Through the Classroom Window
"The Shy One"

© Gunther Deichmann - A student from the Public High School in Chuuk Micronesia, 2008.
From the article "The Forgotten Ones."

© Gunther Deichmann - Chuuk Micronesia,
High School Grounds

It is not known when the islands of Chuuk were first settled, but, based on archaeological evidence, these islands had originally been settled more than 2000 years ago. It is also not known with certainty where the original inhabitants came from. Based on archaeological evidence, it seems that, after about 200 AD, there was no continuous settlement until about 1300 AD.

More at Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuuk

Map of Chuuk: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Map_Chuuk_Islands1.png

© Gunther Deichmann - a Chuukese blowing the Shell as a welcome sign - the language of Chuuk belongs to the enormous Malayo-Polynesian family, one of the major branches of the Austronesian language phylum.

Chuuk is also with its vast, shallow, beautiful lagoon a Mecca for wreck divers. A major shipwreck site from WWII, Truk Lagoon is unquestionably the world's best shipwreck diving destination. Here, more than 50 hulks have been transformed into ship-reefs, holding the very best of the undersea world and maritime history at one site.

GD

PHOTOiNEWS.COM

We are proud to announce the launching of a Web Photo Gallery – PHOTOiNEWS - Beta Version exclusive for Mac users, in cooperation with Websync Intl.Co and Gunther Deichmann.

This site will cater for selected Semi Pro and Pro Photographers who are using Apple computers.

We include a forum and individual Gallery’s to all members and of course participants from the GD Photo Workshops. Tips, tricks and techniques on Photography, Software tools, hardware accessories and other related issues.

Our objective is to showcase the very best Photos from our members and expose them to a broader international market without being lost in Cyberspace plus providing interesting articles and discussions.

This is not a Flick’r or Multiply site! We are exclusive and showcasing only the very best Photos from our members.

In addition previous and future participants of the GD Photo Workshops have a free membership subscription automatically.
You have your own account password and username of course, upload your images, change your themes and many more exciting features.

THE BETA VERSION should be fully operational by September 4, 2010, please stay tuned for more details very soon.
GD

My Tribute to Kodachrome...

I am glad it is Steve McCurry who has taken the last roll of Kodachrome on the road for its final Journey, who else could do it better justice then him. Kodak gave the last roll ever produced to McCurry. Read the article on the last roll of Kodachrome

Of course there where so many others who loved, treasured and created some amazing images with this extraordinary film, legends like Ernst Haas, Pete Turner and Eric Meola used it all.

© Gunther Deichmann - Bathurst Island NT Australia 1980



© Gunther Deichmann - Outback Cattle Muster Tennant Creek
N.T. Australia1983


© Gunther Deichmann - Tennant Creek N.T. Australia 1983

© Gunther Deichmann - Thorny Devil near Alice Springs
N.T. Australia1983

I can't remember how many rolls I have shot prior the digital age, thousands I guess and the slides which are still with me look as good then ever. I used Kodachrome exclusively in Australia and in many other parts of the world, on my Magazine assignment covering the Mekong River in 1992 I carried no less than 300 rolls with me.

© Gunther Deichmann - APSARA Dancer Phnom Penh,
Cambodia 1992


© Gunther Deichmann - Outback Railway station, Australia 1982


© Gunther Deichmann - Spain 1991

Sydney Australia 1995


© Gunther Deichmann - Paris France 1991 shot with
Kodachrome Tungsten film 40 ASA

Would I shoot Kodachrome again if I had the chance? The answer is yes...I just love this "canvas." Unforgiving... but so true to its saturation, performance and stability, in my opinion it was the best film ever made.
The images on this post are all shot on Kodachrome 25 ASA except for the photo of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, here I used the hard to get Kodachrome Tungsten film at 40 ASA.
GD

Mystical Asia QT 2:51min. - Best viewed in Safari Browser
File size: Approx. 18MB - DSL Broadband connection recommended.

I have been flood out the past few days with Photography and Aperture 3 workshops at the Power Mac Center at Greenbelt 3 Makati. Tomorrow I have another session the whole day at the University of the Philippines Diliman sponsored by Power Mac Center Educational Division, all this prior my departure for the US on Tuesday.

But I promised on my last post that I share with you yet another cool Multimedia Demo/Presentation and here it is, "Mystical Asia" a 2.56 min. QT file, using Photos from Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Burma (Myanmar) Nepal and Tibet.

