Welcome aboard photo enthusiasts… the list of camera specifications is definitely dwindling down in this seventh edition.  You can find all the specifications for just about any camera on such websites as dpreview.com. In order to explain what each specification means, I continue to use the randomly chosen Lumix DMC-FX150 camera, manufactured by Panasonic.  We ended on Flash modes: Auto, Red-Eye Auto, On, Red-Eye On, Red-Eye Slow Sync, Off – the last go around, and move on to:

Exposure compensation: -2 to +2 EV in 0.3 EV steps: This feature I seldom use, although for a pocket camera with no manual controls it could come in handy for you.  It may show up on your camera as EV+/- and when entering this feature in my camera I get a notched horizontal line with ‘0’ at center, -1, -2 on the left and +1, +2 on the right side.  Using the left-right arrow keys I can incrementally go in either direction. Read more »

Welcome aboard photo enthusiasts… the list of camera specifications is definitely dwindling down in this seventh edition.  You can find all the specifications for just about any camera on such websites as dpreview.com. In order to explain what each specification means, I continue to use the randomly chosen Lumix DMC-FX150 camera, manufactured by Panasonic.  We ended on Flash modes: Auto, Red-Eye Auto, On, Red-Eye On, Red-Eye Slow Sync, Off – the last go around, and move on to:

Exposure compensation: -2 to +2 EV in 0.3 EV steps: This feature I seldom use, although for a pocket camera with no manual controls it could come in handy for you.  It may show up on your camera as EV+/- and when entering this feature in my camera I get a notched horizontal line with ‘0’ at center, -1, -2 on the left and +1, +2 on the right side.  Using the left-right arrow keys I can incrementally go in either direction.

Read more »

Celebrating the End of Photography – as we knew it.

“Mr. James, what are you talking about? If you read the statistics you will find the number of happy clickers, the number of pictures taken, and the ways they can be taken has risen exponentially.”  I might add the technical underpinnings of the image taking process has risen algorithmically as well, and this underlines the whole premise that photography, as we knew it, has reached its end…

Tearful Tango

Endings can carry a negative connotation, and talking about it may seem to carry implications of sorrow, bitterness, anger, and at times, even helplessness.  Such feelings are possible in a clouded emotional devaluation, playing the ain’t-it awful game.  Perhaps we should consider the matter a bit more rationally to follow a journey that will celebrate endings that lead to new beginnings.

During a visit to a quarry near Redstone, Colorado during late summer, I spoke with a woman familiar with the history of the region.  She mentioned that the white marble produced in the quarry was used to construct the Lincoln Memorial (among others), adding it is considered to be the finest such stone to be found.  Nowadays, she let me know, it is shipped to Italy; only there do they still have the master artisans who can work the stone.  It was this last statement struck a chord with me, and my career as a photographer. Read more »

Beautiful, imaginative, creative nature photography still thrives when Brian puts his eye to the camera. I like it, and therefor giving it the attention it deserves, and hopefully one day soon it may be exhibited at the gallery.

My venture to see his work took me well south of Miami to the Palmetto Bay Club.  What a pleasant surprise. For starters this is a very nice faciltiy. Come to find out, his exhibit was part of a larger nature presentation by TV Channel 2 with a piece on Ken Burns and his National Park documentary, and a series of films they had made on Florida Parks.  Among the 150 people or so present were the  Directors.

Although Brian’s work and Channel 2’s film presentations were the highlights of the evening, I must add the wines and catering were simply marvelous… all eleven thousand people invited were silly to miss it, including my art loving friends from Broward.

Here’s an introduction to Brian Call: Read more »

In the News:

On the evening of September 24, 2009 the poster representing the 24th Ft. Lauderdale International
Film Festival was unveiled.  Two artists, represented and exhibited by the James Schot Gallery and Photo Studio, were honored.

Peter Langone, the photographer for the poster, had his fine art exhibited in Nuda Veritas

How Was It Done:  “Color of Music” the series by Marilyn Martin.

Can I tell you Marilyn’s age? I have to, because she is more “with it” than most of my younger artists… Always involved, always asking questions, always producing her art. I love the color photo tapestries, soothing yet electric that she creates.  She is a gem at 84 years, and proof that having an artist’s heart keeps you young. She writes:

My original abstracts were initially accepted by James Schot to be in a show, Sublime Abstractions in April, 2008, much to my pleasant surprise!  This, because I had been trying to find some one who appreciated my abstracts enough to let me share them with others.  These abstracts were the result of experimenting with my new digital Nikon camera and discovering I was blessed with a talent to create colorful “designs in motion”! Read more »

Rough Draft! That’s what this is to deliver a visual awakening with tips and suggestions for a truly picture perfect day!  Let me know if you found this helpful… james@bestschot.com

It’s your party; it’s Your Wedding!

You can cry if you want to.

Or make sure your wedding/event is visually beautiful.

C1 – A Matter of Style: Traditional, Journalistic, or cinematic? Cinematic!

Then try a journalistic approach.

Third option, the cinematic approach, is the charm.

C2 – Making the right choices

C3 -Beyond Previews – Personality and other Considerations

C4 – A local vs. an outsider?

C5 -Is it medium-format or 35mm, digital cards or film?

C6 – To flash or not to flash

C7 – Soft, blurred, or sharp:

C8 – Have Broom and will Travel Up The Ladder

C9 – Come rain or shine

C10 – Own a camera?  Now you’re a photographer:

C11 – Attitude, a most important ingredient:

C12 – Personal grooming for the big day.

C13 – What to wear?

C14 – Take A Stand

C15 – By the way, how should my photographer look?

C16 – Caution entering the studio system

C17 – expectations

C18 – Having a photography or visual consultant

C19 – Too many photographers trample the flowers.

C20- Wedding Consultants/coordinators:  How they help or can hinder

C21- Vendor eye sores

C22 – Caution entering the studio system

Science of flash options reveals complexity of light, a vast topic

Welcome aboard photo enthusiasts… this is the fifth installment covering camera specifications you can find on such websites as dpreview.com. The fifth installment!  When first thinking of writing about specifications I thought they would be covered in two articles, that’s it.  Then I was concerned that systematically following a list might be boring.  I hope not.  I am well past two articles now, and the information included in these articles should of interest and helpful to any aspiring camera bug.  After all, specifications are a list of facts about your camera, and I’m providing a more in depth translation of what they mean and how they work for you.

For continuity I continue to use the randomly chosen Lumix DMC-FX150 camera, manufactured by Panasonic.  We ended on Max shutter: 1/2000 sec the last go around, and move on to:

Built-in Flash:  Yes – Can’t imagine a pocket camera manufactures without one.

Read more »

Back to camera specification details; there’s still more to know

Welcome aboard photo enthusiasts… I’m back.   The headline in the last issue for this column on photography was that it is “last installment on specs,” but like Freddie Krueger I’ve returned for one, two or more sequels.  It’s like anything else, for instance, to really know your vessel it helps to have a good handle on all the specifications.  A camera has a fair number and you can look at these articles as if you’re going through the owner’s manual.  I guess it is only as exciting as the interest and control you would like to have.

Therefore this is the fourth installment covering camera specifications you can find on such websites as dpreview.com. For continuity I continue to use the randomly chosen Lumix DMC-FX150 camera, manufactured by Panasonic.  We ended on white balance the last go around, and move on to:

Aperture range: F2.8 – F5.6 – This represents the settings for the size of the hole (diaphragm) of your lens relative to its focal length (distance from the image sensor/film to the outer glass of the lens).  It allows for the control of light and the depth of field.

Read more »