all of you for your amazing support of "The Peanut Gallery"
That we will find a cure
The students of Tri-Community Photography Center
That this isn't goodbye
The ability of a 7 year old child being able to understand, put in perspective, and deal with diabetes. She is the strongest, most brave person I have ever met. I am so proud to call her my daughter.
My daughter's "Proud Face"
My son's "Angry Face"
That we will find a cure
Emerergen-C
That people will learn my daughter didn't get diabetes from eating too many Snickers bars
The sound of my son's laugh
The twinkle in my wife's eyes
The power of photography
The small of a woman's back
Apple products
Dreams
Goals
Faded & Blurred
That I still haven't hit my peak
That we will find a cure
Family
http://lifehacker.com/
The words "I'm Sorry"
Adobe's Lightroom
The Yardhouse
Newcastle beer
Dr. Pepper
That "Good enough" often trumps perfection
The Coke at McDonald's
Wasabi
Disneyland
Trust
Friendship
Blue jeans
My children's future
My wife's shoulders
That we will find a cure
Christmas Eve
Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours"
Plavix
Novolog
The smell of wet concrete
Fresh cut grass
The Arboretum
Dodger Stadium on opening day
The Seahawk's chances this year
The laughter when Beth, Laurie, and Sue are together
That we will find a cure
"ABCD, burp, dinosaur eyeball"
My friend Tommy
Spaying & neutering your pets
Star Wars and that my children will someday have their own awe inspiring, movie going experience
Kevin Smith
Rolling Rock
The Thin Man series
My 40's
Metallica
That we will find a cure
Road trips
My son's eyes
Spicy chicken noodle soup from Teri & Yaki
Chicken noodle soup from Panera
Free wi-fi
Pulp Fiction
The ability of a great song to transport you right back to a particular time or event in your life
The power of passion
Flu shots
That implied is sexier
The Canon 100-400mm f/4-5.6L
The 28" Westcott Apollo Softbox
In-N-Out burgers
That we will find a cure
Flannel shirts
That 10 years with the same woman isn't nearly enough
That I still haven't taken a good photograph, but I'm getting better
That I have been in the presence of greatness, they just don't know it yet
That just being sad or upset doesn't change things, sometimes you need to get angry
That I still don't know what I'm doing, but I do know more than yesterday
That I actually have things to share, and people that are interested in listening
The importance of this red rubber band around my wrist
The camera in my iPhone
and that we will find a cure

What are some of yours?

Thank you Tri Students!

2010-10-17T09:32:00.000-07:00

It is with a heavy heart, that I will be saying goodbye very soon. As many of you already know, I am leaving Tri. I need to spend more time with the family, with my daughter, and to get more focused on my own photography. But I will miss you guys. A lot. I have had an amazing 2 years with you. I have learned more from you then I could ever hope to teach, and for that I will be forever grateful. You are all amazing people, and I am proud to call many of you friends, peers. You have kept me on my toes, forced me to up my game, and I feel I am a better photographer, a better person for the experience.

I have really enjoyed watching you grow as photographers. Watching the wheels turning, seeing things click, witnessing the creativity. It is my hope that I may have played some small role in that growth, and that you continue to pursue this passion that we all share.

Due to the State of California, and absolutely nothing to do with Tri Community, my last day will be November 1st. My certificate expires then, and as I knew I would be leaving after my daughter was diagnosed with diabetes, I didn't bother to pursue renewals or extensions. I have been assured that my classes will be continued, and I still expect to see amazing things from all of you. You have my number, my Facebook page, this blog, and of course, I am still photo walking monthly with Faded & Blurred. My last Event Workflow Class will be 10/27, my last Lighting on Location class will be 10/28, and my last Wedding class will be 11/1. Stop by that week and say hello.

As a very small token of my appreciation, here is a slideshow of images created during my "Lighting on Location" classes. What a great, fun, strange trip it's been...

Yes, I created this slide show in Lightroom. Come by Wednesday night to learn how.

Take care of each other. Look after each other. Keep pushing each other. And never stop learning.

I miss you guys all ready...

Roots before branches

2010-10-15T20:01:00.000-07:00

Had another fun class last night in my Lighting on Location class. We had 2 models, and a couple. Everyone was able to get lot's of shooting time. I got 2 shots I was happy with. Our set up was small flashes shot into collapsed umbrellas to narrow the beam, reduce the spill, and increase the dramatic fall off of the light.

Check, check, and check.

I'm a big fan of negative space, off center (thirds) images, and deep, rich blacks. I got that with both of these images.

The first image of Tabitha was shot using the flash set up. The second image was shot available light at ISO 6400, using the Canon 5DMKII & the older 70-200 f/2.8L IS.

We have spent a lot of time this semester using our flashes in manual mode, and triggering them wirelessly, using the Cowboy Studios wireless triggers. $20 for a set, and they have worked flawlessly for 1000's of pops with all the students borrowing mine. Feel free to click the link, and get some for ourselves, to help me save mine ;-)

Help me help my daughter

2010-10-10T07:21:00.000-07:00

The Peanut Gallery

On July 30, my family received devastating news. Life as we knew would change. My daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. No more spur of the moment trips for frozen yoghurt, or just "grabbing something to eat" when we get there. My daughter is insulin dependent. Every meal, snack, drink, etc, needs to be accounted for, and we need to know the carb count of every item she ingests.

2 1/2 months later, we are doing better dealing with her disease. But still, things come up. Some days are better then others. Sometimes the nutritional information is correct, and sometimes, well, it just isn't. My wife and I are getting better at "guessing" and eyeballing meals. But today, my daughter will be attending a 7 year olds' birthday party. Have you ever taken your child to a birthday party, and told her she couldn't have the birthday cake? Or had to bring your own food? It's tough. And heart breaking for my wife and I. But my daughter is an amazing little girl, and she understands she can't do that. We do make allowances for her, and try to provide her with some "fun treats" at meal times, when we can account for them and provide her insulin. But it still shouldn't be this way.

And all though we think we have a plan, how do you tell your child that on Halloween, one of her favorite holidays, she can trick or treat, but she can't have any candy? Halloween is an amazing time of year for a child. It is the start of the winter holiday season, and people open their homes for the children, and provide tasty treats. My daughter loves to dress up, and she loves going to the spooky houses. And she loves Snickers and Reese's peanut butter cups. All tough we think we have a plan, and she seems okay with it today, she's 7, and perhaps the reality won't set in until we are actually out trick-or-treating on Halloween. There are a lot of things our family can control, and situations we can try to avoid, but the reality is, while we are out with our group, children will be eating candies, and my daughter will be told that she can't.

On November 13th, my family will be participating in our first fund raising event for the American Diabetes Association. It won't be our last. But we have set a lofty goal for our group, and we need your help. Please donate whatever you can afford, to help us find a cure for my daugther, and the millions of other people dealing daily with diabetes. Click the link, and do what you can: The Peanut Gallery

Thank you. From the bottom of my heart.

Rita

2010-10-08T20:01:00.001-07:00

IMG_1030.jpg
Originally uploaded by fwisneski
In Thursday Nights Lighting on Location class, we went to a new spot. Down the street from the school, we have an abandoned used car lot. I lit our model Rita with the Canon 580EXII in a Westcott Apollo 28" softbox. And then, just for fun, we fired a Nikon SB900 into the broken Parts sign above her.

Lightroom Reading & Links

2010-10-07T07:57:00.000-07:00

In my Event Workflow class, we are currently going through the Lightroom workflow. We have many students that are really seeing Lightroom for the first time. I mentioned last night in class several books that can be helpful in learning Lightroom. Here they are:

All 3 of these books are excellent, but they serve different purposes. Scott Kelby's book will get you up and running and familiar with the tools of Lightroom very quickly, and is a fun read with plenty of humor.

For a more technical understanding of the way Lightroom works, an explanation of everything Lightroom offers, and some of the less used/hidden features of Lightroom, Martin Evening's book is excellent, but more like a text book.

Once you have a decent understanding of the program, David duChemin's book is an excellent resource for learning how to express your vision in Lightroom.

Here are some great links to Lightroom related websites:

Inside Lightroom

Lightroom Killer Tips

Presets Heaven

X-Equals

Heniger Fotographik (Lightroom Tuesdays)

Lightroom Queen

And straight from Adobe themselves, Adobe TV

Enjoy!

My son

2010-10-05T20:39:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, my favorite subjects to shoot are my kids. My son, at 2 1/2 years old, has proved to be a very elusive subject. While at my daughters riding lesson this weekend, he actually ASKED me to take his picture. And he proved to be quite the little model.

The combination of overcast skies, the color palette at the ranch, my son's skin tone and hair color, and the Canon 5DMKII and 100-400 f4-5.6L made for a perfect combination.

The following day, he was still willing to hold still for brief moments. This time, I only had my old 5D and the Canon 35 f/1.4L. Hanging out with family at their new apartment, with some great lighting coming in the living room, and the beautiful DOF from the 35 lens.

And the last image. Having a sad face contest with my wife. Who do you think wins?

Miss Palm Springs

2010-10-02T11:42:00.000-07:00

In my Thursday night class, we had the pleasure of working with Keeley Boess, Miss Palm Springs 2010. She will be going after the Miss California crown in November. A big thank you to Jennifer for bringing her in. It's always tough to organize and light a shoot with only 21/2 hours, and 60 people. The set-up needs to be generic enough to allow the model some space to move, but also specific enough to facilitate all the different levels of photo gear. Some people don't have ISO 100, some zooms are 5.6 at the long end, some cameras are horrible at high ISO, etc.

We went with a little different set-up this week, using the Westcott 28" softbox, and a second flash with a snoot as a hair light. Both were powered by Canon 580EXII's.

Our first set-up was in the world famous Covina Alleyway, and our 2nd set-up (it started to rain) was on the ramp in the parking structure.

This first shot was done with only available light. The hi-light on her face was provided by the flashlight we were using for focusing.

Above was the 2 light setup in the alleyway, and a fairly quick shutter speed to knock out the ambient light. Below are 2 more available light shots. The gown she was wearing, the B&W processing, and the hi-light on her face, added to a 40's Hollywood glamour feel

After this series, it started to rain, so we headed for the cover of the parking structure. Still using our 2 light set-up, I put Keeley (in her tall heels) on the ramp. this had the great effect of elongated her. I had the white balance set to flash, which left her with proper skin tones, but had the bonus of warming up the ambient.

The above image was my personal favorite of the night

And just a slightly different facial expression/Lightroom processing below

Hope you enjoyed the class as much as I did. And does anyone have a couple/model that would be willing to come in for the class? Let me know.

Sunrise & power poles

2010-09-28T09:17:00.001-07:00

Sunrise & power poles
Originally uploaded by fwisneski

If we didn't have 112 degree heat yesterday, I wouldn't have gotten this image this morning. Which, of course, includes 1 of my favorite things, power poles. Yes it was hot. But who could complain about waking up and driving into work with this?

When you look at things in the proper perspective, everything seems okay. There will be many changes around here soon. I won't see many of you as often, and I won't be at Tri much longer. But I am in a good place right now, and excited about these changes, and of course, spending some much needed time with my family.

If you missed it, please enjoy todays sunrise. I know I did.

Shot, of course, with the iPhone 4

California Science Center

2010-09-26T08:50:00.000-07:00

Faded and Blurred had our latest photo walk on Saturday, 9/25/10. Dubbed the "choose your own museum" walk, as there are several museums at Exposition Park in LA. It was a family friendly walk, so we packed up my favorite models and headed on out.

As I would be shooting in the museums all day under poor lighting conditions, I took my rarely used Canon 35mm f/1.4L to assist, and it worked amazingly well. All in all, a great way to spend a very hot day in LA!

Welcome back students!

2010-09-24T19:07:00.000-07:00

This is kind of bittersweet for me. I'm embarking on my last semester at Tri. I will miss you guys at school, but my priorities lay elsewhere. For those of you that don't know, my daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes 6 weeks ago. Yes, I need to continue to take care of my daughter, and my family. But I also need to refocus on my own passion, my own craft. We teachers at Tri only have 6 weeks off from school per year, and I just didn't ever have enough time to do anything photographically for myself. So I will also be shooting a lot more.

With that said, we kicked off our first shooting class with a bang. 60 plus students, all shooting a good friend, fellow student, and Faded & Blurred member, Tammy.

How great was Tammy? She put up with my bad jokes all night, and worked 2 1/2 hours straight. Thank you Tammy, for allowing us ll the pleasure of working with you. Here are a few more images from last night, all shot with the Canon 5D MKII and the Canon 70-200 f/2.8L IS.

And perhaps my favorite shot of the evening, with lot's of personality:

All in all, a great night shooting.

Here is a list of some of the equipment that we used last night, and some equipment we will be using in the very near future:

Westcott Apollo 28" Softbox

Westcott shoot thru umbrella

Umbrella bracket

Light stand

Canon 580EX II

Nikon SB900

Cowboy Studio Trigger

And if you aren't using Lightroom, well, what are you waiting for?

Adobe Lightroom 3

Scott Kelby's Lightroom 3 book

David duChemin's Vision and Voice

Can't wait to see you all next week! And if you are feeling generous, please take a moment and make a donation to our American Diabetes Association Step out walk team!

The LA County Fair

2010-09-20T14:47:00.000-07:00

Took the family to the LA County Fair this past weekend. We hadn't gone the last 2 years, and since we've been gone, they added quite a few new exhibits, and expanded the rides sections. The dinosaur exhibit is awesome!

The kids had a blast! Here are some of the images from our day at the fair. And yes, we won a fish...

All images shot with the Canon 5D MK II and the Canon 24-105 f/4L

Flowers with the 100-400?

2010-09-12T20:05:00.001-07:00

20100912-IMG_9448
Originally uploaded by fwisneski

Yes, this image was shot with my new current infatuation, the Canon 100-400 4.5-5.6L. no, not a macro lens, but a big effen zoom lens. This lens still amazes me, and it has a surprisingly close focusing distance of 6 feet. For a reference point, the 70-200 f2.8L is 4 ft.

Taken in the hot house at the Arboretum.

Luminous

2010-08-25T07:24:00.001-07:00

Luminous
Originally uploaded by fwisneski

Been searching for a light at the end of this tunnel affectionately called August. Could this be it?

Shot with my iPhone, and as always with my iPhone shots, only processed with tools available on the iPhone. In this case, the "Paris" setting in Best Camera

Photography themes

2010-08-24T18:27:00.000-07:00

Do you ever notice themes, or common threads, or particular objects, running through your work? You know, like when your looking at a body of your work, and there are some similar shots/styles/things that keep popping up? I have several that tend to run through mine.

I think a lot of you know full well my fascination with power poles. But a new theme that I just recently picked up on is silhouettes. This is a fairly recent thing for me, but I think I really like what I am seeing start to develop

So what themes run through your work?

The Faded & Blurred Venice Walk

2010-08-23T08:31:00.000-07:00

On 8/21/10, we had our 1 year anniversary photo walk in Venice for Faded & Blurred. It was a beautiful day, but as always, it was tough to get to Venice through all the LA traffic. Our focus for this walk was through the canals, and then to finish off by the pier for sunset.

As usual, everyone headed off on their own to go explore. I have been in a really wierd space lately, due to the amazing amount of changes going on in my life, and all though I wanted to be there, just couldn't seem to concentrate enough to focus on photography. I felt scattered most of the day, and just never got into a groove. It happens. I did get my sunset shots though, as I was waiting at the pier, and had found my shot just prior to the sun going down. All I had to do then was sit. And wait. Be still. And that was very neccessary for me.

If you are going to be in town Labor Day weekend, a few of us will be heading to the Planes of Fame museum on Saturday, 9/4. We will be meeting for breakfast at Flo's, and then off to the museum by 10. They will have a flight demo of the YAK-3 at noon that should be awesome to shoot. Let me know below if you have any interest. Admission is normally $11, but if we can round up 20 people, they will let us in for only $8.

Canon 100-400 f/4-5.6L IS

2010-08-16T09:30:00.000-07:00

For those of you following along, you know I traded my Canon 24-70 f/2.8L for the Canon 100-400 f/4-5.6L IS. Best. Deal. Ever.
To say I love this lens doesn't do it justice. I'm completely infatuated. It is probably the sharpest lens I have ever used. I didn't think I'd like the push-pull type zoom, but they got it right. And with push-pull, it's fast to go from 100mm to 400mm. No reason to miss a shot. Here is just a small sample of shots I've taken recently with this lens, most all of them taken with the old Canon 5D.

Is it a beast? No more so then my other favorite lens, the Canon 70-200 f/2.8L IS (I still use version 1)

In fact, I like this lens so much, I'm considering selling my old 5D and the 70-300 f4-5.6 IS to get a Canon 7D...

The most memorable vacation ever

2010-08-08T17:34:00.000-07:00

This vacation has been an emotional roller coaster for me. That's about all I can say about it for now. I'll let the images speak for themselves...

How I spent my summer vacation

2010-07-31T23:04:00.000-07:00

How I Spent my Summer Vacation

By Frank Wise

So, I've been planning my vacation for several weeks. My daughter goes back to school on the 16th, and my wife has been home with a 7 year old and a 2 year old for 6 weeks, and I was looking forward to giving her a break. My son is also going into the hospital on Thursday to have tubes put in his ears. We didn't have major plans, just a basic "Staycation", but it was going to be fun. But life being what it is, things aren't quite going to work out the way I had planned.

