Photography Photography

iUSBport Camera Review

The iUSBPort Camera is a wireless camera to iPad tethering device compatible with a number of Canon and Nikon DSLR’s.  It communicates with the camera via a USB cable and communicates with the iPad in WiFi 802.11b/g/n "Access Point", "Ad Hoc” and "Infrastructure” modes.

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It allows your iOS devices, MAC’s and PC’s to remotely control your camera.  Of significance is the ability to expand the size of your LCD view into the size of your IOS or personal computer screen.The iUSBPort Camera is manufactured by Sanho Corporation the makers of IUSB Port, HyperJuice and HyperDrive devices.The remote control software is a free app available from Apple iTunes Apps store for iOS devices and from Sanho for Android devices.  As of the writing of this review I found the most control and operation flexibility is offered when using an iPad.

Dimensions: 84 x 72 x 37mm / 3.31" x 2.83" x 1.46"
Weight: 89g / 3.14oz
Screen: Mono 132 x 32 pixels LCD
Ports: 1 x High Speed 480Mbps USB Host Port (5W Powered)
Wireless/Speed: WiFi 802.11b/g/n "Access Point", "Ad Hoc” and "Infrastructure" Mode, 20Mbps
Built-in Memory: 4GB (500+ image buffer to support continuous shooting)
Software: Native iOS, Android, Mac, Windows app
File System FAT / FAT32 / exFAT / NTFS / HFS+
Battery: 3300mAh Rechargeable Li-Poly Battery. Up to 8 hours battery life
Input Power: 10W (5V, 2A) via standard micro USB port. 5-7 hours to full charge.
Included Accessories DC USB charging cord and USB cable

 The iUSBport Camera package includes a standard mini USB cable and a USB recharging cable. You will need to charge the battery that is internal to the unit and rated at 3300 mA hours. The battery can be charged using any USB port on your PC or an external USB charger. A fully discharged battery requires about 7 hours of charging time and gives you a useful charge of approximately 8 hours. This is as stated by the manufacturer but not tested for this length of time during this review. I do find that this duration for recharging may pose a problem. A battery compartment would be a nice feature allowing you to replace the discharged battery and continue shooting.The device itself is made of plastic and is relatively large.  The underside of the unit has a standard cold shoe mount enabling you to mount the unit into your camera’s hot shoe flash mount.  This mount also has a quarter inch socket allowing you to use the unit with any alternative method of threaded mounting. The mini USB cable connects to the USB port on your camera. Turning on the unit with the power button on the side opens the display on top of the unit. This is a two-line display that provides various status messages. An additional blue light indicates power on and flashes during data transfer activity. A battery charge indicator stays a yellow/orange during charging and turns green when the battery is fully charged.To control the iUSBport Camera using an iOS device you must download the application from the Apple App Store. You will see two available apps, the one you want is the black and orange icon app.  See image belowIusb app store imageIf you have the older app please delete it and install the latest app.  There are significant enhancements and additional features that have been incorporated.Once you have downloaded the application from the app store you will need to pair your iOS device with the iUSBport Camera. There are multiple ways to pair and connect the devices using either an ad-hock network or your existing Wi-Fi network. If you use the ad-hoc network your iOS device will not communicate with the Internet. Pairing using your existing Wi-Fi network will allow your iOS device full access to the Internet while connected. Either of these options works well and both operate at about the same network speed. However, the advantage of an ad-hock  network is that you can use the paired configuration in any location. This is clearly a convenient feature and will be appreciated by most photographers.Let’s step through the setup for an ad-hock connection.  With the unit connected to the camera power on the unit and then the camera. If the connection is successful the display on the unit will read “iUSBport Camera Ready”Now go to “settings” on your iPad and you should see iUSBport as one of the network choices.  Select it and wait until the connection is established.

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 Now open the iUSBport application and if you do not see your camera on the Dashboard tap the refresh icon (top right).

