LeggNet's Digital Capture

Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens – 1/125 second, f/4, ISO 100

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

I received an email this morning from photographer Lou Horton. Lou was browsing the information leaflets at a train station in Southwest England and recognized one of my stock images featuring Kylee. It makes me smile to find out about situations like this when my photography has been recognized in distant places.

Thanks for sharing this, Lou!

I received an email this morning from photographer Lou Horton. Lou was browsing the information leaflets at a train station in Southwest England and recognized one of my stock images featuring Kylee. It makes me smile to find out about situations like this when my photography has been recognized in distant places.

Thanks for sharing this, Lou!

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

Canon 5D, Lensbaby Composer – 1/640 second, f/4, ISO 200

Thanks to a very generous Scott Bourne of Photofocus.com, I was recently given a Lensbaby Composer to add to my lens collection. If you’re not familiar with a Lensbaby, it is basically a special effect lens that creates a moveable focus area (the sweet spot) amidst a creatively blurred out-of-focus area. I’ve watched from the distance as the product line evolved from the fairly simple original design to their current offering, “The Composer”.

I took some time today to become familiar with the lens and learn how I can use it in my photography. I put it on my backup Canon 5D body and commenced shooting. Today’s post is a quick peek at a couple samples from today’s shooting. The above image of the yellow flower was taken in my front yard as I headed out to lunch, while the shot below is one I captured of everyone’s friend Jarvie over at the Pictureline store in Draper.

Canon 5D, Lensbaby Composer – 1/15 second, f/4, ISO 200

It’s still a bit early to see how (or even if) I will incorporate the lens into my work shooting, but I’ll be the first to admit it’s been pretty fun to play with so far.

Canon 5D, Lensbaby Composer – 1/640 second, f/4, ISO 200

Thanks to a very generous Scott Bourne of Photofocus.com, I was recently given a Lensbaby Composer to add to my lens collection. If you’re not familiar with a Lensbaby, it is basically a special effect lens that creates a moveable focus area (the sweet spot) amidst a creatively blurred out-of-focus area. I’ve watched from the distance as the product line evolved from the fairly simple original design to their current offering, “The Composer”.

I took some time today to become familiar with the lens and learn how I can use it in my photography. I put it on my backup Canon 5D body and commenced shooting. Today’s post is a quick peek at a couple samples from today’s shooting. The above image of the yellow flower was taken in my front yard as I headed out to lunch, while the shot below is one I captured of everyone’s friend Jarvie over at the Pictureline store in Draper.

Canon 5D, Lensbaby Composer – 1/15 second, f/4, ISO 200

It’s still a bit early to see how (or even if) I will incorporate the lens into my work shooting, but I’ll be the first to admit it’s been pretty fun to play with so far.

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens – 1/60 second, f/4, ISO 200

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

Canon 5D, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens – 1/200 second, f/4, ISO 100

I am constantly reminded of how fortunate I am to live in such a great photographic community. Being involved in groups and events such as Photowalking Utah and Photocamp Utah are just a couple examples. One other event that I make sure to circle on my photographic calendar each year is Pictureline’s annual Digitalfest event.

In addition to a great trade show, the event always plays host to world class photography speakers. I will never forget sitting for nearly two hours during last year’s presentation being mesmerized by the presentation of National Geographic photographer Sam Abell.

This year’s speaker lineup is as impressive as I can remember seeing in Utah. The Thursday night session is Pulitzer Prize winning photographer David Hume Kennerly. David has photographed wars, presidents, domestic turmoil and more in his 40+ year career.

The Friday night session is natural light photographer Vincent Versace. Vincent is both a world-class photographer and photographic instructor. As near as I can tell in reading his bio, he has taught photographers on every continent of the planet. His work in all genres of photography (people, portrait, landscape) is beyond exceptional. Being a photographer that uses artificial light extensively, I really look forward to hearing about his techniques for using natural light to create stunning images.

In years past, photographers just had to sign up to attend the sessions. This year, Pictureline is doing it just a bit different. Due to the number of people who reserved seats and didn’t attend (causing other photogs to be turned away), they are requiring a ticket to be purchased to hear the speakers. But the good part is the tickets are inexpensive (especially considering the quality of presenters) and every attendee will receive their ticket price back in the way of a Pictureline gift card. Tickets are $12.50 per session.

I just spoke with the store and there are still spots available, albeit it looks like the Friday session is nearly filled so I encourage you to act quick!

To sign up and reserve your seat, head on over to pictureline.com/digitalfest. I look forward to seeing you at this years event – be sure to say Hi if you see me 🙂

My blog posts have been, shall we say, a tad lackluster of late. The main reason is that I did several large stock photo shoots last month and am working at catching up on the editing. That means I’m spending the bulk of my time in front of my production iMac and not out shooting. In fact, I even sent my main camera (Canon 5DmkII) with Nicole to Seattle for the Aperture Nature Workshop this week while I sit here at the computer (just another step in converting a Nikon shooter to Canon…heh heh).

Today I’m wrapping up the editing of the fitness series I shot in Salt Lake City. Today’s image is a sample from the series. The location was very light-and-bright which made it great to shoot in. The windows and mirrors however presented a bit of a challenge in avoiding reflection. As you can see in today’s shot, one of my lights is visible in the background. I don’t feel that it detracts enough from the shot to eliminate it’s inclusion in the series.

