Fotobug - Elusive Image Photography

Fotobug - Episode 149 - Highlights Spacecoast Birding & Wildlife Fest

Jim recently returned from conducting workshops at the 19th annual Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival in Titusville and shares some highlights of the event.  In recent news, Manfrotto has introduced three improved LED panels for videomakers and photographers, MaxCurve as an iPad and iPhone app that uses curves to do image adjustments and can connect to desktop versions of Photoshop. Tamrac has introduced new camera bags in its new Hoodoo product lineup which are water-resistant lightweight bags.  Sony has posted an advisory about light leaks on its DSC-RX1R II camera.  A GoPro camera falls thousands of feet from a sky diving airplane into a pig pen and is found 8 months later - is the footage real or fake? Chinese manufacturer ShenZhen Yongnou is introducing a variable temperature LED wand for photographers.  Photographer Nick Risinger has traveled over 60,000 miles for years to create a 5,0000 megapixel image of the entire night sky!  For more details on these stories and more, watch the podcast!

The 19th annual Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival is now over and Jim  was one of the workshop leaders and shares some images from Titusville.  The Festival was very well-attended and the organizers told Jim that they fully plan to expand photography workshops for future festivals.  Thanks to all who helped out and all those who attended the workshops and also to Hugh and Joyce who won Rogue Safaris during the "Patterns in Nature" workshops conducted by Jim.  Titusville is a wonderful area full of Florida wildlife and our own Carolyn joined the "bird on the head" club!

Jim also shares some underwater video of manatees photographed in Crystal River.  Every winter, the manatee seek warmer waters in Florida's springs and Crystal River is a popular spot for manatee watchers. 

Coming up next time: Luka Esenko talks about the new Snapp Guide app for photographers, be sure not to miss it!  Also, coming in a few weeks, Tim Manakee will talk about his Camarque France workshop and for our listeners who would like a special early discount, contact Jim at jim@thefotobug.com for details!

Fotobug - Episode 148 - Frequent Photography Questions Answered

Welcome to podcast number 148! Fred and Jim discuss recent photography new such as a new peer to peer camera gear sharing service that launched a new app for CameraLends.com.  The new Super 8mm movie camera from Kodak is no joke and the Fotobug guys have more information about this retro camera.  In addition, Polaroid has announced a new digital camera with a retro design that resembles a vintage 35mm camera.  Apple has a patent that appears  we may see  a dual-camera setup in future iPhones.  The New York Public Library has released 180,000 digitized items into the public domain.  GoPros latest 4th quarter report is less than stellar and GoPro has announced a 7% layoff in its workforce.

Jim and Fred have conducted many workshops and in this episode decide to give their opinion on several subjects that often arise.  The discussion includes UV or Skylight filters for lens protection, vests vs photo belts vs backpacks, monopods vs tripods, carbon fiber vs aluminum, full frame vs crop sensors and even more!  In addition The Fotobug guys would love to hear your experiences and opinions.  Just leave them on The Fotobug Facebook page and we will share them on the next podcast.

Coming up this April, the 2nd Annual Tampa Bay Photo Shootout - and Jim will be leading workshops to Camargue, France and back to Slovenia. 

Stay tuned for upcoming interviews with Luka Esenko on the new Snapp app for mobile devices and Tim Mannakee on the Camargue workshop in France. Stay tuned!

Fotobug - Episode 147 -From the vault - Harold Ross interview

Welcome to 2016!

Lots of news likely coming as CES in Chicago is getting ready to wrap up. In this first podcast of the new year, Jim and Fred discuss the new Tokina AT-X 14-200 f/2 lens. Also, artist Richard Prince has been taking Instagram photos and selling them as fine art for up to $100,000 and he and the Gagosian Gallery are now being sued by photographer Donald Graham.  Also, watch the skies, especially if you are in a downhill ski competition, as a UAV for a television station nearly takes out a competition skier.  Samsung has announced a 2TB storage system that has 256 bit encryption and is the size of a credit card!   This is no joke, but Kodak has announced it will be producing the first Super 8mm film camera in over 30 years!  Also, tune in for lots of news about 4K systems and recommended standards.

