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Calvin writes: “Just watched you video on your new Rebel XTi. Congrats! I remember when I made the jump and it was great. As a hobby photograph,I used point and shoot cameras for a while. I thought I’d suggest 5 things that I found helpful as a DSLR owner.”

• Additional lenses I’m not being specific here, because every “eye” is different. I like landscape shots, so my wide angle lens hogs my Canon body a lot. It always helps to carry more than one lens at a time, you never know when you need that Telephoto moment or that wide angle when you just can’t step back any further. Assuming you’re gonna stick with Canon lenses, be mindful of the difference between EF and EF-S lenses. EF-S is for the cropped sensor
  models e.g. Rebel XTi, whereas EF are usually for the full frame sensor models e.g. 5D. You can fit EF lenses on an EF-S body, but you can’t fit EF-S lenses on a full frame body. So if further down the line you trade that Rebel XTi in for a full frame model those EF-S lenses won’t work! Also, Canon don’t ship lens hoods with their lenses that aren’t part of the L range (argh!) so you’re gonna have to buy a separate lens hood for that lens if it’s not an L “Luxury” model. IS (Image Stabilisation) is another feature to look out on lenses for if you find out you have more shaky hands then you realise. Since the body doesn’t have this technology and any IS you get will be from the lenses, the benefit of this that you can see the IS effects through the viewfinder.
• Battery Grip Picture the scene, your baby is in Ponzi’s arms and is about to yawn for the first time. You reach out for your camera in attempt to snap this amazing moment…. only to find out the battery is dead. Not that this has happened to me, but you can imagine you’d be pretty livid if this were to happen, regardless of how organised you are with batteries. Which is why I recommend a battery grip for your Rebel XTi. Not only can you store 2 batteries worth of power within the grip, but it also allows you to hold your camera vertically much easier and has additional controls when holding it in that position. The official Canon model is the BG-E3, but if you find that too pricey, there are some other ones out there which are basically the same but don’t sport the Canon name.
• Flashgun + diffuser Whilst the flash is acceptable on the camera itself, it can never fully compare to a proper flashgun. With one, you can adjust its angle so you can bounce the flash off walls or ceiling for a less direct flash. Or even better, use an off-shoe camera cord and manually control the
  direction of the flash with your hand off-camera. Take a look at the offerings from Canon’s Speedlite range, they’re sure to get you going a bit. I also recommend getting a flash diffuser. Basically its a small device which softens the flash from the flash gun, which is especially useful if you need that direct flash but dont’t want the harsh shadows that go with it.
• Tripods/Monopods Tripods are fantastic if you want to take shots which just aren’t possible handheld. I have a bit of a softspot for long exposure shots, but that’s just me! I recommend something from the Giottos and Velbon range. Again, I won’t name specifics because everyone has their own
  tastes so I suggest you get down to the store and have a feel, tug at its joints and play around with it. A monopod isn’t a must, but if you feel the need to reduce the camera shake in those moments but don’t have the time to setup the full Tripod, it may come in handy.
• Camera bag You’ve got the equipment, now you need a container. I have several camera bags, namely a backpack if I want to carry a tripod, laptop and a few lenses for a long trip or a small messenger bag for just the camera and another lens. Unfortunately, I find most camera bags look too much
  like camera bags and are begging to be swiped. I recommend Crumpler. It’s not cheap, but they do make attractive bags. And whilst now thieves have caught on that Crumpler bags are what more and more photographers are using, for the most part they disguise themselves pretty well as being passed off as just “a bag”. They make a large range of backpacks and messenger bags for photographers so do check them out. If you don’t mind that obvious camera bag look, check out bags made by Lowepro. Their sling bags are a favourite for photographers, and their range is very respectable.

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Awhile back, I did a video review of the new Zonbu computer. I decided to start 2008 out right, by giving it away on the spur of the moment to a lucky viewer!

The requirements to be eligible for this giveaway were the same as always:

• You must be present in the chat room to win.
• You have to be subscribed to my YouTube Channel.
• You must have left a comment at some time in my blog. The comment can be at any time, on any post. However, it needs to be a GOOD comment, that relates to the discussion. Saying things like “good tips!”, “you’re great!” or “I want to win!” do NOT count, and will be deleted.

