'All I want for Christmas' What we would like from Santa here in the Bluedog Kennel

With Santa and his elves busily stuffing sacks for the long haul we thought we’d ask the Bluedog crew what photographic gear they are hoping for in their Santa Sack this year.

Augustine: For me (as I am about to go travelling) I am asking Santa for a new lightweight carbon fibre tripod and a new carry bag for all my gear :), oh and if he could sort me out with a Sherpa to carry all my stuff around the place that would be handy as well.

Danielle: After having slipped three discs in my back at once this year from carting around my bag and tripod, a lightweight carbon fibre tripod that can hold my camera steady in vertical with any lens is at the top of my list. Come on Santa bring it on! Next would be to attend the Mary Ellen Mark workshop in Mexico and visit my friends Rebecca and Emmanuel in the US to have some ‘fun’ photography time.

Garry: Being the resident Swiss in the Bluedog Kennel I am hoping that Santa can bring me a gift from my homeland. Seitz (a specialist Swiss camera manufacturer) makes an amazing camera addition, the D3 digital scan back, that allows me to take seamless panoramas with the flick of a switch. Where better to use such an incredible toy than in the beauty of Australia’s vast outback.

Mel: Top of my list is the AF-S VR Micro- Nikkor 105mm f/2.8G IF-ED and the Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8G ED-IF VR II lens. Not too much to ask for a girl who’s been good?

Suellen: There’s a rumour that Bluedog is planning a tour to Tuscany to sample all the delights that the Italian countryside has to offer. Santa – I want to go, please pretty please.

Nick: With Santa not needing to worry about weight in his sleigh I’d like him to bring me that big heavy 70-200mm Nikon f/2.8 lens that I have been hankering after. Just gotta love a big zoom. Oh and I’ll have the 2x converter because you can never have a lens that is too big. And ... I’d like a fisheye lens to really give the world a whole new look.  And ... oh, hang on,  I’d better save something for next year’s wish list.

Paul: I have my fingers crossed that Nikon brings out their new camera in time for your delivery this year. I have heard that there is a new model that is following on from the D700. Now I know that the D700 is good, but hey, sometimes newer is better. Thanks Santa and hurry up Nikon.

Tips for Buying Photography Gift Vouchers

Christmas is here and that means gifts. Of course we all enjoy spending time with the family, seeing relatives and enjoying some down time but … like I said, we get gifts. I love gifts.

It seems nowadays my Santa sack is nowhere near as bulky as my childhood memory remembers it. I think this new slimmer form is less from fad dieting and more a direct result of the popularity gift vouchers are enjoying today and I can see why. They are a great way to ensure our money isn’t wasted on something that the receiver doesn’t want or need – we’ve all gotten those gifts (no, really mum, I love that vase )


Gift cards and vouchers are a photographer’s best friend … er… gift. We’re able to get what we really want – photography gear, equipment, courses, and the list goes on.


Let’s be honest, our families often have no clue about photography especially about what we’d really like to learn in relation to courses or what gear we want, therefore they really don’t know where to start buying for us.


Many head to Mr Google, he has become a good friend, and while it does often cut out the middleman you can also be ripped off. Before we go requesting vouchers from Santa we should be aware of the pitfalls to safeguard yourself whether you shop online or in a bricks’n’mortar store. We call it ‘awareness insurance’.


To minimise the risk:
Ask if gift vouchers can be combined from one outlet to get larger purchases – that’s one big pressie! Like a Bluedog trip to Vanuatu that one lucky person has been bought by a group of friends and relatives this year.


Always try to use the voucher as soon as possible (which for me is never a problem – I have the list all ready to go)


Look for a gift voucher that has a clear expiry policy – and use it before it expires, no second chances on this policy.


While most of us hate fine print, indeed some of us are lucky to be able to even see the fine print these days, it is worth giving it a quick look. It generally covers the details about such things as what happens to the unused portion. Where and when you can use it and what happens if you accidentally wash it in those favourite jeans pocket or the dog eats it ... well these things can happen.


Do your research! Read reviews, ask advice. It’s a bit like buying a new car you need to kick the tyres so to speak. And only deal with reputable sellers – these will have a physical address.


Check out the return policy and their privacy policy. If the don’t have one the onus is on you. And if the retailer is OS the returns may be costly.


Common problems occur with buying online such as delivery delays and poor after sales service. Not to mention the product does not match the description offered by the seller or your credit card is misused. A good tip here is to have one credit card for on line purchases with a low limit.


