Don’t under estimate your Monochrome Mixer

for cool Black & White Photos.

© Gunther Deichmann - ferns.

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.

If you really understand Aperture then you be amazed what you can do without using another software.
Not so much altering the image but creating nice B&W Photos or removing some color in certain areas, read on below;


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.

Screenshot showing the open Adjustments Panel
including the open Monochrome Mixer & color sliders.

Switch to the Adjustments interface in Aperture

Small red square; this is where you find your Monochrome Mixer just click on the small arrow and a drop down menu opens, scroll down and you see the Monochrome Mixer. Click on it and your color image is getting converted to B&W.

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.
In most cases this works just fine or you can make your adjustments manually like I have done. However I recommend that you play around a bit and find your own personal settings, different images... different taste.
Experiment with the color sliders and the color squares when in the Monochrome mode and you find that the Monochrome Mixer can do a lot more than you thought.

There is actually no need for additional plug-ins or Photoshop you can use the Monochrome Mixer in Aperture in most cases, of course there are limitations.
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.
You can get a lot out the Monochrome Mixer, including some good looking Infrared images. (that is for one of my next post’s, Infrared images using the Monochrome Mixer in Aperture.)

© Gunther Deichmann - lemon with a twist...

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.
Then I adjusted the contrast a little and tweaked my exposure. This one was easy, since almost all the color in the image had been blue, see the original image from my previous post: “Blues Night” 27-01-2010 | 22:08 Filed in: Photography | Aperture 2 | ASIA
GD

Just one more...



© Gunther Deichmann - Buri Resort & Spa
The Pier at sunset in Puerto Galera

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

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.

But with the state of the art equipped Digital Photo Center the Kids should have no problems managing & downloading their photos.

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. No other photo center in Palau comes near!
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.

© Gunther Deichmann - color below the waves, my son
Mark-Lee during one of his first dives
a few yeas ago in Palau, near Blue Corner

The Kids Sea Camp is Locally sponsored by Continental Airlines, Palau Royal Resort and Sea Passion Hotel & of course Sam’s Tours.

This is another first for Palau the first one being the Shark Sanctuary...not only is Palau a Shark Sanctuary but now contributing to Children’s education... learning about our environment while having real fun.

Photo © Courtesy Sam’s Tours - the Kids have arrived...


© Courtesy Sam’s Tours - the Kids have arrived...
Dermot Keane the GM of Sam’s Tours during the opening Ceremony.

Special thanks to all the International sponsors: Sport Diver Magazine - PADI Diving Society - PADI Project Aware - SCUBAPRO - Uwatec
UK Underwater Kinetics - Sea Life Camera - DAN Divers Alert Network. LINK to more Photos from the Kids Sea Camp in Palau

© Gunther Deichmann - aerial over the Rock Islands, Palau

Good luck to all Kids and adults who joined
this fun trip to Palau...
have lots of fun and be good!

Bubbles...

© Gunther Deichmann - Manila Philippines

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.
I managed to get this shot off before the window was wiped clean, I thought an interesting shot from the closed car window for a change. As you know I just love shooting from the car windows, more to come soon.
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.
Happy Holidays to you all, take good care!
GD

© Gunther Deichmann Cliffhangers...check the yellow circle

Tech info: Please keep in mind that all the images are in very low resolution and only for this Blog . They have also a full Watermark Copyright on them created in Aperture 2. The images came from my slide collection, scanned and imported into Aperture 2, some of them had to be restored since they had deteriorated some what. 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.
For more images please click this LINK or the Images, you might have to refresh your Browser to see the NEW Images.

© Gunther Deichmann - Cliffhangers

If there would be a Olympic competition in barefoot rock climbing, scaling the razor sharp limestone cliffs in Palawan then the Tagbanuas would break the world record.
These fearless natives of Palawan in the Philippines climbing these towering cliffs with such an ease they deserve a Gold medal, collecting “The White Gold” the bids nests every year.
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.
I used strong footwear and ropes, but my barefooted local guides shot straight past me and waited at the entrance of this small cave.
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.

© Gunther Deichmann - a very rare image
with the swiftlet on the nest

Scaling these limestone cliffs is a common job among the native Tagbanuas of Northern Palawan. They collect this nest and sell it to a middlemen who would, in turn, trade it to Chinese restaurants or other Traders in Manila
The nests are composed of interwoven strands of salivary laminae cement. The nests have high levels of calcium, iron, potassium, and magnesium. Hong Kong and the United States are the largest importers of these nests.In Hong Kong a bowl of Bird Nest Soup would cost US$30 to $100 . A kilogram of white nest 9hence the name “White Gold) can cost up to $2,000

Authentic bird's nest soup is made using the nests of the swiftlet, a tiny bird found throughout southeast Asia.
The edible bird's nests are among the most expensive animal products consumed by humans.
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.
The problem is the livelihood for the Tagbanuas if the practice and collecting these Bird Nests stopped since there is very little else besides fishing for these amazing agile people.

Unfortunately, harvesters will take a nest once it is large enough, whether or not eggs or chicks are present. Most caves have one season for harvest but thieves steal nests throughout the year. In recent years the swiftlet population has dropped, putting swiftlets on the protected species list.

© Gunther Deichmann - Tagbanua family life...
for more images click this LINK or the image

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. At the end of the season they move back to their Village within the Coron Bay area.
GD

Tags: Monochrome Mixer, Nido, Swiftlet, Birds, Nature, Chinese , White Gold, Bird Nest Soup, Bird Nest Collecting

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. I have included the image below with a Watermark and a screenshot of the settings below.

© Gunther Deichmann - if you look closely
you see a faint watermark on the left

Inside the Preference panel, Screenshot of the
actual water mark settings

On Sep 5, 2008, at 6:57 PM, Ian Watts wrote:

Your Name: Ian Watts

Your Email: ian@wattsphotography.co.uk

Subject: Aperture 2 and MobileMe

Message: Is it possible to attach watermarks to images exported to MobileMe galleries?

Various web forums think not...

Thanks,
Ian


On Sep 5, 2008, at 1:28 PM, Gunther Deichmann wrote:

Hi Ian,

Unfortunately there is still a little problem within Aperture 2 and the watermark, Aperture always had some minor glitches with the watermark, dont know why the Engineers at Apple have not fully addressed this issue. I guess with anything fairly new problems will occur and down the road this one will also go away for sure.
But here is an easy workaround since my images are only for the web and in Low res., it is easy and fast
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.

Back in your Aperture Browser choose and select your images you like for your Mobile Me Gallery.
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. Plus you have a watermark on them now anyway. Now you import the whole folder and create your Mobile Me Web Gallery and all your images have now the copyright mark.
Ok, I know it is a little work around but it is a lot faster than using Photoshop and applying the watermarks one by one.
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.
Have a nice day,
Cheers Gunther
PS. I dont watermark raw or high res. files since they go out to clients I know and can trust.


From: ian@achievers.co.uk
Subject: Re: Aperture 2 and MobileMe
Date: September 5, 2008 8:53:19 PM GMT+08:00
To: gdeichmann@mac.com

Hi Gunther,

Thank you for your speedy response.

What a pity! 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?

I have done what you suggested and it works fine - thank you - if a little time consuming!
Thanks again for your help,

Ian
Watts Photography
ian@wattsphotography.co.uk

Tags: Watermark, Workaround, Problem solving

I just saw this interesting article by Micah Walter from the AUN Blog I totally agree with Micah and I am only adding; why I am using Aperture? (this is not a comparison) However if you really curious I have provided the link below on the article by Micah.

Pound for pound & click for click...
(posted by Micah Walter on Yesterday, 02:03 PM)
I spent some time today catching up on some Lightroom reading.
http://www.apertureprofessional.com/showthread.php?t=18722

Now to my two cents worth... WHY do I use Aperture? 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.

1. I am using a Mac; I guess it is the logical choice to use Aperture.

2. Integration, integration and more integration…this is a very big part for me why I am using Aperture, read some of the blogs and you understand why.

3. 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
in 2006, only Aperture was available (it was just released) and using Photoshop would have taken way to long for the short deadline I had. Sorting through more than 10,000 images from more than 24 countries taken over 30 years, plus adding the last chapter from Tibet, another 5000 plus images, mixing scanned and digital images, from high jpg, tiff to Raw. Not an easy task producing a hard cover Book with some 360 pages, matching the images for their color and theme.
I truly believe that “Journey Through Color & Time” was the very first international book where Aperture not only played a major role but
also made it possible to produce it in such a short time.

To view selected images from the Book, find out
more or read some reviews please use this link,
or click on the image above.
http://web.me.com/gdeichmann/Gunther_Deichmann_
Photography/The_Book_Images/The_Book_Images.html

The Book Journey Through Color & Time
limited signed edition (only 300 copies left)
Publication is available @
http://www.deichmann-photo.com/orders.html
or email @ FEEDBACK & CONTACT
(a great personal or corporate gift for art lovers.)

All I had was Aperture 1.0 loaded into my Machine and jumped in the cold water. There was very little info in those days on Aperture. Now we have a brand NEW Aperture 2.1.1 more capabilities, faster more integrated etc., etc…
a fantastic evolution in just 2 years plus.
Lightroom was not even around then…and maybe this is the answer to the question why I am full of praise when it comes to Aperture.
What I am trying to say is…and I have said this many times before get to know one software well. YOUR images are not created in the Computer; we only use the software and the Computer, as the digital darkrooms don’t ever forget this.
The images in my Book have not been altered, that is why I fell in LOVE with Aperture in the first place, (in those days; no dodge, burn, repair and clone, etc.) 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…
I am a Photographer and Aperture just works for me.
GD

Tags: Journey Through Color and Time, Book Publications, Adobe Software, JPG, Tiff, Art Books, File Format, In Design, Limited Edition Books, Rare Books, PUBLISHING, Photography Books

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 .Mac Web Gallery function I can see them getting excited and PC users might even switch to a new Mac just for this reason...

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.
Back to the real issue, I got in touch with Apple and the APERTURE USER PROFESSIONAL NETWORK AUPN and ask this exact question.

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

A few days ago I had a visitor from Berlin, Germany & after our conversation I thought and wrote this article…very relevant and true.

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

What has a Whale in common with India & Boracay…? Aperture
has been to all these places recently.

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.

Strange… I only returned from India and Boracay, and now this article rolled over my table...Coincident? Who knows…?
The image below was taken in Palau during one of my dive trips last year with
Sam’s Tours, who has a complete Digital Photo Center with six iMacs, wi-fi connected and of course Aperture 2.

But did you know that Whales “lived on land” according to some new discoveries... check out this amazing article below that has just rolled
over my table as mention above.

© 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/

Late breaking NEWS from Japan…
the incredible rescue of an Australian Sea Lion underwater with Aperture 2... who kissed the Dome Port...but not the photographer.

Another Wow… and vote for Aperture 2 from Japan…from Australia to Japan to who knows where next?
I had a very long chat today on skype with my good friend and top under water photographer Tony Wu. Yes, you guessed right an Aperture user; the only problem is he now blames me for the introduction, but I don’t mind taking the blame for that.

If Tony blames me for Aperture then I blame him for the Blog, it was him who introduced me some years ago to this Blog stuff.
I just returned the favor and introduced him to Aperture…now we both have very little time left for our wife’s…hmm…or more in time to come.

We been chatting away on skype and talked about Aperture 2, Tony has just installed it on his Mac and I gave him a few tips online.

When we got to the details his exact words where… I just love the recovery tool for blown out highlights etc., etc. that one is so awesome in particular for underwater photographers, hey Tony… please send me some images for comparison, so he did of the Australian Sea Lion who just about kissed his Dome port on his underwater housing from one of his recent trips.

See below the before and after images and you might remember from my previous blog with the Ferrari and BMW about this new and fantastic feature in Aperture 2.
He was very impressed…not only by this new feature; yes he did some laps and was full of praise with the new speed and efficiency.

© 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

The real magic of Aperture 2...fast and efficient

Another true and very interesting story, well actually two... I received another email the other day from David Callard in Australia, he ask me if I shoot Raw and JPG...my reply was very simple... no need if you using Aperture, David I only shoot Raw, Aperture 2 does all the rest plus you have all these adjustments at your disposals.

For more on RAW processing I have provided a link below...

