This new & noteworthy app (featured on Apple’s Home Page) is great for those who wish to showcase their portfolio without the hassle of bringing around a sometimes heavy and bulky book.

Visit http://www.nickkuh.com/portfoliopro to watch a video about the app.

Import from Flickr, Dropbox and Your iPad

Portfolio Pro Import Screen

Features include letting users import photos from Flickr. Dropbox and from the iPad Photos App. Supported formats include JPGs, PNGs, TIFs, GIFs, MOVs, MP4s and M4Vs. It boasts an easy-to-use interface while still retaining its beautiful design – simply triple tap the screen to switch between client and edit modes.

This app was created for photographers, videographers, designers, architects, sellers and agents in mind. It makes showing clients your portfolio much easier, not to mention convenient as you don’t need an internet connection to present your work. What’s more, your titles and descriptions are imported alongside your photos, making it even easier to present your Flickr portfolio offline.

Bespoke Branding and Editing Capabilities

Edit Gallery Screen

You also have the option to change the colors and fonts to create custom themes. Your gallery screens may also be branded with your personal logo, as well as a link to your personal website. Hide any photo, video or gallery from clients in edit mode.

Beautiful Flipshow Design

Photo with menu

Make use of the full screen slideshow mode to show your clients every last pixel of your work. Presenting your work is also possible through an external HD screen using AirPlay or VGA out with iOS 5 mirroring. This feature is especially useful to showcase the quality of work at a larger resolution.

Features of Portfolio Pro App

Portfolio Management Features:

• Flickr – Import directly from your Flickr Photostream and Flickr Sets
• Dropbox – Import whole folders or select photos and videos from Dropbox
• Your Brand – Add your logo, portfolio title, website link and description text.
• Your Style – Custom Themes – choose colors and fonts to create and save multiple custom themes.
• Add names and descriptions to your work (names and descriptions are also imported from Flickr).
• Hide or show any photo, video or whole gallery
• Drag and drop to rearrange galleries
• Batch media downloads – import JPGs, PNGs, TIFs, GIFs, MOVs, MP4s & M4Vs.

Portfolio Presentation Features:

• Home Screensaver – Create a set of featured photos and videos for your home screensaver.
• Galleries – tap or pinch to zoom in and out of full screen slideshow mode.
• Flipshow – elegantly flip through your work with clients (see the video)
• Pixel details – retina ready and zoom high res photos
• AirPlay Apple TV or VGA out – tried and tested with iOS 5 mirroring , works great for both photos and videos.

My Review

My 100 + Faves Gallery

Portfolio Pro is a great app, not just for photographers, but also for anyone who would like to showcase their photos in a more professional setting on the iPad. I know how inconvenient it can be to carry around a heavy portfolio of all my photos, so I was extremely delighted to hear about Portfolio Pro. After playing around, I had a few galleries ready in about 3 minutes, and composed a makeshift portfolio in less than 15 minutes! Imagine the possibilities; you’re running late for a meeting and by some stroke of bad luck you have no portfolio to show for. Portfolio Pro can help you import and compose your photos into a portfolio in mere minutes. Now that is mobility and accessibility. While there are other portfolio apps on the App Store, Portfolio Pro is absolutely a cut above the rest.

What I liked:

• It’s very easy to use. I can create a portfolio in as little as 15 minutes if I wanted to.
• Triple-tap any screen to switch between client and edit modes to make changes to your work is cool feature.
• I can use the app to showcase my work on an external HD screen using just a VGA out.
• I can import photos from Flickr and Dropbox, both of which I use extensively.

What I didn’t like:

• I’d like to import photos from other photo websites as well, like Instagram, as nowadays photographers use mobile phones to take pictures as well.

Conclusion

Portfolio Pro is a solid app for a great number of artists looking to showcase their work. It’s sleek, simple and professional. You no longer have to burden yourself with turning page after page looking for that certain photo you want to show your client; simply swipe and tap. It’s that easy.

Get Portfolio Pro App from the App Store here.

No related posts.

WordPress is a great content managing system for all kinds of purposes such as portfolio, news, video blogging and many more. It’s ease of use and versatility make it popular among amateurs and professionals alike.

Depending on your purpose, there is a wide variety of themes available to cater to your needs for space, widgets, drop-down menus, lightboxes and many more. When choosing a theme-provider, keep in mind that some of them offer packages to multiple premium themes. You could be getting a lot of themes for a very reasonable price, or just one.

We bring you list of amazing themes that could be used for any niche but are most suitable for video blogging and images. Be sure to check other article with list of Top 15 WordPress theme for Photographers.

Notice that most of the standard blog themes can get new life with plugins such as prettyphoto and similar lightboox plugins that add new dimension in images and video previewing.

Note: Responsive themes are good for mobile phones and other handheld devices, but there are enough plugins that can turn any, or at least help with alternative themes for your WordPress site, for mobile and other device users.

1. DynamiX

Dynamix Theme

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Impressive theme with amazing features. Among many features we would like to highlight few like BBPress plugin integration, WP e-Commerce plugin integration, BuddyPress Theme, Non-Post Galler Slide Manager manage your Images/Videos in one area.
Dynamix didn’t fail to impress more and more and as such it’s absolutely recommended, no matter what is your niche, you will not fail to impress your visitors with this theme. Great for showcase of your products (photos, videos, or any other product).

I like: Customization options.Custom Skin Editor and unlimited outer skin colors plus images. Ability to put more galleries on one page. Ability to social bookmark any page or post, while icons react to custom link colour. I could keep writing about features I like, even after some time I feel I didn’t find or use all of features this theme offers, amazing !

I dislike: Not really dislike but so many features could make your head spin ;)

Best for: Vloging (video blogging) , portfolio pages no matter what is your product, images, while you can use it as standard blog, it offers 10 times more. Fill it with good images/video content and let this theme do the rest.

2. Invictus

Invictus Theme

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One of the themes that is great for photographers and videographers in same time. Features of this theme are so many. I suggest you check Live Preview and Screenshots. One of the themes where you can’t miss if your content contains 90% of videos or photographs.

I like: Full screen and unique way of displaying images and videos. Flickr stream running in background. Option to pick from 250 Google API Fonts. Lots of features and addons.

I dislike: Not much to dislike, you should optimize videos and photos, as it could take  a while to load. Images behind blog posts and other content could distract visitors from main content you want to display. Again not really dislike, but it is fully optimized for video and photos, not much use as regular blog or magazine or any other purpose.

Best for: The possibilities are endless! Its optimal for photographers, digital artists, designer or even private persons, who want to present their images and videos in a unique way.

3. Complexity 2

Complexity2 Theme

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Some could say this theme doesn’t fit this list, but I like this as magazine or portfolio theme which has video embed option. Complexity is a simple business and portfolio theme that is easy to customize and will get you or your client’s website up and running in no time. No matter what is your niche you could use this theme. It could be for magazine style, blog posting, images displaying, video displaying, portfolio, and much more. Be sure to check list of features that Complexity offers.

I like: Clean and simple modern design. Capable of displaying images, videos and much more. Video Tutorials from ThemeBlvd that will help you get up and running  in no time.

I dislike: It’s not really just photograph nor video theme, but it can sure become one if you wish.

Best for: Business and portfolio. You can check out video here.

4. WP Clear Video (responsive)

WP Clear Video Theme

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WP Clear Video is a theme brought to you by Solostream, aimed towards small businesses and video bloggers who wish to market themselves be it for exposure or revenue. This premium theme features a professional, sleek design with a responsive layout. Other features include a business homepage layout option, Youtube videos page, multiple page layouts, theme setting and many more.

I like: I really liked WP Clear Photo, but WP Clear Video goes one step further. With responsive design. Clean and modern look, easy to setup.

I dislike: Theme it self has lack of features, if we compare to DynamiX or Invictus, but it is widget and plugin ready, so you could get where you want with just couple of plugins.

Best for: As mentioned above, this theme is best for small business and video bloggers.

5. Right Now

Right Now Theme

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Interactive theme that really amazes visitor. Background videos while browsing site. Audio player with audio playlist. Really shows future with HTML5 and CSS3. There is no need to write much about this theme, check Live Preview and list of Features.

