Weekly digital photography podcasts, photo tips, reader submitted pictures, equipment reviews and more.

Insulated Lunch Bag for Camera Gear, May 19, 2008
Digital gear needs protection from excessive heat when working in summer weather. For these conditions, you may want to use a thermal bag to keep your gear from overheating. I like this eBags Crew Cooler because it has a second compartment on top where you can put your cool items, yet keep them separate from your gear in the insulated bottom compartment. There are plenty of zippered pockets for accessories, dual handles, shoulder strap, and lots of storage (15 x 8.5 x 10.5 inches), yet the Crew Cooler only weighs 2 pounds. The eBag isn't cheap ($39.99 on Amazon),... read more

Strobist: Sync a Canon G9 at 1/2500th, May 4, 2008
David over at Strobist might be able to light circles around me, but one thing we share in common is our passion for the Canon PowerShot G9. David wrote in the article, New Canon Powershot G9 Makes My G7 Feel Like Unloved Stepchild, "I don't write about specific cameras very often on this site, but this one bears a closer look. The G9 is of particular interest because of it's flash-friendly features, among other things." One of those "flash-friendly features" is that you can sync a Canon G9 up to 1/2500th. This is very handy for high speed flash... read more

Reader Question - Why Are My Prints Dark?, April 16, 2008
TDS member Jason writes: "Over the last year, as I began looking at my photographs with a more critical eye, I realized that my prints were always noticeably darker than what I was seeing on my computer screen -– specifically, I was losing a lot of shadow detail in the prints." "Shadow details that were easily visible on my screen disappeared into black on my prints. At the time, I was doing my editing using iPhoto and Photoshop Elements on a 20 inch iMac G5 running Panther. I didn't have my own photo printer, but I tried several different... read more

Unlock Hidden Powers on Your Canon Compact (including RAW), April 11, 2008
Canon compacts with DIGIC II or III processors have more capabilities than appear on their menus. Functions such as high-speed shutter and RAW mode can be unlocked using firmware available via the CHDK project (Canon Hacker's Development Kit). WIRED Magazine helped shine a light on this work with their recent article, Supercharge Your Camera with Open-Source CHDK Firmware. It's a terrific overview piece with lots of links, and I suggest you start there if interested in this project. I have a Canon SD700 IS that I'm going hack. It's a wonderful little camera that I use primarily for underwater... read more

"How I Did It" 3 - Las Vegas Night Traffic, February 6, 2008
When I'm in big cities, I try to travel by foot as much as possible. That's when I see the good shots, and if I'm lucky, I come home with one or two. I was walking back from a dinner meeting in Las Vegas with a Canon G9 and a small Gorillapod tucked away in my jacket pocket. I felt like shooting something, but nothing caught my eye until I climbed a set of stairs for a street overpass and noticed this scene. I wanted the streaming lights of traffic driving by, but I thought they would look best in... read more

"How I Did It" 2 - Aerial View of Hoover Dam by Derrick Story, January 30, 2008
Shooting from a helicopter is tricky business. You have to photograph through glass that is often curved and full of reflections. Unlike with other through-glass shooting, you can't put your camera lens up against the surface because of the rotor vibration while flying. I was dealing with all of these factors while capturing this image of Hoover Dam with Lake Mead in the background at the Arizona/Nevada border in Southwestern USA. So here's how I did it. I used a Panasonic LUMIX TZ5 (just announced at PMA) in aerial scene mode. What that does (and what you can do on... read more

"5 Ways to Distinguish Your Photos" - Digital Photography Podcast 113", January 22, 2008
You can distinguish your work from others. If ten people are given an assignment to shoot a cityscape, you want your photo to be the one that stands out from the crowd. In this podcast, I cover five reminders that will help your photos look different than those of your peers. No magic here. Just good photography technique. I provide sample images at the end of this post. Monthly Photo Assignment Edges is this month's photo assignment. Where does one thing begin and another end? How about the edges of the day, the mind? Lots of possibilities for this... read more

Previewing Matte Colors in iPhoto '08, January 20, 2008
I've been sharing a lot of iPhoto '08 tips lately at Macworld SF in the O'Reilly Booth. But I discovered a new one this weekend that I thought you might enjoy. When you have a print, and want to figure out the perfect color for the front matte, you can do so right on your computer. One of the new goodies in iPhoto '08 is the Customize function in the Print dialog box. It allows you to design (and print if you want) single and double mattes in a variety of color combinations. I wanted to figure out a... read more

Remember the Pocket Tripod Too!, January 16, 2008
I constantly remind people to keep their compact cameras with them while on the go. That way if a great shot presets itself, they can grab it. But when going out for an evening stroll, take the portable tripod too! Compact tripods, such as my favorite, Gorillapod by Joby ($22), enables me to use sign posts, newspaper machines, and just about anything else I can find standing still on the street, and use it for making long exposures. In the case of this image of Lori's Diner on Mason Street in San Francisco, I use the Gorillapod and a... read more