I used my fairly-standard four softbox setup for lighting the scene. The main light (as seen in Jane’s eyes) was a 48″ octabox. The second octabox is providing the hair and back light on the model. The remaining two boxes were positioned for lighting the background.

Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens – 1/60 second, f/4.5, ISO 100

Canon Powershot G7 – 1/250 second, f/8, ISO 80

This was originally announced over on Scott Kelby’s blog last week, but I thought I’d do my part in getting the word out. Help Portrait is a grassroots movement by photographers to use their time, skill and equipment to give back to those less fortunate.Please help spread the word.For more details, visit Help-Portrait.com.

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

]]> Note from Rich: Today’s post is a re-issue of one I wrote last November. Since that time Pictureline has continued to surpass my lofty expectations in being my camera store of choice. Since I first wrote this, they (especially my new “main-man” Nick) have become an active member of the Twitter community. Their activity on the site has helped to increase their web presence and hence their customer service (follow them on Twitter at twitter.com/pictureline).

One thing work noting: In April of this year they opened a second location positioned exactly halfway between my home and studio. Coincidence? I think NOT! 🙂

(photo by Paul Rohde, Canon 5D Mark II)

In Salt Lake City we are blessed to have a locally owned camera store, Pictureline, that is here to serve the local photographers. Here are ten reasons in no particular order that I support this business and you should too:

Locally Owned
Pictureline is locally owned and operated. You can walk in just about anytime and speak directly with the owner, Jens Nielsen. Your dollars spent at Pictureline are staying within the community.

They Receive Great Manufacturer Support
What better example of this than the fact that Pictureline was one of the first (if not THE first) retailer in the U.S. to have the Canon 5D Mark II in stock. They move a large amount of product and appear to have great connections within the manufacturers.

They Give Back
Pictureline’s annual event, Digitalfest, is one example of their giving back to the photographers they serve. This year’s keynote speakers of Sam Abell and Julianne Kost were fantastic. The event was free to customers. Additionally they offer free classes through their Digital U training program. These classes are aimed at photographers of all skill levels.

Non-Commission Sales People
I have never felt like I was being pressured into buying something. The sales staff has always been more concerned in what would fit my needs rather than the price of the equipment.

They Treat Their Employees Well
As evidenced by the long-time employees at the store, the staff appears to truly enjoy working there. Turnover seems to be pretty low. This means that there are always familiar faces ready to serve.

Personalized Service
The best example of this was when my 70+ year old mother was in town last Christmas. She went into Pictureline by herself to pick up a gift for me (what a nice mother!). She has since raved numerous times about how well she was treated. The young lady who helped her took all the time to answer her questions and make sure she was getting what she needed.

They Stand Behind What They Sell
They recently replaced an out-of-warranty piece of equipment for me without even being asked. I was talking with them about purchasing a replacement, and they asked why. When I told them that it had died, they stepped up and replaced it.

Rentals
They provide a rental service. If I need an additional piece of gear for a shoot, I know that I can make a call and have it reserved. I have rented large lenses (400mm+) and additional Pocket Wizards.

Great Website
The Pictureline.com website not only has great up-to-the-second inventory info, it has a community section as well. I know that if I sign up to be notified when a piece of equipment comes in stock that I will get an automated email the minute it is available. In the community section, they have a free Directory in which photographers can feature a bio and samples of their work.

Berkley
Berkley is my main contact. He is the sales person I have depended on for a few years now. I know that he will do what it takes to help me out. He has gone out of his way on more than one occasion to find a certain piece of equipment for me. The best part is that I was treated the same way from him when I first went into the store and he didn’t know me at all.

I’m sure that there are many other reasons I could come up with. In a recent conversation with Scott Bourne of This Week in Photography, I was telling Scott about Pictureline. He said something that I have heard from many photographers – that locally owned stores that cater to photographers are quickly disappearing in our country. If we want this type of store to stick around, then we need to support them.

p.s. Pictureline neither supports this site or gives me any special deals. I am a fan of their business simply because of the great service I have received from them over the years.

]]> Note from Rich: Today’s post is a re-issue of one I wrote last November. Since that time Pictureline has continued to surpass my lofty expectations in being my camera store of choice. Since I first wrote this, they (especially my new “main-man” Nick) have become an active member of the Twitter community. Their activity on the site has helped to increase their web presence and hence their customer service (follow them on Twitter at twitter.com/pictureline).

One thing work noting: In April of this year they opened a second location positioned exactly halfway between my home and studio. Coincidence? I think NOT!

(photo by Paul Rohde, Canon 5D Mark II)

In Salt Lake City we are blessed to have a locally owned camera store, Pictureline, that is here to serve the local photographers. Here are ten reasons in no particular order that I support this business and you should too:

Locally Owned
Pictureline is locally owned and operated. You can walk in just about anytime and speak directly with the owner, Jens Nielsen. Your dollars spent at Pictureline are staying within the community.

They Receive Great Manufacturer Support
What better example of this than the fact that Pictureline was one of the first (if not THE first) retailer in the U.S. to have the Canon 5D Mark II in stock. They move a large amount of product and appear to have great connections within the manufacturers.

