Most portrait photographers, including Laya Gerlock (who'll I'll talk about in just a minute), really only need two backdrops in their studio: black and white.

Black is the "go-to" background for dramatic compositions or to make colors jump off the screen. White, however, can be used in many different ways. In the excellent article on DIY Photography titled, Create Four Different Background Styles Using Only 1 White Seamless Paper, photographer Laya Gerlock shows you how to manipulate white backdrops in a variety of ways... including how to make it pure white and not yucky gray.

A 12 yard roll of 53" wide seamless white paper costs only $25.95. You can construct a backdrop support frame out of PVC pipe or purchase an affordable kit. Either way, you can convert a standard home living room into a portrait studio in less than an hour.

If you want to shoot more creative indoor portraits, take a look at Laya's article, and get your hands on a roll of white seamless paper.

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Aperture Portrait Tips and Techniques

To learn about portrait retouching in Aperture, including a trick to brighten white backdrops, take a look at Portrait Retouching with Aperture. You may want to check out my other Aperture titles, including Aperture 3.3 Essential Training (2012), Using iPhoto and Aperture Together, and the latest, Enhancing Product Photography with Aperture. Also, take a look at our Aperture 3 Learning Center. Tons of free content about how to get the most out of Aperture.

Those considering migrating from Aperture to Lightroom will be happy to hear that Adrian Grah's Exporter for Aperture is now available in the Mac App Store for $14.99. You can also download it from his site, ApertureExporter.com.

I first wrote about the beta version a couple weeks ago. Since that time, Adrian has received lots of feedback and has refined the utility. Highlights include.

• Export your Aperture library to a set of folders.
• Retain meticulously crafted project hierarchies.
• Keep all your metadata including ratings and comments.
• Original/Master images saved with XMP sidecar files for ultimate compatibility.
• Aperture adjusted images saved as TIFF or JPEG depending on image rating. Adjustments are baked-in the image.
• Exports images contained in your albums and smart albums.
• Converts Aperture flags and colour labels to keywords.
• Your Aperture libraries are unaltered and unaffected.

It's never easy moving your stuff, especially picture libraries. But Adrian can help make that job better.

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Yes, having an extensive, dedicated flash set-up is very handy for indoor portrait shoots. But what happens when you're in "run-in-gun" mode and don't have that gear?

In the article, 6 Flash Alternatives Beginners Should Always Keep in Mind, photographer Jeff Meyer shows you six alternatives to strobe lighting.

Portrait of Victoria using a north facing window as the main light. Photo by Derrick Story.

One of my favorite techniques is to use a window as the main light and find a reflective surface for the fill. In some settings, a white wall provides enough bounce to make this work.

Take a look at Jeff's article, and keep those tricks in your back pocket for the next time you discover your flashes are still at home.

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Join me on my Instagram site as I explore the world of mobile photography. And now Instagram features 15-second movies too.

This week on The Digital Story Photography Podcast: Make Mine 300mm (field testing), Rode Mic for iPhone 5 Series and iPad mini (this podcast was recorded with it!), Out of Focus Backdrops (very clever...) - All of this and more on today's show with Derrick Story.

Story #1 - The Weekly Update: Lastolite 'Out of Focus' backgrounds bring beautiful bokeh to your home studio. Two reversible models, a seascape / autumn foliage and summer foliage / city lights. Measuring 1.5 x 1.2m (4' x 5') the backgrounds are big enough for almost full-length portraits of most adults, and weigh in at 3kg (6.6lb) each - $205 each. (source: DP Review).

In other news, Hoya EVO Antistatic Filter Series - Acting like a force field around the filter to repel dust, the hardened, antistatic layer is water-repellent, stain- and scratch-resistant, and cleans easily when smudges or fingerprints are introduced to the surface. (Source: Photography Blog).

And finally, Sigma dp2 Quattro: We post our first batch of real-world gallery images (including RAW conversions). (Source: Imaging-Resource)

Butterfly with Passion Flower - Captured with the Olympus 75-300mm on an OM-D E-M10

Story #2 - Make Mine 300mm - The lens I've always wanted for my Canon DSLRs was the Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6L IS USM. But alas, it runs $1,600 and is a bit bulky. So I've rented it when I needed a super tele. But then I discovered the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 75-300mm f/4.8-6.7 II for $499, as first discussed last week, and I finally have a 300mm at home. Here's the wrap-up on this lens after a week of testing.

Rode iXY Mic on an iPhone 5S sitting on an Insanely Great FrameShift Mini-5 aircraft aluminum stand.

