Welcome to the End of July 2014 edition of the Dan Bailey Photo Newsletter. I hope you’re enjoying your summer so far and are shooting lots of great photos, and I’d totally understand it you didn’t even have time to read this email. Summer should mean more outside time and less computer time. 

 

During the past month, I’ve run a number of Sunset Photo Safari workshops with Alaska Photo Treks, and we’ve had some great photo opportunities with diverse array of late evening light. Last week, we had the chance to photograph a baby moose frolicking at the edge of a small pond at 8:30 in the evening while the mama moose munched on reeds just a few feet away. It was a truly spectacular sight. 

 

If you find yourself in Anchorage this summer and have an evening to spare, consider joining me and get firsthand instruction while we take you to some out-of-the-way spots that you’ll never see on the regular tourists busses.

 

 

In my last newsletter, I told you that I’m now using Capture One Pro 7 to process my Fuji RAW files. The RGB matrix on the Fuji X-Trans sensor has a different architecture than most traditional Bayer sensors, and for some reason, the Adobe processing algorithms just don’t have it down yet. C1 does a much better job rendering the full sharpness and resolution from the Fuij RAF files than Lightroom. This week on my blog I posted a quick comparison to show you the difference in sharpness. Also, here’s a great post on the FStoppers site that gives an overall comparison of the two programs.

 

 

I still use Lightroom for my main catalog program, but for processing my selects that I shoot with the X-T1, Capture One Pro 7 is now my software of choice. The keep having sales, and as of right now, the program is half price again. I don’t know how long it will last. The July sale was supposed to go through July 27, but the 50% off prices are still in effect on their website. It could change back any day. In addition, they have a full 100% money back guarantee that runs through August 25. If you buy the program and decide it’s not for you, they’ll refund your money.

 

Ever since Adobe moved to the subscription plan for their photography software, people have been wondering what happens if they end their subscription. Do you lose access to your files? Can you even view your images anymore? 

 

In their recent Creative Cloud update, Adobe addressed this concern and offered a new solution. If for any reason you end or suspend your CC subscription, you’ll still have full access to Lightroom’s Library Panel. 

 

This means you can not only continue to view your images and see all of the metadata, you’ll even be able to make adjustments using the Quick Develop Panel. You just can’t use the full Develop panel or the other panels, like Slideshow, Print and Web. Of course, if you bought the standalone version of Lightroom, you don’t have to worry about this, it only applies to the CC Photography Plan. Here’s a quick video that details exactly what you get and what you lose if you stop your subscription.

 

 

A few months ago, I wrote a post called The Satisfaction of Actually Making Something Real. My idea with this article was to remind you that humans are more happy when they create things. Yes, as photographers, we do create imagery, but most of the time, it’s not tangible, it’s just ones and zeroes on a computer screen. All your photos would disappear in the blink of an eye if your computer shut down. (This is why you should backup your work!)

 

What if you spent some time this year making something that you can touch or hold in your hands? I guarantee, you’ll experience a new level of excitement and creative satisfaction. It could be something as simple as making a Blurb photo book of your work, or you could take it one step further and craft your own photo book or some other medium for presenting your work. Now is a great time to think about that because you’re probably amassing lots of new photos from your travels and vacations this year. Read my post and get your brain thinking about this stuff. It will make a difference in your life.

 

 

A few weeks ago, Nikon announced the new D810, which is an update of the D800. It’s basically a D800 and D800E that have been merged together and packed with new features. Like the 800E, the new D810 has no optical low pass filter, so it’s superbly sharp. In fact, this week, DxO gave it the highest rating and called it the new DxOMark leader with regards to overall sharpness and resolution as compared to other DSLRs on the market.

 

Specs on the D810 include a max shooting speed of 5 fps at full res, 6fps in 5:4 crop mode, 6 fps in 1:2 crop mode and 7 fps in DX crop mode. It also has a 16MP mode that shoots reduced file size images. The D810 is an incredibly powerful camera for shooting the absolute best quality landscapes, and with the higher frame rate, it’s now an even more capable sports, action and general outdoor camera. 

 

The D810 is already shipping from Amazon right now, and it’s slated to start shipping from B&H any day now.

 

 

Sandisk is still running special deals on SD memory cards. Right now, you can get select cards for up to 50% off and more. Even if you already have a number of cards, keep in mind that the newer generation of cameras shoot faster frame rates, have larger buffers and shoot bigger files. This means that those 30-45MB/S cards won’t always keep up. 

 

The Sandisk Extreme Pro 95MB/S offers excellent speed at a great price right now with the savings. That’s my recommendation for the best performance and value. The newest 280MB/S Extreme Pro UHS-II card is is designed to handle the maximum performance of cameras like the Fuji X-T1, but it’s more expensive. In my experience, the 95MB/S card does extremely well with most subjects, even fast sports. 

