Teach Your Child About Digital Photography

13 Lessons to Teach Your Child About Digital Photography
1. Experiment
2. Check your Backgrounds
3. Hold the Camera Straight
4. How to Hold a Camera
5. Get in Close
6. Take Lots of Photos
7. Getting the Balance Right Between Photographing People, ‘Things’ and Places
8. Find a Point of Interest
9. Rule of Thirds
10. Review Your Children’s Images with Them
11. Focal Lock
12. Different Modes for Different Situations
13. Exposure Settings

Army releases doctored photos of dead soldiers.<

Army releases doctored photos of dead soldiers.

The photos depicted two U.S. soldiers, Staff Sgt. Darris Dawson and Sgt. Wesley R. Durbin, who both died in Iraq on September 14.

Bob Owen of the San Antonio Express-News, who first discovered the photos had been digitally altered, commented, “I’d like to think that the media holds itself pretty accountable and we try really hard to keep high standards. … Obviously the army, and the government, doesn’t see anything wrong with that [photo altering] at all.”

Layers in Adobe Photoshop CS3

Tutorial - Adobe Photoshop CS3 - Layers

How To Master Photoshop In Just One Week

How To Master Photoshop In Just One Week

This is the first part of a three part series that will help you to master Photoshop in and out in just one week. Today’s part is all about getting to know the basics of the program and how to operate the complex software - nothing amazing, but you need to crawl before you can walk!

Beautiful Coastlines to Photographs

Photo Gallery: Coastlines

Coastguard Beach in Cape Cod, Massachusetts
Palau
Iquique, Chile
Cape Kiwanda State Park, Oregon
Rugen Island, Germany
North Slope, Alaska.
Chandeleur Islands, Louisiana
Igloolik, Canada
Baltic Sea near Germany

Photos that Changed the World

Photos that Changed the World
Omaha Beach
Stopping Time
Little Rock desegregation
Conrad Schumann
Last Jew of Vinnitsa

Your Printer is Lying to You

Your printer is lying to you

By covering up a sensor on the side of the toner cartridge with a piece of electrical tape he tricked the printer into thinking the cartridge was full. Well, not so much trick as convince: Manjoo says his printer's been going strong ever since, eight months and hundred of pages down the road, pumping out perfect pages.

Printers of both the laser and inkjet variety are notorious not just for requiring expensive replacement cartridges but for trying to get you to replace them well before you need to. It's epidemic in the industry, to the point where class action lawsuits have filed against Epson and Hewlett-Packard over the trickery.

Photoshop Tutorials

35 Photoshop Tutorials for Designing Your Own Posters

"Emily" - Animation Tech Video Demo

Yes you read correctly, TECH demo. She's fake. She IS the demo.

Until the 1:30 mark when they revert back to the source (the real actress), her entire face is being simulated by the technology.

Peace out uncanny valley!

Meet "Emily" - Image Metrics Tech Demo

Weird Olympics photos

Weird Olympics photos

The pictures are funny especially with the captions.

How to Win a Photography Competition

How to Win a Photography Competition

1. Know and Follow the Competition Rules
2. Stick to the Theme of the Competition
3. Do Some Research
4. Avoid Cliches and Stand Out
5. Aim for Technical Brilliance
6. Avoid Distracting Elements
7. Go for a Reaction
8. Enter Another Competition

Most Colorful Lakes on Earth

25 Most Colorful Lakes on Earth [pics]

Peyto Lake in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada

Perito Moreno in Patagonia, Argentina

Five Flower Lake in Jiuzhaigon National Park, China

salt lakes, Uyuni, Bolivia

Wise Lake, Congaree National Park, South Carolina.

Kournas Lake

Yellow Lake, Mill Hollow in the Unita Forest

Golden Lake

Bluff Lake near Starkville, Mississippi

Henley Lake, New Zealand

Green Lake, Wisconsin

red lake at Sanetsch Pass, Switzerland

Albertville in the French Alps

Red salt lake, Tunisia

Lake Murray, South Carolina

Lake Tahoe, California/Nevada

Lake Michigan

Crater Lake

Blue Lake in South Australia

champagne pool, rotorua, new zealand

Kelimutu in Flores, Indonesia

Stunning Pictures of 'Bubble' Clouds in the Menacing Skies Above Britain

Stunning pictures of 'bubble' clouds in the menacing skies above Britain

Dark, brooding and menacing. This apparition, which materialised over the skies of Hertfordshire, looks like an expensive special effect from a horror movie.

The strange globular clouds, which resemble drops of oil poured into a murky pond, appear to herald the appearance of an alien spacecraft, here to cause havoc.

In fact, this picture shows a rare but perfectly natural (and perfectly harmless, provided you do not try to fly through it in light aircraft) meteorological phenomenon known as a mammatus cloud.


This picture was taken by Ian Pattison, 31, an assistant librarian, outside his home in St Albans last week. He said: 'I got a new phone last week and when I saw this amazing sky, I just grabbed it and started snapping.'

Sandstone Arch Collapses in Arches National Park

Sandstone arch collapses in national park in Utah

ARCHES NATIONAL PARK, Utah: One of the largest and most photographed
arches in Arches National Park has collapsed.
The arch, called Wall
Arch, was along Devils Garden Trail, one of the most popular in the park. For
years, the arch has been a favorite stopping point
for photographers.
Paul Henderson, the park's chief of interpretation,
said the arch had been claimed by forces that would eventually destroy others in
the park: gravity and erosion.

This is a shame. I have never been to arches but it is the loss of a great photographic asset.

New Slickee Boys and Beatnik Flies pictures

New Slickee Boys and Beatnik Flies pictures on the Abandon Reality Photography Web Site. from the show on December 28th, 2007 at Chick's Surf Club. Photos by Tom Shea

Slickee Boys

Beatnik Flies

Other Slickee Boys Photos avalible at
Slickee Boys August 18, 2006

Slickee Boys May 27th, 2007

Picture and a Few Words

Karen also designs photo printed merchandise she calls Picture and a Few Words. They are beautiful Photographs with fun captions.

Sweet Little Monster

caught Red Handed

When Life is a whirlwind

When Life is a whirlwind remember there is no place like home

Young at Heart

When you still feel the wonder of a child despite decades of experience

When Things get overwhelming

Shoot for the Sky

Yellowstone National Park

Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone

Color Landscape Photograph of the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming by TOM SHEA

Wolf Tracks on Geyser Basin

Photograph of Wolf Tracks on Geyser Basin at Yellowstone National Park By TOM SHEA

Yellowstone river flat

An original color landscape photograph of Dead Trees on the River Flat in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming by TOM SHEA



Aspens on Hill
An Original color landscape photophaph of Aspens Trees on Hill in Yellowstone National Park Wyoming by Tom Shea

Sequoia National Park California

General Sherman Sequoia with Girls

Color photograph of The world's largest living object, in Sequoia National Park California by Karen Shea

Photographs of Sequoia National Park in California by Tom and Karen Shea.

These "old monarchs" will take your breath away !

Big Monarchs

Trunk of the General Sherman Tree

North Rim Grand Canyon

Photos from the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, Arizona by TOM SHEA

The vastness of the Grand Canyon offers limitless photo possibilities of light, color and contrast. How can you not take a good picture in the Grand Canyon?

Bright Angel Point

Landscape Photograph of Bright Angel Point from the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park Arizona by TOM SHEA

Natures Window - Grand Canyon

Color Landscape Photograph of Natures Window North Rim from the North Rim of Grand Canyon Arizon by TOM SHEA

Denali National Park Alaska

Denali - It will take your breath away

Mountain Art

An Original Color Landscape Photograph of a mountain top with clouds and blue sky in Denali National Park Alaska

Denali Sunrise

An original color photograph of a sunrise in Denali National Park Alaska

Denali Panorama

Original Color Panorama Landscape Photograph of the Denali Mountain Range at dusk, Denali National Park, Alaska at Sunset

Tom loves to photograph Alaska especially Denali National Park. He has had great luck being there on clear days when Mount McKinley is shining in all its glory.

Spiral Flight Art Show - EXAMPLES OF GRANDEUR

Our show at Spiral Flight Art Show - EXAMPLES OF GRANDEUR

TOM SHEA now has a show at Spiral Flight Yoga called EXAMPLES OF GRANDEUR. It includes photographs of several National Parks including Denali, Grand Canyon, Yosemite, and Yellowstone as well as other photos of natural beauty.

Spiral Flight Yoga
1826 Wisconsin Avenue NW,
Washington, DC 2007
202-965-1645
info@spiralflightyoga.com

Pictures from Show

Daffodil Stems

Bright Angel Point
Grand Canyon National Park,
North Rim
Arizona

Half Dome in July
Yosemite

National Park
California



Wolf Tracks on Geyser Basin
Yellowstone National Park
Wyoming



Waterfall, Avalanche Lake
Glacier National Park

Montana

Mountain Art

Denali National Park

Alaska

Dead Trees on the River Flat

Yellowstone

National Park
Wyoming

Natures Window
Grand Canyon,

North Rim
Arizona

Denali at Dawn

Denali

National Park
Alaska

Grand Canyon of theYellowstone

Yellowstone

National Park

Wyoming

Willow Grass
Near McLaren Glacier Alaska

Approaching Storm

Montana

Denali Panorama

Dusk

Denali National Park

Alaska

Return of Freedom

Return of Freedom is Color photograph of The Statue of Freedom being airlifted by Helicopter back to the top of the United States Capitol Building in Washington DC on October 23, 1993.

The Statue had been removed and restored. This is an uplifting image which symbolizes American values, strength and technological Prowess of our nation.

8 by 10 Prints available directly from TOM SHEA for $20. For More Information e-mail Abandonrealityphotography at gmail.com.

This image also available on Merchandise through Café Press.

Slickee Boys

Tom has taken thousands of pictures of the Slickee Boys. His photographs are on several of the bands record jackets. He was a Roadie and Driver for the Slickee's in the Early '80's. His Yellow Van can be see in the video When I go to the Beach.

"When I started taking pictures of the Slickee Boys back in 1980, I would shoot without flash because I did not want the stage background to be competing with the band. "

August 18th 2006 Pictures at the 930 Club

May 27th 2007 at the 9:30 club

Great Christmas Card Pictures

Items needed for a successful card shoot:

1. duffle bag containing
Santa Hats
sunglasses
red clothing

2. camera, flash, tripod and a remote trigger and of course film if that is your medium.

3. outside sunlight -directionally at the family, early morning or late afternoon.

4. optional: x-mas tree
plastic santa
large snow flakes
lites & garland

5. patience in setting up.

6. and if you do not have a remote trigger, somebody walking along will surely take the shots for you because once they get over the laughter of seeing you dressed up as Santa's helpers, they want to contribute to the craziness.

See our Christmas Cards

About Karen Shea

Karen is the Web Master and Computer Tech Support for Abandon Reality Photography. She is also the Child Wrangler.

She likes to point and shoot. She loves digital because she can just keep clicking and she can see whether the camera captured what Karen thought was interesting. Karen likes to go on walks and find interesting details to photograph that others walk by everyday without noticing.
Karen uses a Leica D-Lux 3.

Karen has a line of Christmas Tree Ornament which abstract designs derived from highly manpiuated photographs. She calls them Abstract Ornaments.
Karen also designs photo printed merchandise she calls Picture and a Few Words.

About TOM SHEA

The idea of capturing a good image has always been my goal. From the first camera, with figuring out the manual operation, to the use of a digital SLR and the many dimensions of capture, there is a great feeling when thought and sight lead to a perfect shot.

I've always been aware of light when looking at a subject. The highlights are important but the shadows are most intriguing. When I started taking pictures of the Slickee Boys back in 1980, I would shoot without flash because I did not want the stage background to be competing with the band.

Welcome to the Abandon Reality Photography Blog

Photography by Tom and Karen Shea. Pictures of National Parks (Denali, Grand Canyon, Sequoia, Yellowstone) Washington D.C., The Slickee Boys, Weird Stuff and our two beautiful girls, Selena and Diana.

Tom likes to shoot with Nikons, both digital and film, medium format Hasselblad, and large format.

Karen uses a Leica and likes to point and shoot lots of experiment images and see what looks cool.

Abandon Reality means in this age of technology, imaging has little to do with reality. Framing, filters, lighting, cropping and digital manipulation can change an image so much that the final picture has little to do with reality and everything to do with artistic vision.

So, Welcome to Abandon Reality. Embrace the beautiful, the weird, the cool, and the fun. Who needs the boring reality. We have Photography.

Abandon all reality ye who enter here. ;)