Stephen Zeller | Photography

Here’s what’s happening around the world of photography this week:

• You may have heard about Sigma’s new DP1 point and shoot digital camera.  Well, here’s a web exclusive article on the DP1 from Shutterbug.  The article contains a lot of info. about the DP1 as well as quite a few shots taken with it.  If you’re looking for a high-end point and shoot, this could be your next purchase!  Here’s the link.
• Check out some of the updated episodes of Photoshop User TV right here.  It’s the best source for free Photoshop tips and tricks as well as more information about the photography and design industries.
• Scott Kelby wrote an interesting piece on the terrorist threat of tripods.  Read it and I’m sure you’ll get just as good of a laugh out of it as I did.  You can read it here.
• I found a cool place to get 70 free Photoshop actions while I was reading David Ziser’s blog yesterday.  Read about it here.
• I’m considering putting together a little photo walk/information sharing get-together somewhere here in Maine in the near future.  I have had several people that I work with ask about me “showing them my tricks” and providing some information in a hands-on setting.  I’m thinking sometime later this month or early June.  (Mike, I promise we WILL get together! )  More to follow soon.

That’s it for today, I hope you’re having a great week.  It’s getting progressively warmer here in Maine and I’m itching to get out and spend some more time shooting!  How about you???

Well, I’m absolutely exhausted from my duty day at work Sunday so I’m taking today off from blogging.  I got a total of 40 minutes of sleep Sunday night and I’m simply worn out!  I’ll see you guys back here tomorrow though!

In the mean time, check out Camera Porn (yes it’s work safe and sadly has nothing to do with nudity).

- Stephen

On Friday I got tasked with a quick shoot and work and for once in my life, I didn’t have my trusty Nikon D40 with me.  I had to punt.  Our ship has a Canon EOS 30D and that was pretty much my only resort.  Our Executive Officer had just gotten his Nikon D300, but I wasn’t going to ask him to use it since I don’t think he has even used it yet (although he told me I could use it any time I needed to).  I’m pretty sure that it’s “Man-Law” not to use another man’s toy prior to his first use.  Anyway, I got the 30D and headed out.  I was simply shooting the shipyard’s installation of a metal shield containing the crest for the DDGRON painted on it. 

The 30D felt clunky and awkward in my hands.  Probably due to the fact that I haven’t ever been a Canon shooter.  I wasn’t familiar at all with any of the controls, but was able to figure them out.  The LCD is HORRIBLE!  All images on the LCD look bright, overexposed, and washed out.  I had to use the histogram to ensure that I was getting images that were close to being properly exposed.  The ship uses the camera to shoot in JPEG so I had no worries there.  I wouldn’t personally, but since I was using it this one time I wasn’t going to hassle with RAW.  I am not the one processing the images anyway, so it was just easier to use JPEG.  The shutter was clunky and made me feel like the camera was moving in my hands.  I really missed the smooth and soft shutter of my D40.  Other than that, I can’t really fairly comment on the camera.  Those were just a few things I noticed while snapping off the 20 or so frames I took. 

To sum it all up, I won’t be trading my Nikon for a Canon anytime soon.  Maybe it’s because I’m comfortable with my Nikon, but I wasn’t attracted to the Canon at all.  Sorry Canon, I like my Nikon way too much!