Switching from Aperture to Lightroom, and a few other updates.

   Here comes another photography blog with no pictures in it. A while back now, Apple announced that Aperture was effectively dead. This made me sad, since I have come to use it quite heavily and had something on the order of 20,000 images between my personal and professional aperture libraries. I initially tried Lightroom, but the interface and organization wasn't as intuitive or easy for me as Aperture. So I went with Aperture. I spend a bit of money on plug ins, and a lot of time on learning to use the software. While I may not have reached ultimate ninja warrior status, I think I certainly was approaching a black belt level workflow. So it kinda felt like a betrayal and sting of death when I got the news. But, as annoying as it seemed, it is pretty useless to rail against what you can't control, so I decided to figure out how to make the transition and when. The end of the year seemed like a good time for a clean break.

  Since I had been using aperture as a managed library, this was going to mean pretty much a complete reorganization of everything, so I decided it would also be  good time to make a few other changes. I was almost out of storage space on my main drives and my computer was old and slow. I decided why not fix all of that at once, I mean, if you're cliff jumping there's no halfway right? The only issue was money. I really didn't have the cash flow to upgrade the computer. Enter a conversation with another photographer and friend who also works off a macbook, who suggested I upgrade to a solid state hard drive, which would seriously up the performance on my current macbook. I did some research and found out that would cost just a fraction of my most conservative computer upgrade plans, so I ordered a 1tb SSD and had it installed. At the same time I ordered some larger external drives to use as my workhorses.

 He was right, the performance increase is insane. Before the upgrade, for example, it took 7-10 minutes for my laptop to boot up. Now it takes approximately 90 seconds. Photoshop work is almost instantaneous, even working with full resolution images from the D800. This will definitely hold me over for a while. Drive wise I am now using a La Cie 4TB external drive as my main professional drive. My only off site backup is the images I upload to my website, which is driven by photo shelter,  so I am sort of paranoid about my backups at home. So for my backup drive, I went with the IoSafe Solo. This will be my second Solo. I using a partitioned 3gb solo drive to backup both my personal hard drive and my 2gb pro drive. I still use 1gb of that one for backup of my personal hard drive and images (as well as an encrypted cloud backup, but that is too expensive and slow to use for my working files) and the remaining 2gb will be my archive storage for my old aperture library. While I have (luckily) not had to test the resilience of these drives, they give all the appearances of being the tanks they are marketed as. The drives are basically water and fire resistant safes with USB ports, and even pretty likely that house burglars would leave them alone, since they weigh about as much as a small car and are bolted to my desk.

  So, upgraded computer, new drives ready to go. It was time to figure out how the hell to move from aperture to lightroom. First off I decided migrating my whole professional catalogue was a non-starter, I would be using up almost half of the space in my new drive before I even started, so the 2014 and earlier Happy Dragon photo images will remain an aperture library. I did decide to switch them from managed to referenced masters so it will be easier to retrieve the raw files later if I need to. But my personal images I wanted to move with me since I do go back all the time and look at those. Adobe did add an Import from Aperture function in the most recent 5.7 lightroom update, but importing using that would have put all my files into folders organized by date only, which is not how I organized everything. So I decided to do it the hard way. I first switched my whole personal library from managed to referenced, which preserved at least the higher level folder structure for my images. Then I imported that framework into my new lightroom catalogue. The sub-folder hierarchy, alas, did not translate. I am not sure if I could have fixed this somehow, but I didn't and now it's done, so I am about halfway through rebuilding the subfolder hierarchy in my new personal LR catalogue.

    Then it was time to start slowly learning the new interface and developing a new workflow. Am I there yet? Hell no, it took me two years to get to a decent level of proficiency with Aperture, it's been two months roughly with Lightroom. But already I can see that most of my real issue with the program was just that "this is different....." and change isn't easy for me, I get pretty set in my ways and attached to things and processes. Now that I have used it for a bit, although I still struggle with some of the differences, and I am still not really a fan of navigating  the library folder panel, there are quite a few advantages to LR I have found, and I am quickly becoming a convert. I can't really geek out and use numbers to back this up, but I think Apple gave up on Aperture long before the announcement and stopped developing it. Adobe, on the other hand, has kept the press on. It's totally subjective, but I feel like the adjustment sliders in LR have a lot more range and power than the aperture equivalents. Aperture had better adjustment brushes, but the LR gradients are awesome.

