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Hey everyone, Scott Kelby here.
I wanted to take a quick break from gearing up for the Worldwide Photo
Walk® to talk to you about my absolute most favorite event (and I get
to do it twice a year!!), Photoshop World.
Yeah, the guys and I get to go out on the seminar tours and all, but
Photoshop World is the only time all of us, from the art director to
the folks in customers service, get to actually meet the people that we
do this all for throughout the year. You. Our NAPP members.
Give us three days and we'll turn you into better photographers, faster designers, and smarter Photoshop users.
Plus, I promise that you will meet amazing people, learn cool new
things, and have an absolute blast the entire time. I mean, c'mon! What
could be cooler than gathering together with a few thousand of your
closest NAPP buddies to learn Photoshop?!
So I really hope that you'll be joining the entire NAPP crew, some of the world's most outstanding instructors, and me this year at Photoshop World. Like I said, this is the only time we get to meet and hang out with you guys so please, join us for the fun and stay for one amazing "training camp."
See you there!
Scott Kelby
P.S. When you sign up by August 28, you'll save $100 off your registration!
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One of our favorite things about Twitter is that our followers pass on to us links that we might otherwise miss. We found a great one this morning, 10 free Photoshop grunge brushes. Enjoy!
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Get down and dirty with Paul Wyatt's round-up of the best free Photoshop brushes for giving your work that lived-in look
Feeling a little “creatively challenged” by the default brush sets which come bundled with Photoshop?
document.write('');
Well expand your design horizons by trying out these free Photoshop
grunge brushes. Grunge brushes are great. They’re down and dirty and
add aged, damaged and distressed looks to your work. Each comes with a
variety of sizes and styles to help you perfect the right look for your
design. Paint the world with lovely grungy goodness with our brushed up
top ten.
Xarlieb’s Grunge Brushes for Photoshop
 Fancy adding mould, dirt and rust to your artwork? Add a damaged and distressed look with this excellent brush set.
Annika’s “Good And Evil” Brushes for Photoshop
 Aptly named this Photoshop brush collection is great for adding a gothic, dreamlike quality to your designs.
In Obscuro Graffity Brushes for Photoshop
 Get down with the cool kids with this graffiti laden grunge look – add this collection of 23 brushes to your Photoshop collection for instant street cred.
Jenn B’s Typographic Grunge Brushes for Photoshop
 A collection of 25 typographic brushes all geared to give your artwork a decayed, grungy look.
Grunge Brushes by Aramisdream
 Become a grunge artist the easy way with this retro grunge look collection of nine Photoshop brushes.
Dumpster Brushes by Dubtastic
 Don’t get down in the dumps with your existing brush collection. Instead give this collection of 8 Photoshop brushes a whirl. Each one has been created from photographs of old dumpsters. Now that’s novel.
Anodyne Cracked Brushes for Photoshop
 The
cracks are showing in your artwork. Quite literally when you install
this set of brushes to achieve a decayed, dry and old grunge look.
Scratch Grunge Photoshop Brushes
 Add grunge styled scratches with this excellent set of brushes.
High Resolution Photoshop Grunge Brushes
 For big and bold grunge artwork try this collection of six high resolution Photoshop brushes.
Borders "2" by CandyCane If you’re after adding grungy borders to prints, layouts or designs then install this set of brushes by Candy Cane Killer.

