CircleCount helps you better understand Google+

2012-12-20 18:18:50 (21 comments, 20 reshares, 52 +1s)

How Do Photographers Use Evernote?

Over the last year, +Evernote has played a huge role in my life (especially for all things photography). I posted some ways I use it over on my blog today: http://mattyk.me/URhZDI

Just curious though... do you use Evernote and if so how?

2012-12-19 16:03:18 (14 comments, 17 reshares, 134 +1s)

Why You Need A Strong Tripod

I wrote a post over on my blog on why you need a strong tripod (http://mattyk.me/TZ5cPw). Don't get me wrong. I love travel tripods. I use mine all the time and I have many photos I love because I was able to carry along a small compact tripod. But I can't deny that when it gets windy out, the smaller tripods can be a problem. Anyway, here's the link if you want to read more: http://mattyk.me/TZ5cPw

2012-12-17 20:38:19 (25 comments, 9 reshares, 93 +1s)

Free Lightroom 4 Presets - Vignettes and Edge Darkening

I just posted a new pack of presets on my blog. These are specifically for adding vignettes and darkening the edges of your photos. There's 3 presets in the download (Light, Medium and Dark) so you can apply whichever one works best. 
Here's the link to download. Enjoy!
http://mattyk.me/T2Z8qG

2012-11-15 22:49:22 (13 comments, 2 reshares, 65 +1s)

My Brother Is Running 220 Miles Over 4 Days for New Jersey
Link: http://run4nj.org/?page_id=81

Hi everyone. I wanted to take a quick break from the usual Photoshop and photography stuff to tell you a little about some personal stuff that my brother is doing for the state of New Jersey. I’m sure by now that you’ve heard about the devastation that hit the East Coast of the US recently. Well, you may or may not know that I was actually born and raised in New Jersey (very close to the coastal areas that were hit hard). Many places that my family now lives in, has lived, and that I still visit today were hit pretty badly. Areas along the coast (sorry “shore” if you’re from NJ  ), where I spent my childhood summers are now gone.
Well, I’m extremely happy and proud to say that my brother, Ed Kloskowski, is doing something to help. He’s created an organization calledRun4NJ. On Nove... more »

2012-11-14 19:53:03 (18 comments, 5 reshares, 19 +1s)

Is There Money in Photography?

Join +Glyn Dewis, +Serge Ramelli, and me on The Grid live at 4pm ET. Our topic today came from a long conversation at lunch about whether there any money to be made in photography these days. Serge and Glyn have some great thoughts on it so make sure you tune in live with your questions and comments.

http://kelbytv.com/onair/

2012-11-13 18:43:25 (29 comments, 5 reshares, 67 +1s)

Why So Many People Love Landscape Photography

I wrote a blog post today (http://mattyk.me/RRSGDi) with some thoughts on the topic. Basically, have you ever heard about (or see) one of those popular landscape photography locations that’s absolutely packed with people? Ever wonder why everyone is standing there taking the same exact photo that maybe tens of hundreds of thousands of photographers have taken before? If you haven’t witnessed it personally, then you’ve probably seen it. And if you haven’t, then just check out the photo above taken at Delicate Arch in Arches National Park near Moab, Utah. Believe it or not, you’re not even seeing the other 50+ people that were to the right of me in that photo. So with crowds often like this, and so many photos looking similar to each other, why do so many people love landscape photography?

To me, I think it's the processof actuall... more »

2012-11-08 20:49:07 (24 comments, 10 reshares, 155 +1s)

What I Learned On My First Star Photo Shoot

Earlier this week I spent a few days out in Monument Valley and got to do some night-sky star shooting. One of the things I learned was that it actually requires very little gear and that your camera settings don't change much once you get everything set up. 

I wrote a blog post on it today, complete with equipment and camera settings as well as some more photos: http://mattyk.me/Z84pzC

2012-10-29 18:51:33 (22 comments, 24 reshares, 76 +1s)

Lightroom Sharpening Presets

I just released some sharpening presets for +Adobe Photoshop Lightroom. There's 3 different versions depending on how much sharpening your photo can handle (and needs). Here's the link to download 'em. They're free :-)

http://mattyk.me/RiX7Dy

2012-10-24 19:57:33 (25 comments, 1 reshares, 49 +1s)

I’m Giving Away A Free Print On Metallic Paper

A few weeks ago my +RC Concepcion got a shipment of +Red River Paper Polar Pearl Metallic paper. Well, RC was away teaching last week, so I couldn’t help but raid his stash and give it a try on my beloved Epson 3880  I have to admit, I was a little skeptical. See, I’m totally hooked on metal prints from Image Wizards. I love ‘em! But I won’t lie… they ain’t cheap. So I can have a few in my home or office, but it’s not like I can have everything printed that way. Plus, I want to print some stuff for my office and be able to swap it out every so often and not have it cost me hundreds of dollars. So, I guess I wasn’t sure that metallic paper would hold up. But I gotta tell ya, when the first print came off the printer and I walked it around the office there was one word that I heard over and over… “Wow!”. The color justscreams and the detail is ... more »

2012-10-23 20:08:12 (30 comments, 45 reshares, 202 +1s)

Panther Creek Falls

I added another "Story Behind the Photo" post to the blog this week. This week's photo is from Panther Creek Falls along the Columbia River Gorge. I took the trip back in August with +Brian Matiash, +Nicole S. Young, and +Brian Bonham (thanks Brian B. for helping me not kill myself). 

