In my last installment, I mentioned that I'm traveling light on my way to Beijing. So how does that impact the equipment I'll need to do my job - computer, camera, audio recording? I've spent some time perfecting my system so that everything I need will fit in one bag that fits over my shoulder.

I'll start with the bag itself. I rummaged through my "bag closet" and found an old Bessler carryall that I scored off the bargin table years ago. I've never used it on a job, but it's perfect for this trip. It will hold a 13" laptop and enough camera gear to get me through the assignment. This is exactly why I'm a bag hound.

For my laptop, I'm packing a current model MacBook with Intel processor and 4 GBs RAM. It's light, WiFi adept, and can run all of my photo applications. I'm including a 120 GB FireLite Smartdisk external drive for backups. A power brick with plug adapter for China and that's about it except for a few cables and a FireWire card reader.

My main camera is the Canon 5D with three lenses: 70-200mm f/4 L, 16-35mm f/2.8 L II, and a Sigma 50mm f/1.4 prime lens. I'm augmenting the 70-200 zoom with a Canon 1.4X tele extender and the custom tripod ring that mounts beautifully on my monopod. With this rig, I have reach (up to 280mm), breadth (16mm on the wide end), and speed (f/1.4 on the Sigma). I'm adding a handful of 4 GB cards, four batteries, charger, ExpoDisc, and microfiber cloth. I always pack Ziplocs... just in case.

I'll also bring the Canon G9 with a couple 4 GB cards and two batteries. It's a great backup camera and is less conspicuous if I'm in a situation where I need to keep the 5D in the bag.

Finally, I'm packing the M-Audio Microtrack 24/96 with a stereo omnidirectional mic and a narrow pattern mono mic. That way I can capture big event sounds (great for slideshows) and record interviews for podcasts.

I'll have two phones with me. For international travel, I always take my unlocked Sony Ericsson W810i. Hopefully, I'll be able to buy a SIM card at the Beijing airport so I'll have local connectivity. I'm also taking the iPhone, making sure that I turn off "Data Roaming" in the Network Settings so I don't rack up huge service charges while abroad.

I have added a couple 3rd party apps to the iPhone, since it will also be my portable computer. "Audio Recorder" enables me to capture quick tidbits of audio and save them as standard QuickTime files. The recording quality is actually quite good. I also added "Converter" that makes it easy to convert just about any type of unit for Temperature, weight, etc. The Lonely Planet Mandarin Phrasebook is a must have. Not only does it provide text translations for common phrases, it *speaks* them. Talk about an ace in the hole. And it's free in Apple's App Store. My last new addition to the iPhone is "Stanza," which is a free eBook reader that doubles as a PDF manager. So I can have a few books with me without carrying the weight of paper.

All of this fits nicely in my bargain table shoulder bag. It's not the lightest kit in the world, but it's portable enough so I can have it with me at all times, and hopefully, contains everything I will need for this assignment.

Of course, I'll be reporting on how successful this rig works out. If you're not following me on Twitter, you can find me as Derrick_Story.

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.

Technorati Tags: Beijing Olympics, Canon G9, Derrick Story, digital photography, Technology, The Digital Story, Twitter

Boinx Software has just announced the latest version of FotoMagico, and it has some great new features.

Just on the heels of the new Lightroom 2 announcement, FotoMagico 2.5 provides support for Adobe Lightroom libraries, this is in addition to its existing support for media from iPhoto, Aperture, and GarageBand. It also includes a teleprompter that shows notes for every slide on a presenter´s display and a new export option for uploading slideshow videos directly to YouTube.

The update to FotoMagico 2.5 is free of charge to current FotoMagico 2.x license owners at their current license levels. FotoMagico 2.5 Express is available for $49 and FotoMagico 2.5 Pro is available for $129 via Kagi. For all purchase options see http://boinx.com/fotomagico/buy. Commercial multi-user license discounts are available upon request.

Technorati Tags: Derrick Story, digital photography, Technology, The Digital Story, ForoMagico

This is the first in a series of posts detailing my assignment in Beijing for the 2008 Summer Olympics.

SANTA ROSA, CA - As I prepare for my August 4th departure to Beijing, I'm faced with the challenge of gathering together everything I need, but in a package I can have with me at all times. I'm not talking about socks and underwear, those are replaceable most anywhere. The bag that is the center of my universe includes my travel documentation, camera gear, audio recording equipment, and computer.

On the surface, my assignment is simple. Assist working photographers in the Olympic Media Center. My sponsors are Kodak and Apple. While I'm working in the center, I'll be interviewing, photographing, and publishing stories about the people covering the event. It's the classic "story within the story" scenario that I love so much. I'll help set up the media center days before the opening ceremonies, then work a shift that goes through August 14th.

One of the most common questions people ask is, "Will you get to shoot at the venues?" Good question. I have no idea. In fact, all I really know is that I have a flight reservation, a visa, and a media pass. I'll find out the rest in good time.

So you can understand my desire to pack light. If it can't hang on my shoulders, it's not going with me. In my next installment of Assignment Olympics, I'll detail the contents of my kit. I think I have it together, but if I'm forgetting something, I'm going to depend on you to let me know.

I've also just set up a Twitter account for posting "quickies" as they happen. If you like the realtime stuff, you might want to follow along.

Technorati Tags: Derrick Story, digital photography, Technology, The Digital Story, Beijing Olympics

Tom Hogarty gives an inside perspective on Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 during this interview in San Jose, CA. Tom is the product manager for Lightroom, and he is joined by Frederick Johnson who is the marketing manager.

I said up front that I wanted to get right to the good stuff. Tom accommodated nicely and began talking about his favorite features in this major release of Adobe's photo management software. By the end of the interview, we hear dozens of insights and tips about Lightroom 2.

Monthly Photo Assignment

Competition is this month's photo assignment. With the Olympics dominating the sports scene this month, competition seems like a good topic. You event can be more personal, and doesn't even have to be sports related. 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, "Lightroom 2." 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!

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

Technorati Tags: digital photography, podcast, technique, Technology, The Digital Story, tips

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.

The June 2008 Photo Assignment was "Motion," and we have an energizing selection of images to show you -- 33 photos submitted by Digital Story members who demonstrate their ability to capture the whirling world around them in their camera lens.

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 2008 assignment is "Competition." 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 August assignment, and congratulations to all of the fine contributors for June. It's an excellent collection of images.

Photo by Rick Brandt.

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.

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

I tend to use the monopod mostly for telephoto shots. In the past, I tried mounting a ball head on the pod, but was never comfortable with the set up, especially for vertical shots. So, I've switched to using a tripod ring instead. And I have to tell you, I am so much happier.

I use the Canon Tripod Mount Ring A II (W) for my 70-200mm f/4L zoom (often with the 1.4X extender). First of all, the tripod ring is much lighter than an equivalent ball head. The camera is definitely more balanced on the monopod. And I don't have to buy an additional quick release because the ring serves that purpose. And the added bonus... no quick release plates to fool with.

The joy gets even better while shooting. I absolutely *hate* trying to shoot vertical shots with a ball head. The slot is never in the right place, and I feel like the camera is about as unbalanced as it could possibly be. But with the tripod ring, I just loosen the knob a half turn, rotate the balanced camera to any angle I want, and tighten slightly. It is wonderful.

Once you use a tripod mount ring for your telephoto, you will never go back.

Technorati Tags: Canon, Derrick Story, digital photography, Technology, The Digital Story, tripod ring

The Sigma 50mm F1.4 EX DG HSM Lens is a handsome, fast, artistic hunk of glass available in Canon, Nikon, Sigma, Pentax, and Sony mounts. It incorporates Hyper Sonic Motor (HSM) technology for quiet, fast focusing, and a maximum aperture of f-1.4 for light gathering ability in the dimmest of environments. The Sigma 50mm incorporates molded glass aspherical lens elements to help control aberrations, and uses multi-coatings for maximum light transmission and contrast.

I'm interested in this lens for two reasons. First, I need a fast 50mm for my Canon 5D. And second, I want to be able to shoot existing light portraits at maximum aperture with focus falloff. The Canon offerings are either too creaky (50mm 1.8), not sharp enough wide open (50mm 1.4), or too expensive (50mm 1.2). I was hoping the Sigma 50mm would be the answer.

This is a handsome lens. It looks absolutely great on the Canon 5D. The big front objective glass is impressive (72mm filter ring), and the design is very modern. The focusing is the best I've had with a Sigma. It doesn't rank as high as my best Caonon USM lenses, but it is certainly better than the 50mm f-1.8 it replaces, and on par with any third-party lens I've tried. HSM motors are expensive, and you pay for it with this lens ($499 US), but I'm really glad it's part of this construction because I don't feel like I'm stepping down much from my USM lenses. It's also fairly quiet.

It's interesting to talk about performance with a lens like this. First, I was happy to see there was virtually no vignetting on the corners. Edge to edge exposure was good. Center sharpness was also good. But because of the way I shoot with this lens (wide open in existing light), I can't report on corner sharpness at smaller apertures. However, the focus falloff, which I am interested in, is beautiful. My test portraits had exactly the quality I was looking for.

I borrowed a kitty because I think fur is a good texture for showing the falloff effect. I had read some preliminary reports in forums that users were having occasional focusing difficulty. I haven't encountered that yet. The Sigma has been focusing where I've directed it. But I will keep an eye on this and follow up if I notice anything unusual.

I did notice, however, some slight red chromatic aberration on linear subjects against a very bright white background. This isn't a normal composition for me with this lens, but I intentionally shot some frames for testing purposes. I'm going to keep an eye on this also. For now, I'm not too concerned because of the conditions I normally would use this glass will be low light. But, if chromatic aberration becomes an irritation, I will follow up here.

The lens is bundled with a very nice bayonet hood and leather case. It also comes with a $499 US price tag. So it's for photographers who may not be satisfied with the 50mm options offered by their camera manufacturers (me!), or who want a different look than they're currently getting. So far, I like the Sigma 50mm f-1.4. But I'll keep putting it through its paces and keep you posted on my findings.

Technorati Tags: Derrick Story, Digital Photography, The Digital Story, Sigma 50mm f-1.4

There's a fun post on Strobist titled, Canon G9: The New Polaroid?. In the piece, he talks about film shooters who are carrying around G9s and using them the way we once used Polaroid backs -- to review lighting, color, and composition. Plus, even though they are often shooting medium format, they will have working digital proofs for review while the film is being processed. Kinda cool.

Technorati Tags: Canon G9, Derrick Story, Digital Photography, Technology, The Digital Story

The difference between good glass and great glass, is, well, quite glaring. I recently had a chance to work with both in the same conditions. I was on the tennis courts at Stanford University in Northern California for the Bank of the West Classic. I started the day shooting with kit lenses that come with the impressive Olympus E-520. But then I got my hands on some of the Olympus pro glass. Oh my. What fun was that.

In this podcast I talk about my experience on the hardcourt using these different types of lenses. This shot, for example, was captured with the beautiful Zuiko 150mm f-2 (which is equal to 300mm when mounted on the E-520). I loved shooting with that lens.

Photo by Derrick Story with an Olympus E-520 and Zuiko 150mm f-2 lens.

Monthly Photo Assignment

Fire is this month's photo assignment. With Fourth of July behind us, plus wild fires raging across the Northern California landscape, fire is top of mind for me. As always, there are many ways to interpret this assignment. You can read more about how to submit on our Submissions page. Deadline for entry is July 31.

Listen to the Podcast

Now that I've piqued your curiosity, it's time to listen to today's audio show titled, "Go with the Better Glass." 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!

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

Technorati Tags: digital photography, podcast, technique, Technology, The Digital Story, tips

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.

I'm not even interested in the silver model. I want the sexy black Panasonic DMC-LX3 compact camera. For starters, this model has 24mm-60mm f-2.0 (at 24mm) Leica Vario-Summicron zoom lens. Then add features such as Raw capture, larger 1/1.63 inch CCD, three aspect ratios (4:3, 3:2, 16:9), image stabilization, spot metering, 10.1 megapixels, 3:2 aspect ratio 3" LCD, and high definition movie capture up to 1280 x 720 at 30 fps - all in a handsome package that will fit easily in your jacket pocket.

I had the previous model, the LX2, on loan for about 6 months. And I have to say I really enjoyed using the camera. I liked the true 16:9 aspect ratio, especially combined with the excellent movie mode. I also liked being able to capture in Raw, even with my compact camera.

This latest model represents a trend at Panasonic. They are really trying to overcome the narrow field of view we usually have to tolerate with compact cameras. Often the widest focal length is around 36mms, which isn't really very wide at all. So to have a full 24mm wide angle lens, and at f-2.0 at that, is a real treat. This is a camera that you can shoot in tight quarters with. I do see Face Detection on the spec list. And that makes perfect sense given this camera has "event shooting" written all over it. And speaking of event shooting, the LX3 does have a hot shoe to support external flashes.

