Monday, December 29, 2008

Lens Test: Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 XR Di II AF


This wide-to-moderate tele zoom offers you a chance to upgrade your wide-angle kit zoom. So what are you waiting for?


September 2007

Review Here

Nikon's Knowledge Base - Find out from the source!


Pages and Pages of info on Nikon equipment and solutions Here

Tenba Bags & Gear


Some new bags and vids coming out of Tenba Here

Joe McNally's Blog


Check it out Here

D40/x/D60 Club Wiki


Welcome to the wiki for the Flickr Nikon D40/D40X and D60 User Club. Here you'll hopefully find information that'll help you get started with you new camera, or learn more about its advanced features.

Check it out Here

Sunday, December 28, 2008

Innovative RS-Strap





BlackRapid Blog
BlackRapid.com


Update: It has arrived!...Will be doing an in-depth review after using this week. There is a Photowalk in Portland on the 1st which I hope to attend giving the strap a full workout.

Stay Tuned for Review on Sun. or Mon.

My Hands On Review of RS-Strap


206 679 9175 said...

We would love to post your review on our site Blackrapid after this weekends Photo walk.
Ron

orb9220 said...

Your welcome to anytime. And thanks again for your giving spirit.

E'l Roy said...

Can't wait to read your review. I'm pretty interested in this strap.

orb9220 said...

So far I like it...Been wearing it around to test for it's out-of-the-way and comfort.

Started a new flickr group - Naturally Nikon.


Well I didn't see a Nikon specific Nature group. And would like to bring together Nikon owner's that are Nature lover's.

And to have a place where Nature and Wildlife shooter's can discuss specific issues and uses with Nikon equipment in the wild.

And It is not Me that will make this group unique and special but everyone of us pitching in. Sharing idea's,knowledge,expertise and experiences in these threads.

..Check it out Here and see if it is your kind of group.

Thursday, December 25, 2008

FastStone Image Viewer and it is Free!


FastStone Image Viewer is a fast, stable, user-friendly image browser, converter and editor. It has a nice array of features that include image viewing, management, comparison, red-eye removal, emailing, resizing, cropping and color adjustments. Its innovative but intuitive full-screen mode provides quick access to EXIF information, thumbnail browser and major functionalities via hidden toolbars that pop up when your mouse touches the four edges of the screen. Other features include a high quality magnifier and a musical slideshow with 150+ transitional effects, as well as lossless JPEG transitions, drop shadow effects, image annotation, scanner support, histogram and much more. It supports all major graphic formats (BMP, JPEG, JPEG 2000, animated GIF, PNG, PCX, TIFF, WMF, ICO and TGA) and popular digital camera RAW formats (CRW, CR2, NEF, PEF, RAF, MRW, ORF, SRF and DNG). ...Get it Here

Noise Ninja Review by Luminous Landscapes


Every now and then a new product comes along that redefines expectations. In software-based noise reduction such a product is Noise Ninja from Picturecode. Last yet it was Photokit Sharpener Pro, which revolutionized image sharpening, and now it's the whimsically named Noise Ninja.

I tested this program and began using it shortly after in first came out in 2003, and though it became a standard tool which I use daily and also teach in my workshops and seminars, I somehow neglected to write a review. It slipped though the cracks, likely because it had simply become a basic tool that I use almost every day, and I therefore took it for granted...Full Review Here

Back to Basics - ISO and exposure wrap up






















We have learned that the sensor (or film) can get the same exposure if we prolong the duration the shutter is open, but use smaller aperture (or shorten the duration that the shutter is open, while using a bigger aperture). If we want to be absolutely honest (which, at least for now, we do), we have to include the third part of the equation: film sensitivity (AKA ISO)...Full HowTo...Here

Picnik - Edit photo's Online for Flickr users








  • Fix your photos in just one click
  • Use advanced controls to fine-tune your results
  • Crop, resize, and rotate in real-time
  • Tons of special effects, from artsy to fun
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  • Awesome fonts and top-quality type tool
  • Basketfulls of shapes from hand-picked designers
  • Works on Mac, Windows, and Linux
  • No download required, nothing to install
  • All this for free! Want more? Upgrade to
    Picnik Premium for only $24.95 a year!
Go Here for more info

Digital Photography School - A good Resource


Check them out here and don't forget to check out their forums.

