Saving pictures with sharpening.

Enhanced with Photoshop Smart Sharpen.

I like to say that sharpening doesn't really work, and it doesn't. It is actually an edge effect that increases contrast along the edges in an image, giving the illusion of sharpness. The truth is the sharper the image, the cleaner the edges and the better sharpening works. All that said, if you are using an image small on the Web or simply making snapshot sized photos, sharpening can save a picture that is just a little too soft when it comes to focus.

Unsharp mask, despite its name, is usually the best choice for sharpening. There are three controls to be set when using unsharp mask (USM): Radius, threshold, amount. I usually use a radius of about .8 pixels, a threshold level of about 3 and for amount I like to vary the percent but 100% is a good starting point. The radius controls the size of the edges affected (too much and you will not sharpen small details); The threshold controls the brightness level at which sharpening starts (too low a setting and you sharpen grain); and the amount is the overall strength of the sharpening effect (too much and you will produce the infamous halo effect known as over sharpening.)

A couple of caveats: Sharpening is irreversible. Always save an unsharpened original. (I always save my original, unenhanced images. I save my enhanced images under a modified name and thus do not overwrite my original image.) And always apply USM last. Sharpening is the very last thing you do to an image before saving it. Remember, digital images are inherently a wee bit soft; A wee bit of USM before saving is always a good idea.

If you have Photoshop, I have CS5, you might play with the Smart Sharpen setting. I have been quite impressed with it thus far. Click on the Smart Sharpen link to see the Adobe instructions. USM emulates an method used in the good old days of film to give the illusion of a sharper image. Smart Sharpen takes sharpening control to another level.

For more details on USM sharpening, click on this link to the Guide to Image Sharpening. Read the info in the guide and you will know more than the average pro photographer about USM.

It gives me nuts!

My little Fuji FinePix HS10, and it is rather little compared to a full-fledged DSLR, is fun. Yet, I have to agree with the little boy who said about something that bothered him, "It gives me nuts!"

For years I shot with a high-end Canon EOS DSLR. The quality was superb. Now, shooting with what is essentially a sophisticated but dated point-and-shoot, I have to make some trade offs. I say dated because there is now an HS20 and it reportedly fixes some of the problems that I have encountered with my first generation camera.

But what the HS10 lacks in absolute quality, it makes up in fun. I shoot for the Web or to make small snapshots. The quality is more than adequate for my needs.

This shot of a young bride dancing with her father was shot at ISO 800. I popped some straight on strobe into the scene, punching up the highlights and to opening up the shadows a smidgen. I set the zoom to its widest setting, 24mm, laid down on my stomach and with the screen on the camera back pulled out and rotated, I composed my picture.

I may not have ultimate quality but I have a picture with visual impact. It is a different shot from the one being captured by the photographer standing off to the side with a high end Canon camera equipped with a pro telephoto 'L' lens. It is a judgement call but I prefer my angle. Now, if I just didn't have the shutter lag I must contend with. (Reportedly, the new HS20 is not bothered by shutter lag to the same extent as my older model.)

Fuji FinePix HS10, lens cranked out to telephoto. Auto.

With ultimate quality well out of my reach when shooting indoor stuff like the above, I must cover myself by shooting other images outside using lots of available light. Unfortunately, it was heavily overcast on the day of the wedding. Shooting inside a covered gazebo, I was still up against some low light level issues.

Note: When shooting the bride, groom and groom's parents, I was well off to the side to stay out of the way of the photographer hired to shoot the wedding. This angle has the benefit of making for a tighter grouping with almost no dead space between the subjects' heads.

I got the images I needed with a camera I can easily carry and I'm happy --- even though the little devil can really "give me nuts."

Rules are made for breaking

Wide angle setting on a Canon S90 on fully automatic. No room to get back.

 Never shoot a portrait with a wide angle lens. It's a rule. Use something between 85mm and 135mm. I like 105mm, myself.

Yet, if the space is tight and the portrait is begging to be shot, forget the wide angle rule.

My granddaughter loved the blue Jelly Dog the moment she saw it in the store. Her dad made the mistake of letting her hold the stuffed animal "temporarily." Giving up that blue doggie was tough but Fiona did it. But her dad couldn't give up the stuffed dog as easily. He carried the memory of his daughter's delight and subsequent disappointment for days --- until he returned to the store and bought Blue.

