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Live Show Recap: Night/Astro Photography

What’s up you cool babies? This week we looked at your night and astro photography and you killed it. Next week’s topic is abstract & geometry, which is Tony’s new favorite thing. I’m excited for that one.

We start off with some photo news:

-Leica announced the new TL2 mirrorless camera

-we have the Loupedeck and we’ll put out a review soon. Chelsea uses it during the live show for the first time!

Time to start reviewing photos:

-sky over building

-moving clouds

-Tony suggests the Rokinon 24mm f/1.4 for beginners in night photography

isolated

-Tony shakes the hornets nest of flat-earthers, again, forever

-Chelsea is only good at “restaurant math”

-moon over Golden Gate

boat

Over to me for some questions from you all:

-eclipse plans? Tony’s trying to learn it now and purchased some ND filters and those special glasses. Chelsea throws shade at the eclipse, she doesn’t think that 2 minute cover is worth it. “It’s not Hamilton, I’m not gonna travel cross country for it.”

Back to photos:

-“are you doing the flat earth thing again?”

-that cool truck again

-car forest

Over to me for some more questions:

-Sigma 120-400? No idea. Thanks for the money though!

-if you had to choose between a faster lens and a bigger sensor for night photography what would you pick? The lens is easier to upgrade for sure.

-what’s the most amount of times you’ve visited a site to get the shot you want? Over 100. 

Time for a portfolio review! Wood bow tie gets it, Denslow Photo. Maybe change your menu items so they are immediately obvious. Pare down your portraits, but your shots look great! Tony says add a pricing page.

 Time for chit-chat! The part of the show where we highlight ridiculous comments on our videos. 

-S-AF, sexy as f*%&?

-Mister Rogers, Mister Rogers

-Tony taking of sweaters, ends with twerking

-Chelsea, beauty or smarts? Neither: funny.

-shit is funky

-Tony whispering “diopter”

-a weirdly nice comment? “Let’s save her eggs”

Back to your photos:

milky way

-why do we talk about Roadhouse so much?

lighthouse

-moon river

Budapest

-bougie camping

-will we ever get over fireworks?

bridge

-insane fireworks

tree

Over to me for your questions:

-how to get your partner into photography? Candy. Ask them to model, ask them for their view on the subject.

-what songs do you sing in the shower? “All by Myself” for Chelsea. None of the rest of us do that.

-favorite day of the week? Tony is patronizing you. Chelsea’s is Sunday, Tony likes a Tuesday which is an abomination. Justin and I like a Saturday.

Back to photos:

-light trail

city

-empty station

-Chelsea is thiiiis close to being a cannibal

-green sky

One more question before we cut out:

-how do you get the foreground sharp in astro photography? Focus stacking.

A few more photos then we’re off:

-tiny person

-Charles bridge

aurora

That’s our show! Thanks so much, guys. Join us next week for abstract and geometric photos. Looking forward to it!

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Live Show Recap: Photoshop My Photo!

Live show recap is back! This week Tony and Chelsea tackled Photoshopping your photos. Like what you see? Pre-order our book on Photoshop while it’s still super cheap! 

Chelsea made me laugh uncontrollably more than once this episode. 

We start off with some news:

  • Canon’s stock closet at the Olympics is bonkers
  • Tony bought an old Nikon F on eBay after they talked about the history of Nikon on the podcast

Now for Chit-Chat! Chelsea’s favorite part of the show where we give undue attention to people who bad-mouth us on the internet! And Smaakjeks making great jokes. This week is all nice stuff though!

  • old time-y shit talking
  • Tony’s beautiful voice
  • poo audio
  • Tony predicting the future
  • being called badass mutha*******
  • Chelsea trying to back TheCameraStoreTV into saying they love her

Don’t rank us against our friends! 

