The latest release of the Apple operating system - Snow Leopard - was Friday, August 28, 2009 and features a range of updates and innovations that are practical and useful for the modern photographer. There are more features in 10.6, but let's focus on the ones related to the day-to-day for the photographer - Let's drill down and get to business!
64-bit
Keep hearing about 64-bit but unsure how that translates into something meaningful? First, 64-bit applications are significantly faster than the current 32-bit versions as they process twice the amount of software instructions on each command - this means zooms and pans are instantaneous and image adjustments occur near real time. Rendering RAW files to TIFF or JPEG is faster, turning 4 minutes into under 2 minutes for processing 10 files. Multiply that times your last shoot and you get extra sleep instead of staying up all night.
Security of your computer and files is significantly improved as it is substantially harder to crack into 64-bit protection than 32-bit - reducing the amount of hair-pulling time dealing with the hazards of virus or hacker damage.
Hasselblad's RAW developer, Phocus has been a native 64-bit application since November 2007 on the Mac OS X platform and since July 2008 on the Windows platform, so you are ready to take advantage of 64-bit in the Hasselblad workflow right now, today. Updates are no-charge and can be installed on multiple computers. Download Phocus here.
Thanks for the memory
So far we have discussed 64-bit applications, but the advantages for the photographer extend to the 64-bit operating system of Mac OS X as well. 32-bit applications can address 4GB of RAM at once; that was fantastic until we needed more - by using 64-bit, applications can address up to 16 BILLION gigabytes (that is 16 Exabytes) of memory. That ought to hold us for a while.
Many hands make light work
Ever needed to do more than one thing at a time? By using multiple processors (Intel multicore) tasks can be divided up and simultaneously completed - resulting in more work done in the same amount of time. Phocus is designed to take advantage of this feature in Mac OS X, so this means you can export images while shooting tethered, or create thumbnails in a folder of 1000's of RAW images within seconds.
Snow me the money
The image is the final product for many photographers so the production path to the final image is regarded with respect (or disdain!) Phocus uses the OpenGL commands that off-load graphics-processing commands from the central processor unit to the graphics processor unit for higher efficiency and speed. Checking focus - instant zoom; what about that corner over there - instant pan. Advances in GPU's mean you can easily and affordably update your graphics processing power at any time to improve your workflow - ask any high-end processing lab, they will confirm it.
At a price of $29 for the upgrade from Leopard (Mac OS X 10.5.8) it is a no-brainer.
Editor's Note: the FlexColor application installer (used for Hasselblad and Imacon Flextight scanners) is not natively supported by Snow Leopard and requires installation of Rosetta components manually.
Carefully review the system requirements for Snow Leopard, perform a full-backup prior to the upgrade and be prepared for some third-party applications that are not-yet ready for Snow Leopard. A "clean" install yields the best results, and your Time Machine backup can be migrated after the installation.
Showing posts with label photography 101. Show all posts
Showing posts with label photography 101. Show all posts
Friday, September 25, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Tips for Better Summer Photography
Well Summer's here. It's time to dust off those cameras, get outside and start shooting. I was taking some pictures just a couple days ago and the thought occurred to me that it would probably be pretty cool if I compiled a list of some tips for Summer photography. So without further ado:
1.) Flash Outdoors: Outside portraits just aren't the same if you blow out the sky. Instead, try using some fill flash (or high sync speeds) will allow you to tame the ambient light all while creating a nice portrait of your subject.
2.) No Flash, No Problem: Position your subject so that the sun is to their back and check out nature's rim light:
3.) Give 'Em Flare: Lens flare that is... When used right it can really help to add that extra oomph to the image and warm things up. Take this image for example. Just a little bit of flare to accent the image.
4.) Spritz Away: If you are shooting macro work of flowers, be sure to bring along a mini spray bottle and give the plants a couple squirts of water. This makes it look just like morning dew and adds some extra impact to the image. Add some flash and watch those water droplets twinkle.
5.) Work The Angles: There are only so many ways you can take a picture. Get creative. Get on a ladder and shoot down, lay down and shoot low, shoot through foliage or even move around your subject. You have 360 degrees of view around them so why not use it?
Take a look:
Shooting down is cool and can be a real helper to naturally thin your subject's face.
