In last week's podcast, I talked about how I was going to prepare for the St. Patrick's Parade assignment in San Francisco. My basic equipment list was:

• Lowepro Pro Messenger 200 AW
• Canon 5D Mark II with a Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 L zoom
• Olympus OM-D with a Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8 X Series lens

Originally I was thinking of using the 60D instead of the 5D Mark II. As it turned out, I had to send my 60D to CPS to have the grip reglued. So I went with the 5D Mark II with the 70-200mm, which I used most of the time. But when I did need a short lens, I grabbed the OM-D. I prefer this to changing lenses while on the run.

Here's a 1-minute peek inside my Pro Messenger 200 AW to show you how I set up the bag.

I carried this rig all day, logging miles up and down Market St., across the water on the Larkspur Ferry, and with me in restaurants for some after-assignment celebration. (I don't like to leave camera gear in the car!) I'll be working with this same set-up later this week for my 3-day assignment covering the Artisan Cheese Festival.

Want to Comment on this Post?

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

Join me on my Instagram site as I explore the world of mobile photography.

Beautiful weather and happy people were the highlights of the St. Patrick's Day celebration in San Francisco. Here are a few images that show why this is such a popular gathering year after year.

Photos by Derrick Story.

Want to Comment on this Post?

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

I bet you rarely use Noise Reduction in Aperture. Probably because it doesn't work that well... at least not for its intended purpose. What it is good for, however, is rendering more pleasing skin tones for your portraits. Here's how.

Model Francesca Parnigoni already has great skin. Using my noise reduction technique, I was able to soften it just a bit without losing its natural texture.

Noise reduction, when applied as illustrated here (2.0 Radius; 0 Edge Detail), creates a slight softening effect without losing the natural textures. So when you have a subject that has nice skin, you can retain its characteristics while creating a subtle, but appealing enhancement. In Francesca's case, I want to see those faint freckles. They're attractive. Most skin enhancing techniques would wipe them out. But not this one!

Basic Steps

• Choose Noise Reduction from the Add Adjustment popup menu. Make sure the box is checked.
• Set Radius to 2.0 and Edge Detail to 0. The effect is now applied to the entire image.
• Click on Gear icon in the Noise Reduction brick and select "Brush Noise Reduction Away" from the popup menu.
• Use the brush to paint over the eyes, eye brows, and selected hair to remove the noise reduction effect from those areas. (They will return to their original sharpness.)
• To check your work, click on the Gear icon in the floating Noise Reduction palette, and select Color Overlay. You'll be able to see the areas where you removed the noise reduction effect.
• Turn off color overlay, and enjoy.

Eyes will now be their original sharpness, but skin receives the subtle enhancing effect. If you need further work on the skin, you can always apply the skin softening brush. Just make sure you're not too heavy-handed.

More Aperture Tips and Techniques

To learn more about Aperture, check out my Aperture 3.3 Essential Training (2012) on lynda.com. Also, take a look at our Aperture 3 Learning Center. Tons of free content about how to get the most out of Aperture.

Want to Comment on this Post?

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

The Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 25mm f/1.4 ASPH Lens ($499) for Micro 4/3 cameras brings a fast prime lens to the mirrorless form factor at a relatively reasonable price.

I've tested this lens for a variety of shots, mostly when set to f/1.4, and have a few images with comments to share.

Natural Light Portrait Lens

Capturing portraits with the Leica set to wide open on an Olympus OM-D is pure joy.

It's sharp where you focus it, there's nice softening outside of the focus area, but the falloff isn't so steep that you ruin shots due to misfocusing.

Model Francesca Parnigoni

Francesca Parnigoni close up

The 25mm focal length forces you to interact with your subject because you can't stand too far back. I'm definitely adding this lens to my portrait studio kit.

Sharpness

It's sharp. The autofocusing on the OM-D was fast and accurate. And even though the lens doesn't have image stabilization built in, the OM-D does. So you get speed and IS... and excellent detail.

Here's a screen capture from Aperture showing the loupe magnified to 200 percent on the detail of the top basketball. Notice the texture and the clarity of David Stern's signature, even at 200 percent.

I opened the aperture to f/1.4 for the basketball image. Actually, I rarely shoot at any other setting with this lens. Also note how the background is nicely softened.

Color Fringing

I had read that the weakness of the Leica 25mm is some color fringing in bright, contrasty light. I tried to duplicate those results in my own testing. But I didn't see much in my shots.

