Scott's Photo Blog

Show Notes for Digital Photography Life #7: What to Do with Your New Digital Camera

So, you got a digital camera for the holidays? Now what?

On today's show Michael and I tell you everything you need to know about your new digital camera. Is it the right camera for you? If not, what should you do? How do you to learn to use it? What accessories do you need right now, and what can you hold off on? What are the least expensive software options to get you started and where should you go from there?

Michael and I answer these questions - and more! - in this Very Special Episode of Digital Photography Life.

Here are links to some of the products we discussed in the show:

Free or Inexpensive Software

• Photoshop Elements
• Paint Shop Photo X2
• GIMP
• Picassa
• Photoshop Express
• Paint.net

Great Books with which to Get Started

• Scott Kelby's The Digital Photography Book
• Rick Sammon's Complete Guide to Digital Photography 2.0

Camera Bags

I thought ThinkTank Photo Would have a bag in the $30 range, but they start at $50

• This would be sufficient for just the camera: Digital Holster 10 - $45 through Adorama
• This gives you a little more room for accessories: Urban Disguise 10 - $69

The closest I could come to a reputable-looking $30 bag is this $39 one from Lowepro, a well-known and respected brand.

Memory Cards

• Lexar
• Sandisc
• Kingston

Memory Card Reader

Remember - you want one that can read multiple formats. I have this one from Sandisc, works great and reads just about everything but the phone book

Now, onto a personal note. At the end of the show, I spoke about Springs of Hope, the charity championed by Scott Kelby. I wrote about my feelings on Scott's site - here's the comment I left there: 

I’m so glad you posted about this again! I meant to contribute earlier, but forgot. Forgetting children in need! Such is the sometimes appalling busyness of our lives.

As an adoptive parent of two children from distressed backgrounds, I know what a difference you can make in the life of a disadvantaged child. I’ve seen first hand the plight of children in overseas orphanages as well as that of children in foster care right here in the richest country in the world.

My oldest son, Sasha, was born with a disability and languished in a third-world orphanage. When I adopted him at 16 months, he was the size of an American 9 month old, unable to walk or even stand. He didn’t babble, or smile, and he was so depressed that, when I brought him home, an American pediatrician diagnosed him as autistic.

Well, today he is a healthy and loving 8 year old, on grade level in all his academics. While he is still physically challenged, he is a happy and optimistic boy who brings joy to everyone he meets. When I tell people he was once labeled “autistic,” they suggest I sue the doctor.

My four-year old was the victim of neglect of abuse right here in the good old USA. He was such a terror that his first foster family turned him out. I have to admit, for the first month, I too was writing his social worker to say that I wasn’t sure it was going to work out - he was that troubled. It was like living with a hurricane in the house, only more destructive and not covered by my homeowner’s insurance.

But if you met him today you’d never imagine he was ever anything other than sweet, bright and loving. He’s the light of my life, and he shines on everyone he comes across.

If I had the money, I swear, I’d be like Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, adopting every kid I could and healing the world one child at a time. Lacking those resources, I just wrote out a check to Springs of Hope, in the hope of helping those I could.

I know these are hard times economically, but in the words of Anne Frank, no one ever became poor by giving. I applaud all your readers who have given so much to Springs of Hope so far, and I encourage those who haven’t gotten around to it yet- like me! - to take a moment to write a check now while these children are on their minds and in their hearts.

I’m going to talk about this on the next Digital Photography Life; let’s hope everyone helps spread the word.

Bless you this holiday season for reminding us that the greatest joy comes in giving, not getting. And the most profound satisfaction can be found in giving to those who may never know your name or see your face, but whose bellies are full and whose homes are protected because of your loving kindness.

Sasha in the orphanage                  Sasha today

If you listened to the show, you know I kept my promise and mentioned Springs of Hope on Digital Photography Life. And, looking at the pictures above, you can see how I know just how far a child can come when he or she is given the chance to thrive.

