The Show is in the feed or you can download it at Pixelcorps.TV

This week: Photographing the Olympians. Popular Photography magazine asks "What is a photograph?" Plus a discussion with Syl Arena on big lighting with small speed lights.

Hosts: Frederick Van Johnson, Alex Lindsay, and Joseph Linaschke

Bandwidth provided by Cachefly. Intro Music by Scott Cannizzaro

Show producer Aaron Mahler at www.halfpress.com or www.twitter.com/halfpress

Show notes by Bruce Clarke at www.momentsindigital.com or www.twitter.com/bruceclarke

TWiP is brought to you by Audible.com - the leading provider in spoken word entertainment. Audible has over 60,000 titles to choose from to be downloaded and played back anywhere. Visit Audiblepodcast.com/twip for a free audio book of your choice.

TWiP is also brought to you by SquareSpace - the fast and easy way to publish a high-quality web site or blog. For a free trial and 10% off your new account, go to – Squarespace.com/twip, offer code TWiP.

NEWS & DISCUSSION

TWiP Workshop at Joshua Tree
Fred and Joseph led the first ever TWiP workshop at Joshua Tree. Read more about it on Fred's blog

2010 Winter Olympics Discussion
With the winter Olympics coming to a close last week, we wanted to chat a couple of our regular panel members about photographing the games. Unfortunately Steve couldn't join us this week and Lisa was having technical difficulties so Fred, Alex, and Joseph discuss the winter Olympics and what would be involved as a photographer covering an event of this size. Both Alex and Joseph mention the importance of having backup gear and/or knowing where you can acquire gear in the event that something happens to it.

Are Cell Phones Hurting the Digital Camera Market?
Alex thinks that cell phones are hurting sales of the point and shoot market but not the DSLR market. He would like to see someone build a sensor and removable lens that we can slip our iPhone into and control.

Photoshop and Photography: When Is It Real?
In the March issue of Popular Photography magazine, the editor’s note, by Miriam Leuchter, is called “What Is a Photograph?” Alex, Fred, and Joseph discuss what is a photograph.

Website Technician Slams City's Use of Stock Photography on Infinitehorizons.ca
A Regina website technician says he doesn't think the City of Regina should use photos of people who aren't from Regina on its new promotional website. The guys share their thoughts on the subject and whether this practice is misleading.

INTERVIEW WITH SYL ARENA

This week, Fred interviews Syl Arena who is quickly becoming the Joe McNally of Canon Speedliting. Syl talks about the strobist movement, his new site devoted to Canon Sspeedlites, and shares his thoughts on working with off-camera flash. You can learn more about Syl by visiting his website, following him on Twitter, and checking out his new site devoted to Canon Speedliting.

LISTENER QUESTIONS

Question #1
Hans J. Hansen asks: I'm currently shooting with a Canon 400D and I'm thinking about upgrading. I've been looking at the 7D mainly because of the price, but lately I've kinda gotten the impression that full frame is a must if you're taking photography seriously and therefore I've been thinking about sticking with my old camera for a while and save up for the 5D mark II. I understand that a cropped camera is, well, cropped, but can't I just make up for that by using a wider lens? Or is it also a question of image quality?

Alex: If I really want is an SLR that does video, then the 7D has better video controls. If you are more concerned with stills, the 5D Mark II has much better image quality, particularly in low-light situations. If you plan to move up to a full-frame sensor, stick to good quality lenses that are not for cropped sensor cameras.

Question #2
John Bradley writes: I'm re-discovering photography after 15+ years out and having fun moving from film SLR to digital SLR. I am sensing that post processing is 50% of producing pictures that will sell in this digital age. Do you agree and what customizations (besides watermarks) do you recommend?

Joseph: It really depends on where you are trying to sell it. Manipulation is a big part of photography and it's not new. If you're trying to sell into the world of illustration then there might be more digital manipulation needed. 100% of being able to sell and image is having a good image to sell in the first place.

PICKS OF THE WEEK

Alex: LitePanels Micro Pro

Joseph: Hon-L Photo Light Modifiers

Frederick: Portraiture 2 (a portrait retouching plug-in)

WRAP UP

Visit the blog at www.twiplog.com and the Flickr critique group. We also have a new Facebook group so be sure to check it out.

Joseph Linaschke - www.apertureexpert.com or www.twitter.com/apertureexpert or www.photojoseph.com

Frederick Van Johnson - www.frederickvan.com or www.twitter.com/frederickvan

Alex Lindsay - www.pixelcorps.tv or www.twitter.com/alexlindsay

Show notes by Bruce Clarke at www.momentsindigital.com or www.twitter.com/bruceclarke

This week: Alex, Ron Brinkmann and Joseph Linaschke have their say on PMA.

Hosts: Alex Lindsay, Ron Brinkmann, Joseph Linaschke

This episode is brought to you by SquareSpace.com. The fast and easy way to publish a high quality web site or blog. For a free trial and 10% off your new account go to www.squarespace.com and enter the coupon code: twip.

Producer: Aaron Mahler - Twitter: halfpress

Show notes by Tom Newman at fogviewphotos.com and on Twitter: fogview

Bandwidth provided by Cachefly
Intro Music by Scott Cannizzaro

NEWS & DISCUSSION
PMA is the MacWorld of photography. All three of the hosts walked the floor of PMA. Alex mentions that these photo shows are important to photographers because people in-the-know tend not to buy anything until they see what's announced.

The following are highlights of the show from Alex, Ron and Joseph.

Alex commented that Canon wasn't at the show.

The group observed that this is a more professional show with few "pedestrians" walking around.

