Right on the heels of the recent camera announcements (see D800) and many cameras with some of the largest sensors we’ve seen to date, is this funny cartoon. Need I say more?

Credit: XKCD.

Cheers and good shooting
-Peter Zack

Related posts:

1. Weddings Can Be Funny Too! Wedding Photographer Fails
2. Funny Time-Lapse Video

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If you haven’t been introduced to Pinterest, you’re in for a treat!

It’s the newest, hip social network that cracked the top 10 of popularity…while still being INVITE only!  Inspiration boards of styles you like, goals for your future, books you want to read, cute DIY wedding ideas have always been around but up until Pinterest, they were created with paper, scissors, tape and poster board – I know, we’ve all been there!

Pinterest is a gold mine for photographers, especially wedding photographers, because brides-to-be are there, pinning images from their favorite websites to showcase ideas while categorizing their favorite wedding cakes, details, dress and even their ‘something blue’ for crying out loud!  As photographers, we supply images that they pin (you can pin ANY web image and brides are scouring wedding websites and blogs for new images). Then, their followers and friends see our work...and boom…in comes a job lead!

Things to remember when using Pinterest:

1. You must use a watermark or a logo border on all of your images so that no matter which image they choose, your brand goes with them (as well as a link from the source URL).
2. Pinterest frowns on being solely a self-promotion tool. It’s inherently about authentic social sharing! Sure, you can share your own images on your boards, but think outside the box and pin into categories your style, stuff you love and even posing ideas from others to spread the love. Clients are looking for ideas, from cute clothes to wear to their session to adorable save-the-date concepts.  Include images that you want your clients to pin for a specific reason, not just because you think it’s a great image.
3. Market your boards to your audience and fan base to follow you. Why? Because when clients choose you, it’s because of your personality and style! Pinterest shares both the style of your images and the uniqueness of your personality by visually displaying things you love. Consider adding ‘Pin it’ plug-ins to your blog and a link to your Pinterest page from your website.
4. Optimize your description and include a link to your website and Facebook URL.  That shows on the left side of your page.
5. Check out what images of yours have already been pinned by others using this link:http://pinterest.com/source/yourdomain.com/  (Change yourdomain.com to your website URL).

Pinterest is THE hottest new online marketing tool and there are endless possibilities of vision boarding. When you jump on the Pinterest bandwagon, showcase your personality and style by pinning things your clients will LOVE. Being a genuinely helpful resource for your clients catalyzes dialogue about their planning, showcases new ideas for their wedding or portrait session, and builds trust.

Happy Pinning! This is part of the new e-book “55 Smart Web Ideas for Photographers.” For information on the e-book, check out: http://bit.ly/webmarketing-ebook-55smartideas

About Wendy Roe

Wendy Roe has spent the last 10 years ingrained in all things web marketing – from design/development to search/social media. In May 2010, she decided to quit the corporate life and join forces with her husband, Byron Roe, to shoot full-time one of life’s ultimate highs – weddings. She now focuses on business development and being a second shooter for Bend, Oregon based wedding photographers, Byron Roe Photography.

She is the co-author of “55 Smart Web Ideas for Photographers” e-book, a 2-time speaker at WPPI Photographer’s Ignite and traveled through west coast PUG groups consulting photographers on web marketing. She’s known as an interpreter, changing technical language into easy information. Above all, she’s an educator at heart and believes: “Web marketing and wedding photography are two passions that drive bringing the best out of beauty and brands.”

One question I frequently get asked is how to get rid of shadows in the picture when the subject is close to a wall?

Well, it depends on if the shadow is being created due to a specific angle of the speed light or you’re using some sort of a flash diffuser. A lot of photographers assume that the omni dome diffuser you get with your speed light is essential to making the light softer, which is not always true.

In most cases that dome diffuser is used to spread the light in a very challenging lighting situation when you can’t bounce anything off the ceiling or walls. The plastic diffuser helps you project the light forward and in all direction to illuminate your subject. But what if you are able to bounce the light off the ceiling without any difficulty? In a situation like this, omni dome diffuser can create shadows behind your subject and in some cases the light rather looks harsh and unflattering.

