Why you need To Be A Guerrilla Travel Photographer-And How To Become One [part 2]

This post is the 2nd in a 2 part series by Tony Page from Travel Signposts. See part 1 here.

 Lac Brienz, Switzerland. I used my wife, Helen, to provide a splash of accent colour and point of interest to what would otherwise have been a peaceful, but basically boring scene (guerrilla travel photographers always employ all the resources at their disposal...). Now it has a story to it, an emotional component.
Don’t Forget the Foreground
Want a killer landscape shot? Make sure you’ve got a striking foreground. Now in most cases, the foreground will not be the main subject of your image, and really serves as a kind of frame to emphasise the depth of your composition. One of the big advantages of using an ultra wide angle lens is the dramatic perspective you can get between a relatively close foreground and the rest of the scene while still keeping everything sharp. But you can still use this principle even if your lens is not so wide, although you have to be more careful about depth of field — stop down!
And Don’t Forget The Other Two…
The best landscape photographs have clearly a defined foreground, middle ground and background. I’ve emphasised the foreground because that’s the one that people usually miss out when they’re taking photos of an impressive landscape. Everyone usually gets the sweeping background, that’s often the first thing that strikes them when they look at a scene. But it’s equally important to have a strong middle ground to avoid a feeling of emptiness in the centre of your shot (unless that’s what you want, of course, the middle ground in the shot above is deliberately empty to emphasise the feeling of expansiveness).
So you’ve got a foreground, you’ve got the middle ground, and you sorted out a fine background. Okay, what’s your photo about?

 Monet's Lily Pond at Giverny, France. There are several visual elements in this image which draw your attention, but there's no doubt what the photo as a whole is about.
Well, what’s your photo about?
“Er, er, well, it’s a landscape shot, in Spain, I thought it was quite pretty…”
Dong! Sorry, wrong answer, you fail, you are the weakest link, goodbye!
With landscape photos, it’s quite easy to take a technically competent photograph about nothing. Attractive wallpaper. Don’t let this happen to you. The landscape in front of you may be beautiful, but you must have a focus to your picture, a clear subject so that anyone looking at your image can instantly say “this is a shot of a mountainous forest landscape in the Ardennes” or “this is a viaduct spanning a valley in Yorkshire” or the like. All right, they don’t have to be able to tell that it’s in the Ardennes or in Yorkshire, but you get my drift.
Your subject can actually be the light itself, “shafts of sunlight breaks through the storm clouds onto the fields”, or the weather, “a heavy downpour streams down the mountainside”, just so long as the subject of your photograph is clearly evident. If the person looking at it has to think twice about what your image is about (we’re not talking about your interpretation of the subject), it’s not strong enough.
When you’re shooting groups outside in sunny weather, even with friendly light, you may find it difficult to get the lighting right on everyone’s face. In harsh midday light, it’s even harder! The best way to solve this problem is to turn everyone round with their backs to the direction of the sun, and use fill-in flash to balance the light. The same goes for shooting inside, with awkward artificial lighting. Of course, you’ll come in relatively close and the light source won’t be included in the picture.

Get Them Up Close and Personal

When you’re doing a shot like this, when the emphasis is on the people in the photo as opposed to the surroundings, make sure that you get everyone to really squeeze together, especially their heads. Preferably, their heads should be virtually touching. Although they’ll feel strange, and it may cause a few giggles, you’ll find that the result will be immeasurably better than if you leave them to pose at the distance they themselves would normally select. Try it, you’ll see what I mean. It helps to break the ice and get a relaxed shot, too!

Make Them Look Up To You
Another trick I’ve found useful, especially when the group is quite sizeable, is to shoot from a higher viewpoint and get everyone to look up at you. You don’t have to get up too high, maybe a nearby low wall or a few stone steps, or if inside simply stand on a chair. This is helpful in avoiding people blocking each other, because you can be sure that later everyone will be looking for his or her own face!

Keep Up the Chat
As with individuals, always remember to keep talking when you’re photographing groups. You have to keep them amused and happy — it doesn’t matter if they think you look or sound stupid, as long as you get the shot.

Close-Up Food Shooting
Food shots make great memories, but not many people remember to take them! When you’re shooting your close-ups with a point-and-shoot, don’t go too close to the food, and pay especial attention to this when you’re sitting at the table, or you’re liable to burn out your highlights. You want to use your zoom to frame the plate tightly, so if necessary stand up. Another way to do this is to photograph the plate of the person sitting across the table from you. If you have a diffuser on your camera flash, this will help no end.

Although I like to have as much of the food in focus as possible, you’ll often find that you are shooting at large apertures, which coupled with your use of zoom leaves you with quite shallow depth of field. Actually, this is currently very fashionable in professional food shots, just make sure that the first food element is in focus and let everything beyond the back of the plate (or closer) go soft. If you’re using flash, and find you have too much depth of field, just use a bigger aperture (f/2.8 is good) to get the desired effect.

Brand Your Shots
Take at least one shot that uses the branding devices employed by the restaurant or cafe to show where you are. These can be menus, paper napkins, coasters, plates, coffee cups or even sugar sachets with the establishment’s name on them. Just incorporate them into your composition.
You can also get good shots of “local” dishes at buffets; there is usually a wide range of food and the situation is often more relaxed. The arrangement and decoration can also provide interesting elements if you’re lucky.

