Click the logo and go direct to AUPN

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.
Go to AUPN for some info on this subject @ http://www.apertureprofessional.com/
Of course if I hear anything in the meantime or there is some more NEWS on this subject I let you know.
GD

Tags: Lightroom, Learning Aperture 2

Coincident…? Maybe…? Probably yes…?
But maybe not sure…?
Confusing isn’t it?

© Gunther Deichmann - for more images go to
www.deichmann-photo.com
Image above...lightning over Manila Bay...the Typhoon
and Monsoon season is approaching.

Having send off this riddle I better explain… a visit today by a young and up coming Photographer who is studying at a prestigious school in Berlin…sorry no names, made me think during our conversation.

We talked about the good old days…back in the film days, photo labs, processing and how things have changed now.
Do you know about push processing, clip test’s etc., etc., I asked?
He looked at me and said, what are you talking about?
Don’t they teach this at your school? No, we all study digital and only had an hour or so with a little Black and White film.

Now here is my point…read below my personal thoughts and philosophy about Photography today…bear in mind this is only my opinion.

Lets put aside the commercial photography for a moment, like fashion, products and many other subjects related to advertising…yes they have to be around and will be with us, there are some great Photographers out there shooting some real nice stuff, we all have to make a living, including myself, right!

But when it comes to travel or plain and simple Journalistic/Geographic type Photography, I have to think…

During a recent exhibition I overheard some of the visitors saying WOW what a great shot, but he did this in the Computer…not believing that the image had been taken on Kodachrome 25 and was as real as it gets, taken some 25 years ago.

Now here is my point and concern, when do we know these days the difference between
a real image or a manipulated one?
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.

But when do people say WOW what a great shot and he or she did this for real… not using Photoshop and only the minimum tools in the editing software?

I guess these days we all, well almost all have to use our computers and software to do the editing and processing…it is the digital age after all, no turning back.

But it is a bit of a worry… personally I am not fond of all those filters and certain effects, (some manufactures even claim, "helping create the world's greatest images.")
Yes some of these filters and other plug-ins have a place in commercial photography, but then who can tell these days that they have not being used on other images, how can we show how the image really was at the time the shutter had been released, very difficult indeed.
I guess we have to believe the photographer and take his word for it, not much else we can do.... or do we have a choice?

I am using Aperture 2 as my darkroom and I love it for it’s speed, simplicity and management system, it is just great, plug- ins for me are out, except for the ones which can make my life a lot easier e.g. Exporting and the delivery of images from one destination to another, this is very cool stuff.
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.

With most other software you buy everything, it is all inside, if you use it or not, plus the temptation to “fix things” is always there.

When I shoot commercial work I try to get it right in the first place, I had to do it for some 30 years, why change now…but not adopting the attitude oh well, I can always fix this in the computer later, maybe I sound old fashion but it is so true these days.

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…

If we forget or not been taught the old traditional ways, then a few years from now, we cant be sure anymore what is real and what is not.

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.
But isn’t a great feeling to look somebody into the eyes and say...
YES, this is the real Mc Coy.
GD

Tags: Photoshop, Lightroom, Plug-ins, Filters, Film, Processing, Software, Photography School, Raw Images, Negative, Slides, Art, Photography,, Education, Kodachrome, Commercial Photography

© Gunther Deichmann - an un- identified Whale breaching the surface
on a perfect day near Blue Corner in Palau Micronesia

Whale 'missing link' discovered
Courtesy of:
By Helen Briggs
Science reporter, BBC News

Indohyus. The animal was small, stocky and about the size of a raccoon
The whale is descended from a deer-like animal that lived 48 million years ago, according to fossil evidence.

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.

Research in Nature indicates the animal lived mainly on land but dived into water to escape predators.
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:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7150627.stm

Aperture 2 or now 2.01 to the rescue of a 25-year-old Dolphin in Western Australia, how to revive an old image with
Aperture 2... it is a lot easier then you think.

Your images don't have to be always in Raw format...what about before...when you where shooting film...all these great images on your hard drives or archive from the
"Jurassic Park" era... here we go again... back to Evolution?

If you like me and have some old but good images on slides, had them scanned and stored on your hard drive, try and import them into Aperture 2.01, I do this a lot accessing my older images from their location on my external drives, never clogging up my main drive.
This is so cool...been real organized.

