Photo Freedom

Triptych Project - Bridgers Panoramic

noreply@blogger.com (Tim Leonhardt) — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 23:38:00 +0000

The Project

For the past year, my wife has been telling me that she wants a large format panoramic shot of the Bridgers (one of our local mountain ranges here in Bozeman, MT) to hang in our great room. The room has needed something since we moved in - with 20' ceilings, there's a whole lot of blank wall to work with.

Getting the Shot

My first task was to find the right location to take the shot. It took me a while, but when I finally discovered this spot earlier this spring, I knew I had a winner.

I took my first panoramic series handheld, just to verify that the shot suited my wife's vision of the finished product. I like this vantage point - it offers a great perspective of the Bridgers and as a bonus lets me capture the Gallatin river to provide foreground interest. After my wife gave the thumbs up, I decided to wait for fall to capture the final image.

I made two photo outings to the spot this fall. The shot shown here is warmer and has more fall color than the shot from my second visit, so I decided to go with it. I had to do quite a bit of post-processing, not so much to combine the

four separate shots into a single panoramic (CS4 makes pretty short work of that), but more to bring out adequate detail in the foreground, which was in heavy shadow as the sun set behind me. While HDR might have been an option with the right source images, I instead used layers to work with the foreground and mountains separately. I then used CS4 to up-rez the finished image to my final dimensions - just a hair under 9' wide by 4' tall.

You Mean There's a Budget?

With the right shot finally in hand, I now faced the harsh reality of the 'B' word: "Budget." My first thought was to print the panoramic on canvas - not as a gallery wrap, but more as a tapestry that would hang from some sort of ornamental rod. I never could find the right hanging hardware, however, and I discovered that a canvas that size is not cheap (although I still think it would be a nice treatment). My second choice was to break the image into a triptych, printing it in three separate sections. I really liked this idea because it would make mounting and hanging the image much easier. I didn't think framing would look good with the triptych treatment, plus it was outside the budget given the size of the picture. I decided dry mounting would be a better and more economical option. I also like the dimensional look provided when dry mounts stand off the wall a bit, so I decided to work that into the plan.

I contacted a local provider to see about having the image printed and mounted locally. Unfortunately, the firm was primarily focused on commercial work (vehicle wraps, POS, etc.), and the UV-ink printer they had in-house wouldn't create a print with the longevity I was looking for. They were, however, willing to provide a quote for mounting prints I intended to purchase elsewhere. We spec'ed out both gatorboard and Sintra as mounting substrates. Unfortunately, while their price was more than fair for both materials and mounting, it still landed outside my budget. I had to find a cheaper alternative.

Photo-Tex to the Rescue

It was then that I considered using Wallhogs to print the image. I've written elsewhere about Wallhogs and other printers like them who let you print your own Fathead®-like wall clings. I've previously used Wallhogs to print small Photo-Tex wall clings of my kids swimming - we affix them to the car when we're on our way to swim meets around the state. They're fun and get the kids amped for competition.

I liked the notion of using Photo-Tex because it is re-usable. Instead of the one-and-done mounting process I would face with a regular print, Photo-Tex would let me reposition the images if I screwed up on my first, second, or third attempt. Additionally, Wallhogs treats their Photo-Tex wall clings with a UV shield, an important consideration considering the west-facing wall of windows in my great room. After contacting Wallhogs customer support via email to ensure that Photo-Tex would work for my intended purpose, I decided to move forward.

I used CS4 to divide my image into the panel sizes I wanted, and then uploaded them to Wallhogs. Because my files were larger than the norm and I wanted to make sure everything was configured properly, I called customer support directly to place my order. I talked to a very helpful guy who got everything lined out, including special instructions for the printers to print full bleed with no white border. They also gave me a special photographer discount, which helped keep the price within budget.

Mounting the Triptych

Three Photo-Tex prints arrived at my door about a week and a half later. When we rolled them out on the dining room table, I was amazed at how great the color looked on the Photo-Tex material. I was ready to settle for a lower quality print just to get the re-usability and longevity advantages, but I was really impressed with the image quality on the Photo-Tex fabric.

Next, I ran to Lowe's and bought two sheets of 1/8" Masonite® board, which Lowe's cut on the spot to dimensions I provided. I then glued 1"x4" wood boards to the back of each panel using construction adhesive. After letting the boards dry overnight, I screwed Hangman metal hanging cleats (also purchased at Lowe's) to the boards. I like these cleats because they make hanging heavy or awkward pieces pretty simple.