I saw Fiona clutching Blue tightly to her cheek while sitting in her backward facing car seat. The 85mm was out; No room. The 28mm was in and so was the picture. So she's a little distorted, I can live with that.

The lesson: always take the picture. Always. If it doesn't work out, so what. But if it does . . . Eureka!

Fuji FinePix HS20: good for newspaper reporters

The HS10 captured both the speaker and the screen image.

For more than three decades I was a staff photographer for a daily newspaper. First, I worked in Sault Ste. Marie and then, after earning my BAA in filmmaking from Ryserson, I went to work for the Blackburn Group in London, Ontario, owner of The London Free Press.

During my time at the papers, reporters rarely took pictures. Double-threat folk were rare. Today all that has changed. Reporters shoot both still pictures and video and photographers carry video cameras, do online reports and write the occasional story.

I humbly suggest that the new Fuji HS20 may be the camera that today's reporters should be carrying. It is an even better camera than its predecessor, the HS10, and I use the HS10 for shooting news and posting to the web.

Colour excellent but Photoshop needed for sharpness.

The other night I covered an indoor event at the Covent Garden Market downtown. I set the camera to capture indoor scenes, triggered the Best Frame Capture (BFC) and easily grabbed some shots to illustrate my story. Using BFC is important as it is hard to time picture-taking perfectly with a point-and-shoot. There is less shutter lag with the new camera.

I was very happy with the exposures, although the images did benefit from a brief visit to Photoshop. This was mostly to sharpen the shots before posting to the web. Using the lens zoomed to telephoto indoors meant that I was shooting at a wide-open aperture setting with a very long lens. Absolute sharpness was, I hate to admit, poor. Thanks to  Photoshop the images were fine for the web and would be equally good for publication in a newspaper.

I would not like to make a huge enlargement from the two images shot with at telephoto.

Newspaper reporters cannot devote a lot of time to their pictures. Remember, they are covering a news story. They need to follow what's happening and grab some good quotes as well. This means they must learn to think pictures. They must know what they want and then get it and be done with it. Reporters can't waste time taking too many pictures.

I staked out a position where I hoped I would be able to line up a monitor in the background with a speaker in the foreground. When a slide appeared on screen announcing the name of the event behind councillor Judy Bryant, I wasn't lucky, I was ready. Likewise with the mayor, Joe Fontana. With publishable pictures of both Fontana and Bryant captured, I grabbed one last shot showing the density of the audience and showing some of the well-known Londoners in attendance.

(Below) The fellow in the lower right is sketching out his vision for downtown London. This is perfect. This image captures both the reason for the event while, at the same time, illustrating its success.

At wide angle the images were sharp as expected.

My story, complete with art, ran here and here. I'm still not a great reporter but I am proving that both jobs can be done successfully by one double-threat reporter/photographer.

Pixels and quality

Shot with a Canon SD10 set to macro photography. Camera was hand held.

There is a belief when it comes to pixels, the little light gathering units making up the film-replacing chip in your digital camera, that more is better. As many are now learning, this is not  necessarily so.

I noticed this when I moved up from my little Canon SD10. The images I captured with that simple, little camera with its 4MB sensor were quite phenomenal.

I went to the library to research this topic but I have been slowed by some health issues. Please, come back in a week and maybe I'll have a post and some answers.

This was also shot with my Canon SD10. This time a tripod was used.

Cheers,
Rockinon

Shooting a simple portrait

Shot with a Fuji FinePix HS10.

 The definition of portrait photography has broadened quite a bit over the past decades but staying tight on the subject's face is always a winning approach. Capturing good catch-lights in the eyes is usually a plus, especially if the picture is a positive treatment of the subject. If the subject is brooding, all bets on the value of catch-lights are off.

Recently, I entered a portrait competition and submitted a loosely cropped picture of Fiona asleep. It was cute but was it a portrait, even an environmental portrait? When I saw some of the other entries I decided I had interpreted the contest assignment far too broadly.

The winning photo was a beautifully lit cat. The image was sharp, it was full of detail and it was cropped nice and tight. There were catch-lights in the eyes. It shouted portrait about as loudly as it shouted cat. It deserved to win.

