In this issue:

Work At Home Taking Simple Photos: A genuine home-based business opportunity in an industry that's virtually unknown to most people.

Black & White Photography

About 20 years ago, I became interested not just in taking photos but in developing and printing them. In those days, that required setting up a darkroom with an enlarger, paper and chemicals, a far cry from the ease of today's digital darkrooms.

It was possible to develop color photos and even slides back then but the temperature tolerances were pretty tight and being off by even a degree in temperature could result in photos with weird color casts. The process of balancing the various colors was also a difficult and time consuming affair. Black and White photos were much easier (and cheaper!) to produce.

So I went out, bought an enlarger, paper, chemicals, plactic trays, tongs, a red light, heaters for the chemical baths, timers, a gadget for finding when photos were accurately focussed on the paper. Well, you get the idea. There was a lot of small accessory gear required for that darkroom. And it also needed a place where no light could get in to ruin the photos. Converting the loft into a darkroom was my solution.

But once I was set up, it was a lot of fun. I shot with black and white film and printed on black and white paper and learned some of the dodging and burning techniques required to get the most out of prints.

Roll forward 20 years to the digital revolution. Adobe Photoshop and other software like it now gives anyone with a PC their own digital darkroom. Just a few years ago, when everyone was still shooting on film, if you wanted to use your digital darkroom, you had to get your slides or negatives digitally scanned first. These days, with the advent of digital cameras, all anyone needs to do is hook up their camera to their PC and download their images and they're ready to go.

Somewhere in the flurry of recent advances and whirl of color digital cameras, Black & White photography seems to have been lost. In some ways it's seen as being something from the past and now that we can all afford to take color photos, why should anyone want to return to the old days?

Black & White photos seem to capture the essence of the subject with more clarity than color equivalents. Maybe that's because there's no color to distract us from the raw textures, lighting and patterns in a photo. Thinking about this recently I thought about creepy old houses (why I don't know) but in my mind a black & white photo of such places seems to evoke a greater sense of dread than a color version. Do you think Norman's house in Psycho would have looked as daunting if shot in glorious technicolor?

If you shoot using film, you can still buy black & white stock. There's probably more types of such film available today than there was in the past. If you shoot digitally, you're almost certainly restricted to shooting in color (although some digital cameras do provide an option for shooting in black and white).

So, if you want to try your hand at black & white photgraphy, what can you do? Shoot in color and use your digital darkroom to produce stunning black & white photos!

I'll be adding some black & white techniques to The Great Landscape Photography website (there's too much infomation to include in this article) if you'd like to try your hand. But, as a taster, here are some of the things you need to be aware of with black and white in mind:

• Learning to see in black and white - Serious black & white film users view a scene through a lens that usually has a color filter attached. Digital darkrooms let you convert your color photos to black and white in a variety of ways.
• Pattern and Symmetry - both are very well suited to black and white photography.
• Light, Tone and Contrast - vary the tonal balance of a photo to highlight particular features of a photograph (with color, this would result in some colors being overly saturated creating a very unnatural looking photo)
• Using Lens Filters - just as with color, they can be used with black and white
• Darkening Skies - skies lend real atmosphere to a black & white photo. Learn how to make the most of them.

If you think black & white photography doesn't have much relevance to landscape photography, then take a look at Ansel Adams' photos (you'll see a selection here: http://www.great-landscape-photography.com/ansel-adams.html). He's considered to be the greatest landscape phographer in America.

Gary Nugent

Digital Photography Success - Now you can take the digital photos you’ve always wanted, have them turn out to a professional quality that you'll be supremely proud of.

This article arrived in from Ryan Shapiro. It ties in nicely with my discussion of digital darkrooms above.

Your Mobile Digital Darkroom – Five Tools of the Trade

While digital photography offers you the ability to review photographs instantaneously, it also offers you the added convenience of editing photos on the fly as well.

Enter the world of the mobile digital dark room. Laptops have liberated photographers from their studios and offices once and for all. For the first time this year, laptops have outsold desktops according to research firm Current Analysis.

In addition to your routine photo gear, here are five must-have items you need to get your mobile darkroom up and running for your next photo assignment:

LAPTOP

Your choice of laptop is an important consideration. For the most part, a consumer-level laptop such as a Dell, Gateway, or IBM ThinkPad will suffice.

On the other hand, if you are a world traveler and you plan to venture into rugged terrain where you may regularly encounter rain, dust, and extreme temperature changes - invest in a rugged laptop. While making your decision, keep in mind the thickness and dimensions of the laptop. You will need to fit this into your photo backpack, so decide carefully. It's adviseable to purchase a backpack first and bring it with you when you're shopping for a laptop.

Ensure the processing speed and random access memory (RAM) is sufficient enough to handle the processing of large digital files. You should make sure the laptop also contains a CD burner, wireless network card, and wireless mouse. Consult your salesperson. Other additional considerations include an extended life battery and power adaptors capable of handling power connections in your car, on airplanes, and other power sources.

COMPACT DISCS

Delkin Devices offers eFilm Archival Gold CD-R's that incorporate Phthalocyanine dye and a 24k gold reflective layer. Phthalocyanine dye helps resist harmful effects of UV light, heat, and humidity, while gold's inert characteristics prevent oxidation, which causes most CD-R failure. With volatility of computer hard drives and constant threat of virus attacks, Archival Gold CD-R's provide consumers with reliable storage medium to back up images.

CARD READER

Most card readers on the market today that meet the USB 2.0 standard are suitable.

