After posting my review of the excellent Nissin i40 flash on c't Digital Photography, and talking about it on this week's podcast, I still have a few pictures leftover. So I thought I'd put together this brief visual tour for you.

Looking Good from the Front

This size of the flash seems to be a perfect match for many Micro Four Thirds bodies, such as the Olympus OM-D E-M1.

Gotta Love Those Dials

The flash is controlled by the Mode dial on the left, and Power dial on the right. So easy!

Built-In Diffuser and Bounce Card

Go to 16mm focal length coverage with the diffuser and bounce away with the built-in card.

Nice Kit!

Kit includes flash, case, stand, and diffuser cap to soften shadows.

Available Now...

The Nissin i40 Compact Flash for Four Thirds Cameras is available for $269.

The Nissin i40 flash has a high Nimbleosity Rating. What does that mean? You can learn about Nimbleosity and more by visiting TheNimblePhotographer.com.

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This week on The Digital Story Photography Podcast: The Best Flash for Micro Four Thirds Cameras, My Favorite iPhone Camera App, Guide for Improving Your Photography - All of this and more on today's show with Derrick Story.

Story #1 - Manual: Custom Exposure Camera App for iOS 8 - I finally have the control I want for my iPhone camera. I've used this app to capture some tough shots, and it works like no other. (Source: The Digital Story).

In other news, Fotodiox FlapJack LED Edgelight Series - "Rather than using forward-facing LEDs common in conventional panels, the FlapJacks' LEDs are mounted around their outer edge, aimed inward at layers of diffusion material to produce bounced light." Prices run from $249-$399. (Source: PhotographyBlog.com).

And finally, Rumor: Samsung Working on a Black-and-White Only NX Achromatic. "...the camera will be a special-edition version of the NX300 called the NX Achromatic, and it will sport the same 20MP sensor as the standard NX300 only without a bayer array or low pass filter." (Source: PetaPixel.com).

Story #2 - The Nissin i40 Compact Flash for Four Thirds Cameras ($269). This hotshoe strobe has it all: TTL, wireless, manual, and LED continuous. Plus, thanks to its twin control dials on the back, it's super easy to use. I discuss this gem in the second segment of today's show. And you can read my review of the i40 on c't Digital Photography Magazine.

Story #3 - Book Review: Learning to Photograph, Vol. 2 (eBook, 256 pages, $31.99) by Cora Banek / Georg Banek. Topics include:

• Visual perception
• Composition, shapes, and lines
• Managing light
• Color and its effects
• Sharpness, blur, and movement
• The interplay of visual design elements
• Image analysis and evaluation

Terrific guide to improve your images, plus provide inspiration when feeling stuck. Use coupon code LP14 for a 35% discount (making it only $20.79 saving you $11.20). And if you forget the code, there's a tile in the far right column of The Digital Story.

Virtual Camera Club News

Visit the Red River Paper Card Shop. You can peruse top selling cards, order the card sample kit, and read tutorials on card printing. 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 September 2014 is "Shot from Behind".

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 (30 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 March!

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The WD My Passport Wireless HD ($179) is a compact, spinning platter hard drive with built-in WiFi and a DNLA server. It wirelessly connects computers, tables, and smartphones, and includes USB 3.0 for hard wire access. Its built-in battery and SD card reader round out an impressive feature set for mobile photographers.

After 2 weeks of testing, it has earned a permanent home in my everyday camera bag and will be accompanying me to PhotoPlus Expo on assignment. The WD Wireless isn't perfect, but it is impressive.

Wireless Options

You have three wireless connectivity options, each useful depending on your situation: Direct Connection, Hotspot, and Home Network.

Direct Connection establishes a link between you and the My Passport via its WiFi server. The advantage is fast bandwidth. The disadvantage is that the Internet is not available using this method.

Hotspot leverages an existing network allowing both communication with the My Passport and online activity. Others on the network do not have access to your hard drive. You most likely give up a little performance, but gain Internet access. This is the method I use most often.

Home Network also leverages an external network, but makes the drive visible to all who have access to it. Great for sharing work among users in an office or around the house.

Seeing Drive Content via iOS

WD Dashboard as shown in Safari on an iPad Mini.

Once you've connected to the My Passport via Settings, you can use the WD My Cloud app to customize the hard drive and access its content. Plus you can monitor battery life, drive capacity, and other vital signs.

I also log-in to its server as an admin via the browser on my iPad for even more configuration options. The dashboard is well designed and easy to use.

Backing Up Photos

I have the My Passport set up to automatically backup the photos from any SD card I insert into its reader. All of the content is copied to the hard drive and organized in folders using this hierarchy: SD Card Imports > SDCard_XXXXX > DCIM > 100OLYMP > images.

Images copied to the My Passport drive via its SD card reader and viewed on an iPad.

The WD My Cloud app can display the Jpegs, but not the RAW files. However, the RAW files are there for when you return from your trip. The simplest method is to shoot RAW+Jpeg, use the Jpegs while on the road, and tap the RAWs at home.

