*Social media giveaway! Be one of the first to get a brand new TRP Vector camera strap #trpcamerastraps

by in General ramblings, Photography gear and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

vectorlead

The new TRP Vector straps are low profile, lightweight wrist straps made from blended, 24 plait braided line utilizing high end materials like Vectran, Cordura and high tenacity Polyester.  Strength, style, fashion and function.  Used in high performance, professional sailing, this rope is built to last.  I personally, hand build each and every strap, and I’ve been testing these for the last 6 months.  They’re dialed.  The brand new, Vector straps will be released next week, and for a chance to win one, shipping included, I’m going to try something newish (for me and the blog anyway).  

We’ve done a giveaway with each of the other straps, and this time, I wanted to also start up bit of a reward for helping me get the word out, guerrilla marketing style.  Being that I hand build each and every strap myself, I want to do my best to keep costs as low as I can to both make enough money for this whole venture to make sense, but to keep the delivered price as low as possible to make sense for you as well.  The more I can sell, the more I can invest, etc, etc.  Kind of my own kickstarter so to speak, except you don’t have to put money in to get this going, I’ve already done that.

The idea here is getting the word out, and figuring out a way to reward those who help me do that.  Here’s what I’m thinking…

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*Shooting Portland’s newest, whiskey-centric bar, the Bit House Saloon for the @ELKcollective

by in ELK Collective, General ramblings and tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

BHS5-X3

There is always an emotional transition when one longstanding bar transforms into another.  The Eastbank Tavern was a stalwart on the industrial east side in Portland, at least for as long as I can remember.  One of those bars along Grand that you’d pop into after heading back across the river from a show downtown for a nightcap.  The smell of smoke and fried food, lingering in the air engrained into the DNA of the establishment, like a good, working class bar should.  Times though, they are a changing.  The neighborhood is now looking to appeal not just to the growing group of more astute imbibers, but to the younger, newer Portland crowd.  A population that values aesthetic over quirk perhaps, and sees the quality of their surroundings as important as the quality of their drinks.  A trend happening not only in that MLK/Grand corridor, but all over the city.  Evolve or get left behind as it were.  While there are many venues I’ve visited in town, I feel too many of them aim for a wine bar feel for those with a champagne budget, too easily classified as gentrificated snobbery which is totally out of place to many who have watched Portland transform over the last twenty years or so.

The beauty of this new iteration is that is still holds much of the Eastbank’s character, but has helped move this saloon into the new age of more discerning quaffers.  This newer, hipper, fancier version of Portland that has followed in the wake of the boom over the last decade has asked these venues to offer up a bit more ambiance.  What I love about the Bit House Saloon, is that it has taken the rough, grimy portland, and like many of its longstanding residents, gone from damp carpet, PBR and flannel, to wood, whiskey and leather, and well, $1 High Life Ponies for those of us looking for a back, or no frills option.  I’d always seen Portland as a working class town even if Fred and Carrie have shown us that retirement can be achieved early as long as we’re willing to not do much of anything, and it’s good to see that there can exist a bridge between this new era of craft cocktails and earlier, perhaps simpler times.  Change doesn’t have to happen entirely overnight…

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*Using the Kipon EF to m4/3, smart adapter. Things are getting interesting w/ @adorama

by in Photography gear and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

kipon ef to m4/3 af adapter

The Kipon EF Lens to Micro 4/3 mount smart adapter is a fairly big deal.  Not just because it enables aperture adjustment for the electronically controlled EF line of lenses when adapted to a micro 4/3 camera body, but it has also bridged the proprietary technology to gain the use of full auto focus and lens based image stabilization capabilities.  Having followed a fairly similar path into the micro 4/3 world as I would imagine many others, I came from a long standing investment in the Canon system.  I still shoot my Canon full framers, and have compiled some very nice glass over the years that tends to sit on the shelf more often now that I shoot the micro 4/3 system.  I’ve been waiting for a solution to merge my two beloved systems, and Kipon has produced it.

