------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THIS WEEK IN PHOTOGRAPHY 2009-11-19
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THIS WEEK'S WORKSHOPS at CAMERAS BROOKWOOD

"Melissa's Photo Airbrush & Touch Up Class". Learn different ways to use the tools, layers, and actions to touch up your photos.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DID YOU KNOW...?
A hot shoe flash provides a small, intense source of light which lights the subject but also produces very harsh shadows. In addition, the light is coming from an unnatural source- near the lens of the camera. The quality of this light has been a concern to photographers ever since the electronic flash began replacing flash bulbs. The light from a flash bulb was far more flattering because it produced a more omni directional light pattern.

The most significant factors in determining light quality is the size of the light source and the direction of the light. A flash shot through a softbox or off a reflector changes the light from a point source to a source as broad as the light modifier. Light bounced off a wall or ceiling gives broader light and softer shadows. But be careful, this light will transmit the color of the surface off which it is bounced.

Creating and managing diffuse light through bounce and diffusion devices gives the photographer means to create their own style and with far better lighting than light directly from a shoe mounted flash.

The interest in such light modifiers has grown significantly in recent years. New lines such as Gary Fong and Honl have emerged with their own systems and LumiQuest keeps adding new modifiers to their offering. The photographer now has a tremendous selection and can tailor their system to their own unique needs.

This class of product has come a long way since the original modifier- a 4x6 index card and gaffers tape.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT
LumiQuest is the original maker of light modifiers for shoe mount flash. We have sold LumiQuest light modifiers for over 20 years.Two of the most popular products in their line are the "80-20" and the "ProMax System"

. The LumiQuest "80-20" is a flash diffuser which attaches directly to a shoe mount flash, It directs 20% of the light toward the subject and allows 80% of the light to bounce off the ceiling. This produces a fill light from the flash and when used under an 8-9 foot ceiling produces flattering, diffuse bounce lightt. The price for the 80-20 is $28.95.

The "ProMax System" is a six piece photographic flash modification accessory kit. The system includes an 80-20 ceiling bounce device with interchangeble white, gold, and silver inserts and removable frosted diffusion screen. This kit allows the photographer to deal with a variety of different lighting situations using only a shoe mounted flash. The LumiQuest ProMax sells for $65.95. Their web site contains information on all of their products. http://www.lumiquest.com.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OPEN HOUSE AND LIGHTING SALE
The Saturday after Thanksgiving, November 28th, from 12:30 p.m. until 5:00, we will hold our "Open House" and "Lighting Sale". Westcott, RPS Studio, and Giotto background will be sale priced for this day only. Sale prices will be announced in our Thanksgiving Day newsletter. A drawing for free equipment will be held at 12:30.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
REGISTER FOR DRAWING
Reply to this newsletter and receive an entry for a FREE Westcott 5 in 1 reflector drawing to be held at 12:30 on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. You don't have to be present to win but if you are we will also include your choice of any Westcott 5x6 foot, two sided, collapsible reflector that sells for $205.

A second drawing will be held for a $12.95 LumiQuest "Soft Screen" shoe mount diffuser.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOTO EXHIBITIONS

Continuing ....
"William Christenberry: Land/Memory" at the Sarah Moody Gallery of Art, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa through December 22nd. http://www.as.ua.edu/art.
... "Illuminations & Reflections", new work by Birmingham's Melissa Springer and David Young of New York. Melissa will be showing her 19x19 inch series of silver gelatin floral prints at the Garden Center at Birmingham Botanical Gardens through January 1. http://www.bbgardens.org
... Atlanta: "Black Line of Woods", by Minneapolis photographer Alec Soth at the High Museum through January 3rd. http://www.high.org
... "Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness: American Art from the Yale University Gallery" at the Birmingham Museum of Art through January 10th.
... Nashville: "Twilight Visions: Surrealism, Photography, and Paris" by world famous photographers on display through January 23rd, 2010 at the Frist Center in Nashville. http:/ www.fristcenter.org.
... Columbus: "Now and Then: Snapshots of the South", historic photos by A.S. Williams and contemporary images by Jerry Siegle at the Columbus Museum in Columbus, Georgia through January 31. http://www.columbusmuseum.com-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MEETING
The Shades Valley Camera Club meets at 7:00 tonight, November 19th, at the Homewood Library. The program will be presented by Steve Grunfeld on "High-Dynamic Range Photography". When and why to use HDR, camera settings, post processing in Photoshop and other related subjects will be discussed. The public is invited to attend. http://www.shadesvalleycameraclub.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
STUDIO SPACE FOR RENT
Large daylight studio available in Historic Avondale Arts District. Second Floor space. Hardwood floors, 16 ft. ceilings. One very large room with large windows on East and South walls. Additionally, the space has several smaller rooms, including working kitchen and ample storage space. 3000 sq. ft. total area. $ 750.00 / month. For more information call 205.592.8319 or e-mail marc@bondarenkophoto.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MANUFACTURER PROMOTIONS

NEW: LOWEPRO SlingShot 100 and SlingShot 200 AW camera bags receive a $10 mail-in rebate for purchases through 12/31/09. Pick up your rebate form and bag at CAMERAS BROOKWOOD.

