Panasonic Lumix DMC-G2 Review

Panasonic Lumix G2 HD Camera

Micro Four Thirds Systems A whole new and very cool category of digital camera has been emerging for sometime. . Help Me Pick A Camera! I often get asked about camera selection. Some people feel that full scale digital SLRs aren't size practical and still have expectations for quality. Even though you might never venture into the more advanced ...

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There’s a New “Cake Boss” in Town

Karen Portaleo Cake Artist at Highland Bakery in Atlanta, Georgia

It's art you can sink your teeth into. Amazing cake creations by sculptor /artist Karen Portaleo. She's been getting a lot of attention and expects to begin teaching in locations around the world. Costa Rica, Kitchener, Sydney and some places across the USA. Karen is the lead decorator at Highland Bakery in Atlanta, Georgia. She came ...

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Don’t Play With Your Food – Except For You Carl Warner

FOODSCAPES photography by Carl Warner

Magnificently stunning landscapes made out of food. I'd imagine it would be fun living in Carl Warner's head. You'll never see the produce section in your supermarket in the same way...at least Carl doesn't. It draws you in because it's curious and fun to identify the various foods used in his fantasy lands. "Foodscapes started out as personal project ...

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King Kong’s Emotional Side? – Walter Ford

King Kong Water Color Paintings by Walton Ford

Recently debuted at an exhibition in New York city for the first time. These larger than life paintings show another side the Hollywood icon. This highly accomplished artist wanted to show the more vulnerable King Kong. Interesting slant for a fictional subject and legend of the big screen. But that's what artists do best. Here's some ...

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Dream Big – Giant Rubik’s Cube Mosaic of Martin Luther King Jr.

Pete Fecteau

I just heard back from Pete Fecteau with his blessing to be featured here on MAMA. Thanks Pete! Dream Big, Made with 4,242 Rubik's Cubes Yes, this art piece is made completely with Rubik's Cubes weighing in at nearly 1/2 ton! The title of Fecteau's piece is fitting to it's subject, the artist and it's impressive physical dimensions. Would ...

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Backyard Bounty at the end of October? Relish it!

End of Season Garden Vegetables by Marc Mantha

Garden Vegetables Photo Du Jour I've never had so much still on the vines at this time of year in this growing zone. I should explain the garden is a very humble size, so this is pretty impressive. Yes, most are still green and likely won't ripen very well so that means "home made relish". We'll ...

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Classic Car Drive-By Shooting

Classic Car by Marc Mantha at MAMA Photography

It happens all the time. Shooting ops pop up everywhere. This last long weekend I spotted a classic car show sign off the highway. Dropped off the my passengers and headed right back. You can't go wrong photographing  classic cars. The origins of the art of motor vehicle engineering. Here's the photo-du-jour from that drive-by. Click ...

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Take a Break From the World with “Ormie” Time

Hey everybody, it

World events, politicians, infomercials, reality tv, blah, blah blah. Time for some innocent dumb fun. Take a couple of minutes to let it all go. It's Ormie time! Thanks Jill E. Johnson for sharing with us.

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Ultra Wide Nature with Sigma12-24mm F4.5-5.6 DG HSM II

Sigma 12-24mm F4.5-5.6 DG HSM II

 Ultra Wide Fun! Click to enlarge photo >> This lens has turned out to be a ton of fun. Starting at 12mm, it dips into the fish eye range, topping at 24mm. It's not a really fast lens, nor does that matter if mainly outdoors and still photos where you can use a tripod. So let's see what ...

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Photo de Jour, Utra Wide 122 Degree HDR -

Seneca Boat House at Sunset by Photographer Marc Mantha

The Seneca Boat House at Sunset - See a larger more detailed image, click on it (really, it's juicy!) Mother Nature springs things on you. Beautiful fleeting moments. Click, click click. I had but a few minutes and this would gone. Getting a good exposure on a strongly back-lit scene like this is rare. I'll only know ...

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What to do with all those Tomatoes?

Beef Steak Tomatoes by Marc Mantha

It's been a good year with more vegetables to come. Started canning tomatoes in late July! A List Of This Year's Fair Tomatoes (Beef Steak, Florida Giants, Cherry, Brandywine and maybe some late Romano) Sweet Red Peppers, Carmen, Mini Round and something unknown Oregano and lot's of Sweet Basil Black Berries Pears The area where of the garden is only about 600 ...

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Joanne’s Nesting Condo Costs $6.06 -

Joanne's hen nesting box made from reclaimed wood

It's a Federal Hen Housing Subsidy - The Federal Government has supported Joanne the hen with building materials. There's a postal sorting station in the neighborhood that had some shipping palettes and crating out back. I asked If I could have some..."Take all you want." I was able to reuse nails I pulled and got the ...

