CircleCount helps you better understand Google+

2013-05-20 07:15:43 (4 comments, 1 reshares, 36 +1s)

After a month on the road it's nice to be heading home.

I had such a great time in Italy with +Elia Locardi, +Naomi Locardi, and +Athena Carey as we explored Tuscany, Cinque Terre, and Venice. Italy never fails to amaze me with her beauty, history, and food. This time it was even more special as I got to share it with such awesome people.

Spain was a ton of fun too even if it rained quite a lot and was unseasonably cold. This iPhone shot was at the last location on this trip. Just as I first set up to shoot it began to rain quite hard. I found some shelter and lucky for me I was wearing my water proof jacket and pants from +Arc'teryx otherwise I would have been drenched. 45 mins later and the sky broke into an ever changing array of stunning clouds.

It's good to be patient :)

Heading home now. Thanks Italia and España, see you again soon!
more »

2013-05-17 16:07:14 (0 comments, 5 reshares, 28 +1s)

Seems only appropriate to quote Picasso while in Spain...

2013-05-11 12:34:40 (8 comments, 1 reshares, 13 +1s)

Great to see +Brian Matiash  be featured by my friends at +f-stop  in their new video series "Life in Focus"

Check it out!

2013-05-09 15:55:27 (4 comments, 0 reshares, 33 +1s)

How do you make your first visit to one of the most amazing places on the planet even more awesome than you thought possible? 

Easy! You share a +Walks of Italy  tour with amazing friends and photographers like +Elia Locardi  +Athena Carey  and +Naomi Locardi  :)

We did the VIP boat tour and learned all about the history, politics, and architecture of the magnificent city of Venice... And we did it in style while traversing the canals in a sleek Riva boat along with our expert guide Kristina from Walks.

It was smiles all around during and after the tour and we all agree that our tour was a highlight of our visit. More information about all the different Walks of Italy tours can be found here: http://bit.ly/12gjz6K

What a great day!

2013-05-07 13:14:32 (2 comments, 1 reshares, 24 +1s)

Venice with two fab travel photographers? Yes please. :)

With +Elia Locardi and +Ken Kaminesky

2013-05-05 21:09:40 (8 comments, 0 reshares, 21 +1s)

Oh Italy
Just got into Venice a few hours ago and I am literally speechless.

This is my first time here and I can't even begin to describe how beautiful it is. After seeing zillions of photos and countless films based here i am asking myself why it took me so long to come here.

I'm waiting for my friends +Elia Locardi & +Naomi Locardi  to show up with new friend +Athena Carey before I drink all the wine I bought for us.

We are going to have a wicked week of shooting here thanks to +Formatt-Hitech , +f-stop , +Induro , +Carl Zeiss and Fujifilm. 

Let the good times roll!
Viva Italia!

2013-05-04 12:20:48 (1 comments, 8 reshares, 21 +1s)

2013-05-01 10:43:36 (3 comments, 1 reshares, 8 +1s)

Canon 5D Mark III Firmware Update Out: Clean HDMI Output and AF Upgrade

The new firmware update adds two highly useful features: a clean HDMI output option and cross-type AF at f/8.

http://www.usa.canon.com/cusa/consumer/standard_display/EOS5DM3_firmware/

2013-04-30 12:58:51 (13 comments, 2 reshares, 58 +1s)

Making the best of a limited opportunity

As I was approaching the White House last summer on an insanely hot and humid day I knew that I would likely only get a few frames off before the police asked me to stop using my tripod. 

Lucky and unlucky for me that there was quite the crowd there that day. Lucky because the mass of people let me blend in and hide my tripod legs amongst the sea of human legs. Unlucky because in the crowd there were dozens of children, one in particular who had an affinity of banging the metal fence that I had gingerly snaked my 24mm-70mm lens through. There were mere millimetres on each side of the lens barrel and with each child induced bang I could feel the shake in the camera. 