That’s all there is to it! So without further ado, let’s reveal the winner!

Congratulations to xalent1 for winning the Zonbu! And, since you left such insightful comments on the blog, I’ll be sure to send you a little something extra, as well!

Be sure to join us every day. From now on, the weekly giveaways will NOT be announced in advanced. You have to be a regular member and show up for more than just the giveaways to win! Happy 2008, everyone!

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Most people never open their camera’s manual because they are huge, and starting guides only tell you how to turn the cam on and off. You don’t have to read the whole manual. Here are some things that are well worth finding in the manual.

• Focus then Shoot- How many functions does the picture Taker Button has? #1 Taking a Photo, #2 Focus Activate, and #3 Enter/Select Button (Share that with your friends!). So before jamming on the button, press the button half way the camera will take a second and show you if it is in focus, most cameras will even show you where it is focusing on; and then press the button further down to take a picture.
• Learn to set your white balance - White Balancing helps your camera capture true life colors OR Capture Creative colors. It must be set Manually in every Location that has more than one light source (Like Shooting in the house with lights on in the room and the sun light from a window). Manual W/B is a must when shooting without a flash! You-Tube the Camera White Balance to get a better understanding on how your camera sees the world. After taking pictures with Manual W/B Don’t forget to set you W/B to Auto. Some people forget that they are in manual, so a day later, take a few pictures and then they realize that something does not look right. Also if you will ever have to pull the Cam out to take a quick shot it will be already in auto and you won’t have to waist time switching and missing the shot.
• Learn to set your Light Meter position - Ever taken a picture and it was to bright or to dark? By default the camera is set to Multi Meter mode So…If taking a picture of a person wearing lots of white or standing by something bright the picture will turn out dark, or if a person wearing lots of black or standing in a dark area the face may be too bright. Most cameras can switch to a center point meter. When Switched to Center point, point the center mark at the person’s face press the button half way, the camera will set the brightness and focus, then move the camera into a position you want a person to be in the picture. Don’t make a mistake of Pointing the center point on to a person’s face ant taking a picture, those photos look bad, but remember when you press the button half way the camera locks all the settings so you can move the frame around.
• Lock your ISO - ISO is the camera sensitivity. This is a process that takes place after the picture is taken (digitally brightening of the pixels), so the higher the number (sensitivity) the worse quality you get. Although you can get a brighter picture with higher sensitivity (ISO) The picture will come out grainy, so by locking the ISO lower the camera will have to use all other options to get the picture brighter. Experiment with it and learn more about ISO, it will really help you out.
• Use Force Flash Outside - Some cameras fire the flash no matter what, and others only when it gets darker. I don’t think there is a camera that does not have a force flash setting. Usually represented by a lightening symbol without an A by it. Force flash really helps to get rid of dark faces or shadows in a beautiful day light - it’s called Fill-Flash. Play around with it, sometimes you need it some times you don’t, but knowing that can improve your photos.
• Learn to set Flash strength - Rule of thumb: At night shoot with lower setting and in the day time crank it up. Sound weird right, but if the flash is set too high in low light, not only your will blind you subject but the camera will have to compensate for the strong flash and the picture will come out darker. During the day it is already bright so small flash will not help to get rid of shadows on the face.
• Use Less Flash - Ever tried to take a picture but it never comes out looking like it supposed to? It is amazing what you can get without a flash ironically in lower light. Sometimes the flash is too bright for the situation or will only light up the closest object, or will make the picture loose the feel desired. Like shooting a Christmas Tree, Picture taken with a flash will loose the beauty of the Lights on the tree or candle lit dinner will look like a plain dinner with a candle in the middle. So experiment without a flash but remember to hold your camera extra steady.
• Set Up Closer - When shooting in low light get closer to your subject rather than zoom in. Because of a small size lens, more zoom = less light entering into the lens, so walking up closer to the subject will help with getting a better quality photo.
• Get A Tripod - Shooting in low light requires a steady hand, even slight vibration of a hand can make a blurry photo. Instead of razing ISO use a tripod. Most Pros use it always. Tripod can also help when taking a picture of a baby: simply mount the camera on the tripod position the frame and concentrate on entertaining the baby, when the baby smiles hit the button and you got the shot. Tripod is very handy in many situations so have one around.
• Balance the Quality - Shoot at Highest Quality Setting But Not the Highest Pixel Rate. Setting a camera to use less megapixels while setting to superfine quality can improve low light shots. Most cameras when set to lower pixel rates combine pixels to create a larger one instead of downsizing the photo which helps in low light. Also when using digital zoom some cams take advantage of unused pixels to help-out in sharpness and quality. Check to see in the menus for different digital zoom settings to see if your camera can do that. You may get less zoom than a default mode but the quality will be much better.
• Use Digital Zoom sparingly - Despite of all the advertisements, digital zoom should only be used in emergencies. More digital zoom = Less quality photo. Also if the camera does not have a smart digital zoom function talked above than consider shooting in highest quality and Highest Pixel Count and then cropping the photo on the computer. Some pros will argue that it is the best way to digitally zoom in a photo and get the best quality out of it. And Trust me 3 optical zoom is not “zoom” and will not help you get closer of your son’s soccer game as advertised, anything less than 5 optical zoom is basically a cropping tool that will help you cut things out of the shot when you can’t move. So if you need zoom Consider a camera with more optical zoom function. Those cameras may be a bit slower and bigger.

