Can you really get that much more out of an HDR photo than a top-drawer Raw file? And on average, how much more image information can you really use? In this week's podcast, I discuss High Dynamic Range photography, then compare it to the powerful Raw processing tools we have in Aperture, Lightroom, and ACR.

I have a hunch that many people with disagree with my conclusions, such as this wildly popular Flickr HDR pool. It's not that I don't like HDR... I'm just wondering if I can get similar results with the careful use of Raw. Listen to this week's show and decide for yourself.

New Monthly Photo Assignment

Pool of Light is this month's photo assignment (that's right, we're revisiting the Dec. 2006 assignment). I think this is one of the most striking effects you can capture in photography. Your subject is illuminated and the light falls off all around it. You can assist with this effect using the "vignette tool" if you photo application has one. You can read more about how to submit on our Submissions page. Deadline for entry is May 31.

Listen to the Podcast

Now that I've piqued your curiosity, it's time to listen to today's audio show titled, "HDR: Do We Still Need It?." You can download the podcast here (21 minutes). You can also subscribe to the podcast in iTunes

The Digital Story Podcasts are available for direct download from Apple iPhones. I've created a special mobile download page here. Just load the page in Safari, browse the podcast line-up, and click on the one you want to listen to.

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our new Flickr Public Group. It's a blast!

Events! See the TDS Event Calendar for photography workshops, speaking engagements, and trade show appearances.

Technorati Tags: digital photography, podcast, technique, Technology, The Digital Story, tips

Lowepro Bags for Photographers On the Go -- Lowepro gear for every type of camera rig, every type of photographer.

Add Magic to Your Slideshows -- FotoMagico presentations are so amazing that your audience will be asking how you did it.

Keywording has become the photography equivalent of being told to eat your vegetables. But really, who cares about keywording? And more importantly, why should you care about it?

Personally, I have given up on the notion of becoming a thorough keyworder. I'm not going to cozy-up with a Coke Zero and keyword a thousand images for the evening. Just not going to do it. But thanks to some innovative tools in Aperture and Lightroom, I can add basic keywords on import, and believe me, that really helps.

In this episode, I talk about different approaches to keywording and some of the benefits from having descriptive terms attached to your images. It's an honest look at this noble, but tedious endeavor.

New Monthly Photo Assignment

Pool of Light is this month's photo assignment (that's right, we're revisiting the Dec. 2006 assignment). I think this is one of the most striking effects you can capture in photography. Your subject is illuminated and the light falls off all around it. You can assist with this effect using the "vignette tool" if you photo application has one. You can read more about how to submit on our Submissions page. Deadline for entry is May 31.

Listen to the Podcast

Now that I've piqued your curiosity, it's time to listen to today's audio show titled, "Who Cares About Keywords." You can download the podcast here (30 minutes). You can also subscribe to the podcast in iTunes

The Digital Story Podcasts are available for direct download from Apple iPhones. I've created a special mobile download page here. Just load the page in Safari, browse the podcast line-up, and click on the one you want to listen to.

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our new Flickr Public Group. It's a blast!

Events! See the TDS Event Calendar for photography workshops, speaking engagements, and trade show appearances.

Technorati Tags: digital photography, podcast, technique, Technology, The Digital Story, tips

Lowepro Bags for Photographers On the Go -- Lowepro gear for every type of camera rig, every type of photographer.

Add Magic to Your Slideshows -- FotoMagico presentations are so amazing that your audience will be asking how you did it.

I'm replaying this show from Dec. 2006 (originally podcast 61), because I'm noticing in my workshops that many people are still not taking advantage of the handy scene modes they have on their cameras.

Scene modes serve as a shortcut for a combination of camera settings tailored for a specific shooting situation, such as a night portrait where you want to retain some of the background information. When you go to a scene mode, your camera sets the shutter speed, aperture, white balance, drive mode, and sometimes even adjusts exposure compensation or metering pattern.

The trick is to learn which scene modes are useful for you, then know how to switch to them quickly when you encounter the appropriate lighting situation. In this podcast, I cover the most common scene modes available, and talk a bit about what's going on behind the "scenes" when you use them.

New Monthly Photo Assignment!

