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Friday, January 06, 2012Datacolor Launches Spyder4 for Simplicity and Accuracy in Color Calibration for all Display DevicesPPC News Staff | 01/06- 10:08 AMSpyder4 Express, Spyder4 Pro and Spyder4 Elite Provide Full Spectrum Color Calibration for Creative Professionals LAWRENCEVILLE, N.J.—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Datacolor®, a global leader in color management solutions, today introduced Spyder4, a line of highly advanced colorimeters able to calibrate monitors, laptops, projectors, TVs, iPads and even iPhones. Designed to provide photographers and creative professionals with accurate and consistent results, Spyder4 makes quick work of the color correction process. more »Wednesday, November 23, 2011Holiday Gift Guide for Photographers 2011Tony Donaldson | 11/23- 06:59 AMFind the perfect gift for the photographer in your life for Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, Festivus, or whatever you celebrate.
If you have a photographer in your life, you may have a tough time finding the perfect gift for him or her for the holidays. Never fear, we have a useful list to help in your search and help them enjoy photography and take it to the next level. Monday, November 14, 2011Small Budget Indie Filmmaking with Big Production ValueSara Frances | 11/14- 12:03 AM“Love and Robots” is a short film that will be debuting on festival circuit this fall. However, you could say the production was a story of love and hate.
The screenplay follows a female robot looking for love in a human world. The budget was, well, non-existant, but by calling in friends and favors with some of the inexpensive tools that are available to filmmakers today co-producer/directors Jay Shaffer and David Smart made a success of a completely self-financed project. more »Tuesday, September 20, 2011Lowepro Photo Sport 200 AW ReviewDan Carr | 09/20- 06:40 PMLightweight backpack for the adventurous photographer.
The eternal quest for the perfect camera bag is one that I’m sure you’re all familiar with. I’ve given up looking for “The One” though because the breadth of photography that I enjoy makes such a bag an impossibility. I prefer to narrow things down a little and in this instance I’m on the hunt for the best outdoor adventure photography pack. This year Lowepro launched two bags that fall into this category, the Photo Sport Sling 100 and the Photo Sport 200 AW. Lowepro recently sent me a 200 AW to try out and it’s actually the first Lowepro bag I’ve tried out so I was very interested to see how it performed. First impressions upon unpacking it were just how light it is and how nice the nylon material feels. Overall impression of the construction is something I always note, and with the Photo Sport 200 there were no loose threads or missed stitching in site. Clearly a well constructed bag that felt great to the touch when opening and closing various compartments and zippers. more »Tuesday, August 16, 2011Induro Announces New BHS Series Lightweight BallheadsDan Carr | 08/16- 04:08 PM
Induro have just announced a new lineup of super lightweight ballheads that will hold up to 18lbs of gear. They strike me as a good solution for some of the photogs out there who are slimming down their equipment and using Micro Four Thirds cameras out in the field. Full info after the break. more »Sunday, August 07, 2011Quick Review: Manfrotto 055CXPRO4 Carbon Fiber Q90 4-Section TripodChris Meyer | 08/07- 01:53 PMLighter; stronger; more expensive - is it worth the trade-off?
As I mentioned several months ago, I’ve been a quest to find a lighter-weight but still high-quality monopod/tripod and head combination to help offset my penchant for bringing along ever-heavier lenses while hiking. One obvious line of enquiry would be a carbon-fiber monopod or tripod. Well, it so happens Manfrotto generously loaned me one of their 055CXPRO4 carbon fiber 4-section tripods to go along with the 327RC2 handle-grip ball head I reviewed earlier. I knew it would be lighter; what I didn’t know is if it would be a stable as my normal aluminum sticks for studio work or heavier camera/lens combinations in the field. Assuming at least some of you might have the same questions in your mind as me, I wanted to share my results. more »Tuesday, August 02, 2011Review: Manfrotto 327RC2 Handle-Grip Ball Head with Quick ReleaseChris Meyer | 08/02- 11:53 AMHas Manfrotto built a better mousetrap?
Although I do shoot some studio set-ups, the majority of my photography is a spontaneous reaction to the scenery around me, often while hiking. Therefore, when I’m using a tripod or monopod, I value a head that is both light and that can be adjusted quickly. By the same token, I’d like it to also be rock-solid for when I am taking longer exposure or extreme zoom shots. We’ve long owned a Manfrotto 3221WN tripod with 490RC4 ball head, which are great for studio set-ups, but too cumbersome for more spontaneous shooting outside the studio. Therefore, I’ve been on the lookout for a mobile alternative. To that end, Manfrotto kindly sent me some gear on extended loan to try out, including one of their light duty handle-grip ball heads. After living with this head for several months now, I wanted to share my impressions. more »Sunday, July 10, 2011Think Tank Hydrophobia 300-600 V2 ReviewDan Carr | 07/10- 11:58 PMRain cover for lenses from 300mm to 600mm
You guys know I’m a big fan of Think Tank’s photo accessories and I use several of their solutions on a regular basis for my photography business. Last month I flew to France to cover the 24 Heures Du Mans, arguably the world’s greatest motor race. On track activities are spread out across a whole week and at that time of year in Northern France it’s hard to go a whole week without some rain. more »Monday, July 04, 2011Manfrotto 055 Mag Photo-Movie Head ReviewDan Carr | 07/04- 09:29 PMNew fluid head that offers 3 axis movement for stills photography as well.
DSLRs with HD video capabilities have changed the way many of us shoot and many photographers are being asked to return from assignments with videos, or simply making that choice themselves to make their business stand out from the crowd. The problem is that DSLR video is incredibly susceptible to camera shake because in-body image stabilization has yet to be implemented in these larger cameras. Combine that with the tendency to create rolling shutter artifacts when panning too fast and you quickly realize that a good video head (fluid head) is necessary to get even a reasonable job done unless you are using a large shoulder mount system. more » Tuesday, May 17, 2011Quick Review: Aquatech Monopod WrapDan Carr | 05/17- 06:59 PMPadded wrap for long lens use.