Jim and Fred reach back into the vault and pull out a January 2013 interview with light sculpturer, Harold Ross.  Jim will be leading two light painting workshops at the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival in Titusville in January 20-25.  If you haven't registered yet - better hurry!  Pre-registration ends on January 15. Sign up at  www.spacecoastbirdingandwildlifefestival.org We highly recommend checking out Harold's website at  www.haroldrossfineart.com to see more of his recent work as well as some excellent tutorials and information regarding his workshops.

Coming up, Luka Esenko will return to discuss his new Snapp app (now in beta testing), more in-depth on the Radian 2 and highlights of the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival in Titusville!

Fotobug - Episode 146 - First Look: Radian 2

Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday to everyone! This is the last podcast of 2015.  In recent photography news, action camera manufacturer GoPro has officially named its forthcoming camera drone - Karma. If you received a UAV (drone) for a gift or already own one or two, , you must now register with the FAA. Until January 20th, the $5.00 fee will be waived. Since May of 2015, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been beta testing a new smartphone app called B4UFLY which will show where it is safe and where it is not safe to fly your UAV. Adobe has launched version 2.1 of Lightroom for mobile for Apple iOS devices. Chinese lens manufacturer Kipon has announced that next year it will make available a reducing adapter designed to allow medium format lenses to fit on full frame cameras.  Stay tuned for more news on what 2016 will hold!

NASA EARTH RISE

Jim received the new Radian 2 and The Fotobug guys do a quick review.  Unfortunately, the unit still has some firmware issues which kept it from functioning properly.  Jim has been in touch with Alpine Labs and as soon as the issues have been resolved we will be doing a thorough review of the unit.  For those interested in time lapse photography, the Radian 2 has a lot of potential and we are excited about what it is capable of. 

If you wish to see the new Radian 2, be sure to sign up for the time lapse workshop at the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival in Titusville, FL from January 20-25.  Sign up now at (www.spacecoastbirdingandwildlifefestival.org). There is something for everyone at this event!

Stay tuned for the next podcast in 2016!

Fotobug - Episode 145 - George Heinrich and more!

Lots of news this time! Lytro has announced an update to its software that now allows post changes to exposure, saturation and color as well as focus for its cameras.  Adobe has finally announced the end of Adobe Flash and are urging web developers to stop using it.  Also, Adobe released Lightroom 2.0 for Apple's IOS devices and will soon do the same for Android.  Beamr is reportedly developing a JPEGmini format that allows JPEG files to be even smaller, without reducing quality.  Phase One has completely taken over the Mamiya Saku factory and Sony is acquiring the Toshiba senor business. Manfrotto plans to introduce e a new video LED light. Panasonic has announced it will resume development of an 8K sensor for video.  If you would like a new job and follow in the footsteps of Ansel Adams, the US Government is looking to hire a full-time photographer for it's National Parks!

Our guest this time is George Heinrich (http://www.heinrichecologicalservices.com).  Jim recently volunteered to help George with his research on Suwanee River Cooter Turtles.  George has been working on this project for the past 11.5 years and we discuss how photographers in the field can help out with these important research studies.  George will be presenting an update on the study at Boyd Hill Nature Park in St. Petersburg, FL in January.

We also included a little extra on dealing with problem backgrounds for better photos.  Fred recently photographed a horse drawn carriage and it occurred to him that there was one best angle for the image - based upon the background!

Jim will be conducting workshops at the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival in Titusville January 21-25, so please sign up now and plan to attend.  There will be something there for everyone! (www.spacecoastbirdingandwildlifefestival.org).

Until next time - keep shooting!

Fotobug - Episode 144 - Laurilee Thompson - Space Coast Birding & Wildlife Festival

Happy Thanksgiving to our friends in the USA and greetings to all!

