I really like the iPhone and wouldn't dream of parting with mine, but believe me, my affection stems not from the built-in 2-megapixel camera. Here are a few tidbits about the iPhone capture you should know:

You can send pictures you take with the iPhone via the device's Mail application. Your image is sampled down to 640x480 and added as an attachment. You have no other wireless option for sending your pictures. That being said, email is very easy.

The iPhone does, however, communicate well with iPhoto (Mac users only). Connect your iPhone, and it shows up as a tethered camera in iPhoto's Source pane. When you download the images to iPhoto, they come in at the full 1200x1600 resolution. Unfortunately, you don't get any substantial metadata other than the f-stop. So you have no idea about shutter speed, ISO, or focal length.

Taking pictures with the iPhone couldn't be simplier, too simple in fact. You have no settings or preferences at all, so you can't adjust the white balance, ISO, or even use a self-timer. Just point the camera and click the shutter... that's it.

I certainly can appreciate Apple's efforts to keep things simple. And I'm hoping that we get more functionality up the road via software updates. But if you're a big camera phone shooter, you will probably be disappointed with this device as it ships now. We'll see what the future brings.

Shown here is a sample photo I took in the shade of a patio in the middle of the day. I'm guessing that I was too close to the subject for precise focus, and I had no focus confirmation while attempting the shot. So this is what I got.

I do like the big viewing screen for capturing and viewing photos, and if I had just a few controls, I think I could overlook its other shortcomings. In the meantime, I think I'll watch some YouTube videos.

Technorati Tags: digital photography, The Digital Story

I've been testing the Panasonic DMC-FZ8 for a few months now, and I've just discovered a review on Camera Labs that echos many of my findings. If you're interested in the FZ8, I recommend that you go over to their site and read up on this nifty Panasonic camera.

Overall, I like the DMC-FZ8 because for about $298 US you get a 12X Leica zoom lens with a maximun aperture of f-2.8, Raw mode that can be read by Lightroom 1.1 and Adobe Camera Raw 4, 16:9 aspect ratio for both movies and stills, long battery life, very light and compact body, electronic viewfinder, manual controls, live histogram, image stabilization, intelligent ISO, and a filter ring that is perfect for attaching a polarizer.

On the downside, there is more image noise at higher ISOs (400 and up) than with a Digital SLR (such as a Canon Rebel XTi) and Panasonic's noise reduction can be a little aggressive, resulting in slight smearing visible at 100 percent on a HD screen (but I haven't noticed it in prints). Both of these nits exist in almost all of the competitive models often costing more than the FZ8 (such as Sony's Cyber-shot DSC-H9). Also, the lens only goes as wide as 36mm, but extends all the way out past 400mm on the telephoto end.

Bottom line, I love shooting with this camera at 16:9 in Raw mode using the long Leica telephoto lens. I think it's a perfect addition to your camera collection if you're looking for a compact super-telephoto that records in Raw.

Technorati Tags: digital photography, The Digital Story

Adobe released version 1.1 of Lightroom today, and it includes lots of new features. My favorite, and probably the overall crowd pleaser, is Catalogs. Basically, this functionality enables you to create entirely new Lightroom libraries (even though they are calling them catalogs), then switch among them as needed.

Choose File > Open Catalog... to change catalogs.

I keep a basic catalog on my MacBook Pro internal hard drive, but I have larger, more extensive catalogs on external drives. If I want to switch, all I have to do is use the File > Open Catalog command, and Lightroom takes me to a dialog box where I can navigate to the catalog of my choice. I have to then relaunch Lightroom, and presto, I'm looking at a whole new set of images. it works very well.

Then just select the catalog file you want to access, and relaunch Lightroom.

My photographer friend, Mikkel Aaland has published a nice overview of his favorite new features over on Inside Lightroom titled, What I Like About Lightroom 1.1. Also, his book editor, Colleen Wheeler, has posted, Photoshop Lightroom Adventure Book Covers Lightroom 1.1. This is a book near and dear to my heart since I joined Mikkel on the Adventure, and I have images in the book that's soon to be released.

I'll be talking lots more about Lightroom 1.1, but in the meantime, if you already own Lightroom, go download it... 1.1 is a free update.

Technorati Tags: digital photography, The Digital Story

Even though I'm buying an iPhone this year instead of a computer (let's face it, at $600 it costs just as much as a Dell), I'm not going to use it as a business expense. "Why?" you may ask. Because the honest truth is that I'm getting one because I want it, and every other reason is secondary.

