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Have you been waiting for great prices on a new mirrorless camera? Olympus has just announced their Summer Sale, and you can save between $100 and $200 on a great body.

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Here's how it shakes out...

The Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II drops from $1,099 to $899 for a limited time during the sale.

The Olympus OM-D E-M1 also drops $200 to $899. This is a great camera, but my word of caution is that I think it's soon to be replaced by the Mark II. So if you want the latest and greatest, you may want to wait and see what happens with this model.

And finally, the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II drops $100 to $549.

These are all body-only prices, but it looks like there are really good lens bundle options that reflect the same degree of savings. So if you need an optic too, I'd look into those.

In terms of what cameras are going to get refreshed next, my guess is that we'll see a new E-M1 Mark II before the end of the year. After that, a possible E-M5 Mark III in 2017, but that's no sure thing because the Mark II is so good. And I don't think we'll see an immediate refresh on the E-M10 either, at least not in 2016.

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I have my share of old family prints that I'd like to digitize. So I decided to give Unfade for iOS ($4.99) a test with my iPhone 6S. It's easy to use and does a reasonable job of helping us move prints from the shoebox to our favorite social network site.

For the first image, I captured the shot using the built-in camera app for the iPhone. The second image was recorded with Unfade. No additional retouching was applied to either shot. This is how they came out of the camera.

Straight Capture with iPhone 6S

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Unfade Capture Using iPhone 6S

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By the way, that's me in the lower right corner with the mustache.

Unfade did remove some of the magenta tint and improved the overall skin tones. Plus it automatically cropped the image for me. The app is easy to use and allows for sharing via the usual suspects, including your Camera Roll and social network sites.

Is it a good investment for $4.99? I'll leave that to you. But I'm glad I have it, and I will probably use it regularly for quick scans of old photos.

Do You Like Film?

Take a look at theAnalogstory - Film Photography in the Digital Age. We cover great 35mm cameras, personal stories from film photographers, quick tips, and even a camera shop. Stop by, won't you?

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You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

I've just finished testing Aurora HDR Pro 1.2.2 standalone app and Editing Extension for Photos for OS X, and this version includes some terrific enhancements plus additional RAW compatibility.

Red-Tractor-1024.jpg "Red Tractor" - Captured with an iPhone 6S and processed in Photos for OS X using its editing tools and Aurora HDR Pro Editing Extension. Image by Derrick Story.

One of my favorite improvements is the ability to sync Favorite presets between Aurora HDR Pro standalone and the Aurora HDR Pro Editing Extension. Very nice. The RAW compatibility for new cameras includes:

  • Canon 80D, 1300D, 1DX MkII
  • Leica M (Typ 262)
  • Nikon D5
  • Olympus Pen F, SH-3
  • Panasonic DMC-GX80/85, DMC-TZ80/81/85/ZS60, DMC-TZ100/101/ZS100
  • Samsung Galaxy S7 (SM-G935F)
  • Sony ILCA-68, ILCE-6300, RX1R II, RX10 III
  • DxO ONE Digital Camera
  • Fujifilm X-Pro2

hdr-pro-tractor.jpg To complement all of the powerful slider tools, there are dozens of presets to help you get your image on the right track.

Aurora HDR Pro is a wonderful Editing Extension for Photos for OS X. In addition to being a robust HDR processor, the software includes many advanced sliders such as Top & Bottom Lighting, Tone Curve, Layer Control, and Denoise. Plus, it features seven categories of presets, which is a great way to figure out the starting point for your editing.

You can get $10 Off Aurora HDR Pro plus receive $90 worth of bonuses here.

Master Photos for OS X

(It's More Powerful than You Think)

For hands-on tutorials, be sure to take a look at Photos for OS X Essential Training on lynda.com. I cover everything you need to know to get the most from this surprisingly powerful image management application.

More Help and Insights on Photos for OS X

Don't forget about the Photos for OS X Special Feature Section on The Digital Story. It's a roundup of tutorials, videos, and articles focused on helping you master Apple's latest photo management software. You can also find it under Photography in the top nav bar.

Want to Comment on this Post?

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #533, May 24, 2016. Today's theme is "7 Lenses for 7 Years." I'm Derrick Story.

