Urban's Photography

Midterm

2011-07-02T07:53:00.001-04:00

Well I have successfully completed the midterm of my first back to school class! Yeah, not that we actually had a test but I made it half way through a three week condensed class. They took and 11 week class and smashed it into three weeks. Having fun just photographing for the fun of it again. Images to come soon....

Vacation

2011-06-13T15:58:00.000-04:00

WOW! what a great time at the beach last week. We stayed at a private beach on the Chesapeake Bay, we weren't sure how the kids would take the ocean waves. Well we went to the ocean on Tuesday last week and the kidos LOVED it! They loved it so much that they wanted to go back everyday we where there. It took us an hour and a half to get to that beach so we opted to bribe them with if they were good the rest of the week we would stop on our way back home. They did behave and we did stop, so here is a little slideshow of the kids at the beach...

Tornados

2011-05-29T11:56:00.000-04:00

I've always been fascinated by tornadoes, and with the rash of them lately my heart goes out to everyone affected. I stumbled across this tidbit of information about them and thought I would share...

Sad, but interesting

2011-05-24T12:36:00.001-04:00

Found a article today that is really sad! It's main jist is that most people will work till they die! Or very close to that anyway. I may end up working a long time but I'm planning on doing it on my terms. I've seen too many people put too much into a "career" or j.o.b. (just over broke) only to have the company eliminate their position for no real reason. Job security just doesn't seem to exists and those that think they have it seem to me to be living in a fantasy world. Anyway, sorry about the rant check out the article yourself and then you can decide if that's what you want! http://www.marketwatch.com/story/people-plan-to-work-into-their-70s-or-later-2011-05-17
Until next time keep smiling

- Urbans Photography - Keep Smiling!

Location:Everywhere

14U May 2011 Tournament

2011-05-22T18:23:00.000-04:00

Had a GREAT weekend at the tournament! All the girls deserve a round of applause for their efforts this weekend! They all played very well especially since we had a big round visitor in the sky that made it warm up a lot, something we haven't seen in a long time. This morning we had a few light showers but then it cleared up and was beautiful day. Here is a short video from yesterdays activities, hope you like it...

Taking Photos

2011-05-17T11:50:00.000-04:00

Here are a few tips on better photo taking. First, proper handling of the camera itself can reduce the number of retakes, helping to make your day easier by decreasing the number of times you need to repeat the dreaded "hold on, I need to take one more". Taking better quality pictures means taking fewer pictures overall since you’re taking fewer bad shots due to bad mechanics.

Holding the camera

Hold the camera solidly in your hand to prevent the camera from shuddering or shifting too much when pressing on the shutter button, and watch your spare fingers so that they don’t interfere with the lens. One trick is to wrap the camera strap around your fingers so that you will be more conscious of where they are. Another tip, especially with smaller cameras, is to hold your eye up to the optical viewfinder to capture the image, rather than the electronic viewfinder – this will not only help you see exactly what your capturing, but will also help to stabilize the shot between your hands and your face for less 'camera shake'.

Focusing

As digital cameras have a tendency to take slightly longer to focus than film camera, an important tip is to half-depress the shutter button until the camera has had time to lock the focus, and then completely press the button to take the actual shot - this can often make the difference between blurry, out-of-focus shots, and clear pictures. Also, with normal picture-taking, shutter speeds are fast enough that a small amount of shake won’t affect the resulting image much, however, there are times when you’d want to use a tripod to compensate: when taking pictures in low light, where the shutter speed will slow down enough to potentially make drag lines, and when using a long zoom, where distant objects are susceptible to blur. In each case, the tripod will settle the image and let you forget about shaking the image and focus on capturing what’s in your mind’s eye.

Preview

One of the main advantages of a digital camera is being able to preview the pictures after you’ve taken them. If you are trying to capture a specific scene, you can review the shot and see if it looks the way you wanted – if it doesn’t, you can delete the shot and retake it to get it right. Why keep a picture if it’s blurry, or someone’s eyes are closed, or a person is obstructing part of the view?
Watch the back of the screen sometimes in the wrong light it can mislead you, and if it is only two inches square that really isn't a big enough spot to get a clear view of your image.

Hope this helps some watch for more tips coming soon...

Busy & Excited!!!

2011-05-13T16:49:00.001-04:00

WOW it has been a busy ten days! Actually even before that, the last 10 days have been busy with the PVAA pictures and working on orders. And the last month or so have been incredibly nuts with an online project I have been involved in with a Dr & his wife. My new store is up and running though and growing faster than I could have imagined, but with all the fantastic products the store has to offer and the partner stores we are working with it is no wonder... If you're curious about my new store check it out at www.urbansworldwide.net just do me a favor when you see something you want to get (which there is sooooo much there you are bound to find something) register on the site so I can drop you a line to say thanks...

