© Gunther Deichmann - on the way to my meeting,
Manila Bay, Philippines
The colorful lights on the right hand side are from lamps
lining up along Roxas Boulevard, Manila Bay.

On the way this cool sunset happen right in front of me, of course I had my little companion the Leica D-Lux 4 with me and took some Photographs before I continued.
Later that evening on the way home, after some wine with my good friends Luis Harder & Ross Capilli I spotted this interesting lamp outside a Restaurant with a cool reflection behind it.

© Gunther Deichmann - on my way home, lights in Malate...
Manila Philippines

Both images have been processed in Aperture 2.1.4 using Snow Leopard now.
Remember…never leave home with out a Camera…small or big, you never know!
Reporting soon from Siem Reap & Angkor Wat in Cambodia, interesting articles from the River with a thousand Lingas and the Tonle Sap Lake plus a lot more…
GD

© Gunther Deichmann - impressive... interesting vegetation and
texture at the main entrance to the Oceanarium, this Outdoor area
houses also the Philippine Crocodile.

Inside the Oceanarium.

© Gunther Deichmann - some very interesting and educational
life displays, Embryos still in the Eggs.

Experience a slice of ocean life! Enjoy a 25-meter walk along an underwater tunnel and experience how marine animals interact with each other in their natural habitat.
So off we went today to check it out; my verdict not bad for Manila and certainly an education on Marine life for children and adults alike. If you plan a visit make sure you pick a weekday as the crowd can get quiet heavy on weekends, or in the morning it is not so bad either.
I guess it is still fairly new so you can expect a lot of visitors for the time being, getting some clean shots with my camera was almost imposable, but then I had the boys with me, defiantly a priority today.

© Gunther Deichmann - Brandon checking out the Lion fish in
one of the big display tanks.
Available light since flash photography is not allowed.

We took our time and spend some 2 hours wondering around checking on various critters and of course the highlight been the large Rays and Sharks.

© Gunther Deichmann - cruising overhead in
the Tunnel area a large Ray

The Nikon D700 was set on 1600 ISO, another great test drive, the shots came out OK with except able noise at this high ISO setting, the most difficult part was to get clean shots due to the large crowd. All images taken with available light, like with most other Oceanariums and Aquariums, flash photography is not permitted.
Now the Boys went to sleep and I am sorting out today’s take in Aperture 2, Twitter has left already via the Plug in.
All the images have been processed in Aperture 2 and have not been altered in any way or using another software.
However two of the indoor images have been treated with the Aperture 2 plug in, Noise Ninja.
As for the Nikon D700, I am impressed again!

© Gunther Deichmann - educational electronic touch
boards are through out the main display area

From an educational point of View…not bad and a good start in the Philippines, creating awareness to the public of our fragile Oceans.
The commercial shopping mall and Restaurant areas need for sure some more improvements, I found this part disappointing.
Also the boot ride to view some of the larger animals from the top was way to expensive for the given 10 min. this is actually a waste of money and time, you’re better off to spend more time below in the Aquarium area.
Lets keep in mind, this is all very new, and construction is ongoing for more facilities including a Hotel. The Oceanarium is for sure worth the visit and a good way of educating your children about our marine life, this part is well done and quiet impressive.
You can’t or should not compare it with Oceanariums in Japan, Australia or in the US, but it is a good start for Manila.
GD

© Gunther Deichmann - Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Rainbow over the Olgas west of Ayers Rock in the Northern Territory, Australia using a X700 Minolta and Kodachrome 25 ASA. NO Photoshop!
Many years ago I was shooting with X700 Minoltas, I pushed them to the limit in the Outback of Australia under extreme conditions, shot pages after pages for Stern Magazine, GEO published my Images including for their calendars and I shot the cover of Time. Then I traveled for over eight month shooting the National Parks of Australia for a Coffee Table Book, the list goes on and on. All of that with my trusted X700 Minoltas, my work horses during the Film days.
You might asked why I don’t use Minolta anymore, very simple they stopped producing Pro cameras and the company as such is no longer, otherwise I be still using them now.
That was the time and I went over to Nikon, but I could have easily gone to others, like Canon, Pentax or Olympus.

There are some great photographers out there who use neither Nikon or Canon, the problem in today’s Photography is very simple…we go and look at the web, checking reports etc. get too involved with lines, numbers and what gadgets are build in. (not to mention Photoshop, see one of my earlier blogs)
Instead we should be focusing on the real issue… Our Vision.
Understanding photography, learning the basics and not relying on Auto settings that should be our Goal.

Education is the magic word again, to many long debates on Cameras, how many pixels, how many FX buttons the list goes on and on.
Today’s Pro Cameras are very good, but you have to learn how to use them and read the manual, once you understand the basics concentrate on your subjects. Think before pressing the shutter and stop worrying about the next and latest Model, you can always get that one later.
Learn how to use your Camera, believe me if I get my old Minolta X700 out I still produce some nice images tomorrow.
GD

Correcting a washed out & over-exposed image
using the Aperture 2 adjustments...


© Gunther Deichmann - Raw and not corrected image using the Nikon D700
for the Tutorials and how to apply correction on an overexposed Image please
click on the image above or use this LINK.
You might have to refresh your Browser to view the new Tutorial.

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

Original image shot in RAW, see below the order of adjustments in Aperture 2.
Sharpening: 0.92
Edges: 0.82
Exposure: -1.63
Recovery: 1.49
Black Point 0.08
Shadows: 5.9
Changing from Color to B&W using the Monochrome Mixer and added the Green Filter
GD

Tags: Triple "T" tips, tricks and techniques, Tutorials, Aperture 2 Training

“Triple T” Tips, Tricks & Techniques

Is the iPhone3G our Digital Swiss Army Knife?