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On a successful detection of the camera the iUSBport Camera will display “iUSBport Camera Tethered”. Concurrently the Camera Control Panel will be launched.

 IMG_0045 The top right of the screen displays all the camera settings that the camera has been set with.Tap Lv and the camera will switch to Live View mode and the image preview will be displayed on your iOS device.

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Using the control panel you can set ISO, Aperture, white Balance, etc. Each of these  can be changed remotely using the iOS device. Tap on the orange text buttons to open a window where you can modify the setting. Tap on the green check button to commit the setting in the camera. See the image below.

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In live view mode, you are also able to select the point of focus by tapping on the area on screen to establish that as the focus point.

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If focus is established the focus indicator will turn green.

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If focus can not be established the indicator will turn red.

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Taping the “Camera Icon” you can remotely release the shutter. The shutter will be triggered only if there is a card in the camera with available space to store captured images and the camera attains focus. The image will be captured on the camera's memory card and also transferred to the iOS device. These functions are based on the "Settings" panel shown below.

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You can also manual focus by tapping the MF button.  A manual focus panel will open. Three sets of arrows will move the focus in either direction in small, medium and large increments.

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Five regions are available to review various areas of the live view screen. A slider is provided to increase the magnification for fine tuning focus. See the next image.

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 Various functions are made available or greyed out base on Still or Video capture.If you click on the video icon the unit will switch the camera to video more. The shutter release button will change from a camera to a red dot. See below.

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Taping the button will start the video recording.  While the video recording is in progress the red button will become brighter with a red indicator on the button's circumference. A red flashing indicator will also display on the preview screen.

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Video Record Mode: This will switch the camera from still capture to video captureThe iUSBport Camera and the iOS app also provide HDR and Timelapse functionality.  HDR images can be captured in either Aperture priority mode (I do not recommend this method at all), Shutter priority mode and ISO mode where each can be bracketed in various increments and numbers of images captured. To capture HDR you must use the "Run" button not the shutter release button.

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Time lapse sequences are captured by using the time-lapse button to the right of the HDR button.  Set all required ISO, aperture and shutter setting in the camera settings panel. Next tap the Time-lapse button and set the initial start delay, the interval between shots and the number of images to be captured. Start the capture by tapping the "Run" button.

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A screen toggle icon is available on the left lower third of the screen. Tapping this toggles to a semi full screen mode.

Tapping the camera icon (lower right corner) opens a settings window where you can make changes to your camera settings for exposure, white balance, etc.

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The top right corner has a icon that can be used to toggle live view on or off. The right edge center is the shutter release button.  On the left edge toward the center is a filmstrip view that shows images captured.  You can scroll up and down to select any image for display. See the image below.

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If you select an image from the film strip it will open full screen. A set of three additional icons will be displayed in the bottom edge of the screen.  from left to right, the trash can, the histogram and a star ratings icon. The histogram and the other to set ratings icon open individual windows to display a histogram and a 1 to 5 star rating panel.

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The histogram will only be displayed if the center icon (the histogram icon) is tapped.

When this screen is active and live view is active the app will not permit any incremental zooming. However zooming in is available when reviewing any images from the filmstrip.

IMG_0081When an image is selected for review the top of the screen displays the file name, time of capture and the image file size.

Using the iUSBport Camera

Establishing an ad-hoc connection with the iPAD was very easy and all the functions on the primary screen work as they should. The preview and Live modes remain in the Landscape display mode irrespective of how you camera is oriented.  This could be resolved and would make the application much more valuable.  Camera functions were easy to change and registered as they should.  The HDR mode is a bit clumsy and requires a little getting used to.  The time-lapse function is more than adequate for normal time-lapse capture.

In the full screen mode all functions work as expected with one exception.  I was unable to set any star rating.  Each time the application would crash and required a restart. This problem exists in both screen modes and is an annoyance that need to be addressed. The other significant issue is during capture.  As you capture images the filmstrip will show the first three images captured but none of the incremental images. You must scroll through to get to the current image. This filmstrip needs to advance as each image is captured.

