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iPhone takes the lead on Flickr

calista.chandler — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 18:41:16 GMT

It’s official. More people use the iPhone to upload pictures to Flickr than any other camera phone, and the gap is widening, according to Flickr's Camera Finder data. The Nokia N95 was previously the top camera phone, but thanks to the faster uploading capabilities of the 3G iPhones, it soon fell behind. Another factor that gives the iPhone an edge is the ease of submitting photos to Flickr while on the go and the ability to geotag your photos.

If you have an iPhone and a Flickr account, follow these easy steps to submit your photos through e-mail.

1. Get a Flickr e-mail address by going to www.flickr.com/account, and clicking on the e-mail tab. Click the link on the “Your Flickr upload email” line to create your Flickr e-mail address. It should read something like example at photos dot flickr dot com.
2. Once you have your Flickr e-mail address add it as a contact in your iPhone so you don’t have to type it out every time.
3. When you have a picture that you want to post, tap on the arrow/box icon on the left side of the slideshow navigator bar. Choose ‘Email Photo’ and the iPhone will automatically open a new e-mail with the photo attached.
4. Add your Flickr e-mail address as a recipient and the title of your photo in the Subject field. If you want to include a description, type it in the body of the e-mail below the photo.

With a couple of minutes of setup, you can join the ranks of iPhone owners using Flickr to show off their photographic talent!

A few recent iPhone photos uploaded to Flickr

View from the tent by NatalieHG, Ice skating at 30 Rock by Daniel Vuillermin, Glacier perito moreno by NatalieHG

Flickr Q&A: RyanHC

calista.chandler — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 16:43:53 GMT

Welcome to another installment in our series of interviews with Flickr photographers. Ryan Hutchins, RyanHC on Flickr, caught my eye during a recent search for images of Aspen, Colorado. He has a fun style, capturing great portraits and action shots, as well as beautiful landscapes. He was nice enough to answer a few questions about his photography for us, and give some advice for aspiring photographers.

TravelMuse: What got you interested in photography and why do you continue to enjoy it?

Ryan Hutchins-Cabibi: I have been interested in photography for quite a while. My Dad was an avid amateur photographer, and I caught the bug as a youngster. My first camera was a 35mm fixed lens, viewfinder yashica that I still own. In high school I devoted most of my studies to photography and soon after high school opened my own freelance photography company, Epic Images. I worked with two other photographers shooting mostly Fine Art and action photography with a little photojournalism to try and pay the bills. I worked at camera stores to make ends meet and generally had a great time as a "starving artist". I found a great artistic community and volunteered for a community art gallery for a few years. When I finally went to college, I worked at the yearbook as a photo editor to get access to a darkroom. After graduating, I moved away from photography as the medium changed to more digital and I followed other passions. I finally began shooting again with a small digital point and shoot and when my wife said she would like a DSLR for her birthday one year, the candle was relit. Since then I have been shooting on and off with a variety of subjects, basically whatever I see around me when I have a camera.

TM: How long have you been using Flickr, and what do you like about it?

RHC: I've only been on Flickr for a few years. I love seeing what others are shooting, and being inspired by what they post. I like feedback about my images, the opportunities to network and share those images. Flickr helps me to pick my best images, or at least try to whittle it down to the best of a series.

TM: What kind of equipment and software do you use?

RHC: My equipment is pretty basic. I shoot with a Nikon D80 with Tamron lenses, a few manual focus nikkors that I had on my old N90. I have a handful of cameras, the old yashica, a N8008, N90, a 4x5 field camera that I would love to get back into, or find a digital back for (for cheap if such a thing exists!) an older HP 3.2mp point and shoot, and now the N90. I do basic editing in iphoto. I've looked at other software, and I'll go more advanced eventually. I find that coming from a film background, I am resistant to digital editing. I'm sure that will change once I realize what is possible.

TM: What is your favorite subject to photograph? What inspires you?

RHC: Things that inspire me are people interacting with nature, nature’s natural beauty. The places I go and the things I do there. I seldom go out with the intent of capturing anything specific. I've been thinking lately of giving myself some "photo assignments" but mostly I just look around and see what inspires me in the moment.

TM: What is your favorite photograph that you've taken and why?

RHC: My favorite shot is a picture of my wife in our kitchen lit by the setting sun. Beautiful women, incredible light and strong contrast, what more could you ask for?

Of course I'm biased. I also really like the shot of an off road truck that flipped over and has the crowd looking at it. It is unexpected and shows a dynamic event in a static moment, which i think is neat.

TM: What advice do you have for aspiring photographers?