What is the biggest thing you saw walking around?
- 200 to 500 mm Sigma lens. Price: $38,000!!!
- 8 to 16 mm Sigma lens (for crop sensor cameras).
- Fuji Film has a 3D camera. Two 10 megapixel sensors. The camera captures two separate images or movies that can be processed later. Price $599.
- GPS in point-n-shoot cameras from Sony, Panasonic, Samsung and Casio?
- Casio has a high-speed chip in their cameras that can record video at 120 and 240 frames per second (for slow motion or time-lapse).
- Pano technology from Sony. Built-in GPS and pano in a point-n-shoot.
- Rugged cameras -- cameras that you could throw in the water, freeze them, drop them. From Casio, Nikon, Samsung, Sony, and Panasonic. Alex thought the best looking one was from Casio.
- Samsung NX10 APS. Mirror-less. Looks like a 4/3 camera with F1.8 lens.
- Panasonic came out with the GF1 for $899.

Now for the fun stuff:
- Novoflex Quad pod -- 4 leg tripod
- Joby tripod with magnetic feet
- Tamarack tripod with aluminum poles similar to legs used on tents. Four feet tall, small and light weight.
- Feisol, maker of carbon fiber tripods. Full range of inexpensive tripods.
- BlackRapid camera strap.
- Picture Weave: Build beautiful woven textile products using your digital image. Around $100.
- You Photo On Canvas.

Alex mentioned that they shot 27 video segments and they should be out within the next month covering some of the products discussed on the show.

WRAP UP

You can also found us on Facebook. Go to facebook.com/ThisWeekInPhotography

Check out the TWIP Flickr group. flickr.com/groups/twip

Ron can be found at http://digitalcomposting.wordpress.com and via Twitter: RonBrinkmann

Alex can be found at http://www.pixelcorps.com and via Twitter: AlexLindsay

Joseph can be found at http://www.josephlinaschke.com and on Twitter: travel_junkie

To share your suggestions and questions go to www.twiplog.com

Show notes provide by Tom Newman of Fogview Photos and via Twitter: Fogview

The Show is in the feed or you can download it at Pixelcorps.TV

This week: Aperture 3 release...ready or not? We dive deep into the new software release and discuss this important new tool from Apple.

Hosts: Frederick Van Johnson, Ron Brinkmann, Derrick Story, and Joseph Linaschke

Bandwidth provided by Cachefly. Intro Music by Scott Cannizzaro

Show producer Aaron Mahler at www.halfpress.com or www.twitter.com/halfpress

Show notes by Bruce Clarke at www.momentsindigital.com or www.twitter.com/bruceclarke

TWiP is brought to you by Audible.com - the leading provider in spoken word entertainment. Audible has over 60,000 titles to choose from to be downloaded and played back anywhere. Visit Audiblepodcast.com/twip for a free audio book of your choice.

TWiP is also brought to you by SquareSpace - the fast and easy way to publish a high-quality web site or blog. For a free trial and 10% off your new account, go to – Squarespace.com/twip, offer code TWiP.

NEWS & DISCUSSION

Apple Releases Aperture 3
The panel reacts to the release of Aperture 3 and shares their thoughts and opinions.

Ron thinks that the image editing and localized brush controls are the best new feature of Aperture 3. Ron also thinks that the workflow/organization stuff has been cleaned up a little bit. Derrick likes these features too but he also really likes being able to work with video and the improved import dialogue. Joseph thinks that one of the most important features for him is the metadata presets. He also likes being able to work with multiple libraries. Being a Lightroom user, Fred thinks that the biggest differences between Aperture and Lightroom is Aperture's ability to create books and the places & faces feature.

The panel goes on to discuss other features and benefits including the ability to work with video clips, the integration with other Apple products, lack of availability of 64-bit plug-ins, speed issues, sideshows, and other topics.

LISTENER QUESTIONS

Question #1
Lloyd Lestyn from Wales, UK asks: Now that Aperture 3 has the places feature, I would like to start shooting my images with a GPS adapter to make full use of this feature. I've tried searching the web [for an adapter] but haven't really found anything. Is there an adapter you could recommend?

Joseph: There are a couple of options. If you are a Nikon shooter, there are 3rd party adaptors that you can plugin to your camera that will capture the GPS data. You could use your iPhone to capture GPS information by taking some shots with your iPhone and then syncing that data with your other photos. You can also get a 3rd party GPS receiver which will record your location every few seconds and then sync that with your images. If you don't want to spend $100, you can do this with an iPhone using an application but that will chew through you battery. Ron suggests the Amod data logger.

Question #2
Zoe McEnery writes: The laptop I am currently using does not meet the system specs for Aperture 3. Would I be able to run Aperture 2 on my laptop for when I'm away from home, do my keyword tagging, project sorting, and then be able to export/import those projects onto 3 on my desktop for image editing? Also, does anyone know if 3 runs faster than 2? I'm still running into the spinning beach ball of death when I lift and stamp large groups of photos with 2.

Derrick: You could do this but I wouldn't recommend it as an efficient workflow. This does sound like it's time to buy a new laptop in order to have a good experience.

PICKS OF THE WEEK

Being this was a special show devoted to Aperture 3, the guys are going to pick their favourite Aperture 3 features:

Ron - My pick is an anti-pick. I would love it if they would change the crop aspect ratio so that it doesn't default to fixed sizes like 8x10, etc. I'd like to be able to turn that off and have it stay off.

Joseph - Project portability and being able to work with multiple libraries along with curves

Derrick - The adjustment brushes are one of my favourite new features. My tip is that you can turn off Faces in preferences if you don't think you'll need that feature at first

Fred - Being able to load a brush with blur is great. I typically use a plug-in called Focal Point from onOne Software when working in Lightroom.

WRAP UP

Visit the blog at www.twiplog.com and the Flickr critique group. We also have a new Facebook group so be sure to check it out.

