Photojournalism: Strike against Mexican Government and its Educational Reform

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avenue, city, education, educational, enrique peña nieto, event, expression, fact, government, journalism, manifestation, Mexico, Mexico City, parade, Paseo de la reforma, people, Photo, Photographer, Photojournalism, police, protest, reform, Ricardo Toledo, ricardotoledo, riot, strike, teachers

Mexico City, September 4th 2013. Thousands of teachers of the public educational mexican system went out to walk by the avenues in Mexico City against the Mexican government and the educational reform.

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I am getting enrolled at NYIP

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course, course of photography, education, NYIP, Photo, Photography, Ricardo Toledo, ricardotoledo

Yes, I am a proud member of NYIP – New York Institute of Photography, the oldest and biggest photography school of the world!

After some years studying and trying to be a better photographer, I decided to make my hobby more professional and to get the challenge. I think I am a passionate of photography like you, but I feel that I don’t have the knowledge and neither the experience of a medium photographer to make good photography. So, I told with friends and did some search to several of good photography schools and I made the decision for NYIP.

In my “education career” in photography, I started more serious in 2010, when I had some finance conditions to make an investment in my camera. I am physic, I studied at one of more prestigious college in my country, but I work in the finance industry since my first year with my physics diploma, and during my college I woke up my interest about photography, it was 1998… And after 12 years, I could get a DSRL camera…

One time with my precious and waited camera, when I started to help my wife with her business (she is a great pastry chef and cake designer, take a look in www.marianavincenzi.com) I had conscious that it is not enough a good equipment, or better, your camera really doesn’t matter to make good photos… You need technique and sensibility, you need to develop your photographer’s eye. So, I took some courses and I participated in some workshops of photography. One of those is a great food stylist workshop in Brazil, with the spectaculars chef Heiko Grabole and photographer Michel Teo Sin, one of more creative and great photographers that I have known. Thanks a lot guys for help me always! I really think you are a great mix between excellent professionals in this area! (see http://www.fotografiadecomida.com.br).

After these greats courses and workshops, I really get better my photography, but I still feel that not enough… But, they help me a lot to shoot better the great and creative cakes of my wife, and help me in my first steps in stock photography (previous posts of my blog).

By the other hand, they also inspire me and make me more hungry about photography! It is really interesting to understand how the great photographers get their impressive photos, how it is possible to wake up emotions and reactions with images, to keep and transform great moments to the immortality and how it is possible to make a difference to sell and to communicate concepts or products with photography.

With these thoughts I started my search for great and good schools, and I found the NYIP. A great school, an educational methodology very respectable and an international and global mindset make for me not only interesting but also my decision to get enrolled be right.

I hope to share with you more about this great experience that I have begun soon. For while I can talk that the people of NYIP are very kind, with a big attention and very concerned; the process is very clear, easy, friendly; and I received the course material in time even that I am living abroad to USA. By the way, the books, audio material, DVDs and all in respect to the NYIP Complete Photography Course are excellent, up date and oriented to help me become a better photographer exactly like NYIP’s director told me!

For more information: www.nyip.edu

Time-Lapses, a photographic technique!

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Brazil, composition rules, D7000, florianopolis brazil, HD, iMovie, Lightroom, movie, Nikon, Photo, photo techniques, photographic techniques, Photography, sofortbild, Time Lapse, video sequence

TIME-LAPSE Pousada Vivenda Maria do Mar – Florianopolis Brazil. from Ricardo Toledo on Vimeo.

The video looks better clicking in: Time Lapse: Pousada Vivenda Maria do Mar, Florianopolis, Brazil.

In my last vacations in a wonderful island called Florianopolis, south of Brazil, I produced my first time-lapse video. I had never produced any kind of video before, and I am very surprised with the results when you have time and dedication to keep studying the technique (with a little portion of luck and feeling photographic!).

Once again, beyond of the time-lapse technique, the basic rules were very important. Some composition rules, colors, light and expertise with the equipment were wide applied in the video production. (I have told some post about them, take a look in the previous posts anytime).

