Answers.

Thanks for all the great emails and questions!  On Friday I'll be randomly picking a question-asker (or two!) to receive a box of scrappin' goodies, so keep those questions coming.

Question from Cathy:

How do you get shadowing around photographs?

This shadowing technique is sort of like vignetting.There are a few ways to do this, but I'll talk about the one I almost always use. In Photoshop and PSE, the Burn tool is the easiest way to achieve this effect.  Set a round brush size kind of large (on a 4 x 6 photo at 300 dpi a brush size of 578 works well but play around with it), the Range to "Midtones" and the Exposure to around 30.  For more drama, play around with the exposure.  Then drag the brush around the outside of the image.  Here's an example of the effect using the Burn tool:

Before:

After:

Another way to do this is by using the Lasso tool around the edges of your photo, inverting the selection and then use Curves and Levels to darken.  And there are many actions out there for vignettes as well.  Give it a try!

Cathy also wanted to know what flash I recommend for her Canon xti.   I am not a flash kinda gal.  I own one but I suck at using it.  I have the Canon Speedlight 430EX and it works great for what I can do with it as long as I also have on my flash the Gary Fong Lightsphere. I love this product and it is slowly but ever-so-surely changing my mind about the use of my flash.  Gary makes diffusers for many types of cameras so, with your pop-up flash on your xti, Cathy, I recommend you check out what he has available for your camera before you spend your money on a flash.

Heather asked:

I would love to learn to use the manual settings any suggestions?

Shooting in Manual Mode has its benefits.  There are times when Manual is the only way to take a particular shot.  However, and I'm going out on an unpopular limb here, I don't feel that anyone needs to master Manual.  Our cameras are smart, expensive cookies and they generally do a great job of figuring out the particulars of exposure for us.  So give yourself a break and don't feel pressured by Manual.  That being said, the best way to get to know how to use the Manual setting is to practice the effects that ISO, Shutter Speed and Aperture have together to properly expose a shot.  I usually use Manual indoors in lower light when shooting a newborn (gosh that sounds horrible!) since lighting is stable and the subject is (hopefully) sleeping.  The horror of using Manual is forgetting to change your settings each time you move or your subject moves (um, been there, done that too many times to count).  For outdoors when chasing toddlers around, I think an auto setting or the AV setting (where you control ISO and Aperture and the camera figures out the right Shutter Speed) works best.  In fact, I use the AV setting most of the time.

And my friend, Tram, asks:

If you had to use only one lens, which one would it be?

Great question!  I'm torn, but I'd have to say it's my new baby, the Canon 24-70L 2.8.  It's a heavy thing but it's gorgeous and pretty versitile.  Before I got my new love, I used my 50mm 1.8, the best deal in lenses, quite a bit more than the rest in my stash. 

I also have some twin photos to share, so head on over here for a peekie!

Comments

[kribss]

Thanks Tina and to all those that commented about my camera bag dilema. Short version: Hawaii this summer + protection + roomy + hand free = Timbuk2 laptop messenger bag. Not sure which style yet :o)

Questions:
1.av mode, pictures come out yellow/orange. I know its the lighting inside the house/room that causes it, is it the ISO that I need to change- higher or lower? Or am I way off? (see question #2)
2. Money being no object which photoshop would you recommend for a new user? Just got my camera in October. I'm thinking of the mac daddy pcs3. I have all the time in the world to learn it.
3. How do you get your kids to try new foods? I have a 3 yr old.
Thanks so much for doing this!!

[TLuu]

The pic of the twins.....just fab. Almost enough to make me want another baby......ahhh...maybe not, but still beautiful.

[Julie Hickey]

What aperture settings do you find that you use most often? For example, the closeup baby shots.

[Jenn G.]

I have an unusual question, you said that we could ask questions about adoption. We are currently waiting to adopt ourselves (the Hubby and I), we are caucasian, and we are adopting a newborn African-American boy or girl. My question is, how did you learn how to do your childrens hair (book? you just knew? internet?)? and what type of products do you use for their hair?--My husband and I have thin, fine hair so I am a little nervous on how to do our childs hair properly! Any help on that would be great!

My photography question is-how did you learn what lens was for what? I see all these numbers written on the lens and I am like 'whattt.....????!!!'

Thanks!

[Jody]

Hi Tina :)
I liked Kribss question above...but what if you couldn't afford an expensive photoshop, are the lesser ones really no good?
Thanks!
Jody

[Clair]

I know that natural lighting is best- do you call off a photoshoot if lighting conditions are not ideal? If not, how do you work around it? Along the same lines, do you try to schedule all your appointments at peek times for sunlight? Is it possible to do an indoor shoot without a flash? If so, how? Thanks!!!

[Lisa]

Love all the these wonderful tips. Hope this is a permanent and regular feature in 2008.

The photo of your little one is adorable. She's so cute.

Have a great week.

[Kelly Noel]

you're the best for giving these great tips, tina! i've had my speedlite for over a year now, but just got the lightsphere and wow, what a difference! now i'm really loving playing with the flash. :)