All in all, it looks like Panasonic has a real winner on its hands. I'm anxious to see images to determine if the bigger sensor and updated processing engine helps the LX3 control image noise better than its predecessors. The camera should be available in August, and it probably will retail for around $500 US.

Technorati Tags: Derrick Story, digital photography, Technology, The Digital Story, Panasonic LX3

"The picture was taken at Deerfield Village, MA," said Joan V. Hall. "I used a Canon 40D and the Canon 85mm 1.8 lens. The shot was captured at F8, 1/60, ISO 100.The only post processing was cropping. I had just attended the New England Camera Clubs photography weekend at U Mass."

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.

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

Technorati Tags: candid, digital photography, technique, Technology, The Digital Story

Yesterday, I wrote about the Olympus E-520 digital SLR. I shot with long lenses during the tennis event, but afterward, I wandered the Stanford campus with some of the other glass Olympus makes. A real eye-popper was the Zuiko Digital ED 8mm F3.5 Fisheye. It sells for about $790 US.

It has a 180-degree angle of view, and is the equivalent to a 16mm lens on a 35mm SLR. What's wild about the lens, other than the shots you can take, is that you can use a doubler on it without vignetting. Crazy.

This image was captured with the 8mm mounted on the E-520. I was standing at the top of the swim center. The lens recorded everything in view, from the overhead structure for shade, to the stands, to the pool itself. I'd love to get my hands on this lens again and take it to Beijing next month.

Technorati Tags: Derrick Story, digital photography, fisheye, Olympus E-520, Technology, The Digital Story

The weather was perfect for hardcourt tennis at Stanford University. One of my favorite matches of the day pitted Shahar Peer from Israel against the defending champion Anna Chakvetadze from Russia. I was there to test the new Olympus E-520 digital SLR. This 10 MP body includes excellent sensor-based image stabilization, with modes for both horizontal and vertical panning. It also supports Autofocus Live View on its 2.7" HyperCrystal LCD, Face Detection, intelligent spot metering modes, Shadow Adjustment Technology, and more. The kit with a 12-40mm lens sells for less than $700.

So there I was in the photographer's area with press pass dangling from my neck going up against the giant Nikons and Canons. I asked the Olympus folks if I could borrow a couple of their pro lenses, and was able to attach a Zuiko ED 150mm f-2.0 (which is the 35mm equivalent to 300mm) both with and without a 2X doubler. I also tested the Zuiko ED 50-200mm f-2.8-3.5. Both lenses include tripod collars, so I felt a little more comfortable on the court with a monopod and some hefty glass. I did however, shoot with the kit lens and the 70-300mm f-4.0-5.6, and both yielded excellent results. I just couldn't stroll into the pro shooters area with only stock glass.

As for the E-520 itself, I was impressed. The Olympus reps suggested that I shoot in Jpeg mode, but the contrasty lighting really demanded Raw. So that's where I set the E-520, and it provided ample frame bursts in Raw (8 shots) to keep up with the action. During the entire day, I only filled up the buffer a couple times. At 3.5 fps, I was able to capture some good sequences without too much spacing between the shots. I set the ISO to 400 for maximum shutter speed, even in the bright sun, and thought the image noise was generally well-controlled and unobtrusive. The shutter sound itself is excellent.

Olympus is a sponsor of the US Open Series. And what a great event it is. The Tournament at Stanford (Bank of the West Classic) featured many stars including Serena Williams. I enjoyed both the event and the Olympus E-520. I'll continue to shoot with the camera and post updates along the way.

Photos of Shahar Peer by Derrick Story. Olympus E-520 with Zuiko ED 50-200mm f-2.8-3.5, ISO 400 in Raw capture mode.

Technorati Tags: Derrick Story, digital photography, Technology, The Digital Story, Olympus E-520

An interesting story broke last week when the Iranian propaganda machine managed to slip a doctored missile shot by the U.S. media. A couple things to note here. First, yes, we need to be diligent about examining images that we pass along as news. This side of the story is covered well by Daryl Lang in his PDN article, Newspapers Plan Corrections Over Iran Missile Photo. Be sure to click on the More Pictures link in the article that shows you how the image was doctored.

Photo and caption of doctored missile photos were provided by news agencies and put together by PDN Online

But in addition to that, what disturbs me is that there are still three real missiles in the shot. Yes, the doctored image is more ominous, I guess. But seeing a trio of rocket-propelled weapons arching upward is quite frightening all on its own.