Here's a screenshot from Aperture with the magnifying loupe set to 200 percent. I examined all of the tree branches too, and they looked the same as the lamp. This image was captured at f/4.5. There may be different results at different settings. But overall, I had no problem with color fringing in my initial tests.

Bottom Line

The Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 25mm f/1.4 ASPH Lens is worth every penny of its $499 price tag. Included in the box is a bayonet mount lens hood and soft lens pouch. I'd recommend getting a 46mm neutral density filter to allow you to shoot at wide apertures outside. Because that's the real joy of this lens.

Having a compact f/1.4 prime that fits in my pants pocket adds value to my micro four thirds system. It's this type of glass that increases my trust in the system for assignment work as well as creative projects. I love it!

Want to Comment on this Post?

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

Take a look at the Olympus Micro Four Thirds Gear Guide for an overview of cameras, lenses, and accessories.

You have two cameras on your iPhone, why not put them to use? That's the feeling of Toad Murphy, the group that created Dblcam.

This free app captures two image in quick succession. The first with the back camera on the iPhone, then a second with the front. The obvious users are the growing numbers of selfy photogs on Instagram and Facebook. But the app has potential for anyone with a creative bent.

I recorded this image during a midday stroll on one of my favorite walking paths. I captured a half dozen images, liking them all, but preferred this version that I shared on Instagram.

If you're in the mood to try something different, Dblcam is definitely worth a look.

Want to Comment on this Post?

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

This week on The Digital Story: It's me and 100,000 Irish this coming Saturday for the St. Patrick's Day Parade in San Francisco. Here's how I'm going to prepare for this crazy assignment. Lowepro's new Flipside 20L AW outdoor backpack. Our first advanced workshop covering the Artisan Cheese Festival. All of this and more on this week's podcast.

Story #1 - Preparations for St. Patrick's Day Parade Shoot, SF, March 16 - 100,000 in attendance. Gear: Canon 60D and OM-D, Canon 70-200mm f/4, Canon 40mm f/2.8, Panasonic 12-35mm f/2.8, Olympus 60mm f/2.8, Canon 320 EX Flash Going to catch the ferry in Larkspur to downtown SF to avoid traffic. Why did I choose this stuff for the shoot?

Story #2 - Lowepro has just introduced the Flipside Sport 20L AW, a lightweight and breathable bag to use during their outdoor adventures. The Flipside Sport 20L AW fits 2 pro SLR cameras with integrated grips (one with attached 300mm f/2.8 lens), 2 extra lenses and a flash, a tablet or laptop, tripod or monopod, a battery charger and other accessories plus trekking poles and other personal gear. The backpack is available now priced at around $180.

Story #3 - -- The Artisan Cheese Festival Shoot will be our first advanced workshop. Three TDS photographers will be working with me: Scott McDaniel, Jeremy White, and Jeff Dickerson. I'm really looking forward to this. Then in June we have the TDS Workshop on Movie Making (June 15 & 16). A couple seats are open!

Listen to the Podcast

You can also download the podcast here (26 minutes). Or better yet, subscribe to the podcast in iTunes. You can support this podcast by purchasing the TDS iPhone App for only $2.99 from the Apple App Store.

Monthly Photo Assignment

The March 2013 photo assignment is Black & White.

More Ways to Participate

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our Flickr Public Group. And from those images, I choose the TDS Member Photo of the Day.

Podcast Sponsors

Red River Paper -- Keep up with the world of inkjet printing, and win free paper, by liking Red River Paper on Facebook.

Make Your Photos Sizzle with Color! -- SizzlPix is like High Definition TV for your photography. Take the SizzlPix Challenge - See how your photo will Sizzl by getting a free 5x7 section of an uploaded image. Just put TDS or The Digital Story in the comments to get your free SizzlPix section.

Need a New Photo Bag? Check out the Lowepro Specialty Store on The Digital Story and use discount code LP20 to save 20% at check out.

In the case of the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM, you get what you pay for. At least that's the verdict of DP Review in their post, Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM review. Bestowing a Gold Award on the $2,100 pro zoom, Andy Westlake writes:

"...quite simply the Canon offers such exceptionally good optics that, if you're after the very best, there's simply no other choice."

Personally, there is much about this lens that I admire. But for my photography, I want image stabilization for that large of an investment.

How do you feel about it? If you want to share your thoughts, I've started a conversation on our TDS Facebook page.

Join me on my Instagram site as I explore the world of mobile photography.

In the post, 20 Things That Are Way Better In Slow Motion, we're treated to 20 film clips of activities recorded in slow motion.