Ok, we start working on your photos here. We don’t go through a ton because the process is a bit more labor intensive this week. But watch, you might learn something! I’ll highlight some of our favorites below:

  • a man and his dog in ‘Nam
  • baby bear! Duplicate it. Dent it’s head.
  • slug removal

Let’s go to me for some of your questions:

  • what to do in Photoshop versus Lightroom, what’s your workflow between the two? Basic editing in Lightroom first, more advanced, detailed editing in PS.
  • Tif files, what are they good for?
  • how to name your photo business and domain? I say use your name, carry business cards. Chelsea says use alliteration or rhyming to have a memorable name.

Let’s look at Abi’s portfolio! Lovely shots, just add some more info on your prints. She’s one of ours, Tony, you can’t have her.

Back into your photos:

Chelsea threatened to murder Tony when she’s sick up updating the books

  • so… Chelsea says this bird is poisonous and then goes into how she constantly explains to Tony the plot of Home Alone when he falls asleep during any show or movie. This is my favorite thing ever.
  • Chelsea shows you how to edit out logos for stock photography, lazily
  • “what is that liquid?” “the other one is clearly urine”
  • oof, portrait editing with dappled light

Back over to me for some questions:

  • shameless plug for my blog coming back! Follow me as I learn photography finally.
  • rumors about the upcoming 5D Mark IV? Nope!
  • upgrading wildlife gear? We dunno, tell us what you’ve got.
  • shooting portraits under heavy rain? Go inside. If not that, capture the movement of the rain and light it well, use waterproof makeup, style for the weather. Cover your camera, obvs. Use storytelling.
  • next week! Matt Granger will be on the show reviewing portraits. Also, you can catch T&C at Photokina next month!

Tony jumps in with an edit of our nation’s phallus.

  • “your feet are too big, bird!
  • “Tony, it’s us!”
  • lovely shot, odd colors

Let’s talk about tablets! Chelsea loves her Wacom, Tony hates editing on tablets, he’s a mouse man. “I can do anything with a mouse, I’m a mouse master.”

Let’s get another question and comment from our friend Kyle Wolfe before we head out:

  • could you average multiple photos to even out camera shake? No, but good idea!
  • use a specific link on your business card that shows you how many people access your site from the cards directly! Or a QR code. You can use a site like bit.ly.

 

That’s all, folks! Join us next week with Matt Granger to review your portraits! And look out for my blog on portraits this Thursday. 

 

 

 

 

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Live Show Recap: Fashion Photography

Happy Cinco de Mayo! It’s not a real holiday. America loves to steal culture as an excuse to get drunk during the week.

Anyway! We’re looking at your fashion photos this week, and some of you nailed it! Some of you tried to sneak in regular portraits, or really nice shots that weren’t fashion! I didn’t let lots of those in.

PhotoNews:

  • The “affordable” Leica M-D
  • We are borrowing the Canon 1DX II sdp.io/1DX2 you’ll see our video on it soon
  • Phantom 4 quadcopter sdp.io/P4. We’ll be testing it out in California in a few weeks.

Ok, we get into your fashion photos here, these are our notable submissions:

  • garbage bag dress
  • contrast (good for next week!)
  • monster street fashion
  • great studio shot (by our friend and blogger Anushila)
  • fashion/product of ties
  • go see Best in Show. And by go see it I mean rent it somewhere because it’s old.
  • great catalog shot
  • “It seems like one thumb through the belt loop is the most you can do in a photo” “Sometimes you have to push the limits. That’s fashion!”
  • click here to hear Chelsea’s incredible British accent
  • great photo story “I’m gonna give it a pick. But tell her she can do better.”
  • lean back, lean back, lean back lean back lean back
  • this one is just crazy awesome

Let’s go over to me for your questions:

  • How do you pose for fashion? Frame the object/garment or post naturally? Depends on the model and what you’re shooting.
  • When would you use exposure compensation? When a subject is backlit, to expose for the subject. You should be using automatic shutter speed otherwise.
  • Where’d you get your shirt, Tony? You look fresh.

Okay over to a portfolio review. Great portfolio, Vladimir! No real feedback.

Now to Chit-Chat!

  • we got complimented!
  • Chelsea is into Tony! Ewwww.
  • Nathan For You is conflicting

Okay, back to photos:

And that’s our show! Next week’s topic is “high contrast!” So make it work, people.