Don’t judge an online retailer by their website – just because it looks good does not mean it is safe, though an old and outdated website should also ring alarm bells.


Here’s a couple of tech tips you can do with your computer to safeguard your online purchasing:


1. Ensure your computer has the latest updates from your operating system provider.
2. Download the most recent version of your browser to stay up to date with encryption capabilities.
3. Install a firewall, virus scanner and spyware detector.

Now that we have given you a few useful hints, it’s time for a little plug. Why not hint to Santa to consider a Bluedog Photography Gift Voucher. It is valid for 12 months and can be made out to any amount and guess what? If it does go through the wash, gets thrown out with all the Christmas wrapping or the dog does eat it, that is no problem at all. All voucher are kept on file so you can always reclaim them AND as a special bonus this year everyone buying a voucher and the person they buy for go in a draw to win a $100 canvas print voucher from WOW Prints!


Gotta love giving :)
Merry Christmas and happy shopping to all!


Just thought of another reason Bluedog Photography vouchers are so great for Chrissy – no searching for a car park in a crowded shopping centre :)

Tips for photographing Christmas Lights

Yes it’s that time of year – the trees are going up and presents are being wrapped.

Here’s a few tips for capturing great photographs of Christmas lights:

Do a drive-by and scouting mission first then depending on what you were after consider photographing it later in the evening. Early evening (6.30-8.00pm) tend to be chocker block with people to the point where the lights may be obscured, especially any garden lights.

Setting wise, use a wide aperture (small number) to allow maximum light into your camera. Team this with a shutter speed high enough to be able to hand hold your camera, around the 1/60th-1/100th for most people. While a tripod will get you lovely crisp images at night it can be a weapon of mass destruction at a crowded house. If the light levels are too low to get your shutter speed up remember that you can always lift that ISO to make the sensor more light sensitive.

Make sure you apply plenty of mosquito repellent - they are out in force at that time of night.

All those pretty lights can mean the opportunity to play around a little as well. Bokeh photos are a source of delight for most photographers and Christmas lights make perfect bokeh. Ok, so what is bokeh you ask? It is little points of light that are out of focus, often in the background of photos, where there is a really shallow depth of field. Large apertures (small number) will often produce this effect but there are ways to get even more creative bokeh intentionally. This requires a little bit of prep usually best done at home. Trying to cut card in your car is not always successful, I know, I’ve tried.

Cut a piece of card the same size circle as the end of your lens eg:57mm diameter and cut or punch a shape into the middle of the card. I’ve done Christmas trees, Santas, stars etc. Then carefully tape the piece of card over the end of the lens so that no extra light can sneak around the edges. With the lens on manual focus and the aperture as large as you can get it start snapping. The effect will be lots of little lights totally out of focus but in the shape of your cutout. Very satisfying and very impressive for a fairly simple process.

Remember that while you hope to get good shots, these displays are really all about people getting into the Christmas spirit so be sure to be considerate of others while you get your shots and keep a sense of Christmas cheer.

Ho, ho, ho and happy Christmas shooting to all.

Image by Anita Bromley

The Risks Photographers Take

The life of a photojournalist can be filled with many things. There’s adventure, fun, exploration, introductions to new people, their cultures, beliefs and ways of life. And there’s danger.

Danger became a living nightmare for Australian photographer Nigel Brennan (b. 18^th May 1972).

Nigel is your all-round ‘Australian’ bloke, he’s done a bit of this and that and then he discovered photography. His award winning images, such as the photograph titled “Saint Catherine” - portrait of Catherine Hamlin at the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital in Ethiopia, which is one of the first inductees into the national Portraits Gallery in Canberra and has been purchased by the Gallery and hangs there today - hold him in good stead to become one of Australia’s most recognised photojournalists. But, and I stress here, there’ a big But!

In 2008 Nigel travelled to Somalia with Canadian journalist Amanda Lindhout, whom he met whilst travelling and working in Ethiopia taking photos of the Danakil Depression and the thousands of displaced Somali people now living in refugee camps throughout the country.

They were not there alone. Fellow photographers and journalists from National Geographic were also there, writing stories on the war in Somalia.

On their last day, returning from a camp outside Afgooye, their car was stopped and surrounded by men with machine guns demanding they get out of the car.

Nigel and Amanda were kidnapped, in one of the most dangerous countries in the world, where kidnapping is as common as getting married. The asking price - $2.5 million US dollars each.

