For the Feb. 2013 Photo Assignment, TDS shooters celebrated man's best friend, feline companions, and assorted other adorable subjects. See for yourself in our gallery, Furry Friends. And which one will be the SizzlPix Photo Assignment Pick of the Month?

TDS member Paul Stuart used his Panasonic GH2 with a Leica 25mm f/1.4 (shot wide open) to photograph his Airedale dog, Eddie. See all of the great images from this month's assignment by visiting the Furry Friends gallery page.

Participate in This Month's Assignment

The April 2013 assignment is "Architecture." Details can be found on the Member Participation page. Deadline is April 30, 2013. No limit on image size submitted.

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 this month's assignment should be: "Photo Assignment: April 2013." 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.

Gallery posting is one month behind the deadline. So I'm posting Feb. 2013 at the end of March., the March gallery will be posted at the end of April., and on and on.

Good luck with your April assignment, and congratulations to all of the fine contributors for Feb.

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Take the day off to spend with family, a friend, your dog, or just you and nature...

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I've just finished looking over the Photographer's Guide to Copyright Law, and there is a ton of useful information in this free download. The guide, created by PhotoShelter and the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP), covers these topics:

• Discover your 6 exclusive rights under copyright law.
• Learn how to secure your photos and avoid infringement.
• Get tips to register your work through the U.S. Copyright Office.
• Understand steps to take if you are infringed.

Definitely something you want to add to your reference library.

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Join me on my Instagram site as I explore the world of mobile photography.

Photographer Gavin Seim did many things right when creating his ColorFlow presets for Aperture 3. I like them, not only because they help you produce better images, but also because they help you improve your editing skills in Aperture.

Applying the "Too Warm Fixer" preset to this portrait of Ewelina.

You can purchase the entire set, more than 60 presets in 5 categories, from Gavin's site for $39. It's a download, so within minutes you're using them in the app. (In the Adjustment tab, click on the Effects popup, choose Edit Effects, click on the gear menu and choose Import. Navigate to ColorFlow that you just downloaded. Aperture adds the presets to the app.)

The aspect of ColorFlow that I really like is that you stay in the Aperture environment the entire time you're working. There's no roundtripping to a separate window that adds big TIFF files to your library. You're working with your RAWs just like you would any other image.

The difference is, Gavin is giving you a head start on the editing. When I chose the "Too Warm Fixer" preset for the portrait of Ewelina, ColorFlow left my crop alone, but made changes to the White Balance and Enhance bricks. I can see exactly what it did. And if I want, tweak further using the sliders that I'm already familiar with.

Then, if I want, I might add a Hollywood Cinema effect, such as American Western, and ColorFlow makes adjustments to both Curves, and the Highlights & Shadows bricks. if the effect isn't exactly what I want, I can play from there.

There's nothing over the top here. Many of the effects are subtle, helping you craft your image rather than be hit over the head with it. And if you want more intensity, you can add it yourself.

I think ColorFlow is an excellent investment for your Aperture workflow. Because they are presets, they have low impact on the application itself. It's more like a guided tour for image editing. And I think using ColorFlow will inspire you to fine tune your pictures.

Watch the video that Gavin has embedded on the ColorFlow page, you'll learn a lot about these presets, and gain insights on his approach to photography.

Aperture Tips and Techniques

To learn more about Aperture, check out my Aperture 3.3 Essential Training (2012) on lynda.com. Also, take a look at our Aperture 3 Learning Center. Tons of free content about how to get the most out of Aperture.

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You have a DSLR around your neck, and another body in your camera bag. You should be able to cover just about anything, right?

Yes, indeed. Especially since you have a formidable third option in your pocket. An iPhone.

Wide angle shot captured with an iPhone 4S in panorama mode.

I love standing in the thick of things and pulling out my iPhone to record panoramas. Those images look much different than anything I shoot with my other cameras. I often hold the iPhone overhead and sweep across the scene to capture an entirely new perspective.

Panorama mode is built into the Camera app. Tap the Options button to reveal the Panorama control. Once enabled, you can sweep from left to right, or right to left. Just tap on the side that you want to begin recording.

If you have Photo Stream enabled, the images can go directly into your Aperture or iPhoto library. Since I'm an Aperture user, I've set up iPhoto to house my Photo Stream images. Then I use what I need and archive the rest.

