Sharing travel adventures via postcards are as old as vacations themselves. You can keep this tradition alive using Flickr on your mobile device or computer. Its editing application enables you to add frames, type, and effects.

Start with a photo that represents your current activity. If you're using your iPhone, access the Camera Roll via the camera function in Flickr for iOS. Once you select the image, tap on the pencil icon in the upper right corner. Here you can choose a frame and add type. Once you apply that, you can also select a filter.

Upload the image to your Flickr account. I also save a version to my Camera Roll (this is an option in Settings). From either location, I can send my postcard to friends and family.

This process is even easier on your computer. Watch this short movie from my Flickr Essential Training title on lynda.com to see how to use the online photo editor to create postcards.

Regardless if you use your mobile device or computer, you can create memorabilia from your images that will delight your friends this summer, and for years to come.

iPad for Digital Photographers

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

Want to Comment on this Post?

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

When the lights go down, I need a fast, sharp lens to help me capture the mood while keeping up with the action. For a recent assignment, the Wine Country Big-Q BBQ competition, I depended on the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM lens for my Canon DSLR.

The Sigma lens handles this situation so easily you don't even realize it's low light.

Most of the time, I work in Aperture Priority with the Sigma 35mm lens, parking the f/stop at f/1.4. This gives me the look I want, even with a cropped sensor camera (in this case, a Canon 60D). By working close to my subjects, I can create a feeling of "being there." Yet, the backgrounds soften nicely.

I like how the lens handles the background in these types of shots.

The focusing is quick, accurate, and quiet - very important for event coverage. If there's a gesture, or the elements in a composition come together perfectly for a moment, I want to be able to capture that.

It's plenty sharp too!

Low light event photography presents plenty of challenges. Subjects on the move, often in dimly lit environments. I do carry a flash if I need it. But my first choice is to find an exposure that lets me work with the light that's already there. I've grown dependent on the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 prime lens in those situations.

BTW: Never cover a BBQ event on an empty stomach...

Want to Comment on this Post?

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

Follow me on Twitter

How did I embed this Instagram shot? Check out my post titled, How to Embed Instagram Photos.

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

Finally, there's an easy way to embed your Instagram photos on your blog or anywhere else online that accepts HTML code. Here are the steps.

Step 1 - Go to your Instagram profile and click the Share button

Step 2 - Copy the Embed Code. If the code isn't highlighted, then you'll have to do that yourself. Also, if the copy button doesn't work for you, just use your regular copy command (Edit > Copy).

Step 3 - Paste the embed code in your blog site.

The original proportions in the embed code were too big for my site, 612 x 710. So I changed those dimensions to 500 x 580 in the code.

You can see a sample post using this technique.

Having the capability to share my Instagram photos via my other sites is important. I create images there that are often unique. The embed process isn't sophisticated, but it does get the job done.

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

Want to Comment on this Post?

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

Is Capture One 7 the way to go if you're shooting with a new Fujifilm X-Trans sensor? In the blog post, Fuji X-Trans sensor excels in Capture One 7, PhaseOne blogger NIELS V. KNUDSEN writes:

"Many algorithms and process steps in the Capture One processing pipeline have been modified in order to handle this new pattern. As a result, Capture One now has a solution with which you can achieve excellent details and precise colors using these X-trans cameras." Knudsen goes on to say that control of moire and more precise color rendering are the real benefits.

If true, this could shine a new light on Capture One 7, at least by Fujifilm shooters. If anyone has experience with this combination, please post your comment on the TDS Facebook page.

Follow me on Twitter

Have you wondered if a $39 lens could be any good? Such is the case with the Olympus 15mm f/8.0 body cap lens that we first saw back at Photokina. And now, DP Review has put it on the bench and filed the report, Olympus Body Cap Lens 15mm F8 review.

Body Lens Cap on an Olympus Pen mini. Be sure the lever lines up perfectly with the white dot when shooting. Improper position shown here. (Move just a bit more to the right!)

Their bottom line? "The Body Cap Lens 15mm F8 isn't the kind of lens that's ever going to do well in technical testing, or satisfy photographers who like to look at their images in fine detail or print them large... What the 15mm does offer, though, is the ability to turn a Micro Four Thirds body into a tiny package that's ready shoot at the flick of a lever, and capture images which are good enough for social sharing, or as a basis for further manipulation, such as with in-camera filters."

Personally, I like it as, well, a body cap. I keep it on my second camera, the Pen Mini, so it takes up very little space in my camera bag. If I need to grab a quick shot, the body cap lens gets the job done until I have a few moments to mount the "proper" lens I want to use. And at $39, I've paid more for a lens hood.

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

Want to Comment on this Post?

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

Don't have much time, but want to improve your Lightroom 5 chops? Just saw this terrific post on Imaging-Resource titled Lightroom 5: 10 tips in 10 minutes, with Adobe's Julieanne Kost. It will make you smarter...

PhotoHelpDesk.com is a down-to-earth resource for curious minded photographers. Submit your questions, and we'll post an answer.

Follow me on Twitter

Want to discover all of the features and settings in Flickr that you haven't tapped yet? Then click over to lynda.com and watch Flickr Essential Training.

To whet your appetite, here's an overview movie that will give you a taste of what's being served.

Want to Comment on this Post?

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

Today's featured question on PhotoHelpDesk.com: Is Latest iMac Worthy for Image Editing?. The short answer is, "yes." Check out the post for more details and to comment.

PhotoHelpDesk.com is a down-to-earth resource for curious minded photographers. Submit your questions, and we'll post an answer.

We had a feeling this camera would do well in reviews. PhotographyBlog.com just awarded the Olympus E-P5 micro four thirds camera five stars in their Olympus E-P5 Review.

Citing top marks for design, ease of use, and image quality, they conclude: "...we can recommend the new Olympus E-P5 just as highly as our favourite compact system camera of 2012 [Olympus OM-D]." High praise indeed. Can't wait to get my hands on one.

iPad for Digital Photographers

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

Want to Comment on this Post?

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