David Sunfellow Photography

Adobe Lightroom 4 Beta

2012-01-13T23:39:00.000-07:00

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RELATED LINKS:

• Download Adobe Lightroom 4 Beta
• Lightroom Beta 4 Unveiling (Kelby Training)
• Lightroom 4 Beta Launch Center (NAPP)

Around The World In Under 5 Minutes

2012-01-13T23:29:00.002-07:00

An Open Letter To Canon

2011-12-26T10:17:00.000-07:00

PictureCorrect: Top 10 Most Popular Photography Articles of 2011

2011-11-24T00:14:00.000-07:00

The following 10 articles were the most popular articles on PictureCorrect for 2011. Go here to read all about them.

1. How to Use Depth of Field

2. Top 10 Photographers Every Student Should Study

3. How to Take Photos in Low Light

4. Low Light Photography Tips

5. Steps to Macro Photography and Tips

6. How to do HDR Photography

7. Time-lapse Photography

8. Aperture and Shutter: Science of the F-stop

9. Street Photography Tips and Techniques

10. Swedish Nature Photographer of the Year Exposed as Fraud

Throwable Panoramic Ball Camera

2011-10-23T14:20:00.001-07:00

Throwable Panoramic Ball Camera Website

Sony A77 Resource Page

2011-10-05T14:18:00.000-07:00

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RELATED LINKS:

• Sony Website: Sony a77 DSLR Camera and Lens
• DxOMark Review of Sony a77
• DxOMark Comparison: Sony a77 versus Nikon D700, D90
• Purchase on Amazon

DxOMark

2011-10-05T09:45:00.001-07:00

A comprehensive list of general camera ratings from DxOMark. The Overall Sensor Score is based on all characteristics of a camera sensor, independent of the camera lens, and for a general purpose use case. The Use Case Scores take into account the sensor performance for three typical photographic use cases: the Portrait Score, based on Color Depth; the Landscape Score, based on Dynamic Range; and the Sports Score, based on Low-Light ISO. This very helpful list is also set up so you can compare cameras and lenses.

Sony α77 DSLR Camera & Lens

2011-08-24T14:09:00.001-07:00

This new camera from Sony looks very interesting. Here's how Sony describes it:

"Step up to an incredible shooting experience with this α77 DSLR camera and included 16-50mm zoom lens. Featuring Sony's top-of-the-line Translucent Mirror Technology, you can focus and shoot simultaneously for fast, precise performance and continuous shooting of up to 12 frames per second, complete with continuous auto focus. Capture amazingly-detailed images that make for gorgeous enlargements thanks to an impressive 24.3-megapixel sensor. The world's first DSLR to offer a choice of super-smooth 60p, standard 60i or richly cinematic 24p movie modes all at Full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution, you can capture incredible, high quality AVCHD or MP4 videos of all your memorable moments (records in 29-minute segments). A Tru-Finder™ OLED electronic viewfinder offers remarkable resolution and high contrast for outstanding depth, plus allows you to view setting adjustments in real time for the best possible picture."

Here are a few of the features that really interest me:

24.3 MP; best-in-class resolution - You get incredible detail and gorgeous enlargements thanks to a 24.3 megapixel sensor. It’s the highest resolution among APS-C DSLRs, as of August 2011.

HD Movies4 at 60p, 60i, or 24p - Capture spectacular HD Movies4. This is the world’s first DSLR to offer a choice of super-smooth 60p, standard 60i or cinematic 24p, all at Full HD 1920x1080 resolution. AVCHD™ codec delivers stunning picture quality. MP4 codec offers smaller files for easier upload to the web.

HD movies with full manual control - Now you don’t need to surrender control when you shoot HD movies. Enjoy the full expressive potential of Program, Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority or Manual (P/A/S/M) control in HD movie mode.

6-image layering - Leverages the fast BIONZ processor to capture six images in a fraction of a second, and then combine the data. The result is one incredible single image that gets a cleaner result in Multi-Frame NR mode or sharper nighttime pictures in Hand-held Twilight mode.

Auto HDR built into camera - Captures more scene dynamic range than a single exposure can handle—and more range than photo film. Combines the best highlight detail from one shot, the best mid-tones from a second and the best shadow detail from a third for one incredible shot. (Recommended for still subjects.)

Handheld Twilight mode - Get gorgeous shots at night without a tripod. Combines six frames into a single image for smooth, low-noise evening shots. (Recommended for still subjects.)

ISO 16000 sensitivity - Incredibly clear low-light pictures without sacrificing detail, made possible by the low-noise Exmor APS HD CMOS image sensor and refined BIONZ® image processor.

Sweep Panorama Mode - Capture expansive landscapes automatically. Press the shutter, sweep vertically or horizontally. The camera does the rest, continuously shooting images and stitching them together.

For more information, go here.

Kessler Timefest 2011

2011-08-23T22:15:00.000-07:00

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Related Links:

• Kessler TimeFest 2011: Behind The Scenes
• TimeScapes Website
• Tom Guilmette Blog
• Kessler Website

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Light It Magazine (Designed for the iPad)

2011-08-23T22:05:00.001-07:00

Download the free premiere issue at http://kel.by/LightItApp Get more info on Light It at: http://kelbytraining.com/lightit

Great Photographers: Manny Librodo

2011-08-20T17:20:00.000-07:00

Go here to check out the amazing photographs of Manny Librodo.

The Candid Frame Interviews Scott Kelby

2011-08-20T14:46:00.000-07:00

Scott Kelby is a photographer, writer and educator. He is the founder of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals and the Kelby Media Group. He has authored over 50 books on photography and photo editing and created the event which is Photoshop World. His books, video, podcasts and workshops have helped nurture the work and career of thousands of photographers from all over the world. He has a abiding passion for sports photography as well as playing a mean guitar. You can discover more about Scott and his own photography work by visiting his blog and you can find out about the many things his organization has to offer by visiting the NAPP website.

Listen to the Candid Frame's interview with Scott Kelby.

Sunfellow Fine Art

2011-08-09T12:16:00.000-07:00

The newest member of my growing family of websites has been born: Sunfellow Fine Art. As I mention on my bio page, nature has been calling me and I’ve been spending more and more time attempting to capture “fine art images that quiet the mind, open the heart, and stir the soul”. This new website is dedicated to sharing those images with others who long for deeper connections. Come take a look. The image above — “Milky Way Over Cathedral Rock” — is the most popular image on the site so far, but more are on the way.

How did I shoot this image? Here's what I have posted on my new website about it:

Milky Way Over Cathedral Rock
Background Information

By David Sunfellow

This was one of the first night sky images I ever shot. It is a photo of Cathedral Rock, Sedona’s most famous rock formation, shot from the Back O’ Beyond side. Oak Creek is located on the other side of the rocks. The glow on the left-hand side of the image is coming from the Village of Oak Creek. If you look carefully, you’ll notice that Cathedral Rock is lit up slightly on the right-hand side. This glow was produced by a flashing light from Sedona’s small airport, located on nearby Airport Mesa. The airport light flashed across Cathedral Rock every few minutes.

