Scott Kelby
A Few Book Recommendations
QUESTION: I am looking for a book that addresses how to take and edit digital pictures. I don’t know an f-stop from a truck stop...lighting, ISO settings, and just looking at a camera with a dozen various adjustments is very intimidating. -Kenny
ANSWER: For a general photography book, I recommend "The Digital Photography Book Volume 2" by Scott Kelby. I reviewed it on my website earlier this year. It's a very good book, plus it's one of the cheapest at $16.49 at Amazon. Make sure you get Volume 2. It is the new one.
If you're using a Mac, I would recommend iPhoto (free) and then Adobe Elements 6 for Mac for at $79. You can check out my review of Elements. It's the best deal when it come to photo software. It includes a Raw image converter if you need it, Adobe Bridge for organizing and Elements for photo editing.
iPhoto does a fine job with most stuff if you're a Mac user. If you have a PC, you can get Elements 6 for PC but you could wait for Elements 7 for PC which should be out soon. They always take longer to get the Mac versions out.
Again, I would go with another Scott Kelby book for "Elements 6 Book for Digital Photographers" or the "Adobe Photoshop CS3 Book" if you have Photoshop.
If you want to stick with iPhoto, which is a fine choice for most needs, I would highly encourage you to get either “iPhoto 08 Visual QuickStart Guide” by Adam Engst or “iPhoto 08 The Missing Manual” by David Pogue and Derrick Story. Both are excellent references and will help you get the most out of iPhoto 08. The Pogue/Story "Missing Manual" is more expensive but has more information. -RL
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Photoshop World 2008 in Vegas Photos
September 08, 2008 12:58 PM Filed in: Photoshop World
Finding dekePod Vegas
Photograph by Robert Lachman © 2008
By Robert Lachman
I am on my way to Las Vegas for the Photoshop World Expo 2008 and of course a stop at the World’s Largest Gift Shop. You can check out my photos from the event on Flickr. Just click here.
Here is a copy the letter I sent to Deke McClelland, author, creator of dekePod, and speaker at Photoshop World 2008 in Las Vegas.
Hi Deke,
It looks like you’re going to be having a good time in Vegas. I plan to be there with my wife for a few days, checking out the Photoshop World Expo and then it’s vacation time. I need some rest after my first epic feature video from the Kelby Photo Walk in Hollywood. You know, you’re in the business, dealing with all those production people, stars, and editing.
After the critical acclaim I’m thinking of moving on with my next planned feature, “Finding dekePod in Vegas.” It has a great theatrical ring. And, when you mix in the springboard effect of mixing the mega hit dekePod name it’s got to be a sure winner. How about some product placement? They use it in all the major movies. There’s got to be a fortune in it for us.
Actually the movie camera is broken, the call of a raft in the pool and an adult beverage is way too strong and sounds like a lot more fun.
Hope to see you at the blackjack table,
RL
The new dekePod has arrived. This one is about Adobe Illustrator, again. I want more Photoshop! Check it out below. Just click on the little play triangle.
It's Coming, The Nikon D90
USA Today
New York Times
Nikon
Engadget
CNET
Scott Kelby
Digital Photography Review
Popular Photograpy
By Robert Lachman
The Nikon D90 is official on it’s way. Nikon is pushing the envelope with the video feature added to new DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) camera. It seems so natural when most point-and-shoot cameras already are capable of shooting video. I have listed a variety of links with reviews and information on the new camera in the $1,000 range. Not much more I can add.
The important features according to Nikon:
- Newly designed Nikon DX-format CMOS image sensor with 12.3 effective megapixels and Integrated Dust Reduction System
- Incredibly low-noise performance throughout a wide sensitivity range of ISO 200 to 3200; can be set to ISO 6400 equivalent
- Incorporates Nikon's comprehensive digital image-processing EXPEED concept
- The world's first D-SLR movie function: D-Movie, selectable from 320 x 216 pixels, 640 x 424 pixels or 1,280 x 720 pixels in AVI format
- Scene Recognition System, utilizing 420-pixel RGB sensor, improves autofocus, auto exposure and auto white balance performance and is also integrated with the new Face Detection System
- Live View enables face priority AF with the 3-in., approx. 920k-dot, high-density color LCD featuring 170° ultra-wide viewing angle
- Picture Control System offers new Portrait and Landscape options for more vibrant customized colors
- Active D-Lighting for smooth tone reproduction in high-contrast lighting
- Multi-CAM 1000 autofocus sensor module featuring 11 AF points offers fast and precise autofocus coverage across the frame
- Viewfinder with approx. 96% frame coverage and an easy-to-view 19.5 mm eyepoint (at -1.0 m-1)
- Advanced Scene Modes that automatically adjust exposure, image processing, Active D-Lighting and Picture Control settings for superior image quality
- Extensive palette of in-camera Retouch Menus including several new retouch options such as Distortion Control, Straighten and Fisheye
- 4.5 fps continuous shooting and quick response of 0.15-second start-up and 65-ms shutter release time lag (CIPA standard)
- Built-in flash with 18mm lens coverage and Nikon's original i-TTL flash control that commands Advanced Wireless Lighting
- Highly efficient energy-saving design that allows approx. 850 images on a single charge of the Rechargeable Li-ion Battery EN-EL3e (CIPA standard, with AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-105mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR, with 50% of pictures taken with flash)
- Versatile Pictmotion menu that creates slideshows combining five choices of both background music and image effects
- Compatible with HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) output
- Optional Multi-Power Battery Pack MB-D80 extends shooting capability and enables use of six R6/AA-size batteries
- Included Nikon ViewNX software makes browsing and organizing your images easy
- Optional photo-editing software, Capture NX 2 allows users quick and easy photo editing
- Lightweight compact body
If you want more information click on any of the links above or check out the video from photographer Chase Jarvis.