How to Shoot at Aquariums, January 9, 2008
I was wandering around the The Florida Aquarium in Tampa last night for the Kodak-sponsored Closing Night Party at Imaging USA. Since it was a photography show, it's safe to assume that most of the attendees were shooters. I was amazed at how many people did not know how to shoot exhibits at an aquarium. So I thought it might be time for a refresher. This technique applies to shooting through hotel windows and portholes on airplanes too. Turn off the flash. (all it's going to do is cause reflection in the glass). Increase your ISO (for aquarium and... read more

Seth Resnick's File Naming Convention, January 7, 2008
Regardless if you're using Lightroom or just managing files on your own, a good file naming convention that you can apply to your pictures on import will help you stay organized. In his Imaging USA session, "Organizing: Asset Management in Lightroom," Seth Resnick provided this tip. He created a preset in Lightroom to name his pictures logically when he brings them into the application: DATE_custom-name_sequential-number.file-extension So a file would look something like this for a shot he'd take today: 20080107_tampa_0001.cr2 I like his method, but use a variation on it. Instead of adding a sequential number after the custom... read more

DIY Fisheye Lens with Old Farsighted Glasses, January 3, 2008
Here's a fun project if it's miserable outside and you want to play with your photography. Find an old pair of corrective glasses for farsighted eyes, and make a do-it-yourself fisheye lens. You can read all about, complete with instructions, at Photojojo, (which is a great site anyway for a rainy day). Oh, by the way, this shot was taken with a Nikon 10mm lens, not a DIY fisheye lens... don't expect these results with your hack ;) Technorati Tags: DIY, digital photography, The Digital Story, fisheye... read more

Caribbean Underwater Gallery Posted (and shooting tips), November 25, 2007
I've posted an underwater gallery from my recent trip to the Caribbean on a Geek Cruise. All of these images were captured with a rig that costs less than $500 US. The Canon PowerShot SD700 IS is a 6-megapixel compact that has a large 2.5" LCD and is image stabilized. You can purchase the matching Canon WP-DC5 waterproof case that enables submersion up to 130 feet. (If you own a Canon compact, take a look at their Underwater Photography page. You can find the right case for your camera, plus there are tips to help you get the best... read more

Photo Downloader - One of Bridge's Wonderful Secrets, November 20, 2007
Hidden in the depths of your Bridge 2.0 folder is a nifty application called Photo Downloader. If you use the Bridge/ACR workflow, this gem can handle importing images from your memory card, and it provides many of the same options that are available in Lightroom's Import dialog box. The coolest thing is, if you've upgraded to CS3, you already have all the components needed to build a nifty workflow: Photo Downloader to import images, Bridge 2.0 to organized them and fine-tune metadata, and ACR 4 to process your RAW and Jpeg files. Photo Downloader is easy to access. Just... read more

Using ACR 4.0 to Correct Mixed Lighting, October 17, 2007
Mixed lighting is one of the most difficult situations I encounter for my reportage. During a recent portrait of Mark Dahm, I wanted to use fill flash for the subject, yet capture the intriguing hallways of Adobe's headquarters in San Jose. I used Face Detection on a Canon PowerShot G9 to get a great exposure of Mark, but the hallway on my right went extremely yellow due to the artificial lighting... so much so that I found it distracting. I've been using a nice trick in Adobe Camera Raw 4 (ACR is part of Photoshop CS3) to quickly adjust... read more

iPhoto 08 to iDVD - My Favorite Method, October 10, 2007
There are many ways to share the images stored in iPhoto, and thanks to the power of the entire iLife suite, photo DVDs are a beautiful option. But I don't care for the Share > Send to iDVD command in iPhoto. I think it brings you into iDVD in an awkward place. Instead, I like to open iDVD separately, then use the "Magic iDVD" approach. Here are the steps: In iPhoto, create an album and put the pictures in it that you want to use in your DVD slideshow. You can create several albums and put multiple slideshows on... read more

How to Create the Antique Effect in iPhoto 7, September 11, 2007
You can create a variety of effects in iPhoto 7 (part of iLife '08) that rival what you can do in more advanced applications such as Photoshop CS3. One of these effects, "Antique," is a good one to consider for bridal portraits and family group shots. And best of all, it's easy to apply. First duplicate your color image in iPhoto (Photos > Duplicate). Then click on the "Edit" icon at the bottom of the window (it's the pencil) to put you in edit mode. Once there, click on the "Effects" icon to open its palette, the choose "Antique."... read more

