Put the power of the Obama campaign posters towards your own use...

Obamicon.ME and others
giving the power of the poster
to the people!

Like those really cool Obama campaign posters made by Shepard Fairey? Want to make one of your own?


You are in luck!

No Photoshop skills are required to make your very own Obama/Fairey style posters over at Obamicon.me. The site hosted by Paste Magazine allows you to upload any image (or use a web/phone cam) smaller than 4mb, and they will instantly turn it into Obama inspired pop art with the click of your mouse. How cool is that! Obamicon.me allows you to download your creations and post them in a gallery with everyone elses. Of course some photoshop skills will still come in handy as they recomend .png or .gif files with transparent backgrounds for the best effect.

Additionally there are a couple of other options available on the net.

Obamafy is a photo booth plug-in from Dubi Kaufmann and is available for download here: http://www.dubster.com/obamafy/ It is only available for Mac's OS X 10.5 Leopard, so PC users don't even think about it....

VECTORTUTS has a nice tutorial by Zach Wentz
Creating an inspirational political poster.
"This tutorial is inspired by Sheppard Fairey's famous political poster series for the Obama campaign in the US. We'll be showing you how to create this style of design. We'll start with basic image editing techniques in Photoshop to get our guide layers setup, and then we'll jump into Illustrator. You don't need any fancy equipment to do this. I used an older mouse that still has the rubber ball."

Finally University of Washington's in the studio blog gives some alternate advice based on the VECTORTUTS tutorial but with a little more thought about the art rather than just trying to automate the process. In How to emulate the iconic Obama poster, Part II Author DavidW notes "One detail that I noticed about Fairey’s poster was his use of both hard lines and curves. That is, Obama’s features aren’t exclusively represented with rounded shapes, nor exclusively sharp-edged shapes. There’s a mix. I think that mix really speaks both to Fairey’s artistic eye and ability to communicate such emotion with relatively little (just colors and shapes)." To this end he goes on to explain his process to achieving a successful Fairey/Obama style poster.

Flickr has one of the best collections of Obamicon and other Obama/Fairey inspired posters, here are a few...

And remember...

Please share this link, and let everyone know you found it here at: freephotostuff.blogspot.com

Thanks.

A Basic Field Guide for the Outdoor Strobist

Free guide to
getting great outdoor lighting!

First go look at Bernie Ledsma's amazing outdoor photos (Here: Outdoor Strobist) and you will appreciate the fact that not only is he offering his advice to help the rest of us achieve the same great results with our photos, but that he has really gone out of his way to write up and illustrate a free guide!

Bernie titles himself a "strobist" because his style of outdoor portrature relies on fill flash or strobes to properly expose the main subject while maximizing the use of beautiful natural ambient lighting.

You can find Bernie's guide and gallery of images over on Yahoo's free photo sharing community Flickr.

(See our previous blog post about Flickr, the most active photo community on the internet)

So stop in, pick up his guide, and make sure you say hello and comment on his great photos!

-------------
Originally uploaded by Bernie Led:

“A Basic Field Guide for the Outdoor Strobist” 1st edition NOW AVAILABLE! For those who may be interested, I came up with a field guide on the basics of "Outdoor Strobing", just compiled my notes, learning’s, and work flow.

I initially made the notes for myself but decided to share it each time someone would ask me how I create those images. So I am making this material available to anyone who may benefit from it.

I know the learning curve here is steep with so much technical variations and complex exposure combinations, so I tried to keep it concise, but comprehensive.

A little thing about me, I am not a pro (have a day job in marketing) nor am I claiming to be a master, I just love and enjoy doing this... creating beautiful images and trying to be helpful to others that is.

If you would like to have a copy, Id be glad to email a copy to you, (free of course, not doing this for the money). Not really ground breaking, just my way of sharing and giving back...

All ill ask in return is for you to just let me know if it was able to help you or if you had fun using it. If you have suggestions to improve the work flow to make it easier or even better, let me know. Then we share it to even more people (open source spirit)... I'm calling it "A Basic Field Guide for the Outdoor Strobist" (just 5 pages, PDF format)

Get it here: A Basic Field Guide For The Outdoor Strobist

Bernie Ledesma

And remember...

Please share this link, and let everyone know you found it here at: freephotostuff.blogspot.com

Thanks.

Excellent Free Digital Photo Managment

New! Picasa 3 (beta)

The fantastic free imaging software from Google is about to get way better...

