Photoshop Insider

Wednesday News Stuff

By Scott on Wednesday, January 23rd, 2008 at 6:10 am | updates.

It’s Wednesday (in case you totally lost track of what day it was), and here’s what’s up:

First, I was thrilled to learn that in the February issue of PPA’s Professional Photographer magazine they gave my book, “The Photoshop CS3 Book for Digital Photographers” their highly coveted 2008 Hot One Award. I feel especially fortunate as it was the only book to win a Hot One award for the year (here’s a link to the complete list of 2008 winners). My thanks to the editors at Professional Photographer—-I’m so honored you chose this book!
I was reading Pro Photo (the UK-based magazine), and saw an article that talked about the “Flaghead Ringflash Adapter,” which turns your Nikon or Canon hotshoe mounted flash into a ring flash. Flaghead is a UK-based company, and I haven’t found anyone selling it in the US yet, and was wondering if any of you have had any experience with it? The price seems really right for the results they were getting. Let me know if you know anything about it (or where I can buy one).
There are some very cool tutorials right now over at PlanetPhotoshop.com, and a couple that particularly caught my attention are Corey’s new “Fire” tutorial (he’s been sending me samples for a week now), and the sketch-to-photo tutorial. Very slick stuff! Here’s the link.
Another new class went online at KelbyTraining.com this week; it’s Moose Peterson’s “Landscape Photography, Part 2″ shot on location in Montana. Moose describes the class this way, “Using knowledge of light and sharpness, we compose by throwing out conventional wisdom and taking our landscape photography to a new level.” You can get a preview of his class right here.
Photoshop trainer extraodinairre Dave Cross is out on the road again with the Photoshop CS3 Power Tour as he’s in San Antonio tomorrow, and then he’s coming to Atlanta on January 28th. You can sign up (or find out more details) right here.
Ready for some Wednesday photographic inspiration? OK, this may sound weird at first, (at least, until you see the images): it’s the pet photography of Tonya Schabacker. Yes, pet photography (but really, really good pet photography). So good, you’ve got to check it out for yourself. It will put a smile on your face (plus, she’s got a very nicely designed site). Click here to check it out.

That’s it for today (my travel day), but I’ll be back tomorrow with more…well…stuff. It just won’t be Wednesday stuff. See you then!

Comment form for this post

^#1

Hi Scott,

Congrats on wining PPAs 2008 Hot One Award. Your CS3 for photographers is an awesome book for photographers. I find myself using it all the time. Thanks for sharing all the great info today and every other day.

Have a safe trip,

Luis
DLWS 2005 Acadia

Luis Morales on January 23rd, 2008 at 6:54 am

^#2

Good Moose video. Getting closer to making me want to join.

Sam on January 23rd, 2008 at 7:18 am

^#3

Hi Scott,

Love your blog. Michael Reichmann did a review of the ringflash adaptor you’re interested in (http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/accessories/Ringflash.shtml).

Cheers, Dan

Daniel Mao on January 23rd, 2008 at 8:15 am

^#4

Hi Scott,

I got a chance to look at the Flaghead ringflash adaptor at a recent convention in the UK.

It isn’t as big as it looks in the pictures and is really quite light. Although I didn’t get chance to try it out I was shown a number of pictures taken with it, some of which are on the website. There were other though and I was really impressed. It can be operated with the flashhead on its own but the recharge times are a little restrictive, although, hooked up to a Quantum battery pack you can recharge in 1 sec.

Chatting to the guy from Flaghead he pointed out a number of images that had been shot with the ringflash as the main studio light with a couple of lights for the backdrop. The quality was superb.

I am off to Focus on Imaging (UK) at the end of Feb and hope to get to use one at the show so if I do and you haven’t got one by then I’ll let you know a little bit more.

Thanks for a great site and for anyone debating whether or not to sign up to the online training….DO IT you won’t be sorry.

Talking of the online training is there any chance of it being made available in some way so that it can be viewed on the iPhone? Maybe some kind of download restriction like the NAPP magazine?

Regards

Dave

David Baker on January 23rd, 2008 at 8:50 am

^#5

Congratulations on the success of your book.

I’ve had it for about a week. As a new user of CS3 I find it amazingly helpful and very easy to follow.

Joe on January 23rd, 2008 at 9:02 am

^#6

HI Scott:
Here is a shout out for all of us who still live in the Ice Age of ancient computers re: 2000 A.D. when our computers had not heard of a minimum of 1 gigabite for standard operation.

Since I took your Lightroom Conference at Javits Center in NYC, purchase Lightroom software, and then, only then did I find out I needed at least 1 GB to operate Lightroom, did I get stopped in my tracks realizing I could not download it to my Power G4

(aka year of purchase in 2000) and therefore lost over $200 not being able to activate Lightroom!
My Request: Please advise out loud, whenever any software such as Lightroom,etc will require IGB or more, since my computer cannot do it.

Now realize this is only just a lost voice from the Ice Age Lineage of Mac Computers, not your normal, upper middle class intel blue chip clientel, but thats my limitation and getting heads up in the future will save me time and money. Maybe I should just stay with crayons?

Thank you.

Larry

Larry Warshaw on January 23rd, 2008 at 9:14 am

^#7

Congrats on the award!

I’m really glad that you posted the pet photographer link. I love taking pictures of Diesel, my lab, and if I had a studio, I would definitely specialize in pets.