Technorati Tags: digital photography, technique, Technology, The Digital Story

Layers adjustments have been a cornerstone of nondestructive image editing in the modern Photoshop era. But are they always the best way to work on your pictures? In this podcast I explain how to work more efficiently in Adobe Camera Raw, saving the layers workflow for only the specific images that need it.

Monthly Photo Assignment

Fire is this month's photo assignment. With Fourth of July behind us, plus wild fires raging across the Northern California landscape, fire is top of mind for me. As always, there are many ways to interpret this assignment. You can read more about how to submit on our Submissions page. Deadline for entry is July 31.

Listen to the Podcast

Now that I've piqued your curiosity, it's time to listen to today's audio show titled, "Photoshop Layers vs Adobe Camera Raw." You can download the podcast here (22 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!

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

Technorati Tags: digital photography, podcast, technique, Technology, The Digital Story, tips

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.

I've been testing photography applications from the new iTunes App Store and want to tell Flickr users about Exposure from Connected Flow. With this program on your iPhone or iPod Touch, you can get quick access to your Flickr photos, those of your contacts, featured images, and my favorite feature, "Near Me."

"Near Me" uses the location capability of your iPhone to find images posted to Flickr that are in close promixity to where you are at that moment. You can see the list of images, with the distance from you noted in meters. (For Americans) If you keep in mind that one mile equals 1,609.270 meters, then when you start seeing images in Exposure only 400 meters away, it dawns on you that these pictures are happening in your neighborhood. Most of the time, this is a good thought, but not always.

iPhone users can download Exposure for free with ads, or pay $9.99 US for the ad-free version. It makes your mobile device just a little more interesting.

Technorati Tags: Derrick Story, digital photography, Technology, The Digital Story, iPhone

With the release of a second generation FireWire 800 model, Drobo has repositioned itself from a convenient backup system to an everyday workhorse that also archives your data.

'The second generation Drobo incorporates all of the features and functionality that consumers have grown to know and love in its predecessor: unparalleled ease of use, redundant data protection, and instant expandability that allows storage capacity to grow with users over time. New enhancements include an upgraded core processor, two FireWire 800 ports, dramatically increased USB 2.0 performance, and newly optimized firmware. This release addresses the needs of any user seeking a reliable method of managing vast amounts of data without sacrificing performance; from video editors, to heavy down-loaders, to photographers who shoot raw images,' reports data robotics in their press release.

So now you can use the device for realtime photography production, video editing, and other demanding tasks. Drobo's peace of mind comes at a price, as you would expect. Using the Drobolator to calculate available free space, you'll see that if you fill the Drobo up with four terabyte drives, your available data space is 2.7 TBs. 931 GBs is used for protection, and 3.8 GBs is reserved for overhead. But this is still more efficient than one-to-one backup. And that backup data has to go somewhere.

I have a first generation Drobo for managing my photo archive. I originally had it on an AirPort Extreme network, but I've since moved it to a workstation so I could connect the USB 2.0 cord directly to a computer. Since I've made that adjustment, I've been more satisfied with its performance as a backup machine, especially when searching for photos with Expression Media. But I'd love to try the new FireWire version. If anyone has any hands-on reports, please post a comment and let us know a little bit about your set up too.

Technorati Tags: Derrick Story, digital photography, Drobo, Technology, The Digital Story

My favorite presentation yesterday at the Microsoft Pro Photography Summit was by landscape photographer Frans Lanting. It began when he captured through his lens thousands of Horseshoe Crabs as they came out at night on the New Jersey shores. Frans felt like he was looking back in time, and began to wonder what other examples he could find and photograph. And that was the beginning of his project, LIFE: A Journey Through Time.

You can visit this project in many ways, through the book, via the traveling exhibit, and of course, seeing Frans speak in person. The web site also provides an excellent experience, and I think you would enjoy spending a little bit of your life there marveling at the photos and learning from the text.

Technorati Tags: digital photography, Technology, The Digital Story, Frans Lanting

I've just published the first of five Aperture screencasts on Inside Aperture; this one is on custom layouts using the book making tool. I walk you through the process of making your own postcard, but you could use the tutorial to design posters, fliers, and anything else your creativity comes up with.

Next week's screencast will feature the Retouch tool. These screencasts, plus 60 or so others, are available as part of my Lynda.com title, Aperture 2 Essential Training.

• 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.

