Scott Kelby has written a great article addressing some of the differences, advantages and disadvantages of studio strobes versus small off-camera flashes. He writes, “I finally got around to covering a question that I get asked so often from readers here on the blog, and that is:

Photo by Scott Kelby

“What is the difference between off camera flash (like a Nikon SB-800 or SB-900, or a Canon 580 EXII), and a Studio Strobe?“

If I have time, I sometimes answer people back with a direct email, but I’ve gotten this question so many times, I haven’t been able to answer them all. So, I thought I’d put together an example to show you my typical response to the question, which is purely my own opinion on the subject.

What I usually say is something along the lines of:

“Whether you use a small off-camera flash, or a studio strobe, what you get is a bright flash of white light aiming toward your subject.”

I know that sounds pretty simplistic, but that’s what it is. For example, two of the shots below were taken with a Studio Strobe with a small softbox, and one was taken with a Nikon SB-800 with the same small softbox.” Continue reading Studio Strobes vs. Small Off-Camera Flashes.

Photo by Sam Scholes

The Tulip Festival at Thanksgiving Point is going on now! This is a great opportunity to explore the beautiful gardens, see thousands of colorful tulips, daffodils, and other flowers, and a great place to take photos.

“Come see over a quarter million bulbs bloom in our 55-acre garden paradise. There are over four miles of winding paths that will rejuvenate and inspire you. In addition to the spectacular display of tulips, the Thanksgiving Point Tulip Festival includes music, demonstrations, vendors, tours, food, and even storytelling for children.”

The gardens are open Monday through Saturday, 10am until 8pm. Visit the Thanksgiving Point web site for more information.

Often times as a photographer it can be challenging to be creative and take unique places at familiar places. Even the most interesting location can become ordinary if you’ve been there before. Scott Kelby offers some good advice about overcoming this obstacle. He writes, “Last week I got an email from a reader in Denver, Colorado who had seen my post about my Indy Racing assignment, and he needed a favor. He was preparing to take his family to Walt Disney World in Florida (It’s one of their favorite places so they’re regular visitors) and since has shot it so many times he was wondering if I had any ideas he could use for a self-assignment at Disney World.

The funny thing was: I had faced that same situation (both my kids are Disney fanatics, and I grew up about 45 minutes from Disney’s Main Gate and I started going there back in October of 1971, so I’ve shot it “to death.”). I shared with him a couple of self-assignment projects I had done at Disney, and one I hoped to do in the near future. Anyway, I thought it would make kind of an interesting post about shooting a place you’ve shot many times before. Here’s what I told him:

(1) Try and capture a series of images inside Disney (particularly in the Magic Kingdom park) that most folks would never know were taken inside Disney. Look for architectural elements, flowers, little alley ways, etc. and you’ll know the assignment worked if you ask someone where it was taken, and the last place they would guess would be Disney World. The image shown at the top was taken in Tomorrowland, and while that one’s not that hard to figure out (especially since you know we’re talking about Disney), I included a few below taken in other parts of the Magic Kingdom that are a bit harder (these were taken about three or four years ago).” Continue reading Giving Yourself a Photo Assignment.

“If you are new to working in Lightroom your first few weeks will be a steep learning curve. Here are my top 5 mistakes to be aware of and avoid when you’re starting out. I hope they’ll save you wasting time, getting frustrated and generally tearing your hair out.” Contine reading Warning: Don’t Make These 5 Mistakes in Lightroom.

via DPS

Photo by Sam Scholes

“Layer masks are one of Adobe Photoshop’s most powerful, yet least understood features. In this tutorial, I’ll demystify layer masks by highlighting the benefits of incorporating layer masks into your image correction workflow and demonstrating the use of these tools in common, real-world situations. This tutorial is designed for photographers who are comfortable working with layers in Photoshop and have at least a basic familiarity with Photoshop’s painting and drawing tools, including the Marquee selection tools, the Brush and Gradient tools.” Continue reading Harnessing the Power of Layer Masks.

The upcoming class schedule on the Pixels homepage has been updated. In addition our popular Photoshop series of classes we have added three new courses covering Lightroom, High Dynamic Range Photography, and Lighting With Small Flash. Tuition for any Pixels course is still only $39.00 for one three hour class. And as always, once you’ve paid for a class you may retake it at any time free of charge.

Give the store a call at 801.233.9090 to reserve a spot in any class.

Photo by Charles Uibel

Local photographer Charles Uibel has a photography show this Friday, April 17th at Moore Hair Design and Spa in Holladay. Charles is best known for his stunning photographs of the Great Salt Lake. This is sure to be a great show!

Photo by J.K. Mann

It’s that time of year again, the daffodils and tulips are beginning to show themselves and kids everywhere are going to be graduating from high school and college soon. Senior photos have become a tradition in many parts of the country and are especially popular in Utah. Graduating from school is a milestone at any age and people want photos to remember the occasion and to share with friends and family.

Louisiana based photography J.K. Mann writes: “it is common practice for high school graduates to celebrate the milestone of graduation by way of senior photographs. These photographs eventually find their way into frames in the homes of parents and grandparents. In addition, wallet sized photos are traded with friends and are often also mailed out with graduation invitations. Follow along with my tips for creating a great looking senior portfolio.” Continue reading Tips for Great “On Location” Senior Portraits.

Photographer Todd Owyoung is best known for his concert photography. During his career he has photographed talents such as The Police, Bruce Springsteen, Radiohead, Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Nine Inch Nail. His web site ishootshows.com, is dedicated to professional concert photography and offers some advice and tips on taking concert photos. Recently he wrote about seeing red…

“Q&A: Seeing red? The red wash may just be the most dreaded treatment to ever grace the stage in the eyes of the concert photographer. Here are some suggestions for dealing with excessive red lighting for gig photography.” Continue reading at ishootshows.com…

Photo by Sam Scholes

Outdoor Portraits present portrait photographers a variety of challenges and opportunities. Today James Pickett from America the Lost suggests 13 tips to help you with your outdoor portrait work.

1) Never select all of the focus points for portraits, pick one.
2) Always focus on the eyes.
3) Shoot wide open for shallow depth of field.

Read more: 13 Tips for Improving Outdoor Portraits

via Digital Photography School