Today marks the UK launch of the Sony Bloggie Touch Full HD pocket camcorder.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Sony Bloggie Touch Now Available in the UK
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How to Give Your Digital Photos the the Film Look with Alien Skin Exposure
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A Guest Post by Rob Dweck.
By the time I got serious about photography, digital cameras had advanced enough that buying a film camera wasn’t even a consideration. Having seen the photography of Art Wolfe, Galen Rowell and other landscape masters, I wanted to create photographs with the same visual impact and vivid color that I saw in their work. So off I went to various national parks with my Digital Rebel, only to come home and find that most of my photos were sorely lacking in impact of any kind.
Much of that was due to my newbie lack of basic photographic skills, which was remedied in time. But there was more to the equation. The photographs that first inspired me to pick up a camera were all done on film. As I looked at the technical information on many of the photographs, I noticed that most of them were shot using Fujifilm Velvia. That’s when it dawned on me why so many diehard film shooters fought the onslaught of digital tooth and nail.
Creating the Velvia look, and most any other film look, is possible in Photoshop using various combinations of adjustment layers and endless experimentation, but there is an easier way. Alien Skin Exposure makes it simple to replicate the look of a wide variety of popular film stocks with a few mouse clicks. Any time I want my landscapes to have a little extra pop, Exposure is my go to plug-in.
As with any plug-in, Exposure can be used to make subtle adjustments to the original image or to completely transform it. In the case of this photo from Bryce Canyon, I didn’t want to do anything too drastic; just boost the saturation in the reds and oranges, deepen some of the shadows and slightly bring up the glow on the backlit hoodoos.
Image after preliminary adjustments in Lightroom and before plug-ins applied
As with most plug-ins, Exposure is opened from the filters menu, where you’ll find separate modules for black & white and color films.
Select Exposure from the filter menu
The settings tab is where you’ll find the factory presets organized by category. I almost always head straight for color films- slide (grain off). The slide films are the ones that I find most pleasing and I’m just not a big fan of grain, unless it’s part of dinner.
The left column contains presets organized by category
Normally I’ll work my way down the list of films beginning with Fuji Provia, unless I’m looking for extremely subtle effects in which case I’ll try Fuji Astia. After comparing the various presets, I’ll settle on the one that comes closest to the look I want to achieve.
In the case of this photo, Kodachrome 200 gave me the look I wanted. In some cases it will be good enough that I can simply click OK and be done. More often it’s close enough that I can click OK and then reduce the opacity of the exposure layer to blend it with the original.
Adjust the opacity of the Exposure layer to blend with the original layer
In most cases, simply selecting a preset and clicking OK is not enough and a little a few tweaks are necessary to get the look I want. I spend most of my time in the color and tone tabs making small adjustments. I was happy with the color, but wanted to slightly darken the shadows and give the highlights a little extra boost.
The tone tab presents the familiar curves graph as well as sliders for making adjustments. A small boost on both shadows and highlights did the trick.
A few small adjustments in the tone tab can bring a little more pop to your image
The last step in my workflow is usually adding a vignette to darken the edges and draw the viewers eye away from the edge of the frame. This can be done in Exposure, but I use other plug-ins for that so I have more flexibility when it comes to blending. Here it was mostly the bottom of the frame that needed the darkening from the vignette.
Final image after Exposure processing and vignette
It’s easy to be wowed by some of the brilliant colors and it’s easy to go overboard, something I’ve been guilty of on occasion. Some people really like the highly saturated colors, others find it unnatural or fake looking and prefer to show the scene “as it was.” There’s no right or wrong way. It’s all a matter of preference and your own aesthetic sensibilities are your best guide.
Rob Dweck is a San Francisco Bay Area based photographer who specializes in landscape and nature photography. His work can be viewed at robdweck.com.
Post from: Digital Photography School
Extreme Wedding Photography with Uzair Kharawala
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On Monday 22 November, join Uzair Kharawala of SF Digital for a talk about photographing weddings in extreme conditions, from shooting at the world-famous ICEHOTEL in Sweden at -30° C to photographing in Borneo, Malaysia in temperatures over 30° C. Participants will learn about using Aperture 3 for a complete workflow, sorting through images to find the keepers, batch processing and more. The event will take place in the Apple Store at 235 Regent Street, London, starting at 7pm.