I was finally ready to mount the prints to the Masonite® substrate. The process went very smoothly, and having the option to peel and reposition the Photo-Tex was huge. Considering the size of each piece, my wife and I knocked the job out pretty rapidly. I was quite pleased how easily the material went down with few air bubbles or wrinkling.

Perhaps the biggest challenge was mounting the panels on the great room wall. Armed with an extension ladder, tape measure, stud finder, level, dry wall anchors, and a cordless drill, we managed to get the second half of the Hangman cleats mounted successfully. After that, it was simply a matter of hoisting the panels into position.

Conclusions

I learned a good bit from this first attempt, and I suspect my next similar project would go more smoothly. I really liked working with the Photo-Tex, and I would definitely use the material again. Having said that, if I were creating a project to go in someone else's house where budget was not such a priority, I think I'd probably outsource the mounting of the prints. Gatorboard is probably easier to work with, and letting the print shop mount gardner cleats on the back of the panels would make the entire process easier.

Here's the final product - my wife is happy with it, we came in on budget, and I had a lot of fun. What more could you ask for?

Full Disclosure: When you buy your wall cling from Wallhogs by clicking through the link above, you help support the Photo Freedom blog. So please click away!

Free Lightroom 3 Upgrade? It's Possible!

noreply@blogger.com (Tim Leonhardt) — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 16:42:00 +0000

With the new updates to Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom released earlier this year, I decided I'd better figure out a way to stay current with the latest versions. Black Friday and the big post-Thanksgiving Day sales provided the perfect opportunity to do so at a great price. Here's how I did it:

1. Sign in at Ebates. For Black Friday, the normal 6% cash back on Adobe purchases was upped to 10%. Keep your eyes open - Ebates may bump cash back for CyberMonday, as well. If you're not already a member, you can sign up here.

2. Once you've logged in at Ebates, search their store locator for Adobe. Click through the Save2010 link. This coupon expires 11/30/2010, so act now!

3. With the Save2010 coupon code, the upgrade price for CS5 drops from $199 to $149. Make sure you find CS5 and not CS5 Extended, which is more expensive. Add the CS5 upgrade to your cart. I like having the install media on hand, so I chose that option (I'll tell you how to get free shipping in a second).

4. Adobe is currently running a 30% off Lightroom 3 special for CS5 buyers - add that upgrade to your cart, as well. It should ring up at $69.30 - a great price...but with our Ebates cash back, it's even better!

5. Your cart total should be $218.30. You're now ready to Checkout.

6. If you chose the option to have the install media shipped, you can use code BLKMONFS (valid through 11/30/2010) to get free shipping. Sweet!

7. That's it! Complete your order to lock in your savings.

So here's the final rundown of this deal:

CS5 upgrade - normally $199, cut to $149 with SAVE2010 promo.
Lightroom 3 upgrade - normally $99, cut to $69.39 with CS5 upgrade.
Free shipping - normally $10ish, free with code BLKMONFS.
Ebates cash back - from $13.09 (6%) to $21.83 (10%)

At regular price, you would have paid over $300 for these upgrades. Using the steps I've just shown you, my out-of-pocket was $196.47 (I bought when the Ebates cash back for Adobe was at 10% on Black Friday). So I basically paid just a little less than normal for my CS5 upgrade and got the Lightroom 3 upgrade for free - all with free shipping! Thanks a bundle, Adobe and Ebates!

Wall Clings 25% Off at Wallhogs!

noreply@blogger.com (Tim Leonhardt) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 01:15:00 +0000

If you've been on the fence about buying a wall cling for Christmas this year, Wallhogs is doing their best to make your decision easier. Now through November 30, every order is 25% off! Get your order in early, beat the rush, and save a bundle! Buy from Wallhogs now!

Full Disclosure: When you buy your wall cling from Wallhogs by clicking through the link above, you help support the Photo Freedom blog. So please click away!

Platinum Printing

noreply@blogger.com (Tim Leonhardt) — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 01:33:00 +0000

I recently received a promotional e-mail from a studio that is hosting a show for a photographer who creates his own platinum prints. I had not heard of platinum prints previously, so I did a bit of research to find out more. Turns out platinum prints are one of the longest-lasting, most-collectible methods of printing photos that exists.

I've yet to see a platinum print in person, but I did find a great web site that serves as an awesome introduction to this methodology - and includes a bibliography if you're interested in doing more research on your own. That web site is Joe Lipka's "Guide to Platinum Printing." Thanks for posting, Joe!

