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Photography

Monday, October 18, 2010

Review: iPad Camera Connection Kit

One of the handiest peripherals I've purchased this year has been the Apple iPad Camera Connection Kit (affiliate link). It makes viewing images and video that you've shot in the field easy to examine, view, and share.

The iPad Camera Connection Kit differs from the earlier-released iPod Camera Connection Kit out of the box in that you get two components with the iPad version, one for use with USB devices and one for SD cards. I shoot with a Nikon D70 and a Panasonic Lumix DMC ZS3 so I've used both of these elements on a frequent basis.

Shuttling your content
When you plug your camera or SD card into the appropriate connector an import screen will appear on your iPad allowing you to review, import, and delete the images and video on the tethered device. The ability to quickly scan what you've shot and delete images that you don't like or want to re-shoot is a great option to have if your digital media is low on space and you need to get a better picture (pun intended) of what you've created. Transferring images off of your camera or iPhone and onto the iPad is very quick. I was especially amazed at the speed with which videos are transferred.

An Easter Egg or two.
A nice discovery was made shortly after the release of the iPad Camera Connection Kit in that you can plug in and use USB microphones (as long as they don't require much power to operate) which can turn your iPad into a sweet little recording studio. You can also jailbreak your pad and gain access to USB drives to boost your productivity while on the go.

What's the verdict?
Added productivity and increasing the shareability of content. Money well-spent.

Posted on 10/18/10 at 08:29 PM - Categories: Apple Design Workflow Photography

Thursday, September 09, 2010

Reuniting with an old friend: A photo-geek story.

My oldest son and his friend get snapped by my "friend" and I.

If you're a gadget addict like me it's easy to have older, yet perfectly good tech become a digital castoff when a new product comes home. Sadly this became the case with my Nikon D70 (affiliate link) when we purchased a point and shoot to take with us on a family vacation a few years ago. Through some recent trips down a memory lane of photography, I'm starting to right that wrong and spend more time with my old friend.

When my wife and I adopted out cat Stan more than six years ago, he was treated as our first child. We took countless photos of him and it was during those shoots, trying to capture every intricate movement, that I realized I needed to upgrade from my Olympus C1400 and get something that allowed for finer tuning (and a faster shutter).

After much research and contemplation, I decided to get the Nikon D70. We were inseparable. It traveled with us to Vegas and Arizona, helped us capture family events, holidays, and the ever-elusive Stan. It was a great partnership...until the new guy showed up.

How a trip to Disney World altered a friendship.
In 2008 my family and I took a trip to Disney World in Orlando, FL. Based on our past trips, my wife didn't want to lug around the Nikon so we bought a little point-and-shoot that could handle both still photos as well as video. We settled on the Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS3 (affiliate link). As soon as I got my hands on it, the D70 became an afterthought. Months went by before I picked it back up and started shooting with it and I scoffed at it's bulk and it's awkwardness. We didn't hang out as much, I started favoring my new, more portable, HD-shooting pal.

Time heals all wounds
As years went by, I realized I couldn't completely ignore my rapid-fire friend. As our family grew, he'd show up to help capture the beginnings of life, anniversaries, holidays, and more.

It wasn't until meeting some great people on Twitter that I've taken a renewed interest in shooting with the D70. Seeing stunning shots like this, this, and this have made me reach for my trusty Nikon more often than the point-and-shoot. In fact, we took it camping this past weekend. The Panasonic stayed home.

Posted on 09/09/10 at 09:30 AM - Categories: Personal Photography

Wednesday, September 08, 2010

26 iPhone Wallpaper Images

Not much needed in the way of an explanation here. These are based off of my earlier-released iPad wallpapers and work great with the iPhone 3G and 3GS (not to mention the iPod Touch). iPhone 4 wallpapers are coming soon! Just right-click and save or tap, hold, and save.