Recommended Reading: How to Take Photos in Extreme Cold by Uzair Kharawala
Redrock Micro Unveils M3 Lens Adapter
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Tags: Accessories, lens adapter, M3, Redrock Micro
Redrock Micro unveiled its new M3 cinema lens adapter for camcorders. The device enables photographers to perform shallow depth of field and film look without the weaknesses of HDSLRs. According to the company, Redrock always aims to enable consumers to shoot high production value and film style imagery. The M3 provides a unique blend of incredible footage with the control and power of modern digital camcorders. Anyone who shoots with an HDSLR camera but is frustrated by its shortcomings will benefit from what the M3 delivers. Thus, the Redrock M3 cinema lens adapter will become available in several different configurations and bundles. Special Introductory pricing will begin at $1,320. Finally, the M3 will start to ship on December 1, 2010.
Tags: Accessories, lens adapter, M3, Redrock Micro
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AutoStitch 3.1 for iPhone
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The new AutoStitch 3.1 brings significant improvements in panoramic photography to users of the iPhone 4 and the new iPod touch 4G. While AutoStitch has already been widely used on these new devices, Version 3.1 introduces some important new features, including multi-tasking to complete a stitsch while a user runs other apps, improved Facebook uploads and the option of entering a caption directly from the app. Many other small interface improvements and bug fixes are included. AutoStitch 3.1 is $2.99 and available through the App Store.
Press Release
AutoStitch 3.1 - New Panorama Features for the iPhone and iPod touch
Cloudburst Research today announces AutoStitch 3.1, which brings significant improvements in panoramic photography to users of the iPhone 4 and the new iPod touch 4G. AutoStitch can automatically combine any arrangement of photos into high resolution panoramas of up to 18 megapixels in size. Version 3.1 introduces some important new features that will make the experience even better. AutoStitch can now use multi-tasking to complete a stitch while a user runs other apps.
Vancouver, Canada - Cloudburst Research today is pleased to announce the immediate availability of AutoStitch Version 3.1, which brings significant improvements in panoramic photography to users of the iPhone 4 and the new iPod touch 4G. AutoStitch is the only panorama solution that can automatically combine any arrangement of photos into high resolution panoramas of up to 18 megapixels in size on an iPhone or iPod touch.
Within the past 6 months, photography on the iOS platform has experienced remarkable improvements, including the introduction of the 5MP camera on the iPhone 4, a long-desired camera on the iPod touch 4G, and the new retina display on both models. While AutoStitch has already been widely used on these new devices, Version 3.1 introduces some important new features that will make the experience even better.
For the iPhone 4 and other iOS 4 devices, AutoStitch can now use multi-tasking to complete a stitch while a user runs other apps, which is of particular value when stitching many images at high resolution. The icon, artwork,and image viewing have now all been optimized for the retina display. Uploads to Facebook are improved and now allow a caption to be entered directly from the app. Many other small interface improvements and bug fixes are included.
For the new iPod touch 4G, AutoStitch will be an essential app for many uses, as the camera on the device takes images that are each less than 1MP in size. AutoStitch is now optimized for the low input resolution on the iPod touch and will quickly combine images to maximize the final resolution, allowing iPod touch users to create images as large as 18MP in size.
AutoStitch continues to perform well on all previous iPhone models, which also benefit from many of the updates. AutoStitch brings professional quality photography to the iPhone and iPod touch by providing two valuable capabilities: wide-angle photography and high-resolution imaging. Its fully automated stitching approach provides a user experience that has proven to be simple and fun for anyone from casual to professional users.
Supported Languages:
* US English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Japanese and Spanish
Device Requirements:
* iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad
* Requires iOS 3.1 or later (iOS 4.0 Tested)
* 10.0 MB
Pricing and Availability:
AutoStitch 3.1 is $2.99 USD (or equivalent amount in other currencies) and available worldwide exclusively through the App Store in the Photography category. Review copies are available to the media upon request.
AutoStitch 3.1: http://www.cloudburstresearch.com
Purchase and Download: http://itunes.apple.com/app/autostitch-panorama/id318944927?mt=8
User Community in Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/groups/iphoneautostitch/
Screenshot: http://a1.phobos.apple.com/us/r1000/030/Purple/9c/d4/4b/mzl.nnqbpake.320x480-75.jpg
App Icon: http://a1.phobos.apple.com/us/r1000/020/Purple/e3/1e/ca/mzi.oeuxzkzg.175x175-75.jpg
Cloudburst Research is located in Vancouver, BC, Canada. It is a spin-off company from the University of British Columbia that was founded in March 2009 to bring the latest results from university research to mobile devices. Copyright (C) 2009-2010 Cloudburst Research. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone and iPod are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.
Diana Mini Trinity
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The Lomographic Society has released three new members of the Diana camera family.