Red Wine Trickery
Here’s an old pro tip about shooting wine. Red wine is always too dark in photographs as it is, so as you’re not in the studio, the easiest way to get over this is to — shock, horror — dilute it with water. You should easily be able to see your finger through the glass.

The Golden Rule of Shooting Food in Restaurants
Now if there’s one golden rule when you’re shooting food in restaurants or cafes, it is to BE QUICK! One very good reason for this is because you obviously want to shoot the food before you start eating it, and hungry people tend to get impatient when delicious fare has been placed in front of them. So get an idea of the way you’re going to compose your shot before the food arrives. If I’m honest, there have been some occasions when I’ve joyfully tucked into my food, before realising a little too late that I had meant to photograph it…
The best time to shoot night shots is at twilight. At that time, the sky still has some blue in it and the city lights have already come on. It’s obviously best if you use a tripod and cable release, as this opens up a whole range of shots to you that would be impossible without it. If you haven’t a tripod with you, you’ll have to make use of walls, lampposts and other supports, because the exposures will certainly be slow, unless you’re shooting brightly lit shop windows and the like.

 Edinburgh Castle lit up for the famous Annual Tattoo. A slow exposure, 1/10 second, handheld but resting my elbows on the seat in front.
Exposing At Night
City Skyline: Don’t Burn Out
The tricky thing with night shots tends to be the exposure. If you’re taking a shot of a city skyline, simply taking an overall exposure reading will probably overexpose your shot, as the large expanse of dark areas will fool your camera into burning out the highlights. So in this case, you’re probably going to have to use exposure compensation to reduce your exposure a little. Fortunately, since you’re not paying for film and can check things immediately on your LCD, you can adjust your image to your own taste.
By the way if you are taking a skyline, if you can get a river or other stretch of water in front of it, you’ll get some great reflections that can really lift your shot. This also goes for decorative pools in front of floodlit statues or other tourist sites.

Bright City Lights
On the other hand, if the city lights and brightly lit areas are closer and you point your camera at them, it’s almost certain that your shot will be underexposed as your camera will work out the exposure based on those highlights. Try focusing slightly off to one side of the lights and use that exposure. If this doesn’t look good, you may find you have to increase your exposure compensation by +1 or +2.
[CAPTION: Traffic streams along the river freeway outside the Kremlin in Moscow. Taken from inside a coach, you can see the bus clock at the top left, on a Nikon E995 (yes!).]

White Night Balance
As far as your white balance is concerned, you’ll have to experiment. Surprisingly, I’ve found that the auto setting on my Nikon and Canon often produces acceptable results when shooting at night. You can have quite a mix of light in your shot, and although you might start with an incandescent setting, this won’t necessarily get you the best results. I’m often glad to be shooting in raw format!
You should note that sodium lights (orange) and some mercury vapour lights (bluish white) produce an incomplete spectrum, so cannot be properly filtered or balanced to give true colours; fortunately you see less of them of late (the use of mercury vapour lamps for lighting purposes will be banned in the European Union in 2015). Nowadays, halogen lights are popular for shop window displays, and you’ll frequently get a good result on your auto setting.

That’s all I have space for here, but please share your own experiences and tips below. In any event, I hope I’ve encouraged anyone who ever thought “these travel techniques are all very well, but I simply would never have the time for them” to realize that they’re not alone, and that there are other ways of photographing on the road.

Cynics have said those who can, do, and those who can’t, take photographs. Guerrilla Travel Photographers believe that on holiday you can do both.
So, lock and load, and good shooting…

Tony Page is a professional photographer and writer. View his work at Travel Signposts. Tony will be launching a new eBook in the coming days.
View the original article here

Hasselblad System Compendium

Over the past 50 years Hasselblad, a relatively small company, has been producing high quality cameras and accessories. Hasselblad cameras have become the standard by which all other roll-film reflex cameras are judged. The Hasselblad camera system grew out of the ideas of Victor Hasselblad, who after manufacturing military aerial cameras for the Swedish government, turned his mind to the design of an innovative camera that would have a wide range of uses. The key concept with the original camera was that it should be a modular system: a central camera body to which a variety of lenses, film magazines, viewing systems and other accessories could be attached by the user for different photographic needs. Manufacture began in 1949.
The book represents the first systematic and complete treatment of Hasselblad camera equipment from the earliest days to the present. New equipment released by Hasselblad at the end of 1997 as the book was going to press has been included in an addendum.
Much new information is presented with 760 black-and-white and color pictures. All product component numbers, dates of manufacture of the lenses, and Hasselblad literature are listed. Description and photos of rare and unusual items such as prototypes and NASA cameras, add greatly to the interest of the book for Hasselblad enthusiasts.

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Fotodiox Pro Adapter, Hasselblad Lens to Canon EOS Camera Mount Adapter -- for Canon EOS 1d,1ds,Mark II, III, IV, 5D, MarK II, 7D, 10D, 20D, 30D, 40D, 50D, 60D, Digital Rebel xt, xti, xs, xsi, t1i, t2i, 300D, 350D, 400D, 450D, 500D, 550D, 1000D

This is one of the Pro-series lens mount adapter made with precision and pristine award standard. As all Pro-series adapters, these adapters have been specially crafted to endure professional lenses. No "play" between lens and Camera. With unique styling, the lens mount adapter maintains/enhances professional appearance. This lens mount adapter allows Hasselblad lenses to fit on Canon EOS camera body. H-series lens will not fit.