This has been a long haul for the families involved. After 15months in captivity, thankfully on Thursday that nightmare ended, in part, as Nigel and Amanda were released.

Why are we highlighting this? Kidnapping is not a new ‘event’.

Because social documentary is what a photojournalist does. They go and record events. Many of these events may not be pleasant or nice but they tell a story and often this is an important story that needs to be told.

 

It is true, freelance photographers and journalists the world over run these risks everyday: some die on the job, some get kidnapped and some escape unharmed, as the national geographic journo and photographer did travelling in a car behind Nigel and Amanda. They had to go to great lengths to out run, and outsmart and their story is published in this month’s issue of National geographic magazine.

We wish Amanda and Nigel the very best in their recovery from the ordeal and look forward to hearing the news they are home in their respective countries safe and sound very soon.

“Saint Catherine”

(c) by Nigel Brennan

Highlighting your cause with Photography

We all have a cause. It’s usually something near and dear to us, something that rouses an emotion, holds relevance to our own particular cultural, spiritual or just ‘that’s my opinion’ belief.

That’s in fact, exactly how that phrase most of us know off by heart, “Take only photographs, leave only footprints” came about being. Derived to save our wildness, slices of our environment across the globe where now unfortunately there are few places completely devoid of any sign of man. For many photographers it has become a slogan.

Photography is a powerful medium. Through it we inspire others and I could debate heavily on the topic of ‘does it do it more than words can’, or other mediums for that matter, but that’s not for today.

Today is for looking at how we can use our photography for the cause of conservation, an issue very near and dear to me.

1. Be a show off! Show everyone your images. They may just be family and friends but they are someone and by showing someone your highlight it is telling them you care.

2. Offer images to local conservation groups. They may wish to use them on their website or be happy to hang prints on their office walls (of course with a commission for the sale). Always make sure your images have all the necessary copyright info embedded and have an agreement in writing. Committees change and things can be ‘handed on’ often with ignorance the only blame. It needs to be written clearly and simply.

3. Use your cause to give. Design up calendars, gift cards, a DVD to music and give as a gift.

4. Get into print. Contact a magazine to gauge if the topic is of interest. There’s outdoor, wildlife, holiday, driving – let’s be honest they all use images so there’s a chance you can find a niche. Remember, most magazines require editorial to go with images. You have to at least supply captions (relevant to the style of the magazine) and most these days require the full copy for an article. Writing skills are important.

5. Enter competitions. Join the local camera group, send them in to magazines, however you do it remember each time you enter a competition your image could be displayed to an audience you may never meet.

This image by Danielle Lancaster ©
of a lava flow at Dalrymple National Park, Queensland featured on the cover of Go Camping Australia and highlighted this amazing landscape.

Mr Google Lends a Hand for Photographers

Last night at the Brisbane Camera Group (BCG) meet up I learnt a handy tool for photographers on Google Earth: the sun timer slider. 

This tool allows you to view the sun and sunlight falling across a landscape. 

Find your place you wish to be for the example here we have chosen Burleigh Heads National Park on the Gold Coast, a terrific place for both sunrise and sunset photography. 

The seventh icon across the top is the sun timer slide. This is what it looks like.

 

When you activate this the slider appears in the top left of your view. 

Move the slider to the day and time you wish to view and it shows the movement of the sun across the landscape so you can identify if it will be in shadow, bright sunlight etc at that time of course depending on weather conditions.

You can also activate it by click View > Sun and to hide either click the icon or View > Sun again. 
To display an animation of sunlight across the landscape, click the ‘time slider play button’. 

What a great tool especially when venturing into mountainous terrain and with Google continuing to upgrade this service our areas to view in detail will only get better and better. 

Thanks Mr Google, whatever did we do before you came along? And thanks Bernard for sharing this with us last night.

Burleigh Heads on the 17th November 2009  at 6.14am
The darker areas show what is still in shadow

Tips for Flower Photography

As the blood red hippeastrums that line our drive wilt and the white agapanthus flowers slowly open, I am reminded that spring is drawing to a close here in the southern hemisphere.

Here’s a couple of photography tips for capturing those later spring blooms:

• The ideal lighting for photographing flowers is soft, diffused light. Look at your bloom at different times of the day to see how the light changes it. Walk around your subject to see how it looks with light coming from different directions.
  
  
• Experiment with back lighting and try to highlight the transparency of the petal/s.
  
