Great Stuff
Jan
09
A Must for Every Digital Shooter
Posted by Moose under Great Stuff , Just Out! , Moose GearNo Comments
Goobers, an official computer technical name, can occur on your CF Card. When they do, you receive the infamous CHA error message on your camera. Not to panic, there are two easy fixes, both assure you your images will be safe in the end.
The best option, the one I’ve used since day one of my digital shooting is PhotoRescue. This program just rocks and is loaded on everyone of my computers! I don’t know how many times for example at DLWS I use PhotoRescue to rescue someone’s card. It’s a no-brainer program to use and it does just as it says, it rescues your images. They just released their latest versions, you can find them here for only $29. $29, that’s nothing compared to loosing an image, what are you waiting for?
The other option which I’ve done since 1998 and the Coolpix 900 is own Lexar Cards. I’m always surprised by how many folks don’t realize that Lexar stands behind their cards (here’s it is in writing). The card has a problem, send it back to Lexar and they will not only replace the card, they rescue all the images on the card you return and send them to you on a CD. This is all included in the price of the card (Pro & Platinum Series)!
Why do cards have a problem? The most common cause is the cards are not properly formatted after EVERY upload. That simple step an save you from having any problems. It’s that goober thing.
RC and I finally got our calendars to match, the next YCDIT will be 16-19 April, 2009 held at our office in Mammoth Lakes, CA. Just what happens at YCDIT? We take pictures, we talk about the business of photography revolving around the editorial marketplace (where it all begins) and how to exploit the web in your business plan. To quote one of our last participants,
“Thank you very much for opening up your office and home to us. As with all you do, you provided more information than I ever thought could be presented in just four days, my head is still spinning. The ideas and approaches you use in your business are so obvious, once you spelled them out to us. No wonder you’ve been so successful! And that RC, his presentation on blogging and using it as a business tool was simply mind blowing! I now see why’s he’s part of the team. Thanks so much!”
If you’re wondering about what it takes to get into the biz, you’re about to get into the biz or you’re already in it and want to know how to expand during these times, there is no other photographic business workshop like this one. The price is $925 and is limited to six participants.
While I was in FL, my bud Scott asked me, with two minutes notice, to be the first guest cohost on Photoshop User TV. I couldn’t say no. I even did a lesson which you can watch. So when you have a moment this holiday week, check ‘er out!
I was asked why I use the SB-900 as the Master and not the SU-800 (SB-800 pictured here) when shooting out our office. I do use the SU-800 as the Master quite often but not in this instance, I use the SB-900 with the zoom set to 200mm (not using the Better Beamer) because if I want to switch to over-the-lens flash fill, all I have to do is reach up and flip the switch on the back of the SB-900 and I’m in business. This wasn’t possible with the SB-800, one of the many reasons why I like the SB-900.
I bought myself an early xmas present, the Canon HF-10 (blows away the HV20: thanks RC!). I should have a new video or two for you on flash before year’s end now that I can make them a whole lot faster and easier with this camcorder. Thanks for the questions, you keep ‘em comin and I’ll do my best to answer them.
I find this to be an exciting time to be a wildlife photographer. There are so many opportunities, new tools and techniques one can take to heart and take into the field to capture the wonders we are so fortunate to enjoy. So after a year of gentle prodding by friends, I’m writing a new book that is best described as a romantic how to book on wildlife photography.
While in a reflective mood in pulling together material for the book (to be released fall ‘09) I started to count how many articles we’ve published, just shy of 1500. Looking over some of the titles it occurred to me that many of those articles were inspired by you, by your questions and needs in exploring wildlife photography. That’s when it occurred to me (well, someone actually suggested it) to get you involved.
What about wildlife photography, gear, techniques, biology, locales, all of the above or something else would you like to know more about? I’m writing this book to help fellow wildlife photographers / nature photographers and I want to make sure that this book, which can be as fat as I want to make it, is chuck full of the information you need. I’ve set up a special email that will be active until the end of the year where you can drop me a note with what YOU’d like to learn. To say thanks, I’ve got 20 autographed copies of the book to give folks who have great questions. And to say additional thanks, those same folks will receive a signed print of the cover photograph. Let me hear from ya, drop me a line here (emails won’t be responded to).
And this photo, it’s the first moose I photographed with a digital camera, a D1, that had just been announced and not yet in the public hands. It seems so long ago and yet, it was just yesterday.
Ever since I blogged about the new Dell 6400 notebook, a constant stream of emails have come in and the blog posting itself, over 40k views! With its popularity and since it’s been a couple of months I thought I should post an update.
