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Today we’re joined by Kerry Garrison of CameraDojo, a great resource for digital photography reviews and tutorials.

Kerry talks about – and gives away – a sweet R Strap Camera Strap.

We also discuss Wescott lighting kits and why you should spend more on your lenses than you do on your camera.

Be sure to send us an answer to the trivia question we ask on the show by the date mentioned on the show, for a chance the R Strap Camera Strap: TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.

IFor the expanded DVD extras show notes, please visit Scott’s Photo Blog.

f you just click here to Subscribe to TPN :: The Digital Photography Show by Email you’ll get the posts announcing each new show in you email. That’s gotta be better than most of your spam, no?

We’d love to hear what you thought of the show either here on the blog or at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.

Wanna participate in the show?

• Send us an email at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.
• Leave a comment at www.TheDigitalPhotographyShow.com
• Call in a voice mail to US 301-637-7767
• If you’re on MySpace, you can friend me!
• Join the listener-run (thanks Laurel and Frank!) Flickr group Friends of The Digital Photography Show at http://flickr.com/groups/thedps.
• Check out my first novel on Amazon.com – First You Fall. Fair warning -it’s only for grownups!

Thanks!

Scott

“Suite?” They should call it “sweeeeet!” Cause it is. (“Sweet” instead of “suite.” Get it? Funny, right? That’s the kind of phonetic humor I just can’t do on the show. See what you’re missing?)

Even better, although it’s called the Plug-In Suite 4, it has six great plugs:

1. Genuine Fractals 5 Print Pro for high-quality enlargements,
2. PhotoTools 1 Professional Edition
3. Mask Pro 4 for removing backgrounds
4. PhotoFrame 3.1 Professional Edition for the perfect finishing touch to your photo
5. PhotoTune 2 for professional quality color correctionz
6. FocalPoint 1 for adding selective blur and vignettes to your photos.

Schwing!

Be sure to send us an answer to the trivia question we ask on the show by Sept 30, 2008, for a chance to win this fantastic bundle: TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.

Check out Scott’s PhotoBlog for all the other great notes from today’s show.

If you just click here to Subscribe to TPN :: The Digital Photography Show by Email you’ll get the posts announcing each new show in you email. That’s gotta be better than most of your spam, no?

We’d love to hear what you thought of the show either here on the blog or at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.

Wanna participate in the show?

• Send us an email at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.
• Leave a comment at www.TheDigitalPhotographyShow.com
• Call in a voice mail to US 301-637-7767
• If you’re on MySpace, you can friend me!
• Join the listener-run (thanks Laurel and Frank!) Flickr group Friends of The Digital Photography Show at http://flickr.com/groups/thedps.
• Check out my first novel on Amazon.com – First You Fall. Fair warning -it’s only for grownups!

Thanks!

Scott

Here’s his source article.  

We also talk about:

• China barring “professional cameras” at the Olympics.
• The new Micro 4/3 standard for digital cameras.
• A new technology for waterproofing electronics.
• Nik’s Silver Efex Pro, onOne Software’s FocalPoint, Adobe Photoshop Lightroom II and Apple Aperture. 

If you just click here to Subscribe to TPN :: The Digital Photography Show by Email you’ll get the posts announcing each new show in you email. That’s gotta be better than most of your spam, no?

We’d love to hear what you thought of the show either here on the blog or at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.

Wanna participate in the show?

• Send us an email at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.
• Leave a comment at www.TheDigitalPhotographyShow.com
• Call in a voice mail to US 301-637-7767
• If you’re on MySpace, you can friend me!
• Join the listener-run (thanks Laurel and Frank!) Flickr group Friends of The Digital Photography Show at http://flickr.com/groups/thedps.
• Check out my first novel on Amazon.com – First You Fall. Fair warning -it’s only for grownups!

Thanks!

Scott

July 25, 2008 :On today’s show, Michael and I cover a lot of topics, including:

• Nikon’s newest DSLR - the full-frame D700.
• The Yahoo/Getty Deal – and my first contest on Scott’s Photo Blog. Check it out here.
• A photo service that you may want to think twice about
• The sexy but mysteriously-priced AniMoto. -
• Listener Matthew Boyle’s 100 Portraits
• A great-sounding little clip on diffuser – the Puffer.
• Check out how good Laurel’s gotten!

You can get more information on these topics, as well as a bunch of other interesting photo-related news, at Scott’s Photo Blog.

If you just click here to Subscribe to TPN :: The Digital Photography Show by Email you’ll get the posts announcing each new show in you email. That’s gotta be better than most of your spam, no?

We’d love to hear what you thought of the show either here on the blog or at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.

Wanna participate in the show?

• Send us an email at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.
• Leave a comment at www.TheDigitalPhotographyShow.com
• Call in a voice mail to US 301-637-7767
• If you’re on MySpace, you can friend me!
• Join the listener-run (thanks Laurel and Frank!) Flickr group Friends of The Digital Photography Show at http://flickr.com/groups/thedps.
• Check out my first novel on Amazon.com – First You Fall. Fair warning -it’s only for grownups!

Thanks!

Scott

July 17, 2008 : Today’s show features an interview with long-time friend of the The Digital Photography Show, Rick Sammon.

Rick’s new book, Face to Face, focuses on taking better portraits, or, as its subtitle reads, it’s “Rick Sammon’s Complete Guide to Photographing People.”

RIck gives many great tips on today’s show, including

• How to transform your garage into an inexpensive photo studio
• How to properly calibrate your external flash to use as a “fill light”
• The importance of establishing rapport with your models
• How to not just take – but make – your shots

Rick also talks about his newest venture – online training over at KelbyTraining.com.

For the answer to this show’s contest question – how many pages are there in the printed version of Face to Face (warning, Amazon.com has it wrong), check out the show notes over on my photography blog: ScottsPhotoBlog.com.  Rick is giving away signed copies of Face to Face to two lucky winners!

For those of you who enjoy the banter between Michael and I – sorry, today’s show is banterless. We were in the middle of recording when my Mac decided not to work anymore. Turns out there is an issue with the latest build of Leopard and USB audio devices such as my Blue Snowball (you can read about it here). Since I just gave up Windows because of exactly this kind of problem, I’m a little bitter about this, Steve Jobs.

I did buy a new Firewire mixer though, so, assuming the next build of Leopard doesn’t fry that, we should have a return to banter on the next episode.

If you just click here to Subscribe to TPN :: The Digital Photography Show by Email you’ll get the posts announcing each new show in you email. That’s gotta be better than most of your spam, no?

We’d love to hear what you thought of the show either here on the blog or at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.

Wanna participate in the show?

• Send us an email at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.
• Leave a comment at www.TheDigitalPhotographyShow.com
• Call in a voice mail to US 301-637-7767
• If you’re on MySpace, you can friend me!
• Join the listener-run (thanks Laurel and Frank!) Flickr group Friends of The Digital Photography Show at http://flickr.com/groups/thedps.
• Check out my first novel on Amazon.com – First You Fall. Fair warning -it’s only for grownups!

Thanks!

Scott

June 26, 2008 : Today, Michael and I try and answer some of your questions that we’ve received on our voicemail and email.

For full show notes and links to the things we discuss on today’s show, hop on over to my photography blog: ScottsPhotoBlog.com

If you just click here to Subscribe to TPN :: The Digital Photography Show by Email you’ll get the weekly posts announcing each new show in you email. How cool is that? You’ll also be letting us know how many of you care enough to take the time to subscribe, which will put big dumb smiles on our faces. Isn’t that reason enough to sign up?

We’d love to hear what you thought of the show either here on the blog or at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.

Wanna participate in the show?

• Send us an email at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.
• Leave a comment at www.TheDigitalPhotographyShow.com
• Call in a voice mail to US 301-637-7767
• If you’re on MySpace, you can friend me!
• Join the listener-run (thanks Laurel and Frank!) Flickr group Friends of The Digital Photography Show at http://flickr.com/groups/thedps.
• Check out my first novel on Amazon.com – First You Fall. Fair warning -it’s only for grownups!

Thanks!

Scott

June 8, 2008 : On a Very Special Episode of The Digital Photography Show, we are once again joined by digiphoto superstar Scott Kelby.

Scott talks about his newest books, The Digital Photography Book Vol. 2 and The Mac OS X Leopard Book. 

For full show notes and details on the contest, please click here: ScottsPhotoBlog.com

If you just click here to Subscribe to TPN :: The Digital Photography Show by Email you’ll get the weekly posts announcing each new show in you email. How cool is that? You’ll also be letting us know how many of you care enough to take the time to subscribe, which will put big dumb smiles on our faces. Isn’t that reason enough to sign up?

We’d love to hear what you thought of the show either here on the blog or at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.

Wanna participate in the show?

• Send us an email at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.
• Leave a comment at www.TheDigitalPhotographyShow.com
• Call in a voice mail to US 301-637-7767
• If you’re on MySpace, you can friend me!
• Join the listener-run (thanks Laurel and Frank!) Flickr group Friends of The Digital Photography Show at http://flickr.com/groups/thedps.
• Check out my first novel on Amazon.com - First You Fall: A Kevin Connor Mystery

Thanks! 

Scott

May 25, 2008 : After more delays than a US Airways flight, Michael and I are back with another episode of The Digital Photography Show. We hope!

I won’t go into too many notes here, as I’m anxious to see if the show posts. And sorry that the audio isn’t quite perfect yet – I’m still getting used to my new Mac.

Here’s some links we talk about on the show:

My new photography blog: Please be sure to check here if the show goes wonky again, or if you want to read about the latest photo news, great deals on equipment and software and my photographic journey: ScottsPhotoBlog.com

Michael’s latest pictures: You can see the shoot Michael describes on the show, as well as many of his other outstanding shots, on his Phanfare site. Be sure to check out his “I’ve Been Published!” album.

My first novel: I’ve been published too! The release of my first novel, First You Fall, is absolutely one of the highlights of my life. You can check it out here. It’s a funny, sexy mystery – not for the kids, but I don’t let them touch my cameras, either. If you pick up the book, drop me a line – you can click the email link on my personal blog.

HDR Software: Michael and I are both users of Photomatix Pro. On todays show, he also recommends you try out Bracketeer.

Listening to The Digital Photography Show can make you money: Congratulations to our wonderful Queen of All Contests, Laurel Housden, and our loyal listener Denise. They are both beginning to make some green off of what previously had been a hobby – and they were nice enough to give us a little credit for the inspiration. Take a look at Laurel’s stunning shots on her blog, and you can see Denise’s amazing iStockPhoto catalog here. We’re so proud we could bust!

If you just click here to Subscribe to TPN :: The Digital Photography Show by Emailyou’ll get the weekly posts announcing each new show in you email. How cool is that? You’ll also be letting us know how many of you care enough to take the time to subscribe, which will put big dumb smiles on our faces. Isn’t that reason enough to sign up?

We’d love to hear what you thought of the show either here on the blog or at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.

Wanna participate in the show?

• Send us an email at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.
• Leave a comment at www.TheDigitalPhotographyShow.com
• Call in a voice mail to US 301-637-7767
• If you’re on MySpace, you can friend me!
• Join the listener-run (thanks Laurel and Frank!) Flickr group Friends of The Digital Photography Show at http://flickr.com/groups/thedps.

It’s good to be back, baby.

Scott

As you probably know, technical difficulties with the site prevented us from posting for the past few weeks. We think we have those ironed out, and Michael and I taped a show on Tuesday (five days ago).

Wouldn’t you know it – for some strange reason the audio went wonky halfway through. We don’t know why. At this point, we are considering the folllowing possibilities…

    Reasons  You Haven’t Been Hearing The Digital Photography Show:

1. The show is cursed: If anyone has a placed a dark malice on our podcast, would you please remove it? Thanks!
2. The show has swine flu: A couple of years ago, “swine flu” was all you heard about. Now, not so much. Where did it go? Into the internets? Can you prove it’s not true?
3. Michael is a double agent: Yeah, yeah, Michael seems really nice, but isn’t it always the ones you don’t suspect? Perhaps Michael is a double agent working for one of the other digital photography podcasts to sabotage ours. It could happen.

As you can see, this situation has me losing my mind.

We do hope to be on the air soon. In the meantime, you can read my photography blog at ScottsPhotoBlog.com and see Michael’s latest pictures at his Phanfare site.  You can also friend me on MySpace – it should be clear we need all the friends we can get.

Talk soon (we hope!)

Scott

I just wanted to check a couple of things with you.

1. Can anyone see show #88 in iTunes yet? I’m getting conflicting reports. Some people tell me they can, others cannot.
2. For those of you that have downloaded the second version of #88 either manually or via iTunes, is it working for you? Scott and I have both tested version 2 of the file and it works for us in iTunes (that is, it doesn’t die at the 3 minute mark). Just checking.

Thanks again for your support and patience. The new servers should be up and running this week.

cheers
Cameron

If you would like to contact us, please write us at thedigitalphotographyshow@gmail.com

Michael

April 6, 2008 : On today’s show, it’s just me and Michael, two old friends talking about my experiences with the to-die-for Canon EOS1D Mark III, my first attempts at HDR images, and Adobe Photoshop Express, the new and free online editing tool from Adobe.

Michael also talks about some other online editing options, including Aviary, Picnik, Fotoflexer and Splashup. solution.

If you want to see my first HDR images (they’re not very good, but they’re mine!) and my full review of the Mark III, please visit my new blog at http://scottsherman.typepad.com/photo.

We apologize for the long delay between shows – this episode was completed almost a week ago, but our site was hacked by illicit Viagra sellers.

As I say in the show, I’m also looking to produce a version of the podcast in the enhanced AAC format, which will embed links and images into the show itself for those of you who have video iPods (you can also watch the show in iTunes if you don’t). If you’d like to send me a Mac, please write me at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com and let me know.

If you just click here to Subscribe to TPN :: The Digital Photography Show by Emailyou’ll get the weekly posts announcing each new show in your email. Sweeeeet! We’d love to hear what you thought of the show either here on the blog or at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.

We also appreciate the sponsorship of Wacom, maker of great tablets for interacting with you computer.

Wanna participate in the show?

• Send us an email at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.
• Leave a comment at http://www.thedigitalphotographyshow.com/
• Call in a voice mail to US 301-637-7767
• Join the listener-run (thanks Laurel and Frank!) Flickr group Friends of The Digital Photography Show at http://flickr.com/groups/thedps.

Thanks for joining us. You guys rock.

Scott

download the show

March 19, 2008 : Today, we talk with uber-enthusiast Jeff Revell about HDR images, photowalking, the newest Nikons, the importance of supporting your local camera store, and a bunch of other interesting and useful stuff.

You can find more Revellian goodness at his blog, which is full of great images and helpful tutorials.

Jeff is a super-nice guy – I hope you enjoy the interview as much as I did! Jeff is the newest Friend of The Digital Photography Show, and, I’m warning you Jeff: Once you step into the Circle of Love, there can be no escape! I’m sure we’ll be talking to Jeff again soon.

Jeff sometimes uses Photomatix Pro software for creating his HDR images. If you want to see some amazing HDR images check out these from Smashing Magazine. (BTW, since we recorded our interview, Jeff has put up a video tutorial on how to process HDRs with Photoshop).

I also give the information I left off last week’s show about how to enter the contest for an X-Rite i1Display 2. The name of the product may be a little wonky, but it’s performance is great. Scott Kelby recommends it on his blog here, and, as I always say - if it’s good enough for the Kelbinator, it’s good enough for me. And probably, you, too.

Send the answer to the question we ask in the show to us at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com. We’re looking for the name of X-Rite’s newest product (hint: it rhymes with Bolor Chunky), with the correct spelling, and we’ll pick a correct answer at random to win the i1Display 2, a $250 color calibration solution.

As I say in the show, I’m also looking to produce a version of the podcast in the enhanced AAC format, which will embed links and images into the show itself for those of you who have video iPods (you can also watch the show in iTunes if you don’t). Only problem is, you need a Mac to do it, and I don’t have one. This is shameless, but I’m Brokey McBrokey these days, so if you have an old (but not too old) Mac, or if you’re rich and want to buy me a new one, please send me an email at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com and let me know.

f you just click here to Subscribe to TPN :: The Digital Photography Show by Emailyou’ll get the weekly posts announcing each new show in you email. How cool is that? You’ll also be letting us know how many of you care enough to take the time to subscribe, which will put big dumb smiles on our faces. Isn’t that reason enough to sign up?

We’d love to hear what you thought of the show either here on the blog or at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.

We also appreciate the sponsorship of Wacom, maker of great tablets for interacting with you computer.

Wanna participate in the show?

• Send us an email at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.
• Leave a comment at www.TheDigitalPhotographyShow.com
• Call in a voice mail to US 301-637-7767
• Join the listener-run (thanks Laurel and Frank!) Flickr group Friends of The Digital Photography Show at http://flickr.com/groups/thedps.

Thanks for joining us. You guys rock.

Scott

download the show

March 8, 2008 : Welcome to the eighty sixth episode of The Digital Photography Show!

It was hard to get Michael on the show today – it was a long distance call to heaven, where he is right now, playing with the Nikon D3 that the people at Nikon were kind enough to lend him. Sorry, Michael, that means you’ll have to give it back. Michael shares his first lovestruck impressions of the D3.

We also talk about shooting HDR images. Michael recommends Ben Wilmore’s HDR training at xTrain. If you want to improve your basic photography or become a Photoshop, Lightroom or HDR guru, check out xTrain, a great web-based learning resource. They have a ton of on-line videos that will teach you how to do pretty much everything with your camera – and your computer – that you might ever want to do. And exclusively for our listeners, they offer a 15% off discount on any xTrain course or membership plan by using the code DPS on the page you’ll find here.

Michael also likes the Wilmore-endorsed Photomatix Pro software for creating his HDR images. If you want to see some amazing HDR images (not Michael’s, alas) check out these from Smashing Magazine.

Then, we answer listener John’s question about whether he should buy a Canon 5D, a Canon 40D, or wait for the next generation of cameras. We get digital camera guru Dave Etchells, the genuis behind Imaging-Resource.com, to help us give John the best possible advice. As a long-time digital industry insider, Dave knows the ins and outs of the biz. If you’re looking to buy a camera or lens, be sure to check it out on Imaging-Resource.com, or its sister site, SLRgear.com. Then, buy through their shopping links – you’ll get the best price, and you’ll be helping support these valuable resources. Thanks, Dave!

Then we clean house, airing the remaining interviews from PMA 08.

• First up is Jobo, telling us about their fantastic new 15 inch digital frame that is bee-you-tee-full beyond my ability to describe it here. Catchily named the JOBO Photo Display PDJ151, this frame seems like a steal at a list price of $359. (Actually, to be fair, it’s also called the Photo Display 15 Zoll, which isn’t much better.) We also talk about their storage devices, like the GigaVu Extreme.
• Then we talk to the makers of the inexpensive and handy XShot. This extending little monopod for your point and shot will help you to make sure you’re in the shot, too. Last time we featured this product, it got a lot of attention from our listeners; the new version of the XShot has some incremental improvements that makes it even better.
• Lastly, we talk to X-Rite about their color callibration solutions – one of which comes with a live person to walk you through the callibration process. This is an excellent way to make a painful process less daunting for the user.

Please remember to sign up for email notifications from our show! Every podcast subscription service out there – and that includes you, our beloved iTunes, has a bad habit of sometimes unsubscribing you from the shows you enjoy. Like this one (we hope!).

If you just click here to Subscribe to TPN :: The Digital Photography Show by Emailyou’ll get the weekly posts announcing each new show in you email. How cool is that? You’ll also be letting us know how many of you care enough to take the time to subscribe, which will put big dumb smiles on our faces. Isn’t that reason enough to sign up?

We’d love to hear what you thought of the show either here on the blog or at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.

We also appreciate the sponsorship of Wacom, maker of great tablets for interacting with you computer.

Wanna participate in the show?

• Send us an email at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.
• Leave a comment at www.TheDigitalPhotographyShow.com
• Call in a voice mail to US 301-637-7767
• Join the listener-run (thanks Laurel and Frank!) Flickr group Friends of The Digital Photography Show at http://flickr.com/groups/thedps.

Thanks for joining us. We have the greatest listeners in the world!

Scott

A site out there called “Nikon Blogosphere” (and since it may be a home for spammers, I’m not going to link to it here) reprinted one of my posts. Now, as those of you who are reading this may have noticed, I am writing in English. But it would appear that, for some reason, this site translated my words into another language and then back again into English. Either that, or I was really, really drunk when I wrote this. (Actually, you can see my original post by scrolling down the page to my March 3th entry.)

Here I am through the eyes of the Nikon Blogosphere. I’ve bolded some of my favorite translations; I think they read like poetry!

A internet site with which I am non intimate, PhotographyBlog, Ive seen of Nikons D60, their newfangled entry-level DSLR. This is a television camera we discussed extensively with Nikon in our audience, alive from PMA, on .