Now, the ball is in your court. If you want to share some love this post-Holiday Season, please check out Scott K's information about Springs of Hope, and click here to contribute (you can do it RIGHT NOW through Paypal.

If you want to enter our photo contest, the information is in the previous show's notes. You  can see the entries here. 

Thanks to everyone for listening!

Scott

Show Notes for Digital Photography Life #6: Focus on the Lensbaby

Craig Strong comes on to tell us all about the Lensbaby, one of the most-affordable tools out there for taking your photography to the next level. 

Lenbabies are selective focus tools that can make your photos look as straightforward or surrealistic as you want. By putting the focus where you want it, Lensbabies let you direct your viewer's eyes to the most important part of your picture. 

Their latest little wonder is the Composer (this Amazon link will save you $9 - at least it did when I wrote this).  It's my favorite Lensbaby so far; it's certainly the easiest to use for repeatable results. But you might also want to look at their entry-level Muse, which can be faster - and more fun - to play with. It's the best $99 you'll spend if you want to explore more creative uses for your DSLR.

You can check out my totally-amateur-having-fun-with-it-first-Composer-shots here. 

Popular Photography just raved about the Lensbaby line:

The new Lensbabies aren't ever going to replace your supersharp autofocus prime or zoom lenses for day-to-day shooting (for most photographers, at least). But they offer a whole lot of fun, with more control than ever -- which means maybe even more people will catch the bending bug.

If you want to enter our drawing for a free Lensbaby Composer, complete this descriptive phrase from the products homepage "Smooth and __________." (You can find the answer here.

Here are the rules for our first Digital Photography Life  contest:

Title: The Joy of Photography

Theme: A subject demonstrating the theme of the joy of photography.

Technique: It's up to you.

1. Make a photo. The photo must be one that you created. Please include the original exif info within the image.

2. You may enter up to three photographs. If more than three photographs are entered, only the first three received shall be entered.

3. Images must be JPG, PNG, or GIF images, less than 24MB.

4. Email a jpg image to dplife@email.smugmug.com

5. Attach only one photo per email. Please send one email per entry.

6. In the Subject, enter: dplife (Must be all lower case)

7. In the Body, enter: Your name AND email address AND your caption.

8. Make SURE you send the email in PLAIN TEXT (not HTML or Rich Text or it won't be accepted)

9. We need to approve each photo that you upload, so please have patience for your photo to show up in this gallery.

10. Only one image per entrant can be eligible as a finalist.

11. Photos shal be accepted through Friday, 23 January, 2009.

12. Enjoy Being Creative!

You can see your photos - as well as ours - on our SmugMug site for the show: DPLife.SmugMug.com .

If you want to read about the tiny-but-unwanted black spots in some photos taken with Canon's new 5D Mark II, this story gives you the skinny.

That's it for this week. Please let us know what you think of the show, and we wish everyone a happy holiday! 

Scott 

Free Camera Strap? Hard to Believe.

I know it's hard to believe, but SmugMug really is giving away a free DSLR camera strap to all listeners of Digital Photography Life who ask for one. They're even paying for the shipping! Really! All you have to do is ask. It's insane. 

The strap is padded, it's comfortable, and it's a million times better than the instrument of decapitation that came with your DSLR. You even get the patented SmugMug smiley face on it, which will be sure to put a grin on your subject. 

So, if you have DSLR or a high-end point and shoot that takes a standard strap, and want to stop feeling as if your camera is conspiring to cut off the circulation at your neck, please do yourself a favor and fill out this form. Really. What could you be waiting for? I have no reason to think this offer will last forever, so don't delay. 

Why, you may ask, is SmugMug doing this? The free camera strap is normally only available to SmugMug members or members of a handful of photography forums. 

From talking to the people at SmugMug, I think its because they truly love the listeners of Digital Photography Life. They recognize what Scott Kelby has always said - that our listeners are really the kindest, coolest, most enthusiastic and motivated shooters out there. It's a community they consider themselves part of. They're glad to contribute, and we're glad to have them.

