finger pointing wednesday, May 6, 2009

Wild wacky wonders of the web from the wecent weeks (sorry, couldn't help myself).

• David Ziser offers insights on added service and digital mats.
• Photo Business News & Forum has Lotsa Little Things Are Actually Really Big Deals
• and.... Is the Amateur really a threat to the pro?
• Pixelated Image suggests that we sharpen our tools and offers suggestions.
• Photocritic poses the question: Why is wedding photography so expensive?
• A throwback tip on back button focus from Melissa Jill
• Flashflavor shares American Photo Magazine's Top Ten
• DIYPhotography talks about "voice-activated light stands" and...
• Get Your Flash 100% on Axis With Your Umbrella
• You'll laugh your tush off with Photographer's Math
• Been hearing good things about Yanik's Photo School
• Photopreneur offers up the five most inspiring people on flicker
• and six great posts from my favorite, Digital Photography School...
• How to Take a Perfect Headshot with a single light
• Top Ten Articles
• Intro to Time-Lapse Photography
• How to maintain your memory cards
• A great DIY softbox idea
• Five Keys to taking beautiful maternity portraits

That should keep you busy for awhile!

finger pointing thursday, april 23, 2009

Wonders of the web from the week we were:

• What looks to be a swell wedding photography book, Jacqueline Tobin's Wedding Photography Unveiled discussed/touted over at DPS
• More DPS sharing a basic lesson on ISO
• Oh, still DPS..... 14 great tips, tutorials and videos from around the web
• Cameradojo takes on color space. Specifically Adobe RGB vs. sRGB vs. ProPhoto RGB
• Pixelated Image suggests a plethora of photo blogs that you should be reading right now!
• Are you shooting any nudes? If you are, check out Photo Attorney's warnings about a law known as section 2257
• And... speed photography over at DPS. It's all about the flash, not the shutter speed!
  

finger pointing friday: march 27, 2009

Haven't done one of these in a bit. So today we point you toward great photo info from all around cyberspace.

• The online photo mag PhotographyBB Magazine has just released their latest issue, #14. All their issues are print quality PDF's. Always a few good bits of info and lots of pix. This issue includes info on Photography and the Law, Ireland, post-processing, and more.
• Dslr sensor cleaning tutorial over at Camera Dojo!
• Chase Jarvis recommends going above and beyond. For your client, of course, but also to expand your own creativity.
• David Hobby (the Strobist) points us to Nick Turpin, UK street and commercial shooter. He really pulls off a great look with just snooted and boomed speedlites.
• Fancy product shooting at Lighting Essentials.
• Bunch of great stuff, once again, from Digital Photography School:Capturing Energy and Emotion in Children , 50 must-have wedding shots , Macro Photography for Beginners Part 1 , Macro Photography for Beginners Part 2

short finger point

Perhaps I should call it a pinky point, today.

Just wanted to clue everybody in on a contest that offers an amazing opportunity.

Imagine if you dare: You devise, in that crazy Rube Goldberg mind of yours, the perfect photo shoot. Perfect location, perfect subject, props, and gear, everything - bodies, lenses, lights, PW's, powerpacks, the works. Stylists, makeup, assistants, whatever it takes. Now imagine $50,000 to make it reality!

That's what the contest is all about. You submit an idea, and if you win, you get to fulfill the dream with 50 Large!

Photocritic tipped me off to it with this blogpost

and here is the actual contest site with further information. It appears to be sponsored by Lenovo and Microsoft, so the deeps pockets are all lined up. Anywho.... it seems like too good an opportunity to let slide by. So, my brainstorming will have to start with location.... Tuscany?, Bangladesh? Patagonia? hmmm.....

Get thinking, friends!

