DAM!

Peter Krough's 2005 version of "The DAM Book"

Not damn, but DAM, as in digital asset management. From the early years during the transition to digital I was fortunate to work around a lot of smart people who really understood workflow and asset management, and even today, I still take pride in my digital workflows even though my asset management could use a bit of refinement.

I bring this up because I was watching TWIT Photo and the guest was Peter Krough who literally wrote "The DAM Book." I didn't recognize the name immediately and actually put off watching the episode for a few days. When I finally got around to watching and realized he was the author (I really only needed to look over at my book shelf to see the 2005 version), I started to pay closer attention.

However, instead of learning more about DAM, like so many photographers today, Peter's willingness to share all kinds of information via his blog and through sites like dpbestflow.org and shutha.org is what had me paying close attention. The Lightroom tutorial on shutha.org is simply amazing and the first time I began to understand the library module and how asset management works within this program. So many tutorials I've watched skipped over this part and spent most of the time in the develop module, so it was refreshing to hear someone go into such depth on what for me was the real barrier to using Lightroom.

I love learning new things and challenging myself to change, even when what I've been doing still works. And even if most of what I do daily can be accomplished in previous software versions of Photoshop and Lightroom, it sure is easier and faster to get great results in the newest versions.

Check out Peter's site and the other sites mentioned above, but most of all, get off you DAM ass!

Remix Alot

Everything is a Remix Part 1 from Kirby Ferguson on Vimeo.

I know I'm late to the game on this one, but I was checking out the blog of Vincent Laforet and his most recent post about Kirby Ferguson's "Everything is a Remix" series of videos. I'm late because Part 4 was released last month.

All that aside, I went back and watched the first four parts and was really amazed by the content and concepts presented. Really thought provoking stuff on copyright, reuse, credit, etc.

"FrankenVideo" is a term I've used for the past couple of years to describe what I sometimes find myself doing in my job with the Office of Naval Research. Much like the Frankenstein monster who was made up of many parts, most of the requests for videos I get are made up of many file formats and come from multiple sources. My job is to rearrange them to tell a coherent story. Additionally, copyright never seems to be an issue until I bring it up. Piecing these videos together is laborious, mostly because of the constraints of government oversight of the computer systems, along with unreasonable time frames. I get the job done, but just like making sausage, you don't want to know how I made it.

Not entirely the same as Ferguson's Remix series and I as I write this, maybe it is nothing like the series at all, however, there is one similarity. I do manage to take lots of parts of existing work and fashion an entirely different product. And much of the work is already publicly released, or even produced in house, so in that sense we are protected from copyright infringement. But what if a snippet here or there was from a copyrighted source?

Take the time to check out the entire series by visiting Ferguson's blog. Watching the series takes no time at all, thinking about the content, well...

PACKING FOR ASSIGNMENT

Porta-Brace video camera case and Think Tank Photo roller bag.

Planning, research and organization are essential. The first thing I do when given an assignment is start asking questions like, when, where, still, video, deadline.

Next comes the logistics, such as will I fly or drive, be staying at a hotel or aboard a ship at sea, need a rental car or will I use my personal vehicle?

Answers to these questions greatly impact what gear I need and how and what I will pack.

Next begins the research phase of the trip. I start with the writer if one has been assigned and see what research has already been done. Sometimes a draft of the story has already been started. Next I'll contact the program manager or subject matter expert, introducing myself and requesting any and all background information they can provide. I also ask them what I can expect to see and if there are any restrictions when I'm on location. Never want to find out for the first time that cameras aren't allowed or something is classified when I arrive.


Finally I print out my Gear Pack List. I'm big on lists and the only way to ensure that you have everything you need when you arrive is to make sure you pack it. I downloaded this list several years ago from another photographer and over the years I've personalized it to include all the gear I own and everything else that I can think of. I just use a sharpie to cross out what I will not need for a particular trip and then use a red pen to check off items as they are packed. Hopefully you have the time to really contemplate what you are going to need, but even if time is tight, the list will ensure you are prepared. Many times it's a give and take, for instance, if I'm driving to location, it is easier to load more gear than I might need, however if I'm flying, then taking a small boat to meet a larger ship at sea, packing light and tight becomes more critical.

Pelican 1610 case with 1615 padded divider.

