Dave Hutt has redesigned this studio lighting seminar to appeal to both beginners, who want to know more about all aspects of studio lighting, as well as working pro’s that are looking for conformation. Dave has been in professional photography since his apprenticeship in 1973, and since then has owned or managed studios and color labs in Wyoming, Colorado, California, Washington and Oregon. He is an award winning photographer that now devotes his career to photo education. For more information about dave, check out his website: www.davehuttphotography.com

Topics of Discussion:
-Creative light modifying using:
umbrellas, softboxes, beauty dishes, octobanks and spot grids
-Using a flashmeter to measure light with pin-point accuracy
-Understanding & controlling lighting ratios
-Setting up the studio using:
main light, main-and-fill, background and hair lights
-Lighting & posing for “Rembrandt”, glamor, and editorial styles
-Understanding histograms
-Getting the most out of your digital SLR:
custom white balance, shooting RAW files, and more
-Discussion on copyrighting your photographs

Whether you’re a working professional whom wants a different perspective on external lighting, or you’re a beginner just getting into photography that is interested in learning about various lighting techniques that may help you take better pictures. This class is meant for you.

This class will also show you how to create a variety of images through various poses and lighting ratios. Dave will demonstrate how to master these techniques by making minor adjustments that create an entirely different image. The class includes a handout that Dave has provided with pictures of different poses and how they are created. After Dave demonstrates each pose, you will have the opportunity to take pictures with your camera to go along with the handout.

Class Format:
Dave starts by showing you what he can do with one light, he then adds a second, a third and finally a forth. As this process goes on, everyone will have the opportunity to take pictures. The images that you take home will make for good reference, showing you the affect of each lighting set-up. In addition, since Dave shoots tethered to a monitor, everyone is able to see his images.

Sophisticated portrait techniques are not difficult to master and studio lighting and equipment can be affordable. Due to Dave’s easy going personality and years of experience, he is able to help photographers of all levels understand light and how to direct or diffuse it. He will also discuss equipment that will help you take better pictures. You will learn how to:position lights in the right place,how to pose people correctly, how various forms of lighting equipment are used.

*Because this is a hands on class, make sure to bring your camera!

Class Location:
Bliss Studio- located on 7693 SW Cirrus Blvd #32 Beaverton, OR 97008

To register for this class, call (503.292.6996 x.21), or
email Jordan@AdvanceCamera.com or stop by the store.

I. Intro to HDR
II. The Art of Tone Mapping

I. Intro to HDR - This two hour course is designed to: educate you on what HDR is, how to use your camera to take HDR images and how to download a free trial version of Photomatix. Your camera is required for this class because John will be teaching us how to determine your cameras specific dynamic range, which will help you maximize image tonal range. $50

II. The Art of Tone Mapping - This two hour course is based on the program Photomatix, where John will be covering all the adjustment tools Photomatix offers. These tools consist of General Adjustments (strength, color saturation, light smoothing and luminosity) Tone Adjustment (white & black point gamma), Color Adjustments (color temp and saturation in both high/low light) and Micro Adjustments (Contrast and smoothening). How all these fine adjustments play together, becomes subjective to the artist. $50
*Photomatix offers a free 30-day trial, which can be purchased at 20% off after attending this class. www.hdrsoft.com

The cost for each class is $50 (handout included)
Registration: If you are interested and want to know more about any of these classes, or want to sign up, please call (503.292.6996 x.21) or stop by the store. Class prices, dates and availability vary. All classes include hands on training and a handout on various techniques we cover in class. All classes require pre-payment.

John Griffiths, an artist and our instructor is very passionate about photography. Read John’s Artist Statement below.

“My Primary focus as a photographer is to combine strong compositional elements together with synergy that direct and reflected light creates. This synergy results in an image that conveys the depth, form and feeling that existed in the original scene. I strive to create images that make a strong initial impression and possess lasting appeal through details that become apparent over time.

The Limitation of Photography is its greatest strength, the credibility that comes from reality. The advent of digital manipulation is leading to some “photographs” that are no longer photographs but creations more akin to graphic art that should be called photo-illustrations. My photographs reflect what I saw and felt at the moment of exposure.”

