I had a surprising number of conversations last week that were focused on my micro four thirds system. At the Photokina show, people wanted to know if my gear was serious enough for assignment work, and is this something they should be interested in. I realized that the general photography population in Europe and USA still hasn't fully grasped the value of CSC. I then spend some time talking about Photokina itself and a few of the things that caught my eye. And then I wrap up the show with my night at Oktoberfest in Munich - all of this recorded in Germany.

Listen to the Podcast

You can also download the podcast here (32 minutes). Or better yet, subscribe to the podcast in iTunes. You can support this podcast by purchasing the TDS iPhone App for only $2.99 from the Apple App Store.

Monthly Photo Assignment

Bokeh is the Sept. 2012 Photo Assignment. You can read more about how to submit on our Member Participation page. Deadline for entry is Sept. 30, 2012.

More Ways to Participate

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our Flickr Public Group. And from those images, I choose the TDS Member Photo of the Day.

Podcast Sponsors

Red River Paper -- The $7.99 Sample Kit is back! And with free shipping.

Make Your Photos Sizzle with Color! -- SizzlPix is like High Definition TV for your photography.

Need a New Photo Bag? Check out the Lowepro Specialty Store on The Digital Story and use discount code LP20 to saven 20% at check out.

Canon comes through with the 6D, a more affordable full frame DSLR. I take a look at its specs and see how it stacks up the the 5D Mark III and Nikon D600. Olympus was busy also with two new PEN announcements, the E-PM2 (mini) and E-PL5. They both have the same wonderful sensor as the OM-D, but in smaller packageS. I share a few travel tales, talk about the week ahead, and even have a surprise or two. All of this on this week's TDS Podcast, recorded in Cologne, Germany.

Listen to the Podcast

You can also download the podcast here (24 minutes). Or better yet, subscribe to the podcast in iTunes. You can support this podcast by purchasing the TDS iPhone App for only $2.99 from the Apple App Store.

Monthly Photo Assignment

Bokeh is the Sept. 2012 Photo Assignment. You can read more about how to submit on our Member Participation page. Deadline for entry is Sept. 30, 2012.

More Ways to Participate

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our Flickr Public Group. And from those images, I choose the TDS Member Photo of the Day.

Podcast Sponsors

Red River Paper -- The $7.99 Sample Kit is back! And with free shipping.

Make Your Photos Sizzle with Color! -- SizzlPix is like High Definition TV for your photography.

Need a New Photo Bag? Check out the Lowepro Specialty Store on The Digital Story and use discount code LP20 to saven 20% at check out.

Taking good photographs from land is hard enough, but it gets even more exciting on a twin-engine outboard bouncing across the San Francisco Bay. I enjoyed the challenge while covering the Rolex Big Boats Series with pro shooter Daniel Forster. I take you behind the scenes and explain how Rolex reports on these events, and how Daniel makes his amazing images. I also have a fun iPhone anecdote, plus chat about the upcoming assignment in Germany. All of this and more in this week's TDS Podcast.

Listen to the Podcast

You can also download the podcast here (30 minutes). Or better yet, subscribe to the podcast in iTunes. You can support this podcast by purchasing the TDS iPhone App for only $2.99 from the Apple App Store.

Monthly Photo Assignment

Bokeh is the Sept. 2012 Photo Assignment. You can read more about how to submit on our Member Participation page. Deadline for entry is Sept. 30, 2012.

More Ways to Participate

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our Flickr Public Group. And from those images, I choose the TDS Member Photo of the Day.

Podcast Sponsors

Red River Paper -- The $7.99 Sample Kit is back! And with free shipping.

Make Your Photos Sizzle with Color! -- SizzlPix is like High Definition TV for your photography.

Need a New Photo Bag? Check out the Lowepro Specialty Store on The Digital Story and use discount code LP20 to saven 20% at check out.

I've been waiting for a professional zoom lens to complement the Olympus OM-D, and thanks to Panasonic's new 12-35mm f/2.8, I have one. At 2.9" long and less than 11 ounces in weight, this 14-element zoom allows me to tackle the most demanding of assignments. I share my initial impressions of the 12-35mm in the first segment of this week's show.

In the second story I share how AT&T kindly unlocked my iPhone 3GS so I could take it to Germany and use a local SIM card there. Will make life much easier on the road. And finally, I cover the iPad Smart Case. It protects the entire unit, not just the front. All of this and more in this week's podcast.