They Give Back
Pictureline’s annual event, Digitalfest, is one example of their giving back to the photographers they serve. This year’s keynote speakers of Sam Abell and Julianne Kost were fantastic. The event was free to customers. Additionally they offer free classes through their Digital U training program. These classes are aimed at photographers of all skill levels.

Non-Commission Sales People
I have never felt like I was being pressured into buying something. The sales staff has always been more concerned in what would fit my needs rather than the price of the equipment.

They Treat Their Employees Well
As evidenced by the long-time employees at the store, the staff appears to truly enjoy working there. Turnover seems to be pretty low. This means that there are always familiar faces ready to serve.

Personalized Service
The best example of this was when my 70+ year old mother was in town last Christmas. She went into Pictureline by herself to pick up a gift for me (what a nice mother!). She has since raved numerous times about how well she was treated. The young lady who helped her took all the time to answer her questions and make sure she was getting what she needed.

They Stand Behind What They Sell
They recently replaced an out-of-warranty piece of equipment for me without even being asked. I was talking with them about purchasing a replacement, and they asked why. When I told them that it had died, they stepped up and replaced it.

Rentals
They provide a rental service. If I need an additional piece of gear for a shoot, I know that I can make a call and have it reserved. I have rented large lenses (400mm+) and additional Pocket Wizards.

Great Website
The Pictureline.com website not only has great up-to-the-second inventory info, it has a community section as well. I know that if I sign up to be notified when a piece of equipment comes in stock that I will get an automated email the minute it is available. In the community section, they have a free Directory in which photographers can feature a bio and samples of their work.

Berkley
Berkley is my main contact. He is the sales person I have depended on for a few years now. I know that he will do what it takes to help me out. He has gone out of his way on more than one occasion to find a certain piece of equipment for me. The best part is that I was treated the same way from him when I first went into the store and he didn’t know me at all.

I’m sure that there are many other reasons I could come up with. In a recent conversation with Scott Bourne of This Week in Photography, I was telling Scott about Pictureline. He said something that I have heard from many photographers – that locally owned stores that cater to photographers are quickly disappearing in our country. If we want this type of store to stick around, then we need to support them.

p.s. Pictureline neither supports this site or gives me any special deals. I am a fan of their business simply because of the great service I have received from them over the years.

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

Canon 5D, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens – 1/125 second, f/8, ISO 100

Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens – 1/80 second, f/5.6, ISO 200

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

We had a great time at last night’s mini-photography clinic at the Salt Lake City library. With over 60 photographers in attendance, the energy in the room was exceptional.

The theme of the night was “How to Make a Great Photo” and it featured a town-hall type of format. Four panelists shared a couple of images each for the group to critique. After overcoming a bit of trouble with the setting sun entering the room, we got down to the business of sharing opinions on what worked and/or didn’t work in the example photos.

I can’t thank enough the photographers that participated – both on the panel and in the audience. The feedback given on the subject images was exceptional. I hope that everyone who attended gained a little bit more insight into what makes a great photo.

Special kudos go out to our panel members (Amy Howton, Ed Paz, Scott Smith and Suzanne Plant), who willingly placed their work under the spotlight of critique. They were all great sports and very helpful.

Here are the images that were offered for critique (in the order presented):

© Amy Howton

© Ed Paz

© Scott O. Smith

© Suzanne Plant

© Amy Howton

© Ed Paz

© Scott O. Smith

© Suzanne Plant

I truly enjoy hosting these free clinics every-other-month. The next one is tentatively scheduled for October 22nd and will feature food photography with Nicole Young.

We had a great time at last night’s mini-photography clinic at the Salt Lake City library. With over 60 photographers in attendance, the energy in the room was exceptional.

The theme of the night was “How to Make a Great Photo” and it featured a town-hall type of format. Four panelists shared a couple of images each for the group to critique. After overcoming a bit of trouble with the setting sun entering the room, we got down to the business of sharing opinions on what worked and/or didn’t work in the example photos.

I can’t thank enough the photographers that participated – both on the panel and in the audience. The feedback given on the subject images was exceptional. I hope that everyone who attended gained a little bit more insight into what makes a great photo.

Special kudos go out to our panel members (Amy Howton, Ed Paz, Scott Smith and Suzanne Plant), who willingly placed their work under the spotlight of critique. They were all great sports and very helpful.

Here are the images that were offered for critique (in the order presented):

© Amy Howton

© Ed Paz

© Scott O. Smith

© Suzanne Plant

© Amy Howton

© Ed Paz

© Scott O. Smith

© Suzanne Plant

I truly enjoy hosting these free clinics every-other-month. The next one is tentatively scheduled for October 22nd and will feature food photography with Nicole Young.

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

Today’s shot of me taken by Nicole Young is a Photoshop recreation of a Kodak TRI-X black & white film negative. If you’re a Mac user, try a little-known trick to see the positive of the image – press CTRL-OPTION-COMMAND 8.

Canon 5D, Vintage 135mm f/2.8 lens (with Canon mount adapter) – 1/400 second, f/2.8, ISO 800

Today’s shot of me taken by Nicole Young is a Photoshop recreation of a Kodak TRI-X black & white film negative. If you’re a Mac user, try a little-known trick to see the positive of the image – press CTRL-OPTION-COMMAND 8.