Advanced RAW processing
Aperture 2 leverages the next-generation RAW image processing in Mac OS X Leopard to deliver images of astounding quality, offering superb color, increased shadow detail, reduced noise, and advanced highlight recovery. Using RAW Fine Tuning

http://www.apple.com/aperture/tutorials/#adjustedit-rawfine

Now to my second real event, I had been ask to supply a large number of Stock images from the Philippines for a publication in Germany, I had to call on some good friends of mine to provide me also with some stock images since I did not have all of the requested images.
The publishing house needed first some low res files for viewing, now here I was with a real mix bag of images not only from me but from other Photographers as well, needed in JPG for selection purpose first.

© Gunther Deichmann - images like these had been on the
wish list of the publisher...aerial view of Lake
Taal Volcano in the Philippines
Click on the photos for GD's stock images
@ http://www.deichmann-photo.com/stock.html

Aperture 2 again to the rescue... I imported all the images into Aperture added the Metadata, caption plus the photographers name created a web gallery and I was done, well I only had to send an email to notify the client. I may add that these images where a real mix bag, from scanned slides to digital plus from very different sources, even my assistant Hermes contributed some nice images, a lot of images with a lot of information but with Aperture it was a breeze.

© Gunther Deichmann - the nocturnal Tarsier Monkey,
one of the smallest Monkeys in the world from the
island of Bohol in the Philippines.
Click on the photos for GD's stock images
@ http://www.deichmann-photo.com/stock.html

The next stage is the high resolution images when the publisher has made his selection, once that is made we upload them on to our ftp site direct from within Aperture 2, you might think this is magic, No... it is Aperture 2 never leaving Aperture all done within, I guess it is sort of magic.
Remember as a child you where so amazed by the Magician who made the rabbit disappear...now with Aperture 2 all your headaches have disappeared.
In my next blog I show you a screen shot of the Web Gallery with some more images from the Philippines.
GD

Apple has just released an update for Aperture 2 (2.01) which I recommend for all Aperture 2 users, see below the details from Apple.
I have also provided a link below for those of you who like to try out Aperture 2 first before purchasing.
http://www.apple.com/aperture/trial/


About the Aperture 2.0.1 Update
Summary

Aperture 2.0.1 addresses issues related to the performance and overall stability of Aperture 2. The update includes fixes that impact the following areas:
Products Affected

Aperture 2.X

* Upgrading libraries from earlier versions of Aperture
* Publishing .Mac Web Gallery albums
* Preview generation and deletion
* Creating and ordering books
* AppleScript support
* Keyboard shortcut customization
* Appearance of metadata overlays in the Browser, Filmstrip, and on light tables
* Watermarking of emailed photos
* Highlight Hot and Cold Areas

It also fixes a number of other minor issues, some involving the following areas:

* Loupe
* Smart Albums
* All Projects View
* Straighten Tool
* Filmstrip
* Drag and drop import
* Thumbnail generation
* Import window
* Export plug-in reliability

The Aperture 2.0.1 Update is recommended for all Aperture users.

A very interesting article and more exploration in Aperture 2

You might find this article below very different and interesting, in particular for those readers who have known my background in Paleontology… a fossil hunter, but that was a long, long time ago…

© Gunther Deichmann
The fossilized shark teeth above are approx. 2.5 cm in size, from my old
fossil collection.(these are only small, much larger ones have been found)
You might notice the toned down background of confiscated shark fins
…a subtle environmental message.

I am still fascinated after all these years by the secrets mother earth is keeping from us, only now and then we find out…a great article recently broadcast on the BBC.
I often wonder what else is lying beneath the surface waiting to be discovered…
Aperture 2 comes to mind and after the story from the “Monster” let’s dig up
another cool feature, check it out below.
Lucky or unlucky for us divers and underwater photographers...can you imagine this Monster been around today...you been diving at 30 meters and all of sudden out of the blue you had to face this "Guy"...wow. Real wet-wet-suits and finning like a duck been chased by a crocodile...but what a photo opportunity, but only if you had a super wide angle lens on your camera...but then I am not sure on that either...read about this amazing find, close your eyes and start dreaming.
GD

Sea reptile is biggest on record
Courtesy BBC

A fossilized "sea monster" unearthed on an Arctic island is the largest marine reptile known to science, Norwegian scientists have announced.
The 150 million-year-old specimens were found on Spitsbergen, in the Arctic island chain of Svalbard, in 2006.
The Jurassic-era leviathan is one of 40 sea reptiles from a fossil "treasure trove" uncovered on the island.

Nicknamed "The Monster", the immense creature would have measured 15m (50ft) from nose to tail.

A large pliosaur was big enough to pick up a small car in its jaws and bite it in half
Richard Forrest, plesiosaur paleontologist
And during the last field expedition, scientists discovered the remains of another pliosaur which is thought to belong to the same species as The Monster - and may have been just as colossal...

Read the complete story here…
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7264856.stm

This one is so very cool and interesting, you have to check it out.

© Gunther Deichmann - The only survivor in Palau Micronesia is this
saltwater crocodile from Palau one of our last surviving reptiles that has
changed very little over million of years. A protected species that almost
became extinct.

For more images on Palau Micronesia by Gunther Deichmann,
click the image above and go to his PhotoShelter Collection and Archives.

Another new feature in Aperture 2 is the ability to check up on your shooting data but not only that, there is a lot more info available including the star rating, if you have given those. A small and easy over looked icon see red circle let you view your complete data.

If you in the Browser mode just click this small icon called…List View the other one to the left is called Grid View. I found this very useful in checking lens setting, exposure, aperture, date and time, ISO Speed, etc., etc., a wealth of information at your finger tips with a click of your mouse button and another vote for Aperture 2.

Until next time,
GD

Sam's Tours Digital Photo Center is the only one of it's kind in Palau, Micronesia and in the Pacific, check out my previous blogs or go direct to Sam's Tours DPC site click this link Sam's Tours DPC.

Very soon at Sam,'s Tours Palau Micronesia, Aperture 2 continues...

© Gunther Deichmann - how it looks on my personal iPOD
...images from Palau

But they offer a lot more at Sam's, now you can upload all your holiday/vacation photos on your iPod, the staff at the DPC will be happy to assist you with all your requirements, the only thing you have to do... bring your iPod, but then who doesn't these days and once back home show your friends and family members on TV how great your last vacation has been. We take away all your hassles, you be organized back home, no more looking for hours on end where you stored these great shots... plug in the cable switch on your TV and enjoy the show.

They can do the same with your video footage, at Sam's Tours you connected not only to the rest of the world, now you can concentrate on your diving, they take care of the rest, surviving for all our underwater photographers has just become a lot more realistic and fun.

Enjoy your vacation, dive the great dive sites of Palau, like Blue Corner and Blue Hole and so many others, dont feel like diving...no problem, join Sam's Tours on one of their great land tours by road, visit ancient and historical sites or take a Kayak trip for a day or two, explore and discover Palau...visit the
"The Pearls of the Pacific."
For the latest images on Palau go to Gunther's stock images @ http://www.deichmann-photo.com/stock.html

Latest info and tips on Aperture 2 visit Gunther Deichmann's Blog @ http://www.deichmann-photo.com/blog.html

GD

© Gunther Deichmann - aerial view of
the Palau Rock islands after sunset

The Reflection of Excellence continues...

Great NEWS! Soon to arrive...Aperture 2 at Sam's Tours Palau Micronesia...stay tuned for more updates from Sam's Tours Digital Photo Center.
Surviving for our underwater photographers has just become a lot easier in Palau, Aperture 2 is on it's way ready for you to use.
Sam's Tours Digital Photo Center is the only one of it's kind in Palau, Micronesia and in the Pacific, check out my previous blogs or go direct to Sam's Tours DPC site
click this link Sam's Tours DPC.
Watch out for Monday the 3rd of March...a truly amazing story, images and another very cool tip on Aperture 2, but now I take the weekend off,
Cheers until Monday
GD

Today has been one of those days where I rather had been on the beach shooting Coconut Trees with a pretty Girl walking by, but it was not to be.
"To be or not to be is the question?" Mel Brooks is so right.

The phone rang this afternoon... hi Gunther this is Tom again, we need very urgent a selection of images from Marlon in Sepang...how urgent? Uhhhhhh... can you prepare them in a few hours I am in your area and can drop by later and pick them up. I was in the middle off preparing some environmental images for an international exhibition in Armenia, (yes Armenia, but more on that later) but Aperture 2 came again to the rescue. I prepared a Smart album and went through some 3000 plus images, hey with this new Preview setting it was fast, marked some images with 5 star ratings for the Smart album and I was done... well not yet, Tom needed actually some rough prints, but that would have taken to much time since the selection was some 150 images and it was to late sending files to the Lab for printing.

To visit Marlon's website just click on the image.
Marlon Stoeckinger Race Car Driver - Formula BMW Pacific,
Sepang F1 Circuit, Malaysia - one of 12 contact sheets straight
out of Aperture 2 including all the metadata

No problem with Aperture 2, go to Print Image under File and there you find a setting for Contact sheet...yes it is that easy, the only thing you have to do is specify the columns and rows add some metadata and you done, there is also an auto setting but I needed the individual images a bit larger, you can even prepare a pdf file from your Contact sheet and send that to your lab or to your client direct from Aperture using Mail, ha,ha now I have to laugh...I have not left Aperture 2 since I started to work today...he,he my famous word integration, no need for anything else.
It took about 45 min. for everything and long before Tom arrived, I was back editing my environmental images dealing with another deadline...always deadlines and more deadlines but with Aperture 2 it is a lot easier to manage. By the way, try this... I call it V for victory...this keyboard shortcut is superb...if you press V you can toggle between the Browser & Viewer- Browser only and Viewer only, what a time saver.
GD

The weather has got the better off me, my trip to Boracay has been delayed for a few day’s, I hope only a few days due to rain, cant go to the beach when it is raining, cant we?
Posted another letter which I have received today from Australia, looks like the Aussies are right into Aperture 2. The letter from Mark is below and some other interesting things to check out...Election time...No, it is not Hillary and Obama, what do You Think? Which is better, Aperture or Lightroom? The still ongoing Poll...cast your vote click on the link below.
With the new Aperture now available and Lightroom just celebrating its first birthday, that’s what Stephen Shankland (c|net news) wants to know, and he’d like your help. I thought it opportune to survey readers. What would you buy?
What would you advise somebody else?
http://www.news.com/8301-13580_3-9875221-39.html?part

No this is not me... a recent shot from
Chuuk in Micronesia, a fisherman during
a tropical down pour.
www.deichmann-photo.com

Aperture 2… responses from Down Under…see below a letter from Mark Cox in Queensland, Australia.
This is my reply to Mark's letter...thanks for your kind words Mark, now to your request re. Aperture 2…for all its glory, speed, functuality and ease of use, you be amazed at the price…
upgrade for only US$ 99.00 since you have already 1.5

Click the image and go to the Apple store

Another reason for using Aperture 2, I don’t know of any other pro software that can match that? Another vote from me.
Mark, check with your local Mac Center or retailer on the availability, from what I have heard it is available in Australia, I did receive a letter from David Callard also from Australia who has just received his copy. Please do not hesitate in contacting me if you need any help with the new features, you be thrilled with the new interface, features and the super sonic speeeeeeed, I am not kidding... it is very fast and so easy to use.

Tip and a must check out for today...All Projects...now that is super cool you find it in your Projects panel, move the cursor over the images from your project click and press the space bar that will set the key image, but you can change this any time you feel like it, check it out, certainly another vote from me for Aperture 2

Screenshot shows All Projects (red circle) panel open, a real
cool addition, sooooooo... easy to use.
Double click on the image and your project opens up.

For all the latest features on Aperture 2 plus some great tutorials click on the screenshot above, a direct link to Aperture's new website.

GD


From: mark.cox.photography@mac.com
Subject: Re: Aperture introduction
Date: February 26, 2008 9:55:15 AM GMT+08:00
To: gdeichmann@mac.com

My Name is Mark Cox a Photographer, I have know Gunther Deichmann for some years already, have done a photo-workshop in Cambodia with him & WOW. I live In Port Douglas Australia where the reef meets the ocean, I spoke to Gunther with reference for a new computer & professional software for digital Photographers, hence Aperture 1.5 & now I saw on GD’s latest Blog a newer and better Aperture 2 plus he had this amazing Photo shelter widget that showed his stock photos at random!! Without GD constantly updating his web & sending his always interesting & amazing blogs I would miss out. GD once again, thanks so much my friend keep them coming please & let me know how much the new price is of Aperture 2 & availability in Australia.

Mark Cox
Photographer & Adventurer

Aperture… the blown out highlights on a Ferrari…an easy overlooked setting in Aperture 2…plus the next destination, the tropical island of Boracay.

