August 2007 Archives

Grab Shot 119 - "Bull Fights Back"

michelbricteuxphotography

"This image is from a series of shots taken in Madrid during a July '07 Novillada, a bullfight involving young and less experienced bullfighters, also called Novillos," said Michel Bricteux. "This is part of their training to become real Toreros. The Novillo, captured here in a moment of extreme levitation under the incredulous bull's stare, actually recovered from his pirouette, got back on his feet and, proud as he was, continued the fight until the end, winning the public's acclamation.

As a passionate amateur photographer living in Spain, I found bullfighting an extremely graphic subject, where ancient tradition mixes with colors, shapes, and movement.

Michel used a Nikon D200 with a 80-200mm f/2.8 lens.

If you have a candid you'd like to share, take a look at our Submissions page, then send us your Grab Shot. If we publish it, you'll receive an ultra cool custom carabineer keychain.

And you can view more images from our virtual camera club in the Member Photo Gallery.

Event Calendar

Events! See the TDS Event Calendar for photography workshops, speaking engagements, and trade show appearances.


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Kodak's latest announcements are right in line with the direction that consumer photography is moving. Take for example the Easyshare Z812 IS Zoom Camera. It's compact enough to fit in your jacket pocket, but captures stills and video in 16:9, and includes all of the bells and whistles that you'd expect from a state of the art digicam.

In my Podcast #96 on 16:9, I talk about how this aspect ratio can shake up your still photography and energize your videos. The Kodak Z812 is the perfect tool for this type of work. You can capture video in HD 1024x720 at 30fps using advanced QuickTime Mpeg 4 compression with stereo sound. If you want to shoot stills, then you have the 3264x1836 option, which is 16:9 at 6 megapixels. If you get the HDTV accessory dock ($100 US), you can connect it to your HDTV and playback the content in full resolution. (My guess is that you don't need the dock to do this because A/V cables are included with the camera, but it is a convenience.)

Other impressive specs include the 12X SCHNEIDER-KREUZNACH VARIOGON optical zoom lens, optical image stabilization, face detection, high ISO (up to 3200), 2.5" LCD, advanced program modes, and plenty of setting controls.

On the negative side, I don't see a custom white balance option nor Raw format. But everything else looks pretty good. The Kodak Z812 is both Windows and Mac compatible, and according to the Kodak web site, is available now for $299.95 US. This is a camera to keep your eye on.

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Going to Las Vegas: Photoshop World

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I've got my $49 airfare to Las Vegas, and I'm heading out next week for Photoshop World. This will be my third trip to Sin City this year.

You can find me in the O'Reilly booth (#220) conducting live interviews with Deke McClelland, Eddie Tapp, and Mikkel Aaland, as well as other industry notables. These interviews will be podcasted on the O'Reilly Digital Media site and here on The Digital Story, as well as broadcasted so that attendees on the Expo floor can listen in.

You can get a free Expo pass for Friday at the show. If you're in town, please come by the O'Reilly booth, introduce yourself as a TDS member, and say hi.

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Event Calendar

Events! See the TDS Event Calendar for photography workshops, speaking engagements, and trade show appearances.


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Recently a reader asked for ideas to help him renew his creativity. Some of us chimed in with thoughts such as work with a different lens. But I've discovered that even a more powerful approach is to change aspect ratios. After working in 3:2 or 4:3, you'd be surprised how different the world looks in 16:9.

In this podcast I talk about using a Panasonic DMC-FZ8 in 16:9 mode, both for still files (Raw at that!) and for movies. I had a lot of fun, and it really got my creative juices flowing.

Photo of a school yard in Santa Rosa, CA shot in 16:9 with the FZ8, then cropped to 4x8 for printing in panoramic mode on a Canon CP-330 dye sub printer.

Monthly Photo Assignment

I also discuss this month's photo assignment, Intersection. Keep your eyes peeled for elements in life that bisect. You can read more about how to submit on our Submissions page. Deadline for entry is August 31.

Listen to the Podcast

Now that I've piqued your curiosity, it's time to listen to today's audio show titled, "16:9." You can download the podcast here (25 minutes). You can also subscribe to the podcast in iTunes

The Digital Story Podcasts are available for direct download from Apple iPhones. I've created a special mobile download page here. Just load the page in Safari, browse the podcast line-up, and click on the one you want to listen to.

