We had great fun at this shoot- Laura and Scott were wonderful. They were a little reserved and uncomfortable at first but they realized they were allowed to have fun right away!

We shot from La Jolla Cove to the seal hangout and everywhere in between! The light was amazing- perfect timing!
The stairs to the lifegaurd station- I just moved the 'Do Not Enter' sign a little and we were all set!

Gotta love the flare in the Cypress trees:
The wildflowers were in full bloom- love the yellow contrasting the blue sky.
And with the handy dandy D3 (Nikon) we were able to continue shooting after the sun was down when the light is so nice!

I'll admit it, I'm starting to outgrow RawShooter Essentials. The biggest problem is it convolutes my workflow. If you don't know the term, photographic workflow is the process you use to get images from the camera to whatever final published state you desire. In a perfect world, your workflow will be efficient and yield high quality results every time. In reality, establishing an efficient workflow is difficult and a huge hassle.

Here is my current workflow which I've been using for the last six months:

1. Take the memory card out of my camera and plug it into the reader on my computer. I can plug the camera into the USB port, but RAW files can't be imported with Picasa over USB.
2. Use Picasa 2 to import the files. I've got it set up so all I need to do is type in a name and it automatically creates a folder based on the date in my Negatives folder along with a corresponding subfolder in my Processed folder. Picasa has great file organization and browsing abilities, but it hides a lot of functionality from you. For instance, if you import RAW files, it automatically runs an automatic exposure adjustment on it. The tools for RAW conversion, adjusting saturation, sharpening, etc

...

In comparison with newest entry-level Digital SLR cameras such as the Nikon D60, the Sony A200, the Olympus E420 and old-fashion Canon Rebel Xti, the new Pentax K200D looks quite good. After Pentax K100D / K100 Super, this solidly constructed SLR camera with weather and dust resistant body can impress even advanced photographers, who are interested in serious cameras as the Canon EOS450 / Rebel Xsi or the Sony A300 / A350.
The Pentax K200 as a step-up of entry-level SLR
Sure, the Pentax K200D is strep of some cool features such as the Live-View mode (Olympus E420, Sony A300) and its ability for using AA batteries is a little questionable. However, the combination of high-speed aperture, in-body stabilization system, waterproof body ( it's a really cool feature, especially for my Sauna-blog), and low-noise high ISO means me much interesting that the Live View LCD, which only enables photographers to hold the camera away from their faces. Although the K200D designed mainly for family users and beginners, this SLR has a host of useful features and functions like any higher-class models.
Pentax K200D main features
- Shake Reduction feature incorporating a 10.2 megapixel CCD is compatible with any Pentax lens ever produced, including SDM lenses, minimizes the effect of camera shake
- Auto Picture and Scene modes offer shooting ease, while advanced modes,...

Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced Adobe® Photoshop® Express public beta, a free Rich Internet Application (RIA) available to anyone who wants to store, sort and show off digital photos with eye-catching effects. During the public beta period, Adobe will solicit Photoshop Express user feedback on product features and functionality, which will continue to evolve over time. As the newest addition to the Photoshop family line, Photoshop Express has taken much of Adobe’s best image editing technology and made it simple and accessible to a new online audience. Photoshop Express allows users to store up to 2 gigabytes of images online for free, make edits to their photos, and share them online in creative ways, including downloading and uploading photos from popular social networking sites like Facebook.

“Photoshop is trusted technology that has changed the visual landscape of our world. Now, Photoshop Express allows anyone who snaps a digital photo to easily achieve the high-impact results for which Adobe is known,” said Doug Mack, vice president of Consumer and Hosted Solutions at Adobe. “Photoshop Express is a convenient, single destination where you can store, edit and share photos whether you’re at home, school or on the road.”

Simple, Fun and Accessible
With Photoshop Express, digital photos can be uploaded and sorted anytime, edited non-destructively to always preserve the original image, and shared from anywhere, on any Web browser. In a few easy clicks, Photoshop Express empowers anyone to make standard edits,...

At this point I do not know if the sensor is an even broader range CCD than what was found on the E-3 or if it is similar in quality to that which was found on the E-3. Either way it is a very high performing sensor. If I were to guess, I would say that it is very likely that it is even improved slightly over the E-3. The engeneers have had a few more months to get the maximium performance out of the chip.

The new focusing technology bridges - SLR for speed when taking a photo, and ease of a point and shoot to capture snapshots. The E-420 is the first SLR to offer face detection technology, when used in liveview.

If shooting through the viewfinder the AF system built into the camera is slight faster than when using the E-410. However the main advantages will be found in the liveview focus speeds. It now boast a hybrid system, which uses both the traditional drop mirror to focus, as well as the sensor itself to focus the camera. The E-420 should bridge both camera types (SLR, and Point and shoot) to make a compact, affordable, and high quality camera.

more : fourthirdsphoto

The FE-210 High-Resolution CCD delivers superior image quality for larger prints without sacrificing detail. Built-in Help, Guides, One-Touch Operation, Preset Scene Modes and a large LCD are just a few of the features that make using the FE-210 simple and fun. High ISO Sensitivity and faster shutter speeds let you capture sharp, blur-free images using Digital Image Stabilization when you or your subject is moving. The large, bright LCD provides easy shooting and sharing of your images. The in-camera album allows you to store up to 9 of your favorite images to share with friends and family anytime while using a minimal amount of memory. ISO Output Sensitivity - Auto 64-640 White Balance - Auto Recording Modes - PIM3, EXIF 2.21 and Still Images, AVI Motion JPEG Movie Mode 16 Shooting Modes - Program Auto, Scene Presets (Portrait, Landscape, Night & Portrait, Indoor, Candle, Self-Portrait, Sunset, Sport, Fireworks, Cuisine, Documents, Behind Glass, Auction), Digital Image Stabilization Mode and Movie Panorama - Up to 10 frames automatically stitchable with Olympus bran xD Picture Card Built-in Flash Modes - Auto, Red-Eye Reduction, Fill-in, Off Self-Timer - 12 Seconds 7MB Internal Memory Connectors - USB, Video Output, DC input 2x AA Batteries, 2 Ni-MH or 2 LI AA Batteries Power Supply System Requirements - Windows 98SE, ME, 2000 PRO, XP, VISTA, Mac OS 9.0-9.2x, OS X 10.1-10.4 or higher Dimensions - Width 3.5 x Height 2.5 x Depth 1.2 inch Weight -...

Today Olympus announced the release of a firmware update for two Olympus Digital Zuiko lenses. The lenses are the 14-42mm and 40-150mm. This firmware update will optimize the Live View autofocus function of these two lenses when used with the recently announced E-420 DSLR camera.

Details: This update allows full compatibility with the Zuiko 14-42mm and 40-150mm when using the Imager autofocus mode on the E-420 DSLR. Note: The recently announced Zuiko 25mm lens is also compatible with the Imager autofocus mode.

All Zuiko Digital SpecificTM lenses work flawlessly in either the Hybrid or Sensor autofocus modes which are additional autofocus options offered on the E-420 DSLR.
The firmware can be updated through Olympus Master software.

The following link explains how to update the firmware:

http://www.olympus.co.jp/en/support/imsg/digicamera/qa/contents/03b/ssoftware10.cfm

Firmware updates for the Olympus E series DSLR bodies, lenses and flash units allow users to apply new technology to their system components, and are one of the advantages of a 100% digitally designed DSLR system.

...