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Hello photography students and fanatics alike, I am the new Project Editor, Cara Brooke Schultz. I know everyone must be really busy finishing up the semester and trying to get all their holiday shopping completed. It can be brutal traveling from retail store to retail store in search of the perfect gift for your loved one. I thought that perhaps it would be helpful to list five gifts that I found while perusing the Internet. I took into mind the lack of funds, which most students share, and looked for gifts under the $50 range. Let me know what you think. If anyone has any other suggestions to add or reviews on the items, feel free to contribute to my list. Happy shopping!
Five Gifts Under $50 for Photography Fanatics:
1. The Gorillapod Flexible Digital Camera Tripod: during my search I found it for around $21.99 on sale at x-tremegeek.com, however, the price ranged on other websites from $21.99-$25.00. The Gorillapod has bendable legs that can wrap around just about anything—to provide a steady and secure platform for your digital camera.
2. SeaLife SL545 SportDiver II Compact 35mm Underwater Camera: I found this camera listed on Amazon.com for $49.20 on sale, which is comparably less than most other websites. You can use this 35mm camera both in dry conditions, like a walk on the beach or while vacationing on a tropical island and scuba diving or snorkeling. The camera allows you to take pictures at depths of up to 164 feet.
3. QP200 QuikPod Pro Tripod Kit: This product ranges in price from about $25-$30 and can be found on websites like amazon.com and digitalcameraiq.com. This product is a hand-held camera-mounting pole. It allows you to capture those photographs of yourself with friends and family. It also features a mirror that can be positioned so that you can make sure you are aiming the camera in the correct direction. The tripod can be held out at arms length, extended to a length of 18.5" (47 cm).
4. D.I.Y. Photo Block Kit: This fun and creative gift is priced at about $25.00 on elsewares.com and photojojo.com. This kit includes everything you need to create two beautiful photo block sets: 8 wood blocks, foam brush, sandpaper, photo-safe glue, and sealer.
5. LumiQuest Soft Screen: is a diffusion sheet for on-camera pop-up flashes and can be found for $12.95 on Adorama.com. This portable and small soft screen is made to fit over your digital SLR's pop-up flash. According to the product review you can use this to soften the harsh lighting that direct on-camera flash produces and it will also reduce the chance of getting red-eye.
Photographs courtesy of Lumiquest and Joby
We support our own here at PDNedu, so when PDN Senior Editor Anthony LaSala teamed up with photographer and former PDN's 30 Seth Kushner on a new book, we had to blog about it.
The Brooklynites is a collection of images, interviews and essays on famous Brooklyn-borough residents like Spike Lee and Steve Buscemi, as well as only-famous-in-our-office Brooklynites like our very own PDN Contest Manager John Gimenez and his girlfriend Amy.
Published by powerHouse books, The Brooklynites is available through booksellers like Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.
Also check out an upcoming FREE slideshow and book signing with the authors:
Date: November 14, 2007
Time: 7:00pm
Venue: Barnes & Noble
106 Court St.
Brooklyn, NY 11201
From top left: A portrait of Spike Lee from The Brooklynites; John and Amy in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Photographs by Seth Kushner.
If you've got a gear experience you want to share, check out PDN's new baby, PDNGearGuide.com and post a user review. We've just recently launched the site and want to hear from photo enthusiasts like you about what you do (or don't) love about your DSLRs, point-and-shoots, tripods, strobes, and more. Log-in (it's FREE!) to share your point of view and possibly help other gear-heads from making a really bad purchase.
A friend recently introduced me to the newest upgrade in camera bags by Jessica Claire, the Shootsac. After lugging around bulbous camera bags that seem to only get less comfortable as the day goes on, the Shootsac was a long time coming—it’s so popular, it’s already sold out.
The Shootsac is slim, easy to carry and best of all, it’s something you would actually want to tote around. Shootsac also has stylish interchangeable covers you can switch depending on your mood or your outfit. One of my favorites has branches with budding red flowers set on a white background. It’s very cute, and definitely something I’d want to be sporting even if I wasn’t taking pictures.
Check out the Shootsac blog at http://www.shootsacblog.com, where professionals and amateurs can mingle and share tricks and tips, with a special showcase section for their work. Add your name to the “First to Know List,” at http://www.shootsac.com and before long, you could be shooting with a style and ease all your own.
