Gunther Deichmann's Blog

Aperture 3 & Travel Photography: One afternoon at the Bouddhanath Stupa, Kathmandu Nepal

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2010-03-10T22:48:25+08:00

The Journey is coming slowly to an end, 6 more days before I am hitting back home, I have not written many Blogs during this Journey one of the major factors been... ...I make up for it once I get back... over 15,000 images by now, Aperture 3 loaded straight out of the Box before my trip performed absolutely flawless all RAW images have been stored on my external Lacie Drives as reference files. ...We arrived in Kathmandu a couple of days ago and went out this afternoon to visit one of the biggest Stupas called Bouddhanath located in Little Tibet, when refugees entered Nepal from Tibet in the 1950s, many decided to live around Bouddhanath. A very special mention I have to give to our our Guide Lil Tapa who has been a book of knowledge together with a great personality and sense of humor, thank you so much Lil! ...The Stupa is on the ancient trade route from Tibet which enters the Kathmandu Valley by the village of Sankhu in the northeast corner, passes by Boudnath Stupa to the ancient and smaller stupa of Cā-bahī (often called 'Little Boudnath').

Travel Photography India: A brief encounter with Steve McCurry & cruising the Ganges

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2010-03-06T23:07:56+08:00

Tomorrow we 're leaving via land to our next destination Nepal with a stop over at Lumbini, located in Nepal and is considered the birthplace of Gautam Buddha., after Lumbini we continue on to Kathmandu where we spend another 5 days or so. ...Like many places of worship, Varanasi has given me great insight, but short of turning GD’s photography blog into a book on metaphysical musings, he has kindly asked me only to write of the essence of our experience here so far. (and not with-holding the fact that the tailor is also waiting for me to try on my superbly handmade silk Indian Alibabá pants: in all 10 colors!) ...The driver was not a bit surprised to be battling giant busloads of tourists on the narrow dust-lined streets: We had passed the harmonious phase of the lull before the storm, which we were told was meant to crack at daybreak, when the frenzy of yesterday takes place all over again. There was already a flurry of activity as we edged towards the bank of the Ganga: sadhus painting their weathered faces into cracked mirrors, flower sellers mulling about while mendicants braced themselves for another day, and shop keepers literally shifting the dust from one place to another with feather-dusters. ...Most of the out-of-towners like us were here to go boating on the river at sunrise; with the only difference being that GD had specifically requested a motorized vessel instead of the usual row-boat, not that there was any speed to the finish but riding against the current was not going to be easy without technology, even on holy waters.

Travel Photography & GD PhotoWorkshop, the Incredible Colors of India

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2010-03-04T03:01:12+08:00

© Gunther Deichmann - Jaipur Rajasthan, India Feb. ...We just arrived back in Delhi from Rajasthan and Agra...now I am fighting with the connection and I am very tiered, some of the Photo Workshop participants have to catch the plane back home about right now, they just had enough time for a quick shower in our Hotel. ...I am leaving with Jamie and Bebet tomorrow afternoon for Varanasi and then overland back to Nepal, another 12 or so days to go before hitting back home. ...The colors of Incredible India; only a few images today need to do a lot more editing when time permits, but many more to come in due time, plus I put up a nice Gallery when I am back home. ...In the next few days I have no internet connection but try my best to stay in touch once I get to Kathmandu in Nepal, until then enjoy the images.

GD Photo Workshop & Aperture 3, Happy Holi from Jaipur Rajasthan India

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2010-03-02T01:11:43+08:00

Jaipur was vibrating with wild celebrations, drum beats of Indian rock and roll ala Shankar and its stimulating sisterly companions, raving bashes not only of the carnivalesque kind but apparently even veiled beatings and the none too unusual vengeance murders that ‘happen’, but as we were reassured, those only ‘happened in other cities and very rarely in Jaipur so not to worry Ma’am and Sir’. ...Ok, ok I confess I was the only one with the excessive concern for hair oils, cream based moisturizers, shower caps, disposable cotton underclothes, emergency eye drops, SPF 50 lip balm and goodness knows what else I had stashed in my sling bag. ... Newspapers (and Tony) had been playing up the dehydrating effects of the dyes on skin and hair, and GI Jane as I may be, I’d certainly had no wish to walk around Incredible India with post-Holi skin lesions or a kerosene scrubbed frizz. ...We’d gotten so used to the mendicants following us around for the past 2 hours, pushcarts, trolleys, gypsy children and all across town that literally the replies (as polite as we attempted to remain) just came out of us naturally. ...Thousands of dollars of equipment strapped to our necks, I found it oxymoronic that for 150 rupees ($3 USD), each of us were as excited as kids on Christmas morn and happy as pie with our old fashioned black and white photos that were washed and developed in a pail of water on the street, ready in less than 10 minutes, and hey, it came with a negative too.

Travel Photography & Photo Work Shop in India, celebrating the Holi festival

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2010-03-01T15:38:58+08:00

I am in a bit of a rush today...need to get out in the street again with my students to celebrate the Holi Festival the most colorful of all Indian Festivals in Jaipur Rajasthan India. ...So please forgive me if this will be a very short Blog today, we're having a great time and the highlight will be later tonight, yesterday we went crazy at the Elephant festival which was so fantastic. Today we're going to get covered in color from top to bottom and last night we participated at a Temple the pre Holi event, with huge fires lit up all over town. ...Sorry have to run now...but so much more later, thanks also to Aperture 3 uploading has been easy and fast, I am already at some 4000 images. © Gunther Deichmann - it is going to get a lot worst today...

Travel Photography & Aperture 3: The first images from Nepal, Kathmandu Colors...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2010-02-24T22:45:14+08:00

Arrived in New Delhi this afternoon after 4 days in Kathmandu Nepal...a little sad that I had to leave but I am going to be back there in about two weeks after my PhotoWorkshop in India. ...Internet connection is Ok now, and I am using the spare time to write this long overdue post before all my students arrive later tonight, tomorrow we're busy exploring the old part of Delhi, the first part of our Indian Journey. ...A lot more soon from this amazing place in the Himalayas called Nepal, with old tradition of Hindu & Buddhism, as a matter of fact I be visiting the Birth place of Buddha in about 10 days which is just across the border from India in Nepal..." ...Now a little about Aperture 3 from the road and straight out of the Box pushing it in the past few days, no complains... ...Once I am back in Manila, I upload a new Photo Gallery with some of the latest images from Nepal & India...please have patience as this could take some time, I have a few more weeks to shoot yet.

Adventure Travel Photography with Aperture 3: India & Nepal plus the GD Photo Workshop in Rajasthan

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2010-02-17T21:19:04+08:00

In a few hours another Journey begins...leaving first for Thailand and Nepal then to India for the start of my GD PhotoWorkshop. ... After the Workshop back to Delhi, I then continue my Journey to Varanasi one of the holiest places in India and travel over land back to Nepal. I try to update my Blogs as much as possible but that depends on the internet connection and if I am not to tired in the evenings. I am all packed now, Aperture 3 is prepared and ready for the Road show, I am really looking forward to see my students in Delhi very soon for an exciting Photo Workshop in Incredible India. ...I guess that is it for the time being, I try to report along the way, but that depends on the connection.

Aperture 3 & Travel Photography: Switching Library made easy now, perfect for shooting thousands of Photos

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2010-02-15T17:01:55+08:00

Switching the Library made easy now in Aperture 3 and this is so very useful as a Travel Photographer like myself who end up shooting thousands of Photos on any given trip. Now I can split my Library into Regions or even Countries have easy access and manage all my files very quick without over loading one Library. This was possible before, but it was a lot more complicated, now it is almost to easy... another super improvement from the previous Aperture 2. ...Most of the plug-in if not all at the moment work only in 32 Bit and if you like to use them you have to restart Aperture 3, click on the image you like to edit (in my case I use the Noise Ninja Plug-in) click on the right mouse button, a small drop down menu appears and you see edit with Plug-in (32 bit) this will restart you Aperture 3 in 32 bit mode and stays like that until you close Aperture 3. ...In a few days I am leaving for my main trip this year, plus my GD Photo Workshop in India where my lucky students have the opportunity to study and work with Aperture 3 in the field.

Aperture 3 & Video: Soon at Power Mac Center Philippines, combining Photos & Video from your DSLR in Aperture 3

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2010-02-13T13:35:32+08:00

A few questions came up these past few days; can you edit, combine Video and still images in Aperture 3? ... With Aperture 3 you can edit and combine your Video footage and still images, plus sound all within Aperture 3. We have some interesting Seminars and demos coming up very soon at the Power Mac Center how create stunning presentations combining Photos with your video footage shoot on your DSLR only using one software, Aperture 3. ...During the next few weeks I try my best to produce some simple presentations form my travels in India and Nepal ...Please stay tuned for more or check out the Calendar dates for our Seminars and Tutorials at the PMC @ http://www.deichmann-photo.com/gdphotoworkshop/

Aperture 3: Fantastic New Import Settings, backing up your Photos made easy now, plus the new Zoom

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2010-02-13T11:57:54+08:00

Making a back up of your files during Import is a breeze now with the all new import Panel in Aperture 3, but there are many other settings in the new Import Panel but I love the Backup Location option. ...Then you scroll down at the Import panel and at the bottom you see this new back up Location window, point to you location where you like to store your back ups and you're done. When you import images now you have an instant back up but still working with reference files of your other drive, this is one of the coolest new addition in Aperture 3. I recommend you have a close look at the new import panel, study it and see what suits your work flow, but having the ability now to make an instant back up of your Photos in a separate location during Import I think is brilliant and a real time saver. Another very new cool addition is the Zoom option (Z key) if you press this now say on full screen you have a new small thumbnail window, but now you can zoom in more, not just 100% very cool and so handy.

Aperture 3:New Presets with a nice Thumbnail view, so cool for very quick adjustments.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2010-02-12T13:06:26+08:00

Another very cool new feature in Aperture 3 is Presets found when you open the Adjustment panel, not only easy accessible but with a nice preview. ... Great for quick adjustments, just click on Presets and a menu appears, the only thing left to do move your cursor over the various adjustments options, and every time you move your cursor over a different effect/adjustment a nice size thumbnail appears along side of it, showing you the changes. There is plenty to choose from; all your Black &White and color adjustments are at your fingertips now. A superb new addition and something I am going to use a lot from now on. Try it out and I am sure you’re going to be impressed just like me.

Aperture 3:Travel Photography...Tip for Places, use your iPhone or your Digital Camera with a GPS

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2010-02-11T20:58:00+08:00

I am looking forward to use this all new function when I hit the road next week for India, especially when leaving New Delhi for Varanasi and then by road to Kathmandu in Nepal. ...If you're not using a Digital Camera with a GPS function that is Ok. just use your iPhone and whenever you stop or from the Car window take a quick shot. ...10 days ago I went to the Island of Mindoro/Puerto Galera and I took some happy snaps with the iPhone, then on the way back I also stopped in Batangas and then back to Manila. ...Ok the only "drawback" is that my wife from now on always knows where I am or I have been, ha, ha. but that is fine with me too, nothing to hide. ...To activate your Places before they work you have to go first to the Aperture 3 Preferences settings and activate it, then click on the Advanced setting a small drop down menu appears and you see Look up Places, the default setting is on Never just click on the Automatically and you're done.

Aperture 3: Trail Version Tip...Important notice plus Infrared filter and Polarizing via Quick Brushes

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2010-02-11T18:33:45+08:00

I am going to be in big trouble again spending my Valentine's Day messing around with Aperture 3 but thanks to my very understanding Wife I think I get away with it. ...If you click on the Adjustments a drop down menu appears and right at the top you see the Quick Brushes and in the drop down menu you find the Polarizing. ...For those of you who have already Aperture 2 installed please take note of the important info below, that is if you can't wait for your upgrade to become available and dying to try out the all new Aperture 3 Trail version. ...If you already have a licensed copy of Aperture in your Applications folder, you need to move or rename it before installing the Aperture 3 trial. ...To open an Aperture library with an older version of Aperture (1.x or 2) after you use the Aperture 3 trial, drag the library onto the application icon of the older version.

Aperture 3: Travel Photography and Multi Media presentations direct from locations

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2010-02-10T12:26:47+08:00

So here we are back into Photography, Aperture 3 is certainly going to make our workflow more easy and more fun, GPS and Places, the new Curves, put back from the Trash, Chromatic Aberrations the list goes on and on. We have also color coding which some of us find very useful for on the road editing, however I have a slight grin on my face and you might ask why. ...My advise as an Aperture user from day one and as a Certified Trainer, get to know one software real well and stick with it, in due time and it is happening right now changes will happen, remember “Rome was also not build in one day” have patience, good things take time. ...You all know I am leaving very soon and if all goes well I have Aperture 3 running and give it a real good and realistic Road test for some 4 weeks in the field trying to post images with the new Facebook function , Locations via Places, the new video function and for sure I am going to work with the new Curves. ...The web is totally saturated at the moment, the talk of the Town is Aperture 3, but now I am looking forward to some cool Photography and only then I write more in details about all those new features which certainly sound all very exciting.

Travel Photography with Aperture 3 mapping your destinations is easy now

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2010-02-10T01:16:29+08:00

Another cool addition in Aperture 3 is Places, time permitting I try to map on my next trip the locations in Nepal and India...the Journey starts next week. Further more in late March we also start our Aperture 3 Seminars/Introductions at the Power Mac Center pls. stay tuned or check the dates @ http://www.deichmann-photo.com/gdphotoworkshop/page1/calendar.html ...If you’re shooting with a GPS-enabled camera, Aperture 3 uses reverse geocoding to convert location coordinates into familiar location names, then displays those locations on the Places map. If you’re using a separate GPS tracking device, the path of your photo journey appears on the map when you import a track log. ...If you need to change the location of your shot, drag the pin on the map across the street or across the country.

More Raw support in Aperture 3 including Leica D-Lux 4 and Panasonic Lumix Cameras

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2010-02-10T00:56:34+08:00

More RAW support in Aperture 3 now, for a full list of Cameras go to: http://www.apple.com/aperture/specs/raw.html ...You’ve done some great things with iPhoto, and now you’re ready to do more. Aperture 3 is designed to make the move from iPhoto easy and seamless. See how easy it is...http://www.apple.com/aperture/iphoto-to-aperture/

Photography & Aperture 3 with Curves and Chromatic Aberration Filters, perfect for Underwater Photography

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2010-02-09T23:55:20+08:00

I can’t help myself I am so excited with all those New features in Aperture 3... this includes the long missing but now included Curves and Chromatic Aberration Filters. ...I am itching to give Aperture 3 a real test drive in the field throwing around thousands of images, add some Video from my Nikon D300s, utilizing the 64 Bit from Snow Leopard and all those other new editing features, well what more can I ask for. ...BTW...now our Underwater Photographer going to love the new Curves Tool and Chromatic Aberration Filters, (and not only our Underwater Photographers) I just hope they had the patience and waited for the all NEW Aperture 3 and if not they might have to switch back to Aperture now. ...Linear mode is best when dealing with extended range data and highlights, while Gamma-Corrected mode can be especially helpful when working with shadows. ...Because the Curves tool supports the “extended range” data sometimes available in RAW images, you can set the Range control in Curves to Extended in order to see the “out of range” highlight data that you may be able to recover.

Aperture 3 Let the multi media show begin... plus all the other NEW features

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2010-02-09T23:26:06+08:00

Let the multi- media show begin...with Aperture 3 amazing new features including incorporating your video from your DSLR for more details check out the new and updated Aperture 3 website. ...If you’re moving from iPhoto ’09, the slideshows you created with themes such as Snapshot and Shatter are preserved in all their brilliance. ...If your camera records video, you can import it into your library along with your stills and include it in your slideshow. ...If you’re including video in your slideshow, you can add the audio from the video, too. ...When using the Classic and Ken Burns themes, you can add titles anywhere in the slideshow in your choice of font, size, and style.

Breaking News! Aperture & Photography, Apple just announced Aperture 3 the first details...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2010-02-09T21:48:48+08:00

It is finally here Aperture 3, Apple has just announced today Aperture 3, now I am going to be in for some serious test driving shortly, stay tuned for more info as they become available. ...But there is so much more...just incredible and if you’re a Mac user then this is it...if you’re not, then you might think about switching now. ...As I have said many time before, all good things take time and when Apple comes up with something they do it real well…like in Photography patience! In the next few weeks I am going to be busy running around in India and Kathmandu but at the same time I have to do some real test driving with Aperture 3. ...Videos can be imported, edited (using trimming features like found on the iPhone) and exported, and they can be used in the newly updated Slideshow tool (which we’ll talk about below).

Photography & Mac, iPhoto Slideshow & Aperture at Power Mac Center TriNoma, Manila Philippines

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2010-02-08T15:20:21+08:00

Please join me at Power Mac Center TriNoma on February 15, 2010 from 5:30pm to 7:00pm “Tell Your Story through Photos” - iPhoto Slideshow & Aperture plus a lot more...basic photo management and photo slideshow tools on your Mac. ...REGISTER NOW AND DISCOVER THE MACINTOSH ADVANTAGE! Contact training@ powermaccenter.com • tutorial@powermaccenter.com • 0918-2680603 • 0922 8481577 ...Please check out also the latest updates on the

NEWS PRESS RELEASE: IMAGES WITHOUT BORDERS, international Photographers helping Doctors Without Borders in Haiti

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2010-02-04T13:21:50+08:00

I have just received this Press Release, I am proud to be part of Images without Borders, extending our help for the people in Haiti. ...One hundred and twenty five professional photographers from seven countries have sent their finest images for sale to Images Without Borders, including Peter Carey, Tomas Van Houtryve, Martin Vargas, Jeffrey Lynch, Scott Wood, Julie Dermansky, George Long, Kit Wohl, Gunther Deichmann, and Ian Talbot. ...“While Images Without Borders was born from the recent earthquake in Haiti, it offers a new and channel for artists and art lovers to make contributions over the long term.” ...Images Without Borders sells gallery-quality prints from images donated by world-class photographers, with all sales proceeds (minus the printing costs) going directly to Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in support of their work. ...Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) provides aid in nearly 60 countries to people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe, primarily due to armed conflict, epidemics, malnutrition, exclusion from health care, or natural disasters. www.doctorswithoutborders.net

Photography & Aperture 2: Tips,Tricks & techniques, "pushing" your Monochrome Mixer & Color sliders.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2010-02-03T15:08:20+08:00

I shoot color, seldom B&W with the odd exception or when it is requested by a client, I am also not a friend of any type of manipulation but for commercial and advertising work I sometimes have to follow the clients need. ...Making simple adjustments using the Monochrome Mixer in Aperture 2, but this time we take it a step further; I just love the Monochrome Mixer in Aperture 2 creating on the fly some nice Black and White images and reducing the color in others using the color slider. ...Large red square; here you find all your adjustments you need for creating nice B&W images, you can make some basic adjustments with another drop down menu that gives you a good selection of traditional B&W filters. ...Since this was a commercial shoot and the client requested some B&W’s I edited them all in Aperture 2 and tweaked them a little more then I normally would do. ...Removing saturation: The image with the glass and lemon I did not convert using the Monochrome Mixer, I used the Color slider in the Adjustment panel and moved all of them to the left (minus -) in the saturation, except for the yellow one, this one I increased to approx. 50 (plus +) in the saturation.

Light is photography... photography is light, interesting & unusual Photos from my last trip.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2010-01-31T18:12:41+08:00

When the light is just right... ...Before leaving for India and Nepal in February I like to share with you some simple but unusual Photos from my last Journey, no other explanation is needed judge for yourself...is it a setup or have they been manipulated later? For those of you who are interested I am happy to post an explanation on my Blog prior my departure to India. © Gunther Deichmann - The Palm Leaf - Jan. ...Check out also the latest GD PhotoWorkshop Calendar updates, only posted yesterday with the latest dates, Workshops/Seminars at the Power Mac Center in Manila & some new international destinations for 2010 & 2011.

Photography & Environment: Hot & Sour Coca Cola with a touch of Petrol. Recycling Plastic?

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2010-01-30T15:04:22+08:00

I guess it is recycling...sort off... our plastic by-products at least for the Bottles, but when it comes to the sheer number of plastic bags then we are way behind the disposal. During my Travel I come across a lot of weird and crazy things, like in Cambodia where they use Plastic Bottles for Gasoline along the country road (see the photo below) a favorite image from my Facebook Friend Steve Galano, it was actually Steve who requested some more of these type of images. ...Here you go Steve as promised; on my way home the other day from Batangas in the Philippines I spotted these Coca Cola Bottles along the road containing some with Vinegar others with Vinegar and Chili, what amazed me the Coca Cola labels where in perfect condition and made me think... I am sure after all the Coca Cola had gone they must have cleaned these Bottles before re-using them for what ever concoction they had in mind. ...Or lets take all those plastic bags which get thrown overboard by ships only to be found later in stomachs of dead Turtles which they mistakenly took for their natural food, the jelly fish...and not only Turtles!

Photography: "Blues Night" messing up the Bar on our first evening...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2010-01-27T22:08:32+08:00

It was on our first night at Buri Resort in Puerto Galera, everybody had gone to sleep with the exception of the Bartender... it was way to early for me to do the same so I decided to have a couple of Beers with my buddy Arj and listening to some cool Blues from my MacBook Pro. A few moments later while looking at the ceiling I jumped up and started to unpack my cameras, the rest of the evening...well, you see on this Blog. ...No image manipulation of any kind, using only the Nikon D700 with a 24 to120 mm VR lens at ISO 400 straight shots with only a little adjustments in Aperture 2. ...In the coming days I post some more very interesting and unusual Photos from my last Journey. So, if you into Blues then turn up the volume, sit back, have a drink and check out the images.

Photography: Three days on the Beach with Aperture 2 & great Light in the sky.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2010-01-26T21:25:28+08:00

Direct from the Beach... thanks to a good internet connection at Buri Resort and Spa; the weather has been great particular very early in the morning and in the afternoon. ...More interesting images will follow shortly but today I like to share with you some scenes in the afternoon taken over the past three days all taken from the same location but with amazing color changes everyday. Edited a few minutes ago with Aperture 2 on my MacBook Pro applying only minor adjustments, very quick and easy right in front of the beach. ...The cool part is, by the time I get back home I am almost done with all my editing (2000 images in three days) and concentrate on my next Journey. ...Now I am going to have a couple of beers under the stars with my buddy Arnold before going to bed.

Support Images without Borders, Photographers helping Haiti with contributions of their Images

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2010-01-23T18:22:49+08:00

I am happy to announce to be part of the Images without Borders making photos available for sale and raising money for the Earth Quake victims in Haiti, for the substantial and ongoing donation to Doctors without Borders. Soon you find some of my Images on their site which is sponsored by PhotoShelter and others. Thanks for the opportunity to be part of Images without Borders. ...Excerpts from the Blog Post Images without Borders below. Thanks to the contributions of nearly 100 fine photographers from around the world and the donations from Photoshelter, Bay Photo Lab, and Adorama Pix, we are able to make these fine art prints available to the public for a very low cost...read more @ http://imageswithoutborders.blogspot.com/

Photography: Painted skies & oceans the Colors of Micronesia, adventure travel with your Digital Camera.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2010-01-20T13:07:20+08:00

A dramatic sunset in the Pacific, the Image above taken between Chuuk (Truk Lagoon) and Pohnpei in Micronesia. ...Together, the FSM comprises approximately 607 small islands in the Western Pacific spread over almost 1,700 miles (2,700 km) from east to west just above the equator some 2,500 miles (4,000 km) southwest of Hawaii and about 1,800 miles (2,900 km) north of eastern Australia, above Papua New Guinea. ...Chuuk or better known amongst the Scuba Diving community as Truk Lagoon is a must for Divers who like to explore the amazing WWII wrecks in this Lagoon. ...Palau is also know as one of the best Dive destinations in the world, diving highlights include Blue Corner and the Blue Hole, plus so many others. In 2009 Palau became also the first Shark Sanctuary in the World, one of Natures best kept secret with its amazing bio diversity below and above the waves.

Combining Photos & Video using the Leica D-Lux 4 with “A little Help from my Little Friends”

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2010-01-19T15:10:23+08:00

If you ever pass through Manila then you should check out the Hobbit House (Lord of the Rings) in Malate, founded in 1973 by Expat Jim Turner, a fun and very entertaining place with good music, food and cold beers. ...Some very special, fun loving people run this establishment, the “Little People” with their big hearts, great smiles and cool sense of humor. ...I thought… lets try out the video function on the Leica, and see what I can come up with… no tripod using only available light…oh boy it was dark. ...Nothing special, just a fun video with the help of my little friends. ...So, there you have it, never leave home without a camera, try to shoot and experiment just for fun sometimes.

Messing around with new software, GarageBand & the Nikon D300s mixing Images & Video for presentations.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2010-01-14T19:26:58+08:00

During my last trip in Cambodia I used the new Nikon D300s a lot (I might add for the first time) but had very little time to test the Video function on the D300s (a lot more when I get back from Nepal/India in March) All image editing was done with Aperture 2.1.4 and the video was very quickly edited using the new Quick Time on Snow Leopard which is fast and so easy to use. I managed to get a bit of Video footage, nothing special but easily applied in a presentation like this. ...In due time and when I get back from India I put up a nice mix with stills and Video. Having the ability now to create presentations where we can use stills and video combined is just so nice and cool.

Photography: A Never Ending Story & Times have changed, updates & PhotoShelter plus a letter from a publisher

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2010-01-11T22:35:31+08:00

I received the news from Tony while working on my new GD Photo Workshop site, uploaded yesterday new images into my Agency archives and today finished with more make up on the GD Photo Workshop site (it never stops) plus uploaded some 200 new Photos to my PhotoShelter Archives. ...A lot of work done in a relative short time, but it needs to be done, how good are your images if you only have them parked on your Hard drives. ...But sometimes I sit back and think about the old days; the horror of labeling slides, storing and editing, and sending them via FedEx or DHL to Agencies was a real pain and expensive! ...Now back to Tony, my inspiration for this article; Tony just received his new jazzed up MacBook Pro and was beaming with sheer joy, I wont go into tech details now but we both came to the same conclusion…”It is a Never Ending Story” Yes there is a need to upgrade your Computer otherwise you can’t keep up with the huge file size and Videos, but a very good MacBook Pro is a lot cheaper than some of those Cameras, Tony made the right decision and upgraded his system after many years, it was time.

Travel Photography: Sneak Preview Cambodia, December 2009 Photo Gallery updated on my Blog

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2010-01-10T22:19:22+08:00

In September 2009 we had our very cool and humoring GD Photo Workshop in Siem Reap and then in December I had to return to finish a few projects on my own, namely the very soon to be launched Heritage Suites Hotel and Heritage Adventures websites. ...During my last trip in December 2009 I did spend more time at the Hotel then shooting but I guess that’s life and work, however I had to show my good friend and webmaster Arnold around a bit since it was his very first trip to Cambodia, plus I had to finish a couple other things deep in the Jungle. ...What I like about Cambodia so much, no matter how often I go back, say for example Angkor Wat I always find and discover new things or the light is just in my favor like on the day I took Arnold for the first time to Angkor in the afternoon. ...Due to unavailability of flights from Siem Reap (sort off lucky for us) we chose to drive from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh, a town I know only to well, again we only had two days but since I know my way around it was easy to get to the right places at the right time. ...Thanks to Aperture 2, editing was fast and smooth, plus I have finished all my tagging, key wording etc., uploaded all the latest images into Archives from my Agencies and in a few days everything will also be on my PhotoShelter Archives and Galleries.

Announcement: Travel Adventure with your Digital Camera...New look for GD Photo Workshop site,

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2010-01-06T17:59:14+08:00

Thanks to my good friend and web guru Arnold for hanging in there with me until the early hours in the morning. ...Now directly wired to my Blog (press the button GD Photo Workshops) plus on my main site, nicely integrated, ha, ha how I love this word and YES it was all done on a MacBook Pro. ...This one is easier to update and has already all the PhotoWorkshop dates for 2010, India being the first, starting in February and the participants getting very excited already. A lot of rambling the other day on tech issues, so I keep this one brief plus I have to catch up with some more sleep, so I am not sure on that one either since my good Buddy Dirk from the Dugong Dive Center in Palawan is on the way to me. Take a moment and check out the NEW site and if you feel up to it join me on one of my Photo Workshops in 2010 or 2011.

Aperture 2.1.4 Tip: Sluggish? Perform a Consistency & Rebuild, plus using Nikon D300s & Aperture 2

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2010-01-04T18:10:41+08:00

As a matter of fact I was in Cambodia at the time when the update arrived...installed it and imported all my RAW photos from the Nikon D300s without any problems, about 2000 plus of them, including some Video files and Aperture 2.1.4 ask me where to store them too. ...I have mention the word Patience in my post from the 24th of December...see below some excerpts from the article, we see more new Camera models in 2010 and if we like it or not they will require some more powerful computers to cope with the ever increase in MB per image. ...As a serious Photographer I don’t like to test things, I like them to work…don’t forget who came out first with the almost perfect Digital Photography workflow…Aperture was way ahead and made things possible which had been very difficult before and could only achieved with Photoshop then. Patience…all real GOOD things take Time and I am sure Apple will come up with something soon enough…they have always done so in the past, maybe a bit slower but for sure it will be awesome and no need for Beta testing. ...This works well if you have a lot of projects and images, however you have to have a bit of patience running the Rebuilding or Consistency Check as this could take some time, it all depends on the size of your Library.

GD Photo Workshops 2010 adventure travel with your Camera... Journey Through Color & Time.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2010-01-03T16:54:59+08:00

For those of you who live in Manila I am also conducting regular Seminars and Photography related Workshops on Aperture 2, iLife and Pages at Power Mac Center in TriNoma and Greenbelt 3 Makati. (please contact the Power Mac Center for schedules and details) ...Other Photo Workshops been finalized for Palau in Micronesia (Natures best kept secret) an amazing Journey into Myanmar/Burma, Laos and of course once again one of our favorite destination Cambodia later in the year. ...On most days, we will be learning exposure and capture techniques with our digital cameras in the morning & afternoons then using Adobe Photoshop and Aperture for exploring the digital imaging workflow at lunchtimes and in the evenings. ...Students will be pushed to photograph not only scenes and environments, but also the people and life for example in Siam Reap and Angkor Wat, Cambodia or India. ...He will review and critique your portfolio, and works-in-process, discuss careers, getting published and give you an idea of where you are, and what to do next to become better, but most important you will learn how to see things in a different light.

Photography: Toothless Smiles & Color … young & old happy faces from my Journeys, what ever happen to the Tooth Fairy?

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-12-28T22:32:41+08:00

Happy without or only a few teeth…people I have encountered from the high Plateau in Tibet, to the markets and temples of Bali and to the Banks of the Mekong River in Cambodia. ...No Camera and Tech talk today…2009 was packed already and I am sure we see a lot more of it in 2010...besides Christmas shopping is over, well at least for most of us. ...Today I like to take the opportunity and express my gratitude and sincere thanks to all those people who made my Journeys save and filled my heart with laughter and even sadness at times. ...Have a great and fantastic 2010… take care of our precious environment and if you get the chance…even the slightest… don’t forget to laugh with or without teeth! ...A very happy New Year - prost Neujahr - bonne année - onnellista uutta vuotta - gelukkig Nieuwjaar - ath bhliain faoi mhaise - selamat tahun baru - godt nytt år - szczliwego nowego roku - feliz ano novo - gott nytt år manigong bagong taon - sawatdii pimaï - kung hé fat tsoi - xin nian kuai le / xin nian hao - godt nytår - eutichismenos o kainourgios chronos - felice anno nuovo, buon anno - S novim godom - sreno novo leto - Cung Chúc Tân Xuân

iLife - Aperture 2 - Tips, Tricks and Techniques... be a Professional Photographer this Holiday Season.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-12-26T13:23:32+08:00

Power Mac Center TriNoma presents... ...Be a Professional Photographer this Holiday Season... presented by Power Mac Center TriNoma ...A one hour special on iLife - Aperture 2 - Tips, Tricks and Techniques by Gunther Deichmann. Power Mac Center TriNoma, 30th of December from 5:00 to 6:00 PM For questions and special requests, you can call 729-7087 or 88, or email us at training@powermaccenter.com

Photography: Cambodia round up…one day in Phnom Penh… Aperture 2 comments & where to next…

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-12-24T20:49:19+08:00

A lot of changes have taken place in Phnom Penh since my first visit in 1992 and again in 2005, I have been spending more time these past few years in the Siem Reap area. ...A must on any ones list if you visit Phnom Penh, great food, cold Beer and a cool atmosphere, this time around they had a great Gallery of Photos from my famous Rock stars on the walls; Garry Moore, Chrissie Hynde's from the Pretenders, Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie, Pat Garrett from Midnight Oil, Rolling Stones and just about everybody else from the good old days… plus a cool Blues/Jazz Band was playing on our first evening in Phnom Penh. But you also find walls covered with Photos from the Vietnam War and the horrific reign of the Pol Pot Regime, some disturbing images but it is the reality from the past or even now in the streets of Phnom Penh where you see people with out their limbs. ...As a serious Photographer I don’t like to test things, I like them to work…don’t forget who came out first with the almost perfect Digital Photography workflow…Aperture was way ahead and made things possible which had been very difficult before and could only achieved with Photoshop. ...Patience…all real GOOD things take Time and I am sure Apple will come up with something soon enough…they have always done so in the past, maybe a bit slower but for sure it will be awesome and no need for Beta testing.

Season Greetings... a sincere THANK YOU to all my friends & supporters

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-12-24T16:09:51+08:00

Season Greetings! It is this time of the Year again...a sincere and special THANK YOU To all my friends and supporters, have a great time and take good care.

Travel Photography: Another amazing Cambodian Journey is coming to an End & Aperture 2 Software update just in time for my Nikon D300s RAW files.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-12-19T00:12:46+08:00

As for me, I am leaving tomorrow Siem Reap for Phnom Penh and after a few days back to Manila just in time to spend Christmas with my family. ...PS. according to him my Eye sight is still Ok... hmmm and since his wife is also a Medical Doctor my Blood Pressure is fine too...must be the good wine at the Heritage Suite Hotel. ...Our stay at the Heritage Suite Hotel (Arnold my Web Guru and myself) was as great than ever, with the superb company of the Management and staff, in particular the GM Varona and Jam from Marketing, not to mention the ever so entertaining Didier from the Heritage Adventures. ...Can you imaging how happy I was when Apple announced a few Days ago the RAW file update for Aperture 2, which of course included the Nikon D300s just in time for my test drive in Cambodia. ...Sorry I have to keep this Blog post brief today, need to pack my things yet and I rather let the images speak…a lot more photos will follow but due to some pending publications I can’t share them at this time.

Travel Photography: Straight out of the Box & into the Jungle the Nikon D300s plus the new 50mm f:1.4 G Lens…test-drive in Cambodia.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-12-15T23:31:58+08:00

The D300s is the replacement unit for my water damaged D2x…remember the Rice Paddy incident in September…thanks to Nikon Singapore for providing me an excellent deal and rescuing my totally water drenched 180 2.8 mm lens. ...The first time I used the Camera was at Phnom Kulen shooting some rare red Bananas, yes you have heard right, RED Bananas, supposedly only found in the Jungles of Phnom Kulen. It was here that I used also the new 50mm f:1.4 G lens for the first time, I am truly impressed with excellent image quality even at f:1.4 wide open with superb color rendition. ...After the red Bananas I shot some Butterflies at the Phnom Kulen Waterfall and then we went deeper into Jungle to a very special Cave only using the D300s with a mix of Lenses... fighting darkness, water dripping from the ceiling and Bat shit. ...I have another super early start tomorrow, so I finish now with my first verdict that the D300s is an outstanding Camera and with the 50mm f: 1.4 G Lens just awesome.

Travel Photography: Hidden places…Adventure in Cambodia with a touch of Class…

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-12-10T08:50:18+08:00

Crazy me got up this morning at 4AM don’t ask me why since I had no Photography planned for the day but that is going to change very soon. ...I keep today’s Blog brief, as a matter of fact it is just to say hi from the Heritage Suite Hotel in Siem Reap my quarters for the next ten days. ...Finishing what I missed on my last trip plus there is some additional work to be done for the Heritage Adventures and Heritage Suite Hotel. ...Oh before I forget, the Wi-Fi connections is just out of this world at the Heritage, excellent reception in all rooms now or you can relax at the poolside for some early morning surfing and listening to the native birds tweeting. OK., that’s it for this morning, a lot more in the coming days, you just have to stay tuned or subscribe to my RSS feed.

Travel Photography & a lot more; next week from the Heritage Suite Hotel in Siem Reap, Cambodia, plus testing the new Nikon D300s in the field.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-12-02T22:20:59+08:00

Thanks again to Arjun Shroff from Shroff International Travel who has taken care of all my last minute travel arrangements, he really performed some magic to get me onto some of the flights. ...However I do give the Ox Cart a miss this time, don’t like to loose another Camera, you might remember from one of my previous Blog post when I lost my Nikon D2x in the rice paddy. ...After our Photo Workshop in India I have another very big and exciting surprise but that one has to wait too… yes I know, my suspense again, sorry about that. ...Going through the equipment check now and have to pack my bags by Friday, from the 8th of December I try to update my Blog at least every two days from the Heritage Suite Hotel direct from Siem Reap, and of course the latest news from the Heritage Adventures as well. In between all of this I have some Aperture 2, iLife and iWork Seminars and Workshops at the Power Mac Center in Manila, for sure a very busy but exciting start for 2010.

Busy time ahead for Sam’s Tours Digital Photo Center... the Kids have arrived!