The revue seems rattling elaborated and exact. Mark Goldstein gives theNikon D60 a extremely recommended paygrade ,although he makes it readable that the tv camera isnt on the button redefining the class :

Where the D40x was basically a 10 megapixel variation of the 6 megapixel D40, the Modern D60 isa identical more or less improved rendering of the D40x. The D60 retains the like inwardness competencies – 10 megapixels, 3 tip AF, 3D Colour Matrix Metering II, 3fps outburst modality – whilst adding a low phone number of raw features that are nice-to-haves, preferably than being of the essence

What Mark does dear is the raw outfit lense, that features Nikons persona stabilisation techlnology, which Nikon calls VR .

The unmarried most significant Modern improver is the availableness of the fresh 18-55mm VR electron lens, which greatly extends the low-light capabilities of the D60. In outfit word form with this lense, the D60 isnt a solid Lot to a greater extent expensive than with the banner 18-55mm crystalline lens, thusId powerfully apprise every prospective novel D60 possessor to prefer the VR pick .

Michaels good word :Theres no pauperization for current D40 owners to rush along out and corrupt a D60- the differences are negligable. But if youre looking for a foremost DSLR ,he actually likes the D60, especially with that young look-alike stabilized genus Lens .

I will bespeak out that Canons newests DSLR, , as well comes with an figure stabilized electron lens in the like stove as the Nikons, and that early manufacturers, such as Sony, Pentax, Olympus and Pansonic, construct the simulacrum stabilisation right hand into their cameras bodies, which eliminates the demand to grease one’s palms more than expensive prototype stabilized lenses .

Its a problematical marketplace out at that place .

“It’s a problematical marketplace out at that place.” I couldn’t have said it any better. In any language.

Scott

Sony’s newest DSLRs, the a300 and its big sibling, the a350, have some advanced technology that makes that process easier, faster and less cumbersome. According to Sony:

When you switch to live view operation, an innovative new pentamirror tilt mechanism directs the subject image to a dedicated live view sensor positioned over the viewfinder eyepiece. 

Since I don’t think the people at Sony do a particularly good job of explaining why that’s significant, let’s see what the always informative and entertaining David Pogue of the NY Times has to say about this. He begins by explaining the limitations of current Live View systems, then outdoes Sony in explaining why their system works so much better:

Actually, a few recent S.L.R. models do, in fact, have this Live View feature, but it’s mostly a disaster. It works by flipping that mirror up out of the way, so that light from the lens hits the image sensor, which feeds the image to the screen. Trouble is, once the mirror goes up, no light hits the autofocus sensor, so the camera can’t focus.

So here’s what happens when you press the shutter button. There’s a noisy clank as the mirror drops down again; the screen goes black; the camera computes focus and exposure; the mirror lifts again; the screen comes back to life; and finally — a second or so later — the shot is recorded.

In other words, Live View on existing cameras is slow, noisy and deeply confusing. All of this silliness arises because the camera’s image sensor must do double duty: it’s responsible for supplying the screen with a live preview and for recording the shot.

Sony’s technical breakthrough on the A300, therefore, was this: “Duh! Put in another sensor!”

On this camera, turning on Live View sends light from that main mirror onto a second sensor, one that’s devoted solely to feeding the preview screen.  (Snip)

As a result, Live View is a completely different experience. The camera focuses quickly as you aim the lens, without ever blacking out the screen. When you press the shutter, the screen doesn’t go on-off-on, there’s no loud clacking, and there’s no baffling exhibition of mirror calisthenics inside the camera.

I was just talking to Laurel, our Queen of All Contests at The Digital Photography Show about how, based on what I’ve heard about Live View, I’ve never even tried using it on my Canon 40D. But I have to say, I’d at least play with it if I had one of these new Alphas. I’ve always said that if any company was going to threaten Nikon and Canon in the DSLR market, it was going to be Sony.  Nothing against any of the other manufacturers, but Sony has the deep pockets, marketing presence, and relationships with the major retailers to be a big player if they want to be.

Uh, anyone remember HD DVD?

And before I hear from outraged Pentax, Olympus, Samsung, Panasonic, etc users, I’m not saying that Sony’s cameras are necessarily the best for all shooters.  Pogue’s review lists several shortcomings of the Alphas that would be showstoppers for many photographers, especially enthusiasts. But by making Live View more usable on a DSLR, Sony has overcome one of the major obstacles experienced by people stepping up from a point and shoot: Why can’t I use it like I used my old camera?

Now they can.

Scott

The review seems very detailed and accurate. Mark Goldstein gives the Nikon D60 a “highly recommended rating,”although he makes it clear that the camera isn’t exactly redefining the category:

Where the D40x was essentially a 10 megapixel version of the 6 megapixel D40, the new D60 is a very slightly improved version of the D40x. The D60 retains the same core competencies – 10 megapixels, 3 point AF, 3D Colour Matrix Metering II, 3fps burst mode – whilst adding a small number of new features that are nice-to-haves, rather than being essential

What Mark does love is the new kit lens, that features Nikon’s image stabilization techlnology, which Nikon calls VR.

The single most important new addition is the availability of the new 18-55mm VR lens, which greatly extends the low-light capabilities of the D60. In kit form with this lens, the D60 isn’t a whole lot more expensive than with the standard 18-55mm lens, so I’d strongly advise every prospective new D60 owner to choose the VR option.

Michael’s recommendation: There’s no need for current D40 owners to rush out and buy a D60- the differences are negligable. But if you’re looking for a first DSLR, he really likes the D60, particularly with that new image stabilized lens.

I will point out that Canon’s newests DSLR, their entry-level XSi, also comes with an image stabilized lens in the same range as the Nikons, as do the Panasonic DSLRs.  Other manufacturers, such as Sony, Pentax, and Olympus  build the image stabilization right into their cameras’ bodies, which eliminates the need to buy more expensive image stabilized lenses.

It’s a tough market out there.

Scott

I gave him my advice, which I’m sure wasn’t as succinct or helpful as this tutorial, published in PC Photo, written by Photoshop guru and friend of The Digital Photography Show Rick Sammon.  Rick walks you through how to double process your image and combine the two versions into one final masterpiece. 

Rick makes the procedure as simple as possible by suggesting you use the erase tool to let the bottom image on your stack show through on the top image.  If you’re an advanced swimmer, you might want to use a mask instead. 

Masks are more forgiving than the eraser tool because you can always expand or contract your selection by painting in the opposite color. And if that discussion of masking has you confused, (it confuses me, and I wrote it!) Rob Sheppard gives a better explanation of basic masking technique on page three of this article, also from PC Photo.

Thanks, PC Photo!

Scott

The 3.5 inch touch screen LCD was beautiful and I loved how you could change camera functions – including the focus point – just by touching the screen.  The Sony T300 also has a bunch of extra features like Smile Detection, digital red-eye reduction and a variety of face detection modes.  It even has something I’ve never seen before - a function called, wait for it, Happy Face, that detects a frown in a picture and “turns it upside down” so it appears that the subject was smiling!

Some of these features aren’t necessarily things I’d use everyday (or, um, ever) but I’d love to play with them.

Plus, with it’s small size, highly pocketable design and huge LCD, the T300 would make a great photo viewer. What a terrific way to show your pictures to family and friends. (Of course, that’s the same justification I used for buying my iPhone, so I guess I can’t get away with it again.)

Given all that, imagine my disappointment when I read CNET’s detailed review of the Sony T300.  Reviewer Will Greenwald pretty much agreed with my initial assessment of the T300 (it’s pretty! it’s cool!) but, after using the camera, he found:

Quick performance and dozens of features are great, but in the end cameras have to be judged on the pictures they take. Unfortunately, we found the T300 seriously lacking in that respect. Even at its best, photos generally look soft, with haloing along edges. At its lowest sensitivity, ISO 80, we still see noise in flat colors, like gray. It becomes noticeable across the board at ISO 200, and by ISO 400 starts degrading detail. At ISO 3,200 photos look like they were painted with a worn-out kitchen sponge. {Scott’s note – what a great metaphor!}

Break my heart, Will! 

My search for the perfect point and shoot continues. I really like what I’ve seen of the Canon G9 (two of the attendees of our Las Vegas meet-up had and liked the camera) but it’s a little too big to serve as a a full-time point and shoot.

Scott

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February 27, 2008 : Welcome to the eighty fifth episode of The Digital Photography Show!

First, some housekeeping: We’ve finally chosen the finalists and a winner of our 7th photo contest. Congrats to everyone! Check them out here. Thanks to everyone who entered.

More interviews today from PMA 08.

First up is someone we honestly consider a friend: Doug Little from Wacom tells us about some of their super-sexy products. For those of you who don’t know (first time listeners?) Wacom makes great pen tablets and interactive displays that let you do all your photoediting and other work using a pen instead of mouse. Working with a Wacom tablet or interactive display is feels totally organic, natural and precise.

First up is the powerful yet totally affordable the Bamboo Fun, which makes a great entry-level tablet. Our audience will probably be more interested in the more fully-featured Intuos line of tablets, or, if you’re really bringing your A game, you’ll want to want to spring for a Cintiq, the high-end LCD that allows you to actually work on screen.

The Cintiqs are truly incredible, and at every show Michael and I go to, people are lined up to play with the Cintiqs. Their newest model is the Cintiq 12WX, which has a 12 inch interactive display that is a joy to work with. It’s their smallest and lowest priced Cintiq ($999) but don’t let that low price fool you – this is one powerful beast that can transform the way you work. (On a Window’s Vista computer, you can even use it to mark up documents or to write them by using the handwriting recognition that’s built into Vista. You can even use “pen flicks” to do things like navigate the web – go one page back with a quick swipe of your pen. Very cool. I don’t know if Macs have similar features – if you do, add a comment below.)

Because they love our audience so much, Wacom is giving away a Bamboo Fun Small tablet to a lucky The Digital Photography Show listener. To enter the contest, go to this page and answer this question:

The Intuos works with Adobe Photoshop and over how many other programs?

Send your answer to us at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com by March 15, 2008 to be entered into a random drawing of the correct responses. Please put “I Want a Wacom” in your subject line.

Then, we talk to Eric Zarakov, Vice President of Marketing of FotoNation. Fotonation creates the incredible technolgy they build that powers your camera. They’re the pioneers behind Face Detection, Smile Detection, Blink Detection, Face Tracker and a bunch of other technologies that make taking pictures easier and more accurate. Listen to Eric tell us what these technologies do and what is coming next from this company that’s truly on the cutting-edge of photography. It’s the future of photography, baby.

He also tells us how camera phones can have more functionality than digital cameras, and I share my crackpot theory on what would make a great paradigm for The Next Big Idea – the upgradable camera. (Camera companies: If you steal this idea, please send me money. Thank you.)

Best of all – Eric tells us we’re great and that ours was one the best interviews he did during PMA! Eric, you’re welcome back anytime!

If you want to improve your basic photography or become a Photoshop, Lightroom or HDR guru, check out xTrain, a great web-based learning resource. They have a ton of on-line videos that will teach you how to do pretty much everything with your camera – and your computer – that you might ever want to do. And exclusively for our listeners, they offer a 15% off discount on any xTrain course or membership plan by using the code DPS on the page you’ll find here.

Please remember to sign up for email notifications from our show! Every podcast subscription service out there – and that includes you, our beloved iTunes, has a bad habit of sometimes unsubscribing you from the shows you enjoy. Like this one (we hope!).

If you just click here to Subscribe to TPN :: The Digital Photography Show by Emailyou’ll get the weekly posts announcing each new show in you email. How cool is that? You’ll also be letting us know how many of you care enough to take the time to subscribe, which will put big dumb smiles on our faces. Isn’t that reason enough to sign up?

We’d love to hear what you thought of the show either here on the blog or at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.

We also appreciate the sponsorship of Wacom, maker of great tablets for interacting with you computer.

Wanna participate in the show?

• Send us an email at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.
• Leave a comment at www.TheDigitalPhotographyShow.com
• Call in a voice mail to US 301-637-7767
• Join the listener-run (thanks Laurel and Frank!) Flickr group Friends of The Digital Photography Show at http://flickr.com/groups/thedps.

Thanks for joining us. We have the greatest listeners in the world!

Scott

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February 18, 2008 : Welcome to the eighty fourth episode of The Digital Photography Show!

On today’s show, Michael and I talk with Sony’s Mark Weir at PMA 08. If you’re not tied in with another system, their ever-expanding line of DSLRs definitely deserves a second look. Their new 300 series has a lot of compelling features, including some of the best live view features out there.

Plus, Sony’s announcement at PMA that they’re planning to introduce a full frame 25mp DSLR by the end of this year indicates they’re in the DSLR game for the long haul - and you’re always smart to buy into a company that has a full range of products – you never know when you might want to turn pro!

I’ve been in the market for a new point and shoot for a long time now, and Mark and I also talk about their super-sexy T300. It’s slim, it’s beautiful and I think I want it.

Michael and I respond to some voice mails and emails from listeners.

• Jackie wants a recommendation as to whether or not she should buy a dye-sublimination printer for her event photography business.
• Dana chides us for being mean to Pentax users – but we don’t think we are!
• And Juan wants to know if Canon is sponsoring any photo workshops. (We don’t know, but they have a good online photo workshop).

If you’ve gotten a new digital camera for the holidays, or if you’ve received a new software program that you want to know how to use, check out xTrain, a great web-based learning resource. They have a ton of on-line videos that will teach you how to do pretty much everything with your camera – and your computer – that you might ever want to do. And exclusively for our listeners, they offer a 15% off discount on any xTrain course or membership plan by using the code DPS on the page you’ll find here.

Please remember to sign up for email notifications from our show! Every podcast subscription service out there – and that includes you, our beloved iTunes, has a bad habit of sometimes unsubscribing you from the shows you enjoy. Like this one (we hope!).

If you just click here to Subscribe to TPN :: The Digital Photography Show by Emailyou’ll get the weekly posts announcing each new show in you email. How cool is that? You’ll also be letting us know how many of you care enough to take the time to subscribe, which will put big dumb smiles on our faces. Isn’t that reason enough to sign up?

We’d love to hear what you thought of the show either here on the blog or at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.

We also appreciate the sponsorship of Wacom, maker of great tablets for interacting with you computer.

Wanna participate in the show?

• Send us an email at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.
• Leave a comment at www.TheDigitalPhotographyShow.com
• Call in a voice mail to US 301-637-7767
• Join the listener-run (thanks Laurel and Frank!) Flickr group Friends of The Digital Photography Show at http://flickr.com/groups/thedps.

Thanks for joining us. We have the greatest listeners in the world!

Scott

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February 12, 2008 : Welcome to the eighty third episode of The Digital Photography Show!

On today’s show, Michael and I talk with Nikon at PMA 08. They have a new entry-level DSLR with some terrific features – the D60. It’s their smallest, lightest DSLR ever, you can do a ton of editing right on the camera’s LCD, and you can even use a kind of mini-mode to approximate moving images. Throw in an image stabilized kit lens, compatibility with many of Nikon’s excellent lenses, and 10.2 megapixel images, and the D60 is a very formidable contender for the new DSLR shooter – or for the more advanced user looking for an inexpensive backup.

Michael and I also talk about PhotoWalks. Find out more about them here and here. Not to mention here.

If you’ve gotten a new digital camera for the holidays, or if you’ve received a new software program that you want to know how to use, check out xTrain, a great web-based learning resource. They have a ton of on-line videos that will teach you how to do pretty much everything with your camera – and your computer – that you might ever want to do. And exclusively for our listeners, they offer a 15% off discount on any xTrain course or membership plan by using the code DPS on the page you’ll find here.

Please remember to sign up for email notifications from our show! Every podcast subscription service out there – and that includes you, our beloved iTunes, has a bad habit of sometimes unsubscribing you from the shows you enjoy. Like this one (we hope!).

If you just click here to Subscribe to TPN :: The Digital Photography Show by Emailyou’ll get the weekly posts announcing each new show in you email. How cool is that? You’ll also be letting us know how many of you care enough to take the time to subscribe, which will put big dumb smiles on our faces. Isn’t that reason enough to sign up?

We’d love to hear what you thought of the show either here on the blog or at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.

We also appreciate the sponsorship of Wacom (www.wacom.com) and Lensbabies (www.lensbabies.com), two great products for when you want to get creative with your photography.

Wanna participate in the show?

• Send us an email at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.
• Leave a comment at www.TheDigitalPhotographyShow.com
• Call in a voice mail to US 301-637-7767
• Join the listener-run (thanks Laurel and Frank!) Flickr group Friends of The Digital Photography Show at http://flickr.com/groups/thedps.

Thanks for joining us. We have the greatest listeners in the world!

Scott

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February 4, 2008 : Welcome to the eighty second episode of The Digital Photography Show!

On today’s show, Michael and I talk about what was hot at PMA 08. We discuss the latest trends and coolest new technologies to make your photography even better.

Over the next few shows, we’ll feature extended interviews with a bunch of camera companies. Today, the focus is on Canon, and our special guest star is the always-articulate Rudy Winston. Rudy tells us about Canon’s latest version of their entry level camera, the Digital Rebel XSi. Notice something about the name? The artist formerly known as Prince, I mean, the “Digital Rebel”, is now just the “Rebel.” I guess that means with almost every camera going digital now, it’s redundant to call them “digital.”

The Rebel XSi has features that are amazing for an “entry level” camera: a 3 inch LCD, 12MP resolution, Canon’s newest Digic III processor and an image-stabilized kit lens. That’s crazy! Buying this as an “entry-level” camera is like shopping for training bras at Victoria’s Secret – it’s almost overkill! But a sweet overkill it is, and I bet people are going to love this camera.

If you’ve gotten a new digital camera for the holidays, or if you’ve received a new software program that you want to know how to use, check out xTrain, a great web-based learning resource. They have a ton of on-line videos that will teach you how to do pretty much everything with your camera – and your computer – that you might ever want to do. And exclusively for our listeners, they offer a 15% off discount on any xTrain course or membership plan by using the code DPS on the page you’ll find here.

Please remember to sign up for email notifications from our show! Every podcast subscription service out there – and that includes you, our beloved iTunes, has a bad habit of sometimes unsubscribing you from the shows you enjoy. Like this one (we hope!).

If you just click here to Subscribe to TPN :: The Digital Photography Show by Emailyou’ll get the weekly posts announcing each new show in you email. How cool is that? You’ll also be letting us know how many of you care enough to take the time to subscribe, which will put big dumb smiles on our faces. Isn’t that reason enough to sign up?

We’d love to hear what you thought of the show either here on the blog or at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.

We also appreciate the sponsorship of Wacom (www.wacom.com) and Lensbabies (www.lensbabies.com), two great products for when you want to get creative with your photography.

Wanna participate in the show?

• Send us an email at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.
• Leave a comment at www.TheDigitalPhotographyShow.com
• Call in a voice mail to US 301-637-7767
• Join the listener-run (thanks Laurel and Frank!) Flickr group Friends of The Digital Photography Show at http://flickr.com/groups/thedps.

Thanks for joining us. We hope enjoy this week’s show.

Scott

We talk about it on our soon-to-be-released episode #82, but I wanted to thank everyone in print for coming and for being so awesome.  Thanks Michael T, Michael C, Sherri, Rex, Ivonne, Raphael, Ian, Aaron, Scott (I hope I didn’t forget everyone and spelled everyone’s name right).

I also want to thank the companies who are so devoted to the digital enthusiast that they contributed some great giveaways for our meetup.  Michael and I loved playing Santa, especially with such great presents.  Thanks Wacom, Jobo, Nik Software, Thinktank Photo, xTrain, and DXO Labs!

Scott

Camera are sensing when the subject smiles, alerting you if your subject blinked in the shot, magically determing if you’re shooting a portrait, macro or landscape shot and adjusting their settings  automatically, setting the optimal focus and exposure settings for up to 15 faces in a single shot, shooting at frame rates faster than a digital video camera (60 frames per second), automatically fixing red eye in camera immediately after you’ve taken the shot) – the list could go on and on, but I’m getting tired!

We’re interviewing people for the show and getting a bunch of prizes  for the listeners who attend our meetup tonight (send us an email if you’re interested in joining us; you can contact us at thedigitalphotographyshow@gmail.com).

Michael was up till midnight last night posting some shots of us at PMA.  You can find them at http://dps.phanfare.com/album/561709.

We’ll try and write more when we can.

Sc0tt

Got a nice call last night from a rep for Jessica Claire, a terrific photographer who invented the Shootsac.  We’re going to meet with Jessica on Thursday morning. We also plan on sitting down with Canon, Nikon, FujiFilm and, basically, anyone who’ll talk with us. 

Assuming we don’t’ screw up the recording, you’ll be hearing those interviews in the next few weeks.