You can copy an image to your device's Camera Roll by selecting it, then tapping the Download icon. Other sharing options include Email, Print, and Open In.

Being able to backup photos from the camera's memory card, then view them on your mobile device is the killer feature I've been waiting for.

More Functions Than I Can List

In addition to the photographer-friendly goodies, you can stream music and video via the drive's built-in DNLA media server. I also store work documents that I can securely read while on the road, even if I don't have cloud services available. And, now while on the plane, I have dozens of movies to choose from instead of just the one or two my iPad could accommodate.

And if you wish, you can use other apps, such as MoliPlayer HD to view your content. Any software that is DLNA compliant will work.

The battery life is good, about 4-5 hours. The WiFi access point remains active, even when not being used, as long as the device is booted up. The My Passport is also easy to recharge. I've used its compact wall plug as well as my solar Waka Waka charger with great success. WD did a good job with the battery technology for this unit.

A Few Quirks

The drive ships with a dummy SD card in the reader slot. Remove it to activate WiFi. Otherwise the drive will try to read the dummy card. And you don't get an indication of when the drive has finished backing up an SD card when in Automatic mode. I've been leaving it in the reader for about 5 minutes, just to be safe. In the future, I could test the actual copy time using the WD My Cloud app in manual copy mode.

The user interface is robust, but it is a bit odd at times. For example, you can create new folders to organize your work using the iOS app. But in order to put files in the new folder, you have to select > copy > paste. I wasn't used to copy/paste for moving files around. But once I figured it out, it was easy to remember.

You can also back up images from your iOS device to the My Passport drive. To do so, select Add Photo, navigate to the image in your Camera Roll, and tap Upload. The file will be copied to the drive at root level.

To move it to the desired folder, tap Select > Cut > (navigate to the directory) Paste. It's a bit weird, but it works.

Bottom Line

The WD My Passport Wireless HD allows me to travel with just my iPad and iPhone, leaving the laptop behind. Yet, when I return home, it connects to my MacBook Pro via USB 3.0 or wireless... my choice. I'm impressed with its feature set, design, and battery life. Quite honestly, it's the best new gadget I've tested in a while.

The WD My Passport Wireless HD has a very high Nimbleosity Rating. What does that mean? You can learn about Nimbleosity and more by visiting TheNimblePhotographer.com.

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New gear is everywhere. And for those who give in to temptation, decisions must be made about the items being replaced.

One route is to sell you old iPhone, digital camera, iPad, or computer on the used market. And in a lot of situations, I think that makes sense. I know I've made a lot of people happy with a good price for a gently used item.

But I hang on to a surprising amount of equipment too. I bought this stuff when it was new, I know it's been well-maintained, and I have uses for it. What might those be? Well, let's take a tour around my studio.

The Original iPad

Even though it won't run iOS 8, my original iPad looks and operates exceedingly well. I currently have it serving as a digital picture frame. Plus, it works great with those iHome speakers you see in the illustration as a music player for my studio.

It's running iOS 5.1.1, and that's where it tops out. So as long as I use it for my basic environment enhancement, I'm fine. BTW: the battery is still fantastic and has amazing life.

2008 MacBook Pro 17" Laptop

I bought this 17" in early 2008 because of its exceptional screen with matte finish. I still love the way images look on it. A few years ago, I installed an SSD drive to replace its spinning platter. This move definitely added new life to the aging, but otherwise fine laptop.

Currently the MBP is running Mac OS X Mavericks, and it can handle the Yosemite upgrade later this year. So it's a full-fledged member of my Apple ecosystem.

Today, I use the 2008 MacBook Pro to record my weekly podcasts. I'll also be using this classic machine to record an upcoming title for lynda.com.

iPhone 4S Unlocked

There's still plenty of life in my iPhone 4S, and I've found a variety of uses for it.

My current favorite is keeping a SIMsmart card in it for travel abroad. Since phones out of contract can be unlocked, I maintain a European phone number with the 4S.

It's also my podcast player during my morning commute and on business trips. Everything works just as well as originally, and it will accept the iOS 8 upgrade when I'm ready.

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iPhone photography is about to get a bit more interesting for serious enthusiasts. A new app for iOS 8 called, Manual - Custom exposure camera ($1.99), lets you set ISO, shutter speed, white balance, and focus. Plus you get geeky goodies such as live histogram and an EXIF viewer.

I took Manual for a test run around the studio with my iPhone 5S, and found it easier to use than I anticipated. In large part, the ease resulted from having a live view of your settings. If I increased the shutter speed, for example, the scene on my iPhone became darker in real time.

If you decide you want to work in auto mode, you can by setting ISO and shutter speed to green "auto." You stil have exposure compensation available, so it's auto with some control.

Overall, Manual is fun to shoot with, and it's particularly handy in situations where you want to create a low key or high key look. By using it, you can become quite the sophisticated shooter with your iPhone.

Manual for iOS 8 has a high Nimbleosity Rating. What does that mean? You can learn about Nimbleosity and more by visiting TheNimblePhotographer.com.

