Category: Announcements

Ten for 25!

Jason8 Comments

In keeping with the impending Giftmas (yes, I am spelling that right, and thanks to Yankeefoxtrot  on Twitter for the name), and hopefully in time for your holiday shopping, I have assembled a cornucopia of items to share with you either as the photographer, or as the one with a photographer in the family.  The best thing about this list though – all the items are $25 or less.  After all, the economy is tight – we all know it and everyone is cutting back, but there’s no reason to feel denied simply because photography is known as an expensive hobby!  This way, there’s also no need to feel like you are asking for someone’s first born, or that the guy/gal is just in a hobby that is too expensive to give something photo-related.  Actually, that’s just one of the best things about this list.  The other is that these are all items that I either own, or want for my own gear bag.  So, take note, link this post, and enjoy!

  1. Battery Caddy – this is probably my most appreciated item.  Ranging in price from $5 to $14, I absolutely love mine and have been meaning to get more.  (Thanks go out to Scott over at Weekly Photo Tips who sent me mine as a prize for a photo contest last year – I literally love this item!)
  2. Eneloop Batteries – Since you have a battery caddy now, you may as well stock it with batteries.  Yeah yeah, I know, batteries for flashes are so mundane, but get yourself a set of Eneloops and you may re-think this.  These guys are not only super powerful but they retain their charge much longer than traditional rechargeables.  Plus, they really do seem to have the staying power of traditional alkalines.  A set of 4 of these can be had from any store, whether it’s B&H, Radioshack, or Newegg.  The link above takes you to Sanyo’s page (the folks who make them), and it includes a whole laundry list, which includes Costco!
  3. Stickey Filters – Okay, I am cheating here for two reasons.  First, because I discovered these from another list (Scott Kelby’s Gonzo Gear Guide), and second, because the price is actually $49.95.  But here’s how I justify it – you get two sets of these stickey filters, so it’s really like they are $25 each.  Lame?  Kinda, but these are so cool, you’re gonna want a set anyway.  These guys are basically gels that have a sticky side that slaps to the front of your flash and act as a filter.  Boom.  Done.  Stickey Filters look to be so cool!  No more cutting and using Velcro on your flash, no more buying sheets of gels and finding a place to store them.  Stickey Filters seem to be the answer to what the gellin’ photog needs in their gear bag.  Plus, they offer a lifetime replacement!  That’s impressive…
  4. Camera Bubble Level – These little doohickeys are awesome.  My bubble level on my tripod cracked about two years ago and the liquid drained out, rendering it useless.  I’ve been meaning to replace it until someone (I forget who) pointed these guys out to me.  It slides in your hot shoe mount too, so you know the camera is level.  Amazon is the linked place, but these can be found many places for $10 or less!
  5. Remote cable release – Okay, okay, I also stole this from Scott Kelby’s list, but truth be told, I also love mine (got it at the local camera store for like $39, but that was only because I didn’t want to wait the week for Amazon to ship me one.  YOu can get them for any brand, but I have to go with Canon given the blog name.  It’s linked above, and can be had for $24.95 at the time of this post.
  6. Joby Gorillapod – I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve found myself out and about with my P&S only to wish I had my tripod with me for some stability just for a few seconds.  I’d heard about the Gorilla pod but never really thought about it for my P&S because I didn’t have a small portable until fairly recently.  When my brother showed up for the holidays with the Gorilla Pod and his P&S, not only was he more portable, but also more stable.  (Don’t you hate it when your brother beats you at your own hobby!)  I had to get one, and you should too!  For the P&S original, it’s $21.95!
  7. Earbud Microphone set – When I first got my iPod Touch, it was disappointing to learn that the included headphones did not include a microphone.  The tech in me should have known, but I rushed back out to get the Apple-compatible headset.  When I didn’t have it with me one day, I tried the set for my Blackberry and sure enough, it worked just fine.  (Why wouldn’t it, it’s the same technology in headsets – all with the same adapter.)  Now that my “Apple-certified” headset has developed a short, the replacement set will be the one from Plantronics for $5 from Amazon.  Shoulda gone there first!  For those out there without iPhones, Touches, or Blackberries – most phones these days come with a headset plug, and the mini-RCA should work in all of them.  If not, you’re only out $5.  Small price to pay for the ease with which these operate (and I think they sound better too!)
  8. Microfiber Cloths – I know, it sounds crazy, but these do get dirty themselves and you must throw them out.  No biggie though when a10-pack costs a mere $17.99 you can’t go wrong!  You can get different sized cloths from camera vendors like B&H, and I think even Wal-Mart Visioncare has a 3-pack for like $10 bucks, but I like the ones from Simply Good Stuff (linked) simply because the price is right, they are designed for lenses, and it’s just a cool name for a website.
  9. Gaffers Tape – anyone who’s been around photography for any amount of time has heard of gaffers tape.  It’s low tack so the sticky stuff won’t adhere to your gear, but man can it save your $%^& in a pinch.  For a mere $5 you can get 12 yards of the stuff from B&H, so the question isn’t “Why?”, it’s “Why not?”
  10. Flickr Pro – there’s so much more you can do with a Flickr Pro account over the standard free account.  At only $24.95, it meets the criteria, and the photog will fully enjoy the added features, including statistics, unlimited uploads, and so much more.  Plus, you can give it to them online, so it saves all that added expense of tape and wrapping paper!