Enter the new, Kipon EF>m4/3 Smart Adapter. Come on in for some insight and my experience over the last month…

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*Topaz ReMask 5 is here! Free upgrade, or on sale for 30% off with @topazlabs

by in Software tutorials / reviews and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

IMG_0456 - 2008-08-17 at 16-20-00 - Version 2

I’ve reviewed ReMask a couple times before, and have spoken at length about how useful I find it.  If you use any layer based software, like Photoshop, or Affinity, this is a remarkable piece of software capable of saving hours upon hours.  ReMask5 is available as a free upgrade to anyone who owns an earlier version, or on sale for new folk at 30% off, $49.99 (normally $69.99) via Topaz Labs website HERE  

While ReMask has always functioned as a plugin for Photoshop, version 5 now operates as a standalone too!  This is great news for those of us who may be starting to work Adobe software out of our workflow as you can now select and mask a subject in an image within the program itself, and open that up in any layer based program.  Good news for the photography community at large as options are always good.  I still use PS CS6, but have started to work with Affinity Photo in anticipation of CS6 becoming unsupported at some point down the line.  Knowing that I’ll be able to continue to use ReMask if and when that happens has made me very happy.

C’mon in for a look at how easy it is to use ReMask5!

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*Alien Skin Software is 40% off right now! Summer sale w/ @alienskin

by in Software tutorials / reviews and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

erin

As a long standing fan of Alien Skin products, I find that it is my duty to alert you guys to their substantial price cuts on all software.  Full disclosure, I make no commissions on any sales of Alien Skin software during their sale, which while I’m a bit bummed about that, it is a great deal on some great apps.  Any and everything is 40% off through this Wednesday, the 26th, so  check it out at AlienSkin.com HERE 

You can download free trials of anything they have going.  I really like Exposure, myself.  Hit me up if you have any questions in the comments or on  Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and Instagram. If you’d like to receive email notifications on sales, reviews and tutorials, please feel free to add your email address at the top right of the page here. You’ll get email alerts as new articles are released.

Happy shooting!

Tyson

*Shooting the Multnomah Whiskey Library’s new, Green Room w/ @ELKcollective

by in ELK Collective, General ramblings and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Green Room at the Multnomah Whiskey Library

What do you do when you’ve become one of the most popular libation destinations in the Pacific Northwest?  Build a satellite bar, that’s what.  For those who’ve tried to get a table at the Multnomah Whiskey Library, you may have found it difficult over the last two years since it has opened.  I’ve been in there a few times as a photographer, but never as a patron, much to my chagrin.  While the apparent exclusivity seems a bit off putting, what is really going on is a bar that has chosen to seat fewer people in order to provide a far better experience, assuming you can get in to experience said experience.  Still doesn’t help those of us incapable of waiting for an hour or more to have a drink and bite to eat, that is until now.  The Green Room offers a pared down selection from the library, with some signature design holdovers, all while providing an entirely unique space in its own right.  The Green Room gives us a palate whetting for what we are in for, but may just end up being a destination in and of itself.  C’mon in for more shots…

 

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*A weekend with the Canon EF 200-400 f/4 L IS USM zoom lens.

by in Photography gear and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Canon EF 200-400mm f/4 L IS USM lens

What a weekend.  Sore arms and shoulders and my eyes are still recovering from the sun glare off the water, this weekend found a large, North American regatta fall into our backyard.  As a sponsor of the regatta (representing two sponsoring companies) I was able to talk my way onto a customer and friend’s chase boat.  Of course, it provided me an opportunity to rent one of Canon’s super tele monster lenses, so that’s what I did.

C’mon in to see some shots and read my thoughts on the EF 200-400mm f/4 L IS USM lens…

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*Sony 5 axis IBIS vs EF Lens Based IS vs Panasonic 2 axis IBIS Comparison

by in Photography gear and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 28 Comments

 

 

ibis vs ois

Stabilization.  A term that, before a handful of years ago meant “tripod,” or physical bracing technique, has grown to provide various hardware solutions within our camera system of choice.  We as consumers have been lucky to have stabilization options within most all digital camera systems, and while image stabilization isn’t going to remedy all problems, it is certainly a nice feature to have.  

