In this episode, Vanelli, Liesl Walsh & Guests.

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In this Blind Photo Critiques episode, your hosts Scott Kelby and Erik Kuna are back to offer invaluable photography critiques, advice, and insights on photos submitted by our viewers. They explore various genres of photography, providing thorough analyses of composition, lighting, and storytelling to help photographers enhance their skills. Special emphasis is placed on the emotional impact of images, technical excellence, and the importance of post-processing. The discussions extend to include photography and creativity tips, particularly in toy photography, with guest expert Dave DeBaeremaeker.  

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HIGHLIGHTS

▶  “If you shoot a motorsport shot straight on, you can get away without seeing the wheel spin, so you can crank up your shutter speed, and it's interesting.” ▶  “There is a fundamental mistake in toy photography, which is a common problem. You have to check every single joint every time you take a shot because they tend not to stay tight.”  

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In this episode, Scott Kelby, Erik Kuna and Joe Cacioppo discuss capturing the essence of events beyond just the aircraft, emphasizing the audience's experience and sponsor promotions, and share tips from a photography workshop in Budapest. The second part shifts to innovative photography techniques for iPhone users, including handheld long exposures and converting photos to black and white in Lightroom. It highlights the advantages of smartphones over SLRs and introduces a tool for reducing noise in high-ISO images.   RELATED COURSES https://members.kelbyone.com/course/scott-kelby-erik-kuna-photographing-airshows/ https://members.kelbyone.com/course/mpeterson-airshow-like-a-pro/

HIGHLIGHTS

▶  “At an air show, everybody can get great shots. Even if you just want yourself personally, just airplane pictures, you don't have to get in front of the lines. You get behind the lines, and you got your airplanes right there going by. You have that access. You don't need to be right in front of it and have full access to the air show; you still get great pictures.” ▶  “If you want to do events and then want to do more events, give the person who has hired you or credentialed you what they actually want. Not what you want.”  

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In this 600th episode of The Grid, the topic of sky replacement in photography is thoroughly examined by a special guest, photographer Serge Ramelli. The discussion navigates the ethical considerations and technical aspects of manipulating skies in post-production, as well as the evolving expectations of clients towards more dramatic and surreal imagery. Serge shares his personal journey and evolution in photography, from embracing HDR and surreal effects to adopting a more natural approach, and how client demands have sometimes pushed him back to dramatic enhancements. The episode also touches on the tools and techniques for effective sky replacement, including tips from Serge on how to achieve realistic results.    RELATED COURSES https://members.kelbyone.com/course/scott-kelby-skies-photoshop/ https://members.kelbyone.com/course/rkazemi-focus-focal-length/  

HIGHLIGHTS

▶  “I like putting on both hats. I sometimes like telling stories, but at the same time, I sometimes like capturing those images, the truth of reality, and then taking them and making something fantastical out of them. I really love both of them.” ▶  “ People are using clouds, they're using 600mm shots, and they're replacing it with 24mm skies, and I can see them immediately because you're like, that's not the right proportions. Most people can't really notice that, but there is something that you do notice; you feel it. And I think there are people that do then feel that something's wrong. So make sure you match.”  

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This episode of The Grid combines an insightful recap of an eclipse photography adventure with an Open Q&A session. Hosts Scott Kelby and Erik Kuna field viewer questions about topics including shooting airshows, photographing birds in motion, and pricing your photography. Plus, a tutorial showcasing an under-appreciated Photoshop feature, Lightroom tips, giveaways, and much more! RELATED COURSES https://members.kelbyone.com/course/twallace-live-your-dream/ https://members.kelbyone.com/track/photographers-fast-track/  

HIGHLIGHTS

▶  “ You want to shoot the bird in flight. You can set that so your camera will never let you go below that shutter speed. So everything is sharp, no matter if the clouds come, it gets darker, lighter, goes into a shadow, comes into a highlight. It's going to make all those adjustments. So now, all we have to do is focus on framing and composition. You're not focused on changing exposures; you're not focused on anything else; you're just letting the camera do the work.” ▶  “The market dictates the price of everything. If you price something too high, no one's going to buy your product. If you price it too low, a lot of people may buy it, and then you can raise your price if there's great demand. And you will find that sweet spot at which people will still buy it, and you're still gaining sales.”  

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In this episode of The Grid, Scott Kelby and Erik Kuna dive into the exciting world of solar eclipse photography. They have a discussion on preparing for the upcoming solar eclipse, featuring tips for capturing this rare astronomical event. The conversation also includes details about upcoming photography workshops and the Lightroom conference. Erik provides in-depth advice on using telephoto lenses for eclipse photography, the importance of solar filters, and safety tips for protecting both your eyes and the camera sensor.    RELATED COURSES https://members.kelbyone.com/course/ekuna-photopills/ https://members.kelbyone.com/course/erik-kuna-astrophotography-for-beginners/  

HIGHLIGHTS

▶  “ I suggest bracketing because you're taking a shot every so often if you bracket and do not bracket like a one-stop bracket, like two stops, two stops up, two stops down. That way, you won't miss an exposure. Just put it on bracketing.” ▶  “I always tell people to get the biggest monitor you can afford. But you're looking at it, and you're making a judgment on noise based on this big. Yes, you're going to see noise on 100% at an image size. No one's going to see it. That's why I  always tell photographers to stop looking at your image at a size that no one will ever see but you.”  

