Another Magazine Article!

photobbmag

Well, I completely lost track of the week and did not get the weekly podcast recorded in time for publication today.  So, while I could have gone with the alliterative “Forgetful Friday” blog title, I figured that would have been a little too on the nose.  So, instead, I’ll share the exciting news that the latest issue of PhotographyBB magazine has been published.  Dave Seeram, editor-in-chief, announced it a few days ago on the website, so do stop over and download the latest article now. Make sure you take a peek at the article Photography Food for Thought (pgs 19-22), it was the contribution of yours truly to this months issue!  Of course the rest of the magazine is a worthwhile read too.  I particularly enjoyed Dave’s article on Photoshop Retouching.  He’s got a unique balance of technical expertise and translating that skill to the written word. Thanks go out to Dave and the entire publishing crew over at PhotographyBB for another opportunity to share an article with a wider audience than is here at CB!

That’s it for this week.  Happy shooting, have a great weekend, and we’ll see you back here Monday with the belated podcast!

When it rains, it pours!

After my post on Monday, with the Best 8 of 2008, CB saw quite a bit of activity, first from some very generous links back from none other than Scott Kelby and Jeff Revell of Photoshop Insider and Photowalk Pro fame. Then, when I did the piece on Tuesday titled “Is Film Making a Resurgence?” based on several discussions and news events, that also saw a fair number of comments. All this came on the heels of a career switch that has me transitioning from the private to the government sector which means condensing about 6 months of work projects down into two weeks.  This means I missed making a few noteworthy photo-related announcements that are both specific to CB and to the photography community at large.   From a blog visibility perspective, that was totally the worst time to not even make a post for teh day, but there was nothing to be done about it.   I guess the old saying is true:  When it rains, it pours! So, here’s a few announcements and belated photo-related news events to share for the remainder of this week.

From the Canon Blogger news front:

  • Canon Blogger has been picked up by Personal Life Media (the same folks that host Digital Photography Life and Camera Dojo).  This means future podcasts will be uploaded to their service, which will do a number of things for the podcast.  First and foremost, they will optimize the audio quality for the listening audience.  Second, they are also going to fix some podcast feed issues that I didn’t even know I had so that the show comes up better in your favorite feeds like iTunes and the like.  We’re also going to update the graphics to give the CB podcast a little bit of a sexier and professional look.  It’s quite exciting to see that there has been enough interest to warrant this kind of leap forward.  It does mean this week will be the second in succession with no show, but as we flesh out the details and get all the archived content uploaded, we can move forward with new shows!
  • Due in part to the holiday schedule, and to the subsequent flurry of personal and professional activity, the What’s This series and the Thursday Thoughts Series took a brief hiatus this week.  Yesterday was just insane at work, so I didn’t even get a chance to post to the blog saying I wouldn’t have time to post, so Wednesday was both figuratively and literally a No Blog Wednesday!  I should be back to a regular and more predictable schedule with those next week.
  • As you may recall from my last podcast of 2008, I announced that Think Tank had generously donated their new StreetWalker bag to CB for a review.  I have been putting it through its own paces over the last couple weeks and am now working on the finishing touches of my first official product review.  That should be coming out some time next week.

In the rest of the news:

  • Fellow blogger and photographer, Jason D. Moore made a bit of a splash the other day when he announced a new interview series he is doing that is leading off with an impressive list of folks including John Nack, (if you don’t know who John Nack is, welcome to the world photography and Photoshop – he’s the cheif  Product Manager for Adobe Photoshop !),  Larry Becker (of NAPP notariety), Jeff Revell, (Photowalk Pro) and several other notables.
  • Photo-restoration as a craft gets a jolt!  Fellow NAPP members Mitz and Janine both have some excellent posts on what it takes to be effective with photo restoration work.  While I knew from my own amateur efforts that it’s not easy (and definitely a craft that takes time to develop), these two bring awareness to the next level with the thoughts they share on their blogs.  Definitely worth reading when you have time.  Mitz can be found here, and Janine can be found here.

Well, is that enough content for one blog post?  I hope so…sorry if things went on for a while.  More tk!  So, until tomorrow, happy shooting – hope all your shots are good ones!

Top 100 of 2008 Honors!