Story #3 - The Nimbleosity Report - The Rode iXY Stereo Microphone (Lightning Connector) for iPhone 5, 5S, 5C, and the iPad mini. I've been recording podcasts with the Dock Connector version of this mic for some time. But Rode has really upped their game with this latest version. In fact, this podcast was recorded with the new Rode iXY on my iPad mini. What do you think of the sound? Combined with the Rode Grip ($39), you have a versatile, high quality recording system always at your fingertips. The new Rode iXY Lightning deserves a top nimbleosity rating.

Story #4 - From the Screening Room - Basics of Using the Nik Collection with Tim Grey. This 10-minute movie is terrific for Lightroom users because Tim walks you through the steps for setting up the Nik plug-ins in the app. I'm pretty sure you'll learn something you previously did not know.

You can watch Tim in action by visiting the TDS Screening Room at lynda.com/thedigitalstory. While you're there, you can start your 7 day free trial to watch other design, photography, and computing titles, plus every other topic in the library (including my brand new "Photographing High School Senior Portraits."

Story #5 - A Free Photo Workshop, Week 2. I'm working on the 2015 TDS Photography Workshop Schedule. As many of you know, I like to introduce at least one new topic a season. And I'd like to hear from you, "What Theme Would You Love for Me to Teach in 2015?" Send your idea to derrick@thedigitalstory.com with the subject line: My Favorite Workshop Topic. My goal is to incorporate one of these suggestions into the 2015 season. If I do, that person gets free tuition to that workshop. I give an update on the suggestions that have come in.

Virtual Camera Club News

From SizzlPix: Now, for The Digital Story listeners and readers, this month only, SizzlPix will knock off 20% of the price for your SizzlPix, any quantity, any size up to 6 feet! Just put the initials TDS or "The Digital Story" in the comments space of their new, simplified online order form. SizzlPix.com.

Save on Ground Shipping for Red River Paper: Use coupon code ground50c to receive a 50 percent discount on UPS ground shipping for Red River Paper. No minimum purchase required.

Photo Assignment for July 2014 is "Smokin' Hot".

If you haven't done so already, please post a review for The Digital Story Podcast in iTunes.

BTW: If you're ordering through B&H or Amazon, please click on the respective ad tile under the Products header in the box half way down the 2nd column on thedigitalstory.com. That helps support the site.

Download the Show

In addition to subscribing in iTunes, you can also download the podcast file here (34 minutes). You can support this podcast by purchasing the TDS iPhone App for only $2.99 from the Apple App Store.

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

lynda.com - Learn lighting, portraiture, Photoshop skills, and more from expert-taught videos at lynda.com/thedigitalstory.

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

SizzlPix! - High resolution output for your photography. You've never seen your imagery look so good. SizzlPix.com. SizzlPix! now is qualified for PayPal "Bill Me Later," No payments, No interest for up to 6 months, which means, have your SizzlPix! now, and pay nothing until January!

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The Olympus M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 75-300mm f/4.8-6.7 II zoom has been on quite a journey. It began with an ugly design and a $900 price tag. Then in 2013, Olympus redesigned the zoom and lowered the cost. Now, Micro Four Thirds shooters can snag this telephoto for $499. So how does it stack up against a couple of its peers?

I decided to do a "Saturday Afternoon 100mm Test" comparing it to the Olympus 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 ($149) and the classic Four Thirds tele, the Olympus 70-300mm f/4-5.6 Zuiko ED zoom lens. The 40-150mm is very affordable, but lacks a metal lens mount, and the 70-300mm requires the Four-Thirds to Micro-Four-Thirds adapter.

I attached the lenses to an OM-D E-M5 that was tripod mounted and focused on the left corner of the Rode iXY box. ISO 800, Aperture Priority at f/5.6, Auto White Balance, 2-second self timer, RAW format.

Below are the comparisons. I used the Loupe in Aperture at 200 percent. No adjustments of any type on the images. They are the straight RAW files decoded by Aperture's E-M5 profile.

Text comparison at the point of focus. From left to right: 40-150mm, 75-300mm (sharpest), and the 70-300mm. Click on image for enlarged view.

Face comparison slightly behind the point of focus. From left to right: 40-150mm, 75-300mm (sharpest), and the 70-300mm. Click on image for enlarged view.

Bottom Line

At the 100mm focal length, my most common setting for telephotos, the $499 75-300mm Micro Four Thirds zoom did get the job done. I now have the confidence I need, knowing that I can use it for portrait shoots.

