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One of the new features in Capture One Pro 9.2 is called Create Albums From... It's something that former Aperture users will appreciate, because it allows you to choose a group of thumbnails, right-click on them, and put those shots in an album, on the fly.

For the most part, the tool works well, although I am going to suggest a tweak that I hope they incorporate in future updates. But first, let's see how it works now.

create-album.jpg

Using "Create Albums From"

second-dialog.jpg

Select a group of thumbnails and right-click on them to reveal the popup menu command, Create Albums From. Then choose Selection. You'll see a second dialog box that gives you two choices: "Add selected images after creation" (which seems unnecessary to me, since that's the point of the whole thing) and "Select collection after creation," which opens the album after you make it.

At this point, I expected Capture One to put the new album inside the project I was working in. But instead, it places it at root level. So there's one more step of dragging the new album into the project. Not a big deal, but I think we should have the option to put the new album in its parent project. Maybe in the next update...

Overall, however, this feature is a timesaver. And it's available right now if you update to Capture One Pro 9.2. Being able to create albums on the fly makes it much easier for us to work with sub-groups of images while we're organizing our catalog.

More Capture One Pro Tips and Techniques

Improve your skills by watching Capture One Pro Essential Training now available on lynda.com. More than 5 hours of tips, tricks, and techniques. Plus many free movies using advanced techniques.

I've also created a dedicated Capture One Pro Training page on The Digital Story. You can follow all of the tips and techniques that I publish in one convenient spot.

Thinking About Making the Transition from Aperture or Lightroom? - Download my free eBook titled, Rocky Nook's Guide to Moving to Capture One Pro. I show you the steps to create a test library, then build the foundation for a smooth transition to Capture One Pro.

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This is The Digital Story Podcast #538, June 28, 2016. Today's theme is "Chicago Takeout." I'm Derrick Story.

Opening Monologue

During my week in Chicago, I've learned a lot of things, talked with many people, and have taken many, many pictures. For those of you who joined me here, you know it was a rich, memorable experience. For those who couldn't make it, I have a takeout order for you. And that's the focus of today's show.

Chicago Takeout

I have an hour left before I have to check out of the Travel Lodge on Wabash in downtown Chicago. You'll hear the grinding wheels of the train in the background as it rolls by my window. And I'm sure housekeeping will tap tap tap on my door at least once.

Chicago-P6243380.jpg

But before they reclaim the room for the next visitor to this great city, I want to share a few of my favorite moments from my week teaching at Out of Chicago.

  • The State of Mirrorless - Olympus, Panasonic, Sony, and Fuji were all sponsors and here showing their wares. But what really impressed me is that nearly all of the speakers and a large percentage of the attendees were carrying mirrorless cameras. Mirrorless is alive and well, and it's thriving in urban photography.
  • Packed Sessions for "Beyond the Pixel, Your Photography as Art" - I thought that my talks on going from digital capture to inkjet print would go over well, but I had not ideal that I would pack a double classroom, not once, but twice during the conference. I began the story with a silver gelatin print that I had made in 1988, and described my journey with printing. I then walked through a demo for making fine art greeting cards with Lightroom or with Photos for OS X.
  • The Nimble Photographer Workshop - I debuted this workshop in Chicago because I wanted to see how a one-day event would go. Based on my experience, I will be repeating this workshop in the future. My favorite parts where "What's in my Bag" by participants, and the MacGyver session.
  • Film is not Dead - I totally enjoyed conversation after conversation where someone was telling me how they dug out their film camera from the closet and are planning shoots with it. Everyone one of them said that theAnalogstory was their inspiration.
  • Midwest Photographers - Of all the great things that happened this week, meeting dozens of members of our virtual camera club who work and shooting in Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, and throughout the heartland of our country, was the biggest thrill of all.

In the News

The 'Warm-to-Cold Fader' Puts Color Temperature Control Onto a Filter via PetaPixel.

If you like to physically control as many of the settings on your camera as possible, the ICELAVA Warm-to-Cold Fader is right up your alley. This neat little lens accessory puts color temperature control onto a variable filter you simply twist to adjust.

Color temperature isn't something we think about much these days, given how easily it's adjusted in post (you ARE shooting RAW right?). But having a physical filter that lets you warm up or cool down your image gradually could definitely come in handy.

Hedge Adds Log Files

We have some great news to share today. Next to releasing Hedge 1.3.2 with some small improvements and fixes, we also have a bigger thing coming: Transfer Logs.