Canon 5D, Vintage 135mm f/2.8 lens (with Canon mount adapter) – 1/400 second, f/2.8, ISO 800

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

Here’s a repost of last week’s post for an overly obvious reminder of Thursday’s Free Photography Clinic at the Salt Lake City Library.

Thursday August 27th is the date for the next Photowalking Utah free photography Mini-Clinic at the Salt Lake City Library.

The theme of this clinic is “What Makes a Great Photo”. The session will be a town-hall type format featuring four guest photographer panelists. Each of the panelist will present a couple of their images for the participants to critique. As a group we will look at the photos and discuss what works and/or doesn’t work in the photograph.

The goal of the 90 minute clinic will be to give the participants (panelists and audience) the opportunity to pick up some tips on what goes into capturing and presenting a great photograph.

Here are the details:

Date: Thursday August 27th, 2009
Time: 6:30 – 8:00 pm
Location: Salt Lake City Main Library – 210 E 400 South, Conf. room #4, 4th floor
Cost: Free!

As an added bonus, we will have a swap table set up. I’ve been approached by some members of the group that have photography stuff that they would like to give away (namely, photography magazines). Please feel free to bring along any unused magazines or gear that you’d like to give away to a fellow photographer.

I really enjoy facilitating these events and am really excited about the format of this month’s session. Please feel free to contact me (rich@leggnet.com or 801.568.1000) if I can answer any questions about the clinic.
To read the discussion about this event and announce your RSVP, head on over to the Photowalking Utah Flickr Group.

I look forward to seeing everyone on the 27th! 🙂

Here’s a repost of last week’s post for an overly obvious reminder of Thursday’s Free Photography Clinic at the Salt Lake City Library.

Thursday August 27th is the date for the next Photowalking Utah free photography Mini-Clinic at the Salt Lake City Library.

The theme of this clinic is “What Makes a Great Photo”. The session will be a town-hall type format featuring four guest photographer panelists. Each of the panelist will present a couple of their images for the participants to critique. As a group we will look at the photos and discuss what works and/or doesn’t work in the photograph.

The goal of the 90 minute clinic will be to give the participants (panelists and audience) the opportunity to pick up some tips on what goes into capturing and presenting a great photograph.

Here are the details:

Date: Thursday August 27th, 2009
Time: 6:30 – 8:00 pm
Location: Salt Lake City Main Library – 210 E 400 South, Conf. room #4, 4th floor
Cost: Free!

As an added bonus, we will have a swap table set up. I’ve been approached by some members of the group that have photography stuff that they would like to give away (namely, photography magazines). Please feel free to bring along any unused magazines or gear that you’d like to give away to a fellow photographer.

I really enjoy facilitating these events and am really excited about the format of this month’s session. Please feel free to contact me (rich@leggnet.com or 801.568.1000) if I can answer any questions about the clinic.

To read the discussion about this event and announce your RSVP, head on over to the Photowalking Utah Flickr Group.

I look forward to seeing everyone on the 27th! 🙂

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 70-200 f/4L lens – 1/400 second, f/4, ISO 200

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

Note from Rich: I am the first to admit that I don’t follow the work of too many of the famous (or semi-famous) photographers out there. So if today’s introduction to Rick is old-news to you, I apologize 🙂

Today’s post is an introduction to one of my newest favorite photographers, Rick Sammon. It hit me this morning while driving the Saab on I-15 and listening to the PhotoFocus podcast that I truly enjoy hearing Rick’s photography (and life) insights.

Rick first hit my radar when Scott Bourne started the PhotoFocus podcast in April of this year. If you aren’t familiar with the show, it is a simple Q&A session aired three times each month of Scott and Rick answering their listener’s questions. The simple and ‘folksy’ way that they discuss the questions and provide answers appeals to me, and Rick’s contribution is a valuable part of the show’s success.

Shortly after learning of Rick through the podcast, I had the chance to get introduced to his photography writing. Rick has authored dozens of book and in most cases features his own outstanding photography in the contents. In one of his most recent books however, Digital Wedding Photography Secrets, he opted to use stock images to illustrate his points and I am flattered to say that he included several of mine. It was a ‘by-chance’ finding out about this that led me to purchase the book and get to know Rick’s writing. His clear and well written photography advice is helpful and easy to follow. The biggest evidence to me of the quality of his writing can been seen by how many of his books can be found in the limited photography section at my local big-box chain bookstore.

I have since had the opportunity to have a few limited conversations with Rick through Twitter and email. He is just as friendly and genuine in these interactions as he is in his published work, be it podcast or book. It is because of this that I am introducing you to him today.

Here are a few ways to follow Rick Sammon online:

Twitter – @ricksammon
Blog – rickrawrulessammon.blogspot.com
Web – RickSammon.com
Podcast – PhotoFocus Podcast on iTunes
Books – Rick’s Books at Amazon.com

I look forward to meeting Rick in person when he visits Utah next year for one of his workshops.

Note from Rich: I am the first to admit that I don’t follow the work of too many of the famous (or semi-famous) photographers out there. So if today’s introduction to Rick is old-news to you, I apologize 🙂

Today’s post is an introduction to one of my newest favorite photographers, Rick Sammon. It hit me this morning while driving the Saab on I-15 and listening to the PhotoFocus podcast that I truly enjoy hearing Rick’s photography (and life) insights.