Joseph Linaschke - www.apertureexpert.com or www.twitter.com/apertureexpert

Frederick Van Johnson - www.frederickvan.com or www.twitter.com/frederickvan

Ron Brinkmann - www.ricksammon.com or www.twitter.com/ricksammon

Derrick Story - www.derrickstory.com, www.thedigitalstory.com or www.twitter.com/derrickstory

Show notes by Bruce Clarke at www.momentsindigital.com or www.twitter.com/bruceclarke

This week: The dawn of the 500 dollar wedding photographer...right or wrong.
Catherine Hall joins the fray...and an interview with superstar
wildlife shooter Rick Sammon.

Hosts: Frederick Van Johnson, Alex Lindsay, Catherine Hall

This episode is brought to you by SquareSpace.com. The fast and easy way to publish a high quality web site or blog. For a free trial and 10% off your new account go to www.squarespace.com and enter the coupon code: twip.

Producer: Aaron Mahler - Twitter: halfpress

Show notes by Tom Newman at fogviewphotos.com and on Twitter: fogview

Bandwidth provided by Cachefly
Intro Music by Scott Cannizzar

NEWS & DISCUSSION

Alex just returned from his trip to the Seychelles Islands, which are north of Madagascar. No monkeys or Lemurs on the islands.

Catherine talks about her photo trip to the Caribbean and her self-assigned photo assignment to push herself in the lighting department. She is mainly a wedding photographer but she branches out into other areas of photography in order to keep the passion alive.

The $500 Wedding Photographer
Should Wedding Photographers be charging $500 or wait until they can charge $5,000? This is the question that Frederick poses to Catherine and Alex.

Nikon Updates Coolpix Line with Seven New Models
Nikon has updated the Coolpix product line with seven new models spanning the Performance, Life and Style classes, including a superzoom with a new CMOS backlit sensor and the slimmest in-class 10x pocket camera.

Catherine asks Frederick and Alex which is the best point-n-shoot camera: Nikon or Canon?

INTERVIEW With Rick Sammon
Today's guest has been to more than 100 destinations on the planet. He's able to focus his camera and writing skills on different cultures and on subjects in the animal kingdom. To not just capture the grandeur of nature's landscapes but the wonder of being there. Today Rick Sammon has established himself through seminars, how-to books, and articles as one of the world's foremost travel photographers and digital image makers, and as a person who can inspire others to succeed at their craft.

Rick and Frederick discuss the business of Photography and how to succeed in the business.

Website: http://ricksammon.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/RickSammon

LISTENER QUESTIONS

Q: Steve Sarjola on the TWiP Facebook writes: Help! I’ve been listening to photography podcasts for the last six months and have heard absolutely no one mention anything about the Canon 85 mm 1.2! It’s like this lens doesn’t exist. But if you go to Canon’s website this is the lens they recommend for portrait photography. Is this lens a waste of my money or should I go with the 50 mm 1.2?

A: Catherine answers: The 85 mm 1.2 is a great lens but pricey. If you don't have a full sensor camera, the 50 mm 1.2 would almost be equivalent to the 85 mm when you figure in the crop factor. Because of the price, it's best to rent the lens before your buy.

Q: TWiP fan Dev Chang asks: I was wondering if you could do a quick bake-off between the Nikon CoolPix P100 and Fujifilm HS10 as a general walking-around camera. My real question is would Alex get either one of these? I'm equally interested in the photo and video aspects, especially in low light.

A: Alex answers: It's unlikely I would get either camera. I would buy a Canon point-n-shoot so I can hack it. The Nikon P100 looks like a nice camera.

Q: Twiplog reader Ralph Velasco: Is there a relatively simple way for me to get the tens of thousands of images I've already processes in Aperture over to Lightroom?

A: Frederick answers: Check out Scott Bourne's blog. He has a nice write-up about migrating projects from Aperture to Lightroom.

PICKS OF THE WEEK

Catherine: Hopefully its alright if it have two:
1) New Lowepro Pro Runner X 350 AW
2) New wireless Wacom Intuos 4 Tablet
Frederick: Andy Biggs Photo Bag from Gura Gear
Alex: Slik Table-Top Travel Tripod

WRAP UP

You can also found us on Facebook. Go to facebook.com/ThisWeekInPhotography

Check out the TWIP Flickr group. flickr.com/groups/twip

Frederick can be found at http://www.frederickvan.com and via Twitter: Frederickvan

Alex can be found at http://www.pixelcorps.com and via Twitter: AlexLindsay

Catherine Hall can be found at http://www.catherinehall.net and via Twitter: catherine_hall

To share your suggestions and questions go to www.twiplog.com

Show notes provide by Tom Newman of Fogview Photos and via Twitter: Fogview

The Show is in the feed or you can download it at Pixelcorps.TV

This week: The iPad - What's in it for Photographers? More thoughts on when and when not to shoot, and special guest hosts' Rick Sammon and Derrick Story.

Hosts: Frederick Van Johnson, Rick Sammon, Derrick Story

Bandwidth provided by Cachefly. Intro Music by Scott Cannizzaro

Show producer Aaron Mahler at www.halfpress.com or www.twitter.com/halfpress

Show notes by Bruce Clarke at www.momentsindigital.com or www.twitter.com/bruceclarke

TWiP is brought to you by Audible.com - the leading provider in spoken word entertainment. Audible has over 60,000 titles to choose from to be downloaded and played back anywhere. Visit Audiblepodcast.com/twip for a free audio book of your choice.

TWiP is also brought to you by SquareSpace - the fast and easy way to publish a high-quality web site or blog. For a free trial and 10% off your new account, go to – Squarespace.com/twip, offer code TWiP.