Transfer Logs Beta - We've been working hard the last few weeks to add a new Feature to Hedge Beta: the much-requested log files. Now it's also possible to see which files were copied, when they were copied, and what the source and destination hashes are. Give Hedge 1.4ß a go. Let us know what you think, so we can make it even better!

Free Test Ride - Not sure how much Fast Lane and the other Premium features will help you? We now have a week-long license available for you. Yep, it's free.

Keep these three things in mind...

  • Hedge is the fastest app for importing and backing up media on macOS.
  • Import multiple sources to multiple destinations, at the same time.
  • Every file copied by Hedge is cross-verified with the original.

There's a free version and a premium version. Use this URL, hedgeformac.com/tds and save 20 percent off the price of the pro version that provides the full Hedge experience with Fast Lane copies, unlimited simultaneous transfers, plus NAS and RAID support.

New lynda Title

We've just released, Flickr Mobile: Sharing Photos Anywhere. I had so much fun recording these movies, working only with my iPhone, iPad and Android tablet. It was a true nimble-rush. And I think you'd enjoy watching this training.

Fujifilm Instax Printer SP-2

Fujifilm Instax Printer SP-2.

Updates and Such

Just Released!: The Apple Photos Book for Photographers

You can get your eBook copy of The Apple Photos Book for Photographers for $15 by using the checkout coupon: APPLE15. That saves your 5$ off the price.

And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs.

See you next week!

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.

MacPaw Creators of CleanMyMac 3 and other great software for Apple computers. Visit www.macpaw.com today.

Hedge for Mac - The fast solution for moving photos and videos from memory cards to drives, or drives to drives for that matter. Learn more at Hedge for Mac.

inkdot Metal Prints Brilliant, affordable, and archival. Visit ink dot.com/metal-prints today.

The Nimbleosity Report

Do you want to keep up with the best content from The Digital Story and The Nimble Photographer? Sign up for The Nimbleosity Report, and receive highlights twice-a-month in a single page newsletter. Be a part of our community!

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

I've been printing fine art greeting cards for years. But the process has never been easier than lately using Apple's Photos app.

card-layout.jpg

In addition to integrating these projects with my overall Photos library, I have dozens of stylish templates to choose from. And since Photos saves each card that I make as a project, I can easily reopen it, reprint it, or change the photo all together.

I write about this process in my latest book, The Apple Photos Book for Photographers, which you can download right now. But I'll also share the basic steps right here so you can create your own works of art at home with an inkjet printer.

Creating a Fine Art Greeting Card with Apple Photos

I use Red River Paper because it offers a wide selection of card stock at very affordable prices. (Plus you can get envelopes and ink there too.)

For this project I'm using one of my favorites, 60 lb. Polar Matte double-sided 7" × 10" (catalog #1958). It's a bright paper with a nice tooth that feels good in the hands. Your cards will look and feel like works of art.

The reason why you want to go with 7" × 10" paper is because it folds down to a standard 5" × 7" card - the same dimensions that Apple uses for its folded pieces. In a pinch, you could cut down a larger sheet if necessary. But the Red River cards are also scored in the middle, which makes folding so much easier and professional looking.

As for printing instructions, I'll remind you that what appears in the dialog box is based on the print driver. So what you see on your computer might look different than what I'm showing here. Hopefully, you'll be able to take this information and adjust accordingly.

10-14-PrintDialog.jpg

Instead of clicking on the Buy Card button, go to File > Print. You should see something like in the figure above. If you're seeing far less information on your computer, click on the Show Details button at the bottom of the dialog. That should expand the dialog box.

Since I'm only printing the outside of the card (I like to leave the inside blank for a personal message), I choose "Print from 1 to 1." Then we get to paper size. Chances are very good that you're not going to have a 7" × 10" option in this popup menu. But what you will have there is a Manage Custom Sizes option at the bottom. Choose that, and make your own preset. I named mine Greeting Card. The computer will remember the 7" × 10" preset you just created. So you only have to do this the first time.

After you have the paper size right, the card should look pretty good in the preview window. Mine came up just a tad short on the edges. So I set scale for 102 percent. That fixed the problem perfectly.

Now all that's left are the printer settings. You can add those in the popup that's labeled Layout. Click on it, and choose Printer Settings from the list. The most important part is having Media Type set correctly. In my case, the printer needs to know that I'm using matte paper. Check your settings one more time, then print!

