Skylarking

We’re all aware of the use of computers and blue-screens to add backgrounds in the movies and television shows we watch, and — thanks to low-cost digital computers and cameras — now anyone can add fantastic backgrounds to their own photos, and the key is Green Screen Wizard. This software is great for the hobbyist or the professional.

Green Screen Wizard is a software and photo package that makes it easy for you to do professional Green Screen Special Effects (also known as “ChromaKey Effects”) with your camera and computer. And, as they say, it’s as easy as 1-2-3:

1. Take a picture of someone against the provided 5′x7′ portable green screen backdrop
2. Transfer the picture to you computer
3. Match the picture to a provided background, and Green Screen Wizard does the rest.

Green Screen Test Drive. The basic trial package of Green Screen Wizard costs $79 for the next 4 days. But Skylarking readers can take 20% off ANY PURCHASE at GreenScreenWizard, where it’s easy to get started producing green screen effects for photography and video! Enter GSPP20JUNE during checkout.

The 20% off code expires on 6/30/10.

Green Screen Lite includes:

1. 5×7 Popup Screen
2. 20 Magazine Covers
3. 120 Backgrounds in six collections

Upgrade. Maybe you’re a professional or semi-professional events photographer. If you decide you like the trial package and you want to do more, you can apply $50 from your trial package purchase towards an upgrade. The full package is available as a digital download for $99, or you can have the physical package shipped to you for about $170.

Their standalone photography software runs on Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7. They also sell Photoshop Plugins that run on Windows and Macintosh computers.

A friend of mine shared this time lapse video link with me over the weekend. The video was posted on Vimeo, a video sharing web site.

The video shows a band of stars which make up one of the “arms” of the Milky Way galaxy — our galaxy. If you live in an urban or suburban area then it’s not likely you’ve seen it at night. Light pollution from street lamps, buildings, and homes wash much of the star light overhead, but if you are able to get far enough away from the cities (or find yourself in a massive night-time blackout) then you could see an arm of the Milky Way. I once saw it myself while camping at camp Epworth upstate in High Falls, New York in the Catskills, two hours outside of New York City about 30 years ago. Now there are two many lights even in that area for this sight to be seen. These photos were taken at Fort Davis, Texas which is about 8 hours from Dallas and 6 hours from San Antonio.

The video is comprised of a series of 810 photos taken with a modified Canon EOS 5D 12.8 MP Digital SLR Camera.

One photo was taken every 40 seconds over a 9 hour period. The shutter remained open for 20 seconds during each shot. The photographer, William Castleman, used a special “anti-alias (AA) filter” which allowed more red light to enter the camera. Specifically the type of red light emitted by stars and nebulas. He used a Canon EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye Lens which allows a wide field of view — 180 degrees in fact. He mounted the camera on a tripod and attached an external battery. Exposures were 20 seconds at f/2.8 ISO 1600.

Other equipment used by the photographer included:

• a Canon TC80N3 Timer Remote Control for EOS D30, D60, D10, 1D, 1V & 20D SLR Cameras
• a Hutech EOS203 12v power adapter
• a 12v deep cycle battery

He then processed the photos using Adobe Photoshop and created the video using Apple’s Quicktime Pro, and then editted the video using Sony Vegas Movie Studio 9.

Canon EOS 5D 12.8 MP Digital SLR Camera (Body Only)	Canon EF 15mm f/2.8 Fisheye Lens	Canon TC80N3 Timer Remote Control
Adobe Photoshop Elements 7 (Windows) Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 (Mac)	Apple Quicktime Pro	Sony Vegas Movie Studio 9 Platinum Pro Pack

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Here’s another item to watch out for this coming Monday (Jan. 5) on Buy.com:

SANYO VPC-E2 Camcorder
8 Megapixel Waterproof Camcorder with a 2.5″ LCD Display and 5x Optical Zoom
Price: $184.99 (List Price: $249.99). FREE BUDGET SHIPPING
This is a great little video camera if you ask me. It’s reminiscent of the Flip Minos that were so passingly popular this past summer, but this camera has a much better picture quality, not too mention its colorful beauty and shine. I also like the fact that its waterproof, so you can carry without fear to the beach or the poolside.
But why stop at the poolside? Why not take it in the pool with you? What?! Yes, that’s what i said, “Take it in the pool with you.”  This camera can shoot up to 30 minutes of video while submerged 5 feet under water. So, no, you won’t take it deep sea diving, but you might take it snorkeling with you, or into the backyard pool.

In detail:

This camera is designed to International Standards for Waterproofing which allows 30 minutes of recording underwater.

Above water you can record up to 8 hours of video on its SDHC (high capacity SD) Flash memory card. How much time is determined by the size of your memory card: Get 8 hours of full motion video with an 8 GB SDHC memory card (in TV-HQ mode); 4 hours of video with a 4 GB SDHC memory card, up to 2 hours with a standard 2GB SD card, and up to 1 hour with a standard SD card.

It also has advanced video compression features that enable you to post your movies on the Internet or e-mailing them to friends and family. Another feature I really like on this camera is the ability to import video files into your iTunes software for easy transfer to your video-capable iPod. So you can share a quick video next time you see your friends!

You can find an advanced 8.0-megapixel image sensor which allows this camcorder to capture high-resolution 8-megapixel still images in addition to recording high-quality digital videos with full-range stereo sound.

And its not just a camcorder.  it’s digital camera, too. You can shoot video and photos at the same time with a press of the shutter button during the shooting of a video clip, so you don’t have to worry about missing another precious photo opportunity. (I may very well replace my 3 year old MiniDV camera with this.)

This camcorder also distinguishes between unintentional camera shake and deliberate camera movement. This handy feature operates in both wide-angle and telephoto modes, giving every shot a solid, professional-looking feel. It can detect faces and adjust the focus and exposure accordingly. Faces are sensed even when they move, allowing you to track up to 12 people at once. During playback, you can zoom in and enjoy those facial expressions in detail.

Post Comments or Questions with the link below. Keep up-to-date with Skylarking: By Email or RSS Newsfeed or on Twitter. You can also send questions with my email form.