There is no doubt the growth of cell phone camera technology has sent the entire world out trying to play photographer. So often the images posted to social media are almost indistinguishable. One of the main culprits is the destruction created by bad lighting. I’m not talking about cloudy overcast days. Actually those are some of the best conditions to take “pitchers” outdoors. (Sorry for the sarcasm!). Oh yeah, the other problems shows up when you take a picture of someone in front of a window looking outdoors. You wind up with faces almost black due to the shadows.

I found a video by Adorama, a camera store in New York City. The video does a great job showing you how to easily work around the condition I mentioned above. Yes you will hear some talk about shutter speeds and f-stops, but don’t let that bother you. In most cases you can make a simple adjustment on your cell phone to change the exposure slider to achieve the same results. Enjoy the video and give me your thoughts.

The post Think Lighting first appeared on Tom Szabo: tom-szabo.com, Email: tom@tom-szabo.com 440-725-6504.

I decided to add earrings to the Ocean Sands line, so then I purchased a small packet of “fish hook” style wires. This seemed like the easiest way to see how my fossils might look as earrings. (See photo1.)

Photo 1 – Shark Teeth earrings using “fish hook” style wires.

After creating several pair of earrings in both gold and silver, I noticed how the fossil teeth might appear a little close to the ear lobe. Not that it was a bad thing. After more research on designs, it became obvious that: “One size does not fit all”.

In order to give the fish hook style earring a longer look meant other fossil items or gems would need to be added between the tooth and the wire connection. At some point I’ll experiment with that idea.

Along the path of my research, I came upon the Marquis style of wire (see photo 2.) The Marquis wire did not seem readily available commercially. Next my “Engineering background” kicked in. Out to the shop in the garage I went to make a

Photo 2. – Shark tooth hanging from a 2″ Marquis wire.

fixture. The fixture was designed to form the connecting loop and bend the wire to form the final shape. The final marquis wire is 2″ long. The length and shape gives the final product an elegant look.

Prehistoric shark teeth and bone materials have a dark color to them. Colors range from dark charcoal, gray, burgundy, brown to chocolate/tan. Since I can’t change the color, I like to incorporate other gemstones into the design. Gemstones like pearls, quartz crystals and amethyst. My favorite being turquoise, especially on silver wire.

As I looked at the 2″ marquis wire, it seemed by adding too many other gems, the final earring length could get excessive. Back to the marquis fixture I made to make some minor

Photo 3 – Prehistoric shark tooth earring with turquoise beads on 1″ long marquis wires.

modifications. The modifications allow me to form a 1″ marquis wire. This new wire length compliments the addition of multiple gems to the prehistoric shark tooth. The additional strand length also provides an elegant look while not laying on the wearer’s shoulder.

Now the earring line is more complete, allowing the perfect fit for everyone and giving a variety of looks.

With the array of design options available, it’s back to the bench to create more earring designs.

The earrings shown in this post and others are now available for sale in the online store on this web site. I hope you like them enough to consider making a purchase. When you do purchase a set, please post a photo of yourself so we can see how they look.

If you have any design requests, please contact me with your suggestions. I’m always interested in what you have to say.

The post Earring – New Designs first appeared on Tom Szabo: tom-szabo.com, Email: tom@tom-szabo.com 440-725-6504.

Holy Cow, Are you kidding me? Black Friday is almost here. Where did summer go? I know it’s the middle of November, but I’m still hanging on to summer by wearing sandals. I know at some time I’ll have to convert to socks and shoes.

So do you have a plan to take advantage of the specials for Black Friday? You could try waking up real early to get to the big-box store right at opening. Maybe you could leave at 12:01 a.m. after Thanksgiving Dinner to get a jump on things.

Once you fight your way through the front door, then what? Maybe you have a specific gift in mind for that special person or family member or maybe not. My luck would be I have a great idea only to find the store has just sold out – urrgh! You may be stuck wandering the isles aimlessly looking for a hint. I’ve done that. Ask my wife and she’ll tell you She knows she’s difficult for whom to buy.

Here’s a good one for the guys. You find just the perfect outfit for your girlfriend or wife. Get just the right gift wrapping paper. Only to find out – that great outfit doesn’t fit!

So here’s a suggestion. Buy some fun and an heirloom. I’ve got the solution. On Black Friday you can call me while enjoying your morning coffee (Let’s say after 10:00 A.M.) and purchase a certificate good for a 1-1/2 hour studio sitting, an 8X10 color print  and save big money. Normally an $85.00 purchase. But for Black Friday you can get the package for 50% OFF. Hey for that price you can purchase a second to give to another friend or family member for the price of one gift. You’ll look like a hero!

This offer is good only for Black Friday, so don’t hesitate! A sample of the certificate is shown below.

Relax, have your coffee and get your shopping done! One-size-fits-all.