I like: Never seen anything like this before must check it out. Mobile phone compatible.

I dislike: Somewhat similar full background as Invictus, could be distracting.

Best for: Unique showcase of your images & videos. Interaction with visitors over music and visual effects.

6. Gigawatt (responsive)

Gigawatt Theme

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Gigawatt is a vintage or grunge type of theme for video bloggers with a more retro feel to showcasing videos. It can display videos from a third party hosting site, not to mention photos as well. Choose from 3 color schemes and add widgets to your homepage for a more customized look to fully utilize the generous 940px view port. Whether you use Vimeo, YouTube, Viddler or Blip, we cater for them all as Gigawatt can display videos from any 3rd party video hosting site!

I like: Retro design. 940px view port. Simplicity. Responsive. Documentation served with theme.

I dislike: Font used for menus. Font colors.

Best for: Portfolio page, video/picture showcase.

7. On Demand 2.0

On Demand Theme

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This full-featured theme from Press 75 lets you embed almost any video format. Also included are theme options panel for further page customization and content management options, thumbnail options and a drop-drown navigation menu, among others.

I like: Simplicity of this theme. Content layout.

I dislike: Menus and buttons that have soft 3D effect.

Best for: The On Demand WordPress theme is perfect for virtually any video-centric website. You can use any embeddable video format from any video service (such as Vimeo, YouTube, etc.). Or, if you want to host your own video files such as FLV, Quicktime, etc. you can do that as well

8. Black Label

Black Label Theme

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Fullscreen Video & Images background support. Audio background while viewing images. One of the complete themes with great addons that will make your life easier.  Image Slider Background. It is incredibly easy to use. The theme is not optimized for iPhone or iPad but has a fallback so that they can watch videos on these devices.

I like: Background image slider. Shortcode implementation. Portfolio & Slider custom post types. Video Documentation. Google map integration. Fullscreen gallery. Dark and Light skin.

I dislike: To be honest, nothing disliked.

Best for: Personal portfolio, Video or Image showcase, blogging with nice background image slider.

9. Video Elements

Video Elements Theme

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This video-centric premium theme has been rebuilt and redesigned to allow users more flexibility in running and maintaining a video blog or website using WordPress. Its simple and sophisticated design, coupled with features such as drop-down navigation, automatic thumbnail creation and easy logo updater make it a good option for video bloggers.

I like: Similar but better looking than On Demand Theme. Simplicity. Video embed option.

I dislike: Social media implementation, it is possible over widgets but I feel this theme should include it by default. Competition did great job so it feels like lack of features out of the box.

Best for: With video embed option it makes this theme great for video showcase, but you can use it as portfolio and small business site as well.

10. Hoon (responsive)

Hoon Theme

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This multimedia theme from Press 75 showcases audio, video and photos in a clean and simple design. Included are a custom audio player with playlist capabilities for all devices, custom gallery templates and the standard theme options panel that is native to Press 75. Other features included featured content options, custom color and layout options, plus more.

I like: With Hoon is all about simplicity, and it does it well. Audio player with playlist. Responsive design.

I dislike: Menu lines. Out of box design, I feel it could use little customization of css.

Best for: Small portfolio pages, personal showcase page, where less is better.

11. Vidley

Vidley Theme

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Vidley is another great video theme from Press 75 for video bloggers. It can also be used for news, portfolios, photography, promotion sites and the like. Features include logo customization, drop-down navigation menu, google analytics customization, and it is widget ready.

I like: Modern design. Clean and simple. Overall I do like this theme.

I dislike: Widgets are displayed on bottom. I got impression “something is missing” using this theme it could be only me.

Best for: Personal page with some but not much text. Simple posts with images or videos. Portfolio page.

12. Notebook

Notebook Theme

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This innovative and unique multimedia theme from Elegant Themes utilizes WordPress post formats along with CSS3 animations so that you can publish a variety of content quickly and easily. Audio, photographs, video and standard blog posting are made easier. A good number of font options are available for you to choose from.

I like: Feel and look of this theme. Simple but powerful design. Video preview on mouse over.

I dislike: Nothing really stands out. This theme is great for what it should be.

Best for: Personal or small business that wants to share multimedia content. Notebook makes it easy to share audio, video, photographs and standard blog posts in clean and simple way.

13. Gridlocked

Gridlock Theme

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As it name says Gridlocked is grid-based, layout shuffling, minimalistic theme for creatives. At first it is similar as theme we discuses before – Notebook, and from outside it does look a like but features and posting, visual features are completely different. It is great for showcase of your photos and/or video. Support for post formats means you can jazz up your blog with your own self-hosted video, audio, images, galleries, asides, links, quotes and of course good old standard posts.

I like: Neat and clean design. With grid layout you see more work at once which is great for first impression.

I dislike: No dislikes. If you find some, let me know.

Best for: Blogging, video, photos, creative work. Would look great for tutorial sites with lots of images and video materials. Really neat theme..

14. Village

Village Theme

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One of the full sized themes that I like. Your work is displayed on full screen until you go mouse over, then menu appears. Impact to visitor is pure art and work you present without extra not needed features. Theme provider took care of everything and made videos how to set up theme by your needs. This theme is all about presentation of your creativity.

I like: Amazing display of images on full screen, option to show videos as well.

I dislike: Wall option where work is displayed as gallery, each mouse movement move screen, and you need to stick to video you are playing, otherwise screen will move and it can be very distracting. I don’t like font used in sub-menu, but it’s changable.

Best for: Presentation of your products, work, creativity photos or video vise. Easy to navigate, great looking. No matter if your main work is video or photos this theme will please all your and customer needs.

15. Aware (responsive)

Aware Theme

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Aware is interactive, responsive portfolio theme, great for freelanceers, web designers, photogrpahers and videgraphers alike. It comes with responsive design. It comes bundled with great list of features like custom Portfolio Posts, with Image, Youtube and Vimeo Support. Option to select non-google system fonts as well.

I like: Simple, modern but clean design. Interactive displaying of pictures on front. Responsive design. And lots of features that this theme includes.

I dislike: -

Best for: Freelances, small business, photographers, videographers and other graphic artists. Clean and simple way of showing your creative work to others.

Other Themes to Consider as well

Akita (responsive)

Interesting theme, that is very popular among users. Lots of options and features that can turn this theme to any niche category as you need. Fully recommended. Among great features it is responsive, and you have control and options how theme should behave on mobile phones and other devices. Localization ready, meaning you can transform this theme easily into your language. From all features couple of cool ones are: Responsive Google Map shortcode, Replace featured images with embedded videos, Adjust your theme’s image crop size …

Website (responsive)

Very cool theme, with cool social and other icons. Filterable portfolio. Responsive design. Lots of addons, features makes this one of the best responsive themes out there. Individual sliders for each page, auto play or auto pause at start, touch gestures on mobile devices, option caption on banners, content may be tweaked for mobile devices, optional text for each slide (HTML supported), use it for image, audio, video, quote, linking and status + regular posts.

Artboard (responsive)

Another Full Screen Portfolio theme great for putting your work in front of everything, no matter if your work is photography, graphic design, illustration or even video.
You can also customize the background on each and every page on the site, so you can add a custom graphic for each portfolio piece or page to really make your work shine.

Flex

This theme is designed for videographers, photographers, motion artists, graphic designers and all kinds of artists out there. It’s slick, grid-based interface makes it easy to showcase a good number of artwork on a single page. The VGrid plugin makes the layout responsive to the device it is viewed on for optimal viewing pleasure. The 12 professionally-designed styles make for a cool selection, with the ability to create your own within a few minutes. This is one of the most noted WordPress themes for portfolio showcasing.

Groovy Video (woo themes)

This retro and colorful video blog is popular among video bloggers or “vlogging”. Creating and posting videos is incredibly quick and easy; simply copying and pasting a video’s embed code qualifies as a post. This theme’s features include automatic video resizing, widgetized sidebar along with other custom widgets and 17 cool color schemes.

