June 2008 Archives

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The May 2008 Photo Assignment was "Pool of Light," and we have an evocative selection of images to show you -- 23 photos submitted by Digital Story members who demonstrate their ability to identify interesting lighting in the world around them.

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 July 2008 assignment is "Fire." 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: June 2008." Also, if you can, please don't strip out the metadata. And feel free to add any IPTC data you wish (These fields in particular: Caption, Credit, Copyright, Byline), I use that for the caption info.

Good luck with your July assignment, and congratulations to all of the fine contributors for May. It's an excellent collection of images.

Photo by Ed Booth


Now Available! The Digital Photography Companion. The official guide for The Digital Story Virtual Camera Club.

  • 25 handy and informative tables for quick reference.
  • Metadata listings for every photo in the book
  • Dedicated chapter on making printing easy.
  • Photo management software guide.
  • Many, many inside tips gleaned from years of experience.
  • Comprehensive (214 pages), yet fits easily in camera bag.

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Other World Computing has recently announced their Mercury On-the-Go 320 GB FireWire portable hard drive. The specs are perfect for photographers on the go.

In a compact package that fits in your back pocket, you get lots of capacity, 7200 RPMs (fast for a portable), bus powered (no electrical adapter required), and three interfaces (FireWire 800.400 and USB 2.0). The going price is $280 US.

One of the big topics this week in my Photoshop Lightroom workshop in Santa Fe has been portable storage. Having a 320 GB drive (or two) seems like a good option for Raw shooters who work in the field.

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Jackalope Mercado, Santa Fe

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For our morning shoot today, I took the class to the Jackalope Mercado in Santa Fe. This is a terrific place to visit if you're ever in the area. While you take pictures of everything from cattle skulls to pottery, your friends and family can shop for authentic Southwest souvenirs at affordable prices. You can easily spend two hours browsing all of the wares and artwork.

After our morning shoot and some light lunch, we spent the afternoon working with the pictures in Bridge and Adobe Camera Raw. I think it's more motivating, even in a lab setting, to have fresh new imagery to work with while you're learning software.

Tomorrow, we'll start making prints on HP B9180s. Each class member has their own workstation and printer. This is where it really gets fun.

Photo by Derrick Story. Canon 5D, 24-105mm f-4 zoom set to 105mm, Aperture Priority mode set to f-8, ISO 200.

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Postcard from Santa Fe

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I took our class from Santa Fe Workshops to the Tent Rocks National Monument yesterday morning to capture some good content for our work in Photoshop and Lightroom. It's a terrific location with a variety of rock formations including a slot canyon.

For this shot, I mounted the Canon 5D with the 24-105mm L lens on a tripod, and shot in Aperture Priority mode so I could stop down to f-11. I wanted to keep the ISO at 100, so I needed the tripod for the long 1/2 second exposure.

In a few minutes, I'll pack up to go to a local marketplace so we can get some people shots and local color...

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Bottle Cap Tripod Mount

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I saw this bottle cap tripod mount today while I was browsing in the Santa Fe Workshops Store. Basically you can convert most filled bottles into a tripod for your compact camera. Half fun. Half useful. Can usually find them for around $10. Thought you might get a kick out it.

Also, here's a fun video on how to make one yourself. The author says it only takes 5 minutes. But of course that's once you have all the parts together. Still, seems like a kick.


Now Available! The Digital Photography Companion. The official guide for The Digital Story Virtual Camera Club.

  • 25 handy and informative tables for quick reference.
  • Metadata listings for every photo in the book
  • Dedicated chapter on making printing easy.
  • Photo management software guide.
  • Many, many inside tips gleaned from years of experience.
  • Comprehensive (214 pages), yet fits easily in camera bag.

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"Attention!" - Grab Shot 150

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"On May 2nd 2008, Madrid was celebrating the bicentennial of Spain's independence gained over Napoleon's troops, thanks to the bravery of fearless insurgents once painted by Goya," wrote Michel Bricteux.

"Although I set out with the idea of covering the military parade, I decided to look backstage for the unexpected, more intimate detail. And there was this little boy, standing at the back of a platoon, dreaming about being part of an invincible army."

Michael captured this wonderful candid with a Nikon D3 - Nikkor 80-200 f/2:8 @ 80mm - f/3:5 - 1/200sec - 400 ISO - NEF format processed with Lightroom 2.0 Beta - Preset: Creative aged photo + Fill light + Highlight recovery + some vignetting.

If you have a candid you'd like to share, take a look at our Submissions page, then send us your Grab Shot. We'll try to get it published for you on The Digital Story.