In many ways it has become almost that, with the exception of “chopping up firewood, repairing the toilet seat or fixing the car”, but at least you have a Phone to call, text or email the repairman.
With so many applications to choose from we get really confused what is useful and what is not. I admit I am not really into all those Games but a few of them are pretty cool.
Yes, I did download some games, he, he…and when I am traveling in a Taxi and get stuck in one of those real Traffic Jam’s I get the iPhone out check my email and afterwards play some games or listen to my favorite Blues music. The only drawback; my Kids love the Games and I have to keep an Eye on my Phone these days.
Pick an application to suit your needs and if you into Games…
Wow the choice is just awesome.
Most of the Applications the iPhone comes with I like, but I am not going into great details with those today, I rather look at some of the other Applications I found useful and having them all in my pocket now is just great.

Using the Dual Level Application in
my iPhone on a Tripod

Now to Aperture 2 & the iPhone3G... a quick tip:

If your preference setting is set to open Aperture when a Camera is connected watch out… Aperture 2 opens up and tries to import all photos you have taken with your iPhone, as a Pro I found this a bit irritating.
You can work around this, don’t import and close Aperture, you can always change your settings in your Preference panel later.
But what I do like is having the ability to import my images all or selected Albums from my Aperture Library just like you would do with your images in iPhoto. See the screenshot below, nice integration again, I talk about this a lot more in one of my future “Triple T” Articles.

Some Applications for the iPhone I like...
Dual Level and iHandy level, the later one been free of charge
Quick Voice for recording in the field, very handy
Cambio your conversion tool kit, will do almost any conversions
Translater for all your language barriers and the list goes on and on.
More recommended Application in my future “Triple T” articles.

Say you need to shoot a building or even some Landscapes, you’re in a hurry and forgot your level which you normally use on the hot shoe of your Camera. We seldom forget our Cell Phones! I found this need little application for the iPhone very cool and it can get me out of the Jam. Use it also to keep your Picture frames straight at Home or at your next Exhibition, this one is real handy.

Then we have all these cool GPS gadgets for our travel, some of them with a compass,
Check out gpsCompass at the Apple store.
Know where you are and where you are going with this gpsCompass application for the iPhone 3G.
Using Apple iPhone’s Location Services, this application displays a GPS compass and common GPS data fields to help you find your location and track your movement.
Important Note: gpsCompass does 100% of its calculations based on consecutive GPS coordinate readings. With the exception of the pure Longitude, Latitude, and Altitude, all other displays, especially the compass, require the unit to be in motion, and outside.
Go to the Apple Store for all Applications and more details:
http://www.apple.com/iphone/appstore/

For our Underwater Photographers and Divers check out this cool Dive Planner;
See below recent Review in MacWorld
Review: Dive Planner for iPhone
Simple tool gives scuba enthusiasts electronic alternative to dive tables
by Rob Griffiths, Macworld.com
Both my wife and I are certified scuba divers... Dive Planner works well, and it’s a heck of lot easier to read and use than any dive table I’ve ever seen.
Sure, dive computers are more powerful, more popular, and used by nearly everyone now. While Dive Planner won’t replace dive computers for complex plans, it works quite well—much better than dive tables—for simple dive calculations, and at $3, it’s quite the bargain.
Dive Planner is compatible with any iPhone or iPod touch running the iPhone 2.0 software update and got a Mouse rating of 4.5
Have fun,
GD

“Muy Interesante Magazine” in Spain and Portugal have published in their January 2009 issues the image on the shark fins, the same Photo appeared in November 2008 as the Photo of the Week in the German Stern Magazine.
Now I like to take the opportunity and announce our support for the new released website; the Palau Shark Sanctuary and our support for the International Year of the Sharks in 2009.
Sam’s Tours in Palau Micronesia also launched today the 16 of January 2009 their NEW Sharkweeks.com website, introducing special educational shark dives every week in Palau.
Quote : “In the 21st century, shark-finning* is barbaric”
Dr. Sylvia Earle, Oceanographer
Explorer-in-Residence
National Geographic
More on Dr Sylvia Earle, Oceanographer who has just recently visited Sam’s Tours in Palau with Actress Daryl Hannah.

Photo © Dermot Keane - from left: Dr Sylvia Earle, Dermot Keane GM
of Sam’s Tours and Actress Daryl Hannah

So, if you venture to Palau for your next Dive Trip, dive with Sam’s Tours and shoot these great shark images and afterwards process them in their modern Digital Photo Center. The DPC is fully equipped with six iMac’s and has a complete back up system, software like iLife, Aperture and Photoshop Elements are installed on all machines.
If you into Videos then check with Nick who can organize all you’re video requirements, even transferring them to your iPod. Or better ask Nick to produce a video of you swimming with sharks at Blue Corner or other famous dive sites in Palau.
Swimming with Sharks is a lot more fun than slurping this tasteless soup!
Please support the International Year of the Shark 2009;
“Stop eating shark fin soup now.”

Soon to come…later this month I start to feature articles once or twice a week on;
Tips, Tricks and Techniques, watch out for these new articles called “Triple T”,
and of course you find my Aperture 2 Tutorials on my regular Blog and under GD Photo Tutorials upper left hand side with some cool screenshots.
GD

Due to the article below I have included a selection of images from
Santorini, Greece...you might ask why Santorini? Very simple,
I love the colors of this Island!
This presentation, Widget is auto generated from my
PhotoShelter Gallery.
http://www.deichmann-photo.com/page6/page6.html @
You can also go to Santorini, Greece by clicking the Widget above.

