KUWAIT: Kuwait News Agency Center for Development of Media Skills concluded on Thursday a training program titled Principles of Photography, which started on Sunday and was attended by a number of employees from the agency and the Kuwait Anti-Corruption Authority (Nazaha). Mustafa Al-Bader, Head of the Design and Photography Department at the news agency, stressed in remarks to KUNA the importance of media and public relations workers learning about the principles of photography and the difference between cameras and lenses to help them perform their tasks.

Al-Bader explained that the program touched on the types of cameras and lenses and their uses and functions, noting that the program participants did some practical training as well as a field photography trip to integrate the program’s theoretical and practical learning.

The training program also explained some photography theories, applications on the camera, focus systems, and how to use lighting in photography. The center, founded in 1995, is considered to be one of the most important media training centers at the national level, providing hundreds of training programs in various media fields and aiming to develop media capabilities and personal capabilities and improve professional media work — KUNA

Retirement rediscovery: Marianne Skolnik Robillard’s Journey into Nature Photography – DiscoverWeyburn.com – Local news, Weather, Sports, Free Classifieds and Job Listings for the Weyburn, Saskatchewan

<meta content="Catching the spectacular sights of the Saskatchewan Prairie is enjoyable for many, however, few can capture the unique beauty of our local landscape like Marianne Skolnik Robillard, a hobby passion she revisited after retirement. For Christmas in 2015, her family gave her a camera, and Robillard began a new journey learning to capture images at each destination. However, Robillard shares that photography is something she enjoyed when she was in high school. “I loved photography from when I was a kid and had an instant, Kodak Camera and ran around with that just to family events and stuff. And then learned about working a 35mm camera as a yearbook photographer for the high school and darkroom skills so that all kind of went in the back because of marriage, career, and family. So, upon retirement, I took it up again and I'm very glad I did.” googletag.cmd.push(function() { if($(document).width()<900) { s = googletag.defineSlot('/50748803/dwe-all-bigbox', [300, 250], 'div-gpt-1635342687823-bbm1'); s.setTargeting('URL', [window.location.pathname]); s.setTargeting('position', [1635342687823]) s.addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.pubads().refresh([s], {changeCorrelator: false}); } }); Centered on nature, Marianne delves into the origins of her inspiration. “Nature photography is obviously a love of mine. I think there are three aspects of it that I really enjoy. One is I think it comes naturally because of being a farm kid. I grew up a farmer's daughter. So that's sort of what spurred my appreciation for nature. The second aspect is natural light. From a photography perspective because you're outdoor shooting in that type of light. And Courtney Milne was a big influence. He's a very well-known Saskatchewan photographer in terms of showing me the way there. And just being out in the wide-open spaces, it's quiet. We have so much wildlife in the area that I'm grateful to be pursuing and that's another part of it because it is a challenge, you can't walk up to a bull moose and say oh, can you just sort of turn your head that way and put that back leg out and just stay right there? It's always a challenge and you never know on a given day what you're going to find. I've gone out so many times thinking oh, you know, I would just love to see a great horned owl that day. No luck, you know, but you'll come across something else. So, there's an aspect of surprise too, which is great.” googletag.cmd.push(function() { if($(document).width()

<meta content="Catching the spectacular sights of the Saskatchewan Prairie is enjoyable for many, however, few can capture the unique beauty of our local landscape like Marianne Skolnik Robillard, a hobby passion she revisited after retirement. For Christmas in 2015, her family gave her a camera, and Robillard began a new journey learning to capture images at each destination. However, Robillard shares that photography is something she enjoyed when she was in high school. “I loved photography from when I was a kid and had an instant, Kodak Camera and ran around with that just to family events and stuff. And then learned about working a 35mm camera as a yearbook photographer for the high school and darkroom skills so that all kind of went in the back because of marriage, career, and family. So, upon retirement, I took it up again and I'm very glad I did.” googletag.cmd.push(function() { if($(document).width()<900) { s = googletag.defineSlot('/50748803/dwe-all-bigbox', [300, 250], 'div-gpt-1635342687823-bbm1'); s.setTargeting('URL', [window.location.pathname]); s.setTargeting('position', [1635342687823]) s.addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.pubads().refresh([s], {changeCorrelator: false}); } }); Centered on nature, Marianne delves into the origins of her inspiration. “Nature photography is obviously a love of mine. I think there are three aspects of it that I really enjoy. One is I think it comes naturally because of being a farm kid. I grew up a farmer's daughter. So that's sort of what spurred my appreciation for nature. The second aspect is natural light. From a photography perspective because you're outdoor shooting in that type of light. And Courtney Milne was a big influence. He's a very well-known Saskatchewan photographer in terms of showing me the way there. And just being out in the wide-open spaces, it's quiet. We have so much wildlife in the area that I'm grateful to be pursuing and that's another part of it because it is a challenge, you can't walk up to a bull moose and say oh, can you just sort of turn your head that way and put that back leg out and just stay right there? It's always a challenge and you never know on a given day what you're going to find. I've gone out so many times thinking oh, you know, I would just love to see a great horned owl that day. No luck, you know, but you'll come across something else. So, there's an aspect of surprise too, which is great.” googletag.cmd.push(function() { if($(document).width()