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I just read an interesting article on Petapixel, DIY: A Cheap and Effective Rig for Digitizing Negatives Using a Smartphone that shows you how to make an easy rig to use with your smartphone to copy slides.

The article reminded me of how many times, and different ways I've address this type of project. So I thought I'd list them all here for your entertainment and reference.

Review of the Lomography Smartphone Film Scanner

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. Read about the Lomo film scanner here.

Bottom Line: The Lomo is fun to use and convenient, but the results are so-so at best.

DIY Copy Stand for iPhone 3GS

If you've ever tried close-up work with the iPhone, you know you have two challenges. The first is holding the camera steady enough to avoid camera shake. The second is getting the plane of the camera parallel to the plane of the subject to avoid distortion. This little device helps with both, plus diffuses the light for a more flattering rendering. Read about the DIY Copy Stand here.

Bottom Line: It might not be pretty, but this rig produces great results.

DIY Slide Digitizer with Olympus OM-D and Leica Projector

This set-up solves the quality problem by using an Olympus 60mm f/2.8 macro lens with an Olympus OM-D E-M1. The Olympus 60mm has excellent edge-to-edge sharpness, plus a small barrel diameter to correctly couple with the slide projector. I simply remove the lens that came with the projector, then point the 60mm optic toward the illuminated slide. Read about the DIY Slide Digitizer here.

Bottom Line: It's a bit of a hassle to set up, but the digitized slides look great and can be used for a variety of purposes.

Canon 5D 35mm Slide Digitizer - DIY

If you have a full frame DSLR, you can easily digitize your favorite 35mm slides at home. I'm using a Canon 5D, Sunpak 444D flash, and a 1980s slide copier. That's all you really need. Read about the Canon 5D Slide Digitizer here.

Bottom Line: If you find the parts, you'll like the results.

So there you have it. A roundup of whacky, but often effective devices for digitizing content. What can you come up with?

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This week on The Digital Story Photography Podcast: What You Need to Know about the Canon 7D Mark II, the Wireless WD My Passport Hard Drive for Mobile Devices, iOS 8 Gets Its Photos On - All of this and more on today's show with Derrick Story.

Story #1 - Twice as good? Hands-on with Canon EOS 7D Mark II ($1,799) - After you read this piece, you will probably answer, "yes." Little goodies such as the mic and headphone jacks, to dual SD/CF slots, to new sensor and AF system, to clever advances such as the "anti-flicker" control add up to a big upgrade. (Source: DP Review).

Improved AF for the Canon 7D Mark II - Those are all cross sensors.

In other news, The Olympus OM-D E-M1 ($1,399)update lands ahead of schedule - It's like a new camera in some aspects. This article provides all the new features and improvements, with links for downloading. (Source: Imaging-Resource.com).

And finally, Skip The Lab: How To Mount And Frame Prints Yourself - A terrific 15-minute movie plus text explaining a tried and true process. (Source: Fstoppers.com).

Story #2 - The WD My Passport Wireless storage ($179) for iOS and Android devices. This is the solution I've been waiting for to allow me to travel with just an iPad. The 1TB drive allows me to bring a variety of files with me -- music, video, photo, PDF, text, etc. -- and more importantly, enables my saving files from the iPad or iPhone to the device. Plus it has a built-in SD card reader for on-the-fly backup. Those files can then be read by any of your mobile devices. I discuss this gem in the second segment of today's show.

Sharp looking control panel for the WD My Passport Wireless hard drive.

Story #3 - New Editing Tools in iOS 8 Photos App (free). What a leap forward. We've gone from having virtually no editing tools in Photos app to and array of color and luminance adjustments. I provide an overview in the third segment of today's show.

Story #4 - From the Screening Room - Finding the Perfect Portrait Lens with Chris Orwig. Not only will Chris help you decide which lens is best for the type of portrait you want to capture, but he has lots of tips for using those lenses.

You can watch Chris 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.

Virtual Camera Club News

Visit the Red River Paper Card Shop. You can peruse top selling cards, order the card sample kit, and read tutorials on card printing. 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 September 2014 is "Shot from Behind".

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 (33 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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I just finished a big two-month project for a Northern CA credit union, and I did not use TTL flash once for my strobe lighting. Instead, I relied my manual flash rig that's been serving me well the last year or so.

I've never been happier. The results have never been better.

My photo assistant, Leah, posing while I test my lighting on location for a client assignment. I used the manual flash rig described in this article.

I cover the gear and techniques I use in the article, Manual Flash in the Digital Age. The concept is simple. Using manual exposure settings for my camera - a Canon 5D Mark II in this case - and variable power settings on a pair of old Sunpak hotshoe flashes, I'm able to capture exactly the lighting effect I want, and enjoy extremely consistent images over the span of hundreds of frames.

Because the camera exposure and flash output is "locked in," I don't have to worry about variances if I recompose, focus on a different part of the composition, or change camera angles. This exposure consistency looks very professional when clients review the proofs.

If you want to learn more about this technique, and possibly put into use those old strobes stashed in your closet, take a look at Manual Flash in the Digital Age on the lynda.com Article Center.

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.

