Sometimes you have to work fast. Like "passport photo" fast.

That was the case today when a PR professional needed a quick head shot. Neither one of us had much time, so i noted just how long it took to deliver a gallery of images from the moment we met to the moment I sent her the URL. The verdict: less than 90 minutes.

Start with the shoot itself. The sun was nice this afternoon, so we walked outside with a Canon 5D and the 70-200mm f/4 L lens. No extra lighting, or even reflectors were used. I positioned her so the sun provided rim lighting on her hair and used the spot meter to determine the exposure for her face.

Click, click, click.

Then back to the computer to download the images to Aperture. I did a quick sort and narrowed the selects to a gallery of 15 images. I adjusted two of the shots, then used lift and stamp to apply those adjustments to the images that were similar. I cropped each one individually.

The last step was uploading the selects to MobileMe via Aperture to create the online gallery. I included the "download" option so the client could grab a high resolution version of the shot she like best. I sent her an email with the url and password, then moved on to the next item on my ToDo list.

These are the times when knowing how you like to shoot, then having an agile post production workflow, really pay off.

Now Available! The Digital Photography Companion. The official guide for The Digital Story Virtual Camera Club.

• 25 handy and informative tables for quick reference.
• Metadata listings for every photo in the book
• Dedicated chapter on making printing easy.
• Photo management software guide.
• Many, many inside tips gleaned from years of experience.
• Comprehensive (214 pages), yet fits easily in camera bag.

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

Regardless of which photo management software you're committed to -- Aperture, Lightroom, iPhoto, or your Pictures folder -- Karelia iMedia Browser will let you quickly look into any of those libraries. And if you want, drag something out. Oh, and if that wasn't cool enough, the download is free.

iMedia Browser has the handsome looks of Apple's Media Browser, and it runs wickedly fast. You can leave it running on the Dock, so you can take a peek inside any of your photo libraries on the fly, and if needed, drag out a shot. iMedia Browser also has a search field that has the same zippy performance of searching in iTunes. You can also use iMedia Browser to look for music, video, and bookmarks.

iMedia Browser won't acknowledge images that are out loose on drives or your computer. (This may be a good thing, organizationally speaking.) They have to be filed in the Pictures folder or contained in one of the above-mentioned applications. It will, however, find libraries on external drives. So, if you have an Aperture library on your laptop and another on a connected drive, iMedia Browser will show you both.

As you may have figured out by now, this application is for Mac users, running Mac OS X 10.4 or 10.5. Available in English, Danish, French, German, and Traditional and Simplified Chinese. It is one of the most handy utilities I've run across in a while.

Technorati Tags: Derrick Story, digital photography, Technology, The Digital Story, iMedia Browser

One of my most enjoyable encounters from Beijing was with Mine Kasapoglu, a photographer who resides in İstanbul, Turkey where she works as a freelance shooter. Mine started covering Olympics in 2002 at Salt Lake City, and has been working them ever since.

I just published a podcast interview with Mine, where she talks about her early encounters with the Mac platform, her introduction to Aperture at the Torino Olympics, and about her approach for covering the Beijing event. She is just a delight, and i think you'll enjoy what she has to say.

Photo of Mine by Mustafa Yalcin.

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

My friend Ben Long has just released the second book in O'Reilly's new Companion Series, The Canon EOS Digital Rebel XSi/450D Companion. "Through a series of easy-to-follow lessons, The Canon Digital Rebel XSi Companion gives you a complete class on digital photography, tailored specifically for people who use this camera. This is not a typical camera guide: rather than just showing you what all the buttons do, this unique book teaches you how to use various Digital Rebel features to make great photographs.

I've taught with Ben, and I can tell you that you'll get a lot more out of this book than a tour of buttons and dials.

Technorati Tags: digital photography, Technology, The Digital Story

I've been using Shutterfly Pro Gallery for more than a year now, primarily for weddings. The system is fairly straightforward.

I prepare the images on my computer, upload the Jpegs to Shutterfly, set the pricing for the various sizes, publish, then send the link to the client. I can password protect each area for each client, or leave it open to the public. If I want to watermark the proofs, I have a handful of different options that Shutterfly will apply for me.

The client can then browse the gallery. When they place an order, Shutterfly handles the transaction, delivers the prints, takes a percentage of the gross, and puts the balance in my account. You know exactly how much you're going to make on each print because Shutterfly lists the profit when you set the price. So, for example, Shutterfly Pro charges 40 cents a print for a 4x6 (matt or glossy). If I set the price at $2.40 a print, Shutterfly displays $1.70 as profit. The client does not see this information, only you when you set up their account. The client only sees the price you've set.