We here at Free Photography Stuff, have been huge fans of Google's image program Picasa and now there is much more to get excited about with the release of the beta trial of the new Picasa 3. If you are not familiar with Picasa see our previous post on why it is one of the few must have photo programs. Google's Picasa - Free Fantastic Photo Software

Download the Picasa 3 beta at http://picasa.google.com. To get additional support or to give feedback for this beta release, please visit the Picasa Help Group to find answers from knowledgeable users and the Google Guide.

From the Picasa website:
"To get started on the upgrade from Picasa 2.7 to Picasa 3, we've provided a detailed run-down of what's new and what's changed. This page explains the basics, but you'll need to get your hands dirty to really appreciate the changes. Click the links below to learn more about each feature."

	Sync your Picasa 3 and Picasa Web Albums edits Tired of having to manually re-upload your photos after making further edits? By enabling 'Sync to Web,' edits made to your photos in Picasa 3 are automatically transferred to your corresponding online albums. You can sync the following changes: Picasa 3 edits (Basic Fixes, Tuning, and Effects) Photos added or deleted in Picasa 3 Captions, tags, or geotags Getting started The Sync to Web button is located on the right side of each folder or album header. When you click this button, you'll first be prompted to upload the photos in that folder or album to Picasa Web Albums. You can change the upload size, album privacy setting, or even add a watermark to your uploaded photos. When the upload is complete, any subsequent Picasa 3 edits to those photos will automatically transfer to your online album. Troubleshooting You can disable the sync feature at any time by clicking the Sync to Web button again, or by selecting Disable Sync in the drop-down menu to the right of the Share button in the folder or album header. All your photos and their edits up to this point remain online, but any new edits and changes will no longer be synchronized. The following changes don't transfer to your online albums: Reordering photos Changes made to folder or album properties Changes made to filenames
	Retouch your images Always want to be airbrushed? Use the Retouch tool to remove unsightly blemishes and improve photo quality. It can also help you to restore old photos with marks, water stains, and scratches to excellent condition. When editing any photo, just click the Retouch button on the 'Basic Fixes' tab. Adjust the size of your brush, and use the mouse scroll wheel to zoom in and out of the photo for precise edits. Click once to highlight the area you'd like to retouch, and then find another portion of the picture that should take the place of your highlighted area. Hover over this replacement area and click a second time.
	Preview image files with Picasa Photo Viewer The photo viewer is a fast, lightweight application for viewing images on your desktop or through Windows Explorer. Installed with Picasa 3, it lets you to take a quick look at images without having to fully open the Picasa 3 program. What you can do with the photo viewer: Add stars, zoom in and out with your mouse scroll wheel, rotate, or proceed to Picasa 3 to make more extensive edits. Upload directly from the photo viewer to Picasa Web Albums or Blogger. Jump right into emailing or printing as well. From your computer desktop or from within Windows Explorer, just double-click any image file to launch the Picasa Photo Viewer. You can reconfigure the file types that the photo viewer will display by clicking the Tools menu in Picasa 3 and selecting Configure Photo Viewer. If you'd prefer to use a different application to view certain file types, deselect the file types that the photo viewer shouldn't open. To disable the Picasa Photo Viewer entirely, click the 'Don't use Picasa Photo Viewer' option.
	Make a movie Combine your photos, videos, and music into a movie, and create a Windows Media file. Share it with friends by uploading it directly to YouTube. About the movie maker: Supported audio formats include mp3 and .wma. You have complete creative control - change the music sync, the slide duration, and slide transition style, among other things. Add text slides: Create a title slide or a divider to provide some context. You can choose to include your photo captions as well. When playing any video in Picasa 3, explore these two features: Use the Take Snapshot button to capture a single frame of the video. Use the In and Out buttons in the lower-right corner to trim a shorter clip. Click Export Clip to finalize your selection. There are two ways to launch the movie creation screen: Create a movie for all photos in a folder or album by clicking the Create Movie Presentation button in the folder or album header. If you'd like to pick and choose photos from different collections, place them in the Photo Tray and click the larger Movie button in the Photo Tray. Use the Movie, Slide, and Clips tabs to alter movie settings, add text to slides, and insert new images, respectively. When you're satisfied, click Create Movie. Once created, use the Upload to YouTube button to share your creation with family and friends. Depending on the number of images and size of your audio file, the movie creation process can take a significant amount of time. Can't create the entire movie in one sitting? No problem, just click the Close button, and you'll be prompted to Save Draft. You can pick up your work at any time in the 'Movies' folder.
