Nov 03 2009

Learning All About The Amazing DNG

AC_Blog_091103_1In my last post I featured the nifty “DNG Recover Edges” and made the point that it only works on DNGs. I discovered this nifty, free application while researching my column for the latest October/November 2009 issue of AfterCapture. In “Catching Up with the Amazing DNG” I celebrate how far the DNG has come in five years, since it was publicly announced by Adobe on September 27, 2004.

If you would appreciate a little background information on the DNG or to better understand how this amazing file format continues to pick up steam in its march towards a universal standard, give my piece a read. It’s based in large part by conversations with Adobe’s Tom Hogarty and digital workflow guru Peter Krogh.

Both touched on some pretty heady technical developments about the DNG, which were both hard to understand and even harder to communicate. However, both Hogarty and Krogh insisted that what really matters Continue reading “Learning All About The Amazing DNG”

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Oct 29 2009

Richard Anderson In Person

Category: AfterCapture & Rangefinder Articles, Books, PhotographersEthan G. Salwen @ 10:43 am
No, this is not Richard Anderson, but it is one of his images.

No, this is not Richard Anderson. But it is one of his images.

Photographer, digital standards expert and photography community activist Richard Anderson is incredibly mild mannered — definitely easy to miss in the massive crowds of PhotoPlus Expo, but definitely worth tracking down to see face-to-face. That’s what I did last Thursday, borrowing a cell phone from Judy Herrmann (Thanks, Judy. My cheap, three-year-old Argentine cell phone is no iPhone), and meeting up with Anderson to shoot the breeze in person, which we hadn’t done in two years.

I talk to Anderson fairly often, as he is always incredibly generous with his time and knowledge, and he provides me information to improve my reporting, and also acts as a sounding board on the issues most important to cover.

As the driving force behind dpBestflow.org, the co-author of Digital Photography Best Practices and Workflow Handbook and the princial author of UPDIG, Anderson knows a heck of lot about all things related to the broad, critical topic of digital best practices — from in-camera exposure to final file hand-off.

The thing is, such a statement makes Anderson sound like Continue reading “Richard Anderson In Person”

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Jun 30 2009

Self-Directed Projects Pay

ACMF_NG_093In the most recent issue of April 2009 “After Capture,” Kate Stanworth highlights the work of photographer Sophie Pangrazzi in her article “Defying Gravity.” It’s a great read, as Stanworth has a gift for describing images in luscious words. Stanworth also offers great insights on Pangrazzi’s creative process.

Of particular interest to me was the fact that Stanworth explains that “the key to her success has been to orchestrate her own projects, allowing her to stay one step ahead of the game and to realize her unique flights of imagination.” Continue reading “Self-Directed Projects Pay”

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May 14 2009

DxO Strikes Again. More RAW Sensor Data!

ACMF_NG_061“Paris, France – May 14, 2009 – DxO Labs announces today the publication of detailed RAW-based image quality data and DxOMark Sensor rankings on its popular www.dxomark.com website for two additional medium-format cameras, the Phase One P65+ and the Hasselblad H3DII 50.”

This is from a press release released today by DxO Labs, the French software developer that has put non-biased raw sensor data directly into the hands of us “regular ole photographers” (my language, not theirs). The press release is not that exciting, but the site is really cool site, and using it is free. No need to even sign in. (Phew.) Continue reading “DxO Strikes Again. More RAW Sensor Data!”

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Aug 08 2008

The Utterly Fresh Vision of Joey L

Category: AfterCapture & Rangefinder Articles, PhotographersEthan G. Salwen @ 7:14 am

ACMF_080808_JoeyL_1If you’re not familiar with the commercial and documentary portraits of the globetrotting Joey L, check out his website for a wild ride. His stylized, edgy and intimate work is sure to leave an impression.

Joey L (a.k.a. Joey Lawrence) is a Canadian fine artist whose clients include Warner Brothers Records, NBC, United Way and the Salvation Army. His deep interest in other people comes across in his images. His subjects appear riveted, often staring deeply into the lens.

Continue reading “The Utterly Fresh Vision of Joey L”

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Aug 03 2008

Do You LOVE What You Photograph?

ACMF_080803_DoYouLove_1_hr_reelsefxI often hear successful—and satisfied— photographers say that it is critical that photographers are as interested in their subject matter as they are in making images. These same pros say that the smartest business strategy is the path of least resistance: Focus on passion.

I was reminded of this while reading about photographer Jeff Farrell. In a June/July 2007 AfterCapture article profiling Farrell, writer and photographer Peter Kotsinadelis explains that one reason Farrell is having incredible success is because he provides art direction and graphic design services in addition to his photography.

However, Kostinadelis makes it clear that the foundation of Farrell’s success is his love of everything related to the casino industry, which is the market he serves through his Outpost Productions. Farrell told Kostinadelis: “It always felt like a magical world when I was inside those places—an endless visual buffet.”

Continue reading “Do You LOVE What You Photograph?”

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Jun 25 2008

Find Your Best Work — Creatively!

Category: AfterCapture & Rangefinder Articles, Creative Process, Workflow & DAMEthan G. Salwen @ 9:22 am

ACMF_080626_1Digital imaging offers us all kinds of tools to find our best work. But many photographers still find it difficult to assess their work on screen. Fine art photographer John Paul Caponigro offers some creative ways to go about it.

In “Finding Your Best Work” for his “Illuminating Creativity” column for the December/January 2008 AfterCapture, Caponigro offered some great insights and strategies for how to use Adobe Bridge and Lightroom to approach the creative process of editing in a digital environment.

Although Caponigro’s suggestions might seem fairly obvious after reading them, I think that many photographers will appreciate Continue reading “Find Your Best Work — Creatively!”

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Jun 05 2008

Younger and Younger Every Year

Category: AfterCapture & Rangefinder Articles, Photographers, ViewpointEthan G. Salwen @ 7:04 am

ACMF_080605_Younger_DOU_1The standard “old fashioned” way of “making it” in professional photography—involving a lot of assisting, long-distance networking and a fair dose of luck—seems like Sisyphean nightmare from hell compared to the avenues available to today’s enterprising young photographers.

Fine art photographer Victoria Bjorklunk picked up a camera (digital) only a few years ago and she is already having great professional success with frequent exhibitions. And Bjorklund is certainly an impressive master of her specialty—B&W digital photography. She made this clear while providing expert guidance for my article “Going Black & White—The Easy Way” for the December/January 2008 issue of AfterCapture.

Oleg DOU is a Russian fine art photographer who proves that age is no obstacle to rapid international success. At only 25 the self-taught DOU has already won the Photographer of the Year award in the Continue reading “Younger and Younger Every Year”

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Jun 02 2008

The Awesome Power of Lightroom Presets

ACMF_080602_Lightroom_Presets_AWhile researching my latest column for the June/July 2008 issue of AfterCapture, I got a delicious taste of the truly amazing power of Lightroom presets. These wonderful workflow tools have the potential to not only seriously speed up workflow but also add new levels of creative freedom to image making.

To research “Ready. Preset. Wow!: The Awesome RAW Processing Power of Lightroom Presets” I worked with Argentine fashion photographer Tommy Abad. In just a couple hours he showed me how to take the power of Lightroom presets to the next level.

At the core of Abad’s strategy is his creation of more than 50 highly specific presets, each affecting only one area of Continue reading “The Awesome Power of Lightroom Presets”

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