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Written by Bernadette Mullen
Thursday, Dec 28 2023, 10:17 AM

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Photo courtesy of Marianne Skolnik Robillard, Tatagwa Trail

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Catching the spectacular sights of the Saskatchewan Prairie is enjoyable for many, however, few can capture the unique beauty of our local landscape like Marianne Skolnik Robillard, a hobby passion she revisited after retirement. 

For Christmas in 2015, her family gave her a camera, and Robillard began a new journey learning to capture images at each destination. However, Robillard shares that photography is something she enjoyed when she was in high school. 

“I loved photography from when I was a kid and had an instant, Kodak Camera and ran around with that just to family events and stuff. And then learned about working a 35mm camera as a yearbook photographer for the high school and darkroom skills so that all kind of went in the back because of marriage, career, and family. So, upon retirement, I took it up again and I’m very glad I did.” 

Centered on nature, Marianne delves into the origins of her inspiration.

“Nature photography is obviously a love of mine. I think there are three aspects of it that I really enjoy. One is I think it comes naturally because of being a farm kid. I grew up a farmer’s daughter. So that’s sort of what spurred my appreciation for nature. The second aspect is natural light. From a photography perspective because you’re outdoor shooting in that type of light. And Courtney Milne was a big influence. He’s a very well-known Saskatchewan photographer in terms of showing me the way there. And just being out in the wide-open spaces, it’s quiet. We have so much wildlife in the area that I’m grateful to be pursuing and that’s another part of it because it is a challenge, you can’t walk up to a bull moose and say oh, can you just sort of turn your head that way and put that back leg out and just stay right there? It’s always a challenge and you never know on a given day what you’re going to find.  I’ve gone out so many times thinking oh, you know, I would just love to see a great horned owl that day. No luck, you know, but you’ll come across something else. So, there’s an aspect of surprise too, which is great.” 

Among the various locations to capture nature, Marianne expresses that one of her preferred spots is right here in Weyburn.

“I’ve walk the trails around the city a lot. I have a dog, so we’re out there all the time, and I’m usually toting my camera. And I’m happy to say I’ve spotted a lot of wildlife, foxes, and turtles along the river. I’ve spent a great deal of time along the river catching beavers, moose, deer, you name it, and many, many different species of birds. I drive out of town too, and go in the surrounding area around Yellow Grass, up north to Cedoux, down south to Goodwater area, Mainprize and out to Stoughton, so pretty much the surrounding area.”

Marianne shares when it comes to photography, patience is a requirement, “I think that’s one aspect for sure. When you’re shooting wildlife, you have to invest the time in it and it’s not going to all happen at once. It takes time to find different types of wildlife. So yes, patience is definitely a virtue, and there’s a lot of waiting.”

Eight years later, Marianne has attended several workshops and expresses her gratitude to all the professional photographers who have helped her along the way, including Greg Johnson a well known Saskatchewan photographer and Storm Chaser, who she travelled with to the Yukon on two different occasions. 

“We visited many different parts of the Yukon, photographed bears and eagles, and specifically aurora, which was very, very exciting up there because it’s a fantastic display. And landscape as well, waterfalls, marine life. So yeah, it was a great adventure.”

Marianne already has her next adventure planned, travelling to Alberta in 2024, for the Light Chasers workshop where she will be learning from some of the top Nature Photographers.

