THIS WEEK IN PHOTOGRAPHY 2009-09-24
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THIS WEEKS WORKSHOPS at CAMERAS BROOKWOOD

To review the Fall schedule, go to http://www.camerasbrookwood.com/WorkshopPage/WorkshopSchedule.html
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Essential Football Photography II by Paul Franklin
The most common question we get about sports photography is; “How long a lens do I need?”

Well… You’d be well set if you had a 70-200 f/2.8, a 300 mm f/2.8 lens and a monpod. A 300 mm f/2.8 lens is a magnificent beast, sharp and fast, and built like a tank. They are ideal for sideline sports shooting, but are expensive special-purpose lenses, costing in the many thousands of dollars .They are the perfect lens for this assignment, but perhaps there's a work-around that fits your needs for less..

For instance, if you can get close to the action (pee-wee games and the like, or if you have a means to get on the sidelines,) you may be able to get away with a far more affordable 200 mm lens -- especially for cameras with “cropped” sensors. Unless you shoot a full frame dslr, your camera will crop the frame by roughly 50%. A 55-200 mm lens on a croppped-sensor camera will produce a result similar to what a 300 mm would produce on a full-frame camera.

In this category of lens, the Nikon 55-200 and Canon 55-250 lenses complement their “kit” lenses well and are inexpensive – roughly $300 or less. If you need more reach than a 200 mm lens would provide, a 70-300 lens offers 50% more magnification and is still relatively affordable. As an added benefit, the 300 mm focal length affords you the opportunity to attempt to shoot (larger, closer, cooperative) birds and wildlife. And if this is still not enough focal length for you, the Canon 100-400 and the Nikon 80-400 offer even more magnification, though at a substantial increase in cost ($1500-$2000.)

Remember, too, the longer the lens the more you need to stabilize it in order to generate sharp images. A monopod is a great investment for sports photographers. The lenses above are all f/5.6 lenses at their maximum focal length. This poses no major problem at daytime games, or at major stadiums with TV broadcast-quality lighting, but f/5.6 lenses are challenged by most night games, particularly those held at fields with marginal lighting.

You will likely need to set a rather high ISO (800 or even 1600) to enable shutter speeds fast enough to produce tack-sharp images on the field. Fortunately, the more recent DSLR’s are capable of producing frighteningly good results at high ISO’s.

If you need the fast shutter speeds but want to avoid using very high ISO settings, you may want to explore a 70-200 f/2.8 lens. The 70-200 f/2.8 is a mainstay of the professional’s system, and is a workhorse for wedding photographers, photojournalists, and so many other working pros. These are among the rare few zoom lenses that will accommodate a teleconverter, too, producing even more telephoto power at a somewhat rational cost, with little loss in optical performance. The latest models of 70-200 f/2.8 lenses from Nikon and Canon offer just about everything you could ever hope for in a lens: lightning-fast AF performance, anti-shake technology, fabulous optics, tremendous light-gathering capability, and so on.

The down side of these lenses is that they cost around $2K. Sorry. By the way, one of the best values on the market -- if you are a Nikon shooter -- is the venerable 80-200 f/2.8 lens. Though it lacks vibration reduction, it offers all the other attributes of this class of lens, as well as legendary optical performance, for little more than half the price of the most recent version of the 70-200/2.8.
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Cyanotype Prints
Cyanotype is a photographic printing process that was developed in 1842 by Sir John Herschel. Herschel discovered the procedure but it was first used in photography by Anna Atkins, giving her the title "first female photographer". She used the process to document ferns and plant life in a series of books. The cyanotype process gives the prints a cyan-blue color. The chemicals used in the process are Ammonium iron citrate and Potassium Ferricyanide. The two chemicals are dissolved in water and are coated on paper before exposure. The paper is then exposed to light with a flat subject, such as ferns, laying on the paper. The cyanotype prints out during the exposure and is then washed. The Birmingham Museum of Art owns one of Anna Atkins' Cyanotypes.