I am currently in the market for a new (and by new I mean well kept, previously owned) Hasselblad 500 series camera. With so many places to look—camera stores, eBay.com and other online sites—it’s hard to decide the best place to buy a reputable and reliable used camera. After researching prices and warrantees, I decided on KEH.com. A relatively unknown site, KEH.com happens to be the largest dealer of photographic products including digital and collectable vintage equipment. It has great customer service, a 14-day no-hassle return policy and a 60-day warranty. With a detailed grading system and a wide range of prices, KEH.com gets my vote as a reputable source for used cameras.
When buying used equipment, remember:
1. Research carefully and thoroughly from many sources—Photo.net, Midwest Photo Exchange, Adorama, B&H, and ACE – are great place to start
2. Don’t be in a hurry to buy; taking your time could mean saving you hundreds, and not having to fix an unacceptable camera.
3. Don’t be afraid of auction sites like eBay with a range of equipment and prices. If you remain a competitive shopper, you may find the deal of the year.
4. The most important thing to know before purchasing the camera: the RETURN and WARRANTY policies! Do not move your credit card without memorizing them.
Happy shopping! You just may find the camera you can afford.
Just in time for your holiday wishlist, here are a few interesting photo books released this year.
 The Color of Jazz: Album Cover Photographs by Pete Turner (Rizzoli, 2006)
Taylor began photographing jazz album covers in the 1950s and has since covered the greats, including Count Basie, John Coltrane and Quincy Jones. The 144-page coffee-table book features 108 color photos including 12 x 12-inch album covers. $45
Monkey Portraits by Jill Greenberg (Bulfinch, 2006)
Greenberg's intimate images of simians are full of emotion, fun to look at and as beautiful as any photo of a celebrity Greenberg has taken. The 112-page hardcover is a winning gift for all the animal in all of us. $24.99
Reaching Climax: And Other Towns Along the American Highway by Gary Gladstone (Ten Speed Press, 2006)
Gladstone, a 40-year veteran photographer, documents small, offbeat American towns with the most unusual names in this 144-page paperback. The towns—such as Sugartit, Kentucky and Idiotville, Oregon— and accompanying portraits of residents who inhabit them, are not only quirky, but laugh-out-loud funny. $19.95
When you live in New York City, one special week represents all that is young, hot and fabulous. September’s Fashion Week is practically an honorary holiday for the glitterati, paparazzi and designers to showcase their talent. In honor of this glorious event, I suggest two fashion photography books for those interested in models, designers and all things of beauty.
Take a backstage pass with Talking Fashion by Sarajane Hoare and Fabien Baron. This glimpse into the life a fashion editor features work by some of fashion's most famous photographers, including
Patrick Demarchelier and Mario Testino.
Plus, no fashion addict’s collection would be complete without Unseen Vogue: The Secret History of Fashion Photography by Robin Derrick and Robin Muir. This book reveals images from Vogue’s archive starting in the 1920s and going through 2002.
Enjoy!
Photo © Talking Fashion: Photographs by Ron Sarajane Hoare published by powerHouse Books
Photo © Unseen Vogue by Robin Derrick and Robin Muir published by Little Brown Book Group Ltd.
Are you interested in pursuing commercial portrait or wedding photography?
Rangefinder Magazine is offering free subscriptions.
This month's issue focuses on "Mysteries of Lighting Revealed" with articles about finding directional lighting, four popular flash diffusers, urban nighttime portrait sessions, and finding the light.
Sound interesting?
Click here to see if you qualify!
Last November, I was very excited when the International Center of Photography (ICP) Museum Store advertised three new films about photographers. Now you can rent them from Netflix.
The Contacts
films juxtapose images (contact prints, proofs, prints, or slides) with
commentary from famous photographers about themselves to reveal their artistic
processes. Some of the shorts are illuminating and entertaining like Sarah Moon's and others are quotes read via voice-over by who knows who and are really rather disappointing. Nonetheless, it is still insightful and educational to see the images not always chosen from a contact sheet and also to see how unbelievably talented some photographers are even in their outtakes.
Contacts 1: The Great Tradition of Photojournalism
William Klein,
Henri Cartier-Bresson, Raymond Depardon, Mario Giacomelli, Josef
Koudelka, Robert Doisneau, Edouard Boubat, Elliot Erwitt, Marc Riboud,
Leonard Freed, Helmut Newton, and Don McCullin
Contacts 2: The Renewal of Contemporary Photography
Nan Goldin,
Sophie Calle, Duane Michals, Sarah Moon, Nobuyoski Araki, Andreas
Gursky, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Thomas Ruff, Lewis Baltz, Jean-Marc
Bustamante, and Jeff Wall
Contacts 3: Conceptual Photography
John Baldessari, Bernd and
Hilla Becher, Christian Boltanski, Alain Fleischer, John Hilliard, Roni
Horn, Martin Parr, Georges Rousse, Thomas Struth, and Wolfgang Tillmans
Here is a way to promote yourself at the pool or the beach.
