Fotobug - Elusive Image Photography

Fotobug, Elusive Image - Episode 38

Welcome to Podcast #38! In today's episode, Jim and Fred discuss Fujifilm's new 3D viewer, the new post-focus camera from Lytro (www.lytro.com), Apple updates Aperture, and the scandal at Olympus Camera in Japan. In addition, a man sues a Manhatten photo studio for missing the last dance and bouquet toss at his wedding - six years after the wedding and divorce! He demands $48,000 to restage the wedding even though the former wife may have moved back to Latvia!

The new Lytro is an amazing concept in cameras which will allow the photographer to choose the focus point in the final image AFTER the photo has been taken. It doesn't capture images with a typical sensor, but rather captures what Lytro describes as a "complete light field" which captures the color, intensity, and direction of the light. With this information, you can focus, and re-focus anwhere in the picture at any time! The little cameras are uncoventional and do not have any focus motor, but feature an 8X optical zoom and f/2 aperture lens which is constant over the entire zoom range. Visit www.lytro.com for more information and for an online demo of post-focusing!

Also, since the last podcast, Jim completed his final University of Florida module and is now a fully certified Florida Master Naturalist!

Finally - Jim presents an in-depth review of the Neos Adventurer overshoes as mentioned by Chris Klapheke at www.outdoorphotogear.com in our last podcast. Jim not only tests the overshoes in a mangrove marsh in Florida - he travels all the way to Colorado to test them in the ice and snow!

As always, please send us your comments (jim.fotobug@verizon.net or fred.fotobug@verizon.net) or post your comments on our The Fotobug Facebook Fan page and don't forgot to share your favorite images with us!

Be sure to tune into the next podcast, #39, for our Avians and Aviation special!

Fotobug, Elusive Image - Episode 37

Fred and Jim welcome back Chris Klapheke as a guest co-host from Outdoor Photo Gear (www.outdoorphotogear.com) to discuss new equipment and accessories for fall and winter photography. We are trying an experiment to bring Chris to you via a Skype video feed! In addition, we will be discussing the new Canon 1D just announced as well as the usual news items. Be sure to tune in to see the amazing time lapse photo taken this past month by an amateur photographer. This episode is also our spooky Halloween special - so don your costumes and prop up your feet for some creepy shenanigans. For optimum viewing, we recommend subscribing to our podcast via iTunes, Zune, Miro or any of the leading RSS feeds. Be sure to check out our Facebook Fan page and while there, why not take a moment to 'Like' us! In addition, be sure to 'Like' Outdoor Photo Gear as well! Please don't hesitate to post your images, questions or suggestions on our page, or email us at jim.fotobug@verizon.net or fred.fotobug@verizon.net. We also enjoy hearing from our listeners! NOTE: It just came to our attention that if you subscribe to this podcast via the Touch, or iPhone or iPad and you have upgraded to the latest operating system, the podcast will now appear under Videos instead of Podcasts!

Fotobug, Elusive Image - Episode 35

Welcome to the Fotobug Podcast #35!  In this episode, Jim and Fred talk about the Canon SLR lens that fell from the sky, an image suggesting Nicolas Cage is a vampire, and more updates on WiFi compact flash cards.  In addition, the video review of the quick release tripod head from Podcast #34 has now been put on YouTube and shared on our Facebook and Google+ pages.  More videos from the Fotobug vault to come - so stay tuned! Also included this this episode is a discussion of the Jobu Jr (Black Widow) gimbal head and whether it is practical to use on large lenses, such as the Canon 500mm f/4.  Please join in the discussion on our Facebook page and let us know your thoughts. Jim also shows off a panorama image taken in Mongolia with his DIY L bracket featured a couple episodes back.  More to come - Chris Klapheke from Outdoor Photo Gear will be joining us again as well for his fall line-up as Tim Vollmer from Iceland.  Jim is heading off to the Black Hills Shootout in South Dakota, so if you will be attending that event, be sure to come over and say 'hi'!  Jim will be taping interviews for upcoming podcasts.

