Halina Veratsennik | San-Francisco Bay Area Photographer » ~ For Photographers ~

8×10 Photo Book Templates for Lightroom 3

HalinaV — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 04:38:05 +0000

I’ve created a new template bundle for my Lightroom 3 Templates Store.
This time it’s a 8 x 10″ photo book templates.
They are perfect for creating Blurb Standard Landscape photo books and I personally used them to create my family album.

some more technical details:

- pages sized 8 x 10″ make it easy to use for creating albums, photo books, collages
- all pages have .25″ bleed following guidelines of all major printing labs
- different designs that fit up to 9 images per page
- immediate download
- templates may be used in Lightroom 3 (or higher version)
- installation instructions are included in a PDF file
- final image size is 3075 x 2475 px

<< Click Here for More Details, Examples and to Buy These Album Templates for Lightroom 3>>

Lightroom 3 Templates

HalinaV — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 03:01:18 +0000

For the past few weeks I was working on updating my Lightroom 3 Template shop and website.
I decided to create cleaner look for the STORE page:

<< Click Here to see the Lightroom 3 Templates Store >>

I also created a new product for the store – 35 Photo Book / Album Templates (8×10″) -

I use them for my personal projects (and our family yearly photo books) printed at Blurb

<< Click Here to read description, see examples and Buy these templates (if you use Lightroom 3) >>

David duChemin in San-Francisco

HalinaV — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 18:00:19 +0000

Have you ever met an author?
A real, published one?
The one that has more than one book published and in more than one language?
And the author whom you admire and really-really share his point-of-view?

I did! (where is animated smiley doing happy dance?)

This past Wednesday. In San-Francisco.

And if you are a photographer, you might be jealous! or Must be :))
Because it was …

David duChemin

He announced on his blog that he wants to have a small get-together Tweet-Up party with local photographers and there was a room for 17 people.
First come – first serve.

I should tell you – David is not just awesome photographer, but a warm and really approachable person.
He shares the same approach and philosophy when you talk to him, as he does through his books.

Days before this Tweet-Up I was feeling nervous about meeting celebrity, and on Wednesday it didn’t feel like that at all. David du Chemin and all photographers that came for this party were so nice, talkative, fun and sharing.
I kind of want to repeat this experience now :)

Thank You David for hosting this.
and Thank You Peachpit for awesome books that you’ve offered to everybody!

Emergency Contact List for Kids | Free Template

HalinaV — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 07:25:22 +0000

My daughter is 4,5 years old.
She doesn’t have a cell phone.
I don’t think she will get one till she will be … ummm … at least 10.
or 11.
or 12
we’ll see how and what kind of technology will be available by that time, and how secure it will be.

But I thought it’s a great idea to have an emergency contact list for her at home.
With the phone numbers of her mom and dad, some family friends and home address.
Just in case.

So I opened Photoshop and created these templates.
I printed 4 x 6 picture on my home printer, bought magnetic frame for the fridge and …. here is what we have now:

I think this Phone List with our family photo (taken by Kate) looks much more personal than plain template from Microsoft Word.

These templates (two of them) are size 4×6.
PSD format.
Background paper, frame and labels are included.
and for the font I used Underwood Champion

And here is a download link for you if you want to use these templates.

<< Download Templates Here >>

I hope you will print one for your kid(s)

Interview with Yulia Birzhanova

HalinaV — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 06:48:16 +0000

Internet is a Contemporary Wonderland!

You can do anything you want, you can meet people and make new friends.
Even if you live one ocean apart with 11-hour time difference.

Today I want to introduce you to my friend Yulia Birzhanova. She is an amazing photographer from Moscow, Russia.
She specialize in Children and Baby Photography, but she also take pictures of baptism ceremonies and birthday parties.

Her images had been featured in Russian Edition of Cosmopolitan magazine, numerous contests and exhibitions (I can’t keep a track of all the things she does! :))

She is really amazing, productive photographer.
And I decided to ask few questions, have a mini-interview and translate Yulia’s answers to English (please note , that I am not a professional translator at all).

Биржанова Юлия/ Birzhanova Yulia

г. Москва, Россия / Moscow, RUSSIA

http://www.birzhanova.ru/

http://birzhanova.livejournal.com/

When did you become interested in photography? How did it happen?

I became very interested in photography in 2006 when I started to take classes in Photography School. Since then my camera became my constant companion.

But I was always interested in taking pictures.
Actually, a year ago, while going through the family archive, I found a print that I made when I was 12 (which is almost 18 years ago).
I think it’s the earliest photo made by me, that had survived to this day.

Why did you decide to take photography to professional level? Why Photography and not some other career?

It was a long and hard path until photography became my profession.
I had a lot to lose – I was working as an accountant, had a bachelors degree in economics.
But at some point I realised that all this (accounting) doesn’t interest me at all.
When I take pictures and edit them later – I forget about time, the whole world stop existing for me. I’m really enjoying this process.

In today’s world it’s a great luxury to do what you love. But it is also the greatest pleasure.

Where do you find ideas, inspiration for photo sessions? Do you prepare and make a list of poses and settings you want to photograph, or you just go with the flow and get ideas during the photoshoot?