All three zooms displayed light chromatic aberration along the text lines, but none should present drawbacks for everyday shooting. I was surprised that the inexpensive and much-maligned 40-150mm tele performed as well as it did. And the size-impractical 70-300mm Four Thirds zoom will continue to stay at home.

Do you perform your own informal lens tests when you buy new glass? If so, share an experience on our TDS Facebook page. My next "Saturday Afternoon Lens Test" will focus on the 200mm and 300mm focal lengths.

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Some photographers are leery of the "Format" command and stick with simply erasing their memory cards. But formatting is actually better for maintaing the health of your SD or CF Flash memory. The key is a fresh directory and the elimination of cruft data bits.

The pictures themselves are just as recoverable (in an emergency) when you format as when you erase. So there really isn't a compelling reason to use "Erase All" instead.

In this short video for lynda.com, I explain the virtues of a freshly formatted card.

Recover Photos from Memory Cards

What should you do (and more importantly not do) if something goes wrong with your camera's memory card? Help is on the way! Check out my lynda.com title, Recovering Photos from Memory Cards, and save those valuable pictures.

It happens all the time. Sure, most photographers would rather shoot in the morning or late afternoon. But for paid assignments that involve busy schedules, you'd be surprised at how often you have to contend with midday lighting.

This portrait by Emerson Chen was captured in midday lighting at the TDS Sonoma Coast Workshop. Looks good to me!

You survive these situations by taking control of the light. Typically, this involves working with shade, adding fill flash, trying a diffuser, or bouncing light with a reflector. There's an excellent article on The Phoblographer titled, How to Shoot Better Photos at High Noon. There, the author Amanda Chatham explains the most popular techniques for taming harsh light.

Bottom line: you can capture a great portrait any time of day. Brush up on these simple, but effective lighting techniques to make sure you're prepared for your next high noon showdown.

Join me on my Instagram site as I explore the world of mobile photography. And now Instagram features 15-second movies too.

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Here's a camera that has piqued much curiosity. The Sony Alpha A7s mirrorless digital camera (currently available for preorder at $2,498) is a full-frame 12.2MP powerhouse with expansive dynamic range, low noise, and extended sensitivity to ISO 409,600. And if that isn't crazy enough for you, it also supports 4:2:2 UHD 4K video output via HDMI.

Needless to say, such a beast would capture the attention of gearhead Doug Kaye. And the result is a comprehensive video review on All About the Gear, hosted by Frederick Van Johnson.

If this camera is on your radar, you should sit back and enjoy this presentation.

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This week on The Digital Story Photography Podcast: Dusting Off the DSLR, Free Photo Workshop, Macro Photography, Lens Deal - All of this and more on today's show with Derrick Story.

Story #1 - The Weekly Update: Ricoh announces Pentax XG-1 superzoom. This bridge camera sports a whopping 52X zoom (24-1248 mm) and will go on sale in August for $396. (source: DP Review).

In other news, Hasselblad Releases CFV-50c CMOS Back for V-System Cameras. "Designed with simple operation in mind, the back requires zero cables for connection, a first of its kind. As for the technical details, the CFV-50c is capable of up to ISO 6400, 1.5fps, 16-bit color, features a 3" 24-bit color display and uses a CF card for storage, when not tethered to a computer." Estimated price: $15,000. (Source: PetaPixel).

And finally, Olympus M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 75-300mm f/4.8-6.7 II Lens on Sale for $499 (with free Expedited Shipping). (Source: B&H Photo)

Story #2 - Dusting Off the DSLR - I have a big corporate project coming up that involves more than a half dozen shoots over a 3 month period. Because these images will be used a variety of ways, including billboards, and because the client wants very soft background for the portraits, I'll be using my DSLR kit. I haven't shot with it a while because of all my travel. Here's a bit about coming up to speed again.

Story #3 - 1:1:1 - Here's a basic technical reminder that 1 f-stop equals 1 full shutter speed equals 1 full ISO setting. I review how this works and why it's important in the third segment of today's show.

Story #4 - From the Screening Room - Photography 101: Shooting Macros and Close-Ups with Joseph Linaschke. I know Joseph well and he's a terrific instructor. In this brand new title, he shows you a variety of techniques for close-up photography.

You can watch Joseph in action by visiting the TDS Screening Room at lynda.com/thedigitalstory. While you're there, you can start your 7 day free trial to watch other design, photography, and computing titles, plus every other topic in the library (including my brand new "Photographing High School Senior Portraits."

