Quick Hit Monday: PhotoPro Expo 2013; My New Lighting Rig; & Shooting Eye-Fi To iPad3

Good Morning Everybody,

We just wrapped an easy weekend with our friends, Kent and Sarah Smith, from Columbus, Ohio. It seems all four of us were feeling a bit frazzled these last couple weeks so we decided to spend a relaxing weekend together here in Cincinnati, Ohio.  Kent and Sarah headed south after their last portrait session in Columbus and landed on our back deck around 8:30 PM Friday night. It was great to catch up with old friends.

On Saturday, after a slow-moving morning, we headed to Cincinnati and checked into the beautiful Cincinnatian Hotel – one of the best hotels in the city.  We spent a relaxing afternoon enjoying an adult beverage or two, walking the downtown area, saw an entertaining play on the Showboat Majestic, and wrapped with dinner at Morton's Steakhouse.

Sunday included another leisurely wake-up call, a relaxing breakfast at the Palace Restaurant, followed by a trip to the ball game to see our first-place Cincinnati Reds play the St. Louis Cardinals. I haven't been to a ball game in a number of years and it was kind of fun to get caught up in all the excitement. The Cincinnati Reds are fielding a good team this year (even though they lost Sunday’s game) and the fan excitement was everywhere. After the game we sadly said goodbye to our friends who headed back to Columbus – all of us still feeling a nice glow of a great weekend together.  LaDawn and I headed back to the Cincinnatian Hotel for one last relaxing night’s stay.

Personally, I think it's a good idea to take that occasional breather from the day-to-day pressures of our studio operations. Whenever we all get together, not only is it good times with lots of laughs, it's also a rich experience sharing ideas, techniques problem solving…. that further help both Kent and I enrich our studio’s growth.

Announcing PhotoPro Expo 2013 - The Best Photography Event In The Midwest!

I know that I've been MIA for the last couple of days with lots of projects I needed to get completed before the weekend. The biggest project on my plate was launching PhotoPro Expo 2013. PhotoPro Expo 2013 will be the largest photographic event in the Midwest happening next February 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 2013. 

Our talent lineup is unbelievable. Already confirmed to appear are Joe McNally, Julieanne Kost, Rick Sammon, Zach and Jody Gray, Kent and Sarah Smith, Alex Buono, Kevin Kubota, and nearly 20 additional speakers making next year's convention one of the most ambitious educational events available anywhere. PPE13 will also be the largest photo trade show in the Midwest with over 100 booths to visit. Mark your calendars now and plan to attend this exciting event.

The cost for this photographic extravaganza is only $129 until September 30, 2012. After that the price will revert back to its $179 normal price. If you want to take advantage of the biggest and best photographic event in the Midwest please head over to the PhotoPro Expo 2013 website right here where you can get all the details. The site is about 85% complete at this time but I plan to have it finished by the end of the week. Still, don't hesitate about registering for next year's terrific convention. I'll fill you in all the details as the days pass by. If you have any questions, you can call our Executive Director, Randy Fraley at 606-571-1908.  He'll be able to answer any of your questions.

Check Out My New Portable Lighting Rig

That's right, I'm completely revamping my lighting rig for shooting weddings. As you know, I've been experimenting with Canon’s Speedlite 600EX-RT these last couple weeks and I'm slowly getting a handle on how they work. I used them to photograph a small wedding about 10 days ago and everything went great. This coming weekend I've a huge 12 hour event in which I  plan to give these three little speed light gems a real workout.

Hopefully, over the next few days, I’ll finish testing the high-speed sync characteristics of the Canon speed lights. I plan to have some news later in the week.

Because of the capabilities of the higher ISO camera I'm using  –  the Canon 5D Mark III – I know I'll be able to get by with much less light output than what I would normally need. That should make the 60 watt-seconds of power I get from Canon’s 600 EX – RT speed lights adequate for most of the photography I'll be doing.

If I need more power I picked up an Interfit Tri Shoe Adapter that will hold up to three of the speed lights. The three Canon speed lights used in conjunction with each other will give me a total of 180 watt-seconds of light. That's actually even more powerful than my Quantum T5d that I've used for many, many years.

