December 17 2007: I just happened to check the incoming links to our home page, and I found some really nice mentions of the show from some very kind listeners.
Thanks to the good people of Sightlines, Fotonomy and to Jennifer Elaine for the shoutouts!
Scott
December 14, 2007: CNET likes to do deathmatches between two similar competing products, and this time they’ve pitted two popular DSLR’s against each other: Nikon’s D80 vs. Canon’s EOS Rebel XTi.
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
December 12, 2007: Listener Mike (thanks Mike!) wrote to let me know that on the latest episode I said that the Lensbabies contest ends on November 30th, 2007, which has already happened. Mike wanted to know if I had made a mistake.
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
The Digital Photography Show #77: Better Low-Light Pictures and Our New Photo Contest! (38Mb, 55 mins)
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.
- Email jpg images to dpscontest@gmail.com.
- The image must be in jpg format, and no more than 800 pixels on its widest side.
- You may only enter three photographs.
- If more than three photographs are entered, the first three received shall be entered.
- The photo must be one that you created.
- Please include the original exif info within the image.
- Rename the image file with the photographers first and last name (so we know its yours).
- If you are inclined to title your image (titles are optional):
- Append the title after the photographers name of the image file name.
- Example file name: MichaelStein_ElbowStuckInEar.jpg
- Only one image per entrant can be eligible as a finalist.
- Please provide us permission to post the image on our Phanfare site.
- 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?
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
The Digital Photography Show #76: Chris Orwig Judges Our Most Recent Photo Contest (46Mb, 65 mins)
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?
Thanks for joining us here and hope you enjoy this week’s show - especially my guest co-host!
Scott
November 28, 2007: After numerous reports of faulty focusing on their flagship EOS 1D Mark III DSLR, Canon concluded that the issue was related to a hardware malfunction in some units. To their credit, they instituted a free repair program for cameras affected by this malfunction.
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
The Digital Photography Show #75: The Listener Appreciation Show with Free Nikon Software and Our Tips, Tricks and Thanks (50Mb, 72 mins)
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:
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
November 15, 2007: The album of finalists for our latest photo contest - Creativity with a Creative Hand - are now posted at www.dps.phanfare.com.
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
The Digital Photography Show #74: Scott Kelby on His 7 Point System, OnOne Software and More! (44Mb, 63 mins)
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
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?
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
The Digital Photography Show #73: DXO Optics Pro, Hot Photographer David Jay and Michael’s Wedding Shoot (44Mb, 63 mins)
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?
Thanks for joining us here and remember: While you’re taking your pictures, picture a better a world.
Scott
