Latest Updates from LYTRO

The Lytro Light Field camera is still captivating audiences around the world, and naturally Australia is no exception. 

One thing we really like about the LYTRO company is their constant drive to improve the system, with yet another desktop software update available today. It's pretty great when you can experience the latest technology on offer without the need to upgrade the hardware huh?

This December 4th update allows users to utilize "Perspective Shift" and "Living Filters" in their light field images. 

Perspective Shift allows Lytro users to interactively change the point of view in a light field photo after it has been taken. Just like all Lytro images, both the photographer and the viewer can play with the perspective without the need for special software once the feature has been applied and shared. Pictures come to life and become an involved experience for the audience - it makes for a really neat way to tell your story.

So what about Living Filters? These allow the photographer to show off their creative flair and compose their art in even more ways to excite the audience. Lytro users will be able to apply one of nine interactive filters, including Film Noir, Crayon, and Carnival, to their living pictures to change the look of the picture based on light field depth.

These filters work on new shots as well as light field photos previously taken before the software update - woo hoo!

Check out a sample below, and see the Lytro Blog to update your desktop software today. 

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New Firmware for the Nikon Coolpix S800c Android Camera

Hey guys,

If you're the proud owner of Nikon's first Android camera, the Coolpix S800c, you'll be pleased to know the latest firmware is ready for you right now.

Firmware v1.1 enables the following modifications and resolves these issues:

1. Support for Hindi and Arabic has been added.

2. When a memory card inserted in the camera was ejected while an Android app saved to the camera’s internal SD card storage (internal SD card space) was running, operation of the Android OS sometimes became unstable. This issue has been resolved.

3. When the camera was turned on and then off, icons for Android apps saved to the camera’s internal SD card storage (internal SD card space) sometimes disappeared. This issue has been resolved.

4. An issue that sometimes caused unexpected termination of Wi-Fi connections has been resolved.

5. An issue that sometimes caused the camera to stop functioning when multiple Android apps were running has been resolved.

6. DPOF-compatible printers were sometimes unable to recognize information specified with print orders (playback menu>Print order). This issue has been resolved.

Enjoy!

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A How-To with Facebook Photo Comp Winner, Michael Tannos

As you'd know by now we love giving our customers as many opportunities to express themselves through photography as possible, and one such way we achieve this is through our frequent Facebook competitions.

Last month we held a comp with the theme 'Miniature Memories' and this spawned hundreds of fantastic entries covering a myriad of interpretations; the standard was very high but one man sought to defeat them all with his gravity-defying Barbie hair-whip. For his effort he received a Canon EOS M Twin Kit in white.

This man was Sydney photographer Michael Tannos, and he was kind enough to share his process with us for the blog:


Michael: "I am glad that I entered as it is my first time that I entered a competition.  My partner talked me into doing a photography class together in april 2010 and I am glad I did."
In order to achieve his image he built a handy mechanism, which he explains:


Michael: "It took about 15 minutes to build.  It’s rough but it works  - I poured cornflour over her hair and then you pull the longer string on the left handside with your left hand and press the remote button of camera on a tripod with your right hand – take a couple of practice shoots for speed and timing and that’s it."

Below is his sequence:

The Barbie Doll is attached to lever arm with a screw thru her shoes When you pull the string as shown it flips the doll vertically up in the air	Pull with left hand
As the doll raises to Vertical position Final Shot

You can see more of Michael's work on his Flickr page, and check out his winning image on Facebook.

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Event/Party Photography Tips Just in Time for the Holidays

If your event and party photography is a little lacklustre or you just don’t seem to capture the magic in the moment, you might need to take a different approach. These tips will help put you in the right direction for your next family event, party or function:

     1. Plan, Plan, Plan. You might think the average event is planned enough without you thinking about it, but if you have been to a few Engagement Parties, Weddings or even a child’s birthday party you know it doesn’t always go off according to schedule and you will need to be prepared to be flexible at these times.

If you can look over a program of the day this will give you somewhat of a head start. You will be able to plan the gear you need to take – be mindful of your kit if you’re using a DSLR and think about how long and how far you will be walking with it all. It might be a good idea to visit the location/s ahead of time and if you feel so inclined, planning shots while there could come in handy.  If you can’t do these things, talk to the organisers. Small steps in preparation can at least ease some of the stress during the event.

 

     2.Try To Tell a Story. Most photographers aim to tell some sort of story of course, but with an event you usually have a distinct beginning, middle and end. Break the camera out early and try to capture establishing shots to give the viewer an experience of the whole party, not just the ceremonial aspects.

What kind of day/night was it? Who was there? Was it casual, formal? Show the room empty, filled up and even the aftermath of the event if you can stick around.

     3. Capture the Emotion. Search the crowd for those moments of elation, nostalgia, even the tears of a little kid who has dropped their ice cream cone. Tight close-ups work very well for single displays of emotion, and think about angles and going wider if you have a group to get in shot – think of a wedding bouquet toss or Christening shot.

 

     4. Don’t Be Afraid of Variety. Think about your positioning and without going too crazy and standing on your head, try high and lower angles, try photographing different shapes and alternating the zoom in and out. Do you have time for macro? Try this with table arrangements, small knick-knacks, even the snacks on offer and you might find some magic.

     5. Try To Relax and Be Candid. If you’re on edge and approaching people for posing in photos, this will rub off. If you are speaking to people be calm and try to make them feel at ease. Sometimes the best results come from just snapping away at the action as it unfolds, so take a deep breath and go with the flow.

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Hot AIPP offer for Canon EOS 1DX customers

If you're a professional photographer in Australia, you would know reliable gear is everything. Canon's latest 1-series, the EOS 1DX, exceeds the expectations of professionals in the field and has quickly become an industry workhorse.

If you're looking to step up to this mighty beast in the near future, now is the time so you can take advantage of this AIPP membership offer in conjunction with Canon.

For the whole of December, if you join the AIPP or renew your membership as accredited member Canon will pay your full annual AIPP membership fee. Thats a direct saving of $466!

To take advantage of this offer simply go along to an authorised reseller (like us here at Digital Camera Warehouse!) purchase a Canon EOS 1Dx, and email a copy of your purchase receipt to admin@aipp.com.au. They will do the rest. Offer ends on December 31st, so be quick!

For more details, click here.

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Free Shipping on ANY Canon Product This December!

It's getting down to the wire when it comes to shopping for Christmas, and here at Digital Camera Warehouse we'd like to make the experience as easy and value-packed as we can.

For the month of December, we're offering free shipping on all Canon products including compact cameras, DSLRs, video cameras and genuine Canon accessories. There's also bonuses coming with selected products across the range so take a look and sniff out a bargain just in time for the big day.

If you're after more value, there's hot pricing and a bonus floating case on the Panasonic Lumix FT4, a waterproof superstar camera perfect for summer. Also, check out Olympus' award-winning OM-D EM-5 - we're throwing in a Gorillapod with that too.

Just like Billy Idol, we're giving you more, more, more this Christmas!

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