RHC: I would tell aspiring photographers the same age old advice I got, shoot a lot, you'll get something eventually. I think this is a lot easier with digital, though it may be harder to see what is actually "good". Also, I think it is important to shoot what you are interested in. You will have a better sense of the subject, and shooting will be more fun.

A Digital SLR That Shoots Video?

calista.chandler — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 18:48:03 GMT

Shooting with a digital SLR has always meant you had to carry a second camera, usually a point-and-shoot, because one thing that SDLRs have always lacked is video capability. But that's changed with Nikon's introduction of the D90 in August.

The D90 is the first consumer digital SLR to have video capabilities. (Canon has also announced a DSLR that can take videos, but it is one of its high-end cameras, well out of the price range of most non-professionals.) Video capabilities, along with other innovative features, are propelling the D90 to popularity among first-time DSLR owners and DSLR veterans alike.

High Image Quality, Low Noise

The video that a D90 takes is different than that you would get from a consumer video camera. The sensor on the D90 is much larger than that in most video cameras, so you get very high image quality and very low noise. You have the option of shooting in HD720p (1,280 x 720 pixels), 640 x 424 pixels or 320 x 216 pixels in MPEG format.

The variety of looks you can get with different lenses, such as from fisheye to long zoom also sets the D90's video apart. Unlike with traditional video cameras, you can stop down the aperture to get narrow depths of field. Watch this video for a demonstration of this capability.

What Works

This camera has many improvements over previous Nikon cameras and is ahead of the curve in the DSLR market in general. With many of the improvements introduced with the more expensive D3 and D300, but a lighter body and improved ergonomics, this camera is getting a lot of attention. At 12.3 megapixels the D90 has the same sensor as the D300, and many reviewers have reported that it has even better image quality. The 3-inch, high-resolution screen makes the camera a pleasure to view images on, and the live-view mode lets you compose your shots on the screen, rather than through the viewfinder only. Features you probably won't use as much are face-recognition auto focus, which can track up to five faces at a time, and in-camera editing.

How It's Different

The D90 does not behave like a typical video camera. It does not autofocus while you are shooting, so you'll need to focus manually and probably plan out your shots in advance a little more. It's not ideal for fast moving action, like sports games, because chances are you can't focus fast enough to track the movement.

Worth Buying?

With the features and ease of use it offers, the D90 is reasonably priced at $999, and you can save some money on a lens if you buy a bundled package. Overall the D90 is a very good DSLR with the added capability of video, which will open new doors of creativity for photographers used to shooting only still images.

A few images shot with the D90

true red by ientu on Flickr

KL Bird Park by chee.hong on Flickr

Stockhold by night by ientu on Flickr ientu

Green Photography

calista.chandler — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 22:11:47 GMT

Due to the long list of chemicals that photography has required in the past, it’s not been known for being very environmentally friendly. With today’s digital cameras it’s easier to be a green photographer, but it’s important to keep a few things in mind to make sure you’re reducing your impact on the environment as much as possible.

If your camera uses AA or AAA batteries, invest in rechargeables. They’re better for the environment, and better for your bank account in the long run. Also be sure to dispose of your non-rechargeable batteries properly; many camera stores will recycle them free of charge.

Unplug chargers when they’re not in use. Even when you’re not actively charging your battery, many chargers draw power, wasting megawatts a year. Make it easy on yourself by using a power strip so you can turn everything off with the flip of a switch.

Check out your options for recharging batteries with solar power. Sundance Solar offers options for almost every camera out there.

When you upgrade your camera, consider donating your old one to worthy causes (like the New Orleans Kids Camera Project previously mentioned on this blog). For equipment that’s no longer usable, be sure to take advantage of electronics recycling programs rather than simply throwing it away.

Take advantage of your computer’s energy saving features to turn off your screen and slow your hard drive when you’re not using them.

When printing your photos at home, look into using recycled paper such as GreenPix, which is made of 100 percent post-consumer material. If you do a lot of printing, use refillable ink cartridges rather than buying and discarding every time you run out.

When considering new purchases, do a little research to find out which companies are making efforts to reduce their environmental impact.

Be low impact when you’re out photographing nature. Don’t disturb the plant or animal life, and of course always take out with you everything you bring in. Remember the motto, “Take only pictures; leave only footprints.”

Use your talent to raise awareness about environmental issues. Document the beauty of the natural world, or use your images to show the changes that are occurring. Especially when it comes to the environment, nothing gets a message across like a good picture.