Woo tube (woo themes)

Woo tube sounds a lot like Youtube and for good reason. This video or multimedia theme is great for daily video blogging or “vlogging”. Posting is easy because of its simple and clear-cut functionality, automatic video resizing, widgetized sidebar and 7 color schemes. It can be used for standard blogging, gallery, portfolio and any other kind of website you’d like. The best part is the rating system.

Providers of above listed themes

There are plenty of other themes that could help you build amazing site. You might check providers of themes and find what you like the most:

Elegantthemes

Elegantthemes is one of the popular WordPress theme provider because themes are made very user-friendly, even without knowledge and skills in designing and programming. The ‘ePanel’ or options page lets you customize your site in many unique combinations. Each theme comes equipped with a widget-ready sidebar, custom thumbnail images, search bar and gravatar ready feature among others. Unlimited access to all of their themes for only $39, great value. They offer Handheld Theme, HandHeld works in tandem with your normal theme, and is only used when the plugin detects that your visitor is using a mobile phone.

Woothemes

Woothemes is a provider of themes developed using CSS, PHP and WordPress. These themes cater to a variety of functions such as magazine, portfolio, business and personal types. The backend part of the theme allows you to customize your page the way you like it without having to code it. You can also combine features from more than one theme. Resizing thumbnails and size of text is made easy with the auto-sizing feature. The unique Woo framework allows for custom page templates and even translation features. However, Woothemes is not as compatible cross-browser unlike Elegantthemes and Obox-design.

You have two options, buy themes separately and get 2-3 bonus themes, cheapest solution but you don’t get PSD files. Or the club participation which is perfect for multi-site owners, freelancers, and web agencies needing access to ALL their themes.

Themeforest

Themeforest is one of the most popular marketplace for template developers such as WordPress, Joomla, Magento and many more. Themes have excellent functionality with an extensive network of tools that provide you a great number of options so that you can fine-tune every detail of you site. There are three main categories for Themeforest WordPress themes: blog, e-commerce and CMS or Content Management System. With over 750 premium WP themes to choose from and counting, customers will have a lot to consider.

Themeforest is part of big company name envato, and under same page you can easily browse and buy from other envato markets such as audiojungle, themeforest, videohive, codecanyon, photodune and others. Great thing about this market is that you can get all on one place.

Press75

Press75 is among the known theme providers of clean, unique and efficient WordPress themes. Users are faced with an interface with excellent content management options and features. One of the downsides to this provider is their rather limited selection of themes. At 17, they are behind other providers such as Woothemes, Elegantthemes, etc; however, they do release a new theme every month. Press75 Themes are also not SEO-friendly, but that problem is easily solved with free WordPress SEO plug-ins, like All in One Seo, or Platinum SEO.

Press75 has three very interesting packages:

Single – get 1 theme by your choice with lifetime updates and support

Essential - get all themes + all themes for 1 year

Lifetime – get all themes for lifetime

Obox-design

Obox-design themes were developed with both websites and blogs in mind, particular for business, news, portfolio and entertainment. Like Press75, their selection is considerably smaller than other providers; however, the diversity of themes is sufficient. Obox themes are good across browsers and are search engine optimized.

Themeforest include Obox themes in their marketplace.

Very interesting package from Obox:

Single Pack – 3 themes included

Developer Pack – 2 themes included with PSD and Obox Mobile

Membership Pack – all themes with everything

Solostream

Solostream is not so known WordPress theme provider, but they offer themes that are easy to customize and search engine optimized. Multiply page templates allow for variety within your site. Expect great support via forums, tutorials and videos. It’s relatively cheap, at $79 for 21 professionally designed themes.

May be cheapest from above:

Basic - get all themes with free update 1 month, free support 1 month

Silver – get whole package with everything, PSD included, 3 months updates and 3 months support, 1 theme each month, revenue is Quarterly

Gold – get everything as above with 12 months support, 12 months updates, revenue is annually

Related posts:

1. Best WordPress video theme (vlog) to show your videos
2. Top 15 WordPress Themes for Photographers
3. Looking for a new WordPress theme

With all the great forums and sites available on the internet, there is enough material for one to gather and write a book. Ryan did that, and so much more.

TimeLapse Photography

I tried following tutorials, checking sites and forums and experimenting on my first Time Lapse, reading all over the internet on how to do it and how to avoid issues like flickering. I read about learning it the hard way, lots of stuff to make it right so I forgot to enjoy making my first Time Lapse video.

I was ready to start project for big article, my article would look similar to the one Ryan has posted online. I recommend reading his Time Lapse article online, found here.

If you you’ve made your rounds on forums and sites, you will find out that it is time consuming, and connecting everything you have learned from various sources is not as easy as it seems. I had to do research on various websites as there is no one complete (single) resource about TL. It was a bit difficult to learn different aspects of it because it was spread on multiple websites (forums, forum pages). Ryans article is great, but ebook he made is much more detailed and better.

Ryan even has some useful tutorial videos on his site, don’t forget to check this out as well.

I must say he did an excellent job with the article, not to mention the video tutorials as well, but ….

The Time Lapse Photography: A Complete Introduction – eBook

The Time Lapse Photography eBook contains everything you should know, including a variety of sources that you could use to improve your Time Lapse videos. Like which gear you need or don’t need, which software and how to use it to post-process, where to get background music for your videos, and much much more.

146 pages in length

350+ images, diagrams, and workflow illustrations

Printable summaries and checklists

Ryan Video for eBook he wrote

Reading on forums, I picked up a couple of tricks and how tos, such as „how to avoid certain errors so that you won’t have to buy expensive gadgets to correct them“. I thought that I knew enough about TL, and I do know more than the average photographer knows ;). At first I would say the book’s value is at around $50 at least, but when I saw price of the book I was so taken aback seeing as the price is very reasonable for the amount of information that you’ll be getting.

Everyone who ever tried TL before knows that transition from day to night and vice verse is hard to achieve without flickering. Some manage to make simple (only day, or only night) without flickering, but then wonder where to get background music for their video. Or even how to exchange battery while shooting faster TL. I did found couple of solutions my self before reading book, but Ryan just found more and put everything in his book. I was on good track tho, but thanks to Ryan I can skip research now and get back straight to making better quality Time-lapse videos.

I fully recommend the eBook to any person that is considering making a Time Lapse video for the first time, and even to people that know more than the basics about Time Lapse videos.

Check out chapters of the book:

Chapter 1 – Gear

Balancing Time-lapse Image Settings: Size, Quality, Space and Speed

Shooting Time-lapse

Preventing Time-lapse Flikcer

Creating The Time-Lapse

Time-lapse Challenges: Test Your Understanding

You might even be considering purchasing a camera just for this purpose! Shooting TL means lots and lots of photographs… but the results are FANTASTIC. It is well worth it, and you can use any camera you want! For photography enthusiasts, you can even use an entry-level DSLR or lower quality cameras, while pros can utilize their camera gear for better quality images to profit from their TL videos.

The Time-lapse Photography – eBook

Conclusion

I’m sure you will not find an eBook like for this price on the internet. Considering that it’s pretty much just pocket change, it is an absolute bang for the buck. Ryan just did it way too good! He explains all the complex aspects of time lapse in a simple and easy way. Bravo, Ryan. I can’t wait for my first TL after reading it one more time, more carefully!

Amazing but Ryan offers 90 days money back guarantee ! Check out eBook first 20 pages and decide for your self:
Time-Lapse Photography eBook by Ryan Chylinski 22 Page Preview

TimeLapse Photography Book Cover

Ger your copy now !

*warning this eBook is low cost, has 90 day money back guarantee and you might regret not getting your own copy !

Related posts:

1. Genie – Motion Control Time Lapse Device
2. eBook Review: DIY Home Studio Photography
3. Model photography – Introduction: Chris Goddard

I’m sure you heard about it, but if not, I suggest that at this moment you surf internet, google it or read on wiki about it here. We will cover this area on Canon5Dtips soon, but till then just check it out on internet.

The Genie, transforming time-lapse photography

Have you seen the latest innovation in relation to time-lapse photography? A machine that incorporates both image capture and motion control. In time-lapse photography incorporating the two has always been a problem especially if you are taking photos in life threatening situations. The Genie is a complete solution to this problem that has been troubling even the best photographers. The Genie is currently being displayed on kickstarter.com is one of the best innovations made for time-lapses and video shooting.