2 weeks ago, my wife noted some changes in my daughters behavior. It started off with an unquenchable thirst, and a lot of bathroom breaks. She started looking up symptoms on the internet. Then she made an appointment with her pediatrician. We knew the prognosis before going in, but that didn't make the verification any easier. My daughter has type 1 diabetes. She was admitted to the hospital on Friday night, and we will be here at least through Monday. This has been a life altering event for all of us. This will be multiple injections of insulin, everyday, for the rest of my daughters life. But she feels better, and she is in good spirits. She is a very strong little girl. And I am very glad I am off on vacation this week.

There is a moment of clarity when you realize your life, and your families life, has changed forever. If you accept it, it is soothing. If you harness it, it can be inspiring, if you always remember it, how can it not be positive?

The above pictures were taken while we were at the Baldwin Park Kaiser hospital. The image right above was taken after she had her insulin, and an IV. Then it was off in an ambulance to the Sunset facility.

These images were from Friday night. Eventually, she was done having me take her picture, as you can see. Saturday was a better day. We walked around, found a foosball table, and had a visit from Bruin, the Havanese service dog.

Bruin was a big hit. We are in good spirits. My daughter will be fine. I thank everyone for all your wonderful words, thoughts and support. Now, if only the shots were getting easier, because this sight breaks my heart:

I hope to see you all soon. But know that I won't be in school on Monday. There will be a class though, so please plan on attending. And I may not be as responsive to emails or phone calls, but I'll try.

My daughter is a fighter, and this is our theme song

And as a reminder to myself

Scott Kelby's Worldwide Photo Walk

2010-07-25T19:19:00.000-07:00

A big huge thank you to all the photographers that came to Faded & Blurred's leg of the Scott Kelby World Wide Photo Walk. All told, we had about 75 participants, just a fantastic turnout! We walked downtown LA, through little Tokyo, to the Walt Disney Center, and then finished it off at Philippes for food and a beer. (or 2)...

To say that yesterday was amazing wouldn't do it justice. The weather was amazing, the light was gorgeous, and people were ready to shoot and play. A good time was had by all. And play we did!

It's always fun to get together with a group of people that share your passion. It is also always amazing to go on a photo walk with a group through the same area, and get a chance to see all of the images they shot. The amount of things that each one of us percieves differently, or misses all together is mind boggling.

It was also fun to have some families and couples along for the walk. It's not a bad way to spend an afternoon with loved ones.

As I'm sure many of you know already from my last post, this walk was a big one for us. It was at Scott's 2nd annual walk that we hatched the idea for F&B. So we were excited. We have been doing our own photo walks for almost a year (Join us for our 1 year anniversary walk! We're going back to Venice!). But for me personally, these walks are a chance for me to stretch my wings. Those of you that have taken my classes before may know, or if you've known me personally for awhile, may already know this, but I have always considered myself a people shooter. No more, no less. Couldn't shoot a landscape, street scene, or architectural shot to save my life. So these walks have always been a chance for me to get out of my comfort zone. Try new things, shoot from different perspectives, use lenses I don't often get a chance to shoot with. And I shot some images yesterday that I was very happy with. I have also noticed some things that I learn or try on these walks have started spilling over to and affecting my other work. And that makes me happy. I love seeing progress, both in my work, and in all of your work. Here are a few of the images I really like from yesterday

Seagull over Disney.My favorite of the day

You can see the whole set here: My Flickr

Again, a big thank you to all of those that made it out yesterday, it was an amazing day. See you in Venice!

Scott Kelby's World Wide Photowalk

2010-07-21T12:55:00.000-07:00

So this is it. It's where it all started for us. The seeds were planted for what would become Faded & Blurred. Not far from where we will be on Saturday, photo walking through Chinatown at last years Scott Kelby World Wide Photo Walk. Jeffery, Nikki, and I, talking about how much fun we were having. How we didn't want to wait another year. How we thought we could possibly get groups together and do this maybe once a month or so.

And what you see here is the fruit from those seeds. There were many familiar faces in Chinatown that morning. But when we were done, they were friends. In the case of Jeffery, Nikki, and I, lifelong. Our walk was scheduled to be 2 hours. But we didn't want to stop. So we continued on, for about 10 hours that day. I grew up in So Cal. But there were a lot of firsts for me that day. My first trip to the magical Phillipe's. My first stroll through Union Station. My first official photo walk. Just a great day in every way.

Our hope has always been that you enjoy our walks as much as we enjoyed that first one. To say we are excited to participate in this years 3rd annual photo walk is an understatement. We've had July 24th circled on our calendars for a while now. We are so pleased that we are hosting 1 of the 1000 walks for Scott, and that you thought enough of us to book it solid in 24 hours. And I have a feeling, that even though only 50 registered walkers can be entered in the official contest, we will probably have more walkers.

We love taking pictures. We love sharing information. We love getting together with all of you. And we love socializing after the walk, to share our images, stories, good food, and of course, beer. So plan on having some extra time after the walk to have a sandwich and beverage with us at Philippe's.

As this is a photo walk, it may be hot, and we will be walking a pretty good distance, it is a great idea to pack light. This isn't a great time to haul out all the gear, and the rolling suitcase. 2 lenses, covering 24-200 or 300 should more than suffice. Bring some water. Bring the sunscreen. And wear comfortable shoes. Also bring a great attitude. We're there to have fun, share our passion with others, and take pictures. And help each other out when you can, ask and answer questions. Always remember to be safe. We will be walking city streets. Watch out for cars. Try not to put your gear down. Double up so someone is always with you.

And bring your appetite. If you've never been to Philippe's, well, your in for a treat. The shot's here were taken on that first walk through Chinatown. The shot below was the image that I won our local photo walk competition with, and got entered in the world wide contest.

I hope to see you on Saturday. Even if you haven't registered, that doesn't mean you can't join us, walk, take some pictures, meet some new friends, and have a good time. After all, you have to start somewhere...

If you'd like to join us, the info is here: F&B 7/24/10 Photo Walk

Attention Pretty Girl shooters!

2010-07-18T07:30:00.000-07:00

If your photographic endeavors lead you to taking pictures of pretty girls, if you have a Model Mayhem portfolio, if you are captivated by the genre of Glamour Photography, or just want to be able to take better pictures of models, you may want to check out the new ebook Guerilla Glamour by my buddy Jimmy D.