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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This is great news for photographers. Firefox 3 includes color management. It's not turned on by default, but you can read how to do it on Ron Galbraith's web site. Once set up however, your calibrated images should look great on your browsing labtop or any other computer that uses this setup.

I would recommend that pro shooters show their clients how to do this, and if necessary, set it up for them in person. This should improve online photo work for all parties involved.

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Seems like forever since I've been to New Mexico. But I'm going next week to teach my Photoshop class. I know many of you have visited the area, and I'm hoping you might share some recommendations for taking pictures. So what do you think? What should I not miss in the Santa Fe area?

Photo of Blue Doors by Derrick Story.

Event Calendar

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


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It's fairly easy to calculate how much your paper costs, but did you ever wonder what you were spending on ink? TDS sponsor Red River Paper has just published a report calculating ink usage for the Epson R2400 and the R1900 printers.

Based on their findings, it costs about 90 cents for full ink coverage on a glossy 8x10 print, and about $2.80 for a glossy 13x19. The entire report is interesting. If you're printing with either of these units, you might want to take a look.

For more information, visit Cost of Inkjet Printing.


Now Available! The Digital Photography Companion. The official guide for The Digital Story Virtual Camera Club.

  • 25 handy and informative tables for quick reference.
  • Metadata listings for every photo in the book
  • Dedicated chapter on making printing easy.
  • Photo management software guide.
  • Many, many inside tips gleaned from years of experience.
  • Comprehensive (214 pages), yet fits easily in camera bag.

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Aperture priority mode is perfect for controlling depth of field. In this podcast I give some tips for using aperture priority, plus I talk about the upcoming Bert Monroy video interview.

Monthly Photo Assignment

Motion is this month's photo assignment. There are all sorts of possibilities for showing motion, from panning moving objects, to slowing down your shutter speed, to moving yourself. You can read more about how to submit on our Submissions page. Deadline for entry is June 30.

Listen to the Podcast

Now that I've piqued your curiosity, it's time to listen to today's audio show titled, "Aperture Priority." You can download the podcast here (24 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!

Event Calendar

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


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Sponsor Notes...

Lowepro Bags for Photographers On the Go -- Lowepro gear for every type of camera rig, every type of photographer.

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

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Interesting piece on mediabistro.com about what buyers want (and don't want) when searching for stock photography. They gleaned these tips from PhotoShelter's School of Stock. Here's a nice snippet from the story:

"Survey respondents indicated the worst categories in stock photography, in terms of quality and breadth of available imagery, were healthcare (88%), multicultural and diversity lifestyle (86%), senior citizens lifestyle (86%), and consumer technology and products (84%). And don't even get them started on the dearth of photos of multi-ethnic senior citizens in hospital settings playing video games."

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"It was late on a stormy afternoon in Everglades City, Florida," said Jim Austin. "The wind was howling, and a storm was on the way. Raindrops kissed the hot metal of a car nearby."

"I crouched down. The fins of the car, a 1957 Chevy BelAir, towered above my Canon EF 10-22 lens like a skyscraper. Resting on my stomach so I could gaze upwards, I made three bracketed exposures in color with a Canon DSLR."

"All three shots looked well-exposed in the viewfinder. By now the sky had opened and lighting and thunder were rolling in. The image title, "Chevy Above the Levy," goes all the way back to Don McLean's hit song, American Pie."

The Tools

The three framed were shot with a Canon Digital Rebel and 10-22 mm EFS Canon Canon lens (written up in My Favorite Lens on The Digital Story). Processing was done with Photomatix Pro software, available at www.hdrsoft.com. After tone mapping in Photomatix, Photoshop CS 3 and its channel mixer were used to create a high dynamic range of tones for black and white.

Visual Elements

In the process of making this image, I asked myself what visual elements made for interesting black and white HDR. I came up with shape, and symbolism. Where visual elements of design support a photograph, they expand its symbolic components, and this goes for high dynamic range pictures just as well.

For instance, a photograph can act as an analogy. The brilliant photography critic Susan Sontag pointed this out: “what makes something interesting is that it can be seen to be like, or analogous to, something else.” For example, at first glimpse, the fins of the Chevy Bel Air reminded me of a large modern building.

Photo by Jim Austin.

More Tips from The Digital Photography Companion

"How I Did It" is a new feature of The Digital Story featured on The Digital Photography Companion mini site. These are techniques from virtual camera club members who have built upon information in The Digital Photography Companion, or have come up with new tips altogether.

We're building a living library of knowledge for everyone to use (and contribute to). If you have a "How I Did It" tip to share, just send it to me with the sample photo, and put "How I Did It" in the email subject.


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Events! See the TDS Event Calendar for photography workshops, speaking engagements, and trade show appearances, including my Beginning Workflow with Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom on June 22-28, 2008 in Sante Fe, New Mexico.