Among my favorites are popcorn exploding, a bullet smashing into a wall, frog hopping across a pond, an eagle snatching its prey, and a cymbal being struck by a drum stick.

Fun stuff, all playing right on the web page.

Want to Comment on this Post?

You can share your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post this story for discussion.

The easiest way to move a picture that you've just edited in your Aperture library to your iOS device is to drag and drop. That's right. It's that simple. And it works for iPhoto too.

Edited in Aperture, but want to use on my iPad. No problem! And it literally takes seconds to move.

Here's how to do it:

• Download the free Mac version of PhotoSync from the Mac App Store and put it on your Dock.
• Launch PhotoSync on your iOS device.
• On your Mac, drag the thumbnail of the image you want to transfer (in either iPhoto or Aperture) on to the PhotoSync icon in the Dock.
• Within seconds, the image will appear on your Camera Roll on your iPad or iPhone.

Setting the Size for the File That's Transferred

In Aperture, the Preview size of the file is what is moved from your Mac to iOS device. You can control that size by, in Aperture, going to Preferences > Previews, and setting the parameters you want. Here's what I use.

The size of your Preview in Aperture is the size of the file that's transferred.

Once you have the image, or images on your iOS device, you can easily show them off, post to Instagram, or even add to your Flickr account. Actually, I prefer uploading to Flickr from my iPhone than on my computer. It's more fun, and I have all of those filters to play with.

Aperture Tips and Techniques

To learn more about Aperture, check out my Aperture 3.3 Essential Training (2012) on lynda.com. Also, take a look at our Aperture 3 Learning Center. Tons of free content about how to get the most out of Aperture.

iPad for Digital Photographers

Comments Are Off!

Due to a wave of recent spam attacks, I've had to turn off the comments feature on The Digital Story. You can, however, add your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post these stories for discussion.

Top stories this week on The Digital Story: I found the cure to help me avoid purchasing the Sony RX1, Mobile Photography microsite coming to The Digital Story, The Return of Drobo, Workshops update... and more on this week's podcast.

This show was recorded with the RODE iXY Stereo Mic plugged in to an iPad 3. How does it sound?

Story #1 - The Cure. Remember how I was fighting the urge to buy the Sony RX1 that costs $2,800? I said that one of my tricks is to meet the same need with a lower cost item. Well, that's what I did.

I invested $499 in the Panasonic Leica DG Summilux 25mm f/1.4 ASPH Micro 4/3 lens for my Olympus OM-D. It gives the better speed than the f/2 Carl Zeiss on the Sony RX1, plus the ability to soften the background (though not as easily with the M 4/3 sensor for the OM-D compared to the full frame RX1).

Story #2 - Mobile Photography section coming to TDS with the Book Owner's Lounge.

Story #3 - Return of Drobo. I was on TWiP recently with photographer Thomas Hawk. He brought up the Drobo 5D, same model that I'm testing, and remarked how fast it was via Thunderbolt. We had a good conversation about the Drobo 5D, and Thomas definitely likes his. I wanted to share that data point with you to give you another photographer's perspective.

Story #4 - Workshops Update. Registration is open for the June "Movie Making for Photographers" workshop. In addition to me, we'll have two filmmaking professions on staff for this event. We'll be covering the Sonoma County Hot Air Balloon Classic as our class project.

Registration forms for the August Sonoma Coast workshop should go out this week.

Listen to the Podcast

You can also download the podcast here (27 minutes). Or better yet, subscribe to the podcast in iTunes. You can support this podcast by purchasing the TDS iPhone App for only $2.99 from the Apple App Store.

Monthly Photo Assignment

The March 2013 photo assignment is Black & White.

More Ways to Participate

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our Flickr Public Group. And from those images, I choose the TDS Member Photo of the Day.

Podcast Sponsors

Red River Paper -- Keep up with the world of inkjet printing, and win free paper, by liking Red River Paper on Facebook.

Make Your Photos Sizzle with Color! -- SizzlPix is like High Definition TV for your photography. Take the SizzlPix Challenge - See how your photo will Sizzl by getting a free 5x7 section of an uploaded image. Just put TDS or The Digital Story in the comments to get your free SizzlPix section.

Need a New Photo Bag? Check out the Lowepro Specialty Store on The Digital Story and use discount code LP20 to save 20% at check out.

Comments Are Off!

Due to a wave of recent spam attacks, I've had to turn off the comments feature on The Digital Story. You can, however, add your thoughts at the TDS Facebook page, where I'll post these stories for discussion.