Tag Archives: G+

Hurley ProBoard now available – and there’s a challenge

Just a quick happy post for your Friday.  The Hurley ProBoard from Peter Hurley is now available for sale!  This is a great product for portability, backgrounds, to put on the ground with a fantastic reflection, and so many other things.

To go with this amazing news of the ProBoard on sale and shipping with an official site was the announcement of a head shaving!  If Peter sells 50 ProBoards by August 1, 2012 he will shave his head on August 1st on a G+ hangout!  The HurelyProGear site has been updated with a counter.  If you are going to purchase one anyway this may be a great time!

 

Watch the 2 hour hangout announcing the Head Shaving Challenge

 

Album Cover Images – Sound of One Hand Clapping

A few weeks ago I had the oopportunity to go to Denver for my company and shoot even photos.  You can read about the amazing opportunity that they gave me on my blog here.  While I was there I was able to stay a few extra days and stay with my cousin, back in the day we were great friends.  Our families did everything together and shortly before I moved to Florida she moved from the piano to the guitar and singing.  Even then I was amazed with her talent.  I am so happy she kept it up and has formed a band.  They have some great music, if you are looking for something new check out Sound of One Hand Clapping on Reverbnation.  If you want more information on them or are in the Denver area and what to keep up on their upcoming shows then like them on Facebook.

Erica and Dan asked me to do a photo shoot that weekend for album covers of their upcoming release.  I was absolutely ecstatic to do something like this for a band, and especially my cousin.  She is such a talented individual it was a great feeling that she thought enough of my photo work to ask something like this of me.  This was one of my very first portrait type of sessions and I’m thankful that it was them.  They are both so easy going and laid back, we were able to just have a lot of fun and not do too much posing other than what they wanted.

Maybe I’m crazy but I think the images came out great just by talking with them and having them talk to each other and have fun rather than trying to get the perfect posed shot.

All of these photos were  of course shot in color, with my Nikon D7000.  I switched between the kit lens, my 105MM and a 12-24.  Any black and white conversion was done post processing in Lightroom, or photoshop.  I did also use On One software for a few things, just because I am very specific about what software I use for what and when.

Even after completing the shoot and going back I was almost nervous to drop them on my machine and see what they really turned out like.  Having not done my portrait shots and it being so important for them I was just worried.  I had scheduled to go hang out with my parents for a while so I left Erica (my cousin) with the SD cards and my laptop so she could load them and go through them.  When I got back and saw how happy she was that before editing she saw images she liked it relieved my fears.

Going through and processing the images I found a new love for this kind of work.  I had such a great time taking the photos, and they have become some of my favorite to process with all the personality that they each have.  From this I shortly after accepted a gig to do engagement photos for another set of friends I have.  Those photos have just completed processing and are out the door and in their hands.  I have even agreed to do a wedding this upcoming week.  I have found a second shooter to assist and am more excited than nervous.

Peter Hurley taught us at G+ Photographers Conference that when shooting portraits you are 90% therapist and 10% photographer.  I think I am loving that combination and having a great time.

Google + Photographers Conference – Sergey Brin and Project Glass

The Google+ Photographers Conference was full of surprises and great speakers from start to finish.  While sitting in a session with Scott Kelby I do not believe any of us knew what was coming when he said we had a surprise speaker in 20 minutes.  Everyone session wrapped up a little early and everyone headed to the main auditorium.

Everyone was surprised when Google came out talking about Project Glass and all the great things they had been doing with it.  There was even some pictures shared of the audience themselves and a photowalk that happened using the glass itself hours before.  The announcement and updated information was a pleasant presentation and great information.

Then the moment hit, Sergey Brin himself walked onto stage.  I am not one that usually gets wrapped up in the “I met the CEO of X” but everyone was amazed.  The G+ marketing team themselves was so amazed and please that Sergey took the time out of his day to address the crowd that formed together using a product from Google themselves.  ( Many of us have been on twitter, facebook, and Flicker, but face it, we have not formed the community of photographers we have now on any other platform)

 

Sergey gave a great speech and answered several questions about Project Glass and many other items going on with Google.  From the outsider perspective, it was nice to see someone in his position so excited about the company he is with, the potential that still remains, and the users they are serving.

Sergey was wearing the glasses himself and took a few images during the presentation.

I hear the glass prototype is now for sale….there are some amazing things they can do, but they will only get better and cheaper.  What else would you expect from a company that keeps pushing the limits.

Google + Photographers Conference

The Google+ Photography Conference in San Fransisco is now over, I do hope they are already planning for next year.  The conference itself was not expensive, the travel from Florida and the hotel is what cost the money.

The conference itself was amazing!  I learned a great many things about different media and different ideas and ways to get involved.  Jeremy Cowart had his keynote with a G+ hangout and Moose Peterson was making jokes as always.  The media show that Jeremy gave us of the drawing to video was really quite impressive!

