Apple's powerhouse iMac Pro wows with stellar performance and design Happy New Year everyone! I'm wishing you a healthy Happy New Year! To start off the year I thought I'd share some things I learned about or reviewed the last few weeks of 2017. 1. Something that will make its way to my camera bag shorty, the "Platypod" What is a Platypod? Platypod makes flat tripods. They are the world's most compact mini tripod bases for photographers. Inspired by the duck-billed platypus, an animal with flat and broad feet, we designed our camera supports to be ideal for low-angle shots and situations where traditional tripods are cumbersome or impractical. Their flat design makes them strong. Platypods can support even the biggest DSLR cameras and the heaviest lenses. Platypods can also become a portable studio, with accessory holes that are compatible with strobes. Website: https://platypod.com 2. A review I found interesting from NASIM MANSUROV between Microsoft Surface Book 2 vs Apple MacBook Pro Link: Microsoft Surface Book 2 vs Apple MacBook Pro 3. I have both a Max out iMac and a 2013 MacPro that I used primarily for my editing options. Apples recent release of the new iMac Pro though is Impressive! Plus it just looks awesome in the SpaceGrey Color. Here's a great review from the folks at AppleInsider:
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Just heard some interesting news this week! Number one, for those of you that have used the NIK Collection, which a few months back Google said they would stop development of. The good news is DXO software has brought them! Here's the statement: DxO Now Owns Nik Software The Second, Macphum software which makes a great set of tools for photo editing for Mac and PC is rebranding themselves. Their new name will be "Skylum" Statement: Macphun is becoming SKYLUM Learning the Finder Points of Illumination Any photographer worth her of his lens cap knows a thing or two about light. To be considered in those ranks, all you need to do is master a few basics First, remember that the broader the light source, the softer the light it emits will be. The narrower the source, The harder it's like will be Broad light reduces shadow in contrast and suppresses distracting texture because it's raising the subject from many directions ( which is why it's beloved for flattering portraits). A corollary: closer that the light source is to the subject, the softer dislike will be, because a light source is brought in relation to the subject. The converse holds true as well as you shift the light away from the subject, speed narrows in the light that a cast is harsher and harder. Such light plays of texture (as well as flaws) of and is an excellent choice for greedy, moody photos. Playing with Illumination: Ask a portrait subject to suit your large window to make the most of it in direct sunlight. A window with a good light is a no-cost softbox. Move lamps closer and farther away from subjects into you found the most flattering illumination. Place a light sourced the side of fluffy pets to bring up the softness and texture are their fur. Aim of your flash head backward that bounces it off appeal wall behind yourself for a natural looking diffusion when you shoot in a small room. Till next time. Happy Clicking Lance AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Hope you are all getting out enjoying some of these better spring days! Some interesting items I saw this week included editing software I've been playing with quite a bit, Luminar by MacPhun software. You may want to check it out. This is their latest press release: Best Imaging Software of 2017
Luminar has won dozens of awards since it's launch only five months ago, but what's more important: it has won the hearts of people who love photography. Whether you shoot for fun or photography is your full-time business; whether you want basic tools or need more extensive editing power, Luminar has it all. Other big news would be the release of Sony's new Flagship A9 Full Frame Mirrorless camera. Here's a great review https://www.cnet.com/products/sony-a9/preview/ Till Next Time Happy Clicking Lance Hi, everyone. Hope if you're a football fan your surviving watching your teams game this week. Last week we dove into starting steps with your new DSLR. Those included going out and shoot, Reading the manual and best ways to saw your images to your cards. So this week we're going to touch on further steps going forward. Start out in manual mode, Today's DSLR's, which are high-end computers are so smart that you can just be passive and let the camera do all the work for you. But switching to the other mode options, you see on that dial open up all sorts of possibilities you expand your creative process. Where I would start would be in manual mode, if you are stepping up from shooting with a compact camera or smartphone you most likely were not adjusting your aperture or shutter speed. Now the time to learn those aspects of your camera and photography. At first, this will seem daunting, as you'll be adjusting your settings for each shot, but keep at it. And do use the autofocus built into your camera. (Note, next time we'll talk about Aperture and Shutter Priority). Get organized! You've got a load of camera cards full of some great images you've taken, but if you don't file them on your computer correctly, this could lead to a mess down the road. I strongly suggest a file folder storage set-up. Main reason being is if you switch photo editing software down the road, it will not be a labor intensive task to move to another program! I currently use Adobe Lightroom; their are so many great programs out there now, so do your homework and see what features you want your program. Note: shortly I will have a short video training on setting up a file folder system, and also thoughts about some of the great photo software out there. Learn your camera limits When you acquire your new camera, the expectations are of course very high. Things you'll want to check is ISO-settings, or how your camera handles low light conditions. You want to take pictures in different light conditions with the different setting and see how your camera handles this. Other things would include auto-focus in low light conditions. And just how fast is your high-speed burst mode if you're looking to capture the action. Protect Your Purchase When you get home from the store or open that gift. Write down your camera serial number and put it somewhere safe. Also take 5 minutes and register online so you'll now if there is a recall or service required. Till next time, Happy Clicking! Lance Hi All, couple callouts to share. Let me state I use Lightroom and Photoshop as my primary photo editing tools, that said I use a number of others as plugins that all offer some great options for editing. One of those is Affinity Photo which as the title says you can get 20% off through the App store. One of the nice things if you an Apple user and use photo's, is it will work as an extension right out of Photo's!
Affinity Photo is now 20% off for the next two weeksIf you haven’t yet bought Affinity Photo this is a great time to do it, as it is now available for a limited time at the discounted price of only £29.99 / $39.99 / €39.99. Till next time, Happy Clicking! Lance MORE SO THAN IN MANY OTHER FIELDS IN THE DIGITAL AGE, HARDWARE IS GOING TO MAKE OR BREAK YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH YOUR DIGITAL DEVELOPING WORKFLOW. IF YOU SHOP JUST BY PRICE YOU MAY BECOME FRUSTRATED THAT YOUR EQUIPMENT DOES NOT PERFORM TO YOUR DESIRED NEEDS, OR WORSE YET! YOUR OUT BUYING ANOTHER CUT RATE SYSTEM IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. MY GOAL TODAY IS TO GIVE YOU SOME INSIGHT AS TO WHAT TO LOOK FOR, AND CONSIDERATIONS TO KEEP IN MIND. IT'S NOT NECESSARILY ABOUT SPENDING THE MOST MONEY, BUT GETTING THE MOST FOR THE SAID MONEY.
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AuthorI'm a photographer who loves animal photography. Trying to capture that perfect moment is a passion of mine. Archives
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