eNews

PO Box 2248
Coppell TX 75019
Greetings, January 2008

2008 Workshops Selling Out Fast!

I must say that I'm thrilled that so many people will be joining me on this year's workshops.  I'm also humbled at the number of folks who are signing up for their second and even third workshop with me.  It is a challenge to provide new, fresh and exciting content and I'm confident that you'll all love the results.

Two workshops in particular are close to selling out, The Canadian Rockies and the Grand Teton National Park workshops have only a few places left.  If your interested in any of the workshops please don't hesitate to register. 

The Canadian Rockies
September 10 - 14, 2008
**Only 1 Space Left**

Come photograph stunning azure blue glacier-fed lakes, big-horn sheep, elk and moose. We base our activities in Banff, the crown jewel of the Canadian Rockies, just minutes away from some of the most beautiful photogenic scenery in the world. You have to experience Banff at least once in your life. 

Grand Teton National Park 
June 25 - 29, 2008
**Only 2 Spaces Left**

Grand Teton National Park is one of those must see locations.  The craggy, rock-faced peaks of the majestic Teton mountain range tower over 7,000 feet above Jackson Hole. There are no foothills to impede the view of these stunning mountains that run along the western edge of a 50-mile long valley.  A photographers paradise.

Deep In The Heart of Texas
April 9 - 13, 2008

Texas is famous for its wildflowers and there is no finer place to start our tour than in the historic Hangar Hotel in Fredericksburg - deep in the heart of wildflower country. This GreatPhotography workshop gives you the best that Texas has to offer. You'll split your time in the Texas Hill Country between enjoying the tapestry of colorful wildflowers, and the historic Hangar Hotel where you'll step back in time to the romance of 1940's aviation.

This is the only GreatPhotography workshop where you can enjoy the expert instruction of two outstanding photographers.  Joining me in Fredericksburg is  Griff Smith, one of Texas' most notable photographers and a full time shooter for Texas Highways magazine.

Digital Chicks
May 16 - 18, 2008

Sorry guys, this is a ladies-only retreat!

This is NOT a full workshop but instead a weekend digital getaway where you can learn about photography and unwind all at the same time.  After all, the Excelsior House has welcomed travelers since the late 1850's.  Join the like of Ulysses S. Grant, Oscar Wilde and Lady Bird Johnson when you sign the guest register in this charming East Texas hotel.  What better place for a workshop could there be?

So plan now to join us for a little wine and cheese - oh, we'll talk about photography too.

2008 Winter/Spring Classes Begin January 23

The Winter/Spring Class schedule kicks off January 23 with the first of two sessions for the popular Point, Shoot, WOW!  Whether you want to learn more about Photoshop or photo techniques, there's a class for you.  Check out the detailed class schedule on the website.

Did you get a new camera for Christmas?  Know someone that did? 

Point, Shoot, WOW! may be the class for you.  I've designed this one-night, three hour class to help those folks who don't want to hassle with the complexities of photography but simply want to understand how to take better photos using their point-and-shoot camera.

The class is offered January 23 and then again on May 5. 

Click Here to download the latest class brochure.

Travel Warning

Traveling with Lithium Batteries

Here's one that is sure to cause some confusion among travelers - the DOT’s rule on lithium batteries in air travel, which took effect on January 1, 2008, prohibits carriage of spare lithium batteries in checked baggage, such as large suitcases you hand over to the airline for handling. If you put a portable electronic device in checked baggage, you may still do so with the batteries installed in the device.

In carry-on baggage, you may still carry any number of some types of lithium batteries, such as the ones used in cell phones and most laptop computers, provided you take measures to protect terminals. You may also carry up to two more powerful batteries, within the limits described here.

Effective January 1, 2008, the following rules apply to the spare lithium batteries you carry with you in case the battery in a device runs low:

  • Spare batteries are the batteries you carry separately from the devices they power. When batteries are installed in a device, they are not considered spare batteries.
  • You may not pack a spare lithium battery in your checked baggage
  • You may bring spare lithium batteries with you in carry-on baggage – see our spare battery tips and how-to sections to find out how to pack spare batteries safely!
  • Even though we recommend carrying your devices with you in carry-on baggage as well, if you must bring one in checked baggage, you may check it with the batteries installed.

The following quantity limits apply to both your spare and installed batteries. The limits are expressed in grams of “equivalent lithium content.” 8 grams of equivalent lithium content is approximately 100 watt-hours. 25 grams is approximately 300 watt-hours:

  • Under the new rules, you can bring batteries with up to 8-gram equivalent lithium content. All lithium ion batteries in cell phones are below 8 gram equivalent lithium content. Nearly all laptop computers also are below this quantity threshold.
  • You can also bring up to two spare batteries with an aggregate equivalent lithium content of up to 25 grams, in addition to any batteries that fall below the 8-gram threshold. Examples of two types of lithium ion batteries with equivalent lithium content over 8 grams but below 25 are shown below.
  • For a lithium metal battery, whether installed in a device or carried as a spare, the limit on lithium content is 2 grams of lithium metal per battery.
  • Almost all consumer-type lithium metal batteries are below 2 grams of lithium metal. But if you are unsure, contact the manufacturer!

You can go to the DOT's safe traveler website for more details. 

Photoshop Tips

Watermarking Your Images

Q.  How can I watermark my images with a copyright mark of my name or other text?

A.  As with anything in Photoshop you can probably find several ways to do the same thing but this is a very straight forward method that works well. 

Add the text that you want in the watermark to your image.  Don't worry about the color but make sure that it is in the font, size and style you want.

Change the Fill on the Text layer to 0% and then add a Layer Style of Bevel & Emboss.  

Now wasn't that easy!  This process can easily be made into an action which you can run on any image or run against a batch of images.  If you do that, however, you'll want to be careful how large you make your type.  The relative size of the type changes depending upon the dimensions and resolution of the image so this will work best on consistently sized images. 

Opening a large Complex Document

Here is a neat quickie tip that will help you when working with large layered files.  Sometimes you may want to open a file with lots of layers but you only need to work with a composite of that file.  So, why waste the memory and time need to load such a large file. 

Instead, when you open the file, just hold Shift-ALT (Mac: Shift-Option) before you open the file and it will bring up a dialog asking you if you want to open just “the composite data.” Click OK and a flattened version will open instead, leaving your layered version untouched.

In This Issue

  • 2008 Workshops Selling Out Quickly
  • 2008 Winter/Spring Classes
  • Travel Warning: New Airline Restrictions for Batteries
  • Photoshop Tip: Watermarking
  • Photoshop Tip: Opening Complex Documents

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks to our
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Want to be an assistant?

I get requests from folks looking for photographers to help with photo shoots and events.  I'd like to keep a list of people who are interested in this type of work.

If your interested in being added to the list, just send me an email using the link below.  Be sure to include your name and contact information.  It would be good if you could attach a photo of yourself and a couple images of your work.  (Please, keep the files small)

No guarantees but it's good to have this information.

Thanks.

Yes, I'm Interested. 

 
 | ©2007 Rob Hull, All Rights Reserved |