Sean M. Leahy Photography

Recently I was on a business trip to Portland Oregon.  While I was there I had a few minutes to shoot some images of the old iron bridges in the city.  While the weather was not cooperative I was able to get a few shots in between the rain and mist.

(click the images to see larger view)

All of the images above were shot with my Nikon D300 and the amazingly versatile (I never travel without it) 18-200mm VRII lens.  I know I am becoming quite the broken record on this one, but that lens has proven time and time again to be one of the best travel lens I have ever used.  Its consistently sharp, and no matter what the situation is you’ve got the right focal length for about 90% of all your travel type shots.

Recently I was up in the Northwest portion of Michigan’s lower peninsula.  While I was not there for any specific photographic reason, I of course managed to bring along my camera bag and tripod.  While we were there I got a few pictures of the “gang” using one (or in some cases 2) off camera flashes.

Click the image to see a larger view

All of the images above were taken with my Nikon D300 and the amazingly versatile Nikkor 18-200mm VRII lens.  I have been using this lens as my primary (do it all) lens for about 9 months now and it continues to impress me.  There is better glass available sure, but with this lens you always have the “right” lens attached to your camera, and that is where its value truly lies.

Recently I took a trip out to Arizona to visit family.  While I was there I had a few opportunities to grab some pretty fun images.  I was staying in the Scottsdale area and was able to get some shots of Sedona and Camleback.

Here are a few of the images from the trip (click for larger view).

For this trip I wanted to travel light, so all I had with me was my LowePro backpack filled with my D300, 18-200mm DX VRII, 50mm f1.8, and my 10.5mm f2.8 Fisheye lens.  I also managed to bring along my tripod, which about halfway up climbing Camelback I seriously considered ditching.

It’s that time again…spring is in the air and warm weather is just around the bend.  I am currently working on processing a bunch of images from my recent trip to Arizona.  So check back soon for those.  In the meantime I thought I would share a few items.

First off here is an image I took today of the Beaumont Tower on the campus of Michigan State University.  The daffodils were blooming and the sun was out…so why not take a picture right?

The image above (click for larger view) was taken with a Nikon D300 and Nikkor 10.5mm f2.8 Fisheye lens.

If you are a Nikon shooter and have not yet checked out DtownTV you are missing out.  This site has a great weekly video on Nikon cameras and other Nikon photography related topics.  You can check it out from their site www.dtowntv.com or you can subscribe to it as a podcast.

The image above (click for larger view) is a mock advertising shot I created for my professional portfolio.  I created this in an attempt to broaden my portfolio in the commercial photography realm.  I am currently working on a few other fashion products, as well as some food photography.  I will post some images when they are finished.

This particular image is a combination of imagery and Photoshop effects. The image of the shoe was captured with a Nikon D300 and then post processed heavily in Photoshop to achieve the paint particle and splatter look.

Just a quick note, I will be teaching a two day course for Photoshop CS3 Basics.  This course is set to run from February 26-27th, 2009.

Photoshop CS3 – Basics 1

Harness the power of the most powerful image-editing software available! Adobe PhotoShop is the standard for professionals in the graphic arts industry but you can learn to use it too! This hands-on workshop includes an overview of the many features and tools in Photoshop including the workspace, image modes & file formats, selection tools and raster & vector shape tools. Class activities will cover the creation of composite images and special effects using layers, text, filters and painting & drawing tools. The topic of color and image adjustment is also introduced.

For more information you can checkout the registration link.

As a heads up, I will also be teaching a one day Photoshop CS3 Basics – 2 course, March 24th, 2009.

Photoshop CS3 – Basics 2

When it comes to creating or enhancing digital artwork, Adobe PhotoShop offers infinite possibilities. Whether you’ve just covered the basics or are a seasoned pro, the Basics 2 Photoshop class has something for you. This class will focus on increased efficiency and workflow as more advanced Photoshop features, shortcuts and automated actions are explored. Class activities also include optimizing images for the web, color management techniques and preparing images for cross-platform viewing.

For more information checkout the course registration link.