goldengod

Yeah, I know. I’m Canadian. Most Canadians consider ourselves to be America’s less boisterous neighbours, though. So on that note, a happy Independence Day to all my American readers! This week I’ve got three new things for you to try and three new things for you to drool over:

• How to Photograph Fireworks - Here’s your official guide to getting some great shots of the Independence Day fireworks in your area.
• Photoshop Tip: Non-Destructive Burning and Dodging - Brian Auer of Epic Edits goes all out in this photoshop tutorial. Burning and dodging were two of the remaining parts of my workflow that I hadn’t transitioned to non-destructive yet.
• HDR 101 - I usually hate HDR. It’s the most overused and tacky effect in modern digital photography. I’m making an exception because Vincent Mounier does a good job of explaining how to do it tastefully. And if Martha taught us anything, taste is important.
• Light Graffiti from Lichtfaktor - Long exposure lightpainting photography at its finest. Some of his creations are so adorable.
• Andrzej Dragan Photography - One of the most jaw-droppingly impressive Eastern European photographers. I can’t even begin to describe the quality of his work. He uses meticulous arrangements of light and delicate photoshopping to bring out the texture in his human subjects. Very surreal.
• Expectations of Adolescence by Blake Fitch - A series of photos documenting two cousins as they grow through their adolescent years. The photos span a full decade, taken only at large family reunions.

And I don’t know about anyone else but wow did I need that long weekend. I was exhausted all last week, but I feel great now! Posts coming up this week about some night photos I took on Canada Day, photography schools, and maybe a little bit about older flashes.