On the physical aspects the unit is fairly large and since it is designed to be mounted on the hot shoe of the camera the hot shoe foot is very loose.  A clamping lever or a scream wheel as provided on most hot shoe flash heads would have been a good feature.

At its current price point of $199 I would recommend this product for anybody wishing to remotely control their DSLR using an iOS device in a wireless network environment.

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Metering Modes and How Your Camera Meter Works

My latest article has been published in Digital Photography School.  Non DPS subscribers may read it using the link below.  There are lots of excellent articles and product reviews available in DPS and they are all free.Click Here for the article

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Photography Photography

Lightroom for Mobile Devices

A post on DPReview http://www.dpreview.com/news/2014/01/18/adobe-leaks-lightroom-mobile-app indicate  the mobile version of Lightroom will be released soon.  The price point is what I find bothersome.  An annual subscription of $99 or about $9 a month after adding taxes.  Not sure if a non-cloud based License will be available or will the cloud subscription be the only option.  Mobile apps range from $0.99 to under $50.00 and most are upgraded at no additional charge.  Adobe appears to have its sights on a different pricing model.

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Balancing Color for Flash and Ambient Light Using Gels

So glad to see another one of my articles published in Digital Photography SchoolClick Here read the article

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Photography Photography

Think Tank Retrospective - A Special offer

Think Tank Photo just announced a limited special offer.  Between now and February 6, 2014, when you purchase a Retrospective® Laptop Case or a Retrospective® Camera/Laptop Bag you will receive for free your choice of a PowerHouse Air or a PowerHouse Pro clear organizer.The Retrospectives combine classic design with room for modern camera gear to create the perfect shooter’s bag. These lightweight shoulder bags come in three fabrics that offer a sense a style that matches your shooting needs.These customizable clear cases fit power adapters, plus AC cable, pens, small cables, USB drives and other small items. Easily configure the dividers to suit your needs and stay organized.  Secure each item in its own dedicated space for easy access. Keep chargers organized with divided space for the power adapter and the cable inside a clear zippered pocket. Zippered organizer pockets on the back of the case hold small adapters and cables.Click on the banner below to order.2014 Retrospective Laptop Case Promo

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Photography Photography

Nikon's Flagship D-SLR to be Shown at 2014 CES Today

Press Release:

MELVILLE, N.Y. – Nikon Corporation is preparing for the release of its next-generation flagship model, and has announced the development of the Nikon D4S HD-SLR.  The camera will be on display, before its official release, at the Nikon booth (#14916, Central Hall) at the 2014 International CES show from January 7-10, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

As Nikon's new flagship model, the D4S will offer advances over the Nikon D4 HD-SLR camera, including enhanced image quality enabled with adoption of a new image-processing engine. The new HD-SLR will also feature more advanced autofocusing performance, further solidifying it as the choice for professional sports, nature and event photographers as well as photojournalists.

The D4S represents a concentration of Nikon's advanced camera development technologies and legacy as a leader in imaging. The D4S will further expand the possibilities for professional photographers who demand the best possible performance and image quality in challenging environments. The Nikon D4S will build upon the success of the acclaimed Nikon D4, a camera highly regarded for its speed, unrivaled low-light ability and amazing image quality that made it the choice of professionals and advanced amateurs around the world.

Further details regarding the Nikon D4S, including announcement date, availability and suggested retail price will be announced at a later date.

