Lightroom Plug-ins make Life a Breeze.*

*Ok, maybe that title is a bit of an overstatement.

We all know Lightroom is powerful. Most of my editing is done and post processing these days, and no longer in Photoshop. In fact, I would say with the advent of Lightroom 2 and local adjustments (see my video HERE) 95% or more of my work is done in Lightroom now. But there are fun little secrets that make this application even more powerful useful for more than photo processing. How many of you use Flickr, Photoshelter, SmugMug? Did you know that Lightroom, with the added help of a few free (yes, free) plug-ins can make your life soooo much easier?

Here is how it works. I am going to show you with the Photoshelter plug-in, but it works the same with all the above and more. There are two ways to start. The easiest is to follow this link to Adobe's Lightroom Exchange HERE. This is a warehouse of Lightroom plug-ins. Here you will find plug-ins for exporting to the sites I listed above. But, you will also find all kinds of cool plug-ins for web templates, develop presets and more. Most are free! So poke around and enjoy. I said there was two ways to start. The other way is to open Lightroom and go under the new to Lightroom 2 "Plug-in Manager." This is a handy dialog box that will take you to the Adobe Exchange site by clicking the button on the bottom left of the window. But it is more useful than that, because it now is the simplest way to import your plug-ins. Once you download the plug-in you want to use, in this case the Photoshelter plug-in, then just hit the ad button and ad it to your list of plug-ins. Simple, no more searching for the folder where the plug-ins reside, it does it for you.

The new to lightroom 2 "Plug-in Manager."

So now you have the Photoshelter plugin loaded or the Flickr plug-in or whatever one you want. Now, you need to select the images you want to load. I chose the Arches of Delhi gallery I made last week. Make sure you have captions and key words already embedded in the image. This is the beauty of this method. Now export like you would do normally export a photo and bring up the export dialog box. Here you will see at the top of dialog box a small pane, click on it and choose which plug-in you want to use.

You must choose which plug-in to use.

You will see the list appear. Once you choose the plug-in you will need to log in to your account. Don't forget, you have to have an account with any of these services to use them. That may seem like a no-brainer, but... Anyway, then just work your way down the dialog box panes. Name the file, make your setting choice, your size choice, sharpening, etc... Finally choose an existing gallery or make a new one.

Just work your way down the dialog box panes.

Then upload.



Once uploaded, Lightroom will tale you to the site and you can make any changes to the photos in Photoshelter or whatever site you uploaded to.


Your captions and other IPTC data that was embedded from Lightroom 2 follows your image to Photoshelter.




These plug-ins will save you a ton of time and make uploading to your favorite site a breeze. I hope this helped. You can view this gallery in Photoshelter HERE.

Welcome Acratech Tripod Heads!

I want to say welcome to yet another new sponsor to The Digital Trekker, Acratech tripod ballheads. As I write this it just doesn't sound real sexy. But trust me, these babies are just that, sexy. I went after Acratech because one of our participants on this past Lumen Dei was using their GV2 Ballhead. The tooling of this ball head is sweet, more like a sculpture rather than a tool. I am being completely honest here. Look at the images below. Plus the gimbal action make this a very utilitarian head as well. Want to see this baby in action? Check out the YouTube video below.



I can't wait to get my hands on the GV2, it's light weight and open design makes it ideal for the type of shooting I do. Many other ballheads, and I am not excluding the big names out there, have their ball and socket design incased in some sort of housing. When dirt and grime get inside the housing the head starts to have friction and the movement no longer stays smooth. Not with the exposed design of the Acratech heads and being oilless and greaseless the ball will not attract and hold dirt and debris. Very smart! I told you they were light weight; they are less than 1 lb (.45kg). A concern with it being so light is, will it support the weight of a 5D (MKII ;) and a 70-200 2.8 lens? Apparently it does, and in fact easily holds over 25 lbs (11.4kg) at any angle. They are made with a quick release clamp that is compatible with most major manufactures QR plates. The one thing I was concerned about was the quick release clamp. It is a screw mechanism rather than a latch. But reading reviews of users, they all seem to get used to it quickly and in fact love it. I have not actually used this head for any extended amount of time. But I am getting my own in November, until then I want to point you to a very in depth review over at The-Digital-Picture.com, so check it out until I can post my own review here.

So a hearty welcome goes out to Scott Dordick and the great team at Acratech.