The Genie

An Introduction to the Genie

The Genie is a simple and small tool developed to assist in the movement of the camera during the shooting process in time-lapse or video photography. The Genie has the ability to combine both image capture and motion control. It is programmable and can be made to move precisely after a definite time difference (intervalometer).  It allows movement of the camera in a definite manner ensuring image capture goes on progressively and uninterrupted. Having being fitted with accessories that ensure easy movement on different directions, it makes the device more adjustable to move in either panning or linear direction. It can be used by all people who want to engage in time-lapse photography and even video shooting

Check this video:

Features of the Genie

 Ability to move in either panning or linear mode

This is the feature that takes time lapse photography to another level. The Genie has the ability to shoot pictures in linear mode or panning mode. This makes it one of the best machines developed in relation to time-lapse photography.  It is easy to program it to move in a linear motion at specific time-lapses depending on how you desire. This can be on a steep cliff or slope. Once you have attached the Genie in a standard tripod, it’s much easier to program the Genie to move in the linear motion.  Switching between the two motions is not a hard task. If you are shooting in linear mode, you can switch to panning mode by changing the accessories that you are using.

Using rope the Genie Drives along the length of a tennis court

The Genie Connected on a Glide Track Slider

Adaptation with other devices used in time-lapse photography

Another exciting fact of the Genie is the ability to adapt to all the devices that you are using in your time-lapse photography. It can be screwed literally to all devices that allow easy motion. If you have a commercially made track such as the glide track slider, it can easily move on the direction that you desire.

It can be fixed in a commercially made pocket dolly such as the Philips bloom pocket dolly and work perfectly. You can screw the Genie on a glide track or a Philip bloom slider, program it to move at a specific speed and have it move in linear motion at the speed that you desire.

The Genie can be attached to a self customized DIY track or a DIY cable. The Genie will easily move through the track in the direction that you desire, at a speed that you have programmed it.

The best aspect about the Genie, it can be screwed on a skateboard and allowed to move in the direction desired. With the help of a rope, it is easy to control the movement of the skateboard such as movement in linear motion.

 Easy to use user interface

Genie uses professionally developed software that has a user interface that is easy to use. You don’t require knowledge in programming to operate the Genie. It provides the ability to save your previous presets and use them elsewhere.

You can program the Genie to move at a specific speed. If the interval at which the Genie moves takes the pictures in the specifications that you desire, you can save the settings and use it in a totally different location. This will help ensure you get the best pictures from the best shots possible.

The Genie also allows you to preview its movement after taking pictures. If you don’t like the pictures taken with the help of the Genie at specific settings, you can preview the speed of the Genie. All you need is to press the preview button and the Genie will move at the previous speed real time. This will help you determine the time-lapse and make the necessary adjustments needed.

The sensor port also allows for integration with smart phones providing additional functionality via updateable external mobile Apps.

Currently a mobile App for android and Iphones is in development.  This will allow full control of the Genie and the various settings from your smartphone.

Sensors

The Genie has ability to work with three sensors, light, sound and motion sensors. The three sensors help the Genie to determine the right time to take the pictures. This is critical in areas where it is risky for a person taking the pictures to trigger the motion control machine to start working. You can use the genie in life threatening situations such as taking photos of an untamed hungry lion. With the motion sensors, you don’t have to be there to trigger the camera and the genie into action. This will help you capture in camera phenomena in nature that seemed impossible. You can now shoot photos and videos under extreme conditions but as well as fun and creative way as you could never imagine.

The Genie on a gorilla pod capable of panning up or down with a 5D Mark 2

Portability

The Genie has eliminated the hassle of having to move with bulk machines so that you can get the pictures right. The Genie has incorporated integrated screen, keypad, motor, batteries and controller in a single unit.  This reduces your luggage and makes it great addon of your photo gear.

The Genie on a DIY Cable Cam Driven 60 Feet over a lake

Merits of the Genie to Any Photographer

1. It totally brings out the creativity of any photographer who uses it. You can now take those photos and videos that you have always dreamt off but feared because they involved high risks.
2. It does not require any special skills to operate it. The ease to use interface can be used by any person who has passion in photography.
3. They have eliminated the hassle of carrying large equipments when taking pictures in remote areas. Since it incorporates the screen, keypad, motor, generator and batteries inside a single device, am sure next time you will be going on location shooting, you will carry less luggage.

Your Role in the Genie project

You have chance to make world happier for one great device, it is all in your hands, help out Genie project and get rewarded. Let us make photographing easier, much more fun and more competitive!

Genie already reached goal, but with more money pledged they would only make bigger production line and better product so don’t wait a minute and pledge your share. $1 is minimum pledge.

About Kickstarter

Kickstarter mainly help inventors who have come up with innovative projects to build a community around their projects. It gives you the visitor a chance to be part of the project. You are expected to pledge and give your contribution for the project to become a success especially if you believe it’s a true innovation such as the Genie.

You are welcome to make your own contribution by visiting: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/syrp/genie-motion-control-time-lapse-device

You can check their official page at: http://www.syrp.co.nz

No related posts.

• Skill level
• How they want to edit the photos
• The number of photos to be edited
• Preference

Both Photoshop and Lightroom are fantastic programs by themselves, but are simply amazing when used to complement the other. They serve their own purpose, which is why it would be better to learn and explore both programs before making a decision.

Photoshop

PS – Photoshop

Some noted features:

• Automatic lens correction
• Straighten Image tool
• Lens Correction filter improvements
• Gradient tool preset for neutral density
• Superior HDR imaging
• HDR Toning
• Industry-leading color correction
• Noise removal
• Support for more cameras and Photoshop Lightroom

Photoshop Working area

Photoshop is popular image-editing software with enough capabilities to accommodate animators, publishers, photographers, graphic designers and architects. Its capabilities are endless, with plugins available to further push the limits of this tool. Do you want to make your skin appear smoother? Or make a person look thinner or fatter? Or maybe stitch photos together to form a 360-degree view image of your home? These are easily accomplished with Photoshop. The possibilities are endless; so much that the terms “Photoshopping” or “Photoshopped” have become so popular, they’ve become part of daily jargon.

Unlike Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop lets you manipulate pixels. It is the leading software of its kind, as no other competitors have come close to creating something with as much digital power as Photoshop. You can also access the RAW data through ACR (Adobe Camera Raw) instead of Lightroom. Photo manipulation is
made easier with the many tools available to you.

Layers

Photoshop Layers

In Photoshop, you can edit and create images with the use of layers. Think of transparent films on top of the main page. With each page, you can add different elements with the ability to undo or remove the elements altogether if you change your mind. In fact, web designers, graphic designers and other artists would prefer Photoshop over Lightroom simply because of the tools available, such as the Pen Tool, which is used in creating vector images. Unlike Lightroom, Photoshop may be used by a wider audience because of those tools. Photographers can make use of the Curves, Levels, Selective Color and Color Balance layers to further edit their pictures. There is no gallery-type editing for Photoshop and while there is an automation feature (actions), it still lacks the accessibility and simplicity that Lightroom has.
One of the downsides to Photoshop is the lack of organization; if you are the type to search, sort and organize your photos, you will have to find other solution. That is where Lightroom comes in.

Get your copy of Photoshop here.

Lightroom

LR – Lightroom

Some noted features:

• Superior image processing
• Selective editing brushes
• Extended video support
• Advanced black-and-white conversion
• Advanced color editing
• Highlight and shadow recovery
• Superior noise reduction
• White balance brush
• Lens correction
• Perspective correction
• Develop presets
• Tethered shooting
• Manage and refine many images at once
• Image watermarking
• Multiple monitor support

Lightroom Example

Lightroom provides comprehensive image-editing tools, from simple exposure adjustments to the more advanced controls. Organizing is made much easier with location-based organization and photo book creation. What’s great about Lightroom is how you can do everything from importing RAW files from your memory card, to the RAW file conversion, to editing the photo, and to uploading and publishing on the web. You can execute your whole workflow on one program. It started off as a RAW reader with a few additional features that has eventually evolved into a parameter-based image-enhancing tool.