Fotobug, Elusive Image - Episode 34

Welcome to the Fotobug podcast number 34.  In this episode we have an exclusive on a new product that any nature or landscape photographer who uses a tripod (you do use a tripod, don't you?) will want to try.  This nifty invention is a quick realease tripod head mount that allows you to quickly change heads on your tripod - for instance from a gimble head to a ball-head.  Jim and Fred speak to the inventor and show off the new device. The new tripod quick release is now available from Outdoor Photo Gear and Nature Scapes. In the news, Toshiba has announced a new Wi-fi capable SD card, ICVT has a new method to optimize JPEG compression, the release candidates for Lightroom 3.5 and RAW 6.5 are available from Adobe, and the Fotobug guys discuss a new website - www.youarenotaphotographer.com. In addition, the guys discuss photo manipulation - good, bad, or in-between?  We would like for you to send us your comments, or post your comments at our Facebook Fan page. Finally, upcoming photo workshops and photo tours for 2012 include Costa Rica, Peru, Morocco and possibly Iceland.  Don't forget, there is still time to register and attend the Black Hills Photo Shootout!

Fotobug, Elusive Image - Episode 33

Welcome to podcast # 33!  Fred and Jim try something new - full video of the podcast, please give us your feedback as this format is just an experiment! In this podcast, Jim shows some images from his recent photo tour in Mongolia.  In the news, Jim and Fred discuss Sony's new A77 mirrorless camera, the new 3D consortium to standardize 3D glasses technology for TVs, Samyang's new 24mm f/1.4mm lens, Heliotropic and Kenko have released new variable neutral density filters and even more! In addition, Jim will be attending the Black Hills Shootout in South Dakota coming up the end of September through October 2nd.  Please come up and say 'Hi' if you plan to attend.  Also, Jim mentions that he is putting together a limited photo tour of Morocco for November 2012 - please write if you are interested, the group will be limited to only 3 more photographers.  Date and actual pricing TBD. Let us know what you think of this vodcast format and coming up next time, a new invention for those using gimbal tripod mounts! You won't want to miss this!

Fotobug, Elusive Image - Episode 32

Welcome to podcast #32!  Jim and Fred interview Dr. Henry DeGroot, who owns and operates Digital Image Flow, the #1 producer of gray cards for photographers.  Dr. DeGroot discusses white balance and explains how their products, such as the new DKC-Pro card can be used to help create color profiles, ensure proper exposure and set the correct white balance for your camera.  All for only $24.95!  Check out http://www.digitalimageflow.com/ and be sure to let them know you heard about it on The Fotobug Podcast! In the news items, Jim and Fred continue the discussion about Apple's Patent to limit iPhone camera use, Pentax has announced a special 40MP medium format limited edition of its 645D camera, and 41 year old Charles McQuillan photographs his own heart surgery and Photojojo makes a Nikon/Canon lens adapter for the iPhone! Jim is currently on his photoworkshop in Outer Mongolia and will be sharing images and stories in the next podcast so be sure to subscribe!  Don't forget to leave us feedback! We also want to thank listener Wayne P Staats for sending us the DIY tip used in this episode. A special hello to our friends at the Film Photography Podcast - and its host Michael Rasso!  Be sure to check out this podcast, even if you aren't interested in film photography.

Fotobug, Elusive Image - Episode 31

Welcome to podcast number 31!   Our special guest  is photographer and author, Nicole S. Young who will discuss how to get involved in microstock photography as well as her new book on food photography.  Nicole's  book (micro)STOCK: From Passion to Paycheck is available from http://craftandvision.com/ and her new book on food photography, Food Photography: From Snapshots to Great Shots  can be pre-ordered HERE .   Nicole's website is http://nicolesyblog.com/. Thanks to Nicole, Jim and Fred are now on Google+ and are considering creating a Fotobug circle on Google's new site.  Keep listening to find out more. If you would like an invite code, send us your favorite photo tip, or let us know about a DIY gadget you created. In the news, Jim and Fred continue the discussion on Apple's patent application to limit iPhone camera use . Finally, Jim presents a quick demo of the open source Lightroom plugin, LR/Enfuse, and shows how it can quickly blend bracketed images together right inside Lightroom.  LR/Enfuse is available at http://www.photographers-toolbox.com and is 'donationware' which means you may pay whatever you believe it is worth to you!  Download and check it out!

