Mike Cheliak: Photography, Fitness, Nutrition and Life

Funny Quip – Canadian East Coast Hunters talking

Just for fun..some down home East Coast Canadian Humour.

Two East Coast Hunters Talking (Read it out loud)
First Guy:  Mr. Ducks
Second Guy:  Mr. Knot
First Guy: Mr. Sew, Cedar Wings
Second Guy: Whale Oil Beef Hooked, Mr. Ducks

TRANSLATION (A little Colourful without the censoring) – Now Read it Out Loud
‘Em are Ducks!
‘Em are Not!
‘Em are So!  See ‘Dere Wings!
Well O’il Be F**ked, “Em ARE Ducks!

Hope I made you Laugh a little!

Mike C.

Sports Photography – Shooting Soccer

It’s that season again in North America.  Spring brings soccer back to life in my part of the hemisphere.  Soccer to some can be tiresome to watch but to the studied eye, it is like one huge chess game when played at a high level.  The ball movement, positioning, strategies and of course some of the most highly conditioned athletes around.

Every sport has its own unique style and the way you shoot these sports requires a different skill set.  As you become familiar with shooting a particular sport, you will find that many of the shots (although unique for that game) are similar or familiar to other shots you may have taken.  There is a finite amount of ways in which you can shoot a sport (angle, position, lighting matrix…) so it is up to you to make the most of your shooting and to “create” new ways to look at it.

Photographing soccer is not particularly difficult to shoot you will have to have some better equipment to get consistently good results.  Knowing when to shoot and having a camera with adequate response time is important but you really do need a long lens to shoot.  I use a 400mm f/2.8 lens for soccer and I have a second camera set up with a 70-200mm f/2.8 VR lens as well for when action is closer.  That combination puts you in the area of $20,000 so unless you have loads of money or make a living at it…don’t go and buy that kind of equipment!  Having some flexibility in zoom is needed and as long as you are shooting in the daytime, you can easily get great results with a less expensive lens.  A DSLR with 3 frames per second is a good start and most of the mid-entry level Canon and Nikon cameras provide that type of performance and have reasonable shutter lag.

For most soccer, you will be shooting from the sidelines although you can get some really great shots from the corners and endzone areas.  You will want to make sure of a couple things.  First, when you are shooting from the sidelines, make sure you are aware of the line official.  He/she will be running from the end to centre on one side of the field (their partner will be on the opposite side of the field and end).  They are paying attention to the game so you must NEVER interfere with them.  The second is when you are in the endzone.  Never distract the play and WATCH OUT for flying soccer balls.  They DO hurt (I know from experience).

Now that the ettiquette is out of the way, you are going to want to shoot at the level of your players.  If you are shooting little kiddies playing, drop down to your knee for shooting.  Stay at eye level with any subject and maintain that angle for most of your shooting.  Some “up shots” can look interesting at the right angle, but shooting into a bright lit sky is not good photography.

Follow the play, be ready to shoot and get a feel for the player(s) who are commanding the most time on the ball.  They are likely the best on the team and will lead most of the good action and attention from the other team.  Shoot lots of “conflict”.  Soccer looks better with more people in the photo.  Focus on your subject, keep your f/stop wide open to make your depth of field as shallow as possible and try to catch scenes with the ball. 

Some good shots to look for are dribbling sequences, challenges, throw ins, trpas, corner kicks and goalie saves.  A soccer header will be your most challenging but with practice and a quick camera; you can get really great shots with some of the best facial expresions you will ever see in sports!  Nothing says BONK, like a hard soccer ball on the head.

Have fun and remember to catch the action; don’t be a part of it!

Health and Happiness as always,

Mike C.

Photo Tip – Sports League Products and Packages

There are two schools of thought when it comes to Sports League Photography.  The first is that you need to offer a KAJILLION little bobbles and specialty products to keep your parents happy.  The second school of thought is the one that I attended.  Offer a nice selection of high quality print products, a few specialty items and MAKE SURE YOU DO IT RIGHT!

