This week on The Digital Story Photography Podcast: Delicious Monochromes from Your Digital Camera, Shining a Light on the Canon T6 Sensor Issue, Lightroom CC Tip, and One-Step Film Developing (that isn't Polaroid) - All of this and more on today's show with Derrick Story.

Weekly Update - "Canon T6 Sensor Issue" - Roger Cicla writes, "... 4 of the Canon T6s and 2 of the T6i cameras we received had to be sent back because of a defect in the sensor stack (the layers of filter glass over the sensor). This is out about 10 copies of each; the others were absolutely perfect.

The affected cameras all had a dramatic pattern that at first we thought was oil or dust on top of the sensor glass." (Source: LensRentals.com)

In other news... "Developing your film in one step" Photography startup New55 has released R3 Monobath, a new photochemical that makes developing film a one step process. Monobath films have been used in instant film, which could be a leading reason New55 is working on a monobath developer -- New55's existence is driven by the desire to bring back to life the aesthetic of the no longer produced Polaroid Type 55 film. (Source: Imaging-Resource.com)

"Warriors Fan, Oracle Arena" by Derrick Story.

Story #1 - "Delicious Monochromes from Your Digital" - I've talked about film simulation modes in the past, but some cameras allow you to build your own B&W profiles. I was "street shooting" again at Oracle Arena on Sunday, but this time in B&W using my own formula.

On my OM-D E-M10 (with Panasonic 20mm f/1.7), I began by going to Shooting Menu 1 and choosing Picture Mode. I then navigated to the Monotone option, where I could set parameters for Contrast (+1), Sharpness (+1), B&W Filter (Yellow), Picture Tone (Neutral), and Gradation (normal). I then shot in RAW+Jpeg. The results were beautiful!

Story #2 - "National Photography Month" National Photography Month was officially recognized by Congress in 1987. The month-long observance includes photography contests and other activities throughout the country. Rocky Nook is celebrating by offering $35 eBook Bundles on the following topics:

• Travel Photography
• Bird Photography
• Landscape Photography
• Beginner Photography
• Bruce Barnbaum Complete Set
• Candid Moments Photography

You can learn more by visiting the Rocky Nook web site.

Story #3 - "Reservation Forms Have Been Sent for the TDS Fall Color/Safari West Photo Workshop" - The event begins on the evening of Friday Oct. 23, and it concludes on Sunday Oct. 25th in Sonoma County, CA. If you were on the reserve list, you should have received a reservation form. If not, please contact me. If you want a reservation form, visit TDS Workshops Page and use the Send Me Info form.

Story #4 Lightroom CC Tip - Get to Know the New Filter Brush - I've been using the graduated screen much more since Adobe added the Filter Brush. Once you add the screen, click on Brush (in the same box), click on Erase (at the bottom of the box), and paint away the areas you don't want affected by the screen. This is perfect for buildings and trees that stick up into the sky you want to darken.

Virtual Camera Club News

Thanks to everyone who recently reviewed the TDS 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.

Want to Comment on this Post?

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

This week on The Digital Story Photography Podcast: Hands On with the Yongnuo 35mm f-2.0 lens for Canon, Olympus Camera Grip ECG-2 with Built-In Arca Swiss Plate, SF Street Shooting Workshop Notes, Compositing Photos on a Tablet - All of this and more on today's show with Derrick Story.

Weekly Update - "Ricoh unveils Pentax K-3 II with Pixel Shift Resolution mode" - It uses an improved image stabilization system that drives a new Pixel Shift Resolution feature, designed to reduce false color. Retaining its predecessor's 24MP sensor, 27-point AF system, and durable construction, the K-3 II offers sensor-shift IS with a claimed 4.5 stops of shake reduction. Also included are built-in GPS, an improved AF algorithm, gyro-sensor-based panning detection and automatic horizon correction. Something that's no longer included is a built-in flash. The Pentax K-3 II will be available in May for $1099.95. (Source: DP Review)

In other news... "American Photo Magazine Stops Publishing, Readers Switched to Pop Photo" Pop Photo editor-in-chief Miriam Leuchter writes that American Photo has discontinued publication effective immediately, and that existing subscribers will automatically be receiving copies of Popular Photography instead. If the reader is already subscribed to Pop Photo, their two subscriptions will be combined into one longer subscription. In 2015 that American Photo had a total print circulation of 100,000 and audience of 1,092,000. The brand will now live on solely through the American Photo website, which Bonnier says has an average monthly readership of 100,000. (Source: PetaPixel)