Wallhogs Offers Free 12" Minihogs

noreply@blogger.com (Tim Leonhardt) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 04:11:00 +0000

Big news. Through November 26th, Wallhogs is offering two free 12" minihog vinyl wall clings when you buy a full-size wallhog. All three hogs must be of the same image, but you can stick the minihogs on your car or bathroom mirror after you stick the larger hog on your kid's wall. It's a great deal! Order your vinyl wall art from Wallhogs soon - deadlines for Christmas delivery are coming up fast!

Full Disclosure: When you buy your wall cling from Wallhogs by clicking through one of the links above, you help support the Photo Freedom blog. So please click away!

Print Your Photo on an Alloy Box

noreply@blogger.com (Tim Leonhardt) — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 04:26:00 +0000

You may have read my earlier post re: printing on metal. Given the price commodities took there for a while, I never actually took the plunge - I didn't have a photo I felt worthy of the $100+ it was probably going to cost.

Tonight, I found another interesting option. At the Print Lounge, you can print a photo on an alloy box. Basically, they take a piece of metal, print your image, and then bend the edges to form a box that stands off the wall. Prices are in GBP - Print Lounge is located in the UK.

Does anyone know of an American version of this? It looks pretty cool!

Update: Make Your Own Wall Cling

noreply@blogger.com (Tim Leonhardt) — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 15:53:00 +0000

I've recently updated my popular "Make Your Own Wall Cling" post to include two additional wall cling printers - Jumbo Sticky Pics and Mpix. I've also re-organized the post to make it easier for you to review the list of custom wall cling printers that I've identified. If you know of other printers that should be added to the list, just let me know! Read the updated "Make Your Own Wall Cling" post.

Guy Kawasaki Buys a Canvas Print

noreply@blogger.com (Tim Leonhardt) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 03:22:00 +0000

I'm a huge fan of Guy Kawasaki and his work on entrepreneurship and startups. In addition to his main blog (How to Change the World), I've been following Guys' random blog on Posterous. Recently, he blogged on a pop-art style canvas from canvasondemand.com that he had made of him and his family. You can read about it (and see an image of the canvas) here: Fabulous family "painting" from Canvasondemand.com - Holy Kaw! (as in "Holy Cow!")

Get Creative When Making Your Own Wall Cling

noreply@blogger.com (Tim Leonhardt) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 12:22:00 +0000

When folks think about creating their own wall cling using one of the variety of printers out there, they're often envisioning the classic oversize sports figure cling that will go on the wall of junior's room (you can buy these from companies like Wallhogs). That's awesome, but there's much more to consider if you get creative.

This month's InFocus newsletter from LexJet profiles Garry Burelison, owner of Century Imaging & Graphics in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He is growing his business by offering photo products beyond the typical professional portrait, including photo wall murals that you can simply stick to the wall. You don't have to be a professional to get this effect - just pick a handful of your favorite photos, combine them in Photoshop or Elements, and upload them to Wallhogs or one of the other wall cling printers out there. I suggest you use a vendor who prints on Photo Tex, as this media seems to have the best 'restickability' - in case you decide you want to take the photo mural down someday. Contrast this with a typical wallpaper border that you buy at Lowe's or Home Depot - it's semi-permanent (if you apply it right) and uses some generic design that means nothing to you personally. I think this is a compelling idea that deserves your consideration. If you do this (or have already done it), I'd love to see some photos of your results. I'll post them here on Photo Freedom.

The other day, I also read a blog post on Wonderful Graffiti (now defunct) - a site where you can type in your own quote, select embellishments, and have the whole thing printed out on self-stick vinyl. Their web site was top-notch - with prices to match.

Since then, I've found a variety of vendors who offer a similar service (the image at right is from Wise Decor):

Most of these vendors allow you to choose from a list of pre-packaged popular quotes or give an option to create your own quote using the font face, size, and color that you prefer. If you find that the options available on these sites don't match your creativity (maybe they don't offer the font you want, for instance), why not create your own quote locally using Photoshop or Elements and upload it to one of the wall cling printers? This approach gives you complete control over the creative process. I'd suggest you pick a quote site listed above and compare it to a create-your-own wall cling site like Wallhogs and then go with whichever site offers the features you need at the best price point.

Happy printing!

Full Disclosure: When you buy your wall cling from Wallhogs by clicking through one of the links above, you help support the Photo Freedom blog. So please click away!