NEWS & DISCUSSION

Apple Announces the iPad
Fred, Rick, and Derrick discuss Apple's latest product - the iPad and it's relevance to photographers. When Rick first saw it he immediately realized that it would be great for showing and sharing his portfolio as well as a valuable business tool. Rick also has an iPhone application that he's excited to use on the new iPad. He feels it will be an essential business tool for many photographers. Rick would like to see multi-tasking on the device.

Derrick also sees the iPad as a great tool for sharing images and even for getting jobs to begin with. The biggest advantage to the iPad is that you can easily hand it to someone and they can view it the angle that is comfortable for them. It will also be great to use when traveling and will likely use it as a laptop.

Fred also thinks that the iPad will be a great step up from the iPhone in terms being able to display and share his images but wonders about some of the limitations (no camera, no multi-tasking, etc).

Photographer's iPhone Lights Birth in Haiti
A photographer covering the earthquake in Haiti, used his iPhone to provide light for a woman giving birth. This ties in with Fred's discussion and blog post from last week regarding what would you do in a situation where you have to choose between helping out and documenting the event with your camera. Derrick's inclination would be to help out first and then shoot once the person is stabilized. Rick likes to picture people at their best and would concentrate on helping out first and wouldn't think about shooting.

Shepard Fairy Under Criminal Investigation
The guys discuss their thoughts on Copyright vs. Creative Commons. Rick is happy to share his work with people who want to use his photos as a desktop wallpaper, or mouse pad,etc but doesn't want people making money from his photographs. Derrick falls somewhere in between and really likes the creative commons options. Most of the time his work will be setup for creative commons by default. Other shots he will lock down with regular copyright but that applies to around 10% of his images. As a little tip, on Canon cameras you can program them to write your copyright information into the photo as you press the shutter.

LISTENER QUESTIONS

Question #1
Robert Adriaansen writes: I have a Canon EOS 5D Mark-II. What is the widest angle lens that can be used with a full-frame sensor and have minimal distortion? I am a backpacker and primarily shoot landscape and wildlife. Would the answer be different for portrait photographers?

Rick: I wouldn't recommend shooting portraits with a wide angle lens. You'll want to get a rectilinear corrected lens. There are also tilt-shift lenses. I really like the 17-40mm f2.8.

Derrick: I also like the 17-40mm lens but don't forget about shooting panoramas.

Question #2
Rob Carson asks: I often hear how many of you use Aperture or Lightroom etc. for file management. I get awful results when my Raw files are converted by Aperture versus the supplied Raw conversion software from the camera manufacturer. I have tried it with RAW files from a Canon 40d and a Nikon D700 and the photos look washed out. Am I missing something?

Rick: There are certainly different interpretations between different RAW conversion programs. Not sure unless he has some default settings set on import perhaps that are affecting the output?

Derrick: Rick is right that there are definitely some differences between RAW processing programs but you also have to have a tight workflow. Is your screen calibrated? Are you getting good exposures. There are a lot of other elements so make sure those are tight and then pick the process that appeals most to your eye.

Fred: One thing to note is that when you shoot RAW, the image on the back of the camera is not the RAW file but rather a JPEG rendering of the RAW file.

PICKS OF THE WEEK

Derrick - Gorillacam for the iPhone

Rick - I have a tip. The camera looks both ways. The energy and mood we project is reflected in the people we are photographing.

WRAP UP

Frederick Van Johnson - www.frederickvan.com or www.twitter.com/frederickvan

Rick Sammon - www.ricksammon.com or www.twitter.com/ricksammon

Derrick Story - www.thedigitalstory.com or www.twitter.com/derrickstory

Show notes by Bruce Clarke at www.momentsindigital.com or www.twitter.com/bruceclarke

Visit the blog at www.twiplog.com and the Flickr critique group. We also have a new Facebook group so be sure to check it out.

This week: Is face detection racist? 128 Giga-byte Compact Flash Cards...and an interview with safari photographer Andy Biggs.

Hosts: Frederick Van Johnson, Alex Lindsay, Ron Brinkmann, Nicole Young

TWiP is sponsored by the new voice-activated SYNC. SYNC listens to your voice, so SYNC knows what to do when you tell it to play TWiP or call home, or play your favorite play list, or give you turn-by-turn navigation. Even weather and traffic updates. All hands-free with the sound of your voice. For more details visit Syncmyridepodcast.com.

This episode is also brought to you by Audible.com. Over 50,000 titles. For your free Audible book, go to audiblepodcast.com/twip.

Producer: Aaron Mahler - Twitter: halfpress

Show notes by Tom Newman at fogviewphotos.com and on Twitter: fogview

Bandwidth provided by Cachefly
Intro Music by Scott Cannizzaro

NEWS & DISCUSSION

Face-Detection Cameras: Users' Racism Charges Explained
New cameras have the ability to track faces and detect when the subject is blinking. There have been reported problems when photographing Asian eyes (which the cameras thinks are always blinking). There is also a problem with African-American skin tones that don't register.

Silicon Power Announces 128GB 400X Compact Flash Card
The new 400X CF card is designed to offer the ultimate storage capacity while not compromising performance, featuring a write speed of up to 90MB/sec. The card supports PIO Mode-6 and Multi-Word DMA 4 transfer mode in quad-channel configuration. In addition to the 400X cards, Silicon Power also offers 600X CF and 200X CF cards suited for devices (DSLR, DV, PDA, etc) that use CF cards.

Photographer Loses Bid to Refuse Same-Sex Wedding Jobs
A New Mexico wedding photographer who refused on freedom of speech and religion grounds to photograph a same-sex commitment ceremony in 2006 has lost her anti-discrimination appeal. The group discusses whether a photographer has the right to decline services or not.