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The new Photos app in iOS 8 not only adds functionality to our iPhones and iPads, but it's a preview of things to come in Mac OS X Yosemite. So it's worth a look at its image editing tools. Here's a tour on my iPad Mini with Retina Display.

Basic Editing Tools

Most enthusiast photographers will want to head over to the Light/Color/B&W panel that is activated by tapping on the icon that is fourth from the top. Apple logically displays options for Light, Color, and B&W - the basics of image editing.

Adjusting with the Light Tools

Tap on Light and you can make a global adjustment by sliding up and down on the thumbnails that represent tonal adjustments. It works fine, but the real goodies are revealed by tapping on the menu icon beneath them.

Now it gets interesting. There are six additional adjustments that you can play with just by tapping on them. Here's what they do:

• Exposure - Adjusts the bright values of the image. For those familiar with Histograms, Exposure effects the right side of the graph.
• Highlights - Enables recovery of highlight detail. If you have tones that are "blown out" in the brightest areas of the image, this will help you bring them back.
• Shadows - Helps you recover lost detail in the darkest areas of the photo.
• Brightness - This is a midtone luminance adjustment. For those familiar with Histograms, Brightness effects the middle of the graph.
• Contrast - Impacts the bright areas and dark areas at the same time. Increasing contrast makes the darks darker and the brights brighter. Decreasing contrast does just the opposite.
• Black Point - Adjusts the dark areas of the image. For those familiar with Histograms, Black Point effects the left side of the graph.

Adjusting with the Color Tools

As with Light, you can make an overall color adjustment by sliding up and down on the color thumbnails. Tap on the menu icon beneath them, and there are three additional adjustments: Saturation, Contrast, and Cast. Here's what they do.

• Saturation - Increases or decreases the intensity of the color for all values.
• Contrast - This is a new control, and it behaves similar to Saturation, but also impacts the tonal values. I like this new effect.
• Cast - It's not really warm to cool, or magenta to green, but more of a hybrid color adjustment that seems to combine the two. Bottom line, if your color is a bit off, this slider is designed to help you correct it.

Adjusting with the B&W Tools

The engineers at Apple must like B&W photography. The tools here are pretty sophisticated. Here's what they've included.

• Intensity - This adjustment attacks the color conversion to B&W. As you slide it up and down, you'll notice that it effects the colored areas of the image, but doesn't have much impact on the neutral tones.
• Neutrals - On the other hand, Neutrals has a powerful effect on the whites. So you have a separate control to work with the conversion of the brightest objects in the image.
• Tone - This slider seems to impact everything in the image: blacks, whites, and middle tones. It's almost like a contrast slider for B&W.
• Grain - Do you want to add a little grit to your image. Maybe Tri-X pushed to ASA 800? Grain is your slider for that.

---

General Tips

You can view the original version of the image by tapping and holding on it. Lift your finger and you're returned to the edited version.

The tool bar can be positioned on any side of the frame. Rotate your iPad to place it on the side that works best for you.

When cropping, you can pinch to zoom the image in the frame. Very handy. You can lock-in aspect rations by tapping the icon in the lower right corner next to Cancel.

There's no sharpening feature (that I could find) at this time. For that, you'll need to move over to another app.

---

Final Thoughts

Overall all, Photos App in iOS 8 is a big step forward. I like the tools that are there now. And I'm hoping for more to come with future updates.

---



Photos for iOS 8 has a high Nimbleosity Rating. What does that mean? You can learn about Nimbleosity and more by visiting TheNimblePhotographer.com.

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Now that everyone has put their cards on the table in Cologne Germany, it's time to separate the wheat from the chaff. My favorite camera from Photokina is the diminutive Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GM5 Mirrorless Micro Four Thirds digital camera with 12-32mm lens ($899).

If you haven't studied this little guy yet, here are the basic specs:

• 16MP Digital Live MOS Sensor
• 1,166k-dot electronic viewfinder
• External flash hotshoe
• Built-in Wi-Fi connectivity
• Highly Compact Magnesium Alloy body
• LUMIX G Vario 12-32mm f/3.5-5.6 lens
• Approx. 2.19 x 0.94" (55.5 x 24 mm) at 2.47 ounces

Compared to the sexy new compacts announced, such as the Canon G7X and the Leica D-Lux 24-75mm, the Panasonic GM5 provides me with a large Micro Four Thirds sensor, an interchangeable lens mount compatible with my current collection, an electronic viewfinder, WiFi, and great performance... in a body the same size as a premium compact that costs as much.

Of all the tempting cameras from Photokina, the GM5 is my pick.

The Panasonic GM5 has a high Nimbleosity Rating. What does that mean? You can learn about Nimbleosity and more by visiting TheNimblePhotographer.com.

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Leica is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the birth of the legendary Leica rangefinder system with a strictly limited special edition - the Leica M Edition 60.

"In the place of a monitor screen, you find only an ISO setting dial. All exposures are saved exclusively as RAW data in DNG format. Working with the Leica M Edition 60 demands the same care and attention as when working with analogue models."