TreasureKnit will weave your photo into a 30x60 inch Egyptian Cotton towel. The price is $69.95 for two towels. Just upload your 300 dpi JPEG (max 2MB) or mail them a print.
And if that inspires you ... they also offer blankets, woven pillows, bags and tapestries to show off your vision.
Anthropy Arts has just released a documentary about photographer Keith Carter as part of a new DVD series focusing on today's most influential photographers.
Check out the demo.
The price is $29.99 and includes an overview of Carter's career, offers an in-depth look at his techniques and philosophy, and features a "bonus" step-by-step toning session in his darkroom.
Upcoming releases in the series include photographers Alec Soth, Debbie Fleming Caffery, Amy Arbus and Dan Estabrook.
Ahhh -- the magic of light. It can really help or hinder an image. It can also do serious damage to your already stretched photography budget.
Ohhh -- but the expressiveness of the image is worth the sacrifice of eating, paying rent, and of course, taking out more student loans, right?
Well here is an inexpensive and creative way to have your light and eat too!
"Putting Together a Budget DIY Lighting System" was written by Adrian Broughton and just published last week in Shuttertalk.
Hopefully it will spark some ideas -- (just keep it a secret).
Not all darkroom masters are digital-phobic!
Gene Nocon, who has printed for photographers such as Cecil Beaton, George Hurrell, and Norman Parkinson AND who has won Ilford Printer of the Year on several occasions, has just released "Nocon On Photoshop: A Darkroom Guide to Digital Photography."
You can find the book at Freestyle Photographic Supplies where Nocon is on their Advisory Board of Photographic Professionals.
Nocon says, "There are dozens of instructional books on Photoshop, but the irony is that none, at least those I have read, treat the images as photographs. It’s all tricks and use of filters to create abstract images or text that looks like red coral. My approach and use of Photoshop is based on a lifetime working in a photo lab."
And if you are ever in San Diego, you can visit Nocon's digital and wet lab at In House Photo on Kettner Boulevard. Plan on spending the afternoon there because he has stories to tell!
I love anything that makes my digital workflow quicker and easier. I especially love when these tools are free!
Photoshop Automator Actions v2.0 has just been released by innovator Ben Long.
To use Automator, you string a series of "actions" together to create a workflow. The Photoshop Action Pack provides 71 Actions that allow you to control a tremendous number of Photoshop's functions.
What does your workflow look like?
Do you need to add a watermark to each image and then deinterlace, desaturate, despeckle and diffuse? Maybe your recent series includes a lot of trapping, trimming, and twirling?
Don't know where to start? In addition to the bundle of actions available, there is also an assortment of sample workflows, a 61-page electronic manual, and, thankfully, some tutorials.
The Action Pack works with both Photoshop CS and CS2.
How crazy is this ...
There is a new Photoshop plug-in called Exposure that helps digital files look like film.
It was created by a company called Alien Skin. They tout that it is "The closest thing to film since film." You can now digitally simulate the vivid colors of Velvia®, the rich blacks of Kodachrome®, or the sensitivity of Ektachrome®, as well as the warmth and softness of dozens of other film stocks, both color and black and white. In addition, Exposure models the size, shape, and color of real world film grain. Use this level of subtle reproduction to simulate the distinct looks of films such as Ilford® 3200 Delta and long discontinued Ektachrome EES and GAF® 500.
So my question for you is ... if you want your files to mimic your favorite film, why not shoot film?
Exposure costs $199 and will work with Photoshop 7 or later (including CS2), Adobe Photoshop Elements 2 or later, Macromedia Fireworks MX 2004 or later, and Corel Paint Shop Pro 8 or later.
I love watching films, but not just any genre. I love watching films about photographers.
My students might laughingly tell you about my sadness that Kodak doesn't make its "Techniques of the Masters" films anymore (produced in the 80's/90's). What could be better than having a video crew follow around Joyce Tenneson, Duane Michals, Eugene Richards, or newspaper photographer Bill Greene. It was the ultimate insider's view - insightful and inspiring. When they were originally broadcast, there was also a live studio and call-in Q&A. I still love to watch them even though the tracking can't be fixed and the color has shifted to green.
