The difference between good glass and great glass, is, well, quite glaring. I recently had a chance to work with both in the same conditions. I was on the tennis courts at Stanford University in Northern California for the Bank of the West Classic. I started the day shooting with kit lenses that come with the impressive Olympus E-520. But then I got my hands on some of the Olympus pro glass. Oh my. What fun was that.

In this podcast I talk about my experience on the hardcourt using these different types of lenses. This shot, for example, was captured with the beautiful Zuiko 150mm f-2 (which is equal to 300mm when mounted on the E-520). I loved shooting with that lens.

Photo by Derrick Story with an Olympus E-520 and Zuiko 150mm f-2 lens.

Monthly Photo Assignment

Fire is this month's photo assignment. With Fourth of July behind us, plus wild fires raging across the Northern California landscape, fire is top of mind for me. As always, there are many ways to interpret this assignment. You can read more about how to submit on our Submissions page. Deadline for entry is July 31.

Listen to the Podcast

Now that I've piqued your curiosity, it's time to listen to today's audio show titled, "Go with the Better Glass." You can download the podcast here (25 minutes). You can also subscribe to the podcast in iTunes

The Digital Story podcasts are available for direct download from Apple iPhones. I've created a special mobile download page here. Just load the page in Safari, browse the podcast line-up, and click on the one you want to listen to.

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our new Flickr Public Group. It's a blast!

Events! See the TDS Event Calendar for photography workshops, speaking engagements, and trade show appearances.

Technorati Tags: digital photography, podcast, technique, Technology, The Digital Story, tips

Lowepro Bags for Photographers On the Go -- Lowepro gear for every type of camera rig, every type of photographer.

Add Magic to Your Slideshows -- FotoMagico presentations are so amazing that your audience will be asking how you did it.

Layers adjustments have been a cornerstone of nondestructive image editing in the modern Photoshop era. But are they always the best way to work on your pictures? In this podcast I explain how to work more efficiently in Adobe Camera Raw, saving the layers workflow for only the specific images that need it.

Monthly Photo Assignment

Fire is this month's photo assignment. With Fourth of July behind us, plus wild fires raging across the Northern California landscape, fire is top of mind for me. As always, there are many ways to interpret this assignment. You can read more about how to submit on our Submissions page. Deadline for entry is July 31.

Listen to the Podcast

Now that I've piqued your curiosity, it's time to listen to today's audio show titled, "Photoshop Layers vs Adobe Camera Raw." You can download the podcast here (22 minutes). You can also subscribe to the podcast in iTunes

The Digital Story podcasts are available for direct download from Apple iPhones. I've created a special mobile download page here. Just load the page in Safari, browse the podcast line-up, and click on the one you want to listen to.

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our new Flickr Public Group. It's a blast!

Events! See the TDS Event Calendar for photography workshops, speaking engagements, and trade show appearances.

Technorati Tags: digital photography, podcast, technique, Technology, The Digital Story, tips

Lowepro Bags for Photographers On the Go -- Lowepro gear for every type of camera rig, every type of photographer.

Add Magic to Your Slideshows -- FotoMagico presentations are so amazing that your audience will be asking how you did it.

Questions about Lightroom and Aperture from my class at Santa Fe Workshops. This is a fun podcast that recaps the last few weeks that involved changing studios, breaking the podcast feed, traveling to New Mexico, teaching a week long workshop about Lightroom, trying to record a podcast in a Ford Edge in the middle of the desert, fixing the podcast feeds, coming home, and finally recording a podcast in the new studio... and actually having it publish correctly.

Monthly Photo Assignment

Fire is this month's photo assignment. With Fourth of July just behind us, plus wild fires raging across the Northern California landscape, fire is top of mind for me. As always, there are many ways to interpret this assignment. You can read more about how to submit on our Submissions page. Deadline for entry is July 31.

Listen to the Podcast

Now that I've piqued your curiosity, it's time to listen to today's audio show titled, "Software Questions from Class." You can download the podcast here (25 minutes). You can also subscribe to the podcast in iTunes

The Digital Story podcasts are available for direct download from Apple iPhones. I've created a special mobile download page here. Just load the page in Safari, browse the podcast line-up, and click on the one you want to listen to.

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our new Flickr Public Group. It's a blast!

Events! See the TDS Event Calendar for photography workshops, speaking engagements, and trade show appearances.

Technorati Tags: digital photography, podcast, technique, Technology, The Digital Story, tips

Lowepro Bags for Photographers On the Go -- Lowepro gear for every type of camera rig, every type of photographer.

Add Magic to Your Slideshows -- FotoMagico presentations are so amazing that your audience will be asking how you did it.

Both Georgia O'Keeffee and Ansel Adams wrote about the value of self assignment. During my stay in Santa Fe, I visited the O'Keeffee Museum and took that inspiration out into the great New Mexico landscape.

In this podcast, I talk about how the notion of self assignment influenced my stay in the Southwest long after my formal work here was completed.

Monthly Photo Assignment

Fire is this month's photo assignment. With Fourth of July right around the corner, plus wild fires raging across the Northern California landscape, fire is top of mind for me. As always, there are many ways to interpret this assignment. You can read more about how to submit on our Submissions page. Deadline for entry is July 31.