That being said, I will post any photo-related tricks I figure out and toss a few pictures on our Flickr Public Group page.

iPhones go on sale at 6pm Friday, June 29. I will get mine as soon as possible. My question to you is... "Are you getting an iPhone?" (I won't ask if it's a business expense or not.) Post your thoughts in the Comments section below or on our Flicker discussion forum.

Technorati Tags: The Digital Story

During a recent discussion about printers on the TDS Flickr public group page, I asked members what they are using to make prints. The Epson R1800 and HP B9180 were mentioned a few times, along with other options.

I thought this would be an interesting topic for the podcast, along with my three tips for great prints:

First, calibrate your monitor. I like the Pantone Eye-One Display LT Monitor Color Calibrator for about $163 US, but any good colorimeter will work.

Next, match your ICC profiles and printing paper. Usually the easiest way to do this is to buy paper manufactured by the same company that makes your printer. If you have an Epson, buy Epson paper. The corresponding ICC profile will be available in your printer dialog box because they are loaded on to your computer when you install the print driver. If they're not there, go to the manufacturer's web site, download them, and install them on your own.

Finally, let the application control the color management (Photoshop, Lightroom, Aperture, etc.). Make sure you're using the matching ICC profile (usually called out under "Profile") for the paper that's in your printer, and you're set.

Monthly Photo Assignment

I also discuss this month's photo assignment, Before & After. Participants will submit two images this month: the original picture right out of the camera, and then the edited picture with all of the adjustments made in post production. 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, "Printers and Prints." You can download the podcast here (29 minutes). You can also subscribe to the podcast in iTunes

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!

Technorati Tags: digital photography, podcast, The Digital Story

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

Mike Pasini recently reviewed the hueyPRO on Imaging-Resource.com. I was curious about the results from Mike's testing because I didn't have a very good experience with the original huey. (After several attempts with the original model, I felt my monitor wasn't calibrated as accurately as I would like, and I haven't used the device since.)

In his review, I don't feel like Pasini gives the new huey a resounding endorsement. He does say, "The Pantone hueyPRO makes it affordable and easy to calibrate and profile your monitor, a good solution for the amateur photographer with multiple monitors who may not have the additional cash to go with a higher-end solution like the ColorVision Spyder2 Pro." Well, the list price for the ColorVision Spyder2PRO is $249 US, and the list for the new hueyPRO is $129. I use the Spyder2PRO and like the results, so I guess it all boils down to the price difference between the two devices (and possibly their portability with the hueyPRO taking less room in the laptop bag).

However, I just checked on Amazon.com, and you can get the Spyder2PRO for $176. So you might want to read the Imaging-Resource review carefully to see if the hueyPRO is worth saving a few bucks.

Technorati Tags: digital photography, The Digital Story

"Driving through a small town," said John Badgerow, "my wife firmly instructed me to drive around the block and get out my camera. No further instructions were necessary as to what to do next."

John used a Canon PowerShot A80 in auto mode to capture this striking colorful shot.

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.

Technorati Tags: candid, digital photography, grab shot, The Digital Story

Rick LePage writes in his comprehensive comparison of Lightroom and Aperture, "While both Aperture and Lightroom perform the role of image manager and photo editor admirably, each program has plenty of unique features that set it apart. To determine which program is best for you, you’ll need to assess your work style and then choose the one whose features best support that process. I’ll lead you through the most significant differences and help you decide which will benefit you most."

If you're a Windows user, I think you'll appreciate Rick's breakdown of Lightroom. For those on the Mac, the side-by-side comparison of features is truly helpful. Either way, Rick LePage's Aperture vs. Lightroom: The new digital darkroom is a must read for those considering either or both of these applications.

Technorati Tags: digital photography, The Digital Story

You only need to know three things to get great prints from your inkjet printer. Sure, you can add many micro-steps in between to refine your output, but if you follow this workflow exactly as I list it, your prints will improve.

First, calibrate your monitor. I like the Pantone Eye-One Display LT Monitor Color Calibrator for about $163 US, but any good colorimeter will work.

Next, match your ICC profiles and printing paper. Usually the easiest way to do this is to buy paper manufactured by the same company that makes your printer. If you have an Epson, buy Epson paper. The corresponding ICC profile will be available in your printer dialog box because they are loaded on to your computer when you install the print driver. If they're not there, go to the manufacturer's web site, download them, and install them on your own.