(Warning, links in this post may lead to NSFW images!) Jimmy has been a working photographer for years, and maintains a great blog with lot's of info for photographers, stories, experiences, and all served up with great wit, over at Pretty Girl Shooter. He has created an ebook that covers everything from the must have gear list and descriptions of what each piece is used for, to the talking with, directing, and posing of models, to the behind the scenes set up shots, all served up in typical Jimmy D fashion, and the pictures aren't hard to look at either... ;-). He's selling them for $9.99, and it is 100 pages. It will look great on your shiny new iPad.

And if your wife catches you reading it, you can always say, "I just bought it for the articles!"

What's up for the weekend?

2010-07-16T08:47:00.000-07:00

Just a quickie post to see what everyone is up to for the weekend? I'm hoping to see some of you at the Planes of Fame Paul Bowen seminar on Saturday. Here is a map to the location:
View Larger Map

Just finished reading David Ziser's Captured by the Light . An excellent resource full of information for shooting and lighting a wedding, even if the images feel a little dated. Next up for me is Martin Evening's book on Lightroom 3.

Just heard that David duChemin's new book, Vision and Voice, has been released and is starting to ship from Amazon. I am really looking forward to this one, should be a great read.

Just thought I'd throw in an image taken from our Faded & Blurred Hollywood photo walk. Something you'd only see there. Speaking of photo walks, our next walk is on the 24th, for Scott Kelby's 3rd annual World Wide Photo Walk. Are you joining us? Are you participating in another walk? If so, where are you going? It looks like there is already over 1000 walks, and almost 26,000 photographers participating!

Engagement Photography

2010-07-15T10:19:00.000-07:00

Just a few images from my Monday night Engagement shooting class. We worked with 2 couples under various conditions in downtown Covina. While some were using the lighting set-up, others were shooting available light (as was I). In the alleway, I had them positioned under a tungsten light source, so I set the white balance in camera to tungsten which gave me proper skin tones on the couple, but allowed the alleyway to go a cool blue. They were shot at ISO 3200 with the Canon 5D MKII and the Canon 70-200 f/2.8L IS.

Hope everyone has a great rest of the week, it's going to be hot. And don't forget to bring images to class!

A man and his bike

2010-07-11T10:15:00.000-07:00

On Thursday night in my Lighting on Location class, Herman was kind enough to agree to be subjected to our lenses. He rode in on his electric blue Ninja, and away we went. We lit Herman up with a speed light mounted in the Westcott Apollo 28" softbox and balanced some ambient while we still had it.

As it was 7:30, the light was dropping fast, so we wound up with shot's like these after the sun set:

And then we moved Herman and his bike into the elevator. Yep, an elevator...

This last 1 is my favorite of the night. I love the aggressive feel of it, and the hint of blue, with the brake lights glowing red in the background.

For my engagement class, I need a couple for Monday night. If you know of anyone, let me know.

On Wednesday for the wedding class, I will be lecturing on how to set up your equipment and make it work for you.

I also need models for Thursday night's class.

That doesn't make you a model

2010-07-10T21:37:00.001-07:00

This was just too funny not to share:

Like Aerial Photography?

2010-07-09T09:53:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

If you are looking for something to do next Saturday, 7/17/10, why don't you come to the Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino to see legendary "Canon Explorer of Light" aerial photographer Paul Bowen. He will be giving a seminar, sharing techniques, showing his work, and doing a Q&A on aerial photography. Admission is $11, and all the details on the seminar are here. The address for the museum is:

Planes of Fame Air Museum
7000 Merrill Avenue, #17
Chino, CA 91710

If planes aren't your thing, but you like Glamour Photography, Jimmy D, a longtime "Pretty Girl" shooter, just released his new ebook "Guerilla Glamour" with tips and tricks for everything from building a great lighting kit, to working with models, to helping pose those models. Check it out, buy it, and download it, but be careful, those links may not be "Work Safe" :-)

And now a reminder. If you are shooting events, please make sure you are insured. 'Nuff said

4th of July weekend

2010-07-05T20:47:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a weekend!

The weekend started off at a company picnic, with some BBQ, face painting, and balloon animals for the kids. Then off to The Hip Kitty for drinks and fondue for a friends birthday. That was a very cool joint.

On Saturday we had my daughters horseback riding lesson and a family BBQ in Temecula. And on Sunday, we had another BBQ in Chatsworth with firends and their adorable kids. Boy did the kids have fun. And Peche Lambic goes down great with chicken kabobs :-)

Then off to the fireworks show in West Covina. They put on a very decent show. After we got home and were getting ready for bed, my wife saw trees burning from our kitchen. The neighbors behind us lit their Palm Trees on fire with fireworks. The sirens, the fireworks explosions, the hosing down of our yard and roof while we were watching hot embers come our way... lot's of excitement. Our dogs didn't finally calm down til after 1 am.

Monday was supposed to be a relaxing day at home. Had some chores, and my daughters swimming lesson, and then playing with the kids. My daughter and I took the dogs for a walk. While walking our dogs (I was walking our terrier, and Stella was walking our Great Dane) a very irresponsible pet owner left his gate open while working on his car.
His large Rottweiler charged us. My Dane spun around tackled and herded the Rotty away from us and fended the dog off until the owner came out with a pipe to chase his dog back in the yard. My daughter has major road rash from where she was dragged by our Dane (all to keep the dog away from us) but she is all right (a little scared), and she never let go of the leash. We were about a 1/2 mile from home, so I walked the 2 dogs, and carried her on my shoulders home. She is a very brave little girl, and my Dane is a damn fine dog... And if anyone in the story needs to be chased with a pipe, it's that irresponsible dog owner. So she got some extra love tonight.

Needless to say, I'm exhausted...

Cming up this week in class:

On Wednesday I will be lecturing
On Thursday, Herman will be coming in with hus motorcycle and leathers. Should be a fun (and hopefully uneventful) remainder of the week...