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When Plagiarism Hits Home

During most of my 1 day workshops and seminars, I am often asked for a copy of my slides or a set of notes.  On occasion I have had attendees use their smart phones and iPads to capture images of each slide. On a few occasions, I have had someone discreetly record my entire presentation.  I have never said any thing. I have had one known occasion where what I presented was used by someone else as their own work.I am always torn between whether to give a copy or not. This is a difficult situation. A lot of work goes into putting together a workshop, the research, the content, the hands-on, and even the notes.  For someone to take and use the very same for personal gain is unethical and this has come to light in a few recent cases.  Two well known photographers who were well respected in the photographic community were found plagiarizing and as a result have had to pull out from the next WPPI.Now, a recent case has emerged where a photographer/videographer attended a workshop and subsequently used pretty much the same material, the same verbiage, the same examples and the same references to do his workshop on Creative Live.  This is like saying, not only did I steal but let me show the community what I stole.More on this at https://www.slrlounge.com/stolen-workshop-unfortunate-common-trendTheft in the photographic world is not new. Copyright infringement is not new.  What is so disturbing is that the very photographers who are trying to protect their own copyright have shown little regard or respect for a fellow photographer's or a fellow artist's work.Frederick van Johnson discussed this on the most recent episode of This Week in Photography entitled Theft vs. Creative Inspiration - TWiP 341. Of significance are: what , when and how you should give credit if you use someone else's work.Can you as photographer condone this?Your thoughts and comments would be most appreciated.  Use the comments section on this post so that all my all Facebook, Google, Twitter readers and other social media followers can read your posts.

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Cold Weather Photography Tips

_J6L7102-Edit-EditWith temperatures in New England and other parts of the world, down in the single digits and below I thought it would be a good idea to provide some cold weather photography tips.

There are three key items to keep in mind:

  • Going from warm into the cold
  • Photographing in the cold
  • Coming back in from the cold

Going from Warm into the Cold

Going out into the cold has minimum issues with your camera equipment but is a problem for you if you are not dressed appropriately.  Layers of warm clothing are preferred rather than one inner and a thick outer layer.  Good boots, hats, scarves and touch sensitive gloves or flip out photographer’s mittens are a must.  Use chemical warmers in your boots and gloves to keep your extremities warm. Unless it is snowing, your camera and lenses need little additional protection.  They will survive the cold once they come down to temperature.  This is one time you do not need to worry about condensation - cold air carries minimum moisture.  Carry carbon fibre tripods as they do not get as cold as the aluminum ones.  Cover the upper legs with leg covers that can be purchased from any camera store.  You can also tape hot-water pipe insulation that you can buy at you local hardware or plumbing supply store.

Photographing in the Cold

_J6L7119So now you are out and your equipment is freezing as are you.  Keep your camera inside your over garment - keep it warm as in extreme conditions you can end up with a frozen shutter (it is the lubricant that tends to freeze). You will soon realize that your camera’s battery has depleted and the camera stops working.  Always bring a few spare batteries with you.  Carry them in an inner pocket so your body will keep them warm.  Swap out the depleted battery with a fully charged warm one and you are ready to shoot again. Cycle through your spares.  The first battery you thought was dead will recover a decent charge when it warms up so you can repeat the process a few times.

Take your camera out from under your clothing when you are ready to shoot.  Do not breathe on your camera, particularly the viewfinder. The moisture in your breath will condense on the eye pice and cause a loss of visibility and lost photo opportunities. If it is snowing heavily, use protective waterproof devices to protect your camera and lens.  You can use plastic bags in a pinch. Always carry a lens brush so you can brush of any snow from the front element of your lens.  It is good to periodically check for snowflakes.  If the lens was warm and some snow starts melting then use a dry lint free cloth to wipe off the moisture.

Coming back from the Cold

_MG_0005-EditWith your photography done it time to come back indoors or to the warmth of your car.  Stop! The equipment is cold the indoor air is warm and moist - CONDENSATION is ready to play havoc with the camera and lens. What is worse, the humid air will penetrate all openings within your camera and lens.  This condensation can be really detrimental to the electronics and mechanical components of your gear. Even if you own weatherproofed professional equipment you should still take precautions.

What you need to do is to let all this cold equipment warm up slowly while it is placed inside an air tight enclosure.  Large Ziploc® or similar bags are ideal. If you do not have any of these bags you can place your equipment in your camera bag that can be zippered shut.  Messenger style bags are not suitable.  Put the equipment in the bag before you bring it into a warm area.  Now any moisture will condense on the bag, not inside and no moisture will condense on your equipment.