Finally, let the application control the color management (Photoshop, Lightroom, Aperture, etc.). Make sure you're using the matching ICC profile (usually called out under "Profile") for the paper that's in your printer, and you're set.

Printing can be that easy. This conversation came up (again) while chatting with photographer friend Colleen Wheeler. She had just published Beginner's Luck: Paper Matters to the Inside Lightroom web site. Her story of getting a good print for Father's Day will resonate with many of you.

Now go off and print something beautiful!

Technorati Tags: digital photography, The Digital Story

Even though Mac OS X does a perfectly fine job of burning optical discs, there are times when I want additional software to help me with important jobs. Such was the case recently when I was on the road with my MacBook Pro and wanting to copy a DVD.

On my older PowerBook, I have a copy of Toast. It does an admirable job of copying and creating DVDs and CDs. But the upgrade price is steep, too steep, and I hadn't added it to my Intel Mac yet.

I had heard about Disco, and for less than the upgrade to Toast, I could download Disco and have every feature I needed right now. It's a Universal Binary app that is fast, beautiful, clever, and works great. I like the simple user interface that makes it easy to tap the intelligent technology beneath the hood. Its core features include:

• Use of all Apple supported external and internal CD/DVD burners.
• CD multi session support.
• Support for CD/DVD-ReWritable disc burning and erasing.
• Create CD/DVDs based on the following file systems: Hybrid, HFS+, UDF, PC Joliet, ISO 9660.
• Create Audio CDs from non iTunes protected Quicktime supported audio.
• Easily switch between the creation of MP3 or Audio CDs when ever you want.
• Drag and drop changable track order.
• Create CDs based of VIDEO_TS and AUDIO_TS folders.
• Easily create backups with use of Spanning.
• Automatically divides any number of files across multiple discs when the files won't fit on one single disc.

Capable yes, but a big part of Disco's enjoyment is how fun it is to use. When you're burning a disc, smoke emanates from the UI. When I accidently put a bad disc in my Mac, Disco notified me that I had just created a coaster... little things to pass the time while taking care of business.

You can download Disco right now and burn up to 7 discs to see if you like it. My guess is that you will. Then you can buy it for $29.95 US. You'll save money now, and on the upgrades too.

Technorati Tags: software, The Digital Story

In his latest article on O'Reilly Digital Media, dekeBytes: A Taste of Vanishing Point 2.0 in Photoshop CS3, Deke McClelland says, "The Vanishing Point filter was one of the way-cool additions to Photoshop CS2. And it's gotten even better in CS3. Now you can connect non-perpendicular surfaces and wrap an image around multiple surfaces at a time."

He shows exactly how this works by melding an image around a virtual DVD case. Sample files are provided so you can follow along. It's a good tutorial if you're interested in learning how to use the Vanishing Point filter.

Technorati Tags: digital photography, The Digital Story

Program mode is great for the bulk of our shooting. But some situations demand that we take more control of our camera to get the shot we want. Aperture priority and shutter priority modes make this easy... that is, if you know how they work.

In aperture priority mode, you set the f/stop and the camera sets the corresponding shutter speed. Most photographers use this mode to control depth of field. I used aperture priority to capture this image of the red stairs. I mounted a 16-35mm zoom lens on a Canon 5D, then set the camera to aperture priority mode at f/16. By "stopping down" the aperture, I was able to extend my depth of field so that everything in this image would be sharp from front to back.

If I were shooting a portrait, I might use a 70-200mm lens and "open up" the aperture to f/4 to create a shallow depth of field. This would enable me to make the background soft and dreamy so it doesn't detract from the subject.

Shutter priority mode enables you to set the shutter speed and the camera controls the aperture. This is particularly handy for action photography where you need to stop motion. But I also use it to photograph water to get the exact effect I want.

In this podcast, I explain how to use both aperture priority and shutter priority modes. I think you'll find it helpful and an easy way to extend your photography.

"Red Stairs" photo by Derrick Story. Captured in San Francisco. Canon 5D, 16-35 mm USM L II, ISO 100, 1/60 @ f/16 (aperture priority mode), +1 exposure compensation to hold the bright whites.

Monthly Photo Assignment

I also discuss this month's photo assignment, Before & After. Participants will submit two images this month: the original picture right out of the camera, and then the edited picture with all of the adjustments made in post production. 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 and Shutter Priority." You can download the podcast here (23 minutes). You can also subscribe to the podcast in iTunes

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!

