You can actually "bake" your images onto a sheet of polished aluminum to create artwork that has amazing depth, durability, and detail. That's the process that SizzlPix uses, and we sit down with Don Sherman, the guy who started it all, to learn the ins and outs of this unique type of photo printing.

Listen to the Podcast

You can also download the podcast here (26 minutes). Or better yet, subscribe to the podcast in iTunes. You can support this podcast by purchasing the TDS iPhone App from the Apple App Store.

Monthly Photo Assignment

Float is the June 2010 Photo Assignment. You can read more about how to submit on our Member Participation page. Deadline for entry is June 30, 2010.

JD Felton was the "SizzlPix Pick of the Month" for Photo Assignment 50. Who will be the winner for Photo Assignment 51? The prize is an 11"x14" SizzlPix of the winning photograph.

More Ways to Participate

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our Flickr Public Group. It's a blast!

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Red River Paper -- Try the $7.99 Sample Kit.

Make Your Photos Sizzle with Color! -- SizzlPix is like High Definition TV for your photography.

Technorati Tags: digital photography, podcast, technique, Technology, The Digital Story, tips

Turning on "highlight hot and cold areas" can help you fine tune exposure adjustments when putting the finishing touches on your pictures. In this 2 minute video, I show you how to use this technique effectively.

More Aperture Tips and Techniques

To learn more about Aperture 3, check out my Aperture 3 Essential Training on Lynda.com. Also, take a look at our Aperture 3 Learning Center. Tons of free content about how to get the most out of Aperture.

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"This butterfly kept fluttering around us as we walked in Sugar Loaf Ridge State Park, Northern California," writes Christine Barry. "It landed, and I snapped a quick shot which I love."

Christine used her Nikon D5000 set to ISO 200. Exposure was 1.125 at f/5.6

Photo by Christine Barry. Click on image for larger version.

If you have a candid you'd like to share, take a look at our Submissions page, then send us your Grab Shot. We'll try to get it published for you on The Digital Story.

And you can view more images from our virtual camera club in the Member Photo Gallery.

The Digital Story Podcast App is the best way to stream or download weekly TDS podcast episodes. No more syncing your iPhone or iPod Touch just to get a podcast. And there's more! Tap the Extras button for free passes and discounts and the current Grab Shot by our virtual camera club members. Each podcast episode has its own Extras button, too, that contains more goodies such as pro photo tips. And the best part is, The Digital Story Podcast App is your way to help support this show.Download it today!

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Andy Katz just released his latest photography book, Sonoma. I caught up with him in Healdsburg, CA (in the heart of Sonoma County Wine Country), and asked him to reveal what he was toting in his Lowepro Classified 250 AW bag. This is what he had to say.

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I just read this great post on Digital Photography School titled, How to Get Your Camera Back When You Lose It. Shooter Andrew McDonald publishes a series of shots that you can leave on your memory card. If the curious person who finds your camera looks at its images, they will be treated to a fun visual story... complete with information on how to return the gear to its rightful owner. Definitely worth a look.

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On of the pieces of good news about the Sony Alpha NEX-5 is that it accepts SDHC cards in addition to Memory Sticks. I wasn't aware of that at first, but I am so happy that Sony is giving us this option. In addition to general convenience, it allows us to use Eye-Fi cards in the NEX-5 so we can transport images directly from the camera to a computer or online photo site. (I just tested this capability with the Eye-Fi Pro X2 8GB SDHC Card.)

In fact, if you scroll down to the bottom of the Setup menu on the NEX-5, you'll see that you have an on/off switch for the Eye-Fi card.

You can turn on and off the wireless function on the Eye-Fi card via a menu setting on the Sony NEX-5.

Now I have complete control over the Eye-Fi card. Plus, when it's uploading, there's an icon on the Sony LCD that lets me know the status of the card: sending images, idle, or off.

I love this integration and would like to see it on more cameras.

More on the Sony NEX-5

Sweep Panorama Is Impressive on Sony NEX-5

"Sony NEX-5: Where Does it Fit?" - Digital Photography Podcast 228

Viewing Sony's NEX-5 AVCHD Movies on a Mac

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Knowing how to get the most from your flash provides you with endless lighting options. This week we remove the strobe from the camera's hotshoe and explore how to create professional looking portraits with a minimal amount of equipment. With just a single light stand, a couple of umbrellas, and a pair of dedicated flashes, you can have a portable studio that is easy to transport, but yields amazing results.

As a bonus, those with the TDS Podcast App can watch a slideshow that demonstrates the various lighting techniques I discuss in the podcast. You'll find it under "Extras" for this episode. The TDS Podcast App works on the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.

Listen to the Podcast

You can also download the podcast here (23 minutes). Or better yet, subscribe to the podcast in iTunes. You can support this podcast by purchasing the TDS iPhone App from the Apple App Store.

Monthly Photo Assignment

Float is the June 2010 Photo Assignment. You can read more about how to submit on our Member Participation page. Deadline for entry is June 30, 2010.

JD Felton was the "Sizzlpix Pick of the Month" for Photo Assignment 50. Who will be the winner for Photo Assignment 51? The prize is an 11"x14" Sizzlpix of the winning photograph.

More Ways to Participate

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our Flickr Public Group. It's a blast!

Follow me on Twitter

-

Red River Paper -- Try the $7.99 Sample Kit.

Make Your Photos Sizzle with Color! -- SizzlPix is like High Definition TV for your photography.

Technorati Tags: digital photography, podcast, technique, Technology, The Digital Story, tips

When I was walking about Hamilton, Bermuda with just a Canon PowerShot S90 in my pocket, I spotted this most unusual shot. To this day, I'm not sure of the purpose of this particular phone, there, off to the side of the street.

Photo by Derrick Story. Canon S90, ISO 80, Raw, 1/400 at f/4 Click for larger image.

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Dateline: New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. On the scene account by photographer Julie Dermansky. Politicians and BP officials who assure the public all that can be done is being done to protect and clean up the Gulf Coast, might want to reconsider those statements.

Photo by Julie Dermansky

This is not what I have seen. Brown pelicans on Queen Bess Island are living dangerously close to splotches of oil stuck inside and outside the boom meant to protect the island. Many of them have been rescued by wildlife and fishery officials, while countless others have died. The cleanup effort ramps up when VIP's are around; other than that, the cleanup and containment effort is sporadic at best.

Last weekend, Christopher Hernandez of Grand Isle called members of the press down to show them around the day after 600 workers were bussed in to clean the beach for Obama's visit. Post-Obama, the cleanup crews numbers dwindled and their work hours were almost nonexistant.

Editor's note: Professional photographer Julie Dermansky has been on the scene in the Gulf Coast since the early stages of the oil spill. You can follow her photographic coverage on her Flickr page.

One of the promises of the micro four thirds system is lens interchangeability between Olympus and Panasonic cameras. I was able to try this for myself recently by mounting a Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 on an Olympus E-PL1 body.

All functions seemed to work well, and the lens looked good on the camera. As for the results, I thought I'd let you decide for yourself. Click on the image below to view it full size without any image editing.

20mm Panasonic lens on Olympus E-PL1. No image editing on the shot. Click on image to see unedited full size photo.

Camera Data: Olympus E-PL1 body, Panasonic 20mm lens, ISO 800, 1/60th, f/1.7.

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