Digital Camera Flash Diffusers

There are times, when you are shooting in low light, that you will ‘HAVE’ to use the flash and most times, the light emitted from the flash will too much and it floods the picture.

In these cases, you can either reduce the intensity of your flash by changing the intensity value in the settings of your DSLR or if your DSLR does not have that option, you could use Camera Flash Diffusers to soften the flash.

You can either buy Camera Flash Diffusers from the store or you can make one at home that will be just as effective. Objects used to act as Flash Diffusers include old film cannisters (as shown in the image), paper cups, pieces of plain white paper or even a plastic food tub!

Click here to check out other Flash Diffusers.

(Image Courtesy: Natuurplaat)

Nikon’s GP-1 GPS Unit – Review

Using the Nikon GP-1 GPS unit, Geotags (Geodetic System WGS84) can be added to your images so you can record latitude, longitude, altitude and time information. This data should help you remember where you took that great shot!

Correlation between pictures and maps is supported by GPS function in conjunction with ViewNX version 1.2 software which is a free download and my Picturetown.

On a cold start, the Nikon GPS device takes 45 seconds to start communicating with the satellites. Otherwise, it takes about 5 seconds. Just know that the power for the Nikon GPS devices is sucked out from the camera so you can expect your battery to die out on you much earlier as I suspect that the GPS unit requires a lot of power to function (If you have had a different experience, please let us know and we will edit that sentence )

Once connected to the camera, the GP-1 GPS Unit has three modes of indication to give you an idea of how accurate the GPS information is going to be:

* Red blinking (GPS data not recorded)

* Green blinking (GPS data recorded utilizing three satellites)

* Green solid(Four or more satellites detected, GPS data are more accurate)

The Nikon camera models compatible with the device are: D90 (via accessory terminal cable GP1-CA90), D3, D300, D700, D2Xs and D200 (via 10-pin remote terminal cable GP1-CA10). Some models may require an update to the latest version of firmware.

Click here to check out the Nikon GP-1 GPS Unit on Amazon to read further reviews or to check if they have a sale on.

Tamron 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC LD Aspherical IF Macro Lens – Reviews

Looking to buy the new Tamron 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC LD Aspherical IF Macro Lens? Check out these reviews before you do. The reviews seem pretty positive.

“The latest design to emerge from the stable of superzoom experts Tamron, the AF 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC LD Aspherical (IF) MACRO was announced in July 2008. The length of the zoom range is almost as remarkable as that of the lens’s name itself, with the 15x ratio covering everything from a 28mm equivalent wideangle to a 420mm equivalent telephoto.” Click here to read complete review at DPReview.com

“Camera shake can ruin your photos, particularly when taking telephoto shots or shooting in low light conditions. The Tamron 18-270mm f/3.5-6.3 macr0 zoom lens, however, fights camera shake with its state-of-the-art vibration compensation (VC) mechanism, which delivers blur-free handheld images for incredible results. The proprietary VC mechanism employs a three-coil system that moves the VC lens electromagnetically based on signals originating from the movement of three steel balls”. Click here to read the complete review at Amazon.com

If you have purchased the lens and tried it, please leave a comment on what you think about the lens

Use Poladriod to create Polaroids!

You can use a service called Poladriod to create polaroids from your digital pictures! Its quite easy as 1-2-3 they say.

1. Download the free POLADROID application and launch it

2. Drag & Drop your photos

3. Wait… wait…. wait again… or shake the picture. Then look at or print your POLADROID picture

The software is in the Beta stage right now and only has the MAC version for download. The windows version is being developed as you are reading this.

Check out their service here.

Better Baby Photos

I found this great article on PopPhoto on how to take shoot good pictures of babies and infants and wanted to share it with the readers:

“1. Turn off your flash and use a fast shutter speed (1/250 sec or higher) to capture the action and produce sharper images. Newborns can move unexpectedly, and older infants and toddlers are always on the move. If the light is too low and you cannot use a fast shutter speed, try increasing your ISO.

2. Focus on the eyes, the eyes are the first place people look when viewing a portrait, so make sure the baby’s eyes are in focus in your image. To ensure sharpness, use the autofocus lock.

3.Use continuous shooting mode. Babies are often in constant movement. This is where you action photography skills come in handy.  By using continuous drive mode you won’t miss any moments-between-the moments. Keep taking pictures even after you think the moment has passed.

4. Remember the details. A baby’s fingers and toes are tiny for only a short time, so don’t miss the opportunity to photograph these details. Set your camera to macro mode and get in close to fill the frame.”

Original can be found here.

What is HDR (High dynamic range imaging) in Photography?

High Dynamic Range Imaging (HDRI) is a set of processes that allows a greater dynamic range of exposures than normal digital imaging techniques. The purpose of HDRI is to precisely represent the wide array of intensity levels found in real life scenes ranging from direct sunlight to dull shadows.

This process was developed to produce a high dynamic range image from a set of photographs taken with a range of exposures.  Information stored in high dynamic range images usually equates to the physical values of luminance or radiance that can be observed in the real world. This is different from traditional digital images, which represent colors that should appear on a computer monitor or a  printout.

To read more about HDR (High dynamic range imaging), click here.

Loving it

I have been shooting for a couple of weeks now and I am loving it! Thanks to a few friends who are helping me out, I am shooting much better pictures than I was two weeks back. I have also been reading a lot of magazines and books from our local library and I have finally got my hands on Understanding Exposure from Bryan Peterson !!

Just got the Canon xTi – 400D!!

This camera has been awesome far and I cant wait till I learn more!! Thanks Kunal for the recommendation

What Is Cable Release In Digital Photography?

Cable Releases are the gadgets attached to Digital Cameras that let photographers shoot photos from a distance. Cable Releases are generally attached to a camera on a tripod. Cable release consists of a wire which extends from the camera and has a button trigger at the end of it. The photographer holds the button end of the cable and presses to trigger the camera shutter to take a photo.

Cable releases, along with tripods, are best used for film that need extended light exposure. In these cases, the camera’s shutter must stay open longer, causing the photographer to remain steady and steady for a lengthier period of time. Therefore, when the photographer wants to eliminate the possibility of the camera shaking, he/she should use a tripod and a cable release.

What is Tack Sharp photography?

Tack sharp is the term professional digital photographers use to describe the ultimate level of sharpness.

One of the best ways to take Tack Sharp pictures is to use a tripod. The tripod keeps the camera steady and still and the digital camera can now focus on (pun intended) to a quality picture.

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