The shot today of Fiona is better. It's tight but there is a little bit of camera movement. This image isn't sharp enough to be a winner. And, if you look at Fiona's chin and upper lip on the right, there is a gray shadow that should have been removed in a photo enhancement program like Photoshop. The gray tint would be much better rendered in warm, pink flesh tones.

Getting this image presented some hurdles. One, it had to be shot with the lens zoomed in a little to a mild telephoto setting. Wide angles are poor for shooting portraits, especially if you are in close. This made handholding the camera a bit harder. In situations like this it's best to brace the camera if possible, although the stabilizers in today's cameras help a lot.

You must also watch the focus. In a small room, it is easy too be too close to the subject for the lens to focus accurately. You must be careful; The small image on the back of the camera may look sharp at a fast glance. It can fool you. When you download the image, you will find the image is only acceptable when viewed very, very small.

One answer to the focus problem is to shoot just a little looser than you'd like and crop the resulting image to the portrait you were aiming to shoot right from the beginning.

Think: subject, environment, composition

I shoot so many pix of Fiona, she brought me my Fuji.

When shooting pictures don't just think subject; Although, a fine subject can often carry a weak picture. Try to think subject, pictorial environment (background/foreground) and composition.

The subject should be almost stand-alone good. Fiona is back-lit and captured in the middle of an action. She's not looking at the camera. All in all, there is nice feel to this image of a small child.

Adding, or maybe I should say not taking away, from the importance of my subject is the great expanse of gray pavement. There is little in either the foreground or the background to distract us from Fiona. The only colour in the picture is the little girl; This is a bonus.

The composition helps to strengthen Fiona's importance in the picture. She is dramatically placed high in the top right corner with a strong, dramatic diagonal shadow guaranteeing our eyes go straight to the her.

With today's digital cameras there is no excuse not to experiment. Shoot lots and stay alert. This isn't the only good photo from this shoot but it was my favourite.

Art, craft , repetition and visual delight

Repetition of visual elements is commonly found in both works of art and works of craft.

This fence, sighted in Mount Brydges, Ontario, is a beautiful example of a style of fencing that was very common in the Canadian province a century ago. Sadly many of those fences are now long gone. This fence is in such good condition that it is possible that it is a reproduction but if it is, it is a good one.

The repetition found in a fence is so obvious, so clear, that one may enjoy it without thinking much about it. In fact, we may focus more on the craftsmanship, on the skill that it took to create such a beautiful addition to this home's appearance. In works of craft, the repetition is perfect.

In art works, the repetition may not be perfect but the essence of repetition will still be found. What makes the following picture work, for me, is the contrast between the gentle repetition of the piles of railway ties and the craftsman-perfect repetition found in the railway tracks.

The fog is a bonus, adding atmosphere, and an extra visual delight to the image.
__________________________________________________________________
Both images were shot using my Fuji FinePix HS10. The fence shot took advantage of the wide angle coverage offered by the HS10's zoom, while the shot of the railway ties was taken using the telephoto end of the range.

Why I like my Fuji HS10

This image has been reduced in size and saved as a jpg for faster page loading.

There are naysayers about bridge cameras like the Fuji HS10. These critics sing the praises of DSLRs and high quality long lenses. These critics are right, except that a camera in the hand is worth any number of cameras elsewhere. And that is why I like my little Fuji; It is always with me.

Also, the Fuji is very affordable and that has got to count for something. When I retired, the money I was paid for just one used pro lens, my much loved Canon f/1.8 200mm telephoto, paid for my Fuji bridge camera, for my little point-and-shoot, for two sets of batteries for both cameras, the SD cards and more.

And the Fuji gets the job done.

On the way home from a dinner downtown, I sighted some deer in Woodland Cemetery. It was dusk and getting dark. The cemetery gates were locked. As I walked to the iron fence, I turned on the camera, zoomed out the lens to 720mm and checked that the auto was on scenic. I braced the small camera against the fence, framed and shot.

I'm happy with my HS10. But if I wasn't retired and a little short of money, I'd sell my little friend and move up to the soon-to-be-in-stores HS20. It sounds like another little gem.

Work with your tools, not against them.

Check the quality of these images. Only a couple have obvious issues.