INTERVIEW with Andy Biggs
Andy was on the show last year. Andy spends a lot of time in Africa taking folks like you on photo safaris. As the leader of African safaris, he regularly helps other photographers get the pictures of their lives, while in the process of changing their lives by introducing them to the beauty and culture of Africa. And while not chasing wild leopards around Africa, he's busy with his company, Gura Gear. They make an amazing camera bag that was born out of the real-world necessaries of a working adventure photographer.

Andy Biggs' website.

PICKS OF THE WEEK

Nicole: Two picks: US Highway 89 by Ann Torrence (book) and Custom Brackets
Ron: ShootShifter -- program to sync photos between multiple cameras.
Frederick: http://www.photoshopuser.com/lightroom3
Alex: "Understanding Photoshop" iPhone app by Richard Harrington

WRAP UP
Be sure to check out the TwipLog.com website. The latest post is about a workshop in February. Enter the code TWIP for a discount.

You can also found us on Facebook. Go to facebook.com/ThisWeekInPhotography

Check out the TWIP Flickr group. flickr.com/groups/twip

Frederick has a blog posting called, "Fight or Light," asking the question, as a photographer what do you do in a disaster: take the picture first and then help? Read the blog post and the comments at frederickvan.com

Ron can be found at http://digitalcomposting.wordpress.com and via Twitter: RonBrinkmann

Frederick can be found at http://www.frederickvan.com and via Twitter: Frederickvan

Alex can be found at http://www.pixelcorps.com and via Twitter: AlexLindsay

Nicole can be found at http://photofocus.com and on Twitter Nicolesy

To share your suggestions and questions go to www.twiplog.com

Show notes provide by Tom Newman of Fogview Photos and via Twitter: Fogview

The Show is in the feed or you can download it at Pixelcorps.TV

This week: A discussion on Haiti from a photographer's perspective, a Lighting 101 lesson, and an interview with lifestyle photographer Michael Corsentino.

Hosts: Frederick Van Johnson, Steve Simon, Alex Lindsay

Bandwidth provided by Cachefly. Intro Music by Scott Cannizzaro

Show producer Aaron Mahler at www.halfpress.com or www.twitter.com/halfpress

Show notes by Bruce Clarke at www.momentsindigital.com or www.twitter.com/bruceclarke

TWiP is sponsored by the new voice-activated SYNC. SYNC listens to your voice, so SYNC knows what to do when you tell it to play TWiP or call home, or play your favorite play list, or give you turn-by-turn navigation. Even weather and traffic updates. All hands-free with the sound of your voice. For more details visit Syncmyridepodcast.com. And to enter to win a free Nano or Zune, send a tweet with hashtag “Syncmyridepodcast.”

TWiP is also brought to you by SquareSpace - the fast and easy way to publish a high-quality web site or blog. For a free trial and 10% off your new account, go to – Squarespace.com/twip, offer code TWiP.

NEWS & DISCUSSION

Steve's Olympic Torch Photography
The guys chat about Steve's recent assignment in Canada to cover the Olympic Torch relay. Steve shares some cold weather shooting tips and recommends experimenting with Auto ISO.

Contentious Photography in Haiti
Fred, Alex and Steve discuss the situation in Haiti from a photographer's standpoint and how they feel about photographers and reporters inserting themselves into the situation. The gang also gives some tips and advice to photographers when travelling into areas where there may be food, water, or power shortages. Alex mentioned the Hypermac external battery which is a handy gadget to bring with you if you need to power your MacBook or iPhone.

For those who would like to help out, the most obvious choice is to donate to the Red Cross, which has told various news outlets that it has already exhausted all of its supplies in Haiti and that there are far more people in need of help. You can also donate to the Red Cross on iTunes. However, the Red Cross website isn't the only place you can donate anymore—the organization says you can donate a quick $10 just by texting the word "Haiti" to 90999. There's also Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières, an international organization created by doctors that provide relief efforts around the world.

LIGHTING 101

Over the next couple of shows we'll be digging into a particular topic and first up is the topic of lighting. This week, Alex, Fred and Steve talk about what light is from a photographer's perspective. How does light work and what role does light play in photography. Steve also provides some basic tips for working with flash and ways to work with one flash by getting it off the camera. One tip is to look at the quality of the light. If it's even and low you're going to get great results.

INTERVIEW WITH MICHAEL CORSENTINO

Fred chats with lifestyle photographer Michael Corsentino about a variety of topics including how he works with wedding clients to order prints, albums, etc. Be sure to check out his website at www.corsentinophotography.com.

PICKS OF THE WEEK

Steve - Tiffen Digital HT ND Filter

Alex - Delkin Fat Gecko Camera Mount

Fred - TWiP Workshop in Joshua Tree, CA

WRAP UP

Frederick Van Johnson - www.frederickvan.com or www.twitter.com/frederickvan

Steve Simon - www.stevesimonphoto.com or www.twitter.com/stevesimon

Alex Lindsay - www.pixelcorps.com or www.twitter.com/alexlindsay

Show notes by Bruce Clarke at www.momentsindigital.com or www.twitter.com/bruceclarke

Visit the blog at www.twiplog.com and the Flickr critique group. We also have a new Facebook group so be sure to check it out.

This week: A wrap-up of CES and some of the cool, photography-related product
announcements. An interview with HDR expert Trey Ratcliff. And a special guest host, digital-imaging expert Richard Harrington, joins the fray.

Hosts: Frederick Van Johnson, Alex Lindsay, Richard Harrington

TWiP is sponsored by the new voice-activated SYNC. SYNC listens to your voice, so SYNC knows what to do when you tell it to play TWiP or call home, or play your favorite play list, or give you turn-by-turn navigation. Even weather and traffic updates. All hands-free with the sound of your voice. For more details visit Syncmyridepodcast.com.

