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Two Upcoming Workshops in NJ on Image Management/Backup and Lightroom Printing – 12/13 and 12/15, 2013

There is a fantastic free event happening at Unique Photo in Fairfield, NJ from Fri. 12/13-12/15, 2013 called the NJ Camera Show. It’s a great opportunity to try out different lenses and other gear, and see a lot of speakers covering many topics, including how to use your DSLR more effectively (registration is generally $10 for most of the classes, and you then get that $10 back to use in the store, which is packed full of photo and video gear). Quick tip: bring a few extra SD or CF cards so that you can put them in different cameras and then take the cards home to see the cameras’ and lenses’ image quality.

ANDREW DARLOW’S UPCOMING WORKSHOP AT THE NJ CAMERA SHOW 

Date: Fri. Dec. 13, 2013
Time: 1:00pm – 2:00pm (during the NJ Camera Show) 
(Please register for the show before registering for this or any other workshop.)

In this one hour lecture, Andrew will cover these and other topics:

– How to avoid pop-up messages and applications that want to “help” you bring your images into your computer when you connect a media card or camera.
– How to set up a “bullet-proof” system for downloading and cataloging your files using the Apple OS and either Apple Aperture or Adobe Lightroom.
– Suggestions for a few affordable “set it and forget it” unlimited backup systems.
– An easy (and free) service that allows you to create auto backups of your Lightroom catalog(s) to “the Cloud.”
– Tips for easily transferring and selectively deleting still photos and videos from your iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch while still being able to keep some of them to show friends and family.

PLEASE NOTE: This workshop was designed for and will be tailored to users of Mac OSX 10.7 (Lion), 10.8 (Mountain Lion), or 10.9 (Mavericks).

To register for the camera show, visit https://www.uniquephoto.com/njcamerashow. Then, to register for Andrew’s workshop, visit this page: https://www.uniquephoto.com/event/856

ANDREW DARLOW’S UPCOMING LIGHTROOM PRINTING WORKSHOP IN NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ

Date: Sun, Dec. 15, 2013
Time: 11:00am – 3:00pm

Whether you make prints on your own printer or use a lab, one thing always stays constant-to get great results, you’ve got to color manage your system and prepare your files properly. Adobe Photoshop Lightroom offers many powerful tools for organizing, editing printing and exporting images.

A partial list of what will be covered:

• How to make sure that your monitor and lighting are set up properly;
• How to determine and set the resolution of your images;
• How to quickly and inexpensively test the color & quality of any printer or photo lab; and
• Specific Lightroom Print Module Workflow tips.

A printed handout and links to more than 100 custom Print Module templates will also be provided to all attendees. Each participant will receive 40-50 sheets of letter-size fine-art papers valued at over $40. Readers of ImagingBuffet.com will also receive a follow-up 30 minute phone consultation with Andrew Darlow.

Workshop Fee: $89 per person

To see a full workshop description or to register, please visit https://lightroom15.eventbrite.com

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PhotoPlus Expo Returns to NYC This Week, and a Quick Review of the Mobile App

One of the highlights of my year is the PhotoPlus International Expo + Conference, held in New York City. This is the 30th Anniversary of the show, which is being held at the Jacob Javits Convention Center from 10/23-10/26, 2013 (trade show runs from 10/24-10/26). Over the last 20+ years I’ve had the opportunity to be a part of the event in many ways, from being an attendee (like most of the 20,000+ people who are expected to attend this year), as an exhibitor, as a speaker and as a member of the Press. All of the experiences have contributed to my love for photography and my overall education. It’s also been a place where I’ve met and have had a chance to catch up with many of the people whom I respect and with whom I’ve become good friends.

Quick Review: PhotoPlus Mobile App

This year, the company who runs the Expo built a new app for iOS, Android, Blackberry and other Smartphones to make the experience of finding everything at the show a lot easier. I downloaded the iOS version for my iPhone and found it fast, easy to navigate and extremely useful. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to go to the main website in the past and hunt around to find the trade show hours, or information about the Keynotes, seminars, special events, etc. The fact that all the exhibitors are listed both alphabetically and by product category (with their booth number just under their name) is fantastic, and you can even press the star in the top left of just about any page to add it to your Favorites (a list of Favorites will then be visible on the page for each category (Exhibitors, Seminars, Special Events, etc.), as well as under the Star on the main page of the app (you can find it just under Special Events)).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is even an option to view “Exhibitors with Show Specials,” and if you click through, the specific show special will be listed. If you are really organized, you can press the “Add to Agenda” button on any exhibitor page to bring up a calendar where you can insert the item into whatever time slot and on whatever date you choose.

To download the PhotoPlus Mobile App, visit this page: https://app.photoplusexpo.com/landing/

Quick Tip for Testing Lenses and Cameras at the Show

The ability to see different papers, print processes, try out different cameras, lenses and other equipment on the show floor are main reasons why many people come to the show, and I highly recommend bringing a few extra SD and/or CF cards to put in any cameras that you’d like to test out. Also have a safe and dust-free place for your current lens to go while you are testing a lens (or better yet, just keep a body cap on your lens, and place it in a small zipper bag to keep dust at a minimum while you are testing lenses).