When on location, you never know which perspective you're going to like the best. But you can't choose among them if you don't record 'em in the first place. So don't forget about that third option in your pocket.

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Using Aperture and iPhoto Together

This week on The Digital Story: Is the new Canon EOS SL1 a mirrorless killer? Supercharge your photo management workflow by using Aperture and iPhoto together. And I share some insights from the recent 3-Day Artisan Cheese Festival event coverage and advanced TDS workshop.

Story #1 - Canon EOS SL1: Instead of Mirrorless? Canon wants you to have your optical viewfinder and compact size too. With the announcement of the EOS SL1 (100D), you can tote a mere 407 grams with a body that measures only 117 x 91 x 69 mm. Compare that to the Olympus OM-D that weighs in at 425 grams and 122 x 89 x 43 mm. What are the pros and cons for buying compact SLR vs a mirror less body? (You can see the Canon EOS Rebel SL1 DSLR with 18-55mm EF-S IS STM lenshere.)

• Bigger image sensor on the SL1 - APS-C (18MP) vs Micro Four Thirds (16MP)
• Can use existing EF-S and EF lenses on SL-1
• Lens are lighter and smaller, however, with OM-D
• More professional features with OM-D such as 9 fps vs 4 fps, tilting LCD, built-in image stabilization, etc.
• Price is interesting: Canon is $799 with 18-55 STM vs 1049 for OM-D with 12-42mm.

Story #2 - Using iPhoto and Aperture Together - I love using Aperture and iPhoto together, and now I have a training on lynda.com that shows you how to get the most out of this tandem. This was really made possible by the Unified Library that lets you use either application interchangeable with your image library. From there, you can decide which app is best for any given task, then use the right tool for the job. My goal is to help fully understand your options so you can create a killer workflow for all of your photography work (and play).

Story #3 - Clarification on the Canon CPS story. You need to be a working photographer to qualify. This is not a program for hobbyists.

Story #4 - Artisan Cheese Festival Event Coverage and Advanced Workshop. Three TDS members joined me for the 3-day festival: Scott McDaniel, Jeremy White, and Jeff Dickerson. And they shot lights out all weekend.

Listen to the Podcast

You can also download the podcast here (32 minutes). Or better yet, subscribe to the podcast in iTunes. You can support this podcast by purchasing the TDS iPhone App for only $2.99 from the Apple App Store.

Monthly Photo Assignment

The March 2013 photo assignment is Black & White.

More Ways to Participate

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our Flickr Public Group. And from those images, I choose the TDS Member Photo of the Day.

Podcast Sponsors

Red River Paper -- Keep up with the world of inkjet printing, and win free paper, by liking Red River Paper on Facebook.

Make Your Photos Sizzle with Color! -- SizzlPix is like High Definition TV for your photography. Take the SizzlPix Challenge - See how your photo will Sizzl by getting a free 5x7 section of an uploaded image. Just put TDS or The Digital Story in the comments to get your free SizzlPix section.

Need a New Photo Bag? Check out the Lowepro Specialty Store on The Digital Story and use discount code LP20 to save 20% at check out.

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Successful event photography requires quick reflexes and a few tricks. And like the magician's wand, the 70-200mm pro zoom can cast the perfect spell.

Canon 70-200mm IS at f/4.5 on a Canon 60D at ISO 1600, 1/400th of a second.

When fully extended and wide open, I can isolate subjects that are only a few inches apart. I have enough reach to achieve a good shooting angle, even in a crowded room. And with image stabilization combined with wide aperture, nearly any lighting condition can be tamed.

Ask just about any event photographer this question: "If you could take only one lens to this assignment, which one would you choose?" The answer more often than not would be: "My 70-200mm."

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Join me on my Instagram site as I explore the world of mobile photography.

Regardless if you're primarily an Aperture or iPhoto user, you can sweeten your workflow by using the two applications together. And in my latest lynda.com title, I show you how. Here's a quick overview.

In the coming weeks I'll be sharing some of my favorite techniques for using these two excellent apps together. In the meantime, you might want to check out the free movies on lynda.com.

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Canon wants you to have the option to keep the optical DSLR experience, even when the camera body itself is compact. They've introduced the Canon EOS Rebel SL1 with new EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM lens ($799 for kit). It's the world's smallest DSLR.