Photoshop CS3 Goodies: Importing with Bridge, September 2, 2007
Bridge 2.0 (included with Photoshop CS3) now features the Get Photos from Camera command that gives you lots of options when downloading your pictures from a memory card to your hard drive. Yes, you could just drag and drop those same images without using Bridge, but you may want to take a second look first. Get Photos from Camera allows you to create a custom download folder, modify the file names of your pictures, and even add your copyright information -- all during the normal downloading process. So in about the same time as it would take you to drag... read more

Have Your Camera Add Copyright to Every Photo, August 19, 2007
It's important to have your copyright information included with every photo that goes out into the wild. Fortunately applications such as Aperture and Lightroom enable you to add copyright information during upload, making it easier to develop this healthy habit. But what can you do if you don't use those applications and sometimes forget to append your files? You can have your camera do it for you. IPTC data readout from Adobe Bridge 2. The text in the "Creator" field was added by my Canon Rebel XTi during capture. That's right, Canon DSLR owners can apply up to 30 characters... read more

Only Image Edit Your Best, August 18, 2007
I'm teaching a workflow class today at Santa Rosa JC, and one of my big time saving tips is to rate your photos right after upload, then only image edit the best of them. I've noticed that photographers who don't religiously rate their photos (using Bridge, iPhoto, Aperture, Lightroom, etc.) often waste their time working on pictures that they'll never use anyway. The basic workflow of upload, add metadata, rate, sort, image edit (only the best), output, and archive is still the most efficient system I know. Technorati Tags: digital photography, The Digital Story... read more

A Collection of Polarizer Tips, August 5, 2007
The polarizing filter is still the "must have" accessory in our camera bags. White balance settings may have replaced the 81A and other correction glass, but the need for the polarizer lives on. As we approach the waning days of summer, I want to celebrate this magic filter with a collection of tips and tricks. Enjoy, then grab your camera and go capture those saturated skies with 3D clouds... Polarizer as a Neutral Density Filter. "Polarizing Filters" - Digital Photography Podcast 84. "Sunglasses" Polarizer in a Pinch . Polarizers Help Saturate Colors. Low Horizon Line for Dramatic Skies. Events!... read more

Label Your Memory Cards, July 25, 2007
I recommend that the first thing you do after buying a new memory card is take out a Sharpie and label the card with your name and phone number. You might want to use your cell phone for the contact info so you can retrieve the lost card as soon as possible. I witnessed the benefits of this technique during my Iceland trip last year. One of the photographers left her full memory cards in a rental car that she turned in. Fortunately they were labeled, and she was contacted before she got on the plane. As a result,... read more

Photoshop CS3 Goodies: Photomerge, July 22, 2007
There are some terrific new or improved tools in Photoshop CS3, and the one I'm going to discuss today is Photomerge. Adobe has enhanced this function considerably, and if you haven't used it for a while, it's worth a second look. Photomerge allows you to take a handful of photographs of a subject, such as a landscape, and merge them into one image incorporating information from all of the individual shots. A common use for this technique is to create a panorama, as shown here using five separate images from Maui. But Photomerge is so smart that you're not... read more

Use Email to Upload Your Flickr Photos, July 15, 2007
There's a nifty trick on the Flickr Tools page that enables you to upload images to your Flickr photostream via email. This can be a great boon for road warriors who have photos to share, but don't have their personal computers with them. All you need is your image and any web mail account (such as Gmail), and you're ready to publish. I've been using this technique to publish images directly from my iPhone while on the go, and it works great. On the Flickr Tools page, look for the link "upload by email." Make sure you're logged in... read more

John Shaw Equipment Tip: the L-Plate, July 12, 2007
A few of us at the Microsoft Pro Photo Summit had the opportunity to go shooting with John Shaw at the Washington Park Arboretum near Seattle, WA. During his talk in the field, John shared some of his favorite equipment tips. Among the best was the Really Right Stuff BH-55 ballhead with Arca-style quick release. John uses an L-Plate designed for his camera to enable him to shoot in the vertical position without having to dip the ballhead downward (as shown in the illustration). The L-Plate enables him to quickly mount his camera from the bottom or the side... read more

Get Great Fireworks Photos, July 4, 2007
Once again Fourth of July is at our American doorstep, complete with lots of fireworks displays. If you want to capture your own fiery composition, here are a few tips. First: turn off your flash. Yes, you're going to be shooting in a dark environment, and if your camera is set to auto flash, it's going to fire. This is the last thing you want, so turn it off. Next, break out the tripod. You're going to be using long exposures. Use a cable or remote release if you have one. If not, just gently press the shutter button... read more

Three Steps to Great Inkjet Prints, June 21, 2007
You only need to know three things to get great prints from your inkjet printer. Sure, you can add many micro-steps in between to refine your output, but if you follow this workflow exactly as I list it, your prints will improve. First, calibrate your monitor. I like the Pantone Eye-One Display LT Monitor Color Calibrator for about $163 US, but any good colorimeter will work. Next, match your ICC profiles and printing paper. Usually the easiest way to do this is to buy paper manufactured by the same company that makes your printer. If you have an Epson,... read more

