Posts Tagged photo
Self Published Portfolios
Posted by Mark Duehmig in Everything on August 13th, 2009
This entry could be called “Printed Portfoilos,” “Self-Published Albums,” or even “How to say thank you for a vacation.”
I’m referring to the many options you have to get a high quality printed book done at a reasonable price. Short run or even single run printings of books. This can be an incredible tool for photographers.
This is the latest version of my portfolio. Email me or call me for a copy.
The first I saw of this service was an imbedded feature in Apple’s very cool iPhoto image management/storage software. Right from within iPhoto you can take your photos and lay them out using templates and hit an order button.
Soon came other book options and, I say this as a dedicated Mac user, they surpassed the quality and features of the books you can buy on iPhoto or the pro-level application Aperture.
Different websites offer different types of books. For example Blurb.com offers both hardback and soft back bound books while viovio.com primarily offers spiral-bound books.
I’ve used or played with several different company’s book printing options. I call them options because some are software programs (free) that you download, some require you to lay out the book in programs like Adobe InDesign or Microsoft
My first version of a printed portfolio. I've learned a few things since this version.
Publisher just using templates they provide. There are pros and cons to each option, but I have to say my preference is toward Blurb.com. The books are of excellent quality, with options like glossy dust jackets that look incredible. They also provide a layout program that allows you tons of flexibility in how the book is latex out. (Version 3 is a huge jump over previous versions, if you’ve tried it before.)
Another plus that Blurb.com offers is their on-line presence. They are gathering a following that communicates through their “Blurberati” web community. (http://blog.blurb.com)
They will also help you sell your books if you want. You can offer your books for sale through their website and you set the price, and determine your profit margin. Imagine providing a coffee table book to the Bride of her wedding photos as a bonus (it costs you about $30-40 depending on size) and she is thrilled. But then her family, wedding party and friends can buy copies too directly from the Blurb website with out you having to pre-order any. And you make a little on the books too.
The book I did for my crew when we sailed the Annapolis to Newport Race a few years ago. This image was taken by local photographer Don Dement, but is one of the best I've seen. (It's hard to take photos of your own boat when you're always aboard.)
I’ve published about 12-15 books so far. A few have been for vacations (I gave my crew a book on a sailing trip we took down the Chesapeake Bay and up the coast. I’m working on another for the Bermuda Ocean Race from last year where we won first place in our division.)
I’m also on the second version of my portfolio. If you’ve been to my website, www.MarkDuehmig.com, you’ve seen all the photos that are in my printed portfolio. But, when I’m speaking with a client, it isn’t good to end our conversation with “great to talk with you, now don’t forget to visit my website.” With a printed portfolio I can show them photos on the spot and leave them with a high-quality reminder of my product.
The 80-page, 10×12 soft cover book I order costs me about $27 each. I pay a few dollars extra when I order them to replace the Blurb logo with my logo. But maybe you could get by with a 40 page version and a smaller size? That lowers your costs dramatically.
A good friend of mine is an extremely skilled cabinet-maker here in Annapolis and the subject of a previous blog entry. (Justin de Gast, www.AnnapolisFineWoodworking.com) He is planning to publish a small book with photos (many are mine) of his work for the same reason I am. It is his portfolio.
Just think: being able to provide a client with a nicely published book is a heck of a lot more fancy than just handing him or her a CD full of images. Just make sure you build in money for this into your quote. Especially the first time until you learn the time commitment on doing the layout well. I’ve spent quite a few hours on my portfolio, getting the right photos in the right order, etc. Nothing good in life is free.
All for now. I need to get back to work and so do you. One last thought about these books though; no matter how much time you spend proofing the books, order only one on your first order. You WILL find errors, or at least stuff you want to fix when you have the hard copy on your hands.
Keep shooting,
Mark
www.MarkDuehmig.com
An Annapolis Artisan - Justin de Gast
Posted by Mark Duehmig in Everything on June 17th, 2009
Every once in a while I’ll sway away from the wonder of photography to go on a side subject. A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to shoot some interior shots for a local cabinet maker. Justin de Gast has been crafting wood for a lot of years and when I had the chance to see his work in person, I was amazed.
Justin de Gast did all of the panel work and joinery for this staircase and hallway. Even though I had two soft box lights with me, I ended up using natural light and a long exposure to bring out the warmth of this space.