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To put it simply, if you are a photographer and have a website, you need a blog. A blog can be a huge supplement to your website and can offer more for the viewer than just viewing your portfolio online. What is great about a blog is you can post new work to it and describe a little bit about your recent photo shoots, add keywords to your copy which in turn will bring the search engines coming back to your site looking for new content.
Website structure:
The way that I structure my websites is that I post the work I want prospective clients to see on my main website at www.aaronlindberg.com, this is where I host my updated portfolio for viewers to see. The stronger images are posted here so that clients see a range of work. I do not show everything I shoot, just the photos I want people to see and what represents my business’ look and feel. Remember the saying, less is more…
Here is where the blog comes into play. When I set up my blog at www.photokidblog.com I wanted to use it as a journal for small/quick updates that the viewer can see what I have been working on, where I have been shooting across the country or anything else I want to share. A great thing I like to post is behind the scenes photos from recent shoots. By doing so it becomes a little bit more personal, it lets the viewer see my studio space or the type of lighting set up I am using. What I believe is the most important feature of a blog is that it allows me to post photos that might not make it to my main website. Basically it’s an online portfolio of constantly changing work, and a great way to refresh the content on your website.
What to blog about:
For all of us photographers, I have found that a great thing to post to your blog is a couple quick images from a photo shoot that have just been completed. Whether it is personal work, something you shot for a client or even an article relevant to your business, all of which are great ways to keep fresh content rolling through your blog. I do a lot of editorial shoots for publications so they get dibs on first run, but as soon as they hit the newsstand I will post a few shots to my blog. This is also a great way to plug a website and show the viewer who/what you have been shooting for. Don’t forget to link up if your client has your work posted on their website, it will help drive clicks to your site and increase traffic. It’s a win-win.
Ways blogs can benefit you:
There are numerous values for adding a blog to your website. I can speak from experience and tell you that I have had clients call my portfolio in for review simply because they looked at my photoblog and like what I was doing. It shows a different side from your normal work on the site. I am a big believer of getting fresh work on your site as much as you can so that it will show your prospective clients/viewers what you have been working on and help give them a range of your work.
It’s amazing when looking at your website traffic through Google Analytics or through your own website server how people are finding you and the keywords that are bringing them into your site. Because of the photoblog, I have gotten a lot more looks from various outlets into my site, I bet you will have the same result if you get started and keep the content rolling in.
Getting more traffic means better rankings in Google without paying for it. It will take a few weeks to see results but you will see your website gain ground when adding a blog and keeping it updated regularly. I think a good number to shoot for is bare minimum 3-4 times a month, which if you think about it is not that much time dedicated to helping your photo business move along and its completely free to post to your own blog.
How to get started:
There are hundreds of ways to start getting your blog rolling, personally I use Wordpress.com but there are many options out there to help get you rolling. Do some searching and see what works best for you. Ask around and see what works others like and pick what would work best in your process. I can assure you that after a time passes you will see more traffic to your site from your blog. If you decide to load software onto your server space, find someone who is willing to trade work to help you get it set up. It can be a little uneasy and feel invasive setting up something like wordpress but when it’s set up and rockin’ you will be very happy with it.
I do not have one reason why not to blog, the benefits are staggering and the consequences are few. I hope this helps kick start anyone who is on the fence or thinking about adding a blog to your website, it truly is a great thing for your business.
By Aaron Lindberg
www.aaronlindberg.com
www.twitter.com/aaronlindberg

