Blog - Times Gone by Photography

Just wanted to let everyone know that there have been several updates to the website.  The Kodak EasyShare C123 Compact Camera is now in available in the Blue and Red colors, Kodak EasyShare M583 Compact Camera is in stock in black, the EasyShare M552 Compact Camera can be purchased in Blue Grey, and the Kodak EasyShare M522 Compact Camera is now available in silver.   We also have the Epson 13" X 19" Matte paper, 100 sheets, the 4GB Kodak SDHC Card, and the Transcend Multi Card Reader back in stock.  We have new, lower prices on both the Pentax Optio WG-1 Waterproof Compact Camera and the Pentax Optio WG-1 with GPS.  If this isn't enough to inspire you to shop, check out our two new products, the Golla Generation Mobile Digi Bag and the Corel PaintShop Photo Pro X3.  

TAKE YOUR CAMERA EVERYWHERE!

I take a camera with me practically everywhere I go, and almost always a photo opportunity can be found.  This was a trip to the farmer's market at Vantage Point in Port Huron.  Although veggies were not photographed, I captured the market, flowers and the area.   Don't pass up the opportunity to get a good photograph - take your camera everywhere!

HERE'S TO TAKING GREAT FIREWORKS PHOTOS!

Happy 4th of July!  If you are taking fireworks photos tonight with a compact camera, you may run into a delay that results in a lot of blank photos.  Try this trick -- point your camera at a light source, such as a street lamp, and push the shutter button part way down.  This triggers the focus.  At that point leave your finger on the button and move the camera to the sky, when the fireworks appear complete pushing the shutter down to capture the photo.    Happy Photographing!

Batteries – Disposable or Li-ion Rechargeable

 I have owned digital cameras with both the standard disposable batteries and the Li-ion Rechargeable batteries that come with the camera.  I definitely prefer the Li-ion rechargeable…they are longer lasting and more economical to use.   

When I was using a digital camera that used four AA batteries, I always carried an extra eight sets with me (I used rechargeable) because the camera would use up the battery power fast.  Keep in mind that the LCD screens and features like zoom and macro use battery power up faster.   Because they didn’t last as long, I was always having to change batteries several times when out shooting for a day.

Li-ion rechargeable batteries have a much longer battery life in your camera.  If you take a lot of photos I recommend purchasing at least one extra battery so you are never without the ability to take a photo because your battery went dead and you have to wait for it to recharge.  I keep at least one spare charged and in my camera bag at all times. 

Some cameras offer in-the-camera battery recharging, where you plug in the camera itself or set it on a docking station.  I do not recommend this type of charging system; you are locked into not having your camera available to you during the charging process.  You also don’t have the ability to change a battery and keep on shooting when at events, on vacation, etc. 

I have often heard people say they won't join a photography club because they "aren't good enough".  Photography clubs are there to help you become a better photographer; don't miss out on the advantage of learning from other photographers who have more experience than you.  There are some photo clubs that are geared to professionals, but many clubs are for the hobbyist or contain a mixture of photographers at various levels from beginner through professional. 

We are members of the Blue Water Shutterbugs Club in Port Huron, Michigan.   Click to view Ron's Photo Gallery and Grace's Photo Gallery.   Photography clubs are great places to get help with problems you are expriencing with your camera, learn new techniques, gather information on camera upgrades, and experience the fun of photo competitions, participation in field trips and art shows.    Clubs inspire you to go out and take photographs, and that is the most important part of becoming a better photographer. 

Many compact cameras now list that they are "PictBridge"....what does this mean? PictBridge is a new standard created for direct printing from your digital camera to your printer.  Using a USB cable you connect your digital camera to your printer.  The camera compares its functions to those of the printer, and the available functions are displayed on the LCD Screen or viewfinder.  The camera menu system is used to make selections of print size, layout, media type, and date.  Look for PictBridge logos on packaging, specifications and owners manuals to determine if your compact camera and printer are PictBridge compatable.  

Times Gone By Photography has cameras featuring PictBridge for sale.  Check out the Kodak Easy Share M552 14 Megapixel Compact Camera or the Fuji FinePix XP30 Compact Camera --  just two of the cameras in our line with this feature.

Just in time for summer, two new FinePix cameras that are waterproof, dustproof, shock resistant and freezeproof.  The FinePix XP20 and the FinePix XP30 includes Photo GPS.   

Both Cameras offer many identical features, including easy upload for sharing on Facebook, Twitter, and other social websites. 

Went to the St Clair Art Association Calendar Girls Open House on Friday night and had a great time.  A photo album has been placed on our Facebook Page, just click on the link below to view the album.