The red circle is where you change the setting from previous version eg. 1.1 or 1.5 to the new 2.0, the blue circles show some blown out highlights.

For more NEW features and tutorials visit the NEW Aperture 2 website
just click the image above.

How come this is not functioning? An easy overlooked setting in Aperture 2…
don’t worry, it all works just fine…

… if you using Aperture 2 and have existing raw images from previous version of Aperture say 1.1 and 1.5 but now you installed Aperture 2 then some of the tools and new feature might “not be active or not working”. They all work fine… but you have to migrate and activate v2, see the screen shots below…now all the new features and tools are active and working. You might forget to do this, it happens to me, being so excited about all these new features that I was puzzled what went wrong… nothing wrong at all… My mistake!

The new recovery tool is one of them, a great way of improving your blown out highlights, you be amazed what you can bring back working with raw images, it is a very good idea anyway to use Aperture’s new Raw conversion from the start, you can apply this to all your existing Raw images as long you remember to migrate these to Aperture 2, all previous version in this small drop down menu are also there, you choose. Check out the screen shots below, I have marked them with a red circle or square, the blue circle on the red Ferrari are the blown out highlight which can be recovered.
Don’t know how to activate the Highlight Hot and Cold Areas… just go to View and in the drop down menu at the very bottom you find it.

Adjustment Panel on the left: the setting is on 1.1 previous version, on the right it is changed to the new 2.0 setting, see the red circles.

left: You can also change the setting to 2.0 in the floating inspector in full screen mode, after you have changed this the Recovery and Black Point slider work just fine.
right: Recovery and Black Point slider in the Adjustment panel, both marked with a red circle & rectangle.

However if you work in v2.0 you cant go back to the previous version, but who wants to do that anyway, you noticed a fast improvement on the raw conversion once you switch from previous to the new 2.0 setting. If you working with reference files like I do, make sure you have your hard drive connected for making adjustments, they wont work on the previews.

The new very cool overlay option, the red and blue areas, note the red area in the Ferrari Logo the yellow part and the blue on the tire

After next Wednesday my Blog will be a bit thin…I am leaving for the tropical Island of Boracay in the Philippines, suppose to be one of the best beaches in the world for another property shoot…I am ready to rock and roll with Aperture 2, editing right on the spot…or beach...I guess lucky me, but then somebody has to do it…more updates and new images shortly after my return the following week.
Now that is contrast again...

© Gunther Deichmann -
previous image from Boracay Island...
...yes lucky me.

GD

More images prepared in Aperture 2... behind the scene from the Sepang F1 race track in Malaysia...& an interesting link on Aperture verses Lightroom... plus a nice letter from David Callard in Australia who frequently visits my blogs & very much Aperture related, he ask me if I could include the letter on my blog. Thanks' for your letter David, it is very much appreciated and I am glad you like Aperture.
Now for those who are interested and like to participate in the Aperture v. Lightroom discussion, check out the link below, you might find this very interesting,
very cool site.
http://www.news.com/8301-13580_3-9875221-39.html?part=dht&tag=nl.e703

© Gunther Deichamnn - Marlon relaxing on the Grand stand
watching the test trails of the Formula BMW Pacific competition
and listening to his favorite Band Nickelback on his iPod.
Visit Marlon Stockingers website, click on the image above or @
http://www.marlonstockinger.com/

See below David's letter from today the 23rd of February

When I worked with my good friend Gunther Deichmann in Darwin, capital city of Australia’s Northern Territory aeons ago in the ‘80’s I don’t think either of us could have envisaged the phenomenal technological hurricane that was to blow through the photographic world at the turn of the millennium. Auto focus seemed a revolution back then! It was in the early ‘90’s when I decided to do 4 years of intensive study at a leading private photographic college in Melbourne that I first heard the question raised, “Could it be that film is forever dead?” While the answer to that question may still be debatable clearly our children will encounter digital imaging before they ever encounter the medium we grew so comfortable with. Like many of my colleagues at the time, I found the need to retrain all over again in the realm of computerized image processing rather daunting, especially after encounters with the new language of software, despite the promises on the box claiming ease of use. Subsequently I left the photographic world to undertake unrelated degree studies at university. However, I have of course maintained contact with Gunther and followed his advancing career with interest. I have also discovered that the bite of the photographic bug is incurable and so I am returning to the vocation I love the best. I must once again face the challenge of learning the new skills. I have always found Gunther’s advice to be thoroughly sound, so have recently got with the times and invested heavily in digital cameras plus a top specified MacBook Pro loaded with Aperture v.2. Now, at last here is the program of my dreams! A logical easy to understand graphical interface that just seems to guide my hand, combined with menu labels that really make sense! It is still early days for me but I am amazed at how intuitive the whole design of Aperture seems to be. So far, I have not got ‘lost’ - which seemed to be so easily accomplished in other programs I tried. After all, we are photographers first. We don’t want our equipment, either in terms of the cameras or the tools we use after image capture to play the lead role. That must be reserved for our ideas. I recommend Aperture highly. It is worth every cent of the price. Finally, thank you Gunther for pointing me in the right direction!
David Callard

Check out the images below - behind the scene at
Sepang F1 race track in Malaysia "processed"
with Aperture 2


© Gunther Deichmann - No, I did not put the iPod on the chair, Marlon
had just left it there for a few minutes during one of his breaks.
The image on the right:Things that grow
in the Tires of the racing track barriers.

© Gunther Deichamnn -
"not a brick in the wall" but Marlon's Helmet

Getting ready
for the Porsche Carrera Cup in March 2008

The line up...for the Porsche Carrera Cup
in March 2008

Marlon adding some lap time in his black Mac Book


"Darth Vader"...? No Marlon's sunglasses...got ya..

GD

Intro:

When you use the New retouching or cloning tool, make sure you switch off the Quick Preview button, on a full screen just move your mouse to the top of the screen your tools appear and you see the icon for the retouching panel, click the icon and the retouching panel will open, everything you need is there...size and softness of brush etc... click on the image above and go direct to
the NEW Aperture 2 website where you can find tutorials (great videos) and all the latest features explained in details.

Welcome to a few more laps with Aperture 2…plus some diving today.
I prepared some images for our underwater photographers one with back scatter and on the other one I removed the backscatter with Aperture’s NEW retouching tool, very useful also for the sensor dust on your image, check below and compare the images before and after.
Before we go into all the details I like to bring up an “interesting subject” some how keeps cropping up on the net…
- Aperture and Lightroom -

No… I will not compare or join these discussions.
(No more after today)
As a working photographer who spend most of his time in the field I have to get the images right in the first place in other words I cant and will not relay on two software’s e.g. having Lightroom and Aperture installed on my Machine, aren’t we suppose to create images, yes a lot of changes have taken place since the digital age has arrived but lets not forget where the real images come from.

When Aperture 1.0 came out I was in the middle of my book production “Journey Through Color and Time,” 360 pages full color using tiff and Raw files, editing some 5000 images from over 30 years, yes I did all of that with Aperture 1.0 since there was nothing else available, I had just finished and Aperture 1.5 surfaced, to late the book was done, now Aperture 2 has taken this completely to new dimensions.

Remember the saying… “Rome was not build in one Day either” I think we have to give some credit here to those engineers for what they have created and achieved, I certainly take my hat of to them, stop comparing… “this is better… that is worse.”
Sometimes I also advise the Aperture team how things can be improved, it is a long and slow process but in the end it will be implemented, I have seen the results and they do listening.

I used to shoot Kodachrome 25, and had to get it right in the first place, there was no room for mistakes, ok. things have changed and we can do a lot more with our images now, that is what I love about Aperture 2… it is simple and very fast with a lot of new useful tools, I choose Aperture from the beginning, did my Book and many other things since then, Aperture filled a big gap in Digital Photography before anybody else did.

I also use Photoshop, great software and I have been using it over many years and continue doing so, but now I am using it less and less… I am a Photographer not a Retoucher and it all depends what you shooting in the first place, yes in advertising and some commercial work it has it’s place for sure.

Which Raw converter is better??? I am not going into that one either, Aperture works for me, and I have customized my workflow and interface to my liking. What else do I need?
I am happy and so much faster than ever,” real time I think it is called.” Not to mention the integration one of my favorites, Aperture 2 has come a long way in a very short time, in the end it is up to you which software you choose. I guess the same applies to Cameras, you choose what ever you comfortable with, Canon verses Nikon (the web is full of it too) and so many others…

Aperture 2 is my Road Warrior…
fast, simple and efficient, no nonsense!

Now a little bit of diving and cleaning the BMW… see the samples below, removing sensor dust and backscatter in underwater images with
Aperture 2.

Before:
If you look closely you see some back scatter on the upper portion of the image


After: Adjusting the exposure and adding a little more contrast after that I used the retouch brush to remove the back scatter, a much cleaner image.


Before: A flat and very dirty BMW with Logo, ...after the race...
now he needs a good clean with our retouching brush

After the car wash...I used the auto exposure in my Adjustments panel
adjusted the white balance a bit and added some contrast.
Then I started to clean the dirt of the car by using the NEW retouching tool,
Now we have a nice clean BMW ready for the next few laps.
All of this took only a few minutes never leaving Aperture 2.

More real samples and some tips soon on this Blog...just stay tuned or subscribe to this Blog.
To view some of Gunther Deichmann's Images visit his website @

http://www.deichmann-photo.com/

Fasten your seatbelt…the Aperture 2 test drive continues…

1800 Raw images imported as reference files…in just under 10 minutes… I call this real speeeeeeeeed, almost scary…and having the choice to edit during import is one of my new favorites, the Quick Preview…oh boy I just love that one!

Let's go and check under the
hood of Aperture 2...



© Gunther Deichmann - Marlon's BMW being checked
by a mechanic in between laps, Sepang Malaysia
Click on the image above and visit Marlon's website @
http://www.marlonstockinger.com/index.html

Yes, I did some real timing today, like on the Race track every second counts, but sometimes even race cars loose control if you a good driver or not… you hit the gravel, your secure area.

I also took the last corner too fast today (or maybe I am not used to the new speed of Aperture 2) yes, I did loose control and imported by mistake the same CF Card twice, but then I thought, hey, there is this NEW command where you can tick this box and avoid duplicates on import. I had to investigate this one, and went straight for another lap…

After I had imported all my images I tried to cheat by importing the same images again, I clicked on the folder with the import panel open, and guess what? It was empty since I had activated the “Do not import duplicates “check box, thanks to the Apple engineers, a fantastic new feature, just awesome.
Note: this happen today, a real life mistake!

You find this box on the upper right on the import panel,
you check Do not import duplicates... it is that easy.

90% of my photography is in the field, importing from my CF Cards or external hard drives in the Hotel Room or even in a Tent during my trip through Tibet in 2006, and sometimes I get my Cards mixed up, but now having the ability to avoid duplicates “Do not import duplicates” is very smart and a great time saver.

No more duplicates... a real time saver,
not to mention the storage space you save.

As mention in my earlier Blog, Aperture 2 arrived perfect on time for my shoot in Sepang Malaysia for the Formula BMW Pacific practice trials, but soon I am back in Cambodia, Bali and Palau, creating images most people know me for. If I mix up my CF Cards again I just don’t worry anymore, given me more time to create images and extra time for serious editing on the road, thanks to the Aperture team.

Some more good NEWS, for our underwater photographers…Aperture 2 has now a retouching tool, but more on that in my next blog…the only thing I give away today, if you need to remove some back scatter in your underwater images, the horror in underwater photography …yes, it can be done…! I guess we go diving on our next Blog.
One software is a lot better than two, no need for Photoshop cloning.

There is one more new option I like to introduce to you today... check out the NEW overlay option "Highlight Hot and Cold Pixel" I have tried this already...again a super NEW addition to Aperture 2, I provide some real life samples in the days to come.

Click on the image above and visit the NEW Aperture 2 website @
http://www.apple.com/aperture/

OK. that’s it for today, but sooooooo much more in the coming days and weeks,
you just have to stay tuned or subscribe to my Blog.
GD

For more images by Gunther Deichmann please visit his website @
http://www.deichmann-photo.com/

I just cant leave it alone, my wife is complaining, just back from Malaysia...Aperture 2 walked into the Door...and here I am running one lap after the other...almost at the finishing line and the winner is Aperture. After the initial first or so lap's I had a good look under the hood... today I bring you the first of a series...my experience with Aperture in the field and after the shoot.
I have provided for those who are not that familiar with Aperture yet, some links...yes that is something Apple does real well providing some cool videos and tutorials, easy to understand.
So, if you New to Aperture check it out and watch these cool marvels you pick up so much info from these videos .Click this link...
As mention in my earlier Blog from the fast and furious...Aperture 2 is fast, sorry correction... very, very fast a sheer pleasure to work with, and with one of the new features from about 100 this one I really like the Quick Preview super cool, check out the screenshot the red circle lower right shows you how to activate that one.

