New Tools for the Creative Mind. Weekly digital photography podcasts, photo tips, reader submitted pictures, equipment reviews and more. The Digital Story is about making photography, music, and filmmaking enjoyable. Creativity flows better when technical issues are resolved. Instead of trying to figure out every blessed control on your digital camera, we want to show you the simple things that help it become an extension of your vision and a tool for your expression. http://www.thedigitalstory.com/feed/podcast.xml No Derrick Story http://thedigitalstory.com/ New Tools for the Creative Mind New Tools for the Creative Mind. Weekly digital photography podcasts, photo tips, reader submitted pictures, equipment reviews and more. The Digital Story is about making photography, music, and filmmaking enjoyable. Creativity flows better when technical issues are resolved. Instead of trying to figure out every blessed control on your digital camera, we want to show you the simple things that help it become an extension of your vision and a tool for your expression. en-us 2006-2008 Story Photography Story Photography webmaster@thedigitalstory.com http://www.thedigitalstory.com/img/tds_logo_144_web.jpg http://www.thedigitalstory.com 144 144 Sun, 05 Jul 2009 09:48:43 -0800 Sun, 05 Jul 2009 10:06:13 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=4.23-en http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 2006-2008 Story Photography dstory@gmail.com (Derrick Story) Beautiful 4th of July weather that's perfect for picnicking and fun for sports. When the sun is high overhead, however, your photographs will be very contrasty. Often, what I like to do in these situations is shoot in Raw, then convert the images to B&W in post production. My eye likes gritty, contrasty monochrome images, and there's no better light for that than a high sun on a summer day. I used one of my favorite street shooting rigs, the Canon Digital Rebel T1i (500D) with the 70-200mm f/4 L zoom. This combo is light, nimble, and provides great image... http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheDigitalStory/~3/Ex1bTTzkBJU/bright_sun_fast_acti.html http://thedigitalstory.com/2009/07/bright_sun_fast_acti.html Photography Sun, 05 Jul 2009 09:48:43 -0800 Technology http://thedigitalstory.com/2009/07/bright_sun_fast_acti.html dstory@gmail.com (Derrick Story) Pyromaniacs all across the States are gearing up for their favorite day: The 4th of July. Technically, it's an American holiday to celebrate independence from England. But we all know its true popularity stems from great BBQ and dazzling fireworks displays. If you want to capture your own fiery composition, here are a few tips. Let's start with the basics: turn off your flash. Yes, you're going to be shooting in a dark environment, and if your camera is set to auto flash, it's going to fire. This is the last thing you want, so turn it off. Next,... http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheDigitalStory/~3/wak8CxefnDo/its_that_time_again_1.html http://thedigitalstory.com/2009/07/its_that_time_again_1.html Photography Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:11:57 -0800 Technology http://thedigitalstory.com/2009/07/its_that_time_again_1.html dstory@gmail.com (Derrick Story) The Olympus E-P1 digital camera supports six Art Filters that allow you to apply effects in-camera. You have a choice of Pop Art, Soft Focus, Pale & Light Color, Light Tone, Grainy Film, and Pin Hole. You can apply the filters to both still images and video. To see how these work, just switch to "Art" on the top mode dial of the E-P1. Even though you can apply these filters in shooting mode, I prefer to capture in Raw on the E-P1, then do my creative work later in playback mode. Any of the six filters can be applied... http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheDigitalStory/~3/Do-RiC7XB90/applying_olympus_e-p.html http://thedigitalstory.com/2009/07/applying_olympus_e-p.html Photography Wed, 01 Jul 2009 23:42:26 -0800 Technology http://thedigitalstory.com/2009/07/applying_olympus_e-p.html sscheetz@earthlink.net (Derrick Story) Sometimes you just don't know when you'll find inspiration for your next craft project. One of my favorite TV shows, Groomer Has It put a clever spin on the classic art form of black paper silhouettes. In many scenes, the interior walls were decorated with these cute pet profiles, so I was inspired to make one, too. Take a frontal or profile picture of your pet. Print the image onto an 8.5" x 11" sheet of copy paper. Place your "photocopy" over a piece of black paper and staple the corners to secure the papers together. Use a sharp... http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheDigitalStory/~3/sxoW8CIMFMc/create_artistic_pet_1.html http://thedigitalstory.com/2009/06/create_artistic_pet_1.html Creative Output Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:25:31 -0800 Technology http://thedigitalstory.com/2009/06/create_artistic_pet_1.html dstory@gmail.com (Derrick Story) Hate ICC profiles? Confused by print dialog boxes? You can avoid these headaches and print without pain, if you're willing to give up a little flexibility. In this podcast I use the HP C6380 all-in-one printer as an example of pain-free printing. And of course, I add a few tips and tricks along the way. Monthly Photo Assignment Splash is the June 2009 Photo Assignment. You can capture anything from a child jumping in a pool to an olive dropping into a martini. You can read more about how to submit on our Submissions page. Deadline for entry is June... http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheDigitalStory/~3/kF-AeGYSUtI/photo_printing_witho.html http://thedigitalstory.com/2009/06/photo_printing_witho.html Show Notes Tue, 30 Jun 2009 07:47:29 -0800 Technology http://thedigitalstory.com/2009/06/photo_printing_witho.htmlhttp://media.thedigitalstory.com/tds090630.mp3 dstory@gmail.com (Derrick Story) The camera in the iPhone 3GS has improved close-up capabilities, tap focus, and more resolution than previous models. You can use the 3GS to photograph small objects, business cards, even duplicate 4" x 6" prints. With this DIY copy stand that's easy to make, you can produce high quality images with just a couple taps on its screen. If you've ever tried close-up work with the iPhone, you know you have two challenges. The first is holding the camera steady enough to avoid camera shake. The second is getting the plane of the camera parallel to the plane of the... http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheDigitalStory/~3/LvZt3OaYMv0/diy_copy_stand_for_i.html http://thedigitalstory.com/2009/06/diy_copy_stand_for_i.html Photography Mon, 29 Jun 2009 08:18:15 -0800 Technology http://thedigitalstory.com/2009/06/diy_copy_stand_for_i.html dstory@gmail.com (Derrick Story) Rim lighting is an effecting approach for both portraits as well as inanimate objects. This May 09 Photo Assignment Gallery shows off some terrific examples of this technique. The July 2009 assignment is "Soft Background." Start working on your contribution now. Details can be found on the Member Participation page. You can submit photo assignment pictures up to 600 pixels in the widest direction. Please follow the instructions carefully for labeling the subject line of the email for your submission. It's easy to lose these in the pile of mail if not labeled correctly. For example, the subject line for... http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheDigitalStory/~3/yEFqa6-dVFs/rim_light_-_results.html http://thedigitalstory.com/2009/06/rim_light_-_results.html Photography Sat, 27 Jun 2009 11:26:43 -0800 Technology http://thedigitalstory.com/2009/06/rim_light_-_results.html dstory@gmail.com (Derrick Story) The Canon Digital Rebel T1i (500D) is proving to be an excellent field camera. In my first test, I roamed the streets of San Francisco with a Canon 70-200 mm f/4 L zoom. For my next adventure, I visited Bodie State Park off of Hwy. 395 in Northern California. Since CA may be closing most of its State Parks due to the budget crisis, I wanted to visit Bodie again for what I hope isn't a last look. Setting Up the Canon T1i This time, I mounted one of my favorite zooms on the T1i, the 24-105mm f/4 L IS.... http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheDigitalStory/~3/wgt9pd9Lx8E/canon_t1i_field_test.html http://thedigitalstory.com/2009/06/canon_t1i_field_test.html Photography Thu, 25 Jun 2009 11:49:59 -0800 Technology http://thedigitalstory.com/2009/06/canon_t1i_field_test.html dstory@gmail.com (Derrick Story) There was a time when photographers would no more consider buying a multifunctional printer than they would go on vacation with only a 64 MB memory card. But technology marches on, and today I have not one, but two "all-in-one" printers that tout excellent photo printing abilities. Behind door number one stands the HP C6380 All-in-One (left), and behind door number two challenges the Kodak ESP 7 All-in-One (right). So who should consider an all-in-one for light office and photo output? I'd say amateur photographers who don't want to mess with ICC profiles (let the printer choose the settings), who... http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheDigitalStory/~3/Ovi1DWwlKN4/all-in-one_printer_t.html http://thedigitalstory.com/2009/06/all-in-one_printer_t.html Photography Tue, 23 Jun 2009 23:46:40 -0800 Technology http://thedigitalstory.com/2009/06/all-in-one_printer_t.html dstory@gmail.com (Derrick Story) The new Creative Output section of The Digital Story was created to inspire photographers to find new ways to share their images with others. I sometimes refer to this process as, "going beyond the print." I brought in a true expert in this field, Stephanie Scheetz, to oversee this