Image Mechanics Off-line Archiving System: The Next Generation
It’s been over a year and a half since first developing the unique archiving system that we have since used to safely and efficiently store the terabytes upon terabytes of image data that our clients consistently generate. In that time, the system has barely changed, and we feel that we can safely say this is still the most economical, practical, and easiest long-term archiving solution out there. (For our purposes, anyway.)
However, in that time we have also finessed certain aspects of the system, and figured that it has matured to the point where it would be a good idea to revisit and show exactly how we currently make it work.
Leaf Rollout event at Image Mechanics studio
LA Nude Show tonight
APA-LA Assistant Bootcamp
Register now at www.apa-la.org
Breakfast and Lunch will be provided
Early Registration: (on or before May 1, 2008)
Free for APA/LA Assistant ($125 Annual Fee)
Student Members ($55 Annual Fee)
$60 Non-members
Late Registration:
$10 APA/LA Assistant and Student Members
$70 Non-members
* Black Book Raffle
Details Below
Course Details:
With so many photographers seeking work, how can a photography student gain an edge? Until you can build a stellar portfolio and use it to market your photos, learn the business behind the business. Whether your goals include gaining more commercial experience or learning about being an assistant, this moderated panel of leading photography apprentices will provide the knowledge and confidence to send you in the right direction. We’ll cover career opportunities and the ins and outs of getting hired in the industry. A good resource for film assistants, prop work and film crews.
In this course, you can expect to learn:
Insight into industry expectations
Identifying potential markets
Effective communication and marketing strategies
Whom you should know and how to develop a professional relationship
Whom to contact to get hired
What is expected of you when you are hired, & how to get paid for your work
Managing self-income taxes
What not to do, and things to look out for
Demos of various lighting, camera and grip equipment
In addition each participant will receive a copy of the APA/LA Assistant Handbook
* The Black Book will be raffling off a FREE 10 Image Online Portfolio. Our
Blackbook.com website focuses on the work of the artist. This is your chance
to showcase your portfolio to the industry’s best.
APA - LOS ANGELES
5455 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 1709 Los Angeles, CA 90036
p 323-933-1631 f 323-933-9209 e office@apa- la.org
Shoot/Save/Snow
Got back recently from several days spent in Aspen with Hugh Stewart working on another catalog shoot, this time for a British clothing company. This job provided some good challenges and considerations to take into account for dealing with shooting in cold temperatures and the occasional bad weather.
Being out in the middle of snowy nowhere meant a lot of downloading cards to laptop. Some tips for coping with the cold and snow:
It’s been a long, strange trip…
and now I must bid you adieu. My full-time run here at Image Mechanics is ending and definitely on a high note. Call me crazy but I’m going to be teaching high school photography. I appreciate all the people I’ve met, as well as my fellow employees and the owners. I’ve had tons of fun and have had some truly great experiences, as to be expected, they are displayed below for your viewing pleasure!
Ahh, Greggy
Westside!
I float.
Click here for the GOOD stuff!
“The Hills” for People Magazine
A beautiful day in Malibu with some beautiful ladies, yes I’m talking about you Alison Dyer. Check out the video from People’s site (we’re not really in it but it’s funny none the less.)
Sun Screen, Water Bottle, Chap Stick and Jack Johnson.
The above video and my awesome grey card pretty much sum up the day.
How Lightroom® has Phase®d Out the Competition
UPDATE: It was brought to our attention that there was an error in our evaluation process. Astute people pointed out that we were using an incorrect color profile within Capture One. (You can see for yourself in the C1 white balance panel screenshots.) So, we ran the test again with the problem corrected. See after the jump what our revised conclusion is.
We just thought we’d post a quick little article, in response to a recent shoot, about how much better Lightroom is at processing files than Capture One Pro. As always, the proof is in the images, so we took the same file, ran it through each program spending a similar amount of time on color corrections etc., and here are the results.
1,2,3,4…Tell me which one you love more.
Image #1 was processed through Lightroom and images #2 and #3 through Capture One 3.7.7. The first Capture One image was set to keep the hair tint neutral and the second was set to keep the skin tint neutral. It was not possible to acheive a neutral tint throughout the whole image similar to the Lightroom processing.
Remember, we don’t just do this for fun. As a company, Image Mechanics strives to give our clients the best possible image in the least amount of time and Lightroom has been the backbone of our workflow for the past year. So what do you think? Which image would you rather deliver to a client at the end of a long day? In addition to the fact that each Lightroom-processed TIFF took a mere 6 seconds to output as opposed to 45 seconds apiece for Capture One! Needless to say, I think it’s pretty obvious.
It all boils down to the fact that you can save yourself countless hours of retouching, tweaking and processing by using the best tool for the job from the start. That isn’t to say that Capture One isn’t an idiot proof program.. um, I mean… keep using it everyone! It sure does make us look good!
The next page includes the settings which we applied to the file in each program.
shoot.save.show.
We’re collaborating with 5th and Sunset to bring you an exhibit of large, gorgeous prints we have produced using photos shot by a selection of our clients. Don’t miss the reception!
1Ds Mark III Review
There are many internet reviews that break down every nuance and operation of DSLR’s. Most of these will repeat the camera manufacturers specs verbatim for you as well as post the company press release. Additionally, there are a bunch of sites that talk about how to use the gear to take great action snaps of your cat. This review isn’t going to cover any of that well trodden ground (although it is tempting to post some shots of my dog).
I CAN HAVES USB
At Image Mechanics, we deal in high volume commercial digital capture. We mainly shoot tethered to a computer then we process and deliver thousands of images every day. When we write reviews, they are slanted towards how the equipment hinders or aids us in this task. With a few minor exceptions, the Canon 1Ds Mark III definitely falls into the later category.
