Archive for the ‘Gear’ Category
Photographing The Total Lunar Eclipse December 20th and 21st 2010
Updated 12/16/2010: North and South America to Witness a Total Lunar Eclipse, Get Out Your Tripods and Digital Cameras!
Once again we witness a total lunar eclipse beginning for some of us on December 20th or the wee hours of December 21st 2010. For photographers and aspiring astrophotographers, this is a once in a while opportunity to expand techniques and portfolios with one of natures greatest shows, a total lunar eclipse. They only come around every few years. If the cloud cover cooperates, you’re in for a great show, and a great photographic subject if you dare.
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Photographic Art Using Microscopy
Microscope Imaging and Digital Photography – An Original Artform
Photographic artists wanting to expand their imaging horizons may be surprised where those horizons may be. You may be thinking in traditional photographic terms, but for real originality you can look at alternative optics to to place in front of your camera. Once example can be a telescope, and there are legions of astrophotographers out there that got into astronomy just for the imaging. Another less popular but just as powerful alternative is microsopy, photography through a microscope.
Panasonic Lumix And Commercial, Just a funny… Good Camera!
Funny Way To Advertise Panasonic Lumix Digital Cameras: The Panasonic Lumix G2
At 6am this morning I caught a funny commercial for Panasonic Lumix digital cameras that I found hits the mark for those that have ever sat through a photographers slide show or have participated in local camera clubs. You’ll enjoy this article. By the way, the Lumix G2 happens to be one of the best selling DSLRs based on the Micro Four Thirds standard as well and is worth taking a look at as a second DSLR for your camera bag.
The Nikon D7000 Digital SLR
Nikons Latest DSLR Packs The Latest Features Into a Smaller Tank-Like Body – The Nikon D7000
New 16.2-Megapixel DX-Format CMOS Sensor, Six FPS Shooting, 39-Point AF System and 1080p HD Movie with Full Time Autofocus
In case this one slipped you by in the past few weeks, Nikon has announced its replacement for the Nikon D90 digital SLR, the new Nikon D7000. Personally, I think this camera leapfrogs the D80/D90 lineage right into the semi-pro Nikon D300s territory with a new magnesium alloy body and a slew of new features. New are the 16.2 megapixel DX CMOS sensor, 6FPS shooting and enhanced HD movie capability with full time autofocus. Don’t underestimate digital video, its the a great advancement in digital photography and a new media for enthusiests!
Fall Color Photography
It’s Fall Color Time for Nature Photographers
10 Tips for Great Fall Color Photography
Autumn. A favorite time of year for many nature photographers. For those lucky enough to live in areas where you have 4 seasons, right now, early October is a special time. In the northern latitudes, colors are at peak or just past. In many areas, fall color is just starting to appear, and that means its time for nature photographers to get out their digital cameras, tripods and a circular polarizer and get out and photograph fall color.
10 Recent Photography Trends
Whats New For Digital Photographers In Photography Gear and Digital Techniques
We’re often techies. OK, we are techies and electronics geeks. We read, we buy, we play. Digital photographers are techie junkies at times and I am no different. Because of the nature of my personal photographic work and being an instructor of students all over the world, I do keep up with current trends for digital photographers. These are exciting times for us, and the available tools for our passion are getting larger, more complex and most of all, fun! Lets talk about 10 technology trends that are here or forthcoming. I’ll be breaking these down in detail over the next 10 articles, here is my introductory summary.
Recent Photography Trend #1: The Apple iPad
Greatest Artist and Photographers Tool Since Photoshop?
When was the last time you stepped into a Starbucks and didn’t see someone doodline on an iPad? Lets face it, they’re all over the place. Yuppies, professionals and regular folks likes us playing with their iPads. How does cool new tool help the photographer? Think of the future, cloud computing. Its coming, and its the next-step of the web. The iPad is more than a glorified iPhone with a few apps.
