8×10Gallery.com

Archive for June, 2007

The big light show is just a few days away and taking shots of the fireworks is something I’m hoping to accomplish this year. To help with the process I’ve been looking through the web to see what settings are recommended (ISO and shutter speed especially).

The information I’ve gathered is informative but also seems to be contradictory. Some sites recommend low ISO settings, while others say ISO 400 or 800 is optimal. I see mention of shutter speeds at ¼ sec all the way to 4-8 seconds. I guess as with anything, this is one of those times where you really have to experiment to see which set of results you like the best. The longer the exposure will make longer trails, while conversely, a shorter shutter will freeze the burst.

• There are a couple of things they all agreed on.
• Remote Trigger – If you have the ability to trigger the shutter without touching the camera, all the better. (I knew that gizmo would come in handy one day!)
• Tripod – To minimize the blur and shake.
• Turn off the flash – Since its dark most cameras will want to trigger the flash.

In some cases, the advice is very similar to taking pictures of a stream. What effect do you ultimately want? Do you want standing water, or the frosty look of the water running over the rocks or crest?

But here are several recommended websites with plenty of advice and examples of what to expect.

Tips for Shooting Fireworks

Tips from Popular Photography
Tips from Photobird
Tips from New York Institute of Photography
Tips from About.com
Tips from BetterPhoto.com

As mentioned, Popular Photography published its list of Editor’s Choices for 2007. For imaging software Adobe Lightroom wins as Imaging Software of the Year. A pretty impressive title considering the short time Lightroom has been on the shelves.

For the Mac world, Aperture still rules as top dog.

Top entry level SLR kudos go to the Sony Alpha 100. Sony’s first SLR after aquiring the assets of Konica-Minolta stays as the choice of the year again. It also garnered this award in 2006 right after it’s debut. Even though my little beauty the Rebel XTi isn’t numero uno, it’s still amusing to think that cameras this powerful are considered entry level.

The advanced DSLR category sees the Pentax K10D at the top of the list. Both the Sony A100 and the K10D have built in shake reduction.

Considering the offerings of both Canon and Nikon, we are looking at some pretty impressive camera technology. And as we hear rumors of new cameras on the horizon and software updates, it looks like the rest of the year is going to be just as impressive. Christmas could bring more cameras at lower prices, fitted with even more powerful lenses than we had ever hoped for.

Get’s you all excited just thinking about it, doesn’t it?

The Editor’s Choice also showcases lenses, tripods, camera cellphones, fine art printers, ultrathing compact cameras and more.

You can read the full list here:

The anticipated update to Adobe Lightroom has hit the Internet. Even though Lightroom is still hot off the press, the talk of an improved version has been the buzz for weeks now. Adobe has released an update which at minimum:

• Improves multiple computer workflow with catalog import/export functionality
• Improves noise reduction and sharpening
• Includes Vista Support
• Additional Camera Support
• Synchronizing Folders
• Synchronizing Exposure
• Metadata-Panel Improvements
• And other new features

The download is listed at 30MB and can be found here:

This marks a very quick update (at least in computer world) for a new release. Adobe has been working with photographers all through the beta and has been quick to take feedback and turn it into a reality. Lightroom has received a lot of praise from press and users for it’s power and ease of use.

For some it comes as a bridge to the often overwhelming and complex Photoshop, while to others it comes as a great companion to complement their existing image editor.

You can find more news and additional blogs from Adobe, Scott Kelby and others by visiting GoLightroom at http://www.golightroom.com/