Mark’s Favorite Things – Apps, Gizmos and Gadgets

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Hi Everyone, Mark here at Marathon Press bringing you tidbits of information and helpful hints to help you grow your business. This month I have a little different message. It’s my end of summer Top 10 Best of List so far this year. It contains some of my favorite things that either makes your life easier, better or just plain more fun!

 

#1. Woody’s Free Photoshop Tip of the Week

Woody’s free Photoshop Tip of the Week. Woody Walters is one of the most creative and talented photographers out there. He has some of the coolest Photoshop brushes and has a weekly Woody’s Free Photoshop Tip of The Week”that comes out every Friday.

Woody has a quick video to explain some creative techniques he does in PhotoShop and makes it easy to understand.

Check Out Woody’s Free Tip of the Week Link Here

 

#2 Animoto

Products – Animoto – Make great videos easily using your still or video images. It’s never been more convenient to create high quality shows quickly.

Check Animoto Out Here

 

#3. Topaz Labs.

Anything by Topaz rocks. You can’t be a photographer without one or all of these plugins. I own them all and I’ve tested many other plugins but have found none better or more intuitive than what Topaz offers.

Plus they are very affordable and they offer free trials. Your mind will be blown at the possibilities what you can do artistically as well as the practical side of fixing things.

Check Out Topaz Labs Here

 

#4. MAP Program

Want the best marketing program that has product as well as support? Look no further than Marathon’s MAP Program. With the ongoing help of your own Facilitator to help you create a custom marketing plan that fits your personality and budget, you’ll never be wondering what to be doing about your marketing. They keep you accountable and enthused about your marketing.

 

#5. Sticky Albums

This has become what wallets once were to high school seniors. Create digital photo albums that can be shared. Available as a mobile apps that clients can save to their iPhones, iPads and most Androids. This is the modern day wallet for many people.

Check Out Sticky Albums Here

 

#6. PPA Certification

Set yourself apart from the competition and gain more confidence in yourself when you become a Certified Professional Photographer. It takes a lot of studying and solid photography skills to pass the exam but it’s worth it.

You’ll be able to market yourself as part of an elite group of photographers than can call themselves Certified.
Get Certified Here

Check out the link to Quizlet too. It will give you an idea what is on the exam and help you get prepared. You’ll learn thru flash cards and practice tests.

 

#7. PortraitPro 12

The fastest, easiest retouching software & so much more. You just have to see it to believe it. It’s very affordable & often on sale. You can download a free trial too! Check out the video link and their page.
Portrait Pro 12 Website
PortraitPro Demonstration Video

 

#8. Go Pro Cameras

They have 3 versions. Get the top of the line Black Edition. They aren’t that expensive and the price differences aren’t that much.

The cameras are small and compact. Their uses go beyond just sports and adventure stuff. More and more photographers are finding a new style & service with this type of camera. Check it out on their website at the link in the blog..

Check Out Go Pro Here

 

#9. DJI Phantom Copter Pro II

To go with the GoPro camera, check out the DJI Phantom Copter Pro II You can get as fancy as you want with these. They can be the bare basic to an onboard video monitor that puts you in the drivers seat with a live view with the remote screen attached to your controller.

You’ll get some incredible arial views that previously required a helicopter or airplane.

Check the Kit Out Here

Take a few minutes and check out the video posted on Youtube about a lost Phantom. You’ll get a chuckle out of it.
Funny Video on lost Phantom

 

#10. Note Taker HD

Get the app called Note Taker HD. You know all those notebooks you have that are filled with little ideas or shorcuts to a PhotoShop path or simply a phone number you wrote down but now can’t find. Those days are over.

With this app you can draw, write, type, insert a photo, draw on a photo, erase, save, organize and send your files to anyone you want.

Essentially, you can do anything you can do on paper only way more. It has saved me hundreds of sheets of paper over the year and I can now find what I’m looking for quickly because its organized and all on my IPad!

It’s 5 bucks and you’ll thank me for this especially if you can write faster than you can type.

Check Out Note Taker HD Here.

 

That’s it for now. This is your old pal Mark Weber saying so long. I’ll see you in September!

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Build Your Own Softbox

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Are you in search of a portable and less expensive soft box to use while you save up enough money for the professional brand? I have created many of my own DIY soft boxes over the years and you can too. You can make them any size and they have multiple uses!  A DIY soft box can serve as a light diffuser/modifier, a reflector and the substitute black rip-stop fabric doubles as subtractive
lighting.

I like to use this DIY soft box indoors and out. If you have a breezy environment, the 1” PVC tubing is more rigid than the ¾” tubing. You also need to decide if you would like one that is portable. You don’t need to glue the PVC since it sticks together pretty good unless you get into a windy
situation.

The nice thing about the white rip-stop material is that it’s extremely durable. It doesn’t rip easily and if you happen to poke a hole in it, the hole won’t get bigger. The fabric is lightweight and diffuses just enough of the light to make it soft, but not so much that you loose too much illumination.

So, what else can you use these panels for?

  • Shoot a strobe through them to serve as a large soft box.
  • Hold them over a subject’s head to diffuse the mid-afternoon sun.
  • Switch out the white fabric for black and use them for subtractive lighting.
  • Peel down a corner to let some of the light spill out on your background or subject depending on the look you’re after.
  • Hang the frame with black fabric on your wall to keep light from bouncing in your high-key area.
  • Use it as a gobo between you and your subject to prevent lens flare under certain circumstances.
  • Simulate north window light by combing 2 strobes and 2 soft boxes side-by-side. A 7’x8’ soft box can be very pretty.

You won’t have the light head contained in this setup, but that’s okay. Even though it’s not as efficient as a covered head, it still makes a wonderful modifier.  You can experiment with how far to position your strobe from the fabric to fit your taste. I tend to keep mine 3 or 4 feet back, sometimes more. I like to angle the strobe head slightly up from the floor and away from my subject.

There is a more professional (complex) way to build these panels.  Dean Collins first introduced these designs back in the 80’s. Here is a link to get Dean Collins Tinker Tube instructions – http://www.software-cinema.com/page/13/tinkertubes. My instructions are more simplified, but they fit my skill level and patience. While it’s not as fancy, you can build it in no time and be ready to use it quickly. Here’s what you need:

¾” PVC/40 Pipe –
Available at any hardware store (you can also use 1” if you prefer. Just substitute all sizes
accordingly. If you plan to use them outside, I would recommend the 1 inch.)
5 – ’¾’ PVC/40 Pipe
L = 8’ (source for all straight pieces)
4 – ¾” Elbow 90 degree PVC/40 for corners
3 – ¾” Tee PVC/40 for connectors
1 – ¾” connector to connect 2 straight pieces

Fabric – To slip on the frame.
Rip-stop Nylon (white)
http://www.amazon.com/Vogue-Fabrics-Stop-Nylon–White/dp/B006ZE3OOO/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1358201541&sr=8-16&keywords=ripstop+nylon

Elastic Straps – To connect the fabric to the frame. You’ll need to glue elastic to the each of the
4 corners of the rip-stop fabric at 45 degree angles about 7 inches from each corner.  This allows you to quickly attach or detach your fabric.
4 – Elastic Straps
http://www.walmart.com/ip/1-1-2-Heavy-Waistband-Elastic-White/19767423

Fabric Glue –
Adhere the elastic with this glue. Only glue the ends of the elastic onto the fabric!  Any permanent
fabric glue will work. Look for a bottle similar to this  – http://www.allstitch.net/product/fabritac-permanent-adhesive-large-10-oz-bottle-3813.cfm?aid=FABTAC-8&sid=googlebase&gclid=CLqBzejr6LQCFSemPAodtxcAWg

PVC Cement – Use this to make your pipe connections permanent. I tend to leave the corners
unglued so I can break it down for easy storage or portability. I lay my pieces on top of one end of the rip-stop material and roll it up. The elastic straps can keep it all together.

Saw –I use a regular back saw with a miter box to cut the pipe.  Here’s a link that explains different options –http://www.hammerzone.com/archives/plumbing/technique/pvc/cutting/sawing_pipe.htm

 

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