Opening Monologue

In the Spring of 2009, I joined a handful of photographers in New York City to test a new type of camera: the Olympus PEN E-P1. It was the first mirrorless interchangeable lens body I'd ever seen, and I knew then that this camera was the beginning of something big. Now, seven years later, mirrorless photography has earned a rightful place among the most popular cameras of 2016. And to celebrate this success, I'm going to discuss seven of my favorite mirrorless lenses on today's show.

7 Lenses for 7 Years

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I knew I was going to like mirrorless cameras, but what has surprised me is how good the lenses are. Here are seven of my favorites.

  • Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO ($1,399) - With an effective focal length of 80-300mm and a maximum aperture of f/2.8, this is one of the best lenses I've ever used. It's fast, sharp, colorful, and far less weight than its DSLR counterparts.
  • Panasonic LUMIX G 20mm f/1.7 II ASPH ($297) - For a lot of photographers, this is the default optic they leave on their camera. And for good reason. This pancake prime takes up very little room, yet delivers big results... and with a maximum aperture of f/1.7. Wow.
  • Fujifilm XF 35mm f/2 R WR ($299) - I think this prime is a steal for Fujifilm owners. It's effective focal length is 53mm with a fast f/2.0 aperture. Plus it is weather resistant, has 9 aperture blades, an aperture ring, and nano lens coating. What's not to like?
  • Zeiss Touit 32mm f/1.8 Lens (Sony E-Mount) ($720) - With an effective focal length of 48mm, this incredibly sharp optic will help you see the true quality of your Sony sensor. And those Zeiss optical coatings are still the secret sauce of photography.
  • Olympus 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 EZ ($249) This is a true pancake zoom, and I have come to love it more each time I use it. I think the optical quality is very good, and combined with a fast prime, such as the Panasonic 20mm pancake, you have a lot of capability for a reasonable investment.
  • Fujinon XF 16mm F1.4 R WR ($699) - Here's an optic that provides 24mm of effective focal length at f/1.4 that's weather resistant and has 9 aperture blades and nano coating. This is a serious wide angle lens.
  • Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 25mm f/1.4 ASPH ($597) - One of the first premium lenses that I bought for my OM-D, and still one of my favorites. Aside from being the fastest optic I own at f/1.4, it's one of the sharpest with amazing contrast. Plus, I love what it can do with soft backgrounds. It's just a beautiful optic.

So, seven years ago it was the nimble camera bodies that hooked me. But the amazing catalog of lenses is what's kept me happy. And as we know, it's the optics that we end up treasuring for years.

In the News

How Drones Are Being Used to Help Stop Poaching as reported by fStoppers.

Tsavo, a region in Kenya, contains the world's largest elephant population, and thus, it is a prime target both for poachers and conservationists. Nonetheless, policing the 8,150-square-mile area is a daunting task. With some clever math and the help of drones, though, Penn State University researchers are helping to make that task much easier.

Once these areas were identified, drones could be programmed to fly mathematically efficient paths to monitor the areas. This not only allowed for more effective patrol of the areas, but it also reduced the risk to conservationists by preventing them from having to physically patrol the areas and risk confrontation with poachers. It's also far cheaper than using helicopters.

Shop Talk

Comments from members of our community posted on theTDS Facebook Page. Here's a thought from last week's Finding Your Place podcast:

Christopher wrote: "Really appreciated this episode Derrick. Your experience clearly touched on something many of us resonate with. Listening to some of your backstory was truly fascinating for me. I'm currently working in the marketing/communication arm of a healthcare system in Portland, and using that opportunity to hone my storytelling and creative skills. I've even been able to start a weekly podcast for our company. As you described, I'm not completely sold that this is the thing I want to do for the rest of my life (though the safety net and benefits of a full time job are very nice), but I enjoy coming to work and knowing that at least part of my day will be spent using and developing skills in the things I'm passionate about. Hopefully I'll be ready when the next opportunity comes along."

Thanks to everyone who contributed a comment. I so enjoy reading what you have to say.

Zeiss 50mm SLR Lens on Mirrorless for Silky Macros

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Talk about a beautiful convergence of the analog and digital worlds. For my morning photo shoot, I mounted a Carl Zeiss 50mm f/1.4 (Contax/Yashica mount) on to an Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II and added a Contax 13mm close-up ring in-between to photograph flowers around my studio. You can read more about it here.

A Word About Buying New Gear

If you plan on making an online purchase, please consider clicking on our Amazon Link or the B&H Photo Link first, then navigation to the item you're looking for. By doing so, you help support this podcast, and it doesn't cost you a dime. Much thanks!