If you check out the blog post, you'll even find a video I did with Brian Matiash and his Perfect Inspiration series. It talks about the whole story of how I got the photo, and I even go into the editing work I did on the image. 

Here's the link if you want to watch the video and read more: http://mattyk.me/RwX9ZZ

2012-10-22 17:50:54 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 16 +1s)

So +Scott Kelby has been working hard to help me capture those "magicial" football shots, you know the one's in his poster series.  Today,I'm very pleased to share one of those classic football photo's. Note the Referee's head, perfect center placement, just masking out the ball!  Perfect! ;-) 

2012-10-17 18:59:44 (10 comments, 3 reshares, 29 +1s)

My Go-To “In the Field” Photography Gear Bag

I had a few people ask me yesterday (after my Story Behind the Photo post on my blog: http://mattyk.me/T9bmRn) about which bag I carry when I’m out in the field. That’s easy! I’ve had the same bag for years now and, no matter how many other bags I try, I find myself going back to this one. It’s called the Boda Bag (www.goboda.com). I first found this bag about 5 years ago from my good friend +Jeff Revell. I bought my first one right after that and as soon as they came out with version 2, I bought that one as well.

It was designed by Jim Garner (a wedding photographer), but I find it suits my hiking, outdoor and landscape shooting, as well as it does my portrait shoots. Here's a link to my blog where I wrote a little more about it and how I use it: http://mattyk.me/PCqFRr

2012-10-17 15:46:20 (14 comments, 8 reshares, 19 +1s)

The Top 5 Editing Mistakes and How To Avoid Them

Don't forget to catch us live on our weekly talk show, The Grid. Our topic today comes from doing multiple critiques on the show and seeing some of the same editing mistakes over and over again. 

I'll be joined by Photoshop guru and photographer +Pete Collins and we'll go over the 5 or so editing mistakes we see all the time (and how to fix them). It'll be a great one so make sure you catch us live for the conversation. 

Time: 4pm Eastern time (if you live somewhere else I'm sure you can figure it out) ;-)
Place: www.kelbytv.com/thegrid

Hope to see you then!

2012-10-16 20:11:45 (16 comments, 2 reshares, 125 +1s)

Falls Creek Lower Falls and the Story Behind the Photo

Back in August I was in the Portland area and went out shoot along the Columbia River Gorge with some friends +Nicole S. Young, +Brian Matiash, and +Brian Bonham (thanks guys! great time!). Any of you that know the area know that finding waterfalls there is like finding a palm tree to photograph in Florida – they’re EVERYWHERE! So I set out to find some really interesting ones. While doing some research on the web, I found a place called Falls Creek and it looked like it could be a great spot. I really liked the fact that it wasn’t just one waterfall. It had a large lower fall, but it also had a really nice upper area up top too. 

I posted the whole story along with some other photos from the hike (and a video of the falls) over on my blog. Here's the link: http://mattyk.me/T9bmRn

2012-10-15 18:16:28 (12 comments, 9 reshares, 113 +1s)

Lightroom Fall Color Presets

This week I’m updating my Fall Color presets for +Adobe Photoshop Lightroom. I was talking to my brother yesterday (who lives in the Northeast US) and he was saying how a lot of the leaves are changing color. Now, when I grew up, my dad was absolutely meticulous about our backyard, so the fall season only reminds me of many days of raking leaves after school – not pretty colors. But as an adult I can appreciate the season more (especially since I live in Florida and don’t have to worry about leaves anymore) ;-)

Anyway, I do like to photograph the northeast and I realized, as I was going through my photos from the area, that I was making some of the same tweaks to many of my “fall color” photos, so I made a preset for it. Here's the link to download: http://mattyk.me/T5wJDb

2012-10-15 14:04:49 (14 comments, 3 reshares, 13 +1s)

Is Photography Art or Craft?

I've had this talk with +Brian Matiash and +Nicole S. Young a few times. Really REALLY good article about the art vs. craft of photography. 

2012-10-12 18:34:51 (13 comments, 2 reshares, 86 +1s)

Sweet! My photo from the Grand Tetons made the Popular list over on +500px. Thanks everyone!
(if you haven't been by and you're a 500px user, stop by and vote/like it)

2012-10-09 17:57:26 (19 comments, 13 reshares, 115 +1s)

When A Landscape Photo Shoot Goes Bad

Yesterday I posted some of my favorite photos from a recent trip. I got a lot of great comments on them (thanks so much!). Well, figuring that I can't end on a high note, I thought I'd take it a step further. 

