joemorenophotos.com

3D or NOT 3D?

noreply@blogger.com (SmarterDigital) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 03:53:00 +0000

If you are one of the many people who saw AVATAR in 3D and thought that it was pretty cool - well, hang onto your blue suits because 3D is coming in a BIG way! SAMSUNG has a 3D-Ready TV and in the UK, SKY TV has dedicated a channel for 3D content. In Australia you can get your 3D fix by investing in the FUJIFILM W1 digital camera that takes photos and videos in 3D. You can view the results on the back of the camera or use the dedicated photo frame and eventually you will be able to print the photos. I've seen the camera and all I can say is WOW! Go to your local good camera shop and view one yourself.

How are your videos stored!

noreply@blogger.com (SmarterDigital) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 03:29:00 +0000

I am frequently asked what I do when it comes to how I shoot and store my videos. Well, firstly I shoot with a "Flash" memory camcorder and store on external hard drives. With hard drives, it is important to be aware of how old they are and update them every few years to avoid crashes. This is not such a drama considering how much cheaper they are now (and price is continuing to drop) and the amazing amount of memory now available. The reason I use a Flash Media camcorder is the ease of transfer to computer for storage and the fact that Flash Media is a lot more reliable than tapes or disc. Domestic home camcorders are perfect for everyday family memories, but if you are looking for more professional results, videotape still has its place. The main reason for this is that home camcorders compress information to fit onto a memory card. With tape, there is no compression. Want to know more about YOUR home videos? Here is a great website from CANON to help with the Flash Media world.

An even smaller PEN!

noreply@blogger.com (SmarterDigital) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 02:25:00 +0000

OLYMPUS has always been a field leader when it comes to making small compact cameras and now we are here again with a smaller (and more affordable) DSLR camera that is "not"a DSLR type camera. Their innovations from the early days of film fixed cameras included the compact XA Series through to the first film SLR OM Series and the stylish MJU point and shoot series. What makes this new camera special is the micro 4/3 sensor inside it, which is the same sensor that OLYMPUS use in their DSLR cameras. The sensor matched with dedicated OLYMPUS lenses or LEICA lenses (made for a Panasonic 4/3 camera), make this camera a very special one indeed. The PEN EP-L1 will be well received in the market, joining the increasing range of cameras brands, such as Panasonic, who are introducing high quality compact cameras into the arena this year.

BUZZ OFF Facebook!!

noreply@blogger.com (SmarterDigital) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 01:51:00 +0000

Google says there's already plenty of social networking information out there and what the world really needs is a way to wrangle Twitter, My Space and Facebook to tame information overload that us mere humans deal with. Google has largely failed in its attempts to build a social networking site before, so it’s taking a different tack: The Tuesday launch of Google Buzz has the company pushing a new way to organise by building on a “destination” that millions of people already visit constantly, every day: Gmail. Buzz is like an entirely new world inside of Gmail. It is a distributed social networking service that lets users post publicly via their Google profiles, or privately via their Gmail contacts. Buzz shows up as a virtual folder in Gmail, making small posts from friends and the comments on them part of their e-mail inbox. It makes sharing photos, videos and links very simple, with no need for URL shorteners. Photos come with a flip viewer, and videos play online. If you want to share a web page, Buzz grabs the photos from the link you paste, letting you choose which ones you want to share with just a click.Starting is simple: Users automatically begin by following the people they have e-mailed in the past. Buzz includes updates on what you and your followers do on related Google sites, such as the photo-sharing site Picasa or on Google Reader. It also can include updates from Yahoo’s Flickr photo service and from Twitter, if a user decides to turn on those services. Buzz is not just a Facebook clone, and harkens back to the days of communicating on bulletin boards.Google also announced mobile integration for Buzz, with an updated homepage for smartphone, dedicated apps and updated Google Maps apps. Google says it will make Buzz as open a protocol as it can — obviously criticising Facebook and Twitter. Buzz opens to the public in waves starting Tuesday, and should begin showing up in Gmail users’ inboxes starting immediately. For those of you who have smartphones, and can’t wait, check buzz.google.com on your mobile.

