Free Video Tutorial – Equalize Command in CS 6.0
Guest Post by Rich Harrington - Follow Rich on Twitter
Rich offers a tutorial on using the Equalize Command in Photoshop 6.0.
DISCLAIMER: This post isn’t intended to be definitive – we’re not claiming this is the ONLY way or even the BEST way to accomplish this task in Photoshop, Aperture, iPhoto or any other post-prodcessing program. We’re merely offering it as A way you might accomplish this task. These tips are free, offered only because they might be helpful to someone.
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As promised, we have selected the first semi-finalists in our Viewbug/Photofocus Winner Takes All Photo Contest – More than $10,000 worth of prizes are on the line. There’s still plenty of time to enter – Get entry information at Viewbug.com.
Here are links to the semi-finalists so far. Congratulations to all.
http://www.viewbug.com/contests/photofocus-contest/1833002
http://www.viewbug.com/contests/photofocus-contest/1834739
http://www.viewbug.com/contests/photofocus-contest/1832075
http://www.viewbug.com/contests/photofocus-contest/1832846
My Favorite Camera Bags – Updated May, 2012
It’s been two years since I originally wrote my post recommending camera bags. For me – things have changed since then. I’ve been focused on carrying less gear and reducing my carry load. So my personal favorites have changed. Here’s the list of the camera bags I now use and recommend.
NOTE: I’ve reviewed many bags here on Photofocus, but as I often say, there is no perfect bag. Just as I wouldn’t think of owning just one camera lens, I wouldn’t think of owning just one camera bag. You need different bags for different tasks. You need bags for transporting gear to the job and bags for working from ON the job. With that in mind, here are my favorites, in no particular order.
Tenba ProDigital 2.0 Messenger
I reviewed this bag here – http://photofocus.com/2010/01/07/tenba-prodigital-2-0-messenger-mini-review/ – it’s a great gadget or computer or compact camera bag. When you want a bag that doesn’t scream “CAMERA BAG” this is it. It works well as either a laptop/briefcase or a small gear bag for things like flashes, compact cameras and other accessories.
Gura Gear Kiboko
I reviewed this bag here – http://photofocus.com/2008/11/04/wildlife-photographer-launches-new-photo-bag-line-twip/ – it’s a traveling/transport bag. Is it my imagination or are airline overheads getting smaller? If you want a bag that (if not overstuffed) will fit in almost ANY airline’s overhead bin, the Kiboko is for you. It’s light weight and is the best bag I’ve tried at getting my gear TO the field. It also works well for simply storing gear in at my studio.
Think Tank Photo Airport Addicted V 2.0
I recently reviewed the Think Tank ~ Airport International V 2.0
Adorama Joe Farace Reporter II Backpack
Unfortunately the only way you’ll find this bag is to buy it used or to grab one of the few originals being sold on Ebay or Amazon. I have no idea why Adorama stopped making it. It’s a great bag and I’m listing it here because this post is about the bags I like and use. Here’s the original review on Photofocus. Perhaps a letter-writing campaign to Adorama will bring it back. But it’s the best (and lightest) camera bag for the money I’ve ever seen. Period. It just works. It’s very light. It holds enough gear to work out of and it’s cheap.
ThinkTank Photo Airport 4-Sight
I recently reviewed the 4-Sight at Photofocus. This bag is very unique because it is a four-roller bag dedicated to photography. It’s super light weight and will fit in most overhead bins on airplanes – even the small ones. I’ve quickly become addicted to the easy way it rolls around and the reasonable amount of gear it holds given its small size and very light weight.
CONCLUSION
If your favorite camera bag isn’t on this list – it doesn’t mean it’s a bad bag. It just means it’s not MY favorite. But I think any of these would be a safe choice as part of the average photographer’s bag arsenal.
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Photofocus Podcast Rich Harrington & Scott Bourne
NOTE NOTE NOTE NOTE NOTE: The Photofocus Podcast Feed HAS CHANGED!
Here is the new feed: feed://feeds.feedburner.com/photofocuspodcast
PLEASE BE PATIENT – OUR SERVERS SEE LARGE LOADS ON PUBLISHING DAYS. THE DOWNLOADS MAY GO SLOWLY BUT THEY WILL FINISH.
Sorry we’re no longer providing show notes.
Hosted by Rich Harrington & Scott Bourne
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Think Tank Photo Airport 4-Sight Mini Review
One of my main complaints against all photo bags is that they are too heavy. This tends to hold true with the high-quality bags in particular since the better made they are, the heavier they seem to get.
Enter the Think Tank Photo Airport 4-Sight. It’s unique in that it is the first camera bag (rolling type) with four wheels. This style of roller luggage has been around for a while, but I haven’t seen it deployed in a photo bag until now.
The entire point of the 4-Sight is to make it easier on the photographer to carry gear both through the innovation of a four-wheel roller and lighter materials.