Meanwhile, it’s 7:00 in the morning and I’m sitting in the airport’s food court where I can’t help observing that, despite the early hour, the majority of people here are aren’t eating muffins or bagels, but huge turkey sandwiches, greasy burgers and fries. At 7AM! I don’t get it.

If you’re going to be at PMA, don’t forget to come to our meetup on Friday night! Email us at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com for the details, with “Las Vegas Meetup” in the subject line.  We’ll be having giveaways, contests, and fondly recalling our most embarrassing momemts on the show. 

Scott

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January 28, 2008: Welcome to the eighty first episode of The Digital Photography Show!

Today it’s just me and Michael talking about all the new cameras and other cool stuff we’re hoping to see at this year’s huge photo convention PMA 08.

According to their webpage “PMA 08 hosts photo retailers, professional photographers, mass merchandisers, professional labs, custom picture framers, scrapbook retailers and event videographers from around the world.” Doncha wish your convention was hot like that?

Of course, Michael and I are so excited about our upcoming trip (we leave in one day for Vegas, baby!) that we don’t make a lot of sense on today’s show, but we somehow manage to give you the skinny on some of PMA 08′s most exciting new hardware, including:

Canon Digital Rebel 450: The entry level’s getting pretty sophisiticated.

Canon’s massive new lenses: You can get the pair for a mere $18,000!

New Pentax and Samsung Cameras: What they lack in market-share, they make up in heart. Or something like that.

Fuji’s latest point and shoot: I’ve really liked using previous iterations of the Fujifilm F100fd, a camera that would be great if they could only work one more “F” into its title.

Sony’s Smile Shutter: Quick – which do you think can recognize a human expression faster – you or your camera? If you answer the latter, this could be the shooter for you! Here’s a USA Today review of this technology, written by Edward Baig.

Blurb.com: A popular place to make your photo books.

JOBO’s third-party batteries: Spend less on batteries, more on cameras. With a name like Premio, they’ve got to be good.

If you’ve gotten a new digital camera for the holidays, or if you’ve received a new software program that you want to know how to use, check out xTrain, a great web-based learning resource. They have a ton of online videos that will teach you how to do pretty much everything with your camera – and your computer – that you might ever want to do. And exclusively for our listeners, they offer a 15% off discount on any xTrain course or membership plan by using the code DPS on the page you’ll find here.

Our latest photo contest, “Spotlight on Giving,” got fewer entries than any of our previous competitions. But are they any good? For now, you be the judge over at www.dps.phanfare.com. In a few weeks, it will be our turn. The winner will recieve a wonderful Wacom tablet. Thanks, Wacom!

Please remember to sign up for email notifications from our show! Every podcast subscription service out there – and that includes you, our beloved iTunes, has a bad habit of sometimes unsubscribing you from the shows you enjoy. Like this one (we hope!).

If you just click here to Subscribe to TPN :: The Digital Photography Show by Email you’ll get the weekly posts announcing each new show in you email. How cool is that? You’ll also be letting us know how many of you care enough to take the time to subscribe, which will put big dumb smiles on our faces. Isn’t that reason enough to sign up?

We’d love to hear what you thought of the show either here on the blog or at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.

We also appreciate the sponsorship of Wacom (www.wacom.com) and Lensbabies (www.lensbabies.com), two great products for when you want to get creative with your photography.

Wanna participate in the show?

• Send us an email at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.
• Leave a comment at www.TheDigitalPhotographyShow.com
• Call in a voice mail to US 301-637-7767
• Join the listener-run (thanks Laurel and Frank!) Flickr group Friends of The Digital Photography Show at http://flickr.com/groups/thedps.

Thanks for joining us. We hope enjoy this week’s show. Wish us luck in Vegas!

Scott

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January 14, 2008: Welcome to the eightieth episode of The Digital Photography Show!

If you’ve ever wanted to take better portraits – or if you’ve thought of going into business as a portrait photographer – you’ll want to check out today’s interview with Erin Manning, photographer and author of Portrait and Candid Photography: Photo Workshop.

Erin and I talk about what focal length to use for portraits, how to manipulate light to flatter your subjects and ways to get better, more relaxed and flattering poses. We also cover some business basics of portraiture, such as what you should say to potential customers and what’s the best way to show them your work.

I met Erin briefly at PPE, and I have to say I wasn’t sure what to expect on today’s interview. Suffice it to say she’s our newest Friend of the Show – totally charming, full of valuable information and able to communicate her knowledge in a way that’s accessible and interesting. What’s not to love?

Buy her book, OK? We’ll be giving away a copy to a lucky listener who signs up for her free newsletter. Listen to the show for more details.

Michael and I start the show by talking about what he’s been up to – 2008 hasn’t started out too well for him. But that just means it’s going to get better! We love you, Michael!

At the end of the show, I replay last week’s interview with Keats Elliot from Shootsac that I taped back in November at PhotoPlus Expo. The interview got cut off for most people who downloaded the show, so I present it again in its entiretly. The Shootsac is a super-light and stylish way for the active shooter to carry your lenses. If you’re really fashion-forward, you can even customize your Shootsac to match your personality – or even your outfit!

It’s too bad the interview got cut off – I heard from a lot of you who were really interested in the Shootsac, and a few of you who were even motivated to buy one. The initial listener reviews are good.

If you’d like to win a Shootsac, listen to the show, and send us the answer that completes the phrase “Can a camera bag really change the way you ____?” Send us your answer at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com by January 30th, when we will randomly pick a correct entry.

If you’ve gotten a new digital camera for the holidays, or if you’ve received a new software program that you want to know how to use, check out xTrain, a great web-based learning resource. They have a ton of online videos that will teach you how to do pretty much everything with your camera – and your computer – that you might ever want to do. And exclusively for our listeners, they offer a 15% off discount on any xTrain course or membership plan by using the code DPS on the page you’ll find here.

We’re in the very last days of our latest photo contest, “Spotlight on Giving.” You can see all the terrific entries on our show photo album www.dps.phanfare.com. The prize will be a wonderful Wacom tablet. Thanks, Wacom!

Here are the rules for DPS Photo Contest #7:

Title: A Spotlight on Giving

Theme: A subject demonstrating the act of giving.

Technique: Add a vignette to your image. A vignette can draw the viewers eye to the subject of your photo.

You can achieve a vignette by:

• Darkening around the subject, highlighting it. This works because the eye is generally drawn to the lightest object in a photo. (You can also do a reverse vignette, which lightens the area around your subject, although it’s rarely done, and rarely done well).
• Adding a selective blur around the subject, so it’s the sharpest thing in your photo.

1. Email jpg images to dpscontest@gmail.com.
2. The image must be in jpg format, and no more than 800 pixels on its widest side.
3. You may only enter three photographs.
4. If more than three photographs are entered, the first three received shall be entered.
5. The photo must be one that you created.
6. Please include the original exif info within the image.
7. Rename the image file with the photographers first and last name (so we know its yours).
8. If you are inclined to title your image (titles are optional):
   1. Append the title after the photographers name of the image file name.
   2. Example file name: MichaelStein_ElbowStuckInEar.jpg
9. Only one image per entrant can be eligible as a finalist.
10. Please provide us permission to post the image on our Phanfare site.
11. Photos will be accepted through Friday, 19 January, 2008.

Enjoy Being Creative!

If you want to buy DXO Optics Pro, remember the 20% discount they are only offering to listeners of this show. Try the program for free, and when you’re ready to buy, use the code DXODPS.

Please remember to sign up for email notifications from our show! Every podcast subscription service out there – and that includes you, our beloved iTunes, has a bad habit of sometimes unsubscribing you from the shows you enjoy. Like this one (we hope!).

If you just click here to Subscribe to TPN :: The Digital Photography Show by Email you’ll get the weekly posts announcing each new show in you email. How cool is that? You’ll also be letting us know how many of you care enough to take the time to subscribe, which will put big dumb smiles on our faces. Isn’t that reason enough to sign up?

We’d love to hear what you thought of the show either here on the blog or at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.

We also appreciate the sponsorship of Wacom (www.wacom.com) and Lensbabies (www.lensbabies.com), two great products for when you want to get creative with your photography.

Wanna participate in the show?

• Send us an email at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.
• Leave a comment at www.TheDigitalPhotographyShow.com
• Call in a voice mail to US 301-637-7767
• Join the listener-run (thanks Laurel and Frank!) Flickr group Friends of The Digital Photography Show at http://flickr.com/groups/thedps.

Thanks for joining us. We hope enjoy this week’s show. Shoot safe!

Scott

For the photographer in me, it’s got some extra bonuses. No, not the built-in webcam, although that’s cute.  What’s got me jazzed is the new, larger-than-ever trackpad, which includes some of the functionality of the iPhone screen.  You can pinch your fingers to zoom into a photo, twist them to rotate the picture, and use a “swipe” of your fingers to flip from one shot to the next in iPhoto. That’s crazy cool.

Sweeeeet.

I’m a pretty entrenched PC user, but it’s ridiculous how Apple has cornered the market on sexy, fun and intuitive hardware that practically screams “use me!”  One day I’m going to win the lottery and make the switch. In that order.

Scott

I’ll figure out a way to get the rest of the audio out to you in the next day or two, so that everyone can, at the very least, enter the contest for a Shootsac.

Stay tuned!

Scott

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January 1, 2008: Welcome to the seventy-ninth episode of The Digital Photography Show!

A few weeks ago, listener Georgina wrote in to ask us how to organize her digital photos. Here’s part of what she had to say:

Up until now, I’ve been just shoving all my original digital files into folders by month/year and having additional subfolders for any
images I decide to process further before uploading/using them. This has worked well up to now…

However, now I’m getting to the point where the sheer number of photographs (47GB!) I have is making this system rather impractical -
my memory isn’t THAT good. I do really need a better system of organising my photos, but am really at sea where to start or what to
look for.

On today’s show, Michael and I put on our Superman capes (but not the tights, thank goodness!) and tell Georgina how we keep our pictures organized and findable.

I also play an interview with Keats Elliot from Shootsac that I taped back in November at PhotoPlus Expo. We had so much audio from that trip that we haven’t gotten to it all yet, but if you have a DSLR and some additional lenses, you should know about Shootsac. Its a super-light and stylish way for the active shooter to carry your lenses. If you’re really fashion-forward, you can even customize your Shootsac to match your personality – or even your outfit!

If you’d like to win a Shootsac, listen to the show, and send us the answer that completes the phrase “Can a camera bag really change the way you ____?” Send us your answer at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com by January 30th, when we will randomly pick a correct entry.

If you’ve gotten a new digital camera for the holidays, or if you’ve received a new software program that you want to know how to use, check out xTrain, a great web-based learning resource. They have a ton of online videos that will teach you how to do pretty much everything with your camera – and your computer – that you might ever want to do. And exclusively for our listeners, they offer a 15% off discount on any xTrain course or membership plan by using the code DPS on the page you’ll find here.

We’re in the second week of our latest photo contest, “Spotlight on Giving.” You can see all the terrific entries on our show photo album www.dps.phanfare.com. The prize will be a wonderful Wacom tablet. Thanks, Wacom!

Here are the rules for DPS Photo Contest #7:

Title: A Spotlight on Giving

Theme: A subject demonstrating the act of giving.

Technique: Add a vignette to your image. A vignette can draw the viewers eye to the subject of your photo.

You can achieve a vignette by:

• Darkening around the subject, highlighting it. This works because the eye is generally drawn to the lightest object in a photo. (You can also do a reverse vignette, which lightens the area around your subject, although it’s rarely done, and rarely done well).
• Adding a selective blur around the subject, so it’s the sharpest thing in your photo.

1. Email jpg images to dpscontest@gmail.com.
2. The image must be in jpg format, and no more than 800 pixels on its widest side.
3. You may only enter three photographs.
4. If more than three photographs are entered, the first three received shall be entered.
5. The photo must be one that you created.
6. Please include the original exif info within the image.
7. Rename the image file with the photographers first and last name (so we know its yours).
8. If you are inclined to title your image (titles are optional):
   1. Append the title after the photographers name of the image file name.
   2. Example file name: MichaelStein_ElbowStuckInEar.jpg
9. Only one image per entrant can be eligible as a finalist.
10. Please provide us permission to post the image on our Phanfare site.
11. Photos will be accepted through Friday, 19 January, 2008.

Enjoy Being Creative!

If you want to buy DXO Optics Pro, remember the 20% discount they are only offering to listeners of this show. Try the program for free, and when you’re ready to buy, use the code DXODPS.

We’d love to hear what you thought of the show either here on the blog or at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.

We also appreciate the sponsorship of Wacom (www.wacom.com) and Lensbabies (www.lensbabies.com), two great products for when you want to get creative with your photography.

Wanna participate in the show?

• Send us an email at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.
• Leave a comment at www.TheDigitalPhotographyShow.com
• Call in a voice mail to US 301-637-7767
• Join the listener-run (thanks Laurel and Frank!) Flickr group Friends of The Digital Photography Show at http://flickr.com/groups/thedps.

Thanks for joining us here and hope you enjoy this week’s show. Now, go out, picture giving and put a spotlight on it!

Scott

While you’re there, feel free to take a look at some of our past contest entries, too – there’s some pretty great stuff there!

Scott

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December 20, 2007: Welcome to the seventy-eight episode of The Digital Photography Show!

Today we’re joined by the fantastic Rick Sammon, who teaches us how to apply a vignette effect in Photoshop, how to use a graduated neutral density filter (this one’s for you, Laurel!) and how to take better pictures of people.

Rick is the greatest, and we’re so glad he could join us for our holiday show.

Rick teaches at xTrain. xTrain is a great resource for learning skills that will enhance your photography and your photo-processing skills. You can take two of his lessons for free on the site, and if you want to sign up for more, you’ll get, FOR A LIMTED TIME THROUGH THE END OF THIS MONTH, a 25% off discount on any xTrain course or membership plan by using the code DPS on the page you’ll find here.

If you’re thinking about using the xTrain service, I don’t think they’re going to do a better discount than this one, so I’d sign up now. In January, I’m told, the discount will go back to the generous – but-not-quite-as-generous – 15%.

A special shout-out to Randy at Randy’s PhotoBlog for this great review of the show. We also appreciate the mentions at Sightlines, Fotonomy and Jennifer Elaine . And just today, too late for the taping of the show, I see we were also chosen as a pick of the day over at Canon Blogger. We’ve gotten so many nice comments lately – it’s the holiday spirit at work!

We live for your love.

We’re in the second week of our latest photo contest, “Spotlight on Giving.” The prize will be a wonderful Wacom tablet. Thanks, Wacom!

Here are the rules for DPS Photo Contest #7:

Title: A Spotlight on Giving

Theme: A subject demonstrating the act of giving.

Technique: Add a vignette to your image. A vignette can draw the viewers eye to the subject of your photo.

You can achieve a vignette by:

• Darkening around the subject, highlighting it. This works because the eye is generally drawn to the lightest object in a photo. (You can also do a reverse vignette, which lightens the area around your subject, although it’s rarely done, and rarely done well).
• Adding a selective blur around the subject, so it’s the sharpest thing in your photo.

1. Email jpg images to dpscontest@gmail.com.
2. The image must be in jpg format, and no more than 800 pixels on its widest side.
3. You may only enter three photographs.
4. If more than three photographs are entered, the first three received shall be entered.
5. The photo must be one that you created.
6. Please include the original exif info within the image.
7. Rename the image file with the photographers first and last name (so we know its yours).
8. If you are inclined to title your image (titles are optional):
   1. Append the title after the photographers name of the image file name.
   2. Example file name: MichaelStein_ElbowStuckInEar.jpg
9. Only one image per entrant can be eligible as a finalist.
10. Please provide us permission to post the image on our Phanfare site.
11. Photos will be accepted through Friday, 19 January, 2008.

Enjoy Being Creative!

If you want to buy DXO Optics Pro, remember the 20% discount they are only offering to listeners of this show. Try the program for free, and when you’re ready to buy, use the code DXODPS.

We’d love to hear what you thought of the show either here on the blog or at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.

We also appreciate the sponsorship of Wacom (www.wacom.com) and Lensbabies (www.lensbabies.com), two great products for when you want to get creative with your photography.

Wanna participate in the show?

• Send us an email at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.
• Leave a comment at www.TheDigitalPhotographyShow.com
• Call in a voice mail to US 301-637-7767
• Join the listener-run (thanks Laurel and Frank!) Flickr group Friends of The Digital Photography Show at http://flickr.com/groups/thedps.

Thanks for joining us here and hope you enjoy this week’s show. Now, go out, picture giving and put a spotlight on it!

Scott

Thanks to the good people of Sightlines, Fotonomy and to Jennifer Elaine for the shoutouts! 

Scott

Two judges rated both cameras in five categories. The result: The Nikon trounced the Canon with a score of 45 to 37.  Here’s CNET’s conclusion:

What an upset! The Nikon D80 might be a bit more expensive than the XTi, but it’s clearly worth that extra couple of hundred bucks. Though they’re evenly matched for photo quality, the Nikon delivers enough extra oomph across the board to claim victory. But the Rebel ain’t the Rebel for nothing–we’re sure it’ll be back for a rematch next year!

I gotta say, though, with the XTi currently available on Amazon.com for $589 with the kit lens, and the similarly lensed D80 costing $878, it’s a bit of an unfair comparison. The D80 is more than 50% more expensive than the XTi. A fairer fight might have pitted the XTi against Nikon’s D40, which will set you back $449. 

Still, its interesting that the two companies never really have two models that are exact competitors at the same price point.  That tradition continues with Canon 40D costing (body only) around $1,300 and Nikon’s closest model, the D300, priced at $1,800. Weird. Or smart. Who knows.

Scott

Of course I haven’t! Lensbabies are so cool, I’m assuming that those of you who are really motivated will find a way to travel back in time and get your entries in by, um, two weeks ago.

OK, I did make a mistake. The correct end date for the Lensbabies contest is DECEMBER 30, 2007. 

Sorry! And good listening skills, Mike!

If you’re wondering whether to enter the contest, check out this review from GearLive.com. It will whet your lens-loving appetite for sure.   

Scott

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December 11, 2007: Welcome to the seventy-seventh episode of The Digital Photography Show!

Listener Brian called us on our Skype voicemail last week with a question about the best ways to photograph a low-light wedding reception. On today’s show, we surprise him by calling him back with one of the top wedding photographers in the world on the line – David Jay.

David’s a great guy and he gives Brian excellent and practical advice on what equipment to bring to the reception, and how to use it. David even gives Brian a free copy of his plug-in modules for Abobe Bridge and Adobe Photoshop Lightroom. You can check them out, along with David’s other software offerings, here.

We’re just kicking off our latest photo contest, “Spotlight on Giving.” The prize will be a wonderful Wacom tablet. Thanks, Wacom!

Here are the rules for DPS Photo Contest #7:

Title: A Spotlight on Giving

Theme: A subject demonstrating the act of giving.

Technique: Add a vignette to your image. A vignette can draw the viewers eye to the subject of your photo.

You can achieve a vignette by:

• Darkening around the subject, highlighting it. This works because the eye is generally drawn to the lightest object in a photo. (You can also do a reverse vignette, which lightens the area around your subject, although it’s rarely done, and rarely done well).
• Adding a selective blur around the subject, so it’s the sharpest thing in your photo.

1. Email jpg images to dpscontest@gmail.com.
2. The image must be in jpg format, and no more than 800 pixels on its widest side.
3. You may only enter three photographs.
4. If more than three photographs are entered, the first three received shall be entered.
5. The photo must be one that you created.
6. Please include the original exif info within the image.
7. Rename the image file with the photographers first and last name (so we know its yours).
8. If you are inclined to title your image (titles are optional):
   1. Append the title after the photographers name of the image file name.
   2. Example file name: MichaelStein_ElbowStuckInEar.jpg
9. Only one image per entrant can be eligible as a finalist.
10. Please provide us permission to post the image on our Phanfare site.
11. Photos will be accepted through Friday, 19 January, 2008.

Enjoy Being Creative!

We’re also are giving away a free year’s membership to xTrain. xTrain is a great resource for learning skills that will enhance your photography and your photo-processing skills. Send the answer to the question we ask about the coupon code to us at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com. The cut-off date is January 1, 2008. We’ll pick a correct answer at random.

You can get a 15% off discount on any xTrain course or membership plan by using the code you’ll find here.

If you want to buy DXO Optics Pro, remember the 20% discount they are only offering to listeners of this show. Try the program for free, and when you’re ready to buy, use the code DXODPS.

We’d love to hear what you thought of the show either here on the blog or at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.

We also appreciate the sponsorship of Wacom (www.wacom.com) and Lensbabies (www.lensbabies.com), two great products for when you want to get creative with your photography.

Wanna participate in the show?