Cruising the Net, I came across this page of pictures posted to Picasa. I thought, "Those look familiar." And they were, because they were mine. I shot all the pictures of the Morgans Over America tour in 2005 using a simple Canon SD10. This miniature camera, now almost tens old, has a fixed wide angle lens similar to a 28mm on a 35mm SLR.

It is a nice lens, if limited. The camera doesn't appear to use any destructive noise eliminating software on the pictures. The images are amazing: great colour, superb sharpness and a very smooth gradation of tones. It's too bad the file size is only 4MB but I have squeaked 14X20 enlargements out of the files by carefully cropping the images in the camera as I was taking the pictures.

When constrained by a lens, go with the flow, yield to reality, and frame your images to take advantage of the lens you have. Don't frame for the lens you wish you had. Nothing will teach you how to perfect your eye for wide angle photography like being forced to see the whole world through a wide angle lens. Try and accent the foreground, think composition using the complete scene, shoot images that gain from displaying a deep depth of field.

I have retired that little gem and replaced it with a Canon S90 and a Fuji HS10. I love the S90 for shooting available light. For shots demanding a wider lens or a really long ones, I love my Fuji. Yes, I know that both cameras have their weaknesses but for me their strengths rule.

 Please check out the images from MOA2005; Click on them to enlarge. Just think: If this fine selection of images is possible using just a Canon SD10, what is possible with a camera like the Fuji HS10?

The replacement HS20 is big improvement over the original camera. I highly recommend the HS20 to anyone who wants to have serious fun with a camera but doesn't have the spare change for a true digital SLR. The HS20 bridge camera is a bridge to fun.

Wide angles are perfect for accenting the foreground.

Grab whole scenes, taking advantage of the great depth of field.

Think about your pictures; Don't waste time damning your puny camera.

The electronic darkroom for the 21st century

Sometimes people ask me why I like image enhancement programs. Take a look at the two pictures of my granddaughter shown above. The one has not been enhanced and the other has. There is no question which is which.

I enhanced, or as I like to think of it, I printed the image on the right using Photoshop CS5 --- a version I just bought this morning from Adobe. I saw a link on Flickr to a sale price being offered by the Adobe Store. I moved quickly and got lucky. The link no longer works.

I did notice a box on the Adobe site that said: "SIGN UP FOR SPECIAL OFFERS. Please email me Adobe Store special offers and new product announcements."

I can't guarantee that you'll get an offer you can't refuse, but it's worth a try.

As I have said in the past, I think of Photoshop (my photo enhancement program of choice) as an electronic darkroom. Before you get too critical about my work on my granddaughter's picture, remember this is fast and dirty "printing."

I don't get too fancy. I just select gross areas and burn and dodge. I don't use the provided burn and dodge tools but the levels and curves screens instead. Working this way is quick and for most of us the quality is up to the standards set by the traditional wet darkroom of decades past.

Now that I own Photoshop CS5 who knows, maybe I'll tackle the program properly and learn how to do work surpassing those quality standards of old.

Hold your ground

Taken in tight, up close, and in front with a wide angle.

When I was working as a newspaper photographer an important thing to remember was to hold your ground. Some of the best pictures are taken when the action is coming right at the photographer.

Very little can beat an exciting image of a basketball, out of control, and speeding towards the camera. Unless, of course, it's a picture of the photographer getting hit.

Finding a position in front of the action can often make for shots that truly involve the viewer. For instance, when shooting football action when the ball is being played deep in the end zone, shots taken with a long lens from off field and behind the goal posts are great. This angle maximizes your chances of capturing some import facial expression, too.

As today's point-and-shoot photo shows, even a simple shot of a child can benefit from being taken from this viewer involving angle. Don't forget composition (the circular opening), capturing ongoing action and background (the low camera angle captured mom to her dismay but I like it better than cropping mom off at the neck).

So let's get out in front and damn the torpedoes. Well, maybe I'd draw the line at torpedoes.

It's about people not pixels.

Cameras like the Fuji HS10 take the worry out of available light photography.

Fuji Canada has a photo contest and I entered the picture of Fiona shown above. The contest is focused on portrait photography. I had thought of doing something traditional. Find a blond (man or woman, boy or girl, light hair is what I'm looking for here) or an older person with greying hair, place a bare-bulb table lamp behind them and one bare-bulb table lamp off to the side and in front and, if necessary, place a white sheet of bristol board off to the side bouncing light into the shadows.