 

 

If you’ve visited my blog lately, you might have seen the Gear Essentials box in the right sidebar. This links to a special page on the B&H site where you can find a huge selection of cameras, lenses and accessories. If you find yourself wondering what kind of gear I’d recommend, this is a great way to start. You could of course, email me with questions, but it might take awhile for me to get back to you. I do my best to answer every single email, but sometimes I fall behind. 

 

Also, purchasing gear through this link helps me out with a small commission. If you need to grab a new piece of gear, consider buying through that link, even it’s something that’s not the list. It’s one way you can show your appreciation for the time I take to share all of this information with you, and it doesn’t cost you anything extra. If you’ve bought through that link before, then I want to give you my sincere gratitude. Thanks so much!

 

 

If you’re looking for some good online photography instruction, check out Fotoclasses.com. They offer tutor supported classes that are risk free, and that you can take anytime or anywhere. I actually wrote the material for the Outdoor Photography Flash course. It was adapted from my Going Fast With Light ebook, but with the course, you get a series of assignments and the benefit of having a pro photographer tutor who will provide personal guidance and feedback.

 

Fotoclasses has a number of great courses that revolve around all photography styles, and they even have a few all-inclusive course bundles, including The Easy DSLR Bundle and The Creative Photographer Bundle, which includes my outdoor flash course. Check out the course listing and see if any of them interest you. Remember, it's always a good time to learn.

 

 

Ian Plant has released a brand new ebook in his Dreamscapes Store called Beyond The Grand Landscapes. Written by Ron Coscorrosa and Sarah Marino, this 174 page book shows you how to improve your photography with shooting smaller scenes and intimate details.

 

 

Whether the light is not perfect for shooting broad scenes, or whether you simply love focusing on the details in nature, this book is an excellent guide to helping you explore a more subtle, quiet side of outdoor photography. You’ll learn a number of key creative concepts and field techniques for shooting flowers, foliage, macro and abstract imagery. You’ll see how to best use the available light and atmospheric conditions to your advantage, so that you never again have to use the excuse that “the light isn’t any good.” 

 

 

With over 250 images, a number of exercises and excellent information on how to look, see and create images that are close to home, Beyond The Grand Landscapes is a wonderful nature photography manual. I try to check out as many photography eBooks as I can, and I really like this one. If you’re looking for some creative inspiration or if you want to improve your ability for creating compelling images of the closer, more intimate scenes in nature, then definitely check this one out.

 

 

With Color, Less is More. Read on the excellent Black Star Rising Blog, this post by Ellen Fisch explores the idea of using selective color your imagery. By desaturating some colors and bringing others to the forefront, you can create some interesting and very creative effects in your photography. Nothing says you can’t apply this technique to any kind of photograph. Try it out!

 

Clouds are definitely cool and they can be beautiful aspects of nature. They make for endless photography subjects, whether they’re the main subject or whether they act as secondary elements to your main subject matter. Check out the How to Photograph Clouds, posted on Photographylife. It describes some great creative techniques and post processing ideas.

 

New Firmware for Fujifilm X Camears. Fuji recently released firmware updates for all of their interchangeable X cameras. Most of the updates add compatibility with the new XF 18-135mm weather resistant lens, and the X-T1 update adds improvement to the Exposure Compensation indicator in the EVF as well as improved operation of the Movie-Record button.

 

Marketing Tips for Local Photographers. If you’re a pro or semi-pro photographer, check out these ideas on how to increase exposure for your brand and your business. They’re all really simple solutions, but maybe there are some things in there that you haven’t already thought of. No matter what you shoot, good business starts at home in your community, so get your name out there!

 

Have you ever broken a law to get a photograph? In this post, Gary Crabbe explores whether the desire to get a specific photo warrants the act of trespassing or breaking laws. In today’s society, some people seem to think they have carte blanche to do whatever they want, even if it means breaking rules. Where’s your line? Are there ok exceptions to this idea? Great post. Check it out. 

 

Looking for some new ideas to ramp up your landscapes? Here are 20 more ideas to improve your landscape photography. You probably already know a few of these, but thee are some tips that are less about photography and more about how you interact with the world. Creativity comes from self, and sometimes self is more than cameras and lenses. 

 

 

Two more things: A couple of months ago, my blog passed the One Million Views mark. I think that’s a pretty big deal and I want to send my sincere thanks to each and every one of you for visiting at least once. You are the reason it passed 1,000,000 views. I’ll do my best to keep putting out useful content, and hopefully you’ll keep reading. 

 

Also, this week, I’m doing final editing on the manuscript for my upcoming action adventure photography how-to book that will be published in 2015 by Focal Press. I’m super excited about this book and I can’t wait to see it in print. I’ve already gotten the chance to see the initial design proofs and they look awesome. Stay tuned for more info and news about this book.

 

Finally, enjoy the posts below and have a great week. Keep in touch and let me know what kind of things you’d like to see me post in future issues or on my blog. If you’re a new subscriber, be sure and check out my archive to see past issues of my newsletters; there’s some pretty good stuff in the “already read bin” that you might not have seen.

 

Best,

 

Dan