Print Your Photo on M&Ms!

noreply@blogger.com (Tim Leonhardt) — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 04:17:00 +0000

You probably already know that Mars - the makers of M&Ms candy - now allows you to purchase custom M&Ms that include a short message you define. What you may not realize is that recently, Mars upped the ante by adding an option to print a photo right on the face of an M&M.

Begin by cropping the photo you intend to use in your favorite photo editing tool. I cropped mine in LightRoom:

As you'll see in the next step, you want to crop tight. Mars also recommends that your photo be bright and high contrast - backgrounds that are too busy or backlit (like my original) may not turn out the greatest. I used LightRoom 2's new burning and dodging tool to increase the exposure of my son's face before cropping.

After you crop and save your image, upload it at M&M's custom candy creation site. You can pick up to 3 colors, upload 1 or 2 images and specify from 1 to 3 custom messages you want printed on your M&Ms. Be aware that the more messages you specify, the fewer M&Ms will contain your uploaded photo.

After you upload your image, you'll have a chance to zoom in or out to fill the face of your M&M:

Mars did a nice job here - the process is simple and intuitive. As you can see, by cropping the image prior to upload I didn't have any problem getting my son's face to fill the entire M&M 'window'. If you're uploading a photo of a couple (an engagement photo, for instance), Mars recommends that they be cheek-to-cheek to ensure you can fit them on the 1 centimeter M&M canvas (roughly 1/2 the width of a dime).

After you've saved your modifications, the Personalized M&Ms wizard shows you the results of your labor:

Notice that the portrayal of your custom M&M is not what you'll see on the finished product: expect a line-art rendition printed using black food coloring. Even so, the fact that Mars has opened up this option to the consumer is flat-out cool. So if you have a spare $40 bones burning a hole in your wallet (you'll get three 7oz bags for that price), consider the reaction you'll get when you break these babies out at your kid's next birthday party. Of course, for $40, you might not let anyone eat them. How long do M&Ms last, anyway?

Cash Back on Adobe Lightroom 2!

noreply@blogger.com (Tim Leonhardt) — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 16:06:00 +0000

I've just upgraded to Lightroom v2, and I want to share some strategies I used to get the upgrade for a very reasonable $80.

1. Sign up for an Ebates account. When you buy through the Ebates web site, you'll automatically get 6% cash back on your Adobe purchase. After you sign up (no cost), all you'll do is find and click the Adobe link at the Ebates web site. This will create a 'tracking number' that is associated with your purchase at the Adobe store, which will be loaded automatically.
2. After you add the Lightroom v2 upgrade to your shopping cart, use promotional code PIA06 to take $15 off the $99 list price. [This promo code may expire - it was working when I purchased my copy 8/28/08.]

That's it! You can also try this if you're buying the full version - I know the 6% cash back will work in that scenario, but I'm not sure about the promo code...

I'm a huge fan of Ebates. Once you get started saving through their site, it will become second nature to check there before making any of your online purchases. I've been rebated almost $170 since I signed up a couple of years ago - and all I have to do is click a link before I start shopping.

Hope this helps you save a few bucks on a must-have upgrade!

Compare photo book publishers at fotobookreview.com

noreply@blogger.com (Tim Leonhardt) — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 03:32:00 +0000

Update 12/25/2011: The FotoBook Review site has been retired. Here is an alternative site for your consideration.

If you've ever spent hours surfing the web to determine the best place to print a photo book, I've got good news. After months of early morning work with a couple of buddies, our new photo book review web site is finally up.

We decided that the web needed a single site where you can go to get the goods on multiple photo book printers. Instead of visiting site after site to compare available sizes, cover styles, and prices, you can now visit fotobookreview.com to find and compare photo book publishers and get all this information quickly and easily.

I've been horribly irregular in my posting to this blog, but I hope the work we've been doing over these past several months to help out the scrapbooking and photo book community will buy me a pass. Visit the site, have a look around, and let me know what you think.

We're constantly looking for great ideas to enhance the site, so be sure to pass along any suggestions you might have. Enjoy!

Print Received from MyPhotoPipe

noreply@blogger.com (Tim Leonhardt) — Sat, 03 May 2008 15:09:00 +0000

I received my print from MyPhotoPipe and, as promised, I'm posting to give my feedback on the quality of their output.

First, let me say that I received the print quickly - I've just been lax in writing this post. Their turnaround time was great - especially considering that I'm in Montana and they are in Atlanta.