To view more of Marianne’s images, you can go to her Facebook page, Prairie Annie Photography.

In response to Canada’s Online News Act and Meta (Facebook and Instagram) removing access to local news from their platforms, we encourage you to get your news directly from your trusted source by bookmarking this page and downloading the DiscoverWeyburn app.  

 

 

 

 

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It’s no secret that most photography equipment is expensive and typically highly specialized. But that doesn’t always need to be the case. In the above video from Adorama, photographer Gavin Hoey walks viewers through how to create studio portraits using a simple sheet of cardboard and some studio lights.

Many photographers are drowning in boxes in this post-holiday period, making it the perfect time to try these effects. In the video, Hoey shows three different looks photographers can achieve with a large piece of cardboard. All three start the same way, though. The first step is to stab holes all over the cardboard. Luckily, this is a great post-holiday activity for those who have spent too much time with family and need to get some aggression and frustration out.

For the first setup, Hoey places a light with a large softbox as close to the back of the cardboard as possible. Then, he pulls the subject away from the background and shoots at a wide-open f/1.2 aperture to create a soft bokeh behind her. An f/1.4 or f/1.8 aperture would work very well, too.

Leaving it like this would result in his model being much too dark, though, so he also adds light to illuminate the subject. Hoey used two lights, both of which he is careful to keep directed away from the cardboard to keep the contrast and dark background. The final image is a well-lit portrait with a dreamy bokeh behind the model.

The second style Hoey creates with the cardboard background aims to create pinpoints of light, as opposed to the soft bokeh orbs. To do this, he places his subject closer to the cardboard and switches to a narrower aperture, in his case, f/5.6.

His two-light setup still needs to be directed away from the cardboard, as the goal is to keep that mostly black with only the points of light visible. But, given the limited room between the model and the cardboard, it didn’t create the look he was going for. So, he leaned into this and turned his subject, creating a profile image.

To add a final special touch to the image, Hoey used a starburst filter. This filter is clear glass, so it won’t change the exposure or white balance. But it creates, as the name implies, a starburst effect for a more dramatic image when there are points of light in the frame. Users could play around with all sorts of filters that modify light to put their own spin on this.

The final setup uses the holey cardboard as a light modifier. First, Hoey removed the softbox and added a snoot for a more intense, focused beam of light. He then used the modeling light to adjust the placement of the strobe, allowing it to cover the entire piece of cardboard.

As with the other shots, the cardboard separates the model from the strobe, but this time, the cardboard isn’t physically in the shot at all. Instead, the light shining through the holes casts speckled light onto the model. Hoey points out that if the photographer doesn’t like the hotspots created on the model, they can either edit these out in post or put black gaffers tape on holes that cast light onto the face to remove them in camera.

With all the highly technical equipment available these days, it is nice to see some tutorials involving basic and cheap materials. Of course, users will need lighting equipment, but they could make do with continuous lights instead of strobes.

A generous photographer is restoring treasured photos that were destroyed by the devastating tornados in Tennessee at absolutely no cost.

According to a report by WKRN News 2, Laura Lane, who has been a photographer for over two decades, wanted to do her bit to help victims — after she saw the destruction caused by the tornadoes in Montgomery Country, Tennessee earlier this month.

Lane, who is based in Woodlawn, Tennessee, is now using her photography skills to help tornado survivors by restoring some of their most irreplaceable photos for free.

“[I’m] incredibly sad for the people who lost so much in this,” Lane, who owns Laura Lane Photography, tells WKRN News 2.

“I feel like being able to give something back that I know they don’t know how to do themselves, and I know there aren’t a lot of people who know how to do this.

“I feel like it’s the least I can do because I’m so incredibly grateful to this community that lets me do what I love.”

‘You Don’t Realize How Much Photos Mean Until It’s All You Have Left’

In a television segment with WKRN News 2, Lane offered insight into the photo restoration process on pictures found in the bottom of a pool after the tornado.

The news outlet reports that while every photo restoration is different depending on the damage, Lane generally begins by steaming the pictures to flatten them.

Following this, she takes a photo of the picture and uploads it to her computer where she uses software to correct every flaw. Finally, Lane prints out the restored photo to give to the client.

