I packed the new Olympus 45mm f/1.8 prime lens for a high school basketball game to see if could keep up with the action. The glass was mounted on an Olympus PEN Miniusing the VF-2 Electronic Viewfinderinstead of the LCD to compose the shots.

Jump shot captured the the Olympus PEN Mini and 45mm f/1.8 prime lens. Photo by Derrick Story.

At first, you might think this is an odd rig for action photography. I can tell you, it's actually quite impressive. The focusing is blazing fast with this camera/lens combination -- and by any standard, not just within the world of compact system cameras. Plus, I had 5 fps for burst mode. And to be honest, it felt faster than that.

I set the ISO to 1600 and shot wide open or at f/2 for the entire game, and the resulting images were crisp and clean. You can see a gallery of 10 shots here to give you a better feel for this lens in action.

I had read user reviews of this lens, and everyone said that "you would not regret this purchase." Very seldom that you see such wide agreement about optics. But I'm adding my voice to the chorus. The $399 Olympus 45mm f/1.8 prime is now my favorite Micro Four Thirds lens. Fast, sharp, and affordable.

Find great deals at the TDS Photography Store on Amazon.

DP Review reports that Instagram and Snapseed are the Apps of the year for the iPhone and iPad respectively. The apps are part of Apple's Rewind 2011 selections.

Obviously, both are excellent choices. For more on Snapseed, here's a review I wrote back in June. The photography tools available on the iPad are quite amazing these days... and affordable.

More Articles About the iPhone 4S

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The Digital Story on Facebook -- discussion, outstanding images from the TDS community, and inside information. Join our celebration of great photography!

I was working on a project last night at the Golden Gate Bridge north of San Francisco, when I noticed these two photographers in the distance. I always keep a second camera on-hand for unexpected shots. Fortunately, I captured these two before they changed position.

I have two goals on every photo shoot: 1) Make sure I capture what is expected for the assignment, and 2) Be ready for the unexpected.

Only when I have good images in both categories do I consider it a good shoot.

The Digital Story on Facebook -- discussion, outstanding images from the TDS community, and inside information. Join our celebration of great photography!

It's not often that you get to sit down with a Sports Illustrated photographer and learn about life in the end zone. But on Monday, Dec. 12, from 11 am to 12 pm PST (2 to 3 pm EST), you can have a seat at the table with Robert Beck sharing his secrets to sports photography. And it's free.

Robert Beck hanging out at a football game. Photo by Derrick Story. Click on image for larger version.

I had a chance to hangout with Robert on the sidelines a while back. He's incredibly down to earth for a guy who's published numerous cover shots and double gates. Now you'll have a chance to hear those same stories and insights that I enjoyed so much.

To reserve your spot, sign up now, then log on Monday Dec. 12. It will be time well spent.

The Digital Story on Facebook -- discussion, outstanding images from the TDS community, and inside information. Join our celebration of great photography!

Things are sometimes better in threes. Three flashes on one lightstand; three exposures on one frame. Yes, this week I'm talking about multiples. I cover the Adorama Triple Shoe Adapter that costs less than $20, but allows you to put three flashguns on one lightstand. By doing so, you can increase your output while cutting down on the amount of time the flash takes to recycle.

I also cover working with in-camera multiple exposures. My sample shoot is with the Pentax K-5 DSLR. But this technique works with any camera that can accommodate multiple exposures. I like the K-5 because it allows for up to nine images on one frame. For my example, I photographed the lovely Alyssa in three different poses. You can see the image and read more details about the shoot in the post, Multiple Exposure Model Shoot with the Pentax K-5. I guess you could say that this week's show is triple the fun.

Listen to the Podcast

You can also download the podcast here (28 minutes). Or better yet, subscribe to the podcast in iTunes. You can support this podcast by purchasing the TDS iPhone App for only $2.99 from the Apple App Store.

Monthly Photo Assignment

Family is the Dec. 2011 Photo Assignment. You can read more about how to submit on our Member Participation page. Deadline for entry is Dec. 31, 2011.

More Ways to Participate

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our Flickr Public Group. And from those images, I choose the TDS Member Photo of the Day.

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Need a New Photo Bag? Check out the Lowepro Specialty Store on The Digital Story and use discount code LP20 to saven 20% at check out.

One of my favorite features on the Pentax K-5is the multiple exposure setting that allows me to integrate up to 9 images on one frame. So I set up the K-5 in the studio and went to work with one of my best models.