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We recently saw this blog post and thought the information was so cool that we had to share it. Thanks to the guys at onOne Software for pointing us to this iPhone application.
Control Your Canon DSLR With Your iPhone
- Remotely fire your Canon EOS DSLR camera
with your iPhone or iPod Touch
- Remotely control the camera settings like
shutter-speed, aperture, white-balance and more - View images saved on the camera from your iPhone or iPod Touch
- Look through your camera's viewfinder remotely
- Great for remote-firing at weddings, sporting events, for kids, and for self-portraits
A Must-Have iPhone Application for Canon Digital Photographers
iPhone remotely controlling a Canon camera that's mounted on a basketball backboard
DSLR
Camera Remote is the next-generation cable release for your Canon EOS
DSLR camera. Just connect your camera to a WiFi enabled computer and
the DSLR Camera Remote software enables you to use your Apple iPhone or
iPod touch to wirelessly adjust cameras settings, fire the shutter,
review images, even get a live viewfinder preview. DSLR Camera Remote
is a must-have for remote shooting applications like high or low
angles, self portraits and children. With its advanced timers it makes
remote monitoring a snap. No internet connection required!
Here's what you need:
//
You
get full control over common camera controls including white balance,
image quality, shutter speed, aperture, intervalometer, and more.
Key Features
Remote Firing
DSLR
Camera Remote's key feature is the ability to remotely trigger the
shutter, or fire the camera. This seemingly basic feature is very
powerful. You can now trigger a camera in a difficult position, such as
in a church balcony or behind a basketball backboard. Or you can use it
to give yourself another set of hands in the studio - to interact with
your subject better or hold a reflector. There are all sorts of unique
shooting situations where you would like to trigger your camera from a
distance. With DSLR Camera Remote you can now do this with the
equipment you already have, no need for expensive radio transmitters or
open frequencies.
Remote Adjustments
DSLR
Camera Remote Professional Edition gives you full control over common
camera controls including shutter speed, aperture, ISO, white balance,
and more.
Image Review
Better
than a simple release, the DSLR Camera Remote lets you see the image
you just photographed to confirm you got the shot you wanted. With the
Professional Edition you can even zoom to 1:1 to check focus and
important details.
Live View
When
you combine the DSLR Camera Remote Professional Edition with a current
generation Canon EOS DSLR you can access the LiveView mode, which
allows you to see through the camera's viewfinder in near real-time.
This allows you to see your composition before you trigger the shutter.
This feature is great for self-portraits or when you can't see your
subject from your position. See a list of Canon cameras that are known to be compatible with LiveView mode.
Intervalometer
The
Professional Edition features an advanced intervalometer, or timer. The
intervalometer can be used as a custom self-timer or can take a series
of images at a given time interval. This is great for creating
stop-action animation. You can take a picture anywhere from 1 second to
1 day apart and take up to 1,000 frames.
Zero Configuration
DSLR
Camera Remote is a no-brainer to use with its zero-configuration
Bonjour® networking. Just plug your camera into a network-capable host
computer, launch the DSLR Camera Remote Server software, and bam! -
your iPhone or iPod Touch will discover your camera automatically. Your
host computer can be attached to a wired or wireless network, or it can
be the host in an ad-hoc, or device-to-device network. No active
internet connection is required!
Real-World Applications for DSLR Camera Remote
Self Portraits
If
you've ever experimented with self portraits, you know how hard it can
be using self-timers and running back and forth to the camera to see if
you've got the shot. Now with DSLR Camera Remote Professional Edition
you can see yourself through the viewfinder of the camera to make sure
you are positioned correctly, then take and review multiple shots at
your own pace rather than racing against the timer.
Free to Move
Stop
hiding behind the camera. If you photograph children or pets you know
how valuable it can be to keep eye contact with your subject and to
interact with them to get the right expression. Being stuck behind the
camera is often the worst place to be. With DSLR Camera Remote you can
move freely to interact with your subject, hold a reflector, you name
it. You can fire the camera easily and even review the shot without
having to return to the camera.
Event Remote Cameras
Sometimes
you just can't be behind the camera. If you've placed a camera in a
church balcony or behind a basketball backboard you need to be able to
fire your camera remotely. Today you have to use expensive radio
transmitters that can only fire the camera. With DSLR Camera Remote you
can fire, control and review your shots with the iPhone or iPod Touch
and the laptop you already own.
DSLR Product Line Description
DSLR Camera Remote Server
This
software runs on a host computer (desktop, laptop or netbook) and
controls the communication between the USB tethered Canon EOS DSLR and
the iPhone/iPod Touch client software. It is a free download.
DSLR Camera Remote Lite
This
is the client software for the Apple iPhone & iPod Touch. The Lite
version supports the remote firing of a camera as well as the ability
to review images after they are taken. Buy DSLR Camera Remote Lite from the Apple iTunes store for only $1.99.
DSLR Camera Remote Professional
This
is the client software for the Apple iPhone & iPod Touch. The
Professional Edition supports the remote adjustment of camera controls,
remote shutter release, LiveView preview through the camera viewfinder,
intervalometer as well as the ability to review and zoom to 1:1 on