Technorati Tags: digital photography, podcast, The Digital Story

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

The May 2007 Photo Assignment was "Slender," and we have a stylishly thin gallery -- 25 images submitted by These Digital Story members that demonstrate skills of observation and craftsmanship.

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 June assignment is "Before & After." 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 2007." Also, if you can, please don't strip out the metadata. I use that for the caption info.

Good luck with your June assignment, and congratulations to all of the fine contributors for May. It's a beautiful collection of images.

Photo by Robert Gaddy

Technorati Tags: digital photography, The Digital Story, Photo Assignment

ExpoDisc Custom White Balance -- Simply Better Color. Simply Better Pictures. Visit www.expodisc.com

Ellen Anon writes in her recent post, Memory Card Failures, that "Sooner or later it happens to almost all digital photographers - at least all those who shoot a lot. You check some of the images in camera and they look good. You load the memory card into the reader and wait for the images to appear in Aperture’s import window. But nothing happens. You push the card into the reader a little more firmly and make sure the reader is attached properly to the computer, but still there’s no sign of the card showing up on the computer."

"The first time it happens it’s hard not to panic, especially if the card contains shots that will be difficult to replicate. Plus you wonder if the card is corrupt and should be replaced, or if you can salvage it. And you wonder if it just happened out of the blue or if you somehow contributed to the failure."

What follows is some good information about handling memory cards and what to do when things go wrong. Also, check out the discussion at the bottom of the post. Some great comments by knowledgeable people round out this helpful article.

Technorati Tags: equipment, digital photography, The Digital Story, Inside Aperture

One of the most popular shots I've published on The Digital Story was Steve Wozniak arriving at an Apple event on his Segway. Well, the Segways are out in full force again.

This time, I was out enjoying the SF sites on the SF Photo Walk -- a side event at WWDC that included a few TDS members! -- and lo and behold, an entire squad of Segways approached. They were part of a tour led by a company that puts visitors on Segways, then communicates with them through a walkie talkie system that provides local information through a speaker mounted on the Segway's handlebars.

I couldn't resist this grab shot, and I have a feeling that I'm really going to get a kick out of it 20 years up the road. Ah, life in San Francisco...

Photo by Derrick Story, June 2007

Technorati Tags: The Digital Story

kottley started an interesting discussion about online photography classes -- such as Betterphoto.com, and the comments by TDS members so far has been helpful. But it would be nice to get more perspectives from folks who have taken online photo courses, such as NY Institute of Photography, BetterPhoto, etc.

If you have tested any of these, please chime in. And if you just want to read what others think, then wander over to the watering hole.

Technorati Tags: The Digital Story, Flickr Public Pool

In Part 2 of this interview with Dave Story, Adobe VP of Product Development for Digital Imaging, and Kevin Connor, Senior Director of Digital Imaging Product Management, you will learn more about the development of Photoshop CS3, how Lightroom fits into the big picture, and some of the thinking behind the plethora of features found in Photoshop. Dave and Kevin even discuss the use of Photoshop in criminal investigations and its aiding in the search of lost children. This interview recorded at Adobe headquarters in San Jose, CA.

If you haven't listened to Part 1 yet, you can find it here.

Monthly Photo Assignment

I also discuss this month's photo assignment, Before & After. Participants will submit two images this month: the original picture right out of the camera, and then the edited picture with all of the adjustments made in post production. 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, "Adobe Interview Part 2." You can download the podcast here (27 minutes). You can also subscribe to the podcast in iTunes

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!

Technorati Tags: digital photography, podcast, The Digital Story

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

"This photo was taken at a local park," said Michael Cortina. "I often watch my grandson on my days off and always take my Nikon D50 with me when we go. I am a newbie, but belong to a local camera club. I'm always trying new things to improve my technical skills as well as my creative eye."

"For this shot, I tried to zoom in close and just watched him and he inspired this shot. I was aware of the time of day was not ideal for photography, and the focus wasn't as exact as I would have liked, but when I saw the image printed I really liked it. The info I have is 1/500 - f5.3."

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.

