Fotobug - Elusive Image Photography

Fotobug - Episode 159 - Tips for extended shutter photograhy

Summer is here along with the heat and long sunny days.  Lots going on in the world on Photography!  In recent news, Fred and Jim discuss the fact Indian officials have rejected Google's plan to image its towns and cities due to security concerns.  A 23 year old man left the boardwalk at Yellowstone National Park and fell through the crust into a hot acidic pool (Darwin award?). KitSplit is a new peer to peer network for renting and leasing camera gear.  A disgruntled Nikon D500 owner is suing Nikon and claims the camera's Wifi isn't what was advertised.  Two unusual lenses are up for sale: a Birns and Sawyer Omitar 1000mm f/4.5 lens commissioned by NASA and a Nikon 1200mm F11 lens on eBay. Finally, a studio in India founded in 1840 is closing after 176 years in operation.

Technique using 15 frames to simulate long exposure in Photoshop

In the current podcast, Jim and Fred discuss three ways to capture incredible images using long exposures, even during daylight hours.  The most common and traditional way is to use ND or variable ND filters.  Some recent cameras have a multiple exposure mode (especially Canon) and by using the Average setting, several images can be averaged together to produce a long exposure effect without ND filters.  Finally, the same process can be applied with any camera in Photoshop by bringing in all the images into layers, then select and convert the image to a smart object and finally, using the Layers menu, apply the Mean mode to the layers.  More details in the podcast! 

Jim also demonstrates the new content fill operation in the latest version of Photoshop when rotating the image to straighten the horizon.  Previously this had to be done manually or the image had to be cropped to omit the portions outside of the image.

Coming up - a look at the new DJI Phamtom 4 and more interesting guest appearances!  Start planning for the Black Hills Photo Shootout taking place the last weekend in in September - www.thephotoshootout.com!

Fotobug - Episode 158 - Iceland 2016 - Magnús Jóhannesson documentary

Welcome to The Fotobug podcast 158!  In recent photography news, a new case called Vitrima is in the works, which would enable GoPro action cameras to record 3D video. A Chinese company wants to turn your Android phone into a 3D camera with a USB-C dongle designed to work with a mobile device's front or rear-facing camera. Canon USA has announced seven new photography courses that will form the beginning of a new program called Canon Online Learning. A team at Harvard University has designed a 'metalens', around 100,000 times thinner than an equivalent glass lens.  Watch the podcast for more information!

Jim just returned from his 4th trip to Iceland with a terrific group of photographers. Featured on this podcast is a highlight reel of the trip featuring some of the images captured.  This year, we completely circled the entire country and only failed to get to the north east since the roads were closed to normal traffic due to heavy snowfall.  Iceland is a wonderfully diverse and photogenic country and should be on your bucket list of places to visit!  In addition to the fantastic landscapes, our driver/guide, Magnus Johannesson, recently completed a documentary called The Man Who Shrunk his Ecological Footprint.  The documentary follows his brother, Siggi, who analyzes his current ecological footprint and then makes an effort to reduce it. We feature a teaser reel on the current podcast, more information can be found at https://manwhoshrunk.com/.

The current documentary is in Icelandic, but an English language version will be made available and we will update our listeners when the final documentary is available.

Keep the end of September open for the Black Hills Photo Shootout which will take place back in Spearfish, South Dakota - www.thephotoshootout.com

Fotobug - Episode 157 - Dr. Joel Murphy Underwater Photography

Welcome to The Fotobug podcast #157!  In recent news, Colin Smith from PhotoshopCafe was recently kicked off a Southwest flight by trying to follow the rules concerning a Li-ion battery in his DJI Phantom.  More details in the podcast!  Brian May, guitarist for Queen, has come out with a device that turns your smart phone into a stereo viewer - cost about $37.  We are also sad to report that Michael Reichmann, founder of the Luminous-Landscape has passed away at the age of 71.  Michael is well known for the phrase "expose to the right" indicating the histogram should have luminous values on the upper half of the graph. Hard disk  giant Western Digital has acquired flash memory manufacturer SanDisk in a deal worth $18 billion.  Finally, Adobe's content-aware fill will soon be available using the crop tool!

