Death Valley 2007
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What most people think of when they think of Death Valley is heat that leads to, well…death. With world-record heat recorded at several points in the valley, this is not an unreasonable concern, and so most people tend to visit the park in the winter and spring. I did this myself in April of 2006, and you can see the results of that excursion here. I had a great time last year and so went back this year in March and April. But Spring can be a very tricky time in Death Valley. In March I encountered afternoons in the mid-90s, while in April, I wasn’t sure if my sleeping bag was going to be warm enough, and many locations – even at lower altitude – were uncomfortably cold. |
Capture NX and the Nikon 10.5mm Fisheye Lens
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Nikon Capture NX provides an excellent auto correction edit for removing distortion from images shot with the Nikon 10.5mm fisheye lens. Though I mention this feature in Real World Capture NX, I didn’t have enough room in the book to include examples, so we’re going to look at the specifics of this feature here. With the Fisheye Lens edit, you can create cropped, rectilinear images with a single click. |
Photoshop CS3 Review
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After a very generous public beta, Adobe has finally finished and shipped Photoshop CS3. The latest version, which comes bundled with a new version of Bridge, offers a number of important new features that may or may not appeal to many photographers. However, Adobe has done more than simply trot out new impressive technology. The software giant is to be applauded for recognizing that no matter how much cool stuff they add to the program, most of us still depend on basic features that have been in the program since version 1. |
HP DesignJet Z2100
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Epson has long ruled the roost of inkjet printing, but over the last year, HP has decided to challenge Epson’s dominance with a series of excellent archival-quality fine art printers. For the desktop user, the company’s Photosmart B9180 makes a great alternative to Epson’s popular R2400. In the large format category, HP entered the fight with two new DesignJet printers, the Z2100 and Z3100, both of which ship in 24" and 44" models. Providing exceptional image quality with fully archival output, these printers also offer a few features not found on any of Epson or Canon’s large format offerings. |
Battling Sensor Dust
If you spend enough time shooting with a digital SLR you will eventually encounter a problem with sensor dust. Sometimes this dust is the result of lens changes, and at other times – especially with a new camera – it stems from coatings and materials inside the camera and lenses themselves shedding onto the sensor. There are a number of products on the market now for cleaning your sensor, but prevention is still the best way to avoid dust problems. I covered both of these topics here. However, many cameras now include built-in sensor-cleaning mechanisms. But do these really do any good?
RentGlass.com – Lens Rental By Mail
Unless you have a very regular use for a lens, it’s often hard to justify its purchase. That super-fast, extreme telephoto lens you’ve been eyeing may be appealing, but unless you regularly shoot sports or wildlife, you probably can’t rationalize the price. Lens rental, then, is a great solution for those special occasions when you need a lens, but can’t stomach an outright purchase, and RentGlass.com is just about the cheapest way to rent.
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Three Photo Accessories
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So Henri Cartier-Bresson spent his entire career working with the same old Leica and the same old 50mm lens. That doesn’t mean that you can’t have any fun, and spend your time loading up on all the cool camera gear you can find. While it’s easy to get distracted by the latest camera models and fancy new lenses, it’s helpful to remember that there are lots of other ways that you can spend your money at your favorite camera store or web site. In this article, I take a look at three photo accessories that are worth considering as additions to your camera bag. |
Real World Capture NX Now Shipping
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No matter what type of camera you use, Nikon Capture NX is an excellent image editing system for all of your post-production needs. While it provides raw conversion only for Nikon NEF files, it’s unique editing tools will appeal to any type of photographer. Real World Capture NX covers all of Capture NX’s features and capabilities from import to output. In addition to detailed tutorials on the program’s unique correction and editing tools, you’ll find discussions on raw shooting and how to integrate Capture NX into your current workflow. If you want to know more about Capture NX, then give the free 30-day downloadable demo a try. Real World Capture NX is shipping now. |
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