	Capture your screen Instantly take and import your screen captures and webcam captures into Picasa 3. Screen captures Press PrtScn to capture a shot of your entire screen. Ctrl+PrtScn will capture the highlighted window. These images will be placed in the 'Screen captures' folder. If you're having trouble importing screen captures, make sure Picasa 3 is open. Screen captures won't be imported if the application is closed. Webcam capture This is webcam importing made simple: Capture video or stills from within Picasa 3, and import them in the same instant. Make sure your webcam is operational, and then click the Webcam Capture button on the top button bar. The Capture tool will let you take and import video and stills. If the Webcam Capture button is inactive, first make sure your webcam is set to go. Then try closing Picasa 3 and opening it back up.
	Add text or watermarks to your photos You can easily personalize your photos using the Watermark and Text tools. Watermarks Help protect your images by stamping a watermark on all images that you export or upload. The watermark signature will be placed in the lower right-hand corner. Upload photos with watermarks Click the Tools menu in Picasa 3, select Options, then click the Web Albums tab. Select the option labeled 'Add a watermark for all uploads.' Type the text for the watermark in the field below the option. Export photos with watermarks When you click the Export button in the Photo Tray, you can select the 'Add a watermark' checkbox to include a watermark on your exported images. Type the text for the watermark in the field below the option. Text Use the Text tool to add text quickly and easily to your photographs; you can even print the result. You can edit the style, size, color, and alignment of the text, as well as drag it to your desired location on the photo. When editing a photo, click the Text button on the 'Basic Fixes' tab to access the tool. Do you want to add the same text to multiple photos? From the main Library view, click the Edit menu and select Copy Text to copy the text you've placed on one photo. Then select Paste text to apply it to all other selected photos. The text change isn't permanent. Once you've added your text, you'll see a 'Show Text' checkbox on the 'Basic Fixes' tab for that image. Deselect the checkbox and the text will disappear.
	Print captions Your captions are about to see a little more action. You can now print your captions or photo file names on or below your photos. Control the style and color of your printed caption, in addition to the width and color of the printed photo border. After you've selected the photos you'd like to print, click the Print button in the Photo Tray. Click the Border and Text Options button to add borders and adjust the style and placement of your printed text. Click Apply to preview your work, and OK to accept the changes.
	Upload easily to Picasa Web Albums Use the Drop Box to hold quick uploads and upload throttling to multi-task during your upload. Drop-box upload The Drop Box is an online album that serves as a holding pen for your quick uploads. Click the Upload to your Web Albums DropBox button located above your photo on the 'Edit Photo' screen to upload a single picture directly to your Picasa Web Albums Drop Box. Upload throttling You can choose to have Picasa 3 reserve some of your Internet bandwidth for surfing the Web while you're doing large uploads to Picasa Web Albums. During your upload, the dialog box will have an option labeled 'Don't eat all my bandwidth.' Just select this checkbox, and then continue multi-tasking.
	Control your Picasa Web Albums settings If you have an online album in Picasa Web Albums, you can now control the online settings through the corresponding folder or album in Picasa 3. There are a few different controls located in the drop-down menu to the right of the Share button in the folder or album header: Adjust the privacy of your online album. Change the online image size. Delete an online album. Sync your edits to your online album. You can also choose to apply 'Sync to Web' to starred photos only. Troubleshooting The button's only available for folders or albums that have been uploaded to Picasa Web Albums. You must be signed in to your Google Account for Picasa Web Albums. You can sign in by clicking Sign in to Web Albums in the upper-right corner of Picasa 3. You will only be able to adjust the online image size if you have enabled 'Sync to Web.'
	Manage folders on your computer It's now possible to move entire folders around on your hard drive from within Picasa 3. From the folder list, right-click the folder you'd like to move, and select Move folder. Choose your desired destination or create a new folder altogether. These moves are permanent on your hard drive, so make sure you properly stow your folders.
	Get more information about your photos We've added new icons and tools to the Library view to quickly communicate useful information about your photos. And remember... Please share this link, and let everyone know you found it here at: freephotostuff.blogspot.com Thanks.

Free Guide to lighting figures and products for photography

Good photography is good lighting!

A lot of people think that good lighting is expensive. Wrong. The best light source for photography is free!

This is a great tutorial (Figure on Cheap Lighting) on how to better show off your figures to other figure enthusiasts on the net by taking better photos of your collection to share.



