Just an update on the “America” photo contest Ree Drummond was running over at The Pioneer Woman. The short answer is that my image didn’t take first place, but one of the two I expected might win did.

Frankly, I was just thrilled to have one my images selected as a daily finalist, and way thrilled to have been selected as an overall finalist. Very, very cool. And I netted a gift certificate to B&H Photo… Like I need more excuses to shop with them!!!

Last week, I got a package that held a little surprise for me… two of my images from the BMDCA Speciality, and two 4th place ribbons! These images were from the “puppy” category and the “computer enhanced” category. I’d seen in the bulletins from the Specialty that I’d taken a couple of 4th places, but I wasn’t expecting ribbons. More stuff for the dog walls!

After attending last year’s photo walk, I decided I wanted to contribute more this year, and have volunteered to lead a walk in St. Charles MO this year. This year’s WWPW will take place on July 24th, 2010, and, thanks to Amy and Sarah, we’ll be starting out at Framations, at 218 N Main Street in downtown St. Charles.

So, what’s a Worldwide Photo Walk, you ask?

It is the largest global social event for photographers, and this walk in St. Charles is just one part of it. Last year, over 900 photo walks were held with over 32,000 photographers of all skill levels participating. And the best part? It’s free!

If you’re interested in finding out more about the photo walk, click the logo above, and if you’re interested in joining us in St. Charles on July 24th, click here for details!

Unless you live under a rock, you’ve already heard that iPhone 4 has been announced today. And I want one. Period. AT&T was “nice” enough to move up my upgrade date, so I’m eligible for an upgrade immediately.

So what do I like about the new iPhone? Well, the design is really industrial, a look I really love. Video calling — “FaceTime” — looks quite cool, although the reliance on wi-fi for that seems like a bad thing. I suspect that it is bandwidth intensive, and that’s keeping the 3G use of it at bay. At least until Apple thwoks AT&T about the head and shoulders.

I like the new camera, along with the capability to record 720p HD video and edit the video right on the phone. That’s way cool. And then there’s the big ol’ display. Well, it’s not actually bigger, but it’s got well over twice the pixel density of the old phone. Shweet. I’ve gotta think that come June 15th, I’ll be pre-ordering.

Now if I can just find someone who wants my iPhone 3G….

The other upgrade just released tonight is Lightroom 3. This has been in beta for quite a while, and it looks like it’s finally ready for primetime. I’m thrilled, and need to look into that upgrade, too. More on that later.

With so many of the new DSLRs now sporting HD video (my new Canon 7D included), there’s a lot of experimentation going on with video. This video of the recent Icelandic volcano shows off some of what the new cameras can do. In this one, the videographer is using a special motorized dolly system to get the moving timelapse images. Simply brilliant.

Enjoy!

Iceland, Eyjafjallajökull – May 1st and 2nd, 2010 from Sean Stiegemeier on Vimeo.

I’m home, but still catching up on the blog, Project 365, life, the universe, and everything else. There’s some retroblogging in my future. (So, just to make sure your head hurts, I’ll be blogging as though I did it in the past, but actually in the future of where I sit right now. Ouch.)

While you’re waiting, enjoy this video. Get a Kleenex. You’ll need it.

Leave Me from Daros Films on Vimeo.

Coming up in May, the National Specialty for the Bernese Mountain Dog Club of America will be held in Wisconsin. Darla will be going, and taking at least one of the Berners with her. Molly will be marching in the Parade of Veterans and the Parade of Titleholders. We’re pretty proud of our girl.

They also have a photo contest, and I’ve dropped thirteen images on them for it. Here they are. Enjoy!

A few weeks ago, I was selected to join the Photoshop CS5 Beta team. This was quite an honor, and I owe it all to my NAPP membership. Way cool opportunity!

While I can’t speak to features — NDA, ya know — the beta testers have been released to talk about the fact that Photoshop CS5 is out there, and show off some of the work we’ve done with it. Below is a before and after piece that I’ve been working on. All I can say is that Photoshop CS5 seems to really rock, and saved me a TON of time in working through the “after” image.

The kickoff event comes April 12th — can’t wait ’til then, and for the new product!

Emma loves to look out the window at the birds and squirrels. With the afternoon sun shining through the curtains, I photographed her staring at something off in the distance. I love the look of her staring off at… something. She’s a great model, and she works for dog food.

I took this image with my Canon 7D and Canon 24-105/4L lens. I brought it into Photoshop CS4E, massaged the hot spots with Nik Viveza and applied my new favorite filter, Glamour Glow, from Nik Color Efex Pro.

I was looking in my news feeds yesterday, and saw a piece by Moose Peterson, talking about the cost of wildlife photography. Specifically, he muses on the antics of photographers he’s observed on his recent trip to Yellowstone. It’s a good read, and well worth paying attention to if you photograph in the field.

The clan Wright saw the same thing when we were at Yellowstone in June of ’08. Traffic jams were common whenever there were any big mammals near the road. I know that’s not a good thing, but there’s really nothing you can do once you’re trapped in it. It’s like watching a train wreck — you’re there, and there’s nothing you can do to prevent it. And wherever the critters were, someone was bound to be putting a kid fifteen away from bison for that year’s Christmas card. That’s why I like my long lens and teleconverters — I don’t have to do that kind of thing.

I’ve gotta agree with Moose’s post. While I don’t tromp around in the “big wild” (most of the time), the principle’s the same. Stalking the critters isn’t worth the shot. And frankly, if you’re grabbing their images while they’re fleeing from your pursuit, that’s not exactly nature photography. More like unnatural photography.

I’m pretty much a rules-based kinda guy. If you’re not supposed to chase the wildlife, you don’t. Stay on the trail. Don’t pick the posies. That kind of stuff. When I hear about folks trying to operate outside the rules — whether it’s chasing their photographic vision, or just horsing around — I just have to wonder when the nature they’re exploiting will be taken away from all of us, either by fence or foible. Either way, t’aint right.