IT Supplies Inc is representing in Booth #1654

Erik Johansson is a Professional Photography and Photoshop expert. He creates realistic photos of impossible scenes. His photo realism examples and how-to are documented in this short video from TED. Be sure to check it out! If you have examples of your own photo realism conceptions, feel free to share them with us on Facebook.

I set out with my camera and dad on a clear Sunday afternoon for my first shooting attempt. I was under the impression we would have a nice stroll through the forest preserve while I captured some shots of the overnight snowfall. What ensued was a five-hour trek through 6” of snow, being lost in the woods while the sun was going down. Suffice it to say, we made it back to our car safely, with our pride being the only victim.  Thankfully I was able to salvage a few photos from the shoot that I liked.

The picture above was taken in a large field buried within the forest. I found great solitude in the scene, given the illusion of a lone hiker trudging alone into the wild. I am trying to get used to balancing the object and use of the landscape. I fear I may have used too much landscape in the picture, trying to capture his footprints as well as the near trees.

Within this tree stump lay a small green vine, which I attempted to capture. As the photo stands now, it seems I did a better job of showing the snow enveloping the stump, as my original intent was to highlight the vine. If I focused more on the vine I would have lost the snow and the stump. I think the picture would have worked better if I had used a zoom to show the brief sprouting of plant life even in the dead of winter.

This ended up being the most successful and my favorite picture of the shoot. I went on the shoot assuming I would be able to see all kinds of wild life, but this wasn’t the case. We had yet to see one animal until the end of the shoot where we came across this lone deer. I would have like to have gotten closer but the deer wouldn’t give me the chance. I think the picture actually works, as I happen to catch the deer staring our way. I was able to also capture the sun hitting the orange leaves. This accentuates the overall look of the picture giving it a warm hue.

Overall it was a satisfying first shoot. I hope that in the future I can better my use of light and hues while I try different techniques. I would love to receive any help or feedback in response from the first shoot. You can always contact me at mzwirkoski@itsupplies.com Happy Shooting!

Save $500 with Mail-in Rebate + $490 with Instant Rebate through 2/29/12 or while supplies last, act now!

What better way to start a brand new week than with a fantastic Photoshop tutorial?  Lomo photography [lomography] puts images in a dreamy-unreal focus.  The colors are a bit de-saturated, vintage looking and the vignette shadows the edging of the photo.  Traditionally, these images are captured using special Lomo LC-A cameras sold overseas.  Thankfully, we have the miracle software known as Photoshop and we can quickly and painlessly take any image:

and fake that wonderous lomo effect:

This run through was clearly explained with great screen shots, please visit the Digital Photography School’s tutorial and try it for yourself!

Teena - IT Supplies, Inc

As first seen at the 2012 West Coast Art and Frame Show in Las Vegas, NV, this video shows how to assemble the new Simply Elegant Print & Display Kit. The kit comes with two pieces, a cut-to-size adhesive-faced foam board and a sleek 1” deep recycled poly frame that comes in either black or a brushed silver. The frames also come in 3 different sizes – 8”x10”, 11”x14”, and 16”x20”.

Years worked at IT Supplies?
10 years

Favorite memory over the past 10 years?
Seriously, there are a lot;  I remember when we were at the old office on Northwest Highway and after a while it got so cramped that when we’d eat lunch we literally would turn our chair around and there would be this table that we’d all cram around and eat lunch.   I guess you had to be there, but we had FUN!!!!

What is the one thing you’d most like to change about the world?
Horrible illnesses.  Stop suffering around the world.

Why do you enjoy working here?
I like working with the diverse group of people.

Need some help understanding the basics of color theory? This article was done by Fred Drury who is an accomplished photographer as well as a local instructor in Photography, Photoshop, and Color Management. He wrote a nice article explaining some of the basic theories of color. Understanding
color is an essential tool to getting the most out of your prints.

When shooting a snowy landscape, look for darker objects to shoot. The darkness of the object you’re shooting will add exaggerated depth and contrast to your image. Have some awesome winter imagery? Check back in a bit for our winter photo contest, as always, we’ll have some really great prizes for the winner.