I finished this demo only a few days ago, amazing stuff you can create using a MacBook Pro and of course the cool Aperture 3 slideshow with GarageBand and my new "Girlfriend called Motion" from Final Cut Studio.

Endless possibilities...with a touch of Motion your Multimedia demos or presentations can look so different and really come alive.
Now sit back and enjoy "Mystical Asia".

Please note the video is best viewed using your Safari Browser we experienced recently that in Firefox some script codes appear underneath the QT window, the video will still play correctly but it looks a bit strange.
Hopefully this issue is disappear soon.

GD

Aperture 3 essentials & basic Photography,
using your camera and understanding the
work-flow after the shoot.

July 23-25

Doing it right from the start and avoiding problems later, using your camera and Aperture 3 is really not that complicated.
Switching from iPhoto to Aperture 3 the easy way, organizing all your photos the correct way, create Aperture 3 slideshows, import and edit video (movies) in Aperture 3.
Correct your photos the professional way without the use of Photoshop, export your photos to Facebook with a click of the button...plus tips, tricks and techniques on photography.
This course is for amateurs and semi pros.

Course fee: Peso 8,500.00 per participant for 3 days
1 to 4 PM except on the last day there is an additional 1 hour (1 to 5 PM)

For details: www.powermaccenter.com

For registration: workshops@powermaccenter.com

See a basic course outline below:

Day 1. Short introduction and presentation on basic photography
3:00 hours.
Lecture on your camera and problems you’re facing
How to use your equipment and make the most out off it, hands on and learning the basics.
E.g. basic operation of your camera the a-b-c. tips and tricks.
Short walk around Greenbelt 3 with GD using your camera in the field.
Setting up your computer for Photography and uploading images.
A. The first upload to the computer using Aperture 3 or iPhoto ’09
Basic lessons on digital photography.
Q&A

Day 2.
3 hours
Another short walk in Greenbelt with GD implementing the lessons from day one.
Hands on and advise including some critique after the shoot and upload of images.
B. The digital workflow after the shoot, Aperture 3 or iPhoto more advanced training,
plus backing up your images the correct way.
Q&A

Day 3.
4 hours
Final lessons learned and discussion, plus more tips, tricks and techniques from GD on Photography.
Participants go out alone for about 30 minutes and shoot some simple assignments given by GD.
After they return evaluation and lessons learned, final editing and fine-tuning with Aperture 3 or iPhoto.
What to do with your photos after the final shoot and edit;
integration on the Mac e.g. creating slideshows, presentations with iWork etc,.
Q&A

Soccer fever in Manila, Philippines?

© Gunther Deichmann - from the car window, street vendor
selling soccer balls near Makati. Leica D-Lux 4

Today on my way to Makati this happy street vendor came up to my Taxi window trying to sell me a soccer ball, I can't recall seen a street vendor selling soccer balls. Must be connected to all the action in South Africa at the World Cup.
GD

The Idea about this short environmental clip came from my last trip to Palawan, when the first rain and the Monsoon arrived for this season.

Running around in the rain at El Rio y Mar capturing the freshness of the vegetation around me, I decided later to put a few images together to create this clip called "WATER" using the Aperture 3 slideshow, Motion & GarageBand.
The actual rain sound was recorded on location with my Nikon D300s and mixed together with another soundtrack in GarageBand.

Motion and final assembly: In this case I used a template from Motion modified it and added the rain drop images.
(two images one with the drop and one without it)
After this was done I imported the Motion Clip and soundtrack into Aperture 3, added text plus photos... export and it was done.
GD

Also on:

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uG9DwR_tLIQ
Vimeo: http://www.vimeo.com/12789048

Manila Day... & Fireworks over Manila Bay..

A quick shot with my small Leica D-Lux 4 from my window,
then into Aperture 3 and it was done, about 5 min. ago.

A little spring-clean the other day revealed an old treasure from some 24 years ago.
Securely tucked away I spotted this old Calendar, which I produced many moons ago for the Northern Territory Tourist Commission in Australia. (the Calendar was a bit creased and crinkled but ok otherwise)
Wow …memories starting to buzz in my head… oh boy, do I remember this one!

24 years later…technology brings an old project back to life; sometimes it is nice to go back in time.
“This is like a 25 year anniversary for me since the project started in 1985.”

To cut a long story short we did some reproduction of this long forgotten marvel and after some cropping and adjusting the pages were ready for an update.

