Technology

Show Your Work

by

This is a thought coming from myself, here in the minority: if you are a photographer sharing your images on Instagram or Facebook, stop.

Too often have I wanted to see someone’s work only to be redirected to IG. I can’t see your work. I don’t have an account. If I did have an account, I still wouldn’t be able to see your work because of algorithms and adverts.

My advice is to stop sharecropping on their land and start developing on your own land.

Build your own website, online portfolio and gallery. Share your work and your words with people who actually care.

Digital Photo Zines

by

Recently I expressed an interest in creating photo magazines with images and text. I really do believe that it is one aspect of the future of digital photography I don’t want to miss out on.

So I downloaded InDesign from Adobe as a trial and am overwhelmed by the learning curve. I had hoped that since I was familiar with Adobe’s photo software it would help, but not so much actually.

Screenshot from InDesign

I still want to take a look at Affinity’s Publisher but there is no trial and they will have a Black Friday sale next week so I am holding off on that for now. I’m hoping the learning curve would be easier and more intuitive as I can’t wait to start publishing these things and share my images in a more modern way.

Screenshot from Publisher webpage

Update: I just discovered an option to download a trial version of Publisher. Can’t wait to explore and play.

Watch Out

by

I love my Apple Watch. My Apple Watch, Chronos, can also be annoying.

Apple Watch’s Fitness app encourages me to close three rings; the Move ring, which indicates calories burned while moving. The Exercise ring for your activity, and the Stand ring to encourage you to stand at least twelve times a day, usually at the bottom of the hour. Apple Watch will also prompt you to do these things throughout the day. I also receive notifications to earn badges, such as a Perfect week of activity. And lastly, notifications of other Watch-wearing people I am connected to and all of their daily and weekly goal achievements.

That is a lot of notices.

Give me a break. I know what my mind and body need right now, and it isn’t constant notifications. In fact, I just disabled notifications and will enjoy the other benefits of the Watch without the distractions.

Crypto Photo Denbow

by

Do you own a Photo Denbow original?

Digital negative courtesy of Photo Denbow and not minted yet.

In the not-too-distant future we’ll see more cryptocurrency usage as well as the purchases of NFTs. What does that mean for photography and photographers? Getting paid. There is a massive market for digital artwork now, and getting paid in cryptocurrency is driving this. It seems many crypto-traders have more than they know what to do with and are investing in NFTs or digital art.

Once an artist uploads, or mints, their work it is up for auction to the highest bidder. The current exchange rate for today, 11/9, is $4,700 to 1 Etherium coin (ETH.) The highest bidder is now the proud owner of digital art that no one else owns or has access to.

How is this a market? Who is buying all these original works? Would there be an interest if I minted my first NFT? How does it work? I don’t have the answers, but I will have fun learning.

The Future Of Photography

by

Where is photography going? I don’t think the future will be camera bodies or lenses. How many megapixels do we need, honestly? I think we’ll see innovative photography displayed in more creative ways through software.

Forget social media, it’s dead. No, the future of photography will be publicized and displayed to enthusiasts and curators alike.

I’m looking at a few ideas for myself and to share with others. I want to create digital zines in PDF and send out to anyone and everyone who is interested. E-books and zines are innovative. Compare these to the analog zines that can be printed and distributed. Digital can go further and last longer. Now, I’m comparing two software providers for this, like Adobe InDesign or Affinity Publisher. Adobe is a pricey, monthly subscription, whereas Affinity is a one-time purchase. I’m leaning towards Affinity Publisher.

Another concept I’m looking at is displaying and/or buying Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) More on this concept later as it will probably take on a post on its own.

The Digital Life

by

I go back and forth a lot on physical and digital possessions. This week, I am all in on a digital kick. I’m sure in a few months I’ll start accumulating more physical items. Perhaps digital possessions are superior to physical possessions?

With digital items, I can take them everywhere I go. They don’t take up space. As someone who has moved back and forth across the country, this is always a good idea. This lines up nicely with my current desire to approach minimalism again. If that word or philosophy sounds too pious, I’ll simply call it “essentialism.”

The physical things I own are for me and the relatively few people who visit for me to show off to. I can easily share digital with potentially millions of people if they are interested.

Furthermore, in case of a disaster, my digital files are all backed up and archived. Just purchase another physical device to access, and I am good to go. In the same disaster, I would have more to lose had I invested in physical goods. Most could not be replaced so easily or cheaply.

Digital + minimalism = the way to go for me.

NANOWRIMO 2021

by

It’s November 1 and it’s time for National Novel Writing Month again. Its also time for me to have lofty goals and actually produce something by the end of the month. NANOWRIMO’s stated goal is 50,000 words in a month. Probably not going to happen, but I am going to have fun in the attempt.

With the upgraded iPad, keyboard and Ulysses writing software, I just need to sit my butt down in a chair and start cranking out some paragraphs.

Ulysses interface with heavily redacted text

iPad Pro 2021

by

The thrill of seeing your images on an iPad, is a beautiful experience. This 5th generation Pro model, with the new Apple M1 chip is amazing. The speed, the screen, the 5G connectivity all combined to help me process and publish my images faster.

Adobe Lightroom on the iPad Pro

The mobile photo studio just got an upgrade today and I am loving the process. The experience of viewing, selecting and processing your photos on this thing is much more enjoyable than on my MacBook Pro (M1.)

3rd Gen AirPods

by

Holy wow, these new earbuds are brilliant. Gyroscopes and accelerometers in AirPods work together to track your head movements so it sounds like you’re in the center of songs. Combine this with Apple Music’s offering of lossless, Dolby Atmos and spatial sound and I imagine these things will be in my ears all day.

Phonetography

by
Shot on iPhone 13 Pro Max and post-processed in Lightroom CC

My approach to iPhone photography (phonetography) is unabashedly simple, minimal, and practical. Acquiring the best equipment, with little to carry, process everywhere I go, and publish on the go for me is best.

Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPad Pro, Smartfolio keyboard for iPad, Apple #2 Pencil

Yes, there are four items here, but the keyboard and pencil magnetically attach to the iPad, effectively making it only two pieces of gear I need to carry and one of them go in my pocket. This is the ideal setup for my mobile studio and photo lab to create the best phonetography images I want.

iPad Pro For Photography

by
Digital Contact Sheet
Analog Film Contact Sheet

Ever notice how the Photos app resembles a film negative contact sheet? I am amazed with the viewing experience from the iPad/iPhone/Mac and all the information that is built into it. My workflow is simple: Take images with the iPhone, let them sync to the cloud and they are visible on any device you want to view or edit. I can also shoot images on my digital camera, load the SD card into the reader, insert reader into my device and transfer there for post-processing.

Why do I prefer the iPad to do this with? First, the experience of viewing, choosing, and editing your photos on an iPad is much more fun and interactive than just seeing them on your laptop. I can take my digital photo lab with me everywhere. And seeing my photos on a brilliant screen is more intimate for me. I am able to hold my digital images in my hand and interact with them, flag, post-process, and even sketch the composition.

Sketching composition lines with Apple Pencil on iPad
EXIF data. So much more than analog film information.