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Fotodiox Camera Rain Coat/Jacket, Rain Cover for Canon, Nikon, Sony, Olympus, Hasselblad, Pentax, Panasonic Cameras/Camcorder.

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Canon Powershot E1 10MP Digital Camera with 4x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Blue)

First glance says it all: the PowerShot E1 and you are going to get along just great. After all, you love color that dares to surprise. And nothing delights you more than style that makes you smile. The PowerShot E1 goes everyplace you go -- to parties, to the beach, far away and to fabulous times right around the corner. The PowerShot E1 introduces you to a new level of performance with 10.0-megapixels for exceptional image
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Camera Rain Cover For DSLR / SLR cameras Protects against Rain, Snow, and Dust Fits : Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Sony, Fuji, Pentax and more

The cover has elastic cord & cord locks on both ends. Slip the camera into the back end of the cover and attach the small end of the cover around the lens. Leave the back end open however much you want when you're shooting (the back opens to about a 10" diameter circle when fully open), and close it down when you're not shooting.










Key features: 
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~ Easy Velcro closure along the bottom which allows handheld or tripod shooting.
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~ The cover fits with an external flash on the camera.
~ TTL flash works thru the cover.
~ Will work with lenses that rotate to focus.
~ Makes a handy sunshade. DSLRs produce images with less "noise" if you keep the camera's sensor cool.

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Why you need To Be A Guerrilla Travel Photographer-And How To Become One

A Guest Post by Tony Page from Travel Signposts.

You know, as a Guerrilla Travel Photographer I often find myself thinking that some people who give us advice about taking photographs when we’re traveling need a reality check.
Okay, a lot of their advice is fine in an ideal situation, but the problem is we’re usually not in an ideal situation. There’s a lot of difference between the ideal when you’ve got plenty of time and the reality when you haven’t, and people don’t place enough emphasis on the latter.
Most of us are forced to be Guerrilla Travel Photographers by necessity. We can only fantasize about having all the time in the world to think about our shots, to wait for the right light, to choose different viewpoints, to have cooperative and colourful model talent, to try different technical approaches, all with a supportive crew behind us to carry our bags, bring us cool drinks, and mop our brow.
OK, I’m exaggerating, but you know what I mean. In the words of an immortal Australian,
“Tell ‘im he’s dreamin’!”
For most of us, although we love taking photographs when we are on the road, it is not the only thing competing for our attention. Lots of us have significant others, children or friends who while appreciating our hobby, are not committed to it in the same way we are. So we have to take our chances when we can, “seize the moment” and take advantage of any opportunities that come our way. We have to be Guerrilla Travel
Photographers.

Let’s have a bit more photographic how-to advice with an aggressively practical spin, that starts off with the assumptions that the light’s wrong, the subject’s difficult, we don’t have any time and we’re not using the latest and greatest gear. Sound familiar? Because that’s the likely reality for most of us.
And that’s what this post is all about …travel photography in a real world! In this and tomorrow’s post, I’ve put down a few guerrilla travel photography basics that I hope will start you thinking. And if you’ve got a few tips that will help, please share them in the comments. Good shooting!
It’s always worthwhile finding out something about the places you’re going to travel to before you leave home, whatever your reason for taking photographs. Obviously, you’d have to do more research if you were going to write a feature about the destination, but even if you are just travelling on holiday, getting some idea of the kind of things you might be photographing can be very useful and save a lot of time.

Where to Get Your Information
You already know the broad outline of places that you will be visiting, but you may have some flexibility as to the time. If so, it’s a good idea to check whether there are any festivals or special events going on at your destinations; these can often provide rewarding photo opportunities. Look up the local tourist boards on line, they often have calendars of events many months in advance, and travel websites frequently highlight upcoming festivals and other points of interest.
Even if you are not going on an organised tour, it can be worthwhile to check out tour itineraries covering the places you’re visiting: they will give you a good guide as to potential tourist sites and activities in which you may be interested. For Europe, have a look at Insight Tours, Globus and Trafalgar.

 Gondolas near St Mark's Square, Venice. Visit the Tourist Office, it's just to the right of this shot. Photos like this from Travel Signposts give you an idea of what's available to shoot.

Get a Sneak Preview Before You Go
It’s also helpful to have an idea of what things look like before you’re standing in front of them. Get some ideas of what other photographers have thought was interesting by looking up your destinations on the big stock sites, like Getty or Corbis. Some travel websites also have galleries of photographs that can be helpful; for example, Travel Signposts has over 23,000 images of European and Mediterranean subjects designed to show you what places are really like, as opposed to simply glamorizing them.
I’m not suggesting that you copy these shots, but they will give you some idea of the different viewpoints and interesting features of your potential photographic subjects. This will really save you time when you finally get there, and as a guerrilla travel photographer, time is one of your most valuable commodities.
Before we get any further, let’s put another myth to rest. Some photographers seem to have a sort of macho belief that if you don’t use manual settings somehow you aren’t a REAL photographer. What a load of old cobblers! The only time I use manual settings is when I can’t get the camera to do what I want automatically. In many cases, I am quite happy to let the camera do the calculations while I concentrate on creating the image.

