Given all that's going on, Nancy and I are aware of how fortunate we are that we and our loved ones are well. Aside from being inconvenienced and having some personal disappointments that are inconsequential in the overall scheme of things, our lives have not been that disrupted by the virus. We've both chosen to carry on as best we can with our lives and our work to the extent that we can, in order to have some normalcy for ourselves, as well as to share some positive things with others that may offer comfort or at least distraction from current challenges.

As I go forward with this newsletter, please know, that although we celebrate joys and achievements here, and act "normally," we do not for one minute forget what is going on in our world and the hardships many are enduring.

With that said, by way of celebration and sharing some joy, I want to acknowledge my wife, Nancy Lee, for her recent achievement. Nancy returned to college at the beginning of 2017 to complete the degree that eluded her for decades as she met other of life's obligations that put her pursuit of a degree on hold. 

This month, she graduated from Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis with a degree in creative writing! She did it with all A's, many awards, scholarships, Dean's List, publication of her writing, graduation honors, and other forms of recognition throughout her college career.

Nancy in Graduation Regalia, Class of 2020
(iPhone 11 Pro Max, native camera's Portrait Mode,
blurred background produced with Topaz Mask AI)
 

As Nancy noted for an up-coming on-line graduation ceremony, "I waited 341,874 hours to re-enroll, and spent 6,248 hours of classroom time to complete my degree!" 

In her graduation regalia, she was bedecked with sash, honor medallion, and cords. Although I can't tell you specifically what each is for, I can attest to all the blood, sweat, and tears it took her to earn them. I've never seen anyone take their education more seriously. One of Nancy's most influential professors spoke about her during an online ceremony saying, "I've never seen anyone savor her education more."

Thank you all for your kindness in acknowledging Nancy's tremendous accomplishment! It's a deservedly proud time, and I couldn't be happier for her!

In other news, the first part of this year has a been a bittersweet mix of experiences. In the first three months of the year, I enjoyed  leading three workshops in Cuba with friend and co-leader, photographer, Ramses Batista; one to the farm regions of Vinales Valley, and two to photograph dancers from classical, modern, Afro-Cuban, and Spanish Flamenco in Havana and surrounding areas. This may be the last visit to Cuba for a while, but it is with great relief that I note that all of our groups returned home safely and have not experienced the virus, nor have any of our Cuban friends been directly affected. 
 

Since returning from Cuba on March 15, I've cancelled (or others have cancelled) nearly all of the trips, speaking engagements, and conference appearances that I had scheduled for 2020, and I have redirected energies toward conducting virtual camera club meetings and webinars, and also sharpening the saw and learning from some of my mentors and favorite photographers. One of the most exciting experiences was being an instructor in what may be the largest virtual photography conference of all time, Out of Chicago LIVE, a three-day virtual conference at the end of April, with more than 800 participants and 80 instructors! It was a tremendous success and has provided an archive of recordings on topics from A-Z featuring some of the best instructors on the planet! 

On May 14, my former employer, Eli Lilly & Company, engaged me to prepare the "opening act" – The Magic of Mobile; Make Beautiful Photos with Your Mobile Phone!  – for a corporate presentation addressing 35,000 Lilly employees around the world. It was great fun to share my passion for photography with former colleagues! 

Since mid-March, I've been invited to present virtual presentations at a variety of camera clubs including Delaware Photographic Society, Baltimore Camera Club, First Light Camera Club and the Portland Camera Club, Florida's Ibis Camera Club and the Photographic Arts of South Florida.

One of the most exciting opportunities comes next week as I present for the Rosanna Photographic Club of Melbourne, Australia! Photographer, Jane Barnes, who joined me on a workshop on the Hawaiian island of Moloka'i in November of 2018, and has since become a good friend, is from Melbourne and has helped arrange for the webinar with her club. Aside from some challenges with Melbourne being 14 hours ahead of Eastern Daylight Time, we are ready for a great experience! It will be, I think, the first time I've done a presentation at 6 AM EDT! Get the coffee ready!

