Imre Z. Balint, BSc, MPM, MBA

I just spent a little time contemplating what additional material I could include in this post, but I realized there is't a whole lot. After all, it's not very complicated to adjust the position of the bridge and I'm quite satisfied with how my video turned out, so I'll do a quick summary along with a note about string height. And before moving on I want to mention a couple of things. First, I'm not a luthier (instrument builder) so the material below is based mostly on my research and second, if you don't feel comfortable adjusting things on your instrument then I recommend you seek out a professional who can do this. Also, do be careful if you choose to undertake this operation, because there is a chance you could damage the mandolin, especially the finish. I'm a fan of numbered lists, so here's what I did to adjust the bridge on my mandolin, which, in case you're wondering, is an Epiphone MM-50: Determine if you need to replace your strings. I...

For whatever reason, this video was probably the slowest to upload on YouTube! Not a huge file either... must be a lazy Internet connection. Anyway, do check out the video if you're interested in reducing the amount of sharpness or flatness you might be getting while fretting notes on your mandolin. I'm glad I got off my butt, put new strings on her and played with the bridge position until it became essentially perfect. I'll write more in a few days as I should be off to bed now! L8r!

I managed to produce the histogram episode quite quickly and overall it turned out well. I'm not going to elaborate much here other than to discuss clipping a little more, along with presenting a method you can use to help train yourself in analyzing the histogram on your camera; especially useful for those of you new to this. A Second Take on Clipping Now that I look back at my script, the segment on clipping could have been put more simply or at least in a different manner. First of all, if the dynamic range of a scene you are taking a picture of is greater than what the imaging sensor of the camera can handle, then the image can have clipping in the shadows, highlights or both regions. Unlike our eyes that can see a much broader range of tones, for a given exposure the camera can only capture a portion of that and this is why some dark areas of certain scenes turn out pure black on the photo and bright areas turn pure white. What is crucial to understand is that clipped areas...

Well I managed to get this episode done fairly quickly in about 15 hours start to finish. Plus, I think it turned out to be a great primer for those who are not familiar with histograms. Supplemental post to follow in the next few days as usual! Um... yea I know I said I'd do time lapse photography next, but well... ok I have no excuse! I'll try to make that the next show! L8r!

I already said it, but man did I have fun creating the action photography episode ! Gigantic topic though but hopefully the show gave people a good idea of what it's about. Speaking of which... The Subject is Key ... it is indeed all about the subject and I don't just mean you have to get the thing you're shooting in the frame. Since I hit up this subtopic quite thoroughly in the video I won't spend much time on it here, but I can't help emphasize it a little. Virtually everything such as the camera equipment you'll need for the shoot, the location you select, perhaps the time of day and camera settings will depend largely on the subject. In addition, some research might also improve the composition of the photographs. It's like the examples I provided in the video. Skateboarders doing tricks might look better with a wide angle lens, flash and a large depth of field (DOF) to capture cool moves, while certain motocross shots will be more impressive with th...

I'm happy to say that the action photography episode is done and live on YouTube, so do give it a watch. And for those of you curious about who Richard Steele is... well now you know! He's a fictional comic book like character I came up with in the last couple of weeks and I'll be producing a series about him called Second Shot . But yes, I'm holding back on details about him and the show, so you'll just have to stay tuned to find out more. Boy did I love creating this episode though! I got some serious practice editing shots too. But enough about that. If it's one thing that popped out at me the most as I developed this video, it's that action photography encompasses a huge realm of smaller subjects with their own unique requirements. So if you have specific questions about action photography, then feel free to ask away and I'll answers some of those Q's in my supplemental blog post (you can post a comment below, on my Facebook wall, tweet me, ...

In this supplemental post I'll be discussing photography using telescopes, in contrast to  part "A" of this two part text that is focused on photographing the night sky without one. A Little about Telescopes and Eyepieces Before getting into the photography side of this topic, let's first take a quick look at the three families of telescopes that I mentioned in the episode . I've only written fairly quick summaries below with the intention of providing you with some overall information. If you are interested in finding out more (and believe me there is a lot to learn about scopes), check out the Web resources section. Refractors:  Refractors are basically your classic telescope style; a tube with an objective at the front and eyepiece at the back. The objective is usually comprised of two or three optical elements, the former design generally referred to as achromatic and the latter as apochromatic. Both designs reduce the effects of spherical and chromatic ...

The world of astrophotography is not only an enormous topic, but a fascinating one too. Episode 32 of my photography series gave a very brief overview, but in this supplemental post I endeavor to provide much more detail. In future episodes relating to astrophotography, I'll be examining specific topics in more detail such as photographing auroras, planets and processing such images. Shooting the Celestial Wonders Without a Telescope I have a feeling that if you asked some people to describe astrophotography they would likely include the word "telescope" in their sentence. Yet, a telescope is by no means required to take some amazing photos of the night sky or even in daytime for solar photographers... here comes the warning. Warning: Seriously said, viewing the Sun, whether with the naked eye, through a camera, telescope or some other means, can be very dangerous and can result in serious eye damage or even permanent blindness. Simply said, take extreme care when ...

After a few solid days of work, the introduction to astrophotography video is finally done! I will have a lot more to write about in the supplemental post and to provide a little teaser I'll be including additional details in regard to telescopes, calculating magnification and other tidbits about astrophotography that I couldn't reasonably get into this episode.

Well I figure I better finish up the supplemental post to my Camera Maintenance and Care viewer request video I made a few weeks ago, seeing as I'm almost ready to start making the next episode. Overall, I believe that most people take fairly good care of their camera equipment, especially the amateur enthusiasts and pros out there. On the other hand, I do know a novice photographer who used her fingers to wipe the lens clean... I still shudder to this day. This video was the longest I've made since I started my photography series, but it was comprised of many short segments succinctly covering many camera maintenance and care topics. In no particular order they included: Replacing the camera body and lens (front and rear) caps to help prevent dust from collecting on the inner components of the camera and the exposed glass elements, respectively, and from other damage occurring (e.g. scratches on the lens; a finger accidentally entering the mirror box and poking some cri...

It's been quite a while since my last video, but after receiving another request for camera maintenance and care, I thought I'd quickly whip up this show. In the next week or so I'll also finish off the supplemental post with some links to cleaning products and other websites on this topic. And if I'm not too lazy in the coming days, I'll also post a shot or two of my wooden shark as that project is progressing quite well. L8r!

Macro photography can open up a whole new world that is often either overlooked or simply missed due to its small size. To start with, I'll quickly discuss the topics covered in episode 29 on the many ways one can accomplish close-up and macro work, and then I'll finish off with the techniques portion which relates to episode 30 . And there's a dirty little secret I'll like to get off my chest too; keep reading. Close-Up and Macro Definitions The definition of macro photography seems somewhat illusive and unless I'm missing something or haven't poked around enough, I haven't yet found a single and universal one. But that said, most sources I have seen say that if the lens (or combination of lenses) is capable of projecting a one to one ratio or life size image on the focal plane (sensor or film) then you have a true macro lens and are able to take such photos. Some sources also include magnifications up to about 10 to 15 times, beyond which you enter the...