Canon vs. Nikon vs. Sony

We’re all familiar with the expression “the grass is always greener on the other side of the hill.” This applies in many areas of life.  And, of course, that means photography. 

I’m primarily a Canon shooter.  I use a Canon 6D as my primary camera, with several other bodies for backup or other shooting situations.  I’ve currently got 5 working Canon DSLRs, as well as three film bodies, and I’ve amassed quite a large collection of lenses, flashes, and other gear as well.  And I’ve been very happy with all of it.  But sometimes you start to doubt your choices when you start reading articles online about how Nikon’s and Sony’s cameras are capable of producing images with more detail, greater dynamic range of bright vs. dark, and a wider range of colors.  Did I choose the wrong brand?  Am I making a mistake by sticking with what I’ve got?  Or should I sell it all and switch?

So I’ve spent a bit of time reading up on what the advantages and disadvantages of the different brands are.  I even bought a Nikon camera and couple of lenses so I could see what they offer.  I’ll save my conclusion for the end, so bear with me for a bit.

I’m making all comparisons between similar models… so, for example when I make a statement about a feature, I’m referring to competing models between brands… I won’t compare features on high-end models of one brand to low-end models of another brand.  I’m trying to be as objective and honest as I can be.

Bodies

If I were to go by specifications alone, both Nikon and Sony produce camera bodies that have more detail in terms of resolution, dynamics, and breadth of colors.  The numbers are pretty clear on that.  As far as Nikon goes, they’ve stuck with the more traditional SLR design, with an optical viewfinder and reflex mirror that moves out of the way of the sensor when shooting an image, whereas Sony is producing basically all mirrorless designs, relying on electronic viewfinders.  I won’t really get much into the reflex vs. mirrorless debate here, but I do prefer the optical viewfinder because of its significantly higher resolution and lack of delay.  Someday mirrorless designs may make up for those issues, but as someone who usually shoots with manual focus, the highest resolution viewfinder is essentially a must-have for me.

In terms of autofocus ability, each brand has standout models.  I don’t really believe that any brand has an inherent advantage over another.  Having used both Canon and Nikon bodies, I prefer the way that the Canon models work.  Especially in low-light situations.

Video

As of today, Sony probably has the advantage of the best looking video when comparing models with similar feature sets.  Canon is the other standout here, with its pretty amazing DualPixel autofocus on the 70D.  Both Nikon and Sony produce images with more detail.  Nikon still seems to have trouble with the “Jello” effect more than the other two brands, though they have gotten better.  Certain Canon models have more moiré issues than the others, so that needs to be considered as well.

Lenses

Here’s the make-or-break for me… whatever brand I go with has to have good quality lenses, and a wide variety of them, at affordable prices.  I’ve found that sticking with OEM lenses usually gets you the best results when compatibility, affordability, and autofocus are taken into consideration. 
So here’s the bottom line… Sony’s selection of lenses pales in comparison to both Canon and Nikon.  The difference is huge.  There are less than a dozen lenses for the Sony “A” series, which is really the only line I’d potentially be interested in.  So, for me, Sony is out.  They have some amazing lenses, but being limited to just a few (especially considering their cost) isn’t viable for me.  For people without sophisticated lens needs, and significant budgets, Sony could be a great choice.  I use a really wide variety of lenses, especially primes.  I really don’t think I’d be able to give that up. 

So I’m back to the traditional Canon vs. Nikon debate.  What I’ve found, though, when researching this (primarily on dxomark.com, though many YouTube review videos are being taken into consideration) is that unless you’re willing to spend a lot of money on Nikon lenses, that Nikon’s image quality really suffers relative to equivalent Canon lenses.  Nikon produces just a handful of lenses that autofocus on the less expensive bodies under $1000 that are rated to give more than about 10 megapixels of resolution, whereas Canon has a lot to choose from.  Comparing Canon to Nikon lenses, in almost every case the Canons do better in terms of sharpness.  Which for me is the most important thing.  I don’t want to spend time taking images only to come home and find out that they are always soft.  It is especially true with prime lenses, where Canon has a huge advantage.  Canon’s lenses often resolve nearly twice as much detail as the Nikon equivalents.

Take the Nikon AF 50mm f/1.8D vs. the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8.  The Nikon gets a 8 MP score for its sharpness, whereas the Canon gets 14MP.  And the Canon is cheaper.  And it autofocuses on all bodies, not just the high-end models like the Nikon (Nikon “AF” lenses do not autofocus on the D3xxx or D5xxx series of cameras – you have to step up to “AF-S’' lenses or a more expensive body for that).  The difference in performance between these two lenses isn’t at all atypical comparing equivalent models. 

To be fair, Nikon also offers a 50mm AF-S f/1.8G lens, which does autofocus on all bodies, and gets a 15 MP score, but it is more than twice as expensive as Canon’s ($220 vs. $100).  And it is the only one of a few primes in Nikon’s lineup under $1000 that gets a score over 10 MP.  Every one of Canon’s prime lenses scores 14 MP or higher.  Performance with kit lenses included with camera bodies is similar… Canon’s are all better.  For all of the love that Nikon gets from its owners, I was shocked at the difference.  And choices on the Nikon side become much more scarce if having autofocus on a lower-end body is a requirement. I think there are only two AF-S Nikon primes under $1000 able to resolve 14 MP of detail or better.  Canon has over a dozen.

One could argue that you don’t have to go with OEM lenses.  And that is true.  My own experience with third-party lenses, though, has been disappointing.  Not necessarily in terms of image quality (though they do often lag behind), but of build quality.  Every third-party lens I’ve ever bought has broken on me.  Every single one.  But I’ve never had anything go wrong with any of my OEM lenses.

Conclusion

So what does it boil down to for me?  I’m sticking with Canon.  Having cameras with the best available sensors would be awesome, but if the options for the glass to put in front of it aren’t as good, I’m afraid I just couldn’t make a switch.  It would be nice if you could put Canon glass on front of a Nikon, but without complicated adapters which inherently have to reduce image quality that just isn’t possible.  Or if I was insanely rich and could afford boutique lenses, the story would probably be different.  But I’m very much on a budget, so I’ve got to stick with more affordable choices for now.  And for today, that still means Canon.

So it boils down to this: Nikon’s choices for someone who likes to shoot prime lenses with the highest quality image are weak compared to Canon.  And Sony doesn’t even show up for that contest.  Those are the deciding factors for me.

I know that there are going to be a lot of people upset with my conclusion.  And they’ll even use DxOMark’s data to try to make their point.  Keep in mind that I’m making my decision based solely on achieving the best quality image while keeping lenses affordable.  If budget goes out the window, then the decision very likely could be different.

Cameras–Is it time to upgrade?

One funny thing that happens to me a lot is that many people I know outside of work seem to think that I do audio, video, and/or photography for a living.  My job is in software development, but that is apparently less glamorous than multimedia to the general public, so for some reason I'm known better to people in my personal life for the things that I like to do with media rather than creating software.

So one of the questions I often get asked is “which camera should I buy?” Or the same question phrased differently, “should I get a new camera?”

For some reason nearly everyone interested in photography gets stuck on camera technical specifications. For example, the first question people ask me about one of my cameras is “how many megapixels is it?” when in reality that number doesn't really mean much of anything these days, as I'll discuss later.
So in attempt to sort of pacify everyone, here are some general guidelines on what cameras to look at, and whether you should upgrade your existing camera to something newer or more expensive.

Digital SLR

First, advice for people who already have a digital SLR camera and are thinking about upgrading…

You probably don't need to upgrade if…

• Your camera has a resolution of 6-8 megapixels or better, and you do nearly all of your shooting outdoors during the daytime.
• Your camera model was released during or after 2009.

You may want to consider upgrading if…

• Your sensor resolution is less than ten megapixels, you do a lot of cropping on images, and you create large prints.
• You shoot at night or indoors a lot, and for whatever reason don't want to use a flash or a large aperture (f-stop less than 2.0) lens.
• The limitations of your equipment are preventing you from getting the shots you want.

Reasoning…

While most digital SLR cameras released in the last 10 years or so are capable of really good pictures during the daytime, many models released before 2009 struggled to perform well in low-light situations.  Then in 2009 something magical happened, where all of a sudden cameras from all manufacturers were being released with better clarity and low-light sensitivity with much higher usable ISO settings.  If you shoot in low-light (such as indoors or at night) having a 2009-model or newer camera can make a big difference.
If you shoot primarily in daylight, or with a flash, or a large aperture lens, you probably don't need to upgrade.  Even early model cameras going back to 2004-2005 still do really well in these situations, and you wouldn't gain much by moving to a newer camera.

If you really have an itch to buy new camera equipment, lenses are always a much better investment than electronics.  A good quality lens will make a bigger difference in picture quality on an older body than a cheap lens on a newer, more expensive body.  And lenses hold their value really well – oftentimes you can resell a good lens for the same price you originally paid, or take just a minimal loss on it.  The value of anything electronic, especially digital camera bodies, plummets very quickly.

What should I get?

Even the most inexpensive digital SLRs take amazing pictures these days, and most models released since about 2010-2011 shoot pretty spectacular video as well (as long as you are willing to focus manually).  Unless you have a very specific need for a higher-end model, the cheaper (and usually lighter and smaller) bodies make a lot of sense.  I own several SLRs, and when I want to take a camera with me that isn't too big or bulky, I take my 2010-model Canon T2i because it is small, lightweight, and takes fantastic pictures.  I only use my bigger and bulkier SLRs when I need fast control over exposure settings. The bigger, more expensive models really don’t take better pictures than my much cheaper T2i.  They're just faster to navigate and provide professional-level control.  (As for lenses for my T2i, my 10-22mm wide goes with me for indoor shots, 50mm or 85mm for portraits, and the kit 18-55mm, 28-135mm, or 24-105mm for outdoor shots depending on how appropriate a big lens is for the situation.)

I’m primarily a Canon guy, so I really like the Canon T3i, T5i (adds touch screen), 60D (no touch, but adds more buttons for more control; no lens with this link).  All are well under $1000, and are excellent.  Full-frame bodies like the 6D or 5DmkIII are of course amazing, and they give better low-light sensitivity, a wider field of view, and of course much more control, but at much greater cost – $2000 or more, without a lens.  Unless you're shooting professionally it’s hard to justify the price.  The SL1 is also nice because of its tiny size (and it is tiny for an SLR), but it is otherwise essentially the same as the T5i without the flip-out screen at considerably greater expense.

Canon also makes a lower-end model called the T3, which takes good pictures, but difficult to recommend because you can get a lot more camera with a used T2i (sometimes for less), or the T3i for not much more money.  The LCD screen on the T3 is quite poor, and doesn't flip out like the T3i (for easier shooting above or below eye level).  The T2i/T3i is also faster, has a lot more resolution, higher quality video, and much better low-light sensitivity, among other enhancements that to me make it a better buy.  But if the T3 is what you can afford, you're still going to get great pictures.

Nikon also makes great cameras, but I don't follow their lineup closely enough to make specific recommendations.  The one thing to watch out for on Nikon cameras is that the less expensive bodies (< ~$700) don't have the mechanism to autofocus on “AF” series Nikon lenses, and those lenses happen to be the less expensive ones.  So plan on spending considerably more on lenses with Nikon than Canon if you buy a cheap body.  If you get a D90 or more expensive model, the AF lenses will autofocus and the less expensive lenses are fine.

I’d be a little careful about buying other DSLR brands, as the lenses made for those cameras have inconsistent quality and you have to be really careful about what you buy.  If you invest in Canon or Nikon equipment you can be assured that you're always getting something at least very good, if not excellent.  Neither brand makes bad stuff.

If you're just starting out and want to buy your first digital SLR, get the T3i or T5i.  Anything more complicated will be overwhelming because of its complexity, and won't give you better pictures.  The kit lenses included in the box have really good image quality these days, and will be sufficient for new photographers.  Once you begin to understand photography a little better you can step up to a better lens for more control over what you shoot, and you won't have to upgrade your camera.

With that said, everyone with an interest in photography and a digital SLR camera should own a 50mm prime lens.  Canon 50mm f/1.8, Nikon 50mm f/1.8 manual or auto focus (the first link will autofocus on the more expensive Nikon camera bodies, but not on base models).  They have excellent image quality and are very inexpensive. They give you the ability to shoot pictures with a soft, out-of-focus background that you can't get otherwise without spending a lot of money, and as such they make spectacular portrait lenses.  They also allow you to shoot indoors without a flash in moderate lighting.

In the end, though, if you already have a digital SLR and it doesn't have any glaringly horrible problems, you're fine sticking with it rather than upgrading.  Spend the money on a new lens instead.

Point and Shoot

The quality of point-and-shoot cameras is all over the map.  So it is pretty hard to make specific recommendations. 

For the most part you get what you pay for.  If your camera cost you $150 or less and you're thinking about upgrading, I'd just go ahead and do it.  A P&S camera that sells for $250 is always going to be a significant upgrade over anything ever sold for less than $150, and is probably worth the money.

Point-and-shoot cameras have also improved significantly over the years too.  A P&S camera from more than 5 years ago is really going to pale in comparison to something newer. 

So as a general guideline, I’d say that if your camera is more than 3 years old, or cost you less than $150, yeah, you should upgrade if you're considering it. 

What should I get?

Camera manufacturers release new models of their point-and-shoot lines quite often – it isn't unusual for a model to be discontinued and replaced after just 6 months.  So specific models are something that I don't even try to keep up on.  So I won't make specific recommendations.  They'd be out of date rather quickly anyway.

So instead I'll give you one piece of buying advice… ignore the numbers.  Ignore the resolution (megapixels), ISO sensitivity, etc. entirely.  Despite what the difference in numbers might tell you, performance of nearly all cameras in this category are all about the same, given similar lenses. 

The one biggest factor to look at is the size of the lens.  Specifically, the glass in the lens.  The bigger the lens, the more light it collects, which improves image quality.  A small difference in lens size can make a big difference in picture quality.  So I'd recommend buying the camera with the biggest glass within your budget.
The other thing to look at is the optical zoom capability.  Many times manufacturers will try to hide this and give you a digital zoom number.  Digital zoom is useless.  Only look at the optical zoom.  Buy whatever suits your needs.

The other thing I'll mention is Optical Image Stabilization technology.  This compensates for the shake that is inherent in cameras that are being held by hand.  It is especially important in point and shoot cameras because they are tiny (and therefore harder to hold steady) and don't handle low-light as well as SLRs, so they require longer exposures which increases the likelihood of motion blur.  IS technology is very highly recommended unless you shoot on a tripod or only take close pictures in daylight.

As for brands, Canon is the clear winner in this category.  They consistently produce the best images, and are generally quite easy to use, relatively speaking.

Smartphone cameras have gotten much better in the last few years, but they really still pale in comparison to point-and-shoot models.  Not only do P&S produce much better quality pictures, they also have a real zoom capability.  The only smartphone cameras that I've found that does what I would even consider a passable job are the Nokia Lumia 1020, 920, 928, and 925, or the HTC One.  Not even the iPhone 5 or any of the Samsung Galaxy S series are any good unless you're shooting in the noonday sun.

Other Camera Types

There are a few other types of cameras out there, such as mirrorless, and rangefinder, but getting into a discussion about those is well beyond the scope of this blog post.  I'd be happy to answer questions if you're considering one of these other types.

A Final Word about Megapixels

The more megapixels the better, right?  At least that’s what camera manufacturers and salespeople would like you to believe.  But that isn't necessarily the case, especially on small cameras like point and shoot and smartphones.

The trouble with increasing the number of pixels is that in order to add more pixels the pixels themselves have to become smaller.  And smaller pixels means that less light is captured.  Which then in turn creates noisier (less clear) images, and less ability to handle low-light situations like you would find indoors or at night.
Generally speaking, as long as a camera has 6-8 megapixels of resolution, it is sufficient.  In fact, the higher you go above that the more processing has to be done and blurrier your images become to remove the extra noise, especially when shot under conditions other than sunlight in the middle of the day.  An 8-megapixel point and shoot is generally going to be preferable to one with a 13-megapixel sensor, especially on small sensors like those in a cell phone.

Higher resolution pictures also take up more disk space.  Double the number of pixels, double the size of the file.

Always remember that the highest resolution “normal” computer monitors are about 2 megapixels at best.  And 3 megapixels is enough for printing an 8x10.  You only need higher than 3 if you are quite exuberant in your cropping of images (to simulate zoom after-the-fact, for example) or if you are printing at 11x14 or larger.  Any extra resolution is wasted, and taking up extra disk space.  So, with all other things (*cough* lenses *cough*) being equal, choose a camera with the resolution closest to the 6-8 MP range.  Even photography magazines, who are notoriously picky, only require about 5 MP for print.

Wrap-up

Chances are if you already own a digital SLR it is probably fine.  But if you own a point-and-shoot which isn't brand new or didn't cost more than $250 you could benefit from an upgrade.

SLR cameras are more of a long-term investment while point-and-shoot cameras are meant to be more-or-less disposable.  And the lens on a camera makes more difference in picture quality than the camera itself.  And aside from the top-of-the-line models, for the most part you get what you pay for.  Keep those things in mind while shopping and it will be hard to go wrong.

Photography Class Moved

Up until now, I’ve been hosting my Introduction to Photography classes on Google Video (YouTube doesn’t allow videos over 15 minutes).  Google is shutting the service down, so I have decided to upload the classes to Vimeo instead.  Each class is between 40 and 80 minutes.

Class 1: Introduction / Exposure
Class 2: Photo Composition
Class 3: Your Point & Shoot Camera
Class 4: Color and Lighting
Class 5: Photo Touchup (Photoshop)

The big upside to the move is that the quality of the video is much higher now.  The down side is that I have to pay to host the videos now.  Since I can’t advertise in the videos or on their site, I’d appreciate you clicking the Amazon links here on this blog when making purchases, especially electronics, to help offset some of that cost.  There’s now way Amazon referrals will cover the hosting entirely, but it will certainly help.

This class is freely available to all.  I’m on a mission to save the world from bad information.  With the videos hosted on Google, 30,000 people were helped in their photography education. Hopefully we’ll see the same with Vimeo. :)

2010

Since I’m really bad about getting Christmas cards and letters out (it has been many, many years), I thought I’d use my blog to publish what would have been my Christmas letter.  I can reach more people this way, anyway.

In many ways 2010 was much the same as the past several years, consumed mostly with my work responsibilities.  As many, but not all, of you may know, in late 2007 I got involved with a new business venture.  A friend of mine, Jared, contacted me to ask if I would be willing to create the cash register component of a Point-of-Sale system for a quick-service pizza restaurant being opened by a friend of his. Despite my hesitation to get involved in such projects in the past, I decided to undertake the challenge.  Soon we began to attract the attention of other franchisees in the chain, and before we knew it we were selling our product to others.  Since that time we officially organized Custom Register Solutions, of which I am part owner.  In 2010 we increased our size from 3 employees to a company with 15 people.  It has been quite a ride.  My brother Brent joined the company in June this year, helping to create the web site portion of our software.

In 2009 we were approached by some executives from the parent company of the same international pizza chain to see if our product could be adopted to some new and very specific needs.  It was pretty evident that we could, so since that time we’ve been working intimately with them.  We’re confident that we will be announced as their preferred POS vendor very soon (the only “iffy” part is when, not if).  Between the preparation for that upcoming announcement, the demand it will place on us when that happens, and our fast-paced development schedule in the company I have been working very long weeks for a little over 3 years now.  It is nice to be getting close to the realization of what was, at the time we started the project, an impossible dream.  We’re doing some very cool and innovative stuff, but I can’t talk about that just yet.

In spite of the many hours I spend working, I have still gotten involved in several other outside projects.  Everyone who knows me is well aware of my interest in audio, video, and photography, and I have always enjoyed working on any project that involved any or all of those three.  This year was no exception.  Early in the year I proposed the idea of a live Internet-streamed concert to an up-and-coming California-based artist named Sonnet who had become known in Utah for the soundtrack she provided for a popular television commercial, and she was gracious enough to accept.  Soon the project blossomed into an honest-to-goodness real music video as well, which my friend Dave would direct, and another friend Paul would shoot.  February through May included a lot of planning for those events, which took place the first through second weeks of June.  It was a very busy schedule, but it was also a lot of fun spending time with old and new friends as part of the crew.  Few of the final results have been posted on the Internet at this point , but I will be sure to let everyone know when they are.

I had the privilege of spending more time with family this year than most.  My youngest sister Christine graduated from BYU in Psychology in April, and my parents and sister Suzanne all flew to Provo to be there for that.  Christine was seriously dating her then-boyfriend Brennen at the time, and a week later they announced their engagement to be married in August.  Through the planning stages my mom came back to Provo to help Christine out for a few days.  The entire family came out for the wedding in August.  It was the first time that all of us had not just been together, but had the opportunity to go to the temple as a family as well.  It was definitely a memorable occasion which we are all grateful for.

After the craziness of the wedding wound down, it was back to work as usual for a couple weeks before I headed to Tucson for two weeks to help with the installation of our software in 13 store locations there.  It was hot and stormy the first week, and the second week it was hot and dry, but the condo we rented had no working air conditioning.  I spent many nights on the couch just trying to get comfortable enough to sleep, while working in the heat during the day.  I was glad to come home.

This year I also got to see one of my favorite musical acts, Celtic Woman, perform not once but twice.  They came to Salt Lake in May, and I took my friend Sarah as my date, and Dave and Paul tagged along as well.  Sarah spent several years in Ireland and enjoys Celtic music, so it was a treat for her to be able to go.  The girls in the group are pretty amazing.  I really enjoyed the concert, so when they went to Los Angeles at the end of August I decided to see them again.  This time I took Sonnet with me, who despite being ill that day had a good time.  It was also nice to see my new friend again and spend a couple days with her in her hometown.  We planned to work together to record a short Christmas album, but due to both of us having busy schedules that didn’t happen this year.  Maybe next year?

Other projects this year included shooting video for a handful of weddings, doing audio for an international dance/music festival in Sandy, UT, my annual trip taking pictures of fall leaves with my friend Dave, recording the commentary for a feature film, and being the regular sound guy for the Mountain Blue southern bluegrass A Cappella gospel group.  Mountain Blue kept me really busy in early December, with quite a number of performances in the first half of the month.  But I love anything involving audio, video, or photography, so any opportunity that comes is more than welcome.

I am spending my Christmas vacation at my parents’ home (as I always do) in Tulsa, OK this year, with nearly all of the rest of my family.  Only my sister Cheryl and her husband Blake and their kids won’t be there. Their family is getting big and it is becoming more difficult for them to all travel.  It’s sad that they won’t be there with the rest of us, but we understand why they can’t and they’ll be with us in spirit.  This year Christine will be bringing her new husband with her, so we’re excited to include a new family member in our festivities.  We’re very lucky that we have been able to have so much of our family together for Christmas for so many years.

Christmas is my favorite time of year, not just because I get to see my family, but also because it is the time of year when many people put their own desires aside and think of others, and because it is the time of year we dedicate to thinking about our Savior, Jesus Christ.  The spirit of the season is unique, and something I look forward to throughout the year.  It never lasts long enough.

Cool setup for taking pictures

I have started using a set of 3 devices that really make the process of taking pictures very cool.

• Canon PowerShot SD960 IS (really, any camera that uses SD memory cards would work here

• Eye-Fi SD/WiFi card

• Verizon MiFi2200

This combination lets me do some cool things. 

Using the Eye-Fi card in combination with the Verizon MiFi is pretty slick.  The Eye-Fi card has a Wi-Fi radio and it can be configured to connect to the Internet via the Verizon MiFi.  This means that I can:

• Automatically transfer pictures to my computer without removing the memory card from the camera, or plugging it in via a USB cable, even when my computer is not nearby.
• Automatically upload pictures to a photo sharing site on the Internet from anywhere Verizon has coverage.
• Geotag photos to record the location they are taken.

The Eye-Fi card transfers pictures automatically whenever it has a WiFi connection, so if I carry my Verizon MiFi with me in my back pocket as I take pictures, those pictures are totally automatically and silently uploaded to the internet and down to my computer as I am taking them.  I don’t have to do anything to make it happen; it all happens in the background.  I can be anywhere that Verizon has coverage and my pictures will be waiting for me on my computer even before I get home.

The Eye-Fi also supports the major photo sharing sites out there.  So when I want to I can log into my account and tell the Eye-Fi servers which site I want use for storing pictures, and the pictures are automatically uploaded to that site in real time.  I don’t have to transfer them to a computer first; as long as I’m in Verizon’s coverage area the photos will automagically appear on my choice of web site.

The Eye-Fi card also supports Geotagging, so the physical location of each picture is recorded automatically. 

Besides all of this cool functionality, I like saying that I connect my Eye-Fi to MiFi over Wi-Fi. 

Now if only I had the Eye-Fi Pro card, which supports the RAW images that I take on my DSLR camera...  Add one more thing to the wish list.

Nighttime Winter Photography

Even though it’s cold outside, and driving in snow gets kind of old, I still enjoy winter… sometimes.  One of those times is after a fresh snowfall, when I can get some nighttime snow pictures.  So I went out last night about midnight and captured a few…

Some of the pictures are just meant to show how much snow we have gotten, and aren’t composed in any artistic way.  So please don’t be too critical.  :)

I actually did this two nights in a row, and sent out some from the first night to a couple friends that don’t get snow in the winter, and had a few people ask questions about how I was able to capture them, and what I had done in Photoshop to give them the surreal look that they had.  There’s an easy answer to that question: nothing.  The first bunch didn’t ever see Photoshop.  This bunch did, but all I did was correct the white balance, as I thought the pictures looked too yellow, and felt too warm as a result, so I corrected the color of the snow back to white.  But other than that, I did absolutely nothing to the images; these are just as they came out of the camera.

Other than having a good camera, the only thing I did special was to put the camera on a tripod so the long exposures required at night wouldn’t blur.  I didn’t use any fancy filters, no overpriced exotic lenses.  It was just all about proper composure and making sure the camera didn’t move.  But that wasn’t enough for some images; there are a few in here that are kind of blurry.  Autofocus pretty much doesn’t work at night, and its really hard to manually focus when it’s so dark outside.  So my apologies on those.  I liked the images anyway, so I included them despite their blurriness.

Anyway, enjoy.  I don’t get out to take pictures just for fun very often any more, and that’s why you never see any of my photos here on my blog; I’m usually working for a client, and I generally won’t post any of their images without asking permission first.

TOTW #13: Start Search & Spotlight; Organizing Photos

Computer Tip: Start Search & Spotlight

Here’s a tip for finding programs and files faster on Vista and OS X.  Sorry, XP users; there is no easy equivalent feature for you without add-on software.

In both Windows Vista and Mac OS X there is an easier way to find your programs and files than navigating through your Programs menu or the Finder.  Use Start Search or Spotlight instead.

In Windows Vista, click the Start button (or press the Start key on your keyboard) and begin typing part of the name of the program or file you are looking for.  Windows will search for any matches and place them in the Start menu.  You can either click on the one that you want, or use the arrow keys and Enter to select one from the list.  I use this method exclusively for finding programs in Vista because it is much faster than clicking All Programs and finding what I want there.

Most Mac owners already know this trick, but just in case you don’t: In Mac OS X, click the magnifying glass in the upper right of the menu bar, or press Cmd + Space, and begin typing the name of the program or file you want.  Then, just like in Vista, click on the one you want or use the arrow keys and Enter to select an entry in the list.  Spotlight search results can be customized under System Preferences to include or exclude the various types of files on your computer, and to change the order in which they appear. 

Multimedia Tip: Organizing Photos

If you have had a digital camera for a while I hope by now you’ve come up with a system that makes it easy to go back and find your photos.  Trying to manage one large folder with hundreds or thousands of files sure isn’t easy.

With the tens of thousands of pictures I have taken in the last few years I had to come up with an efficient method for cataloging images.  So here’s what I’ve come up with.

Inside my Pictures folder I have about a dozen major categories… People, Places, Events, etc.  Inside each of those folders is a subfolder with the name of the person/group, place, event, as well as a date.  Then within that folder I might break things up even more.  So if I had been taking engagement pictures for Tim & Angie, the folder would be People\Tim & Angie – May 2008\Engagement or something like that.

Using that system I can always very quickly find the images that I want.  I have seen some people organize their photos solely by date, which might seem logical, but in the long term it gets hard to remember when a given event took place, or the day you took photos of your cousin Harry.  But if I do want to search by date, I can just use my computer’s search feature to look for the month and year as part of the folder name.  Easy as pie.

There are some software programs available that are designed to help organize photos, and some are very good.  But in my experience most of them start to choke on large numbers of images, so personally I have given up on them.  But no matter, the system of using folder has served me very well for a decade.

TOTW #12: Free Protection; Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!

Computer Tip: Free Protection

Looking for a free solution for anti-virus and anti-spyware software? You're in luck; there are options available.

Free Anti-Virus #1: AntiVir

AntiVir is very highly rated, and they offer a free version for personal use on a single computer. Personally I like this one better than other free solutions; it feels more polished.

Free Anti-Virus #2: AVG

This is the one that it seems like everyone knows about. It does fairly well at detecting viruses, but it seems to struggle with removing even some of the more common ones. Nevertheless, it is still a decent solution. Also for personal use.

Free Anti-Spyware #1: Microsoft Windows Defender

This is first because you may already have it. It is include with Windows Vista, and is available as a free download for anyone running Windows XP. It isn't the best solution available; it tends to miss some spyware detected by other solutions, but as basic protection it is fine.

Free Anti-Spyware #2: Malwarebytes Anti-Malware

Technically it isn't free; there is a $24.95 registration fee to unlock real-time protection. However, the trial version is fully functional as far as scanning and removal is concerned. it features better detection than many other solutions. Download here.

Noticeably missing

I've see copies of Ad Aware and SpyBot running on a lot of computers as free solutions to spyware problems. I have omitted both here because, while once effective, they both have slipped in their ability to detect a wide variety of spyware infections. If you are running one of these products, it would be best to supplement it with one of the products listed above. You can install multiple anti-spyware solutions (just make sure that no more than one is set to scan in real-time), but I don't recommend installing multiple anti-virus products.

Recommended Commercial Solution

I have been recommending Webroot's Antivirus with AntiSpyware for a while now, and it is holding up quite well. It's Anti-spyware feature is top rated, as is the anti-virus feature. But I especially like it because they offer 3 and 5-computer subscriptions for just a few dollars more than the price of the single computer offering, and if you renew before your subscription expires they give a discount.

Best Solution

The absolute best way to prevent viruses and spyware is to use caution when on the Internet. When visiting a web site you can't fully trust, don't allow it to install anything on your computer. If it pops up a request to install anything, just say no. One of the more common ploys in use today is the request to install a "codec" to install a video. Just don't fall for it.

Along with that, making sure your computer stays up-to-date by checking for and installing Windows updates frequently and automatically. This can go a long way toward avoiding infections in the first place. If you aren't updating as often as you should, it's a good time to start.

Checking for and installing updates also applies to Macs too. Despite what you may hear, there are exploits for problems with OS X in the wild. Macs that are not kept up-to-date can be hacked into faster than Windows Vista, for example.

Personal Experience

Ironic as it might be, I actually don't run my computers with anti-virus and anti-spyware scanners turned on. There hasn't been a need because I just haven't ever had a virus. Spyware, on the other hand, does manage to work its way on to my computers, so I set them to scan once a week. But most of the time all they find are cookies, which actually aren't harmful.

Multimedia Tip: Zoom, Zoom, Zoom!

The most common reason people use the zoom feature of the camera is to attempt to get closer to the subject they are shooting. While zooming does make small objects bigger, it has other effects on an image that aren't immediately obvious. Allow me to explain.

Standing back from an object and zooming in on it produces a very small field of view. If you were to draw a line from the camera to one of the objects at the left edge of the frame, and another line from the camera to the an object at the right side of the frame, this angle would be very small. Objects in this field of view may be large, but they lose any sense of size and depth. The ratio of the size of your subject vs. the size of the background is small. In effect, zooming in compresses space and distance, making objects close to and far away from the camera seem to be at the same distance. As a result, images appear flat, lacking the details that give our eyes a feeling of distance, texture, and reality, and are less exciting visually than those taken with a wide angle lens. (To compensate, make sure your primary light source isn't coming from behind or above you; side lighting helps to re-establish the feeling of depth.)

Stepping forward and zooming out has a different effect altogether. Again, draw an imaginary line from the camera to an object at the left edge of the frame, and another from the camera to an object on the right edge. The angle between the lines is much wider. Objects in the field of view tend to appear smaller than they would if you zoom in, but the sense of distance and space is larger. Zooming out exaggerates space and distance; objects closer the camera feel closer than they really are, and objects farther away feel a lot farther away than they are in reality. If you have ever seen a building, venue or room on TV then seen it later in real life, it usually appears much larger on TV because of the use of wide angle lenses.

So how do you use this when composing a picture? First of all, when taking portraits, stepping in too close and zooming out to compensate will cause distorted features on your subject. Any body part close to the camera will be perceived to be larger than it really is, and conversely any body parts farther away will appear to be smaller than they do in real life. So if making someone's nose or forehead look too big is your goal, step in an zoom out. Otherwise, step back and zoom in. But not too much; we don't want noses to disappear because they have no depth, or ears to appear too close to the face. For SLR cameras, a good guideline is 85mm divided by your camera's focal length multiplier (1.5 on Nikon, resulting in 57mm; or 1.6 on most Canon bodies, for 53mm).

Sometimes we want to convey a message that whatever we are taking a picture of is large, or to make the space between two objects look bigger than it really is. That's when we step forward and zoom out. For the widest views, a wide angle lens is required, however, so you might be limited in just how wide you can go.

Ultimately, however, the Zoom on a camera should be use more like a cropping tool than an attempt to get physically closer to our subject. The vast majority of the time you'll get a more realistic picture if you just step closer and zoom out.

TOTW #10: Laptop Battery Life; Photo Composition; Bonus Tip!

Computer Tip: Laptop Battery Life

In a conversation I had earlier this week with a friend it became pretty evident that there are many misconceptions out there about the best ways to take care of the battery on a laptop to give it optimum life. So here's an attempt to clear some of that up.

Most laptop batteries today use a Lithium-Ion technology to store their charge. LiIon batteries require different care than older NiCd and NiMH batteries. NiCd and NiMH batteries would lose their ability to hold a charge more quickly if they were not drained fully before being recharged. LiIon don't have that limitation. Their life span is mostly related to the total number of times they are charged and discharged.

Most LiIon batteries have a life span of somewhere around 500 charge cycles before they won't accept a charge any longer. Fully discharging then fully recharging a battery would be one cycle. Likewise, discharging half way and recharging would be a half of a cycle. After around 500 total cycles the battery is done.

As batteries go through charge and discharge cycles, their capacity to hold a charge diminishes gradually until it just won't take any charge at all. You will see shorter and shorter times that you can run your computer on battery.

So basically the more you use your laptop running on battery, the more quickly that battery will wear out. If you discharge then recharge your battery every day, you'll probably get a little over a year out of your battery before it won't take a charge any longer. The moral of the story here is to plug in whenever you can to avoid going through the charge/discharge cycles.

With older laptops and batteries, it was best to remove the battery from the computer once they were fully charged to avoid overcharging. With newer laptops and battery chemistries this is no longer the case. The charging circuit always maintains the ideal charge on the batteries, so it is best to plug in the computer and leave the battery in the computer all the time.

After a battery is worn out, take it to any number of facilities that collect batteries for recycling. Two of the more common collectors are Radio Shack and Best Buy. The service is free.

Multimedia Tip: Photo Composition

I'm going to go with a cop-out this week and just direct your attention to my second photography class from about a year ago. The class was on techniques you can use to create visually appealing images. So when you have about 45 minutes, crawl up on your couch with a laptop and watch the class:

Bonus Tip: Synchronizing Files Between Computers

I came across a really cool free utility this week designed to synchronize and share files between computers. It's called FolderShare.

It works on both Mac and PC. On each computer you can select one or more folders that you wish to synchronize with other computers. Those computers don't even need to belong to you; you can setup shares to synchronize files with other people. And it all happens automatically. As soon as you create a file in, or copy a file into a shared folder, FolderShare begins synchronizing it with all of the other computers that are sharing that same folder, completely behind the scenes. There are no limits on the size or types of files. The data is also compressed and encrypted so it transfers quickly, and can't be viewed by third parties.

The other nifty thing that it does is that it can (optionally) make all of the files and folders on your computer available via the FolderShare web site. You log into the site and can see and download any of the files and folders on your computer at home. (The files are downloaded directly from your computer; they aren't stored on the FS site.) So you might not need to carry a USB flash drive any longer, as long as you have access to the Internet you have access to any of your files at home. The service even works if your computer is behind a firewall or router.

I have some file shares setup between me and some business contacts, and some friends. We can all access and share files without having to exchange the files via email or a web site. It all happens in the background. It's a great way to share pictures or video with friends and family.

I was thinking of writing a program like this and charging money for it. Then I discovered this service, and it's totally free, so it looks like I'll have to find another software idea. :)

TOTW #9: Portable Music; Blurred Backgrounds

Computer Tip: Portable Music

Most of us have portable music players (PMPs), usually iPods. But when I say “portable” here I’m actually referring to the ability to move music between different software ecosystems, not being able to take the player with you. In other words, not being tied down to just one particular program or player; being able to move music between say, and iPod, and a Zune, car stereo, etc. freely.

iTunes and the iPod like to use a file format called AAC. Devices and software outside of the Apple world, on the other hand, usually don’t recognize this format. Most other players in the world don’t play AAC but rather Microsoft’s format, WMA. All can play MP3 files, though, so if you want a type of file that can be played by anyone, MP3 is the only viable option. (I’m not a fan of the sound quality of MP3 files, but there is no other universal format that can be played everywhere.)

The vast majority of music purchased within iTunes is not only in AAC format, but it is also copy protected. So not only are you limited to playing within iTunes or on your iPod, it will only play on YOUR iTunes and iPod. You can’t even share a file with a friend or use it in a video if you want to. (On a side note, I strongly recommend against buying copy protected music, just so you know you’ll be able to play it on whatever computer or device you may have a few years down the road.)

So what is the solution? Buying music from sources that supply unprotected MP3 files. Or buying CDs and copying them to the computer in MP3 format instead of AAC or WMA.

Personally my favorite source for legal MP3 downloads is the Amazon.com MP3 Store. They have a huge selection, the prices are usually better than other sources, and all of their music is in unprotected MP3 format so it plays on anything. Their downloader utility even copies music into iTunes or Windows Media Player automatically. Walmart and others also offer MP3 downloads as well. iTunes has some “iTunes Plus” titles which are in an unprotected AAC format, but once again you are limited to whatever devices can support AAC files.

Multimedia Tip: Blurred Backgrounds

Some of the nicest photographs you ever see utilize a technique called ‘shallow depth of field’ to ensure that only the intended subject is in focus, with everything behind (and in front of) thrown out of focus. This naturally draws your eye to the most important part of the image by removing extraneous details.

To get this effect on a point & shoot camera, set it to its Portrait mode. Then stand comfortably close (5 feet?) and take the picture. It helps to be outdoors or in other well-lit conditions.

To get this effect on an SLR camera, set the mode dial to Av or A. Then turn the adjustment wheel to get the largest aperture possible, which means the lowest number possible. Stand at the same 5’ distance and snap away.

In either case you should also have the camera set to its fastest ISO (lowest number) possible. Adding a neutral density filter to your lens also enhances the effect.

TOTW #8: Two Steps Forward, Two Steps Back; What Do These Letters Mean?

Computer Tip: Two Steps Forward, Two Steps Back

Tired of moving your mouse to the Back and Forward buttons on your browser's title bar to navigate between recently visited pages?  Well, there is an easier way.

Different browsers have different supported ways of doing this, but here are a few variations; try them all in your favorite browser and pick one that works.

To go back a page, try: Alt+Left Arrow, Backspace, or hold Shift while rotating the mouse wheel toward you.

To go forward a page, try: Alt+Right Arrow, or hold Shift while rotating the mouse wheel away from you.

Some mice and/or keyboards have dedicated Back and Forward buttons too.

And while I'm at it, instead of using your mouse wheel to scroll a web page, tap the space bar to navigate down one screen at a time, or use the Page Up and Page Down keys.  And don't forget the F6, F8, Control+O and Control+L shortcuts from earlier tips to make browsing with the keyboard easier.

Multimedia Tip: What Do These Letters Mean?

Cameras often have letter designations for the different settings, and their meanings might not always be obvious.  So here are a few common settings and what they are:

P	Program mode; the camera decides how to expose an image, but you can shift the program by rotating the dial under your finger.
Av or A	Aperture Priority.  You tell the camera the size of aperture you want, and it decides the appropriate shutter speed to expose properly.
Tv or S	Shutter Priority.  You tell the camera the shutter speed, and it figures out the appropriate aperture size.
M	Manual Mode.  You select both the aperture size and the shutter speed.
Adep	Aperture depth.  You select two objects at different distances that you would like to be in focus, press the shutter half way down for each, and the camera figures out the aperture size and shutter speed for the proper exposure.

If you're unsure what these terms mean, feel free to go back and watch the first episode of my Introduction to Photography classes, where I explain exposure in detail.

TOTW #6: Windows Vista, Buying a Digital Camera

Computer Tip: Windows Vista

There is a lot of negative press out there about Windows Vista, some of which is deserved, but much of which is not.  In an attempt to quell some of the rumors, here's my take on it.

Myth: Windows Vista crashes more than Windows XP.
Reality: Hardware drivers (the software created by the manufacturers of the cards and peripherals to make them work with Windows) in the early days of Windows Vista were quite buggy, and some did in fact cause the computer to crash.  At this point in time, however, the problem seems to have been resolved, especially with the release of Service Pack 1 for Vista.  For most people Vista will be more stable than XP.

Myth: Windows Vista is slower than Windows XP.
Reality: If you attempt to run Windows Vista on a computer that doesn't meet (or barely meets) the minimum recommended requirements it can be painfully slow to run.  Because Vista has more features and more going on behind the scenes, it does require a faster computer with more memory than Windows XP, so it will feel slower.  Some features are faster, though, such as startup time.  But as long as a computer is relatively new and has sufficient memory and CPU power it will run Windows Vista just fine.  My recommendation: if you are buying a new computer and it will come with Windows Vista, make sure you have at least 2 GB of RAM, and a newer video card.

Myth: My old software won't run on Windows Vista.
Reality: There are some pieces of software that cannot be made to run properly on Windows Vista, especially things like anti-virus and anti-spyware utilities.  Fortunately, though, these are in the minority.  Some applications which appear to misbehave can be made to run perfectly fine by adjusting the Compatibility Mode for that application (right-click the program's shortcut, select Properties, then Compatibility Mode).  As an absolute last resort, running the programs with administrative rights (right-click, select Run as Administrator) goes a long away to making older software work as designed.

Myth: Vista will bug me with Cancel or Allow prompts all of the time. 
Reality: When you are setting up your computer for the first time you will be asked if you want to Cancel or Allow different operations quite a bit.  Once you've got everything setup the way you like it, though, you'll only be given this prompt when you install or update software on your computer.  The reason for this is that Vista is more secure, and programs aren't allowed to make changes that affect the way the computer operates without your explicit permission.  XP didn't require this because most people ran it so that permission wasn't required to make permanent changes.  If you're used to a Mac, the same situations where you're asked to enter your password are the times when you will receive a Cancel/Allow prompt on Vista.

Myth: Vista is harder to use than XP.
Reality: Not really.  For someone sitting down at a computer for the first time it is actually easier than Windows XP to learn.  Features tend to be placed where you would expect them to be for the most part.  It just seems harder because we're all used to the way that XP does things.

Myth: I shouldn't upgrade my computer to Windows Vista.
Reality:  You probably shouldn't.  Vista runs best on new computers.  Computers that came with Windows XP probably won't run Vista very well.  The same was true of XP when it first came out as well, though to a lesser extent.  This is normal for new operating systems.

As for me and my house, I am continuing to run Windows XP on the computers that have been running XP, and am running Vista on the computers that came with Vista.  I have only attempted to upgrade one of my computers, and it worked out okay, but only because it was a blazingly fast XP machine to start with.  Under Vista it is just okay.  I advise against upgrading unless your computer is quite new and has a lot of memory.

Multimedia Tip: Buying a Digital Camera

Some of this will be a repeat of an early post on my blog, but digital cameras are so common, and tend to have such short lives, that people end up buying them fairly frequently.  So here are a few tips.

Unimportant Numbers

Megapixels: Manufacturers throw around megapixel ratings like they are the most important specification on a camera.  My advice: ignore it completely.  Any camera with a 5 megapixel or higher resolution sensor will be more than enough for anything you're likely to do with any of your pictures.  On point and shoot cameras the picture quality actually suffers as the number of pixels on the sensor goes up if the sensor size is the same on two different models.  See my Megapixel Myth post for more info.

ISO Sensitivity: ISO is a measurement of the camera's sensitivity to light.  On some cameras you'll see numbers as high as 6400, and even higher on the newest models.  In truth, on point & shoot digital cameras any ISO setting higher than 400 is going to be totally unusable (even 400 on many models).  Like megapixels, ignore this number.   On digital SLRs, this number starts to take on some meaning, but no purchasing decision should be made on it alone.

Digital Zoom: Optical zoom indicates the zoom ratio of the image as it comes through the lens and is focused on the digital sensor.  Digital zoom, on the other hand, takes the captured image and zooms in, which results in a significant loss in picture detail.  Ignore any "digital zoom" numbers completely, and look for "optical zoom" numbers instead.  Digital zoom is totally worthless.

LCD Size: It doesn't really matter what the size of the LCD on the back of the camera is, it's the LCD's resolution that makes a difference in image quality.  If the screen gets bigger without adding any additional pixels it will look worse than its smaller equivalent resolution screen.

Important Numbers

Unfortunately for camera buyers the most important numbers usually aren't advertised by manufacturers.  If you can find them, though, you'll have a much better idea of just how good a camera really is.

Sensor Size: Usually measured in fractions of an inch. The larger, the better.  But pay close attention to the way the numbers are written, since they are fractions of an inch, so 1/2 is larger than 1/3, for example.  The larger the sensor, the sharper your images will be, and the more sensitive the camera will be in low-light conditions, both of which are very good things.

Lens Size and F-Stop: The f-stop is a measure of how large a lens's iris can be.  It is expressed as a fraction, so f2.8 is larger (and better) than f5.6.  But because it's a fraction based on the focal length of the lens, you also have to take the physical size of the lens into account, so two different size lenses can have the same f-stop range.  Bigger lenses (look at the glass, not the barrel!) let more light in and give a much better image.

Shutter Lag: How long it takes between the time you press the shutter button and when the camera actually takes a picture.  On low quality cameras you might wait a second or more.  On better cameras the picture is captured virtually immediately.  That difference might just be the determining factor between getting and not getting the picture you want.

Useful Features

Among the myriad of features advertised by camera manufacturers, the ones that will actually help you get better pictures are: Custom white balance, face detection, optical image stabilization, boutique brand lenses, predefined scenes, and low ISO (<100).  Most other features are gimmicky, just don't work as advertised, or don't do anything to help you get better pictures.

There you go... happy shopping!

TOTW #5: Why So Slow? & 50 Cent Tripod Substitute

Computer Tip: Why So Slow?

The biggest problem I see with computers these days is that they are just too darn slow. Even new computers out of the box suffer sometimes. The common misconception is that computers are usually slow because their processor isn't fast enough, but that isn't the case most of the time. The real reason that most of our computers are too slow is because they don't have enough memory.

Computers use two primary types of storage. Temporary storage, in the form of RAM (Random Access Memory), and non-volatile storage in the form of a hard disk drive. When you start a program on your computer a copy is made from permanent storage to temporary storage (hard disk drive to RAM) and the program is run from RAM. Many programs, including Windows, OS X, and Linux themselves, usually require more RAM than is actually available in the computer so they use virtual memory to temporarily store data from RAM to the hard disk drive whenever isn't needed immediately. Then when the time comes that it is needed, data from another program is moved out of RAM to the hard disk drive to make space to pull the required data back into RAM. The problem with this scenario is that hard disk drives are literally thousands of times slower than RAM, so it is a very slow and painstaking process to move data back and forth. Every time you see your hard disk light flashing when you aren't loading a program your computer is swapping data back and forth.

The more programs you have running on your computer (and remember that your operating system is really one very big program) the slower it is going to be if there isn't enough RAM to store all of the data required. Upgrading the RAM in your computer cuts down on the amount of swapping going on, thus improving computer performance dramatically. In many cases you can double, triple, or quadruple the time it takes to start, switch, or use programs just by upgrading your RAM.

How much do you need? If you are running Windows XP or OS X Tiger, 512MB is a decent starting place, but all three are happier with 1GB or more. Windows Vista and OS X Leopard require much more RAM to be happy, so 1GB is the minimum recommended, with 2GB or more being ideal. To find out how much you have, in Windows right-click your My Computer icon and select Properties. In OS X, look under the Apple menu, About This Mac.

If you need more RAM, I recommend shopping at www.crucial.com; they have a really easy to use wizard to tell you what type of memory your computer needs, and they have great prices. Installing memory is very easy, and is usually done by unscrewing a single cover or panel, and snapping the memory board into place. In most cases you can upgrade to 2GB for less than $50. It's a cheap fix for an aging, slowing machine.

Upgrading your RAM will give you a very noticeable improvement in performance for not a lot of money, especially if you have a 'budget' computer that didn't have a lot to start with.

Multimedia Tip: 50 Cent Tripod Substitute

So imagine you're hiking in the mountains with your camera one evening and you spot a bird 25 yards away that you'd like to get a picture (or video) of. No problem, right? Except that you're in the shade under cover of trees, so there isn't much light. Holding the camera with just your hands will then cause the picture to blur, and the bird is far enough away that you'll have to zoom in, making your shaky hand that more detrimental to the picture. So you need a way to steady the camera, but you don't want to carry a tripod. Enter the 50 cent tripod substitute.

You'll need:

• You'll need a piece of string just longer than you are tall.
• A short 1/4-20 screw or bolt, about 3/4" long.
• Maybe a large metal washer if you want to get fancy.

Get a 1/4-20 screw or bolt from your local hardware store. They'll know what 1/4-20 means (1/4" diameter, 20 threads per inch). But get something short, like 3/4" or so. Some instructions I've read recommend getting an eye bolt with 1/4-20 threads, but that makes the project more expensive without getting any better results.

Take one end of the string and tie it tightly around the threads of the screw at the base of the head. If you purchased a large washer, cut the string at the same length as your height, and tie the washer on the other end of the string. If you didn't buy a washer, cut your string about a foot longer than you are tall, and make a loop large enough for your shoe to fit inside with a little room to spare, and tie the loop tight.

The idea is that you step on the washer (or into the loop), screw the screw into the tripod mount on your camera, and pull upwards on your camera to keep the string taut, with your foot pulling downward on the other end. The downward force on the camera will greatly improve the steadiness of the camera especially compared to holding it just by hand.