Listen to the Podcast

Now that I've piqued your curiosity, it's time to listen to today's audio show titled, "Self Assignment." You can download the podcast here (24 minutes). You can also subscribe to the podcast in iTunes

The Digital Story Podcasts are available for direct download from Apple iPhones. I've created a special mobile download page here. Just load the page in Safari, browse the podcast line-up, and click on the one you want to listen to.

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our new Flickr Public Group. It's a blast!

Events! See the TDS Event Calendar for photography workshops, speaking engagements, and trade show appearances.

Technorati Tags: digital photography, podcast, technique, Technology, The Digital Story, tips

Lowepro Bags for Photographers On the Go -- Lowepro gear for every type of camera rig, every type of photographer.

Add Magic to Your Slideshows -- FotoMagico presentations are so amazing that your audience will be asking how you did it.

Aperture priority mode is perfect for controlling depth of field. In this podcast I give some tips for using aperture priority, plus I talk about the upcoming Bert Monroy video interview.

Monthly Photo Assignment

Motion is this month's photo assignment. There are all sorts of possibilities for showing motion, from panning moving objects, to slowing down your shutter speed, to moving yourself. You can read more about how to submit on our Submissions page. Deadline for entry is June 30.

Listen to the Podcast

Now that I've piqued your curiosity, it's time to listen to today's audio show titled, "Aperture Priority." You can download the podcast here (24 minutes). You can also subscribe to the podcast in iTunes

The Digital Story Podcasts are available for direct download from Apple iPhones. I've created a special mobile download page here. Just load the page in Safari, browse the podcast line-up, and click on the one you want to listen to.

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our new Flickr Public Group. It's a blast!

Events! See the TDS Event Calendar for photography workshops, speaking engagements, and trade show appearances.

Technorati Tags: digital photography, podcast, technique, Technology, The Digital Story, tips

Lowepro Bags for Photographers On the Go -- Lowepro gear for every type of camera rig, every type of photographer.

Add Magic to Your Slideshows -- FotoMagico presentations are so amazing that your audience will be asking how you did it.

Here are ten things you don't want to forget when you hit the road on a photo vacation. Some of these items you'll have packed already, but there will be others that I hope you add to the mix. The list is:

1. Insulated lunch bag such as the eBags Crew Cooler.
2. Portable tripod. The Gorillapod is a favorite.
3. Extra storage cards. They are cheap and indispensable on the road.
4. Both compact and DSLR cameras.
5. Model releases.
6. Business cards.
7. 3x5 cards with a couple pens.
8. Non-camera bag.
9. List of important URLs or a Smart Phone.
10. Extra charged batteries and their chargers.

In the podcast, I explain why each of these items are on the list.

Monthly Photo Assignment

Motion is this month's photo assignment. There are all sorts of possibilities for showing motion, from panning moving objects, to slowing down your shutter speed, to moving yourself. You can read more about how to submit on our Submissions page. Deadline for entry is June 30.

Listen to the Podcast

Now that I've piqued your curiosity, it's time to listen to today's audio show titled, "Top 10 Travel Tips for Photographers." You can download the podcast here (20 minutes). You can also subscribe to the podcast in iTunes

The Digital Story Podcasts are available for direct download from Apple iPhones. I've created a special mobile download page here. Just load the page in Safari, browse the podcast line-up, and click on the one you want to listen to.

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our new Flickr Public Group. It's a blast!

Events! See the TDS Event Calendar for photography workshops, speaking engagements, and trade show appearances.

Technorati Tags: digital photography, podcast, technique, Technology, The Digital Story, tips

Lowepro Bags for Photographers On the Go -- Lowepro gear for every type of camera rig, every type of photographer.

Add Magic to Your Slideshows -- FotoMagico presentations are so amazing that your audience will be asking how you did it.

Adobe Bridge may be on your hard drive right now. And it's likely that you're not tapping its tremendous power. Bridge has the ability to help you quickly sort through a batch of pictures, review their metadata, add metadata, tap into ACR for image corrections, and more. This isn't necessarily a replacement for your current workflow, but a terrific tool for finding and turning around pictures in a hurry. Then, when you have time, you can go back and bring them into your normal system. I go over this in detail in this week's show.

Monthly Photo Assignment

Motion is this month's photo assignment. There are all sorts of possibilities for showing motion, from panning moving objects, to slowing down your shutter speed, to moving yourself. You can read more about how to submit on our Submissions page. Deadline for entry is May 31.

Listen to the Podcast

Now that I've piqued your curiosity, it's time to listen to today's audio show titled, "Handy Bridge." You can download the podcast here (30 minutes). You can also subscribe to the podcast in iTunes

The Digital Story Podcasts are available for direct download from Apple iPhones. I've created a special mobile download page here. Just load the page in Safari, browse the podcast line-up, and click on the one you want to listen to.

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our new Flickr Public Group. It's a blast!

Events! See the TDS Event Calendar for photography workshops, speaking engagements, and trade show appearances.