This was not the ideal situation to get a properly focused image, especially considering I was doing brackets of 5 different exposures. I had to keep glancingo... more »

2013-04-29 10:37:18 (13 comments, 6 reshares, 11 +1s)

Just when you thought it was safe to post your photos online...

One more reason to add proper metadata and watermarks to your digital photos. 

So much for governments working for the people.

2013-04-29 02:29:52 (13 comments, 6 reshares, 98 +1s)

When iPhone photos can look like this.... You know that you're in Italy. 

Hello Cinque Terre, nice to meet you! 

How awesome to be here in such a magical place with wonderful friends like +Elia Locardi & +Naomi Locardi 

I just may never leave :)

2013-04-26 18:46:43 (10 comments, 5 reshares, 64 +1s)

The spectacular beauty of Tuscany

It is hard to believe that any place could be so picture perfect.

Even simple iPhone images are enough to give you a deep sense of the manicured perfection of the Tuscan countryside.

2013-04-22 19:40:08 (4 comments, 2 reshares, 12 +1s)

Beyoncé Bans All Pro Photographers From Her Concerts

Wow… Can you say giant mistake?

Beyonce should fire her publicist immediately and apologize for being an idiot.

Read all about it here at +Fstoppers 

http://fstoppers.com/beyonce-bans-all-pro-photographers-from-her-concerts

2013-04-21 16:02:24 (12 comments, 0 reshares, 26 +1s)

What's in your bag?

Hitting the road tomorrow for a month of shooting in Italy and Spain. Wooohooo!!

As you can see, I decided to pack light… I'm not bringing the 70-200mm ;)

I just added a list of gear I use to my blog as well. You can check it out here: http://blog.kenkaminesky.com/gear/

See you soon Italia!

2013-04-20 15:21:14 (1 comments, 0 reshares, 15 +1s)

+Aaron Ansarov Shot a whole series of amazing Portuguese man-of-war photos like this one and you can see a ton more on +WIRED :

http://bit.ly/13BG5vC

Great work Aaron!

2013-04-19 16:30:34 (2 comments, 3 reshares, 20 +1s)

What does it take to be a National Geographic photographer?

Oh man… You gotta take three minutes to watch this!

Pure awesomeness.

2013-04-18 14:21:07 (16 comments, 11 reshares, 63 +1s)

We just had one space open up on our June Iceland photo workshop!

If you're interested in joining me and +Colby Brown  in one of the world's most incredible locations for nature and landscape photography then check out the following link.

http://blog.kenkaminesky.com/iceland-photography-workshop/

We are timing this with the summer solstice that will provide us with 24 hours of daylight. Come experience the land of the midnight sun. It's gonna be AWESOME!

2013-04-18 00:45:40 (2 comments, 2 reshares, 17 +1s)

The 2013 Pulitzer Prize Winners — Feature Photography

Two rebel soldiers in Syria guard their sniper's nest in the Karmel Jabl neighborhood of Aleppo as light streams through more than a dozen holes made by bullets and shrapnel in the tin wall behind them. The dust from more than one hundred days of shelling, bombing and firefights hung in the air. Karmel Jabl is strategically important because of its proximity to the main road that separates several of the main battlegrounds in the city. Both sides (the Free Syria Army and the regime) rely heavily on snipers in a cat and mouse game along Aleppo's frontlines. (Photo taken October 18, 2012)

Copyright:  2012, AFP - Javier Manzano

http://www.pulitzer.org/citation/2013-Feature-Photography

2013-04-17 17:03:21 (6 comments, 5 reshares, 33 +1s)

Viva Italia!

Only a few more days until I get back to beautiful Italy. 

I'll only be in Rome one night and likely won't have time to shoot there but I'm stoked to be heading to the Tuscan countryside, Cinque Terre, and Venice!

It's pretty much a photographic paradise and I can't wait for the adventure to begin!

2013-04-16 22:59:27 (2 comments, 2 reshares, 4 +1s)

Glad to See Photoshelter joining the G+ community in a bigger way!

