Fotobug - Elusive Image Photography

Fotobug - Episode 138 - Rogue Flashbenders

Catching up on the latest photography news, SNAPP guides are coming which will connect photographers to the best locations for photos. From our friend, Luka Esenko and we will soon be following up with him when it is released for IOS and Android. Canadian viewers, listen up! Lens Rentals Canada is closing permanently, according to a statement issued by owner Craig Blairy. He cites logistical issues and personal reasons, saying numerous problems with the business 'didn't make it a fun endeavor'.  The LxMeter from Italian manufacturer Optivelox has introduced an accessory that turns your smartphone into a light meter. Olympus has patented a technology that records polarization information directly on the sensor itself. DJI has announced a new camera UAV called the Phantom 3 Standard for $799.  Tune into the podcast for more details!

Fred and Jim take the Rogue Flashbenders out for a quick spin.  These are very flexible and lightweight lighting controls for camera speed lights.  While The Fotobugs aren't showing off aesthetic lighting techniques, but are rather showing off the flexibility and design advantages of these fine products. For those interested, Hunts has a 10% discount on all Rogue products until the end of the year!

Call Hunt's Photo and Video - ask for Andrea at 781-662-8822 for these and other Fotobug Specials!

This also may be your last chance to register for the Black Hills Photo Shootout with our keynote speaker, Jennifer Wu.  Go to www.thephotoshootout.com to sign up right now!  Jennifer will be our guest on the October podcast!

Fotobug - Episode 137 - Rogue ExpoDisc 2.0

Welcome to The Fotobug podcast number 137!  In the news this week. another person in Kentucky shot down a UAV hovering over his backyard and was arrested with criminal mischief and wanton endangerment. Trey Ratcliff's photo walk in Atlanta was interrupted by the Atlanta police and the group was asked to stop taking pictures and to disperse.  This happened in Centennial Olympic Park and they were told photography wasn't allowed in the public park! Canon has introduced a new ultra-high-sensitivity camera that features an ISO of over 4,000,000 (million)! Canon has also taken the main DSLR awards for the best products of the year as voted by the prestigious European Imaging and Sound Association. The EOS 7D Mark ll won 'European Prosumer DSLR Camera' while the EOS 5DS/5DS R won the award for 'European Professional DSLR Camera'

Fred and Jim have received several Rogue Lighting products which we will be using and reporting on for the next few weeks.  The first item we will be testing is the ExpoDisc 2.0.  Jim has used the ExpoDisc in the past and it a recommended filter to quickly set up a correct white balance for most any lighting situation.  Simply point the camera at the primary light source with the ExpoDisc, take an image and then use that images to set a custom white balance.  Jim wondered if the ExpoDisc could possibly be used to eliminate or reduce the color shift that sometimes occurs with variable ND filters and perform a test during the current podcast.

Call Hunt's Photo and Video - ask for Andrea at 781-662-8822 for these and other Fotobug Specials!

Coming up, the registration is now available for the Black Hills Photo Shootout in Rapid City for the end of September. The featured keynote speaker this year is Jennifer Wu.  Go to www.thephotoshootout.com to register.

Remember, all Rogue products are discounted 10% at Hunts Photo until the end of the year!

Fotobug - Episode 136 - Chip Weiner

The news this week starts out on a down beat for owners of Adobe's Creative Suite 6, as the company announces its upcoming Camera Raw 9.1.1 update will be the final version available for the software. In more up beat news, Trey Ratcliff and Peak Design are now working together on a Kickstarter project for a new camera slash travel bag called the Everyday Messenger. If you post on FLickr, you might be interested to know that Flickr has re-introduced its Pro level membership after an account structure re-organization removed the option for most site users, but new subscribers are subject to the same 1TB cap applied to free accounts. Google launched the stand-alone Photos app with unlimited storage in May. Now it has announced it will be phasing out its predecessor, Google+ Photos.  More details on the current news in the podcast!

Our guest photographer is Tampa Based Photographer, Chip Weiner.  Fred and Jim catch up with Chip in the headquarters for Creative Loafing Magazine.  Chip shares images with us of the 2012 Republican convention as well as editorial and news photographs from Tampa Bay.  Chip also leads photography workshops in the area and we urge you to check out his website at www.chipshotz.com. We believe you will find the interview with Chip to be entertaining and informative.  Chip was also one of the workshop leaders for the Tampa Bay Photo Shootout from this past April.

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The Hunts Photo Specials for August:

 Bowens Mosaic Solo On-Camera LED Light (Regularly $149, ON SALE $89.99 limited supply) 

 The compact and lightweight Mosaic Solo, with 72 high-powered, long-life, daylight balanced LEDs is the perfect light for interviews.  The size and weight of this versatile light makes it great for use on HD-DSLR and video cameras alike and its wide format design creates a broader spread of light that provides the wider cover required for typical 16:9 framing the diffuser and filter set included with this kit. 

