» Fro Knows Photo Blog
DJI Phantom 2 Vision Quadcopter Preview
Over the past few months you have been hearing more and more about “Drones” and “quadcopters” flying around capturing photos and video. One of the reasons is a company called DJI has created an easy to use quadcopter.
I am just now starting to learn more and more about these things and when DJI contacted me asking if I wanted to test one out I jumped at the opportunity.
This is a preview of the DJI Phantom 2 Vision. I will be working on an in-depth review and tutorial videos as I learn more about the device.
So far right out of the box it seems pretty much ready to go. It comes with everything you need to get yourself charged up and flying in a matter of an hour. You have your remote controller, the drone itself, the battery and all tools needed to get off the ground.
In the video I mentioned that it seemed light as if the battery was not already in there, I was wrong, the battery was in there. The battery charges up in roughly two hours and will give you 25 minutes of flight time.
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Henri Cartier-Bresson The Modern Century: From My Bookshelf
Henri Cartier-Bresson is pretty much the father of Photo Journalism. First off I love big photo books that tell stories and share the photos.
If you want to take a trip through an era that many of us never have seen than you have to check out this book. The stories that are told in these images are breathtaking.
You have your pre-world war two as well as post. You have places like India and Indonesia being captured. Places that at the time he was photographing have not really been seen by the rest of the world.
I can only imagine what people were thinking when they saw images of foreign places for the first time.
This book is laid out in a way where they show you the images first without nothing more than the date. Near the end of the book you have the images re-printed along with more information about image.
I still need to finish reading this one but if you love photojournalism this is a book that is a must have.
Unboxing the $2,000+ RØDE Classic II Microphone
Let me start off by saying I am in no way an audiophile nor do I classify myself as an expert in audio recording. This is an unboxing and sniff test with a full review coming in the future. The full review will include experts and real world tests.
The RØDE Classic II Microphone from what I am told is one of the best recording microphones around. The one that RØDE sent me is numbered out of 5000. I am pretty sure this will be the last run of these microphones as they are very expensive to produce.
I can say thatI have not help a microphone of this size and weight ever. I know how nice the Broadcasters are that we use but this Classic II is larger and heavier.
It comes in it’s own case with everything you need. You have the microphone, the shock mount, an extra capsule and some massive cables.
Like I said above, I will be bringing in audio experts to conduct tests so we can share with you the best practices for recording with this mic as well as how it sounds.
As a photographer we know how important it is to use quality glass and the same thing applies when it comes to recording audio.
How To Convert Nikon D4s RAW Files to DNG So You Can Edit In Adobe Lightroom
When new cameras come out you generally will not find a lot of support outside of the camera manufacturer for opening RAW Files. That has been the case for the first two weeks of owning the Nikon D4s. As of now I can not open the D4s’s RAW Files in Adobe Lightroom which is where I like to edit.
The only programs that will open the D4s RAW Files are Nikon’s new NX, DXO Marks program and the latest Adobe Photoshop Beta. Adobe Photoshop with ACR 8.4 which is still in beta will allow you to open and process the D4s’s RAW Files.
That is all well and good if you like editing in Photoshop but I personally like editing my files in Lightroom. So I finally figured out the simple process for how to batch convert all my D4s NEF Files to DNG which can be imported into Lightroom.
Simple open up all the RAW Files you wish to convert in Photoshop. Once they open into a viewer hit select all. Than you are going to want to click the save button in the bottom left corner which will prompt you on where to save them. At that point make sure DNG is selected, than export.
Now that you have the DNG Files you can import them into Lightroom and start processing them in a much quicker fashion.
To download the BETA of Photoshop Camera RAW click here
Once Adobe updates Lightroom 5 to accept the RAW Files this method will not be needed.
Now This Is A FANTASTIC Photography Website and Portfolio
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I get hundreds and hundreds of links to photography websites for me to critique. I have critiqued sites that need a lot of work but needed that push in the right direction. What I can tell you is that this Squarespace Rapid Fire Critique is one of the best examples I have seen so far.
In this critique I take a look at http://jonathangipaya.com/ . Jonathan is a Seattle based photographer and musician who is capturing images and telling stories that I truly love. His site is put together so very well it is almost perfect as a photo portfolio. It showcases his fantastic work not just in how the site is laid but the photos he is capturing.
His photos have a style to them that I am drawn to. I could honestly see hiring him to photograph me one day and I would not have a problem recommending him to anyone who is getting married or who would like a portrait session. His images are thick with emotion and contrast and of course I am drawn to that.
The way the site flows really makes it easy to navigate. He puts his best foot forward in each section and showcases the best of the best work. He has a few photo sections, a great about me section and a blog that you want to keep looking at.
If you have been waiting for a great example of a photography/portfolio website to follow, this is the one to look at.
Great work Jonathan!!!!