I'm a travel photographer and work for all kinds of editorial and commercial, and social media travel related clients. I also write a travel photography blog and teach workshops in places like Iceland and Italy.

I've been a big fan of Photoshelter for years and happy to partner with them on some of their great free guides. 

2013-04-16 13:45:55 (1 comments, 1 reshares, 8 +1s)

Woooot! Lightroom 5 Beta from Adobe labs Now Available!

2013-04-16 12:55:16 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 5 +1s)

This page came up within an hour or so of the Boston Marathon bombing.

Well done +Google , well done.

2013-04-16 02:14:13 (5 comments, 11 reshares, 47 +1s)

Beautiful Portraits Of Unaware Animals Wandering Into Majestic Spaces

Photo credit ©Karen Knorr 

See more at: http://designtaxi.com/news/357048/Beautiful-Portraits-Of-Unaware-Animals-Wandering-Into-Majestic-Spaces/

2013-04-15 16:58:39 (6 comments, 0 reshares, 13 +1s)

Instagramming Italia!

Great Idea from my friend +Elia Locardi  today to share Instagram feeds here.

We are both going to be in Italy next week for a two week shoot and will be sharing a ton of stuff on Instagram. We both just share our iPhone photos on Instagram and no DSLR stuff. 

You can follow me here at: kenk514

http://instagram.com/kenk514/

What's your Insatgram handle? Leave the link in the comments.

2013-04-15 00:04:19 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 36 +1s)

Native Americans: Portraits From a Century Ago


In the early 1900s, Seattle-based photographer Edward S. Curtis embarked on a project of epic scale, to travel the western United States and document the lives of Native Americans still untouched by Western society. Curtis secured funding from J.P. Morgan, and visited more than 80 tribes over the next 20 years, taking more than 40,000 photographs, 10,000 wax cylinder recordings, and huge volumes of notes and sketches. The end result was a 20-volume set of books illustrated with nearly 2,000 photographs, titled "The North American Indian." In the hundred-plus years since the first volume was published, Curtis's depictions have been both praised and criticized…

Read more at: http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2013/04/native-americans-portraits-from-a-century-ago/100489/

Via +In Focus 

2013-04-13 17:36:45 (4 comments, 2 reshares, 3 +1s)

Stunning imagery from +Von Wong 

Love seeing people be innovative, creative, and eager to share their projects like this. 

Enjoy the video!

2013-04-12 15:55:26 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 0 +1s)

Ship my pants

#lmao

2013-04-12 13:43:16 (57 comments, 42 reshares, 80 +1s)

Uh oh…. This could really suck for photographers in the US

Representative Betty Nuovo, of the Vermont State House, recently introduced a bill that if passed would “make it illegal to take a photograph of a person without his or her consent, or to modify a photograph of a person without his or her consent, and to distribute it.” This could have some ugly consequences for photographers in Vermont and if it passes there I would not be surprised to see other states try to follow suit.

Read more at +Fstoppers 

I'm not sure how they could possibly enforce this now that everyone has a camera in their phone. It will be interesting to see if the bill passes and who — if anyone — is the first to be fined or arrested. 

What a waste of taxpayer dollars and time.

2013-04-12 00:47:52 (1 comments, 8 reshares, 21 +1s)

Canon Introduces a Virtual DSLR Website to Help Beginners Learn the Basics

If you’re just starting out in photography, there are a lot of resources out there to help you understand the basics before you just jump in. And while books and videos are certainly helpful, one of the more fun ways to learn your way around a camera is by using an online DSLR simulator. We’ve shared one with you before, and now Canon Canada has released a simulator website of its own dubbed Outside of Auto.

Read more at http://petapixel.com/2013/04/10/canon-introduces-virtual-dslr-website-to-help-beginners-learn-the-basics/#pJXpJLeDblW8rWfB.99 

2013-04-11 14:17:04 (13 comments, 4 reshares, 86 +1s)

I'll be back in beautiful Italy soon and I'll be in good company.