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Mr. Chimpanzee’s Chip Truck – A Little HDR

Mr. Chimpanzee

A Simple Shot of a Great Canadian icon - The Chip Truck When applying HDR, you don't always have to push it to that famous HDR stylish look. You can keep things real by applying just enough. I'll share some details with you. This chip truck is located at Brook's Farm and the fries are tasty. I'm using ...

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Joanne – Our First Chicken, 72 Hour Report

Joanne Free Range Chicken and Eggs

We Adopted an Urban Chicken The opportunity came about when a friend emailed to say that her parents were winding down household maintenance and have been relocating their animals, namely rabbits and a hen. The hen was still available and we agreed to take her in. She came with some feed, a large steel cage and ...

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Bring Me Sunshine

The Jive Aces present Bring Me Sunshine

Skip the evening news tonight. There are better things that can upgrade your reality. This is also a great way to break up the workday. Here's a video as suggested by Warren Lobo. The Jive Aces present: Bring Me Sunshine Have fun. Fun is good. Have some everyday. Thanks Warren.

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Angel’s Guardian by Ryan Jaime

Ryan Jamie Angel's Guardian

Editing Skills Take You To The Limits The better a photographer's skills in digital editing, the more they can present what manifests in their creative minds. Over to Ryan... Everyone knows the idea of a guardian angel, but what about an Angel's Guardian? What protects an angel until it is ready to fulfill its purpose. Just a random ...

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Kids Rule! with Paul Ripke

Paul Ripke Feature

"Grown Ups" is a hilarious photo switch up series. This is pure digital fun! Paul has amazing and diverse talents, one of which is to entertain you through digital media. This is a series of photos with really tight editing. Wouldn't this be a most awesome keepsake moms and dads? Surely you budding photographers and editors ...

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New York City Goes Vertigo with Alfonso Zubiaga

New York City Photography by Alfonso Zubiaga

Just when you think you've seen it all, Alfonso Zubiaga takes digital media and photography for a loop. Alfonso's technique creates architectural geometry that has a visually magnetic pull. It's just plain cool! The photos were taken from the Rockefeller Center, Empire State Building and other New York City landmarks. I contacted Alfonso a short while ago ...

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5 Key Facts About Twitter

twitter

  About 9% of adult Americans use twitter. Around 21 million versus 152 million facebook users. The average twitter user has 27 followers. 25% of twitter accounts have no followers. 40% of twitter accounts have never tweeted. 18% of twitter users tweet once a day. Bonus fact - the average 4-year-old asks over 400 questions a day. Click here for 5 Key ...

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5 Key Facts About Facebook

facebook

93% of adult US internet users are on facebook. About 152 million. One out or every 8 minutes online is spent on facebook. The average facebook user spends 11 hours a month on it. Facebook is overtaking Google and Yahoo in total time spent online. Facebook has become the preferred way of sharing content online, second only to email...for ...

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The Unhuggables –

Unhuggables Coke Commercials

Man hugs are widely acceptable in sports bars when a major game is on,  most are rooting for the same team and the big score happens. However, you may encounter an "unhuggable" from time to time. Have fun, enjoy the show.

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90 Degrees – Fresh Perspective by Stephan Zirwes

Stephan Zirwes Photography

Everyday scenes, but like you've never seen before. Stunning head on photos at 90 degrees. Yes, those are skiers. Aerial photography is not new, but the perspectives of Stephan Zirwes are. Nearly all of his photos are direct overhead shots. The subject choices are everyday scenes, but never seen like this. Engaging. Some photographers discover a niche or ...

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Pixar – How Animation Works

Pixar Zoetrope Animation

Pixar's Zoetrope. Based on an old concept to demonstrate animation, the Pixar zoatrope uses real 3D objects to show you how it works. Hey, it's only 2 muinutes, check it out. It's fun. You like fun don't you?

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History Of Hip Hop In 4 Minutes – Sick Beat Box

EKLIPS does the history of hip hop in 4 minutes

This ones been doing well at well over 3 million hits on YouTube. You'll see why. French beat box phenomenon EKLIPS performs a 4 minutes history of HIP HOP for Trace Urban... In one take! Take it away EKLIPS...

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Michael Jackson – Rock With You (A Cappella)

Michael Jackson - Rock With You

The video contains no lip syncing. All the background tracks were filmed as they were being recorded. What you see is what you hear. More great music, all human voices and no instruments. The quality - fantastic. So where do they find these people or do they find each other? Either way it's smooth and easy ...

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Over Exposed And In The Dark?

marc-mantha-river-at-zion-feature

Rocky River Playground At Zion in HDR Let's look at the original first (see right >). (The restored version is further down) Not again. Here's a perfect example of those tourist shots that just don't turn out. One part is too bright, the other too dark. The weakness of the digital sensor is in not being able to handle ...