Story #1 - "Hands On with the Yongnuo 35mm f/2.0 lens for Canon" - It's about the size of the Canon 50mm f/1.8, and it was selling on Amazon for $122 (that's what I paid). But when I went to check the Yongnuo 35mm f/2.0 catalog page, it said that it's currently out of stock and "We don't know when or if this item will be back in stock." And on eBay, it's now selling for $280. I provide my hands-on review of this suddenly rare lens in today's first story. 

Story #2 - "SF Street Shooting Workshop Notes" I just returned from spending a few days in San Francisco with 8 fantastic photographers. Here are a few of the takeaways from the experience.

Story #3 - From the Screening Room - Creating Photo Composites on Smartphones and Tablets with Seán Duggan. Sean uses a variety of apps, including Photoshop Touch.

You can watch Sean in action by visiting the TDS Screening Room at lynda.com. While you're there, you can start your 7 day free trial to watch all of Sean's movies, plus every other title in the library (including over 20 by yours truly).

Story #4 Hands on with the Olympus External Metal Grip ECG-2 for the OM-D E-M5 Mark II. This handsome all-metal grip also serves as an Arca Swiss adapter plate. Plus you have access to the battery compartment without removing the ECG-2.

Virtual Camera Club News

News from SizzlPix: For April, We'll make it easy to delight your friends and relatives with SizzlPix of your or their favorite photographs with a Digital Story exclusive! Take a 20 percent discount; 25 percent on 2 or more shipped together. Just put "TDS April" in the comments space on the SizzlPix.com ordering page.

Thanks to everyone who recently reviewed the TDS 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 (34 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 May!

Want to Comment on this Post?

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

This week on The Digital Story Photography Podcast: Lightroom 6 (and CC) Ready for Primetime, Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 V2 Hands On, OM-D E-M5 Mark II Firmware Update Makes for a Faster Start - All of this and more on today's show with Derrick Story.

Weekly Update - "Apple buys camera-technology company LinX" - The acquisition would indicate that Apple is planning to do more of the imaging hardware development in-house. Currently the iPhone range uses image sensors supplied by Sony. An implementation of the LinX technology in future iPhone generations could not only mean improved image quality but also a whole new range of features. (Source: DP Review)

In other news... "NY State Police lock down campus for suspicious package that contained developing supplies" - After a full lockdown of the campus and immediate evacuation of the building containing the suspicious package, it was discovered via an X-ray machine that the package was nothing more than an abandoned container filled with supplies used for photographic development." (Source: Imaging-Resource.com)

And finally... "Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II Firmware Update 1.1" - Various fixes include: Audio can be faded out of movie files created with My Clips editing. Speed at which information is displayed when the camera is turned on has been improved. The issue of noise appearing in images captured while shooting with High Res Shot has been corrected. (Source The Photography Blog.)

Story #1 - "Lightroom CC Debuts" - Creative Cloud customers now have a brand new version to work with. The box version (Lightroom 6) is available too, but at a price. Highlights include:

• New Photo Merge for both HDR and panoramas.
• Facial recognition.
• Advanced video slideshows.
• Filter Brush: Precisely control which parts of your image are affected by the Graduated or Radial filters. Now you can use a brush to edit the filter's mask, adding or subtracting filter effects wherever you want.
• Increased performance using GPU support (Mac OS X 10.9 or 10.10 only).
• New camera profiles including: Canon 5Ds, Nikon D5500 and 7200, Olympus E-M5 Mark II and SH-2, Lumix GF-7, Fujifilm X-A2 and XQ2, and Samsung NX500.
• Lots of new lens profiles.

Requires Mac OS X v10.8, 10.9, or 10.10 or Microsoft® Windows 7 with Service Pack 1, Windows 8, or Windows 8.1.

I have an eBook titled, "HDR and Panoramas with Photo Merge in Lightroom CC" that's published by Rocky Nook and that's available at this URL for the price of an email address.