These images have been taken only 3 days ago in Sepang, Malaysia,
Marlon Stoeckinger in his BMW the Formula BMW Pacific test trails.

But there is so much more...the new Recovery tool for pulling back "blown" highlights, while Vibrancy boosts saturation selectively without messing up skin tones. Definition lets you add clarity to images using local contrast. Vignette and Devignette filters are new, as well. Set up in the Preference your Mouse for double click, click on any image and you in full screen mode.
I can go on forever, and I will in the weeks to come, I am just so excited (my wife is not) I keep driving and driving one lap after the other, the ease and simplicity of the improved interface and the new speeeeeeeeeeed has taken Aperture to complete new dimensions, so why dont you check it out and give it a test drive you wont be disappointed.
A lot more in the next few days and weeks...
GD

I arrived back from Sepang in Malaysia last night, and today Aperture 2 walked into the door just in time for the test drive with all these images I took in Sepang at the F1 Circuit.

In 2008 the Formula BMW Pacific Series will support Formula One Grand Prix in Singapore and Japan and the Super GT Series in Malaysia. The three other events will be a part of the “Asian Festival of Speed” (AFOS).* click here for Marlon's Profile and more info on the Formula BMW Pacific.


© Gunther Deichmann - Marlon checking on his competitors


© Gunther Deichmann - Tom Stoeckinger,
showing Marlon the Lap Time



© Gunther Deichmann
In addition to Formula BMW Pacific Series AFOS
showcases the talents of drivers and teams in the region's
other top categories, the Asian Touring Car Championship,
Porsche Carrera Cup and Formula V6 Asia.


© Gunther Deichmann - Marlong is getting ready
for another lap, leaving the Pit.

I have to admit I am game sometimes, I installed Aperture 2 and after a few minutes was up and running, the very first thing I noticed was the speed and it was so much smoother, I have to get used to the new layout yet, but from what I have seen so far, that won't take long at all. I quickly checked out some of the new features and was honestly very impressed and surprised, but a lot more on that later, as the saying goes first impression counts and I am impressed!
Installation was a breeze and no conflict with my previous images, everything was there, so dont be shy or scared, get your copy today and install it into you Machine. All the images below of Marlon and the preparation of the Porsche Carrera Cup (Carrera Cup Series) on the Sepang F1 Circuit are direct from Aperture 2, I am having fun and more test driving over the weekend, using the images from this very fast and recent shoot. Marlon and Tom Stoeckinger are still in Sepang, Marlon running some more high speed lap's, and I am running my own high speed test on Aperture 2, I am very impressed with the driving skills of Marlon, but my first lap on Aperture 2 got me very excited, as with Marlon there be a lot more news coming and I guess with Aperture 2 as well.

© Gunther Deichmann - Marlon relaxing in between
racing test schedules

The timing and the arrival of Aperture 2 was just perfect and a real test drive for me, coinciding with the fast and furious from Sepang Malaysia. Marlon's website has been updated and so has the Aperture site, again timing is everything, check out the links and find out all the new features in Aperture 2 and the latest News with the 2008 Racing Calendar on Marlon Stockinger's website. or click the screen shots below.
GD

For more images by Gunther Deichmann's visit his website @
www.deichmann-photo.com
____________________________________________

Four days ago the phone rang...hi Gunther this is Tom, how do you feel like going to Sepang Malaysia with me and Marlon for the Formula BMW Pacific trail/test runs prior the F1 Race later in March. Ok., can do... when are we leaving? Well in two days... oh boy I just returned from Micronesia a few days ago and now I am off for something very different, now that is what I call contrast, but you all know I love contrast anyway. You might remember Marlon from one of my earlier blogs, (from the 22- 12 -2007) when he got his BMW Scholar ship, now he is getting ready for his first Race.
This was an opportunity I could not miss, besides Tom been a good friend and I have know Marlon since birth.
So here I am in Sepang at the F1 Circuit and shooting the test trails for Marlon, in his BMW, very different from the stuff I shot only a few weeks ago.

This is fast very fast, shooting high speed with my Nikons the D2X and the D200, on the first day alone I went through some 1500 images and today was not much different, we start in the morning about 7AM until 6PM, then back to the Hotel eat and then I am editing on Aperture... only to find out during my stay in Kuala Lumpur that Aperture 2 has been released.
I did find some time to briefly check it out, and from what I have read so far, I wish I could have had it here some awesome new stuff in Aperture 2, mark my words for it.
I guess I have to deal with that later and have my own test drive, and once I am done with that I make sure I let you know all the details, just stay tuned.

During these tests trails with Marlon Stoeckinger it was a pleasure to work with Aperture, again and again what would I have done with out it, no way I could have done my editing in such a short time if you shoot some 8 frames per second you need Aperture. I thank Tom for inviting me along and it was real great seeing Marlon driving on this World famous F1 Circuit.
What is also amazing, during his breaks he picked up his iPod and listening to Nickelback, relaxing in between his Race schedule, and not only that; today he picked up his black Mac Book and input some lap times. For some strange reason I do run into Mac's these past few weeks, remember the Kids from the Chuuk High School, that was only a couple weeks ago. I will continue this story about a teenager, who is working his way up to become one of these days a Formula 1 driver, he is certainly going in the right direction, Marlon has just amazing driving skills for his age, 17 years to be exact.
He be driving the Formula BMW Pacific next in Sepang, Malaysia, Singapore and Japan, following the F1 around with his Formula BMW Pacific, the Eurasia Team.

The racing Calendar 2008

March 21 - 23 Formula 1GP, Sepang, Malaysia -
Rounds 1 and 2
April 18 - 20 Asian Festival of Speed, Zhuhai, China -
Rounds 3, 4, 5 and 6
May 16 - 18 Asian Festival of Speed, Sepang, Malaysia -
Rounds 7, 8, 9 and 10
July 18 - 20 Asian Festival of Speed, Sentul, Malaysia -
Rounds 11, 12, 13 and 14
September 26 - 28 Formula 1GP, Singapore -
Rounds 15 and 16
October 10 - 12 Formula 1GP, Fuji, Japan-
Rounds 17 and 18




All Photos © Gunther Deichmann

Marlon loves and listening to Nickelback on his iPod, and carries his Black Mac Book with him where ever he goes, like me I could not do all of this without Aperture... the fast and furious... sort off, but for sure contrast from one extreme to the other, romantic resorts in the pacific to a F1 Circuit, I guess it is never boring.
We certainly hear a lot more of Marlon Stoeckinger in the month to come... the season has just started... good luck Marlon.
Marlon's website is going to be updated very soon, www.marlonstoeckinger.com
More in a few days, I have to get some sleep some times, good night and
Love from Malaysia, it is Valentines Day after all.
GD

_____________________________________

© Gunther Deichmann - Chuuk High School, Jan. 2008
"The Wall"

As promised here is my follow up article re. Clark Graham and the High School in Chuuk, Micronesia..."not forgotten any more."
For more information and the complete story go to my previous blog from the 27 01 2008 "The forgotten ones! Is this the future generation of Aperture...?"

Photo Arnold Munoz - Chuuk High School, Jan. 2008
Clark and some of his students


© Gunther Deichmann - Chuuk High School, Jan. 2008
some of Clark's students with the iBooks


© Gunther Deichmann - Chuuk High School, Jan. 2008

It has been great news for the students at the Chuuk Public High School, we have managed to secure a Canon Digital Camera and an iBook from Gunther Taus in the Philippines, another Camera is coming from Andy Kerr's father in the US. The Power Mac Center in the Philippines is contributing some iBook accessories, etc.,etc and Apple US is supporting Clark Graham and his students with iLife and iWorks software. Thank you all. http://chuukhighschool.blogspot.com
GD

Photo courtesy, Arnold Munoz - GD on his MacBook Pro editing on Aperture in his room at the Truk Stop Hotel in Chuuk, Micronesia, the screen shows some of the images from the Chuuk High School, GD is also using iLife and iWorks, creating his own sound with GarageBand, iMovie for Podcast and loves Keynote for his presentations.
Visit Gunther Deichmann's website at: www.deichmann-photo.com

_____________________________________

When it comes to diving you need very good and reliable equipment, your life depends on it. A good regulator, a good BC and so on... I guess the same applies to Computers hence the letter below from Paul Russell from Divedojo, your life might not depend on it but certainly your business. Sam's Tours in Palau choose to go with Mac to offer all their clientele the extra benefits... Digital Photo Center, Wi-Fi, internet and a lot more, now Divedojo is doing something similar, not quiet as big but certainly in the right direction and who knows what the future brings.
The photography world has gone more and more digital, dive centers and dive shops opt for more reliable equipment these days, easy to connect and perfect for underwater photographers if you an amateur or pro. There is iLife with iPhoto or for the more advanced Aperture, you shoot and show your images as a slideshow minutes after you have uploaded them include you favorite soundtrack without ever leaving the software, or send an email to your relatives from your vacation. This is all possible now and with Mac's integration a real breeze. So, when you plan your next trip to Micronesia or the Philippines check out Sam's Tours In Palau or Divedojo in Puerto Galera, you find they are really connected, not only underwater but also above. My next blog in a few days is about the super support we have received so far for the High School Children in Chuuk, plus a lot more interesting articles from this part of the world.
GD

© Gunther Deichmann - Photographer and Shark, Blue Corner Palau,
Micronesia, shoot the big stuff in Palau with Sam's Tours special
Shark Dives (no feeding)they show you these amazing creatures
in their natural habitat.


© Gunther Deichmann - a feeding Nudibranch, Puerto Galera, Philippines
Check out Divedojos and dive with Ethie, let him show you the
most amazing critters around, take my worked for it, I have had many dives
with him and he contributed to many images I have shoot, without him
I would have gone straight past it.

Paul Russell's letter below:

03 02 2008
Greetings Gunther!

I read with great interest your recent adventures in Palau with Sam's Tours. As the owner of Divedojo, a brand new dive shop in Puerto Galera,  Philippines, I was immediately captivated by your  blog on Apple Mac setups in Micronesia and the professionalism that they bring to the diver experience.
 
After reading your article I got inspired!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Initially I replaced the dive shop office computer with an iMac. Everyone (especially our secretary.. and she is very hard to please!) loves it , and I will be replacing both our Internet browsers with Mac mini's and 23" Mac screens shortly.
 
I work on a Mac book pro laptop for my personnel needs and now two of our instructors, Mark and Trendy, both have Mac laptops!
 
As a relatively newcomer to the world of Mac, I must say I am delighted with this product. The stable operating system, especially in harsh dive shop  environments,  is definitely the way forward for my business.
 
Thanks again Gunther and best regards
Paul Russell
www.divedojo.com

_____________________________

iPods…Aperture in Bali…that is integration.

OK., this is not the Nano from Bali, but my very own 80Gig iPod, and on this one
I always carry the latest projects not to mention all the music for those evenings in
hotel rooms when editing with Aperture,
I just cant live without my Blues.

Here is an interesting story from Bali Indonesia… during one of my Aperture seminars in Jakarta last year, I met Eddy from E Max and he showed me around in particular a boutique hotel that featured iPods with sound systems in all the rooms.
Now here is the twist, what has Aperture got to do with all of this… quiet a bit… if it had not been for the Aperture seminar in Jakarta I could have never advised a good friend and interior designer who was working at the time on the Luxury Hotel and Apartment Project, at the Outrigger O-CE-N Bali Hotel in Indonesia.

Thomas ask me one day during his visits in Manila what I thought of the idea having iPods in all the Hotel rooms and if this could work, I laughed and said... problem solved…; about 8 month later he purchased 115 iPods and sound system from Eddy at E Max in Jakarta…read the letter below I have just received… sorry no images, they have to follow later, I am leaving for Bali to do the property shoot in March, plenty images up on my return. “ talking about integration”
Thomas letter below.
Thomas Schubert is a Consultant and lives in Bali and Palau.
GD


Dear Eddy and Gunther

Happy New Year 

Let me take this opportunity to thank you both, for your professional assistance in advising sourcing and purchasing the 115 pcs iPOD NANO and the 115 pcs I HOME Black for ourLuxury Hotel and Apartment Project, at the Outrigger O-CE-N Bali Hotel in Indonesia.