Lighting on location... or not

2010-07-02T09:56:00.000-07:00

Had our first shoot last night in my "Lighting on Location" class, and our very own Tri-Community student Tiffany was our model. We busted out the Westcott Apollo 28" softbox and the wireless triggers in a parking lot and shot away. Our first set up was against an aluminum door:

After this set, we moved Tiffany to include some more ambient light and environment. While the students were using the flash set up, I was shooting available at ISO 6400, f/4, at 1/40 sec. Her face was lit with a torchlight mounted on a stand that the students were using to lock focus.

Just a couple of slight adjustments in Lightroom 3, essentially a light sharpening, a medium contrast curve, and a saturation/color adjustment brush on the face and hair. I like the way these came out.

F&B Q&A

2010-06-29T07:18:00.000-07:00

Okay, big, big news! Our Q&A podcast with the "Vision Monger" himself, David duChemin is up! We are huge fans of David's, both of his work, and of his human approach to imagery. Please go listen to the podcast, it is informative and funny, and David couldn't be more gracious, both with his time, and his sharing of information. You can find it here on iTunes along with our other podcasts. Don't forget to leave us a review and a comment, and subscribe to our podcasts. If you don't use iTunes, you can find the Q&A on our site: http://fadedandblurred.com/qaafab/128-qaafab-no-3-david-duchemin

David has a series of ebooks that are fantastic sources for inspiration, education, exercises, and beautiful imagery. They are $5 each, and I can't recommend them enough. You can pick those up through our site, the link is on our front page: Faded & Blurred

He has also written some fantastic books, 2 of my favorites, actually. "Within the Frame" and "Vision Mongers". You can find those here:

Do yourself, and your craft, a favor, and pick these up. David's mantra is "Gear is good, vision is better", and I couldn't agree more.

Rami & Khrys revisited

2010-06-28T16:47:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

Just realized that I never posted anymore images from Rami & Khrys' wedding last month, so here you go. All of these were shot with available light. This is the wedding where I had 3 Canon BP-511 batteries die on me (they refused to take a charge) and wound up shooting the reception with only 1 camera body.

Khrys wore these great red heels under her dress, and when they peeked out they popped, so we had to get some shots of them. And as for the image 2 up from here, that was shot with an off camera flash light in the middle of a golf course. Just having some fun...

Welcome new students!

2010-06-21T17:50:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

Just a general post to let all the new Tri students know where they can find me, so here goes:

Email: frankwisephotography at g mail.com

http://fadedandblurred.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/FrankWisePhoto

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/FrankWise

My website: http://frankwisephotography.com

Super Shoots: http://www.supershoots.net/portfolio.cfm?ID=368

Model Mayhem: http://www.modelmayhem.com/frankwise

And of course, here on this blog. Spend some time, read some posts, and I look forward to the summer semester at Tri!

The key to great photographs

2010-06-16T07:14:00.000-07:00

I maintain a pretty active Facebook account. I have friends, family, and students (many of which are now friends) that I keep in touch with there. We share images, swap links, do a lot of photography related things, follow each others trials and tribulations. My Facebook account is a little more personal than most photographers. I still deal with the day to day there. I love the concept and idea. Every once in awhile, I get into a discussion there that really sticks with me, and this post today is about one of those. Bobby is a student at Tri, a fellow photographer, and fast becoming a friend. He put's a lot of thought into his image making, and is often looking for something deeper. It is a pleasure to see what he is doing with his photography. Here is a verbatim account of an exchange we had on Facebook, and I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments. And hopefully, Bobby won't mind me posting this...

Bobby: So Frank, I just had a pretty awesome photoshoot, got some great keepers, and in reflection, I have some thoughts. You yourself are a thoughtful, good hearted dude, and I think you might get where I'm coming. I'm thinking that the key to the best photographs, as corny as it may sound, is love. Not the romantic notion, but the humanistic virtue. What if we reconsider the way we look at the act? Instead of taking a picture, what if we look at it as if we are giving something to our subject? We are giving back to them the beauty and joy and artistry of their own lives as a photographic interpretation. Yes, we bring to equation our skill and vision, but what if, in the process, we can take our egos out of it? What if we stop saying or thinking, "Hey I'm a photographer," and instead say, "Let's bring and spread love through the lens." There is so much good that can be brought into the world with something as simple as a photograph given with that sense of compassion. Thoughts?

Frank: Actually Bobby, you are absolutely right. The key to any powerful image is love. For the most part, as people photographers, "Love" is certainly the emotion we are most trying to convey, but a photojournalist may be trying to tell a different story of love as the virtue. It shows in happiness and tragedy, it is the necessary ingredient to telling any compelling story, whether it's wedding photography, newborn portraits, or disasters in Haiti or New Orleans. Love, it's why we cry at weddings, it's why we send money or donate time and resources to people we don't know in far away lands we may never see, it's why we protest, it's why we help complete strangers, it's why we chase the dream.

Emotion is always the motive behind my discussing the importance of quick turnaround for wedding clients. It isn't about technically "perfect" pictures. It's about emotional association between the image and the client or viewer. If they remember what they were thinking at that instant, and the image brings them back to that, and the connection is made, it's a fantastic image for them. When working with couples, I am always looking for that special moment, the connection, the shared intimacy, the "Love". Through the course of a day, there will be a lot of "chin up, bring your shoulder out, part your knees, hands on hips, etc..." but until I get that "shot", the 1 shot that says "I love you", I can't rest. And you know it when you get it. It looks something like this:

Not the most technically perfect image from that series, but it is the one that spoke to me. It was the image I looked at, and I knew Rami and Khrys were in love.

And your right. The ego trips, the MP wars, the my d@ck is bigger than yours crap, all just needs to stop. It's fun in jest, but people take it WAY to seriously. We should ALL spend more time spreading the love, the compassion. I promise you, if that is your sole inspiration when you are behind the lens, you will never, ever, have a bad day behind the lens.