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our new Flickr Public Group. It's a blast!

Have you looked at the Park by the Numbers Camera Phone Project? If you have a camera phone, you've got to check this out.

Event Calendar

Events! See the TDS Event Calendar for photography workshops, speaking engagements, and trade show appearances.


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Sponsor Notes...

Add Magic to Your Slideshows -- FotoMagico presentations are so amazing that your audience will be asking how you did it.

Digital Foci PSF-250 Photo Safe 80GB

Recently a question came up about the best portable photo storage device for those who don't want to lug their laptops on the road, but who want to offload photos from their memory cards to a hard drive. Just about everyone loves the Epson P-5000 in terms of user interface, design, and that gorgeous LCD that displays 16.7 million colors, but not so much for the $699 price tag.

For a more reasonable $172, you can get the Digital Foci PSF-250 Photo Safe 80GB Portable Digital Photo Storage with Memory Card Reader. For this kind of savings, you don't get the beautiful color LCD, but you do get 80 GBs of storage, memory card slots for just about every card on the market, and a monochrome LCD featuring copy status indicator that displays percentage completed, transfer confirmation, and number of files copied.

Once you return home, connect the Digital Foci to your computer's USB 2.0 port. It mounts just like a regular external hard drive, making image download a snap. The device was among Pop Photo's Editor's Choices for 2007.

Is the Digital Foci the best portable photo safe for the money? That depends on your tastes. But you have to admit that it appears to be a capable and feature-rich device at an affordable price.

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File this one under "Things I Knew But Forgot." I recently installed iPhoto '08 and the updated version of the Canon EOS Utility software. Suddenly every time I connected a camera or a card reader, Canon's CameraWindow would launch. It was driving me crazy.

Instead of going right to work in Aperture or Lightroom like I wanted to, I'd have to wait for CameraWindow to go through its process thinking it was going to get my photos. I checked its preferences and could not discover how to stop it from launching automatically every time I connected a camera.

Finally, when nosing around in iPhoto '08, I found the preference setting for "Connecting camera opens." Ah Ha! That was it. iPhoto controls all applications with this setting. I knew that. And guess what was selected in the preference pane? That's right: CameraWindow.

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I've now changed the setting to "No application" so that nothing automatically happens when I connect my camera... just the way I like it.

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Paul Leasure

"Taken in July in downtown Denver, Colorado at the annual "Piazza del Arte" street fair, where artists spend two days for hours on end to create works of art with chalk on the street -- simply amazing stuff!" says Paul Leasure. "Took the photo in early evening under a nice cloud cover."

Paul used a Nikon D70s with his zoom set to 18mm. The settings were 1/200th at f-7.1.

If you have a candid you'd like to share, take a look at our Submissions page, then send us your Grab Shot. If we publish it, you'll receive an ultra cool custom carabineer keychain.

And you can view more images from our virtual camera club in the Member Photo Gallery.

Event Calendar

Events! See the TDS Event Calendar for photography workshops, speaking engagements, and trade show appearances.


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Nikon Answers Back with the D300

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Just a few days after Canon released the EOS 40D, Nikon answers back with the tempting D300. This pro body features a 12.3 megapixel CMOS APS sized sensor, 6 fps burst mode, 3" LCD, ISO 6400, 51-point autofocus system, 14-bit image processing, and a wireless networking option.

The D300 will cost a bit more ($1,800 US) than Canon's 40D, but also has nice goodies that the Canon doesn't have such as up to 9-frame auto bracketing and EV compensation up to 5 stops. This highly anticipated successor to the D200 should be available in November 2007.

For those of you with bigger pocketbooks who want a full frame sensor Nikon, they also released the D3 with the estimated price of $5,000 US for the body.

Event Calendar

Events! See the TDS Event Calendar for photography workshops, speaking engagements, and trade show appearances.


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Improved "Park by the Numbers" Gallery

Park by the Numbers

The Park by the Numbers Gallery is new and improved enabling you to upload your cameraphone pictures directly to the gallery via an email address (dstory-813z@gallery.mac.com) or by using the "Upload" button on the gallery web page. So now you can take your photo and add it to the gallery before you leave the parking garage.