Whereas Photoshop functions as a pixel manipulator, Lightroom is a database-driven image management system. Its comprehensive photo management system may be overkill for hobbyists, but for professional photographers dealing with thousands of images over multiple hard drives, it is very useful and efficient.

Lightroom is not “network-ready”. Because of this, big news organizations cannot fully utilize the indexing capabilities of this software. It is more suited for “single employee businesses”. With the use of the Adobe Lightroom Catalog file, it’s easier to gain access to and store a large number of images.

List of tools in LR

Histogram Sub-Module: Histogram, Crop & Straighten, Spot Removal, Red Eye Corrections, Graduated Filter, Adjustment Brush

Basic Sub-Module: White Balance Temp and Tint; Exposure, Recovery, Fill Light, Blacks, Brightness, Contrast; Clarity, Vibrance, Saturation

Tone Curve Sub-Module: Highlights, Lights, Darks, Shadows, Point Curve

HSL / Color / B&W Sub-Module: Hue, Saturation, Luminance

Split Toning Sub-Module: Highlights Hue & Saturation, Balance, Shadows Hue and Saturation

Detail Sub-Module: Sharpening Amount, Radius, Detail, Masking; Noise Reduction Luminance, Detail, Contrast, Color, Detail

Lens Corrections Sub-Module: Lens Profile, Distortion, Chromatic Aberration, Vignetting

Effects Sub-Module: Post-Crop Vignetting Style, Amount, Midpoint, Roundness, Feather, Highlights; Grain Amount, Size, Roughness

Camera Calibration Sub-Module: Process, Profile, Shadows Tint, Red Primary Hue and Saturation, Green Primary Hue and Saturation, Blue Primary Hue and Saturation

With Lightroom, you save time, and money if you are in the business of selling your photography services. For example, for wedding, birthday, time lapse shoots that tackle 700-1000 shots per session, you need to be quick to edit while still retaining image quality. Lightroom is the better option of the two for this purpose because of the gallery-type viewing of the photos and the overall speed given the user interface.

User settings in the form of presets are available for varied results. With the ability to edit multiple photos at a time, Lightroom is very useful for photographers who deal with batches of photos. Exporting to web or to your hard disk is also made easy, with options to resize and rename the files for better organization. Time is money, and editing 1000 photos in a few hours as opposed to a few days means a world of a difference when trying to meet deadlines.

With mentioned functions we like option to rate photos and edit only group of ratings we wish, easy deletion of low rating photos, it fasten selection of good versus lower quality photos and makes it rather simple to control bathes of photos.

However, one of the biggest disadvantages of Lightroom is the absence of layers. For some people, this is a deal-breaker because for more advanced photo manipulations, layers are a necessity in creating complex images. But on other hand that problem has solution, onOne software solution has Perfect Layers which can be added as plugin to Lightroom !

Get your copy of Lightroom here.

Lightroom 3 vs. Lighroom 4: Is it worth the upgrade?

Some features added in Lightroom 4:

• Map Module
• Book Module
• Basic Video Editing
• Soft proofing
• Export to PDF
• Print Adjustment
• Export direct to email

Complete comparison found here.

Features absent in Lightroom 4:

• Fill Light slider
• Recovery slider

Lightroom 4 is said to be similar to Lightroom 3, but with better performance and some additional features. The new sliders allow for better quality output, especially when editing shadows. More detail is shown without having to risk the quality of the image, unlike in Lightroom 3. Overall improved color management can be expected.

Aperture

Aperture is similar in function to Lightroom, but is only compatible with Mac OS. It features comprehensive cataloging and managing capabilities, along with advanced photo-editing features that rival Lightroom. Like Lightroom, it is also capable of creating a non-destructive workflow. What this means is that the original is kept intact, and the settings you choose are stored in a small, separate file. Unlike Photoshop, yes, there is the History panel that will let you undo changes, but it is still considered destructive because it alters the original state of the file, as opposed to storing the adjustments in a separate file.

Aperture on Mac

The entire library is described as a ‘vault’. These vaults are created on the hard disk for easier backups. This is one of the best archiving solutions around, and it even comes with a bar that indicates how much free space you have left. Upon start-up, you also receive a notification of how many images are not backed up.

Aperture comes highly recommended for importing, organizing and managing photos, and then further editing in Photoshop, if needed. Like Lightroom, it is not a competitor of Photoshop. If any, it would be more comparable to Lightroom. However, Lightroom is better in terms of speed, as real-time adjustments on Aperture can be a bit sluggish. They are both RAW workflow programs, where you can separate them into batches, add metadata, and quickly edit photos. When downloaded from the Appstore, Aperture is cheaper than Lightroom, at only $79.99.

Adjustment tools:

• Fine-tune exposure
• Adjust levels (using a histogram with midtone and quadtone controls; includes Auto levels and Auto contrast settings)
• Set White Balance (includes an eyedropper for easy white point setting)
• Crop
• Modify highlights and shadow
• Mix RGB channels for perfect black-and-white conversions
• Reduce noise
• Correct red-eye
• Sharpen images (using Unsharp Mask or Sharpen Luminance tools)
• Straighten images and horizons
• Desaturate color levels
• Change a color image to Sepia (with controls to set the degree of Sepia coloration)

Organize photos using Faces and Places

• Use face detection and recognition to organize your photos by the people in them
• Explore photos based on where you took them, using robust GPS support
• Drag photos to an interactive map to add location data easily
• Preserve all your Faces and Places data when importing photos from iPhoto

Organize Faces in Aperture

Organize Places in Aperture

Perfect images with brushes

• Retouch photos non destructively using edge-aware brushes
• Handle the most common touch-up tasks with a set of 10 Quick Brushes
• Easily paint adjustments into specific parts of the image using built-in edge detection

Brushes in Aperture

Add professional imaging effects with adjustment presets

• Apply any combination of adjustment settings with a single selection
• Choose from dozens of ready-to-use presets or create and share your own presets
• See results of any preset in a live preview window before applying it to an image

Create stunning multimedia slideshows

• Use professionally designed themes to weave together photos and HD video clips
• Add text to slides using your choice of fonts, styles, and colors
• Build a layered soundtrack with location audio clips and music tracks

Advanced slideshows Aperture

Photo Stream

• Photo Stream view displays recent photos taken on your iOS devices
• Automatically import Photo Stream photos into your Aperture library
• Automatically send newly imported photos to all your iOS devices

Photo Stream Aperture

You can check all aperture features here.

Corel Paintshop Pro X4

Corel Paintshop Pro X4 is an advanced photo-editing software with a vast array of tools available to you. You can purchase Paintshop Pro X4 standard, ultimate or photo and video ultimate version, great for those who would like to purchase the set or the photo and video components separately.

Workspace Paintsphop X4 Pro

Corel PaintShop Pro X4 Features

New features of PaintShop Pro X4:

• HDR Tools
• Photo Blend
• Fill Light and Clarity Filter
• Selective Focus (for miniature etc)
• Vignette (white/black)
• Dual Monitor Support
• Shot info panel
• Enhanced features of X4:
• Camera RAW labs
• 16-bit support (over 20 tools have been upgraded to 16-bit support)
• Application Speed
• Full Screen Review
• Redesigned Workspace
• Built in Sharing – Facebook, Flickr

Dual monitor support Paintshop X4 Pro feature

Other features included with PaintShop Pro X4 are: Support for 50 file formats, Auto Preserve Originals, Crop to New Image, Learning Center, makeover tool (suntan, thinify, eye drop (removes red from bloodshot eyes), blemish fixer, toothbrush mode), one step photo fix and smart photo fix, smart carver, red eye removal, colour changer tool, noise removal, perspective correction tool, scratch remover tool, black and white film effect, adjustment layers, depth of field effect, curves and levels adjustment, lens distortion correction filters, high pass filter, visible watermark, picture tubes, picture frames and photo edges, time machine plus more.

Info Screen Paintshop X4 Pro

One of the features is the ability to let you select multiple white balance sources in order for you to more accurately adjust the color balance, fill light, brightness/contrast and many more. You can apply these changes to multiple images.

