Sunday, March 29, 2009
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Viva Viveza!
I first heard about Nik Software's U-Point technology when they worked with Nikon to develop Capture NX. I was so impressed with what this technology could do, that I bought Capture NX when it first came out -- and then, because of a clunky interface and buggy program, abandoned it. My interest was recently reawakened when Scott Kelby and Matt Kloskowski began showcasing Nikon's Capture NX 2 software on their new D-Town program. I upgraded, but was again unhappy with the clunky interface and also didn't relish the idea of using (and learning) another software program to edit images in. Wasn't there a way to incorporate U-Point technology into Photoshop or Lightroom, which are the two main editing programs I use?
Turns out there is! The Nik software folks have come out with a program called "Viveza" which provides a U-Point plugin for Photoshop, Lightroom, and Aperture. Although pricey ($249.00), I think it is worth it. I bought the software and now have it working in both Lightroom and Photoshop -- and love what it can do!
Here's how Nik Software describes Viveza:
"Two of the most important factors in creating great photography are color and light. Mastering the art of selectively correcting or enhancing each of these is now possible for every photographer without the need for complicated masks or selections, or expert-level knowledge of Photoshop. Integrating award-winning U Point technology, Viveza is the most powerful and precise tool available to control light and color in photographic images.
"U Point powered Color Control Points, placed directly on colors or objects in an image (such as sky, skin, grass, etc.), reveal easy-to-use controls that photographers can use to quickly adjust brightness, contrast or color in a fraction of the time needed by other tools. With Viveza you’ll spend more time shooting photographs and save hours of image editing."
Here's where you can read more about it, watch tutorials, and download a 15-day fully functioning demo.
And, finally, here's a coupon code that will shave some buckeroos off that hefty $249.00 price tag: NIKPSS.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Photo Hike: Tonto National Monument
This video is from a March 12, 2009 trip to Tonto National Monument. The trip was organized by Bob Coates, of Bob Coates Photography, and made possible by Rex and Peg Lavoie, who work as volunteers at Tonto National Monument and served as tour guides. David Weingarten, of Golden Eye Photography, and yours truly accompanied Bob on the adventure. To see photos from this event, go here.
Photo Session: Tonto National Monument from David Sunfellow on Vimeo.
Photo Session: Tonto National Monument from David Sunfellow on Vimeo.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Time-Lapse Photography Of Global Warming
The Extreme Ice Survey, founded by photographer James Balog, is documenting glacial change happening right now around the world. With 26 time lapse cameras in Greenland, Iceland, Alaska, Canada, and Glacier National Park, the Extreme Ice Survey is creating the most comprehensive photographic survey of glacial change.
http://www.extremeicesurvey.org/
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/extremeice/
Friday, March 6, 2009
Aviary Tools
Aviary is a suite of powerful creative applications that you can use right in your web browser. For artists of all genres, from graphic design to audio editing.
Top 100 Photography Websites from Web100
Top 10
1. Flickr - is a fun and flexible photographic universe, for everything from storing your images to socializing with like-minded photographers.
2. Slide - It’s a new era for slideshows, and you don’t need a projector. Just upload images, add music, and then share at Facebook, MySpace, and elsewhere.
3. PopPhoto - The official website of two top photography magazines, PopPhoto is an awe-inspiring news source for cutting-edge photography.
4. Digital Photography Review - Reviews and previews of the latest digital cameras and accessories give you the information you need to make your next purchase.
5. MOO - If your photos are languishing on your hard drive, get a kick in the pants from MOO, offering exciting ways to showcase your prints.
6. Aviary - Unzip your cat’s skin, make a frog out of metal: just two things you can do with this fun photo editor.
7. Corbis - Browse the world’s most striking photos, including stock footage, pictures of celebrities, and royalty-free images.
8. Shutterstock Images - In need of a photo? Buy high-quality images at Shutterstock, the largest subscription-based stock photo agency in the world.
9. Fotolog - Photographs lead to friendship. Fotolog gives you a place to share your most obscure or brilliant images—and you may find a soulmate in the process.
