Articles from Jaron Schneider

Today, Tamron announced the availability of what they are calling "the new super performance full-frame zoom lens features class-leading resolution and Tamron’s proprietary VC (Vibration Compensation) image stabilization and USD (Ultrasonic Silent Drive) , with resolution at the top of its class." It is available for pre order now from B&H Photo.

A great photo makes us feel. It makes us stare. It takes us places we have never been, or even places we long to remember. Great photos show us a side of the world we wish was real, or perhaps what is all too real. We are all capable of truly great photos, and our Fstoppers Facebook Group proves that every single day. To honor these great Fstoppers of the world, we award the best of the best from each month with a badge of honor: the Fstoppers Featured Photo. Here are the best from March 2012.

Today on Canon USA's Facebook, Canon urged it's fans to remember the dangers of counterfeit products. Now we at Fstoppers have had our own experiences with faked products, like faked Nikon filters and the D7000 MB-D11 knock-off, but Canon contends the problem could be even worse if you're not careful about what you are buying. Sure, some of these products are just lower quality, but what happens if something as important as a battery malfunctions? For counterfeits, this is a serious problem.

Two weeks ago we announced our latest Flickr contest sponsored by our friends at ClickPixx. The winner would receive a 30 x 40 inch wrap print to mount on their wall, and we thought a fitting contest theme would be "Epic." We narrowed down the entries to these top 9, and you voted on your favorites. Thanks for voting Fstoppers! And the winner is...

Two weeks ago we announced our latest Flickr contest sponsored by our friends at ClickPixx. The winner would receive a 30 x 40 inch wrap print to mount on their wall, and we thought a fitting contest theme would be "Epic." We narrowed down the entries to these top 9, but couldn't decide which one we liked the best. So we're leaving it up to you. Fstoppers of the world, vote for your favorite Epic image!

Every month I see some incredible photos uploaded to our thriving Fstoppers Facebook Group. With over 3,000 members, this group has some amazing talent. To honor these great Fstoppers of the world, we award the best of the best from each month with a badge of honor: the Fstoppers Featured Photo. We have some stellar images earning this honor in February of 2012.

Big fan of tablets? Today, Wacom announced the release of the newest addition to the Intuos family, the Intuos5. With the addition of multi-touch options (recognizing both Windows and Macintosh gestures), a heads-up display system called Express View, an upgraded ergonomic pen (although all Wacom pens will work with the Intuos5), and optional wireless connectivity, the Intuos5 looks to offer everything current tablet users have been clamoring for.

Only one week left to enter our Flickr Contest! We are giving away a free 30 x 40 inch wrap print from ClickPixx.com. For all the details and rules, check the full post.

This past week was one of the major US trade shows for photography: WPPI in Las Vegas. I love trade shows because the gearhead inside of me just itches to see that next great thing. This year, I saw a lot of the same. There were a lot of knock-off products, a lot of rebranded Chinese, and a lot of straight up useless junk.

Hey Fstoppers! After a short hiatus from contests here, we are happy to welcome them back!

We are giving away a free 30 x 40 inch wrap print from ClickPixx.com! From February 21 through March 6, respond to our Flickr Group with your best photo that you think truly embodies the word "epic."

So Lee, Patrick and I have sifted through all the entries into the Alien Skin contest hosted over at our Fstoppers Facebook Group. We loved a lot of them and selecting a top five, let alone a winner, was challenging.

We just reviewed the new PocketWizard Plus III wireless trigger units, and we're impressed. With a new design and a laundry list of great features, PocketWizard addressed a lot of what photographers have been clamoring for. Pre-Order now at B&Hphotovideo.com | Read More | Watch Video Review

We're in the home stretch of our Fstoppers Facebook Group contest with only a week remaining. The software we're giving away will to streamline your post production process and give your photos that perfect finish. We're all huge fans of this software. Just try it out and you'll see why we love having Alien Skin.

In reading comments and listening to other photographers, there are nearly no other subjects in the photography universe that bring up more contention than the subject of iPhonography. It’s the most polarizing topic in our field.

We had hundreds of entries into the Peter Hurley DVD Contest on Facebook, and trust me when I say Peter had a hard time choosing his favorites. There were an exceptional number of fantastic photos, and we are happy to say that the talent pool in the Fstoppers Facebook Group runs pretty deep. But there had to be a winner, and that is Toshiko Kuno!