I received an interesting response from my latest Blog “Travel Photography the Journey continues...plus an interesting Flash presentation” from:

Your Name:
luismartinharder
Your Email:xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: question
Message: Dear GD,
Why is Mr. Gunther Deichmann a very good photographer?
Luis

Dear Luis,
I try to answer your question as good as I can.
Oh boy, not an easy answer...but let me explain a bit about my Photography, as for being very good... this is up for the audience and readers to judge I am merely creating images and I love doing so.
I guess my devotion, love..or my passion and my obsession have contributed in creating good images, I keep my mind open what ever the subjects. Seldom I follow rules which could restrict me in my freedom to create images, I follow my instincts and gut feeling, I cant remember the Photographers name who said a long time ago...”Photography is 10% technical and 90% is creativity” I really believe that. I think one of the most important aspects of good Photography is critique...critique and more critique, if you can handle critique then you’re on the right road, but if you dont or get offended then do something else.
Critique should also come in a constructive form, explanation why is this or why is that, choose your audience or critics wisely,
attend good workshops and seminars, concentrate on the images, less on the computer and Photoshop. Famous Photographer Jay Maisel points this out very direct in his workshops...”bring you Digital Camera and Computer but dont expect me to teach you Photoshop.”
As I have pointed out in my previous blog, keep your equipment simple you be amazed what you can do with just one Camera and one lens, discipline yourself working like this for a while, a challenge you might say...but very rewarding in the end.
Marketing yourself is another important issue, no good to have your great Images tugged away in some dark closet or on your Hard drive, get them out there and show your work...dont be shy.
I hope I have made some sense to the question from Luis Harder, now I like to rap it up with one of my sayings from my book Journey Through Color & Time...”You can take a thousand images, but ultimately only a few will set you on fire”
GD
Next week on the 15th of January you find an interesting article of mine in the Manila Bulletin, they might help to answer some of your other questions, dont worry if you dont reside in Manila I am posting those same questions and answers a few days later on my blog.

Please Note: I hope you understand that due to my privacy policy I have omitted the email address of Luis Harder.

Click on the screenshot above and go direct to GD Photo Tutorials

I have noticed recently more people experiment with Black and White images, I guess it has become a lot easier these days with all those different software’s available to us. In this case I prefer the Color image and I only used this image to demonstrate the different Filters in Aperture 2.

Polaroid and Film is on the way out but Black and White Photography has become more and more popular in the digital age.
In the old days it was a lot more time consuming and required a lot of skills in the Darkroom messing around with Chemicals…Developer…Fixer and the Stop bath words and terms seldom used today. I remember when I used to spend hours on end in the Darkroom exposing sheets and sheets of paper under my old Durst Enlarger.
Now we use the Computer, the days of the Enlarger and Chemicals are gone.
I am very much of a Color person and seldom shot Black and White in the past but appreciate the techniques and art form, creating good black and white Prints is not easy even with today’s software and technology. Are we ever get the magic of Masters like Ansel Adams with the software of today…I am not sure but I know we can create some pretty good images and prints.
Software like NIK Silver Efex Pro Plug-in for Aperture is fantastic (I run a test on it)
and give you some amazing results, but for a price. Unless your majority of work is B&W no need to go this far, plus there are so many other out there including PhotoShop.

The Monochrome Mixer in Aperture 2 does a pretty good job and is perfect for restoring old and washed out color images.
I described this in details in one of my earlier Blogs with some rare images from Australia.

Now a word of caution, don’t convert everything into B&W, creating the image in the first place is the key and more important. Not all images work well in B&W, a good understanding on contrast and composition is vital for good B&W Images.
Try and set your Camera on B&W and shoot without the need to convert later,
learning and understanding Black & White.
Many, many moons ago I sometimes load two cameras one with Black and White the other one with Color, now it has become so easy.

Aperture allows you to change your color images to Monochrome (B&W) using the Monochrome Mixer with build in Filters. Just like in the old days when we used different color Filters in front of our lens shooting B&W to achieve different effects or increase contrast. Aperture has those same Filters, my simple tutorial will show the difference between these filters and the effect they have on the Image.

Click on the screenshot above and go direct to GD Photo Tutorials

In the Adjustment Panel click on the + marked with a small red square this will open a drop down menu scroll down and you find the Monochrome Mixer.
Once you converted your image into B&W the Monochrome Mixer Controls show up large red square. Click on the little arrow small red square and a drop down menu appears with all your color filters. Now you can start experimenting with your images and dont worry your color image will stay as is, Aperture creates another version and never touches your original image.
You have the choice of: RED - ORANGE - YELLOW - GREEN - BLUE and some manual controls for more fine tuning.

We don’t like to hear when someone is telling us…
...oh no my Hard drive crashed today.
That is reason for not showing you any images today...
...what a Disaster!

As a matter of fact this just happens to me and while I am typing this Blog my back-up has been activated on my MacPro external drives.
I am talking about my external 2TB Lacie Drive where I keep my data bank and all my images cataloged.
But since I am notorious for making back ups I am not to too upset, except for a bit of maintenance work and moving files around, all my images are still save.
Remember in my last few blogs I mention PhotoShelter and today “Disaster” struck.

I make three back ups of just about every thing in particular of my images, two full back ups are with me and one with PhotoShelter containing high res. selected images.

But now to the Hard Drive problem, my three-year-old partition Lacie 2TB drive did not show up on my desktop. At first I thought easy I just reboot and see, but no luck.
Then I run a few times the Mac Disk Utility and it told me that there is a problem with the drive. Oh no!!!
The next step I used was DiskWarrior, it recognized the external drive and it performed a check, only to find out this disk can’t be repaired. After all this I restarted my Machine with the Drive still connected and then one of my partitions popped up on the desk top.
Or was it pure luck? We never know.
I gained access to all the files and made another back up, even I had a couple of spares.

What went wrong with the Drive? Who knows…but you never know when it happens.
You don’t have to be as crazy as I am and making triple back ups but make sure you back up everything at least once.
We are all to eager and quickly blame the manufactures but this can happen with any drive, you better believe it, however the purchase of a good brand is important.
The images are my Life and most of them can’t be replaced at all, it is my bread and butter and loosing them all would be a real Disaster.
The cost of additional hard drives or an external storage solution has come down in price the last few years. It is a lot more expensive if you loose all your images, some of them you never take again, a lives work gone.
Of course you can also invest in some very elaborate Raid systems but they are expensive, important you do some type of back up and don’t rely on a single drive.

