In this edition, we bring you a new image in focus with a special offer and a photo tip on shutter speed. We have been very busy here at Bloom Photo. We moved our website to a new server... same address but the images should load much faster. We hope you enjoy the site and this newsletter. If you have any suggestions for things you would like to see in these newsletters, email us at tips@bloomphoto.com and we'll try to accomodate!

IMAGE IN FOCUS
by Keith Chapman

This issue's Image in Focus is a memorable photograph entitled "Redondo Beach Sunset". Oddly enough, this image was taken at Redondo Beach in California - just outside of LA. We were in desperate need of a vacation but we could only afford to take a weekend trip with all the daunting tasks looming over our heads at the time. So, we decided to get away to California to see our friends in Redondo. Well, as it turned out, they decided they also needed a vacation and ended up coming to Phoenix that weekend - oh, the irony. They offered the use of their beach appartment however, and so off we went anyway. Having spent the day touring around the LA area, visiting Six Flags Amusement Park and walking around the beaches, we decided to try and shoot the sunset. We gathered the medium format camera outfit and headed down to the beach - a very short walk from our friends place. Upon setting up, the battery in Rebecca's light meter ran dry, thereby inspiring us to always carry backup batteries now. Well, after a few grumblings on the lack of preparedness, Rebecca set up the shot anyway, using only her experience with sunsets as her guide and a little luck. Despite failing equipment, we waited for the light to do its magic. As we waited for the sun to depart over the edge of the world, a sailboat gracefully glided into the foreground of the sunset - giving a true sense of serenity. This topped off a busy day with a wonderful mood of relaxation - exactly what we needed! I particularly enjoy this image as it reminds me of that evening - a beautiful sunset followed by a great relaxing dinner by the ocean. An appropriate Image in Focus for the summer! And I have to say... Rebecca did a fine job without the light meter... which makes it difficult for me to see the justification for her needing another one!

Click here to view a larger version of this issue's Image in Focus at the www.bloomphoto.com site. This image is located in the "Oceans" category.

SPECIAL OFFER:
If you wish to order this issue's Image in Focus, mention "IF#4" when ordering before July 15, 2001 to receive 10% off any size.

NEW IMAGE

Bloom Photography is happy to announce the addition of a new image to the online gallery in the "Lightning" category called " Nature's Fury". This image was taken during the l999 monsoon season and should whet your appetite for the upcoming monsoon season! The Arizona monsoon season is only a month or so away... so off we go again into the desert with the ol' 4x4 truck and the ol' 4x5 camera - chasing the light! This image is currently ready for orders.
 

NEW SERVER
by Keith Chapman

As I mentioned before, BloomPhoto.com moved to a new server, which explains why you haven't seen a newsletter in quite some time! What this means for you... our customers and friends... is that the images should appear quicker on your browser. But even better... we are now able to grow the site the way we want. We have many plans in store for BloomPhoto. Some of the major benefits coming are online secure credit card ordering, image background information, a photo tips section, news and events, and links galore. Basically we now have control over the development of our site. So, if you have suggestions as to what you might like to see, email us at tips@bloomphoto.com. Of course, since the webmaster... uh, that's me... has a full-time job elsewhere as well... things will be trickling into action... but I hope it'll be worth the wait! Stay tuned! And by the way, if you are looking for an inexpensive web solution with tremendous service - with real people 24 hours a day - I can only suggest talking to our friends at ExtremeZone. They truly understand customer service.
 

NEWS AND EVENTS
by Keith Chapman
 

EUROART 2001

Rebecca is preparing for a rather astounding event... a trip to Barcelona, Spain to show and sell her work at EuroArt 2001. She has been invited to participate in this seasonal gallery by the BCN Art Directe. Traditionally, this art show is for painters and sculptors. However, this year they have invited some photographers. This should be an exciting trip and chances are better than average that some images of Spain will materialize on the site after her return!
 

GRAND CANYON

We've also planned a strenuous 5-day backcountry trip into the Grand Canyon with the 4x5 camera rig in tow. And for the record, Rebecca carries all of her own equipment! We have been training for this trip... hopefully we'll come back with some unusual shots... like from the Tonto Plateau and along the Colorado River. It is one of Rebecca's true highs in life... to be able to show those who are not able hike into remote areas, the wonders nature hides away in the treasure troves of the back-country. So... we are excited about all of the photo opps this year!

PHOTO TIPS: SHUTTER SPEED
by Rebecca Bloom

This month's photo tip concerns shutter speed. Shutter speed can play an extremely important part in making the image exactly what you have in mind. Shutter speed can be used to completely stop motion, or create the illusion of motion in your image.  Most point-and-shoot cameras don't allow you to choose the shutter speed you want, so you have to live with what you get. Other of the newer SLR's and even some of the point-and-shoot cameras have a setting usually labelled "s" which means shutter priority. This allows you to choose the speed and the camera determines the aperature to get the proper exposure. The best way to get the image you have in mind is to use manual (if it is available on your camera) so you can choose the shutter speed and the aperature so you have complete creative control.

The typical need for stop action speeds is in sporting events. You want to see the look on the athlete's face when she scores that winning goal or when he nails his first slam-dunk. Most people are not interested in seeing a blur reaching towards a hoop. In these cases, you need to use the highest shutter speed you have available in the lighting situation you are in. If you refer back to choosing your film, you will remember that fast films are the higher ASA (or ISO) numbers. You don't want to take a 100 speed film into a dimly lit basketball court, or an overcast track meet if you want to stop the action. Generally, the higher the shutter speed, the wider the aperature has to be, so don't expect much more than what you have in focus to be sharp. If you look at a "Sports Illustrated" magazine with pictures of basketball players in action, take a look at the crowd or even the players around the main subject. They will be out of focus because the aperatures professional sports photographers use are generally around f1.4.  If you have been to a professional sporting event, you will notice that the lenses the photographers are using are significantly larger than the camera. This is because the aperature is so large. Most retail lenses have aperatures starting around f2 or higher. If you refer back to the depth-of-field photo tips, you will remember the lower the aperature number, the less of the field is in focus. Typically in a fast moving game, you won't want to use a shutter speed of less than 1/500 second. The faster the better, so if your camera goes higher, use it. Just be sure the film you are using is fast enough to allow for the proper exposure.