Then I watched as Fiona fell asleep in a dark bedroom. The curtains were almost completely closed.. The light looked great but there wasn't much of it. I thought, "not to worry." With a pose like that I'll work with the light I've got.

This is where today's sophisticated point-and-shoots show their strengths. Fiona tends to move a lot while she sleeps. Working fast was important. This picture opportunity was not going to last. I grabbed my Fuji HS10 and set it to automatic.

This picture was shot hand-held at 1/6 second at f/4.0. Today's cameras with their sophisticated stabilization systems make hand-holding possible even at such extremely slow shutter speeds. I accepted a pushed ISO setting of 800, but then I am not a stickler about noise.

I figure pictures like this are not about pixels but people.

There is one glitch with this image: Colour cast. If you look carefully at the white sweater at the bottom of the picture you will notice a cyan colour cast. If I had noticed this before, I would have removed the cyan stain.

Remember, the room light was almost non-existent. This image is much brighter than the actual scene. When digging deep into dark shadows to make an image, one can expect some problems: colour shifts, colour casts, confetti-colourful noise and blurred detail resulting from over-enthusiastic noise control by the camera software.

Print the picture small and most problems disappear. Print the image large and most folk will view it from some distance and again most problems will again disappear. I have 16X20s that were printed from 4MB files taken with a Canon SD10 and folks have raved about these framed pictures. No one has ever pointed out the technical shortcomings because these are strong images.

Of course, if you are shooting for publication then all bets are off. Unless your technical shortcomings add a patina of style, your images will just come up short in the eyes of an art director.

(If ultimate quality is important to you, and think carefully as for many people it is very important, then take a look at the blog Nothing Special. This blogger knows his stuff and will point out the stuff that I was once also concerned with. My resolution/contrast charts and Macbeth Colour Checker now sit gathering dust in my basement.)

Rules are for breaking

The Rule of Thirds in action.

I have talked at times about shooting children and how one must get down to their level to get the best pictures. Well this is usually true. But like most rules it is made to be broken.

Just don't throw out all the rules at once.

Study today's picture of my granddaughter. The little tyke is asleep in her car seat. I quietly folded the carrying handle back behind the seat and turned the bright yellow duck so that some of its face was visible.

I positioned myself directly above the sleeping child. Note the composition. Think Rule of Thirds. To apply this rule cross the picture with two lines horizontally and with two lines vertically, dividing the image into thirds in both directions. The image is broken into 9 sections.

The four lines are useful for placing strong, directional elements in a photo. Think horizons and trees, etc. Placing strong points of interest at, or near, the intersections of these lines makes for a naturally balanced image.

All three heads, the child's, the teddy's and the duckie's, are approximately at an intersection of two lines. Following this rule while shooting comes naturally to some photographers but many more have to apply it consciously at first.

By activating three of the intersections in my picture of my granddaughter note that the heads trace a triangle in the same way that stars form the Big Dipper in the night sky. In art school we were told this implied triangle gave the image a solid base and added quiet strength. Remember, a lot of this compositional stuff is found after the fact — much like the Big Dipper appeared after the stars were formed.

It is important to shoot lots and, if you can't recall the Rule of Thirds while your taking your pictures, think serendipity and keep an alert eye while editing.

Shooting Kids

Fiona likes her puzzles.

Get down on the level of the child for good shots of kids.

When I saw Fiona, my granddaughter, down on the floor putting one of her puzzles together, I saw a picture. I grabbed my camera, in this case my Fuji HS10, and dropped to the floor. By getting down low, one sees a lot of the little girl's face and can easily see her look of concentration.

This shot was taken with the zoom lens set to 24mm. The shot was illuminated with window light pouring into the bedroom through a very large window.

Personally, I think the best pictures of kids show them engaged in one of their usual day-to-day activities rather than simply posed looking at the camera. I like the small amount of subject motion blurring the little girl's reaching hand. The movement adds to the documentary feel, the unposed moment captured feel, of the image. 

I kept the puzzle pieces in the picture as I thought they added to the story. I'm still debating whether or not the picture could be improved by cropping off the puzzle piece at the bottom right. Cropping the picture so that the puzzle piece disappeared would make for a very deep picture with very little width. It might be very dramatic. What do you think?