I used Aperture 3.0.3 for the editing and the final slide show, Motion from Final Cut Studio for the intro, and the Soundtrack I created again in GarageBand.

In the good old days we had no computers, everything was shot on Kodachrome 25 ASA with the exception of the moon, and in two other layouts I added the clouds manually via duplicating the film, adding the elements.

All Photos taken on locations in the Northern Territory of Australia…with some places extremely remote and difficult to reach.

At Ayers Rock we used an old fashion pushbike that we had repainted and restored, at the Olga’s the parachute setup looked simple, but the Girl almost drifted away as the wind picked up.

On the first day at Rainbow Valley the Camels didn’t arrive on time, so we had to come back the next day and get the Job done. The dresses for the girls (BTW Identical Twins) in this shot had been specially designed and tailored for this setup.

Devils Marbles…setting up a Hang Glider on these two Rocks proved to be dangerous and a real challenge, crossing our fingers that no wind gust blowing the hang glider of the rocks including our model. To top it off, the ladders we used to get everything on top of these two balancing rocks where about 2 feet to short; solving these problems on location can be quiet a challenge in the outback miles from nowhere.

Then to Palm Valley… the track to Palm Valley is only accessible with a 4WD vehicle, following the usually dry bed of the Finke River. Within the Finke Gorge National Park, is an east-west running valley in the Krichauff Range 123 km (138 km by road) southwest of Alice Springs.

Kings Canyon… a tough climb and a long walk, Kings Canyon is part of the Watarrka National Park in Northern Territory, Australia. Sitting at the western end of the George Gill Range, it is 323 km southwest of Alice Springs and 1,316 km south of Darwin.

Kakadu National Park… getting the Girls into the Kayak at Yellow Waters proved to be exciting but also very stressful, there are plenty of very large Saltwater Crocodiles around. My assistant kept a lookout with binoculars just in case, of course we had a larger boat right next to the Kayak where I was shooting.
BTW…the original color of the Kayak was white, I had it re-painted in red just for this shot.

Another cool location was Katherine Gorge, walking for hours to get to the 7th Gorge. Katherine Gorge is not just one spectacular Gorge but a series of 13 gorges along the Katherine River.

At Fog Dam we transported a complete dinning set into the swamp, another extreme, timing was of the essence here. I also flew in an Aboriginal friend of mine from the island of Bathurst just of the coast of Darwin, and the fish for dinner…that is another story.

The Gove Peninsula was some how difficult, far away at the top end of the Northern Territory, but luck was on our side. A Coast Guard Plane was parked at the airport so
I ask the pilot if he could do a few fly over for us…. which he did.

At the Arnhem Land Escarpment and Twin Falls we used Helicopters due to their remoteness. Getting into the Twin falls proved even difficult by Chopper, bringing the Crew down one by one.

More or less that was it…of course I had a small but very efficient crew; all the Girls locals from the Northern Territory were absolutely great and comfortable in the Australian Outback. Shooting over four-month off and on, covering some enormous distances.

These were the days of film…no computers existed with Photoshop, but then that was the challenge…would I do it again? Of course… any time.
GD

Also on:

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/TIMEJOURNEY#p/a/u/0/iMIjYGN4OcU

Vimeo: http://vimeo.com/guntherdeichmann

Guess who came for dinner...



© Gunther Deichmann - El Rio y Mar dinner time...

As promised here is the photo from my last day at El Rio y Mar…amazing this Lion fish arrived just in time for dinner.

If you read Part 3 from my recent Palawan trip then you might remember I was talking about my last night and dinner at the pier at El Rio y Mar.

Our group was sitting at the dining table at the end of the pier when suddenly one of the staff caught my attention. He was pointing at the steps at the end of the pier, so I walked over to him and to my amaze there was this Lion fish cruising around.

© Gunther Deichmann – almost like a painting... a Lion fish.
No need for Photoshop…
Nature provides all the texture and colors.

Maybe attracted by the light, or was he going to join us for dinner…we never know.
I instantly grabbed my camera, which was parked on the dining table only a few meters away.

To get more light onto this fellow I used the build in flash on my Nikon D700 this time…wow the light and the texture of the steps created this cool abstract image of a Lion fish.

© Gunther Deichmann – even he was not invited
I am so glad he dropped by.

What else can I say…never leave your camera behind, even if you have dinner with your friends.
BTW…there is some cool muck diving at El Rio y Mar and the Dugong Dive Center has a Dive Center right at the resort.