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Live Show Recap: Complementary Colors

Hello! You guys nailed complementary colors this week. Next week break some rules with your portraits. Should be fun! Don’t break any laws.

Guys, so sorry about the sound. The split screen mutes for a while. Every week we seem to have to adjust something and then it all goes crazy. Don’t worry, you’ll get to hear my voice later in the show.

Some PhotoNews at the top here:

  • Lumix GX85 announced
  • contact lens camera? This is terrifying. Give us virtual reality cake.
  • Tom from Myspace… err, Mark Zuckerberg, gave an interview that Tony agrees with about video

Ok, let’s look at your pictures and I’ll highlight our favorites below:

Over to me with your question, which I’ll have to write out for you below since you can’t hear me:

  • Tony mentioned in a video last year that he’d look into how DxOMark makes their money, did he ever? He tried! They never answered. Manufacturers pay them, but we’re not sure how that works.

Oh, we got a new weird piece of gear for blinding Chelsea. Pergear LED light used for matching studio light.

Back to your photos:

  • a pick right off the bat for this laundry
  • this texture pairing
  • “it’s frustrating for humans to not see eyes” Tony confirms that he is indeed not human
  • something about the colors in this one bother me, but Tony gives it a pick. Interesting shot though!
  • stock
  • beebutt
  • boats
  • Tony doesn’t know what Mickey Mouse looks like. For sure not human.
  • Mickey Mouse then Deadmau5?
  • ladybug
  • landscape

Back over to me for some of your questions, you get to watch me talk without hearing me say anything:

  • is it safe to clean your Sony sensor? Yes? idk, just do it.
  • any word on the travel show? Yes, we’re still planning and working on the contract.
  • is the D5 worth your money? Who’s? Yours? Mine? What’s your deal? Worth it if you’re a pro who needs to nail that shot.
  • are HDR and doge & burn the same thing? No. Different techniques for slightly different results.

Check out our podcast! Seriously, it’s great.

Hassleblad H6D announced

Let’s look at Nick Petrides’ portfolio.  Lose the format, staggered is distracting. Your images are great though! It’s not really your birthday. Tony proves again that he is probably an android by his rendition of Happy Birthday.

A few more questions from you, our viewers:

  • but first let’s listen to Chelsea imitate her dad
  • compare the D810 to the D5? D810 is better for portraits, the D5 is heavy. D5 is best for low light and is unbeatable for sports and durability. The D810 is better for landscapes, portraits and studio work.
  • Aaron is alive as well, as of the show last night
  • Virtual Reality headsets? Yup, they used the Samsung VR. Give us virtual chocolate cake already.
  • what’s your/my favorite hair color? I don’t care, don’t tell me.

Ok, back to photos! Tony chose his favorites from the thumbnails. Just consider them all picks. The sound is garbage during this part, so just look at all the pretty colors.

Back to me because Chelsea misses my face:

  • what TV shows are you currently watching? We seriously end up talking about TV for so long. We love it, it’s great.
  • best TV show of all time?

Ok guys, sorry about that (or you’re welcome.) Back to photos!

  • chairs
  • pier
  • birds
  • ‘nother bird
  • red roof “I’m going to give you a pick because you’re artsy, and big parties scare you”

More questions from you:

  • USB OTG on Samsung S7? No idea. You tell us.
  • then they talk about emojis and stuff? idk, guys.
  • What’s the strangest photography-related dream you’ve had? Tony has photography stress dreams, Chelsea does not. I dream about my former life as a house cleaner. Chelsea has B&E dreams.
  • Tony, what’s your monitor resolution and when are you going 5k? Less than 4k and never?

Let’s look at Narked Frog Photo’s portfolio. What is that name even? Pare down your images, too many of the same thing/same person. Change your text color and maybe your background color. sdp.io/portfoliochecklist for tips.