"Park by the Numbers" is a camera phone project that began as a simple way to help me remember where I parked my car in big garages. But as I started to look more closely at these images, I began to enjoy them on the artistic level too, and became interested in taking other types of parking shots. So what started out as a practical use for a smartphone, has evolved into a creative look at an everyday function that many of us have in common.

You can learn more about the project by visiting the Park by the Numbers home page. So next time you park your car in a big garage, whip out your cameraphone, snap a photo, and if you like it, upload it to our gallery. It's fun... and it may just help you find your car after returning from a long flight.

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Wondering how you're going to store those large Raw files and video captured with your modern digicam? Toshiba has announced a new 32GB SDHC memory card, and a 16GB version too. The cards should be available worldwide in January 2008 and October 2007 respectively.

I was just thinking about memory card size the other day when reading about the new Canon G9 that captures 12-megapixel Raw files and 30fps SD video. That is a lot of data! It's good to know that we're going to have memory to store all of that beautiful content on.

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Key steps to building your workflow include uploading, adding metadata, photo editing, image editing, output, and archiving. In this podcast, I explain how you can build your own photography workflow... with the tools you already have.

To help you along the way, you can download my 28-page workflow guide titled, I've Taken Great Pictures... Now What?. This guide is Free to TDS members!

Monthly Photo Assignment

I also discuss this month's photo assignment, Intersection. Keep your eyes peeled for elements in life that bisect. You can read more about how to submit on our Submissions page. Deadline for entry is August 31.

Listen to the Podcast

Now that I've piqued your curiosity, it's time to listen to today's audio show titled, "Build Your Workflow." You can download the podcast here (29 minutes). You can also subscribe to the podcast in iTunes

The Digital Story Podcasts are available for direct download from Apple iPhones. I've created a special mobile download page here. Just load the page in Safari, browse the podcast line-up, and click on the one you want to listen to.

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our new Flickr Public Group. It's a blast!

Have you looked at the Park by the Numbers Camera Phone Project? If you have a camera phone, you've got to check this out.

Event Calendar

Events! See the TDS Event Calendar for photography workshops, speaking engagements, and trade show appearances.


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Sponsor Notes...

Add Magic to Your Slideshows -- FotoMagico presentations are so amazing that your audience will be asking how you did it.

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Canon unleashed a torrent of announcements today, but the two cameras that will probably be of most interest to TDS members are the new EOS 40D DSLR and the PowerShot G9 compact. Both cameras are updates that are true improvements over their predecessors.

Canon states about the 40D: "From the camera's newly enhanced, 10.1-megapixel CMOS imaging sensor (designed and manufactured by Canon) and its proprietary and super-efficient DIGIC III image processor, to its completely redesigned autofocus sensor and fast, 6.5 frame-per-second (fps) continuous shooting capability (for bursts of up to 75 Large/Fine JPEGs or 17 RAW images), the EOS 40D SLR puts the fun in functionality and makes serious photo business a positive pleasure." I think Canon shooters are going to love the 6.5 fps.

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On the compact side, the PowerShot G9 packs a ton of features into it's handsome body, including the return of RAW: "The PowerShot G9 digital camera features the same matte black, retro-hip design that G-series fans have come to appreciate, with a simplified control layout that is versatile yet easy to understand. This camera is loaded with Canon's latest and most advanced technologies, while raising the bar with the addition of RAW Mode, usually reserved for larger and more expensive SLR cameras. Advanced photographers also have the option of using RAW+JPEG simultaneous capture functionality, giving photographers the best of both worlds - JPEGs for immediate use and RAW images for faithful image reproduction, and extensive, non-destructive image editing capability."

I'm going to enjoy learning more about these cameras over the coming weeks...

It's important to have your copyright information included with every photo that goes out into the wild. Fortunately applications such as Aperture and Lightroom enable you to add copyright information during upload, making it easier to develop this healthy habit. But what can you do if you don't use those applications and sometimes forget to append your files? You can have your camera do it for you.

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IPTC data readout from Adobe Bridge 2. The text in the "Creator" field was added by my Canon Rebel XTi during capture.

