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The “Photo Cards – Lighting Edition” application is launching on the top three mobile platforms to provide maximum availability to photographers as a handy resource in the field or on location. This application provides the user with 16 lighting setups and diagrams, instructions specific to each lighting setup, and a photo taken with that lighting setup.

Sacramento, CA, September 04, 2011 –(www.photocardapps.com)– The “Photo Cards – Lighting Edition” application is now available at www.photocardapps.com for the top three mobile platforms. This application provides the mobile user with 16 different lighting setup cards, each with a lighting diagram, instructions specific to that lighting setup, and a photo taken with that lighting setup. There are seven setups that were created with 1 light, six setups created with 2 lights, and three setups created with 3 lights.

This application serves as a great resource whether the photographer is just starting out with lighting and posing as well as for someone looking for some new ideas for some different lighting setups. The photos for this application were all taken in the studio, but can easily be replicated hot shoe camera flashes, studio strobes, or even reflectors and natural lighting setups.

The concept for the cards was developed as part of an instruction DVD published by John Hoeft. The DVD provides training on studio lighting (www.photographydvds.com) and is aimed at beginning and amateur photographers that are looking for good foundational information on lighting in a studio environment. The response to the printed cards that were included with the DVD was so positive that this electronic version was subsequently developed for mobile computing devices.

“I have always loved sharing my passion for photography with other photographers and developing this application is a real personal milestone for me,” said John Hoeft, owner of HoeftPhoto and author of the Photo Cards – Lighting Edition. “When I was developing these materials I tried to put myself in my audiences shoes and give them what I was really looking for when I first started shooting with flashes and strobes. I think this application with its 16 lighting setups and 54 example photos is what I would have found to be quite beneficial when I was struggling with this type of lighting early on.”

The “Photo Cards – Lighting Edition” application is available now for Apple, Android, and BlackBerry platforms and the link to each can be found at www.photocardapps.com, All trademarks are property of their respective trademark owners.

About HoeftPhoto:
John Hoeft is a local part-time photographer in the greater Sacramento, California area with over 35 years of photography experience. In addition to the usual photography pursuits John is also very active in the instruction of photography to local photographers. He currently is the Organizer of three local Meetup groups in the Sacramento, California area with over 650 total members. John will typically conduct 1 or 2 hands-on workshops per month for small groups of students on a variety of photographic topics.

More Information about the Photo Cards is available at www.PhotoCardApps.com

In to this:

This image was created by following adjustments:

• Recovery to 100
• Fill light to 100
• Blacks to 43
• Clarity 100
• Vibrance 100
• Saturation -76

Along with a post crop Vignette:

• Amount -50
• Midpoint 56
• Roundness 0
• Feather 65
• Highlights 0

Theses settings will not work for every image but they are a good place to start.

Download this Preset (Grunge) to apply the above adjustments with just the press of a button in Lightroom. You will have to change the file extension from “TXT” to “LRTEMPLATE” and then import into Lightroom by Right Clicking on “User Presets” and selecting “Import”.

Good luck and have fun experimenting.

Setup:

• Einstein
• Small light stand
• Vagabond Mini
• 8′ feet from subject (test target)
• 7″ reflector

This is a pretty basic setup and since what I was testing was refresh time, problems with RF interference, and speed of refresh I did not do anything elaborate.

First test was two fold refresh times and accuracy of lighting increase.

As it happens my Sekonic L358 with the PW module read exactly f2.8 at ISO 400 and 8′ at minimum power, almost like I had planned it :angel:

Min power f2.8 refresh <1 second
+2 stops of power f5.6 refresh <1 second
+2 stops of power f11 refresh <=1 second
+2 stops of power f22 refresh 1 second
+1 stops of power f32 refresh <2 seconds
+1 stops at full power f45 refresh ~4 seconds

Plugged into an AC outlet at full power was ~2.5 seconds

Not super scientific on the timing but it will give you a rough idea.