This knowledge is shared on the HappySoda blog written by “super rats”. HappySoda is an anime and anime stuff fan blog. Blog topics include Anime DVDs, figurines, and other related things, such as conventions. Super Rats is an avid miniature figure photographer with a fantastic portfolio of beautiful shots. Super Rats shares many of his photos on flickr as well, - Flickr Sets

Super Rats shares his experience and tips for creating a mini indoor studio using common household items. The results he gets prove that good figure and product photography does not have to be expensive or rely on expensive equipment.

DIY Lighting- Figure on Cheap Lighting
Super Rats Gallery- Flickr Sets
HappySoda Blog- Anime stuff fan blog



And remember...

Please share this link, and let everyone know you found it here at: freephotostuff.blogspot.com

Thanks.

Free Photo Network

Flickr
Store, Share, Communicate, and Network
Free from Yahoo!

Flickr is the most active photo community on the internet. More people visit share there photos and visions and make connections than anywhere else on the net.

Flickr is a free service owned by Yahoo. To set up an account to share your photos on Flickr all you need is a free Yahoo id. Flickr is such a valuable tool for photographers that nobody despite your level of photographic experience should ignore it.

Flickr is vast and encompasses people and photos from all walks of life and experiences. It has professionals as well as those who post via cellphone camera.

For the professional photographer Flickr offers networking exposure to millions of potential customers and the ability to tag each photo with keywords and provide links and information to potential customers. For any professional photographer that is thinking about ignoring Flickr first read 36 reasons that Flickr is a photographers ultimate tool over at photopreneur.com, a website dedicated to identifying digital-age earning opportunity's to photographers.

For the ameature photographer Flickr provides a terrific place to host and share your photos. But it is much more. Flickr encourages its members to participate by allowing you to annotate and comment and ask questions on others photos. It also provides groups that you can join to share photos of a specific theme, or based on a photographers make of camera, or even skill level. Perhaps best of all Flickr is full of helpful fellow photographers that will help you grow and learn as a photographer.

So don't wait, Join Flickr today! And open a whole new world to your photographic experience! It is free after all...

And remember...

Please share this link, and let everyone know you found it here at: freephotostuff.blogspot.com

Thanks.

FREE exhibition space for photographers

Nikon Salon

Free Exhibition Space
for Aspiring Photographers

In its quest to contribute to the advancement of photographic culture,
Nikon Salon is offering a free exhibition space for aspiring photographers.

Exhibitions of your work may be held in one of three different spaces:
Nikon Salon, Nikon Salon bis, and Nikon Salon Juna21.
Each space has its own unique concept.

Nikon Salon Website: http://www.nikon-image.com/eng/activity/salon/index.htm


Nikon will provide the following:

・ A set portion of production costs for invitation cards.
・ Production costs for greeting, profile and caption panels.
・ Frame rental
・ Invitation card postage fees (Excludes personal invitations)
・ Press release
・ Exhibition space
・ Staff to hang the exhibitor's work in the gallery provided.
・ \50,000 for printing materials
・An extra \30,000 for transport costs to/from Osaka, etc.


Nikon Salon is open to all creative contributions

However the opportunities don't stop there. The Nikon Salon bis gallery holds group exhibitions by members of the Nikkor Club and its branch offices, as well as other photographic organizations, schools and clubs. For aspiring young photographers, there is also Nikon Salon Juna21, where exhibitors must be under 35 years old.

Nikon Salon

Nikon Salon accepts any exhibition that strives to contribute to photographic culture. This program is open to all photographers.

Juna21

Nikon Salon Juna21 seeks creative, original ideas from young photographers. Exhibitors must be under 35 years old.

For nearly 40 years

Nikon Salon has contributed to the spread of photographic culture by offering a free exhibition space to aspiring artists.
It started in January 1968, when Nikon Salon was first established in Ginza to celebrate Nikon's 50th anniversary. Since the very first exhibition "Eyes of Ihei Kimura," Nikon Salon has provided unique opportunities for both professional and amateur photographers by sponsoring their lectures and hosting their exhibitions. These opportunities expanded with the opening of Shinjuku Nikon Salon in June 1971. Osaka Nikon Salon followed in March 1974. The goal was to pursue the true meaning of photography: the expression of ideas. This meant breaking the barrier between professional and amateur photographers and viewing their work as art, not business strategy. The applications are still open to everyone. Photographers of every style and level of experience are welcome at Nikon Salon.

Nikon Salon looks forward to viewing your work!

And remember...

Please share this link, and let everyone know you found it here at: freephotostuff.blogspot.com

Thanks.