Real Estate Photography with Tour Factory

Posted on April 4, 2013 by natedonovanphotography

Now providing quality architecture and real estate photography with Tour Factory

With over 17 years as a professional photographer, I provide quality photography with attention to the architectural details that help sell your homes. My HDR, Panoramic, and traditional photographs are always shot at multiple exposures to assure the best quality for your property tour. Including video personalizes your tour and increases the number of views.  I provide the full range of media in one shoot.

For more information on getting a Virtual Tour or high quality architecture photos…

 

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Photoshop/Lightroom Hands-On Open Lab

Posted on January 28, 2013 by natedonovanphotography

Want to develop your skills in Photoshop and Lightroom in an open lab?

Nate Donovan Photography - CS6 logoPhotoshop/Lightroom Open Lab is a playground for creativity. Join Nate Donovan for comprehensive instruction and a meaningful and rewarding experience in a collaborative and creative environment.  Bring your own digital photography projects to edit while perfecting basic to advanced features in Photoshop or Lightroom.  Perfect HDR, photo restoration, Selecting, Layers, Masking, or the simplest edits. The Open Lab will give you access to Photoshop on our newest systems, including overhead Nate Donovan Photography - Lightroom 4 Logopresentations and one-on-one instruction.  Drop In Option: $40 per meeting (call 408-354-8700 to make sure the class is happening).  For those interested in Lightroom, bring your laptop with Lightroom and your photography. We will provide demonstrations and instruction on setting up and managing your library of photography, powerful editing tips, and taking advantage of everything Lightroom has to offer.

Prerequisites: Lightroom users will need their own laptop and copy of Lightroom; elementary understanding of Photoshop CSx.

Click for online registration

Fees:  $40 drop-in for each class March 11th or 25th…or register early to save your seat for the Spring term starting April 8th.

Dates/schedule (all classes are held on Mondays unless noted):

Class Location:
Los Gatos High School – Library Lab
20 High School Court, Los Gatos, CA 95030
Map - Campus Map – use the staircase at the Northeast backside of the library.

Nate Donovan Photography - Point Lobos -oilpainting

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Photograph the Golden Gate Bridge…this Sat – Sept 29th

Posted on September 17, 2012 by natedonovanphotography

Living in the San Francisco Bay Area, I tend to avoid many of the touristy areas because…well, I’m a local.  But!  If there’s one place I never get sick of the the Golden Gate Bridge, especially at night.  Because of the ever changing fog and beautiful skyline, you never get the same photo twice.
Saturday, September 29th I will be leading a photowalk and class at Fort Point and the San Francisco side of the Golden Gate.  Plan on a fun evening of sunset and photography at one of the most beautiful structures in the world.

Learn a few new tricks, and have some fun with your camera.  This is the perfect opportunity if you are new to photography and need learn more about settings and photographic composition, or you’ve got some photographic skills and want to push your knowledge a little farther.  Regardless of skill level, this is a great location that will give you the opportunity to ask questions and get some great photo opportunities.

Where: – Golden Gate Bridge/Fort Point (map)
When:  Saturday, September 29th; 5:30pm-8:30pm
What to bring:  Camera, lenses, tripod, cable release/remote, and warm clothing.

Registration (click for online secure payment)
$35 per session

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The Best Sea Otters!!

Posted on July 26, 2012 by natedonovanphotography

Our summer tour of outdoor photo classes are taking us to the Elkhorn Slough on Saturday morning.  If you’ve never been there, the Elkhorn Slough is a 7-mile-long tidal slough and estuary by Moss Landing on Monterey Bay.

Elkhorn Slough harbors the largest tract of tidal salt marsh in California outside of San Francisco Bay and provides much-needed habitat for hundreds of species of plants and animals, including more than 340 species of birds. More than 5,000 acres of the Elkhorn Slough area are preserved.

