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Rik Fairlie from the New York Times asked me for ten of my top photo-editing tips for Lightroom 3 and wrote up my answers in today’s Gadgetwise blog. Click here to see the article. My suggestions include details on boosting blacks, adding vignettes, using the graduated filter and other great features in the latest Lightroom software. Stay posted for my updated workflow in Lightroom 3!

I was honored to find out my image of the Ethiopian woman Tagitu was presented with the 4th Annual Photography Masters Cup Nominee title in their Portraits category. Tagitu had lost her husband to illness two years ago; destitute, she became unable to care for her children and sequentially gave up her 2- and 5-year-old boys for adoption. I took this shot while working on a volunteer project for the nonprofit Wide Horizons for Children. As with so many of my shots from this project, I was working without a flash or reflector. I made the subject backlit and a reflection of light on the cement wall opposite the subject added a touch of fill.

Image details: Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon EF 70-200mm IS USM, f/4, 1/125, ISO 400.

A lot of great photos made the final picks for the Photography Masters Cup contest. See the winners’ gallery by clicking here.

Check out the latest 5280 magazine for images from my year-long project on the F-16 fighter pilots of the 140th Wing at the Buckley Air Force base in Aurora, Colorado. I had the privilege of photographing these amazing pilots at the base, in their homes and in the air for the Denver magazine’s “Wing Men” photo essay. Please click here to view images from the magazine.

The July/August issue of Photo Technique magazine features a piece about my national campaign for Stetson: “Corporate Photography on Location: The Stetson Campaign.” In the question & answer article, I talk about how I got the Stetson job, details on the production aspect of the shoot, lighting scenarios and other interesting aspects of this national campaign. Read the full article in Photo Technique out on stands now; for a sneak preview of the article, click here.

I had the honor of photographing with former Marine Corps medic Jacob Hyde and his dog, Mya, for the touching piece “Healed in Action” in the June issue of Southwest Airlines’ Spirit Magazine. The feature, written by Kate Silver, tells of Jacob’s harrowing tour of duty in Iraq, his struggles with post tramatic stress disorder, and the prisoner-trained service dog that has helped him heal. This is a timely story, as our country’s veterans are suffering record levels of PTSD–an affliction that can often exceed the horrors of a physical wound. (You can read the full article on Spirit Magazine’s website here.)

On Memorial Day, I wrote to Jacob to thank him for his sacrifices and asked how we might help his fellow veterans who are struggling. He asked that donations be sent to support the service-dog training program Puppies Behind Bars.

For the cover image in St. George, Utah, I shot the scene against a backlit hillside, using a Hensel Lithium Porty 12 strobe and Westcott Octobank for fill on the right side. Photo taken with the Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III camera and EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM lens, 1/200th sec at f/5.6, ISO 200.

I am excited to be featured in Adobe’s Photoshop.com Spotlight section and to be able to share my insights into the new Lightroom 3 and Photoshop CS5. Make sure to check out my latest Lightroom video on the site, and you can also download a Lightroom preset that my 1st Assistant, Draper White, designed to give images a gritty, vignetted look. Also, check out this profile from Adobe about my photography and working with Lightroom 3.

I shot this Outdoor Life cover in my hometown of Carbondale, CO for the magazine’s June/July issue of top sportsmen towns. Carbondale was ranked 36th on the list. To light the models, we used two sidelights with Westcott Octobanks and a small back light. We also had some beautiful morning light streaming in from the mountains behind the models. The big game hunter in the photo is Steve Fischer, the bird hunter is Will Lamont with his pointer Arlo and the fisherman is Glenn Melus.

I’ll be speaking in Boston on Tuesday, June 8 as part of a Canon-sponsored lecture series. The talk is titled “Capturing The Dramatic Moment,” and is open to the public, so please spread the word! I will share stories, photos and films from recent assignments, including flying with F-16 fighter pilots and documenting the dangerous lives of underground coal miners. I will also screen my latest DSLR video project, The Fall Line, a short film on a wounded warrior who becomes a Paralympic ski racer. Please click here to reserve tickets.

Popular Science’s June 2010 issue features several images I shot of Anthony Le and his Iron Man suit near Golden, Colorado. Anthony made an incredible replica of the suit and has even worn the suit to cheer up children at the Children’s Hospital in Aurora, Colorado. I used two sidelights and a backlight add a sense of drama to the scene and to underexpose the ambient light, making the sky and clouds richer.

I was honored to have two award winners in the annual American Photography 26 contest. The first image is of Colorado’s 120th Fighter Squadron pilot Captain TenEyck LaTourrette flying in formation with other F-16 pilots over Pikes Peak. Please see the July 2010 issue of 5280 magazine for the full feature.

The second image is of a 7-year-old boy named Lalo foraging in a Guatemalan landfill. It is one of my favorite journalistic photos, for the sense of hardship and lost youth that Lalo conveys. The photo was taken as part of a volunteer documentary project on Guatemala’s orphan crisis for Wide Horizons For Children. Both images will be published in the AP26 Photo Annual in November. Of the 8,000+ images submitted to the contest, 314 images were selected for the book.  To see my images and the other award winners, visit this link.

Adobe has posted a new Lightroom video on YouTube featuring me shooting ice climbing and processing the images with Lightroom 3. I was excited to share my favorite features of Lightroom (it really is an amazing software, and I’m not just saying that) — plus it was fun to shoot on a beautiful ice climb near my home! Special thanks to cinematographer Kent Harvey for his great job filming the piece and Dave Wruck for his talented editing.