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Marilyn Monroe pics sold for nearly $150,000


NEW YORK – A collection of photographs of Marilyn Monroe taken for Vogue magazine the year she died has been auctioned in New York for nearly $150,000....Story Here

34 Essential Tutorials To Get Started With Digital Photography


If you are completely new to photography, all the information you find might be a bit overwhelming and contradictory.
Obviously, you want the most value for your money and get the most out of your purchase.

Here’s a compilation of the best photography tips and tutorials found on the web. Starting with basics to make your first purchase, all the way to the inner workings of your camera.

Check it out Here

The year 2008 in photographs (part 1 of 3)


2008 has been an eventful year to say the least - it is difficult to sum up the thousands of stories in just a handful of photographs.

That said, I will try to do what I've done with other photo narratives here, and tell a story of 2008 in photographs.

It's not the story of 2008, it's certainly not all stories, but as a collection it does show a good portion of what life has been like over the past 12 months.

This is a multi-entry story, 120 photographs over three days. Watch for part 2 and part 3 tomorrow and the next day. (40 photos total)....See it at the Boston Globe Here

Black and White Fine-Tuning in Photoshop CS3


A black-and-white photograph is all about the subtle matrix of tonal values that give shape and form to the image.

Knowing how to precisely apply modifications to light and shadow is key to fine-tuning a black-and-white photo.

In this tutorial, we’ll take a look at some ways to shape and enhance the tonality of a black-and-white image with some quick and simple techniques....Full Tutorial Here

Friday, December 19, 2008

Yea! just reached our 200,000 hits in 1st Year!


To around the World I give thanks and Happy Holidays to All! (Note:Map is of last 5 mins of hits on Blog and you can see the map by clicking on view my stats on bottom of page and then click on recent visitors map)

It is the 1st year anniversary of the D40/D60 Blog and hope you found it useful,informative,educational and entertaining.

And it just hit 200,000 hits. I never dreamed it would take off so fast and stay going this long.

And with the help of David Chu and Sweetpea I give thanks for their contributions.

Now on to Year 2!

Thanks all again for your support and hope you continue to find it useful.

Commets:

Anonymous Todd said...

Congratulations on the milestone! I look forward to more great content in year 2!

December 19, 2008 4:20 AM

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

9 Creatively Camera-Free Photographers [30 Photos]


Written by Delana on November 6th, 2008

Looking at some of the most impressive contemporary photography, it’s easy to believe that sophisticated equipment is necessary. Thoughts of prohibitively expensive cameras and all of the other trappings of professional photography have dissuaded plenty of would-be photographers over the years. But amazing images have been made for centuries without any help from cameras using creatively strange pinhole and photogram photography techniques....Check it out Here

Lens review: Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 AF D vs. Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 AFS G


He recently got the new Nikkor 50mm f/1.4 AFS G lens to replace my older 50mm f/1.4 AF-D Nikkor. Here is his initial review and comparison.

Free Tethered Shooting Script for Nikon


If you’ve been keeping up with the blogs of various big photography bloggers out there you’ll certainly have been seeing quite a bit about tethered shooting recently. Not that it is a revolution or anything, but it certainly is a help to be able to see your images immediately on a big screen — and that doesn’t just go for those with failing eye-sight but basically the images you see on the LCD at the back of your camera are only the jpg preview, not the RAW (should you be shooting raw).

Even if you are shooting jpg just having to view them on such a tiny screen really makes it hard to tell if they are sharp or perhaps shaded as you are hoping. Sucking them right into your PC seems just so logical...Full Info Here

How Big Can You Print? - by thom


One common email question I get is this (or a relative): "how big can I print with the SuperDSLRJustAnnounced?"

