Camera Dojo » R-Strap

Podcast #54 – Kerry and David Announce Contest Winners

KerryG — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 07:16:44 +0000

With several hundred entries we sure were glad that we had tons of things to give away. Just to explain briefly how the names where chosen. The entries were numbered in reverse order of how they came in, then for each prize we used the random number generator at http://random.orgÂ and asked if you return a number between 1 and 302 (number of valid entries). Then we matched the number with the info of the winner and viola!

Technical details aside, let’s get down to it and see who won what.

Let’s start off with our big prize winners.

The winner of the BUI Brothers Promo Video is Scott Richardson from Greenfield, IN

The winner of the Spend a Day with Scarlett is Ric French Jacksonville Fl

The winner of the Lensbaby Composer is Marc Bourassa Marietta, GA

The following is the remaining list of winners:

ShootSac - LeeAnn Townsend Starke, FL
Think Tank Backpack - Tim McCarty Warren, MI
Marc Fuller Website Theme - Luis Lopez-Santiago Ann Arbor Michigan
Camera Slingers Strap – Stephen Brown Carrollton, TX
Camera Slingers Strap – Melissa Yocum Castle Rock, CO
Camera Slingers Strap – Amy Burke Cincinnati, Ohio
Camera Slingers Strap – Chris Myers Farmington, MN
GoBee Bag – Michael Croft Billings, Montana
FastTrack Audio Book -Â Tim Lemons Peoria, IL
Pictage – Matthew Dillingham Talladega, AL
Westcott Reflector – Casy Wilkins – Phoenix Az
Black Rapid Strap – Allyn Edmonds Antioch California
Black Rapid Strap – Mark Kelly Clarkston, MI
Black Rapid Strap- Jeffery Saddoris Alta Loma, CA
Black Rapid Strap – Karen Winger Bridgewater, MA
Camera Dojo Lightroom Preset Pak - Riz Crescini Kitakyushu, Japan
Camera Dojo Lightroom Preset Pak – Sara France San Diego, CA
Camera Dojo Lightroom Preset Pak – Gwendolyn Tundermann Jacksonville, FL
Camera Dojo Lightroom Preset Pak – Jenni Lillie Erie CO
OnOne Focal Point – Nicole Spikes Shreveport, LA
Carlos Baez – See The Light DVD – Dennis Zerwas Jr Andover, Minnesota
Trendy Camera Straps – Dana L Schagunn Dickinson, North Dakota
Trendy Camera Straps – Kortney Jarman Powell, Tennessee
Trendy Camera Straps – Jared Haagen Fort Wayne, IN
Trendy Camera Straps – Craig Roberts Langley, BC
Trendy Camera Wrestlettes - Eric C. Magnuson Westmoreland NH
Trendy Camera Wrestlettes – Thomas SpraggÂ Centerville TN
Photographers Toolkit Lookbook – Sergio Villareal South San Francisco, CA
Camera Dojo – DSLR Cleaning Kit – Josh Husted North Canton, Ohio

Congratulations to all of our winners and special thanks to all of the prize sponsors

Prizes donated by:

The Bui Brothers: http://thebuibrothers.com – $1,500 Promotional Video

Scarlett Lillian: http://scarlettlillian.net – $1,500 Spend a day with Scarlett
Lensbaby: http://lensbaby.com – Lensbaby Composer Selective Focus Lens
Shootsac: http://shootsac.com
Think Tank Photo: http://thinktankphoto.com
Marc Fuller:Â http://www.marcfuller.com
Camera Slingers: http://cameraslingers.com
Go|Bee: http://gobeebags.com
Dane Sanders: http://fasttrackphotographer.com
Pictage: http://pictage.com
Westcott: http://fjwestcott.com
Black Rapid R-Straps: http://blackrapid.com
Camera Dojo Lightroom Presets – http://cameradojo.com
OnOne Software: http://ononesoftware.com
Carlos Baez – See The Light DVD – http://www.seethelightDVD.com
Trendy Camera Straps: http://www.trendycamerastraps.com
Photographer’s Toolkit – http://photographerstoolkit.com

Show Hosts

Kerry Garrison
http://kerrygarrison.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/kerrygarrison Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/garrisonphotography

David Esquire
http://esquirephotography.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/esquirephoto Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/davidesquire

This podcast is also available on iTunes.

Podcast #52 – Listener Appreciation Show

KerryG — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 16:29:45 +0000

Kerry and David look back over the year of podcasts, talk about some of their favorite moments and guests, and then give away $6,000 in prizes to lucky listeners. Thanks you all you listeners for being with us this past year and a big thanks to all the people and companies that put up some really nice prizes!