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-11-27T00:06:23+08:00

It is buzzing with Kids and adults at Sam’s Tours in Palau THE PALAU KIDS SEA CAMP has started...fun and education for Children another first for Palau and Sam’s Tours. ...Sam's Tours Digital Photography Center is fully equipped to cater to digital photographers of all interest levels from those with handy “point-and-shoot” cameras to the most demanding digital photographers shooting in RAW format. Our six top of the line Apple iMac workstations are loaded with terabytes and terabytes of storage, archiving and secure data back up systems, lots of RAM, and completely optimized for digital imaging with Apple Aperture image management software, Adobe Photoshop Elements, Bridge, Toast, and topped off with DSL Wi-Fi internet access. ...Our rental equipment includes the latest Canon Powershot SD850 digital cameras and Canon ZR830 mini digital video cameras complete with underwater housings, large storage media, plenty of additional batteries, and full service support from our professionally trained Photo Center staff. ...Other Photo Center amenities include a padded and dry camera prep table, battery charging stations, 110V and 220V electrical supply, separate camera rinse tanks, camera drying station equipped with towels and compressed air, and secure storage for your housings, equipment cases and other accessories.

Travel Photography: Going back in Time prior Digital & Photoshop, plus updated PhotoShelter Galleries with Cambodia & India.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-11-23T20:55:56+08:00

It is nice sometimes when you go back in Time, looking at images you created without a Digital Camera and the use of Photoshop, remembering the good old days... ...The other day I went through my archives and came across one of those images, taken in Phnom Penh in 1992, Pol Pot was still hiding somewhere in the Jungle near Phnom Kulen near Siem Reap. Memories starting to flash in front of my eyes...the "Wild West" days of Cambodia...bad memories carved into the faces of Cambodians... the Killing Fields still fresh in their mind... a time I will never forget. ...I have also updated my PhotoShelter Gallery on India with some new edits and have added a NEW Gallery from my recent trip to Cambodia. ...There is also one more Gallery from Cambodia but this one is password protect due to a pending article, don’t worry I open this one in due time, I guess it is my suspense again.

Cool companion for your iPhone, iPod or your Mac, the X-mini a speaker system for your travel.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-11-18T21:14:53+08:00

This one fits in your pocket and I use it on my iPhone to show clients and friends presentations or videos, lets be honest a presentation with good sound/music is so much nicer and you don't have to pass the earphone around anymore. Don’t know yet its availability outside Asia, but you can get it for about US$ 34.00 at Power Mac Center in Manila and of course in Singapore where it is manufactured. I was amazed by the output, a perfect companion when you travel or like to listen to your favorite music in your Hotel Room. Another cool feature…you can hook up more than one unit and fill the room with your favorite music from your iPhone or iPod I am thinking to try out the X-mini on my next flight inside the aircraft… but on second thoughts I better not, they might throw me off the plane for playing my music to loud.

GD Photo Workshop: Journey through Incredible India in 2010 final dates and information

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-11-15T21:17:33+08:00

We are currently working on the final Itinerary however our PhotoWorkshop will coincide with one of the most important Festivals in India...lets celebrate "Holi" and the Elephant festival in Jaipur Rajasthan at the same time. New Delhi and Agra with its magnificent Taj Mahal is also part of our itinerary, more information will be available very soon. ...The Workshop is filling up fast, as of today we only have three (3) vacancies left, bookings are only on a first come basis and have to be confirmed by no later than January 10, 2010. I hope you understand that due to the complexity and logistics of this workshop we can't except anymore bookings after January 10. ...Please stay tuned for more details and info soon on this Blog or you can contact me direct.

Journey Through Color & Sounds…India ”cooking” with Aperture 2, GarageBand, iPhone & FotoMagico 3 Pro

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-11-13T19:45:10+08:00

Just follow these simple steps…after editing the images in Aperture 2 make sure you filed them in their Albums or Smart Albums for easy access in FotoMagico later via the nice build in Media Browser. ...Of course you have also access the same way to your iTunes Libraries, GarageBand and Videos, yes videos… with FotoMagico 3 Pro you can also include your film clips and mix them up with your still images. ...Once you happy with the flow of your images open the Media Browser again and pick your Music, select the track you like and drag it on the audio time line. ...Options for voice over and additional audio tracks are available, but we keep it simple today…I created the basic Journey Through Colors & Sound slideshow in about an hour of course not including the editing in Aperture 2 and mixing the audio in GarageBand. ...If you export direct to YouTube like in my case, make sure you have an account or create one before, the rest is fully automatic but could take some time depending on the lengths of your show and of course your connection speed.

Travel Photography: Rare visit to Bantey Ampoeu, Cambodia during the Monsoon season, Website changes & a little Aperture 2.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-11-09T15:40:19+08:00

I decided the other day to change the intro page on my main web gallery…for how long I don’t know, lets see. ...Now to Bantey Ampoeu, a remote Khmer temple hidden in the Jungle and a great example of natures power if left alone. ...Bantey Ampoeu is certainly off the tourist track and during the Monsoon can be reached only by Ox Cart… a one and half hour journey through Rice Fields and Jungle. ...Difficult to get there in the rainy season but the colors and vegetation in the late afternoon make it a very rewarding journey, as long you don’t mind the Leeches and getting into "Muddy Waters". Thanks to Didier from the Heritage Adventures who took me to Bantey Ampoeu during the worst…but for me the best time of the year.

Behind the scene...Giggles, a little fun from Cambodia using Aperture 2, GarageBand & FotoMagico.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-11-04T21:15:35+08:00

Wake up early in the Morning... came about that all our excursions started around 4 to 5 AM everyday and the Giggles where part of our daily routine... just a fun and great group. The Soundtrack was entirely produced in GarageBand and since we had so much fun I just couldn't help myself in getting this one out...of course I had to add some Giggles... ...I have mention FotoMagico a few times in my previous Blog post's, but the latest FotoMagico 3 Version 3.0.8 is so cool and for those of you who are not familiar with it I can highly recommend it. ...An excellent software easy to use with superb quality, you have all the settings you ever going to need for producing high end slide shows/presentations (including HDTV) or export it to the web. You can add sound, text plus some cool transitions at your finger tips, great integration on the Mac with access to your

Photography: "Eyes - like light, without it we can't see." a magic moment in Cambodia.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-10-30T21:18:52+08:00

© Gunther Deichmann - the magic of natural light, ...To finish the month of October, I decided today to share this Photograph with you . The Image above is from my last trip to Cambodia...remember I mention in one of my previous posts that I keep you in suspense, well here is one of them, others will follow... and more suspense again. No more words needed now...enjoy natures gift to us... called light! "Eyes-like light, without it we can't see."

Photography & iPhone…Tips on cool applications, not only for Travel, Underwater & general Photography.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-10-28T21:39:20+08:00

If you’re an iPhone 3G or 3Gs user and you’re a Photographer, Diver, Underwater Photographer or you just like to watch the Sunset with your girlfriend in your arms then these cool applications could come in very handy, provided you have your "hand’s free..." ...Lets use Cambodia and India as an example; upon arrival how many times have you asked at your Hotel or the locals what time is sunset or sunrise, only to be told…oh about 5:00 AM is sunrise and sunset is around about… 5:30PM, hmmm… it is always about or something like that… Very seldom you get an accurate answer, I like to know the exact time… if not you could miss a great shot, even more so if you have to travel to your final destination where you like to be for those early morning or late afternoon shots. ...In other words you can plan your trip in such a way that you can be certain that you will be on a specific location in time for this magic Moonrise with your girlfriend, Camera or just waiting for the Werewolf…check out the website for a full explanation and info at: ...The one which really stands out is fairly new and called Dimensions from pocketDEMO fantastic and super cool…I could describe this one for ever but instead have posted the LINK so you can check it out, I have tested it and fell in love with it, a must for US$ 1.99 some useful devices for Photography and many other uses in this amazing iPhone application toolbox.

Tips, tricks & techniques: Few seldom mentioned features on Snow Leopard.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-10-26T22:47:04+08:00

Say for example you done your cleanup and deleted hundreds of documents, all of them in the Trash, just to make sure you open the Trash and check for a last time before you empty it, just in case, we don’t want to delete anything we might need or we dumped by mistake. In Snow Leopard you open the Trash located at the Dock, ones the folder is open check your files and the ones you like to keep or have thrown out by mistake you just highlight those, then you go to File scroll down and you see Put Back click on it and your files go back where they came from in the first place. ...For those new to Leopard and now Snow Leopard: Quick Look is a super cool feature but did you know once you clicked on it, (you can use the right mouse button to get to it or go to File) it not only shows you the document but you can do a lot more without open the actually software, Acrobat Reader in this case since I used a pdf file. ...ok nothing new…but it is to big, you like to see a few more pages then just hit – (minus button on the keyboard) and it gets smaller every time you hit it to the size you comfortable with, nice if you use another keyboard. ...Another cool addition on all new Mac’s is the Expose button also called Show all Windows, this one is located on your keyboard (F3) have a go at it open multiple windows and click on F3 real nice and so convenient.

Palawan & beyond...Power Mac Center presents GD Photo Workshop at Club Paradise

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-10-24T15:51:50+08:00

You are cordially invited to a 4 nights 5 days exclusive Photo Workshop at Club Paradise Palawan with Gunther Deichmann, international multi-awarded travel photographer and Apple Pro Certified Aperture Trainer. Registration fees includes airfare and accommodation from Manila to Club Paradise Palawan, all meals (full Board) and full hands on with Aperture 2. ...Please book early this Workshop is for a limited number of participants only! ...For more information and a recent Video on Club Paradise check out the links below: The Underwater Channel filmed at Club Paradise and Dugong Dive Center. a very cool Video from this dream destination in Palawan, Philippines. http://www.theunderwaterchannel.tv/clipinfo/4003142

Photography: Rumors & Suspense new products…last week has been very hectic on the Net with new DSLR's, Software & Apple products.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-10-24T00:23:28+08:00

Technology is progressing at blazing speed… and there is nothing wrong with that, but we should also spend some quality time and money on education, or we forget the real art of Photography soon, becoming a slave of “Photoshopmania”… etc. ...I have to admit Aperture 1 was a bit tough to work with, but since Aperture 2 everything is just perfect and lets not forget that Aperture 1 was the Pioneer in the new workflow for Photographers and not only in digital…I have mixed both digital and scanned images to produce my Book in Aperture 1 Plus you can’t beat the integration on the Mac with Aperture 2… it is just awesome. OK maybe I am also a bit biased like David Schloss from Mac Create and the Aperture User Network who has just written this very cool and interesting article; see below excerpts and the Link to the complete article. ...For me patience is one of the most important aspects in good photography… lets see and wait when Apple announces a new upgrade to Aperture 2, I am happy with anything they come up with. I have the patience… I can wait, no problems, but now I have to do some more work in Aperture 2... just like David.

Photography Workflow: Tips, Tricks & Techniques cool plug in for Aperture 2, plus a nice feedback from our recent Photo Workshop.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-10-16T12:54:02+08:00

And for those who have missed it from one of my earlier Blogs I like to re-introduce a very cool Aperture 2 plug in BurnToDisc 2 by Blue Room Software, one of the most useful plug-ins for Aperture 2., for me that is. ...I been using BurnToDisc for a long time and can highly recommended this plug in for Aperture 2.1.4 just fantastic when you're on the road or your Agencies screaming for images! ...I had already created a Smart folder with a selection of Photos, now I narrowed it down even further and selected the ones which had been requested, selecting them one by one by holding down the Apple (Command key), after my selection I open BurnToDisc. ...Again, no need to open another software this is direct from within Aperture 2, BurnToDisc has many different options to choose from, even burning multiple Discs, it will show you also how much space you have or is available on your Disc once you have selected your images and open the plug-in. The nice part is when burning versions to a Disc you can chose within the program which file format you would like to use, in my case I needed them in tiff at 8 bits.

Travel Photography: Small Taste of the Latest from Cambodia... a Gallery with few NEW Photographs.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-10-12T19:41:53+08:00

First of all…my apologies if you experienced some problems with the latest Blog post, we had some major interruption and technical glitches on the Internet during uploading of the most recent post and images. ...Today I like to share with you some images from these few days before and the ones I managed to sneak in during our Workshop...when I had the chance. Thanks to Aperture 2 my editing (the only software) is just about done but now I have to start the painful job in uploading high res. files to my agency archives in Europe. I also stayed a few extra days after the workshop to work on a particular project, but those Images I can’t post yet due to a variety of reasons... ...Once we have everything in place I defiantly share with you some rare and amazing images, but for now…the ones from today have to do.

Late NEWS: We have encountered some major Internet problems, sorry for the inconvinience

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-10-12T11:54:53+08:00

My apologies if you experienced some problems with the latest Blog post, we had some major interruption on the Internet during uploading Sorry for the inconvenience. Back to normal shortly!!! We re-post asap. GD

Photographs in between during the GD Photo Workshop in Cambodia... just a leaf & the window plus another testimonial.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-10-09T23:22:53+08:00

The past few days I have been busy with editing and compiling an article, hence the reason for being so quiet, plus I have to admit that I have a slight hangover from last night. ...Of course good old Luis had prepared a great meal, fantastic food and some good red wine, actually the wine was so good that I ended up indulging myself more then it was good for me today, anyway we had a great evening talking shop. ...A few days ago our "Cowgirl" Jamie send me this fantastic testimonial from our Photo Workshop, after reading it I had watery eyes, thank you so much Jamie not only for what you wrote but also for your kindness and great friendship. ...Now a GD Photo Workshop announcement; the bookings for our Indian Photo Workshop are open, this one we have to start early with our bookings the exact dates and Itinerary will be finalized shortly but it is in early March 2010. ...If you have not done so, check out the photos The Students work just click this LINK and the fun images Behind the Scene or go above to the Menu bar.

Photographs by the Students from the GD Photo Workshop, Angkor Wat & beyond... plus the first testimonials.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-10-05T14:12:49+08:00

Check out these cool images & click this LINK or go to The Students work on the top bar, you can also click on the image above. ...Plus the Journey to some of the amazing places in Cambodia during our GD Photo Workshop "Angkor Wat & beyond... thank you all for being such a warm and happy group, you have been fantastic! ...Thank’s to Jamie from Jakarta, Indonesia, Joerg from Shanghai, China, Luis from Manila, Philippines, Richard from HongKong and Hubert also from Manila, Philippines for their participation in my PhotoWorkshop, Angkor Wat & beyond…you have been a fantastic Group, thank you very much for your kind words and friendship, miss you all. ...I am also grateful to the Management and staff from the Heritage Suite Hotel who made all of this possible with their smile and hard work, you made our stay just so fantastic, thank you from the bottom of my heart. A very, special mention goes to my good friend and long time Guide Savuth who was beside us all the time not only carrying some equipment but digging out the bogged 4X4 wheel drive at Mt.

Travel Photography: Muddy Waters with Aperture 2 & the Monochrome Mixer from our Photo Workshop in Cambodia.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-10-03T19:24:35+08:00

I choose today’s Images because of what is happen in Asia & the Pacific; Quake in Indonesia, the Tsunami in Samoa, the floods in the Philippines, Vietnam and now also in Cambodia…I just got word that Siem Reap also got affected badly by Typhhon KETSANA...mud and rain... flooded Countries. ...My thoughts go out to all those people who have suffered greatly during this trying times, this is NATURE and a stark reminder that we are at the mercy off it at times…no technology can prevent the fury of Nature. The Images on today’s Blog have been taken just outside the Ta Prohm Temple on a rainy and very wet morning during our recent Photo Workshop in Siem Reap Cambodia '09, I call it "Muddy Waters" I hope a welcome change from all those disturbing images from the past few days and days to come. ...Visiting Cambodia in the off season can be a challenge but it is also very rewarding, amazing shades of greens are found all over the temples and in the country side. ...In my next Blog post when the Internet connections have improved... remember we still have Typhoon PARMA hanging around, I post a New Gallery with six images from each participant from the Photo Workshop in Cambodia, it is there preferred choice from the trip, so please stay tuned.

Travel Photography: Photos from behind the scene in Cambodia, the incredible and very funny group

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-09-29T19:21:23+08:00

It has been an incredible week, just back from Cambodia and right into the floods and sadness of Manila, not to mention the World News from Palau on the Worlds first Shark Sanctuary. I have uploaded the behind the scene Photos from our recent Journey and Cambodian PhotoWorkshop adventure on this Blog. The best of six images from the participants will be uploaded also shortly but today it is behind the scenes, the funny part of our Photo Workshop. ...Many thanks to all my students, you have been an incredible Group, listening, learning but you also made me laugh non stop. ... It has been a great trip and hopefully I see some of you in India next year, details be announce soon on this Blog.

Hard Work does pay off; it was one man's dream, believing in one Goal that one day our Sharks can be protected & not only in Palau.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-09-28T22:59:29+08:00

Yes, President Johnson Toribiong from Palau made it now possible and it is a World first but there are so many others who deserve some credit too, hard at work and believing to make our planet a better one. ...Believing in something and taken it to the finishing line is not always easy, of course President Toribiong did the last sprint and announced the first Shark Sanctuary in the World at the United Nations in New York on the 25th of September 2009. ...My involvement with the Shark Sanctuary goes way back, as a matter of fact many moons ago, but that is not important now, what is important that this tiny Nation in the Pacific set an example for the rest of the World and I sincerely hope that others will follow. ...Congratulations again to the President of Palau and all those others who have worked so hard behind the scene in achieving this amazing Goal, I am proud of you all. ...The founder of Palau Shark Sanctuary, Dermot Keane, Managing Director of Palau dive shop Sam’s Tours, was on hand to greet the President and thanked him for declaring Palau a Shark Sanctuary.

Kaleidoscope of recent events…flooded streets, Palau World News & Snow Leopard with Aperture 2 from our Photo Workshop in Cambodia.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-09-26T15:42:48+08:00

It is raining Cat and Dogs in Manila, the worst I have seen in a very long time, then yesterday Palau in the Limelight with an extraordinary achievement declaring at the UN in New York the Worlds first Shark Sanctuary, a little update on Snow Leopard, Aperture 2.1.4 & slowly drifting back to my recent Photo Workshop in Cambodia. ...I just made it home last night…& now we lost power too...nice to have a Mac BookPro with a fully charged Battery and what better way to recap the past few days in a few sentences on today’s Blog, the only question is when do I get this post uploaded, your guess is as good then mine... ...I also notice that there is no more Software update via the Desktop, (Download Only) now you have to go direct into the system, which is fine, but if you have a slow connection or get interrupted that could cause a problem. ...Now back to Cambodia, my sincere thanks to all participants from my last Photo Workshop “Angkor Wat & beyond…” you have been a great group and made my job so much easier, thanks again to you all, I will remember the friendship we shared and for sure the non-stop giggles, thanks to you all I had a great time too. ...But one thing for sure, I was impressed with their images and dedication to Photography, they did an outstanding job not only in the field but after the shoot too using Aperture 2 for the workflow.

Palau says NO to Shark fins! World first in the protection of Sharks...Poachers watch out!

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-09-25T13:41:09+08:00

Palau President Johnson Toribiong has announced only a few hours ago at the UN in New York that Palau is the first WORLD SHARK SANCTUARY ! ...The tiny Nation of Palau has taken the first step... ...© Gunther Deichmann - Archive Image published as the Photo of the week in Stern Magazine and other world wide publication last year. ...My respect and congratulation to President Johnson Toribiong and the Government of Palau for taken this unprecedented step in the conservation of our endangered sharks. I sincerely hope that other Nation will follow and stop this cruel and inhumane killing of our Sharks, I am very proud to be associated with Palau and its conservation policies.

BREAKING NEWS! Palau President Toribiong has announced at the U.N. in New York that Palau is the first WORLD SHARK SANCTUARY !

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-09-25T11:34:51+08:00

We have to take a short break from Cambodia due to this fantastic Environmental NEWS from Palau, a world first towards the conservation and protection of Sharks. ...Palau President Toribiong has announced only a few hours ago at the UN in New York that Palau is the first WORLD SHARK SANCTUARY ! This is a milestone in the conservation and preservation of Sharks in Palau, setting an example for the rest of the World. ...Just been advised that Palau President Johnson Toribiong will announce in 30 minutes at the UN Conference in New York that Palau is the first WORLD SHARK SANCTUARY !!!!!!!!!!! ...These creatures are being slaughtered and are perhaps at the brink of extinction unless we take positive action to protect them," said President Toribiong.

The hazards of Travel Photography...the Camera bag in the Rice Paddy and bogged down in black mud... the last two days in Cambodia

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-09-22T23:52:26+08:00

My last day in Cambodia was less eventful than the day before when my Camera bag dropped into the Rice Paddy from the Ox Cart, one Camera body and one lens has to go for a major repair Job to Nikon in Singapore. (I am glad I always bring a back up... second Camera boddy and lens)Today my last day...a little less exciting, we only got bogged with our 4X4 Wheel drive in black mud....ha, ha a slight reminder of my good old Australian Days in the outback. ...A very special thank you again to Didier Faraud from the Heritage Adventure who really went out of his way to show us some places where "almost" no man had gone before. As a matter of fact the minefields in this area had only been cleared last year, some very special images will follow once I am back in Manila. ...A robed monk was sitting at the computer screen in the shop, and GD was trying to get a shot of him sat paradoxically under a flat screen TV with a Jackie Chan movie flashing above him.

Words of Wisdom from one of my students from our Cambodia Photo Workshop Angkor Wat & beyond…

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-09-20T23:25:40+08:00

Today’s Blog Post… for a change not written by me but by one of my cool Students Jamie; I only did the uploading … read below what she has to complain about … ...“Well I think I’m perfectly unsanitary enough, thank you very much,” I threw back bemusedly at him before laying down upon the 14th Century laterite stones of the incredible Preah Khan temple in Siem Reap. I was trying for yet another shot at my elusive subject, which happened to be an enormous silk cotton tree growing on the top of a 900 yr old temple in serious disrepair, and dirt was the last thing on my mind. ...Indeed GD had promised an intense 6 day, 5 night photography course in Cambodia, but he sure hadn’t warned us that learning was going to be so much fun. Our outdoor photography classroom included stunning ancient temple ruins, polychromatic floating villages, lush tropical jungles, waterfalls, caves, local food huts, bar counters, and last but not least the infamous ‘round table’ where all of us eagerly gathered for our highly animated photo editing sessions on Aperture 2.

Photo Workshop in the Cambodian Jungle…seldom visited places.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-09-19T21:45:01+08:00

We left the Heritage Suite Hotel at 4:30 AM yesterday…the last day of our Photo Workshop for Kulen to the river of a thousand Lingas and the Kulen Waterfall. ...But the highlight of the day was a very special trip in the afternoon deep into the Jungle to a seldom visited place that can only be reached by 4X4 wheel drive and then another hour on foot. A lot more images from this destination will follow in the coming weeks…believe me this place is absolutely amazing. I am still catching up with some sleep, long hours everyday the past week, but fun and very rewarding for all in the Group. ...As mentioned above some amazing images will follow later, but today I like to share with you Photos from the Participants in action during this trip in the Jungle.

Travel Photography the Tonle Sap, Cambodia, supported by Heritage Adventures & Hotel, the GD Photo Workshop

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-09-17T22:08:16+08:00

Due to some difficulties the past few days with our internet connection and early morning hour Photography trips I keep this Blog brief and rather let the images do the talking... ...We are into our fourth day and I am extremely impressed with the Images from my students, as a matter of fact they have really outdone themselves, not only in the field but everybody has reached a very good level and expertise on Aperture 2...the workflow after the shoot. Special thanks to Didier Faraud from the Heritage Adventure who is organizing some very special trips for us and of course the Management from the Heritage Suite Hotel in Siem Reap, who has provided us with and excellent service throughout the week. ...I the next couple of weeks I be reporting in more details from the whole trip and put up a special Gallery with images from all the Participants...today is only a small appetizer from this morning. ...Tomorrow is another 4:30 AM start, so I sign off now, but a lot more from Cambodia and our Photo Workshop soon.

Photo Workshop in Cambodia, the first report...direct from the Heritage Suite Hotel in Siem Reap

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-09-15T22:26:27+08:00

Sorry for the long silence but I did have some problems with the connection the past few days. ...My students took some amazing Photographs since the start of the workshop two days ago, a very cool selection will follow shortly. ...A great bunch and amazingly all using MacBooks Pro's with Aperture 2 loaded except for on using Lightroom on his Mac. Tomorrow we start at 4:45 for our sunrise session, but this time not at Angkor Wat, I keep you in suspense again, the Heritage Suite Hotel Management has organized are real cool trip. Hence the reason I have to keep it very brief now, need some sleep and a good rest.

Photography: Never leave home with out a Camera…small or big, you never know.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-09-06T21:13:58+08:00

This is my last Blog post from Manila for a while; I am leaving in a few days for Siem Reap in Cambodia. ...But now I like to share with you two more interesting Photographs that I took one evening a few days ago…to and from a meeting. ...On the way this cool sunset happen right in front of me, of course I had my little companion the Leica D-Lux 4 with me and took some Photographs before I continued. Later that evening on the way home, after some wine with my good friends Luis Harder & Ross Capilli I spotted this interesting lamp outside a Restaurant with a cool reflection behind it. ...Reporting soon from Siem Reap & Angkor Wat in Cambodia, interesting articles from the River with a thousand Lingas and the Tonle Sap Lake plus a lot more…

Test driving Aperture 2.1.4 on Snow Leopard. Is Aperture 2 running smoother & more efficient now?

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-09-05T18:40:51+08:00

As a serious Aperture user and Trainer I couldn’t wait to take Aperture 2.1.4 for an extensive test-drive, finding out if things have improved or not using Snow Leopard. ...Snow Leopard (Mac OS X 10.6) installed on a MacBook Pro 2.66 GHz, Intel Core 2 Duo, Memory 4 GB and the Graphics Card set to higher performance in the System preference (you find the Graphics settings in the Energy Saver) ...I exported some 28 high res Raw images in one go as Versions to full jpg size, wow, that went real fast, again a huge improvement. ...Hitting the Z key (zoom) wow again, it is instant; the bit sluggish Navigation before is now very smooth, the same applies for the Loupe much faster and so much more responsive on all settings. ...So, if you’re using Aperture 2.1.4 go ahead and install Snow Leopard, find out why I love Aperture even more now, feel and experience the difference.

Test driving Snow Leopard...on Aperture 2, Rapid Weaver, FotoMagico and the awesome new Quick Time, my first assessment.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-09-03T22:19:08+08:00

I keep this very brief today but my first assessment and compatibility using Aperture 2, Rapid Weaver 4.3 (I am using it now) plus a quick test on FotoMagico and the new Quick Time in Snow Leopard. ...I learned the hard way on Rapid Weaver, but not a big issue, for those who use RW make sure you install Rapid Weaver 4.3 prior installing Snow Leopard you can get the upgrade for free if you have a licensed copy, just click the LINK below. ...It goes without saying Safari is humming very fast and nice, even Firefox is running a lot faster now, not to mention Mail and all those other cool things under the Hood. ...Installation was a breeze and I encountered no problems at all, this is a new Super Cat with a lot more under the hood, more info in due time...have to run a few more laps. ...Don't panic if opening of your software takes bit of time, this is only for the first time around, Snow Leopard has to update all your existing files like Mail, Aperture etc.,etc. but after that you fly & there is so much more!

Travel Photography: Spectacular Down Under, exploring the Outback of Central Australia with your Camera.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-08-31T17:32:27+08:00

September is around the corner and so is our Photo Workshop in Cambodia, but before I start reporting direct from Siem Reap and Angkor Wat, let me introduce you to one more seldom featured “remote” place from the Land Down Under, Australia. When you explore the Outback of Australia you have to be ready for almost anything; not only for the spectacular Rock formations you pass, but the unexpected Wildlife crossing your path, make sure your Camera is ready for any encounter. ...Definitely worth the visit, and if you like to catch the best light then you have to pack your camping gear and spend a night under the stars which is another awesome experience at this amazing Rock formation. ...You should always take precaution when traveling alone in the Outback, make sure you bring enough water with you, also two spare tires are better than one, remember you are far from any civilization. ...My first Dog in Australia was actually a Blue Heeler called “Tina”, my constant companion during my outback travel over many years, a fantastic Dog and loyal companion which I will never forget.

Late NEWS: Environment & Photography…Extinction threat to flying fox!

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-08-26T21:03:06+08:00

Is this the last image of thousands of Flying Foxes, known also as Fruit Bats? ...I took this Photograph many years ago while flying back in a Helicopter from Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory Australia. ...Scientists are urging the government of Malaysia to ban the hunting of the world's largest fruit bat. Researchers say the large flying fox will be wiped out on the Malaysian peninsula if the current unsustainable level of hunting continues. Writing in the Journal of Applied Ecology they say around 22,000 of the animals are legally hunted each year and more killed illegally.

Travel Photography: Angkor Wat & beyond… the Photo Workshop is approaching soon.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-08-26T18:49:28+08:00

In a few days I switch gears and getting ready for another exciting trip with students discovering the beauty in this remarkable place with its ancient history and culture. Once in Cambodia I try my very best to update my Blog and Twitter every 48 hours from our Base at The Heritage Suite Hotel with stories and images from the day’s events, including the best Photograph from each day taken by one of the students. Packing the gear and final preparation are on my agenda in the next few days, I know my Students getting excited, as for me no explanation is needed… I just love Cambodia where you can always discover something new and exciting. ... Ice on a small Motorbike, from the provicial Town to the Village. ...I have lined up a few more interesting posts for the next few days before I start my articles on Cambodia in earnest.

Photography & Aperture 2 at Lyceum University Cavite Philippines, a Mac Campus Roadshow sponsored by Power Mac Center.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-08-25T15:55:06+08:00

The Power Mac Center Training Devision had set up an array of iMac’s manned by their staff explaining to Students and Teachers the possibilities on a Mac. ...The program of the day included lectures on Integration on the Mac, Photography, Digital workflow using Aperture2 and a basic Photo Competition using what ever Camera was available; Cell phones, Compact Digital Cameras to SLR’s. , etc. Part of the presentations included how the Mac can help you and how to speed things up using Aperture 2, (Aperture 2 & beyond…) iWork ’09 and iLife ’09 explaining the cool integration. ...After the assignment, with the help of Andrew & Mark-Lee from Power Mac Center we uploaded the images into folders and imported them into Aperture 2 for fast processing and judging using the star rating system in Aperture. ...Another fun Day minus the rain today, being with a cool group of Students, Teachers and Faculty members using only simple Cameras but creating some nice images.

Travel & Landscape Photography, an ancient & prehistoric Reef comes to life again with colors in northwestern Australia.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-08-23T18:34:52+08:00

Geiki Gorge; this is part two (2) of places in Australia that seldom get a mention in Books or Magazines but should be on any Photographers itinerary when visiting Australia…of course that is if you have the time. ...But now lets travel back in time and visit Geiki Gorge, an ancient reef formed during the Devonian period, comparing modern reefs like the Great Barrier Reef to those in prehistoric times. ...Geiki Gorge is an ancient reef but unlike modern reefs, which are built by corals, algae and a group of now extinct lime-secreting organisms built the bulk of this reef. ...As the ocean floor slowly subsided over the 50 million years of the Devonian period, the reef-building organisms were able to keep pace, building up and up until, in places, the reef became more than two kilometers thick. The limestone ranges, formed from the ancient barrier reef, wind across the country between 50 and 100 meters above the surrounding plains, in much the same way that the reef would have reared above the Devonian sea floor.

Travel & Landscape Photography; colors of the Rainbow in Central Australia, seldom visited places in the Outback.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-08-21T13:52:48+08:00

Part one of two places in Australia that seldom get a mention in Books or Magazines but should be on any Photographers itinerary when visiting Australia…of course that is if you have the time. ...Today I like to introduce you to Rainbow Valley, one of the most amazing places I have photographed a “short distance” (100KM) south of Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Central Australia. ...But when the weather is on your side and it starts to rain, a rare occasion in this part of Australia the clay pan fills up with water producing some spectacular natural reflections. ...I always kept an eye on the weather during my stay in Alice Springs, as soon I saw some clouds building up I took the chance to take the 100KM drive to Rainbow Valley, not always lucky but on two occasion I managed to get a Rainbow. ...The best time to visit this remarkable place is in the late afternoon; you might not catch a Rainbow, but the colors during and after sunset are just out of this world.

Photography Tips, Tricks & Techniques; Frequent Asked Questions from students & amateur photographers.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-08-16T16:55:51+08:00

A: The Nikon D40 is fine, you be amazed the images you can create with just one Camera and a standard lens, think before you shoot. ...A: I am recommending a Digital SLR with one or two lenses, no need for high power telephoto lenses and a small tri-pod (equipment also depends on the type of workshop) Of course you should bring along a laptop for up-loading your images, with software installed for editing. ...A: Basically the same what I have described above, but I always carry two cameras bodies and additional lenses, but when we go into the field I only bring one camera with one lens to show the students what can be done with little equipment. ...A: It all depends entirely on the given assignment, but I usually have a Theme/Story or a subject planned out, but then you never know what is around the next corner, you have to be ready all the time and make quick decisions. ...A: I use the Computer just for up-loading and basic editing, however part of the learning curve is to understand the software and the workflow after the shoot, caption your images, using only minor adjustments for the RAW files.

Photography & the Environment; Déjà vu… culling Camels in Central Australia.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-08-15T16:27:16+08:00

Yes, there are lots of Camels Down Under roaming the Desert, they had been introduced in the mid 19th Century to help the early Explorers to traverse the vast outback. ...But if a new culling of Camels is to be done, it should be in a human way and not like before leaving wounded animals to a slow and horrific death. Culling had been carried out before shooting Camels, Buffalos and Horses from Helicopters, these are difficult and moving targets, leaving the animals wounded for days, suffering a slow and painful death. ...Or as Animal welfare groups suggesting; birth control, giving animals a drug to render them infertile, another more humane alternative. ...So the Australian government has set aside $16m (£9.7m) to contain the problem and one proposal is to shoot the camels from helicopters or on foot.

Travel Photography & the Environment: Ayers Rock Australia, is the Climb coming to an end?

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-08-14T18:02:29+08:00

In my opinion I don’t think so, I can’t remember how many times I visited this remarkable place in the Australian Outback and never had the urge to climb it. ...I have also noticed similar climbing attempts at Angkor Wat in Cambodia too, watching tourist climbing the ancient ruins makes my hair stand up, soon very soon there be a major accident, not to mention the environmental impact it is having on this ancient and fragile architectural Wonder. ...For me Ayers Rock is very much a spiritual place where I can sit back and let the colors play in front of me, thinking about the Aboriginal Dream Time and how it must have been thousands of years ago, a place we should all respect and treasure. ...The Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park has called for an end to people climbing the 348m-high rock, sacred to indigenous people, as part of a 10-year draft plan. ...Uluru is 348 meters (1141 feet) high, 3.6 km long (2.2 miles), 1.9 km wide (1.2 miles),9.4 km or 5.8 miles around the base (that's walking),covers 3.33 km2 (1.29 miles2),extends about several km/miles into the ground, it is not exactly known how far (despite the numbers you might have read).

Underwater & Aerial Photography:The passion of one man from a Boeing 747-400 at 31,000 feet to 120 feet below the waves.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-08-11T17:54:51+08:00

So, why don’t you book your next Dive Vacation with La Laguna Beach Club & Dive Center, say hi to Frank & Donno, if you lucky you might run into Rod, but if he is not around you can always purchase a nice Print of this great aerial shot at LLBC. ...Take my word for it, I have been using these dive guides from LLBC for many years and some of the images I took would not have been possible without their help and eagle eyes. .......yes you’re on the right website… we have changed the front/intro page on my main website, http://www.deichmann-photo.com/ I hope you like it. ...The new front page of my website is a small token of how we perceive and interpret light as we see it through our eyes, a simple concrete wall in the backyard of our building with a light shaft from the adjourning building lasting for only 30 minutes demonstrates this well. ...Using the D700 Nikon at f: 5.6 exposing between the light and shadow part of the wall, then imported into Aperture 2 adjusted the shadow and highlights a bit, applied a little sharpening and a new background/intro page for my main website was created.

Travel Photography: Exclusive travel report from Palau Micronesia, some call it the last Paradise on Earth.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-08-09T21:17:02+08:00

For all our Camera enthusiast we highly recommend Sam’s Tour’s Digital Photo Center which is fully equipped with iMac Computers and state of the art Software like Aperture, plus an in-house Video facility operated by award-winning High Definition Underwater Filmmaker and Digital Video Producer, Dr. ...Many guests that fly in from the states catch a flight out of L.A. or San Francisco to Japan and then catch a flight from Japan to Guam (there are multiple flights a day from Japan flying into Guam) and then Guam to Palau. ...With magnificent reefs that contain over 1300 species of fish and 400 species of coral, it is no surprise that it is recognized as one of the best and most consistent places to see a huge diversity and abundance of both small tropical fish and large pelagic predators. ...Between the coastal mangroves of Babeldaob and the outer reef walls of the Ngemelis and Pelelui, exists an extensive shallow and deep water lagoon containing limestone islands, sheltered marine lakes, and narrow passages that provide a mixture of different habitats that support a variety of fish and coral. ...Terrestrially, Palau has one of the most diverse assemblages of flora and fauna in Micronesia The different geology, predominantly the limestone Rock Islands and the large volcanic main island of Babeldaob provide excellent substrate for a diverse number of trees, plants, birds, and reptiles.