Our featured guest this episode is Dr. Joel Murphy.  Dr. Murphy is an avid underwater photographer and shares a few of his awesome underwater images and discusses the techniques and challenges in capturing these images.  He also shares some of the specialized equipment such as camera cases and strobes, in addition to the underwater equipment and training that is required to photograph underwater.  Dr. Murphy also discusses tips for those who may wish to pursue underwater photography as well.  We will be having Joel back to show off some of his amazing underwater macro work, so please leave your comments and questions that we will happily pass on to him!

Keep the end of September open for the Black Hills Photo Shootout in western South Dakota!  Next time, highlights of Iceland!

Fotobug - Episode 156 - Tim Gilbreath

Today's podcast features another workshop leader from the Tampa Bay Photo Shootout, Tim Gilbreath!

In recent news, ON1 had announced a combination non-destructive photo editor and RAW processor: ON1 Photo RAW. We will be featuring a guest that works with ON1 on an upcoming podcast!  Canon says that despite a drop in net income, interchangeable lens camera sales are steady.  Sony has patented a contact lens that comes with an integrated camera module - Google is also working on such a device. Sony also announced its imaging division finished the 2015 financial year strong.  Time Magazine name the Kodak Brownie and the Polaroid Camera as two of the most influential gadgets in history.  Steve McCurry has recently come under fire for posting badly manipulated images.  Beamr, has introduced an extension for Adobe Photoshop called JPEGmini which applies a more efficient algorithm to compress JPEG images.



Tim Gilbreath was one of the workshop leaders at the 2016 Tampa Bay Photo Shootout.  Jim and Fred sit down with Tim to discuss some of his favorite recent images and discuss tips for photographers.  Tim lives on the west coast of Florida and his work features many images of the immediate area including his love for sunsets and atmospheric haze. Tim also gives advice on how he captured his wonderful images and you should come away with some good techniques to try for your own images.

Coming up, a discussion and underwater images from Dr. Joel Murphy and images from Iceland.  Stay tuned!

Fotobug - Episode 155 - Beyond the Selfie!

Podcast 155 features a special treat, the Fotobug guys discuss ways to improve image capture using your mobile phone!

Jim and Fred also discuss recent photography news.  Pelican cases have introduced a new Air series of cases that offer protection with less weight.  Did a consumer drone really crash into a jet landing at Heathrow airport?  A new Kickstarter campaign is designing a DSLR style grip to work with iPhones.  Lytro has debuted it Cinema Prototype at NAB 2016 in Las Vegas.  The Sony plant that makes sensors in Japan has been temporarily shut down due to the recent earthquake.  Another former Kickstarter project has created a pocket sized slider for DSLR cameras and will be sold at a reduced price until July.

The Fotobug guys present a how-to on optimizing captures with your mobile phone or tablet.  Due to the small sensors, fixed lenses, and fixed apertures on mobile phone cameras, there are special techniques that will permit the photographer to capture the best images possible.  Chances are a photographer won't always have a DSLR or mirrorless camera but will likely be carrying a mobile phone with a built-in camera. Jim recommends using the mobile camera as a "photographer's sketchpad" but images captured with these cameras with a little care can be quite good!

Please share your mobile phone photography tips and photographs with us here on on our Facebook page!

Fotobug - Episode 154 - Tampa Bay Photo Shootout - Vanelli - Mathew Cicanese

The big news this week was the Second Annual Tampa Bay Photo Shootout!  In addition, Canon has applied for a viewfinder design patent that combines both optical and electronic displays in a DSLR style system.  Lytro has announced in a blog post that the company is getting out of the consumer imaging business to focus instead on developing a light field virtual reality platform.  The Impossible Project has unveiled the I-1 Instant camera which uses the Impossible Project 600-type instant film. Researchers at Columbia University are working on a flexible sheet camera with stretchable lenses.  Just prior to the upcoming NAB show, Adobe has announced new features for video and audio editing including Premiere Pro CC including the ability to edit files during ingest, proxy workflows, and VR editing capabilities.

