Google Plus

Here is my Google Profile, so feel free to add me if you are using Google+. It’s pretty cool, and I find it’s super easy and fun to make groups with circles.

Also, I added the +1 thingy to the page here… it will be up at the top of every post along with the FB stuff. When you click it, you tell Google that you trust the page and there is good content here…. thanks for your support on that… I don’t ask for too much, do I? Hehe… Thx again.

Be Careful!

So, today’s shot reminds me of good man David duChemin, who recently took a serious tumble while getting a photo. He was laid up in the hospital for a long time and things looked pretty grim. He’s on the mend… and a nice way to show support is to pop over and check out some of David’s new eBooks! He has an amazing selection over there, and it’ll be something that benefits you too.

Anyway, today’s photo looks pretty scary yes? Do you think I would actually walk out on that ice to get this shot? Heck no… there are lots of ways to get interesting looking shots without pushing the limits… so, just because a shot LOOKS like it was dangerous does not mean it was… don’t let my shots or other shots make you feel inclined to take “risky” shots yourself.

Daily Photo – Delicate Ice in Spring

After dinner one evening in Ísafjörður, I drove through a nearby town and up into the mountains. Along the road, I noticed an iced-over river that was beginning to thaw in a few areas. I pulled over, and scrambled down the hill to set up for a shot.

I tried this both with and without an ND filter. The ND filter didn’t add anything to the shot except for a lot of pain! The light was low enough were a small aperture could get the feeling of the river through the hole in the ice…

http://stuckincustoms.smugmug.com/Portfolio-The-Best/your-favorites/10668747_AuyBk#1355897661_d3mLV3w-A-LB

 

New HDR Video Tutorial in 24 Hours!

The old video tutorial has been taken down, and will never be available again – but don’t lament! The new one will officially launch tomorrow and I think you’ll love it… If you already had the DVD and wondered about the new thing, here’s a nice quote for you:

“I was initially uncertain as to whether to ‘attend’ this webinar. I had purchased Treys’ DVD and wondered why I should spend more money on this. I must say that I enjoyed the webinars even more than the DVD’s & was surprised in how much I learned. Thanks again for an excellent presentation. I did & will continue to enjoy and learn. It was money well spent!!!’ – Jon Barney, Virginia

Daily Photo – The Long Curvy Road Around Iceland

I’m packing now for another summer solstice at 66 degrees north. It’ll be a great one!

I’m also trying out some new photo bags… people send me stuff to try out all the time. Hehe… I make it clear to all of them that I only review and recommend stuff that I actually use… if I don’t like it, I won’t rip on it, I just won’t mention it. If it turns out to be good, I’ll give it a big thumbs up and tell you all about it… so I am about to go through the big ceremonial process of moving all my stuff from one bag to another… you know that process. It’s actually kind of fun, to tell you the truth… Also, it’s down there in my ethics statement. I only review and recommend stuff I actually use rather than giving you 20 reviews a week. I think that keeps it simple, and also, you aren’t forced to read a bunch of reviews that hem and haw about this and that…

And when I get to Iceland, I’ll be up on this wonderful road again… this gentle curving road that circumnavigates the island… sleeping days and staying up through the white nights… I can’t wait!

The First Camera App to Integrate with Instagram

I’m happy (and honored) to announce that we are the first camera app to use the amazing Send-to-Instagram feature! 100 Cameras in 1 (iPhone link and iPad link) is now ready for download with the new feature.

Now our hundreds of thousands of users can make use of the amazing Instagram network. I’ve been using it for a long time, and I’m a big fan. It’s free, so why not grab it? My name on there is @TreyRatcliff. What’s yours?

The Very Serious Press Release

What Makes a Good Photo Great? The Morning Smell of Waffles and the Power of Instagram

On April 29, 2011, the world paused to watch Prince William and Kate Middleton walk down the aisle in a stunning, fairytale wedding. Indeed, it was a veritable union of brawn and beauty, royalty and humble beginnings, tradition and reckless love. On May 30, 2011, the world will again witness a marriage of epic proportion as the photo-sharing juggernaut, Instagram, merges with the elegant and poetic camera app, 100 Cameras in 1. Combined, these apps represent almost 5 million users, a hundred million pictures, memories, and stories, and infinite possibility. Even the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge couldn’t pull off a feat so massive.

Read the rest of the press release…

Daily Photo – Red Boat in Fjord Before Storm

As soon as I drove into Isafjordur in the very remote area of NW Iceland, I went right to the docks. The water was so calm and perfect that it was beyond belief. I was super-tired, and I thought that the still water MUST be a unique phenomenon, so I toughened up to go take a bunch of photos.

It was extra-hard because I knew I was ready to go to sleep… and I knew it was about to rain… and it’s one of my favorite things to sleep in the rain. So this worked out nicely since I also like to take a bunch of photos right before it rains. So I took photos till I almost collapsed, found my hotel room, jammed a lot of chocolate, and then fell asleep in that endorphin-laden serum to the gentle rainstorm.

You guys are insane – Thanks!

Wow I didn’t think yesterday’s post about the Photoshop Giveaway to announce the Webinar would generate so much traffic. It shows how many “lurkers” there are on here. You know, guys, you don’t have to wait until I give something away to leave a comment! hehe… no problemo… I already know from the stats that less than 1% ever comment. That’s cool… if you’re quiet, I’ll just assume that everything is a-ok. I’m kind of a quiet person too, really…

A great bootleg video from EG

I got to see this live at EG – it was one of the most amazing things… So, these two guys, Jake Shimabukuro and Charles Yang had just met the night before! Jake is the most famous ukelele player in the world right now… if you think that sounds lame, well then wait till you see this. And Charles Yang is from here in Austin, and he’s currently finishing his degree at Julliard. Thank God I did not have to speak right after them!

Daily Photo – The Best Fish Evar

I have a restaurant suggestion!

The best fish I have ever had is in that little viking-house there to the right. You have to duck to get through the door. Once inside, you emerge into a darkened viking-style dining hall (imagine the great hall where Gríma Wormtongue held powah over King Théoden of Rohan).

This spot is pretty well-known restaurant called Tjöruhúsið in the little town of Isafjordur. There is a little window in the back where the fishermen come every morning to deliver the fresh fish in exchange for getting to eat there for free. They bring you the food inside giant iron-clad pans… it was so awesome. I’m going back in a few months and I’m going to gorge myself here with giant dinners before heading out for all-night shooting.

Daily Photo – Icelandic Docks in the Afternoon

I arrived in Isafjorder in the middle of one afternoon, and my schedule was all askew. I had driven all night, taking photos along the way.  I usually tried to arrive at the hotel by 11 AM or so, because that was my bedtime.  If I didn’t hit the sack each day at 11 AM and wake up at 6 PM, then it threw everything off for the next cycle!

The skies were so interesting when I arrived, I decided to spend a few extra hours visiting the docks to explore.  This is a famous fishing town in the far northwest part of Iceland, so the docks had a nice sense about them.  I was so dog-tired that I was just kinda going through the motions.  But it did keep me in that sleepy dream-state that helped everything flow easily.

After this, I went to check into another Hotel Edda.  Many of these locations are converted high-schools that are hotels in the summer months. It’s so strange sleeping in a school in the middle of the day.  I happened to arrive at each one on opening day, so I was often the only guest there.  It’s even more eerie, being in a huge school all by myself, sleeping away.