• Send us an email at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.
• Leave a comment at www.TheDigitalPhotographyShow.com
• Call in a voice mail to US 301-637-7767
• Join the listener-run (thanks Laurel and Frank!) Flickr group Friends of The Digital Photography Show at http://flickr.com/groups/thedps.

Thanks for joining us here and hope you enjoy this week’s show. Now, go out, picture giving and put a spotlight on it!

Scott

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December 2, 2007: Welcome to the seventy-sixth episode of The Digital Photography Show!

On today’s show, photographer, Photoshop master and master instructor Chris Orwig joins us as we judge our most recent photo contest. Hearing an expert like Chris critique a picture can really help you improve both your photography and photo-processing skills.

Chris has some online training at Lynda.com and you should also check out his new book Adobe Photoshop CS3 for Photographers: Video Training Book, for more great video tutorials.

An entertaining and enlightening way to listen to today’s show is at your computer, looking at the finalists as we discuss them. You can find them here.

Every one of these photos is a winner, but only one can take first place, along with the Wacom Bamboo Fun Medium that comes along with it.

In the words of the brilliant and creative copywriters at Wacom (and why would I think I could do any better?):

Now there’s a simple, easy, and fun way to harness your creativity. Bamboo Fun makes your computer your canvas, allowing you to freely express yourself by simply touching the pen tip to the tablet. Touch up digital photos, draw by hand, create artwork and paintings, and even write in your own handwriting.

Bamboo Fun includes full editions of valuable creative software to help get your creative juices flowing. Edit photos with Adobe® Photoshop® Elements, create artwork with Corel® Painter™ Essentials, and apply photo effects with Nik® Color Efex™ Pro. Bamboo Fun is available in a variety of colors and sizes.

Bamboo Fun works with any software. In fact, many software applications have special features and tools that are designed to be used with a pen.

Thanks, Wacom, and congratulations to all of our finalists and, of course, to our winner…you’ll have to listen to find out who he or she is.

If you want to buy DXO Optics Pro, remember the 20% discount they are only offering to listeners of this show. Try the program for free, and when you’re ready to buy, use the code DXODPS.

We’d love to hear what you thought of the show either here on the blog or at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.

We also appreciate the sponsorship of Wacom (www.wacom.com) and Lensbabies (www.lensbabies.com), two great products for when you want to get creative with your photography.

Wanna participate in the show?

• Send us an email at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.
• Leave a comment at www.TheDigitalPhotographyShow.com
• Call in a voice mail to US 301-637-7767
• Join the listener-run (thanks Laurel and Frank!) Flickr group Friends of The Digital Photography Show at http://flickr.com/groups/thedps.

Thanks for joining us here and hope you enjoy this week’s show – especially my guest co-host!

Scott

Now, according to Canon, the latest firmware version for the camera, “improves autofocus tracking” when shooting outdoors in bright environments or when shooting low-contrast subjects. Since those are the problems that some people were having with the camera, I wonder if it will make the hardware repair unnecessary in some cases.  In any case, it’s kind of confusing.

It certainly would be nice if a firmware upgrade could save you from the trouble of shipping your camera back to Canon and having to wait for a repair. Even with Canon’s paying for the shipping both ways, that’s a hassle. 

This story from CNET has more on the issue and a link to the firmware upgrade.

Scott

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November 25, 2007: Welcome to the seventy-fifth episode of The Digital Photography Show!
Today is our listener-appreciation show. Michael and I share sincere appreciation to our guests, our sponsors, and of course, you.

As a measure of our thanks, we share some tips and tricks we’ve learned over the past year. Some are practical, some are philosophical. We hope you find them helpful!

Some of the things and people we discuss this week are:

• Adobe’s DNG Converter
• Ann Landers (I thought she wrote the piece we read on the show; further research indicates she reprinted it from an unknown author)
• The Power Of Appreciation
• Gary Fong’s Lightspheres
• Scott Kelby
• Kevin Kubota
• Rick Sammon
• David Jay

We also talk to Michael Rubin of Nikon about some exciting upcoming promotions that the company is featuring, including a limited-time offer of a free copy of Nikon’s excellent and award-winning Capture NX software with purchases of their new D3 and D300 DSLRs. According to Nikon, you can:

Supercharge your workflow with the next generation of high-quality image editing and processing. Utilizing U PointTM technology, Advanced Nikon Capture 4 delivers you powerful tools to help you fully realize the potential of your photographic imagination.

The new Capture NX software releases not only the power of Nikon’s Electronic Format (NEF) files; for the first time it makes JPEG and TIFF processing and editing elegant and easy enough for any photographer to implement. There are no complicated procedures – Nikon’s new interface provides intuitive access to all of the tools you need. Make you photographic possibilities endless and realize the power of your imagination with Capture NX

On today’s show, Michael gives away FIVE copies of this $150US software to FIVE lucky listeners of The Digital Photography Show. Be sure to listen to the show for your chance to enter the contest – you’ll never have better odds than this!

If you want to buy DXO Optics Pro (http://dxo.com/intl/photo), remember the 20% discount they are only offering to listeners of this show. Try the program for free, and when you’re ready to buy, use the code DXODPS.

We’d love to hear what you thought of the show either here on the blog or at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.

We appreciate the sponsorship of Wacom (www.wacom.com) and Lensbabies (www.lensbabies.com), two great products for when you want to get creative with your photography.

Wanna participate in the show?

Send us an email at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.
Leave a comment at www.TheDigitalPhotographyShow.com
Call in a voice mail to US 301-637-7767
Join the listener-run (thanks Laurel and Frank!) Flickr group Friends of The Digital Photography Show at http://flickr.com/groups/thedps.

Thanks for joining us here and hope you enjoy this week’s show. Remember – before you take that shot, take time to count your blessings.

Scott

It’s always harder to pick finalists than we anticipated, but we think the ones we’ve selected are great. But, then again, so were many of the other entries. Choosing is hard!

We’ll be announcing a winner in the next week or so. The prize? A sweeeeet Wacom Bamboo Fun Medium (there is no large, so you’re getting the biggest there is!), a $199 US value.

Good luck finalists! And thanks to everyone else for entering!

Scott

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November 13, 2007: Welcome to the seventy-fourth episode of The Digital Photography Show!

On today’s show, we have a great interview with Photoshop Guru Scott Kelby, one of our favorite guests. Scott’s not only a wonderful photographer and a terrific teacher, but he’s a genuinely nice guy and I hope that his essential goodness and charm are as evident in this interview as his digital expertise is.

Scott’s latest book Scott Kelby’s 7-Point System for Adobe Photoshop CS3 is rocking the world, with ecstatic reviews and a lot of user buzz. Scott and I talk about his 7-Point (but not 7-step!) system, as well his photo editing code of ethics and the difference between Adobe Camera Raw and Photoshop Lightroom. And be sure to check out his essential Gear Guide.

I mention a giveaway of his book on the show, but forgot to tell you how to enter. So, here it is: For an opportunity to win Scott’s latest opus, send us your answer to this question:

On Scott’s homepage, it says Scott Kelby is the editor and publisher of Photoshop User Magazine, Layers magazine (the how-to magazine for everything _______.)

Send the word that goes in that blank in the subject line of an email to TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com. We’ll pick a correct answer at random on November 30, 2007. Scott will even sign the book for you – and sometimes, he even uses his own name! (He signed mine “Frank N. Stein” – what a joker!)

We also talk to Michael Wong from OnOne software. They had some of the best new products I saw at Photoplus Expo.

Michael is giving away a copy of two of their great programs: PhotoFrame Pro and PhotoTune. That’s insane!

To enter THAT drawing, send us the answer to this question: On the OnOne homepage, it says that:

American PHOTO Magazine awarded the Plug-In Suite 3 a Top Imaging Software pick for ____.

What year did American PHOTO Magazine give them that award? We’ll pick TWO winners on November 30th, and I’ll give you your choice as to which program you want.

Michael and I also cover

• Wireless transmission with The Eye-Fi
• John Nack’s comments about Adobe Photoshop needing a facelift
• Adobe’s Online Program
• Microsoft gunning for Flickr – and a few others, too

If you want to buy DXO Optics Pro, remember the 20% discount they are only offering to listeners of this show. Try the program for free, and when you’re ready to buy, use the code DXODPS.

We’d love to hear what you thought of the show either here on the blog or at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.

We also appreciate the sponsorship of Wacom (www.wacom.com) and Lensbabies (www.lensbabies.com), two great products for when you want to get creative with your photography.

Wanna participate in the show?

• Send us an email at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.
• Leave a comment at www.TheDigitalPhotographyShow.com
• Call in a voice mail to US 301-637-7767
• Join the listener-run (thanks Laurel and Frank!) Flickr group Friends of The Digital Photography Show at http://flickr.com/groups/thedps.

Please remember to sign up for email notifications from our show! We will pick one subscriber at random to win either a copy of onOne’s Plug-In Suite 3 for Adobe Photoshop, Alien Skin’s Snap Art or Rick Sammon’s DVD “Rick Sammon Live.” You get to choose.

Click here to Subscribe to TPN :: The Digital Photography Show by Email.

Thanks for joining us here and hope you enjoy this week’s show.
Scott

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November 2, 2007: Welcome to the seventy-third episode of The Digital Photography Show!

On today’s show, we feature interviews with two luminaries from Photoplus Expo.

David Jay is a terrific photographer – ranked as one of the top 15 wedding photographers in the world! David tells us a little bit about his workflow, about how he uses Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and about the almost t00-sweet message on his automatic email responder. Awww, David!

If you want to win one of his David Jay’s products as described in the show, go to David’s site and sign up for his weekly newsletter. (We’ll take you at your word on this, but really do sign up, please.) Send us an email at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com that says “David’s sending me mail” in the subject line and we’ll enter you into a random drawing to be chosen on November 30, 2007.

Luc Marin is the genius behind DXO Optics Pro. DxO Optics Pro offers a whole range of features to automatically correct and enhance your images. It eliminates distortion, vignetting, & lens softness through specifically developed camera/lens modules, it removes camera noise and purple fringing and it optimizes your exposure, dynamic range and colors. It’s pretty magical, and, best of all, Luc gives away a copy of this program on today’s show.

For a chance to win this outstanding program, go to to DXO’s homepage at http://dxo.com/intl/photo. On the bottom right of the page, they talk about a tool that gives you “Stunning colors under control .” Send us an email with the name of that tool in the subject line (clue: It’s called “Smart_______[fill in the blank]”) TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com. We’ll pick a correct answer at random on November 30, 2007.

If you want to buy DXO Optics Pro, remember the 20% discount they are only offering to listeners of this show. Try the program for free, and when you’re ready to buy, use the code DXODPS.

On today’s show, Michael also tells us about his wedding shoot. You can see Michael’s pictures at www.stein.phanfare.com.

We’d love to hear what you thought of the show either here on the blog or at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.

We also appreciate the sponsorship of Wacom (www.wacom.com) and Lensbabies (www.lensbabies.com), two great products for when you want to get creative with your photography.

Wanna participate in the show?

• Send us an email at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.
• Leave a comment at www.TheDigitalPhotographyShow.com
• Call in a voice mail to US 301-637-7767
• Join the listener-run (thanks Laurel and Frank!) Flickr group Friends of The Digital Photography Show at http://flickr.com/groups/thedps.

Thanks for joining us here and remember: While you’re taking your pictures, picture a better a world.

Scott

At the time, he didn’t know if the problem was limited to a certain batch of cameras and how Canon would make good. He said Canon would be releasing more information soon.

He was right.

According to Cameratown:

After a thorough investigation, Canon has found that some EOS-1D Mark III cameras may have an issue with the mirror mechanism, which is part of the autofocus optical system. This issue may cause inconsistent focusing accuracy or inconsistent focus tracking with moving subjects when using AI-Servo AF and continuous shooting modes, particularly in high temperatures. The EOS-1D Mark III cameras that could have this problem can be identified by serial number: If the serial number on the bottom of the camera is between 501001 and 546561, the camera might require an adjustment of its AF mirror mechanism. Please note that the issue occurs only in some EOS-1D Mark III cameras within this serial number range. If you are satisfied with the AF performance of your EOS-1D Mark III camera now, it will not be necessary to have it repaired for this issue.

If you live in the US or PR, you can call this number for more information: 1-800-828-4040 (toll free) 8:00 a.m. – Midnight, EST (M-F) 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m., EST (Sat.).

If you live elsewhere, you have to find your own Customer Support Center.

Good on Canon for admitting there’s an issue and instituting a plan to fix it.  And I have to give major props to Rob Galbraith who extensively documented the focusing problem on his website. 

Rob was the first person I saw report on this, and he went to get trouble to prove this problem through repeated testing. Everyone who owns an affected camera owes him his or her thanks.

And, a question for you: If you had a camera within the specified serial number range, even if you hadn’t noticed any focusing problems, wouldn’t you have it evaluated for repair anyway? I would.

Scott

Adorama Camera has it for that same price but they’re throwing in a $500 rebate on two tabloid-sized very well regarded Canon printers . Here’s how they explain the math

$500 Mail in Rebate When you purchase A Canon Pro9000 (409.95 = ZERO after Rebate) or Pro9500 (749.95 = 249.95 after rebate) 

Now, if it’s really  a $500 rebate, I don’t understand why you wouldn’t be getting $90 back if you got the Pro9000, but, whatever. It’s still a great deal.

UPDATE: I just was doing a price check on BH Camera, and I see they also have this deal...only they don’t list it on the 5D product page – it’s only viewable on the Pro9000 page, and kind of buried there. 

Turns out its a Canon rebate, but its not being consistently or prominently promoted by every dealer. I guess they’re trying to keep it a secret. But now you know.

All of this is happening against a backdrop of rumors that the 5D will soon be replaced by its successor…the 6D, one assumes (but why not the 5E?). The rumors seem to be pointing towards a February/March 2008 release, but those guesses tend to be wrong as often as they are right. The USA’s biggest photo show is at the end of January, so that would make sense, but you never know.

Scott

The staff there is very democratic…I think there’s one camera from just about every manu-facturer...let’s see…Canon, FujiFilm, HP, Kodak, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Pentax, Ricoh Caplio, Samsung, Sony…who have they missed?  Sigma, I guess, but they have a lens on the list, so they still get a shout out. Did I overlook anyone?

Only manufacturer had two cameras on the list…wanna guess?

It’s Sony.  Sony!

Meanwhile, Apple got dissed. Not only did Pop Photo choose Adobe Photoshop Lightroom over Apple’s competing Aperture, but they selected the Nokia N95 as the cell phone of choice. Sorry, iPhone!

Of course, as an iPhone owner I could have told you that the camera function is woefully weak. Especially when you consider that as a photo viewer, the iPhone totally rocks, with its fantastic vibrant screen, and the cool ways you move between and zoom around your pictures.

Scott

Stephen Shankland writes:

The lens, formally called the AF 28-300mm F/3.5-6.3 Di VC, is one of a host of new image-stabilized superzoom lenses on the market. Nikon has said its 18-200mm model is its all-time bestseller. Sigma recently added its own 18-200mm competitor. And Panasonic, whose lenses are compatible with Olympus SLRs and vice versa, also offers a 14-150mm model, which is the same range when translated into 35mm camera terms.

I was interested to see that Nikon has called their 18-200 its “all-time bestseller.” There’s obviously a large market for these (almost) all-in-ones. The Nikon model goes a little wider (it starts at 18mm vs the Tamron 28mm) and a little faster (a maximum 5.6 aperture at the long end, versus the Tamron’s 6.3).

Nikon’s lens is listed as $750 from at least one reputable dealer online. No pricing was announced on the Tamron model.  On BH Photo, Sigma’s model, which has the zoom range of Nikon’s lens and the aperture range of Tamron’s, sells for around $550. 

Do you have or want a lens in this range? For me, the relatively slow apertures would be a problem.  But the zoom range and optical stabilization are sweet.

Scott

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October 24, 2007: Welcome to the seventy-second episode of The Digital Photography Show!

This week, we have a slew of interviews from PhotoPlus Expo. I talk with Dave Etchells of Imaging-Resource.com about what caught his eye at the show, Tony Corbell of Nik Software about the soon-to-be-released Color Efex Pro 3.0 and Rudy Winston of Canon USA about the 40D and what Canon’s planning to do for EOS 1D Mark III owners who are having problems with their focusing mechanisms.

Thanks to Tony and Nik for giving away a free copy of Color Efex Pro 3.0. Listen to the show for details on how to win!

Other thinks we talk about on the show:

• OnOne Software
• Adobe Photoshop Express
• Wacom’s Cintiq tablet
• Gary Fong

We’d love to hear what you thought of the show either here on the blog or at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.

Thanks to our advertiser DXO (www.dxo.com) for the 20% discount they are only offering to listeners of this show. Try the program for free, and when you’re ready to buy, use the code DXODPS.

We also appreciate the sponsorship of Alien Skin(www.alienskin.com), Wacom (www.wacom.com) and Lensbabies (www.lensbabies.com), all great products for when you want to get creative with your photography.

Wanna participate in the show?

• Send us an email at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.
• Leave a comment at www.TheDigitalPhotographyShow.com
• Call in a voice mail to US 301-637-7767
• Join the listener-run (thanks Laurel and Frank!) Flickr group Friends of The Digital Photography Show at http://flickr.com/groups/thedps

Thanks for joining us here and we sincerely hope you enjoy this week’s show.

Scott

Still, I’ll push past the pain and let you know that, incipient flu-like symptoms aside, I had a ball at PPE. Not as much fun as I would have had if Michael had come along, but a good time nonetheless. Here are some of the new and interesting things I saw (I’ll be talking more about these on the next few shows, and there will be some contests and give-aways as well).

OnOne Software’s New Programs Rock The House: OnOne was bringing it on with a couple of new and/or updated programs. The one that blew my socks off was PhotoTools. It’s a Photoshop plug-in that soups up your ability to apply and stack actions and filters. It’s also a great workspace where you can do almost all of your image-editing with easier-than-Photoshop tools. It incorporates a bunch of actions from Jack Davis and DPS favorite Kevin Kubota that really give your shots a professional and artistic feel. OnOne was also showing a very intuitive color-correction program called PhotoTune and an updated/upgrade version of PhotoFrame. You’ll hear more about these when we interview OnOne’s Mike Wong on an upcoming show.

Everyone Loves Wacom: The Wacom booth was insane with people trying to get their hands on tablets. Especially the Cintiqs, the tablets that are also a monitor: You draw and edit right on your image. Wow. I’ve never been to a photo show where people weren’t standing in line to get to the Wacom displays.

The Ubiquitous Rick Sammon: Rick was everywhere – it was nuts. Off the top of my head, I can remember he was doing presentations for MPIX, Lexar and xTrain. At the MPIX booth, I was standing at the back of the booth watching him talk about his photographs when the woman next to me whispered “His pictures are really good – does he have a website?” I told her to go to www.RickSammon.com. “Oh, that’s Rick Sammon?” she asked. “I know him. He’s cute!”

The Adobe Press Event: This year, I was again lucky to be invited to Adobe’s special press event. They always have them in a fabulous restaurant and this year was no exception – thanks, Grayz! Kevin Connor from Adobe gave us a sneak peek of Photoshop Express – Adobe’s still-in-development web-based image editing program. It makes heavy use of Flash technology to provide you with online photo editing (did you know that Adobe acquired Flash? I didn’t’). The program looked very cool. Even though it’s still in development, with a few rough spots, you could see the potential. It has more of a consumer-level Photoshop Elements feel than a true Photoshop vibe, but, hey, for a web-based program? Amazing. It really did look and operate like a desktop program. Very robust and feature-filled. How much longer will we be buying disc-based software, anyway?

Nik Color Efex 3.0 Gives You Results You Can See: Michael and I both have Color Efex 2.0, and the only thing we would have improved about the program was the preview window. We’ve talked on-air about how we found it a little too small to be truly effective. All that’s changed with version 3.0 which has a much bigger preview window. It also has a bunch of new filters and it uses Nik’s very cool U Point technology to precisely fine tune your effects.

Hip Photographer David Jay: I interviewed him for the show – this depressingly young entrepreneur (he’s 28 – kill me now!) has not only been ranked in the top fifteen wedding photographers in the world, but he also markets his own software and Lightroom plug-ins. David’s either an incredibly nice and sincere guy or he’s very good at faking it. He’s another one that was featured by a lot of different companies at the show. I bet he becomes another Friend of the Show. Although I have to say that he has one of those very nifty Flash-based websites where I can can’t find a darn thing that I want to.

The Super-Hot Nikon D3 – I didn’t get to play with the new Nikon D300 at the show, but I did have 20 minutes with the pro-level D3. I wish Michael were there! Not being familiar with Nikon’s interface, I had a hard time handling it. I can tell you it’s a very substantial camera – it feels as solid as a tank and only slightly less heavy. There are a million buttons and dials, including what appeared to be a microphone and record button. Can I podcast from my camera? Unfortunately, the guy from Nikon who was showing me around it was also unfamiliar with it – he couldn’t figure out how to change the ISO! That being said, it looks like an incredible piece of equipment, and the high-resolution LCD makes a huge difference in judging whether or not your shot is in focus.

