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Matthew Jeppsen
Matthew Jeppsen is a freelance videographer and photographer with a strong interest in the growing convergence of digital stills and moving images. He also writes at ProVideoCoalition. 
November 2010May 2010April 2010March 2010December 2009November 2009October 2009July 2009May 2009April 2009March 2009February 2009Complete ArchivesCategory Archives
Build a DIY highspeed photography triggerStunning DSLR Timelapse of Shuttle LaunchShutterSnitch app links iPad & iPhone to your DSLRThe Stages of a PhotographerPMA and WPPI Video Coverage WrapupCanon L-Series Coffee MugLifehacker’s Top Photography Hacks of 2009Super slo-mo shows how a DSLR shutter and mirror work40 Inspirational Bokeh PhotographsBlack Friday Deal - 50% Off on David duChemin eBooksFive Simple Steps to Growing Your Photography BusinessSneak peek at new Adobe Photoshop featuresStunning Posing Examples for Couples PhotographyDSLR Remote App for iPhoneNASA’s Hubble Servicing Mission: A Story in PicturesPhotography is Not a CrimePhotographers taking up video thanks to new DSLRs?Analysis of laptop display performance for photographersMetadata Showdown - Photo Mechanic vs LightroomWhip Your Bokeh Into Shape(s) |
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Build a DIY highspeed photography triggerFreeze slices of time, DIY style
If you’ve ever wanted to try shooting high-speed photography like balloons popping, drops of water, glasses shattering, you’ll probably appreciate the following tutorial from Matt Richardson. In the video embedded below, he shows you how to build a simple audio sensor for your DSLR using an Arduino controller that allows you to trigger the camera fast enough to freeze incredibly fast action. Not only that, he takes it a step further to automatically cut his room lighting once the controller is armed (ok Matt, now you are just showing off). It’s a really cool tutorial, watch below… more »Stunning DSLR Timelapse of Shuttle LaunchCanon 5D MKII’s + 6 wks + 100 hrs footage = 4 minutes of pure awesome Awesome timelapse of the weeks of NASA preparation before a shuttle launch, culminating with the launch sequence. Watch below. ShutterSnitch app links iPad & iPhone to your DSLRWirelessly review your photos on the fly
ShutterSnitch is an exciting new app for the iPhone and iPad that offers an FTP server that can interface with standard Eye-Fi cards or Canon & Nikon DSLR wireless transmitters. Link the two, and you can transfer images over wifi on the fly as you shoot, using your Apple device for review, or to notify you if an image doesn’t meet a certain set of criteria. more »The Stages of a PhotographerIt’s funny because it’s true
Over at Clusterflock there’s a funny graphic that charts the main stages in a photographer’s development. Ah, photographer humor. PMA and WPPI Video Coverage WrapupNews and info from the tradeshow floor at PMA and WPPI
FreshDV was on-site at PMA in Anaheim, CA and also WPPI in Las Vegas, NV to get some video coverage from the tradeshow floors. This small series of video coverage is a mix of photo and video topics, and should be of interest especially to those who are embracing the HD/stills convergence offered by the new breed of video-equipped DSLRs. Watch our PMA / WPPI coverage here, and you’ll find notes and product links below the video playlist. Click to PLAY VIDEO »Canon L-Series Coffee MugI must have one.
PDNPulse reports that Canon handed out these L-series lookalike coffee mugs at the Vancouver Olympic games. What a brilliant idea! Here’s hoping they are available to the general public at some point, I’d love one of these. Lifehacker’s Top Photography Hacks of 2009DIY spirit: A year in review Lifehacker has posted their Top Photography Hacks of 2009, a collection of DIY tutorials and tips mainly for amateurs, but with some wisdom and creative ideas there for professionals too. From bokeh hearts to a fiber-optic DIY ringflash on the cheap, it’s all here. Check it out. Super slo-mo shows how a DSLR shutter and mirror work5000fps video down the barrel of a Nikon D3 shooting continuous 11fps
Ever wonder what exactly happens when you press that shutter release button on your DSLR camera? The following video shows the sequence of events in excruciating detail. It’s video shot at 5000 frames-per-second, looking at the internals of a Nikon D3 camera shooting 11fps continuous. As an added bonus, they show the lens stopping down to f/16 in tandem. The result is beautiful, and surprisingly violent. Watch below. more »40 Inspirational Bokeh PhotographsOut-of-focus never looked so good
Looking for a little simple inspiration? These 40 beautiful examples of bokeh-heavy photography should do the trick. In these shots, it’s the out of focus area that draws the eye. Very cool. more »Black Friday Deal - 50% Off on David duChemin eBooksTitles at just $2.50
David duChemin is offering 50% off his Craft & Vision photography ebooks until December 7…use discount code BLKFRIDY to make these $5 titles just $2.50. Titles include: Five Simple Steps to Growing Your Photography BusinessScott Bourne offers practical ideas you can implement Right Now Photographer and blogger Scott Bourne has posted a nice list of five things you can do right now to grow your photography business. It’s good advice, check out the article here. Sneak peek at new Adobe Photoshop featuresPhotoshop’s new Content Aware Fill tool will blow your mind
Over at the Adobe Photoshop Facebook Fan page, they’ve posted a nice preview clip of beautiful new advancements in the fill tool, using a tech tool called PatchMatch. What it is, is an algorithm that is content-aware, allowing you to intelligently remove objects, wires, hair, etc from an image even easier than ever before using the fill tool and spot healing tools. Really cool tech, check it out for a taste of what’s (hopefully) coming in the next revision to PS. Stunning Posing Examples for Couples PhotographyPhotographer Laurence Kim offers beautiful (and free) advice
As a learning photographer, orchestrating subject poses is consistently one of the most difficult things for me to do. I have extensive experience with documentary-style videography, so directing posing is not a natural thing for me. It is particularly difficult when you have a subject or couple that doesn’t move organically with each other, and seem apprehensive about interaction in front of the lens. So I’m always on the lookout for tips and advice on poses, posing guides, etc. And today I just stumbled across an excellent resource on the subject…this one in the form of a simple blog post by photographer Laurence Kim. It’s a great resource…there are example images and a quick text blurb that talk about the shot. Simple, effective, and beautiful imagery. I’d recommend taking a look at this one. DSLR Remote App for iPhoneFully remote control Canon cameras with this app for the iPhone and iPod Touch
There’s a new program coming to the App Store for iPod Touch and iPhone users. This program by Mike Wong enables complex remote control and triggering of Canon DSLR cameras (the developer is working on a Nikon version as well). The app runs on your mobile device, and communicates over wifi with a laptop connected to the camera by USB. I’m not just talking about triggering the shutter release, this app can do it all; shutter speed, aperture, white balance, intervalometer, review shots, and even stream Live View to the iPhone display. I understand that they will enable video record start/stop in a future update for cameras like the Canon 5D MKII. Read more below for the full scoop and links. more »NASA’s Hubble Servicing Mission: A Story in PicturesArresting photography from the current shuttle mission The Boston Globe has an excellent story-in-pictures of the current space shuttle mission to service the Hubble space telescope. The images are inspiring. Photography is Not a CrimeKnow your First Amendment Rights
Bostonist is running an article about a photographer who was taking stock photos at a public park, and was harassed and questioned by local police. They informed the photographer that he had to delete the pictures he’d taken. The photographer was aware that their demands were not lawful, but he felt he had no other choice and deleted the images. It’s another sad, chilling account that shows the continual erosion of our Constitutional First Amendment rights. More details below… 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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