CLICK HERE

Promaster LED120 Camera/Camcorder Light (Regularly $99.99, ON SALE $49.99) 

 PROMASTER LED Camera/Camcorder lights help you get well-lit photos and video with more natural color. The continuous light source eliminates the red-eye effect caused by your camera's flash and helps you get sharper pictures by providing a good source of illumination for your camera's autofocus system. 

CLICK HERE

Induro CT304 Grand Induro Series EP Carbon 8X Tripod (Legs) 

 (Regularly $529, ON SALE $299.99 limited supply) The Grand Induro Series EP Carbon 8X Tripods are for those seeking the highest level of stability in a modular and versatile solution for the professional photographer. Induro’s newly designed spider is what makes this entire system possible.

CLICK HERE

Induro BHM2 Ballhead (Regularly $205, ON SALE $119.99 limited supply) 

 The Induro BHM2 Ballheads feature double action separate positioning and pan controls, a Universal Arca-Swiss style Quick Release mounting plate system.

CLICK HERE

 Phottix Strato II Multi 5-in-1 Trigger Set for Nikon or Canon (Regularly $ 105.99, ON SALE $94.99) 

 Making a classic trigger better! The Phottix Strato II Multi 5-in-1 Wireless Trigger System gives photographers incredible control over their flashes and studio lights. 

CLICK HERE

To take advantage of these specials, contact Andrea Cutts acutts@wbhunt.com  at 781-662-8822 and mention The Fotobug specials!

Also all Rogue products (which we will be reviewing in upcoming episodes) are on sale for 10% off until the end of the year!

Registration for The Black Hills Photo Shootout is now live - come sign up now and join us in South Dakota in the Black Hills!  www.thephotoshootout.com

Fotobug - Episode 135 - Oil on Water Photography

Welcome to The Fotobug podcast number 135!

In recent photographic news, researchers at Columbia University are developing an iOS app that would make it easier for consumers to capture bullet time sequences.  A vast majority of Members of the European Parliament have voted to remove wording from a current copyright reform proposal that may have caused a lot of trouble for photographers. Tangerine, a feature film by Sean Baker, is headed for theaters on July 10th. was shot entirely on the iPhone 5,  It has been reported that Panasonic is developing a technology for refocusing an image after it's been shot, and will be commercializing the feature sometime in the next year.  Watch the entire podcast for these and other stories including a discussion of DSLR vs mirrorless cameras passed to us by our friend, Vincent Versace.

Fred and Jim demonstrate how to capture beautiful abstract images of oil on water.  This is a great way to use your camera even if it is too hot or raining outside.  You just need a few items to capture your own oil on water images:

• Camera and tripod
• close-up lens
• Clear glass dish, glass or jar
• water with a little dish soap
• Cooking oil
• food coloring (optional)
• Lighting source

Fred and Jim explain and demonstrate the setup in the podcast. Go ahead and give it a try and share your images with us and our listeners on our  Facebook page!

Please check out the following July specials from Hunts Photo:

 1. Knog [qudos] Action Video Light for Sports Cams & DSLRs (Silver)  originally $119.95, On Sale $89.95 
CLICK HERE

 2.Panasonic A500: Point-of-View Wearable 4K Action Camera. ($349.99 with  Free 32gb micro sd card) 
CLICK HERE 

 3. Canon Pro 10 printer, to be announced I will be adding a Canon pro printer to the promotion, but this will
 not start until after July 5th.Updates will appear on The Fotobug Facebook page!

Call Hunts and ask for Andrea at 781-662-8822

Be sure to tune in next time for our interview with Tampa Bay based photographer, Chip Weiner!  Also check out www.thephotoshootout.com to register for The Black Hills Photo Shootout coming up in September!

Fotobug - Episode 134 - Vanelli and Friends Cruise - Vincent Versace - Mike Moats

Welcome to part 2 of The Fotobug coverage of the Vanelli and Friends Photo Cruise. 

In recent news, we goofed on the price of the new Sony Camera last podcast!  The price for the new Sony A7R II is $3198.  If you photograph or take videos with a UAV, take heart, if someone shoots down your craft, they could be in serious trouble! The White House has ended the ban on photography and Europe may make public photography more difficult - even illegal. GoPro has released a new camera - The Cube for $399. What is Trey Ratliff and Peake Design up to?  Stay tuned for the next podcast to find out!!

The Fotobug special guests this episode are Vincent Versace and Mike Moats.  Vincent is one our best known photographers and we are honored to have him appear.  We urge everyone to check out Vincent's books, website and his videos including those which appear on Kelby One.  Known for his outstanding approach to B&W digital processing, Vincent is also a outstanding portrait photographer and has photographed many of Hollywood's top stars.  Mike Moats has appeared on The Fotobug before and we are delighted to have him on again.  Check out Mike's website at www.tinylandscapes.com to check out his tutorials and inspirational photos. 