Story #2 - "Hands on with the Panasonic 20mm f/1.7 II. This gem weighs in at only 3 ounces and measures 2.48" x 1.00". Its fast aperture and natural 40mm effective focal length make it a wonderful street shooter. More about it in today's second story.

Story #3 - From the Screening Room - Photo Restoration Techniques: Damaged Black-and-White Images with Neil Rhodes.

You can watch Neil in action by visiting the TDS Screening Room at lynda.com. While you're there, you can start your 7 day free trial to watch all of Neil's movies, plus every other title in the library (including over 20 by yours truly).

Virtual Camera Club News

News from SizzlPix: For April, We'll make it easy to delight your friends and relatives with SizzlPix of your or their favorite photographs with a Digital Story exclusive! Take a 20 percent discount; 25 percent on 2 or more shipped together. Just put "TDS April" in the comments space on the SizzlPix.com ordering page.

Thanks to everyone who recently reviewed the TDS 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 (34 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 May!

Want to Comment on this Post?

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

This week on The Digital Story Photography Podcast: LinkedIn Buys lynda, Is the Canon XC10 the Camera of the Future?, Snapseed 2.0 - All of this and more on today's show with Derrick Story.

Weekly Update - "Snapseed hits version 2.0 with new tools, filters and more" - The latest update adds a new way to view your edits with Stacks. Stacks allow you to see a list of filters that you've applied to an image that can be re-edited or copied over to another image. Snapseed 2.0 also includes new filters, brush and spot repair tools, and more. Available now for iOS and Android. (Source: iMore)

In other news... "Review: Photos for OS X is faster than iPhoto, but less powerful than Aperture" Photos for OS X is now official with the release of Mac OS X 10.10.3. On the same day (last Wednesday), Jeff Carlson publishes a review for Macworld Magazine stating, "Photos is a big step up for iPhoto users, with better speed and editing tools. Power users of Aperture will probably want to stay with Aperture or switch to another pro-level app like Lightroom." (Source: Macworld Magazine)

And finally... "Olympus Price Reduction on the OM-D E-M10 Premium Kit" - This kit that includes an E-M10 made from special high quality materials, 14-42mm EZ Zoom, and special edition leather neck strap and lens cap. Was available only in the UK, and for about $1,300 US, is now available for $875. And it's gorgeous! Go to http://www.getolympus.com/us/en/digitalcameras/omd/e-m10.html to learn more.

Story #1 - "lynda.com to join LinkedIn" - As part of the announcement, authors (such as myself) were sent an official FAQ about the deal. Here's what lynda has to say about this giant acquisition.

Story #2 - "Opinion: Why the Canon XC10 is a big deal" by Dale Baskin of DP Review. Dale writes, "The XC10 represents an important step on the path to convergence between the still and video imaging worlds, though it's important to recognize that it's an early step. Canon tends to be very deliberate in its product development and has smartly aimed this camera at a category of users (such as media) for whom the combination of features, specs, and physical size make a lot of sense. It may not be the camera that enthusiast stills photographers are looking for, but it might be the best example yet of a 'convergence' product that facilitates both still photography and video with equal emphasis on both."

Basic feature highlights: "12MP stills from a 1-inch sensor won't set the enthusiast photographic market aflame, but 5-axis image stabilization (a digital effect in HD video capture mode only), a maximum ISO sensitivity of 20,000 and a built-in, optically stabilized 24-240mm equivalent zoom (27-273mm for movies) should appeal greatly to multimedia professionals who increasingly need to focus on both stills and video capture."

Story #3 - From the Screening Room - iPhone and iPad Photography with iOS 8 with Seán Duggan. If the iPhone or iPad are your primary image capture devices when you're on the go, Sean can help you get the most out of them.

You can watch Sean in action by visiting the TDS Screening Room at lynda.com. While you're there, you can start your 7 day free trial to watch all of Sean's movies, plus every other title in the library (including over 20 by yours truly).

Virtual Camera Club News

News from SizzlPix: For April, We'll make it easy to delight your friends and relatives with SizzlPix of your or their favorite photographs with a Digital Story exclusive! Take a 20 percent discount; 25 percent on 2 or more shipped together. Just put "TDS April" in the comments space on the SizzlPix.com ordering page.