Most of my jobs require both video and still photography in some capacity, however, during initial conversation I have to determine which is primary. Is this part of a full video production with interviews and lighting requirements, or are they only interested in B-Roll and maybe a short clip for YouTube? For the latter I might be able to get away with just the D3S to shoot both still and video.

All my gear gets packed in either an Airport International Rolling Camera Bag from Think Tank Photo, a Pelican 1610 case with a 1615 padded divider set or a Porta Brace video camera bag. Other less breakable items such as a tripod, light stands, cords, light modifiers, chargers, etc., get packed into a soft duffel or regular luggage with clothes. And don't forget plenty of bubble wrap. I've checked all of these bags on different occasions, with the exception of the Porta Brace, and never had a problem. Although the Pelican hard case almost always pushes the weight limit.

One last bit of advice. If possible arrive the day before the job starts to allow for lost or delayed luggage. It also gives you time to break out and check gear, get batteries on charge, etc. But just in case, I always travel with a laptop, compact flash card reader, one camera body and lens with flash in my carry on so I can at least  capture something if all else fails.

For advice from photographers who have traveled tens and hundreds of thousands of miles each year, Think Tank Photo has posted two free articles, "Fear for Your Gear - Part I," and "Fear for Your Gear - Part II" INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL. You need to provide your name and email address to gain access to the PDFs, but it is well worth it.

PRINTS ON THE WALL

Photo taken with a Lego camera and processed in LR4.

As I looked around my apartment recently I realized that the four photos framed and hanging on my walls that were shot by me had been there since I moved in almost seven years ago.

I had heard of

Mpix

as a member of the

National Association of Photoshop Professionals

and decided it was time give it a try. I had two photos from my trip to Kodiak that I thought would be a good test.

The first order I placed was for a 11 x 14 inch E-Surface print surrounded by a two inch white mat with a black flat frame and covered with glass. It is a simple online process to upload your photo and make various mat and frame selections. You can also preview what the final product will look like matted and framed before you purchase.

Mpix

will also color correct for you if desired, however, so far I've not taken them up on that and the results have been spot on.

If you order by 11 a.m. you will have the framed photo in two business days.

I followed this up with two more orders, a 12 x 18 inch E-Surface print surrounded by a two inch white mat with a black metal frame and then most recently I had a 20 x 30 inch black and white print delivered. That is a 20x30 inch print with a two inch mat and I went back to the black flat frame which adds four inches to each dimension. Still arrived in two days and took longer to unpack than it did to place the order.

Two things that I wish would change. First, you are limited to the 2 inch mat which means you can't mat an 8x10 inch photo in a 16 x 20 inch frame. Creating a mat effect in Photoshop would be one possible workaround. Second, I recently received an email from

Mpix

letting me know that they will remove my photos from their server unless I order another print soon. While I understand they are not a storage site, I'm not sure how the three photos I have sitting in my account are busting their data capacity.

Mpix

does all kinds of other printing, including canvas. I spoke with them at PhotoPlus Expo in New York where they had all kinds of samples and answered all my questions. I'm sure they will be exhibiting at

Photoshop World

in Washington, D.C., March 24-26, if you want to check them out first hand.

I've become a fan of this service and will definitely use them again.

BEST NON-PHOTO ACCESSORY

Well I don't know if it is the best non-photo accessory I own, but I can tell you that since I purchased the Polder Ultra light Aluminum 3-Step Ladder in 2006, I have not regretted it.

This ladder is sturdy, only weighs a few pounds, and is easy to carry over a shoulder. And because of the extended top, gives you something to lean against so that you can concentrate on shooting and not balancing.

This piece of equipment seems to come in handy several times a month. The little bit of elevation it provides is nice when taking group shots and if I'm covering a conference, it allows me to see over the crowd from the back of the room or puts me at eye level with a speaker who is on a podium. I have even carried this with me on the Metro when covering events in the Washington D.C. area.

It also comes in handy for its intended use as well since none of the offices in the building I work at allow you to turn off the lights, I have remove the fluorescent light bulbs in order to control the lighting when conducting video interviews.

I have to credit a friend, photographer Johnny Bivera, who I first saw using this ladder when he was the Secretary of the Navy's personal photographer.

For around $60, it's a bargain and will provide you with more than just a height advantage. I noticed a slight difference between the ladder available for sale today and the one I'm using, but I know you won't be disappointed.