Hopefully these pointers will help you and give you the opportunity for some great cold weather photography.

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2014 - 1st Quarter One-Day Workshops

Here is the schedule for the first Quarter of  2014.  Please use this REGISTRATION link for details about each workshop and to register.REMEMBER ALL ONE-DAY WORKSHOPS INCLUDE A PIZZA LUNCHJanuary 11 - Product Photography and Lighting TechniquesJanuary 12 – Food Photography and Lighting TechniquesJanuary 18 – Lighting for PortraitureJanuary 19 – Timelapse Photography, post processing and video assemblyJanuary 25 - Macro CloseupJanuary 26 – The Digital Darkroom – a course that covers capture to process and enhancement to output to print and web media. A one day program for digital image making workflowFebruary 1 – Flower Photography, Textures, Blending and moreFebruary 2 – Lightroom 5February 8 – HDR – done right using Photoshop, Photomatics, NiK HDR Efex 2, EnfuseFebruary 9 - Macro CloseupFebruary 22 – Timelapse Photography, post processing and video assemblyFebruary 23 - Photography Basics 1 day Class March 1 – Flash PhotographyMarch 2 – Lightroom 5If you have any questions or would like more information please call 617-759-0010 or email sv @ shivverma.com (please remove the spaces) 

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Photography Photography

To All A Very Happy New Year

How many resolutions have you kept, and if so ......Another year is done and the New Year will be upon us in a few hours.  Oh yes, some of you are making resolutions and some are making commitments - all good intentions, but how many do you keep, and if you do, for how long?If you are, or want to be a photographer, here is a list of  10 “DO’s” worth committing to:

  1. Learn to be deliberate with each image.
  2. Don’t shoot the same frame unless you make a change
  3. Learn and pay attention to composition
  4. Learn and pay attention to exposure (expose to the right)
  5. Respect your subject - always
  6. Don’t get enamored with new equipment - unless you have mastered what is in your bag
  7. Make images don’t just take images
  8. Look behind you - there is another image, possibly even better
  9. Be aware of photographer’s etiquette (it is common sense)
  10. Learn something every single day (it may not be new)

To my readers, those who have attended my workshops, classes and al my friends, I give a heartfelt thanks for 2013!  I look forward to another exciting year with you in 2014.  To all A Very Happy and Prosperous New Year.  

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My Decision for the Creative Cloud

Given the fact that most of my plug-ins work with Lightroom and independently as stand-alone applications I will stay with my licensed copy of Photoshop CS6 and Lightroom 5.  As long as Adobe continues to create RAW converters for Lightroom there is no need to have ACR updates for Photoshop. I use NiK, OnOne and Topaz as my primary Plug-Ins and I feel the current version Photoshop is sufficient for my editing needs.If what whatever reason Adobe moves Lightroom to the cloud and makes that the only option my choices are as follows: its choice - Capture One for RAW and edits, 2nd - DxO for RAW conversion and corrections, and finally Aperture.  Yes this will be a learning curve, but I am willing to accept that as the option.There are 2 days left with the $9.99 pricing offer so make your decision wisely - I have made mine.

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A Special Discount for LRTimelapse 3

LRT3_flat_250LRTimelapse 3 is one of the best time-lapse assembly software products available and works seamlessly with Photoshop Lightroom 5.For the remainder of 2013 and January 1, 2014 you can license or upgrade to any version of LRTimelapse for a 15% discount.  This applies to upgrades and cross-grades too.A brief explanation of the options:

  • If you still don't have any License, you can choose LRTimelapse 3 private and LRTimelapse 3 Pro. You can read about the differences here.
  • If you have a LRT2 private license, you can get a discounted upgrade to LRT3 private or a discounted crossgrade to LRT3 Pro. For the latter, you will then save the cost of the update to version 3.
  • If you have a license for LRT2 Pro (commercial), you will require the update to LRT3 Pro.
  • If you already have upgraded to LRT3 private, you can crossgrade to Pro, if you need the advanced features.