Listen to the Podcast

You can also download the podcast here (31 minutes). Or better yet, subscribe to the podcast in iTunes. You can support this podcast by purchasing the TDS iPhone App for only $2.99 from the Apple App Store.

Monthly Photo Assignment

Bokeh is the Sept. 2012 Photo Assignment. You can read more about how to submit on our Member Participation page. Deadline for entry is Sept. 30, 2012.

More Ways to Participate

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our Flickr Public Group. And from those images, I choose the TDS Member Photo of the Day.

Podcast Sponsors

Red River Paper -- The $7.99 Sample Kit is back! And with free shipping.

Make Your Photos Sizzle with Color! -- SizzlPix is like High Definition TV for your photography.

Need a New Photo Bag? Check out the Lowepro Specialty Store on The Digital Story and use discount code LP20 to saven 20% at check out.

Not all terrific cameras get the spotlight they deserve. The Pentax K-30 is a good example. It's the most affordable weather-sealed DSLR (body only at $846), captures Raw in the DNG format, includes sensor-based image stabilization so any lens you put on is stabilized, plus has a raft of cool features, including HDR and multiple exposure. I share my initial impressions as I prepare to write a formal review of this camera.

I then talk a bit about the recent rash of spam that has attacked our site. And I conclude with a brief wrap up of the Sonoma Coast Photography Workshop. Join me for this week's episode!

Listen to the Podcast

You can also download the podcast here (34 minutes). Or better yet, subscribe to the podcast in iTunes. You can support this podcast by purchasing the TDS iPhone App for only $2.99 from the Apple App Store.

Monthly Photo Assignment

Street Scene is the August 2012 Photo Assignment. You can read more about how to submit on our Member Participation page. Deadline for entry is August 30, 2012.

More Ways to Participate

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our Flickr Public Group. And from those images, I choose the TDS Member Photo of the Day.

Podcast Sponsors

Red River Paper -- The $7.99 Sample Kit is back! And with free shipping.

Make Your Photos Sizzle with Color! -- SizzlPix is like High Definition TV for your photography.

Need a New Photo Bag? Check out the Lowepro Specialty Store on The Digital Story and use discount code LP20 to saven 20% at check out.

What's the biggest drawback to being the Nimble Photographer on photo assignment? Perception. If I show up with anything less than a big gun, will clients and participants take me seriously? I explore this phenomenon in the first segment of the show.

I then start laying the ground work for my trip to Germany in September to cover Photokina and Oktoberfest. If you're not all that familiar with Photokina, I provide some good context to help bring you up to speed.

And finally, I have a personal story that involves my iPhone. I know the best camera is the one you have with you, but I never expected this. And there's more... in this week's TDS podcast.

Listen to the Podcast

You can also download the podcast here (29 minutes). Or better yet, subscribe to the podcast in iTunes. You can support this podcast by purchasing the TDS iPhone App for only $2.99 from the Apple App Store.

Monthly Photo Assignment

Street Scene is the August 2012 Photo Assignment. You can read more about how to submit on our Member Participation page. Deadline for entry is August 30, 2012.

More Ways to Participate

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our Flickr Public Group. And from those images, I choose the TDS Member Photo of the Day.

Podcast Sponsors

Red River Paper -- The $7.99 Sample Kit is back! And with free shipping.

Make Your Photos Sizzle with Color! -- SizzlPix is like High Definition TV for your photography.

Need a New Photo Bag? Check out the Lowepro Specialty Store on The Digital Story and use discount code LP20 to saven 20% at check out.

For a week of hiking, snorkeling, and lounging around the pool in Maui, I depended on one camera - The Olympus Tough TG-1. Not only did it stand up to a week of island abuse, I got great pictures too. In this week's podcast, I talk about the Tough and how it was an integral part of my super nimble workflow.

Speaking of which, I detail the steps of getting the job done with just an iPad and the TG-1. Everything I needed to capture, organize, and publish fit in a light Lowepro Photo Hatchback bag. Don't believe it can be done???

And finally, I jumped in with both feet to Instagram while on the island. Near the end of the show, talk about the things I learned along the way. All of this and more in this week's TDS podcast.

Listen to the Podcast

You can also download the podcast here (32 minutes). Or better yet, subscribe to the podcast in iTunes. You can support this podcast by purchasing the TDS iPhone App for only $2.99 from the Apple App Store.

Monthly Photo Assignment

Street Scene is the August 2012 Photo Assignment. You can read more about how to submit on our Member Participation page. Deadline for entry is August 30, 2012.

More Ways to Participate

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our Flickr Public Group. And from those images, I choose the TDS Member Photo of the Day.

