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Tag Archives: images
New Free Webinar: David Saffir’s End-to-End Workflow for Creative Photographers
New Free Webinar: David Saffir’s End-to-End Workflow for Creative Photographers
from the press release:
“Join X-Rite and Nik Software for an hour with David Saffir, internationally recognized, award winning portrait, commercial photographer and fine art printmaker. He is the author of the book Mastering Digital Color: A Photographer’s and Artist’s Guide to Controlling Color, published by Thomson. His second book, focused on his photography, is titled The Joy of Discovery, and was published in Spring 2009.
This webinar will teach fundamentals of end-to-end workflow for creative photographers, from pre-visualization through color management, capture and selected image editing techniques.
We will focus on landscape and scenic imagery. Using the latest tools from Nik and X-Rite,
© David Saffir
David will demonstrate his workflow using X-Rite i1 Pro solutions and his techniques with Nik’s Viveza 2 and Silver Efex Pro to achieve the best quality from his images.
Who Should Attend:
• Landscape and Nature Photographers
• Commercial Photographers
• Environmental Portrait and Wedding Photographers
• Fine Art Photographers
• Anyone interested in a creative, color managed workflow
Two sessions will be held on the same day.
Register for your choice of times. Be sure to register today and arrive early for the webinar. Space is limited and they will fill up quickly.
David Saffir’s End-to-End Workflow for Creative Photographers
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 9:00-10:00 AM PDT (check your time zone!)
REGISTER HERE: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/316251139
Or….
David Saffir’s End-to-End Workflow for Creative Photographers
Wednesday, July 13, 2011 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM PDT (check your time zone!)
REGISTER HERE: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/858816979
_______________________________________________________________________
Learn more about David Saffir at http://www.davidsaffir.com
Workshop Update: Getting the Most out of your Desktop Inkjet Printer with David Saffir
Getting the Most out of your Desktop Inkjet Printer - David Saffir instructor $69 Wednesday, December 15th - 6:30pm to 9:30pm SCV Center for Photography, Santa Clarita
Are your photo prints too dark? Is your color flat? Are you just plain frustrated with your desktop printer because you know it can do better! Come spend an evening with print master David Saffir and he will show you:
How to setup your printer out of the box
Create a customized workspace and desktop that will work for you
Decide what to do about display calibration
Setup Photoshop and Lightroom to print correctly
Learn to perform basic printing adjustments for your images
Work through and trouble shoot common printing problems
Evaluate, Store and Archive your prints
This workshop is for beginners and intermediate photographers. You’ll hear tips, tricks, techniques and problem solvers that will make your prints sparkle, and your printer headaches go away! You only need a pen and paper for this workshop, no laptops required.
Click here to register or call 661 904 2092
New Photo Critique Site: Gurushots.com
I’ve just begun contributing to a new photo web site that I think is pretty cool. Called Gurushots.com, it is a site where one can upload an image, have it reviewed in writing by a pro photographer, and get a written critique, tips and suggestions for improvements or additional work.
It’s pretty straightforward in concept and design. The real strength of the site is its lineup of pro photographers available for critiques – truly international, a wide range of professional interests – what’s not to like? Just about any category, landscape to product and beyond, can be critiqued.
Critiques are very systematic. Each critique category is given a written evaluation, and a score from 1-10:
Subject of photo
Composition & Perspective
Focus
Use of camera, exposure & speed
Color & Lighting
Depth of field
General impression
Suggestions for improvement:
I’ve been posting sample critiques on forums like Luminous Landscape, Fred Miranda, Flickr, Photocritiq.com, and others.
You can get your first critique free, after that it’s fee based. Go on, take a look at Gurushots Photo Critique.
Screen Shot of the GuruShots Home Page
New Photography-Based Portal – Phoozl Public Beta Is Live!
My friend and colleague, Harald Johnson, has just launched the “public beta” of his new photography and game site, called Phoozl. (He made up the name. I had nothing to do with this part. Honest.)
Phoozl Public Beta Is Live!
Seriously, this really is a new approach, providing a website destination or portal that houses cool games and other fun activities connected to photos, photography, and other visual arts. Harald is a true entrepreneur and publisher, and his creativity sparks a steady current of ideas. His strong background in photography spans a number of areas.