We set up the shoot so Alyssa would strike three poses. The camera was firmly mounted on a tripod in one position for all three shots. I positioned her on the far left for the first exposure and tripped the shutter. We then set up the second pose in the middle of the frame, and the third on the far right. I was working at a slight angle so I could create perspective.

After the third exposure, the K-5 combined the poses into one Raw file. I then uploaded the image to Aperture for tonal adjustment and finishing work with the Nik Silver Efex Pro 2plug-in.

You could combine these poses in Photoshop instead of working in-camera. But what I like about this approach is that the lighting and background are spot-on consistent throughout the composition. That's not always easy in post production.

The multiple exposure technique can be used indoors and out, with people or objects. I had been thinking about making this image for a few weeks, and we had a blast working on it yesterday.

Author's note: In the podcast, Multiples, I also talk about the Adorama Triple Shoe Adapter and how I set up the lighting for this shoot.

The Digital Story on Facebook -- discussion, outstanding images from the TDS community, and inside information. Join our celebration of great photography!

Now that we're smack dab in the middle of the holiday season, many of us want to finish off our gift list. Here are 8 unusual stocking stuffers for photographers, including "mode dial" cufflinks.

And don't forget the official TDS Photographer's gift guide. Between the two lists, you have more than 20 great items to consider for the photographer in your life... and for under $100. And we all know what a trick that can be.

Find great deals at the TDS Photography Store on Amazon.

For the Oct. '11 Photo Assignment, TDS shooters worked the angles while exploring the theme Side Lighting. The imagery in this gallery is quite beautiful. And which one will be the SizzlPix Pick of the Month? (These will look great Sizzled!)

Photo by Robert Barone. For more information about this image, plus all of the other terrific shots from Oct., visit the Side Lighting gallery page.

Participate in This Month's Assignment

The Dec. 2011 assignment is "Family." Start working on your contribution now. Details can be found on the Member Participation page. Deadline is Dec. 31, 2011.

Please follow the instructions carefully for labeling the subject line of the email for your submission. It's easy to lose these in the pile of mail if not labeled correctly. For example, the subject line for this month's assignment should be: "Photo Assignment: Dec. 2011." Also, if you can, please don't strip out the metadata. And feel free to add any IPTC data you wish (These fields in particular: Caption, Credit, Copyright, Byline), I use that for the caption info.

Good luck with your Dec. assignment, and congratulations to all of the fine contributors for October.

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Now Available! The Digital Photography Companion. The official guide for The Digital Story Virtual Camera Club.

• 25 handy and informative tables for quick reference.
• Metadata listings for every photo in the book
• Dedicated chapter on making printing easy.
• Photo management software guide.
• Many, many inside tips gleaned from years of experience.
• Comprehensive (214 pages), yet fits easily in camera bag.

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Your Apple ear buds with remote can also serve as a cable release for the iPhone. I've just tested this with my iPhone 4S, and it works great.

Your Apple ear buds can also be used as a cable release for the iPhone. Photo by Derrick Story. Click on image for larger version.

Plug your ear buds into the iPhone, launch the camera app, steady the shot using your favorite stand or tripod, then squeeze the remote button on the ear buds. Your iPhone will take shot, steady as a rock. And the best part is, the cable release comes included in the box.

This tip is great for long exposures, HDR, etc. Give it a try!

Thanks so much to TDS Member, William St. John, for alerting me to this ultra cool tip.

More Articles About the iPhone 4S

Maximum HDR with iPhone 4S Camera

Gymbl Tripod for iPhone 4S - Hands on Review

Time Lapse Boogie with iPhone 4S

Glif Tripod Mount and Stand for iPhone 4

"iPhone 4S Camera, Ready for Prime Time?" - Digital Photography Podcast 296

iPhone 4S Camera Pros and Cons

iPhone 4S Camera Exceeds My Expectations

The Digital Story on Facebook -- discussion, outstanding images from the TDS community, and inside information. Join our celebration of great photography!

In these early days of iCloud, the Photo Stream component is far from perfect. But the concept is good. So it's really a matter of fine tuning on Apple's part.

But I think Photo Stream can still be used in the meantime. In my Macworld Magazine article, Control Photo Stream with iPhoto and Aperture, I explain a workflow that uses iPhoto as a holding tank for your Photo Stream, then tapping the images you want via the iPhoto Photo Browser function in Aperture.

Using this method, you get the backup benefits of Photo Stream, but you don't have a bunch of crud flowing into your photo management environment. Take a look at the article and see what you think.