Scott Kelby has a post with all the winners from the Worldwide Photo Walk at www.photoshopuser.com
/photowalk/winners.html.
Too Much Cool Stuff, Not Enough Time
By Robert Lachman
Check out the amazing photography by Sports Illustrated photographer Heinz Kluetmeier’s of Olympic Champion Michael Phelps touching the wall .01 seconds ahead of his opponents to keep his gold medal streak alive enroute to a record 8.
Click here to check it out.
Click here to check out the Olympic photographs from the Los Angeles Times.
Tim at the MacReviewCast put his speed test on his website so I did a speed test to check out how fast my cable is. Here is my result. I have no idea what this means. Is this fast or slow? Would someone send a comment and explain it to me. I put links to different speed tests if you want to try it out with your cable or DSL.
Speedtest.net
www.dslreports.com
Bandwidth.com
Two days and counting to the Worldwide Photo Walk. I will be spending Saturday evening shooting photographs in Hollywood. I will set up a Flickr page with the results. I’m looking forward to it.
Check the Cali Lewis’ review of Cut and Paste
for the iPhone and iPod Touch
from Cali Lewis on Vimeo.
New Deke: Stretching a Photo in Illustrator
Annie Leibovitz's Queen Elizabeth photography assignment video.
Check out the David Hobby’s play-by-play on his strobist blog.
Poking a little fun at Nintendo’s Wii’s music gaming by Sarcartic gamer.com
Check out the amazing photography by Sports Illustrated photographer Heinz Kluetmeier’s of Olympic Champion Michael Phelps touching the wall .01 seconds ahead of his opponents to keep his gold medal streak alive enroute to a record 8.
Click here to check it out.
Click here to check out the Olympic photographs from the Los Angeles Times.
Tim at the MacReviewCast put his speed test on his website so I did a speed test to check out how fast my cable is. Here is my result. I have no idea what this means. Is this fast or slow? Would someone send a comment and explain it to me. I put links to different speed tests if you want to try it out with your cable or DSL.
Speedtest.net
www.dslreports.com
Bandwidth.com
Two days and counting to the Worldwide Photo Walk. I will be spending Saturday evening shooting photographs in Hollywood. I will set up a Flickr page with the results. I’m looking forward to it.
Check the Cali Lewis’ review of Cut and Paste
for the iPhone and iPod Touch
from Cali Lewis on Vimeo.
New Deke: Stretching a Photo in Illustrator
Annie Leibovitz's Queen Elizabeth photography assignment video.
Check out the David Hobby’s play-by-play on his strobist blog.
Poking a little fun at Nintendo’s Wii’s music gaming by Sarcartic gamer.com
Olympic Portraits, NBC, Worldwide Photo Walk
Check out the Olympic portraits by Los Angeles Times Staff Photographer Jay Clendenin featured in the Olympic special section in the newspaper and at the LA Times Website with downloadable PDFs. The shots were produced using a Zone V, 4-by- 5-inch camera on Polaroid film. The film, developed by Edwin Land, will be discontiuned this year with just
enough made to last throught 2009. The Poloraoid camera was first sold to the public in November of 1948 and was discontinued last year. While there was a certain kind magic of watching photos develop in your hands, it certainly couldn’t compete with the digital photography revolution. Be sure to check out the beautiful portraits.
Just downloaded the Microsoft Silverlight player from the NBC website to watch Olympic highlights and coveage on the computer. It’s still not the same as watching it on big a 16:9 flat-screen TV. Too many commercials!If your interested, don’t forget to sign up for the Scott Kelby’s Worldwide Photo Walk scheduled for
August 23, 2008. The social photography event has a little bit of commerical overtones because it’s connected to celebrate the release of Kelby’s new Lightroom 2 Book for Digital Photographers. Even with the commercialism involved, it should be a fun event and a chance to meet photographers in your area. It certainly appears to be a well organized event considering the size and will give you a chance to dust off the trusty DSLR or point-and-shoot and mix it up the other photographers.Have a nice weekend - RL