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FAP706: Answering tons of questions in the mail bag today

Listen now:

Student Financial Aid News
+ The doors are open for the 2008-2009 FAFSA!
+ Inside Higher Ed: As a result of a new state measure barring students without documentation to legally stay in the United States from receiving in-state tuition rates, the University of Arizona has reclassified 119 students as out-of-state students, The Tucson Citizen reported. University officials expect that many of those students do have legal status, but haven’t provided documentation. For those that don’t have legal status — at least six so far — private donors plan to pay the extra tuition now required.
+ In 1853, Erskine College, in South Carolina, gave John N. Davis certificates good for 25 scholarships in return for a gift of $100. While the college believes those certificates were good for only 25 years, two of the heirs to Davis believe that they are still good, and they are going to court to try to enforce them, The Greenville News reported.
+ LSSU issues annual list of words to be banished
+ Among the terms to be banished: perfect storm, webinar, waterboarding, organic, give back, back in the day, it is what it is, under the bus

Scholarship Update
+ FORE Merit Scholarship Programs
+ American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA)’s Foundation of Research and Education (FORE) offers merit scholarships to outstanding undergraduate students pursuing degrees in health information administration and health information technology who have at least one full semester (6+ hours) of classes remaining in their course of study at the time the award is granted (August 31). Scholarships are also available to credentialed health information management (HIM) professionals pursuing graduate degrees in an area related to HIM practice.
+ April 25 deadline
+ Scholarships range from $1,000 to $5,000
+ Details at our free college scholarship search site

Mail Bag
+ Ladana writes in: Question. My son is a freshman at the University of Oklahoma. We were under the assumption he had OHLAP (he enrolled but the forms were lost and the administrator stated unless we show him a copy of the application there is nothing he can do. We asked my sons principle and he wrote the administrator a letter stating that he made sure all students filled out an OHLAP application and that because of human error some were lost.) My son enrolled into OU and they stated he would receive sonner promise which is a scholoship that would cover what OHLAP would not. We found out that my son would not be getting OHLAP or sooner promise on December 12, 2007. The college found a thousand dollars a semester for his freshman year but we had to take out student loans for the rest. My son has aspergers, but took all honors courses and had an unweighted gpa of 3.27 and an ACT of 30. I am his mother and need to help him get scholarships for his education. I am disabled but his father makes right at 50 thousand AGI each year. Can you send me some information of where to get started. Can I help him with his scholarships? Thank you for any thing you can point my way.
+ Scholarship Search Secrets eBook is the place to start
+ Google for asperger’s syndrome scholarship
+ Oklahoma Department of Education
+ Helen writes in: How far in advance of doing the fafsa do I need to liquidate and move assets (like savings bonds) that are in the student’s name for them not to count or show up? My daughter is a junior and is hoping to apply to colleges in the fall, but defer for a year to travel. I’m not sure how schools feel about this, but she’s been told they actually like it. In this situation, when would I do the fafsa and apply for scholarships, grants, loans, etc?
+ Good questions - on the first, it has to be done in the prior tax year, so you have until December 31, 2007 to affect the coming year.
+ Regarding deferred admission - I’m not sure how colleges feel, but the financial aid paperwork would then be filed next year for the 2009-2010 year. It’s always filed for the year you will actually be paying the bills!
+ Addy asks on MySpace: I was wondering, do we need to fill the Fafsa out every January?
+ Yes!
+ The FAFSA renewal form is shorter than the FAFSA and updates your information

