fotofeed1

Photo Trekking: A Traveling Photographer’s Guide to Capturing Moments Around the World [Book Review]

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:15:20 +0200

Perhaps one of the best features of the widespread availability of digital cameras is the ability to capture our vacations and trips across the globe. Never has it been easier to photograph and share with our friends and family the unique cultures, monuments, people and wonders of the world we find on our travels. And never [...]

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

Photo Trekking: A Traveling Photographer’s Guide to Capturing Moments Around the World [Book Review]

40 Outstanding Examples of Conceptual Photography

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:00:53 +0200

The Photo Argus has a great collection of conceptual photos… but what are conceptual photos you ask? Conceptual photography essentially is the photographer trying to convey a message or “concept”. Usually this message is conveyed through some abstract symbolism which can be interpreted by the viewer. Even though most photographers have a specific meaning they are [...]

31 Stunning Black and White Subject Study Photos on Imagekind

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 16:10:05 +0200

Black and White photography is among one of the most striking forms. Photos sans color require an enhanced use of lighting, shadows, and subject focus. Black and white photography brings out details usually overlooked in standard color photos. Subject studies is the discipline of concentration on one particular subject. Not quite still-lifes, though they share [...]

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

31 Stunning Black and White Subject Study Photos on Imagekind

Communication Arts 51st Annual Photography Competition

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 15:10:20 +0200

March 10, 2010

Wed, 10 Mar 2010 10:54:42 +0200

Lulu, Dawson City, Yukon, Canada, 2008 — from the series The Idea of North Photo © Birthe Piontek

Smarten Up Your Dumb Optical Slave By Hooking it Up With Arduino

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 23:25:22 +0200

Optical Slaves are the simplest (and cheapest for the most part) method for using off camera flashes.

The principle is simple, when the optical slave sees another flash fire, it fires too. Kinda like yawning. Once one of goes, it is catchy.

Of course optical slaves have their limitations, one of which is that they are too dump to understand the difference between a flash and a pre-flash. There are a few more limitations to optical dumb slaves, but this post is about overcoming the pre-flash issue with a cool gizmo called Arduino.

How to Pop Color Selectively Using Channel Mixers and Layer Masks in Photoshop

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:15:28 +0200

By Jodi Friedman of MCP Actions: Photoshop Actions and Training There are literally dozens of ways to saturate your colors in Photoshop. For this post I am going to focus on one way to pop colors using “Channel Mixer” adjustment layers. To start with, locate an image that could benefit from more vibrant color, overall or in [...]

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

How to Pop Color Selectively Using Channel Mixers and Layer Masks in Photoshop

Win a Bokeh Kit: Competition

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 19:17:50 +0200

Today we’re giving away 6 great little kits to help you create some stunning Bokeh effects from Bokeh Masters Kit. Thanks to Udi Tirosh (follow him on Twitter here) for this offer. Here he is to introduce the concept behind the kits and to introduce the competition. The Challenge A while back DPS had an article about [...]

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

Win a Bokeh Kit: Competition

8 Tips for Photographing Wildflowers

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 16:04:42 +0200

In this post, Steve Berardi from PhotoNaturalist discusses eight tips for photographing wildflowers. To get the softly diffused light in this photo, I waited for an overcast sky. (Photo by Steve Berardi) With spring on the horizon in some parts of the world, you may be thinking about photographing some beautiful wildflowers soon. So, here are 8 [...]

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

8 Tips for Photographing Wildflowers

SoftwareNewsDaily.com Photoshopped Image Contest

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 15:27:02 +0200

March 9, 2010

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 11:58:12 +0200

Casualty, Fort Polk, Louisiana, 2005 — from the series Theater of War Photo © Christopher Sims

Three Ways to Control Depth of Field

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 09:50:00 +0200

Depth of field (DOF) refers to the amount of a scene in the “sharp” range. Shallow DOF is typically characterized by heavily blurred backgrounds that you might see in outdoor portraits. Deep focus (opposite of shallow DOF) is typically characterized by tack sharp landscapes with no visible blur. The most widely accepted method for controlling DOF is aperture, or f-number. This is certainly a feasible and convenient way to control DOF, but there are other factors at play.