Aquatica AN-5
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Cameras Underwater has announced a new underwater housing for the Sony NEX-5 compact system camera. Depth rated to 300ft/90m, the Aquatica AN-5 housing has an anodised shell, powder coated to a smooth finish that will resist years of extensive use, the company says. All controls are double sealed and every shaft and push button has been manufactured to a mirror smooth. A quick access lever serves to bring the internal flash up and down for easy switching between strobe and ambient light photography. The Aquatica AN-5 waterproof housing is available to order now from Cameras Underwater. Price to be confirmed.
Press Release
New Aquatica AN-5 housing for the Sony NEX-5 camera now available to order from Cameras Underwater
10th November 2010: Cameras Underwater, the UK’s leading specialist in underwater photography, is pleased to announce the addition of Aquatica’s AN-5 housing to its extensive range of underwater photography products. The AN-5 is a quality housing designed to fit the Sony NEX-5 camera - providing a fantastic solution for underwater photographers who need a high level of imaging performance in a compact size.
Sony’s flexible NEX-5 yields the punch of the DSLR sensor within the size of a compact camera and is now even more suitable for the task of underwater imaging due to its large choice of interchangeable lenses and superior focusing in both still and video modes.
The AN-5 housing for the NEX-5 has been constructed using only the highest grade of corrosion resistant materials. The housing shell is anodized and powder coated to a smooth finish that will resist years of extensive use and all controls are double sealed in order to achieve the 300ft/90 meter depth rating. Every shaft and push button has been manufactured to a mirror smooth surface and is made of the finest quality stainless steel, offering complete protection from harsh environments.
Special care has been taken to locate every control at its best possible position for comfortable use and the basic layout of the camera has been reproduced externally so users don’t have to search for relocated controls. Even with the extremely small size of this housing, Aquatica has managed to build in a quick access lever to bring the internal flash up and down for easy switching between strobe and ambient light photography. In addition, a pair of dual optical strobe connectors have been built-in to the housing, avoiding the extra cost and hassle of having to use an external adapter.
A very innovative multi function mechanism has been designed for ports and lens locking. The photographer simply rotates clockwise to position 1 to release the port, and continues rotating to the end for disengaging the gear rack mechanism. This allows the user either to pull out the tray mounted camera and lens with the Focus/Zoom gear attached to it, or to push on the lever to remove the lens without having to remove the camera.
As the rear LCD screen can be angled at 15 degrees, the AN-5 provides users with a more comfortable viewing position in diving conditions and enables easier framing.
To accommodate the large selection of Sony Nex-5 lenses, Aquatica offers a new series of compact ports on the AN-5. An adapter is also available for mounting the existing line of Aquatica ports.
Weighing less than 1kg, the Aquatica AN-5 is extremely compact and features dimensions of 165 (W) x 141 (H) x 84 (D) mm, including the optical bulkhead.
The Aquatica AN-5 waterproof housing is available to order now from Cameras Underwater. Price to be confirmed.
Nathan's Gastown Condo House Call
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Name: Nathan
Location: Gastown — Vancouver, British Columbia
I live in a 650 square feet condominium built in 2009. One side is flanked by a 250 square feet deck bordered by common area gardens giving the feeling of being in small house. I removed sliding glass doors that separated the bedroom to give a more open feeling. I painted the entire condominium the same colour to unify the space but put in a clear cedar tongue in groove ceiling in the bedroom to define that room.
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I've Got a Feeling
I looked for symbols and icons of the city and they were everywhere to be found in people, places and things. My business logo was inspired by the Bloomingdales typeface. Woody Allen's films seemed to say everything I felt about New York. Washington Square arch was a gateway to bohemian life. There was Grand Central Station, The Empire State Building, the Chrysler, Fifth Avenue, Macy's, Central Park and Times Square.
I needed a bank account and I was flying over the airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico. As we circled for our final approach, there was a giant Chase logo in the grass below. The geometric octagonal logo* seemed so bold and strong, like a bank should be. And, I thought, it must be a substantial enterprise to have a presence so far from New York City.
My banking decision was made there on that final landing. On returning home, I opened my first small business account with Chase Manhattan. And my instincts and luck as an inexperienced man were good. Chase has weathered many economic storms and has faired quite well.
But this is not a story about or a promotion for Chase.
New York City is a place that you either get or not. Or perhaps better said, it gets you or not. We can make lists of pros and cons. We can make charts and graphs, but like any affair of the heart, love is not about statistics or arguments for or against. New York should make you feel like the impassioned Paul McCartney in the Beatles concert of 1969 where he proclaimed I've Got A Feeling from the rooftop.
When I moved to New York City in 1969, you certainly would be hard pressed to make much of a rational case for the Big Apple. Things were falling apart with the city teetering on bankruptcy. Crime was high, quality of life was low. Graffiti and garbage were everywhere. For myself and my college friends, all this was just part of the fabric of the city. Shortcomings were only small hurdles to jump over or nuisances to slalom around but nothing served as a deterrent to living here whatsoever.
