The Secrets of Digital Imaging

What I’m really interested in learning, on this new series of podcasts, are from the innovators in the photo industry. At times, these are photographers and other times, companies.

One of the companies that recently came to my attention is DxO. They produce some software I find amazing in how it works and also, in how it affects photographers who do their own editing. Anything that affects the workflow positively, by getting betters results or shortening the time spent in front of the computer or both warrants my attention.

Prior to the Photoplus Expo in New York, Deborah Gallin, of DxO contacted me and asked if I were interested in being put on their mailing list. Heck, yeah, I responded and soon afterwards, she sent me a copy of DxO Optics Pro 4.0 to test.

DxO meets both of my requirements in being innovative. It’s able to “fix” images by using their proprietary methods of using add ins to setup the software to your camera-lens combination to remove chromatic aberrations, edit vignette and also correct distortion (including non-parallel lines, such as when shooting a tall building from the ground). In this latter regard, DxO acts as if you had a tilt-shift lens!

Okay, enough. I wanted to get to the people responsible for this software and asked Deborah to set up an interview. She did and here is my discussion with Luc Marin, VP Sales and Marketing Photography. Oh, and we also discuss the new DxO Optics Pro 5.0, released just a few weeks ago.

Later, I hope to have further discussions with DxO, specifically with their chief scientist on the how and why of DxO Optics Pro.

 

 SDI DxO - Interview w/ Luc Marin #008 [32:50m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Direct link to the audio/podcast file.

As I say in the podcast, one of the most frequent questions I get is from photographers wanting to sell their images. Besides shooting weddings and events, most photographic enthusiasts see their hobby as just that, a hobby, and haven’t thought their images could make them any money.

digitalRailroad.net is foremost a marketplace where image makers and buyers come together. Once you have a fair number of images uploaded, a buyer may come across your work and purchase some rights to use your image. At digitalrailroad.net, you set your own price method of sale (rights management, for instance).

I recently spoke with Tom Tinervin, Director, Member Sales, about digitalrailroad.net, how they work and how someone can become a part of the marketplace.

From the digitalrailroad.net web site:

“Your member archive powered by digitalrailroad.net serves many purposes. It’s your place to organize images. It’s an online geographically redundant storage area. It’s a one-stop shop for buyers to find images for license and publication. It’s also the backbone of your stock photo business. It’s your BRAND — NOT someone else’s!

Digital Railroad allows you to upload your images to your branded online member archive where clients can easily search, preview images, and license at any time of day or night. Revenue from sales can be delivered directly to your bank or via checks.

Digital Railroad provides you with an organized workspace for your images — one that’s accessible from anywhere in the world through an Internet connection.”

digitalrailroad.net

 

 SDI - digitalrailroad.net - Interview w/ Tom Tinervin - #006 [26:30m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Direct download for the podcast audio file

I had the extreme pleasure of interviewing Brian Griffin on the eve of the publication of his new book (Teamphoto) and also prior to his exhibition: “Teamphoto – Portraits of the people who built Britain’s first high-speed railway.”

Brian and I talk about his early years in photography, some of his influences and how he currently shoots and processes his images. I found Brian to be utterly fascinating and quite easy to speak with–which shows in his images.

Please click the link above to listen to this interview or see the player at the top of this page.

I also want to congratulate Brian on both the book’s publication and on this exhibition. I just wish I were there to help him celebrate. Good on you, Brian.

 

 SDI - Brian Griffin Interview - 005 [24:43m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Direct link to file

Two years ago, I invited my sister, Dr. Karen Hays, to discuss with me the nature of digital photography. As you’ll hear in this lively banter, Karen believes most all digital photography is fake photography, as the digital file is so easily manipulated and changed from what the original subject looked like. That there is an ease to editing the digital images, she believes this type of photography can’t be trusted.

In the past two years, since I recorded this discussion, her point of view has changed little, if at all. Therefore, I believe this show from two years ago is just as pertinent today, as it was then. In my continuing series of interviewing influential people in this industry, I am looking into the essence of this medium, why people take pictures, how they accomplish this and what do photographs mean to them, post process and also to their audience.

Enjoy!

 

 SDI - Fake Photography - 004 [28:45m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Direct link to download the show

Chris Orwig and I sit down for a chat on photography, passion, and the nature of photography today.

Chris Orwig is a faculty member of Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, CA, USA. He is a professional freelance photographer, interactive designer, educator, and consultant. Included among his clients are companies such as Disney, Nissan, Activision, and J-Records.

I want to thank Chris Orwig for his time and I want to thank Lynda.com for making this interview possible.

Chris Orwig – Sojourn Photos

Chris Orwig – Lynda.com

 

 SDI Chris Orwig Interview - 003 [33:02m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Direct link to download the podcast

After meeting both John Sexton and Scott DiSabato at the 2007 Photoplus Expo in New York, I sit down with them and discuss the introduction of the new Kodak T-MAX 400 B&W film. John goes into some detail regarding the film’s ability and his impressions.

As more and more digital cameras are introduced, I wanted to find what Kodak’s thinking was in introducing a new film and who the possible users are and, so, I put the question to Kodak’s Scott DiSabato. We also discuss where Kodak sees film in the age of the digital camera.

John Sexton and I discusses his work-flow with the film and how and why he uses film for his work. A fascinating chat with two ends of the spectrum—a film manufacturer and a film user.

Kodak Film Page

Kodak T-MAX 400 Page

John Sexton Web Site

Direct Download Link

I originally published this podcast in July of 2005; I think it was my third edition of the Secrets of Digital Imaging. But, I think it’s important as quite a few casual photographers and photo hobbyists don’t really know what’s available to them.

While the very beginning discusses some software, the meat follows shortly thereafter. Here, I discuss JPG, TIF and RAW images and give you the advantages and disadvantages of each.

I also explore the concept of saving a digital master, the image from which all others will be created. For example, you can use the digital master to create images for the web, for creating enlargement prints and to create a copy to play with in an image editing program; always keeping the original digital master for use at some point in the future.

Please enjoy and if you have any comments or questions, please let me know via email: dennis -at- imagingsecrets -dot- com.

 

 File Types Used in Digital Photography: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

A while back, I closed the Secrets of Digital Imaging web site (http://www.imagingsecrets.com) because of burnout. I was just plain ol’ tired.

A month or so ago, I brought the audio files back as an addendum to my news blog, Photo News Today (http://www.photonewstoday.com) and put them on their own page. I remember thinking, when I did this, that I was doing something good by making them available, and I was. However, recently something happened to make me rethink my decisions.

I start teaching photography a few weeks ago when I took my 15-year-old son, Zachary, and a friend of the family, Christina, also 15 on a photo outing. (Oh, and before you think I was trying to play matchmaker, that wasn’t the intent.) Both of these young adults are quite interested in photography and had a wonderful time.

My agenda was to speak about theory on a subject, much like a live podcast, and then go walking to see what we could find. The funny thing was I got re-stimulated in a positive way about photography and started shooting again.

So, I’ve found I have a lot of things I still want to say and discuss about this subject and that, my friends, brings us to the brand-new Secrets of Digital Imaging web site!

I’m going to slowly bring the archive over to this site, probably two shows each week, until I get to the new stuff. This way, I can introduce some of these important topics again.

So, welcome aboard the new Secrets of Digital Imaging web site and podcast.