DIYP Got a New Look

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:47:46 +0200

I am very happy to announce the new look of DIYP. If you are reading this via RSS, you may want to click though and see the new design.

Over the last few weeks I have been working with the great team at cre8d design to give DIYP a new look.

The fact of the matter is that since I originally installed Drupal on the site, I ever changed the default theme. It is a great theme, however it did not allow for some of the features I wanted for DIYP.

The team at cre8d did a very nice job of creating a new theme that makes better use of the space the page has to offer, as well as allow for some community features.

6 Tips for Writing an Artist’s Statement

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 22:09:32 +0200

A Guest Post by Chris Folsom. Recent talks with a local shop have prompted one of my least favorite tasks… writing an artist’s statement. It is an incredibly difficult task to describe your own work without sounding arrogant or self-absorbed. Worse yet, if your images span a variety of subjects and styles (as mine [...]

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

6 Tips for Writing an Artist’s Statement

Maternity Photography – Studio or Location?

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:10:55 +0200

“Everyone loves someone who’s pregnant” -Knocked Up When you do maternity sessions, are you more likely to do them in a controlled atmosphere or do you take your momma on-location? Any type of photography presents it’s own challenges, pros and cons. Maternity photography has it’s own set of challenges and knowing these ahead of time can help [...]

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

Maternity Photography – Studio or Location?

Engineering for Life: Photography Competition

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 11:38:06 +0200

March 8, 2010

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 11:26:02 +0200

The Homeland, Mus, Eastern Anatolia, Turkey, 2009 Photo © Serkan Taycan

PhotoDump 03-08-2010

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 10:16:16 +0200

21 selected photos from the Epic Edits PhotoDump Flickr pool. This time there are 6 new members, 1 new discussion, and 474 new photos in the group.

Note to RSS readers

Mon, 08 Mar 2010 00:46:37 +0200

I have some great news to share tomorrow. till then I will be going over lots of posts and making adjustments. My apologies if you get some items resent via the feedburner mail or if items re-appear in your RSS feed.

Greatness ahead tomorrow.

Create Seamless White Portraits In Your... Anywhere

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 23:04:31 +0200

I've had it happen when I heard a veteran photog telling another, "This one? You cannot do this one, you don't have the gear".

Now, as the name of the site suggests, this is not what I consider a good answer. A better answer would be a breakdown of the shoot, trying to get some understanding of what is a must for it, what gear is needed and how can we make up for the gear we don't have. Maybe with another piece of gear; maybe in post; and maybe by changing one of the underlying assumptions that we initially had when thinking about the shoot.

Photographer Scott Bourke (flickr) shows this exact king of thinking in his Sportraits session. There is a nice how to video and then some thoughts. I'd love to hear your take on dealing with gear shortage in the comments.

Giotto’s Vitruvian tripod, true genius

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 22:06:06 +0200

Now, whilst I’ve not tried one of these new Giotto’s Vitruvian tripods, they certainly look quite good – what’s your opinion? Giottos Tripods on Amazon Giotto's tripod folded Giotto Vitruvian tripod – PRESS RELEASE Inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man, the new Giotto’s Vitruvian VGR tripods are designed to offer photographers not only a truly lightweight and compact [...]

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

Giotto’s Vitruvian tripod, true genius

Leica S2 – First Impression Review

Sun, 07 Mar 2010 16:05:40 +0200

This Review of the Leica S2 is a guest Post by Justin de Deney from Camera Advice. Invitation to Leica A Lamborghini speeds by as I cross Berkley Square, on my way to the Leica showroom in the heart of Mayfair, central London. I have received an invite to view the new Leica S2 medium format digital [...]