Sea otters are the most popular animal at Elkhorn, but plan on seeing sea lions, seals, brown pelicans, American avocets, cormorants, egrets,terns and a host of other wildlife from the water is an experience that provides a unique perspective of how the slough is used by the native inhabitants.

Do you like to kayak?  This is a great place to explore the wildlife from the water.  There are two main locations to launch your kayak or boat at Elkhorn Slough: Kirby Park, located on Elkhorn Road on the East side of the slough AND Moss Landing Harbor District Launch Ramp, located on Hwy 1, north of Moss Landing (near the kayak shops). Small watercraft can also launch in the Harbor of Moss Landing.

  • Where: Elkhorn Slough – Meet at the end of Jetty Road on the coast side of the harbor (map)
  • When: Saturday – July 28th; 9am-11am
  • What to bring: Camera, all your lenses, tripod, and cable release/remote

Registration
$35 per session

It’s time to grab your camera and go out and have a little fun.  Join us for the annual outdoor summer class series where we will be gathering at eight fun locations to practice, learn a few new tricks, and have some fun with your camera.  This is the perfect opportunity if you are new to photography and need learn more about settings and photographic composition, or you’ve got some photographic skills and want to push your knowledge a little farther.  Regardless of skill level, we will be going to many fun locations that will give you the opportunity to ask questions and get some great photo opportunities.

Upcoming Classes

*  Monday, August 13th – 6:30pm-8:30pm – Santa Cruz W. Cliff Drive (Lighthouse & Natural Bridges State Beaches) (map) – Landscapes, sunsets, and beautiful scenery.
*  Saturday, August 18th – 6:30am-9:30am – Baylands/Bixby Park, Palo Alto (map) – Get your morning wildlife fix with a little sunrise.
*  Saturday, August 25th - 6pm-9pm – Golden Gate Bridge/Fort Point (map) – Sunset, night photography, and the glow of the bridge.
 
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Shoot the Farm

Posted on July 23, 2012 by natedonovanphotography

What do architecture, portraits, and HDR have in common?  They are all great types of photography that I love to shoot at Stanford University.  Along with Stanford being my favorite place to do outdoor portrait work, it has endless arches, lines, textures, and landscapes that make it one of my favorite places to have a class.

Tonight’s Summer Outdoor Class will take us to Stanford where we get to learn and explore with your camera.

  • Where: Stanford University – Meet at the quad in front of the Memorial Church (map)
  • When: TONIGHT – July 23rd; 6:30pm-8:30pm
  • What to bring: Camera, all your lenses, tripod, and cable release/remote
  • Where are we going next Saturday, July 28th? - Elkhorn Slough (map) 9am – Get your zoom lens out for the ever popular sea otters, sea lions, seals, brown pelicans, and much more.

Registration
$35 per session

It’s time to grab your camera and go out and have a little fun.  Join us for the annual outdoor summer class series where we will be gathering at eight fun locations to practice, learn a few new tricks, and have some fun with your camera.  This is the perfect opportunity if you are new to photography and need learn more about settings and photographic composition, or you’ve got some photographic skills and want to push your knowledge a little farther.  Regardless of skill level, we will be going to many fun locations that will give you the opportunity to ask questions and get some great photo opportunities.

Upcoming Classes

*  Saturday, July 28th - 9am-11am - Elkhorn Slough (map) – Get your zoom lens out for the ever popular sea otters, sea lions, seals, brown pelicans, and much more.
*  Monday, August 13th – 6:30pm-8:30pm – Santa Cruz W. Cliff Drive (Lighthouse & Natural Bridges State Beaches) (map) – Landscapes, sunsets, and beautiful scenery.
*  Saturday, August 18th – 6:30am-9:30am – Baylands/Bixby Park, Palo Alto (map) – Get your morning wildlife fix with a little sunrise.
*  Saturday, August 25th - 6pm-9pm – Golden Gate Bridge/Fort Point (map) – Sunset, night photography, and the glow of the bridge.

 Registration

$35 per session

Email Nate@NateDonovanPhotography.com for more information and to be added to the roster and class mailing list.