Recent Photography Trend #2: Point And Shoot Size DSLRs
Mirrorless Without the Pentaprism And Almost 1/2 the Size of a DSLR
Now we’re talkin! We all know how backbreaking a heavy DSLR can be with huge lenses and accessories. Folks, things are getting simpler and smaller. Enter this years entry into the new subcompact DSLR, the mirrorless digital camera. Get the lightweight advantage of a small point and shoot with full DSLR capability at a low price with good glass, and we have a new class of digital camera.
Recent Photography Trend #5: Professional Quality Digital Video
Digital Photographers Become Cinematographers - The New Artform of Professional Quality Digital Video
It has arrived. The convergence has occurred of the video camera and the digital still camera, especially the DSLR. Now standard equipment on the latest DSLRs, digital video not only is on the wish list, its a must. Gone are the days of separate cameras for still and video to schlep on vacation, you have both capabilities in the same camera with pro level results.
Recent Photography Trend #6: The Super Zoom
Digital Photography Ease and Convenience of The Super Zoom
One of the most perplexing problems facing myself as a photographer today, besides the 7-10 split at the bowling alley, is how to lighten my load a I strive for simplicity. Lightening my load is is a a constant challenge. Like you, my camera bag gets heavier and heavier as I collect DSLRs, lenses and accessories. I’m into simplicity now. Lighten my load, use less equipment and get the same quality results.
Recent Photography Trend #7: Digital Infrared
Convert That Old Digital Camera to Infrared
Back in the film days, or BF (before digital cameras) a small breed of photographers would load up their 35mm cameras with infrared film (in the dark I may add!), attach special filters in front of their lenses, and pursue a true art of infrared black and white photography. It was difficult to work with at best. The photographer would have to store the film in cold temperatures, and never knew what type of results they would get from the film, you see, we didn’t have immediate feedback like we do know with LCD’s on our cameras.
Recent Photography Trend #8: Using Color Management
From Digital Camera to Printer – Using Color Management
The advent of digital photography and expertise by the new breed of photographer has prompted an important addition to a photographers workflow. Color management. Photographers are by the most part all digital now, and learning the importance of matching the colors they see on their computer display to what is being output to their photo printers. Hence the importance of a color manged workflow.
Recent Photography Trend #9: Full Frame Digital SLRs
Full Frame Digital SLRs: Say Goodbye to Image Noise
In the past few years all of our major DSLR manufacturers have solidified their product lines with full frame (35mm equivalent) digital SLRs. With that advent in mind, many a pro and enthusiast have declared film “dead”. Its taken over 10 years for us to get to this point where the technology was affortable and possible, and now in the digital world we have the potential quality in a digital SLR that rivals that of medium format photographer, really!
Nikon Announces the P7000 Full Feature Compact Digital Camera
New COOLPIX P7000 Camera Gives Enthusiasts Full Manual Controls and Superior NIKKOR Optics in Addition to Advanced Photo and Video Features in a Package That Evokes SLR Familiarity
We couldn’t announce the Canon PowerShot G12 without mentioning Nikon’s latest flagship all-in-one compact digital camera, the Coolpix P7000. Sucessessor to the P6000 from last year, the P7000 improves upon an already impressive competitor to the G11/G12. What I like about the Coolpix P7000 isn’t the good glass that Nikon uses (its great) at a 28-200mm 35mm equivalent, advanced manual controls for the DSLR advanced user. Its the fact that it has a jack for an external stereo Mic that compliments its 720P 24fps HD video. It drives me crazy that Canon didn’t include that feature in the G12, which was on my own personal target list. Other than that, the two cameras are comparable. The P7000 is perfect as a second camera for Nikon shooters, where the G12 is a perfect compliment for Canon shooters. Thank goodness for completion amongst the industry leaders! Retail U.S. price is $499, same for the Canon PowerShot G12. Street price should be about $450 after its release.
