[alisamer]

Thank you both very much! Clearly I need to learn more about RGB color spaces, so that’s my next assignment for myself. My main worry was that this new (well, new to me) laptop might have some color representation issues, but I do realize every monitor is different, sometimes very different.

I’m a graphic designer, but I work in print only… so I can usually tell at a glance what needs to be done to a photo for printing on our equipment at work – but that means I work and think exclusively in CMYK. In fact, when I looked at these photos on my phone, my first thought was “Wow, I need to pull back the cyan and black in the midtones there!” I know the basics of how RGB is different, but otherwise it’s just me telling my customers “If you send us RGB files, the color will shift, because we don’t use that. And don’t use RGB black for anything, because it isn’t black!” I have on occasion converted a photo that needed heavy color correction over to CMYK to work on it, then converted back to RGB for web posting, because it’s easy for me to go into CMYK curves and adjust it well, while RGB works so differently I struggle with it. Some vibrance and a good bit of color range is lost in the conversion, but at least I could figure out how to help it.

I have just recently (since I got this new laptop) switched to shooting in Raw only, which has really made a huge difference in my photos. I’m converting using Photoshop’s camera raw, but my other next assignment is to teach myself Lightroom. I have it, I just need to learn it. I’m loving being able to get a photo just right before taking it into Photoshop, then I usually just have to do a quick levels check there and save it out.

So thanks again, I’m off to read up on RGB color spaces.

[alisamer]

Madison – I agree that you seem to have potential, and that learning your camera inside and out while also training your eye will help you go far!

While I think that a great deal can be learned and hard work can trump talent, I’m not sure I agree 100% that talent has no effect. There has to be some self-awareness at the very least if the talent isn’t there, if that makes sense. For example I personally know someone who has been working on learning a musical instrument very hard, with very good teachers, for nearly 30 years, and is just slightly better than the 2nd graders I know working on the same thing for less than 3 years. Part of the issue is she thinks she’s really good, and can’t recognize her own mistakes, even when they are pointed out to her. Combined with a lack of innate talent, she just never improves. If she had the talent, she’d do better. If she could recognize her mistakes, she’d do better. Gotta have one of the two! I think that may be part of the issue with some “fauxtographers” – they think they’re better than they are so are unable to see their mistakes or shortcomings.

[alisamer]

I had an Olympus E-PL2, and now have an E-Pl5. Love, love, love it. I think the quality is at least on par with most entry level DSLR’s I’ve seen, and I adore how tiny it is and the sort of retro look. I can carry it (and the 3 lenses I have) in a normal bag or purse, and when I’m out taking photos I usually keep it on a wrist strap at all times. It doesn’t kill my arm to carry it one handed, or hurt my shoulder when it’s in the bag or on a sling strap. Also – no one pays it any attention. If I’ve got the Panasonic 20mm 1.7 on it, it just looks like a point and shoot. If I put the telephoto zoom on it it gets commented on, but that lens is bigger and heavier than the camera so that’s expected. I got the electronic viewfinder, but mostly use liveview instead unless I’m in bright sunlight. It’s also super customizable… I don’t have to worry about not remembering to “zero out” my settings anymore, I just made a myset of the settings I like to start with for each mode and assigned it to that mode spot on the dial, plus one automatically set up for HDR bracketing, so the camera is ready every time I turn it on.

I guess if I was a pro I’d probably want a really nice full-frame DSLR, but given the choice between this and a crop sensor SLR I’ll take this one!

[alisamer]

I feel so bad for people suckered by this type of school. I don’t know about the local AI photography program, but I do know that when a graphic designer who just graduated from there leaves their resume for us (a printer) to keep on file, it almost always gets filed in the garbage! We’ve printed for many soon-to-be graduates, and a couple professors, and their files are never set up properly for print. Worse, with one or two exceptions, they are absolutely convinced that they are doing everything perfectly and we (who have been in this business for many years) don’t know what we’re doing! One guy recently was really nice, interested in getting his files set up correctly, and actually listened to what we told him (and got it right!), but most are not that way. We treat all the students well and try to help them learn what they need to know, but we gave him special treatment for being teachable and not rude or arrogant.

 

VampireKetsuki – it looks to me like you’ve got potential, but you’re going to have to work to teach yourself what the school left out. I wish you the best! (And now I’m off to look at your BJD pics… I have BJDs too! I need to take more photos of mine. They’re great subjects for playing around with new ideas.)

[alisamer]

I vote “not faux”. He seems to have a particular look that won’t appeal to all people (and I liked his wedding shots least of all the ones I looked at) but it looks to me like he knows what he’s doing and does it pretty well.

[alisamer]

I find that here, most diner-type places and the restaurants competing with the chains (like Applebee’s, TGI Fridays) and that level want photos on their menus, most of the more expensive places don’t… but most of them do want them on their websites. (I’m a graphic designer – print only, working at a printer). The problem for me is that when I’m designing a new menu, half the time I get “Of course it HAS to have photos on it! Just find a photo of a good burger and a salad!” with no money budgeted whatsoever for stock photos, and only 1-2 days to send them the proof. I often end up using free stock of usually mediocre quality for those reasons.

The other half of the time? The owner of the restaurant got out his iPhone and snapped a few blurry shots of the food he and his buddies were eating while watching the game and sharing a few beers. I do what I can to salvage them in Photoshop, but they balk at paying for my design time, much less paying an actual photographer to take good photos. I get a lot of “How much? My nephew is good at Photoshop/has Publisher/took a class in high school – I’ll have him do it.” And our prices for art time are by no means unreasonable.

Every phone has a camera, so some people see no need to pay for photographers, just like almost every computer has Word, Publisher, or Powerpoint (or Paint…) so some people see no need to pay a designer. Some people actually seem unable to see the difference between a good photo and a bad one. Some people are excited about the idea “I took that photo myself!” and want theirs used no matter how bad they are, no matter how it will affect their business.

I try to encourage hiring professional photographers whenever possible, though I admit doing a lot of photos for my company myself (and I am by no means a pro)! I do those on company time, so at least I’m paid for them in that way. I love our customers who understand the value of a really good photo – they are rare gems! The others… I do my best with what I’m given.

[Author]

Posts