HDR and Photoshop

HDR (High  Dynamic  Range Imaging) can be daunting to start with, but once you start you’ll never stop.  There are very few times when I don’t shoot an exposure bracket  so that I have HDR options; even handheld.  I don’t always merge the images into a 32bit file, but I usually combine bracketed exposures in some manner to expand and manipulate dynamic range.

Digital Imaging author and trainer, Colin Smith, has a number of tutorial videos out that are a good place to start your HDR training.  He did the tutorial videos for Photomatix, which is a must have application for HDR.  Colin’s PhotoshopCAFE website has lots of other useful digital imaging videos.

I’ve been working out some theories on the most practical way to upgrade technology. Cameras, computer hardware, and software technology move at an alarming rate. The question is: when does it make financial and practical sense to upgrade? There are considerations of implementation and cost involved. Here I will outline these considerations and my theories and strategies.
Moore’s Law describes a long-term trend in computer hardware where capacity of circuitry doubles every 24 months. These same principles can be applied to almost all technologies, though the timing is different for every technology and situation. Technology upgrade theory is all about cost, implementation, and gain. Developing a good strategy is dependent on the nature of the technology and that must be studied carefully.

Know the Technology and know the habits and schedules of the manufacturers of that technology.
Example #1 Adobe is on an 18Month upgrade cycle: they allow you to skip versions and still get upgrade pricing: and their upgrades are usually major.
Example #2 Nikon usually upgrades the flagship models six-nine months before the top prosumer models. The top of the line prosumer cameras usually have many of the desirable features of the Flagship model at 40% of the price. Nikon is notoriously slow in getting their announced cameras to market.
FYI: Nikon is making a major comeback; the D3X with the 14-24, WOW.
Example #3 Intel Processors are updated very often. The updates usually amount to only small gains (6-15%), but sometimes there is a major leap in the technology. These leaps usually require a new Motherboard with a new chipset. We are currently seeing a technology leap in processors that has captured my attention (probably ancient history by the time you read this). The Intel i7 processors and the X58 chipsets that are currently available on Windows will be coming to a Mac near you soon.

If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It This is very true if it does not interrupt a progression of upgrades, workflow, or resale.
Example #1: The new version of the software doesn’t help me, but the companies upgrade path requires progressive upgrades. It will save me money in the end to upgrade rather than buy a complete license in 18Months.
Example #2 I need to learn how to use this because I’ll need it eventually and I won’t have time to learn it on the spot.
Example #3 Mac computers hold their value through one upgrade cycle, but the resale value takes a huge drop after that. People remember the most recent model info, but have short memories and aren’t willing to pay much after that. An Apple employee taught me this principle of Apple hardware.
Example #4 I’m still running XP on a portable workstation. This is an 11 pound laptop with three hard drives. I tether it to a Canon 1DS Mark III or a Canon 5D on location using Adobe Lightroom. There were software and driver issues with Vista at the time I implemented this mobile workstation. Vista 64Bit could now be installed on this machine, but it works extremely well in its current configuration, so I’m not touching it. Actually, it’s one of the zippiest computers I own, which really helps on location. Also, XP is a solid and mature OS.

Skip a Version, and Keep On Working The time and money required to make an upgrade can be significant. Most of the time, it makes sense to skip a version and keep on working. The exception is for vital technology and major upgrades.
Example #1 I love my Canon G9 compact camera, but it’s not a primary business tool. The newer Canon G10 looks great, but I don’t need it, and the G11 will come out soon enough. Never forget that the pictures don’t wait for you! If you have pictures you want to make with a new technology, don’t hesitate, get it done. The pictures never wait!

The Bleeding Edge I live on the BLEEDING EDGE, because that’s how I roll, but I DO NOT RECOMMEND IT!
Example #1 I built an XP 64 Bit workstation; this workstation costed $12, 000 USD: it has 3 Raid 0 arrays, 18 hard drives, SAS raids, and a custom cooling system. I’m the only guy who can run this monstrosity. It did run like a bat out of hell for its day, but the technology has passed by this bleeding edge masterpiece and now a computer of its specs would only cost around $6000 USD. Note that this bleeding edge machine is not yet three years old. Moore’s Law is totally true here.
Example # 2 My first GPS managed to get me across the river from my destination. It also took me to a Wal-Mart distributor instead of a store and often took me many miles out of the way.