For the interim posts between Christmas and New Year, I am not going to be introducing much in the way of new content, but while traveling recently, I got word that CanonBlogger receieved accolades as one of the top 100 blogs for 2008.  Thanks so much for the recognition!  In looking at the other sites mentioned, I would also highly recommend the entire list of other blogs as many are in my daily read list.  Be sure to stop over and see the others honored this year:

Top 100 Blogs of 2008

Whats This?

What's This - Week 22

Now in week 22, see if you can identify the latest picture of the day for the “What’s This?” series shown above.  Lastt week’s shot as a constructio garbage chute from the inside.  As promised I am including an exterior shot today so everyone can see what they look like from a “normal” perspective.

In other news, don’t forget the poll on the sidebar!  We’re at 30 votes and counting – let’s see if we cna break that 50 mark!  I also noticed that the feed readers are now over 500, and CB also hit a new one day high of 572!  Very exciting stuff to see that many people enjoying the blog.  Tomorrow’s Thursday Thoughts is none other than Rob Jones ot Towner Jones Photography.  You may recall he asked me to guest post on his blog a few weeks ago, so I invited him to come in here and do the same!  He’s got some great insights to share too, so be sure to stop back for that.  Until then, happy shooting!  Hope all your shots are good ones

Don’t Cash that Canon Rebate Check!!!

We interrupt your normal blogging routines to bring you this alert from the Canon homefront (and being the Canon fanboy, I figured I’d better report on it here…)

There’s a link off the Canon home page that quietly announces this.  The linked page is here:

Canon Rebate Announcement

You can follow the link to confirm, but here is the text of the announcement:

November 17, 2008.

Dear Valued Customer,

This is an official message from Canon U.S.A., Inc.

The third-party rebate processing company that was responsible for processing rebate claims and issuing mail-in rebate checks for Canon-brand printer and video products (along with many other products from a number of other companies) filed a Chapter 11 Bankruptcy petition on Friday, November 14. The funds provided to them by Canon U.S.A., Inc. (and other companies) apparently are no longer available to satisfy the rebate checks such company issued on behalf of Canon and other companies. Regrettably, as a result, you should not cash the rebate check you recently received for such products, as it may bounce. We apologize for any inconvenience, delay or confusion this may cause. We are doing everything in our power to promptly rectify the situation.

Accordingly, we request that you take the following actions:

  • If you are holding or receive a rebate check for printer or video products which is dated on or before November 14, 2008, please do not cash the check, as it may bounce. Please look for updated postings on the Canon U.S.A. website on or about November 21, 2008 for further instruction on how to exchange your check for a new check that you will be able to cash.
  • If you have not yet mailed in your rebate claim materials, please hold such materials until you receive further instruction. We are making new processing arrangements, with a new mail-in address. Please look for updated postings on the Canon U.S.A. website on or about November 21, 2008 for further instruction on where to mail your rebate claim material and how to exchange your check for a new check that you will be able to cash.

Check our website later this week for further instructions and contact information for any questions you may have. Again, please do not cash any rebate checks for printer or video products which are dated on or before November 14, 2008, as they may bounce.

We are committed to ensuring that you receive your rebate as soon as possible and that you will continue to have full confidence in Canon U.S.A., Inc.

We apologize again for any inconvenience.

Sincerely,
Canon U.S.A., Inc.

So… for those who read the blog, hold off on any purchases as it looks like the rebate may not clear!

We now return you to your regular blogging…

PhotographyBB Magazine Honors

Last night I got word from Dave Seeram, Editor of PhotographyBB Magazine that the latest issue of his monthly online publication had been completed!  The reason this is so exciting?  I had an article published in this issue.  This is my second published article here and it’s always exciting to see the fruits of your labor in print.  Take a moment to stop over and read the entire issue (but especially my article! 🙂 )  THanks to Dave for the honor of participating.

You may also notice the delay in the publishing of the daily post today – the host I have had some SQL issues and the resulting maintenance made for some downtime on a few domains, mine included.  As a result, the site was not visible yesterday, but obviously since I am writing this post everything is back up and running again.  FTP access has been sketchy, but seems to be okay again.  Due to the downtime both on the host and for me personally (see Monday’s post, or lack thereof) I don’t have a “What’s This?” for this week, so stay tuned for next weeks edition.  In the meantime, stop over to the TOP Test and see how you rank!  Can you beat the high score of 23 on the advanced test?  Share your thoughts and scores in the comments section.

