Category: Assignments

Software Subscription Models Revisited

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Adobe Logo
Adobe Logo

As some die hard friends and colleagues are aware, Canon Blogger, suffered a catastrophic failure about a year or so ago now, and I’ve slowly been crawling along as I try to resurrect the archives, and get everything back online. The process has been a tedious one as with nearly ten years of content, some was lost for good when the server crashed, other content survived in the last backup that was performed. Be that as it may, I recently was reading an article on Medium about The Rise of the Rent Seeker and thought to myself, “Oh my GOSH, this nails on the head exactly what I was trying to say way back in 2011 when Adobe made the switch to the subscription model for their software licensing model.  This was such a good read that I wanted to share it (thus realizing another two or three articles that were lost, but now recovered courtesy of The Wayback Machine) in the context of my original thoughts. You can read my original articles here and here.

In a nutshell, this most recent article from Medium explains that:

…the economy has two kinds of entrepreneurs: profit seekers and rent seekers, and those who participate in the latter are redistributing the wealth from the subscribers pocket to their own.  Adobe has made the shift to this model, and as such, they are extracting value, but not giving any real value back….”

It goes on to elaborate about how the technical space is inherently badly suited for innovation and development when they convert to this model.   But the statement made is pretty powerful:

Increasingly, mature software vendors who have run out of innovation runway turn to rent seeking, increasingly we are are told that the subscriptions will soon be everywhere and there is a real problem with that.

Toward that end, it raised the question in my mind:  Does that mean Adobe has stopped innovating? What else can be added Photoshop or Photoshop Lightroom to improve our workflow? I honestly don’t know as I’ve stopped upgrading as of CS5 and LR 4. I’d love to hear others thoughts on whether or not Adobe has really been all that innovative over the past 3-4 years. It was telling though, that the author actually used Adobe in his illustration of the dangers of entering into a subscription model:

Adobe Reference in Medium Article
Adobe Reference in Medium Article

The article does give a little bit of validation to me though, in seeing someone else so much more eloquently than I as to why renting is almost always (in the long run) not in the best fiscal interest of the consumer.

Triptych Photography 101

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If I were to say the word triptych to you, many folks wouldn’t know for sure what I am talking about. Let’s be honest…in photography, there are lots of crazy semantics to understand! Everything from ISO’s and apertures, to shutters, diopters and f-stops, ASA’s and guide numbers are all part of the craft. Heck, there’s even one called the “circle of confusion” – and you can quickly get lost in the sea of words and acronyms in photography. One that I can’t believe I’ve not talked about here before is a TRIPTYCH! It’s pretty simple actually when you break it down really though, so fear not. Here’s your beginner’s guide to triptych photography!

In a triptych, all you are doing is taking three photographs and putting them together in sequence. The sequence can be three photographs all composited into one montage (say in Photoshop), they can be individual prints that are assembled in a wide frame, or even three framed photos that are hung horizontally or in close proximity to each other on a wall. Traditionally, triptychs follow a theme, whether it be a series of photos over time (a house in the Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter), a person with different poses, or a landscape cut up into a left, center and right framed photograph.

Triptych photographs can be a lot of fun, especially if you have the digital capacity to preview how things might look in sequence like this. Here’s a few examples I’ve done digitally to give you an idea. First, a posed series:

Triptych Portrait - Maggie
Triptych Portrait – Maggie

And now a landscaped series:

Triptych Landscape - Weeds
Triptych Landscape – Weeds

See how a landscape can have various elements in each, to visually tie things together? This is similar to, but quite different from the effect of a series of portraits. I’ve seen some wonderful triptychs where people have assembled longitudinal poses (say a dog as a puppy, at 4 years and in their senior years), triptychs of seasonal changes in a landscape, and even triptychs that juxtapose color, black and white, and sepia filters on photos.

Triptych Boneyard Beach
Triptych Boneyard Beach

Add to it the ability to angle photographs from the top left to the bottom right, or from the bottom left to top right, and even up and down to create an entirely different effect. Matting and framing choices also factor into how successful a triptych display would be. You literally are bound by nothing more than your imagination. As the folks at Canon are keen for saying then, where does your imagination want to take you today? Follow that path unique to you! To that end, I’d like to hear from the reading audience, here’s my questions back to you:

1. Do you find triptych styles of presentation appealing?

2. Have you done any triptych work in the past that you’ve posted either online or in your own house or gallery?

Do you Have Your Torx in Order?

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So, after years and years of advice and instruction on maintaining hard drive redundancy, and the benefits of upgrading from time to time, I finally am following my own advice and upgrading my venerable Macbook Pro.  After a screamingly good deal came out for laptop disk drives locally, I went out and snagged a 750GB 7200 RPM hard drive from MicroCenter and brought it home.  I also picked up a copy of Mac OS X.6 since my previous upgrade came through a friends DVD who was no longer living in the area.  All told, I am in for a little over $100 – not too shabby!  However, as they say, the Devil’s in the Details!