Second Best is Usually Fine In many cases the top of the line comes at a 25-33% premium. This sounds like a pittance to pay, but if you can upgrade more often, you will leapfrog those gains. Sometimes top of the line gear holds its resale better, but this rarely makes up for the investment.
Example #1 Top of the line processors like the extreme line of Intel processors are often 40% more expensive, but the next to best processor is only 6% less efficient when properly over-clocked. The next generation of processors will cost you another 30% if you properly re-market the second best processor you purchased and the performance gain might be 20%. An upgrading process to one of these machines might include buying a processor every 18-36 more, and selling the old on Craigslist or eBay.
Example #2 The top of the line pro versions of digital cameras come at a huge premium. The Canon 1ds Mark III is $7,000 while the Canon 5D Mark II is $2,700. There are some different features, but $4300 is a lot to pay for them.

Disposing of outdated technology is a thankless chore. I always seem to have a bunch of old cell phones, memory cards, and cables around. I don’t want to throw the stuff away, but it’s tricky find a home for outdated technology. I take most of my equipment that still has value to an eBay dealer. He takes 20%, but does a nice job of marketing and shipping the stuff.

Unfortunately, there is no simple answer to upgrading technology. I can only suggest that you make educated decisions; set guidelines for upgrades until enticing new models show up; and above all else know the technology. All the information you need is available on the web today. I’m sure that’s how you found me!

Version 4.0 of the Universal Photographic Digital Imaging Guidelines was recently released. I serve as the Tech Editor of UPDIG, and also worked on branding and design aspects of Version 4.0.

A QUOTE FROM THE SITE:
The UPDIG guidelines aim to clarify issues affecting accurate reproduction and management of digital images. These guidelines were created to establish photographic standards and practices for photographers, designers, printers, and image distributors. The guidelines cover Digital Asset Management, Color Profiling, Metadata, and Photography Workflow.

Version 4.0 of the guidelines represents the industry consensus as of Sept 22, 2008. The guidelines were prepared by the UPDIG Coalition, with the help of many digital imaging professionals, software vendors, and hardware manufacturers. The UPDIG Coalition is dedicated to promoting standards for photographic digital imaging.
END QUOTE

UPDIG 4.0 had many many contributors. I would like to thank the Coalition Member Groups who came together to support this set of best practices for photographic digital imaging. I would also like to personally thank and recognize the great people I worked with directly. Many others contributed, but I worked directly with those listed below:
Richard Anderson- He served UPDIG very well for years. Richard stepped down as managing editor, but continues to collaborate and support UPDIG coalition efforts.
Greg Smith- The Copy Editor who actually knows grammar, spelling, AND photography.
Jon Heal- The web designer who gave the website and guidelines some style.
Michael Voigt- The Flash designer who put the 21 Coalition member groups into a Flash banner that will actually fit on a web page.
Peter Dyson- ASMP’s technology “Jack of All Trades” who got this thing to the web.
Rick McCleary- and the CMYK Working Group (A.K.A. the CMYK Mafia) a group of dedicated prepress guys and printers, who will take your head off if you’re not EXACTLY correct.
Peter Krogh- This DAM guy has offered his expertise to UPDIG from the beginning.
There are way too many dedicated contributors to list who work tirelessly for UPDIG and I know I’m leaving many of you out: Eugene Mopsik, Susan Carr, Judy Herrmann, Jeff Sedlik, Betsy Reid, David Riecks,….. the list goes on and on….GOOD JOB EVERYONE!