The front of the camera is beautiful, featuring a Leica Summilux-M 35mm f/1.4 ASPH prime lens. If you watch the unboxing movie on the Leica site, you'll notice that it comes with a very nice pair of white cotton gloves -- just in case it's going straight to the display case.

How much will this interchangeable lens beauty set you back? You can preorder it from B&H Photo for $18,500.

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This week on The Digital Story Photography Podcast: Panasonic's Smartphone with a 1" Sensor, Lowepro's new ProTactic Urban Backpack, and Olympus Announces the 40-150mm f-2.8 PRO Lens - All of this and more on today's show with Derrick Story.

Story #1 - Panasonic announces Lumix DMC-CM1 smartphone with 1-inch sensor. "The 1" sensor is around seven times larger than the 1/3"-type sensors that are common on more conventional smartphones. The large sensor is coupled with an F2.8 Leica lens that offers an equivalent focal length of 28mm. This is by far the best camera specification on any smartphone and the 20MP resolution should even allow for a good-quality digital zoom. The CM1 is also capable of recording 4K-video and Raw images. Focus, aperture, shutter speed, ISO and white balance can all be adjusted manually, and there's a mechanical click-wheel around the lens "barrel" on the front of the camera/phone." (Source: DP Connect).

In other news, Panasonic LX100 takes its own road: RX100-series rival boasts 4/3-inch sensor, blazing performance. "Panasonic has opted for the same 4/3"-type sensor size it uses in its mirrorless cameras, and that offers almost double the surface area of a 1"-type chip. The difference shows itself in a sensitivity range that tops out at a lofty ISO 25,600." (Source: PhotographyBlog.com).

And finally, Panasonic Gives Its GM Series a Boost with the EVF-Toting GM5. "... just to the left of its hotshoe you'll find an all-new EVF with 1.1 million dots, designed to work seamlessly with the included external flash. The update also brings a new control dial on the back to compliment the touchscreen interface; and despite using the same sensor as the GM1, the GM5 is now capable of pushing out 1080p video at up to 60 frames per second." (Source: PetaPixel).

Story #2 - Lowepro Debuts the ProTactic 350 AW Camera and Laptop Backpack ($199). This urban backpack features access points on top, sides, and back. It accommodates up to a 13" laptop. Includes 5 modular accessories, removable waist belt, newly designed dividers, tripod holder, AW cover, and brand new ActivZone System Harness system. And if you need more storage space, there's the ProTactic 450AW.

Story #3 - Olympus Announces the 40-150mm f-2.8 PRO lens ($1,499). Specs include: 16 elements in 10 groups, 9-blade aperture, 72mm filter ring, two high-grade lens elements using dual linear VCM (Voice Coil Motor) motors, minimum focusing distance of 20 inches, dedicated function button, sliding lens hood, and it's just over 6" in length. Available in November.

Story #4 - From the Screening Room - Foundations of Photography: Night and Low Light with Ben Long. Ben says in this movie, "In this course, we are going to take a look at all kinds of low-light shooting situations, from trying to get good results in a dimly lit room in your house to prowling around in the dark, looking for photos that cannot exist with higher light levels."

You can watch Ben 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.

Virtual Camera Club News

The SizzlPix September Discount Order early, starting today, and for every day between now and the end of September, SizzlPix will subtract 1% (one-percent) from the cost of your order. Remember the rhyme, "30 days hath September ..." You can see how much you'll save! Remember to put TDS September Discount in the comments field.

Visit the Red River Paper Card Shop. You can peruse top selling cards, order the card sample kit, and read tutorials on card printing. 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 September 2014 is "Shot from Behind".

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 (28 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.

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The Olympus 40-150mm f-2.8 PRO lens (80-300mm in 35mm equivalent) is the first telephoto in the M.ZUIKO PRO series to feature dust, splash, and freeze proof construction. Mount it on the OM-D E-M1, and you have a powerful pro rig that weighs far less than its DSLR cousins.

Specs include: 16 elements in 10 groups, 9-blade aperture, 72mm filter ring, two high-grade lens elements using dual linear VCM (Voice Coil Motor) motors, minimum focusing distance of 20 inches, dedicated function button, sliding lens hood, and it's just over 6" in length.

The M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 40-150mm f2.8 PRO Lens will be available in Nov. 2014 for $1,499.

Need more reach? The MC-1.4x teleconverter boosts the zoom range of the 40-150mm f-2.8 PRO lens to a 420mm equivalent. It offers the same dust, splash, and freezeproof build quality of the PRO Series zoom. The MC-14 1.4x Teleconverter will be available in Nov. 2014 for an estimated street price of $349.

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I love shooting with my Olympus 75 to 300mm II f4.8-6.7 zoom lens. I've captured many beautiful images with it.

The temptation with a long lens such as this, however, is to push it beyond its capabilities. The most common scenario is at sporting events, especially indoors or at night when there isn't as much available light. In those situations, you'll have a difficult time "stopping the action" because the lens isn't "bright enough" to achieve a fast shutter speed.

Here are a few examples of what I recommend you should, and should not shoot with a consumer telephone under these conditions.