If you would like to invite me to present to your camera club or business group, please email me at Rad@RadDrewPhotos.com. 

In addition to club presentations, I've hosted several webinars, some for a small fee and some free, on topics related to SnapSeed, Lightroom for Mobile, and various Topaz Labs topics. Look for the links to the free webinars elsewhere in this newsletter.

To all of you who have participated in my webinars and who have invited me to present at your camera clubs, I am so grateful for your support! It means the world to me, especially now, with all that is happening (and not happening) in the world today. 

Watch for these topics in this May issue!

 

Celebrating our Freedoms in The Palouse

As we enjoy this holiday weekend, take time to remember the reason for this day: to honor the men and women who have served our country, and especially to remember those who have given their lives in the commission of their duties. Our lives are better for their dedication and sacrifice. Thank you to these brave men and women and their families for all they have given that we may live free. In this day, as our freedom is threatened by a new unseen enemy, it seems fitting that we extend our gratitude to all who are fighting with courage and bravery on the front lines of the Covid-19 crisis as well. 

1. Guest Blog Post, Letting in the Light, by Linda Hollier

It's my pleasure to introduce you to my friend, photographer, Linda Hollier. Linda and I met in March of 2017, in, of all places, Masdar City, a planned city project in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates. Linda was living in the UAE at the time with her husband and I was scouting for a photo workshop. I'd learned about her digital art and use of the iPhone to create impressionistic, sometimes ethereal images, through her involvement with Joanne Carter, founder and editorial director of TheAppWhisperer, the world's most popular mobile photography and art website. When I learned that Linda and I would be in the same part of the world at the same time, I contacted her and we arranged to meet. I hope you'll take a minute to read Linda's guest blog post, Letting In the Light, in which she shares some of her images and discusses her conceptual approach to creating her very distinctive form of imagery.
 

© Linda Hollier

 

2. Finally! A Replacement for a Beloved iPhone APP, by Rad A. Drew

Anyone who's been involved in mobile photography for very long, probably has had the occasion to mourn the loss of a favorite app. In this blog post I recall the loss of the beloved app, AutoStitch, and, happily, introduce a new app that achieves the same horizontal and vertical panoramas for which AutoStitch was so loved! 
 

iPhone 11 Pro Max with the a new app that replaces the beloved AutoStitch!

 

Recently discussions about mobile macro photography with a friend who uses macro images in her business, prompted me to pick my long-ignored Moment 10x Macro lens and remind myself of what I love about macro photography! Check out the blog post to see the lens and case I use, see some of the images I made the other day, and note some tips for making your own great macro images! (There's even a "poor man's" alternative to the Moment 10x Macro that may allow you to create some wonderful macro images for a fraction of the cost of the Moment Lens!)
 

 

Zoom ... Zoom ... Zoom!

A Sign of the Times...
Virtual Club Meetings, Photo Conferences,
and Corporate Presentations

If you missed the Out of Chicago Live  experience,
you can now purchase access to the recordings here.
 

 

Of course, there are these two sessions by yours truly,

• Getting the Most from Masking in SnapSeed with Rad Drew
• Shoot and Process RAW on Your Mobile Phone with Rad Drew

 

Since mid-March, in addition to Out of Chicago LIVE!, I've been invited to give virtual presentations for a variety of camera club meetings and business events including: 

Looking for Help Improving Your Video Game?

Introducing 
Videographer and Photographer
Michael Durr

A Little Something for You!
 

 

 

Brewster MA Photographer Steve Koppel's
 2nd Book now Available!
at Steve Koppel.com


Proceeds from Steve's books benefit APCC and EDI Institute.

           

When photographer, Steve Koppel founded EDI Institute several years ago, it was dedicated to improving the experience of patients and caregivers through imagery created on mobile devices. 

With the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, EDI Institute has been able to leverage the network it's created over the years, to play a new role in supporting caregivers and patients as the world copes with the coronavirus. 

The Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) made necessary by the COVID-19 crisis has caused our caregivers to become completely unrecognizable to their patients. This recent image from the front page of the Boston Globe showing caregivers at Boston Medical Center illustrates how caregivers now frequently appear to their patients.
 