Windows 7 Update!

noreply@blogger.com (SmarterDigital) — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 01:11:00 +0000

With upgrading to anything new, sometimes problems are encountered that make you think why you ever started the change in the first place! This is exactly what happened to me when moving from Windows Vista to the NEW Windows 7 operating system. The first thing I encountered was system crashes, especially when watching any type of movies online (You Tube actually). If you've read about Flash video, it's referred to as very "resource-hungry" which can be a bad thing if your video card and drivers aren't up to scratch. The new APPLE IPad has no ability to play Flash media because of the resources needed and so has slightly put me off getting one for now. I realised my ASUS notebook must need some newer type of drivers to run properly, so after many hours spent trying to find the right driver software (all between Christmas and New Year!), the notebook decided to stop working. I thought I'd killed it - no booting up, no nothing! This can give you a slight case of the trembles when you think of the data that needs to be pulled off the hard drive to enable the running of a day-to-day business. A screwdriver and external hard drive case came to the rescue. This got me into thinking about the wisdom of a Netbook for email and web work but the promise of the new IPAD was just around the corner (I didn't know what it couldn't do then) and my mates said "Just get a MAC." Anyway, I took the ASUS in for warranty repairs (2 years they have) and after a few days they told me it was the video card. With notebooks, this meant replacing the whole motherboard. The end result is the problem has been fixed and my Windows 7 system is running like a dream - quick boot-up and fast fast fast - maybe a MAC next year!

No more badly composed shots of yourself!!

noreply@blogger.com (SmarterDigital) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 00:00:00 +0000

People love to shoot themselves – on camera, that is. Have a look through Facebook and you’ll find any number of self shots: in front of anything of interest including statues in Rome, riding shotgun on epic car trips, and posed with close (or not) close friends! All of them framed incredibly poorly.When you don’t have a tripod or a friend, it’s the best option you’ve got – but Samsung’s trying to improve the process with its latest duo of cameras: the TL225. Besides the typical LCD in the rear, it sports an additional 1.5-inch screen up front, specifically for composing those solo shots destined for the Web.Just center yourself in the frame and snap, the same way you would if you were behind the camera. No more shooting blind. For the group shots taken with a timer, the same screen even shows a timer, so no one has an excuse for blinking at the wrong time ever again. And for snapping shots of kids, it switches to displaying cartoony animations to keep the little ones’ attention on the camera.Like a lot of compact cameras with gigantic rear displays, the 3.5-inch LCD on the TL225 is touch sensitive to help with the huge amount of features to select. Other specs include a 12.2-megapixel sensor, optical image stabilization, the ability to shoot 720p HD video, 4.6x optical zoom, and a wide-angle 27mm lens. This has to be the "fun"camera of the year! More info here!

New touchscreen patent for CANON

noreply@blogger.com (SmarterDigital) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 23:56:00 +0000

Touchscreens are still something of a novelty on regular point-and-shoot cameras, but it looks like they may now already be starting to make their trek to DSLRs -- at least if a recently published patent application from Canon is any indication. Of course, a "touchscreen for a DSLR" is a bit tricky to patent on its own, so Canon is taking a slightly more unique approach: attempting to patent a touchscreen that prevents you from accidentally touching things when you hold the camera up to your face. That includes letting you register your dominant eye when you set up the camera, which will in turn automatically disable the portion of the screen more likely to be touched when you go to take a shot using the viewfinder. The patent application also covers what could be controlled using the touchscreen, including settings like the focus detection area, flash adjustment, ISO, white balance, and exposure correction, to name a few. I hope it's "smudge-proof!"