Next I set the light at minimum power and shot some high speed shots at 10FPS with my 1D MKIII. At minimum power and 90+ frames there was only a slight shift in power from frame 1 to the final frame. I was able to duplicate these results up to +2 stops. Again not overly scientific but now I know if I want/need to shoot an action sequence with the one light I can do so up to 10 FPS at ISO 400 and f5.6 with a the subject ~8 feet away. Also through out this test not one black or dark frame so it also showed me that the consistency was there as well as that the RF problems I had seen before had been fixed! [COLOR="Red"][I] Disclaimer – you can’t do this with a regular AlienBee light, this capability is part of the beauty of the new Einstien lights with their IGBT circuitry similar to that in a off-camera flash where it only dumps as much light as it need for each pop and is ready for the next that much quicker at low power settings.

Last test was with the Einstein and a AB1600 both connected to the battery pack. Both at 1/2 power was ~3 seconds with the AB1600 lagging by almost a second. I believe this is due to the Einstein charging its capacitors fulling and them only discharging what was needed for the half power pop where as the AB1600 only charges as much as it needs for the pop dialed in and therefore has to recharge fully for the next. I set both lights to max power and popped them and got a ~5 second recycle with the AB1600 again being the limiting factor. Plugged both into the wall and got a sub 3 second recycle times.

My conclusions:

- If you every shoot and do not have access to an AC outlet you need this in your bag, which it will actually fit in :w00t:
- This is in my opinion much better than the standard Vagabond with the weight and size savings.
- The Einstein light is now ready for prime time with the RF issue resolved!!
- The only pluses I see for the original Vagabond are:

• They make a great sand bag for a light stand in the field at 18+ lbs (ugh!)

• Will likely last longer if you are shooting for hours

• You can hook up a bunch of lights to them

For what it is worth I tried the DIY version of the battery pack and it was not a great success! Having used it only makes me appreciate this little guy so much more!!

I mounted the Vagabond pack to the base of my lightweight stand

I have large hands but this thing is tiny compared to the original Vagabonds!

• Day One was “Overview” with a quick rundown from image capture to print.
• Day Two naming and organizing your images.
• Day Three is a great look at DNG versus the RAW format.
• Day four is editing.

If you take a lot of images and/or don’t have a great deal of time to process then then a good workflow is essential. My greatest weakness is not doing a better first cut once I upload new images. Because of this I spend to much time in later steps continuing to plow through the images that are not worth keeping. In my experience after awhile you will recognize a good or great images right away and those are the ones to spend your time on. My two best time savers have been getting a fast card reader (Kingston FCR-HS215/1) and uploading all of the images to their directories and letting Lightroom generate the thumbnails overnight. This way the next day I can sort through the images with a fresh set of eyes and don’t have to wait for the thumbnails to generate. During Football season I generally sort through ~4,000 images and narrow that down to 500 to post to my web gallery. For me a good efficient Workflow is key.

Adobe has released a beta version of their new web based version of Photoshop! This is a slimmed down version of Photoshop but still very powerful and useful. You have to sign up for your free account that includes 2 GB of online storage. The interface for uploading your files is quite simple to navigate and use. Once the images are uploaded rotating and adding captions to them in the gallery viewer is quick and easy. The editing of a full sized image (10 MP JPEG) was slow for me. I realize this is a beta but still I was a little let down by the extremely slow response to edit a single image. Once you have done your editing you can share them with other users, email them, or use them in your Photobucket or Face Book gallery. I recommend you check it out and reserve your custom URL today.

Adorama Imaging Resource Center (AIRC) editor Mason Resnick is posting a new photo tip everyday until July 4th 2008 on their website. This is his second such article of this type. From September through December Mason posted his first 100 in 100 and no is on to part II. Every five days he tackles a new subject for five days with a new tip each day. So far he has done shooting in low light, sports/action photography, digital camera scene modes, shoot to sell – successful eBay photography, and make ultimate-quality digital prints. The page is located here and check out last years list here.

Part Three – A fast lens

I am a big proponent of expanding your possibilities and trying something different. Most people (me included) when they purchase their DSLR typically get the “kit” lens with it. Today this lens is often an 18-55 mm lens with a variable aperture of f3.5 – f5.6. This works ok in really bright situations or higher ISO speeds. Once you move indoors you either have to use flash or max out the ISO. Depending on what you are doing this can be limiting and not always giving you the photo you were looking for.