Multigenerational Road Trip

calista.chandler — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 19:02:07 GMT

In celebration of my grandmother’s 82nd birthday in September, my mom and I flew to Michigan to take her on a multigenerational road trip. We started in Holland, Mich., and headed north, toward the Upper Peninsula. Some of the places we stopped were Traverse City, Petoskey and Mackinac Island. Below are several pictures from our travels.

On the first day of our trip we stopped in Traverse City and wandered around downtown, shopping, having lunch and coffee. We were lucky to get a beautiful day. (Read more about Traverse City and its festivals.) That evening we arrived in Petoskey, a city famous for the fossilized coral you can find on the beaches there. After we checked into our hotel we immediately headed to the beach to find our own Petoskey stones. My grandma was the first to find one, and it was the biggest one any of us found all day!

The second day we headed north and crossed the famous Mackinac Bridge, arriving in St. Ignace. It didn’t take us long to find a ferry to Mackinac Island, and we had a beautiful trip over. The Grand Hotel on the island was visible long before we arrived. Our first stop once we were on the island was, of course, at one of the famous fudge shops. Despite supposedly being mature adults, we had a hard time resisting buying a ton of fudge, but we justified it by promising ourselves we would share!

There are many beautiful places on the island to sit and relax. We headed to some picnic benches on the shore and tried each kind of fudge we had bought. Simple chocolate walnut was my favorite. Mackinac Island is completely free of cars of any kind, so the main ways of getting around are by horse and carriage, or bicycle. There are great sights to see around the island, like the Arch Rock, a short climb up a trail from the bike path. (Read more in our Mackinac Island article.)

It didn’t take much convincing to get my grandma to get on a bike and embark on the bike trail circling the perimeter of the island. I hope I’m as active on my 82nd birthday!

Our last stop before heading home was at the Indian Village, a kitchy touristy spot that my mom remembered from when she was a child. Naturally we had to pose behind the silly sign!

Fun With Slow Shutter Speeds

calista.chandler — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 20:01:17 GMT

Have you ever taken a picture with your point-and-shoot camera just to have the shutter speed be too slow and your image blurry? If you’re camera is left to figure out its exposure settings on its own, it will slow down your shutter in low-light conditions, which can sabotage your attempt to get a clear photo. You can use a show shutter speed to make great photographs though, with a little bit of planning.

Below are tips on how to take a few kinds of slow shutter pictures. These tips require your camera to stay very still, so handholding is not recommended. Pick up a basic tripod or something like the Gorillapod, reviewed earlier on this blog.

Light Trails

Everyone has seen those otherworldly pictures of ribbons of lights created by moving cars. These shots are eye catching and very easy to achieve. Make sure your camera is stable on your tripod, and use your manual or shutter priority setting to set your shutter speed to one second or more. Set your ISO as low as you can, so you’ll have less noise in your image. Depending on where you’re shooting, you might want to use manual focus, because the autofocus on most cameras struggles in low light. Beyond that, just experiment with different shutter speeds and angles until you get an image you like!

Life in the Fast Lane, by Chris Gin on Flickr

Painting with Light

Most people are used to shooting in whatever light happens to be falling on their subject, but if you take control of the light you can get some fantastic results. Painting with light is just what it sounds like. You set your camera to a long shutter speed, often several seconds, and you move light sources around your subject to put light where you want it in your image. Put your camera on a tripod and experiment with any light source you can find. Candles, flashlights or Christmas lights work great. You can even move through the picture without showing up in the final image if you make sure the light doesn’t illuminate you too much, and you wear dark clothes.

Rocco plays light cello, by fPat on Flickr

Bright Nights

On nights that are well lit by the moon you can take long shutter speed pictures that look like they were taken during the day. This is a fun way to capture movement that you wouldn’t be able to capture with long, daytime shutter speeds.

Moonlight, by Vimages on Flickr

Geotag Your Photos

calista.chandler — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 01:38:35 GMT

A popular feature of photo sharing sites like Flickr is the ability to geotag your photographs. A geotagged photograph is a photo that is associated with a geographical location that can be recorded in latitude and longitude, altitude or a simple street address. The photos can then be placed on a map of the location, and in the case of Flickr, shared with anyone looking at the map of that area.

There are several ways to geotag photographs, including connecting a GPS device to your camera, synching information recorded by a separate GPS with the pictures you took, based on time, or simply entering the geographical information manually.

A new, simpler way of geotagging your photos has recently been announched by JOBO, the JOBO photoGPS receiver. The photoGPS is a small device that sits on the hotshoe of your camera, where you would attach an external flash. It automatically gathers the data you need to geotag your photos, and stores it in its internal memory. When you get home and upload your photos, the included JOBO software will match them to the geographic data. The receiver retails for $150, and includes the necessary cables and the photoGPS matching software, organizer and viewing software. Not having to worry about managing the GPS data manually, photographers using the JOBO photoGPS can concentrate on what’s important—getting the perfect shot!