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

Leica S2 – First Impression Review

The Dave Hill Look in Lightroom

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 22:00:47 +0200

Dave Hill is a genius. Period. I could look at his images all day long and his behind the scenes videos are strangely addictive. Naturally, thousands want to create his hyper-real, painterly, utterly hypnotising look on their images. The first observation one can make about his method is the painstaking attention to lighting during the shoot. [...]

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

The Dave Hill Look in Lightroom

This Week in the Digital Photography School Forums (28 Feb – 6 Mar ‘10)

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 16:13:55 +0200

Weekly Assignment As February has come to an end, so has our series of food assignments. Our last food assignment was focused on Beverages. Whether those were drinks that warm you on a cold day, or the cool refreshing drinks of summer, we wanted to see them all. Our winner this week was GwenieThePooh’s “‘Diet’ Coke”. [...]

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

This Week in the Digital Photography School Forums (28 Feb – 6 Mar ‘10)

March 6, 2010

Sat, 06 Mar 2010 12:34:32 +0200

08.08.04 #6 Hawaiian Ed, Ditch Plains, Montauk, New York, 2008 — from the series SurfLand Photo © Joni Sternbach

SMILE: Weekend Photography Challenge

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 22:03:18 +0200

La verità dello sguardo, l'ipocrisia del sorriso - by pensatore Istintivo! This weekend’s photography challenge is something that we should all have at least some access to – it’s to photograph and share an image on the theme of ‘Smile’. Feel free to take whatever approach with the theme that you like (although I’m assuming we’ll mainly [...]

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

SMILE: Weekend Photography Challenge

Aperture: How It Affects Your Photography & Why You Should Care

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:00:00 +0200

The Discerning Photographer posted a good article dealing with aperture from a practical standpoint. This is a subject that tends to be more technical during discussion, so it’s nice to see a different approach. You’ll still need to have a basic grasp of f-numbers, but the article is really good about explaining the effects of [...]

So You Want to Enter the Photography Business?

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:06:54 +0200

The photographic industry is one of the most challenging, difficult, and competitive for start up businesses. The statistics prove it. Take this 3 year study discovered by Dane Sanders in his book Fast Track Photographer: In the 1st year, 60% of photographers give up their business. Of that remaining 40%, another 25% will fail within [...]

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

So You Want to Enter the Photography Business?

March 5, 2010

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:32:27 +0200

Untitled (Apples), 2006 Photo © Daniel Gordon — featured in Lay Flat 02: Meta

Join Over a Quarter of a Million Photography Enthusiasts and Improve Your Photography Today

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 02:39:42 +0200

One of the most popular parts of dPS is our weekly newsletter. Each Thursday/Friday (depending where in the world you are) we send it off to 276,501 subscribers (that number is going up every minute or two as new people join). The free weekly newsletter is: a recap on the newest tips and tutorials from the last [...]

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

Join Over a Quarter of a Million Photography Enthusiasts and Improve Your Photography Today

Shooting for Stock Photography Sites

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 22:13:29 +0200

Love them or hate them image libraries are a great way of generating an extra revenue stream, and because the websites don’t discriminate against people who aren’t classed as ‘professional photographers’, advanced enthusiasts and amateurs have just as much chance of selling as the pros. But as with all areas of photography the market is [...]

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

Shooting for Stock Photography Sites

Using Aperture 3’s Places

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:09:02 +0200

A Guest Post by Chris Folsom. One of the great new features of Aperture 3 (get an upgrade from previous versions here) is the ability to add location data to photos and then display those photos on a map based on where they were taken. While similar features were previously available from plug-ins and add-ons, [...]

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

Using Aperture 3’s Places

March 4, 2010

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 10:50:16 +0200

Untitled (Crystalline Screw), 2009 Photo © Lucas Blalock — featured in Lay Flat 02: Meta

JUMP: New Forum Assignment

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 09:08:30 +0200

This week’s Assignment theme is JUMP. It reminded me of this image that always made me chuckle. While perhaps not technically perfect it sure captured a moment (and that’s a big part of what photography is all about): Image by Mikey Da Photographer Check out the Jump images others are submitting and submit your own here. Post from: [...]