He’s one of those people you find who really really cares that you’ll be happy with his work. And that showed when he asked his customers if it would be alright if he and a photographer could come into their homes to take pictures of his work, they were eager to help him.
Jusin did the bookcases which are part of this huge entertainment center. (I don't think he did the bowl.)
Now I benefited from this experience too. A few of the photos I took while with him ended up in the portfolio section of my website. But he made it easy. When you’re shooting beautiful things, the beauty comes through.
Justin de Gast outside of his cabinetmaker's shop. A traditional man and a true craftsman.
Enough of me pitching Justin’s work. But, when you come across something amazing, you want to talk about it. You can learn more about Justin de Gast and see some (really great 
) photos at his website; www.AnnapolisFineWoodworking.com
Keep shooting,
Mark
www.MarkDuehmig.com
Photos of Annapolis to Newport Race finally in Gallery
Posted by Mark Duehmig in Everything on June 14th, 2009
Well that took a while. But all 430 (or so) images are up in the Galley section of my website.
Bright spinnakers on a rainy day as the fleet departs for Newport.
Go to www.MarkDuehmig.com, click on Galleries and you’ll see one listed as Annapolis to Newport Race 2009.
A boat races down the Bay, stowing sails that won't be used until they hit the Atlantic. The foul weather gear hid faces in so many shots, removing the all-important human element.
There are a lot more photos than I’d normally put in any gallery. You’ll see three or four (sometimes more) of nearly the same shot and I HATE doing that. But I’m going to let the race organizers know they are there so maybe people will pick and choose the ones they like. I’m not going to charge for this shoot since I didn’t make a real effort to get every boat.
The Cal 36 Diamond in the Rough prepares to start for Newport.
Here are a few of the photos I thought were a representative mix of photos. If you like these, paw through the whole set on my portfolio page and I’d love to know what you think.
Thanks,
Mark
Dawn Treader jockeys for position at the start.
The maxi racer Rambler spreads her huge wings as she heads down the Bay. Rambler was the first to cross the finish line but did not set a course record. Notice the vignetting on the photo. My 70-200 2.8 sometimes does this when the light is right and I usually correct for it. This time I thought it added concentration to the image so I left it.
My gear packed in a Pelican waterproof case, we race out to the starting line. It was really hard to keep gear dry, so you did what you could.
Which camera is best for you?
Posted by Mark Duehmig in Everything, Focus on May 8th, 2009
I’ll say right up front that I can’t tell you the answer to this question, but, I can give you some directions to look.
Point and Shoot vs. a Digital-SLR
Let’s do a big separation here. Do you just want good pictures of the family? Something to grab those irresistible looks on your daughter’s face? Don’t know or care about f-stops? My friend, YOU are a candidate for any of the many excellent point and shoot cameras out there. And the good thing here is that they all take EXCELLENT photos. The only things to consider are features. But that is another post.
Or, did you have a film SLR and loved taking photos a few years ago but never made the leap to digital? You loved your Tri-X black and white film and remember the good old days when you took that dark room class in college. (Oh, the nasty chemicals we used to just pour down the drain!) You have an interest in taking photography to the next level? Being more creative? Then maybe a D-SLR is for you.
(One other note, these two cameras are not mutually exclusive. I have a LOT of camera gear. But I just bought a little point and shoot from Canon and I love it. Why? A few weeks ago my 10-month-old daughter was in a pink dress and the cat walked into the room. She lit up with a wonderful smile and all my camera gear was packed safely away in camera bags elsewhere. So I pulled out my iPhone and took a picture that is now my wife’s favorite. It is a grainy, 1 megapixel image that I can’t look at without wishing I had taken it with a camera instead of a phone. So now I always have a camera with me.)
Leaning toward a D-SLR
Ok, so you want to make the jump to a digital single lens reflex camera (D-SLR.) Here is the good part: the entry-level D-SLR cameras from either Nikon or Canon are excellent choices. You get a lot of camera for your money. At the time of this writing, for the Nikon, it is the D40. For Canon, it is the Rebel. You can spend more money, but I’m not sure why unless you really want some of those extra features. The 80/20 rule works here: you are getting 80% of the features with these cameras. You’ll really have to spend a lot more to get that remaining 20%.
Not convinced the low-end cameras are the way to go? Here is another idea; buy the lower end camera bodies and spend that extra cash you have on good lenses. Camera bodies will come and go, but good glass will stay with you year after year. But brace yourself; good lenses can cost three times as much as your camera.
Can I use the lenses from my film camera with my digital SLR? Answer: Maybe. With Nikon, yes. (As with both Nikon and Canon, because of the small size of the sensor, you multiply the lens focal length by 1.5. So if you put a 50mm lens on a DX camera, [Nikon D40 through the D300 or the Canon Rebels or 50D] the result will be the same as if you put on a 75mm lens. If you buy an FX body [Nikon D3 or D700 or Canon 1D or 5D] the lens will act normally. A really old lens may lack some of the metering functions, but will still work.)
Canon lenses, probably won’t work. They have been much more anxious to incorporate the latest technology, even if that means making a lens for a specific camera line.
Last comment on old lenses; before you pull that old manual focus, 7 lb zoom out of the shoebox in the closet, keep in mind that new lenses are vastly superior in performance to the old lenses. Design, coatings, etc, combine to give you a great lens. Even the “kit” lens that comes with the camera.
Finally…
One final thought about choosing a camera; you may be excited about taking creative photos with a D-SLR, but a camera that gets left at home is worthless. If you get a D-SLR, buy a small bag that is easy to grab on your way out the door. Get in the habit of taking it with you or you might as well have bought a shirt-pocket sized point and shoot.
Keep shooting,
Mark
www.MarkDuehmig.com
Cleaning your lens and image sensor
Posted by Mark Duehmig in Everything, Focus on May 1st, 2009
It’s a cool, rainy day here in Annapolis, America’s Sailing Capital. (Most people will accept Annapolis as the Sailing Capital, unless you live in Newport or San Diego.) And a cool rainy day might seem an odd time to talk about dust on your images, but it can happen any time.
I got an email from a friend yesterday that said he had a spot on his images he couldn’t get rid of and he asked my advice.
First, I told him, put away that can of compressed air. Save that for dust on your keyboard or to blow dandelion seeds out of your camera bag, but it has no business being used on cameras. Compressed air has a propellant in it that can leave a residue on lenses and really screw up your images sensor.
Looking for the dirt, I recommended he check the lens first, both outside and on the inside where the glass meets the camera. He had already done this but it was a good chance to talk about what to clean the glass with.
I have a small, squeezable thingy with a brush on the end. Nothing fancy, but you can get some sophisticated squeezable things that will do the same thing. This is my first assault on dirt since it gently brushes away solids that have landed there. I’d rather brush them off than smear them onto the lens.
Next is a lens cloth. This is the key for smudges and fingerprints. If a real lens cloth isn’t handy you can use clean cotton. Never use a paper product like a paper towel, nose tissue or even toilet paper. The tiny wood fibers will scratch your glass.
This will take care of most dirt issues on a camera, but if not, the dirt may be (queue dramatic music) on your sensor!
This isn’t the end of the world. Many cameras now have vibrating sensors that literally shake the dust off. My Nikon D-700s do this automatically. Some cameras might require a menu option be chosen to do this cleaning shake.
If your camera can’t shake its dirt off, or if it can’t shake it all off, then you need to clean the sensor. You’ll need to get one of the products specifically designed to clean sensors. Don’t even think of reaching for a Q-tip and whatever cleaner you had in mind. Put it down!
I was shooting in the northern Sahara Desert (yes, lots of sand) when I got my first sensor dirt. A colleague had a sensor cleaner called a Sensor Swab by Photographic Solutions Inc. (photosol.com) It saved my butt.
Upon returning to the States I bought one of their kits, which consisted of several disposable swabs and a bottle of cleaning fluid. However, my very next trip through airport security found that bottle confiscated. A tad too big I guess. This was painful as the kit wasn’t cheap.
Apparently I wasn’t the only one to contribute my gear to the TSA garbage can. The folks at Photographic Solutions have come out with individual, pre-moistened swabs. I bought a handful. This is a better solution IMHO because now I divide them up among my various camera bags.
There are other makers of sensor cleaners out there but I don’t have experience with them. I won’t go into detailed instructions on the actual technique of cleaning the chip itself; I’ll leave that up to the directions on the package. But you’ll probably need to go into the camera menu and lock up the mirror to get access to the sensor.
That should do it. If it doesn’t, I think you’re in for a repair job. But the above steps should get 99% of the stuff off you photos.
All for now. I think I’ll put on my Musto foul weather gear jacket and take some pictures in the rain….
Mark
www.MarkDuehmig.com