10. Digital Camera Resource Page - Honest, detailed reviews of cameras, with an emphasis on consumer models, from point-and-shoot Kodaks to Nikon digital SLRs.
Top 100
1. Flickr - is a fun and flexible photographic universe, for everything from storing your images to socializing with like-minded photographers.
2. Slide - It’s a new era for slideshows, and you don’t need a projector. Just upload images, add music, and then share at Facebook, MySpace, and elsewhere.
3. PopPhoto - The official website of two top photography magazines, PopPhoto is an awe-inspiring news source for cutting-edge photography.
4. Digital Photography Review - Reviews and previews of the latest digital cameras and accessories give you the information you need to make your next purchase.
5. MOO - If your photos are languishing on your hard drive, get a kick in the pants from MOO, offering exciting ways to showcase your prints.
6. Aviary - Unzip your cat’s skin, make a frog out of metal: just two things you can do with this fun photo editor.
7. Corbis - Browse the world’s most striking photos, including stock footage, pictures of celebrities, and royalty-free images.
8. Shutterstock Images - In need of a photo? Buy high-quality images at Shutterstock, the largest subscription-based stock photo agency in the world.
9. Fotolog - Photographs lead to friendship. Fotolog gives you a place to share your most obscure or brilliant images—and you may find a soulmate in the process.
10. Digital Camera Resource Page - Honest, detailed reviews of cameras, with an emphasis on consumer models, from point-and-shoot Kodaks to Nikon digital SLRs.
Top 100
Nikon GP-1 Review
EXCERPT:
Moose Peterson Writes:
"When Nikon finally came out with their own unit, I was quite excited to get the integration. The first thing that impressed me about the GP-1 is its size, it’s much smaller than I thought it would be...
"The next thing you’ll notice is there is no On/Off switch on the GP-1. It turns on and off via the camera’s actuation. With your GPS Auto meter off Enabled in the settings for the camera, you conserve battery power but you must make sure the GPS icon appears in the camera’s LCD prior to shooting to record the GPS info...
"...the GP-1 is by far the best GPS unit I’ve have for my cameras in 30yrs so I’m quite pleased to finally have it."
Read complete review here.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Important: Willie Smits: How To Re-Grow A Rainforest
What does re-growing rainforests have to do with photography? Well, if we don't figure out a way to reverse the apocalyptic tidal waves that are headed our direction (climate change, species extinction, pollution, etc.), then photography will go down the drain with the rest of the human race. This deeply inspiring talk offers some real world examples of how some of the challenges we are facing could be reversed in a surprisingly short amount of time.
Related links:
TED Talks
http://www.masarang.org/
http://redapes.org/
Related links:
TED Talks
http://www.masarang.org/
http://redapes.org/
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Adobe Releases Lightroom 2.3 & Camera Raw 5.3
From dpreview: Adobe has released Photoshop Lightroom 2.3 and Camera Raw 5.3. These are final versions of updates which were originally posted as release candidates on the Adobe Labs site, and are now available for immediate download. Both provide additional Raw support for Nikon D3X and Olympus E-30 DSLR’s. Lightroom is also now available in 8 new languages.Click here to download Adobe Photoshop Lightroom v2.3 (Mac)
Click here to download Adobe Photoshop Lightroom v2.3 (Windows)
Click here to download Adobe Camera Raw v5.3 (Mac)
Click here to download Adobe Camera Raw v5.3 (Windows)
Monday, March 2, 2009
OmniWeb, OmniDazzle, OmniDiskSweeper, OmniObjectMeter Now Free
Attention Mac users: OmniWeb, OmniDazzle, OmniDiskSweeper, and OmniObjectMeter are now free: www.omnigroup.com
Friday, February 27, 2009
Lightroom & GPS Camera-Mounted Systems
Matt Kloskowski of Adobe Lightroom Killer Tips writes:
"Here’s the condensed 3 minute version of how GPS info relates to your photos in Lightroom. It’s actually a very cool feature and with many sharing sites today reading GPS information and taking viewers directly to a map of that location it makes it even more fun."