Thanks to everyone who recently reviewed the TDS 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 (26 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 May!

Want to Comment on this Post?

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

This week on The Digital Story Photography Podcast: Street Photography Ethics with Gordon Lewis, Travel Photography in London with David Hobby, Nikon 1 J5, and the Phhhoto App - All of this and more on today's show with Derrick Story.

Weekly Update - "Meet Phhhoto" - If you haven't heard of the app Photo you're certainly not alone. Phhhoto is a mobile GIF/cinemagraph/image sequence creating and sharing platform that was released last year on iOS and will be coming to Android in the future. As of this week it now has over a million registered users and is really starting to take the world by storm.(Source: Fstoppers)

In other news... "Nikon 1 J5" The Nikon 1 J5 mirrorless camera has been announced as the latest member of Nikon's mirrorless lineup. It offers a more traditional shape and feel with a contoured grip and secondary command dial. Its 1"-type 20.8MP BSI-CMOS sensor - which does not have an anti-aliasing filter - offers a boost in resolution over its predecessor, and is also capable of 4K video capture at 15 fps. Intact from the previous model is a 171-point hybrid AF system with 105 phase-detect points. Also included is built-in Wi-Fi with NFC.

The Nikon 1 J5 will be available in late April in several kit options: with the 1 Nikkor 10-30mm f/3.5-5.6 PD-Zoom for $499.95, with 10-30mm and 1 Nikkor VR 30-110mm f/3.8-5.6 for $749.95, and with 1 Nikkor 10-100mm f/4-5.6 for $1049.95. (Source: DP Review)

And finally... Issue 19 of c't Digital Photography is out. In-depth articles include: Stills from 4K Video, Samsung NX1 vs Canon 7D Mark II, How to Digitize Slides, 10 Shoe Mount Flashes Compared, and everything you need to know about Food Photography. We have a Spring Offer for TDS listeners only: 30 percent off subscription price (over 40 percent off the newsstand). Go to http://bit.ly/ds1530 to sign up. Special price expires 4/13/15.

Story #1 - "Street Photography Ethics with Gordon Lewis" - If you like street shooting you're probably going to love this conversation. Gordon has a new book, Street Photography: The Art of Capturing the Candid Moment, and you can win a copy by clicking on this link.

Story #2 - From the Screening Room - The Traveling Photographer: London with David Hobby. Long time photojournalist and "Strobist" David Hobby takes you to the streets of London and talks shop.

You can watch David in action by visiting the TDS Screening Room at lynda.com. While you're there, you can start your 7 day free trial to watch all of David's movies, plus every other title in the library (including over 20 by yours truly).

Virtual Camera Club News

News from SizzlPix: For April, We'll make it easy to delight your friends and relatives with SizzlPix of your or their favorite photographs with a Digital Story exclusive! Take a 20 percent discount; 25 percent on 2 or more shipped together. Just put "TDS April" in the comments space on the SizzlPix.com ordering page.

Thanks to everyone who recently reviewed the TDS 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.

In addition to subscribing in iTunes, you can also download the podcast file here (45 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 May!

Want to Comment on this Post?

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

This week on The Digital Story Photography Podcast: Nifty Street Shooting Trick, Hands On with the Olympus SH-2 compact zoom, Color Calibration - All of this and more on today's show with Derrick Story.

Weekly Update - Uploader for Instagram in Mac App Store - Now you can send images to your Instagram account from a Mac. (Source: The Digital Story)

In other news... "X-Transformed? Fuji film X30 Review" The lovely X30 didn't fare as well as its predecessors, largely because its 2/3" sensor seems to be falling behind the competition. Other cons included:

• Vigorous noise reduction at higher ISO settings destroys detail
• Colors can be a little odd especially in overcast conditions
• Takes too long to wake from sleep mode
• Control ring could be made more use of for menu navigation and play back
• Limited exposure compensation because of physical dial design

(Source: DP Review)

Story #1 - Double Your Street Shooting Pleasure - Unless you're in the state of Arkansas operating under the potential dark cloud of the Personal Rights Protection Act (not law yet, thankfully), I have a few techniques for you to consider during your next street shoot.

