If you use a Mac, here’s a way to remove the background of a photo…fast!

With all the portraits taken with an iPhone these days, you might want to look at some portraits taken with an 8×10″ view camera by a true portrait artist. Go ahead, look at https://karsh.org.

While at a local restaurant, a photographer came around to take photos. My wife and I were sitting in front of windows. We came out in shadows. The sad part is that it could have been avoided before the photos were taken or fixed afterwards. By opening up a stop or more (yes, the photographer was using a “real” camera with controls) our faces would have looked better. By lightening the shadows after the digital image was made our faces would not be as dark. This kind of thing shouldn’t happen in 2024…by a “real” photographer.

Good advice for photographers…

“Using simple equipment and daylight alone is for me a pleasure and a replenishment.” ~ Irving Penn

Some photographers think that simple equipment is beneath them. They think that you need the latest (and most expensive) versions of your camera to get good results. Really? Yesterday’s photos weren’t any good because they were taken with yesterday’s cameras?

Do you know what camera Ansel Adams used? Do you know what camera Mathew Brady used?

Does it matter? Their photos have survived and are admired. Their equipment didn’t matter.

Simple is good.

Like all other speakers, Toastmasters have become avid Zoom users. In order to get the most out of it they should consider the following tips:

1. Look at yourself when you are on Zoom. Do you look like a ghost like figure, almost in the dark? Is your face on the bottom of the screen? If you are too dark consider enhancing the lighting in the room that you are in. Centering your face is as easy as adjusting the camera/screen that you are looking at. Your appearance online is VERY important.
2. Know how to use Zoom. Too many speakers are called upon to speak and have no idea how to take over. Learn. Practice. Wasting time is bad enough, looking like a dope is much worse!
3. Using PowerPoint, Keynote, Google Slides, or mmhmm is an essential part of speaking on and off line. Learn how to use the app that you will be using!
4. Photos are an important element of Zooming. Using photos that you have taken are the best!

Before you go on Zoom at a Toastmasters meeting…learn the basics.

You can change this…

…to this.

Using the Preview app…that’s built into a Mac. It’s got just about all the controls most folks will need.

My little friend likes to sit or lay down on my lap. Aside from not being able to move for a while the experience is very pleasant, especially since it makes it easy to take extreme closeup portraits like this one.

All it took to take this portrait was a knee (that I supplied), an iPhone (that I supplied), and a model (who was very willing. The only difficult part is holding the camera. With a little practice that’s not hard to learn. Incidentally, no apps were used. Just the iPhone’s native camera. It’s always good to have a Pug around. They are known for being lap dogs!

I looked up and saw the image on the ceiling. I took a picture of it. And then I used the DistressedFX app (for iPhones) to see how the image could be interpreted. Here are some of the possible ways…

Ruby always looked good…only question here is which one made her look better.

A post on Instagram made me think about simplicity. I was thinking about how much I enjoyed shooting with my 35 mm Nikons, especially with a 50 mm 1.4 lens. I still think of it as the idea.

You had to move in close.

It was very fast.

It was sharp.

Yes, I miss it.