Pool of Light is this month's photo assignment (that's right, we're revisiting the Dec. 2006 assignment too). I think this is one of the most striking effects you can capture in photography. Your subject is illuminated and the light falls off all around it. You can assist with this effect using the "vignette tool" if you photo application has one. You can read more about how to submit on our Submissions page. Deadline for entry is May 31.

Listen to the Podcast

Now that I've piqued your curiosity, it's time to listen to today's audio show titled, "Scene Modes." You can download the podcast here (29 minutes). You can also subscribe to the podcast in iTunes

The Digital Story Podcasts are available for direct download from Apple iPhones. I've created a special mobile download page here. Just load the page in Safari, browse the podcast line-up, and click on the one you want to listen to.

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our new Flickr Public Group. It's a blast!

Events! See the TDS Event Calendar for photography workshops, speaking engagements, and trade show appearances.

Technorati Tags: digital photography, podcast, technique, Technology, The Digital Story, tips

Lowepro Bags for Photographers On the Go -- Lowepro gear for every type of camera rig, every type of photographer.

Add Magic to Your Slideshows -- FotoMagico presentations are so amazing that your audience will be asking how you did it.

Photo Downloader is an immensely useful application that you may already have on your computer. It's part of the Adobe Photoshop CS3 package, and it comes with Photoshop Elements 6 for the Mac. I've posted about Photo Downloader in the past, but during my teaching, I'm still finding that most people don't realize they have it.

So in this show, I cover all the wonderful functions of this program. I also describe a bit about how it can become an important part of your workflow, especially if you haven't made the move to Lightroom or Aperture yet.

Monthly Photo Assignment

Angular is this month's photo assignment. Just about everything intersects at some sort of angle... lots of possibilities for this one. You can read more about how to submit on our Submissions page. Deadline for entry is April 30.

Listen to the Podcast

Now that I've piqued your curiosity, it's time to listen to today's audio show titled, "Photo Downloader." You can download the podcast here (25 minutes). You can also subscribe to the podcast in iTunes

The Digital Story Podcasts are available for direct download from Apple iPhones. I've created a special mobile download page here. Just load the page in Safari, browse the podcast line-up, and click on the one you want to listen to.

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our new Flickr Public Group. It's a blast!

Events! See the TDS Event Calendar for photography workshops, speaking engagements, and trade show appearances.

Technorati Tags: digital photography, podcast, technique, Technology, The Digital Story, tips

Lowepro Bags for Photographers On the Go -- Lowepro gear for every type of camera rig, every type of photographer.

Add Magic to Your Slideshows -- FotoMagico presentations are so amazing that your audience will be asking how you did it.

Be sure to download the free reference card that you can print on a standard 4 x 6 sheet of photo paper and carry in your camera bag. The card, titled, "After Every Shoot," lists the 10 reminders that you need to pay attention to at the close of each session.

In this podcast, I go over every point on the list. Once you finish listening, download the Jpeg image below and print it on a sheet of standard 4 x 6 photo paper. For best results, print in "portrait" mode (vertically aligned paper), center the image, and scale to fit (see illustration above for settings). You'll then have a handy reminder card that you can carry around. Print as many as you like and share with friends too.

You can add your own notes to the back of the card, use it to shade the lens on bright days, or fan yourself if it gets too hot while you're on location. It's also the perfect bookmark for your copy of The Digital Photography Companion. So many uses for this handy freebie.

Monthly Photo Assignment

Angular is this month's photo assignment. Just about everything intersects at some sort of angle... lots of possibilities for this one. You can read more about how to submit on our Submissions page. Deadline for entry is April 30.

Listen to the Podcast

Now that I've piqued your curiosity, it's time to listen to today's audio show titled, "After Every Shoot." You can download the podcast here (31 minutes). You can also subscribe to the podcast in iTunes

The Digital Story Podcasts are available for direct download from Apple iPhones. I've created a special mobile download page here. Just load the page in Safari, browse the podcast line-up, and click on the one you want to listen to.

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our new Flickr Public Group. It's a blast!

Events! See the TDS Event Calendar for photography workshops, speaking engagements, and trade show appearances.

Technorati Tags: digital photography, podcast, technique, Technology, The Digital Story, tips

Lowepro Bags for Photographers On the Go -- Lowepro gear for every type of camera rig, every type of photographer.