Since this was one of my first night sky shoots, I did some research before hitting the trails — and then made some interesting discoveries once I was out on the rocks.

Most photographers use fast lens (2.8 or lower), with cameras set at high ISO settings (1600, 2000, 2500, 3200). The higher the ISO, however, the more noise you get in your image.

Next, you have to figure out how long to leave your shutter open. Most modern cameras provide you with two options: set a timer on your camera to automatically open and close your shutter, or use a manual control to open and close your shutter yourself (which is what I used). The longer the camera’s shutter is open, the brighter and more detailed your image will be. But since the stars in the night sky are moving, if you leave your shutter open too long, the stars will begin to streak across the sky. And, yes, some portions of the sky are actually moving faster than others.

Once you factor all these issues in, how in the world can you hope to shoot a brilliant, crystal clear image of the night sky?

The short answer is most of us can’t. That’s because most of today’s cameras — even high-end cameras — can’t pull in enough light, fast enough, to get crystal clear images of the sky. In order to get beautifully clear images, you need to mount your camera on a motor-driven telescope that has been carefully calibrated to follow the stars across the sky while your camera’s shutter is open long enough to pull in as much light and detail as it can — without pulling in too much (which will wash everything out).

And, of course, you also need a dark sky — something that is becoming increasingly rare as cities, and city lights, spread across the planet.

Assuming you don’t have a motor-driven telescope that is small enough to lug into exotic, dark sky locations, the best you can currently hope for is something like this:

Get a camera that can shoot RAW images at a high ISO. Attach a fast lens to it (preferably a prime lens, rather than a zoom). Mount your camera on a sturdy tripod. And, finally, limit your shutter speed to no more than 30 seconds.

That’s what I did.

In post production, I used Adobe Lightroom to adjust the colors, contrast, noise, luminosity, and other settings. Then I merged two versions of the same image in Adobe Photoshop and ran a few special filters on it to help the light and colors pop.

Capture, by Peak Design

2011-08-03T11:15:00.000-07:00

Capture, by Peak Design from Peter Dering on Vimeo.

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Backpack Position from Peter Dering on Vimeo.

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Peak Design Website

Quick Way To Determine Shutter Count

2011-07-30T22:16:00.000-07:00

Looking for a quick way to find out the shutter count on your DSLR cameras? MyShutterCount.com allows you to upload an image from the camera in question and it will tell you how many times the shutter has been used. MyShutterCount.com supports Nikon's NEF, Pentax's DNG and PEF, and JPG.

Helpful notes: The shutter life expectancy for the Nikon D90 is 100,000 actuations; the shutter count for the Nikon D7000 is 150,000.

Click here to view previous posts on determining shutter counts.

TimeScapes: Rapture

2011-07-29T00:42:00.000-07:00

TimeScapes: Rapture from Tom Lowe @ Timescapes on Vimeo.

• TimeScapes: Rapture Website
• TimeScapes on Facebook
• Tom Lowe On Google+

Spectacular Wallpapers From Trey Ratcliff

2011-07-26T00:06:00.000-07:00

Spectacular wallpaper images created by Trey Ratcliff can be downloaded here.

Trey Ratcliff: What's In His Camera Bags

2011-07-25T22:14:00.001-07:00

Trey Ratcliff On Creating HDR Images

2011-07-25T22:00:00.001-07:00

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Go here to find out more about Trey, Photomatix Pro (the software he demos in this video), and a bunch of other software he recommends when shooting/processing HDR images.

A Grand Canyon Wedding

2011-07-05T15:40:00.000-07:00

I'm posting this video of a Grand Canyon wedding because it reminds me of the small, intimate, and spectacularly beautiful weddings that regularly take place in Sedona. The Grand Canyon, for those of you who may not know, is about 120 miles north of Sedona. As someone who has shot weddings in both locations -- Sedona and the Grand Canyon -- I think Sedona is by far the more photogenic location!

That said, I thought the wedding Jared photographed was especially beautiful -- the couple, the ceremony, the location, the weather, the images Jared captured, all made this wedding something special...

Photography Notes: A Wedding at the Grand Canyon from Jared Platt on Vimeo.

Peter Langenhahn: Capturing An Entire Day In One Image

2011-06-18T22:56:00.002-07:00

Sydney Harbour

2011-06-09T10:48:00.002-07:00

Sydney Harbour NYE Time-Lapse 2010 from Murray Fredericks on Vimeo.

Photos From Chile's Puyehue-Cordon Caulle Volcanic Chain

2011-06-08T17:52:00.001-07:00

Photos from the Chile's Puyehue-Cordon Caulle volcanic chain.

Sources: The Daily Mail and The Boston Globe.

Photos From Leah & Corey's Wedding

2011-05-07T01:01:00.001-07:00

Just finished adding a few photos from Leah and Corey's wedding to my photography website and photography Facebook page. These photos were taken from a balloon sailing over Sedona in the early morning...

Photos From Robyn & Alan's Wedding

2011-05-05T01:12:00.000-07:00

Just finished adding a few photos from Robyn and Alan's wedding to my photography website and photography Facebook page. These photos were taken at one of my favorite locations in Sedona: Bell Rock.

Martin Schoeller Photographs Five Of This Years TIME 100 Honorees

2011-05-03T16:51:00.001-07:00

TIME commissioned photographer Martin Schoeller, to photograph five of this years TIME 100 honorees -- Amy Chua, author of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother; Oprah Winfrey, Wael Ghonim, the Google employee and Egyptian activist who helped lead the revolution; chef Grant Achatz, and comedian Amy Poehler.

Low Light Photography Tips - Infographic

2011-05-03T12:53:00.000-07:00

An infographic for shooting in low light situations. Click the graphic to view full-sized image.

Source: SnapBlog

Firmware Update for Nikon D7000 Now Available

2011-04-24T23:09:00.000-07:00

D7000 Firmware Update 1.02

Create Layered Files In Lightroom

2011-04-21T22:25:00.000-07:00

Perfect Layers is the fast and easy way to create layered files in Photoshop Lightroom. With Perfect Layers you can create and edit multi-layered Photoshop files directly within Photoshop Lightroom or use it to combine images from within other applications. Use it to change skies, composite multiple images together and retouch portraits using the built-in blend modes. We're extremely excited about Perfect Layers and hope you'll enjoy trying out the completely free Perfect Layers Public Preview Release.

• Combine multiple images into a layered Photoshop-compatible file

• Adjust layer size, position, blending mode and opacity

• Use the built-in layer masks and masking tools to blend multiple layers together

• Layered files are easily opened in Photoshop if needed

• Super fast launch and file-opening speed

Download FREE beta version here.