I see a lot of Sports Photography Companies that offer things like key-tags, bobble heads, cutouts, mouse-pads, die cut sets and more.  The problem is that they offer too many items and don’t do many of them particularly well.  It is suicide to offer products to your customers that are not of the very best quality and value and also to offer products that you can’t deliver consistently fast.

I offer photos, posters, trading cards and sports magazine covers which I design with a licence agreement from SI Kids.  That is it.  I have single items or affordable packages that combine the more popular items (ID trading cards, magazine cover and a 5×7). I have tried in the past to get good quality items to offer but they were either WAY to expensive, they took too long to get or they were just too inconsistent in quality.  Most of the time that I offered these items, I only sold a tiny amount of them anyway.

Almost all of my parents love the fact that my order form and system are dead easy to use and that I offer the highest quality prints and trading cards at prices they can afford.  I have a local printing company for my trading cards and I absolutely insisted that they provide me with the price and quality that parents demand every time they print for me.  I put through over 2000 sets of trading cards every year and I have to be sure that my local printer will do the job.  THEY DO!  I also have a very good relationship with my photo lab.  I print over 20,000 photos every year and my lab knows that when I place my order, it gets done quickly.

The key to running a successful sports photography business is no more complicated than you want to make it.  I develop fantastic relationships with all my leagues that I service.  I sponsor teams, give away family portrait sessions for fund raising, offer special discounts to the leagues that purchase a package for the registered players (Memory mate or a team/single photo).  I also include free 5×7 team photos for the coaches and give at cost production of sponsor plaques and thank yous.

If you are considering getting into the Sports League Photography business; the advice I offer you is this:

1. ALWAYS deliver what you promise, when you promise it.  If you said they would get their photos before Christmas, you better deliver!

2. NEVER bite off more than you can chew.  Know your limit and play within it (to coin a phrase).

3. Start small, develop relationships and grow as your business grows.

4. Develop good relationships with your suppliers and NEVER be late when paying them. 

5. Make sure they quality and pricing you are offering is consistent, fair and always the same

I am currently working on my 3rd Volume of the Mike’s Commando Guide for Digital Photography.  This volume will be dedicated to starting up and running a successful Sports Photography Business.

Happiness and Health as always!

Mike C.

The Other…other…other Egg

What are the best eggs you likely never eat?  Fish Eggs.  Caviar has over 3 times the Omega 3 Fatty Acids as does the equal amount of Salmon.  A lot of you may be saying “yuck” but unless you have ever tried Caviar, you won’t appreciate that it is actually really good!

You may also say “not a chance, it’s too expensive”.  That is true of the world’s finest caviar from Iran or Russia but you can easily buy Domestic Caviar (usually Salmon Roe) for around $20 per ounce which goes a long way.  CLICK HERE to visit  an online Caviar Broker to check out the many options available.

This is just another case of trying new things in your food.  It’s easy to get bored with food.  If you toil in the kitchen and don’t try new stuff from time to time, you will easily fall into a rut.  I eat pretty healthy (mostly whole foods) and I very rarely suffer any kind of staganant rut in the kitchen.  I love cooking and love to experiment.

Here are a couple simple ideas using Caviar that will blow the socks off of your OMEGA 3 levels!

IKURA DON
Take a bowl of steamed rice (I love Jasmine) and top it with a couple small strips of Grilled Ahi Tuna (2 ounces), 1/4 cup of diced avocado and 2 TBSP of salmon Caviar.

CAVIAR OMEGA OMELET
Beat two OMEGA enriched eggs with a little 1% milk.  Add 1/2 tsp dill and 2 TBSP of finely shredded green onions.  Cook your Omelet and add 3 TBSP of Caviar just before your eggs are set.  Fold over and top with a little plain yogurt or low fat sour cream.

Yummy on both counts.  My wife and I love sushi and the Ikura Don we make is a nice twist on the more traditional Japanese dish with just steamed rice and fish eggs.