Click Here and use the discount coupon code: XMAS2013LRT

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Rode Video Mic Pro - Compact Shotgun Microphone

I got a Rode Video Mic Pro - Compact Shotgun Microphone for Christmas as a gift and put it through its paces. First impressions after two days of use - it is an exceptional, well built, mono video microphone that has a fantastic super cardioid condenser. Rode microphones are designed and made in Australia. The Video Mic Pro is easy to mount on any DSLR hot-shoe and with its built in 3/8 inch socket can be mounted on booms and stands with ease._S5A9639-Edit

Specifications as provided by Rode

Frequency Range 40Hz - 20kHz
Output Impedance 200Ω
Maximum SPL 134dB SPL (@ 1kHz, 1% THD into 1KΩ load)
Maximum Output Level 6.9dBu (@ 1kHz, 1% THD into 1KΩ load)
Sensitivity -38.0dB re 1 Volt/Pascal (12.60mV @ 94 dB SPL) +/- 2 dB @ 1kHz
Signal to Noise Ratio 74dB
Equivalent Noise Level (A-weighted) 20dB-A
Weight 85.00gm
Dimensions 95.00mmH x 43.00mmW x 150.00mmD

I was a bit surprised with the short length of the cable that connects the mic to the 3.5 mm socket in camera.  However, it is long enough for all DSLR’s when the mic is mounted on the hot shoe. Extension cables are a quick fix when you want the microphone connected to an external recorder or when mounted on a boom pole. The mono output is paralleled to both left and right channels. The unit is powered by a 9V battery housed in the microphone frame.  I found the battery door to be a bit clumsy in its construction and the ease of opening and closing the compartment door is not easy. The battery life is stated at 70 hours, which is more than sufficient for any field work.

_S5A9641-EditThe unit is mounted within a cradle with four shock/vibration control elastic bands. A second set of these bands is included in the packaging. There is sufficient clearance between the cradle and the mic so the likelihood of any bumps and interference during normal use.

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The rear of the microphone has two three-position slider switches.  The upper switch positions are power Off, Mic On (flat response) and Mic On HPF (High Pass Filter set at 80Hz).  The second switch is a three-position attenuation control. -10dB, 0 and +20dB.  Above these switches is a LED that flashes red on power on and then turns to green.  When the battery is low the LED will turn to a solid red.The high Pass Filter is excellent at filtering room noise, environmental hum, and other low frequency ambient noise. Wind and pops are well handled by the foam encasing on the super cardioid.  The microphone’s attenuation control functions exceptional well.  In loud environments, street scenes with a lot of traffic noise the -10db and 0 db settings are ideal.  However in low sound level situations the +20db has the right amount of boost with absolutely no deterioration of sound quality.  The directional pattern is excellent and the mic eliminates side and read sounds very well.videomicpro_polar copyThe +20db setting was not required when the microphone was connected to and external recorder.  Using 0db set on the mic and attenuating the signal on the recorder yielded the best results.The microphone is well packaged comes with a quick start guide However the manual must be downloaded from the website. The warranty is 1 year that will be extended to a 10 year warranty once you register. You must register your product on the Rode web site at www/rodemic.com.In conclusion, this is an excellent light-weight professional shotgun mice that I have no hesitation recommending for any DSLR videographer.You can get this mic at The Camera Company - click here and at Hunts Photo - click here

