Capsule Reviews

{QPH:01}If you've ever had trouble figuring out how to share large files with friends, family, clients... or perhaps transferring from one computer to another... or even simply keeping a backup, then you should check out the free online service from Dropbox. The cloud is all the rage these days and with internet speeds being what they are, the ability to store your files in a central online repository makes a load of sense. [MORE]

{QPH:01}Backups are important for any computer user, but especially priceless for photographers. The aggregate size of our precious photos can get astronomical very quickly. RAW files can be up to 16MB or even larger. Photoshop edits with their many layers can be hundreds of megabytes each. We easily eat up gigabytes of disk space like they were M&Ms. While the price of storage has gone down, most of us have been stuck with the slowness of DVD burning or transferring files to external drives via USB 2.0. [MORE]

photographyvoice.com Review Haiku
Need a Messenger?
8 Million Dollar Home Bag
Offers space galore. [MORE]

photographyvoice.com Review Haiku
LinkStation Mini
Always on, Always ready
Dependable drive [MORE]

If you’re like me, when your wife or loved one comes up to you and wants to know what to get you for Christmas, you have no idea what to say. Either our hobby is too expensive, we get everything we want throughout the year anyway, or we just forget about some of the neat and functional gadgets that might make our hobby or vocation just a little bit more fun.

So to that end, photographyvoice.com presents some of the cooler tools and devices out there that you might consider jotting down on your Christmas wishlist. If you’ve not been too naughty that is! [MORE]

{QPH:01}There are two schools of thought when it comes to selecting memory cards for your camera. One is to carry a lot of smaller capacity cards with the reasoning that if one card fails, you only lose that card’s images. The other way is to go for it and get the biggest and fastest card your camera can support. If you’re like me, you go for big and fast and the OCZ Gold-Series SDHC cards allow you to do just that. [MORE]

{QPH:01}Most of us have a device for backing up the data and irreplaceable photo's we've captured and scanned through the years. If you don't you then really should. But what do you do when the original images and/or data stored on your media card never even make it to the hard drive? When the media card itself becomes corrupt and refuses access to the images stored within? [MORE]

A couple of months ago I had to make a quick overnight trip where I wanted to take my camera, but also take the necessary change of clothes and gear for a hotel stay. Rather than take a small camera bag and travel duffel, I simply used my Military Ops Alpha camera backpack from Naneu Pro. With the Alpha I was able to carry my body and four lenses as well as other accessories in the padded adjustable camera area as well as my personal overnight needs in the large upper compartment. And there was plenty of room to spare for batteries, chargers, flashes, and more. [MORE]

{IPH:01}The Rick Sammon On-Location Lighting Kit and Tote is an invaluable addition to any photographer’s collection of gear: both for on-location shooting as well as the studio. The Kit includes a 30” square diffuser panel, 30” square reflector panel, Micro Apollo flash mounted modifier, and carrying case. [MORE]

{QPH:01}{IPH:01}Have you ever found yourself with a boatload of photos that you want to share with others, but you don’t want or need to go through the hassle of creating a website with thumbnails, full versions, etc.? Have you wanted to really wow your clients with a professional slideshow presentation of their images? Then you’re going to love ProShow Producer 4 by Photodex. [MORE]

{IPH:01}Several weeks ago I was asked to take part in a continuing education course offered by UCLA Extension. The cool thing was this course was on “Advanced Digital Photography with Photoshop [CS4]”. Even cooler was that this was one of several Extension courses offered online so I could participate 2000 miles away in Atlanta. [MORE]

{IPH:01}RocketLife.com is an up and coming online printing service targeted to one-off and occasional printers rather than professional volume ordering. Recently I was invited to take a test drive of the service and this is what I experienced… [MORE]

{IPH:01}I’m going to write this review of Adobe’s Photoshop CS4 completely backwards. Instead of taking the product apart bit by bit and then pronouncing sentence on it on way of a rating, I’m going to just state flat out that you should buy it. Of course since it came out in September, you may already have, but if you haven’t: go get it. As a full version, it’s highly recommended. As an upgrade from CS3 or earlier, it’s highly recommended. As an upgrade from some other company’s product, it’s extremely highly recommended. [MORE]

{IPH:01}It’s been said that professional photographers worry only about the light. Admittedly, through light we not only expose our subjects but conceal them, reveal character, and create mood. In Steven H Begleiter’s book “50 Lighting Setups for Portrait Photographers” he breaks through the textbook jargon to deliver exactly what he promises in the title. [MORE]

{QPH:01}Finding good, reliable batteries for your flash or camera is never an easy task. Having them charged and ready at a moment's notice is even harder. Regular akaline batteries start strong, but become spent rather quickly. Regular rechargable batteries are great for investment and reuse, but hold their charge less than akalines. In addition, when you buy them they're "dead", requiring time-consuming initial charging. [MORE]