I want to start off by apologizing to everyone for disappearing for so long.  I was in a bad accident May 29th while riding my motorcycle and spent the summer in a rehabilitation facility.  When I last posted I was planning to change the format of the blogs -- more frequent postings, more photos and photo information in the content of the blogs.  That remains the plan.  I hope everyone will let me know any thoughts, comments, desires for specific information, etc. 

Here's to a photo-fun fall!

Photos of the Salmon Stakes Fishing Tournament in St Clair have been uploaded to our Facebook Page - to see the entire album Click Here.

We're happy to announce the addition of two photo editing products to our line - PhotoStudio Expressions 2 and PhotoStudio Expressions 3 Deluxe.  These all-in-one products are easy-to-learn and help you create impressive results with powerful tools like the professionals use.  Organize and print, create slide show movies, photo albums and scrapbooks, web panoramas, photo calendars, greeting cards, CD & DVD labels, burn slideshow movies, convert and play with portable devices such as iPod, Sony PSP players, and media enabled cell phones, and more.  

All in-stock digital cameras are on sale this week - check them out now.  This includes all newly listed items, including the Olympus Tough that are waterproof, shockproof, crushproof and freezeproof.  Perfect for those summer trips to the beach!

Our home page features items recently added to our product line, including software, cameras, photo paper, and memory cards.  Check back often to stay up-to-date on the latest and greatest we have to offer.

We want to keep you updated on new items added to our line.  We have two new cameras, an ultra compact camcorder and a media player for when all those images and movies are ready to be shown to family and friends. 

The Nikon Coolpix L22 12.1 MP Digital Camera featues a 3.6x Optical Zoom.  The scene selection mode automatically recognizes the type of shot you compose and adjusts the camera settings to suit.  Face priority autofocus and blink alert give you better portrais, and smile mode automatically snaps the shutter when the camera detects a smiling subject.

The Olympus SP-800UZ Point & Shoot Digital Camera features 14 Megapixels and the world's longest ultra zoom - a 30x wide-angle (28-840 mm equivalent).  This amazing camera takes HD movies, features Creative Art Filters, AF Tracking and Dual-Image Stabilization help you capture those fast-moving kids or pets. 

The Samsung C20 Ultra Compact "Touch of Color" Camcorder with 10x Optical Zoom has an ergonomic design that blends style, comfort and innovative technology into one digital camcorder.  An ergonomic active angle lens, interactive thumbnail, longer recording with H-264 and battery charging via USB make this a great way to capture those great family movies.  The ethereal red and purple colors are infused into the glossy finish set this camera's look apart from others.  Its packed with features and records directly onto SDHC Memory Cards, making it convenient and easy to transfer your video to your PC and the web.  The H.264 Codel allows the SMX-C20 to record approximately 12 hours of high-quality video footage on a 32GB SD Card. 

When you've captured all those photos and video and want to present them to family and friends do it in large format on your TV screen with the Sony SMPU10 USB Media Player.   The Sony SMPU10 USB Media Player is compatible with major video formats like DivX, MP4, AVI, MP3, and AAC music formats.  Download files from the internet and drop them into a USB flash drive or select hard drives and watch them on your TV - all in near HD sound and video quality. 

Check back often as we continue to add new items to our line!

We are happy to announce the addition of four Olympus Point & Shoot Cameras to our line.  These items are great for summer vacation, trips to the beach, with two designed specifically for outdoor use in all climates.  Now is a great time to pick up a couple for Mother's Day or Father's Day gifts.  With very similar features, you can even film  HD video with most of them.

Check them all out on the Olympus Product Page.  You won't be disappointed!

We are also pleased to announce that two items are back in stock in limited quantitites.  The Veho VCC-003 TURIN Digital Camcorder and the Epson Perfection V700 Photo Flatbed Scanner

Three great new products have just been added to our line-up.

To coordinate with our photo-editing newsletter article and sale, we have added and are offering at a reduced price this week the Sony Vegas Movie Studio HD Vertion 9 .  This software was developed from award winning Vegas Pro Technology used in broadcast and movie studios around the world - make your own professional looking movies that you can enhance with music, titles and special effects then share on Facebook, YouTube, MySpace, and more.  Exclusive Show Me How tutorials guide you through the entire creative process. 

Sharing and storing your photos just got easier with the Kodak Photo Sharing Set, which includes an acid-free photo album that holds 200 4" x 6" photos, 2 per page; a 4" x 6" leatherette photo frame and a photo wallet for carrying photos where ever you go.  This great set retails for $44.97, but we have it available for just $28.75.   

For transporting your digital camera, traditional film camera or small-format camcorder with you to the beach or on vacation this summer, you'll want the American Tourister Ultra-Protective Photo/Video bag.  This camera bag is made of Ultra Water-Resistant Material and features a quick-access front flap, additional accessory pockets, customizable dividers in the main compartment, additional acccessory pockets, a zippered mesh pocket in the lid, and is fully padded for shock protection. 