 Fish outside a Bosphorus restaurant, Istanbul, Turkey. Canon Ixus 400, automatic flash.

Don’t Be Scared Of Auto Modes
Although a point-and-shoot camera is more limited when it comes to shooting modes, for example aperture priority or shutter priority, careful use of the various screen modes provided can help you get your shot. I rarely use only manual settings on my DSLR, tending to leave the camera on shutter priority for casual shooting, to minimise camera shake and freeze subject movement.
I also make use of the program mode; many people don’t realise how flexible this can be. With Nikon cameras and many others, if you don’t like the particular aperture/shutter combination selected, you can simply adjust the exposure value by dialling in the aperture or shutter speed you fancy and the camera will adjust the exposure accordingly. No need to switch to aperture or shutter priority at all.

Learn To Use Exposure Compensation
One manual control it’s useful to know about is how to adjust exposure compensation. On point-and-shoots, it’s often only reached by menu if it’s there at all, but in DSLRs it’s usually on a dial or wheel. I’ll mention some ways I use this later, but basically you set it to artificially increase or decrease your exposure to make up for mistakes made by your camera’s meter, when it is fooled by the light reflected from a beach or snow, for example.

 Lagoon at twilight, Raratonga, Cook Islands. Canon Ixus 400.

White Balance: Don’t Chop and Change
As far as colour balance is concerned, while it is true that the auto balance setting on some cameras is not too accurate in mixed light, you won’t go far wrong in most circumstances you will meet when traveling if you just leave it on auto. Of course, it’s easy to make adjustments later if you’re shooting in raw format, and even with point-and-shoots, broad adjustments for example, for a cloudy day or tungsten light, can provide acceptable results. But if you start switching it around every few minutes you’re going to buy yourself some grief when you’re on the road shooting guerrilla style.
The great advantage of shooting in the studio is that you can control the light. Unless you’ve got a lot of time, you can’t pick and choose your light when you’re traveling. If I had to pick the greatest challenge I find myself facing while photographing on the road, it would have to be trying to create great images with the wrong lighting conditions.

The Problem with the “Golden Hours”
You’ve probably heard about the “Golden Hours”, the hour just after sunrise and the hour just before sunset, when the light is particularly flattering for photography. The problem is, there are an awful lot of hours in between when most of us will need to take some photographs! What’s more, if you’re shooting in Europe in summer, don’t forget that sunrise can be before 5 a.m. and sunset around 10 p.m. – that’s quite a spread.

 Temple of Hatshepsut, Egypt: The pattern of the people is reminiscent of a Lowry painting, and retaining the intensity of the light captured the atmosphere - can you feel the heat?

Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen Go Out In the Midday Sun
Harsh, contrasty sunlight can be the bane of the travel photographer, but it’s no use bemoaning the fact that you should be shooting four hours later when four hours later you’ll be 100 km away. The same goes for dull weather; as a rule grey skies and rain make it more difficult to get interesting images, especially in cities with all those grey buildings.
Where you do have the choice, it is helpful if you can split your photo shooting into two sessions at the beginning and towards the end of the day to take advantage of the better light. However, for many of us on vacation that’s frankly impossible. That’s why we have to take our chances as guerrilla travel photographers!

At Noon, a Polarising Filter Is Your Friend
Harsh overhead light at midday is not all bad news, however. Polarising filters work best when the light is at 90° to the subject. Consequently, they are at their most effective in intensifying colour when the sun is overhead. So slap on the polariser, look for subjects with strong colours and create your compositions accordingly. Any shadows will drop out, of course, but think CSI Miami/Ken Rockwell vivid colour schemes rather than subtle shades and you won’t go far wrong.  And if you’re a point-and-shooter, it’s quite possible to hold a polarising filter in front of your lens (if a bit awkward), or just try shooting through your Polaroid sunglasses (that’s a real guerrilla photography tip).
Those deep shadows can also be used creatively to create striking graphic compositions. You can even do portraits, remember that great shot of Marlon Brando’s bald head coming out of the shadows in “Apocalypse Now”?

This post will be continued tomorrow where Tony will share another 4 tips for being a Guerrilla Photographer. 
Tony Page is a professional photographer and writer. View his work at Travel Signposts. Tony will be launching a new eBook in the coming days (stay tuned on Sunday for details).
View the original article here

Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera (Updated Edition)

For serious amateur photographers who already shoot perfectly focused, accurately exposed images but want to be more creative with a camera, here?s the book to consult. More than seventy techniques, both popular and less-familiar approaches, are covered in detail, including advanced exposure, bounced flash and candlelight, infrared, multiple images, soft-focus effects, unusual vantage points, zooming, and other carefully chosen ways to enhance photographs. The A-Z format make sit easy for readers to find a specific technique, and each one is explained in jargon-free language. Top Tips for each technique help readers achieve superb results, even on the first attempt.