In other news; Lexar has posted a video I made for them on Lightroom 2. You can find it at their Digital Photography page HERE. While you are there checkout some of the other videos I have done for them. I have one on Toning and one on using the Displace Filter in CS 3 as well as some articles. David DuChemin has a plethora of articles there as well. Even Scott Kelby has posted some tips on the site. Go poke around and say hi to our friends at Lexar.

This is my Friday, so I'll see you back here on Monday, Malaysian time.

New ThinkTank Product Coming Our Way.

Photo by Dave Seah

All kinds of fun stuff head this way. ThinkTank Photo, a sponsor of this blog has some neat new gear.

First there is the Airport AirStream. This is a scaled down version of the other Airport bags ThinkTank makes. I use the Airport International and love it! So, a much smaller roller bag with all the domestic and international regulations met. Nice.


The not long ago ThinkTank released the Urban Disguise 35. Like the other Urban Disguise bags it is made not to look much like a camera bag. Again, this bag is a smaller version of the one I use the Urban Disguise 60, which by the way I love as well! So if you plan to do some travel or street photography and want to look less like a photographer with thousands of dollars worth of gear over your shoulder, you might give this bag a try. It holds up to a 13.3” laptop with a standard-size SLR or up to a 10” laptop with a Pro-size SLR with lens attached. It features a large opening for easy access to equipment and can be attached to a roller. It can be used as a backpack with the Shoulder Harness (sold separately).

And finally ThinkTank will be giving us a new bag scheduled to be released in December. Having not seen this bag nor even heard much about it till yesterday I can't say a lot outside of what my buddy Brian at ThinkTank has passed my way. So I will just quote you directly from the press release:

Shape Shifter™, the first backpack designed to expand and contract to fit DSLR equipment. By contracting down to 3 inches, the backpack keeps photographers from having to carry around a large foam box on their backs once their equipment is removed.

The Shape Shifter was designed for:
Photographers that want a lightweight solution with significantly less foam and padding than traditional photo backpacks;

Photographers that travel a great deal by airplane and public transportation that want to carry the maximum amount of equipment in the smallest package possible;

Photographers that want to reduce the size of the backpack after their gear is removed. (Note: some gear can remain in the front, like two strobes, and it can still be compressed to the smaller size with the zipper);

Photographers that use modular belt systems. After they remove most of their gear and put it on their belt, they then can then collapse the backpack;

Photographers on the run that must travel with up to 17” laptops and have the necessary accessories with them to transmit images.

Product Features

The Shape Shifter can be compressed to 3 inches in width once equipment is removed.

Once the majority of photo gear is removed, the bag can be collapsed and the photographer can still carry up to a 17” laptop and accessories, but in a much smaller package.

Rear compartment for up to 17” laptops has medium padding for protection and comfort.

Photographers can to wear their belt system, with components attached, and still support the weight of the backpack with the belt.

The inside compartment has neoprene pouches for:
2 Pro DSLR bodies
1 70-200 2.8 with hood reversed
1 24-70 2.8 or similar with hood reversed
1 16-35 2.8 or similar with hood reversed
Stretch pockets on the inside can also hold two strobes and other accessories

Includes a strap system to mount either a monopod or tripod on the front the backpack.

Padding on the back has an airflow system for breathability and comfort.


Technical Specifications

Outer Dimensions when COLLAPSED: 20 x 12.5 x 3” ( 51 x 32 x 8 cm)
Outer Dimensions when EXPANDED: 20 x 12.5 x 7” ( 51 x 32 x 18 cm)
Inner Dimensions of the LAPTOP CASE compartment: 19 x 12 x 1.5” (48 x 30.5 x 4 cm)
Inner Dimensions of the DSLR Camera compartment (Note that because there are neoprene pockets to hold the photo gear, the normal internal dimensions stated have less meaning): 19.5 x 12 x 4” (49.5 x 30.5 x 10 cm)
Estimated Base Weight (without any straps or accessories attached: 3 lbs, 13 oz (1729 grams)

This bag looks really exciting and quite frankly screams for a review by Fish over at Flying With Fish. He loves traveling with a backpack to carry his gear. Fish, this might just well replace your North Face Surge. I know I sure want to get my hands on it. A Oh, gear lust!

