This newsletter is presented to those working or interested in the digital photographic industry. It is intended to be informative, perhaps entertaining, and generally something to enjoy in a quieter moment. Read it, toss it, pass it on... the choice is yours ! - Craig (gruffer)
By all accounts, the attitude seems to be of a year starting in full swing,
so buckle up and get ready for the ride!
This Time 'Round...
New software from Adobe, Apple & Bibble - links & reviews,
Tips on system setups
RAW Workflow
Trix for PhotoShop Efficiency
As for Events, a few Media features with images from " The Year That
Was..."
See you at the Bottom!
- Craig
Craig Minielly MPA, SPA,
Craig's Actions / Aura Photographics
Digital resources:
www.craigsactions.com
Wesbite:
www.auraphotographics.com
News:
It has been busy times indeed for Image Handling Software!
In December, Apple shipped their new program Aperture:
http://www.apple.com/aperture/
It received rave reviews for style and presentation, but a lukewarm reception
for workflow ability. I was requested to review it with an eye to how
it operates and differs from immediate expectations, the results can be
viewed here:
On the 24th, Bibble (Mac / PC) posted a major update with their 4.5 version,
which includes full support for the Nikon D200 and dramatically better
color for Canon files.
http://www.bibblelabs.com/products/bibble/newin44.html
Not to be outdone Adobe have now released LightRoom - their public beta
competitor to Apple's Aperture.
Link to Adobe's new program " LightRoom" for the Mac:
http://labs.macromedia.com/technologies/lightroom/
Link to video describing "LightRoom" ( PC and Mac )
http://labs.macromedia.com/technologies/lightroom/video/#
Other Updates for image handling software:
-
PhotoMechanic is now at 4.4:
Tips:
Taking control of the hidden files.
In order to work efficiently, many programs make use of Cache & Temp
files. This is all great, until they start taking over your systems available
memory, get left behind, and generally bog down your overall speed.
Designating a specific location to store these files is the first step
to taking control. Ideally on a separate drive, having a separate folder
allows you to easily monitor their size and delete them if necessary.
Using a Scratch disk (partitioned or physically separate) can be ideal
as all of your "transient memory" needs are lumped together.
I've had some programs create problematic "Invisible" temp files
which it kept forgetting about - this ballooned into a huge gigabite issue.
Had they been located on the same drive as the system files, I would have
had to delicately extract them with utility software or completely reinstall
the system. As they were on a separate drive designated for open Scratch
space, all I had to do was easily reformat that isolated drive!
RAW Format Developments.
So what about this RAW stuff anyway...? If you were wondering what to
do with your existing or future raw workflow, as promised last time -
here's some information that you WILL want to know about:
http://www.craigsactions.com/Tips/CActionsTipsnTricksRawWorkflow.html
and here is an overview of working RAW Images using Adobe Bridge, Actions
and Droplets:
http://www.craigsactions.com/Tips/CActionsTipsnTricksRawWorkflowACR.html
Trix:
Photoshop Efficiency
The folks at Adobe have some interesting information on how to streamline
your system setup, manage your program prefs and options for best efficiency.
These pages cover: Optimizing performance in PShop - Scratch Disk setup,
Cache Settings, Saving Prefs, Preview Thumbs, the truth about how much
RAM you can actually use and more...
Events:
If you actually made it this far in reading congrats! Here's your rewards,
with three sites offering some pretty cool image collections from the
year 2005. So freshen up that coffee, sit back and enjoy
Reuters Top 40:
That's it for now,
Enjoy the Adventure!
Craig
Digital resources:
www.craigsactions.com
Wesbite:
www.auraphotographics.com
About Emails and Spam:
I have put together a number of lists that receive varying information
from time to time. Overlaps do occur, so If you are receiving duplicates
that are troublesome, please let me know and I will try to fine tune the
list to suit you. With the overwhelming amount of digital considerations
now available, usually people prefer to keep their options open and just
delete when they need to. However it is not my intention to spam, so if
you would rather not receive this information, please let me know as well
and I will remove you from this group.
Thanks Craig!
