Adobe DNG Profile Editor

As I've mentioned, CS4 Camera RAW 5.2 gives you some additional Camera "Profiles" in the Calibration tab. Still in beta, Adobe has the DNG Profles Editor which lets you take a DNG file, presumably converted from a native RAW file format, and make very specific adjustments to how it is rendered. You can then import that "recipe" right into the Camera RAW "Camera Profiles" menu.

Here is the Adobe Labs site, with some good instructions and links to the Editor.

guest post: Model Discovery, by Lou Lesko and Christy Turlington

Lou Lesko has most generously offered to let me post this story first, here- a great collaboration with Christy Turlington. yeah. THAT Christy Turlington. Thanks Lou!
(Lou's blog is here...)

Soon after my seventh or so year in fashion I began to notice that my perspective of the world began to skew a bit. Perfectly normal, lovely people that I met were subject to aesthetic scrutiny in my head as if they were being cast for a job. Too many hours hanging out at the model agencies when I was at an impressionable age, I thought. I tried to shake the critical voices, but when they persisted, I became convinced that I was destined to be a great discoverer of new modeling talent.

It was an embarrassing and expensive two years of shooting test shots of young women that I thought had the “look” to be a model. The first few misfires I dismissed as learning curve. But around the fifteenth or sixteenth presentation to a modeling agency of what I thought would be the next great face, I was advised to stop lurking around shopping malls and just focus on making beautiful pictures of the models that were sent to me.

A young girl that goes on to a successful career as a model needs to have more than just beauty. Recognizing the myriad of raw attributes that make up a potential model is an innate gift that, in spite of our natural visual ability, not all photographers have. To aide me in discussing what to look for in a person that would identify them as a potential model, I’m sharing the pen with one of the most iconic models our time, Christy Turlington. She was discovered at age fourteen by a photographer who was shooting stock photography when he happened to see her and her sister.

Beauty is only skin deep.

Not all beautiful faces are meant to be models. If you come across a beautiful, tall, young girl, watch the way she holds herself. If she seems at ease in her body and in her walk, there could be potential. Great models know how to work the camera. Consider this, when you shoot you are only part of the equation. A fashion spread comes alive when all the parts; lighting, location, photographic talent and a models ability to convey a story through action all come together. A prospective model will exhibit her latent ability to move well in the subtle ways. I can’t offer you a check list, but after you’ve worked with some good models for a few years, you’ll pick up on the subtleties and have a gut feeling about them.

Personality and beauty go hand in hand.

There is shy and then there is really shy. During the years when I was making a living shooting model tests, I would occasionally work with girls whose parent’s ambition for their modeling career was far greater than their own. Part of what you do as a photographer is to create an atmosphere where a rookie model can bring her personality to the surface. But if the model is not one for extroversion you have be sensitive to that. Some girls break out of their shell much later in life than others. Trying to cajole someone into being someone they are not has a boundary. Be aware of it. And please don’t ever say something like it’s a tragedy that a girl who is “perfect for modeling” isn’t working out in front of the camera. Just because a young girl has a beautiful face and body, does not mean that she is preordained to be a model. It’s a choice she has to be comfortable with. Miss Turlington points out that although it was not the case for her, many girls who want to be models do it of their own volition, “Many of my peers pursued their careers and, as result, were maybe even more satisfied with their careers in the end.”

On the other hand, some personalities are perfect for the fashion world. As Miss Turlington puts it, “Having a distinct personality can certainly set you apart from many beautiful young women who have yet to come into that side of themselves.” These are the girls destined to quickly graduate from the local Sunday paper Macy’s ads and onto the international scene. Almost all of the models I’ve worked with have had wonderfully distinct and interesting personalities. And there was a distinct precociousness that I think is helpful dealing with such a crazy industry.

Make sure it’s your gut that’s speaking to you.

Having a nose for potential modeling talent is one thing, having a crush on a beautiful person and disguising it as talent scouting is something else completely. You’ll be shocked by this. There are a lot of people out there who use the “you could be a model” carrot to get dates. If you are at all interested in having a career as a fashion photographer, don’t use your profession as a tool to hit on people. Bad reputations travel at light speed though this industry. Recovering from a bad reputation, especially in the genesis of your career, usually requires that you move to a new city.