There you have it, 1o things under $25 (well, 9 since I kinda cheated on one).  Have any ideas of your own?  Products or items you prefer?  Something blatant I missed?  I’m sure there are lots of other ideas out there, so sound off in the comments and let others know about your “gotta have it gadgets”.!  Just in time for the holidays too!  Happy shooting all, have a great weekend, and we’ll see you back here on Monday!

Useful Resource

Jason32 Comments

In the interests of giving people enough time to participate, here is the awaited review of Scott Kelby’s Digital Photography Book, Volume 3.  To be eligible to win this book, simply comment on this post – you have until Friday to make a comment – the winner will be announced then.  One entry only per person, and free shipping to anywhere in the US.  If you live outside the US you can still participate, but shipping won’t be free.  Details to follow for the winner…  Good luck all and thanks to those at NAPP and Kelby Media for sending the book out (little did they know I’d be turning around and giving it away again).  So, ready for the “review”?  Here goes:

Scott Kelby's Digital Photography Book, Vol. 3
Scott Kelby's Digital Photography Book, Vol. 3

The relatively recent release of Scott Kelby’s latest book on photography has met well with readers and reviewers so when I got an opportunity to read through it in some detail, figured this would be a good time to give a Canon-centric rundown.

First off, the book is interestingly organized.  Scott’s impressive background with Photoshop has lent itself well toward his particular writing style in that a work flow of sorts can be how reading material is organized.  With photography, a “work flow” is not as easy to adhere to because things will vary from one type of environment to another.  There are some basics that will be the same across the board, and given the layout of this third volume, I am guessing he found a flow for the first book or two.  For this third book though, it’s not typical “Kelby-esque” style writing.  Sure, the wit still comes through, and for those accustomed to his writing style, this is a welcome element.  The flow aspect being different though, takes some adjusting.  To that end, here’s how the book is laid out in its chapter organization:

  1. Flash Tips
  2. Studio Tips
  3. Lens Tips
  4. Product Photography
  5. Outdoor Photography
  6. Portrait Photography
  7. Sports Photography
  8. General Photo Tips
  9. Avoiding/Dealing with Problems

Because in previous works, I have been accustomed to reading something like a story as things easily transition from one element to the next, this was a bit more challenging at first.  Once I made the shift to this new style, it became easier – so, my recommendation, read this book more as a quick reference guide.  The tips, tricks, and pointers he gives on all subjects are spot on for the specific subject matter.  The content shifts quickly though with each tip lasting about a page (and this includes graphics).