Photography & Aperture 2, Friday afternoon at Café Havana, Tips, Tricks & Techniques plus applications you might find interesting for the iPhone 3G

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-08-08T18:18:50+08:00

A nice start for the weekend had a great time with my friend Juergen Warnke from Club Paradise in Palawan at the Cuban “Café Havana” in Greenbelt 3 in Makati. ...First of all the smooth integration on a Mac, it is flawless and very smooth, plus in Aperture you can make adjustments at any stage. E.g. if you have an image selected you can pull up the adjustment-HUD right there in the Browser, Full screen in book layouts etc., no need to go back and forth. ...From what I know and heard of LR this cant be done, LR puts way too much emphasis on the software while Aperture lets you focus on what you want to do with your image. ...In one of my recent Blogs I recommended the GPS from MotionX, another interesting one is AudioBoo you record your voice or a conversation with friend then post it on Twitter or Facebook.

Photography: Photo Workshop News for Cambodia, Laos and India plus New Images in my PhotoShelter Archives.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-08-06T22:15:34+08:00

It’s raining cat and dogs for the past few days, there is still Color around us, but you have to bring your Camera along. ...The image above and other NEW images from the past few days already residing in my PhotoShelter Gallery/Archives. ...Now from the Philippines to Cambodia; my GDPhotoWorkshop in September ’09 “Angkor Wat & Beyond” Siem Reap, Cambodia is fast approaching, we’re ready to go in September and bookings are closed now. Just a few images below from one of my earlier trips to Angkor Wat Siem Reap, Cambodia. ...However, I make a major announcement very shortly regarding all my future PhotoWorkshops including more to Cambodia, (this year) but also into Laos and other Exotic destinations in Asia, plus preparations are made for India in 2010.

Photography, an image can speak a thousand words...Respect & Prayers for Corazon Aquino...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-08-05T13:31:18+08:00

former President of the Philippines. © Gunther Deichmann - Prayers for Former President Corazon Aquino, a child holding a Candle inside a church in Manila, on the 4th of August 2009, the colorful reflections are from the Church windows’ for Filipinos there is always hope, may the future be prosperous & democracy will prevail. ...Aquino's presidency saw the restoration of democratic institutions in the Philippines, through the enactment of a new Constitution which limited the powers of the presidency, restored the bicameral Congress, and renewed emphasis on civil liberties. Her administration was likewise hampered by several military coup attempts by disaffected members of the Philippine military which derailed a return to full political stability and economic development. All images © Gunther Deichmann - Manila August 4th 2009

Photography Seminar & Mac Product Training Adamson University Manila, plus using Aperture 2 for something different.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-08-01T20:19:19+08:00

The past two days have been very busy, yesterday the Power Mac Centers 15th Anniversary at their new SM North Edsa store, and today Photography Seminars with Mac Product Training at the Adamson University. ...The program of the day included lectures on Photography, Digital workflow and a basic Photo Competition using what ever Camera was available; Cell phones, Compact Cameras to SLR’s. etc. ...After the assignment, with the help of Andrew & Mark-Lee from Power Mac Center we uploaded the images into folders and imported them into Aperture 2 for fast processing and judging using the star rating system in Aperture 2. It proved again how easy it is to work with Aperture 2 making selections and using it for something very different today, after all we had to go through some 200 images fast. Most of the students came from the Computer Science Dept. but had a high interest in Photography and the three lucky winners received prizes sponsored by Power Mac Center.

Underwater Photography: After running out of film it was difficult finding this tiny & elusive critter again.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-07-31T14:37:14+08:00

I wrote this article some time ago for my good friends at FINS Online, FINS is one of the best sources for all your underwater Images,Videos and cool stories, check out their website @ http://www.finsonline.com/ ...The original Image had been scanned & stored as digital file in tiff format on my external hard drive, I just imported the file into Aperture 2 made minor correction & a long forgotten image became a life again. ...It was during a night dive in Anilao in the Philippines that I spotted this amazing miniature frogfish, around one centimeter in length. ...Since it was a shallow dive, my guide and I still had plenty of air, so I signaled to him, then went back up to the boat to change film. ...After I changed film and went back down to where my trusted dive guide was waiting for me, it took a while, but we found the little frogfish again.

Power Mac Center celebrates their 15th Anniversary, plus be part of Photography & Mac Learning Sessions.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-07-30T16:10:46+08:00

Congratulation & Best wishes to the Power Mac Center ...GUNTHER DEICHMANN, international acclaimed travel photographer as he shares his exciting works and experience on travel photography. See the latest techniques in making the most out of your pictures...... Join the photo competition at the end of the seminar. Interested participants may bring their digital cameras or cell phone cameras to join... and lastly, learn why Mac is the best computer for schools.

Breaking NEWS! Puerto Galera Diver part of new discovered Ship Wreck of Borneo, treasures worth over 10 million US Dollars.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-07-30T15:06:41+08:00

Diver from Puerto Galera, Philippines, is an old friend whom I have dived with many times, he is also is one of the crewmembers that recently discovered the “Forbes” Wreck that sank in 1806 of Borneo, Nick is all smiles now. ...We picked up this report from the German newspaper Bild.de Unfortunately the text is only in German but have a look at some of the Photos. 1.5 tons of Silver Coins, Gold jewelry, Canons, Crystal and Ming Porcelain valued at over 10 million US Dollars. ...Martin Wenzels (42) Augen leuchten, wenn er in seinem Dresdner Büro der Immobilienfirma WIP von seinem kostspieligen Hobby erzählt. ...Und hat jetzt mit seinem Partner Klaus Keppler (71, gebürtig aus Freiburg) den ganz großen Fang gemacht: Sie fanden das Wrack des Piratenschiffes „Forbes“, das 1806 vor Borneo sank.

Wildlife Photography: Is Kakadu National Park in Australia under threat? Cane Toads invaded the far north.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-07-28T17:29:23+08:00

A very recent (July 09) documentary and study on the ANIMAL PLANET TV Channel showed clearly the interference in Nature by man…NOW a real problem in Kakadu National Park & other parts of Northern Australia. ...The idea was to eradicate the grey back cane beetle pests, now the cane toad is considered a pest and invasive species in many of its introduced regions because its toxic skin kills many native predators when ingested. ...Because of its voracious appetite, the cane toad has been introduced to many regions of the Pacific and the Caribbean islands as a method of agricultural pest control, notably failing in the case of Australia in 1935, and derives its common name from its use against the grey back cane beetle pests. ...They have reached the western part of the Northern Territory, and without intervention, are expected to reach the east Kimberley region of Western Australia in one to three years time. ...With only a relatively narrow band of non-arid country between the eastern Kimberley and the Top End of the Northern Territory, suitable cane toad habitat funnels down to such a relatively small ‘land bridge’ that there is a unique opportunity to slow and hopefully halt their march westwards across Northern Australia.

Photography: Leichardt Grasshopper, a rare & bizarre Insect from a remote part in Arnhem Land, N. T. Australia

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-07-26T17:13:56+08:00

I squatted behind some rocks and as I looked up I spotted this bizarre Insect, but not just one, a dozen or so brightly colored orange Grasshoppers covering the small plant right in front of me. ...Once I had my shots, I started to realize that this maybe something very special, sure enough, after my return to Darwin I showed the one specimen, I had collected to the Curator of the Northern Territory Museum. Gunther - this is the very rare Leichardt Grasshopper he said with excitement, they are only found in remote parts of the Northern Territory there have been no sightings for hundred years. ...Its strong colors are a defense against predators which works so well that this little grasshopper has Attitude - often it doesn't even bother to fly away when predators approach, exactly what happen when I took the Photos that morning. ...Normally I leave animals where I find them and don’t interfere with nature, but in this case the Curator thanked me for bringing in just one specimen for research, it was after all about 100 years later.

GPS MotionX for the iPhone, it really works! The perfect travel companion.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-07-25T15:56:34+08:00

Read below an article from a very happy Dive Instructor in Palawan Philippines, finding those dive sites again is a breeze now. A few months ago I introduced my good buddy Dirk Fahrenbach from Dugong Dive Center & Club Paradise to the iPhone and recommended at the same time some cool applications including the GPS from MotionX, with Facebook and Twitter integration. ...I am totally amazed how great this software is, the Dugong Dive Center has 3 big dive boats and I have one GPS for each boat from well-known companies. ...No need for an expensive and complicated GPS, the one from MotionX is doing just fine, the only problem is… I have 3 boats but only one iPhone…at the moment that is, ha, ha. ...If you have a Facebook account, enter your login information in the “Connect to Facebook” window that opens.

New Home Page layout & modification for deichmann-photo.com

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-07-24T16:13:11+08:00

Screenshot of the NEW Home Page You know we recently improved, updated & created a new look for my Blog pages http://www.deichmann-photo.com/blog.html. Long overdue, today we uploaded a NEW Home Page look on my main Web Site/Gallery http://www.deichmann-photo.com/home.html Of course we change the images from time to time and the small flash slide show on the right hand side shows always a few of the latest images, running India at the moment. We made the flash slide show simple and small, keeping the fast loading time of the site plus having all the SEO benefits too.

Photography & unexpected elements you sometimes discover during editing, how a fisherman lost his Sunglasses.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-07-21T17:51:49+08:00

The things you discover when you do your editing…sometimes strange or bizarre or just…Wow, I didn’t see that when I took that shot. The image below is just one of those weird occasions; a couple of years ago I was in Chuuk Micronesia and one morning during breakfast on the Veranda of the Hotel I spotted this Fisherman casting his net. It was pouring rain at the time so I thought this was a nice shot just from the breakfast table without getting wet, an easy one. Later during my editing in Aperture I noticed the Fisherman’s Sunglasses in mid air, if I had realized this during the actual shot I would have told him…hey you just dropped your Sunshades. ...I guess he is still looking for them “today”, he was fishing at an incoming tide and I am sure his Glasses are gone.

Photography & amazing architecture, Sikandra Akbar Mausoleum & my first morning at the Taj Mahal, India

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-07-20T21:11:59+08:00

A little History and impressive architecture from India...before arriving at the Taj Mahal I stopped at the Sikandra Akbar Mausoleum, Sikandra the last resting place of the Mughal Emperor Akbar Sikandra Akbar. ...So, if you take a trip from Delhi to Agra you should stop and spend a couple of hours at this architecture marvel, a stop you want regret. ...The Tomb of Akbar the Great is an important architectural masterpiece set in 48 Ha (119 acres) of grounds in Sikandra a suburb of Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. The third Mughal Emperor Akbar the Great (1542 – 1605), himself commenced its construction in around 1600, according to Tartary tradition to commence the construction of one's tomb during one's lifetime. Akbar himself planned his own tomb and selected a suitable site for it, after his death, Akbar's son Jahangir completed the construction in 1605-1613.

Photo News: Some minor fine-tuning & improvements on my Photography Blog page, plus stormy weather in Manila

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-07-18T13:34:29+08:00

We made a few more changes on my Photography Blog pages, added a Twitter Widget and did a little clean up. Plus the weather has been real bad in Manila, almost like the Image below, well not quiet as bad but we have a lot of gusty winds and lots of rain. It is the Monsoon season after all, the only problem is I have to run out to Makati now for my scheduled Aperture 2 and Photography Workshop at the Power Mac Center. ...© Gunther Deichmann - Typhoon Huaning in 1997, shot with my X700 Minolta in an old Hugyfot Underwater Housing right on Roxas Boulevard,

Photo Tips, Tricks & Techniques…messing around with the Nikon D700 using a high ISO setting, results from a rainy day.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-07-16T16:48:35+08:00

I decided to grab a cup of Coffee and had a look at the back of our Building, that’s when I spotted the Philippines Flag in my neighbors window, ok lets try out the Nikon D700 at high ISO speed and see what I can come up with. (see the shot above) ...Using the Nikon D700 with a f/2.8 180 mm lens (one of my favorites and perfect for the D700) I set the ISO on 1600 and for some shots on 800 ISO. ...A few minutes later I had imported the RAW files from my CF Card into Aperture 2 and made only these adjustments; Cropping, Auto level, some sharpening (which I do for all digital Images) well, believe it or not, that was it folks… no other twists, turns, pushing and pulling! ...It is now an hour later and concluded this rainy day coffee break…the Nikon D700 performed just great at high ISO plus the color was perfect, well for me anyway. ...1600 ISO) As you know I have tested it up to 12000 ISO (you can go to 25000) in the past, but using such a high ISO setting I can only recommend it under extreme circumstances, but it is nice to know you can do it.

Burned some Midnight Oil & uploaded additional Images on India from Aperture 2 into my PhotoShelter Gallery

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-07-16T01:07:40+08:00

Burned some Midnight Oil and finished some more editing on India, have uploaded some 39 additional NEW images onto my PhotoShelter Archive. Using the PhotoShelter export plug in for Aperture...life made easy. Check out the Gallery @ ...My special selection from the Taj Mahal & Rajasthan India April 09” © Gunther Deichmann - Rajasthan India April ‘09

Photography: Australian Saltwater Crocodiles from Hatchlings to 22 feet & the Giant Crocodile “Sweetheart”

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-07-15T21:12:43+08:00

Once imported and you made some adjustment you can always revert back to your original file just like you would do with Raw images, this makes Aperture 2 perfect for archiving, cataloging even for your older images, using just one system instead of many. ...Some old historical records from 1930 or there about claim they had been caught up to 33 feet in length, however no photographic records has surfaced to prove this, but I do believe it. I myself encountered Crocs bigger then the Boat I was sitting in and the boat was 22 feet, it is no joke sitting in an Aluminum Dingy and this massive Croc slides in from the muddy banks hitting in your direction. ...I could fill up a book with the many encounters I had with these amazing animals, feeling scared at times and vulnerable, but I am also happy that in my life time I experience the only true survivor of our prehistoric past. ...Then there was “Sweetheart” a 5.5 meter saltwater crocodile that lived in the Finnis River in the Northern Territory of Australia, some 55 kilometers south west of Darwin city.

Photography & Australian galloping Crocodiles, rare & long forgotten photos imported into Aperture 2

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-07-12T18:31:16+08:00

Images from the past can have a good market value even today, shooting for so many years and we’re all getting older (and wiser I hope) we sometimes forget these cool images from the past, some of them will never outdate. ...So, if you have images from way back have a good look at them you never know what you might come across and if you end up using them or not makes no difference it is worth the memory from times long gone. ...There has only been one recorded attack by a freshwater crocodile on a human; this attack took place at Barramundi Gorge (also known as Maguk) in Kakadu National Park and resulted in very minor injuries to the victim, who managed to swim and walk away from the attack. ...This species can be found in areas where Saltwater Crocodiles cannot and are known to inhabit areas above the escarpment in Kakadu National Park and in very arid & rocky conditions (such as Katherine Gorge, where they are very common and relatively safe from saltwater crocodiles during the dry season.) ...This species, until recently, was common throughout much of northern Australia, especially where the much larger and far more dangerous Saltwater Crocodile is not found (such as more arid inland areas and higher elevations) but in recent years the population has dropped dramatically due to the ingestion of local populations of the invasive Cane Toad.

Underwater Photography & Marine Education without getting wet, an afternoon with the Kids & the Nikon D700 at 1600 ISO.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-07-05T20:22:48+08:00

A long overdue excursion with my Boys and my Nikon D700 on the “leash” to the Manila Ocean Park, a fairly new and large Ocean Park – the Philippines’ first state-of-the-art Oceanarium and open water marine habitat. ...So off we went today to check it out; my verdict not bad for Manila and certainly an education on Marine life for children and adults alike. ...I guess it is still fairly new so you can expect a lot of visitors for the time being, getting some clean shots with my camera was almost imposable, but then I had the boys with me, defiantly a priority today. ...The Nikon D700 was set on 1600 ISO, another great test drive, the shots came out OK with except able noise at this high ISO setting, the most difficult part was to get clean shots due to the large crowd. ...Also the boot ride to view some of the larger animals from the top was way to expensive for the given 10 min. this is actually a waste of money and time, you’re better off to spend more time below in the Aquarium area.

Travel Photography on the ground & from the International Space Station, an interesting view at Lake Sambhar in India.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-07-04T19:15:57+08:00

During my visit to Rajasthan I visit the largest Salt Lake in India, well not much to shoot except for the vastness of this lake and of course in the small town ship of Sambhar. ... The red part of the Lake is algae which the Flamingos feed on, however the small township of Sambhar is defently worth a visit with it’s Hindi Temple and white washed buildings, I had the feeling of being back in Santorini,Greece again. ...East of the dam is a railroad, built by the British (before India’s independence) that provides access from Sambhar Lake City to the salt works. More importantly, Sambhar has been designated as a Ramsar site (recognized wetland of international importance) because the wetland is a key wintering area for tens of thousands of flamingos and other birds that migrate from northern Asia. The lake is actually an extensive saline wetland, with water depths fluctuating from just a few centimeters (1 inch) during the dry season to about 3 meters (10 feet) after monsoon season.

About Time... a New Look & Style for my GD Photography Blog.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-07-02T21:58:29+08:00

It was about Time...just like the Rock Band “Ten Years After” well not quiet ten years, but I have been thinking about it for some time. We added a few new features to the blog to make reading and finding things more easier, the new look with the swoosh represents my color RED and movement in my images. We have also added a new button for the GD Photo Workshops where I am going to update the latest info on our current Workshops. Of course there is a link to my GD PhotoWorkshop site for more information, this is where we feature some of the participants work after the event. © Gunther Deichmann - movement in the Thar Desert India, April 09

Travel Photography: Do your research prior your departure it can help you later. The colorful Sari from India

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-06-28T18:27:31+08:00

It is very important that you do your research well in advance prior you departure to any destination, don’t relay on your travel companion or your Travel Agency. They can help but knowing it yourself can be a tremendous help in understanding the Culture, Tradition and the do’s and don’ts for any new Country you might plan to visit. ...Google has made our life fairly easy these days, you can find just about anything, so do spend some time and do your research well, you will not regret it later. ...The history of Indian clothing trace the sari back to the Indus Valley Civilization, which flourished during 2800-1800 BCE around the western part of the Indian Subcontinent. ...Patterns of dress change throughout the world now and then but, the Sari has survived because it is the main wear of rural India. 75% of the population (now a billion as per official estimate) wear versatile sari.

Photography:The art of Fine Art Printing, reproducing your Digital Photos in high quality.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-06-25T14:46:38+08:00

A big enlargement graces the wall at the PMC, Photo Exhibit at the Power Mac Center in Greenbelt 3, Makati, Philippines some of the images from Rajasthan will be on display from June until the end of July. ...More Photos on display at the Power Mac Center in Greenbelt 3, if you in the area check out also the Multi Media presentation on the Apple TV set-up. ...We invite you to learn more about these opportunities, so we can show you how you can maximize the value of your art by making reproductions using the most cost-effective means. We use only top quality 7 & 8 color-Archival Inks on a wide selection of Archival Fine Art Papers or Canvas that you may choose from in our studios. ...Another tremendous advantage of giclee printing is that digital images can be reproduced to almost any size and onto various media, giving the artist the ability to customize prints for a specific client.

Photography... a sad day! My Tribute to Kodachrome Film...one of best films ever produced. Kodak Retires KODACHROME Film!

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-06-23T13:18:42+08:00

As part of a tribute to KODACHROME Film, Kodak will donate the last rolls of the film to George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film in Rochester, which houses the world’s largest collection of cameras and related artifacts. ...ROCHESTER, N.Y.--Eastman Kodak Company announced today that it will retire KODACHROME Color Film this year, concluding its 74-year run as a photography icon. Sales of KODACHROME Film, which became the world’s first commercially successful color film in 1935, have declined dramatically in recent years as photographers turned to newer KODAK Films or to the digital imaging technologies that Kodak pioneered. ...Kodak has continued to bring innovative new film products to market, including seven new professional still films and several new VISION2 and VISION3 motion picture films in the past three years. These new still film products are among those that have become the dominant choice for those professional and advanced amateur photographers who use KODAK Films...for the complete Press release go to: http://www.pdngearguide.com/gearguide/content_

Twitter plug-in & Aperture 2…useful in Travel Photography, or is it just another gimmick?

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-06-22T15:53:37+08:00

The world is twitting like crazy now…some very good stuff but there is also some real rubbish out there, I guess that applies to just about everything with today’s technology. ...For example; you traveling and get this great image a real scoop, you easily upload this image and have it on Twitter in no time direct from within your Aperture 2 Project and let the world know. ...You can also use the Twitter plug-in to share images with your friends & family, keep them informed, letting them know where you are and this can be fun. ...You can’t Export your image using the Previews, of course you can work around this, but then why use Aperture in the first place if this is the software you’re using while on the road. ...Try it out and install it, definitely fun to use and you never know when you have this scoop of a photo you like to share with the rest of the world on Twitter.

Photography, Aperture 2 & GarageBand equals a nice Keynote presentation plus a lot more.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-06-17T14:59:51+08:00

7MB, best viewed using a ...Leading up to the Power Mac Center Event... 7000 images later, Aperture 2 & beyond I have produced a Presentation in Keynote using GarageBand for the soundtrack. I converted the Keynote presentation into a small Quick Time file to give you a small Preview on the Net, join us at the Power Mac Center for more on Aperture 2 & beyond. Watch the high resolution Keynote presentation & all the other things you can do on a Mac using your images from Aperture 2. ...Also on YouTube NOW in higher resolution,

Photography & Aperture 2 Training/ Free Seminars & WORKSHOPS at the Power Mac Center, the things you can do after the shoot.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-06-16T18:35:58+08:00

June & July ’09 Aperture 2, a Power Mac Center special, Images from India on display through out the Store plus get the chance to win a limited edition Book (available in August ’09) with the images from Rajasthan, India... entirely produced using Aperture 2 plus a lot more. Photography & Aperture 2 Training/ Free Seminars & WORKSHOPS at the Power Mac Center incorporating Keynote & Pages from iWork 09 ...plus a little GarageBand using the iPhone as a Recorder. The Seminars: An introduction to Aperture 2 the workflow after the shoot and the things you can do with your selected images using iLife ’09 GarageBand and iWork ’09 working with Pages and Keynote plus a lot more. ...The Workshops: Travel Photography and Aperture 2, tips and tricks while on the road plus the integration on the Mac using Pages and Keynote from iWork ’09 the possibilities after the shoot. ...Consultation on Aperture 2: Trouble shooting, performance improvement, ideal set-up & storage solutions, choice of Hard Drives, how to back up your images and any other Questions you might have to make your workflow easy using Aperture 2 after the shoot.

Take Control...coincident? When your pictures don’t turn out the way you want (underwater or on land), it’s tempting to blame your camera

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-06-15T10:12:44+08:00

Tony Wu, remember the guy who made me green with envy when he send me these Dinosaurs images (one of my previous Blogs) posted an interesting article today, ...What ever it is, a story worthwhile reading It just occurred to me that the dinosaur exhibit I went to recently provides a convenient backdrop for making a photographic point…specifically, that if you want to take nice pictures, you should really learn how to control exposure manually. For the sake of illustration, let’s compare a couple of images. First, here’s a photo of the trio of Mapusauruses on display (with a veggiesaurus of some sort in the background), taken with a Sony DSC-W300 compact digital camera set on P mode (automatic everything): read the complete article @ http://www.tonywublog.com/

Photography: The Battle between Camera Models…Canon v. Nikon plus Sony, Pentax, Olympus and so many others. Aren’t we forgetting something?

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-06-14T22:20:39+08:00

From a Pro point of view I really don’t give a damn…I use a Nikon, I got used to it, if I loose it tomorrow I get another Nikon, because I am used to it! ...Many years ago I was shooting with X700 Minoltas, I pushed them to the limit in the Outback of Australia under extreme conditions, shot pages after pages for Stern Magazine, GEO published my Images including for their calendars and I shot the cover of Time. ...You might asked why I don’t use Minolta anymore, very simple they stopped producing Pro cameras and the company as such is no longer, otherwise I be still using them now. ...There are some great photographers out there who use neither Nikon or Canon, the problem in today’s Photography is very simple…we go and look at the web, checking reports etc. get too involved with lines, numbers and what gadgets are build in. (not to mention Photoshop, see one of my earlier blogs) ...Today’s Pro Cameras are very good, but you have to learn how to use them and read the manual, once you understand the basics concentrate on your subjects.

News: Two Interesting stories...Delete, Delete & Undelete from the New York Times plus Dinosaurs from Tony Wu

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-06-13T18:43:07+08:00

Tony made me green with envy, he had the opportunity in Japan to Visit my “past” yes, you all know I still love my fossils. As a good friend would do... he send me some Images in the past few days...to get me going...grrrrrrr, but thanks anyway Tony, much appreciated. ...Dinosaur, It seems like this was my week to see old stuff…expensive fossils on Monday, and yesterday, a dinosaur exhibit at the National Museum of Nature and Science Tokyo. ...I devoured every dinosaur book in every library and bookstore that I came across, and I probably spent hundreds of hours digging through gravel, mountain rocks, river beds, construction sites, etc. for fossils. ...I drew dinosaurs at school (usually during reading and grammar classes), and dreamed up all sorts of little projects to pursue in lieu of doing homework.

Breaking NEWS!!! MacFixIt has announced New Mac Trojan targeting Mac OS

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-06-13T17:01:34+08:00

Mac has again been targeted by malicious software according to a report only 12 hours ago from ...2009 has seen quite an onslaught of malicious software targeting the Mac OS. ...While malware remains uncommon on the Mac, Apple has had to stray from assertions that the platform is effectively immune to problems experienced by Windows users. A high-profile Trojan released this year has been tied to pirated copies of iWork and Photoshop, and it is believed that more malware will debut as Macs gain popularity. ...Read the complete article @ http://www.macnn.com/articles/09/06/11/new.mac.malware.circulates/

Aperture 2 & Travel Photography how to deal with 7000 images after the shoot, Seminars & Workshops at the Power Mac Center

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-06-12T16:54:36+08:00

How I work with Aperture 2 & deal with 7000 images after the shoot, visit my Seminars and Workshops at the Power Mac Center in Makati, Greenbelt 3, see the dates below. ...For questions and special requests, you can call 729-7087 or 88, or email us at training@powermaccenter.com ...The Seminars: An introduction to Aperture 2 the workflow after the shoot and the things you can do with your selected images using iLife ’09 GarageBand and iWork ’09 working with Pages and Keynote plus a lot more. ...The Workshops: Travel Photography and Aperture 2, tips and tricks while on the road plus the integration on the Mac using Pages and Keynote from iWork ’09 the possibilities after the shoot. How to record on the road by just using your iPhone and creating real sound tracks later in GarageBand for your slide shows and Keynote presentations.

Late Breaking NEWS...Palau cites human rights in resettling detainees

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-06-11T19:05:35+08:00

Palau cites human rights in resettling detainees Associated Press, 06.11.09, 12:44 AM EDT WELLINGTON, New Zealand -- Palau's president says his tiny Pacific island state considered human rights - and not China's reaction - when it agreed to take in 17 Chinese Muslim separatists detained at Guantanamo Bay. Palau President Johnson Toribiong says his country has agreed to a U.S. request to resettle the detainees out of humanitarian concerns and because their imprisonment is unlawful... read the complete article and more NEWS LINKS at:

Travel Photography: Colors… if you travel through Rajasthan in India then you’re surrounded by it, color is everywhere!

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-06-11T16:09:17+08:00

© Gunther Deichmann - Bangles are part of traditional Indian jewelry and its origin is from the late 18th Century, from hindi bangli “glass bracelet”. ... Inexpensive Bangles made from plastic are slowly replacing those made by glass, but the ones made of glass are still preferred at traditional occasions such as marriages and on festivals. ...Hindus believe that the gods released a swan with a lotus in its beak and let it fall on earth where Brahma would perform a grand yagna. ...The Bikaner Fort also known as Junagarh Fort is an impregnable fortress that has withstood the ravages of time and has remained unconquered since elapsed times. ... One could spend a whole day here wandering through the corridors of this tryly amazing place, a treasure cove for Photographers, Art lovers and Historians.

Photography & gadgets...the Net is full of them, do we really need them? Have we forgotten how to create real images without resorting to Photoshop or other toys.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-06-09T22:27:17+08:00

There is a place for PS no question about it and I have been using PS also but in the right context in commercial and advertising Photography, but not for my documentary and nature work. ...Since we are in a new age now, of course we need software like Aperture 2 or Lightroom to process our digital images, but lets think for a moment…are we manipulating to much? We do need to process the digital images converting from Raw or creating B/W images, some sharpening and at times adjusting the white balance all of that is acceptable today, but not changing the overall look and color. ...Hence the reason that many good images have been judged and misunderstood today, oh this is a great shot but I am sure he/she done this in the computer. I stop rambling on now, trying to explain, I don’t have the answers and properly want change a thing but it is somewhat very sad in particular for our next generation and only the proper education can make a difference.

Photography & Aperture 2: Black and White in India, conversion made easy provided the subject is right.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-06-07T21:00:52+08:00

I am known for my strong colors and contrast, but occasional I convert images to Black and White due to their nature and subjects. ...Aperture 2 makes it very easy and I have explained the process on numerous occasion in my Blogs. I thought I share with you today some images which I felt where perfect for the conversion, again these shots have been taken from The Car Window one of my favorite shooting techniques when traveling. ...How I work with Aperture 2 and deal with some 7000 images after the shoot check out my Seminars and Workshops at the Power Mac Center in Makati, Greenbelt 3, see the dates below. ...Join me on a Journey through Rajasthan using Aperture and the Mac, how to create slideshows, Keynote presentations with sound from GarageBand recorded on an iPhone, prepare and produce Flyers and Posters using Pages

Late News: Images, great food and super company at the Hyatt Hotel Manila, Philippines. “ A Taste of India”

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-06-04T23:20:22+08:00

I also had the pleasure to be in the company of Lawrence Siason from the Power Mac Center and his wife, my good friend Luis Harder and Company and my better half Grace the sometime driving force behind me. Overall a fantastic evening, a very special thanks goes to Arjun Shroff and his charming family from Shroff International Travel, without their help and India Tourism my Images on display tonight would not have been there. ...Later in the evening I had a surprise visit by my very good friend Dirk Fahrenbach from Club Paradise and Dugong Dive Center, he just snowed in at the spare of the moment. ...We have also some seminars and workshops at the Power Mac Center in Greenbelt 3 shortly, and if you have the time please drop by, I am only to happy to guide you through my Light. ...A very special thanks to the Engineering Dept, PR and Marketing Dept. at the Hyatt Hotel Manila for a very professional service, they did such a great Job, and of course it goes without saying, thanks to the Chefs for a real ”Taste of India”.

Travel Photography: Never leave home without it…the Camera that is. Monsoon rain… & how to fight boredom in traffic jams…with the Leica D-Lux 4

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-06-04T15:23:00+08:00

I had no choice but things had to be done, I rather have stayed at home in this weather, a 2 hour affair become a whole day madness in flooded streets and traffic jams. ...Of course I always have my travel companion with me, the Leica D-Lux 4 just in case or when I get too bored sitting around waiting for the cars to move. Rain was pounding the vehicle and the light from the traffic was painting colors on the windshield creating some abstract colors right in front of me, so I started to shoot what was right in front of me. ...The weather this time of the year is nothing new…the wet season has arrived and is here to stay for a few month and if I have to venture out again, maybe I see some more interesting subjects to shoot, at least I am not getting bored sitting in traffic jams. The way it looks, it is going to be another very wet and traffic clogged affair today, lucky I am not too far from the Hyatt Hotel where I have to be at 6:30 PM tonight, enjoying “A Taste of India”.

Travel Photography: Compact Flash Cards and a fully-grown Beard for sale... where else can you find that... but in Incredible India

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-06-02T21:42:52+08:00

It is truly amazing what you come across in India; take New Delhi for example, visiting the Red Fort one afternoon I saw this vendor selling “fully grown beards”. ...Then in Jaipur at the entrance of the astronomy and observatory area, a vendor approached me; I guess he had spotted my Nikons, he was trying to sell me CF Cards up to 4 gigs. ...I am not sure who is going to buy them, but I am sure some tourist might get them after their Card is full; this guy was selling them in all shapes and sizes up to 4 Gigs. ...In other words, if you run out of supplies on your trip in India I am sure there is always someone around the corner who carries what you looking for. ... You just have to watch out how genuine these things are, carry your own CF Cards makes a lot more sense and it is a lot safer for your valuable images, as for the beard; who needs one in this heat anyway.

Travel Photography in Rajasthan India continuous…vibrant colors, amazing architecture in Bikaner and Mandawa.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-05-31T19:56:02+08:00

You find Havallis throughout Rajasthan but in Mandawa they are very special, here you see Havallis with amazing paintings in great details on the outer walls. © Gunther Deichmann - the back of the BHANWAR NIWAS a Heritage Hotel in Bikaner, it goes without saying... if you in Bikaner you have to spend the night at this truly amazing place. www.bhanwarniwas.com In some of my future blogs I introduce you to the interior of this Hotel. Today, the world comes to this storybook town to see its colorful frescoes on every subject under the sun, that is, ranging from the religious to the erotic; from copies of popular English prints to witty social satire, rendered in the inimitable style of the local artist. ...I forgot who told me during my visit to this amazing town, apparently Mandawa and Venice in Italy are the only two places in the world showcasing this type of paintings on the outside walls... a real outdoor Art Gallery. ...For the latest images on Rajasthan in India please go to my selection upper right hand side on this Blog or click this LINK http://www.deichmann-photo.com/page2/page2.html

Photography & Aperture 2... plus a Taste of India at the Hyatt Hotel Manila, Philippines with two chefs from The Leela Kempinski Hotel and Residences in New Delhi

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-05-29T17:56:07+08:00

At the same time some of my Images from India will also be on display at the Hyatt Hotel during the flavors of authentic Indian cuisine at the Market Café. ...I talk about my experience on the road, the workflow and how to deal with large number of images after the shoot, but most important the things you can do with your images using the integration on the Mac, you be amazed by the possibilities. ...In the meantime you can check out some authentic Indian cuisine at the Hyatt Hotel in Manila, for more info see the Press release from the Hyatt Hotel below: ...From 4th to 21st of June, “A Taste of India” brings the diverse and varied flavours of authentic Indian cuisine to Market Café at Hyatt Hotel and Casino Manila in the form of popular dishes from north India that will spice up the sumptuous buffet. The hotel has invited Chef Ashwani Kumar and Chef Chandramani Geeband, two chefs from The Leela Kempinski Hotel and Residences in New Delhi to create an explosion of Indian spices for a truly splendid culinary feast.

Back to India & the final details on the GD PhotoWorkshop in Cambodia “Angkor Wat and beyond” in September 2009 will be announced shortly.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-05-24T20:57:20+08:00

Since my return from Bangkok and the TDEX show I have been working on my project from India, but a lot more work has to be done, I post some more details during the month of June. ...By end of next week you find also the final details on our upcoming GD Photo-Workshop on my GD Photo-Workshop Site, already booked participants however will receive an email within the next few days with all the information. We are almost fully booked, so if you’re interested please contact me ASAP, final closing date for bookings will be June 22, 2009. As mention previously in my Blog, this GD PhotoWorkshop will go beyond Angkor Wat and for the first time we have included the Tonle Sap Lake and some other interesting places seldom visit by Tourists.

Where have all the Tourists…People gone? The new International Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok looked deserted. Who is to blame? A coincident?

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-05-23T21:24:02+08:00

When I arrived at the Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport a couple of days ago, I could not help noticing how empty it appeared. A coincident or was it due to the Red and Yellow shirts, the Swine Flu, the current Economic crisis or the simple off season? I passed through this Airport many times on my way to Cambodia or other destinations, but for the first time I have seen it that deserted. ...When checked in at airline counter I looked around and jokingly asked the attendant if I was the only one on the flight to Manila? ...Normally I have to cue up during my check in but this time I was done in seconds and had plenty of time to wonder around taken photos of empty shops and hallways.

Nikon D700 at 6400 ISO in Bangkok Thailand...the final frame after the Thailand Dive & Travel Expo

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-05-22T16:31:55+08:00

Goodbye to Bangkok and my friends Tony, Mean & Aye from Fins...but I am sure we see each other again soon, Tony Wu is still in Bangkok for a couple of weeks before hitting back to Japan. However Tony and myself dreamed up an interesting new project but more on that later, sounds familiar... my suspense again. ...On my last day in Bangkok I took the opportunity and shot some frames across the Chao Phraya River which runs through the heart of Bangkok using my Nikon D700 at ISO 6400, lets call it “The last frame”. Amazing how the Nikon D700 can handle this type of situation, even at the high ISO the noise is acceptable. Of course not for huge blowups, but good enough for the web or smaller reproductions in print, and if it gets too noisy at even higher ISO (24000) then we can always resort to Noise Ninja a separate Plug-in for Aperture 2.

Underwater Photography & Aperture 2 during and after the Thailand Dive and Travel Expo, part 2

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-05-20T23:04:34+08:00

The Thailand Dive and Travel Expo finished last Sunday but I kept busy and giving Tony Wu and the FINS Team some more pointers and shortcuts on Aperture 2. Sunday the 17 of May, the last Aperture 2 seminar in the open area at the Thailand Dive and Travel Expo, a very interesting crowd and some photographer even brought their MacBook Pro’s with them. ...Later in the week I also caught up with my long time friends, well known Photo-Journalist John Everingham and Chris Ryan in Bangkok, talked about the good old days and chatting way over a few beers overlooking the Chao Phraya River which flows through the heart of Bangkok. ...This is the nice part about Travel Photography catching up with old friends and making new ones, tomorrow it is back to Manila where I have a lot more work to do on my India Project...but more on that later. Special thanks again to the organizers from the TDEX and of course to Mean and Aye from Fins for making my stay in Bangkok so enjoyable.