Terje Sorgjerd's 'The Mountain'

2011-04-16T16:01:00.000-07:00

Terje Sorgjerd visited El Teide, Spain’s highest mountain, to film this amazing video. According to Sorgjerd, El Teide “is one of the best places in the world to photograph the stars”. The mountain is also the location of Teide Observatories, considered to be one of the world’s best observatories. Click here for more information.

Photoshop In Real Life [Music Video]

2011-04-12T00:56:00.000-07:00

Time-Lapse Auroras Over Norway

2011-04-07T01:33:00.000-07:00

One of the largest auroral displays in recent years has appeared at the border between Norway and Russia, shown in this time-lapse animation near Kirkenes, Norway by Terje Sørgjerd in March 2011.

Aurora are often green when high energy particles strike the Earth’s atmosphere, causing the air to glow as electrons recombine with oxygen. Other colors are occasionally noticeable when atmospheric nitrogen is affected.

Nikon's New ME-1 Stereo Microphone

2011-04-05T01:28:00.002-07:00

"Record crystal-clear sound and significantly reduce autofocus noise on your compatible DSLR camera using this compact stereo microphone. The ME-1 Stereo Microphone connects to compatible DSLR cameras that have a 3.5mm Mic jack and features new innovation that significantly reduces autofocus noise from being recorded." -- Nikon Website

The New Nikon D5100

2011-04-05T00:53:00.000-07:00

Photoshop for iPad Live Demo

2011-04-01T20:41:00.000-07:00

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RELATED ARTICLE:

Why Photoshop for iPad Marks the End of the Desktop Computing Era
By Jesus Diaz
Gizmoto

The real Photoshop for iPad exists. Adobe showed it yesterday and it looks like a solid digital darkroom. But, more importantly, it marks another step in the ongoing evolution that is changing the way humans interact with machines. One that, in fact, is putting back our human nature into computing.

The new Adobe app just confirms the paradigm shift that is already happening, another piece towards something that I predicted even before the iPad was announced: We are witnessing the beginning of a new computing era, after the punch cards, the mainframe, the command line PC and the mouse with its graphical user interface...

3rd Nikon Update

2011-03-31T11:20:00.002-07:00

3rd Notice On The Impact By The Major Earthquake In Northeastern Japan
Nikon.com
March 31, 2011

Original Link

The Nikon Group would express our deepest condolences to the victims of the earthquake and extend our profound sympathy and heartfelt concern to those individuals and families suffering from the disaster.

The following is an update regarding Nikon Corporation and its group manufacturing facilities.

Safety of the employees

As have previously informed, to our deepest regret, death of one employee of Sendai Nikon Corporation has been confirmed and safety of three employees is not yet confirmed in the area of Natori City, Miyagi Prefecture.

Reopen of operation at the manufacturing facilities and outlook on the future production

One of our own plants and seven of our manufacturing subsidiaries are located in the disastrous region of Miyagi Prefecture, Tochigi Prefecture and Ibaraki Prefecture *. All of these facilities have resumed their operation now with reopen by yesterday, March 30 of Sendai Nikon Corporation and Miyagi Nikon Precision Co., Ltd.

It has been becoming clearer that we will be able to secure parts/components including their replacements through our investigation of the current conditions and possible measures to secure the procurement in our collaboration with our business partners. However, we have a concern that the situation may continue where our production cannot fully satisfy our customers’ requirement due to inability of full swing production worsened by the planned blackouts of electricity. While we will do our utmost effort to overcome such expected difficulties, we will be most grateful if our customers could understand such circumstances.

Forecast of effect by the damage to our business performances

We are continuing our endeavor to evaluate how the immediate damage by the disaster and planned blackouts of electricity will result in our group companies and business performances. We will announce our findings immediately when it is judged that there will be important change in our forecast.

* Locations of each plant and manufacturing subsidiaries

Mito Plant, Nikon Corporation : Mito, Ibaraki Pref.
Sendai Nikon Corporation : Natori, Miyagi Pref.
Miyagi Nikon Precision Co., Ltd. : Zao-machi, Katta-gun, Miyagi Pref.
Zao factory, Nikon-Trimble Co., Ltd. : Zao-machi, Katta-gun, Miyagi Pref.
Tochigi Nikon Corporation : Otawara, Tochigi Pref.
Tochigi Nikon Precision Co., Ltd. : Otawara, Tochigi Pref.
Kurobane Nikon Co., Ltd. : Otawara, Tochigi Pref.
Nasu Nikon Co., Ltd. : Nasukarasuyama, Tochigi Pref.

40 Amazing Shots Of Motion Blur In Photographs

2011-03-27T02:18:00.001-07:00

See all 40 images on Smashing Hub.

Video: Creating A Hubble Galaxy In Two Minutes

2011-03-26T19:27:00.000-07:00

Hubble images are made, not born. Images must be woven together from the incoming data from the cameras, cleaned up and given colors that bring out features that eyes would otherwise miss. In this video from HubbleSite.org, online home of the Hubble Space Telescope, a Hubble-imaged galaxy comes together on the screen at super-fast speed.

Learn more about how Hubble images are made by visiting Behind the Pictures.

National Geographic Wallpapers

2011-03-26T14:17:00.000-07:00

Fantastic collection of breathtaking National Geographic wallpapers.

GelaSkin for iPad Sunfellow

2011-03-23T01:25:00.000-07:00

After a year of waiting for Apple to come out with their second generation iPad, which includes a built-in camera, I lined up and bought an iPad 2 with WI-FI via their online store. It arrived a few days ago and is beautiful. I love it. In a future update, I plan to post a list of my favorite apps. For now, I thought some of you might be interested in knowing where I ordered a protective cover for the back of the iPad, which is made of beautiful, albeit slippery, aluminum. I ordered the back cover via GelaSkins, which allows you to select from a large gallery of images, or upload your own. I chose to upload my own (included below). The cost, not including shipping, was a surprisingly inexpensive $19.95! Better, GelaSkins also offers stylish clothing for lots of other products, including iPhones, iPods, cell phones, laptops, netbooks, tablets, eReaders, and more.

My only complaint: most of the images that GelaSkins offers -- at least the first few hundred I rummaged through -- were dominated by what I considered to be unattractive, modernistic images -- so I applied to be one of their artists and see if they would like to expand their gallery offerings to include at least a few Native American rock art images from Sedona. We'll see what happens...

2nd Nikon Update

2011-03-23T00:55:00.003-07:00

2nd Notice On The Impact By The Major Earthquake In Northeastern Japan
Nikon.com
March 22, 2011

Original Link

The Nikon Group would express our deepest condolences to the victims of the earthquake and extend our profound sympathy and heartfelt concern to those individuals and families suffering from the disaster.