  
• Use flash very carefully. It can lend some stunning effects, especially at night, however be careful it can also kill the mood.
  
  
• Look for colour, contrast, texture, line, shape, pattern, framing, balance when composing your flower image.
  
  
• Make your flower image come alive. Fortunately for us here in Australia most of our flowers, especially wildflowers are filled with nectar thus attracting a range of animals from fruit bats to possums, bees to vibrant butterflies and honey eaters and parrots. Wait until something adds life to the flower - for example, a bee lands, or a spider crawls into it or a bird pays a visit. It takes patience, but it pays off if!
  
  
  
  
  
• Blur the background to get unattractive backgrounds out of view and to emphasise the subject.
  
  
• Know your seasons. No use getting disappointed, you are working with Mother Nature and she has her own timetable – get a copy!
  
  
• Use a spray water bottle to provide water droplets sparingly. While you may wish to depict a rainy day or a dewy morning the effect could either be splendid or look too artificial.

There are many different ways you can experiment when photographing flowers!

Enjoy your time with nature and always remember to take the time to smell the roses.

 All images by and (c) Danielle & Nick Lancaster

Clicking Like a Rolling Stone

Following in a parent’s footstep career wise is out and it has been for a while for  many of ‘today’s children’. Georgia May Jagger, daughter of Mick Jagger and the stunning Jerry Hall has it would seem it all; her mother’s long legs and fathers lips. Yet this young lady aspires to be a photographer and so has embarked on a modelling career to help her on her way.

It’s an interesting scenario as many photographers don’t like being in front of the lens however it does help enormously when you have to direct people into poses. Sometimes a factor overlooked by photographers.
Check out some of the latest images by Norman Jean Roy for Vanity Fair:
http://www.vanityfair.com/style/features/2009/10/georgia-jagger-outtakes200910#slide=7

Halloween Photography Tips

It’s Halloween Time! Dust off the costumes and get the trick-or-treats ready. There’s loads of prospective opportunities for eerie and dramatic images.

However, did you also know that Halloween photos are some of the most challenging to get right? There’s low light, loads of movement, tricky lighting situations, contrasting brightness and darkness and maybe hyper kids. Here’s a few tips to get the best images of this night of spooks, spirits, gremlins and monsters.

Ask yourself before you click: What is the main subject, how can I simplify it, and how can I capture the spirit (of the character or scene that is)?  This means:

Get in close: You may have heard us say this before – ‘cut the crap’. Eliminate distracting backgrounds.
Try using a wide aperture: blurs backgrounds and isolates your subject.

Use dramatic Lighting: Shoot in low or dim light. Use your flash sparingly if at all and if you do use it, diffuse it and make sure there are no reflective surfaces behind your subject.

Flash is a harsh light and can kill any eerie effect you may be attempting to portray. Try using other light sources like candles, coloured LED lights and torches.

Try lighting your subject from below and using back lighting.

Have fun with glow sticks, torches, coloured LED lights, even turning your camera upside down so the flash fires from below if you don’t have an external flash.

Change the colour of your light: tinted lighting adds to the spooky feel. Particularly good colours to create eerie feeling as are red, orange, green and blue. Try using cellophane (you may need to over expose), coloured LED lights, glow sticks

Play with multiple exposures: fun, fun and fun!

Get on down: If photographing children get down to their level. Tip: try lying on the ground and having the child lean over you for a very dramatic image angle.

Play with White Balance:

For Jack O' Lanterns: A tricky lighting scenario! You want to be able to capture the candles glow inside the pumpkin and the see the outside form and texture as well. Flash will kill it so turn it off!

Place more than one candle inside the pumpkin to avoid it being too faint or even a flash light. Be careful your pumpkin does not start smoking! If you do want to use more candles you may need to cut a hole near the top at the back to act like a chimney. Try taking some images in the very last of the days light.

If you are making your own jack-o-lantern then consider that the more light they can emit out will make them appear more eerie so it’s best to maximise the size of the holes to let out as much candle light as you can (start searching for a big pumpkin!).

Angle of View: Try moving from eye level shots and create dramatically creepy images by changing your angle of view. Try shooting off centre, at extreme angles; close to the ground, above your subject – just make sure you angle is obvious. Tip: With most costumes the shoes are the part people mostly don’t match so often it’s best not to have them in the image at all – sometimes though they are great subjects. Just remember to check them out before you click.

Create a story: Take your viewer on a journey – this works great for kids making their costume, getting dressed and then heading out on their adventure (and for us big kids too). Don’t forget the candid shots too.