 

Then of course we had Lindsay Adler doing a full session on Fashion photography!  Lindsay had models on stage with her, the lighting set up, her camera, assistants, and everything was tethered to display on the big screen above her.  To instantly see and better understand what she was explaining really was the polishing factor.  Many of the things she talked about are on her blog but to see them in action gave a whole new meaning to the many things I have read.  It’s hard to find people that will just let you point lights at them in different ways all day to understand what she is really describing.

No matter your level of photographer from armature to pro, I think it brings a whole new perspective to your life when you get to watch someone else work and really understand their process to use any tips and tricks they have yourself.  There’s many things each of us do to make our lives easier that we don’t even think of when teaching another person.

I firmly believe Peter Hurley stole the show!  He came out throwing t-shirts and hats…he was jumping around and super excited.  He walked through his issues when doing head shots and some of the things he does to assist his clients.  He was very clear that each person has to find what works for them.  I thought that insight was great as many people tell you what to do, they do not take into account that what I may be comfortable with, you are not.  I was so involved and riveted through his presentation I did not get any images, glad it was posted to YouTube! Peter Hurleys Presentation

 

The last night was an epic keynote with Trey Ratcliff.  Trey was interviewed by Scott Kelby and the interview responses did get a little dark and concerning.  This is the way with Trey, he looks so deeply into the meaning of the technology and future.  It is always amazing to listen to him speak his thoughts as it gives you another perspective that you never had.  Trey is such an open and honest person it’s amazing he has become as well known as he has.  Many people that are honest to the level he is are often much more hated than Trey, it’s fantastic the following that he has created just by being him.
Each and every presenter did an amazing job and was so personable.  Between sessions you could find them walking around and many would come right up and speak to you if you didn’t go to them first.  Though there were many people around everything was friendly and looking to meet everyone else there.  I have never been at a conference where people offered to let you use their camera that was worth thousands, or lenses, etc.  It was such an open and sharing environment that was created that way by the work from Kelby Media group but reinforced by the speakers themselves, then even those attending.

If there is another one next year, I hope you go, I’ll be there.

Google+ Photographers Conference – Registered!

Scott Kelby and the Kelby Media Group are amazing!  They have managed to put together a Photographers Conference in San Francisco centered around all those great people on G+ and the features available on the platform.  The Google+ Photographer’s Conference  is being held at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, in San Francisco on May 22-23.  The conference starts off at 3pm the day before with various photo walks around town.

The schedule offers live shoots with Lindsay Adler, Scott Kelby, and Erik Valind!  There are even some options for blind photo critiques, and One-on-One Portfolio reviews!  To have any of the pros that are showing up to teach actually complete a review and provide feedback on your portfolio, that’s just an amazing opportunity!  I look forward to attending Scott Kelbys Photowalk and talking to Trey Ratcliff about some HDR techniques.

Check out the Schedule and even review the list of speakers to review and help you decide what classes you want to attend.  This should be an amazing opportunity for all of us to meet those that inspire us and to learn from them!

Once you review everything check the calendar.  If you register before April 30th you get a discount on the price of the conference!  As soon as you have registered head back over to G+ and Comment on this post of the Google+ Photographers Conference G+ Page so that you can be included in the circle and get to know some people before getting to the conference.

I will be joining the Golden Gate Park Photowalk and look forward to seeing you all there.  I can’t wait to meet everyone and start learning from them!

PlusOne Collection Book – update

The limited edition sale period is over.  Yes I had to order one, it’s the first book that my photography will be in so it is quite exciting for me.  Very soon the release of the standard print, ebook, and app will be posted and the ebook and app are extremely cheap with the funds going to a great cause.  I will be sure to keep you updated on the information about the release and any sales info I receive.  You can continue to check out the book site for information s well.  http://plusonecollection.com/

This is copied from a post Ivan Makarov put on G+, it really is great information about the limited edition sale, I had to share:

“The final number is in. A total of  195 copies of the Limited Edition of +Plus One Collection will be printed. The production of all those copies will begin this week, and we hope to ship in the first few days of March. By the way – today is the last day to pick your print, if you have a preference –http://goo.gl/j5Orv

Each copy will be numbered inside the book (1/194, 2/194, etc.). 

The first to order the book was +Alan Allum who also ordered another copy towards the end of the sale. The last to order was +Jim Patterson – literally with minutes to spare. 

Lots of cool stories – wives ordering for husbands, guys buying for their girlfriends, children buying for their parents and even my mom buying a copy in the last 30 minutes of the sale. 

I also know quite a few Googlers ordered their copies, including company’s executives. 

Approximately 65% will ship to US/Canada, with the rest all over the world – from Hong Kong to South Australia to Argentina and Poland. 

Don’t have the exact number of funds we raised thus far until all shipping expenses are paid for, but safe to say, we’ve raised over $10,000. “

As you see in the post he actually let people purchasing choose from 15 different prints which will be included in their order.  This is a great idea because it gives them that freedom but I’m sure it makes a lot more work and coordination for Ivan.  We will all remember his efforts for a long time to come.  If you are on G+ please remember to stop by and thank him for all of his hard work to raise this money for KIVA!