Producer: Aaron Mahler - Twitter: halfpress

Show notes by Tom Newman at fogviewphotos.com and on Twitter: fogview

Bandwidth provided by Cachefly
Intro Music by Scott Cannizzaro

NEWS & DISCUSSION
Frederick and Alex both attended the CES show in Las Vegas and discuss some of their experiences and the cool products they saw.

Alex mentioned Show Stoppers -- press-only event where vendors paid to show their products to the press.

Alex also like the Double Resolution Monitors he saw at the show. The monitors are double the resolution of HD.

This lead to a question from Frederick asking if trade shows were dead.

INTERVIEW with Trey Ratcliff
Frederick interviews Trey to discuss HDR photography and Tray shares some tips on how to improve your HDR techniques.

Trey has a new book about HDR photography, "A World in HDR." You can also find a HDR tutorial on his site.

You can learn more about Trey at www.stuckincustoms.com and follow him on Twitter at TreyRatcliff.

Back to the Discussion

Frederick asks the question if Adobe should modularize Photoshop and sell it for $100 and sell add-ons to add functionality as needed.

Richard mentions that he has two photo apps on iTunes: Understanding Photoshop: Panoramic Photos; and Photography and Understanding Photoshop: Quick Fixes.

Richard is also working on a new book, "From Still to Motion," which teaches photographers how to move from stills to videos. The book also comes with a DVD of the video clips used in the book. They have three chapters left to go and will be ready in March. Pricing will be around $59 USD.

This lead into the never ending discussion about the merging of still photography and video.

You can find more about Richard at his blog and his company, rhedpixel.com.

Check out www.twiplog.com and join the TWIP Flickr group. You can also join us on Facebook.

WRAP UP

Frederick can be found at http://www.frederickvan.com and via Twitter: Frederickvan

Alex can be found at http://www.pixelcorps.com and via Twitter: AlexLindsay

Richard can be found at http://www.rhedpixel.com and ...

To share your suggestions and questions go to www.twiplog.com

Show notes provide by Tom Newman of Fogview Photos and via Twitter: Fogview

The Show is in the feed or you can download it at Pixelcorps.TV

This week: Another Q and A episode and a special interview with Rebekka of Flickr fame.

Hosts: Frederick Van Johnson, Ron Brinkmann, Steve Simon, Alex Lindsay

Bandwidth provided by Cachefly. Intro Music by Scott Cannizzaro

Show producer Aaron Mahler at www.halfpress.com or www.twitter.com/halfpress

Show notes by Bruce Clarke at www.momentsindigital.com or www.twitter.com/bruceclarke

TWiP is sponsored by the new voice-activated SYNC. SYNC listens to your voice, so SYNC knows what to do when you tell it to play TWiP or call home, or play your favorite play list, or give you turn-by-turn navigation. Even weather and traffic updates. All hands-free with the sound of your voice. For more details visit Syncmyridepodcast.com. And to enter to win a free Nano or Zune, send a tweet with hashtag “Syncmyridepodcast.”

TWiP is also brought to you by SquareSpace - the fast and easy way to publish a high-quality web site or blog. For a free trial and 10% off your new account, go to – Squarespace.com/twip, offer code TWiP. TWiP is also brought to you by Audible. The internet's leading provider of spoken word entertainment. For your free audio book, head over to www.audiblepodcast.com/twip

Another fine sponsor is Audible.com -- the leading provider in spoken word entertainment. Audible has over 50,000 titles to choose from to be downloaded and played back anywhere. Visit Audiblepodcast.com/twip for a free audio book of your choice.

NEWS & DISCUSSION

Ron Gets Published in Playboy
Playboy purchased some of Ron's photos of the Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo that they found on his Flickr stream.Steve suggests using Foto Quotes from Cardoc Software as a starting point to come up with pricing for stock and assignment photography.

Leica S2 Now Shipping
37 MP CCD sensor designed to work with the Leica lens system and it retails for $31,000.

Samsung Unveils the NX10
New DSLR camera from Samsung shoots video and does not have a mirror box or pentaprism.

LISTENER QUESTIONS

Question 1 - Failwhale77 is wondering whether to get a Canon 7D, a 5K Mark II, or a Scarlet if he's interested in getting into video?

Alex: The Scarlet from Red isn't available now. If he's not in a rush then wait for PMA to see if there are any announcements made there.. If he needs something right away, the 7D is better at video and feels more like a video camera. The 5D is a better still camera. You can see Alex's video shot with a 7D here.

Question 2 - Have you had problems with your gear going from warm inside to cold outside?

Steve: One tip is to bring a large Ziploc bag with you and when you go indoors, put your camera in the bag and seal it so that the condensation forms on the outside of the bag rather than on your camera body.

Question 3 - Looking for an affordable option for shooting 360 degree panos.

Alex: I use the Nodal Ninja R1

INTERVIEW WITH REBEKKA GUOLEIFSDOTTIR

This week, Fred catches up with Rebekka Guoleifsdottir who he orginally interviewed on TWiP Episode 69 to find out what she's been up to. Find out what knitting and photography have in common and what her plans are for this year. You can learn more about Rebekka by visiting her website and Flickr stream.

PICKS OF THE WEEK

We ran out of time for picks this week but Ron has a quick pick - an eBook on managing your libraries in Aperture from Joseph Linaschke

WRAP UP

Frederick Van Johnson - www.frederickvan.com or www.twitter.com/frederickvan

Ron Brinkmann - www.digitalcomposting.com or www.twitter.com/ronbrinkmann

Steve Simon - www.stevesimonphoto.com or www.twitter.com/stevesimon

Alex Lindsay - www.pixelcorps.com or www.twitter.com/alexlindsay

Show notes by Bruce Clarke at www.momentsindigital.com or www.twitter.com/bruceclarke

Visit the blog at www.twiplog.com and the Flickr critique group. We also have a new Facebook group so be sure to check it out.

