Well folks, time for the weekly roundup. Starting with Deke McClelland’s 100 photoshop tips in 5 minutes video. It’s mostly keyboard shortcuts, so don’t be looking for killer techniques, but it’s pretty funny and you’re bound to learn a few things if you’re good at listening fast.

Since we’re talking about Deke, you should check out You Suck At Photoshop which is rumoured to be done by Deke. There’re several of these videos. As education it works ok - you might learn a thing or two - but as performance art/satire it’s damn funny. And it’s crude and might border on offensive if you’re the type who doesn’t get satire for what it is, or just have more delicate ears than some. You’ve been warned.

While we’re on the topic of funny, have you heard of the IYP Photography Contest? You heard, it the IYP. International Year of the Potato World Photography Contest. I couldn’t make this up if I tried. Link HERE. It’s actually pretty serious and the prizes reflect that. But who can resist a jab at something so quirky? In 2004, there was an International Year of Rice contest too - see the winner’s gallery HERE.

Less funny is the introduction of the new Nikon D700 this week, a new SB-900 strobe, and two new PC/shift-tilt lenses. See Scott Kelby’s blog for details and links HERE. It’s getting hard to be Canon fanboy these days. I’m beginning to wonder if it’s worth investing in both systems. Starting with a D-700, a 24-70/2.8 VR (or whatever the Nikon lens equivalent is), and a few SB-900’s is starting to look pretty fine. Joe McNally is not doing much to help with this - see his recent blog post HERE.

I got Peterson’s Understanding Shutter Speed in the mail this week and took some time to read it yesterday. It’s not a big book, so the read was quick. I think as book reviews go there are two questions - did the book do what the author set out to do? and did I get anything out of it? The rest are secondary. I assume the answer to the first is yes; this is not a book with a complicated premise. The second, well, yes and no.

I think that, if new shooters can be persuaded to put down their camera long enough to pick up a book, being reminded of the effects of shutter speed on the aesthetics of an image is a good thing and this book does that. The photos illustrate the book well, though they aren’t generally inspiring. If your local library has it, it’s a rental. Or a nice gift for someone starting out. But if you’ve got one book to buy and read, I can think of meatier ones out of which you’ll glean much more, like Freeman’s The Photographer’s Eye.

Finally, a quote:

All my photographs are about meetings and about coups de foudre - love at first site. To do that type of photography one must wipe the canvas clean to prepare for chance encounters, be open and aware to such moments, otherwise it becomes cliche - already seen and expected.
-Edouart Boubat

Have a great weekend. To my American readers, have a great July 4th. Shoot what you love, love what you shoot.

The thing is, when people google “what’s the best travel tripod” they’re asking others to find the perfect compromise between weight, size, price, and usefulness in any number of scenarios. For you the perfect one might still weigh 4lbs. For me, I don’t care so much that the max. height is 22 inches, as long as it’s light and will hold my camera stlll for a few evening shots. What perfectly meets my needs might not meet any of yours, so the best I can do is a grown-up show-and-tell and show you some possibilities.

So, here’s a couple more I’m looking at through the lens of “make it as light as possible, even it’s really short and I have to sit on the ground to use it.

Really Right Stuff’s Ground Pod - Man this is a sexy little thing. It’s the same size as the Kirk MLB, but where the MLB is a girl who’s your best friend and wears sensible footwear, the Ground Pod is Charlize Theron in the movie Aeon Flux. Or Trinity from the Matrix. Hard-core, built like a tank (sexy, sexy tank), and, uh, dressed in black (I need to start thinking about these metaphors before I commit to them…)

Specs: 2.6 lbs, max heigh 16.9″, max load 50lbs, Shekels Required: $375, no head.

Gitzo’s GT-921 Basalt Table Tripod - Not as sexy, but Carbon Fibre always gets points and Gitzo has never let me down yet. And weight? 1lb without the head. My boots weigh more. If I can set this on a table or on the ground and get those few crucial shots I need a tripod for, this one might be worth it’s salt.

Specs: 1 lb, max height 33.5″, max load 8.8 lbs, Shekels Required: $200, no head.

Neither of these might be your ultimate sticks for traveling. It’s a shame the Gitzo Basalt G1298 was discontinued. I’ve traveled around the world with mine and while I am now looking to shed some weight for the ultra-light trips, it’s a really great tripod and I will continue to take it on trips where I know I want a larger tripod. It’s like a slimmed down, sexy Manfrotto 190 in size, but lighter, and sturdier. I’ve seen them on eBay and that ought to save you a few bucks.

Got a tripod that you won’t leave home without? Leave a comment, share the love.