I really hope you give these little gems of power a chance.  Good quality Fish eggs don’t taste fishy or salty and can add a lot of class to any occasion!

In happiness and health as always!

Mike C.

Daily Opinion Polls

I got to thinking (sometimes I do that). I need to find out more about what my visitors want to read about. After All, it doesn’t make sense to write about dog food to a room full of cat owners. A marketing friend suggested I start adding little “interest” polls on my blog.

Everyone has an opinion about something and I figure a daily question would give me a better idea about my blog content. First and foremost, my blog will be about stuff I love and am passionate about. As the title suggests, Photography, Fitness, Nutrition and Life.  I will be posting a daily poll in the left hand column.  Please offer your opinion/answer…it does matter to me.

I hope the little Polls I post help me to deliver meaningful content to you and will spark more comments and discussion. After All, we all need to communicate to help create a better place for all of us to live!

Yours in health and happiness as always!

Mike C.

Good News Anyone?

Whether it is a major cable broadcaster, a local Affiliate network station, a newspaper or Internet News Agency; the news that is reported every day is 95% negative with maybe one feel good story thrown in for good measure.  If you are like me and are a positive thinker; this negative smashing is enough to make you sick.

Bad news sells.  That is the mantra of almost every network news executive.  People love to hear about plight and misfortune and bad financial news and terrible weather and the list GOES ON!  Well…I for one say (with all due respect) F**K YOU!  Yep…foul mouth and all.

I choose to look for better news to read about.  I choose to have a positive outlook.  I choose to understand that there are some bad things that go on everyday but I do not dwell on them.  I choose to make positive changes in my life and others.  I choose to be happy as much as possible.  I choose to accept that we all have bad days but I don’t let that drag me or others down.  I choose to have a bright outlook on the future.

Most of all, I choose to say to anyone that if you immerse yourself in negative news, negative behaviour and negative social input all the time…you are going to need to seek some professional help!  Don’t for one minute think that I am immune to the news about negative things.  I don’t ignore them either.  I just choose to put them in perspective.  If we choose to be a more positive influence, then we pass that notion on to all the people we connect with.

Don’t bury your head in the sand but rather rise above the crowd and look to the horizon.  This Global Economic Crisis will end and the world economic gurus will learn from it.  When something bad happens,don’t dwell on the worst of it.  Instead, appaud the true valour of those who chose to help when things were worst.

If you are interested in hearing more about good news, there is a website to visit.  It is http://www.goodnewsnetwork.org.  I DO NOT get anything in return for this referral.  I AM NOT an affiliate or in any way connected.  I just think it is a great place to go for positive news.  The membership (if you choose to subscribe) is less than $20 a year right now or you can just select a free newsletter each week and an RSS Feed for nothing.

Either way; I hope some of my blog readers visit the site to maybe cast a little light and happiness on their news day!

In happiness and health as always!

Mike C.

Photo Tips – Basic Photoshop Processing Automations

Anyone who has had the pleasure of “cleaning” photos to make them ready for print knows how tedious the task can be.  Applying a preset level to adjust the histogram, auto contrast, unsharp mask, cropping…the list goes on.  The simple fact is that Photoshop is an amazing tool with high end capabilities that can transform almost any photo into true art.  It also has a great deal to offer at a much lower level.

Automations are programmed sets of movements in Photoshop that you record as an action.  I myself have a couple hundred actions programmed.  They perform a variety of functions from basic levels to automating photo packages.  I can take a photo, click on my automation and end up with a set of trading cards, a sports magazine cover, a couple 5×7’s and a team photo.  While there is some user intervention for things like file naming and text completion; most of what is done is a programmed action that requires very few key strokes by the user.

Take for instance this scenario.  You are photographing a companies employees for ID cards.  There are 200 employees.  You need to photograph them and process the head shots to fit an ID card badge that the company will produce.  In order to make this easy on yourself, you need to pre-plan your shoot.  Make sure you have good White Balance and good exposure.  Any incident meter is a tool you should always use.  There is also an amazing tool called Color Right.  You can visit them online at www.colorright.com.  This tool will end your frustration with white balance settings for good!