Use movement: Ah ghostly images with movement now that’s a shot! Use a slow shutter speed and low ISO. Yes you’ll need to experiment a bit but that’s half the fun. Try having you subject still for 2/3rds of your exposure time and then moving in the last 1/3^rd of the exposure.

Noise or no noise? Now we are talking ISO noise here. Generally you will not want noise in your images so keep that ISO low.

Don’t forget: Extra batteries, lockable cable release, tripod and plenty of memory cards!

Have fun!

Did you know? Halloween has its origins from an ancient Celtic festival known as the Samhain and more or less means ‘summer’s end’. Today, it’s a night festival of spooks and spirits, fantasy, bright and or bizarre costumes celebrated by all ages across the globe.

Using a Grey Card for Photography

Interesting enough lately I have been seeing more than one discussion on the use of a grey card for photography and if it makes a difference. The topics have been varied from photographers saying they are a waste of money to others who are misleading some on what they are actually used for and  how to use them correctly.

Recently on our Bluedog-Kingfisher Bay Fraser Island Photography Tour we revisited the use of the grey card and Judy has kindly sent in the images below that she took which demonstrates how it works perfectly. Neither of these images has been touched in Photoshop or another editing program.

What we need to understand when wanting correctly exposed images is how light works and how our cameras read light.

Reflected Light:
This is the light our cameras light meter reads. It measures the light reflecting off the subject. A dark object reflect less light than a bright subject and therefore this can trick our cameras light meter.

Incident Light:
Is the light falling on our subject. This was the light our hand held meters usually read. And therefore were not influenced by the subject's reflectance. Many hand held meters can read both incident and reflected light. Incident light meters can be identified by their white translucent dome over the light sensor.

In summing up, the grey card is one of the most useful, inexpensive tools you can have in your kit and knowing how light is read by your camera and how you can adjust your exposure means you are in control. You are the one that can get exposure right in camera – your whites white and your blacks black - which means, you are the photographer!

Tips for Using a Grey Card:

Always position the card parallel to the front surface of your lens.

Don’t tip the card towards the light as it be reflecting too much light and not give an accurate reading.

Don’t tip the card down – then there’s less light, the opposite of above.

Be careful using other grey objects just because they look ‘close enough’. Their reflectance may trick your cameras meter.

This image was taken using what the cameras meter said was the correct reading.

This image was taken using after using a grey
card to set the cameras meter reading.

Images courtesy of Judy Watts

The Photography Work of Maya Guiez

Based in New York, the Israeli born Guiez is fast becoming a name in photography. Already travelling the world shooting fashion, glamour and beauty she is renowned for playing her part in every process of the shoot: makeup, set, the shoot of course and editing.

Her first published fashion spread occurred at the tender age of seventeen and today she is in hot demand. Interesting enough she is also well known for her exotic appearance which flows into much of her work.
View more of her work here: http://www.mayaguezart.com

Enjoy!

The 2009 Nikon-Walkley Press Photo Exhibition – Not to Be Missed!

Tuesday 13 October - Saturday 21 November
Gallery 3 & 4
Australian Centre for Photography
257 Oxford Street
Paddington NSW 2021

The Nikon-Walkley Photographic Awards recognise the invaluable contribution of press photography to the Australian news media. From capturing split-second moments to documenting people, places and communities over time, press photographers chronicle the world around us.

Every year more than 1000 photographs are judged for selection in the Nikon-Walkley Photographic Awards. The exhibition showcases a shortlist of more than 100 works by Australia's best photojournalists. Tragedy and triumph, elation and devastation: this exhibition shows the big moments of the year in news.

To Digitally Enhance or Not is the Question

Much debate is happening, has happened and will continue to happen on the topic of if images should be digitally enhanced.

The reality is every digital image will need a degree of processing. The same as what we did back in the good old days of the darkroom. However are some going too far? Can we really believe what we are now shown to be real whether it be a scene or an event captured digitally?

Have a look at what’s happening in the media today at this link: http://news.ninemsn.com.au/slideshow_ajax.aspx?sectionid=9016&sectionname=slideshowajax&subsectionid=156088&subsectionname=photoshop

While some of prefer to get most of it right in camera others are using their digital editing skills and taking their images to another level. On the most part there is absolutely nothing wrong with this, however we believe that in today’s digital age one should at least be honest. If you have edited an image - put in a rainbow, a moon, intensified the colour - whatever you have done, just be honest. Don’t allow others to feel incompetent just because you can work an image editing program.