Good news is that the SL1 is truly a feat of miniaturization. The camera body measures 4.6" (w) x 3.57" (h) x 2.74" (d), and weighs only 14.36 oz. In comparison, the EOS Rebel SL1 is approximately 25 percent smaller and 28 percent lighter than the EOS Rebel T4i digital camera. Canon has also managed to keep the familiar Rebel control layout on the compact body. So the SL1 should be comfortable and easy to use.

The tradeoffs under the hood seem more to do with marketing decisions than miniaturization. Frame rate is 4 fps, which is a little slow by today's standards. And flash users don't get wireless control with the SL1.

I'm looking forward to the first test results. This could be a good option for those who want to use their existing lenses, but have a smaller form factor option for travel and business. More to come.

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Join me on my Instagram site as I explore the world of mobile photography.

Want to spice up your photography life? How about a new lens?

When considering optics, you have many things to think about: sharpness, distortion, durability, focusing speed, and cost, just to name a few. All of those factors are important. But before you get to the technical aspects, I offer five considerations that might help you narrow down the list of candidates.

Your kit lens (on the right) is great for general photography. But what if you want to do something different? Maybe explore low light compositions? Consider adding a fast lens (left) to your kit.

In my latest TechHive article, Five tips to help you choose a new camera lens, I cover perspective, maximum aperture, size and weight, stabilization, and emotional appeal.

Once you've covered those bases, then you should have a short list of lens candidates to choose from.

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Join me on my Instagram site as I explore the world of mobile photography.

I just received my Lomography Smartphone Film Scanner (Lomo) and have had fun testing it. I have my unit now because I participated in the Kickstarter funding. Retail units will be available very soon online.

The Lomo enables you to connect a smartphone, in my case an iPhone 4S, and scan 35mm film strips. The internal light is powered by 2 AA batteries. Operation is simple. Feed the film into the unit using a knurled knob, turn on the light, mount your phone, and take a picture of the illuminated image.

Retired Dr. "Wild Bill" Ellison photographed in his study in 1991 using a Contax SLR and Ilford XP2 film.

You can use any photo app to take the picture. I prefer using ProCamera because of the controls it provides. Once I captured the image, I used Photoshop Express to invert the picture to make it a positive (Effects > Invert). After a bit of image adjustment, I'm ready to share my photo with the world.

Front grill of a 1935 Chevy truck photographed in 1993 with an Yashica FX2000 and a Zeiss 35mm f/2.8 lens using Ilford HP5 Plus film.

The good points for the Lomo include:

• Low cost (around $65) and very compact. Fits easily in your daypack.
• Easy to use with quick results.
• Free iOS and Android scanning apps soon to be released.
• Great way to share your film archives or current projects on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and other sites accessible from your mobile phone.

Not so good points include:

Bottom line, however, is that the Lomography Smartphone Film Scanner is fun, and is about the easiest way to digitize 35mm film strips. I'm looking forward to publishing more of my film work from past decades.

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Join me on my Instagram site as I explore the world of mobile photography.

This week on the Digital Story: Is the DSLR Dead? CPS Services for Canon Shooters. Facebook for TDS Comments. Event Photography Follow Up... and more!

Story #1 - Is the DSLR Dead? I get this question a lot. I guess because I've embraced mirrorless cameras, many photographers are assuming that one replaces another. This is not the case. The DSLR is far from dead, and I discuss why.

Story #2 - CPS Services for Canon Shooters. If you depend on Canon gear and want the best in service for it, I recommend Canon Professional Services Gold membership ($100 year). You get 2 free clean & checks a year, event support, equipment loan, 3-day turnaround, 30 percent repair discount, and free return shipping. Plus they treat you like a king. You need 20 CPS points to qualify, which for me was essentially one body and 3 lenses.

Story #3 - Facebook for Comments. Because of the spam problem that was crashing TDS daily, I've moved the conversation over to the TDS Facebook page. It's worked out great. And remember, we have our TDS Member Photo of the Day published there too. If you're not a Facebook person, you can always write me at derrick[at]thedigitalstory[dotcom] to comment.

Story #4 - Event Photography Follow Up. Did you see the Inside my Pro Messenger Camera Bag post? It includes details for my event photography equipment with a 1-minute movie showing the contents of my Lowepro Pro Messenger 200 AW camera bag.