As far as print quality - I am very impressed. As you can see in my earlier post, I picked a black background for three 8x10 photos of my kids. Labs of lower quality sometimes have trouble with large areas of black like this - streaks and the like serve to make it a risky design move. MyPhotoPipe pulled it off without a hitch - it looks great. A friend at work pointed out that the photos were oversaturated and too red, but I blame myself for that as the images are faithful to the ones I uploaded. For an extra fee per photo, I could have had MyPhotoPipe color balance the images for me, but I'm getting just experienced enough with color now to decide I want to call the shots.

My initial thought was to dry-mount the print once I received it. I changed my mind on this after receiving the print. Because I chose a matte finish on photo rag paper, I determined that the print would be prone to smudges and other damage if I didn't protect it. So instead of taking it to a local shop to have it laminated prior to a dry-mount, I decided to trek down to Michaels to buy a standard size frame.

My wife loves the finished product and it's now ready to hang. If only I could find some free wall space...

Multi-Photo Templates from MyPhotoPipe

noreply@blogger.com (Tim Leonhardt) — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 05:50:00 +0000

It's been a few months since I've ordered prints, so tonight I decided to scratch that itch in a big way.

First, I ordered one of my own canvas prints from Imagekind - I'll be donating it to my kids' school for an upcoming auction. This will be the second time I've donated a canvas for a school auction - the first auction went well, and I'm hoping this one has similar results.

Second, I decided to try out MyPhotoPipe.com - they're an Atlanta-based outfit that positions themselves as "The online print lab for serious digital photographers nationwide." No mouse pads. No mugs. No t-shirts. Just prints - high-quality prints.

Intrigued by their singular strategy (falling revenues have forced so many other photo labs down the path of the 'trinket') and positive reviews, I downloaded their ROES software to give them a shot.

In spite of the fact that "ROES" as a product name has to be right up there with some of the all-time stinkers, the software itself seemed powerful and worked well. That is not to say that the software was particularly intuitive. The beginner may find this software a bit challenging to install (it's written in Java and there's no guarantee your computer will support Java without a separate download); unfortunately, it's also not tremendously easy to use. Nevertheless, MyPhotoPipe provides several pointers and even a video on their web site to help you through the process.

Once I got the hang of the software and managed to locate the right template in the product catalog, I laid out a 12x36 (3-up) print of my kids in fairly short order.

With a 20% off coupon that MyPhotoPipe provides to new users, the price for this print came to just under $50 - including shipping. Not bad considering that the print is on high-quality paper (Hahnemuhle Photo Rag). I might have preferred a pearl over the photo rag, but it did not appear that the multi-photo templates offered that option. I plan to dry mount the print when it arrives.

I'm now anxiously awaiting the arrival of both projects - I'll post my thoughts on MyPhotoPipe once I receive the shipment. If you have experience with them and would like to weigh in, please feel free to post a comment!

Kustom Kleenex...

noreply@blogger.com (Tim Leonhardt) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:05:00 +0000

So here's a topic I didn't see coming - you can now create your own personalized Kleenex box. That's right - at http://www.mykleenextissue.com, you can upload your own photo(s) and use them to decorate a cardboard tissue box that the fine folks at Kleenex will manufacture and send out to your home. It'll set you back a five-spot, but you can augment your design with frames, clip art, and text using a slick interface on their Web site. You can even choose the color for the top of the Kleenex box! What could be better?

Sure, it's a little cheesy - and certainly more expensive than just buying your Kleenex off the shelf at the local grocery store. But if you can create custom M&M's, why not custom Kleenex?

Now, if they only let you print images on the tissues themselves...

Your Print on a Window Shade?

noreply@blogger.com (Tim Leonhardt) — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 03:08:00 +0000

The latest In Focus newsletter from LexJet includes an article on creating roller shades from your favorite print. The Color I, an Anacortes, Washington-based studio, pioneered the technique, printing a wide-format scenic image on water-resistant cloth and then fashioning the fabric into a shade. The results look interesting, and I find it intriguing to consider reclaiming for artwork the wall space previously lost to windows.

If you'd like The Color I to handle printing and assembly, you have the option of either using an image you select from their stock photography library or uploading your own image (they'll provide a cost estimate after reviewing your image and size requirements).

Prices vary by window size (a 34"x55" shade is $275); this price doesn't seem extravagant considering you're talking about a one-of-a-kind shade and a heck of a cool idea.

At one point, the Color I had posted a helpful video to provide instruction on assembly of your own shade. This video is no longer available, but you might ask them if this option is still available. This option would work if you've got your own wide-format printer or live in a town where someone is able to print a large image on fabric for you; just buy the hardware from The Color I and make the shade yourself.