This week: The crew chats about some of the biggest, photography-related stories of 2009...and Lisa Bettany of MostlyLisa.com joins in the fray.

Hosts: Frederick Van Johnson, Alex Lindsay, Lisa Bettany, Joseph Linaschke

This episode is brought to you by SquareSpace.com. The fast and easy way to publish a high quality web site or blog. For a free trial and 10% off your new account go to www.squarespace.com and enter the coupon code: twip.

This episode is also brought to you by Audible.com. Over 50,000 titles. For your free Audible book, go to audiblepodcast.com/twip.

Producer: Aaron Mahler - Twitter: halfpress

Show notes by Tom Newman at fogviewphotos.com and on Twitter: fogview

Bandwidth provided by Cachefly

Intro Music by Scott Cannizzaro

NEWS & DISCUSSION

Software
- No major Aperture version update (article as well: Aperture Dwindling in Popularity?
Frederick uses Lightroom (he was the product manager for Lightroom this time last year).

Lisa switched from Aperture to Lightroom and loves it.

Alex uses Aperture to organize his photos and uses Photoshop if he needs to make major changes to his photos. He thinks that one reason we haven't seen an update to Aperture is because of the new features Apple put in iPhoto and they they couldn't bring out an Aperture update without matching the iPhoto features. Alex would like GPS tagging and facial recognition in Aperture (currently in iPhoto).

Frederick asks Joseph and Alex if Aperture needs to be more like iPhoto to compete with Lightroom?

Joseph: One thing I hear from photographers who've tried both is that Lightroom is easier but I also hear that Aperture is more powerful.

Alex: I think Apple needs to train people more how to use Aperture. I don't this is an Apple-specific problem. There is a workflow Apple had in mind and they need to provide real training.

- iPhoto gains facial recognition and integrated geocoding. Joseph loves the idea and has played with the facial recognition in iPhoto but is waiting for it in Aperture.

- Rise in firmware hacking (Bracketmeister hacks your Canon to shoot big brackets ) and projects like Magic Lantern. Alex said that he plans to CDHK (loading a new OS on the camera). You need a camera with stable CDHK development. CDHK is an open source program that allows you to add extra features to a camera (i.e. adding time lapse mode). He also plans to do videos about hacking cameras.

- Did we see the beginning of the end of the megapixel race?
Frederick: The question is increasing megapixel count vs increasing light sensitivity of sensors. Have we hit the apex of that argument?

Alex: I think we are getting there. For me I have more megapixels than I need and what I really want is light sensitivity. That's all I care about -- except for time lapse.

Frederick: Does the average consumer understand that megapixels are not the end-all, be-all these days?

Alex: I think if consumers saw a night shot from a still camera -- consumers shoot far more in low light situation than professionals. Low light sensitivity, in my opinion, would be far more important to consumers than to professionals.

Frederick: But do they know? If they go to the shelf (to buy a camera) and see two cameras, they will get the one with the bigger number.
Lisa: I definitely think consumers are not wise to that.

Alex: This is where the companies (Canon, Nikon, Sony, etc.) need to take a page out of Apple's book and guide consumers to what they need.
Frederick: They don't guide people to what they need, they just remove what they don't need.

Joseph: I agree that sensitivity is more important than resolution especially for the consumer base. Consumers generally don't print and if they do it's never bigger than a 8x10, in that case 8 megapixel is enough. On the pro side I do take advantage of every last pixel. And even 20 to 24 (megapixels) is not quit enough.

Frederick: Joseph as a pro, over 2009 what the the percentage of photos that you shared online vs. print vs. other means?

Joseph: Pretty much everything goes online. Primary it is online. I'm not going to use a lower resolution camera if it's going online because the client may decide to print and I want to sell prints.

Frederick: What about you Lisa -- where does your work go?

Lisa: Mainly online. I haven't had many print jobs. I never print my pictures. Viewing my pictures on my iMac can't be reproduced on a printer.

Frederick: Most of the photographers that print regularly are wedding shooters.

Alex: All the video we shoot with the Canon 5D Mark II goes on the web. YouTube is now accepting 1080p video. I shoot everything in 1080p. Alex posted a video on Vid.ly shot on a Canon 7D with a 50 mm lens.

- Quality video becoming the norm now on DSLRs?
Frederick: Do you think in 2010, 2011, 2012, if a DLSR doesn't have video on it, it's sub standard?

Alex: Yes

Frederick: Some photographers are saying they don't want anything video-related on their camera.

Alex: You don't have to use it. Joseph, would you buy a camera without video?

Joseph: Probably not. I don't shoot that much video but I do have a camera that shoots video, the 5D Mark II. I agree that no new pro camera will come out without.

Frederick: Lisa, are you shooting video, or just still?

Lisa: I thought I would be shooting more but it's not always practicable. I hope over time to be able to make a compilation video of all the footage over time. It comes down to the shear amount of time it takes to edit the stuff.

Frederick: It use to be that you could put up any type of video on the web and over the years as the tools progressed, the level/bar has been pushed up (for what goes on the web).

Lisa: If you look at the Vimeo HD channel there are so many amazing things. As someone who does a lot of processing, I would want my video to look as good as my photos. That's going to take time and I didn't realize how difficult that would be.

Joseph: A lot of people get a video camera and think they can shoot video. They don't realize that there is a lot more too it than just pressing the button.

Frederick: Not to mention the audio portion of it and finding a place to store these large files.

- Canon Announces 1D Mark IV
Frederick: What's up with this camera and are you getting one?

Joseph: No, I'll probably hold out for the 1Ds. What's new about it is it big, it's fast, great low light sensitivity and it shoots video better than anything else out there, so far. The video that Vincent Laforet shot with the Canon 5D Mark II is back up and you can check it out on Vincent's site.