A quick note: since this is still in beta format, if one web browser gives you hiccups, try another. Firefox seems to work well.
The rest of this interview is in the form of a Q&A:
What sort of games are available on Phoozl?
The current core of Phoozl is the many online “video” games organized in different categories. The total is about 30 at the moment. This list of games, including five “Phoozl-Original” games, will be constantly growing. Games range from puzzles to quizzes to “click mysteries” to “first-person-shooters” and other unique categories.
And what are the “other activities”?
There’s information and learning, too, in the form of Photo IQ quizzes, Photo Tips from photography experts, educational games and “brain-training.”
We will be adding contests, creative challenges, missions, hunts, and “secret events.” And those last things I mentioned will be the true soul of Phoozl.
There is also a PhoozNews blog. A new Community section will be coming online in the near future.
What are the”Secret Events”?
If I tell you all the Secrets… I’ll have to… well, you know. So I can’t tell you. Stay tuned, and check the site!
And you just went live?
Phoozl is live as a “public beta” so now’s the time to test drive it and make suggestions!
How does Phoozl work?
The basics of Phoozl are simple: go the website and hang out. Playing games, reading Photo Tips, Commenting, Reviewing, Phavoriting, etc. Doing basic things like playing a game is free and requires nothing more than your curiosity.
But if you want to get the full Phoozl experience, you are encouraged to Sign Up (again, it’s free). Then you can do a lot more cool stuff. Especially the stuff that’s coming.
Tell me a bit about your background as a photographer and designer.
My background plays right into the creation of Phoozl. I’ve been a pro photographer (commercial and pj), a graphic designer, a creative director and art director, a magazine publisher, a filmmaker, an author of digital printing books, a marketing communications agency owner, and a bunch of things I can’t even remember!
The thread that runs through all these pursuits is creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Especially entrepreneurship. For me, it’s always been about building a business out of whatever I’m doing. A magazine publishing company. An ad agency. An international consulting business. And now, a game and entertainment business. All of these have come out of ideas I’ve had, some whackier or more “out of the box” than others! ;-) And most have been successful. I’m not batting 100%, but pretty close.
What gave you the idea to create Phoozl?
I like to innovate and go into unexplored areas. When I see a problem, a need, or an emptyness, I automatically move toward it and basically jump in with both feet.: “Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. Begin it now.”
One day I saw a huge hole open in front of me; a part of photography that I didn’t think was getting enough attention: the “Phun” in Photography. I have no quarrel with the serious side of photography; I’ve lived and experienced it first-hand for decades. But there’s also room for photography’s playful and adventurous side, too. And this led directly to Phoozl.
What kind of team did you need to make Phoozl a reality?
A good question. Even though the idea came out of my head, I have enough experience to know that I can’t do everything (nor do I want to!). It started first with my wife, who I run everything by. Then I went to my old best-friend and buddy, Richard, who happens to be an entertainment attorney in Hollywood. I needed someone to cover my legal back and to give me “wise counsel.”
Then I needed the people to do the things I didn’t know how to do. Specifically, and because I was also creating original games in addition to a website to house them, I needed programmers and coders who were experienced in gaming.
And finally, I decided to create an Advisory Panel that I could run ideas by to double-check me. This is a varied group including a photographer, gamer, educator, Internet entrepreneur, entertainment executive; a real mix of folks.
(left) Haraldo On A Phoozl Assignment (right) Ricardo Searching for Phoozleers
What challenges stand out in your mind in the creation of Phoozl?
The hardest part was waiting for other people to do the work I was asking them to do, and to not get overly frustrated when things were delayed. And to not throw in the towel completely when things REALLY went south on me. For example, the programmers and coders are basically solo freelancers spread all over. I call them “guys in bedrooms” (even though they’re not all guys) because I can imagine them sitting around in their houses with their laptops doing the work. Sometimes I wouldn’t hear back from someone for a while. Sometimes a LONG while. I was in the middle of an important part of the project with one guy, and he completely disappeared! I mean forever; I’ve never heard from him since. So I had to start that work all over. Talk about frustrating! But I pushed through it. I’ve learned the value of patience. If you knew what my original launch date for Phoozl was, you’d understand!
