PhotoWalkPro

It would have been easy to just re-hash the Lightroom 2 book and add in new features from Lightroom 3 but then that just wouldn’t be Scott Kelby, now would it? I’m always amazed at how each book series update he does seems like something brand new and this latest book is no exception. From the moment I first opened the cover until I turned the last page, I was pleasantly pleased to see so many new features in this book. So let’s talk about the real meat and potatoes of this book.

The book starts out just like you would work in Lightroom, by importing images. It’s hard to believe that there is so much to know about just getting your photos from your camera into Lightroom but everything is well covered in this Chapter. The Import function was completely overhauled for Lightroom 3 and the book uses a step-by-step approach to guide you through importing from camera, computer, even video. There’s also a great section on using the new tethered shooting section.

Next it’s on to the Import module. Once again, everything is laid out in a step-by-step fashion including how to create custom metadata templates for copyright, custom naming templates, and tips on navigating through your images. The next chapter is all about organization. There are tons of different strategies for organizing photos in Lightroom and Scott shares his personal methods for sorting, searching, and keeping all of your shoots organized.

The next chapter is very cool. It’s full of tips on how to customize Lightroom to get the most out of the program. In it, you will find things like setting up two monitors, customizing panels, setting the loupe magnification, and even adding your studio logo to the top of the program banner.

The rest of the book follows the same pattern of instruction, covering the Develop, Slideshow, Print, and Web modules, each in great detail but with a simplicity that never leaves you feeling overwhelmed.  If that was all there was to the book, it would be well worth the money but wait, there’s so much more. First of all, every chapter ends with a section of Lightroom Killer Tips. These are short little tips and hints that you probably won’t find in any other book.

The final chapter is by far my favorite because it really pulls everything together. In it, Scott has taken his 7-Point System and adapted it to Lightroom. There are four different projects where Scott walks you through his entire process for adjusting images, including a fashion shot, a landscape, a travel photo, and a sports shot. By following along you will discover just how easy it is to take your good shot and make it great by applying his 7-point system in the develop module. It’s this personal insight into Scott’s Lightroom workflow that really takes this book over the top and gives you the benefit of his vast knowledge of this powerful program.

The bottom line is that, even if you were pretty comfortable using Lightroom 2, version 3 is a whole new ballgame with lots of great new features and this book is the perfect guide. Not only will you learn all of the features and tools that Lightroom 3 has to offer but also Scott’s keen insight on how to leverage them all to your advantage. It’s definitely another winner for Scott and Lightroom users everywhere.

Have you ever processed an image and then made a print only to find that you missed some dust spots and then you have to go back and do it all over again? I know I have but i have a little trick I use to find all those dust specks, even in hard to find locations. It’s not real complicated but it has saved me from having to go back and clean up hard to find spots.

Here’s a few things I came across that you might find interesting and maybe inspiring -

Bigger is Better -

How many pixels were in your last image? If you are a select group of Hungarians, the answer just might be 70 billion. With sponsorshop from Epson, Sony, and Microsoft, a group of hungarians have created the largest 360° panorama in the world. I’ve always been fascinated by gigapixel images and this one really takes the cake. You can see the image in all it’s detailed glory here.

Long Distance Dedication -

If there’s one thing I like more than gigapixel images, it’s time-lapse videos. I just find the process of compressing time into a smaller space to be incredibly cool. I’ve been known to make a few time-lapse videos in my time but nothing compares to this incredible walk across America.

Now, if you thought that was cool, check out this “making of” video to see the incredible story of how this amazing project came to be.

Color in Motion -

You might know Julianne Kost as the Adobe Photoshop Evangelist but did you know that she is an incredibly talented photographer and artist? A couple of years ago she released a book called Window Seat, which featured landscape images made from her years of accumulating frequent flyer miles. Some of her recent work though is just downright fascinating. Her series is called Motion Color and after looking at the images, it’s hard not to believe that she didn’t fashion them in Photoshop. The reality is that all of these shots are straight from the camera (except for maybe a little color and exposure tweaking). You can spend a few quality minutes checking out all of her shots by clicking here.

Free Lightroom Learning for Photowalkers -

Did you participate in one of the 1100 photowalks this past weekend? If so then you should have received a personal invite to join Scott Kelby and his cohorts for a little live Lightroom session today. Just click on the link in your email and then log in with the username and password that you created when you registered for the photowalk. The session kicks off at 10:00 AM Eastern time and lasts for about an hour. When you get there, you will get to see Scott and the guys process their photowalk images using Adobe Lightroom. It should be a lot of fun.

That’s it for the day, now go do something inspiring!

Photo by Mike Palmer

This past weekend the folks on my photowalk saw me sporting a new piece of gear but it wasn’t a camera or a lens, or even a new bag. Nope, what I had resting on my hip was a SpiderPro Camera Holster and let me tell you, it’s pretty slick.  The holster system is actually comprised of several components that, when combined, make for a camera carrying system that feels natural and keeps your camera handy when you need your hands free.

Here’s how it works, the key to the system is the Spider Holster. It’s all stainless steel and hardened aluminum and provides the resting place for the camera on your hip. There is a two position lock system on the side of the holster that requires you to lift slightly to remove the camera from the holster when it’s in the down position. When you move it to the top position you can freely slide the camera in and out of the holster without having to touch the holster.

