A shooting assignment...

One of my twins (Katie) is taking photography in high school and had an assignment to shoot at a very old local cemetery (Laurel Hill Cemetery), so I figured that I would shoot as well. This was our first time shooting together and it was fun.

Here are a few of the images from that day.

The one (image) I found most amusing (if you can use that word when talking about cemetery images) was the one of the gate posts on a small family plot, my thought (well, more of a question really) was, at this point in the afterlife does one really need directions?

(click on any image to view larger and in a new window)

Free image editing software...

Not everyone is able to make the financial investment for Photoshop and there are others who do not need (or require) all the things that programs like Photoshop can do.

So here are some alternatives that will cost you nothing, nada, zip, zero, zilch, goose egg:

1. Gimp. "GIMP is an acronym for GNU Image Manipulation Program. It is a freely distributed program for such tasks as photo retouching, image composition and image authoring." Here is an introduction page, and here is a tutorial page so you can take a look at what it can do.

2. Fotografix. "While graphic design professionals probably wouldn't be able to substitute Fotografix for Photoshop, it's certainly a capable free alternative for the average Joe."

3. Paint.NET. "Paint.NET is free image and photo editing software for computers that run Windows." You will find the features list here, and tutorials here.

4. Photoscape. "Photoscape is the fun and easy photo editing software that enables you to fix and enhance photos." You can take a look at some screenshots here.

5. Adobe Photoshop Online. The title pretty much says it all, and you can take a test drive here.

(The screen shots below are from my computer not promotional broo ha ha so you have a real world idea of what they truly look like and what some of the options and features are and you can click on either image to view larger and in a new window.)

6. FastStone Image Viewer. From their website: "a fast, stable, user-friendly image browser, converter and editor. It has a nice array of features that include image viewing, management, comparison, red-eye removal, emailing, resizing, cropping and color adjustments. Its innovative but intuitive full-screen mode provides quick access to EXIF information, thumbnail browser and major functionalities via hidden toolbars that pop up when your mouse touches the four edges of the screen. Other features include a high quality magnifier and a musical slideshow with 150+ transitional effects, as well as lossless JPEG transitions, drop shadow effects, image annotation, scanner support, histogram and much more."


7. IrfanView. "IrfanView is a very fast, small, compact and innovative graphic viewer for Windows. It is simple for beginners and powerful for professionals. It has created new and/or interesting features in its own way and is the first Windows graphic viewer WORLDWIDE with Multiple (animated) GIF support."

It really does have a bunch of features, too numerous to list here.


If you know of any no cost Photoshop alternatives that I have not listed here, please let me know and I will be sure to post them.

A new tool for shooting tethered...

If you shoot tethered to your iPad I have a very handy tool that will make your life a bit easier, it's the iKlip from IK Multimedia.

Whenever possible I strongly recommend shooting tethered as it gives you a much better view of your subject. I'm sure I am not the only (or first) photographer who has "chimped" at an image and was sure I had it only to learn after downloading it (and viewing it on a larger screen) that I in fact did not have it.

But setting up a laptop to shoot tethered is not always a viable option, but shooting tethered to an iPad left you with the problem of how (and where) to secure your iPad?

The iKlip is the perfect solution, it will allow you to shoot tethered to your iPad secure in the fact it is not going anywhere.

I treat all of my gear like it's important, because it is and I will not use something unless I have complete confidence in its ability to meet my expectation of keeping my gear safe and the iKlip meets (and exceeds) my high standards.

It gets two thumbs way up. Watch the video below for my "hands on" demonstration.

Now if you have an iPad but don't yet use it to shoot tether, stay tuned as we will soon have a tutorial on that very subject.

If this post was delivered to your inbox then it came without the video portion attached, so you should return to the blog or head directly over to our YouTube channel to watch it.

SAVE THE DATE - MAY 13 2011

Obviously we wouldn't do what we do at Viva if we didn't love all things wedding so we're more than happy to take a short break from planning when a wedding related movie comes out and head over to the local theatre to see what it's all about. This spring, producer Judd Apatow (Knocked Up, Superbad) and director Paul Feig (creator of Freaks and Geeks) invite you to experience Bridesmaids.

Kristin Wiig leads the cast as Annie, a maid of honor whose life unravels as she leads her best friend, Lilian (Maya Rudolph), and a group of colorful bridesmaids (Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy, Wendi McLendon-Covey and Ellie Kemper) on a wild ride down the road to matrimony. Annie's life is a mess. But when she finds out her lifetime best friend is engaged, she simply must serve as Lilian's maid of honor. Though lovelorn and broke, Annie bluffs her way through the expensive and bizarre rituals. With one chance to get it perfect, she'll show Lillian and her bridesmaids just how far you'll go for someone you love.

TO WEB OR NOT TO WEB

The countdown's on! With Will and Kate's wedding only 26 days away, the anticipation is growing and we at Viva know we're not the only ones who can't wait for the big day to arrive.

Knowing that many, like us, would not only be dying to see all the details come together on the 29th but would also be dying to hear about them leading up to the day, St. James Palace launched the Royal Wedding website. The website is the official source of information for anyone interested in the upcoming Royal Wedding and is updated regularly with exclusive content including photo galleries and video.

Wedding websites also know as "wedsites" are nothing new and while not all brides and grooms-to-be choose to create one, they're a great way to keep your guests up to date with the details of your own wedding day. Some like mywedding.com are free while others like wedsite.com offer couples a free 7 day trial with the option to purchase an extension for a small fee if you decide you want to keep your wedsite active.

Viva loves wedding wedsites!! Do you?

My "Tangled" love for Disney..

"Hi, I'm Scott and I'm a Disney addict..."

Yes, I have confessed love for Disney before (like here, here, here, here, and oh ya, here). I bet you're picking up that I've posted about Disney in the past.

I like their parks. I like there movies.

Some of the movies are entertaining and fun but every once and awhile there is one that I absolutely LOVE.

For some reason we did not make it to see Tangled when it was in theaters so we got it this week to watch on our "pizza and a movie" Friday night.

It is one of the best Disney movies I have EVER seen, it harkens back to movies like "Little Mermaid" and "Beauty and The Beast" then mix in a little stunning Pixar animation and you have Tangled.

If you haven't seen it, please do, and you may want to buy it (instead of renting) because I promise you will watch this move again and again.

Below is a Tangled trailer, enjoy!

And the winner is!...

Okay, I am done shoveling our April fools snow (and whining), so let's announce our contest winner.

The latest contest winner, randomly selected from among all those who entered our "Shiny" contest using a program called "The Hat", who will get these goodies:

Prize 1. The two DVD set "Digital WakeUp Call" from David Ziser. I don't think anyone has combined photography AND business as well as David, and he is the most prolific blogger on the surface of the earth and the entries are packed with useful information (no fluff).


Prize 2. "Adobe Photoshop CS4 Book for Digital Photographers" from Scott Kelby.

Scott Kelby trains tens of thousands of professional photographers every year on how to use Photoshop, and almost without exception they have the same questions, the same problems, and the same challenges—and that’s exactly what Shares with you in this book.


Prize 3. The (really) good folks over at IGT America will be donating a print, but not just any print, they are going to take an image from you the winner (an image of your choosing) and give you back a 16 x 20 Metal Print!


is...... Dave! Here is his winning shot:



Congratulation to Dave and a BIG thank you to everyone who took the time to enter their great images.

Dave, email me with your contact details (snail mail) and I will get your prizes out to you.