Almost every month Advance Camera offers a free workshop at the West Slope Community library, located just a mile down the road from Advance. The presentation is called and is based on “What you need to know about digital cameras.” This class covers topics that can be applied to both compact and D-SLR digital cameras, such as shutter speeds, F/stop’s, ISO, flash and composure.

In order to sign-up for this class, you must stop by or call the West Slope Library. The classroom can accommodate up to 25 people, but tends to fill up fast, so call and get on the list today!

You can find the West Slope Community Library on Facebook or on the world wide web.

For digital SLR users, dust on the cameras sensor is a fact of life. The web is filled with tips on how to minimize the build up, and some of them will actually help. We suggest making sure the back of your lenses and body caps are clean, and to vacuum out your camera bag every so often to minimize the amount of dust in your cameras storage environment. The truth of the matter is that no matter how careful you are, eventually you will see some spots on your photos.

Dust will show up as small gray or black spots in your photos, like in the example above. More often than not, the spots will show up the most in portions of your image which contain sky or solid white areas. Many people think this is a problem with their lens, but more times than not this is not the case. However, lenses can collect small amounts of dust which are visible to the eye, but due to the distance between the rear element and the camera sensor the dust does not show up in the image.

There is an easy way to check for dust on your sensor, and chances are when you look for it, you’ll find it! All you have to do is put the camera in “aperture priority” mode, and stop it down to F22 or so. Set the lens to manual focus and adjust the focus to infinity. Now your ready to take a picture. Try to shoot something with plenty of light which is a solid color like a wall or the sky (if possible, keep the image free of objects). Open the image in your image editing software (Adobe Photoshop) and perform an auto levels adjustment. At this point, if there’s dust, you’ll see it. Whichever cleaning method you choose, use this procedure to check your work after each attempt at cleaning your sensor to monitor progress.

I’ve been cleaning my own camera sensors for a while now. As the proud owner of a Canon 5D and 30D, I’ve noticed quite a difference in the amount of time spent on cleaning their respective sensors. The full size sensor on the 5D takes me much longer to accurately clean than the smaller sensor of the 30D. The larger sensor has much more surface area, less area around the periphery of the sensor, and is much higher resolution. All of these factors play a role in how much dust will show up in the photos, and ultimately how tough the job is.

We currently offer a variety of products which don’t involve touching the sensor for sale in our store. The Green Clean uses an attachment with a small hose to convert a can of air into a vacuum to suck out dust particles in the sensor area. (Never use a can of air to blow air directly on your sensor!) Delkin offers a product called the Sensor Scope which is a loupe-like device with LED lights on it to help you spot dust particles on your sensor before cleaning. This reduces the need for the test shots described above. Also included in the box is a mini-vacuum cleaner which is powered from the USB port on your computer. This is a non-intrusive way to rid your sensor of small to medium amounts of dust. Our skilled technicians used non-abrasive wipes and an instant dry cleaning fluid to swab the sensor. This method involves physical contact with the camera’s sensor and it is not recommended that you attempt it without proper training. It does, however, seem to be the most effective method of sensor cleaning out there.

If you have a dirty DSLR censor and want it cleaned by professionals feel free to bring it by the store or ship it in. We can usually get the cleaning done within 1 business day. Our sensor cleaning service includes a full external clean, external lens cleaning, firmware update (if available), and sensor cleaning with before/after test shots. Standard sensor cleaning is $40, for full frame cameras the fee is $80.

Wow! Advance Camera Repair is honored to be announced one of the top 5 service facilities in Stump town. Below is a link to the top 5-star service facilities. Please check it out and forward it to a friend. Being a small business with a small advertising budget, word of mouth or a quick email to a friend goes a long way. To those of you following, I appreciate your time!

Check out the blog when you get a chance… www.stumptownblogger.com

Here is a direct link to the service award winners. http://stumptownblogger.typepad.com/stumptownblogger/2009/10/5-star-service-award-winnersprint-this-list.html

5 STAR SERVICE AWARD WINNERS….(PRINT THIS LIST)

Like you, I really appreciate great service and a job well done. These merchants exceeded my expectations.

Auto Works- Auto body repair at 7516 SW Macadam-503-246-2200

All Oregon Landscape Co-(from really big to small, they do it all-call 503-646-6426. Talk to Tony Prunty.

Advance Camera Repair- 8124 SW Beaverton Hillsdale Highway. 503-292-7298. Terrific people if you have a camera on the lam!