The first thing you might notice is the notebook has a new color, a shade off firehouse red. This is the new limited edition M6400 Covet. (my original prototype was been replaced) This is the fastest, fully loaded version of the 6400 and does it fly! I’m running Vista 64bit which sounds darn scary but I have to admit I’m pretty impressed with it so far. The combo of the 6400 and 64bit for speed is deadly and as I’ve told many, darn addictive!
The 6400 has the Adobe Master Collection loaded on it. The increase in program speed you can see, as in, you launch Photoshop and no sooner than you click on it to launch it and it’s up and going. Seriously, that fast! There is a down side to running 64bit. Not ever program is tooled for 64bit, for example my favorite pluggins, Nik, they run just 32bit. Interesting that when you load Photoshop CS4, a 64 bit and 32bit version are installed so you can work. Of course this brings up the biggest downside to running 64bit. It sucks up hard drive space. Good thing the 6400 has two internal hard drives so I’m running 640GB total.
This latest generation of Dell notebooks with their new display is by far their sweetest, so sweet I’ve place an order for a 4400 which I have to wait a couple weeks to receive. To me, the investment in this speed means I spend less time at the computer and more time behind the camera which is always my goal.
You might think Moose is in Florida to shoot. That’s partially correct but it’s not the kind of shoot I’m really good at. I’m down here with the creative geniuses at NAPP working on Dvd material and a project we’ll talk about next week. What you see above are all the folks required to make me look somewhat decent on video. I say I’m not that good at this because it took 4.5hrs to create 30sec of usable tape. Ouch!
I can’t say how nice it is after a day like this (especially after getting blown out of bird photography) while on the road to have “family” to stay with. Our dear friends RC, Jenn & Sabine take Uncle Moose in and feed him, entertain him and, talk computers and the web. At 01:30 this morning we finally called it a day but not after having a great time. I thought the least I could do was a xmas family portrait. They are all special people here and I feel very honored to spend time with them and call them all friends. Thanks!
Note: Had a number of emails already about the lighting on RC’s family. It’s a single SB-900 with a warming gel shooting through a Lastolite EZYbox.
Ever since reading his third blog posting, I’ve been a big Strobist fan! So much so I put his banner on this blog right then and there because what David does for photography is so important. I have to come clean and admit I do talk with David, consider myself lucky to call him friend and enjoy our very meaningful conversations about our industry and the web. Well, David’s been thinking again and deeply, you can tell with his latest posting.
What he is proposing photographers try is actually something we did in the beginning of our business for the reasons he talks about. We know first hand that it works if approached in a professional manor as he suggests. And in fact, to this day we still work for biologists free of charge. And it’s no secret I credit my success to the biologists I have worked worth. Give David’s piece a full read and leave a comment for him. He’s trying to help us all, he’s a really good guy (with a really odd sense of humor!)
12.05 Note: I strongly urge readers to READ past the title of the piece, THINK through what David’s saying and simply ponder it. If he’s not enough of a heavy weight to make you think about the concepts (which is not giving away your images for free), perhaps giving Chase Jarvis or Vincent Laforet a read will help with their perspective on the topic.
I’ve never meet the lady, but I’m a HUGE fan of her and her blog! I’m a little behind on my blog reading so I just now noticed her new book is available. Now when you’re searching for photographic marketing advice and wisdom and the search engine comes up with Burns Auto Parts, you might think twice about clicking. I’m here to tell you I think this is one smart lady with amazing sound business wisdom. You’d be smart to check out the bog, smarter if you bought the book!
Either folks are opening their xmas presents early or they took advantage of the early bird specials, whatever the case, emails are coming in asking where to learn how to master the new features of Photoshop CS4. I recommend folks heading where I head to learn, Kelby Training online videos. As if I don’t get enough of Matt or Dave in person, I head to their classes to hear them share the creative ways they’re using CS4’s new features. It’s a huge time saver!
For a change of voice, I enjoy Terry’s class on integrating Photoshop CS4 with InDesign. And for commic relief, I head to Corey’s Design Effects. Most folks don’t realize that I personally do all the blog work (with an assist from RC every now and then) and a vast majority of the website these days so keeping up on what’s new and innovative so we can plan for the future are the main reasons I head to Kelby Training where learning is fun!
Doing my usual noontime cruise of current events I came across what I think is a cool story. Dorthea Lange’s photo you see above is one that was in my home as a kid because it was taken in this little town in California, Nipomo, that my family liked to visit. It was reminder my dad said of what it was like in those lean years compared to what we saw later in the better years. It’s a darn good reminder of not only times passed, but the power of a single good click. Both are lessons photographers should learn and remember.