Steve McCurry Sharp

One of the fun and quite frankly, thrilling things that digital imaging has been able to deliver that film never did, is the ability to give you truly razor sharp images. Yeah, we had sharp images in the film days, but not like what we can get now. With the digital cameras ability to grab detail and photoshop's many techniques in sharpening, we have surpassed film by miles. Over the past two Lumen Dei workshops we developed an expression that might be taken disrespectful toward the Guru of travel and world photographers, Steve McCurry. The expression is, "Steve McCurry sharp". It is not meant to be disrespectful. Let me explain and give Mr McCurry his truly just dues. First, Steve McCurry is outstanding and has set the bar for all of us to reach for in our photography. But once you visit an exhibit of his you will notice something odd. Many of his images are slightly soft. Some of the focus is soft, others there is slight movement. You can't say this is bad, when the man defines "excellence". Prior to digital images, one would never had noticed these things. When we shot film we were never we able to get the sharpness we are used to now. But something else is happening. Let me illustrate it here.

This is full frame. Click to enlarge.

Here is a shot that all my readers will know. It is of a little Gujjar girl in Kashmir. One of the fun things about this image is it is so very, very sharp. Here is the EXIF data from the image:

Camera: Canon 5D
Exposure Time: 1/500 sec
F-Number: f/3.5
Exposure Program: Aperture Priority
ISO Speed Rating: 400
Exposure Bias: -1 EV
Metering Mode: Pattern
Focal Length: 85.00 mm

I was, if I recall correctly, a good 6 to 10 feet from her. Below you will see that this image is so sharp, that you can see the scene behind me, when I photographed her, reflected in her eyes.

Click to enlarge.

So what is all this about? Why blog on how sharp digital images are? We all know they are sharp. Is it because this makes me better than Steve McCurry? Ha! If only that were true! No, it is because I bet you have started doing something that I have found myself doing. That is tossing away images that are not razor sharp. Any slight softness, slight movement and out it goes. I found I get so obsessed with sharpness that I loose sight of the beauty of an image. I don't see the moment in the image for the slight blur. For an image to work it doesn't have to be this sharp. Maybe even sometime it shouldn't be. Let me show you some images that I almost tossed, but I have now changed my mine and feel they are worth keeping even though they are not all that sharp. I will compare a nice sharp image with a soft or even blurred image taken at the same time, but a different "moment".

Click to enlarge.

Here is a shot of a man clutching his Qu'ran. It is a nice image. Sharp. Yes, there is glare in his glasses. But, even with out the glare there is emotion missing here. It is not a bad image and technically it is perfect.

Click to enlarge.

Here is the same man a few seconds earlier. His head is bowed and he is not looking at the camera. But the look give much more emotion, a since of thoughtfulness, or contemplation. You don't get that in the previous image. The soft focus or movement as it is here, work to make this a stronger image. Let's look at an even more stark example.

Click to enlarge.

Here is a similar shot. A Ladakhi woman sitting looking off to the left of the frame. A nice shot, right? But look at what the much softer shot below communicates.

Click to enlarge.

Here she is holding the beads to her head and there is real emotion here. Yet, this image is soft by all account. Not with movement, just soft focus. Now I admit, I should have been better at nailing the focus, and I think this might have been a better image had it been in focus. But does this make this image unusable? Not in the least! In fact this image is fast becoming one of my favorites.

I want to make sure you understand me. I am not talking about accepting sloppy camera work. But none of us get it right 100% of the time. I have known I am capable at getting razor sharp images like above, so I have not even looked at some of my more emotional images if they are soft. Of if I did, I cursed under my breath at my bad luck and tossed the image out.

All I am saying is we need to not forget what is good art. I cannot continue to throwout soft images just because I know I can get razor sharpness and didn't get it. You cannot say that McCurry's images are any less impressive or beautiful because of the softness of film or camera movement. So, if it is good enough for a Master like McCurry, I think I need to stop and realize technology has, dare I say, blurred my vision. I am missing the art for the mechanics and in danger of trashing some real jewels.

What Blogs do you read?

Ok time for you to give back? I have a certain few blogs I check everyday. Here is my list:

1. PixelatedImage Blog - David is one of the best writers I know and is always inpserational.
   
2. Joe McNally - Joe is one of the best photographers out there and is always willing to share. And by the way, Joe's blog was a stitch today!
3. Chase Jarvis - Chase is awsome. Talk about some who shares knowledge. This guy rocks and he produces some pretty mean videos as well.
4. The Travel Photographer - Tewfic El-Sawy always has some great links to some very cool slideshows.
5. Photoshop Insider - Scott Kelby is, well Scott Kelby a must read.
6. TED Blog - This is always a way to stay up on what the "world" fines important.
7. Gavin Gough - Gavin has great insight and I just love looking at his images.
8. A Photogrpahy Blog- Rachel Hulin digs up some great images and is always good for a hoot.
   