I highly recommend Invest in a reasonable back-up system, it is money well spend and in today’s digital age as important then your camera.
GD

Photo: Hermes Singson - even on the Road I am using two Hard drives but can upload direct to PhotoShelter from within Aperture 2 provided I have a good connection.
But you might ask why do I need PS? I can always keep the images on my Hard drive or burn DVD’s.
Well, that is true but one hard drive is not enough, say you use a 500 Gig Hard drive to store your images, great but what about your back up, so you end up buying two. Remember to be safe you need to have a back-up.
If that single drive fails you lost all your precious images and using a recovery service can get very expensive and there is never a guarantee or full recovery. Plus the storage on DVD’s is at present only some 4.5 GIG (single sided) and Blue Ray is still not so accepted in the industry not to mention the time and cost factor.
Paste this Code: ps57QDKDW2
Annual PhotoShelter Basic Account - 10% Off! - $109.00/year
10GB storage, 5GB/month hi-res bandwidth, billed annually.
Annual PhotoShelter Standard Account - 10% Off! - $319.00/year
35GB storage, website templates, e-commerce, $50 sales activation fee
waived, billed annually.
Annual PhotoShelter Pro Account - 10% Off! - $539.00/year
100GB storage, website templates, $50 sales activation fee waived,
billed annually.
To take advantage of this deal, go to this page:
https://pa.photoshelter.com/signup/signup/subscriber

Enter the code number, ps57QDKDW2 click the button and it will reveal the deal.
PhotoShelter is a better solution and they claim their system is “Bullet Proof” check their website for all the information and if you decide to go with PhotoShelter make sure you use the Special Code above.
Plus you have all these other options at your fingertips from Web Themes, Widgets, Slides shows, Marketing tools, RSS and so much more including sleeping well at night knowing that your images are safe.

See below a list of some NEW PhotoShelter features:
1. Trusted Client Download allows you to tag anyone in your address book and assign them with permission to download the hi-res of anything they can view (up to a certain size you indicate).

2. Client-selectable download sizes allow your buyers to choose the size of the image they're downloading (up to the size you indicate). If you allow an original to be downloaded, the buyer may choose to download the original, a JPEG conversion, or smaller versions of the same JPEG conversion.

3. New customization theme! Check out Caboose, designed for those who want a similar look to their DRR pages, and the brand-new Induro.

4. New customization widgets and widget options that allow more flexibility with displaying galleries, metadata, and more.

5. Embeddable gallery slideshow - new options! Code your embedded slideshow to always point back to your customized pages, choose the size and color, or disable full-screen mode.
For the demo and tutorials go to the PS site at: http://pa.photoshelter.com/
or view a fully function slideshow @ http://www.deichmann-photo.com/page7/page7.html
GD

We have just performed another major upgrade on my PhotoShelter Archive...now with a custom HOME PAGE easier navigation and some other alterations. But here is the cool part; now you can search my entire archives direct from my site with Keywords, just type in what you looking for and the images show up. Eg. Ayers rock Australia - plus we added a new button on this Blog left hand side just above FEEDBACK & CONTACT Stock Photos Search Archive we also changed the look and added some helpful info how to find images.

Here is a quick tip how to find Images fast and easy if you using our new Search Archive option.
Most search engines are not case sensitive but beware of spelling mistakes.
If you misspelled a word, no images or only some will appear for e.g. you entered more than one Keyword like: milky way, Palau, Micronesia but you spelled it “milky wey” then only some images or non will appear. Consider also that words such us Color v. Colour could affect your search results.(English v. American spelling)

PhotoShelter made it easy now and has included an advance search option as well, you find that at the top bar at my customized Home Page
So be careful with you’re spelling, but if you not sure and I know there are some exotic names out there you can always type in the Country or go to the Gallery which contains all the images and subjects.
You find the button Link to all Galleries also at the Stock Photos Search Archive.
PhotoShelter has added so many new cool features like an Embed your Gallery, it is like a YouTube look very nicet if you need to show your latest images to your agency or Client. I will feature this cool NEW addition on my next Blog.
They have also included a very flexible customization for your HOME PAGE but this one needs some html knowledge, I guess you can always ask your webmaster for some help.
How is all of this work with Aperture 2? Fantastic if you ask me, uploading direct from within Aperture 2 is easy.
Scenario; I have to visit my client and during the meeting he ask me if I have this shot from Ayers Rock with clouds...do you have a connection I can use? Sure... and a few minutes later I can show him all the images.
Now if that is not cool then I dont know what is, besides I could be anywhere in the world uploading my latest images from within Aperture
notifying my agencies and Clients, that is real speed and efficiency.
GD

© Gunther Deichmann - Happy faces at the
Denpasar Market, Bali Indonesia

I thought I better get another Blog post out today, who knows if I have a connection in the next few days since we are moving Camp and to get these recent Blogs out took some 3 hours already. For those of you who have not seen it before I have included the image below…

A very simple but super effective setup with two Lacie 160 Gig Hard drives, daisy-chained, thanks to their triple interface. (One USB, One Fire Wire 400 and one Fire Wire 800. Use only the fire wire for this setup, Daisy-chain the 400 and use the 800 for your Card Reader.)

A fast 800 Fire Wire San Disk Card reader and a few blank DVD’s and CD’s just in case.
I named the Lacie Drive A and Drive B. On Drive A I store all my reference Images and keep my MacBook Pro Drive nice and clean, and Drive B is purely for backing up Drive A. By the way the Room Menu usually comes in very handy as a Mouse Pad.

