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Photoshop World is such an incredible experience! I wanted to do more than just post a couple of clicks or videos, so along with my assistant Stephanie, we let loose the Coolpix 6000 and created a Coolpix Chronicles. Look closely, you just might see yourself!
I was intrigued by the ColorChecker when I was asked to beta test it. It first reminded me of the good old D1 days when profiling your individual camera was the in thing. But when one delves a little more into the ColorChecker, it’s anything but days gone past revisited. The idea is really simple, create a custom profile for your camera that you use when you view and post process the file. While I’m not a Lightroom user, every Lightroom user I’ve talked to who has a ColorChecker swears by its results. The ColorChecker comes with software making it really easy for you to create your own custom profile, it really is amazing.
If I don’t use Lightroom, why do I have a ColorChecker Passport? I do a lot of product shooting and getting accurate color is really important. I tend to have to do it on the road and so I have always carried the mini ColorChecker Classic, but travel takes a tool on this expensive piece of cardboard. Well, the Passport comes in a great plastic case that permits you to carry it in you back pocket if you want without worry of damaging it. That’s great!
What’s the difference between these two images? The top image is a straight file taken with AutoWB under a desk lamp. The image to the left is the same image with the gray eye dropper in curves clicked on the 18% gray square on the color checker. With that, the color cast is removed and you see a color corrected scene. Now I don’t foresee hanging this on a Moose antler or putting it out in the middle of the Grand Canyon to achieve the correct color with a click. That’s not the point of this tool. You might want to give David’s write up a cruise to understand a little more of the power of this cool new tool.
Nikon has come out with an iPhone app which I think might turn out to be really cool. Right now it’s worth picking up especially since it’s free. It’s part of their Learn & Explore and with more folks tapping it, I think they’ll put a lot more into it. With that said, there’s already a bunch here for you tap into. 
For example you have access to a ton on info right on your iPhone from Nikon World. I’m personally excited about this because my piece in the current issue of Nikon World will appear in the future as well as some other content we’re working on. They haven’t got McNally’s summer 2009 piece up yet, so this new technology does take a little time. But there is still great content here.
There is a page of images that have been uploaded from those participating in Nikon’s Flickr group I believe. That’s pretty darn cool and provides you with image inspiration.
Now I like the potential here. While you need a WiFi connection for this at the moment, you have access to training videos via your iPhone. Having video content on the iPhone is here is limited amounts, the more we support it the more that will become available. This has great learning and sharing potential for all of us. Check it out.
And finally, the initial release has a complete glossary of photographic and Nikon terms. Why would this excite me? As someone who receives lots of emails asking what these terms mean, having it readily available to folks might help them and me at the same time.
The way iPhone apps work is the more folks to download them and then use them, the greater the encouragement for the app producer to upgrade and update the app making them more and more useful. While more can be added to this app making it better, it won’t happen if more and more folks don’t support it. Please, grab the app and give it a try, it will help all of us and our photography in the end!
You might think that with all the blog posts in the last month from ME, I just might be tired of it. Quite the opposite is true. We keep finding more and more great stuff here, amazing places, sights and folks that we just wanna comeback for more. And we’re inviting you to join in on the adventure! For more details, head here. We look forward to sharing all that we’ve learned and more with you in 2010!
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Oh yeah, we’re going back to what has to be the staff’s favorite location, Bozeman, MT. It just has it all and in MT Big Sky fashion. Want to learn more? Head here or simply beat the crowd and register now. And if you want to read a review of DLWS, check out Terry White’s DLWS Wrap UP, which might give you even more reason to join us for the fun and learning.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/bb0126.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
Hey, I had a person have to pull out of our cool Adorama Workshop coming up in a few weeks. This might be just the opportunity you were waiting for. As a refresher, here’s all the poop and nothing but the poop.
I am incredibly excited to announce our Nov 12 & 13 workshop at Adorama. After the sell out, incredibly successful event this spring, we decided to not only do it again, but up the ante. The Thursday night presentation is open to as many folks as can squeeze into the room. It’s a presentation all about YOU so you don’t want to miss it.
[swf]http://www.moosepeterson.com/swf_imgs/DBSSD0165.swf, 585, 444 [/swf]
Now on Friday, this is the big news. We’re heading out to Jamaica Bay NWR. What’s so good about that, especially if you want to go but don’t have a big lens for bird photography? Let me tell ya. Nikon will have a dozen, that’s 12 long lenses, 500mm/600mm (w/1.7x converters) loaners for folks and Gitzo is providing the sticks. That’s all covered in the price of admission. All you have to do is show up with a camera body & cards. Now, that’s cool! This event is brought to you by Adorama and sponsored by Nikon and Gitzo and is going to be big time fun and some sweet photography thrown in for good measure.
What are our subjects? Birds! The Short-billed Dowitchers you see here were photographed at Jamaica Bay a number of years back at a Walk Softly field trip. We had more folks along that time than we will have on this workshop and we had the nastiest overcast you can imagine. Even still, I produced this one image that to this day I still really like. It’s these skills and many more we’ll cover over the workshop and if my plan all falls into place, I will have grabbed the imagination of at least one new wildlife photographer and started them down the road of my favorite type of photography.
Registration is handled all through Adorama and if its like last time, it will be filled within a couple days of this posting. I hope you’re one of the ones who we get to share this special day with us.