OK - Now it is your turn. Who do you read? I know you are out there, I see the states. So please don't embarrass me and not respond. Or I am going to have to have my mom email for 50 different computers to cover my Arse!


PS One more I almost forgot to list. What the Duck. A must read. Not only is it funny, but it speaks volumes!

©2008 Aaron Johnson - Used With Permission - What The Duck Comic Strips

Sometimes a picture is worth the extra effort.

Final image

Original #1

Original #2

Yesterday, my wife and daughter and I went with some Malay friends to the Kampon or village. We played in rice paddies and ate a lot of good food and drank a lot of fresh coconut juice. I took a few images of our host's children. One was particularly nice, but... not quite. It looked as if I had started taking pictures of war amputees. Poor girl. Poor me, what a lot of potential! So, I decided to work a little extra on this image. I thought you might like to see how I did it. It wasn't really that hard. I don't normally work on an image like but, this there was something about this little girl and the setting that I wanted.

First I took the images that had the "good" face, and simply copied the face.


Then I pasted the good face onto the not-so-good face but good body of the next image. I then made a layers mask and softened the edges so it would blend well. I also transformed the size of the face to match the size of the host image. To do that select the layer of the image that needs to be sized. Then do a Command T (Control on a PC). This gives you a selection that you can now size. To size uniformly hold the shift key and then pull the corners till the image looks right. It is all subjective.


I also cloned out some of the "old" face to make the blending easier.

Here you can see all the layers and masks. Click to view larger for more detail.

Then I added some more room below the coconuts and did the same thing. Made a layer mask and softened the edges.

Trust me, this is pretty simple. Anyone can do it, but you have to start using layer masks. I am always amazed at how many people use Photoshop and do not use layer masks. It is very simple and non-destructive. I am sure there are other ways I could have blended these images but this was quick and easy.

Any questions, just email me or skype me. Here isone more shot from yesterday. These kids are just too cute.


Oh! and Salamat Hari Raya Aidilfitiri!

PhotoFlex A Super LiteDisc!

(Click image to make larger)
Photoflex 5'n1 MultiDiscs at work in the field.

An image from the shoot above.

We were fortunate to have a new sponsor of Lumen Dei at the last minute. The fine folks at Photoflex were kind enough to give us a whole suitcase full of 5'n1 MultiDiscs and a couple of Black LiteDiscs. (thanks Rosane for hauling these from the US to India!) Photoflex wanted to see how they would work in the field.

What is a 5'n1 you might ask? The MultiDisc 5'n1 offers five reflector surfaces; translucent, white, silver, gold, and soft gold; all zipped up into one small package. We were given the 42" MultiDisc . These are really rather large, but collapsed quite small and once distributed they were very easy to carry or pack. In fact some of us used a carabiner and just clipped them onto our Think Tank belts.

Using the translucent disc to defuse the light and give soft shadows.

Everyone got a chance to shoot.

Using them in the street was not easy. We did use them in one village setting without much trouble. But they did draw a lot of attention, so we were quite content to use them on models. Now, let me say here that people do use reflectors in street photography. But with 9 photographers prowling the streets of a small village, it was just too much. Our job was to capture life in our cameras not make the local news.

Here I used the Black Disc as a backdrop to give the feel of shooting in a doorway and the soft gold on the models face.

We managed to arrange a cultural show for our group. We then paid four of the dancers to stick around and model for us. It was great! Already in local clothing these models, being performers really knew of to work a camera. We divided the team into four groups of two and had each of the four performers make a modeling station. We then gave each group 10 minutes to shoot each model. David DuChemin and I floated between stations and helped show the team members how to use the MultiDisc. Sometimes the gold was just too harsh, yet other times it bathed the subject with just the right amount of light. We showed the group how to flag and defuse light as well as use the black reflector as a backdrop.

Even local our guides found a use for the LiteDiscs. Super Photoflex Man!

The team learned that lighting doesn't have to be complicated nor costly. Over all the MultiDisc 5'n1 and the Black LiteDiscs performed as well as the dancers, flawless.

Vitale Video

If there is one thing I have learned over the past few years of shooting images and visiting with some world class photographers, it's most of the very talented photographers are nice, really nice people. One of the more pleasant photographers to come down the pike in a long while is Ami Vitale. You've seen me blog about her in the past. Today will be short. Maybe you've already ran across this set of video interviews with her, they have been out since Jan 2003! Ouch, why did I not see them tell recently? Susan B. Markisz a contributor to the digitaljournalist.org did the interview and created this set of short videos. The topics include:

• Getting Beyond the Headlines
• Kashmir
• Gujarat
• Do People Care?
• The Editor / Photographer Relationship
• How Do You Finance Your Stories?
• The Changing Technology
• Adivce for Young Photojournalists

While you are at it read the story by Markisz that precedes the videos, it is good as well. There is also a small collection of her images they linked to the interview. Enjoy.

James Nachtwey's story

Gavin beat me to the punch. I had this ready to use but wanted to get my Ladakh gallery up first. None of us know what this is about. Other than it is images from one of the worlds finest Photojournalist and it is suppose to be BIG! I first ran across it on TED. If you are not a avid TED reader, shame on you. This is an amazing blog with some of the worlds most amazing minds. Don't think for a moment I agreee with every view expressed on the TED blog, I don't. But it is a great peek into what is on the heart and minds of the world's most talented.

Not sure what Mr. Nachtwey's story is going to be about, but you can bet the images will be stunning. Stay tuned, only one more day till it breaks.

First Day Back in India.

It has been good to be back in many ways. Just feels good to be back in India. It is great to hang with my good buddy David DuChemin and shoot with him again. Well, I say it is good. He is so sticking talented that it make shooting the same subject really difficult. He always seems to walks away with a winner. But it is good to be challenged. We went out this morning for about three hours and shot at Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi. Click HERE for the map. Here is a sampling of my images from the days shoot.

(Click on the image to view larger.)

Nicole Gibson Brings Home a Guru!

A hearty congratulations goes out to Nicole Gibson for winning the Vincent Versace Award at Photoshop World Expo in Las Vegas. Nicole is a good friend and one of our participant in the 2007 Lumen Dei workshop in Kashmir. In fact, it was her image of a Kashmiri man viewed through a flock of pigeons taken on the Lumen Dei tour that took the Guru Award. The image is outstanding and well deserved. Not sure, but I think Nicole walks away with a tidy little prize booty as well. Well done Nicole!

The Stock Jungle

I am not talking about the stock market, not that jungle. The jungle I am hacking through is the stock image jungle. From monsters like Getty Images and Corbis to the micro stock agencies where you can pick up a great image for $5 or less. Who are they and how does this all work. Here is what I know:

Most stock agencies sell images based on size and usage. So an image that is small and will only be used once in a limited small run may only cost you a few bucks. But an image that will be used on a hording (that is a billboard for us Americans) and plastered all over New York or London will run you big, big bucks. The photographer lets these agencies represent their images for "right of use". He makes his money from a cut or a percent. It can be anywhere from 25% to as much as 50% of the image sale. Micro stock is different. These guys deal in volume and will sell your images for pennies compared to the large stock agencies. In fact you won't even get a check till you have sold $75 to $100 worth of images. Not much profit for the amount of work that goes into imaging. So, the idea is to have large volumes of photos online and key worded so that when some one wants an image of a "crying boy" they key-in those words and your image pops up. That is of course, along with 150 other crying boys, so you still have to have great images that stand out above the rest.

So who are these micro stock agencies? Here are just a few. The most famous being iStockPhoto also Shutter Stock, Dreams Time, 123rf.com, Feature Pics. Feature Pics actually let's photographers set the price for their images. Then there is Stock.xchng, these guys even have many images that are free! I found images on Stock.xchng that were priced images on iStock. Not sure how they do that, but for the end user it is a great deal.

At this time I have not taken the dive into the micro stock agency. I am represented by IndiaPicture. Of course they specialise in ..er.. Pictures ...of India. One thing they have just started on their site, that I have not seen of the others is Live Support. Not sure how this is used but I guess it is at least fun to talk to someone in India for once about your image needs and not your credit card statement.

The 50D Is Here!