Boston Globe Photo

The resulting emotional detachment has resulted in a lack of connection, negatively impacting both patients and caregivers. To allow caregivers to identify and express aspects of themselves, the EDI Institute has enhanced its offering to include creation of adhesive stickers for PPE gowns.

EDI has begun pilots in the emergency departments at the Cleveland Clinic and Tufts Medical Center. The images below were created by Dr. Emory Petrack, Chief of Pediatric Medicine at Tufts. The first image includes his dog Andy, and allows Dr. Petrack to share his love of dogs. In the second image, Dr. Petrack transformed one of his own photographs from Yellowstone, adding scratches and other effects. The image expresses both his passion for photography and his thoughts regarding today's world. 
 

EDI Institute Photos
 

The EDI Institute is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the experience of patients and caregivers through imagery created on mobile devices. The Institute welcomes any ideas for organizations that might be interested in collaborating, especially during these unprecedented times. Please contact Steven Koppel at steven.koppel@ediinstitute.org with any ideas! 
 

Update on Our Cuban Friends
... and a way you can help
 

Like the rest of the world, Cuba is sheltering in place and social distancing to slow the spread of the virus. It arrived in Cuba a little later than in other parts of the world — mid to late March — but it’s there now and the government is taking aggressive measures to contain its spread. 

In a place were grocery shelves are often bare in normal times, the pandemic has exacerbated the situation. One friend told me the other day that he waited at a small grocery store in Havana from 11am to 5pm to buy just a few essentials. He is in an area that is quarantined and is unable to go to his studio to work and can’t get there to bring materials home due to strictly enforced stay-at-home orders. 
 

Wearing masks and maintaining social distance, Cubans wait in line for groceries.

Another friend who some of you will recognize when I tell you my nickname for him is "Mr. Stoic," has been riding his bike along the Malecon each day in a fairly deserted Havana, avoiding contact with others. He’s able to go to his studio and says he’s using the time to get caught up on his many art and photo projects. Other friends, new parents, both of whom work in the tourist industry, also are not working and are staying home except for essential runs out to meet their needs. Fortunately, everyone is well!

How can we help?

Limited resources, the inability to work, and the complete elimination of tourism, is making life challenging. And, it’s increasingly difficult for many Cubans to stay connected with the world and friends outside of Cuba because paying for WiFi time has become a luxury that many can’t afford. When the budget gets tight, it's one of the first things to go.

I’ve discovered one small way we can support our friends in Cuba: We can purchase WiFi time and “charge” their phones so they can at least continue to stay in communication! I've done this for some time. We can't send money, we can't send packages, but we can charge Cuban cell phone numbers!

I’ve done this now for sometime, long before the current crisis. This is the only way I’ve found right now to offer any kind of support for our friends in Cuba, since travel there currently is restricted.

If you have the means and are so inclined, please consider charging someone’s phone for a few dollars and allow them to stay in touch. 

If you would like to support our Cuban friends with the gift of a phone charge, please email me here. I will send you a link to the company I use along with the phone numbers of friends there who would greatly appreciate your support. The company I've used for a few years now often runs sales, making charging a phone extremely inexpensive. To charge a phone you simply enter the phone number of the person’s phone you want to charge and select the amount you want to spend. I’ve paid with my PayPal account, but you can also use a credit card.

Topaz Studio 2
 

 

This image was created with the iPhone 11 Pro Max. This morning, for a little something different, I took it into Topaz Studio 2 on the desktop where I applied DeNoise AI and Sharpen AI for a base image before converting it to black and white and using Impression to add brush strokes and a canvas texture. Studio 2 and its collection of tools like Impression offer one more way to process images in artistic ways. 

If you're considering adding Topaz tools to your repertoire, use my link and code for a 15% discount an all Topaz tools, including any on sale!

Follow this link:
https://topazlabs.com/ref/8/

Use code this code:
Rad15

 

Created with the iPhone 11 Pro Max and processed with various mobile apps.

Email here me to get started!