Of all the memorable bits in the movie - I have a point that I’m building to so sit tight - is when Miyage-san begins teaching Daniel, not Karate but home renovations and car-washing with zen-like admonitions to “Paint-up, paint-down. Wax-on, wax-off.” I loved that. I immediately subscribed to Better Homes and Gardens in hopes that I too could learn Karate. It didn’t work.

Back to the point. I learned three things from The Karate Kid, two of which are immediately applicable to the photographic journey.

1. The Crane is a formidable Karate technique if you don’t see it coming. But it’s hard to do with camera in hand and has no immediate photographic application.

2. When you learn the fundamentals so well that they become instinctive, you will never have to think about them and technique itself steps out of the way when you are (a) being bullied by a guy with a mullet or (b) expressing your vision with your camera. I’ll come back to this.

3. The secret to Photography, like Karate, lies more in the mind and the heart than in the tools of our craft. It is primarily an art of expression and everything is derivative of your vision - for which you must have a mind and heart. Time spent exploring the things about which you are passionate is time spent working on your craft, whether you have a camera in hand or not.

Back to #2, the fundamentals. The photographic journey is not one taken in one step or in one day. The camera is deceptively simple and while you can certainly - to extend the Karate metaphor - start flailing and kicking immediately, it will no more make you a black belt than picking up a camera and pointing it helter skelter makes you a photographer.

There is great value in a wax-on, wax-off type of repetitive exercise. Moving your fingers over your camera and lens so often that you know each button by touch gives puts you in a place where you can think, not about the technology, but about the scene in front of you. The same is true of composition - the more familiar you are with a repertoire of compositional possibilities, the sooner you have a starting point with less wasted time and effort. This is a journey that took me nearly twenty years. And it was only then that I finally had a vision I felt passionately enough about that I would pursue this as a career.

Whether your journey ever takes you to a place of vocation, take some comfort in knowing that every frame you shoot - even the junk - takes you closer to getting the geek stuff out of the way and allowing the artist to do his thing without distraction.

If you want to speed up the process, then thank Mr Miyage for the hint, pick up your camera and work it. Blind-fold yourself and identify each button by touch. Can you change ISO or your focus point without looking, without thinking? Can you adjust your EV compensation with little more than a glance? The more unconsciously you can wield your tools, the more you can spend your time looking, reacting, and creating.

“If one really wishes to be master of an art, technical knowledge of it is not enough. One has to transcend technique so that the art becomes an “artless art” growing out of the unconscious”
- Daisetz Susuki, quoted in Freeman’s The Photographer’s Eye

It’s my goal to wow my clients, not just meet their expectations. If you feel the same way then those of you who present digital files to clients probably already do it with some style, something that reflects your branding and wows your clients.

Here’s a great tool for those of you wanting to take it up a notch, or make your current system even easier or better.

It’s called Jewelboxing, professional-grade dvd and cd packaging that’s customizable and hassle-free. You get the boxes, the labels, the templates - everything you need to drop in your designs and give a custom package to each client, or for delivery digital portfolios. I like the larger dvd-sized cases.

If you’re looking to take things up a notch, check it out here: Jewelboxing.com

July’s desktop wallpaper. Shot one morning heading up past Ruhengeri in Rwanda towards Imbabazi Orphanage. Had to stop, stare, find it difficult not to think of the relatively recent horrors as children, already up and working, walk by with machetes. Strange juxtapositions we live with in this world.

This one is 1280×853. Click the image for the full-sized image, then right-click to save. If you want a bigger one I’ve made one for my 30″ Cinema Display, so this oughta be big enough for you. Click here for the big one.

Happy Birthday, Mom. The rest of you; tomorrow’s Canada Day, so I’m taking the day off - as such it’ll be a no-blog Tuesday and I suggest you use it to celebrate the good things Canada has given to the world: maple syrup, insulin, basketball, beavers, and, the enduring comedy talent that leaves here in droves to live in Los Angeles. They may live there, but we still claim them. Not so with Celine Dion. Y’all can keep her.

Brad Jarvis pointed me to David Tejada’s blog for a post about shooting through a diffusion panel as I mentionned yesterday - link HERE. I use this technique alot and love it.

The Intergalactic emporium of all things gear-related is B&H PHOTO in NYC and they’re offering big savings right now on selected Canon (expires July 19th), Leica (expires June 30th) and Nikon (no expiry mentionned but I’m pretty sure it’s not one of these eternal offers.) The nice thing about this annual B&H tradition is that it gives you immediate rebates without having to wait for weeks for a cheque to come. Or not come. You know how it works.

Steven Frischling, aka Flying With Fish, is holding The Great Mountainsmith Bag Giveaway and all you have to do is relay your worst travel scenario to him for a chance to win one of three Mountainsmith bags.

