Product description In Volume 1 of this series, Tim explains the building blocks for making great photographs. Tim uses these fundamentals throughout the DVD to demonstrate how specific elements contribute to making the best image. We also follow Tim through an outdoor portrait session, and to a sporting event. Tim also discusses his approach to lens selection. He reviews several lenses and discusses what level of investment makes sense for the serious hobbyist and professional. Tim also discusses simple light manipulation techniques that can make the difference between a passable photo and a stunning image. In Volume 2 of this series, we follow Tim though a professional stock photography shoot. As we point our video cameras over his shoulder, Tim explains how the elements he has brought together contribute to the final, salable result. He also discusses other accessories that can help lift the quality of images to the next level. Last, but not least, he explores the human and business elements that must be understood for a photographer to be consistently successful as well as the attributes that make each photographer's work unique and important. About the Actor If you could peek over the shoulder of a professional photographer and learn how great photographs are made, would YOUR photography improve? This series follows Tim Mantoani as he creates stunning images for both his professional practice and his personal use. Tim reveals secrets he has learned from over twenty years behind the lens. You will see exactly how he approaches his craft to get fantastic results with some of the same equipment you already own. This DVD assumes you already know how the dials and menus on your camera work. Whether you shoot with a D3, D300, D2x, D200, D80, D70s, D50, D40x or any other Nikon DSLR, this DVD will help lift your results to the next level by focusing on the photographer behind the lens. In Volume 1 of this series Tim covers: * Learning to see as a photographer * The importance of light, gesture, and composition * Simple camera controls that really make a difference * Understanding metering: incident and reflective * Lens selection within a budget and for professional use * Manipulating light on a budget * Using shutter speed to get the shot you want Shooting sessions: 1. Outdoor portrait session 2. Sporting event 3. Stock photo shoot * And much more! Tim Mantoani has been a professional photographer for seventeen years. Shooting everything from professional athletes and celebrities, to fashion and products, his work has appeared in numerous national advertising campaigns and magazines including a recent cover of Sports Illustrated. He has written a nationally distributed column on photographic lighting for thirteen years and continues to teach seminars at the Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara, California. Tim uses a variety of equipment from different manufacturers during this presentation including Nikon and Canon. All demonstrations and discussions can be applied to any Nikon DSLR. P.when('A').execute(function(A) { A.on('a:expander:toggle_description:toggle:collapse', function(data) { window.scroll(0, data.expander.$expander[0].offsetTop-100); }); }); About the Director Purchase a new digital SLR camera and you are immediately faced with hundreds of decisions about how to set it up and use it. Once you get over the initial learning curve, what is the next step? This DVD series is intended to train the photographer behind the lens. The series features interviews and shooting sessions with photographer Tim Mantoani. Hundreds of examples from his portfolio are shown to illustrate the concepts he teaches. This DVD does not show you what buttons to push. It does not give you formulas for specific situations. In this series Tim shoots with Nikon, Canon, and Tamron equipment. He demonstrates the principals he has learned over twenty years of shooting, and shows how to get optimal results regardless of the camera at hand, or the conditions encountered. If you need help understanding concepts like depth of field, soft vs. hard light, or exposure compensation, this series is not for you. It assumes you know how to operate your camera and have a working understanding of basic photography concepts. This series is intended for serious hobbyists and pros who would like to see the thought process of a successful photographer, both in his approach to the work, and the results that can be achieved with modern digital gear. If you are ready to critically examine your photo taking process, this DVD series can give you a fresh perspective. Complete the exercises and try to implement some of the presented ideas into your approach. It may jumpstart your creative process. See more
S**R
Very Misleading. For Beginners Only Vol 1 & 2
Advanced? Not hardly. I found a couple of new ideas, but they are few and far between. This DVD and Vol 2 might be suitable for beginners, but not for advanced shooters. If you understand how and why to use aperture vs. shutter speed what the rule of thirds is and how to bounce light off of a reflector, you're probably past this set. It's that basic.Also, please be aware that, if you have any interest in nature, landscapes, etc., this will leave you absolutely no better than it found you. Instead, proceed directly to Tony Sweet's DVDs.Note that Vol 2 is NOT more advanced than Vol 1. They just get you twice for one DVD's worth of learning.Also, forget about Nikon-specific info. There's practically nothing. That didn't bother me, because I care much more about new insights and techniques than I do about the gearhead stuff. But, it might really bother you if you are legitimately looking to understand your Nikon gear better.Finally, be prepared to see a single stock photo shoot milked to death for two volumes and the "sporting event" turns out to be the photographers son at a T-ball game. No kidding. Wow ... not.I don't fault Tim Mantoani for the shortcomings of this set. He's a wonderful photographer, and if they really let him talk to advanced photographers, this set would be a great resource no doubt. But, Blue Crane dumbed most of it down to entry level and labeled it "advanced".Very disappointing and certainly NOT worth the money.