Rick first hit my radar when Scott Bourne started the PhotoFocus podcast in April of this year. If you aren’t familiar with the show, it is a simple Q&A session aired three times each month of Scott and Rick answering their listener’s questions. The simple and ‘folksy’ way that they discuss the questions and provide answers appeals to me, and Rick’s contribution is a valuable part of the show’s success.

Shortly after learning of Rick through the podcast, I had the chance to get introduced to his photography writing. Rick has authored dozens of book and in most cases features his own outstanding photography in the contents. In one of his most recent books however, Digital Wedding Photography Secrets, he opted to use stock images to illustrate his points and I am flattered to say that he included several of mine. It was a ‘by-chance’ finding out about this that led me to purchase the book and get to know Rick’s writing. His clear and well written photography advice is helpful and easy to follow. The biggest evidence to me of the quality of his writing can been seen by how many of his books can be found in the limited photography section at my local big-box chain bookstore.

I have since had the opportunity to have a few limited conversations with Rick through Twitter and email. He is just as friendly and genuine in these interactions as he is in his published work, be it podcast or book. It is because of this that I am introducing you to him today.

Here are a few ways to follow Rick Sammon online:

Twitter – @ricksammon
Blog – rickrawrulessammon.blogspot.com
Web – RickSammon.com
Podcast – PhotoFocus Podcast on iTunes
Books – Rick’s Books at Amazon.com

I look forward to meeting Rick in person when he visits Utah next year for one of his workshops.

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens – 1/60 second, f/9, ISO 200

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens – 1/160 second, f/7.1, ISO 100

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

Thursday August 27th is the date for the next Photowalking Utah free photography Mini-Clinic at the Salt Lake City Library.

The theme of this clinic is “What Makes a Great Photo”. The session will be a town-hall type format featuring four guest photographer panelists. Each of the panelist will present a couple of their images for the participants to critique. As a group we will look at the photos and discuss what works and/or doesn’t work in the photograph.

The goal of the 90 minute clinic will be to give the participants (panelists and audience) the opportunity to pick up some tips on what goes into capturing and presenting a great photograph.

Here are the details:

Date: Thursday August 27th, 2009
Time: 6:30 – 8:00 pm
Location: Salt Lake City Main Library – 210 E 400 South, Conf. room #4, 4th floor
Cost: Free!

As an added bonus, we will have a swap table set up. I’ve been approached by some members of the group that have photography stuff that they would like to give away (namely, photography magazines). Please feel free to bring along any unused magazines or gear that you’d like to give away to a fellow photographer.

I really enjoy facilitating these events and am really excited about the format of this month’s session. Please feel free to contact me (rich@leggnet.com or 801.568.1000) if I can answer any questions about the clinic.
To read the discussion about this event and announce your RSVP, head on over to the Photowalking Utah Flickr Group.

I look forward to seeing everyone on the 27th! 🙂

Thursday August 27th is the date for the next Photowalking Utah free photography Mini-Clinic at the Salt Lake City Library.

The theme of this clinic is “What Makes a Great Photo”. The session will be a town-hall type format featuring four guest photographer panelists. Each of the panelist will present a couple of their images for the participants to critique. As a group we will look at the photos and discuss what works and/or doesn’t work in the photograph.

The goal of the 90 minute clinic will be to give the participants (panelists and audience) the opportunity to pick up some tips on what goes into capturing and presenting a great photograph.

Here are the details:

Date: Thursday August 27th, 2009
Time: 6:30 – 8:00 pm
Location: Salt Lake City Main Library – 210 E 400 South, Conf. room #4, 4th floor
Cost: Free!

As an added bonus, we will have a swap table set up. I’ve been approached by some members of the group that have photography stuff that they would like to give away (namely, photography magazines). Please feel free to bring along any unused magazines or gear that you’d like to give away to a fellow photographer.

I really enjoy facilitating these events and am really excited about the format of this month’s session. Please feel free to contact me (rich@leggnet.com or 801.568.1000) if I can answer any questions about the clinic.

To read the discussion about this event and announce your RSVP, head on over to the Photowalking Utah Flickr Group.

I look forward to seeing everyone on the 27th! 🙂

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

Canon 5D, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens – 1/50 second, f/4, ISO 100

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

I spent this morning in the shadows of the Oquirrh Mountains doing a stock photo shoot of a motocross rider. Shooting the action was a lot of fun, almost as much fun as riding James’ (the motocross rider) 1974 Kawasaki out to the location from where we parked.

I don’t shoot many action scenes, so today was a bit of a departure from my normal shooting. One thing I did come to realize (again) is that the Canon 5D Mark II is not the best camera for shooting in a high speed environment. The combination of its relatively slow 3.9 frame-per-second shooting combined with the rather outdated focus system made capturing the fast moving motorcycle somewhat challenging. Even photographing within these limitations though, I am pleased with the results I was able to obtain.

My setup was pretty straightforward. I paired a 70-200 f/4L with the 5D Mark II, and shot on aperture priority. The addition of the 580EX II flash on the camera helped to bring out some of the lost detail in the shadow areas.

I covered many of the logos on the motorcycle and rider with gaffer’s tape, but I’ve still got quite a bit of cloning to do to the images in addition to my usual edits before submitting them to my iStockphoto portfolio.