Underwater Photography & Aperture 2 at the Thailand Dive and Travel Expo TDEX in Bangkok

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-05-17T13:32:46+08:00

As you might know I am currently in Bangkok attending the TDEX show with my good friends from FINS, I have to admit I am pleasantly surprised at the show and the attendance, it is quiet a crowd. ...The Fins Team is working non stop conducting live interviews which will be featured on their website, I keep myself busy with some Aperture 2 Seminars on Saturday and Sunday explaining the basics on Aperture. ...Tony Wu a world class underwater Photographer is having his own Seminars on basic Underwater Photography and how to light your subjects below the waves. ...I keep this blog short today, have to run for my Sunday session on Aperture, but before I do I like to take this opportunity and thank Fins and the TDEX organizers for inviting me to this truly great show in Thailand. ...Once I have returned I post some more images and stories from this years TDEX show in Bangkok.

Photography, Animals & Fossils from the Thar Desert in Rajasthan India... a large & arid region in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-05-12T22:51:15+08:00

My fascination with fossils and my earlier Job in Paleontology goes way back to my younger days; so it came as no surprise that prior my departure to India I did some research to find out if there are any fossils on my route. Sure enough, fossils have been found in the Thar Desert, from plant life, whole fossilized tree trunks and one of my favorite the Ammonites. ...My Guide took me one afternoon into a very small side street to a small shop, which was selling gemstones, and other precious stones, quiet a treasure cove as I discovered. ...Not in perfect condition but never the less I found my Fossils, I only wish I would have had more time and look for them myself, but then there is always next time. ...The sea withdrew after twenty five million years and the sediments were uplifted animal fossils of that period are found in the rocks in many areas.

NEW India images residing now in my PhotoShelter Archives...including Pink Floyd “Wish You Where Here”

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-05-11T14:36:26+08:00

If you’re searching for particular images, use the search field option implemented on all pages on my Web site or at this Blog (Stock Photos Search Archives, upper left hand side). ...I have to admit burning a bit of Midnight Oil the past few days going through thousands of images, but now it is out of my system. ...The only thing missing now is to update my main website with the new category “India” this will be implemented by late Tuesday this week. ...Now I have to get ready for my trip to Thailand to the TDEX (Thailand Dive & Travel Expo) only a short trip, I am back in a week. ...I have also prepared some articles on the Hotels, Food and other special things from my Journey trough Rajasthan, they will be available soon on this blog.

A Journey through awesome colors, from Elephants to Camels in the Thar Desert, to Venice like paintings, its People, food and culture…that is Rajasthan in India.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-05-08T22:09:27+08:00

I managed to do it… thanks to Aperture 2 the main editing has been done and I am uploading most of the images in high resolution from my recent trip to India as we speak into my PhotoShelter Archives. Very soon a Gallery is available with some of the best images from this truly amazing Journey through Rajasthan in India and of course the fantastic Taj Mahal. The pressure has been on because I am leaving again next week for Thailand, I have been invited by the Organizers and Fins Magazine to give some lectures on Aperture 2 during the TDEX Show, (Thailand Dive & Travel Expo) for the dates on the Aperture 2 seminars click this LINK. I am looking forward to catch up with old friends again, like Tony Wu, Aye and Mean from Fins, plus I have the opportunity to shoot some more images in Thailand, which I need for my seminars a couple days later. I know some of you have been waiting to see some more Images from India including the Taj Mahal, so I have prepared prior my next departure “Rajasthan & the Taj Mahal India” Gallery on this Blog.

Amazing Colors and sacred Rats, the Journey through Rajasthan continuous, it is truly Incredible India.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-05-03T20:51:21+08:00

I have to admit it was a strange feeling once I entered the temple barefoot and saw the Rats running all over the place, every corner and niche was crawling with them. ...This area is totally overrun with countless rats, someone even told me that these Rats die all young due to Diabetics, been constantly feed with sweets, however I have heard no scientific proof to support this claim. ...Karni Mata made an agreement with Yama that from now on all of her tribes people would be reborn as rats until they could be born back into the clan. So, there you have it from grey-brown rats to multi color on the way a kaleidoscope of colors and strange things, now I know why they call it Incredible India. A selection of my favorite images from the trip will be up soon on my Main website and a lot more in my PhotoShelter Archives, but first I have to do some more editing, you just have to stay tuned and watch out for the announcement.

Travel Photography: Rajasthan India… 3000 km & 7000 images later... amazing colors, fantastic food, incredible people & Aperture 2 performed flawless.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-04-29T14:59:22+08:00

Sad to say but I am back… wish I could have stayed longer but my Journey through Rajasthan in India has come to an end, however I have promised myself to return. ...In the next few weeks I share with you some of the amazing sites and colors, but today I like to take the opportunity and thank all my Guides and Drivers for an excellent service and providing me with a save journey through out. My special thanks to India Tourism and Rajasthan Tours in Jaipur for providing me with an incredible inside into Rajasthan, with out their help and assistance this Journey would not have been possible. ...The MacBook Pro with Aperture 2 performed equally great, Aperture 2 never let me down and managed the 7000 plus images like a breeze, I honestly don’t know what I would have done without. ...I guess that is it for today; need a few days rest, but soon a lot more, including some incredible images from India including the Taj Mahal.

TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY: A Photographers Paradise...but also a Photographers nightmare...you need a lot of discipline.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-04-16T02:22:52+08:00

I have arrived in Jaipur - Rajasthan very sleepy from the long journey and the incredible heat this time of the year but I could not resist to share this image with you. ...It is very easy to fall into the trap and shoot blindly where ever you go, a sheer paradise but you need a lot of discipline to get the right subjects...not an easy task in Rajasthan. I took the image above on my way into the town of Jaipur, but there are so many others and I do have some very cool surprises or too waiting... you know I love my suspense. Tomorrow another early start to some more remote places in the area, now I get a few hours rest and if all goes well I be in touch again soon. A big thanks to Aperture 2 which enables me to do all my editing fairly fast everyday, don’t know what I would have done without it.

Incredible India... just amazing Agra and the Taj Mahal

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-04-15T01:56:57+08:00

Tonight is the first time I had some time...plus a reasonable internet connection, after 36 hours in Delhi we traveled to Agra where the amazing Taj Mahal is located. Luck was on my side on the first day at the Taj, a group of traditional women from Jodhpur in Rajasthan visited the Taj at the same time. I was surrounded by colors at this truly amazing Building the Taj Mahal...it goes without saying, the Taj is one of the most amazing and beautiful structures I have ever encountered. I keep it short tonight, tomorrow we are leaving early again for Jaipur and then on to Jodhpur the heart of Rajasthan. Sorry I can’t upload any more images...so many of them, but in due time I share many more with you.

Travel Photography: Next Blog post will be from Rajasthan in India...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-04-08T22:30:22+08:00

Well, that’s it for a while... next time you hear from me is in India. As mention my Blog post will be a bit thin from tomorrow onwards, but please stay tuned you never know where I get the chance to update it from. ... I have to do it all when I get back at the end of April. I have chosen an amazing route through Rajasthan and some of the places I am going to visit for my assignment will be a bit remote, but I try very hard to post some short info and Images whenever I can.

Travel Photography: The final preparations are done, I be reporting soon from Incredible India but that depends on my Internet connection.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-04-05T17:26:23+08:00

Oh no, these are definitely not my legs…I just thought this image is appropriate since I am leaving in a few days, as you can see... stock images do come in very handy. ...I try and travel as light as possible, the Cameras being the most heavy but also the most important part, no need to bring a suitcase full of gear which you’re not going to use anyway. ...However I do carry a few white t-shirts, they came in very handy as a natural reflector when shooting people… the only thing you have to do, wear and wash them. Strong and good Rubber shoes, a hat or baseball cap for sun protection plus some of those other items I have pointed out in one of my recent Blogs from the 17th of March 2009, check the Archive: Traveler’s Essentials…tips and advise prior your Departure to your next exotic destination... traveling in South East Asia Now I am almost ready for my iPod listening to Canned Heat “On the Road again”, I stay in touch from India provided time and internet connections work out, but I can hear the sound of the Sitars already.

Summer Kiddies Workshop... iMac's loaded with Drawing and simple Animation Software for the Kids, face painting and a lot more…a week full of fun.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-04-03T22:20:32+08:00

Playing the Blues... about week ago I spend an afternoon with my children at a Shopping Mall…Fun for the Kids…”Summer Kiddies Workshop” at the Rockwell Shopping Mall, Manila, Philippines. A weeklong fun event organized by the Power Mac Center Educational Division, plus I came across this Piano player who just happen to be there. ...Laughter and giggles came from the Kids once they discovered and had a go at Photo Booth…just watching them was real good entertainment. ...There was also an artist on hand who painted some cartoons on the Kid's faces, nice to see that a company like the PMC organized this week long fun and educational event for children. All images on this post are taken with the Leica D-Lux 4 my constant travel companion,back home a few hours later, I created the layout with the new Pages from iWork '09

Web Site updated implementation of the Search Archive Field on all Web pages

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-04-01T20:40:25+08:00

I am getting very close to my departure and I couldn’t leave it alone …had to make some changes prior me leaving for India on my main Web Site. ...If your search fails or only very few images show up (could be many reason e.g. like misspelling or the English verses the American spelling “Color or Colour” go to all Galleries once the page is open. ...We have deleted the “Journey Through Color & Time” Book page, almost out of Print, hence the decision to remove the page, but if you’re still interested in purchasing a copy just send me an email. (http://www.deichmann-photo.com/contact/contact.php) ...Both Sites will have some more modification soon, but they have to wait now until I get back, plus some other exciting NEWS up on my return from India, but more on that later, as you know I love suspense... In the meantime just stay tuned or subscribe to my Blog that I try to update now and then while I am on the road…I guess it all depends on my connection and time.

Photo Workshop in Cambodia…Angkor Wat and beyond, the final dates have been announced

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-03-30T14:34:19+08:00

We have finalized and can confirm the Dates for our GD PhotoWorkshop in Cambodia… Siem Reap…”Angkor Wat and beyond...” besides Angkor Wat and the other nearby Temples which we are going to visit anyway, this time we travel also beyond; to the amazing Phnum Kulen area north of Siem Reap, the Tonle Sap Lake plus other seldom visited Temples and places. 6 nights and 7 days from the 13th until the 19th of September, please make sure and reserve your space now, final bookings have to be made by latest June 15, 2009. This Workshop is filling up fast already; you can make a non-committed reservation now and reserve your space prior June 2009. ...We have also made some changes on the GD PhotoWorkshop site, there you find some very use full and additional information.

Aperture 2 & Travel Photography preparations prior your Departure “Triple T” Tips, Tricks and Techniques.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-03-29T18:18:32+08:00

I use to do this a long time ago leaving things for later…but since the arrival of Aperture I don’t leave things for later anymore…if I do, it wont get done anyway… ...A few days before my departure I sit down and clean my MacBook Pro of all those things which I don’t need to bring, in other words cleaning out my Libraries including the iPhoto one and store all this other stuff on my external hard drive I keep at home. ...Cities, People, Culture, Animals etc., plus I always create one for Generic this is for all those images that you don’t have time for or they are difficult to integrate at the time. ...Which brings me to another point; don’t put things off, add as much information during Import as possible it is only a few extra minutes, everything is still fresh in your mind, plus you have some locals around you who could assist in the right spelling of local names etc. ...I work in the field with two identical Lacie 360 Gig Rugged Hard Drives and import all my images as reference files, the second 360 Gig Drive is a back up for the first one lets call them A & B.

Travel Photography…Tips, Tricks and Techniques “Triple T” connecting your Card Reader & Hard Drives to your MacBook Pro, LACIE'S flat Fire Wire Cables…

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-03-27T16:15:46+08:00

Just prior my departure for India I got blessed with these flat Cables by LACIE, saving space and no more stiff cables… ...I am sure some of you get annoyed just like me with those old and stiff Fire wire Cables for your Card Reader or connecting your Computer to your external Hard Drives, this is especially true when on the road. Now LACIE has come up with a cool solution with their Flat Fire Wire 400 and 800 cables, perfect for traveling daisy chaining your external Hard Drives and connecting your CF Card Readers all at once to your Mac. ...No more stiff and annoying cables, welcome travel companions with the 360 or 500 Gig LACIE Rugged Hard Drives, the perfect back up solution when on the road. Available locally at the Power Mac Center in the Philippines, they also stock the 360 and 500 Gig LACIE Rugged Hard Drives.

Photo Workshop in Cambodia...due to popular demand I have posted some more details prior my departure to India.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-03-24T22:32:06+08:00

Due to popular demand I have posted some more details on the GD Photo Workshop for this coming September in Siem Reap Cambodia, see below the details: This workshop will include the Tonle Sap Lake and the Water Village, furthermore we be exploring some ancient Temples/Ruins seldom visited by others except you. Of course we still visit and shoot at Angkor Wat during Sunrise and Sunset, plus a lot more during this trip. ...Total lengths of the Workshop is from Sunday (exact date to be announced in May) to Saturday (7 nights in a luxury Boutique Hotel) Photography in the field, the workflow and critic after the shoot - class room sessions at the Hotel...but don’t worry we spend more time in the field and get the shot right in the first place. More details; what to bring, cost per per person, etc., will be available in May, but participants can travel from their Home destination to Siem Reap in Cambodia direct, upon arrival we have made all the necessary arrangements for your transport to the Hotel.

Cambodia GDPhotoWorkShop...September 2009 Siem Reap, Angkor Wat and beyond...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-03-23T16:13:06+08:00

I am happy to announce our GDPhotoWorkShop for the month of September ’09 ...with the title “Siem Reap, Angkor Wat & beyond.” This is only the initial announcement, all other details will be posted upon my return from India towards the end of May. If you’re interested you can contact me and reserve your space without any obligation for the time being, final bookings have to be made by latest August 15, 2009. With only 8 to 12 max participants I recommend you make your bookings early, just click this LINK: http://www.deichmann-photo.com/contact/contact.php

Underwater Photography: Spectacular Underwater Video from the House Reef at Club Paradise & other locations in Palawan, Philippines…

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-03-19T14:27:52+08:00

This Video has been around for sometime but the full length has never reached the Web, now we have decided to share this truly amazing Underwater Video by my good friend Dirk Fahrenbach with you in YouTube. ...Edited and sound by Gunther Deichmann using GarageBand, Soundtrack Pro and Royalty released tracks from Sounddogs created on a MacPro using iMovie ’06 (yes the good old iMovie 06) with some additional Plug-ins. ...The full Video (DVD) has 20:18 minutes of great Marine Life; “Dancing Cuttle Fish”, Turtles, Dugongs and all the Critters you can imagine captured on this truly great Video by Dirk. Unfortunately YouTube only allows us to run 10 min., the full version 20:18 min. will be uploaded in a few days into the Video Gallery of Dirk’s Website @ http://www.dugongdivecenter.com/ I am sure once you have seen the Underwater World from this exotic destination you pack your Dive gear and book your next trip to Club Paradise and Dive with Dirk at Dugong Dive Center.

Traveler’s Essentials…tips and advise prior your Departure to your next exotic destination... traveling in South East Asia

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-03-17T20:38:09+08:00

Visit your doctor and get extra quantities of any medications you are on and make sure you’re vaccinated against endemic diseases (there is a list for every country). ...Get hold of a number of small bills of local currency for tipping purposes, (change some US$ at the airport upon arrival into small bills, it is a lot safer and you have some small change for your Taxi or Tri-Cycle ride) very important in Indonesia, Cambodia, Myanmar/Burma, Laos and Vietnam (a stack of US$ 1.00 notes are fine) Cambodia is famous for the “One Dollar” everything is “One Dollar.” ...This will give relief from diarrhea but doesn’t treat the underlying infection so use it only if you can’t access a toilet and get help immediately if there’s any blood or anything unusual in the movement or you have a fever. ...These are only the very basics and of course you need to decide what else you like to bring along, for our Photographer friends I highly recommend a small Umbrella, some plastic bags, Raincoat, a small flashlight and spare batteries. The good old Swiss Army Knife is also a great companion, but make sure you DON’T carry that one in your hand carry, they will take it off you, store it in your check in luggage.

Photography & Aperture 2: Tips, Tricks & Techniques…“Triple T”, Editing and Rating your images in Aperture 2 while on the Road, it doesn’t get any faster.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-03-16T16:09:44+08:00

Below an introduction and Overview of the Aperture Rating System, but first I like to explain how I do my Rating and Editing in Aperture 2 on the road, the very fast and simple way. ...Usually I use the Project name and add the word “selected”, I set the parameter to 5 stars and now all my 5 star images are contained within this Smart Album, all 200 of them. Now I go through them again and the ones I don’t like I demote by hitting the Keys from 1 to 4 leaving me with only the 5 star ones, now I have for example. 85 images left in this Smart Album. ...Again this is entirely up to you, but for me it is the first impression of any image that counts, something that turns me on from the first time I see it, besides everything is still fresh in my mind. ...While a “yes or no” judgment of an image can work for a small selection of photos, with a larger collection of similar images that show small variations, photographers need an organized method of noting which images are superior shots, which deserve further review, and which are poor quality or rejects.

Aperture 2: “Triple T” Tips, Tricks & Techniques… how come I cant use some of my Adjustment tools? Quick Preview mode is activated…

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-03-15T18:13:07+08:00

The adjustment Panel is NOT active; I guess this happen to the best of us from time to time, we might accidentally activated the Quick Preview Button, or forgot to switch it off. ...But to provide accurate feedback, image- processing function requires a view of the original pixel data, which you don’t get with Quick Preview. This is the reason why a lot of the adjustments tools are not available to you when Quick Preview is activated. Experiment with the Quick Preview button, find out how it improves your speed in editing thousands of images without time delay and if you wonder why you cant make certain adjustments then just click and deactivate the Quick Preview button. As for me, one of the best new additions in Aperture 2, much faster editing and not only during import.

Travel Photography: Tips, Tricks & Techniques “Triple T” continues, preparing for the next trip…don’t leave home without DATA RESCUE II

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-03-12T17:26:37+08:00

Checking and cleaning my MacBookPro; backing up on Time Machine & moving older files over to another hard drive, keeping it nice and clean with lots of spare hard drive space. ...It is not an issue how often and when I use it, I hope never just the peace of mind having it around is worth the price. I did recover some images for a friend who had deleted all his images from his CF Card plus I fixed an old external hard drive. ...Data Rescue II is the best digital data recovery software on the market for recovering files from a problem hard drive or that have been previously deleted. ...Stay tuned, in the next few days I post an article on: Health and Travel related matters, which is the right medication to bring along besides your Aspirin.

Aperture 2 the perfect companion in the field and at home, introduction and solution for todays DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHER above and below the waves.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-03-11T16:22:18+08:00

Aperture 2 is a powerful and easy-to-use digital image management system that can track thousands of digital images and provides the advanced photographer with high-quality image management and adjustment tools. ...Not only that, Aperture is the perfect companion in the field providing you with all the editing tools you need and by the time you get back home from a trip your work is almost done. ...Advanced RAW workflow: From capture to output, you can work with your images captured as RAW files, without having to first convert them to another format before viewing, adjusting, organizing, or printing them. ...Nondestructive image processing: Designed to protect your images from the moment they’re imported, Aperture identifies your original images as digital “masters” and has built-in safeguards to help ensure that you don’t accidentally overwrite or modify them. ...Download the Aperture 2 trail version and check it out, you want regret it, however if you get stuck Apple provides you with some cool videos (http://www.apple.com/aperture/tutorials/) plus some other useful links below.

Photography & the Integration of Aperture 2 on a Mac plus iLife '09 Workshop

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-03-07T21:20:08+08:00

iLife + an introduction to iWork ’09 ...Join me on March 20 - Photography & the Integration of Aperture 2 on a Mac & on March 21- iLife 09 Workshop with iWork ’09. All sessions will have computer set-ups for your hands-on guided sessions and training starts at 1pm-3pm Please make your reservations at the Power Mac Center, limited Computer set-ups available, these are additional and special workshops and not necessary listed on the Training Center announcements. Go to the registration page @ http://www.powermaccenter.com/training.php

Aperture 2: BurnToDisc 2... this Plug-in for Aperture is the ideal travel companion, a solution for your clients plus a great additional back.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-03-05T12:06:29+08:00

In the first week of March 2009 we saw a lot of new Software and updates; Pixelmator from my previous blog, BurnTo Disc (my Blog today), Apple announced a few days ago a new Digital RAW Compatibility Update and yesterday we received an iLife Support update, iPhoto, Airport Client and Airport Utility. ...You could also export your Version or Masters on to your Desk top, then use Toast or your Burn folder to burn CD’s or DVD’s but that is more complicated, why not go direct to BurnToDisc within Aperture 2. ...Just before you leave for the airport you present him with a CD or DVD of the selected images from the shoot and you both have a big smile on your face. ...BurnToDisc is an Aperture Plug-In that simplifies the process of exporting your images and burning them to DVDs and CDs for sharing, archiving or off-site storage. ...When you select a collection of images from within Aperture and invoke BurnToDisc via the Burn Masters To Disc... or Burn Versions To Disc... menu item, a new Export Session is initiated.

Pixelmator the answer to Photoshop? Is it less intimidating for the novice and easier to use for editing after we export the Images from Aperture 2 or iPhoto?

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-03-04T12:39:42+08:00

I started many Moons ago in Photoshop, but then there was nothing else around at the time, now we have Aperture 2 and Lightroom to do all our hard editing work. Pixemator…No, I have not downloaded it yet, however it is very tempting for a prize of US$ 59.00 I have checked some reports and reviews to give me an inside to find out what is going on… ...I guess the best thing to do, open the Pixelmator Website and check it out for yourself, but from what I have read, it is not as intimidating as Photoshop and apparently works super fast on Leopard. ...If all of those things are true then we might have a real nice go between Aperture 2 and Pixelmator without the heavy use of Photoshop, not to mention the intimidation and heavy prize tag of the later one. Aperture 2 will do most of your editing and take care of your RAW files and when you do need that little extra for advertising or commercial work maybe then Pixelmator is the answer now.

Aperture 2 Tip: Don’t panic when you see the Consistency and Rebuild window but make sure you have everything backed up on an external drive.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-03-03T13:20:18+08:00

This works well if you have a lot of projects and images, however you have to have a bit of patience running the Rebuilding or Consistency Check as this could take some time, it all depends on the size of your Library. Don’t Panic again if after the Consistency Check some of your Projects and files have disappeared, no worries just repeat the step and this time run Rebuild and you find all your Projects are there. If you’re not comfortable activating the Rebuild or Consistency Check window then just wait until the window appears one day, but then you have almost no choice but to go through this exercise keeping Aperture 2 running nice smoothly. ...Now a final word of advise, make sure you made a back up of all your Images on an external drive, regardless how good your Mac or how big your drive is and how well Aperture 2 performs, back up is rule number one… disaster can strike anytime. ...Back home I then transfer all my files and Projects to my Mac Pro storing everything again on my Raid system for back ups, only then I delete the Images on my portable Hard drives.

Aperture 2 release... Raw Support for the Nikon D3X and the Epson R-D1x

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-03-03T13:08:31+08:00

Apple announced today the RAW Support for the New Nikon D3X Apple today released the latest Digital RAW Compatibility Update, adding the Epson R-D1x and the Nikon D3X to the extensive list of digital camera bodies and backs supported by Aperture 2, iPhoto ’08, and iPhoto ’09. You can obtain the Digital Camera RAW Compatibility Update 2.5 by selecting Software Update in the Apple menu or from the Apple support site. http://support.apple.com/downloads/Digital_Camera_ RAW_Compatibility_Update_2_5?

iLife '09 and GarageBand: Lets play some Blues... cool Music made easy for your Presentations and Podcast

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-03-01T17:52:10+08:00

The new and improved interface of GarageBand is just so very cool with endless possibilities, and once you have added some Jam Packs to it you be amazed what you can create if you’re a musician or not...but it helps if you like or like me love music. ...Start with Magic GarageBand first, familiarize yourself and later get more adventures and explore all the other possibilities, the trick is to work in the beginning with Magic GarageBand, from the menu choose Magic GarageBand and move the various instruments around until you’re happy with the overall sound. ...Add some Voices, Guitars, Effects (there is so much to choose from) or what ever you feel like, split and separate the tracks and move them around until you have a nice and now very different sound track. Send it to iTunes and you’re done, well almost... dont be shy,you do have to spend some time and experiment with GarageBand and if you love Music it is a lot of fun too. ...Please note: I recommend when running Garageband to turn off all other Applications, Garageband does require a bit of processing power, but on a MacBook Pro you should have no problems at all.

iWork fast…Designing Letterheads, Stationary, Brochures & a lot more on the fly with iWork ’09 using Pages.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-02-27T18:18:37+08:00

Working fast…if you’re on the road or at home, as Photographers we don’t like spending to much time in dealing with all those other things…but we have too, a necessary evil. ...Here are some samples of a stationary set and a simple brochure created in just one hour with the new iWork’09 using Pages. Apple has made it very easy for us, providing some cool Templates (a lot of them) in iWork ‘09 using Pages to create some slick looking Brochures, Stationary, Posters and so much more on the fly. The integrations on the Mac making the production so very easy and you don’t have to be a Rocket Scientist to work it all out. ...The templates make it easy, but you can always modify and add your own personal touch to it like changing the font, colors, graphics or adding shapes, tables or charts.

Aperture 2 Tip: Missing icon in the Toolbar…tips, tricks & techniques, triple “T” continues, customizing your toolbar and finding the Activity Icon.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-02-25T17:54:53+08:00

One of the participants ask me how come he does not have the Activity Icon like I do…is there something wrong with my software? ...Once you have installed Aperture 2 all the settings are in Default, he been using Aperture but had not seen or found this Icon and missing out on this very nice feature in ...So, if you a newcomer to Aperture 2 then this little tip might come in very handy, see below the screenshot of the Customization Panel for the Toolbar. Put your Mouse Cursor on the Toolbar hold down the control key (ctr) and click on the Toolbar a small dropdown menu appears, now select Customize Toolbar and a large window appears with all your tools. ...I recommend for newcomers to Aperture 2 to select Icons with text, easy to remember in the beginning and once you get up to speed with Aperture 2 you can use the ones only with the Icon or text giving you more space in your Toolbar.

Aperture 2:Tips, tricks and techniques… Triple “T” continues, recovering an overexposed image from the Nikon D700

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-02-23T18:26:51+08:00

It is not easy sometimes as a Pro to make things go wrong on purpose especially when using the new Nikon D700. ...I thought, hey this is a good exercise for bringing back the highlights in Aperture 2, so I shot some correct exposed images but also on purpose overexposed some for today’s session on how to bring back the highlights using Aperture 2. Highlight Hot & Cold Areas came in very handy in this exercise, (you find this in theView panel ) for the applied adjustment details go to the GD Photo Tutorial Panel upper left hand side or click this LINK. ...After all my corrections I converted the image also into a nice Black and White using the Green Filter this time. ...Before we go into all the details I like to give some praise to the Nikon D700, excellent performance in any light condition, yes I have done some test shots already at 6400 ISO and that just blew me away, but more on that later.

Where was Eric Clapton...a Guitar line up at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Manila "Elevator Blues" plus the new GarageBand'09

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-02-21T12:49:19+08:00

Most of you know my passion for music in particular Blues, a few days ago while attending a meeting at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Manila I spotted these Guitars lined up next to the Elevator. ...“Arnold...the only thing missing is Eric Clapton,” as it turned out there was a major rock secession in progress in one of the Ballrooms, sorry folks no Clapton, John Mayall or even Bob Marley otherwise I would have not gone back to my meeting. ...I could not resist and pulled out my constant companion the little Leica D-Lux4 and shot some frames, remember in one of my earlier Blogs never leave Home without it, (the camera that is) even when you have to attend a meeting you never know what is around the next corner or outside an Elevator in this case. ...I like the revised and new interface a lot, simple and clean and for those who like to learn an instrument GarageBand’09 has now some very cool tutorials guiding you step by step through the learning process for Piano or Guitar. ...Check out the new GarageBand ’09 play some Guitar tunes and create your very own music for all your presentations, GarageBand’09 is super cool and a big improvement from its previous versions.

Travel Photography: South East Asia Exposed, images from the “The Underexposed” featuring our first selection from Vietnam…

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-02-14T13:12:26+08:00

Some of them I know personally, others only from emails, this is the first Blog in a NEW series called “The Underexposed” bringing together talented and passionate semi pro and amateur Photographer from all over South East Asia, I might add, we might venture also more East later, but for now it is S.E.A Every month we show you in a NEW GALLERY 12 selected images from these S.E.A Countries sharing with you the magic of this part of the world, which I call home. ...The answer is quiet simple…sharing images from this region and given these Photographers some “Exposure” they deserve, besides they are a real nice bunch plus given you the “right exposure” before venturing into S.E. ...Today we start with Massimo Casal from Hanoi in Vietnam, I have known Massimo only from emails and my Blogs on Aperture 2 Tutorials & you might remember some images from him in my previous Blogs. To check the 12 images in the Gallery please click this LINK or go to “The Underexposed” lower left hand side bar on this Blog page, but now enjoy the first images “The Underexposed” by Massimo.

iPhoto ’09 acceleration into the future… jazzed up that even the Pro is going to like it, integration at its finest. “Triple T” tips, tricks and techniques

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-02-13T18:01:16+08:00

As an Aperture 2 user and Trainer this is quiet a statement on my headline, but after spending some time with the new iPhoto ’09 I have to admit this version is awesome. ...The small presentation below shows you what can be done, created again in only a few minutes using the Media Browser to add Music (created previously in GarageBand) I then exported it to QT and this little piece was done. ...You have a Book and a simple presentation to go with, its easy to create and you don’t have to be a Rocket scientist to work it out, use common sense and you find you master iPhoto ’09 in no time. ...Select a folder with the images or create a new one with the images you like to use for the Book, then click on the Book icon, you can choose between auto flow or manual adding the images, you still have the option to move them around after they have been placed. ...Add a smart Album just like in Aperture 2 or create your Mobile Me Web Gallery all of this and the improved interface makes the new iPhoto ’09 a ripper… my only “worry” …what is going to come for Aperture 2 down the road, this could be very interesting.

iWork ’09 & Aperture 2 creating a Poster in Pages on the fly, thanks to the integration, having access to my Aperture 2 Library via the Media Browser

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-02-12T23:35:31+08:00

After my Workshop today on Travel Photography and Aperture 2 at the Power Mac Center, Makati Manila, I picked up a copy of the new iWork ’09. ...I always loved iWork in particular Keynote, I do just about all my presentations with this cool software with endless possibilities to choose from and using Pages when I am in a hurry and need to create something with…Pages. What is the difference between ’08 and ’09 iWork…well unless I don’t go to sleep tonight I can explain all the new things to you, but I must rest sometimes too. Don’t worry in due time I give iWork ‘09 a very good test drive, however I can tell you this much; major improvements, awesome new Templates for Pages and super cool ones for Keynote... a lot of new ones. ...It is the perfect integration on the Mac which makes all of this possible, no matter where you go the Media Browser is always around, hence the reason why I am as a Photographer love iWork and iLife, I have access to my Aperture 2 and iPhoto Libraries get into my GarageBand, iTunes and Videos without ever leaving the software.

Environment: The Beds and Trees are burning in Australia…Why?

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-02-11T23:47:06+08:00

WHY??? © Gunther Deichmann - Composite Image As a fellow Australian I like to express my sympathy to those relatives who have lost loved ones and properties during these raging Bushfires. What amazes me, these fires have been deliberately lit…I have no words for such a crime, I am speechless… GD

Internet connection down…iPhone to the rescue… iWeb ’09 and a new website from Fins Magazine plus the first “Underexposed” on the 15th of this month…

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-02-11T22:34:22+08:00

Totally frustrated by not having an Internet connection these past few days almost drove me in insane…but then came the iPhone to the rescue, oh boy did it ever. ...Now we are back, up and running, not only me but my good friends at Fins Magazine too with their brand NEW Website…I like it and think it is super cool or is it the Music? ...I have also fixed a few things on my Commercial Photography site…we had a few problems but now I am running iWeb ’09,which is super slick by the way, the new WIDGETS are just awesome; HTML Snipet,Google Maps, RSS Feed, YouTube, Google AdSense, iSight Movie, iSight Photo, Countdown, All is Ok now, so why dont you check it out...best viewed on Safari. ...The NEW iLife ‘09 is so cool from what I have tried out and seen, super improvements, but more on that later need to do some more test driving. ...On or about the 15th of this month I am going to introduce you to our very first “UNDEREXPOSED” guy, Massimo Casal from Hanoi in Vietnam.

TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY & APERTURE 2 plus iPhoto and APERTURE 2

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-02-05T15:57:00+08:00

February 2009, Seminars at the Power Mac Center, ...plus iPhoto and APERTURE 2 For bookings and more information click this LINK or the screenshot above. For questions and special requests, you can call 729-7087 or 88,

Photography: Shadows & Colors …images from a commercial shoot, behind the Scene plus the first verdict on the Nikon D700 & soon “The Underexposed”

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-02-03T22:18:06+08:00

A few hours I returned from a commercial Photo shoot and I thought why not share these images with you…sorry cant show you yet the commercial Images but certainly these ones. Non of the images have been a setup or been manipulated in Photoshop, they just happen to be there. This was also the first time the Nikon D700 got a very good workout, I am very pleased and extremely satisfied with the D700…she just performed awesome. ...In my next Blog I am introducing a new series called “The Underexposed” images from semi pro and amateur Photographers but with great talent from all over South East Asia. ...Photographers I have met during my travel while others I have only known from Emails my Aperture 2 Workshops and Blogs they like to share their love and passion for Photography with you very soon.

Photography: Copyright all Rights Reserved... who owns the images?

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-01-29T14:14:17+08:00

A lot of Legal mumble jumble...we are photographers in the first place and YES we have and need to protect our work, it is our right to do so, but how far do we go in doing so? ...On the other hand the web is not so forgiving, copy and paste is so easy...and here I do agree with Jason, place a watermark on the image will help, but it is never perfect. Cloning with Photoshop makes it easy, if you do place a watermark on your image set the opacity to very weak (say 10% or less) and cover the whole image, this way it does not disturb the image to much and it is difficult to clone. ...The web is full of images like in Flickr, Multiply etc., and most of them dont have a Copyright Watermark, very inviting... it is just like leaving the key in your car engine, or leaving your camera bag in the Taxi and ask the driver to wait until you come back from the Toilet. I dont have the perfect solution and I dont believe the registration is either, unless you’re a Richard Avedon or some other very famous Photographer, for the time being a good and well placed watermark is a very good choice and if you can proof without any reasonable doubt it is your image you have a very good chance in any court.

Travel Photography & Aperture 2: iTalk with iTalk Sync a handy Application for the iPhone, applying Metadata via copy and paste into Aperture 2 plus a lot more.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-01-28T00:09:36+08:00

Ok.enough sweet talk…say you walking around those amazing Temples in Cambodia with their strange names or you just hanging around a side walk Café, now you use your iPhone and start recording, OK that is nothing new. ...Easy, you synchronize your iPhone with your Lap Top and start up iTalk Sync, the recordings from the day are now on your Desk Top or place them in iTunes, it is that easy. But It gets much better, since you gave every recording a name or added additional text to it, a small text file is also attached and parked right next to your sound file on your Desk Top. ...The transfer from the iPhone to Computer is wireless, OK. if no Wi-Fi is available you can always play back the recording and work on your caption manual and transfer everything later when a connection is available, but at least you have a nice recording with all the information. ...Your recordings will be transferred as high-quality AIFF files, which you can play in iTunes or in most other media players. iTunes will give you the option of burning your recordings onto audio CDs, or converting them to a different format such as AAC/MP3, for use with portable music players.

Environment: Living fossil... a true love story at age 111...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-01-27T12:42:41+08:00

Most of my readers know my fascination for Fossils and the Environment not to mention my interest in Archeological subjects. I thought I share this little amusing but true story about Henry with you, thanks to Walter Ty for bringing this to my attention. The image I feature today is NOT Henry but of a Frillneck Lizard another amazing reptile from the Top End, the Northern Territory of Australia. ...Tuatara are the last surviving reptiles of their kind, a rare New Zealand reptile has become a father, possibly for the first time, at the age of 111. The keepers of Henry, a tuatara, had thought he was past his prime - especially after showing no interest in females during 40 years in captivity.

PHOTOGRAPHY & APERTURE 2 using the Sharpening tools, plus a cool TIP for your iPhone “TRIPLE T” continues…

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-01-26T17:38:21+08:00

My Camera settings are all set to normal, because it is very difficult to judge from the LCD screen how much or how little sharpening to apply. I have set all my sharpening parameters in Aperture 2 and since I know my Cameras I perform all the Edge or Sharpening in the Computer using my standard settings. ...My recommendation experiment with some of your images and don’t worry you can always go back to your untouched Original, that is the beauty about Aperture’s non-destructive editing. ...In Aperture select IMAGES and on the drop down menu choose Dodge & Burn then on the small drop down window (red square) select Sharpening, choose your brush size and strengths and apply your Sharpening on selected areas only. This iPhone application is truly one of the better ones, very practical and useful, now I have arranged all my most frequent and important Phone Numbers, no more scrolling and searching just touch and go or should I say call…

Photography...never leave home with out it, the CAMERA that is, rediscovering Herb Ritts & Richard Avedon

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-01-21T20:08:00+08:00

Take your Camera for a walk...where ever you go; with the family, to meetings, functions or just for a stroll in the Park with your Dog, a Compact one is sometimes good enough, because you never know what crosses your path. The other day, I walked out of my Apartment and my Son Brandon was jumping up the stairs, beautiful late afternoon light streaming through the window lighting the staircase. ...I used a slow shutter-speed to emphasize on movement, taken with my little Leica D-Lux 4, processed in Aperture 2 without enhancements, this was natural light at its best. The following day I attended a function and during my visit to the Toilet “I spotted two famous Photographers inside”, Herb Ritts and Richard Avedon with two famous and classic images. ...Herb Ritts began his photographic career in the late 70's and gained a reputation as a master of art and commercial photography...