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Droste Effect – Photoshop

I an earlier blog post I introduced Pixel Bender a new extension for Photoshop CS4 and CS5 from Adobe Labs. In this post I’ll show you a filter which lets you create a Droste effect with an image. The filter is free to download and once it is installed you can apply it from inside Pixel Bender. It was created by Tom Beddard who is author of a lot of really wonderful filters – you can see more of them here.
The Droste effect is an image effect named after a Dutch cocoa company called Droste. In 1904 it produced packaging for its cocoa product showing a woman carrying a tray with a box of cocoa and a cup on it. A small version of the package appeared on the cocoa box on the tray and so on – each version of the image being successively smaller than the last.

To create the Droste effect you must first have Pixel Bender installed so, if you don’t, visit my earlier post to learn where to find it and how to install it. Then, you’ll need to download the Droste filter from: http://tinyurl.com/pbdroste.

Unzip the folder and copy the .pbk file to your Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop CS5\Pixel Bender Files folder. Restart Photoshop and the Droste filter will be in place.

Start with an image that is square with some element of interest centered in the middle of the image. I chose a flower against a neutral background – start with something simple as you learn how the filter works – then plan to use a more complicated image later on.
Make a note of the size of the image by choosing Image > Image Size and write down the image width and height.
There is a physical limit to the size images you can use with Pixel Bender which is 4096 x 4096 so make sure your image is smaller than this. I suggest you start with smaller images still as they render faster.
To run the filter, choose Filter > Pixel Bender > Pixel Bender Gallery and select Droste from the dropdown list. If you have used the filter previously, hold Alt (Option on the Mac) and click on the Reset button to reset the filter settings.
Set the Size [0] and Size [1] sliders to match the width and height of your image – my image is 530 x 530 pixels.
By default, you should see a typical Droste file image with straight edges.

To turn the straight edges into a curved spiral, deselect the TransparentInside checkbox.
If the image is off center, the spiral will look askew at this point. To change the center point of the image and align it with the center of the spiral, adjust the centerShift [0] and [1] sliders – each of these operates in a different dimension. Adjust the center of the image until the spiral looks correct.
To adjust the placement of the final image, use the Center [0] and [1] sliders.

If you do not have an image spiral that completely fills the image area you will see some black background color outside the spiral. You can control the color used for this background by setting the BackgroundRGBA values. The [0] setting controls the Red value, [1] controls Green, [2] controls Blue and [3] controls the opacity of the background. The default is that all sliders are set to 0 and the Opacity slider to 1 which gives the black color. You can view the current background by setting Levels to 2 and the LevelsStart value to 1. Then create your own background color and, when you’re done, increase the Levels value to back up again to around 7.

To make the spiral tighter or looser, adjust the RadiusInside value. Set it to a very small value to get a small number of loops and to something like 50 to get one with lots of loops. The default setting is 25.

Decreasing the OutsideRadius twists the spiral more tightly. The default value of 100 makes the spiral looser.
Periodicity is the number of times the image repeats in each loop of the spiral. If you set this to 2 the image will be repeated twice per spiral – the Default value is 1.

The Strands value sets the number of loops in the spiral. If you set this to 2 you will have two interlocking spirals and if you set it to three you’ll get three strands/spirals and so on.

Other interesting effects include using the RotatePolar value. By setting it to, 90 as shown here you will get different spiral loops on the screen. Having done this, you can then select RotateSpin to adjust the effect.

If you enable HyperDroste then adjust the FractalPoints value, you will create an image that is reminiscent of a fractal style image.

If desired adjust the Zoom value to zoom into the design.
Use RotateSpin and RotatePolar with FractalPoints and HyperDroste to fine tune the effect.
When you have a design you like, click Ok button to apply the Droste effect to your image.
Once you know how the controls in the Droste filter work you’re ready to apply it to a more complex image.
To get best results, start with a square image with something of interest in the center and make sure to set the image dimensions in the filter before working with the other sliders.

Helen Bradley is a Lifestyle journalist who divides her time between the real and digital worlds, picking the best from both. You can view her site at helenbradley.com. She writes and produces video instruction for Photoshop and digital photography for magazines and online providers world wide. She has also written four books on photo crafts and blogs at Projectwoman.com.
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GoPro HD Helmet HERO

If you enjoy HD quality recordings of your accomplishments, the GoPro HD Helmet HERO will make your video gnar bone tingle. Mount this cam about anywhere imaginable then send it from the highest peaks to the raddest surf around. The HD Helmet Cam records up to 2.5 hours of action on a single charge while the expandable memory of up to 32GB SD (not included) will store up to 4h 21m of 1080p quality video. GoPro videographers know that you like to play rough so they built a waterproof and shockproof housing that will protect your investment. Even if you manage to scratch up your lens or housing bad enough to impede video quality you can buy replacements at reasonable prices. If you want to create a montage of photos from your journey just set the camera to a desired time interval, hit the shutter button, and capture up to 2.5 hours of 5MP photographs on your way.

Product Features

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Smith Victor FL250 One Light Fluorescent Kit (55 Total Watts), with 10" Flood Light with Stand, Fluorescent Bulb - 120V AC

The Smith Victor line of DigiLight Continuous Lights utilize high output 55-watt spiral fluorescent lamps. Each lamp is the equivalent of 250 watts of tungsten light. The FL-55 flicker-free fluorescent lamp provides true "daylight" color temeratures (5000 degree Kelvin). Ideal for digital or film, the FL-55 fluorescent produces virtually no heat and has a 10,000 hour lamp life

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Photoshop CS5: Oil Painting with pixel Bender

One of the cool new tools of Adobe Labs is Pixel Bender. This free extension lets you one of a series of filters that with the extension to your images in Photoshop CS5 will apply. But that's not all-Adobe also offers a simple interface for Pixel Bender, which allows you to create your own filters. As a result, build a community around Pixel Bender filters with custom made users to share with others. In this post I'll show you how to get started with Pixel Bender.