Pretty cool stuff. Check out LexJet's article and then visit The Color I's window art web page for more information.

Tintypes for the Rest of Us - Part Deux

noreply@blogger.com (Tim Leonhardt) — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 05:17:00 +0000

Great news - Nifty Galoot has posted a link on his blog (and a comment on one of my posts) that points to a company where you can have an image printed on metal. The company - Booksmart Studio - offers printing on five different surfaces (Brushed Silver, Matte Silver, Satin Gold, Satin Silver, Satin White) with sizes from 8.5x11 to 20x84. You'll need to pay a few bucks extra for lamination or application of a clear coat to protect the print - without this protective layer, the image will be susceptible to scratching and/or water damage.

As anticipated, printing on metal is not inexpensive - prices start around $50 (with protective layer) and go up from there. And if you've got your eye on that 20x84, bring your checkbook: you're looking at a cool $1000 for the laminated metal print.

As for me - I'm going to take a closer look at that image I posted previously to make sure it's worthy of the 50 bucks it will take to see it on metal. I think I'll probably take the plunge - when I get the result, I'll post an update here to give you my impressions.

Gracias to Nifty Galoot for unearthing this one!

Free Shipping from Imagekind

noreply@blogger.com (Tim Leonhardt) — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 03:36:00 +0000

If you've been waiting to purchase a piece of art at Imagekind, now is a great time to jump in. Through February 7th, they're offering free ground shipping on any order over $15. This includes work of your own that you upload, print, and frame. Just use promo code LOVE2008 when you check out. For a framed print, this deal could save you over $20! I'd love it if you'd consider buying one of my images (images.timleonhardt.com), but you should definitely upload one or more of your own images to check out Imagekind's quality while you can take advantage of free shipping. What are you waiting for?

Tintypes for the Rest of Us

noreply@blogger.com (Tim Leonhardt) — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 04:52:00 +0000

When I used Lightroom to apply an aged, antique filter to this image of Yellowstone National Park , I started wondering if I could somehow print the image on metal to give it the look of an authentic tintype.

I searched the Web looking for tips to accomplish this and basically came up empty. Oh, there are plenty of sites out there that give you insight into creating an authentic tin type, which unfortunately involves all the hassles of applying chemicals to a piece of tin or aluminum and then exposing the plate while the chemical is still wet. I mean, it sounds awesome, but come on. Plus, I've already captured the image I'm interested in - so the authentic tintype just won't work for me. I'm looking for a method to create the 'look' of a tintype; I'm not interested in creating a real one - no matter how cool that might be.

That's when I found the Web site for Digital Tintype, an outfit that creates metal media for use in ink jet printers. Really?

Now, let me start by saying that the stuff is not cheap - in fact, an 8x10 sheet will set you back $6 each ($150 for a box of 25). I outsource all my printing - I don't even own a high-quality photo inkjet printer - so I'd like to be able to upload this photo to a vendor who is able to print it on the metal sheets offered by Digital Tintype. Unfortunately, I'm yet to locate such a vendor, and an e-mail and phone call to Digital Tintype asking for a referral have both gone unanswered.

So I'm at an impasse. I certainly can't be the only one out there who has had this idea of 'printing a tintype'. I don't want hassles (i.e., an authentic tintype process), I just want to see my image on a piece of metal - and I'm willing to pay a few bucks for the privilege. Because I don't own my own printer, I can't just order up a box of 8x10 sheets and give it the old college try - not that I'd be too excited about learning the tricks of the trade at the tune of $6/failure.

Any readers have suggestions or experience with Digital Tintype's product? Let me know and I'll post an update...

Imagekind Rocks!

noreply@blogger.com (Tim Leonhardt) — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 03:47:00 +0000

After a lengthy hiatus, I'm back to blogging. I hope the New Year is treating you well.

So I've started selling images via my Imagekind gallery. Imagekind has been great to work with so far - when I purchased a handful of prints from them as a sort of quality control, I received one that included rolled dust. I returned the print and received my money back, no questions asked. Knowing that my customers will receive similar treatment is important.

I've also purchased a framed print that one of my colleagues has graciously offered to hang in her place of business. The quality of the framing was top-notch and my cost was much less than I would have paid at one of the local big-box stores - even with their 50% off coupon. Very impressed.

Last, I've just received a large canvas print (gallery wrap) that one of my co-workers purchased as an auction item for a fundraiser at her daughter's school. The stretch frame is thick and solid, hanging hardware was pre-mounted, and the print quality was great. All in all, I'm very satisfied, and so is my friend.

