WORKING GIRL

This image was one of a series of the model taken during the model's smoke break. I commented that she looked a bit like a hooker. We decided to pursue the idea. Her poses and expressions were right on and the ambient lighting was perfect. Post processing further enhanced the feel. Larry Elkins - Elkinsphotos Fine Art Photography

BEAUTY

Dorothy Parker once stated, "Beauty is skin deep, but ugly goes clean to the bone." Photography readily recognizes the beauty in a gorgeous young model's face. But that is certainly beauty that is only skin deep. There is another beauty that is far more interesting. That is beauty born of character. The deep lines etched in an old fisherman's face convey a different beauty, one which, like Miss Parker's UGLY, goes clean to the bone. Famed photographer Richard Avedon once remarked that he found little of interest in young people's features. Life had not yet had time to etch itself into their faces. A great self assignment is to search out people whose character and life experience have been graven into their faces. Photographs of these people will convey a beauty that runs far deeper than a pretty face. Larry Elkins - ELKINSPHOTOS FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY

GULF OIL SPILL UPDATE

THE PEOPLE OF THE GULF REGION, NOT TONY HAYWARD, DESERVE TO GET THEIR LIVES BACK. LARRY ELKINS - ELKINSPHOTOS

ANGLE IT

DO YOUR PHOTOS JUST LIE THERE AND SLOWLY WILT AWAY? WANT TO PUT SOME LIFE IN THEM? TRY ANGLING THE COMPOSITION. What the hell does that mean? Well, try this self assignment. Take a whole day of shooting. Shoot whatever you want. But shoot each subject from at least five different angles. This will give you five distinct shots to choose from. This will train your eye to use dynamic angles to create interesting, exciting compositions. Larry Elkins - ELKINSPHOTOS

DEWDROPS

DEWDROPS - In this case, it was unnecessary to simulate dewdrops. The dew was real. However, it is simple to produce a dewy effect by spraying, or for more control, placing, a 50-50 mixture of water and clear corn syrup onto the surface of the subject. Larry Elkins - Elkinsphotos Fine Art Photography

A NEW KIND OF JUNK KILL

A NEW KIND OF JUNK KILL - DEMOCRATIC PARTY CONSULTANT PAUL BEGALA, DURING AN APPEARANCE ON CNN TODAY, ADVOCATED A NEW VERSION OF JUNK KILL. HE SUGGESTED A MODERN VERSION OF THE TOSSING OF THE TRIBAL CHIEF INTO THE ERUPTING VOLCANO. HE PROPOSED TOSSING SEVERAL BP EXECUTIVES INTO THE HOLE WITH THE HOPE THAT THEY'LL BLOCK THE LEAK. SOUNDS LIKE A WIN - WIN SITUATION TO ME. LARRY ELKINS - ELKINSPHOTOS FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY

GREETINGS EARTHLINGS

PHOTO TIP - TURNING YOUR PHOTOS INTO GREETING CARDS: This is not going to be a tutorial on how to turn your photos into greeting cards. There are numerous ways of doing so. What I want to do however, is to present an over view. One method that's been around a long time is to purchase card blanks that contain a window in which you insert your photo. One of the leading companies offering this option is PHOTOGRAPHERS EDGE. This option works well with both film and digital images. With digital images, the options are countless.The methods, with one exception I'll cover in a moment, involve printing onto card blanks. You can do this yourself with the aid of various printing and photo editing programs. The number of programs available are way too many to list. Or you can have a company like SHUTTERFLY do it for you. One other method available is ecards that you can send via email. I have little familiarity with personalized ecards. However, again, there are numerous companies out there that will provide resources. I hope this tip will spur your creativity. (I am not endorsing any companies I've mentioned nor am I receiving compensation) Larry Elkins ELKINSPHOTOS FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY