In the ‘Photography Thursday’ Video Corner today, pro sports photographer Bruce Bennett gives some valuable tips for shooting fast moving action. The lens he is using/discussing in the video is the Tamron 70-300mm VC USD Lens.

It is becoming increasingly difficult to come up with unique themes for our Contest Corner Challenges. I thought for sure we had done “reflections” already… but after looking through the list, it’s not there, so I must have been imagining things. So the theme to the 81st edition of the PhotographyCorner Contest Corner Challenges is “Reflections” - it could be in a mirror, a window, a puddle, glasses - it doesn’t really matter. Your task for this challenge is to photograph the reflection of something. The subject of your photograph can be anything, as long as it’s a reflection.

This contest marks the last, at least in 2010, where you could win a Tamron SP 70-300mm F4-5.6 Di VC USD telephoto lens courtesy of Tamron, so this is your last chance to get your hands on this fantastic lens. If the winner is a Premiere Member, they will receive a Tamron SP 70-300mm F4-5.6 Di VC USD telephoto lens (a $449 value!!) in winner’s choice of Nikon, Canon or Sony mount (for use on full-frame and APS-C cameras - in event winner is Pentax user, they will receive a $449 credit towards a Tamron lens). If the winner is not a Premiere Member, they will receive a Tamron Domke Bag and Tamron Optech Large Lens Wrap (a $75 value).

In the pursuit to achieve the most outstanding image resolution in the 70-300mm class, Tamron’s 60th Anniversary lens - the SP 70-300mm F4-5.6 Di VC USD (Model A005) - uses an advanced optical design that features LD (Low Dispersion) and XLD (Extra Low Dispersion) lens elements that prevent chromatic aberration. As a result, the SP 70-300mm Di VC USD boasts sharper contrast and greater descriptive performance than all others in its class. This is the first Tamron lens to sport USD (Ultrasonic Silent Drive), Tamron’s very own ultrasonic auto-focus drive mechanism. This USD mechanism delivers fast focusing, making it a perfect telephoto zoom choice for photographing sports and other fast-moving subjects. The lens also boasts Tamron’s proprietary VC (Vibration Compensation) image stabilization to assist in hand-held photography, not only at long focal length ranges where blurring is common, but also under low-lit conditions, dramatically enhancing photographic freedom. This combination of best in class image resolution, Ultrasonic Silent Drive and Vibration Compensation is a new achievement of Tamron technology, culminating in the production of a premium 70-300mm telephoto zoom lens. Winner of EISA Best Zoom Lens 2010-2011. Available for full-frame and APS-C sensor cameras in Canon, Nikon and Sony mounts (the latter without VC). $50 rebate thru 12/31/10.

Entries are due in by Sunday, December 12th, 2010, and voting will begin late on Monday, December 13th. Get all the nitty-gritty details in the contest thread, and make sure to read through the Contest Corner Challenge Submission Guidelines before sending in your entry - I had to reject almost 2 dozen photos last month… I hate that!

It was definitely one of the most unique interpretations of the theme, but fatcatphotos photograph aptly titled “Till Death Do Us Part” garnered almost a quarter of the votes to win herself a brand new Tamron SP 70-300mm F4-5.6 Di VC USD Telephoto Lens. Contest Corner Challenge #80: All in the Family challenged the community to photograph their family (or at least someone in their family). If you haven’t already, check out the entries the community came up with in the CCC#80: All in the Family Photo Gallery. You can (now) also find out which photographers took which photograph in the gallery as well. And if you’re curious as to how the voting broke down, the results are always available (once voting is complete, of course) in the voting thread (located here).

As I’m sure you’re well aware, CCC#80 was sponsored by Tamron, and because Jennifer is a Premiere Member, she will receive a Tamron SP 70-300mm F4-5.6 Di VC USD telephoto lens (a $449 value!!) in her choice of Nikon, Canon or Sony mount. In the pursuit to achieve the most outstanding image resolution in the 70-300mm class, Tamron’s 60th Anniversary lens - the SP 70-300mm F4-5.6 Di VC USD (Model A005) - uses an advanced optical design that features LD (Low Dispersion) and XLD (Extra Low Dispersion) lens elements that prevent chromatic aberration. As a result, the SP 70-300mm Di VC USD boasts sharper contrast and greater descriptive performance than all others in its class. This is the first Tamron lens to sport USD (Ultrasonic Silent Drive), Tamron’s very own ultrasonic auto-focus drive mechanism. This USD mechanism delivers fast focusing, making it a perfect telephoto zoom choice for photographing sports and other fast-moving subjects. The lens also boasts Tamron’s proprietary VC (Vibration Compensation) image stabilization to assist in hand-held photography, not only at long focal length ranges where blurring is common, but also under low-lit conditions, dramatically enhancing photographic freedom. This combination of best in class image resolution, Ultrasonic Silent Drive and Vibration Compensation is a new achievement of Tamron technology, culminating in the production of a premium 70-300mm telephoto zoom lens. Winner of EISA Best Zoom Lens 2010-2011. Available for full-frame and APS-C sensor cameras in Canon, Nikon and Sony mounts (the latter without VC). $50 rebate thru 12/31/10.