Polarizer as a Neutral Density Filter, May 29, 2007
In this week's podcast, I talk about the value of a polarizing filter for reducing reflection and deepening colors, especially in the sky. But the "world's handiest lens accessory" can also double as a neutral density filter. Most circular polarizers have two f/stops of density. That means if the normal exposure is 1/15 at f/8, the with the polarizer attached, it will be 1/15 at f/4. Sometimes this works against you putting your shot in the clutches of camera shake. But there's one instance when a polarizer is invaluable -- when you want a long exposure, such as capturing... read more

ExpoDisc as an Incident Meter, April 11, 2007
As good as our camera's built-in reflective meter is, some high-contrast situations can fool them. For many years, handheld incident meters were used by serious shooters to ensure proper exposure in difficult lighting. You can use your ExpoDisc to convert your camera's reflective meter to incident by following these easy steps. Set your camera to Aperture Priority mode and choose an f-stop, such as f-5.6. Put the ExpoDisc on your lens. Turn off autofocus mode. Point your camera in the direction of the light source illuminating your subject and click the shutter. The trick here is to meter the... read more

Don't Forget the Detail Shots, April 10, 2007
When you're out shooting architecture and other objects in the wild, don't forget to capture the detail shots too. For example, this is a handsome church in Northern California. I like the overview image that gives me the sense of how it must of felt to enter this structure every Sunday in days gone by. But there are many individual elements of interest also. For example, the hooks that hold the doors open while people flow in are beautifully designed and appealing in their own right. The texture of the wood worn away from years of rubbing against the... read more

Dinner Time is for Pictures, March 28, 2007
When you're on the road, daily schedules often get turned on their head. One of the benefits of this disruption is that you can be out taking pictures instead of finishing up at the office, eating dinner, or taking care of some other life chore. Dinner time is often a great time for photography. My travel routine includes a sandwich around 4pm, then off to a location that I want to photograph. I spend the hour or so before twilight scouting the possibilities and preparing my gear. Then as the light begins to sweeten, I start shooting. On my... read more

Shower Cap Camera Protector, November 13, 2006
In just about every hotel bathroom, you'll find one of the handiest photo accessories for inclement weather -- the shower cap. And more often than not, you leave that shower cap behind upon checkout. Next time grab it. Simply punch a hole in the center of the cap for your camera lens to extend through, and you have an all weather protection system for your compact or small DSLR. The elastic band of the cap keeps it positioned snugly around your wrists while the cap protects the camera from all sides. You can work the controls, view the LCD... read more

Mod Your Flash with a Cardboard Grid, October 19, 2006
One of the problems with location flash photography is that you often only want to light part of the scene (the subject) and downplay (but not eliminate) the area surrounding the person. There are lots of expensive accessories to achieve this effect. But I just read a post on the Strobist (scroll down the page until you get to the post titled "Free and So Easy: DIY Grid Spots for Your Flash"), where contributor Gut Mann designed a nifty grid for your flash head out of corrugated cardboard. Using this DIY attachment, you can create professional looking environmental portraits... read more

Preview Your Images in iPhoto Before Uploading, October 17, 2006
I've been doing a lot of iPhoto talks lately, and I've noticed that a lot of people don't know how to preview the images on their memory card using iPhoto 6. I first read about this trick on MacOSXhints, and it's pretty handy. When you have your camera or card reader connected to your Mac with iPhoto open, hit the Return key twice in succession. iPhoto 6 will allow you to preview the images on your memory card. You can even drag specific pictures to the Source pane. Once you've finished previewing your pictures, all you have to do... read more

Four Part Printing Tutorial on CreativePro, October 7, 2006
One of the biggest challenges in digital photography is producing clean, accurate prints using your desktop printer. How do you tackle color management, screen calibration, printing resolution, and all the other variables that befuddles most photographers between capture and output? Fortunately for us, Ben Long has published a four part printing tutorial on creativepro.com. In this series, Ben covers: Part 1: Selecting a photo printer. Part 2: Color management, soft proofing, make your first print. Part 3: Paper profiling. Part 4: Paper profiles, RIPs. This is a series I highly recommend. Technorati Tags: digital photography, equipment, product review... read more

QuickTip: Make a String Tripod, September 21, 2006
Here's a trick that only requires a 1/4" bolt and some sturdy string. The result? A super portable tripod that helps you steady your camera up to 2-f/stops of light or more! Call it a poor man's image stabilizer. First, take a sturdy length of string and create a loop at one end big enough to slide your foot into. Then determine the length your need to hold the camera up to your eye. Attach the 1/4" bolt to the other end of the string at the proper length. You're now ready to shoot. Slide your foot through the... read more