Don't forget Mother's Day and Father's Day are just around the corner - any of these items would make a great gift!

If you're not on our newsletter mailing list you can read out latest newsletter on the Newsletter Archive page.  While there check out the back issues as well.  In addition to highlighting the Olympus Tough 3000 Waterproof Camera and a new WebCam we recently added to our line, you can view images and get tips on using Photo Editing/Digital Imaging Software - available for both still camera photos and video editing as well.  Here are a couple images to show the kind of change a few simple clicks can make in the impact of your photographs.  Read the newletter for detail on changes made and to see a large selection of samples.

We are happy to announce that several products are now back in stock - order now before they disappear again!  The RX Optics Slide and Negative Scanner is available again - great for converting those old slides and film negatives into digital.

Also back in stock is the Kodak Graphite Small Camera Bag - great for toting your digital camera and supplies to all the summer events.  At only $12.25 its a great buy!  We are also pleased to announce two cameras cameras are now back in stock. Don't miss the oportunity to pick up the Kodak EasyShare Z915 Digital Camera in black, and the Olympus Stylus Tough 3000 Waterproof Camera is now in stock in all four colors - Blue, Green, Pink, and Red.

Our newsletter will be coming out again soon - if you aren't on the mailing list sign-up now.  The newsletter includes photo tips you won't want to miss.  You can also read past issues on our Newsletter Archive Page.

We hope everyone has had an enjoyable Easter with their friends and family.  We are pleased to announce that we have added, today, two new products to our line:

The Zeikos USB 2.0 SD/SDHC/MMC Flash Memory Card Reader and Writer will transfer your digital images, music or data right to your computer.  Quick and easy to use, compatible with PC or MAC.

Also added is the Universal Digital Media Kit - this features a compact, light weight had memory case and a micro-fibre cleaning cloth.  The media case easily fits into a briefcase, pocket, backpack or purse and will store your memory sticks, secure digital (SD), Compact Flash, Smart Media or XD Media cards.

Our latest newsletter is now available here on the website.  This issue gives tips on photographing children and includes several photo samples.  We also welcome you to check out all our past issues on the Newsletter Archive page.  We changed our featured items and specials today - on sale are all our novelty items - great for stuffing those Easter baskets! 

We've just added two new products to our line.  the Kodak Li-ion Digital Camera Battery and Charger and the GE 19 in 1 USB 2.0 Card Reader & Writer.  Both items will keep you shooting and downloading all the upcoming spring and summer festivities.

We are happy to announce that a new page featuring our In Home Gallery has been added to the website. We hope you'll call to schedule an appointment to shop our gallery the next time you are in the Blue Water Area.

We have added 7 Kodak Camera Bags to our product line.  These new bags can meet every need - fashion leather bags that serves as both a purse and a camera case, slim pocket cases that can protect and small point-and-shoot when slipped into a pocket or purse, and bags with water-resistant exteriors, perfect for use in outdoor shooting. 

We are pleased to announce the addition of four new camcorders to our line, including a waterproof version.  Check them out now...you won't be disappointed!

We finished off the month of February by taking and producing on-the-spot photographs against a "Paris at Night" backdrop for people to take home from the Gala at Studio 1219 in Port Huron on February 27th.  It was a fun evening for everyone and is a major fundraiser for the Studio.  We also have our photography work on display at Studio 1219, so we hope if you're in the Port Huron area you'll stop by and do some shopping.

We also produced a newsletter on February 21st.  If you aren't on our mailing list you can read it in the Newsletter Archives.  Lots of fantastic products on sale, including printable DVD's for archiving your photos. 

Hello!

We are very happy to announce that our in-home gallery is progressing nicely and is now ready to welcome visitors.  The gallery can be viewed by appointment - call 810-326-3822 to schedule a time. 

Happy Snow Day!

Wanted to let every one know we've added two new products to our line - the Memorex 100-Pack 16X Printable DVD+R and the TDK 52X CDR 80 Minute/700MB 100 Pack Spindle. Now is a great time to get those photos backed up and saved onto disks. We also have additional products that will be added soon, so be sure to check the website often.

Hello!

As promised, we have started a blog for our website TimesGoneByPhotography.com. 

This blog will be a mixture of photo tips, product updates, photos, etc. to keep you up-to-date on what is going on between newsletters.  We have been posting updates on our Facebook page, but not all newsletter recipients are Facebook users.  This will allow them to stay current on the latest happenings as well.

For those of you who are fans of our Facebook page, this will not necessarily be a duplication.  We will strive to keep the content of the blog and Facebook similar, but different, so information is fresh and informative.  

We hope you enjoy the content posted - and please feel free to post your comments!