Tomorrow is also an exciting day as Jeff Revell agreed to sit down with me for the Thursday Thoughts with series.  He’s got some great little nuggets and such so be sure to stop in for that.  Until then, I hope all your shots are good ones!  Keep on shooting, and we’ll see you back here tomorrow!

New Blog on the Block!

For anyone who has been into photography for any amount of time more than 6 months, you probably already know about Scott Sherman and Michael Stein, hosts of the popular podcast, titled “The Digital Photography Show.”  It has been a mainstay listening choice of mine for over the last year and my commutes would not be the same without it.

Well, as it turns out, it seems I may have to adjust to a commute without hearing their friendly voices for a while.  Their popular show has been temporarily taken off the air by the folks over at The Podcast Network.  The TPN staff is searching for a replacement host (or set of hosts), and in all likelihood, they will find someone to fill in for the show.  However, none will enjoy the popularity that Scott and Michael had.  Their friendly and dynamic exchanges made for a great listen every time.

Scott and Michael had interviews, contests, and a lot of other resources and outlets for their listeners and even stay in touch with them (I’ve gotten a few emails from Scott myself over the past 12-18 months…).  I certainly hope they continue to stay i touch, but for the time being they are off the air.

However, you can stay abreat of all the news and developments over on Scott’s personal blog until they re-launch with a new name/identity.  So, to do that, stop over to Scott’s Photo Blog and tag it in your readers.  Thanks to bot of them for the wonderful job the did, and know that no matter where you both land, know that there will be many of us that find you to pick up right where we left off!

Monday Morning Quarterback

After a rather exciting weekend photographically I thought today might be a fun way to share my experiences with the readership in the form of an audio podcast!  That’s right, I am going to try and get established again with a weekly podcast you can listen to.  Today, I talk about my experiences with the Colorado Strobist group over on Flickr.  Also, I hit on the subject of learning on your own versus in a community.  It’s kind of an interesting mix of two related schools of thought, and hopefully will get me back on the band wagon for audio podcasts on a regular basis.  You’ll recognize the theme music, and that should stay consistent, but it will likely stay in audio format for the forseeable future.

For a few of my shots from the outing, stop over at the Flickr pool and look at the contributions from CB_Jason.  It’s always fun to get feedback, and I do listen to what everyone has to say.  I thought the lighting was good, but my post processing left a little to be desired (in retrospect).  Comes from having not the best monitor to work with in my 5 year old Dell 19″!

Anyway, give a listen, it’s much more portable now, and I only ramble on for about 5 minutes or so.  Let me know what you think and if there are any subjects you would like to see discussed in future episodes!  Happy shooting, and I’ll have another new topic for your reading pleasure back here again tomorrow!

Hot off the Presses: Canon 5D Mark II announced late yesterday!!!

Stop the presses! No What’s This today! CANON ANNOUNCES THE 5D MARK II!!! Here’s the first pics Canon released. The specs are pretty impressive and pricing is already amazingly low!  I saw this over on TWIP, and verified it on Canon’s site.  Here’s everything about it, specs, pricing, and photos!  I didn’t want to jump on the 5d Mark II rumor bandwagon, but with this being public, I must say…”Holy Crap!”  There’s also links at the end of this post to some video samples with audio in 3 of them from the camera.  They look and sound pretty darn good to me!  The last video was taken at night and shows some great noise handling…

5D Mark II Angled View

5D Mark II Front View

5D Mark II Back View

Here’s the nuts and bolts of all the specs:

  • HD Video @ 1920×1080 and 30 fps
  • SD Video @ 640×480 and 30 fps
  • video capture up to 4 GB or 29min, 59 sec
  • Video recorded in .MOV format
  • Input terminal for microphones
  • HDMI output
  • 3 Live View Modes
  • Peripheral Illumination Correction
  • Two Small raw formats
  • Silent shooting in Live View
  • Integrated Cleaning System
  • 21.1 MP
  • ISO from 50-25,600 (not a typo!)
  • 3.9 fps
  • UDMA card compliant
  • 15 point auto-focus
  • 3″ LCD (920,000 dot resolution VGA)
  • 150,000 shutter count cycle
  • Price: $2699!!!!!