How do you feel about the result?
I feel great, but remember that this is just the beginning of Phoozl. The recent launch of the website (a “public beta soft launch”) is only Step 1 of a 1,000 steps. Maybe a million! I will be growing Phoozl from now on. Evolving it while listening to what people think and say. I’m actively seeking feedback from people in the photo community about the state of Phoozldom. So make comments and suggestions right away!
Who should be interested in Phoozl?
Anyone who’s a “photo enthusiast”, creatively minded, or visually-oriented person. Skill level doesn’t matter: Pro to amateur. And all ages from 18-80. If you like to have fun (Phun!) and are feeling adventurous or are up for a challenge, make your way over to Phoozl.com to Sign Up and become a “Phoozleer”!
And here’s a challenge to anyone reading this: If you can beat the current High Score (420) for the original game “Get the Shot!”, I’ll promote you and your work on the site. Go ahead, try it. I dare you!
Social Media: Your Next Personal Superpower
New Post, Social Media: Your Next Personal Superpower (on Pro Photo blog)
In my earlier post about using social media, I discussed starting a blog and populating it with content that appeals to your customers. A blog is a great starting point.
Social Media Builds Connections and Profitability
But don’t stop there, because you can use social media resources to reach tens of thousands of people in a way that builds your business and your understanding of your customers. –more–
Special Offer, “Tools of the Trade” Workshop, Saturday January 9
Special offer:
If you attend our Tools of the Trade workshop this Saturday, and you bring a friend, you may qualify for a 25% discount for each of you.
Here’s the catch: one of you has to be a first-timer attending a session at the SCV Center for Photography.
Workshop agenda:
Designed for aspiring professionals, serious amateurs, and pros alike, this session tackles several topics important to success in today’s environment
Venue: Santa Clarita Valley Center for Photography, 28368 Constellation Road, Santa Clarita, CA 91355. Time: 9-3pm
Morning Session: Studio Planning & Set-up.
Physical Environment and Ergonomics, Lighting,
Display/Monitor Selection.
Discover the latest software and hardware the pros use to manage workflow and achieve consistent results.
Getting the Most Out of Your Inkjet Printer:
Camera to printer workflow, selecting a printer, accurate color previews, printing from image editing software,successfully wrestling those pesky printer dialogues into line, media selection, printer troubleshooting, print correction, archiving.
Lunch: on your own
Afternoon Sessions: Fine Art Printmaking
Create Fine Art and Decor Prints for other photographers and galleries. Learn price points, media types, how to work with galleries and organizations, Fine Art Reproduction, etc.
Fine Art Media for Limited Editions, Matching Media and Client Needs, Media Types for Social Photography/Commercial/Fine Art/Other Purposes Q&A & Printing. If time permits, we will make a few prints from student’s files.
Fee: $109, Please call (661) 904 – 2092
bring a friend, qualify for a 25% discount for each of you. Here’s the catch:
one of you has to be a first-timer attending a session at the SCV Center for Photography.
proceed here to the registration page
info@scvphotocenter.com
Image Storage, Protection, and Photography
Every six to twelve months, I have to upgrade the size of my storage system to hold all the image files and related documents and web pages I generate. Being on a budget (like so many people) I developed a workaround that provides speed in storing information, and reliability in backing it up.
I’ve also developed a short checklist for maintenance that may prove useful to others.
Keep in mind that although I use a Mac most of the time, I do own two Windows boxes (gasp!) and many of the ideas and practices described here help in the Windows world, as well.
Hard Drive Storage
I don’t use a RAID setup, or even one of those new-fangled RAID boxes. They’re good, but also expensive.
Instead, I use a pair of 1TB external hard drives made by a reliable manufacturer. Lately it seems like the Lacie is one of the better ones, offering a 1TB, 7200 RPM drive incorporating four connector types (eSATA, USB, Firewire 800 and 400), and a three-year warranty. All this in a metal case, all cables, for about $150. Not bad at all. (by the way, I won’t buy a drive that has less than three-year coverage).