It features a stylish interface with clear buttons that are easily recognizable even to the less seasoned photographer. The “Manage”, “Adjust” and “Edit” tabs hold the various editing tools. Another cool feature is the ‘time machine’, where you can choose a photo effect specific to a certain era, with a historical explanation to boot. You can also control the depth of field, drawing more attention to your subject. HDR and photo merge tools are also available. Other features include fill flash, chromatic abberation, one step purple fringe fix and backlighting, as well as lens problems can be addressed.

As an alternative to Photoshop, it is a good option especially if you deal with cropping, editing and saving for web on a regular basis. Perhaps one of the most obvious differences between the two programs is the placement of buttons and the processes. Photoshop has customizable keyboard shortcuts and processes, while Paintshop Pro has the same capabilities, the process of saving for web is slightly different. Like Lightroom, Paintshop Pro lets you rate your photos to help filter through them. You can also easily see the EXIF data of each photo, for those who wish to use camera settings as a basis for editing photos.

Much cheaper than Photoshop, Lightroom and Photoshop Elements, Paintshop Pro is a wonderful photo-editing software that packs an array of features without the cost of an arm and a leg.

You can get your copy of Paintsphop X4 Pro here.

Free Alternatives for PS and LR

Darktable

Darktable's Lighttable mode showing a collection

Darktable is one of the closest rival or replacement software for Lightroom. It does great when it comes to edit RAW photos. But I must add that it doesn’t have all the features as Lightroom has, but on other hand it is open source meaning its free, and as such it is great advantage for all GNU/Linux / GNOME, Mac OS X / macports and Solaris 11 / GNOME users.

For all features Darktable has please check this link.

For more screenshots and explanation please check this link.

Note that Darktable supports new Nikon D800.

Paint.NET

Paint.NET

Paint.NET is a free photo editing software for the Windows platform. One prominent feature is the layers option mostly found only on expensive or complicated software. The program is simple and easily navigated. It is a great place to start for beginners who wish to explore their creative workflow, before investing in Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom. Plugins and tutorials are also available to further utilize the tools included in Paint.NET. With its tabbed document interface, live display thumbnails of the image are shown for a speedier process.

GIMP

Whereas Paint.NET is for Windows only, GIMP is available for Linux, Mac and Windows. Said to be the closest relative of Photoshop, its impressive features mirror those of the more expensive counterpart. However, GIMP does not offer non-destructive editing, something that is considered an essential for photographers and graphic designers. Despite the absence of this feature, users will still find that GIMP is a great alternative to Photoshop.

GIMP on Mac

GIMP on Windows

onOne

onOne Software is company that has lots of software products. Main product is Perfect Photo Suite 6.1, which includes all onOne products in one products, its basically 7 in 1, there are couple free products that are cool and even Perfect Photo Suite 6.1 has 30 days free trial.

Check out free software from onOne:

Layers for everyone is another free image-editing program with the option of integrating with Lightroom (2, 3, 4) and Apple Aperture (2.1, 3). It allows you to edit multi-layered files add color fill layers to produce a variety of effects. Its user-friendly interface makes it even easier to execute your creative vision by seamlessly blending exposures, build composites and many more. Layers with opacity sliders are available so you can create more varied results. The design feels professional and color-management is good given that the program is free.

Photographic effects is another free product from onOne software company, which obviously includes various professional effects you could apply on your images. Free version has limited number of effects which some of you could find enough or useful.

Edge & Framinf effects is free addon for Photoshop no matter if you use Windows or Mac. It contains 30 professional-grade edges, backgrounds, textures, adornments, and even full-page album layouts.

Conclusion

Photoshop and Lightroom shouldn’t be seen as competitors; rather, they supplement each other and were created with their own specific niches in mind. If you can afford the cost, both programs make for very good, long-term investments. Alternatives such as Paint.NET, GIMP and onOne, are stepping stones for users who wish to experiment with their workflow first before purchasing the more advanced Lightroom and/or Photoshop. Users should also take not that the mentioned alternative programs, though useful, are still nowhere near the capabilities of the Lightroom and Photoshop.

Related posts:

1. Lightroom 3 Review: Pt 1: Overview Of What’s New
2. Lightroom 3 Review Pt 3: The Develop Module Updates: ACR 6.1, Improved Noise Reduction, Lens Correction Tool
3. Add layers in LightRoom!

We found this eBook online, and saw very positive comments, our goal was to check it out and see if this eBook is worth the money and does it do as it says:

“Trick Photography & Special Effects 2nd Edition

Your complete instructional guide on taking breathtaking special effects shots and cool images your friends won’t believe…

It comes with 270 pages of instruction and contains over 300 creative photographs created by some of the most talented photographic artists around the world.

It’s time for you to skip the months and years of being one of those enthusiast photographers – you know those poor guys who read all the magazines but doesn’t have enough time to invest in getting the skills he really wants…

… you’ll be skipping past that stage totally, and getting right to the point where you’re an accomplished photographer, taking pictures that blow everybody away.”

As you can see the final effects of these pictures are great. I must give Evan a credit. The tricks are basically very simple once you get to understand the basics of how the camera sees the world around. But the ‘understanding’ part was not left for you to figure it out. The author dedicated the whole chapters and intros for every effect or technique for you to fully understand. Combined with ‘how it was done’ explanations below images, it makes a perfect lesson. The text and the way of writing is simple but yet consistent and full of important information. The book itself includes over 270 pages of photography and Photoshop instructions + hours of trick photography video tutorials that are hyper-linked throughout the text. In the beginning you are being introduced to necessary equipment, like camera, tripod and Photoshop.

If you are a beginner you shouldn’t worry too much about which brand of camera to get since they are all basically the exact same thing. “It is not important. Just go to the store and get whatever feels right. You will know when to upgrade to a better camera when the time comes.” I couldn’t agree more with this because I am to getting the feeling that people tend to be overstressed with on-paper performance of cameras rather than getting out there and start doing some work. A tripod on the other is something worth investing in because you’ll have the benefit of it for years to come. Tripod is a must have when you are working with trick photography because many of the tricks require that the camera remains in the exact same location when taking a series of photos.

In this book you get to know essentials about exposure, aperture, ISO, white balance and learn everything about light painting, light drawing, Photoshop, etc. The techniques, tools and variations are almost limitless. You’ll get the advices on how to make gadgets on your own or where to buy them. The amount of stuff shown in the book is remarkable and it really lets your imagination go wild. I personally learned a lot and I will definitely use some of the stuff I picked up from it. You will learn how to use flashlights, cathode tubes, glow sticks or even flames and sparkles to achieve extraordinary effects. In chapters to follow there are some great stuff about human perspective of 3D that shows you how to be able to manipulate these things in a funny and effective way. For example how to take a picture of a person hovering in the air. There are also tips and advices on how to capture lightning most effectively or how to shoot stars and star trails. Great things that will save you trouble and give you a jump start. There are also stuff about panorama photography, DIY panorama tripod head, 360 panoramas, etc.

Besides the slow shutter speed effects there is a whole chapter dedicated to fast shutter speed photography. When I say fast I mean fast like capturing the bullet going through the lightning bowl or capturing the water balloon disintegrating. Infra red photography is also described in details. From making your camera permanently able to capture infra red to using filters an altering images in Photoshop using different color channels and white balance setups.

Evan made amazing effort and  made a very good book with tons of information for both amateur and professional to benefit from. If you are a total novice and just starting to take photos, there are introductions in every section that will teach you how to operate your camera to achieve a desired result. If you’re a professional and already know how stuff work try and figure out some of these pictures without reading the description – you’ll be amazed. Anyway, if the book doesn’t seem to suit you, there is a money back guarantee for 8 weeks so there is no risk of being tricked or mislead.

After all said you can get your copy and check price of Trick Photography & Special Effects eBook or eBook + video

With time Evan invested into this book, you get bang for the buck, pure value, you can’t regret buying this one that’s for sure.

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WordPress has become one of the most popular blogging tools available today. It is a powerful Content Management System (CMS) that is great for blogging, building websites, and much more. Another key point is that WordPress has search engine optimization (SEO). Content is easily managed and updated without having extensive knowledge of HTML. Admin interference is no longer restricted to webmasters.

