Multi-Functional HiRes M24M Camera From MOBOTIX

Article By: The Digital Camera Blog

MOBOTIX comes back with a successor to the successful M22M, which is known as the M24M Allround camera. It is a high-resolution 3.1-megapixel video system with a complete weatherproof housing (IP66). The M24M uses a new microprocessor to provide smooth video frame rates of up to 30fps. The camera features five interchangeable lenses with image angles ranging from 15° to 90°, a night vision mode, a manually adjustable Vario lenses and a special MOBOTIX software. The MOBOTIX M24M Allround camera retails for $798. [Product Page]

Article: Ask iLounge 1-29-10

Article By: iLounge | All Things iPod, iPhone, iTunes and beyond

This week’s Ask iLounge topics: The iPad Edition: Updating Apps for iPad, iPad Accessory compatibility, iPad and iPhone tethering support, AT&T Wi-Fi access, Annotation support in iBooks

What Is The Next Digital Innovation You Would Like To See?

Article By: Digital Photography School

There’s no doubt digital photography has made some amazing leaps and bounds since hitting the mainstream consumer mark well over a decade ago.  Some things have been a bit ‘gadgety’ (I’m thinking of a Kodak camera that had a ‘Thinner’ feature to slim down waistlines) however there have been some handy features for consumers and pros alike.

Some were driven by the advent of digital photography itself, such as sensor cleaning technology that had no reason to exist in the film world.  The ability to set white balance would be another innovation and something that was never possible in the film world, short of rewinding film part way through a roll and changing canisters.  The same goes for ISO adjustment.  A lot of the others can be classified as ‘gadgety’ as well, but they do provide some real world uses, such as the newer face detection technology that helps the camera focus and adjust exposure to properly render people, rather than bright backgrounds.  Sure, a number of these things aren’t needed if basic photography principles are learned, but the utility is hard to deny.

As we are starting a new decade I’m left thinking forward to what another 10 years will bring.  While the soul of photography will always lie in the camera handler’s ability to capture what they have in front of themselves in a meaningful way, regardless of tools available, I’m curious to know what innovations you’d like to see come to digital photography in the next 10 years.

Please leave a comment below with your guess of where digital cameras (P&S and DSLR or ????) will head in the semi-near future.  Or feel free to list your wishes for new innovations.  And remember, “Nothing” is a perfectly acceptable answer too.

Post from: Digital Photography School – Photography Tips.

What Is The Next Digital Innovation You Would Like To See?

How To Be Inspired Every Day

Article By: Digital Photography School

A Guest post by Eva Polak  

“Inspiration does not come like a bolt. Nor is it kinetic, energetic striving. It comes into us slowly and quietly all the time, though we must regularly and every day give it a little chance to start flowing, prime it with a little solitude and idleness.” – Brenda Ueland

Whether you have been creating photographs for years or only for few weeks, finding inspiration is not always easy. We all experience periods of creative blocks when we get stuck and all our good ideas come to a halt. Inspiration seems to elude us. So, what can we do to help a creative energy affect us day after day? Is there a way to stay inspired? For me there is a definite “Yes” to these questions.

Throughout the years I developed some systems and strategies to ensure I remain creative and make things happen. The followings are my favourite ways to keep igniting my creativity.

1. Keep a Notebook

Keep your notebook with you whenever possible, so that you can write all your ideas, notes, inspirational quotes, dreams, goals, etc. Be consistent and add items to it often. In time it will become a great source of inspiration but also a reminder of your goals to keep you focused and motivated.

2. Take your Camera with you Wherever Possible

There are possible photographs all around us. You never know what you will see. Be prepare.

3. Read Biographies of Artists that you Admire

A biography is a great source of inspiration. You can learn, not only facts from someone’s life, but also discover important insights while gaining a deep appreciation for challenges these artists faced and the accomplishments they achieved. You may find parallel experiences in their life, be inspired by their persistence, and be motivated by their success.

4. Experiment

Take risks and try photographic styles or techniques you’ve never done before.

Use different camera settings. Play “What if…” game. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Just explore and have fun.

5. Start a Personal Project

Set realistic goals and plan your photo shoots. This requires a lot of discipline, so start small and you can always build up.
Evaluate your results from time to time, but remember this is your project, your ideas and your photographs. Don’t let anyone discourage you.