SOFTWARE

If your laptop is capable of handling Photoshop CS/CS2 it is recommended that you install it. If space limitations don’t permit their installation, then install Photoshop Elements 3.0. This obviously is your editing application, so it is advisable to install whatever application you normally use in your studio or office for a consistent digital workflow.

BACKPACK

LowePro, Tamrac, and Tenba have gotten much praise in the photo industry, however they are relatively expensive. A great alternative is the new Quantaray - Urban Gear U100 Pro Backpack available at Ritz Camera. At $79.99 for this versatile backpack is an incredible value. Not only can it handle a large SLR and array of lenses, but it has a laptop compartment, and a removable inner shell as well. Comparable backpacks are in the $200 range.

When you are ready to venture out and go mobile, do it with confidence knowing that you have all of the tools of the trade to edit your images on the road or off.

Ryan Shapiro is a freelance digital photographer based in Germantown, Maryland. His most recent clients include Optical Soceity of America, Kerrigan Media International and Harvard Graduate School of Education. You may reach Mr. Shapiro at: http://www.digitalstockpro.com

Digital Photography All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies? An 816-page All-in-One ebook designed for both beginning and experienced digital photographers, offering seven minibooks on everything from buying a camera and choosing the right equipment to editing with high-end tools and restoring photos digitally

Reader Questions

I received the following questions from readers recently:

Q: When I change a JPG to a TIFF, which compression setting should I use - None, LZW or JPEG? Is there a setting that suits all uses?

A: Use either LZW or None. Both are lossless in quality (i.e. no information in lost when the files are compressed), whereas JPEG discards data to make the file smaller. LZW (Lempel-Ziv-Welsh) results in a smaller storage size on disk that the None option, but it takes longer to save and open files (not really a problem on today's PCs). If you're curious about LZW compression, there's an article at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LZW
If you want to find out about JPG compressions, go here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JPG

Q: I've seen lots of pictures in brochures and magazines with 'flowing' water and wondered how this effect is created. It is done in camera or applied afterwards in something like Photoshop?

A: The blurred, flowing-water effect is achieved in camera and is simply the result of a long exposure. To create your own flowing-water pictures, put your camera on a tripod, compose your shot containing the moving water and then set your camera to use its lowest ISO speed and smallest aperture (the highest numbered f-stop - usually about f/8 on a compact camera and f/22 on a digital SLR).

This combination of settings will reduce the amount of light getting through the lens and a longer shutter speed will be required to make the expoure. Providing the exposure is about 1/2 a second, or longer, you'll get the results you're after.

However, if it's a very bright day, there may be so much light around that the shutter speed still isn't long enough. In that case, use a polarizing or neutral density filter to cut oout even more light. But if that doesn't work, you may simply need to wait until it gets darker.

Q: I'm thinking of buying the new Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT/350D digital SLR. I already have a Canon EOS film camera so will my old lenses work with the Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT/350D?

A: The XT/350D will take Canon EF and EF-S lenses, so you shouldn't have any trouble using those from your old SLR. Some older third-party lenses may not work properly and may need to be rechipped (you'd need to consult the relevant manufacturer) but you'll be fine if your lenses are Canon originals.

Your best bet is to take any lenses you have along to the camera shop and try them on the XT/350D to see if they have full functionality.

Because the XT/350D's sensor is smaller than a film frame, it effectively multiplies the focal length of the lens by 1.6x, so one thing you're likely to lack is a wide-angle lens (an older 28mm-70mm zoom lens would have an effective focal length of 45mm-112mm on such a camera). The XT/350D comes with a Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-f/5.6 lens. Alternatively, you can buy a Canon 17-40mm f/4 USM lens (approx. $640) or the Sigma 17-35mm f/2.8-4 EX FG HSM lens (approx $499).

General Photo News

Konica Minolta launched their new Maxxum Dynax 5D digital SLR which has a 6.1 megapixel sensor and and anti-shake mechanism to combat camera shake. The 5D's 9-point autofocus offers Predictive Focus Control and High-Speed Subject Tracking. There's a selection of metering modes. Constructed of fibreglass, the body is 20% smaller than the 7D and photos are saved to CompactFlash.

If you own an Olympus E-300 camera, there's a new firmware (V1.3) update available that offers exposure metering stability. It should now be possible to get even more precise readings and better consistency when using digital ESP and center-weigthed metering patterns. There are other improvements for timer options, two new underwater scene program modes and the startup process has been changed for future lenses.

StudioLine Update - A new version od photo-management software StudioLine Photo is now available, The updated version (V2.10) has a more instinctive user guidance system and can be downloaded free of charge by all registered users of versions 2.0 or higher. (http://www.studioline.net/EN/)

Sigma's latest digitally optimized lens is an all-purpose 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 DG Macro with new multi-layer lens coatings to reduce flare and a minimum focusing distance of 50cm (2 feet) at all focal lengths. A zoom lock prevents "zoom creep" and Sigma, Canon, Nikon-D and Pentax fittings are currently available.

Site Update News

The website han't seen many changes in the last month due to summer holidays and such but the Photo News page and the other bews pages have been updated daily. Expect to see more additions to the site in the coming weeks.

Well, that's it for this issue. If you've any suggestions for the site, questions that need answering, pictures or articles you'd like to send in or you've come across some software you think we should know about, do let me know.

Likewise, if you have any thoughts about the things you would like to see in future issues, please let me know by using the feedback form to do this.

In the meantime, visit Great Landscape Photography to catch up with the frequent updates and keep your film dry, your digital sensors spotless and your lenses clean!

Warm Regards,
Gary