Canon ran this ad in the March issue of PDN, with photos and video links from my recent assignment shooting with F-16 fighter pilots at the Buckley Air Force base in Aurora, Colorado. I used Canon’s 5D Mark II and 1D Mark IV camera to capture HD video footage and stills; these lightweight cameras have revolutionized the possibilities for video! Click here to see exclusive footage from my fighter pilot trailer.

I’m excited to announce that I have recently joined the SanDisk Extreme Team. I am thrilled to be representing SanDisk and their outstanding line of CompactFlash cards. Please look for me on the SanDisk Extreme Team Facebook page, for updates on my future collaborations with them.

Here is a behind-the-scenes look at my first full-fledged film project, which I am shooting this winter on the disabled Iraq war veteran Heath Calhoun. Calhoun lost both of his legs above the knees in a grenade blast. This winter, with the world-class ski coaching of Challenge Aspen, he became the first wounded veteran to make the Paralympics in downhill ski racing as a sit-skier. The film follows Calhoun through a powerful self-actualization of finding freedom and a new perspective on life.

This 10-minute film will premiere at Colorado’s 5 Point Film Festival on Sunday, May 2 and will be hosted on Adobe’s website, among other venues. Using Canon’s cutting-edge lenses and DSLR bodies like the 1D Mark IV and 5D MarK II, I can create a truly cinematic look with an ultra-portable camera rig that I can ski and hike with.

I have been fortunate to have many generous equipment companies step forward to support this project. I used Red Rock Micro’s video rigs, which provide smooth follow-focus and steady handling, and mounted Marshall Electronic’s 7-inch field monitors on top to ensure crisp focus and exposure. I also relied on Zoom Audio’s amazingly light and rich H4n field audio recorders and LitePanels’ ultra-portable 1X1 Bi-Color and Bi-Focus LED lights. When I needed stronger lights, I used Hensel USA’s high-power tungsten lights.

And holding all of our shoot together was a vast array of Manfrotto 535 carbon tripods and 503HDV video heads, Hi-Hats, LCD Mini Balls Heads, Nano Clamps, Magic Arms, as well as Gitzo carbon fiber boom poles. I tried the new GlideTrack for the first time, and was thrilled with the smooth pans and slides I could achieve with just a few seconds of setup time.

We wouldn’t have been able to lug this amount of equipment onto the ski slopes with our trusty Think Tank Photo bags. The Speed Racer beltpack was great for managing a large array of camera gear and we used the Multimedia Wire Up 20 bag with our field audio equipment for quick and easy use on the fly.

Also instrumental to the project was ace cinematographer Kent Harvey, who mentored me and my assistants through the project. Kent guided us through both the technical and the storytelling leaps from shooting stills to making a documentary. I am lucky to have such a talented friend!

Now the creative process of editing begins! I am currently editing the project with the talented Denver editor Dave Wruck, using Adobe Premiere Pro to bring the entire film to life. Please check back in late April for an update on where to view the finished film! I will also blog again next month about how we made the film, with details on sound capture, unique lens use, editing tricks, etc.

I have an exciting list of workshops and lectures for photographers of all levels coming up this summer and fall, please see below for details!

I will be teaching two weekend photo workshops for Canon in Boulder, CO and Moab, UT. My workshop on “Action Sports Photography” will be held in Boulder on June 5-6. This intensive workshop is geared toward active photographers looking to step up to the next level. Students will photograph real athlete-models on location; I will also provide detailed classroom instruction and image reviews. You will have the chance to shoot trail runners in action in one of the open air parks and rock climbers on Sunday. This two-day field workshop will explore the creative and technical skills needed in both editorial and commercial shooting styles. I will share my secrets for making your images stand out, including lighting, camera angles, and techniques to capture action shots and environmental portraits.

My Moab workshop, “Arches National Park and Spectacular Cowboys”, will held on October 2-3. This action-packed workshop in the heart of Utah’s canyon country. On Saturday we will explore the magnificent landscapes of Arches National Park, finding unique ways to capture the sandstone monoliths. On Sunday we will shoot action scenes and environmental portraits with authentic cowboys and horses. I will provide detailed classroom instruction before each shoot, and will share his secrets to capturing the elusive “dramatic moment.” The magnificent Red Cliffs Lodge is our base for the weekend, with a multimedia classroom, a vineyard, restaurant, and cabins alongside the Colorado River.

These workshops are sponsored by Canon Digital Learning Center; you can go to their website to register and to find out more information.

LECTURE SERIES

I have several multimedia presentations scheduled this year, generously sponsored by Canon. At each of these talks, I will share stories, photos and films from my recent assignments, from exploring rare ice caves to documenting the dangerous lives of underground coal miners. I will present my secrets to capturing the elusive “dramatic moment” and to earning a living in the world of freelance photography. I will also share stories from my latest assignment, flying with F-16 fighter pilots.

-Sunday, April 18 at the Photographic Federation of Long Island in Brentwood, NY.

-Thursday, May 13 at Pro Photo Supply in Portland, OR

-Tuesday, June 8 at the New England Chapter of the ASMP in Boston, MA. Check out these venues’ websites for more information.

And just a quick reminder, the PhotoPlus Expo is on October 28-30. I will be speaking for Canon, Sandisk and Adobe on DSLR video, SpeedLite techniques, and Lightroom workflows. Check back this fall for the complete schedule!