An issue that often confounds photographers is the amount of compensation they should pay a model upon the sale of a stock photograph. It’s a situation that arises when you want to shoot a spec shot, but, you don’t have the financial resources to pay for the model’s time.

Most models, especially friends, are happy to work with you in exchange for prints. Adding the incentive of sharing some of the profit from the stock sale of the image is good business and usually makes it easier to get a signature on a model release. It also enhances your reputation, and, puts you in a better position to solicit more modeling favors in the future.

The best and easiest way to calculate fair compensation for a model who poses in spec image for you is the 25/10 rule. For every 2500.00 dollars you make with the image, allocate ten percent to your model. So if you have an image that yields a 750.00 stock sale, keep all the money for yourself. But, as soon as that image accumulates 2500.00 in total sales, write your model a check for 250.00.

The same rule applies at the high end as well. If you sell an image for 11,000.00 write your model a check for 1,000.00 which takes into account the first four occurrences of 2500.00 - but does not include the additional 1000.00 which is considered part of the 5th iteration of the 2500.00 mark.

Every time that I present a check to a model I get a million thanks. Even if the amount is only 250.00, the models truly appreciate the consideration. But more than anything else, having a reputation as a photographer that takes care of their talent is worth a hundred times more than the ten percent check you write.

Popularity: 36% [?]

Now, what usually happens when you want to take a bunch of snaps in quick succession is you have to drop from RAW to JPEG.

JPEGs lose quite a bit of info and tends to be a bit like an audiophile listening to a Costco stereo!

Microsoft’s JPEG XR (it used to be called HD Photo) have Canon and Casio agreeing that this might be a middle-ground solution; praps more for the cheaper DSLRs.

It has a wider colour palette and can show finer gradations than regular JPEG and it’s also got a better compression algorithm. This means that even with the extra info it wont suck all the power out of the camera.

Granted - if you’re wanting professional high-def, RAW is always going to win. For the rest of us it might help out when we need it.

Here’s what Wikipedia says.

Popularity: 32% [?]

There is a shop that has a lens that makes the Sigma one that featured on this very site look positively weedy!

It is a Canon 1200mm, F5.6 USM lens. They’ve been around since 1993, but are made to order at the rate of about 2 a year - There is less than 20 out in the wild!

The world’s largest interchangeable SLR AF lens, in terms of both focal length and maximum aperture. Two large fluorite elements eliminate secondary spectrum, resulting in extremely sharp, high-quality images. With Extender EF 1.4x or 2x. a whopping focal length of 1700mm f/8 or 2400mm f/11 can be obtained respectively.

The price? Well run along and snap one up at $99,000 secondhand!

You got the cash (and the muscles) go here - B&H

Or buy new here - but have £70,000 ready but that does include vat.

Popularity: 32% [?]

Those of you that have been into this kinda thing for more than a year will probably recognise this thing.

It was shown off at last year’s PMA and it’s here again.

It’s designed to attach to your camera’s flash hot shoe and record the GPS information as you shoot. It will then shove all that info onto your images’ EXIF metadata (or XML file in the case of RAW images) when you sync it up - pic tagged, job done.
After a year of touting this thing they say that it is going to find its way into stores by the middle of this year.

It’s likely to be going for around the $160 mark.

Check it out at Jobo’s site

Popularity: 30% [?]

A while ago I wrote some PHP code to download your Flickr photograph sets using the Flickr API and the PHPFlickr wrapper. Since the Microsoft Yahoo! takeover rumors there has been renewed interest in the code as people want to protect their picture libraries in case they need to bail on their Flickr accounts.

Unfortunately in the time since I wrote it there have been changes that broke my code. This morning I spent some time bringing it up to date. Mostly the problem was around Flickr not returning the original sized image in the same way they used to, and it refused to work even with the most recent PHPFlickr update. It looks like I managed to sort that but it is slower than it used to be. I have a folder full of pictures anyway!

Right now it will only download one set that you specify in the code. While this sounds like a poor limitation, remember you can create a set containing every photograph you ever uploaded if you wanted. Having it download one set allows you to download into neatly organized folders and not spend a month wondering if it is working or not. You can alter the code quite easily if this is not what you need

I updated the original post rather than submit the code as a new article in case anyone had the old version bookmarked. Let me know how it works out for you but I am sure you understand I can’t offer any support.

Popularity: 28% [?]

Cor! Look at that!

Well, that was my reaction.

Say “hello big boy” to Sigma’s new APO 200-500 f2.8 ultra telephoto zoom lens.

Weighing in at 16kg (35-pounds), it’s the world’s first to offer a F2.8 aperture at 500mm focal length.

Four SLD (Special Low Dispersion) glass elements provide excellent correction for all types of aberrations and produce a high level of optical performance throughout the entire zoom range.

It has a dedicated F5.6 attachment that ensures autofocusing at 1000mm while an internal Li-ion battery powers the zooming and AF mechanics.

It will snap on to Sigma and Nikon mounts in June or lucky Canon’s get it in April for ¥2,500,000 or nearly $25,000.

Check out Sigma’s Site

Popularity: 28% [?]

Here’s a couple of new offerings from Sony - the A300 and A350.

The A350 boasts 14.2MP and is able to blast away at 2.5fps in continuous shooting.  The A300 can notch up 3fps.