You don't have to set up a gallery to take advantage of Imagekind's great quality. Just upload your favorite image and then use Imagekind's tools to choose a paper, mat, frame, and glazing - all at a very competitive price. Check them out!

White Glove Photo Books with Photo Book Press

noreply@blogger.com (Tim Leonhardt) — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 01:20:00 +0000

As I did research for my post on photo book publishers, I came across the Web site of Photo Book Press, a photo book publishing house based in Minneapolis. What caught my interest about Photo Book Press is the system they have developed for creating photo books.

Whereas most photo book publishers assume you're starting with a bunch of digital photos you'd like to lay out in a book, Photo Book Press takes a different strategy. If you've got stacks of printed photos and other memorabilia that you'd like to leverage to create your memory book PBP has a novel solution. Their Getting Started guide walks you through picking out the top 200 items you'd like to include in your book. After you finish culling your collection, PBP will send scanning technicians to your home to scan your images/items on-site. Although this convenience and safety comes at a premium, it is a great option if you have heirloom photos you're really not crazy about sending off-site for digitizing.

It gets better. In the next step, PBP sends you a workbook containing all your scanned images. This workbook serves as a journal of sorts - the workbook has space next to each photo for you to jot a caption, description, poem, or quote. You then return your workbook to PBP, where professional designers lay out your book and written material.

After you approve the final design, you'll choose your cover and binding. PBP then prints the books according to your specifications.

Of course, all this hand-holding doesn't come cheap. Based on a comparison chart published on Photo Book Press' Web site, you can plan on spending around $1500 for five books.

It is not clear if PBP offers their services outside of the Twin Cities - a request for additional information went unanswered. Nevertheless, I like their model and feel that PBP fills a niche for those who either can't or won't be bothered with the technical details of scanning and laying out a photo book. Let me know if you find this model compelling or overpriced...

Some Simple Thoughts on Color Management

noreply@blogger.com (Tim Leonhardt) — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 03:49:00 +0000

Awareness of color management is a necessity if you intend to do anything with your photos beyond viewing them on your camera. In an earlier post, I promised I’d avoid getting overly technical in this blog. I may be nudging right up against that line in this post, so I ask you to bear with me. If you do, I’ll give you the high-level, non-technical low-down on what you need to know about color management.

What you see is not always what you get
In a nutshell, color management boils down to this: Will the image you print or see on your monitor look anything like the image you shot in the field? Obviously, we want the answer to that question to be yes – color management will help us get there.

Step 1 – You’ve got to calibrate your monitor
It may sound like a come-on to get you to buy a piece of geekware, but the fact is you’ll need a colorimeter if you intend your prints to faithfully reproduce your on-screen images. ImagingResource has a helpful monitor calibration page you can use to get an idea just how far out of whack your monitor is right now.

A good colorimeter considers ambient light in your working environment, the display capabilities of your monitor, and its own internal color standards to update the color profile used by your computer’s display adapter. If your monitor lies to you in its display of color, no amount of color balancing or white-balance adjustment in post-processing can help you. I use a Spyder2 Express – for less than $60, it does a decent job and I can use it on every PC I own. You can order it from Amazon and help support this page. You might also check out the new Spyder 3 Elite – the latest version that includes enhanced functionality (better awareness of ambient light, etc.). To help you determine the model that’s right for you, review this helpful comparison chart at the Colorvision web site.

Either way, you’ll want to keep your colorimeter handy – you’ll need to use it on a regular basis (I try to re-calibrate at least once a month). Certain displays hold their color calibration better than others – I’ve heard that CRTs actually have the upper hand over LCDs in this regard, though I’ve never confirmed that through my own research. So if you’re using an LCD or laptop, plan to re-calibrate regularly.

Step 2 – Don’t forget the lights
This was a big ‘doh!’ moment for me, although it makes perfect sense once you think about it. Depending on the coolness or warmth of the ambient light in your workspace, you’re going to face color shift when you view an image on your monitor. I’m sure you’ve encountered this when your blouse looks one color under the halogen lights in your closet and a different color once you step under the fluorescent lights in your office. You might consider minimizing this shift by getting the light in your environment as close to neutral as possible.