GPS System That Scott Kelby Recommends: di_GPS
Nikon's GPS Unit: GP-1 GPS Unit On Nikon Website
Nikon's GPS Unit: GP-1 GPS Unit On B&H
Largest US Camera Store Seeks Bankruptcy Protection
Largest US Camera Store Seeks Bankruptcy Protection
DPReview
February 24, 2009
EXCERPT:
Ritz Camera, the largest dedicated camera retailer in the US has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The company, which owns over 800 stores across the country, under a series of names, including Wolf Camera, has proposed a restructuring plan that will aim to see the chain continue in some form. As part of this, the company has applied to the bankruptcy court for permission to continue to honor its customer loyalty and rebate schemes...
Court papers suggest that Ritz Cameras owes over $40 million to its two largest creditors: Nikon's US subsidiary Nikon Inc. and Canon USA, with a further $8.4 million owed to Fujifilm USA, a subsidiary of which owns around a third of the company. To put the $26.6 million owed to Nikon Inc. into perspective, it would represent somewhere in the region of 20% of Nikon Inc's expected annual operating income.
DPReview
February 24, 2009
EXCERPT:
Ritz Camera, the largest dedicated camera retailer in the US has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The company, which owns over 800 stores across the country, under a series of names, including Wolf Camera, has proposed a restructuring plan that will aim to see the chain continue in some form. As part of this, the company has applied to the bankruptcy court for permission to continue to honor its customer loyalty and rebate schemes...
Court papers suggest that Ritz Cameras owes over $40 million to its two largest creditors: Nikon's US subsidiary Nikon Inc. and Canon USA, with a further $8.4 million owed to Fujifilm USA, a subsidiary of which owns around a third of the company. To put the $26.6 million owed to Nikon Inc. into perspective, it would represent somewhere in the region of 20% of Nikon Inc's expected annual operating income.
Nikon D-Town
DTownTV is a weekly show brought to you by Scott Kelby and Matt Kloskowski with KelbyTraining.com. Join Scott and Matt each week as they share their photography knowledge along with the coolest tips and tricks out there for Nikon’s digital SLR cameras.Nikon D-Town Website
Nikon D-Town RSS Feed
Does Mac OS X Need A Disk Defragmenter/Optimizer?
Does Mac OS X need a disk defragmenter/optimizer?
MacFixIt
March 1, 2007
EXCERPT:
Defragmentation and disk optimization in Mac OS X collectively represent an issue nearly as contentious as the debate over repairing disk permissions -- one camp argues that utilties purportedly performing these functions amount to little more than nostrums, while others claim real-world performance gains as a result of the tools' usage.
Apple's input on the subject is, as usual, less than definite. The company states explicitly in Knowledge Base article #25668 (published in 2003) that that "you probably won't need to optimize at all if you use Mac OS X," then provides instructions for what you should do "if you think you might need to defragment."
According Apple's advice, there are two scenarios under which you might need to defragment your drive:
• You have many large files (such as digital videos)
• Your disk is low on space (i.e. more than 90% full)
If these are in fact your only concerns, there are some basic remedies.
In the case of myriad large files, you can easily (as described by Apple) create a backup of all your important data -- essentially everything but operating system files -- then re-install Mac OS X and restore the files from backup. It's somewhat tedious, but should result in faster access to said large files. Or, you can use a utility like SuperDuper! to make a clone (or near-clone) of your startup drive, then simply format your drive using Apple's Disk Utility (located in Applications/Utilities) and copy the files back...
The bottom line is that users with large files will benefit most greatly from defragmentation routines in Mac OS X. However, use of the disk optimization routines offered by tools like iDefrag can also serve as a boon to casual users of Mac OS X looking for a speed boost. If you choose to use such a utility, you'll likely see the most betterment after applying a significant system update.
MacFixIt
March 1, 2007
EXCERPT:
Defragmentation and disk optimization in Mac OS X collectively represent an issue nearly as contentious as the debate over repairing disk permissions -- one camp argues that utilties purportedly performing these functions amount to little more than nostrums, while others claim real-world performance gains as a result of the tools' usage.