We have set up the Emergency Headquarters for Disaster Control headed by the President on March 11 immediately after the earthquake, and have been gathering safety information of our employees, examining damage to the manufacturing equipment and continuing every effort to resume operation at the earliest possible. The following is an update regarding the impact of the earthquake on the Nikon Group and outlook on the future production.

1. Safety of the employees

To our deepest regret, death of one employee of Sendai Nikon Corporation has been confirmed. Safety of three employees is not yet confirmed in the area of Natori City, Miyagi Prefecture.

2. Damage to the manufacturing equipment and outlook on the future production

One of our own plants and seven of our manufacturing subsidiaries are located in Miyagi Prefecture, Tochigi Prefecture and Ibaraki Prefecture in the disastrous region*. Operation has been suspended at all of them after the earthquake.

At Tochigi Nikon Corporation, operation has started from Friday, March 18.

At Sendai Nikon Corporation and Miyagi Nikon Precision Co., both of which have been severely damaged, operation is expected to resume by the end of this March. Operation at the remaining facilities will start tomorrow on March 23.

Even after operation resumes, we have a concern that the situation may happen where our production cannot fully satisfy our customers’ requirement due to inability of full swing production caused by problems such as the planned blackouts of electricity and procurement of components from our business partners. While we will do our utmost effort to overcome such expected difficulties, we will be most grateful if our customers could understand such circumstances.

We assure to extend our best support for restoration of the facilities hit by the disaster to our customers of Precision Equipment and Instruments business, and repair/servicing to our customers of Imaging business suffering from the disaster.

3. Forecast of effect by the damage to our business performances

We are continuing our endeavor to evaluate how the immediate damage by the disaster and planned blackouts of electricity will result in our group companies and business performances. We will announce our findings immediately when it is judged that there will be important change in our forecast.

* Locations of each plant and manufacturing subsidiaries

Mito Plant, Nikon Corporation : Mito,Ibaraki Pref.
Sendai Nikon Corporation : Natori, Miyagi Pref.
Miyagi Nikon Precision Co., Ltd. : Zao-machi, Katta-gun, Miyagi Pref.
Zao factory, Nikon-Trimble Co., Ltd. : Zao-machi, Katta-gun, Miyagi Pref.
Tochigi Nikon Corporation : Otawara, Tochigi Pref.
Tochigi Nikon Precision Co., Ltd. : Otawara, Tochigi Pref.
Kurobane Nikon Co., Ltd. : Otawara, Tochigi Pref.
Nasu Nikon Co., Ltd. : Nasukarasuyama, Tochigi Pref.

Nikon Announcement Concerning Japanese Earthquake

2011-03-14T02:15:00.001-07:00

Notice On The Damage Hit By Major Earthquake In Northern Japan (Japan's Tohoku Region)
March 14, 2011
Nikon.com

Original Link

The Nikon Group would like to express its profound sympathy and condolences to the victims of earthquake in Major Earthquake in Northern Japan (Japan's Tohoku region) on March 11. The effects to our group companies are as follows.

Measures To Cope With The Situations

We have set up the Emergency Headquarters for Disaster Control headed by the President on March 11 immediately after the earthquake, and are taking the necessary steps. We are currently endeavoring to normalize our business as early as possible through our BCM (Business Continuity Management) teams established in each in-house company.

Damage To Our Group Companies

2-1. Damage to equipment and buildings

Our group companies, including Sendai Nikon Corporation, Natori, Miyagi Pref., Miyagi Nikon Precision Co., Ltd., Zao-machi, Katta-gun, Miyagi Pref., Tochigi Nikon Corporation, Otawara, Tochigi Pref., Tochigi Nikon Precision Co., Ltd., Otawara, Tochigi Pref., and other subsidiaries as well as our Plants suffered damage to some part of the equipment and buildings. We are suspending operations there and continuing to evaluate further details of the damage. We are unable to announce how soon the operation will resume due to the regional interruption of life-lines although endeavor for restoration are under the way by some of our maintenance personnel.

• For the list of our group companies

• For the list of our plants

2-2. Damage to personnel

Injury is reported to some of our group employees. We are currently continuing to gather safety information of our personnel and its family members.

Forecast Of Effect By The Damage To Our Business Performances

We are concentrated in evaluating how the immediate damage by the disaster and controlled interruption of electricity started from March 14 will result in our group companies and business performances. We will advise our findings immediately when it is revealed that the damage would further expand.

Nikon's Sendai Plant Shutdown, Damaged

2011-03-13T10:31:00.003-07:00

The Japanese site Asahi reports that Nikon’s plants in Miyagi Prefecture (where Sendai is located) are virtually impossible to resume operations in 14 days. The buildings were damaged but still standing. The Sendai factory produces high-end and pro level Nikon SLR cameras. Sendai Airport, which has been badly hit by the tsunami is only a few kilometres from Nikon's Sendai plant. -- Source 1 and Source 2

The Sendai plant is not very large but it is where the top level pro Nikon bodies have been built since the mid or late 1970s, so it is the home of the F3, F4, F5, F6, D1, D2 and D3 series cameras and much of Nikon's engineering staff is located there as well. -- Source

...

Location of Nikon plants. -- Source

...

Nikon has shifted much of its manufacturing facilities to Thailand, with some production (especially of Coolpix cameras and some low-end lenses) in China and Indonesia. The company constructed a factory in Ayuthaya north of Bangkok in Thailand in 1991. By the year 2000, it had 2,000 employees. Steady growth over the next few years and an increase of floor space from the original 19,400 square meters (208,827 square feet) to 46,200 square meters (497,300 square feet) enabled the factory to produce a wider range of Nikon products. By 2004, it had more than 8,000 workers.

The range of the products produced at Nikon Thailand include plastic molding, optical parts, painting, printing, metal processing, plating, spherical lens process, aspherical lens process, prism process, electrical and electronic mounting process, silent wave motor and autofocus unit production.

As of 2009, all of Nikon's Nikon DX format DSLR cameras are produced in Thailand, while their Nikon FX format (full frame) cameras (D700, D3, D3S and D3X) are built in Japan. The Thai facility also produces most of Nikon's digital "DX" zoom lenses, as well as numerous other lenses in the Nikkor line.

-- From Wikipedia on Nikon

Related Links:

• Google Maps: Location of Sendai Plant In Japan
• Nikon Sendai Plant Visit (09/15/07)
• Wikipedia on Nikon

Kudos Bridal Fair Cover Shot

2011-03-05T02:22:00.000-07:00

Most of you who have been following me, know that one of my images was used as the theme image for the 2011 Sedona Bridal Fair. Along with appearing on websites, banner ads, post cards, and tickets, it also graced the cover of the February 16th special issue that Kudo’s created for the Bridal Fair. In case you missed it, here’s what the cover of that issue looked like. Thanks to Jane Perini, the graphic artist that created the cover, for sending me a high resolution copy. Click on the image below to see a larger version.