Aperture 2 and the iPhone3G some use full tips, tricks & techniques for your travel Photography. Is the iPhone3G our Digital Swiss Army Knife?

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-01-20T13:25:49+08:00

In many ways it has become almost that, with the exception of “chopping up firewood, repairing the toilet seat or fixing the car”, but at least you have a Phone to call, text or email the repairman. ...Yes, I did download some games, he, he…and when I am traveling in a Taxi and get stuck in one of those real Traffic Jam’s I get the iPhone out check my email and afterwards play some games or listen to my favorite Blues music. ...Most of the Applications the iPhone comes with I like, but I am not going into great details with those today, I rather look at some of the other Applications I found useful and having them all in my pocket now is just great. ...If your preference setting is set to open Aperture when a Camera is connected watch out… Aperture 2 opens up and tries to import all photos you have taken with your iPhone, as a Pro I found this a bit irritating. ...But what I do like is having the ability to import my images all or selected Albums from my Aperture Library just like you would do with your images in iPhoto.

Tips, tricks & techniques on Travel Photography & future tutorials Aperture 2...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-01-17T19:27:00+08:00

The first out of my new series Triple “T”… at least twice a month I share with you tips, tricks & techniques on Travel Photography and bring you more tutorials on Aperture 2 easy to follow with images and screenshots. ...Well first of all, it is my job and expertise, I have been doing it for 30 years now: second I like to explore and discover different Cultures and Countries, meeting with people from all nationalities, getting involved in their culture and tradition searching for the unusual within. ...This is extremely important; research the places you intend of visiting, relax upon arrival and don’t start shooting on your first day unless an opportunity arises, check out the place first and talk to the locals. ...I try to get to know them, but I guess most important is to hire a local Guide who can get you into places Tourist seldom venture, besides he or she breaks down the language barrier and has a good knowledge of the local customs. ...I treat all my destinations the same there is always something interesting to shoot, but Tibet, Cambodia, Myanmar and the small island of Santorini in Greece have been my favorite places so far, but I guess my heart is in Australia because that is where it all started.

Environment: Muy Magazine in Spain & Portugal good timing for the International Year of the Shark 2009...and more Photography Aperture Tutorials soon

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-01-16T15:15:05+08:00

“Muy Interesante Magazine” in Spain and Portugal have published in their January 2009 issues the image on the shark fins, the same Photo appeared in November 2008 as the Photo of the Week in the German Stern Magazine. Now I like to take the opportunity and announce our support for the new released website; the Palau Shark Sanctuary and our support for the International Year of the Sharks in 2009. Sam’s Tours in Palau Micronesia also launched today the 16 of January 2009 their NEW Sharkweeks.com website, introducing special educational shark dives every week in Palau. ...So, if you venture to Palau for your next Dive Trip, dive with Sam’s Tours and shoot these great shark images and afterwards process them in their modern Digital Photo Center. The DPC is fully equipped with six iMac’s and has a complete back up system, software like iLife, Aperture and Photoshop Elements are installed on all machines.

Travel Photography:“Made to Order from Papua New Guinea” Bali has it all…from Fossils to bizarre looking artifacts.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-01-14T21:34:56+08:00

During my recent trip to Bali Indonesia I came across many interesting things, from giant Bath tubs made out of a single solid rock boulder to the complimentary wash basins for the bathroom. ...No matter what you looking for, most likely you find it in Bali and not only in Ubud, art and crafts are all over the place. From imitations to the real thing, you find it all in Bali. ...I took these images during my last trip to Bali when I visited one of the enormous Artifacts shops along the road. From fossils to just about anything from Papua New Guinea they had in store, and since I am always looking for the unusual we stopped the car and I shot these bizarre carving from Papua with the colorful wall behind just being perfect.

Nikon D700 v. Nikon F5 film Camera, a test between digital and film photography, check out this cool video.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-01-13T23:05:37+08:00

I have picked up this interesting article and Video clip the other day on the web, an amazing and very cool video of Nikon D700 v. the Nikon F5 Film Camera. The show was produced on the Gadget Show with a good English humor using a Pro Photographers Studio. ...Digital cameras have improved in leaps and bounds over the last few years but does film still produce the best results? I am not going to give you the results, that would be to easy but you can find out on ...Both Cameras had the same ISO setting at 400 & the blow up size of the images measured from top to bottom 17 meters and took two days to print.

Photography: Seldom seen Images from my Archives in PHOTOSHELTER... from Europe to Australia to Tahiti in the Pacific, South East Asia, Tibet & India.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-01-11T19:53:38+08:00

I prepared a PhotoShelter Widget for easy viewing, a quick look into my Archives, I have selected some 148 images from 25 different Countries to give you a glimpse into my travel photography over the years. ... The widget provides you also with different view options, including Full Screen, see screenshot below, this is very cool just click on the toolbar below the widget if you wish to view the Images larger plus some other options.

TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY: Interesting response to my last blog article, plus the SANTORINI, GREECE Widget.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-01-09T12:22:15+08:00

feedSRC=http%3A//pa.photoshelter.com/c/gdeichmann/gallery-show/G0000EA6VlZLp7dI%3Ffeed%3Drss%26ppg%3D200" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="425" height="319"> ...Oh boy, not an easy answer...but let me explain a bit about my Photography, as for being very good... this is up for the audience and readers to judge I am merely creating images and I love doing so. ...I think one of the most important aspects of good Photography is critique...critique and more critique, if you can handle critique then you’re on the right road, but if you dont or get offended then do something else. ...As I have pointed out in my previous blog, keep your equipment simple you be amazed what you can do with just one Camera and one lens, discipline yourself working like this for a while, a challenge you might say...but very rewarding in the end. ...Next week on the 15th of January you find an interesting article of mine in the Manila Bulletin, they might help to answer some of your other questions, dont worry if you dont reside in Manila I am posting those same questions and answers a few days later on my blog.

Travel Photography the Journey continues...plus an interesting Flash presentation

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-01-08T22:47:28+08:00

I treat all my destinations the same there is always something interesting to shoot, but Tibet, Cambodia, Myanmar and the small island of Santorini in Greece have been my favorite places so far, but I guess my heart is in Australia because that is where it all started. This year I am planning to go back to Cambodia and India, but if everything works out Ok I might be visiting Africa which has been long on my list. In other words the Journey continues...see below a little flash presentation Color is all around us, we just have to separate the different shades and forms then everything will come together, you just have to stay tuned. ...No Photoshop straight from the Camera into Aperture 2 and to this Blog

Photography Masters from the past and present…an inspiration and a short Journey through History including Links.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-01-04T20:54:28+08:00

The true Pioneers in Black &White and Color Photography…of course I can mention many more but I deliberately have chosen the ones below, some of them have left us but others are still with us and up to this day creating stunning images. ...I am lucky and thankful for working and meeting with Pete during the mid ’80 we traveled together in the Northern Territory of Australia shooting Ayers Rock and a few years later ventured out to Western Australia shooting the Pinnacle Desert, we became good friends and communicate up to this day. For pure inspiration you should take a few minutes and check out the amazing images on his website, a true master of color if not the ultimate in color photography. ...Of course prior to color we had the breathtaking work in Black and White by Ansel Adams or the legendary Henri Cartier Bresson with his photo book “The Decisive Moment”. Then there is the controversial Bert Stern and not to be missed Rebecca Blake with her unique fashion photography at the time, she was also the Photography consultant for the Film “The eyes of Laura Mars” starring Faye Dunaway.

Aperture 2 tutorial and tips… Photography, converting Color to Black & White using the build in filters from Aperture.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-01-03T22:25:22+08:00

I have discussed the conversion from Color to B&W using Aperture 2 in some of my previous Blogs, but today I show you some comparison with actual images using the different filters in Aperture 2. ...I have noticed recently more people experiment with Black and White images, I guess it has become a lot easier these days with all those different software’s available to us. ...In the old days it was a lot more time consuming and required a lot of skills in the Darkroom messing around with Chemicals…Developer…Fixer and the Stop bath words and terms seldom used today. ...I am very much of a Color person and seldom shot Black and White in the past but appreciate the techniques and art form, creating good black and white Prints is not easy even with today’s software and technology. Are we ever get the magic of Masters like Ansel Adams with the software of today…I am not sure but I know we can create some pretty good images and prints.

Photography above and below the waves...thoughts for the New Year by Tony Wu

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-01-02T15:50:01+08:00

A well written and well thought through article not only for our Underwater Photographers but for all of us below and above the waves. ...It’s a brand new year, albeit one that looks like it’s not going to be the most pleasant one in recent memory, but an opportunity nonetheless to reflect upon recent events and think about what the coming months hold in store. Over the past week or so, I’ve been contemplating (among other things) the direction that the world of underwater photography is taking, specifically the trends affecting the photography world in general, and what those trends mean for marine photographers, both professionals and enthusiasts. I thought it worth sharing some thoughts on this topic for my first blog post of the year. ...If you don’t fall into this (limited) universe of people, feel free to read on, but if you get bored, don’t say I didn’t warn you!

About 16 hours later…sticky rice and San Miguel Beer, a New years tradition in the Philippines…left over at the front desk.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-01-01T20:14:10+08:00

Some of us are still celebrating the New Year and others are almost back to normal wishing and hoping for a better year. I chanced upon this image a while ago, left over from the early morning. A Philippine tradition…San Miguel Beer and a plate with some sticky Rice. GD © Gunther Deichmann - Leica D-Lux 4

Live…almost, the View from my Apartment…Happy New Year from Manila and the first shot in 2009 at 00:02AM

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2009-01-01T00:38:00+08:00

Since Manila becomes a “War Zone” around Midnight I decided to stay put and take the first shot of the year not from my usual car window but from the Apartment Entrance... and I just love red... ...After this Blog I go back to my Drink sit back and turn up the sound system, my favorite for the first minutes of 2009 is the new Nickelback Album Dark Horse, very cool. Later I will settle in with one of my favorite Blues artists a new Album by the legendary John Mayall In the Place of the King. Good old John still plays some very cool tunes,and in the next few days I take it easy a bit, otherwise I have a divorce on my hands, only kidding… Until soon, Cheeeeeers and a Happy New Year.

Aperture 2: finishing the year with the last training session at the Power Mac Center, Makati, Manila…stay tuned for all the new training schedules in 2009…

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-12-31T14:01:58+08:00

I have just completed my last training session in 2008, this time for the staff at the Power Mac Center on December 29, 2008 Makati, Greenbelt 3, Manila. Please stay tuned for more exciting training schedules in 2009 like: Fundamentals of Mac OS X Leopard, iLife: iTunes, iDVD, iPhoto, iWeb and GarageBand. ...Of course I am going to be around for some more on Aperture 2 and Photography in 2009. Check this Blog for information or go to http://www.powermaccenter.com/training.php for all the details in 2009. Now I like to wish everyone a very Happy New Year and a real fantastic 2009, take good care of YOU and our ENVIRONMENT.

Black and white Photography with a touch of Color for a New Year...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-12-29T18:25:15+08:00

© Gunther Deichmann - Composite A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR AND FANTASTIC 2009 TO ALL MY READERS AND SUPPORTERS! I HOPE THE NEW YEAR IS MORE PEACEFUL AND PLEASE REMEMBER TAKE GOOD CARE OF OUR ENVIRONMENT, WE ONLY HAVE ONE PLANET.

Photography: Bubbles from the car window...the Leica came in very handy again.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-12-23T16:13:42+08:00

Seasons Greetings and 2009 is around the corner I thought I share one of the last shots of 2008 with you… but you never know, we still have a few more days to go. A few days ago on my way home from a meeting my Taxi had to stop at an intersection and these children came running up and sprayed the windows with foam to wash the windows. ...This is a straight shot no messing around and NO Photoshop, taken with the Leica D-Lux 4 on a high JPG setting and processed in Aperture 2. My promised first report on the Nikon D700 will follow, I have been delayed a bit due some poor internet connection these past few days, I believe caused due to the cable problem which has effected the Middle East and some parts of Asia. I am planning also some more detailed tutorials on Aperture 2.1.2 in my GD Photo Tutorials on this Blog I try and have the first one out by early January 2009 please stay tuned for updates and the announcement.

It is this time of the Year again... Season's Greetings plus an almost forgotten image.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-12-19T12:43:10+08:00

It is this time of the Year again...a sincere and special ...This shot was taken many Moons ago, literally...for a Calendar production. It also became the month of December in the Calendar. ...Fog Dam near Darwin in the Northern Territory, Australia Oh, by the way this was during my Kodachrome days.

Photography: An afternoon delight...my Son and the Leica D-Lux 4

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-12-18T22:12:58+08:00

You remember my recent article about the new Leica D-Lux 4 being a perfect little companion in the field or for the weekend snapshots of the Family, a camera you can carry around with you all the time. Well, the other day I returned home and as I walked in the Corridor towards my apartment I saw this great light streaming from the windows and my youngest son Brandon was sitting there reading his comic book. I took a quick light reading and pressed the shutter, the original was in color (no time for changing the setting to B&W) imported this time a JPG file into Aperture and used the Monochrome mixer to change the image to B&W. Today I open Pages picked a theme and had this real nice image framed and ready for todays Blog. Since then I have taken quiet a few images with the Leica and I share them with you later.

Environment: Save our Sharks from Extinction...support the International Year of the Shark in 2009

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-12-18T14:08:04+08:00

… was inspired by the finding that at the current rate of decline, certain shark species will be extinct in 10 to 15 years. In large regions, species that were once numerous have fallen to 1% of their original numbers. Studies of open ocean sharks estimate 80 to 90% of heavily fished ...Yet these intelligent animals, also called the “Wolves of the Sea” are still fished intensively, and finned for “shark fin soup.” The oceans have evolved over hundreds of millions of years with sharks as apex predators, so their loss will destroy oceanic health.

A minor correction from my previous Blog...Kodachrome film is still available but...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-12-14T18:01:48+08:00

“Before Digital Photography my “CANVAS” was Kodachrome 25 ASA a superb film if not the very best in the good old days, a film so good that Masters like Pete Turner…” Sorry if I have jumped the gun a bit... after some more research I have found out that there is still a little bit left of Kodachrome and if you really interested you have to check out this real cool, informative and must read article. ...ROCHESTER, New York (AP) -- It is an elaborately crafted photographic film, extolled for its sharpness, vivid colors and archival durability. Yet die-hard fan Alex Webb is convinced the digital age soon will take his Kodachrome away...read the complete article @ http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/biztech/09/22/kodakchrome.fading.ap/index.html © Gunther Deichmann - both images are shot on Kodachrome 25 from the early 80’s in Central Australia many, many moons ago, and residing now digitized in my Archive.

Before Digital Photography my “CANVAS” was Kodachrome 25 ASA a superb film if not the very best in the good old days, a film so good that Masters like Pete Turner…

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-12-13T16:11:25+08:00

This article is in response to some feedback I have received (see below) Re. the End of Polaroid film and how much longer is film like Fuji and Kodak going to be around…I m sure for a few more years, I hope so. ...For this reason alone I like to see film around for many more years to come, given our younger generation the experience (at least in schools) to get it right in the first place without using Photoshop. Of course you can also learn with Digital cameras and the ability to view the image on the LCD screen is certainly a plus for the learning curve as long you refrain from using Photoshop and start all this manipulation removing wires and so on. ...Photoshop has his place for sure and I am using it for my FX images and commercial work, (I used to do all my FX manually in the darkroom working with multiple exposures on one frame at the time) but real Photography starts with your vision first, learning how to see things before you press the shutter on your camera. ...I still get immense satisfaction from looking at a well exposed Kodak Elite Chrome or Fuji Velvia on a lightbox or better still the close involvement with an image that one gets when sitting in a darkened room viewing beautiful images projected onto a pro - grade projection screen.

The ultimate Digital Photo Center in Micronesia and now TOUR OPERATOR OF THE YEAR 2008.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-12-12T15:12:53+08:00

Awarding winning is not new to Sam’s Tours which has been consistently recognized over the years not only by government and industry bodies for their commitment to development of sustainable tourism in Palau but also by their customers for consistent service excellence.  In 2007 Sam's Tours received a Top 10 Sponsor Award from PVA for "their continual support and sponsorship" and in 2006 the private sector Belau Tourism Association recognized Sam's Tours with their Outstanding Member Award for their "dedication, support and commitment over the years to Belau Tourism Association and its objectives.” The readers of a leading international dive magazine have recognized Sam’s Tours more than any other dive center in Palau or Micronesia with seven “Readers Choice Awards” since 1997 including a Gold List Award for top dive center, top staff, and top value. Sam’s Tours is the first and only dive center in Palau to receive the Palau Conservation Society “Ten Year Partner in Conservation Award” and is a Corporate Sponsor of the Palau Shark Sanctuary, a shark conservation organization founded in 2001 by Sam’s Tours General Manager, Dermot Keane, to help bring an end to the destructive practice of shark-finning by foreign fishing fleets operating in Palau’s waters. ...“Sam’s Tours has consistently demonstrated their long standing commitment to responsible tourism development, environmental preservation, and excellence in customer service and while recognition is not what drives us to excel, we sincerely appreciate the acknowledgment of our efforts by our industry peers and our valued customers alike” said Dermot Keane, General Manager, Sam’s Tours.

An evening with the System Engineers from Apple in Singapore…plus the Nikon D700 soon on a test drive.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-12-12T15:08:59+08:00

Posted from Singapore…I spend the past few days in Singapore to have my Nikon Cameras serviced at the Nikon Service Center. ...Shortly I bring you also a first hand test report on the Nikon D700 and the just released Leica D Lux 4 plus some cool info how to deal with some storage problems. ...Last night I got invited to join the Asia Apple System Engineers for dinner and afterwards for a few drinks at the Lunar Club. Surrounded by these guys the iPhones where buzzing all around me, but they also gave me some cool and useful tips, in other words it was very educational besides having a real good time with this totally great bunch. Super cool and real fun Guys… thanks a lot to Ching Ping (SE Manager) Benjamin, Jeffrey, Junior and of course Choon for a great evening and sharing some of their knowledge with me.

Photo of the Week in Stern Magazine Germany, "Bilder der Woche"

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-12-12T15:06:48+08:00

I just happen to come across a vessel unloading not only Fish but massive amounts of Shark fins. Each time a pile of shark fins had been cleared of the deck and trucked away by small trucks more Shark Fins appeared from the Hull of the vessel. I left the scene after about 45 minutes but the unloading continued, thousands of Shark fins of all species. ...I believe the reason for the worker wearing the hood is due to the cold temperature in the hull, (or is he hiding his face)? ... I could not get into the area where the fins where transported to by the trucks, which could have revealed most likely the real scope of this “catch”.

The End of Polaroid... & how much longer for Film?

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-12-10T22:34:16+08:00

But more of a concern; are we loosing our real Photography skills and rely upon Photoshop more and more? A topic which I have written about it many times; is our younger generation loosing the real Photography skills and adopting an attitude...well I can always fix it in the Computer using Photoshop. ...I bring this issue up again within the next few month and go into more details how things have changed in the last few years. ...CNN today reported a bit of photo news that should come as little surprise to most in the industry, Polaroid is officially ending production of instant film at the end of this month. We all know that video killed the radio star, CD’s killed vinyl, iTunes killed the CD, and digital killed film, but it is still sad when you experience an icon of innovation in the industry finally disappear for good...

New Digital Cameras:Leica D-Lux 4… my first impression & exposures shooting Raw.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-12-09T16:01:20+08:00

Why I decided on the Leica D-Lux 4 is very simple; only a few Compact Cameras have Raw format and at the same time a perfect lens range suited for me. ...The Leica D-LUX 4 sports a high-speed Leica DC VARIO-SUMMICRON 5.1-12.8 mm f/2.0-2.8 ASPH lens with a focal length range of 24 to 60 mm in 35 mm format. ...The only draw back at present is the Raw format it is not supported yet by Aperture 2, but I am sure Apple has this fixed very soon with a new software update. ...A cool Marco Mode of subjects as close as 5cm, manual focus and so much more, in other words this little marvel has a lot of power and possibilities maybe that’s why it is called the “Son of the Leica M 8” a perfect little companion in the field or for the weekend snapshots of the Family. ...But I can tell you that much already…a great Camera and I can imaging what the new Nikon D3X is going to be like after I had my first gentle drive with the D700, more on that in a few days.

ET or Big Eyes…the Philippine Tarsier…another Alien looking creature the Tarsier is actually not a Monkey...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-12-01T21:23:38+08:00

Let me introduce you to ET or Big Eyes…the Philippine Tarsier…another Alien looking creature, the Tarsier is actually not a Monkey but one of the smallest primate in the world from the Island of Bohol… fighting for its survival. ...Known locally as “the smallest monkey in the world” It is actually not a monkey, nor the smallest primate in the world, but certainly is one of the smallest, growing to about 15cm in length. ...On the ground it hops like a kangaroo aided by it’s long tail and can leap as far as 10’ (20 times it’s body length), when escaping predators such as snakes and owls. ...Up until the late 1960’s the Philippine Tarsier was quite common, but due to it’s adorable and benign appearance was widely hunted to be sold as traumatized short lived pets, or even killed and stuffed to make the ideal cuddly toy for children. ...A 7.4 hectare sanctuary was established at Corella, where some 100 tarsiers are kept in a spacious netted natural habitat enclosure, for feeding, captive breeding and display.

Introducing the Saffron Robes from Siem Reap, Cambodia…

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-11-25T21:14:05+08:00

During its 12th- to 13th-century golden age, this was one of the most powerful kingdoms in Southeast Asia, holding sway from southwest China to the southern tip of Indochina and from Vietnam to the Bay of Bengal. But, following the Empire's collapse, the whole of the Angkor temple complex, nearly reclaimed by the jungle, was lost for long periods to most of the world. ...But they're all the more impressive for what they suggest — for the sights that are no longer there, a way of life that vanished, in large part, withthe wood, woven bamboo and thatch secular buildings that have long since decayed, leaving only the stone-and-brick skeleton of the imperial centre. ...Buddhist monks continued to maintain Angkor as an important pilgrimage site from the 15th till the late 19th century, when Western scholars first began to explore this jungle-shrouded, lost city of fable. And Bayon, for example — a temple mound at the heart of Angkor Thom, a former capital of the Khmer Empire and one of the most important sites — still attracts monks and nuns from all parts of Cambodia.

A smile from Cambodia...an image which makes you smile and forget the days headaches.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-11-24T22:07:43+08:00

I just received this real nice image from one of my avid Blog Readers a Photographer friend from Vietnam and an Aperture 2 user. Massimo Casal and myself have been in touch with each other over the past 12 month and he only told me last week that he was going to Cambodia for a few days. (we never actually meet in Person only from my Blogs and email exchange) I was just about to close the day when I received this image from him, there was no way I could say NO and had to post it to share with you all. He made my day, thanks Massimo for sharing this with me and many others. I just love this shot of this cheeky but ever so beautiful little girl smiling, and Massimo is right by saying my beloved Cambodia, which it truly is.

When Disaster strikes…hard drive failure, it can happen to all of us including myself

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-11-22T18:53:47+08:00

As a matter of fact this just happens to me and while I am typing this Blog my back-up has been activated on my MacPro external drives. ...But since I am notorious for making back ups I am not to too upset, except for a bit of maintenance work and moving files around, all my images are still save. ...I make three back ups of just about every thing in particular of my images, two full back ups are with me and one with PhotoShelter containing high res. selected images. ...We are all to eager and quickly blame the manufactures but this can happen with any drive, you better believe it, however the purchase of a good brand is important. ...Of course you can also invest in some very elaborate Raid systems but they are expensive, important you do some type of back up and don’t rely on a single drive.

PhotoShelter Discount Code available now…the storage solution not only for the Pro Photographer... plus some cool NEW features.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-11-21T15:18:41+08:00

Well, that is true but one hard drive is not enough, say you use a 500 Gig Hard drive to store your images, great but what about your back up, so you end up buying two. ...Plus the storage on DVD’s is at present only some 4.5 GIG (single sided) and Blue Ray is still not so accepted in the industry not to mention the time and cost factor. ...PhotoShelter is a better solution and they claim their system is “Bullet Proof” check their website for all the information and if you decide to go with PhotoShelter make sure you use the Special Code above. Plus you have all these other options at your fingertips from Web Themes, Widgets, Slides shows, Marketing tools, RSS and so much more including sleeping well at night knowing that your images are safe. ...Trusted Client Download allows you to tag anyone in your address book and assign them with permission to download the hi-res of anything they can view (up to a certain size you indicate).

Announcement... PhotoShelter Site Maintenance & Upgrade Notice for a better performance online...plus Boracay Philippines

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-11-19T22:08:54+08:00

Site Maintenance and Upgrade Notice: To improve overall site performance, PhotoShelter has planned a site hardware upgrade on Saturday, November 22 from 6pm to midnight EST. If you experience some interruption during this time dont worry it is due to Maintenance. The images below are from a recent trip to Boracay, a Typhoon was just around the corner, hence the Drama in the sky. ...No Photoshop has been used, this is direct from Aperture 2. © Gunther Deichmann - Boracay, Philippines November 2008

Aperture 2 & Photography at the Power Mac Center Makati...get to know your tools

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-11-18T22:34:52+08:00

Book now for this special 5 hour intensive training, get to ...Aperture 2 and Photography Workshop at the Power Mac Center in Greenbelt Makati November 29 & 30, 1pm to 6pm at GB3 Training Center. Only a limited number of seats are available for this Workshop, please make your reservations early, thank you. This workshop is for serious amateur and advance Photographers, for details and early bookings please contact the Power Mac Center. ...or go to our website at: http://www.powermaccenter.com/training.php

Underwater Photography: Underwater image of an Octopus makes the science paper…

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-11-18T14:49:00+08:00

An Octopus from Puerto Galera makes it into a 105 page science Paper. I supplied this image for research purpose some time ago and now it is published in a study on Octopuses. If you interested in Octopuses or if you are a Marine Biologist and like to read the complete article you find the address below. ...Oceanography and Marine Biology: An Annual Review, 2008, 46, 105-202 ...Colour Figure 16 (Villanueva & Norman) Adult Octopus cyanea in camouflage display amongst soft corals,Puerto Galera, Philippine Islands.

The PhotoShelter Slideshow has arrived...more cool updates from my Photo Archives

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-11-17T19:02:01+08:00

As mention in my previous Blog the PhotoShelter Team has been working very hard to improve everything so we can make some good sales with our Stock Images. From the FTP connection, to Search Archives, slick looking Themes for your own customized Website, Widgets, Slideshow plus a lot more, check out their website and view some of the cool video tutorials. But that is enough talk for today, check out the NEW additional button on the left hand side called “The Classics” running as a slideshow direct from PhotoShelter. There is also a direct link to all the other Gallery Collections containing some 5000 plus high res. images. ...Lower left circle; click here and you get the whole row of thumbnails from that particular Gallery.

Implementation of PhotoShelter's cool new features...using the Plug-in for Aperture 2

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-11-14T13:09:00+08:00

But here is the cool part; now you can search my entire archives direct from my site with Keywords, just type in what you looking for and the images show up. ... Ayers rock Australia - plus we added a new button on this Blog left hand side just above FEEDBACK & CONTACT Stock Photos Search Archive we also changed the look and added some helpful info how to find images. ...If you misspelled a word, no images or only some will appear for e.g. you entered more than one Keyword like: milky way, Palau, Micronesia but you spelled it “milky wey” then only some images or non will appear. ...So be careful with you’re spelling, but if you not sure and I know there are some exotic names out there you can always type in the Country or go to the Gallery which contains all the images and subjects. ...PhotoShelter has added so many new cool features like an Embed your Gallery, it is like a YouTube look very nicet if you need to show your latest images to your agency or Client.

Photography with out Photoshop...Nature provides all the ingredients and most important the light...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-11-11T16:29:41+08:00

We had a great response to the image with the Shark Fins...all very positive and I hope someone get the message out there...if the buying STOPS the KILLING will too. ...The month of October/November has been very hectic, as you know we have just returned from Bali and only last weekend had to go out for another commercial shoot, which brings me to my topic of today. I am working almost exclusive with Aperture 2 now and to be honest what else do I need, the days of Photoshop have become rare, well for me anyway. I like to shoot the way I see it and I have written some articles on the subject, my reason for chosen the abstract Turtle is to demonstrate that Nature provides us with all the effects. Take my recent reflection shots from Bali for example, my advise to upcoming Photographers is; Dont relay on Photoshop unless it is for some commercial work but even then try and get it right in the first place, you be amazed how rewarding nature can be.

Breaking News: Photo of the Week in Stern Magazine Germany, "Bilder der Woche"

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-11-07T10:33:33+08:00

Photography: Bali Indonesia, the latest images uploaded on my PhotoShelter Archive…

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-11-07T00:02:34+08:00

“Peeling Paint” even an ugly wall can look cool! A selection of the latest images from my recent Journey to Bali have now been uploaded in my PhotoShelter Archives, more to follow in the next few weeks. Click this LINK and view the images in the Gallery section New Bali Oct. 2008 GD

Aperture 2 & Photography Workshops at the Power Mac Center Manila...November 2008

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-11-06T21:10:44+08:00

There will be an intense Aperture 2 and Photography Workshop at the Power Mac Center in Greenbelt Makati for November 29 & 30, 1pm to 6pm at GB3 Training Center. Only a limited number of seats are available for this Workshop, please make your reservations early, thank you. This workshop is for serious amateur and advance Photographers, for details and early bookings please contact the Power Mac Center. ...you can call 729-7087 or 88, ...or go to our website at: http://www.powermaccenter.com/training.php

What a blessing for Nikon users who like to use or buy the Nikon Coolpix P6000, NOW we can use the Raw images on a Mac with Aperture 2

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-11-05T15:01:40+08:00

The biggest problem with the recent release of the Nikon Coolpix was the Raw compatibility with a Mac, the Raw files where only available for Windows. ...Why I never understand, but that is all over now just like the election in the US. Aperture 2 has as of today an upgrade to tackle this exact issue. (see info below) The Nikon Coolpix P6000 is from what I have read and heard a real nice point and shoot Camera, great range on their lens, but was useless for anyone using a Mac... ...This update extends RAW file compatibility for Aperture 2 and iPhoto ’08 for the following cameras:

Tip: serching for stock images with the NEW Search Archive option...finding Photos quick

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-11-05T14:38:13+08:00

Here is a quick tip how to find Images fast and easy if you using our new Search Archive option now on this Blog (left hand side bar,Stock Photos Search Archives) or on my main website under Stock. If you misspelled a word, of course no images or only some will appear for e.g. you entered more than one Keyword, like: milky way, palau, Micronesia and “milky wey” is spelled wrong, then only some images or non will appear. So be careful with your spelling, however if you not sure and I know there are some exotic names out there you can always just type in the Country or go to the Gallery which contains all the images and subjects. GD

Major PhotoShelter update & maintenance...now easier to navigate with a build in search option for my Stock Images

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-11-04T21:44:27+08:00

We have just performed a major maintenance on my PhotoShelter Archive...now with a custom HOME Page easier navigation and some other alterations. But here is the cool part; now you can search my archives direct from my site with Keywords, see the search box below the screenshot, just type in what you looking for and the images show up. eg. Palau Milky Way - check also on the left hand side Stock Photos Search Archive which is now part of my Blog. The customized site is looking a lot slicker now, please use this NEW LINK (http://pa.photoshelter.com/c/gdeichmann) from now on, however the old link is still working. We are still working on a few other things and let you know once they have been implemented, by the way all the new images from Bali will be uploaded shortly on the PhotoShelter Archives with in a day or so you have the same search options on my Main Website implemented.

Photography: Behind the Scene images from a Photography Assistant and getting the grip on Aperture 2

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-11-03T15:14:54+08:00

It is extremely valuable to have an Assistant around during commercial Photography; I have been blessed by one of the better ones who has been with me for a long time. ...During our recent trip to Bali he found a little spare time to create some images for himself and these I like to share with you today. ...See below some Images by Hermes Singson, shot in Bali behind the scene or when he found the time. ...It was also the first time that he really got into Aperture 2 using my MacBook Pro for some pre editing and by the time we got back home a lot of our work had been done. He prepared some smart Folders with different subjects and edited the images according to star ratings, he marked what he thought was good with 5 stars, I checked later again reducing the images further by hitting

Creating a TV slide show for 8 x 40 inch high-end TV screens on site with a MacBook Pro using Aperture 2, Keynote and Quick Time.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-11-02T18:28:43+08:00

Back in Bali; we have been shooting all day when the request came up to produce a Slide show for the outside installed TV Screens which where running an old slide presentation from a DVD Player inside the Hotel Premises. ...Using Aperture 2 for the editing, Keynote for the Presentation and Quick Time for the conversion to a high end DVD then burning it with Toast Titanium. I exported my edited images (Versions) from Aperture 2 using JPEG – 50% of the Original Size, which in this case was more than good enough. Now I open Keynote picked a Theme added the selected images and some transitions, and send the complete presentation to Quick Time at the highest settings. Once the conversion was done I burned the DVD in Toast Titanium activating the Loop option since the DVD had to run non-stop.

Travel Photography: Bali Exposed…Colors, Reflections and Shadows, Culture & its beautiful People plus the unexpected from my last Journey…some of the images.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-10-30T19:08:11+08:00

The Gods have been kind and the weather was 99.0% perfect but then what else to expect in Bali where the population is some 97% Hindu, festivities and worshipping can happen on any day of the week. Color is all around you, finding the right approach is not easy, however on this trip I fell in love with reflections that seemed to “follow me around” or they just presented themselves for a great image. My Assistant Hermes and myself spend most of our time on a commercial project and I spend little time shooting for myself, but in Bali you don’t need much time...well it depends. ...for more recent images on Bali click the Image above or this LINK ...Color is all around you, isolate your subjects and try to be different with your approach, Bali is well photographed and coming up with something different is a challenge but can be a lot of fun.

No more Fire Wire,well almost...and now super glossy screens, a nightmare or a blessing for Photographers?

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-10-27T17:49:15+08:00

I have received some concerns from some readers regarding the new MacBook and MacBook Pro Screens, David Schloss from the Aperture User Network (AUN) has just posted an interesting article on this issue. ...( posted by David Schloss on 10-24-2008, 12:15 PM ) Last week I posted an editorial about the lack of FireWire on the new MacBook, the upshot of which can be summed up as "I wish it had FireWire, oh well." Having had a week's experience with the machine, I've turned my time to the glossy screen on the unit, and how it affects the pro photographer... click this LINK for the complete story. I thought I just add the image below “Fashion at Tanah Lot Temple” Japanese Girls with their Guide in Bali wearing the popular

Aperture Tip: fast and responsive after the shoot, having time for Donuts and Coffee at Starbucks…

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-10-26T23:07:12+08:00

Now I am having a well-deserved cup of Coffee and a Donut at Starbucks at the other end of Town and I thought to check on my ...(Starbucks usually has a good inter-net connection plus the coffee is not bad either, but you can do this from just about anywhere as long you have a connection and bring your laptop along) ...I selected the requested images and send them a few seconds later via Mail direct from within Aperture 2, here you have additional option for the images size; small, medium or large. ...Note: Try to avoid using 1/2 size or don’t limit Previews unless you have a lot of Hard Disk Space and a fast MacBook Pro. ...As for me, I am going to have another cup of Coffee now, Dream about Bali and I guess one more Donut won’t hurt.

Nikon D700 exposed in Aperture Users Network

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-10-24T13:00:34+08:00

I have picked up this Blog post from the Aperture Users Network, if you a Nikon user or not check it out, a very interesting article. Appropriate and a coincident with my recent Blog from the 10/21/08 Bali and the Festival of Lights in Berlin. For a hands-on impression on the D700 and some cool images read the complete article and click this LINK ...Our own (and National Geographic's own) Jim Richardson gives a hands-on impression from working with the D700 in Provence in our articles section. It's a nice read for those looking for information on this low-light wundercamera.

Aperture 2 &Travel Photography Workflow… exporting your Projects from the MacBook Pro to your MacPro and how much editing is advisable when traveling. Is the quality of the MacBook Pro Screens good enough today?

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-10-23T17:30:59+08:00

Once you have imported your Project into the MacPro I advise to make an additional back up (on another external Hard drive) after that you can start working on your MacPro using bigger and more accurate screens. ...The screens on the MacBook Pro and MacBooks are very good no question about it, however for fine-tuning and more precise color correction I use the Apple Cinema Screens which I do calibrate from time to time. ...Now is also the time to get rid off some rejects you don’t need to import, e.g., the Camera went off by accident, you select all for import and deselect the ones you don’t need by holding down the Apple Key and click on the rejects. Here is my daily routine whenever possible… I apply caption, copyright, and major keywords on import that is when your import panel is available straight after you insert your CF Card. (you can set the opening behavior for Aperture 2 in the preference setting so that Aperture opens as soon you insert the Cards). ...The cool part about Aperture 2, once you have transferred all your images over to your MacPro all the adjustments and Meta Data and what ever else you have done on the road is still there, a very big time saver.

Photography is light…light is Photography one of my favorite quotes...images from Bali and Berlin in Germany… a coincident? Maybe? But very interesting for sure, the Festival of Lights...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-10-21T21:43:27+08:00

During the month of October Berlin is hosting the Festival of Lights I actually reported about this Event last year in one of my Blogs. I thought this is an interesting combination of color and light from Bali and Berlin, so if you in Berlin during the month of October check it out and have a go at some night Photography. ...The German capital city is holding its annual Festival of Lights where its landmark buildings like the Brandenburg Gate and the radio tower become ablaze with color. According to the organizers, during the two week festival, light shows, projections and firework displays take place as well as, "numerous cultural events dealing with the subject 'light'". ...Thanks to my Brother Bernd for sending these images I think he has done a cool job with his night Photography, thanks Bro. for sharing.