In the sample pictures (above) you’ll notice shadows behind the subject and the flash on the subject’s face is not very soft. This was taken with a dome diffuser that comes with most speed light these days.

In the next picture you’ll notice that the shadows are gone and the light becomes much softer. I simply removed the diffuser and bounced the light straight off the ceiling. It was a 20 foot ceiling and I had no problem creating soft light.

Take a look at some other sample pictures where my subject is very close to the wall but there are no shadows simply because I did not use dome diffuser which helped me eliminate any shadows and harsh light.

If I were in a situation where the ceiling was of a very dark color and too high to bounce the light off, then I would use the dome diffuser to bail me out, but for the most part you can create beautiful light without the diffuser.

PhotographersOnUTube is a Photography Tutorial channel on YouTube. You can find their facebook page here and YouTube channel here.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

How to Use Dome Diffuser to Eliminate Shadows and Harsh Light

UPDATE: Within minutes of posting this – several of you claiming to be video experts say you disagree that the 36MP is good for video. So be it. I was simply reporting what I had been told. I personally don’t have a dog in this hunt. As my post clearly expresses, I personally think 36mp is too many for a 35mm sensor. Your mileage may vary.

I’ll start with the usual disclaimer. I am not one of the cool kids so I have never shot with a D800. This is not a review. Until I actually shoot the camera I won’t have a firm opinion, but looking at the specs, I am very confused about this camera.

Let’s step back in time. The D700 had about 12 megapixels. The D800 – its successor has three times as many pixels? Sorry but – WHAT THE YOU KNOW WHAT is that about?

Physics are physics. If you cram three times the pixels onto a sensor that is the same size as you used when your camera had 1/3 the pixels, something’s got to give. Yes the camera companies have come up with some neat tricks to make each pixel gather more light than it would have in the old days, but three times the pixels???

What this tells me is there is a bunch of back-end processing from the new processor that will make the image look smoother. Looking at the few still samples I’ve seen – they are a bit soft when it comes to details. This is no doubt why Nikon is releasing a D800E – canceling the anti-aliasing properties of the OLPF inside the camera. But I’d bet a bunch of money that’s not going to make the low-light religion shooters happy because eliminating that filter – WILL create noisier pics. Period. End of discussion.

So why 36MP? My guess is that Nikon is really betting on this being more of a video camera. The cinematic resolution you get from 36MP is probably more important to Nikon and their target audience for this camera than low-light performance with good detail. The video sample I’ve seen is tremendous. It looks very good for a $3000 camera.

Other changes? Much better video and audio. HDMI out that is uncompressed. Better metering and autofocus system. But a drop to four frames per second in FX mode – full frame. It looks nice but that darn 36mp count keeps sticking in my head.

The D800 costs the same as the D700 when it first came out. That’s a good deal. Over time the price of the D700 dropped to an average of $2500 and I expect the same to eventually happen to the D800. Talking with some video folks I respect, they agree with me that the 36MP move is all about video. I will test this camera before I make any final decision, but I am guessing I’ll stick with the D700 as a still camera and look at the D4 which has most of the video capability of the D800 but bigger buffer, faster frame rates and a bias that leans more towards stills.

I am sure the Nikon faithful will buy this camera no matter what. NPS members have already received their notification that they can pre-order the D800 so the March delivery date looks to be solid. But I think that if physics are still physics, Nikon missed a chance to nab some Canon 5DMKII owners who are tired of waiting for the III. If the D800 had 24mp instead of 36, all other things being equal – I am betting they would have made some converts. Time will tell.

Rest assured I’ll have my hands on one of these as soon as they are available and give you a full report.

_______
This Post Sponsored by:
Viewbug - Fun Photo Contests /
Animoto – Great animated slide shows from your photos /
BorrowLenses.com – Renting Canon, Nikon, Olympus & Sony, bodies, lenses, etc. / SmugMug – Professional Photo Sharing /
Digital SLR Store - Cameras, lenses, accessories and everything else.

Let’s step back in time. The D700 had about 12 megapixels. The D800 – its successor has three times as many pixels? Sorry but – WHAT THE YOU KNOW WHAT is that about?