If you want to take someone on a date, ask them. And then shoot pictures of them for free after your first kiss. Don’t hide behind some grand promise of a modeling career to get to know person romantically. Because if that person goes on to a huge career as a model, I promise you that they’ll tell the funny story about “the photographer who started my career by trying to get down my pants” at every opportunity.

What do you do when you think your right.

So you’ve been shooting for a few years and you feel your instinct for discovering a new model is pretty viable. What do you do when you come across the perfect girl?

Miss Turlington told me about her experience; “I was taking a lesson with my horse trainer after school one day and a photographer named Denny Cody was taking stock photos at the stable in Southern Florida, where my family lived for a few years. He watched my sister and I for a while and then asked our mother for permission to take our photos at a later date. My older sister was very excited but I still had yet to read a fashion magazine and was therefore both less interested and more uncomfortable posing in front of a camera. I was fourteen with braces, but was tall for my age, 5'8, and still growing. I still can't imagine that Denny could have known what I would become, where my career would take me. I am so overly made up and awkward in those first photos - they were taken in the early 80's - that I can barely see myself in them now.“

When girls start modeling it’s usually around age 13 or 14. If you think that you’ve found a girl with real potential follow these protocols so you’ll be thought of as a decent human being and not a lurking idiot with a camera.

1. Don’t approach the girl, approach the parents of the girl. Offer your photography business card and explain why you’ve been leering that their child for the last ten minutes. Having a camera around your neck is helpful. But, it’s not a wise idea to take a picture of a young girl until after you get permission. No matter how innocent your intentions, pointing a lens at an ingenue from the distance makes you look like a stalker.

2. Don’t expect to shoot pictures that day. Give the parents a few days to check you and your work out. Wait for them to call you. And then arrange a model test for a future date.

3. Make sure you have an agency you can suggest for them to go to. If it’s an agency that you work with regularly, that’s all the better.

Miss Turlington adds, “I would recommend first that the photographer ask to speak to the parent of a young model and to be prepared to offer something like a business card with a website so that the model and her parents can see that you are both legitimate and professional. Generally speaking, I think that attractive people are used to being approached and may not be as apprehensive of such attention, but those with more unusual looks may be understandably wary.”

Lastly, keep in mind that this business isn’t for everyone. No matter how perfect you a think a girl is, if she and her parents decide that the fashion industry isn’t right for the girl, leave it alone.

Creating a comfort zone.

Almost always, the parent of the girl you’re going to shoot will go to the location with you. Never, ever suggest otherwise. If you’re fearful that the parent is going to disrupt your set by being a back seat photographer, don’t be. In situations where you approach a girl and her parents about starting a modeling career, they are usually so overwhelmed that they just sit back and watch.

If someone trusts you with their child to take them to shoot a model test, do not go alone. Have an assistant, make up artist - someone else so it’s not a solo endeavor. Make sure you leave a list of multiple contact points for yourself and have the girl check in at pre-arranged times. There are a lot of scumbags in this world that pose as photographers and give us all a bad name. The onus is on us to be aware of that reality and go to extremes to make sure everyone feels safe. The most important rule of thumb is making sure that your new model is in frequent communication with her home.

The first model test.

Some girls fall into modeling as if they’ve been doing it since birth. Others, who may turn out equally as talented as those that do, don’t. Don’t let the frustration of working with a girl who isn’t quite falling into step turn you into some ridiculous Jekyll and Hyde. I’ve seen photographers huff and puff like children when the shoot is not going as well as they want. Taking on a the roll of discoverer of new models requires that you exhibit patience. Remember, everyone is looking to you as the zen mentor with a camera. Act like one.

A girl’s first model test is going to be awkward. You’re not shooting a magazine cover, you’re shooting a glorified candid for a modeling agency to look at. If a model’s career breaks because of your efforts, then well done. She doesn’t owe you a thing except a pleasant thank you and maybe a subscription to Digital Photo Pro magazine. Photographers are not talent agents so they don’t make money off of a models career. There might be some arrangement where an agency could give you a finders fee, but don’t count on it. Your motivation should be for the love of your industry.

