HERE COMES SANTA CLAUS - BISBEE AZ

BISBEE AZ ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS - An event took place here in Bisbee on Black Friday evening over the Thanksgiving weekend that offered a unique opportunity for shooting lots of wonderful holiday pictures. The event, Bisbee's annual Festival of Lights, features a series of colorful seasonal happenings culminating with the arrival of Jolly Old St. Nick (Santa Claus) in an old antique fire engine.Santa is then joined by Mrs. Claus and the two of them distribute Christmas stockings to the children of Bisbee. So did I take lots of wonderful pictures? Well, not exactly. Sometimes, even for an avid photographer like me, there are things more important than getting the photographs. In this case, for instance, I was the one in the red and white suit riding on the back of the old fire engine. So, although I wound up with no photos of the event, I had a wonderful, if rather exhausting time, hoisting what seemed like a couple hundred children up on my lap. My point, I guess, is that while getting the photos is important, we shouildn't forget that it is also important to enjoy the event we're photographing. If you attend the Mardi Gras in New Orleans, shoot away. However, at the same time, enjoy the fact that you've been afforded the opportunity to attend this wonderful event. LARRY ELKINS - elkinsphotos.com

BISBEE SHOPPING GUIDE

BISBEE AZ NEWS ALERT -The following isn't directly photography related. However, for those of you who may be planning a photo expedition to Bisbee AZ, this should prove helpful. My website, elkinsphotos.com now contains a BISBEE SHOPPING GUIDE. Please check it out. LARRY ELKINS - ELKINS PHOTOS FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY elkinsphotos.com

TIP FOR DUMMIES

An excellent resource for photographers are the books FOR DUMMIES. Whether your choice is DIGITAL ART PHOTOGRAPHY FOR DUMMIES, DIGITAL SLR CAMERAS & PHOTOGRAPHY FOR DUMMIES, PHOTOSHOP ELEMENTS FOR DUMMIES or numerous other titles, you're bound to find what you need. And no, I'm not being paid by the dummy publishers. LARRY ELKINS - elkinsphotos.com

GREAT LOCATION - LOUSY WEATHER

"I traveled 1200 miles to get here. The location's great. Oh, no! The weather's lousy. What do I do Now?" How do you save yourself from this travel photo shoot nightmare? Here are six quick tips. #1 - Protect your camera. If you have weatherproofing cover for your camera, use it. If not, try a clear plastic zipper lock bag with a hole cut for the lens to go through. This is not as safe or as convenient as weather proof housing. However, in a pinch, it will probably work. #2 - Go for the mood. Rain, snow, lightning can make for great photos. Use the inclement weather to your advantage. Remember though, safety first. #3 - Come in out of the rain. Get under a shelter. Or go inside a building and shoot out a window. If it's raining outside, the light differential between inside and outside will be much less than on a sunny day. #4 - With your camera adequately protected, shoot close ups of water drops on flowers, or icicles as they begin to melt. #5 - Shoot reflections. If it's raining, shoot reflections of parts of buildings, passersby etc. in the rain puddles. This can produce some quite interesting semi-abstract compositions. #6 - Shoot indoors. Maybe tomorrow, the sun will come out. Remember; if you're given lemons, make some lemonade. LARRY ELKINS - elkinsphotos.com

JOY OF A TOY CAMERA

Hey! Did you hear about the latest Nikon 18 megapixel pro SLR with a new image stabilization system that allows you to shoot handheld at a shutter speed of 1/2 second? And what about that new software that allows you to take blurred shots and turn them into tack sharp photos with a single click of the mouse? With all of the fancy, high tech equipment available today, it's easy to succumb to the idea that somehow the camera makes the photographer. Here's a self assignment that can re-open the door to your innate creativity. Sacrifice the flexibility offered by the high tech equipment available today. Go buy a toy digital camera, meant for a young child. Then spend a week photographing everything around you. The idea here is not that you'll come up with the world's greatest photos. Hopefully though, you'll find yourself looking at your world in a different light. The goal is to turbocharge your creativity. Let the lessons learned in this little experiment infuse your photography once you take up your fancy mancy camera and return to serious shooting. Remember, it's not the camera that makes a photographer any more than a hammer and saw make a carpenter. LARRY ELKINS - ELKINS PHOTOS FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY

SELF ASSIGNMENT

Here's an idea for an interesting idea for a self assignment. create a photo essay, a story told with pictures. The catch is that you cannot travel more than five miles from your home in any direction. Try it and see what happens.