Prizes donated by:

The Bui Brothers: http://thebuibrothers.com – $1,500 Promotional Video

Scarlett Lillian: http://scarlettlillian.net – $1,500 Spend a day with Scarlett

Lensbaby: http://lensbaby.com – Lensbaby Composer Selective Focus Lens

Shootsac: http://shootsac.com

Think Tank Photo: http://thinktankphoto.com

Marc Fuller:Â http://www.marcfuller.com

Camera Slingers: http://cameraslingers.com

Go|Bee: http://gobeebags.com

Dane Sanders: http://fasttrackphotographer.com

Pictage: http://pictage.com

Westcott: http://fjwestcott.com

Black Rapid R-Straps: http://blackrapid.com

Camera Dojo Lightroom Presets

OnOne Software: http://ononesoftware.com

Carlos Baez – See The Light DVD – http://www.seethelightDVD.com

Trendy Camera Straps: http://www.trendycamerastraps.com

Show Hosts

Kerry Garrison
http://kerrygarrison.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/kerrygarrison Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=822369545

David Esquire
http://esquirephotography.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/esquirephoto Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=636655600

This podcast is also available on iTunes.

WPPI Highlights – Part 2 – Video Interviews

KerryG — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 15:27:52 +0000

In today’s WPPI highlights we talk to the folks at A Portrait Project to learn more about this incredible new foundation that provides photographs to women who have been victims of abuse so that they can start rebuilding their new lives, there new site will be up and running soon and we will post more information as it becomes available. We also talk to Jennifer from Triple Scoop Music (http://triplescoopmusic.com) and Ron Henry from BlackRapid, makers of the R-Strap (http://blackrapid.com).

[podcast format="video"]/podcasts/WPPI2009_part2.m4v[/podcast]

Photo Contest – Converging Lines

KerryG — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 01:01:42 +0000

While it may be the middle of winter for some of you, we are going to launch a new photo contest based on an idea from a recent podcast host, Roberto Valenzuela. This contest is going to be about ‘Converging Lines”. Since an image with converging lines adds a nice dimension to your images, it seems like good practice to go out and shoot some images with this as a theme. The winner will get a nice prize package consisting of:

R-Strap Camera Strap Courtesy of BlackRapid
Fast Track Photographer Audiobook courtesy of Esquire Photography
Dojo Wedding Tools Presets for Lightroom
Dojo Power Tools Presets for Lightroom

All together this is about a $200 prize package.

Example from Roberto Valenzuela

Example of Converging Lines from Roberto Valenzuela

Contest Rules

Please get this right so you do not get disqualified. To enter your image into the contest, upload it to your Flickr account. You will need to be a member of the Camera Dojo Flickr Group and then you can add your image to the Group photo pool. You must tag your image with the words Contest and Lines. This will allow me to find them easily.

You must only upload images that you took yourself. We will post the winner’s pictures on CameraDojo.com but you will retain all copyright to the image. We suggest you have a watermark on your images as well. The deadline for entries is Feb 28th 2009 and the winner will be named on the following podcast.

Here are a few other examples:

Current Entries

Podcast #32 – Conversation with David Ziser – Master Wedding Photographer

KerryG — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 05:12:08 +0000

In this show Kerry and David talk about the last photo contest and announce the winner:

“Lost That Spare Tire” from PeptidBond. He will receive a new R-Strap from BlackRapid. They also announce the next contest “converging lines”. More info about this new contest will be posted tomorrow.

Later, Kerry sat with Master Photographer David Ziser. David is a high end wedding photographer who has recently made the switch from JPEG to RAW and discusses the reasons for making the switch.

David has also recently switched to the new Canon 5D Mk II and discusses the new camera and how video will play a role in wedding photography.

Be sure and check out David’s website at http://digitalprotalk.blogspot.com and watch for news on his upcoming seminar.

Show Hosts

Kerry Garrison (http://kerrygarrison.com)
David Esquire (http://esquirephotography.com)

This podcast is also available on iTunes.

Podcast #27 – Ron Henry from BlackRapid

KerryG — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 02:03:48 +0000

Kerry and David talk to Ron Henry from Blackrapid about the R-Strap camera strap. We find out about the new RS4 version and Ron offers to give one away to a lucky listener.

To be entered to win the contest, you need to visit the BlackRapid website and find out the position in the company that Milo has. When you have found the answer, send an email to podcast@cameradojo.com with the subject “BlackRapid Contest” and let us know your answer.

The winner will be randomly drawn on Dec 31st, 2008.

Show Hosts

Kerry Garrison (http://kerrygarrison.com)
David Esquire (http://esquirephotography.com)

This podcast is also available on iTunes.

Podcast #14 – Lots of news and new articles

KerryG — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 13:00:33 +0000

This week I got together with my regular co-host David Esquire from Esquire Photography and recorded another podcast this week. We covered all the latest news about the new Canon and Nikon gear as well as some new software updates.Â Here are links to the items mentioned on the show:

Photokina
http://www.photokina-cologne.com/

Nikon D-90
http://imaging.nikon.com/products/imaging/lineup/digitalcamera/slr/d90/index.htm

Canon 50D
http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelInfoAct&fcategoryid=139&modelid=17499

New Canon DSLR
http://www.canon.com/moon/en/

Nik Software Announces Sharpener Proâ„¢ 3.0
http://cameradojo.com/2008/09/04/nik-software-announces-sharpener-pro%E2%84%A2-30/

Wolverine ESP Digital Photo Album and Multimedia Player
http://cameradojo.com/2008/09/02/wolverine-esp-digital-photo-album-and-multimedia-player/

R-Strap Camera Strap Review
http://cameradojo.com/2008/09/04/r-strap-camera-strap-review/

Capturing a sense of motion
http://cameradojo.com/2008/08/31/capturing-a-sense-of-motion-with-shutter-speed/

Camera Dojo Lightroom Presets
http://cameradojo.com/lightroom-presets/

You can listen to this podcast now using our player widget in the right hand sidebar

This podcast is also available on iTunes.

Podcast #13 – Current news and info

KerryG — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 06:51:45 +0000

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This week I do some catching up in the news and let you know whats been going on with Camera Dojo. We have some really exciting things coming up with some interviews and tons of articles this month. In this episode I cover the latest news including:

Canon 50D Announcement
http://cameradojo.com/2008/08/26/canon-announces-eos-50d/
http://www.usa.canon.com/

Nikon D90 Announcement
http://imaging.nikon.com/products/imaging/lineup/digitalcamera/slr/d90/index.htm

http://imaging.nikon.com/products/imaging/lineup/d90/en/d-movie/ — Movie samples!

Maurice wins our local photowalk
http://cameradojo.com/2008/09/01/photowalk-winners-announced/

Wolverine ESP Digital Photo Album and Multimedia Player Review
http://cameradojo.com/2008/09/02/wolverine-esp-digital-photo-album-and-multimedia-player/

BlackRapid R-Strap Review
http://cameradojo.com/2008/09/04/r-strap-camera-strap-review/

You can listen to this podcast now using our player widget in the right hand sidebar

This podcast is also available on iTunes.

R-Strap Camera Strap Review

KerryG — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 13:00:34 +0000

We knew when we sat down to write this review that many of your would be sitting there thinking that the guys at the Dojo had totally lost it if all they can come up with for a product review is a simple camera strap. In all seriousness, we have appealed to every company we know to come up with a better camera strap. The two main issues we have are comfort for shooting all day long and the security that your camera won’t fall off your shoulder. If someone could solve these two basic issues then it would surely rate a full blown product review article, BlackRapid has done exactly that with the new R-Strap.

David using the R-Strap

Overview
Take 10 pounds or more of camera equipment and hang it on your shoulder for 8-10 hours and you are simply going to be sore, this is just something we have come to expect over the years. Some manufacturers have tried to overcome this with thick padded sections so while this may help a little the fact that the weight is still pulling down on one shoulder cannot be overcome. The second main issue is security. Most straps have some kind of rubberized surface to help keep them from slipping off your shoulder. We have never found a strap that combines both comfort and gives you confidence that it’s not going to fall off. I often carry two cameras at a wedding and am in constant fear that one of them is going to take a header onto the pavement, so when I know I am not going to use one for a while I bring the strap up over my head to make sure it won’t fall off, but this makes it very difficult to shoot. BlackRapid took this simple idea and created the R-Strap.

Kerry wearing the R-Strap

How it works
Think of the R-Strap as an oversize camera strap, but instead of the strap attaching to the standard strap mounts on your camera, it is a continuous loop. The camera is attaches to the strap via a sliding ring so the camera can move around without the strap moving. The sliding ring attached to the D-Ring on the bottom your tripod mount or via at attachment piece that comes with the R-Strap.

Because the strap goes around one shoulder and the camera rests at your hip on the opposite side, the weight of the camera feels more like its down the middle of your body instead of one shoulder. This is significantly more comfortable and it completely eliminates the possibility of your camera slipping off your shoulder.

