The winner is (drum roll please)...

The winner of the Scott Kelby DVD (and workbook) "Photo Recipes Live: Behind the Scenes" is Tera Kinnane.

Tera's name was drawn (randomly) from the over 300 entries.

Congratulations to Tera and a big thank you to all that took the time to enter.

Tera, if you drop me an email with your snail mail address I will get your prize package mailed out to you.

The images that accompany this post belong to Tera, you can see even more of her work by visiting her blog and her Flickr page.

(clicking on any image will open it larger and in a new window)

Review of BongoTies...

The first time I saw a picture of BongoTies my first thought was, "that looks like a cool idea" but it wasn't until I received mine last week that I truly fell in love!

They happened to arrive on the same day we had to pack up all kinds of gear for a remote shoot, so I broke open the box and started organizing our bazillion cables and cords. From 50 foot heavy duty extension cords to small 6 inch PC Sync cables.

That was the day I came upon our new cable management system, BongoTies.

In the past I have used things like Velcro wraps but they collect dust and dirt, catch at inopportune times, and tend to be a bit pricey.

You can get a ten pack of BongoTies for less than $5 (here and here).

And they can be used for a lot more than cable organization, search YouTube and you will be surprised at the number of different applications (I was).

They even come packaged in their own (ziplock) carrying case.

Are you picking up that I like them? They get two thumbs way up from me.

One of our lucky readers will love them as well as BongoTies will be included in a future prize package.

A photography show you can't miss!...

Tonight (on many PBS stations) you can watch "At Close Range with National Geographic" which follows the exploits of National Geographic photographer Joel Sartore.

This originally ran a couple years back but really is timeless and if you want to see some stunning imagery, a peak behind the scenes of National Geographic photography assignments, and meet a truly interesting man, you really really want to watch this.

He tells a FANTASTIC story about photographing wolves in Yellowstone that you won't want to miss. There is also an image at the very end of the show that he took of his feet while on assignment in Alaska that drives home the point that a picture truly is worth a thousand words.

Joel is as good a story teller as he is a photographer, I could sit around a campfire and listen to him talk all night.

At the very least this show will make you want to travel to (and photograph) Nebraska. Seeing "Nebraska's Big Rodeo" has been added to my list of things to do before I die.

After watching the show I visited Joel's website, the fact that he is an outstanding photographer was reinforced and but the best part was learning more about him as a person.

You can read his essay on his wife Kathy's battle with cancer and how it changed his life, Joel's insightful words will make you sit back and take pause.

Hopefully it is showing in your area, you can check your local listings here.

Scott Kelby giveaway ends tomorrow...

Just waned to remind everyone that tomorrow marks the end of the our contest that will award some lucky winner the Scott Kelby DVD (and workbook) "Photo Recipes Live: Behind the Scenes".

You can see the original post with all the details here.

We will be giving stuff away every month for the rest of this year (including Scott Kelby books) so if you don't win this month you may next.

A friends image(s)...

This is an image I really liked that was taken by Michael Palmer (a friend and photographer) at the at Kenilworth Aquatic Garden.

It was on his blog so I thought I would steal it and post it here.

;)

Heck, since I'm stealing images here's another one I really liked. I wish he posted more of his work because he is a very good photographer.

If you click on either image they will open larger and in a new window.

Shooting HDR with Scott Kelby...

While Scott Kelby was here last week we had the opportunity to take him on a "photography tour" of the old factory complex where our studio is located as well as a few stops along the Maine coast.

It was great to see Scott again, we even had the time to break bread and share stories.

Scott shot a lot of HDR in the factories and was kind enough to tape a video tip for our readers on how to shoot HDR in a dark setting.

The image above is the HDR image Scott shot while making the video.

We hope you enjoy it.

As usual, subscribers will need to return to the blog or head over to our YouTube channel as videos aren't pushed through with your subscription.

Senior portraits...

Here are some senior portraits we shot of Andy outside the old factory complex where our studio is located. I swear we could shoot here for quite some time before we exhausted all of cool features, and that's just on the outside.

Lighting was simple, it was a single Nikon SB-800 in an 18 inch square softbox mounted on a painters pole using a Kasey Pole Adapter, held about three feet above and in front of our subject.

You can see the Kasey Pole Adapter in use here and purchase it over at Flash Zebra for $19.

(clicking on any image will open it larger and in a new window)