That's right, Canon DSLR owners can apply up to 30 characters of text to the metadata of every picture they take. This information appears in the "Creator" field when read in Bridge, in the "Author" field in Photoshop, and the "Owner Name" field in Preview. So even though it shows up in different IPTC fields in different applications, it does show up. I even added an image to iPhoto, then exported it out, and my copyright persisted through the export process.

Canon EOS Utility 2

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Start by making sure you have the latest version of EOS Utility 2. Launch it, then connect your Canon DSLR. Once the application recognizes your camera, click on "Camera Settings/Remote Shooting." If the application doesn't recognize your camera, disconnect it, change the communication setting to "PC" (in Canon's set up menu), then reconnect.

Now click on the Tools icon and enter up to 30 characters in the "Owner's Name" field. You can't use symbols, so you'll have to spell out "copyright." Click OK, and you're set to go. Now, every time you take a picture, the info you entered will appear in the metadata of the picture.

This information persisted through every test I could throw at it except for one: "Save for Web" in Photoshop, which strips out all metadata. My advice, don't ever use Save for Web for your images. But do set up your Canon camera to write your copyright information to every photo.

I'm guessing that Nikon and other DSLRs offer similar capabilities. If you use one of these cameras and know how to apply this technique, please post in the comments field.

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Only Image Edit Your Best

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I'm teaching a workflow class today at Santa Rosa JC, and one of my big time saving tips is to rate your photos right after upload, then only image edit the best of them.

I've noticed that photographers who don't religiously rate their photos (using Bridge, iPhoto, Aperture, Lightroom, etc.) often waste their time working on pictures that they'll never use anyway. The basic workflow of upload, add metadata, rate, sort, image edit (only the best), output, and archive is still the most efficient system I know.

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Grab Shot 117 - "Fire Getting Close"

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"Forrest fires in Central Oregon are a part of daily life," says Buck Heim. "This person takes a moment to notice just how close this burn is to town, while her teammates focus on marching their Outrigger to the banks of the Deschutes for an afternoon practice."

"There’s not a lot to this shot other than grabbing my camera and firing. I stopped down the lens to get some depth and maybe get the shutter slow enough to pick up some motion."

Buck captured this grab shot with his Nikon D200 and a 50mm lens. The settings were 1/80th at f-11

If you have a candid you'd like to share, take a look at our Submissions page, then send us your Grab Shot. If we publish it, you'll receive an ultra cool custom carabineer keychain.

And you can view more images from our virtual camera club in the Member Photo Gallery.

Event Calendar

Events! See the TDS Event Calendar for photography workshops, speaking engagements, and trade show appearances.


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The July 2007 Photo Assignment was "Pattern," and we have some absolutely striking images to show you -- 24 photos submitted by Digital Story members that demonstrate their keen eye for composition.

To produce the gallery, the pictures were first loaded into Aperture. I then added the accompanying stories to the IPTC caption field and combined it with the EXIF data from the photograph. The final step was to create a web gallery in Aperture and upload it to the Digial Story server. You can view this month's photo assignment here.

The August assignment is "Intersection." Start working on your contribution now. Details can be found on the Submissions page. Because of our new gallery format, you can now submit photo assignment pictures up to 600 pixels in the widest direction. Please follow the instructions carefully for labeling the subject line of the email for your submission. It's easy to lose these in the pile of mail if not labeled correctly. For example, the subject line for next month's assignment should be: "Photo Assignment: August 2007." Also, if you can, please don't strip out the metadata. I use that for the caption info.

Good luck with your August assignment, and congratulations to all of the fine contributors for July. It's a stunning collection of images.

Photo by Ruth Cooper

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The Technique of the 4 F-Stops is an approach to eliminate noise from a photograph. In his article, Guillermo Luijk explains how dynamic range works with your digital camera, then provides you with the steps to expand it. The basic technique is:

  • Shot the scene in a correct exposure according to our usual workflow.
  • Repeat the shot now reducing shutter speed by 4 f-stops that will be corrected in the RAW development.
  • Blend in some way both images obtaining a free of noise final image.

This is not a technique for casual snapshooting. It requires a tripod and attention to your settings. But the examples are compelling, and I think it's worth testing further.

August Photo Assignment

The August photo assignment is Intersection. Make sure your entries are turned in by the end of the month. Tomorrow, I'll post the results from the July assignment (pattern). It's a great looking gallery, and I know you'll enjoy it.