In recent photo news, Gura Gear acquired Tamrac back in June 2014 and now is going to retire the Gura Gear brand and consolidate them under the Tamrac label.  The import tool has been updated and restored in the latest Lightroom release along with additional lens profiles and Raw support.  Reuters is now only accepting JPEG images rather than edited Raw files. The JPEGs must have "minimal processing" such as level corrections and cropping.  Finally, police in Pennsylvania were called out by a 911 call that reported a gunman was walking around with a machine gun.  It turned out to be a photographer carrying a tripod!

Our guest is Laurilee Thompson, the founder of the Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Festival which will be taking place in Titusville in January 20-25, 2016.  This will be the 19th year for the festival and includes an expanded program this year for photography!  Laruilee talks about the festival and what to expect, there are dozens and dozens of seminars, fields workshops and classroom sessions - some free! - geared to birders, wildlife enthusiasts, nature lovers and photographers.  Jim from The Fotobug will also be there leading workshops at the festival.  We urge you to go out to the website (www.spacecoastbirdingandwildlifefestival.org) right away to register for the workshops as many workshops have limits on attendees and the popular ones will fill up fast.  The Fotobug will be featuring highlights of the festival in the early February podcast.

Hope to see you there!

Fotobug - Episode 143 - Review Rogue Safari

 Welcome to The Fotobug Podcast number 143!  In current news, camera manufacturers have been declaring decent profits, but digital camera sales have been declining. The trend seems to be toward mirrorless cameras.  Polaroid is suing GoPro over the new Hero 4 Session which Poloroid claims is a copy of The Cube.  Medium format camera maker, Hasseblad has sold a minority stake to DJI Technology in China which makes the popular Phantom UAV.  National Geographic just announced a lay-off of nearly 10% of its workforce due to a cost cutting measure after it was acquired by Rupert Murdoch.  

Those smart photographers that follow us on Facebook were able to take advantage of a new Kickstarter project by Alpine Labs and take advantage of an early-bird pricing for a new remote camera trigger which operates from smart phones (IOS and Android).  It allows most camera settings to be adjusted from the phone and will even do time lapse!  There is still time to get better pricing before the unit goes to market - just go to Kickstarter and search for Pulse by Alpine Labs.

Jim and Fred take the Rogue Safari flash enhancer out for a spin.  The Safari is for cameras with pop-up flash units and fits onto the hot shoe.  The device then focuses the output of the flash and extends its range to around 25 to 30 feet.  Although the Safari works just as promised, there are some caveats and things you should know when using any kind of flash enhancer.  For example, it can increase the chance of red-eye and if left on your camera, the sun can damage your camera or your flash.  The Safari should also be used with lenses of 100mm or greater (when using a camera with a crop sensor).  Watch the podcast as Jim and Fred take the Safari into a local state park and demonstrate how to use it.

Be sure to tune into the next podcast for an interview with a member of the Space Coast Birding and Nature Festival coming up in Titusville, FL this coming January!  For more information go to www.spacecoastbirdingandwildlifefestival.org

Fotobug - Episode 142 - Halloween light painting fun

Welcome to The Fotobug Halloween special podcast!

In the news Sony Corporation is to split the part of its business that makes imaging sensors away from the Devices segment that it currently comes under and Toshiba is finalizing plans to sell its image sensor business to Sony for an estimated $165 million.  Adobeapologizes for issues that caused lockups and crashes with the Lightroom 6.2 update.  The FAA is planning to require registration of all UAVs and will possibly do so before the end of the year. Western Digital is planning to acquire Sandisk Corporation in a cash and stock buy out.  Sigma is introducing the world's fastest wide angle lens, a 20mm f/1.4 lens!  Be sure to watch the podcast for more details on these news items and more!

Using simple LED flashlights, Jim and Fred demonstrate how easy it is to create abstract art after dark, in your own back yard!  Inexpensive LED lights can be found at many local gift shops and should only cost a few dollars.  In addition you can use regular LED flashlights and using colored gels to create different colored light.  You might also try extended exposures to include the local landscape with the abstract light paintings placed into the scene. Also, you may wish to wear dark clothing to prevent you from appearing in the final image. 