Don’t be disappointed if a models career doesn’t break because of your efforts. Picking a model out of the general population is not easy. There are a lot of attributes that a girl must have to be a successful model. And even if your instinct leads you to a girl of amazing potential, the rest of the industry may not pick up on her right away. As Miss Turlington speaks from her own experience, “I think it is very difficult to know who will make a great model by sight alone. Many famous photographers won't spot it in a model's amateur photos alone and often pass hopefuls by. I think my early breaks came from snaps by photographers taken on ‘go-see's.’ Arthur Elgort met me, shot me, and booked me for a week after Vogue sent me down to see him when I was 16. There are many factors which make an individual photogenic but often beauty is simply in the eye of the beholder.”


Thanks to Lou and Christy- ...again, Lou's site is here.

Lou's book, “Advertising Photography: A Straightforward Guide to a Complex Industry”, is here.

Happy Thanksgiving: a little post-turkey reading

This site is truly some of the wisest advice I've ever read.

The top 5:

1. Ignore everybody.
2. The idea doesn't have to be big. It just has to be yours.
3. Put the hours in.
4. If your biz plan depends on you suddenly being "discovered" by some big shot, your plan will probably fail.
5. You are responsible for your own experience.
...there's much much more.

(how to be creative, here)



that is all. turkey, out.

Update: Camera RAW 5.2

ok, this is VERY cool stuff.



More than simply adding camera support for new models, we have three nice new features, too. We get, found in the Workflow Options, an output sharpening tool. This is a nice feature that lets you work fast, and process and sharpen files for a particular purpose right in Camera RAW, rather than adding a sharpen step in Photoshop. If you "Save Images" right in Camera RAW, it lets you give it some sharpening before saving. I'm not to clear on exactly how that sharpening is applied...



Second, we have a "Targeted Adjustment Tool". This is sweet. This lets you click and drag a specific tone up or down. Want the shadows lighter? Click the shadows, drag the cursor up.

Finally, we get a Snapshots panel, giving us a history of sorts... something that is going to change much of the way we can work in Camera RAW.



There's also a set of additional camera "profiles" I have to look at in the Camera Calibration tab...

I guess plans for my weekend are clear... hours to spend exploring the new stuff, but it really is a great update!

The Adobe page:
Camera Raw 5.2 update
November 25, 2008
Windows | Macintosh
here.

Reception: Photography by Bill Gallery - "Apple Computer: Beginnings"

Photography by Bill Gallery - "Apple Computer: Beginnings"
December 4 through January 15

Opening Reception
Thursday, December 4, 2008
6-9 PM

RSVP to tspis@techsuperpowers.com
Tech Superpowers Digital Lounge | 252 Newbury Street | Boston MA 02116
617-267-9716 x722

Bill's an old friend of mine- he's been shooting for Apple for since the mid-'80s and has put together this collection of shots from various Apple Annuals from that period- some work you just won't see anywhere else... Come join us for the opening reception, meet Bill, and have a little wine and cheese- we're also opening our new Digital Lounge, and trying to re-start the Newbury Street Gallery walks... Come join us!

Adobe Plugins pages

If you're in the mood to explore filters and such, you can either go to Filters>Browse Filters Online, or just go to the Adobe plugin listing here.

This gives you a pretty complete list of plugins and some brief descriptions of what they do, as well as links to the sources.

And by the way... Nik plugins ALL support Smart Objects! They act just like a Smart Filter, and let you go in and re-edit and everything. How cool is that?

Book Updates: Smart Object Pipeline going to press!

WOOHOO!

It looks FRIKKIN INCREDIBLE, astounding design! (Ginger Graziano = Design Goddess) ...and I'll be in deep trouble if I don't mention Kara Helmkamp, Mistress of the RAW, Judge of Poor Grammar, and Editor Extraordinaire!



This is my favorite spread so far... yes, that's the valve cover of a 429 Super Cobra Jet, in one seriously badass Mustang.

Due out in May! Preorder here, from Amazon.

