Tips for Choosing a Digital Camera for Sports

I've already got my sports camera (my new Canon t4i). But, I found this interesting article on HubPages about choosing a digital camera for photographing sports. Thought I'd share the article with a few tips here in case anyone else is in the process of shopping...

Click through and read the original article for details, but here's the quick version.

High ISO. You need a high ISO setting if you're going to shoot indoor or night sports; no two ways about it. You need to be able to jack up the shutter speed with limited light, and that means 6400 or 12800 ISO. Anything less and you'll be disappointed.

Continuous Shooting Frame Rate. When you're trying to catch the peak moment of action in a quick moving sports environment, you'll need to shoot in continuous mode. Taking a few frames in quick succession gives you a better chance at picking the perfect moment. And being able to shoot more frames in a second means you get more choices. 3.5 FPS or so is eh. 5.0 fps is pretty good. 7 to 8 FPS is awesome.

Autofocus Performance. Finally, you need to be able to autofocus quickly. This means better autofocus points, and a better ability for the camera to determine when the image is in focus. If the action is moving quickly, you'll need to quickly refocus as the players move. If you've got to wait all day for that to happen, then you'll miss the action.

My Favorite New Feature of the Canon t4i

Now that I've got my new camera... what's my favorite upgrade compared to my old Canon t1i?

I like having the extra range of the ISO for sure. But, the 12800 setting is fairly noisy. I don't use it all the time, and I still like to stick with 6400. This is an improvement over the Canon t1i, but you could do that with a Canon t2i or Canon t3i.

By far, my favorite is the continuous shooting frame rate. The 5.0 fps is surprisingly faster than the old framerate of the Canon t1i. When you consider a percent, it's about 40-50% faster - so it is a lot faster. It just doesn't seem like a lot when you compare 3.8.

This has been an awesome extra when shooting high speed sports - like baseball swings or sprint hurdles at a track meet.

Maybe someday I'll get into video and appreciate the autofocus in video. But for now, that doesn't matter to me. I'm just into still photography.

Three Things to Take Pictures of in the Spring

It's spring time. That means the weather is turning, it's going to be warm out, and the landscape is gonna look a whole lot different.

It also means new things to take pictures of! So, in case you're tired of being stuck inside, here are a few ideas that you can take pictures of to take advantage of the change in climate.

Portraits in the Park. Portraits inside are nice, and studio portraits can be great in a certain way. But going outside and taking portraits in the park is so much more fun. You get a greater variety of surroundings - a lake, a tree, flowers, benches, grassy fields, whatever. I know I like doing portrait sessions outdoors better than indoors.

Pictures of flowers. Ok, so maybe they're over done. But taking pictures of nature - flowers, trees, whatever - can be a refreshing change. They're beautiful, they sit still while you experiment, and they give you a chance to test out some ideas with composition, exposure, and such.

Outdoor sports. It's baseball season, softball season, outdoor track season. Go watch some kids play sports, and take pictures! The outdoors are a lot more forgiving in terms of lighting conditions, so you may be able to do a lot better in the spring than if you were trying to take pictures of sports indoors.

What do you like taking pictures of in the spring...? Leave a comment below and let me know.

Do I Regret Buying That Canon t4i...?

Nope. Not at all.

A couple months ago, I pondered about whether or not to buy a Canon t4i. I was due for an upgrade, and the Canon t4i offered a improvements over my older Canon t1i - higher ISO, better autofocus system, better continuous shooting, higher resolution.

It was, by all accounts, a better camera. I struggled with whether or not to buy it with the 18-135mm lens, but ultimately I did because I already had an 18-55. The new lens had the new STM autofocus stepper motor and it covered a bigger focal distance. It seemed like a good walking lens - something to keep on the camera when I don't need something more specialized.

But then, only a month or two later, Canon announces that it's going to release the Canon t5i in April.

So am I upset that I upgraded "too soon"? I wouldn't say so. The Canon t5i really doesn't bring much of anything to the table. It definitely doesn't offer the same level of improvement that the Canon t4i brought over the t3i. But it does carry with it a higher price tag. Since it's brand new, it's going to sell at full retail ($800 or $1100, depending on the lens) for a while now. I'd consider buying it in six months when the price drops, but there's no way in hell I'd pay full price for the camera right now.