Add Voice Memos to Your iPhoto Library, September 18, 2006
Most compact cameras enable you to record voice memos to accompany photos you've just captured. To get the most out of this function, however, you want to store the audio with the appropriate image. Unfortunately iPhoto doesn't let you add straight audio files to its library. There has to be an image attached the audio file. So the dream of having voice memos associated with your pictures is only that, a dream. Or is it? By using this easy technique and QuickTime Pro, you can include voice memos with your images in iPhoto. After you've uploaded your pictures to... read more

Sensational Spot Color Magic Without Photoshop, September 17, 2006
What used to be an agonizing process in Photoshop, now only takes seconds using the "Color Accent" feature in the Canon PowerShot SD630, SD700 and their brethren. This is one of those gimmicks that you might pass by in the owner's manual without ever trying. My advice, if it's included in your camera, go try it now. Color Accent works like this. First you look at a composition and decide what color to feature. Navigate to Color Accent mode, point your spot meter marker in the LCD viewfinder at the color, and press the appropriate button on your camera... read more

Great Tutorial on Sharpening in Camera Raw, September 16, 2006
Almost every RAW file requires some degree of sharpening to counter the effect of blurring that occurs at some stage of image capture or image processing. But when do you apply the sharpening? In Camera Raw or later in Photoshop? The answer isn't as straightforward as you might think. In this excerpt from "Photoshop CS2 RAW", Mikkel Aaland shows you how to sharpen your images with confidence. I worked with Mikkel on a chapter of Photoshop CS2 RAW, and have some images in there that I captured at Pt. Reyes. The entire book is good, and this excerpt on... read more

Use iPhoto 6 to Create Custom Postcards, September 6, 2006
With iPhoto 6 and a compact photo printer, you can create stunning postcards right at your desk. In previous posts, I've talked about using the greeting card function in iPhoto to create title graphics for slideshows, and then how to animate them. Now you have another use -- print your own postcards. I use a older Canon CP-330 compact printer, but any of the models will work for this project including the new SELPHY CP720. These are affordable little units that output 4"x6" dye sub prints with UV coating that last for 100 years. Each print is made of... read more

How to Animate Your iPhoto Titles, August 29, 2006
You can put your great looking slideshow titles in motion without ever leaving iPhoto. In a previous post, I explained how to use the Greeting Card function in iPhoto 6 to generate compelling title slides. You can take these images to the next level by animating them. Start by making a copy of your title slide and placing the two identical images side by side at the beginning of your iPhoto slideshow. Then apply the Ken Burns effect to the first slide. For the "Start" point, zoom in a little (using the Zoom slider setting located at the lower... read more

Amazing Title Graphics for iPhoto Slideshows, August 27, 2006
Here's a great graphics trick that many people don't know. You can easily build fantastic slideshow titles right within iPhoto 6. Start by clicking once on an image in your iPhoto library that would be a good opening title. Now click on the "Create a new card" icon at the bottom of the iPhoto window. (It's the greeting card picture with a plus sign.) iPhoto will open a new window and ask you to choose a theme. Go to the popup menu in the upper left corner of the dialog box and select "Postcard." Then browse the different themes... read more

Advanced Retouch Tool Options in iPhoto 6, August 10, 2006
The Retouch tool in iPhoto 6 has more capability than most people realize. The default mode is a frustratingly blunt cross hairs that provides very little control. You can, however, enable an advanced mode that lets you set the diameter of the brush for more precise retouching. First launch iPhoto 6, choose a picture and enter Edit mode by clicking on the Edit button in the row of buttons beneath the thumbnails. Click on the Retouch tool and your mouse pointer will become the normal cross hairs that we're accustomed to with Retouch. To enable the advanced options, press... read more

How to Make a Digital Flipbook, July 25, 2006
If you have QuickTime on Mac or Windows, you can make a cool digital flipbook in just minutes. "What the heck is that?" you say. Well, it's a sequence of photographs played in rapid succession and saved as a QuickTime movie. You can see for yourself with the flipbook I created called The Bridge. First, Take the Shots All I did was catch a ride across the Golden Gate Bridge with my Canon Digital Rebel XT pointed at the passing bicyclists. I had the camera set to burst mode so I could fire off a series of shots quickly.... read more

DIY Photo Studio for Cheap, July 20, 2006
"Small flash gear is especially well suited for shooting macro shots and other small-object still life and product shots," says David on his Strobist blog. "And this little studio in a box does not even technically need a flash to work its wonders. Any bright lamp will do if you are shooting digital, because it is very easy to balance for tungsten light and get the color balance spot on." "This is basically a light tent, albeit a very controllable one. It pretty much creates beautiful light be default. Frankly, it's very difficult to get it wrong. This is... read more