The other day I discovered this image from way back in Australia, I guess it is about 25 years old and I thought, hey lets bring this into Aperture 2 and see what I can do with it, I could have done this in Photoshop but I like my test drives and more laps in Aperture 2 before leaving for the F1 Grand Prix and Formula BMW race in Malaysia with Marlon Stockinger next week.

Don’t worry they don’t have to be Raw files, the image below was a 54 MB tiff file a rough scan, then digitized a long time ago for archiving but was never corrected for publishing.


Here is what I did:

Cropping out the boat on the left – applied the devignette filter (large red circle) and Wow all four corners cleaned up very nice, then made some manual exposure adjustments – fixed the blown out highlights with the new recovery tool, adjusted the shadows and the Hue a bit –fixed a fungus spot on the image (small red circle) with the new retouch tool (clone or repair) and that was about it…time to do all of this 10 min. max.

See for yourself the images below; before and after, Aperture 2 came to the rescue again, remember my earlier blog on the Sea Lion by Tony Wu, now to a Dolphin rescue from Monkey Mia in north western Australia some 25 years ago.

Before: The old and very rough scan from way back





After: Corrected in Aperture 2.01 March 2008, see the details above

My advise – use and get familiar with one software, instead messing around with all these different ones, you only get confused and later don’t know any more what is better or worst, I continue with my laps in
Aperture 2 or now 2.01, but I am very impressed…"top timing and great corner control in my laps", now I have more time after the shoot for my family or creating new images.

Until next time GD

More images by Gunther @
http://www.deichmann-photo.com/environment.html

We have just updated my PhotoShelter Collection with images on:
New aerials from Palau Micronesia - Environment Images - Wildlife and Nature - Tibet - Burma/Myanmar & Cambodia.
Click on the images or use the link below PhotoShelter Collection @
Once you in the PhotoShelter Collection just go to the list and click on recently added, enjoy the images.
http://www.deichmann-photo.com/stock.html



© Gunther Deichmann - This aerial has been taken after sunset from
a Helicopter, at this point I like to thank
my Pilot Matt Harris from Palau Helicopters.



© Gunther Deichmann - Spectacular Waterfall
in Palau during the rainy season.

A quick tip for Aperture 2... where to find your Metadata AutoFill List, see the
small red circle.
This is very useful for editing or cleaning up all your metadata. See below the screenshot...just click on Metadata and in the drop down menu click the AutoFill List, large red circle
you be amazed what you can delete or add including these spelling mistakes who keep popping up when you fill in your Metadata.

Until soon GD

"Become The Voice Of Voiceless".



The Armenian Center for Contemporary Experimental Art: ACCEA
" NPAK" in Armenian acronym
is an alternative center for avant-garde and modern art
in Yerevan, Armenia

You might remember from one of my earlier blogs in February 2008, I mention Armenia...yes from F1 and Marlon Stockingers first Formula BMW race in Sepang Malaysia next week to an international environment Exhibition in Armenia the contrast is just so great...but you know I love contrast. See below some details
from the Armenian Art Exhibition with many other international Photographers participating to make their Voices heard for our fragile environment.
GD

© Gunther Deichmann - Save our Planet

Once the Exhibition is up and running I provide a direct link, just stay tuned... above and below are two out of seven Images from my collection which will be on display during the Exhibition in Armenia.

I have also received a letter from Mark Cox in Australia re. Aperture 2...
I think the Sea Lion from Tony Wu has impressed him... as mention before,
Aperture 2 to the rescue.


Below a short intro from the Exhibition organizers... more info and images soon on this blog...

"Become The Voice Of Voiceless"
The exhibition is about to protect environment and animals. We are fighting for our nature as well as for nature of the Planet. And it is very important to us, that environmental photographers from all over the world also add their voice for voiceless.
The exhibition will take place in Armenian Center Of Contemporary Experimental Art. This is going to be a big event in Armenia, which includes photography, fine art and sculpture, film and video arts, rock and classical concert etc., etc.

© Gunther Deichmann - Mangroves Palau Micronesia

Now the letter from Mark Cox in Australia...

Hi GD,
Great Blog with tony wu I like it very much this Aperture 2 seems to be amazing ! have to get it when I get back to OZ !!! Great Stuff GD keep them coming please.
cheers.
Mark Cox
Photographer & Adventurer.

