ThinkTank is holding a really unique contest over at Facebook giving you a chance to win some of their gear too. The winner gets to cram as many Think Tank Photo bags as will fit into our humongous Airport Logistics rolling equipment case. So go over to see the rules and a very funny stop motion video.

They are not a sponsor , but I sure love their stuff and would love to see one of my listeners win. Check it out

This picture is the normal exposure tonemapped in Photoshop CS4

Same picture this time using Nik Software Silver FX Pro

As promised I’ve created a Flickr group called “Stuck In San Clemente“for this event and you can fin it  here.  Please feel free to add photos and as Trey said don’t be afraid to offer suggestions and critique to those who post.

Thanks to Trey for putting on this fantastic event.

You will here more during the interview but here is one simple example that literally took 10 minutes from start to finish to do. The picture on the left was shot at the Petersen Automotive Museum the very first time I used my Canon Power shot G11 point and shoot.  The picture on top was shot as a JPG not RAW picture. The picture on the bottom was put through just two of the Topaz Photoshop Bundle (Topaz Adjust and Topaz DeNoise).

As you can see the Topaz FX is dramatic and very inspiring to me. Not only did the Topaz DeNoise remove the noise, but using Topaz Adjust with an out of the box smooth preset, I was able to a silky smooth look that goes well with the subject. Look for more in the month of February and the interview with Topaz. Bottom line I highly recommend these products after using them in the last few weeks.

Exposure information of original shot

The Original picture

This is the same picture with the Topaz Adjust and DeNoise filter

I like it a bit better like this using some Silver FX Pro

I went with Liana Lehua @fittorrent on Twiiter to the Peterson Automotive Museum in LA which is a wonderful place to take pictures and very photographer friendly. I shot most of the pictures below using the Canon 270ex small flash,and generally found the camera to be a joy to shoot with. The quality of the RAW pictures is excellent, specially at ISO’s below 1000. It was nice not to be hassled because I was carrying a “pro” camera around. This was also a large motivator for my purchase.

I found the camera to be noisy at ISO 1600 (see this shot) and above. The pictures taken with these high ISO’s were simply unacceptable but, the G11 though said to be better than it’s predecessors in low light, is no low light magic box.  It took me a while to get use to shooing a point and shoot camera again. I found the body to be a bit small for my hands, but I was soon adjusting.

While trying to do flash photography, I found it annoying having to go to the flash menu (via the screen) in order to adjust flash power each time I wanted to. It would have been nice if the exposure adjustment dial which is great to go plus or minus up to two exposures, could have doubled as a flash power adjustment function.

As I was reviewing the shots in Light Room I noticed that about half way through my shots all the pictures were jpg not raw. What happened? Well apparently during one of those times when I was messing with the menus to change the flask power, I fat fingered a menu and changed the camera settings from RAW to high jpg. No mind you the high jpgs are really good and I’m kind of glad this “accident” happened as I got to see the quality of jpg files, but it was a disappointing mistake that may have been avoided by better menu management on the G11.

After day one , I would say the Canon Powershot G11 is the best point and shoot I’ve owned despite it’s less than stellar low light performance at about ISO 1600. This may be user error on my part so I’ll hold off judgement until I get to know the camera better. The ability to have ISO 80 however was so great and darn near with the price of the camera. See the pictures below to get an idea of the versitality of the Canon Powershot G11.

Overall, I need to get out and do some night shots, try bracketing and do some plain old day time photography with the Canon Powershot G11, but for day one I’d give this camera four starts. I know it will serve me well.

Here is a slide show from the shots taken yesterday

Eye-Fi Collaborates With Google’s Picasa to Make Storing and Sharing Memories Easier

Consumers Who Buy 200GB or More of Extra Google Storage Receive a Free Eye-Fi Card 4GB SDHC Home video card ($69.99 value) includes one free year of Web Share and Geotagging ($24.98 value). These services will remain free if Eye-Fi card is used to upload to Picasa Web Albums.

I own an Eye-Fi card and this is a pretty awesome deal. So much so that I upgraded my 2GB Eye-Fi to a 4GB. The only drawback is that Picasa does not allow you to store RAW. That’s too bad , but still very flexible.

Here is some fine print from the Picasa page

Eye-Fi promotion details

• Purchase $50 or more of storage and get a free Eye-Fi wireless SDHC camera memory card to upload photos wirelessly to Picasa Web Albums.
• The Eye-Fi card requires a SDHC compatible camera and a Wi-Fi router. If your camera is more than 3 years old, it might not work! Check your camera compatibility.
• Special, limited-time offer available while supplies last.
• Sorry, no refunds or returns.
• Valid only in US and Canada, only for users buying paid storage for the first time.
• Limit 5 per household.
• Eye-Fi cards will be delivered within 20 business days of purchase.
• Shipping information will be shared with Eye-Fi but will not be retained or used for any purposes outside of delivering your card.
• Have more questions? Read all the details.

Another example I’m very proud of but , it took about 2 hrs to do.

