"While I wait for the train to pass," writes Conrado Gonzalez, "why not capture a grab shot?"

What a great argument for having your camera with you. Conrado captured this beautiful image with his Nikon D40, then processed the photo in Lightroom 3.4. (Click on image to get its full impact!) Sometimes those short delays work in our favor...

This is our 214th Grab Shot! Wow. If you want to review the collection that began back in 2006, go to our Grab Shots page.

If you have a candid you'd like to share, take a look at our Submissions page, then send us your Grab Shot. We'll try to get it published for you on The Digital Story.

And you can view more images from our virtual camera club in the Member Photo Gallery.

The Digital Story Podcast App is the best way to stream or download weekly TDS podcast episodes. No more syncing your iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, or even your Android phone just to get a podcast. And the best part is, The Digital Story Podcast App is your way to help support this show. Download it today!

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I've mounted a Pinwide wide angle pinhole cap on my Olympus E-PL1 micro four thirds camera and have been shooting crazy shots. The first thing I noticed about my behavior when I'm using the Pinwide is that all bets are off. It's like it challenges you to be creative.

Since we are dealing with a pinhole for our light transmission to the sensor, I found myself using ISO 1600 to get decent handheld shutter speeds. In broad daylight, most of my shots were between 1/15 and 1/60th of a second. You get some image noise at ISO 1600 with the E-PL1, and that seemed to contribute to the overall texture of the shot.

One of the reasons I like using Olympus bodies for this type of work is that the stabilization is built into the body, not the lens. So I still have IS with a pinhole cap.

One of the attributes that jumps out at you when looking at these images, is the natural vignetting that comes with pinhole photography. Plus there's substantial depth of field, and, for lack of a better way of saying it, just pure color. It's much easier to understand pinhole photography by looking at it, rather than trying to explain it.

As for the Pinwide cap itself, I found it well designed and high quality. It snaps securely into place on the camera and seems quite durable. There's a tiny glass element on the backside of the adapter that protects your sensor from dust entering through the pinhole. So you can leave it on the camera without worry. When it's time to put it away, it includes a cute little tin for storage that reads, "Designed in Chicago, manufactured in the USA."

During the shooting process, I found it easier to compose the image with the accessory Olympus VF-2 Electronic Viewfinder rather than on the LCD, especially in bright light.

You can order the Pinwide directly from the Wanderlust site for $39.99. It's a great way to bring out the creative artist in you.

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"Sunrise at Crescent Beach" Canon 60D with 15-85mm set at 85mm. F/5.6 at 1/125th. ISO 125. Photo by Derrick Story. Click on image for larger version.

California and Florida are two different worlds. And one of the most physical differences on the east coast is that the sun rises over the ocean. Yes, an obvious fact. But the experience is anything but mundane.

Normally I oversleep when I travel to the east. But this morning I was awake with coffee in hand as the first rays of light appeared at Crescent Beach. I grabbed the Canon 60D with the EF-S 15-85mm zoom and waited for the sun to break the horizon.

After enjoying these types of moments first thing in the morning, everything else in the day just seems a little brighter.

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When I first posted the story about the M.I.C. CF Card Reader for the iPad, I received mail saying that it wouldn't work for a variety of reasons. I now have the card reader connected to my first generation iPad, and I can say that it transferred full sized Jpegs off the CF card from my Canon 5D Mark II without a hitch. Ditto for Raw files.

I then connected the iPhone to its USB port (yes, the reader is dual function), and downloaded shots I had taken on a recent trip to Florida -- again without incident.

I also found M.I.C. easy to work with. I ordered the CF Card Reader from their web site and was kept up to date via email on when the device would ship. And it arrived in my mail box as promised.

The CF Card Reader sells for $29.90, and is advertised to work with both generations of iPad. I can vouch that it lives up to its promise with the original iPad running the latest iOS software.

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Macworld Magazine has published my full review of the Canon EOS Rebel T3i from a Mac perspective. In terms of base performance, this model is very similar to the excellent Canon T2i. But the few changes that were added are noteworthy.

Canon EF-S 18-135mm IS Zoom Lens mounted on a EOS Rebel T3i. Click on image for larger size. Photo by Derrick Story.

Here are my pros and cons from the review.

