Do you Tweet? I do.



I must admit that when I first created my Twitter account way back in May of '08 I didn't get it. The interface is not conducive to seeing the full picture. Soon after I came across an app called TweetDeck that made the light bulb go off for me in terms of the potential. There are a few other apps like this now that help you better manage your tweets, direct messages, etc. I also use Twitter to update my Facebook page status.



True, there is inane running commentary on people's lives in the Twitterverse but it doesn't have to be that way for you. The people I "follow" provide me with interesting insights on popular culture, current events, and trends in social media & online marketing to help me with my work. If the majority of tweets I saw were "I am cold", "I need coffee", "I want blah, blah, blah" I would have checked out long ago.

In most of my tweets I lpost pictures that I have taken. All are taken with Kodak cameras. The people that follow me seem to like them given the feedback that I get. What better way to walk-the-walk when it comes to showing off the stuff we make here. If it can provide a bright spot in someone's day, all the better!

The pictures I have posted in previous tweets can be seen here.
If you use Twitter and want to honor me with a follow I am @TomHoehn. I will make sure I will keep the details about picking up my dry cleaning and caffeine intake to a minimum. ;-)

Usually I write about picture taking and travel.  While we've been planning our next trip, something special happened a few weekends ago.

Our daughter has been taking dance classes every Saturday morning for the last 5 years during the school year.  Each season ends with a recital, usually held at an area college auditorium. This year, it was held at Kodak's Theater on the Ridge here at Eastman Business Park in Rochester, New York.  I can't resist sharing!

Here's the theater, outside and inside:





In that inside picture, you can see the mortal enemy of the family picture taker: low light!  I turned the flash off for that picture.  There's no point in having it on, since my little flash can't light up the whole theater. If I were a professional I'd have a tripod and use long exposure times to get enough light for a great picture.  Using your camera's automatic settings, you get better results if you find a place where you can steady the camera and let the camera do its best.

If your subject is close enough, let the flash do its job, like this:



Don't be afraid to get close! I like how her hair and costume fade into the dark background, highlighting skin tone (recital make-up helps build contrast!)

Julia has been taking ballet, tap and jazz dance with her friends Hannah and Lizzie. The three dance-kateers are dressed and ready to go.



You may remember that I travel with my V570 dual lens camera. I love the wide angles it captures and the pocket sized convenience.  But it's showing its age, and then there was Christmas, and Kodak has all these nice new cameras.... and then the I read about Smart Capture... and I am the proud owner of a new Z1015! 

Here are two sets of pictures comparing similar views, taken at the same time by each camera. Can you tell which is which?
 


Did the V570's wide angle lens give it away? Those are the pictures on the right. I can say the new camera does a better job with light management, preventing washout and brightening dark areas.

Back to the recital. It's a chaotic and grueling three hours.  Julia was in 3 out of the 57 performances. Yes, 57! Each dancer must report backstage 5 numbers before each of their performances and return to a seat with her parents after. So, during a 10 second transition between each performance 20 moms and 20 daughters pop out of their seats to run backstage while another 20+20 come running in.  Don't be afraid to take candid pictures.  I see a lot of families that only take posed pictures.  Just stick the camera out and snap.  Don't even worry about the angle! Here, Julia is waiting for her first performance.



Taking pictures of a performance is the trickiest of all indoor family pictures.  There are 3 things you must do.

First, turn your flash off. All you will get is back of the head of the guy in front of you.  It can't light up the stage 50 feet away, and turning it on will put light in the foreground where you don't want it! 

Second, hold the camera as still as you possibly can.  I sit on the aisle, lean back and brace my elbows on the armrests.

Third, takes lots of pictures.  Chances are that only one in five will be keepers.  For dance motion, I experimented with sport mode and full automatic, always careful to make sure the flash was off.  My favorites are the ones that look like action shots - those where you can tell something was happening!  Here are a couple.





Here's one I liked that was at a pause in the action.



Finally, here is the triumphant trio at the end of their fifth dance year.  That new Kodak Z1015 is lookin' pretty good!


 

Images presented this week all play on the color saturation. Saturation refers to the intensity of the color. The photographers have used light to intensify the color.

How do you do it? How can you play with the saturation in your photos?
The easiest way is to use photo editing software after the image is captured. Some cameras do offer the ability to set controls.

Tips for KODAK EASYSHARE Software:
•    Use the enhance button it uses KODAK PERFECT TOUCH Technology to automatically enhance the color.
•    Try the scene effects that intelligently adjust color depending on the scene (ie sunset, forest)
•    Feeling daring, use the manual sliders to adjust exposure highlights etc

If you don't already have KODAK EASYSHARE software - download it for free!

Camera tips:
If your camera provides compensation or bracketing try using these controls to increase or decrease the color saturation. Over exposure by as little as 1/3 can add some intensity to color while still providing details in the highlights. Have some fun, play with the settings.

Some digital cameras allow users to adjust between color modes - high color or natural color.
Natural color is great for skin tones - typically this is the default setting
High color is great for landscapes where you really want the color to come to life

Let's take a look at the images on the homepage!

What do you think? How did they achieve the saturation in each image?

Tell us what you think in the comments below


 
Title: hfc514

Photographer: Steven Greaves

Caption:
Old Havana is a warren of ambling streets and alleys. It is here where you will find the real Cuba and the one removed from the tourist sites. Old folks sit behind wide-open doors and windows and peer out upon the street-scenes. Boys coo, in that typical Latin fashion, at girls and women that pass by. Kids, shirtless and shoeless, run amok kicking rocks and cans up and down the street. Baseball, all the rage on this island, is played in the streets with fashioned bats and balls. Framed by old and dilapidated art deco structures and beat-up antiquated American cars, this is the real Cuba.



 
Title: Train Station

Photographer: Bill Merlavage

Caption:
Late night at the train station



 
Title: My Father's Beach

Photographer: Tracy Moore

Caption:
This picture was taken in Tampa, Florida, in January '05. I think it captures the essence of the beach my parents remember. Cars cruising by...



 
Title: Varsha

Photographer: Vinayak More

Caption:
I took this picture in Bombay, India. I used Kodak Max film, and then manipulated the picture in Photoshop.



 
Title: Albergo Abruzzi in Rome

Photographer: Jessica McDonald

Caption:
I was on vacation in Rome and the man in this photo looked out of his hotel window right as I snapped this picture. I was in such awe of the piazza I was in, I didn't even notice the man in the picture until I got home and printed my photos!