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Review: EyeEm Photography Sharing App for iOS

by Hannah Gal on January 13, 2012 · 12 comments

At the heart of the EyeEm photo app is a vibrant community spirit. From the very first time you upload a photo, you feel part of a worldwide, active photo-sharing group.

Besides providing a platform for your own photos, this intuitive app offers insight into fellow snappers’ work, with thousands of uploaded photos. Photos are grouped into albums in various categories including Friends, Nature, Self-Portraits, My Desk, Smile, Subway, and On the Road, among others. There is up-to-date info about the number of photos in each category and the number of photographers who contributed them.

On the main screen, you can click on Popular to view the most-liked photos of the moment or “Around You” for images taken in your area. Here you can also conduct a Search, open Albums to browse through generously-sized thumbnails, and click on any image to enlarge.

Next to the full-size image is a heart icon through which you inform the photographer you liked his/her creation. There is also an option to leave a comment about the photo and get a conversation started.

A click on the camera icon opens EyeEm’s own camera. Not as elaborate as some dedicated photo-taking apps out there, this camera’s controls are limited to Flash and the handy ability to reverse the camera for shooting self portraits.

Along the bottom of the clutter-free camera screen are twelve real-time filters to apply to the preview image before committing. These are highly effective filters that seem to instantly beautify even the simplest of images. You then tag your freshly taken photo using the colourful Activity and Location bubbles that appear on the screen. The first lists a range of preset activities such as eating, having fun, and working, while the location bubble suggests a list of nearby locations. I like that you can leave both location and type of activity blank if you so wish. Before you hit the Upload button, you get the choice of sharing your photo via Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Foursquare, or email.

When you choose to upload an existing image, EyeEm opens up your personal collection, where you simply select the image you wish to add and share it via Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Foursquare or email.

EyeEm lets you share a permanent link of your account to Flickr, Facebook, Tumblr or Foursquare, as well as create a unique profile with a few words about yourself. You can claim your own EyeEm URL that displays all of your uploaded pics, as well as your blog, information on users who liked your images with a link to their page, and more.

This is a fast, confusion-free, intuitive app. A testimony to its user friendliness is the fact I soon found myself using it to add new work to Flickr.

EyeEm on iTunes
EyeEm website

Photographers, Branch Out Your Learning Material

by Dan Bailey on November 30, 2011 · 5 comments

Practicing with the SB-900s. Learning.

Face it, being a better photographer means being a more diverse and well-rounded photographer. You knew that, though didn’t you. That’s one of the reasons you come here, right? You’re always seeking to improve your craft, learn new tips, techniques and methods, and expand the boundaries of what you’re ultimately capable and comfortable shooting.

As someone who used to shoot only adventure and extreme sport-type subjects and who seriously shied away from inside photography jobs, I’ve certainly diversified my style of photography. Not only has this allowed me to get a wider variety of assignment work and increased income from stock, it’s also contributed to my own personal fulfillment in photography.

Whereas I rarely used to shoot people, except in the context of the sport in which they were currently engaged, now I find myself quite driven by the challenge of shooting environmental and location portraits and focusing on lighting, framing, and expression instead of just action.

To develop this part of my craft, I’ve used the regular learning methods that most of us tend to use: books, instructional videos, workshops, etc… However, I’ve also turned to methods that I wouldn’t have previously thought of. Sometimes I get books to review, and they’re not always titles that I think are relevant to my style of photography. That said, after taking a look at some of them, namely Light and Shoot: 50 Fashion Photos by Chris Gatcum, it occurred to me that there is something to learn from just about every resource, even if you don’t think there is.

For the record, I’m not a fashion shooter. Never will be. That said, fashion shooters use some of the most creative and experimental lighting techniques and styles known to man and I realized that I might be able to learn a few things from this book that I might not have thought of. In fact, I took it with me on the plane while traveling to a recent location assignment where I knew I’d be shooting people, just to browse through and get ideas.

I can’t say that I used any of the exact techniques that were in the book, but by exploring and expanding my scope of learning material, I know that I’ll slowly push my creative boundaries over time. Try it. Get some books you wouldn’t normally get and see what you can learn from them. I promise, you’ll learning something and at least find some new creative inspiration. And remember, you can always write them off.

Happy (diverse) learning.

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Senior contributor Dan Bailey is a professional adventure, outdoor and travel photographer based in Anchorage, Alaska.

 

 

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“London Sessions with Brett Florens” Wedding Photography iPad App

by Hannah Gal on November 14, 2011 · 9 comments

London Sessions with Brett Florens - iPad App
The “London Sessions with Brett Florens” app for iPad is your ticket to an exclusive wedding photography course with renowned photographer Brett Florens. Through the app’s three-day workshop, this skilled professional delivers priceless advice as well as practical photo sessions, geared to elevate your wedding photography business and help you appeal to a higher level clientele.