Today I thought I'd post some photos from the trip that didn't make the cut. As I think you’ll see, so much of landscape and outdoor photography is just about being there at the right time and place with the right weather. You can be in a really beautiful place and, if the conditions don’t cooperate, take some really bad photos. Heck, as you’ll see here… you can be in a really beautiful place, with really great weather, and still take some bad photos 

• Here's the link for today's post: http://mattyk.me/WN8zM3

• And here's the link to yesterday's if you haven'tseen it yet: ... more »

2012-10-08 18:39:39 (3 comments, 3 reshares, 28 +1s)

Photography Tips and Tricks: Episode #2 is now available!

Special guest Brian Matiash demonstrates how to bracket photos with custom functions on Canon cameras. Matt talks about uses for Live View mode, and RC gives his opinion on the importance of setting image order when shooting bracketed exposures.

Photography Tips and Tricks: Episode #2

2012-10-08 18:10:56 (37 comments, 12 reshares, 198 +1s)

Grant Teton National Park

I posted some photos from my recent trip to Grand Teton National Park on my blog today. Here's one of my favorites though. It's from a place called Schwabacher Landing - one of the more popular photo spots in the Tetons. The sun had just come up and I love how that cloud is getting caught on the top of the mountain peak. 

There's more photos on my blog if you want to check it out. Here's the link: http://mattyk.me/OiLZd9

(Gear and settings: Nikon D800E, Nikon 16-35 lens, f/16, 1/20 sec, ISO 100, Really Right Stuff TVC-33 Tripod)

2012-10-04 19:07:38 (70 comments, 9 reshares, 141 +1s)

Has A Photo Ever Not Lived Up To What You First Thought It Was?

Sitting here today with +Brian Matiash and I showed him a photo that I took last week. One that I thought was awesome when I was taking it, but now I'm not that happy with it. When I was setting up the shot I loved the location... when I framed the photo and took some test photos I loved it... when the sun came up and I actually took the photos I loved it. Basically, while I was on location, I loved everything about the photo. 

Now that I have it on my computer, I'm not crazy about it. I'm not sure what I don't like (and by the way, this isn't an invite to tell me all the things wrong with it) ;-)

I guess I'm just curious. Does this ever happen to you? You capture a photo and you think it's gonna be great. But when you see it large and start editing it, you're just nott... more »

2012-10-03 14:14:41 (29 comments, 14 reshares, 27 +1s)

The Grid Live: HDR Photo Critiques & The Love/Hate Relationship With HDR

• Submit your HDR photos for critique using this link: http://kelbytv.com/thegrid/critique/

Also, +Brian Matiash is in town and will join me live on The Grid today. Our topic(s)
• First we'll talk about the love/hate relationship with HDR. I know we've talked HDR before but Brian's got some really good thoughts on the whole topic. Plus, I wanted to talk a little about why I don't process photos with HDR software anymore. 
• Next, since we have one of the HDR gurus himself here, we thought we'd so some HDR critiques. So if you've got some HDR photos you can send them in to us to critique. 

You can watch the show live at 4pm EST here: http://kelbytv.com/thegrid
You can submit your photos for live critiquehere: http:... more »

2012-10-02 17:14:43 (20 comments, 4 reshares, 116 +1s)

My Nikon D800 vs. D800E Comparison

Last week I got a Nikon D800E from +LensProToGo for my photo trip out west. I wanted to put it up against a Nikon D800 to see if I'd really notice the extra sharpness you get because the 800E doesn't have the anti-aliasing filter. Now, going into the test I have to say I expected to like the D800E better. It's a little niche, and isn't the norm - so it just seemed like it would be "cool" to have the D800E in my bag.

The whole comparison is over on my blog if you want to read more. But, after shooting with it for a week, I think (for my photography at least), I'll probably go with the D800. 

Here's the link if you want to read more: http://mattyk.me/SAy52c

2012-10-01 01:25:09 (12 comments, 0 reshares, 29 +1s)

Hey +Glyn Dewis. Watching the season premier of Dexter :-)

2012-09-27 01:07:37 (20 comments, 6 reshares, 116 +1s)

(Iphone photo above)
Shooting sunset at Snake River overlook at Grand Tetons. Finally some nice weather (and no smoke!)

2012-09-26 20:00:49 (11 comments, 14 reshares, 32 +1s)

Why +Adobe Photoshop Elements 11 Is the Best Version Yet for Photographers

I wrote an article over on my blog today (www.mattk.com) on why I think Photoshop Elements 11 is the best version yet for photographers. So much so that I have a hard time telling people to buy the full version of Photoshop unless they need some more advanced features. 

In one of the comments, some one called Lightroom and Elements the "$250 Digital Darkroom". That's exactly it. For $250 you can have Lightroom and Elements and have just about everything you need to professionally edit your photos. 

I actually did a fetaure comparison and wrote more about it over on the blog. Here's the link: http://mattyk.me/Smewug

#photography  +Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 

2012-09-26 19:53:05 (11 comments, 12 reshares, 61 +1s)

Megan “Girl with the Photoshop Tattoo” Orsi has been using Photoshop for 16 years and made a career out of her passion. She perpetuated her love with a different type of Pen tool: http://adobe.ly/QDP9Fm.