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FotoMagico was just honored with "Best Mac OS X Leopard Graphics and Media Application Runner-up" at the prestigious Apple Design Awards that recognize technical excellence and outstanding achievement in Mac OS X software design and development. This was FotoMagico's second trip to the podium. In 2006 it received the "Best Mac OS X User Experience Runner-up" award.

In its current version 2.2, FotoMagico supports powerful Mac OS X Leopard technologies such as Quick Look and iChat Theater, and it sports a brand-new Sharing Assistant that makes it easy to produce stunning slideshows optimized for DVD, iPod, iPhone, Apple TV and other media devices.

Boinx Software, the creators of FotoMagico, are longtime sponsors of The Digital Story. I'm thrilled for them (once again) for this award. Well deserved indeed!


Now Available! The Digital Photography Companion. The official guide for The Digital Story Virtual Camera Club.

  • 25 handy and informative tables for quick reference.
  • Metadata listings for every photo in the book
  • Dedicated chapter on making printing easy.
  • Photo management software guide.
  • Many, many inside tips gleaned from years of experience.
  • Comprehensive (214 pages), yet fits easily in camera bag.

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Have you been thinking about buying the Canon Digital Rebel XSi, but can't quite come up with the $850 US? Well, you can save a couple hundred bucks and go with the just-announced Canon Rebel XS/1000D DSLR.

After taking a look at Rob Galbraith's post, I must say that there doesn't seem to be a huge amount difference betweek the XS and the XSi. Basically, it's 12 MPs vs 10 MPs, 14 bits vs 12 bits, no spot meter, 3" LCD vs 2.5", and a few other differences. You can dig deeper into the specs by perusing this DP Review Preview. We should see the camera in early July. I still like the XSi a tad better.

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Audio Only, or Movies Too?

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I have a question for you. I'm running into more opportunities to capture video when I interview people or am on location. My query is, when I have good video to share, do you want that instead of the weekly audio podcast, or in addition to it?

Many people in the publishing business feel that video is a superior medium, or at least cooler, than straight audio. I'm not totally convinced about this. I think consumers use the two different formats different ways. For example, you can listen to a podcast while commuting to work. But it's dangerous to watch video while driving (and not recommended!). On the other hand, I can convey more information via video than audio.

This is top of mind for me because I have a good video interview with Photoshop artist Bert Monroy recorded in his studio. I was toying with the idea of publishing it as next week's podcast. Before I do that, however, I wanted to check in with you.

So, what's your vote? Video pieces separate from the podcasts, or occasionally instead of? And as always, thanks for your participation!

Event Calendar

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


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Here are ten things you don't want to forget when you hit the road on a photo vacation. Some of these items you'll have packed already, but there will be others that I hope you add to the mix. The list is:

  1. Insulated lunch bag such as the eBags Crew Cooler.
  2. Portable tripod. The Gorillapod is a favorite.
  3. Extra storage cards. They are cheap and indispensable on the road.
  4. Both compact and DSLR cameras.
  5. Model releases.
  6. Business cards.
  7. 3x5 cards with a couple pens.
  8. Non-camera bag.
  9. List of important URLs or a Smart Phone.
  10. Extra charged batteries and their chargers.

In the podcast, I explain why each of these items are on the list.

Monthly Photo Assignment

Motion is this month's photo assignment. There are all sorts of possibilities for showing motion, from panning moving objects, to slowing down your shutter speed, to moving yourself. You can read more about how to submit on our Submissions page. Deadline for entry is June 30.

Listen to the Podcast

Now that I've piqued your curiosity, it's time to listen to today's audio show titled, "Top 10 Travel Tips for Photographers." You can download the podcast here (20 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!

Event Calendar

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


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Sponsor Notes...

Lowepro Bags for Photographers On the Go -- Lowepro gear for every type of camera rig, every type of photographer.

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

Do You Twitter?

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As part of my work being the Digital Media Evangelist for O'Reilly, I'm always on the lookout for new ways to communicate. We've recently been discussing Twitter, and its potential usefulness in community building.

I had initially resisted adding another technology "tool" to my list of networks. I seem to stay busy enough maintaining this blog, writing for O'Reilly, keeping an eye on our Flickr Public Group, answering email, and staying available on IM. But at the same time, I didn't want to be close-minded about a potentially effective networking tool just because I was busy. So I just added a Twitter account (Derrick Story) and will monitor it on my iPhone.

But I'm curious about what you think. The members of this virtual camera club are such a good reality check for me. You are obviously techno saavy, but as a group, don't seem obsessed with technology for its own sake. So what's your take on Twitter? Is it something we could use? Or should it be left to the cutting-edge technologists?