Watching the card slowly emerge from the printer is the closest thing we have in digital photography to seeing an image magically appear in a tray of developer. Both are exciting. Let the card cure for an hour or so at room temperature before folding - that is, unless it's one of those emergency jobs you're making as you head out the door to an anniversary party. Then fold and go!

As you're sitting there in the car with the card in your hand, you might feel a little something. Let it wash over you and enjoy it. That's the feeling of being an artist.

The Apple Photos Book for Photographers

For photographers who are more than just casual snapshooters, or who are making the transition from Aperture or iPhoto, The Apple Photos Book for Photographers shines a light on the sophistication of this app and the ecosystem it taps into. Available as an eBook now, and coming to print later this year.

Get it for $15 using checkout code APPLE15!

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

Apple RAW Update 6.20 adds compatibility for 9 new cameras for its Photos app and system wide on Mac OS X. The new cameras are (including the PEN-F):

  • Canon EOS-1D X Mark II
  • Canon EOS 80D
  • Canon EOS Rebel T6 / 1300D / Kiss X80
  • Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II
  • Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GF8
  • Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GX7 Mark II / GX80 / GX85
  • Panasonic LUMIX DMC-ZS100 / TZ100 / TX1
  • Sony Cyber-shot DSC-RX10 III
  • Olympus PEN-F

olympus-pen-f.jpg

RAW files from these cameras can be processed natively on Mac OS X. For a complete list on cameras supported, see Apple Support Document

The Apple Photos Book for Photographers

For photographers who are more than just casual snapshooters, or who are making the transition from Aperture or iPhoto, The Apple Photos Book for Photographers shines a light on the sophistication of this app and the ecosystem it taps into. Available as an eBook now, and coming to print later this year.

Get it for $15 using checkout code APPLE15!

For hands-on tutorials, be sure to take a look at Photos for OS X Essential Training on lynda.com. I cover everything you need to know to get the most from this surprisingly powerful image management application.

Want to Comment on this Post?

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

To tell you the truth, I'm still astounded every time I mount the Olympus ED 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO Lens to my OM-D E-M5 Mark II and look through the viewfinder. I'm suddenly placed right in the middle of whatever action I'm photographing.

Prune-Packers-P6192926.jpg College Baseball in Healdsburg, CA - ISO 800, 1/1250th, f/5.6 - Photos by Derrick Story.

The 40-150mm focal length mounted on the E-M5 Mark II gives me an effective view of 80-300mm. I then set the file format to Jpeg Super Fine, and use the digital doubler to increase the magnification to 160-600mm. And because of the outstanding 5-axis image stabilization, I can shoot handheld. Most of the time I'm leaning on a fence or railing to help me steady the shot.

Prune-Packers-P6193120.jpg

And then, when I want to shoot candids, I can back everything off, shoot at 40mms, and have a fast-focusing f/2.8 street shooting optic. So, only when I need a wide shot, do I have to change lenses.

All of this comes in a package that only weighs 31 ounces and measures 3.13" x 6.30". But once you extend the lens hood, you have a very respectable tele that measures up against any of the other rigs on the ball field.

olympus-tele.png

And this is why I'm so impressed each time I use the 40-150mm. I truly have the best of all worlds. A reasonable sized, handsome optic that can deliver between 80mms and 600mms of magnification at the ball park. The focusing is fast and accurate. The quality is outstanding. What's not to like? All I need now is a dog and an ice cold beer.


Nimble Photographer Logo

This product 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 is The Digital Story Podcast #537, June 21, 2016. Today's theme is "Five Things that We Forget (but shouldn't)." I'm Derrick Story.

Opening Monologue

The reason I start packing my camera bag a week before a big trip is to prevent my forgetting something. I figure that over the course of 7 days of use, I'll know what's missing, and maybe just as important, what's not necessary. There are times, however, when I still come up short. And when I do, these are the 5 items that typically I forgot to bring.