  Another huge change is the file management system. While it isn't as easy to navigate for me as Aperture's project setup was, it is more flexible and provides me with a new setup I am really liking. Instead of a library for my personal images and a second library for my professional images, I now have one catalogue, since LR makes it easy to spread images from a single catalogue over multiple drives. While I could have done the same thing in aperture using referenced files vice mastered, I don't think moving images around in aperture would have moved them around externally the way moving them in LR does. (maybe it would have, but oh well, that wasn't the way I had my aperture system set up). Another way this really helps me is that when I first shoot a set of work images, now when I import them initially from the camera I put them into a working folder that resides on my internal SDD (which is now big enough to be used for this purpose) and backed up onto my external drive. That way, while I am working on those images, I get the full speed advantage of the solid state drive, and I also don't have to cart around an external drive to work on my files. When the images are done, it's quick, easy and seamless to move them within lightroom onto my external drive. If that gets too unwieldy, I can even still put the images on my external drive, and just keep smart previews on my internal drive to work on while I am away from home. This really makes life easier when I can just grab my laptop and wacom tablet and bring them on the ship with me to work on images without carting around a whole external drive.

  There's another thing that I just found that makes it even better. Lightroom Mobile! This is freaking awesome, and may be the sole forcing factor in getting me to move to the creative cloud subscription after all. Now, when I get home late and dump my images from a show onto my working folder, I also put them into a collection which automatically syncs with LR mobile. While I get dressed in the AM, I sync my iPad and make sure those images are downloaded into LR mobile for offline work. Then, when I am stuck in horribly boring and pointless meetings at work, or stop of at a bar on the way home,  I can pull out the iPad and sort through the images, do my initial reviews, rating and selection process, and make some simple, initial edits. Then, when I get home, all that work automatically updates and when I fire up the laptop, the culling process is mostly done and I am ready to start the edits. This is awesome. Also, the other main reason I was staying away from the creative cloud is that it wouldn't work if I was on deployment and out to sea for longer than a month (or 3 with annual subscription) without the software being able to phone home. Since it looks like I probably only have two more months out to sea in my naval career, that roadblock seems to no longer be the issue it was. Which brings me to my final point.

  This process of switching over to Lightroom was a reminder that was perfectly timed. It reminded me that although it is easy for me to get stuck in a certain process and way of doing things and become very resistant to change, it isn't necessarily the horrible catastrophe I initially fear it to be. Change and upheaval will seldom be easy, learning new ways of doing things and developing new processes is hard. But if you stick with it, it can definitely be worth it and can actually open amazing new doors and opportunities. I definitely learned that when I went through my divorce, but I guess I was starting to forget, and it's nice to have a reminder right about now, because a couple of weeks ago I found out that my navy career is pretty much over. I got passed over for command, which means that I statistically have a better chance of getting struck by lightening while purchasing a winning lottery ticket than I do of promoting again, and if I don't promote again I will be retired in 3 years whether I want to be or not. There are many bright sides to this, namely I won't have to worry about long stretches away from my family and friends anymore. But it's also scary, because I am nowhere near financially ready for it. I was hoping to make a little off of my book, but that was pretty much dead on arrival, and other than a few little gigs, I haven't cracked the code of how to earn anything from photography. I still have a load of debt from the divorce and am in no way ready financially to retire and still provide for the family.

   But, as life seems to be reminding me, painful change and learning a new way to proceed can be very rewarding. More to follow. In conclusion, I hereby recant all the foul things I may have said in the past about lightroom and the adobe creative cloud. It will take a while to get as proficient with LR as I was with aperture, but it will be worth it and I think I will find even more new features and tricks to make life easier. The rest will take care of itself somehow, I have 3 years to figure it out.

 

Buy Local.... a review and shoutout to 858 Graphics in San Diego, Ca.