I’ve changed out lots of hard drives in my time…after all, it’s no secret that I am a working IT professional – that’s my day job.  I’ve been doing that for about 10 years now, so hardware upgrades are pretty routine for me by this point – and I’ve got lots of tools to do it with too…everything from magnets, to phillips heads, to flat heads, to Torx bits for unique screws, and even a pair of nylon pliers.  But all of this based on a Windows background.  I’d never done much with Macs.  The mentality I’ve always had though is that hardware is hardware, right?  I did check out a few tutorial videos on YouTube and all the tools sounded like ones I own, so I jumped right in and off I went – until I got inside the Mac and was presented with two teeny tiny screws that required a Torx bit T6.  I went to my trusty toolbelt and saw my Torx bits went from T30 all the way down to T4 – awesome!  Until I noticed that one slot was missing – and sure enough, it was the dreaded T6!

A trip to Wal-Mart yielded no dice (it was getting late), so this morning off to Lowe’s I went.  I did find the T6 bit – but it was in a package of other bits and a nut driver – for $20:

Torx KitSuffice to say, I was a bit (if you’ll pardon the expression), a bit torqued to be missing what was likely a 50 cent bit and having to spend nearly $20 to reassemble the Mac.  However, the eternal optimist, I put the positive spin on it – this is a nice kit I bought and the rest will probably go to Good Will since they are showing their age a bit.  Finally, of course, the educational moment for me:  I finally got my Torx in Order!

So, with the Mac now flying on a 7200rpm drive with plenty of storage, my weekend will likely be spent performing a fresh install of all my favorite apps.  Which ones do you think will go on there first?  I’ll give you a hint – the company name starts with A and ends with dobe!  The takeaway from all this – make sure you have your Torx in order – it is definitely a good motto to add to your motto book!  Have a great weekend everyone – just because I wont be shooting doesn’t mean you can’t so be safe, be smart, and…(wait for it)…

Happy Shooting!

Turning Tasks into Photos

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I had to bake bread for a work potluck today.  That’s ok, I like cooking, and it seems others do too, because most of the time the dishes I serve are some of the first things to disappear.  I decided last night to do something simple, but often popular:  banana bread!

When it was done, the house sure did smell good from the caramelized sugar, bananas toasting, and who doesn’t like bread?  (I know, I know – lots of carbs aren’t good for you…)  But, every once in a while it’s fun to indulge.  As luck would have it, this particular loaf of bread had some nice colors and tones to it, so naturally, I started thinking about my other hobby – photography!

With bread there’s so much you can do from capturing details, to using a shallow depth of field, to creative lighting and shadows, everything becomes a cornucopia of possibilities.  Here’s a few of my selects from just ten minutes of prep, 60 minutes of cook, and ten minutes of shoot time!

Banana Bread 1

Banana Bread 2

Banana Bread 3

Banana Bread 4

Banana Bread 5

Want a slice?  What tasks have you taken and turned them into photo opportunities?  The lesson learned here today (hopefully anyway) is to take something you have to do and make it something you want to do!  In this case, it was a win-win scenario for me, but what about you?  Sound off with your own fun-filled (or food-filling) photo projects!

Planning a Photo Walk?

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Getting together with fellow photographers is always fun – lots of other like-minded people, plenty to talk about, and great for networking, right?  But, at some point you’re gonna have to start walking around and taking pictures.  I’ve found with most photo walks that I’ve attended it helps to have a game plan.  Whether you are the organizer or an attendee really doesn’t matter too much because these tips are intended for both.  Here’s what I mean:

1.  Check the weather – It’s always important to dress the part, and the last thing you want is to be under-dressed (cold) or over-dressed (too hot).  It’s a good idea to check the forecast and to dress in layers.  Allow yourself a layer of removal or addition if needed.  I have several apps built into my Android phone, as that makes it quick and easy to check both the night before and the day of…here’s the four I’ve heard the most about (I use #1)

  1. Accuweather
  2. Weather Channel
  3. Weatherbug
  4. iMap

2.  Check the map – With the abundance of online mapping utilities like Google Maps, Yahoo Maps, and Mapquest, it’s easier than ever to see where you will need to be and plan your travel time to the starting point accordingly.  I always allow about 15 extra minutes in case of traffic, Starbucks stops, or other time killers… (if you’re the organizer, publish or share your route with the group so people know where to meet and where the anticipated walk will take everyone…)

Google Map of USA

3.  Check your gear – I’m guilty of forgetting things myself on outings, but it helps if you have a checklist to reference the night before when packing (batteries, memory cards, business cards, cell phone, camera, lenses, etc.)