endeavor. Stephanie has been a craft designer and instructor for major craft companies for more than 15 years. She has taught classes throughout the U.S. and Asia, and has appeared on TV craft shows and home shopping programs in the U.S. and U.K. Her work can be found in craft industry... http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheDigitalStory/~3/5TB-wqOp58k/artist_stephanie_sch.html http://thedigitalstory.com/2009/06/artist_stephanie_sch.html Show Notes Tue, 23 Jun 2009 17:18:21 -0800 Technology http://thedigitalstory.com/2009/06/artist_stephanie_sch.htmlhttp://media.thedigitalstory.com/tds090623.mp3 dstory@gmail.com (Derrick Story) "Thought I'd submit this shot from Jerusalem's Old City," writes Roderick James. "The sign didn't look out of place in this old market, but seemed jarring in our digital world -- especially since I grabbed this image with my Canon G10." Roderick set his G10 to ISO 80, 1/80th at f/3.2 for this trip down memory lane. Photo by Roderick James. Click on image to zoom to larger size. If you have a candid you'd like to share, take a look at our Submissions page, then send us your Grab Shot. We'll try to get it published for you... http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheDigitalStory/~3/YZjApGOsmW0/kodak_blast_from_the.html http://thedigitalstory.com/2009/06/kodak_blast_from_the.html Grab Shots Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:09:14 -0800 Technology http://thedigitalstory.com/2009/06/kodak_blast_from_the.html dstory@gmail.com (Derrick Story) Capturing, trimming, and sharing video with the new iPhone 3G S is literally a snap. After a bit of testing, the easiest way to share is directly from the device itself. So if you're tempted to transfer the video to your computer and monkey around with it, you might want to resist. See my examples below for more on that. The iPhone 3G S records SD video (640x480) and saves it in the H.264 format. The frame rate when I was playing it back on my MacBook was an odd 17 fps (but as some readers pointed out, that was... http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheDigitalStory/~3/1UbvUR6BW7w/iphone_3g_s_movie_ma.html http://thedigitalstory.com/2009/06/iphone_3g_s_movie_ma.html Photography Mon, 22 Jun 2009 10:19:30 -0800 Technology http://thedigitalstory.com/2009/06/iphone_3g_s_movie_ma.html dstory@gmail.com (Derrick Story) When your first mount the 14-42mm micro zoom lens on the Olympus E-P1, you might see this message on your LCD: "Please check the status of the lens." Do not fear. Nothing is wrong. All it means is that the lens is in the "locked" position. The message is E-P1 speak for "unlock the lens." All you have to do is twist the zooming ring to the left until you hear a click. Then lens extends, and you're in business. When finished shooting, there's a little switch on the zoom ring that you hold down while twisting to the right.... http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheDigitalStory/~3/b7sUGacfooo/olympus_e-p1_please.html http://thedigitalstory.com/2009/06/olympus_e-p1_please.html Photography Sun, 21 Jun 2009 08:02:56 -0800 Technology http://thedigitalstory.com/2009/06/olympus_e-p1_please.html sscheetz@earthlink.net (Derrick Story) Sometimes creative photo displays are right in front of you. Paper clamps aren't just for holding a stack of unpaid bills. Believe it or not, they're also suitable for holding a photo of your Aunt Jane and her kids. Position the arms of the clamp upward so they touch. Place your photo in between the arms and your display is complete! Another option is to decorate the clamp base and arms using paper and ribbon. Paper clamps come in various sizes and can easily be found in office supply stores. It's important to select a photo that's appropriate for the... http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheDigitalStory/~3/QxAo3j8qQ2Y/photo_displays_in_a.html http://thedigitalstory.com/2009/06/photo_displays_in_a.html Creative Output Fri, 19 Jun 2009 22:43:21 -0800 Technology http://thedigitalstory.com/2009/06/photo_displays_in_a.html dstory@gmail.com (Derrick Story) What's more fun than shooting the Statue of Liberty? Taking pictures of photographers trying to get their own shot of the grand lady. On a recent trip to New York to test the Olympus E-P1, we took a water taxi out to Coney Island. On the way, we made a "drive by" stop near the Statue of Liberty for a quick photo op. It was fun to get my own stock photo of the Statue, but maybe just as fun to grab this candid of the photographers working the shot. As we always say on a photo shoot, after... http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheDigitalStory/~3/2RrbmC8qQpc/whats_more_fun_than.html http://thedigitalstory.com/2009/06/whats_more_fun_than.html Photography Thu, 18 Jun 2009 07:28:56 -0800 Technology http://thedigitalstory.com/2009/06/whats_more_fun_than.html Derrick Storynonadult