Assuming that you'll be using a mirrorless or other non-DSLR camera, dust off your favorite fast aperture prime lens, and tune in to the first feature story of today's show. Cameras that I've tested these techniques on include the Fujifilm X-20, Olympus OM-D E-M10, and the Samsung NX3000.

Story #2 - "First Look at the Olympus SH-2 RAW Shooting Compact" - This pants-pocketable compact features an impressive 25-600mm zoom, one-touch WiFi, and RAW format. Other goodies include:

• 16MP 1/2.3" BSI CMOS Sensor
• TruePic VII Image Processor
• 3.0" 460k-Dot Touchscreen LCD Monitor
• 5-Axis Sensor-Shift Image Stabilization
• Full HD 1920 x 1080p Video at 60 fps
• Live Composite, Filters, and Photo Story

I've been carrying one around for about a week, and I have a hands-on report for you in today's second feature.

Story #3 - From the Screening Room - Advanced Color Workflows for Photographers with Joe Brady. Do you want to demystify color calibration for your monitors and mobile devices. Joe explains it all in this informative lynda.com title.

You can watch Joe in action by visiting the TDS Screening Room at lynda.com. While you're there, you can start your 7 day free trial to watch all of Joe's movies, plus every other title in the library (including over 20 by yours truly).

Virtual Camera Club News

News from Red River Paper: Have you made your archive 6 prints yet for 2015? The best backup system in the world is high quality prints properly stored. I recommend that photographers do a print run of their best twice a year. Here's why.

Thanks to everyone who recently reviewed the TDS 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.

In addition to subscribing in iTunes, you can also download the podcast file here (38 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 May!

Want to Comment on this Post?

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

This week on The Digital Story Photography Podcast: Essential Tools for Event Photography, 5 Additional Things to Do with a 50MP Camera, ACR 8.8 New Camera Support (but not Lightroom) - All of this and more on today's show with Derrick Story.

Weekly Update - Ten New Cameras Supported by ACR 8.8 -

• Casio EX-ZR3500
• Canon EOS 750D (Rebel T6i, Kiss X8i)
• Canon EOS 760D (Rebel T6s, Kiss 8000D)
• Fujifilm X-A2
• Fujifilm XQ2
• Hasselblad Stellar II
• Nikon D5500
• Olympus OM-D E-M5 II
• Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF7
• Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS50 (DMC-TZ70, DMC-TZ71)

In other news... "Ricoh reveals pixel-shifting high-resolution mode: Coming soon to a camera near you?" Unlike Olympus' approach, which grabs 8 frames and uses a half-pixel shift between two groups of four to interpolate additional pixels, Ricoh's method uses just four shots, to bring the four pixels of each Bayer color filter array cell into alignment with each other. The resulting file has the same number of pixels as conventional shots, but each pixel contains full, uninterpolated RGB data. (Source: Imaging-Resource)

Story #1 - Essential Tools for Event Photography - Whether you're getting ready to shoot a wedding, trade show, or birthday party, these tools will help you capture better images while increasing your enjoyment. I'll explain each of these in the second feature of today's show.

• A professional wide to moderate zoom. The constant aperture f/2.8 zoom that covers roughly from 24-70mms is a workhorse for the event photographer.
• A fast portrait lens. I prefer a f/1.8 or f/2.0 85, 90, or 100mm prime lens to complement my zoom.
• A lightweight flash modifier. I always carry at least one Rouge FlashBender to help me tame the light coming off my strobe.
• Battery grip. Even when I shoot mirrorless, I keep a battery grip on the camera. This allows me to shoot the entire day without changing batteries, which usually occurs at the worst time possible.
• A skilled assistant. Have an extra set of hands to manage the shot list, set up group shots, keep an eye on an activity not yet ready to photograph, and serve as a second shooter when needed is a blessing beyond description.

Story #2 - 5 Additional Things to Do with a 50 MP Camera - Yes, there are the obvious choices such as landscape and product photography with a new Canon 5DS R. But what about...

• Start a business shooting life size portraits.
• Become the first indoor sports photographer that only uses a 50mm lens.
• Advertise yourself as a billboard photographer by shooting the first 50 MP selfie, then putting it on a billboard.
• After the next holiday, send a 50MP RAW file attachment to a family member with a 5-year-old Dell with the caption, "Can you believe what Aunt Jenny revealed at the party?"
• Rent your 50MP camera to other photographers who can't afford one, then use the money to buy stock in 4TB drives.