However in my case there was no need to take the plunge…the fish came “right to me,” or did he came for dinner?
GD

"Nature's gift to man, so easily abused,
yet seldom appreciated." GD

Strangely no tech or Aperture 3 talk today...you might wonder why? Actually very simple...going through my PhotoShelter files the other day organizing my latest Photos from India and Nepal when I ended up in my other Galleries and got stuck somehow in Australia.

© Gunther Deichmann - Whistling Ducks at Sunset, Kakadu National Park

Photos I have taken long ago, a stark reminder that we should take care of our Planet before it is to late.
Images from one of my favorite places...the wetland of the Northern Territory, immense rich on fauna and flora, but if you ever venture to this part of the world you need time.

The best time for Birds for e.g. is just before the onset of the wet season when large groups of different Birds congregate at the remaining water holes or at the edges of swamps.
White-bellied Sea-eagles, Black-necked Storks or also called Jabirus (Aboriginal word) Whistling Ducks by the thousand and huge flogs of Magpie Geese and the ever present Kingfishers and Cockatoos. (see photos below)
The end of the dry season is just buzzing with life but not only with Birds there are Reptiles and interesting insect all around at small Billabongs and water holes.

© Gunther Deichmann - left: aerial over wetlands Kakadu National Park.
right: a single flower in a swamp during the wet season with
a storm brewing on the horizon

Keep an eye out also for the Frill-necked Lizard and if you lucky enough he might just run like you have never seen a Lizard run before... on his hind legs upright almost like a human posture, comical and amusing. (see him in action below)

Then of course the ever so impressive Saltwater crocodile who makes his home just about anywhere in the Top End of Australia...so beware where you go for a swim... you never know where one of these guys is waiting.

I am leaving next week for Palawan in the Philippines, another Natures Paradise getting a break from Manila it be interesting to see what awaits me on Dimakya Island also the Home of my good friend Dirk Fahrenbach from Dugong Dive Center.

Dimakya Island undoubtedly one of Asia’s Eden, the Philippine’s Last Frontier and the Calamianes group of Islands is perhaps one of the world's best-kept secrets among travel destinations and at the same time the Home of Club Paradise.

My Blog posts and Tweets will be a bit thin starting next week, but I make up for it after my return in about a week,reporting more from this great destination in the Philippines.

See below some excepts from Wikipedia & more photographs with Links to the wetland and wildlife of northern Australia in particular Kakadu National Park and surrounding areas.
GD

Kakadu's flora is among the richest in northern Australia with more than 1700 plant species recorded which is a result of the Park's geological, landform and habitat diversity. Kakadu is also considered to be one of the most weed free national parks in the world.
The name Kakadu comes from the mispronunciation of ‘Gagadju’ which is the name of an Aboriginal language spoken in the northern part of the Park. Kakadu is ecologically and biologically diverse. The main natural features protected within the National Park include:
four major river systems:
East Alligator River,
West Alligator River,
Wildman River;

and the entire South Alligator River;

Kakadu National Park is also UNESCO World Heritage Site

The environment referred to as ‘the Stone Country’ features ‘resurrection grasses’ that are able to cope with extreme heat and long dry spells followed by periods of torrential rain. Monsoon forests often develop in the cool moist gorges dissecting the stone country. The southern hills and basins support several endemic plants that are only found in Kakadu such as Eucalyptus koolpinensis near Jarrangbarnmi (Koolpin Gorge). Lowland areas form a large proportion of Kakadu National Park and are mainly covered in eucalypt-dominated open woodland with the ground layer consisting of a large range of grasses including spear grass, sedges and wildflowers.

© Gunther Deichmann - Water Lily at sunset

The floodplains, which are inundated for several months each year, feature sedges such as spike rush as well patches of freshwater mangroves (itchy tree), pandanus and paper bark trees (Melaleuca). Varieties of water lilies, such as the blue, yellow and white snowflake, are commonly found in these areas. Estuaries and tidal flats are populated with varieties of mangroves (39 of the 47 Northern Territory species of mangrove occur in Kakadu) that are important for stabilizing the coastline. Mangroves serve as feeding and breeding grounds for many fish species including the barramundi.

