If you’re like me, and you’re the type that’s particular about the mouse you’re using, then check out the Logitech G9x. I spend a lot of time each day on a computer, so the pointing device I use makes a huge difference in my faily workflow. I enjoy my Wacom tablet as well, but I only whip it out when I’m doing some major photo retouching or if my wrist starts to bother me. The G9x mouse was designed with gamers in mind. Even still, graphic designers, photographers, video producers, and anyone else spending a lot of hours on the computer will love this mouse for their daily design and editing tasks. Whether on a Mac or a PC you will love it. It’s the updated version of the ever popular Logitech G9. Read the rest of this entry »
Do you ever have a really good idea for something, fail to write it down, and then it’s gone and long forgotten? I can even admit to this happening to me. I get a really cool idea for a design or photo of some sort, and then it slips my mind indefinitely. As creative types we always are thinking and brain storming. Sometimes we go through periods of creative block, similar to writer’s block. Those are the times we refer back to our notepads and sketch books to get the creative juices flowing once again.
A few days ago I had the privilege to catch an advance pre-screening sneak preview of Seth Rogan’s new superhero movie The Green Hornet. For a quick review, the movie was amazing. I liked it just as much as I love the Ironman series. First word that comes to mind is “hilariousness”. There was some purposeful corniness at some parts (if that makes any sense), crazy action sequences, lots of Inspector gadgetry, and even Cameron Diaz aging gracefully, actually starting to look like she isn’t 23 anymore. You’ve got to see it when it hits your local theaters on January 14th, 2011. Here’s the official Green Hornet trailer from youtube.
Seeing the trailer alone, you might think it’s the same typical plot of the Batman series movies, or Ironman. Rich parents die, leaving a spoiled rich kid all this money and a gadget slinging sidekick that happens to be one of the members of the estate “help”. Even so, this movie was slightly more quirky and funnier than even Ironman. Even the main villain Chudnovsky (played by Christoph Waltz) seemed a little sensitive for a bad guy. I got a kick out of the fact that I have an Israeli style photo prop gas mask that is the same as the one he uses in the movie – the only difference is the canister on his is painted blood red, after he decides to change his name to “Bloodnovsky”, seeking to increase the scariness of his super villain image. Does this look familiar?
The movie has something for everyone: comedy, cars, even a double barrel desert eagle. This is definitely the kind of action movie you will want to see on the big screen, in IMAX 3D if you can.
This isn’t a movie review blog, but Kato’s sketch book in the movie reminded me of the fact that we all need to remember to draw out or write down our ideas. Kato, (played by Jay Chou) had page upon page of sketched in his notebook, as is briefly seen in the movie. He even had sketches of Bruce Lee on one of the pages of his sketchbook. Obviously that was a cameo of sorts, seeing that Bruce Lee played the part of “Kato” in the original Green Hornet TV series. Seeing that Kato was a creative genius, he could whip up just about anything his mind could think up. Everything from gadgets for the Black Beauty (funny, we used to call my dad’s old Buick that) to a custom cappuccino machine. My point is, he had a sketchbook full of his concepts and ideas, and didn’t just go straight to creation. I find that especially with logo design, you can get very lost in the process of designing if you start from your head and just go straight to the computer. It helps to sketch your ideas out first, and then take it to the computer once you have narrowed a few of your best ideas down.
Even keeping a notepad and pencil on your night stand for a quick scribble in the dark, in the middle of the night, is better than losing your thoughts. I’ve had some nights where my brain was working full steam just before I fell asleep, coming up with all sorts of ideas for new images I wanted to create. I failed to write them down, being so tired and wanted to get to sleep. As you might expect, those ideas were just about 90% gone by the time I woke up the next morning. Don’t forget to doodle what pops in your noodle when you get that sudden creative inspiration!
We recently got our hands on a fresh copy of a new ebook by photographer Evan Sharboneau. Evan has a really informative blog with some amazing tutorials at PhotoExtremist.com. Not knowing what to expect, I ended up being really delighted with the way the book was organized. It doesn’t matter if you are a beginner, an advanced, amateur, or a seasoned professional. This book was written and organized in a way so that all that read it will take something home with them. I was pretty overwhelmed with the amount of techniques and lighting variables in this ebook. There are so many real examples, all clickable that link to the web for even further review. This book even has clickable links to step by step tutorials for many of the techniques illustrated.
