Category — Color Management

Epson Stylus Pro 7900

Epson has officially unveiled the newest generation of their 24- and 44-inch pigment-based, inkjet printers: the Stylus Pro 7900 and 9900. [True confession: my inner-geek gets all tingly at times like this.]

My initial assessment is that the Stylus Pro 7900 and 9900 offer a slate of great innovations that focus on three goals - finer print detail, faster print speed and expanded color gamut. Among the new technologies are: [Read more →]

I’m a big advocate of shooting tethered into Lightroom. Great synergies result when I send images from my DSLR straight into Lightroom.  Even on location shoots, I’ll tie my camera into my laptop. Here’s a run down of the benefits of tethered shooting - for both photographers and their clients. [Read more →]

The big deal about Firefox 3, from a photographer’s viewpoint, is that it has color management capabilities. If you’ve not read my post Firefox 3 For Photographers, you should check that out as well. It’s important to understand that while Firefox 3 has color management in the code, the feature is not activated, nor is it even easy to get to.

Why Wasn’t Color Management Activated In Firefox 3?

As much as photographers would like to think that Firefox 3 was created just for them, it’s important to remember that each generation of the program must respond to the needs and wants of millions of users around the globe. In the eye’s of Mozilla, there weren’t enough ICC-profiled images on the web to make it a priority - especially since activating color management slows Firefox 3 down. (Some say the performance hit is in the range of 10-15% slower). [Read more →]

The third generation of Firefox was released on June 17th with more than 8 million downloads during the first 24 hours [a world-record according to Mozilla, the non-profit that orchestrates the worldwide development of this popular web browser]. As of this writing, less than a week after the launch, the download count has exceeded 17 million.

What’s so cool about Firefox as a web browser? First, it’s a global, cooperative effort (available in 45 languages). Second, it’s open source (meaning that anyone can create widgets and plug-ins to add special functionality). Some of my favorite plug-ins for photographers are listed below. Third, it’s free (but donations at Mozilla and plug-in developer sites are always welcome).

As a modern photographer, chances are that you’re using Firefox right now. According to the digital bean counters at PixSylated, of 15,000 people who have visited this site during past two months: 46% use Firefox, 28% use Internet Explorer and 23% use Safari. So, if you’re not using Firefox (yet), your neighbor probably is.

[Read more →]

It’s always fun to watch the waves of new digital technology pound on the shore of established workflow. On June 3rd, Nikon announced the introduction of Capture NX 2 — the second-generation of its innovative approach to RAW processing. Simultaneously, Acme Educational, the brainchild of Vincent Versace, announced the release of the 2-DVD set “Unleashing The RAW Power of Capture NX 2“. So, you can get a headstart on your NX 2 workflow by getting the disks from Acme now at an early-bird price {details below}. Nikon is slated to start shipping NX 2 around June 20th.

Just as Lightroom brought a new interface to Adobe’s approach to RAW processing, Capture NX uses an equally intriguing, yet competing, approach. At the heart of Capture NX are Control Points - essentially a set of sliders that you drag to the point of correction. Think of Control Points as a heads-up display on the windshield of a jet fighter… your controls are right at the point that you want to watch. [Read more →]

In the world of fine art photography, it’s often hard to figure out where the image capture ends and the printmaking begins. Many photographers begin visualizing the final print before their finger hits the shutter button. Others won’t begin to see the potential of their images until they’ve spent several hours in front of a computer monitor. The important point here is to understand that the process of creating a well-crafted, fine art photograph is a continuum and not a series of disconnected steps.

I attended The Fine Art of Digital Printing workshop in Santa Barbara last fall. So, I can personally attest to the fact that investing a week in FADP is an amazing way to catapult your printmaking skills forward. It’s a total immersion program — like Berlitz for photographers. [Read more →]

If you’re looking to take your Photoshop skills from the ordinary to the extraordinary, check out the interactive DVDs produced by Acme Educational. The brainchild of Vincent Versace, the Acme gang also includes John Paul Caponigro, Mac Holbert, and Lee Varis.

Do these names sound familiar? You may have attended their sessions at Photoshop World or read Versace’s Welcome to Oz, Caponigro’s classic Adobe Photoshop Master Class, Holbert’s insights in Nash Editions, or Varis’ innovative Skin. While I always enjoy spending time with a well-crafted book, I learn best when I’m seeing, hearing and doing - all at the same time. This is why Acme shines. [Read more →]

Let’s embrace the obvious. Many photographers feel that investing time and effort into learning color management is the digital equivalent of going to the dentist. Unless you are an uber-geek, I bet that you would rather study DIY acupuncture, medieval French literature or the genome of the common fruit fly than cuddle up with a long piece on the theory of color management. Fear not. Color management is built upon simple truths. Many of which are close at hand.

Let’s start with the following. I think you’ll recognize it as irrefutable proof about why it’s important to know at least the basics of color management.

Huh? O.K. Stick with me and I’ll lay it out for you. [Read more →]