The setup - Photo by Hermes Singson

You can use a variety of software’s for your back ups, I have been using in the past the SilverKeeper which comes with the Lacie Drives when you buy them, but I have switched recently to Personal Backup X4 from Intego, a very simple and reliable software.
Back home I transfer all my Projects to my Mac Pro including all my adjustments and Metadata.
This set up has saved me so much time over and over again, I can do some editing in Aperture right from the Hotel room and once back home a lot of my work is done already.
A word of caution the Lacie Drive uses the power from the MacBook Pro so you better make sure your Machine is fully charged and I advise that you carry a spare battery.
My Battery is fairly old now and I can only keep the charge for about one hour, previous test have shown me that on a new fully charged Battery you can work for about two hours plus.
GD from Bali
http://www.deichmann-photo.com/blog.html
PS. I prepare more images from Bali on my MobileMe Web Gallery once I am back Home where I have a faster connection.

Tags: Backing up,, Personal Backup X4 , Intego

Screenshot of BorderFX 1.1 great for watermarks but also for additional text, info, shadows, borders, plus a lot more a very cool plug-in and thanks to John Omvik for posting this on the AUN.

You all know I am note the greatest fan for plug-ins, but this one I can recommend and not because it is free... because this one makes a lot of sense, however I still like to see Aperture 2 with direct watermarking by-passing all those plug-ins for use in the MobileMe Gallery, I guess we have to wait for a while, in the meantime this plug-in does a great job, thanks to John Omvik for pointing it out.
Now you have two options for watermarking, the one I have explained in my previous Blog or use BorderFX 1.1 with my Thumbs up and a very successful test drive behind me. If you need all the other options in BorderFX 1.1 creating borders, shadows, additional text, etc.,etc., it is all there, just activate them by ticking the option box, it is that simple. Download BorderFX 1.1 at the link below:
http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/aperture/
GD

Read John’s article on BorderFX 1.1 in Aperture User Network
click the link below:
Marking the border and watermarks with BorderFX
( posted by John Omvik on 09-12-2008, 08:22 PM )
BorderFX Export Plug-in for Aperture
Aperture Export plug-in called BorderFX 1.1 developed by Reinhard Uebel.
http://www.apertureprofessional.com/showthread.php?t=19449

Tags: Aperture Export Plug-in, BorderFX 1.1, Workflow, Manila Street Scene

© 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

© Gunther Deichmann - Composite
“INFINITY”...and www.websyncintl.com

....Today I bring you “INFINITY” another cool effect from this combination Aperture 2.1.1 - iDVD - iMovie - Snapz Pro X and of course GarageBand but with a little twist. , I added Photoshop to the list. This cool clip runs for about 45 seconds and is a bit more complicated then the previous ones...but so cool, using the old iMovie with some 3rd party plugins, adding some voice over and flying balls...of course the Mac integration played a big role here. However the technique is the same using Snapz Pro X for the iDVD recording, once that is done the possibilities are endless and as mention before you can create some high cool looking files for the TV too.
Click here or on the image and travel to the Music Video/Podcast section to play the clip, you might have to refresh your Browser for the new clip to show, enjoy. Stay tuned for the next GarageBand Mix “Surfing Blues” soon available on this blog.
GD

Tags: INFINITY, SPACE, ABSTRACT, Web Ad, Web banner, Websync International

Below are 2 tips which I had published in the PopPhoto.com last year, the article is still very popular and I decided to add a few extra tips for our travel Photographers on today’s blog. Other cool tips and the complete article in PopPhoto.com @
http://www.popphoto.com/popularphotographyfeatures/4776/20

12) Oil's Well.
Need soft focus in only part of a scene? And you still don't have your soft-focus filters? Gunther Deichmann suggests using your finger to very gently apply oil from your forehead to your lens (or better, UV filter) at a point that corresponds to the area you'd like softened. After shooting, be sure to remove the oil with a lens-cleaning cloth or tissue.
10) Reflection on You.
When pro Gunther Deichmann (www.deichmann-photo.com) makes portraits in areas where the subjects might be shy, such as a remote village in Tibet, he doesn't use large, intimidating reflectors. Instead, he wears a white T-shirt.
"If you position yourself correctly in natural light, the T-shirt is a very nice reflector," he says. "No need for anybody to hold a reflector, and your hands are free."

1) Plus added today…More tips with the white T-shirt…
also very handy for a nice soft fill in flash…just point your strobe at your T-shirt and you have a very nice soft fill.
This is a great OUTDOOR Fill and so much better than all these gadgets on your Strobe…plus you look smart in white, reflecting the heat during the day… feeling cool…until later when you crawled around some ruins got sweaty and dirty, I guess you just have to bring a few extra white T-shirts, they are small enough and take up very little space in your suitcase.

2) Walking in the tropical rain…
Shooting in the rain can be challenging but also very rewarding, I just love it… especially when you live in the tropics like I do.
Creating images in the rain can be easy but risky for your equipment… I always carry 2 simple inexpensive (no more than US$5.00 each) Poncho type Raincoats, one for myself and one for the camera bag. Make sure they are the Poncho type, easy to put on and they have enough opening to get to your Camera quickly.
(You can find them usually at Shopping Centers or Department stores.)

The cool thing about these inexpensive raincoats, they fold up very small (approx. size of an A5 Note Book) and they have an opaque appearance. This is perfect for your portraits in the field if you have to use flash or you can use them as a small soft box for the odd macro shot, great for some artefact you might come across. Now you covered up for the rain but also have a small soft box when needed.

I am also using different Camera Bags; but which one I choose before going on a trip? Well, that really depends on the shoot, the location, if I bring the Computer and if I am traveling alone or with an assistant, etc., etc.
But this Bag from Lowepro is fantastic; the DryZone is the world’s first totally waterproof, soft-sided camera backpack.
When choosing a Camera Bag think of it like buying a Condom for your Cameras “health and protection must be guaranteed.”

This is not the cheapest one…but your Cameras and lenses, etc., etc. need to be protected they are worth a lot more than your bag.
You need to get the Job done, and a good Camera Bag can help in protecting your equipment. I have been using the DryZone 200 for a couple of years now and I am very happy with it... a super cool bag for the most rugged situations.
From the dust bowels in Tibet to the Beaches and remote Islands in the Pacific this bag provided me with the comfort and security I needed.Perfect for some real Island hopping, given you the security in rough or rainy weather when travelling in a small boat from island to island. (See below some specs. on the DryZone 200.)