The other key components to the system are the Spider Plate and Spider Pin. The plate mounts to the bottom of your camera using the tripod socket and a hex screw. One of the things I really liked about the plate was the thought that the engineers put into it. There are a lot of camera accessories that use hex screws and include the appropriate allen wrench but the folks at Spider went the extra step of creating a storage compartment for the wrench so it’s hidden right inside the plate and always handy. As someone who has lost more than my fair share of wrenches in the bottom of my camera bags, this is one feature I can really appreciate. There are also additional 1/4-20 holes in the bottom of the plate if you want to mount it to a tripod without having to take it off the camera. The only problem with the plate is that it might need to be removed to pull out the camera battery depending on what type of camera you are using. But having the wrench handy makes this a pretty quick operation.

The second component that pull it all together is the Spider Pin. This little piece of stainless steel is made with a small ball on one end and a 1/4-20 screw on the other. The pin screws into one of the threaded holes on the plate and serves as the mounting point between camera plate and holster. The ball portion of the pin slides easily into the groove of the holster and gravity and the locking system do the rest. The pin can also be screwed into a tripod mount on a lens foot if you are using a longer lens.

Those are the basic pieces to the system but if you want to go all out with the Pro system you will also get the Spider holster Belt. The belt has one feature that makes it different from most other belts in that it has a camera pad on one side to keep your camera from banging and rubbing your leg/hip. It also has a small elastic cord that slips over the bottom of the holster and holds it securely in place on the belt and keeps it from shifting. The thing I liked about this belt was the safety button on the clasp. Like many belts with plastic buckles, you need to squeeze in the sides to release the buckle but this one requires you to press a small button on the front before the sides can be squeezed in. Just another one of those little finishing touches that make this system so secure.

My Thoughts -

I wasn’t sure how I would like the system since I had never worn a belt system before, but after wearing it for a day I have to say that it felt completely natural. The belt fit securely around my hip and the velcro size adjustment made sure that it wasn’t too loose or too tight. The camera plate mounted securely to the bottom of my camera (I was shooting with a Canon T2i with a 15-85mm lens) and didn’t interfere at all with the way I held the camera. Fitting the camera into the holster was as easy as placing the pin in the groove of the holster and letting the camera drop down to my side. When I let go, it lay comfortably against the pad with the lens facing rearward. Removing the camera was almost as easy, just grab the camera and lift up slightly on the locking mechanism while sliding the pin back out of the holster slot. While it did take two hands to remove it, it was a fairly natural motion to grab the camera and release the lock.

As someone who doesn’t like using a camera strap that much, I really liked having the freedom of hanging the camera in the holster while I rummaged around in my bag for a filter or a bottle of water. When I was ready to shoot again, it was right there where I needed it. I also spent a little time just walking around with my camera hanging in the holster to see how it felt. The truth is that I hardly even noticed it was there. Everything was extremely well balanced and the belt and camera pad did an excellent job of keeping things where they belonged.

The Bottom Line -

I don’t know if this system would work in all shooting situations but if you find yourself constantly needing to use your hands between shooting, I think you will find that this is an excellent system for keeping your gear close at hand and ready to use at a moments notice. I can really see this being handy in a studio where you are constantly having to put your camera down to adjust lights. If you are a sport shooter who uses two cameras, this system will rock your world. Unlike a shoulder strap like the Rapid-R, the camera will not shift or slide as you bend down or kneel over.

The Price -

The Spider Pro Camera Holster system runs $109 US and includes the belt, holster, plate, and one pin. You can also purchase the components separately. This means that, If you already own a belt system like the LowePro Street & Field Belt, ThinkTank Pro-Speed Belt, or even the ThinkTank Steroid Belt, you can buy an adapter for the holster for about $19.99 and then just but the plate, pin and holster.

You can find out more information about the SpiderPro Camera Holster system including instructional videos at the Spider Holster website.

The temperature at 9:00 AM was already close to 90° F (it actually hit 102° later in the day) but that didn’t dampen the spirits of the crew that gathered in Georgetown for this year’s Worldwide Photowalk. We kicked things off with our group shot and then headed out to photograph the sites around the C&O Canal and then up to the sidewalk of legendary M St. We finished things off by gathering in the food court of The Shops of Georgetown, where the air conditioning and cool drinks were eagerly received.

I set up a Flickr group for all of my photowalkers to show off their images and they have already started coming in. You can check out the pool of images by clicking on this link. If you want to get a look at more photowalk images from the day, from all over the World, head over to the Worldwide Photowalk Pool where walkers from the four corners of the globe have been uploading images since early yesterday. If you participated in a photowalk yourself, make sure you join the group and add your images.

If you are planning on entering one of your photowalk images into the official contest, please check out the post by Brad Moore on the official Worldwide Photowalk site. Brad did an excellent job of explaining just how to upload your image (only one per customer) so that your photowalk leader can pick a winner. Just remember that you only have until July 31 to get your photo submitted.

I want to thank my buddy Scott Kelby and his staff for organizing another fantastic event and all the great people that joined me yesterday for another great photowalk. I’m already thinking about where to go next year.