© Gunther Deichmann - Salt Water Crocodile at yellow waters
Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory Australia

On the tidal flats behind the mangroves, hardy succulents (samphire), grasses and sedges grow. Isolated pockets of monsoon forest grow along the coast and river banks. These forests contain several impressive trees, among them the banyan fig, which can be recognized by its large, spreading aerial roots, and the kapok tree, which has a spiny trunk, large, waxy red flowers and pods full of cotton-like material.

© Gunther Deichmann - left: White-bellied Sea-eagle Kakadu National Park
right: Jabirus at Yellow Waters Kakadu National Park

White-bellied Sea-eagle (Haliaeetus leucogaster), also known as the White-bellied Fish-eagle or White-breasted Sea Eagle, is a large diurnal bird of prey in the family Accipitridae.
It is resident from India through southeast Asia to Australia on coasts and major waterways. It is a distinctive bird. The adult has white head, breast, under-wing coverts and tail. The upper parts are grey and the black under-wing flight feathers contrast with the white coverts.
The White-bellied Sea-eagle is one of the largest raptors in Southeast Asia, and the second largest bird of prey in Australia after the Wedge-tailed Eagle (Aquila audax) which stands up to 1 m.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White-bellied_Sea_Eagle
Black-necked Stork
Scientific name: Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus- Family: Ciconiidae- Order: Ciconiiformes
The Jabiru isn't just a large stork, it's the only Australian stork. Often seen at yellow waters in Kakadu National Park Northern Territory Australia. More on Jabirus http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jabiru


The frill-necked lizard (Chlamydosaurus kingii), also known as the frilled lizard or frilled dragon, is found mainly in northern Australia and southern New Guinea. Its name comes from the large frill around its neck, which usually stays folded against the lizard's body. The lizard's diet consists mainly of insects and small vertebrates. The frill-necked lizard is a relatively large lizard, reaching up to 91.4 cm in length.

© Gunther Deichmann - almost human like posture,
a Frill-necked Lizard on the run

The frill-necked lizard is so called because of the large ruff of skin which usually lies folded back against its head and neck. The neck frill is supported by long spines of cartilage which are connected to the jaw bones. When the lizard is frightened, it gapes its mouth, exposing a bright pink or yellow lining; the frill flares out as well, displaying bright orange and red scales. This reaction is often used to discourage predators or during courtship. The lizard is also capable of bipedal locomotion. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bipedal
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frill-necked_Lizard

Tags: Kakadu National Park

Aperture 3.0.3 & the New MacBook Pro Core i7


© Gunther Deichmann - speed & motion, wild Horses
Northern Territory - Australia

I didn't use any speed test tools but my first impression running Aperture 3 on the new 15 inch MacBook Pro i7 are very good. A very nice performance increase from my previous 2.66 MBP.

We all know Aperture 3.0.3 likes power, this new Machine gives you certainly that extra performance without any doubt... I noticed big improvements during Import and Export in particular the speed increase when changing your Browser View or going up to full screen.

I really pushed it a bit the other day as I kept on toggling back and forth bringing in new Raw Photos on the screen…instantly they kept flashing in front of me.
Going from full screen to 100% Zoom is also extremely fast now, plus working with Brushes and other adjustments tools has improved dramatically.
Switching between Libraries is defiantly much faster there is almost no more waiting time.Very noticeable is also the speed increase when Aperture 3 updates the Library and Previews usually during exiting the software.

It is still too early for my final verdict but from what I have experienced up to now is already very impressive.
The other cool thing I have a lot more space on my hard drive now (comes with a 500Gig drive) great when you don’t like to carry all your external drives with you. 90% of the time I store all my Photos as reference files on external hard drives, but it is nice to know you have this extra space in times when you need it most.

As a matter of fact, a good friend of mine was so impressed that he went out yesterday to buy the new MacBook Pro i7…a hard-core PC user until now, he made the switch from his old PC to a Mac.
Please Note: If you migrating your system from your old Mac to the New one, have your Aperture 3 license handy you will be asked to enter it upon launching the software.
Other than that everything is just so much faster.

I post additional information once I have used the MacBook Pro i7 in the field and completed some more serious editing.
GD

The New MacBook Pro i7 & i5 15 & the 17 inch models are available at all Power Mac Centers in Manila.

Contact:
http://www.powermaccenter.com/index2.php
Email: info@powermaccenter.com

Please stay tuned also for the announcement of the Grand re-opening of the Power Mac Center in Makati Greenbelt 3, an amazing super cool shop that has undergone complete renovation these past few weeks.

Home Page updated with Nepal...