Gear Check

4.  Pick a theme – Whether you are the organizer or an attendee, it helps to at least have a starting point or an idea of what the goal is of the walk.  For instance, on a trip to the Columbia zoo a few years back, one attendee picked a theme of “faces” and came back with some incredible portraiture of the animals in their various habitats.  Often photo walk leaders or organizers may start with something general like “architecture” in an urban location, but it can help to narrow that for your own creative vision to get more detailed.  Narrowing the theme of architecture to something like vertical lines, arches, or even something as simple as windows can help spark that creativity needed to make photo walks productive.  Don’t forget to check with other photogs on their creative path and help and encourage them too (which could be a tip in and of itself!)

Signs of Encouragement

5.  Be ready to adapt – Circumstances change, weather can change, and even the scenery can change.  I was on an outing just last week to capture the moon at its perigree and the skyline was pretty blatantly thrown off by the recent addition of a crane to the area. If you aren’t able to adapt to changing environments, outings can be less than satisfying, so be open to change at a moments notice!

Bad Skyline Shot

That’s just five of many tips and ideas on how to make photo walks successful, enjoyable, and productive.  As always though, there’s plenty more where that came from!  What about you?  Have you been on any recent photo walks?  What’s worked or works for you when you go on outings with fellow photographers? Sound off in the comments with your own ideas!

 

What’s a Perigee?

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Without getting too scientific on everyone, an exciting moment is going to happen this weekend – it’s the perigee!  What is the perigee?  It’s the point when the moon and the earth reach their closest point between each other.  The moon is going to look super huge this coming weekend, and this will be a great opportunity to really get some stellar shots of the moon through even the more common focal lengths we all have in our gear bags.  Even with a 70-200 lens and a 1.4 TC, you should be able to get some pretty awesome full frame shots of the moon, with some pretty good detail!

Here’s a couple tips to scheduling a good moon shoot:

1.  Check the weather in your area – It goes without saying that you don’t want a lot of cloud cover, but at the same time, clear skies mean no heat is staying in the atmosphere.  Since it’s still relatively early in the year, standing around at midnight could be a tad chilly.  Plan ahead, dress warmly, and you’ll be able to stay out longer to get the shots you really want without being cold or uncomfortable.

South Carolina Sky

#2.  Location, location, location – In photography, as in real estate, location can mean everything, and a lunar shoot is no exception, even though it’s in the sky.  Depending on the type of view you are looking for, you may want to find some place that gives you a completely unobstructed view of the horizon.  Alternately, you may want to include something “human sized” to give a sense of comparison.

Denver Skyline

#3.  Pick your gear – In astro-photography, you will most likely be shooting at the longest end of your reach, so don’t bother taking the whole kit-n-kaboodle.  Maybe take a variable zoom to stuff in a cargo pocket in case you want a “behind the scenes” kind of shot if going with others, but no more than two lenses are needed.  Don’t forget your tripod and extra batteries, as well as a flashlight.  Other essentials I have on my checklist include my wallet and cell phone.

What stakeouts have you planned in your area?  Taking any friends?  What about your own suggestions and tips for lunar photography?  Sound off in the comments!

Depth of Field Matters!

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When we approach the topic of depth of field, most people nod along about how the composition can change pretty dramatically when moving between various apertures – but have you ever really studied the differences?  Take some time and do an exercise.  It’s not that difficult, and really seeing the differences in photos can totally lift the roof on your approach to composition.  For this exercise, I took a scrap piece of lumber, and nailed 6 framing nails into it about two inches apart from each other.

Step two was to set up the lighting, the tripod, and the “wood art” in a scene where i could adjust the aperture and keep everything else constant.  With my own little studio set here in the house, that was accomplished easily enough.  I set the focal point on the nearest nail, and dialed in the exposure I wanted.  Then, I switched to manual focus so as to not bump or have the camera try to shift it for me and dialed through the various f-stops.

Step three – simple post production:  camera calibration, white balance, and lens correction.  I also applied a 75 value to the sharpening slider from the detail panel, but did so universally.  So, with everything but aperture constant, here’s the results:

Aperture f2.8

Aperture f4.0

Aperture f5.6

Aperture f8.0

Aperture f11

Aperture f16

 

So, at this point you should have enlarged the photos above, and scrolled through the entire gallery so you can see exactly what is sharp at f2.8 all the way through f16.  By the time you get to the end, so much has changed and often gradually, it’s hard to see the difference.  But if you look at the f2.8 and f16 shots side-by-side – they are worlds apart compositionally speaking.  Now I grant you, nails hammered into a 2×4 piece of lumber 2″ apart is not the most artistic piece ever shot, but it hopefully illustrates what can happen to a photo simply by changing the aperture and keeping everything else constant!