Photographer, author and consultant Andrew Darlow of The Imaging Buffet will be on a show scheduled to air this month, and we’ve come up an idea. Just send a question about printing photographs via the comments in this message and Andrew will do his best to answer them all during the show.  We are recording this segment this coming week so please get those questions in. He’ll also give away 2 signed copies of his upcoming book, Pet Photography 101, a signed 11×14-inch poster and a 30 minute private phone consultation to four people who post questions on this post. Topics to consider asking about include: How to make your prints match your screen better; How to find good places to bring your files to print; What inkjet printer is right for a specific need; and applications to use to retouch and print photos.

CONTEST IS OVER

Deadline for the questions will be end of day Monday October 5th. A winner will be chosen from those who comment  on this post only by Monday at 11:59p.m. PST.

Now it’s your turn-help us make this a great show!

This is the story of a guy (me) who has a Monday off and like many other times wants to spend time taking pictures and learning during his time off. Often I look for places that are not too far away but that will provide me with landscapes and subjects that are interesting. In order to find these places I use Google and Flickr to look for pictures of such places. I searched this morning for parks in the Orange County area which is about 50 miles away from my home.

Doing this I stumbled upon this Flickr picture of Ronald W. Caspers Wilderness Park. Sure looked like a nice place to spend the morning. I drove to the location and up to the park rangers station to pay my park fee. As I often do I asked the ranger where was the best place to take pictures in the park. She said, “Oh are they for professional use?” I wanted to be honest so I said , I put them up on Flickr and I might sell one someday, but I haven’t sold any yet.

She said well if you have professional equipment you will need a permit. She proceeded to give me a brochure with an 866 number for me to call about a permit. By the way the Casper park rules do not mention anything about photography. also twitter follower deverill sent me back a reply saying that “On Casper’s website they say one way to “give back” is to volunteer and1 activity is “Taking photographs”

I called the number and spoke to a “Josh” in the permit department. I explained my situation and asked what kind of camera equipment I had, and if it was professional. I said that it was. He said if it’s a point and shoot then no problem, but if you have professional gear you can obtain a day permit for $150 and you will need to have a copy of your insurance form on file with us.  Apparently that has to be $1,000,000 liability insurance . I told him that I was an amateur and would post the pictures on Flickr. He asked if they were for commercial purposes. I also wanted to be honest so I said I have not sold any pictures yet, but it would be great if I ever did. He then said I would need to go to their web site and I could get on on line form fill it out and even pay by credit card. I made a comment that I was a tax payer and I could not believe where this Country has gone that a guy can’t take good pictures of a county park. He said that he was not saying I could not take pictures, but I would need a permit.

Here is a portion of the photography permit which details pricing.

FEES: $150.00/Day $400.00/Day

$150.00/Year

$ 500.00 Deposit – Still Photography $1,000.00 Deposit – Motion/Video Photography Annual Portrait Photography

I hung up and was disappointed to say the least. I felt like being a photographer these days was like being some kind of criminal. God forbid if I actually wanted to make money shooting pictures. I tweeted about this in anger and disappointment, and I also put an audio Posterous post talking about my opinion about all of this.

So if I want to be a law abiding citizen I have to pony up $550 total and provide proof of $1,000,000 insurance liability policy so that I can take pictures ?  The answer is Yes. To say that this was a WTF moment for me would be an understatement. Now I’m not saying that the county is not within their rights.  However , I grew up in Orange County and paid the county a lot of tax dollars during my life to that county.

I was being honest, I am an amateur, but I’d love to sell a picture if the opportunity comes up. So I suppose in order to be allowed to take these pictures my best bet wold have been to lie. I should just drive up ,pay the park fee, and then take my chances that I will not get caught taking pictures with God forbid a prosumer level camera (I use a Nikon D700).  Perhaps I need to ask less questions in the future.

How are we suppose to document in pictures the places and beauty of the nature that is around us? In a time where using a camera, and possibly making money taking a photograph is deemed as a privilege that has to be paid for, I suppose were not . I can see if the site would have made it clear in the front page of the need for such a permit , and if the permit was a reasonable priced (How about $20 and no deposit, and a waiver not to sue?).

To quote another Twitter follower RBoti “I can’t go EVERYWHERE, but pictures can take me there.” Amen brother. I love photography for the time in nature, for my ability to grow and learn from the hobby, and yes for the potential of even someday making a buck or two doing it. As long as our society and government bureaucracy  make it more and more difficult for me to be within the law and honest, I suppose the only alternative I have is to lie and sneak around feeling like some criminal. Photography is not a crime and although I know that many times I an within my rights to discuss, argue and show people that am I within my rights, I dont’ go out to take pictures with a law book or desire to argue, that would defeat the whole purpose.

Sure I found an alternative site to take pictures today, but my day would have been much more serene without this reminder that apparently photography is considered illegal in certain places.

Here are some examples from the show

More info can be found here

Press Release

GRANDmarks – NYC
Photographer Andrew Darlow to Exhibit Prints of New York City Landmarks.