It isn't a total substitute for a real tripod, but it does fit in your pocket or camera bag, only weighs a few ounces max, and is super cheap. It does produce great results, though, and is even more useful for video cameras.

TOTW #4: Passwords; Rule of Thirds

Computer Tip: Twelve Rules of Good Passwords

I don't do much on-site tech support these days, but over the years that I have, I've noticed a troubling trend with regard to user's passwords. It's pretty bad that an alarmingly high percentage of the time I would be able to guess a user's password within a handful of attempts if I just know a little about them. I sincerely hope that my faithful readers don't fall into that trap, so allow me to share a few tips on selecting good passwords.

Rule #1: DON'T use anybody's name as the basis of a password, especially a significant other. You have no idea how often I see passwords that are just someone's name, especially the name of a spouse or boy/girlfriend. This also extends to the names of celebrities, bands, pets, or movies.

Rule #2: DON'T use an English word as your password, or any other dictionary word in any other language. These are the first passwords guessed by bots on the Internet. And if you have selected "password" or "test" as your password, we need to have a talk about security.

Rule #3: DON'T use any part of a birthday as part of a password. I see passwords that are simply someone's birthday, or a name with the birthday added to the end. If I were a hacker, after trying common English words, I'd try birthdays next.

Rule #4: DON'T use a variant of anything listed above. In other words, don't use leslie01 or kevin2008. That includes adding any variant of a year on to any of the above.

Rule #5: DON'T use your username or email address. Way too easy to guess.

Rule #6: DO select a password that contains numbers, symbols, and some uppercase letters. The more characters you have to select from, the harder your passwords is to guess. If, for example, you only use letters and select a 6 character password, there are 308 million possibilities. Adding numbers, symbols, and varying upper/lower case increases the number of possibilities to 782 billion (a 253388% increase).

Rule #7: DO select passwords, which if they were made visible, look like nonsense. But...

Rule #8: DO come up with some sort of method that allows you to create passwords that you can remember. Make up a sentence about something around you or going on in your life, then take the first letter of each word, adding numbers and symbols. It's easier to remember the sentence than a long string of nonsensical characters.

Rule #9: DON'T use the same password on more than one web site that deals with anything financial in nature. Use different passwords for each bank account, online store, etc. That way, if one of those sites is hacked (or you fall prey to a phishing scheme) and your password is revealed, it won't work anywhere else.

Rule #10: DON'T share your password with anyone or any site but the site where you set it up. Banks, for example, will not ask you for your password over the phone.

Rule #11: DON'T write your password on a Post-It Note and stick it on your monitor. Or the bottom of your keyboard. Or in your desk drawer. Just don't write it down anywhere.

Rule #12: DO make sure your password is 8 characters or longer. Each additional character added makes a password exponentially harder to guess.

Many of these methods are especially important because hackers are constantly trying to hack into web sites and computers connected to the Internet, and the first passwords they try are the ones listed above as part of the DON'T rules. And in most cases they can try dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of passwords every second, so if someone is targeting you it wouldn't take long to break into your account if you break the rules. Here's a link to a list of the 10 most commonly used passwords.

Multimedia Tip: Rule of Thirds

How do you get a picture (video or still) that is appealing to the eye? Well, there isn't any one right answer to that question, but the rule of thirds is a good place to start.

The rule simply states that subjects in your pictures should generally fall along the lines of a tic-tac-toe grid drawn over the picture, with the areas of focus falling at the intersections of the grid lines.

The rule is actually based on the golden mean, but for simplicity sake, just imagine a tic-tac-toe grid, and put your subject on one of the lines, with the most important parts at the grid intersections. For people and animals, the most important part is their eyes, so eyes should usually fall along the upper horizontal line, or about 1/3 down from the top. If someone is looking off to the side instead of directly toward the camera, put them on the vertical line which gives the most room in front of them. Other objects in the scene should fall along other grid lines where possible as well.

TOTW#3: Laser or Inkjet; White Balance

Computer Tip: Laser or Inkjet

Computer users looking to buy a printer are faced with a decision... should I buy an inkjet printer, or get a laser? Most people seem to go right to the inkjet, but that is probably not the best choice.

Generally I steer people toward laser printers; they are faster, more reliable, and the cost per page is a tiny fraction of what it costs to run an inkjet. But if you need to print photos, a laser won't provide the quality you desire at any price. Here are the advantages and disadvantages of each type of printer.

Laser Printer

Pros: Printing cost is generally about 2 cents per page (B&W), including paper, no matter what you are printing. Color is a little more expensive, but still relatively cheap. Fast, with most printers spitting out 12 pages per minute in the real world. Reliable. Very high quality output for text and graphics. Toner cartridges last for thousands of pages between replacements.
Cons: Even color laser printers do a very poor job with photos. Toner cartridges are expensive because they last so long. Color laser printers require purchasing four separate toner cartridges periodically, and the printers are considerably more expensive than B&W-only models, as they actually contain four printer engines (one for each color) in one unit.
Purchase Price: $100+ for B&W, $300+ for Color.
Recurring costs: Toner cartridges, usually $40+ every 3000-6000 pages.

Inkjet Printer

Pros: Quality color photo printing is not just achievable, but with photo paper you can yield excellent results.
Cons: Very expensive per page, with costs ranging from 10 cents per page for B&W text to up to more than a dollar per page for full page color photos, just for ink. Crisp, rich, accurate printing requires expensive paper. The jets on the print head tend to clog and must be cleaned periodically, wasting ink. Many inks fade over time.
Purchase Price: Usually $80+, though you can find promotional deals frequently.
Recurring costs: Multi-color ink cartridges generally run about $30 and up for a few hundred pages of text, or a few dozen full-page prints; black cartridges are usually cheaper with similar capacities. Printers that utilize separate ink cartridges for each color typically run $15-20 each; for a printer with 6 cartridges the costs really add up quickly.

For me it boils down to this: If you absolutely have to print photos at home, get an inkjet. But for everyone else, invest in a laser printer; the cost might be higher up front, but the laser is actually much cheaper in the long run. And everybody should use an online service or local photo finisher for printing photos; you'll get much better results, much more cheaply than doing it on your own.

Bonus Tip: Many printers sold today are available with network interfaces, either wired or wireless. Having this feature makes dealing with your printer much easier. I recommend spending the extra money to get a printer with this feature.

Mac Users: Make sure before buying a printer that it has a Mac compatible driver available. Of the five printers I own, only one is compatible with the Mac, and it was quite difficult to install a working driver for it.

Multimedia Tip: White Balance

Have you ever noticed that videos shot indoors, or pictures taken in low light without a flash are often very yellow/orange in color, when it didn't look that way at all in real life? It's because of white balance.

Despite what our eyes tell us, different sources of light around us are actually different colors. We perceive them all as white, but they really vary quite widely as to their real color. Noonday sunlight and camera flashes, for example, look very blue when compared to indoor lighting, while indoor lighting looks orange if compared against sunlight. We don't normally see this because our eyes and brains adapt very well to different color lighting without us even being aware of it. (See Wikipedia's article on Color Temperature for more information.)

Video and still cameras aren't quite so smart. While many have Automatic White Balance options, they don't always work the way we'd like. For example, any time you fill the viewfinder with a scene that has little or no "white," or a lot of blue or orange, the camera will attempt to use the wrong white balance setting, and you'll end up with a picture or video that just looks... weird.

The way to fix this is to tell your camera the color of light that is illuminating your image. Most newer video cameras have pre-set white balance settings for Outdoor (sunlight), Indoor (incandescent lighting), in addition to an Auto mode. And many of these also add a Hold setting, which lets you lock in a particular setting so the observed color doesn't shift over time. Still cameras usually add Fluorescent, Shade, and Cloudy on top of the Outdoor and Indoor settings. In either case, if one of these settings matches your lighting, go ahead and use it. But under any conditions you can utilize the Hold or Custom White Balance setting of your camera to make sure that it knows the proper white balance. Place a white piece of paper or neutral gray card in front of the camera while it is in the Auto White Balance setting, zoom in until it nearly fills the screen, then select the Hold or Custom White Balance setting. Consult your camera's manual for full instructions; the full list of steps varies by manufacturer and type of camera.

By taking the time to white balance your camera you'll end up with much more realistically colored pictures. Even when your pictures look fine without adjusting the white balance, you'll usually see a dramatic improvement in colors by manually setting the white balance. It only takes a few seconds to set it up, and you'll end up with drastically better images. No more orange mess!

TOTW #2: Control key shortcuts; Camera Flash

Computer Tip: The Control Key

The Control key on your keyboard is actually quite useful. There are many keyboard shortcuts that utilize the Control key, and while many vary by the software you are using, but there are a few that work in most software. (The Mac uses the Command key instead of Control for the following commands.)