Take a deep breath and read the stats, they are nice, very nice. This little guy sports a 15.10 megapixel image, faster DIGIC 4 processor, 3.0" VGA LCD monitor with Live View mode offering 3 AF modes, ISO sensitivity expandable to 12800 and an HDMI connection for high Quality Image viewing. And all packed into a Magnesium alloy body, with environmental protection. So what is the price, only $1,400 when it ships in October. This is the same layout of the buttons and grip as the 40D. It is virtually the same as the 5D. So if you are a 5D shooter and can't fork out the dough for the new 7D (aka 5D mkII) then this might just be your next camera. Read all the details HERE and HERE.

OK, so now where is the 7D?

Mpix & NAPP

Let me tell you about a membership that is actually worth paying for. Quite frankly, many of the photo societies are, as far as I am concerned, a waste of money. If you're like me, you don't have a surplus of cash to go around and yet you want to learn about photography, sharpen your skills and grow with the industry, right? I was a member of the Professional Photographers of America (PPA), and never did figure out what I got out of it except over-priced insurance. Well, the best value for your money has got to be a membership with the NAPP (National Association of Photoshop Professionals). This is a group of professional users who have a background in photography and graphics and they want you to to be great at Photoshop. Sounds silly, but it's true. They really desire to share what they know. I guess it is the true spirit of Web 2.0. Seriously, these folks have made it a money making business to help us. And they do a darn fine job of it, I might add. For $99 a year you get a subscription to Photoshop User. (I was buying that before I joined anyway) That alone saves you money when you join. You get access to the NAPP website and numerous tutorials as well as forums with personal help. You get discounts off name brand items like Apple Computers and software and services like the Mpixs. Mpix is one of the finest photo processing labs out there. I have used them and can vouch for them personally.

Now speaking of Mpix, these guys are currently offering a discount on NAPP membership. Join before July 30th and NAPP will reduce the annual membership from $99 to $89. As an added gift, NAPP will send you The Adobe Photoshop CS3 for Beginners DVD featuring Dave Cross ($69.99 US value). This best-selling DVD will walk you through a full range of Photoshop® functions, tools and techniques. Very cool! Too bad I am already a member.

For more details follow the link HERE to Mpixs.

AIPO Dry Box

I am now officially back online. After a lot of blood sweat and even some tears, we have internet in our home (and thus my office). So, I hope to get back up to speed and be a little more regular in blogging again. Please forgive the decreased number of entries. It has been many days of trips to Starbucks just to check email. Our new setup should prove a little more convenient.

A few people have emailed me in the past about how to take care of your photo gear in a wet, damp tropical region. Until now, I had no real answer as it was not a real concern of mine. When you travel and shoot for two weeks in Indonesia it isn't really a big deal. You stay in hotels that are air conditioned and thus dry. But living in Penang, the weather is warm and very humid (around 85% today) and no one lives with the AC on all the time. Not sure why, it must be too costly, so we don't do it either. So what to do now about a lot of costly camera gear in a place that is a mildew nightmare? Enter AIPO Dry Boxes. (no website for these folks. Go figure!)

AIPO Dry Box AP-68EX

This is a Taiwanese company that, until last week, I had never heard of. I dropped into my friendly local camera shop "Click n Snap" and asked them the same question I just asked you. Salesman Matthew Chuah pulls out a Dry Box. It is a really slick looking cabinet, all black enameled and glass. It is basically a thermidor for your camera and electronic equipment. Quite frankly, it is a pretty simple box in one way but rather complicated in another. So rather than sit here and try to write all the theory on how it manages temperature and humidity, I will pass on a nice review I found that does a much better job at explaining how this little black box works. You can access the sales description/review HERE. at Sha Shin Ki I took home the AIPO Dry Box AP-68EX. It is 15"X15" square and 20" tall. I bought mine for around $200 USD. The space is tight and I probably should have gotten a larger one, but they would have had to order it and that could have taken weeks. So to save on cost, I got the largest they had and it all fits in fine. In fact I have room for the new 5D that Canon may never release, sigh. It has two removable and adjustable shelves and thus gives you three areas to stack your equipment. I have my 5D body with the battery grip, most of my lenses including my 70- 200 2.8 on the bottom shelf. The in the middle shelf my H4 Zoom digital recorder, my 50mm 1.8, two Pocket Wizards and two flashes. On the top shelf there is not much room left so I have two WD Passport Drives and my Pocket Rocket full of CF cards just to be safe. I keep the relative humidity set at 43. I wish I could tell you where to purchase this in the States but with AC running in every home, I don't think there is a big need. So I hope this is the answer to the humidity problem. I'll let you know.