Now before anyone gets truly on their high horses, we are not saying digital editing is bad – it’s not. Many are extremely talented in this area; however digital fraud is now a reality. Some are now relying on their computer skills instead of being a photographer. What is happening to getting it right in camera first?

Spirit of Woodford Photographic Award

Short notice we know, but The Woodford Folk Festival is running a competition as part of its annual festival.

The focus of both the Video and Photographic Awards is to reflect the spirit of a group, artist, performer or person who inspires you and makes our Planet a better place to share.

The Photographic Award is sponsored by the State Library of Queensland and has a prize of $2,000 and is open to subject matter that captures the spirit of the Woodford Folk Festival.

Entries must be received by 25th October 2009

So hop to it!
For more information visit Click here

Memories are Forever – A Tribute to Samoa

After the past couple days and the devastation caused on the beautiful islands of Samoa, in the South Pacific, it has made me stop and reflect on my visit there earlier this year and the images I captured.

Some of the places I visited and stayed at have nothing left, lives have been lost and a nation that relies heavily on tourism thrust into chaos.

My time in Samoa was nothing less than brilliant. The people so kind, generous and sharing, the destination so beautiful, I threatened to lose my passport.

Here are a few of my images from that trip – we will be going through our whole library in the next week to add more.

We wish Samoa and its entire people a speedy recovery. Our thoughts are with you and we will return to your wonderful isles.

The team from Bluedog are now preparing a package of relief items to be transported next week.

Sunset Point, officially the last place on Earth you can see the sun set, Savaii Island.

The tattered sign read 'Wife Wanted' at the Crater Mans hut.

When I first heard the choir I thought it was tapped music, the sound was from angels.

Such beauty and calm.

Traditional tattooed men .

New Lowepro Camera Pouches For Protection of Compact Cameras

Lowepro have released four new fantastic pouches for compact cameras! Each is stylish, solid, flexible and colourful and show Lowepro’s commitment to keeping with the trends. They have caught our eye and better still one is right on time for the ladies to accessorise for Melbourne Cup Day!

The Volta A classic black solid carrying case with a sculpted, modern smooth finish and design. It’s slim and crafted of moulded EVA foam to protect contents from bumps and scratches. Comes in three different sizes and each has an interior slip pocket that can store a battery or memory card and an integrated belt loop. Zip is very good quality. Ideal for compact camera, mobile phone or MP3 player and the larger size can fit a GPS unit. VOLTA 10: available in Silver, Black and Red. Interior: 7.0W x 2.5D x 10.4H cm; Exterior: 8.0W x 3.3D x 12.1H cm. RRP $18.95 VOLTA 20: available in Black. Interior: 7.6W x 2.5D x 11.5H cm; Exterior: 8.7W x 3.3D x 12.8H cm RRP $19.95 VOLTA 30: available in Silver, Black and Red; Interior: 9.0W x 2.5D x 12.7H cm; Exterior: 10.1W x 3.3D x 14.0H cm RRP $21.95

Varia Pouch Colour accessorise with these! Made of stretchy neoprene it protects small digital devices. Handy detachable wrist strap and shuts securely with a dual-zipper closure. The Varia 10: available in Raspberry, Black, Teal, True Blue and Red. Interior: 11.5W x 1.8D x 7.5H cm Exterior: 12W x 2.8D x 8H cm RRP is $16.95 D-Pods 25 The latest release in the D-Pod family it’s built for today’s popular Canon G10 and the Nikon P6000 for instance. Composed of stretchy and protective neoprene, each includes: a memory card slot on inside flap; front pocket for batteries or small items; hook/loop closure for quick access. Multiple carrying options, plus a removable shoulder strap with sturdy metal snaphooks. The D-pod 25: available in Black. Interior: 7.3 x 4.3 x 11.3 cm RRP is $32.00

Melbourne 10 Just in time for the big race this is a fun, colorful pouch providing an easy way to carry and keep your digital accessories organized. 2 attractive print designs to choose from. Made of stretchy neoprene with smooth, single-zipper closures. Thread your camera strap through the side loop to create an instant carrying handle. Why not collect in multiples to colour-code all of your gear! The Melbourne 10: available in Black Chainlink, Arctic Blue Chainlink, Fern Floral and Red Floral. Interior: 11.5W x 1.8D x 7.5H cm RRP is $14.95 www.lowepro.com.