My usual answer has tended to be a bit glib: "If you can't get satisfactory prints of the largest size a desktop inkjet printer can produce, it's not the camera that's the problem."

I suppose that answer is only one step up from "f/8 and be there," so it's time for me to elaborate a bit...Full Article Here

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Adobe Lightroom / Discuss at Flickr


Tips, Downloads and FAQ's Thread

DIYPhotography.net - Photography and Studio Lighting


Much and Interesting in Flash Photography Here

The (WU)ltimate 33-Part Guide to Abandoned Places


WebUrbanist has covered everything from abandoned wonders of the world to the illicit art of exploring deserted places.

These thirty-three core articles cover hundreds of abandoned buildings, vehicles, towns and cities from around the world - highly organized, summarized and collected for the very first time... Check them out Here

Cokin Filter System


Alternative to the pricier screw-in filters.
Check them out Here

Friday, December 5, 2008

Tamron Lenses Reviews from fredmiranda.com


A showcase feedback from users of Tamron Lenses.

Check it out Here

Pixel Fixer - Software for Raw images.


Remove hot pixels from raw files

Hot pixels (sometimes called stuck pixels) appear as brightly coloured spots in your images. They are often more noticeable with slow shutter speeds or high ISO settings.

Given the location of these hot pixels, Pixel Fixer can automatically remove them from the raw data in one or more raw files. Dead pixels (pixels that always appear black) can also be removed by Pixel Fixer.

Check it out Here

Your Photo: Our Critique from PopPhoto


PopPhoto Flash

The F Stops Here: a group blog by the editors of Popular Photography & Imaging magazine.

Summit your Images for Critique Here

How One Guy’s Flickr Photo Wound Up in the Iron Man Movie


Of all the amateur photographers out there, who among us hasn’t dreamed of seeing our photos plastered onscreen during the runtime of a multi-million dollar studio tentpole release/major comic book franchise film?

I know this fantasy is what keeps me snapping away at random friends, family, and strangers with my Nikon D50 everyday…

Read full story Here

Nikon's New Look Good in Pictures Series


About this site

Look Good in Pictures is a unique new series starring style guru and television personality, Carson Kressley.

Carson shares entertaining and helpful insights and will give real practical advice on how to embrace photogenic qualities in a variety of everyday situations such as vacations, holidays, nights out on the town and weddings.

Check it out Here

Yahoo launches iPhone-friendly Flickr with video support


Search engine giant Yahoo has formally launched an updated version of Flickr optimized for mobile phones and with special formatting friendly to the iPhone, including a newfound ability to watch streaming videos....Read about it Here

Monday, December 1, 2008

Viewing your Sensor


Another handy tool for the Do-It-Yourself crowd is the sensor loupe or scope. It can save invaluable time and minimize time objects are making contact with your sensor.

This can minimize chances of damage and unnecessary contact with the sensor.

The links below are two I have come across.

The Delkin Sensor Scope and the cheaper Copper Hills

This tool and a blower like the Giottos Rocket, Sensor Swabs and Eclipse fluid are just about mandatory for safely cleaning your sensor.

Tenba Shootout Daypack Video


SHOOTOUT™ is a comprehensive collection of backpacks, waistpacks and accessories designed from the ground up for serious outdoor imaging. Shootout gear is light on your shoulders but heavy on protection, access and features.

The Daypack is a compact, expandable pack that holds more than you might imagine, yet is a pleasure to carry.

If your day (or more) of shooting calls for a camera, a good basic selection of lenses and accessories, and even lunch or a change of clothes, the Daypack is the perfect travel companion.

..Check it out Here

How to Catch Birds in their Element from PopPhoto


Flying Lessons: Tips for great airborne avian images...Here

Nikon Compatible Lenses - Market Price Sheet


Check it Out Here