The DryZone, even fully loaded, they float so your gear is always protected. The inner drypod with patented, waterproof TIZIP™ zipper provides 100% watertight protection. It’s like a drysuit for your equipment. When less protection is needed, leave the TIZIP™ open and fasten just the inner zipper and top clip for easier access. The heavy-duty, padded camera compartment inside is fully customizable while the outer shell comes complete with a technical backpack harness. Also included, ergonomic lumbar support, fully adjustable CollarCut™ shoulder straps, tuck-away tripod holder, self-draining mesh pockets, drain hole, rubber handle, and attachment loops for SlipLock™ accessories. DryZone packs are comfortable to wear and give you total peace of mind in extreme environments.
More details and Photos at:
http://products.lowepro.com/product/DryZone-200,1935.htm
Stay tuned or subscribe to this blog for Part (2) Tips on Travel Photography, for some images taken in the rain in Cambodia last year go to:
http://www.deichmann-photo.com/newimages5.html

Tags: American PHOTO, Reflector, Popular Photography Magazine, Shooting in the Rain, DryZone 200, Outdoor, Waterproof Camera Bag, White T-shirt, Flash, Protection, Raincoat, Lowepro Camera Bags, Extreme Environment

© Gunther Deichmann - Composite, Mumbai India April 2008

How to do it…open iDVD choose a Theme go to your Media Browser and here you have your Aperture 2 library.
Pick a couple of images drop them into your iDVD Theme and you almost there, if you using Snapz Pro X choose the Movie option and record your iDVD theme.
Make sure you have the Drop Boxes enabled otherwise they become part of your recording.
The rest is pretty much automatic, once Snapz Pro X has finished the recording (depends on the lengths of the clip) it prepared also a QT file for you, I usually save them on my desktop easy to find later. (This file can be from 50MB plus in size)
The only thing left to do is drag the Movie clip into iMovie open your Media Browser for the Music and pick anything you have created on to the timeline.
Fine-tune and make your soundtrack fit, add a fade in and fade out, or what ever you like (lots to choose from) now you can export everything to many different file formats.
You have different options for exporting your Movie file, there is also Share available. If you have Quick Time Pro even better there you have all the conversions you ever going to need, plus you can do some editing too, but you have to have QT Pro.
How long does this take…not very long at all, I guess the hardest part is the Music, which I created from scratch in GarageBand, but since I had already a good selection of soundtracks the whole operation took only one hour for all three clips.
Of course you can create more than one recording/clip with Snaps Pro X and join them together later in iMovie creating a short presentation or demo, great for the web.
PS. I kept these files very small for easy viewing on the web, however you can leave them in their original size that is good enough for your desktop and TV.
GD

Tags: Snapz Pro X, Video, Apple Mac, iDVD, Quick Time, Capture, Tips, Web , Photo Composite, iMovie

© Massimo Casal - Ha Tay province just ouside Hanoi,Vietnam
you might also noticed that I have added a Copyright watermark
on Massimo’s image hence my other blog
“How to protect my images on the web”.

The picture is taken in Ha Tay province (just outside Hanoi city) from the car window.
I used a Canon 1DMarkIII camera + 28-300L lens. RAW file processed with Aperture 2.1.1, using also the Dodge and Burn plug-in to lighten and sharpen the bride face.
Thank you very much and Best Regards!!
Massimo

Tags: ASIA, HANOI ViETNAM, View from the Car Window, Aperture discussion, Dodge and Burn, Raw File, Canon, Gallery

Tags: TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY, Manila, Philippines, Street Photography, Aperture 2.1.1, Update, Apple Aperture, Photoshelter

© Gunther Deichmann - aerial of Kayakers in Palau Micronesia, barely
visiable and not to distructing from the image an applied watermark
using Aperture 2

Here are some simple Tips to make it harder for these thief’s …
Make sure your images are in gif or jpg low resolution but still good enough to show them in their full glory. Avoid high resolution images, it is an open invitation for thief’s and they slow down your website.
Apply a watermark as described below using Aperture’s settings.
I recommend placing an opaque watermark over the entire image or covering one third of the image, this is much harder to retouch. Don’t place your © COPYRIGHT name and notice on the sides or at the bottom, this can be easily cropped out.
Choose an opaque setting you are comfortable with and is not to distracting from the overall visual. (Opacity settings eg.0.1 to 1.0 all depends a bit on the image, light or dark) With different options available the opaque slider in Aperture 2 is a good start how the watermark is going to look, just try different settings until you satisfied.
Use only your name or create a logo in Photoshop as a layered file,
it is entirely up to you. The screen shot below shows you where to find the Watermark settings in Aperture 2.
You can also deactivate the Watermark any time if you need your images without it.
I provided you a link to “How do I protect my images online” a great article I found recently with some additional options and tutorials to save guard your images from those thief’s.

Go to Preference and choose the export icon, click and a drop down
menu appears. Click on Edit and another menu becomes available.
Now you see all your Watermark options and settings. (red square)

Below: Excerpts from the mention article...
I am setting up an art website. I want to protect my photographs. What’s the code that keeps you from highlighting an image, right clicking an image, copying an image, etc.
Protecting photos is a common request for photographers wanting to put their content up on the Web. You can do this with JavaScript or by watermarking the image. There is no way to use straight HTML to protect your images from downloading. Some ways include:

* no right-click script
This prevents people from downloading the image when they right click on it.
* Shrink wrapping
This hides the image by letting the thief download something other than what they are trying to download.
* Watermarking
This puts information on the image itself, so when they download it, they have your copyright information right on it.
* Flash
Flash makes it more difficult to steal images...
…read more @
http://webdesign.about.com/b/2008/07/25/reader-question-how-do-i

Tags: Copyright, Legal, Protect, Watermark, Palau Micronesia, Photography, Kayaks, Aerial Photography

Click on the Image and go direct to more of Omar’s Photos

Omar’s Images in Aperture 2, the red square is where you
find the info on Camera Models and a lot more...

The other day my good friend Dirk Fahrenbach from Dugong Dive Center dropped by and gave me this CD…hey Dirk what I am going to do with that?
There are some images from our Filipino Dive Master Omar on it, please have a look give me your opinion. Sure…I imported the images into Aperture 2 and got a real surprise…wow these are real great…what camera is he using?
Dirk replied, Oh… one of these little small ones in some sort of Housing…
After I had a good look at the images I checked on the Metadata in Aperture 2 and found out the Camera Model, it is a Canon IXY.
After importing the images I only applied a few adjustments, mainly…cropping, Auto levels and a bit of contrast…since all the images had been in JPG I had some limitations, but Omar’s shots where that good anyway that little was needed for improvements.
Again, Aperture came in very handy in editing the shots very fast and applying some basic adjustments, I created a new project and after I am done can store this one on my external drive in case we need Omar’s shots for some future publications.

Click on the Image and go direct to more of Omar’s Photos

Above Photo: © Omar D. Linsangan - mating Cuttle fish or Sepia at the house reef from Dugong Dive Center... for more info on Dugong Dive Center click on the small Banner Ad on the left. Plans are in the making for a Photoworkshop int he near future at Club Paradise and Dugong Dive Center. Please stay tuned for the announcement and what better way to go diving with Omar who will find these cool critters for you.

Great shots with a small Camera and it gets to show you again what can be done with limited equipment, I guess in Underwater Photography you have to be a good Diver first, and Omar has that mastered for sure.
Dirk asks me if I could show some of Omar’s Images on my Blog and I readily agreed nice images from a very humble Dive Master. It is these people…Dive Masters and photography assistants who make our shots at times easier to get, so lets give them some credit and support their hobby and passion.
For a selection of Omar’s Images (LOW RESOLUTION ONLY)click on the Photo Gallery above (upper left) I have created another Photo Gallery for Guys like Omar, otherwise we never get to see their nice images.
GD

Tags: Dugong Dive Center, Housereef, Diving, Palawan

© Gunther Deichmann - restored images...for more and to compare images
click on the GD PhotoGallery upper left corner on this page.

Whenever I get the time I import some of my very old and scanned images into Aperture 2.1 some dating back 30 years. Due to age and storage condition a few have deteriorated somewhat…loss of color, fungus due to the tropical environment or just good old age.

I used to use Photoshop but now with Aperture 2 there is seldom the need for it and at the same time I can re-catalog them into my system with the Metadata. Restoring Images that are extremely rare in particular old traditional ceremonies with the Australian Aboriginals seldom practiced today. I apply a variety of tools and techniques to retouch the images covered in fungus, scratches etc. with the clone or repair tool, plus the Adjustment Panel gives me a ton of other adjustments to bring the images back to life.

You be amazed what Aperture 2 is capable off, including one of my favorites the Monochrome mixer, given you all the options for some cool looking Black & White images, some of these old images actually look better in Black & White.

I have incorporated a NEW GD PHOTO GALLERY on my blog page now, (upper left side) there you find a selection of images that have been treated in Aperture 2 comparing the original with the restored or converted image next to it. Now and then I upload images into the GD Photo Gallery for you to compare, a lot easier then showing them all on the Blog direct.
Please remember these are only low resolution Images.

This is not image manipulation, I am only restoring some old and precious photos that would have been lost or considered unusable for publications without altering the overall visual.
Most of these images had been scanned from slides a long time ago for preservation and archiving purpose, now we just go back in Time and fix what needs fixing nothing else.
Aperture 2.1 handles the tiff format real well and I have no problems importing files with over 56 MB in size.
However some of the adjustment tools in Aperture 2.1 cant be used since they have been designed to work only with the RAW image format, but this has not stopped me for doing most of my restorations in Aperture 2 now, archiving and bringing them back to life again.
GD

Tags: Restoring old Images, Aperture Tips, Tribal, Restoration, Historical, Aboriginals

On the road set up


SilverKeeper software from Lacie, comes with the hard drives.

This way you can upload all your CF Cards with out running short of storage space, it is advisable to connect your computer to the outlet since both fire wire Lacie drives take the power of your machine, however I have used this system in the field without the luxury of a hotel and this works fine for just under two hours. (tested with a 1 year old battery at 100% charge)
However it is a good idea to carry a spare battery or make sure you near a place with an outlet where you can plug in your computer.

Back home I just transfer the project and images over to my MacPro and back it up again to my larger external drives.
Now you can erase all the images on your Lacie hard drives and use them for your next trip.
You still have the thumbnails and previews in your Aperture 2 Library in jpg at a resolution you have decided on, I use a resolution of 1024 for my Previews in Aperture 2, good enough for my Keynote presentations and the .Mac Web Galleries. (see my previous blog)

For all the latest and New Images click this link:
http://www.deichmann-photo.com/newimages.html

GD

Tags: Lacie Hard Drives

Where have all my images gone?
My Import panel is empty...

At times we get too comfortable with the good things…and I am no exception, in one of my earlier blogs I praised Aperture 2 with its do not import duplicates function…remember this nice and great feature when you mixed up you CF Cards…do not import duplicates, a really fantastic time saver when you on the road.

Well yesterday I tried to import some images, which had been treated outside Aperture 2 from the same Project, but into a new Album…I had my images on my desktop and when I tried to import them into the same project into this new Album everything on the import panel was blank. (They did originated from this Project and I exported them a week earlier for a special selection into a folder on my Desk top.)

First I could not figure out why these files would not show up, but then I realized it…
The field in the import panel was ticked at do not import duplicates…very clever of Aperture 2 but not so clever on my side since I have this checked all the time when
on the road.

