I am preparing a workshop on video storytelling for some of my students — and that brought me to revisit this video I made for a conference I could not attend last year. It’s getting old in the sense that more alternatives are now available but still a pretty good wrap:

Click here to view the embedded video.

I produced this video in lieu of appearing on a panel that I was unable to attend at the National Press Photographers Association’s Northern Short Course in in Warwick, RI, in March 2011, considering tech concerns for educators teaching photojournalism students. Related links are below.

Gorillapod - iPhone Tripod Holder - Photojoj iPhone telephoto lens - Eye-Fi cards - Virgin Mobile MiFi hub - Zoomit - Posterous.com

I got my new Zoomit SD card reader for the iPhone in the mail yesterday, and opening the package opened a world of possibilities, making it possible to move full-resolution photos online without a laptop, Wifi, or anything else.

It calls for a little set-up: It needed a charge first, from an included USB charger, and when I plugged the charged device into the bottom of my iPhone4, it prompted me to download the free Zoomit app. (There is also a $2.99 Zoomit music app in the store, but I don’t need it and so I didn’t buy it. I’m all about the photos.)

Next, I plugged into the other end of the device with an SD card that had been in my Canon 990 pocket camera, which contained a few pre-dawn photos, like the one above, which I had taken on my way into New York a few days ago. (No, I was not in the driver’s seat. Distracted driving kills.)

After selecting an image on the iPhone screen, Zoomit sharing options include emailing the photo or posting to your existing Facebook or Flickr accounts, for which you will be prompted to log in.

From Flickr, I emailed this photo to my Posterous blog, which then redistributes to several more platforms, including whichever one you are viewing now.

It’s hard to swallow the $60 price tag at a time when USB SD readers cost so little, but when combined with iPhone apps and social sharing platforms, this baby feels like a game-changer, especially now that more professional-quality cameras are coming SD-ready.

I can’t wait to put it to work in the field.

Sent from my iPhone

I have been having a lot of fun with time-lapse video lately and so I took for Flip Mino out to the Columbia, Mo., fireworks last week. I sped it up to 10,000% on my iMac with Final Cut Express and kept the nat sound.

This video sums it conveniently in 180 seconds with all the important words. No scene is repeated and everything was said on this keynote!

The Epson Artisan 800

The Epson Artisan 800 5-in-1 printer (copy, fax, printing, scanning and Wi-Fi) is so good you almost wish it were a 50-in-1.
In addition to the 5-in-1, the model includes direct printing on CD/DVD media, a multiple storage tray for different paper sizes, ultra hi-definition printing with Epson Claria ink and two-sided printing.
Giving the printer a workout was simple because it did all the work. Prints were by far the best I’ve gotten from an all-in-1 desktop unit and they were done wirelessly.
Epson Clara ink is a combination of six color, dye-based inks. Along with outstanding quality and fade-, scratch-, smudge- and water-resistant, they can last up to 200 years when stored in a photo album. Given that information, I don’t expect to see if Epson is accurate, but you never know. Claria cartridges are also expected to deliver about 60 percent more prints than standard ink.

The back of the unit has ports for networking, power and USB connections. A top loading paper system holds up to 30 sheets for copying or faxing. Connections on the front allow media cards and USB thumb drives to be used directly for printing. Editing can be done on the LCD screen.

The unit also has a 7.8-inch touch panel, which swings out with the press of a button to angle for easy view. A 3.5-inch LCD to control everything rests right in the middle of the panel. Since everything is controlled here, there are only two other controls on the front; power and a CD tray eject button.

As I’ve said many times, I’m not one to be over impressed with printing times – the quality is more important. Just assume that today’s printers will print faster than yesterday’s.

For Artisan 800, Epson tests showed printing of color and black text pages at 38 pages per minute while 4×6-inch photos can be finished in as fast as 10 seconds.

www.epson.com

Atomic Bass Earphones

Atomic Bass Earphones from Radius are a solid choice for reasonably priced sound. The company recently updated them and the new line has Y-style cable wire along with a redesigned outer aluminum casing. All this provides a better fit, especially for small ears.

With a $39.99 price point, these earbuds give bass lovers 32 ohms of rated sound, which adds up to a more efficient sound requiring less battery usage. I’m one who likes the bass sound and these surely came through with that.

Style was definitely considered when these were designed. A redesigned gold-plated plug comes in a stylish aluminum casing in six colors: black, blue, green, red, silver and violet. Three sizes (S, M, and L) of silicone caps are included to ensure the proper fit.

These earbuds are also built with an angle, so they fit securely in the ear for active lifestyle users – and to deliver the sound. The angle forces the music to penetrate all way into the ear, for clear sound and deep bass. They can be put into your ear in three different angles combined with the three sizes of caps give multiple solutions to get the proper fit.

Also redesigned and upgraded with most of the same features are the Atomic Bass Earphones ($49.99) for the iPhone 3G.

These feature a built-in mic on the cable for cell phones. In addition music can be controlled with play, stop and skip functions.

www.radiusearphones.com

Sony HDR-TG5V Handycam

Video enthusiasts can capture 1920×1080 high-definition video along with four-megapixel still digital images. It includes a nice amount of flash memory, packing in 16GB worth. This allows capture and storage of more than six hours of high definition video.

Users can vary the amount of video to be stored with the camera’s different quality settings. Memory can be added using Sony’s Memory Stick Pro Duo removable media (sold separately).

Other features include a 2.7-inch touch-panel LCD for easy access to all the camera’s controls, a built-in GPS antenna and NAVTEQ digital maps to geo-tag your videos and photos.

Expect the new HDR-TG5V camcorder to ship in May and sell for about $1,000. Also available is a travel kit, which includes a battery, travel charger and pouch, for about $100. A wide-angle conversion lens will also be available for about $100.

www.sonystyle.com

Email – Gregg Ellman