More environment images by Gunther @
http://www.deichmann-photo.com/environment.html

_____________________________________________

You might remember my last blog when I mention the Evolution…and the .Mac Web Gallery…cant stay away from it because it is so awesome...

I have taken a different approach in my blogs… explaining or talk about the new features in Aperture 2…yes a bit on the technical side plus some tips, but I like and continue in bringing you real live information about Aperture 2 from the field…the real testing ground.

I am bragging again… YES… (justified) I am so impressed… like in evolution the missing link came with...
Aperture 1.0 but with Aperture 2 we started to walk upright…but to be honest, I am actually running very fast now…
Sounds like I am back in to my fossils…discovery of man… Aperture 2.

Lets turn the clock back a bit…no…no fossils today, it is just so amazing and I guess the credit has to go to the engineers at the Apple Aperture department.
Sometimes we forget... without these guys... we be still in the Stone Age… the hours they have put into the development, trying to please everyone… only to often, we just take them for granted.

If you like me having a mix bag of images and I mean a mix bag of thousands and thousands of slides, some scanned and digitized plus raw images now, you might wonder how all of this is organized… very simple with Aperture. Even before Aperture 2 came out a few weeks ago, I managed this very nicely with Aperture 1.5 but now with Aperture 2 it has open so many more possibilities in all areas of photography.

I find my old and treasured images from 30 years ago and mix them up with the new Raw files, not a problem, the great thing is I can leave them where there are… on my external hard drives just bring them in as referenced files.
Store or keep in their current location.
A system which works so well and perfect for stock images, you always look for this old shot… now you bring it into Aperture 2 create a Web Gallery send low resolution files first to your client and after he made the final selection you send the big stuff all within Aperture 2…never leaving the program, but you do need a .Mac account.

Thanks to the engineers from the Aperture Dept. for making my life so much more pleasant...fast and very efficient.

Just last week I had several cases where images where needed in low res. first for selection, e.g. sending Philippine images to a German Publisher – providing a selection for my web master for a web project – then images for my friend Tom Stockinger to select the racing shots of Marlon’s Formula BMW Pacific for news paper press releases…

This screen shot shows you what Tom received in his email,
including a small message.

I am going to implement this during my next trip to Seapang, Malaysia this month for the F1 Grand Prix and the Formula BMW Pacific race...and continue the very fast and furious.Including the Porsche Carrera Cup, plenty of of action after the 15th of March from Sepang.

As a travel Photographer this new addition is just perfect…what does this mean…very simple I can now spend more time on the road shooting and my images if in low or high resolution are with my client or at my stock agencies long before I return home.
Talking about meeting those deadlines…easy now… I just LOVE this whole concept… Aperture 2 is my Road Warrior now.

The open Web Gallery on your Browser

Once you have received the email see first image above you just click View Album and your internet browser opens up, that's it...but now you have all these possibilities...like different layout, Grid, Carousel, Mosaic, Slideshow, downloading, uploading, Tell a Friend etc., etc. and you not restricted to just one page what ever is in your Aperture Project or the selected images will be online for your friend or client to see. Even the option of username & password protect is available.
Visit Marlon Stockingers website and you see these images also on his live Photo Gallery click the image or the link below.
There you find also the Racing Calendar for the Formel BMW in 2008.

http://www.marlonstockinger.com/gallery.html

Yes real live examples from Aperture 2 and the .Mac Web Gallery…what took hours and days before, is done almost in real time now…the "guy" who came up with this one should get a ***** 5 Star.
Can you imagine you shooting this story for an international magazine or reporting from some remote place…the editors need to go to print the layout is with the art department everybody is waiting for you…well you might have to go into town for a connection but after you published your .Mac Gallery you are back in the field and carry on with your work…
At least the editors and art directors have some idea what is going on and what else is coming…absolutely fantastic.
For myself this is certainly one of the best new addition in Aperture 2 not to mention all these other cool things I have reported earlier in my Blogs…and of course the new speed…all for a fantastic price…two votes today for Aperture 2 and to those guys and girls who where part in developing/creating Aperture... A Big Thank You!
GD

Visit Gunther Deichmann's Website @ http://www.deichmann-photo.com/

Aperture 2 soon at the Sepang Malaysia 2008 Grand Prix Formula 1 Race race track… It was here where Alonso and Hamilton finish 1 and 2 positions. ...A double win for McLaren team in their recent F1 race in Sepang in 2007.
Good luck to Marlon Stockinger in 2008 for his first major race the
Formula BMW Pacific

http://www.marlonstockinger.com/index.html

A test drive for the weekend…my advice…make time for this super cool addition play and explore the Web Gallery in Aperture 2.
I have provided some insight and samples below... go and take your test drive and download your trial copy @ http://www.apple.com/aperture/trial/

As promised here is my follow up with these Philippine stock images for a German Publisher…I have provided some tips how to make things so much faster using the Web Gallery within Aperture 2, but before I go into all the details let me say this…fantastic integration and so efficient having this ability is just so amazing.