Cyanotype printing kits are available at CAMERAS BROOKWOOD for $22.95
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PHOTO EXHIBITIONS
"PhotoScapes", nature photography by Sarah Johnston opens at the Botanical Gardens Art Gallery Friday, September 25th with a reception from 5:30-7:30. http://www.bbgardens.org

"The Art Of Printmaking", opening 5:30-8:00 pm , Friday, September 25th an Maralyn Wilson Gallery on Clairmont, features five amazing printmakers including Cyanotypes and Lithographs by Montevallo Professor Scott Stephens and Digital Transfer by Kevin Shook. Interactive printmaking demonstrations are scheduled for 11 am to 3 pm Saturday. Call 591-1150 for more information.

Continuing ....
... "Positive Energy" featuring photographs of the Mississippi Delta by Marygray Hunter at the Litebox Gallery through October 24th.
... photography by Lee Gravlee at Little Savannah on Clairmont through October 24th. http://www.littlesavannah.com
...Tuscaloosa: "Wayne Sides: 30 Years of the Image" at the Bama Theater through September 30th.
... New Orleans: "The Art of Caring" by world famous photographers through October 11th, New Orleans Museum of Art. http://www.noma.org
... Atlanta: "Black Line of Woods", by Minneapolis photographer Alec Soth at the High Museum through January 3rd. http://www.high.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
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REBATE
Because of magnesium secondary parts, Manfrotto tripods are lighter than most other carbon tripods and excel under all weather conditions. We currently stock the 055cx3 three-section leg model for $359 and the 055cxPRO4 travel model with four-section legs for $429. Paul, Melissa, Murray, and Steve are exceptional in helping select the tripod and head to fit your particular needs.

Bogen Imaging is offering a $50 mail in rebate on the purchase of any Manfrotto Carbon Fiber tripod when purchased at the same time with any Manfrotto Head. The Bogen rebate offer extends through January 31st, 2010. Get more details and a rebate form from our online flyer http://www.camerasbrookwood.com/BrochurePage/FLYER_ManfrottoRebate.pdf .

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PHOTO BOOKS
Books by Alabama Photographers that are currently in stock include "Simplified Zone System for Digital Photographers" by Bahman Farzad; "Scenic North Alabama" by Robert Schuffert; "The Natural Beauty of Alabama" by Frank Emory; "Alabama Outdoors" and "Alabama's Canyons: The Bankhead National Forest" by Charles Siefried.
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ORDER PRINTS ONLINE
Last call... Order one of our new Fantasy Photo products online and get a free photo package (an extra 8x10 with two 5x7's and a sheet of wallets). Just send in an order for an 8x10 and specify the template you want in the comment block. All of our templates and a detailed price list are contained in our flyer which is available in the showroom or online at http://www.camerasbrookwood.com/BrochurePage/Flyer_FantasyPhotos.pdf . For the free photo package, use reference #NL0924. Offer is valid through September 30th. Order through our Dropbox at http://www.cbPhotoLab.com
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CB MOVIE STARS
Birmingham’s Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival will premiere "Backstage Story" at 8:45 Saturday night at the Alabama Power Theatre , 600 18th Street North. The film, directed by Yuri Shapochka, is based on a short story by Chekov. "Backstage Story" stars former employee Celeste Laborde and features Steve in an opening roll. The camera is operated by good customer David Brower.
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PRICE REDUCTION
The price on the Nikon D90 body has been lowered a hundred dollars to $899.95. With the 18-105 Nkkor lens, the price is $1199.95. The D90 is a great camera for both beginners and professionals.
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FOR SALE BY OWNER
Used equipment to sell? reply to any newsletter with the sale information. It will run once in the Newsletter and stay in our listing for 30 days. The complete listing is at http://www.camerasbrookwood.com/EmailPage/Newsletter_UsedEquipment.html

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MELISSA'S COLORING CONTEST
This is the last call for entries. Entry deadline is September 30th. Will your child be left out of this exciting challenge? Children may work on their entry at the "Coloring Station" while Dad orders photos from his digital files at the "PhotoCenter".
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NEWSLETTER SPECIALS
Rent our Tamron 300/2.8 with Nikon Mount from this Friday afternoon until Monday morning for only $50.

Receive $9 off the price of any Manfrotto tripod in stock. This can be combined with other offers.

Repair estimates are always free- call us at 205 822-2106
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LAUGH with Ron Bowen
Swine Flu is getting out of hand...
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NOTES
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