Tag Archives: Flash

Problems with Triggers

As mentioned yesterday, the example self-portrait I took had some misleading EXIF data.  The thrust of the post was that EXIF data isn’t always right, and if you read through the comments, you’ll find out most of what was wrong (this is one sharp reading audience – y’all don’t miss a beat! ). What was most glaring though was that the radio trigger didn’t report itself to the EXIF data.  I’d noticed this in the past from the Cactus triggers when I first purchased them.  It could be due to the economical nature of the cirtuitry (i.e. they weren’t very … Continue reading

Posted in Flash, Lighting, photography, technical | Tagged , , , , | 6 Comments

Making the Switch…

We’ve all heard the stories of people switching vendors.  Scott Bourne was noted for his switch from Canon to Nikon.  Friends and family often talking about switching from Ford to Chevy, or from Coke to Pepsi, and even *gasp* switching from PC to Mac.  As I find myself moving more and more toward Apple products I contemplated making another switch – from Verizon to AT&T.  You see, my contract with Verizon was due to expire soon, and I would then have the choice (and choice is a good thing) to move however I want.  For me it was a tough … Continue reading

Posted in Adobe, Apple, Droid, Flash, HTML | Tagged , , , , , | 12 Comments

What Flash versus HTML5 is really about…

Surely you’ve heard the whole ruckus about Flash versus HTML5, Apple versus Adobe, and the Conan vs Leno thing now, right?  Well, before we all get too caught up in these heated debates, let’s take a step back and think about what is really going on here… For photographers, the Flash versus HTML5 debate that has been raging between Adobe and Apple for several weeks now really doesn’t matter a lot.  Have you noticed that?  Photographers really don’t care.  By and large photographers are mostly interested in seeing where things go because it will define how they push their content … Continue reading

Posted in Adobe, Apple, Flash, HTML, News, personal, thoughts | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Thank goodness for the blog!

Ever have one of those days where you know that you are doing something wrong with your gear – but for some reason it’s just not clicking (so to speak)?  I had just such a day recently.  I still have the DIY-style radio triggers from Cactus I bought last year (still have not upgraded to the Cybersyncs), and I was trying to light something off camera for a macro shot with this little solution.  Try as I might, I could not get the transmitter to fire my 580 when on camera.  For the life of me, if I tried one … Continue reading

Posted in Lightroom 3 Beta 2 | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

Saving Money is Always Good

In photography it’s pretty much accepted that you get what you pay for.  If you want super fast glass with pristine optics, then expect to pay for it.  Alternatively, if you’re on a budget, don’t expect apertures in the 2.8 range do bring the sharpest images.  You can also kiss things like Image Stabilization goodbye (Vibration Reduction for the Nikonian crowd).  So, yeah, we all know that photography is a field where you have to spend money. But, this does not mean you have to spend money unnecessarily.  When there are savings out there to be had, I am all … Continue reading

Posted in Canon, Flash, Flickr, News, hardware, photography, photography gear | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

A dash of splash

First up – another web gallery of water drops – this time with a neutral black background that I developed in Lightroom.  I am tellin’ ya – this product is just too cool!  Photo management, editing, tagging, and gallery production all in one – what’s not to love? Also up today, a little shout out to Dave Zarzacki, who owns a like new Canon XSi in mint condition, but just doesn’t need it in his gear bag (he’s trying to round out his collection with an SLR that will take all his current lenses).  It’s a great deal which includes … Continue reading

Posted in Flickr, Lightroom, XSi, content, galleries, personal, photography, potd | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Cactus, Trigger, Zebra, Oh My!

Remember the old game of password where you said a related word to one on your card to get your partner to guess it?  Well, here goes:  What do the words cactus, trigger, and zebra all have in common?  If you answered “flash photography” you’d be right!  As you may have realized, that does mean that the podcast will not come out today – I simply didn’t have time to get all my thoughts and notes together.  So instead, here’s a review of sorts that I did just earlier this evening. A while back I decided to ditch the Canon … Continue reading

Posted in 40D, 550 EX, Flash, Lighting, News, Product Review, ST-E2, learning, photography gear, technical | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Cactus Confusion

Well, I finally got the Cactus gear that I ordered online at GadgetInfinity last week.  I had ordered their wireless trigger/receiver combo set and an extra receiver for the purpose of getting two lights to fire.  I excitedly opened all the packaging and unwrapped it all, then – stop, hold the phones, and check this out – I read the directions! Yes, that’s right, an admitted geek read directions to make sure I utilize them right.  After reading about these kinds of things on David Hobby’s Strobist site and over on the Flickr Colorado Strobist site, I wanted to make … Continue reading

Posted in 40D, 550 EX, Lighting, education, learning, personal, web links | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Vivitar Auto Thrystor 550 FD

I got a few emails asking if they could see a picture of the flash as there apparently aren’t that many of them floating around the internet.  Never one to deny an opportunity to take a picture, even if it is really old gear, here we are, the moldy oldy Vivitar Thrystor 550 FD:

Posted in Flash, Lighting, personal, photography, vivitar | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Backpacks, and Belts and Bags: Oh My!

For this week (and the foreseeable future), I am continuing the “live video talks” where I share a little insight into things I use and do to with photography, and the gear that’s involved.  This week, I recall that some others have done a “What’s in Your Bag?” type of theme, and rather than just show you my gear (which is what the question basically is a lead-in for), I also share some different bags and bag systems I have used, and that I continue to use.  Bag types range from small shoulder bags, to belt systems, backpacks, and equipment … Continue reading

Posted in tutorial | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Better luck next time

Heh – I had been so good lately about planning ahead and recording my video podcasts ahead of schedule and just setting a publish time in WordPress, I got on an automatic pilot routine. When that routine got disrupted from some dental and sleep deprivation issues the other day, I didn’t realize until just a short time ago that the post for Friday had not been scheduled. Not only had it not been scheduled – it didn’t even get written yet! So, a thousand pardons as I rush to get a somewhat photo-related post out before the end of the … Continue reading

Posted in Flash, Friday Follies, Lighting, depth of field, personal, potd | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Creating Web Galleries using Lightroom

As Photoshop World is starting tomorrow, I imagine most are watching the pros blogs to see what news, events, and info is forthcoming from that semi-annual event. Something tells me I will be ponying up the $500 to go to the September one in Vegas. (Benefits of NAPP membership notwithstanding…) In looking at the classes that they are offering for this Spring I guess two things caught me as surprising – first that there are so MANY classes to choose from. In a way a lot of options is a good thing, but it also has downsides. The upside is … Continue reading

Posted in Adobe, Announcements, Lightroom, Photoshop, Photoshop World, Video, personal, tips and tricks, tutorial | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments
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