My thought is that when I need a powerful off-camera flash, all three of the Canon 600 EX – RT speed lights should fill the bill for me. For most of the reception shooting I'm confident that I can get by with one flash on camera and two other flashes set up to illuminate the dance floor as I described at DigitalProTalk in a recent post [link].

The challenge for me in using these new strobes is the learning curve. Not only am I looking at nearly a dozen buttons on the back of the new strobe, there are now four separate menus to also scroll through to take advantage of the full functionality of the Canon speed lights. But, it's like anything else – once you get the hang of it, the operation is really quite efficient.

Using Eye-Fi Card, Canon 5D Mark III, & iPad3 Almost Magical

One thing I love about my Canon 5D Mark III camera is the fact that it accepts a SDHC card in the second card slot of the camera. I've been using the 32 gig SanDisk card as my backup card for all of my photography sessions. I picked up one of the Eye-Fi 8 gig SDHC Pro X2 wireless cards last year and was hoping to be able to make it work in my Canon 7D camera. That never really came to fruition so the card is been languishing in a drawer in my office. I've talked with some other photographers that have reported decent success in making the Eye-Fi 8 gig SDHC Pro X2 work in their Canon 5D Mark III  so I’ve decided to also give it a try.

My intention is to shoot with the Eye-Fi 8 gig SDHC Pro X2 card and have it transmit images to my iPad 3. This is extremely useful for photographers, particularly high school senior photographers or family photographers, because you can hand off the iPad 3 to your client and have the client see exactly how the session is proceeding. The process offers a great sizzle factor to any photography sessions. My early experiences with the Eye-Fi 8 gig SDHC Pro X2 card have been mixed. Once I get the Eye-Fi card to pair up with the iPad 3, everything seems to work just fine. It's simply getting the Eye-Fi card to pair up that has been the problem.

I purchased my iPad 3 from Verizon so I would have the capability of having the iPad 3 act as a hotspot. Having a hotspot functionality built into the iPad 3, I felt would make it easy for the Eye-Fi card to pair with the iPad and easily transmit the images into  the ShutterSnitch application I have installed.

As I said, the pairing of the Eye-Fi card to the iPad 3 has been a bit problematic. The problem occurs in trying to get the hotspot to go “live”. My workaround, so far, has been to use my iPhone first to see the iPad hotspot and then connect to it. This takes a few tries – I think the problem is the wireless we have in the studio jammed the iPad 3 hotspot.  The connection is not immediate, it has a few second delay, as I would like it to be. But, after fiddling with it for a while, and after several tries, I finally get my connection with my iPhone.

Once a hotspot is activated and working, it's quite easy then to get the Eye-Fi card to pair with a hotspot and transmit the images directly to the iPad 3. I plan to be working with this hardware/software combination at Photoshop World next week during my Wedding Pre-Con. I'll provide additional details as they become available on how to make this potentially very useful scenario work for you as well.

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Hey gang, that's it for me today. I want to get back to work on the PhotoPro Expo 2013 website so that you have all the details when you check it out. Everybody have a great rest of the day and I'll see you soon.

Adios, David

Help – Portrait Update; Fuji HS10 Hands On; Eye-Fi Card Woes; and Photo To Painting Webcast Tomorrow

Good Morning Everybody,

I hope everyone had a great weekend. We're having a great time in San Jose del Cabo soaking up the blue skies, ocean surf, and great weather. How can you not enjoy it? Down here it's in the mid eighties with a slight breeze blowing while back home in Cincy the temperature is hanging out in the low 20's - brrrrr! I hope it warms a bit before we return on Saturday.

And speaking of this weekend, one of the high points for all of us down here in Cabo was our participation in the Help - Portrait project this past Saturday. Help Portrait is a movement that asks photographers to reach out to those individuals and families that would never have an opportunity to have a portrait made. That usually means those folks living in poverty in the US and around the world.

I did some research on the Help - Portrait Project over the weekend, watched several of the Help - Portrait videos [link], and was amazed at what this program achieves. Instead of going into it today, I'm going to make it the topic of tomorrow's “Technique Tuesday". We photographed 7 families and many breakout combinations in the most humbling of conditions and captured some great images. I can't wait to show you.

Hey gang, this is my first day back on our regular DPT posting schedule so let's get right to it. Here we go....

Fuji HS 10 Camera - Not Ready For Prime Time

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I recently picked up The new Fuji HS 10. After seeing it in a Shutterbug ad I was really intrigued by it's phenomenally long 30x zoom range. Wow, I thought. It was getting great reviews on Amazon and B&H so I thought, "Well, why not," and ordered it. This should be cool - a 750mm optic for only $359. I ordered it from B&H and couldn't wait to give it a try this week in Cabo.

Here is how Fuji's press release opened:

"February 2, 2010: Serious photographers wanting the versatility and performance of an SLR system without the bulk or expense now have the perfect solution in the shape of the new Fujifilm FinePix HS10. The latest addition to Fujifilm’s award-winning range of big zoom ‘bridge’ cameras offers an unprecedented feature set that combines a powerful 24-720mm (30x) zoom lens with sophisticated photographic controls, advanced functionality and SLR-like handling in a single compact, affordable unit."

Well, I been giving it a try for about a week. There are a few things I love about this camera, but alas, far more things that make the camera fall WAY short for me. This is not meant to be a camera review, but a listing of my quick insights about how the camera worked for me. Here goes:

First What I Love About The Fuji HS 10:

1- I love the 750mm focal length at full zoom. It is truly a kick to easily have that crazy long focal length.

2- I like the video too - it's just fun knowing that it's there to use.

3- I like the image quality I was getting in my images. The lens is definitely sharp, even at maximum zoom. Like I said, that was my main draw to the camera.

4- I like the short end of the range too. Its wide enough for some interesting wide angle shots. The 35mm equivalent zoom range of the Fuji is 24-720mm - like I said, really enticing.

5- Uhhhhh..... That's about all I can come up with.

So what didn't I like about the camera?

1- From the time I turn on the camera, it takes about 2 seconds to boot up to be ready to take a photo. Yes, two full seconds. Wait there's more.

2- I prefer to use the viewfinder to frame up my photographs and the Fuji has one built in. But, putting the camera to your eye activates sensors that tell the camera you want "viewfinder mode" at which point it takes another 2 full seconds to switch modes and turn on the viewfinder for viewing. The humming bird I wanted to zoom in on was long gone by then.

In fact the time delay in activating the camera and shooting was torturously slow. I thought it was just me so I continued to "live" with the camera for a few more days. I felt the frustration of missing too many shots because of lengthy shot delay eventually raised to the next level where I was using a "bowling word" or two every time I missed the shot. Trying to time a shot was nearly impossible.

Remember Fuji's press release, "...advanced functionality and SLR-like handling in a single compact, affordable unit." - NOT!!!! That's exactly what the camera DOES NOT DO. It exhibits very little SLR-Like handling. After a few tries herself, LaDawn finally refused to pick up the camera anymore due to the frustration at just trying to capture an image.

3- I never founds the controls very intuitive either. I've been through the manual a few times and I'm still looking for some of the touted features of the camera.

4- Battery life is laughably short! The camera runs on 4 AA batteries. I was through the first set in just a few days of light shooting with minimal viewing of the images after I shot them.

I reloaded the camera with a set of Eneloop re-chargeable AA batteries. They lasted me about a day - quite a surprise since I had taken barely any photos at all. I just purchased 4 more batteries - let's see how long they last. I'm not encouraged. Total images shot – about 300 and some short videos.

Let’s see, we shoot about 2,000 images on a trip.  That means using the Fuji only, I’d go through about 28 batteries or 7 packs of 4 at $6.00 each – a total of $42 – YIKES!!!

5- The deal breaker for me - the labeling on two of the buttons on the right side of the camera is completely wiped away!!! Yes, wiped away? What's that about. I was trying to determine how it could have happened.

Then I realized what caused it. Since I prefer using the viewfinder to the LCD screen to frame up my shots, the camera, when pressed to my eye means that my nose rubs against the buttons on the right side the camera. Yes, you guessed it, the "super powerful" chemical composition of my "nose grease" dissolved the letters away.

I know it sounds gross, but that's exactly what happened after only using the camera 7 days. What kind of product quality is that. I’m sure Fuji thinks that most amateurs use the LCD screen for shooting. But who cares, using cheap paint on the buttons that is EASILY rubbed of is inexcusable for a $400 camera.

Anyway, that's the bottom line - it's camera I would love to love, but with 7 days "behind the wheel" of the Fuji HS10, and with the buttons easily wiped clean of their labeling, the verdict is a definite "thumbs down" for me.

Oh, BTW, I'm also giving my new Canon G12 a workout too. The super quick first impression - I'm loving it!!! More later.

Life With My New Eye-FI Pro Card

Like I said, this is a week of "geeking" around with some of the new toys I've picked up over the last few weeks. Being away from the studio gives me time to roll up my shirt sleeves and really spend time on these kind of projects.

I've been really excited to give the new Eye-FI Pro card a try. The directions that come with the card are so simple, it's silly. "1. Put card in computer, 2. Click here." Well, that's exactly what I did. The program loaded quickly, found it needed to be updated and that procedure went without a hitch.

Then the Eye-FI software determined that the card needed a firmware upgrade. I thought let's go for it. The firmware seemed to download without a hitch and verified that all was ready to go. I fired up the Eye-Fi viewer, clicked on the icon to update the firmware, and was presented the INSTALL button to press.

Only one problem, the INSTALL button was grayed out and would not press. That was two days ago.

I've tried to install the firmware several more times yesterday but still to no avail, the INSTALL button is still grayed out. I can pull out the Eye-Fi card and then place it back in the card reader, and for a second the INSTALL button is active. I have quickly pressed it a few times now, but that hasn't worked either.

I thought maybe I didn't need the new firmware update to enjoy the functionality of my newly acquired Eye-Fi card, so I loaded it into the Canon G12, set up a "Hot Folder" in Lightroom 3 just as the instructions indicated, and shot away. I'm still waiting for the images to transmit to the computer, and waiting, and waiting..... Looks like we'll spend some more time on the Eye-Fi Pro card dilemma over these next few days.

Did I say I was really loving my new Canon G12 camera - at least something is working as expected.

Blogging Voices From The Past

That right folks, two really good bloggers are back on line after their sabbaticals of several months. Jim Talkington, fellow Cincinnati blogger, and the force behind the then very popular blog, ProPhotoLife.com is back. Jim and I have got together a few times over the last several months and have always enjoyed our visits. Its good to have him back.

Give his latest post a read right here. It's entitled the evolution of a pro photographer and I think you may find it a very interesting read.

Also back on the radar is blogging buddy, Syl Arena, of Pixsylated.com and Speedliting.com. Syl has taken a long 7 month sabbatical in order to finish his tome on shoe mount flashes. I can't believe it's finished and on the way to the printers.

Here are the quick stats on the book:

> 376 pages of content, plus the front and back papers for a total of 408 pages

> 812 individual photos

> 26 chapters

> 39 shoots detailed as two-page spreads

> 104 diagrams, charts, and tables

I always love checking in with Syl to see he was up too. His posts were always insightful and entertaining - welcome back Syl!!! Can't wait to get the book.

Transforming A Photograph Into An Oil Painting

I recently got a note from Melissa Gallo, a former student from my Digital Master Class. Melissa is not only a great photographer but a wonderful photographic artist as well. Just check out some of her beautiful images right here.

Here is the good news, if you like what you see, you can check out Melissa's upcoming webcast right here. It happens tomorrow, December 7, 2010 at 8:00 p.m. EST at Marathon Press and you still have plenty of time to register right here.

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Hey gang, that's it for me today. The waves, sea breezes, and sun is calling and I don't want to be late ;~). How about I see everyone tomorrow with a brand new Technique Tuesday: Shooting Beautiful Portraits In The Most Humbling Of Locations.

I sure hope you will join me.

See ya' then, David

A Quick Follow Up on Eye-Fi

DPreview did an in-depth review of this fascinating piece of digital ingenuity. This is the little card that turns your camera into a Wi-Fi camera soon to be available in Compact Flash format too. Is it all that it's cracked up to be? You will have to read the review right here.