I have these two new drives connected via an add-on eSATA PCI card, which gives the 7200 RPM drives room to breathe at up to 3GB/sec speed. On my Mac tower, the eSATA card is an add-on, for about $45 – and increases throughput speed dramatically as compared to Firewire or USB.
Drive A is the new primary data drive, absorbing all my photo shoots, galleries, new web pages, and the like.
Drive B is the backup drive. Rather than use a RAID setup, I’m most comfortable with using a backup utility like Silverfast (many others like this around) that, on a regular, set schedule, will copy all new files/information from Drive A to backup on Drive B. This creates a virtual clone of the A drive, without any attention from me at all – which means it will get done every day!
What about off-site storage? There are a number of options; I can upload critical image files to my iDisk or to Amazon’s new data storage service, burn them to a reliable metal-based CD and store them in a bank vault, or copy large numbers of files to another drive and store it in a fireproof safe. The idea is to get the information in a protected place away from your main place of work. Another building will do, if only to help protect against fire or theft.
I’ve found this system to be very reliable. I’m pretty sure that in the past six or seven years I have not lost any images to equipment failure in storage. If one drive fails, the backup is there to “protect and serve”.
Not bad for six to twelve months’ protected storage – for just over $300!
On the maintenance side:
At least once a week, if not more, leave your computer on overnight – it runs important automatic maintenance routines in the early morning hours while you are sleeping.
Using Disk Utility, run “repair disk permissions” at least once a week on each drive that you use regularly.
From time to time, use a utility application like Tech Tool Pro and check the condition of the components in your system – memory, video, drive controllers, etc. A down to earth user interface makes this pretty easy.
Create an extra admin-type user account (system preferences>accounts) so you can still access your desktop and other important files if your primary user name becomes unusable. This little tip recently saved my bacon!
Create an extra boot drive, essentially a clone of your home boot drive. If your main drive goes south, you can still boot from here and, hopefully, make repairs.
Here’s a link to a related article on Tom Hubbard’s (PMPN) on the archival nature of CDs and DVDs. It’s a good one!
Technorati – Reporting Issues
My blog is still inaccurately reported on Technorati, in my opinion. I had in the past considered Technorati to be one of the better services in the business.
Technical support and the so-called Get Satisfaction services not responding. I have written to both, inquiring about recent changes in the service and the impact on blog reporting.
I intend to withdraw from that service by Nov 10 if the problems in reporting, and the lack of response continue. Other bloggers are having the same problem – one can see these on the Get Satisfaction forum.
If your blog is on Technorati, I suggest that you check your listing and confirm that it is on track.
Upcoming Seminar: Fotoweek, Nov 9, 2009, Taking Your Photography and Business To The Next Level
Tools of the Trade: Taking your Photography & Business to the Next Level, Sponsored by HP and MEI Computer
Monday, November 9th at VisArts (Rockville Town Center) 155 Gibbs Street, Suite 300, Rockville, MD 20850
9:00-10:30 – Studio Planning & Set-up, Physical Environment and Ergonomics, Lighting, Display/Monitor Selection.Discover the latest software and hardware the pros use to manage workflow and achieve consistent results.
10:30-12:00 – Getting the Most Out of Your Inkjet Printer. Camera to printer workflow: selecting a printer, accurate color previews, printing from image editing software.Media selection. Printer troubleshooting, print correction, archiving.
12:00-1:00 – Lunch With featured printing demonstrations.
1:00-2:30 – Fine Art Printmaking plus Fine Art Reproduction. Create Fine Art and Decor Prints for other photographers and galleries. Learn price points, media types, how to work with galleries and organizations.Fine Art Reproduction, tools for Fine Art Reproduction
2:30-3:30 – Succeeding in Print Competition Avenues for Success: Choosing a competition, understanding print comp terms and conditions, Selecting images, printing, what the judges want to see, and more.
3:45pm-4:30PM Fine Art Media for Limited Editions. Matching Media and Client Needs, Media Types for Social Photography Commercial/Fine Art/Other Purposes
4:30-Finish: Q&A & Printing. Participants are encouraged to bring a high resolution digital file to print.
For more information and registration please visit MEI Computer’s web sign up page.