Did you enjoy today’s show? If so, please consider subscribing for free to get it delivered to you. Subscribing for free means you don’t have to remember to download it every day.
+ Click here to subscribe for free by email
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Direct MP3 file download: Click here to download the MP3

Reminders
+ Financial Aid Podcast Show Notes at FinancialAidPodcast.com.
+ Discuss this episode at the Financial Aid Forum!
+ FAFSA form tutorials and free help at FAFSAonline.com
+ Stafford federal student loans at StaffordLoan.com
+ Student loan consolidation at StudentLoanConsolidator.com
+ Private student loans available at any time - visit AlternativeStudentLoan.com
+ The Financial Aid Podcast is a publication of the Student Loan Network.

I want to hear from you! Email me at financialaidpodcast {at} gmail {dot} com, visit http://www.FinancialAidPodcast.com, or call 206-350-1208.

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I find that my computing experience is greatly enhanced by knowing a few really good keyboard shortcuts. I think everyone should know a lot of these basic commands, as it speeds up your work, and makes life just that much easier when you don’t have to reach for the mouse, and can keep your hands on the keyboard. They may seem simple, almost basic computer knowledge, but I’m always surprised how overlooked some of these simple gems are. Between these keyboard shortcuts and a program called “Lauchy” (a command-line application launcher, much like Quicksilver for OSX) which I also suggest, I find I’m far quicker to get from point A to point B, and rarely have to use the start menu, or have icons on my desktop.

• Windows Key Yes, everyone knows how much hitting the Windows key in the middle of your full-screen game can ruin your day, but outside of playing games, it can be very useful for more than just pulling up the Start menu. Commands such as:
  • Win + D minimizing all of your windows and displaying the desktop. This can be great if you have a lot of stuff up, and just want to get it all out of the way. Hitting Win + D again will bring up your windows just as they were before you hide them all.
  • Win + R Opens the “Run…” dialog box. Great to get to the command line, or calculator quickly (typing in cmd or calc respectively) without having to go through the Start menu. It’s also good for re-lauching explorer if it bugs out for some reason. Other good ones to know are msconfig and services.smc, which are great for tweaking both system settings and running services.
  • Win + E Opens up the Explorer for “My Computer” Get to files nice and quick, especially with my next tip.
• Use your keyboard to navigate folders What? Your keyboard works to navigate folders? Holy file browsing, Batman! Give it a try. Open up your C: drive and hit “P” it will immediately jump to the files starting with “P” and if you keep typing, it will keep refining. “Pro” will usually highlight “Program Files” Hit enter to open the folder, and then off you go typing the next folder you want.
• Tab and Shift + Tab Tab will move you automatically to the next field within the in-focus window. What does that mean? Well, say you’re composing an e-mail. Type in the To: line as “Chris@Pirillo.com” then instead of clicking on the subject line, you can just hit “Tab” until it highlights the subject line. Type in your subject, hit tab again, and you’re in the body of the e-mail. This works great in conjunction with Win + E, as by default, Windows selects the file tree on the left, and to navigate with the keyboard, you want to have the main field selected which is on the right. Alternatively, Shift + Tab moves you to the previous field. Say you’re in that same e-mail, but you want change the subject. Hitting Shift + Tab while in the body of the e-mail will pull your cursor back up to the subject line, and select all the text in the field.
• Alt + Tab While in a window, Alt+Tab will switch between windows on the taskbar. Holding down Alt, and repeatedly hitting tab lets you select which window you want (it gives you a little pop-up on screen) Letting go of alt pulls the window up.
• Alt + F4 Closes a window. Plain and simple. It’s the keyboard’s way of hitting the X in the upper right.

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