Five Things that We Forget (but shouldn't)

Ironically, over half the time it's not camera that I forget to pack in my shoulder bag. Let me explain.

hit-the-road.jpg

  • Business Cards - This is one of the most common forgotten items, not only by me, but by those I come in contact with on the road. Business cards are vital on the road for photographers, especially when we promise someone a photo that we captured of them.
  • Pain Reliever - They take up so little space, can be so important while traveling, and yet when I reach for them, they are often not there. I keep my pain reliever pills in a Compact Flash card case. It takes up oh so little space, yet is a godsend when needed.
  • Joby Micro Tripod - I love the JOBY Micro Tripod that takes up virtually no room, but can stabilize my mirrorless cameras. It costs on $21, but is worth 10 times more on the road.
  • Card Readers - Yes, my Mac has a built in card reader and I can send images wirelessly from my camera to my iPhone. And yet, there always seems to be a problem with this while traveling. I carry both the Lightening SD card reader and a Lexar micro SD reader. And they each have saved me numerous times.
  • Polarizer - I finally broke down and bought a polarizer for each of my active camera bags. It seemed when I had only one, it was always in the other bag. This is the most useful filter for both digital and analog photographers.

What items would you add to this list? Please share them on our TDS Facebook page.

In the News

This Simple Plugin Lets You Post to Instagram Directly from Lightroom via PetaPixel.

The LR/Instagram plugin does exactly what you think it does: it lets you post images to Instagram directly from Lightroom. No need to export and use some third party Web client or get the photo onto your smartphone.

Once you install the plugin and authorized your Instagram account (or several accounts), you're good to go. Simply drag the photo into the publish collection that matches the IG account you want to post to, fill in caption and tags, have the plugin crop or pad your photo to fit Instagram's parameters, and hit Publish.

The LR/Instagram plugin is 100% free to download and try, the makers simply ask that you show your support by registering it for $10 from Lightroom Plugin Manager if you like it. It's compatible with Lightroom CC/3.0 and higher, and works for both Windows (XP or later) and Mac OS X (10.7 or later).

inkdot Metal Prints

  • Printed on a gloss white metal surface creating a stunning vibrancy and depth to your images.
  • Metal print are printed using a process that infuses your image into the white coated aluminum, which creates a depth you simply cannot get with traditional printing techniques.
  • Our metal prints come ready to hang right out of the box. Each print comes with a mounted hanging unit on the back and special hanging hook. No drilling or hammering required, simply push the pin through the wall and hang.
  • Metal prints are water, scratch and UV resistant, ensuring your memories stay as gorgeous as they day you got them.
  • Quick turnaround, orders ship in 1-2 days.

You can learn more by visiting ink dot.com/metal-prints. You can get a 12" x 12" print for $65. And sizes go all the up to 30" x 40".

New lynda Title

We've just released, Flickr Mobile: Sharing Photos Anywhere. I had so much fun recording these movies, working only with my iPhone, iPad and Android tablet. It was a true nimble-rush. And I think you'd enjoy watching this training.

New Hasselblad Camera Announcement

On June 22 Hasselblad is rumored to announce a new camera that most likely will be mirrorless and contain a 50MP CCD full frame sensor. You can watch the lifestream of the announcement by going to this link.

Updates and Such

Just Released!: The Apple Photos Book for Photographers

You can get your eBook copy of The Apple Photos Book for Photographers for $15 by using the checkout coupon: APPLE15. That saves your 5$ off the price.

And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs.

See you next week!

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.

MacPaw Creators of CleanMyMac 3 and other great software for Apple computers. Visit www.macpaw.com today.

Hedge for Mac - The fast solution for moving photos and videos from memory cards to drives, or drives to drives for that matter. Learn more at Hedge for Mac.

inkdot Metal Prints Brilliant, affordable, and archival. Visit ink dot.com/metal-prints today.

The Nimbleosity Report

Do you want to keep up with the best content from The Digital Story and The Nimble Photographer? Sign up for The Nimbleosity Report, and receive highlights twice-a-month in a single page newsletter. Be a part of our community!

Want to Comment on this Post?

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

Flickr Mobile goes well beyond just taking pictures with your smartphone. The workflow extends to using your WiFi-connected camera too. The images that you capture with that device can be automatically backed up to your Flickr Camera Roll.

wifi-transfer.jpg

There are a couple things I like about this workflow. First, I'm not limited to using a smartphone for my photography. In the case of this demo, I have a Panasonic LUMIX GM5 connected to my iPhone running the Panasonic app. So I can use all of my Olympus and Panasonic lenses to get exactly the shot I want.