As a place to visit, New York City is certainly easier to sell now. But as a place to live, there are all the same inconveniences of any big city with new hurdles and slalom poles. If you're looking for sensible reasons to live here, look elsewhere. If you're looking for a place to love and one that will love you back, welcome to our world. I hope to find you on a rooftop one day singing I've Got a Feeling :)
* The Chase Logo was designed in 1960 by the firm of Chermayeff & Geismar Inc. whose portfolio of work shows an astonishing array of company logos.
Photo Note: This is the Nasdaq Building at Times Square
Akvis NatureArt v.1.5
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Akvis has released version 1.5 of Akvis Nature Art. Described by its developers as “an excellent tool for imitating the magnificence of natural phenomena”, AKVIS NatureArt lets photographers choose from six nature effects including rain, water, lightning, clouds, fire and Sun. Version 1.5 introduces the option of changing the colour of lightning bolts and coluds in the Lightning and Colours effects, respectively, and adds new languages to the program’s interface. The software is now available in seven languages including English, French, German, Russian, Italian, Portugese and Japanese. Available as a standalone program or as a plug-in to an image editor, Akvis NatureArt costs €55 / $72, with version 1.5 being a free update to existing users.
Akvis Press Release
AKVIS NatureArt v.1.5: Nature Effects For Your Digital Photos. Now in 7 Languages!
AKVIS announces the upgrade of its program, AKVIS NatureArt, to Version 1.5. AKVIS NatureArt is an excellent tool for imitating the magnificence of natural phenomena on your digital photos. You can choose from six nature effects: Rain, Sun, Water, Lightning, Clouds, and Fire.
AKVIS is proud to announce an upgrade of its program, NatureArt, to Version 1.5.
AKVIS NatureArt (http://akvis.com/en/natureart/index.php) is an excellent tool for imitating the majesty of natural phenomena on your digital photos. It also lets you create nature scenes from scratch, such as converting a blank background into a warm ocean or an evening sky with the moon and twinkling stars.
The same photo can take on a whole new look just by changing the scene’s weather. Its spirit will change dramatically, from a crackling thunderstorm to a peaceful morning, from a forest in flames to a dreary rainy scene. Nature effects have an impact on our mood and can be used to strengthen the impression made by a picture.
NatureArt offers 6 nature effects: Rain, Sun, Water, Lightning, Clouds, and Fire. But the list of possible uses is far greater. You can create a vast array of effect versions. Change the weather on a photo, illuminate a night sky with glistening stars, light up a dark landscape by adding sources of light, create a flaming text effect or even your own little tempest in a teapot.
http://akvis.com/en/natureart-tutorial/examples/tempest-in-a-glass.php
The Rain effect adds precipitation to an image. You can add various kinds of rain (from drizzle to downpour) by adjusting the parameters. You can even add snow using the AKVIS Snow preset.
The Sun effect adds the most important celestial body to an image - The Sun - in all of its glory, depending on the time of day, the changing seasons, and the weather: bright, dim, summer, winter, rising, setting, etc. By changing settings or using one of the presets from AKVIS, it’s possible to transform the sun into the moon (AKVIS Moon preset) or into one of its more distant neighbors in the galaxy (AKVIS Star preset).
The Water effect adds a body of water to an image. The horizon of the body of water can be adjusted vertically up and down. The water’s characteristics as color, depth, and the appearance can be adjusted, as well as the direction of waves. You can change an existing body of water’s appearance or add a river to a forest background.
The Lightning effect adds lightning bolts of any shape and number to an image. The lightning bolt’s attributes, such as its glow, thickness, and number of branches can be adjusted via various parameters. Add some excitement to a cloudy scene or electrify a peaceful background. In Version 1.5 of AKVIS NatureArt you can now change the color of lightning bolts.
The Clouds effect adds clouds to an image. They can be applied anywhere on an image using the program’s selection tools. Their density, size, and transparnecy can be adjusted using the effect’s parameters. Now with Version 1.5 of AKVIS NatureArt you can change the color of clouds as well. Use it to fill a vague, blank sky or to add a dreary fog around an old house.
The Fire effect (only available under the Home Deluxe and Business licenses) adds tongues of flame to an image. You can change their color and other characteristics by adjusting various parameters. Illuminate a scene with bright flames or even make flaming text.
In addition to the introduction of color to the Lightning and Clouds effects, Version 1.5 also adds new languages to the program’s interface and help pages.
AKVIS NatureArt is now available in 7 languages: English, French, German, Russian, Italian, Portugese, and Japanese.