MY THOUGHTS FOR THE FUTURE OF UPDIG:
UPDIG is a work in progress which will require constant updates by knowledgeable industry experts. Version 4.0 was always intended to be a stepping stone in the process. Currently there are two sets of Guidelines Photographers and Image Receivers, as well as a Universal Quick Guide. I believe it would be prudent to re-write the guidelines in four sections: Photographers, Designers, Printers, and Image Distributors. This would shorten the reading necessary for a specific industry and clarify many issues of image handoff and workflow, as well as assign responsibility for specific tasks. A photographer might want to read the printer’s version and vice versa, but the photographer would know the material was written for a printer’s knowledge, needs, and point of view.

The current Guidelines (V4.0) are written and edited in Microsoft Word, then converted to PDF for distribution. Alternative HTML versions are also available, but the formatting and readability is not as good as the PDF versions. The HTML versions do serve a purpose, they give users a place to link directly to content and they are indexable by search engines. Converting Word documents to PDFs and HTML is not an ideal solution because updates are difficult. However, Word has been a useful tool because so much editing was in progress.

A collaborative Wiki or Content Management System (CMS) will ultimately be an excellent way to move the Guidelines forward. Pete Dyson from ASMP created a WIKI system for UPDIG, but I don’t think we were ready for it. The structure of the organization needs to first be defined with editors and a vetting process for changes.

I also think the Quick Guide should be printed as a three fold brochure and run as advertisements in magazines like PDN. The Quick Guide is an excellent promotion piece for marketing the complete Guidelines. It should be distributed by the UPDIG Coalition Member Groups. While we are on the topic of printing, UPDIG would make a great book. However, there are many very important intellectual property concerns that need to be addressed prior to anything of this nature. The UPDIG Coalition must first research and implement open source intellectual property standards and procedures.

I know that all digital imaging professionals will one day come together to make the world a more beautiful place; a place with bright colorful images that are sharpened correctly, properly licensed, and perfectly printed.

I’m giving two hands on weekend workshops this summer at the School of Visual Arts(SVA) in NY City. All workshops take place on Saturday and Sunday from 10am-5 pm and include access to your own computer workstation.

Digital Asset Management: Where is My DAM File
With Michael Stewart, Digital Photography Expert
June 21-22
This intensive course will put the “flow” back into your digital photography workflow. It’s not a coincidence that successful photographers and profitable photo businesses are the most organized! Learn how to add keywords, manage metadata and streamline digital asset management tasks with different programs, including Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, Adobe Bridge and Microsoft Expression Media.
http://www.schoolofvisualarts.edu/ceCourseFinder/app?sCourse=SWC-2341-A

Panoramic, HDR and Synthetic Depth of Field Photography
With Michael Stewart, Digital Photography Expert
July 26-27
This course will explore creative panoramic stitching and shooting, and processing HDR images and synthetic depth-of-field techniques. Starting with camera settings and shooting tips, we will quickly move into processing files with Adobe Photoshop to build HDR files that contain detail in the whitest whites and deepest shadows. Learn how to work with PhotoMerge to create stunning panoramic images and how to use image stacking to increase depth of field
http://www.schoolofvisualarts.edu/ceCourseFinder/app?sCourse=SWC-2381-A

For complete registration information please visit:

http://www.schoolofvisualarts.edu/ce/index.jsp?sid0=3&sid1=65&page_id=712

SVA has a wonderful MFA Photography Program! Katrin Eismann developed the Masters in Digital Photography program at SVA and she is now the Chair of the program.

Day One:
On the plane ride to Orlando I read four chapters of Christian Bloch’s HDRI Handbook. It’s a great book if you’re into the math behind the pixels. I also played with my new Garmin eTrex Vista HCx. I’ll do a full blog on how to use this nifty little GPS to GeoTag photographs later. Once in Orlando, I had lunch with Photographer/Designer Kimberly Teichrow from Oregon. She was on her way to attend a hands-on digital wedding photography class, and I was on my way to the Epson Print Academy. We had a nice conversation about photography and design then split off to go to our workshops. With 4,000 Photoshop users in attendance, random meetings with like-minded Photoshop users are common.