Nikon Releases "Distortion Control Data Upgrade" For D90 & D5000

2011-02-20T01:38:00.001-07:00

The Distortion Control Data firmware upgrade is available for Nikon D90 and D5000 cameras. This is used to correct barrel and pincushion distortion during shooting and editing. To download this upgrade, go here.

Terry White: 5 Things I Do To Every Portrait

2011-02-02T23:52:00.000-07:00

Is Wedding Photography Broken?

2011-02-02T09:47:00.001-07:00

Here's an important article all my wedding photography friends should read and ponder:

Wedding Photography – The State of the Union
Are Weddings Broken?
By David Ziser

Excerpts:

"Last year at an Imaging USA luncheon with some of the most prestigious photographers in attendance, one of the top wedding photographers in the country said, 'Weddings are broken.' I think this statement reflects the state of wedding photography for many photographers nationwide."

...

"I know of three wedding photographers, photographers that were the leading wedding photographers in their respective cities who were all but out of the business in 2010. One drives a large cross country rig (and loves it BTW), another is driving limos to make ends meet, and another 30 year wedding photography veteran works at a popular retail outlet for the same reason -- no business. (He loves his new part time job too).

"The turn down in sales is not just limited to wedding photography either. It’s encompassing all areas of the photographic profession including family portraits, high school seniors, and all the services professional photographers have been offering their clients for the last 40-50 years."

"And the real fact of the matter is that it has all happened in the last 24-36 months. Photographers were having their best years in 2006 and 2007. Things started to go south with the crash of the economy in October of 2008. Although the “Crash of ‘08” certainly played a major role in the downturn of wedding sales averages, I believe the downturn was due to more than this single event."

...

"The point I’m trying to make is this. The market crash hit all vendors, photographers included, regardless of the market segment they served. The consumer was cutting back, and appeared to be cutting back across the board."

...

"Let’s look at I call the “Wal-Mart Effect”... In 1985, about the age today’s bride and groom were born, there were 882 Wal-Marts throughout the US. That number has grown to over 8,400 worldwide, nearly 10x the figure 25 years ago. What’s my point? Today’s wedding buying generation has been bombarded their entire lives with “…that we are lowering prices everyday” in Wal-Mart, Target, and K-Mart ads. Every retailer is offering deals and today’s bride and groom want a deal too. Today’s wedding buying population is, like it or not, a Wal-Mart population -- looking for the best deal all the time, even in their wedding photography."

...

"OK, a quick review... The aspiring photographer is getting better and better with the ease of use the new digital cameras provide and the bountiful amount of all the free training online. The whole world loves digital photography. But in October 2008, the stock market goes from 14,000 to just below 6,600. The housing bubble bursts and unemployment starts to shoot up dramatically!...

"People need to supplement their income; they’re excited about photography; they’re been trained to know an F-stop from a shutter speed; Craig’s List and eventually Facebook, sure seem like an easy and cheap way to advertise -- the new breed of weekend wedding warrior is born. And, they are entering the wedding market at an exponentially increasing rate."...

"Smart phones, and P&S digital cameras make photography more accessible to everybody, Facebook makes the sharing of any photographs easier than ever to with family, friends, actually the world. Are high school wallet photos even necessary any more? This combo begs the question, 'Is professional photography even relevant anymore?!'"

Kudos Ad & Canvas Print

2011-01-28T14:13:00.000-07:00

Crunch time for SWPA wedding pros who are running ads in the extra-special Sedona Bridal Fair pullout that Kudos will be printing for us. February 16th is the publication date. Here's the ad I am running for Sunfellow Photography.

Canvas prints of this gorgeous image are also available through my Fine Art America gallery.

National Geographic: Best Wallpapers of 2010

2011-01-17T21:32:00.001-07:00

To download these wallpapers (and discover more like them) go here.

2010 Sedona Celtic Harvest Festival

2011-01-13T19:29:00.000-07:00

The video and images from the 2010 Sedona Celtic Harvest Festival are now finished! The event video is posted above, and is also available on the Sunfellow Productions YouTube channel. 117 photos from the event, which took place Saturday, September 25, 2010 in Sedona, Arizona, are posted here. All 600 plus images are available here. And, finally, a web page describing all aspects of our coverage is located here. The 2010 festival was a pleasure to film and photograph and the people, like usual, were marvelous! Special thanks to Dorothy O'Brien for spearheading this event -- and allowing me to record it for the second year in a row. Videos and photos from the 2009 Festival are located here.

Great Photographers: Markus Schwarze

2011-01-07T02:22:00.001-07:00

The work of photographers like Markus Schwarze takes my breath away...

Help Portrait @ PAR In Largo, FL

2010-12-26T03:41:00.000-07:00

Operation PAR website

Terry White: Overview Of New Features In Photoshop CS5

2010-12-25T00:35:00.002-07:00

Adobe Photoshop CS5 has some mind blowing new features that will make your retouching and photo editing work much much easier and faster. In this video Terry White provides a complete overview of many of the new features in Photoshop CS5...

Firmware Update for Nikon D7000

2010-12-25T00:29:00.000-07:00

Nikon has published a firmware update for the D7000 that includes a fix for this problem:

“Bright spots were sometimes noticeable with live view mode or movie recording of especially dark scenes or subjects. Occurrence of this issue has been reduced.”

Nikon D7000 Firmware Update Page

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3.3 Upgrade

2010-12-06T23:37:00.001-07:00

The 3.3 upgrade for Adobe Photoshop Lightroom is now available. It includes camera support for several new cameras, including the Nikon D7000, and contains corrections for issues introduced in Lightroom 3.0.

• Download Mac Upgrade Here
• Download Windows Upgrade Here

Weddings In Sedona

2010-11-30T11:24:00.000-07:00

Of all the wedding planners in Sedona, I work the most with Weddings in Sedona. Like most of the wedding professionals in Sedona, the folks behind Weddings in Sedona are warm, caring, beautiful human beings and super-competent wedding professionals. Here's a recent video of theirs that is aimed at the wedding market in Japan (a lot of Japanese toursits visit Sedona every year). The large photo behind Uqualla is one of mine -- it hangs on one of the walls in the Weddings in Sedona office. You can find many photos of Native American weddings on my photo website, including a complete section dedicated to Uqualla.

Ken Rockwell: "The D7000 Is Nikon's Best DSLR Ever"

2010-11-29T20:10:00.001-07:00

EXCERPTS:

The D7000 is Nikon's most advanced camera at any price. The fact that it sells for $1,200 make it a no-brainer, which is why it's sold out. The D7000 is Nikon's best DSLR ever.

Unlike 2009's crappy D3000, Nikon really did their homework these past couple of years on the D7000, and everything about it just works better than older cameras, technically, artistically and ergonomically.