Big thanks to James for being a patient and gracious model and Nicole for helping behind-the-scenes.

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

Ann Torrence dropped by this clipping today that ran in a supplement of the Sanpete Messenger last month. It was an announcement about the photography clinic we taught as part of the Sanpitch Cowboy Expo.

Though the flowery introduction is a bit embarrassing, I’m sure at least my mom will enjoy reading it 🙂

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

Canon 5D, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens – 1/100 second, f/5.6, ISO 100

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

I’ve been buried in editing stock photos for the past couple days and look to continue to be through the weekend, so for today’s blog post I thought I’d take a step back in time. Delving into my archive hard-drive to see what I shot a few years ago today, I came out with this “little” dumptruck pic taken on 08.07.06. Just like I did originally with the similar images take on this date, I decided to edit the shot to make it look like a toy truck.

Enjoy your weekend!

Canon 30D, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens – 1/250 second, f/6.3, ISO 100

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

Photo by Harley Pebley

About a month or so ago I received an email from one of the readers of my blog, Seth Jensen. He was asking if I would be interested in judging the photography exhibit at the Emery County Fair in Castle Dale Utah. Knowing that my good friend and fellow photographer Ann Torrence is always up for a road trip I asked if the fair would be interested in both of us co-judging to which they readily accepted.

Yesterday Ann and I, accompanied by Harley Pebley, made the 150 mile trek to Castle Dale for the judging. While the task was not a small undertaking (120+ photos were entered), the day flew by. The people we met at the fair were among the friendliest and most hospitable folks I have been around in some time.

I was very impressed not only with the amount of photos entered in this year’s fair, but with the quality as well. Judging the four categories was not an easy task. In the end I am quite pleased with the selections that Ann and I made for division winners, judges’ choice and best of show.

It is days like yesterday that truly help me appreciate the freedom I have in doing what I do as a full-time photographer. While yesterday was a definite learning day for me photographically, it really didn’t feel like a work day. I’m very flattered to have been invited and I hope the nice people of Emery County are happy with the selections that Ann and I made.

Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens – 1/50 second, f/4, ISO 100

I spent Saturday afternoon doing a stock photo shoot at an Assisted Living home. The best part of the day though was not creating stock photos, but rather spending time with an outstanding group of models. These wonderful seniors were some of the funnest people I have been around in a long time.

Today’s image is a quick sample from the shoot. I’ve got some behind the scenes shots that I will share later in the week, but in the meantime I will be spending some time in front of the Mac editing the images for my stock portfolio.

Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens – 1/60 second, f/4, ISO 100

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

Scott Stringham’s stunning capture of a bee on a flower was named the winner of the West Jordan, Utah session of the Worldwide Photowalk held on July 18th. Making the winning selection was extremely difficult due to all the of stunning images that were entered. All of the submitted images can be seen at the event page by clicking here.

As the winner, Scott will receive a copy of The Digital Photography Book, Volume 3 by Scott Kelby and will advance to compete for international prizes.

Thanks again to everyone who participated in this year’s event and for making Utah’s photowalks among the best in the world!

Scott Stringham’s stunning capture of a bee on a flower was named the winner of the West Jordan, Utah session of the Worldwide Photowalk held on July 18th. Making the winning selection was extremely difficult due to all the of stunning images that were entered. All of the submitted images can be seen at the event page by clicking here.

As the winner, Scott will receive a copy of The Digital Photography Book, Volume 3 by Scott Kelby and will advance to compete for international prizes.

Thanks again to everyone who participated in this year’s event and for making Utah’s photowalks among the best in the world!

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

When it comes to my editing workflow for stock photography, I am very resistant to change. My lifetime 92.5+% acceptance rate at iStock makes me very set in my ways. I have reminded myself numerous times of the stereotypical grumpy old man with responses like “Why should I use that newfangled Lightroom thing when what I do now works fine” when asked why I don’t use it.

Well that appears to be coming to a change.

Due to friendly encouragement from some of my photographer friends (Jarvie, Nicolesy, Sylvanworks, WelcomePhotoImages – you reading this?), I am now testing Lightroom in my commercial workflow. My previous system of editing images using Adobe Bridge/Camera Raw/Photoshop is being replaced with Lightroom/Photoshop. Since both Adobe Camera Raw (ACR) and Lightroom use the same engine for RAW conversion, the interface is the big change.

One thing I really like so far in my limited use of Lightroom is the Presets. While I don’t anticipate using them much in my stock work, I really like this option for working with my portrait and non-stock commercial work. Today’s image of Jane is a sample of using a couple quick presets to change an existing stock image. I can see Lightroom presets replacing several of my Photoshop Actions in my near future.

I plan on using Lightroom for at least a couple weeks in my workflow before making my final decision. But from what I’ve seen so far, I think I will like the switch. Stay tuned to see how this plays out…

Canon 5D, Canon 70-200 f/4L lens – 1/320 second, f/4, ISO 200

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

I spent last weekend in Utah’s self-proclaimed Cowboy Country, Sanpete County. My reason for the visit was a photography clinic that I was teaching along with Ann Torrence. The two of us were invited to take part in the Sanpitch Cowboy Expo due to Ann’s connections she made on her Highway 89 book project.