Technorati Tags: Aperture 2.1, Technology, The Digital Story

I've just published the first of five Aperture screencasts on Inside Aperture; this one is on custom layouts using the book making tool. I walk you through the process of making your own postcard, but you could use the tutorial to design posters, fliers, and anything else your creativity comes up with.

Next week's screencast will feature the Retouch tool. These screencasts, plus 60 or so others, are available as part of my Lynda.com title, Aperture 2 Essential Training.

• 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.

Technorati Tags: Aperture 2.1, Technology, The Digital Story

I've just published the first of five Aperture screencasts on Inside Aperture; this one is on custom layouts using the book making tool. I walk you through the process of making your own postcard, but you could use the tutorial to design posters, fliers, and anything else your creativity comes up with.

Next week's screencast will feature the Retouch tool. These screencasts, plus 60 or so others, are available as part of my Lynda.com title, Aperture 2 Essential Training.

• 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.

Technorati Tags: Aperture 2.1, Technology, The Digital Story

Questions about Lightroom and Aperture from my class at Santa Fe Workshops. This is a fun podcast that recaps the last few weeks that involved changing studios, breaking the podcast feed, traveling to New Mexico, teaching a week long workshop about Lightroom, trying to record a podcast in a Ford Edge in the middle of the desert, fixing the podcast feeds, coming home, and finally recording a podcast in the new studio... and actually having it publish correctly.

Monthly Photo Assignment

Fire is this month's photo assignment. With Fourth of July just behind us, plus wild fires raging across the Northern California landscape, fire is top of mind for me. As always, there are many ways to interpret this assignment. You can read more about how to submit on our Submissions page. Deadline for entry is July 31.

Listen to the Podcast

Now that I've piqued your curiosity, it's time to listen to today's audio show titled, "Software Questions from Class." 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!

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

Technorati Tags: digital photography, podcast, technique, Technology, The Digital Story, tips

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.

I've always had a fondness for luster finished papers and had been looking forward to trying Red River's 75 lb Arctic Polar Luster. This was going to be a dual test actually, because I had a new HP Photosmart Pro B8850 Printer sitting in my studio full of ink and ready to output. Why not test both at once?

First thing I did was download the color profile from the Red River site. They had the Arctic Polar Luster profile for the HP B9180, and I knew it would work fine in the B8850 since it's really the little brother to the B9180. I downloaded the profile and used the "Add Custom Paper" option in the Paper Type/Quality dialog box to add my profile. Now I was ready to print.

I first output a test print on HP Advanced Glossy Photo Paper so I would have a control image to compare against. I then loaded up the Artic Polar Luster and printed the same image.

I compared both images to the picture on my calibrated Apple Cinema Display. The colors were almost identical in both prints to what I was seeing on the screen. I say almost identical because the HP paper is slightly warm and the Red River is slightly cool. This had a mild impact on the rendering of the colors.

The tones were more saturated on the Artic Polar and the image was slightly darker. Not so much darker in a bad way, but very rich. I made a second print slightly increasing the gamma in the print dialog box. The colors were still quite luxurious, but the tones were about the same as my test print on the HP glossy.

Holding the prints brought to light a bigger difference between the stocks. The 75 lb Artic Polar Luster was substantial and felt like artwork in the hands. I couldn't set it down. And the finish is exactly what you'd expect from a premium luster stock: less reflection with rich tonality.

I did a little price comparison to see how much the Red River stock would cost me. A box of 50 sheets of 13"x19" Arctic Polar Luster runs $85.95. On the HP side, a box of 25 sheets of Professional Satin Paper runs $62.99. So the Red River runs about $1.70 a sheet compared to about $2.50 a sheet for the HP Satin. The Red River is 13 mil thick compared to 11.4 mil for the HP Satin. So it doesn't look like you have to pay more for this terrific luster stock.

As for the HP B8850 printer, it's output was every bit as beautiful as the B9180 I use often. It seemed a little slower however, and I'm going to continue testing and will post a follow up report. But the print quality was outstanding on both paper stocks tested in this report.