This next example shows an alright image (if I do say so myself):
But watch when I get lower and shoot through the foliage. Now the image is more personal. When you shoot through foliage, it is almost as if the image takes on a completely different feel.
6.) Refresh/Recharge: After a long winter, nothing is better than going out and picking up a new toy to play with. Whether it's a new lens, camera or accessory. I truly feel that new equipment helps make you a better photographer. I am not saying that the gear makes the photographer, what I am saying is this; If I just got a new lens or camera, you better believe that I am not going to put it down. That means I am shooting more. When you shoot more, you are getting more practice and more practice means you get better. I think it is a chain reaction.
My BIG purchase this year was my new Hasselblad H3DII-31. You better believe that it isn't leaving my sight and I am shooting more than ever! The best part is that I am shooting for myself again. When you own your own photography business, it is easy to get burned out shooting exclusively for your clients. I am finding myself going out and photographing landscapes and taking time out for myself. What a breath of fresh air that is! If you want to pick a Hasselblad up too then the best time to do it is now. The promotions that are going on are just too good to pass up.
You only have until June 30th (yeah like a couple days from now) of this year to cash in so hurry!
You can get an H3DII-31 for as little as $12,995! That is about $3,000 in savings alone! If you want to roll with the big boys then you can really cash in; A H3DII-50 and the new 35-90mm zoom lens for $29,995. The savings you get there is truly astonishing!
On August 1st, these prices jump back up to their original MSRP so act now and save big bucks!
If you want to pick one up then shoot me an email at mbielat@hotwire-digital.com anytime. I can answer your questions and get one of these bad boys in your hands.
Take care and thanks for reading!
1.) Flash Outdoors: Outside portraits just aren't the same if you blow out the sky. Instead, try using some fill flash (or high sync speeds) will allow you to tame the ambient light all while creating a nice portrait of your subject.
2.) No Flash, No Problem: Position your subject so that the sun is to their back and check out nature's rim light:
3.) Give 'Em Flare: Lens flare that is... When used right it can really help to add that extra oomph to the image and warm things up. Take this image for example. Just a little bit of flare to accent the image.
4.) Spritz Away: If you are shooting macro work of flowers, be sure to bring along a mini spray bottle and give the plants a couple squirts of water. This makes it look just like morning dew and adds some extra impact to the image. Add some flash and watch those water droplets twinkle.
5.) Work The Angles: There are only so many ways you can take a picture. Get creative. Get on a ladder and shoot down, lay down and shoot low, shoot through foliage or even move around your subject. You have 360 degrees of view around them so why not use it?
Take a look:
Shooting down is cool and can be a real helper to naturally thin your subject's face.
This next example shows an alright image (if I do say so myself):
But watch when I get lower and shoot through the foliage. Now the image is more personal. When you shoot through foliage, it is almost as if the image takes on a completely different feel.
6.) Refresh/Recharge: After a long winter, nothing is better than going out and picking up a new toy to play with. Whether it's a new lens, camera or accessory. I truly feel that new equipment helps make you a better photographer. I am not saying that the gear makes the photographer, what I am saying is this; If I just got a new lens or camera, you better believe that I am not going to put it down. That means I am shooting more. When you shoot more, you are getting more practice and more practice means you get better. I think it is a chain reaction.
My BIG purchase this year was my new Hasselblad H3DII-31. You better believe that it isn't leaving my sight and I am shooting more than ever! The best part is that I am shooting for myself again. When you own your own photography business, it is easy to get burned out shooting exclusively for your clients. I am finding myself going out and photographing landscapes and taking time out for myself. What a breath of fresh air that is! If you want to pick a Hasselblad up too then the best time to do it is now. The promotions that are going on are just too good to pass up.
You can get an H3DII-31 for as little as $12,995! That is about $3,000 in savings alone! If you want to roll with the big boys then you can really cash in; A H3DII-50 and the new 35-90mm zoom lens for $29,995. The savings you get there is truly astonishing!
On August 1st, these prices jump back up to their original MSRP so act now and save big bucks!
If you want to pick one up then shoot me an email at mbielat@hotwire-digital.com anytime. I can answer your questions and get one of these bad boys in your hands.
Take care and thanks for reading!
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