Photography: The Colors of Bali Indonesia…amazing Colors, great and gentle People amazing and peaceful…we are sad to leave this beautiful place.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-10-20T18:16:03+08:00

Yes, time has come and we have started to pack our things, tomorrow morning we are leaving the Island of the Gods but we will return soon. ...Due to a much better connection I have decided to share some more images from this nice and peaceful place. Aperture 2.1.1 certainly made our job so much more fun, with fast and easy editing, no way I could have done most of the editing of the 6000 plus images in between our assignments with out Aperture 2. ...A very special thanks to my good friend Thomas Schubert and many others for all their help in Bali & of course to Hermes Singson my trusted Assistant. A very special mention and thanks to the management of the O-CE-N Bali which is managed by the Outrigger Hotel.

Tip: Travel Photography… check the electrical connections before traveling to a different Country it can save you a lot of headaches later.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-10-20T11:13:01+08:00

Here is a very simple but important tip when traveling to a different Country, it helps if you can check the electrical connections and plug requirements prior your departure just send an Email to your Hotel where you going to stay and ask what connection is needed. ...During our recent trip to Bali we made sure we had all the right connection, the Hotel provide us with two adaptors and a very useful extension cord. Remember it is not only your Computer which needs power but you need additional outlets for your Camera Battery Charger too. ...I have my Mac plugged in the outlet hence the reason for another outlet for the Camera Battery Charger plus your Cell Phone and what ever else you might bring along. ...An extension cord with say three outlets comes in very handy, there are usually outlets in the Rooms but these are scattered all over the place, I like to keep things together less chance you forget them later.

Travel Photography and Aperture 2: The Journey Continues…Shadows and Culture from Bali Indonesia, a preview after our Commercial Photography…

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-10-19T21:57:35+08:00

My Assistant Hermes and myself did find some time between our commercial Photography and explored some other areas of Bali. 6000 plus images later and our Journey in Bali is slowly coming to an end, today I like to share with you just a few images from this truly amazing and colorful place. In the coming weeks I prepare a MobileMe Web Gallery created in Aperture 2 with some more images from Bali, today is only a preview. ...© Gunther Deichmann - Hindu cleansing Ceremony at the Lembeng Beach, ...© Gunther Deichmann - roasting Pigs at the roadside in

Tip: Photography and Aperture 2… on the Road in Bali, the setup in our Hotel room after the shoot making sure everything is save

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-10-14T22:32:44+08:00

I thought I better get another Blog post out today, who knows if I have a connection in the next few days since we are moving Camp and to get these recent Blogs out took some 3 hours already. ...You can use a variety of software’s for your back ups, I have been using in the past the SilverKeeper which comes with the Lacie Drives when you buy them, but I have switched recently to Personal Backup X4 from Intego, a very simple and reliable software. ...This set up has saved me so much time over and over again, I can do some editing in Aperture right from the Hotel room and once back home a lot of my work is done already. A word of caution the Lacie Drive uses the power from the MacBook Pro so you better make sure your Machine is fully charged and I advise that you carry a spare battery. My Battery is fairly old now and I can only keep the charge for about one hour, previous test have shown me that on a new fully charged Battery you can work for about two hours plus.

Photography: Modern Architecture and Design at the O-CE-N Bali, a touch of prehistoric times using Ammonite Fossils & modern iPods in a Hotel Property.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-10-14T14:06:07+08:00

Ammonite Fossils are on display in most rooms but at the Long Bar you see them in their full glory set into backlit Onyx which has been added on as an extension of this fossil. ...However there is one piece of fossilized seabed which measures some 2 x 1.2 meters that really took my attention, a fantastic showcase of Ammonites in their evolution stage, in all my years I have never seen such a beautiful piece. ...In contrast to all these stones and fossils each room has a sound system (iHome) with an iPod (Nano) which you can get from the reception or bring your own, like I did. ...I helped in organizing these iPods and mention this in one of my earlier Blogs they where bought and engraved from the Apple Center in Jakarta, plus I gave Thomas a little “crash course” on Fossils hence my background in Paleontology. ...So if you in Bali next time, go down to Kuta-Legian Beach and check it out or even better have a drink at sunset while the Ammonites looking over your shoulder.

Photography: Bali Indonesia the first Images… Abstract Colors and Reflections from Kuta Beach…the first day.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-10-09T14:01:54+08:00

I know the Blog has been a bit thin these past few days but when the weather is great I am shooting all day having little spare time for blogs and other Computer work. ...Aperture 2 has proven itself again with the speed and efficiency I even get some sleep these days. The images on todays Blog have been taken on our first day in Bali at Kuta Beach right across from the OUTRIGGER and O-CE-N Bali (outrigger.com) you might think that the reflections have been created in the computer…definitely not! ...© Gunther Deichmann - “Reflections” Bali Indonesia October 2008 In the coming days I share with you some interesting images…from Fossils to iPod uses and some more abstract images from Bali.

Travel Photography: packing the bags and getting ready...the next Blog update is from Bali Indonesia

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-10-01T19:16:14+08:00

I am leaving in a few days for Bali my long overdue shoot, I try to keep the Blogs up during my travel, however they might be a bit thin in the next few weeks. Hopefully I get a good connection and can report from Bali, but now I am very busy with packing all the camera gear and other equipment, the last minute Gear check. The image below is from my last trip to Cambodia and I thought I share this one with you it is also a reminder of the... ...© Gunther Deichmann - Siem Reap Angkor Wat, Cambodia 2007 For some of the latest images on Cambodia click the image above or this

Underwater Photography: Diving the Wrecks of Truk Lagoon, Micronesia

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-09-29T22:30:37+08:00

© Gunther Deichmann - Truk Lagoon Micronesia 2007 Hanging like a “Chandelier” with amazing colors are the remnants of the WWII Ship wrecks in the Truk Lagoon, Micronesia, also know by its local name Chuuk. A paradise for Wreck Divers and Underwater Photographers. The Diver below the “Chandelier” is my good friend Dirk Fahrenbach from Dugong Dive Center in the Philippines.

Events: The 4th Angkor Photography Festival in Cambodia

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-09-29T12:53:49+08:00

for some recent images on Cambodia click the image or this LINK ...This festival was created in 2005 and this year, for the fourth time, the temples of Angkor will become a hub that will draw both famous and passionate photographers from around the world. The Angkor Photography Festival showcases this year outdoor projections by celebrating regional and international photographers in different locations in Siem Reap. The strong educational goals of the Angkor Photography Festival set it apart from other photography events. During their stay, famous photographers will tutor free workshops for emerging Asian photographers and the festival will also present its outreach programs for vulnerable people...more info @ http://www.photographyforchange.net/

Travel Photography: Aperture 2 is my Travel Companion in Bali Indonesia and the World first Asian Beach Games 18 – 29 October 2008 coincide with my trip to this magical Island in Indonesia.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-09-28T19:53:29+08:00

My long planned trip to Bali Indonesia is just around the corner, I am leaving on Friday the 3rd of October and be away for some three weeks shooting a variety of things. More on that later, please forgive me if my blogs getting a bit thin during the month of October but I do like to spend as much time as possible behind the camera. Lucky for me, my travel companion is Aperture 2 on my MacBook Pro hooked up to my triple interface 160 Gig Lacie Drives which is going to make my job a lot easier and faster plus a lot of extra storage. I guess I be shooting a lot more since I found out that the Asian Beach Games are held during the later part of my visit. ...Bali will become the venue of this international event which will see 45 countries participating with over 10,000 athletes, officials, media and volunteers all flocking to the Island of the Gods for this world class event.

Olympic Cliffhangers from Coron Island, Palawan Philippines, collecting the White Gold or Bird Nest…a rare glimpse into a cave and the Swiftlet on the Nest…Natures guide to modern construction hence the Olympic Stadium in Beijing.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-09-26T17:58:11+08:00

Now that is done I can easy find them again on my external drive since I referenced them with Aperture 2.1.1 and of course the Black and White Monochrome Mixer came in very handy also for the more personal images in the Tagbanua Village. ...I almost broke my neck getting this shot with the local swiftlet sitting on the nest, climbing high and crawling into a small cave to view these Birds actually on the nest. ...For me it was an honor to go with the Tagbanuas, it is impossible to climb with them to these hidden caves, normally they never reveal the location of the birds nests. ...I have tried this soup and must say it taste like nothing special it is very blunt and I am not sure on the reputation of being an aphrodisiac, they say that about so many other things too. ...During the Harvest Season some the Tagbanuas move the whole family from the main Village to the Bird Nest area, from this makeshift camp they guard the Bird nesting area.24 hours a day from thieves.

Customizing Apertures Web Journal Themes, font, colors, headings etc., without going into the html code. Maybe Jumsoft with their custom Themes is the answer. They have a great collection for iWeb, Keynote, Pages and many more including for Rapid Weaver

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-09-22T22:37:16+08:00

I just recently ran across your blog and was wondering if you knew of an easy way to customize Apertures web journal themes (i.e. font, colors, headings, etc.). ...But you are correct there is actually no way that we can make some changes to the Themes in the Aperture Web Journal and Pages, however I have heard that you can import your own design but let me check on this a bit more. I am not using the Web Journal and Web Pages in Aperture very often, I am using the MobileMe Web Gallery for my work and have my own site created outside Aperture 2. I guess Aperture was never really intended to do major web work which is understandable but then we never know what comes next, hopefully in the near future we get to see more in Apertures Web Pages and Journal. ...I am using Rapid Weaver for some web work and Blogs, very cool software and no need to know html and RW has full html capabilities if needed.

Late News: Announcement...Photography & Aperture 2 at the Power Mac Center Makati, Manila Philippines...the ONE SOFTWARE SOLUTION for Photographers.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-09-20T23:02:19+08:00

Photography & Aperture 2 at the Power Mac Center, Makati, Greenbelt 2, Sept. ...

“The ONE SOFTWARE SOLUTION for Photographers” click on the Banner for more info at the Power Mac Training Center ...2nd Level, Greenbelt 3 Ayala Center, Makati ...or email us at training@powermaccenter.com

Tip:Discover Aperture 2 & find the hidden Treasures a quick way in producing a simple layout for the client or very useful for the web…Aperture’s Book option come in very handy for other things besides creating stunning looking books.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-09-20T19:53:15+08:00

Send a simple looking postcard design to your client letting him know that you are on location, or show him a sample of your latest images, “Postcards style” or use it for a blog post like I have done today. The possibilities are endless thanks to the Book option in Aperture…I am not going into great details today but rather point out the endless possibilities in Aperture 2 without ever leaving the application. ...Marked with red the drop down menus for Themes, Set Master Page and Book Action (there you find the Auto flow unplaced images) and the Print option where you find the Preview (use this for the Screenshot) and all the other pdf formats you ever going to need. Play around with the Book option, even if you don’t produce a complete Book right now and you find there are a lot of things you can do, use a small number of images first and experiment. ...Open Aperture and select the images you like for your “Book” then click the Book Icon pick a Theme (the screenshot shows the Stock Book Black) and if you in a hurry choose Auto flow unplaced images and you are almost done, click Print “Book” and select Preview.

PHOTOGRAPHY: Palau Micronesia... Readers Choice Award 2008...a Paradise for Photographers above and below the waves...plus a complete Digital Photo Center with the latest imaging software including Aperture

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-09-18T20:39:31+08:00

While the Readers’ Choice Award category for individual dive operators has been discontinued in favor of destination awards, Sam’s Tours garnered a total of 8 Scuba Diving Magazine Readers’ Choice Awards beginning in 1997, including Gold List Award, Top Dive Center, Top Staff and Top Value, making Sam’s Tours the “Divers Choice” in Micronesia. ...Sam's Tours Digital Photography Center is fully equipped to cater to digital photographers of all interest levels from those with handy “point-and-shoot” cameras to the most demanding digital photographers shooting in RAW format. Our six top of the line Apple iMac workstations are loaded with terabytes and terabytes of storage, archiving and secure data back up systems, lots of RAM, and completely optimized for digital imaging with Apple Aperture image management software, Adobe Photoshop Elements, Bridge, Toast, and topped off with DSL Wi-Fi internet access. ...Our rental equipment includes the latest Canon Powershot SD850 digital cameras and Canon ZR830 mini digital video cameras complete with underwater housings, large storage media, plenty of additional batteries, and full service support from our professionally trained Photo Center staff. Other Photo Center amenities include a padded and dry camera prep table, battery charging stations, 110V and 220V electrical supply, separate camera rinse tanks, camera drying station equipped with towels and compressed air, and secure storage for your housings, equipment cases and other accessories.

Digital Camera RAW compatibility...Software update extends RAW file compatibility for Aperture 2 and iPhoto '08, including for the NEW Nikon D700

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-09-17T18:55:11+08:00

Latest Software up date for Aperture 2 including for the NEW Nikon D700 This update extends RAW file compatibility for Aperture 2 and iPhoto ’08 for the following cameras: ... • Canon EOS Digital Rebel XS/Kiss Digital F/1000D ... • Olympus EVOLT E-420 • Olympus EVOLT E-520

Stock Photos: PhotoShelter Archives now with over 4500 selected high resolution images from over 25 Countries, including the Images from the Book Journey Trough Color & Time

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-09-17T13:39:37+08:00

Another reminder that the PhotoShelter Collection is not available any longer, but I will continue with my PhotoShelter Archives, there you find over 4500 selected high resolution images from over 25 Countries, including the images from the book “Journey Through Color & Time”, plus Aerials, Culture, Nature, Geographical,Tribal, Wildlife, Underwater and Marine, Animals, Vegetation, Weather, People, Historical, Environment, Travel, Resort, Spas, Commercial, Food, Backgrounds, FX/Abstract and Texture. Click on the image or the banner below and go direct to the PhotoShelter Archives. © Concept/Photography Gunther Deichmann

A glimpse at the very rare Leichhardt Grasshopper from Arnhem Land, Northern Territory Australia, plus PhotoShelter update...more than 4500 images are now available in high resolution in my PhotoShelter Archive...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-09-15T20:33:16+08:00

During my frequent travel in the Northern Territory between 1974 and 1986 I came across this amazing Grasshoppers one morning sitting on a small bush, only a few feet away from my camping ground. ...I was very deep inside Arnhem Land and in Aboriginal Territory, I had heard about this amazing Grasshopper before and had seen a specimen at the Darwin Museum (the only one) and now I was confronted with these rare creatures sitting sluggish on a bush right in front of me. ...I was told by the Curator of the Darwin Museum that this Grasshopper had not been seen for some 100 years, I did collect a specimen for the Darwin Museum for Research purpose. ...The PhotoShelter Collection is not available anymore, however I have “JUICED” up my PhotoShelter Archives, now with over 4500 high res. images from more than 25 Countries and many other commercial subjects.

Photography: Just one more...a friend, a new Aperture and Mac User...creating some cool images...fell in Love with Aperture 2 and he decided to make the switch.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-09-14T22:28:52+08:00

You might remember when I mention Aperture and our non professionals, check this out, recently a good friend of mine purchased a MacBook Pro, he made the switch from one day to the next...”yesterday it was a PC and today it is a Mac.” He always liked Photography, has taken some cool images and it was Aperture in the end which persuaded him to go all the way, I guess I helped a bit with his decision, ha,ha.... ...The other day we had a couple of Drinks and talked shop and Hubert went on and on how happy he has been with the Mac Book and Aperture 2, but I was even more surprised how much he did know about Aperture in such a short time. Burj al Arab. using the MONOCHROME MIXER for Black and White in Aperture, note the copyright on the image was created using the BorderFX 1.1 plug-in for Aperture, check my previous Blog for all the details. This gets to show you, you dont have to be a Rocket scientist to learn and understand Aperture, Hubert started first with iPhoto but has now moved over to Aperture 2, of course I am going to give him some more tips down the road over a glass of wine or two.

Aperture 2 Tip: Feedback on the Watermark and MobileMe Web Gallery in Aperture 2, David Schloss from Aperture User Network AUP has pointed out it is not an engineering issue but…plus Thumbs up for the plug-in called BorderFX 1.1…

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-09-14T20:20:20+08:00

09-05-2008) I don't think this one is an engineering issue as Gunther suggests, so much as interoperability between Aperture and MobileMe, a technology that was not really developed for the commercial photographer but was intended more ...See below the link to the Aperture User Network (AUN) an interesting post by John Omvik, a very handy plug in for solving these watermark issues, but it is still a workaround if you going to use MobileMe Web Gallery no matter which way…I have tried this plug-in and I have to admit it is pretty cool and works fine even with multi images plus it does a lot more. Screenshot of BorderFX 1.1 great for watermarks but also for additional text, info, shadows, borders, plus a lot more a very cool plug-in and thanks to John Omvik for posting this on the AUN. You all know I am note the greatest fan for plug-ins, but this one I can recommend and not because it is free... because this one makes a lot of sense, however I still like to see Aperture 2 with direct watermarking by-passing all those plug-ins for use in the MobileMe Gallery, I guess we have to wait for a while, in the meantime this plug-in does a great job, thanks to John Omvik for pointing it out. Now you have two options for watermarking, the one I have explained in my previous Blog or use BorderFX 1.1 with my Thumbs up and a very successful test drive behind me.

Photography: Getting ready very soon for Bali Indonesia…an interesting surprise from this beautiful Island… a real TIME TRAVEL is waiting for us…from luxury Hotels & Spas to amazing Culture, fantastic colors and some real Fossils plus iPod related.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-09-08T21:32:56+08:00

Shortly we are leaving for Bali and this time it is going to be different and an unusual Journey, at least for the Photography part. This trip which had been postponed many times is now a reality, “Time Travel” is waiting for us. Yes, I am doing it again keeping all of you in suspense…but that is the general Idea, sorry you have to wait. You might asked, what has all of this to do with iPods and Fossils, sorry you just have to wait and see... ...The image below I took a few years ago in Bali, this time will be a bit different and really up my ally, but dont worry the colors will be there.

Hey Dad have a look… this is what the iPod hard drive looks like…I turned around and had a quick look but my good old iPod was still in one piece, Mark Lee don’t scare the daylights out of me…

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-09-08T17:37:23+08:00

Since Mark –Lee started to work at the Power Mac Center in Greenbelt, Makati, he got into this habit of scaring the old man now and then. Like today when friends gave him an old iPod that was beyond repair, he took it apart and just walked up to me and said, hi Dad have a look what an iPod hard drive looks like, then he got me going I thought he had just dismantled my trusted 80 Gig iPod with my cool Blues Collection. ...But my iPod was safe, and when I saw the small hard drive it reminded me of an old Gramophone or Record Player so I guess old ideas die-hard. Having a Son who loves Mac and works at an Authorized Apple Center can have its benefits but be ready for the odd scare or two. ...Don’t try this at Home, if you ever have a problem with your iPod I highly recommend to take it to the next Apple Service Center.

Aperture 2 and the problem with the watermark in the Mobile Me Web Gallery. Unfortunately there is still a little problem within Aperture and the watermark, but here is an easy workaround.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-09-05T22:35:45+08:00

I received this email from Ian Watts in the UK. and like to share his question with you, a common problem within Aperture but an easy workaround until the Engineers have found a solution. ...In the Preference panel you choose and set your setting for the Watermark, experiment a bit and find what you like best, the opacity slider, left or right this is all up to you. ...Now you simply export them all in one go to your desk top in to a folder using jpg low resolution, I usually choose the Email medium setting, plenty good enough for viewing and the web, but to small for serious reproduction. ...Easy since we are only dealing with low res files anyway, I hope I was of some help to you and please do not hesitate in contacting me if you have any other problems, good luck and all the best, and let me know if it worked out. ...I would have thought that the most common need for watermarking is for web galleries, so it is a shame that this feature wasn't included in Aperture 2.1... perhaps it will be upgraded at some stage to include this?

Digital Cameras: Nikon D90…is this new Nikon Camera going to be more popular with Underwater Photographers? The ability to shoot still images plus Video is a very interesting concept or is it another risk factor for Divers? Running out of air is a lot more likely now than running out of frames.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-09-05T15:49:20+08:00

There is also a very nice comparison between the Nikon D80 and the New D90 plus some pre Photokina test reports check it out at: Digital Photography Preview - http://www.dpreview.com/previews/nikond90/ ...B ut the downside is... running out of air during the dive…we have plenty storage available with the latest CF cards, they getting bigger and bigger and now with the new video option never a dull moment underwater. ...© Gunther Deichmann - a Turtle cruising near Blue Corner, Dive Palau Micronesia with Sam’s Tours who has the only Pro Digital Photo Center in Micronesia with the latest Software, Camera and Video rentals plus is Wi-Fi connected. I am sure Canon will follow shortly and the manufactures of Underwater Housings must be going mad by now, it is a very competitive business with all those new Camera Models rolling of the assembly line year after year. As soon I get any news on the latest Underwater Housings I let you know, or check with DivePhotoGuide.com my good buddy Jason Heller is usually very quick with the latest in Underwater Photography.

Water and our Environment: Natures Texture alive and dead…without water there is no life…in response to Australia’s Great Dry…have no illusion Global warming is real.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-09-03T16:07:56+08:00

Environment awareness: my previous blog on the Australia’s Great Dry was another reminder how serious Global warming is and that we need to do something about it. Beautiful images of Flowers and Water, raindrops on leaves will disappear forever and soon only texture of cracked earth is left with animal skeletons. All the images below are taken in Australia; the Water drops on a leave from the lush rainforest in North Queensland, the Water Lily in a Billabong in Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory, and the cracked earth from the Desert in Western Australia is a reminder of what could happen if we dont act now. ...© Gunther Deichmann - last light on a Water Lily, a Billabong in Kakadu National Park, N.T.

Dejavou…its happen again? Australia’s Great Dry… Australia is experiencing similar drought condition they had in 1983. You might remember the Cover Photo of Time Magazine in March 1983…is it Global warming or Environmental collapse…

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-09-01T20:20:47+08:00

For me It was not 100 years ago, but only in 1983, don’t know if we Humans forget to quick I certainly remember it only to well. ...In 1983 I experienced first hand the slaughter of thousands of cattle and sheep, destroyed due to lack of food and water. ...See below some excerpts from a recent story on the TIme.com website; for more and the complete article please go to: ...The entire eastern half of Australia is thirsting through a wasting drought that is in many regions the worst in the history of the world's most arid continent. Already, the "Great Dry" has devastated 90% of New South Wales, which is now in its 45th month of drought, and 95% of the state of South Australia, Dubbo, a typical rural town, averages 25.5 in. of annual rainfall.

Nikon Press release: Photokina Germany 2008. The New Nikon D90 Camera has just been announced which includes an innovative Movie function…a world first for a D-SLR Camera…Pod casting from the Jungles and Temples in Cambodia now?

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-08-31T21:24:17+08:00

Where is this all going, but it is an interesting New Camera from Nikon and a very first with the new Movie function. ...Stunning 12.3-megapixel image quality, broad control and an innovative movie function combine to deliver unsurpassed creative freedom in a D-SLR. for more details and the specs go to Nikon Singapore @ ...As the world’s first D-SLR with movie function, this remarkable camera offers truly cinematic results, stunning image quality and innovative high-performance features inherited from Nikon’s new-generation DX-format flagship D300. ...Advanced features such as Live View, Scene Recognition, Active D-Lighting, Picture Control and an ISO sensitivity range of 200-3200 (ISO 6400 equivalent on Hi1 and ISO 100 equivalent on Lo1), allows creativity in almost any setting. And to ensure all these features are easy to use, they are packed in an ergonomic body with an intuitive operational layout…read a lot more and the very first report @ Digital Photography Review - dpreview.com

Underwater Photography: The most beautiful texture is created by Nature…below and above the waves, an interesting Alien looking Coral.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-08-30T18:11:28+08:00

The other day I went through some of my underwater images when I came across this shot I had taken some time ago in the Philippines. As you know I always have this thing with Alien type images, remember the Cuttle Fish (Sepia sp) which I called Alien afternoon… This shot reminded me again, how Alien our underwater world can be…special thanks to Lee Goldman my Marine Biologist friend who identified and wrote a short explanation for this amazing colorful coral. © Gunther Deichmann - Pictured in this photo of a coral in the family Favites is a pair of coral gobies (Pleurosicya micheli). Symbiotic algae, zooxanthellae, and specialized pigments that protect them from harmful U/V light combine to produce amazing colors in many species of Corals.

National Geographic: Amazing Photos of Sailfish a great article not only for Underwater Photographers.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-08-26T13:58:08+08:00

I have just received this info from the National Geographic super cool images not only for Underwater Photographers but for everyone...you have to see these amazing images of sailfish...all the links are below. ...Hi Gunther, I thought you might like these photos of a large group of sailfish off Isla Mujeres in the Gulf of Mexico, attacking a huge bait ball of sardines. The sailfish work together to reduce the size of the baitball, and Nicklen shows them sticking their long noses into the swirling mass of sardines, then suddenly shooting up their sails and flashing wild colors to scare the bait fish: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/09/sailfish/nicklen-photography The video shows the sailfish in action:

Digital Cameras: Nikon announces Coolpix P6000 with GPS, a new point and shoot with 13.5 Megapixels, at first glance it looks like a great Digital Camera if you on the go. But what about Aperture 2 and the Raw conversion?

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-08-25T16:50:22+08:00

I have included a few links today which can help and lead you to the Aperture 2 specifications plus info on all the Aperture 2 support for the RAW formats from more than 100 digital cameras and camera backs. ...It also records RAW files in a new NRW format that can be converted in-camera or with the forthcoming Windows version of View NX or Windows Imaging Component compatible applications. ...is pleased to announce its new top-of-the-line Performance series COOLPIX model, the P6000, Nikon’s first camera with built-in GPS. ...Its 13.5 effective megapixels, the use of Nikon’s exclusive image-processing system EXPEED (originally designed for its professional D-SLRs) and a wide-angle 4x Zoom-NIKKOR lens with two ED glass elements (28-112 mm) leave nothing to be desired. The camera’s image quality is further reinforced by its ability to shoot images in RAW format, and Picture Control capabilities, taken from D-SLR products.

Photography: The Commercial Work...from South East Asia, Australia and Micronesia...the things we do, from Fashion, Resort, Spa, Hotel, Product and specializing in Aerial Photography... go to our Commercial Website and see for yourself.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-08-24T18:01:52+08:00

In case you have not seen it...let me take this opportunity and introduce you to our Commercial Photography web site and to Websync International Corp. ready for any web assignment specializing in Concept,Design, Marketing and Search Engine optimization (SEO) We have uploaded also today some more cool Videos which had been produced as DVD’s some time ago. Video by Dirk Fahrenbach and Gunther Deichmann, edited on a Mac using iLife and some Soundtracks from Sounddogs which are royalty/copyright released. The soundtracks have been re-mixed in GarageBand and SoundTrack Pro. ...Video © 2008 Gunther \Deichmann and Dirk Fahrenbach, Edit: Gunther Deichmann

iMovie: Production for a Dive Center...super cool Video footage edited using iLife with some royalty/copyright released Music from Sounddogs and mixed in GarageBand

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-08-24T00:13:39+08:00

Just added two very cool Underwater Videos from my good friend Dirk Fahrenbach, he gave me the raw footage and I did the edit in iMovie, then I used some Music from Sounddogs and mixed it all in GarageBand. If you click on the small banner Ad on the left go and visit the Dugong Dive Center in Palawan , the only place in the Philippines where you can watch Dugongs in the wild... and dont forget to bring your Camera...remember those cool shots from our Dive Master Omar a few weeks ago... this is same place, perfect for nature Photography. ...Click on the images above and go direct to the Music Video/Podcast section. Please have some patience some of the Clips could take several minutes to download, of course this depends on your connection. The video has been compressed to fit within the web standards, but Broadband/DSL connection is recommended.

Late NEWS: Underwater Photographers and Adventure Travelers...The Philippine-Micronesia Alliance has just announced its NEW and updated website alliancediving.com

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-08-23T14:40:51+08:00

The Philippine-Micronesia Alliance (alliancediving.com) has just announced its new updated website, see below the blog post I have just picked up. I highly recommend any of the destinations from the PMA for your next Adventure or Underwater Photography trip, see blow some images, Courtesy of the PMA’s New Photo Gallery. This site is also in nine (9) different languages and has real time weather from all the destinations in the Philippines and Micronesia. ...Late Breaking NEWS...finally our updated and improved website is up and running at alliancediving.com the Divers Choice ...Finally our NEW and improved website is up and running...more info, a cool Photo Gallery,easier direct bookings with all our Partners, easy to book and choose our dive,travel and adventure packages plus a lot more and all of this in nine languages.

Why Aperture 2 works for me…very often I get asked why I am using Aperture and not Lightroom…very simple, it started with my Book: Journey Through Color & Time in 2006 and my affair with Aperture 1.0 begun.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-08-22T11:30:19+08:00

Adobe (Photoshop,Lightroom, In-Design plus many others) produces some awesome and great software but remember we need to create these images first before we use them…but now you might asked why I am always full of praise when it comes to Aperture…? Well I have some very simple answers and after that no more comparison, in the end it is your choice; I can only speak for myself and share my experience with you. ...But here is the real reason why I am using and fell in Love with Aperture… when I produced my Book Journey Through Color and Time ...Aperture 1.0 filled the gap in today’s digital Photography and if you ask me about all those Plug Ins… Well, I commented on that already and I have to admit I cant comment on Lightroom anyway… but why should I… I fell in LOVE with Aperture since day one for all the reason explained above, but most of all I am happy with one software, got to know it well, so why should I waste my time and mess around with something else…

Aperture 2…the difference between the Web Gallery, Webpage and Web Journal... plus another option is iWeb… sharing and showing your Photos with YOUR clients and the rest of the world. My choice & workflow at the Beijing Olympics would have been the MobileMe Gallery, the one I LOVE so much.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-08-20T19:58:42+08:00

The Webpage template offers less customization than the Web Journal; the Webpage translates an Album into a page, and then allows you to specify a number of columns and rows for each page. ...I guess you know this one, the now called MobileMe Gallery, my absolute favorite, but then it depends what type of work you producing or like to show. ...Mac) in great details before and how much I love it for the storage and distribution of my images, and since the arrival of MobileMe it has only gotten better. If I where in Beijing right now and had to cover some of the events I would certainly choose the MobileMe Gallery to get my images out to the Editors and Publishers, the MobileMe Gallery is very cool and smooth as Silk… ...However Aperture does not stop here, if Aperture’s three webpage options aren’t enough for you then you can turn to iWeb, which is part of the iLife suite that is a standard on all Macs.

Tip: Aperture 2…Did you know some of these abbreviations, like ICC profile, IPTC, plus many others…? Difficult to know if you just started to use Aperture or NEW to those Photography terms on the Computer plus more info from the AUN at the Beijing Olympics.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-08-19T21:31:02+08:00

The Image below is not from the Beijing Olympics but it made me smile and reminded me of this very cool sentence by David Schloss (AUN) from the other day...oh boy it is so true... ...But believe me to get of your normal path and try some thing New can be very rewarding, or even more profitable for your business. Recent articles from the Beijing Olympics seem to prove just that, check them out at AUN or at O’Reilys interesting observations from the Pros at the worlds biggest sporting event. ...The standard format for storing information about how an image was shot, such as shutter speed, aperture, white balance, exposure compensation, metering setting, ISO setting, date, and time. ...Aperture automatically extracts all industry-standard EXIF and ITPC metadata when importing images and also allows metadata such as copyright, captions, and keywords to be added.

NEWS: Aperture 2 or now Aperture 2.1.1 at the Beijing Olympics, an interesting article by David Schloss from the AUN...Photoshop, Bridge, Aperture...the race is on…or is it won already?

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-08-17T19:03:44+08:00

Websites like AUN (http://www.apertureprofessional.com/) and O’Reily (http://digitalmedia.oreilly.com/aperture/certainly) can help you a lot, or the Tutorials from the Apple Aperture site, (http://www.apple.com/aperture/tutorials/) events like the Olympic Games in Beijing are certainly a great help for all our News/Sports Photographers, and gauging from the sheer scale Apple has put up at the Beijing Olympics there is no doubt in my mind on the SOLID COMMITMENT for the Pro and Amateur Photographer by Apple. ...Local and regional Retail Apple/Mac shops can contribute in hosting some Aperture events, introducing Aperture 2 at least to a basic level, I know some of these event have been organized in the US and we have done quiet a few in the Philippines with the support of the Power Mac Center in Manila, for Training schedules go to: http://www.powermaccenter.com/ ...The AUN's been on the scene at the Olympics for nearly two weeks, working with Apple in the Main Press Center helping to provide support for the one-thousand-plus journalists who have descended on Beijing to cover the world's largest sporting event. While I've just arrived in country to replace someone who has been here for weeks, I've already noticed examples of what I like to call the Photoshop Paradox or "How to shoot at 10-frames-per-second and edit at 12-frames-per-hour." ...I'm not talking about Bridge, I've seen a few photographers who are using various iterations of that image preview and editing tool, but for some reason many of the shooters—at least many of those who bring their own laptops in to work on their images—still have a workflow whereby they open up dozens of images at a time in Photoshop, and use that interface as the way to make their image selection...

Late NEWS...RAINFOREST Reveals NEW Species in Guyana, a bit different from the usual Photography and Aperture stories, a Scince & Environment article from the BBC

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-08-16T21:02:25+08:00

Rainforest…NEW species revealed, an amazing article and part of a BBC documentary…lets take care of our planet and environment. Lets not destroy our rainforest before we discover and get to know all its inhabitants…OUR RAINFOREST Must Be Protected! ...I thought I share this interesting science article with you, yes a bit different from the usual Photography and Aperture stories. ...The group believes it has revealed two fish species, one frog species and a number of bat flies that have not been described previously. ..."In a short time, we caught hundreds of species, 10% of which may be new to science.

INFINITY...a short 45 second web commercial for websyncintl.com, created using a MacBook Pro...iLife (the old iMovie but new iDVD) Photoshop and Snapz Pro X...mixing the old with the new software does work.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-08-15T21:04:12+08:00

Remember my recent TIP on iLife including Aperture 2 using the Themes from iDVD plus a little help from Snapz Pro X…and of course the ever so cool GarageBand creating simple 15 and 30 second Video clips on the fly…posted on the 04-08-2008 | 14:19 ...Today I bring you “INFINITY” another cool effect from this combination Aperture 2.1.1 - iDVD - iMovie - Snapz Pro X and of course GarageBand but with a little twist. , I added Photoshop to the list. This cool clip runs for about 45 seconds and is a bit more complicated then the previous ones...but so cool, using the old iMovie with some 3rd party plugins, adding some voice over and flying balls...of course the Mac integration played a big role here. However the technique is the same using Snapz Pro X for the iDVD recording, once that is done the possibilities are endless and as mention before you can create some high cool looking files for the TV too. Click here or on the image and travel to the Music Video/Podcast section to play the clip, you might have to refresh your Browser for the new clip to show, enjoy.

TIPS: Travel PHOTOGRAPHY…Part one (1) Protecting YOUR Camera Equipment from the extreme environment…Raincoats & Waterproof Camera Bags…plus PopPhoto.com presents 20 plus Simple, Useful, Clever, Fun Ways to Get Better Photos

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-08-13T19:36:12+08:00

Below are 2 tips which I had published in the PopPhoto.com last year, the article is still very popular and I decided to add a few extra tips for our travel Photographers on today’s blog. ...This is a great OUTDOOR Fill and so much better than all these gadgets on your Strobe…plus you look smart in white, reflecting the heat during the day… feeling cool…until later when you crawled around some ruins got sweaty and dirty, I guess you just have to bring a few extra white T-shirts, they are small enough and take up very little space in your suitcase. ...Creating images in the rain can be easy but risky for your equipment… I always carry 2 simple inexpensive (no more than US$5.00 each) Poncho type Raincoats, one for myself and one for the camera bag. ...This is perfect for your portraits in the field if you have to use flash or you can use them as a small soft box for the odd macro shot, great for some artefact you might come across. ...This is not the cheapest one…but your Cameras and lenses, etc., etc. need to be protected they are worth a lot more than your bag.

MobileMe and Aperture 2...the new Mobile Me Gallery and Albums in Aperture 2, big changes on YOUR storage Capacity for all your PHOTOS

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-08-11T16:31:19+08:00

Yes, I did end up in the Hospital last week for a few Days, but I getting much better now and by next week should be back to my normal combat mode. Just to fill in the blank spaces I thought I remind everybody on the MobileMe, the new icons popped up in Aperture 2.1.1 after MobileMe was activated, pretty clever by Mac. ...MobileMe together with Aperture 2 is a great way to show your Portfolio to clients and frinds and impress everyone with a cool looking Web Album. In one of my up coming blogs I will describe the difference between all these Web related things within Aperture 2.1.1 We have also the Aperture 2 Web Journal and the Aperture 2 Web Page options, but more on that later, now I have to follow Doctors orders and get some more rest.

Apple Training and Certification introduces a NEW GREEN Certificate fulfillment process...contributing to a GREENER and better Environment

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-08-05T13:16:10+08:00

Apple Training and Certification goes GREEN....just received this info, I am very happy and supportive of this GREEN move, well done Apple for caring about our Environment. ...Since environmental considerations are an integral part of Apple's business practices, Apple Training and Certification is pleased to introduce a new Green certificate fulfillment process. Beginning August 1, paper certificates will no longer be sent to Mac OS X and Pro Apps students who pass certification exams. Instead, students will receive an email with a link to download a PDF version of their certificate at no charge. Students will be able to print these certificates, but we hope that most will choose to simply post the PDF certificates on their websites.

