BetterPhotoJim

Online Courses on Canon cameras: Learn to use your Canon digital camera

At BetterPhoto.com, we have excellent online photo courses that focus on canon cameras. These online photography classes are interactive, feature critiques and discussions, and are designed to get you comfortable with your canon digital camera - in four short weeks!

Here's a rundown of digital photography classes:

- Learning Your Canon Digital SLR by Jim White: This online tutorial on photography covers the basics. It's geared toward students who own one of the Canon digital SLR cameras, but who have little knowledge of photography.

- The Canon 30D and The Canon EOS 20D. Both of these online photo classes are taught by Jim White.

- Mastering the Canon 5D, 1D Mark IIn, and 1Ds Mark II: This online photo course, by Jim White, covers Canon's pro line of cameras.

- Mastering the Canon EOS Digital Rebels by Peter Burian and Learning the Canon Digital Rebel Camera by Charlotte Lowrie. In either of these excellent online photo courses, you'll learn how to use whichever Rebel you own: whether it's the Canon EOS Digital Rebel (also known as the Canon EOS 300D), Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT (Canon EOS 350D) or Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi (Canon EOS 400D).

For information on photo sharing and digital online photography school ...

- Online photo courses: Improve photo skills, learn Photoshop basics and master advanced Photoshop through the BetterPhoto digital photography school. See the class listings at the online photography school.

- Photo sharing: Get a photo gallery online.

- Web sites for photographers: For selling photos or sharing photos, BetterPhoto's photographer Web sites are just the ticket. They are easy to set up, easy to maintain, and look very sleek and very cool with numerous options for personalizing!

Special 2-for-1 Super Sale at BetterPhoto!

At BetterPhoto.com, we have great ways to share, display, and sell photos. In particular, our Web sites for photographers are extremely cool and easy to use, and very affordable. Best yet, the Deluxe and Pro BetterPholios have just been updated with even more awesome design features.

To celebrate our new and improved Deluxe/Pro BetterPholios, we are offering a giant Super Sale on August 22nd and 23rd, 2007: Get 2 years for the price of 1 on either a Deluxe or a Pro BetterPholio!

Thus, if you place your order between Wednesday, August 22nd, at 12:01 am Pacific Time, and Thursday, August 23rd, at 11:59 pm PT, we'll add a free year to your account! The offer is good for both new sign-ups and renewals.

Note: This offer applies to only those orders paid in full. Payment plan orders do not qualify.

Sign up on August 22nd or 23rd to get your own Web site. Learn more about the two excellent options...
Deluxe BetterPholios
Pro BetterPholios

What I'm Eating

If you ever get to Boston, you've got to try out a restaurant called Mistral. Chef/Owner Jamie Mammano is an artist, to say the least. My wife Denise and I were referred to this gem of a restaurant by a waitress at your hotel. I started with cold soup of pureed cantaloupe (with basil leaves placed perfectly over pieces of crab). Denise started with a tuna tartar that was amazing! And that was just the start... it got better and better as the night moved on. We finished with a molten chocolate experience that was almost intoxicating.

(Is your mouth watering yet?)

After this most amazing dinner, we walked back to the T in Boston and noticed this cool neon sign. I wanted a unique memento so I selected a slow shutter speed and zoomed while handholding the camera toward the Back Bay station sign.

This photo, along with the promotional cards I grabbed on my way out of Mistral, will go in the scrapbook, for sure :)

What I'm Reading

I am reading a great book called Made to Stick - and loving it! In it, the authors talk about how some ideas "stick" (to use a term from Malcolm Gladwell's fascinating book The Tipping Point) and some ideas don't stick.

As a business owner, I have a need to figure out how to make ideas stick. After all, it's no fun to be expressing things to our audience that go in one ear and out the other.

The thing I just read that intrigues me is this: the authors discuss how people do not always make decisions based on rational “pros/cons” lists. People often first identify themselves, assess the situation, and then ask “What would someone like me do in this situation?” I have to attest. I do this all the time.

I'll likely be talking about several ideas I've gained from this book. If you'd like to join me in reading this book, I highly recommend it.

Quote from Mother Theresa

Ronald Fischer is a BetterPhoto member who often comments on my images and always has nice things to say. I have to admit, I really enjoy it when I get comments from Ronald on my photography.

When I went to his photography gallery today, I read the following from Mother Theresa. I just love this quote:

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self-centered
Forgive them anyway

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish motives
Be kind anyway

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies
Succeed anyway

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you
Be honest and frank anyway

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight
Build anyway

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous
Be happy anyway

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow
Do good anyway

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough
Give the world the best you have anyway

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and God
It never was between you and them anyway

- Mother Teresa

May you give the world your best photography and your best self, and enjoy the journey.

The Dangers of the Camera Strap

Your camera strap can save your camera from a fatal fall, no doubt about it. I keep mine around my neck whenever it’s practical.

However, there’s potential danger surrounding camera straps - especially if you have kids.

It’s a universally established fact that little ones that like to reach, grab, and pull things off of countertops. Make sure you store your camera up high and make sure the camera strap doesn’t hang over the edge. This will delay that day when your camera loses its battle with gravity.

Still Subject, Moving Background

Jim Miotke

Here's something fun to try: next time you have a still subject and a moving background, try using a slow shutter speed. That's what I did here for the image of my wife when we recently visited Boston. If you'd like to try this, just mount your camera on a tripod, use the Shutter or Aperture priority mode to set a slow shutter speed (like 1 or 2 seconds, depending upon the speed of your moving background) and ask your subject to stay perfectly still. It's a lot of fun. If you get results you're excited about, upload them to BetterPhoto and let me know so I can come take a look.

Want to Learn Paint Shop Pro? Check Out This Tutorial on Paint Shop Pro!

Corel Paint Shop Pro is a terrific imaging program that's a "veritable powerhouse" of features and potential. That's the expert word from Robin Nichols, author, photographer, photo imaging specialist, and BetterPhoto.com instructor.

Robin teaches an excellent online course on Paint Shop Pro. This online photo class covers all of the most recent versions of the program: Paint Shop Pro Photo XI, Paint Shop Pro X, and Paint Shop Pro 9.

In Robin's tutorial on Paint Shop Pro, you'll explore various techniques: using layers and retouching tools, understanding Blend Mode effects and advanced tone controls, and much more. See the indepth Paint Shop Pro tutorial course outline.

More information: Learn photography and share photos...

- Online photography classes: BP's digital photography school offers many online photo workshops designed for improving photo skills, using Photoshop basics and mastering advanced Photoshop. Review BetterPhoto's digital photography school.

- Photo sharing: Get an online photo gallery.

- Photographers Web sites: If you'd like a Web for photo sharing or for photo selling, then check out BetterPhoto's Web sites for photographers. These photographer Web sites are easy to set up, easy to use, and look very sleek and very cool!

Robin Nichols

Robin Nichols

A New Kind of Photography

Want to see something really cool?

Go to Live Labs and try out the Photosynth technology. If you have not heard of this... or have heard of it but have not yet tried it out for yourself, I encourage you to give it a spin.

It's a lot of fun and super impressive. Check it out at:
http://labs.live.com/photosynth/default.html

Summit Poster

We are gearing up for another "electric" Summit on September 29th and 30th. I am especially excited to reconnect with so many BetterPhoto members and instructors - who come to the event from all around the world.

Help us spread the word about our upcoming BetterPhoto Summit photography conference in Chicago. Download our beautiful Summit poster and print out as many copies as you like to place wherever you think a photography enthusiast might see it... camera stores, club meetings, your living room... you name it!

I look forward to seeing you in Chicago!