Make sure to drop by the award thread to congratulate Jennifer on her FIRST Contest Corner Challenge win (well-deserved and long overdue, in my opinion)!

In the last ‘Photography Thursday’ edition of season 2 of “dSLR Know-How with Tamron” we take a brief look at flahses - what modes are available on most dSLR’s, when to use them, and what effect each mode has on photographs.

In today’s ‘Photography Thursday’ edition of Video Corner we continue with episode 11 (only 1 more left!) in season 2 of “dSLR Know-How with Tamron” by looking at using reflections to add, reduce and eliminate light.

In today’s ‘Photography Thursday’ edition of Video Corner we continue with episode 10 (only 2 more left) in season 2 of “dSLR Know-How with Tamron” by taking a quick look at zoom lenses and their zoom ratios.

For Contest Corner Challenge #80, we want to keep it ‘All in the Family’ - in that we want you to photograph your family (not that old 70’s TV show by the same name). We all have some sort of family. Your entry for CCC#80 should be of someone in your family, or even your entire family. Pets can be included, but there must be “people” family in the photo, too. Portrait photographers, this is your chance to shine and pick yourself up an brand-spanking new Tamron SP 70-300mm F4-5.6 Di VC USD telephoto lens.

Yup, you heard read me right - this contest, like CCC#79, is being sponsored by Tamron. If the winner is a Premiere Member, they will receive a Tamron SP 70-300mm F4-5.6 Di VC USD telephoto lens (a $449 value!!) in winner’s choice of Nikon, Canon or Sony mount (for use on full-frame and APS-C cameras - in event winner is Pentax user, they will receive a $449 credit towards a Tamron lens). If the winner is not a Premiere Member, they will receive a Tamron Domke Bag and Tamron Optech Large Lens Wrap (a $75 value).

In the pursuit to achieve the most outstanding image resolution in the 70-300mm class, Tamron’s 60th Anniversary lens - the SP 70-300mm F4-5.6 Di VC USD (Model A005) - uses an advanced optical design that features LD (Low Dispersion) and XLD (Extra Low Dispersion) lens elements that prevent chromatic aberration. As a result, the SP 70-300mm Di VC USD boasts sharper contrast and greater descriptive performance than all others in its class. This is the first Tamron lens to sport USD (Ultrasonic Silent Drive), Tamron’s very own ultrasonic auto-focus drive mechanism. This USD mechanism delivers fast focusing, making it a perfect telephoto zoom choice for photographing sports and other fast-moving subjects. The lens also boasts Tamron’s proprietary VC (Vibration Compensation) image stabilization to assist in hand-held photography, not only at long focal length ranges where blurring is common, but also under low-lit conditions, dramatically enhancing photographic freedom. This combination of best in class image resolution, Ultrasonic Silent Drive and Vibration Compensation is a new achievement of Tamron technology, culminating in the production of a premium 70-300mm telephoto zoom lens. Winner of EISA Best Zoom Lens 2010-2011. Available for full-frame and APS-C sensor cameras in Canon, Nikon and Sony mounts (the latter without VC). $50 rebate thru 12/31/10.

You’ve got less than 2 weeks to get your entries in, so get your family together for an emergency photo shoot, and email your entries in by midnight on Thursday, November 18th, 2010. All the contest details are here in the contest thread. Don’t forget to read through the CCC Guidelines, too - I HATE having to reject entries because people haven’t read the guidelines.

Say CHEESE!

In today’s ‘Photography Thursday’ edition of Video Corner we continue with episode 9 in season 2 of “dSLR Know-How with Tamron” by discussing a variety of great tips on night photography. Have any other great tips on night photography to share? Leave them in the comments!

Again left until the last day of the month, the October 2010 Corner Newsletter managed to squeak out just in time. As always, if you’re a member of the PhotographyCorner forums and have elected to receive email from the administrators (me), it should be waiting for you in your inbox. If you’re not a member of the forum (register here!), you can still read the entire newsletter online here (how nice of us, eh?).