With our current contest on our Fstoppers Facebook Group coming to a close, we aren't wasting any time launching the next contest for everyone! With our pals over at AlienSkin, we want to pimp out your post production software with a free copy of Alien Skin's full Photo Bundle (worth $500)!

There is a Nikon press conference scheduled in Thailand on February 7, but it will be for neither a D3200 or a D4100, the Nikon Rumours is reporting. According to their sources, there will be two versions of the D800, with the Nikon without the AA filter being called the Nikon D800E.

As many of your may know, we have a vibrant and extremely active Fstoppers Facebook Group that keeps expanding. I truly believe that if you're looking for some inspiration to pull you out of your latest photo rut, the Fstoppers Facebook Group is a great resource.

Social media has become a worn out word in recent years, but there is no denying its penchant for worming its way into most aspects of our lives. Technology has evolved to such a point that we no longer need to be sitting next to our friends in order to bore them with our vacation pictures; we can do it through the power of the internet!

Last week we announced our headshot photography contest, where the winner would receive the The Art Behind the Headshot DVD. I said that you readers would be picking the winner. However, when Peter Hurley calls and offers his services, you don't say no.

A lot of us are photographers because it puts food on the table, but the best of us never forget that we chose this profession because we love what we do. Darrel from BGS Studios is a fantasy and sci-fan photographer who makes the fantasy just a little closer to reality.

Our instructional DVD, The Art Behind the Headshot, has been critically acclaimed over and over (read the SLR Lounge review here) and now is another chance to get your hands on a copy. We're giving away one in our Facebook Group.

For those of you who don't yet have a copy, we released another free lesson from the DVD last week:

Amateurs and pros alike know that in order to get themselves and models in the zone, the right tunes are a must for any studio. Well now you can get a library of music that puts Pandora to shame with Slacker Premium Radio. We're giving away three free months, and all you have to do to enter is follow @fstoppers and @SlackerRadio on Twitter, and tweet the following message:

We had a great showing for our random drawing to win a Lowepro Pro Messenger 160 AW over at the Fstoppers Facebook page. Using a random number generator, we have a winner!

Congratulations to Lisa Morris-Murray!

As expected, this was an awesome contest. As we have tried to prove time and again (starting with the original iPhone Fashion Shoot), it's not about the camera. With our Black Rapid contest, we wanted you to help us prove that point, and prove it you did.

The Verdict

So there is this new social network called Pinterest that has exploded in popularity recently. If you are on Pinterest, so are we! Follow us to see images we think kick ass, products we love, or things we think are funny. Share with us, and if it's awesome enough you might see it on Fstoppers.com. Let the pinning begin!

Follow Fstoppers on Pinterest

As many of your may know, we have a vibrant and extremely active Fstoppers Facebook Group that has grown by leaps and bounds since Lee and I launched it in late October. I have personally been blown away by the quality of many of the images posted therein. If you're looking for some inspiration, the Fstoppers Facebook Group is a great place to start.

This is your last reminder to submit your entries to our Facebook Group! We are looking for your best image that you shot with either a point and shoot or your phone Make sure you note that it is a contest entry in the caption or tag Fstoppers in the post. These days, great photos can be made with the smallest hardware and we want you to prove it.

Last week we announced a contest on our Facebook sponsored by our friends over at Lowepro. It was only supposed to last one week, but we decided that we would show a little New Years generosity and extend it an additional week.

It's a big day for contests! We have two winners from two contests: our Flickr Group contest and our FS Forum photo contest. Check out the winners by reading the below.

Hey Fstoppers! This week we have a new photo contest in the FS Forum. The winner walks away with a free year of Animoto Pro, the way to turn your photos and videos into pure amazing. Lee Morris is an avid fan and subscriber, so make sure to check it out.

How to Enter:

As we get closer to the deadline to enter our Behind The Scenes Contest we are seeing more and more entries, many of which are looking truly great. As I was browsing through the submissions, I noticed this one by Cory Albrechston where he demonstrates how he designed and lit a set to create the look of someone trapped under a sheet of ice.

We are currently in Scottsdale, AZ shooting our next Behind The Scenes video with commercial photographer Blair Bunting, so we want to hit up all you Arizona Fstoppers.

It's time for another contest Fstoppers! Our Facebook Group has swelled to over 1500 active members. It's a great community and resource for photographers anywhere, as everyone can offer constructive criticism and praise for aspiring shooters.