Go to the Home Page...click the Image above

Only minutes ago we updated my Main Home Page Gallery with Nepal, if you can spare a moment why don't you have a look.
You might have to refresh your Browser to update the Photos, by next week the complete collection (only a few at the moment) on Nepal and Kathmandu will be uploaded on my Photoshelter Archive & viewable in the Gallery.
http://www.deichmann-photo.com/

More NEW Photos in my
PhotoShelter Archive & Gallery



© Gunther Deichmann - a very cool & colorful look, Elephant during
the Elephant Festival in Jaipur Rajasthan Feb.2010

News...I have just updated again my PhotoShelter Archives with some additional Photographs from India 2010, more images from Varanasi in India and Nepal by latest next week.
View the photos & click this LINK or the Images.

© Gunther Deichmann - the night before the Holi Festival, spectacular
Bon fires are lit all over the city, Jaipur Rajasthan Feb. 2010

The Students Work...
a Journey Through Incredible India

© Gunther Deichmann - Incredible India, Elephant Festival
in Jaipur Rajasthan March 2010

It is done, I have uploaded the work from the students in the Gallery 'The Students Work" a selection of six images each from their recent GD PhotoWorkshop in India Feb./March 2010.

Note: If you don't see the new images right away you might have to refresh your Browser, please enjoy the Photos and refrain from copying them, they are all protected by © copyright to each individual Photographer.

Congratulations to all participants for creating such nice Photos and I am very proud of you all. India had been a tough one from the chaotic streets in Old Delhi to the long Journey in Rajasthan by Mini Bus.

Shooting from early morning until dusk then back to our Hotels for a quick meal and shower, then we started our work on our Computers, uploading the images and working with Aperture 3 (except for two who used Lightroom).
Feel free and read some of the comments in the Testimonials from some of the participants.

Interesting everybody jumped into the cold water and worked with Aperture 3 (installed on our first night at the Hotel in Delhi)which was only released a few days prior our departure for India. No one encountered any problems and everything went real smooth, even our Lightroom Guys where very impressed with Aperture 3.
But now I rather let the images from the students do the talking, everyone done an incredible Job under sometimes very difficult circumstances. Thanks again to all Participants & I hope to see you again one of those days... happy shooting.

Please note: I have also updated my Home Page on my Main Website and changed some Photos from India in the Gallery section.

In due time I am going to replace my Photos in the Galley on my Blog called..."A Small Taste of the Latest" with a new selection of Photos from India and Nepal, currently it is still Cambodia.
My special thanks to Shroff International Travel for making the Journey to India an enjoyable one.

GD

My Love affair with Aperture 3 deepened.

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

Screenshot from the new and updated Apple Aperture Site.

Only one out of 200 new features:
Advanced Slideshows
Create spectacular multimedia shows with photos, HD video clips, titles, layered soundtracks, and professionally designed themes.



Use familiar iPhoto ’09 slideshow themes. And more.
If you’re moving from iPhoto ’09, the slideshows you created with themes such as Snapshot and Shatter are preserved in all their brilliance. Aperture 3 includes all iPhoto themes and two new themes: Watercolor Panels and Photo Edges. Each theme gives you a professionally designed layout, title treatment, and transitions to create a distinctive backdrop for your photos. Choose a theme, drop in some photos and HD video clips, and produce amazing slideshows in seconds.
Combine photos, audio, and video clips in one show.
If your camera records video, you can import it into your library along with your stills and include it in your slideshow. Just drag a video clip into the slideshow as easily as you add a photo.
Create and edit layered soundtracks.
To personalize your slideshow, just add music from your iTunes library (DRM-free only). Then drop in audio clips stored in your Aperture library — voiceovers, narration, or other sounds recorded on location — for a multilayered soundtrack. If you’re including video in your slideshow, you can add the audio from the video, too.
Tap out the time of your fades and cuts.
Talk about fingertip control. With Aperture 3, you control the pace of your slideshow with the tap of a finger. As you watch the slideshow, press the Return key to determine when each slide begins and ends. As you tap out each slide change, Aperture 3 records your custom timings.
Add titles, borders, and colors.

When using the Classic and Ken Burns themes, you can add titles anywhere in the slideshow in your choice of font, size, and style. Choose borders and background colors. Scale photos. Even control fades and adjust transition times.