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

JUMP: New Forum Assignment

7 Things Photographers Should Never Do

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 08:12:44 +0200

Light Stalking has an interesting twist for offering advice to photographers — things you shouldn’t do rather than things you should do. Three of my favorites are “Don’t be afraid to ask for help”, “Don’t assume your way is the best way”, and “Don’t ever stop learning”. I guess if I could add one point [...]

Camera Bag Recommendations: What’s Yours?

Thu, 04 Mar 2010 03:50:46 +0200

We ran this question/discussion just on two years ago now but a lot of new camera bags are now on the market so it’s time to do it again. What camera bag do you use and recommend – and why? Do you use a brand like Crumpler, Tamrac or Lowpro OR do you prefer a more anonymous [...]

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

Camera Bag Recommendations: What’s Yours?

Warning: 10 Deadly Post Processing Sins

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:09:30 +0200

First of all, I have to thank Darren, and this wonderful DPS community for supporting our family through the illness and death of our son. We are deeply and profoundly grateful to each of you. THANK YOU. Not really a way to segue from that. I won’t try. :) This post is all [...]

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

Warning: 10 Deadly Post Processing Sins

Ambience Photography Contest 2010

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 10:27:19 +0200

March 3, 2010

Wed, 03 Mar 2010 09:26:21 +0200

Landscape Missing a Byte, 2009 Photo © Jessica Eaton — featured in Lay Flat 02: Meta

The External Flash Power That Will Last Till Hell Freezes

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 23:21:30 +0200

We write quite a bit about portable strobes. If you've been around for a while you may remember an older version of those strobes. The Sunpak family. While I have not used them myself (too young, sorry), those behemoth shoot at a staggering GN of 48 (meters) and have the look and feel to support it. That makes them ideal for sun swamped on location lighting. The nice thing is that they are old enough to be bought at ridiculously low prices second hand.

The following post about portable power source for small flashes (and Sunpak 611 in particular) is written by John Hagar (blog).

15 Stunning Images Using Blur to Portray Movement

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 22:01:30 +0200

Photo by Mr Bones - No exposure settings supplied Today, as a followup to our post earlier in the week A Beginners Guide to Capturing Motion in Your Photography I want to post a series of posts from Flickr that all illustrate a variation on the same theme – movement. The following shots are all of moving [...]

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

15 Stunning Images Using Blur to Portray Movement

The Photojojo Guide to Slow Photography

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 18:00:30 +0200

[...] in general, the goal of Slow Photography is to capture photos that celebrate the passage of time. You can do that by taking photos that show time passing, like the long-exposed streak of a train across the plains; or you can spend a long time preparing to snap your shutter, such as the ornithologist [...]

Arrange Files Your Way in Lightroom

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 16:08:11 +0200

Often when you’re working in Lightroom you will want the images to be sorted in the order that you want to see them, not in as order such as capture date which is one of the Lightroom sort options. You may want to do this when assembling images for a slide show or for printing, [...]

Post from: Digital Photography School - Photography Tips.

Arrange Files Your Way in Lightroom

March 2, 2010

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 10:39:26 +0200

No. 667, Fluorescents and Incandescents with Illumination from Fluorescents, 2008 Photo © David Haxton — featured in Lay Flat 02: Meta

Sponsors for February 2010

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 06:46:20 +0200

A big thanks to the sponsors that support us!

March 1, 2010

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 12:25:43 +0200

Untitled (Cut #4), 2009 Photo © Charles Benton — featured in Lay Flat 02: Meta

Link Roundup 02-28-2010

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 07:14:20 +0200

Links this week include articles on ISO, dynamic range, free knowledge, Haiti, exhibits, Photoshop alternatives, Photoshop celebrations, natural light, and photo backups.