For the free clinic we taught photographers of various skill levels some of the methods for capturing great rodeo photos. Even though the clinic had a fairly early start time of 7 a.m., over 25 photographers attended. In the session we had the rodeo arena to ourselves to photograph the 6 horses and riders who volunteered to model. Unlike a lot of afternoon/evening rodeo events, the morning light was fantastic for shooting. It was really cool to be up close and personal with the subject in this environment.

It was a great weekend and I really enjoyed getting to meet and chat with the photographers that attended. In addition to locals, there were shooters from as far away as Ogden who made the trip. All of the models (horse and cowgirls alike) were so gracious with their time and never seemed to tire of posing for the group.

Anyone who has ever taught can probably attest to the fact that by teaching you increase your own knowledge. I know this is the case when I share my limited photography skills. I look forward to continuing to teach these types of clinics in the future.

(All photos © Nicole S. Young, All Rights Reserved)

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 75-300 f/4-5.6 lens – 1/500 second, f/5, ISO 800

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

Note from Rich: Today’s post is a re-print of Jeremy Hall’s post at PhotowalkingUtah.com. He did an AWESOME job with the video wrap-up!

By Jeremy Hall

A large group of us enjoyed the Photowalking Utah participation in the 2009 Worldwide Photowalk. Thanks to Rich Legg and Nicole Young for heading up the two events. I was able to be a part of the morning edition in downtown Salt Lake City and thoroughly enjoyed visiting with friends, meeting new people, and even snapping a photo or two.

It had been some time since we did any video wrap up from a Photowalking Utah event, so I volunteered to take some video with my 5D Mark II and put together a short wrap-up. Though the 5D worked great, it reminds me why it is better suited for set shots, preferably on a tripod. Despite the shaky footage as I walked around, hopefully you’ll enjoy revisiting the fun event.

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 24-105 f/4 lens – 1/800 second, f/4, ISO 100

Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 24-105 f/4 lens – 1/800 second, f/4, ISO 100

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

I’ve been spending time recently photographing a series of images for my stock portfolio with the theme of Active Adults. In the series I am portraying adults in their 40-50’s involved in various recreational activities. My most recent shoot in this series was a rock climbing outing last Friday.

For the shoot I led a group of models to a small rock climbing area about 10 minutes from my studio. While not the most impressive wall, the combination of its locale and shadiness suited it well for our task.

Fellow iStocker Nicole Young came along on the shoot and shot some behind the scenes stills and video, so instead of me rambling on about what I did, I thought I’d share some of her captures.

My lighting setup was very simple and straightforward. I used a 580EX II speedlight on a Custom Bracket and set it at 1/3 f/stop below ambient and shot with the 5D Mark II on aperture priority. One note to check out is how I attached my BlackRapid RS-4 strap to the arm of the Custom Bracket to balance the camera when it hung off my back when I was climbing.

All in all, I am very pleased with the resulting images. The stock world is full of young-buff men & women rock climbers, and my hope is that my images will fill a different niche by showcasing older climbers.

Big thanks go to my models – Christine, Jane, Tracy, Ashley & James and to Jeff for setting the climbing routes. Is folks like these that make what I do possible and I GREATLY appreciate them!

I’ve been spending time recently photographing a series of images for my stock portfolio with the theme of Active Adults. In the series I am portraying adults in their 40-50′s involved in various recreational activities. My most recent shoot in this series was a rock climbing outing last Friday.

For the shoot I led a group of models to a small rock climbing area about 10 minutes from my studio. While not the most impressive wall, the combination of its locale and shadiness suited it well for our task.

Fellow iStocker Nicole Young came along on the shoot and shot some behind the scenes stills and video, so instead of me rambling on about what I did, I thought I’d share some of her captures.

My lighting setup was very simple and straightforward. I used a 580EX II speedlight on a Custom Bracket and set it at 1/3 f/stop below ambient and shot with the 5D Mark II on aperture priority. One note to check out is how I attached my BlackRapid RS-4 strap to the arm of the Custom Bracket to balance the camera when it hung off my back when I was climbing.

All in all, I am very pleased with the resulting images. The stock world is full of young-buff men & women rock climbers, and my hope is that my images will fill a different niche by showcasing older climbers.

Big thanks go to my models – Christine, Jane, Tracy, Ashley & James and to Jeff for setting the climbing routes. Is folks like these that make what I do possible and I GREATLY appreciate them!

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 70-200 f/4L lens – 1/200 second, f/4, ISO 400

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

Here’s the last minute reminder about tomorrow’s Worldwide Photowalk. There are over 900 simultaneous walks happening worldwide with over 30,000 registered photographers participating.

Locally (Salt Lake County, Utah) our two events filled up weeks ago to the capacity 50 “official” participants per outing. We are not discouraging anyone else who would like to join us, however – so please come along.

#1 – 9:00 AM – Downtown Salt Lake City

This morning ‘walk being led by Nicole Young will begin at 9:00 am at the Boston Building (350 S. Main Street). The group will take a leisurely stroll around downtown Salt Lake City photographing the buildings, people, etc. Since parking might be a bit of an issue, many of us are riding UTA Trax to the location (get off at Galivan Center stop). The train leaving Sandy at 7:54 am promises to have at least a few photographers on it 🙂

#2 – 6:00 PM – Jordan River Parkway (West Jordan)

This eventing ‘walk being led by me will begin at 6:00 pm at the Jordan River Parkway parking lot located at 1000 W 7000 South in West Jordan. The group will take an evening walk on the Jordan River Parkway trail. Not being much of a nature photographer myself, I’m anxious to see what everyone captures on the trail. Macro lenses would be a nice addition to bring along for those that have them.

