Landscape, Nature And Travel Photography

Photography tools are no longer just confined to what is in your camera bag. One of the most important tools I use in my photo shoots is my mobile phone, home to numerous reference and feature rich applications. Being able to reference and use the following applications for my adventures in night photography has made it easier for me to plan photo logistics and successfully capture  high impact photography. If you don’t have these applications on your phone or tablet computer yet be sure to add them.

After you check out the following apps for night photographers be sure to check out Jim’s iPhone/iPad App List for more mobile applications worthy of your attention.

GoSkyWatch

An amazing application that allows you to point your device to the night sky and see a real-time display of what planets, stars and constellations are in your field of view.
iPhone   iPad

Moon Seeker

Is an application that all you to track and/or project the path of the moon at any time of day. The application includes an augmented reality feature “3D view” that activates your camera to overlay the trajectory of the moon and the moons current location on your device display in relation to the scene before you.
iPhone

StarMap

A powerful resource that includes a detailed map of the night sky including planets, constellations, starts, galaxies, clusters, nebulae and more. Each of these points of interest include detailed information about their rise timek set time, brightness and more
iPhone   iPad

Satellite Visibility

Displays predictions for when satellites (including the Hubble telescope, International Space Station, etc.) will be visible based on your location.
iPhone

ISS Visibility

A very cool app that displays 10-30 day predictions of where and when the International Space Station will be visible based on your location.iPhone   iPad

Penki

Penki allows you to use your iPad or iPhone to create 3-dimensional light painting messages. This was featured in a video by Dentsu London in 2010, Making Future Magic: iPad Light Painting.
iPhone / iPad

Aurora Forecast

If you’re fortunate to live in an area that you can see the Aurora Borealis during the winter months this app is for you. This app shows daily Auroral activity forecast from the Geophysical Institute of UAF.
iPhone

The Photographer’s Ephemeris (TPE)

Is an incredibly powerful planning tool that calculates sun and moon positions in relation to a user specified location for any time of day, any location, any altitude, etc.
iPhone / iPad

FocalWare

Not nearly as powerful as TPE this application provides a quick an dirty mechanism to see sunset/rise and moonset/rise information along with elevation data over the course of the day/night all with the flick of your thumb.
iPhone

Technorati Tags: photography, app, application, mobile, device, phone, tablet, computer, technology

Back in 1983/4 my friend showed me his Apple IIe and I was blown away. In 1986 I was super stoked to get a Macintosh Plus. No more hand written reports or worse using a type writer and relying on Wite-out to correct my bad typing. The world thanks to Steve Jobs and Apple is very different now.

I have been an Apple fan as long as I’ve used computers and I’m unashamed to admit I’ve purchased a vast majority of their computers and mobile devices. When the Macintosh II came out, Apple’s first color computer, I knew the world of digital imaging would be in my future. I didn’t now how exactly, but I knew it would happen. Photoshop did not exist in September 1988 when I paid over $5000 for the Mac II, but as I saw software develop in the months and years after that enabled the editing of photos I was enthralled. Sadly scanners were equally expensive back then, but I relied on scanning my photos using an HP scanner in my college computer lab. It took ~15 minutes to scan a 4×6 print at a resolution of 1600×1200 (a giant file at the time) and to share it I had to use dial up at home or bike to campus to use the earliest form of the Internet. It was a super exciting time. It was so obvious things were changing in radical ways. I had no idea how it would turn out exactly, but Steve seemed to have a master vision that kept Apple users on their toes waiting for the next development.

Since that time so much has changed. Steve Jobs without any doubt has influenced my life laying the groundwork for my interests and career aspirations. Would I have been able to do the things I’ve done to date with out Apple or Steve Jobs… likely, but not with as much passion. Steve Jobs kept me on my toes always thinking about the next big evolution in computing, content creation and publishing channels.

A Crowd Photographs the First Apple iPhone - MacWorld Expo 2007

I never met Steve Jobs, but I came close while at the 2008 MacWorld Expo. It was the year following the release of the iPhone and he was on the convention floor at the Apple booth. He was busy catching up on email on his iPhone. I never had any interest in interrupting him, but I did want to get a “I saw Steve Jobs! photo”. I had my dSLR with me which stuck out like a sore thumb and every time I raised it to take his photo one of his handlers would casually move between us blocking my view. I had to eventually shoot from my hip as I walked by to get his photo. I suppose it added to the adventure of it all.

Steve Jobs Checking His iPhone at the 2008 MacWorld Convention

I will certainly miss Steve Jobs not because I ever knew him, but because of how he made me think about the next big thing with each big announcement. The computers and gadgets were a means to an end… self publishing, photo editing, podcasting, webcasting/video conferencing, app development and so on. I will also miss hearing his catch phrase delivered only as he could say it:

One More Thing…

One final note, if you have yet to see this then I highly recommend setting some time aside to watch Steve’s Stanford commencement speech from 2005

Rest in peace Steve and thank you.