With this excellent Product, you have helped us to find and install the perfect sound system fitting into our Modern, Contemporary and State of the Art Hotel- Studios and Apartments.
Gunther your advise and recommendation to contact and order form your friend Eddy in  Jakarta has developed into a successful business relation.

Eddy, your company E max in Jakarta has provided all the professional support and swift service we needed to realize this project. 
You had "O-CE-N "engraved on all our iPOD Nano's and the I home's have been delivered with the Euro electric plug, as requested by my client. 

Thanks to you my friends and of cause to APPLE it has been a smooth ride.
I will recommend your business and services to anyone and certainly hope to use it my self again in the near future.

Congratulation

YOURS 
THOMAS


Thomas Schubert
Pacific International Consulting
PO: 83, Koror
Rep of Palau 96940 PW

___________________________________

The forgotten ones!
Is this the future generation of Aperture…?
Why we should spend more time and educating the not so privileged ones… there are some people out there who do just that as I discovered recently in Chuuk, Micronesia.

© Gunther Deichmann - The classroom window...

22nd January 2008

We finally we arrived in Chuuk. Now where is Chuuk…?
Chuuk is located about an hour and 45 min. flying time from Guam and is part of Micronesia, best known for the 2nd World War wrecks which resting now at the bottom of the ocean, the famous Truk Lagoon. Arj my I.T. guy/friend and myself are on assignment for one of our clients the Truk Lagoon Dive Center.

Tuesday 7:30 in the morning during our breakfast I noticed in the restaurant three guys with iBooks and a Mac Book, I thought to myself "wow this is very strange" in a remote place like this to see three Macintosh computers and not including ours in the early morning. Well, the curiosity got the better of me and I approached the breakfast table with the Mac's and started a casual conversation. That’s how I met Clark, Ben and Andy, and found out that Clark is teaching at the local Chuuk public high school using all iBooks in his class. Now I got more curious and during my conversation with Clark I found out that there was a donation of some (10) ten iBooks some time ago. With the support of the Touhy Foundation in Albany, New York, Learning Currents International and the Episcopal Church in Micronesia (ECIM), SHIP obtained 10 iBook computers to use in its education programs.

Clark teaches a group of high school students, some photography, art, communication and English. Clark who is a very dedicated volunteer (see his Bio below) managed to organize these iBooks for the Chuuk Public High School, an amazing task and a great opportunity for these Children in this remote part of the world.
If you see the images you might understand a bit more about this public school, it is guys like Clark who dedicate their life to projects like these with the occasional help from Andy Kerr from Guam who was there this week on a visit to help out.
The local Government and education Dept. don’t seam to care that much, the facts are;
A public high school with 600 children and not enough teachers, only two toilets, most of the time no power and drinking water, hence the children’s Podcast project reflecting the need for water and better facilities.

© Gunther Deichmann - Clark Graham and Andrew Kerr working
with the students on a Podcast





© Gunther Deichmann - Left: the door to Clark's classroom,
note the notices posted by the students.
Right: in one of the corridors at the school... to hot work inside...
...no power/electricity... no water...

Clark invited me for a visit and showed me around, I met the students and was very impressed with their work done on the refurbished second hand iBooks. Producing podcasts and stories to be used and shown to other schools on the island, openly speaking from their heart about their condition at their school and the lack of support from the local education department. Very impressive indeed, and as I discovered later some great talent amongst this group of Students.
Take this example; Clark has to take all the iBooks home everyday for security and get them charged for the next day, he does this at the Truk Stop Hotel since they have reliable power, also the only place in Chuuk with a wi-fi connection and sometimes Clark takes his students there for some learning experience on the net.

Photos courtesy of Clark and Andy -
taken the students to the local Truk Stop Hotel and Dive Center,
a strong supporter of this project.

I decided to help out a bit too, so on Friday morning I visited the school again to provide Clarks students some basic Photography lessons which he welcomed and thanked me for it, but then I should thank him for showing me something that not so many people are aware of, another learning experience and a reminder of the "forgotten ones".
A small field trip around the school grounds with the students sharing the only digital Camera available, some evaluation of the images afterwards was appreciated very much by the students. Who knows some of these students could be the next Aperture users in the future I certainly detected a lot of excitement and interest in the visual arts.
We are so blinded by too much technology these days, but here I saw something very beautiful, a group of Children with very little equipment getting some amazing results with just the basic iBook and sharing the only small digital camera patiently amongst each other.

© Gunther Deichmann - top: Outside the classroom,
is it to hot? below: Andy Kerr is helping out with a project.

Thanks to Clark and his endless efforts these Children have been given an opportunity in this remote part of the world, and as Clark explains… if only a handful of them make it then I have achieved something. Clark needs some more help with more basic digital Cameras and iBooks, from the ten donated iBooks 5 went back for repair to Guam with Andy Kerr who is donating his time and knowledge to the forgotten ones. Read more about Andy below, another guy with a good heart and soul.

Photos by Arnold Munoz, thanks Arnold.
GD during his brief photography session

We take things for granted and forget about the children who could use our help and knowledge given them a chance in life, this is what Clark does relentlessly. I take my hat off to Clark and Andy, for giving their precious time and energy to this amazing project, well done guys.
My small contribution for a few hours was only a drop in the ocean, but seeing the students enjoying themselves gave me a great sense of satisfaction and when I return to Chuuk I am only to happy in contributing a lot more. For info on Gunther Deichmann visit his website at: http://www.deichmann-photo.com/
GD

© Gunther Deichmann
More computers... less or no Graffiti on the walls?

Clark Graham:
Came to Micronesia in 1966 with the Peace Corps Volunteer as an ESL teacher and He also ran a dive shop for many years, did underwater phtaught the only secondary Maritime History & Archaeology with students doing submerged cultural resource projects documenting the aircraft and traditional sites in Chuuk.

Since 1989 Clark has been the executive director of the Society for Historic Investigation & Preservation (SHIP), an FSM non-government organization (NGO). SHIP’s purpose is to promoting historic preservation, environmental protection, to educate Micronesians and assist in preserving valuable knowledge and information, encourage pride in the past and use it as a bridge to the future, and use this information to empower young people to live healthy, wise and satisfying lives.

With the support of the Touhy Foundation in Albany, New York, Learning Connections International and the Episcopal Church in Micronesia (ECIM), SHIP obtained 10 iBook computers to use in its education programs.

SHIP choose Apple, specifically iBook laptops, because of it is user friendly, offers excellent software, is rugged and reliable. Garageband, and all, that allows our students to interact easily and positively: they really get excited about learning.

Chuukese people have a high percentage of spatial and visual intelligence and our work with students in audio-visual projects, photography and multi-media activities allows them to achieve this without being proficient in English.

For more information and other disturbing images visit the Blog Site:
http://chuukhighschool.blogspot.com

About Andrew Kerr
Chuuk is one of four volunteer projects for me in Micronesia: Palau, Yap, Guam, Chuuk. All computer-related projects and all dealing with digital equity issues and Palau and Chuuk dealing directly with visual arts as a teaching mechanism (i.e. digital photography).
Andrew (Andy) Kerr, is an eLearning consultant whose clients private and public sector entities in the Asia/Pacific. His background includes 12 years of education and education related activities at the K-12, higher education and adult education levels throughout the US mainland, Pacific and Asia. The work has included distance education (Internet, satellite, video conferencing and hybrid models), instructional design, technology training and integration. Andy is the former Associate Director of the U.S. Department of Education program, the Pacific Regional Technology Education Consortium (PRTEC), and a university instructor, instructional technologist, and technology coordinator. Current projects include technology planning, staff development, and distance learning program implementation. He specializes in working with technology solutions for under-served areas, especially in rural and remote areas with little to no access to modern infrastructure and services.

© Gunther Deichmann
CHS - In the school yard...Chuuk, Micronesia

CHS-Chuuk High School: Chuuk’s oldest public high school located at Wunungenota: an important historic site for the Chuukese people. SHIP-Society for Historic Investigation & Preservation: SHIP an FSM NGO founded in 1989 with the purpose of promoting historic preservation, environmental protection, education, and the empowerment of young people to live healthy, wise and satisfying lives. HOOPS-Helping Ourselves: Outreach Programs in Sports: Offers sports programs and lifestyle education.

____________________________

As I promised, here is part two (2) of the Digital Photo Center at Sam's Tours Palau, Micronesia.
I am now in Chuuk Micronesia, but where is Chuuk? More very interesting news from this remote part of the world in a few days, we are having a real problem now with our connection, sending a Blog out from here is just about impossible, but don't worry after the 27th of January I get it out.
Before I give you some more details on the setup at Sam's Tours, you'll be amazed what I have come across in Chuuk, totally surreal and unique, sorry, for this story you have to wait until the 27th.

From left to right: Rhea Richardson newly trained and now in charge of operation,
Arnold Munoz, Sam Scott, Dermot Keane and Gunther Deichmann the first day of operation.
All Photos: Hermes Singson

Now back to Sam's Tours:
When we arrived we had to unpack, install and fine tune all the six iMac's including the installation of the additional RAM, oh boy... we though all of it had been done prior shipment but to our surprise well... we had to do it.
Installation of the RAM was easy and went through without a glitch, then we upgraded all the iMac's to Leopard since the operating system was all on Tiger, now that was fine too, however we encountered some real problems in upgrading all six(6) iMac's due to the internet connection, that took us about 3 days to finish.
Then we setup all the external hard drives for a perfect back-up system, not to forgot upgrading Aperture to 1.5.6 which was a little cumbersome, the latest update does not work via the 'Software Update', due to a glitch, we had to get it direct from the Aperture site, and after hours of downloading we were finally up and running.
Sam's Tours made available two staff for the training, Rhea a Filipina and Alex a Polish divemaster are now running the Digital Photo Center, after receiving a crash course on the operating system we went straight to Aperture for the remaining days.
The system at Sam's Tours was set up in such a way that customers can give the Compact Flash (CF) cards after the dive to the DPC and the staff will import the images direct into the database of Aperture.

Setting up time- left : GM Dermot Keane, Sam Scott and Arnold Munoz,
right: Gunther Deichmann and Sam Scott
All photos Hermes Singson, thanks Hermes

Since most of the diver photographers come to Palau for about a week or two, the images are uploaded every day and by the end of the week the staff will prepare a CD/DVD for them to take home.
But now comes the good part, if for what ever reason the customer looses his or her CD/DVD up on returning home, they only have to send an email and request a copy.
This is where Aperture comes in very handy, all images are stored as a project (the project name in this case is the name of the Customer/Diver) as reference files and further backed up again to another drive which is independent.
Customer files are usually kept for about 60 to 90 days, but upon request special arrangements can be made for longer storage, in the DPC two iMac's are set aside for photographer who like to use Aperture themselves, a similar back up and storage system is in place.
All six (6) iMac's are connected in the same network via the Airport Extreme Base Station for file sharing, perfect for photo workshops, we put a lot of emphasis on the back up system, so no matter what happens to your great underwater shots they'll be safe even after you leave Palau.

Aperture installed including your own back up X2
All Photos Hermes Singson, thanks Hermes.