Technorati Tags: candid, digital photography, grab shot, The Digital Story

The next version of Mac OS X, Leopard, that's coming this October sports a handful of features for photographers. One of my favorites, and most highly touted is Time Machine. As Apple puts it, "More than a mere backup, Time Machine makes an up-to-date copy of everything on your Mac — digital photos, music, movies, TV shows, and documents — so you can go back in time to recover anything." Since most of us don't use automated backup, having this feature baked right into the operating system is going to save lots of data for many, many people. And for photographers, that should mean never losing another image.

My second favorite feature was Quick Look. This seems like a real timesaver when searching through images and documents. According to Apple, "Using Quick Look in Leopard, you can view the contents of a file without even opening it. Flip through multiple-page documents. Watch full-screen video. See entire Keynote presentations. With a single click." I sometimes use Preview for this very task, but Quick Look seems faster and more versatile.

One other new goodie that I think we'll find useful is the next version of iChat. Not only can we video conference as before, but now with the new "theater" function, we can share slideshows, iPhoto libraries, Keynote presentations, videos, and more in the iChat interface while meeting with others in remote locations. Our ability to show off our work in live conferencing will be much easier, and very pretty to look at.

I'll be covering more Mac OS X Leopard in the future, but this should give you a good taste of the "photographer highlights" from today's keynote at WWDC.

Photo of Steve Jobs speaking at WWDC by Derrick Story.

Technorati Tags: The Digital Story

Photographers who use Macs will see a glimpse of the remainder of 2007 and beyond today at the Steve Jobs keynote at Apple's World Wide Developer's Conference. Fundamental changes to the operating system, updated applications, and surprise announcements all might be in the mix.

I'll be at the keynote in person, and will report anything of interest to our camera community. In the meantime... stay tuned

Technorati Tags: The Digital Story

Virtual is good, but in-person isn't bad either. I have a number of teaching and speaking events lined up for 2007, and I'm going to publish monthly updates here on TDS. I've also created an Events Calendar so you can peek ahead, especially if you're planning a trip to Northern California.

July 2007 Events

This highlight for July is the Sony/Pop Photo Digital Days coming to Sheraton Gateway Hotel, 600 Airport Blvd., Burlingame, CA 94010, (650) 340-8500. I'll be speaking on Lightroom on the 21st and CS3 on the 22nd. Looking ahead, I have an all day workshop in Santa Rosa on Aug. 18 titled, I've Taken Great Photos, Now What?. You can sign up at the SRJC Community Ed page.

If you see something on the Events Calendar that interests you, be sure to email me first to confirm the date and find out additional details. My contact information is on the Submissions page.

Technorati Tags: digital photography, The Digital Story

You're Not Ken Burns -- But FotoMagico slideshows are so good that people will believe that he helped you.

It's the hybrid device that you just can't get out of your head. Two new pieces of information on the TX1 to follow up my report from Feb. 07.

First, DPReview has published their comprehensive review of the "half camera - half HD video recorder" and struggled with some of the same issues that I have. When it comes to Canon's choice of video format they say: "...the use of M-JPEG for movies means that if you want to shoot even half an hour of footage you're going to need a pocketful of fast, large SD cards. And though the movie quality is excellent, you're getting nothing like the resolution you could expect from a decent dedicated DV camcorder."

However, the reviewer, Simon Joinson, was tempted too by this intriguing device: "I'd really, really recommend going to a store and trying it for yourself before committing; this is a cool, fun gadget with surprisingly good image quality, but for me it's not a camera I found easy to live with - especially not at the best part of $500."

I also had a conversation with my editor at Macworld Magazine. She had been casually using the TX1 for a couple weeks and was getting attached to the device. She addressed one of my other complaints, no option to plug in an external mic, by saying the stereo recording was quite good and better than other compact cameras she had tested. Obviously onboard-only mics have their limitations, but this was good news nonetheless.

So there you have it... more on the device that we want to buy, but wrestle with its tradeoffs and $479 price tag. Let me know what you think if you have a chance to shoot with it.

Technorati Tags: digital photography, The Digital Story

"I had just gotten my Chapman Stick back from the manufacturer, and I was taking pictures to put on my blog," said Eric Knapp. I had a bunch of hot lights set up and was using my favorite lens, a Tamron 90mm macro, on my Pentax *ist DS. I was concentrating on the fret work when this fly landed nearby. All I had to do was loosen the tripod and swivel a little to the right to take this shot and a few like it. What are the odds of this happening? I couldn't believe my luck and just had to submit it as a grab shot."

Here are the specs for the shot: Shutter: 1/60th, Aperture: f 6.7, Exposure: Aperture Priority, Focal Length: 90mm, ISO Speed: 800, Metering: Pattern.

