This is the first official newsletter of Bloom Photography and there is a lot of new things "cropping" up around here in preparation for the holiday season. Today, we bring you background information on the "Image in Focus", an article on general selection of the right type of camera for the right job, and the latest news on new images and special offers. Bloom Photography respects your privacy and honors your choice to receive these newsletters. Thank you for your interest! My name is Keith, Rebecca's assistant (and husband!), and I will be your host in this issue! Now on with the show...

IMAGE IN FOCUS

This issue's Image in Focus is our most popular lightning photograph entitled "Power Strike". This image was captured on Rebecca's medium format camera, a Mamiya RB-67 using Kodak VS100 transparency film, during the 1999 summer monsoon in the extreme outskirts of Phoenix, Arizona. As one would expect, capturing images of lightning takes great care and a sense of safety. On these types of outings, my job as Rebecca's assistant is primarily to keep an eye on the storm front and the strike frequency. After all, we're out in the middle of nowhere with metal tripods and an electrical storm nearby! (Do not try this at home!) On this particular night, we had three cameras tracking the monsoon storm as it was crashing its way over the distant mountain range. Rebecca had acquired quite a few strikes on film and we considered it a successful evening. The wind was picking up and I watched the storm front approach us... the clear night sky with brilliant stars shining bright gave way to a quick moving cloud front. The lightning strikes were still off a ways but experience with these storms told me it was time to pack it up and load the truck. So, while Rebecca was finishing up a shot on the large format camera, we decided to call it a night. And, as is standard practice, we always leave one camera running while we take down the others. So, I started tearing down the 35mm and Rebecca was tearing down the large format. Just as we were closing tripods, the strike you see in the image cracked through the sky out in front of us. It was one of those strikes accompanied with a quick following boom that makes you duck for cover. After surveying the sky above us and gathering our senses, we could only hope we captured that on the medium format as we sped up our tear down process! It was only after a few days when we received the developed transparency back from our lab that we realized how amazing the image was.  There was much rejoicing! Yeah! Fortunately, we chose the right time to pack it up, and the right camera to leave running. In reality, the strike was still quite a ways off in the distance since the thunderous boom was delayed from the intense flash of light, but we know when to say when! We're simply grateful for this view into nature's pure power in such great detail! We hope you enjoy it as well.

Click here to view a larger version of this issue's Image in Focus at the bloomphoto.com site.

SPECIAL OFFER:
If you wish to order this issue's Image in Focus, mention "IF#1" when ordering before January 1, 2001 to receive 15% off.

PHOTO TIPS: CAMERA SELECTION
by Rebecca Bloom

Choosing a camera can be intimidating if you are not sure of the differences in the many available possibilities. There is a correct type of camera for every job, the trick is deciding which one matches the job. If you are simply looking for a convenient way to capture memories of friends and family, the point and shoot camera is an excellent choice. The difference between the new "advantix" cameras and the 35mm point and shoot cameras is simply the film size and convenience. The advantix cameras offer three different sizes of prints and you get an "index card" which is simply a print of all your negatives on one sheet (a contact sheet). This allows you to view all of your images without having to search through all of the prints. You can actually have the same thing done with 35mm negatives if you bring them to a photo lab that does contact sheets, but it will cost you (generally about $5 to $8 dollars depending on the lab). The different sizes of prints available on the advantix format is simply done by cropping the negative while printing. This can also be done with 35mm film, but again it will be more expensive. You can also bring prints to some camera shops and crop them yourself. These machines are becoming more and more common, making 35mm more desirable again. The disadvantage to the advantix film is the negative is significantly smaller than the 35mm film (an advantix negative is 22mm). This becomes apparent when and if you decide there is a print you want to have enlarged. The smaller the negative, the more grain and "fuzziness" that appears when enlarging a print. If you are planning to have your images enlarged bigger than 5"x7" or 8"x10", a bigger negative is a better choice.

The ultimate in convenience is the "throw away" camera. You buy the camera loaded, take the pictures and return the camera for your pictures. Again, if you are looking for simply capturing memories from the family picnic, these are great. If you are looking for higher quality prints, you will be disappointed. The lenses in these cameras are plastic and you have absolutely no control in exposure. They are fun cameras to have around, but if you are looking for quality, stick with the other choices.