Please check out the following July specials from Hunts Photo:

 1. Knog [qudos] Action Video Light for Sports Cams & DSLRs (Silver)  originally $119.95, On Sale $89.95 
CLICK HERE

 2.Panasonic A500: Point-of-View Wearable 4K Action Camera. ($349.99 with  Free 32gb micro sd card) 
CLICK HERE 

 3. Canon Pro 10 printer, to be announced I will be adding a Canon pro printer to the promotion, but this will
 not start until after July 5th.Updates will appear on The Fotobug Facebook page!

Call Hunts and ask for Andrea at 781-662-8822

 

Fotobug - Episode 133 - Vanelli and Friends Cruise - Vanelli - Gary Farber

Welcome to podcast number 133. In recent news, Adobe has released CC 2015 and the RAW convertor contains new features including a Dehaze function.  Adobe also reset previous trials in order to give users another 30 days to evaluate programs.  Sony has released a new full frame mirrorless camera called the A7R II which has a 42.4MP sensor. There are also a couple new crowd funding products including a portable microphone called the Instamic and a device that will automatically pan a camera to track a person or object carrying a tracking device called Soloshot.



Jim just returned from a week on the Vanelli and friends cruise to Cozumel Mexico.He came back with so many great interviews, we are going to divide between two podcasts.  The first two interviews feature Vanelli and Gary Farber from Hunts Photo.  The next podcast will feature interviews with Vincent Versace and Mike Moats.  Make sure you check in next time as you won't want to miss any of these great interviews.  If you are interested in a future photo cruise, Vanelli is planning another for this coming October.  More details to come!

Gary Farber has extended the cruise specials from Hunts to our listeners, so check our Facebook page for all the great show specials!

Fotobug - Episode 132 - Alpine Labs Radian 2

Thanks for tuning into the next Fotobug podcast!  In recent photo news, GoPro shows off a rig that controls 16 cameras to record mufti-angle footage for virtual reality uses, Google has announce a standalone service the separates the photo component of its Google Plus app and now available with unlimited free storage for 16MP and smaller images. GoPro has also introduced a new Hero+ camera with touchscreen and LCD for $299.  Another new app, Kolektio aims to simplify the process of images from a party or other event.  Five photographers have created the world's larges high resolution photograph by combining 70,000 digital images that were taken over a 35 hour period.  Swedish company TTRobotix has introduced a remote controlled submarine that uses a GoPro camera to record underwater images up to 26 ft deep.



Jim and Fred's guest this episode is Greg Horvath, from Alpine Labs.  Greg is part of the Alpine Labs team that is developing the next generation of the Radian Time Lapse device.  The Radian 2 is an updated version of the original Radian that allows the photographer to program the device from an android or IOS tablet or phone, and will then control a camera as well as tilt or rotate or even drive a slider!  The Radian 2 is the most recent Kickstarter project from Alpine and is expected to be released this fall, possibly in September.  The original Radian and Michron timelapse controllers are now available on the Alpine website at http://alpinelaboratories.com and are also available from leading photo retailers and Amazon.  We will be following up with Greg after the new system has been released which promises blue tooth connectivity and more!

The Hunts specials for June are as follows:

Atomos Ninja Star Pocket-Size ProRes Recorder & Deck (regular price > $295, SALE price $275)
CLICK HERE

Rode VideoMic Pro Compact Shotgun Microphone (regular price $229, > SALE price $199)
CLICK HERE

IKAN Flyweight DSLR Camera Stabilizer (regular price $417, SALE price $339)
CLICK HERE

Glide Gear SYL-3000 Camera Stabilizer (regular price $89, SALE price $75)
CLICK HERE

Please ask for Andrea at Hunts for these Fotobug specials -. 781-662-8822

Next time, Jim will be back from the Vanelli and Friends Photo Cruise with highlights and interviews with Vanelli, Vincent Versace and Mike Moats!  Mark July 5th on your calendar - or better yet - subscribe via iTunes!

Fotobug - Episode 131 - Smooth Moves DSLR Video

Thank you for tuning into podcast number 131!  In recent news, Microsoft releases its Hyperlapse algorithm as a new app to produce smooth timelapse videos.  If you like to share your images on various Internet services and are tired of uploading to each individually, there is a new service called Robots for Photos that is currently in beta - if you would like to get an invitation code, listen to the podcast for instructions!  Luka Esenko, our friend from Slovenia is coming out with an app to help you find the best location and time of day to capture optimum images.  Photographer Mary Ellen Mark has passed away at the age of 75 and Fred and Jim discuss a Fotobug connection with Mary Ellen.  Of course there is a lot more!



