Potential images are all around us. As I was sitting across the bar enjoying a cocktail and some good company before the New York Underwater Photographic Society meeting at Arctica Bar, the colors and warmth of this NYC bar scene called upon me. Tripod deployed mid-drink, 5 shot HDR exposure, in the can.
When you’re into such a specific niche like underwater photography, it’s always nice to find birds of a feather to hang out with. That’s why we started the NYUPS in April of 2007, which has grown to a loosely defined group of about 200 with a hardcore group of about 50 local underwater photographers from NY, NJ, CT and PA, who come together once a month to network and discuss underwater photography. On Dec 2nd we hosted a small holiday party, which was a lot of fun.
Every so often we host a big event, such as the David Doubilet event in March of 2008, where we get over 200 attendees and fill a really nice theater. I’m really happy to be able to spend time with others that share my unique passion for underwater imagery. If you’re in the tri-state area and want to come to one of our monthly meetings, there is no cost, and the website is built on a social networking platform you can participate from afar as well. Hope to see you online or at an event!
![NYUPS Holiday Party At Arctica Bar & GRill in NYC [© Jason Heller]](https://underwaterphotography.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/jheller__jph6388.jpg?w=510 "NYUPS Holiday Party At Arctica Bar & GRill in NYC [© Jason Heller]")
NYUPS Holiday Party At Arctica Bar & Grill in NYC © Jason Heller
I’m presenting a digital work flow presentation to the New York Underwater Photographic Society on Sept 2nd. Although the seminar is geared towards underwater photographers, it focuses on issues and approaches that are common for all digital photographers. More information can be found on the NYUPS website.
Recently I have become a huge fan of Lightroom. The 2.0 release really stepped up the software and it has become my primary workflow and editing tool. Granted, there are still plenty of reasons to go into Photoshop, but I’d say that 75% of my work is now being done in Lightroom.
For me, the less time I can sit in front of a computer editing and the more time I can focus on shooting, the better. I have a 5 minute rule. Basically it goes a little something like this…If in 5 minutes you can’t get your image to 80% of where you ultimately want it to be, then it was not captured properly in the first place. Of course the additional 20% may take a lot longer, but I’ve found that the 5 minute rule is a good one. Like most things in life, photo editing follows the Pareto Principle (aka “the 80/20 rule”).
The seminar will focus on the steps of workflow from capture through backup, displaying or selling your images.
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