    Like so many of my posts, this episode starts out with me perusing the local Craigslist boards looking for photography jobs and anything else that catches my eye... speaking of which, if anyone knows an albino midget someone is looking to hire one.... but I digress. I came across an add looking for bloggers willing to receive free items and services in exchange for reviews. Let's see... do I have  blog? Yes- although I probably don't have to point that out since you are reading it right now). Do I like free stuff? Yes. Seems like I was a good fit for this one. So I shot them an email and didn't expect anything really to come from it.

    Flash forward a couple of weeks, and to my surprise I find a message in my inbox from 858 Graphics here in San Diego asking if I would like to send them a photo and get a free 16x24 acrylic print in return for a review. (looks like normally costs $80) Well, as it turns out, I would like that very much. So I picked out an image to send their way from a recent shoot of my family.

   
    Turnaround time was negligible, very quick turnaround. Print was ready in a couple of days, and it looks absolutely awesome. The main holdup in my posting this review has been my unsuccessful attempts to get a picture of the print ( I know, very meta right?) but seriously, when they say "ultra high gloss finish" they aren't kidding. I finally came to the conclusion that to get a picture of the print that didn't show you a reflection of some random feature of my apartment or me, I would need to built a black box set and set up some serious product style lighting. I tried to do that this evening, but my son decided he could destroy faster than I could build, so I gave up. Here is the best image I could get without you seeing too many incriminating reflections:

   Print came with the mounting hardware, pretty easy to attach and it sits about an inch off the wall with the supplied mounts.

   As you can see, installing the mounts is pretty simple. Overall I am very happy with the service and quality of the product. My point of contact was very easy to deal with throughout the whole order and made getting the print a simple and even fun process.

   But, despite the free stuff and my overall happiness with the print, I would be remiss if I did not mention two small issues (neither of which will likely effect paying customers at all)

    The first issue was image submission, there was no simple way to provide a high resolution image to 858 to print. I think this was due to the fact that I was getting the print outside of their normal ordering system, it looks like with the normal ordering system you can upload up to a 500mb file, so that shouldn't be an issue when you order from them, unless you are shooting something seriously massive. A single full resolution raw image from my D800 comes in under 100mb.

   The second issue I had with the print was banding in the dark sky areas of the image. I won't hold this against 858 either, because I have had the same issue in prints I have ordered from other printers, so I think I must be doing something wrong when I export my files for printing. I don't print a lot or on a frequent basis, so I am more than willing to assume the error lies more in my print preparation than in 858s printing process. And unless you look really closely, you wouldn't notice it.

   So, the only two issues I had were both fairly minor, and I have a feeling that neither would have come up in the process of a normal paid order. Also, judging from my interactions with the staff, I have a feeling that if I had mentioned the banding issue to them they would have probably offered to work with me on the file I submitted and reprint the job for me. But I didn't mention it, because that would have been a total dick move on my part (hey- this awesome thing you gave me for free isn't quite awesome enough, how about a redo? Not my style. I may be a beer snob, but you buy me a Corona I'll say thank you and drink it)

   To sum it up, awesome service, amazing products. Next time I need something printed up I will definitely give 858 Graphics a call, and not just because the bribed me with free stuff. I also like that they are local and I can go in and talk to a real person, not just some faceless internet order service from a distant land. (although they do offer faceless distant land service as well, if you aren't lucky enough to live in or near San Diego.) Look them up, and give them some business because they rock and will work to earn it!

Christmas shopping for the photographer in your life. (how to buy presents for a photographer)

  Just in case you hadn't been able to tell from the flurry of advertisements, ugly sweater party invites, and the endless repetition of "Baby it's cold outside," Christmahannakwanzika is upon us once again. This means, if you happen to have a photographer in your life that you may be totally stumped when it comes to what to get us when it's time to be getting presents.

   I admit it, we're a pretty finicky lot. Most of us are very particular about our gear, we know what we want, and that is exactly what we want. You may not even know what camera we use, let alone what accessories work with it or what is already in our camera bag. So how do you go about getting us something you know we'll use and love? It isn't easy, so I will try to give you a few options:

Option 1: Go simple. Stick to the tried and true basics, things that are pretty much universal. Problem is there aren't many of these out there anymore, and the ones that are still there are pretty much at the stocking stuffer level. Some quick examples are handy lens cleaning cloths, you can never have enough, or cases for the standard items everyone needs, like memory cards and batteries.