Remember Keep Smiling!!!

A Little Action

2011-05-02T15:01:00.000-04:00

Had a fun...WET day yesterday at PVAA opening day, we did 90% of the kids pictures before the real rain started. The kids didn't seem to mind all the rain and they seemed to have fun running around in it. After the pictures and ceremony there was a few games, here is a little action from one of them...

Congrats

2011-04-29T22:16:00.000-04:00

I wanted to say a special congrats to Carrie and Tony. I have known Carrie for a long time and I can honestly say that Tony is a lucky guy. And I am extremely happy for them both. Congrats guys.

Finishing Strong movie

2011-04-22T21:21:00.000-04:00

WOW! What a great movie to watch really made me feel better. Life really is just what we make of it and answering to the challenges that it presents... Check it out...HERE!

High School Seniors

2011-04-20T16:24:00.002-04:00

Call NOW for a great deal on Senior Portraits!

Jacob

2011-04-10T09:55:00.003-04:00

Wow had an amazing session yesterday with little Jacob, who is only a week old and he was soooo well behaved... check it out...

Memory

2011-03-31T23:04:00.000-04:00

No we aren't talking about your memory, however I feel like mine is getting lost somewhere lol. I am talking about the memory for your digital camera, and a few tips to help keep your camera and memory working.
Did you ever have a memory card in and for some reason it is telling you it is corrupt, or worse yet, you get home with some great images only to find out that the card is corrupt? Here are a few reasons why a card may go corrupt and hopefully you can avoid these mistakes or actions and maintain your memory card and the great images on it.

Turning off a camera before an image is completely written to the card.
Using a memory card that is not formatted in the camera (format in the camera is a huge help and keeps the card working properly).
Removing the card from a memory reader while files are still being transferred to a computer.
Letting a card get too full which may overwrite the card header.
Switching memory cards from one camera to another without formatting it to that camera.
Taking photos to rapidly so the camera can't complete writing one image before starting the next.
Low battery power while trying to write to your card.

These obviously aren't all the reasons, nor are they all going to corrupt a card. You may get away with some issues like switching the card from one camera to another without formatting but how many times do you want to take the chance that it won't corrupt the card? Remember a corrupted memory card has damaged data on it that prevents it from performing properly. If a card becomes unreadable, you may not be able to access the photos on it. The main cause of card corruption is human error, keep these tips above in your head and it should help to prevent memory card corruption.

Keep Smiling...

Brooklyn

2011-03-27T22:14:00.001-04:00

Wow had an incredible session today with Brooklyn what a little angel. Bruce and Abby were fantastic and we never even had a single crying episode with Brooklyn, how can you go wrong with that. And just look at those eyes...

Click the link below to see a short slide show of the session today.
Brooklyn

Keep Smiling....

Urban Art Safari

2011-03-20T00:01:00.002-04:00

Had a great time today shooting some Urban Art today. There was a place we went to called Iron Eden, I could've shot there all day it was incredible the stuff that was created there...check out the slide-show.

Keep Smiling...

One More Day by Diamond Rio - The Last Time

2011-03-18T14:57:00.000-04:00

Photo Safari

2011-03-18T14:42:00.002-04:00

Waaahoo, I am going on a photo safari tomorrow around an area of Pittsburgh just for the fun of it. I am excited to get some time to just go have fun. Images to come soon.

What kind of camera?

2011-03-14T17:26:00.000-04:00

One of the questions I get asked the most often is what kind of camera I would recommend for someone just wanted to take snap shots. Well what I tell people is really it depends on what you are going to be taking snap shots of. Is it vacation type images, the kids playing, the dog sleeping? Because depending on this answer the question direction is easier to point out. (like Jimmy says Answers are the easy part Questions raise the doubt.)

So to explain a little Cameras are typically broken down into groups: ultra-compact, compact, prosumer or hobbyist, and digital SLR, and most manufacturers build units in several categories to capture more of the market. On each end of the range, the ultra-compacts are designed to be the most portable, often fitting into pockets easily and used as key chains, while the digital SLR cameras are professional quality tools that have the widest range of options, such as external flashes, lenses and tripods (but are also often the largest and most cumbersome to carry). Most units fall into the middle two categories, with compacts having a good range of quality, resolution, and options, and the prosumer range including higher quality and greater control over manual options and accessories.

