©JoAnne Kalish
Just posted a 2010 Fall Foliage Workshop in the Upper Delaware scheduled for Saturday October 2
Category Archives: digital photography
2010 Mermaid Parade Festival Coney Island
Our most Recent Workshop was at the Mermaid Parade in Coney Island. Please double Click to see a few of the many faces from the Parade. It was a great day but hard working as a group in such a crowd. Shooting with a long lens was the answer most of the time as there was too much hustle and bustle of people rushing in as you were trying to make a photograph. It was a fun day in all!
Photos© MMX JoAnne Kalish
LOWER MANHATTAN WORKSHOP
Lions, Tigers, and Monkeys…Oh my…
© MMX JoAnne Kalish
Bronx Zoo Workshop
The last time I was at the Bronx Zoo our son Dylan was maybe 6 years old and I remember loving it. Here it is many years later and we had a workshop at the zoo. It was thoroughly enjoyable, once again we had a great group. Unfortunately, we were a little surprised as there were some exhibits behind glass which was something we were not told about by Bronx Zoo PR people. In spite of this, I think we all got some great shots. The attached Tigers & Ebony Lampur Monkey was taken with a Sigma 300mm 2.8 and a 2x extender. Long fast lenses were the answer as always at the zoo.
Another Sucessful Workshop
Photos ©Dylan DiMaggio
This past Sunday I gave Joe a hand in teaching his first Adorama Workshop since his bi-lateral hip surgery just a couple of weeks ago. It was taught in Brooklyn’s Dumbo area and at Gleason’s Gym. Despite the fact the weather was not very cooperative, it was a great workshop and we had a wonderful group of people.
One of our locations was at Gleason’s Gym which is always a fun place to shoot in because it’s full of such an interesting array of people. There are graphics galore, great portraits to be made, action photos of people training whether it be in the ring, hitting speed bags, lifting weights, running, you name it. Many different photographic skills are required and most amateurs or even most semi-pros don’t normally have this kind of exposure and access to shooting so many different types of situations all at once. It is, in my opinion, a great learning experience. Also many thanks to FDNY Firehouse Engine 205 on Middagh Street, one of the oldest fire departments in Brooklyn & Lieutenant Mallien for allowing us to bring along our group for a tour and to graciously allow us to do an environmental portrait of one of their firefighters. Thanks to Larry Malang, Dylan DiMaggio & Monica Cipnic for all their help with this workshop.
Snapshots, Pictures and Photographs
©MMX JoAnne Kalish
My life partner Joe DiMaggio has just had bilateral hip surgery at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan. It’s been a long time coming. You might say I’ve been a little preoccupied with a million other things.
It’s time to pick up that camera again and go back to work. As I walked the streets to and from the hospital I realized what a truly beautiful time of year it is and what I was not capturing out there with my camera. I heard my father’s voice in my head reminding me Spring was his favorite time of year. I brought my camera along as I usually do but really did not have much time to use it, as I did not have time to dally along the way. I found myself taking mostly record pictures with my IPhone to keep family and friends abreast of Joe’s progress. Taking photos on a phone is something I don’t do often but it certainly worked in this case and was kind of fun.
I always tell my students that in photography there are snapshots, pictures, and photographs. Snapshots and pictures are taken but photographs are made and I always strive to make photographs but there are certainly occasions for all and this was one of them.
Studio Portraits Using Strobes
Photos©JoAnne Kalish 
The idea of using strobes is a little daunting at first but if you’re interested in learning how, here is a tip someone once gave me. When you thumb threw a magazine and find a studio portrait you really love, cut it out and study it. Do this with several photos not just one. Look into the models eyes. Do you see any catch lights? How many do you see? This is a good indication of where the lights were placed. It sometimes is even obvious if you look closely whether a soft box umbrella,beauty dish or what have you was used.
In the past students have asked me about sponsorship. Just for the record, yes Dyna-lite is a sponsor of the DiMaggio-Kalish Workshops but I’ve been using Dyna-lite prior their sponsorship for many years. The president of Dyna-lite, Peter Poremba, is absolutely dedicated to making the best possible electronic flash equipment for the least amount of money. More important than that, he is truly dedicated to photo education.
Shutter Speed along with Motion Adds Dimension
©JoAnne Kalish
When you photograph a waterfall or a stream you learn you can capture a certain feel to your scene by shooting at a slow shutter speed. It’s necessary to use a tri-pod of course and preferably a self timer or hand-held release. You can take this technique to other situations as well. I like to add another dimension to my work, using motion whenever I can. I think it adds more interest. It doesn’t have to be a very slow shutter speed but just enough. It’s not always necessary here to use a tripod, unless you’re shooting really slow. By experimenting, you find out what shutter speed works for different situations. Here are just two examples. JoAnne Kalish
Think in terms of making a photograph not merely recording the scene.
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