I am not bragging… maybe just a bit… (justified) I am just so impressed… like in evolution the missing link came with Aperture 1.0 but with Aperture 2 we started to walk upright…but to be honest, I am actually running.
Sounds like I am back in to my fossils…discovery of man… Aperture 2.


Apple has created something with this addition that I have been looking for in a very long time. I mention in my earlier Blog that Aperture 2 is my Road Warrior now, I have won not only the battle but the war…all jokes aside when you travel like me and you have this amazing ability then I ask my self what else do I need.

Preparing a .Mac Web Gallery - once you have selected NEW Web Gallery select your Project or Images see red oval on the left and publish it, the open window on top red oval is actually my Activity window the red circle is the icon to activate it, this is super useful, you always know what is happen in the background, no need to worry.

Below right hand side the red circle again but not shown in the image above is again a very easy overlooked small icon called Web Gallery - click here and you find all the rest you need for publishing like... Settings...Visit Web Gallery... Tell a Friend you can set passwords, username and all sorts of different things...very cool, but you have to drive a little bit with this one, dont worry you figure it out in no time.

This is the actually Web Gallery from the internet browser, there are so many cool effects and options for viewing, these are some of the images from the Philippines in low res. for the publisher in Germany, the first batch...now if you click on Tell a Friend or you can tell your client...see the red circle again and see what pops up now...the image below... fill in the details and you are done...plus you have a very happy friend or client since they did not expected this so fast...on time again... or from the F1 Grand Prix 2008 in Sepang, Malaysia shortly.

The last thing you have to do...
Tell a Friend or tell your client

Soon I am at the Grand Prix F1 race in Sepang Malaysia, this time to cover Marlon Stockinger for his Formula BMW also called Formel BMW… the real race… no more test driving plus all the F1 show, the Ferraris, the pretty girls, the mechanics etc., etc.

Sepang Malaysia 2008 Grand Prix Formula 1 Race will be on 23 March 2008...
I be driving Aperture 2 and I guess Marlon Stockinger driving the Formula BMW Pacific…the fast and furies continues…

With this new addition in Aperture 2 I can report direct from the event in almost real time, you better believe it, I am sending you the racing results from Sepang via the .Mac Web Gallery.
What do you need to accomplish all of this? You might ask... Well, a Mac...Aperture 2 a .Mac account and a good connection that’s about it, so simple, don’t you think. Here comes the magic word again…Total Integration! Ha,ha...I have not left Aperture all day...one software that is all I need on the road.

Now I can supply my clients from almost anywhere in the world, including Palau Micronesia and Chuuk, with a pre selection of jpg images or even the Raw files …but you have to have a connection.

What ever happen to Boracay? This tropical Island paradise? The weather is still not to my liking…don’t worry we get there soon, but after the F1 race, you just have to stay tuned.
GD

Visit Gunther Deichmann's web site @ http://www.deichmann-photo.com/

© Tony Wu - Australian sea lion, before correction

© Tony Wu - Australian sea lion, after correction in Aperture 2
Applied correction
Exposure -.50
Recovery +.40
Black point decrease from 3.00 to 1.00
Shadows 12.7

I also mention to him during our skype call the new All Projects button, ha, ha… he tried it out while we where still online, he just couldn’t wait... after I had explained the function and how to use it, all I can hear was… Wow… wow… that is really awesome… if I had know this last night I could have saved my self a lot of time looking for some images during a small presentation.

There you have it straight from Japan, from one of the very best underwater photographer in Asia and beyond.

Check out some of Tony’s underwater images @ http://www.tonywublog.com/

I said all along from fossils to BMW, Ferrari’s and marine life, Aperture 2 can handle all of it and a lot more… I guess this is another vote for Aperture 2 and this time from Japan.
Thanks Tony, for sharing this with us.
GD