Something different: Timelapse video - making pierogi

I have something different for you this time - a video timelapse from my kitchen. My wife and I are Polish but we currently live in the US (Memphis, Tennessee). This was our first Christmas in the US but unlike the US Christmas, Polish Christmas is mainly celebrated on the Christmas Even which is on December 24. We organized the Christmas dinner with a couple of Polish friends here in Memphis, everyone cooking something.

There are many traditional Polish Christmas dishes, one of them are pierogi (dumplings). My wife and I made so many of them (around 400!!!) that I had to record the process of making them, just for fun :) The result is this video:

Konrad Makes Photos Tips & Tricks on Knightwise Podcast

We are all caught up in Christmas and holiday preparations so I just have a quick announcement. I'm very proud and honoured to feature regularly on Knightwise's podcast (knightwise.com) where I share tips & tricks on photography.

Knightwise is, simply put, an awesome geek from Belgium. But what really makes his podcast, videos and blog special is that he's not only about gear but about making "technology work for you". 

DIY JerkStopper with Twist Ties to Prevent USB Tether Cable from Disconnecting from Camera

Shooting tethered (when your camera is connected to a computer with a USB cable) is great because you see photos immediately on a big screen. However, the tether cable can often get unplugged during a shoot. There are JerkStopper tools you can buy to securely attach a USB tether cable to your camera to prevent dislodging. However, I found a very easy DIY and free way to securing USB tether cable to a camera, using an item that is in every household - plastic twist ties.

iOS photo app to refresh photography knowledge

If your memory is as mine, good but short, then you might find PocketChris, a set of iOS photo apps, very useful. 'PocketChris' doesn't say much so there is a pretty good chance that you might overlooked them.

The series includes 3 separate apps and the best thing is that they are for free. The creator, Chris Marquardt, a German photographer and the host of TFTTF podcast, put together most of the information that you'll need to refresh your memory on composing, exposure, metering, sensor sizes, etc. - basically most of the things you need to know about digital photography. All these information is divided into 3 apps, from basics to advanced.

I think it's nice to have all these information at the palm of your hand and you can refresh your knowledge about digital photography when waiting for a bus or, if you're a man, when you're waiting for your wife/girlfriend trying on a 10th dress in her favourite clothing store :)

November 2013 in Snapography - Summary

November is over and it's time to look back at photos from November 2013 Snapography. 

There weren't many of them but it's the quality, not the quantity, right? :)

Make sure to check out Snapography page on regularly (sorry, there is no RSS for this yet).

HDR Addition to November 2013 Snapography

I don't shoot HDR (high dynamic range) photos often but I sometimes enjoy making this type of photography, especially for the dramatic effect and for getting contrast of the sky and clouds.

I headed out before a thunderstorm to a corn field, which turned out to be an old  halloween corn maze. I spend a good hour on looking for a good spot and then trying to get good composition - both were much harder than i could imagine. I ended up with 11 HDR photos but  maybe only a couple of them I like. I share with you one of them in my November 2013 Snapography.