All iMac's are wi-fi connected and have dedicated access to the internet, thanks to Arnold our I.T. guy making the DPC a virtual internet Cafe as well, a Video station is soon to be implemented as well, separate printing via an Epson printer is also available plus external CD/DVD burner with labeling ability.
But there is a lot more... small Canon digital cameras with underwater housings are for rent and some new video cam's are available also, there you have it, diving with Sam's Tours has just gotten a lot better, thanks to the new Digital Photo Center, now you can leave your laptop at home, you are in good hands at Sam's Tours.
To round it up, this is the most complex and efficient Digital Photo Center in Palau, Micronesia, the Pacific and I believe a first in the diving industry, in this part of the world.
Stay tuned for this real great news and info, you won't believe the one from Chuuk Micronesia, the things I came across during my travels....
the title will be "The forgotten ones"
GD

________________________________

Soon we are leaving Palau and continue our Journey to Chuuk, Truk Lagoon, Sam's Tours is up and running with the Digital Photo Center and we have also finished our shoot at the Palau Pacific Resort. See below two more images from the last few days at this real great place. Once I am in Chuuk and caught up with some sleep I go into some more details regarding Sam's Tours Digital Photo Center, certainly a first in this part of the world, and using the management system of Aperture. More images also from behind the scene on my next blog a few days from now. I did prepare today a real cool slide show for my client at the Resort never leaving Aperture, and with some cool music from iTunes, all prepared from inside a smart Album.
Dont try this at home with your PC, it just wont work!
Until very soon from Chuuk...
GD

© Gunther Deichmann - last sun light over the pool at the
Palau Pacific Resort, Micronesia



© Gunther Deichmann - reflection of the "famous shark attack",
the super cocktail at the Palau Pacific Resort, Micronesia
www.deichmann-photo.com

____________________________________

A continuous Reflection of Excellence (Part 1)
15/01/2008 Sam’s Tours Palau, Micronesia



Photo: Hermes Singson -
Finally... it is done! Gunther Deichmann and Sam Scott

I know I kept everybody in suspense for about a week, as of tonight it is no longer a secret. It is late, I am very tired but it is done and official, a first for Palau, Micronesia and probably in the Pacific and I guess in the diving industry. Sam’s Tours is open for business, a complete Photography-Internet-Digital workstation entirely run on the latest iMac’s loaded with RAM for our photographers and Aperture users.
It doesn't matter if you an amateur or professional, Sam’s Tours is catering for all your needs, like to rent a camera for underwater or above, or a small video cam not a problem.
Our trained staff can assist you after the ‘dive workflow’, show your images to your friends while still on location with a impressive slide show, burn you images on CD/DVD for you to take home. We offer you all the options, do it yourself or let our staff take care of all your images while you wait and enjoy a cold beer at our Bottom Time Bar.

Photo: Hermes Singson-
A very happy Sam Scott from Sam's Tours
with the newly arrived iMac's

All of this is now possible at Sam’s Tours Digital Photoshop, DSL wi-fi internet connection using Airport Extreme, but most impressive is the photo workstations, not only one but six high end iMac computers with all the software you ever going to need.

We have also installed high-end backups so we can always guarantee that your images will be safe and secure with us after each dive or adventure trip in Palau.
In case you loose your CD/DVD, we backup your images for up to 60 days just send us an email and we will burn another copy of your CD/DVD and post it to you.

Photo: Hermes Singson - GD training staff on Aperture

For our professional photographers Aperture is installed and if you not familiar with Aperture, you can always use Bridge or Photoshop Elements.

That’s about it for now, I am very tired and need to get some rest, we follow up with part two in a couple of days, and explain in more details of this unique setup in Palau.
Congratulation to Sam’s Tours!
Please stay tuned for more in depths details in my next blog, by the way our commercial shoot at the Palau Pacific Resort is also completed, some more training in the next few days for the staff at Sam’s Tours on the Leopard operating system and of course Aperture, we should be all sweet by the weekend before we proceed to Chuuk (Truk Lagoon)

Five of the six workstations at Sam's Tours Palau

Special thanks to Apple Singapore and the Power Mac Center Manila, for the support in this project, thanks to my staff Hermes and Arnold for the very long working hours in completing this job. Thanks to Dermot Keane the GM from Sam's Tours for all his help and assistance.
GD

Please stay tuned for part two. (2) or subscribe to our Blog at: http://www.deichmann-photo.com/blog.html

Gunther Deichmann's website: http://www.deichmann-photo.com/

__________________________________

Palau Micronesia… more great News from Sam's Tours!

If you can guess what is going to happen on the 15th of January… at Sam's Tours the first email with the right answer can win...
...3 days of free diving at Sam’s Tours, Palau.

Clue: It's Simply Digital!

You have 3 days to figure this one out, please send your e-mail to: info@samstours.com

Note:
Sam’s Tours staff, Gunther Deichmann and Team, family members and close associates are not allowed to participate. Sorry guys.

© Gunther Deichmann - one morning at the
Palau Pacific Resort

Our shoot at the Palau Pacific Resort is coming along fine; due to some rain the last few days we have decided to extend our stay a few extra days before traveling to Chuuk (Truk Lagoon). At least we dont have to rough it like the Survivor Palau Micronesia which had been recently filmed in this great part of the world, we have the comfort of the Palau Pacific Resort, the staff and management has been absolutely fantastic, when you plan your trip to Palau, I recommend you stay at the Palau Pacific Resort and dive with Sam’s Tours, the best of the best in Palau..
Next week starting the 13th I be reporting direct from Sam’s Tours from where we will fire up our big surprise. Then things will be very different at Sam’s concerning … opps… I almost slipped and let the cat out of the bag.

Our next blog with the announcement will be in the evening on the 15th. 01. 2008
GD

__________________________________________

Wow, I found a great connection today, I am back to my normal self, well almost. The above image is part of Aperture, set on Maximize Viewer, with a bunch of images taken during our stay and commercial shoot at the Palau Pacific Resort, Mandara Spa area. (check out the blog from the 08 01 08, our first from Palau)

Above is my typical Hotel setup, MacBook Pro with two Lacie 160-Gig Rugged Hard drives, make sure if you go out and buy these drives that they have a triple interface, they also come with USB only, I love this setup, daisy chain the two drives with fire wire 800 and use the fire wire 400 to go to the Mac Book Pro. (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 we can upload all day our Cards with out having to worry and running out 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 two hours.
In cases like these it is a good idea to carry an extra battery or make sure you near a place where you can charge your computer.
My client ask me the other day if they could look at some of the images we have taken so far, well I said no problem lets use your conference room, setup the projector and I run an Aperture slide show with music from iTunes, it is that simple.
GD

SilverKeeper software from Lacie, comes with the hard drives.
________________
Did the last Survivors camp in this room???
The only thing I can tell you for now it is at Sam's Tours Palau.


Now what has this room got to do with Photography and Aperture, real messy... for now. You find out everything very soon either on the 14 or 15th of January, yes, yes I know I am driving everybody mad with all this suspense... but dont you worry it is worth the wait, hey only a few more days.

Gunther's website: http://www.deichmann-photo.com/

_______________________________________

Oh Boy, this is really frustrating, the connection speed in Palau, I am trying so hard the last few days to get these blogs out, somehow we will manage, maybe not so many images this time around but I can always fire them out at a later date.
A few more days to go before we will make our big announcement from Palau, the weather is getting better now and we had a good brake for some Helicopter work today, see the images from the Palau Pacific Resort below.
My promised little tip on Aperture in the field I try to get out in the next few days or just before our announcement, please have patience the connection is a real problem over here, I wonder what it is going to be like later in the month when we go to Chuuk, Truk Lagoon.
GD

© Gunther Deichmann, Palau Pacific Resort, Micronesia


© Gunther Deichmann, Aerial of the
Palau Pacific Resort, Micronesia

I am leaving for Palau Micronesia and Chuuk tomorrow the 4th of January, depends on my connection speed my blogs will be a bit light the next 3 weeks.
However there be a major announcement around the 14 and 15th of this month, very exciting NEWS from Palau and a first in Micronesia.
Stay tuned or subscribe and be the first to know.

© Gunther Deichmann - cruising the spectacular Rock islands inPalau Micronesia

Between the 5th and 12th of Jan. we are at the Palau Pacific Resort for a major commercial shoot, I am sending out the occasional blog from there, with tips on Aperture on location, but not related to the other Big Event. However after the commercial shoot we get started and prepare for the big announcement, just hang in there we let you know soon enough..., I know I am really bad with my suspense and the only thing I can give a way at the moment, great News for Photographers visiting Palau after the 16th of January.

© Gunther Deichmann - the famous ship wrecks of Truk Lagoon, Chuuk, Micronesia

After the 16th of Jan. I am leaving with my web master for Chuuk (Truk Lagoon) the world famous wreck diving destination in the pacific, for more photography and to set up a new website for our client, back in Manila around the 24th of Jan.
Some more interesting News and information by the end of Feb. from Bali Indonesia, again very much Apple/Mac related, more on this project later.
Happy New Year.
GD

A few things you might find interesting about PhotoShelter and the difference between the Personal Archive and the PhotoShelter Collection.

It all started with the PhotoShelter Personal Archive, and for me it was the perfect solution in keeping my images away from the office (I am crazy when it comes to backups) in a completely different location, not only that but PhotoShelter makes another backup again.

With the arrival of Aperture and shortly after the plug in from PhotoShelter things even got better, now I can be anywhere in the world provided I have a connection and upload my images into my archive.
That’s not all, with a provided super databank and a cool looking micro site I can sell images 24 hours a day, but now back to the difference between the two:

In the PhotoShelter Personal Archive I can store and make available thousands of my images in high resolution, currently some 3000 plus, organized in different countries, you can find them also via specific keywords, of course these are edited and include the images from my Book "Journey Through Color and Time" (pls. note: not complete yet)

The PhotoShelter Collection is a bit different, here you find a selection of edited images hence the word collection, again this is supported by keyword searches etc., etc., and a micro site as well. The PhotoShelter team is also actively marketing this site, where as the Archives are not, the Collection is more defined and the edited images have been chosen according to subjects and market requirements. In simple terms a very tied edit.
Aperture made captioning and key wording so easy, and PhotoShelter loves key words hence the reason they work so well together.
For more info on PhotoShelter check out my previous blog from the 19. 12. 2007 - category Stockimages
Click on the image below and go to the PhotoShelter Collection to visit the Personal Archive please click here.

I am leaving for Palau and Chuuk Micronesia on the 4th until the 26th of Jan. my blogs will be a bit light during this time.
As mention some time ago there is a major announcement during my stay in Palau and you better believe it, this will rock, absolutely amazing, a very first indeed. I keep you in suspense a bit, I love doing that, so keep your eyes peeled or subscribe to our blog, announcement date is going to be around the 14th of Jan. 2008 direct from Palau.

Click on the image and visit Sam's Tours

One last thing, if you feel up to it visit my site with the Podcast’s for some cool music and some clips created with iLife, just added recently. PODCAST LINK

Happy New Year, take good care and be careful with these firecrackers on the 31st.

GD

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- yeni yiliniz kutlu olsun

_________________________________________________

If you in Manila for the Holiday Season why dont you take the opportunity and drop by the Power Mac Center in Greenbelt Makati, for the last session of the year, an intro into "Photography and the Mac" and for the more advanced a "one on one session on Aperture", for details please contact the Power Mac Center @ training@powermaccenter.com or www.powermaccenter.com
Looking forward to see you. "Happy Holidays" Gunther Deichmann

_____________________________________

© Gunther Deichmann

I have just received word and given confirmation about the final dates on the Photo Workshop in Palau Micronesia with Sam's Tours.
The confirmed dates are: April 22nd to 27th 2008. Tony Wu one of Asia's best underwater photographers ( editor of Fins Magazine) and Gunther Deichmann well renown for his landscape and surface shots (also a certified Apple Pro trainer for Aperture) have organized this exciting event at Sam's Tours. More details will be announced shortly, for reservations and bookings please contact Dermot Keane from Sam's Tours at:www.samstours.com
For other workshop details go to: www.gdphotoworkshop.com, more details and info will be posted soon on this site.
For information on Tony Wu please go to:http://www.tonywublog.com/
Fins Magazine: http://www.finsonline.com/
Plan your trip now for an exciting Photo Workshop above and below in Palau Micronesia, shoot with Tony Wu at Blue Corner and other great dive sites, journey with Gunther Deichmann to some of the best locations above in Palau and learn the digital workflow after the shoot. For our Mac/Apple friends there is a big surprise waiting for you at Sam's very, very soon this will be announced on this Blog and at : http://www.deichmann-photo.com/blog.html
Here is another interesting link for all your diving requirements:: alliancediving.com
With the Survivor show just finished, what better place then to shoot Palau Micronesia, the Pearls of the Pacific.

© Tony Wu - learn from the best

© Gunther Deichmann- even aerials can be arranged


© Tony Wu - a smile for you


© Gunther Deichmann, Sam's Tours Palau -
your base, the premier dive center


________________________________________________________

I have been using this technique since day one, sorry that I have not mentioned this before, I guess I am so used to it, if you ever have been to one of my workshops then you know, I do explain this in details, for those who don't, then read the full story from David Schloss.

David Schloss from Aperture User Professional Network (AUPN) has beaten me to it, thanks David and I have to admit, this is one of the better and useful Aperture tips in a long time. Straight to the point and no blah, blah.
Thanks for sharing.
There is also another interesting one on the new Nikon D3, good reading.

Making good use of projects on the road
( posted by David Schloss on Yesterday, 03:09 PM )

We talk a lot in our Road Tour classes about the workflow needed to keep a Library on a desktop and a laptop system up to date, but truth be told, I rarely bother with any of that.