WiebeTech Photo Contest

Sun, 28 Feb 2010 10:44:45 +0200

Light Tents

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 22:32:06 +0200

Photographer Peter Karlsson has it all worked out when it comes to travel light. Peter is a Strobist at heart and as such he is using small flashes quite a bit. The coolness comes in when you see how he places his flashes in space.

Instead of your orthodox light stand solution Peter uses a home brewed light stand made of tent poles. Those are great for travel for several reasons: There are super light-weight, they fold small and they will definitely make your subject go WOW! Luckily for photographers wold wide there are two vids available that shows how those light stands were made.

February 27, 2010

Sat, 27 Feb 2010 10:19:18 +0200

Family, Route 17, New York, 2007 — from the series Stranded Photo © Amy Stein

The Robert Cornelius Portrait Award

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 12:47:53 +0200

February 26, 2010

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 10:43:57 +0200

History's Shadow GM1, Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles, 2007 — from the series History's Shadow Photo © David Maisel

Tone Curves: Final Tips, Tricks, and Things to Avoid

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 08:26:13 +0200

We’ve had quite a journey with this whole histogram and curves ordeal. And now I’d like to wrap things up with a few tips, tricks, and things to avoid when using curves. It’s a fairly simple tool once you begin to work with it and understand it, but there are a few non-obvious items worth pointing out.

PhotoRush Photo Contest

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 13:28:12 +0200

February 25, 2010

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 11:01:49 +0200

Untitled (Green Painted Room), Los Angeles, 2010 Photo © Tait Simpson

Protect Your Camera From Rain Using An Old Pair Of Rain Trousers

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 08:44:34 +0200

When it comes to protecting your camera from the elements we already know that a condom will go a great way. However, sometimes a more subtle approach is needed. Especially if all you are seeking is to protect your camera from a bit of rain.

The following guest post about creating a camera rain cover from trousers is made by Matti Hassinen.

February 24, 2010

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 10:16:20 +0200

SASCO, Pima County, Arizona, 2008 — from the series Instar Photo © Christopher Colville

PhotoDump 02-23-2010

Wed, 24 Feb 2010 08:46:10 +0200

24 selected photos from the Epic Edits PhotoDump Flickr pool. This time there are 24 new members, 1 new discussion, and 538 new photos in the group.

35th Annual Paducah Photo Exhibition 2010

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 15:00:29 +0200

February 23, 2010

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 10:01:25 +0200

Feeling Negative? Check Out This New Film Photography Blog!

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 08:22:41 +0200

OK, so this thing has been in the works for many months now. I’m pleased to announce the launch of a new blog aimed at film photographers — FEELINGNEGATIVE.COM As many of you know, I’ve been heavy into film photography for the last few years. I post a few film-related things here on Epic [...]

The Best Invention Since The Invention Of The Power Cord

Tue, 23 Feb 2010 00:42:16 +0200

The following guest post about the best invention since the invention of the power cord (and saving space while traveling) is made by Simon Williams of Simon James Williams Photography.

You’ve been looking for something that will change your photography forever, something you’ve never quite been able to put your finger on, the “Zen” some people say that you have been looking for.

You have the best camera that your wife (or husband) will allow – in fact you’ve got more mega-pixels at your disposal that the Hubble space telescope. You are in more debt than the Lehman Brothers website designer because of it.

WereYouThere’s Most Transporting Photo Contest

Mon, 22 Feb 2010 15:40:58 +0200

Lonely Planet’s 100 Million Guidebooks Promotion

Sat, 20 Feb 2010 14:09:17 +0200

Friends of the Earth International 5th Annual Photo Competition

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 14:13:44 +0200

Using Curves to Enhance Composition

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 06:28:55 +0200

We’ve been on a roll lately talking about post-processing curves: video tutorials, linear adjustments, and nonlinear adjustments. I have one more in the works, but I wanted to take a little break from all that technical software stuff. I also wanted to stay on topic with the theme of “curves”, so here’s a slightly different take on it. Curves are also a key component of composition. In this article, you’ll find eleven tips for using curves in composition along with sample photos.