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.

Technorati Tags: candid, digital photography, grab shot, The Digital Story

Here's a fun list of handy photo goodies for shooters on the go: the Macworld Summer Travel Guide. As they say in the opening, "Suntans may fade, but photos and video clips will let you recapture that vacation vibe long after you’ve unpacked." Amen!

They rate the list of accessories and gadgets by cost categories (Bargain to Splurge) and by portability (Weightless to Burdensome). I wrote up one of the items in the list, the Lowepro CompuDaypack, which is one of my favorite travel bags (shown here). But there are lots of other good gear ideas too, that range from the luxurious Epson P-3000 to a free Twitter account.

Technorati Tags: digital photography, The Digital Story

Scottmandu started a discussion recently on the TDS Public Group about Post Processing & Photo Management App. Scott leads off with:

Just a poll of the members ... which photo management and post-processing app do you use? E.g. Aperture, Lightroom, Photoshop, Elements, iPhoto, Picasa, NIkon Capture, iView, etc.? I'll start by saying that I'm using iPhoto and am in the process of deciding between Aperture and Lightroom. How about the rest of you?

The comments that follow are interesting and informative. If you're thinking about upgrading your post production workflow, I think you'll enjoy this conversation. You can join in here.

Technorati Tags: digital photography, The Digital Story

ExpoDisc Custom White Balance -- Simply Better Color. Simply Better Pictures. Visit www.expodisc.com

The Adobe Photoshop team was staring into the teeth of a perfect storm when they began the development cycle for CS3. Windows Vista was looming and Apple made a surprise switch to Intel processors. Suddenly, not only did Adobe have to deliver a new version of their venerable photo editing application, they had to completely change the entire development process to do so.

In this interview with Dave Story, Adobe VP of Product Development for Digital Imaging, and Kevin Connor, Senior Director of Digital Imaging Product Management, you will get an insider's look at the development of Photoshop CS3, the thinking behind the Extended Edition, and the directions we'll see Adobe take in the future. This is part one of a two part interview recorded at Adobe headquarters in San Jose, CA.

Monthly Photo Assignment

I also discuss this month's photo assignment, Before & After. Participants will submit two images this month: the original picture right out of the camera, and then the edited picture with all of the adjustments made in post production. 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, "Dave Story & Kevin Connor Insiders' Look at Photoshop CS3." You can download the podcast here (24 minutes). You can also subscribe to the podcast in iTunes

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!

Technorati Tags: digital photography, podcast, The Digital Story

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

Way back when I was working on the Digital Photography Hacks book, I came up with my favorite use for a camera phone: Use it to take pictures of parking locations in big garages so I wouldn't forget where I left my car. This became particularly useful when I found myself in a long term parking garage after being out of town for a week or more. Where the heck did I park?! All I'd have to do is check my camera phone and, there would be a picture of location I had forgotton. Shown here is a shot from the San Francisco Airport long term parking facility.

Over time, however, I began to appreciate these images as interesting pictures too, and I enjoyed browsing through them on my phone when I had time to kill (such as being stuck on an airport tarmac waiting to fly out). I stopped deleting the shots from my camera phone and began saving them in an Aperture photo library.

Then it dawned on me, that by encouraging others to use their camera phones to take pictures of their parking spots, I could help people find their cars and get some interesting shots from all over the world as part of the bargain.

How to Participate

Would you like to participate? All you have to do is start taking photos of your parking locations, then log on to the Park by the Numbers gallery, and click on the "Upload" icon to add your images to the collection. Be sure to add the location in the title, and please add your copyright to the body of the post.

You can also upload images directly from your cameraphone by using this email address: dstory-813z@gallery.mac.com. The "Subject" line of your email will be the title of the photo, so put the location in the subject line. Add your copyright information to the body of the email, below the photo. Then just send, and the image will be added to the gallery with all of your info.

I hope you share images from the parking spots in your corner of the world -- this will be great fun.

Visit the Park by the Numbers Gallery.

Technorati Tags: digital photography, The Digital Story

If you're thinking about a serious flatbed scanner that can handle various sizes of negatives too, the Epson V700 and V750-M Pro are heavyweight contenders. The good folks over at Imaging Resource have been testing these units for nearly a year, and have published a comprehensive review of these Epson scanners. They're worth a look.

Technorati Tags: review, digital photography, The Digital Story