Cameras for Kids

calista.chandler — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 21:47:04 GMT

Chances are if you use a digital camera within view of your young children they want to have a turn taking pictures. You may be reluctant to hand over your expensive digital camera to a 3- or 4-year-old, but wouldn’t it be fun to see what kind of pictures they would take?

With the increasing affordability of digital cameras, it might just be worth it to buy your son or daughter a digital camera of their own. There are many easy-to-use and durable “kids cameras” on the market now, and some of them offer special features like built in games and specialized software tailored to kids. Adding silly hats or cartoon characters to pictures can keep some kids entertained for hours.

Things to keep in mind when shopping for a camera for your child are durability, resolution, and ease of use. Most kids cameras are very durable, which sets them apart from regular cameras. The resolution and image quality is often significantly less than you would find in a regular digital camera, so keep that in mind if you would like to print the pictures your kids take. VGA resolution, offered by many kids’ cameras, is only 640x480 pixels, which is not big enough for even a 4x6 print, but it is the perfect size for e-mailing shots from your budding Ansel Adams to family members.

1. Fisher-Price Kid-Tough Waterproof Digital Camera
Featuring a two-eye viewer, big buttons that are easy for little fingers and rugged waterproof construction, this camera is good for toddlers who are just starting to take an interest in cameras. A 1.5-inch LCD screen lets kids see the pictures they’ve taken, and 64 MB of internal memory can hold up to 500 images, though they won’t be of amazing quality. The suggested retail price is $50.

2. VTech Kidizoom Camera
This camera comes with interchangeable faceplates and has simple games built in. Also included is picture-editing software that allows kids to add frames, funny hats and accessories, or monster features like wings and horns. With 16MB of internal storage. it can hold up to 200 pictures, or a few minutes of video. Try this one out in the store if you get a chance though, as some users have reported that the buttons are hard to push on some models. The suggested retail price is $59.99.

3. Polaroid Pixie 3.0MP Kids Digital Camera with Games
Intended for a slightly older audience, this camera features 3.0 megapixel resolution, enough for an 8x10 print. With a two-eye viewfinder and built in games, it’s easy and fun for kids to use. The internal memory isn’t sufficient for more than a few pictures though, so you’ll want to buy an additional SD card. Also be aware that this camera is known for going through batteries quickly. The suggested retail price is $79.99.

For toddlers and young kids, these cameras are ideal since they can withstand being dropped, and the buttons and menus are intuitive enough for young minds. A simple modification can make these cameras even more kid friendly: When taking pictures, children often get too close to their subject, causing the flash to be too bright and the image to be overexposed. A simple fix for this is to put translucent tape or tissue paper over the lens, diffusing and softening the light.

Once a child is old enough that you don’t have to worry so much about them damaging or losing the camera, they might be ready for their own regular point and shoot camera. It’s not hard to find a good quality camera, with much higher resolution and more advanced features than the children’s cameras offered, for less than $100. And there’s always the option of buying yourself a new camera and handing your older, but still functional, camera to your kids. You might be surprised by the creativity of the pictures they come up with!

Sharing Your Photos on Google Maps

calista.chandler — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 05:51:09 GMT

If you have spent much time using Google Maps you’ve probably noticed the ‘photos’ option. When turned on (by checking ‘photos’ under the ‘More…’ tab on the map menu), you can view images uploaded by people all over the world, and linked to the place on the map where they were taken. You can take a photo tour of your city, state, country or the whole world just by clicking on the thumbnail images that appear on the map.

So, how can you add your own photos to Google Maps? First you need to make a Panoramio account at www.panoramio.com. After that it’s as simple as uploading photos and placing them on the map. Panoramio also allows you to comment on other users’ photos and to vote for your favorites. There are even monthly photo contests that you can enter to win great photography-related prizes. So, check it out, share your photos, and see what other photographers in your area and the rest of the world are up to!

Flickr Q&A: dancl

calista.chandler — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 00:55:46 GMT

In our search for great photography for the TravelMuse site we sometimes come across extraordinary photographers. They aren’t all professionals, some are hobbyists that have a great passion for the art, and strive to learn everything they can about it. While looking for images for our Québec City issue I came across Flickr user dancl, and immediately recognized the quality of his work. He was kind enough to let us use one of his images for the cover of that issue, and was excited about the opportunity to be interviewed for our photoblog. Here's what dancl, or Daniel Fuentealba, had to say.