Travel Photographers take note - the PDN/Nat Geo Traveler WORLD IN FOCUS CONTEST is up and if you’ve not yet entered, the deadline is Sept 08/08. As with all these things, read the rules and conditions and give away only those rights you feel comfortable with.

Finally, a quote:

“When making a picture, the sound of the shutter can “click off” the scene. One immediately turns to look for the next thing to shoot. To avoid killing what you behlod, linger on it. Not merely saving the view for posterity, but savoring it in the now is the only antidote to this subtle occupational hazard.” - Jeff Berner.

Have a great weekend. Take some time to shoot something that moves you.

A diffuser softens the light and removes harsh shadows. Placed directly over a subject it allows me to shoot on-location in Africa at high noon. Placed to the side, even without a reflective panel, the diffuser bounces enough to provide some subtle fill. It even makes a great flag when flare is a problem. I’ve used the black panel as an ad hoc background, and the gold panel to bounce back some fill when I’m backlighting a subject with the low evening sun.

When I travel on assignment work I use a large, and now battered, 5 in 1 collapsible reflector disc. When I am at home it’s a Medium Lastolite Skylite. It measures 42″x78″ and If I could take this on every shoot, I would. It breaks down easily for transport, though it’s still rather long when packed, but really well-built and sturdy.

I like my Skylite for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, as a diffuser it makes the light absolutely gorgeous. Gor. Geous. Secondly, it’s really rigid which allows me to mount it on a couple stands, sandbag it, and not have to worry about it flopping all over the place. Thirdly - its changeable panels allows me to have a diffuser, a white panel, silver, gold, or black, relatively quickly

On the field the Skylite is just too big for my uses. It would add one more challenge to packing and transportation that I don’t want to add right now. So I use the collapsible 5-in-1 but I could do away with it and just use the Lastolites.

The downside? Like any piece of good gear they aren’t cheap. I bought my initial kit at B&H for $349 - that includes the frame, the diffusion panel, the white/sunfire panel, a crossbar/handle, and a carrying bag. But for the quality and versatility I get out of it, I’d pay it again in a heartbeat. Lastolite also has small Skylites (42″x42″) and a large one (78″x78″).

If the Lastolite Skylite isn’t in your budget, try a large oval 5-in-1, like this one that sells for $80. Either way, once you’ve played with simple diffusion and bounce lighting you’ll be spoiled. It’s not fancy, and no one is going to ask you what brand of reflector you use - but your images will look fantastic.

And there’s the rub. Photography, for all its accessibility remains a visual means of expression - a language - and without the knowledge of the alphabet, vocabulary, grammar, and syntax, we’re wildly babbling away. Oh, we’re talking alright, we just aren’t saying anything.

I’ve preached on this before, the need for visual literacy, but this time I want to point you to two books that are exceptional guides to even the professional. Some of us would rather lick the dust off our sensor with a wet tongue than read a book, I get that. But until there’s a way to absorb this by osmosis, we may just have to suck it up.

The first book is one I’ve pointed to before. Freeman Patterson’s Photography and the Art of Seeing.

The second is Michael Freeman’s The Photographer’s Eye. When I first mentionned Freeman’s book I got a number of comments/emails confirming my suspicions - this is a truly excellent book. The premise of The Photographer’s Eye is that the way you compose a photograph influences how someone sees it, and from that premise Freeman digs into the hows and whys of composition in a substantial way. This is a meaty book and you’ll probably have to read it with pen and highlighter in hand. Some pages I’ve had to read twice just to get the gist. But at the end of the day, if we’re looking to hone our craft, this will take us closer to powerful images than all the gear reviews and pithy little blog articles we spend so much time amusing ourselves with.

You owe it to your craft to read - and study - this book. Highly recommended. I’ll be re-reading this again over the coming weeks, once just wasn’t enough.

I had to get it out. Won’t happen again. Check back tomorrow for a post about a book that can help reduce your need for the Un-Suck Filter. Folks reading this on an RSS feed will have to click in to see the image. It’s silly and cynical. You’ve been warned.

Estimated price will be $149.

I will do a review as soon as I can. In the mean time think about how many times you’ve wished you could give a subject a copy of their photograph, think about how much easier it is to give a copy then and there, rather than waiting until you get home and hoping you remember. Think how useful this might be in getting that model release signed or getting a reluctant model to spend a few moments with you. In the places I work these small photographs would be kept as priceless family heirlooms - not bad for a thirty-cent piece of paper.

It will weigh 8 oz. (without battery) and measures about 1″ by 3″ by 4.5″. Each 2×3 print takes 60 seconds to make. Downsides? 15 prints per battery charge, but extra batteries are available. There’s no inks to replace and the paper pricing looks like it won’t kill us either. Here’s the website.