The Senior Pulse

OOPS! Missing File For The Senior Pulse Video

There is a file missing on the Senior Pulse CD that is required for the video playback controls.

To update, make a new folder on your computer. Copy the contents of the Senior Pulse CD to this folder.

Download the file by selecting the following link, then right click and "Save Target As", then save the file in the same folder that you copied the Senior Pulse CD to.

Download ClearOverPlaySeekMute

The added file will allow you to stop, rewind, and fast forward the videos. If you would just rather us send you a new CD, send us an email at info@studiokphoto.com

Thanks !

Ken K

2009 Marketing Pack Is Here!

We just finished working on the marketing pack for 2009. It includes our custom designed senior campaign, our marketing materials, model program, and studio forms/paperwork. All the marketing material has been designed to be printed at ACI. This is great for smaller studios as the marketing pieces can be printed in small quantities as you need them! We also have a high-end version as well, designed to be printed at Colorado Printing using our custom dies. We are working with photoidentities to make a matching website available as well.

Order The Marketing Kit And Save $100

New Retouch Actions Are Shipping!

We are now shipping Ken's retouch actions! We have over 20 orders to fill from day one! The videos that explain the actions are included on the CD. For a limited time we are including the video that explains what we do to our images in Capture One before working on them in Photoshop. This video is a $49.00 value FREE to the first 50 that order the action set. Get your here www.shop.studiokphoto.com I will post a couple of before and afters when I get a minute.

New Retouch Actions Are Coming Soon!

I have been working on a great new set of actions designed to make your retouch faster and easier. All the testing is done, they are packaged and ready for release. I am now working on the videos to show how everything works. I am hoping to have these done by January. After the videos are done, everything will be up on the online store. There are several photographers using the beta versions of the actions, I will try to post some images from them a little later.

New Online Store For Photographers Resources

We have opened an online store for you to purchase our new Photoshop actions, brushes, and videos. The first release.. Retouch Actions Set 1 will be available for purchase near the end of September. We are working on the video and it should be ready around November. Preorder the action set and get the video FREE when it is complete. Go to www.shop.studiokphoto.com to preorder the action set.

Imagenomic Portraiture

We use the Portraiture plugin from Imagenomic ( www.imagenomic.com ) for our pretouched images, and our final images. We love what it does for the final blending of the skin after the retouch has been done. I would like to say that even though we love the software, it seems to be the most overused and abused filter on the planet. It is very easy, to give up the retouching part, and try to let Portraiture do all of your work for you. The results that we have seen with this approach leaves the skin in the images looking like plastic. We suggest that you still retouch your images, then as the second to the last step, run Portraiture on the image. After running Portraiture, fade it back to 50%, then add a curves adjustment layer to restore some of the contrast that Portraiture reduces. Here are the settings that we recommend. These settings will provide beautifully blended skin, without destroying it. You will still be able to see all of the pores and structure of the skin, but the large areas will have smooth highlight to shadow transitions.

Fine = 0, Medium = 0, Large = 0, Thereshold = 18, Size = Medium, Hue = 120, Sat = 58, Luminance = 76, Latitude = 40, Enhancements = Off

Copyrighted image for evaluation purposes only. By clicking on this link you agree that you will not use this image for any purpose other than evaluating the image effect described in this article. All other uses of this image are strictly prohibited. Click HERE to agree and download the image....

The Amazing Nikon D3

We are thrilled with our new Nikon D3's. We had a couple of issues with the AF Lock buttons, but have now figured out how to live with it. The camera has great color, incredible images even up to ISO 3200, and like all of Nikon's single digit D cameras, it is built like a tank.

The good..

Amazing color, and great skin tones. Extreme high ISO performance, useable portrait images up to ISO 3200. Great dynamic autofocus performance. Love the two CF card slots. Battery performance is awesome. And of course it is full frame! Great Camera!

The bad..

Single servo autofocus performance is slow in low light, low contrast conditions. The camera still has the same design for the rubber on the CF card door. I can only hope that it doesn't peel off like all of the D2x series did. The camera has to be updated to a minimum of V2.0 to correct some serious issues with autofocus and battery indicator performance. The AF lock in both the vertical and horizontal positions is very easy to hit accidentially, causing the camera to stop focusing. Nikon says that they will have a menu selection to disable this button in the next firmware release. The camera vignettes pretty bad due to the larger sensor. New firmware helps clear this up a little.

IPPG Fall Seminar And Shoot Out

Ken Kneringer and Nancy Bailey-Pratt were the instructors for the IPPG Fall Seminar Shootout, September 7th-8th 2008. We had a great day, great model, and had a ton of fun. Nancy is an awesome photographer and a great instructor. She taught us how to use natural light to make beautiful soft portraits. Ken showed how to use different lighting modifiers to get good light under more adverse conditions. Ken would like to thank IPPG for the opportunity to teach, Nancy for her ideas and kind words, our model Lauren for all of her hard work, and all that attended for their support. I hope everyone had as much fun as I did.

Ken was talking a lot and didn't get to pick up the camera much, but here are a couple images.

PP of Ohio National Convention 2009

Just got the contract to speak at PPof Ohio National Convention March 4th-9th 2009. I am putting together an awesome program that will include a great number of time saving solutions, lighting and shooting solutions, and some cool marketing stuff. Also going to be demonstrating some retouch, "color by the numbers" and ways to produce better images. We shoot primarily seniors, but theses solutions apply to all types of photography. Sponsored by Nettle Creek Color, Senior Portrait Artists, And Craig's Actions.

My friend Chris Routt from Scottsburg will be presenting his program on Seniors at the convention as well. Chris is an extremely talented photographer and is sure to have an awesome program. Be sure to put him on your list of programs to see next year.

Ken Kneringer at IPPG

Ken Kneringer presented the monthly program for the Indianapolis Professional Photographers Guild, November 2007. The program provided professional photographers an insight to Ken's unique style of retouching, the workflow that Studio K uses to process images for over 200 seniors each year, and his shooting and posing techniques. The program got great reviews from those who attended. Ken is looking forward to presenting many more programs in the near future.