I guess the only thing that surprises me is the frames per second for still captures.  Yeah okay, it’s capturing 21.1 megapixels and at a full frame, but it is also able to capture 30 fps in HD video!  Why is the still frame rate so slow comparatively speaking (at 3.9 fps)?

That being said, the video features are astonishing, as is the low price point!  I would expect the older Canon 5D’s to drop into the $1000 range shortly…start checking the auction sites!  For the full story that gives all the hype and glamour of Canon news announcements, check out the press release here with all the above shots also in high resolution:

Canon Announces 5D Mark II

Anyone else want to salivate over it with me?  What are your thoughts on this new release?  Will this answer the gauntlet of the D3 that Nikon threw down a short while ago?  I would tentatively say yes – but only time will tell!

Video clips:

http://www.canon-ci.co.kr/product/smov/pop01.html

http://www.canon-ci.co.kr/product/smov/pop02.html

http://www.canon-ci.co.kr/product/smov/pop03.html

http://www.canon-ci.co.kr/product/smov/pop04.html

Feedback and More Fodder

First off, I’d like to thank everyone who has been taking the time to share their thoughts and feedback both in the comments and via email – it’s always fun to get the insights of others. A few people had mentioned some loose threads though that I’d not tugged on in a while, so I thought I’d give an update as to the activities and status of those projects. (As an aside, I am probably becoming famous for starting projects and never finishing them – I do eventually, it’s just that I keep adding more projects so the others start to fade as new ones come into focus.)

1st – The How-to’s of Website design: I did take a leave of absence on this primarily because there is an area that I am not as fluent on that I was hoping to find some help in the form of a second contributing author, and that has not come to fruition yet. So, if anyone is interested in co-authoring a book on the subject, feel free to let me know!

2nd – The Online Photography Test: The Basic test is complete, and the Advanced test is about 90% complete. I’d like to get some ideas and more feedback before taking that phase to completion, so again, if anyone has some suggestions on good questions for an advanced online photography test, I am all virtual ears! As for the Expert Test – I am nowhere near getting ready to even put that one out there. I am of the old school variety in that I don’t think it’s right for someone to pose a question for others to answer if they cannot provide some basis of an answer themselves. (The idea is that how can one teach or offer knowledge if one does not have that knowledge themselves.) Although higher education and high schools are rife with examples of this – I, in good conscience, cannot pretend to be an expert when I have so much more to learn on the subject of photography.

3rd – The Weekly “What’s This?” series saw an abrupt halt a few weeks ago, and I never came forth with the answer. The last shot was this:

What’s This?

And the answer is: the grill from the front of our microwave. Unfortunately, we are no longer in the house, so I can’t capture a full version of the appliance to show you a zoomed out perspective. But anyway, thanks for those that waited patiently to discover the answer. I should have a new “What’s This?” back up and running tomorrow.

Finally, as I endeavor to get back into a steady routine of tutorials and regular writings, I have a video tutorial put together for this week. Since I did get a few questions from people who asked if I could show the method for achieving a panorama rather than just writing the methodology out, here is the “outtro” for how to post process a series into panoramas. Since the podpress plugin is still misbehaving, I’ tried an alternative means for feeding things for the time being, but that doesn’t seem to work either.  So, I am going to have to go another week with a link to both the Flash and the Quicktime!  Sorry again for the continued inconvenience.

I’m not adjusting the iTunes feed just yet as I have confidence that the podpress developer will have an update coming sooner rather than later, but if people wish to add the secondary feed to their readers, that will be in play until the original feed comes back online. I am posting it to the podpress feed link too though as a test to see if it comes back online, so if you subscribe to the original feed and it shows up, let me know. Otherwise, continue to visit the blog (which is preferable anyway) to catch the flash version. Hope you all enjoy it!

I’ll be back tomorrow with a Wednesday Walk around the Web, and a new installment of “What’s This?”! Until then, happy shooting, and watch those apertures!