You get Brett’s tried and tested view on business sustainability, dealing with clients, advertising, nailing a job, costings, maintaining a healthy relationship with fellow suppliers (videographer, florist, jeweller, dress designer), attending bridal shows, pre-wedding meeting, viewing your portfolio, and much more. Just hearing a professional of Brett’s calibre describe his personal kit is illuminating, from his reasoning for choosing the Nikon 70-200 2.8 lens to why a collapsable reflector is the single most important addition to your kit.

The first day includes an excellent photo demonstration in which Brett shows specially created exposure problems and then presents fast and effective solutions for each. This clear insight into how he tackles common exposure issues would be of benefit to any photographer—whatever their level of expertise—and should be taught at every photography school.

His quick and effective remedies go beyond the elimination of unsightly shadows, or overly shiny skin, to achieve an altogether classier shot. Importantly, this constructive guidance can be applied to a multitude of situations with tips for life on controlling depth of field, shooting in aperture priority mode, reading your histogram on the fly, or refining the exposure settings to ensure the client gets exactly what she asked for. A great example here is a beach shot that delivers flattering exposure of the bride but fails to show the beautiful beach behind her. Brett explains how this specific bridal shot can be adjusted to bring in detail of the beach in the background, thus fulfilling her (well-paid for) wish of stunning beach bridal shots.

London Sessions with Brett Florens - App for iPad

At the end of the first day, there are practical sessions where Brett takes a group of photographers on a comprehensive wedding day shoot with a model couple. There is a casual engagement session in a fetching London coffee shop as well as a fashion-oriented street scene. Brett’s experience shines throughout with clear instructions on engaging with the couple, exposure, using available light with a reflector, and more.

Practical sessions continue on the second day when the group photographs the bride’s preparations (including an informative interview with the makeup artist and shooting the dress), the ceremony and exchanging rings, reception and first dance, bridal portraits, couple leaving the church, and countless memorable moments in-between. The second day ends with a night shoot against the backdrop of London’s striking night lights with an enormous amount of photographic details throughout.

The third day is dedicated to the post production process, from choosing images and touch-ups to printing and maintaining a healthy relationship with a pro lab. The post-wedding shoot is expanded upon, including some particularly striking images. Brett shows the Grey Card in Post Production, speaks of Raw vs. Jpeg, Nik Software, printing your images, relationship with your pro-lab, post-wedding shoot, reprints, parent’s albums, and more.

This app is the ultimate guide to wedding photography, from running and sustaining a successful business to delivering simply classic images. While every photographer of any skill level would benefit from this Nikon-credited photographer’s advice, the app would be of enormous interest to practicing practitioners wanting to elevate their business, take more striking shots, and attract a classier clientele. Brett’s expertise is admirable, while his thoroughly professional delivery is charmingly clear and informative throughout.

Grab the app in the iTunes Store.

Go “Behind The Lens” with Brett Florens’ Photography iPad App

by Hannah Gal on November 7, 2011 · 13 comments

BehindtheLens AppNetframes’ “Behind the Lens with Brett Florens” app for iPad and iPhone takes us on an engaging wedding day shoot with top photographer Brett Florens. We follow this skilled professional as he guides us through the entire day, from arrival at the groom’s house and the couple’s preparation, to bridal and outdoor portraits, the church, reception, first dance, cake cutting, and more.

The app’s greatest strength is the comprehensive insight it provides into the hectic day. As we follow the admirably calm Brett from one setting to another, he shares his expert choices of equipment, exposure, wedding day proceedings, photographer’s conduct on the day, subject lighting, and pose. There are countless tips for every aspect of wedding photography, including constructive use of time on the day, building rapport with the couple, and tackling lighting challenges that arise. Coupled with the gorgeous resulting images, this information amounts to a priceless and highly-effective photography lesson.

Behind Brett’s masterful presentation hides an astounding amount of useful photographic detail. For a single outdoor shot of the groom riding a bike, for example, Brett explains how he uses pocket wizards—wireless transceivers—so that the flash can be triggered from 20-30 meters away. He attaches one to the camera and the other to the flash before bringing in a portable strobe unit to freeze the action. On this overcast day, Brett sets the camera to 400 ISO with a 200 shutter speed. The ambient light is around 200 at F11 and, as Brett explains, he is shooting at F14 to slightly underexpose the background and separate it from the subject.

Brett’s clear delivery is enhanced by the app’s superb editing. The overall emphasis is on elevating your photography—whatever your level of expertise—and creating classy images.