When all is said and done though, would I recommend this as a book to read?  I can honestly say that though I’ve probably advanced past his introductory books, this is definitely a keeper.  Not only are there some great tips in here, but they aren’t just cheesy ones like “Don’t forget to take your lens cap off…”  These are real tips, true gristle that you can sink your teeth into.  Want to know how to use mirrors?  Scott tells you!  How about what to do if your flash isn’t bright enough?  Scott tells you!  There’s even nuts and bolts info on things like how to get specific effects with your photography in all genres of work.  I think what I like best is that he actually goes through some of the specifics for both Nikon (his camera gear of choice) and Canon equivalents, for camera and lighting settings.  This way no one is left out (unless you shoot Pentax, but then even there, the tips for photography still apply.)

The last element I think is worth mentioning is that while this book is not complete on any given subject matter, that it is still a good choice  because now you aren’t trying to get everything out of one book – you get nuggets and tricks and tools for any genre that can help you.  Even if you knew  everything in this book at one point in time, it would still be useful because we all need reminders every once and a while, so this is one to be sure to hold on to.  Scott gives enough detail to get you started in whatever field interests you – or even enough to take you from beginner to serious hobbyist, or even to maintain your skills as a general reference guide.  Is it too late?   Can I retract the “Comment Contest” and keep the book?  No worries – out it goes for some lucky reader.

I do feel that I should give some fair warning here though – this book is not for beginners.  If you’ve got a few things down, some of the basics of gear and lighting, and known your rules of composition, then yes, jump right in, the water is warm.  If the terms I just mentioned are somewhat new or you are still getting them down pat – you might want to start with his Volume 1 or Volume 2 book (or even just keep reading the blogs – I know a few good ones! 🙂 )

So, there you have it – thanks to Scott for putting out yet another must-read book (what’s he at, like 60 books now?).  Thanks also to Kelby media for sending this one out – I wasn’t sure if it would come or not.  And lastly, now it’s time to share your thoughts…did you like it?  Did it stink?  Needed more?  Needed less?  About right?  Should he switch to Canon and leave the Nikonians behind?  (Ok, just kidding on that last one…)  But sound off – this is your chance to win the book for free!

Happy shooting all, and thanks in advance for all that stop in to comment – don’t forget the month long contest going on over at Flickr to win a bunch of prizes including some more stuff from NAPP.  It’s in the Flickr tab up at the top, but I’ll link here again for convenience sake!  We’ll see you back here again tomorrow!

Do My Eyes Deceive Me?

Jason7 Comments

This week is shaping up to be an exciting one here at CB/LDP.  Here’s what’s in store for the upcoming week, both on the blog, and for the podcast:

  1. Hardware Review
  2. Software Review
  3. Podcast Publication
  4. Comment Giveaway for Scott Kelby Digital Photography Book, Vol. 3

So, with four days of the week already accounted for, what the heck am I doing on here talking about it rather than doing it?  Well, if you are reading this via feed, then get yerself on over to the blog, because something should look drastically different to you!  That’s right, the blog has gone through a major update in layout and design change.  As you can see, the upper right has a rotating gallery of images, so each time you come back, you will see a new image featured in your browser.  You will also notice the headline looks a lot cleaner with tabbed links to major sources of content, including an About Page, a Flickr Page (for contest news and such), and soon to come is the Digital Photography page.  A slight shift in layout is taking place there in development mode and will roll out soon with dedicated galleries, client contact forms, and bunches of other stuff.  I will also be incorporating a podcast link across the header so you can get your latest fix of podcast news from there as well.

I know, it’s a lot to take in, but I seriously would like some feedback.  Is there anything substantial missing that you used to like or enjoy?  What about stuff you would like to see (excluding the teaser info above about what’s forthcoming)?  Is it too empty?  Need more color?  I am trying to take advantage of the appeal of “negative space”, but at the same time, don’t want it to be too boring.  What would you (the readership) like to see?  Sound off in the comments, and who knows what may come of it! 🙂

Here’s a sample view for the feed readers to entice you to seriously stop in for a critique-style visit to the blog:

newlook

With the blog updates nearly complete, and the schedule kind of “leaked” a little early for the week, I’ll leave you in the dark as to when each item will come out, so just keep on stopping in for your daily fix.  In the meantime, keep on shooting and we’ll see you back here tomorrow for…well, you’ll have to stop in to see, won’t ya? 🙂

Don’t forget the Flickr contest now underway…it’s linked in the header (remember that?) navigation, but here’s a quick link for the less adventerous:  November Contest

Don’t Touch that Dial

Jason7 Comments

This week we take a look at the dial on your DSLR – what do they do and is it worth it taking it off the Auto Mode?  Or even putting it into the auto mode?  What are the benefits?  Pros? Cons?  There’s thoughts both ways and I’ll look into each and give a few answers on this weeks show.  Also on this weeks show, I had the opportunity to talk with Matthew Bamberg, a well-known and respected photographer and author of digital photography books.  We had a great chat that you definitely are going to want to tune in to to get some tips tricks and places to go for great photography.  Check out the links in the sidebar for his books at Amazon and his website too, over at the hosted version of the podcast with the folks at Personal Life Media.

Lastly, the listener questions and answers, and some contest news rounds out the show too!

  • Daguerreotype
  • Best Scanners for photography
  • Windows 7 – is it for photographers?

Lots to talk about, and a great time all around, including the theme and announcement for the November giveaway!  Thanks for tuning in, and don’t forget to “Digg” the podcast over at PLM, or offer a review in iTunes, or even share your comments here on the blog.  Where do you put your dial?  What do you think of a DSLR in auto mode?  Is it good or bad?  Did I call it right?  Share your thoughts…the listening world wants to know! 🙂  Here’s the web links for stuff we talked about on the show:

Happy shooting everyone and we’ll see you back here tomorrow!

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Let’s Make some NOISE

Jason9 Comments

Or not…since Noise Ninja is designed to remove it from your images!  Regardless, give it up for our latest contest winner!  I gotta tell you, this month was very difficult, as there were some incredible images in the Flickr thread.  Stop in there and take a look for yourself and you’ll see how tough it was to judge this one.

I know – everyone says that, but seriously – there were some images in this one that were just stunning.  But, when push comes to shove, the one I kept going back to was one that evoked three key things to me:

  1. The essence of the theme – nothing says fall more than leaves, and while many captured the colors amazingly, this one really hit the nail on the head!
  2. I’m not sure if the blur was done in camera with a shallow depth of field or if it was done afterward in post production, but either way, it forces the eye to dead center – with nowhere else to go – beautiful bokeh!
  3. Last but not least, when push comes to shove, the principle of “K.I.S.S.” applies (keep it simple, silly!) in composition, and was definitely the case here.

So, without further ado, here is the winning shot:

October Giveaway Winner
October Giveaway Winner

The best part (for me) is that after I culled through the images (I literally don’t even look at whose shots are associated with a participant until I’ve downloaded them all, imported into Lightroom, decided on the finalists, and then picked a winner), I found out that this shot was taken by a fellow blogger, a fellow NAPPer, and Twitterer!  So, please join me in sending out a huge “Congratulations!” to Karen Stansel (a.k.a. Mitzs)!  You can catch up with her at her blog, at NAPP, and on Twitter.  This one really did stand out from a packed field of autumn foliage in its simplicity, singularity, and creativity!  Shoot me an email when you read this and I’ll get the folks at PictureCode to send you a Pro license of Noise Ninja!

For the gallery of the rest of the finalists, enjoy the slideshow here!

Thanks to everyone for participating, and to the folks at PictureCode for their sponsorship of the giveaway.  Stay tuned to find out the theme and prize for the November giveaway, as this may be one you weren’t expecting (but should be fun and challenging at the same time)!

In some other news that I was remiss on reporting last week, PhotographyBB also has come out with their latest issue of the popular monthly online Photo Magazine.  You can download your copy for free at the link here.  Thanks to Dave Seeram as well for giving me an opportunity to write for the magazine so regularly…it really has been (and will continue to be) an honor for me to participate with such amazing writers!

Don’t let the short delay keep you from shooting though – so keep on clickin’ and we’ll see you back here again tomorrow!

Got an App for That?

Jason3 Comments

Since the next hardware review item as not arrived yet, today’s post is something of a blog announcement about a new feature I’ll be rolling out here shortly.  As you can tell from the title, it’s about applications on the iTunes store.  For users of the iPhone and iTouch, applications can be pretty handy tools (and diversionary too if you’re not careful!)

Well, as you may recall, a while back during the “Comment Contest” I asked people to contribute their favorite iPhone/iPod photography-related applications.  While the iTouch has not been fully capable of testing each of these, I’ve tried most of them and am putting together a new set of posts (don’t ask me where it’s going to go, because I am starting to run out of days in the week!) to cover the latest in Photography applications for those on the go.  So, for today, I am going to do the first application review:

Photoshop.com Mobile Application
Photoshop.com Mobile Application

In doing so, I figured it would be best to start at home – and by that I don’t mean here at the blog (although it would be kinda cool to develop an application where you could submit photos to the Canon Blogger critique threads and contest threads straight from your iPhone!).  No, I mean starting with the source – the editor we all know and either love or hate – Photoshop!  Believe it or not, the folks at Adobe have come out with a cool little application that you can connect to via your iPod or iTouch through a web interface at www.Photoshop.com

Here’s what it does – it allows you to store your photos online, edit, and share them with family and friends, create photo albums, and galleries.   Now before someone chimes in and says “Flickr already does that”, I will concur that Flickr is probably not going to be de-throned in the online photo sharing space any time soon.  But here’s a couple cool things that you get on Photoshop.com’s site that you don’t get on Flickr.

  • You can customize your background
  • You get more storage (2GB free)
  • More scalable service (it’s not just free and pro, there are different scales of services for whatever needs you may have)
  • You can link Photoshop.com to your Flickr account (but not vice versa)

So, it’s kind of a cool little service.  What I like about it is that the interface is much more conducive to sharing photos on the go.  For those of us with limited storage on our mobiles, it’s nice to be able to just log in to a web interface and share 2 GB worth of photos and have it look both classy and professional (sorry Flickr, but your interface needs an update…).

It’s free to join (you do need an Adobe Account though – also free), and can register a personal web space as well.  I’ve already done so, and you are welcome to view my account thus far at http://canonblogger.photoshop.com as I explore this some more to see what else is there to do.  You can create your own account at the main page of www.photoshop.com, and upload/share photos and videos in as little as five minutes too.  Some other applications I am taking a look at include HDR for Free, iHandy Level, and of course, the uploader applications for things like Flickr and Twitpic.  Some games have made their way into my iTouch (don’t know how that happened! 🙂 ), I’ll try to keep those out of the blog and keep things photo-centered.

If this topic takes traction, and people express enough interest in it, then be sure to stay tuned for future reviews and write-ups on iPhone and iTouch applications.  In the meantime – if you’ve got an application that you think is the bee’s knees, then feel free to share it here.  Suggestions for applications?  Share those too – I’d love to hear everyone’s thoughts.  As Apple is prone to say, I am prone to ask – “Got an App for that?”  Ask here and I will do what I can to find out and review for you!  Happy shooting all, and don’t forget to upload your photos for the October contest over on Flickr. The theme is FALL and it’s sure to be a good one – 3 pics a piece, and it’s underway right now.  Happy shooting and we’ll see you back here again tomorrow!

Photo Framing Follow-up

Jason1 Comment

After the blog post on Wednesday, and the number of comments received, I thought that the next podcast would be well served to discuss the idea behind matting and framing in more detail.  As luck would have it, that podcast just went live earlier this afternoon!  You can catch the podcast over at the Personal Life Media site here: Learning Digital Photography

Here’s the Show Notes:

In this latest episode of Learning Digital Photography, the Grand Prize winner from the September $500 giveaway is announced, and the October contest opens up – ready for your entries.  The theme this time is Fall (open to interpretation).  Specs, guidelines, and such are discussed including dimensions, dates for submission and more.

Also in this episode, a primer on framing your photos:  things to look for and avoid when matting and framing work.  I look at what gallery and show fine art venues usually require versus home or personal use.

Finally, the popular listener question and answer segment returns, with some great ones coming from all over the globe!  Download today!  Happy shooting!

The links mentioned in the show follow as well:

Rich Charpentier’s Website and Blog

Flickr Contest Thread

Redimat

American Framing

Don’t forget, every time you “Digg” the podcast over at PLM, or subscribe and write a review on iTunes , you are helping others enjoy the fun and thrill of photography.  Feel free to also use those venues as well as the comments here and contact with me via email if you have an idea or thought to share about the show.  Thanks, as always, for listening and reading.  Have a great weekend, happy shooting, and we’ll see you back again on Monday!

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In the interests of full disclosure…

Jason6 Comments

It recently came to my attention that the FTC commission has taken an interest in the reviews that bloggers provide as unbiased information on the products.  I guess this came about due to some people that gave reviews of products that were actually paid endorsements, and did not disclose this information to their readership.  The FTC is now apparently requiring that all reviewers release and disclose their relationship with the vendors of the products for which they are reviewing by December 1st.

So, in the interests of full disclosure, I have compiled a page to disclose exactly what I get for the review of products written here.  As most of you are already aware, the answer to that is nothing, with a few notable exceptions.  The products that I have reviewed here on the blog are entirely done via donations from vendors (where the products are then put up for giveaways in the monthly contests), or on loaner programs where the products are reviewed and then returned to the company.  The rest of the products I have reviewed are of my own gear which I have already purchased with my own money!

For those interested in viewing the page, it’s titled “Supporters of the Blog and Podcast and is displayed in the sidebar.

*****

Okay, with the legalities out of the way, just a couple other blog maintenance things to mention:

  • The next podcast is going live tomorrow!
  • The latest contest is underway over at Flickr (you can win a free copy of Noise Ninja from PictureCode – the theme this month is Fall)
  • The 2nd issue of the monthly newsletter is also under construction, so if you are interested in being a featured artist, let me know!

Wow – what a bunch of “official” sounding stuff – so unlike me!  Let’s change that up – share with me your thoughts on the FTC position.  Do you like it?  Agree?  Disagree?  Think they are off their rocker?  Call me the fence sitter, but I can see why they are doing it, but I think they’ve taken it too far.  What do you think?  Got any of your own bureaucratic wonders to share?  Sound off  – maybe if we get enough feedback saying that no one likes it, they will reconsider their position on “all bloggers”! 🙂  (Kind of like “rocking the vote”!)

Anyway, that’s about it for today, so Happy Shooting and we’ll see you back here again tomorrow!

And there’s more!

Jason2 Comments

First there was the blog…  Then video tips got added…  Then a podcast came to fruition…  Audio tips got added…

And now:  A Newsletter!

That’s right, I am happy to announce that the inaugural issue of the Canon Blogger Newsletter (CBN) is now ready for download.  It’s pretty much an introductory issue more than anything else, in hopes of doing three things:

  1. Tempting your taste buds (photographically speaking)
  2. Letting you know what’s in store for future issues
  3. Getting some preliminary feedback

As with anything, the first incarnation will have room for improvement, so here’s what I’d like to know…What are your thoughts on the design and layout?  Content?  Creativity?  Please let me know what you’d like to see as this really is your newsletter!

Here’s the link to…  download the Newsletter Here

Last up, the September contest giveaway is closed to entries and finalists announced.  I am waiting to hear back from the vendors on the grand prize winner, btu while we await that news, the October contest forges on.  This month, the lucky winner gets a free license of Noise Ninja, one of the best known and most widely used software resources for photographers.  Coming from the folks over at Picture Code, this is an $80 value for the Pro Bundle – well worth the money.  To win this, simply enter a recent photo in the Flickr Contest Thread, for October – the theme for the contest is FALL! Good luck to everyone – let’s start snapping!

On that note, hope everyone had a great weekend.  Surely there’s photos out there, so keep on shooting! (Don’t forget to sound off in the comments section with your thoughts on the newsletter!)

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