How to photograph your Christmas tree...with or without your family!

I just wanted to take a minute to wish you all a happy and safe holidays! I hope Santa Claus brings you some great photo goodies, and that 2013 brings you lots of great photo opportunities! I have a lot of to be thankful for, with the amount of support you have all given me with launch of my apps.  I hope I have been able to say thanks to you all in some way so you know that I appreciate all your help.
I’d also like to offer you some tips to get a nice photo of your tree as well as a nice family portrait with it over the holidays.

Tis the Season Again For Christmas Concerts!

 With the school Christmas concert season upon us, time to yet again recycle an oldie but a goodie blog post!! Here's some tips on getting the great concert photos!

The annual Leonid Meteor Shower is happening this weekend! Not the busiest shower, but still a good opportunity,  so get out your tripods, get a cup of coffee, and go shoot them with some friends! Here's some tips on how!

Photography Assignment Generator Apps NOW AVAILABLE ON THE APP STORE!

I am so excited to finally announce the launch of the Learnphoto.ca Photography Assignment Generator app for SLR Photographers and the iPhotography Assignment Generator App for iPhone/iPod touch shooters.  NOW AVAILABLE ON THE APP STORE FOR IPHONE AND IPOD TOUCH HERE.  If you have any problems or questions, email me.

Whether you are taking on a 365 day photo challenge or just looking for inspiration, these apps will be just perfect for you. While most apps on the app store let you DO things to the photographs you taken, like add text, borders, filters, or special effects, these app is about ideas for TAKING photographs.

Photography Assignment Generator For SLR Features:

OVER 100 INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENTS AND THOUSANDS OF POTENTIAL RANDOM ONES! Everything from camera settings, rules of composition, creative shooting techniques, photographing people, landscape and nature, and more subjects! Random objects and places, combined with techniques, environments, offer you hundreds of thousands of possibilities! The scavenger hunt assignment gives you lists of terms to find with your camera…with MILLIONS of possible combinations! You can choose from the list, or have the app give you one at random!

OVER 700 EXAMPLE IMAGES
Each assignment has a series of example images to demonstrate the technique or inspire you!

iPhotography Assignment Generator for iPhone/iPod Touches:

OVER 75 INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENTS AND THOUSANDS OF POTENTIAL RANDOM ONES!
Tailored to shooting with your iPhone/iPod, assignments range from the rules of composition, creative shooting techniques, photographing people, landscape and nature, and more subjects! Random objects and places, combined with techniques, environments, offer you hundreds of thousands of possibilities! The scavenger hunt assignment gives you lists of terms to find with your camera…with MILLIONS of possible combinations! You can choose from the list, or have the app give you one at random! Each assignment has a series of example images to demonstrate the technique or inspire you, with over 500 images in the app in total.

CAMERA TIPS/CAMERA+/INSTAGRAM TUTORIALS
The app includes tutorials on getting better photos with your iPhone/iPod touch, as well as popular apps 

FEATURES OF BOTH

DAILY REMINDER
Taking part in a 365 day challenge?  Get the app to send you a reminder each day to get your photo assignment to keep you on track.

NO NETWORK REQUIRED!
The app is completely self-contained and does not require a wifi or network connection.  No matter where you are, you can always get an assignment. NOTE: Due to the huge amount of content, the app must be downloaded over wi-fi or through iTunes on your computer.

VIDEO TOURS
Take a quick tour of the apps and their features by watching my online tour videos here: https://vimeo.com/channels/learnphoto

FREE VERSION
As a firm believe that people should be able to try before they buy, there is also a FREE version of the full app that contains just a fraction of the assignments available in the full paid version...but should be enough to make you want it all! It is from the full slr version, but is basically the same as the iPhone/iPod version, so it would work for both. 

IPAD USERS
Please note, the app with run on iPad, but not full screen(online at iPhone size). I am looking at creating a iPad version if there is interest.  Email me at app@learnphoto.ca to tell me you want it!
 
HOW YOU CAN HELP MAKE THIS A SUCCESS!

The only way this is going to be successful is to get on the popular/most downloaded list so users across the world see it...and for that I need your help!

I hope of course you download the full app!
But whether you download the full app or not, please download the free version as well. More downloads equals more popular! You can delete it after you’ve downloaded it, no worries.

Here are some other ways you can help out:

-Please forward this info on the app to anyone else you think may be interested! Make sure to cc me on the email!
-Post the info on any photographers forums, blogs, etc, that you take part in who may be interested.
-Like and share my app page on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/PhotographyAppsByLearnphotoca
-Like and share my posts on Facebook about the app launch.
-Like and share my app page on my website at http://www.learnphoto.ca/apps
-Tweet about the app, or retweet my posts at https://twitter.com/learnphotoca
-Share the videos on my channels https://vimeo.com/channels/learnphoto
-Rate and review it on the app store!

SAYING THANKS FOR THE HELP

Obviously I have to try to thank you for helping me out, so I’m going to offer some launch prizes.
Every time you do any of the above, you’re name will go in a draw.  So if you share and like a status, like my app page, and email the info(cc me!), that would be 4 entries.
Starting off, I’m going to be giving away 5-5$50 gift certificates towards courses(transferable if you don’t want to use them, would make a great Christmas gift!)...and will add more as sales increase. if the apps really take off, I’ll start adding some bigger prizes, like iPod touches!

Thank you for checking out the app, I’m really hoping this can give me the opportunity to just do what I love, teach photography!

Please contact me if you have any questions or problems!
Noel

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Photographer and teacher
LEARNPHOTO.CA, Noel’s online photography learning community!
http://www.learnphoto.ca
NEW!
Photography Assignment Generator Apps now available on the app store!
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/artist/noel-chenier/id566645905
More info here: http://www.learnphoto.ca/apps
Portfolio http://www.noelchenier.ca
Noel’s Photo Tips Blog http://noelchenier.blogspot.com
Work Done by My Students! http://www.learnphoto.ca/gallery
Contact Email: nchenier@nbnet.nb.ca
Contact Phone: 608-6424

Oronid Meteor Shower THIS WEEKEND!

The annual Oronnid Meteor Shower is happening this weekend! Not the busiest shower, with usually 25 meteors an hour! But still a good opportunity,  so get out your tripods, get a cup of Tim's, and go shoot them! Here's some tips on how!

Some Thoughts On Critiquing....

A WORD ON CRITIQUING PHOTOGRAPHS
It's easy to say "That is a really nice/great/beautiful/bad/awful photograph", but it's even better to get a real critique of it where the person can explain what it is about the photograph that makes them like/dislike it. Here are some thoughts on how to discuss and evaluate photographs.

Assignment: A Photographic Alphabet

I give out the occasional assignment to my students, and here is one I particularly like.
For this assignment, you are trying to find elements in a scene that form letters. Not a sign that has letters on it, but pieces of wood that make a K shape, the side of a swing that forms an A, or metal bars on a firepit screen that make an X.

This kind of assignment is also good for taking a look through your archive of images to see what you may have already taken that contains letters!

To see some of the shots my students have come up with, check them out here: