Kodak Instamatic Camera and Kodachrome 64
I finished my last two rolls of Kodachrome slide film today and shipped them off to Dwayne’s Photo in Kansas, just in time for the deadline.
Last Two Rolls of Kodachrome
Monthly Archives: December 2010
Turn Your Camera Into An Incident Light Meter
Photographer Using an ExpoDisc
There are a lot of advantages to using an incident light meter, and you can read about them here. But what if you don’t have an incident light meter? Or you are packing light and don’t want to take your incident light meter with you? There are several less expensive alternatives.
Season’s Greetings!
Snow glistens in the last light of dusk.
Distant clouds glow with the fading light from the sun, long since set.
A chill fills the calm night air.
Stars twinkle in the deepening winter sky.
The crunch, crunch, crunch of gravel on the path.
Lights come on in the distance. Warm and inviting.
Home. Family. Friends. Dinner and the opening of gifts.
Christmas!
Simplify Your Life with an Incident Light Meter
Incident Light Meter. Photo © Jim Doty Jr.
There’s no question that in some complex metering situations, it can be tough to figure out the best exposure with the meter in your camera. An incident light meter can be quicker, faster, simpler, and more accurate in some of those same situations.
Using Your Camera’s Light Meter
Metering Tools
Taking charge of exposure is one of the best indications someone is getting serious about the quality of their images. Learning the ins and outs of the camera’s reflected light metering system is a great way to start.
Last Chance to Process Kodachrome Slide Film
Kodachrome 25 Slide Film
Dwayne’s Photo, the last lab in the U.S. (and so far as I can tell, in the whole world) to process Kodachrome slide film, will quit processing Kodachrome at the end of this month. This is the end of an era. Your film must be in by noon on December 30. After that date, it will no longer be possible to process Kodachrome slide film. If you want push processing, the deadline is December 23.
Best Advanced Exposure Book
I have no idea how Michael Freeman can be a well traveled, international photographer and still find time to write so many terrific photography books. But somehow he manages to do both. I suspect he never sleeps. I imagine him creating images and writing books 24 hours a day, stopping only to eat once or twice a week!!
Great Deal? Don’t Get Burned!
Is it a great deal? Or is it a rip-off? You are searching online for a good price and you come across a terrific deal. Are you about to get burned? There are ways you can tell.
Geminid Meteor Shower Peaks Tonight – Dec 13-14
Observers with clear dark skies can see up to 100 meteors per hour. Best viewing and photography will be in the hours just before dawn on Dec 14. Details follow.
Books from the Master: Ansel Adams
Ansel Adams: Half Dome, Blowing Snow. © Ansel Adams Publishing Rights Trust
I have no idea when I was first entranced by the photos of Ansel Adams.  There is a wonderful, luminous quality to his work. Small wonder he is America’s best known landscape photographer. Collections of his work would make a worthy addition to any photographer’s library. This is also the time of year that Ansel Adams calendars pop up like snowstorms.
The best advice I can give you is not to buy any collection of Adam’s work, either book or calendar unless it is published by Little, Brown and Company, or by NYGS (New York Graphic Society, which is also published by Little, Brown).
Why?
VERIFY or ELSE!
Brainard Lake, Damaged File
After I work on a group of photos, I back them up by burning them to DVDs and transfer them to external hard drives. I always set the DVD burning software (by NERO) to “verify” the contents of the DVD. It takes more time but it is well worth it.
After burning some photos to a DVD today, NERO told me the verification process had failed because some of the files were “different” from the originals, and provided a list. I opened the photo folder on the DVD and all of the thumbnails looked fine. So I tried to open one of the “different” files in Photoshop and received this ominous message.
Great Books by Jeff Wignall
I’ve been reading Jeff Wignall’s books for over 20 years. When I grow up, I want to write like Jeff! His books are clear, fun to read, and helpful. He did a lot of writing for Kodak and he was involved in the Joy of Photography series which was both inspirational and practical, and many of the Kodak photo guides.
Best Astrophotography Books
Star Trails, Rocky Mountain National Park
Interested in getting into astrophotography? Here’s my advice.
BEST DIGITAL CAMERAS – 2010
The list that follows has the highest rated SLR, hybrid, and fixed lens cameras for the last 12 months.
Q&A: Canon T2i vs T1i
Canon EOS Rebel T2i (550D, Kiss X4)
Every once in a while, I post my answer to a question that I receive by email. This one has to do with choosing between two camera bodies: the Canon T1i and T2i. When I am thinking about buying a camera, the first thing I do is to check out some trusted online sources. These are sites that do this kind of comparative thing all the time. I checked two of my favorite sources before answering the question below. Although the question is about choosing one camera or the other, I also cover the issue of upgrading from the T1i to the T2i.
Best Panorama Gear: Living In Pano Heaven
CAmera, nodal slide, and panning clamp
If you are using an Arca-Swiss compatible quick release system, which I highly recommend, two simple pieces of easy-to-carry equipment can put you in panorama heaven. Get the full story here.
The Best Camera Quick Release System
Arca-Swiss compatible "L-bracket" and tripod head
Mounting a camera onto the screw on top of a tripod head is time consuming. Doing it in the dark when your hands are cold is annoying. Once the camera is mounted, if you flop the camera over to the side to take a vertical photo, the camera tries to rotate on the screw. To provide a solution, all kinds of “quick release systems” have been created. Some of them work quite well, some not so well. Most systems have a weakness of one kind or another.
One system has become the defacto standard for serious photographers. It is arguably the best. If you are tired of the nuisance of screwing your camera onto your tripod head, or if you’ve grown weary with the problems created by an inferior quick release system, it is time for a change. Go here.
KEEPING YOUR WORLD STRAIGHT WITH A DOUBLE BUBBLE LEVEL
Double Bubble Level
Read the complete information article here.
Save money and buy a Manfrotto Double Bubble Level from Amazon.com (and get free shipping).