by Aaron Hockley on August 1, 2011
by Aaron Hockley on July 25, 2011
Several months ago, I wrote a post where I did some research into the Klout scores of a bunch of photographers who have a prolific online presence. I left things open ended without really drawing any conclusions, but I pondered if Klout meant much in the photography world.
I recently became aware of another tool which analyzes one’s Twitter presence and instead of measuring influence it measures the tone and topics of one’s tweets. It’s called TweetPsych and I thought it might be interesting to run the same set of photographers through that tool to see what it says.
I started out working on the data set and here’s what I found: I’m pretty sure that TweetPsych isn’t reliable at all. I follow several of the photographers very closely, and for the most part the data was really really bad. *The results were so screwy that I’m not even going to publish the list.* While it made sense for a few photographers, here are some of the things that seemed quite askew:
- According to TweetPsych, @scottwyden talks about money over 2200% more than the average user.
- According to TweetPsych, @thomashawk may have an obsession with sex.
- According to TweetPsych, the most notable sentiment in @photojack’s stream is that he talks about money 47% more than the average user
In short, I don’t put any trust in any of the data I’m seeing from TweetPsych. Having followed those folks pretty closely I haven’t seen anything that would lead me to support any of those conclusions.
Beware of online analysis tools; they may spit out statistical graphs and charts but they might also be completely wrong.
by Aaron Hockley on July 7, 2011
I’m about a week later than usual but here’s my monthly look at the top-selling camera and photo items as measured by Amazon.com.
This month’s list features a few DSLRs, a few pocket cameras, and (unlike previous months) only one small HD video recorder.
- Canon EOS Rebel T3i Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens
– Canon’s Digital Rebel series has been popular as an entry-level camera for quite a while, and the T3i offers an incredible amount of both photo and video features at a very reasonable price. It’s not a surprise that this unit tops our list this month.
- Flip UltraHD Video Camera
– although officially discontinued, the Flip UltraHD continues to be a bestseller due to its great quality, durability, and ease of use. I have one of these units and it works great. Recommended.
- Canon PowerShot ELPH 300 HS Digital Camera
– This pocket camera makes a repeat appearance on the bestseller list, being part of Canon’s long-running small ELPH series. This one occupies a price point below that of the S95 but more expensive than the $100 models.
- Canon PowerShot A490 10.0 MP Digital Camera
Canon’s A series have proven to be great compact cameras and if you’re looking for something very cheap (around $60) that will take decent photos, this is a great deal.
- Canon PowerShot S95 10 MP Digital Camera
– Canon’s S95 is one of the most popular compact cameras amongst professional photographers, and for good reason. A larger-than-typical image sensor (for a camera of its size) means great image quality even in low light, high-ISO conditions. Couple that with a pocket size and it’s a great option for producing high-quality images on the go.
- Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-W530 14.1 MP Digital Still Camera
– at just over $100 this small camera features a Carl Zeiss lens and is one of two similar Sony entries on this month’s bestsellers list. I’ve never owned a Sony pocket camera personally but they continue to remain popular.
- Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX5V Digital Camera
– another great pocket camera, this mid-range Sony provides ten megapixels which is about right – cameras that try to push for more in this form factor often suffer from image quality issues. This is a nice little pocket camera with a 10x wide angle zoom.
- Canon EOS Rebel T2i Digital SLR Camera with EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS Lens
– Canon’s T2i is their previous-generation Digital Rebel, and although it doesn’t offer quite as many features on paper as the T3i that tops this month’s list, it’s still a very capable camera.
- Nikon D3100 Digital SLR Camera with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF-S DX VR Nikkor Zoom Lens
– Nikon’s current entry-level DSLR is a great unit at a great price. The only drawback is the lack of an autofocus motor in the body (which means that you’ll need lenses with autofocus motors) but other than that I can recommend this unit.
- Canon EOS Rebel T3 Digital SLR with 18-55mm IS II Lens
– if you’d like to get into a Canon DSLR system on a budget (around $550), this is the way. The camera will produce decent images and it’s a good starter kit for those looking to try out SLR photography without making a huge financial commitment.
If you use the links above and end up purchasing through Amazon, a small commission will be returned to me that helps fund the operation of this site. Thanks for your support!
by Aaron Hockley on June 30, 2011
I started playing with Google+ yesterday (no, I don’t currently have any invites to give away). You can read more about Google+ if you haven’t yet heard about the new social network.
First thoughts as a photographer:
- Picasa is relevant again. Google+ uses Picasa for its image storage.
- Google’s terms of service don’t make some of the egregious licensing claims that Facebook is known for.
- The “Circles” feature makes it very easy to setup a group specifically for photo-related information.
The service feels like it has the power of Facebook with a less cluttered design and the total absence of third-party crap like Farmville.
If you’re on Google+, you can find me and add me to a circle. If not, you can learn more about Google+ on their intro page.
by Aaron Hockley on June 23, 2011
News made its way around my Twitter stream today that Andy Baio (well known in tech circles) has settled a copyright dispute with Jay Maisel (a prominent photographer). As I read through the (lawyers-approved) account of the situation, I have one big question that jumps to mind:
If Baio felt the need to license and pay for the music from which he created derivative works, why did he feel that the cover art photo wouldn’t be in the same situation? Why would making 8-bit cover art be fair use when creating 8-bit music was not?
– right at the top of the list we have something brand new to the bestsellers – a wifi-enabled camera designed for network use. I’m not sure if this is so popular because it’s a new item or because Amazon is currently selling it around 40% off of the list price.
– Olympus makes a return to the bestseller list with a compact camera that’s very affordable (less than $100). At this price point you’re not going to see outstanding quality but it looks good for what it does.
– I wondered when we’d start seeing the GoPro camera on the bestseller list and apparently now is the time. It’s a durable HD video camera with a variety of mounting options.
– A nice compact camera from Canon with a beefier form factor than many similar units. I suspect this will appeal to those who don’t like the square shapes of many similar units.