Bling It, Baby!: Vertus Software showed a very impressive program called Bling It that does a very specific job: It makes your product shots look extraordinary, especially if you’re posting them on Ebay or another online auction site. Although I’m sure there are other uses from the program – which automates the task of masking your main subject out from the background and jazzing it up with text and special effects – it obvious application is to pimp out your Ebay auctions. It’s a consumer-level version of their very powerful Fluid Mask program. As one of the principals of Vertus told me, it’s all about the democratization of the technology – putting fantastically powerful tools into the hands of anyone willing to spend five minutes learning the program.

The Slim and Sexy ShootSac: Saying that we don’t feature enough products that appeal primarily to women, listener Leslie pointed me towards the booth for the Shootsac, a very light, well-made and useful shoulder bag that lives to carry and protect your lenses. It’s for the active shooter who’s holding and using his or her camera and wants quick access to different lenses. In its basic black version, it can be carried by anyone, but I can see why woman – or fashion-conscious men – would be attracted to its interchangeable cover. ShootSac offers a bunch of very attractive and stylish fabric covers to match your every outfit. You can even send them fabric for your own custom-made cover. It reminds me of that scene in Mel Brook’s High Anxiety where super-stylish Madeline Kahn is wearing a matching plaid suit, shoes and bag, and the camera pulls back to reveal she’s just gotten out of a coordinating plaid car.

Rock Stars Scott Kelby and Gary Fong: I wasn’t shocked that Scott Kelby was mobbed when he presented on the Kelbytraining stage at the show. I assume he was talking about his new Photoshop Seven-Point System – I couldn’t get close enough to tell! But I know that Scott has a huge following, so it wasn’t exactly news to see him in front of an overflow crowd.

But I was surprised that the other person who had people lining up to see him and his products was Gary Fong. Gary is a photographer who has a line of flash-lighting accessories as well as a bunch of other tools primarily geared towards the wedding photographer. I’d have to say his was consistently the busiest booth I saw …people were standing three and four deep to get to the long counter. Gary’s a very interesting guy – we’re going to try and get him on the show.

So, that’s it for my initial impressions. We’ll feature audio I taped at the show over the next few episodes, and I’ll tell you more about the products and photographers I saw at PPE. Now, I’m off to bed again. Cough, cough.

Scott

We’ll met in Manhattan at Mangano’s Heroboy at 494 Ninth Avenue.

I’ll have some books and other cool stuff to giveaway (no DSLRs – sorry!). 

Post below if you can make it. I’d love to meet you!

Scott

The Olympus E-3 is by far the most advanced Olympus digital camera I’ve used, very satisfying to shoot with, and one of the more compelling SLRs launched this season. Its design, though big, is ergonomically pleasing and handsome, and it gives you a feel of confidence and control. The E-3′s build matches the sturdy feel of Olympus’s high-end lenses, which are some of the tightest we’ve seen.

The E-3 is slated to cost $1,699, body only.

This brings me to an interesting question: What would it take for a new DSLR to really break through – specifically, one that isn’t a Nikon or a Canon, the two players who dominate the market?

I know there’s a fan base for Olympus hardware, but are they going to expand on that base with a $1,700 body?  Even with the E-3′s nice features, including an articulating LCD (I love these), built in wireless strobe capacity, and what’s said to be great autofocus ability, I don’t see anything here that’s going to shake up the sales charts.

I’m a Canon user, but I’d love to see another company come in and really step up the game. For example, I’ve always understood that most of the camera companies make the majority of their money off accessories. So why not give people a really kick-butt camera, with features like those on the E-3, for $999?  If you could convert them to your system of lenses and other add-ons, you’d be golden.  Once people start investing in your company’s products, you probably have a customer for life.

I keep waiting for a company to do this – to really underprice the camera and gain market share, but no one has yet.  That’s what I understand Microsoft does on the Xbox and Sony does with the Playstation 3 – they take a loss on the hardware, because they know they’ll make it back (and more) on games and accessories.

I thought that Sony, with their really deep pockets, might do something like that with their Alpha series, but as far as I can see, their prices are competitive, but not earth-shaking.

The other way to go would be to add some really new and exciting features, but I can’t imagine what those would be.  What’s left to add? 

What do you think? If you have a DSLR and an investment in lenses and other accessories, what would it take you to jump ship?

Scott

Anyone want to guess how much a hotel costs in the city at this late date?  Most are over $500/night. Yikes!

So, you never know…I thought I’d check here…anyone out there own a NYC hotel? Work at one?  Have access to a friends and family rate?

If so, please send me an email at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com. 

Thanks,

Scott

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October 11, 2007: Welcome to the seventy-first episode of The Digital Photography Show!

Sometimes, we hear from listeners of the show about someone doing great work in the field that we really should know about. That was the case with this week’s guest: “Carolyn Wright, The Photo Attorney.”

Long-time-listener and FOTS (Friend of The Show) Landya wrote me three weeks ago saying “I think it is time for you guys to do another ‘photography and the law’ show.”

Landya’s suggestion was Carolyn Wright, who has an excellent blog over at PhotoAttorney.com. I contacted Carolyn, asked Landya to fill-in as the co-host for the interview, and the rest is podcast history.

Carolyn is a terrific interview: interesting, articulate and accessible. The topics she discusses are ones you’ll want to know about. Do you need permission to photography a work of art in a public area? If you make money off a piece, is it automatically a commercial work? Can you put someone’s picture on your book cover without a model release?

We answer these and more questions when Landya asks me for my answers to ten common misconceptions of the law for photographers. You’ll astound at my ignorance! Carolyn then gives us the correct answers and explains the rationale behind them.

It’s really fascinating stuff, and I have to say, Carolyn explains everything so clearly that by the end of the quiz I was doing better because I had a (very) basic understanding of how the law looks at these issues.

Carolyn also is giving away a copy of her top-rated book Photographer’s Legal Guide to a lucky listener. Listen for the clue in the show, and send in your answers to TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com by October 30, 2007. We’ll pick a winner at random.

Before Carolyn and Landya join us, Michael and I take time to catch up. We talk about a lot of things, including how we use and select tripods and my new favorite cookies.

Here’s some of the stuff we discuss:

• Bogen 3021BPro tripod
• Really Right Stuff Ballhead
• Nikon D200 L Plate
• Really Right Stuff Wedding Pro Flash Bracket
• Bogen 322 RC2

Wanna hang out? I will be in NY next week for the PhotoPlus Expo, seeing all the latest and greatest equipment and software. I’m inviting listeners who want to meet up to join me Saturday, October 20th at around 5PM, somewhere around the NYC Convention Center. We can get together, introduce ourselves, and I’ll tell you all the fascinating secrets behind The Digital Photography Show (I’ll try to come up with some.) I’ll also try to score you some schwag at the Expo and we can do contests and giveaways right there. If you’re interested, send me an email with “NYC meet up” in the subject line and we’ll try to put something together.

Don’t forget to check out our latest contest. The prize is a Wacom Bamboo Fun, Medium (there is no large, so you’re getting the biggest there is!), a $199 US value.

Here’s the scoop on the contest:
Theme: A subject demonstrating the act of creativity.
Technique: Photographic technique is up to you, however you need you add that extra personal touch by “signing” your work. You can use a mouse, a trackball, or your Wacom tablet. You can use your first name, last name, or nom de plume. If you’re not using a Wacom, think how much easier it would be to write with one!
1. Email jpg images to dpscontest@gmail.com.
2. The image must be in jpg format, and no more than 800 pixels on its widest side.
3. You may only enter three photographs.
If you send in more than three photographs, the first three received shall be the only ones considered.
4. Please include the original exif info within the image
5. Please rename the image file with the photographers first and last name (so we know it’s yours).
6. If you are inclined to title your image (titles are optional),
please append the title after the photographers name of the image file name.
Example file name: MichaelStein_ElbowStuckInEar.jpg
7. Only one image per entrant can be eligible as a finalist.
8. Please provide us permission to post the image on our Phanfare site.
9. Photos will be accepted through Monday, 22 October, 2007.
10. Enjoy Being Creative!
You can see the contest entries at www.dps.phanfare.com.

We’d love to hear what you thought of the show either here on the blog or at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.

Thanks to our advertiser DXO (www.dxo.com) for the 20% discount they are only offering to listeners of this show. Try the program for free, and when you’re ready to buy, use the NEW CODE: DXODPS. They are just about to come out with a new version that sounds amazing; if you buy now, you get the upgrade for free.

And don’t forget the fifty buck discount on Alien Skin’s Snap Art (http://www.alienskin.com/snapart/index.html). Just call and tell them you heard about it on The Digital Photography Show.

We also appreciate the sponsorship of Wacom (www.wacom.com) and Lensbabies (www.lensbabies.com), two great products for when you want to get creative with your photography.

Wanna participate in the show?

• Send us an email at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com
• Leave a comment at www.TheDigitalPhotographyShow.com
• Call in a voice mail to US 301-637-7767
• Join the listener-run (thanks Laurel and Frank!) Flickr group Friends of The Digital Photography Show at http://flickr.com/groups/thedps.

Thanks for joining us here and hope you enjoy this week’s show.

Scott

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October 6, 2007: Welcome to the seventieth episode of The Digital Photography Show!

Today we talk to Rick Sammon, one of the best photographers and instructors out there. Rick has many books out, and his newest venture is as one of the instructors available on xTrain.

The fine people at xTrain describe their service as follows:

xTrain is the world’s easiest-to-use online training program for graphic design, web design, digital arts, digital photography, and online marketing. The xTrain mission is to provide the best, fastest, and most affordable training for everyone from digital professionals to students, hobbyists, and companies. Online training videos are taught by industry-best instructors and authors. Using a variety of teaching models, the xTrain videos are designed to captivate and educate everyone.

We also talk to the lovely and talented Queen of All Contests Laurel Housden about the new The Digital Photography Show Flickr group she’s started.  It’s at http://www.flickr.com/groups/thedps/.

 She also raves about the 24 by 30 print she received from Mpix – you can see the unboxing and ultimate results here: http://thephotoenthusiast.com/archives/39.

Laurel is also running out latest contest. The prize is the terrific Wacom Bamboo Fun, Medium (there is no large, so you’re getting the biggest there is!), a $199 US value.

Here’s the scoop on the contest:
Theme: A subject demonstrating the act of creativity.
Technique: Photographic technique is up to you, however you need you add that extra personal touch by “signing” your work. You can use a mouse, a trackball, or your Wacom tablet. You can use your first name, last name, or nom de plume. If you’re not using a Wacom, think how much easier it would be to write with one!
1. Email jpg images to dpscontest@gmail.com.
2. The image must be in jpg format, and no more than 800 pixels on its widest side.
3. You may only enter three photographs.
If you send in more than three photographs, the first three received shall be the only ones considered.
4. Please include the original exif info within the image
5. Please rename the image file with the photographers first and last name (so we know it’s yours).
6. If you are inclined to title your image (titles are optional),
please append the title after the photographers name of the image file name.
Example file name: MichaelStein_ElbowStuckInEar.jpg
7. Only one image per entrant can be eligible as a finalist.
8. Please provide us permission to post the image on our Phanfare site.
9. Photos will be accepted through Monday, 22 October, 2007.
10. Enjoy Being Creative!
You can see the contest entries at www.dps.phanfare.com.

We’d love to hear what you thought of the show either here on the blog or at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.

Thanks to our advertiser DXO (www.dxo.com) for the 20% discount they are only offering to listeners of this show. Try the program for free, and when you’re ready to buy, use the code DPSSHOW.

And don’t forget the fifty buck discount on Alien Skin’s Snap Art (http://www.alienskin.com/snapart/index.html). Just call and tell them you heard about it on The Digital Photography Show.

We also appreciate the sponsorship of Wacom (www.wacom.com) and Lensbabies (www.lensbabies.com), two great products for when you want to get creative with your photography.

We encoded the show at a higher bit rate this week – it will give us better audio quality, although the file is larger, too. Will you let us know if it sounds any better?

Thanks for joining us and we want lots of contest entries, so go to work!

Scott

Wondering what you can say about the tablet beyond the fact that it’s “fun?” Well, PC Magazine gave it several hundred words of praise, along with a 4.5 out of 5-star rating. They said:

If you’re artistically inclined, the Bamboo Fun is a great way to express yourself on your computer. The sleek pen tablet lets you draw and paint with ease, and the tablet itself is almost a work of art.

You can check out the whole article here.

And you can win a Wacom Bamboo Fun for free – only from The Digital Photography Show! (Well, only that we know of.) Check out the contest rules in Show #69 below.

The Bamboo Fun sounds great. The more serious enthusiasts among you (and you know who you are) should also check out the Wacom Intuos line.

Scott

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September 25, 2007: Welcome to the sixty ninth episode of The Digital Photography Show!

Thanks for all kind wishes, hopes and prayer we received after last week’s show. They all meant a lot to me.

Today we talk to hot photographer and instructor Chris Orwig. In addition to being a great shooter, Chris also is a Photoshop and Lightroom guru. He teaches at Lynda.com and can always be counted on to throw some photography advice in with his post-processing tips.

Chris and I cover the gamut in this interview, and I think you’ll agree he’s a very fun and instructive guy to listen to. Check out this video of him to get a feel for how he integrates photography with his other life passions.

Then we have Michael Markum of Wacom on to tell us about their new Bamboo tablets. These powerful yet playful tablets are the best ways to interact with you computer. You can get the business-styled Bamboo or the photo-centertric Bamboo Fun, which comes with a bunch of photo-editing software.

We also talk about the Intuos line of tablets for the more serious photographers and digital artists.

Best of all, we’re giving away a Wacom Bamboo Fun, Medium (there is no large, so you’re getting the biggest there is!), a $199 US value.

Here’s the scoop on the contest, which we’re calling :Picturing Creativity with a Creative Hand.

Theme: A subject demonstrating the act of creativity.

Technique: Photographic technique is up to you, however you need you add that extra personal touch by “signing” your work. You can use a mouse, a trackball, or your Wacom tablet. You can use your first name, last name, or nom de plume. If you’re not using a Wacom, think how much easier it would be to write with one!

1. Email jpg images to dpscontest@gmail.com.
2. The image must be in jpg format, and no more than 800 pixels on its widest side.
3. You may only enter three photographs.
If you send in more than three photographs, the first three received shall be the only ones considered.
4. Please include the original exif info within the image
5. Please rename the image file with the photographers first and last name (so we know it’s yours).
6. If you are inclined to title your image (titles are optional),
please append the title after the photographers name of the image file name.
Example file name: MichaelStein_ElbowStuckInEar.jpg
7. Only one image per entrant can be eligible as a finalist.
8. Please provide us permission to post the image on our Phanfare site.
9. Photos will be accepted through Monday, 22 October, 2007.
10. Enjoy Being Creative!zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

We’d love to hear what you thought of the show either here on the blog or at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.

Thanks to our advertiser DXO (www.dxo.com) for the 20% discount they are only offering to listeners of this show. Try the program for free, and when you’re ready to buy, use the code DPSSHOW.

And don’t forget the fifty buck discount on Alien Skin’s Snap Art (http://www.alienskin.com/snapart/index.html) and the 50% discount on Exposure (http://www.alienskin.com/exposure/index.html) . Just call and tell them you heard about it on The Digital Photography Show.

We also appreciate the sponsorship of Wacom and Lensbabies, two great products for when you want to get creative with your photography.

Thanks for joining us and let’s see those creative shots!

Scott

The Digital Photography Show #68: This is Not The Digital Photography Show (11Mb, 30 mins)

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September 14, 2007: Welcome to the sixty eight episode of The Digital Photography Show!

Or, the first episode of Not the Digital Photography Show.

Today, Michael and I talk about the trials, troubles and tribulations that led to our NOT doing our regularly scheduled show this week.

It’s kind of non-traditional for a show’s hosts to talk so openly about the problems they’re having with production, but we’re not interested in hiding behind a faux-corporate façade where we’re always perfect and never suffer human foibles. That to us is very “mainstream media” in the worst sense of the phrase.

We think of our show as a conversation between friends – and that includes you. It’s in that spirit that we present the first episode of The Digital Photography Show that features almost no discussion about digital photography.

We’re going out on a limb with this one, but it was either this or you wouldn’t hear from us at all. And we’d miss talking with you.

Here’s my incredibly brave and strong son Sasha in the hospital awaiting his operation. BTW: This was taken with my iPhone.

We’d love to hear what you thought of the show either here on the blog or at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.

Thanks to our advertiser DXO (www.dxo.com) for the 20% discount they are only offering to listeners of this show. Try the program for free, and when you’re ready to buy, use the code DPSSHOW.

And don’t forget the fifty buck discount on Alien Skin’s Snap Art (http://www.alienskin.com/snapart/index.html) and the 50% discount on Exposure (http://www.alienskin.com/exposure/index.html) . Just call and tell them you heard about it on The Digital Photography Show.

We also appreciate the sponsorship of Wacom and Lensbabies, two great products for when you want to get creative with your photography.

Thanks for joining us and we promise to be back next week with the REAL Digital Photography Show.

Scott

The problem has been fixed, so if you try again, it should be OK.

Sorry!

Scott

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September 14, 2007: Welcome to the sixty eight episode of The Digital Photography Show!

Or, the first episode of Not the Digital Photography Show.

Today, Michael and I talk about the trials, troubles and tribulations that led to our NOT doing our regularly scheduled show this week.

It’s kind of non-traditional for a show’s hosts to talk so openly about the problems they’re having with production, but we’re not interested in hiding behind a faux-corporate façade where we’re always perfect and never suffer human foibles. That to us is very “mainstream media” in the worst sense of the phrase.

We think of our show as a conversation between friends – and that includes you. It’s in that spirit that we present the first episode of The Digital Photography Show that features almost no discussion about digital photography.

We’re going out on a limb with this one, but it was either this or you wouldn’t hear from us at all. And we’d miss talking with you.

Here’s my incredibly brave and strong son Sasha in the hospital awaiting his operation. BTW: This was taken with my iPhone.

We’d love to hear what you thought of the show either here on the blog or at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.

Thanks to our advertiser DXO (www.dxo.com) for the 20% discount they are only offering to listeners of this show. Try the program for free, and when you’re ready to buy, use the code DPSSHOW.

And don’t forget the fifty buck discount on Alien Skin’s Snap Art (http://www.alienskin.com/snapart/index.html) and the 50% discount on Exposure (http://www.alienskin.com/exposure/index.html) . Just call and tell them you heard about it on The Digital Photography Show.

We also appreciate the sponsorship of Wacom and Lensbabies, two great products for when you want to get creative with your photography.

Thanks for joining us and we promise to be back next week with the REAL Digital Photography Show.

Scott

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September 11, 2007: Welcome to the sixty seventh episode of The Digital Photography Show!

It’s just me and Michael today talking about:

• My historic meeting with Scott Kelby at his Lightroom Tour
• My New Canon 40D (a big shout out to the folks at Penn Camera who got it for me!)
• What NOT to do when you get a new camera.

We’re having a contest for a DVD from the world of Scott Kelby and the great folks at the National Association of Photoshop Professionals: The winner will receive a free copy of the $69.99 value DVD “The Best Of Photoshop User: The 9th Year.” The DVD features over 3 hours of nonstop special effects, and cool tips and tricks from Scott Kelby, Dave Cross, Matt Kloskowski, and Corey Barker.

I haven’t watched it yet, but I’m certain it’s better than the 1st-8th years.

Listen to the show, find the secret clue and send us your answer by September 30, 2007 at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.

Please remember to sign up for email notifications from our show! We will pick one subscriber at random to win either a copy of onOne’s Plug-In Suite 3 for Adobe Photoshop, Alien Skin’s Snap Art or Rick Sammon’s DVD “Rick Sammon Live.” You get to choose.

Click here to Subscribe to TPN :: The Digital Photography Show by Email.

We’d love to hear what you thought of the show either here on the blog or at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.
Thanks to our advertiser DXO (www.dxo.com) for the 20% discount they are only offering to listeners of this show. Try the program for free, and when you’re ready to buy, use the code DPSSHOW.

And don’t forget the fifty buck discount on Alien Skin’s Snap Art (http://www.alienskin.com/snapart/index.html) and the 50% discount on Exposure (http://www.alienskin.com/exposure/index.html) . Just call and tell them you heard about it on The Digital Photography Show.

We also appreciate the sponsorship of Wacom and Lensbabies, two great products for when you want to get creative with your photography.