The post Black Friday – 2016 first appeared on Tom Szabo: tom-szabo.com, Email: tom@tom-szabo.com 440-725-6504.

First of all most Facebook photography I see has one thing in common – Bad Lighting! Please stop and think for a minute; where does your outdoor light come from? Of course the sun. So that means you have a single source for your photos. In this video photographer Aaron Anderson talks about shooting portraits using – guess what: 1 light. Think of his one light as the sun. I know, what a concept – LOL.

In the video you’re going to see a lot of studio equipment. Yes, but pay attention to the main tools he uses, a strobe, a camera and a reflector. That’s it. What Aaron does do however is CONTROL the illumination. Don’t have a big DSLR? no problem use your cell phone camera. Remember his main light placement and position your subject using the sun in the same relative position. Oh you don’t have a white reflector card? How about the side of a building, a newspaper, a blanket. Look at what’s at hand that you can use.

You may not have Photoshop to make the post process editing. Don’t worry, you’re not a pro trying to sell your work. Paying attention to your subject position will get you better results than what you have been doing.

Watch the video and pay attention to what Aaron is doing with his 1 light (like the sun). Enjoy and feel free to post your thoughts and/or results. I’d like to see your results.

Relaxed portrait pose for a high school senior.

The post Sun – For One Light Portraits first appeared on Tom Szabo: tom-szabo.com, Email: tom@tom-szabo.com 440-725-6504.

Light! My wife Diane and I like to vacation at Siesta Key Florida. The beach has the softest and whitest sand you’ll see anywhere. During our walks on the soft powder white sand, Diane gets tired of my commentary on the people taking photos with their cell phone cameras. It generally goes something like this “there’s another photo that won’t turn out very well!”

Even though she gets tired of listening to me, I’m right. Two major problems I see: Stop putting the sun at your subjects back! Number two, move in closer. So let me spend some time again talking about lighting. Why my comment about sun placement? Camera sensors don’t have the capability that our brain does. Sensors can’t adjust the image we see through our eye and correct the exposure. Don’t believe me? Take the scenario I just described and experiment. Put the sun behind your subjects back. Look at their face. I’m sure you’ll see the detail in the face. That’s because our brain and eyes work together to adjust the lighting and see the detail. Now take the picture. How much detail do you see in the near black orb called the face. Almost none.

So how do you fix this problem. You have to train your eye to evaluate scenes for lighting. Look for the highlights and the shadows. Make slight adjustments in subject positioning to reduce the amount of shadow in the subject. Take a picture after your adjustment to see the results and continue to adjust your subject. Eventually you’ll begin to learn what works.

Another way to learn is to observe what other photographers do. I’m not saying to copy their technique as much as observe and adjust. Evaluate the lighting of the scene and subject to see how they work with light. Look at what award winning photographer Irene Chen has accomplished in her photography. Although she uses studio lighting for the award winning images, see how she uses control over lighting to work her magic. Read more about her work.

You’re welcomed to ask me questions. Or just give me your comments.

Portrait photographers strive for detail in their final prints.

The post Light, It’s All About The Light! first appeared on Tom Szabo: tom-szabo.com, Email: tom@tom-szabo.com 440-725-6504.

Portrait photography requires that you always think about lighting. It doesn’t matter if you’re using a boat-load of studio equipment or a cell phone. I found this short video demonstrating 3 different set ups. These set ups will demonstrate how you can change the result using some minor tweaks of lighting.

Obviously you’ll notice how much equipment a professional photographer uses. That’s not the point. The point here is when taking a picture of another person or persons, you have to open your eyes and plan your shot accordingly. I hope you find the video helpful! Feel free to post your questions, comments or thoughts.

Notice how your eye is drawn to the subject in this image?

The post This Portrait Video Will Make You Think About Lighting first appeared on Tom Szabo: tom-szabo.com, Email: tom@tom-szabo.com 440-725-6504.

The post Think About The Colors To Enhance Your Portraiture first appeared on Tom Szabo: tom-szabo.com, Email: tom@tom-szabo.com 440-725-6504.

A Declaration Of Love To All Our Crappy Shots

Enjoy!

The post Photographers – We All Were Beginners! first appeared on Tom Szabo: tom-szabo.com, Email: tom@tom-szabo.com 440-725-6504.

Many unsuccessful photo are the result of not paying attention to lighting. I created a short video to demonstrate one of the major outdoor lighting problems and a couple hints to help correct it. I hope you find it helpful. As always, let me know your thoughts.

The post Why Does This Photo Look So Bad? first appeared on Tom Szabo: tom-szabo.com, Email: tom@tom-szabo.com 440-725-6504.

http://www.saratogian.com/general-news/20150401/five-questions-for-sarah-pezdek-smith

The post Portrait Photography Help Video first appeared on Tom Szabo: tom-szabo.com, Email: tom@tom-szabo.com 440-725-6504.