BehindTheLensBride

Some of the many tips I jotted down were shooting in pairs so you have images for both sides of the wedding album, getting at least one good shot of all bridesmaids and groomsmen, getting a shot of the groom as he listens to the bride’s reception speech, using an extension chord for the flash to get directional lighting, getting ambient light into a dancing shot (set to tenth of a second on F4), and checking image histogram on the fly. Brett chooses one histogram to show lack of highlights in the 1/125, F4, 400 ISO shot. On this occasion, he tackles the problem by slowing the shutter down to a tenth of a second, allowing ambient light in and adding atmosphere.

His ultimate control over his equipment is evident throughout. In one outdoor shoot, Brett makes a daylight shot look like it was taken at night, and in another reprints-generating shot, uses a wide-angle lens on a raised monopod for a photo outside the church that includes the couple’s entire guest party.

Brett’s professionalism provides a worthy lesson in fast thinking and thorough understanding of both ambient light and your equipment. When the light drops dramatically, Brett takes atmospheric shots of the couple before bringing the Ranger power pack into action. He swiftly adjusts his equipment for the reception, which is shot in a photojournalistic style with many emotive and candid images. After taking several detail shots around the room, Brett backs up onto the Epson P5000, where we get a glimpse of the many images taken so far. Using a 12-24mm lens and a slow shutter speed, he captures the couple’s arrival with lively images that have a sweeping effect, a fetching touch of drag, and sense of motion.

BehindTheLensReception

For the speeches, he uses a 600watt Elinchrome head with a white umbrella, a lighting set up which, as Brett explains, is suitable throughout as it covers both guests and speakers. For the first dance, Brett’s assistant shines a 2 million power flash light to illuminate the bride’s veil, allowing Brett to shoot romantic, warm images without a flash.

This is a superbly put together app that is guaranteed to elevate your wedding photography to a higher level and help you produce classier ‘winning shots’. It is a comprehensive and friendly guide to wedding photography, bursting with priceless photography tips for life. If you are curious about wedding photography or a practicing professional wishing to significantly improve your output and clientele, this app is for you.

Pick it up in the iTunes Store.

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Highlights from the 2011 PhotoPlus Expo

by Dan Bailey on November 4, 2011 · 9 comments

Ken Kaminesky and me at PhotoPlus Expo. Photo by John Shafer: AKA @Photo_John

Well, another PhotoPlus Expo has come and gone and wow, what a show it was! I got to see so much cool gear that I’ve already filled out my Christmas list. (I live in Alaska, so I’ll just hand deliver the list when I get back.)

I finally met a handful of my Twitter friends in person, like @photojack, @Photo_John, @PicSeshu and @KenKaminesky. (I need to talk to him about changing his Twitter handle—maybe something catchy like @Photo_Ken.)

And I learned so much in some of the awesome seminars, that I now know how to fix everything that I’m doing wrong in my photography business.

If you never been to a big photo trade show, let me tell you, you’re missing out big time! To let you relive some of the magic I experienced during the past few days, here’s what a typical day looked like for me. Of course, this is in addition to my regular coverage of posting show tidbits on Facebook and Twitter for The Photoletariat.

7:30 AM Wake up bleary-eyed from staying up late watching bad hotel TV.

8:45AM Dodge raindrops and taxi cabs on my way over to the Javits Center and catch another seminar on photography and social media.

10:38 Head to the Nikon booth to see what it’s like to look through a $12,000 lens.

11:22AM Pass a guy in the hall who looks like he’s probably Zack Arias.

12:16PM Stop Joe McNally and do a 48-second video interview with him for The Photoletariat. Then after he’s gone, realize I messed up and accidentally double-tapped the record button. Decide that a one-second clip of him holding a cup of coffee probably won’t make for a very good blog post.

12:45PM Hand out coupons for my new off-camera flash eBook, “Going Fast With Light,” and inform people that everyone who buys it in the next two weeks is automatically entered to win a $500 gift card from B&H Photo. (This is still going on. Download your copy here and get in on the contest!)

1:02PM Suddenly remember that I forgot to eat breakfast, woof down a Clif Bar, get really busy again and then forget to eat anything else for the rest of the afternoon.

1:35PM Walk past the Midwest Photo Exchange booth and get caught up in a crowd of 750 Strobist readers who are all blocking the aisle, probably hoping to catch a glimpse of David Hobby.

2:11PM Approach a camera equipment manufacturer, introduce myself as the Senior Contributor to The Photoletariat, and ask for free gear to try out and review.

2:15PM Approach another camera equipment manufacturer, introduce myself as pro Alaska adventure photographer and blogger Dan Bailey and ask for free gear to try out and review.

3:18PM Stuff another product catalog into my bag that’s already so full that it’s starting to hurt my back.

3:30PM Run into someone else that I follow on Twitter.

3:46PM Walk past the room where Superstar Dane Sanders just finished his Fast Track coaching seminar and suddenly find myself surrounded by 475 of his wedding photographer groupies.