Shutter speed also plays an exceptionally important role in nature photography. Wildlife images tend to use the higher speeds (hummingbirds look much more interesting when you can see a set of wings as opposed to a blur on either side of the bird's body), whereas landscape images tend to use the slower speeds. When you see a waterfall in person, you see running water, not a bunch of water droplets. If you stop action at a waterfall, you tend to get a harsh image that will not be what you remembered. Any of the waterfall images you will find in the magazines and books will have a soft flowing look to them. It is almost as if you can hear the falls around you. The way to record this is with a slow shutter speed. I generally don't shoot a waterfall any faster than 1 second ("High Falls" is a 1 second exposure) and if I can make it longer, I will ("Flowing Falls" is an 8 second exposure). Any image you see in a magazine of the ocean where the waves are almost translucent is a very long shutter speed which tends to "melt" the waves and make the entire image soothing. The main problem with using long shutter speeds is the fact that you cannot hand hold a 1 second exposure and expect it to be sharp. The rule of thumb when it comes to hand-holding a particular speed is no shorter than 1 over the focal length of your lens. For example, if you are using a 50mm lens, you shouldn't hand hold anything slower than 1/50th of a second. This comes into play when you are shooting with long lenses as well. If you are using a 300mm telephoto lens, you should not hand hold any shot slower than 1/300th of a second. Generally this rule isn't applicable on wide angle lenses like a 15mm lens because hand holding 1/15th of a second will most likely give you a shaky image. The answer to this problem is, of course, a tripod. You can easily take a 30 second exposure without worry of camera shake if the camera is securely mounted on a tripod. If you get stuck in the wilderness without a tripod, you can try pressing your camera against something very sturdy like a tree, or setting it on a solid surface such as a rock or picnic table, but if you want the best image, don't get stuck without the handy-dandy tripod. Ansel Adams was never without his tripod, and if you want the sharpest images you can get, you won't be without yours either. (Incidently, Ansel Adams had a three legged dog he named "Tripod". I guess he really was never without his tripod!)

So what if you are out in the wilderness on a beautiful bright, sunny day and you come across the most beautiful waterfall you have ever seen, you set up the tripod, attach the camera and set it to 1 second on the shutter speed, close it down to f22 (or the highest f-stop you have) and the camera's meter is telling you that the image will be extremely over-exposed? Do you bag the whole outing and just hope you can describe the waterfall to your friends, or just decide to increase the shutter speed to 1/500th and get a "waterstop" instead of a waterfall? Nope, this is when a neutral density filter comes in handy. You may have seen them and wondered why in the world someone would want to cut the amount of light coming into the camera. Now you know. A neutral density filter cuts the amount of every color light coming into the camera in equal amounts. The result is slower shutter speeds with no color shift. (We will go over the use of filters in an upcoming Photo Tips section). Now you can wow your friends with a great looking shot of the waterfall and hang it in your office for those drab monday mornings.

So, you have decided that 8 seconds is your best exposure and your camera's slowest speed is 1 second. Do you shoot 8 times? Actually, most SLR lenses come with a setting called "b" or "t" (or both). The "b" setting is bulb and on this setting, when you press the shutter release and hold it down, the shutter stays open until you let go of the release button. If you have a 2 second exposure, set the lens to "b", press and hold the button for 2 seconds and release. The "t" setting is time. On the time setting, the shutter opens when you press the shutter release and stays open until you press the shutter release a second time. If you have a 2 second exposure, set your lens to "t", press the shutter release, wait 2 seconds and press it again. These two settings are very handy for longer exposures. One recommendation when using these settings is to have a cable release. The cable release screws into the lens (usually towards the bottom of the lens), or in some cameras, into the camera itself. When you press the cable release, it works the same as when you press the shutter release, but with 2 advantages. The first advantage is that you do not have to touch the camera at all. This means that there is little to no chance that the camera will shake when you release the shutter. If you have a slightly shaky hand and are holding the shutter release to hold the lens open, the image will be blurry. In the same fashion, if you open the lens on the "t" setting and then have to close it by pressing the shutter release again, there is a good chance of shaking the camera. The cable release solves both of these problems. The second advantage is that cable releases generally have a locking mechanism which allows you to release the shutter (on "b") and lock it open so you don't have to continue holding the release button. This comes in handy for those really long exposures (such as a star trail which generally requires a 1 hour or more exposure). It also comes in handy when you are shooting lightning so you don't have to stand directly next to that nice metal tripod. I use the bulb setting when shooting lightning so I can remain in the relative safety of our 4x4 truck for the majority of the time I am out shooting. Lightning photography is extremely dangerous and I would recommend highly that if anyone is to ever try it, they remain in a vehicle or building to be safe. We have equipment that tells us how far away the lightning is and when it gets too close, we pack up and move on. To me, there is nothing more satisfying than getting a great lightning shot, but it is not worth dying over. Stay safe and respect the fact that lightning can kill you from 20 miles away (lightning can originate from a cloud 20 miles away and still reach you).

I hope this has been helpful for you hobbyists out there! We want to continually improve our tips so if you have a suggestion or request, please email us at tips@bloomphoto.com and we'll do our best to meet your needs! Happy shooting and keep it fun!
 

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.