Physics are physics. If you cram three times the pixels onto a sensor that is the same size as you used when your camera had 1/3 the pixels, something’s got to give. Yes the camera companies have come up with some neat tricks to make each pixel gather more light than it would have in the old days, but three times the pixels???

What this tells me is there is a bunch of back-end processing from the new processor that will make the image look smoother. Looking at the few still samples I’ve seen – they are a bit soft when it comes to details. This is no doubt why Nikon is releasing a D800E – canceling the anti-aliasing properties of the OLPF inside the camera. But I’d bet a bunch of money that’s not going to make the low-light religion shooters happy because eliminating that filter – WILL create noisier pics. Period. End of discussion.

So why 36MP? My guess is that Nikon is really betting on this being more of a video camera. The cinematic resolution you get from 36MP is probably more important to Nikon and their target audience for this camera than low-light performance with good detail. The video sample I’ve seen is tremendous. It looks very good for a $3000 camera.

Other changes? Much better video and audio. HDMI out that is uncompressed. Better metering and autofocus system. But a drop to four frames per second in FX mode – full frame. It looks nice but that darn 36mp count keeps sticking in my head.

The D800 costs the same as the D700 when it first came out. That’s a good deal. Over time the price of the D700 dropped to an average of $2500 and I expect the same to eventually happen to the D800. Talking with some video folks I respect, they agree with me that the 36MP move is all about video. I will test this camera before I make any final decision, but I am guessing I’ll stick with the D700 as a still camera and look at the D4 which has most of the video capability of the D800 but bigger buffer, faster frame rates and a bias that leans more towards stills.

I am sure the Nikon faithful will buy this camera no matter what. NPS members have already received their notification that they can pre-order the D800 so the March delivery date looks to be solid. But I think that if physics are still physics, Nikon missed a chance to nab some Canon 5DMKII owners who are tired of waiting for the III. If the D800 had 24mp instead of 36, all other things being equal – I am betting they would have made some converts. Time will tell.

Rest assured I’ll have my hands on one of these as soon as they are available and give you a full report.

_______
This Post Sponsored by:
Viewbug - Fun Photo Contests /
Animoto – Great animated slide shows from your photos /
BorrowLenses.com – Renting Canon, Nikon, Olympus & Sony, bodies, lenses, etc. / SmugMug – Professional Photo Sharing /
Digital SLR Store - Cameras, lenses, accessories and everything else.

I’ve started noticing a pattern in many of the images I have seen from new photography enthusiasts. It’s not absolute, but it is common enough that I write here today offering this bit of advice: Get closer.

Here’s the pattern I see when I ask new photographers to photograph something of interest. I’ll illustrate the flow with photos most students start out with.

First, they find something interesting, like this splotch of moss on a tree trunk. They think it’s different and those who haven’t visited Washington often remark at the different varieties of moss we have here. If only we could export it for gold.

The photo above is what I see a lot of. It’s not horrible, but it is not what the shooter really wanted to capture. They see the moss, they see the tree and they just take a shot, from about four feet away and zoomed out. But the image brings in the background and there is nothing special. They often frown at the camera at this point. Then turn to me with that frown, shrug their shoulders and look for advice. “Get closer.” They sigh again and take a step in.

The moss gets bigger but they complain about the distraction of the person on the sidewalk in the background. More frowning. “Get closer.” One more step straight forward (moss really is cool).

Straight on. They are a bit amazed their camera can take a picture so close, to be honest. Some, picking up on the theme, will take things even closer but most of the time, the lens and camera combination won’t allow focus at that range. At this point, they have a close image but everything is in focus and there is no depth to the image. They still aren’t happy, but getting there (at least the sidewalk isn’t visible!).

At this point we take another tack. I have them move to the side. To try another angle. By now they still aren’t sure I’m sane and this is par for the course. Perhaps there is a magic button on their camera that makes pretty pictures? “No,” I reply, “but that’s actually good news.”

Now the eyebrows raise up a bit. There’s interest in the image. A bit of angle has added in some depth (even at f/9) and the moss is starting to become interesting. They know what’s coming by now if they were to turn to me and ask, so they tentatively ask, “Closer?”  “Yep. And zoom in just a bit.”