Should: Portraits and Human Interaction

There are so many opportunities for interesting people shots, and your zoom can help you isolate them. Both the fan image at the top of the article and the portrait of Yasiel Puig were terrific long zoom opportunities. Fan Shot: Olympus E-M1, 75-300mm f/4.8-6.7 zoom, set to 78mm, ISO 3200, f/5.6, 1/200th. And the portrait of Puig: Olympus E-M1, 75-300mm f/4.8-6.7 zoom, set to 300mm, ISO 3200, f/7.1, 1/400th.

Should Not: Action on the Field or Court

In all honesty, it's not so much that you should not shoot these images. It's more that you should not expect them to look like a pro-caliber capture. Generally speaking, they won't.

Why? It really comes down to shutter speed. Even at a high ISO, there just isn't enough light to provide the shutter speed you need. This shot of Puig sliding back to second base was captured at 1/200th of a second. There's lots of motion blur. Plus it looks like I moved the camera a bit during the capture also. To have any hope of freezing the action, I would need at least 1/500th, and probably 1/1000th of a second.

With a pro lens I would have an aperture of f/2.8 or f/4. With this lens, I could only get f/6.7 at 270mm. That's 2.5 stops darker than f/2.8. With an f/2.8 lens, I could have had a shutter speed in the neighborhood of 1/1000th instead, and that's without raising the ISO any further.

What I'm really saying here is to manage your expectations when using consumer gear in these situations. And by adding plenty of portraits and fan moments to the mix, you'll feel that your overall shoot was more successful.

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Fall is a wonderful time of year for photographers to explore nature. And a location that's prominate in many a bucket lists is beautiful Yosemite. Maybe this is the year you finally get there?

I just read an excellent article by Colby Brown titled, A Photographer's Guide to Visiting Yosemite. Colby covers getting there, when to visit, accommodations, places to photograph, and more. And it's all from a photographer's perspective. You might want to bookmark this article... especially if this turns out to be the year you pack your gear and visit.

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

The just-announced Fujifilm X100T camera ($1,299) adds a host of improvements to the very popular X100S.

Highlights include:

• Advanced Hybrid Viewfinder (OVF/EVF) equipped with an electronic rangefinder
• Electronic shutter option up to 1/32000 seconds (and totally silent)
• High-definition 1.04M-dot 3" LCD (big improvement over the 460K-dot predecessor)
• New Classic Chrome and other film simulation modes
• Full HD video 1080p at 60fps; bit rate of 36Mbps
• Jack for stereo microphone
• New aperture ring that now has positive click stops in 1/3 increments
• Interval timer shooting (1 second to 24 hours up to 999 frames)
• Built-in WiFi with remote control capability
• New Hand Grip MHG-X100; possible to swap the battery and media while the grip is attached to the camera

And you still get the excellent specification that has made this series so popular: 16.3MP APS-C X-Trans sensor, 35mm f/2.0 lens, and outstanding build quality.

The X100T in silver or black should be available by mid-November.

The Fujifilm X100T has a high Nimbleosity Rating. What does that mean? You can learn about Nimbleosity and more by visiting TheNimblePhotographer.com.

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This week on The Digital Story Photography Podcast: New Camera in iPhone 6, Apple Watch Blockbuster, Free U2 Album - All of this and more on today's show with Derrick Story.

Story #1 - Western Digital launches My Passport Wireless hard drive ($179) with built-in SD card reader. When a memory card is inserted into the drive it can be set back up your photos or automatically ingest all images, then wipe the card clean afterwards. To view your images you can either connect the drive to a computer using USB3, or you can connect to it wirelessly using the free WD My Cloud mobile app. (Source: DP Review).

In other news, Sony QX1, QX30 debut: Transform your smartphone into an APS-C ILC or 30x superzoom - The Sony QX1 sports a large 20.1-megapixel Exmor APS-C CMOS sensor a la the Sony A5000, and a fully functional E-mount lens flange. The QX30, has a resolution of 20.4 megapixels, and it's paired to a 24-720mm-equivalent, f/3.5-6.3, 30x optical zoom lens. (Source: PhotographyBlog.com).

And finally, Lomography Unveils the LC-A 120: 'The World's Most Compact Fully-Automatic 120 Camera' ($430). Features include multiple-exposure mode, rear curtain flash sync and a four-step zone focusing system with the closest focusing distance being roughly two feet. (Source: PetaPixel).

Story #2 - iPhone 6 with New Camera is Announced by Apple. As reported by The Verge: "It has a 8-megapixel camera with a f/2.2 aperture and 1.5µ pixels, just like the last model. But the sensor has been upgraded. The "next generation iSight sensor" has what Apple's calling "focus pixels." Those pixels offer DSLR-like phase detection autofocus, which is supposed to be twice as fast as the 5S. And now it's easier to take high-dynamic range (HDR) photos. Both iPhones can take HDR shots with a single click of the shutter, rather than a series of shots as before."