Listen to the Podcast

You can also download the podcast here (31 minutes). Or better yet, subscribe to the podcast in iTunes. You can support this podcast by purchasing the TDS iPhone App for only $2.99 from the Apple App Store.

Monthly Photo Assignment

The March 2013 photo assignment is Black & White.

More Ways to Participate

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our Flickr Public Group. And from those images, I choose the TDS Member Photo of the Day.

Podcast Sponsors

Red River Paper -- Keep up with the world of inkjet printing, and win free paper, by liking Red River Paper on Facebook.

Make Your Photos Sizzle with Color! -- SizzlPix is like High Definition TV for your photography. Take the SizzlPix Challenge - See how your photo will Sizzl by getting a free 5x7 section of an uploaded image. Just put TDS or The Digital Story in the comments to get your free SizzlPix section.

Need a New Photo Bag? Check out the Lowepro Specialty Store on The Digital Story and use discount code LP20 to save 20% at check out.

In last week's podcast, I talked about how I was going to prepare for the St. Patrick's Parade assignment in San Francisco. My basic equipment list was:

• Lowepro Pro Messenger 200 AW
• Canon 5D Mark II with a Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L zoom
• Olympus OM-D with a Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 X Series lens

Originally I was thinking of using the 60D instead of the 5D Mark II. As it turned out, I had to send my 60D to CPS to have the grip reglued. So I went with the 5D Mark II with the 70-200mm, which I used most of the time. But when I did need a short lens, I grabbed the OM-D. I prefer this to changing lenses while on the run.

Here's a 1-minute peek inside my Pro Messenger 200 AW to show you how I set up the bag.

I carried this rig all day, logging miles up and down Market St., across the water on the Larkspur Ferry, and with me in restaurants for some after-assignment celebration. (I don't like to leave camera gear in the car!) I'll be working with this same set-up later this week for my 3-day assignment covering the Artisan Cheese Festival.

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Beautiful weather and happy people were the highlights of the St. Patrick's Day celebration in San Francisco. Here are a few images that show why this is such a popular gathering year after year.

Photos by Derrick Story.

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I bet you rarely use Noise Reduction in Aperture. Probably because it doesn't work that well... at least not for its intended purpose. What it is good for, however, is rendering more pleasing skin tones for your portraits. Here's how.

Model Francesca Parnigoni already has great skin. Using my noise reduction technique, I was able to soften it just a bit without losing its natural texture.

Noise reduction, when applied as illustrated here (2.0 Radius; 0 Edge Detail), creates a slight softening effect without losing the natural textures. So when you have a subject that has nice skin, you can retain its characteristics while creating a subtle, but appealing enhancement. In Francesca's case, I want to see those faint freckles. They're attractive. Most skin enhancing techniques would wipe them out. But not this one!

Basic Steps

• Choose Noise Reduction from the Add Adjustment popup menu. Make sure the box is checked.
• Set Radius to 2.0 and Edge Detail to 0. The effect is now applied to the entire image.
• Click on Gear icon in the Noise Reduction brick and select "Brush Noise Reduction Away" from the popup menu.
• Use the brush to paint over the eyes, eye brows, and selected hair to remove the noise reduction effect from those areas. (They will return to their original sharpness.)
• To check your work, click on the Gear icon in the floating Noise Reduction palette, and select Color Overlay. You'll be able to see the areas where you removed the noise reduction effect.
• Turn off color overlay, and enjoy.

Eyes will now be their original sharpness, but skin receives the subtle enhancing effect. If you need further work on the skin, you can always apply the skin softening brush. Just make sure you're not too heavy-handed.

More Aperture Tips and Techniques

To learn more about Aperture, check out my Aperture 3.3 Essential Training (2012) on lynda.com. Also, take a look at our Aperture 3 Learning Center. Tons of free content about how to get the most out of Aperture.

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The Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 25mm f/1.4 ASPH Lens ($499) for Micro 4/3 cameras brings a fast prime lens to the mirrorless form factor at a relatively reasonable price.

I've tested this lens for a variety of shots, mostly when set to f/1.4, and have a few images with comments to share.

Natural Light Portrait Lens

Capturing portraits with the Leica set to wide open on an Olympus OM-D is pure joy.

It's sharp where you focus it, there's nice softening outside of the focus area, but the falloff isn't so steep that you ruin shots due to misfocusing.

