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Time to Say Goodbye – to those photos

It’s a New Year and therefore I tend to look for ways to do house cleaning. I look for ways to improve my workflow and I look for ways to not make the same mistakes as the year before. I recently looked at one of my Lightroom Catalogs. It’s my Portrait/Model catalog. I started doing serious portrait photography back in in 2006 and my current catalog has over 30,000 photos in it!

30000catalog

 

How I ended up with 30,000+ Photos?

When I do a photo shoot I can shoot anywhere from 100 to 800 photos. My average is around 300. So here’s what happens in my current workflow: Let’s say I shoot 500 shots. I then go home and eliminate 200 right off the bat. Those 200 go in the trash immediately. They are the eyes closed, flash didn’t fire, bad expression kinda shots. Now I go through and pick out a few of my favorites. Next I export a web gallery, post it and send the URL to the client/model. He/she picks out the agreed upon number of shots (let’s say 10) that I then retouch and deliver the final shots to them. That leaves 280-290 shots that I didn’t want and that the client/model didn’t want. Multiply this number times all my shoots in the past three years and you arrive at the 30,000+ number.

 

But what if?

The reason it’s so hard to hit the delete button on these shots is because we say “but what if the client wants them later?” You know how many times this has happened in 3 years? ZERO! Not one time has a client/model come back and say “hey, you know those shots that were just OK? Yeah the ones that I didn’t choose the first time. I’d like those now.” It hasn’t happened one single time in all of my shooting. My theory is that when they picked their shots, they picked the best ones and anything left would be second best at best. How often do you go back and ask for the second best of anything once you have the best.

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Introducing Tech Profile Fridays

Now that my "iPhone App of the Week" feature has transformed into a NEW site: bestappsite.com, I've been looking for something fun to replace it with on Fridays. As you might expect I have lots of friends, family and colleagues that are into tech and gadgets just like I am. Although I love telling you guys about all the gadgets, gear and technology that I'm using or come across I thought it would great to have a look into the gadgets and gear in use by my buddies. 

Here's how it will look…

Terry White

Worldwide Principal Cross Media Evangelist

Adobe Systems, inc.

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Blog/Website

Terry White's Tech Blog

 

Favorite Gadgets

iPhone 3GS, Nikon D700, TiVo HD

 

Cellphone/Smartphone Make/Model

iPhone 3GS

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Are camera phones the new point and shoot cameras?

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I have two cameras that are with me 99% of the time. One is a Canon Powershot ELPH 870IS the other is my iPhone. Of course I have a couple great DSLRs (Nikon D700 and D5000). It goes without saying that when it's an important event I'm shooting with a DSLR. However, when it's just casual just out and about you would think that I pull out my Canon ELPH, but the reality is that I pull out my iPhone, take the shot (edit it in the FREE Photoshop.com Mobile App if need be) and share it immediately via Facebook/Twitter/Flickr/Email using the Best Camera App. 

You would think that more camera manufacturers would take the hint and be looking to add wi-fi (if not 3G capabilities) to their point and shoot cameras and redesign the interfaces on them for easier image sharing. 

Honestly I can't remember the last time I used my "Point and Shoot" camera. Sure I realize that your best or only camera may be your Point and Shoot camera and that you may use yours all the time. However, for me my best camera is my DSLR and for everything else I use my iPhone. Apparently I'm not alone! Look at this interesting set of stats on the 400% increase in mobile photo uploads to Flickr via the iPhone 3GS. What about you?

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For those interested in more Flash/Light for low light photos, that's one thing I love about my Truepower IV iPhone external battery. Not only does it double my battery life but it also provides a bright LED light on the back for photos.

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Great little mic for your iPod touch

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When Apple introduced the 2nd generation iPod touch one of the features was built-in Audio In support. However, even with the current (3rd generation) iPod touch there is no built-in mic. So you have to get a 3rd party microphone if you want to use Apps that bring audio in. One of my favorite apps is Shazam which can listen to a song that's playing say at a party or on the radio, or even in a movie and then "Tag" it via the internet and tell you what the name of the song, artist and even provide a link to buy it right in iTunes. Well now this kind of app can be used on the iPod touch.

 

I found this great little Mic 

This mike looks like a push pin that goes right into the bottom of your iPod touch. That's it. No software to install or configuration necessary. At this point you can use any 3rd party app that allows you to bring in or record sound. The protective cap is a nice touch and there's also a small loop so that you can string this on a key chain or other type of strap like a Thumb Drive.

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What's even more amazing is the price! You can get these for just a couple of bucks here.

 

What about VoIP Apps?

This mic is not really suitable for VoIP because while it's a great Mic (I just tried a Skype call with it using the Skype App), because it plugs into the same port that the iPod uses for headphones you can't hear the person on the other end of the conversation. It's a mic, not a speaker. Also while it's plugged in it disables the internal speaker. So if you want to do VoIP you're better off getting Apple's Headphone, Microphone and Remote combo here.

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GPS for your Camera – di-GPS Pro L Review

If you've been following this blog you know that I'm a big fan of the Dawn Tech GPS units for your DSLR camera. Well Dawn Tech has improved on a good thing and I'm here to talk about two of their new models.