Technorati Tags: digital photography, podcast, technique, Technology, The Digital Story, tips

Lowepro Bags for Photographers On the Go -- Lowepro gear for every type of camera rig, every type of photographer.

Add Magic to Your Slideshows -- FotoMagico presentations are so amazing that your audience will be asking how you did it.

Choosing the right metering pattern for the subject at hand can improve your exposures dramatically. In this podcast I explain some basic tips for using your camera's built-in light meter.

Monthly Photo Assignment

Pool of Light is this month's photo assignment (that's right, we're revisiting the Dec. 2006 assignment). I think this is one of the most striking effects you can capture in photography. Your subject is illuminated and the light falls off all around it. You can assist with this effect using the "vignette tool" if you photo application has one. You can read more about how to submit on our Submissions page. Deadline for entry is May 31.

Listen to the Podcast

Now that I've piqued your curiosity, it's time to listen to today's audio show titled, "Metering Patterns." You can download the podcast here (26 minutes). You can also subscribe to the podcast in iTunes

The Digital Story Podcasts are available for direct download from Apple iPhones. I've created a special mobile download page here. Just load the page in Safari, browse the podcast line-up, and click on the one you want to listen to.

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our new Flickr Public Group. It's a blast!

Events! See the TDS Event Calendar for photography workshops, speaking engagements, and trade show appearances.

Technorati Tags: digital photography, podcast, technique, Technology, The Digital Story, tips

Lowepro Bags for Photographers On the Go -- Lowepro gear for every type of camera rig, every type of photographer.

Add Magic to Your Slideshows -- FotoMagico presentations are so amazing that your audience will be asking how you did it.

Can you really get that much more out of an HDR photo than a top-drawer Raw file? And on average, how much more image information can you really use? In this week's podcast, I discuss High Dynamic Range photography, then compare it to the powerful Raw processing tools we have in Aperture, Lightroom, and ACR.

I have a hunch that many people with disagree with my conclusions, such as this wildly popular Flickr HDR pool. It's not that I don't like HDR... I'm just wondering if I can get similar results with the careful use of Raw. Listen to this week's show and decide for yourself.

New Monthly Photo Assignment

Pool of Light is this month's photo assignment (that's right, we're revisiting the Dec. 2006 assignment). I think this is one of the most striking effects you can capture in photography. Your subject is illuminated and the light falls off all around it. You can assist with this effect using the "vignette tool" if you photo application has one. You can read more about how to submit on our Submissions page. Deadline for entry is May 31.

Listen to the Podcast

Now that I've piqued your curiosity, it's time to listen to today's audio show titled, "HDR: Do We Still Need It?." You can download the podcast here (21 minutes). You can also subscribe to the podcast in iTunes

The Digital Story Podcasts are available for direct download from Apple iPhones. I've created a special mobile download page here. Just load the page in Safari, browse the podcast line-up, and click on the one you want to listen to.

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our new Flickr Public Group. It's a blast!

Events! See the TDS Event Calendar for photography workshops, speaking engagements, and trade show appearances.

Technorati Tags: digital photography, podcast, technique, Technology, The Digital Story, tips

Lowepro Bags for Photographers On the Go -- Lowepro gear for every type of camera rig, every type of photographer.

Add Magic to Your Slideshows -- FotoMagico presentations are so amazing that your audience will be asking how you did it.

Keywording has become the photography equivalent of being told to eat your vegetables. But really, who cares about keywording? And more importantly, why should you care about it?

Personally, I have given up on the notion of becoming a thorough keyworder. I'm not going to cozy-up with a Coke Zero and keyword a thousand images for the evening. Just not going to do it. But thanks to some innovative tools in Aperture and Lightroom, I can add basic keywords on import, and believe me, that really helps.

In this episode, I talk about different approaches to keywording and some of the benefits from having descriptive terms attached to your images. It's an honest look at this noble, but tedious endeavor.

New Monthly Photo Assignment

Pool of Light is this month's photo assignment (that's right, we're revisiting the Dec. 2006 assignment). I think this is one of the most striking effects you can capture in photography. Your subject is illuminated and the light falls off all around it. You can assist with this effect using the "vignette tool" if you photo application has one. You can read more about how to submit on our Submissions page. Deadline for entry is May 31.

Listen to the Podcast

Now that I've piqued your curiosity, it's time to listen to today's audio show titled, "Who Cares About Keywords." You can download the podcast here (30 minutes). You can also subscribe to the podcast in iTunes

The Digital Story Podcasts are available for direct download from Apple iPhones. I've created a special mobile download page here. Just load the page in Safari, browse the podcast line-up, and click on the one you want to listen to.

Want to share photos and talk with other members in our virtual camera club? Check out our new Flickr Public Group. It's a blast!

Events! See the TDS Event Calendar for photography workshops, speaking engagements, and trade show appearances.

Technorati Tags: digital photography, podcast, technique, Technology, The Digital Story, tips

Lowepro Bags for Photographers On the Go -- Lowepro gear for every type of camera rig, every type of photographer.

Add Magic to Your Slideshows -- FotoMagico presentations are so amazing that your audience will be asking how you did it.