NEW Ricoh "enthusiast"camera coming

noreply@blogger.com (SmarterDigital) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 01:09:00 +0000

Well, as you might already know, I am quite a fan of RICOH compact cameras( I still have a film RZ3000 film camera in my cupboard...great camera!) and when I was rung to see if I wanted to see the latest incarnation in the range, I had no idea on what I was going to see! Well I must say, the first words I said when I saw this camera, is not something I can publish here, but the guys at RICOH did say that I wasnt alone in my reaction!. In my early years involved with digital photography, RICOH was always there with something unique in their arsenal of cameras and the first camera that I remember fondly was the RDC-7 which was a 3 megapixel camera that looked VERY different compared to film cameras of the day. Even though it was a 3 megapixel, it was able to produce a 7 megapixel shot by doing a bit of "digital"magic to produce a shot that was very printable at A3!. It was also one of the first cameras to record sound tags to a photo which was very handy for cataloging photos with a sound bite to remind you where the shot was taken, not unlike what people do with video camera as they commentate what they are filming. So what does the GXR bring to the table? A totally new concept camera that will match the attached lens to sensor perfectly everytime a "new lens"is released. The camera is in 2 pieces. The main body where memory card/battery is inserted and the lens component that has the sensor and lens. Changing lenses will also not be susceptible to dust issues as each lens is fully sealed. The other advantage of this system is that when a lens is produced, the sensor can be matched "perfectly"thus giving you the best quality image possible. In a conventional DSLR system, lenses "can" have issues of producing the best quality image with all the lenses available for the camera and so some lenses work better than others to produce good results and so with the RICOH GXR you will be assured that the best lens/sensor combination will always be right on the money! Currently we see 2 lens in the series with a 3x/ 24-72mm (great for travel photography and medium telephoto) which has a a 1cm closeup mode which is typical RICOH feature. The sensor is a 10 megapixel 1/1.7-inch CCD which suits this lens perfectly. The other lens/sensor combo is a 12.3 megapixel APS sized sensor(as found in DSLR cameras today..) with a fixed 50mm F2.5 macro lens with a manual focus ring. This lens is perfect for more high quality crisp portrait photos but amazing detailed 1/2 life sized macro shots as well! This lens/senor combo will also capture HD movies at 720 which then can be viewed on a HDTV connected through the built in HDMI connection on the camera. What will make this camera popular will be the size. The philosophy of the the GR series cameras was to have a small compact camera with high quality. If you are a DSLR camera, this will be the camera you want to have when you don''t want to carry your larger camera. I cant wait till it lands in the next few weeks at all good camera stores!! More here

A great plug for NIK software!!

noreply@blogger.com (SmarterDigital) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 05:50:00 +0000

I attended a presentation for photo editing software package that has been designed for "photographers"and not graphic artists which will make a number of potential newcomers to photography very happy indeed! If you use Photoshop,Apertue or Lightroom, some of the features to help fix or improve a photo can be fantastic, but to just dive in and do all these magical treats quickly is not as always as easy as it seems! Some of you are probably quite versed with these programs but what makes NIK software so cool is the ease of how to achieve the functions NIK can offer. Nik Software, Inc. is a privately held company that develops software solutions for the growing digital imaging and photography markets. Established in 1995, Nik Software has become the recognized leader in digital photographic filter development and produces award-winning technology and software products for digital photography and imaging professionals including U Point® technology, Dfine®, Viveza®, Color Efex Pro™, Silver Efex Pro™, and Sharpener Pro™ software.NIK is a "plugin"that works with Photoshop,Lightroom etc and enhances the process of fixing or improving your shots.There are 6 different options which can be bought separately, (but buying all together is the best way) as all the different programs compliment each other and when you have 1 program, you need to have the others as well! And when you own the software( oh it also works with Photoshop Elements 7) you can go to the video training room and get showed how to use it!!!..Cant wait to get my copy soon!!