The 4-Sight will hold a pro DSLR and four lenses with plenty of room for accessories. I have mine set up to hold two Olympus E-P3 bodies, with three lenses, a flash, accessories, memory cards, extra batteries and chargers and still have room to spare.
Like most modern camera bags, you can configure the bag any way you like. I like the fact that this particular bag comes with an organizer – a small removable bag that is perfect for most small photo accessories.
There is also a zippered top pocket that’s perfect for a press pass or airplane boarding pass. The bottom of the bag is doubly reinforced due to the design of the bag and it’s very strong. ThinkTank has gone so far as to build in user replaceable handles and wheels, although when used properly, I can’t see this being necessary.
I used the bag on my recent trip to Arizona to photograph hummingbirds and loved it. It’s so light weight that I can see myself getting two of these and reducing all my gear to just two, easy to roll bags.
Of course the 4-Sight comes with a built-in rain cover, those famous Think Tank high-quality zippers and all in a bag that weighs about eight pounds.
At just under $300 I still think that it’s a tad expensive (I think I’ve said that about every camera bag I’ve ever reviewed so it probably doesn’t matter) but otherwise, I’d say this bag is perfect for someone who needs to travel internationally or on small planes and who wants a rolling bag that doesn’t compromise on quality.
Fore more information visit http://www.thinktankphoto.com.
Highly recommended.
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Photographers You Should Know About – Yousuf Karsh
This is the fifth in my series of “Photographers You Should Know About.” The first four appear below in no particular order – Bresson, Edward Weston, Lange and Strand.
http://photofocus.com/2012/04/01/photographers-that-you-should-know-henri-cartier-bresson/
http://photofocus.com/2012/03/12/photographers-you-should-know-about-edward-weston/
http://photofocus.com/2012/02/13/photographers-that-you-should-know-about-dorothea-lange/
http://photofocus.com/2012/02/26/photographers-that-you-should-know-about-paul-strand/
Yousuf Karsh lived from 1908 until 2002. He was the Ansel Adams of portrait photography. It’s pretty easy to spot a Karsh. Like images from Adams, they just stand out.
Karsh worked extensively in Canada running a portrait studio. But it was his 1941 portrait of Winston Churchill that made him famous. While I’ve always been somewhat put off by the fact that some photographers become famous because they photograph famous people, that’s not the case with Mr. Karsh. His work is epic. He managed to bring the real personality of his subjects out across the film plane.
He knew how to use studio lights long before there was any sort of lighting manual or Creative Live or Strobist.
He saw himself as a person’s who job it was to unwrap the real person sitting in front of him. Many consider him the most famous portrait photographer of all time. Perhaps looking at Karsh’s own words gives insight into why…
“The revelation, if it comes at all, will come in a small fraction of a second with an unconscious gesture, a gleam of the eye, a brief lifting of the mask that all humans wear to conceal their innermost selves from the world. In that fleeting interval of opportunity the photographer must act or lose his prize. – Yousuf Karsh”
“It should be the aim of every photographer to make a single exposure that shows everything about the subject. I have been told that my portrait of Churchill is an example of this. – Yousuf Karsh”
“I try to photograph people’s spirits and thoughts. As to the soul-taking by the photographer, I don’t feel I take away, but rather that the sitter and I give to each other. It becomes an act of mutual participation. – Yousuf Karsh”
Karsh went on to photograph hundreds of prominent figures. His use of black & white portraits lit by studio strobes formulated the basis of acceptable professional portrature for decades. If you want to be a great portrait artist, learn all you can about Mr. Karsh and study his work. It will change you.
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According to the dictionary, a professional is:
“A person who belongs to one of the professions, esp. one of the learned professions.”
“A person who earns a living in a sport or other occupation frequently engaged in by amateurs: a golf professional.”
“A person who is expert at his or her work: You can tell by her comments that this editor is a real professional. “
It’s the last definition that most closely fits for me. Being an “expert” or at least an ASPIRING expert, makes you professional.
Most of this conversation won’t center around the financial aspect of being a professional photographer. While making money is certainly evidence of professionalism, financial success alone isn’t enough to be “professional.”
Tony Corbell often says that being a professional is about being “proficient.” I really like that saying. Clay Blackmore says being a professional is about being able to deliver consistently good results, and knowing how you did it. I like that saying too.
They all point to one thing – caring about your craft enough to know WHY that shot worked. We’ve all had a lucky shot or two. But some people are “luckier” than others and that usually translates to preparing, studying, practicing and working hard – in order to be “lucky.”
If you aren’t sure how you got from A-Z, then you might want to consider boning up on the craft of photography before you call yourself a professional. If you can consistently deliver great results…if you are proficient, you’re already there.
But if you’re not, there’s no reason to despair. Relax. It will come, as long as you work hard. If you’re not quite there, then there’s no shame in identifying yourself as an “aspiring professional.”
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