Add Magic to Your Slideshows -- FotoMagico presentations are so amazing that your audience will be asking how you did it.

I've gone Drobo, and I have lots to report about networking this robotic storage array. If that sounds intimidating, it isn't. And after listening to this podcast, you might start thinking about putting a hard drive, or a hard drive array (such as the Drobo) on your network to store images.

I've also published a couple weblog posts on the subject. Be sure to check out Drobo Hard Drive Back Up for Photographers and on the Inside Aperture site, Alas, No Aperture on my Drobo.

Monthly Photo Assignment

Angular is this month's photo assignment. Just about everything intersects at some sort of angle... lots of possibilities for this one. You can read more about how to submit on our Submissions page. Deadline for entry is April 30.

Listen to the Podcast

Now that I've piqued your curiosity, it's time to listen to today's audio show titled, "Going Drobo." You can download the podcast here (30 minutes). You can also subscribe to the podcast in iTunes

The Digital Story Podcasts are available for direct download from Apple iPhones. I've created a special mobile download page here. Just load the page in Safari, browse the podcast line-up, and click on the one you want to listen to.

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our new Flickr Public Group. It's a blast!

Events! See the TDS Event Calendar for photography workshops, speaking engagements, and trade show appearances.

Technorati Tags: digital photography, podcast, technique, Technology, The Digital Story, tips

Lowepro Bags for Photographers On the Go -- Lowepro gear for every type of camera rig, every type of photographer.

Add Magic to Your Slideshows -- FotoMagico presentations are so amazing that your audience will be asking how you did it.

Stephen Johnson is a digital photography pioneer. His mastery of traditional technique combined with his forward thinking led him to the new world of digital imaging.

In this interview recorded in Orlando, FL at Photoshop World, Stephen talks about his seminal work, On Digital Photography, the evolution of digital cameras including how megapixels fit into that picture, and provides some great advice on how to best display your work. It's a terrific chat that I think you will enjoy. You can find out more about Stephen's ongoing projects and workshops by visiting www.sjphoto.com.

Photo of Stephen Johnson in his studio by Derrick Story.

Monthly Photo Assignment

Angular is this month's photo assignment. Just about everything intersects at some sort of angle... lots of possibilities for this one. You can read more about how to submit on our Submissions page. Deadline for entry is April 30.

Listen to the Podcast

Now that I've piqued your curiosity, it's time to listen to today's audio show titled, "Stephen Johnson on Photography." You can download the podcast here (28 minutes). You can also subscribe to the podcast in iTunes

The Digital Story Podcasts are available for direct download from Apple iPhones. I've created a special mobile download page here. Just load the page in Safari, browse the podcast line-up, and click on the one you want to listen to.

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our new Flickr Public Group. It's a blast!

Events! See the TDS Event Calendar for photography workshops, speaking engagements, and trade show appearances.

Technorati Tags: digital photography, podcast, technique, Technology, The Digital Story, tips

Lowepro Bags for Photographers On the Go -- Lowepro gear for every type of camera rig, every type of photographer.

Add Magic to Your Slideshows -- FotoMagico presentations are so amazing that your audience will be asking how you did it.

Multiple printers are easier to manage on a network than trying to connect them directly to your computer, or tougher yet, multiple computers. You can set up a network without spending too much. Basically you need a wireless access point, such as an Apple Airport Extreme, and a good USB hub.

For my printer hub, I went with the Belkin Mac Mini USB 2.0 4PT Hub because it has the same footprint as the wireless base station (as you can see in the photo, hub is on the bottom).

Of course, when you estimate a job like this, you say to yourself, "two, maybe three hours." Listen to the podcast to see what happened in my case.

Monthly Photo Assignment

Paper is this month's photo assignment. Writing paper, wallpaper, bathroom sheets, doctor's office, paper pushers, paper airplanes... lots of possibilities for this one. You can read more about how to submit on our Submissions page. Deadline for entry is March 31.

Listen to the Podcast

Now that I've piqued your curiosity, it's time to listen to today's audio show titled, "Network Printing." You can download the podcast here (31 minutes). You can also subscribe to the podcast in iTunes

The Digital Story Podcasts are available for direct download from Apple iPhones. I've created a special mobile download page here. Just load the page in Safari, browse the podcast line-up, and click on the one you want to listen to.

