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February 26, 2009

Nikon launches weekly tips and info online video series

Congratulations and best wishes to Nikonians Silver member Scott Kelby (skelby01) on the launch of Nikon DTOWN today. Scott and co-host Matt Kloskowski will be presenting the 10-12 minute videos every Thursday.

Nikondtown logo.jpg The programs are sponsored by Nikon and produced by Kelby Training.
Scott tells us he's been a regular visitor to Nikonians.org (he joined in February 2006) but rarely has the time for posting.

It's no wonder he is short on time.
-- In the Press Release issued for the launch of Nikon DTown, his list of current activities includes:
"President of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP), the publisher of Photoshop User and Layers magazine, and chief “Photoshop Guy” on the popular podcast, PhotoshopUser TV. He also writes the wildly popular blog, Photoshop Insider, and is the creator of Photoshop World – the world’s largest Photoshop and digital photography conference and expo. Scott also heads up Kelby Training, which teaches Photoshop and digital photography techniques to millions every day via online classes and live seminars."

Scott_Kelby_300.jpg In the premier Nikon DTown episode, Scott and his co-host Matt Kloskowski (who also carries an impressive resume) set the pace for an informative and easy to follow mix of tips and tricks covering easy White Balance settings using LiveView, GPS gear, Capture NX2 and adjusting your Custom Menu for Command Dial control of image reviews on your monitor.

Scott tells us he consistently recommends Nikon users with questions about their gear to check out Nikonians.org. "The community is phenomenal. It's a very friendly place to go ask a question and the good part is you don't get nuked in the process. The site has been doing a great job in helping Nikon owners understand their cameras."

Thanks Scott, and Good Luck to you and Matt at the Nikon DTown.

If you are new to the exciting world of downloadable multi-media informative and educational information sources on your Nikon gear and accessories, don't forget to add our podcasts to your favorites list.


Posted by flashdeadline at 1:29 PM

February 24, 2009

Ritz Camera file for Chapter 11

In another sign of tough economic times, Ritz Camera, one of the largest photographic specialty retailers in the U.S., has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. While citing requirements by lenders to boost reserve cash as the pirmary motivation, the store chain also suffered from losses through it's 100+ chain marine supply store Boater's World. Not surprisingly, listed among the largest unsecured creditors of Ritz are Nikon with USD26 million in claims, with Canon a close second at USD13 million. (via Reuters)

Posted by covey22 at 2:26 PM

February 23, 2009

Nikonians News Flash #109

Newsflash_75px.jpg Tune in to your weekly edition of the Nikonians News Flash Podcast for all the very latest news from our friendly Nikonians Community.

Download Nikonians News Flash #109
(NPC-NF-2009-02-23.mp3; 21:30; 6.3MB; MP3 format)

In the News this week:

Recent Epson Survey winners announced - thanks to all that took part.

Nikonians member Rick Paul's blog entitled "Starting your own Photography Business"

This week's New Member Welcome Photo Contest winner announced.

Exciting new courses & content from the Nikonians Academy

This week's On Location Podcast - Snow & Models!

Do you have some News Flash podcast feedback? It would be great to hear from you - please feel free to email me at: newsflash@nikonians.org

Thanks for listening, James

Posted by garglon at 10:12 PM

The Nikonians On Location #54 - Snow and Models

Talking about two very different subjects: snowy landscapes and model shoots. First a small trip into the winter landscape, some talk about working on the images and then some thoughts on getting hold of models for model shoots.

Click here to download Nikonians On Location Podcast #54 (NPC-OL-2009-02-23; 36:31; 33.5MB, MP3 format).

Show Notes: February 23, 2009

Winter and snow can sometimes be different to shoot, and since we were suddenly attacked by snow and cold weather, I ventured out with my friend Asger to get the first (and hopefully last) shots of snowy landscapes this winter. We also shot some bird photos. But having spent the week getting an appointment with a couple of models for an upcoming shoot, I thought I'd devote some time to that subject too.

The sound file:

  1. A short forest walk
  2. Model thoughts
  3. Working on the images
  4. More model thoughts
  5. Bye

Video supplement:

Some of the winter pictures and some of Asger's bird images, but no models yet.
Click here to view Nikonians On Location Video Supplement #54 (NPC-OLV-2009-02-23; 5:10; flash format)

Music used on today's show:

Lynch's Law by Thursday Group on Magnatune

[iTunes] Subscribe to the Nikonians Podcast directly in iTunes

[RSS] Add the Nikonians Podcast feed to your RSS reader

[Vote] Vote for us on Podcast Alley!

Questions, Comments, Announcements?

Email Martin at onlocation@nikonians.org, or drop us a line in the Podcast Feedback forum!

You can also follow Martin's photographic rants on his Nikonians blog.

Posted by martinj at 2:40 PM

Nikonians Academy 2009 schedule adds new workshops

Our Nikonians Academy 2009 course offerings have more to offer this year than ever before.

Nikonians-Academy_200.jpgWe have beefed up the Master your Nikon Camera Series with:
- Nikon D90 & D80, and Nikon D700/D3 courses added to the already very popular Nikon D300 in Depth and Nikon D300 Advanced workshops

The Master your Vision Series is now enhanced with the addition of:

- HDR: Master the secrets of High Dynamic Range Photography
- Visual Thinking: Seeing Beyond the Viewfinder
- Creating Multi-Media Slideshows: Master the technique and workflow
- Travel & Documentary Photography: Discover your world!

Check our full listing at the Nikonians Academy home page.

Posted by flashdeadline at 2:38 AM

Lonely Road leads to Contest Win

Congratulations to Nikonian Jim Thackrey (jthackrey), our winner for the fourth week of the New Members Welcome Photo Contest.

lonelyroad_275.jpgJim, one of our Gold members from Florida, USA used his Nikon D200 and 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED IF AF-S DX VR Zoom NIKKOR lens to capture this image called “Lonely Road” near Valley Of Fire State Park in Nevada.
He shot it at ISO 800, f/14, 1/400 sec, using Matrix metering.

His selection as our winner has earned Jim a Noise Ninja Pro Bundle by PictureCode (valued at $79.95 USD).

Responding to the good news, Jim wrote: "Thank you so much for this wonderful news. I had already kindled a fire for photography over the last year trying to learn and now I feel like gas has been poured on the flames. You made my day...week."

We have been giving out Noise Ninja Pro Bundles once every week for the past four weeks and the contest will be finished this month. If you register between January 23rd and February 27th, no matter on which level (from Basic to Platinum) you can participate in this contest. More information on the New Members Welcome Photo Contest is available here.

Posted by flashdeadline at 1:04 AM

February 22, 2009

Learn from Master Portrait Painters

There is a lot we photographers can learn from the master portrait painters, such as light, composition and posture. Martin Turner shows you what you can learn from the master painters in his blog.

Posted by bgs at 5:49 PM

February 20, 2009

Image Doctors postponed this week

Due to extensive travel schedules of our podcasters, The Image Doctors will be back at its regularly scheduled time on Thursday, March 5th.

Posted by drjay32 at 2:04 PM

February 18, 2009

Blogger Rick Paul on Starting Your Own Photography Business

Our Nikonian Rick Paul is talking about various issues starting your own Photography Business in his brand new blog. Good reading! If you are a Nikonian on Gold or Platinum level you can easily launch your own Nikonians blog.

Posted by bgs at 9:40 AM

February 17, 2009

Epson Survey winners announced

The Epson survey designed to provide our new partner with information about the needs and interests of the Nikonians users is now finished. The survey produced thousands of replies and three winners from those who participated.

Epson-Logo--150.jpg
The three randomly selected winners of Epson Multimedia Storage Viewers come from the United Kingdom, USA and Germany.

The viewers include the P-3000, P-6000 and P-7000.

Our congratulations go to:

Mallard-Railcam-250.jpgKeith Sanders (Railcam) of Edinburgh, Scotland in the United Kingdom, winner of the P-7000.
Keith is a Silver member who's hobbies include Railway & Car Rally Photography.
His Gallery includes dynamic railway photos like this one of the fastest steam locomotive in the world, "Mallard" approaching Ais Gill summit on the scenic Settle - Carlisle railway.


Cathedral-jjm203z_250.jpgThe winner of the P-6000 is Joseph Mirenzi (jjm203z) of Pennsylvania, USA.
Joseph is a Gold member with a variety of Nikon photography interests who often shares with us his experiences in using Nikon gear, like this photo he submitted of his county courthouse rotunda/cupola in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania during a discussion on the AF DX Fisheye-NIKKOR 10.5mm f/2.8G ED lens.



wolf-naturablichter_250.jpg
Our P-3000 winner is Silver member Heinz Effner (naturablichter) from Weilheim, Germany.
His Gallery shows his interests in wildlife photography, especially a favorite subject- wolves.

Posted by flashdeadline at 2:53 PM

February 16, 2009

Nikonians News Flash #108

Newsflash_75px.jpg Tune in to your weekly edition of the Nikonians News Flash Podcast for all the very latest news from our friendly Nikonians Community.

Download Nikonians News Flash #108
(NPC-NF-2009-02-16.mp3; 21:00; 6.7MB; MP3 format)

In the News this week:

News of an exciting new Nikkor 35mm DX format f1.8 lens - fastest DX format lens to date!

The "New to Photography" forum is announced to assist all our Nikonians members that are new to the world of DSLR photography.

"Old photo earns new prize" - David Parker wins this week's New Member Welcome Photo Contest!

This weeks On-Location Podcast subject is "Visual Noise" - find out more!

Do you have some News Flash podcast feedback? It would be great to hear from you - please feel free to email me at: newsflash@nikonians.org

James

Posted by garglon at 10:00 PM

The Nikonians On Location #53 - Visual Noise

This week I focus on visual noise, which is the kind of clutter that meets the eye when looking in messy garages, on chaotic bulletin boards, at random collections of things.

Click here to download Nikonians On Location Podcast #53 (NPC-OL-2009-02-16; 13:23; 12.3MB, MP3 format).

Show Notes: February 16, 2009

I was introduced to the concept by Erin Fitzsimmons via Chase Jarvis - pictures so chaotic that they are almost beautiful. Chaos on a shelf, a bulletin board, in a garage. It was everywhere once I started looking. Even in my home... well, mostly in my home, unfortunately.

Find Erin Fitzsimmons here and Chase Jarvis here.

Video supplement:

Some visual noise for you to sample. Examples from locations outdoors as well as indoors.
Click here to view Nikonians On Location Video Supplement #53 (NPC-OLV-2009-02-16; 4:40; flash format)

Music used on today's show:

Fingerstrackarn by Erik Ask Upmark on Magnatune

[iTunes] Subscribe to the Nikonians Podcast directly in iTunes

[RSS] Add the Nikonians Podcast feed to your RSS reader

[Vote] Vote for us on Podcast Alley!

Questions, Comments, Announcements?

Email Martin at onlocation@nikonians.org, or drop us a line in the Podcast Feedback forum!

You can also follow Martin's photographic rants on his Nikonians blog.

Posted by martinj at 2:10 PM

February 9, 2009

Old photo earns new prize

Congratulations to Nikonian David Parker (1984Landcruiser), of Atlanta, Georgia, USA. David is our winner for the second week of the New Members Welcome Photo Contest. His winning photo is "twice old."

It was taken three years ago, and it's been post-processed to reflect the vintage black and white look of the main subject.
Durango_Silverton_350.jpg
David’s photo was taken in the summer of 2006 in Durango, Colorado, USA. He used his Nikon D70 and an AF-S DX Zoom-NIKKOR 18-70mm f/3.5-4.5G IF-ED18-70 AFS lens to capture this image of a Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad steam locomotive. He had his zoom set to 55mm and his exposure was f/7.1 at 1/160 sec.

This particular locomotive (No. 482) was built in the mid-1920’s and is now serving as a tourist attraction. David converted his 2006 image to a realistic “old time” black & white using Silver Efex Pro from Nik Software.

He shared with us: “It certainly made this photo look much better than I could have using Photoshop alone. It really helped that the conductor and engineer were in costume.” More photos from Durango are posted in his Gallery.

David’s winning image has earned him a Noise Ninja Pro Bundle by PictureCode (valued at $79.95 USD).

We are giving out Noise Ninja Pro Bundles once every week for the next three weeks as the contest continues.

If you register between January 23rd and February 27th, no matter on which level (from Basic to Platinum) you can participate in this contest. More information on the New Members Welcome Photo Contest is available here.

Posted by flashdeadline at 10:53 PM

Nikonians New to Photography now have a unique forum

Looking for simple answers to improve your photography skills? Check out our New to Photography forum for fast and friendly answers.

Responding to the increasing demand for simple answers to sometimes complicated questions, Nikonians co-founder J. Ramón Palacios has launched the new forum to help our new photographers learn the basics of taking good pictures.

jrp-forum-275.jpgIn his forum welcoming message he begins with the simple sentence “We all started out as beginners” – evoking not only a simple statement of fact, but also the underlying core principle of the Nikonians community.

Everyone has certain levels of expertise in photography and the Nikonians approach is to encourage the sharing of that knowledge in a friendly and informative environment, without making any new member feel uncomfortable about asking a basic question.

After more than nine years of presenting our Resources, blogs, Nikonians Wiki and also expanding on the podcasts and eZine (not to mention the content in our numerous forums) we have compiled a wealth of information to share, and the New to Photography forum will serve as the gateway for our members seeking basic answers.

The forum will be frequently visited by our Team of Moderators from all walks of life and all parts of the globe. If they don’t have your answer immediately at hand, their years of experience on the Team will be evident as they guide you through our extensive knowledge base.

Posted by flashdeadline at 7:28 AM

Nikon unveils their fastest DX Format lens

Does the idea of a fast Nikkor lens designed for your DX-format Nikon DSLR spark your interest?

AF-S_DX_NIKKOR_35mm_f1_8G_275.jpg
Our new generation of Nikonians who may rarely have been thinking of slipping a prime lens in their camera bag in favor of their multi-purpose zooms now have a tempting new lens from Nikon to consider.

Weighing in at a mere 200 g (7 oz) the AF-S DX NIKKOR 35mm f/1.8G is an 8 element lens offering a fast maximum f/1.8 aperture, and the suggested retail is below $200 USD.

Nikon USA's Press Release describes it as Nikon's "first fixed focal length, fast-aperture DX-format lens that affords photographers superb image quality along with the creative possibilities and versatility of the classic 50mm focal length (FX-format equivalent of 52mm)."

Specs (and a sample image you can download ) on the lens are available at the Nikon Global site.

The new lens should start shipping in March.

Posted by flashdeadline at 5:54 AM

No On Location this week

pause.jpgMartin regrets to have to inform you that work - the paid kind - have kept him busy all week, and will so the coming few days, so On Location is in hiatus this week - in spite of a couple of sunny days and lots of photo ops.
But fret not, Martin promises to be back in full force the coming week.

Posted by martinj at 12:30 AM

February 8, 2009

Nikonians News Flash #107

Newsflash_75px.jpg

Download Nikonians News Flash #107
(NPC-NF-2009-02-08.mp3; 19:00; 6.2MB; MP3 format)

In the News this week:

The much anticipated release of the latest book to hit the shelves from the Nikonians Press "The Nikon Creative Lighting System" by Mike Hagen (Nikonians Academy)

Also in this weeks edition:

The latest Image Doctors podcast discusses, amongst other things, alternative systems to the standard Nikon DSLR's that most of us usually use, such as Medium Format, rangefinders etc

Industry News:

Nikon release the new wave of its Coolpix cameras and also the Nikon NAS-L1 Microscope attachment for DSLR's.

Contest News:

A reminder about The Best of Nikonians Image Photo Contest for 2009 - February's theme - "Hot and Cold"

Email James at: newsflash@nikonians.org

Posted by garglon at 7:55 PM

February 5, 2009

ID#85: The Image Doctors

This week, Rick and Jason discuss the merits and pitfalls of adding an alternative system to your kit.

Download The Image Doctors #85 (NPC-ID-2009-02-05.m4a; 44:13; 15.8MB; MP4 format)

Show Notes: February 5, 2009

1:43 Nikon View NX 1.2 review

7:29 Alternative systems

23:46 Photo Mechanic 4.6 beta preview

39:00 Photo Prescription: know your limitations

For the MP3 version of this podcast (audio only) click here (15.3MB).

[iTunes] Subscribe to the Image Doctors directly in iTunes.
[RSS] Add the Image Doctors feed to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically to you.
[Vote] Vote for us on Podcast Alley!

Posted by drjay32 at 2:24 PM

Nikon NAS-L1 Microscope Attachment for DSLR

Nikon has announced the Fabre Photo EX portable microscope designed for field or industrial inspection use; it has viewing elements but can also mount the NAS-L1 mounting ring to take photos using a DX or FX sensor camera body. An additional FSB-U1 kit will allow similar attachment of certain Coolpix models. The microscope and both attachments will be released on February 20th, 2009. (via TechOn Japan)

Posted by covey22 at 5:04 AM

February 3, 2009

Newest Nikonians Press book to hit shelves soon

It is with great pleasure that we announce the second volume of the Nikonians Press,
The Nikon Creative Lighting System, by Nikonians Academy Director Mike Hagen, already available for pre-orders.

NCLS-Hagen-250.jpg The book is the second title to come out of the joint publication venture between Nikonians Press and Rocky Nook.
It shows a simple, step by step method for setting up and using the newest Nikon iTTL flash units. It solves people's frustrations with flash and specifically, shows them how to use their SB-900, SB-800 and SB-600 strobes. It also has a complete chapter showing system configuration so readers can duplicate the photos on their own.

Heavily illustrated by the author, the book also features Chapter Content opening page images donated by Nikonians Gerry Mulligan (Gerry M), James Symmonds (chimphappyhour) and Mike Pastore (Aviatorbumm).

Nikonians wishing to upgrade to Gold level membership will be especially pleased to find a 50% off Gold Membership Voucher in this book (a savings of $37.50 USD).

A similar 50% off on Gold Membership savings is also available in our first publication Mastering the Nikon D300 by Darrell Young.

Posted by flashdeadline at 10:11 PM

Nikonians News Flash #106

Newsflash_75px.jpg Tune in to your weekly edition of the Nikonians News Flash Podcast, full of the very latest news from your friendly neighborhood Nikonians Community.

Download Nikonians News Flash #106
(NPC-NF-2009-02-02.mp3; 18:30; 8.1MB; MP3 format)

In the News this week:

Lots of exciting Nikonians Academy Information, including workshops on the Nikon D300, Nikon Wireless Flash & Nikon Capture NX around the USA in February 2009, news from the recent Tanzania photo-safaris, details on the Nikonians Academy Triple D Game Farm Shoot and forthcoming landscape & travel photography courses for 2009

Also in this weeks edition: the Nikonians On Location podcast looks at High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography, details on the Nikonians Rewards Scheme, gifting Nikonians Membership to loved ones, personal blogs and email addresses for members are announced, the new members welcome photo contest congratulates its first weekly winner and the Best of Nikonians 2009 Images contest gets underway.

Email James at: newsflash@nikonians.org

Posted by garglon at 5:36 PM

New Wave of Coolpix Cameras Arrives

The pre-show annoucement rounds of PMA 2009 have begun, and Nikon has rolled out their latest refresh wave of eight Coolpix Cameras.

Standouts in the crowd include:

Coolpix P90 - a 12 MP superzoom (26-624mm!), optical VR and tiltable LCD. ISO6400 albeit at a reduced 3MP and a 15 frames per second rate. Standard Definition (SD) video is a bit of a let-down.

Coolpix L100 - The form factor is closer to the Performance series. Boasts a 10MP sensor with a 15x zoom (28-420mm) and a sports mode that buffers 30 pictures at 15 frames per second.

Coolpix S230 - an improved version of the popular S60. It has a 3.0" LCD and a stylus for annotating photos in-camera.

Posted by covey22 at 3:33 PM

February 2, 2009

The Nikonians On Location #52 - HDR-2

More HDR, this time concentrating on the process and the software. Martin addresses some of the common problems found in HDR's - misalignment, ghosting and halos - and gives advice on avoiding them. The show ends with some references to further reading, online and off.

Click here to download Nikonians On Location Podcast #52 (NPC-OL-2009-02-02; 34:17; 31.4MB, MP3 format).

Show Notes: February 02, 2009

Find much more on HDR in books and online. Rocky Nook titles:

- Practical HDRI by Jack Howard

- Photographic Multishot Techniques by Juergen Gulbins and Rainer Gulbins

- Mastering High Dynamic Range Photography by Michael Freeman

Some online resources:

- The Nikonians Advanced HRD Technique forum

- Stuck in Customs HDR tutorial

- Naturescapes HDR and panorama tutorial

Discounts:

- Photomatix

- Rocky Nook here (D300)

The sound file:

  1. Intro
  2. IKEA-shooting
  3. The steps
  4. The programs
  5. Tone mapping
  6. Bye

Video supplement:

Some expamples of different HDR-techniques, some typical errors and some screen shots from the software used.
Click here to view Nikonians On Location Video Supplement #52 (NPC-OLV-2009-02-02; 13:52; flash format)

Music used on today's show:

Bossa Rebecka performed by Eternal Jazz Project on Magnatune

[iTunes] Subscribe to the Nikonians Podcast directly in iTunes

[RSS] Add the Nikonians Podcast feed to your RSS reader

[Vote] Vote for us on Podcast Alley!

Questions, Comments, Announcements?

Email Martin at onlocation@nikonians.org, or drop us a line in the Podcast Feedback forum!

You can also follow Martin's photographic rants on his Nikonians blog.

Posted by martinj at 5:09 PM

February 1, 2009

The Best of Nikonians - 2009 Images Photo Contest Opens

Starting February 1st, 2009, entries are been accepted for the Nikonians Photo Contest of 2009. All Silver, Gold and Platinum members are cordially invited to participate in this contest sponsored by Epson, ColorVison/datacolor and thinkTANK.

The complete Nikonians photo contest schedule and details have been made available as well as the Contest Rules.

Winners of the 2008 Contest will be announced shortly.

Posted by jrp at 7:56 PM