Now that you know your photos are going to be fairly close to perfect in exposure and white balance, you need to set your shooting area.  By this, I mean you have to ensure that every subject is seated correctly and that they fill the frame composition the same for every shot.  This will make it a lot easier on you when it comes time to setting your cropping automation.  Always take at least two shots per every subject.  I tend to take a shot, drop one stop (aperture) and then take another shot, go up a couple stops (one higher than you started) and take a third shot.  This will give you a good bracket to choose from.

OK, now you have 600 photos.  You load them on your hard drive and now what?  First is to view all the photos and choose the best shot for each person.  When you browse your photos in Adobe Bridge you can select a “label”.  Right click the photo, select Label >>Select from the menu.  The photo will now have a colored bar under it.  Once you have all the photos selected that you are going to use, you need to sort them in Bridge.  Select View >>Sort>>”By Label in the menu.

Now comes the first automation.  A basic clean/unsharp mask function.  If your photos are pretty much dead on you should be able to set this automation to run without any intervention from you.  Open one file, create a  New set of actions called ID CARDS.  Under this set, create an action called CLEAN.  You are now recording.

1. From the Photoshop menu, select Image>>Adjustments>>Levels.  When the Levels dialogue pops up, view the histogram and assess where you need to make any adjustments.  You may need to drag down the highlight, up the midtone or drop the shadow.  If you don’t need to do anything, I suggest hitting escape at this point.  You will not have recorded this action unless it is completed.

2.  Select Filter>>Sharpen>>Unsharp Mask from the Photoshop menu.  I set mine as follows.  Amount 120%, Radius 2.0 Pixels, Threshold 2.0 levels.  This is a matter of preference and also a setting for the size of files I use.  A smaller file may need less (100/1/1) is a common setting as well.

3.  Your automation is complete and now you need to stop the action from recording and close the file you were working on WITHOUT saving it.

You now need to run your automation by selecting all of your “Labelled” files.  In recent versions of Bridge and Photoshop, you can run an automation as a batch or in this case, we want to run it as “Image Processor”.  This will take the selected files, run the automation and save a copy in a new folder thus leaving the original untouched.  In Bridge, select Tools>>Photoshop>>Image Processor.  In the popup select “Save in Same Location” (this will create a folder called JPEG in your source folder and save the files there).  File type “Save as JPEG” and Quality “12″.  Under Preferences you will check the Run Action and select the Action Set “ID CARDS” and the action “CLEAN”.  You can also add your Copyright Info and check the “Include ICC Profile” box as well.  Click Run and watch as 200 files get cleaned, copied and saved.

Your second automation will be to crop your photos to the correct size for the ID cards.  For argument sake, let’s say you need the head shot to be 1″ x 1.25″ to fit the card.  First you need to check all your processed files to make sure they all look good.  Nothing will ever replace the photographer proofing their work…NEVER!

1.  Open a file from the processed photos.  Select your crop tool and set your size to 1 in Width and 1.25 in Height and a Resolution of 300 Pixels/Inch.

2.  Create a new action under the ID CARD set and call it CROP.  You are now recording.  Crop your photo exactly as you want it to print and double click the cropped area.

3.  Stop recording.  Close the file WITHOUT saving.

You have now completed your cropping automation.  Assuming you composed all the photos to fit the frame, you should be able to set and forget this automation as well.  If not, there is a small Toggle box in your Automation Window (Left side).  You can select this option to Toggle on and off a Dialogue Box.  This will basically start the automation and hold it for you and allow you to adjust the cropping area.  Once you finish, the automation will complete.  The whole point however is to avoid this by proper composition when you are taking the photos.