Stacie C Morris on January 23rd, 2008 at 9:20 am

^#8

Hi Scott,

Here’s the manufacturers website for that ringflash: http://www.ringflash.cz/en_index_go.php

A few people have looked at it for review. The verdict? It’s fine indoors, but really struggles outside.
The light is not even all around the flash and drops off at the bottom. I still tink it would make a useful tool though. I know you consulted with David Hobby, so I’ll mention that loads of people on the Strobist group on Flickr are making their own!

Sean.

Sean McCormack on January 23rd, 2008 at 10:02 am

^#9

Here is a link for the Flaghead Ringflash Adapter: http://www.flaghead.co.uk/pages/ringflash-intro.html

David on January 23rd, 2008 at 10:16 am

^#10

Congratulations about your book, which I have just bought it last week and yesterday read the much entertaining “An Unexpected Q & A” Love your sense of humour.

Tyson Williams on January 23rd, 2008 at 10:50 am

^#11

As mentioned above, you can find all sorts of plans to make a ringflash on Strobist.com. You can also find tons of photos made with these things on the strobist flickr page. The lighting is very good in many of those pictures, but I’m a little hung up on the catch-lights they produce in close up portraits. They look really strange. They can be fixed in Photoshop I guess, and it may be worth that trade off for the great lighting they produce.

Chris Anthony on January 23rd, 2008 at 12:44 pm

^#12

I have two serious critiques for the ringflash adapter.
1. The light produced is far from the even light you get from a real ring flash. Even the sample shot on their site shows that the sahdow behind the girl is mainly on her right and not all around her.
2. It is quite expensive for a piece of plastic. Yes it is.

Boris on January 23rd, 2008 at 12:47 pm

^#13

After I read about this ring flash adapter in a review by Paolo Valentini published on Michael Reichmann’s site I tried to get one for my canon flash. But after I purchased and paid in July last year they were out of stock. Never heard about something about since then. Since then I saw this visiting a photo store near the czech border where I grow up
http://www.fotobrenner.de/default.asp?UIDASP=230120081758207010158415213885&ARTNR=570552&UG=ringblitz&Anzahl=10&Anf=1&Ende=10&SON=5&UE=0,0,0&MENPRO=&ES=0

André Mühling on January 23rd, 2008 at 1:02 pm

^#14

I did some poking around and it seems that the Ring Flash Adapter sells for £186, which according to today’s exchange rate comes out to $363.50. For just a little bit more, would it not be more prudent to invest in something like the Alien Bees ABR800? This unit is a real flash, not an adapter. I guess you have the problem of powering it, but $363.50 for an adapter seems kind of steep.

Scott Berg on January 23rd, 2008 at 1:17 pm

^#15

I found out about this ringflash on a wedding workshop by a famous wedding photographer who said he always takes it with him. I used it and loved the results. It’s not available yet for the 580exII but after contacting the manufacturer, they said to expect shipment sometime in February.

Leo on January 23rd, 2008 at 1:17 pm

^#16

Hey Scott,

AWESOME news re the 2008 Hot One Award … but then rightfully so :o) Do you know the only thing that bugs me when you release a new book is how some readers feel they have to mention your sense of humour and how they can’t relate to it … it’s old news guys … we’re all different … just absorb the information of which there is an abundance!

The news about Lightroom 2 sounds incredibly exciting. I can’t imagine a workflow without it now, so to think it’s going to be getting better and better makes me bounce off the walls … fantastic!!!!!

Have a great week,
Glyn

Glyn Dewis on January 23rd, 2008 at 1:55 pm

^#17

Scott,

My sister live in the UK and is going to get me one. If you like, email me and I will have her get you one.

You can pay me when it gets in.

My best
Ken

Ken on January 23rd, 2008 at 4:20 pm

^#18

Congrats on wining PPAs 2008 Hot One Award. Your CS3 for photographers is a fabulous book.

Could you recommened a good camera for a beginner? Also on the cheaper end? I am saving for a nice camera in a few years, but for now can you recommend something? I have a Canon powershora610. It is decent but I am looking for something a little more.

anne on January 23rd, 2008 at 5:33 pm

^#19

Hey Scott….

Thanks for the tip on pet photographer Tonya Schabacker. As always, you’re right. After looking at her site is easy to see she knows what she’s doing.

ET

Eric Tener on January 23rd, 2008 at 7:14 pm

^#20

Congratulations. Your books are always a good read.

While I’m here, how in the heck to I stop my web images looking so washed out? I think you had a post about it a long time ago, but can’t find it?

James

James on January 23rd, 2008 at 9:12 pm

^#21

Scott,
Just wanted to congratulate you on the prestigious award for the book! I am still working in CS2, but watch your tutorials every week and have picked up quite a few tips, while enjoying the entertainment.
I have turned my photo club on to your site and plan on taking my library of your books that I own to our next meeting.
Thanks for sharing all of your knowledge and making it easier for me to transition from twenty something years of film to digital. Your guidance has been the easiest for me to understand.

Pam on January 24th, 2008 at 1:26 am

^#22

Hi Scott, I got this from the UK company that makes the Ringflash’s. Looks like they are not available in the US yet, but they are looking for a distributor..perhaps something to add to the Kelby line?
——

At the moment there is no distributor in the US, but we are looking for one. However, until we find one and get going you can buy this mail-order from:

Robert White Photographic
Unit 4 Alder Hills Ind.Estate
16 Alder Hills
Poole BH12 4AR
Tel: 0044 1202 723046
www.robertwhite.co.uk
sales@robertwhite.co.uk

This is a UK retailer with excellent service and fast shipping, contact them
for a quote. The Canon adapter for the 580EX is available from stock.
However, the Nikon version is out of stock and will be
available in approx. 2 weeks, sorry for the delay!

——