The second annual Tampa Bay Photo Shootout just wrapped up and what a weekend!  Jim and Fred feature highlights of the Shootout including interviews with Vanelli and Mathew Cicanese.  More interviews will be posted in upcoming episodes!  Many thanks to Jason and Nicole Hahn as well as Tamron, Pinellas Technical College, St. Petersburg College and all the great workshop leaders and volunteers for making this happen. Also, thank you to all those who attended to get inspired this weekend!  Coming up in September is the Black Hills Photo Shootout.  Save the dates, September 30, October 1 and 2nd!

Fotobug - Episode 153 - Review LED Light Stick

Lots of news this episode!  For full details, watch the podcast.

Adobe Camera Raw gets a new look with version 9.5, now available. REVL has launched an Indiegogo campaign to create a 4K action camera with an integrated motorized gimbal.  Tamron has announced pricing for its 85mm F1.8 lens (come see it at the Tampa Bay Photo Shootout!).  Google's NIK collection is now free!  Lexar has relaeased a new SDXC card with a capacity of 200GB and read speeds up to 95MB per second.  LRTimeLapse 4.6 has been released and is a free upgrade for current owners..  Sony is considering splitting off its imaging products business.  Finally, the future of Yahoo and its operations such as Flickr is uncertain.

In the last Fotobug podcast, Fred and Jim mentioned the Polaroid branded LED light wand named "BrightSaber".  Jim discovered that many companies have offered the same or similar unit for less money.  So, he purchased one and Jim and Fred put it up for review.  The unit test comes with an AC adapter/charger with 3 plugs for US, UK and European style electric sockets, 2 batteries, a CTO filter, an IR remote and a carrying case.  The united test cost about $35 less than the BrightSaber.  Jim and Fred were impressed by the build quality of the unit as well as the inclusion of 2 batteries.  In use, the unit has 10 levels of brightness - and the 228 LEDs put out a great deal of nice soft light.  The wand also has a 1/4 20 thread hole in the handle to allow it to be mounted to a light stand or tripod.  Jim and Fred were less impressed with the strobe modes (one flashes SOS!) - and didn't see a practical use for those.  Jim also showed off a set of barn doors which will work with these units.

Here's where you can check out these products for more information and purchase:

BrightSaber
Eachshot LED Wand
LED unit tested (Note: price went up to $124.95 since we purchased it)
Barndoors

This is your last chance to sign up for the Tampa Bay Photo Shootout taking place on April 8, 9, and 10 where you can see one of these light wands for yourself as well as check out and use a Tamron lens of your choice - www.thephotoshootout.com .  Stay tuned next time for highlights of the Photo Shootout!  Don't forget, the Camargue, France workshop at www.outdoorphotoworkshops.com. 



 

Fotobug - Episode 152 - Radian 2 update

Welcome to The Fotobug podcast 152 and our sixth anniversary of bringing you news, reviews, interviews and how tos!

In the news this episode, Fujifilm Japan has announced that it is going to stop producing FP-100C instant film used in old Polaroid-type cameras.  There is another new LED light wand on the market, a Polaroid-branded model called BrightSaber.  However, check out the podcast to see how you can get the same model for considerably less money!  Lee Filters has announced a 15 stop variable neutral density filter.  Sigma has announced a firmware upgrade for it's 150-600mm lenses claiming it is making the auto focusing up to 50% faster.  Serif has announced that its Affinity apps will soon be available for Windows.

Jim and Fred update their recent review of the Radian 2 time lapse system. The Radian 2 can pan, tilt, and even drive the camera on specific sliders.  However, the most important feature is the ability to control the camera exposure during the capture over blue tooth without touching the camera. If you remember from our first review in podcast 146, there were a number of issues with the firmware.  However, Alpine Labs has been working very hard to fix these issues and we are happy to report they have succeeded!  We tested the Radian 2 by capturing time lapse sequences of sunrises and sunsets where the exposure had to be adjusted during the capture.  The sequences were then processed by LRTimeLapse.  There are still a few minor issues, but we are confident Alpine Labs will overcome these and will be adding additional features as well!