Just announced by Apple
Aperture 3

It is finally here Aperture 3, Apple has just announced today Aperture 3, now I am going to be in for some serious test driving shortly, stay tuned for more info as they become available. This is great and very exciting NEWS. Thank You Apple!
But there is so much more...just incredible and if you’re a Mac user then this is it...if you’re not, then you might think about switching now.

Wow…Wow…now that is what I call a super slick Update, just amazing and believe me well worth the wait. So for those of you who made the switch to Lightroom you might have to reconsider. As I have said many time before, all good things take time and when Apple comes up with something they do it real well…like in Photography patience!
In the next few weeks I am going to be busy running around in India and Kathmandu but at the same time I have to do some real test driving with Aperture 3.
Please stay tuned for some real reporting on Aperture 3 in the field and from exotic locations.
GD

Excerpts from MacWorld
The update ($99 for existing Aperture users), which Apple said offers "over 200 new features," includes advanced versions of the Faces and Places features previously seen in iPhoto '09. There's a new image-refinement tool called Brushes, which allows users to paint adjustments directly on to images. And a new Projects feature adds flexibility and I am sure a lot more...


Now just a few Excerpts from the Aperture User Network:

Support for Videos and Audio [Not in Lightroom]
Audio Files [Not in Lightroom]
Chromatic Aberration
Slideshows [Vastly Better than Lightroom]
Flickr and Facebook Albums [Better than Lightroom]
Quick Brushes
Curves and Chromatic Aberration
Adjustment Brushes [Not in Lightroom]
Labels and Flags
Import Features [Some Not In Lightroom/Some Better Than Lightroom]
ILibrary Switching, Syncing and Sharing [Better Than Lightroom]
Import Speed
Lumix users who have been clamoring for RAW file support, today is your day.
The same goes for you, Canon sRAW shooters. You’re supported now.
More and more photographers are working with video these days, and so Aperture now has full support for importing video files. This is a huge change and the support for videos in Aperture 3 is unparalleled in the photographic workspace. Videos can be imported, edited (using trimming features like found on the iPhone) and exported, and they can be used in the newly updated Slideshow tool (which we’ll talk about below). You can grab still images from your video, use them in slideshows and albums, export them in a Library and more.
After many requests from users, Aperture now has full-bore labeling (eight colors to choose from, with customizable titles for the colors) and flagging. Files exported from Aperture maintain their labels in the Finder. And files labeled as flagged/locked int he camera come into Aperture flagged. (That finally gives me something to do with my cameras’s flag button.) more @
http://aperture.maccreate.com/2010/02/09/aperture-3-overview/

iPhoto Slideshow & Aperture at
Power Mac Center TriNoma.


Power Mac Center TriNoma

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

Power Mac Center TriNoma

Please check out also the latest updates on the
GD PhotoWorkshops Calendar
@ http://www.deichmann-photo.com/gdphotoworkshop/

IMAGES WITHOUT BORDERS LAUNCHES INNOVATIVE NON-PROFIT,

100% of profits from sale of works by world class photographers go directly to Doctors Without Borders
 www.imageswithoutborders.org

New Orleans, Louisiana - (February 2, 2010)

One hundred and twenty five professional photographers from seven countries have sent their finest images for sale to Images Without Borders, including Peter Carey, Tomas Van Houtryve, Martin Vargas, Jeffrey Lynch, Scott Wood, Julie Dermansky, George Long, Kit Wohl, Gunther Deichmann, and Ian Talbot. Images Without Borders currently offers over 400 fine art prints for sale, and many pieces have sold. An initial donation by PhotoShelter (www.photoshelter.com) of a host website made this project possible.

“When a disaster strikes, artists often have very little money to donate to charitable causes; what they have instead is their artwork,” said co-founder, Stacy Ericson. “While Images Without Borders was born from the recent earthquake in Haiti, it offers a new and channel for artists and art lovers to make contributions over the long term.”

Many of the prints are not ordinarily available to the public, or are sold by galleries at far higher prices. Images Without Borders now hosts over 400 art prints for sale. The project will continue on as a nonprofit to provide ongoing assistance to Doctors Without Borders, the well-regarded relief agency that responds to disasters around the globe.

About Images Without Borders
Images Without Borders sells gallery-quality prints from images donated by world-class photographers, with all sales proceeds (minus the printing costs) going directly to Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in support of their work. Each image is offered by Images Without Borders as a limited edition of ten prints. Gallery Image prints are offered at $50 and $100. iPhotography Image prints are offered at $36. When ten prints have been sold, the image will be retired from this special edition. Images Without Borders is in the process of filing for 501(c)3 non-profit status, and is endorsed by Doctors Without Borders.