Option 2b: Do a little research. What camera system does your photographer use? What gear is in their camera bag already? With a little poking around you can get an idea of what they already have, and hopefully you know what sort of images they like to shoot- landscapes, macro, portraits, sports, etc. Write down a few things then head to your local camera shop. Make sure it's your actual local camera shop, not just the camera section at Best Buy or Fry's. I don't want to disparage those stores, but the sales people there are probably not photographers and even with the best of intentions may lead you astray. But your local camera shop is staffed by photography geeks just like the one you are shopping for. If you can tell them what is already in your shooter's bag and what they primarily shoot, these pros will most likely be able to give you some great suggestions. Ask first, but these shops will also probably be more than willing to do credit/refunds/exchanges in the event that your gift didn't quite fit the bill.

Option 2b: Do a little sneakier research- aka snooping. Look over your photographer's shoulder while they browse camera sites and see what they seem to like. Look through their browser history and see what pages they visited at big photo retailers (Adorama, B&H, Keh, etc). This method is rather risky on several levels and could lead very bad relationship consequences, so only use it if you are very comfortable with your person and you have a shared computer or something that should reasonably not be expected to be private. Also, be prepared to potentially ruin your surprise if you stumble across the sites they were using to shop for your gift, or to learn way more than you ever wanted to know about your person if you stumble across some other sites they may have visited for.... umm.... research. Ok, really, I don't recommend this one. Forget I said anything, it's a bad idea. 

Option 2c: Do a little less sneaky research. In other words, just ask. We love to talk about our toys and obsessions. If you are contemplating a major league gift like a camera body, lens, bag or other high end accessory, most of us would generally rather pick these out ourselves. Ask your photographer to make you a top ten gear lust list. This way you will be sure that you are getting something we want when you drop that major coin, but if it's a long enough list then there is still some element of surprise when the grand opening day comes.

Option 3: Accessorize. Yeah. Most of us have the same old boring black cameras and lenses. Maybe white if your photographer shoots canon. You may not know what gear they shoot with, but you probably have a good idea of their personality. Maybe you can help them set themselves apart a bit from the crowd. Do they shoot children's portraits? How about a Shutter Hugger to help make those little smiles come out. Do they shoot rock concerts or just want to stand out from the crowd a little bit? How about a Lens Skin you think fits their image? (you have to do a little research to know what lenses they use for that one.)
     Even better, what if your photographer is into steampunk fashion, or just really, really wants to stand out. What if you want to support a small business instead of a major online retailer? In this case, you should definitely take a look at CameraPunk. Unlike the other links to amazon items in the rest of this post, I don't earn a cent if you buy something from CameraPunk. But if your photographer really wants to stand out and look awesome, this is a great place to shop. You can go from subtle to over the top steampunk as you like. If you go back and look at a few of my posts where you can see my 24-70 or 70-200, you may notice that each one has a lens cuff from CP. While I don't earn anything from recommending you check CP out, the artist is a friend of mine and is just an amazing person as well as an awesome photographer herself, so I would be remiss if I didn't suggest you check out her shop for some stuff you won't find anywhere else.

Option 4a: Make it personal- give the gift of yourself. Give a gift certificate for your services as a photo assistant on a shoot or two. Spend some time with your photographer and help them out while they are doing what they love.

Option 4b: Make it really personal. This one only works if your photographer is your significant other, or is someone you are considering for a closer relationship. Slip on something fancy (or naughty) and walk up and seductively ask if they would like you to model for them sometime....

   So, there you go, some really non-specific options to hopefully spur your creativity and help you pick out a gift for the photographer on your list. Before I go, just in case I happen to be the photographer on your list, or if Santa happens to be following my blog, here's some suggestions for me:

Phantom 2 Vision+ Drone!

Nikon 135mm F2.0 DC Lens

Sigma 150-600 F5.6-6.3 DG OS HSM S Lens

Zeiss Otus 85mm

Then there are studio lights, medium format cameras, a studio space.... see, we're easy to shop for as long as you happen to be loaded!

Merry New Year and Happy Christmas to all- or whatever Holiday greeting floats your boat, I am pretty equal opportunity when it comes to time to get presents!