Thanks for joining us this week – we’ll see you again in seven days. Or thereabouts. (Our lawyers made us put that last part in.)
Scott

It’s funny – feuds between companies are pretty rare (NBC and Apple not included) but everyone always imagines that they catfight like contestants on Big Brother. I didn’t believe the story when I heard it, so I called Tom Hogarty, the Lightroom, Camera Raw and DNG Product Manager over at Adobe.

Tom’s a very friendly and straightforward guy, and he immediately dispelled the notion that there would be some arbitrary or intentional delay in providing support for the 40D in any of those products.

Here’s what he wrote me in an email on this subject:

“When a new camera is released we always try to provide support for that camera’s native raw file format as quickly as possible.  But our decision not to comment publicly on future release timing does lend itself to an environment that encourages speculation and rumors.  Rest assured that there are no hidden agendas in our efforts to support new cameras and I look forward to providing the update that includes Canon EOS 40D support. “

As a 40D owner myself, this puts me at ease. I can’t wait to be able to play with my 40D raw images in Lightroom as soon as possible, and I have the feeling I won’t have to wait very long.

Scott

It was a great pleasure to finally meet Scott in person. The Lightroom tour was fantastic, but I rave about it on this week’s upcoming show, so I won’t get into it here.

However, I will show you the picture of me and the Photoshop Guru – and all around great guy - himself.

Scott

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September 4, 2007: Welcome to the sixty sixth episode of The Digital Photography Show!

Today, Michael and I are joined by Craig Strong of Lenbabies.

We’re thrilled to welcome Lensbabies aboard as our newest sponsor. In honor of their coming into the circle of love that we like to call “The Digital Photography Show,” Craig is giving away a free Lensbaby 3G. You can win it by sending us the answer to the trivia question we ask during his interview. Send it to us at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com by September, 20, 2007. We’ll pick a correct response at random.

To whet your appetite for a Lensbaby, here are a few words from their webpage.

Lensbabies are selective Focus SLR lenses. Lensbaby photos have one area in sharp focus, with that “sweet spot” surrounded by gradually increasing blur. You can move the sweet spot to any part of your photo by bending the lens.

Lensbabiesâ„¢ are perhaps the simplest way to add a completely new dimension to your photography. Try a Lensbaby when you need a creative edge or just want to have fun with your camera.

Michael and I also answer the age old question: What should you do if a friend asks you to shoot their wedding? To organize our conversation, we rely heavily on this article by Antony Hands. (http://www.rokkorfiles.com/Wedding101-page1.html) Antony’s article is a great reference, and if you’ve ever considered shooting a friend’s wedding – or any important event – you’ll want to check it out.

Please remember to sign up for email notifications from our show! We will pick one subscriber at random to win either a copy of onOne’s Plug-In Suite 3 for Adobe Photoshop, Alien Skin’s Snap Art or Rick Sammon’s DVD “Rick Sammon Live.” You get to choose.

Click here to Subscribe to TPN :: The Digital Photography Show by Email.

We’d love to hear what you thought of the show either here on the blog or at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.

Thanks to our advertiser DXO (www.dxo.com) for the 20% discount they are only offering to listeners of this show. Try the program for free, and when you’re ready to buy, use the code DPSSHOW.

And don’t forget the fifty buck discount on Alien Skin’s Snap Art (http://www.alienskin.com/snapart/index.html) and the 50% discount on Exposure (http://www.alienskin.com/exposure/index.html) . Just call and tell them you heard about it on The Digital Photography Show.

We also appreciate the sponsorship of Wacom and Lensbabies, two great products for when you want to get creative with your photography.

Thanks for joining us here, in the Circle of Love

Scott

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August 26, 2007: Welcome to the sixty fifth episode of The Digital Photography Show!

It’s the triumphant return of Michael Stein and have we got what to talk about: Major new DSLR releases from Nikon and Canon. We compare specs on the Nikon D3 and the Nikon D300, as well as the Canon 40D.

But unlike many Canon/Nikon discussions, we’re not about player-hating. They’re both great companies and we’re glad to see so many great offering out there.

We also talk to Kevin Kubota to hear who won the charitable giving/community action scholarship he promoted on our show. The answer will shock and amaze you! We don’t want to give it away, but we will say: Kevin is The Man!!!

Please sign up for email notifications from our show! We will pick one subscriber at random to win either a copy of onOne’s Plug-In Suite 3 for Adobe Photoshop, Alien Skin’s Snap Art or Rick Sammon’s DVD “Rick Sammon Live.” You get to choose.

Click here to Subscribe to TPN :: The Digital Photography Show by Email. It’s free, and the work of a minute.

We’d love to hear what you thought of the show either here on the blog or at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.

Thanks to our advertiser DXO (www.dxo.com) for the 20% discount they are only offering to listeners of this show. Try the program for free, and when you’re ready to buy, use the code DPSSHOW.

And don’t forget the fifty buck discount on Alien Skin’s Snap Art (http://www.alienskin.com/snapart/index.html) and the 50% discount on Exposure (http://www.alienskin.com/exposure/index.html) . Just call and tell them you heard about it on The Digital Photography Show.

Thanks for being part of our community. We got so much great freedback from you guys last week. It really keeps us going.

Scott

I am the finalist in the Loews Find Inspiratin Photo Contest: www.lowesfindinspiration.com and I am going to need everyone’s help in voting for my Blue Sanibel Shell from August 28th through September 8th. I am hoping that Scott and Micahel will announce offically on the next show.

The finalist picture is:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1169/1195974699_c700be4042.jpg

I can really use everyone’s help!!

Cheers,
Laurel

Congratulations, Laurel, we couldn’t be prouder!  It’s a lovely picture.

BTW, the Grand Prize is a room makeover. Think they’d build you a podcasting studio, Laurel?

Scott

The following is cut-and-pasted from Engadget:

D3

• 12.1 megapixel, full-frame friggin sensor! (23.9 x 36mm) Finally. ISO up to 6400
• 3-inch VGA live view LCD
• Two (count ‘em, two!) CompactFlash card slots for overflow, backup, or copying
• New EXPEED image processor
• 9fps in full frame, 11fps in DX crop; 51 point autofocus (with “3D focus tracking”)
• HDMI out with optional cable
• $5000, November release

D300

• 12.3 megapixel DX (1.5 crop) sensor
• 3-inch VGA live view LCD
• New EXPEED image processor
• 51 point autofocus
• $1800, November release

According the the always-on-the-nose Imaging-Resource.com, the D3 also features: ” a Virtual Horizon function that indicates (in both LCD and viewfinder) whether the camera is true and level, based on information from a built-in digital level sensor, or in-camera correction of chromatic abberations based on information on the lens in use. Others are features you expect to see on a camera of this level, such as dust and water proofing measures, a magnesium alloy body, tempered glass over the LCD display, and a shutter mechanism rated to last to 300,000 releases.”

In terms of pricing, the D300 will cost about $500 more than the 40D. Is it worth it?

Far be it from me offer an opinion, especially since both companies have adherents so passionate that, if you click on the Engadget link above, you’ll read a feud so intense that it will make you glad these people don’t have nuclear arms.  After one poster wrote “The D300 kind of leaves me underwhelmed. Again, it’s a nice camera, and a natural step up from the D40/D80, but I think the Canon 40D has a price/performance edge,” he or she got attacked more violently than a poodle at Michael Vick’s house. 

Can’t we all just get along?

We’ll have to get Dave Etchells from Imaging-Resource.com on the show to walk us through all these new cameras. Stay tuned!

By the way, why don’t camera companies follow the time honored protocol in which higher-numbered models have more features than their lower siblings? Wouldn’t it make more sense that the D300 was the higher-end model than the D3? The D300 should be 297 degrees better than the D3 in my book. 

Scott

Now I have to sell one of my limbs so I can afford it! Any takers?

Scott

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August 17, 2007: Welcome to the sixty fourth episode of The Digital Photography Show!

Michael couldn’t join me today, so my guest host is the lovely and talented Laurel Housden, or, as we call her, The Queen of All Contests.

Laurel and I interview Chuck Delaney, the Dean of the New York Institute of Photography, which I believe is the world’s largest photography school. Chuck is a great guy, and he tells us about NYIP’s ongoing photo contest which you can find here. You can enter to win, or vote on other photos if you think they’re more deserving.

Then we talk to Joe Dellesega from MPIX. MPIX is the print house I hear about most often from digital enthusiasts, and Joe tells us why. Who know that a human being actually looks at every picture they print to check it’s color accuracy? MPIX has a wide variety of products, including statuettes, hardcover books and they even offer framing.

MPIX is having a great contest exclusively for listeners of The Digital Photography Show. You’ll win a fantastic 30×24 canvas gallery wrap print that will really make your picture look like a work of art. It’s a $150 USD value, and it’s worth every penny – I bought one six months ago and it’s hanging proudly in my home.

We’ll close the contest on September 09, 2007, so get your entries in by then. Send in the answer to the question we ask you in the show to TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com. Please put “MPIX” in the subject line so we can find your entry.

I have to thank Chuck, Joe and most especially Laurel, Queen of All Guest Hosts. You can check out the Queen’s blog at www.thephotoenthusiast.com. And make sure you listen to the end of the show to hear the special surprise I have for Laurel. She’s so cute when she’s happy!

Please remember to sign up for email notifications from our show! We will pick one subscriber at random to win either a copy of onOne’s Plug-In Suite 3 for Adobe Photoshop, Alien Skin’s Snap Art or Rick Sammon’s DVD “Rick Sammon Live.” You get to choose.

Click here to Subscribe to TPN :: The Digital Photography Show by Email.

We’d love to hear what you thought of the show either here on the blog or at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.

You can now get transcripts of the show at PodsinPrint.  How cool is that? Let me know how it is if you get one.

You can read Scott’s personal blog on politics, technology and what I carry around in my pocket here. And check out The Better World Show - you’ll feel good about it.

Thanks to our advertiser DXO (www.dxo.com) for the 20% discount they are only offering to listeners of this show. Try the program for free, and when you’re ready to buy, use the code DPSSHOW.

And don’t forget the fifty buck discount on Alien Skin’s Snap Art (http://www.alienskin.com/snapart/index.html) and the 50% discount on Exposure (http://www.alienskin.com/exposure/index.html) . Just call and tell them you heard about it on The Digital Photography Show.

Thanks for joining us. You guys rule.

Scott

Hi:
I have some photographs that I might like to sell and was wondering if you could speak about how to put a copyright watermark in my images also tips on selling images and what to watch out for. I don’t own a DSLR but do own a Canon A630.
I have have several thousand images, both negatives and slides from my Minolta X700 – 35mm days.
I have Adobe Photoshop Elements and IrfanView, but neither of these seem to use watermarks, can you recommend maybe a free software that
does this?

Coincidentally, I spoke on the show two weeks ago about www.BitsDuJour.com, a site that features another software deal everyday.  Well, wouldn’t you know that today they’re featuring a program called uMark Professional Image Watermarking. According to the site, uMark lets you:

Add your own visible watermark – text or a graphic – to any image.
Process multiple images. Watermark your complete portfolio at once.
Customize your watermarks – choose a font, angle, transparency, position and other options. Get exactly the effect you want.
Tile your watermarks so that they evenly cover your complete image. Your watermarked images will look as professional as the originals.
Make watermarked images without altering the originals.
Resize the watermarked images, and even generate thumbnails, in 1 step.

It’s not free, Allan, but at 50% off ($10) it ain’t bad. Let us know what you think. But the deal’s only good for today, so think fast!

Scott  

Global warming. A crisis in someplace called Darfur. Abuse of animals. AIDS in Africa. Human rights violations, genocides, poverty.

They all sound so terrible. So overwhelming. Someone should do something. But who?

How about you?

The Better World Show is about what you can do to make the world a, well, better place. A kinder, fairer, safer and healthier planet on which all of us can live.

Every week (or so) we’ll give you just enough information to get the broad strokes of what’s going on out there. We’ll have interviews with experts who understand these issues and who can explain them in ways that will move, enlighten and empower you.

We’ll also give you information on what you can do to make a difference. You don’t have to quit your job, leave your family or join the Peace Corps to be part of the solution. There are little things you can do, change or give that will help make a big difference.

It’s a tough world out there. Join us on our journey to make it a better one.

I’m doing the show with my good friend, the CEO of The Podcast Network, Cameron Reilly. Cam is brilliant on social issues. He’s been a great inspiration to me, as well as to many others. I’m just along for the ride, having fun, and enjoying the chance to give back to the world community what I hope will grow into a popular and useful resource.

I have to say that it’s very weird to do a show without Michael. I love Cam, but we don’t yet have the on-air chemistry that (I hope) Michael and I have. Listeners of this show will recognize that in The Better World Show’s opening, I try to follow the same format that we do here on this show, but Cam and I mess it up!  I think that only listeners of The Digital Photography Show will catch just how badly we do it.

And, since it is our first show, please forgive us the occasion bump or stumble.

The funny thing is, I could never have done The Better World Show without the encouragement and participation you’ve given us on this show. Your unbelievably nice feedback has given me the confidence to do the new show. Having “met” so many of you through email and other means, you’ve shown me just how many kind and giving people there are out there. Thank you for that. 

On a more practical level, the financial success of The Digital Photography Show has really helped sustain and grow The Podcast Network, which is hosting The Better World Show.  Without the support of our sponsors Alien Skin, Wacom and DXO Labs, and your support of them, we couldn’t be providing a resource like this. 

You can check out the show’s homepage at http://betterworld.thepodcastnetwork.com/ and listen from there, or, from that site, subscribe through iTunes, RSS, or other means. The show is so new, that it’s not showing up in an iTunes search yet, but it should soon. 

As we say on the first episode, big media makes the issues that challenge the world seem impossibly complicated and overwhelming. But we think we can present them in a way that’s easy to understand and relate to. Some of what the world most desperately needs are the things we’ve understood since Kindergarten – fairness, equality, freedom, and kindness. And we, in the privileged, developed world, really need to learn to share our toys.

If you get a chance, give it a listen. Send me an email at thedigitalphotographyshow@gmail.com,  or leave a note on The Better World Show blog if you want to let us know what you think. We’d love to hear from you.

And if you like what you hear, please help us spread the word. 

Go out in the world in peace,

Scott

According to an admittedly sketchy source, the specifications from the aforementioned camera have been discovered, so here’s a quick rundown on what to(hopefully) expect. Aside from the 14.4-megapixel sensor, rumor has it that you’ll find a 2.5-inch LCD monitor, NP-FM55H battery, a CompactFlash slot, support for JPEG / RAW image formats, anti red-eye technology, ISO 100 to 3200, and wireless flash support to boot.

According to the source of this rumor, the camera will also be full-frame, which would surprise me. 

Scott

This is from Panasonic’s press release:

Panasonic today expanded its LUMIX family of digital still cameras with the introduction of the LUMIX DMC-FZ18, an 8.1 Megapixel compact camera with an impressive 18x optical zoom. In addition to a premium 28mm wide-angle LEICA DC lens, the DMC-FX18 joins the LUMIX DMC-FX33 and DMC-FX55 as the first Panasonic digital cameras to offer the revolutionary Intelligent Auto Mode, which include Face Detection, Intelligent Scene Selector and Continuous Auto-focus functions, allowing users to easily capture clear, professional-quality images in any situation or setting.

According to Panasonic’s spokesperson, it sounds like all you’ll have to do is aim the camera and shoot.

“The Intelligent Auto Mode in the DMC-FZ18 does all the work for you, making photo-taking trouble-free,” noted Alex Fried, National Marketing Manager, Imaging, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company.

I know what face detection and continuous auto-focus do, and they’re all good, but I’m kind of freaked out by the Intelligent Scene Selector.  Somehow, the camera “reads” the scene and knows if you’re taking a portrait, capturing scenery, or making a macro.  That’s pretty cool and little strange.

What’s next – will the menus in restaurants “read” me and know what I’m hungry for? When I go into The Gap will the right pair of jeans walk right up to me?  If I put a chicken into the over, will it scan the bird and automatically set the right time and temperature?

The camera of tomorrow, today.  But do you want a camera that figures all this out for you? Is it too much trouble to turn the “scene” button on your compact camera to “portrait” yourself?

Scott
 

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August 10, 2007: Welcome to the sixty third episode of The Digital Photography Show!

By the time you read this there’s either one day left in the voting for The Podcast Awards, or the voting has closed.

We’d like to thank you for your support. You guys have been incredible. Now comes the waiting – some of the winners won’t be announced till the end of September!

But whatever the outcome, we were nominated for awards in two categories and we heard from many of you that you were voting every day. To have done so well our first time out and to receive such incredibly kind wishes from our listeners – I guess you could say we’re already winners.

So: thank you, thank you, thank you! Whatever happens next is the cherry – you guys are the cake.

Today we judge our fifth photo contest: Little Creatures in a Little Color. Our special guest judge is Rudy Winston, manager of the Technical Information Department at Canon’s camera division.

We knew Rudy was technical guru, but who knew that he’d be an aesthetic genius, too? Michael and I were blown away by Rudy’s insightful, supportive and illuminating critiques of the great photos submitted for this contest – you can see them here.

Our winner will receive a Wacom Graphire4 6×8. Can you say “bling?” Its ample work space allows you have fun with your digital photos in any creative project. You can quickly and easily edit your digital photos with 512 levels of pressure sensitivity, a natural feel, and superior performance. Thanks, Wacom!

You may want to be at the computer while we judge this contest to view the photos while we talk about them. Alternatively, if you have an iPod or iTunes, check out our home page www.TheDigitalPhotographyShow.com in about two weeks – we’re going to have an “enhanced” version of this podcast that allows you to view the photos on your video iPod, iPhone or on iTunes.

Listen twice!

We also pump Rudy (but in a nice way) for information about the hotly anticipated Canon 40D. Rumors were flying wild over the net about this camera in the past few days – you can see one example here.

Unfortunately, Rudy would have fared well during the Inquisition: He’s pretty good a keeping his mouth shut. But he did promise to come back on the show as soon as he’s free to tell us about what’s the next big thing from Canon.

Much love to Laurel, Queen of All Photo Contests. This was her first photo contest, and she performed flawlessly. Let’s see if she stick around for another! You can check out the Queen’s blog at www.thephotoenthusiast.com.

Please remember to sign up for email notifications from our show! We will pick one subscriber at random to win either a copy of onOne’s Plug-In Suite 3 for Adobe Photoshop, Alien Skin’s Snap Art or Rick Sammon’s DVD “Rick Sammon Live.” You get to choose.

Click here to Subscribe to TPN :: The Digital Photography Show by Email.

We’d love to hear what you thought of the show either here on the blog or at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.

You can read Scott’s personal blog on politics, technology and why watching a Democratic debate is like seeing Gladys Knight and the Pips here.
Thanks to our advertiser DXO (www.dxo.com) for the 20% discount they are only offering to listeners of this show. Try the program for free, and when you’re ready to buy, use the code DPSSHOW.

And don’t forget the fifty buck discount on Alien Skin’s Snap Art (http://www.alienskin.com/snapart/index.html) and the 50% discount on Exposure (http://www.alienskin.com/exposure/index.html) . Just call and tell them you heard about it on The Digital Photography Show.

We’re glad you’re listening and joining us here on the blog. Again, we really appreciate your votes for The Podcast Awards. It’s in the hands of the bean-counters now. Thanks for the beans!

Scott

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July 27, 2007: Welcome to the “We’re On Our Knees and Begging You” episode of The Digital Photography Show!

Today, we shill again for your votes in The Podcast Awards. But we keep it mercifully short.

Remember: You can vote every day. And given the size and popularity of the shows we’re against, we’re going to need you to.

You might get a confirmation email from the folks at The Podcast Awards to ascertain that your vote was real. Please check your junk email folder if it doesn’t arrive in your inbox.

Today, it’s just me and my best buddy Michael as we talk about what’s in the news, included the new JPEX XR format from Microsoft and this article from the Popular Photography website on how to shoot insects. With your camera.

I also give Michael a surprise photo quiz based on the this article from the May 2007 Pop Photo magazine. Don’t read it before you listen to the show or you won’t be able to play along!

Michael and I then talk about some of our favorite productivity or playful program for Windows and Mac computers:

• Skype
• Photobooth
• Activewords
• Anagram
• Snag it and Skitch
• Photopresenter
• Mindmanger
• Earthdesk
• BitsDuJour
  
  Please remember to sign up for email notifications from our show! We will pick one subscriber at random to win either a copy of onOne’s Plug-In Suite 3 for Adobe Photoshop, Alien Skin’s Snap Art or Rick Sammon’s DVD “Rick Sammon Live.” You get to choose.

Click here to Subscribe to TPN :: The Digital Photography Show by Email.

We’d love to hear what you thought of the show either here on the blog or at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.

You can read Scott’s personal blog on politics, technology and why he’s feeling like Sally Fields these days here.