6. Visit Art Galleries

Going to see an exhibition can enrich your imagination. You will get new ideas to focus on and see your own art in a new perspective.

7. Learn Something New Everyday, Every Week, Every Year

Start reading books about art and photography. Subscribe to newsletters, podcasts and feeds. Take a class, attend a workshop, join a photography group. These activities will trigger new ideas, increase the level of your skill and boost your confidence.

  

8. Visit New Places

You don’t have to go overseas to find something exciting to photograph. Explore your neighbourhood. You will discover all sorts of places that you didn’t even know existed.

9. Look after Yourself

A healthy body equals a healthy mind. Exercise, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, drink a lot of water. Take some time out to relax.

And above all have fun!

Eva Polak is fine art photographer based in Auckland who specializes in impressionist photography. Author of two books “At the beach” and “Impressionist Photography Techniques” – visit her site at www.evapolak.com.

Post from: Digital Photography School – Photography Tips.

How To Be Inspired Every Day

Lightroom Presets vs. Photoshop Actions

Article By: Digital Photography School

The ultimate battle ensues for the top drawer in my toolbox: presets versus actions. What’s the difference and what are the pros and cons according to Elizabeth?

First the basics: Presets are Lightroom’s way of applying many changes to a photo in one click. They can be made by you for a way in which you commonly treat a photo and would like to apply your own recipe in one click. Alternatively, they can be the recipes of other photographers which you purchase from them as .lrtemplate files to import into your lightroom catalogue of presets. Even better, some photographers give their presets away for free! Keep reading for those.

Photoshop’s one-click version are called actions and they work in the same way. Scroll through the effect names, choose one and click. You then see your photograph go through a makeover in a split-second. Again, you can record your own action sequences or buy them as .atn files from other photographers.

I prefer LR presets. I’m a control freak (big time) and I want to have complete, effortless control over every last pixel of my work. I appreciate the foundation that presets can lay in my editing process, but I never click once and move on. I always then play with the sliders to make every last element of my photo exactly what I want it to be. With actions, I feel that I lose control and unless the one click produces exactly what I had in mind (it never does), I don’t prefer to use them. The few times I’ve used actions, they always end up being from Florabella because she makes them work with a variety of layers which you can then tweak. But still, I don’t feel that I have enough control.

So what actions/presets do I love? My first love came from the ‘Lightroom Killer Tips’ website. Matt gives utterly amazing LR tutorials and gives his presets away for free. He even invented a preset extractor program which extracts LR setting from photos on Flickr and that is free as well. Genius! For actions, I use Florabella. She is the love of my textures life and also makes smashing actions. Another place for free actions and presets is CoffeeShop. For presets, my loves are Rebecca Lily and One Willow’s ‘Retro Candy’ presets with delicious names like ‘cotton candy’.

Keep in mind that most presets are created to work on RAW files, so if you’re not shooting in RAW yet, look into starting that before using presets. If you’re not sure about RAW vs JPEG, read this.

Which method do you prefer? Who are your favourites?

Post from: Digital Photography School – Photography Tips.

Lightroom Presets vs. Photoshop Actions

HDTVs for Super Bowl and Olympics enjoyment

Article By: Playlist

Before the once-every-four-years winter games and the biggest football game of the year, it’s a great time to shop for a new HDTV–and find some good deals in the process.

This Week in the Digital Photography School Forums (24-30 Jan ‘10)

Article By: Digital Photography School

You may have noticed that we’ve shifted things around over in the forum this week. We’ve split up the Share Your Shots section into categories, much like those in Critique. So if you haven’t had a chance, come check out the new sections and share some of your shots.

Weekly Assignment

This week’s assignment was Streets. For the assignment we wanted you to show us a street. Whether it was rural or urban, busy or desolate. Something that shows us a road or street we would want to travel. Our winner this week was mseigafuse’s “Where the rubber meets the sky”. We really liked the overall shot. From the dramatic clouds to the pleasing colours, the shot was just really nicely done. It’s a road I think many of us would like to be driving down with our cameras. Our first runner up was another open road shot, Steph’s “Figueroa Mountains”. Again, the colours were very pleasing in this shot and it was nicely composed. The mountains are just gorgeous. You can imagine taking a road trip up to them. And last, but not least was a more urban street shot, Arabic Collaboration’s “Walking Home”. The shot was nicely composed, the reflections were wonderful, and the black and white treatment really gives it a sense of loneliness. Well done everyone!