images after they are taken. Buy DSLR Camera Remote Professional Edition from the Apple iTunes store for only $9.99 introductory price for a limited time (reg $19.99).
DSLR Professional & Lite Editions Compared
DSLR
Camera Remote is available in two versions, Professional Edition and
Lite. The Professional edition gives you full control over most camera
settings while the Lite version gives you basic control only. Refer to
the table below for details.
| Feature |
Professional Edition |
Lite |
| Connect to host computer |
 |
 |
| Fire Camera |
 |
 |
| See post-view image |
 |
 |
| Battery Status |
 |
 |
| Images Remaining |
 |
 |
| Zoom-in on post-view image |
 |
|
| LiveView |
 |
|
| Adjust Shutter Speed |
 |
|
| Adjust Aperture |
 |
|
| Adjust Exposure Compensation |
 |
|
| Adjust ISO |
 |
|
| Adjust White-Balance |
 |
|
| Quality Setting |
 |
|
| Interval Shooting (self timer, intervalometer) |
 |
|
Canon Camera Compatibility
DSLR Camera Remote supports most current and previous generation Canon EOS digital SLR cameras.
Supported Canon cameras (as of June 5, 2009) and connection types:
Firewire Connection:
- 1D Mark II
- 1Ds Mark II
- 1D Mark II N
USB Connection - Camera Must Be Set to PC Connection, Firmware must be up-to-date:
- Rebel XT/350D/Kiss Digital N
- 20D
- 5D
USB Connection - Camera Must Be Set to Print/PC (PTP):
- Rebel XTi/400D/Kiss Digital X
- Rebel Xsi*/450D*/Kiss X2*
- Rebel XS*/1000D*/Kiss F*
- 30D
- 40D*
- 50D*
- 5D Mark II*
- 1D Mark III*
- 1Ds Mark III*
- 20D, 30D, 40D*, 50D*
- 5D, 5D Mark II*
- 1D Mark II, Mark IIn, Mark III*
- 1Ds Mark II, Mark III*
-->
* Indicates camera support for LiveView preview mode.
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About JP
I have been shooting weddings with my father since I was 11 years old.
I can’t imagine not having a camera with me. I have over five years of
formal education & training, however, I have over 15 years of
experience. I enjoy what I do and most importantly love what I do.
There's nothing more fun than capturing life and making my clients
happy.
JP's Favorites
Here are a few of JP’s favorite things at Mpix.
Canvas Gallery Wraps
The depth, texture & perfect corners of gallery wraps are simply
beautiful on any wall.
Metallic Prints
I have these all over my office. The colors scream, especially blues
& yellows.
True B&W
The True B&W is just as I remember from my darkroom days.
Learn more about our True B&W paper type
Postcards
You can do so much with postcards, a birth announcement or a save
the date's are two things I often use them for.
Greeting Cards
Greeting cards are not just for the holidays, my brides & grooms often
use them for thank you cards. The 5x7 glossy is off the hook.
Custom Hard Cover Books
Almost every one of my bride & grooms receive a photo book. You
can't beat the assortment of sizes or the fast turnaround time for
these books.
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Follow @Landailyn
Check out the blog post below for more details!
“I opened-up a yogurt,
underneath the lid it said, "Please try again." because they were
having a contest that I was unaware of. I thought maybe I opened the
yogurt wrong. ...Or maybe Yoplait was trying to inspire me... "Come on
Mitchell, don't give up!" An inspirational message from your friends at
Yoplait, fruit on the bottom, hope on top.” Mitch Hedberg
I'm giving away two massive 20”X30” prints from Mpix to one lucky reader of Janinealogy!
Even though I was tempted to make this an essay contest, with a 5000
word arguement on the merits of crunchy vs. smooth peanut butter, just
because I'm mean that way, in the interest of fairness, sanity, and the
fear of death threats, I decided to do a combination question / comment
number thing. So, comment here, on this blog, in this thread, with the correct answer to ONE of the posted questions between now (Monday, May 18) and Midnight, Sunday, June 7. (Why June 7? Because it's my birthday, that's why!) The winner will be picked, randomly, by comment number and correct answer (meaning, first the comment number will be randomly chosen via random.org,
then the answer of the question will be verified manually) and the
winner announced on Monday, June 8. No favoritism considered, no
sucking up allowed. If you're a regular reader or Twitter follower, the
questions should be pretty easy to answer; if you're not, they still
are, basically, no brainers with very little effort. Rules = Simple:
- Find the answer to one of the questions, below. The answers can be found either on this blog (#'s 1 & 2) or on Twitter (#3).
- Comment
on this post, dated Monday, May 18 (5 /18/09), 2009, giving the answer
to ONE of the three questions. Comments made anywhere else on the blog
will not be counted!!!
- Comment only once! Duplicate comments / commentors will be deleted.
Questions = Easy:
- The full name of my Great-Great-Grandfather who fought in the Civil War?
- The full name of the man pictured in my Photoshop User Award winning photo restoration?
- As @Landailyn, I schedule three announcements of my blog posts each weekday on Twitter via Tweetlater. Two (2) of them are the Exact same time, each day. What are these two (2) times?
Again, the correct answer is required for only ONE of these questions! Read the questions carefully!
So, how easy is that? Seriously!
Now,
who wouldn't like a couple of 20” X 30” prints from Mpix? I know you
photographers and Photoshop wizards would, but what about my
genealogist / family history friends? Think about it! Design a cool
family photo collage in Photoshop Elements! What about a couple of
family charts, one for your mothers family, one for your fathers?
Uh-huh, I can see it! While you're thinking about that, and deciding
what to do with these two gigantic free prints, have a look at what
else Mpix has to offer, including these great, affordable photo books!
Be
sure to check this blog on June 8, to see if you're the winner! I'll be
having a couple more contests in the weeks to come, including one
hugely...HUGE giveaway! Stay tuned! Good luck to all who enter!

