SnapShot Archives - 05/10/2000
SNAPSHOT - PHOTO NEWS FROM BETTERPHOTO.COM
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Welcome to SnapShot, the weekly newsletter on the art
of photography from http://www.betterphoto.com
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IN THIS ISSUE
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Wednesday, May 10, 2000
* BETTERPHOTO: The Snappy BetterPhoto T-shirts Are Here!
* WEB NEWS: PhotoResource.com's Quick Quiz on Going Pro
* WEB NEWS: Macro Photo Contest at PhotoAlley.com
* WEB NEWS: Birdcam at Kodak - Peregrine Falcons on the Roof
* MUSEUM WATCH: Contact 2000
* PHOTO TRIVIA QUESTION: Early Forensic Photos/Sixteen Candles
* PHOTO WORKSHOP: Maine Photographic Workshops
* THIS WEEK'S TIP: Selecting the Perfect Camera Bag
* PHOTO Q&A: What Camera to Buy? Try Pentax...
* PHOTO Q&A: Photographing Streams to Get the Time-Lapse Effect
* PHOTO Q&A: Wedding Photography Business: Digital vs. Traditional
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WHAT'S NEW AT BETTERPHOTO.COM
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The Snappy BetterPhoto T-shirts Are Here!
Snappy the Turtle, our official mascot, is making his debut appearance! This
great t-shirt - after many months of development - is finally ready to ship.
A few BetterPhoto Q&A contributors have already received their t-shirts... and
now here's your chance to buy your own.
Medium:
http://www.betterphoto.com/product/productDetail.asp?productID=505
Large:
http://www.betterphoto.com/product/productDetail.asp?productID=502
or Extra Large:
http://www.betterphoto.com/product/productDetail.asp?productID=500
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PHOTOGRAPHIC HAPPENINGS ON THE WEB
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PhotoResource.com's Quick Quiz on Going Pro
This fun, brief quiz of ten questions may help you decide if you are ready
to take the big leap of faith. It forces you to face the truth of the matter
and make a wise decision. Check it out:
http://www.photoresource.com/quickquiz.html
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Macro Photo Contest at PhotoAlley.com
Enter your pictures of little things in order to win big prizes! PhotoAlley
will be awarding a $1000 cash Grand Prize as well as other cash prizes for
First and Second Runner-Up. Deadline: June 30, 2000:
http://pa-app02.photoalley.com/pa/contestUpload2.cfm
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Birdcam at Kodak - Peregrine Falcons on the Roof
Just for fun, take a peek at the baby falcons on the top of the Kodak Tower
in Rochester, NY. These little guys will offer a treat for bird watchers and
digital photography enthusiasts alike:
http://www.kodak.com/US/en/corp/features/birdcam2000/index.shtml
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MUSEUM WATCH
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Contact 2000
During the month of May, this huge festival in Toronto features everything
from a Toy Camera exhibit to a showing of the work of Helmar Lerski to talks
by Micheal Snow and Lois Greenfield. Celebrating Canadian and international
photographers, the exhibit's goal is to introduce people to the diverse
history of photography as well as its current movements:
http://www.contactphoto.com/home.html
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PHOTO TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE WEEK
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Early Forensic Photos
Last week we asked what early students of forensics hoped to see by
photographing the eyes of murder victims. These detectives actually hoped to
see a view of the murderer lingering around for a while. Wild, huh?
And Now... This Week's Question
One of John Cusack first roles was Bryce - a nerd - in John Hughes' Sixteen
Candles. What does Bryce suggest when he and his nerd buddy are about to
take a Polaroid of Anthony Michael Hall's character, "Farmer" Ted, embracing
his new girlfriend, the prom queen?
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PHOTO WORKSHOP
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Maine Photographic Workshops
For 27 years, The Maine Photographic Workshops has been the leading workshop
center in the world of photography. Do the Black & White Crash Course or
take a 12-Week Resident Program in Havana, Cuba. There are many ways to
learn here, something for everyone:
http://www.meworkshops.com/photoworkshops/index2.html
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THIS WEEK'S TIP
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Selecting the Perfect Camera Bag
When you are in the market for a photo bag, tote all your gear down to a
professional store and try out the bags that catch your fancy; it's tough to
know how everything fits until you try it. A shoulder or hip bag can keep
your gear in an easy-to-reach place but they may not feel as secure as a
backpack. Most protective are hard cases with cut-away foam padding.