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"While supervising a school trip tp Glasgow's gallery of modern art," said Eric Wyllie, "we visited the Jim lambie installation called Forever Changes. I noticed that my colleague Mr Jewell had an interestingly stripy shirt."

"I pushed the ISO up to 400 as I had to hand hold, and shooting in aperture priority mode on my Canon 350D, I got him to sit. He was unaware of my interest in the shot and just sat very naturally. I think it worked."

Eric captured the shot at 1/80 @ f-5.6 in Aperture Priority mode. No flash was used.

If you have a candid you'd like to share, take a look at our Submissions page, then send us your Grab Shot. We'll try to get it published for you on The Digital Story.

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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I just read in the Lynda.com newsletter that they released a new installment in their Creative Inspiration series: a profile of Douglas Kirkland.

Lynda Weinman writes, "This series of videos features Douglas Kirkland’s photography, from his early career at Look magazine during the golden age of photojournalism in the 60s and 70s to his transition from analog to digital photography in the 90s. His iconic images of Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Jack Nicholson, and Nicole Kidman, among others, are known all over the world. The piece is 1.25 hours long, and features movies on Douglas’s work, his studio, and his on-location photo shoots. It also includes a presentation showcasing his body of work, a discussion with a group of high school photography students, an interview with Douglas and me, and more."

You can watch the 12 movies that comprise the profile for no charge. But your do have to register on the site providing your name and email address. Lynda doesn't share this information with other companies. As part of the bargain, you will receive her excellent monthly newsletter. (You can unsubscribe at any time.)

It's a real treat to spend some time with this legendary photographer. I hope you enjoy the videos. While you're there, you may want to check out the free movies for my Digital Photography Principles title.

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Virtual camera club member Jeramy sent along a tip that the Sitepoint book, The Photoshop Anthology: 101 Web Design Tips, Tricks & Techniques written by Corrie Haffly, can be downloaded for free. I gave it a spin. I had to provide an email address, and then was sent a link. The download was about 63 MBs. The books itself was written in the Photoshop CS2 era, so it doesn't include some of the latest tools.

That being said, Photoshop Anthology does a good job of covering basic adjustments and techniques, and has lots of goodies for publishing graphics on the Web. The tips are solid and based on good use of layers and other Photoshop standard practices. The layout is attractive and easy to read, even in PDF format. And you certainly can't argue with the price!

Thanks Jeramy for the lead.

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Still Time for Santa Fe

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There's still time to join me in the great Southwest. From June 22 to June 28, 2008, I'll be facilitating a Digital Lab at Santa Fe Workshops titled, Beginning Workflow with Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom. I'm very excited about having the opportunity to teach this lab, not just because I'll be working in Santa Fe for a week (although, not bad either), but because I'll be able to share one of my favorite workflows for photographers who want to work efficiently.

The basic approach is to use Adobe tools to identify your best shots quickly, then perfect and move along without getting bogged down in Photoshop. I have lots of great techniques that empower you to be in control or your workflow, and shift your focus back to capturing great shots.

Part of this formula is keeping a few tips in mind while shooting your Raw images. If you know how you want to work on the back-end, then you can capture to optimize that process. I think this approach makes us better craftsmen, and it builds confidence while working in the field.

Plus, we'll all be in Santa Fe. What a great location to share our thoughts and improve our photography. You can register online here, or call (505) 983-1400. If you download the Summer Catalog, (7.5 MBs) you can peruse all the great opportunities available in Santa Fe this coming year.


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Events! See the TDS Event Calendar for photography workshops, speaking engagements, and trade show appearances, including my Beginning Workflow with Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom on June 22-28, 2008 in Sante Fe, New Mexico.


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Adobe Bridge may be on your hard drive right now. And it's likely that you're not tapping its tremendous power. Bridge has the ability to help you quickly sort through a batch of pictures, review their metadata, add metadata, tap into ACR for image corrections, and more. This isn't necessarily a replacement for your current workflow, but a terrific tool for finding and turning around pictures in a hurry. Then, when you have time, you can go back and bring them into your normal system. I go over this in detail in this week's show.

Monthly Photo Assignment

Motion is this month's photo assignment. There are all sorts of possibilities for showing motion, from panning moving objects, to slowing down your shutter speed, to moving yourself. You can read more about how to submit on our Submissions page. Deadline for entry is May 31.

Listen to the Podcast

Now that I've piqued your curiosity, it's time to listen to today's audio show titled, "Handy Bridge." You can download the podcast here (30 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!

Event Calendar

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


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Sponsor Notes...

Lowepro Bags for Photographers On the Go -- Lowepro gear for every type of camera rig, every type of photographer.

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