Professional Photography

» Enjoying An Old Friend: The HP Designjet 130

Even if you have a printer that’s a little long in the tooth, don’t assume it can’t produce excellent results, writes Jon Canfield. Recently, he set up his HP Designjet 130 to see how the print quality produced with its six colors of dye-based inks compared to prints output with the newest pigment-ink printers. Although Jon says he wouldn’t give up his pigment-ink printers for anything, he discovered that the highly saturated test image he printed on the Designjet 130 had a dimensionality that he hasn’t yet been able to achieve with pigment-ink printers.

» Your Back Library Contains Gold

Revisiting your back library can be like striking a huge vein of gold in your own backyard, writes Wayne Cosshall: “Don’t get sucked into believing that since you have improved as a photographer that all your past work will be rubbish.” Here, he explains why be believes, “The best image you will ever take might be sitting in your back image library, untouched and unloved.”

» Previewing Black-and-White Conversions

For optimum image quality, it’s usually better to use image-editing software instead of in-camera presets to convert color images to black-and-white. Here, David Saffir outlines the six steps he uses in Adobe Photoshop CS3 to quickly preview how different conversion presets look when compared to the original image.

» Improving Print Accuracy

Even if you calibrate your display and use the correct printer profiles for output, are you positive that you printer is giving you the best possible print in any given situation? To find out, Jon Canfield suggests using a standard test chart instead of one of your own images to test how your printer and profile are reproducing color. Here, he explains why and mentions two good sources for charts.

» The Dimensions of Photography: Realism, Surrealism and Abstraction

There can be far more to photography than attempting to capture realism, writes Wayne Cosshall. Once you accept that photography is interpretive by nature, many creative possibilities open up. For example, surrealism allows you to create your own realities. Or, you can step into abstraction, in which you remove colors or details to allow the viewer to focus more closely on what aspects of the photo you have kept. Realism, surrealism, and abstraction are all valid forms of photography and all are equally hard to do well.

» Color Management in Web Browsers

Understanding color-management in web browsers is important if you want to sell your photos or art online, notes Marc Aguilera. You need to know what is and isn't currently possible when it comes to ensuring that your images will consistently look as you intended when you display them in your online gallery. Here, he explains why devices and applications treat color differently and suggests strategies for dealing with the issue.

» Being Organized: Part 2

“Getting organized is not a burden,” emphasizes Wayne Cosshall, in this continuation of a post he started last month. Once you stop worrying about everything you need to do, you can be free to create and to enjoy spending the time it takes to turn something of little interest into something of beauty. In Wayne's previous post, he talked about organizing files, equipment, shoot plans, and contact lists. Here he talks about tracking finances, planning image edits, and to-do lists.

» Being Organized: Part 1

Despite our all-consuming interest in photography, many of us aren’t as organized as we could be, writes Wayne Cosshall. And that’s a shame, he says, because it’s hard to be your creative best when your mind is overflowing with things you haven't done. Here he shares a few tips for avoiding the waves of frustration you can feel if you can't find the image files, equipment, shooting locations, or information you need to efficiently manage your business. 

» Panorama Photography: It's Easier Than Ever

Creating highly detailed panoramic images isn’t nearly as difficult as it once was. David Saffir outlines a relatively simply technique that he has developed to get some amazing results. A word of caution, though. Even though advances and hardware and Adobe Photoshop have made assembling panoramic photos a snap, his technique requires getting the shot right in the camera. As David puts it: Everything old is new again!

» Gritty Photos Made Easy

You don’t necessarily need the multiple exposures required for HDR (High Dynamic Range) imaging to create “Grunge”-look images that have a nearly illustrative look. If you use the right combination of extreme settings during image processing, you can get the same effect with a single image. Here, Jon Canfield shows you how.

» Inkjet Tips Book Takes a Fresh Approach

According to Series Editor Harald Johnson, author Andrew Darlow used some innovative techniques to present information in his new book 301 Inkjet Tips & Techniques: An Essential Printing Resource for Photographers (2008, Thomson Course Technology PTR). In addition to a “rolling tips” format and a unique way to show web links, Darlow sometimes creates a cross-current of content between his own images and tips and input from guest artists and photographers in the latter part of the book.

» Photography: It's A Wonderful Thing

“Sometimes we forget what a particularly wonderful pastime or career photography can be,” writes Wayne Cosshall. If you’re lucky enough to be able to spend a good chunk of your time shooting pictures, it’s important not to become complacent. Here, Cosshall discusses some of the reasons why he believes photography is so wonderful.

» The Golden Age of Photography: Part Two

» The Wonderful World of Flickr

As he explores all that it can do, Marc Aguilera says he continues to be amazed by Flickr: “Flickr is a great place for the new amateur, the accelerated semi-pro photographer, and the working professional photographer. The flickr community is vast and amazing and I never get bored looking at images from my contacts in the community.” He talks about Flickr groups devoted to color management, digital printing, and basic photography instruction, and notes that “There is always something new and interesting being developed.”

» High Dynamic Range Imaging

High Dynamic Range Imaging combines shots captured at different exposures to create exceptionally detailed images that go beyond what our eyes are capable of seeing. Here, Jon Canfield explains how he used the technique to create this vibrant image from Joshua Tree National Park at dawn.