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Want Instant Prints? Stampy Camera Design Stamps Out Images

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Instant gratification pushed Polaroid into a unique niche within the photography industry. The ability to view the image almost immediately allowed a pleasure no other company could create: a way to instantly view our imagery and have a print to share.

Now, we are in the digital age where every camera has instant gratification via a small LCD camera screen. Yet there is still a problem: no print to share and pass around. If you want hard copies, you will need to upload them to your favorite lab or print them on your printer…not so instant. Designer Jinhee Kim unveiled a cool design where a digital images can be stamped onto paper almost as fast as developing a Polaroid.

Licensed by Yanko Design, the innovative product named Stamp.y is coming to life. No pricing or availability has been announced.




via Yankodesign

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This Is How Much Digital Cameras Have Changed In The Past Decade

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It’s amazing to see how much things can change in a decade. Ten years ago, we invested in our first digital camera, and were amazed with the storage space on our 256 megabyte cards. Now a simple point and shoot consumer grade camera has more bells and whistles than our original DSLR.

Speed now is everything. A decade ago you could shoot at a maximum burst speed of 8 fps for up to 16 RAW frames. Today it’s at 10 fps for up to 28 RAW frames. And if you really want to show movement, with today’s Mark IV, simply turn to video mode, and capture everything as it happens.

While speed and functionality have changed considerably, the one thing that’s remained constant is cost. For about the same price as you paid a decade ago (not taking into account inflation or any other economic factors of course) you can purchase a workhorse camera perfect for the professional photographer.

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Want To Improve Your Flash Photography Skills?

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“How do I use flash on outdoor portraits and still have my portraits look natural?”

“How do I light up the dance floor in a dark reception hall?”

“How do I use off camera flash?”

I receive questions like these almost daily. Flash is definitively one area that can make or break a photographer. Knowing how to use flash can improve your photography, and if your clients see the difference, they will be willing to pay for the difference.

There are two ways to learn about lighting.

1. You can buy several types of flash units, and keep trying. Experiment with the lighting in different situations, and see what you get. Keep experimenting until you get the results you are looking for, and can achieve the same results time and again.

2. Learn from a professional. A professional can give you a ton of advice in a short period of time, offering you tips and tricks along the way.

Are you ready to shortcut your learning curve, and improve your flash photography skills today?

I found a great resource this week that I think you’re going to love. Edward Verosky just released a new ebook called Flash Photography: How To Get Amazing light In Any Improve Your Flash Photography SkillsSituation.  I’ve had a chance to go through it, and the advice is right on target. He keeps it simple, and shows you exactly what to do in many situations using photographs, diagrams, and step by step advice.

What makes this a great resource is how he presents the material. He shares ideas by actually showing you photographs he’s taken within his own studio. He gives you a diagram to show you exactly how he set up the image (where he set the subject, how the flash units were set up around the subject, where the camera angle was, etc) and shares his camera and flash settings. By seeing both the diagram and the final image, along with the description of how the final result was achieved, its easy to set up your own subject in a similar manner.

Whether you keep this as an ebook on your computer, put it on your iPad for bringing with you, or print it off for a handy field guide, this is one resource you’re going to love having. If flash has ever raised a question in your mind, grab this up. For only $9.95 a copy, you can’t go wrong.

Buy Flash Photography: How To Get Amazing light In Any Situation Now>>

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Safety Tips For Your Digital Files

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What happens if you’re shooting a wedding, leave your camera on a table to run out of the room, come back and find it missing? The camera is replaceable. But what about your memory card with the digital files you’ve just created? Worse yet, what if you have a large memory card that you’ve been using throughout the entire event, and have just lost a sizable amount of the wedding images?

If you haven’t thought about safety of your digital files yet, its time.

Size
In today’s marketplace, you can get a small 2 GB compact flash card for under $15, all the way up to a current release of a 64GB compact flash card.  And the amount of storage space is only half of the equation; current compact flash cards also are super fast to allow you to quickly transfer from your camera to computer during your small amounts of downtime.

But with the increased size capacity also comes the desire to have few cards to control during your shoot. A 65GB flash card can store thousands of images in JPEG format.

safety tips for digital files

Which brings me back to my original question.

What happens if you’re finishing up a wedding, leave your camera on a table in the reception site, come back and find it missing? Your one 64GB card was inside the camera, with the entire days’ worth of images on it. What are you going to do?
[Read more…]

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What Should You Be Shooting With – A Canon EOS-1D Mark IV or a Nikon D3S?

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If you’re just starting out and looking to invest in your first professional camera, which one should you choose?

To help you through the selection process, take a look at Snapsort – a brand new search site that finds the best camera for you by comparing any two cameras, giving you the stats, and ranking the winner accordingly.

I compared the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV to the Nikon D3S. Snapsort gives you both the differences and the similarities between the two cameras.

differences between canon eos-1d mark iv and nikon d3s

Once you’ve reviewed the differences and similarities, Snapsort declares the winner based on the camera that provides you with the most features.
[Read more…]

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Top iPhone Apps for Photographers

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Can a professional photographer really use an iPhone to help them improve their photography? While the Apple App Store has dozens of pages of apps directly related to photography, here’s a look at some of the top apps that can actually be of benefit to the true professional.DSLR Camera Remote

DSLR Camera Remote
If you’re going to try out one app, this should be the one. The DSLR Camera Remote app put out by onOne Software is designed to let you wirelessly trigger a digital SLR from your iPhone.