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Does size matter? Yosemite National Park advocates think it might

Posted on July 20, 2012 by natedonovanphotography

Associated Press – 7/18/12

WASHINGTON — Yosemite National Park would grow by 1,575 acres under a bill on Capitol Hill.

Written by a Democrat and backed by local Republicans, the Yosemite expansion legislation could have a leg up on other national park bills being shopped around Congress. But in an environment where public lands ownership also can push political buttons, advocates still have their work cut out for them.

“This is a challenging Congress to move things through,” Laurie Wayburn, president and co-chief executive officer of the San Francisco-based Pacific Forest Trust, said Tuesday. She added, though, that “this is one of those rare, common-ground movements. Yosemite has a very special place in Californians’ hearts.”

The legislation, introduced last month by Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, authorizes the National Park Service to expand Yosemite’s western boundary through the addition of several adjacent Mariposa County parcels. The park service could buy the designated land, located near an existing resort development called Yosemite West; in theory, the agency also could accept donated property or acquire it through a land swap.

The Pacific Forest Trust currently owns about half of the 1,575 acres covered by the bill, and a consortium of medical professionals owns the other half. The nonprofit trust bought its share about seven years ago with the long-term goal of conveying it to Yosemite, Wayburn said. The doctors had bought the land as an investment, potentially for development.

The landowners’ anticipated scenario now is that federal Land and Water Conservation Fund dollars would be used to buy both parcels once the National Park Service secured its authorization, Wayburn said.

“The inclusion of these lands within Yosemite will be critical to saving money for local communities and preserving the integrity of one of our nation’s most celebrated places,” Costa wrote Monday in a letter asking for a hearing by the House subcommittee on national forests, parks and public lands.

Yosemite currently spans 761,266 acres, 17th among parks nationwide.

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Come to the Bulb!!

Posted on July 19, 2012 by natedonovanphotography

What is the Albany Bulb, aka the Bulb?  It’s a former landfill on the waterfront next to Golden Gate Fields that consists of urban art, hikers, dog walkers, and great views of San Francisco and the Golden Gate.

The Bulb was originally brought to my attention by one of my photography students a few years ago.  Her emphasis on the photographic potential intrigued me, so off I went.  The endless array of sculpture, stencil, mural, and installation art blew me away and I was hooked into the obvious and not-so obvious things there were to shoot.

Despite the somewhat rated-R atmosphere and the homeless encampment, I was able to loose myself in the abstract and unusual landscape.

Sculptor and activist lawyer Osha Neumann has created some of the largest works.  He often collaborates with Jason DeAntonis.  Sniff, a group of artists composed of Scott Hewitt, Scott Meadows and David Ryan, painted large, highly imaginative “murals” on wood and erected more sculptures on the northwest corner of the Bulb.  Another Bulb landmark, referred to as “The Castle,” is a large concrete, rebar and plaster shelter which sits on the south west corner of the Bulb, with a great view of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Photography Class at the Bulb – Saturday, July 21st; 9am-11am

Click for mor information

Register – $35

How to get there?  (map)

  1. Get to Highway 80 to Berkeley/Albany, CA
  2. Take the Buchanan Exit in Albany (next to Golden Gate Fields)
  3. Go left on Buchanan, and take Buchanan west to the end of the road

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Calling all Volunteers to Yosemite!!

Posted on July 11, 2012 by natedonovanphotography

Yosemite National Park is seeking volunteers to work alongside rangers to help clear litter and remove invasive plants in various areas throughout Yosemite Valley this summer.

All ages and abilities are welcome to participate in the program, which lasts from 9am to noon every Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday until Labor Day.

Volunteers are invited to meet park staff in front of the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center in Yosemite Village at 9am on those days.