I have my “bag of tricks”, ideas that always work during photography sessions.
There are also different people, types of clients - some will offer their own ideas for the photographs. With others – you just need to watch and observe, and ideas will come ”from the air”. And there is another type of people whom I need to direct – how to stand, where to put their hands, what to do with the body, etc.

But I know how to work with any type of clients.

What would you recommend to people wo are just starting with photography?

Learn, learn, learn.
Accept constructive criticism and do not be upset with it. Some beginning photographers can’t handle any criticism, even from their teachers. They don’t realise that by listening for advise they can learn much faster than learning by themselves, by their own mistakes and no input from other photographers.

A special advise for anybody who want to have interesting and fulfilling life and career?

- never give up
- listen to your intuition
- love yourself and your interests

do all three and Universe will give you an opportunity to do something that you love most of all.

I believe in that!

All images in this post – copyright (c) Yulia Birzhanova

To see more of Yulia’s work – visit

website – http://www.birzhanova.ru/

blog – http://birzhanova.livejournal.com/

New Blog for Lightroom 3 Templates

HalinaV — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 06:22:34 +0000

If you are subscriber of my “Lightroom 3 Templates” Newsletter, than you probably already know that

I’ve created a new blog:

http://halinav.com/lightroom/

This new blog is a home for all Album, Photo Books, Collage Templates made for Lightroom 3 users.
If you are a photographer and use Lightroom 3 for editing your pictures – you are more than welcome to visit my new web addition.

If you would like to receive Monthly Freebies (Free templates for Lightroom 3) and updates on the new blog, please use the form below to sign up to receive newsletter:

Merry Christmas!

HalinaV — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 17:08:08 +0000

Merry Christmas to You and your family!
All the best wishes!

Let’s Wish, Hope and Enjoy.

merry Christmas wished form San-Francisco bay area photographer

Frank Sinatra – Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas:

Lightroom 3 Template | September Freebie

HalinaV — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 02:16:34 +0000

September is here. And September Freebie – Lightroom 3 template (collage) is ready also

September Free Lightroom 3 Collage Template (description):
2810 x 2058 px – size
4 images (3 vertical and 1 horizontal)
* This template work only on Lightroom 3 (and higher version):

Click On the Banner below to see new blog \ website for Lightroom 3 Templates:

== Newsletter Announcement ==

I understand that this blog had become so many things. I post here templates for Lightroom 3 and Photoshop, images from sessions and from travels.

So…

If you want to skip all the entries with photos on this blog and just get info about the Lightroom 3 and Photoshop templates – you can sign up for a free newsletter below.
I promise - newsletter will be only related to templates (primarily Lightroom 3).
I hate to get spam in my inbox too!

What you will get if you sign up?
- Once or twice a month you will receive a newsletter with download links to monthly Free Templates + announcements about any upcoming template bundles.
- I’m also working on separate website + store for Lightroom 3 and Photoshop templates. Website will include links to all Freebies, tutorials and useful resources. If you sign up for this newsletter – you will receive a link to the website as soon as it’s ready.

If you are ready to sign up, please use the form below:

Useful links:

August Freebie – Lightroom 3 – 20″x20″ template
Tutorial - “How to install, use and export Lightroom 3 templates”
Tutorial – “How to change a background color in Lightroom 3 template”

Free Collage Template for Lightroom 3 (for photographers) – August Freebie

HalinaV — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 06:37:55 +0000

I start to accept, that creativity needs a routine and a schedule. So I decided that I need some kind of schedule for this blog too.
Long term commitment, but not a stressful one (because I don’t like stress).

Here is an idea:
Once a month I will create and post a FREE template (collage, card, album page) for Lightroom 3 (Print Panel) first of all (but that might change).

I did create some templates before and you can see\download previous bundle of free 20+ collage templates for Lightroom 3 here – <>
(I am exited that those templates were featured on Adobe blogs, Adobe Lightroom Facebook page, Lightroom Killer Tips blog and other blogs :))

So… Here is my First Monthly Share…

August Freebie – 20×20 collage\storyboard (for 9 photos):

<< Click Here To Download Template Archive >>

some useful links with that:

Tutorial - “How to install, use and export Lightroom 3 templates”
Tutorial – “How to change a background color in Lightroom 3 template”

p.s. It would be great if you send me a link to show how you use this (or any other templates) – just post a comment or send me an email :)

Tutorial – How to use collage and album templates in Lightroom 3

HalinaV — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 05:10:04 +0000

I’ve made a little tutorial on how to install, use my collage and album templates for Lightroom 3 and also how to save them on your hard drive:

To install templates:

1. Select the Print panel in Lightroom-3:

2. In the left panel point the mouse to the “User Templates”

right-click and select “Import”:

3. In the pop-up window select all the templates you want to install ( they all have .lrtemplate ending on the files). Click OK.

4. Templates should appear in the left side panel under “User Templates”

To place pictures to the template, just drag and drop photo to the place.

To export and save a template in Lightroom 3:

1. In the right-side panel open up Print Job and make sure that Print to is selected with JPEG File:

Then press “Print to File” button and Save a collage:

That’s it! You are done!

Now if you want you can open a JPEG file in Photoshop (or Lightroom) and resize it, or if you want to print it, just load it to your photo-lab account.