“They’re usually very surprised at how good it turned out, and there’s often tears when they see the finished product,” Lane explains.

“It’s something that’s obviously very important to them and very special.”

In the report by WKRN News 2, Lane recalled how one family returned to her to get new family photos after she restored their pictures damaged by the tornados.

“They said after this close call, they really wanted to get a family photo. They had been putting it off,” Lane says.

“That’s another thing I would tell people is stop putting it off because you think you need to lose 20 pounds or whatever it is, because your family loves you for who you are.

“You don’t realize how much photos mean until it’s all you have left.”

On December 10, three people, including a child, were killed after a tornado struck Montgomery County. Montgomery County officials said 62 people were treated for injuries at hospitals overnight.

FORT STEWART, Ga. – On an oddly chilly fall morning, a welcome change after weeks of record-breaking heat, a small battalion assigned to 188th Infantry Brigade stands at parade rest for a Change of Responsibility ceremony.

The Soldiers are the picture-perfect example of what you would see on a recruiting poster; a diverse group of Soldiers in freshly pressed uniforms, displaying professionalism and pride on their faces.

These powerful photos that end up on recruiting photos and brochures serve as a visual representation of the Army’s values, patriotism and duty.

Staged photos are vital to the Army not only because they attract future Soldiers to join the military, but also because they show any potential enemy that we are warriors and members of a team.

Gen. James Rainey, commander of United States Army Futures Command, recently said, “people are the reason we are the best Army in the world, not technology.”

Soldiers are stewards of the profession and are considered the most valuable and versatile weapons in the Army’s arsenal. Photography showcases the value and versatility of the Soldiers.

With this mindset, humanizing the Soldiers and the rank is often an afterthought, or not even considered. Candid photography is about capturing unposed moments of people in authentic, natural settings. These types of photos capture the people behind the equipment and tough military bearing.

“Those candid moments between people that are bonding through training or even war trauma is what make us human and separates us from being mindless people of war.” said Tommy Gilligan, a senior instructor at Defense Information School on Fort Meade, Maryland.

Snapping a candid shot of Soldiers as they laugh in between practicing a Mission Essential Task, capturing a photo as their child pins their new rank to their chest, or raising the Turkey Bowl trophy after a tough week of training and planning upcoming events shows the human aspect behind being a service member.

“If we don’t showcase the faces and stories behind the weapons then those people are just extensions of the weapons,” said Gilligan.

Imagery of Soldiers demonstrating their humanity, teamwork, and joy ensures that they are memorable. Capturing pictures where you can almost hear or feel their emotions through the page or screen ensures that their story and what they are fighting for won’t be forgotten.

“Seeing pictures of my friends in uniform really provides me with a sense of belonging. We’re all from various backgrounds, creeds, religions, socio-economic statuses and that creates a special blend of talent and motivation,” said Sgt. Tanner Dibble, a public affairs non-commissioned officer assigned to 13th Armored Corps Sustainment Command.

Our diversity results in unmatched decision-making skills, innovative thinking and progressive policy and procedure ultimately creating a stronger force. It also shows in how Soldiers embrace the cultures and backgrounds of their co-workers which creates incredibly strong bonds of friendship and teamwork.

“I really like seeing my friends and co-workers in their natural environment doing what they love,” said Spc. Danielle Sturgill, a public affairs specialist assigned to 204th Public Affairs Detachment, “it makes me happy knowing I’m working side by side with people that have passion for their service just as much as I do.”

Technical and tactical photographs staged to showcase the Army’s skill and might are impressive and important, but the candid photos we take may unintentionally be the most effective recruiting tool we have at our disposal.

They showcase one of the most diverse work environments in the world, where men and women work side by side to serve their country. They capture raw, authentic moments of military life, both good and difficult, that words alone simply cannot convey.

“Because photography at its purest is truth, it’s unbiased and real,” said Gilligan.

The photos also show the human side of being a Soldier. By documenting the universal experiences of bonding with family and connecting with people emotionally and through shared interests, potential Soldiers can visualize a future where they are a part of a united team.

For our adversaries, seeing these photos and what they represent are a deterrent, discouraging the idea of action against our military. Humanizing the ranks through photography shows the world that not only are Soldiers a lethally trained force; but that they have lives and people to live and fight for.