You will find the pixel Bender extension here: http://labs.adobe.com/downloads/pixelbenderplugin.html.Make sure that the version that corresponds to your operating system and version of Photoshop CS5 (32 or 64-bit). enlargement is a. mxp file, and you need to install Adobe Extension Manager.

You can install the extension by double-clicking the file with Adobe Extension Manager.If you are running Windows Vista or Windows 7, you must use the Adobe Extension Manager run as administrator.So, from the start menu, locate the entry Adobe Extension Manager, click the right mouse button and select run as administrator. the reason for this is that the extension be placed in a folder available only if you must have administrative privileges. If you try to manually start the program, choose file > Install Extension, and then locate and select the extension that you just downloaded.
Accept the license terms, and the extension will automatically be installed in the correct Photoshop CS5-program folder.
When you are finished, close the extension manager, Photoshop close and open it.

Pixel Bender will not work on images larger than 4096 x 4096 so your image resizing, if necessary. If you want, you can add an image to a smart object converted before you apply a filter.
With pixel Bender-open an image and select filter > Pixel Bender > Pixel Bender Gallery.Here you will see a list of filters in the drop-down list box that are looking at CircleSplash. Select the filter oil paint and then adjust the settings.Styling, you can change the length and angle of the brush strokes – the larger values best look.Clean the softness of the effect is adapted and usually looks good on about 7 or 8. Colorization more or less, you can apply color to the image.BrushScale changes the size and the length of the dark brush strokes-a small value indicates dun lang lighter brush strokes and a larger value shorter thick dark brush strokes. BrushContrast will the contrast of the brush strokes and probably better can be left on a value of 1.
In short, adjust the sliders until you get a result that you want.If you are not sure how a slider affects the image drag it all the way to the left or right to see the effect. from there.
When you are finished, click OK to apply the result to the image. Unlike most filters those images to look like an oil painting painting to convert, this is a good in identifying edges in the image, so that the painting looks more realistic.

Helen Bradley is a lifestyle journalist who her time between the real and digital world, choosing the best of both. you can display for its Web site at helenbradley.com. She writes and produces video instruction for Photoshop and digital photography for magazines and online providers worldwide. She wrote four books on Photo crafts and blogs on projectwoman.com.

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This week in digital photography - photography school forum

We finished our bridges command this week, and I don't think any of us burned our bridges for a photo. But we had some really interesting look at the various bridges around the world. The winner was this week ttyler "Underneath". This shot had it all. An interesting composition, good colors and a good exposure of the different levels of light. And the reflections are spectacular. Overall, this was just a really nice shot. Our first runner-up was duna Black and White Bridge. Seriously, how can we not love this one. Look at the shapes, the dimensions and details ... it's an excellent bridge shot. And last but not least, OneRingShort "Midnight Bridge". This uses a really interesting technique. It was a 30 second exposure in which the Flash was fired 4 times during the shot to the light of the bridge and the surrounding area. It was a really excellent demonstration of a long exposure and controlled lighting.

 This week's assignment is street photography. Street photography can be a difficult question because we overcome a natural restraint on shooting images with strangers. But here's your chance to try and overcome, and is also an interesting picture. As always, before you begin, a quick reminder of the rules. In the first place the photo taken between 22 september-13 October 2010.  Secondly, your entry must contain the words "assignment: Street Photography" and the date on which the picture was taken. Finally, should your EXIF intact, and it is useful if you have a number of key issues, such as camera, lens, shutter speed, Aperture and ISO. Allocation of next week, the corner.Although we often hear to be close to our topics to isolate, but this week we want you to have wide. The composition can be more difficult, but use it to your advantage.
Using GPS: with digital cameras, one of the advantages is that you can store thousands of photos on your computer. But there is a day when you want to know where you took a photo may come. Sure, you might think that a day later, or a week, but what about a year or two? a kind of GPS device can come in handy. Are your thoughts on the integration of GPS in photography. Color Cast caused by ND disinfection unit is: If you have used ND filters, you may have found your photos sometimes a color cast. But how do you get rid of or how you deal with it? Come share your tips on how to neutral color photographs, even when you ND filters. Lost art?: It could be said that with film, photography, there was a real art that went along with the shots to take and develop, even in part, because of the cost and time associated with the art, but is that happened in the case of digital photography or is it just changed? Are your thoughts in the forums. Must Hand the Nikon: That Every once in a while we get a post about a person's gear still broken, but have you ever seen a story about a Flash is run over by a car and still works?Come read the whole story on the forums. What you would do:Our WWYD thread is back, so here's your chance to show you how to create a different forum member photo want to edit.Head on over to the forums to see what the image is, and then the results post in this thread.
Nicole is a DPS forum moderator and sharp photographer from New Zealand. see her blog and Flickr account.