A point and shoot camera has limitations if you are trying to take a combination of landscape, people and close up images. In this case, a single lens reflex (SLR) camera is a better choice. This type of camera allows the user to have several different types of lenses that can be used with the same roll of film. Point and shoot cameras often come with a "zoom" lens, but the range is generally fairly small and does not allow for the range needed for several different jobs. Lenses range from extreme wide angle to powerful telephoto and everything in between. (There will be a Photo Tips on camera lenses in an upcoming issue.) An SLR gives you a significant advantage in composition of your images, however, the disadvantage is you need to have a number of lenses on hand to maximize your options. Generally speaking, an SLR gives you more options in exposure and more control in the choices. A point and shoot camera decides your exposure, which is a combination of lens aperature (how much light that gets through to the film) and shutter speed (how long the lens stays open). If you can control these, you can significantly change how your image looks. With a point and shoot, you have no control of the aperature or shutter speed, therefore less control in the final image. (There will be a Photo Tips on aperature and shutter speed in upcoming issues too!)

As stated before, bigger negatives allow for bigger enlargements of your images. The size of your negative will determine how large you can make the image before it starts to break down (starts to get "fuzzy" around the edges and appear grainy). The speed of your film also plays a roll in enlargement size. (There will be a Photo Tips on film selection in an upcoming issue.) If you notice in the article about this issue's "Image in Focus", that image was taken on a medium format camera. Medium format consists of several sizes including 6 cm x 4.5 cm, 6 cm x 6 cm, and 6 cm x 7 cm. The larger negative allows more information to be stored on the film and therefore more information is in the print. Large format cameras range in size from 4" x 5" all the way up to 20" x 24" (I believe there are only 4  20 x 24 cameras in the world, and they are currently in museums). Most people that shoot large format use a 4x5 or 8x10 view camera. If you have ever looked at an Ansel Adams image and wondered how he got so much detail in his images, he was using an 8x10 view camera.

Digital cameras are starting to become much more affordable and offer the convenience of skipping the photo lab all together. Again, there are advantages and disadvantages. With digital cameras you can skip the processing (and the processing FEES!) all together. Take the picture, load it to your computer and there it is. You can email your pictures without having to scan them, (which is great for the new parents) and you can look at it immediately to decide if you want to keep that shot, or take another one. On the other hand, in order to get quality prints made, you have to either have a great printer, or you have to bring them to a photo lab and there are those pesky fees again. Digital cameras have improved a great deal in the past few years, however if you are looking to enlarge your pictures, most of the affordable cameras don't allow for more than about 8x10 print. As technology improves, more information will be able to be stored producing better quality prints, but for now, most digital cameras display quality comparable to the 35mm or below range.

So, the selection of a camera highly depends on what you, as a photographer, want to do with your hobby. The table below should sum it all up in a general sense:
 

• Throw-Aways - ultimate in convenience and availability, simple, OK to drop it! (plastic and cardboard), snapshots galore
• Advantix - convenience, small negative, great for low maintenance and snapshots, "Say Cheese!"
• 35mm Point and Shoot - still convenient, better negative size, minimal image control, weekend hiker cam!
• 35mm SLR - many options in lenses, accessories, starting a serious hobby, full image control, from pet portraits to fine art
• Medium Format - larger negative, your getting serious in your "hobby", expensive, used by pros, bulky, large prints look good
• Large Format - ultimate negative resolution, excellent detail, advanced image control, you need to know your stuff here, large prints are primo!
• Digital Cameras - forever improving, great features, technology-based, not timeless - outdated quickly, good for small prints and the web

EBAY AUCTIONS

We offer selected images for auction on eBay.com starting at discounted bid prices. To see what we are currently offering in our auctions, click here. From time to time, we place other items we come across in our travels or items from our spring cleaning! So, all items may not be photographic images.
 

HOW TO ORDER

Bloom Photography takes orders in any of the following methods:

• Email order@bloomphoto.com with your print selection including print name, print size, framing option, payment method, and shipping address.
• Send the same information via US mail to:
Bloom Photography
PO Box 19527
Fountain Hills, AZ 85269
• Order online (coming soon!) at www.bloomphoto.com

PAYMENT METHODS

Credit Cards:
Bloom Photography is currently only able to take credit cards through paypal.com. If you wish to order by credit card and are not familiar with paypal's services, please email us at info@bloomphoto.com. Soon we will be taking online secured payments via credit card. We're working on the logistics now!

Personal Checks:
Payment can be mailed to Bloom Photography and must be cleared before the item is shipped.

Money Orders, Cashier Checks:
Payment can be mailed to Bloom Photography. Item is shipped upon receipt of payment as long as it is in stock. Otherwise it will be custom printed and shipped within 7-10 days.