To run this automation, you will go to Bridge, Select all your files and select Tools>>Photoshop>>Batch.  In the Pop Up box, select your ID CARD set and the CROP action.  Skip down to destination and select Save and Close from the Drop down menu.  This will take the file, run the automation and save it in the same location.  For your purpose, this is the best selection as you don’t need an additional redundant copy.  Click OK and let the automation run.

While this is not the definitive guide to Photoshop Automation’s, it does show you how you can eliminate a lot of time processing by just creating a couple simple automation’s and planning accordingly.

Have fun and Sign up for a Free Newsletter with tonnes of information on Photography, Fitness, Nutrition and more!

Mike C.

Go and Have a Laugh!

I have been a Satellite Radio (SIRIUS) subscriber for 3 years now.  Particularly in the last year, I have been listening to RAW DOG Comedy, Blue Collar Radio and Laugh USA (When the kids are in the car).  These are the three comedy stations on Satellite Radio and play a variety of comedians via short stand-up clips (3-5 minutes usually). 

I have never laughed this much!  I watch the odd special on HBO or the Comedy Network and there are hundreds of absolutely side splitting funny comedians out there.  Carlos Mencia, Jim Gaffigan, Mitch Hedberg (RIP), Bobby Collins, Mitch Fatel, Greg Geraldo and tonnes more!  I listen to Comedy about 50% of the time I am in my car and LMAO all the time!  I often get looks from other drivers and I am sure they think I am at major whack job.

Health Research has long touted the benefits of laughing.  The old saying “Laughter is the Best Medicine” is true.  Studies have clearly proven that laughter has numerous health benefits.  It reduces stress, lifts your mood, is contagious and positive and even has long term connections to mental health!  Laughter can be used as a tool in teaching, public speaking and when used properly can reduce the fear of both the speaker and audience.

The problem we adults have is that we don’t laugh nearly as much as we should.  Kids seem to have cornered the market on laughter.  “By the time a child reaches nursery school, he or she will laugh about 300 times a day. Adults laugh an average of 17 times a day.” “Science of Laughter” Discovery Health.  Does that not tell a story?  While it is silly to think that we can be as happy-go-lucky as a 4 year old; we are clearly lacking in the laughs department!

So What do you have to lose?  Find a reason to laugh!  Especially if you are feeling stressed and overwhelmed.  Watch a Stand up Comedian on TV, visit a local comedy club, subscribe to Satellite Radio, read something funny print or online, tell a joke or watch a funny movie; the key is to find reasons to laugh.  Nothing breaks up your day like a good raw meaningful bout of laughter and you will be all the better for it!

In Happiness (Laughter) and Health as always,

Mike C.

Recipe – Refried Beans

I thought I would share this recipe with you.  If you like beans and spicy, you will like this!  You can always tone it down a little in the heat department but I really love it hot and spicy.

2 Cans (14 oz) Pinto Beans
1 Medium onion
4 Cloves Garlic
2 TBLSP Olive Oil or Spicy Oil Infusion
2 Ounces water or Veggie Broth
1 tsp Ancho Chili Powder
1 tsp Chipotle Chili Powder
1 tsp Sweet Chili Powder
2 tsp Cumin
1/2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper
Optional – I add 1/8 of a tsp of Blair’s Megadeath Hot Sauce.  This is one of the hottest known sauces on the planet and should only be used by experienced hot food lovers.  If you have a favourite hot sauce, add some after tasting the mixture first.

Rinse Beans in a strainer for a good 2 minutes.  Chop onion and garlic into small chunks and drop into food processor.  Buzz until finely chopped.  Heat oil over medium heat until good and hot. Add onion and garlic mixture and saute until just tender (3-5 minutes).  Add the beans and continue to heat for 2 minutes.  Add all your spices and mix well.  Add your water or veggie broth and continue to simmer for another 3 minutes.  Transfer mixture to your food processor and buzz until you have a slightly chunky texture.  Taste.  If you want to “jack it up”, add some extra hot, hot sauce and mix.  At this point you need to examine your texture as well.  If you like a smoother texture, you can buzz it until it has no more bits in it.  If you want it with a little more texture use your spatula to mix in the mega hot sauce.