The DSLR-A300 kit with a DT 18-70mm f3.5-5.6 standard zoom lens will ship in April for about $800. The DSLR-A350 camera body will be available in March for about $800, and the DSLR-A350 kit with a DT 18-70mm f3.5-5.6 3.9x zoom lens will be available for about $900 at the same time.

They both offer Sony’s new “Quick AF Live View” technology allowing you to frame photos on the camera’s LCD without sacrificing auto-focusing speed common to other live-view systems.

Sony’s ‘Pentamirror Tilt’ mechanism directs light to a dedicated live view image sensor, enabling fast and responsive TTL phase-detection auto-focusing, even during live view.  I’m guessing you guys understand all of that yeah?

With Live View and an adjustable LCD, the cameras don’t need to be in front of your mug.  This will allow proud parents to maintain eye-contact when snapping their offspring or for paps to keep an out for security ;0,

These new models are promising tip-top imaging and crediting it to their APS-C CCD image sensors and ‘BIONZ’ processing engine.

To aid shooting in low light, ‘Super SteadyShot’ image stabilization enables shutter speeds 2.5 to 3.5 steps slower than otherwise possible when a compatible Minolta Maxxum or Sony α lens is  attached to the camera.

High sensitivity operation at ISO 1600 and 3200 and very low noise are made possible by the user-selectable high-ISO noise reduction features.

Features:

• Lighter, slimmer bodies for easy handling

• Improved user interface

• Automatic pop-up flash

• Anti-dust system to keep the CCD image sensor clean for spot-free pictures

• JPEG and RAW file format support

Both have a slot for CompactFlash™ Type I/II media cards.  You can use an adapter to utilise Memory Stick Duos.

Both models will be available at sonystyle.com, Sony Style Stores,  Pre-orders begin online today at the Sony Style site.

For more details on the UK site hit: Sony

Popularity: 26% [?]

If you’re in the market for a DSLR and want to avoid spending silly money why not check out the K200D?

It’s pencilled in to arrive here in Blighty around March-time and will be priced at around 580 notes complete with a 18-55 mm zoom lens.

It’s hub is a 10.2 megapixel CCD, 2.7 inch wide-angle view monitor with 230,000 dot resolution and a 160° viewing angle and the company’s KAF mount.

An ‘Opto-magnetic Shake Reduction’ (SR) system combats camera shake while the camera also boasts an integrated Dust Removal System (DR), and dust alerts, which is a new feature that lens monkies didn’t get with the Pentax K100D Super.

The Autofocus system uses 11 points with 9 cross-sensors, while the sensitivity range is ISO 100–1600.

Shooting tools include a range of picture modes, 8 digital filters, adjustable focus, contrast, white balance and saturation as well as 22 individual custom functions to keep you happy.

The K200D takes SD and SDHC memory cards.

Pentax have tried to keep it small and neat as it measures 133.5(W) x 95(H) x 74(D)mm and weighs a portable 630g (without its battery, memory card, boots or jacket).

Here’s Pentax’s Blurb

Popularity: 20% [?]

It sounds like Nikon’s new D60 DSLR camera is set to be released next month.

It will sport 10.2 megapixels along with several new features such as an intuitive LCD information display, Nikon’s EXPEED image processing engine, dual dust reduction, in-camera editing tools and more creative options.

The D60 will join the ranks with the other D-series DSLR cameras and shares form with its D40 sibling.

With a claimed 0.18-second start-up time and a split-second shutter response this should negate any shooting lag. The D60 should also be capable of shooting continuously at up to three pictures per second.

It will be shipped with Nikon’s new AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR image stabilization lens, and its CCD sensor works with the brand’s 3-D Color Matrix Metering II function for better exposure in challenging lighting conditions.

Here’s a list of some more of its contained gadgetry:

• Active D-lighting enables the user to optimize shadow and highlight detail as pictures are taken, while a Retouch menu offers computer free editing. Other in-camera functionality includes red-eye correction, image trim, color-intensifying filters and adjustable cross-screen star effects.

• Stop-Motion Movie mode enables budding animators to create stop-animation movie clips from a series of up to 100 consecutive JPEG files. The more experienced of you will also have the option of shooting in lossless NEF (RAW) format, and then adjusting image parameters, such as size, format and white balance, all within the camera.

• Airflow Control System which teams up with the Image Sensor Cleaning function cleverly removes any dust that could potentially ruin your snap. With every click of the shutter, the system channels away particles from the sensor.

• Eye Sensor that turns the 2.5-inch LCD display on and off automatically when you swap between taking pics and reviewing camera settings which will help save your battery. A customisable user interface rounds off the D60’s features, as users can create their own wallpapers and adjust color settings to adapt to their preferences.

The recently introduced Ey-Fi memory card is also supported, enabling wireless transfer of images. Additionally, photos can be written to SD and SDHC cards.

Pricing information has yet to be announced.

Click for Nikon’s D60 Press Release.

Popularity: 20% [?]

What can be achieved when you combine thousands of images, tags and photographers? Flickr think they have the answer with their Commons feature. Check out the info over at the Flickr Blog

What if we could lend this wonderful power to some of the huge reference collections around the world? What if you could contribute your own description of a certain photo in, say, the Library of Congress’ vast photographic archive, knowing that it might make the photo you’ve touched a little easier to find for the next person?Well… you can.

Announcing The Commons.

Their first stab at this idea is the library of congress pilot project. While it is early days I think it could be quite an interesting scheme. There is by no means the wow factor of Photosynth, but imagine both working in combination …?

Popularity: 19% [?]