fireworks

Today, I take a brief respite from the many masking videos previously offered on this site (okay, it's been a while, but there have been a lot of them) to offer--wait for it--yet another masking video!

Only with two exceptions: This video is not on my site. Rather, it's my contribution to the one, the only Scott Kelby's "Guest Blog Wednesday." And it goes by the name, "The Essential Approach to Masking," with portrait by Jacob Cunningham.

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...on the Fourth of July. Yes, dekeOlutionaries, it's time for that yearly celebration of Independence Day here in the good ol' US of A. So I thought I'd wish you all peace, freedom, and love of history by playing this "Fireworks" episode of Schoolhouse Rock. For those of you who didn't a) grow up in the 1970's or b) grow up with the American Broadcasting Company piped into your living room, this little gem is part of a collection that played in between the regular cartoons on Saturday mornings. Schoolhouse Rock insidiously taught us all about history (as well as multiplication, grammar, and science) with catchy tunes and delightful animation, while we were busy eating pop tarts and trying to rot our brains. How many of us can still sing the preamble to the United States Constitution thanks to these crafty edutainers? "We the people, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility... (everybody, sing along now!)"

And should you wish to get out your camera out and shoot (pictures) of fireworks this year, here's a link to last year's roundup of advice for doing so, wherein I included another tidbit of pop culture from my youth. Once again wishing you all life, liberty and pursuit of happiness in whatever style you like. Read more » 

Sometimes, my job totally rules. I spent a chunk of time yesterday editing wonderful photos for a new Photoshop book by Derrick Story. (No worries, dekeFaithful, this one will be a terrific compliment to Deke's work, a concentrated handbook focusing on the specific Photoshop needs of photographers.) Derrick just got back from assignment (for Apple) in Beijing, helping other photographers in the Main Press Center get their images of the events processed and posted. I've already watched Derrick overcome jetlag to regale more than one audience with the tales of his Olympic adventure. He graciously said we could show some of his photos and the stories behind them here, and I think you'll enjoy this Friday treat.

(All photos in this post are copyright ©2008 Derrick Story. Click an image to see it at higher res. No reproducing please.)

Yeah, I told you Derrick knew a thing or two about shooting fireworks. This shot was captured during the opening ceremonies. Derrick was positioned right outside the Bird's Nest with a fast 50mm f/1.4 lens. (By the way, Derrick has more photos and stories on his site, The Digital Story, so I've linked those up where appropriate.) Read more » 

Well, Deke is safely ensconsed in a broadband-challenged area of "off-the-hand" Michigan, so I can write whatever I like today without him editorally looking over my shoulder. (I think he enjoys turning the tables on me.) So I thought about running my seasonably inappropriate and infamous "How to Draw a Snowflake using InDesign" tutorial, but, instead, I'll celebrate my personal independence the way all red, white, and blue-blooded American's do this time of year here in the states, by rounding up the best advice on how to photograph fireworks.

• Over at the The Digital Story, Derrick's got a great set of basic advice for shooting your pyrotechnic celebrations. His first item? Turn off the flash: "Yes, you're going to be shooting in a dark environment, and if your camera is set to auto flash, it's going to fire. This is the last thing you want, so turn it off." This presumes you know how to turn off the flash. In fact, that's probably an even better tip: know how to control the flash on your camera before you're in the dark trying to figure it out on-the-fly. (For more sage advice on shooting in special circumstances, from airplanes to underwater to infrared, check out Derrick's book, The Digital Photography Companion.)

• Lifehacker has a terrifically illustrated list of things to remember about shooting fireworks. Here's a favorite:

Have a small light handy for checking and altering settings on the camera and tripod without having to fumble in the dark. A small red LED key chain flashlight is perfect for this task. Red light is less disruptive to your night vision than white light.  

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