Tip: iLife including Aperture 2 using the Themes from iDVD plus a little help from Snapz Pro X…of course the ever so cool GarageBand with iMovie, creating simple 15 and 30 second Video clips on the fly…or just having fun on the Mac

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-08-04T14:19:19+08:00

Taken advantage of the iDVD Themes in a different way, this is a simple work-around very basic but fun and if you use Snapz Pro X for your screenshots then why don’t you try the Movie capture option, this option can give you some very cool results, it is fast and easy to use. I only used a couple of Themes but in iDVD you have so many to choose from…try experimenting and you find there are a lot of cool things you can do. ...Pick a couple of images drop them into your iDVD Theme and you almost there, if you using Snapz Pro X choose the Movie option and record your iDVD theme. ...The rest is pretty much automatic, once Snapz Pro X has finished the recording (depends on the lengths of the clip) it prepared also a QT file for you, I usually save them on my desktop easy to find later. ...How long does this take…not very long at all, I guess the hardest part is the Music, which I created from scratch in GarageBand, but since I had already a good selection of soundtracks the whole operation took only one hour for all three clips.

From Mumbai in India to Spanish…fotoaldia.com has just posted a photo selection from my Mumbai trip… View from my Car Window on their Website Gallery…

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-08-02T17:44:02+08:00

If you can read or speak Spanish you might find this article and the images interesting, fotoaldia.com is a very cool website with a lot of information and great Galleries…however it is in Spanish. ...Es miembro del Instituto de Fotografía Profesional de Australia (IAPP) y ha sido merecedor de 14 reconocimientos al mérito en sólo 3 años. ...Sus imágenes han visto la luz en muchas publicaciones internacionales como: Airone, en Italia, Geo, en Alemania y Francia, la Revista Stern, el New York Times, Grand Reportage, Figaro y también en VSD, en Francia. En la actualidad Deichmann reside con su familia en Manila, Filipinas, desde donde cubre como fotógrafo todo el Sudeste de Asia y el Pacífico. ...Para más información sobre este fotógrafo visite esta página: http://www.deichmann-photo.com/

HANOI VIETNAM... View from the Car Window… a nice example of Vietnamese daily life…a reader contribution. A cool shot, edited in Aperture 2.1.1 interesting TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY and the shooting from the car window continuous…

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-08-01T16:23:16+08:00

Today I like to share with you an image I have received from Massimo Casal in Vietnam, I have known Massimo for quiet some time from email exchange and Aperture discussions. After seeing my previous article on “View from my Car Window” he send me this very cool image from Hanoi, Vietnam. Thank you Massimo for letting me use your image on my blog, a nice one to share with all our other readers. ...Anyway as you know very well it is very easy to copy a pictures using tools like "Grab" for the Mac, even if still in low resolution. ...RAW file processed with Aperture 2.1.1, using also the Dodge and Burn plug-in to lighten and sharpen the bride face.

Are YOU the next GREAT PHOTOGRAPHER? Magazine teams up with Apple’s new Aperture software

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-07-31T19:39:42+08:00

Cool tips, trouble shooting, workflow etc.,etc. just about everything you need to know about Aperture (Aperture 2, & Aperture 2.1.1) plus a lot more. ...See below the post I have picked up from the AUN (posted by David Schloss AUN on 07-28-2008, 05:37 PM ) ...Winners featured in November/December 2008 issue - Magazine teams up with Apple’s new Aperture software New York, June 25, 2008 (Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S., www.hfmus.com) -- American PHOTO announces the call for submissions for its third-annual Emerging Photographers’ portfolio review competition. The winners will be given the opportunity to have their work published in the November/December 2008 is... read more @ http://www.apertureprofessional.com/

The View from my Car Window continuous…a very different perspective, frustrating but rewarding Photography…edited in Aperture 2 and exported to PhotoShelter never leaving Aperture, sounds familiar…

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-07-30T14:17:39+08:00

I had to discipline myself not to jump out of the car at times, but then that was the whole Idea in the first place, and I am not finish yet by all means…a lot more to come. Not easy… moving, your view been blocked by other vehicles when you just about to press the shutter, trucks pull along side of you, or you have to stop at a red traffic light… see something and then of course comes Green, oh no… missed that one too. ...But as a passenger or with a driver you can create some amazing images, of course you have to bring your Camera along to the Board meeting… “A word of advice don’t try this, if you driving the car this could lead to major traffic jams and crashes…” ...All images have been taken with out ever leaving the car, edited in Aperture 2.1 then exported direct to PhotoShelter using the Plug-in from PhotoShelter never leaving Aperture. In other words I was “glued” to my car seat and also to my seat in front of my Mac BookPro using Aperture 2.1.1 now if that is not a coincident, then I don’t know.

How to protect your Photos on the Web? A common question by Photographers…there are many different ways but Aperture 2 provides you with a simple and quick solution to place a Copyright watermark on all Your images.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-07-28T13:37:20+08:00

I always get ask how do I protect my images on the world wide web…it used to be a bit complicated and tiresome but with Aperture 2 it is easy and straight forward. Some thief’s go through great length and spend time removing even opaque watermarks in Photoshop, there is never a 100% guarantee even with Aperture and its automatic watermarking. The perfect solution is don’t display your Images on the web…but I think these days are over and we all like our images out there…so how do we protect our images? ...(Opacity settings eg.0.1 to 1.0 all depends a bit on the image, light or dark) With different options available the opaque slider in Aperture 2 is a good start how the watermark is going to look, just try different settings until you satisfied. ...I provided you a link to “How do I protect my images online” a great article I found recently with some additional options and tutorials to save guard your images from those thief’s.

A nice letter from the National Geographic Traveler and the closing chapter on our Nudibranch Photography discussion as seen in the recent National Geographic Magazine...plus a short intro... the Olive ridley Turtles, an endangerd species.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-07-26T18:19:09+08:00

Coastal development, beachfront lighting, pollution and hunting are contributing to the demise of the sea turtles, which come ashore periodically to lay their eggs in "nests" dug in the sand, according to the study. ...See below the letter from Marilyn Terrell; thanks Marilyn for your kind words, lets do this again one of these days with topics concerning our Environment or related issues. ...I like it that people with differing points of view are given a chance to express their concerns and opinions on your blog in a civilized way. ...Marilys letter came in response of our last discussion and the letter written by Lee Goldman, if you have missed it just click on the link below. ...A letter from a Marine Biologist…Education, awareness, an article in the recent Fins Magazine fits in nicely with the Nudibranch images in National Geographic Magazine…

Australian Images coming to life again in Aperture 2…long forgotten but now restored in Aperture. Photography from some 25 years ago…the Galloping Freshwater Crocodiles from the remote Northern Territory...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-07-24T18:57:40+08:00

The images…these must have been the very first image taken of Freshwater Crocodiles showing a true Gallop…yes Crocs do Gallop just like a horse, I bet you didn’t know that, well me neither until I went out with Dr. ... They studied Crocodiles in various parts of the Northern Territory in Australia…catching and tagging these amazing “prehistoric” animals for a major research project...it was during this research that they discoverd the gallop of the Crocodiles. I spend month’s with the research team in remote parts of the NT and managed to get these shots with my old X700 Minolta, yes long before my Nikon days. ...Not only did I managed to bring them back to life again in Aperture 2.1 but I thought I share a rare moment of the past with you. ...After the rainy season they move to more permanent areas of water that will not dry up in the dry season, and will rarely eat and hardly grow until they return at the start of the next rainy season.

Underwater Photography…are you a responsible Photographer? A letter from a Marine Biologist…Education, awareness, an article in the recent Fins Magazine fits in nicely with the Nudibranch images in National Geographic Magazine…

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-07-23T13:14:05+08:00

Thanks again to all who have responded to this discussion…if nothing else comes out of it at least we have tried to guide new and not so experience Underwater Photographers in the right direction explaining about our precious Marine Life and to follow the rules of engagement, Don’t Touch. ...Maybe National Geographic Magazine should publish an article, but this time not with pretty images but explaining the Do and Don’t which could be very educational to the million of readers they have. ...Perhaps they won’t make more money at work or solve the reasons for why the kids get tattoos early in life, but to see the nudibranch may provoke a direction in their lives that lead towards responsibility to the environment even if on a personal level. ... I don’t know, but then again, if none of them were harmed, nor their lives dramatically changed (or changed at all for that matter) then it boils down to other areas of concern…not at all whether it had an affect (or not) on the viewer of the photograph. ...As a marine biologist, professional aquarist, and professional dive guide I have had my share of folks who needed a lesson in the most basics of the ocean and marine-life, but never have I encountered someone who would believe such a thing as this author is suggesting.

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE: The notion of it's for the greater good ".. the results are worth it. People who has never heard of Nudibranchs before have..." , does not apply here... a quote from one of our readers on our Nudibranch Photography topic as featured in the recent MAGAZINE...read the latest letters...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-07-22T14:53:00+08:00

I have received more feedback on our Nudibranch Photography Topic...see below a very interesting letter again fom Jaya, at this point I like to express my sincere thanks to all who have replied and voiced their opinon, thank you all. ...Secondly, if it was intention to show the world, these beautiful creatures, wouldn't it make sense to show them in their natural environment and habitat? ... There are a number of great shots of the nudibranchs, taken as they were by everyday folks, that you have shown with your blog. ...The end does not justify the means, if it means, moving something from it's natural habitat, its natural environment so that a beautiful picture can be taken. ...Who defines if that diver photographer has the expertise or experience to move marine life around to get a great shot so that he can post it on his blog for the world to see ?

Now we know…feedback from an employee at the National Geographic Magazine regarding the Photography by David Doubilet on Nudibranchs …how did he do it? Explanation and some cool links…now you can decide for yourself, plus more comments from other readers…

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-07-19T16:44:52+08:00

I would have loved to use one or two of David Doubilet images but I respect the copyright…just incase you don’t know what a Nudibranch is, see below the image taken in Puerto Galera Philippines. ...Wow what a budget given to him by National Geographic, however there is no way that this could have been executed without moving the Nudibranchs from their original location… ...…read the feedback from Marilyn an employee of the National Geographic Magazine who has shed some light on the subject… certainly an interesting topic, worth while talking about it... how far we can or cant go in today’s Photography. ...Message: I read your blog about the Doubilet photos of nudibranchs in National Geographic and how he did it, which is a question many people had. ...I work at Nat Geo and I had lunch the other day with someone who\'s been diving with Doubilet and he has lots of cameras set up and several assistants and he can go from camera to camera taking photos.

Interesting NEWS...not my usual Photography and Aperture topic but it made me laugh...GarageBand 400 Million years ago?

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-07-18T13:46:36+08:00

I picked up this article from the BBC...not my usual Photography and Aperture topic but it made me laugh... ...Not quiet... but very interesting reading and I thought I share this with you... oh boy what they discover these days... ...Toadfish and midshipman fish use a variety of different sounds to attract mates and scare off rivals. Now US researchers have found that the area of a fish's brain that drives vocalization is extremely primitive. Writing in the journal Science, they say it suggests that the ability to communicate through sound emerged very early in the evolution of vertebrates...read the complete article and watch the Video...

Is this the smallest Nikon D2X in the world? An amazing little wonder crafted by hand… plus more Aperture 2 workshops at the planning stage at the Power Mac Center.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-07-17T18:44:36+08:00

The smallest Nikon D2X... on my MacBook Pro during the recent Photography and Aperture 2 Workshop... ...During my recent Photography and Aperture 2 Workshop at the Power Mac Center, Honey Machuca from THINK BIG Events Management www.thinkbigevents.ph presented me with this soooooo cute Nikon D2X Camera made by Hand just for this occasion. What else can I say…but thank you so much Honey, you are very talented indeed producing such a small Camera with all the details, even the lens has glass…very cool and thanks again. Now back to Aperture 2…more Photography and Aperture Workshops are planned from Basic to Pro level…I keep you updated or you can check with the Power Mac Center in Greenbelt Makati. http://www.powermaccenter.com/

Time to Remember…a simple but cool Video... created using iLife…GarageBand and iMovie this was a real father and son effort having a lot of fun doing it…plus in YouTube Now...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-07-16T16:10:42+08:00

You might remember my son Mark-Lee from one of my earlier Blogs… how he uses GarageBand for creating and mixing his DJ stuff… ...The other day Mark-Lee borrowed my small Sony Video Cam and took some cool footage at this Disco… and I was trying to relax that day after some editing in Aperture making up some more soundtracks for future presentations. But honestly… I was just messing around relaxing with GarageBand when I looked over to the Mac my Son was working on…hey cool footage son, please let me have some of this stuff…OK Dad... ...It just gets to show you how easy it is sometimes…of course you need to have a Mac where everything just works so well together, including the transfer of the Video file from his G5 to my PowerBook Pro via Wi-Fi network, super fast... ...By the way the still shot at the start of the Video came straight from the Aperture 2 Library using the Media Browser in iMovie, the same with the Soundtrack created only hours before in GarageBand.

Underwater Photography…a controversial subject… moving Marine Life around for a better shot. Aren’t we supposed to leave them where they are? What ever happen to the good old saying…LOOK…APPRECIATE…But Don’t Touch?

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-07-14T18:57:38+08:00

Wow what a budget given to him by National Geographic, however there is no way that this could have been executed without moving the Nudibranchs from their original location,even Photoshop could have been excepted in this case but moving animals around? ...I have seen David’s other images and one can only admire him, absolutely fantastic there is no question about it…but this Nudibranch shoot, I honestly don’t get it. ...Here we are talking about the environment and now we start moving our precious Marine life around declaring with these images an open season for other underwater Photographers…well, if he does it, then why cant I…what is next…tied up Dugongs and Turtles? They doing it already in Palau with Crocodiles just for the thrill, some operators offering to dive with Crocodiles for a fee of course and as the saying goes “no strings attached” but in this case there are. ...If this was done for some scientific research then I can understand it, great images for sure, but I am disappointed at David Doubilet and National Geographic meddling with our marine life in the not so natural way.

PhotoShelter update…restored historical and rare images from Australia are now on my PhotoShelter Archive…Black and White with the help of the Monochrome mixer in Aperture 2.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-07-09T21:15:06+08:00

I have just updated my PhotoShelter Archive the NEW Gallery is called Historical Images from Australia. Some of these images had to be restored but not been altered with the help of Aperture 2 tools and techniques. For restoring old images with Aperture 2 (one of my previous blogs) go to: ...We have also added a FEEDBACK & CONTACT FORM on the Blog page (upper left) due to popular demand. Below are just a few of the images which are now available via the PhotoShelter Archive, Images which cant be taken anymore since some of the traditional ceremonies and culture practices of the Aborigines in Australia have unfortunately disappeared.

From about 40 thousand years ago to 2008…we still share our thoughts and ART… except in a different way but very much related to India and Aperture 2…a real Time Machine in Photography.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-07-08T18:33:49+08:00

Santosh is a real nice and cool Photographer from Mumbai…well Santosh is not just anyone, he is an excellent and very creative Photographer plus a super nice guy. ...Now we are in 2008 and seeing images like this…very colorful and creative…so I decided to bring you Images which I took some 30 years ago…no Aperture and Photoshop then. The images are related somehow, showing art in its oldest and most recent form, the Australian Aboriginals used to use earth color (Ochre) and paint on Tree bark or retouch 40 thousand year old paintings in caves…now it is Inkjet Printers that translate our artwork on to paper, an amazing contrast. ...When I received the email from Santosh I was working on some old Australian Aboriginal images and that gave me the Idea to show the ancient and new way of reproducing our thoughts and Ideas…now that is contrast! ... Enjoy the images and thanks to Santosh for letting me use his Image… see below his recent letter to me…I guess he is just about to move over to Aperture 2.

Nice feedback from our last Aperture 2 Photography Workshop at the Power Mac Center Manila, Philippines…using already the .Mac Web Gallery, Dodge and Burn and switching from PC to Mac…

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-07-05T20:10:11+08:00

It is nice to hear back from people who have been sitting through the sessions on Aperture 2…and now using some techniques that had been discussed during these three hours. (see below) ...Read below some of the comments I have received from a few participants,many thanks again to all participants who attended the recent Aperture 2 & Photography sessions at the Power Mac Center at Greenbelt 3, Makati,Manila. ...Tks again for the time you spend with rookies like us, it's a great experience to learn from a pro like you !!! ... _Looking forward to see you again,_Cheers,_Vincent_(tks also for your kind comment to my attention on the blog ! ...Tks for your kind comment on my photos, first time I received a recognition like that from a photographer (I know my family and friends love my pictures, but....

Smart Photography Magazine in Mumbai, India published an article on Travel Photography “Chronicles of a Globe Trotter” & Aperture 2 was instrumental getting it out in time via the .Mac Web Gallery for the high-resolution images...plus a lot more.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-07-04T16:53:22+08:00

Strange… it seems we are going back in time a lot these days…restoring images from Australia (my previous blog) and now back to Mumbai India… but all of this is related to Aperture 2 including the uploading of low (for selection at first) and high resolution images using the . ...The article “Chronicles of a Globe Trotter” in the Smart Photography Magazine is a good example how digital Images and scanned tiff files have been used for a story working only with Aperture 2 for the selection, adjustments and the final delivery. ...The complete article is available on my website as a PDF file for downloading under Publications, or use this link. ...Smart Photography, the premier magazine launched by Next Gen Publishing Ltd. has become India 's No.1 imaging magazine within just nine months of its launch. Moving ahead of several other photo magazines, not only is Smart Photography the largest in terms of circulation and readership, but also the largest in terms of the number of pages per issue and advertisers patronizing the magazine.

UNDERWATER PHOTOGRAPHY…cool Marine Images from a Dive Master at the Dugong Dive Center in Palawan, Philippines…processed in Aperture 2 & another example of Aperture and its flexibility.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-07-02T15:35:59+08:00

The other day my good friend Dirk Fahrenbach from Dugong Dive Center dropped by and gave me this CD…hey Dirk what I am going to do with that? ...After importing the images I only applied a few adjustments, mainly…cropping, Auto levels and a bit of contrast…since all the images had been in JPG I had some limitations, but Omar’s shots where that good anyway that little was needed for improvements. Again, Aperture came in very handy in editing the shots very fast and applying some basic adjustments, I created a new project and after I am done can store this one on my external drive in case we need Omar’s shots for some future publications. ...Great shots with a small Camera and it gets to show you again what can be done with limited equipment, I guess in Underwater Photography you have to be a good Diver first, and Omar has that mastered for sure. ...For a selection of Omar’s Images (LOW RESOLUTION ONLY)click on the Photo Gallery above (upper left) I have created another Photo Gallery for Guys like Omar, otherwise we never get to see their nice images.

Photography and APERTURE 2... Action and fun at the Power Mac Center in Makati Manila, Philippines

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-06-30T18:00:10+08:00

Besides the Workshop a lot of other things happen at the same time around the Power Mac Center, customers receiving a cool Tattoo I LOVE Mac, T. -shirts and Camera Straps give away, plus participants from the workshop received their certificate for being part off it. To my surprise some very familiar faces showed up during our first session, John Chua from Ad Photo, Photographer Kevin Hamdorf who drove all the way from Subic Bay with his Daughter and Rose his Graphic Designer, good old Bebet Gaudinez a Lightroom user who attended my Photo Workshop in Cambodia last year and Vincent Leterrier who participated in one of my earlier workshops made his presence felt with some very cool images he shot recently. ...All participants had to go out and shoot a number of images which we later imported into Aperture 2, then we did some adjustments, cropping and changing a few into Black & White using the Monochrome Mixer. ...Thanks to Honey Machuca from Think Big, of course to the Management and technical staff at the Power Mac Center for providing me with a non stop supply of Coffee and made sure everything went smooth, they did a great job. ...The Work Shop was a basic introduction into Aperture 2 with all the possibilities after the shoot, demonstrating the total integration on the Mac with short demos on iLife and iWorks...plus a lot more including a short critique session on the images.

APERTURE 2 & AUSTRALIA… reviving and restoring these old and very precious scanned images with Aperture 2.1 it is a lot easier then you think…

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-06-27T20:58:36+08:00

I used to use Photoshop but now with Aperture 2 there is seldom the need for it and at the same time I can re-catalog them into my system with the Metadata. ... I apply a variety of tools and techniques to retouch the images covered in fungus, scratches etc. with the clone or repair tool, plus the Adjustment Panel gives me a ton of other adjustments to bring the images back to life. You be amazed what Aperture 2 is capable off, including one of my favorites the Monochrome mixer, given you all the options for some cool looking Black & White images, some of these old images actually look better in Black & White. I have incorporated a NEW GD PHOTO GALLERY on my blog page now, (upper left side) there you find a selection of images that have been treated in Aperture 2 comparing the original with the restored or converted image next to it. ...However some of the adjustment tools in Aperture 2.1 cant be used since they have been designed to work only with the RAW image format, but this has not stopped me for doing most of my restorations in Aperture 2 now, archiving and bringing them back to life again.

Aperture 2 and GarageBand check out the Mac integration and have fun with the Podcast… assemble your Soundtracks in GarageBand...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-06-25T13:00:48+08:00

Whenever I get the chance I open GarageBand and create my own music tracks they come in very handy when putting together slide shows or presentations later. ...The integration on the Mac makes all of this very straightforward and you don’t have to be a musician, as long you have a good feel for music and a little patience. ...Creativity is un-limited, it is all up to you, use the existing Jingles and sound tracks or create an entire music track from scratch, there are so many possibilities. ...I have a whole collection of sound tracks tucked away in my iTunes Library just for the occasion when I need to put together a presentation in a hurry, creating your own sound is not only fun but you have something you made and this will set you apart from all the others. ...Drag your images direct from the Media Browser, you have also access to your iMovie, choose a Jingle small red square this will open all the Jingles, now you can choose which one you like, right large red square.

The NEW Date for Aperture 2 & Photography at the Power Mac Center, now on Sunday the 29th of June...plus Editor's Choice 2008 Aperture 2.1

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-06-23T18:46:49+08:00

NEW Date for our Photo Workshop with Aperture 2 at the Power Mac Center, Sunday the 29th of June from: 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM and from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM. You all know we had to cancel our last Workshop/Seminar due to Typhoon Frank which hit the Philippines very hard last Sunday, our thoughts go out to those who have suffered during this severe storm. ...Workflow and image editing are equal partners in this year's applications, led by Apple's powerful Aperture 2.1. ...This year saw the advent of specialized plug-ins for Apple's Aperture 2.1 and nondestructive localized editing in Adobe's upcoming Lightroom 2.0 -- bringing Photoshop-style control of specific image areas to these picture-management powerhouses.

Typhoon "Frank" The Aperture 2 and Photography event at the Power Mac Center for Sunday had to be canceled due to severe weather condition...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-06-22T16:52:46+08:00

Due to severe stormy weather condition this morning we had to cancel the Aperture 2 event and Photography Workshop/seminar at the Power Mac Center today. The Sunday event and class will be re-scheduled...please stay tuned or contact the Power Mac Center in Makati for new dates at Phone 7297087-88 ...Typhoon "FRANK" has passed east of Metro Manila early this morning and is now crossing Central Luzon. At 2:00 a.m. today, the eye of Typhoon "FRANK" was located by radar, satellite and surface data at 30 kms South of Tayabas, Quezon or 90 kms Southeast of Metro Manila (13.9°N 121.5°E) with maximum winds of 120 kph and gustiness of up to 150 kph. It is forecast to move north northwest at 15 kph.

Now We Know...what is Aperture 2...the first day and 12 hours later, two sessions of Photography and Aperture 2 at the Power Mac Center in Makati, Manila

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-06-21T23:55:02+08:00

A short briefing for the participants before the actual photography, importing the images after the shoot into Aperture 2 using MacBooks, introduction into the basics of Aperture 2 including the versatile interface, tools, tips, how to produce a short slide show with Aperture 2, the integration on a Mac using iLife & iWorks including a demo how to produce a short presentation with Keynote, brief description on Pages and a live/real time demo using the . ...Shooting around Greenbelt and later processing the images in Aperture 2 an introduction into Aperture at the Power Mac Center, the first group from 1pm until 5 pm was lucky with the weather. However the second Group from 5 p.m. until 8 pm had to deal with tropical rain and darkness, a challenge which in my opinion was well executed. ...I like to thank all participants from today, for a job, well done, special thanks to Melvin Tosino, Andrew and E.J. from the Power Mac Centers technical staff who assisted me during these long hours. ...Next week we show you some more images (including who took them) from these two days with Aperture 2 and Photography at the Power Mac Center.

Aperture 2... setting up for the event at the Power Mac Center...Photography & Aperture Workshop

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-06-20T22:07:27+08:00

Photo: Hermes Singson - GD synchronizing the Mac Book Demo units with Aperture 2 for Saturday and Sunday's workshops. We try and report in almost real time from the event over the next few days, so please stay tuned. Thanks to the technical staff Mark and Melvin from the Power Mac Center in Makati, Manila for their assistance in setting up the the Mac Books for tomorrows Aperture workshop. Special thanks also to Honey Machuca from THINK BIG for doing a great job in marketing the Event. There are still some seats available for tomorrow night and a few for Sunday, call the Power Mac Center for more details and reservations.

Aperture 2 Your best shots. Made even better. Photography Workshop with Aperture 2 and Mac...at The Power Mac Center in Makati, Manila...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-06-20T14:01:55+08:00

Aperture 2 features incredible tools for managing massive libraries,speed through photo edits,making essential image adjustments and delivering photos online and in print using one simple, integrated workflow. ...learn more about Aperture with Apple-certified trainer ...Dates: June 21 and 22, 2008 Time 1:00 pm and 5:00 pm ...http://www.powermaccenter.com/

Aperture 2 in June... in New York with AUPN...in Manila with the Power Mac Center...plus PhotoShelter Shoot the day.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-06-17T20:01:28+08:00

The last week in June promises to be very exciting with Aperture 2 all over the planet, well at least in New York and Manila see below some dates and venues starting from the 20th of June with a PhotoShelter special. ...You find me at the Power Mac Center in Makati, Manila from June 21st to the 22nd. two days of Photography & Aperture 2, for reservations and more info I have provided a direct link to the Power Mac Center below. ...Join AUPN at B&H for Aperture Day - June 23rd ...The AUPN will be presenting a day of seminars and instruction at B&H Photo in New York City, on June 23rd. ... Especially aimed at the iPhoto user and the photographer thinking of upgrading to Aperture 2, this session will tackle some of the hottest topics in digital photography, and answer your Aperture questions.

Mac Technology and fossils…they do have something in common... a very cool science article…if you interested in Fossils and Dinosaur you need to check this out.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-06-13T11:36:59+08:00

The image below is of a fossilized Ammonite (an ancient relative of today’s Nautilus) from the Jurassic period, one of a few left in my collection, going back in time just like Time Machine… ...left: Ammonite from 160 million years ago - right: Nautilus a close ...Some of you know my background with fossils or Paleontology…but what has a Mac in common with all of this? ...Mac Technology Helps Put the Spring in a Hadrosaur’s Step Read more about this amazing story with cool images @

Great NEWS for Photographers & Aperture 2 users...MobileMe, if you are a current .Mac member, your account will be automatically upgraded to MobileMe in July… more integration than ever.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-06-12T19:56:26+08:00

Very recently I talked about Aperture 2 iLife and iWorks and the integration on the Mac... more good news for the traveling Photographer has just been announced... ...Now is the time to sign up for the latest Mobile technology with MobileMe…. if you a current Mac account holder don’t worry your account will be upgraded automatically. But here is the very cool part, if you are a Photographer and Aperture 2 user then you going to love this…double the online storage. To give you plenty of space for your email, photos, and other files, MobileMe doubles your storage from 10GB to 20GB for an individual subscription. ...With MobileMe, you'll continue to enjoy features that take advantage of seamless integration with Mac OS X and iLife - Back to My Mac; access to your iDisk in the Finder; Mac-to-Mac syncing of Dock items, preferences, and more; iWeb site publishing; and photo and movie sharing directly from iPhoto '08 and iMovie '08.

Aperture 2 in the field…how do I store and back up all my RAW images with out overloading & clogging up my MacBook Pro

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-06-12T13:14:31+08:00

The image below shows my typical Hotel or on the road setup, MacBook Pro with two Lacie 160-Gig Rugged Hard drives, if you buy these drives make sure they have a triple interface, they also come with USB only. ... (A, B) The drive marked with A is where all my reference Aperture files go, the B is only for backing up drive A via the simple SilverKeeper software from Lacie, (if you purchase the drives the software comes with it) C is my high speed fire wire 800 Card reader, this one goes direct to the fire wire 800 outlet on the Mac Book Pro. You can also do it the other way around, daisy chain with 400-fire wire and use the 800 fire wire out let on your Mac Book Pro. ...This way you can upload all your CF Cards with out running short of storage space, it is advisable to connect your computer to the outlet since both fire wire Lacie drives take the power of your machine, however I have used this system in the field without the luxury of a hotel and this works fine for just under two hours. (tested with a 1 year old battery at 100% charge) ...You still have the thumbnails and previews in your Aperture 2 Library in jpg at a resolution you have decided on, I use a resolution of 1024 for my Previews in Aperture 2, good enough for my Keynote presentations and the .

More NEWS just arrived from the Smart Photography Magazine in Mumbai India...the best exhibited images this year...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-06-11T13:00:32+08:00

A small world it is… Smart Photography Magazine India’s leading Photography Magazine based in Mumbai has send me this published article from the Environmental Exhibition which was held in Armenia recently. Remember from my earlier blog I contributed some images for this Exhibition, but had no idea about the best exhibited images of this year, Kavita Dadhe from Smart Photography told me about it and send me a PDF file, (thanks Kavita) read the article below. Smart Photography is also publishing a nice spread of my images in the next issue on Travel photography…stay tuned and once it is published I share it with you. ...It was curated by Ovsanna Hovsepyan, and co-organized by film director and working partner of DAVOS studio, David Sarkissian. ... Fourty two photographers from all over the world participated in the exhibition and their images were showcased in Yerevan in Armenia from 28th March to 14th April.

AUPN changes the Name to Aperture Users Network

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-06-10T17:34:20+08:00

We took advantage of today's big Worldwide Developer Conference to make the first part of a change we've been waiting to do here. We're changing our name from the Aperture Users Professional Network to the Aperture Users Network. ...But since Aperture 2.0 shipped we've noticed that more and more non-professional shooters have been using the program. We're seeing this in our classes, at photographic events and at in our forums. And we've gotten a lot of emails from people who are asking about joining our group, but start off with "I'm not a

Apple talk until 3:30 AM...two Mac addicts chatting away all night...a marine biologist, photographer & writer from DivePhotoGuide

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-06-10T13:27:32+08:00

Matt and myself chatted all night long and I thought at one point doing a Pod Cast but that would have been way to long… he walked out of here at around 3:30 AM just in time for his flight to Club Paradise in Palawan at 11:30 this morning. ...Matt is studying marine biology and is working for DivePhotoGuide as a writer photographer, he just arrived from Bali and is covering now some of the dive destinations in the Philippines, Jason Heller the founder of DivePhotoGuide and a good friend ask me some weeks ago if I could assist Matt during his visit over here. So here we are Matt and myself talking all night until the early morning, chatting away about our experience with Mac and Aperture 2, Photoshop, Photography and so on, a very interesting and productive evening. ...Interesting, Matt is using the New MacBook Air, he decided to work on this trip with it since there are so many weight restriction on small aircrafts and he has to carry a lot already, a ton of cameras and underwater housing making the MacBook Air the ideal choice. We try to catch up with each other again when he is returning from Dugong Dive Center in Palawan next week...for another session and Apple talk.

Latest Press Info... Formula BMW & Marlon Stockinger...his new Blog and the TV coverage on You Tube...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-06-08T01:14:01+08:00

Stockinger Top Formula BMW Rookie Finisher in Action Packed Races, you can also find him now on You Tube... the TV coverage from last week, clips from his early days in Karting... ...http://www.youtube.com/ Remember the Fast & Furious from my earlier blogs...he is getting very fast now. Marlon Stockinger, sponsored by BMW and Swiss Private Bank Sarasin, put in a stellar performance last weekend at the Sepang International Grand Prix Circuit in Malaysia, where Asia Pacific’s Finest young racers gathered for a four-day race meeting. After struggling in the opening rounds of this year’s Formula BMW Pacific Championship during the recent F1 Grand Prix in Sepang, he is gaining confidence with each outing... read more on his brand NEW blog @ http://www.marlonstockinger.com/blog.html

APERTURE 2 & the .Mac Web Gallery a fantastic time and money saver for Photographers who spend time on the road…keeping those deadlines and making a sale from almost anywhere.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-06-06T11:05:41+08:00

You might not have your Master Images with you since you store them as reference files back home on your external hard drive, but you have the previews in your Aperture Library in JPG . ...Don’t worry about this little site folder warning which pops up when you try and publish your images it only tells you that your Masters are not available but your Previews in 1024 size are, good enough for a selection and layout. ...You finished your assignment in Australia and hit back home, wait for the editor’s choice, once you have his decision you just hook up your external drive where you store your masters and upload the chosen ones in high resolution. ...Years ago we burned CD’s with images and even had to make all the image corrections knowing that they might not be used…not only that but we had to send them via DHL or Fed Ex to magazines and Stock Agencies, this took days and was very expansive. ... Mac account. (of course you have the options to increase your storage capacity for an additional fee) I think it makes a lot of sense, plus I am connected and can make a sale no matter where I am.

iWorks’08 and APERTURE 2… Keynote, Pages & Numbers how useful are they for Professional Photographers? Do we really need iWorks’08 or can we do with out it? You be surprised…

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-06-03T22:54:39+08:00

Say, your on the road shooting a resort and your client requests a presentation the day before you leave…launch Keynote, without any doubt my personal favor, pick a Theme from the Theme menu, go to your Media Browser select the images direct from the Aperture 2 Library (iPhoto is also there) add text, some animation and your almost done. But if you really like to impress your client…go back to your Media Browser and choose some Music, I always have some sound tracks prepared in iTunes, multiple tracks of 30 sec., 45 sec., and 2 min. or create your own in GarageBand. ...But Keynote doesn’t stop here, see the screenshots below for all the option you have on the Export Panel and a lot more in Quick Time (QT Pro is required for all the options) I just love Keynote for my presentations, the Web or sending a quick preview to clients via mail. ...Dont underestimate Numbers’08 in iWorks’08 it is an innovative spreadsheet application great for your invoices or other related forms such as travel planners plus a lot more. ...But my favorite is Keynote’08 an amazing and easy to use application, don’t know what I would do with out it…I just love it and my clients too; Keynote’08 alone is worth every penny spent on iWorks’08.

iPHOTO and APERTURE 2 do we need them both? You bought a new Mac… iLIFE installed do we really need iPhoto as professional Photographers? I do…

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-05-31T18:18:34+08:00

I have kept the file fairly small for those of you with a slow connection of course you can make this much bigger and have a nice presentation in no time...even when you on the road. ...All of us have these happy family snaps; images of friends and parties, now is the time (for me) to use iPhoto, keep my personal images separate from my pro work. ...Occasional my friends or family members ask me to store or sort out their personal images, yes I could do this in Aperture 2 very easy but my preference is to use iPhoto for this personal stuff. ...I have found a very nice and efficient way to use both applications and because of the superb integration on the Mac I have access to iPhoto in Aperture 2.1 anyway, plus keeping the business separate from the private images. iLife is not only iPhoto, you have iTunes, Garageband, iMovie, iDVD & iWeb it is a whole package, now it is up to you how to apply each and every one of them, been so integrated you end up using them all, like I do for some cool presentations.

APERTURE 2...View from the Car Window...creating cool Black and White Images using the Monochrome Mixer and a little Animation...NEW IMAGES uploaded.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-05-26T21:34:02+08:00

...Aperture 2 creating some cool looking Black & White Images using the Monochrome Mixer plus a little Animation... the images from India including the COLOR IMAGES are soon on my website in about 24 hours, we also updated the Home page. Click on the screen shot or use this link:

APERTURE 2 TIP…Import Panel is empty but my files are on the Desktop…where are my Photos? Sometimes we forget how smart Aperture 2 really is…

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-05-26T13:00:09+08:00

At times we get too comfortable with the good things…and I am no exception, in one of my earlier blogs I praised Aperture 2 with its do not import duplicates function…remember this nice and great feature when you mixed up you CF Cards…do not import duplicates, a really fantastic time saver when you on the road. Well yesterday I tried to import some images, which had been treated outside Aperture 2 from the same Project, but into a new Album…I had my images on my desktop and when I tried to import them into the same project into this new Album everything on the import panel was blank. (They did originated from this Project and I exported them a week earlier for a special selection into a folder on my Desk top.) ...The field in the import panel was ticked at do not import duplicates…very clever of Aperture 2 but not so clever on my side since I have this checked all the time when ...I had worked with these files before and they where also part my earlier Project, of course now they become duplicates…I wanted to over ride this for a specific reason and do some more work with them, up on deactivating the check box all my images appeared and I imported them in no time.