Story #3 - From the Screening Room - Black-and-White Project: Creating a Dramatic Landscape with Lightroom and Photoshop with Chris Orwig

You can watch Chris in action by visiting the TDS Screening Room at lynda.com. While you're there, you can start your 7 day free trial to watch all of Chris' movies, plus every other title in the library (including over 20 by yours truly).

Virtual Camera Club News

News from Red River Paper: Have you made your archive 6 prints yet for 2015? The best backup system in the world is high quality prints properly stored. I recommend that photographers do a print run of their best twice a year. Here's why.

Thanks to everyone who recently reviewed the TDS 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.

In addition to subscribing in iTunes, you can also download the podcast file here (35 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 May!

Want to Comment on this Post?

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

This week on The Digital Story Photography Podcast: Eye-Fi Rubbed RAW, Expensive Filters, Lowepro Reboot, Planning and Staging an Exhibition - All of this and more on today's show with Derrick Story.

Weekly Update - Lowepro launches weather-proof Fastpack backpacks for traveling photographers - "Both bags include Lowepro's All Weather AW Cover, which is basically a built-in raincoat that can be untucked and pulled over the bag in a rain shower. The tablet sections feature what Lowepro calls CradleFit padding that grips and suspends the tablet so that it remains protected in the event of a drop. Using compression straps the bags are designed to also attach to the handles of rolling luggage, and both can support a tripod via straps and a mesh pocket."  (Source: DP Review)

In other news... Eyefi's newest Mobi Pro SD card lets you sync RAW photos - "Self-proclaimed as 'the most powerful wireless SD card ever', the Mobi Pro sets itself apart from Eyefi's lower-level Mobi cards by now allowing you to transfer RAW files to your desktop or mobile device, straight from your camera." (Source: Imaging-Resource)

Story #1 - Think of Your Filters as Very Thin Lenses - I just spent $48 for a Hoya 46mm EVO Antistatic UV(0) Filter. Why would I do such a crazy thing? Here are a few reasons:

• Absorbs Ultraviolet Light (helping to reduce bluish cast)
• 16-Layer Super Multi-Coating (99.8 percent light transmission )
• EVO Antistatic Coating Repels Dust
• Water, Stain, and Scratch-Resistant
• Optical Glass Construction
• One-Piece Low-Profile Filter Ring (lessens the likelihood of vignetting)
• Front Threads for Filter Stacking

And then I add a few more...

Story #2 - You Can't Beat the Price for the Fotor Image Editor - I've been playing with a lovely, smart and free image editor called Fotor. Will it replace Aperture? No way. But it does leverage Mac OS X technologies in an elegant, fun package. I discuss in this segment of the show.

Story #3 - From the Screening Room - Planning and Staging an Exhibition with Konrad Eek.

You can watch Konrad in action by visiting the TDS Screening Room at lynda.com. While you're there, you can start your 7 day free trial to watch all of Konrad's movies, plus every other title in the library (including over 20 by yours truly).

Virtual Camera Club News

The TDS Bodie/Eastern Sierra Photography Workshop is Sold Out.

News from Red River Paper: Have you made your archive 6 prints yet for 2015? The best backup system in the world is high quality prints properly stored. I recommend that photographers do a print run of their best twice a year. Here's why.

Thanks to everyone who recently reviewed the TDS 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.

In addition to subscribing in iTunes, you can also download the podcast file here (35 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 May!

Want to Comment on this Post?

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

This week on The Digital Story Photography Podcast: E-M5 Mark II Hands On Review, Beta Testing Photos for OS X, Who Let the Air Out of the Latest MacBook? All of this and more on today's show with Derrick Story.