Model Francesca Parnigoni

Francesca Parnigoni close up

The 25mm focal length forces you to interact with your subject because you can't stand too far back. I'm definitely adding this lens to my portrait studio kit.

Sharpness

It's sharp. The autofocusing on the OM-D was fast and accurate. And even though the lens doesn't have image stabilization built in, the OM-D does. So you get speed and IS... and excellent detail.

Here's a screen capture from Aperture showing the loupe magnified to 200 percent on the detail of the top basketball. Notice the texture and the clarity of David Stern's signature, even at 200 percent.

I opened the aperture to f/1.4 for the basketball image. Actually, I rarely shoot at any other setting with this lens. Also note how the background is nicely softened.

Color Fringing

I had read that the weakness of the Leica 25mm is some color fringing in bright, contrasty light. I tried to duplicate those results in my own testing. But I didn't see much in my shots.

Here's a screenshot from Aperture with the magnifying loupe set to 200 percent. I examined all of the tree branches too, and they looked the same as the lamp. This image was captured at f/4.5. There may be different results at different settings. But overall, I had no problem with color fringing in my initial tests.

Bottom Line

The Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 25mm f/1.4 ASPH Lens is worth every penny of its $499 price tag. Included in the box is a bayonet mount lens hood and soft lens pouch. I'd recommend getting a 46mm neutral density filter to allow you to shoot at wide apertures outside. Because that's the real joy of this lens.

Having a compact f/1.4 prime that fits in my pants pocket adds value to my micro four thirds system. It's this type of glass that increases my trust in the system for assignment work as well as creative projects. I love it!

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Take a look at the Olympus Micro Four Thirds Gear Guide for an overview of cameras, lenses, and accessories.

You have two cameras on your iPhone, why not put them to use? That's the feeling of Toad Murphy, the group that created Dblcam.

This free app captures two image in quick succession. The first with the back camera on the iPhone, then a second with the front. The obvious users are the growing numbers of selfy photogs on Instagram and Facebook. But the app has potential for anyone with a creative bent.

I recorded this image during a midday stroll on one of my favorite walking paths. I captured a half dozen images, liking them all, but preferred this version that I shared on Instagram.

If you're in the mood to try something different, Dblcam is definitely worth a look.

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This week on The Digital Story: It's me and 100,000 Irish this coming Saturday for the St. Patrick's Day Parade in San Francisco. Here's how I'm going to prepare for this crazy assignment. Lowepro's new Flipside 20L AW outdoor backpack. Our first advanced workshop covering the Artisan Cheese Festival. All of this and more on this week's podcast.

Story #1 - Preparations for St. Patrick's Day Parade Shoot, SF, March 16 - 100,000 in attendance. Gear: Canon 60D and OM-D, Canon 70-200mm f/4, Canon 40mm f/2.8, Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8, Olympus 60mm f/2.8, Canon 320 EX Flash Going to catch the ferry in Larkspur to downtown SF to avoid traffic. Why did I choose this stuff for the shoot?

Story #2 - Lowepro has just introduced the Flipside Sport 20L AW, a lightweight and breathable bag to use during their outdoor adventures. The Flipside Sport 20L AW fits 2 pro SLR cameras with integrated grips (one with attached 300mm f/2.8 lens), 2 extra lenses and a flash, a tablet or laptop, tripod or monopod, a battery charger and other accessories plus trekking poles and other personal gear. The backpack is available now priced at around $180.

Story #3 - -- The Artisan Cheese Festival Shoot will be our first advanced workshop. Three TDS photographers will be working with me: Scott McDaniel, Jeremy White, and Jeff Dickerson. I'm really looking forward to this. Then in June we have the TDS Workshop on Movie Making (June 15 & 16). A couple seats are open!

Listen to the Podcast

You can also download the podcast here (26 minutes). Or better yet, subscribe to the podcast in iTunes. You can support this podcast by purchasing the TDS iPhone App for only $2.99 from the Apple App Store.

Monthly Photo Assignment

The March 2013 photo assignment is Black & White.

More Ways to Participate

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our Flickr Public Group. And from those images, I choose the TDS Member Photo of the Day.

Podcast Sponsors

Red River Paper -- Keep up with the world of inkjet printing, and win free paper, by liking Red River Paper on Facebook.