Also, a difference in image stabilization. The iPhone 6 Plus employes an optical stabilizer. And finally, "Video has also been improved across both phones. The smartphones can shoot 1080p video in 30 or 60 frames per second, and there's a fairly stunning 240fps slow-mo video mode, too. If you like taking pictures of yourself, you'll be glad to hear that the front-facing iSight camera has improved face detection and a new "burst" selfie mode to help you get the best shot."

Story #3 - The Impressive Apple Watch and a Free U2 Album, "Songs of Innocence." Will report on all of these in segment 3 of today's show.

Story #4 - From the Screening Room - Photographing and Assembling a Lunar Eclipse Composite with Seán Duggan. Ever wonder how photographers create those cool lunar composites? Now you can get the inside scoop. Sean shows you how to capture, organize, and assemble the elements for a lunar composite.

You can watch Sean 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.

Story #5 - Telezoom Test. Slide Scanners Tested, Wildlife Photo Tips, Mobile Raw Processing Apps, How the Fine Art Market Works, and more - A preview of the Fall Issue of c't Digital Photography Magazine. If you're not a subscriber yet, here's a 20 percent discount.

Virtual Camera Club News

The SizzlPix September Discount Order early, starting today, and for every day between now and the end of September, SizzlPix will subtract 1% (one-percent) from the cost of your order. Remember the rhyme, "30 days hath September ..." You can see how much you'll save! Remember to put TDS September Discount in the comments field.

Visit the Red River Paper Card Shop. You can peruse top selling cards, order the card sample kit, and read tutorials on card printing. 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 September 2014 is "Shot from Behind".

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 (39 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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I've seen many techniques for focus stacking, but none as easy as this one demonstrated by Photoshop Principal Product Manager Bryan O'Neil Hughes.

He's using a feature in Photoshop called focus blending, essentially the same thing, where you have multiple images of the same scene, but captured at different points of focus. The trick, is to blend or stack the images so that all parts of the scene are sharp. This is particularly useful in macro photography when the high magnification produces a very shallow depth of field.

Adobe has included focus blending in Photoshop since CS4. So chances are good that you have this ability right now.

Leads to this story from Petapixel.com and ISO1200.com.

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All the stuff that ends up in the bottom of your camera bag - spare change, rubber bands, bandaids, pain reliever packets - and more. The problem is, you're carrying it around all the time, yet you can't find the items when you need them. It's a lose/lose situation.

My solution? The MacGyver Box for Photographers. This is just one of the weekend projects that I write about in my latest post for lynda.com Article Center, Photography Hacks: Power Charging, Repurposed Loupe, MacGyver Box.

You'll have to jump over to the lynda article to learn about the alternative charging methods for your mobile devices and how to repurpose an inexpensive loupe for field work. But I'll cover the MacGyver Box right here.

Start with an emptied-out filter box, then assemble all the widgets that you need to have accessible in your camera bag. I use rubber bands, coins (as screwdrivers too), paper clips (SIM removal tool), Bandaids (great for emergency tape also), pain reliever, flash drive, white business card (bounce flash card and ID too), wire ties, and safety pins.

They all fit nice and neat in this box that stashes easily in your bag, yet can be located quickly. No more digging around in the depths of your kit, only to be rewarded by being pricked in the finger by an open safety pin.

More about the MacGyver Box and the other goodies at the lynda.com Article Center.

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If you haven't checked-in with Olympus OI Share (2.4) for a while, the app has evolved into a full-featured remote control for WiFi-enabled PENs and OM-Ds. I'm using it with my Olympus OM-D E-M10 ($699) with the 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 EZ zoom ($349). More on the lens choice in a moment.

OI Share works on both smartphones and tablets, and it enables you to set exposure mode, white balance, exposure compensation, drive mode, ISO, and of course, trip the shutter. The application is organized into four basic areas: Remote Control, Import Photos, Edit Photo, and Add Geotag. My focus here is the Remote Control mode.

Review Your Settings

Set up the app by tapping on the gear icon in the upper right corner to reveal Settings. Tap on Remote Control. One of the defaults that I change is Live View Quality. Out of the box, it's set for Speed Priority. But I think the image on my iPhone or iPad screen looks terrible with this selection. I recommend Image Quality Priority. Unless you're having performance problems, it makes capture far more enjoyable to view.

When it's time to take pictures, enable WiFi on the camera and set up your mobile device by scanning the QR code on the camera's LCD screen. Keep in mind that you need to access the WiFi network that the camera creates in order use remote control. Then launch the OI Share app.

Zoom In and Out

If you have a power zoom lens (which I recommend for remote use), then you can zoom in and out by using the control that appears on the left side of the screen. This is very handy for fine-tuning your composition when you're not within reach of the camera.

Experiment with Art Filters

Tap on the Exposure Mode Control in the upper right corner, and review your options: iAUTO, P, A, S, M, and ART. Take a look at Art Filters and experiment with your options. Some of those effects might get your creative juices flowing. If you shoot RAW+Jpeg, the RAW will remain untouched and the Jpeg will display the Art Filter effect. It's the best of both worlds.

Drive Mode Flexibility

Not only do you have the standard single frame and burst mode options in the upper right corner, but Olympus has added some nifty self-timer settings. You can delay the shutter release in increments of 2 seconds with a range of 12 seconds to 2 seconds. As an added bonus, you can set multiple exposures and the duration between them too.

And Plenty More

You can tap the screen to set the focus point, or initiate the shutter. And once you capture your images, save them to the Camera Roll to share online. The original photos remain on the camera's memory card.

OI Share is available as a free app in iTunes and Google Play. It is the robust remote camera control that we once dreamed about.

Olympus OI Share has a high Nimbleosity Rating. What does that mean? You can learn about Nimbleosity and more by visiting TheNimblePhotographer.com.

For the July 2014 Photo Assignment, (Our 100th!!!) TDS shooters turned up the heat to produce these smoldering shots. See for yourself in our gallery, Smokin' Hot. And which one will be the SizzlPix Pick of the Month?

Photo by Rodney Campbell. Rodney writes, "This final image is actually a composite of two (along with near zero photoshopping skill). One 394-second long exposure shot at f/7.1 and ISO 100 - a little lighting of the dunes with low sculpted light from the far sides (most on the right and a touch of fill from the left), and a touch of white light on the tree, some red light torch shining up into the tree from below along with a burning steel wool spin behind. Combined with a 31 second shot wide open at f/4 and ISO 6400 to capture the stars in an almost clear sky (just a few whisps of clouds left)."

"Each of the two individual shots actually look pretty good - however even the 394-second (over six minutes) long exposure shot had essentially a black sky with a few trailing stars - but together they just give you more of everything good." See all of the great images from this month's assignment by visiting the Smokin' Hot.

Participate in This Month's Assignment

The September 2014 assignment is "Shot from Behind." Details can be found on the Member Participation page. Deadline is Sept. 30, 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: Sept. 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 July 2014 gallery at the end of August, the August gallery will be posted at the end of September, and on and on.

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

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This week on The Digital Story Photography Podcast: Olympus PEN E-PL7, Jerry Uelsmann, DIY LCD Shade - All of this and more on today's show with Derrick Story.

Story #1 - Very flashy: Ricoh unveils Pentax K-S1 DSLR - The K-S1 offers a 20.1MP APS-C sensor, an AA filter simulator (as seen on the Pentax K-3) and burst shooting at 5.4 fps, but none of that is quite as attention-grabbing as its headline body specification - a set of green LEDs on the camera's grip and power switch. (Source: DP Review).

In other news, Secrets of Backyard Bird Photography by J. Chris Hansen has just been published ($24.95). Topics include camera set-ups and the use of backgrounds and photo blinds, composition styles, step-by-step projects for the do-it-yourselfer and techniques to attract birds using feeders and perches. (Source: PhotographyBlog.com).

And finally, Dropbox now offers its pro users 1TB of storage for $9.99 a month. Dropbox now offers its pro users 1TB of storage for $9.99 a month. And if you sign up for a year (in the US), the price drops to $99. (Source: Imaging-Resource.com).

Story #2 - Olympus Debuts the PEN E-PL7 Aimed at Social Media Photographers - The latest Micro Four Thirds PEN camera from Olympus takes aim at two segments of the photography community: women and online publishers.

The styling and the size of the E-PL7 is a better fit for female photographers. In addition to the design of the camera itself, Olympus has created smart looking accessories that further enhance the device's appearance.

Furthermore, Olympus has updated their O.I.Share app and created an easy-to-use wireless system that connects the E-PL7 to a smart phone or tablet. BTW: O.I.Share 2.4 is now available in the App Store. The clever "flip down" LCD screen makes it easier than ever to hold the camera for selfie capture. They've even built an entire feature set around self-portraits.

I discuss how all of this hangs together in the second segment of today's show. (And you can read my preliminary report on the E-PL7 at c't Digital Photography Magazine.

Story #3 - From the Screening Room - Jerry Uelsmann & Maggie Taylor: This is not photography. Jerry and Maggie are two of the best surreal, visual storytellers of our era. In this compelling documentary, the filmmakers at lynda explore their vision and technique. It's a compelling journey.

You can watch Jerry and Maggie 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.

Story #4 - Tried of Trying to Compose Photographs on an LCD in Bright Sun? I have a solution for you... and you can create it yourself in just a few minutes - Photography Hacks: Make an LCD Shade, Battery Protector, and Lighting Field Kit.

Virtual Camera Club News

The SizzlPix September Discount Order early, starting today, and for every day between now and the end of September, SizzlPix will subtract 1% (one-percent) from the cost of your order. Remember the rhyme, "30 days hath September ..." You can see how much you'll save! Remember to put TDS September Discount in the comments field.

Red River Paper just released RRP Luster Card Duo again. It's a double-sided luster paper pre-scored for cards. It is related to Arctic Polar Luster, but the surface is more pearlescent. You can find it here: http://tinyurl.com/om9zapu

Visit the Red River Paper Card Shop. You can peruse top selling cards, order the card sample kit, and read tutorials on card printing. 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 September 2014 is "Shot from Behind".

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 (31 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!

Want to Comment on this Post?

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