How-To

Factoring in the Digital Crop Factor

March 5th, 2006 by Bob Johnson, Earthbound Light
Back in the good old days of film, everything seemed so simple. Focal length was focal length and lenses produced the field of view we were accustomed to. But digital changed things. The printed pictures still come out the same size, but there's something sized differently in how they get shot. We call it the "crop factor" or "focal length multiplier," and it's the topic of this week's PhotoTip article....
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Nikon Capture NX: First Thoughts

February 26th, 2006 by Bob Johnson, Earthbound Light
Nikon wants every user of their digital cameras to feel that Nikon Capture is the best tool to use for converting their raw images. Regular readers here know that I have mixed feelings about how successful they have been at providing a program to live up to that aim. It is in this context that I wanted to present a few first thoughts on their recent announcement of the new version, dubbed Capture NX....
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Used Digital Cameras by Jason Schneider

February 20th, 2006 by admin
Yes!  It's the Hottest New Buyer's and Seller's Market!
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Changing Focusing Screens on Nikon SLR Cameras

February 19th, 2006 by Bob Johnson, Earthbound Light
When you look through the viewfinder of an SLR camera, the image you see is focused on the aptly named focusing screen. The standard screen that ships with Nikon cameras is called the "B" screen, but many landscape photographers switch to an "E" grid screen instead. This is the same thing as the regular one except that it has an added tic-tac-toe grid etched on it. Lining the horizon up with a grid line helps to avoid problems with crooked pictures. The only problem that remains is how to actually replace the screen....
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5 Things to Know About Your Digital Camera<...

February 16th, 2006 by TakeGreatPictures - Digital Photography
Digital cameras offer photographers more choices for operating settings than film cameras. For best results, digital photographers should do their homework by studying the camera’s instruction book. Here are five settings that make for better photographs.
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Digital Black and White in Nikon Capture

February 12th, 2006 by Bob Johnson, Earthbound Light
There's a Black and White mode in its Photo Effects palette, but since Nikon Capture lacks a channel mixer, it would be easy to assume it can't control how much of each color is included in the resulting grayscale image. But in fact, it can. Indeed it can do so rather well. Here's how....
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Digital Toolbox: Change Your Perspective

February 7th, 2006 by Popular Photography Magazine: How-To

Easy fixes with CS2?s Lens Correction filter



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OpenRAW Survey

February 5th, 2006 by Bob Johnson, Earthbound Light
Every serious photographer I know who has shot film carefully safeguards their negatives or slides. No matter how good a print or scan made from one is, the actual piece of film is the reference standard. After all, it alone contains the complete information captured by the camera. For digital photographers, the raw file is at least as important, but its safety is currently far less assured. Allow me to elaborate, and suggest a way that you can help to improve this situation....
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What About ProPhoto RGB?

January 29th, 2006 by Bob Johnson, Earthbound Light
After spending some time last week discussing how sRGB and Adobe RGB differ, it seemed an opportune time to bring ProPhoto RGB into the mix. While the gamut of Adobe RGB is bigger than that of sRGB, ProPhoto RGB is really big. But is bigger necessarily better?....
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The Great sRGB Versus Adobe RGB Debate

January 22nd, 2006 by Bob Johnson, Earthbound Light
As more and more photographers dip there toes in the developing trays of the digital darkroom (to stretch an analogy perhaps further than necessary), the choice of color space becomes a more frequent topic of conversation. But all is not necessarily as it appears since not all programs are color management aware....
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More on Hue/Saturation in Photoshop

January 15th, 2006 by Bob Johnson, Earthbound Light
Last week, I wrote about adjusting saturation in Photoshop using the Hue/Saturation tool. Given the importance of color, it's no wonder I wasn't able to cover everything. So this week I'm picking up where we left off. I mainly covered the middle of three sliders, the Saturation adjustment. I don't feel too bad though for neglecting the other two sliders in Hue/Saturation since even Adobe only mentions two in the name of this dialog. For the record, Adobe should have called it Hue/Saturation/Lightness since the other two sliders are Hue and Lightness....
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Digital Toolbox: Elements of Elements

January 12th, 2006 by Popular Photography Magazine: How-To

Fix a face fast and separate a subject simply



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Fine Tuning Saturation in Photoshop

January 8th, 2006 by Bob Johnson, Earthbound Light
Color can make for images with added impact. Anyone who has ever shot Velvia knows that. In the digital age, the tempting thing to do is to set your camera for increased saturation, but there are better options. Too much of a good thing is not necessarily better, and you can gain a great deal more control by fine tuning things in Photoshop than by letting your camera do it. Here are a few good ways to do so....
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New Years Resolutions for Photographers

January 1st, 2006 by Bob Johnson, Earthbound Light
Welcome to 2006. I know it really doesn't seem like another year could have gone by, but it has. As a new wrinkle on an old tradition, here are some ideas for New Years resolutions you can feel free to add to your own personal list....
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Ten Great Holiday Gifts for the Photographer ...

December 30th, 2005 by TakeGreatPictures - Digital Photography
Whether you're looking to find that perfect gift for the photographer in your family or looking to expand your own wish list, here are ten great gift ideas for the upcoming holidays.
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Tips & Tricks 12/05

December 29th, 2005 by Popular Photography Magazine: How-To

Readers share their secrets



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Don't Let Shutter Lag Ruin Your Images<br&...

December 26th, 2005 by TakeGreatPictures - Digital Photography
Are your digital images missing the action or out of focus?&nbsp; You may be a victim of "shutter lag".&nbsp; Here's how to get sharper, clearer pictures from your digital camera.
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Why Do We Do It?

December 25th, 2005 by Bob Johnson, Earthbound Light
I've written extensively here about some of the technical aspects of photography. I hope you would agree with me though that cameras and lenses, Photoshop and color management aren't all ends unto themselves but are instead in the service of something more. I want to spend some time this week to examine just what that is, at least for me personally. There's a good chance it may well resonate for some of you too....
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Microsoft RAW Image Thumbnailer and Viewer<...

December 23rd, 2005 by TakeGreatPictures - Digital Photography
Having trouble viewing RAW image files on your Windows PC? Read on…
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Last Minute Holiday Shopping Ideas

December 18th, 2005 by Bob Johnson, Earthbound Light
I'm assuming that if you are reading the articles here that you are a photographer or at least have a serious interest in photography. I'm going to further guess that you know others who are too. If you are still looking for some last minute gift ideas for your photographer friends, allow me to offer a few suggestions....
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