Yesterday, I was browsing photography apps for my iPhone when I stumbled on an amazing concept. A mobile model and property release form generator. Instead of keeping generic paper release forms in your camera bag, you can create one right on your smart phone and email it to both the model or property owner as well as yourself. The app is called Easy Release and is available for iOS (iPhone, iPad, & iPod) and Android based systems.

I was able to quickly set up Easy Release by adding my logo, business information, and my written signature in the app settings. The interface is very straight forward from there, and getting a release form put together shouldn’t take more than a few minutes on the spot. If you know who you will be shooting ahead of time you can set it up prior to the shoot and be ready to accept a signature and quickly push past the legal junk so you can get to creating. Signing a signature is not as bad as you think it would be either. It feels as natural as it could get without the use of a stylus or pen (which for some people might not be very natural at all, but for me it was fine). It also lets you assign a photo to the release so you can take a picture of an ID or maybe a reference shot of a person (which would be very handy if you are shooting a bunch of people in the same session). It’s very well thought out and could potentially save your butt so you don’t end up in a lawsuit like the poor musicians in the band Vampire Weekend.

Here is a shot of my daughter in a funhouse tunnel at the Coastal Carolina Fair in 2007:

Today I received my prints from Mpix for the 2010 Coastal Carolina Fair, and as usual, they did an outstanding job. There is something so satisfying about a company that does things consistently well, especially when it involves your livelihood! The FedEx guy commented to my wife that I must be starting a gallery with all of the prints I’ve been ordering this week. What can I say, I got excited when I saw the stand-outs that I had made for Kulture Klash and couldn’t wait to see more.

I mounted them myself on black foam core using mounting spray. I knew that I could potentially ruin a print with sticky fingerprints, so I added Mpix’s lustre coating to each one when I ordered them. Lo and behold, the first one I mounted got a little sticky, and I was able to easily wipe it clean without a trace of my gummy paw prints. I also hope to eventually frame these (framing is prohibited for this contest) and possibly sell them in the future, so I want them to survive the harsh conditions of the contest display. It’s a small price to pay for invisible protection. Mpix does do foam core mounting, but it is flush with the edge of the print, and I wanted a one inch border to avoid fingerprints by whomever handles them at the fair. Besides, buying a sheet of foam core from the store and mounting it yourself is way cheaper in the long run when you’re doing multiple prints.

Who’s your favorite printer and why? Let me know in the comments.

Getting a new lens is like getting a new camera without the hassle of learning how to use a new camera. Sure you have to learn how to take advantage of your new glass, but it’s always a labor of love and not necessity. I found a great deal on this lens on eBay last week and I’m happy to report that it is flawless! It’s the Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 VC.

Like any new lens owner, I immediately put it on my camera and started pointing it at anything and everything. How does it look wide open, is the Bokeh nice and smooth? How’s the barrel distortion at 17mm? How fast does it focus compared to my other similar zoom lenses? How sharp it it at f/2.8? After I addressed the geekiest of geeky questions that have been rattling around my head since I won the auction, the artist in me told me to point it at something meaningful. Luckily, my family was home!

My daughter was in the fridge looking for a drink. “Hey Mac, turn around quick and smile!”

My son was at the computer playing video games. “Kegan stop for one second and look over here!”

And then there is poor Amy, who’s been laid up sick for the better part of this week, sitting out on the back porch while the dogs were outside. I think she was too tired to resist my demands, and actually looked genuinely happy to pose for a picture. That’s saying something when you are constantly being bombarded by a guy with his cameras. She’s so pretty.

So this leads to the current question on my mind: Is the only way to get a photographer’s family to smile on demand to purchase a new piece of equipment? I’m kidding, of course. I am very happy that they helped me with my impromptu experiment with my new glass.

So far I haven’t shot much else with it, but as far as I can tell, it is a real winner. I really wish I had it when I shot my first wedding a couple of weeks ago, as it would have been perfect for that. Actually, the need for a fast zoom was what inspired me to investigate the options out there and eventually find this particular lens up for auction. It was a demo unit from a camera store, and came with all of the original packaging and arrived in mint condition. The seller even threw in a Sigma UV filter! I will share more about it in the future.