The D7000 has the highest linear resolution of any Nikon DSLR, and more overall resolution than any other Nikon under $7,500. The Nikon D7000 has technical performance better than every other Nikon DSLR priced under $7,500, and handles better than any Nikon DSLR, regardless of price.

The D7000 certainly replaces the old D300s, at a lower price for even higher technical and ergonomic performance...

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For most people, the D7000 is the camera to get, regardless of price, while FX is still the go-to camera for full-time pros.

...

There is a focus motor in the D7000, so it works with every AF lens made since 1986.

Even better, there's an aperture-ring feeler, so it meters with all AI and newer (1977-on) manual-focus lenses.

...

...I get free, live backup of everything I shoot because I record it to two cards simultaneously.

I can download and reformat one card and not worry if I backup my computer that day, because if I drop my MacBook Pro into McGee Creek, it's all still on the second card in my camera. I never worry about backing-up until I return from the field.

...

One of the biggest stand-out features of the Nikon D7000 is its fantastic autofocus system.

Whatever Nikon has done under the hood has made it the best, fastest, most precise and most accurate focus system of any Nikon.

This becomes more apparent as you've shot more cameras for longer; it's a subtle thing, but something I very much notice.

It feels about the same or better than my professional Nikon D3, and worlds faster in actual use than my Nikon D300.

Read Ken Rockwell's complete review here.

Utah 3D Panoramas

2010-11-20T23:08:00.002-07:00

This is cool.
Utah, in full surround 360 degree interactive panoramas.

www.utah3d.net

Another Great Gift Idea: Scott Kelby's Digital Photography Boxed Set

2010-11-17T00:12:00.000-07:00

Another great gift idea:

Scott Kelby's Digital Photography Boxed Set, Volumes 1, 2, and 3

For The Holidays: Best Gift Guides

2010-11-16T00:43:00.001-07:00

Scott Kelby's 2010 Holiday Gear Guide

Terry White's 2010 Holiday Gadget Gift Guide

DxOMark: Nikon D7000 vs. D90 vs. D300s

2010-11-08T10:33:00.001-07:00

Click to see larger image.

Source

DxOMark Camera Sensor Rankings: Nikon D7000 Ranked 10th

2010-11-08T10:30:00.002-07:00

DxOMark ratings of camera sensors at RAW level. The Sensor Overall Score (included below), shows the performance for a general purpose use case, the Portrait Score based on Color Depth, the Landscape Score based on Dynamic Range and the Sports Score based on Low-Light ISO.

The Sensor Overall Score is based on:

- The quality of the sensor in terms of noise.
- The ability to render high contrast.
- The formation of colored noise.
- The ability to shoot in low light.

The Sensor Overall Score DOES NOT show:

- The resolution of the camera, i.e., its ability to render fine details.
- The quality of the lens.
- The optical aberrations.

Rank - Camera - Score - Price

Notice Nikon has FIVE cameras listed in the top 10
(Canon only has one)

1 - Phase One P65 Plus - 89 - $39,900.00
2 - Nikon D3X - 88 - $9,172.00
3 - Phase One P40 Plus - 87 - $19,500.00
4 - Pentax 645D - 82 - $9,400.00
5 - Nikon D3s - 82 - $5,510.00
6 - Pentax K-5 - 82 - $1,374.00
7 - Nikon D3 - 81 - $4,300.00
8 - Nikon D700 - 80 - $2,699.00
9 - Canon EOS 1Ds Mark III - 80 - $7,100.00
10 - Nikon D7000 - 80 - $1,300.00
11 - Canon EOS 5D Mark II
12 - Sony Alpha 850
13 - Sony Alpha 900
14 - Hasselblad H3DII 50
15 - Leaf Aptus75S
16 - Phase One P45 Plus
17 - Hasselblad H3DII 39
18 - Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II
19 - Canon EOS 1D Mark IV
20 - Sony SLT Alpha 55
21 - Nikon D90
22 - Nikon D5000
23 - Pentax K-x
24 - Pentax K-r
25 - Canon EOS 1D Mark III

Source

Nikon D90 Firmware Update

2010-11-07T21:24:00.000-07:00

A new firmware update (Ver. 1.002) for the Distortion Control Data for Nikon D90 and D5000 is out. Here's where to go for Mac and Windows. The step-by-step installation guide for Mac users is located here. The step-by-step user guide for Windows users is located here.

Dazzling Sedona Weddings!

2010-11-07T01:14:00.001-07:00

Here's a video I made showcasing images from a few of the hundreds of weddings I have photographed in and around Sedona. I am now offering my couples the option of turning a few of their best wedding images into a video like this that they can post on their blogs, websites, and social networks. I'm expecting it to be a hit, especially now that everyone -- young, old, and everyone in between -- are hanging out on Facebook! You can watch a larger, high-resolution copy of this video here.

Nikon Cameras In Outer Space

2010-10-20T00:01:00.000-07:00

Original Link (Thanks to Nikon Rumors)

The power of images drives the imagination and yearning to explore the universe. This movie introduces Nikon's space cameras that continue to record challenges for humanity and deliver an amazing variety of images from outer space.

PSW09: McNally vs. Kelby

2010-10-18T01:02:00.002-07:00

Hitler Unhappy With Nikon D7000 Shipment Schedule

2010-10-14T21:38:00.002-07:00

Hitler finds out his Nikon D7000 is not shipping until November from nikonreviewcentral on Vimeo.

Digitutor D7000

2010-10-13T14:58:00.001-07:00

A helpful video tutorial describing the key features of Nikon's new D7000 camera.

Nikon D7000 Videos

2010-09-16T14:13:00.000-07:00

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The Nikon D7000 is a dust- and moisture-sealed 16.2-megapixel DX-format DSLR camera with a 39-point AF system, 14-bit analogue-to-digital conversion, 6fps continuous shooting, dual memory card slots and Full HD video with full-time autofocus and manual exposure control. The new AF module includes 9 cross-type sensors in the central part of the frame. Photographers can also activate 3D tracking, which continuously follows moving subjects within the 39 AF points, highlighting the activated AF point in the viewfinder - which in turn has 100% frame coverage and 0.94x magnification. Also new is the 2,016-pixel 3D Colour Matrix meter, which Nikon calls "groundbreaking". The Nikon D7000 has a native ISO range of 100-6400 that can be expanded to ISO 25,600; another first in a Nikon DX camera. The video mode of the D7000 offers variable frame rates of 20, 24 or 30fps at 720p, and cinema-standard 24fps at the 1080p setting. In the US, the Nikon D7000 will be available from mid-October priced at $1199.95 for body only and $1499.95 for body and lens outfit that includes the AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR lens.

30 Outstanding Panoramas

2010-09-15T00:06:00.000-07:00

Click here to see all 30!