Finger Pointin': Mon., 2.16.09

Big news on the wireless transmitter front. Pocketwizard has announced the Mini and the Flex and several outlets are already talking about them. As I am still on the fence about what to buy, I'll have to move Pocketwizard back to a place higher on my list. Pocketwizard, Radiopopper, and Paul C. Buff's stuff are my current top three in no particular order. On the plus side, Pocketwizard's new items are coming out in Canon compatible versions first. Nikon and pro strobes later. Here are a few links and then other news:

• For starters, Chase Jarvis is pretty excited about the PW's. Check out his post.
• Not to be outdone, David Hobby is right there with more info and a vid.
• Of course, we should post Pocketwizard themselves.
• In other news, parody site Fake Chuck Westfall is getting some flack.
• Here is a really interesting interview with Bil Zelman over on the Strobist - pay special attention to his comments on green uplighting, blur, and visual texture.
• DPS's take on indoor sports photography
• David Ziser on shooting the bouquet toss
• The Digital Trekker BlogFAQ: How do you shoot/approach people?
• Strobist: Fancy setup to shoot a hummingbird / very cool!

Enjoy these and stay tuned!

finger pointing sunday: 2/08/09 edition

A short finger-point to clue you into the best of the internet's recent photography material.

• Could these be any cuter/cleverer/and cuter, again? Check out Jason Lee's work.
• (referred by photojojo.com) ... where to look if your camera is lost (besides the nearest pawn shop, of course...)
• ten ways to break photographers block
• Melissa Jill recently posted part three of her blogposts on low-light/reception shooting tips, tricks, and techniques. I'll link them all again here in order. Part one, part two, and, of course, part three (and don't forget to check the links within the posts for Melissa's gear list as well as extra info on her autofocus technique.
• Pretty much anything by Digital Photography School I'd suggest adding them to any blog/rss reader you use. They have had so many informed, useful posts on their blog the last few weeks that I can't even mention them all.

And, please feel free to let me know about any great posts or sites you see. I'm always looking for the best info, imspiration, and motivation! Thank you!

part two to a recent finger point

That title sounds odd, doesn't it?

In a recent Finger-Pointing post (where I share stuff I've found around cyberspace) I pointed you to a blogpost from Melissa Jill that shares some terrific info on lighting and shooting a dim reception.

Well, the supertalented and immensely gracious Melissa Jill offers up a "part two" and I had to grab it for our readers (and she hints at a part three so stay tuned!). Thanks Melissa!

So check it out, learn a thing or two, then remember who else is looking out for you and come back to this blog!

I expect to run a short post about polarizing filters soon!

finger pointing monday: jan. 26. 2009

Plenty of goodies this time out the gate. Check out all this cyber plunder!

• Nice list of free adobe lightroom presets at cameradojo
• Digital Photography School posts a handy tutorial for replacing a blown-out sky
• Also from DPS, a finger-point within a finger-point. They pitch Photojojo's Magnetic Photo Rope. Cool idea. Could probably DIY it cheaper, but take a look, here.
• The strobist (David Hobby) has a terrific post on some alternative lighting ideas for specific low-light situations. A big maybe on the iphone part, but read through and it gets even more interesting.
• DIYPhotography.net tossed up this terrific lighting diagram tool from Kevin Kertz.
• DIYPhotography.net again. Extending your TTL offshoe cord.
• Lighting-essentials.com offers this wonderful tutorial on creating a simple spray light for your backgrounds
• Melissa Jill clues us all into her technique for getting great shots in the notoriously poor-lit world of the wedding reception...
  

finger pointing friday: 1/16/09 edition

I've been scouring cyberspace to find you the best of the best in recent photography tips, tricks, gadgets, software, websites and more. Hope some of these float your boat as they have mine.

• Terrific blogpost from digital photography school with plenty of links to posing tutorials
• Squeeze the Lime offers us a video with tips regarding directing your subjects
• Photojojo cautions us to backup our computers and suggests Backblaze. Read here.
• PhotoWalkPro talks about Pixlr, an online image editing app. It's no Photoshop, but its darned good for free!
• I want to revisit Photojojo's spylens. I just got mine! I can't wait to try it out bigtime tomorrow.
• I also got a pair of these hotshoe and umbrella brackets. Looking forward to giving these a try, too.
• A new lens that might just make you go hhmmmmm......
• Cool lighting mods from Popular Photography
• Interested in gorgeous, gigantic, photojournalism!?!?! Of course you are! Check out The Boston Globe's The Big Picture .
• Shutterbug and Photokina offer up some terrific new storage and frame options

finger pointing thursday

This finger pointing Thursday is all about technology. Gadgets, websites, and presets. Take a look, hop a link, zip into photoland, and tell us what you think!