Alex: The 5D shoots great video but you can tell they learned a lot and the 7D is a great video camera. I haven't shot with the 1D.

- Canon 7D
Frederick: Have you shot with the 7D?

Alex: I have two.

Frederick: What is the main differences between the two (5D and 7D)?

Alex: The 7D feels more like a video camera. It has a video start/stop and video switch. It does 24 FPS instead of 30 FPS (as on the 5D). Those are the big things that I noticed. The 5D has a shorter depth of field because of the full-frame sensor and has better low-light sensitivity. I believe the Nikon is way more sensitive than the Canon. But the video (on the Nikon) hasn't caught up yet (with the Canon). If I was to buy a SLR as a video camera, I would get a Canon. If I was to buy a still camera, I would buy a Nikon because of the better low-light sensitivity. At PMA, I hope to see Canon progress in low-light sensitivity and Nikon progress in Video.

Frederick: The bottom line is all these tools are amazing but no matter what you have, you need to be out there shooting.

- Nikon Releases D3S with 102,400 ISO
Frederick: I got my hands on a D3s a few weeks ago from BorrowLens.com. They let me play with one for a few days. With the new 70-200 mm VR lens. It was amazing. I had my old D3 with my old 70-200 lens. The new D3s is faster and smarter.

Alex: Over the Christmas break I was shooting kids and Christmas lights and I noticed the first thing I do with a new camera is change all the focusing to a spot in the center. I think that's because I shoot with a short depth of field. I'm not quite wide open. With my 50 mm 1.4, I'll shoot 2.0 because I find the lens is a little sharper at 2.0.

Frederick: Joseph I know has a 50 mm 1.2. Do you shoot with that wide open?

Joseph: Not all the time but I do shoot wide open. I love that lens. When I first got that lens it was just before a holiday in Europe and I decided to take just that one lens. I've talked about this before and that's working with a single fixed-length lens to re-educate yourself. We tend to rely on so many telephoto lens and we can cover anything. Go out with just that one lens for a week and no matter how much experience you have, you'll learn something about yourself and your style of shooting.

Alex: I went for six months with only a 50 mm on my camera exactly as Joseph described. I took a lot of good photos.

Lisa: That was my first lens as well. The 50 mm 1.4. I shot with that for one year before I could afford another lens.

Alex: If there is one camera (lens) that you get when you have kids, it's a 50 mm 1.8 or 1.4. Everyone in my family who has kids has a SLR with a 50 mm lens. If you look at my parent's photos on the wall and they look different. You have five different families shooting with a short depth of field. It's looks like someone from Time Magazine hangs out with the family all the time.

Frederick: Another tip with the 50 mm -- get closer. Don't be on the other side of room and cropping the picture. Get in the faces with the picture. Throw that background out of focus. That's what makes these images that Alex is talking about. Fulling the frame with your son and daughter. Those are the pictures you put on the wall.

Alex: You need to take wide shots from time-to-time, but those are not the ones you place on the wall.
Frederick: Joseph, how hard was it for you to break though that comfort level and forget the zoom and put on the 50 mm and tap them on the shoulder and get the camera in their face?

Joseph: There are times for both. If you have a 50 mm you are in their face and they know you are taking their picture. With a long lens across the street, you can capture their picture without them knowing about it. You get images you would not normally get. Once people know there is a camera on them you get a reaction (smile, look away, etc.).

- Ritz Camera filed for bankruptcy (Ritz Camera Files for Bankrupcy ) and regroups (Ritz Regroups With a Wide-Angle Approach )
Alex: The only store I go to is B&H Photo.

Frederick: Lisa, when was the last time you bought camera gear from a brick and mortar camera store?

Lisa: I have an amazing store that I go to in Vancouver called Beau Photo. They rent lenses for reasonable prices. I don't own much photo gear. I own a 5D Mark II and three prime lenses. Everything else I rent.

Frederick: Joseph, when was the last time you purchase something from a store?

Joseph: Last week. I have a Samy's here in Pasadena. That's where I got my lights. I bought my Canon 5D from B&H because they didn't have it locally.

Alex: If I go into a store and have a long conversation (about some gear), I feel like I should buy from them. I will pay the $100 more.

LISTENER QUESTIONS

Q: Listener Philip Koberlein writes: Can you suggest a way to find people online that are displaying my images? Are there specialized search engines or services that can aid in this?

A: Joseph answers: Tineye.com will search for your images. You can also use Bing.com for that. There is a "find similar" button. I watermark my images which is an easy way to mark your images as yours.

Q: Listener Simon Bainbridge writes: What book / books would you recommend for an intermediate level film photographer wanting to start in digital photography?

A: Lisa answers: "The Moment It Clicks", by Joe McNally. There are lots of resources online: blogs, e-books, e-learning. Joseph recommends "Hot Shoe Dairy", by JOe McNally.

Q: Listener Greg Oz writes: Now that it is obvious Canon is hot for video in their cams, when will Adobe step up and allow their Master Collection software edit the native Canon video clips? Presently, what software does it take to edit the native video from the Canon cams? what do you recommend? What work flow is recommended?

A: Alex answers: Adobe typically updates their collection every 18 months. We take all our video and convert it to Apple Pro Res.

WRAP UP

Frederick can be found at http://www.frederickvan.com and via Twitter: Frederickvan

Alex can be found at http://www.pixelcorps.com and via Twitter: AlexLindsay

Lisa can be found at http://mostlylisa.com and on Twitter: mostlylisa

Joseph can be found at http://www.josephlinaschke.com and on Twitter: travel_junkie

To share your suggestions and questions go to www.twiplog.com

Show notes provide by Tom Newman of Fogview Photos and via Twitter: Fogview