Story #5 - A Free Photo Workshop. I'm working on the 2015 TDS Photography Workshop Schedule. As many of you know, I like to introduce at least one new topic a season. And I'd like to hear from you, "What Theme Would You Love for Me to Teach in 2015?" Send your idea to derrick@thedigitalstory.com with the subject line: My Favorite Workshop Topic. My goal is to incorporate one of these suggestions into the 2015 season. If I do, that person gets free tuition to that workshop.

Virtual Camera Club News

From SizzlPix: Now, for The Digital Story listeners and readers, this month only, SizzlPix will knock off 20% of the price for your SizzlPix, any quantity, any size up to 6 feet! Just put the initials TDS or "The Digital Story" in the comments space of their new, simplified online order form. SizzlPix.com.

Save on Ground Shipping for Red River Paper: Use coupon code ground50c to receive a 50 percent discount on UPS ground shipping for Red River Paper. No minimum purchase required.

Photo Assignment for July 2014 is "Smokin' Hot".

If you haven't done so already, please post a review for The Digital Story Podcast in iTunes.

BTW: If you're ordering through B&H or Amazon, please click on the respective ad tile under the Products header in the box half way down the 2nd column on thedigitalstory.com. That helps support the site.

Download the Show

In addition to subscribing in iTunes, you can also download the podcast file here (32 minutes). You can support this podcast by purchasing the TDS iPhone App for only $2.99 from the Apple App Store.

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

lynda.com - Learn lighting, portraiture, Photoshop skills, and more from expert-taught videos at lynda.com/thedigitalstory.

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

SizzlPix! - High resolution output for your photography. You've never seen your imagery look so good. SizzlPix.com. SizzlPix! now is qualified for PayPal "Bill Me Later," No payments, No interest for up to 6 months, which means, have your SizzlPix! now, and pay nothing until February!

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How do you make a terrific lens look even better? Lower the price to $499.

You can now save $50 instantly (no rebate nonsense) on the excellent Olympus M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 75-300mm f/4.8-6.7 II Lens. This is the recently redesigned zoom that fared very well in its DxO Mark test and has been popular with TDS readers.

I just purchased this zoom for an upcoming shoot at Safari West as part of the TDS Fall Color with Safari West Workshop in October. I'll have time to test it before the big event.

The Olympus 75-300mm zoom is a solid example of how you can save bulk and weight with Micro Four Thirds photography. The effective view is 150mm-600mm, yet it's less than 5" long and weighs less than 15 ounces. And the $499 price tag is icing on the cake.

Want to Know What's in My Camera Bag?

Take a look at the My Gear page on TDS.

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When you buy an iPhone through an AT&T store, they offer you insurance to protect your device. Yes, they give you the basic costs, but more than likely, the big picture won't be explained. Once you look closer at the details, another option may surface.

Here's a real life example. Just this week, I immersed my iPhone 5S beyond repair. Since I had bought the device directly from Apple, I had never considered insurance from my carrier, AT&T.

I submitted a service request via the Apple Online Store on Tuesday evening. The charge to replace my iPhone 5S was $269 plus tax. (The Apple warranty does not cover dunking the phone in water.) Apple submitted my info to UPS that night. The next morning I dropped off my phone at the closest UPS shipping center (they did the packing for me), and by Friday afternoon I had a replacement 5S, same configuration as I had bought, delivered by FedEx. The entire process took 3 days.

We have another iPhone 5S on our AT&T family plan that we purchased at an AT&T store. We opted for the $9.99 a month protection plan that is underwritten by Continental Casualty Company and administered by Asurion Protection Services. The deductible for the iPhone 5S is $199. We've had a claim with them before, and the entire process took over 2 weeks and included 3 phone calls.

The bottom line is this: Apple covers your iPhone for 1 year for free. There are certain exceptions such as water immersion. Even with the exception, they will replace your iPhone for less than $300 when out of warranty, and do so quickly and without hassle.

I'm not recommending one option over the other. But it's something to keep in mind the next time you find yourself purchasing a new iPhone at an AT&T store.

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Aperture Exporter is a new app written by Adrian Grah designed to ease the pain of moving your library to Lightroom.

Aperture Exporter in action.

In my latest article for c't Digital Photography Magazine, Aperture Exporter - A Utility to Move Your Library to Lightroom, I share comments from Adrian and explain in detail how this application works. In essence, AE helps you extract content from your Aperture library and save it in a structure that's easily consumable by Lightroom.