Canon Announces the PowerShot G12 Compact Digital Camera
Canon’s Latest High End Compact Digital Camera: The PowerShot G12
Canon has announced its latest compact digital camera, the Powershot G12. The sucessor to the G series G11,the PowerShot G12 high end compactis very similar to the G11. New are the EOS-style control dial, IS for macro/close us and 720p HD stereo sound video. Additionally the G12 now has support for SDXC cards. Remaining are the excellent 28-140mm equivealent lens, 2.8″ tilt swivel LCD and the ability to shoot in RAW format. Additionally, the G12 packs a new High Dynamic Range (HDR) shooting mode which is becoming a highly desired capability on higher end cameras.
Online Nature Photography Workshops Start Wednesday, October 6
Take an Online Workshop with Kevin Moss: Elements for Nature Photographers or Photoshop for Nature Photographers
Hello everyone, hope you had a wonderful September!
I have 2 workshops starting Wednesday, October 6, 2010. Both are on the subject of nature photography with one workshop concentrating on Photoshop Elements, and the other workshop for Photoshop users. The workshops are taught online at BetterPhoto. I’ve been an instructor there for over 3 years and have been teaching these two web-based workshops for some time. I’ve had students from 60 countries and at all ages and levels of expertise, doing a lot of one-on-one during the month-long online course.
Canon Announces the EOS 60D Digital SLR
Canon’s New Workhorse Digital SLR Camera
Canon has announced its latest APS-C sensor workhorse digital camera, the EOS 60D. The Canon EOS 60D replaces the 50D and provides enhancements not found in the recent EOS 7D. Rest assured, this camera will probably prove to be another workhorse worthy of professional use by photographers and even amateur and professional videographers. The biggest difference in this camera from its predecessors though is its plastic body as opposed to the heavier and more sturdy magnesium alloy. For many of us that really beat the living daylights out our equipment, that can be a “small” issue.
The Humid Photographic Fog Effect
Letting Nature Add Special Effects To Your Images
It wasn’t on purpose. Out a few mornings ago, the light was just right. I wanted to add some images to my extensive “Amy’s Garden” portfolio, the portfolio I’ve been building for years of Amy’s garden. Flowers, plants, wildlife. The garden Amy has dedicated herself to cultivating for 13 years. I’ve been photographing it for 5 years now with plans on publishing a book of her nature efforts. The sun had risen just an hour before, I had the indirect light, and I grabbed my Nikon DSLR with Tamron AF 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC LD Aspherical IF Macro Zoom Lens (click here for the Canon version of the lens) attached. To my surprise, the protective UV filter on my lens had fogged up immediately, the humidity that morning was in the mid-90’s!
4 New Nikon Lenses Announced For 2010
Nikon Adds to its 2010 AF-S Nikkor Lineup
Nikon has announced 4 new lenses targeted at its full frame DSLR users, with a new prime mixed in. Trying to serve the needs of its full frame D700, D3X users, Nikon is quickly filling voids for enthusiasts and pro’s that want the convenience of the zoom ranges available to the popular APS-C sensor crowd. Announced are the < AF-S DX NIKKOR 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED VR, AF-S NIKKOR 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED V, AF-S NIKKOR , the 24-120mm f/4 G ED VR and the AF-S NIKKOR 85mm f/1.4G ED . Each of these are considered “high end”, badged with Nikons “ED” designation. You can be assured of “good glass” with these new offerings, the quality needed to take advantage of full frame sensor Nikon DSLRs.
Nikon Announces the D3100 DSLR
Enhanced Guide Mode and the Ability to Shoot 1080p High Definition (HD) Video with Full Time Auto Focus Allow Users to Capture with Confidence
They are getting better and better. Entry DSLRs have surpassed high end DSLRs we were buying just a few years. If you’re in the market for a second body, you’ll want to look into one of these entry DSLRs. The Nikon D3100 looks intriguing. Packing Nikon’s new 14.2Megapixel CMOS Image Sensor, full HD Video recording (now becoming standard fare for DSLR owners), a 3-inch monitor with one-touch Live View shooting and movie capture and a new easy to use intuitive interface, experienced DSLR owners may want to take note when it comes to adding gadgets, inexpensively to their camera bag. Click Here to hear the Nikon Pod Cast!