Event Calendar

Events! See the TDS Event Calendar for photography workshops, speaking engagements, and trade show appearances. I'm teaching a class on workflow this coming Saturday at Santa Rosa JC. You can still sign up or call 707-527-4372


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One of the toughest assignments in digital photography is to shoot in harsh light, especially portraits. There are things you can do at capture stage, such as shoot Raw, use fill flash, try reflectors, and zoom in tight when possible. We also have better tools in post production, such as Highlight and Shadow recovery. In this sample comparison here, I used the Highlight Recovery slider in Aperture to bring some skin tone back to these groomsmen.

In this podcast, I talk about surviving harsh lighting conditions and recommend techniques for coming away with professional looking images.

Monthly Photo Assignment

I also discuss this month's photo assignment, Intersection. Keep your eyes peeled for elements in life that bisect. You can read more about how to submit on our Submissions page. Deadline for entry is August 31.

Listen to the Podcast

Now that I've piqued your curiosity, it's time to listen to today's audio show titled, "Harsh Light." You can download the podcast here (28 minutes). You can also subscribe to the podcast in iTunes

The Digital Story Podcasts are available for direct download from Apple iPhones. I've created a special mobile download page here. Just load the page in Safari, browse the podcast line-up, and click on the one you want to listen to.

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our new Flickr Public Group. It's a blast!

Have you looked at the Park by the Numbers Camera Phone Project? If you have a camera phone, you've got to check this out.

Event Calendar

Events! See the TDS Event Calendar for photography workshops, speaking engagements, and trade show appearances.


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Sponsor Notes...

Add Magic to Your Slideshows -- FotoMagico presentations are so amazing that your audience will be asking how you did it.

iPhoto '08's Improved Import Window

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One of the small improvements that make a big difference for me in iPhoto '08 is its improved Import window. In prior versions you had few options, including not being able to pick individual images to import. Now, when you connect your camera or iPhone, you're presented with a helpful window that displays your thumbnails and basic metadata in the Information pane.

You can enlarge or reduce the thumbnails with the image size slider, add a custom Event name and description, then import selected images or all of them. iPhoto '08 even has a nifty "Hide photos already imported" checkbox that works great.

I've yearned for a more sophisticated Import dialog from iPhoto for a long time. This latest version finally scratches that itch.

Event Calendar

Events! See the TDS Event Calendar for photography workshops, speaking engagements, and trade show appearances.


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I outgrew my FireLite 160 GB like a 10-year-old outgrows his jeans, and I needed a bigger portable hard drive to store my current Aperture library. I wrote about this adventure recently in the piece titled, Latest Stop on the Quest for Portable Storage.

This pursuit led me to the OWC Mercury On-The-Go FireWire 800/400 + USB 2.0 2.5 Portable Hard Drive. My big decision was between the 200 GB / 7200 RPM / 16 MB cache model for $349 or the 250 GB / 5400 RPM / 8 MB cache version for $299 US. (You can see an overview of all these models on this page.) Even though I would have loved the 7200 RPM model, I opted for the slower 5400 RPM version that had 50 GBs more storage.

I was concerned that a large, bus-powered portable drive would bog down my workflow at 5400 RPM. In other words, Aperture might run slowly. After processing a wedding in Aperture this weekend, I made the right decision going for the bigger drive. With over 300 Canon 5D Raw files from the shoot (added to an already big library of 160 GBs), everything ran just fine. I was able to sort, rate, and image edit the files without pain. (One of my tricks is to upload the images, then take a quick break while Aperture builds the previews. This makes the sorting and rating process go much faster.)

The OWC drive comes with 2 FireWire 800 ports, a FireWire 800 cable, FireWire 800 to 400 conversion cable, and a USB 2 port and cable. Even though it's bus-powered, the kit includes an AC adapter. I haven't used the adapter nor plan to unless necessary. The drive is packaged in an attractive clear case with a sizable heat sink exposed on one side. The heat sink did get rather warm while copying my 160 GB image library over to the OWC drive. But then again, that's its job.

The drive has performed well connected to my MacBook Pro's FW 800 and FW 400 ports. I used it for hours while working on the wedding shoot, and it kept up fine with my pace. The drive fits easily in my laptop bag, and boots up quickly when connected to the computer.