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CAMERA AND PHOTOGRAPHY Q&A
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Q. What Camera to Buy? Try Pentax...
I cannot decided on which camera to buy. I have two possibilities which are
in the price range I am looking for. Those choices are 1-Minolta Maxxum
HTsi OR QTsi and 2-Pentax MZ-50 (ZX-50 in the USA). Each of them have strong
points the other does not have. So my question is the following. I am not an
experienced photographer but I know I could easily fall in love with
photography. I want a camera that I would not have to throw away after 2
years because of it's limitations. Which of the three cameras I should buy?
- Gino
A. I finally bought the Pentax (MZ-50 / ZX-50 in USA) for $500 CAN, with
28-80 lens, bag and other goodies. After two months of quite intense use
(over 15 rolls used), here is my appreciation:<p>Very fast autofocus (way
faster than the Minolta XTsi and HTsi and faster than the Canon Rebel G).
Very light weight and sooooooo easy to use, especially in manual mode (yes,
manual mode). Overriding the automatic mode is so easy to do, a 10 years old
kid would understand it in less than 10 seconds. Outside pictures
(daylight) are astounding, especially the very fine details. The fast
action program works really really well too.<p>On the bad side. Pictures
are not what I was expecting in inside/lowlight situations. The main flaw
is that the camera will sometimes not want to take the picture. You thus
have to override the automatic mode. In close-up, it is better to override
the automatic mode than to go with the camera settings.<p>Conclusion? If I
had to do the purchase again, considering the money I was ready to put, I
would buy this camera. I am not a pro and do not intend to become one. I
wanted a camera to take great pictures of special moments in my life and
this camera provides me with all I need in this aspect.
- Gino
Respond to this question:
http://www.betterphoto.com/QnAredirect.asp?threadID=262
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Q. Photographing Streams to Get the Time-Lapse Effect
How do you make a stream fuzzy like white water cloudy fuzzy?
- Judith
A. You need a few things for this: 1) A tripod and 2) fast-flowing water.
The faster the water the nicer the effect. I tried this with moderate speed
water and it just didn't turn out the way I wanted to. The tripod is there
because you need a longer exposure. Use the smallest aperture possible on
your camera so you can have a slower shutter speed. Aim for shutter speeds
that are longer than 1 second... this is where the tripod comes in useful
because you need to hold that camera steady. Try this with waterfalls also.
If you can't achieve slow shutter speeds try getting a slow film (ISO 100 or
slower) and/or using a neutral filter.
- Romen
Respond to this question:
http://www.betterphoto.com/QnAredirect.asp?threadID=606
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Q. Wedding Photography Business: Digital vs. Traditional
If I am starting a wedding photography business, should I be investing in
traditional darkroom equipment or a good digital setup?
- Steffaney
A. I would invest in a good digital setup. You never need to buy film, never
need to take the time to develop it, and you can directly access the cameras
with the computer. The traditional way requires a scanner to get the images
onto a computer (if you want to enhance them with a photo editing software).
Digital cameras can also store a huge number of pictures on a single chip
(depending the size of the chip and the resolution setting of the camera).
This eliminates the need to change film every 24 or 36 exposures. In all
practical means, digital is the way to go. Just carefully look into both.
Digital is a lot cheaper and more convenient, but the pictures would have to
be printed with the highest quality color laser printers. Take your time and
research the pros and cons of each.
- q
A. I would just add two points: 1) this is not an either/or choice 2) the
kind of digital you need to do good wedding work may be more expensive than
you think. You can also invest in high-end film-based photographic equipment
while leaving the darkroom work to a professional lab. A little extra money
will get you a film scanner and this will open both worlds up to you. When a
client wants traditional film, they can have it. This will also give you
something else to sell. The other aspect is that high-end digital cameras -
something more than your usual point & shoot - can cost anywhere from $5000
to $30,000 or more. Something to think about...
- BetterPhoto
http://www.betterphoto.com/QnAredirect.asp?threadID=516
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Ask a question or answer a few from your fellow photographers: http://www.betterphoto.com/qnaTOC.asp
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Until next week, enjoy shooting!
Thank you,
Jim Miotke
BetterPhoto.com
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