There are a few minor interface differences. There's a digital zoom that the Canon t4i doesn't have. Otherwise, the biggest difference isn't in the camera but in the lens it came with. I don't really want another 18-55mm lens and I wanted the 18-135mm anyway, so it doesn't much matter to me that the new 18-55mm also has the STM stepper motor.

If you're on the fence, check out this preview comparing the Canon t5i vs t4i. I'm pretty sure you'll agree that it's not worth sweatin' over. Get the cheaper t4i.

Why I Want a Canon t4i

I've been using Canon dSLR cameras for a few years now, and I love my Canon t1i. I even loved the Canon t2i that I bought for use at work. They've served me well, and I don't really have any complaints.

Except for the fact that the Canon t4i is out, it's a sweet upgrade over both cameras... and I don't have the money to spend to get it. I was just reading this comparison of the Canon t3i and t4i, and I'm impressed. But oh well, I'll probably end up waiting until I can afford the real upgrade to the Canon 7D.

However, if I did have the money to get a Canon t4i right now, here are a few reasons why I would.

High ISO. This is the number one reason why I'd love this camera. The new DIGIC 5 image processor boosts the ISO capability of the Canon t4i to 12,800. This is an extra stop over and above the t3i/t2i, and it's two steps past the original Canon t1i.

That's a huge difference for low light photography. I get so frustrated working in high school gyms or at indoor track arenas, because there's so little light. Even with a fast lens that opens up to f/2.8, it can be tough to get a quick shutter and still have sufficient light. With my Canon t1i, especially, I end up boosting a lot of photos in post and that creates a little extra noise.

If I could shoot at a higher ISO, though, that wouldn't be a problem. The 6400 on my Canon t2i is usually good, and that extra little boost from the Canon t4i's 12,800 would be awesome.

Higher Framerate. This is something you don't notice until you need it. 3.7fps (i.e. the Canon t2i/t3i) seems good. But, if you're shooting some really rapid motion like a 55mm hurdle race, a high jump, or a slam dunk, it's easy to miss that critical moment. In continuous mode, you can click through a few frames and end up at all the wrong spots.

The new image sensor also ups the speed a bit in continuous mode, so the Canon t4i captures images at up to 5fps. That's about a 50% increase beyond the Canon t3i's capabilities. Yikes! That's pretty impressive for a minor upgrade, if you ask me. It's still not as awesome at the Canon 7d's motor, but I'll take 5fps over 3.7 fps anyday.

Anyhow, those two features right there have me excited at the moment. The video stuff doesn't really float my boat, but those are some awesome bonuses for doing action photography.

Signs of a Talent Agency Scam

If you want to start in the industry of fashion modeling, you must watch for deceptive people. Some con artists are looking to defraud you, guaranteeing a wonderful career in exchange for up front payment. When the dust settles the only thing you'll have is an empty wallet.

Here are some issues that you have to look out for.

1. Classified ads. If you see an advertisement posted somewhere - in a newspaper, on Facebook, etc - then hesitate before attending. Successful talent agencies have plenty of walk-in talent, and they don't need to scour the mall. You may want to respond to open casting calls, but otherwise general adverts like these are a bad omen.

2. Asking for money up front. If the modeling agency charges you money up front before you can work for them, then turn right around and get the hell out of dodge. This is an obvious hint that they can't be making earnings on commissions, so they instead make profit elsewhere. If they aren't working, then don't expect for you to be.

3. Making you use their in house photog. A real modeling agency will ask you to get a set of images together with some comp cards, but they aren't going to force you to spend tons of cash on their own headshot photographer. You need to look around and choose a photographer or composite card printer that you feel comfortable with. If they really demand a specific photographer, they'll pay for it.

4. The agency wants you to pay to take their modeling classes or whatnot. It's just a way for them to dig in your pockets. It might seem more honest than a \"representation fee\" or some such thing. But at the end of the day it's just the same.

5. They promise you modeling gigs. If only it were so easy. No one can be positive that you'll get a job as a runway model, and anyone that promises that is just trying to butter you up. Chances are, they are just trying nudge you into giving them some cash.

After you've witnessed a few of these scams, they become a piece of cake to spot. The simple idea is that the company wants to \"sign\" as many models as possible, take their money in the beginning, and then keep them busy with a few casting calls. If new models keep walking in the door, they do not worry you're on the couch not working. They stole their cash. Don't let that moola be yours.

A Few Things You Need to Know About Model Composite Cards

New to runway modeling? One of the beginning things you will must do is design a comp card. So what are comp cards, and what should you know about them? Here are a few things that any up and coming model should know about composite cards.

5. What Are Composite Cards?

Comp cards, also ocassionally called zed cards, are like a business card for fashion models. It contains a set of pictures from the model's port, and it lists the model's key stats. Sed cards should also include contact numbers for the model or for the agency to which the model belongs.
When you get down to it a comp card is a starting point between the model and a hoped for employer. If you go on a open call, you will be expected to leave behind a zed card - like an actress would submit a headshot or a regular interviewee would leave a resume.

4. What Kind of Pictures Go On a sed Card?

A zed card is kind of a small, focused portfolio. You want to catch the eye of your would be employer, and simultaneously show a bit of range. A zed card often starts with a headshot or similar close crop on the foreside, and a selection of several photos on the other side. The other side of the card should show some variety - different kinds of make-up, modeling, hair, what have you. It is also a good spot to include head to two images, instead of the headshot on the front side of the card.

3. What Stuff Should Go on a Comp Card?

The info on the composite card has two goals - to list size and stats and to list contact information. You should have typical measurements like chest/bust, waist, hips, height, and weight. You may want to also list eye color and hair color, but this is less necessary if it changes from time to time. You might also opt to include shoe size.

In terms of the contact information, that's your call. You want to include the easiest way for the casting agent to get in touch with you. If you maintain a website or online portfolio, you should include that. If you have a business phone number, you could include it. I would definitely include an e-mail address too.

2. How Large Is a Comp Card?

Print Shops will sell you on plenty of different sizes, but the traditional size of a comp card is 5.5\" x 8.5\". Comp cards were historically designed on A4 sized paper (~8.5\" x 11\"), but this changed to A5 size (~5.5\" x 8.5\") in the 70's. The printer might offer you a slightly smaller\different size (~5\" x 8\") to conserve paper and make the cards less expensive. It's better to keep to the business standard, though.

1. What Quality Paper Should You Use?

Sed cards should be printed on high quality, tough card stock. When it comes to paper weight, the weight should be in the range of 12pt and 14pt. Anything lighter than 12pt will seem crappy; you don't want to come across cheap. Some comp card printers are starting to offer cards printed on photo paper, same as they offer \"greeting cards\" made on photo paper. Even though they may say that it will lead to nicer image quality, a nice quality printer can reproduce colors nicely on card stock. You should stick with the customary paper so that your card is more heavy and more durable, instead of just using the thinner photo paper.

The Past of Modeling Comp Cards - The 1980s and 90's

In the past, sed cards were not affordable to make, and design methodology were limited. Most new models didn't have the money to make comp cards, so they got started with a basic 8x10, black & white print with a solid white outline. The model's stats were pasted to the opposite side in plain text.

I remember those days, printing dozens of copies of the same boring photo. So many times. These 8x10 photos were also pretty costly, and this impeded the model sharing them. Models typically sent them to businesses who were likely to offer them work, or to talent agents who were likely to put them to work. Models most likely missed out on a bunch of assignments due to the fact that they couldn't afford to pass out these headshots to anyone who was interested.

Over time, a model would become more successful and pocket more money. This would let the model to print a one-color comp card produced by an efficient printer. Only the most successful models in New York City could afford full color. Offset printing needs a lot of cash up front, but the investment became less expensive if an order of hundreds or thousands of model composites was done. At this point, a model would have hundreds of cards on hand - and the model could more readily afford to distribute a card to anyone who could be a little interested in seeing the model. The cards were even inexpensive enough to put in the mailbox to send to talent agents around the nation, enlarging a model's scope.

The model composites of the past were a certain way because of the technology and investments involved with printing. This determined a large picture on the front and a set of pictures, each a quarter of a page, on the reverse of the card. A location was also reserved on the other side of the comp card to hold vital stats for the model and a phone number.

Printing technology wouldn't allow the images on the back of the sed card from sharing space in any way, and you weren't able to include any fancy backgrounds or designs. All composite cards were thus made on a white background, with solid white outlines. These outlines also let the printing press to grip the sed card as it passed through the printing process. They couldn't extend the image to the edge, the way modern cards and set ups do. Despite the fact that printing techniques has come a long way, the zed cards we design today are still founded pretty solidly on this original design, which resulted from the realities of printing.

I Own Hundreds of Photos. What's Next?

Now that photography doesn't necessitate rolls of film, everyone has hundreds of photos. You take them with your digital camera, you take them with your phone. In the blink of an eye, there are thousands of pictures cluttering up your hard drive... some good, some bad, some eh.

They shouldn't just sit idly by and gather dust. But what do you do? Here are a few thoughts for things that you can do with all of those digital pictures.

5. Share Them Online. There are dozens of image sharing services these days. Some websites feature fine art photos, others prefer people and friends. Use a webpage like DeviantArt to showcase your cool photos. Share photos of your friends on Facebook or Google Plus. Really, why should you keep all these pics if you don't want someone to admire them?

4. Get Them Printed. Does it still cost a pretty penny to print your photos? Not even close. You can print pictures for $0.10 to $0.20 if you look in the right place. Aside from ordering cheap photo prints online, you might find some deals to get free prints. Take advantage of these offers, and you can make a batch of 20 to 40 photos for almost nothing.

3. Make a Collage. After my daughters finished high school, they had a crazy amount of pictures of themselves because they participated in the yearbook committee. They each printed up a giant collage, about 2 feet by 3 feet, and included dozens of smaller photos. They organized it on the computer and got them printed in a big poster format. But you could simply print out a handful of smaller pictures and make a collage the old fashioned way.

2. Get a Gallery Print. Canvas prints are the next big thing. Decorating your apartment? Take one of your favorite pictures and get it done up on canvas. They look great placed on your wall; it's definitely better than a regular photo in a frame. If you want to invest a little more money, you can also make a mini gallery wall with a selection different wraps.

1. Design a Slideshow. Get some software, like Windows Movie Maker, to organize a movie using your pics. This is great for a collection of pics from a single night or period of time. Make the memory of a weekend getaway, a special graduation party, or a senior year of high school. Create it to some songs and bam! Instant memories.

Be creative. There are tons of things you can do with those photos that are lying around collecting dust. The important thing is to actually get up and do something.

What is Sharedcontent.rpln And Why Am I Getting This Error Message?

If you use Adobe InDesign and you've tried to open up a file that someone else sent you, you may have run into an error message claiming that plug-ins were missing and that it couldn't open the file. Among these plug-ins are probably Sharedcontent.rpln, Text.rpln, Generic Page Item.rpln, Graphics.rpln, Xml.rpln, Hyperlinks.rpln, Formfield.rpln, and others.

What's the problem? Apparently, Adobe InDesign files are entirely not backwards compatible. If you try to open a file created in Adobe InDesign CS 5.5 in an older version (i.e. Adobe InDesign CS 5), you'll get this error message about sharedcontent.rpln (read more in this article).

What's the solution? Well, the simplest (and more expensive) solution is to purchase an upgrade to Adobe InDesign. You could also ask the person who sent you the file to save the file in Adobe's IDML format. This creates a more abstract file format which is compatible with more versions of InDesign, including at least InDesign CS 5.

You might also want to complain to Adobe about the change. Some would argue that this approach is designed to force people to upgrade. Possible... and it's unlikely that your complaints will really change anything. Oh well... good luck!

The Free Applications That Comes With Your Digital SLR

Canon digital SLR cameras awe shipped with a CD full of free tools, like EOS Utility, Digital Photo Professional, Picture Style Editor, and Zoombrowser EX. You can complete all types of things with these programs - transfer photos onto your machine, file your pictures, edit your images. If you can't find your disc, you can download and install the software using this article. It isn't quite as good as having the complete set of Adobe's image manipulation and cataloging software, but it also isn't above a thousand dollars. Free is the best.

EOS Capture Utility. You can link your camera to your machine and control it remotely using the EOS Utility. You can have a live preview of what the SLR sees on your computer. You can modify all of the camera settings via your desktop. You can take images, and have the pictures stored on the PC instead of or in addition to the SD card. There are tons of cool ways to work with Canon EOS Utility.

Digital Photo Professional. Digital Photo Professional (DPP) enables you to process RAW images and change photos. All of the things that you could complete with Lightroom or Photoshop - i.e. curves, color temperature, etc - can be accomplished with DPP. It’s not as complete as either Lightroom or Photoshop, but if you’re not ready to spend hundreds of dollars on the Adobe software you can start with this free Canon software. Photoshop costs a lot of moola, and Lightroom isn't free either. Download Digital Photo Professional and get started with that.