• Free Actions and Presets??? Freebies for you and a place for you to share your custom presets with the photographic community.
• Pro-Optic 500mm f/6.3 Mirror Lens - I haven't seen any reviews of this lens, but it sounds like it could very well be the budget conscious answer to a wildlife photographer's dilemma
• Free? flash-based gallery/portfolio site...... WIX. Again, I have yet to try it, but it sounds promising and at free, what have you got to lose?
• 12 speedlite "ring light" contraption....egads! This is a fascinating sunlight killer and very clever for the DIY element but only presented here for the novelty. The actual cost to put together something like this with a dozen speedlites and a dozen triggers would probably be far more than just using some decent AlienBees, but you've gotta see this thing!
• Professor Kobre's lightscoop -- this little gadget claims to take your on-camera flash to a whole new level. Basically just another way to mod (read: bounce) your flash. I have to think you'd still be under-powered in most situations, but for size and price, you might want one in your gearbag.

thursday with the finger pointing...

Welcome to another exciting episode of Finger Pointing where I point you in the direction of some recent interesting photography related content from the World Wide Pants. I mean, Web.

• Friday or Saturday, Radiopopper is supposed to announce a fancy new version of the popular radiopopper device. Syl Arena has some info here. Also, check out radiopopper's own site.
• Here's a different sort of video editorial on the new Nikon D3X. It's funny, weird, creepy, and really well-produced.
• Here you will find a free Google Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide - SEO PDF
• The girl from famous depression-era picture by Dorothea Lange

finger pointing wednesday

Lots of good stuff around the cyberspace of photography recently, and here are some of my favorites...

• Detailed tips on improving a bad contract by the ASMP
• If signed in, Google offers a wiki-esque ability to promote, demote and comment on search results
• Check out the Orbis ring flash adaptor (like Ray flash, but with apparent universal fit)
• Polaroid fan? Well the film is going the way of the dinosaur, but this clever app. for the Mac can give you back your instant pix (look) fix.
• Heard about Yousendit? Makes easy work of transmitting large files, even directly from several programs such as Photoshop and Aperture. FTP-based and FREE!
• The folks at ProPhotoLife put together a nice gift guide of Five photo gifts under $50 . I would add the fancy spy tube that I mentioned in a previous post (although it is $50, and tax, shipping, etc. might drive it over the limit....)
• A nice little diatribe on Why Photographers Should Study Design . I couldn't agree more. And a fun, super light incredibly basic intro might be the childrens book, "A Book About Design" by Mark Gonyea. Check it out!

more finger pointing

Terrific recent stuff from around cyberspace...

• Article on "clamshell" lighting
• super secret spy lens that I just gotta have!
• Share and Learn Contest for 2 week camera/lens combo rental
• Great deal on a Nikon D200....
  1 generation off, but still a terrific camera
• Adorama's "Sharpen to Show -- Not to Kill"
• LIFE Magazine archive online here...

finger pointing friday

Today I point you toward reviews, articles, news, and blog posts that caught my eye recently.

• A review of the Tamron 70-200 f2.8 that is my shortlist choice substitute for the Canon 70-200mm f2.8 IS lens that I really want.
• I've been a fan of Prem Mukherjee's (of Arising Images in MI) work for some time now. Now I see that he is speaking at Imaging USA here in Phoenix Jan. 11-13. I'm going to have to try to make his presentation.
• RED has announced two amazing sounding (and amazingly high priced) high-resolution digital motion and still cameras, Scarlet and Epic. If they were affordable, it sounds like they would blow everybody else right out of the water!
• A nice little guide to capturing motion in your pics.
• David Ziser comments on a trend toward shooting and burning.
• Turn your images into custom made fabric, then turn that into something else!
• The megapixel myth and why maybe I should just be happy with my 40D!
• Terrific article introducing using high-speed synch for full daylight shoots. Very valuable to those of us in the Phoenix area!

Hope these make for some interesting reading for you!