Sometimes you don’t know what to expect with ebooks, and may be a little skeptical, like I am. Online only ebooks sometimes catch a bad rap because there are a lot of them, and most can be really poorly put together. Everyone and their cousin is taking their best blog posts, and shoving them together in a pdf, calling it an ebook. This is definitely not your average run of the mill information. As photographers, we can sometimes get a little stale or get stuck in our own comfort zone. This ebook teaches some great tricks and techniques that will get your creative juices flowing. The hundreds of images and visual eye candy will inspire you to attempt some of these on your own.
-photography basics for beginners: cameras, lenses, tripods, aperture, iso, shutter speeds, white balance, etc.
-360 degree panoramas
-HDR and infrared photography
-painting and drawing with light
-fundamental trick lighting tools and techniques
-long exposure photography: skies, water, people, star trails
-advanced lens filters
-lightning photography
-the Droste effect
-shaped bokeh
-double exposures
-multiplicity
-tons of Photoshop tutorials, projects and ideas
That’s only scratching the surface. To view the entire table of contents and to get an actual preview of some of the e book’s many pages, click here
I really enjoyed this e-book and would highly recommend it – all 190 pages. It’s worth it’s weight in gold, even if you are able to implement just a few of the techniques into your skill set. The quality and content of this book is better than most printed books I’ve thumbed through at the bookstore or library. It took me over a few hours just to quickly skim through it, but I plan on going back and reading it more in depth when I need to get inspired with some new photography and Photoshop techniques. This book is chock full of them, that’s for sure. Check it out yourself – I’m sure you won’t regret it.
For a limited time, thru the last day of 2011, you can enter here to win a free copy of this ebook and video course!
For those that find themselves in Puerto Rico on vacation, or otherwise… don’t think you have to stick to the main island. If you haven’t been to the island of Culebra you are missing out on one of the world’s best beaches! It’s so close, it would be a sin not to visit. Don’t take my word for it; just google Flamenco Beach and you’ll find it on many of the top lists. White sands, and crystal clear blue waters are what you will find there. It’s the Caribbean at its finest, and feels so private even when there are 100 people spread across the beach. You find yourself tucked in a gorgeous cove with mountains all around you, palm trees, and a coral reef that is great for snorkeling. Culebra’s world renowned Flamenco Beach is no doubt the best beach I’ve ever been to in my entire life. I forgot to record some video of it, but here are some stills instead. Read the rest of this entry »
Finding the right camera bag is a pain – some of us don’t want to spend $100-150 on a simple backpack to carry our stuff. If you spend too little, it seems that the thing cheaply falls apart in a short period of time (been there, broke that).
The problem with most camera backpacks is they either give away to the world that it’s a camera backpack, either due to the logo on the outside like TAMRAC or LOWEPRO or even CANON (hmm, I wonder what that dude’s got in that bag? Maybe 5 grand worth of camera gear – let’s go mug him) or the FUGLINESS factor.
I recognized the name Dakine because I have a winter snowboarding hat made by them that I bought at Eastern Mountain Sports. I was interested in the Dakine Camera Block due to the fact that you can shove it in any other bag, as long as it is the right dimensions. That way it’s kind of like getting a custom setup for your DSLR, glass, and photo gear. I’ve seen it online as low as $30 USD. What’s the main thing we need in a camera bag, anyway? Isn’t it the stupid little velcro-rigged, padded dividers that keep our lenses and camera bodies separately safely and securely? That, and obviously comfort, durability, and water resistance while outdoors.
There is also the Dakine Mission, which is a lot nicer looking than most bags. This bag is sold along with the Dakine Camera Block as an optional accessory. It comes in a variety of cool colors and textures, from plaid to other print designs. I haven’t picked one up just yet, but it’s next on my list. If anyone has any experience with the Dakine Mission or Dakine Camera Block, feel free to add your comments below. Another Dakine bag available is the Sequence, which looks to be a little bit deeper (which is always useful if you shoot with a 1D series or gripped body, like myself). The Sequence has a weatherproof rain cover that pops out in case you get caught in a storm.