I’m awaiting a new Panasonic GX8 to arrive within the next couple weeks which will boast a new, dual IS system incorporating both an on sensor IS and lens based IS solution, but before that time, I wanted to really see how the first full frame, 5 axis on sensor/in body image stabilization (IBIS) system from Sony compares to a very good lens based image stabilization (IS) system in the Canon EF lenses, and a better than often credited 2 axis IBIS system from Panasonic’s first foray into on sensor stabilization, in the GX7.

Come on in to see my three different comparisons between these three different offerings, and see if there is a clear winner.

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*Should we continue to do the monthly Flickr challenges? It’s up to you guys, w/ @mirrorlessons

by in Photo Blog Challenge and tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

P1230872 (1)

I know that the umpteenth Flickr redesign last month made it really hard to use, or even find the best part of Flickr in the community discussions inside the various groups.  A few days after the redesign, Yahoo finally realized they’d pissed (probably) millions of users off by ignoring the biggest and best part of Flickr, by trying to turn it into an Instagram knockoff, but from what I’ve seen, it may have turned many of us off, and has since seen a near halt in our monthly challenges.

We’ve noticed that for the first time, our monthly Flickr Photo Blog Challenge Theme thread for this month has died on the vine and it has led Heather, Mat and myself to question if we really want to continue to do this.  Is it just a hiccup, or are people just not into Flickr in the same way anymore?  The theme, released in June (and subsequently carried over into July due to minimal activity) is “Friendship” and has, in nearly two months, provided a fraction of the normal amount of submissions that we’ve seen on any other given month prior.  Do you guys want to keep doing this?

I ask because it is quite a bit of work for us to keep up with it, posting various threads and polls throughout each month. I also have invested a lot of time into relationships with various companies that are cool, and kind enough to give me things to give away for these challenges.  Obviously, if we’re not interested in it, I can redirect that energy into putting something together that folks will be interested in, I just don’t want to waste your, nor our time, so I ask, should we continue the monthly Flickr Photo Blog Challenges?  

If yes, just revisit the Flickr group threads (TRP Group Thread HERE, and Mirrorlessons Group Thread HERE) and submit an image for this month’s theme.  If we see enough interest, we’ll continue, but if not, I think we’ll have to call it quits.  I’d like to at least get through this run of 6 monthly winners (we’re three in, with three more to go) so as to giveaway the software, camera straps, and who knows what else I will have to our third 6 month champion, but that will be entirely up to you guys and gals.

I’ve loved doing these, seeing and showcasing the wonderful photography from so many readers, friends and cohorts.  I know that the Flickr redesign made it tougher to go about finding things the way we had prior, but if we’re gonna keep doing this, we need to know folks are still interested in us doing so.  

Let us know, and thank you to everyone who has made our nearly year and a half long project so fun, and (up to this point) successful in sharing your photography with the greater TRP and Mirrorlessons community.

Keep on keepin’ on, and happy shooting!

Tyson

 

*Topaz Adjust, ‘a bit of everything Topaz’ plugin on sale! w/ @topazlabs

by in Photography Apps, Photography tutorials, Postprocessing techniques, Software tutorials / reviews, Uncategorized and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

For many of us, Topaz Adjust was the first Topaz plugin that we bought.  It was a one click solution to enhance a variety of images in a multitude of ways.  Many of the newer Topaz plugins have even been born as an expansion from some of the filters in Adjust, so I guess you could call it the OG Topaz plugin.  It has grown over the years to include many more filters and is onto version 5.

It is currently on sale for $29.99, 40% off through July (normally $49.99) on Topaz Labs website HERE (use code julyadjust at checkout).

If you’d like to see and read more about my thoughts on Adjust, come on in!

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