That's also why they're offering our listeners an astounding 50% off SmugMug service at any level (enter code "Flickr" at checkout). This is a fantastic discount that is not easily found from any company. I truly do believe they're offering it to you because you're the kind of person they want on SmugMug. You can sign up for a free trial here. See if you don't love it like Michael and I do. 

Speaking of which, have you seen our new Digital Photography Life SmugMug site? It's real new, but it's coming along nicely.

So, order you camera strap today. It's the best nothing you'll ever spend. 

PS: This is NOT me in the photo. I can't afford that lens! 

More Great HiDef Video from the Canon 5D Mark II

I've been skeptical about the utility of the HD video produced by the 5D Mark II and other high-end DLSRs. Sure, we all saw Vincent LaForet's incredible video Reverie, but he's a top-notch professional with oodles of equipment, lighting and resources (including a helicopter, which so few of us use on our shoots).

But over on SmugMug's blog, Don MacAskill, the company's founder, writes about his somewhat less privileged father's experience shooting HD video with the 5D Mark II. His dad wrote that he, too, was skeptical about the results he'd get:

“I had seen Vincent Laforet’s amazing short film, but only in 720p. I knew what an amazing photographer he is and wondered how close an everyman like me could come to footage like that. Could the clips possibly hold up to viewing in 1080p?”

“So with only an hour’s practice shooting my dog licking peanut butter and the neighbor’s kids running in their yard, I left for the city to compare myself to a Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer with his helicopter, pricey stabilizer, models, set lighting, and post-production experts. I had a few hours and a tripod. What we had in common was the 5D.”

How did he do? According to the elder MacAskill

“I had just one secret weapon, same as Vincent: a Canon 200mm f/2.0 lens, not exactly an everyman item. It made a difference and I used it for maybe half the shots (snip). I also used an 85mm f/1.2 for scenes like the cable car, and toys in shop windows.”

“Dog and kid shots look amazing too, but I have to be honest: I missed many shots of fast-moving kids that I would have gotten with my video camera. Maybe I just need figure out how to juggle zooming, focus, and having the controls scattered across the back of the camera, but it felt like I needed three hands and the skillz of a Cirque du Soleil juggler.”

So, what's the verdict? Like I predicted, the Mark II isn't going to be as easy to use or as complete a solution as a less-expensive dedicated video camera. Still, the video looks amazing, and as Don's dad and other Mark II users get more experience - and maybe a third hand - the results will only get better. (Plus, I bet we see some kind of third-party solution for holding the camera while taking video - something like a Steadicam.)

And considering that there isn't a price premium for the video capability - the 5D Mark II's cost is actually lower than its two closest competitors from Nikon and Sony, enthusiastic amateurs and pros are going to have a ball trying to get the best possible video from what promises to be an outstanding DSLR.

Show Notes for Digital Photography Life #4: How to Get the Best Shots and the Best Deals

Whether you're looking to improve your photography or get the best possible deal on photo equipments, this episode of  Digital Photography Life is for you.

As always, you can subscribe through iTunes, download directly at the show's homepage or through RSS.

What are the three basic elements of a successful photograph? That's the question Michael and I answer on today's show, based on principles taught by the New York Institute of Photography.

It's back to photo basics as we discuss how to emphasize your subject through composition, relative size, selective lighting and focus, and other photographic techniques.

You might want to use some of those methods if you're going to enter Digital Photography Life's  first photo contest. The theme of the contest is "The Joy of Photography." We're looking for shots that best capture this concept, and on the show, we discuss some examples of what they might look like. Feel free to use our ideas, but be creative, too.

We've always gotten great responses to our photo contests on our previous podcast, and we're sure you'll shoot to impress, too. Check out these photo albums to see some of our past entries - we're sure you'll be humbled and inspired by their considerable awesomeness.