When I transfer the images wirelessly from the GM5 to the iPhone, Flickr sees them and automatically backs them up to my Flickr Camera Roll. This leads to the second thing that I like, which is automatic redundancy. At this point, I have the images on the camera's memory card, the iPhone itself, and online with Flickr. I didn't have to think about any of this. It just happens. Here's a video demonstrating the process from my Flickr Mobile: Photo Sharing Anywhere online training.

These images are also available for sharing online. When they're first uploaded to the Flickr Camera Roll, they're marked as private. So only I can see them. But for the shots that I want to share via my Photostream, I simply change the image from private to public, and it's instantly available to the world.

This is a great workflow for travel. It works with any WiFi camera and Android or iOS device, as long as there is WiFi available.

More Flickr Tips and Techniques

If you want to master Flickr on your mobile device, check out Flickr Mobile: Photo Sharing Anywhere. Desktop users might be interested in Sharing Photos with Flickr. Of course the platforms work well together too, and I discuss how you can integrate all of your devices to create a seamless photography workflow.

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 1.1 version of External Editors, a must-have 99-cent editing extension for Photos, continues to drive this application in the right direction.

External-Editors.jpg Version 1.1 of External Editors brings a new interface and nice improvements.

When I first wrote about the app in February, it didn't have a mechanism for handling RAW file transport. But version 1.1 features many refinements, including being able to convert RAW files to Jpegs or Tiffs in the extension itself.

This leads to many possible workflows. The one I've been using goes like this for RAWs.

  • In Photos, duplicate the RAW file and name it as an external edited version.
  • Open the duplicated RAW in External Editors and use the Convert To command to change it to Tiff or Jpeg.
  • Send it to the processor of your choice and edit.
  • Save the file and return to Photos.

silver-efex-photos.jpg Silver Efex Pro 2 running with External Editors and Photos.

The edited Tiff or Jpeg will be positioned next to your original RAW in the Photos library. You have other workflow options, such as Replace with Image from Disk. It's worth playing with to find the sequence that works best with you. Because the bottom line is this: Exernal Editors opens up all of your image editing tools to your Photos library.

The Apple Photos Book for Photographers

For photographers who are more than just casual snapshooters, or who are making the transition from Aperture or iPhoto, The Apple Photos Book for Photographers shines a light on the sophistication of this app and the ecosystem it taps into. Available as an eBook now, and coming to print later this year.

Get it for $15 using checkout code APPLE15!

And dont forget... For hands-on tutorials, be sure to take a look at Photos for OS X Essential Training on lynda.com. I cover everything you need to know to get the most from this surprisingly powerful image management application.

Want to Comment on this Post?

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

If you're looking to up your mirrorless game, you might want to take a look at the Panasonic Lens Sale at B&H Photo.

panasonic-promo.png

Nine very nice optics with discounts between $50 and $200. The timing could be perfect if you're planning a photo vacation this summer. And if you're an existing B&H customer, check your e-mail inbox (or promotions tab) for an note titled "B&H Exclusive: Panasonic Lens Promotion Total Savings up to $350." They've sweetened the pot even more. That super-special offer ends on June 18.

The Nimbleosity Report

Do you want to keep up with the best content from The Digital Story and The Nimble Photographer? Sign up for The Nimbleosity Report, and receive highlights twice-a-month in a single page newsletter. Be a part of our community!

Want to Comment on this Post?

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

Flickr on the desktop is useful. But firing it up on your iPhone or Android device is a blast! And I show you why in my latest lynda title, Flickr Mobile: Photo Sharing Anywhere.

flickr-mobile-overview.jpg

In this title, you can learn to use the mobile version of Flickr to shoot and enhance photos, share them, and explore photos taken by other community members. The app is available for iOS and Android and offers the same great features as the Flickr website, in a compact form you can take on the go. Here's a overview movie that will show you the highlights.

In all honesty, I think this is one of the most enjoyable titles I've recorded lately. I think you'll really have a good time watching it.


More Flickr Tips and Techniques

Sharing Photos with Flickr is a deep dive into this venerable online photography platform, focusing on how to best use its tools with a Mac or Windows computer. I show you how to configure Flickr to automatically backup your images, organize them, and share your favorites with friends, family, and the entire online universe. This training will show you how to best take advantage of Flickr's 1TB of free online storage and its comprehensive set of imaging tools.

And if you prefer using an iOS or Android device for your Flickr experience, you definitely must take a look at Flickr Mobile: Photo Sharing Anywhere. It's fun and informative.

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