PhotographyBanzai.com

I was planning this application since I made the histogram one. Actually, my initial idea was to make a “histogram game” where the user would find out if their photo histogram was considered “good” by the software. I had some of the app written by copying existing code and modifying it, but I kept putting the project off. In retrospect I probably felt the app wasn’t exciting enough to bother with.  Once I finished the “No Nonsense Picture Viewer” app, I wanted to get back into the histogram game… but had the idea of turning it into a general picture rating game instead. That meant coming up with various new ways to rate a photograph. I came up with quite a few new ways to analyze a photo and merged it with some existing visual content (the ninja graphics) I had from a past project. The concept of histogram is still a big part in how the application analyses data, but there is quite a bit more than just that! A small screenshot of the app. Android Market Link: https://play.google.co...

When thinking practical photography, the first thing that comes to mind is convenience. The less that gets in your way, the better you can accomplish what you have in mind with as little hassle as possible. While using convenient equipment is important, using what you have to do the job is important too. Use the equipment you have on hand. Don’t waste time looking for the perfect piece of camera equipment, because it probably won’t truly make that much of a difference. Use and bring as little stuff as possible. Sometimes I’ve not brought something and later though it might have been useful, but it isn’t the end of the world (take note: I’m not talking about professional photography where you should duplicate and cover all possibilities). Seeing as I use prime lenses most of the time, I’m use to managing with what is available. It’s actually much more fluid and experience when I don’t put much thought into gear while out in the field. Avoid extras if you can given your goals for the ses...

I made another android application. This time I took a suggestion from a thread on Flickr I started as a basic idea for the application. I used bits and pieces from some of my existing apps, but it was for the most part new code to deal with the image manipulation. I can’t stand those apps that unnecessarily require extreme permissions for their functionality. Sorry there isn’t any reason your app that takes photos or whatever needs access to a user’s contacts and full Internet access… With this app I set out to make a simple yet direct way to examine a photo. Sorry, this app was removed from the Android Play store years ago. Something to view photos. Something that can load jpeg, png, gif, and bmp of any size (large photos will be dynamically sized to be viewable on the device due to Android memory constraints). Something to see the details of a picture with a simple and easy to use interface that can zoom and move with a single press of the finger. Something that doesn’t use extreme...

I noticed a website http://www.ninjapizza.net/ by Rosemary, aka Roseangelo. She was having a comic coloring contest with the default prize of everyone getting a piece of film from the first Ninja Turtles film promotional video. As I’m a big fan on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles since childhood, I couldn’t pass that up (even though I don’t really color or draw). Radical! Pretty cool, isn’t it? The top two frames are Donatello getting ready to eat a piece of pizza and the last three are the group inside April’s antique shop getting ready to fight the Foot clan (Raphael is injured). Many thanks go out to Ninja Pizza for the film!

How did you spend your transition into the new year? I spent mine editing photo gear overview videos I recorded earlier in the day! Yeah, I know… exciting, but one of my resolutions is to improve the traffic to this here website. 🙂 What better way than to produce more photography related content, right? KATA 3N1-22 Camera Backpack Sling Bag Overview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfIGO9fwFdg LENSPEN Overview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W6uj0FFReOA Promaster Adventure 16 Zoom Pack Holster Camera Bag: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84pNtJYkIoE Swissgear Zinc Messenger Camera Bag Overview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzyE87mVmGE Promaster L300 Series Camera Bag: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aaZtdgKpKUg Tamrac 5514 Holster Camera Bag Overview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kNAmDtgRts Tamrac System 2 Model 5602 Camera Bag Overview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkuc87-0sc0 I have one extra video on how I actually make these videos. So if you are wondering, check it out! ht...

The work my uncle and I have done has started to come to fruition. This calendar that I put together from our photos (about half are my uncle’s) turned out pretty nice! CafePress seems to have nice high quality printers to output something like this. Their manufacturing costs are not priced that high either, so I can offer it for $20. Arizona Mile Markers Calendar …and the Wonders in between… This calendar is a collection of photos with coordinates. It’s a fun way to enjoy your yearly calendar with the game aspect of finding each location the pictures were shot at. EDIT: I removed the links because Cafepress eventually deleted the designs without my input.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOgCbx7r3EE

I noticed that the Youtube user Jetdaisuke posted a video about buying not one, but two Pentax Q cameras… While he is Japanese, he has English subtitles on most of his newer videos. If the subtitle (CC) button doesn’t show up, go directly to Youtube instead. Pretty interesting. I never would have imagined seeing someone buy two of them considering their target market. However, I will admit their size is great for the sake of mobility. I’ll also say I thought in the past of attaching a camera to the top of my DSLR for recording video. In his case he is taking time lapse and video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTQAIQKWsjs

I noticed one of my Twitter friends post a link to this contest at OhSoPoshPhotography dot com. The website's contest page. Which brings me to something I’ve noticed lately. Large companies and websites like B&H, Adorama, Camera Rumors, Think Tank bags, Pentax Forums, and many others seem inclined to have contests that require some type of viral social media aspect to them. For example, many say something like “Like our page on Facebook and follow us on twitter to enter the contest.” I’ll admit on occasion I do “enter” the contests as I’m technically doing right now with this contest! This contest I linked said you could post to your blog which is a refreshing addition compared to the other contests that just want you to follow their equivalent of product news feeds, so I’m doing that in the form of an opinion article. It isn’t a bad idea from a promotion standpoint for anyone with the funds to sponsor a contest. I just might try something similar in the future. Oh, if I do...

Time for another opinion article. This time I’m looking at the viability of mirrorless cameras. In particular, one of the most interesting out there at the moment. This is an opinion article because I haven’t used the camera. I’m basing my words from reviews I’ve seen as well as the general specifications. All camera images are stock photos from Sony’s press department.  The Sony NEX-7 isn’t your normal mirrorless camera. It has a professional look to it, reminiscent of the Pentax K-7/K-5 series of cameras I currently use. It even uses magnesium alloy for the casing like they have. I like the look and the size (8% narrower, 31% shorter, 41% thinner). The camera looks to have a nice control layout. You can have aperture, shutter speed, and ISO all accessible with semi-dedicated controls. This sounds like a key feature and should make photographing with the camera a breeze. I would have liked more dedicated buttons in general though. I’ll give them a +1 for the dedicated v...

Impress Japan had an interview with many of the Japanese camera manufacturers and I thought I’d talk about that with some opinion included. The full interview in Japanese: https://www.impressjapan.jp/pr/monitor/1112_dcm/271201_free.pdf Companies in the interview: Pentax, Ricoh, Canon Fujifilm, Nikon, Sigma, and Sony. Points of interest: Olympus: Eventual E-5 SLR replacement. Canon: Interested in small cameras, but not necessarily ones with interchangeable lenses. Has a focus on sensor sensitivity rather than mega-pixels (just look at the 1D X with its 18MP). Sigma: DP series additions coming. Mirror-less format lenses coming. Sony: Smaller e-mount lenses to better fit their mirror-less cameras. Talk of electronic shutters. Nikon: Replacements for the D3 and D700 coming. Compacts should have a focus on ergonomics and control to have more benefit over cell phone cameras. Fujifilm: Focus on high-end compacts like the x100 and x10. Improvements in AF speed coming. Offering a mirror-l...