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Nikon ProStaff 550 Laser Rangefinder (Green)

End the guessing! Powerful, far - sighted Nikon 550 - yd. Range Finders, PRICED RIGHT! Absolute precision in the palm of your hand! Touch a button and get the exact distance to your target. Fast. Eas Consistent. All thanks to Nikon, one of the world's top makers of optics. Range objects as small as fence posts, or get an instant read on that lone buck in the meadow. You will never over-shoot or under-shoot a target again! Get yours here for LESS! For both: Easy-to-use single-handed controls, compact palm-size design; 100% waterproof and fogproof construction; Measures distance accurately between from 11-550 yds.; m / yd. viewfinder display; 6X magnification multi-coated optics for clear viewing; 21 mm objective; F.O.V. @ 1,000 ft. is 315 ft.; 18 mm eye relief; 3.5 mm exit pupil; +/-4 diopter adjustment; Uses 1 CR2 lithium battery (included). Each measures 5 1/10 x 2 7/10 x 1 1/2"h. Weighs 6 1/3 ozs.; Know your distance! Order Today! The same Nikon quality and 550-yd. precision without the ID sensing capability. Affordable range-finding power is here! AVAILABLE SEPARATELY: Nikon Range Finder Carry Case, Camo; Nikon 550-yd. Rifle Hunter Range Finder, Brown - word search in our store for 'Nikon'. Nikon 550-yd. Prostaff Range Finder, Green
Price: $312.95

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Understanding the Canon Speedlite 580EX II/430EX II

New owners of Canon Speedlites are often bewildered about how to use the flash unit effectively to produce the type of shots they want. Although the supplied manual does provide some technical assistance, Speedlites have been, and remain a mystery for many owners. This DVD sets out to change all that. With a running time of just over an hour, your host, professional photographer Tim Mantoani, takes the mystery out of these flash units and shows you how to use them to their best advantage. Whether you own one or several of these speedlites, Tim walks you through real world situations that can be made better with repeatable techniques. He not only tells you HOW the flash operates, but WHY the engineers designed the flashes with their current set of features. You've spent a lot of time and resources getting great camera equipment and learning how to use you camera effectively. This DVD will take you to the next level by allowing you to add light where you want it. Photography is all about communication. With a little information and one of these great speedlites, you can evoke exactly the response you want. The new EX series of speedlites from Canon can be the most powerful accessory in your camera bag. Understanding how the controls work is important and this DVD takes you through their operation, step by step. Your host, professional photographer Tim Mantoani, demonstrates these flash units in a series of real world examples. He explains why and how to get an emotional response from your pictures by adding or subtracting light.
Price: $29.99

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Cosina Announces (f) and (k) adapters for Sony NEX

Cosina Voigtländer has announced branded adapters to connect to Nikon F and Pentax k-mount lenses with Sony NEX-5 and NEX-3 camera bodies. They offer only a mechanical connector between the lens and body, so only lenses with a manual aperture ring will be completely compatible. Priced at ¥ 19,800 (~ $ 235), the f-mount adapter is currently available, while the Pentax version shipping from October 10, 2010 will start.
By clicking to learn about the site Cosina (in Japanese) and a list of compatible lenses.
Click here for more information on the website (in Japanese)
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Redrock Micro releases microEVF to DSLRs

Redrock Micro Video accessory maker has announced the electronic viewfinder microEVF video-enabled DSLR 's. The device attaches to the hot shoe and is compatible with a camera with a HDMI output during recording. It features a 1.2 m dot LCD display with LED backlight promising low power consumption and the flexible eye-piece in different directions can be moved. The external viewfinder can also be used in conjunction with multiple external monitors. The microEVF will be priced at $ 595 and the release date, which is yet to be confirmed.

Press release:

Ultra Compact, high definition EFF sets default size, performance and price
Hollywood, CA september 2010: Redrock Micro, the recognized leader in affordable professional film accessories, announced today the new patented RedRock microEVF electronic viewfinder for HDSLR cameras.This is the first electronic viewfinder designed from the ground up specifically for HDSLRs, compact, lightweight design, better resolution and incredible affordability.
The popularity of HDSLRs like the Canon 5 D MKII animations for video and photography has skyrocketed in recent years, but the camera body is not ideal for video. the first generation of monitoring solutions available – attaching an optical viewfinder on the back of the camera LCD screen – severely placement of the viewfinder and camera body to reduce and prevent the use of additional displays for the assistants of the camera or the members of the Board of Directors. The new RedRock microEVF is an external electronic viewfinder, which is connected to the camera body and can be placed anywhere to maximize your comfort and stability and it may form part of a multi-monitor solution. The microEVF uses a customized state-of-the-art illuminated led mounted in an attractive, ergonomic body.

Main features of the microEVF are:
A full-color HD viewfinder designed specifically for the needs of the compact, lightweight HDSLR cameras. The microEVF weighs less than 6oz. ultra high resolution 1.2 m dot display that is higher than the Canon EOS camera behind LCDLED backlight maintains clear sharp picture with minimal power consumptionElectronic help features that will be announced closer to the production releaseInfinitely configurable options to the microEVF exactly where desiredLow energy consumption of a full day around the clock display with a built-in battery lasts mounting
"We feel it's time for a better approach of HDSLR camera surveillance," said James Hurd, Chief revolutionary for Redrock Micro."The microEVF meets this need with an elegant and compact solution that is not only affordable, but also a high standard for features and performance."
The microEVF compliments also-of-the-art camera teams by working with external monitor, such as a monitor for the assistant cameraman, and for a driver or video village. The microEVF is compatible with any video camera that HDSLR or the HDMI output during recording. HDSLR cameras known to be compatible, the Canon 5 D MKII, Canon 7 D Canon 60 D, Canon T2i, 1 Canon 1 d MKIV, Nikon D3s, Nikon D300s, D3100 and D7000.