Not only am I going to be there with good friends +Elia Locardi  & +Naomi Locardi  to do some recon work for an upcoming photo workshop that Elia and I will be doing in Tuscany, Cinque Terre, and Venice but I'm working with Fujifilm , +Carl Zeiss Lenses, and +Formatt-Hitech  filters on a few different projects while in these amazingly beautiful locations. Fun!

Read more at: http://blog.kenkaminesky.com/2013/04/10/in-good-company/

2013-04-10 23:51:16 (29 comments, 56 reshares, 136 +1s)

:•D
Cheeky little guy doesn't like photographers… Bad Monkey!

Great moment captured by +Jari Peltomäki 

2013-04-09 20:35:09 (5 comments, 5 reshares, 10 +1s)

This Is How Google Glass Really Works

Thanks to +Martin Missfeldt for the great infographic.

http://www.brille-kaufen.org/en/googleglass/

2013-04-09 01:53:32 (7 comments, 5 reshares, 61 +1s)

The photos that changed America's child labor laws: Harrowing images of children as young as three forced to do back-breaking work in fields, factories and mines

See and read more: http://bit.ly/10NzDwX

2013-04-07 16:36:15 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 12 +1s)

Photograpger Accuses Getty of Loaning Images to CafePress Instead of Licensing Them


Photographer Remi Thornton recently terminated his contract with Getty after finding out that the agency was allowing online retailer CafePress to use his images on potential merchandise without paying an up-front licensing fee.

Read more at http://www.petapixel.com/2013/04/06/getty-allegedly-allowing-cafepress-to-borrow-images-instead-of-licensing-them/

2013-04-04 15:52:44 (3 comments, 0 reshares, 8 +1s)

I’m really happy to be the featured photographer in next month’s Travel Longer iPad magazine. 

What a nice honour to be interviewed and have my photography featured one month after legendary National Geographic photographer Steve McCurry!

For my blog readers and social media friends, Travel Longer (published exclusively for iPad on the Apple Newsstand) is offering a 3 month trial subscription for free. Here’s how to get it on your iPad:

To get the three months for free, use the code:  *kaminesky* (all lower case, no spaces) then…

Head to http://travellonger.com/code  to read how to use the code or just download the app from the Apple App Store: http://bit.ly/Tlapp

Hope you enjoy the magazine!

2013-04-03 19:23:33 (6 comments, 0 reshares, 20 +1s)

What a cool development!

I've long coveted the incredible legendary lenses that +Carl Zeiss Lenses  makes and I'm thrilled to have 3 of them headed my way soon!

They are sending me a few to test in Italy, Spain, and Iceland:
Distagon T* 2,8/15
Distagon T* 1,4/35
Planar T* 1,4/85

http://lenses.zeiss.com/camera-lenses/carl-zeiss-camera-lenses/camera_lenses/slr-lenses/distagont2815.html

Awesomesauce!

2013-04-03 15:46:59 (5 comments, 2 reshares, 17 +1s)

Copyright Controversy After Appropriated Photo Used to Win Art Contest

In the two photographs above, the bottom image is a photo-manipulation created using the top image. Are they completely separate works of art? What if we told you the second photo was created without the original photographer’s permission and submitted to a contest as an original artwork? What if we told you it actually won?

Read more at http://www.petapixel.com/2013/04/02/copyright-controversy-after-appropriated-photo-used-to-win-art-contest/#sIaWqqSv6LPoLgWY.99 

2013-04-02 15:50:53 (21 comments, 2 reshares, 30 +1s)

I think I have a new favourite lens!

