Below are 2 tips which I had published in the PopPhoto.com last year, the article is still very popular and I decided to add a few extra tips for our travel Photographers on today’s blog. Other cool tips and the complete article in PopPhoto.com @
http://www.popphoto.com/popularphotographyfeatures/4776/20

12) Oil's Well.
Need soft focus in only part of a scene? And you still don't have your soft-focus filters? Gunther Deichmann suggests using your finger to very gently apply oil from your forehead to your lens (or better, UV filter) at a point that corresponds to the area you'd like softened. After shooting, be sure to remove the oil with a lens-cleaning cloth or tissue.
10) Reflection on You.
When pro Gunther Deichmann (www.deichmann-photo.com) makes portraits in areas where the subjects might be shy, such as a remote village in Tibet, he doesn't use large, intimidating reflectors. Instead, he wears a white T-shirt.
"If you position yourself correctly in natural light, the T-shirt is a very nice reflector," he says. "No need for anybody to hold a reflector, and your hands are free."

1) Plus added today…More tips with the white T-shirt…
also very handy for a nice soft fill in flash…just point your strobe at your T-shirt and you have a very nice soft fill.
This is a great OUTDOOR Fill and so much better than all these gadgets on your Strobe…plus you look smart in white, reflecting the heat during the day… feeling cool…until later when you crawled around some ruins got sweaty and dirty, I guess you just have to bring a few extra white T-shirts, they are small enough and take up very little space in your suitcase.

2) Walking in the tropical rain…
Shooting in the rain can be challenging but also very rewarding, I just love it… especially when you live in the tropics like I do.
Creating images in the rain can be easy but risky for your equipment… I always carry 2 simple inexpensive (no more than US$5.00 each) Poncho type Raincoats, one for myself and one for the camera bag. Make sure they are the Poncho type, easy to put on and they have enough opening to get to your Camera quickly.
(You can find them usually at Shopping Centers or Department stores.)

The cool thing about these inexpensive raincoats, they fold up very small (approx. size of an A5 Note Book) and they have an opaque appearance. This is perfect for your portraits in the field if you have to use flash or you can use them as a small soft box for the odd macro shot, great for some artefact you might come across. Now you covered up for the rain but also have a small soft box when needed.

I am also using different Camera Bags; but which one I choose before going on a trip? Well, that really depends on the shoot, the location, if I bring the Computer and if I am traveling alone or with an assistant, etc., etc.
But this Bag from Lowepro is fantastic; the DryZone is the world’s first totally waterproof, soft-sided camera backpack.
When choosing a Camera Bag think of it like buying a Condom for your Cameras “health and protection must be guaranteed.”

This is not the cheapest one…but your Cameras and lenses, etc., etc. need to be protected they are worth a lot more than your bag.
You need to get the Job done, and a good Camera Bag can help in protecting your equipment. I have been using the DryZone 200 for a couple of years now and I am very happy with it... a super cool bag for the most rugged situations.
From the dust bowels in Tibet to the Beaches and remote Islands in the Pacific this bag provided me with the comfort and security I needed.Perfect for some real Island hopping, given you the security in rough or rainy weather when travelling in a small boat from island to island. (See below some specs. on the DryZone 200.)

The DryZone, even fully loaded, they float so your gear is always protected. The inner drypod with patented, waterproof TIZIP™ zipper provides 100% watertight protection. It’s like a drysuit for your equipment. When less protection is needed, leave the TIZIP™ open and fasten just the inner zipper and top clip for easier access. The heavy-duty, padded camera compartment inside is fully customizable while the outer shell comes complete with a technical backpack harness. Also included, ergonomic lumbar support, fully adjustable CollarCut™ shoulder straps, tuck-away tripod holder, self-draining mesh pockets, drain hole, rubber handle, and attachment loops for SlipLock™ accessories. DryZone packs are comfortable to wear and give you total peace of mind in extreme environments.
More details and Photos at:
http://products.lowepro.com/product/DryZone-200,1935.htm
Stay tuned or subscribe to this blog for Part (2) Tips on Travel Photography, for some images taken in the rain in Cambodia last year go to:
http://www.deichmann-photo.com/newimages5.html

Tags: American PHOTO, Reflector, Popular Photography Magazine, Shooting in the Rain, DryZone 200, Outdoor, Waterproof Camera Bag, White T-shirt, Flash, Protection, Raincoat, Lowepro Camera Bags, Extreme Environment

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Besides this announcement there is a ton of other information at the Aperture Users Network available. Cool tips, trouble shooting, workflow etc.,etc. just about everything you need to know about Aperture (Aperture 2, & Aperture 2.1.1) plus a lot more.
GD
See below the post I have picked up from the AUN (posted by David Schloss AUN on 07-28-2008, 05:37 PM )
American PHOTO Magazine’s 3rd Annual “Emerging Photographers” Call for Submissions
Winners featured in November/December 2008 issue - Magazine teams up with Apple’s new Aperture software
New York, June 25, 2008 (Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S., www.hfmus.com) -- American PHOTO announces the call for submissions for its third-annual Emerging Photographers’ portfolio review competition. The winners will be given the opportunity to have their work published in the November/December 2008 is... read more @ http://www.apertureprofessional.com/

Tags: Aperture Users Network, American PHOTO, NEW YORK, Competition, Workflow