Keep an eye on the do not import duplicates check box...red oval

I had worked with these files before and they where also part my earlier Project, of course now they become duplicates…I wanted to over ride this for a specific reason and do some more work with them, up on deactivating the check box all my images appeared and I imported them in no time.
This is just a little reminder or when you absence minded, don’t freak out all the images are there except for a simple mistake.
GD

Tags: Aperture Tips

APPLES + APERTURE 2 = MUMBAI INDIA

© Gunther Deichmann - Fresh Apples in Mumbai India
View GD images on India at his PhotoShelter
archive or collection @
http://www.deichmann-photo.com/stock.html

It is amazing what you find or have forgotten when you do some more editing in Aperture a few weeks later. Remember my recent trip to Mumbai India for the Apple Aperture 2 World Tour. During my stay at the Hotel I noticed these Apples on this small Table, I thought…hey not bad, the light, the reflection and I guess the relationship between the words Apple and Apples, I shot this scene right in front of me using only the available light from the window.
Then in Aperture 2 I used only the Raw conversion, the straighten tool, a little cropping and applied some sharpening.
So there you have it…real fresh Apples from Mumbai India.

© Gunther Deichmann - Apples and window

This shot was taken few minutes later while sitting on my bed and looking towards the window, a straight shot I might add…and I didn’t move the furniture either, no manipulation in Photoshop, again using only the Raw converter in Aperture 2, the straighten tool, a little cropping and some sharpening.

The Black & White image below…

© Gunther Deichmann - Mumbai India April 2008

I saw this women sitting outside her home in a small alley in central Mumbai, the original image was color but converted to Black & White in Aperture 2 using the Monochrome mixer.
GD

Tags: Aperture 2, art, Photography, Tips, Apple, India, Aperture Tips

Let there be visuals with sound...
pure integration & imagination!



Artwork © Mark-Lee Deichmann - Mark-Lee used an old iSight camera
mounted on the Mac Titanium G4…took a self portrait of him
& manipulated the image in Photoshop.

Take an Aperture slide show…you have to make a presentation while on the road, fine you have the images and got Aperture 2… but music…?
In most cases if you using a Laptop for your roadwork I guess you have GarageBand and iTunes…iLife installed.

If not, you better hurry and do it now…

Here comes the sound, you create a sound mix in GarageBand or use a short loop (pre-installed with GarageBand) export the finished track to iTunes and you’re done.

The only thing left to do… open your slideshow in Aperture 2 and add your sound track you created minutes ago, follow my instructions below how to get there, iTunes is now at your fingertips find your sound track & add it to your slide show, sounds almost too easy.
See my sample screenshots below…

Maybe a bit of practice in GarageBand will help, but the rest is easy…

Take my Son Mark-Lee for example… he is doing some part time DJ work and he uses my old but still very functional Titanium Mac G4 Laptop, using GarageBand and creating his own artwork in Photoshop, see above…pretty cool if you ask me.

There he is sitting with his Numark PHX Headphones whipping out music on GarageBand or just mixing his sounds for his DJ stuff on my old G4.
If you are a music lover and created your own mix, of course you can use these too...but please don’t use something from the iTunes Store or from other sources, Music which does not belong to you, respect the copyright of others.
GD

When GarageBand opens you see this screenshot, the small red circle shows you where to find your loops & Jingles, now delete/remove the tracks (large red oval)


Select Jingle red circle on the left then your taste of music e.g.. Blues/Rock red circle in the center, pick something which will fit with your timing/lengths of the slide show, listen to it and if Ok drag it on the the now empty time line, remember you removed the other tracks previously.


Select Share a panel opens up to guide you the rest of the way...to iTunes


Back in Aperture 2 select your slide show, a small panel opens, now click the small arrow, red circle to go to all the settings for your slide show



Once you have arrived here you have many options and your iTunes Library is there too, now you find your sound track which you have created only minutes before, select it go through your slide show settings and your done. Your own sound with a cool Aperture 2 slideshow created on the road.
Of course you can always prepare some music at Home and later use it for your Aperture Slideshow, I have created my own tracks when traveling and the weather was bad, spend my time in the hotel room, mixing sound tracks in GarageBand... but at least I had some fun.

Tags: GarageBand, iLife, Integration, Music, Sound, iTunes

Go to File in Aperture 2 scroll down and select Import then Import iPhoto Library, make sure you select leave images in their current location.
Aperture automatically creates a new Folder (see the red square on the screenshot) containing your complete iPhoto Library,
Depends on how many images you have stored in your iPhoto Library this could take some time since Aperture 2 creates Thumbnails and Previews.

This is a screen shot of my iPhoto Library and you can see (I selected the underwater images) they are now in my Aperture Library.

Visit Gunther Deichmann's website @
http://www.deichmann-photo.com/home.html

Tags: Integration, Images, Photography, Aperture Tips, Learning Aperture 2, iPhoto, Apple, Mac, iLife

A cool little Aperture 2 Tip...

Where do you find at a push of a button YOUR Camera Info when you like to compare your shots after the shoot in Aperture 2.1
See the provided screen shot below, the small drop down menu (small red circle) is where you find ...Show and Hide Camera & Color info...the red oval shows you the data, you have to be in the adjustment mode/panel.
This is very useful when comparing shots, what might have gone wrong or right...You can also move your Cursor over the image to get the color Value in between the images, the grey area will show you the Camera info. Play around and you find this is a very useful addition in Aperture 2.
You can also move your cursor over your Thumbnails... for those of you who are still in the early stage of Photography this command is great for analyzing your images quickly.
Try it out and have some fun...Aperture is not only great for the Pro's but it can help you to take better images by quickly finding out what went wrong or right.
GD

Visit Gunther Deichmann's website @
http://www.deichmann-photo.com/home.html

Tags: Aperture, Photography, Camera, Digital, Tips