How to Shoot Fireworks, July 1, 2006
Photo by TDS reader, Brian C Davenport -- Details at end of article. Pyromaniacs all across the States are gearing up for their favorite day: The Fourth of July. Technically, it's an American holiday to celebrate independence from England. But we all know its true popularity stems from great BBQ and dazzling fireworks displays. If you want to capture your own fiery composition, here are a few tips. Let's start with the basics: turn off your flash. Yes, you're going to be shooting in a dark environment, and if your camera is set to auto flash, it's going to... read more

The Simplest of All RAW Converters, May 24, 2006
Many Mac OS X "Tiger" users don't realize that they have a powerful Raw converter bundled with their operating system. Every 10.4 Mac comes with a handy application called Preview that most folks think of only as a PDF viewer. Even Apple touts its PDF capabilities without going into much detail about its hidden powers. The most notable of these lesser known features is Preview's ability to decode Raw files and convert them to other formats. It's true. You don't need Photoshop Camera Raw. You don't need Aperture. If you want to open a common Raw formatted image, just... read more

Camera Phone Shooting Tips, May 5, 2006
One of the reasons that people shy away from camera phones is that they often get lousy pictures. You can improve your odds by trying some of these tips. Here's a look at the most common camera phone settings and how they can help you capture better images. Start with Picture size. This option gives you the choice between a couple resolution settings: large and small. (They would be more accurately labeled small and smaller, but that's so un-American) Choose large, which is usually about 640 x 480 or 1.3 megapixels. You can't make a very big print with... read more

Is Your Firmware Up to Date?, April 17, 2006
Digital cameras are really computers with a lens attached. And just like our desktop computers, their operating systems need an occasional upgrade. These are called firmware updates, and they're designed to fix known problems and sometimes add new functionality. The procedure usually goes something like this: You download the firware update from the camera manufacturer's website, copy it on to a memory card, put the card in your camera, initiate the firmware update, don't touch anything during the updating process, then clean off your memory card and go take pictures. If you haven't updated your camera since the beginning... read more

Tips for Airplane Window Photography, March 13, 2006
A great way to pass the time while flying is to take pictures. That's why I always get a window seat if one is available. Here are a few tips to get the best shots possible. Start by cleaning off the glass to remove smudges and hand prints left by the child that had your seat on the previous flight. Then turn off the flash; these are existing light shots only. I usually leave the white balance setting on "auto" and correct the color, if necessary, later on the computer. (BTW: one trick I've learned with daytime airplane window... read more

Check Out Roundups for Tips and Reviews, January 30, 2006
If you're looking for a collection of photo tips or product reviews on The Digital Story, take a look at our new Roundups feature. You can find the links at the top of the page below the logo. These roundups will continue to grow as I add posts to each category. There's tons of good information there now. So go take a look at the Photo Tips and the Product Reviews roundups. They're a hoot! Technorati Tags: photography, review, tips... read more

Digitizing Your B&W Prints, January 25, 2006
Like many traditional photographers, I have an extensive collection of B&W fiber and RC prints. Some of these images are very important to me, but I haven't been able to use them in my daily work because they haven't been digitized and cataloged on my computer. I'm changing that now. This project began with a piece that I'm working on for Macworld Magazine. I like to write my "How To" articles while I'm actually doing whatever it is I'm writing about. So I pulled a number of my favorite B&W prints, scanned them on a very nice Canon 9950F... read more

Watch Your Step While Shooting, January 21, 2006
I wanted to test the new Canon 24-105mm IS L Zoom Lens, which I'll write about in more detail in a later post. Fortunately for me, there was a break in the rain up here in Northern California, so I mounted the 24-105mm on my Canon 5D and dashed off for a walk. I'm lucky because I have some great walking paths that provide lots of wildlife and vistas. A while into my stroll, I noticed a tempting shot and scampered up this slight grassy rise to capture a scenic with horses feeding in an open field. After recording... read more

Morning Light in the City, January 18, 2006
One of the great things about travel is taking advantage of the high vantage points that hotel windows provide. Usually I'm enamored with shooting at twilight, capturing the last light in an inky blue sky while building lights begin to illuminate the foreground. But one morning, I left the curtains open and was reminded that dawn light adds new dimensions to cityscapes. This shot of Glide Memorial Church was recorded at 7:45 am from the 12th floor of the Hilton across the street. A few hours later, everything had flattened out and there wasn't a good shot in sight.... read more

Car Window Photography, December 27, 2005
When you find yourself on a road trip, be sure to keep your camera handy. Car window photography produces images that have an entirely different feel than other shots. Objects in the foreground will show motion blur while the landscape remains relatively sharp. This juxtaposition gives the viewer a sense of motion -- something that we don't typically see in travel shots. Keep in mind, however, that it's best to let someone else drive while you're taking pictures. No shot is worth finding yourself stranded in a ditch by the side of the road... Technorati Tags: image, photography, technique,... read more

