Sunday, September 28, 2008
Lighting 101 - Start Here
To make use of the techniques described in the following lessons, we are going to assume a couple of things:...Start Here
Jodies Coston's Free Online Photography Course
Welcome to Jodies Coston's Free Online Photography
Course sponsored by the morguefile.com and its contributors.
This course is free and open to the public Here
Katz Eye™ & Other Focusing Screens for the D40
The Katz Eye™ focusing screen for the Nikon D40 & D40x
is a laser matte with a split prism circle and a microprism
collar, very similar to the one you’d find in many classic SLRs.
Details Here
Flickr disscusions on Katz Eye
OR
FocusingScreen.com here
Comments:
Thursday, September 25, 2008
87 Great Photography Blogs and Feeds
From their Blog:OK, so this may be a bit overkill, but I wanted to share with you some of my photography feeds that I try to keep up with. I’m subscribed to a little over 200 feeds, and just over half of those are about photography.
Below are 87 of the photography blogs I follow, though some more closely than others. So if you’re looking for more reading material, I’m sure you can find one or two in this list that suit your needs...Check them out Here
Nikon 55-200 VR is the Best choice for 2nd Lens for under $250
AF-S Zoom-Nikkor ED 55-200mm f/4-5.6G DX and DX VR Lenses
Excerpt from Thom
Performance
What do you expect from Nikon's least expensive telephoto zoom? Not much, probably. Fortunately, you get much more than that expectation, though perhaps not as much as you might expect from the AF-S designation.
On the original version, sharpness is quite good throughout the range, with f/8 or f/11 being the point of maximum sharpness on my sample pretty much across the entire focal length range. At f/4 (or 5.6 at the tele end) the corners get a teeny bit soft--but optical performance is still far better than you'd expect for the price. I'd be more comfortable about using this lens wide open if it weren't for the visible vignetting in the 55-135mm range, but if you're a Capture user and shoot NEF, you can safely ignore that comment, as Capture's Vignette control handles this lens well. The VR version improves slightly on the optics of the original, in least in my samples. Center performance is excellent throughout the range, with again corner softness just starting to be visible at the longer focal lengths at the maximum aperture. I doubt anyone will be complaining about sharpness with these lenses--the center is well controlled throughout the range, and having a slightly soft corner (and I do mean slightly) is generally a preferred attribute on telephoto lenses.
By f/8 at 55mm there really aren't any issues to worry about on either version. Chromatic aberration is almost completely missing; I expected to see it on my D2x and didn't (and the VR version is even better than the original in this respect)..
All about Teleconverters
What is a teleconverter?
- An optical device that fits between your camera body and the lens.
- Increases the effective focal length of a lens.
- Also called a tele-extender, converter or extender.
Magification Factors
- 1.4x is equivalent to a 40% lens extension. For example, a 200mm lens becomes the equivalent of a 280mm lens.
- 1.7x (Nikon) is equivalent to a 70% lens extension. For example, 200mm lens becomes the equivalent of a 340mm lens.
- 2x is equivalent to a 100% lens extension. For example, 200mm lens becomes the equivalent of a 400mm lens....
- Full Article Here from Mid Michigan Photography Club
Monday, September 22, 2008
Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G lens
Nikon has today announced a new standard prime lens, the AF-S Nikkor 50mm F1.4G. Headlining the new features is a built-in Silent Wave Motor which enables autofocus with the D60/D40x/D40 DSLRs.
Read about Here
Nikon's News Release Here
Sunday, September 21, 2008
David Chu Photography
Contributer to this blog and friend from the other Portland. A young aspiring photographer I hope will go far.
Check out his blog here.