One warning. Note the distortion in this picture. That is the result of using such a wide angle lens. If you want less distortion, do not use such an extremely wide lens. Get back a bit from your subject and use a longer lens. Doing this will minimize distortion but it will also give a flatter, less dramatic, perspective.

Cheers!

Shooting food

See it, like it, shoot it, eat it!

I have it from a respected source that at one time photographers specializing in food photography were paid thousands of dollars for an image destined for a national magazine. When I went to art school in the '60s shooting great food pictures was an accepted art and craft.

When shooting soup, drop clear marbles into the broth we were told. These would settle to the bottom and force the vegetables, or whatever, to the surface. We were instructed to use shaving cream for whipped cream as it would hold together longer under the lights. Spraying food with glycerin to give it a "wet look" was an accepted practice. Bluntly, we were taught to cheat. But those days are gone.

Today it is very important to shoot honest food pictures. If the picture needs trickery, you may need a lawyer. This is especially true when shooting product shots for ads and the like.

So, if you like to shoot food, go for it. Take your time, pick your subjects, and you can produce pictures as good as the big shots. Today's picture shows a blueberry and cauliflower salad served on a bed a baby spinach with a fig and lemon balsamic vinegar dressing. It tasted as good as it looked.

Like so many of my food shots, this was shot in our kitchen in the seconds before sitting down to eat. It is illuminated by soft light pouring in through a large window. I admit that I chose the blue placemat for the picture but other than that this salad is just as it appeared.

My wife's the food artist. I'm the photographer. (This image could be even better if it was taken into a photo enhancement program to have the shadow at the bottom of the image lightened.)

Shooting food:
1. Use food that inspires you.
2. When starting out, keep it simple. One slice of back-lit lemon can be enough of challenge for a first picture. My favourite subjects are fresh plates of well-prepared food immediately after they have been brought to the family table.
3. Soft but directional light is often best. This light minimizes deep, dark, harsh shadows. Large windows work well but the glass cannot be tinted, as does bouncing one's flash against a white ceiling. This is where a TTL flash shows it strengths.
4. Try different lens. In tight with a wide angle gives a dramatic perspective to your image. Shooting from farther back with a long lens can make some parts of the subject 'pop' on account of the decreased depth of field. Speaking of depth of field, play with shutting down your lens and teaming this with a slow shutter speed; Often a bit of depth of field looks good with food pictures.
5. Keep the light clean to keep your colours faithful.
6. Be creative and gives this all the attention that you would give any picture.
7. With some subjects you must learn to work fast as bubbles break, froth falls and steam vapourizes and all disappear in seconds.

So work fast, shoot lots, try some different approaches and above all, "Have fun!"

Good luck!

There's a little reason posts are sporatic: Fiona

Both images taken with Canon S90.

For more than a year this collection of blogs enjoyed regular, almost daily, posts. This activitiy has come to a grinding halt and for that I apologize. With both of us in our early 60s, my wife and I have taken on the quite enjoyable task of babysitting a beautiful little girl, Fiona, our granddaughter.

The kid's awake!

The little tyke can be quite demanding --- in a sweet sorta way. I can't move without having Fiona following along. Working at the computer is completely out, unless I want to visit YouTube and share some videos with the kid. She loves movie trailers like the ones for Tangled or Despicable Me and music videos are always worth a look.

As you can see from today's picture, Fiona arrived asleep. I have just a few moments for an explanatory post; Judy tells me the little girl is starting to stir. I best get ready to share a banana and maybe a crushed and chopped pear with the kid.

Have a great day,
Cheers,
Rockinon!

Amazing. The best got better!

Fuji FinePix HS20

Fuji has announced a successor to the FinePix HS10 bridge camera: The FinePix HS20.

I loved the HS10. It wasn't perfect but then it wasn't a lot of money either. The HS10 looked like a DSLR but it was really a glorified point-and-shoot. When it came to its weaknesses, and it did have them, one had to cut this camera a bit of slack. It delivered well on its promises and to expect more would have been unfair.

Come March it is a new game and a new standard. The soon to be in stores HS20 has raised the bar on what to expect from a DSLR wannabe. It promises more, lots more, and my guess is that it delivers.

The bar is now so high that there will be times when owners of bigger, bulkier DSLRs, complete with a bag of lenses, will wish they had the new Fuji.