Remember the Self-Timer Setting!, December 24, 2005
Don't leave yourself out of group shots. Remember to use the self-timer setting on your camera so you can join the action. First set up the shot, put your camera on a steady surface (tripods are the best), check the focus, enable the self-timer, press the shutter, and run like the dickens to get in the shot -- you have about 10 seconds before the exposure is made. If you can, position your camera within flash range (10 feet) and use fill flash, as in this sample shot. You'll find that it puts a little extra twinkle in the... read more

Last Minute Holiday Gift Ideas, December 22, 2005
Photographers are better prepared than most for pulling last minute gifts together. Here are a few ideas to get the creative juices flowing. Gift Certificate for Family Portrait -- Here's a sure-fire way to score points with the relatives. Whip up a quick gift certificate for a family portrait taken by you. You can promise a few prints plus the images on CD. If you have an extra 8" x 10" picture frame around, you can mount the certificate in there with a note: Your Family Portrait Here! Photo Lessons for that Budding Photographer -- While you have the... read more

Ziploc Bags for Cold Weather, December 20, 2005
During cold weather, make sure you have at least one Ziploc bag in your camera case. Not only are they useful for protecting your equipment in the rain, but they help with condensation too. Bringing a camera in from the cold weather to a warm house promotes condensation forming on the outside of its body, possibly migrating to the inside of the camera where it can confound electrical components. To prevent this mishap, place your camera in a Ziploc bag before coming inside. Leave the camera in the sealed bag until it reaches room temperature. The condensation will collect... read more

"Sunglasses" Polarizer in a Pinch, December 15, 2005
Top photo recorded with a compact digicam and no filter. Bottom image captured using sunglasses as a polarizing filter... Most of us don't carry all of our photo accessories when we're on the go with our compact camera. But, if you have a quality pair of polarizing sunglasses, you can use them as a polarizing filter in a pinch. The top image was taken without any filter. Good color, for sure, but I really wanted more intensity in the foliage and sky. So I placed one side of my polarizing sunglasses right up against the camera lens and recorded... read more

"Photography Etiquette" - Podcast #11, December 13, 2005
I try to get a model release at the end of every shoot. Plus, I think it's courteous to offer extra prints to the subject if I plan on publishing the shot. Much of good etiquette, while working as a photographer, comes from common sense. Things like: don't interfere with the action, don't obstruct the mother's view at a wedding, be frugal with your flash in darkened environments, and ask permission to publish photos of people whom you can recognize in the shot. Photographers who publish, or who are aiming to do so, should carry a model release and... read more

"Low Light Photography" - Podcast #10, December 6, 2005
Digital cameras excel in low light, especially DSLRs that enable you to increase your ISO to 400 and above without excessive compromise in image quality... or, at least, it's often worth the tradeoff to get the shot. But there's more you can do beyond simply jacking up the ISO. An effective technique to capturing good images in dim conditions is to actually get more light to the image sensor. An easy way to do this is acquire a "fast" lens, such as a 50mm prime lens that's rated at a maximum aperture of f-1.7 or f-1.8. An f-1.8 lens,... read more

Shooting Through Hotel Glass, December 5, 2005
You travel photos aren't limited to locations where the tour bus stops. One of the first things I do, after dropping my suitcase on the bed, is look out the hotel window for a photo opportunity. Bright, colorful lights from a high vantage point often translate into beautiful nighttime images. If your hotel window doesn't open, and they usually don't, just apply the standard "shooting through glass" technique. I like to first put a rubber lens hood on the camera to protect the front of the lens, but it isn't necessary if you're careful. Dim the room lights, or... read more

Fast Shutter Speed to Freeze Action, December 1, 2005
Outdoor action photography requires two elements -- optical magnification and fast shutter speed. This shot was captured with a 300mm telephoto lens on a Canon 5D at 1/500th of a second. In order to get the shutter speed I needed to freeze the action, I increased the ISO setting to 800. As extra insurance, I shot in Raw mode so I would have more options in post production. If you like action photography, look for a camera/lens combination that provides lots of optical reach and can provide good image results at ISO 400 or higher. Technorati Tags: photography, technique,... read more

Low Horizon Line for Dramatic Skies, November 25, 2005
By placing your horizon line low in the frame, you can emphasize a dramatic sky... One habit that I see many photographers fall into is placing the horizon line in the center of the composition. Sometimes this is appropriate, but often it creates a static image that doesn't "move" the viewer. Try instead, to consciously lower the horizon line, especially when you have a dramatic sky to work with. At first this may feel awkward. But when you review those shots later at home, I think many of them will be among your favorites. And don't forget to use... read more

Holiday Flash Tip - Slower Shutter Speed, November 23, 2005
Try using a slower shutter speed for your holiday flash shots to capture more ambiance... When shooting flash shots indoors, most cameras default to 1/60th of a second for the shutter speed. This is a reasonable setting in most situations. The problem is, your background -- outside of flash range -- often goes dark providing stark contrast to the flash-illuminated subjects. By slowing down the shutter speed to 1/30th or a second, or even 1/15th, you can capture more of the background information, providing some "atmosphere" for your shots. The easiest way to do this (if your camera has... read more