That was our exchange on Facebook, and it's my feeling on photography. It's why I'm a "People" photographer, why I shoot weddings, and why my best days are spent with my family, my beautiful wife and great kids, camera in hand. It's also why I love the work of photographers like David duChemin and Jerry Ghionis. It shows in their work. I could expand more beyond the short exchange we had on Facebook, but why?You gotta shoot what you love, and if you do, it shows...

The last week of school!

2010-06-13T22:44:00.000-07:00

WooHoo! This is the last week of school!

For all my classes this week, we will be doing review, and having fun. For my Wednesday and Thursday classes, we will be having potluck. Please make sure you bring something. We need drinks, snacks, munchies, pizza, etc. If you bring soda, please make sure you bring some cups.

And it's your last chance to turn in images. Make sure you bring them in.

The last couple of days have not beeb great for shooting. We got a break today, And had some good light. I had the opportunity to work with Carmen again (my Thursday class knows Carmen). We went out to my not so secret anymore spot in Duarte. Got lucky too, the river was flowing. Carmen is a lot of fun to work with, and is game for wearing 4" heels, and standing on rocks in the middle of the lake. I haven't had a chance to go through all of them, but here are a few from today. All images were shot with the Canon 5D MKII and the 70-200 f/2.8 IS

This first shot was taken with the Westcott Apollo 28" softbox. All the rest of the images were available light, except where noted. Read more

Available light. Love the natural hair light in this shot

Used a reflector on this shot to tone down the exposure on the tall grass in front

Possibly my favorite shot of the day

Why is your photography so expensive?

2010-06-08T19:12:00.000-07:00

Why is your photography service so expensive? I get asked this a lot. But is it really all that expensive? Let's dispel a few myths.

JcPenny, Sears, and that place in the mall are only $50

Yes they are. They are also cookie cutter. Same lighting, same backdrops, and the same props are being used to take hundreds of family portraits. And the advertised rate on the web site is a "teaser" made to get you in the door. If you want some wallet sized images, or more than 1 image, or a few 5x7's the price increases pretty quickly. And want a full res digital file? Good luck. If you want a unique location, or change outfits during the shoot, you need to call me.

My cousin just bought a really nice camera.

While it's true that in capable hands, even the cheapest DSLR's are very capable of taking quality images, the key is "capable hands". Costs for cameras at the entry level will continue to come down. The camera is only part of the equation. Do they understand lighting? Posing? What about difficult scenarios like a poorly lit church that doesn't allow flash? It has never been about the equipment. It has always been about the person behind the lens.

Regardless of what I charge you for your family portraits, you are still getting a great deal.

If you book me to do a 2-3 hour portrait session, my job isn't over when you leave. I have equipment costs and upkeep, educational expenses, gas, insurance, etc. If we are shooting on location, I will have an assistant. I have left my house a 1/2 hour to an hour before the shoot to set up, and I will leave a 1/2 hour after you to tear down. When I get home, I will have several hours organizing, editing, archiving, and proofing your images. When the job is complete, I may only be making $25-$50 an hour. Does that sound like a lot? What would you pay yourself if you were running your own business? Again, we work with quality, not quantity.

It's all about the post processing

Yes, your cousin may have a great camera. You may even have one too. But DSLR's very rarely output perfect, ready for print images. They need some finishing touches, color correction, black & white conversion, cropping, blemish removal, etc. This takes time, and needs to be done properly.

Experience

Have an uncooperative child? Want to shoot at sunset on a beach? Want to change your eye color from green to blue? Want a family portrait taken at your family reunion? With all 150 family members? Yeah, we can do that.

I don't compete on price. I compete on service and quality

I won't compete with cost. So what do I offer? Service. I will help you organize your shoot. Need a make-up artist or want a hair stylist? I can recommend that. Don't know where to do your shoot? I have locations for urban, natural, beach, etc. They are MUCH better than the pull down screens at Sears. Need wardrobe suggestions? I can help there too. I will help you every step of the way. Getting married? I can help organize your day, give you suggestions, put you in touch with just about any kind of vendor you need. And if I don't have an answer, I will find it.

Many of us photographers still value our work, and the effort, experience, talent, and creativity that goes into it. There are customers that understand that, and also value those same things. When you find them, you need to keep them. Consistent quality, and great service does that.

Carmen at the Gas Station

2010-06-06T20:55:00.000-07:00

We have had a lot of fun in my Thursday night class this semester, haven't we? This past week, I actually took the opportunity to take some shots, as we were using the Westcott Apollo softbox again (I love that thing!), we had a great car, we had a fun set, and we had Carmen. I am really hoping that I see some cd's from the students. It's getting harder to get models, as they all say the same thing, "we never get that many images". I know, I sound like a broken record.

Several of these shots were taken at high ISO with available light. So, what did you get from this shoot?

And attention students! Do you want your images seen by thousands of people? So do I. But if you send me your single favorite image that was shot in my Thursday night class, I will post it here on this blog for all 10 of you to see ;-) Here is what I need: 1 image sized at 800 x 800 at 72 dpi. Please send it to me at frankwisephotography at geemail.com (please note the purposeful misspelling of geemail) I only want 1 image, and it needs to have been taken during 1 of my Thursday night lighting on location classes. Deadline for this is Friday, 6/11/10.

A funny thing happened...

2010-06-06T08:54:00.000-07:00

A funny thing happened at the Quincenera yesterday... But you'll have to read further to find out what it was ;-)

I shot the beautiful Ms Emily's Quincenera yesterday. I have done quite a bit of modeling work with her mother, and when her mom asked if she wanted a photographer for her Quince, she said absolutely, but I want Frank! Things like this make me happy.

The first two images above were shot available light as Emily stood just inside the church doors. It was hot yesterday, so we were always looking for shade to keep cover in.

The ceremony and party were held in Whittier, and on our way to a park to shoot the family and Quince party pictures, we drove down a street that had these beautiful trees. As soon as we were done shooting the formals, I took Emily right back there to shoot a few.

Yes, this image is shot at an abandoned auto garage, and yes, she is standing in dirt. I have a recurring theme that I actively try to shoot whenever I get a chance. I love images of beautiful flowers that sprout up in very unexpected places. Taking the princess Emily to this location really nails that theme for me.