All About The New Nikon D7000

2010-09-14T23:09:00.002-07:00

For links all over the place about the new Nikon D7000, visit this page on Nikon Rumors. Bottom line: I need to replace my Nikon D90, D300, and D80 cameras with three of these jewels...

Publish Your Pictures To Facebook Directly From Lightroom 3.2

2010-09-09T01:00:00.001-07:00

In this video Terry White demonstrates how to use Lightroom 3.2's ability to publish photos directly to your Facebook account.

Rumored Specs Of Nikon D7000 (D90 Replacement)

2010-09-07T12:46:00.001-07:00

Nikon is expected to make an announcement on September 15th concerning the camera that will replace the D90. Nikon Rumors is reporting that this new camera -- the D7000 -- will likely include the following features:

• 100% viewfinder
• Dual SD memory card slots
• Magnesium-alloy body
• 16.2MP CMOS sensor (DX)
• Expeed 2
• 1080 HD video @24p | 720 @30p (not sure about those)
• 20 min video recording (up from 5min on the D90)
• Save images from video (similar to the D3s)
• AF during video
• Stereo mic input for video
• 6 fps
• Virtual horizon (like the D300s)
• One touch video and/or live view (similar to the D3100)
• Improved ISO range: 100-25600
• 39 AF points
• Wireless flash
• Weather proof (like the D300s)
• New battery system
• Expected price: $1199 for body only
• Update: no swivel display

Terry White: Top Photoshop CS5 Features (Must Watch)

2010-09-06T10:56:00.000-07:00

Design Evangelist Terry White describes his favorite features in Adobe Photoshop CS5.

New Nikon USA Store

2010-09-03T07:49:00.001-07:00

Nikon launches new Nikon USA store. Thanks to Nikon Rumors for catching this.

Bell Rock Wedding Photos

2010-08-18T13:32:00.001-07:00

I just finished adding a few photos to the Bell Rock section on my photo website. The photos come from Sherry and Jacob’s August 6th wedding. The light was perfect. The bride was beautiful, easy-going, and spunky. Everything flowed. The Bell Rock section is located here. More photos from this wedding are posted here. Thanks to Andrew Murphy of Heart of Sedona Weddings for making this wedding possible.

The Nikon Coolpix S1100pj 14 MP Digital Camera

2010-08-17T11:33:00.000-07:00

Nikon Coolpix S1100pj 14 MP Digital Camera

Scott Kelby On Aperture Versus Lightroom

2010-08-16T10:31:00.006-07:00

In response to a misrepresentation of his views of Aperture versus Lightroom, Scott Kelby wrote a helpful comparison the two programs. To summarize: far more pros use Lightroom than Aperture; Aperture lacks many of the features found in Lightroom; Aperture is slow and buggy; and Aperture only has one feature that Kelby favors over Lightroom's -- Aperture's making photo books feature.

Here are a few quick excerpts:

...

"I only like Aperture better for one feature -- making photo books. I don’t use it for anything else (I do my slideshows in iPhoto)."

...

"...if I had written an Aperture 4 wish list article, it would have gone on to include features already in Lightroom that Aperture doesn’t do well, or doesn’t do at all, like: automated and manual lens correction and perspective correction, or snapshots and history for your edits, or supporting multiple adjustments with one brush stroke like Lightroom’s Adjustment Brush, or built-in Camera profiles to emulate Nikon/Canon in-camera looks, or a fast responsive crop tool, or crop tool overlays for composition, or setting your default adjustment settings by camera model, camera serial number or image ISO, or expertly-tuned sharpening on output, or saving your print layouts as JPEGs so you can send them to a photo lab, and I could go on and on and on.

"Not to mention that there’s a massive worldwide community built around using Lightroom and supporting Lightroom users, and you can find tons of presets, plug-ins, advice, training books, live seminars, hands-on workshops, and even its own conference available to Lightroom users, that simply doesn’t exist on that scale for Aperture users (and did I mention that Aperture isn’t even available on the Windows platform at all?)."

...

"An independent study by InfoTrends looked at which programs pros are using to process their raw images. Here’s what they found:

"In 2009 (the most current year for which statistics are available) here’s what the pros use:

"Lightroom: 37%

"Aperture: 6.3% (down from 7.5% the previous year, so their pro user base is actually shrinking).

"Now, although Lightroom is available for both PCs and Macs, Aperture is only available on Macs, and you’d think that would help its case quite a bit, but it actually gets worse when you just compare what Mac users are using. Here are InfoTrend’s results when you just look at pro photographers using Macs:

"Lightroom: 44.4%

"Aperture: 12.5% (down from 14.6% the previous year, so their pro user base is actually shrinking on the Mac, too)."

...

You can read Kelby's complete article here.

New Nikon Cameras Coming

2010-08-16T10:13:00.001-07:00

Nikon Rumors is reporting that Nikon is planning to announce new Coolpix models on August 17th and four new lenses and the Nikon D3100 on August 19th. No dates or new information on D90 and D700 replacements yet.

Check Your Shutter Count

2010-08-07T11:09:00.001-07:00

MyShutterCount.com provides a tool for you to check your digital camera shutter count and basic EXIF information. Simply upload a photo which is taken by your digital camera. We will show you the shutter count of your camera instantly. MyShutterCount.com supports Nikon's NEF, Pextax's DNG, PEF, and non-edited JPG formats.

Thanks to friend and photographer Mel Russell for this tip!

Photography Is Not A Crime

2010-07-21T13:25:00.001-07:00

Check out the Photography Is Not A Crime (It’s A First Amendment Right) Website. Great news and information concerning all aspects of photographing people (including police officers) in public places.

Excerpt from The Photographer's Right (pdf) by Bert P. Krages II

"The general rule in the United States is that anyone may take photographs of whatever they want when they are in a public place or places where they have permission to take photographs. Absent a specific legal prohibition such as a statute or ordinance, you are legally entitled to take photographs. Examples of places that are traditionally considered public are streets, sidewalks, and public parks.

"Property owners may legally prohibit photography on their premises but have no right to prohibit others from photographing their property from other locations. Whether you need permission from property owners to take photographs while on their premises depends on the circumstances. In most places, you may reasonably assume that taking photographs is allowed and that you do not need explicit permission. However, this is a judgment call and you should request permission when the circumstances suggest that the owner is likely to object. In any case, when a property owner tells you not to take photographs while on the premises, you are legally obligated to honor the request..."

Scott McClellan FX

2010-07-19T18:23:00.000-07:00

New Fine Art Gallery

2010-07-17T01:08:00.004-07:00

Looking to purchase some inspiring, high-quality, off-the-beaten-path prints? With a nudge from friend and fellow Sedona photographer Bob Coates, I created a gallery of some of my favorite images on Fine Art America. Along with providing customers with a variety of print options, including wall-sized canvass prints (my favorite), Fine Art America also offers a 100% money-back guarantee on all the prints they produce. They also have a very fast turnout time: they ship whatever prints are ordered within three days! Come take a look.