Buying by only the megapixel rating will mean you will miss out on the other features of the camera – portability, accessories, a good quality flash, but it is one of the most important considerations. Less than 3 megapixel cameras are suitable for basic snapshots; the camera will be small and good enough to take basic 'I was there' shots, but the images won’t be as clear if you want anything larger than standard 4x6 prints. Between 3 and 5 megapixels, you will find a good range of everyday use and vacation cameras – you can fill your photo albums with shots from cameras in this range or use them as desktop images, as you will generally find the images are good enough that you don’t need any more and will be able to make good quality prints at a variety of sizes. From 5 to 10 megapixels, you will find more serious cameras for hobbyists that want to explore photography as an art or those that are looking to stay ahead of the curve – the images will take up more hard drive space but will be perfect for manipulation and printing out in larger sizes. A number of cameras are available across different categories with 10 megapixels or more, although this kind of resolution is generally overkill for casual everyday use. Choose a 10 megapixel or higher resolution camera if you are a professional and expect to be paid for the work you produce, if you need the highest resolution because you expect to make significant enlargements of your photos for mounting/framing, if you want more flexible cropping options, or if you simply want the ultimate in image quality.

Zooming is another important consideration with digital cameras - there are two kinds of zoom: optical zoom and digital zoom. An optical zoom factor is one that relies on the lens itself magnifying the light coming in, so that what is distant appears larger and closer in the resulting image. A digital zoom factor is one that takes the resulting image and magnifies it after the fact. Needless to say, an optical zoom factor is much more important than a digital zoom factor (and produces better quality results).

The way the images themselves are stored can be a factor in your decision, as some camera makers have proprietary storage systems that are incompatible with the cameras of other makes. Some common formats are Compact Flash (a fairly common format across both compact and professional cameras), Secure Digital (SD) cards (which are fairly common in compact cameras due to their smaller size), and Sony Memory Stick (unique to Sony cameras, but also supported by Sony computers, televisions, and other devices). Storage sizes can range from smaller 8MB cards/sticks, which can hold about a dozen three megapixel images, to larger 32GB cards/sticks and higher, which can hold thousands of images, and are especially useful when storing photos in a 'raw' format (a direct unprocessed copy of the image data from the camera sensor, available more commonly with digital SLR cameras, and takes much more storage space per photo). Prices have come down on most of the memory cards/sticks making selection of the larger sizes more affordable and a smarter choice. Choose the largest size you are comfortable with, and ideally select a second smaller stick as a backup in case the first one becomes full – for example, a combination of a 512MB with a 4GB card/stick is good if you move all your images onto your computer on a regular basis.

Well I hope this helps out some and can clear a few things up for you. Now when someone asks me what kind of camera they should get I can send them to my blog...LOL Have an UP day!

Time Lapse

2011-03-12T16:53:00.000-05:00

I stumbled across this time lapse in Salmon Idaho and thought I would share it with you...

Sacajawea Center Salmon Idaho Time-Lapse from David Marx on Vimeo.

A Brides Quote

2011-03-07T12:00:00.003-05:00

I read something today in Modern Bride that caught my attention:

“We only had a professional photographer for the ceremony and formal pictures immediately following. In our invites we asked guests to bring their cameras, and our favorite shots ended up being the candids they snapped throughout the evening.”

Yeah. What did you expect? The ceremony shots and formals are pretty straightforward. Photographers are usually not given any artistic license during these events. So it stands to reason that the most fun shots are not going to come from the ceremony or the formals – OF COURSE the reception photos are your favorites.

The question is: who do you want taking your reception photos? If the bride quoted above had only compared professional images of her reception with the snapshots that she got, I bet she would be over-the-top thrilled with the professional images. The point is that the role of the photographer should not be underestimated – after the dances have been danced and the cake has been eaten, all that is left is the pictures. In 10, 20, or 50 years from now, what will you have to show your children and grandchildren from your wedding day? A quality wedding photographer will provide timeless images that you will treasure forever.

A Little Day at the Park Show...

2011-03-05T17:17:00.003-05:00

Commercial Photography

2011-03-05T16:43:00.002-05:00

It was so cool today to see my first BIG commercial project today. I have done some smaller commercial jobs but nothing this big. It was truly exhilarating to see my images on boxes of products in Dicks Sporting good stores, and on their website!

Summer

2009-06-18T23:36:00.003-04:00

Wow it is already the middle of June, Senior season here at Urban's Photography is moving right along. Staying pretty busy, but booking fast so if you want to get in before school starts, call soon. Well back to editing images. Hope to see you soon.

Becky & Dennis

2008-06-05T09:37:00.001-04:00

Check out Becky & Dennis wedding album here, This was a beautiful wedding but VERY hot.

Heather & Dave

2008-01-21T15:09:00.000-05:00

Here is a rough album layout for Heather & Dave. This was a cool wedding, the setting was beautiful, the bagpipes were amazing and the couple was the best. Good luck you two.

Click the LINK HERE to view their album.