“Oh wow,” is often heard at this point. They didn’t know their camera could take a photo with a clear subject and no distractions. They were able to get a bit closer than when straight on and they now have a focal point. But the aperture is still set to f/9 and bringing in a lot of the moss. So I have them lower the aperture as far as it will go (while still looking through the view finder as it is good practice to learn to adjust settings while looking through the viewfinder if you have one).

Now at f/5.6 in this case, the focal point is narrowed down and they have an interesting picture. Will it make the cover of National Geographic? Not likely. But I’ve come to understand people learn in baby steps and this is a big one for most; realizing there is more to shoot than the broad view, with a wide angle lens, four feet back.

If you’re starting out, repeat the mantra to yourself the next time you have a subject in front of you and are frowning at your camera’s display of an average image.

Get Closer.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

Beginner’s Tip: Get Closer

I’ve started noticing a pattern in many of the images I have seen from new photography enthusiasts. It’s not absolute, but it is common enough that I write here today offering this bit of advice: Get closer.

Here’s the pattern I see when I ask new photographers to photograph something of interest. I’ll illustrate the flow with photos most students start out with.

First, they find something interesting, like this splotch of moss on a tree trunk. They think it’s different and those who haven’t visited Washington often remark at the different varieties of moss we have here. If only we could export it for gold.

The photo above is what I see a lot of. It’s not horrible, but it is not what the shooter really wanted to capture. They see the moss, they see the tree and they just take a shot, from about four feet away and zoomed out. But the image brings in the background and there is nothing special. They often frown at the camera at this point. Then turn to me with that frown, shrug their shoulders and look for advice. “Get closer.” They sigh again and take a step in.

The moss gets bigger but they complain about the distraction of the person on the sidewalk in the background. More frowning. “Get closer.” One more step straight forward (moss really is cool).

Straight on. They are a bit amazed their camera can take a picture so close, to be honest. Some, picking up on the theme, will take things even closer but most of the time, the lens and camera combination won’t allow focus at that range. At this point, they have a close image but everything is in focus and there is no depth to the image. They still aren’t happy, but getting there (at least the sidewalk isn’t visible!).

At this point we take another tack. I have them move to the side. To try another angle. By now they still aren’t sure I’m sane and this is par for the course. Perhaps there is a magic button on their camera that makes pretty pictures? “No,” I reply, “but that’s actually good news.”

Now the eyebrows raise up a bit. There’s interest in the image. A bit of angle has added in some depth (even at f/9) and the moss is starting to become interesting. They know what’s coming by now if they were to turn to me and ask, so they tentatively ask, “Closer?”  “Yep. And zoom in just a bit.”

“Oh wow,” is often heard at this point. They didn’t know their camera could take a photo with a clear subject and no distractions. They were able to get a bit closer than when straight on and they now have a focal point. But the aperture is still set to f/9 and bringing in a lot of the moss. So I have them lower the aperture as far as it will go (while still looking through the view finder as it is good practice to learn to adjust settings while looking through the viewfinder if you have one).

Now at f/5.6 in this case, the focal point is narrowed down and they have an interesting picture. Will it make the cover of National Geographic? Not likely. But I’ve come to understand people learn in baby steps and this is a big one for most; realizing there is more to shoot than the broad view, with a wide angle lens, four feet back.

If you’re starting out, repeat the mantra to yourself the next time you have a subject in front of you and are frowning at your camera’s display of an average image.

Get Closer.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

Beginner’s Tip: Get Closer

I believe the future of business and commitment building resides in the idea of viewing your business as a platform for your community.

The notion of a platform is one that receives a fair amount of play in various contexts.

An author is said to possess a platform when they have built a following. Consultants might work with a business owner to build a platform through speaking, writing, blogging and connecting in social media. And finally, many tech firms have built platforms by creating open source software, such as WordPress, that allows other 3rd party providers to build commerce and community on top of their framework.

Amazon sells lots of books, but in order to do that they needed to develop lots of file serving and storage capacity and get very, very good at delivering lightning quick web results in one of the highest traffic demand environments online.