The Grand Prize Winner of our Joy of Photography contest will receive a terrific camera bag from ThinkTankPhoto: You get to pick which one fits your needs. Either:

• An Urban Disguise 40, which will hold more gear than you ever imagined, such as a wide angle lens with a hood attached, a 24-70 2.8 with the hood, a 70 -200 2.8 with the hood reversed, AND two pro-size SLR’s in the expandable front pockets (without the lenses attached). The beauty of the Urban Disguise line is that you won't look like you're carrying equipment, making yourself a lot less interesting to unsavory urbanites like me,  OR
• An Airport International V2.0:  Designed for International carry-on, this roller provides advanced security features and peace of mind. Front security cable & combination lock allows you to lock a laptop to the front of your roller. Th is very effective when you are traveling with a laptop case stored in the front stretch pocket The included security lock allows you to lock it to immovable objects, and is very effective when you have to leave your gear for a period of time in a media room, wedding hall, hotel room, or other open area. It holds two pro-size DSLR's, as well as a bunch of other lenses and accessories. If all your equipment won't fit in this bag, you're doing a lot better than me and Michael.

Next week we'll tell you how to send in your contest entries and the deadline for submission. (It will be sometime in mid-January). You'll be limited to three entries, so start planning now. Placing as a finalist or actually winning a photo contest is a great accomplishment, and we'd love you to do it with us.

Today's interview is with Ron Risman, founder of the wonderful resource Cameratown.com.  Cameratown is the best place on the web to find the latest photo news, reviews and deals. It's an invaluable resource, and you'll only have yourself to blame if you spend too much money because you didn't subscribe to Cameratown's terrific newsletter, which brings the biggest photo stories and the best sales to your inbox twice a week.

Ron is a former camera retailer, and he tells you the secrets of how physical and online stores try to make the most money off you. He'll also share how you can turn the game around and score the best and fairest prices for your photo needs.

Does an online price sound a little too good to be true?  Ron explains how you can avoid the scammers and determine the trustworthiness of a retailer with which you might not be familiar.

Check out Cameratown today, not just for the great information it offers, but to sign up for the newsletter and to enter their terrific fifth anniversary contest with a sweet grand prize: A Pentax K20D Digital SLR Outfit with DA 18-55mm F/3.5-5.6 AL II Lens and Slingbag. I've entered fifty times already under different aliases - just kidding!

On Digital Photography Life, Ron gives away an M-Rock Grand Canyon. This $80 value is described by the good people of M-Rock as follows: "slim and handsome Grand Canyon SLR camera bag comes with many adjustable dividers and a padded U shaped lens cradle to offer the photographer two distinctive ways to carry their photo gear." http://www.m-rock.com/grand-29-50.htm.

Send the correct answer to the question we ask in the show to us at dplcontests@gmail.com. Our Queen of All Contests, the lovely and talented Laurel Housden, will pick a correct answer at random on January 1, 2009.

As I said earlier, Michael and I based some of our shooting advice today on the excellent instruction we've received from The New York Institute of Photography. NYIP is an amazing resource. In their words:

Whether you want to become a professional photographer or simply enhance your basic skills, New York Institute of Photography, the world’s largest photography school can help you. Instruction by respected real-life photographers combined with our online magazine and featured tips provide an unparalleled level of support to guide you through the amazing landscape of traditional or digital photography.

If you're ready to make a serious commitment to improving your skills, visit NYIP and be tempted by their excellent courses.

We  appreciate the support of Digital Photography Life's inaugural sponsor, SmugMug. SmugMug is our favorite site for sharing and - should you chose to accept this assignment - selling your photos. SmugMug has two fantastic offers just for our listeners:

• 50% off your SmugMug service at any level (enter code "Flickr" at checkout). This is a fantastic discount and you should take advantage of it in time to share your holiday photos!
• A free camera strap to any listener of Digital Photography Life: This one is just crazy. A high-quality camera strap that replaces the neck-slicing piece of canvas that your camera's manufacturer condescended to include with your DSLR. Get your freebie here.

Thanks as always for listening. Let us know what you thought of today's show!

Scott