AKVIS NatureArt is available in two editions, as an independent program (standalone) and as a plugin to a photo editor. The plugin edition is compatible with Adobe Photoshop, Corel PaintShop Photo Pro, etc. Check the compatibility page for more details. http://akvis.com/en/compatibility-software.php
AKVIS NatureArt runs on Microsoft Windows XP/Vista/Win7 and on Macintosh Mac OS X 10.4-10.6, both 32 bit and 64 bit.
Test the software for 10 days free of charge! Download AKVIS NatureArt v.1.5 for Macintosh and Windows here: http://akvis.com/en/natureart/download-nature-effects.php
Users who own Version 1.0 of AKVIS NatureArt can upgrade to Version 1.5 for free.
AKVIS NatureArt Home License (plug-in or standalone) sells for $ 72 USD or 55 Euro, downloadable from http://akvis.com.
AKVIS NatureArt is available in the Alchemy bundle (all AKVIS software in a pack). Now the all-in-one pack is available in four variants. http://akvis.com/en/bundles/alchemy.php
AKVIS specializes in development of image processing software and scientific research. The company was founded in 2004 by IT professionals having considerable experience in programming and software development. Since then the company has released 14 successful programs.
MediaPad Pro for iPad
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MediaPad Pro is a new app for the Apple iPad which, accordig to its developers, will “revolutionise” the presentation of professional portfolios.
Apple Adds Raw Support for Ten New Cameras
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Apple has just released an update to Snow Leopard, which adds system-level raw support for ten new digital cameras. The additional cameras supported by MacOS X 10.6.5 include the Canon EOS 60D, Powershot S95, Hasselblad H4D-40, Nikon D3100, Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5, Sony DSLR-A290, A560, A580, A33 (pictured) and A55.
Website: Apple
Nikon Reinforces Professional Services
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Nikon has announced the launch of the new Nikon Professional Services (NPS) global website. The NPS Global site has been developed to serve as a portal that distributes the latest information to assist NPS members working globally in their photographic activities, the company says. Among other things, it provides: links to regional NPS sites to find out about practical local information, local service facility list for photographers to visit when they face with equipment problems while they are on overseas assignment, and world-wide NPS service depot information.
Website: Nikon Professional Services
Nikon Press Release
Nikon Reinforces Professional Services
Launch of the NPS Global website
MELVILLE, NY (November 9, 2010) – Nikon Corporation is pleased to announce the launch of the new Nikon Professional Services (NPS) global website today, November 9, 2010. The new NPS Global site will serve as one of the measures in which Nikon reinforces its services for professional photographers.
NPS is a membership organization through which Nikon offers support and services to professional photographers throughout the world. For nearly half a century, NPS has not only provided routine maintenance and repair services for professional photographers’ equipment, but has also provided support for them at international events held throughout the world. With the expansion of Nikon’s lineups of high-end digital-SLR cameras, NIKKOR lenses and other accessories, the NPS Global site has been developed to serve as a portal that distributes the latest information to assist NPS members working globally in their photographic activities.
In addition to introducing an overview of NPS activities, the NPS Global site will offer members greater convenience. For example, it provides: links to regional NPS sites to find out about practical local information, local service facility list for photographers to visit when they face with equipment problems while they are on overseas assignment, and world-wide NPS service depot information. The site will also offer contents, such as the introduction of effective techniques for using professional equipment. All of this information can be accessed by professional and advanced amateur photographers who are not NPS members.
As a manufacturer of imaging products that leads the professional industry, Nikon will continue to expand and enhance the contents of the NPS Global site and offer new services that fulfill user needs in order to reinforce its support and service organization.
NPS Global site overview
Name: NPS Global site
Launch: November 9, 2010
Language: English
Access (URL): http://nps.nikonimaging.com
Primary contents
Basic information (About NPS)
- Provides an overview of NPS activities, support and services available to members, and also serves as a service network for members who are on assignment at overseas
Event support information (Event Support)
- Introduces information on NPS service depots set up at international events held throughout the world
Worldwide NPS contact information (NPS Global Network)
- Provides links to and contact information for the NPS organization in each country
Equipment tips (Technical Solutions)
- Provides explanations and tips for the effective use of professional equipments
Introduction of NPS members (Members)
- Introduces the activities and work of NPS members who are active internationally
The Business of Photography: Establishing a Business Strategy
A Guest Post by Robert J. Mang
Whether you consider yourself selling a service or a product, there are two fundamental sides to most small businesses, including photography businesses: the product/service side and the business/marketing side. Most of our energy goes into the product side (improving skills, learning about new equipment… just trying to get better at what we do). The business side is not studied as often; however, that is going to be the subject of this discussion. The focus of our attention will be on developing a sound business strategy.