Pros

• Beautiful and useful Vari Angle 3-inch LCD (new to Rebels)
• Wireless flash transmitter for multiple flashes (new to Rebels)
• Robust movie recording options including full HD (Improved)
• External mic jack
• Clear, easy to use menu system and onscreen controls
• Excellent image quality, even at ISO 1600
• Versatile 18-135mm kit lens option provides all in one solution

Cons

• Some physical controls (such as Display button) oddly placed
• Lack of single button movie recording
• Auto White Balance struggles in most indoor lighting conditions--a traditional Canon weakness

You might also want to note that this camera received 4.5 Mice, a rating that is rarely awarded to digital cameras. As for the Mac side of the equation, the T3i is already supported in Aperture and iPhoto. And its bundled software runs very well on Mac OS X. Plus, the video compression is H.264 for its captured movies, so you can drop them right on to your computer and start enjoying.

If you use a Mac and like shooting Canon, the Rebel T3i is an excellent DSLR for sophisticated consumers.

Related Articles

Canon EF-S 18-135mm IS Zoom Lens: More Reach for Your Kit Lens

"Canon T3i (600D) Review" - Digital Photography Podcast 269

Canon EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM - Upgrade Your Kit Lens

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For the March'11 Photo Assignment, TDS shooters explored color with this gallery titled Blue. This hue never looked so good. And which one will be the SizzlPix Pick of the Month?

The May 2011 assignment is "Shades of Green." Start working on your contribution now. Details can be found on the Member Participation page. Submit your photo assignment picture 800 pixels in the widest direction. Deadline is May 31, 2011.

Please follow the instructions carefully for labeling the subject line of the email for your submission. It's easy to lose these in the pile of mail if not labeled correctly. For example, the subject line for next month's assignment should be: "Photo Assignment: May 2011." Also, if you can, please don't strip out the metadata. And feel free to add any IPTC data you wish (These fields in particular: Caption, Credit, Copyright, Byline), I use that for the caption info.

Photo by Simone Brogini. (Click on it to see enlarged version.) You can read more about how Simone captured this shot, plus see all of the other great images on the March 2011 Gallery page.

Good luck with your May assignment, and congratulations to all of the fine contributors for March.

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Now Available! The Digital Photography Companion. The official guide for The Digital Story Virtual Camera Club.

• 25 handy and informative tables for quick reference.
• Metadata listings for every photo in the book
• Dedicated chapter on making printing easy.
• Photo management software guide.
• Many, many inside tips gleaned from years of experience.
• Comprehensive (214 pages), yet fits easily in camera bag.

Technorati Tags: digital photography, The Digital Story, Photo Assignment

Two surfers head home as the sun sets at Crescent Beach in Florida. The image was first processed using the Miniature Effect in the Creative Filters for the Canon 60D, then finished off in Aperture 3.

Click on image for larger size. Photo by Derrick Story.

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The air was muggy outside Whitney Lab, off road 1A1 south of St. Augustine, Florida. But I had a freshly made chicken salad sandwich, and I didn't feel like staying indoors for lunch. So I found myself a flat rock out by the water and opened a bag of salty chips.

Off to my right I detected movement. At first I couldn't see what had caught my eye, but then I noticed a Fiddler Crab making his way back to the safety of his hole in the sand. You know how these things are. Once your sight becomes attuned to the environment, you suddenly see what's really going on around you. One by one I noticed dozens of these little guys with the big right claw.

I finished my sandwich, then changed lenses on the Canon 60D I had in my shoulder bag. I went with the 70-200mm f/2.8 zoom to give me a bit more reach. Not far from where I was sitting, I discovered this flamboyant crab who emerged from his very elegant home complete with rock patio cover. He motioned to me with his large right claw. As long I didn't move too fast, he would stay outside for a visit.

I had forgotten about the humidity. In fact, quite a while had passed before I remembered that I was on lunch break and should get back to work. And it only took me 15 minutes or so to cool back to room temperature once back inside.

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I join Frederick Van Johnson and crew for the This Week in Photo show titled, "Viva Las Vegas." Yes, the US Postal Service used an image of the Statue of Liberty from Las Vegas, not New York, for its stamp. We talk about that and much more in this episode that also includes Alex Lindsey and Richard Harrington.

It's a fun show. You might want to tune in.

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The Pinwide wide angle pinhole cap for micro four thirds cameras (Olympus PENs and Panasonic G Series) gives photographers the traditional feel of pinhole photography with the flexibility of digital imaging.