This morning on TUAW, they posted about a great new Safari Plugin called Piclens. With this plugin installed, visiting sites like Flickr and Facebook are way more enjoyable.

To install, just download the package and run the installer. You’ll have to restart Safari to activate the plugin. Once installed, anytime you mouseover thumbnails on a page there will be a little icon that pops up. (pictured above) Clicking on that icon will create a slideshow of all the pictures on that page. It’s much like a iPhoto slideshow, but pulling pictures from the internet. When you’re done, just hit “esc” or click on the x in the corner.

The plugin is for Safari only and it’s in beta right now. But I used it for 15 minutes on different sites and had no problems. Fun!

If you are planning on buying any Canon products, be sure to bookmark this page. Canon recenly released a whole list of items that they’ll offer a rebate on. This includes some SLR’s and a bunch of lenses.

So, find the best deal you can and then be sure to make it a little sweeter by sending in this rebate. (If you buy two products, you can double the rebates.)

Link: List Of Available Canon Rebates

Today on FreeMacWare, I posted about a great new tool for uploading your photos to Flickr.com. That tool will make it even easier to share your photos.

Below are five Mac OS X freeware Flickr apps that you should know about:

1. Gleam – Gleam is the best way I’ve found to upload images to Flickr. The interface is just perfect.

2. FlickrGet – When you find a Flickr set you like, paste the URL in this app to download the hole thing at once.

3. Sniper – It’s like iPhoto for your flickr account. Cruise your photos with this app instead of the cliick after click of navigating Flickr.

4. Tickr – You can choose any keyword or user and have their images scroll along the side of your Mac screen.

5. Flickr Backup – With all the work you’ve put into your Flickr account, be sure to get a nice backup of it all.

If you have another one you like, feel free to leave it in the comments. We’re always looking for new freeware to check out.

(Please digg this post)

Today on Design215.com, they put up a nice chart to show you how large you can print your image according to the megapixel of the camera. For instance, they say that a 3 megapixel camera can create a nice 5inx7in photo.

This is a really common question among new photographers. It’s really nice that they’ve created to reference. One thing to keep in mind is that they have figured this out with the notion that there will be 300ppi. (pixels per inch) Three hundred is the number required for “true” photos in magazines and such. However, I’ve had photos printed at 200ppi with no problem.

For instance, my old Digital Rebel XT is an 8 megapixel camera which the graph pegs at 8 1/2 x 11 as a maximum. But, I’ve had the shots printed at 12×18 and they still looked great.

So, this graph is a good reference, but don’t be too disappointed. Just try a few experiments with your camera and see where your personal max stands.

See The Chart

(via photojojo.com)

If you have ever wanted to learn more about Apple’s Aperture, here is a good way to do it.

Today on Mac OS X Hints, there was a hint that showedDownload all Aperture Quick Tour movies at once. Basically, you’ll want to take the listed urls, highlight them, then drag and drop them on the Downloads window in Safari. (Which can be found under the “Window” item in the menubar.

By the way, the fella that submitted this tip has a blog full of Aperture tips and tricks. Check it out here.

I have mentioned SLR cameras a few times on this site. I have received a few emails asking what “SLR” means and what the difference is from a regular point and shoot camera.

SLR stands for “single-lens reflex.” This means that when you look thru the eyepiece of the camera, you are seeing the exact same thing that the lens will “see” when it captures the picture. This is usually done using an angled mirror in the camera body. When you press the shutter on the camera, this mirror moves, revealing the film or sensor to capture the image.

The opposite of the SLR camera is the point and shoot camera. With these cameras, you are basically seeing a video of what the lens sees. When you press the shutter button, you are basically taking a freeze frame from that film.

SLR cameras offer a lot of opportunity for photographers but there are also some cons.

Pros

• SLR cameras give you the ability to change lens for different kinds of shots. You can have one for portraits, close-up photography, zooms, etc.
• There is almost no lag when taking a picture. This is one of the best features. You press the button, and the image is taken. No more trying to time the shot just right.
• Startup is very, very fast.
• There are so many settings and options to change for creativity.
• Photos taken with a SLR are usually very crisp and clear.

Cons

• SLR cameras are usually more expensive. (Although they are much more affordable in the last few years.)
• They are usually bigger than point and shoot cameras. If you have a huge zoom lens, they are much larger.

Overall, SLR cameras are incredible to use. If you want to be serious about photography, an SLR camera is the only way to go. In fact, the strange thing about an SLR camera is once you have one, photography is so much more interesting and enjoyable.

I recently made an Amazon.com list titled Getting Started With An SLR Camera. Yes, buying the items from the list will give a cut to FMP, but the reason I made it was so many people were asking what I recommend. This was the easiest way to do it. If you can find a cheaper (reliable) price elsewhere, go for it. I own and use all of the items on the list and I feel they are the best recommendations for someone who wants to dip their foot into creative photography. If you have any recommendations to add to the list, please feel free to leave a comment about it.

Recently on FreeMacBlog, I wrote about a friend of mine who had his house broken into. The theif took both his Macs, his backup drives and other electronics. (Thank goodness they didn’t find his new Canon D30.)

The post is called How To Prepare For A Stolen Mac. If you take the time to read the post, you’ll read that he lost all of his digital photos. He had about 30,000. He backed them up to his external drive, but that was stolen too.

My friend’s one photography saving grace was that he would often share his images with family and friends. He enjoys sharing his work (and we enjoy seeing them.) Because of this, he has been able to email friends and family, asking them to send back any pictures that he may have sent them in the past. Obviously he won’t be able to retreive all of his images this way, but he will be able to save some.

I hope you take the time to share your photos. If you take family shots, be sure to send them out to your family. Most of my best shots are on my Flickr.com account. It feels good know that if my machine was ever stolen or ruined, I’d always be able to pull down my best shots from my account. The inexpensive amount I spend yearly on Flickr is a very cheap way to back up your favorite images…and it lets others enjoy your work.

Tell me if this sounds familiar. You are going to take a photo of your family so everyone lines up facing the sun and you snap the shot. Everyone has shadows under their eyes and mom hates the way tht her wrinkles look. Is that about right?

When people start taking portraits, a common mistake is to assume that you don’t need the flash while taking photos on a sunny day. This is false. In fact, famed photographer Derrick Story offers, “that the one killer tip that will inprove your pictures more than any other is to turn on your flash for outdoor portrais.”

The reason is simple. Regular outdoor light is hard to control. If is it shining across the face, the texture and bumps will show. If it is straight on the subject, the shoadows will be strong.

So, what to do? Mr Story suggests that you “finda comfortable spot for (the subject) to stand in the open shade…with a complimentary background.” Next, you’ll want to turn on your flash. Now, as you take the shot, the subject will be lit with the flash. This light will come from their front so the light smooths over texture and blemishes. However, your camera will still recognize the bright background. This is called “Fill Flash.” It “fills in” the shadows and angles.

There are some things to consider:

• The flash will drain your battery faster. Be sure to have a backup.
• Stay close to your subject. Most flash only travels about eight feet. External flashes will travel further.
• Changing your ISO to 200 will let give you a little more room to play with the flash.

Below is a picture I took at my sister’s wedding. It was in Las Vegas in the middle of the Summer so it was hot, bright, and everyone was sweaty. Using the fill flash really brought out the vibrant colors of the flowers and softened the shadows from the strong sun.