When I first saw the R-Strap and tried it on, my first reaction was something like DUH!!!! How is it that the greatest minds on the industry that have taken us into the digital age and into sensors that can push 60 megapixels haven’t improved on the single most important interface you have to the camera since the introduction of the SLR?

I’m really being serious here. The lowly camera strap hasn’t been improved virtually at all and it took BlackRapid to finally take the basic camera strap and make it comfortable and safer around your neck. I really hope this makes the big camera makers feel stupid for not addressing this most basic needs of ALL camera owners.

In Shooting Position

Setup
Since the R-Strap connects to the D-Ring on the bottom of your tripod mount plate, many of us who keep the plate on our cameras have only to connect the strap to the D-Ring, adjust the length and stopper and you are set to go. This is FAR easier than trying to connect any traditional strap to a camera.

Once you have it on, you will want to adjust the length, this is going to be personal opinion but you will find there is a certain “sweet spot” that gives you the best position when the camera is down and allows you to bring it up fast and get the camera into position easily. There is piece that you will want to adjust down to the camera when it is resting at your side, this will help you to quickly position the camera and keep it from sliding back.

Adjustment Point

Usage
You first want to get the R-Strap adjusted properly. For most people you want to be able to pull the camera up and be able to hold it 6-7 inches away from your face, this will give you plenty of freedom to move around.

I will certainly admit I was a little uneasy at first dangling a couple grand worth of hardware on a $49 strap that connects to the D-Ring on the tripod mount, but within a short period of time I became very comfortable with it and the ease of using the camera with the R-Strap paid for itself over and over again. After while it becomes very natural to place the camera at your side and then reach for it and sling it into shooting position.

R-Strap hanging at David's Side

Results
Ok, so you have a strap that won’t fall off your shoulder, feels very comfortable to use, and doesn’t cost a fortune, But wait! There’s more! Not only does the R-Strap keep your gear secure, there is a side benefit of not being nearly as sore after a long shoot. Both David and I have both been using the R-Strap for about a month now and have shot a handful of weddings and events, because the weight is distributed differently, the neck pain normally associated with long shoots is greatly reduced. While the security and comfort make the R-Strap worthwhile, the comfort level makes it priceless. Every camera should come standard with and R-Strap!!

With the R-Strap I can easily put my camera down at my side and walk up to people to pose them without poking them with a big lens.” – David (Esquire Photography)

Summary
I’m sold! I am not taking the R-Strap off my camera! I vow to never use a regular camera strap again. David (Esquire Photography) is also a convert and uses a R-Strap on every shoot.

Final results:

Features:	5.0
Setup:	5.0
Usage:	5.0
Results:	5.0
Price:	5.0
Overall:	5.0

Website: http://www.blackrapid.com
Author: Kerry Garrison

Equipment Used
Camera	Canon 30D
Processing Software	Adobe Photoshop Lightroom

Podcast #11 – Current Articles, Joe McNalley Book, R-Strap in the field, Tips

KerryG — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:47:11 +0000

Discussion Topics
Manfrotto 322RC2 – [ Link to article ]

The Moment it Clicks by Joe McNalley -[ Amazon Store Link ]
Using the Black Rapid R-Strap – [ http://blackrapid.com ]

Tips of The Week
David – Go with your gut
Kerry – Keep your calendar updated with Google Apps
Maurice – Don’t ever give out unedited photos

Hosts
Kerry Garrison – http://kerrygarrison.com
David Esquire – http://esquirephotography.com
Maurice Naragon – http://headcheese.com http://webscience.com

You can listen to this podcast now using our player widget in the right hand sidebar

This podcast is also available on iTunes.

Podcast #10 – Nikon News, Using a tripod, cheat sheet

KerryG — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 21:25:58 +0000

This week Kerry and David discuss the new Nikon D700, the new Nikon Tilt-Shift Lenses, and the new Nikon SB-900 Flash.
Nikon Website: http://imaging.nikon.com/products/imaging/index.htm

Are you too “Pro” to use a tripod? Think again as we discuss different tripods types and why you need to have a good tripod.

Assignment: Build a Portrait Cheat Sheet
Take images of someone rotating through 180 degrees to see how the light changes on the person’s face. Post your cheat sheets to our Flickr group.

Picks of the week

Kerry
The R-Strap camera strap
http://www.blackrapid.com

David
Drobo 2.0 Drive Enclosure
http://www.drobo.com

Your hosts this week are Kerry Garrison (http://kerrygarrison.com) and David Esquire (http://esquirephotography.com).

Notable Links:
Prophotolife.com
lensbabies.com
lensprotogo.com

You can listen to this podcast now using our player widget in the right hand sidebar

This podcast is also available on iTunes.