Britt Stokes | DigitalAppleJuice

Review: Cracking Camera Raw by Michael N. Roach

May 14, 2012 By Britt Stokes Leave a Comment

Cracking Camera Raw: The Illustrated Guide To Working With Raw Images in Adobe Photoshop CS5by Michael N. Roach I've just read and appreciated this new work by Dr. Roach on Camera RAW. I was an early adopter of RAW files. After seeing what I could do, even with early versions of Photoshop, I was sold. I learned just enough to actually use the basic features, and got good results (mostly) with my methodology. Adobe CS5 is a game-changer. The Creative Suite's fifth version is bullet-proof on … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Books, Photoshop, Workflow Tagged With: camera Raw, photoshop

Review: Architectural Photography by Adrian Schulz

April 16, 2012 By Britt Stokes Leave a Comment

Rocky Nook's new book Architectural Photography by Adrian Schulz provides a comprehensive update to architectural photography techniques in a digital age. My original introduction to this subject was a book by Norman McGrath called Photographing Buildings Inside and Out. Norman in years past had reservations about calling his craft "architectural photography" - but not Schulz. His 2nd Edition (2012) of his original 2009 printing of Architectural Photography leaves no one in doubt that he has … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Books, Photography, Reviews, Workflow Tagged With: adrian schulz, architecture, Photography

Review: Dr. Roach’s Photoshop Tutorial App for the Ipad

September 12, 2011 By Britt Stokes Leave a Comment

Dr. Michael Roach’s newest version of Photoshop tutorial is a hit. Roach takes aim at photographers and artists who are ready to take a systematic, measured approach to learning arguably one of the most difficult photo editing programs to master. With this tutorial open on an iPad in view, a user can go through and unlock many of Photoshop’s mysteries. Systematic is a word that best describes Roach. During his tenure of 30+ years teaching photography at an East Texas university, Roach … [Read more...]

Filed Under: iPad, Photoshop Tagged With: ipad, photoshop, tutorial

Traveling Europe with a 13” Macbook

June 10, 2011 By Britt Stokes Leave a Comment

I just came home from a 24 day trip across France and Spain. My trusty white 13” Intel Macbook has a lot more miles on it… but worked like a champ. My AC adapter for power and charging was 100-240 volt compatible, so I didn’t have to worry about a voltage converter, just a plug adapter for the European style sockets. Wifi is strong on this older Macbook, and I got good performance in most hotels I stayed in. The size of this smaller Macbook is perfect for lugging around on the road – and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Digital Lifestyles Tagged With: crumpler, Lightroom, macbook pro

I’m Loving My Magpul iPhone Field Case!

March 7, 2011 By Britt Stokes Leave a Comment

DigitalAppleJuice.com is a great place to talk about all things Apple. And, digital imaging. And how you create artwork in the digital age. And... well, you get the point. So I decided to devote a few paragraphs to a new product I found for the iPhone. I recently ordered some items from a retailer in California. While on their website, a new item caught my eye - a Magpul brand case for my iPhone 3G (they also make a case for the iPhone 4). I was intrigued... Magpul is famous in the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Digital Lifestyles, Gadgets, Reviews Tagged With: iphone 3g, made in the U.S.A., most rugged iPhone cases, semi-rigid iphone case, shock-proof iPhone cases, shock-resistant iPhone case, snap-on iphone case, tough iPhone cases, Toughest iPhone cases, ultra-protective iPhone cases, water-resistant iPhone cases

Ansel Adams: Analog Photography and the Creative Process Revisited

November 22, 2010 By Britt Stokes 3 Comments

I recently visited the Amon Carter Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, to view an exhibit of Ansel Adams works titled Ansel Adams: Eloquent Light. The show ran from May 29 through November 7, 2010. In total, I made four trips to the museum to see this exhibit. Ansel Easton Adams was born in early 1902 to parents Charles and Olive Adams in San Francisco, California. As a boy, his family traveled to Yosemite (which had become a national park in 1890) when he was about 14 years old, an experience which … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Digital Lifestyles, Media, Photography Tagged With: analog photography, ansel adams, decisive moment, digital cameras, moonrise, nature photography, new mexico, Photography, still life