4:05PM Pass a guy in the hall who’s I think is probably the real Zack Arias.

4:47PM Head back to the Gitzo booth for the third time, in the hopes that someone will give me a free tripod.

6:00PM Go out to dinner and grumble with fellow shooters about how tough it is to be a photographer in this economy. Drink a few more beers and revel in the fact that we’re all living the dream.

8:45PM Stroll through Times Square and see hundreds of tourists taking pictures with their telephones.

10:16PM Arrive back at the hotel. Write and upload Photoletariat blog posts on my iPad so that they can go live first thing in the morning. Then stay up way too late watching bad hotel TV.

Thanks for following along with all of this year’s PhotoPlus Expo coverage, and as always, thanks for reading and retweeting The Photoletariat.

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Senior contributor Dan Bailey is a professional adventure, outdoor and travel photographer based in Anchorage, Alaska.

 

 

New from Manfrotto: Pocket Series Ultra Mini Tripod

by Dan Bailey on November 3, 2011 · 6 comments

See this thing above that looks like some kind of little mini, futuristic nano robot bug? It’s called the Pocket Series Camera Support and it’s the world’s smallest tripod.

Maybe it’s not the smallest, but it’s certainly the coolest, most functional, and most rugged. Manfrotto unveiled the new design of the Pocket Series line at PhotoPlus Expo last week.

Basically, it’s a solid metal baseplate for your camera that happens to have retractable legs. Stick it in, fold up the legs and go. Pretend it’s just a slightly large quick release plate and forget about it.

Then, when you need to brace your camera somewhere with no hands, like for a landscape, a self portrait, an HDR series, or a time lapse, simply unfold the legs, adjust them accordingly, based on the surface or terrain, and voila! You have instant camera support. Since the legs operate independently of each other, it gives you a wide variety of view angles and options.

The new Pocket Modos come in two sizes: one for DSLRs and one for compact cameras and point and shoots. Also come in black or gray. I see it being a pretty useful gadget. Sure, it adds a bit of weight to your camera, but if you go sans tripod, you’re already saving that much more weight. It’s built like a little nano tank and is sure to come in handy in a variety of photography situations.

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Senior contributor Dan Bailey is a professional adventure, outdoor and travel photographer based in Anchorage, Alaska.

 

 

10 Tips On How to Build Your Photography Empire

by Dan Bailey on November 2, 2011 · 32 comments

With so much to see and hear at PhotoPlus Expo, it’s a real challenge to balance looking at new gear, networking, and making time for the seminars. It’s impossible to see every one, but I did manage to catch the seminar on Building Multiple Revenue Streams by Derrick Story.

You might recognize the name, Derrick is the social media face of @LowePro. He’s also a working photographer and writer, and he gave a great talk about how widening your net of photography-related income is key to succeeding in the business these days. Visit Derrick’s blog The Digital Story.

Here are 10 tips on how to build your photo empire in the new economy…

[click to continue…]

The New Fujifilm X10 Compact Camera

by Dan Bailey on November 2, 2011 · 8 comments

The age of true high-end point and shoot cameras has finally arrived.

If you’re like me, you keep waiting for the next level of compact cameras that don’t cost a fortune, that produce great imagery, and that don’t have horrible shutter lag. You keep waiting, all the while just keep shooting with your iPhone.

This year at PhotoPlus Expo, we saw a new generation of compact cameras from every manufacturer, including the new Fujifilm X10. I only got a brief look at the very end of the day, but I really liked what I saw.

First of all, this camera looks and feels awesome in your hands. It reminds me of a small, classic rangefinder. All the dials and controls are laid-out in a really obvious and ergonomic way. You turn it on by rotating the zoom barrel on the lens, and adjust things like shutter speed and aperture with a small thumb dial on the back.

Image quality is pretty standard for what we’re seeing lately: 12MP, with a 4x zoom and a lens that effectively covers a range of 28-112mm. It shoots Jpeg, RAW and H.264 video with stereo sound. And it has impressive macro capabilities, focusing down to about 1cm away from your subject.

And the best part; virtually no shutter lag, which means you won’t miss the moment. Oh, and just to make sure you don’t miss it, the X10 will fire at continuous high speed mode ar 10 fps (M and S file size) and 7 fps at full resolution. That’s faster than my D700!

This is what we’ve all been waiting for, right?

The Fujifilm X10 costs $600, and in my quick look, I’d say it’s worth every penny. For $1,200, you can pick up its big brother, the new X100, which has many of the same specs, all packed into a beautiful, rugged chrome chassis that will make you think you’re carrying a fifty year old classic.

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Senior contributor Dan Bailey is a professional adventure, outdoor and travel photographer based in Anchorage, Alaska.

 

 

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