Finally! A TTL Radio Flash System for Canon That Actually Works!

January 4, 2012 by Phil Nelson | 1 Comment

Review: Phottix Odin TTL Flash Trigger for Canon

 

A couple of months ago I read an article on the Phottix Odin TTL Flash Trigger system for Canon. The article was followed by some very glowing personal reviews from photographers already using this system. But before I start talking about the Odins, I need to let off some steam; let me rant…

On the Dark Side

Prior to this, I had spent several years wrestling on and off with the PocketWizard MiniTT1 and FlexTT5 wireless system for Canon, trying to make them work (yes, several years. I know I’m crazy). I say “on and off” because when I found the time and energy, I set up several strobes on stands (580EX or EX II’s) to try to make the PocketWizard radios work consistently so that I could trust them on a job. What was consistent was the large number of misfires from these radios. Even with the radio interference sock (AC5 RF Soft Shield) covering each Speedlite, which is supposed to minimize the rf interference created by Canon’s flash, they hardly ever worked properly. By the way, stuffing your flash into a sock is a messy kluge and a total pain in the neck.

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Should I Work for Free?

September 23, 2011 by Phil Nelson | 1 Comment

a segment of Jessica Hische's Work for Free diagram

I couldn’t help sharing this flow diagram from Jessica Hische. If you have ever been confronted by anyone who would like some photographs for free, and what photographer hasn’t, then you will appreciate this. Even if you are not a photographer, you will find this amusing.

Posted in Photo Technology

All Out for Autism

September 8, 2011 by Phil Nelson | Leave a comment

Finishing the raceThis was a fantastic event hosted by New Balance and many New Canaan store owners, venders and individuals in support of autism. I was honored to be asked to photograph the two races and all the goings on and have uploaded a gallery of the images to my blog. Anyone interested in purchasing a print will be able to order online.

Thanks to Ron and Tina Rosenfeld and all the many event coordinators. Congratulations on a great event! And, as I understand it, the new outdoor exercise facility in Waveny Park will be going up soon.

Posted in Photo Exhibits

Color Perfectionists Unite! Photo Contest by X-Rite

August 11, 2011 by Phil Nelson | Leave a comment

X-Rite Pantone, color management, color perfectionists unite! photo contest  Back to School  Fall Color

For all you photographers out there, check out X-Rite’s Photo Contest Series, Color Perfectionists Unite! This is a great opportunity to show off your work and win some great X-Rite prizes! The contest has monthly themes that last until the end of 2011. Continue reading »

Posted in Photo Technology

Sooner or Later You Are Going to Lose Your Photographs

August 8, 2011 by Phil Nelson | 6 Comments

Cover of document, "Mastering Image Organization in Lightroom"

Well, maybe. If you are taking a lot of photographs, and you don’t have a logical way to store them and back them up–if your desktop is a mess of folders and documents, you are heading for disaster. If you are a photographer, and you have been having trouble coming up with a well-thought-out way to organize your photo library, this document will help you. If you already use Lightroom and have been losing images and have numerous catalogs scattered around your computer, Mastering Image Organization with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom will help you overcome these problems.

I love having an organized photo library, and you will too.
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Posted in Lightroom, Photo Technology

Overexpose All Your Photographs for Better Results! What?

August 1, 2011 by Phil Nelson | Leave a comment

With all of the advances in digital image capture, it’s hard to understand why metering technology hasn’t kept pace. Check out this post from Michael Reichmann @ Luminous Landscape on some interesting facts on how to make a great digital exposure – and help encourage the camera manufacturers to get with the program.

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Kiss Auto-Focus Goodbye!

July 10, 2011 by Phil Nelson | Leave a comment

By now you have probably read something about Lytro and their new Light Field camera technology (mentioned in the previous post). If not, here are some tech highlights pulled from Lytro’s web site: Lytro light field diagram illustrating how light field technology works

  • “The way we communicate visually is evolving rapidly, and people’s expectations are changing in lockstep. Light field cameras offer astonishing capabilities. They allow both the picture taker and the viewer to focus pictures after they’re snapped, shift their perspective of the scene, and even switch seamlessly between 2D and 3D views. With these amazing capabilities, pictures become immersive, interactive visual stories that were never before possible – they become living pictures.” Continue reading »
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Even My Dog Will Be Able to Shoot Like Henri Cartier-Bresson

June 23, 2011 by Phil Nelson | 3 Comments

Convergence, Lytro and Thoughts About New Technology and Capturing the “Decisive Moment”

 

red epic

Red Epic from Red Digital Cinema

If my dog could hold a camera and press the shutter-release, she would still have a hard time shooting as well as Henri, but when you take a close look at some of the photography innovations headed our way, you have to wonder…

I was reading in the New York Times on Tuesday about the Lytro camera that is under development by a small Silicon Valley start-up created by 31 year old Ren Ng. If you haven’t heard about the Lytro yet, it is a camera that captures enough light data from different angles to let the user adjust the focus in software to any point in the captured image after it is taken. Put more simply, it means that the photographer doesn’t have to worry about focus, since the focus can be adjusted later. Not only does this alleviate the stress of capturing sharp images, it opens up a world of creative possibilities that the photographer can control in post production. Consider matching this technology with a video camera like the Red Epic.

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The Value of Experience – Defending Pro Shooters

June 20, 2011 by Phil Nelson | 1 Comment

There are few fields where the perceived value of experience is so low. I’m talking about photography. There has been an explosion of interest in photography brought on by the boom in digital technology, and too many new DSLR owners think that they can instantly get professional results. Anyone can take a picture, but great photographs don’t just happen and are not automatically the product of sophisticated cameras. They are the product of either innate talent or years of hard work and practice.

In Malcolm Gladwell’s book, Outliers, he points out that innate talent can only take an individual so far and that to gain true expertise requires many, many hours of dedicated practice. “The idea that excellence at performing a complex task requires a critical minimum level of practice surfaces again and again in studies of expertise. In fact, researches have settled on what they believe is the magic number for true expertise: ten thousand hours.” Continue reading »

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X-Rite Introduces i1 Display Pro and ColorMunki Display

June 20, 2011 by Phil Nelson | Leave a comment

New, Advanced Display Calibration and Profiling Solutions from X-Rite

As a follow on to my post about how important it is to regularly calibrate and profile your display, here are two new great solutions from X-Rite. Check it out.

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