The change over to a new operating system!

noreply@blogger.com (SmarterDigital) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 04:04:00 +0000

Well I kept hearing about the SPEED and that's what I wanted!. My current ASUS note book was a Formula 1 of notebooks and it was running with VISTA and it was slow! Would Windows 7 be my savior for that SPEED my notebook was capable of? A quiet week was upon me(so I thought) and I bought a new HardDrive and a copy of Windows 7 and started installing. Now I know there must be a lot of short cuts to convert over to a new system but for me, it was about taking the HD out of my notebook and replacing it with the new one.(that happened a couple of times as I kept checking my regular work on my VISTA drive) There is nothing like a "fresh"operating system and Win7 had a lot to deliver. First thing to install after Windows was the Office suite. I have a number of email addresses and customising rules to make sure emails go into certain folders for easy filing(very involved!!) is very much a challenge and having to input these"rules"and all the mail settings for the addresses ÄND making sure it all worked with the new ""I Phone I also just got was just pushing my learning curving right around! Backing up documents and files is an automatic process with external drives for me but all the other"things like mail settings is something to remember as well". What about all the programs you use? Do you have all the discs to reinstall them?..Do you actually want to install them?..What about the bookmarks from your Web Browser....SO MUCH TO CHANGEOVER! Well I am now on Windows 7 fulltime and I do feel some extra speed ESPECIALLY on bootup and reboots but having some issues with the video card in the notebook. Every now and again the BLUESCREEN of death has been coming up but at least I know where the problem is and the Nividia graphics card is yet to make the drivers suit(yet!)....Things will get better This is what happens when you get new stuff in computers...but really...I got enough stuff I have to worry about...like take photos!!Will keep you posted on how we get on!!

What to look for in a tripod!

noreply@blogger.com (SmarterDigital) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:58:00 +0000

Over the last few weeks, I have had the pleasure of being with a number of enthusiastic student photographers who have wanted to get into some afternoon/dusk shots and the requirement is the use of a tripod. Tripods come in a number of different sizes but moreover they come in a number of different qualities. Tripods are used so as to get the best image results from landscape ,portrait and especially closeup photography without having to turn up the ISO setting which can be a detriment to the overall image. Whether using a lens to shoot the insides of a flower or trying to capture a bird in a tree with a telephoto lens, positioning the camera to get the right angle is not easy on low quality tripod. What people look at when buying a tripod is the weight in most cases but what needs to be looked at more importantly is the head that the camera attaches to. Apart from making sure the tripod has a detachable plate so as to be able to release the camera easily, look at the head and see how easy(or not easy) it is to adjust for smaller adjustments. When positioning your shot with a tripod, the frustration can be the minute movements you need to make to get the right compostion and the quality of tripod you get can make this a easy or very difficult process. Lower quality tripods have a tendency to "jerk" around when releasing the controls to move the head which becomes an infuriating process and makes you "not" want to use the tripod. Cheaper tripod heads are made of cheaper plastics and quite frankly a waste of money. You can get better "quality" plastic heads which will have a very smooth action and makes the composing of the shot quite easy. Metal heads tend to add weight to the overall tripod but also tend to be tougher especially if you use equipment in a less careful way! Apart from the head, the way the legs extend can also be a factor for frustration.Better quality brands will either use a "clip" style that can be a quick and easy way to lift or lower your tripod or some of the VELBON type have a "twist and turn" style which can make this tripod quite compact to carry. Make sure the tripod you buy suits the weight of your camera and be ready to get some great "sharp" photo everytime!

Lenses and sensors explained well

noreply@blogger.com (SmarterDigital) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 01:24:00 +0000

This episode of D-TOWN TV talks about lenses and how they differ from one another. Apertures of lenses as well as the amount of zoom are the numbers we look at when purchasing a lens. Scott and Matt explain constant F-Stop and variable F-Sop in a fun and entertaining way. They also show why there is a difference between DX lenses and FX lenses(for full frame NIKON cameras ) Even if you are a user of CANON cameras, this episode can also help you understand your lenses as well. CANON folk have EF lenses(for FULL FRAME SENSOR) or EF-S for the other EOS cameras.. Check out the guys here!