The Australian company Aquatech are best known for their underwater camera housings but over the last few years they have been slowly releasing a range of very well thought out accessories for photographers and in particular, long lens shooters. more »Tuesday, May 17, 2011KesslerCrane CineSlider Review – plus test short film “Awakening”Nino Leitner | 05/17- 02:12 PM
Before I go into detail about sliders and the KesslerCrane CineSlider that I have reviewed in particular, check out his little test short that I shot a while back in Vienna’s famous “Wurschtlprater”, a luna park, months before it’s opening to the public again. The people in charge of the rides (there is no general admission fee, you have to pay individually for access to the operators’ rides) were testing their rides on this unusually sunny winter day. more »Monday, May 16, 2011A Classic Bag UpgradedMatt Brandon | 05/16- 11:46 PMThink Tank Photo to Release Redesigned Bags in New Speed Convertible Series
Think Tank Photo has announced a completely redesigned their Speed System shoulder bag/belt packs. In June, Think Tank Photo will release its redesigned Speed Demon™ V2.0, Speed Freak V2.0™, and Speed Racer™ V2.0 as shoulder bags in its new Speed Convertible Series. Each Speed Convertible bag features a “disappearing” belt that tucks away into the sides of the bag, significantly reducing bulkiness. Within seconds, the shoulder bags seamlessly convert into belt packs once the integrated belts are deployed. more »Wednesday, April 20, 2011Review of the Black Rapid DS-1 Double StrapTodd Owyoung | 04/20- 10:15 AMA review of the DS-1 Double Strap by Black Rapid
Let’s just get this out of the way. If you shoot with two DSLRs, you need the Black Rapid Double Strap. There is no better way to carry and shoot with two cameras for the professional photographer. Whether you’re a wedding shooter, a photojournalist, or just a photog who loves to go in with both barrels blazing, the Double Strap by Black Rapid demands serious consideration. more »Tuesday, April 19, 2011Manfrotto’s New Products for NABDan Carr | 04/19- 02:31 PMLED Panels, Fluid Heads, Support Accessories and More.
Manfrotto came to NAB last week with several interesting new products useful for both stills shooters and DSLR movie makers. Fluid heads, LED light panels as well as some interesting accessories for supporting all manner of things from flashes to remote cameras. more »Tuesday, April 19, 2011Packing…method or madness?Matt Brandon | 04/19- 01:46 PMA look at my bags and what is inside them and how I organize.
I’ve had a lot of people comment on the use of Packing Pro, the iPhone app that I gave away last week. Many people couldn’t believe that I would be capable of getting all the items on the list in my bags and under the allotted weight limit. While I can guarantee you everything got in the bags. I can’t guarantee to you it is under weight. In fact, my carry-on is probably twice the weight it’s supposed to be. more »Thursday, April 14, 2011Cinevate Launches Atlas FLT Slider and Simplis Rig for DSLR Movie MakingDan Carr | 04/14- 06:14 PMNew compact, lightweight DSLR gear.
For NAB 2011 Cinevate have launched several new products including the new Atlas FLT slider and the Simplis support system. Click through to see videos of these new products. more » |
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Keyword editing made easier
Composition 101 trick simplifies keyword selection and organization
Effective keywording is one of the three most important ways to get your site or post found on the internet - along with title and description. But I’ve always found keywording a disorganized chore. Here’s a way to make the job simpler, quicker and more logical.
Remember how in composition 101 class you had to make an outline of topics, content, facts etc.? We used to do this on index cards, one card for each separate fact or topic. We wrote these in no particular order, just as they came to mind or emerged from research. Then we rearranged the stack of cards to create the logical skeleton of the essay. Done this way it was easy to see if there were any gaps in the content or if further rearrangement were needed.
I’ve found this analog approach works well for proposing, editing and sequencing keywords.
Once you’ve done your research, possibly on Google Adwords, to propose keywords, then you’ll also try to think inside the head of your audience to imagine what they might search on. I always make a big list of potential keywords, even if some seem a bit far out or not fully on target. For something as important as your website, you can never have too many keywords to start the edit process. Don’t forget keywords that speak to business products or services you may not do right now, but are targeted in your business plan.
Here’s my system to edit and organize your search keywords. My example is done on a blank file folder, easily preserved for future reference or for colleague comment.
- Write down each proposed keyword “candidate” on a separate sticky note. I use the smallest size sticky notes and cut them in thirds to save space.
- Arrange the stickies on your desk or a white board to get a good look at the total field.
- Re-arrange them, grouping categories like Photo services, Photoshop, Album design, etc. (or whatever is your business)
- Select the 2-5 most important keywords, then second tier from ones to be discarded.
- Re-arrange again in a logical, customer-friendly sequence.
- Generally choose no more than 25 keywords for your main core list (federal governments site limit). This is hard for us because we do so many things related to video, stills and productions.
- Rearrange as many times as needed, because individual pages or blog posts will need different, specific keywords than those for the site in general
- Keep a dated record of your final edit, and don’t throw away the de-selects, because they will eventually find a use - no need to rethink totally from the ground up
Combined Photo Mechanic & Lightroom Workflow Video
How to make the most of these two favorite programs in a singular workflow
I’ve posted a detailed video about what makes Photo Mechanic a must have program for many journalists and sports photographers before. But many people also like the easy adjustment tools of Adobe Lightroom. This video walks you through how to setup a workflow that incorporates the best of both of these programs.
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