OK, so you’re either getting ready to start a photography business, are in the process of getting one off the ground, or you are looking to redirect an existing venture. If you haven’t already, the first thing you must do is write a business plan. Even if you change it a dozen times (which most likely will happen) write one anyway. And keep all the iterations so you can see how it evolves.
A good business plan includes a thorough financial and pricing analysis, but that will need to be a topic for another discussion.
Some of the following questions may seem elementary and even academic; however, answer them like you were at a wine tasting: consider what’s in front of you, let your intuition guide you, don’t over analyze, and then write down your thoughts. These items will establish a foundation for your strategy. We’ll pull them together further on in the exercise.
The first question should be (even if you already decided what market segment you are going to target), “What type of photography do I like?” Ideally your business would be built around your passion; but realistically, that may not always be possible, at least not in the short-term. To help you answer this, you should also consider what aspect of photography you think you are particularly good at. Be honest. It may help to solicit the opinions of some people whose input you value.Also, as part of this, consider what type of photography you don’t like, and what you feel you are not so good at. Say for example you want to do family portraits, but upon this analysis, you realize that you don’t particularly like children who misbehave. You’ll then know that is an issue which might affect your ability to be successful, and it may result in a change of direction. Or, you may need to address this issue and find a solution around it.
The next question you need to ask yourself is, “What am I selling?” Am I selling photography services? Photographs? Fine Art? Memories? When Dominos Pizza started out, they did not think of themselves as primarily being in the pizza business. They were in the Delivery Business, and they just happened to be delivering pizzas. (Maybe that’s why their pizza is so bad, but that’s another story.)i’m le
Conduct a competitive market analysis. Start by looking at what segments are already being serviced in your area. Then, try to determine segments that might be under-served. Next, look for some “unmet needs”. These are opportunities that no one is currently addressing.Once you look hard at all the photography businesses in your area you’ll probably see some common areas of emphasis, or you’ll most likely see a lot of broad offerings. Try a niche within a broad offering and you might find it easier for people to identify with what you have to sell. A business opportunity can sometimes be a niche that “sits inside” a broad offering. Or, you may find a completely new opportunity that addresses an inadequately addressed segment.
How do you define success? When you are successful what does that feel like?From the foundation work above, you can now develop a SWOT Analysis: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. It’s best to do this by creating a grid with four sections. In the upper left put Strengths, upper right put Weaknesses, lower left put Opportunities, and lower right put Threats.Strengths – simply put, what are you good at (from Q-1)?Weaknesses – what are you not very good at (from Q-1)?Opportunities – what are the under-serviced segments or unmet needs in your area (Q-4)?Threats – what are the internal factors (that’s you) or external factors (that’s the outside world) that might limit your ability to be successful?For each category, list as many items as possible. Really try to scrape the bottom of the barrel.
Now, look at your Strengths and Opportunity items (on the left side of your grid), and then develop a list of ways you can capitalize on your Strengths, while at the same time taking advantage of as many Opportunities as possible. These are called Opportunistic Strategies, and when you have an idea that both plays on a Strength and address an Opportunity, then you have a potential are of focus for your photography business.Next, look at your list of Weaknesses and Threats (the right side of the grid), and then develop a list of ways to mitigate the effect of these. These are called Defensive Strategies. These may take nothing more than occasional monitoring, or if they are significant issues, you may need specific action plans to actively mitigate them.Know your Key Success Factors. These are a list of items that are fundamentally necessary for you to be successful (success, as you’ve defined it). Without these in place you believe that success will be difficult, temporary, or even impossible. E.g. do you want to be a product photographer? Well, having a studio would most likely be needed. List as many of KSF’s as you can think of, but try to list them in order of importance, or rate them in categories, A, B, C.Who is your Target Customer? For this exercise, you should resist trying to target everyone who might need the services of a photographer. Narrow your market segment. Niche segments can be more profitable then broad ones. E.g., Portraits could be narrowed to Family Portraits. A narrow segment is easier to explain to your target customer. They get it. They will understand what you do, and they will be more comfortable coming to you for their specific need that you are addressing.Now let’s say you identify two segments you want to pursue, but they are somewhat different, e.g., Family Portraiture and Product Photography. You should develop a list of ways these segments overlap (studio, lighting, etc), and ways they don’t (target customer, lenses, etc). I would suggest the best way to market yourself is by completely segmenting your message to each audience, in lieu of say promoting yourself as a portrait + product photographer. The fact that you do both is OK, buy it’s how you position yourself to each target audience that counts.