After my first few rounds of testing, I estimate that this utility can easily cut your migration time in half, if not more. Aperture Exporter is still in beta, and Adrian is committed to improving it. So as user feedback rolls in, we'll see the app evolve even more.

If you're considering a move to Lightroom, be sure to take a look at this article first.

Aperture Tips and Techniques

To learn the finer points of Aperture to help you prepare your library for transition, 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.

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

I'm the biggest fish of them all. And when I visit a tropical destination, I can't wait to jump in the water.

Shy Ornate Butterfly fish watching me behind coral - Photos by Derrick Story

I travel light: mask, fins, snorkel, and compact camera. But even with this simple set of tools, I can capture memorable photos and have a great time doing so. I just follow these five tips.

1. Go Early, But Wait for the Sun - I'm usually in the water by 7:30 AM. The swells tend to be calmer, there are far fewer people, and the fish are plentiful. If it's overcast, however, I usually wait for the sun to appear. Snorkeling without sunlight tends to yield dull pictures.
2. Learn How to Dive Downward - It's fun to troll the surface and watch the world below you. But when you see a fish you want to photograph, dive down a few feet to get a better angle. It takes a little practice, but it's worth it.
3. Get the Sun to Your Back - This age-old rule is far more important underwater than topside. It's a bit of effort to maneuver your body in the water to get the sun over your shoulder. But unless I'm going for an artistic approach, I like my fish portraits much better with this type of lighting.
4. Don't Touch Anything - The reef ecosystem should be treated with the utmost respect. Don't touch coral or wildlife. Watch your flippers so they don't accidentally brush against the landscape. Be aware of the current so you're not tossed against the rocks. Preserving this magical world ensures that generations to come will be able to enjoy it too.

Curious Sergeant Major fish stayed with me a while.

5. Use Focus Lock Before Shooting - If you just press the shutter button willy-nilly, you'll get a lot of sharp backgrounds with blurry fish. Compose your shot, focus on the eye if you can, press the shutter button half way to lock it in, then take the photo. Yes, fish move fast and you'll have a lot of misses. But the successes will thrill you.

My first priority is to be safe, protect the environment, have fun, and yes, hopefully capture some photos too. I wish the same great experiences for you.

Beautiful Unicorn fish just passing by.

Note: All photos were captured with an Olympus TG-1 Waterproof Camera and processed on an iPad mini using Lightroom Mobile. (I've yet to upload the masters to my MacBook Pro :-)

A big thanks to Dennis Adams, co-author of Step Zero II: Preparation for a SCUBA Live-Aboard Trip, for his advice over the years to help me improve my underwater photography. His tips have been very helpful.

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Join me on my Instagram site as I explore the world of mobile photography. And now Instagram features 15-second movies too.

This week on The Digital Story Photography Podcast: Interesting Canon 7D Mark II Sensor Rumor, Raw Editing on the iPad, No Laptop No Problem, A Clever Charging Cable - All of this and more on today's show with Derrick Story.

Story #1 - The Weekly Update: Adobe Photoshop Express update brings Raw editing (sort of). (source: DP Connect).

In other news, What happens to Lightroom after my membership ends? Tom Hogarty says, "...the desktop application will continue to launch and provide access to the photographs managed within Lightroom as well as the Slideshow, Web, Book or Print creations that we know many photographers painstakingly create. The Develop and Map modules have been disabled in order to signal the end of the membership... Lightroom Mobile will no longer sync also. (Source: Lightroom Journal).

And finally, New Version of Dual Pixel AF Rumored for Canon 7D Mark II - "... EOS 7D replacement will not just feature Canon's Dual Pixel CMOS Auto-Focus, it will push its capabilities to new boundaries." (Source: Canon Watch)

Story #2 - The ChargeCard - Faced with a low battery warning for your iPhone, iPad, or Android device? There are plenty of USB ports in the world, but what about the cable to connect to your device? Thanks to the ChargeCard, available at Photojojo, you can have a credit card connector always available in your wallet. I talk more about it in the second segment of today's show.

Story #3 - From the Screening Room - Lightroom 5: 05 Printing with Tim Grey. Prints are one of the most satisfying ways to present your photography to the world. Author Tim Grey feels the same way. And he shows you how to use the print module in Lightroom to create beautiful output.

You can watch Tim in action by visiting the TDS Screening Room at lynda.com/thedigitalstory. While you're there, you can start your 7 day free trial to watch other design, photography, and computing titles, plus every other topic in the library (including my brand new "Photographing High School Senior Portraits."

Story #4 - The Nimbleosity Report: No Laptop, No Problem. My report on an iPad-only vacation in Maui.

