Jul 30 2008
The new version Adobe Photoshop Lightroom—publically available for beta testing for some time—has finally hit the shelves. But how different is LR2 from LR1? Is it worth the upgrade? What do you get?
Adobe’s lists the top ten bullet point features Continue reading “Is Lightroom 2 Worth the Upgrade?”
Jul 28 2008
When recently researching the Canon 40D, I ran into “sRAW” for the first time. It seemed pretty obvious what this new (to me) file format is: a smaller RAW file captured by the same camera. What I didn’t know were the exact specs of the sRAW format. More important, I simply could not fathom who would ever want to use a smaller RAW file in a given camera. Would you?
On October 25, 2007, Chris Ridley of 11thStudio Photography posted this on his blog:
“sRaw is quite simply is a small version of a standard RAW file, roughly ¼ the size. This sRaw file format is ideal for when you know you won’t need to print any thing bigger than approx 6″ x 4″. This could be a great file format for some—if space is at a premium or if you definitely know you won’t be needing to print a bigger size in the future.”
I don’t know how Ridley figured Continue reading “Who the Heck Uses the sRAW Format???”
Jul 23 2008
Martin Santander hardly ever carries a camera. Chase Jarvis almost always does. Both are professional photographers and both feel strongly that their camera-carrying habits positively benefit their image making—and their lives.
How often we carry our cameras and how the action affects our work and lives is a critical, if often oversimplified issue to consider. Unfortunately, the “To carry or not to carry” discussion seems mostly limited to a few well known photographers insisting that other photographer should always carry their cameras. (I’ve noticed that these photographers often don’t have their own cameras with them when giving this advice!).
The always-carry advice seems like a no-brainer, with the advantages pretty obvious. But what about the disadvantages? In her pivotal, thought provoking book On Photography, Susan Sontag seems to suggest Continue reading “Always Carry Your Camera! – or Not?”
Jul 21 2008
Philip Kuruvita has a thing or three to teach us about the creative AND financial rewards of working almost exclusively in black & white. Such lessons are invaluable now that clients of every ilk are steadily gaining interest in B&W imagery.
Maybe “hunger” is a better word than “interest.” There are few wedding couples and portrait customers that do not want at least a few B&W images. It’s quite typical for entire ad campaigns to be “shot” in B&W. And of course, the hybrid B&W/color images with almost surreal blending of hues and tonality are becoming a staple in the ad world.
Of course, RAW files allow photographers to easily produce images in color, B&W and a multitude of B&W-color hybrids from one capture. So it’s not surprising that Continue reading “Finding Creative and Financial Rewards in Black & White”
Jul 17 2008
There is simply no Photoshop instructor in the world like the tormented, hilarious Donnie Hoyle. In his “You Suck at Photoshop” video series Donnie provides tutorials on a wide range of Photoshop tools while whining and sniffling about his life, which seems to be crumbling further apart with each new episode.
Many of the “You Suck at Photoshop” episodes bring tears to my eyes—even as Donnie insults me and calls his wife (and her lover) names that I cannot print here due to AC Blog’s family-friendly nature.
Jul 16 2008
The Stock Artists Alliance (SAA) has been one of the many photography industry associations heavily involved in working to alter the language in the so-called Orphan Works legislation, with the goal that final version of the law will have a less negative impact on creative professionals. Following is a press release the association issued today. It provides some up-to-date perspectives on the issue, as well as resources for better understanding Orphan Works.
—-
Jul 10 2008
Create low-tech checklists to guide you through your high-tech digital workflows. If you haven’t done so already, you can’t imagine the benefits. Simple, personalized workflow checklists will help you perform your workflow tasks faster and smoother; turn critical work into monkey work; and help illuminate (and solve) workflow glitches as they arise.
If you are shooting and processing hundreds of RAW files (or JPEGs) you have probably scribbled down a lot of notes regarding your workflow actions–from ingestion to archiving. But if you have not made a formalized checklist—I repeat—you cannot imagine the benefits. Such checklists are simple documents you create in Word (or Excel) that outline your individual process, with check boxes included to ensure work interruptions don’t compromise your process.
Continue reading “The Greatest Workflow Aide: A Simple Piece of Paper”
Jul 05 2008
We all know Al Gore invented the Internet, but who invented photography? I have to admit I’m a little confused on what would seem to be a very basic point. Maybe you can help clear things up, or a least throw in your two cents.
When I took history of photography during my first year at RIT in 1988, we were told that it was going to be a pretty exciting year for photography: The 150th year birthday! Then we learned that, while there were a number of guys messing around with seriously dangerous chemicals in the 1830s, it was the Frenchman Louis Daguerre who invented photography in 1839 with his nifty daguerreotype.