Furniture Clinic Of Oregon- 503-598-3453 (nick in the furniture, problem with a select comfort bed? They do it all and come to your home.

Silvian Nita- Master Tailor. Located in the old Morgans Alley on Broadway, Silvian is your guy for alternations & professional tailoring. 503-223-1400.

This weekend all the local camera clubs in Oregon and Washington come together @ Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham. There are 7+ workshops throughout the two day convention. It’s sponsored by Canon and Lewis Kemper will be discussing “Light & Composition” and “Landscapes of Iceland.” Friday nights keynote presentation is free to the public and starts at 7:30. Anyone interested in learning should come! Advance Camera will be there Saturday cleaning cameras and offering 1/2 price sensor cleanings! Which means, bring your camera! If you have questions, or want to see a list of events, check out the 4C’s website listed below. Hope to see you there! http://www.columbiacameraclubs.org

The Presenters
You can check out the work of many of the speakers on their websites:

Sean Bagshaw – www.outdoorexposurephoto.com

Jon Canfield – www.joncanfield.com

Michael Durham – www.durmphoto.com

Michael Henley – www.contimages.com

Ron Kaplan – www.ronkaplanphotography.com

Lewis Kemper – www.lewiskemper.com

Don Lyon – www.cuephoto.com

George Ostertag – www.ostertagphoto.com

Terry Tallis – www.terrytallis.com

The bargain table is hibernating for the winter, but will be back outside next spring. This will give us time to replenish with more goodies. Stay tuned…

Nature Photographers of the Pacific Northwest Spring Meeting

On April 4th, over 200 members from both Oregon and Washington congregate at Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham for the biannual spring meeting. Tamron, ProPhoto, Advance Camera and Trek-Tech helped support this event while Don Gale, a successful commercial and industrial photographer taught various techniques that have earned him national recognition. If you care to see Don’s work, check out his website www.photographybydon.com. In addition, there is a photo contest that consists of up to 4 of your favorite images consisting of scenic’s, wildlife, and plan life. Members were allowed to bring up to two prints, 48’’ in size to the event to be judged by If you are interested in becoming a member of this group, or want to know more about the organization, check out their site. www.nppnw.org

Prior to the even, registered members were reminded to bring there cameras in for cleaning. Members started arriving promptly at 9am to drop off there camera with Dave for cleaning, and by the end of the day all of the cameras had been cleaned, tested and if needed the firmware was updated. This year, Dave cleaned almost 50 DSLR’s and helped many with various technical questions. With that said, when problems or questions arise, feel free and stop by Advance Camera for help. Everyone here wants to help.

Below are pictures taken at the NPPNW biannual meeting. The main photo shows the Advance Camera booth with owner Dave Sleeth in front. You’ll also see him smiling, busy at work cleaning cameras and checking them out. The bottom right picture is of the Tamron booth, shared with ProPhoto. Tamron had several knowledgeable reps showing off their latest high-end lenses.

Online Store: Amazon & Ebay

As featured in Outdoor Life Magazine for August outdoor gear round-up. They hailed our ZRS as Knock Around Binoculars…”The new Zen-Ray-Summit 8×42 is a terrific bargain. You will like its durable, hard-rubber camouflaged armor, extremely long 18 millimeters of eye relief and sure locking eyecups. Ergonomically, this full size binoculars almost feels like a mid-size, with is compact frame…. they will certainly get the job done on any deer stand”.- Outdoor Life Magazine, Aug 2008, Page 57
I have been using the ZRS (Summit) 8X32 binoculars you gave me to try and I continue to be very impressed with their quality. I have shown them to several other bird watchers and they have all thought they were very good. When I tell them that they cost under $150 they can’t believe it. I think you have a very good product that will easily compete with any other binocular near that price.
From James Davis- Portland Metro Naturalist and Renowned Birder
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I wanted to get a second pair of binoculars for our cruise this past May so we would not be fighting over one. While using this web sight to research other “stuff” I had read some posts about the Zen Ray Summit binoculars so I splurged and bought a pair. My partner thought I was crazy for spending money on a pair of binoculars, then turned around and kept hogging my crazy binoculars because they were so much better than hers (brand name removed). I do not know a thing about binoculars, and I used think the (brand name removed)’s we had were great. But now, they are marked for our next garage sale.
-iluvnm65
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Hi Jen,
got back from Alaska on Sunday night. Have to say we loved the zen ray binos. Can’t thank you enough for the sample 2009 one. We really needed the second pair. Both binos worked great…great quality. We think the vision with the 2009 one was a bit brighter.
will highly recommend your binos to everyone.
Ellen W. from Florida
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How to Use Binoculars
By James Davis , Metro Park Naturalist
You will only get the most out of your binoculars (”binos”) if you know how to adjust them properly. Many people do not know how to use the Adjustable Eyepiece (diopter) and never really see as well as they could with their binoculars.
Here are easy, step by step instructions for making the FOUR adjustments needed to get the best out of your “binos.”
Note: This is why sharing binoculars is not usually practical. Each person needs to have a pair of binoculars adjusted for his or her eyes.
1. EYECUPS
Modern binoculars have either soft rubber eyecups or twist up/down eyecups on the eyepieces that can fold down or rotate down to adjust for eyeglasses. If you use binos with your glasses on, rotate down eyecups so the end of the eyepiece is as flat as possible. Put the flat eyepiece right on your glass’s lens when using the binos. If you are not wearing glasses, leave the eyecups extended. A few types of binoculars have eyecups that screw in to get flat for glasses.
2. HINGE
The two halves of the binos are joined together in the center with a hinge. This is so you can move them in and out until they are the right distance apart for your eyes. While looking through the binos, move them in and out until you have one big, clear, circular field of view. If you get dark patches or crescents in the center or on the sides, they are too close together. You should never see two circles. Keep fiddling with them until you get the best field of view and don’t be afraid to keep adjusting them throughout the day.
3. CENTRAL FOCUS
Hold the binoculars in both hands and reach to the center with a big finger or two and turn the wheel in the center. This is the Central Focus . Turn the central focus back and forth every time you look at something new to get the sharpest, clearest image you can. However, your eyes are probably not the same and you need to make one more adjustment to see as well as you can with your binoculars.
4. ADJUSTABLE EYEPIECE
” Left eye - Central Focus then Right eye - Adjustable Eyepiece “
This is the most confusing thing about using binoculars. Almost no one ever explains it on nature and birding walks and it is often poorly explained in the instructions that come with binoculars (yes, there were some). It is even explained wrong in some bird watching books.
When you use the Central Focus , you focus the two sides of the binoculars at the same time. BUT, your eyes are probably not identical. So you need to adjust your binoculars so each side is in focus for each eye at the same time. You do this by using the Adjustable Eyepiece through diopter .
FIND IT — The Adjustable Eyepiece is the one that TURNS and it will have a simple scale on the underside of the eyepiece with a ” -, 0, + ” and another mark next to the scale on the bino frame. Binos differ, but almost all have the Adjustable Eyepiece on the right. Find your Adjustable Eyepiece and turn it. Find the scale on the underside and set it at “0″ or “in the middle”.
Here is the easiest way to make this adjustment, step by step.
(For an Adjustable Eyepiece on the right.)
• Pick something sharp and clear to look at, a medium distance away, like a sign.
• Make the other adjustments and focus on the sign with the Central Focus as best as you can.
• Close your right eye and use the Central Focus to get the left eye’s image as sharp as possible. You are only looking through the left side of your binos.
• Now, close your left eye and open your right eye. Don’t touch the Central Focus . You are now looking through only the right side of your binos.
• Here’s the tricky move. Turn the Adjustable Eyepiece back and forth with your right hand until you get the sharpest image you can in your right eye . See? You are matching your right eye to the left eye.
• Open your left eye and the object should be in sharp focus in both eyes. To check, focus on something else using both eyes with the Central Focus , then alternate looking with one eye and then the other. The image in both eyes should look the same and be in sharp focus. If not, try turning the Adjustable Eyepiece a tiny bit back and forth to see if you can get it sharper. Sometimes you just have to fiddle a bit with the Central Focus and the Adjustable Eyepiece until you get them just right.
• When you have the Adjustable Eyepiece in the right position, look at the scale and remember that setting. This is your basic setting for those binos, always start with that. Many people find that their eyes change from time to time so don’t be afraid to keep fiddling with it to get the best image you can.
Remember: Left eye - Central Focus then Right eye - Adjustable Eyepiece