Nikon Adds the all new D4

I couldn’t allow the time to slip away without mentioning Nikon’s announcement of their new D4 body last week.  It’s a beauty. Finally, a larger sensor format at 16.2 megapixels with that venerable high ISO performance in Nikon’s lineup.

Here’s the link to Nikon’s official press release on the bells and whistles. New sensor, new color matrix meter—may mean that Nikon is going to lay claim to being the low light champ with increased MP size at the top of the heap. Considering how difficult it is to a have larger capture size being noise free without making other sacrifices, I marvel at their efforts.

Some of the pundits were confused by the timing of the release, but I’m not. It makes perfect sense that Nikon would release this for pros in time for the Winter Olympics. I was concerned that the earthquake/tsunami in 2011 would really set back some of their FX body releases. This is a very positive sign that Nikon is not asleep with just repurposed goods like that “new” SB-910 speedlight.

This doesn’t mean that I’m ready to plop down $6,000 USD to order mine in advance (they should begin shipping in Feb.) It’s too large for my needs which is why I passed on the initial release of the D3 when it came out and was happy when the D700 popped a year later. What it does mean is that we can now all freely begin to speculate on an eventual D800 body release with greater certainty that Nikon has finally figured out how to break that 12MP noise ceiling for performance. I hope the lighted buttons feature filters down to the D800. It’s been 3 years and counting since the D700 release. What’s another year?

Posing—sitting vs. standing

The body speaks volumes in small nuances of positioning. I often will pose people standing as well as sitting.  The skeleton provides the framework for the body. A sitting position will naturally bend limbs like arms and legs. A limb that is bent also provides visual interest since it is less static.

If you ask a person to sit, s/he feels like they are “doing something.” Yet this helps them relax. More often than not, a relaxed subject will allow you to “see” into their persona. This makes for a better portrait.

If there is a height disparity in subjects (2 people in the scene/frame) it often alleviates the difference when they are seated.

If you choose to show hands in your portrait (I often do since I feel that hands can help provide storytelling fodder about the subject) make sure you deliberately position them with care. A seated position naturally allows for positioning in a lap rather than dangling arms at the side.

Some people photograph better standing but make sure you try a seated position too. I think you’d be surprised at results. It goes without saying that if you are using studio lighting that you must adjust your lights, but it’s well worth your time to try a seated pose.

Non-Tech Seasonal gifts

I daresay that this blog is not tech oriented, but since we are living in a tech surrounded world today I thought that I’d mention these gloves. The holiday season is right around the corner so people are beginning to shop for gifts.

So much is touch screen sensitive today so what happens if you live in an area where it gets cold enough to wear gloves? Gas station pumps, GPS units, mobile phones, compact digicams—even ATM machines are heavily reliant on human touch without interference. Who feels like removing gloves when you need that function?

Looks like Isotoner smarTouch Gloves might make the ideal holiday gift for someone on your list. Touch screen compatible! They have around for a while, but if you can’t afford to buy an expensive tech gift, you might be able to afford these to allow that tech-using person to function better in the cold weather.

Body Lust Bust

I’ve been waiting for a D700 successor for over three years. There are always rumors about the arrival of new camera bodies and what they are prepared to do for your photography. Take it to the next level? I don’t think that any equipment should bear that responsibility. It takes more than just gear acquisition to make a good photograph. Beyond the technical knowledge, there’s always the harder-to-be-taught subjects like composition and “intent” of the photo. But, hardware is hardware and it looks bleak for new releases at this time.

Nikon Rumors is such a popular site for speculation about what’s in the pipeline and its release date. There was heavy spec that Oct. 26, 2011 would bear the successor to the D700. Unfortunately, it’s rumor. The latest developments are being discussed over at Nikonians in good detail so drop in and read more about it.

Mother Nature has had a heavy hand in squelching Nikon’s manufacturing process. First the earthquake in Japan in March 2011 and now the  Oct. flooding in Thailand. Both locations factor predominately in producing for Nikon. It will take months to recover the cogs in the wheel. Even if the bulk of manufacturing was not affected at both locations, there’s still the smaller components being made by 3rd parties in Thailand that have been hurt/disabled.