Comments:
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David Chu said... Updated that screenshot, did you? :). Your words keep me going :D.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
DxO Optics Pro
DxO Optics Pro offers a whole range of features to automatically correct and enhance your images: RAW conversion and highlight recovery
- Elimination of distortion, vignetting, and lens softness through specifically developed camera and lens modules
- Removal of camera noise and purple fringing - Dust and blemish removal
- Optimization of exposure and dynamic range - Color enhancements with access to original film color renderings
- Perspective corrections with auto crop – Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop plug-ins are also available...Info Here at their site
Get Advanced Flickr Search Results Quickly with Compfight
Ever wish you didn't have to click through two or three pages to do an "Advanced search" at photo sharing site Flickr, and then click around further to find the right size and photo options?..Full article Here
DIY: The Super-Small Bottle-Cap Tripod
When you are going on a field trip, you want your tripod to be small. Small and light. It would be best if it can fit in your pocket. When Ron Uriel saw the post about the wrap-able tripod, he had an idea. Why not use the 1/4" bolts in other ways. He told me about an idea to make a small tripod from a coke bottle...Full HowTo Here
h4ppierphotos - Now Batch process your Stream
To use h4ppier photos, enter a date range and/or tag filter then click 'search all photos'. You can also click 'show photos not in sets' or 'show photos without tags' to see those pics - note: the 'not in sets' and 'without tags' buttons both ignore the tag and set filters.
To use the advanced interface (where you can edit the privacy and permission settings for your photos and manipulate the date settings) tick the box above to indicate that you are 'very h4ppy' then perform a search to update the page....Go Here and authorize to use on account.
Sigma 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 DC for Nikon
The Sigma Corporation is pleased to announce the launch of the new 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 DC for Nikon. This high zoom ration lens, designed exclusively for digital SLR cameras, covers wide angle to telephoto.
The built-in motor is capable of autofocusing with all Nikon DSLR cameras. ..Info..Here
Shoot It RAW!
A RAW file is like raw sugar - it is unprocessed (and sweet!). Untouched, basic, linear digital information uninterpreted by software. Not very useful as it is but, more importantly, not locked into any file format or colour balance that might restrict its future use. Some people call a RAW file a 'digital negative' but it is considerably more than that...Full Article Here
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
35 Beautiful Examples Of Rain Photography
Most photographers do not feel comfortable in taking photographs in bad weather.
Yet bad weather sometimes presents the perfect opportunity to get most out of our skills.
In particular, in the beginning of autumn rain can provide the perfect opportunity to capture wonderful photos.
See Them Here
Review of Trek-Tech's TREKPOD
The best way to test a product is to use it in the environment that it was designed for.
Since the Trekpod was designed for photographers that hike, sightsee, and love to photograph nature and wildlife I decided to test it on a recent trip..Full Review Here
Monday, September 8, 2008
50+ Excellent Body Enhancement Photoshop Tutorials
Making a photograph of a person look amazing adds an extra dimension of professionalism to your design.
These photoshop body enhancement tutorials will help you transform your people pictures to stunning models in next to no time.
Most techniques involve similar use of the photoshop tools...Full Tutorials Here
Scenes from Iraq - from The Boston Globe
Hi-res pics of the life in Iraq...See them Here
Comments:
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Brian said... i've been following the big picture from the boston globe for a while now. alan taylor always does an amazing job pulling together images on current events from around the world. you should check out some of the other images as well.
Friday, September 5, 2008
How To Use The Monopod & The Multi-Purpose Tripod
The monopod is not considered a replacement for the tripod as the tripod will always be steadier for taking photographs.
But the monopod is easier to carry, easier to move around, lighter than the tripod, less confining and quicker during OTG Digital Photography.
In fact, the monopod will open new photo opportunities for you that did not exist if the camera was handheld or attached to a tripod.
Full Article Here
Tamron announces new Di lenses for Canon and Nikon
Tamron announces two new Di lenses designed for exclusive use on Canon and Nikon (with Built-in AF Motor) small sensor DSLR cameras
The SP AF10-24mm Di II, the first-ever ultra wide-angle lens for digital SLRs, features a focal length range with the 16mm ultra wide-angle to 37mm semi-wide-angle (35mm equiv.)
The new Tamron AF18-270mm F/3.5-6.3 Di II VC LD Aspherical (IF) MACRO (Model B003), is the first digital SLR lens that delivers 15x zoom (28-419mm equiv.) and is equipped with a Vibration Compensation mechanism.
Read More Here
American Photo Editor’s Choice '08: Kata 3N1 Sling/Backpack
Kata’s 3N1 Sling/Backpack Features:
• Bags provide ultimate freedom designed with three carrying options: right-handed sling, left-handed sling and backpack.
• Quick access to a camera has never been faster with a sling that offers a quick release and one-handed bag opening for camera access.
• Left-handed photographers can celebrate as they discover the first photo bag that can be configured as a left-handed sling.
• Convert the 3N1 into an ergonomic and comfortable backpack.
• Offers a unique combination of protection, lightweight and stylish design... Read Full Article Here
Doctored photos: 20 memorable picture fakes
By Matthew Moore
The doctoring of photos, once considered the reserve of tyrants and UFO nuts, is becoming increasingly widespread.
With photo-editing software becoming ever more sophisticated, and the internet allowing instant distribution, it has never been easier to create and spread hoax images.
Below we present 20 of the most striking, interesting and controversial fake photos, most of them produced in the last five years.
Some were created to amuse, some to mislead, while others were an attempt to rewrite history .... See Them Here
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
AP photographer arrested covering anti-war protest
MINNEAPOLIS — An Associated Press photographer and a Democracy Now! TV and radio show host were among those arrested at an anti-war march on the first day of the Republican National Convention. Both were released hours later....Full Story Here
Google Chrome (BETA) for Windows
Google Chrome is a browser that combines a minimal design with sophisticated technology to make the web faster, safer, and easier.
One box for everything
Type in the address bar and get suggestions for both search and web pages.
Thumbnails of your top sites
Access your favorite pages instantly with lightning speed from any new tab.
Shortcuts for your apps
Get desktop shortcuts to launch your favorite web applications.
News Story explaining what is different about this browser
My first impression - Using now for the last 5 hours.
The Good
it is open source so if it is harvesting data in any way there will be privacy experts all over it within days. The fact that it is open source means it can't hide anything it does.
1) It's Fast
2) clicking on + new tab button gives web history of sites you visited
in thumbnails. Great for going back to sites. Add gives you search bar
for your history.
3) Stable so far 3 hours and dozen's of sites visted including MySpace
and YouTube. No problems.
4) Did I say it is fast! renders pages 2x faster than Firefox 2 and
faster than Firefox 3.
5) Integrated address bar / search bar. Just click in address bar and
type your search criteria and get the standard Google results page.
6) Will import all your bookmarks from IE or Firefox.
The Bad
1) Middle click a link will open to new tab but you have to manually
select the new tab instead of automatically selecting new tab. Hope
they fix this issue.
2) You don't get to decide where it installs. It install in a weird
ass location. "C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Local
Settings\Application Data\Google\Chrome\
3) No themes or extensions yet like Ad-blocking?
4) It is still Beta tho a very good beta with no crashes yet. Seems to
use as much ram as firefox does. As it generates multiple cromes.exe
as running tasks that add up to about the same as firefox.
5) No Bookmarks management or menu so bookmarks stay on the bar.
6) Expect specially trashy sites like E-Bay and other's to be
problematic until updates roll out.
So far giving it a two thumbs up and would consider it for my default
browser if they clear up my issues with it.
Announcing Picasa 3.0 and a new version of Picasa Web Albums!
Today, we're pleased to announce the public beta of Picasa 3.0, the next generation of Google's photo management software. We're also launching a redesigned Picasa Web Albums with a brand-new 'name tags' feature, which gives you the power to quickly label and organize your photos based on who's in each picture.
Monday, September 1, 2008
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Recently installed mine and it helps a lot with focusing a 50mm 1.8.
Haven't noticed any difference in metering.
The Katz Eye site claimed that the screen darkens at smaller openings - this is true however it seems darker on dx lenses than non-dx lenses on the same opening
It's good fun especially with non af-s lenses.