Nick Alpin Photography

Lightroom 2 Watermarking

The watermarking feature in Lightroom 1 was very simple with basically no options. The thought of creating a droplet to trigger a watermarking action in Photoshop post-Lightroom-export was not a pleasant one. I had high hopes that Lightroom 2 would bring with it new watermarking options, but it seems this isn’t so.

Thankfully, Timothy Armes created a watermarking plugin (for both LR1 and LR2). It has many features and, in my opinion, is far better than having to use Photoshop simply just to watermark.

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2

It’s out. Version 2 is finally out. It’s like Xmas, but better! I won’t be providing you with a comprehensive list of the new features since you can find better lists written by experts, but I’ll share with you the features that have blown me away.

Library Module
To be honest I haven’t explored this module very much just yet, but I noticed that there now are Smart Collections as well as new icons which no doubt will make it easier to organize images. There are many subtle little tweaks that will be pleasant to discover over time.

Develop Module
Graduated Filter - Now you can even out the exposure difference between the sky and foreground!
Adjustment Brush - Dodging and burning without having to open Photoshop? Yes please! Selective exposure/saturation adjustments? Uh huh!
Vignette Post-Crop - Have you ever wished that your 1×1-cropped image could get a cool vignette or rounded-square border? Now you can!
Camera Calibration - You can now use camera profiles! The profiles are in beta, but most current DSLR cameras are supported. Adobe also has a profile editor available, but I honestly haven’t played with it.

Slideshow Module
I honestly never use this module, but the Design Center over at Adobe.com has a video outlining the new features, as well as the new features of the other modules.

Print Module
I don’t have a photo-worthy printer, so this is the module I’ve never used. From what I read, there are many options to format your prints, and I’m looking forward to one day being able to print at home instead of a lab!

Web Module
I haven’t noticed many changes here, but I did notice the inclusion of Airtight’s PostcardViewer, which allows for many really nice-looking options for web galleries, on top of Lightroom’s many basic galleries. Whether you need a quick gallery to proof photos, are lazy or both, this is a really handy module.

The folks at Adobe have blown me away, again. As I mentioned, you can find far more comprehensive write-ups out there on the interweb. If you’re an Aperture user, give the 30-day Lightroom 2 a try. You may notice it’s faster, lighter and plays quite nicely with Photoshop.

Cactus Wireless Shutter Release

After upgrading from a Nikon D70 to the D300, I found that the wireless IR remote used for the D70 is not compatible with the D300. This was frustrating because I used the remote quite often. Whether shooting portraits, still life or infrared, a remote is a great way to avoid camera shake.

While the wired remote releases offered by Nikon and others are very nice, they are impractical at times. Being tethered to the camera can present challenges and opportunities for camera shake as well as other headaches. Sometimes it’s nice to be next to the camera or subject, rather than behind the camera. Enter the Cactus Wireless Shutter Release sold by Gadget Infinity.

The total price, with shipping, came to about $34 and some change. The shipping estimate was for 15 days or so but it arrived much sooner than that (from Hong Kong). I immediately noticed the build quality is not bulletproof, but for the price this is fine. The receiver and transmitter each come with a battery which allows for immediate use. Also included is an info sheet explaining how to change the frequency/channels.

The unit works very well, although I haven’t tried doing a ‘distance test’. Being that it uses radio frequency (RF) rather than infrared (IR), it’s possible to trigger a camera from any angle, and even through obstructions such as reflectors, softboxes, umbrellas, etc. The feature that blew me away (which sometimes doesn’t take much) is being able to half-press (like the actual shutter button itself) to focus, then full-press to shoot. This had been a headache in regard to the D70 remote. Shooting with an IR remote is a bit of a gamble with the hope that the subject will be in focus, to be determined by the camera. My only gripe is that there’s no guide to assist with connecting the receiver to the camera. I can picture the small pins being bent at some point.

Overall I’d recommend this unit to anyone needing a wireless shutter release. Gadget Infinity has models for both Nikon and Canon, prices are reasonable and ordering through the site is quick and painless.

Pros
* Inexpensive
* RF instead of IR
* Remote focus and shutter release
* Lightweight and portable
* Works with many different camera models

Cons
* Somewhat flimsy build quality. May be wise to put gaffer tape over battery door of receiver as a precaution.
* Connecting receiver to camera can be tricky, bent pins a real possibility.

http://www.gadgetinfinity.com/home.php?cat=285

Linksys WRT160N

After realizing my MacBook Pro came 802.11n-capable and wanting to have faster network speeds for wireless backups, I decided to upgrade my router from the standard Linksys WRT54G to the WRT160N. At around $80 it wasn’t incredibly expensive. Setup was a breeze: connect via ethernet, go to 192.168.1.1 and enter admin/admin for login information. The configuration is pretty much the same as the other routers and I was up in minutes.

Is it faster? Yes. Maybe not blazing, but I notice pages and images load much faster. Video and audio streams are much faster, as are downloads.

I’m not thrilled about the new appearance, the unit looks a bit futuristic. There’s something about antennaes that scream *wireless*, but the lower profile has its benefits.

Overall I’m satisfied with the WRT160N, Linksys continue to make solid products in a really great price range.

RIP Mr. Charlton Heston

One of my film heroes, Charlton Heston, has died. May he never be forgotten.