New Brunswick, NJ, March 2, 2009 – Alfa Art Gallery is pleased to announce the solo exhibition “GRANDmarks – NYC,” a series of prints created by award winning author and photographer Andrew Darlow. This collection of Darlow’s photographic work features New York City landmarks, including the Empire State Building, The Chrysler Building, the Brooklyn Bridge and The Flatiron Building. Two distinct groups of prints will share the gallery’s walls–framed color inkjet prints on paper, and black and white large-scale inkjet prints on canvas. Many of the images will be shown for the first time ever.

The exhibition will be on display from March 27 through April 15, 2009 at Alfa Art Gallery, 108 Church Street, New Brunswick, NJ 08901. An artist’s reception and book signing will be held on Friday, March 27, 2009 from 6:00pm–9:00pm, and is open to the public. At 7:30pm, Andrew Darlow will conduct a brief lecture about the series. Gallery hours are Tuesday-Saturday, 11am-7pm.

“New York City has held a special place in my heart and soul for as long as I can remember, says Darlow. The city’s landmarks, from iconic restaurants to historic bridges and skyscrapers, have drawn me in with their magical beauty and presence. Through this body of work, I intend to share my love for the city, while giving viewers a look through my lens.”

The printing processes Darlow chose for this show includes canvas, fiber gloss/fiber semi-gloss, and watercolor papers, all produced by Darlow on Epson and HP pigment ink printers. A series of workshops by Andrew Darlow as well as other photographers will be held throughout the exhibition period. For more information, visit www.andrewdarlow.com or www.alfaart.org.

About Andrew Darlow: Andrew Darlow is a photographer, author and digital imaging consultant. He has lectured and conducted seminars and workshops around the world at photo-related conferences, and for photography organizations, including the Advertising Photographers of America (APA), The Center for Fine Art Photography, the Arles Photo Festival and the International Center of Photography (ICP). His editorial and fine-art work have been featured in numerous magazines, including Photo District News, PDN Gear Guide, Popular Photography, Professional Photographer, Rangefinder, and Studio Photography magazine. His work has been widely exhibited and his prints are held in many private collections.

Darlow is editor of The Imaging Buffet (www.imagingbuffet.com), an online resource with news, reviews, and interviews covering the subjects of photography, printing, and new media. His new book, “301 Inkjet Tips and Techniques: An Essential Printing Resource for Photographers” (Course Technology, PTR) was recently chosen as the winner in the “Photography: Instructional/How-To” category of The National Best Books 2008 Awards, sponsored by USA Book News. For more information, visit the book’s companion site at www.inkjettips.com.

About Alfa Art Gallery: Located in historic downtown New Brunswick, NJ, Alfa Art Gallery exhibits a variety of modern art (photography, sculpture, paintings and drawings), and conducts frequent open studios with their exhibiting artists. The gallery is within walking distance of Rutgers University and the New Brunswick Train Station (Amtrak and NJ Transit) for easy access from New York or Philadelphia. Parking is available just across from the gallery, and several four-star restaurants, and dozens of casual and fine-dining establishments are available within walking distance.

1. Log into Flickr
2. Pull down the Menu next to “You”
3. Select “Your Account”
4. Click “Privacy and Permissions”
5. Scroll down to the defaults for new uploads section
6. Change the “Import EXIF location data” to Yes

A fantastic photography site Stuck In Customs along with Ariea Software makers of the upcoming software HDR Max are having a contest where you could win a new 15″ 2.4GHz MacBook Pro ! 2nd and 3rd prize get free copies of HDR Max.

Check out both sites and see if you can be the lucky winner. HDR is plain fun, and if this does not motivate you, nothing will.

Below is an example of HDR that comes from the Stuck In Customs site.

Krishna Sadasivam (who has done all the art work for Typical Mac user) and who is the talent behind PC Weenies has graciously volunteer to come up with the killer logo, which is essential to our branding on the podcast, Flickr Group and everywhere else.

I’ve talk to  Bart Busschots who along with baldingner (his Flicker and Twitter name) and of course George Starcher have agreed to help me moderate the Flickr Group. We now have 46 members in that group and discussions are starting to take off. MadMarv has just started the twittgroups.com group typshutterbug.

I will be calling upon the community to contribute audio to the show so that WE can put the content together, while I take care of the editing, posting and other duties.

I’m going to be asking experts like Robert Lachman from Photography And TheMac , Andrew Darlow from The Imaging Buffet, Sandro Cuccia from Image Medic , Chris Payne (aka Documentally) from OurManInside.com , as well as members of the community like Bart Busschots and Kreg Steppe of spyndle.com and others to help me with Round Table duties as well.

Unlike when I started my other two shows, I am not technically proficient in photography enough to just start. I can share what little I know and what I’m learning, but it will be the collective “We” who makes this happen or not.

We are off to a good start and I’m tired but excited. Contribute your ideas and thoughts in the Flickr Group.

Thank you for making the start of this new adventure a reality for me (us).

I’m starting the community by starting a Flickr group join in right now and start contributing, learning and sharing.

From there I’ll start the wheels in motion to prepare for the show to launch in mid-January (after Macwold). I have the url www.typicalshutterbug.com but with a new show comes lots of prep work. If you like photography or want to learn more. Join me as I take my trip in learning how to be a better shutterbug. Just like the Typical Mac User it will grow and flurish, but only with your help.