What is your channel to market? Will you sell direct to consumers or through an intermediary (e.g., a gallery)?Even though volumes have been written on these principles, if you answer the questions in this brief overview you should end up with a much better idea of how to chart your path to success. At the minimum, you will know a bit more about yourself, your market, your target customer, and your product/service offering. Good luck!
Robert J. Mang is a photographer living in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Visit him at his Photo Blog and Travel Blog.
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Canon PowerShot SX130 IS Review
The Canon PowerShot SX130 IS is a new 12 megapixel digital camera featuring a 12x zoom lens complete with optical image stabilizer. Successor to last year’s SX120 model, the Canon SX130 IS offers a more versatile focal range of 28-336mm, 3 inch LCD screen, DIGIC 4 image processor, and Face Detection complete with Face Select & Track and Face Self-Timer modes. The SX130 IS has 28 shooting modes including Smart Auto and Easy Mode for complete beginners and full manual control for more experienced photographers. A high ISO setting of 1600, 720p HD movies with stereo sound, SDXC memory card support and power in the form of readily available AA batteries complete the SX130’s headline specifications. The Canon Powershot SX130 IS is priced at £199 / $249.99 / €229.00 and is available now in black or silver.
We reviewed the SX130's predecessor, the 10-megapixel, 10x zoom SX120 IS, in October 2009, and outwardly at least very little appears to have changed at first glance, apart from some subtle styling differences. There's the same tactile control layout with reasonably large buttons and dials to intentionally keep things family friendly, plus an identical 3 inch LCD screen on the rear, pop-up flash on top and large lens on the front. The lens is actually one of the few aspects of the SX130 IS to undergo any change, now offering a 12x zoom with a much more versatile wide-angle setting of 28mm, a big improvement on the SX120's 36mm optic. Less pleasing are the maximum apertures of f/3.4-5.6, respectable enough but slower then on the SX120.
Though like its forebear the SX130 IS is chunky compared with the average point and shoot, it is still smaller than the typical super-zoom or bridge camera pitched at enthusiasts, although the likes of the Panasonic DMC-TZ10 and Samsung WB650 are actually smaller whilst offering a bigger zoom. There are no higher-end features here such as a hotshoe for additional flash - merely one of the pop-up variety - while power is again provided by two standard alkaline AA batteries that slot into the base of the handgrip, as do the SD, SDHC and newly-supported SDXC memory cards. While these features are indicative of a budget model, so too is the mainly plastic build, though it's handily disguised by a matt black finish. Those two AAs also add weight and, as we found with the SX120, generally the camera feels substantial when gripped in the palm.
The front of the SX130 IS is dominated by that behemoth of a lens, the majority of which is hidden flush to the body when not in use, rapidly extending (in a couple of seconds) to maximum wideangle with a press of the slightly recessed but clearly labeled on/off button up top. On initial inspection the front of the SX130 and SX120 are identical, but look more closely and you'll see that the handgrip on the left now extends at a jaunty angle and tapers from wide to narrow, a redesign that offers more of a visual differentiation rather than any practical improvement. There's also a slightly more pronounced hump above the lens where the flash unit is, and slightly more chiselled edges. Two small holes indicate the built-in stereo microphone nestling top left and right of the lens, and over to the right-hand side of the lens we find the same rounded window housing the AF assist/self-timer lamp as found on the earlier SX120.
While the above changes are largely cosmetic, when it comes to more practical considerations there's a more important omission. As on its predecessor there's no optical viewfinder or EVF - the space instead occupied by the built-in flash. Continuing around the slight curve of the handgrip we find a loop for attaching the supplied wrist strap and a sturdy pull-open plastic cover for the AV out, DC in and USB ports. On the right hand side of the SX130 IS is the same CR1220 battery port as featured on its predecessor.
The top of the SX130 is likewise virtually identical to its predecessor. The SX130 has the exact same user-friendly control grouping as the SX120, namely a shooting mode wheel, on/off button and shutter release button encircled by a zoom lever. The mode dial is almost flush with the top of the body, although fortunately the dial itself has enough of a ridged surround to be able to turn it decisively with your thumb, and there's a cutaway portion at the camera back to allow access. It has a stiff action with a distinct click, so you're highly unlikely to shoot past the setting you want in the heat of the moment.
With the camera taking a couple of seconds to get going from cold, once again the action of the optical zoom is smooth and steady, and best of all the audible mechanical buzz of the SX120's lens has been replaced by much quieter operation which really helps when shooting movies and using the zoom. With a half press of the shutter release button the SX130 is lightning fast in determining focus and exposure, while there's no noticeable shutter delay as you go on to take the shot. Operational speed is the same as before, with the same DIGIC 4 processor on-board - current SX120 IS owners would be hard-pressed to tell the difference.