Thanks to our advertiser DXO (www.dxo.com) for the 20% discount they are only offering to listeners of this show. Try the program for free, and when you’re ready to buy, use the code DPSSHOW.

And don’t forget the fifty buck discount on Alien Skin’s Snap Art (http://www.alienskin.com/snapart/index.html) and the 50% discount on Exposure (http://www.alienskin.com/exposure/index.html) . Just call and tell them you heard about it on The Digital Photography Show.

Thanks to everyone for listening and joining us here on the blog. AND THANKS FOR THE NOMINATIONS!

Now, go take great pictures. And vote!

Scott

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July 27, 2007: Welcome to the listener appreciation sixty first episode of The Digital Photography Show! Why are we so appreciative?

Because you nominated us for two Podcast Awards! Words can’t express how grateful we are. You made this happen and it’s incredibly humbling to know that you’d come through for us like this. You guys rule!

Voting for the awards starts on July 28th Click on any of the banners on this page to go to the voting site. You can vote once a day for us in both the Cultural/Arts category and the People’s Choice Award.

Now that we’re nominated, we’d be incredibly appreciative if you’d take the time to vote for us, too.

Did we mention you could vote once every day?

Today we’re joined by listener Michael Rather from The Digital Photography Connection (www.thedigitalphotographyconnection.com). Michael provides a great resource with this site, as well as with his two podcasts: Photoshop for Digital Photographers and Lightroom for Digital Photographers.

Michael presents a ton of free flash videos that feature different techniques for Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and general photography. His videos are like really good potato chips – you can’t watch just one. And unlike the potato chips, they’re non-fattening.

Also check out the finalists for our latest photo contest here. Thanks to everyone who entered – it was really hard narrowing it down to a lucky 13 finalists. And special thanks to Laurel, Queen of All Photo Contests. You can check out the Queen’s blog at www.thephotoenthusiast.com.

The prize for this contest will be a Wacom 6×8 Graphire Tablet. Michael and I love our Wacom tablets, and after you use one, you will, too. There isn’t an easier, more intuitive or more creative way you can interact with your PC.

Please remember to sign up for email notifications from our show! We will pick one subscriber at random to win either a copy of onOne’s Plug-In Suite 3 for Adobe Photoshop, Alien Skin’s Snap Art or Rick Sammon’s DVD “Rick Sammon Live.” You get to choose.

Click here to Subscribe to TPN :: The Digital Photography Show by Email.

We’d love to hear what you thought of the show either here on the blog or at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.

You can read Scott’s personal blog on politics, technology and why watching a Democratic debate is like seeing Gladys Knight and the Pips here.

Thanks to our advertiser DXO (www.dxo.com) for the 20% discount they are only offering to listeners of this show. Try the program for free, and when you’re ready to buy, use the code DPSSHOW.

And don’t forget the fifty buck discount on Alien Skin’s Snap Art (http://www.alienskin.com/snapart/index.html) and the 50% discount on Exposure (http://www.alienskin.com/exposure/index.html) . Just call and tell them you heard about it on The Digital Photography Show.

Thanks to everyone for listening and joining us here on the blog. AND THANKS FOR THE NOMINATIONS!

Now, go take great pictures. And vote!

Scott

We were nominated in the Cultural/Arts category, which was amazing, but we were also nominated in the People’s Choice, which was…staggering!

When you look at the caliber of shows we nominated with – some of the most popular in the world – it’s literally unbelievable.

What can we say but THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!  According to the people at The Podcast Awards, over 335,000 people submitted more than 6 million plus nominations.  THAT MEANS YOU ALL REALLY CAME THROUGH FOR US!!! (And when I write in all caps like that, you know I REALLY mean it!).

You made this happen. 

I could go on and on, but words can’t express the deep gratitude Michael and I feel for your nominations. You’ve really touched us today, and you’ve inspired us anew.   

Once again, THANK YOU!!!!

With our sincerest appreciation,

Scott (and, I know, Michael too).

But the respected and hard-working Rob Galbraith, who has been documenting the Mark III’s problem, just installed the latest firmwared update to the camera, which Canon says is supposed to improve the autofocus. Does it? According to Rob, the sad answer is no:

As earlier sections of this article describe, on sunny, warm days, the EOS-1D Mark III’s ability to grab focus initially, hold focus on static subjects and track moving subjects is both unusably poor and no match for the camera’s predecessor, the EOS-1D Mark II N.
 
We’ve now shot and analysed about 3400 track, soccer and test frames taken over two days with v1.0.9 cameras, under the bright, warm conditions that trip up v1.0.8, and the results are effectively the same as before: lots of out-of-focus frames that should be crisply focused.

If I could afford a Mark III, this would really be bumming me out. Aren’t I lucky to be broke?

Read Rob’s detailed analysis here.

Scott

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July 22, 2007: Welcome to the sensational sixtieth episode of The Digital Photography Show! Sixty shows? Holy guacamole! No wonder we’re so tired!

Today, Kevin Kubota comes on to tell us about a great thing he doing: Holding one spot in each of his sold out workshops for a full scholarship to any of Kubota Image Tools’ upcoming Bootcamps – including the long sold-out October 2007 Bootcamp, for an individual who has made significant efforts to give back to his or her community.

The Digital Photography Bootcamp scholarship includes full program fee plus lodging and all meals (a $2,195 value). The scholarship winner is responsible for transportation costs to/from Rock Springs Guest Ranch in Bend, OR (www.RockSprings.com) as well as their own social activities.

To apply, photographers can e-mail Kubota Image Tools at kecia@kubotaimagetools.com with a one-page letter explaining why they should be considered for the scholarship. A description of any charity work that they currently do (whether utilizing photographic skills or not) should be included. Submissions must also include a portfolio of 20 image samples. Image file size should be no larger than 750×750 at 72dpi.

The Kubota Digital Photography Bootcamp is a 5-day workshop for professional photographers (or dedicated hobbyists) designed to supply all of the technical know-how to run a successful digital portrait/wedding studio; at the same time, it encourages continued development of a photographer’s unique style and creativity.

We here at The Digital Photography Show love, love, love this idea. It’s so important to do what you can to help make this world a better place. We applaud Kevin for his contribution towards recognizing and rewarding the volunteerism of others.

We also talk to listener Bryen Ford. Bryen is a sports photographer who is shooting with that most coveted of cameras: The Canon EOS 1D Mark III. Listen as we ask him if it’s really worth $4,500. We also talk about what lenses he uses and how he’s managed to turn what was previously a hobby into a profitable business doing photography. Making money at something you love doing? Now, there’s an idea!

We’re releasing this show probably a day or two before the nominations will be up The Podcast Awards. Many of you wrote to tell us that you nominated our show, and we deeply appreciate it. Would you please take a moment to surf on over to www.podcastawards.com and see if we made the list? And, if we did, will you vote for us? We’ll be bugging you about this again if we scored a nomination, but every little bit helps. Thanks!

Please remember to sign up for email notifications from our show! We will pick one subscriber at random to win either a copy of onOne’s Plug-In Suite 3 for Adobe Photoshop, Alien Skin’s Snap Art or Rick Sammon’s DVD “Rick Sammon Live.” You get to choose. Click here to Subscribe to TPN :: The Digital Photography Show by Email.

We’d love to hear what you thought of the show either here on the blog or at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.

You can read Scott’s personal blog on politics, technology and why Methodists deserve freedom here.

Thanks to our advertiser DXO (www.dxo.com) for the 20% discount they are only offering to listeners of this show. Try the program for free, and when you’re ready to buy, use the code DPSSHOW.

And don’t forget the fifty buck discount on Alien Skin’s Snap Art (http://www.alienskin.com/snapart/index.html) and the 50% discount on Exposure (http://www.alienskin.com/exposure/index.html) . Just call and tell them you heard about it on The Digital Photography Show.

Thanks to everyone for listening and joining us here on the blog.

Scott

This sounds too good to be true, so I checked some other online vendors, and, sure enough, most had a single card for about that price – or sometimes, even more.

I’m such a I like having some extra cards around, and 2GB is a good size with my Canon 30D. I think I’ll grab this deal while it’s still available. You can find it here:

http://www.calumetphoto.com/store/sandisk2for1.

Let me know if you do, too, or if you know of any better deals.

Scott

BUY ME!!

Download the show

July 13, 2007: Welcome to the fifty-ninth episode of The Digital Photography Show!

Today, we have a great interview with Rick Sammon, one of the best triple-threat photographer/writer/teachers out there.

Rick shares his Top Ten Tricks for Ultimate Travel Photography. Click here for the original article as it appeared in PC Photo magazine.

Rick also tells us about his new DVD “Rick Sammon’s Canon EOS Digital Rebel Personal Training Photo Workshop.” This is a great resource not only for Digital Rebel users, but anyone who wants to know how to better employ their DSLRs. You’ll get 90 minutes of creamy Sammon goodness as he takes you on location and gives you his one-on-one training in how to get the most out of your DSLR.

Michael and I also talk about Scott Kelby’s blog and the New York Times article on choosing the best entry-level DSLR (see post below).

We also are asking you to nominate us for a Podcast Award. Nominations close at midnight on July 14, so act fast! Here’s the simple five-step plan for how you can help out.

1) Just click the link to go to www.podcastawards.com.
2) Click on the small blue text in the top box that says “Click here to nominate.”
3) When there, you can enter us in People’s Choice and one other category. But since we probably will never win the People’s Choice, don’t bother with that one.
Just nominate us in the Cultural/Arts category. Don’t nominate us for any other category – if you nominate us for more than one category (with the exception of “People’s Choice,”) neither vote counts!
You have to fill out our show’s name and our URL like this:
The Digital Photography Show
http://www.thedigitalphotographyshow.com
4) Then, you have to go to the bottom of the pageand enter your name, your email, and whether you’re a podcaster, listener or both.
5) Hit “Submit” and you’re done!

You can only nominate us once, so when you’ve taken care of this, you’re done!

We can’t give you a prize for nominating us for an award (that would be bribery, which is wrong. Plus, we’d get caught and discredited.) but we can send you a prize if you sign up for email notifications from our show! We will pick one subscriber at random to win either a copy of onOne’s Plug-In Suite 3 for Adobe Photoshop, Alien Skin’s Snap Art or Rick Sammon’s DVD “Rick Sammon Live.” You get to choose.

Click here to Subscribe to TPN :: The Digital Photography Show by Email.

It’s almost the cut off for our latest contest: Litle Creatures in A Little Color. The official sponsor of our contests is Wacom.

We are looking for animals smaller than a cat, which also means No cats and No dogs. Rodent s such as ferrets, gerbils, hamsters, rats, are okay. Bugs, lizards, amphibian are also good. The subj ects can be posed or not. Alive or dead, but you can’t kill it for the contest. And please, no roadkill.
The Technique is: Duotone. This technique is performed with your image processing program. You make th e image have only to colors, any colors you want, however black and white (together) are not acceptable.
1. Email jpg images to dpscontest@gmail.com.
2. The image must be in jpg format, and no more than 800 pixels on its widest side.
3. You may only enter three photographs.
If more than three photographs are entered, the first three received shall be entered.
4. Please include the original exif info within the image
5. Please rename the image file with the photographers first and last name (so we know its yours).
6. If you are inclined to title your image (titles are optional),
please append the title after the photographers name of the image file name.
Example file name: MichaelStein_ElbowStuckInEar.jpg
7. Only one image per entrant can be eligible as a finalist.
8. Please provide us permission to post the image on our Phanfare site.
9. Photos will be accepted through Saturday, 14 July, 2007.
Bastille Day
10. Have fun. And hope you win, the prize will be a wonderful Wacom tablet. Wacom tablets are the best tools for interacting with you computer and they can’t be beat for photo editing.

We’d love to hear what you thought of the show either here on the blog or at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.

You can read Scott’s personal blog on politics, technology and why well-built guys have more…fun here.

Thanks to our advertiser DXO (www.dxo.com) for the 20% discount they are only offering to listeners of this show. Try the program for free, and when you’re ready to buy, use the code DPSSHOW.

And don’t forget the fifty buck discount on Alien Skin’s Snap Art (http://www.alienskin.com/snapart/index.html) and the 50% discount on Exposure (http://www.alienskin.com/exposure/index.html) . Just call and tell them you heard about it on The Digital Photography Show.

Thanks to everyone for listening and joining us here on the blog.

Scott

Reviewer David Pogue, who seems freakishly productive, looks at the Canon Digital Rebel XTi, the Nikon D40X, the Pentax 10D, the Olympus E510 and the Sony Alpha.

He kind of slams the Digital Rebel, calling it “one of the least comfortable” SLRs and saying that the pictures looked  a little washed out and muted.

Like other reviewers I’ve read, he said the Pentax 10D is for more experienced shooters who shoot in RAW and are familiar with post-processing.

He loved the other models, though, concluding:

With three of these cameras — Nikon D40, Olympus E510, Sony A100 — you can’t lose. Let price, features and your existing lens collection, if any, be your guide. And then get outside while the days are long and the colors bright.

I really respect David’s opinions, so it makes me sad that he’s critical of my beloved Canon. You can read his take here.

Scott

CNET is offering a free online training course called “Digital Photo Basics.”

Here’s the cirriculum straight from CNET’s site:

Whether you’ve just bought a digital camera or are in the market for one, you’ll learn the basics of buying and using a digicam in this introductory primer on digital photography.

In this course, you’ll learn how to:

Choose the right digital camera for your needs
Discover the most important features to look for in a camera
Learn how many megapixels you really need
How digital cameras work differently than film cameras
Choose image editing software to enhance your photos
Set up a digital darkroom to retouch, print, and share your pictures
Compose better digital photos of friends and family
Crop photos, remove red-eye, and more
Edit your images to send to friends and family over e-mail
Get the most from your digital camera’s capabilities

The training sounds pretty entry-level, so I’m not sure if it’d be appropriate for any of you master photographers out there, but, then again, the price is right. There are weekly assignments and a moderated class chat, so it sounds pretty inclusive. 

I’m kind of swamped right now, otherwise I’d give this a shot. If you give it a look-see, post a note below and let us know what you thought. 

You can sign up here.

Scott

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June 28, 2007: Welcome to the fifty-eight episode of The Digital Photography Show!

Today, we have a great feature for you – the best shopping sites on the web (see list below).

We introduce on today’s show to two of our listeners, Bob Garas, winner of many photo competitions, and Laurel Housden, Queen of All Contests.

We then talk about the workshop Michael and I are going to attend for his not- birthday.

We also are asking you to nominate us for a Podcast Award. Yes, we know, awards are petty and shallow, but, luckily, so are we! Here’s how you can help out.

1) Just click the link to go to www.podcastawards.com.

2) Click on the small blue text in the top box that says “Click here to nominate.”

3) When there, you can enter us in People’s Choice and one other category. But since we probably will never win the People’s Choice, don’t bother with that one.

Just nominate us in the Cultural/Artscategory. Don’t nominate us for any other category – if you nominate us for more than one category (with the exception of “People’s Choice,”) neither vote counts!

You have to fill out our show’s name and our URL like this:

The Digital Photography Show

http://www.thedigitalphotographyshow.com

4) Then, you have to go to the bottom of the pageand enter your name, your email, and whether you’re a podcaster, listener or both.

5) Hit “Submit” and you’re done!

You can only nominate us once, so when you’ve taken care of this, you’re done!

We can’t give you a prize for nominating us for an award (that would be bribery, which is wrong. Plus, we’d get caught and discredited.) but we can send you a prize if you sign up for email notifications from our show! We will pick one subscriber at random to win either a copy of onOne’s Plug-In Suite 3 for Adobe Photoshop, Alien Skin’s Snap Art or Rick Sammon’s DVD “Rick Sammon Live.” You get to choose.

Click here to Subscribe to TPN :: The Digital Photography Show by Email.

Here are the sites we talk about on today’s show:

• www.bhphoto.com
• www.adorama.com
• www.penncamera.com
• www.cameratown.com
• www.buydig.com
• www.2filters.com
• www.techbargains.com
• www.bensbargains.net
• www.amazon.com
• www.ebay.com
• www.imaging-resource.com
• www.thomasdistributing.com

I’m sure we missed some good shops, so if you want to add to that list, just jot a note in the comments below. We’d especially love if our international friends could share some of their favorites sites.

One more week for our current contest: Little Creatures in A Little Color. The official sponsor of our contests is Wacom.

We are looking for animals smaller than a cat, which also means No cats and No dogs. Rodent s such as ferrets, gerbils, hamsters, rats, are okay. Bugs, lizards, amphibian are also good. The subj ects can be posed or not. Alive or dead, but you can’t kill it for the contest. And please, no roadkill.

The Technique is: Duotone. This technique is performed with your image processing program. You make th e image have only to colors, any colors you want, however black and white (together) are not acceptable.

1. Email jpg images to dpscontest@gmail.com.

2. The image must be in jpg format, and no more than 800 pixels on its widest side.

3. You may only enter three photographs.
If more than three photographs are entered, the first three received shall be entered.

4. Please include the original exif info within the image

5. Please rename the image file with the photographers first and last name (so we know its yours).

6. If you are inclined to title your image (titles are optional),
please append the title after the photographers name of the image file name.
Example file name: MichaelStein_ElbowStuckInEar.jpg

7. Only one image per entrant can be eligible as a finalist.

8. Please provide us permission to post the image on our Phanfare site.

9. Photos will be accepted through Saturday, 14 July, 2007.
Bastille Day

10. Have fun. And hope you win, the prize will be a wonderful Wacom tablet. Wacom tablets are the best tools for interacting with you computer and they can’t be beat for photo editing.

We’d love to hear what you thought of the show either here on the blog or at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.

Many of you have checked out and left nice messages on my new blog here. Glad to have you aboard!

Thanks to our advertiser DXO (www.dxo.com) for the 20% discount they are only offering to listeners of this show. Try the program for free, and when you’re ready to buy, use the code DPSSHOW.

And don’t forget the fifty buck discount on Alien Skin’s Snap Art (http://www.alienskin.com/snapart/index.html) and the 50% discount on Exposure (http://www.alienskin.com/exposure/index.html) . Just call and tell them you heard about it on The Digital Photography Show.

Thanks to everyone for listening and joining us here on the blog.

And here’s the new not-Canon 40D

Click here for a version you can click to see full-size.

Scott

The less credible of the claims are the ones about an update to the much-loved Canon 5D – cleverly named the Canon 5D Mark II.  No word about what features it may have, but it does have a “Mark II” label on it.

One poster on Engadget confidently asserted “New canon Dslr will be annouced in late august for a fall release. We can expect new 5D, new 40D (30D), every models that approach their 18th months.” Well, I’ll believe it when I see it.

 

You can read Engadget’s article here.

Meanwhile, it does seem that Sony is releasing two new Alphas: Sony is describing them as the “Flagship” and “Advanced Amateur” models.  I’ve read elsewhere that one of these cameras is supposed to be full frame. The one pictured below certainly looks big enough to encompass a full frame, two extra batteries, a vertical grip and possibly a small kitten.

I generally recommend Canons or Nikons to DSLR shoppers, but I do have to admit that the Alpha line is full-featured, sexy and promising.

Engadget’s take on the new Sony’s is here.

Scott

I know what you’re thinking: What else can I do to help support my friends at The Digital Photography Show?

This year for the first time ever we’re going to go for an official Podcast Awardfrom, um, PodcastAwards.com.

Will you help?

1) Just click the link to go to www.podcastawards.com.

2) Click on the small blue text in the top box that says “Click here to nominate.”

3) When there, you can enter us in People’s Choice and one other category. But since we probably will never win the People’s Choice, don’t bother with that one.  

Just nominate us in the Cultural/Artscategory. Don’t nominate us for any other category – if you nominate us for more than one category (with the exception of “People’s Choice,”) neither vote counts!

You have to fill out our show’s name and our URL like this:

The Digital Photography Show

http://www.thedigitalphotographyshow.com

4) Then, you have to go to the bottom of the pageand enter your name, your email, and whether you’re a podcaster, listener or both.

5) Hit “Submit” and you’re done!

You can only nominate us once, so when you’ve taken care of this, you’re done!

Will you take three minutes and help us out?We’d really appreciate it.

And if you have other podcasts you enjoy, be sure to nominate them, too. Especially our friends on The Podcast Network. Spread the love. (Just not in the “Cultural/Arts” category, OK?)

Thank you, thank you, thank you. It would mean a lot to us to be nominated.

Scott

download the show

June 28, 2007: Welcome to the fifty-seventh episode of The Digital Photography Show!

Don’t forget to sign up for email notifications from our show! We will pick one subscriber at random to win either a copy of onOne’s Plug-In Suite 3 for Adobe Photoshop, Alien Skin’s Snap Art or Rick Sammon’s DVD “Rick Sammon Live.” You get to choose. Subscribe to TPN :: The Digital Photography Show by Email

Today we talk with Chris Butcher of Penn Camera about how to clean you camera’s sensor.