This week also marked the start of our assignment on Centered Composition. Often you’re told not to put the subject in the center of the frame, but sometimes putting the subject there can create a very arresting and interesting shot. The assignment this week is to show us a shot where the subject is used in the center with a dramatic effect. Make sure that you’re using this compositional technique to the greatest effect. As usual, a quick overview of the assignment rules. First, your photo needs to be taken between 20 January – 3 February 2010. Second, your post must include the words “Assignment: Centered Composition” and the date the photo was taken. And last, your EXIF should be intact and it’s useful if you can include some of the main points (e.g. shutter speed, aperture, camera, lens, ISO, etc). In February we’re starting a month of themed shots on Food Photography. So the first assignment is Desserts. Make sure you check out magazines and cookbooks for ideas.

Hot Threads

• DPS Forum Competition: Over the next 4 weeks, you can have a chance to win part of $2900 USD in prizes thanks to DigitalRev. The theme of the competition is Life. Life can have many different meanings, so it’s open to interpretation. For all the rules for the competition, see this thread. To submit your images for Week 1 head over to this thread.
• 365 and Breaking Patterns: As we come up on the end of January, many people are nearly a month into a 365 project. As part of a 365 project you may fall into certain patterns and habits with the types of photos you take. But how do you break out of these patterns? Or are you happy to simply stay in the pattern you establish? Come share your thoughts and advice on how to break out of these patterns when you’re involved in a photography project.
• Question About Old Barns / Houses: One of the questions that can come up as a photographer is whether or not you’re allowed to go certain places to take photographs. This week someone asked about old barns and houses. But it’s good to know what you can and can’t do, and what’s proper etiquette when you’re shooting away from home. Come read some advice in this thread.
• When was the Last Time You Hired a Photographer?: As photographers, we may know what other photographers’ prices are because we want to know our markets. But when was the last time you actually hired a photographer? Come join in the thread and share with us whether you’ve hired a photographer and maybe a little bit about why?
• How to get Listed on Google Image Search: Obviously getting your photographs out there is important. But how do you get your photos on Google Image Search, one of the places where people will come across them. What shows up on Google Image search? And how do you get your images found? Come share your hints, tips, tricks, and questions in this thread.
• What Would You Do: Every week we give you the opportunity to practice your post-processing skills on someone else’s photograph. Whether you’re just starting out or a pro, you’re welcome to show us what you would do with the photo.

Post from: Digital Photography School – Photography Tips.

This Week in the Digital Photography School Forums (24-30 Jan ‘10)

Fujifilm FinePix S2500HD Camera With 18X Optical Zoom

Article By: The Digital Camera Blog

The S2500HD is the latest digital camera from Fujifilm that sports an 18x optical zoom with dual image stabilization, face detection, and red-eye removal and more. The camera can also record 720p HD resolution video. In addition, you can also connect the FinePix S2500HD to a bigger screen to view your favorite photos and videos. Too bad, there is no info on pricing or availability at this time.

[Slashgear]

Fujifilm FinePix S2500HD Camera With 18X Optical Zoom

Article By: The Digital Camera Blog

The S2500HD is the latest digital camera from Fujifilm that sports an 18x optical zoom with dual image stabilization, face detection, and red-eye removal and more. The camera can also record 720p HD resolution video. In addition, you can also connect the FinePix S2500HD to a bigger screen to view your favorite photos and videos. Too bad, there is no info on pricing or availability at this time.

[Slashgear]

Rumors Of Canon EOS 60D DSLR Emerged

Article By: The Digital Camera Blog

According to some rumors across the web, Canon will be releasing a brand new DSLR from the Rebel range known as the EOS 60D, an upgraded version of EOS 50D. It’s said that the camera will feature a metal body, a 15.1-megapixel CMOS sensor, a new swivel-screen display and the ability to record Full HD video (1080p). Hopefully Canon will reveal more informations at the upcoming PMA Photography Expo in Anaheim, California on February 20th. [OhGizmo]

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