Create Great Light Painting Imagery Using Fireworks

Thu, 18 Feb 2010 21:01:59 +0200

Hello again! It’s Dana, twin cities brightest, back again with more tricks for light painting photography.

I hope you have all been practicing because it’s time to deal with the unruly beast - fireworks.

What Would You Like to Learn About Film Photography?

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 05:02:25 +0200

What film photography topics, tips, techniques, and methods would you like to learn more about?

2010 Habitat World Photo Contest

Tue, 16 Feb 2010 17:27:48 +0200

Light Tent And Paper Binders - Refolded

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 20:14:23 +0200

Today @AM time I discussed a light tent made from virtually nothing but coroplast and binders. (Not the previous supermarket-box-light-tent took more products to make).

Then I saw a variation on that theme by Nathan Moroney that used nothing but paper binders to create a very similar light same tent.

Now, if you think that coroplast tent was frugal, this one is on the fringe of being made from pure nothing. (Link and musing after the jump).

Create a Flat-Fold Light Tent Using Coroplast

Mon, 15 Feb 2010 09:58:05 +0200

Light tents (also called light boxes) are a great way to shoot a product. They eliminate harsh reflections and create appealing highlights. This specific light tent from Robert Miler has a nice twist since it can fold flat for storage.

It is all Robert from after the jump

TBM “Signs of Love” Photography Contest

Sun, 14 Feb 2010 16:02:30 +0200

Two Flashes Are Better Than One + Simple DIY Multi-Flash Bracket Tutorial

Sat, 13 Feb 2010 22:05:41 +0200

I guess this should go without saying, but I am going to say it anyhow: two flashes are better than one. Now you must be wondering why?

For starters, two flashes will get you a higher score on the GAS scale. (G.A.S. stands for Gear Acquisition Syndrome). This alone is a good reason to get two. But there are lighting oriented reasons as well. For some tech talk and a multi flash bracket tutorial, hit the jump.

Valentines Special: Couples Album

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 01:04:39 +0200

With Valentines just around the corner and all, I thought I'd share one of the wedding gifts wifey and I got about seven years ago when we got married. Amongst all the gifts, this gift is the one single gift that helped us hold our marriage through some very rough times. Really, I cannot over estimate it one bit.

That said, it is full of commitment so only give it if you're OK with smelling your current significant other's morning breath for the rest of your life. If you are that serious, hit the jump for more details.

Seven Easy DIY Projects To Super Ramp Your Photography Studio

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 09:35:42 +0200

We all love getting our hands dirty with studio lighting equipment. Here is everything you'll need to get a studio going. All the modifiers are DIYed so mark the next few weekends as taken. Click each image to get to the relevant project page.

DIY Beauty Dish

A Beauty Dish is a flash modifier used commonly in fashion
photography. It has a great combination of soft light and fast light fall
off. When you look at it closely, however, you find out that it is
nothing more than a terracotta bowl and a plastic jar (or a small car
mirror). By Mr. Embrey.

Hooking My Little One On Photography - Vtech Kidizoom Review

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 00:56:59 +0200

There is only one way that will allow you to take a ton of photography gear on a family trip and get away with it. Hook your family on photography.

My wife is a lost cause, so I decided to try and lure my 5 years old daughter into the photography dark side. I got her a camera. Specifically, the Vtech Kidizoom Plus Pink Digital Camera. Below you can find my reasons for getting this camera as well as my thoughts and review. I would also love to hear your thoughts about getting a camera for your little one, share them in the comments.

Low On Budget? Consider A Desk Lamp + Softbox

Sat, 30 Jan 2010 22:43:37 +0200

If you read this blog long enough, you know I am a big fan of small strobes. They are portable, relatively cheap, can squeeze some intense light and great for on the go. Key words for this post are relatively cheap.

While you can buy used SBs on eBay for a bit over $100 or a LumoPro for a similar price, you are still in for more than a $100 for lights.

Just saw photog Andy Game setup which has a great answer to the money issue.