Asia Pacific’s Finest young racers gathered for a four-day race meeting at the Sepang International Grand Prix Circuit in Malaysia…a warm up for the Historic F1 night race later this year in Singapore…& 2nd place for Stockinger in his Formula BMW...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-05-24T17:01:01+08:00

Marlon Stockinger, sponsored by BMW and Swiss Private Bank Sarasin, put in a stellar performance last weekend at the Sepang International Grand Prix Circuit in Malaysia, where Asia Pacific’s Finest young racers gathered for a four-day race meeting. After struggling in the opening rounds of this year’s Formula BMW Pacific Championship during the recent F1 Grand Prix in Sepang, he is gaining confidence with each outing. ...… Nara was away well when the safety car pulled off with Stockinger skillfully slipping into his tow and pulling away from the rest of the field. However, the unshakable Nara took the flag to record a superb second victory, joined on the podium by the triumphant BMW Juniors Stockinger in 2nd and Wootton in 3rd place. Due to the great results for this weekend Stockinger advanced from 5th to 2nd place behind Simon Moss of South Africa in the rookie classification and from 12th to 5th place in the overall drivers classification for the 2008 championship…

From LIGHTROOM to APERTURE 2…thinking of switching? Worried YOU loose all your DATA and having to start all over again? Do I have the solution...?

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-05-23T20:39:17+08:00

Switching from Lightroom to Aperture 2...a question I have been ask many times in the the past few month, Mac and PC users who have been using Lightroom are impressed with the incredible integration and flexibility of Aperture 2...just when they hear the . ...I have been asked over and over again…I am using a Mac and like to use Aperture 2 but I have done all my previous work in Lightroom, is it possible to transfer all my Data over to Aperture 2 and not loosing all the info and hours of hard labor? This subject has come up many times and until very recently I could not answers these questions, and I have to be honest here I have no Idea about Lightroom, I started with Aperture 1.0 been happy since day one and working now faster and more efficient in Aperture 2, some of my previous blogs with samples have shown and proven this only to well. ...Why should we deny Mac users Aperture 2 if they would like to make the switch, and if you ask me it makes a lot of sense, if you a Mac user then you are so much better off with Aperture just for the integration alone plus with all these new plug-ins. Apple is aware of it and from past experience a solution is going to be available one of these days, I hope soon for all you out there who like to make the switch.

TIBET'S Horse Racing Festival published in the Asian Geographic Magazine...APERTURE 2 & the .Mac Web Gallery helped to keep the deadline...the story is out.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-05-23T00:22:45+08:00

Edited some 5000 images in Aperture (Aperture 1.5 at the time) made the deadline for my Book Journey Through Color & Time a month later, Tibet being the last chapter of the book, and now kept another deadline thanks to the build in Aperture Web Gallery...see my previous blog. Now the story is out in the Asian Geographic Magazine...read some excerpts below and a screen shot of the spreads...without Aperture (of course now I am using Aperture 2.1) this would have been an impossible task. ...Tibet’s province of Nakchu in Tibet hosts many festivals throughout the year, but one stands out more than any other; it is the highest horse racing festival in the world – a spectacle of colour, festivities and endurance for participants and visitors alike. Over 10,000 people will cross high passes of more than 4,000 meters by foot, horse and jeep to make their way to the Nakchu Racecourse, to race, eat, drink and make merry during this annual festival. ...But be warned – this festival is not for the faint-hearted – oxygen levels in Nakchu are approximately 61 percent and during the month of August, temperatures can soar up to 40 degrees Celsius in the shade at high noon and go right down to minus one degree Celsius in the early morning.

“Asia Without Borders” PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION NEWS...ASIAN Geographic looking for striking image of Asia's land, people, architecture or wildlife...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-05-22T18:35:33+08:00

Like to see YOUR images in print/published, maybe win a nice new Camera all that plus more with the ASIAN Geographic Magazine in 2008, the latest issue is available right now, see below a short intro and the links for YOU to join. ...ASIAN Geographic is looking for special photographs from talented amateur and professional photographers who have captured a striking image of Asia's land, people, architecture or wildlife. ... An overall Grand Prize will be awarded to the best overall picture as judged by our panel of editors. The top photographs will be exhibited as part of an “Asia Without Borders” photography exhibit scheduled to be held in December, 2008. For more info and complete details click the screenshot above or this link: http://www.asiangeo.com/contest_awb.html

Continues feedback...Is this a real image? Film & Digital images, years apart from AUSTRALIA to GREECE ...more real images & comments from some readers...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-05-21T12:18:37+08:00

I guess a very nice dialogue has started and I try my best to publish all of them as they become available, as mention in my previous blog exchange of ideas and knowledge is good. ...BTW, your thought and the exchange of ideas about "real images" in your blog is really interesting and educational. ... I believe you'll be a lot of help in this area GD, a lot of newbies in photography will be guided and many pros will be delighted. ...thanks for your thoughts and input, have a look at the latest blog.... some real images no manipulation shot the way I saw them, been at the right place at the right time. Observing the weather before going out...work out a strategy where you need to be at a certain time of the day...and of course a bit of luck will help.

Interesting feedback...Is this a real Image? Compare the images... Are we facing a dilemma in PHOTOGRAPHY today…the story continues...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-05-19T15:59:47+08:00

Read below some of the un-edited emails I have received, different opinions from different Countries…in the end it is up to you which way you create your images but as mention before I am very firm when it comes to Photo Journalism, Geographic, Culture and Travel Photography. ...great I just read your blog, no problem I think a very nice and cool forum... what i am saying and what i am worried is that in Journalistic terms like real events this real verses manipulated becomes an issue. ...Very difficult indeed to tell, I am an advocate for real things when it comes to Photo Journalistic images, we should not mess around with these, of course Photoshop and all the other stuff out there has is place and I use it too, but in real life and events we should be careful and not manipulate the images or distort a given event. ...thanks for this dialogue... very interesting indeed, hmmmm let me think, the image in the end will win you and I know that, I guess it boils down to only one thing your conscious and been able to feel good about it and say... yes this is real, I know that, even if they dont believe me, that alone is a good feeling and worth a lot. ...It is an interesting subject which ever way you look at it and we all know times have changed when Digital arrived, I am just a little concern, since I admire the likes of Capola, Ansel Adams and many more, a craft which is now seldom taught even in schools, sad but true, can we change it?

Light of HOPE ? Burma/Myanmar...how much longer? Is it becoming GENOCIDE? The suffering continues...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-05-18T19:17:30+08:00

It is the Typhoon/Monsoon season... how would we feel if we had to suffer like these beautiful and gentle people in Burma? The hard line Regime is still not moving, thousands more have to die... ...A Country I got to know... not only for its culture but for it's beautiful people, they had a difficult life before... but NOW it is Genocide. ...© Gunther Deichmann - On the banks of the ...(Original Image taken on Tri-X black and white film)

Stock Photos…images available 24 hours a day via PhotoShelter online… in high & low resolution, browse the Gunther Deichmann Archive Gallery with constant updates from more than 20 Countries

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-05-17T20:32:42+08:00

Currently there are close to 4000 images in high resolution available covering Countries like: Australia – Pitcairn – Tahiti - Germany – Italy – Greece – Spain – France – Indonesia – Laos – Thailand - Burma/Myanmar – Vietnam – Cambodia – Taiwan – Palau- Yap - Pohnpei - Chuuk (Micronesia) Guam- Saipan - Philippines – Brunei – Malaysia - Singapore – Hong Kong - India – Tibet… ...The contend of each folder has a full description and the number of images inside, click the folder and you see the selection of the country or category. There is also a folder with most of the high-resolution images from the Book… ...Check the link below and browse the gallery, scroll down & once the Home page is up on the left hand side you see this box (see screenshot below) just click on… red oval. ...For Gunther’s commercial work over the past few years please visit: http://web.mac.com/gdimages/gdimages/Home.html

Luis Martin Harder…his first Exhibition at One Workshop Gallery in Manila & at the same time “Reunion” with some of my students from the Cambodian GDPhotoWorkshop.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-05-17T13:58:49+08:00

Congratulation to Luis Martin Harder one of my students from the Cambodian GDPhotoWorkshop last year…he really went out his way and show cased his very first Exhibition on the 13th of May in Manila. Since Cambodia he has done real well, more than 30 images from Cambodia and the Philippines are on display, very impressive work I might add and I am very proud of him. A good and mixed crowed attended the opening night at the One Workshop Gallery including other familiar faces like good old Bebet Gaudinez (I am just waiting to see ...Photographers like Wig Tysman, Tilak Hettig, George Tapan and many other personalities including Henry Bateman Artist/Writer showed up to give Luis the credit he deserves, of course the host Photographer Master printer and Artist Ross Capilli and his wife made sure everybody had enough to drink and eat. ...You might remember from one of my earlier blogs…he was the one who received the Aperture software, (which was sponsored by the Power Mac Center in Makati) during our Cambodian GDPhotoWorkshop, see the image below in case you have forgotten.

Is this a real Image? Are we facing a dilemma in Photography today with all this software around us? Photoshop-Lightroom-APERTURE 2 – Plug-ins, new filters, the list goes on and on…how can we prove it is a real image… or been manipulated?

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-05-16T11:45:52+08:00

How far can we go with our computer…it is a creative field after all…in commercial work, advertising, FX, or experimental creative photography we can go wild and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that…the computer and the software today allow us to do some amazing things, I have seen some pretty cool stuff and do some of it myself. ...Aperture 2 unlike Photoshop let me work on my images up to a point…and this is the part I really like, you don’t get tempted to move some “heads around”, a great management system, nice editing tools you do need for digital files and a few other cool tools and applications. But manipulation is out…if I like to do that then I switch to Photoshop or buy some new plug –ins for Aperture 2, the nice part is and this is real great…with Aperture 2 YOU can choose and set it up the way you like it, customizing to suit your type of photography. ...I like the way Aperture evolved, but I feel to much attention has been given to all these plug ins, yes if you do commercial work go for it, but NO if you do serious creative, Journalistic and real life work, because you like to look into the eyes of your client and say… YES this is the real thing you can take my word for it… ...Only a few years ago we had our negatives or slides and could prove what was real and what had been manipulated…I guess now we can only rely on our Raw images, one more reason to shoot Raw only, what I am trying to say is, that it is getting harder and harder to prove these days what is real and what is not…please think about and form your own opinion like I have with all my blah, blah above.

APERTURE 2 & the .Mac WEB GALLERY…keeping tight schedules and deadlines is easy now…delivered Tibet on time…a real live scenario.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-05-14T22:18:28+08:00

Deadlines, deadlines and more deadlines…the last minute changes by editors or the production staff from magazines… an all to familiar story. Take this very recent case; I submitted images from Tibet for a story in the Asian Geographic Magazine, the first images where in low resolution…for selection purpose. ...No problems…I got Aperture 2 and since all my high and low resolution images are stored in my Aperture Library I quickly selected the “CHOSEN ONES” had them up for downloading on a New . ...I guess not…once the story is out this month I let you have a preview until then…if you need your images out there fast from one publisher to another, use the Web Gallery in Aperture 2, so easy now and happy faces at the production department. ...I have managed to download all the hi-res images from the link you provided.

Fresh APPLES and APERTURE 2… they had a lot in common recently …a simple shot from inside my Hotel Room in Mumbai India…plus one more Black & White…using the Monochrome mixer.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-05-13T10:39:29+08:00

It is amazing what you find or have forgotten when you do some more editing in Aperture a few weeks later. ... During my stay at the Hotel I noticed these Apples on this small Table, I thought…hey not bad, the light, the reflection and I guess the relationship between the words Apple and Apples, I shot this scene right in front of me using only the available light from the window. Then in Aperture 2 I used only the Raw conversion, the straighten tool, a little cropping and applied some sharpening. ...This shot was taken few minutes later while sitting on my bed and looking towards the window, a straight shot I might add…and I didn’t move the furniture either, no manipulation in Photoshop, again using only the Raw converter in Aperture 2, the straighten tool, a little cropping and some sharpening. ...I saw this women sitting outside her home in a small alley in central Mumbai, the original image was color but converted to Black & White in Aperture 2 using the Monochrome mixer.

BURMA-MYANMAR NEEDS HELP! Devastated by a Monster Typhoon...the people are starving...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-05-11T22:30:14+08:00

© Gunther Deichmann - Burmese Indian Community north of Yangon No need for many words but Burma needs help... I have traveled through this amazing and very beautiful Country years ago and the Burmese people are some of the most gentle in South East Asia...deprived of their freedom by a brutal Military Regime who will not even let outside help into the country in times of real need. ...A group of Monks helped me many years ago from being arrested, now I have seen them getting beaten by the Military and Police why is outside help been delayed when it is needed most? As a travel Photographer/Journalist I feel responsible to voice my opinion, even if this will not change the currant situation...lets hope there be a change for the better in the near future.

F1 GRAND PRIX & Formula BMW Racing CALENDAR for 2008...including the very first F1 Race in Singapore at NIGHT...a challenge for Nikon v. Canon in low light conditions.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-05-10T16:08:13+08:00

But did you know that Aperture 2 or now 2.1 is going to be in China at the Olympic Games in full force, not me this time, but many Pro's going to be there using Apple Aperture 2 software...a lot more on this later. ...Due to popular request I have provided you the dates for the F1 Grand Prix and Formula BMW Racing events for 2008. The most exciting and the very first F1 GRAND PRIX NIGHT race in Singapore is on Sep 26 - 28 (Rd 15 & 16) Marina Bay Circuit, Singapore ...March 21 - 23 (Rd 1 & 2) Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia (along with F1) ...Sep 26 - 28 (Rd 15 & 16) Marina Bay Circuit, Singapore (along with F1)

F1 Grand Prix at night soon in SINGAPORE...the very first & supported by the Eurasia Team and of course Marlon Stockinger Philippines & Aditya Patel India...“I want to own a Ferrari team” Aditya Patel is all tuned up…

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-05-09T15:44:05+08:00

“I want to own a Ferrari team” Aditya Patel is all tuned up…the first F1 Grand Prix at night supported by the Eurasia Team in their Formula BMW... ...Back to the F1 Grand Prix and Formula BMW… this time a report from India. ...Now the team is looking forward to the big and exciting race in Singapore soon, the very first F1 Grand Prix at night. ...But for sure furious… The Formula BMW Eurasia Team with Aditya Patel & Marlon Stockinger will be there as the support race in their Formula BMW. ...That’s about it … see below some magazine articles from India featuring Aditya Patel & GOOD LUCK to the Eurasia Team.

DJ Mark-Lee…Aperture 2 and GarageBand…plus iTunes…how does this fit together? Simple…if you got a Mac then you can do all of this plus…a cool slide show with sound, assembled on the road.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-05-08T10:36:00+08:00

The only thing left to do… open your slideshow in Aperture 2 and add your sound track you created minutes ago, follow my instructions below how to get there, iTunes is now at your fingertips find your sound track & add it to your slide show, sounds almost too easy. ...Take my Son Mark-Lee for example… he is doing some part time DJ work and he uses my old but still very functional Titanium Mac G4 Laptop, using GarageBand and creating his own artwork in Photoshop, see above…pretty cool if you ask me. ...If you are a music lover and created your own mix, of course you can use these too...but please don’t use something from the iTunes Store or from other sources, Music which does not belong to you, respect the copyright of others. ...Once you have arrived here you have many options and your iTunes Library is there too, now you find your sound track which you have created only minutes before, select it go through your slide show settings and your done. ...Of course you can always prepare some music at Home and later use it for your Aperture Slideshow, I have created my own tracks when traveling and the weather was bad, spend my time in the hotel room, mixing sound tracks in GarageBand... but at least I had some fun.

APERTURE 2 Tip...iPhoto Library and Aperture 2.1 how well do they work together? Real well...& so useful if you started in iPhoto and switched to Aperture 2...iLike...or is it iLife.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-05-07T16:29:17+08:00

No need… you stay in Aperture and have access to all your iPhoto images and can leave them there, no need for importing all the high-end stuff, no more switching back and forth. As a matter of fact you can do this not only with iPhoto but also with your images stored on your external drives from years ago as mention in one of my earlier blogs. ...The choice is yours how you like to manage your images, it is easy to import your complete iPhoto Library and use Aperture 2.1 working with one software. ...A little tip... if you have mixed up your personal images with some others but like to separate them, import the iPhoto Library into Aperture, once that is done delete all the personal images in Aperture and your images are organized, dont worry your personal images are still in the iPhoto Library since you selected in the import panel leave in current location. ...This is a screen shot of my iPhoto Library and you can see (I selected the underwater images) they are now in my Aperture Library.

APERTURE 2 Tip...where do I find my Camera info...this is nice if You like to compare DATA...very cool & not only for the Pro's...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-05-06T22:05:32+08:00

Where do you find at a push of a button YOUR Camera Info when you like to compare your shots after the shoot in Aperture 2.1 ...Show and Hide Camera & Color info...the red oval shows you the data, you have to be in the adjustment mode/panel. ...You can also move your Cursor over the image to get the color Value in between the images, the grey area will show you the Camera info. ...You can also move your cursor over your Thumbnails... for those of you who are still in the early stage of Photography this command is great for analyzing your images quickly. ...Aperture is not only great for the Pro's but it can help you to take better images by quickly finding out what went wrong or right.

Gunther Deichmann UPDATED BLOG Page...see for yourself and go to http://www.deichmann-photo.com/blog.html

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-05-03T19:16:26+08:00

Due to popular demand and frequent requests we have just updated our blog pages with a few appropriate Banner ads. We keep these to a minimum number, we like to be informative and not clutter up our site, they are very much related to photography, travel, latest on Aperture 2, the Digital Photo Center in Palau complete with Wi-Fi and Aperture, Underwater Photography and other similar subjects. Now a special mention on the new PALAU TOURS Website, announced only today... a great NEW SITE for PALAU in Micronesia with stunning images and very informative text... ...Click on the image and visit the NEW PALAU TOURS BLOG ...This new site is still undergoing development, but it is out in Cyberspace now, including the NEW PALAU TOURS BLOG with frequent up dates, check the blog @ http://www.palautours.com/blog.html

OUR PLANET & the ENVIRONMENT…the International Exhibition in ARMENIA…”Become The VOICE of VOICELESS” visit the site and view the images.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-05-01T16:29:13+08:00

We have to take care of our PLANET and the ENVIRONMENT otherwise there be nothing left for our Children… ...The image above was taken in Palau Micronesia it was used as the Cover ...As mention in one of my earlier Blogs some of my Images have been part of an international Environment Exhibition at the Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art. For more detailed information I have provided some links below… many other international Photographers have contributed images for the Exhibition and environmental awareness, for a complete list of all the participants and sponsors including the WWF World Wildlife Fund in Armenia go to the provided links below… I am happy and proud to have been part of this Exhibition in providing images creating awareness for our fragile environment.

TROUBLE SHOOTING & TRAINING at the POWER MAC CENTER Manila Philippines...the Dates & Topics

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-04-30T17:39:39+08:00

at the Power Mac Training Center, Level 2 Greenbelt 3, ...Check out the Training Center at the Power Mac Center In Makati. ... for Aperture he is also on the Apple Aperture Advisory Board. Visit his website @ http://www.deichmann-photo.com/home.html ...Check out our Training Calendar website for more info & services.

TROUBLE SHOOTING…an issue with OUTLOOK (PC) & MAIL (MAC) more likely on the PC…how to fix this little but annoying problem…very simple… YOUR Signature creates this glitch.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-04-29T17:33:15+08:00

It all started when some of my friends complained having problems replying to my e-mails, they wrote back and said their Outlook started to freeze upon hitting the reply button and could only reply by open OUTLOOK again creating a new message. A persisting and re-occurring problem for quiet some time with a few of my good buddies who are using PC's ...So where was this little glitch…nothing major but I understand a little annoying for some, they had to re-boot when replying to my mail…no need for re-booting on a Mac. ...We run some tests and found out this happens only with Outlook upon replying to my mail, Outlook did not like my SIGNATURE on my outgoing mail. ...Problem solved, when I send e-mails now and I know they are using Outlook I just remove my Signature and that works, or you need to switch my emails to plain text when replying because it is the html in the SIGNATURE that creates this problem.

A personal view on all these NEW PLUG-INS for APERTURE 2.1...do we really need them all & how useful are they...plus a little workflow.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-04-28T17:11:51+08:00

Ok some of you might love these plug-ins and there is really nothing wrong with it but for me…filters and some others in the pipeline are not much use to me. I am a Photojournalist/Travel Photographer, I like my images the way I saw them…even before the digital age I have never used any filters, the only thing I do now is remove the odd sensor dust, cropping and straightening and of course the great black & white conversion. ...I am not a Photoshop guy who enhances the images… no need before, why now…but I love the ability to export my files direct from within Aperture 2 to my PhotoShelter archives and PhotoShelter Collection, the latest plug in is very cool, plus I can create a nice . ...These are the things I love more than anything…lets take PhotoShelter as an example I have the ability to upload my images from just about any location provided I have a connection, not only having the possibility of a sale but just for safe keeping in a different location, it is just like another backup system & you know how important that is. OK. for our studio guys and commercial Photographers some of these plug-ins are a welcome new addition to Aperture 2.1 and some of them come in very handy for sure, making the job so much more efficient and easy but for me filters and other new plug-ins are not much of an advantage, I like to spend more time in the field.

Interesting travel information... & DID YOU KNOW...BOLLYWOOD is everywhere in Mumbai India...from the high rise buildings to the slums it is all over the place.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-04-28T13:12:13+08:00

Mumbai India... click on the image for the latest photos on Mumbai India ...If you travel to Mumbai India dont be surprised when you see or came across this amazing film industry, no matter where you go, posters and shooting along the road. ...Bollywood is known across the world for the sheer volume of films it churns out each year. Virtually ruling the entertainment sector of India and great many parts of South Asia, the Middle East, Southeast Asia and parts of Africa, Bollywood also commands a sizable chunk of Indian diaspora in the UK, Canada, Australia and the US. For my images on Mumbai India go to my PHOTO SHELTER ARCHIVE @

Late breaking NEWS...the most recent images from Boracay island in the Philippines are on my PhotoShelter Archive ready for viewing

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-04-26T22:41:07+08:00

PHOTOSHELTER NEWS My hangover has left me and I managed today to upload the latest shoot from Boracay Island in the Philippines onto my PhotoShelter Archive. Check it out @ http://www.photoshelter.com/c/gdeichmann © Gunther Deichmann - Parasailing in Boracay, Philippines

PHOTOGRAPHY… JAZZ & some cool BLUES plus a little Aperture 2…celebrating with some good friends at the GERMAN CLUB in Manila Philippines…the images & you know how much I love the Blues.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-04-26T18:29:22+08:00

Thanks to some very good friends and a superb JAZZ/BLUES Band called Johnny Alegre AFFINITY, we had a great evening at the German Club in Manila Philippines we where even graced with the presence of the German Ambassador Christian-Ludwig Weber-Lortsch a coincident. ...The amazing thing was that the Band had been organized a few weeks before not because it was my day but the German Club ask me if I knew some Jazz or Blues Band to play on the 25th of April. I called Bebet Gaudinez who was part of my Photo Workshop in Cambodia, I knew that he could refer me to some good musicians, but then the next surprise… one of the musicians the bass player was related to one of my other students in Cambodia Luis Harder…a very small world or maybe not so in the music or photography circles. Thanks to Bebet for organizing this real cool band and yes, Bebet and me did talk about Aperture 2 a little…but that was earlier in the evening. ...All of us had a great time including my wife Grace, my son Mark-Lee & friends Gunter and Otts Taus, Juergen Warnke from Club Paradise, Paul Schenk from Swiss Air, Arnold Munoz from Rougarai, Rhandy Singson and of course Hermes plus many others.

Cool looking slideshows with PhotoShelter... the Archives are now viewable as slide show and at full Screen...plus more.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-04-25T03:14:11+08:00

It is just so amazing what these guys come up with at PhotoShelter...now you can view all the Galleries as a slideshow and not only that you can set the speed, email to someone the code or view it on full screen and if you click on the abc you have all the caption as well. This is applicable to all the Galleries in other words you can now watch the show... each and every Gallery at full screen. GREAT NEWS. Below are the screen shots how it looks and how to do it, click on the images below for a direct link to my PhotoShelter Galleries, choose any Gallery and you have the cool looking slide show. ...Marked with a red circle is where you can activate the slideshow

Late NEWS…more images from AMAZING INDIA on the PhotoShelter Archive now…plus almost forgotten in 3rd place Aditya Patel from Chennai India with the Eurasia Team at the recent Formula BMW & more with Aperture 2

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-04-24T11:53:23+08:00

Sometimes it is strange how things come together, remember when I was reporting on the F1 Grand Prix and Formula BMW from Sepang Malaysia during the month of March, which was organized and sponsored by PETRONAS. ...If you click on the Yellow one that is for the Archive selection all the new images are allready there...the green one is for the PhotoShelter Collection… I am waiting on the editors now before you can view the latest images in the PSC too. After the event I traveled to Mumbai in India…and I should have mention Aditya Patel, sorry I just forget, but you know it has been very hectic the past few month so please forgive me. ...See below some article I have just come across on Aditya Patel, another young upcoming driver… and I guess the fast and furious continues, congratulation on his achievement finishing an impressive 3rd place. ...Eurasia Motorsport’s Aditya Patel finished an impressive third place in the first round of the Formula BMW Pacific Series held at Sepang Circuit’s Malaysian F1 GP support race.

More new plug-ins for APERTURE 2.1…this time from PhotoShelter the easy way of uploading and meeting deadlines for Magazines & editors…plus MUMBAI INDIA is ready for viewing on the PhotoShelter archives now…the Journey continues.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-04-22T12:49:36+08:00

More plug-ins arriving… the latest one is from PhotoShelter (see the screenshot below) an update from their earlier version but now perfect and improved for Aperture 2.1 this has always been a great edition in Aperture since I have joined PhotoShelter, if you remember PhotoShelter was one of the very first plug –ins for Aperture 1.5. I have already tested this new plug-in… very nice, it even tells you if you have made a mistake e.g. forgot to convert your black & white image (Grayscale) to RGB, and be honest we all make these little mistakes sometimes, these guys are getting very clever out there, taken all the thinking away from us, well almost. When you on the road as much as I am this plug-in comes in very handy, no matter where you are you can upload your images direct from within Aperture, don’t I have mention this before…never leaving the program. ...The same images are also now available on my PhotoShelter Archives and if you don’t believe me…then check out link below and go to the Archive and India is there, soon to follow is Boracay in the Philippines. ...They needed a good choice of images so I prepared them in one of my favorite…the Web Gallery in Aperture 2…with password, username… the works ready for the selection and once they have chosen from the low res. images I just upload the high res. ones, given the editor a good broad selection for the article, not missing out on anything plus all my caption and info is done and not having them to do twice… so simple all with Aperture 2.1

From Mumbai in India to Aperture 2.1 plug-ins... they are on the way...one of the first from Nic Software...Viveza is available in May 2008...plus Sam's Tours Digital Photo Center in Palau exposed in Scuba Diving Magazine

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-04-19T13:22:43+08:00

Before we introduce one of the first Plug - ins for Aperture 2.1 some more images below from my last journey to Boracay in the Philippines... & very soon all these new images from the past few weeks will be on my PhotoShelter Archives and PhotoShelter Collection. ...The Wi-Fi connections we installed running cool, not to mention the iMac upgrades and training of the staff on Leopard and Aperture, I guess all of this would not have been possible without the investment from Sam Scott and the incredible input and advise from Dermot Keane the GM at Sam's Tours. ...Sam's Tours' all new Digital Photo Center is fully equipped to cater to digital photographers of all interest levels, from those with handy point-and-shoot cameras to the most demanding digital photographers shooting in RAW format. Their six top-of-the-line Apple iMac workstations are loaded with terabytes and terabytes of storage, archiving and secure data backup systems, lots of RAM, and completely optimized for digital imaging with Apple Aperture 2 image management software, Adobe Photoshop Elements, Bridge, Toast, and topped off with DSL Wi-Fi internet access. ...I guess to go with the iMacs and Aperture at Sam's Tours was the right decision, check it out the next time you in Palau and dont forget your Camera for these incredible shots above and below the waves.

From black & white images…back to color… more images from India after the Aperture 2 event… roaming the streets in Mumbai and venturing towards Goa one afternoon.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-04-18T13:49:00+08:00

I guess I did fall in love with the colors of Mumbai and India and like to share just a few more images with you before changing the subject… don’t worry a selection of images will be shortly on my Site (http://www.deichmann-photo.com/) the PhotoShelter Archive and the PhotoShelter Collection (http://www.deichmann-photo.com/stock.html) but I have to catch up first with a lot of editing, paperwork and prepare for my next trip to Bali in Indonesia now. ...Aperture certainly made my life a lot easier these past few weeks…from the extreme F1 Grand Prix in Sepang Malaysia where I joined Marlon Stockinger on his Formula BMW debut, remember the fast anf furious…to Mumbai India for the Apple Aperture World Tour and then straight to Boracay Island in the Philippines for a commercial shoot, it has been non stop and thousands of images later, a few hectic weeks have gone by. ...© Gunther Deichmann - the two images above... late afternoon along the road from Mumbai to Goa, women carrying bricks at a small building site, these clay bricks are manufactured right on site hence the dust and smoke from the nearby brick furnace. If you are a photographer and shoot a lot of images then Aperture is the solution not only of its editing and management capabilities but the integration with the Mac…editing has become fun again…not to mention the new plug-ins soon available with Aperture 2.1 ( click this link for more info)

Mumbai India...the view from the car window continues...how to create cool looking Black & White images with Aperture 2.1

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-04-16T15:22:57+08:00

You all know I am very much of a color person and never shoot much in Black & White, maybe changing film before became a bit of a hassle or carrying the extra camera around... ...However on these rare occasion I do shoot Black &White and sometimes it looks even better... more down to earth and real...no need to carry a second or third camera around with you, Aperture 2 can do all of this after the shoot and the nice part is...you still have the original color images after the conversion. ...All you have to do is... go to the Monochrome Mixer in the Adjustments Panel and there you find all you need including these color filters we used to use during the old days in front of the lens. ...I dont call this manipulation in the Computer... remember you are not in Photoshop...this is just like the old fashion darkroom... even before I converted some slides into a Black & White image in the darkroom... nothing new except is has become a lot easier and remember it is the image you created in the first place that will leave a lasting impression. I LOVE COLOR but sometime Black & White is beautiful too and I am by no means against it, I love good Black & White images and it is so great that we still can do this today except for all these chemicals, I guess if you look at it this way, Aperture is very much environmental friendly.

What has a Whale in common with Kashmir in India & Boracay in the Philippines…? Just a coincident...Who knows…?

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-04-15T15:49:57+08:00

As you know I have just returned from Mumbai in India & Boracay in the Philippines... and today I came across this very interesting article. If you book a Safari trip with Calypso Diving then you have a good chance to see them in Panagatan and if you go to Kashmir in India you might find some of their relative in sedimentary rocks as fossils. ...But did you know that Whales “lived on land” according to some new discoveries... check out this amazing article below that has just rolled ...Remains found in the Kashmir region of India suggest the fox-sized mammal is the long-sought land-based ancestor of whales, dolphins and porpoises. ...Whales are known to be descended from land-dwellers but the "missing link" has been a mystery until now…for more interesting reading and photos click the link below:

Some Images after the Aperture event in Mumbai India... plus a 12 hour stop over via Manila before hitting the famous Boracay Beach in the Philippines for some commercial photography...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-04-14T16:30:31+08:00

The brief stop over in Manila just gave me enough time to say hi and bye to my family, a change of underpants and enough time for a good cup of Coffee before hitting the road again…from one extreme to another, contrast and color along the road but having Aperture 2 in my “suitcase” makes my life a lot easier these days. ...I roamed the streets for a few days after the Aperture event in Mumbai and decided to shoot some images just from the car window, easy to do since the traffic is slow and you be amazed what you can capture…see below only some examples. ...More on my main website very soon… but now to Boracay… a commercial shoot but I decided to show you today something a bit different…low light, color and movement these images where taken in between the commercial shoot when ever I had the time. I am back for a month now and catch up with some long overdue blogs and more on Aperture 2 or should I say Aperture 2.1 ...It has proven again and again that without Aperture I be spending to much time after the shoot... another 3000 plus Images just from the Boracay trip and I am almost done with my editing and I just walked into the door this morning, I might mention briefly again the new feature during import…do not import duplicates I keep this activated all the time now, silly me mixed up some CF Cards again but hence this very useful new Feature in Aperture 2 no problems.

Only 12 hours in Manila after Mumbai India...& now leaving for Boracay Island...but I got my Road Warrior Aperture 2...& some images, a little taste from India

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-04-07T21:24:46+08:00

You might remember from my earlier blog about this real nice tropical Island called Boracay in the Philippines...well I am leaving tomorrow morning to get this shoot done... we had to put this one off due to bad weather before...but now the weather is great. Yes it's been only some 12 hours since I have returned from Mumbai and now the sun is out and I have to go again... ...I have transferred the Images from my Indian trip to my Mac Pro... the project from Mumbai...done some editing and cleaned my laptop ready for Boracay... super organized and very efficient. ...I survived the red hot chili peppers and the great curries in India, the Apple Aperture Event was just great... the colors and contrast I had been looking for I found plenty full... ...I am sorry... more tips on the new and amazing features in Aperture 2 have to wait until I get back from Boracay Island...

Aperture World Tour, the event in Mumbai India...Aperture 2...great people & so much contrast and color...the Journey continues...

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-04-04T01:22:52+08:00

Yes you have guessed right the Apple Aperture event in Mumbai is completed and I am hanging around for a few extra days and realized that I should have come to India a lot sooner. ...See below some images from the Apple Aperture event and in the coming days I feature some images from my few days in and around Mumabi, yes Aperture 2 came again very handy, since the event I have shot some 1800 images in just a few days, it really helps to have a Road Warrior like Aperture around. ...The only drawback since the digital age and the arrival of Aperture is that I get less sleep... in the old days you just marked your rolls of film and went to bed, but now you upload them and start editing right away...well do I get carried away, my fault... ...Anyway with Aperture 2.1 at least it is quick and very efficient not like before spending hours on end in Photoshop, now I can get some sleep which reminds me I have to hit the sheets soon. Sorry for the delay of this Blog from Mumbai, but I hope you understand that I rather shoot and create images then writing all night long... there is just to much contrast and color around me at the moment.

Late breaking NEWS… Aperture 2.1 just released… with amazing new features for photographers & soon in Mumbai, India for the Aperture World Tour.

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-03-29T00:18:55+08:00

As mention in my previous blog I try to give you an insight direct from the location, lets cross our fingers and hope the connection is Ok., until soon. Marlon Stockingers website, the Photo Gallery and front page has now been updated with the latest images from the F1 Grand Prix and the Formula BMW in Sepang, see Marlon in action... ...A simplified UI makes it easier to preserve an image's original aspect ratio, match the aspect ratio of your display, or use one of the standard preset aspect ratios. ...A contextual menu allows you to choose the Show on Map by right-clicking (or Control-clicking) on an image that contains GPS data. ...Automator actions have been added to Save as PDF pop-up menu in the Print Book window to automatically generate JPEG or TIFF images from book pages.

The last lap before India...F1 Grand Prix...GP 2...Formula BMW...the images and Aperture 2...Sepang Malaysia 2008

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-03-27T22:45:36+08:00

The last lap from the F1 Grand Prix in Sepang Malaysia, then I have caught up before leaving for Mumbai in India on Sunday. I hope for a better connection from the land of red hot chili peppers and tasty curries, it would be so nice to give you a live report from the Apple Aperture 2 World Tour in Mumbai, lets wait and see. ...Ok., lets wrap things up with Marlon Stockinger and the F1 Grand Prix in Malaysia, today I have included some behind the scene images and a couple cool action shots, a Ferrari and some action of the GP 2 plus the Formula BMW. ...For our photographer friends some more info on Aperture 2 …I have already uploaded all the images from the F1 Grand Prix into my PhotoShelter collection…not bad in just a few days we provided you with some blogs and I prepared a Mac Web Gallery with medium size resolution images for Marlon, for press releases etc., etc. Of course you can only access this one with a password and username, you might write to Marlon and get the access code, you find his personal info on his website @

PRESS RELEASE... Stockinger gets Baptism of Fire at Malaysian F1 Grand Prix & Formula BMW

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-03-25T11:24:39+08:00

16 year old Filipino race driver Marlon Stockinger had his racing debut last weekend at the 2008 Malaysian F1 Grand Prix in a Formula BMW car, driving for team Eurasia Motorsport. ...Indian Team mate Aditya Patel had a good start from 7th place on the grid whilst Ross Jamison of Hong Kong, Simon Moss of South Africa and Sean McDonagh of Korea took the lead, leaving the others behind, struggling for visibility. ...“I had to start from 10th place again, but this time I felt more at ease and started to enjoy the race and overtake some people. ... I have to work hard on my qualifying and driving technique, since most of the other drivers have already some racing experience in cars”, says Stockinger, ending the race in 8th position overall and 3rd in the Rookie Cup respectively. Moss, Jamison and McDonagh made the podium whereas Patel was forced to retire as a result of damage inflicted after he was punted into a spin at the first turn.

Catching up...Kimi Raikkonen and his Ferrari make it so easy...it has been a perfect week at the F1 Grand Prix in Sepang Malaysia

gdeichmann@mac.com — 2008-03-24T23:04:07+08:00

Yes... a few great days, except for my internet connection at the Hotel, I am trying to catch up now...a few more images today from the last few days in Sepang... ...I did some pre editing since my connection was just not there...at least I had a head start before I got back to Manila. ... Great action from Sepang in soaring heat and a heavy tropical shower during the Formula BMW's first race, Marlon Stockingers first major race... straight into the unknown... heavy rain a real challenge for him. ... I shot some 3000 images and Aperture 2 went through it without a glitch, as a matter of fact I could not have done it with out Aperture, working every night with my Mac Book Pro and two external Lacie hard drives storing the files during import as reference files, the second drive for back up purpose. I got sunburned and looked like a red Ferrari...then I got drenched in the rain including my Cameras... but it was fun being there, thanks to Tom Stockinger and the fantastic Eurasia team a great bunch to hang around with.