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We were sent a notice from our Twitter friend @photo_guide that they had posted a review of Mpix. Naturally, we had to check it out and thought you might find it interesting as well.
http://photography.about.com/od/developingandprinting/gr/mpixreview.htm
The Bottom LineMpix is as close to a
photographer's dream printer as we are likely to get. With low print
prices, a very nice selection of printing options, and amazingly fast
service Mpix makes ordering prints less stressful for pro and amateur
alike. Pros
- Low Prices
- Incredibly Fast
- High Quality
Cons
- Canvas Prints are actually prints mounted on canvas
- Shipping is high if you only have a couple prints to order
- MPix press products not as competitively priced
Description
- Division of Miller Professional Imaging
- Low cost/high quality photographic prints
- Orders generally ship within 24 hours, many same day
- Flat rate shipping per order
- Wide selection of products other than standard prints available
Guide Review - Photo Printing Options
Mpix is a division of professional lab Miller's Professional Imaging.
Miller's has been around since 1964 and when they decided to reach out
to the "amateur" market they did it right. Not only did Mpix quickly
grab the attention of casual photographers, they won the hearts of many
professionals.
While many photo printers geared towards the casual photographer offer
few options and slow turn around times, Mpix strives to ship orders
within 24 hours (many go same day) and offers printing options that the
only pros used to be able to offer. Prints are available on Kodak
E-Surface paper, true Black and White paper, and Metallic paper. Lustre
coating is also available to add more sheen and durability to prints.
And with prices that catch nearly anyone's eye ($1.99 for an 8x10) Mpix
is taking no prisoners. Mounting, framing, keychains, puzzles, canvas
mount, wrap around canvas, calendars, wall clings, and more are all
offered on Mpix's site. While the pricing for non-print items is not as
low as some other sites, the quality is high and the ability to
one-stop-shop these items with prints is a big bonus. My only real pet
peeve with Mpix is that their standard canvas prints are actually
normal prints pressed onto canvas instead of printed on canvas. This is
currently clearly stated on their site.
Overall, Mpix.com is an excellent solution for those wanting
professional quality printing, speed, and service without the need for
large order minimums and professional lab contracts.