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Photography Photography

Season's Greetings

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Photography Photography

A Podcast for all Photographers -TWiP

I don't remember when it was that I started listening to TWiP but it was a long time ago some time in 2008 when Scott Bourne was the host - TWiP 1 or were the podcasts even numbered then - it does not matter.  If you want to know about the what, where, and when of photography, subscribe to TWiP.  A weekly podcast hosted by the awesome Frederick Van Johnson and two or more co-hosts.  You can watch the video on http://www.thisweekinphoto.com or subscribe to the audio only podcast on iTunes - TWiP.  It is the most popular photography podcast listed on iTunes and has never been out of the top 100 Tech Podcast list and has been as high as number seven on the overall list, a mere six spots behind Oprah - WOW! The show has more than 200,000 listeners every month more than one million page views each month.Fore some shameless self promotion - I was interviewed by Frederick for episode #339 - click here to check it out.A plug for Frederick -  If you have a marketing question or need some education regarding marketing for your business you must check out www.mediabytes.com - a web site that Frederick started that has easily digestible bite sized education for all photographers. 

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Check out these two awesome products - Sanapheal Pro and Intensify Pro (MAC Only)

 

intensify

Introducing two incredible and irresistible plug-ins that will amaze you.

Snapheal PRO is the ideal tool for an uncomplicated way to quickly improve photos.

Snapheal is a standalone application. Snapheal Pro can be used as both standalone and plug-in to Adobe Photoshop, Photoshop Elements and Lightroom as well as Apple Aperture.

Intensify Pro to  create  images with unprecedented drama and detail. Precise control of contrast, structure, detail and sharpening across different tonal ranges delivers high quality results every time.

 Special algorithms to prevent image artifacts, image layer stacking with opacity control, dozens of professionally created presets, adjustment brushes, RAW image support, vignettes and the ability to run as a standalone or as a plug-in for popular host applications.See more about these fabulous products on the Macphun web at http://www.macphun.comClick here to order  Snapheal ProClick here to order Intensify ProChick here to order the Creative Kit: Intensify Pro + Snapheal Pro

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Frederick Van Johnson of TWIP interviews me

So honored to have been interviewed by Frederick Van Johnson on Episode 339 of TWiP.  If you have not subscribed to TWiP you must - it is one of the best Podcasts for photographers bar none.Click Here for a link to the podcastTWiP is available from iTunes as well as http://www.thisweekinphoto.com[video type="youtube" id="TEJ1XpaMbI0" width="400"]Default Message[/video]

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Photography Photography

Bosque - Day 2

As a nature photographer one should not go to a location with preset expectations.  The temperatures were conducive for bird silhouettes in a "Fire and Ice" display. Did not happen.....yet again.A massive blast-off on the pondOn the exit route from the reserve a flock of Gambel's Quails scurried across.Gambrel Quail - Participant's Image

We more than made up for this disappointment by discovering an amazing place to photograph the Sandhill Cranes at close distance.

_S5A5808Cottonwood and Sandhills - Participant's Image

Late evening at the flight deck was productive.

_MG_0651Already looking forward to "Bosque and More" 2014.  Working on making some additional modifications to workshop educational/training locations.  Will be posting the workshop dates next week.

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Bosque de Apache - Day 1

Rainbows - Bosque del ApacheDay 1 - We arrived mid afternoon to predicted weather.  After checking in to the hotel we drove out to the refuge to check out the activity.  The skies were overcast and it had been raining, torrential at times but this turned out to be serendipitous.  The sun peaked out for a few and then there was this double rainbow across the horizon.  The lack of detail did not bother one as the contrast was accentuated.I am so glad to be having this workshop a few weeks later than usual this year.  No jostling for space to set up tripods and get a decent spot.  The typical hoards of photographers competing with their workshop leaders to get a good image are all gone.  The ones that are here seem to have respect for each other and maintain photographer's etiquette, so different for years past.  There are a thousands of sandhill cranes and 10's of thousands of Light Geese making it difficult to isolate.Late evening after dinner we photographed the old church in Socorro.

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Bosque, White Sands and Carlsbad Workshop starts tomorrow

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All packed and ready to fly to Bosque del Apache early morning tomorrow.  We will spend the first few days in the Bosque and the drive to White Sands National Monument from where we will take a day trip to Carlsbad Caverns.  A few more days in the Bosque before returning on the 19th.

Dance to your Heart's Content

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