Another sunny day in digital paradise

September 30, 2010 By Britt Stokes 2 Comments

Ah, the wonderful rays of summer sun falling on beatific scenes. The sweet smell of fragrant flowers, the gentle hum of bees busy about their work. The sudden sound of a camera motor whirring to re-cock the shutter. And perhaps the one I like best... the sound of not having to reload my camera with film. Kind of like the sound of one hand clapping, isn’t it? Yep, I like digital. I’m thoroughly entrenched in the world of CMOS and CCD, compact flash and lithium ion batteries. Bigger hard … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Digital Lifestyles, Photography, Workflow Tagged With: compact flash, lithium ion battery, nikkor 24mm, nikon d300

Lensbaby Fisheye Optic

June 7, 2010 By Britt Stokes 2 Comments

A long time ago, in a world that only used film, a lens was developed to see the whole sky. Cloud studies for meteorological use prompted the invention of the fisheye lens. It wasn’t long until the keen eye of the “art” photographer saw one and decided to use it to make images that could not otherwise be made. Fisheye images aren’t like rectilinear images, where straight lines mostly stay straight... fisheye lenses give you a convex rendering with curved straight lines, and encompass a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Featured, Photography Tagged With: apple, camera, camera lens, fisheye, lens adapter, lens elements, lensbaby, mac, nikon 60mm micro lens, Photography, review, wide angle lens

Lensbaby New Soft Focus Lens Optic

June 2, 2010 By Britt Stokes 4 Comments

Want a great lens with the look of a $1,000 Rodenstock Imagon for your digital SLR? Look no further than the newest lens addition to the Lensbaby line. Lensbaby, the brain child of photographer and inventor Craig Strong, brought soft focus and skewed focus planes to cameras that normally produce sharp results. The current generation lenses offer interchangeable elements, and that is where this article comes in. I recently obtained a Lensbaby Soft Focus element, and wow, is it cool! My 3 part … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Featured, Photography Tagged With: apple, Craig Strong, lensbaby, Photography, review, Rodenstock Imagon, Sima Soft Focus, SLR

What Makes a Photographer?

May 26, 2010 By Britt Stokes Leave a Comment

I got an interesting e-mail today... a promotion e-mail from an architectural photographer named Dan Poyourow (www.danpoyourow.com). Dan is based in Maryland, and his work is well worth looking at. At the bottom of his e-mail, he included this tidbit... “Photography thought for the week: Contrary to what some creatives may tell you; shooting digital and reading a book on Adobe Photoshop does not make someone a professional photographer. There is still no substitute for experience, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Art Commentary, ArtWorks, Digital Lifestyles, Headline, Photography Tagged With: architectural photographer, business, competition, DanPoyourow.com, Photography

Digital Camera Infrared Conversion- Part 2

April 22, 2010 By Britt Stokes 2 Comments

I recently wrote about my newly converted Nikon D200 body. I have since been on a trip to Acapulco, Mexico, and have shot over 1,500 images with the new body. Here are my impressions so far. First, this conversion by Isaac Szabo uses an excellent filter (the infrared filter replaces the high-pass filter over the sensor inside the camera). The infrared images are wonderful, far better than any I got with my previously converted SLR. There is more color in evident in some of the images. With … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Featured, Gadgets, Photography Tagged With: camera, Conversion, Digital, digital camera, Exposure, film, filter, infrared, Isaac Szabo, ISO, Photography

Digital Camera Infrared Conversion

March 15, 2010 By Britt Stokes 2 Comments

Since the 1930’s, photographers have enjoyed the use of infrared films for both scientific and pictorial use. The infrared spectrum is beyond the ability of the human eye to see, and objects viewed in light from the infrared spectrum often look quite different from visible light. Most living foliage will appear light or white in a final print shot with infrared film, and human skin can be almost translucent, with veins showing through the skin like magic. But with the advent of digital … [Read more...]