For those coming, please make a note of my Google Voice telephone number in case you need to get in touch with me (lost, late, tired, bored, etc.): (435) 227-LEGG (5355) – Catchy number eh?

The weather looks like it is going to cooperate and I am anxious to meet the many new faces along with seeing all my current friends.

See y’all tomorrow!!

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

I’ve been spending the past couple days at the computer catching up on some stock image editing. In my workflow I will usually take a photo shoot and complete the editing before moving onto the next set (example). In addition though, I keep a list of smaller shoots that I can go back and pull photos to edit for stock. Today’s image is an example of one of these.

I photographed Bret & Jarica on a rainy Sunday back in March and only edited a couple of the image before moving on. Yesterday I went back through the set and found some great “keepers”, including this sidewalk capture that I really like.

Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 70-200 f/4L lens – 1/50 second, f/4, ISO 200

Image © Nathan Sweet, All Rights Reserved

A friend of mine, Nathan Sweet, borrowed a pair of my monolights to photograph an indoor rock climbing competition last weekend. Here is what he wrote on his blog about the event:

Thanks to Rich Legg for letting me borrow 2 White Lightning strobes during the finals. I used Bogen clamps to secure them to the rafters about 40 feet away from the climbing wall to ensure the climber would not be effected by the flash. the strobes were triggered with pocket wizards, each strobe had its own channel so i could switch strobes when shooting the 2 different walls. A few hours of research went in to this set up for another climbing competition about half a year ago. I feel this is knowledge everybody should know, some time soon i will post a set up process for this particular set up because the strobes are not accessible while the gym is open.

Nice work Nathan! I’d love to see a behind-the-scenes shot of your shooting position for this 🙂

Canon 5D, Canon 24-70 f/2.8L lens – 1/125 second, f/4, ISO 400

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

Download a PDF of the release here

Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens – 1/80 second, f/7.1, ISO 100

Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens – 1/80 second, f/8, ISO 200

I spent some time earlier this week in studio with a couple of new models I will be working with. Today’s image is a quick sample of one of the models, Jane. I’ve got two outdoor stock shoots planned for next week with the models and am looking forward to photographing the Active Adult themes we will be working on.

Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens – 1/125 second, f/9, ISO 100

Yesterday I sold my 75,000th image from my stock photo portfolio on iStockphoto. This close-up portrait of cute little Chloe was happy to be the milestone image. iStock contributors become “Diamond Level” when they sell 25,000 images, so I guess I am now a Triple Diamond. Next up: 100,000!

Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 70-100 f/4L lens – 1/125 second, f/8, ISO 100

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

Scott Bourne, over at his wildly popular Photofocus blog, posted a great article today about the value of community to photographers. I’m extremely flattered to be mentioned in the piece along with Photowalking Utah and a few of my friends.

I agree completely with what Scott says in the article. In this internet focused photographic world we live in, it is far too easy to miss out on honest face-to-face relationships with other photographers. These real friendships are valuable to have. The friends I have made over the past couple years through Photowalking Utah are among my most treasured. Whether it be photography related or not, these are people that I can count on being there on both the good days and the not-so-good ones.

Scott’s post can be found here: LINK

Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens – 6 seconds, f/22, ISO 100

Instead of dragging out all of the pro gear to this year’s local fireworks show, I opted to keep it simple and brought only my little Canon G7 to shoot handheld. I’ve got to say, it held its own quite well. And in an effort of full disclosure, I admit that I didn’t follow any of Nicolesy’s fireworks shooting tips and instead simply put the camera on “Fireworks” mode 🙂

Canon G7 – 2 seconds, f/8, ISO 100

…and this shot ends my weeklong trip through the archives to revisit flag photos. This is an oldie that was shot with my original digital SLR, a Canon Rebel XT. Wow, how time flies.

Have a safe and happy 4th of July holiday.

Canon Rebel XT, Canon 18-55 f/3.5-5.6 – 1/320 second, f/9, ISO 100

Canon 30D, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens – 4 seconds, f/4, ISO 100

Canon 30D, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens – 1/250 second, f/11, ISO 100

Canon 30D, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens – 1/100 second, f/5.6, ISO 100

Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens – 5 seconds, f/22, ISO 200

Canon 5D Mark II, Canon 24-105 f/4L lens – 5 seconds, f/22, ISO 200

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

Canon PowerShot G7 – 1/250 second, f/4, ISO 100

Canon PowerShot G7 – 1/250 second, f/4, ISO 100

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.

There’s a pretty cool post up today over at Photofocus featuring yours truly as the model. When I look at the image I have to chuckle at how I have my left hand on the lens, even though that camera has NO manual controls there. What a geek! 🙂

The technique described in the post however is quite cool and caused me to rethink how I use my Canon G7, especially in social settings.

http://photofocus.com/2009/06/26/dragging-the-shutter

Have a great weekend!

LeggNet’s Digital Capture
© Rich Legg, Inc. All rights reserved.