I am a big fan of candid shots with only existing light. I also like to blur out the background behind the subject. The tool for both of these is a “fast prime lens” which for me is either a 50 mm f1.8 or 85 mm f1.8 lens. These lenses are typically $100 and $400 respectively. An f1.8 lens is 2 stops faster than a lens at f3.5 and 3 1/3 stops faster than a f5.6 lens.

Said another way with two stops faster say your f3.5 lens requires an exposure of 1/25 of a second at f3.5 you could shoot at 1/100 of a second at f1.8 and at f5.6 if the exposure requested is 1/30 of a second at ISO 1600 you could shoot at ISO 400 and use a shutter speed of around 1/80 of a second. In the first example you would reduce the change of blur from hand shake and in the second not only would your potentially reduce the blur but also reduce the noise due to the high ISO setting.

As for the image blur (Brokeh) a fast lens provides a very narrow depth of field when shot wide open at f1.8. The depth of field or space in front of and behind the subject that will be in focus is about 4.5 inches (2.25” in front and 2.25” in back) if the subject is 5 feet from the camera. So if you focused on your subject’s nose their ears would likely be slightly out of focus. That is a narrow depth of field! You can have a lot of fun with a fast lens like this and enjoy a great deal of flexibility as well.

Another great advantage is the view finder will be much brighter since four times as much light (2 stops) is coming into the camera. It will also focus faster and quicker as well. Remember though when shooting wide open and close to your subject you have to choose where you focus very carefully or you will get out of focus pictures. Typically if you focus on your subjects eyes you will get the best results. I suggest everyone get a 50 mm f1.8 lens since they are relatively inexpensive and a great way to add a new dimension to your photographic bag of tricks.

Part Two – A bulb type blower

One if the downsides of DSLR cameras is dust. It is all but impossible to avoid but can be easily minimized. Newer cameras now have “Anti-dust” features built-in but trust me you will still get dust inside the lens box. I reality you don’t actually get dust on your sensor but on the filter that covers it and protects it.

Depending on how you shoot as to how much of a problem dust will be for you. If you don’t typically shoot in dusty environments, don’t change your lenses, and only shot at wide apertures you may not notice a dust problem. If this does not describe you then your likely to be like most DSLR photographers and have a dust problem.

The best way to gauge if you do have a dusty or dirty sensor is to stop down your lens to f16-f22 and shoot a photo of a white wall while the camera is moving side to side. By moving the camera only the dust specks will be stationary in the photo. Look at the image in you photo editing software and you will likely see some dust specs. Try adjusting the brightness and contrast of the image to make them stand out even more. Those dark specks you see are dust.

Before you proceed a few words of caution about cleaning your sensor. Never use compressed air on the mirror box or sensor as it can permanently damage it. Do not touch any thing to the sensor or insert anything into the mirror box.

For me I want to avoid every having to physically touch the sensor with anything in order to clean it. What I prefer is an air bulb blower that pulls air from the rear of the bulb and expels it out the front. This way us you dislodge dust from the camera and lens box you are not sucking it right back in to your blower.

I use the Giottos Rocket Air Blaster

This is where the blower bulb comes in handy. Find a relatively dust free spot and remove your lens. Using your blower and with the camera body pointing down gently give you mirror box a few quick blasts to blow out and dust that has accumulated in there. Now activate your cameras sensor cleaning function and this will open the shutter and allow you to blow out sensor with your blower. Give it another few quick blasts and put the lens back on, reset the camera, and take another frame.

Hopefully the dust specks have been diminished and if not repeat and check again. Also I do not recommend doing this any more than is needed. Some photographers can become obsessed with cleaning their sensors. Now for really stubborn dust specks you may have to either have it clean professionally ($$) or if you feel comfortable try cleaning it yourself. Be warned that if you do not know what you are doing you can ruin your camera. I have cleaned mine before in this way with great success and will share that in another post at a later date.