Available window light. Love the warmth and textures.

So what was the funny thing that happened? Well, at one point during the day, I noticed a familiar wedding photographer in the crowd. He wasn't shooting, he didn't even have a camera. I asked the mother of Emily if that was so & so, and she said "YES, he is my ex husbands brother in law, he's a wedding photographer. Do you know him?"

I said, "yes I do, I replaced him at Tri..." She really got a kick out of that, as we were more concerned that the drama would come from her ex-husband meeting her new boyfriend. Not from the wedding photographers. ;-) Incidentally, the ceremony and party went off with out a hitch, and yes, at Quincenera's, they do buy the photographer drinks...

Coming up this week at Tri:

Monday night we will discuss the wedding album

Wednesday night we will discuss proofs, deliverables, and the album

Thursday night we will have models. You can determine whether you get to shoot or not by bringing in images.

28" Westcott Appollo Softbox

2010-05-31T19:35:00.000-07:00

I just received my 28" Westcott Apollo Softbox late last week, and aside from a brief use on Thursday night, actually got to practice in a more natural situation today with my favorite model. Set up couldn't be any easier, as it is an "umbrella style" softbox, meaning it opens up just like an umbrella. The softbox attaches to your stand via the umbrella holder on the flash bracket, or through the umbrella hole on your studio strobes. As the flash unit mounts inside the softbox, TTL communication is impossible, and requires the use of radio triggers like Pocket Wizards or an inexpensive solution like those offered by CowboyStudios.

I tend to be an available light shooter, so when I use light modifiers, it is generally to "enhance" a portrait, so the image doesn't scream "FLASH". As you will see in the sample images below, the effect is subtle, basically just giving a little pop to the skin tones, and creating a nice catch light in the eyes. The images were shot between 10:30 and 11:30 am, with the sun directly overhead. I choose a spot in shade, and the available light was actually quite nice, and certainly usable, but then I wouldn't get to use my new toy. I was looking to balance the available light with flash, so I metered the area we would be shooting in. As I wanted to use flash, my determining factor was my shutter speed, I needed to keep it under 1/200 sec, and ideally for me, 1/125. With that consideration I was metering between f6.3 and f9.0 at ISO 200. I was shooting with the Canon 5D MKII and the Canon 135mm f2 L lens, a favorite lens I don't get to use much.

The image on the left was shot just using available light, and the image on the right was shot using the softbox. Both were shot at ISO 200, f/9.0. 1/125 sec. The flashed image certainly has more "POP" to it, and that tell tale catchlight sparkle in the eye. And the balance between the lit portion and the ambient is nearly perfect. Again, the effect I was going for is subtle, and the quality of light from the Westcott is pleasantly soft.

Again, in these examples, the lit picture has more contrast and saturation, and some sparkle in the eyes.

For the last examples, I moved my daughter to a back lit situation. These images were shot at ISO 200, f/7.1, and 1/200 sec. You will see a catch light in the eyes in the available light image, that is a result of sunlight bouncing off the softbox, and acting more as a reflector.

All in all, I am very pleased with the quality of light coming from The Westcott. Set up is easy, and compared to some other competitors, the cost is low. I think this unit will get a lot of use, and may become the go to light modifier for me when I just need to add a little pop to the ambient.

And always remember to provide your models with some form of compensation, be it images on cd's or money, or in this case, a trip to Toys R Us for zsu zsu pets...

Gotta get out of my Comfort Zone

2010-05-30T20:40:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I feel like I've been cruising on autopilot. Just doing things the way I always do them, getting the exact same results, not really pushing, not really stretching. Sometimes, it's just because I'm way to busy, with way to many commitments, other times, it's due to laziness. When that happens, it's time to give myself a challenge.

For those of you that are familiar with this blog, you know I am a huge fan of David duChemin, and of course his $5 ebooks, which are available here. His first 2 ebooks, "Ten" & "Ten More", are still my favorites. He provides exercises in them to stretch your skills without buying gear. And one of those exercises is to shoot for a day with only 1 lens, at 1 focal length.

So I grabbed my 100mm 2.8 macro and headed off to the Arboretum. I am in no way a flower or macro shooter. I tend to struggle with both disciplines, so this would be a good exercise for me. Here are a few of the images I shot today, using only the 100mm macro (my macro is still the older version, not the 100mm macro f/2.8L)

A couple of things I was really trying to pay attention to as I was shooting today, were backgrounds, and colors.

I also only shot jpegs today. And something I learned today, macro photography is hard with out a tripod or monopod. These images were all hand held.

The 100mm macro is a pretty nice portrait lens too, and again, I was paying close attention to bacgrounds.

This little guy even posed for me

I will leave you with just a few more

So, when you get in a funk, what do you do?

Tell us in the comments. And if you are a macro/flower photographer, how'd I do? And don't forget, no school on Monday!

The new Westcott Apollo Softbox

2010-05-29T09:56:00.000-07:00

Those of you in my Thursday class know that I bought the new 28" Westcott Apollo Softbox. And you know that because we used it that night of course. Here are a couple of test shots that I took with it. It will take me a little time to get used to it, but I think I am really going to like this unit. We were just using 1 light, and obviously it was dark, so this wouldn't be my typical or ideal use for it, I would prefer to use it in open shade much earlier in the day, but again, I just got it about 2 hours before these shots were taken ;-) I will do a much more thorough review on Faded & Blurred very soon.

The first shot is of Herman in the parking structure after the jump:

The next 2 shots are of our models in the alleyway:

For my first trial use of it I am very happy, and I think it will earn a regular spot in my bag of tricks. The setup couldn't be any easier, as it is the "umbrella style", and mounts right to the umbrella adapter. You will need to use your flashes in manual mode, and you also need triggers to fire them. Here are some links in case anyone is interested, and if you shot with us on Thursday night, what did you think?

Westcott Apollo 28" Softbox

And here are the triggers I used:

CowboyStudio Triggers

Umbrella Brackets:

Light Stands: