BetterPhotoJim

Check Out the New Course Pages!

Folklorico Dancer © Ibarionex Perello All rights reserved

Yesterday was a big day at BetterPhoto.com®. We released our new and improved photography course pages! We think you'll be pleased with the new, interactive interface. The days of scrolling through many pages of text are no longer. Browse the course features and instructor's background at your leisure using the rollover navigation bar on the left. The Course QuickView on the right is a fantastic tool for quickly identifying the category and skill level, as well as choosing a convenient start date.

A special thank you to all BetterPhoto staff involved in this awesome new site feature! Fabulous job!

Also, don't forget to take a peak at BetterPhoto.com®'s new ClassTracks™! Check out all our new pages, and sign up today!

Jim

Announcing ClassTracks™ Advisors

On Fire © Brenda Tharp All rights reserved

Here at BetterPhoto.com, we constantly strive to offer our students the most progressive, thoughtful photography instruction. We recently introduced ClassTracks™, an impressive combination of courses, which provide a clear path for students interested in a particular aspect of photography.

Today, I'm happy to introduce an addition to this exciting program, a ClassTracks™ Counselor, who can be a constant resource throughout all of the courses in a particular track - even beyond what the instructor can answer. The advisor can be as involved in your progress as you need, a catch-all for your problems and questions.

Don't hesitate to be a part of BetterPhoto.com's newest offering. The ClassTracks™ are bound to fill up quickly!

An Eye for the Abstract

© Jim Miotke All rights reserved

An important step in broadening your photography horizons is recognizing there are exciting images where you least expect them. This is particularly true with abstract photography. Changing your perspective relative to your subject by moving in closer or merely simplifying your composition are a couple of ways to realize such an image.

This red abstract is simply a reflection of a nearby boat. By changing the center of interest from the obvious (the boat), to the water, I captured this intriguing, artistic, almost sub-conscious image.

Don't be afraid to make difficult or creative omissions in order to find unique images like this one. This beautiful pattern of reflections would barely be noticed in a pulled-back, static image of a boat. Be patient and discerning. You'll find a unique energy in almost any scene.

Good luck!

Jim

The Wrong Side of the Law

Lupine Sunburst © Jim Miotke All rights reserved

Do you ever feel like your images are stale, or that you are always following the same old rules and formulas in your photography? Try some intelligent rule-breaking! You'll feel mischievious, and the results can be very rewarding.

For instance, take this macro image of a dewdrop. I completely cast aside the Rule of Thirds, a most sacred photography principle. In this case, a centered-composition adds energy to the photo. The geometric balance leads to an interesting graphic image.

Now, don't go nuts with your deviant behavior - what works with one shot, may look unpolished in another. The photo police are always watching...

Night Action Photography

Seattle at Twilight #5 - After © Jim Miotke All rights reserved

The short, dark winter days are the perfect time of year to practice and experiment with low light or night photography. There are tons of ways to shoot dynamic photos at night, including getting a exciting action-shot using time-lapse.

Following our annual BetterPhoto Summit in September, Kerry Drager and I took a group of eleven interested photographers on a photo shoot tour of the Puget Sound region. This image is the result of a shoot from an overpass above Interstate 5, heading north into downtown Seattle.

To create the streaming-traffic effect, I chose a slow shutter speed to blur the moving car lights in my composition. It took a few tries to find a composition with minimal light flair from the streetlamps. I also used the healing brush and clone stamp tool to clean up these small distracting elements.

One last tip: shoot scenes like this at twilight, within the first 20 minutes after sunset.