Updates and Such

Coming Soon: The Apple Photos Book for Photographers

I've been working on a guide to Photos for OS X that's written for photographers who want to use this application at a high level. I cover workflow, iCloud integration, and editing... at the enthusiast level.

We're releasing the eBook version soon, then will go to print after Apple announces its updates to the app at WWDC. This is an exciting, ongoing project that I think you'll want to be a part of. And you can join me every step of the way via the signup page we've created. This is going to be fun...

And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs.

See you next week!

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.

Podcast Sponsors

Red River Paper - Keep up with the world of inkjet printing, and win free paper, by liking Red River Paper on Facebook.

ImageFramer Take your photos to the next level with ImageFramer. Visit www.apparentsoft.com today.

MacPaw Creators of CleanMyMac 3 and other great software for Apple computers. Visit www.macpaw.com today.

The Nimbleosity Report

Do you want to keep up with the best content from The Digital Story and The Nimble Photographer? Sign up for The Nimbleosity Report, and receive highlights twice-a-month in a single page newsletter. Be a part of our community!

Want to Comment on this Post?

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

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Having the ability to store all of our images using the 1 TB of free disc space available in Flickr, it's only natural that we'd want to share some of those images too. You can easily mark a single shot, or a group of images, to share, regardless if they are public or private.

I often keep pictures from a portrait shoot private (Camera Roll only) in Flickr, then send the proofs to the subject for approval. Once they've indicated the shots they like, I can mark those as public for the world to enjoy.

Here's a short movie that shows you how you can be in complete control of your sharing via Flickr.

If the movie doesn't load in your browser, you can link to it here for viewing.


More Flickr Tips and Techniques

Sharing Photos with Flickr is a deep dive into this venerable online photography platform, focusing on how to best use its tools with a Mac or Windows computer. I show you how to configure Flickr to automatically backup your images, organize them, and share your favorites with friends, family, and the entire online universe. This training will show you how to best take advantage of Flickr's 1TB of free online storage and its comprehensive set of imaging tools.

Want to Comment on this Post?

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

Talk about a beautiful convergence of the analog and digital worlds. For my morning photo shoot, I mounted a Carl Zeiss 50mm f/1.4 (Contax/Yashica mount) on to an Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark II and added a Contax 13mm close-up ring in-between to photograph flowers around my studio.

Dancing Ladies

I wanted two things from this shoot: as shallow depth of field as possible and no tripod. I got both with this combination. The Zeiss 50mm is one of my favorite optics to adapt to the OM-Ds. I've been using a Rayqual Mount Adapter to fit my Zeiss primes on to the Olympus digital bodies. The system works great thanks to the amazing image stabilization in the OM-Ds. I set the aperture on the lens, put the mode dial in the "A" position, and start shooting. It's that easy.

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The OM-D provides the correct meter reading and image stabilization. Plus, I have the EXIF metadata for everything but the aperture setting, which I mentally note, then add later. I then load the RAW files into Capture One Pro for a little fine-tuning, then output.

Meeting Standout

The reason why I like this approach, is because I want to create images that have a painterly feel to them, and this convergence of analog and digital provides just that.

Get Your Analog On!

Stop by the for all things film, SLR, Polaroid, and rangefinder. It's a blast from the past.

One of the reasons why I continued using Aperture after Apple ceased development, was because I was fond of the plugins I had acquired for it.

As I became more familiar with Capture One Pro, however, I learned that I might not be giving up all that much after all, especially for Black & White photography. Two reasons for that: 1) The Black & White converter image adjustment, and 2) Styles presets.

Black & White Converter Tool

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The adjustment sliders for B&W conversion are very good. But the kicker is all of the presets loaded in to the application. So you can browse the different looks, pick one you like, and then fine tune from there. Here's a video on how that works.

As a finishing touch, take a look at the Film Grain tool. There are a variety of great effects there, including my favorite, Silver Rich.

Film Emulation Styles

There are also some wonderful commercially available Styles that you can download, such as Capture One Styles that load a variety of effects right in to your application.

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The nice thing about these is that they don't disrupt the RAW workflow. My previous Aperture plugins required that I converted files to TIFFs and then roundtrip them. With Styles, everything stays in RAW and in the host application.