Technorati Tags: Apple, technology, Steve Jobs

Don’t get me wrong I love social media and I enjoy interacting with friends, family and fans on Twitter, Facebook and Google+, but there are days I do need to remove distractions and get down to the business of work. Well I found a few solutions to hit the social media mute button and tested them out this past week. In case you’re looking for a virtual (working) cone of silence you may find the following solutions of interest.

• Anti-Social (Mac) – Block specific sites for up to 8 hours, you choose the sites and the duration.
• Freedom (Mac) – Block Internet access for up to 8 hours, you choose the duration.
• StayFocused (Chrome extension) – limits time you spend on distracting web sites that you set in the extensions configuration.

Personally I prefer bringing my laptop out to the beach to unplug and work, but that’s not always possible. In the meantime these applications seemed to do the job I needed. As you’ve guessed I’m a Mac guy so if you have PC or Linux equivalents you use that are recommendable add them in the comments so others can find them.

Technorati Tags: technology, social media, software

Today Adobe has opened a pop-up store called “Photoshop & You” here in San Francisco near Union Square. The store is open from Saturday, July 23 through Saturday, August 6 and is going to be a hub of some amazing events:
Photoshop & You Schedule of Activities

I was able to check out the “Photoshop & You” store at the VIP opening last night and it’s really cool. See photos below.

The pop-up store is home to some very cool image installations including a large display of Bert Monroy’s “Time Square” famous for being the largest Photoshop file containing 750000 layers! (Pano of it with Robert Scoble saying “Hi”) In addition the store will be a central hub for educational events and social activities. The back room is dedicated to Russell Brown’s Extreme Imaging Lab where there is laser etching, t-shirt screening and large format printing.

You can check out the Photoshop & You pop-up store at…
Location: 550 Sutter Street, San Francisco CA 94102

Extreme Imaging Lab

Technorati Tags: Photoshop, Adobe, activities, San Francisco, California

I had the good fortune of working with nature photography icon William Neill to develop an iPad version of his book William Neill’s Yosemite Volume One. I can tell you it was a real treat being able to work with William as I’ve long been a fan of his photography and writing in Outdoor Photography. Even better was being able to review his work in close detail as I worked on his app and now you can too. Unlike the PDF of his eBook this version allows you to zoom into see his photographs in crystal clear detail.

If you haven’t already be sure to buy a copy of William’s latest released and let him know how you like it.

If you’re curious to hear what others think of his iPad version of his eBook check out the following review:

A Brave New World of eBooks – Guy Tal

Technorati Tags: photography, ipad, app, William Neill, Yosemite

Ever wonder why mobile phone photography is exploding?

A discussion I had last night crystalized why this is indeed the case. Mobile phone photography, in particular iPhoneography, has distilled down the simple and core attraction of taking photos…  simply put it facilitates taking photos for the sake of taking photos and exploring visually. There is no preconceived notion of what is right, acceptable or marketable. You see something interesting, you shoot it and there is no major post-processing effort required.

There are catalysts to this craze including the BestCamera, Hipstamatic and Instagram apps that are bridging phone photography to social media and making a big dent in how most people think of photography. In the near future when someone says in conversation they took a photo, the interpretation by default will be that the photo was taken with a mobile phone and not an SLR. You want proof? Just last week the New York Times pointed out that the iPhone 4 is just quickly rising to become the most popular camera used on photos submitted to Flickr.

To Be A Poppy

Of the three community based photography mobile apps previously noted, I’m most heavily using Instagram. Why?

• It’s free
• It has a similar posting vocabulary to Twitter (hashtags, @ replies, etc.)
• Vibrant community of users (2 million who joined in 5 months!)
• Easy to share via Flickr, Twitter, Facebook, FourSquare, Tumblr, and Posterous
• The app keeps improving with new features
• Like Flickr there is an API facilitating new services and sites to view & share photos (ex. Postagram, Webstagram, Instagallery etc.)
• The user interface is refined and simple from registration to sharing & reviewing photos

Clarity of Message

Rating:

I won’t sugar coat it. Instagram has had their rough spots (ex. their version 1.6 release having cache issues for some), but overall the functionality, and track record of regular incremental improvements has been impressive. It is the Flickr of the Mobile world and my most frequently accessed app on my iPhone and iPad. Instagram is by no means a finished product and ever expanding and improving. Instagram clearly has a larger plan expanding beyond the basic app, the release of their API and burgeoning sister apps like Postagram are a sign of the future. The mobile market is huge so it’s likely that there will be multiple players in this field and I’ll be keeping close tabs on BestCamera and Hipstamatic. For now I’m having the most fun with Instagram because its so simple, makes it easy to share output from other photo editing apps and most importantly has made it easy to take photos for the pure and simple joy of taking a photograph.

If you made it this far and you’re on an Android phone fear not, Instagram is rumored to be coming to Android.

