The Digital Photo Guy

Are “They” Seeing What You’re Seeing?

By now, serious readers know there’s monitor calibration, printer profiling, projector profiling and, if you want to get picky, even, camera profiling. Well, do you know about web browser profiling? Say, whaaa???

You perfect your photos by color correcting, adjusting levels, setting black point, adjusting Hue/Saturation, tweaking Vibrance, etc until it’s just the way you want it. But you have no control over how they’re displayed on your viewers’ monitors. They could be viewing your photos on a $12000 Eizo calibrated monitor or a $79 Walmart “We don’t need no steenkin’ calibration” special. Throw in a non-color managed web browser and who knows what they’re actually seeing.

I had planned to embed screen captures from various browsers using photos with and without profiles but decided that was too much trouble. Instead, go to this web site and roll your cursor over the test images. The take away is that you have no control over someone who is cluelessly using a non-color managed web browser but you have some modicum of control over those who are, at least, using an up-to-date browser. In any case, be sure to tag your photos before uploading them.

Alf Goes to the Rainbow Bridge

Last year, I wrote about my cantankerous, obnoxious, geriatric buddy, Alf. She was 21 years old and her body was beginning to fail her. I was afraid of waiting too long to help her slip the surly bonds of this world yet, I feared prematurely losing my buddy.

Last week, we took her to the vet for a “Quality of Life” exam. Alf was having a good day and amazed the doctor by leaping up and down from chairs and conducting a “perimeter check” of the examination room. The vet said she couldn’t find anything amiss with Alf.

Today, Alf went into convulsions and respiratory distress. In a panic, I wrapped her in her favorite towel and rushed her to the vet. The vet took one look and said she was beyond anything that even advanced treatments could do for her. Fortunately, my wife was able to get away from work and meet us at the vet’s office. We said our goodbyes and the vet helped Alf escape the prison of her worn out body.

May you always nap in your favorite warm spot, Alf. Thanks for all the joy you’ve brought us over the years.

What Can I Say? I’m a Little Slow!

I never understood the fervor over tablets. Who the heck wants to pay $500 to play games or watch videos on a tiny screen? What advantage does a soft keyboard offer over real keyboards? How can I run Lightroom on such anemic hardware?

Nevertheless, I knew my target audience was buying them so I had to understand their appeal. When Costco reduced the Vizio VTAB1008 tablet to $189, I rolled the dice. After playing with it for a few weeks, I finally understand the tablet’s role. This is the new TV, stereo, newspaper, map, GPS, Yellow Pages and Post Office, all rolled up into one device. In other words, it’s strictly for entertainment and info lookup. Instead of looking in TV Guide, use the tablet. Instead of watching TV, watch YouTube on the ’net. No more Yellow Pages, order take out Chinese on-line.

If you want to do serious work such as enhancing and editing photos in LR, PS or PSE, you still need a real PC. Analyzing the genetic makeup of a killer rhinovirus outbreak in Hong Kong ain’t gonna be on a tablet! The catchy phrase of the day for tablets is “information consumption.” The whole idea is to sell you more “stuff,” ie, e-books, videos, music, games, anything to entertain. Bottom line, tablets aren’t really computers.

I found the tablet useful during a recent roadtrip for checking diesel prices, reading e-mail and, in general, entertaining myself. But, when it came time to download, review, rate, enhance, optimize and store nearly 200 photos of bighorn sheep, my big honkin’ laptop was, and still is, the tool of choice. Writing even simple e-mails is a chore on a soft keyboard. Teens with overly developed thumbs, typing in pidgin Textglish, might like it but if you type in complete sentences with proper grammar, soft keyboards are abysmal.

I have, however, discovered tablets are wonderful portfolios. My print portfolio weighs about 10 pounds while the Vizio weighs 1.2 lbs. Of course, an 8″ screen doesn’t have near the impact of a 17″ x 25″ print from an Epson 3880. A tablet is essentially a toy, albeit a fun toy, and there’s no way it’s worth over $250.

Photos from Pt Loma Lighthouse

After all, this is a photography blog so here are some rcent photos. The San Diego Photography Collective had a Meetup at the Pt Loma Lighthouse during its 156th anniversary celebration. The very top of the lighthouse, which is normally closed, was open to the public. I used Topaz Labs Adjust and B&W Effects because those were prizes for a photo contest we concocted for this Meetup.

Given the age of the lighthouse and the docents in period costumes, it seemed appropriate to process these in B&W. The left photo above is Jimmy and a docent. Jimmy is from Quebec and he flew down to San Diego for this event! He had never been to California and thought it might be fun. He’s a great guy and a talented photographer. This was a first for us, no has ever flown in from a foreign country for one of our Meetups.

The middle photo is a docent and the right photo is the spiral staircase inside the lighthouse. Notice the ghost on the landing below! All three were processed in Topaz Labs B&W Effects. The first is an antique sepia preset while the middle is an opalotype preset. I don’t remember what I used for the right photo but I believe it was a classic B&W effect.

On the Snake Oil Salesman, I cranked up the grain and simulated an old daguerreotype. Topaz has a daguerreotype preset but it was too refined for my taste. I wanted this to look like one of the old west posters processed in chemicals long past their useful life. The last one of a gargoyle on the lighthouse roof was processed in Topaz Labs Adjust 5. Afte applying a preset, I pushed it over the top to create a photo appropriate for slasher movies. TA5 was just released and has over 130 presets to get you started.

If you’ve never used Topaz plug-ins, click this LINK and download the fully functional trials. Best of all, Topaz offers FREE upgrades. I bought the entire Topaz suite about 3 years ago and have upgraded most of the plug-ins at least once and some have been upgraded 2 or 3 times.

Long Ago and Far Away…

Why are we still repeating the same mistakes? The names and places change but not the finality. I grieve for the those who didn’t return.

Less Than 400 Peninsular Bighorns Remain

2011 was a banner year for Peninsular Bighorn Sheep in the United States. Over 325 were counted in and around Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, a huge increase from the 255 spotted in 2010. Given that so few of these majestic animals remain in the US, it was a thrill to see a small herd of about ten this weekend at Whitewater Preserve.

All photos were made with a Canon 7D and 300/2.8L IS on a Gitzo 3530LS, Markins M10 ballhead equipped with a Wimberly Sidekick. I was able to get within 100 yards of the sheep so the average sheep filled about 1/3 of the frame. A 400 would have been ideal and a 500 would have been overkill unless you wanted to see up their nostrils.

I plan to go back the first part of December so if you want to join me, keep an eye on my Meetup site. I’ll post an announcement as soon as I work out the details.

Just a Few Seats Left for the Best Lightroom Training

Next weekend, November 12 and 13, George Jardine will be in San Diego to teach his outstanding LR3 Workshop. The Workshop is regularly $395 but, if you hurry, you can get into this class for just $245. That’s a whopping $150 off. To get your discount code, email George at georgej@gmail.com. Tell him you’re an FOL (Friend of Lee.) I hope to see you at the workshop.

FYI, I’m paying the same price as everyone else. I have no financial interest in this class, just a desire to help my readers get the best Lightroom training.