For details, call 209-379-1850, or go to www.nps.gov/yose/supportyourpark/volunteer.htm

Outdoor Photo Summer Series

It’s time to grab your camera and go out and have a little fun.  Join us for the annual outdoor summer class series where we will be gathering at eight fun locations to practice, learn a few new tricks, and have some fun with your camera.  This is the perfect opportunity if you are new to photography and need learn more about settings and photographic composition, or you’ve got some photographic skills and want to push your knowledge a little farther.  Regardless of skill level, we will be going to many fun locations that will give you the opportunity to ask questions and get some great photo opportunities.

Click for more information

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Update your cameras firmware now!! But be careful…

Posted on July 10, 2012 by natedonovanphotography

Ever updated your camera’s firmware? Most people haven’t, and most don’t even know what firmware is.  First of all, firmware is simply software embedded into a piece of hardware.  In the case of your camera, it’s the embedded software that controls your camera.  Because technology is always evolving and finding bugs in most cameras, the camera manufacturers need to update the firmware time-to-time to keep their cameras up to date and running well.

In most cases, the firmware update fixes minor problems and performance improvements.  Canon recently announced firmware v2.0 for the 7D wich gives such dramatic improvements, it’s more like a mini upgrade to the camera.  Canon’s adding improved RAW burst rate, GPS compatibility and much more.

The big question is “how do you update your camera’s firmware?”  Typically, most camera manufacturers have you download the new firmware file to your computer and copy it to your memory card via your card reader.  Once the firmware file is on the card, insert the card back in your camera and go to the appropriate menu on your camera to run the update.  WARNING!!  Do not update your firmware without a full charge on your battery or using an AC power cord for your camera.  If your camera powers off during the firmware update, you will corrupt the firmware and will end up sending your camera back to the manufacturer to fix it.  You can find all firmware updates and instructions at your camera’s manufacturers website.

The following are links to a few camera’s firmware updates and instructions:

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Outdoor Summer Series 2012

Posted on July 5, 2012 by natedonovanphotography

It’s time to grab your camera and go out and have a little fun.  Join us for the annual outdoor summer class series where we will be gathering at eight fun locations to practice, learn a few new tricks, and have some fun with your camera.  This is the perfect opportunity if you are new to photography and need learn more about settings and photographic composition, or you’ve got some photographic skills and want to push your knowledge a little farther.  Regardless of skill level, we will be going to many fun locations that will give you the opportunity to ask questions and get some great photo opportunities.

Dates:

*  Monday, July 9th - 6:30pm-8:30pm - San Jose Municipal Rose Garden (map) – Time to practice a little depth-of-field and close up photography.
*  Monday, July 16th - 7:30pm-9:30pm - Santa Cruz Wharf & Boardwalk (map)- Take you night photography to a new level with the night light of the Boardwalk and the glow of the moving tide.
*  Saturday, July 21st - 9am-11am - Albany Bulb (map) – Driftwood, trash, and the completely unusual turned into sculptures, structures, and art.  This gem of the Bay Area is a bit rated-R, but an abstract photographers dream.
*  Monday, July 23rd - 6:30pm-8:30pm - Stanford University (map) – Emphasis on HDR, low light, architecture, and the abstract.
*  Saturday, July 28th - 9am-11am - Elkhorn Slough (map) – Get your zoom lens out for the ever popular sea otters, sea lions, seals, brown pelicans, and much more.
*  Monday, August 13th - 6:30pm-8:30pm - Santa Cruz W. Cliff Drive (Lighthouse & Natural Bridges State Beaches) (map) – Landscapes, sunsets, and beautiful scenery.
*  Saturday, August 18th - 6:30am-9:30am - Baylands/Bixby Park, Palo Alto (map) – Get your morning wildlife fix with a little sunrise.
*  Saturday, August 25th - 6pm-9pm - Golden Gate Bridge/Fort Point (map) – Sunset, night photography, and the glow of the bridge.

Registration
Email Nate@NateDonovanPhotography.com for more information and to be added to the roster.

(click for online secure payment)

$199 – All 8 sessions ($81 savings sessions)

or
$35 per individual session

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