The DSLR Camera Remote app isn’t cheap – $2 for the lite version, $20 for the professional version – but it does come with a ton of features to help you with your photography. Not only can you control the shutter remotely, you can also control camera setting remotely, including your shutter speed, aperture, white balance and ISO. You can also view the images you’ve just taken right on your iPhone without having to run back to your camera. (And yes, it works with the iPod Touch as well.)

Best Camera
If you head to TheBestCamera website, a quote near the top by Wired says it all: “The best camera is the one you have with you. And – possibly – the best camera software designer is a photographer.”

Developed by photographer Chase Jarvis, Best Camera allows you to edit and share your photos in a simple way. With over two dozen filters to choose from, find the one that fits your situation, or stack several together to capture the best image possible. Choose from the standard filters you might expect, such as contrast or vignette, or try something new with the jewel or candy filters.
[Read more…]

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Photography Disaster Protection and Recovery – Are You Prepared?

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Being a photographer means you have many dollars worth of valuable equipment and inventory. Camera bodies. Lenses. Meters. Tripods and light stands. Computers and flash cards. The list can go on and on.

Have you ever thought about what would happen if your studio burned to the ground, your bags were stolen from your car, or you left a bag at a reception site? Photography Disaster Protection and Recovery

While all of your equipment should be covered through your business insurance policy (that’s your first item to check), there are other things you can do to make sure recovery and replacement happen quickly.

Start by inventorying everything you have. Create a list of:

  • The piece of equipment – brand, make and model
  • Serial number

Also photograph each piece, and keep the photographs together in your file.

While it is important to keep this list handy, make sure it’s secure and separate from your equipment. If you store it on your computer in your studio, make sure the backup is off site. Google now offers up to 20 GB of storage for only $5 a year, which definitely can be an affordable solution for you.

Like most photographers, there are the occasional times when you are in a hurry, and move from one location to another quickly.

When you’re out photographing, another tip is to get camera bags with specific compartments. Our favorite has always been the Porter Cases with wheels – they give you the flexibility of pulling in multiple bags with their special cart feature. Always make sure each compartment is filled before you leave the site. Also count your bags in your car before leaving to ensure you have everything with you.

image source
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When Do You Say No To Upgrades?

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Windows 7 was just released today – promising to be a big improvement over Vista. So, do you rush out and buy Windows 7, maybe a new laptop or desktop to go along with it, and maybe even upgrade software along the way?

Same with camera equipment. Canon just announced its newest camera, the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV. Not only does it offer you a ton of features like 16 megapixel sensor and 14 bit A/D data conversion, but it also has full high definition video capture as well. Due out in December, the price of $5,000 may be enough to scare off some photographers, questioning what REALLY has top priority in their businesses.

I was out on several forums yesterday chatting about this very subject. When you’re struggling to maintain your old profit levels (or maybe even a profit level at all), when do you say enough and simply not upgrade?canon camera

I know as a business owner, I’ve faced that question a lot over my career. So I’ve come up with a few guidelines that help me decide when to upgrade, and more importantly, when not to.

1. Do you already have a system in place that works?
Is what you are currently using working? Are you having problems with it? The old saying, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” applies here. As long as everything works for what you need, stick with the old.

2. Is upgrading essential for your business?
Some tools you use every day. As a web designer, Dreamweaver and Fireworks are used daily. As a photographer, Photoshop is at the top of the list. When a new version comes out, it’s mandatory to improve your productivity within your business.

3. Would not upgrading make you less professional – your clients may be more up to date than you?
As a photographer, walking into a wedding using a camera body that’s several years old could put you on the spot if a guest has the latest equipment. While it is important to keep up to date, you don’t have to replace everything all at once. If you have three or four camera bodies for backups, you don’t have to replace all at once – for the most part they all still do the job. Set yourself up on a schedule – one new body every year – and stick with it. Phase out the oldest and sell it on eBay, and put the newest one to work.

What are your ideas on upgrading? When do you no to buying the latest – just because its available?

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How To Find A Great Tripod

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Ever take an image in a hurry, only to be disappointed later because it isn’t what you expected. It’s not crisp, and there is no way you can blow it up to the large image you originally had in you mind. tripod

It’s time to invest in a tripod.

When you think about tripods, do you think bulky equipment that makes it nearly impossible to take pictures quickly? By the time you set it up, level it out, connect your camera, get it into the right position, the image is long gone.

Well with today’s equipment, it doesn’t have to be tedious.

Tripods in general come in three separate types: heavy duty, compact, and mini. Depending on the type of photography you do, you may have a need for all three at different times.

Tripods come in many sizes and weights, with many different features, and ready to support different weight levels.

Weight
Tripods are made out of many different types of materials, and can at times be very heavy, especially if you are walking long distances to your subject. How do you most often shoot? Choose a weight level that matches how you shoot. Also look at the type of equipment you’ll be placing on the tripod. Tripods are built to support different weight levels. The last thing you want is your camera falling or tipping because the tripod can’t support it.

[Read more…]

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A Great Way To Carry Your Equipment

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Have you ever looked through camera and equipment bags? Sure they are functional. You can get many styles and sizes, great for many types of shoots.

But most are boring. They come in standard black, and they just blend into the surroundings.

But what if you have a certain style with the way you dress, the way you present yourself, and you’re branding?

I just found jill-e designs, and you’re going to love it.

jill-e bags

These bags are anything but boring. Get a variety of sizes, and a variety of colors to match any mood. Plus they have unique features just for us girls. Like a detachable pouch to carry your personal items (I always hated fishing around at the bottom of my bag looking for my lipstick.)

Check out jill.e designs

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