The newsletter was sponsored by our friends at Tamron and the SP 70-300mm Di VC USD Best-in-Class Tele Zoom. In the pursuit to achieve the most outstanding image resolution in the 70-300mm class, Tamron’s 60th Anniversary lens - the SP 70-300mm F4-5.6 Di VC USD (Model A005) - utilizes an advanced optical design that features an LD (Low Dispersion) and an XLD (Extra Low Dispersion) lens element made from specialized materials that prevent chromatic aberration. As a result, the SP 70-300mm Di VC USD boasts sharper contrast and greater descriptive performance than all others in its class. This is the first Tamron lens to sport USD (Ultrasonic Silent Drive), Tamron’s very own ultrasonic auto-focus drive mechanism. This USD mechanism delivers fast focusing, making it a perfect telephoto zoom choice for photographing sports, racing, or other fast-moving subjects. The lens also boasts Tamron’s proprietary VC (Vibration Compensation) image stabilization to assist in hand-held photography, not only at long focal length ranges where blurring is common, but also under low-lit conditions, dramatically enhancing photographic freedom. This combination of best in class image resolution, Ultrasonic Silent Drive and Vibration Compensation is a new achievement of Tamron technology, culminating in the production of a premium 70-300mm telephoto zoom lens. Winner of EISA Best Zoom Lens 2010-2011. Available for full-frame and APS-C sensor cameras in Canon, Nikon and Sony mounts (the latter without VC). $50 rebate thru 12/31/10.

Next month, it is my goal to have the newsletter out before the last day of the month. Think I can do it?

As we pass the halfway mark of season 2 of the “dSLR Know-How with Tamron” series in our ‘Photography Thursday’ edition of Video Corner, we look at some photography basics: composition and more specifically at one of the most common framing techniques know as the “Rule of Thirds.”

As we hit the halfway mark of season 2 of the “dSLR Know-How with Tamron” series in our ‘Photography Thursday’ edition of Video Corner, we look at wide angle versus telephoto lenses - when and why to use them, and what unique characteristics they each possess.

For many countries in the world, Halloween is just a few weeks away. While the recently announced Contest Corner Challenge #79: Rhymes with Orange isn’t a Halloween contest per se, it’s probably a good time of year to find something orange to photograph. There is one caveat, though - no pumpkins allowed. You have until October 24th to wander the streets or dig through your attic to find something orange to photograph; and you’re not going to want to miss this contest, as Tamron, the sponsor, is offering up an SP 70-300mm Di VC USD lens to the winner (as long as the winner is a Premiere Member, of course).

THE PRIZE

In the pursuit to achieve the most outstanding image resolution in the 70-300mm class, Tamron’s 60th Anniversary lens - the SP 70-300mm F4-5.6 Di VC USD (Model A005) - uses an advanced optical design that features LD (Low Dispersion) and XLD (Extra Low Dispersion) lens elements that prevent chromatic aberration. As a result, the SP 70-300mm Di VC USD boasts sharper contrast and greater descriptive performance than all others in its class. This is the first Tamron lens to sport USD (Ultrasonic Silent Drive), Tamron’s very own ultrasonic auto-focus drive mechanism. This USD mechanism delivers fast focusing, making it a perfect telephoto zoom choice for photographing sports and other fast-moving subjects. The lens also boasts Tamron’s proprietary VC (Vibration Compensation) image stabilization to assist in hand-held photography, not only at long focal length ranges where blurring is common, but also under low-lit conditions, dramatically enhancing photographic freedom. This combination of best in class image resolution, Ultrasonic Silent Drive and Vibration Compensation is a new achievement of Tamron technology, culminating in the production of a premium 70-300mm telephoto zoom lens. Winner of EISA Best Zoom Lens 2010-2011. Available for full-frame and APS-C sensor cameras in Canon, Nikon and Sony mounts (the latter without VC). $50 rebate thru 12/31/10. If the winner is a Premiere Member, they will receive an SP 70-300mm Di VC USD (a $449 value!!) in winner’s choice of Nikon, Canon or Sony mount (for use on full-frame and APS-C cameras - in event winner is Pentax user, they will receive a $449 credit towards a Tamron lens). If the winner is not a Premiere Member, they will receive a Tamron Domke Bag and Tamron Optech Large Lens Wrap (a $75 value).