CANON 5D Movie function gets better

noreply@blogger.com (SmarterDigital) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:54:00 +0000

Canon has announced that it is currently developing a firmware update to the EOS 5D Mark II to enable the recording of high definition 1080p video at 24 and 25fps. This update is in the process after taking feedback from cinematographers and photographers. Introduced in September 2008, the multi award-winning EOS 5D Mark II was the first DSLR product to offer full frame 1080p HD video recording, opening up a multitude of new creative possibilities for photo journalists, news photographers and amateur filmmakers. Since then, Canon developed its EOS Movie functionality, with the firmware update to the EOS 5D Mark II that enabled manual exposure control. Canon currently expects the firmware update to be made available during the first half of 2010. An announcement regarding details of the update and its availability will be made closer to the release date. But if you did not upgrade your 5D MK11 to enable the manual exposure control, go here to update your camera...Make sure you read how to do it properly

CANON 7D makes you go faster!

noreply@blogger.com (SmarterDigital) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:21:00 +0000

Canon recently released the 7D DSLR camera which has got some great features and specs that has proved that digital cameras were going to be a big change for the world of photography. The speed this camera reaches in taking photos(8FPS) is now one of the fastest shooters at this price range and the video function shows that HD does not mean you need a separate video camera any more. The camera includes an 18 megapixel Canon-developed CMOS sensor together with Dual DiG!C 4 Image Processors that combines to deliver fantastic image quality with fine detail and brilliant reproduction of colour and tones. The 19 point Auto Focus system helps with making sure your subject is in focus as quickly as possible. The CANON 7D also has an ISO range expandable to an incredible 12,800 which will amaze the who like to take photos in the most difficult of lighting. All this and the ability to take Full High Definition movie recording makes the new Canon EOS 7D an essential tool for the enthusiast or semi professional. Have a look at the review on this camera here

BAD SNEAKERS

noreply@blogger.com (SmarterDigital) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:40:00 +0000

A couple of week ago I was talking to a student after a workshop who just happened to mention he was in a band(which always pricks my ears up...photo opportunity!) I thought, what a great way to test the TAMRON 70-200mm F2.8 lens I have. I rocked up to the club to see the band "Bad Sneakers" which play great classics from years gone past and grabbed my spot close to the front with no obstruction!. I'm glad I got some early shots in because it wasn't too long before there was a full crowd on the dance floor boppin away to the classics being played! The guys have a great rapport with their crowd and would suggest them if you want a fun band at your next party. You can find their details here Most of the shots were taken at the 200mm end of the lens with the NIKON D700. Shots were at 2500 ISO which proved to be very handy in this type of lighting and I must say that the digital noise levels are VERY low indeed.I also shot mostly in "P" mode which let me concentrate on the focusing as the TAMRON lens did struggle a bit in low lighting and so used manual focusing ring which is easy to use,especially looking through the big viewfinder the NIKON has. Thanks Glen for the invite to see you guys and to see some shots taken of the night, have a look here

Video Tips for Nikon!

noreply@blogger.com (SmarterDigital) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 23:04:00 +0000

I have discovered a great website that talks tips on NIKON DSLR cameras. You will get to know about customising your D series camera in ways you woudn't have thought of. Have you been going through all those custom settings trying to work out how to get the best of your camera or just trying to understand when to use 3D tracking and single point focusing? How about wireless flash or just accessories that fit your NIKON camera. Well these 2 guys ,Scott Kelby and Matt Kloskowski are extreme NIKON users and over these small video episodes, give us insights to your NIKON camera and the very smart NX software that is available for editing your shots. In this episode, White Balance through live view can give you better results, adjusting the command dial to do what you want it to do, tips on NX software and using a GPS unit so you can show where you take your photos!! See your first episode here

Sadly missed

noreply@blogger.com (SmarterDigital) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 08:35:00 +0000