Adobe Configurator

holy CRAP!

This is a little free program that Adobe Labs just announced that lets you buld your workspace like a "box of legos". I have no idea how it works yet, but the site is here.

John Nack's video is here, but you can't watch it until I figure it out first. It is forbidden.

Fun with Automator- Convert RAW to DNG (very nerdy)

Here's what I wanted. I want to download my card to my Desktop and have the RAW files inside processed to DNG for my backup. Automagically.

It really seemed simple enough, but I was thinking the "Hot Folder" approach, making a folder that, when you drop stuff into it, it activates a program. This required more skill in scripting than I have, or at least will admit to.

Ben Long, however, has put together an Automator action that starts up Adobe DNG Converter, and that is where we start. Automator is a free Apple program that allows guys like me to work with scripting as a drag-and-drop interface. They say it's all easy and stuff, but I found it pretty mystifying. Here's a walkthrough on how I made an Automator Application. Using this, I can simply drop my folder on the application icon and it does what I want- well, mostly.

Let's start with exactly what I want to do. I want to plug my card in to my computer and download the files to my desktop. I then want to drop those files onto something that will crank out DNG files and leave my original RAW files alone. Then I can just collect my files and store them away.

The first step is to go to the site with the Automator Action, that's here. Download it, open the .zip file, double-click on the "Convert Raw to DNG.action" and it will ask you if yo want to install it. Say "Install".

Now go to Automator. (Applications>Automator) You'll get this window, select Custom.



Here you have what is described as an intuitive interface. Uh. Maybe it is to some, I didn't really get it right away. On the left you have Actions, or things you can do. You grab them and assemble the Workflow on the right. As far as what I know how to do, the Actions aren't editable, so you get what you get. Ben Long, obviously, knows how to make and edit them... Here I've selected Photos, then I see Ben's Action. I've selected it and dragged it to the right side.



This Action is actually running Adobe DNG Converter, so you have to control it with the fields here. I've set up a folder for receiving my files, called DNG Out, and selected it here. If you leave everything else alone it will not rename or move your files.



The thing nobody really spells out is how you run this thing. Well, first you have to tell it what to run, so we're going to add a folder. Go back to the left side of Automator and pick Files and Folders, and select and drag Find Finder Items to the top of the right side. Now tell it where to look. I made a "RAW in" folder on the desktop and pointed it at that. (Select "other" from the pulldown.)

I also told it to look for .CR2 files, my camera's RAW files. Here's the whole window.



Now. If I go File>Save As, I get this window. If you select "Application" in the dropdown, rather than "Workflow", you'll get a neat little application icon.





All you have to do to use it is to drop your new camera files (usually in the default folder, 100CANON, in my G9's case) into the"RAW in" folder, grab the whole "RAW in" folder and drop it on that icon. Your original files will be sitting in the camera folder, your converted DNG files will be processed out to the DNG out folder. Now I just have to move the files into my storage folders... depending on how I've set that up, of course.

Hopefully this is enough of a tease to get you going using Automator a bit more. It's really kind of, er, fun (total nerd, I know...), and I went on to make a process that makes a new dated folder and duplicate my original RAW files into it to help me file the stuff away... but that's enough for now.

The Automator site is here, with all sorts of help.

For what it's worth, here's my little application, and here's the fancier one. I'm presuming you need Ben's Action installed for this to work, and I take no responsibility if it makes your computer disappear in a puff of smoke. You can open them in Automator and see what makes them work.

Tips for Working on a Computer (RAW Pipeline excerpt)

For most of us who've used our own studio or darkroom, it can be a place devoted solely to work. It can be a haven, a respite from the distractions of the day; it can be a place where you take the phone off the hook, close the door, turn the music on, and concentrate on your work. The darkroom and the studio are a way to shut the world out.

The computer, however, is just the opposite. The machine on your desk is a portal to the entire world. It is anything but a refuge—it is a doorway to endless varieties of distraction.

In a great story by Louis Lesko titled, “Are We Better Off?” from the magazine Digital Photo Pro, (July 8, 2005), Louis talks about working on a print for hours, only to produce nothing usable. He was being constantly distracted by surfing the web, emails, his cell phone, IM, and who knows what else. He then came in to the studio fresh, took virtually everything off the hook, and in about half an hour produced a perfect print.