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Clouds…Like Alien Landscapes In The Sky

Islands by Marc Mantha

Having clicked thousands of cloud photos from airplanes, I wasn't that impressed until I changed how I looked at them. Imagine them as landscapes. More like scenes of mountains and glaciers. Then it dawned on me that composition could come into the picture, pun intended. By approaching it more like landscape photography, taking shots of clouds ...

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Exercise Your Shooting Skills – Photo Samples and Tips.

Yellow flower photo using window light by Marc Mantha

Everything But The Kitchen Sink? Interesting photo ops are right under our noses...even in the kitchen. Here are 3 examples. All shot in a kitchen. A demonstration that you can have fun shooting anywhere, anytime. Flowers in a vase on the kitchen table My breakfast Staging colored pencils on a white poster board We'll take a look at each one and ...

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Surfing On A Cheeseburger?

The Cheese Bruger Surfer rides! ...by Marc Mantha

Welcome to today's editing challenge. I have to create an entertaining graphic to go with an article about burger resurgence. I know, isn't this a fun job? "Can we have a surfer on a cheeseburger patty?" Why of course, we can do that...I think. Let's get started. First, we go through hundreds of surfer shots for just the ...

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Look Sharp. Pop The Details! Part I “Web Images”

Lab Sharpening Technique Sample by Marc Mantha

The secrets behind Marc's Lab Sharpening Technique Nearly every photo I've post online has the Lab Sharpening Technique applied. Digital photos tend to shoot a little on the soft side even with on board sharpening which many digital cameras have today. You've seen photo online and might have wondered: "How did they get the details so fine?". This ...

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Abandoned – Today’s Featured Photo

The Old Slaughter House by Marc Mantha

An abandoned farm. Something I've always wondered about in this photo that was right under my nose. Look on top of the tire. See the red view-master (since 1939)?  I should have picked it up to see if there was a disk inside. In any case, I like that door made of patchwork wood scraps. ...

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Shooting Strangers?

Man in Blue by Marc Mantha

I was sitting with photographer Robert Brown and he asked if I had ever been confronted when taking photos in public. Yes, well kind of. Most people don't pay attention, some are politely curious. I can only ever recall a few occasions that might have been out of the ordinary. One situation was a wobbly young ...

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Commando Style Hit and Run Photography -

A Home by Marc Mantha

Anything can happen. Anywhere, anytime. Getting a good shot can be unexpected. Sure sometimes you'll take your time to consider and set up for a shot, yet other times it's a commando style hit and run. Sometimes an interesting photo will do just fine. Not every photo has to be  great. Yet on occasion, you can surprise yourself. Here's ...

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Big Time Debate in Babyland

What do you think these babies are talking about?

What do you think these babies are talking about? Just because children can't speak doesn't mean they aren't aware of how adults behave. These two are acting like they're at the office water cooler talking about which way share prices are going to go for Proctor and Gamble with the latest mega absorbent diaper product ...

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Sometimes I Know Where I’m Going…

Two Dead Trees

...But Never Get There. Most of the time I would just pack up and go. Sometimes I had a rough idea for a destination or I knew exactly where I was going and never got there. You know what they say. It's so much more about the journey than the destination. I've been scavenging and putting some ...

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1 Minute and 45 Seconds to Reflect

It's not a big YouTube hit. It's very unassuming. Some might find it compelling. If only it were this easy. 1 minute and 45 seconds.

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Today’s Photo Quackery? White Balance

Ducklings by Marc Mantha

These ducklings set themselves down to nestle in a narrow beam of sunlight for warmth. In the original shot, the color, although seemingly natural wasn't quite right. Somewhat lacking the vibrancy of the warm afternoon sun. Perhaps my choice of White Balance setting took away the warm hues of the afternoon sun? Yes, I am human. ...

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Bad Weather, Better Shots?

Bruce Pennisula by Marc Mantha

With digital, if you learn from your mistakes we can all be geniuses. It's a bright sunny day with blue skies...blah? I'll take a questionable weather forecast anytime when it comes to nature photography. Cloudy with a chance of rain is perfect. A sky full of clouds is texture, drama and so much more visually emotive than ...

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Girls Just Wanna Have Fun! Ft. Heather Clemons

Photography by Heather Clemons

A fun and creative approach to great portrait photography. She's refined her craft, grown her experience and the playful creativity is an eyeful of fun. Heather is masterful in the studio with lighting and at getting the most fun out of her subjects. Fun is good.   We interviewed Heather to find out a little more about her ...

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The Bruce Trail, Today’s Point and Shoot Photo

The Bruce Trail, Ontario, Canada photo by Marc Mantha

It's was an awesome journey. The Bruce Trail in Ontario covers over 800 kms (about 500 miles). The south terminus is in Niagara Falls, Queenston Heights Park. The north terminus is at the northern tip of the Bruce Peninsula in the town of Tobermory. Canada's oldest and longest footpath, provides the only continuous public access to the ...

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