Frame Your Pictures To Smell Good

Mon, 25 Jan 2010 22:33:30 +0200

It was this time of the year when my wife decided I need a new scent. It happens every now and then. This is a fundamental difference about the two of us. It takes me so long to get use to a new fragrance that I rarely want to make a switch. Wify, however, want a refreshing hubby twice a year, so fragrance shopping we go.

This year's winner is Adventure By Davidoff. Not sure she liked the fragrance as much as she liked the fact that Ewan McGregor was on the cover sleeve of the box.

Good thing he was too. He reminded me of an exercise we used to do on my photo club. (Really, you don't have to do it with Ewan McGregor, but it adds so much more fun to the exercise that you really don't want any other model).

As you may have guessed from the title of this post this exercise is all about framing.

You will need a camera, and a cardboard box. Ewan McGregor is optional, but hard to resist.

Some Nasty Car Rigs

Tue, 19 Jan 2010 00:21:16 +0200

A while back we had an amazing post about building a DIY camera car rig to take incredible images of cars. This is a common method for car photographers to get in camera smoothness.

Not a long while ago BMW created a series of promotional short films called "The hire" it's all about Clive Owen driving some fancy cars in impossible situations with impossible passengers. A real treat if you like this kind of movies.

Now the cool thing is that BMW has a BTS film where you can understand some of the howthehelldidtheyshootthis scenes and sequences. Movie, pointers and some DIY after the jump.

Never Ever Lose Your Lens Cap Again

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 21:40:02 +0200

Here is an interesting question - please hit me in the comments with your answer - Where do you put the lens cap when you are shooting? (My answer at the end of the post, if you care).

I use to lose them all the time, which was no biggie. Then Nikon started to ship their lenses with fancy lens caps and losing one cost an arm and a leg. (OK, really just a finger nail, yet...).

I got a mail from Benny Johansson telling me about his newest invention. The invention that make your lens cap never to go away.

PVC Studio Lights With An Attitude

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 00:59:33 +0200

Mechanical Mashup is a site to my taste. It is a new and fresh pod/video cast thing with great DIY tutorials. Lots of Photography, but also other fun hacks and ideas for the DIY lovers. And to top sugar with chocolate, you got to love those guys attitude.

One of their latest creations is a video describing how to build a PVC and coroplast continuous light system. (Videos, yup plurals, after the jump).

Fencing For Background

Sat, 09 Jan 2010 22:14:01 +0200

As many of you know, I moved to a new place a few months back. (And took down a ten ton wall when doing so). Now remember that story about Thomas Sawyer and the fence?

It starts as Tom got a punishment to whitewash his fence on Saturday. Bummer. However, Tom finds a clever way to both avoid the task and profit from it. He pretends that this whitewashing is so much fun that his friends want to take part in the mission. But our clever Tom, he charges his friends to whitewash the fence. How cool is that?

Anyhow, my story is kinda similar. I got the task from my wife, which is similar. But in my story none of friends paid me to build the fence and there's a very nice dinner involved.

While putting is fence up is definitely DIY, you must be asking yourself what it has to do with photography. Find out after the jump.

Приём Webmoney для вашего блога на Wordpress

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 18:10:01 +0200

Сайт wm4wp.ru объявил о выпуске первой версии плагина WP-Webmoney, предназначенного для приема пожертвований и платежей в блогах на базе популярного движка Wordpress. Основное назначение WP-Webmoney – это прием пожертвований от пользователей системы популярной платёжной системы Webmoney. Однако, использование спецтегов (shortcodes) позволяет в примитивном виде осуществлять также оплату за товар, размещая форму платежа на различных страницах блога. Плагин имеет простой и понятный руссифицированный интерфейс, позволяющий начать приём платежей webmoney всего в несколько кликов. В планах разработчиков – дальнейшее расширение возможностей плагина с учетом отзывов и предложений пользователей первой версии. Скачать плагин можно из каталога Wordpress по адресу http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-webmoney/