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As a wedding photographer, often we take hundreds or thousands of images that ultimately get seen by a very small number of guests. This affects our bottom line in several very real ways - fewer referrals, smaller print sales, and less name recognition. To help combat this, we changed several things in our work flow and packages to help ensure an amazing experience for our clients, their guests, as well as helping expand our business.
First, we always include an engagement session with every wedding package. While not every client takes advantage of this, we strongly recommend it, as it allows them to get comfortable with our style of shooting, and we get to know how they interact when the spotlight is on, so to speak. After the shoot, we convert the images and upload them directly to Zenfolio for proofing. We also pre-design several custom products for them to see, such as framed prints, signature albums, and save the date cards. This allows them to think of the possibilities of their images beyond just the standard 8x10 or 11x14 wall prints. With the fast turnaround from Mpix, we can have the finished product in their hand within days, rather than weeks or months - a big bonus when working on a tight deadline!

A few weeks before the wedding we utilize the image statistics from their engagement gallery to see which images from their shoot has been viewed the most, and create what we call "Gallery Cards". These business cards from Mpix are designed very simply - the client's name and their image on the front, and a thank you on the back with directions to view their Zenfolio gallery after the wedding, and a coupon code for free prints for the guests. By utilizing Zenfolio's custom coupons, we can create date sensitive coupons that allow us to drive traffic quickly to their gallery, when their emotional impact will still be at its peak. Photography is an emotional purchase, so the longer they wait, the lower the sales will be, plain and simple!
How do we get these cards in the guest's hands? Simple! During the event, we shoot in RAW+JPG mode. During the dinner downtime we simply download the JPG images, pick out our favorite 50-100 images, and apply a few adjustments. Google's Picasa or Bibble Pro work extremely well for this, as both are extremely fast programs. After our quick edits, we will place our laptop either near the bar (always a good choice) or near the entrance, and set the images to loop in a slideshow. We place the gallery cards on the table, and let it go. It's always fun to watch a huge crowd gather, and when the bride and groom get to see it, be ready for the tears of joy!
By using an image of the bride and groom, rather than a business card or just plain text, the guests are more eager to take one, and don't feel like it's a sales pitch. Many times, people don't even realize that we provided the cards, and the clients were just as surprised as the guests! (We don't tell our clients that we do the slideshow, it's always our little surprise for them).
After the wedding we pre-design Thank-You cards for the clients, and offer to put the free print offer on there for them. We provide these at a very nominal charge - it's advertising for us! If they decline, we offer to print more gallery cards to insert in their own Thank You cards, at no charge, of course. All of our clients have expressed gratitude for this offer, and love the fact that they are getting more than they expected. Being able to give their guests free prints is an added bonus!
I know what you're thinking - how do you increase sales if you're giving prints away? Well, to be honest, hardly anyone gets just the free prints. In the past 2 years we've been doing this, I can only think of a handful of orders that didn't buy more than the free print offer. Yes, you'll have some, and I don't have a problem with that. But overall, you can expect your post-wedding print sales to at least double. By using Zenfolio to handle the orders, this extra income comes with no downside - you're free to continue your daily business, while your Zenfolio account balance grows!
I hope this has given you some fresh ideas about how to utilize Mpix Press products for your own promotion, and how to leverage Zenfolio's partnership with Mpix to be able to handle a dramatic increase in print orders with little effort on your part. Take advantage of the tools that are available to you, rely on the amazing team put together by Mpix and Zenfolio, and you'll find yourself free to increase your client base, your referral network, and most important, your income!
Until next time!
Shan
Shannon Smith 831 Photography www.831Photography.com
Shannon Smith is an owner of 831 Photography, who specializes in wedding photography. His work has been seen in Today's Bride Magazine, Akron/Cleveland Family Magazine, and was recently featured in Rick Sammon's book "Digital Wedding Photography Secrets". He is an avid teacher who freely shares his knowledge with aspiring and established photographers. Check out the Mpix.com forums for the next Mpix meetup Shannon will be teaching at - the 2010 Mpix Cruise!