Part One – A tripod

The more support/stability you can give your camera while acquiring the image is likely to give you better sharper images. If you don’t have a tripod you will likely be amazed how much better your photos will be with one.

Try to avoid the cheap video/camera tripod with pan/tilt head. Often times you are getting a hybrid that really does not really work that well for photos or video. For the head I prefer a simple ball head sized according to the weight of your camera body and largest lens you will be using. I also recommend a quick release style head and associated plate for the camera/lens.

If you plan on hiking a lot with your camera consider a carbon fiber model. The extra savings in weight may be the difference between taking it or not if you are like me. I recommend one with a hook on the bottom of the center column so you can hang your bag from it for stability when setting up a shot. Want to reduce your weight even more consider a monopod.

For studio or portrait work consider a heavier model and one that is adjustable up to a height you are comfortable shooting at as well as the height your subject will be at as well. Here heavier is better for stability.

For all around general shooting consider something between the two and you should be alright. A good tripod will last you longer than the camera body if properly taken care of. The best tripod is the one you use.

Tired of the same old gallery templates provided in Lightroom? There are a number of places on the web that have free downloads to change things up a bit. “Lightroom Galleries” not only has some neat gallery add-ons that you can download for free but tutorials, news, and a user forum as well. The latest addition is TTG Panic Gallery from the Turning Gate website. If you like their galleries you are encourage to donate.

I am a big fan of the Lowepro Slingshot bags. I own the 200 AW and 300 AW. The 200 AW is the mid-sized bag and is great for the 20D and a shorter lens attached. Last year when we prepared for our vacation in Europe I wanted something a little large so I upgraded to the 300 AW. I like this bag since it easily holds the 20D or the 1D MK III as well as an assortment of lenses and accessories plus other items you need when on vacation. I like the fact that the bag is easy to get on and off and can pretty easily be rotated along my side for easy access to all of the pockets and compartments. My only minor complaint is that with only one true padded strap if you really load this thing up it is not the most comfortable bag, with or without the second strap. A new addition to the 300 AW over the 200 AW is a nice padded belt which goes a long ways towards making this more comfortable. Link to the bag on Lowepro’s site

Scott Kelby who is in my opinion a guru of everything about digital photography has many books out and recently published “The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom book for Digital Photographers”. Scott has authored a number of book that deal specifically with Adobe Photoshop and now Lightroom. The style that Scott writes in is very informal and a welcome change from most books I have attempted to read on Photoshop. All of his “For Photographers” books are just that and really are written in a way that a Photographer can relate to and easily use. I purchased the Lightroom book and was learning about functions and features that I had no idea existed or how to do them in Lightroom. This book and his others has continued to move me along in improving my workflow and quality of work. Scott is also heavily involved with NAPP (National Association of Photoshop Professionals). Please support the blog and click on my Amazon links to purchase on of Scott’s books

For along time now the Canon 200mm 1.8 lenses has been one of the most sought after lenses of Canon photographers. The image quality is heralded as one of if not the best in the canon line up. Some might speculate this is because the lens was discontinued in 2004 and therefore everyone wanted what they could not easily have. Canon recently introduce its replacement in the form of a newly designed 200mm 2.0 lens now with image stabilization. The new version is available for $5,999.00 which will continue to likely drive the price of the old version us which can typically be found for around $3,500 to $4,200 on the web and eBay. This lens has found a great niche among photographers that do portrait work for its very shallow depth of field and for indoor sporting events where flash is not practical or often not even allowed. Canon’s product page.

When the Adobe Lightroom Beta came out I was on of the many that downloaded it and played around with it but honestly I was no blown away, at first. As I played around with it more and more and discovered some of the new tweaks and features. Soon I started really looking at it and how it could improve my workflow I got excited. I eventually purchased the Scott Kelby Lightroom book and then I started seeing the improvements in my ability to import files, tag them, and catalog them. I like the fact that Lightroom treats all files (RAW and JPEG) as if they were negatives and does not alter them. I do sport photography and a typical day is shooting close to 4,000 JPEG photos and then having to short them and select the 10% to 15% that I will process and post for purchase. Lightroom has really reduced the amount of time required for my end to end workflow.