Released as a free app on Apple's iTunes store, Strobox offers a variety of lighting diagrams for amateur and professional photographers.  Using the tools within the app, you can build diagrams for photo shoot as well as share the diagrams with your photography brethren.  The app creates PNG files from your diagrams which you can send via email with the iPhone. 
There is plenty of equipment to be found within the app for setting up the proper scenario.  Types of equipment includes strobes, backdrops, hairlights, diffusion panels, umbrellas and softboxes. The app can be downloaded for free here.

 Author Loe Beerens, a veteran photographer on the international concert scene, relates his experience in and knowledge of all the important aspects of planning and photographing concerts of all kinds in this new book from Rocky Nook, Three Songs, No Flash! ($24.95 USD). From punk to classical and everything in between, Loe covers how the music industry is organized, how to get access, the right people to befriend, and the proper etiquette of concert photography.
From preparation to equipment selection, the reader will learn how to make the most of those three songs from this richly illustrated book. Shooting techniques for each of the major musical instruments are covered, as well as capturing the peak action, post-production techniques, shooting in low light, and marketing your images.

Whether you are a photography enthusiast, a working professional, or just a lover of music, you will benefit from this informative guide. You can get the book here.

If you want people to pose for you, it helps to give them pictures of them looking their best. Or even slightly better than their best. Here are four quick tricks to raise the self-esteem of your friends, family, or paying customers.
Once you get the hang of it, the process shouldn't take more than 10 minutes -- depending, that is, on the amount of flattery you think they need. I'm using Adobe Photoshop CS3 to do this, but it will work with previous versions. Elements users can try my tricks for the eyes, smile, and wrinkles, but you'll need layer masks (only available in Photoshop itself) to smooth the skin. Click here for tutorial steps.

Michael Soo

One surefire way to visually supercharge a scene is to add movement. Move camera, subject, or both. It doesn't matter. Any way you do it, the kinetic excitement of motion can make a boring scene seem vibrant and alive.
Case in point: On one of my recent workshop outings, I was shooting at a 300-acre ranch near Byron, CA. The moment the models and I drove up and I saw the tire swing, I knew I could use it to add movement.
What made the photo on the previous page a creative challenge was the way the movement was captured. Many photographers faced with this scene would have set the swing in motion parallel to the imaging plane and panned with the laterally moving model. (That's what I did in the shot below.) Focusing is easy because the subject is always the same distance from the lens. With the correct shutter speed, the result can be thrilling: a sharp subject and a background of streaked motion blur.
But a lateral pan wouldn't produce the dreamlike, vertiginous feel of the portrait on the preceding page. The model, while sharp, seems to sail toward the camera with an energy and sense of three dimensions that lateral panning can't match. Read the whole article here

Christopher Badzioch proves that it's not always the most expensive and specialized gear that makes a great photo -- it's the eye, vision, a sharpie marker, some electrical tape and a cheap homemade sweep that really matter when it comes to making amazingly detailed, dramatic insect "portraits."
Badzioch, an amateur photographer originally from Opole, Poland and currently residing in Bristol, Conn., has been sharing his unique insect shots in the PopPhoto.com Reader's Gallery and we are so impressed, we asked him to shed some light on his magical techniques. The photos in this story were all captured with basic macro lenses -- not with bellows and rails or other super-advanced specialty gear -- meaning with a little practice and patience, you too could soon be making your own dramatic insect portraits! Read the very nice "how to" here

Let's get the big secret out in the open - fireworks are simply one of the easiest, and arguably most boring, things one can photograph. Making a great fireworks photo is easy, and that means there's a glut of great shots out there. But that makes it that much harder to create something that stands out from the rest. And therein lies the challenge. In this guide we'll cover the technical side of taking fireworks photos that aren't a blurry, grainy mess. Read the very nice "How to" here

It’s summer vacation time again. For many people, that means it’s also time for a new digital camera. This guide will help you decide on the best digital camera for your summer travels. There are a few different vacation camera strategies. You might want one that’s small and easy to keep handy. Or you might want a full-featured digital camera that can do it all. You might even be thinking your camera phone will be the best tool for summer photos. No matter what your budget, experience, or inclination, we can help you choose the best digital camera. Read on to learn about different digital camera types, useful camera features, and digital camera accessories that will help you capture and save your summer vacation memories. Read the whole article here

For wildlife photography, a 500mm or 600mm lens is most often the tool of choice -- and also a bulky, heavy, and expensive piece of equipment. But there are many times when shorter and wider lenses are simply better. I make it a point to always have both a short zoom lens and an intermediate telephoto lens with me when I am in the field. If you know what to look for, you can make some great nature images -- without hauling in the big glass. Read the whole article here