The weather doesn't always cooperate when you are out shooting and the only way you will get a catchlight in the eyes is if you add it yourself. Here is how to do that in Photoshop.
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I am starting a new series called Tips by Kelly. I will be posting video tips for LightRoom or Photoshop. They can also be located on my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/Kelly-Walkotten-Photography-104847562490/ I would love to know what you think!
  Ever wonder how the pros capture close-up still life with such great lighting? A friend and I spent an entire evening photographing a variety of items on the 22’ LightTable Pro by Savage. The Product Pro is a fun and easy way to photograph flowers, leaves, jewelry, glass, feathers, shells, or any still-life you can fit on the tray.  The Savage Pro LED Light table ships complete with four small LED lights, mounted on four flexible arms, which mount on the table. Each LED light comes complete with a power cord for charging. The flexible arms worked great for positioning the lights as needed to illuminate the subject. I was able to rake light across my subject for a nice even background. The small LED lights provided a consistent color temperature from light to light. Also included are diffusers that fit over the small lights. The downfall of the lights is that the batteries last approximately 40 minutes, however the power cord for each light can be  plugged in and powered by a power strip for extended use under AC, rather than battery. The table itself is also bottom lit, and the bottom light can be dimmed if needed. Nice, even lighting was achieved through adjustment using the flexibility offered by the four LED lights and the bottom-lit tray. The table is light weight and yet sturdy. It fit nicely on a card table. A lightweight case is provided for storing all the items that come with the kit.  I found the table easy to use. It was fun photographing the variety of subjects. The table is well made and priced very affordably. Our club bought more of them from my favorite camera store, Hunts Photo & Video, to set up and use at a photography conference. We believe it will be a popular studio activity for our attendees. I recommend the Savage Product Pro LED Light Table to anyone who wants to photograph close-ups for personal or commercial use.  Hunts Photo & Video is kindly giving my photography friends 15% off to Savage Product Pro LED Light Table (22" x 22”). You can order yours here with the discount https://www.huntsphotoandvideo.com/detail_page.cfm?productid=LEDPT22&mfg=Savage&show=yes&sp=vvHQr
by Kelly Walkotten  Mountain Lion I love to photograph wildlife and nature. I will plan my travels to fulfill that desire. National Parks are some of my favorite places. The scenery is uncluttered with power lines, buildings, cell towers, etc. The animals are somewhat used to people and are not so skittish. In the wild, oftentimes one must stake out a site where a specific animal is known to frequent, sitting for many hours, camouflaged, in hopes of the animal passing through. This takes a tremendous amount of planning, prior knowledge, numerous visits, and luck to capture the photograph. For me, the pursuit is the fun and the photographs are the reward. The downfall is that this method is very time consuming. The chances of you seeing some of these animals is highly unlikely. Time and money constraints add to the challenge. There is a way capture the animals that you dream of. Animal preserves and non-hunting game farms provide that opportunity very nicely. There are many places located throughout the world. They can be researched out beforehand. I find word of mouth to be very helpful. I only seek out places where the animals are well cared for. I also look for opportunities to photograph the animals in natural settings which requires the facility to have large enclosed areas. Obviously, there is a cost for this. The fees that are paid to the facility help cover the costs of feed, staff, maintenance, and other expenses associated with the keeping of wildlife animals. Workshops provide a great opportunity to capture images that you have dreamed of. A professional photographer (me) is at your side helping you with your camera settings and composition to help insure that you get the photograph. I also provide instruction in Photoshop and Lightroom during our down time so you get the most out of your image processing. I provide all of this at a lower cost than you would pay booking the facility on your own. If you have not taken a photography workshop, I highly recommend you give it a try. It is a great way to capture images that you have dreamed of, and have the help available to insure that you are proud to later show your images.  September and October is the rut (mating) season for the elk. It is worth going to Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) during the rut season to see it for yourself. I have found that RMNP offers some of the best, close up viewing in the United States. It is intense and can be viewed from the roadside.
  Nothing lifts my spirits more than spring wildflowers. Driving along the road, the multitude of colors painting the way, fills my soul with hope. The spring has been exceptionally hard for me this year. The winter was long and cold. The spring has been slow coming, with unseasonably cold weather hanging on. My heart lies heavy in my chest, with an ongoing heartache for a much loved family member.
Todays Blog is a video blog about a park in Gilbert Arizona and about a colony of small Burrowing Owls. Anonymous people, who give a hoot to make sure they survive, and are protected. I spent a morning with these endearing little owls.   Sea Lion Mamma and Pup Like many visitors to southern California, I head to the beach. It is not for surfing or sun bathing, it is the sea lions. La Jolla beach area attracts sea lions to the rocky shore. Winter is even better, it is cold in the midwest and it is pup season in La Jolla. These cute pups, with dog-like faces, long whiskers, with dark, upside down triangular noses. Seven pounds at birth, the fuzzy brown babies have such expressive eyes, I feel like I can see their souls through their eyes.
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