JILL-E Camera Bags trade-in program http://www.camerasbrookwood.com/BrochurePage/FLYER_Jill-e-CameraBags.pdf
Manfrotto Rebate on carbon fiber tripods http://www.camerasbrookwood.com/BrochurePage/FLYER_ManfrottoRebate.pdf
Westcott Soft Boxes FREE with purchase
http://www.camerasbrookwood.com/BrochurePage/FLYER_Westcott-StrobeliteOutfit.pdf
Ilford Photo Contest : "Image On A Box" http://www.camerasbrookwood.com/BrochurePage/Flyer_IlfordPhotoContest.pdf
Harman CrystalJet RC Inkjet Photo Paper introductory packaging contains 30 sheets of paper for the normal 25 sheet price. The cost of the 8.5x11 25+5 sheet box is $11.99 as long as supply lasts.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FREE NIKON CATALOGS
Nikon has provided a limited number of Fall 2009 Nikon "DigiGuide" product catalogs and "Creative Lighting System" guides for speedlight flash photography. These will be offered first to our Newsletter subscribers. Ask for your copy
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
cbPhotoStore.com http://www.cbphotostore.com/index.html
Our featured product line this month at our online photo store is Jill-E leather camera bags for women. We have great graphics and comparison charts. Take a look. And remember, Jill-E has a trade-in program in effect.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
cbPhotoLab.com http://www.cbPhotoLab.com
Start a new holiday tradition. Order 100 standard sized 4x8 inch cards before Thanksgiving and we will give you a free "Celebration Coffee Cup" imprinted with the image of your Greeting Card. Add a new cup each year. A great keepsake. Cards are normally returned in three weekdays or less.See our Greeting Card Price List. Coffee cups will be ready the end of November.

OOPS. The threshholds for the "acceptable/unacceptable print quality" icons for large prints on cbPhotoLab.com were set far too high. Customers were being told that print quality was not acceptable when their file size would really yield a good enlargementt. Please try again if you were told that your file would not produce a good poster size print. Our apologies.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NEWSLETTER SPECIALS
The Original LensBaby special effects lens sold for $96. We have two of these remaining in stock with older Canon FD and Pentax K mounts. The distressed closeout price is $14.95 each.

Canon 75-300/4.0-5.6 EF-USM telephoto zoom lens, Newsletter special only- $169.

Nikkor 35/1.8G AF-S lens, Newsletter special only- $199.

Repair estimates are always free- call us at 205 822-2106
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FOR SALE BY OWNER http://www.camerasbrookwood.com/EmailPage/Newsletter_UsedEquipment.html

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MISSED NEWSLETTERS?
We have yet to miss a Thursday since initiating our Newsletter in March. But... the harder we try to eliminate "bounceback", the more Newsletters returned as "Failure to deliver".

In the beginning, we eventually convinced Yahoo that we were not spam. Five editions ago we upgraded to a larger server for our website. Four editions ago we added logic to route the Newsletters through an official "email server". Three editions ago we added "Authentication" logic to each address to put your service provider at ease when accepting our Newsletters. But, with each "upgrade", we get more bounceback.

With this edition, the size of the actual email is greatly reduced. Only the static portion of the Newsletter was emailed and the weekly news portion remains on our web server. Hopefully, it has been the steadily increasing broadband requirements causing the bounceback and, hopefully, this week each newsletter will make it to its subsciber. Let us know about your experiences.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
LAUGH with Ron Bowen
(This ought to make all Grandpas feel warm and fuzzy. rb)
A six-year old goes to the hospital with her grandmother to visit her grandfather. When they get to the hospital, she runs ahead of Grandma and bursts into Grandpa's room.

"Grandpa, Grandpa," she says excitedly, "As soon as Grandma comes into the room, make a noise like a frog!"" "What?" said Grandpa.

"Make a noise like a frog - because Grandma said that as soon as you croak, we're all going to Disneyland !!!"
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------