Apple's input on the subject is, as usual, less than definite. The company states explicitly in Knowledge Base article #25668 (published in 2003) that that "you probably won't need to optimize at all if you use Mac OS X," then provides instructions for what you should do "if you think you might need to defragment."
According Apple's advice, there are two scenarios under which you might need to defragment your drive:
• You have many large files (such as digital videos)
• Your disk is low on space (i.e. more than 90% full)
If these are in fact your only concerns, there are some basic remedies.
In the case of myriad large files, you can easily (as described by Apple) create a backup of all your important data -- essentially everything but operating system files -- then re-install Mac OS X and restore the files from backup. It's somewhat tedious, but should result in faster access to said large files. Or, you can use a utility like SuperDuper! to make a clone (or near-clone) of your startup drive, then simply format your drive using Apple's Disk Utility (located in Applications/Utilities) and copy the files back...
The bottom line is that users with large files will benefit most greatly from defragmentation routines in Mac OS X. However, use of the disk optimization routines offered by tools like iDefrag can also serve as a boon to casual users of Mac OS X looking for a speed boost. If you choose to use such a utility, you'll likely see the most betterment after applying a significant system update.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
SMARTReporter
Another software program I use to protect my Macs is SMARTReporter. SMARTReporter monitors your hard drives and can warn you of some hard drive failures before they happen, giving you time to backup critical data before it's lost! In case you need a good backup system, here are a few suggestions from previous blogs:
• Fantastic Backup Systems: WiebeTech's RTX200
• Second Generation Drobo With Firewire 800
• Scott Kelby's Photo & Computer Backup Strategy
• What To Do If Hard Drive Disaster Strikes!
TechTool Pro 5
Micromat just came out with TechTool Pro 5. I've been using TechTool Pro for years, both to diagnosis and keep my Macs running smoothly. I'm using the "Volume Optimization" feature right now to optimize a badly fragmented hard drive on my MacBook Pro. Apple, by the way, includes a stripped down version of TechTool Pro in their Apple Care program.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor 35mm F/1.8G Lens
Nikon Inc. today announced the AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G lens, which is the first fixed focal length, fast-aperture DX-format lens that affords photographers superb image quality along with the creative possibilities and versatility of the classic 50mm focal length (FX-format equivalent of 52mm). When mounted on a DX-format camera body, it enables photographers to document their world with a lens that produces a picture angle similar to the field of vision as seen through the human eye. Whether new to D-SLRs or a seasoned enthusiast, users will appreciate the extreme low-light performance and the expanded ability to dramatically separate the subject and background with the new 35mm DX lens’ wide f/1.8 aperture.
Click here for more information.
And here.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Sony HVR-Z5U / HDR-FX1000
Sony HVR-Z5U / HDR-FX1000
3-CMOS Pro HDV Camcorders
Before I went full time as a photographer, I used to shoot video, so I couldn't resist posting this B&H video that introduces two new HD cameras from Sony. While there are several wow! features on these new cameras, I was especially interested in their ability to shoot to both tape and flash card AT THE SAME TIME, thereby recording footage on two separate sources. Sony has also improved the ability of their cameras to shoot in low light which has been a major problem for the HD format. While Nikon has won me over in the photography world, Sony is the only pro level camera I would buy. The pricetag: $4,299.00 for the HVR-Z5U and $3,199.00 for the HDR-FX1000. Take a look:
Sony HVR-Z5U / HDR-FX1000
3-CMOS Pro HDV Camcorders
Before I went full time as a photographer, I used to shoot video, so I couldn't resist posting this B&H video that introduces two new HD cameras from Sony. While there are several wow! features on these new cameras, I was especially interested in their ability to shoot to both tape and flash card AT THE SAME TIME, thereby recording footage on two separate sources. Sony has also improved the ability of their cameras to shoot in low light which has been a major problem for the HD format. While Nikon has won me over in the photography world, Sony is the only pro level camera I would buy. The pricetag: $4,299.00 for the HVR-Z5U and $3,199.00 for the HDR-FX1000. Take a look:
Sony HVR-Z5U / HDR-FX1000
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