Make Your Photos Sizzle with Color! -- SizzlPix is like High Definition TV for your photography. Take the SizzlPix Challenge - See how your photo will Sizzl by getting a free 5x7 section of an uploaded image. Just put TDS or The Digital Story in the comments to get your free SizzlPix section.

Need a New Photo Bag? Check out the Lowepro Specialty Store on The Digital Story and use discount code LP20 to save 20% at check out.

When you need to convert your purchased AAC (MPEG-4) music files to MP3, you can do so in iTunes 11 following these basic steps.

Setting Up

In iTunes 11, open Preferences and click on the General tab. Click on the Import Settings button. Choose MP3 Encoder from the pop up menu. For the Setting popup, I recommend the highest quality. Click OK. Then Click OK again to close Preferences.

Making the Conversion

Select the songs you want to convert. Go to File > Create New Version > Create MP3 Version. iTunes will convert your AAC file to the MP3 specifications you established previously. The MP3 version is added to your library. So you will have two copies of the song.

You can also right-click or control-click on the song and choose "Create MP3 Version" from the popup menu.

Copying and Transferring

Once you've created the transcoded versions of your songs, click on one in the iTunes library, then go to File > Show in Finder. iTunes will send you to the location of your files.

From there you can copy the songs to a flash drive, SD card, or other media for playback on an MP3-only device. Once you've copied the files, you'll probably want to delete them from your iTunes library to save space.

Click on the songs that have the "anti-iCloud" icon, then right-click or control-click on one of the selected and choose Delete. Make sure you don't delete your digital booklet if you have one in the album. They will be removed from your computer.

I've used this process to create MP3 files to play off a flash drive for my car stereo. It's very convenient, the ID3 tags accompany the files, and you still have your masters safe and sound in iTunes.

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In the case of the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM, you get what you pay for. At least that's the verdict of DP Review in their post, Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM review. Bestowing a Gold Award on the $2,100 pro zoom, Andy Westlake writes:

"...quite simply the Canon offers such exceptionally good optics that, if you're after the very best, there's simply no other choice."

Personally, there is much about this lens that I admire. But for my photography, I want image stabilization for that large of an investment.

How do you feel about it? If you want to share your thoughts, I've started a conversation on our TDS Facebook page.

Join me on my Instagram site as I explore the world of mobile photography.

In the post, 20 Things That Are Way Better In Slow Motion, we're treated to 20 film clips of activities recorded in slow motion.

Among my favorites are popcorn exploding, a bullet smashing into a wall, frog hopping across a pond, an eagle snatching its prey, and a cymbal being struck by a drum stick.

Fun stuff, all playing right on the web page.

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The easiest way to move a picture that you've just edited in your Aperture library to your iOS device is to drag and drop. That's right. It's that simple. And it works for iPhoto too.

Edited in Aperture, but want to use on my iPad. No problem! And it literally takes seconds to move.

Here's how to do it:

• Download the free Mac version of PhotoSync from the Mac App Store and put it on your Dock.
• Launch PhotoSync on your iOS device.
• On your Mac, drag the thumbnail of the image you want to transfer (in either iPhoto or Aperture) on to the PhotoSync icon in the Dock.
• Within seconds, the image will appear on your Camera Roll on your iPad or iPhone.

Setting the Size for the File That's Transferred

In Aperture, the Preview size of the file is what is moved from your Mac to iOS device. You can control that size by, in Aperture, going to Preferences > Previews, and setting the parameters you want. Here's what I use.

The size of your Preview in Aperture is the size of the file that's transferred.

Once you have the image, or images on your iOS device, you can easily show them off, post to Instagram, or even add to your Flickr account. Actually, I prefer uploading to Flickr from my iPhone than on my computer. It's more fun, and I have all of those filters to play with.

Aperture Tips and Techniques

To learn more about Aperture, check out my Aperture 3.3 Essential Training (2012) on lynda.com. Also, take a look at our Aperture 3 Learning Center. Tons of free content about how to get the most out of Aperture.

iPad for Digital Photographers

Comments Are Off!

Due to a wave of recent spam attacks, I've had to turn off the comments feature on The Digital Story. You can, however, add your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post these stories for discussion.

Top stories this week on The Digital Story: I found the cure to help me avoid purchasing the Sony RX1, Mobile Photography microsite coming to The Digital Story, The Return of Drobo, Workshops update... and more on this week's podcast.

This show was recorded with the RODE iXY Stereo Mic plugged in to an iPad 3. How does it sound?