While I’ll spare you the gory details (George Wedding has a great article on this over at CreativePro – The Darkroom Makes a Comeback – if you’re hankering for more of the technicalities), I will say that what you’re looking for is a workspace illuminated with light around 5000K (D50 in industry parlance). Based on your needs, I’d recommend using either the SoLux Task Lamp ($110, direct) or the SoLux Color Proofing Light Kit ($195, direct) to achieve this. The Light Kit includes four D50 spots on a track; the Task Lamp is exactly what it sounds like. Either will provide the kind of bright, neutral light you need to accurately process photos in your digital darkroom.

Once your monitor is color-balanced and the light in your work environment is no longer playing tricks on you, you’re ready to start working with your printer’s color profiles (ICC).

Step 3 - Soft-proofing for fame and fortune
Now, you could just start printing and comparing the output against the image displayed on your monitor to see if the results are close. A less expensive approach is to do something called ‘soft-proofing’. The gist: given the right software, you’ll be able to tweak the display to mimic the printed result from a given printer on a given paper. This can be important when you’re outsourcing your printing to an external shop and you don’t have easy access to a test print.

If you own any version of Photoshop after version 6, you’re all set as it has the capacity to perform soft-proofing. As for me, I was pretty disappointed to discover that neither LightRoom nor Photoshop Elements provide soft-proofing support. So I did some digging and discovered another tool (this time thanks to an article published by Dry Creek Photo) that provides soft-proofing at a pretty reasonable $50. It’s called QImage, it runs on Windows, and you can find it here: http://www.ddisoftware.com/qimage/.

After you’ve secured a software tool that is capable of soft-proofing, you’ll need to get your hands on the color (ICC) profiles for the printer and paper to which you intend to print. If you’re self-printing to a mainstream printer (Canon, HP, Epson) using standard paper, you’ll probably be able to find these profiles online at the manufacturers’ web sites. If you’re outsourcing your printing, contact your vendor directly and request the printer profiles for their common papers and printers. I’ll skip the details of loading the ICC profile and performing the soft proof – Dry Creek Photo’s tutorial covers this pretty well.

Once you’ve downloaded and installed the ICC profiles for your target printer, you may find that the printed output looks less vibrant than the image you’re seeing on screen. This is normal – paper just isn’t able to provide the same dynamic range as a computer monitor. You may decide you need to do additional post-processing to optimize your image for the target printer based on your soft proof.

So that’s basically it – calibrate your monitor, neutralize/control the ambient light in your workspace, and soft-proof using the color profiles of your target printer and media. It sounds like a pain, but if it eliminates the frustration of getting yet another garish looking print in the mail, I for one think it’s probably worth it. Of course, the community is not entirely of one accord on this issue – Ken Rockwell, for instance, thinks all this hubbub over color management is so much ado about nothing. You should read his no-nonsense article, “Color Management is for Wimps,” to get an alternative viewpoint.

Ultimately, you must make the call based on your needs – if you’re printing a few snapshots of the kids, you’ll probably decide everything I’ve talked about in this post is serious overkill. On the other hand, if you’re outsourcing the large-format printing of 50 prints you intend to frame and sell – well, maybe you’ll be more interested in spending some time knowing that the image you’ve prepped on-screen is the one you’re going to receive in the mailing tube. Let me know what you think.

Picaboo Photo Book Coupon

noreply@blogger.com (Tim Leonhardt) — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 14:01:00 +0000

Through December 16, you can use coupon code 2PDECT for 20% off any order at Picaboo. If you've gone through the trouble of downloading and installing their software, this is a good opportunity to order a book at a reduced price. If you're looking to have your photo book by Christmas, you need to order by December 14th (and choose 3-day select as your shipping option). Good luck!

Photo Book Publisher Blurb Mentioned at PopPhoto.com

noreply@blogger.com (Tim Leonhardt) — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 04:52:00 +0000

You may find interesting David Schonauer's recent PopPhoto.com article on photo book publisher Blurb. In it, he describes the vision behind Blurb's creation and mentions a new social networking feature of the site where multiple artists can collaborate on a single book. David differentiates between Blurb's focus on high-end art books and the rest of the field's focus on the amateur market. This may not be entirely fair - there are several other vendors who have a reputation for high-quality, professional publications - but it's certainly a nice endorsement for Blurb's quality and service. If you're interested in reading more about other quality photo book publishers, check out my recent post where I list several.

25% Off Photo Books at Shutterfly

noreply@blogger.com (Tim Leonhardt) — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 01:30:00 +0000

In keeping with my last post - Shutterfly is currently running a deal: buy one book at regular price, get 25% off additional books of the same size and style. You should also check out their Tips and Tricks section for a nice tutorial on getting the best results from your Shutterfly photo book.