Picture Style Editor. If you have to work with RAW photo files, then
Picture Style Editor is another way to play with the development settings of RAW images. It's great for batch working RAW images. Get PSE yourself and experiment with it to learn all that it can do.

Zoombrowser EX. You can keep your digital picture collection in order with Canon's Zoombrowser EX. It allows you to copy your pictures from your digital camera and save them on the machine. You can organize and view photos, and you can also do some simple editing stuff. Get Zoombrowser EX to find out the things it can do for you.

These tools can be extremely productive, especially if you haven't bought professional level applications. Use the free stuff you can, and if you instinctively tossed your Canon utilities CD read this post to help you download and install each of the software for free.

Choosing Between Canon Digital SLR Cameras Based on Infrared Flash Features

For portrait photographers, the ability to use off-camera speedlites is a necessary skill. Incorporating some lights, a couple of light modifiers, and crafting the light in your image will lead to much greater images than just using ambient light.

There are some situations with this. First, you  have to own the flashes, and that’s an investment. Next, you have to plan a way to set off those flashes off camera. To me, that was the most hard to understand piece, initially, about getting into strobist style photography.

Radio capabilities weren't default on past Canon digital SLR cameras. Either a pair of pocket wizards, a OEM Canon infrared transmitter, or some cheap off brand radio triggers are among the things you'll need. When I first got into working with flashes along with my Canon EOS Rebel t1i, I was required to buy a handful of radio triggers. It didn’t have a built in commander flash.

A pop up commander flash has become a normal feature on many Canon digital cameras, and hopefully this shift continues. So which Canon digital SLR cameras come with the ability to fire speedlites?

The last device in all of Canon’s tiers includes a on camera commander flash. Which means that the Canon EOS  t3i , the Caon 60D, and the Canon EOS 7D will all work. The on camera flash on all of these cameras can be set as a commander flash, and it will by infrared fire the other flashes in the group. The built in flash sets off to transmit this IR signal, but the power strength of this first flash is light enough that it can't change the exposure of your image (unless of course you want it to and you set the power).

Older cameras, like the Canon EOS Rebel t2i and the Canon EOS 50D, don’t include this capability. The top end Canon digital SLR cameras, like the Canon EOS 5D Mark II and the Canon EOS 1D Mark IV, don’t have on camera flashes at all. So the cameras don’t have that capability either. But in that case, if you’re dropping upwards of $2k on a camera, it’s not a big problem to pay a few hundred dollars on a Canon ST-E2 IR transmitter.

If you’re still comparing the Canon t2i vs t3i, then this is a perfect reason to go with the newer camera. If, on the other hand, you’re confused going back and forth between the Canon 60D vs 7D, this isn’t about to be much help. They each come with the same abilities for flashes.

Weighing the Canon t1i, t2i, and t3i Megapixels

So you're in the market for a digital SLR camera. You're thinking about a Canon t1i, a Canon t2i, or a Canon t3i. Which one should you choose? One measurable characteristic you should consider is the devices resolution. Which of the cameras has the largest camera resolution?

The Canon t2i and t3i both win a slight edge in terms of resolution. They have a eighteen MP resolution, yet the Canon t1i has just fifteen megapixels.

Does this make a huge difference? Not really. Often, roughly 8 megapixels is just fine. Over and above that is unnecessary.

A regular 4x6 picture, produced at 300 dpi, requires around 1200 x 1800 pixels. That's a tad over two megapixels. A larger, 8x10 image requires 2400 x 3000 pixels. That's about 7.2 megapixels. Unless you're about to be creating huge pooster prints, you'll never going to use all the info stored in those extra pixels.

There are a few other justifications for why you might want to upgrade from the Canon t1i to a better camera - like a Canon t2i or t3i, or a Canon 60D or 7D. Still, pixelage ain't truly a good reason. The step up here is slight. Interestingly enough, all of these devices (the t2i/550D, the t3i/600D, the 60D, and the 7D) all come with the same chip, giving them exactly the same resolution and photo quality.

If you’re looking for a more detailed judgement of the three cameras, I wrote an rigorous comparison of the Canon t2i vs t3i. Digest that for a look at how the three digital cameras are the same and not alike. If you're in the market for, you probably also want to read this other thorough article about the conrast between the Canon t3i vs 60d vs 7d.