Imagine my recent delight when I noticed 3 new DVD offerings in the International Center of Photography (ICP) Museum Store catalogue.
The description reads "the world's greatest photographers reveal the secrets behind their images in this collection of short personal films. The Contacts films juxtapose images (contact prints, proofs, prints, or slides) with commentary from the artists themselves to uncover the artistic processes of the greatest contemporary photographers from an original perspective."
Contacts 1: The Great Tradition of Photojournalism
William Klein, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Raymond Depardon, Mario Giacomelli, Josef Koudelka, Robert Doisneau, Edouard Boubat, Elliot Erwitt, Marc Riboud, Leonard Freed, Helmut Newton, and Don McCullin
Contacts 2: The Renewal of Contemporary Photography
Nan Goldin, Sophie Calle, Duane Michals, Sarah Moon, Nobuyoski Araki, Andreas Gursky, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Thomas Ruff, Lewis Baltz, Jean-Marc Bustamante, and Jeff Wall
Contacts 3: Conceptual Photography
John Baldessari, Bernd and Hilla Becher, Christian Boltanski, Alain Fleischer, John Hilliard, Roni Horn, Martin Parr, Georges Rousse, Thomas Struth, and Wolfgang Tillmans
Unfortunately, insight isn't cheap. Each DVD costs $40 or $36 for ICP members. It is easily justified ... only $1 for every 3.25 minutes of pleasure, which is cheaper than visiting a masseuse or a psychic!
American Photo's recent Wedding and Portrait Guide offers a list of vendors to dust away your digital woes.
And it is gonna take more than canned air! www.cleaningdigitalcameras.com
www.PhotoSol.com
www.VisibleDust.com
As if dust is your only problem ... did you know that "oxidation can deteriorate the silver recording surface (of both CDs and DVDs), rendering the disc unusable and the data irretrievable after as little as two years."
Both MAM-A/Mitsui and Delkin Devices offer archival discs to last 300 years. They are actually gold-plated!
My students LOVE good deals on used photography equipment.
Besides shopping on Ebay, they also mentioned
www.fredmiranda.com and www.keh.com.
Any other secrets we should know about?
You don't have to worry about your film getting fogged by the airport x-ray, BUT shooting digital has its concerns when traveling.
SanDisk offers these suggestions:
- Get higher capacity cards that hold more pictures and/or sharper and larger photos. That way you don't have to throw images away to make more room on your card.
- Keep an extra charged battery around to avoid losing images being transferred if your camera runs out of juice or use a card reader instead.
- Back up your cards by downloading them and burning a CD.
 
You can never have enough t-shirts! I just found two more cool ones at an online store at the Digital Wedding Forum. They have one on chimping too!
To help you answer this question, Express Digital, provider of digital workflow software, internet storefronts, and lab solutions, has announced the Digital Everyday Tour featuring wedding photographer Clay Blackmore. The tour runs from late June through the end of August. Find out more about the tour and how to register.
Kodak has had some enticing rebates to keep you shooting film. You can find them online in Kodak's ProPass Magazine.
This month's issue also spotlights Joe McNally, a well-respected photographer and educator.
McNally has been actively teaching in the photo community for quite some time. I met him at the Eddie Adams Workshop (where he kicked butt as my team leader in 1993), and you can meet him this summer at the Maine Photographic Workshops and at the Santa Fe Workshops.
Photo by Joe McNally
I am thinking of that scene in Fiddler on the Roof where half the chorus yells “horse” and the other half responds with “mule” -- back and forth into a glorious crescendo. And now in my wacky musical fantasy, I substitute in “film, digital, film, digital, film, digital.”
But instead of this debate taking place in 1905 in Anatevka, it is fittingly happening in Berkeley, where all good protests begin.
Here is your chance to take a stand.
Looking Glass Camera & Photo Supply in Berkeley is selling FILM IS NOT DEAD t-Shirts for $12.50. Their website isn’t working so call them at 510-548-6888 (and tell them to fix the darn thing.)
The first two printings have sold out with more to come.
 If you’re looking for a way to show your work, but you don’t have the cash for a traditional portfolio- I like the Mac iPhoto books. The ‘large’ hardcover is 8.5 x 11 inches and $29.95 for 20 double-sided pages. The presentation is neat and cheap to ship. This is also a good way to show your personal work along with a traditional portfolio….
We'll be ramping up on postings about photo gear and technology in the coming days, but until then, why not check out our big brother site's Product News.
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