In depth explorations of the latest canon cameras...

Canon White Papers:
Beyond the Manual

Canon's White Papers are not manuals. They are:

* A detailed, in-depth look at the major features within each specific camera

* An exploration of new system enhancements, with an explanation of the technology behind each one.

* A comprehensive overview of Canon software and accessories compatible with each model.

White Papers are traditionally created for product marketing -- but we also want to offer these informative documents to any photographer wanting to learn more.

All of the White Papers below are free to download, easy to read, and we hope they help Canon shooters take the fullest possible advantage of their cameras.

NEW! EOS 5D Mark II
Click here to download the EOS 5D Mark II White Paper (4.2 MB)

EOS 5D
Click here to download the EOS 5D White Paper (1.4 MB)

NEW! EOS 50D
Click here to download the EOS 50D White Paper (4.2 MB)

EOS-1Ds Mark III Click here to download the EOS-1Ds Mark III White Paper (2.3 MB)

EOS-1D Mark III
Click here to download the EOS-1D Mark III White Paper (3.3 MB)

EOS-1Ds Mark II
Click here to download the EOS-1Ds Mark II White Paper (2.6 MB)

EOS-1D Mark IIN
Click here to download the EOS-1D Mark IIN White Paper (1.1 MB)

EOS 40D
Click here to download the EOS 40D White Paper (2.8 MB)

EOS 30D
Click here to download the EOS 30D White Paper (1.5MB)

EOS 20D
Click here to download the EOS 20D White Paper (996 KB)

EOS Rebel XTi
Click here to download the EOS Rebel XTi White Paper (5.1 MB)

EOS Rebel XT
Click here to download the EOS Rebel XT White Paper (3.7 MB)

CMOS Sensor
Click here to download the CMOS White Paper (1.1 MB)

Adobe Reader is required to view and print the White Papers. Click here to download Adobe Reader.

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Is that the 70-200 L in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me...

Canon offers on-line dating tips
no were not kidding...

One of the more interesting features right now at the Canon Digital Learning Center is a guide called Quick Tips: Better online dating portraits. Apparently just owning the latest Canon Camera does not make you automatically attractive to the opposite sex. In an effort to correct this Canon has laid out a nice little guide to help improve your odds...

The guide is a good overview on portrature and contains some nifty examples that you can hover your mouse over to see both the right way and wrong way to make good portraits. Certinaly full of good basic portrait tips and worth the read whatever your relationshp status.

Quick Tip: Better Online Dating Portraits

In the past several years, the Internet has evolved into a place you can go for anything: Pay bills; find a job; get a degree; learn a new language; go shopping; and, of course, meet new people. In fact, online dating has become an increasingly popular way to start a relationship. Most online dating websites entitle subscribers to a profile page with introductory information about yourself -- complimented by one or more profile portraits. These portraits are the first look you have at a prospective partner, and them of you -- so it's very important that your online dating portrait capture you at your best, and be a technically pleasing image that has impact within the limited space of a dating profile.

Note the soft focus trees, which create a pleasing, but not distracting background.

ROLL OVER IMAGE to see what this shot looks like at f/16 (note the sharp-focus trees).

Many people ignore or waste this great opportunity to show themselves off, and instead opt to use older pictures they have lying around, or pick a snapshot from a recent vacation or party (or worse yet, a picture taken with a cellphone camera or a computer camera). These pictures may be fun shots or have meaningful memories -- but often they are poorly exposed, full of distracting backgrounds/other people, too widely framed to clearly see your face, or simply not a very flattering portrait. If this sounds like what you're using now, don't worry! This tip will give you the techniques you need to take a brand new, flattering, high-impact self-portrait that will help you stand out from the crowd!

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A Basic Field Guide for the Outdoor Strobist

Free guide to
getting great outdoor lighting!

First go look at Bernie Ledsma's amazing outdoor photos (Here: Outdoor Strobist) and you will appreciate the fact that not only is he offering his advice to help the rest of us achieve the same great results with our photos, but that he has really gone out of his way to write up and illustrate a free guide!

Bernie titles himself a "strobist" because his style of outdoor portrature relies on fill flash or strobes to properly expose the main subject while maximizing the use of beautiful natural ambient lighting.

You can find Bernie's guide and gallery of images over on Yahoo's free photo sharing community Flickr.

(See our previous blog post about Flickr, the most active photo community on the internet)

So stop in, pick up his guide, and make sure you say hello and comment on his great photos!

-------------
Originally uploaded by Bernie Led:

“A Basic Field Guide for the Outdoor Strobist” 1st edition NOW AVAILABLE! For those who may be interested, I came up with a field guide on the basics of "Outdoor Strobing", just compiled my notes, learning’s, and work flow.

I initially made the notes for myself but decided to share it each time someone would ask me how I create those images. So I am making this material available to anyone who may benefit from it.

I know the learning curve here is steep with so much technical variations and complex exposure combinations, so I tried to keep it concise, but comprehensive.

A little thing about me, I am not a pro (have a day job in marketing) nor am I claiming to be a master, I just love and enjoy doing this... creating beautiful images and trying to be helpful to others that is.

If you would like to have a copy, Id be glad to email a copy to you, (free of course, not doing this for the money). Not really ground breaking, just my way of sharing and giving back...

All ill ask in return is for you to just let me know if it was able to help you or if you had fun using it. If you have suggestions to improve the work flow to make it easier or even better, let me know. Then we share it to even more people (open source spirit)... I'm calling it "A Basic Field Guide for the Outdoor Strobist" (just 5 pages, PDF format)

Get it here: A Basic Field Guide For The Outdoor Strobist

Bernie Ledesma

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Free Guide to lighting figures and products for photography

Good photography is good lighting!