Story #1 - The Cure. Remember how I was fighting the urge to buy the Sony RX1 that costs $2,800? I said that one of my tricks is to meet the same need with a lower cost item. Well, that's what I did.

I invested $499 in the Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 25mm f/1.4 ASPH Micro 4/3 lens for my Olympus OM-D. It gives the better speed than the f/2 Carl Zeiss on the Sony RX1, plus the ability to soften the background (though not as easily with the M 4/3 sensor for the OM-D compared to the full frame RX1).

Story #2 - Mobile Photography section coming to TDS with the Book Owner's Lounge.

Story #3 - Return of Drobo. I was on TWiP recently with photographer Thomas Hawk. He brought up the Drobo 5D, same model that I'm testing, and remarked how fast it was via Thunderbolt. We had a good conversation about the Drobo 5D, and Thomas definitely likes his. I wanted to share that data point with you to give you another photographer's perspective.

Story #4 - Workshops Update. Registration is open for the June "Movie Making for Photographers" workshop. In addition to me, we'll have two filmmaking professions on staff for this event. We'll be covering the Sonoma County Hot Air Balloon Classic as our class project.

Registration forms for the August Sonoma Coast workshop should go out this week.

Listen to the Podcast

You can also download the podcast here (27 minutes). Or better yet, subscribe to the podcast in iTunes. You can support this podcast by purchasing the TDS iPhone App for only $2.99 from the Apple App Store.

Monthly Photo Assignment

The March 2013 photo assignment is Black & White.

More Ways to Participate

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our Flickr Public Group. And from those images, I choose the TDS Member Photo of the Day.

Podcast Sponsors

Red River Paper -- Keep up with the world of inkjet printing, and win free paper, by liking Red River Paper on Facebook.

Make Your Photos Sizzle with Color! -- SizzlPix is like High Definition TV for your photography. Take the SizzlPix Challenge - See how your photo will Sizzl by getting a free 5x7 section of an uploaded image. Just put TDS or The Digital Story in the comments to get your free SizzlPix section.

Need a New Photo Bag? Check out the Lowepro Specialty Store on The Digital Story and use discount code LP20 to save 20% at check out.

Comments Are Off!

Due to a wave of recent spam attacks, I've had to turn off the comments feature on The Digital Story. You can, however, add your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post these stories for discussion.

Nikon joins the large sensor compact camera party with the Nikon Coolpix A. Built around a 16.2MP DX sensor, the Coolpix A uses a 28mm equivalent f/2.8 lens to allow photographers to capture 14-bit Raw files. The estimated street price will be $1,100.

Lots of good things to explore about this pocketable powerhouse, but I do think it's curious that Nikon decided to go with an f/2.8 prime lens instead of a faster f/2.0 that I'd hope for on a premium priced fixed lens camera.

For example, the Fujifilm X100 features a 12.3MP APS-C sensor, 35mm (equivalent) f/2.0 prime lens, and a switchable optical/electronic viewfinder for $50 less than the Nikon Coolpix A. The Nikon is smaller with higher resolution; the X100 is brighter with a built-in viewfinder. We'll see how things shake out with photographers.

Due to a wave of recent spam attacks, I've had to turn off the comments feature on The Digital Story. You can, however, add your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post these stories for discussion.

The Digital Story on Facebook -- discussion, outstanding images from the TDS community, and inside information. Join our celebration of great photography!

For the Jan. 2013 Photo Assignment, TDS shooters steadied their cameras and set their timers. See for yourself in our gallery, Self Timer. And which one will be the SizzlPix Photo Assignment Pick of the Month?

"Mirror Boats" by Greg Harris. A long-exposure night shot of boats on the Charles River in Cambridge, MA. Olympus E-P3 + 20mm f1.7 + f11 @ 25 sec.

See all of the great images from this month's assignment by visiting the Self Timer gallery page.

Participate in This Month's Assignment

The Mar. 2013 assignment is "Black & White." Details can be found on the Member Participation page. Deadline is March 31, 2013.

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 this month's assignment should be: "Photo Assignment: March 2013." 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.

Gallery posting is one month behind the deadline. So I'm posting Jan. 2013 at the end of Feb., the Feb. gallery will be posted at the end of March, and on and on.

Good luck with your March assignment, and congratulations to all of the fine contributors for Jan.

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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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