Tag: News

In the News – Doo Wah!

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Bop bop doo bop doo bop do wow!  Okay, sorry, that’s a bad skit for the great jazz tune from the ’50’s, but nevertheless, whenever I hear the phrase “in the news” I feel compelled to sing that line.  Now, for your real news from CB today:  I’ve got two stories for you, some news from Adobe on the next iteration of Photoshop and some Canon news on the Canon Hacking Development Kit (aka CHDK) that is now maing waves.  Read on for all the details!

Adobe Photoshop News

Well, the big news I read today during lunch was that the folks at Adobe will be incorporating some sort of GPU support for its next iteration of Photoshop.  Tapping into the GPU (graphics processing unit) means that larger images can be rendered on your display faster.   Another added benefit will be an increase in processing speeds for filters and other intensive activities. Nothing too earth-shattering, except they did report that at the Nvidia show, they watched the presenter zoom and rotate the canvas on a 2 GB image as though it were a 5 MB image.

 

Canon CHDK News

In more Canon-specific news, I have now read at least 10 articles from a number of resources talking about the Canon Hacking Development Kit (CHDK), which is a free firmware hack that can be applied to P&S grade cameras to allow them to do a number of things that SLR’s do, and even a few that your average SLR can’t do!

 

  1. The CHDK allows Point-n-Shooters to shoot in raw mode.  The caveat is that since it’s not a standard raw format, you can’t open this in Photoshop or Lightroom directly.  Instead, there is a third party software kit out there (also for free) called dng4ps2 that can convert the image to the more common DNG, which is Adobe’s Digital Negative format.  The DNG file can then be opened in Photoshop or Lightroom.
  2. The CHDK kit enhances the P&S feature set by adding a battery status indicator so you can see how much of a charge you have left on your battery.  I know this feature is already there in SLR cameras, so I guess the P&S’er didn’t have this feature regularly – news to me.
  3. The CHDK kit also adds what they’re calling a zebra mode which will show you whether a picture is under- or over-exposed.  Basically, it sounds like it’s adding a histogram feature.  Again, this feature is standard on most SLR’s, but not on most P&S cameras.  I just think that even a lot of SLR shooters don’t use the histogram (although I would personally encourage more use of it), so adding the feature on P&S cameras may be a little overkill.
  4. Finally, the CHDK kit allows P&S’ers to extend their range of shutter speeds.  The most reliable info I saw for the CHDK claimed the range went from a standard of 1/3200-15 seconds all the way up to a range of 1/33,333 to 65 seconds!  You read that right, that’s one-thirty-three-thousandsth of a second (and change).  Kind of makes the 1/8000ths shutter speed on the 40D look pathetic, eh?  Granted, this was specific to the S5 IS, but the standard change is to 1/64000ths of a second, which is still earth-shatteringly fast! 

Now, the caveats:

 

  1. Write time slows down considerably when shooting in raw (to about 2-4 seconds – yikes!).
  2. The raw file format is not recognized by mainstream applications like Photoshop and Lightroom.  In other words, file accessibility is likely not reliable.
  3. The software that you have to use to access the raw image data is freeware.  While some software from the open-sourced community is excellent (case in point GIMP, OpenOffice, and many others) and perfectly safe, the fact that this software comes from Russia and is (to my knowledge) untested, sets off red flags all over the place for me.  Of course I work in IT, so it’s in my nature to be suspicious of third party software from third world countries…
  4. As with any firmware hack, this is likely going to void any manufacturer warranty or vendor support for the camera if you install the software.

So, having shown the pros and cons, I’ll leave it to the community – install at your own discretion.  For those that do decide to install, feel free to share your thoughts here in the comments, or with me via email – I’d like to hear feedback on the reliability of the kit.  The CHDK can be downloaded direct from the link here:  http://chdk.wikia.com/wiki/S5IS, and the raw converter from here:  http://dng4ps2.chat.ru/index_en.html  Until next time, happy shooting and watch those apertures (or should I say shutters?)!

 

Tuesday Trip around the Web

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There’s been a slight change of plans on the weekly schedule this week. Friend and fellow-blogger Jason Moore is out on “assignment” again (partying things up in France actually!), and a couple of us are filling in for his weekly P&P blogroll post where he summarizes the imagery activities of fellow Photoshop and Photography bloggers as they share them with the world. Three of us share the duties this week, so be sure to visit Andrew’s blog (Visual Realia) and Michael Palmer’s site for the other portions of the P&P. So…without further ado:

  • PhotowalkPro – Jeff Revell had a couple interesting things this week, but the most recurring theme is the upcoming photo walk for the Georgetown area. Make sure you get the dates when you visit his blog.
  • Samuel Barr is out traveling (great travel shots too), but congrats go out to him for being selected for the “Photo of the Week” over at Calumet Photo.
  • Sean Duffy is traveling to, and has some pretty incredible shots of the Eiffel Tower.
  • Strobist – It seems everyone is traveling as David had a few posts left from his trip to Dubai, and as recently as yesterday was sharing shots from Joe McNally’s trip. Pretty incredible stuff, and you can always get your fill of lighting gear, including beauty lights and trash bags for the really hard core.
  • Terry White’s Tech Blog – Read about Snowballs, Snowflakes, and Screenflow, but don’t get him started on DirectTV (I feel ya Terry – had a few experiences myself with large conglomerates).
  • The C Spot – Clayton talks about his visit to Michael Switzer’s open house for Design Works Studio.
  • The Digital Story – Derrick’s podcast talks about the merits and downsides of keywording your photos. Worth a listen, and it seems the best time to do that is on import – *phew! Got one right*
  • travel+ photography – Michael appeases the readership with a weather shot from Arkansas, but has had his hands full with buying a house – stop over to congratulate him on the new digs!
  • Visual Realia – Andrew demonstrates again his creative talents with some great photography and poetic verse. I don’t know how he finds verses that fit the imagery so well. Check out Old Friend, Bloom, and Josh McElwee for some truly inspirational captures!
  • watchThisspace – Steve takes a break but leaves us with a really cool apple abstract – come back soon Steve – your vision and creative talents will be missed!
  • What The Duck – Cartoon + photography + humor = Aaron Johnson – a new chuckle every day!
  • Weekly Photo Tips – Scott is taking his blog down for Memorial day to commemorate the occasion and is asking for readers to contribute imagery for his slideshow. A truly awesome gesture and I would encourage everyone to join in the effort.
  • What The Heck Journal – Martin has some great shots here, but without dates it’s hard to tell what’s recent and what’s been up a while. Lost in the Woods is kind of spooky, but an amazing shot nonetheless. Corridors is also an amazingly unique perspective and presentation of B/W photography.
  • Where is Ben – This week, Ben is teaching a fine art class on nudes at the LEPP Institute (Los Osos, CA). His blog photo is pretty abstract, but just indicative of the breadth of his vision and skills.

Canon Canada Rebates announced!

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As kind of an unannounced PSA, it seems that a mere two weeks after the news hit the airwaves that Canon was adjusting their gear prices by about 5% due to “increased fuel costs” and “unfavorable exchange rates”, Thursday they announced their Canada rebate program.  Since I missed this in my Friday post, I figured a weekend post would be in order.

For the newcomers to the world of photography and Canon and rebate programs, Canon typically does start rebates in Canada every year.  This rebate program will then migrate to US retailers and e-tailers about two weeks after Canada, so the price increases will now be offset back to around their original rates.  The Canada pricing info can be found here:  Canon Canada Rebate Information.

I did take the liberty of downloading the PDF and am making it available here for those that don’t want to make the extra click.  Of specific interest to me is the $100 rebate on the 40D.  With the current pricing at B&H showing up as $1140 (direct link), then the out of pocket will be only a shade over $1000.  Look for the used pricing on various forum communities to drop below $900 (10% less than new pricing is typically what to expect.)    So…shop smartly and save! 🙂  Happy shooting all, more to come on Monday!

Canon Full Rebate Pricing Info

Just another manic Monday

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You know I had to do it eventually…

Although, this week it could not be more true…I was on the first item of a “honey-do” list yesterday, upgrading the thermostat, and could not get things reconnected.  Since it was a Sunday at 7pm the odds of getting an HVAC tech out was just not an option.  As the temperature went up throughout the house, it had similar effects on my processing…I actually had to shut dwon after a thermal warning from the main PC.  So, today after work, I had an HVAC tech out to fix the A/C, and resumed my post processing.  With another 200 or so shots to go through for the shoots that I have CD’s due for tomorrow.  With the evening meal behind me and an early start tomorrow, I really am not going to have time for a regular post  today, so to catch up on the news, stop over to Jason Moore‘s site for the latest in the last week.

If the blog links are not your style, some excellent reading fodder can also be found over at The Online Photographer – there actually was an excellent article there over the weekend that talks about the increasing use of advertorials in magazines.  Very similar to the idea I talked about recently that the “fluff” in magazines is starting to out-weigh the content.

As always, enjoy the week, and don’t forget to trip that shutter occasionally – happy shooting, watch those apertures, and we’ll see you tomorrow!

Day swap

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I was having some issues with the post production and rather than hold off until late tonight to release the tutorial, I figured it’d be better to just swap Tuesday and Wednesday’s posts, so today is an early edition of my week around the web:

  • Jason Moore did his weekly round-up, and also saw his 600th post – congrats Jason!
  • Andrew at Visual Realia has a really great take on the theme of flowers and dewdrops – check it out for some inspiration!
  • I read up on the Copyright Law and Orphaned Works Act pending in Congress. Not good for us – good for corporations. Read up and submit your works today!
  • Thanks go out to Lisa, from Sage Family Studios, who is a fellow NAPP member for mentioning this in those forums.
  • Mark Brian, (sorry Brian, I am always wanting to call you Mark for some silly reason) from Professional Snapshots, has an image that will melt your heart (congrats again mark), and a Layers book review (by Matt K.) to make you green with envy (I want the book now).
  • The Online Photographer did an article on the sadness following the Kentucky Derby. If you are a softie like me, be warned, kind of heart-wrenching, and my heart goes out to the owners.
  • For fellow bloggers, this may be of most interest, as I finally took some time to read ProBlogger. I still have my work cut out for me! Definitely worth a read (or twenty) if you have the time – lots of ways to improve your niche, writing, style, professionalism, and much more!