Living in the inner city, you wouldn't think "wildlife" photography but at Sydney Park at St Peters, an environment exists that has vast sweeping vistas and a rich bird life which gives the photographer a number of fantastic opportunities to capture. The area is also shared with responsible dog owners who walk their dogs but unfortunately not all who take their dogs are responsible and throughout the year, some of the wildlife has been injured and in the case of last week, a mother Swan who just recently had 2 chicks,was mauled and needed to be euthanised because it was hurt so badly. When my wife had read about this sad event, we were so upset as we had been following the life of this new family,but it shows how things can change in a matter of seconds and all we could think about was the loss for the chicks and its mate.Things were so exciting when we finally saw the chicks, swimming around with their mum and dad..but now,things have changed. I went earlier this week to the park to see if the chicks were there with their dad but the ranger had said that they had taken away to be looked after. The father has also been moved as it was obviously distressed and missing it's family. I would like to dedicate this story to these birds and hope that we think how special life is whether it's out own family or the families of animals that we share this world with. I hope we see happiness again in the ponds of Sydney Park again. Images of Sydney Park here

The RICOH Story

noreply@blogger.com (SmarterDigital) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:24:00 +0000

In my history with photography, RICOH have always been a brand where particular film models are still remembered fondly by us...umm..older generation that actually remember cameras brands before the year 1999(my first introduction to digital). The RICOH cameras specifically remembered were the "fixed" focal ones. In my early days of camera work, fixed focal photography forced you to really compose a photo. The days when you had to "move" in physically with your body and not just your finger. I believe that zoom lenses in cases don't get used effectively and this can show in our compositions. Now in saying that, the versatility zoom lenses give us in our busy worlds today with the quality achieved is fantastic. Great composition is seen in the photography of the early years where the cameras where fixed focus. The normal angle of view was at a 38mm and later 28mm wide lens. Great for emphising landscapes for those who wanted to shoot in available light because of the amount of light that entered the lens in these type of cameras. Aperture "F" numbers are what we look at when we want to shoot in available light and cameras in those days were like F3,5 but F2.8 was better in low light. Todays cameras including DSLR Kits come with lens that have low numbers like F3.5 at wide angle but as high as F6.3 at telephoto end which is a real problem when shooting in low available light as the result is slower shutter speeds and movement in your shots. Yes you can adjust the ISO to a higher setting but we can create problems with digital noise. So when I was asked to shoot with the new RICOH GR3, I knew this was going to bring me back to a style of photography I haven't done for a while. The RICOH GR3 camera is not going to suit everyone because of the lack of zoom but for those who want to use a camera in a situation where a larger camera would not suit and are not afraid to move towards the shot, will find this camera an invaluable tool in their kit bag. A number of professionals will have a smaller camera in their kit and will capture visions that can only be described as stunning!.. I will be putting up shots over the next few weeks, but to find out about this camera, click here to visit the great website on GR series cameras

The reason I got a NIKON D700....

noreply@blogger.com (SmarterDigital) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 13:10:00 +0000

I have a thing about shooting in low light conditions, especially band and stage photography. The challenge of such low difficult lighting with the complexities of movement, pushes the boundaries of what cameras see. In days of film, we would get more grainier shots because of the use of higher sensitive films or as we say today "Higher ISO" setting. In today's digital cameras,the improvements of lower noise is allowing us to shoot in very dim lighting and not suffer too much from digital noise. My OLYMPUS gear is fantastic and have a number of fantastic lenses but I found that at higher ISO settings, eg like 2500,the digital noise it produced was higher than other cameras, namley the NIKON D700 or CANON 5D MK2. I chose the NIKON for a number of different reasons that I will bring up another time. So with my NIKON I was able to get my hands on 2 lenses from TAMRON. A 28-75 F2.8 and a 70-200mm F2.8 lenses. Both of these lenses have had a great history and having the opportunity to try out these lenses was a great opportunity. The lack of stabiliser in the system I am using (the OLYMPUS stabilises all lenses attached as the feature is built into the body of the camera) has made me realise how much small body movements stabilisers actually fix! Well these are the first shots that I took with this combination and have been happy with my low noise results, but need to be aware a lot more of "my" movement! First images HERE

Black and White photography with TAMRON

noreply@blogger.com (SmarterDigital) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 11:15:00 +0000

