Newsletter June 2011

Pocket Wizards, Meet Up in Bath, Neat Image 7, Pro Show Producer…

Welcome to the summery, sun-kissed Newsletter June 2011 which is the first for a while. As you can see, All Things Photography has had a complete overhaul with a totally new look and feel. Which took many weeks to complete!. I hope you all like the new look. This is the fourth update ATP has had in 7 years so a lot of thought has gone into the structure and look.

I hope to add a few new things soon such as a new blog and reader's gallery. Something I have been planning for a while now. If you find it difficult to navigate around the new site, there is still a link to the old homepage on the new homepage. Also, there is an updated sitemap on the top navbar.

So, what to talk about in this month's Newsletter June 2011?

I am personally more into and enjoying photography more at the moment than I have ever been. It seems that the world of photography is becoming more exciting as each year passes (for me anyway). Much of this is down to me actually taking photos rather than simply talking about them and critiquing them.

This all started with a great April "walkabout" for ATP Members in London. Here is a gallery of some of my images from that day in London:

Note: Images strictly copyright Nick Stubbs @ All Things Photography (click to view full size):

If you are interested, and live in, or are visiting the UK in July, I am hoping to plan another 2 day walkabout/photoshoot. This time in Bath on the weekend of the 16th and 17th July. This is for full access Members of ATP Members only so now may be a great time to join. (Currently closed)! There is an active thread in the General forums for all members.

I have also invested in some Pocket Wizards (one Mini TT1 and two Flex TT5's). These are not only great fun and allow for some really creative photography, but I have found them incredibly useful for weddings. You can see a short review below but I intend to expand on this in the future.

So, this month:

1. Facebook

Want to keep in touch with us and learn of any new goings on at ATP? You can either add our site to your RSS feed, watch our blog or better still, like us at Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/allthingsphotography

Any additions to the site or random thoughts and images are added there regularly. We hope to add a lot more functionality to Facebook in the coming months.

2. ATP Day Out/Photo Jolly in Bath

Following the success of our recent walkabout photography day in London (see images above), I have decided to organise another. This time in the beautiful historic city of Bath. This wonderful town is steeped in history and has an almost endless supply of photographic material.

We will be there for 2 days over the weekend of the 16th/17th July. I have suggested that we have a play with landscapes, cityscapes, filters and special effects. We may touch upon stock videography too. This walkabout is for ATP Members full access members only so if you have wondered about joining in the past, now is the time to do so.

There is a thread in the general forum at ATP Members where anyone interested can share their thoughts and book a place. This walkabout is of course free to all members. I will be at hand to offer help and guidance (and to graciously accept all offers of a quick beer along the way).

If you are not a member at ATP Members 2.0 but have any questions, please contact me here.

3. Pocket Wizards

I have toyed with off camera flash for many years and in the past, I have had to rely on small, inexpensive slave triggers. I have used one of these slave units with my old Metz CL-45 with great effect but obviously there is no automation. Everything is done manually and the set up is a bit laborious.

Then last year, I purchased a set of receivers and radio transmitters from a trade show in the UK for around £40. These did the job and worked wirelessly for around 20 meters. However, they were a bit hit and miss as to whether the flash would fire or not….you get what you pay for with technology!

Around 2 years after learning about Pocket Wizards and seeing them in action at another trade show, I succumbed. I bought myself a set. PW's come in various shapes and sizes but the set that caught my eye were the Mini TT1 and Flex TT5's.

Well, after using these for various portraits and a couple of weddings, I can safely say that these are probably the best purchase I have made in around 8 years since I bought my first Digital SLR! Amazing piece of kit.

4. Neat Image V.7 - For MAC OS, Linux and Windows

ABSoft, the people behind Neat Image have recently released Version 7 of this incredibly useful piece of software. Neat Image can be used as a standalone program or as a plug in for Photoshop, Photoshop Elements or Apple's Aperture.

It significantly and easily removes digital noise or grain from your images which is popular amongst stock and wedding photographers in particular. Noise appears at high ISO when shooting available light in dark places such as churches. Version 7 of Neat Image includes support for images up to 32-bit, a newly redesigned interface and a smart profile system which improves noise profiling.

5. Pro Show Presenter

I've used Pro Show Gold, the slideshow making software, from Photodex for a number of years. However, I finally upgraded to Pro Show Producer recently. They made me an offer that I simply couldn't refuse. This is something you can possibly take advantage of too if you use Pro Show Gold and have done for more than two years.

Even if you don't use Pro Show Gold and have to pay full price for this program, if you like to show off your photos and video clips in the best and most professional way possible, check out our review below. I only wish I had upgraded years ago. I feel a few months of uber-creativity coming on!

6. NEW - Layers for Lightroom 2 and 3

Are you are an Adobe Lightroom user? Have you been asking/wishing/hoping for layers to be introduced into the software? Well, your prayers have been answered! Those clever chaps at OnOneSoftware have produced and released a plug in for Lightroom that adds the layer functionality to your favourite editing software.

Of course, you may well have Adobe Photoshop in which you can also play with layers. However, the ability to do this in Lightroom could seriously reduce your workflow and improve your time management!

7. Livedrive - Unlimited Online Storage

With many of us viewing the web and interacting with each other whilst on the move these days, there has been a need for many to be able to access all of your information and files from anywhere in the world.

Hosting photos, videos, documents and private or personal files online has, in the past, sent shivers down the spine. For me anyway. That is for fear of security breaches. However, with super encryption methods now used by most companies, your files are as safe online as they are on your hard drives at home.

So why would you want to host everything online?

For one, it means you don't have to carry around the data with you when you visit clients or family with your laptop. Your files could be tucked away in a safe at home whilst you are on your travels. You can still access everything through the internet though, knowing it is stored safely and securely.

Secondly, you can synchronize and access this data from all of your home computers or networked machines. This means you don’t have to have your own server, multiple drive connections or copies of everything. You can also use your mobile phone, iPod or iPad to access data (internet connection needed obviously) meaning you don't have to fill the limit space on these devices unnecessarily!

An excellent company that I have come across and hope to use myself is Livedrive.

Livedrive offer unlimited online storage. Click here to sign up for a 30 day free trial - Note: Link removed, offer finished!

Fantastic and I hope to review their services in full in the near future!

All that leaves me to say is see you soon and get out in the lovely summer sun (if you have any) and practice, learn and play…

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