Louis offered a guideline of productive working habits, which I've amended here. If you follow these guidelines and are aware of the problem, you'll get more and better work done in less time.

Working on a Computer: Rules to Live and Work By
Courtesy of Louis Lesko (“Are We Better Off?” from Digital Photo Pro, July 8, 2005)

1. Check email only three specific times a day. (i.e., morning, after lunch, before leaving studio).
2. Cancel all email alerts subscriptions.
3. Turn off cell phone during non-business hours. Not silent, OFF.
4. Set time limit on Internet browsing.
5. If you exchange email with someone more than twice about the same subject, pick up the phone.
6. Get in touch with new contacts by phone only.
7. Take one day a week off. No computer, no phone. (To quote Louis, “Trust me—all that crap you think you're missing will all be there the following day.”)

Lou Lesko's GREAT site is here. His story "What do you do all day?" is perfect. Read that here.

Even better, why not do exactly what you would do in a darkroom? Why not set up a nice quiet area to work, where there are no distractions? How about a dedicated workstation with a printer that has no access to the web? It's a crazy idea, but maybe crazy enough that it might just work. Hmmm.

Back in the 1980s, it was CB radio (good buddy) that gave us an endless stream of useless information to distract us. Thankfully, CB radio has all but left the public consciousness. I think it's safe to say that the Internet, cell phones, IM, and email are not going away soon. We must learn to work with them, not in spite of them.

BAD photoshop

OK these guys need to take my class. BBC story here.

site: DNG resources

Barry Pearson has put together an awesome collection of DNG information, and I mean awesome in the classic, first testament, fire and brimstone leave no stone unturned sense.

Thanks Barry! See Barry's "DNG articles and links" here.

Widget Fun: Bush Countdown

Whether you're counting down the days until the Jubilant Celebration or the Marxist Apocalypse, this might help pass the time - I whipped this little trinket up using DashCode for ya's. I know, very nerdy.

Download it here.

As long as we're on the subject, don't forget the RSS widget for teddillard.com, and also the Tech Superpowers blog widget where you can subscribe to the miscellaneous ramblings of the best Apple tech nerds in Boston.

RAW PIPELINE in Shutterbug

Date: November 4, 2008 10:20:10 PM EST
To: ted@teddillard.com
Subject: Shutterbug

Hi Ted,
CONGRATULATIONS!!! I just looked at the new Shutterbug and The Raw Pipeline is listed as one of the top digital books to get. Way ta go!
Cheers
Cole

The Shutterbug Book Review site is here. (nothing up yet...)

DNG Petition, Call for camera support for DNG

Please show your support for Adobe's development of the DNG format as a universal, open file, and for camera manufacturers including DNG as an option for shooting and storing files, by clicking this link: http://www.PetitionOnline.com/dng01/petition.html .

From the Adobe DNG site: ( http://www.adobe.com/products/dng/ )

Raw file formats are becoming extremely popular in digital photography workflows because they offer creative professionals greater creative control. However, cameras can use many different raw formats — the specifications for which are not publicly available — which means that not every raw file can be read by a variety of software applications. As a result, the use of these proprietary raw files as a long-term archival solution carries risk, and sharing these files across complex workflows is even more challenging.

The solution to this growing problem? The Digital Negative (DNG), a publicly available archival format for the raw files generated by digital cameras. By addressing the lack of an open standard for the raw files created by individual camera models, DNG helps ensure that photographers will be able to access their files in the future.

It is time that the major camera manufacturers, in particular, Canon and Nikon as industry leaders, acknowledge and support Adobe's initiative as an industry standard, for the good of the photographic community.

vote dammit

site: John Nack, my new hero (one of the SO guys at Adobe)

John's title is "Principal Product Manager, Adobe Photoshop". I'm thinkin' he may know a thing or two about the program...

Great post on Smart Objects here.

UPDATE: I KNEW IT! Smart Objects were built for the Suite, and RAW processing was a bonus! Read about it here.