The theme for June is "DSLR Video" so Jim and Fred review the Atomos Ninja Star HDMI video recorder and the Revolve Camera Dolly and Track system.  Be sure to tune in all month for more features and interviews related to optimizing your video skills with your DSLR camera (or even your mirrorless camera that takes videos!).

The Hunts specials for June are as follows:

Atomos Ninja Star Pocket-Size ProRes Recorder & Deck (regular price > $295, SALE price $275)
CLICK HERE

Rode VideoMic Pro Compact Shotgun Microphone (regular price $229, > SALE price $199)
CLICK HERE

IKAN Flyweight DSLR Camera Stabilizer (regular price $417, SALE price $339)
CLICK HERE

Glide Gear SYL-3000 Camera Stabilizer (regular price $89, SALE price $75)
CLICK HERE

Please ask for Andrea at Hunts for these Fotobug specials -. 781-662-8822

If you will be attending the June 15th Vanelli and Friends Photo Cruise - be sure to say Hi to Jim!

Fotobug - Episode 130 - Light Painting Basics

Welcome to The Fotobug podcast number 130!  In recent news, Canon releases an advisory regarding sensor defects on the Rebel T6i/T6s, Wyoming law makers pass a really, really dumb law that could have a very serious effect on photographers, MIT researchers have developed an algorithm that will allow cameras to remove glass reflections from your images, and former students from the robotics lab at UC Berkley are coming out with Lily, a UAV that will follow and videotape (or photograph) holding a special puck - a super selfie!

Also - May 29th is the last day to take advantage of Adobe's Creative Cloud subscription for an 1 time annual fee of $29.95 per month.



Continuing with May's theme of Light Painting, Fred and Jim present instruction on the basics of light painting - some of the equipment required, how to set up and prepare the camera, and how to apply light to the subject - weather it is a small table-top setup or a large full scale scene like the the cabin above.  Please share your light painting images with us via our Facebook page!  If you have questions on the technique, please send us an email!

This month's theme is sponsored by the amazing folks at Hunts Photo and Video.  Here are the following specials good for the entire month of May. To take advantage of these specials, call Andrea at 781-662-8822 and mention The Fotobug!

1.Promaster LED120----($99.99) SALE price $49.99 CLICK HERE
2.Manfrotto LUMIE Muse----($119.99) SALE price $99.99 CLICK HERE
3.Gisteq F-2981 Flashmate II LED Video Light----($139.99) SALE price $119.99  CLICK HERE
4..Bowens Mosaic Solo On-Camera LED Light----($149.99) SALE price $139.99 CLICK HERE

Remember, all these units are also great for doing light paintings!  Also check out the Hunts Photo Cruise coming up in June featuring Vanelli, Vincent Versace and Mike Moats - Jim from The Fotobug will be there as well! http://vanelliandfriends.com/cruise/

Next month's theme is DSLR video - so be sure to subscribe on iTunes!

Fotobug - Episode 129 - Macro Light Painting

Welcome to The Fotobug podcast 129!  In recent news, Apple has acquired camera technology company Linx for $20 million, Ricoh established an initiative to salvage, clean scan and return photographic prints found in the area devastated by the March 2011 earthquake in Japan.  Adobe just released a Creative Cloud version of Lightroom, and if you want a really big lens, there is a NASA lens available right now on eBay.  For more details and more recent news items, be sure to listen to the entire podcast!

Jim and Fred also do a review of the original Lytro cameras!  If you have one and would like to share you experiences with our viewers, please email us, or post the information on our Facebook page.

The Fotobug theme for the month of May is Macro Light Painting so Jim and Fred present an introduction to a technique that Jim has been developing to carefully apply light to very small objects such as the nautilus shell above.  Be sure to watch the entire podcast to learn how to create your own images like the one above. 

This month's theme is sponsored by the amazing folks at Hunts Photo and Video.  Here are the following specials good for the entire month of May. To take advantage of these specials, call Andrea at 781-662-8822 and mention The Fotobug!

1.Promaster LED120----($99.99) SALE price $49.99 CLICK HERE
2.Manfrotto LUMIE Muse----($119.99) SALE price $99.99 CLICK HERE
3.Gisteq F-2981 Flashmate II LED Video Light----($139.99) SALE price $119.99  CLICK HERE
4..Bowens Mosaic Solo On-Camera LED Light----($149.99) SALE price $139.99 CLICK HERE

Remember, all these units are also great for doing light paintings!  Also check out the Hunts Photo Cruise coming up in June featuring Vanelli, Vincent Versace and Mike Moats - Jim from The Fotobug will be there as well! http://vanelliandfriends.com/cruise/