R**R
Too Bad (Almost) nothing about Nikon DSLR's
From The Editorial Review:"Tim uses a variety of equipment from different manufacturers during this presentation including Nikon and Canon" (yep, 128 minutes of Canon, 2 - 3 minutes of Nikon). Why this title is "beyond me". Yes Tim appears to be a pretty good professional, however, both this and volume 2 are quite boring, especially for someone that has "been in the game" off and on for more than forty years. I maybe learned one or two thing in the two hours, but not much more, ESPECIALLY about any of the NIKON DSLR's. Sorry, the title should have used the word "Canon" instead. For all of you that really want to use the Nikon system, stick with the stuff by Bob Krist, Joe McNalley, et al. Just wish I could return this and get my money back.
A**N
Good, but Tim needs to practice first
I dislike bad acting and perhaps that's why he does it this way, but I also dislike stumbling and "ya know's" all through a presentation. Tim's shooting and tips are all worth getting through the rest, but I wish he'd either practice first or that once the product is complete, they'd go back and re-shoot some of the "talks" with Tim to get the wording better. It would be a five star DVD with just that simple change.
J**D
Boring
I feel like this movie was a waste of money. First of all he isn't shooting with a Nikon; he is using a Canon. Not that it matters because he doesn't give camera specific advice. I didn't really learn anything. And I didn't like the way he talks to his kid when posing him for a picture. I would not recommend this video.
W**M
Wonderful Motivating Tool
I recently purchased a Nikon D300. After struggling through the technical manual..it was so refreshing to just stand back and look and the really important concepts needed to become a better photographer..and Tim allowed me to do JUST that! Solid presentation and completely motivating work. Thank You.
N**N
Of general interest but NOT instructional.
I am particularly concerned about the way in which this DVD is promoted. When I finished watching the Blue Crane DVD "Introduction to the Nikon D300" I was left under no doubt whatsoever that the two Blue Crane DVDs called "Through the eyes of a Pro" (Volumes 1 and 2) contained more advanced instruction on the use of a Nikon D300 DSLR camera. Volume 1 does no such thing!The entire presentation comprises a series of extended interviews with professional photographer Tim Mantoani and, whilst he is undoubtedly at the top of his profession, all we get are discussions about his approach to various aspects of photography in a most generalised form. I am not even certain he even picked up a Nikon D300 at any time because he used a variety of cameras including a medium format Hasselblad film camera. That is not why I purchased this DVD!As we see during the presentation, Mr Mantoani employs a staff to set up his makeshift studio and continually check light levels. They also change cameras, lenses and even the compact flash cards as he sits right in front of the tripod waiting to take the next shot. It is, therefore, difficult to understand exactly at what level of photographer this product is aimed. Certainly it is far too basic for any professional "studio" photographer and yet the techniques discussed are never demonstrated in any instructional manner for those wishing to learn.What we have are a series of discussions initiated by some very rudimentary questions on the vague subjects of different settings and different possibilities. Then we are shown a photograph as if to say "like this!" Altogether, the entire approach from Blue Crane is that of a photographer explaining - in the most general terms, his own philosophy on photography and occasionally showing a photo to demonstrate exactly what can be achieved. A bit like watching a car race without being shown those all-important advanced driving techniques and what is going on under the bonnet.I may get around to watching Volume 2 in due course, but if there is little to be learned from the product, right now I have far more important DVDs to study.In summary, I really am very disappointed and I think the trailers for this product could be construed as misleading. Consequently, I am about to deduct another star from my review of Blue Crane's Introduction to the Nikon D300.NM
S**X
Five Stars
First class info dvd
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