Weekly Update - Iridient Developer 3.0 Released - Some of the key new features introduced in Version 3 include multiple new demosaicing algorithms for both Bayer and X-Trans sensors, new Clarity adjustment for enhancing midtone contrast, new options for adjusting overall tonality including an adaptive "Fill Light" style exposure adjustment and pixel neighborhood adaptive highlight/shadow adjustments,several new monochrome mixer conversion methods, a greatly simplified colour management setup, two new monochrome toning methods including Split Toning and Mono Tone, and much more. This final 3.0 release also adds support for RAW images from the Olympus E-M5 Mark II shot in the 40 megapixel high resolution mode.  (Source: Photography Blog)

In other news... Apple's radical 12-inch MacBook is the slimmest, lightest MacBook ever - Apple reveals a new 12-inch MacBook, a radical revamp that shakes up the winning MBA design by dumping virtually every conventional port--Thunderbolt, the SD card slot, a power connector, everything--in favor of a pair a single USB Type-C connection and an audio jack. That, paired with numerous other advances, helped the 12-inch MacBook become the slimmest, lightest MacBook ever--and it's silent, too. (Source: Macworld)

Story #1 - Hands On Review of the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II - Beautifully crafted, intelligent inside, the latest mirrorless offering from Olympus might be their best camera yet. I discuss why in this segment of the show. You can also read my article about High Res Shot, one of the standout features of the E-M5 Mark II, at c't DigiPhoto.

Story #2 - Beta Testing Photos for OS X - you can join the OS X beta program and test the latest version of Photos. I provide my first impressions.

Story #3 - From the Screening Room - Photoshop CC Essential Training with Julieanne Kost. For my money, Julieanne is the best Photoshop trainer in the business. And she shines in this tutorial.

You can watch Julieanne in action by visiting the TDS Screening Room at lynda.com. While you're there, you can start your 7 day free trial to watch all of Julieanne's movies, plus every other title in the library (including over 20 by yours truly).

Virtual Camera Club News

News from Red River Paper: Have you made your archive 6 prints yet for 2015? The best backup system in the world is high quality prints properly stored. I recommend that photographers do a print run of their best twice a year. Here's why.

Thanks to everyone who recently reviewed the TDS 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.

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 Sept!

Want to Comment on this Post?

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

This week on The Digital Story Photography Podcast: Tips for Seamless Panoramas, Behind the Scenes at the Havana Club Cafe set for my lynda.com movie, Canon and Nikon news. All of this and more on today's show with Derrick Story.

Weekly Update - Nikon D7200 boasts low-light AF improvements and increased buffer depth - With a 24.2MP APS-C CMOS sensor it offers a very slight resolution increase over its 24.1MP D7100 predecessor, and like that model it lacks an optical low-pass filter. Also, a next-generation 51-point AF module with increased low-light sensitivity, built-in Wi-Fi with NFC and an improved 100-shot buffer depth when shooting JPEGs at 6 fps (18 14-bit or 27 12-bit Raw files). Other notable features include 1080/60p video recording, improved battery life of 1100 shots per charge and a weather-sealed magnesium alloy body. The D7200 will be available in April as a kit with the 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR for $1699.95, or body-only for $1199.95.  (Source: DP Review)

In other news... Review: The Canon 11-24mm f/4L is Pricey and Heavy but Unmatched Optically - The Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L USM officially holds the title of the widest rectilinear full-frame SLR lens with its 126º05' diagonal widest angle of view. And there's no mistaking the lens for anything less than an extreme wide-angle lens given its huge and gorgeous 108mm bulbous front element. Is it worth $3,000? This review helps answer. (Source: PetaPixel)

Story #1 - Tips for Seamless Panoramas - Yes, your iPhone works great for capturing panoramas. But if you want higher resolution and more tonal control, stitching together frames from your digital camera is the answer. Here a a few tips to ensure the best quality possible.

• Use a tripod... properly.
• It's easiest with the sun to your back.
• Why manual exposure just works better.
• Lock in your focus and keep it there.
• Don't forget to overlap!
• Mark first and last frame.
• Shoot RAW.

Story #2 - Behind the Scenes at the Havana Cafe Set - I'm at lynda.com this week recording the finishing bits for my "Photographer in Cuba" movie. They've designed a special set for our recording, and I thought it would be fun to chat with the producer, videographer, and lighting director about the preparations involved for this project. I hope you enjoy the conversation.

News from Red River Paper: Have you made your archive 6 prints yet for 2015? The best backup system in the world is high quality prints properly stored. I recommend that photographers do a print run of their best twice a year. Here's why.

Thanks to everyone who recently reviewed the TDS 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.

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.

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 May!

Want to Comment on this Post?

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