Chit-Chat! Our favorite part of the show where you say stuff and we say stuff back. This week is weirdly positive.

picture speed round  before we end this thing:

  • “pull over, I’m gonna start a fire

Okay and then one more question:

  • Eric didn’t bring me pizza
  • Super-RAWs? Yes please.
  • send us cupcakes, priceemir lion

Don’t worry, Chelsea did more ASMR for you.

And that’s a show! Next week are portraits that break the rules. Thanks for hanging in there, y’all.

 

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Live Show Recap: Macro

Happy St. Paddy’s day or whatever. “We just take everyone’s unwanted holidays and make them CRAZY.” Tony is dyeing everyones drinks green.

If you’re new to the show, here’s what happens: you submit one photo on the theme, we maybe review it. You can also submit Squarespace portfolios for review! You can ask Tony and Chelsea questions in the live chat during the show, and I ask ones that I find interesting to them via Skype. There are lots of jokes, lots of tangents, lots of confusion. In this recap here I highlight their favorite submissions, my favorite jokes, photo news and anything else worth remembering.

This week we reviewed your macro shots! Lots of bees. Chelsea is really pushing this ASMR thing. Someone made us Bingo sheets for the show! You can still find the forms at sdp.io/bingo if you’d like to play along. I’m Chelsea’s best friend and now it’s show official! Also I have no soul. Justin is just a black screen.

Hashtag your live show photos at #TCLive on Instagram or Twitter and you’ll get “lots of free followers for free.”

Our new Photoshop book is coming along, 199 pages so far! If you have it already you can get the updates at sdp.io/psowner or pre-order it at sdp.io/ps.

Next week Matt Granger will Skype in and review your Travel pics! What a show, two-for-one insanity.

Ok, let’s get into your pictures. Here are our faves:

Now over to me for some of your questions:

  • how to eliminate stitches in focus stacking? Bring layers into Photoshop.
  • Peak Design messenger bag? Best bag for what it does, still not great.

Now for a portfolio review. Great images, great layout. Lots of information, very well done!

I got my sound back, so over to me for more questions:

  • extension tubes with kit lenses? It’ll work, but sharpness won’t be great.
  • modern lens flatness compared to older lenses? We should do a blind test.

Back to your photos!

  • the US has the worst looking money
  • macro tips: use a tripod, ISO 100, mirror lock-up, live view, and BE STILL to nail that focus.
  • fuzzy moth face. “Antlers.”
  • dewy grasshopper
  • Tony keeps calling insects “animals”
  • “this is like a bee on its wedding day”

Back to me with your questions:

  • Matt Granger gets Chelsea to sing. Tony has green teeth.

Chit-Chat! Chelsea’s favorite segment where people say mean things and we laugh at them.

  • sdp.io/fart, sdp.io/kids. Check um out.
  • Does Tony have scurvy? Eat an orange, Tony.
  • “Nope, I’m just annoying erryday erryday erryday erryday…”
  • Tony def has glued-on hair “hella spooky lol”
  • Everyone speculates that Tony and Chelsea are going to break up based on Chelsea’s facial expressions.
  • “maybe we are breaking up” “we can’t break up right now. What would Justin do?”

Ok, over to another portfolio. Make those links clickable! Pare down your photos, a few too many. Merge your categories. Your event shots are great! Price those bad boys. Make your front page reflect the work you’re trying to get.

Tony throws me under the bus for bingo!

  • hanging out with Matt Granger at Photokina!
  • medium format? Why, why not? Digital medium format is prohibitively expensive. Go full-frame instead.
  • duel memory cards for wedding photography? Yes.

Back to photos:

  • this butterfly is crazy detailed
  • elephant hawk moth?!
  • party owls
  • ‘nother bee
  • Chelsea knows her Sacajawea coins
  • flies are fascinating

Chelsea misses me, so here I am:

  • we all wear wigs
  • photographer’s writer’s block? Make a project, study old photographers, photograph the same thing at different times.
  • how to become a product photographer? Just do it. Practice, work for free, make a portfolio. Make contacts, build your portfolio. Long motivational speech to follow. Become a blacksmith.