Today I picked up a TAMRON 70-200mm f2.8 lens to use with my NIKON D700. The first few shots I took today were of some of the neighborhood kids with the camera in Black & White mode. I like using the setting like this as against doing it later so that I can adjust exposure to my liking straight away with the B/W vision. The lens also has a macro /closeup setting so that you can get as close as 95cm which makes this a versatile lens for a number of different uses. One of the features that is great on this lens is the "push/pull" movement you do on the barrel to go from Auto to Manual focus.Very convenient indeed! Whether it's bird watching,sports,portrait or close up photography, this lens is great value at under $1500 The lens is not as fast in focusing as an original NIKON but for the price, the quality of the optics is second to none...the photos speak for themselves.More info on the lens HERE To see more photos from this lens,click HERE

DR Function in RICOH CX1

noreply@blogger.com (SmarterDigital) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 07:58:00 +0000

Today in the local park I saw this great tree with a whole lot of moss. I had the CX1 in my pocket and took the shot you see. I used a function called DR photos at different exposures and then "put" them together. This is especially good if you have a high contrast situation where you can get can achieve a photograph that has details in the highlights as well as the shadows.. You can have the camera just give you the end result or you can let the camera take 2 shots in where you get to choose from the "original" shot or the processed shot. I think it's pretty clever and gives you less time at the computer! Have a look at the 2 shots and see the difference here

LENS BABY

noreply@blogger.com (SmarterDigital) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 11:07:00 +0000

I have just started using a different type of lens known as a LENS BABY. There are 3 different types of these new "fun" type of lens. The one I am using is "The Composer". Able to suit a number of the most common camera mounts,this rotating ball lens has a unique way of adjusting depth of field in some pretty wild ways. Look for your "sweet spot" by rotating the lens and focus. The link takes you to LENS BABY WEBPAGE and you can see some of my current images taken with a Nikon D700 here

Burst bubble

noreply@blogger.com (SmarterDigital) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 04:43:00 +0000

A cool photo that shows the moment a soap bubble has burst!..The lighting is natural(sunlight through cloud) using a Nikon D90 with a SIGMA 70-200mm F2.8 lens at 800 ISO...No Photoshop creation here! Very refreshing!

More photos of bubbles at Richard’s Flickr photoset: Link -

RICOH CX1 Compact Camera

noreply@blogger.com (SmarterDigital) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 11:55:00 +0000

The Ricoh CX1 is a camera 7x zoom point-and-shoot compact cameras I have been using recently. Offering the same versatile 28-200mm focal length as the R10, the most significant change to the CX1 is the new 9 megapixel CMOS sensor, which offers significant improvements in both image quality and operational speed. Digital photography is taken to another level with a setting known as A DR (Dynamic Range) taking two photos at different exposures and combining them to create a single image with expanded dynamic range. The CX1’s CMOS sensor also results in a faster camera, with continuous shooting available at 4 frames/sec at full resolution. Multi-target Auto Focus takes seven consecutive images with different focal distances, allowing you to choose the image that you prefer. This is fantastic for handheld close up work while the Multi-Pattern Auto White Balance mode detects different light sources in the scene and sets the correct white balance for each one. The Ricoh CX1 also features a 3 inch HVGA LCD screen with 920K dots,and the pictures look great! An electronic level to help ensure straight horizons, an Easy shooting mode aimed at beginners, CCD-shift vibration correction system to help avoid camera-shake, face recognition and 1cm macro mode. Overall a nice camera that feels good and takes great photos. Have a look at some examples here

Register online for free entry to Sydney Photo Show

noreply@blogger.com (SmarterDigital) — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 08:33:00 +0000

The PMA Australian 2009 Imaging Technology Show is on 27 & 28 of June, showcasing all the latest in digital cameras and accessories available today and what we can expect to see in the future from all the major photographic companies and all under 1 roof! Get your FREE entrance ticket by registering online here. Other wise you can pay $20 at the door