Shot with the HS10. The new HS20 promises to be even better.

The following is from the Fuji press release and will be updated later. Or just click over to Digital Photography Review for their excellent look at the upgrade to my much loved HS10.

High Speed and Sensitivity
The newly developed EXR Processor and EXR-CMOS sensor in the HS20EXR allow for pristine images to be taken in fast-shooting situations or in low-light environments. The combination of the two technologies creates a fast transfer circuit for quick process and reading of files for high speed shooting and Full HD movies, and the EXR-CMOS sensor itself, where the wiring layer and photo diodes are reversed, creates higher sensitivity for taking impressive images in low light conditions.

Intelligent Processor
With the improved intelligent processor, taking photos can’t get much easier. The GUI, with its new rich user interface that dramatically improves the appearance and searching functions of menus, might be one of the first things you notice, but the most notable benefits are speed and image quality. Additionally, the FinePix HS20EXR can now recognize an impressive 27 scenes. While shooting, the camera configures each scene and recognizes the perfect setting and automatically takes the best quality picture, with a single touch of a button.

Click on photo to view HS10 image quality.

EXR Technology
The EXR technology adds further versatility by modifying its behavior according to the lighting condition. Users can either let the EXR Auto mode choose the correct setting itself, or pick from three manually selected options:
• High Resolution Priority – can be used when you’re after exceptional image quality.
• High ISO & Low Noise Priority – can be used in low light conditions where the combination with the BSI sensor makes for superb results.
• Dynamic Range Priority – takes two pictures and combines them to provide a range of up to 1600%.
With these unique sensor combinations, capturing great pictures has never been easier.

Capture Moving Subjects
The FinePix HS20EXR’s strong mix of sensor and processing technologies allows breathless action shots to be captured, and the continuous full resolution shooting at 3fps, 5fps, 8fps or 11. fps at an eight MegaPixel resolution, will make sure the action is stopped in its tracks. The FinePix HS20EXR also eliminates the need to worry about slow auto focusing or shutter lag. The new solution’s contrast Auto Focus system takes approximately 0.16 seconds (minimum) to focus.

A long lens can make the impossible shot possible.

A 30x Zoom Lens
With a 30x zoom range covering focal lengths from a super-wide 24-720mm (35mm equivalent), the FinePix HS20EXR is ready for anything. Boasting high quality FUJINON optics, the manual zoom lens is now even easier to operate thanks to a reduction in the size of the flashgun. Zooming through the range can be done quickly and precisely to ensure perfect framing for every shot.

The FinePix HS20EXR also is equipped to fight blurring, a common problem when using longer focal lengths. Dual Image Stabilization combines a mechanically stabilized CMOS sensor with high ISO sensitivities for total anti-blur protection. Together these technologies reduce the blurring effect of both handshake and subject movement to provide sharp, clean and clear results even at the longest zoom settings or in challenging lighting conditions.

HD Movie Capture
The FinePix HS20EXR offers an impressive level of video functionality. With the ability to capture movies in true, full 1080p HD quality, the FinePix HS20EXR delivers high sensitivity with low noise for movies captured in low lighting. In addition, movie files (.MOV) are captured with H.264 high profile compression for smaller file sizes without sacrificing quality. With a mini-HDMI output connector, it is easy to connect and view images on your HDTV (HDMI cable not included).

High Speed Movies
Versatility is further increased thanks to the High Speed Movie options, which include capture at an incredible 320 fps. With features like this, even the fastest moving subjects can be captured and watched in slow motion.

One Touch Controls
The FinePix HS20EXR sports a full complement of sophisticated manual and semi-automatic shooting modes and photographic controls. The extensive external controls give the more advanced photographer direct access to virtually every control they will need for uninterrupted shooting, and the specially designed chassis includes dedicated command buttons for quick and easy key functions such as ISO, white balance, focus and metering. The large command dial, manual focus ring, twist and zoom lens barrel, bright, clear electronic viewfinder, high quality tilting LCD screen and deep hand grip ensures the camera handles well. AA batteries (ships with alkaline) provide excellent performance (up to 300 shots with Alkaline batteries) combined with the convenience of a universally available format when shooting for extended periods away from main power.