Let’s take a look at a ballpoint pen. I mean, more photos, rapid fire:

  • flower
  • what’s a dragonfly’s lifespan? We stumped Justin! Chelsea gets philosophical, Tony gets nihilistic.
  • Tony insults all the nerds

Over to me:

  • what photo would you like to be remembered for? Definitely the erectile dysfunction one.
  • questions are boring.

And we’re done! Tune in next Thursday for Matt Granger and travel photos. Sorry we forgot to remind you all about daylight savings time, why is that still a thing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Live Show Recap: Tree

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ny3p7dx2-o

WARNING: Chelsea is a human and she gets mad when people say lies about her. If you are offended by an angry woman, do not watch. Also, get over it.

This week we review your tree photos! Apparently you have a lot of them.

If you haven’t already, check out our new podcast! There are two out already and we’ll be releasing two a month. sdp.io/podcast

We start the show with some of Tony and Chelsea’s pictures from their trip to Cuba this week.

Let’s see some trees:

  • “the tree won
  • “that’s beautiful. The colors, the things, the light…”
  • “that is a tree if I ever saw one”
  • Tasmanian sunrise
  • this is my fave
  • “real trees have curves, guys”
  •  cave tree

PhotoNews:

Now to me for your questions:

  • would you like to see a tutorial from T&C on film photography?
  • Sony battery grips? No.
  • is it supposed to take hours to stitch together a panorama? Yes.

Now to a portfolio! Great photos, John. Pare down your landscapes, start with your best.

Chit-Chat! “Either way, everyone walks away disappointed”

  • 1D X-2?
  • are we DxOmark shills? No. What? Why? No.
  • do we copy DigitalRev? No, again, what?
  • “nice try, but I’m not taking any shit today. NEXT.”
  • here we go… Angry Photographer. He has attacked every popular YouTube photographer at length, then deletes his videos when he gets called out. He has accused us of being secretly sponsored, calls us shills, etc etc. So now he’s on blast.
  • “the 5 worst photographers” do in fact exist. Unfortunately.
  • apparently we have giant refrigerators?
  • podcast music: distracting or engaging?

Back to me for some questions and comments, which rile up Chelsea further:

Back to your photos!

And that’s our show! Next week we will be reviewing your “back lighting” photos, so get ‘um done!

 

 

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Live Show Recap: HDR

HDR: the good, the bad and the ugly.

First off: NO SHOW NEXT WEEK. It is Thanksgiving in the US, so we’ll be eating to excess with our families. The week after will be “Cars”, then the week after (Dec 10th) Toby and Christina will be on the live show!

Black Friday! November 27th, we’re giving away signed, numbered prints for the first 50 purchasers of our Everything Set. Keep an eye out for that insanity.

PhotoNews:

  • Chelsea and Tony were on the news! sdp.io/nyberg
  • Challenge! Show us your polarizing filter shots vs non-polarized shots (both RAW files to tony@northrup.org)
  • “Did you just say peen?” “I guess you could say this video was… polarizing”
  • Development of the Nikon D5 announced
  • Z Camera E1 sdp.io/e1

Question:

  • How many exposures for HDR? 3-5

Now to review some photos! Picks, stars and notable bits:

Question:

  • Would you alter a photo for a client?

Portfolio review! Justin teaches us about baby seagulls and why we never see them.

Chit-Chat, where they read your comments on past videos and maybe make fun of you. Chelsea’s favorite segment, for obvious reasons.

  • “Don’t be a scratch pansy”.
  • “It’s like how I look pretty until I go to New York City”
  • Leica users. The worst.
  • “Are these two dating?”
  • The professor

Back to your photos (after the stream drops and then comes back in with my calling to my dog):

More PhotoNews:

Another lovely portfolio!

More of your questions:

  • Tony and Chelsea tell you how their work has influenced each other
  • holiday gift idea video coming up! Here‘s last years
  • how to photography snowy owls

Photo speed round!

One more question, T&C’s favorite photos of their’s. Check out their portfolios: Chelsea, Tony.

And that’s our show. Next week we’re off, see you in two weeks for CARS! Have a great Thanksgiving, those of you who celebrate it.