Virtual Camera Club News

From SizzlPix: Now, for The Digital Story listeners and readers, this month only, SizzlPix will knock off 20% of the price for your SizzlPix, any quantity, any size up to 6 feet! Just put the initials TDS or "The Digital Story" in the comments space of their new, simplified online order form. SizzlPix.com.

Save on Ground Shipping for Red River Paper: Use coupon code ground50c to receive a 50 percent discount on UPS ground shipping for Red River Paper. No minimum purchase required.

Photo Assignment for July 2014 is "Smokin' Hot".

If you haven't done so already, please post a review for The Digital Story Podcast in iTunes.

BTW: If you're ordering through B&H or Amazon, please click on the respective ad tile under the Products header in the box half way down the 2nd column on thedigitalstory.com. That helps support the site.

Download the Show

In addition to subscribing in iTunes, you can also download the podcast file here (32 minutes). You can support this podcast by purchasing the TDS iPhone App for only $2.99 from the iTunes App Store.

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

lynda.com - Learn lighting, portraiture, Photoshop skills, and more from expert-taught videos at lynda.com/thedigitalstory.

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

SizzlPix! - High resolution output for your photography. You've never seen your imagery look so good. SizzlPix.com. SizzlPix! now is qualified for PayPal "Bill Me Later," No payments, No interest for up to 6 months, which means, have your SizzlPix! now, and pay nothing until January!

Want to Comment on this Post?

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

Not everyone wants a Creative Cloud membership. And since you can still purchase Lightroom as a standalone app, you don't need CC.

But what if you want to use Lightroom to help you manage your smartphone pictures? Lightroom Mobile only works with a Creative Cloud account.

No problem. Here's a workflow that doesn't require Creative Cloud, but does let you use Lightroom to help you organize, add metadata, and edit your mobile photos. It's part of my Managing Your Mobile Photos title on lynda.com. (But you don't have to sign up for that either to watch this movie :-) Check out Uploading pictures directly to Lightroom. It's a free movie on the title page (Chapter 5, movie 2 - Just scroll down a bit).

I'll be writing about Lightroom Mobile in the future. But for now, if you're a standalone app user, you might find this movie helpful.

More Help on Managing Your Mobile Photos

In my lynda.com title, Managing Your Mobile Photos, I cover a variety of backup solutions for both iOS and Android users. These tutorials will help you build the perfect backup solution for you, so that you never lose a single memory.

In my perfect world, photographers always get to ride shotgun.

Yes, we'll serve as navigators, because that's what shotgun passengers do. But when we're not giving directions, we're free to take pictures.

Late Day - Maui

I really like car window photography. Often it combines a sense of energy with interesting or beautiful landscape... Only to be interrupted by the next set of directions.

Join me on my Instagram site as I explore the world of mobile photography. And now Instagram features 15-second movies too.

I remember reading a passage by Elliot Porter where he quipped that his best photographers were ones he didn't capture. In other words, the ones that got away.

I know that I miss more great shots than I capture. Not all misses are my fault. Someone jumps into the frame, the wind blows, or the light changes just as I press the shutter button. It's OK, though. Because as long as we have a few catches by the end of the day, then it was all worth while.

Everything else becomes just another good fish story.

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Restaurants are a fun part of travel. Just don't get stuck inside of one during twilight in paradise.

Once you finish your shoot, you can always go back for coffee and dessert.

Join me on my Instagram site as I explore the world of mobile photography. And now Instagram features 15-second movies too.

This week on The Digital Story Photography Podcast: No Laptop Travel, Memory Card Recovery, Padcaster Mini - All of this and more on today's show with Derrick Story.

Story #1 - The Weekly Update: Shoot RAW with Your Mobile Phone. The next version of Google's Android OS might build that capability right in to your mobile device. "Android Police has taken a look at the developer documentation and found that Android L will allow for Raw DNG image capture." (source: DP Connect).

In other news, 5 Reasons Why Beginners Should Invest in a Prime Lens. Terrific video that smartly recaps the advantages of a prime lens, especially the affordable 50mm f/1.8. (Source: PetaPixel).

And finally, Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 Digital Camera Dips to $998 from nearly $1,300 just last week. This all-in-one travel camera features a 1" sensor and Carl Zeiss 24-200mm f/2.8 lens.

Story #2 - No Laptop Travel - I'm leaving the MacBook Pro behind this week as I fly to Maui. I'll use my iPad mini to process photos, post on social networks, and even maintain the TDS website. I talk about this approach, and the apps I'll use, in today's second segment.