Finally, it is worth noting that Dubai seems to be the hot spot lately. many of the most active and visible blogs on the web including the likes of Scott Kelby, Jeff Revell, Joe McNally, and now David Hobby, along with other notables have been visiting a growing body of budding photographers in the area. Some gorgeous and inspiring works have been posted over the last few weeks on all these guys blogs. Go check them out for a major dosage of creative inspiration here, here, here and here. If you stop in, take some time to share your thoughts with them – if you think I work hard at blogging and photography, it’s a drop in the bucket compared to these guys, both in breadth and depth! Amazing stuff out there…

Well, that should keep you tied over until the tutorial can get wrapped up tomorrow afternoon (I’ll forgo a morning post since this is going up later than normal). Until tomorrow; Happy Shooting and Watch those apertures!

Now is the month of Maying

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There is an old saying that goes something along the lines of “April showers bring May flowers.” While this is generally a principle that holds true, in the photography world, it is also the time when things start really hopping. Below is a list of just some of the activities that drive the photography industry as we move into late Spring and early Summer:

  1. Wedding season kicks into high gear (wedding photographers)
  2. High school and college graduation parties are scheduled (which is great for portrait photographers)
  3. Engagements are announced (with anticipation of #1 the following year) (portrait photographers again)
  4. Family portraits are planned in conjunction with all of the above (portrait photographers yet again)
  5. A new season of sports swings into gear such as baseball, soccer, lacrosse, swimming, and countless other summer leagues (great for sports shooters)
  6. Mating seasons begin for birds (nature photographers)
  7. Rivers, streams, and waterways are teaming with new life (landscape photographers are just ecstatic)

Continue reading “Now is the month of Maying” →

Less is More…

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Thursday Thoughts for May 1st, 2008

In photography, the idea of keeping your scenes simple is one that I know about, but all too often, forget to consider during composition. I typically will see something and move to take the picture without taking into account the surroundings. Then later on the computer, I see stray objects or shadows I didn’t see in camera, or more correctly, didn’t think to take note of in camera. So, I hit the delete key and try again some other time. Invariably though, the best shots I get are the ones where either by intent or dumb luck turn out to be the ones with the simplest composition. A dewdrop, a sunset, a boat, a leaf, a smiling face, whatever you like…they all have worked for me due in no small part (in my opinion anyway) to the absence of other elements in the scene. There are no barnacles or trash cans in the sunset shot, the boat and its reflection are the entire shot, and the smile is super close so everything else was thrown way out of focus. The images work due in no small part to the simple composition. The age old adage reveals itself again: Keep. It. Simple. Stupid. (KISS).

While the KISS idea is nothing new to photography, I am finding more and more that the same concept can also be applied to blog entries. Some of my most popular blog posts and video tutorials are simple ones. Short videos that are no longer than 2-3 minutes seem to be more popular, and post subjects that are easily read either in bullet points or numbered lists (Top 7 of ’07, Top Ten Landscape Tips, Top Five Lighting Rules, etc., etc., etc….you get the idea).

Just my random Thursday thoughts for the week – kind of photo related, but also tangential. Although I would suspect that this new-found knowledge may manifest itself in future postings, so…for those who stop in to get lengthy reads, enjoy them while they last – they could be gone tomorrow! *gasp*

Creating templates

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Hey all, today is tutorial Tuesday, and I share a technique I used recently in creating a calendar template to import client photos in. I could only get about half way through the tutorial before I had to stop (I am trying to keep video tutorials at or under 5 minutes), so this will be part 1 of a two part series. Today I show you how I created the graphics with some guides, and keeping things all manageable on just a couple levels. As usual, the tutorial is linked in both Flash (web based) and QuickTime (iPod/iTunes friendly) formats at the end of the post.

Additionally, I’ve got a few rather unique shots (I think anyway) from my outing to Magnolia Gardens this weekend. There was a heavy thunderstorm the previous day, so lots of opportunities for some macro and water works. Here’s two I thought that the viewing audience might enjoy:

dewdrops21.jpg

reflectoin.jpg
That’s about it for today…a few photos and a tutorial for your viewing pleasure. A multimedia blowout this week thus far, with an article yesterday, photos and videos today, and who knows what tomorrow has in store…more articles, and maybe….an audio podcast *gasp!* (Likely not with the latter though – so no promises!) Until then, happy shooting and watch those apertures! 🙂

CB Episode 038: Calendar Template

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