Technorati Tags: HP B8850 Printer, Derrick Story, digital photography, Technology, The Digital Story, Red River Arctic Polar Luster

Want to learn the ins and outs of Aperture 2.1? Lynda.com has just release my 5.75 hour video series titled, Aperture 2 Essential Training. I very much enjoyed recording this title, and I think you're going to like learning with it. A few of the things I cover include:

• Understanding Aperture terms, interface, preferences, and workflow
• Creating metadata presets and adding keywords on import
• Importing images from a digital camera, hard drive, or iPhoto library
• Using tethered shooting
• Viewing images with previews, slideshows, and metadata overlays
• Comparing, selecting, and organizing images
• Correcting white balance, exposure, levels, and color
• Using Retouch, Straighten, Crop, Vignette, and other image adjustments
• Applying sharpening and noise reduction adjustments
• Searching for images and creating Smart Albums
• Exporting, archiving, and backing up photos
• Designing books, publishing web galleries, and printing images

Lynda has also released three free videos on the catalog page, and I'm going to publish five more free videos on Inside Aperture, starting with the first one this coming Tuesday. These are good screencasts too, featuring managing previews, levels adjustments, retouching, lift & stamp, and custom layouts. That leaves another 66 videos for subscribers to enjoy on the Lynda.com site.

If you've been waiting to dig deep into Aperture, wait no longer. This title will get you up and running quickly.

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

Technorati Tags: Aperture, Derrick Story, digital photography, Technology, The Digital Story, Aperture 2.1

Once again Fourth of July is at our American doorstep, complete with lots of fireworks displays. If you want to capture your own fiery composition, here are a few tips. (Keep in mind that this month's photo assignment is "Fire,")

First: turn off your flash. Yes, you're going to be shooting in a dark environment, and if your camera is set to auto flash, it's going to fire. This is the last thing you want, so turn it off.

Next, break out the tripod. You're going to be using long exposures. Use a cable or remote release if you have one. If not, just gently press the shutter button with your finger.

Resist the urge to increase your ISO setting. Keep it at 100 to help reduce image noise. You might also want to switch to manual exposure. Auto exposure will overexpose your dark skies turning them to mushy gray. Start with a manual setting of 2 seconds at F-5.6 or F-8, and see what you get. Adjust accordingly from there.

Finally, use a wide angle lens so you can capture as much of the sky as possible. If you know the display is going to peak in a certain area, you can zoom in a bit. Remember, since you're shooting at the highest resolution possible, you can always crop your image later. You will also find it helpful to use manual focus mode if your camera has it.

Some compacts have a "Fireworks" scene mode. If you're toting a point and shoot, check you scene mode menu. You might be pleasantly surprised. The Fireworks scene mode usually works quite well.

Have a great time, be safe, and get some great shots.

About the Photo
Brian C Davenport went to Windsor,Canada to shoot the Freedom Festival fireworks over the Detroit skyline last year. Here's how he got the shot.

"It was a very long day but the last 30 min was outstanding," said Brian. "Getting there early in the day gave us a front row seat, right on the shoreline to set up our tripods. I shot about 200 images during the day, and the fireworks shots came out really nice. It was a little tricky as this was a show where there were very few single bursts so there was alot of light in the air most of the time. I settled on 18mm, ISO 100, f8 and 3-5 sec exposure. These settings gave some definition to the bursts without too much "blow-out" of the highlights."

Great shot Brian! Thanks for sending it in.

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

Finally, after days of interrupted service, the Digital Story podcast feed is working again in iTunes Music Store. This was not an iTunes problem, but something that happened on our side of the fence. We tried to modernize our feeds and ended up breaking them all together in the process.

If you subscribe to The Digital Story in iTunes, all you have to do now is go to the Podcasts section in iTunes and hit the Refresh button. Our feed should now work and you will get the latest episode, Self Assignment.

If you have a problem getting the show in iTunes, please post a comment here so we can troubleshoot the situation. As you can imagine, I feel terrible about this inconvenience. I'm hoping we have everything now wired up correctly.

Technorati Tags: podcast, Technology, The Digital Story

Both Georgia O'Keeffee and Ansel Adams wrote about the value of self assignment. During my stay in Santa Fe, I visited the O'Keeffee Museum and took that inspiration out into the great New Mexico landscape.

In this podcast, I talk about how the notion of self assignment influenced my stay in the Southwest long after my formal work here was completed.

Monthly Photo Assignment

Fire is this month's photo assignment. With Fourth of July right around the corner, plus wild fires raging across the Northern California landscape, fire is top of mind for me. As always, there are many ways to interpret this assignment. You can read more about how to submit on our Submissions page. Deadline for entry is July 31.

Listen to the Podcast

Now that I've piqued your curiosity, it's time to listen to today's audio show titled, "Self Assignment." 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!

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

Technorati Tags: digital photography, podcast, technique, Technology, The Digital Story, tips

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