Fotobug, Elusive Image - Episode 30

Welcome to The Fotobug's 30th podcast!  The long hot summer is finally here, so why not grab a cold drink, find a cool spot and enjoy the podcast? In the news, this episode, Jim and Fred discuss the black macaques in Indonesia that swipe a camera from nature photographer, David Slater and take some amazing family portraits!  In addition, Fujifilm is returning to interchangable lens cameras, Ricoh buys Pentax from Hoya, Kenko-Tokina buys Cokin Filters,  and more! Also, photographer Mike Oblinski captures amazing time-lapse video of the haboob (sandstorm) in Phoenix Arizona, so we invite Arizona storm photographer, Mike Pendergast (originally interviewed back in Episode 9), back on the show to discuss high ISO settings as well as to show off some of his latest lightning images. For the DIY (Do It Yourself) segment, Jim shows how to create an inexpensive 'L' bracket for a DSLR and mount it to an Arca-Swiss style plate to do better panorama style images.  Total cost, under $40 which includes the arca-swiss plate!  The 'L' bracket alone can be make for under $12.  Compare to commercial versions that cost up to $180!  Jim and Fred also answer a couple viewer questions: how can a law-enforcement agency work with US currency in Photoshop, and how much should a photograher charge a state park for a photo in their promotional brochure? Finally, inflight video footage from the Fotobug Skycam Tricopter is shown and upcoming photo workshops for 2012 are discussed. Come out and 'Like' our Facebook Fan page and share some of your favorite images!  Also, don't forget to leave us feedback and please rate us on iTunes, Podbean, or your favorite podcast site!

Fotobug, Elusive Image - Episode 29

Welcome to The Fotobug, vodcast number 29! Charles Glatzer joins us this episode as a co-host! Charles is an award winning nature and travel photographer whose work can be seen at www.shootthelight.com . Charles offers numerous workshops and has been published in Natl Geo, Outdoor Photographer, Popular Photography, Discover Diving, Smithsonian, Professional Photographer, and many others. In the news, we discuss Apple's new patent to control cell phone cameras, Pentax has released the world's smallest mirrorless compact, Lytro is releasing a camera that can focus after the picture is taken, and a photo of Billy the Kid sells at auction for $2.3 million! If you use UV filters on your lenses, check out this BLOG post from LensRentals.com! Jim and Fred take a trip to Tampa, Florida to the Florida Aquarium and catch up with Jeff Donald for an interview and to discuss Jeff's latest project, The Florida Center for Creative Photography which will be located in Largo, Florida and will offer workshops, a gallery and lots more! Subscribe to the podcast as Jeff will keep us posted on the progress. Finally, for our first DIY, Jim shows off a simple and inexpensive flash attachment to provide soft light. Have a happy 4th of July and stay safe!

Fotobug, Elusive Image - Episode 28

Welcome to Podcast 28!  In the news, Sony announces new DSLR, and a new lens for its NEX camera as well as the Sony World Photography Awards.  Apple has announced details of its forthcoming IOS operating system, Pentax has released an add-on GPS, and Nikon'n latest ads with Ashton Kutcher was filmed with a Nikon DSLR!  Sigma announced the pricing of its new 120-300 f/28 lens. In the Q&A feature, Jim and Fred discuss focusing issues for landscape photoraphy and talk about rear button focus for sports and nature. Congratulations to the winners of the Photo Caption Contest, Brenda, Mary, Lizzie and Troy.  Thanks for entering and enjoy your prizes courtesy of Outdoor Photo Gear (www.outdoorphotogear.com/116.html) ! How do you "fix" an image photographed in a low contrast situation, such as morning fog?  Jim has a video segment to show you how! Our guest this time is local wildlife and landscape photographer, John Sagert.  John discusses his photography including his amazing lightouse captures.  Check out John's images at www.johnsagertphotography.com . Finally, Jim flies the Fotobug Skycam Tricopter for the first time and the Fotobug has video of the flight! The Fotobug is also interested in introducing a new feature - a DIY PHOTO TIP.  We are looking for clever work arounds and gadgets that you may have built from commonly available materials for your photo images.  Send us your best and we will include them in the podcast as well as feature them on our Facebook Fan page!