When I'm traveling for a shoot, I usually don't need to have my existing Library file with me—it would be easy to take it with me, all my images are referenced and so my whole Library is relatively small—because images in previous shoots rarely have bearing on my current shoots... more
also some interesting reading on the new Nikon D3 for all your Nikon fans.

This is great for all your travel photographers go and check it out @ http://www.apertureprofessional.com/

Photoshelterrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr...

Congratulations to PhotoShelter and their team, the new and exciting PhotoShelter Collection was officially launched on the
12th of November, 2007 in New York!

It all started with Aperture some time ago, PhotoShelter was one of the very first Plugins after the release of Aperture, I did some research and signed up, since then I have never looked back. Like with all new things, they need time to mature before you can see any real benefits, there are potential sales and of-course have the piece of mind that your most important images are stored in a different location, I am very famous for preaching back up, back up and more back ups, remember this is your work and for me, it is my life.

What's PhotoShelter?
Created by photographers in 2005, PhotoShelter has quickly become one of the professional photography industry's most trusted brands. We are a thriving creative community where advanced technology combines with a native understanding of photographers to power the future of photography online.

The PhotoShelter Collection
The newly launched PhotoShelter Collection enables photographers of all levels to benefit from a worldwide image-selling marketplace that returns commercial and creative independence back into the hands of the artist. For commercial photo buyers, The PhotoShelter Collection aims to offer the freshest editorialized collection of imagery online.
Check this link: http://psc.photoshelter.com/
I be explaining and talking a lot more about PhotoShelter in my up coming blogs, the important issue for now my old link to my PhotoShelter Gallery stays the same,
http://www.photoshelter.com/c/gdeichmann and it is here where you always find my latest images.
My new Micro Site is up very soon on The PhotoShelter Collection.
I am informing everyone on all these exciting developments as soon they become available.

Check out the new The PhotoShelter Collection, the site is ready for business and as mention above I advise and provide you with the link to my personal Micro site soon, some of my very special images have been already integrated on this site.

By the way the GDPhotoWorkshop site has now all the latest info on up coming Photo workshops in 2008, for Cambodia everything is in place, Palau and Tibet will follow shortly, just go to the link and make your reservation if you interested. http://www.gdphotoworkshop.com/home.html
Thank you.

We have also up dated our Blog page on the GDPhotoWorkshop site and this one, we made it easier for you now to search and navigate through articles and information, just check below the YouTube Logo and you see the changes. You might have noticed also that Gunther Deichmann's main site and the GDPhotoWorkshop site have now been cross linked, you go to either one of them and you can get to the other direct from the front page.

For Gunther's Bio and main website please go to:
http://www.deichmann-photo.com/

Hi everybody, for those who could not make it, please read below and go to the provided link from DivePhotoGuide.com my good friend Jason Heller is reporting direct from New York on the latest cameras and equipment, plus my very own thoughts about all this "techno" stuff.

PDN PhotoPlus International Conference + Expo 2007

by Jason Heller

The massive Jacob Javitz Center in New York was host to the PDN PhotoPlus International Conference + Expo 2007 this week, as tens of thousands of photo pros attended the three day event. This is pretty much THE show for the photography industry. Last year's show attracted 27,000 visitors and 300 exhibitors.

Read the whole story and find out the latest news on the Nikon D3 and D300 and a lot more.
http://www.divephotoguide.com/photoplus-expo-2007.php

Direct link to e show:
http://www.photoplusexpo.com/ppe/index.jsp

© Gunther Deichmann, Germany
Simplicity...

On a personal note,
I really start to wonder where is this all going? Not one year goes by, more mega pixels, more this and more that, are we forgetting the real photography and now just competing in technology, you almost have to be a scientist, carry a calculator around bring your Camera manual in case you forgot which is which button.
I honestly dont know anymore, sounding frustrated, well sort off, but you cant blame me. I believe we spend to much time these days trying to figure out how things work instead of concentrating on the real issue, Photography.
Courses been offered for digital photography to teach aperture, shutter-speed auto-focus and so on, yes that is fine, but now it is getting a lot more complicated when you "need" to learn about white balance, big sensors, small sensors and the list goes on.

I firmly believe, in photography you need to have basic technical knowledge, I guess 10% is fine the rest should be creativity and that is YOU.
To many blogs and websites dealing with to much "techno" cr...., pages and pages of it these days, yes if you a systems engineer that maybe cool but not if you are a serious photographer. Let us be inspired by images from the masters of today and the past, we can learn so much from them, by just browsing through their images, take the good old Nikon FM2, now that is a real camera, manual everything, OK things have changed even for me I am also all digital, but nothing has changed the way I shoot, we must not forget, that it is not the camera which takes these great shots, it is only a tool, it is you and you alone who create these images, remember the image is created before you press the shutter and that is YOU.

The camera is only the executioner, you point it in the right direction, make sure the light is right, and all of this seconds before the shutter is pressed.
OK that is enough, we have arrived at the digital age if we like it or not, but please remember what I have mention above.
To finish what has been on my mind for quiet sometime is also the software, from Photoshop, Lightroom and Aperture, yes we need this now, but again how much do we really need, pages and pages on the internet, I call it total over saturation, is there some one out there who can explain some of these softwares in more simple terms, then maybe more people could understand them and if I like to go into depths with it, then I just buy a good old book.
Sharing advise and some shortcuts and tricks is fine, but honestly I cant look at these novels anymore!
The way we think these days, well I messed up this shot... easy I can fix it in Photoshop, wrong thinking, that is why I like softwares like Aperture, you cant move things around, get the image right in the first place and dont relay on Photoshop... that is not Photography. OK I made a mistake and underexposed by 2 stops, Aperture can fix that, but so could the darkroom before by push processing or clip testing, but the lab could not move and retouch things out of your frame and that is why I love Aperture and of course the ability to sort and file thousands of images, now that is an improvement from the old days.

As an Apple Certified Trainer for Aperture, I have embraced this software long before I become certified, my new darkroom... you dont get even tempted to move heads around..because you cant do it, but I can make some correction just like before, the good old fashion way, plus having the ability to sort and store thousands of images... what else do I need!
My final note: keep it simple, dont get over involved with all these technical pages and novels, learn the basics, use one camera system, and select one or two softwares instead trying to learn them all, and remember it is YOU and not the Camera who is ultimately responsible for this great image.

To view and not to read... please check out my website at: http://www.deichmann-photo.com
GD

I have just posted Aperture Black and White adjustments a few hours ago, and now this nice letter from David in Australia, thanks David. Well, on my other Blog talking about the Photography Festival in Cambodia, as you can see announcements good or bad can pave the way, please read what David has to say.
GD

dcallard@bigpond.net.au
Subject: B/W
Date: October 17, 2007 7:59:59 PM GMT+08:00
To: gdeichmann@mac.com

Gunther, the B/W images look fantastic! Awesome! It's interesting that you do this right now. I am getting organized to do 4x5 B/W landscapes here. I don't think anyone has thought of doing B/W out here, at least I can't find any examples, other than the old historical work, which of course is a totally different genre. This is an idea I have had for years, but at last I can now get on with it.
I have two Linhofs, a 6x9 and 4x5 plus a Toyo monorail and a suitcase of lenses for each - also a 6x12cm back for the Technika IV 4x5. It seems that the downsizing of the Big Two film manufacturers has opened up the market for a number of old style sheet film brands, like Foma and Efke. These emulsions are rich in silver - I'm sure you know all this. I'm starting with Fomapan Classic 100 which I will process myself then have professionally scanned.
Now that I don't have uni assignments hanging over me I have been digging deeper into your blog. I have bookmarked the Festival page, and spent hours today exploring the work of some of the photographers listed there. I especially like the work of Srinivas Kuruganti. I'm still going through the others.
Best wishes,
David.

© Gunther Deichmann, Santorini, Greece 2005

You all know how much I love color and contrast! I am very much of a color person, however when you return from a trip like Cambodia, or be more specific Siam Reap and Angkor Wat, you start to think when you look at your images.
All my editing and adjustments are done using Aperture, and after my last trip during the final editing, I thought well, some of these ancient temples and ruins lead themselves more to Black and White.
With Aperture you can try and find the right combination very easy.
OK here we go:
Once you have your Raw files imported you just highlight the image you think could look good in BW, then you go to the adjustment panel click on the one with the + sign and now another panel opens up which contains the Monochrome Mixer, click on that one and there you go BW, but it gets a lot better than this, you have the options just like in the old days with film to experiment with different filters like red, orange, yellow, green and blue, every-time you click on one of these filters the image is changing, now it is up to you what you like best, there are so many more other adjustments you can choose from, this is just a quick way for you to see if the image looks better in Black and White, maybe you like Sepia, it is in the same adjustment panel, again the choice is yours.

I am a color Photographer but I found that some of the images from these ancient ruins look real great if not better in BW, so if you using Aperture give it a try and see what happens, it is so easy but the best part is if you dont like the changes you made your original is all out there in its colorful glory, Aperture never touches your Original. Last but not least, if you like to compare the two images, BW with the color one, then just hit the letter "M" on your keyboard, toggle on and of and see the difference. Please see below some images from the last trip, converted into Black and White, for more images (sorry all in color) please go to my website at: www.deichmann-photo.com
Until next time,
GD

I have marked the area with a red circle and the little + is where
you find all your BW tools, top right hand side on the Adjustment panel.






© Gunther Deichmann, all BW images above, Cambodia 2007

The winning shot and Aperture

Luis is the one who came up with the winning shot during our recent
GD PhotoWorkshop, in Cambodia, Siam Reap.
Now back in Manila, we made arrangements to meet with Lawrence C Sison from the Power Mac Center to claim his prize, the Apple Aperture Software, for more information on Aperture please click here

I like to thank Lawrence C Sison from the Power Mac Center for all his support and sponsor ship, also my gratitude to Apple Singapore for their support.

We have now started our Gallery with images from the participants, "Best Images" have included a new feedback page and more up dates on other up coming events check it out at:
http://gdphotoworkshop.com

During all workshops we collect more images from the participants and after 12 month choose the top Photos for our grand prizes, however there is always one winner in each workshop at the current location, just like the shot we choose from Luis.

A new and interesting up-date on my main website has just been activated check it out at:
http://www.deichmann-photo.com

Now you find an additional button at the bottom on the left hand side at the Home page "GD New Images”, this new page will be updated every time I return from one of my Workshops or other destinations. Featuring a small selection from each recent trip, all others images are featured on my PhotoShelter site usually about a week after I have returned.
http://www.photoshelter.com/c/gdeichmann

Cheers GD

Luis’s winning shot on the 30-inch screen at the Power Mac Center.
Congratulations to Luis from the Power Mac Center,
Greenbelt, Makati.


The winning shot, by © Luis Harder, Cambodia 2007


From left: Lawrence C Sison, Gunther Deichmann, Luis Harder and
Maleng Raysag at the Power Mac Center, Greenbelt 3, Makati, Philippines

APERTURE Designed for professional photographers.
http://www.apple.com/aperture
A quick time saving tip for Our Aperture Users who will join me on our photo workshop to Cambodia.
You dont have to wait until we get there, not at all, take a few minutes and set up your Aperture Library now, before the Journey begins.
You all know we are going to Cambodia; just create a project now with the name Cambodia and create some Albums within, e.g.. landscapes, temples, people, traditional, personal etc., etc. and when you ready for importing each day you are all set to go. Another quick tip is to prepare some presets e.g.. your name with Copyright, Country; e.g.. Cambodia, location like Angkor Wat, Siam Reap, Monks, Temples etc.,etc. this want take long at all, just a few minutes before the trip, you can also prepare some common keywords the same way, you be amazed how much time you save later and have more time after the shoot for a relaxing beer or two. For those who are not familiar with these set ups dont worry I be there to guide you trough it, ok only one beer for you.
GD
The GDPhotoWorkShop is supported and sponsored by the following:

Apple Singapore,The Power Mac Center, Makati, Manila, Heritage Suites Hotel, Siam Reap, Cambodia, Sam's Tours Palau, Micronesia and the Philippine-Micronesia Alliance
For other photo workshops in Bali, Indonesia, Palau, Micronesia and Tibet please go to the events Calendar at:
http://gdphotoworkshop.com

The GDPhotoWorkshop in Angkor Wat, Cambodia is going to be an all out Mac event now, I just found out last night during our preparation meeting at the Philippine Center for Creative Imaging, that everybody is using Mac's.You just took 2,000shots. Now what? Aperture is going to take care of that and I am sure we take more than 2,000 images, with 15 photographers around, you bet.
I meet the participants from the Philippines, USA and Australia, I have to admit a great bunch, we are going to have some fun and shoot some nice images at this fantastic world heritage site.
The usual day will go like this; early morning and I mean early morning excursions to the great sites of Angkor, then we have lunch and some session on our Mac's until 3pm.Our base is the great Heritage Suites Hotel in Siam Reap, check it out @ http://www.heritage.com.kh
Then off again into the field until sunset, dinner and after that a two hour session on computers, critic, and the digital workflow after the shoot with open discussions.
I am trying to post some live blogs, connection permitted and keep everybody informed, some real surprises are waiting for all participants, but it is not a surprise if I let the cat out of the bag now, dont worry everybody will find out soon.
You just have to make sure you stay tuned and subscribe to our blog for all the exciting news from Cambodia @ http://www.deichmann-photo.com/blog.html
GD

The 7th of August was another great day at the Power Mac Center, Greenbelt 3, Makati, Manila, Philippines.
We had a full house during our seminar, an intro into Aperture, some basic Photography and how you can make use of the Web introducing Aperture Web capabilities and iWeb.
Stay tuned for more seminars and Workshops at the Power Mac Center, the coolest shop in Manila.