The first step was choose the subject! It is obvious, but it isn’t simple when you need to consider music timing (how each video sequence is connected with the rhythm of the music), how is your principal message and how long is your video. I spent a couple of days with the planning, searching musics, thinking about the sequences, photo techniques, light, period to take photos, etc.

A time-lapse video is a direct application of photographic techniques. A lot of pictures are taken in seconds or minutes lapse between them. It results an effect very interesting and very fluid between video planes.

If the first step and principal rule is the planning, the second is the execution! You will need a good tripod to your camera, or a good and safety place to keep your camera immovable for a long time (usually few minutes or some hours, in agree with your project). In the video above, each sequence was taken with 20 to 30 minutes long, with the pictures taken with 3 to 10 seconds lapse. It results in sequences with 5 to 10 seconds long when you mixed them in 24 fps (high quality). In total were taken about 5,000 pictures.

It is essential that you camera has an automatic shutter timer controlled. Some cameras, like de D7000 Nikon has this feature included, or you can buy a timer camera control shutter (look at Amazon.com for a lot of models). It is also possible to use your computer and any software to control the intervals between each picture, connected directly in your camera (a good example is the Sofortbild software).

After you have taken your pictures, you need to start to compose your final video. For each video plan, I used the Lightroom software to develop the pictures and to produce the video plans with 24 fps quality. I had 10 video plans, and I mixed them with iMovie software in a MacBook Pro, and added the music and the video transitions.

This is the third big issue. To make the final video! The processing to adjust the timing music, video plans and transitions to make the final shape demands a lot of hours in front of your computer. Be patience and keep your focus!

The Time-Lapse is a great technique, combining photography and video to produce interesting movies. Take your camera, planning your project and remember: Keep Shooting!

For further information, I suggest:

http://www.digital-photography-school.com/an-introduction-to-time-lapse-photography

http://content.photojojo.com/tutorials/ultimate-guide-to-time-lapse-photography

http://luiscaldevilla.com

 

And you? Have you produced time-lapse videos? Feel free to share with us your experience and comments!

Picture Gallery of January, 2012.

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ice, Photo, Photographer’s Eye, Photography, ski, snow, winter

Click on picture to enlarge

How to start in photography.

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Aperture, Beginner Photographer, Fotografia, Lightroom, Photo, Photographer, Photography, Photoshop, Pictures, Tips

(Versión en español en el interior del post)

How many times have you thought about start in photographic art? When you see a beautiful picture, how is possible to shoot like the photographer and wake up emotions like him?

There are many ways to start, but I think that the principal is your motivation and curiosity. Before to spend in expensive cameras and equipments, is very important that you define how is your feelings about photography, how long you can be dedicated, if it’ll be a hobby or your next professional career and how much is your budget.

Remember: you shoot good pictures, not the equipment! First of all, a good school and workshops are excellent way to improve your photographic skills. Furthermore good references like books, artists, blogs, sites, visual references through observing photographs, design and distinct images help you to shoot better on each click. So, I dare to give you some tips:

1. Be Curious and Motivated!

It’s the most important. Your curiosity gives opportunities to shoot original pictures and your motivation helps you to learn more!

2. Get a lot of references!

Beyond fun it is very useful! The eye is educated viewing.

READ and SEE a lot! Good books about photography and its techniques, workshops, photo expositions, museums, and internet. About the books, David Prakel (Basics Photography collection, with books about Composition, Exposure, Lighting), Michael Freeman (The Photographer’s Eye, The Photographer’s Mind) and other like Bryan Peterson, Scott Kelby, Jim Miotke are bestselling and great references.

About websites, you have social media and blogs, but I would like to show some interesting sites like:

http://www.cambridgeincolour.com,

http://www.illustratedphotography.com,

http://www.photographymad.com,

The strobe blog http://strobist.blogspot.com and the blog about very good photographers http://www.fineartphotoblog.com,

And the spanish versions http://www.aprendefotografiadigital.com and http://www.dzoom.org.es, when you can see http://www.dzoom.org.es/cont-39-conceptos-basicos.html with a lot of great tips and very useful information to beginners and professional photographers.

finally a great Brazilian photographer http://www.michelteosin.com.br

3. Learn the Basics.

It is very important that you learn the basic rules of photography, and once that you learned you need try to break these rules!