Bonus: My Recommended Instagram User List (for the time being):

• JimGoldstein (my account)
• JKost (Julianne Kost)
• JohnCurley
• Sapphie
• JoshJohnson
• NPR
• Kelco
• Joey
• ExplosiveLimes
• MartinGommel
• DocPop
• IGersSF (Instagram’ers San Francisco)

Other Names You Might Recognize:

• JackHollingsworth
• Darren Rowse (AKA Problogger)
• treyratcliff (AKA Stuck In Customs)
• DavidSanger
• Zarias (Zack Arias)
• TheTrudz (Trudy Hamilton)
• TigerBeat (Steve Rhodes)

Technorati Tags: photography, iphoneography, app, review, iphone, ipad

Ever see an odd pixelated square graphic like this one on a web page, print magazine or as someone’s social media site avatar? If you haven’t yet I guarantee you will now. This type of graphic is called a QR Code and something you’ll want to take note of and to creatively use in the future.

What is a QR Code & Why Use It?
QR stands for Quick Response and essentially are bar codes, a different variation to what you find on grocery labels in the store. In essence QR codes are a visual representation of a web URL. They’re used in print and on web pages to help people load a web page from their camera enabled mobile phone.  This is particularly helpful to transition viewers quickly from the world of print to the web.

How Does One Use A QR Code?
The simplest use-case of utilizing a QR code is as follows:

1. Viewer sees a QR Code on a print ad or a web page
2. Viewer loads a QR Code scanning application on your mobile phone
3. Viewer photographs the QR Code with your mobile phone
4. The QR Code scanning application then provides the viewer with a URL and the option to load it on your phone’s web browser.

The aforementioned use case is the basic way to use a QR code, but there are many creative applications in using a QR Code. Case in point is the C.A.O.S Living book (see below) where QR Codes were used to create a book that never grows old. There are several interesting ways to use QR Codes as they can be included on business cards, online avatars, promotional mailers, guerrilla marketing, tattoos…. OK maybe you shouldn’t use it as a tattoo. Recently I made use of a Wordpress plug-in that auto generates QR codes for every blog post on my blog. If you look on the right side of my blog I now have a section titled “QR Code To Go”. The purpose of this is to allow people to transition reading my blog from their computer to their phone if they’re on the go and need to be mobile.

As for what QR Code app to use… there are numerous QR Code readers now available in the iTunes and Android marketplaces. Take a look to find one that will work on your phone. It’s a great app to have on hand.

How Do I Make A QR Code?
The simplest way to create a QR Code is to access one of the many online QR Code generator web sites now available. I personally use the Kaywa QR Code generator. From this site and equivalents you can enter a URL and download an image file of your QR Code in various sizes. You can then use the image as you see fit to direct people to the URL entered into the generator.

Final Thoughts
QR Codes are definitely growing in popularity and they’re worth exploring if you haven’t already begun to do so. They’re big in Japan and they’re growing in popularity across the globe. If you come up with a creative use of a QR Code or know of a great example be sure to let me know in the comments. It’d be great to share some inspirational uses with others. If QR Codes are new to you then definitely take a look at the videos and resource links below.

Demo Videos
How QR Codes Work – Scanning QR Codes Found on NY Streets

Timeless Book Video

Additional Resources & Reading on QR Codes

• More Details on the Basics of QR Codes
• How to Scan a QR Code on an iPhone
• How to Scan a QR Code on an Android Mobile Phone
• QR Code Features (For the Technically Minded)
• QR Code Best Practices
• QR Code Generator
• Tips on Advertising with QR Codes
• 33 Ways Photographers Can Use QR Codes

Who’s Scanning QR Codes (via Jumpscan & Mashable)

Technorati Tags: photography, marketing, qr code

With the holidays around the corner I thought I would remind readers of my blog that there is no time like the present to purchase a photo or photography eBook as a gift for others or even yourself. For those who might be interested in prints of my photographs I welcome you to email me directly with your order and I’ll take 25% off the total. Note: Include in your message the print size, image name/url and your contact information.

If you’re looking for something in a digital format I wanted to point you to eBooks that I and my peers have currently made available.

iPad eBooks and ePhotobooks

Jim M. Goldstein Photography
White Sands Fine Art ePhotobook (iTunes)

Ansel Adams
Ansel Adams – Collection (iTunes)

eBooks (PDF)

DIYPhotography.net
Home Studio Photography eBook

Craft & Vision
Craft And Vision
A growing library including a great release by photographer Michael Fry “Light and Land”

William Neill Photography
William Neill eBook collection – A growing and impressive library of fine art and landscape photography

Guy Tal Photography
Creative Landscape Photography (see my review)

Digital Photography School
Photo Nuts & Bolts: Know Your Camera and Take Better Photos eBook
Essential Guide to Portrait Photography eBook
Advice from the likes of David Duchemin, Jack Hollingsworth, Chase Jarvis, Bert Stephani, Neil Creek and Kris Krug
Transcending Travel eBook

Dan Bailey Photography
How to Become a Pro Photographer eBook

Technorati Tags: photography, ebook, ipad, ephotobook, pdf, photo, picture, book, gift