In addition to the flashlights, you need a solid tripod and of course, a camera. We recommend keeping your ISO below 1600 and you can use a brighter flashlight to help focus.  Be aware that even though you may not see lights in the background, the extended exposure (up to 30 seconds or more!) can cause the distant lights to appear. Have fun and be sure to share your images with us on our Facebook page!

Finally, M&M Photo Tours have extended an offer to reduce their Tanzania trip next year by 10%.  Check www.mmphototours.com for complete information!

Also remember the 10% discount on all Rogue Flash products until the end of the year.  Contact Hunts Photo to take advantage of this offer!

Fotobug - Episode 141 - Highlands of Scotland

September was a very busy month for The Fotobug guys! Jim just returned from a Curtis Budden Photo workshop in Scotland and even toured Ireland for a few days. In the news, Flickr has introduced a 360 degree photo viewer as well as YouTube and even Facebook. GoPro has introduced a new entry-level action camera, the HERO+ with Wi-Fi. RED has launched its new RED RAVEN camera which offers 4K recording at 120fps and 2K recording at 240fps. Adobe has announced updates to its Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements and has expanded the dehaze filter in the CC version of Camera Raw to work with the Radial Filter, Graduated Filter and Local Adjustment Brush. Vantage Robotics has a new 4K camera quadcopter called Snap, and it's now up for pre-order.  Finally, our friends at M&M Photo Tours have offered our listeners a 10% discount on a workshop to Tanzania.  Everything is included, including airfare from New York. Go to http://mmphototours.com/ for complete information.

Jim shares highlights of his recent photography workshop in the Highlands of Scotland with Curtis Budden (www.curtisbuddenphotography.com).  The landscapes in Scotland are absolutely amazing and every photographer should plan to travel to Scotland at least once!  Curtis also does photo workshops in other areas and we suggest you check out his website - he will even organize custom tours for you.  Jim also created a number of timelapse sequences for the podcast using his own rail in addition to the original Radian and LRTimelapse software.  Thanks to a great group that helped make this workshop truly outstanding!

Coming up next time, The Fotobug Halloween special with a How-to on spooky night time light painting.  Be sure not to miss it!

Fotobug - Episode 140 - Black Hills Photo Shootout and Jennifer Wu

Welcome to our coverage of the Black Hills Photo Shootout in Rapid City, South Dakota.  But first, the latest photographic news!  Lenstag now has a subscription option for $2.00 a month of $19.00 a year - currently by invitation only.  There is now a Kickstarter project to produce a DSLR-like case for the GoPro camera.  Flickr demonstrated an early preview of a 'virtual reality experience' designed for viewing 360-degree panoramic photos. Sony has introduced the Alpha 7S II, a second iteration of its video-centric Alpha 7S. DJI has announced a pair of Micro Four Thirds aerial cameras including a model that can shoot lossless 4K Raw footage. Photographer and designer Philipp Schmitt has created a concept camera called 'Camera Restricta' with a unique feature: it won't allow the user to take a picture in an area where too many other photos have been taken. Finally, Apple has launched the long-rumored iPad Pro.  Watch the podcast for more details!

The 6th Annual Black Hills Photo Shootout is now history and was another great weekend in Rapid City. Our keynote speaker this year was Jennifer Wu who also agreed to an interview on this podcast - check out Jennifer's website at www.jenniferwu.com.  Jennifer shares some quick tips to find and photograph the milky way and star photography in general. In addition we talk to workshop leader Dick Kettlewell who has a new book coming out in mid-October.  It was great seeing old friends and making new friends!  We appreciate all the new "likes" on our Facebook page (go ahead and "like" us - it only takes a moment!!).  If you missed this year, we will be back next year and there is also the Tampa Bay Photo Shootout in April in the Tampa Bay area.

Up next - Jim will share his adventures in the Highlands of Scotland including the Isle of Skye.  You won't want to miss it!