WHere do you think creatively adjusting your depth of field would work?  Try to think outside the box here too.  A few ideas for starters:

  • A flower from close up…
  • A portrait shot, with background blurred
  • Macro photography – bugs and insects, computer chips and parts

There’s a whole world out there with plenty of opportunities to create gorgeous photos with only your creativity to limit you.  Where do you want to go today?

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The March Contest Begins

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With March now underway, and the February giveaway wrapped up (check my rare weekend posts making this announcement), I thought I’d take a moment and let the cat out of the bag.  This month it’s quite an exciting prize!  The winner is going to be awarded a 17″ Tether Table (a $200 retail value)!  As if that’s not enough, the folks over at Tether Tools have also generously have thrown in a Jerk Stopper tethering kit that prevents your cables from snagging.  If you want to know more about it right now, stop over to their website and check out the product line:  Tether Table Product Page

In the meantime, here’s the nitty gritty details for the contest:

  • The Number:  1 image per person
  • The Size:  Longest side must be between 600-800 pixels.
  • The window:  30 day window for capture date (nothing earlier than February of 2011
  • The theme is:  Flat
  • The deadline:  March 31st at midnight (my time)
  • The rest:  You can read more about it at the Contest Guidelines page and the Rules of Engagement

Good luck everyone, and here’s the link:  March Contest Giveaway

For the record, the Tether Table will be very slightly used, as you know a hardware review is likely forthcoming quite soon on this equipment…but then again, that’s something to look forward to, right?

As a final postscript today, a new poll is up on the sidebar, so if you don’t visit the archives much (maybe take some time soon – lots of good stuff there! 🙂 ), be sure to take a moment and sound off in the latest poll:

[poll id="17"]

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What I’m Reading

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Reading material is a gold mine, not only for inspiration, but for education.  The field of photography is one where you can never know everything there is to know, and there will always be people who see things differently that you can learn from and gain insights and inspiration.  For that reason, I am always reading something.  Here’s a portion of my reading list lately in the hopes that you can find some insights and inspirations too!

Books

  • Captured – Lessons from Behind the Lens of a Legendary Wildlife Photographer, Moose Peterson

Captured - by Moose Peterson

  • Photo Trade Secrets, Volume 2, Zeke Kamm (forthcoming)

Photo Trade Secrets, Volume 2 - by Zeke Kamm

Magazines

  • National Geographic – December 2010 Issue
  • Shutterbug – February 2011
  • Consumer Reports – February 2011
  • Bits and Pieces
  • Arizona Highways – January 2011

I guess my nose is always in a book or something!  Got any suggested reading items?  Share your own reading lists in the comments or with me via email.  Happy shooting (and reading)!

Making Resolutions…

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Do you like New Year’s Resolutions?  I don’t.  We always make vague references to “become better with portrait work” or to “improve my flash techniques”. There are countless others of course, but you likely get the idea – resolutions are often too vague.  Even when it comes to the classic ones of “lose weight” and “eat better”.  The problem lies in the inherent nature of such resolve.

While the effort and idea are splendid – they are vague by definition and thus, difficult to define success in achievement.  How would you define “better” or “improve”?  There is also no accountability when these statements are made.  So, when making resolutions from a photographers point of view, it helps to define your resolutions clearly, and to share those resolves with others, so as to make yourself accountable.

My goals?  Funny you should ask, because I have the same goal I made last year – to shoot at least one project each and every month.  And I did it!  Here’s the project I did for each month:

The goal for the year was to shoot more and write less.  While I still plodded away at the blog in an effort to provide continued content for the readers here (and I hope you enjoyed 2010)…more effort went into advancing my own photography library in 2010.  The stakes are raised for 2011 though.  As you may have noticed, some of the “shoots” weren’t as planned or dedicated photo shoots as others.  The Pumpkin Patch outing was definitely a multi-functioned event!

So, for 2011 – my goal is to go on an outing with photography as the primary focus! And, here I am happy to report that the month of January for 2011 has already been covered with a snowmobile outing on January 1st!

 

It was indeed quite the outing, and I learned quite a bit about shooting in extreme cold weather.  More to come on that as I put together the assembly for publication later this week.  Another shoot might be forthcoming on the same vein, so more is also pending there as well.

Pretty exciting (although my wallet is nervous!) for 2011.  Sort of a photo/travel/expedition blog post will be something to look for each month during the upcoming year!  If you have any places in the area (i.e. Colorado/Wyoming/etc.) that you would like to see me capture, say the word so I can take it into consideration sooner rather than later.  I’ve got some irons in the fire already scheduled for certain points during the year, but nothing affirmative as of yet.

What about everyone else?  Have you made any concrete resolutions?  Do share them in the comments or via email – an upcoming podcast will likely take some of your thoughts, comments, and feedback into consideration!  Happy New Year all and keep on shooting!