(Windows) Control +	(Mac) Command +	Action Taken
X	X	Cut selected text / image (to clipboard)
C	C	Copy (to clipboard)
V	V	Paste (from clipboard)
Z	Z	Undo last action
Y	(N/A)	Redo last action
N	N	Create new document
A	A	Select all of current document
O	O	Open document
S	S	Save document
Arrows	Option + Arrows	Move cursor forward or backward one word (Left / Right) or paragraph (Up / Down)
Home	Left Arrow	Move to the top of the current document
End	Right Arrow	Move to the end of the current document
(Alt + F4)	Q	Close Current Program
Backspace	(N/A)	Backspace over entire word

Then there are character formatting shortcuts as well on Windows:

Control +	Character Format
B	Bold
I	Italic
U	Underline

There you go! The less time you spend switching between your mouse and keyboard the more productive you'll be. Memorize a few of these keyboard commands and you'll get more done in less time.

Multimedia Tip: Using Camera Flash

I've always believed that natural light usually provides the best looking pictures. But sometimes it needs a little help. That's where the flash comes in.

In fact, I almost always use my flash on my camera, whether I'm taking pictures inside or outside, if there are any people or unwanted shadows in the image. And the reason is simple: to take control over my lighting. Anyone who attended/watched my photography class knows that "control of lighting is everything in photography." Don't just turn your flash on all of the time, though; it takes a while to get a feel for how and when. But here are a few guidelines to help get better pictures.

Whenever there is a large difference in the amount of light hitting your subject and their surroundings (for example, someone's face is in the shade but the background behind them is in the sun), turning on the flash to fill in the darker areas of the picture (i.e. your subject) is essential to capturing a usable image. Yet in the camera's default "automatic" setting cameras will leave the flash off in this situation. So turn on the flash to provide the extra lighting needed to brighten your subject to better match the lighting of the background.

Conversely, if you are taking a picture of a subject that is more than about 20 feet away, turning on the flash will do no good. In fact, it will usually result in a very dark image because the light from your flash just can't reach the subject; it dims as it gets farther from the camera. I always laugh when I see hundreds of camera flashes going off in sports stadiums, because 90+% of the time those pictures won't come out properly because the field is just too far away to reflect back any light from the flash. So when taking a picture of a distant subject, just turn off the flash whether it is night or day. The camera will then know to expose the image longer to record a brighter (and properly exposed) image. Of course, the "20 feet" rule varies based on the output capacity of your flash and the camera's ISO setting, but as a general rule, if your subject is 20 feet or more away, just turn off the flash. And if you are exposing a distant object at night, use a tripod to steady the camera.

If you are trying to capture both a dimly lit subject in the foreground and a distant background at night, you will need to find a mode on your camera that exposes the background properly, but turns on the flash as well. On SLR cameras the Aperture Priority (A or Av) setting usually does this; set to the appropriate aperture for the intended depth-of-field, turn on the flash, and fire away. On point-and-shoot cameras look for a night flash mode (an icon with a flash with the moon), but don't be too surprised if your camera doesn't have it; it isn't very common on inexpensive cameras.

Lastly (for this time), when taking portrait pictures, even outside, I like to turn on the flash to not only fill in any shadows, but also to create a little glint in my subject's eyes. Eyes are the window to the soul, and that glint helps to make them stand out more in the photograph.

If your camera has the ability to adjust how bright the flash is (many do), I recommend playing with it to get better control over lighting. Most of the time you will need to dial down the level of the flash (-1 or -2 EV) to avoid having your pictures look flat and washed out. Look for an icon with a flash symbol and +/- to find this function.

TOTW #1: Easier Web Navigation; Better Portraits

So I think I want to start doing a 'tip of the week' posting on my blog. But each one will really be two tips... one computer-related, one for photography, audio, or video. And these aren't going to be targeted at people who already have expertise in these areas; these are for normal people. It has taken me years to figure out all of the little tricks that I use all of time time; and it will be nice to pass on some of that knowledge.

Computer Tip: Open web sites more quickly and easily.

Part 1: Most people type out www.google.com in their browser's address bar to get to Google's web site. A quicker way to do the same thing is to type "google" and press [Control+Enter] on your keyboard. Your browser will automatically add the "www." and ".com" for you. This tip works for any .com web site, in Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Opera, as well as Safari on Windows. Unfortunately Safari on the Mac doesn't support this feature.

Part 2: Instead of grabbing your mouse to click on the address bar in your browser, press [Alt+D] in any Windows browser (or [Command+L] on the Mac). The whole web site address bar entry should then be automatically highlighted, so you can just start typing a new site address. Then use the Control+Enter trick to get to web sites more quickly. So to quickly get to Google's home page, type: [Alt+D] google [Control+Enter]. Much faster than the "normal" way of doing things.

Multimedia Tip: Better Portrait Photos

Since I'm currently involved in a photo directory project, it seems appropriate to give a tip to get better portrait photos. This one is a little longer than I'll be making future tips, but it's full of really good information.

Getting good portraits doesn't require fancy equipment. It's all about the right lighting and getting people to relax and be themselves. Even inexpensive point-and-shoot cameras can capture good portraits.

Start with lighting... the best portraits use soft lighting coming mostly from one side of the subject. Harsh lighting such as the afternoon sun isn't flattering, and on-camera flashes produce a very flat image which hides the features that make people distinctive and interesting. The easiest way to get soft lighting is to use indirect light coming from a window or doorway, or to set your subject near a white object being lit by the sun. If you must take pictures in the sun, have the subject turn so it is at their backs, but not shining directly into your camera lens.

Have your subjects turn their bodies slightly toward the most prominent light source, but keep their head facing the camera. In addition to better lighting, the diagonal line created by their shoulders is far more interesting than the straight line created when someone is standing with their body aimed straight ahead, and it gives more of a feeling of depth to the photograph. I've found that somewhere between 25 and 45 degrees of turn is ideal, but it depends on your subject and lighting conditions. Just avoid right angles in the picture by using diagonal shoulders.

Getting people to relax is trickier; you can only do so much and the rest is up to them. Making a joke usually helps, as does adding distance between the camera and subject. People don't like having cameras right in their faces, so step back and zoom in. In addition, the extra distance helps facial features to be recorded more accurately; the wide lens angle required when too close to you subject leads to noses, foreheads, and chins that are too big, especially when compared to the smaller ears that also result. (Wide angles exaggerate distance and size differences.)

These same techniques can be applied to candid snapshots too.

That's it for this week!

There you go! Two quick tips... things that took me a while to figure out, and now I'm passing that on to you. Good luck!

Feeling A Little Overwhelmed Today

I'm kind of feeling a little bit overwhelmed with everything I have to get done in the next little while. Here's just a sampling:

• Edit the video I shot at a college graduation a few weeks ago, make several copies of the DVD, and send them off.
• Edit the video I shot for my friend Amber's wedding and make a DVD, and send it off.
• Edit the video I shot of my sister Christine performing at Velour, and post it for my family.
• Copy and send out the recording of Christine playing at Ozz, and send it to my family.
• Edit pictures I shot for Michael & Kiley's wedding, and order prints.
• Edit and mix down recordings I made of Richard and Gabe forever ago.
• Edit family pictures taken at Christmas, make DVDs of the video I shot at Christmas the last three years, and get those sent out.
• Make several significant changes to a tuxedo rental system I just created, and install and train the store owner and employees on how to use it.
• Extract the audio for a golf seminar from a hard drive recorder, burn DVDs, and send them off.
• Order more equipment and install another two antennas in my stake center for an upcoming stake conference.
• Make changes in FileBack PC (my backup software) to make it work better on Windows Vista, and fix a bug preventing encrypted backups from being restored. (Most of those parts are done.) After making changes, build a new release package, a new update package, upload both, notify the sites hosting the program that a new version is available, then send out announcements to my customers of the changes and that a new version is available.
• Move my company web site to a new server.
• Start cleaning the house in preparation for my parents visiting next week, and sister Cheryl and her family the following week.
• Arrange and build a float for the Freedom Festival 4th of July parade.
• Write a synthesizer engine for my GuitarToy software, finish debugging, create a web site and press releases, and post it.
• Do final cleanup on my ActiveClip utility, build a web site for it, and release it.
• Update my stake web site's calendar. I think I'm only 3 months behind right now.
• Build an inventory manager for the point-of-sale software I'm working on. And build the employee scheduling module. Plus a ton of other changes.
• One of these days, shoot and edit a training video for the point-of-sale system.

That's just what comes to mind immediately. Mostly this is my own checklist of things to work on. But it's depressing because I think I'm getting farther and farther behind rather than getting caught up. Anybody know where I can have a clone made?