Developers were quick to recognize the potential of WordPress and are now creating plug-ins, themes and widgets for even more variety in your website or blog. Below are some of some of the top premium themes that we recommend. Paid themes are more advantageous because of the customer support, upgrades and of course premium features, not to mention top-of-the-line design.

Canon5Dtips.com site is as well running on WordPress Engine.

 Note: Responsive themes are good for mobile phones and other handheld devices, but there are enough plugins that can turn any, or at least help with alternative themes for your WordPress site, for mobile and other device users.

Some themes from this list are great for Photo and Video in same time. Check list of features and check live preview to see which theme suit your needs the best. Check video theme top list: Top 15 WordPress Themes for Video (vlog)

 1. Photorific

Live Preview Screenshots

Photorific is a neat WordPress theme that features unlimited sidebars and three widgets, namely Recent, Popular, Flickr, among many others. It is a premium WordPress theme that is particularly appealing for photographers because of the wide space allotted for photo posts. Its sleek design and video support makes it a viable choice for photographers of all kinds.

2. Viewfinder

Live Preview Screenshots

Viewfinder comes in two options for you to choose from: dark and light — great for those who have difficulty choosing between “on white” or “on black” backgrounds. It is minimal in design, which paves the way for the visual impact of your photos. There is plenty of room to maneuver the different settings to better suit your preferences, whilst still retaining its simplicity.

3. Panorama

Live Preview Screenshots

It doesn’t get much better than full screen space for a photographer looking to showcase his work to the wide, wide web. Not all people are confident enough to post their work at this size, but for those who do, check out Panorama by themeforest. Knowledge of programming [particularly PHP5] is required to fully utilize this theme, and when you do, you’ll be amazed at how far you can customize your website. Content is viewed in slide form, providing a seamless and professional feel to your galleries.

4. Gallerific 2

Live Preview Screenshots

Gallerific 2 is a must-try for any serious photographer. It’s complete without seeming cluttered; sophisticated but not coming across as too much. It boasts some great features like custom post types, widgets and a custom-built homepage slider. Best of all, it’s totally free to all Gallerific customers!

5. Momento (responsive)

Live Preview Screenshots

Momento is another well-designed theme out of the Obox factory. It is a WordPress Theme on a seemingly basic design, but with a scalable layout (responsive). One of the most important things in showcasing photos is the compatibility of the theme with the dimensions of both landscape and portrait-oriented photos. No more stress figuring out how to re-size your photos to fit your theme! Momento takes care of this problem with its full-width slider. You can also use this theme to incorporate your blog into your website.

6. Knead (responsive)

Live Preview Screenshots

Knead is simple way to show your work with portfolio template page. The template offers three different column layouts to choose from. Knead theme has that simple (minimal design) look, it’s incredibly easy to navigate without having to sacrifice the design aspect of your site. You can use it as standard blog with side widgets as well. Knead offers two color options for you to choose from (light or dark).

Note: Somewhat lower rating from users on Themeforest, but we believe support solved issues members had, after changes this theme is 5 star as well.

7. Photolist

Live Preview Screenshots

Photolist is yet another sleek design theme. It features a unique photo slider that extends across the full width of your screen, without detracting from the overall minimalist impact. A new gallery plugin lets you drag and drop your photos for faster customization. It also has built-in filters like negative, brightness, Gaussian blur, contrast, grayscale and colorize for you to choose from. The quotes custom post type feature is useful for showcasing positive feedback about your work on your homepage, to pique clients’ interests. It comes in seven different colors that are all equally attractive should you decide to change things up a bit once in a while.

8. Azione (mobile compatible) – New

Live Preview Screenshots

Azione takes a very modern approach to online portfolios because of Obox Mobile. Obox Mobile is a WordPress plugin that converts your site and makes it compatible with mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Azione also allows unlimited videos in a categorized format. 940 pixels of viewing space is more than enough for showcasing photos and HD videos.

9. Blocco (responsive)

Live Preview

Blocco is a cool, almost retro style photography theme that utilizes a “block” style to showcase your blogs, portfolios, medias and much more. Links are placed as tabs on the right hand portion of the page, customizable to include your social media links. Not only is it a great way to showcase your photos, it is optimized for videos as well. Its “responsive design” which adheres the site to suit your chosen device (laptop, tablet, mobile).

10. Folio Elements

Live Preview

The Folio Elements is a minimalistic theme, featuring a slider to showcase your photos. Viewers simply need to click on the arrow buttons to browse through your photos. The black background provides a good contrast to your photos. Links on the upper right hand portion of the page are customizable. Each video or photo has details on mouse over.

Easy way to show your work with no extra stuff that gets on the way, very minimalistic design that points out what is most important, and that is your work. Each post can contain either 1 video or up to 6 images within a photo set.

11. DeepFocus

Live Preview

The DeepFocus WordPress theme by elegantthemes was created as a CMS with Page-Based structure; however, it can be used as a regular blog as well. Thumbnails are re-sized automatically to create a uniform look. For ads and announcements, a 125×125 and a 468×60 space are allotted. This space is modified through wp-admin and can easily be turned on and off. With the gallery layout, robust blog and CMS-style homepage as well, making a DeepFocus an amazing solution for artists/photographers looking to build an online presence.

12. Envisioned

Live Preview

Envisioned comes in five color schemes (blue, gray, green, purple, brown). What’s great about this theme is how easily you can control it with the ePanel theme options. The use of shortcodes can help shorten your workflow in dealing with functionality and the variety of your content. The theme’s MO and PO files enable you to translate the theme’s design without the hassle of hunting through PHP files. Easy to use, nice effects, makes it one of the best themes for photographs out there.

13. ePhoto

Live Preview

ePhoto is a fabulous theme for those who wish to convert their blog into a gallery, most especially photographers. Other artists can also make us of this theme, as it is an efficient way of showcasing digital imagery. The content will be image-based, but there is a separate page where normal text blog posts can be integrated alongside photo posts. It comes in two skins — black and blue — that can be accessed at the Theme Options page. Its smooth, tabless design is something to consider.

14. Statua

Live Preview

Statua is theme from Woothemes that is incredibly easy to customize. It features a minimalist style that is attractive to many. Photography-wise, it allows a variety of options that can alter the look of your photography portfolio or photoblog, whether it is single image posts or image galleries for bulk images. There are three layouts for the homepage for you to choose from. Statua also has a layout for photos in a grid style as an overview of a number of photos all at once. Another homepage layout worth mentioning is the one emphasizing the photo sliders. Overall the theme is very flexible, with many layouts and settings that photographers would have fun combining to produce different effects to showcase their work.

15. ClearPhoto

Live Preview

ClearPhoto is a theme designed for photography enthusiasts and anyone with a portfolio wishing to showcase their work. It features a clean and elegant layout with a variety of features that also make it a good choice for business websites and blogs, or even online magazines.

Providers of above listed themes

There are plenty of other themes that could help you build amazing site. You might check providers of themes and find what you like the most:

Elegantthemes

Elegantthemes is one of the popular WordPress theme provider because themes are made very user-friendly, even without knowledge and skills in designing and programming. The ‘ePanel’ or options page lets you customize your site in many unique combinations. Each theme comes equipped with a widget-ready sidebar, custom thumbnail images, search bar and gravatar ready feature among others. Unlimited access to all of their themes for only $39, great value. They offer Handheld Theme, HandHeld works in tandem with your normal theme, and is only used when the plugin detects that your visitor is using a mobile phone.

Woothemes

Woothemes is a provider of themes developed using CSS, PHP and WordPress. These themes cater to a variety of functions such as magazine, portfolio, business and personal types. The backend part of the theme allows you to customize your page the way you like it without having to code it. You can also combine features from more than one theme. Resizing thumbnails and size of text is made easy with the auto-sizing feature. The unique Woo framework allows for custom page templates and even translation features. However, Woothemes is not as compatible cross-browser unlike Elegantthemes and Obox-design.

You have two options, buy themes separately and get 2-3 bonus themes, cheapest solution but you don’t get PSD files. Or the club participation which  is perfect for multi-site owners, freelancers, and web agencies needing access to ALL their themes.