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our new Flickr Public Group. It's a blast!

Check out what you can do with an $150 underwater housing and a compact point and shoot by taking a look at my underwater gallery from the Caribbean.

Have you looked at the Park by the Numbers Camera Phone Project? If you have a camera phone, you've got to check this out.

Events! See the TDS Event Calendar for photography workshops, speaking engagements, and trade show appearances.

Technorati Tags: digital photography, podcast, technique, Technology, The Digital Story, tips

Lowepro Bags for Photographers On the Go -- Lowepro gear for every type of camera rig, every type of photographer.

Add Magic to Your Slideshows -- FotoMagico presentations are so amazing that your audience will be asking how you did it.

So, your telephoto lens isn't powerful enough? No problem. Just find a spotting scope, or any type of scope, and hook up a digiscoping rig. In the podcast, I explain how.

You can also download a PDF explaining everything you need to know about DIY digiscoping. It's from my "classic" photography book, Digital Photography Hacks.

You can also download another PDF about the Walking Stick Mount, which is another tip that I cover in this week's show.

Monthly Photo Assignment

Paper is this month's photo assignment. Writing paper, wallpaper, bathroom sheets, doctor's office, paper pushers, paper airplanes... lots of possibilities for this one. You can read more about how to submit on our Submissions page. Deadline for entry is March 31.

Listen to the Podcast

Now that I've piqued your curiosity, it's time to listen to today's audio show titled, "Digiscoping and More." You can download the podcast here (29 minutes). You can also subscribe to the podcast in iTunes

The Digital Story Podcasts are available for direct download from Apple iPhones. I've created a special mobile download page here. Just load the page in Safari, browse the podcast line-up, and click on the one you want to listen to.

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our new Flickr Public Group. It's a blast!

Check out what you can do with an $150 underwater housing and a compact point and shoot by taking a look at my underwater gallery from the Caribbean.

Have you looked at the Park by the Numbers Camera Phone Project? If you have a camera phone, you've got to check this out.

Events! See the TDS Event Calendar for photography workshops, speaking engagements, and trade show appearances.

Technorati Tags: digital photography, podcast, technique, Technology, The Digital Story, tips

Lowepro Bags for Photographers On the Go -- Lowepro gear for every type of camera rig, every type of photographer.

Add Magic to Your Slideshows -- FotoMagico presentations are so amazing that your audience will be asking how you did it.

If you only had one digital photography book, would this be it? My biased answer is a resounding "Yes!" The Digital Photography Companion is off the press and headed to bookstores everywhere as you listen to this show.

Because you're a member of this virtual camera club, however, you deserve a little inside information. And that's exactly what you're going to get in this podcast -- interesting tidbits about the book that you can't get anywhere else. I've also typed up my notes in the TDS post titled, "The Digital Photography Companion": Author's Release Notes.

And remember, this is the official camera guide of The Digital Story. It even has the TDS logo on the back.

Monthly Photo Assignment

Paper is this month's photo assignment. Writing paper, wallpaper, bathroom sheets, doctor's office, paper pushers, paper airplanes... lots of possibilities for this one. You can read more about how to submit on our Submissions page. Deadline for entry is March 31.

Listen to the Podcast

Now that I've piqued your curiosity, it's time to listen to today's audio show titled, "Meet the Digital Photography Companion." You can download the podcast here (32 minutes). You can also subscribe to the podcast in iTunes

The Digital Story Podcasts are available for direct download from Apple iPhones. I've created a special mobile download page here. Just load the page in Safari, browse the podcast line-up, and click on the one you want to listen to.

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our new Flickr Public Group. It's a blast!

Check out what you can do with an $150 underwater housing and a compact point and shoot by taking a look at my underwater gallery from the Caribbean.

Have you looked at the Park by the Numbers Camera Phone Project? If you have a camera phone, you've got to check this out.

Events! See the TDS Event Calendar for photography workshops, speaking engagements, and trade show appearances.

Technorati Tags: digital photography, podcast, technique, Technology, The Digital Story, tips

Lowepro Bags for Photographers On the Go -- Lowepro gear for every type of camera rig, every type of photographer.

Add Magic to Your Slideshows -- FotoMagico presentations are so amazing that your audience will be asking how you did it.