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First up the NEW di-GPS Pro L

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If you want a little background on the di-GPS Pro see my original review here. The NEW "L" model offers a "data Logger". The 8MB flash memory based data logger can track over 260,000 data points. While this is great for someone that may want to download this data later, I'm more interested in having my GPS location data input right into the meta data of the shots when I take them! That's what the di-GPS units have always done. However, what this feature does give me now is the ability to geotag photos where there is NO SATELLITE RECEPTION based on my last known location. This is very cool! So if you're out shooting a landscape or walking about a city scene and then you duck in to take some shots of a historic landmark your shots taken inside will still be geotagged with the last known position. VERY COOL!

All of the other goodness of the original di-GPS Pro are still intact and this GPS is hands down my favorite!

 

The NEW di-GPS Mini 3L D5000

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I bought a D5000 last year to basically be my travel camera. So unless I'm specifically traveling to do an important shoot, I'll most likely have my D5000 in tow. When I bought the D5000 I also bought the only GPS that worked with it at the time which was the Nikon GP-1 reviewed here. While the GP-1 does work there is one thing that drove me absolutely nuts about it and that is there is no on/off switch. Basically it comes on with the camera and goes off with it. Now while that doesn't sound like a big deal, it means that when the D5000 goes to sleep so does the GP-1. While the D5000 wakes at the tap of a button, the GP-1 then takes a few moments to re-acquire the satellite and therefore may not be capturing location information if you don't wait first before firing your first few shots. Like its big brother, the di-GPS Mini series has an On/Off/Auto switch. In the ON mode the GPS stays on even if the camera goes off/sleep. Granted this will drain your camera's battery quicker, but I've found the drain to be insignificant vs. the instant ready to shoot factor. 

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Is home printing becoming obsolete?

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image above compliments of istockphoto.com

Recently two different people asked me about printing apps for the iPhone/iPod touch. Another person asked me about hooking up a multi-function printer to their Mac OS X Server. I get printing questions all the time. I have some really nice printers here at home. The printer that gets used the most is the Xerox Phaser. I have assorted Epson printers and a Dymo Twin Label Printer that I love for my one-off label needs. With that said, my printing volume has gone way way way down. I easily go for weeks without printing anything. While I'm not quite ready to head to eBay with my gear, I'm wondering is printing becoming obsolete?

 

What About Printing Photos?

I was never really that into printing photos at home to begin with. Sure I have an Epson Color Stylus Photo R1800 that does a fantastic job. When the R1900 came out I had no reason to upgrade. I'm always amazed by the quality I get when I do a photo print. However, I can probably count on one hand the number of photos I printed in 2009. I'm certainly taking tons of photos, but the reality is that I do most of my photo sharing online. If someone really needs/wants a print of a photo I've taken then I'll usually upload it to one of my favorite labs like Costcophotocenter.com, MPIX.com or Kodakgallery.com and have the print mailed directly to them. I just can't print my own prints cheaper than Costco's prices! So the only time I print a photo is I need it right then and there and can't wait or drive to pick it up. As you might imagine those times are far and few between.

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DYMO LabelWriter Twin Turbo Review

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I've been a fan of the DYMO brand of Label Printers for years. I can't really remember a time when I didn't own one. If you ever saw my handwriting you would understand why I don't handwrite address labels. My packages would never get there. 🙂 I had been using the LabelWriter Turbo 400 for over a year and I absolutely love it. However, when I saw that the LabelWriter Twin Turbo had been marked down to less than $100 I couldn't resist! That was less than I paid for the single LableWriter Turbo 400. I had always wanted the Twin Turbo, but couldn't justify the price. Why so cheap? Dymo introduced a new model: Twin Turbo 450. Now you can save on the older model while supplies last. That's exactly what I did.

 

How does it work?

Forget about buying toner/ink. The DYMO printers use a technology that has everything you need in the actual labels themselves. So each label prints as crisp as the first. There is no inkjet to dry out or clog. I wanted the Twin Turbo so that I could have the larger shipping labels that I use all the time AND the smaller single address labels loaded at the same time. The printer is a standard USB printer and therefore can be printed to from just about any app. Since I'm using this primarily for address labels I just use the app that DYMO supplies.  DYMO makes a wide variety of different labels for these printers.

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The Digital Photography Book, Vol. 3

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I don't read books often (lack of time), so when I do it must be a really good one. My buddy Scott Kelby has done it once again. I got sucked into this book while on a flight and I had to read the whole thing cover to cover. This is the 3rd book in the series. Both volumes 1 and 2 were must haves and volume 3 is no different. Scott takes his classic one tip/one image per page approach to teach you exactly what you need to know to get the shot that you see featured on the page. Man of the pages also have additional tips at the bottom.

Volume 3 doesn't replace volumes 1 and 2. It's not like a Photoshop book where the new book covers the new version of the software. All 3 volumes contain useful tips that the other volumes don't contain. There is some slight overlap and that's OK, because I'm not going to remember every tip and every setting. So whether you start with Vol 1 or Vol 3 the books can stand alone or work great as a set.

The Volume 3 Chapters Include:

  • Using Flash Like a Pro, Part 2
  • Using Your Studio Like a Pro
  • The Truth About Lenses
  • Shooting Products Like a Pro
  • Shooting Outdoors Like a Pro
  • Shooting People Like a Pro
  • Shooting Sports Like a Pro
  • Pro Tips for Getting Better Photos
  • Avoiding Problems Like a Pro

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I'll Never Remember It all

Like I said, I read the entire book cover to cover in one setting. So while it was a great easy read and I understood everything I read, I'm just not going to remember it all. Also I probably won't remember which book had which tip I needed for a particular type of shoot. These books are great for learning, but they are also great for reference. While I'd love to think that I'd carry all 3 books with me everywhere I go, I won't!

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