Why my photos seem to be blurred in a bit lower light? How can I get a nicely blurred background and sharp subject? Why there so much noise/grain in my photos? And so on… Sound familiar? These are few examples of questions quite often asked in different photography forums around Internet. Also the answers are really simple, just basics of photography.

Get in a forum in internet and participate it! There are a lot of them and there are always interesting post to read and to learn about photography.

A good photo has a good creative idea and a good technical execution! Some composition rules are very useful, like the rule of thirds where you don’t have to always place the subject into center of the frame, learn about speed, aperture, ISO speed, and the basics of the lighting and color theory.

4. Think before you shoot!

Think about the composition, think about the lighting, think about the scene, think about everything… Don’t shoot a lot, shoot often! And speciality don’t just take photos, but make them!

5. Try different angles and point of view of your photography.

Explore opportunities in your pictures. Many times you can change perspectives trying new angles and point of views. Some angles can explore characteristics like volume, texture, shapes and put your picture more interesting.

6. Better gear doesn’t always mean better photos.

The best camera doesn´t shoot photos alone, you need to have good composition, light and apply few concepts and techniques to make good pictures. Better cameras and equipment open to new possibilities and help you to expand your creative mind in the concepts that you have learned.

7. Know your camera.

Do you have a simple camera or the one most new? You need know it! And not only its commands or how to change its battery, it´s important to know its possibilities and its limits. What are the better light conditions in the scene for my camera? When has ISO speed more grain?

8. Participate in workshops and schools.

Workshops and schools are great not only to learn more about techniques and practice your “photographer’s eye”, but also they are good places to know other photographers, to increase your personal network and have new job opportunities.

9. Learn the basics of the photo edition software.

Shoot in RAW and try the basics of the photo edition. One of the biggest deals in digital photography is shooting in RAW format, when you have the maximum of the information about the image, known the “digital negative”, and try any software to develop your picture. The popular softwares are Photoshop, Lightroom and Aperture.

10. Finally…. Keep Shooting!

Yes, the best way to make good pictures is the practice! Shoot, shoot, shoot and practice a lot! Try concepts, techniques, new angles, point of views, light, work your images in RAW format, share your results with other photographers. So, take your camera and shoot pictures!!!

And you? Have you other experience or tips to begin in the photography art? Share your experience! I’m sure that it is interesting and useful to readers and our friends.

Cuantas veces ya ha pensado en empezar en la fotografía? Cuando mira una fotografía bonita, ya ha pensado en como seria posible tomarla como hace el fotógrafo, despertar la emoción a través de la imagen?

Hay muchas maneras de se empezar, pero creo que el principal es la curiosidad y tu propia motivación. Antes de comprar caros equipos fotográficos, es muy importante que tu tengas bien definido su intención en la fotografía, si tendrás tiempo de dedicarse, si será solamente un hobby o el próximo paso de su carrera profesional, ademas del presupuesto que podrá dedicar.

Atención: tu eres quien toma las fotos, y no el equipo solo! El primer paso es una buena escuela de fotografía y participar de workshops te ayudara a mejorar tu habilidad en la fotografía. Tener buenas referencias, buenos libros, leer blogs, sites de internet, y referencias visuales a través de buenas fotografías también te ayudara a hacer mejores tomas a cada foto. Asi, yo me atrevo a dar algunos tips:

1. Sea curioso y motivado!

Es muy importante. La curiosidad te dará la oportunidad de hacer fotografías originales y la motivación te ayudara a aprender siempre!

2. Tenga muchas referencias!

Ademas de ser muy divertido, será muy útil! El ojo es educado mirando.

LEER y MIRAR mucho! Buenos libros sobre fotografía y sus técnicas, talleres, exposiciones fotográficas, museos, y de Internet. Acerca de los libros, David Prakel (colección Fundamentos de Fotografía, con libros sobre Composición, Exposición, Iluminación), Michael Freeman (El Ojo del Fotógrafo, La Mente del Fotógrafo) y otros como Bryan Peterson, Kelby Scott, Miotke Jim son éxito de ventas y grandes referencias.

Sobre los sitios web, usted tiene los medios sociales y blogs, pero me gustaría de mostrar algunos sitios interesantes como:

http://www.cambridgeincolour.com,

http://www.illustratedphotography.com,

http://www.photographymad.com,

http://strobist.blogspot.com,

http://www.fineartphotoblog.com,

Y las versiones en español http://www.aprendefotografiadigital.com y http://www.dzoom.org.es, donde se puede ver http://www.dzoom.org.es/cont-39-conceptos-basicos.html  con un montón de buenos consejos para los principiantes y fotógrafos profesionales.

Por último, un gran fotógrafo brasileño http://www.michelteosin.com.br

3. Conozca los conceptos básicos.

Es muy importante aprender las reglas básicas de fotografía, y una vez que has aprendido es necesario tratar de romper estas reglas!

¿Por qué mis fotos parecen malas en luz de menor intensidad? ¿Cómo puedo obtener un fondo bien borroso y objeto nítido? ¿Por qué hay tanto ruido /grano en mis fotos? Y? Etc … Suena familiar? Estos son algunos ejemplos de preguntas en los foros de fotografía, y las respuestas son muy sencillas, solamente con fundamentos de la fotografía.

Participe de un foro de fotografía en la Internet! Hay un montón de ellos y siempre hay posts interesantes de leer y de aprender.

Una buena foto tiene una buena idea creativa y una buena ejecución técnica! Algunas reglas de composición son muy útiles, como la regla de los tercios en los que no tienen que colocar siempre el tema en el centro de la imagen, aprender sobre velocidad, apertura, velocidad ISO y los fundamentos de la teoría de iluminación y de colores.

4. Piense antes de disparar!

Piense acerca de la composición, la iluminación, la escena, piense en todo … No dispare mucho, dispara a menudo! No es solamente tomar fotos, pero es hacer fotos!

5. Pruebe diferentes ángulos y puntos de vista en sus fotografías.

Explore las oportunidades en las imágenes. Muchas veces se puede cambiar de perspectiva a través de nuevos ángulos y puntos de vista. Algunos ángulos pueden explorar las características como el volumen, la textura, las formas y poner su foto más interesante.

6. El mejor equipo no siempre significa mejores fotos.

La mejor cámara no dispara fotos sola, es necesario tener una buena composición, luz y aplicar algunos conceptos y técnicas para hacer buenas fotos. Mejores cámaras y equipo abren a nuevas posibilidades y le ayudará a expandir tu mente creativa en los conceptos que ha aprendido.

7. Conozca tu cámara fotográfica.

¿Tiene una cámara sencilla o la de ultima generación? Tu necesitas conocerla! Y no sólo sus comandos o de cómo cambiar la batería, es importante conocer sus posibilidades y sus límites. ¿Cuáles son las mejores condiciones de luz en la escena para la cámara? Cuando la sensibilidad ISO tiene más granos?

8. Participa en talleres y escuelas.

Talleres y escuelas son óptimos, no sólo para aprender más acerca de las técnicas y practicar tu “ojo del fotógrafo”, sino que también son buenos lugares para conocer a otros fotógrafos, para aumentar su red de contactos personales y tener nuevas oportunidades de empleo.

9. Aprende los conceptos básicos del software de edición fotografica.

Dispara en RAW y trata los aspectos básicos de la edición de fotos. Una de las mayores oportunidades en la fotografía digital es disparar en formato RAW, el formato cuando se tiene el máximo de la información sobre la imagen, conocido el “negativo digital”, y use cualquier software para revelar tu imagen. Los softwares mas populares son Photoshop, Lightroom y Aperture.

10. Por último …. Sigue disparando!

Sí, la mejor manera de hacer buenas fotos es con la práctica! Dispara, dispara, dispara y practica mucho! Busca trabajar los conceptos, técnicas, nuevos ángulos, puntos de vista, la luz, dispara formato RAW, comparte los resultados con otros fotógrafos. Por lo tanto, toma tu cámara y haz fotografías!

Y tu? ¿Tienes otras experiencias o consejos para iniciarse en el arte de la fotografía? Comparte tu experiencia! Estoy seguro de que será interesante y útil para los lectores y nuestros amigos.