A lot of people think that good lighting is expensive. Wrong. The best light source for photography is free!

This is a great tutorial (Figure on Cheap Lighting) on how to better show off your figures to other figure enthusiasts on the net by taking better photos of your collection to share.



This knowledge is shared on the HappySoda blog written by “super rats”. HappySoda is an anime and anime stuff fan blog. Blog topics include Anime DVDs, figurines, and other related things, such as conventions. Super Rats is an avid miniature figure photographer with a fantastic portfolio of beautiful shots. Super Rats shares many of his photos on flickr as well, - Flickr Sets

Super Rats shares his experience and tips for creating a mini indoor studio using common household items. The results he gets prove that good figure and product photography does not have to be expensive or rely on expensive equipment.

DIY Lighting- Figure on Cheap Lighting
Super Rats Gallery- Flickr Sets
HappySoda Blog- Anime stuff fan blog



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Free Fujifilm Professional Film Data Guide

Fujifilm
Professional Films
Data Guide

If you are still shooting film then you need to have this guide.

This is the complete A-Z reference for Fujifilm's professional films. It is chock full of excellent information about every aspect of Fujifilm film.

The guide is available free from Fujifilm in adobe PDF format.

Profrssional Film Data Guide

It includes technical data on all Fijifilm films in 35mm, 120/220mm, instant, and APS. It discusses the features of each film type and provides advice for shooting as well. It contains info on processing and edge markings and much much more.

Basically it is everything you ever wanted to know about film, but may have been to confused to ask.

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Free Memory

Free Memory

Tips & Tricks
for
Adobe Photoshop


The Purge command lets you free memory used by the Undo command, the History palette, or the clipboard.

Choose Edit > Purge, and choose the item type or buffer you want to clear. If it is already empty, the item type or buffer is dimmed.

Note: The Purge command permanently clears from memory the operation stored by the command or buffer; Purge cannot be undone. For example, choosing Edit > Purge > Histories deletes all history states from the History palette. Use the Purge command when the amount of information in memory is so large that Photoshop performance is noticeably affected.

For more great Photoshop tips and tricks

Visit evangelist Julieanne Kost’s website for valuable tips and tricks on Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom.

Don't Miss-

The Top 10 tips and Tricks in Photoshop (PDF)

Ok, there are really 12 techniques in this handout that I feel just don't get enough attention!

The Top 10 Photoshop Features (PDF)

This tutorial covers what I think are the top 10 features in Photoshop that people don't use, but should...

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Free Leica M Stuff

Free

Leica M

Screensaver & Guides

My current and favorite screensaver for several years has been the beautiful Leica M screensaver. Available from the Leica Camera Co's website it shows the development of the legendary Leica M camera from the original up to the M7, the latest model when the screensaver was made available.

Leica M System - Screen saver
-PC
-MAC

Legendary - Leica M

For those of us fortunate enough to own or use a Leica M camera there is very little doubt as to why these cameras carry a legendary status or command such a premium price.

For those who haven't yet used a Leica M, it can be hard to understand the passion and devotion that these cameras evoke within their owners. The 3-digit price tag of the bodies and lenses has also added to cloak the Leica M in mystery and awe, keeping the cameras in the hands of only the most dedicated photographers.

The Best lenses...

Ultimately, it is the lenses that are chiefly responsible for establishing the legend and high ideals of the Leica brand. They are all precision crafted masterpieces - practical, compact, ergonomic, cutting-edge lenses for ultimate in analog and digital photography. Their outstanding optical performance makes observing and capturing meaningful moments easy. Pictures taken with Leica lenses not only highlight the quality of their major aspects such as contrast, resolution and beautiful pictorial rendition but also demonstrate the capabilities of Leica products with regard to design, performance, and the ability to capture natural expression.

Few things last a lifetime, A Leica M lasts longer...

Heat or cold, rain or dust - The Leica M is not put off by adverse conditions when in search of the perfect picture. The M needs to be hard-wearing, reliable and robust enough to survive the toughest situations. The designers of an M camera always give durability top priority. That's why only the best materials are used for the camera housing: brass for the cap and base and a highly stable metal alloy for the body. The digital components are carefully selected, too, to make sure they stand the test of practical wear and tear. Meticulous manufacture and careful assembly guarantee decades of reliable functioning to give the photographer as many years of enjoyment with his Leica M as possible. And that means a lifetime. And often longer.

As a result of this SuperEngineering older Leica M cameras are still widely available. The Leica M3 was released over 50 years ago yet is still widely found in use today.

For most of us the Leica M will remain out of reach, especially with the digital Leica M8 commanding a $4000 price tag. For those lucky enough to obtain a Leica M of any vintage, will come a greater appreciation of our craft, and a firm understanding of why the Leica M has earned its legendary status.

Even if you don't get the chance to pick up a Leica M, do pick up these :

Leica M - System Brochure
http://www.leica-camera.us/assets/file/download.php?filename=file_1243.pdf

Leica M Lenses - Their Soul and Secrets
http://www.leica-camera.us/assets/file/download.php?filename=file_119.pdf

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Free guide to your rights as a photographer

The Photographer’s Right

A Downloadable Flyer Explaining Your Rights When Stopped or Confronted for Photography

Written by Bert P. Krages II, Attorney at Law and updated in 2006 it is available free here:
The Photographer’s Right

"The Photographer’s Right is a downloadable guide that is loosely based on the Bust Card and the Know Your Rights pamphlet that used to be available on the ACLU website. It may be downloaded and printed out using Adobe Acrobat Reader. You may make copies and carry them your wallet, pocket, or camera bag to give you quick access to your rights and obligations concerning confrontations over photography. You may distribute the guide to others, provided that such distribution is not done for commercial gain and credit is given to the author."

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