Scott McClellan FX

New Fine Art Gallery

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

Porcelana from Real Creations on Vimeo.

The Making Of Porcelana

Porcelana - Making Of from Real Creations on Vimeo.

fstoppers

fstoppers on Facebook - fstoppers on Vimeo - fstoppers website

The iPhone Fashion Shoot

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

50 Incredible Photography Techniques and Tutorials

50 Incredible Photography Techniques and Tutorials from Smashing Magazine.

Photoshop CS5 Overview

The Zi8 Pocket Video Camera In Action

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

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

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

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

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

Impressive Film Shot On Canon 5D

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

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

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

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

NAPP Adobe Photoshop CS5 Learning Center

Aronson Family Photos

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.

The Hubble In "Hubble 3D" IMAX

A short video describing the contributions of Frank Summers and colleagues at the Space Telescope Science Institute to the new IMAX film "Hubble 3D." The Hubble images are stunningly presented, and so are simulations and data animations contributed by the Advanced Visualization Lab, National Center for Supercomputing Applications, U. of Illinois. To find an iMax theater near you, go here.

Aperture 3.0 Versus Lightroom 2.0 / 3.0

Now that Apple has come out with a 3.0 version of Aperture, the competition between Adobe Lightroom and Aperture is heating up. From my perspective, there really hasn't been any competition until now.  I bought Aperture the moment it was announced, weeks before it was released, before I had heard anything about Lightroom. My early experience with Aperture was horrendous, as were many other users. The program was slow, buggy, and poorly supported. There was, in fact, a mini rebellion among many first adopters about all kinds of issues, including how much the program cost. When Lightroom came out -- and came out as a FREE (did I say FREE) demo -- many frustrated Aperture users, me included, took it for a test spin, migrated, and never looked back.

Until now.

While I haven't taken Aperture 3.0 for a spin yet, I plan to. In fact, while I haven't touched Aperture since version 1.0, I plan to upgrade to 3.0. That's because I want to use Aperture's wedding album / book making functions, which is sadly lacking in Lightroom. And while I'm at it, I also plan to try out some of the new features that people like Chase Jarvis and Joe McNally have been raving about. In advance of purchasing the $99.00 upgrade, I've spent some time watching the tutorials Apple has posted, which are great!

So what, exactly, are the pros and cons? How do these two titans compare to one another? Here's where you can find a few great reviews and feature-by-feature comparisons. The first piece, by Matt Kloskowski, is the best because it includes many real-world comparisons from people who have actually used both programs.

5 Reasons To Stay With Lightroom (And Not Switch To Aperture)
By Matt Kloskowski

Five Reasons For Switching From Lightroom 2 To Aperture 3
By Marco Davi

First Impressions Of Aperture 3
By Thomas Fitzgerald

Apple Aperture 3.0 Awesomeness
By Chase Jarvis

Aperture 3 Was My Idea
By Joe McNally

Apple's Aperture 3 Causing Significant Memory Leak For Many Users
By Seth Weintraub

New Images Of 9/11 World Trade Center Collapse

Nine years after 9/11, a stunning set of photographs taken by New York Police helicopters have been posted online. Click here to see them.

Apple's New iPad (I Want One!)

Check out Apple's new iPad here!

Superman Obama

I'm not sure who the artist is, but this was too good not to share...