Booyah!! If that doesn’t make you want to take an orange photograph, I don’t know what will. Get all the contest details here in the contest announcement thread, then make sure you read the guidelines, and get your entry in by October 24th, as voting will begin on the 25th.

I’m looking forward to a bunch of great orange photographs (because, hey, the winning photograph should match the color scheme of PhotographyCorner, too!).

Today, as we continue with the 5th episode of season 2 of the “dSLR Know-How with Tamron” series in our ‘Photography Thursday’ edition of Video Corner, we look at macro (close-up) photography. The video briefly touches on what magnification ratio is, how it effects depth of field (which is always on the shallow side in macro photography), how backgrounds can play an important role in a good macro photograph, and a couple other macro photography tips.

Today, as we continue with episode 3 of season 2 of the “dSLR Know-How with Tamron” series in our ‘Photography Thursday’ editions of Video Corner, we look at why red-eye occurs in photographs, and how, by simplying adding a shoe-mounted flash, we can virtually eliminate red-eye in camera.

Earlier in the year, our ‘Photography Thursday’ Video Corner’s worked through a 3-month series called “dSLR Know-How with Tamron” as we looked at some of the basic features of dSLR’s. Today, and for the next 12 weeks, we get to enjoy season 2 of the “dSLR Know-How with Tamron” series in our ‘Photography Thursday’ videos. This season, we’ll get some more applicable tips to actually improving our photography - for instance, the video today briefly looks at light, and how to use it properly to create better photographs.

It went out last night, but in case you missed it, don’t subscribe to it, or it ended up in your bulk mail folder, here’s an extra notification for you. Yup, I’m taking about the June 2010 Corner Newsletter. If you received it via email, you’ve no doubt read it by now, but in case you haven’t, you can, of course, read it in full in the Corner Newsletter Archives.

The newsletter is full of great stuff (I’m biased…, but my wife says it’s good, too) like a $70 rebate on a sweet new lens, contest updates, photographer interviews, a bunch of video corners, cool threads in the forum, and even a couple new resources (an article & product review) added to the Corner Resource Center. You can read it all online here… and if you want to receive it in your inbox next month, just make sure you sign up for a free account. Oh, and don’t forget to check out the sponsor of the newsletter, Tamron and their new SP AF 17-50mm F/2.8 Di-II VC Zoom Lens.

Tamron, one of our favorite sponsors here around the Corner, has recently announced four, full-day photo seminars in the US, and I thought I'd pass along the dates and locations to you. Check out their press release below, and if any of you end up attending, let me know about it. Professional photographer Sandra Nykerk is going to present "Stepping Stones for the Photographic Trail: A Guide to the Creative Image" - sounds like it'll be a great day!

Today’s ‘Photography Thursday’ Video Corner by Tamron discusses the differences between shooting in RAW or JPEG, and the different types of JPEG images.

Every month, during the last week of the month, we gather together as a community and cast our votes for the best photograph posted up on PhotographyCorner over the past month. Throughout the month, Premiere Members have the opportunity to nominate photographs they come across in the forums and galleries, then, as the last week of the month approaches, I have the difficult task of narrowing those nominations down to 10-15 photographs. Voting for the May 2010 Photograph of the Month began late last night/early this morning, and you can see the photos that I finally got whittled down in the May 2010 Photograph of the Month Gallery.

Once you’ve had a chance to browse through the photographs, click your way over to the May 2010 Photograph of the Month Voting Thread to cast you vote - voting ends at 2:00am EST on Saturday, May 1st, 2010 (6:00am GMT).

The contest is sponsored by one of our favorite lens manufacturers: Tamron. Among its many optical and mechanical innovations since the founding of the company in 1950, Tamron’s development of mass-produced hybrid aspherical elements paved the way for today’s compact high ratio zoom lenses when, in 1992, this technology was incorporated into the groundbreaking 28-200mm. Tamron continues to lead in this category with the award-winning 18-270mm — featuring an unprecedented 15X zoom range - and featuring Tamron’s proprietary Vibration Compensation (VC) system.

Now, for the prizes… if the winner is not a Premiere Member, they will receive a Lifetime, Level 2 Premiere Membership (a $129 value)… but if the winner is a Premiere Member, they will receive a SP AF60mm F2 Di II LD (IF) 1:1 Macro Lens (a $569 value!! - pick one up for yourself today!) WOW!

Your vote may decide who picks themselves up a brand new Tamron Macro Lens - cast your vote today!

Today’s ‘Photography Thursday’ Video Corner by Tamron looks at what white balance does, and how much your photo can change based soley on what white balance preset you use.