MyFunCamera

Workshop in New York City! Friday, Oct 23

This year, in addition to family photo sessions & the PhotoPlus convention, I’m teaching a 1/2 day workshop in Central Park! This will be a FUN FUN FUN time for moms and dads who want to learn how to use their SLR cameras to get better pictures of their families & surroundings.

If you’ve got a nice camera but can’t seem to get off auto modes, this day is for you!

If your eyes cross when you try to look at all the numbers & settings on your camera & lens, this day is for you! (The numbers aren’t that scary, and I’m not saying that just because I’m a Math nerd, I promise!)

If you already know a lot about your camera (what ISO does, aperture, metering modes, shooting modes, benefits of different lenses, etc), this day will be boring for you. But, hey, if you want a refresher course and a fun couple of hours, sign up!

If you’ve gotten this far, you probably want some details, huh?
The workshop is Friday, October 23rd. We’ll meet in the park (details & directions will be mailed out to attendees) at 10am. You’ll also get a FREE Expo pass for PhotoPlus Expo, courtesy of Mpix, AND you’ll get a $25 Mpix gift certificate!
We’ll spend some time talking about equipment & shooting, then we’ll wander around using that new knowledge to create some great pictures!
If you want to bring your own kids as test subjects, AWESOME! You’ll just need to bring a helper to watch them while you’re learning.

After we’ve exhausted ourselves learning & shooting, we’ll find a nice spot for lunch. We can chitchat more and enjoy some great time with old & new friends.

The workshop is normally $250, but I’m keeping some spots open for early birds to get in for only $200!

Use this button to grab your spot:

You can also click HERE.

Click quick (say that five times fast!), these spots are limited! Oh and one other hint: coming with a friend is VERY fun, so try to find a friend who will come along with you! I’ve taught many of these workshops in San Diego, and the people who come with a shutterbug friend always seem to have the most fun. If you don’t have a buddy to come along, no worries! You’re sure to make some new friends that day!

If that link up there doesn’t work for you, that means the early bird slots have sold out.

If you’re yearning for more details, here’s a sneak peek at the subjects we’ll cover in detail:
cameras
sensor sizes
crop factors
prime lenses
zoom lenses
aperture
shutter speed
ISO
what your LCD will tell you
white balance
metering modes
drive modes
focus modes
REAL WORLD SHOOTING in different situations
shooting angles
ambient light
PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE
and LUNCH!

I know that list seems intimidating to people who just want to learn how to use their cameras to take better pictures of their kids, but I promise I’ll simplify it for you! Once you learn how different settings affect your pictures and which settings you should set first, it gets a lot easier, and that’s what I’m there for! Plus, you’ll get materials (and some myFUNcamera pocket guides!) to take home with you so you can review the info later.

It’s going to be a REALLY fun day!
See you in October!!

~Carey

Lenses on a budget. Good versatile zooms!

An email came in from Monika in Japan (she’s a Navy wife) asking a great question about lenses.
Monika doesn’t have a ton of money to throw at L-series lenses, but she wants a good versatile lens her her Canon digital Rebel.

The 18-55mm “kit” lens that usually comes with that camera is pretty lame. It works, but it’s by no means a really good lens.

Monika talked about her friend who had a 50-200mm lens that was great for zooming, but on the Rebel especially, it was hard to get wide angle or group pictures without backing WAY WAY WAY up.

She said:

I am looking for an all purpose lens, I realize that a perfect one may not exist, but as close as i can get…
Any recommendations?? I don’t have thousands to spend but maybe $1000 or under? A lens that I can easily travel with and will let me take great pictures of the kids, but also zoom in from a distance to capture pics of temples/shrines, and other landmarks.

I always look at L-lenses because they’re the best, but reading Monika’s email reminded me that not everyone can afford such expensive “glass.” (Calling a lens “glass” sounds kinda snooty, huh? I laugh at myself when I say it.) Heck, I don’t even want to go out & buy expensive lenses these days because money is tight for everyone!

When I started Barefoot Memories, this was one of the first lenses I purchased:

It’s a great lens, and it served me VERY well until I was ready to upgrade to nicer L-series lenses. As I type this, that lens has a great sale price at Amazon!

This one is also nice:

That one is not “USM” (Ultra Sonic Motor) which means it probably doesn’t zoom and focus as quickly as the other USM lens I put up there. But it does have that 200mm zoom length that makes it more versatile. It has about the same regular price as the 28-135mm lens I put up there, but the sale price isn’t as good.

Making lenses that have a wide angle AND a good zoom is not easy — packing high-quality glass, housing, image stabilizers, and mechanics into one little cylinder costs more. That’s why this 18-200mm has a wider range of zooming but the same regular price as the 28-135mm: adding the nicer USM takes up some room and adds some quality, but the zoom range is sacrificed.

You’ve probably noticed that I really like sticking with Canon lenses.

If you’re willing to go “off brand,” here’s a really good looking Tamron lens (GREAT sale price right now! Add it to your cart to see!):

If I got the choose a lens for Monika, I’d pick that Tamron. Everyone I know who has Tamron lenses LOVES them. I’m stubborn & like to stick with Canon lenses, but if I were on a budget and needed a new lens in that price range, I’d probably get that Tamron!

Have a great day!

And Monika, once you make a choice, let everyone know what you choose & how you like it!!

~Carey

Sand and Shells for your books and cards

During WPPI last week, I had many requests for the sand and shells I used in my hard cover books that Mpix had on display.
CLICK HERE to see more about the Mpix hard cover books.

I created those sand and shell images by collecting shells from right here in San Diego and taking high-quality (super sharp) pictures of shells and sand. In other words, these aren’t stock images that I found or bought online somewhere.

Purchase using this paypal button:

Once your payment is complete, you will get a link to download your purchase.

**CLICK HERE to see instructions showing you how easy it is to use these elements in the Mpix press software. You do not need Photoshop!**

Have fun!
~Carey

Adobe Photoshop … my workhorse

I’ve tried Lightroom, but I LOVE Photoshop!
I shoot my images in RAW (or jpg sometimes these days) and I sort through them in Adobe Bridge to choose my favorites. Then I open them in Adobe Camera Raw (part of the Photoshop suite) to work on them a bit with color & exposure. It doesn’t take long. Then I open them in Photoshop to do a little more quick work.
This process works very well for me. I love the power of Photoshop & all the fun actions you can use!!

Adobe Lightroom

I’m open-minded, and I realize that a TON of folks love Adobe Lightroom.
I’ve tried to learn it, and it just doesn’t mesh with my brain as well as Adobe Bridge, Camera Raw, and Photoshop.
But, I understand that a ton of folks love it, a lot of folks have tried to get me to love it, and I just don’t like it as much as some folks. That’s OK with me! Whatever works best for you is GREAT!
Give Lightroom a try and figure out what’s best for you.

These actions really are TOTALLY RAD

These actions ROCK MY WORLD!

Along with my favorite Kubota actions,
I use Totally Rad actions on every session!

“Oh Snap” is one of my go-to favorites,
but there are WAYYYYY too many to choose just one favorite!

Check out the site to see all the Radness for yourself!

Kubota Actions… I use them all the time!

Whenever I work on pictures in Photoshop, I use Kubota actions.

They are a major part of my efficient workflow.
I use Artistic Vol. 2 the most, but all three Artistic Volumes have actions I love.

Artistic Actions Vol 2 has “Radient People” that I LOVE, and a bunch of black & white conversions that are just wonderful.
The Production Packs have sharpening & web-prep actions that make my life so much easier!