PRICING AND AVAILABILITY OFmicroEVF's amazing priced at $ 595. availability is not yet announced. for more information, visit www.redrockmicro.com/evf

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ACDSee Pro enters beta for v4 for PC and Mac v1. 4

ACD Systems has announced beta versions of the ACDSee Pro image workflow software for both Mac and PC. The forthcoming beta version 4 for PC features view metadata and management of tools to speed up the workflow, as well as improved support for geotagging and improved raw conversion. In the meantime, a beta version 1. 4 for Mac now available.
PC users click here to signup to beta test ACDSee Pro 4
Mac users click here to download the beta test ACDSee Pro 1.4

Press release:
Fall 2010 public beta testing begins on the next generation of ACDSee Pro software and also provides improved processing and display capabilities
VICTORIA, British Columbia – after successful redesign of the ACDSee professional photography workflow software last year, ACD Systems International Inc. is aimed at extending the application of the fast and flexible capabilities even further with the launch of the beta test version of ACDSee ™ Pro 4 this fall. the company expects that thousands of professional photographers to participate in the period of ACDSee Pro 4 beta and feedback in the development process, similar to the 10,000 testers who helped shape the current version.
"The highest themes that we constantly from our users hear during the beta testing running to save time and customize workflow so that which, in turn, top priorities for Pro 4 will be," said Cam Carmichael, product manager for ACD Systems. "Beta testing is the best way to gather feedback in order to ensure that our promise of a fast and flexible workflow tool at a tremendous value to remain. "
ACDSee Pro 4 beta testing, will open this fall, photographers are invited for the evaluation of these new features:
Workflow-acceleratedAdditional metadata
Metadata Working Group compliance.New, workflow acceleration tools for viewing and managing metadata. greater interoperability of metadata.

Map view with Geotagging
New map view is available in the management and view mode. Map view gives users the ability to easily geotag items, view items on the map, use the map to groups of files for further steps of the workflow, select it and use the map to the images displayed in the view mode.
Better raw processing
Improved performance and quality of the raw processing
Improved processing of all image files
Larger color space for the best possible colour retention. improved performance and usability improvements.Vignette correction. chromatic aberration correction and defringing.
Availability
ACDSee Pro 4 beta testing will launch in Fall 2010.
Press release:
The latest beta of ACDSee Pro for Mac, which has been tested by 10,000 photographers, introduces the non-destructive editing, and an improved graphical user interface (GUI)
VICTORIA, British Columbia – beta testing of ACD Systems International ACDSee Pro Photo Manager ™ for the Mac is heading into its final stages and introduces professional photographers to one of the most powerful features of the software: non-destructive editing.
1.4 Beta downloads of ACDSee Pro for Mac, which is a workflow system faster all-in-one photography photographers, are now available., so far, more than 10,000 Mac users have participated in the beta program and feedback in 153 forum topics have offered to developers of the ACD Systems. the final version is scheduled for release in early 2011.
"This latest beta phase is an opportunity for photographers to test the features which will ACDSee Pro for Mac is a powerful workflow tools, in particular the non-destructive editing capabilities," said Tarjin Rahman, product manager for ACD Systems. "Testers will edit images without the need for new files, which is a huge time saver. "
Other notable additions to the 1.4 beta include:
An improved graphical user interface for the process of links can easily copy and paste of the institutions of the processing of one image to another. Metadata is compatible with the MWG (Metadata Working Group) and supports IPTC Core, extended and IIM. support for XMP sidecar car filesA custom metadata window for the presentation of a specific set of data that are most important to the user.
Between the beta 1.trial period and the final release date early 2011, Simon Tipler, project manager for the ACD Systems, said the developers of the company will be implementation of feedback on user roles and accomplishments in the workflow process streamlining with a view to adapting it, and quality control.
"We know that photographers who use the Mac systems are eagerly anticipating Pro for Mac because they are an integral part of its development," said Rahman. "They will be happy when they see the final product. "
Pricing and availability of
ACDSee Pro for Mac is in beta-testing. the full version of the product is expected to be in early 2011. at that time, ACDSee Pro for Mac will be available for purchase at $ 169.99 (USD) and a 30-day free trial by visiting www.acdsee.com.

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Foolography bluetooth GPS connectors for Nikon D90 and Dx000 unleashed

German-based Foolography has released version of its geotagging Bluetooth modules for the D3100 of the Nikon d5000, D7000 and D90. The company's Unleashed modules slot in the GPS/cable free from Nikon DSLR's and collect and embed location date of external Bluetooth GPS receivers. The module fits the D3100 Dx000 Unleashed, the d5000 and D7000, while the D90 Unleashed only for that specific model. They join the existing module of the company for the D200 and up, and are now available on the retail selling price of € 149.

Click here for more information about Unleashed Dx000Click here for more information about Unleashed D90
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