My only complaint? I hate the cheesy fake leather cases the OWC provides with their portable hard drives. It's a one-size-fits-all model that looks like a throw-back from the 1960s. This robust drive deserves a better home for travel.

Aside from the case, I recommend the OWC 250 GB portable drive for photographers who need lots of storage in a tough, compact package.

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Grab Shot 116 - "Lost?"

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"Here's a genuine grab shot," says Steve Cooper. "I didn't have the camera with me and had to race home to get it, hoping that the car would still be looking just as lost as when I first spotted it. Fortunately that was the case."

Steve used a Canon PowerShot Pro1 set to 1/100th at f-3.5. The focal length was 30.5 mm

If you have a candid you'd like to share, take a look at our Submissions page, then send us your Grab Shot. If we publish it, you'll receive an ultra cool custom carabineer keychain.

And you can view more images from our virtual camera club in the Member Photo Gallery.

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Nikon Releases Capture NX 1.2

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According to the discussion on Nikonians forum, Capture NX 1.2 is primarily a maintenance release. You can read all the details about both the Mac and Windows version over at Photography Blog, where they list a whole slew of minor improvements plus links to download both Mac and Windows versions.

If you want a little background on this innovative image editing application, here are a few links:

Nikon Capture NX: State of the Art Software

Nikon Shows New Capture NX at Macworld

Nikon Capture NX 1.1 Optimized for Intel Macs and Vista

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Event Calendar

Events! See the TDS Event Calendar for photography workshops, speaking engagements, and trade show appearances.


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Just announced iPhoto '08 includes plenty of great new features, such as improved web galleries, event-based organization, and theme-based home printing. I think these additions are useful and will be welcomed by iPhoto users. But I'm particularly enthused about the overhaul of the Adjust palette with the inclusion of Highlight and Shadow sliders. These are professional-level tools that can really help you improve your pictures.

If you look closely at the new Adjust palette, you'll see that the Histogram is at the top with full Levels controls similar to those in Photoshop. The previous Levels control in iPhoto was missing the all-important "gamma" slider in the middle. That's been fixed. Below Levels are nine slider controls. The top two sliders are Exposure and Contrast (replacing Brightness and Contrast). The combination of these sliders, plus the improved Levels control, gives you powerful options for overall exposure adjustment of your pictures.

Next, you'll see the Highlights and Shadows sliders. These are helpful for recovering blown-out highlights and plugged-up shadow areas in your pictures. Highlights and Shadows are very important controls for digital photographers working in contrasty light.

The next group of sliders -- Saturation, Temperature, and Tint -- are the same as before, except now you have an auto white balance dropper. This is really handy for quickly correcting images that are too cool or warm. Simply click on a neutral area with the dropper to correct the image's white balance.

The last set of sliders are Sharpness and Noise (replacing Sharpness and Straighten). Straighten is still available, but it's been rightly relocated outside of the Adjust palette. Including noise control is another professional level tool that I think iPhoto users are going to appreciate, especially those who shoot with compact cameras at higher ISOs.

Lastly, there are now Copy and Paste buttons at the bottom of the Adjust palette. These enable you to copy image adjustment settings and apply them to multiple photographs -- very handy for a series of images shot in the same lighting condition.

I think the improved Adjust palette is a truly a highlight for iPhoto '08. Photographers now have the most vital image editing controls right there in their digital shoebox, eliminating the need to roundtrip to outside applications for the bulk of their editing work.

The new iPhoto is part of the iLife '08 suite of applications, and is available now for $79 US.

Event Calendar

Events! See the TDS Event Calendar for photography workshops, speaking engagements, and trade show appearances.


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We're often the knowledge resource that others seek when they have photography questions. But where do you start when trying to explain the basics to a novice?

In this podcast, I explain the first four things that you should teach a beginning photographer: Flash settings, ISO, white balance, and self-timer. Once a photographer understands these four tools, and knows where to find them on his or her camera, their pictures will immediately improve.

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White balance settings are one of the four major topics that beginners should learn.

Monthly Photo Assignment

I also discuss this month's photo assignment, Intersection. Keep your eyes peeled for elements in life that bisect. You can read more about how to submit on our Submissions page. Deadline for entry is August 31.