Themeforest

Themeforest is one of the most popular marketplace for template developers such as WordPress, Joomla, Magento and many more. Themes have excellent functionality with an extensive network of tools that provide you a great number of options so that you can fine-tune every detail of you site. There are three main categories for Themeforest WordPress themes: blog, e-commerce and CMS or Content Management System. With over 750 premium WP themes to choose from and counting, customers will have a lot to consider.

Themeforest is part of big company name envato, and under same page you can easily browse and buy from other envato markets such as audiojungle, themeforest, videohive, codecanyon, photodune and others. Great thing about this market is that you can get all on one place.

Press75

Press75 is among the known theme providers of clean, unique and efficient WordPress themes. Users are faced with an interface with excellent content management options and features. One of the downsides to this provider is their rather limited selection of themes. At 17, they are behind other providers such as Woothemes, Elegantthemes, etc; however, they do release a new theme every month. Press75 Themes are also not SEO-friendly, but that problem is easily solved with free WordPress SEO plug-ins, like All in One Seo, or Platinum SEO.

Press75 has three very interesting packages:

Single – get 1 theme by your choice with lifetime updates and support

Essential - get all themes + all themes for 1 year

Lifetime – get all themes for lifetime

Obox-design

Obox-design themes were developed with both websites and blogs in mind, particular for business, news, portfolio and entertainment. Like Press75, their selection is considerably smaller than other providers; however, the diversity of themes is sufficient. Obox themes are good across browsers and are search engine optimized.

Themeforest include Obox themes in their marketplace.

Very interesting package from Obox:

Single Pack – 3 themes included

Developer Pack – 2 themes included with PSD and Obox Mobile

Membership Pack – all themes with everything

Solostream

Solostream is not so known WordPress theme provider, but they offer themes that are easy to customize and search engine optimized. Multiply page templates allow for variety within your site. Expect great support via forums, tutorials and videos. It’s relatively cheap, at $79 for 21 professionally designed themes.

May be cheapest from above:

Basic - get all themes with free update 1 month, free support 1 month

Silver – get whole package with everything, PSD included, 3 months updates and 3 months support, 1 theme each month, revenue is Quarterly

Gold – get everything as above with 12 months support, 12 months updates, revenue is annually

Solostream is different from others cause they have videos to help you get going with your site, and can help you how to generate more traffic and make better content on your site.

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EOS 60Da is basically 60D but with its infrared filter modified. Modified in a way so it doesn’t screen out so much “hydrogen-alpha” light, produced by excited hydrogen atoms. It lets in approximately three times the amount of hydrogen-alpha red as a regular 60D, so it can capture better photos of energetic nebulae. I know, it all makes sense to you. Let’s just say if you are very interesting into shooting stars in Space with you Canon, EOS 60Da may be your weapon of choice. I say may be because you can also take those pictures with the regular 60D and save yourself a 600 $. In the end it all depends on your knowledge on the matter and your needs.

Below are the sample photos taken with 60D and 60Da probably mounted on some kind of telescope (source: petapixel.com)

So we can all clearly see the difference in the redness of details and although I don’t think this is worth $600 extra, astro photographers might disagree. Not being even close to an astro expert I would leave any debates to more competent individuals. We can only repeat some statements that we came across on the web. Like when some say that  their advice would be to get a cheaper, less megapixel camera with bigger individual pixels, and to remove the IR filter that is in front of the sensor. So one may also do that to a 60D camera but then you wouldn’t be able to shoot normal pictures during daylight. Instead you would get that crazy cool infrared look on your daylight pictures.

The basic specifications remained the same like on the original 60D: an 18MP APS-C sensor, 9-point AF, and a 3-inch LCD. With the camera you get a remote controller adapter and an AC adapter. It will be available for $1,499.

You may look at 60Da as a $600 pricier 60D or as an astro photographic all-around dslr with no alternative. And like with all multipurpose items there are some negative aspects. It is neither the best daylight camera nor it will be the best camera for astrophotography.

Related posts:

1. All about Canon EOS 5D Mark III / 5D X rumors
2. Canon 60D announcement + bunch of new lenses!
3. CAnon 1DMrkIV announced

The contest offers a chance to win a 7-day, 6-night all-expense paid trip to Los Angeles for two. The grand prize winner will receive a comfortable stay in a beautiful Southern Californian home, airfare, transportation along with experiences such as surf lessons and a wine tour. HomeExchange.com has also partnered with several sponsors to offer activities unique to Los Angeles: two tickets to Cirque du Soleil’s new show Iris; private chef Melissa Costella of Karma Chow will cook all natural cuisine and farm-fresh fruit and vegetables from The FruitGuys supplied for the week.

Announcement of winner

The grand prizewinner will be announced on May 1, 2012 at 2pm PST. He or she, and one guest, will be living Like a Local in sunny Los Angeles from July 1 to July 7, 2012.

The package includes:

There are couple of conditions:

What you need to do ?

Grab your camera or smart phone, head out into your city or town, and capture that one local spot that is a “must-see” for any visitor. It could be your favorite restaurant, hideout spot, or lookout point. The possibilities are endless. We want your local insight on how to best experience your back yard.

You can submit photos by April 16, so hurry up. On April 17, 10 finalists will be announced by HomeExchange.com and the public will have 7 days to vote for their favorite photo.

Check more details on:

http://blog.homeexchange.com/livelikealocal/about/

How much does it cost to take your camera or even smartphone, and go out, take shoots of your favorite place in your city?! None, for little fun taking a photo, you could get more fun, amazing trip and adventure for two. So what are you waiting for, go out there and make a winning photo !

We wish you Good Luck !

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The J-Cube with accessories mounted on a Canon 5D MkII

The J-Cube

What we love about the HDSLR world is how people come up with a very niche products to solve a specific problem then build a small business around it. If you’re into video making, you’re already familiar with all the additional appliances that need to be attached to your camera in some way. How to put a mic + receiver on the camera without resorting to using rigs, that look cool, but are not always the most practical solution.  They add weight, consume space and limit your flexibility. Without a rig, you’re left with only one hot shoe on your DSLR and you can choose between fitting the LED screen, microphone, LED panel, audio recorder etc.

This is where the J-Cube comes in. It’s an adapter you put on your camera hot shoe, which gives you 3 slots to fit your gear in (so it basically adds two new ‘shoes’). These slots are cold, which means they can’t trigger a flash. But if you want to power a pocket wizard, you can always plug it in the PC sync.  It is designed with video in mind because it won’t be much use for flash although as a photographer/videographer you may even use it multipurpose and fit a LCD display and a flash plugged to the PC sync. That way you can use your display while filming, and use the flash while taking photos. Videographers, with the J-Cube attached to a DSLR,  can attach an audio recorder, wireless receiver, a shotgun mic and even LCD or LED panel. So it’s very convenient for the people that operate handheld and still use accessories. Additionally, it is easy for the photographer that has to shoot still photos along with their video.

The J-Cube with accessories mounted on a Canon 5D MkII

When we got the review unit, we were quite surprised to see how tough it was. J-Cube from J-Rod is a very solidly built clever piece of equipment. We were expecting a cheap plastic gizmo but were in for a surprise: this thing is made of anodized aluminum and all the adapter slots are made in metal which is very nice.  A lot of people may be under the impression that the camera hot shoe will break. On the contrary, it will actually hold a lot of weight. Despite its build quality, J-Cube is light in weight. The weight of The J-Cube, wireless receiver, shotgun mic, and audio recorder is actually the same as a Canon flash with batteries! Also included in package were Pro Shoe and Female Pro Shoe, which work hand in hand to attach most anything with a ¼-20 socket to The J-Cube, or mount the J-Cube to a stand, tripod, or anything with a ¼-20 stud.

The J-Cube closer look

Even heavily loaded, the J-Cube held very well and there was no slack in the system, even after we shook it a few times. It remained tight and secure and because of its safety system there is no risk of mounted stuff to slide off.

So, should you get one?

If you have need to mount more than one gear to your shoe mount, is it for recording video + audio, even photography (time-lapse) , this product is going to be God sent. It works as advertised and it is quality built.

You can buy J-Rod products at B&H store here.

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