Look at what Canon just sent me to test :)

2013-04-02 13:31:41 (13 comments, 5 reshares, 64 +1s)

A night at the opera

In this week's blog post I take a look back at my visit to Budapest and the Hungarian State Opera House.

http://blog.kenkaminesky.com/2013/04/02/hungarian-state-opera-house/

One of the coolest parts of my job is all the behind the scenes access I get from time to time in spectacular places like this. My only regret is not attempting to sing on the stage but I'm quite certain that no one else has that particular regret. ;)

2013-03-29 20:07:52 (2 comments, 7 reshares, 17 +1s)

The First Ever Honest Cable Company Ad

2013-03-29 14:24:35 (0 comments, 13 reshares, 21 +1s)

2013-03-28 20:09:51 (23 comments, 29 reshares, 106 +1s)

Ruh Roh!

Hope whoever was attached to the camera is ok! :)

Not sure who the photographer is for the photo credit.

2013-03-28 15:05:17 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 6 +1s)

Game of Thrones fan?

http://www.jointherealm.com/

Enjoy the wasted time ;)

Thanks to +Mike Sowden for the find.

2013-03-28 04:18:48 (2 comments, 1 reshares, 6 +1s)

This looks like the most fun toy I have seen in ages.

2013-03-27 16:16:29 (1 comments, 2 reshares, 5 +1s)

Awesome deals for photographers!

Both +Nik Software  and +onOne Software  are offering incredible deals on all their software.

Check out the details:

2013-03-27 14:10:44 (2 comments, 3 reshares, 55 +1s)

Who says that selling out is a bad thing?

;)

I'm happy to say that my second Iceland workshop for 2013 has officially sold out! +Colby Brown  and I will be co-leading Iceland workshops in June and in September of this year and looking to make these Iceland workshops annual events from now on. Colby just set the world record for attendance at a photowalk in Sydney this week when over 400 people showed up on this shoot that began at Bronte Beach and ended at Bondi Beach. Well done Colby!

Now that the Iceland workshops are fully booked I'm looking at a few other places to do photo tours including Italy, Bali, Burma, and Scotland. There are so many places to consider!

In order to prepare for these workshops I'll be hitting the road again to scout the areas and get marketing images. Next stop… Rome, Umbria, Tuscany, and Liguria. I'll have morede... more »

2013-03-26 18:43:00 (0 comments, 3 reshares, 4 +1s)

Another amazingly good deal on some of my favourite photo editing software!

This time it's from my friends at +onOne Software  who are offering all their products at a great 40% discount until March 29.

http://bit.ly/14sYF8S

PERFECT PHOTO SUITE 7
Everything you need to add effects, retouch portraits, replace backgrounds and enlarge images for print. This Edition works with Photoshop, Lightroom, Aperture, and as a standalone application. This set contains all the great onOne software plug-ins.


PERFECT EFFECTS 4

PERFECT RESIZE 7.5

PERFECT B&W

PERFECT MASK 5.2

PERFECT PORTRAIT 2

FOCALPOINT 2

2013-03-26 16:11:22 (3 comments, 1 reshares, 11 +1s)

Wooohooo

Big shout out and heartfelt congrats go out today to my friend +Brian Matiash who has just joined the Google+ team as Community Manager for Google+ Photos!

Couldn't happen to a nicer or more deserving guy. Very excited for Google to be getting such a class act on their team. Well done Google and way to go Brian! 

2013-03-26 14:41:20 (1 comments, 1 reshares, 13 +1s)

2013-03-26 00:39:17 (8 comments, 5 reshares, 16 +1s)

WOW… this is an AWESOME deal!

Get the full +Nik Software Collection by Google, now just $149. 
(Actually $126.65 if you use the code KENK or click the link below.)

Now save 70% on the entire Nik Software suite: http://bit.ly/11EO4qN

If you're looking to do amazing black and white, HDR, or straight up digital editing on your photos, then this is the time to buy.

Check out my recent Silver Efex Pro2 review for just one of the six great plug-ins you get in this suite. http://blog.kenkaminesky.com/nik-silver-efex-pro-2-review/

HDR Efex Pro 2
Silver Efex Pro 2
Sharpener Pro 3
Color Efex Pro 4
Viveza 2
Dfine

I'm honestly blown away with this deal and highly recommend the Nik suite since I love using many of the plug-ins in my workflow.