Coming up next month is the 2nd Annual Tampa Bay Photo Shootout in Clearwater, FL.  Registration is now open at www.thephotoshootout.com. Plan to come to Clearwater April 8, 9 and 10 for this great event!  Also, if you are interested in the Camargue France workshop with Tim Mannakee and wish a discount, you must contact Jim at jim@thefotobug.com before the end of March!  Also, write Jim if you would be interested in receiving information about a workshop in Cuba!

Fotobug - Episode 151- Tim Mannakee & Camargue France Workshop

Be sure to watch the entire podcast for special pricing on a photo workshop to Camargue France!

In recent news, Sigma is said to be launching a 50-100mm F1.8 lens for APS-C cameras, and Tamron has released two full frame primes: an 85mm F1.8 and a 90mm F2.8 macro.  Also Tamron has announced a TAP-in console enabling firmware updates for compatible lenses. RIcoh has announced a new action camera that captures 4K video and is waterproof to 32 feet. Aurora Aperture has released a variable ND filter that can reduce exposures from 4 to 11 stops.  Samsung announced a 360 camera and DJI is showing off a new Phantom UAS that has collision avoidance and other interesting features. More news and details in the podcast!

Jim and Fred's featured guest is Tim Mannakee who discusses his workshops in addition to the Camargue France workshop he will be running with Jim this coming October. If you have an interest in wild horses, you won't want to miss this interview. Also, this the The Fotobug sixth anniversary podcast and Jim is offering a big discount on the Camargue workshop - but you must sign up before the end of March! Write jim@thefotobug.com for details. Check www.outdoorphotoworkshops.com for the workshop itinerary.  This is going to be an amazing workshop - you won't want to miss it! For more of Tim's workshops, check his website at www.timmannakee.com.

Coming up in April - The Tampa Bay Photo Shootout!  Complete information of the weekend workshops and registration can be found at www.thephotoshootout.com.  Register now as many of the most popular workshops fill up fast

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Next time: update on the Radian 2 time lapse system!

Fotobug - Episode 150 - Luka Esenko & Snapp App

Welcome to The Fotobug podcast 150.  In recent news, GoPro has announced an partnership with Microsoft and after a less than stellar quarter, GoPro announced layoffs and are dropping 3 models from their entry-level lineup..  Also, KelbyOne has announced layoffs and one very longtime trainer for Kelby has announced he will not longer do video training and won't be attending any future Photoshop World events.  A team of researchers at Rice University are developing a thin, lensless camera called FlatCam, which replaces the traditional lens with a grid-like coded mask essentially made of multiple pinholes.  Chinese company Techart has produced an adapter that works with the AF system of Sony's A7 II and A7R II cameras to create an autofocus effect for Leica M mount lenses.  For more details and more news, watch the podcast!

Lots of discounts available!  Check on the podcast for information about the LensRacks.  If you would like to buy your own, use code KSBACKERS20 at www.lensracks.com when you check out to save 20%!  Also, Fred shows off his new vest from The Vest Guy and if you would like to get your own custom photo vest, go to www.thevestguy.com and use FOTOBUG for your 20% off at checkout.  As always, remind them you heard about it on The Fotobug!

Luka Esenko joins us from Slovenia to discuss his new app for smartphones - the Snapp App.  The Snapp App has been created for photographers traveling to new or known locations and will contain complete guides to those locations.  The app will include directions on where to go, when to be there and even sample images including camera settings.  The guides are written by knowledgeable photographers who know the areas they are writing about.  The Snapp App will be free, just buy the guides for the locations you need.  For information on when the app will be available, follow The Fotobug on our Facebook page.  The app will initially be released for IOS devices and shortly for Android.  If you are a photographer who likes to travel, you will want to tune in to check out this new app!

Mark the dates April 8, 9 and 10 for the upcoming Tampa Bay Photo Shootout!  More information can be found at www.thephotoshootout.com.  You won't want to miss this 2nd annual event!  Lots of great workshop leaders and it is going to be a great weekend to learn new techniques and to polish up your skills.