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This week's episode provides professional critiques and actionable tips for elevating photography portfolio websites. Hosts discuss the importance of layout, design, and image selection, focusing on how to showcase top photographic work effectively. The critiques cover various websites, pointing out aspects that work well alongside areas needing improvement, such as simplifying layouts and optimizing for mobile. The video is interactive, featuring live critiques, viewer feedback, and prize offerings, all aimed at helping photographers create compelling and professional online portfolios.   RELATED COURSES https://members.kelbyone.com/course/mkloskowski_smugmug_lr5/ https://members.kelbyone.com/course/skelby-adobe-portfolio/   HIGHLIGHTS ▶  “ Make your portfolio site with your best images, and if everybody hits your best images, they're going to immediately think you're an excellent photographer.” ▶  “Big means impact. Why do we always want to make bigger and bigger prints? Because seeing them big is a whole different experience. When you look at that, it just has an impact.”  

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This episode encapsulates a thrilling journey into the photography world, featuring Scott Kelby's vibrant experiences at The Photography Show in Birmingham and rugby experience with Claire Jones. Also, Erik shares a personal travel experience in Italy, focusing on visiting Rome, the Vatican, the Amalfi Coast, Positano, the Path of the Gods hike, Sorrento, Capri, and more. Erik shares his excitement over capturing stunning landscape and architectural shots solely with an iPhone, highlighting the versatility and quality of iPhone photography.   RELATED COURSES https://members.kelbyone.com/course/dblack_olympicsports/ https://members.kelbyone.com/course/scott-kelby-iphone-travel-photography/  

HIGHLIGHTS

▶  “ If you want to be good at sports photography, you must know the game. You can't track the ball. That's the most important thing. You have to know where the ball is going next.” ▶  “I wish it was 10x, but I'll take the 5x. But once it gets to the 10x, I think the game's over for travel photography. Cause then you will get the promise that we were promised with mirrorless. We were promised it would be lighter. It wasn't. I had this little stick, my Platypod, and a little holder, and I was set. So, I started to see where, okay, we're getting there to produce the results that you needed.”  

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In this episode, viewers' photographs are honestly critiqued, and constructive feedback is offered on how to improve their shots. Discussions include the effective use of light, composition, and storytelling elements in photography, alongside tips for enhancing photos through post-processing techniques.    RELATED COURSES https://members.kelbyone.com/course/ian-plant-artistic-wildlife-photo-techniques/ https://members.kelbyone.com/course/kirk-nelson-enhancing-backgrounds-using-photoshop-neural-filters/  

HIGHLIGHTS

▶  “ In wildlife shots, what was important was to separate the animals.” ▶  “I want to make a shirt that says fix your flippin white balance.   Come on, people, fix your white balance..”  

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In this episode, viewers are treated to a variety of photography insights, updates, and exciting announcements. The episode kicks off with a discussion about the legendary Joe McNally sharing his experiences live from the WPPI show in Las Vegas. The hosts then delve into the world of AI noise reduction, showcasing new and impressive techniques. Furthermore, the episode covers the launch of a Lightroom conference and offers a Lightroom sharpening tip for portraits.   RELATED COURSES https://members.kelbyone.com/course/russell-brown-creative-night-photography-mobile/ https://members.kelbyone.com/course/scott-kelby-on1-plugins-photoshop-lightroom-workflow/  

HIGHLIGHTS

▶  “ That's the key with noise reduction, and till a few years ago, a lot of noise reduction just really blurred or softened your image. It really wasn't removing the noise where this is wiping out the noise. It's like you shot that shot at 12800 ISO and it's like you wiped it down to like 800 ISO or 400 ISO. It's like you just wiped out the noise. That's crazy stuff. ” ▶  “So what we've done for many, many years in Photoshop was we would go to Photoshop, duplicate the layer, apply a ton of sharpening and then take the paintbrush and mask out all the skin. It took forever, but we had to do it. Believe it or not, Lightroom has a feature that will do all of that for you automatically on a slider, and it's brilliant.”  

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In this episode, Scott Kelby, Erik Kuna and their special guest John Dukes, examine the future of photography. They explore topics such as the growing impact of artificial intelligence, the comeback of retro photographic trends, the role of virtual reality, and the increasing importance of content creators, as well as essential aspects like camera equipment and lighting. RELATED COURSES https://members.kelbyone.com/course/mcnally_lst/ https://members.kelbyone.com/course/russell-brown-creative-night-photography-mobile/

HIGHLIGHTS

▶  “ There were people who had been caught winning major competitions before AI existed that set up the shot, added things that weren't there, took things out, added things in Photoshop. They've done all kinds of things that they've been caught with. AI makes it easier, but at the end of the day, if you're going to be a cheat, you're going to be a cheat.” ▶  “Everything's changing. And we have to adapt to these changes. We have to learn these things if we want to be successful and continue doing what we love. We have to make sure that we adapt to AI.”  

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