The best camera is the one that is in your hands at present. I am glad that my gear envy has been tempered through the years. Looks like my wait for a D800 is going to lengthen into 2012.

Canon S95 price drop

Since Canon’s announcement of the newer PowerShot S100 compact camera on Sept.15, 2011, the Canon PowerShot S95 has dropped to $319. on Amazon. I’d check this deal out if you’re in the market for a super compact camera at a sweet price point. I do own the S95. The image quality is great for a compact P&S camera.

The S100 is a little wider at 24mm vs. 28mm (s95) but I won’t mince about the extra angle of view possible. However, it is also longer on the tele end, has new sensor technology that is supposed to be better in low light (with reduced noise) and it’s 12.1MP  The S100 is supposed to release in November 2011. DPReview did do a preview of it in case you’re drooling. For most intents and purposes this is a new camera unlike the S95 that morphed out of the S90.

That said, if can live without the latest and greatest and save some $ there’s good deals out there on the S95 right now. You’ll save close to $80—$100.

Lightroom 3.4 & Camera RAW 6.4 update

The Lightroom 3.4 update was just released by Adobe. There’s also an update to Camera Raw (and DNG converter) to version 6.4.

The new Lightroom update includes support for several new camera bodies and corrections/fixes to 3.3. If you’re one to think “Well, I don’t need this because my camera model is already supported,” I would think again because some of the bugs fixed problems in the Publishing module. The Publish module had expanded to include publishing via direct export out of Lightroom to Flickr, SmugMug as well as Facebook.

If you were using a Nikon D7000 or Pentax K-5 with RAW capture and multi-exposure, there was a magenta color cast that was fixed. There’s a host of other bugs fixed so it may be worth your time to update. Everything isn’t user error generated.

Here’s the download link to both updates.

Direct Sync Lightroom 3 to your iDevice

I bit the bullet recently since Verizon has made the iPhone available to subscribers. I’m finding good use for my iPhone. I’ve used my iPod Touch for years to hold images to share. iPads are being used as digital portfolios for photographers and designers. It’s not uncommon for users to own more than one iDevice today.

Terry White covers all the bases whether you have one or several iDevices. Have a look at his Adobe TV tutorial that shows you how to sync your iDevice with Lightroom images using Lightroom 3′s Publishing Services module. Export to your Hard Drive and then sync it up using iTunes.

Most pros aren’t using iPhoto as their application of choice for post processing and handling of digital asset management. Do we really need all these applications? Goodbye, iPhoto!

OnOne Software Training on iTunes

I’ve had the OnOne Software Photo Suite for some time. They do offer tutorials on their website.

Now, OnOne University is now offering the podcast tutorials for free on iTunes. Here’s the list of tutorials in iTunes. If you currently use OnOne’s applications or interested in purchasing, have a look over the list.

I’m loading up a few of these onto my iPhone. Thanks OnOne!

Feb. Front Cover

We’re leaving January behind. Hopefully, along with the snow and cold weather.

Here is the February/March issue front cover that I shot for Girlfriendz magazine. We were lucky to squeeze the shoot in two weeks ago since it was the day of one of the snowstorms that have been frequent this winter.

The model was easy to work with. Some interference from ambient light on location. It is rather nice though to not be working on the design and only be responsible for supplying the image because the deadlines get steep in publication work. The publication should be hitting delivery this week if you haven’t already received your copy.

I am certainly ready for Spring.

Black Jack font—free

I was browsing Techworld for some information and noticed their list of the Top 10 Best Free Downloads of 2010.

Much to my surprise is that #2 on the list was a font! It’s the Black Jack font designed by Typadelic — Ronna Penner. It’s a handwriting type face. Good for personalization touches. Thank you!

I skipped on over to MyFonts.com for my copy. You will need to register in order to download and agree to the licensing terms. It’s also available on Typadelic’s site. Here.