This keeps well in the fridge for a couple weeks.  I use mine with eggs, salsa and cheese for a nice Huevos Rancheros and also as a dip with pita points, tortilla chips or veggies.  It is also great in a hot layered dip with salsa, sour cream and cheddar.  As an option, you can stir in diced Jalapenos or green and red peppers.

ENJOY!

Mike C.

Photography Tip – Learn to process your photos

With most point and shoot cameras, you will have fairly good results using the factory settings for the various times you are shooting.  Closer up portraits, scenery shots, quick capture photos and many other settings are all available at the turn of a dial.  With DSLR cameras, there is a bit more to it as you have some powerful settings at your disposal.  Shutter speed, ISO, aperture and more can all greatly determine the final photo you capture.

OK, there are lots of settings to learn.  There is also the question of what to do after you have all those photos.  Prior to the advent of digital photography, all the special FX, colour balancing, contrast masking and other photo enhancements were done in a darkroom.  Now, we have powerful software to use as our “digital darkroom”.  As a photographer, whether professional or amateur, you MUST learn to process your photos. 

There are many proprietary (manufacturer provided) software applications for processing photos.  My suggestion is to pick one, work with it, learn it and use it.  Most professionals and serious amateurs use Photoshop.  This is a serious piece of software and it isn’t cheap.  You will pay over $600 US for it.  While this is way too much to spend for the average person, it is the standard by which photo professionals operate.

KEY PROCESSING FUNCTIONS YOU SHOULD LEARN

Cropping and Resolution
When you take a photo, there is a lot to be said for learning how to compose the shot.  This means to set the photo up to be as close to the way you want it to look when printed.  That being said, there is always some extra space or elements that you may want to “cut” before printing.  The size of your print will also impact on this.  The “aspect ratio” of a 5×7 is different than an 8×10 or a 4×6.  You will need to learn how to crop your photo to make the most of the print you are getting.  The photo resolution standard for printing is 300PPI (Pixels per inch).  This will ensure a nice, clear, vibrant print.  If you are posting your photo online, you will want to crop to a resolution of 72PPI and go with a web standard of 640px x 480px.  Most online applications like Facebook and MySpace will easily accept a  photo of that size.

Brightness, Contrast, Exposure…
While your camera may do a decent job metering and adjusting exposure, it is not always “just right”.  It is really important to learn how to manipulate your photo to raise certain levels.  This will help to bring the light up in the background, reduce hot spots, balance the overall lighting of the photo and more.  Many SW applications have auto settings for this but if you have the ability, try to manipulate these settings yourself.  If you have access to adjust your Histograms, then take advantage!  Read about how to adjust, play with a copy of your original photo and experiment.

Sharpening/Unsharp Masking
Digital photos in general are flat and somewhat soft.  To the average person, this isn’t obvious and with the better cameras, it is not as obvious as it once was.  Still, there is always room for a “little tweak”.  Sharpening your photo means to make it appear more crisp and defined.  The problem if you sharpen too much, you create weird edge effects and also add grain.  Unsharp masking is something that has been around in photography for a long time.  Some SW applications such as Photoshop have this feature and you can apply it with ease.  It is the method of choice for photographers but you can always just use your SW to apply a sharper setting to your image.

Always work with a copy
Whatever you do with your photos, please do yourself a favour and create a copy set as soon as you add them to your computer.  My suggestion is to have a removable hard drive that you keep a complete redundant backup of all your photos in their original state.  Use your active copies to edit and order prints from.  This way you are ensured of being able to go back and start from scratch if you need to.

While these tips are just the basics, they are a place to start.  Learning the craft of photography also includes learning how to process your photos.  You don’t need to be a computer programmer but you do need to learn how to be comfortable using your software choice.  Practice…as they say, makes perfect! 

Yours in Health and Happiness as always,

Mike C.