They also offer note cards, mugs, mouse pads, magnets, playing cards, puzzles, keepsake boxes, and desk organizers that can be personalized with images from the gallery. You set the price on everything. One missing product from the lineup is their hard bound book. You can build one for yourself on the site. (They are quite nice!) But Shutterfly doesn't provide the ability for the client to build one with your pictures for a price you've set. This would be a tremendous service that I think they should figure out how to offer.

The annual fee for Shutterfly Pro is $99 a year for the basic service. They also have a Premier Plan for $199 a year. It includes unlimited hosting space for heavy users.

The main reason I use Shutterfly Pro is so my wedding clients don't have to hassle with providing prints to members of the wedding party or attendees. They can simply direct them to the Shutterfly Pro Gallery, let them peruse the images, and if they see something they want, they can order it themselves for a reasonable price. Some photographers use this method to deliver prints to the clients too. Personally, I don't. I like to review all of the images the client receives. But, it's a reasonable business model in some situations. What is nice, however, is that it's an easy way for you to publish a gallery quickly so the clients can see their wedding while you're working on their prints. I try to get the gallery up by the time they return from their honeymoon.

You can see a sample gallery here if you want to get a feel for the experience clients will have.

Overall, I give Shutterfly Pro a thumbs up. They do a good job of handling the business side of online photography so you don't have to worry about credit card transactions and sales tax. You can always check your account online, and once you publish the images, it's fun to see some money coming in the door. They also do a good job of the printing itself, which is important since the prints are going directly to the client. I do wish they offered a few more products, such as the hard cover books. We'll see if they continue to improve the service as competition stiffens.

Technorati Tags: Derrick Story, digital photography, Technology, The Digital Story, Shutterfly Pro Gallery

Do you remember a podcast from my past called the iLife Zone? If so, you know that Chris Breen and I used to chat about all things Mac. Well, we got together again this week on the MacWorld Podcast to talk about my trip to Beijing and working in the Main Press Center. It's a good conversation, and it was terrific to be working with Chris again.

Now Available! The Digital Photography Companion. The official guide for The Digital Story Virtual Camera Club.

• 25 handy and informative tables for quick reference.
• Metadata listings for every photo in the book
• Dedicated chapter on making printing easy.
• Photo management software guide.
• Many, many inside tips gleaned from years of experience.
• Comprehensive (214 pages), yet fits easily in camera bag.

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

The Nikon folks have their thinking caps in high gear. It's about time someone put movie mode on a DSLR. Think about it - Live View LCDs, big image sensors, and great glass. And you get all of that on the new Nikon D90.

They start with a new 12.9 MP CMOS sensor. Add a 3" LCD screen with Live View. Then add movie capture at 720p (1280x720) at 24fps with mono sound.

I am so impressed with the innovation coming out of Nikon right now. Canon, what is your response?

Technorati Tags: Derrick Story, digital photography, DSLR, Technology, The Digital Story, Nikon D90

When the Canon 5D was released in Aug. 2005, the 20D was its APS-sized cousin. Then we saw the 30D, 40D, and now the 50D. Yet, in the affordable full-sized sensor arena, we still have the venerable 5D. That's why I was hoping that the pre-Photokina press release would be about the new Canon 5D. But alas, no.

The good news is (for other people), is that the 50D looks like a great camera. It sports a 15.1 APS sized CMOS sensor, 6.3 fps continuous mode, DIGIC 4 processor, 3" LCD with Live View and Face Detection, improved high ISO performance, and HDMI connectivity for HiDef playback. But my main camera is the 5D, and I really don't want to buy an APS body right now if an updated full-sensor shooter is around the corner. Who knows, maybe we'll see it at PMA next Winter.

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

Technorati Tags: Derrick Story, digital photography, Technology, The Digital Story, Canon 50D

I wrote a post on Inside Aperture titled, Plug-Ins Same as External Editor? I Don't Think So, where I disagreed with some folks on the web who say that Aperture's plug-in architecture is no different than using an external editor in Lightroom. Personally, I think there are differences, and pointed to an article by Micah Walter that does a good job of listing them. But some readers disagreed. And what followed in the comments is an interesting debate about Aperture, Lightroom, and sometimes even Photoshop. I thought you might want to take a look and decide for yourself.

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

My friend Deke McCelland wrangled nine new photos out of me, 1200 pixels wide, and published them on deke.com. Some fun stuff here if you like to see 'em big.

Photo of Olympic Opening Ceremonies at the Bird's Nest by Derrick Story, Canon 5D, Sigma 50mm lens.

Now Available! The Digital Photography Companion. The official guide for The Digital Story Virtual Camera Club.

• 25 handy and informative tables for quick reference.
• Metadata listings for every photo in the book
• Dedicated chapter on making printing easy.
• Photo management software guide.
• Many, many inside tips gleaned from years of experience.
• Comprehensive (214 pages), yet fits easily in camera bag.

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