Porcelana

2010-07-11T10:36:00.000-07:00

Porcelana from Real Creations on Vimeo.

The Making Of Porcelana

2010-07-11T02:11:00.002-07:00

Porcelana - Making Of from Real Creations on Vimeo.

fstoppers

2010-07-11T01:17:00.000-07:00

fstoppers on Facebook - fstoppers on Vimeo - fstoppers website

The iPhone Fashion Shoot

2010-07-11T00:12:00.001-07:00

The iPhone Fashion Shoot - Lee Morris Shoots With The 3GS Fstoppers from FStoppers on Vimeo.

50 Incredible Photography Techniques and Tutorials

2010-07-10T13:39:00.000-07:00

50 Incredible Photography Techniques and Tutorials from Smashing Magazine.

Photoshop CS5 Overview

2010-06-21T02:16:00.002-07:00

The Zi8 Pocket Video Camera In Action

2010-06-20T00:23:00.001-07:00

Here are four videos shot by Sher Stultz using The Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera I wrote about in my last blog. Like most digital cameras, the Zi8 doesn't do well in bright sunlight, especially with anything white. But turn it loose indoors, where the light is more even and subdued, and you can see how well this $150.00 camera can shoot. Considering the cost, and how small and easy to carry the camera is, we should all have one. You're obviously not going to get the same quality that you will from higher priced cameras, but how many of those can you stuff in your pocket and carry everywhere with a minimum of hassle?

For those of you who want to follow Sher's travel blog (which is really good, by the way), it's located here: Great Blue Wanderers.

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Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera

2010-06-13T11:24:00.018-07:00

I'm always on the lookout for something I can EASILY carry with me EVERYWHERE that allows me to shoot quick videos and snap quick photos with a minimum of fuss and muss -- and produce great results. Recently, Sher Stultz needed a small, inexpensive, high-quality video camera that she could take on the road to document her trip. After researching the current models that are available, and carefully comparing their features (and user reviews), I/we settled on this little beauty: The Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera. Along with shooting 1080p on SD and SDHC cards, this pocket-sized camera also allows you to connect a external microphone (which is critical for people who want decent sound in situations where the built-in mic falls short). Sher ordered the camera and we took it for a spin. I love it and have since recommended it to another friend, who had similar needs -- and a tight budget. I also plan to put my money where my mouth is and get one myself. It will replace a bulkier Panasonic HD video camera I've been carrying around with me, and give me longer battery life, better low-light capabilities, a 5 megapixel still camera, and, very important, a less intimidating, more informal presence when I pull it out to shoot someone or something.

For a very nice overview of this camera, including a list of recommended accessories, I encourage you to watch this video from Traffic Geyser. I've included a quick list of the accessories that are recommended in this video below, along with a few others that I think are worthwhile.

Zi8 & Recommended Accessories:

• Kodak Zi8 Pocket Video Camera
• Transcend 16 GB Class 6 SDHC Flash Memory Card
• Audio Technica ATR-3350 Lavalier Omnidirectional Condenser Microphone
• AZDEN ECZ-990 Super Cardioid Zoom Camcorder Microphone
• AV-JEFE CM520 Professional Lavalier Mic With 3.5mm Stereo Plug
• Sony ECM-DS70P Electret Condenser Stereo Microphone
• Manfrotto 785 Modo Maxi Photo Video Grip Head Tripod
• High Density (Black) Neoprene Glove Case and Mini Tripod Combo for Kodak Zi8 HD Pocket Video Camera
• Kodak Li-Ion Rechargeable Battery/KLIC 7004
• Kodak Remote Control for Zi8 Pocket Video Camera

Zi8 Features Include:

• A flexible swing-out USB arm
• Removable lithium-ion batteries that can be charged in or out of the camera
• SD card slot - so you can bring extra cards and keep on shooting
• 2.5-inch color LCD
• External microphone jack
• Full HD 1080p video capture
• Built-in electronic image stabilization
• 5MP still capture
• Improved low light performance
• Smart face-tracking technology

New Wedding Photos

2010-06-10T00:59:00.000-07:00

Just finished adding some more new photos to my photo website. Most of these photos are from Anna and Javier’s wedding, which was officiated by Uqualla, a Native American officiate. The newest images can be found here. A special section featuring images of Uqualla are located here.

Lightroom 3 Learning Center

2010-06-08T15:24:00.000-07:00

Scott Kelby and Matt Kloskwoski provide a nice introduction to some of the cool features found in Lightroom 3. Here's where to go to watch a series of videos that illustrate their favorite Lightroom 3 features.

Adobe Lightroom 3 Now Available

2010-06-08T15:18:00.001-07:00

Adobe Lightroom 3 is finally available. Go here for more information.

Impressive Film Shot On Canon 5D

2010-05-05T15:29:00.004-07:00

Here's a post that marries three big interests of mine: photography, movie-making, and near-death experiences. The film is called "The Last 3 Minutes" and it was made by Shane Hurlbut using a Canon 5D! The first video is the film (five minutes long). The next two videos describe how the film was made.

Concerning near-death and shared death experiences, I encourage you to visit NHNE NDE, which is a network I created for people interested in these important topics.

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Hubble Celebrates 20 Years; Releases New Image

2010-04-24T20:17:00.001-07:00

Hubble's 20th anniversary image shows a mountain of dust and gas rising in the Carina Nebula. The top of a three-light-year tall pillar of cool hydrogen is being worn away by the radiation of nearby stars, while stars within the pillar unleash jets of gas that stream from the peaks. Download wallpapers of this image. Read article about Hubble's 20th anniversary.

Long Canyon Hike

2010-04-22T13:03:00.004-07:00

Here are a few photos from another Sedona hike. This time a group of friends and I headed for Long Canyon. Click here to see a gallery of images from the April, 2010 hike.

Boynton Canyon Hike

2010-04-12T01:04:00.003-07:00

I managed to get out for a nice hike this past weekend. Here are a couple photos from the adventure. The second photo is a panoramic image of my hiking buddies perched atop one of Sedona's red rocks with fantastic grooves carved into it by Mother Nature. The hike took place in Boynton Canyon. The friends who appear in the first image are, from left to right: Ken, Karen, James, Bill, Eileen, John, and yours truly. Click on the images to see larger versions.

NAPP Adobe Photoshop CS5 Learning Center

2010-04-08T11:02:00.000-07:00

NAPP Adobe Photoshop CS5 Learning Center

Aronson Family Photos

2010-03-29T00:55:00.000-07:00

Just finished adding a few photos from a family portrait session I did with Megan, Kory, and Kayta Aronson. Since then, little brother Kanon (who was in the oven at the time of the shoot) has joined the family. The photos are posted in the portrait section of my new photo website.