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As we wrap up the Mpix Shootout, here are two guest posts from our mentor photographers, Scott Plauche and Jessica Edwards. Thanks again to Scott and Jessica for volunteering their time and talent.
This
past Saturday, May 9th, I had the opportunity to take part in the first
ever MPIX Shootout in Pittsburg, Kansas. Jessica Edwards
and I were the mentor photographers for the event, and had the pleasure
of showing the group how we do what we do. I worked primarily with
Marshal and Megan, showing how I photograph couples, and Jessica rocked
out like she always does with the senior guys and girls.
Here are a few behind the scenes shots provided Jerime Carpenter:
Me shooting Megan and Marshal in a cool little grungy alley.

Gotta show em what we’re getting so they can feel the love!

This waterfall was cool!

Me (left) and Matt (right) getting down and dirty for some cool wide angle stuff.

And a couple provided by long time friend Pat Harris:
This staircase was wicked. Cort’s up top shooting down on the scene.

Matt’s holding down the scaffold while he and Jess chimp. Marshal and Megan are feelin’ the love again.

What a great day we had! I’m looking forward to the next one for sure. Follow MPIX on Twitter, Facebook, and their blog to see what’s up with the next one!!!
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On Saturday the 9th, Mpix and Millers Lab sponsored a shootout for local photographers. Scott Plauche
and I were mentor photographers for the event. Scott taught how to
shoot couples on location and I taught shooting senior guys and girls
on location. This is the first of these types of events
sponsored by the lab, but we had a great turnout! There were 30 local
photographers and photography students in attendance. It turns out that
Pittsburg is a fantastic place to shoot! Every corner we turned was a
new, great location. I'd like to thank our models, Daniel, Rachel, Megan and Marshal. They were awesome and helped us create some beautiful images! Meet Dan...   Meet Rachel...   Rachel
and Dan were very good sports. Although they are not a couple, they let
me talk them into posing for some images together. Thanks guys!  and meet Marshal and Megan...   These are a few I took of the group...   Scott photographing Megan and Marshal     Here are a few the others took of me teaching and also of the group....        I look forward to the next one!

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Well today was just absolutely awesome - I had such a great time. We
all met up at Mpix here in town to have a shoot out around
downtown. There were about 4 models - one couple and two other people
willing to model for us. It was really fun and I got some great shots -
I'll post these in my Flickr soon. The reps from Mpix were so
generous to give us lunch and gift cards to use for on-line ordering.
It can't get any better than this!