My first workshop was the Epson Print Academy held by John Paul Caponigro, Andrew Rodney, and Jeff Schewe. This was a four hour session that dealt with many aspects of modern printing including: color management, soft proofing, CMYK proofing, B&W conversions, color correction, sharpening, drivers, rips, etc. We made Epson 3800 prints on Exhibition Fiber Paper, which has really amazing blacks. Here are some profiles for the paper from PixelGenius . There is an excellent set of resources available on the web for attendees, but the site is password protected, sorry. Much of the information can be found on the instructors respective websites.

My first evening was fairly uneventful and ended up hitting the sack fairly early. This first night was the only real sleep I got on this trip.

Day Two:
The Keynote featured Photoshop Express which is Adobe’s new online image editing application;
Lightroom 2.0 Beta which is available as 30 day trial or an ongoing beta for Lightroom 1.0 users; and a sneak peek at Photoshop CS4′s new features. There are lot’s of nice under the hood improvements and some nice tool additions. The biggest surprise was that Photoshop CS4 will initially ship a 64 bit version for Windows Vista, but not Mac. Luckily, I’m a bleeding edge Vista 64 bit Photoshop User.

My first Wednesday workshop was Photoshop & Dreamweaver Interface Design, by Rafael “RC” Concepcion. RC is pretty slick at Cascading Style Sheets and he gives a nice energetic lecture. I certainly learned a lot about designing websites using Photoshop to get the look, then slicing it all up and putting it back together for the web using CSS in Dreamweaver.

My second Wednesday workshop was Creative Suite Integration, by Taz Tally. This seminar was all about getting preferences synced across all you Creative Suite applications, so you can jump back and forth from Photoshop to Illustrator to InDesign, etc. I especially liked the Create Indesign Contact Sheet. This is a much more sophisticated tool then Photoshop’s Contact Sheets.

The rest of Wednesday was spent cruising the show floor looking at technology and listening in on some of the Tech Expo presentation. I talked to reps and picked up literature from: Epson, ModBooks, FJ Westcott, Hoodman, Kelby Training, Wacom, YouSendit, Visible Dust, Pictobooks , WHCC, and many more.

Wednesday night was spent with the editors and staff at PeachPit, Safari Books Online, and the fine authors who work with them. There was some tech talk, but mostly just good people having a good time. We heard Scott Kelby’s band, Big Electric Cat, play at a blues club. We danced and stayed out all night.

Day Three:
Thursday morning is a blur!

Thursday afternoon I attended Every File Has 10 Channels, by Dan Margulis. Dan is a master of mixing channel information. His Photoshop Lab Color book is an excellent resource. Dan duplicates the file then converts the duplicate to a new color space and copies channel information over to his original file. For example, uses channel mixer to pull the black channel of a CMYK image onto an RGB image. This can be used for correcting tone, contrast, color, and sharpness of specific areas of an image. What he does is absolutely amazing using RAW processing software which can accomplish some of these tricks in a much more intuitive manner.

The second workshop I attended on Thursday was Working Digitally In a CMYK World by Andrew Rodney. Andrew did a nice job of going through the steps of converting files to CMYK, soft proofing CMYK, and making cross rendered CMYK proofs.

Thursday night I had dinner with colleagues from the Washington DC area. We had a fantastic time discussing all of our Photoshop experiences. We also made plans to see Colin Finlay speak in DC on April 8th. Colin is a renowned documentary photographer who travels the world photographing the human condition. He has a two books out: Testify and <
a href=”http://www.amazon.com/Darfur-Twenty-Years-Genocide-Sudan/dp/157687415X/ref=pd_bbs_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1207580203&sr=8-3″ target=”_blank”>Darfur.

Day Four:
Friday Morning I saw Digital Panoramics by Stephen Johnson. Stephen covered the history, composition, and tools and techniques of panoramic photography. I think one of the more interesting technologies was Zoomify which is a way to make zoomable images for the web.

This was my fourth Photoshop World Conference & Expo and it’s always an intense experience. The next Photoshop World will be in the fall on the West Coast. The details havn’t been posted yet, so I’ll update this section. I’ll also be at the PhotoPlus Expo conference in NY October 23-25th. I hope to see you at one of these conferences!