DLSRs are pretty delicate; their sensors even more so. Not only are they subject to bumps and drops, but their innards are sensitive to even a speck of dirt.

Your camera’s sensor is a particularly vulnerable target for dust, which is drawn to it with a Gremlinesque attraction. Dirt on your sensor will show up as small dots or smears in your picture. A whole industry has formed around the need to keep your sensor pristine.

Chris walks us through the different options for cleaning your sensor. They include:

• Giotto Blowers
• Visible Dust Brushes included the Arctic Butterfly (which I think sounds straight out of the Karma Sutra)
• SensorSwabs and Eclipse Fluid
• Delkin SensorScope

If you enjoyed Chris on the show and want to purchase any of the products he’s talked about, would you show your appreciation by buying them from Penn Camera? They have a great mail order service, and I’m sure they’d be glad to serve you. Let them know you heard about them The Digital Photography Show!

Also on the show, we cover updates to Adobe Camera Raw and Lightroom.

We congratulate our listener Bob Garras who won first place in Popular Photography’s “Your Best Shot” contest. Great picture, Bob, and congratulations!

We also welcome aboard Laurel, Queen of All Photo Contests. Laurel will be maintaining our Phanfare contest site. Yay, Laurel!

Speaking of our contests, here’s the skinny on our latest: Little Creatures in A Little Color.

We are looking for animals smaller than a cat, which also means No cats and No dogs. Rodent s such as ferrets, gerbils, hamsters, rats, are okay. Bugs, lizards, amphibian are also good. The subj ects can be posed or not. Alive or dead, but you can’t kill it for the contest. And please, no roadkill.

The Technique is: Duotone. This technique is performed with your image processing program. You make th e image have only to colors, any colors you want, however black and white (together) are not acceptable.

1. Email jpg images to dpscontest@gmail.com.

2. The image must be in jpg format, and no more than 800 pixels on its widest side.

3. You may only enter three photographs.
If more than three photographs are entered, the first three received shall be entered.

4. Please include the original exif info within the image

5. Please rename the image file with the photographers first and last name (so we know its yours).

6. If you are inclined to title your image (titles are optional),
please append the title after the photographers name of the image file name.
Example file name: MichaelStein_ElbowStuckInEar.jpg

7. Only one image per entrant can be eligible as a finalist.

8. Please provide us permission to post the image on our Phanfare site.

9. Photos will be accepted through Saturday, 14 July, 2007.
Bastille Day

10. Have fun.

We’d love to hear what you thought of the show either here on the blog or at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.

And if you want to check out Scott’s new blog and see what other nonsense I’m up to, check it out here. And leave me a message letting me know you came by!

Thanks to our advertiser DXO (www.dxo.com) for the 20% discount they are only offering to listeners of this show. Try the program for free, and when you’re ready to buy, use the code DPSSHOW.

And don’t forget the fifty buck discount on Alien Skin’s Snap Art (http://www.alienskin.com/snapart/index.html) and the 50% discount on Exposure (http://www.alienskin.com/exposure/index.html) . Just call and tell them you heard about it on The Digital Photography Show.

Thanks to everyone for listening and joining us here on the blog.

Scott

Now, I’ve never seen a new camera come out where there weren’t a few people in the forums complaining about problems with its focus. But in this case, the issues have been extensively documented and demonstrated by Ron Galbraith, an objective and very careful observer.

In an extensively detailed note on his webpage, available here, Ron say’s there are four main problems with the camera’s autofocus:

1.  
   1. Under certain conditions, the EOS-1D Mark III has difficulty acquiring focus initially. In a multi-frame burst, the camera will sometimes shoot three to five frames before a moving subject comes into focus, and occasionally a moving subject will not actually snap into focus before the burst is completed.
   2. Under certain conditions, the camera is unable to properly track a moving subject. We’ve shot numerous sequences of 20+ frames where no more than five or six frames are in focus, even when the AF point has been on the subject throughout.
   3. Focus can shift slightly but constantly at times when the subject isn’t moving. Under certain conditions, the subject may not actually come into focusthrough a sequence of frames, even though the point of focus can be seen to be shifting throughout the sequence. This is true whether the camera is set to AI Servo and focus is active throughout the sequence, or when it’s set to One Shot and focus is activated between each frame.
   4. When tracking a subject that’s moving somewhat erratically, the camera is far too quick to shift focus elsewhere- to the background or, with a field sport like soccer, to a player passing through in the foreground. With the first three problems, autofocus settings changes don’t make things better or worse. With this problem, Custom Function III-2, AI Servo Tracking Sensitivity, does have an impact. But regardless of how this Custom Function is set, it’s not possible to make the camera’s tracking sensitivity be right. There’s more on this ahead in the article

This is all devastating to me, as I have been (not so secretly) lusting for this $4,500 beauty. I suppose I should be grateful to Ron as I absolutely can’t afford this camera, and these problems have an inhibiting effect on my desire. Still, like my six-year old tries to believe in Santa Claus, even though all common sense tells him that the idea of an extremely large man flying around the globe and descending down our chimney doesn’t really make sense, I want to believe that somewhere out there is the perfect camera, just waiting for me. 

Could the Mark III not be perfect?

It looks that way, and I have to confess that it’s very hard to type this with my keyboard drenched in tears.

Scott

Our friend and Photoshop guru Scott Kelby had said he wasn’t thrilled with the sharpening in Lightroom’s first version; hopefully, the upgrades will earn his seal of approval.

You can get the Mac and Windows updates here.

Scott
 

download the show

June 22, 2007: Welcome to the fifty-sixth episode of The Digital Photography Show! It’s all Michael’s fault!

Today we talk with Paul Schmidt, President of Photodex, makers of Pro Show Gold.

Pro Show Gold turns your pictures into outstanding slideshows, with beautiful transitions, stunning clarity and the background music of your choice. Paul tells us all about the program. I’m especially interested in how it is that Pro Show Gold burns on DVDs – will they really play on the DVD players we connect to our TVs? Paul gives us the skinny on the best kinds of DVDs to use and burn.

A lucky listener will also win a copy of Pro Show Gold. Send the answer to the question we ask on the show to us at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.

In the news, we cover CNET’s review of the Canon EOS 1D Mark III and Safari for Windows (see below).

Then we cover this excellent article from the online resource Digital Photography School on how to take group shots.

Also on the show, Michael and I talk about our latest contest: Little Creatures in A Little Color. Here’s the buzz on the contest.

We are looking for animals smaller than a cat, which also means No cats and No dogs. Rodent s such as ferrets, gerbils, hamsters, rats, are okay. Bugs, lizards, amphibian are also good. The subj ects can be posed or not. Alive or dead, but you can’t kill it for the contest. And please, no roadkil l.

The Technique is: Duotone. This technique is performed with your image processing program. You make th e image have only to colors, any colors you want, however black and white (together) are not acceptable.

1. Email jpg images to dpscontest@gmail.com.

2. The image must be in jpg format, and no more than 800 pixels on its widest side.

3. You may only enter three photographs.
If more than three photographs are entered, the first three received shall be entered.

4. Please include the original exif info within the image

5. Please rename the image file with the photographers first and last name (so we know its yours).

6. If you are inclined to title your image (titles are optional),
please append the title after the photographers name of the image file name.
Example file name: MichaelStein_ElbowStuckInEar.jpg

7. Only one image per entrant can be eligible as a finalist.

8. Please provide us permission to post the image on our Phanfare site.

9. Photos will be accepted through Saturday, 14 July, 2007.
Bastille Day

10. Have fun.

Check out the contest entries here.

We’d love to hear what you thought of the show either here on the blog or at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.

Thanks to our advertiser DXO (www.dxo.com) for the 20% discount they are only offering to listeners of this show. Try the program for free, and when you’re ready to buy, use the code DPSSHOW.

And don’t forget the fifty buck discount on Alien Skin’s Snap Art (http://www.alienskin.com/snapart/index.html) and the 50% discount on Exposure (http://www.alienskin.com/exposure/index.html) . Just call and tell them you heard about it on The Digital Photography Show.

Thanks to everyone for listening and joining us here on the blog.

Scott

Get Apple’s new web browser for Windows, Safari. According to CNET:

Apple’s Safari may not be rewriting the rules for Web browsing on Windows just yet, but it’s leading the way with one significant change: photographs with better color.

Unlike the prevailing browsers on the Internet–Microsoft’s Internet Explorer and Mozilla’s Firefox–the Apple browser supports different ways of encoding images that can mean richer, deeper colors. With the beta version of Safari now on Windows, Mac OS X users aren’t the only ones who’ll be able to see the difference.

However, Apple won’t keep that edge for long. Mozilla’s forthcoming Firefox 3 browser, due to ship in beta form this July, likely will include support for richer color, said Vlad Vukicevic, a technical leader at Mozilla and a photo enthusiast.

Together, the moves could help boost the Internet beyond the orbit of the sRGB color scheme, a broadly supported but limited standard initially introduced by Hewlett-Packard and Microsoft. But it’s not likely that Web photography will achieve sRGB escape velocity until the dominant Internet Explorer also follows suit.

sRGB is fine for most people today, said Brad Hinkel, author of Color Management in Digital Photography and more recently a Microsoft project leader. But it doesn’t encompass the full gamut of colors that the human eye can perceive or that can be displayed on the latest monitors.

“I’ve seen them. They’re knock your socks off, intensely amazing–beautiful, vibrantly rich colors,” Hinkel said. “Getting color management into Safari, into the browser and on the Internet is a great thing.”

I didn’t see any differences on the pages I tried, but the image would have had to have been encoded with a better color profile than most browsers can read, like Adobe RGB.

However, I loaded this test page, and could see the difference then. 

Read the whole article here and get Safari here.

Scott

LISTEN
DOWNLOAD
June 15, 2007: Welcome to the fifty-fifty episode of The Digital Photography Show!

Today we talk with Michael Wong, Vice President of Marketing for OnOne Software. Michael tells us all about their terrific plug-ins for Photoshop, including Genuine Fractals, Mask Pro, Photoframe Pro and Intellihance Pro.

Michael makes a generous offer of 15% off any of OnOne’s products. Just enter the code “DPS” at checkout from OnOne’s site. Michael tells me he’ll leave the code active till mid-August 2007, so you have plenty of time to try out their software. Love it? But it – for 15% off!

A lucky listener will also win a copy of their full Plug-In Suite 3, which contains all of those plug-ins. Send us an email by July 4th, 2007 and complete this phrase from OnOne’s homepage: “Software that gets you back to _________.”

Put “OnOne Contest” in the subject line of your email, please.

Also on the show, Michael and I go over the rules for our latest contest: Little Creatures in A Little Color.

We are looking for animals smaller than a cat, which also means No cats and No dogs. Rodent s such as ferrets, gerbils, hamsters, rats, are okay. Bugs, lizards, amphibian are also good. The subj ects can be posed or not. Alive or dead, but you can’t kill it for the contest. And please, no roadkill.

The Technique is: Duotone. This technique is performed with your image processing program. You make the image have only two colors, any colors you want, however black and white (together) are not acceptable.

1. Email jpg images to dpscontest@gmail.com.

2. The image must be in jpg format, and no more than 800 pixels on its widest side.

3. You may only enter three photographs.
If more than three photographs are entered, the first three received shall be entered.

4. Please include the original exif info within the image

5. Please rename the image file with the photographers first and last name (so we know its yours).

6. If you are inclined to title your image (titles are optional),
please append the title after the photographers name of the image file name.
Example file name: MichaelStein_ElbowStuckInEar.jpg

7. Only one image per entrant can be eligible as a finalist.

8. Please provide us permission to post the image on our Phanfare site.

9. Photos will be accepted through Saturday, 14 July, 2007.
Bastille Day

10. Have fun.

We’d love to hear what you thought of the show either here on the blog or at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.

Thanks to our advertiser DXO (www.dxo.com) for the 20% discount they are only offering to listeners of this show. Try the program for free, and when you’re ready to buy, use the code DPSSHOW.

And don’t forget the fifty buck discount on Alien Skin’s Snap Art (http://www.alienskin.com/snapart/index.html) and the 50% discount on Exposure (http://www.alienskin.com/exposure/index.html). Just call and tell them you heard about it on The Digital Photography Show.

Thanks to everyone for listening and joining us here on the blog. You rock!

Scott

According to the NYT, the goals of their article was to ask “nine prominent New York City-based photographers to recommend where to shoot the ultimate in vacation photos; you know, ones that people will actually want to look at.”

Shockingly, my childhood home didn’t make the list. One would think the historical value alone would be worth capturing!

Check out the article here.

Scott

Featuring fanstastic noise reduction, 10.1 megapixels, three sensor-cleaning technologies, new autofocus and metering systesms, dual DIGIC III image processors, a 3 inch LCD with Live Mode, and an insane 110 consecutive full-resolution JPEG burst shooting speed, it’s hard to know how the Mark III could be outdone.

According to this teaser from Engadget, though, Nikon may be looking to unseat it.

We’ll admit, we certainly like where all this is going, but until we hear anything official, you’ll still have to restrain yourself and take this tidbit with a spoon of NaCl. Just days after getting wind of D3 rumors galore, a “photo editor at a major newspaper” has tipped us on a phone call he received from Nikon in which his presence was requested at a meeting where a “new professional camera that is leaps and bounds better than anything Canon is offering” would be showcased. As expected, that’s about all the details he could pry from the caller, but since the meeting is purportedly scheduled for June 26th, at least we’ve got some sort of timeframe to get our hopes up about.

This would be very exciting news if it actually turns out to be news – as opposed to baseless rumor.  Still, we can dream, right?

It’s hard to believe anything could be “leaps and bounds” better than the Mark III, thought. What’s left to throw into a camera? A calculator? A hat stand? A microwave oven? 

I’ll be checking all the news sites on June 26th to see if anything’s unveiled. Come back and see if the rumors are true.

Scott

Download The Show

June 8, 2007: Welcome to the fifty-fourth episode of The Digital Photography Show!

You know how it goes…a few weeks of guests and then Michael and I like to catch up just with each other. And you.

Today, we cover a few things in the news such as the latest update to Adobe Camera Raw, the PC World Top 100 Products List, and we reflect on our latest photo contest.

We also tell you about Scott’s t-shirt design (see post below).

Michael and I have some questions for you this week:

• Would you like to volunteer to post the pictures for our photography contests? It would take you a few hours a week. We’ll try to find a goody that you might enjoy for your troubles, but you’d mostly be doing it for the, um, glory.
• Do you know a great easy-to-use website design program that will allow me to insert a blog (either through WordPress or Typepad)?
• Would you be interested in doing a photography workshop/retreat with us and some of your fellow listeners?

Send us your answers at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.

Then, it’s onto The Secret Origin of The Digital Photography Show. Michael and I talk about how we met, how we got started podcasting, and what personal challenges we had to overcome to be any good at this. We also share our triumphs and our undying appreciation for you, without whom none of this would be possible.

We’d love to hear what you thought of the show either here on the blog or at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.

Thanks to our advertiser DXO (www.dxo.com) for the 20% discount they are only offering to listeners of this show. Try the program for free, and when you’re ready to buy, use the code DPSSHOW.

And don’t forget the fifty buck discount on Alien Skin’s Snap Art (http://www.alienskin.com/snapart/index.html) and the 50% discount on Exposure (http://www.alienskin.com/exposure/index.html) . Just call and tell them you heard about it on The Digital Photography Show.

Thanks to everyone for listening and joining us here on the blog.

Listener David sent me this Mark Twain quote, which I’ll reproduce for you here. It sums up a lot of my attitude about life, and is the kind of thinking which has allowed Michael and me put so much of ourselves into the show:

“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover”

Isn’t that true? And that’s the theme of today’s show. Whether you want to write a book, compose a song, enter a photo contest, climb a mountain, create great art or just learn more about it – do it. “Throw off the bowlines.”

We’ll see you on the other shore.

Scott

It managed to eke out a “Recommended” rating on DPReview,  but just barely.

As a walk around camera with better-than-average movie capabilities and a big zoom the TX1 has a lot to recommend it, and it’s important to stress that handling is to a fairly large extent a personal thing, so I wouldn’t write it off completely. Just don’t buy it thinking it’s a replacement for a ‘proper’ HD camcorder and be aware that the ergonomics are, well, unusual.

I’d really, really recommend going to a store and trying it for yourself before committing; this is a cool, fun gadget with surprisingly good image quality, but for me it’s not a camera I found easy to live with – especially not at the best part of $500. I’d personally forget the movie stuff, save my self $150 and go for a Panasonic TZ3, which might not be as cute but has a more useful zoom range and handles like a proper camera. There is undoubtedly a market for this kind of product, but I think Canon needs to go back to the drawing board before it launches the TX2.

Other reviewers also stuggled with the TX1′s unusual ergonomics. CNET gave it a six out of ten, noting the TX1′s “extremely awkward design; so-so still image quality,” and ”sluggish performance” while PC Magazine more generously found it to be a 7.2:

The TX1 has an atypical design; you swing out a camcorder-style 1.8-inch LCD and hold the unit vertically to shoot. It’s difficult to grip, and your index finger naturally rests over the lens when you touch the top-mounted shutter button. And the TX1 suffers from a frequent problem that plagues ultracompacts: The flash is so close to the lens that the red-eye reduction feature is largely ineffective.

We also noted a few glitches with image and video quality. At ISO speeds of 400 or higher, photo graininess becomes very noticeable. We also saw occasional artifacts around bright lights when shooting video.

However, in the end, the PC Mag reviewer did recommend it “overall, though, the camera is a solid choice. You can find models that shoot better stills, and dedicated HD camcorders will beat the TX1′s video quality. But the TX1′s pocketable design and under-$500 price put it in a class by itself.”

I love cool new gadgets, and the TX1 is sexy and cutting-edge enough that I could see it being used in the next James Bond movie. But for me, the killer would be that the LCD is only 1.8 inches. That’s not big enough to shoot with, especially if you’re holding the camera at arm’s length to take a video. 

So, I love you Canon, but next time, go for a bigger design with better ergonomics and a screen you can actually see. Don’t worry about making it pocketable – who’s gonna carry one of these around in their slacks, anyway? “Is that TX1 in your pocket, or are you just glad to see me?”

I’m excited about the convergence of digital cameras and camcorders. Especially HDTV ones.  Bring on the TX2, baby!

Scott

I know it’s not always 100% reliable, but, really, what is? 

Everyone I know practically lives in Wikipedia, too. 

A while ago, I was speaking with the charming and talented Cameron Reilly, the CEO of The Podcast Network. I said to him “someone could make a lot of money selling a t-shirt that says ‘Everything I know I learned on Wikipedia.”

Wouldn’t you know that son-of-a-gun went ahead and made one?

However, since he’s Mister Always-Promoting, he had to add “…and The Podcast Network” to it.

What do you think?

If you want to purchase one, you can help support The Podcast Network by buying it here.

If you’d want the shirt without “and The Podcast Network” added to it, send me a note at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com and I’ll see if Cam will do an alternate version.

And why not one that says “Everything I know I learned on The Digital Photography Show?”  Hellloooo, Cam??? What are you thinking???

Scott

June 1, 2007: Welcome to the fifty-third episode of The Digital Photography Show!

On this show we critique and judge our latest photo contest: The Natural World. We’re joined by the multi-talented and always instructive Kevin Kubota.

Kevin is a rock star of a photographer – rated one of the top ten wedding photographers in the world! He also teaches workshops and markets his own line of Photoshop actions that will make it looks as if you spent hours in the digital darkroom – in just minutes!

As I’ve said before on this blog (see previous entry) the vast majority of entries we received for this contest were wonderful, beautiful, fabulous – you name it. On today’s show, you’ll find out who wins the grand prize – a Wacom Graphire 6×8 tablet.

Check out the finalists here.

We’d love to hear what you thought of the show either here on the blog or at TheDigitalPhotographyShow@gmail.com.

We also talked (off air) to Kevin about the possibility of his doing a workshop just for our listeners. Would you be interested in attending a workshop with me, Michael and twenty or so of your fellow listeners? We don’t know where or when yet, but if enough of you are into it, we’ll talk to Kevin about locking something in.

Michael and I think it would be great to meet and shoot with you. And we’d all have a ball learning from Kevin.

Thanks to our advertiser DXO (www.dxo.com) for the 20% discount they are only offering to listeners of this show. Try the program for free, and when you’re ready to buy, use the code DPSSHOW.

And don’t forget the fifty buck discount on Alien Skin’s Snap Art (http://www.alienskin.com/snapart/index.html) and the 50% discount on Exposure (http://www.alienskin.com/exposure/index.html) . Just call and tell them you heard about it on The Digital Photography Show.

Thanks to everyone for listening and joining us here on the blog. Enjoy the finalists!

Scott