Podcast Sponsors

Red River Paper -- The $7.99 Sample Kit is back! And with free shipping.

Make Your Photos Sizzle with Color! -- SizzlPix is like High Definition TV for your photography.

Need a New Photo Bag? Check out the Lowepro Specialty Store on The Digital Story and use discount code LP20 to saven 20% at check out.

In this Digital Photography Podcast: The Nokia 808 PureView camera phone has amazing specs, including 38 MP capture with a 28mm Zeiss lens. Then with PureView zoom, you can go up to 3.6X with the sacrifice being in megapixels, not image quality. Very interesting device, and possibly the best camera phone ever.

In the second story, I focus on a cool feature for photographers called AirPlay Mirroring. It's one of the 200 new goodies in Mac OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion. Using AirPlay Mirroring, we can easily share our photos and videos with small audiences.

And finally, do you know what those different album colors mean in iPhoto for iOS? They're actually a helpful organizational tool. All of this and more in this week's TDS podcast.

Listen to the Podcast

You can also download the podcast here (33 minutes). Or better yet, subscribe to the podcast in iTunes. You can support this podcast by purchasing the TDS iPhone App for only $2.99 from the Apple App Store.

Monthly Photo Assignment

Hot is the July 2012 Photo Assignment. You can read more about how to submit on our Member Participation page. Deadline for entry is July 31, 2012.

More Ways to Participate

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our Flickr Public Group. And from those images, I choose the TDS Member Photo of the Day.

Podcast Sponsors

Red River Paper -- The $7.99 Sample Kit is back! And with free shipping.

Make Your Photos Sizzle with Color! -- SizzlPix is like High Definition TV for your photography. Get a 20% discount during July by adding "TDS" in the comment field of your order.

Need a New Photo Bag? Check out the Lowepro Specialty Store on The Digital Story and use discount code LP20 to saven 20% at check out.

The Canon EOS M mirrorless camera has been officially announced. We've had some discussion on TDS about "is it the next camera for you," and I cover that conversation as the top story this week.

Then we get in to the Burger King Bust. Three employees at the hamburger shack photographed themselves standing in lettuce bins used for preparation. Then published the photo online. They were tracked down via geodata and fired.

And finally, the $25 wireless flash trigger from Cowboy Studio. What a deal! All of this and more on this week's TDS podcast.

Listen to the Podcast

You can also download the podcast here (31 minutes). Or better yet, subscribe to the podcast in iTunes. You can support this podcast by purchasing the TDS iPhone App for only $2.99 from the Apple App Store.

Monthly Photo Assignment

Hot is the July 2012 Photo Assignment. You can read more about how to submit on our Member Participation page. Deadline for entry is July 31, 2012.

More Ways to Participate

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our Flickr Public Group. And from those images, I choose the TDS Member Photo of the Day.

Podcast Sponsors

Red River Paper -- The $7.99 Sample Kit is back! And with free shipping.

Make Your Photos Sizzle with Color! -- SizzlPix is like High Definition TV for your photography. Get a 20% discount during July by adding "TDS" in the comment field of your order.

Need a New Photo Bag? Check out the Lowepro Specialty Store on The Digital Story and use discount code LP20 to saven 20% at check out.

Nikon officially announces their 800mm f/5.6 super telephoto. It's the longest focal length of any Nikkor autofocus lens. Then, in the second story, I try not to get my hopes up about the latest Canon rumor for an entry-level full-frame DSLR with some tantalizing (rumored) specs. I also cover how to put some pizazz in your group shots, and the value (and use of) a shot list for event photography. All of this and more on this week's podcast episode.

Listen to the Podcast

You can also download the podcast here (31 minutes). Or better yet, subscribe to the podcast in iTunes. You can support this podcast by purchasing the TDS iPhone App for only $2.99 from the Apple App Store.

Monthly Photo Assignment

Hot is the July 2012 Photo Assignment. You can read more about how to submit on our Member Participation page. Deadline for entry is July 31, 2012.

More Ways to Participate

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our Flickr Public Group. And from those images, I choose the TDS Member Photo of the Day.

Podcast Sponsors

Red River Paper -- The $7.99 Sample Kit is back! And with free shipping.

Make Your Photos Sizzle with Color! -- SizzlPix is like High Definition TV for your photography. Get a 20% discount during July by adding "TDS" in the comment field of your order.

Need a New Photo Bag? Check out the Lowepro Specialty Store on The Digital Story and use discount code LP20 to saven 20% at check out.