Signs Can Be Beautiful Too..., November 16, 2005
I've long advocated taking pictures of signs instead of taking notes. If you're visiting a historical site, for example, snap a photo of the placard that lists all of the important events that happened there. Don't you dare reach for a pen and start writing. Signs can be beautiful too. I keep an eye out for compositions that are aesthetic as well as informative. I took this photo in New Mexico outside a store in a small village. I wish I had thought at the time to see if there was an equally attractive "Closed" on the other side...... read more

Frame Your Composition, November 15, 2005
You can add depth to your compositions by "framing" them with natural elements in the landscape. This technique can transform your images for two-dimensional pleasing to three-dimensional stunning. Trees are often the most available options for this technique. Take into account the exposure difference between your main subject and the frame. You may want to try an exposure that's in-between the two. Why? If you can retain some shadow detail in the frame, it makes for a more interesting image than if it goes totally black. If you have Photoshop CS2, try using the "Shadow/Highlight..." command (Image.. Adjustments.. Shadow/Highlight...)... read more

Rim Lighting for Better Portraits, November 11, 2005
A little natural light adds definition to subject's hair... One of the things I'm always on the lookout for is a chance to position my models so I can use fill-flash for their faces, and natural "rim lighting" for their hair and shoulders. The best locations are often at the edge of the "shade line" from a tree. The technique is simple. Turn on your flash by using the "flash on" command. Position your subjects so their faces are in the shade, but the sun is illuminating their hair. Make sure you're within flash range -- usually about 8... read more

"Compact Camera Buying Tips" - Podcast #6, November 8, 2005
If you need a good camera while on the go, I'd recommend that you start by comparing compact models. They're easier on the wallet and fit into a pocket or purse. Compact cameras typically range from 2 to 7 megapixels of resolution. Their picture quality can be outstanding, but they usually don't offer the array of features and controls that larger models do. The zoom lens tend to be 3X, which translates into 35-105mm for most models. After you listen to this week's podcast, use this handy checklist to help you, or a friend, find the right digital camera. I... read more

Polarizers Help Saturate Colors, November 7, 2005
Using a polarizer helps saturate colorful scenes... The white balance function on our digital cameras has allowed us to leave many of our filters at home. Instead of toting a warming filter, for example, we can now switch to the "cloudy" white balance setting. One filter, however, still needs to accompany us for our landscape photography: the polarizer. The polarizing filter helps reduce glare and saturate colors. It deepens the blue in skies and helps add punch to the clouds. The trick to reaping the most from this essential accessory is to have the sun coming from an angle,... read more

Overexpose for Foggy Scenes, November 1, 2005
Remember to change exposure compensation to +1 for foggy scenes... One of the exciting aspects of taking pictures in the morning costal fog is that, in a matter of minutes, you can have a variety of shots without ever moving your feet. One thing to keep in mind however, is that your light meter can be fooled by the brightness of the fog, much in the same way it can by snow or a bright, sandy beach. Generally speaking, you can compensate for this by setting your "exposure compensation" dial to +1. That will force your camera to overexpose... read more

Isolating Backgrounds, October 30, 2005
Blue Heron portrait jumps out because of the isolating background. One of the situations I look for when shooting portraits, whether in the wilds or the local park, is an isolating background. I was very lucky here. I had been shooting gulls bathing in a fresh water pond where a creek flowed into the ocean. I noticed in the corner of my eye this Heron in the distance. The overcast light was illuminating him beautifully, but the background was dark from a concrete bridge. What a treat! I switched to spot metering mode so I could base my exposure... read more

High ISOs in the Wild, October 27, 2005
Elk captured at dusk in meadow with Canon 5D set to ISO 1600. Sometimes nature presents you with a great shot... but in less than ideal lighting. This was the case with this Tule Elk I discovered in a meadow at twilight. His beautiful antlers (14 points!) were easily discernible with my eyes, but even at ISO 1600, my Canon 5D needed a slowish 1/15 of a second at f-5.6. Without the ability to use a high ISO, I never could have captured this shot. In a future podcast I'm going to discuss image sensor size and its relationship... read more

Jenner Post Office, October 24, 2005
I often prefer to use a wide angle lens for these types of shots... it's more dramatic. This little Post Office in Jenner, CA (up the Northern California coast) had terrific morning light and a pleasing color palette. I took the first shot standing back at a distance with the zoom set to 40mm. But the image just didn't have the impact that I wanted. So I changed the focal length to 17mm and got as close as possible for this composition. Here's the resulting image. I'm posting this shot as a reminder to try different angles and focal... read more