Related Articles

Below are articles with my “First Day Impressions” and “Second Day Impressions” from last year’s show (Oct. 2012). The vast majority of the companies listed in the articles below will be there again this year, so this information can be very useful for planning your walk through the trade show.

https://imagingbuffet.com/2012/10/26/photoplus-expo-2012-first-day-impressions-from-the-show-floor/
https://imagingbuffet.com/2012/10/27/photoplus-expo-2012-second-day-impressions-from-the-show-floor

And here are links to two more articles from past shows:
https://imagingbuffet.com/2009/10/23/photoplus-expo-new-york-city-1st-day-observations-5-trade-show-booth-suggestions/
https://imagingbuffet.com/2010/10/29/2010-photoplus-expo-review-day-1/

As in the past, I’ll be posting my thoughts and sharing photos from the show floor on Facebook and Twitter. I will also be sharing links to information like booth presentation schedules from different exhibitors. The amount of information you can learn at the talks happening on the show floor is truly incredible. You can keep updated by “Liking” my page here and/or by following me on Twitter here.

Enjoy the show, and if you see me running around the show floor, please say hi!

Link to the main page for the PhotoPlus International Expo + Conference.

Link to a PDF with a pricing guide for the show.

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Hands-on Review: c’t Digital Photography Magazine

A few months back I was sent Issue 7 (Spring 2012) of c’t Digital Photography magazine to review. The magazine’s tagline is “The in-depth quarterly for the photo enthusiast,” and I wholeheartedly agree. It’s a very in-depth magazine that reads almost like a series of well-written and illustrated “mini books” by people who truly know and take time to research the topics they cover. The magazine is published quarterly by Rocky Nook and is available in print form, as well as via an iPad app and Zinio.com.

Below are just a few of the topics that are covered in detail in Issue 7 with some of my comments below in quotes. You can see a full overview of the issue (and all of the issues printed to date) on the company’s website at https://www.ct-digiphoto.com, or in its entirety in low-res prior to purchase via its iPad app or on Zinio.com:

Portfolio: Martin Stranka: “An outstanding body of work by Martin Stranka, and a great Q&A with the artist.”

The Making of Times Square by Bert Monroy: “I had a chance to see the 300 inch wide (7.62 meters) Times Square backlit print at PhotoPlus Expo in NYC in 2010 that took Bert Monroy four years to produce. It was output on an Epson Stylus Pro 9900 and Epson’s DisplayTrans film. Jaw-dropping is the description I would use for the amount of detail and clarity in the image, not to mention the scale of the piece. Many short video tutorials by Bert Monroy, showing examples of how different sections came together are also on the issue’s DVD.”

Gigapixel Images: “Just an incredible overview of gigapixel photography, from double-page spreads of amazing imagery, to techniques and equipment (some affordable, and some costing as much as a car!)”

Your iPad Assistant: “A very-well written overview of a very complex topic. I’ve used an iPad as a wireless “Polaroid” and it is amazing once you have the right SD card or other wireless transfer solution, once all the right apps are downloaded, and once all the settings are properly set on the iPad.”

Pseudo DRI and Pseudo HDR: “Another incredible article that digs deep into a complex topic. I was truly amazed at how much information was included on how to get amazing detail from a single exposure. Shooting tips and specific step-by-step tutorials for the Photomatix Lightroom Plug-in and tips for using Adobe Photoshop’s CS5/CS6’s HDR tool were also covered. They even included some presets for Photomatix on the DVD, which will be welcomed by anyone who owns the application.”

Light Art Performance Photography (LAPP): “This was over-the-top amazing. If you’ve ever wondered how people create spheres of light or other amazing effects with light on film or by using digital cameras, Joerg Miedza and JanLeonardo Woellert, co-authors of the book “Painting with Light” go into detail about how it’s done, including specific information about what lights work particularly well, and how to build a “Performance Stick.” Also, the imagery in the book and in the e-book is stunning; even if you have no interest in learning the techniques, you should take a look at the images.”

System Camera Test: “I’m sure that this in-depth review of high-end and mid-range mirrorless cameras took a lot of time and effort (when you see the charts full of specs you’ll see what I mean!). I think they did a fantastic job testing these five cameras: The Nikon 1 V1, Olympus PEN E-P3, Nikon Coolpix P7100, Sony SLT-A77V and the Sony NEX 5N.”

Free RAW Processing with RawTherapee: “This was an impressive overview and tutorial of a free piece of software for converting RAW images.”

The Lightroom Workflow: “An excellent guide to getting started in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, with many tips for importing, organizing, developing, exporting and presenting your images. Lightroom 3 is used since that was the shipping version when it was written, but the vast majority of the information will pertain to Lightroom 4.”

I found something of interest in every article, and thought that the e-book alone that is on the enclosed DVD for Issue 7 entitled Painting with Light (Rocky Nook, 2011) was worth the $14.99 cover price (US/CAN) or $9.99 per issue for the iPad version. The DVD download for each specific issue is also provided when you purchase the specific issues via the magazine’s iPad edition, and according to the information on Zinio.com, “As of Issue 8, the free DVD supplied with the print edition is available for download to purchasers of the Zinio edition.”

I highly recommend c’t Digital Photography magazine and will be subscribing soon (probably to the Zinio edition, but the printed edition looked so good that I might go for the ink on paper option instead). Decisions, decisions…