The Layer mask is one of the most powerful, useful features in Photoshop. While the process is considered an advanced technique, it doesn't have to be difficult. In fact, once you get the hang of it, it's actually quite easy. In this, my first ever Screencast, I show you how to create a layer mask in less than two minutes. Since this is a trial run for me, I'd appreciate your feedback. If there is something you'd like to see in the future, please let me know. Thanks!

The light doesn't always cooperate, but why not make the best of it?  Shoot anyway, and you just may squeeze off a few nice frames.  Found these Brown Pelicans on the beach near the Suncoast Bird Sanctuary in Florida.  They are wild, but hang out near the sanctuary since they get an occasional free fish. 

 

Snapped a quick iPhone pic of this sign.  Perhaps they would all be covered in Canada?

 

 If you find yourself near Tampa, check this place out!  Their staff and volunteers are clearly "for the birds".  Follow this link for more info.

 

 

Recently I read a Facebook post from a photographer friend who had a computer meltdown.  She likely lost over 6,000 of her photos.  Her wall post ended with, "I want to vomit."  Don't let this happen to you. 

I've been testing a user friendly cloud solution that protects your images, and allows you to sync your files between multiple computers! It's called Dropbox and they give you 2 FREE Gigs of storage space with an option to upgrade. I've used a lot of cloud storage solutions (like Mozy) but this is by far the easiest!  If you do sign up, please use this link as we'll both get a little extra storage space.

https://www.dropbox.com/referrals/NTQzMTA2MTE5

Besides having a secure backup of your files, Dropbox allows you to access your files from any computer.  They even have an iPhone app!  This basically eliminates the need for flash drives, and cd's. 

 

Here are a few more shots from our adventure in the mangroves.   Both were taken with the 70-200 f2.8.

 Little Blue Heron

Great Egret

Thanks to all who purchased my first book! With the proceeds, I've been able to sponsor many entrepreneurs through Kiva. Together, we are working to making the world a better place, one person at a time.

Mr. Alioune Mbaye, aged 33, is a young and highly dynamic single man who has been selling haberdashery items for ten years. He chose this activity because of his love for this trade. He will use the loan to buy haberdashery items in order to boost his inventory and diversify his supply. He lives in Dakar, Senegal.

 

Napoleón Perez Vallesteros is 44 years old and offers musical services in Leon, Nicaragua. For 10 years he has been dedicated to this humbling business and is a hard working man. He uses the income he earns for his 2 children who are most important to him. For this he is very interested in giving them an education and maintaining his house. He enjoys his job. Since he was a young child he liked playing the piano and it was later that he decided to offer his services in different places. It is for this that he is soliciting a loan to buy music accesories.

 

Elvira Quino Condori of Bolivia sells polleras (skirts worn by the women in the western part of the country) and blankets made of llama wool. Elvira has a stand on the panoramic avenue named La Riel. She is a very shy person, but she is very kind. She relates very well to her customers. Her husband is a driver and they have a son. Her dream is to give a good education to her children and that they become good people. She will use the loan to buy five rolls of lace for making the skirts.

 

Señor Ángel Ricardo Ortiz is 30-years-old and lives in Managua, Nicaragua. He lives with his wife, who works as a domestic employee to help him pay their home's expenses since they have two children: a 6-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl. They are currently in school. Their plans for their family are to be able to construct two rooms so their children can live more comfortably. Don Ángel has worked in agriculture for 10 years. The most difficult thing he has faced is the lack of financing and the gases from the volcano, which affect the blooming period of his crops. He started as a farmer with the help of his father, who taught him how to work the land starting when he was young. He will invest this loan in the purchase of supplies and fertilizers so he can have a better harvest this year.

 

I want to sincerely thank all of you for adding my book to your collection. My goal is to help several more people, and as such I will continue to donate ALL proceeds from my book sales to Kiva. If you would like to pick up a copy of the book, here is the link. Thank you very much!

 

 

Kayaks are a great way to get close to birds without spooking them.  Of course it can be difficult to operate a camera while trying to maneuver your vessel, but with a little practice it's quite possible.  My preferred kayak lens is the 70-200 f2.8.  I can hand hold it, and shoot wide open to achieve a fast enough shutter to freeze any boat motion.  I always focus on the eyes of the subject.  As my photographer friend Beth Green always says,  "The eyes are the window to the soul, and are therefore a critical part of the portrait".   I find the same thing to be true with wildlife photography.    

 

I love New York, but Florida sure has its fair share of swagger.  Going from a frosty 25 degrees to shorts and a t-shirt was well worth the price of airfare alone.  In between visits with family I managed to squeeze in a sunrise bird shoot.  Just outside of Fort DeSoto State Park, Sue and I found these nesting Bald Eagles.  I used a 400mm lens mounted on a tripod.  Aperture was at f5.6, Shutter at 1/3200, ISO at 640. While New York has an incredible variety of avian life, Bald Eagle sightings are not too common.  Watching this male and female build their nest was one of the highlights from the trip. 

 

You just need to be open to it.  The below is a closeup of the inside of a trash can moments after the copy machine guy dumped the contents of a color ink cartridge.  There I was, tripod, DSLR, fast lens, all positioned over the garbage as I carefully worked the composition.  It reminded me that you simply never know when or where a picture will appear.  For this reason, I feel it's important to your development as a photographer to keep a camera with you at all times.  Cell phone camera, point and shoot, DSLR, or anything else that you can create pictures with.  By having something by your side, you will be more likely to recognize the opportunites which are all around us.  It may not be a grand landscape, or a scenic vista, but don't let that discourage you.  There are rarely "perfect opportunities" in photography.  It is up to us to make something out of nothing.  I encourage you to inspect the details around you right now.  Grab your camera, and make some pictures.  It may turn out to be trash, or it could be fine art.  You'll never know unless you try.

 

I had some time to kill while waiting to meet a photography client so I walked around and shot some interesting billboards in the DUMBO Brooklyn area.  After 10-15 minutes of this I started to lose the feeling in my hands.  The cold winds were picking up over the water so I ducked into this inviting little bookstore.  The place is called Powerhouse Books and they specialialize in Photography material.  The shelves are full of cool bargains and interesting reads that you can't find in the bigger chain stores.  Check out some of the titles they carry.  They also had an interesting exhibit of Michael Jackson photos in B&W by Ron Galella. I just added it to my new FourSquare page. 

 

Ok, I don't have a catchy theme song (yet), but I can offer a sweet list of books to sharpen your photography skills, and inspire you over the winter months.

The first set of books was recommended by photographers on twitter.  This was in response to my original tweet which asked "What is your favorite photography book of all time?"

Next, are a few books which have recently accompanied me on the subway.  While my selections are not only about photography, I believe they are all related.  Like LeVar Burton used to say, "You don't have to take my word for it."  Check these out for yourself!

"The Creation" by Ernst Haas

"Spunk & Bite" by Arthur Plotnik

"It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want To Be" by Paul Arden

"Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson" 

"Eugene Atget" by Aperture Masters of Photography

 

If you are reading a killer book that you'd like to share, please tell us about it in the comments.