TravelMuse: Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Daniel Fuentealba: I’m from Concepción, Chile. I’m a wood engineer who studied for a Masters of Science at the University of Bío-Bío (Concepción, Chile). I moved with my wife in 2004 to Québec City, Canada to study in a Ph.D. program at Laval University. Last year we became parents of a beautiful little boy named Benjamin. Since we are far from our family and friends in Chile, we maintain a blog in order to share his growth.

TM: What got you interested in photography and why do you continue to enjoy it?

DF: In 1996, my sister Mariely gave me her Zenith 122 manual camera. As I started studying at the University of Bío-Bío, I joined the university’s photography club, which is where I learned the basics of photography and darkroom techniques. It wasn’t until I came to Canada in May 2005 that I picked up the camera again. At first I used a point and shoot Canon Powershot A510, just to document our new life and share it with our family. I still use that same camera sometimes and have taken some prize-winning pictures with it. (Canon A510 gallery)

"Grands Feux Loto-Québec", Finalist | Centre de Congrès photography contest “Nouveau regard sur le Québec”

Fireworks
1st place Club Photo Optica exposition "Rouge" | Université Laval
Technical ability mention | Interuniversity photo contest 2007-08 Montreal University

Water Drops
Finalist | Photography contest at Laval University

During this last contest I had some good friends who encouraged me to join Laval University’s photo club, Optica. A few months after I joined Optica in September 2006, I bought my first D-SLR, a Nikon D70 with a Sigma 24-135mm f/2.8-4.5 lens. This club influenced me greatly, helping me to improve my technique and increase my interest in sharing my photography. Nowadays I share my work on a photoblog at , a blog at and as always my Flickr account.

TM: What is your favorite photograph that you've taken and why?

DF: If you see my photo blog you will see that I have many, but I would say the one with the water drops on my office windows would be the most important for me as it led to my joining Optica. Through the club I have met many great photographers who helped me to recover my passion for photography and who keep me reading, learning and practicing to improve my technique and artistic side.

TM: What is your opinion on post-processing in Photoshop in terms of enhancing photos?

DF: That is a big question. I think post-processing is necessary because digital photographs are not as good as slide film right out of the camera. Digital photography is faster, cheaper and better for improving your technique though, because you can see the results instantaneously. I prefer digital photography for my own work.

Personally I would say that all my pictures have passed through Lightroom and/or Photoshop. Usually I use Adobe Photoshop Lightroom to correct the color temperature and then Photoshop for details and adding the signature, among other things.

I have to say that I still keep some cameras in order to shoot film because, in my opinion, digital photography has taken some of the beauty out of the essence of photography. It has eliminated the need to take the time to observe and view the picture before making it, paying attention to the framing, etc. With digital and RAW files, you do one part of the work when you shoot, but it is not finished. You have to spend some time on the computer to develop your digital pictures. Because you have a memory card which you can fill, you are able to take test shots, which, I think, can start to erode your technique. That’s why I try to balance both technologies: film as well as digital photography.

TM: How long have you been using Flickr, and what do you like about it?

DF: I’ve been a Flickr member since October 2006. I really like to share what I do with people, even more so when I know that they are also interested in photography. It’s a pretty good way to improve your photography since you can usually get the technical information of a picture (EXIF information). It has many qualities that I like so I think DanCL (Dan: Daniel + CL: .cl from Chile) will be on Flickr for a while.

TM: What kind of responses have you gotten to your photos on Flickr?

DF: As I said before, Flickr has really helped me to improve my photography. The feedback that you get in Flickr helps you a lot. There is always the “good picture,” “nice colors,” “love the framing,” but also you get real critiques that let you see your pictures from a different view point that you could never see on your own. I already have more than 25,000 visits, and I really enjoy having my pictures commented on.

TM: What kind of responses have you gotten to your photos that have appeared on TravelMuse?

DF: It’s funny, but when I originally posted the picture on October 2007 I didn’t have any comments at all. I started getting good comments from people when they knew that the picture was on the cover of your article about Québec City. I have received some e-mails in the past asking for permission to publish my pictures for free, but this is the first time that I accepted, and I think it was mostly because it was for a cover.

TM: What advice do you have for aspiring photographers?

DF: I’m not the one to give advice, but if I have to say something I would say to practice (using digital) but keep fresh on the basics (using film). And of course seeing/observing lots of pictures … and sharing your opinions and critiques so other people will do the same for you.

Concert / Fête du Canada

hahn on blue + fan on red + chester on white

mountains map