by Osprey Photo Workshops & Tours | Apr 25, 2012 | Nature, Photo Tours, Photo Workshops
Last Friday I visited Ladew Topiary Gardens just north of Baltimore to prepare for the field trip portion of the Nature Photo class I am teaching at Johns Hopkins University. Because of the warm spring, the tulips, azaleas, and other flowers which should have been at their prime at this time were beginning to fade. At first disappointed, I changed my mind as I saw a number of interesting photo subjects and began to experiment with unusual subjects and abstractions. The tulips petal was shot with a 105 mm Nikon Macro lens at its closest focusing distance. For the fern I hand held the lens so I used 1600 ISO and the ripples were shot at 1000. The iron face was from a chair and its shadow. The results were surprising. See the photos that follow and catch one of the classes I teach in nature photography at Johns Hopkins University and Norfolk Botanical Gardens. Check my web site for details. www.ospreyphoto.com 
by Osprey Photo Workshops & Tours | Mar 7, 2012 | Nature, Photo Workshops, Wildlife
On several occasions I have served as a judge for camera club competitions. The experiences reminded me of the benefits of belonging to such organizations. They are great places mix with others of similar photo interests and share info on equipment and techniques. There are often opportunities to participate in club sponsored field trips and attend lectures by expert photographers. You can participate in digital and print photo contests where the constructive criticism given will help you refine your photo skills. Participation in club activities both boosts your enthusiasm and creative energy. Clubs are in most communities. Check them out. Osprey Photo Website: www.ospreyphoto.com
by Osprey Photo Workshops & Tours | Feb 23, 2012 | Nature, Photo Workshops, Travel
Just one of the tips from the Creative Digital Photography class I am teaching at the Norfolk Botanical Gardens this weekend. See www.ospreyphoto.com for details.
As you move about, always be on the lookout for potential photo subjects. Take note of graphic elements such as lines, shapes, forms, and patterns, plus the direction and quality of lighting no matter whether you are photographing or just driving to the store. This is a way to constantly train our eyes to recognize future photo opportunities.
by Osprey Photo Workshops & Tours | Jan 27, 2012 | Nature, Photo Tours, Photo Workshops
In addition to my nature photography classes at Norfolk Botanical Gardens, http://www.norfolkbotanicalgarden.org/programs-events/calendar, programs at Johns Hopkins University http://odyssey.jhu.edu/, and weekend photo workshops at Chincoteague NWR Virginia and in Southern West Virginia, www.ospreyphoto.com, I have been teaching introductory digital editing classes based on Adobe Photoshop Elements 10. I am always searching for good books to recommend to students. While preparing for an upcoming class, I found an excellent book explaining the use of layers and masks in a way that beginners might be able to understand. The text and screen captures are useful and easy to follow. For those interested, I recommend the following book which can be purchased as a soft back or Kindle version from www.amazon.com. “Layers: The Complete Guide to Photoshop’s Most Powerful Feature (2nd Edition)”
Photos from my Argentina photo tour in Dec. 2011.
by Osprey Photo Workshops & Tours | Oct 7, 2011 | Nature, Photo Tours, Photo Workshops, Travel
Whereas fast shutter speeds freeze action, slow shutter speeds can imply motion and can transform the image into one that is impressionistic. The shutter speed selected depends on the effect desired and degree of movement. You can achieve interesting effects at settings of 1/60 to several seconds or even longer. Adding a stationary object to the scene can provide a point of reference. Use the playback setting on your camera to judge the results at various shutter speeds. Experiment. A Hoodman Hood Loupe place over your camera’s LCD will block extraneous light so you can better see the image and histogram. (Check out my new schedule of workshops & tours on my web site www.ospreyphoto.com)
by Osprey Photo Workshops & Tours | Sep 27, 2011 | Nature, Photo Workshops
Click on the following tutorial to explore the relationship between the sky and water in digital photos –HopNat_PhotoFL11Skies & Color