The FinePix HS20EXR also offers these additional features:

• RAW / RAW+JPEG Shooting: The FinePix HS20 has the ability to shoot both a RAW and JPEG shot simultaneously. RAW is for ultimate quality shots via post processing, JPEG is for great quality with no need for further post-production work.

• Motion Panorama 360°: The sensor extends the sweep range to 360˚ (shots can also be taken vertically). Combined with high quality Fujifilm printing, sweeping and impressive scenes can be taken, showing fine detail, low noise and high resolution at 180°, 240˚ or full 360˚ panoramic ranges.

• Purple Fringing Reducer/Corner Resolution Enhancer: The EXR processor has the capability to spot and reduce purple color fringing, most common on dark subjects against light backgrounds. In addition, the EXR processor improves the resolution at the corners of an image for more uniform image sharpness.

• Super Intelligent Flash: The FinePix HS20EXR offers a flash control system which efficiently controls the level of flash for a given exposure to produce beautifully balanced flash illumination across the foreground and background. Super Intelligent Flash is most useful in macro photography where the contrast between subject and background can be especially challenging, but is also effective for night and backlit photography.

• Multi-Bracketing: The FinePix HS20EXR has 3 bracketing functions useful for high level photography: Film Simulation Bracketing (which automatically sets Film Simulation to PROVIA, Velvia and ASTIA for simultaneous capture of 3 frames), Dynamic Range Bracketing (which automatically sets dynamic range to 100%, 200% and 400% for simultaneous capture of 3 frames) and AE Bracketing (which automatically sets exposure range to even, under and over for simultaneous capture of 3 frames).

• Face Recognition: Users can register up to eight (8) faces, along with names, birthdays and categories, and the HS20EXR will prioritize focus and exposure right on the faces of those special people. Users can also use Image Search to view images of a registered person.

• Face Detection and Automatic Red-eye Removal: To provide perfectly exposed and focused portrait shots, the FinePix HS20EXR is fitted with Fujifilm’s latest Face Detection technology which is able to track up to 10 faces simultaneously, at almost any angle to the camera. The system instantly corrects red-eye and then saves both the original and the corrected image file automatically.

• PhotoBook Assist: PhotoBook Assist lets you select and organize images in your camera to create a digital photo book. You can download the photo books to your computer using MyFinePix Studio software that is included.

Pricing and Availability
The FinePix HS20EXR will all be available in late March 2011 and will be priced at $499.95.

NOTE: For complete camera specifications, please go to: http://www.fujifilm.com/products/digital_cameras/

Rescue deleted pictures

A rescued Boxing Day photo

Before I downloaded my pictures from Boxing Day, I committed an oops; I erased my SD card. "Oops!"

If this happens to you, there is a solution: Image Rescue from Lexar, the card manufacturer. This program is available for both PCs and Macs and costs but $33.99 U.S., a bargain.

I first learned of Image Rescue while working at The London Free Press. I returned from shooting some aerials and the images wouldn't download. There had been a card error. The camera had had an oops.

Image Rescue found all the images, downloaded them and placed them in a folder on my computer.

Two warnings: First, sometimes damaged images are not complete. There may be only a partial image on the card. In cases like this, complete retrieval may be impossible.

And the other caveat is that Image Rescue 4, the version that I used, does not work when a camera is used to download the images from the card in question. A USB card reader/writer is necessary. I had to buy a USB 2.0 card reader/writer as my card is designated SDHC. My older reader/writer did not work with my SDHC card. Image Rescue could not find the device until I used the USB 2.0 reader.

I picked up a USB 2.0 card reader/writer at Tiger Direct for $6.99. Another store, right across the street, was asking almost $30 for a similar reader. Don't overpay for a simple card reader.

That said, if the problem is human error, all the images should be salvageable. Just do not take any more pictures using the card in question. You do not want to overwrite any of the "erased" images.

A few years ago I took pictures in Antelope Canyon in Arizona and Walgreen's lost the images when cutting a CD. If I had stopped using the card containing the lost images, I could have salvaged the shoot. I should have bought a new card and retired the other until I got home and retrieved the lost images using Image Rescue.

Continuing to use the card was the biggest oops of all.

I should contact someone like Grey Boyer, of One Horse Studio, and buy a picture of the famous canyon. With all my own images destroyed, this is my last remaining option.

Unfortunately, with something like lost Boxing Day pictures you don't have someone with the talent of Boyer backing you up.