The Smart auto mode has been upgraded and now automatically chooses from 28 different scenes. Moving clockwise around the mode dial are the more creatively enticing settings of program auto, shutter priority, aperture priority and manual. The chosen mode is also shown as a virtual version on the screen, so you don't need to take your eye off your subject while making adjustments. Continuing clockwise we get a dedicated video mode, a selection of scene modes, including the four new 'creative modes', Fish-eye, Miniature, Poster and Super Vivid, plus fireworks, snow, aquarium and a Low Light ISO 3200 mode, a dedicated children and pets mode, a night scene mode, plus landscape and portrait settings and finally the no frills 'Easy mode', which turns the camera into a purely point-and shoot experience, perfect for complete beginners.
The SX130 IS now offers the advantage over some models of being able to shoot 720p HD video at 1280x720 pixels at 30fps. It boasts stereo sound courtesy of the microphones positioned either side of its lens, although sadly there's no dedicated button to activate the video feature whichever shooting mode you're in (you still have to turn the shooting mode dial). You can also take advantage of the 12x zoom during recording, although the operational speed is drastically slowed down to help prevent noise during recording, and you can use the Miniature Effect, Colour Accent and and Colour Swap creative filters to spice up your footage. Overall a big improvement on the SX120's video mode.
The handy auto red-eye correction feature is accessible via a flash settings option that's rather hidden away among the SX130's menu screens. Red eye reduction can also be turned on/off in capture mode by delving into the same menu; like the SX120 it's not included among the options accessed via the dedicated flash button at the rear, but at least here it's 'on' that handily appears to be the default setting rather than 'off'.
Moving to the back of the SX130 IS, we find a 3-inch LCD with a rather disappointing resolution of 230k dots, identical to its predecessor's. Playback has its own button on the camera back, rather than squeezing in among the modes on the top dial. The display and menu buttons are located beneath the rather fiddly four-way control pad-come-command wheel that remains centre right of the LCD. As noted in our review of the SX120, when you come to access the options set at four points around the control pad/command wheel it's easy for your thumb to slip round to the adjacent setting. Being pre-aware of its liveliness, this time around it didn't irritate so much, but it's a little too easy to inadvertently change the wrong setting.
Ranged around the control dial, which additionally features a function set button at its centre, are a means of accessing ISO speed (Auto, Hi, ISO 80 to 1600), flash setting, self timer or continuous shooting, plus macro or manual focus – whereby users are presented with an enlarged central portion of the screen to check focus, its distance dialed in using the aforementioned wheel.
A press of 'menu' in capture mode brings up two folders on screen, one with shooting options and the second with more generic set-up features. A press of 'menu' in playback gives access to both image review plus print selection folders, while the third folder is the same set up menu. If you've used a Canon camera before, the menus will be immediately familiar: their design pretty basic but easy to navigate because of it. Mirroring these two buttons above the command wheel are a dedicated face detection button (on/off) and exposure compensation button (-/+ 2EV).
Face Detection works well, with the DIGIC 4-powered system capable of recognising up to 35 faces in a scene and automatically adjusting the focus and exposure settings. Face Detection includes the Auto Red-Eye Correction, Face Detection AF/AE/FE, and Face Self-Timer technologies – the latter feature waits until it detects a new face in the frame before taking the shot. Face Select & Track allows a particular face to be tracked as they move around the frame, making sure that your chosen subject is always in focus and well-exposed.
As you'd expect when up-ending the camera, the base of the SX130 features a plastic screw thread for a tripod and a compartment storing the two AAs and SD memory card, opened by flicking the substantial catch and pressuring it proud of the unit. Closing it is a little awkward however as you have to press down on the two AAs as you're sliding it shut.
Just like its predecessor, the SX130 IS is an evolutionary upgrade, falling into the same incremental yearly cycle that a lot of modern compact cameras seem to follow, with a wider-angle lens and HD movies with stereo sound and use of the optical zoom being the new standout highlights.
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PhotographyBLOG is a member of the DIWA organisation. Our test results for the Canon PowerShot SX130 IS have been submitted to DIWA for comparison with test results for different samples of the same camera model supplied by other DIWA member sites.
61% of our Readers Shoot Primarily with a Zoom Lens
The results are in on our most recent poll that looked at the topic of the lenses that we primarily shoot with. Particularly we were interested to find out whether readers shoot with Zoom or Prime lenses as their primary lenses.
Over 23,000 readers voted and here are the results!
61% of our Readers Shoot Primarily with a Zoom Lens
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The results are in on our most recent poll that looked at the topic of the lenses that we primarily shoot with. Particularly we were interested to find out whether readers shoot with Zoom or Prime lenses as their primary lenses.
Over 23,000 readers voted and here are the results!
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