Thanks to these features, I'm discovering that there is indeed, life after Aperture plugins.

More Capture One Pro Tips and Techniques

Improve your skills by watching Capture One Pro Essential Training now available on lynda.com. More than 5 hours of tips, tricks, and techniques. Plus many free movies using advanced techniques.

I've also created a dedicated Capture One Pro Training page on The Digital Story. You can follow all of the tips and techniques that I publish in one convenient spot.

Thinking About Making the Transition from Aperture or Lightroom? - Download my free eBook titled, Rocky Nook's Guide to Moving to Capture One Pro. I show you the steps to create a test library, then build the foundation for a smooth transition to Capture One Pro.

Want to Comment on this Post?

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This is The Digital Story Podcast #532, May 17, 2016. Today's theme is "Finding Your Place." I'm Derrick Story.

Opening Monologue

When I left Southern California in 1989, I knew where I stood in the photo community. Everyone knew me at the local camera shop, I had paying gigs as a journalist, and I was comfortable in my own skin. I had grown up there. It was home. But when I relocated, nobody knew me in Northern California, and I had to invent myself all over again. And I'll never forget how hard it was to find my place. We all go through this as photographers, sometimes more than once. And that's the main topic for today's show.

Finding Your Place

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People who take pictures are different than photographers. There are many distinctions, but the one I want to focus on today is niche. Snapshooters generally don't care about what type of photographer they are: portrait, landscape, fine art, journalist, or travel. But we do. Even if we say we're a generalist, that indicates some thought has been put into this concept.

And why does it matter? Because it begins the process of connecting our artistic expression to who we are and what we care about. In my view, we're all a photographer and something else. One might be passionate about hiking, another about the care of animals, another about politics, and on and on. When we can connect our passions, then we can begin to find out place as artist. Here are a few reasons to consider this:

  • Doing What We Love - Photography is my favorite pastime, but I'm a writer also. When I was able to connect those two, I flourished.
  • Rising Above Others - When we're in sync, we perform better. As a result, we tend to separate ourselves from the competition.
  • Better Longevity - I can't wait for the next day and the day after that. I don't know how it feels to be bored. And the universe is going to have a heck of a time pulling me away from this life on earth.
  • Financial Reward - How many successful people say, "I can't believe they pay me to do this?" There's a correlation there.
  • Magnet for Others - People who are engaged in what they love tend to attract others.

The takeaway here is to pinpoint your other passion. We already know that we love photography. What are you going to combine that with to truly find your place in this world?

In the News

Canon Releases 2016 Photography Trends Study as reported by PhotographyBlog.

This survey of 1004 adult U.S. consumers has revealed a surprising degree of self-confidence among amateur photographers, with 80% of respondents claiming to have "good-to-excellent" photography skills, and 62% boasting that their snapping skills have improved in the past two to five years. Food photography appears to be one of the favorite genres, with more than half of consumers taking food photos to show off a personal creation or new recipe. More than one in four respondents admit they share photos of food to brag and to give friends and family "FOMO" (Fear Of Missing Out). The survey has also revealed that more people take photos of their pets than of themselves, even as 57% confess to taking selfies on a regular basis. Less surprisingly, the majority (80%) are capturing photos during family gatherings and holidays.

Shop Talk

Comments from members of our community posted on theTDS Facebook Page. Here's are some of the thoughts from last week's Cats and Dogs podcast:

Graeme wrote: "It's taken me time understand what I, personally, want from my photography, and that is to spend more time with the camera and close to zero with the computer (though I wasn't always that way)."

Matthew added: "Choosing Olympus mirrorless (the E-M10) is how I got hooked on listening to your podcast. In my research to switching to mirrorless to lighten the load as I wasn't taking my DSLR with me I found the Nimble Photographer webpage. It was like the website was speaking right to me and my desire to keep it light. As for the PC, I have always been on the PC platform. In the world of photography today I feel like the odd man out still using the PC platform. Most of the coverage seems to slant about all things Apple."

And finally, Bill wrote: "I chose Nikon simply because my soon-to-be wife had a Nikon film camera. I had a Kodak digital camera in the early digital days but once my kids came along I got much more serious about my photography since I now had such an interesting ( and fast moving) subject. My wife, knowing Nikon got me a D50 and from there things just took off for me - still in the Nikon Family with a D7000. So I guess you could say I chose Nikon because of love."