A travel and after the shoot PhotoWorkshop with Gunther Deichmann, Angkor Wat in Siam Reap,Cambodia. This used to be the largest city in the world around the 12th century, visit with Gunther these ancient monuments and learn how to create better images and re- discover the ancient Culture of Cambodia.

After the shoot you'll experience the sheer Raw power of Aperture. Shoot as many images you like on any given day and mange them afterwards with Aperture, dont worry to much it is not that complicated, Gunther is around and guide you through the whole process. Dont have Aperture? That is ok., Gunther has many years of experience how to deal with images in Photoshop.
For more information and how to book, please go to GDPhotoWorkshop.com
Hurry this workshop is filling up fast!
Visit Gunther's website @ : www.deichmann-photo.com

Impossible deadline.... made possible with Aperture and iLife,
an interesting site for our underwater photographers, read the
full story below.

Click this link to check out the Alliance site

Photos © Gunther Deichmann

I was asked to put up a quick web site for one of our clients, as usual the deadline was yesterday... it is always like that.
I used Aperture where my images have been located, dragged them to the desk top into a separate folder, the cool thing is, that my original files where off-line, I work within Aperture mainly with Referenced files, leaving my internal hard drive nice and clean.
Then I dragged this folder let's call it "Marine Images" into iPhoto, once that was done I open iWeb, and from here it was a breeze.

Note: I could had left the "Marine Image" folder on my desktop as well, but this is my personal preference to bring it into iPhoto, keep in mind there are many different ways you can do this, it is really up to you or what you prefer or comfortable with, you have all the options and that is the nice part.

The integration again proved to be the winner here, I had access to all of my files within iWeb, never leaving it, or open any other software.
I could have created also a simple site by using only Aperture, but in this case it required more creativity and options, which iWeb provided me.
I published it to my .Mac account and was done, oh well not quiet, I was not happy with the background, so I quickly went back to iWeb changed the background and published the changes, including three images which had been stored in Aperture, again never leaving iWeb.
A few minutes later, my changes went out in Cyber space, including a quick blog to announce the site. Direct link to site.
I guess the podcast will follow within a few days, so stay tuned for some more exciting things to come.
Yes, times have changed the way we do things today, by the way my client was amazed and happy that this was done in such a short time.
Enjoy the site and feel free to send me your comments, this Blog comes from Rapid Weaver nice integration with iLife as well.
The real cool part is, I could have done all of this from anywhere in the world, provided I have an internet connection, now that is something.
Cheers Gunther

Gunther Deichmann's main website: www.deichmann-photo.com
Gunther Deichmann's PhotoWorkshops: gdphotoworkshop.com

Part 2 “and then there was light”
AUPN and Aperture, and then there was Light.

I could not leave it alone and decided to create part two of “and then there was light” OK. have to admit, it is a bit larger about 17MB but I hope you like it, this one will play even on full screen size, this is a great way showing your work, burn it on a CD or make a cool DVD, and believe me, it is not that difficult. Check it out if you have the patience and down load it, either on your desktop or into your iTunes. Enjoy it, I really had a lot of fun doing it, same procedure than part 1 but have thrown in some images to spice it up.
Click this link for the Podcast.
G.D.

www.deichmann-photo.com

www.gdphotoworkshop.com

I have just received this nice comment form Mark Cox in Australia, regarding my latest blog on Aperture and the Imelda Mrcos story read below, thank you Mark for your kind words:
From: mark.cox.photography@mac.com
Subject: Re: Saved the day and made a sell, with Aperture it was so easy, the Imelda Marcos images
Date: June 17, 2007 10:54:59 AM GMT+08:00
To: gdeichmann@mac.com

Hi Gunther,
No worries with that one ! its always good to get mail from you anyway, I see what you mean with the Aperture program that is truly amazing but come on Gunther you are very humble you know. With out you & the shots you take & with Aperture in the right person hand then you can deliver ! you have become my mentor Gunther I want to be like you ! hope you don't mind. Thanks again so much will see you next week, take care are & Cheers my friend.
Mark Cox
Photographer & Adventurer.

"12 hours with Imelda Marcos"

I was recently commissioned to do an exclusive shoot of Imelda Marcos, former first lady, in Manila, Philippines.
I thought this was going to be an 2 to 3 hour affair, but how wrong I was, 12 hours later I got back home, the Magazine needed the shots ASAP, so I downloaded the whole day shoot at 10:30PM, edited, caption and made some adjustments, by about 12:30 am I was done and had send the images direct from Aperture to my client in Europe, three days later I had 6 page spread in Globus Magazine Croatia.

About two days later my Agency in Germany was desperate to have a look at the Images as well, I got the email with the request and about 15 minutes later I had a selection in my Aperture Gallery, pressed the publish button and I was done, well not quiet the only thing left to do was to send an email with the link to my Agency.

Guess what?
15 minutes later I received an email from my Agency stating the following:
Wow, great stuff, can we get the exclusive for Germany?
Well, I had to send one more email, yes go ahead.

Two years ago all of this would have taken about a day, hence the amount of images I had to edit, caption and doing some RAW file adjustments.
Time has changed, thanks to Aperture I am more connected than ever before, oh, I forgot to mention the next day after the shoot I had all the high res. Images in my PhotoShelter archive.
There is an old saying, once you get used to your favorite Pub you keep on going back there, you never leave that place, well it is the same with Aperture you just stay put, never leaving to go anywhere else and why should you, it is all there, completely furnished and integration, my favorite “Pub.”
P- for publishing U- for unique B- for brilliant.
For the images in my Aperture Gallery please click this link.
G.D.

Journalist Janja, Imelda Marcos & G.Deichmann

Gunther Deichmann's web site

To view one of the spreads click here

GDPhotoWorkshop web site

Aperture web site

Dear friends and participants,

As promised here is the short Pod cast from our Seminars at the Power Mac Center in Makati, Manila on the 25th and 26th of May. Photography, Aperture and the Web.
Thanks to my Assistant Hermes Singson for shooting some video behind the scene.
A quick edit in iMovie –then the music- which had been entirely created in GarageBand
from here to iWeb and it was done.
As mention during the seminars the total integration of iLife, Aperture, Keynote, Pages etc., etc. makes all of this possible in a very short time, besides it is a lot of fun.
Enjoy the Pod cast and don’t forget to subscribe for the latest news.

For more Pod cast episodes please click this link: gdimages

I like to thank all the participants who attended the seminars and we hope to see you again.

Cheers,
Gunther Deichmann

APERTURE, iLIFE AND THE WEB
Just click the link above, thank you.

News on the free and completed Photography related Seminars in May 2007, at the Power Mac Center, Makati (Greenbelt 3) Manila, Philippines.

This blog was created just 1 hour after the second seminar at 21:36 Manila time!

Aperture for Beginners
(May 25, 2007 6PM – 7:30 PM)
by Gunther Deichmann

Photography/Aperture and the Web
(May 26, 2007 6PM –7:30PM)
by Gunther Deichmann

On May 25, we had an introduction into Aperture, a good and very interesting crowed showed up at this first Aperture seminar at the Power Mac Center.
On May 26, an introduction into Aperture with emphasis on Photography and the Web followed.
More in depths workshops and seminars will be announced soon,
contact the Power Mac Center for more details.

Thanks to Hermes Singson, my trusted assistant for shooting the images behind the scene, they came in very handy during some of the Aperture demos and it was in “real time”
I managed to show everybody how efficient Aperture performs, he gave me the CF Card, I imported the images into Aperture and we had a real time demo.







It was a pleasure and fun to have these workshops at the Power Mac Center, one of the coolest shops now in Manila.
Great service and a superb staff make you to came back over and over again, even if it is only for window-shopping or checking out the latest Apple or other related products, the friendly and knowledgeable staff can assist you with any question you might have.
For information on Aperture click this link:
http://www.apple.com/aperture



Watch out for our little Pod cast we did on the second day, Photography/Aperture and the Web
soon on this blog...

So, if you in the area one of these days drop by and check it out, you be impressed by the Center and cool set-up.
Activities like seminars on Aperture, Final Cut Pro or just your basic introduction into iLife are held through out the year just check with the staff at the Power Mac Center for details and the dates.

Keep an eye out for Gunther Deichmann’s Photo workshops in Cambodia and Bali later this year. Lectures on Photography and the use of Aperture in the field, travel to some of Asia’s greatest culture and historical places, visit and shoot Angkor Wat in Siam Reap, Cambodia or travel trough the landscapes of Bali with its unique culture and art.

A new website gdphotoworkshops.com with the Calendar dates and all the details will be announced very soon on this blog.
http://www.deichmann-photo.com/blog.html
Gunther Deichmann's website: www.deichmann-photo.com

The Power Mac Center is offerring several free Photography related seminars for this month of May 2007.

Free Seminars at the Power Mac Center

Aperture for Beginners
(May 25, 2007 6PM)
by Gunther Deichmann

Photography and Web
(May 26, 2007 6PM)
by Gunther Deichmann

Studio Portrait Photography
(May 28, 2007 6PM-8PM)
by Dominiqeu James

All the seminars will be held at the Training Center of the Power Mac Center, 2nd floor, Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center, Makati City.

Meet the Experts:

Gunher Deichmann

Gunther Deichmann is an internationally multi-awarded Australian photographer.

http://www.deichmann-photo.com/bio.html


Recent Aperture workshop in Phuket, Thailand 2007
by Gunther Deichmann

I just picked up this blog from the Aperture Users Professional Network. AUPN BLOG
For more information and a very cool web site all about Aperture click this link, tons of great Information and the latest News about Aperture, latest plugins, tips and much more. If you like to find out more about Aperture click here.
Aperture the choice for professional Photographers. Go to PhotoShelter for the very latest images on Cambodia or check out my website


Shooting in Cambodia
( posted by David Schloss on 05-05-2007, 02:40 PM )

Photographer Gunther Deichmann runs a series of Aperture workshops in Cambodia and around Asia, and has an interesting series of blogs up about the sessions and about his photography. Good reading, even if you're not living in an asian country.

Aperture Seminar and Workshop by Gunther Deichmann
at the Phuket Royal City Hotel, the event was organized by
Phuket Alpha on the 29th and 30th of March 2007.

For more images on Phuket and the Workshop please
click the link below:
G.D. Aperture Website

Hi everybody, I have just finished an Aperture Seminar
in Jakarta, Indonesia.
It was a great event and was held at the Jakarta
Convention Center.
I like to thank Josie Quek from Apple Singapore,
Hendra Pranajaya from PT ECS Technology,
Eddy Margo Ghozau from EMAX both from Jakarta
for looking after me and all their support,thanks to all
the Participants for making this a great event during
Focus Week in Jakarta on the 9th of March 2007.

Gunther Deichmann
reporting from Jakarta

Please see below some images from the event and
the Convention Center, for images and a Web Gallery
created during the event with Aperture please click this link.
These Images on this Gallery have been taken only and hour
before the event in the Jakarta Sunda Kelapa Harbour.

Click this link:
http://homepage.mac.com/gdimages/
JAKARTA%2009%2003%2007/index.html


The Jakarta Convention Center during Focus week.