After
lunch we got a tour of how/where MPIX does their printing,
binding, mailing, and we also saw their different types of printing
styles they offer. I've printed with MPIX before and got my work very
quickly and the quality was great. They've definitely made a customer
out of me. Great service & people. There were a pair of local
photographers who would set up the "scenes" with the models and they
were very sweet and helpful to others as well.
Everyone was great - I'm looking forward to the next one!!
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We want to thank Natalia for attending the shootout and for sharing her blog with us. Check out her work at nataliarex.blogspot.com.
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We'll admit that we might be addicted to Twitter (and Facebook), but we love interacting with our customers. Part of the fun is seeing what everyone is like outside of the customer service emails we receive, but what is invaluable are the comments and feedback we receive from our social networking sites. Here are just a few of our favorite Tweets.
If you're not already, follow us @mpix on Twitter!
- jtamagini @mpix just sent in a huge sailing photo for printing...rock it out like you always do!
- Birdsongphoto Awesome quality canvases, beautiful color and b+w prints, metallic paper = the shizz! http://mpix.com. Tell them the bald guy said hey ;o)
- aaronbelcher @Polymira impressed with a print done on metal "paper" by mpix.com, out of Kansas. I recommend
- abiteofsanity @mpix Thanks for helping me score with mom this year. ;) So glad I can be confident to have you guys ship a print sight-unseen.
- jgoerzen @HustlerTurf For a great example of a corporate twitter account, see @mpix. They talk about their stuff, but make it personal too.
- JoshBradleyFoto My 3 framed prints just arrived from @mpix, and they are great!! My client is very happy. THX Mpix!!
- gapey wow mpix.com is superfast. Ordered a large canvas print last night and it is already shipping today
- andreapender Again, I have to say...Mpix is amazing!
- twokidsandamap @adriapeaden Have no idea if this is what you are looking for but I love http://mpix.com Professional look without the price!
- CMillerDesign Just got my first framed, matted prints from @mpix - have printed with them for years, but am now addicted to their amazing framing service!
 
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We had such an amazing time Saturday at the Mpix Shootout. In fact, we're already talking about when we can do it again! Here are some shots from the weekend. Special thanks again go to Jessica Edwards and Scott Plauche for volunteering their Saturday to mentor us!

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The great people at Digital Photo Pro have posted a new software review, and boy do they like Genuine Fractals!
Check out the post here.
Here's our favorite part from the article:
"I soon discovered that not only is Genuine Fractals 6 Professional Edition powerful and versatile, but it’s also easy to use. I opened the image in Photoshop, went to the onOne Software menu and opened Genuine Fractals, typed in the desired size and resolution, and clicked Apply. In a few moments, my resized image was done. You can adjust texture, sharpening and film grain effects, if desired, but the default settings work very well. The software also contains a number of presets, so you can just select the desired paper size rather than typing in a size. When you do this, a crop mask appears over the image, showing the crop in that format—you can crop and resize in one step, which is very helpful.
To produce a gallery wrap, where the print edges wrap around a 3-D frame, just click the gallery-wrap button, and the software automatically extends the edges to wrap without losing any of the live image area. (It’s equally easy to tile an image to make a huge poster using a small-format printer. Just click on the tiling option and select the printer’s largest paper size and a tile overlap—0.25 inches is a good general setting.)
I uploaded my gallery-wrap image to the Mpix website and followed the instructions for formatting the image, and the resulting gallery-wrap print looked sensational. Fine detail with straight and curving lines isn’t easy for a digital system to reproduce, but the Genuine Fractals rendering was excellent—and this from a 3.5-megapixel, ISO 800, handheld, telephoto JPEG “original”!"

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One of the great perks of ordering FedEx from Mpix in the past was the ability to track your order online. After many requests, you can now track your US Mail order using your Mpix My Account page!

To track your US Mail order: 1. Go to My Account 2. Select "Order History" 3. Next to your order number you will see your US Mail tracking number. 4. Click the link to be redirected to the USPS tracking page.
PLEASE NOTE: FedEx Next Business Day service is our fastest method of delivery. For all time sensitive orders, FedEx shipping is recommended. US Mail service can take three to five business days.

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Boutique Packaging from Mpix just got much, much cooler. We've been trying to keep quiet on this new product, but our excitement is too much to contain any longer.
Starting today (April 30th), when you order Boutique Packaging, you will receive one wallet box for every 60 wallets you order- and at no extra cost!
Here are a few pics of our newest product making it's way through the lab.
 The wallets are printed and checked for flaws or errors.
 After passing through quality control, the wallets are die cut.
 Not only do you get a wallet box, but Mpix Boutique Packaging comes in a slick looking box or envelope.
 Your wallet box comes neatly packaged in the Boutique Packaging box. We're not able to actually ship the wallets in the wallet box for print safety reasons.
 And here it is... the final product.

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