Story #3 - Memory Card Recovery - I have a new training on lynda.com titled, Recovering Photos from Memory Cards where I cover many facets of taking care of your camera's SD and CF cards. Here are a few tips from that research.

Story #4 - The Nimbleosity Report: "Padcaster Mini" - The Padcaster Mini is a rugged aluminum frame with tons of threaded holes on all sides and a flexible insert that holds the iPad snugly. The $99 kit comes with the frame, insert, a lens bracket and step-down ring, four screws to hold it in place, and a cold-shoe adapter that you can pop your favorite light or mic into. More about its usefulness in the fourth segment of today's show.

Virtual Camera Club News

From SizzlPix: Now, for The Digital Story listeners and readers, this month only, SizzlPix will knock off 20% of the price for your SizzlPix, any quantity, any size up to 6 feet! Just put the initials TDS or "The Digital Story" in the comments space of their new, simplified online order form. SizzlPix.com.

Save on Ground Shipping for Red River Paper: Use coupon code ground50c to receive a 50 percent discount on UPS ground shipping for Red River Paper. No minimum purchase required.

Photo Assignment for July 2014 is "Smokin' Hot".

If you haven't done so already, please post a review for The Digital Story Podcast in iTunes.

BTW: If you're ordering through B&H or Amazon, please click on the respective ad tile under the Products header in the box half way down the 2nd column on thedigitalstory.com. That helps support the site.

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.

SizzlPix! - High resolution output for your photography. You've never seen your imagery look so good. SizzlPix.com. SizzlPix! now is qualified for PayPal "Bill Me Later," No payments, No interest for up to 6 months, which means, have your SizzlPix! now, and pay nothing until January!

Want to Comment on this Post?

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

Airplane entertainment systems are certainly welcome on long flights, but I like to watch my own selection of content too. For example, currently I'm hooked on Breaking Bad and am working my way through past seasons.

This is even more fun when shared with a travel partner. It's just like going to the movies: You can watch it together, then discuss the show over a cup of coffee afterwards.

For these occasions, I keep a Monster iSplitter 1000 Y-Splitter with Volume Control/Mute ($9.99) in my carry-on bag. With it, I can share music, TV shows, and movies with another. It even has separate volume controls.

The iPad is a terrific travel companion in many ways, and entertainment is definitely one of them. Sharing that content with another makes it even more fun.

This Monster Y Splitter has a high Nimbleosity Rating. What does that mean? You can learn about Nimbleosity and more by visiting TheNimblePhotographer.com.

When image editing in Lightroom, when do you use the Whites slider vs the Highlights slider?

There's a terrific post on Improve Photography that answers that very question. The difference between highlights and whites sliders in Lightroom explains that the Whites slider helps you set the white point, and the Highlights slider is designed to recover detail from that tonal range. They provide plenty of examples on how this works.

Keep in mind that either highlight or shadow recovery is more effective with RAW files than Jpegs. There's more information to "retrieve" with RAW. But that doesn't mean that these tools aren't useful for Jpeg editing too.

If you know that you're going to be shooting in contrasty situations, then I recommend you take advantage of RAW... and of course, review the informative article on Improve Photography.

Want to Comment on this Post?

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

The most vulnerable moment in our photo workflow is when we first capture an image, and the camera writes it to a memory card. The fate of that picture rests in the hands of a $30, plastic-encased accessory.

In my latest lynda.com title, Recovering Photos from Memory Cards, I show you how to protect your captured images, and if necessary, recover them if something goes wrong.

You can watch the introduction movie to get a feel for the course. Topics include:

• When the Worst Happens: Recovery Strategies
• A Closer Look at Photo-Recovery Software
• Avoiding Problems
• The Difference Between Erasing and Formatting
• Formatting: In the Camera or the Computer?

Even though this is a serious topic, it's a fun course. I hope you give it a look.

Want to Comment on this Post?

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

For the May 2014 Photo Assignment, TDS shooters explored new territory around their homes (with camera in hand). See for yourself in our gallery, Around the House. And which one will be the SizzlPix Pick of the Month?

Dominick Chiuchiolo writes, "Here is a shot from around the corner of my house. I love this horse farm. I shot this just as it started to rain and the horses were having a little 'horse play.' It's definitely around their house." See all of the great images from this month's assignment by visiting the Around the House gallery page. Photo by Dominick Chiuchiolo.

Participate in This Month's Assignment

The July 2014 assignment is "Smokin' Hot." Details can be found on the Member Participation page. Deadline is July 31, 2014. 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: July 2014." 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 May 2014 gallery at the end of June, the June gallery will be posted at the end of July, and on and on.

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

Want to Comment on this Post?

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

iPad for Digital Photographers

If you love mobile photography like I do, then you'll enjoy iPad for Digital Photographers-- now available in print, Kindle, and iBooks versions.

This week on The Digital Story Photography Podcast: The End of Aperture development by Apple, a Great Vacation Camera Bag, and the Ins and Outs of Copyright Law - All of this and more on today's show with Derrick Story.

Story #1 - The Weekly Update: Ansel Adams' 4x5" view camera to be auctioned off - The auction is to be held on July 9, 2014, and prospective bidders can still register online. If you'd like to own a piece of American photographic history, be ready to grab deeply into your pockets, as Adams' Arca Swiss is expected to sell for $300,000 or more. (source: Imaging-Resource.com).

In other news, Everything You Wanted to Know About Copyright but Were Afraid to Ask - Presented by B&H Photo, photographer Jack Reznicki and lawyer Ed Greenberg demystify and illuminate the gray areas in an easy, humorous, and understandable manner that only this pairing of a photographer and lawyer with so much "real-life, in-the-trenches" experience can provide. (Source: B&H Event Space).

And finally, Canon Lens Microsite for Canon shooters who want to determine the best lens for the task at hand. The microsite also features educational videos from Canon's "EF 101" series that show some practical examples of how to use each type of lens.

Story #2 - Apple Halts Development of iPhoto and Aperture, Migrates Users to New Photos App. Aperture users have three basic options: do nothing, switch to Lightroom, or migrate to Photos. I talk about these options in today's second segment.

Story #3 - The Nimbleosity Report: "Packing for Maui" - I'm changing my bag to the Lowepro Photo Hatchback 16L AW Backpack that is a great bag for vacation travel. I'll explain why in the 3rd segment of today's show.

Story #4 - From the Screening Room - Photoshop Color Correction: Advanced Projects with Taz Tally. One of the things I really like about this title is that Taz also shows you how to identify color problems and discusses options to fix them before attempting actual corrections. Very helpful.

You can watch Taz in action by visiting the TDS Screening Room at lynda.com/thedigitalstory. While you're there, you can start your 7 day free trial to watch other design, photography, and computing titles, plus every other topic in the library (including my brand new "Photographing High School Senior Portraits."

Virtual Camera Club News

From SizzlPix: Now, for The Digital Story listeners and readers, this month only, SizzlPix will knock off 20% of the price for your SizzlPix, any quantity, any size up to 6 feet! Just put the initials TDS or "The Digital Story" in the comments space of their new, simplified online order form. SizzlPix.com.

Save on Ground Shipping for Red River Paper: Use coupon code ground50c to receive a 50 percent discount on UPS ground shipping for Red River Paper. No minimum purchase required.

Photo Assignment for July 2014 is "Smokin' Hot".

If you haven't done so already, please post a review for The Digital Story Podcast in iTunes.

BTW: If you're ordering through B&H or Amazon, please click on the respective ad tile under the Products header in the box half way down the 2nd column on thedigitalstory.com. That helps support the site.

Virtual Camera Club News

From SizzlPix: they've streamlined the SizzlPix! website, so that ordering is now easy as 1-2-3.

1. From any page, go to "Original Low Prices." Decide on your size and hanging option.
2. From there, click on the big blue button, "From Yours" at the top of the page.
3. After filling in the abreviated order form, you're taken automatically to the upload page to send in your image.

Save on Ground Shipping for Red River Paper: Use coupon code ground50c to receive a 50 percent discount on UPS ground shipping for Red River Paper. No minimum purchase required.

Photo Assignment for June 2014 is "Any Kind of Light but Natural".

If you haven't done so already, please post a review for The Digital Story Podcast in iTunes.

BTW: If you're ordering through B&H or Amazon, please click on the respective ad tile under the Products header in the box half way down the 2nd column on thedigitalstory.com. That helps support the site.

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

lynda.com - Learn lighting, portraiture, Photoshop skills, and more from expert-taught videos at lynda.com/thedigitalstory.

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

SizzlPix! - High resolution output for your photography. You've never seen your imagery look so good. SizzlPix.com. SizzlPix! now is qualified for PayPal "Bill Me Later," No payments, No interest for up to 6 months, which means, have your SizzlPix! now, and pay nothing until January!

Want to Comment on this Post?

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.