Thanks to everyone who contributed a comment. I so enjoy reading what you have to say.

A Word About Buying New Gear

If you plan on making an online purchase, please consider clicking on our Amazon Link or the B&H Photo Link first, then navigation to the item you're looking for. By doing so, you help support this podcast, and it doesn't cost you a dime. Much thanks!

Updates and Such

Coming Soon: The Apple Photos Book for Photographers

I've been working on a guide to Photos for OS X that's written for photographers who want to use this application at a high level. I cover workflow, iCloud integration, and editing... at the enthusiast level.

We're releasing the eBook version soon, then will go to print after Apple announces its updates to the app at WWDC. This is an exciting, ongoing project that I think you'll want to be a part of. And you can join me every step of the way via the signup page we've created. This is going to be fun...

And finally, be sure to visit our friends at Red River Paper for all of your inkjet supply needs.

See you next week!

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.

Podcast Sponsors

Red River Paper - Keep up with the world of inkjet printing, and win free paper, by liking Red River Paper on Facebook.

ImageFramer Take your photos to the next level with ImageFramer. Visit www.apparentsoft.com today.

MacPaw Creators of CleanMyMac 3 and other great software for Apple computers. Visit www.macpaw.com today.

The Nimbleosity Report

Do you want to keep up with the best content from The Digital Story and The Nimble Photographer? Sign up for The Nimbleosity Report, and receive highlights twice-a-month in a single page newsletter. Be a part of our community!

Want to Comment on this Post?

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

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Honestly, I've been waiting a long time for a reflector like this. And maybe one existed, and I just didn't know about it. But now that I have the Rogue Collapsible 2-in-1 Reflector, I've added another missing piece to my portrait work.

What's the difference between the Rogue and every other collapsable reflector? It's the super soft silver side that provides a crisp contrast without being too hot. So when using it as a fill light, you get enough pop to make a difference without blowing out the highlights.

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On the other side features a traditional natural white reflector, which is always good to have for more subtle fill. The natural white reflects a neutral tone instead of the bluish tints that I've see with some cheaper models. Plus the white can also be used as a background in a pinch. That being said, I think it's the silver side that I think most photographers will be using.

The Rogue 2-in-1 expands to 32" diameter; a nice working size that isn't too big to hold by hand, yet provides ample lighting. It folds down to 11.5" in diameter, so it will easily fit in most backpacks and lighting bags. Both the included case and the reflector have hanging loops. And all the materials are high quality that you can feel.

One difference with the Rogue, as a result of these quality materials, is that it will not work as a diffuser. In order to produce the right contrast for the silver side, the fabric is coated to create the softening surface. So if you do need diffusion, I would also pack one of your thinner white collapsables.

The Rogue Collapsible 2-in-1 Reflector is available for $29.95. It's a terrific photo accessory for portrait photographers.


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The Rogue Collapsible 2-in-1 Reflector has a high Nimbleosity Rating. What does that mean? You can learn about Nimbleosity and more by visiting TheNimblePhotographer.com.

A Look at EyeEm's The Roll

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The quest to tame the mobile Camera Roll may have become a bit more attainable with EyeEm's new The Roll. I've tested it on my library of 5,000 images, and I'm pleased with the results.

The Roll has a few key features, including tagging your pictures automatically, then grouping them by type. This saves you time finding the image you want. For example, if I want to see pictures of my cat, I simply go to the section on Animals, and she's there along with other critters from my iPhone.

Beyond that, however, The Roll identifies what it determines to be the best of a group of images, then makes that the key thumbnail. It also assigns a score to each picture, which is interesting, but of course to be taken with a grain of salt.

The upshot is that your Camera Roll suddenly feels a lot more accessible. And it's fun to browse the groupings such as Portraits, Your Best Photos, Food, Landscape, Beauty, Cute, and plenty more.

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It does take some time for all of this processing magic. And you'll want a solid WiFi connection while it's working. My library took about 2 hours to tame.

Once completed, however, images can be viewed as previously described and shared using standard iOS options such as Twitter, Facebook, and Dropbox. According to EyeEm, your privacy is maintained. The app itself is free. And after a few hours of use, I can't see any downside to using The Roll, that is, unless you don't like an organized library.


Nimble Photographer Logo

This product has a high Nimbleosity Rating. What does that mean? You can learn about Nimbleosity and more by visiting TheNimblePhotographer.com.