Amazon took something that had little to do with their existing business, but which they had become incredibly proficient at, and created Amazon Web Services that allows thousands of business to build on the Amazon framework. I host and stream all of my product videos using Amazon S3 servers.

Airbnb is a community marketplace that allows property owners and travelers to connect with each other for the purpose of renting unique vacation spaces around the world. I use it frequently and love how simple the service is to use. Airbnb is built on Amazon Web Services and uses their database tools to build their community.

I would like to suggest that the notion of a platform is one that we can apply to almost any business.

What is a platform in this context?

A platform is a system that helps people create products, services, profits, businesses, communities, and networks of their own. The dynamics that must be present to create a platform environment are openness and collaboration.

So, the questions you need to ponder are:

• How could you or your business act as a platform?
• What could others build on top of your business or products?
• How could you add more value through your platform approach?
• How could you grow a network on your platform?
• Are there other businesses that your platform could launch?
• How could your community generate value for each other?
• How could your platform learn from community members?
• How could you create something open enough to attract your competitors?
• What platforms already exist that you could build on?
• Could you use your existing purpose, culture or community as a platform?
• What could you acquire as a way to build a platform?
• What could you extend as a way to build a platform?

When you start to think about your business in this manner you can move beyond the traditional applications of the term platform and blend platform type thinking into your business model, your culture and ultimately how you engage and communicate with your community.

Find your unique framework for openness

The key is to locate your unique framework as the foundation for the platform. Often times this requires thinking far outside of what your core business was designed to do and looking purely at things you can do, things you’ve gotten good at doing, even if they are simply things you do to support your core business.

AppleTree Answers is a call center business headquartered in Wilmington Delaware. The company has built a platform of sorts by figuring out how to change the paradigm of the call center culture. The company has received numerous awards for workplace excellence and is a frequent member of the Inc 500 and 5000.

AppleTree’s rapid growth then has come about by acquiring other small call centers and installing Appletree’s unique framework of openness. Appletree’s strong culture is the platform they’ve built all of their expansion on.

It’s all about building more value

A major dynamic of the platform component is value creation. No matter what your business does it will sink or swim based on the value (perceived or otherwise) it creates in someone’s life. This is extremely so when we talk about the community aspect of a platform.

Further, if you want to differentiate your business from others that are already providing value to a market, you’ve got to find a way to create more value as a competitive edge.

Many people default to adding features to products and services as a way to address value, but I think the real impact in value creation comes from strategically finding ways to add value in the way your business delivers a unique experience to its customer rather than through some sort of product enhancement.

The beauty of understanding value creation at the strategic level and then forcing that thinking into every tactical decision is that this is some of the most profitable work you can do. When a market comes to value what you have to offer as the “go to” choice you’re on your way to a premium pricing opportunity. People will pay dearly for an experience that helps them get more of what they want out of life.

The main updates included:

• More durable body
• Smaller Size (only slightly)
• Redesigned Optics
• New Zoom Lock lever to prevent damage in transit

Unfortunately the update didn’t bring any Image Stabilisation to this lens – something that will disappoint many.

The new Canon EF 24-70 F/2.8L II USM will retail when it becomes available in April for $2,299.

There is some speculation around that this update is a precursor to a full frame DSLR announcement from Canon shortly. Time will tell.

Also of interest is Canon releasing two wide angle primes with Image Stabilization.

They are the EF 24mm f/2.8 IS USM and EF 28mm f/2.8 IS USM. These updates to older prime lenses are said to add up to four stops to shooting with them. They both have Ultra Silent Motors and new aspherical lens elements.

The 24mm F/2.8 IS USM will retail for $849 USD and the 28mm F/2.8 IS USM will cost $799. Both will be available in June.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

Canon Update 3 Lenses including EF 24-70 F/2.8L II USM

The film showcases the D800′s ability to shoot in some tricky lighting conditions and situations (fast moving motorbikes, low light etc). Here it is:

Also released by Sandro today was a behind the scenes video. It doesn’t contain a heap of technical info by will give you a feel for how it was shot.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

View a Short Film Shot on the New Nikon D800 DSLR