The all-new AskDane episode is LIVE! CLICK HERE to watch it now.

- Dane

The all-new AskDane video podcast is debuting on January 1st, 2009 a few moments before 4pm PST.

This is to coincide with the already announced Fast Track Coaching - think of it as a LIVE AskDane!

All AskDane episodes will be FREE but to celebrate the launch, we’re going to make the inaugural Fast Track Coaching call FREE as well to give folks a taste of what’s to come.

And if that weren’t enough, Kevin Kubota will be joining me to help answer your questions too. Our hope is to have a surprise guest each week!

The new AskDane.com site will be up and running any moment now so be sure to check it out and rate episodes as they air each Tuesday.

This week’s Fast Track Coaching call can be accessed *HERE*! I can’t wait!!

Happy New Year!
-Dane

PS… I’m a little late to technorati but I finally claimed my blog there and needed to post my profile (Technorati Profile)… if you’re wanting to help your SEO, you might want to do the same.

TWO BIG ANNOUNCEMENTS…

First, I am offering a photo business educational system that is affordable to everyone!

It’s called Fast Track Coaching and this is what it includes…

* LIVE half-hour small group Q/A Coaching with Dane (and special guests when available) every week!

* Audio link available online or by telephone (you can listen from the road)!

* Questions are limited to immediate felt needs only to maximize return on investment!

* All sessions are recorded and available for subscribers to listen to whenever it is convenient!

* Coaching begins in January!

* Introductory Price is for limited time only… and the best part is it’s only $9/month!

*CLICK HERE* TO JOIN TODAY… SPACE IS LIMITED!

Click to Play

With five episodes in the can (some of you have seen a super sneak peek), all I can say is they really are fun…

The video above explains a bit more and the best part about it is it’s FREE!

Take that Mr. Recession!

-Dane

To strap or not to strap… that is the question.

For the last few years, I have traded in my Canon shoulder straps in exchange for the more stealth wrist strap (Canon’s E1). Even when carrying two bodies, I found the long straps too cumbersome when actually shooting. They only seemed to help when moving between shoots but even then, the strap only served to transport well. When shooting, it ceased having a function.

I’ve been generally happy with the wrist solution but of late given the great ergonomics of Canon’s bodies and my minimalist preferences forced the question, why use anything at all?

Of course, the answer is that I still needed some sort of means to secure the camera when moving from spot to spot. This is exasperated when you have four kids and need to go hands free when shooting things like Halloween and need to grab your daughters hand in a crowd. It’s also handy if you’re in a location where you’d like to hide your camera away but still be able to get to it very quickly. Think photojournalistic, missional or street photography.

Enter BlackRapid’s FastenR Camera Strap: So when I got my hands on a BlackRapid (thanks to Photojojo’s recent post), I was blown away at its simplicity and thoughtful design.

From the minimalistic sheath (I prefer the RS-1) to the camera stop at the waist to the industrial strength bottom-of-camera fastener…

… it all added up to the strap many wish they thought of inventing themselves. It’s really that good.

I think all things being equal, I still prefer shooting sans strap but when I’m on the move and inevitably need my hands for other purposes along the way, this is by far the best solution I’ve ever found to keep my camera close by.

Highly recommended.

Keep it stealth.
- Dane

PS… Here are some cool videos to see the R Strap in action. Please note I don’t get any commission or kickback for this endorsement but if you decide to get one, please say hi to Ron and Melissa for me! Thanks!!