Listen to the Podcast

Now that I've piqued your curiosity, it's time to listen to today's audio show titled, "Teaching Others." You can download the podcast here (29 minutes). You can also subscribe to the podcast in iTunes

The Digital Story Podcasts are available for direct download from Apple iPhones. I've created a special mobile download page here. Just load the page in Safari, browse the podcast line-up, and click on the one you want to listen to.

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our new Flickr Public Group. It's a blast!

Have you looked at the Park by the Numbers Camera Phone Project? If you have a camera phone, you've got to check this out.

Event Calendar

Events! See the TDS Event Calendar for photography workshops, speaking engagements, and trade show appearances.


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Sponsor Notes...

Add Magic to Your Slideshows -- FotoMagico presentations are so amazing that your audience will be asking how you did it.

A Collection of Polarizer Tips

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The polarizing filter is still the "must have" accessory in our camera bags. White balance settings may have replaced the 81A and other correction glass, but the need for the polarizer lives on.

As we approach the waning days of summer, I want to celebrate this magic filter with a collection of tips and tricks. Enjoy, then grab your camera and go capture those saturated skies with 3D clouds...

Polarizer as a Neutral Density Filter.

"Polarizing Filters" - Digital Photography Podcast 84.

"Sunglasses" Polarizer in a Pinch .

Polarizers Help Saturate Colors.

Low Horizon Line for Dramatic Skies.

Event Calendar

Events! See the TDS Event Calendar for photography workshops, speaking engagements, and trade show appearances.


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I'll be speaking at the Stanford/Palo Alto Macintosh Users Group (SMUG) on Monday evening, Aug. 6. I'll begin with the topic, "iPhoto 6: More than (Initially) Meets the Eye." iPhoto is a solid photo management application that ships on every Mac. But there's more to this program than initially meets the eye. I'll show you how to become a iPhoto power user and unlock some of its magic.

Then I'll move into "Techniques for Great Pictures." Digital photography is like any computer-related activity: the data you input has great impact on what comes out the other side. Good data in, good results out. You might not realize it, but your digital camera is a sophisticated data input device (that also happens to be lots of fun). And it becomes even more enjoyable when you learn how to tap its vast creative potential.

The Stanford User Group meeting is open to visitors, so you're more than welcome to drop by for the evening. The event begins at 6:30 pm with a general Q&A session, then a talk on Shareware at 7:00 pm, and I take the floor at 8 pm. If you're in the Palo Alto area (Northern CA, USA), it's easy to get to the event (right off the 280 Freeway). Here are the directions to SMUG. Hope to see you there!

Event Calendar

More Events! See the TDS Event Calendar for more photography workshops, speaking engagements, and trade show appearances.


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"Berlin is Germany's largest melting pot, a place that became home to people from all over the world," says Jan Bölsche. "Each year in May, the city celebrates its cultural variety with the "Karneval der Kulturen" (Carnival of Cultures), which takes place in the streets of Kreuzberg, the district with the largest percentage of non-german inhabitants."

"I managed to grab this shot using a 450mm equivalent tele lens in aperture priority mode. Having mounted such a long lens on my Sony Alpha 100 got me in trouble a few seconds later though, when a couple of beautiful dancers right in front of me invited me to take their photo being all smiles. All I could do was to shrug in regret and let the moment slip away."

Jan set his A100 to ISO 400. The shutter/aperture settings were 1/500th at f-6.3 with pattern metering mode. No flash.

If you have a candid you'd like to share, take a look at our Submissions page, then send us your Grab Shot. If we publish it, you'll receive an ultra cool custom carabineer keychain.

And you can view more images from our virtual camera club in the Member Photo Gallery.

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I'm a big fan of interesting photo essay's, especially works that have text that's as engaging as its images. Gary Gladstone, who had been a professional shooter for years, recently published Portraits from the Heartland. Unlike his former corporate images, Gary's Heartland portfolio includes portraits from locations such as Peculiar Missouri, Goofy Ridge illinois, and Sweetlips Tennessee (one of my favorite images, shown here).

Gladstone's portraits are terrific, and the entire collection of photos is both entertaining and inspiring.

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