Imre Z. Balint, BSc, MPM, MBA

The long (very long) wait is over! The macro photography episode is live on YouTube and happily awaits your attentive gaze. When I started to write the script, I realized I could provide more value by first showing off some of the many methods that can be used to take macro photographs, and then following up this show with another where I'll cover shooting tips. I've been working on this show all day long, so it's time to take a break and have a little chow. Do enjoy!

I've had this shot on my Flickr photostream for a few days now, but I couldn't help post it here along with a quick tip on freezing motion (click pic for larger versions): I doubt one can tell that I was casually drifting on a lake a few meters from the shore in my little inflatable boat when I took this. In hand was my E-P2 with the 70-300mm lens (of course using the four thirds adapter ring as that lens mount is not micro). Auto-focus was on and set to the center dot, which I generally prefer, and since Daisy was ecstatic to be outdoors and swimming in the lake, slow shutter speeds were not going to cut it as she was moving about quite quickly. According to the EXIF data, I shot this at a focal length of 70mm and my aperture was set to f/7.1. Funny thing is I actually meant the aperture to be f/8 as I find this lens is tack sharp there, but close enough as they say; I'm certainly pleased with the result. I addition, using a small aperture here also meant getting a larg...

Let's get right into this, shall we? We'll start off with a quick discussion about where the resolution value comes from for those who aren't sure, then a segment on what you should keep in mind when shooting photos for print, ending off with suggestions in regard to what resolution could be used for particular print sizes. Resolution Value So how does Photoshop (and most other image editing software) come up with the resolution value for your image? It's actually quite simple; divide the pixel width by the document's width (or use the height values, the result is the same). So if your photo is 4032 pixels wide and the document width is set to 12.841, then you get: 4032 / 12.841 = 313.99423720894011369831010045947 to be exact, but you can't realistically have .994... of a pixel, thus the program rounds to 314 (these values are what you see in the episode ). By the way, pixels per inch and dots per inch are generally used interchangeably but there is a differe...

I changed my workflow to create Episode 28 on image size, resolution, and cropping , and the idea worked well even though I needed a couple of takes to get it just right. Instead of winging it like I did for the other Photoshop tutorials, I wrote the script for the whole show, recorded the narration, and then played back the audio while I recorded the screen video. Certainly sounds more professional and I got in the information I wanted versus "umm-ing" my way through. There are lots of things I'd like to say in the supplemental post for this episode, especially in regard to resolution of printed images. As usual, keep your eyes peeled for that in the next few days. Right now I'm off to devour some burgers! L8r!

Originally, my intentions at the Calgary International Airport were to capture shots of a fully restored Avro Lancaster . Pitty I arrived just in time to whip out of the car and take some shots of the lovely craft through a horrid chain link fence. Oh well, at least I snagged a few other pics of which, for whatever reason as I can't quite put my finger on it, I really like the first one displayed below. Click on the pics to view larger sizes in Flickr.

Landscape photography is a significant topic as a whole, but even its parts are nothing short of substantial. Not only can specific topics be expanded to include more detail, but various types of landscapes lend themselves to be captured better in a certain way; techniques for shooting prairies may not work as well in mountainous areas. That being said, we all have to start somewhere and I've almost always found that understanding the basics inside-out not only allows one to produce better imagery, but those basics after a little time will start transforming into more complex techniques being explored; think unusual angles, compositions that follow no rules but look fantastic, and use of various filters to enhance certain aspects of the scenery. Now I covered quite a lot in the video , but there are a couple of details I didn't mention. Before doing so, here's a list of some of those basic rules and techniques: Level Horizon: If you're new to this sport, try to k...

Woohoo! I'm really happy with the way the landscape photography episode turned out. I'll have a fair bit to add in the supplemental post, so stay tune for that in the next day or so. L8r!