About Doctors Without Borders
Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) provides aid in nearly 60 countries to people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe, primarily due to armed conflict, epidemics, malnutrition, exclusion from health care, or natural disasters. www.doctorswithoutborders.net

© Gunther Deichmann - Wild Horses Northern Territory Australia
Available through Images without Borders, plus many others.

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

When the light is just right...

© Gunther Deichmann - “Pyramids” & Flowers - Jan. 2010

Before leaving for India and Nepal in February I like to share with you some simple but unusual Photos from my last Journey, no other explanation is needed judge for yourself...is it a setup or have they been manipulated later?
For those of you who are interested I am happy to post an explanation on my Blog prior my departure to India.

© Gunther Deichmann - The Palm Leaf - Jan. 2010




© Gunther Deichmann - Strange - Jan. 2010

Check out also the latest GD PhotoWorkshop Calendar updates, only posted yesterday with the latest dates, Workshops/Seminars at the Power Mac Center in Manila & some new international destinations for 2010 & 2011.
GD

“Hot & Sour Coca Cola”...
recycling our Plastic?



© Gunther Deichmann - recycled Coca Cola Bottles
now used for local made Vinegar, Philippines.

I guess it is recycling...sort off... our plastic by-products at least for the Bottles, but when it comes to the sheer number of plastic bags then we are way behind the disposal.
During my Travel I come across a lot of weird and crazy things, like in Cambodia where they use Plastic Bottles for Gasoline along the country road (see the photo below) a favorite image from my Facebook Friend Steve Galano, it was actually Steve who requested some more of these type of images.

© Gunther Deichmann - recycled Coca Cola Bottles now used for
local made Vinegar with Chili, Philippines

Here you go Steve as promised; on my way home the other day from Batangas in the Philippines I spotted these Coca Cola Bottles along the road containing some with Vinegar others with Vinegar and Chili, what amazed me the Coca Cola labels where in perfect condition and made me think...

I am sure after all the Coca Cola had gone they must have cleaned these Bottles before re-using them for what ever concoction they had in mind. Did they get a supply of new labels from the Bottling Plant or maybe they just took good care during the cleaning process. Who knows?

© Gunther Deichmann - recycled Coca Cola Bottles now
used for Gasoline, Siem Reap Cambodia

The real issue is our disposal of Plastic, the culprit the plastic bags...we have to stop using them!
I remember when I ventured deep into Arnhem Land in Australia visiting remote Aboriginal tribes, the first thing I noticed where the ugly blue and pink plastic bags thrown around all over the settlement. That was way back in the in the eighties, it could be worst now. We introduced the Aboriginals to this ugly menace, before we came along they used bags made out of degradable materials from mother nature.

© Gunther Deichmann - local Children at Angkor Wat, Cambodia
collecting plastic. Why can’t the tourist take their own trash home?

Or lets take all those plastic bags which get thrown overboard by ships only to be found later in stomachs of dead Turtles which they mistakenly took for their natural food, the jelly fish...and not only Turtles!
These photos of plastic Coca Cola Bottles are some form of “Recycling”... but not nearly enough what we should do... Stop using Plastic Bags!
GD

“Blues Night” at Buri Resort...




© Gunther Deichmann - cool Blues...with a touch of lemon.

It was on our first night at Buri Resort in Puerto Galera, everybody had gone to sleep with the exception of the Bartender... it was way to early for me to do the same so I decided to have a couple of Beers with my buddy Arj and listening to some cool Blues from my MacBook Pro.
A few moments later while looking at the ceiling I jumped up and started to unpack my cameras, the rest of the evening...well, you see on this Blog.

© Gunther Deichmann - “Blues Night at Buri...

© Gunther Deichmann - the Fan...

No image manipulation of any kind, using only the Nikon D700 with a 24 to120 mm VR lens at ISO 400 straight shots with only a little adjustments in Aperture 2. Even the Bartender hang around watching crazy me running around instead of relaxing.

So there you have it, a cool “Blues” evening at the beach. In the coming days I post some more very interesting and unusual Photos from my last Journey.
So, if you into Blues then turn up the volume, sit back, have a drink and check out the images.
GD

Great Light in the Sky, the bonus images...
editing with Aperture 2 on the Beach.

© Gunther Deichmann - day one Puerto Galera,
Philippines

Direct from the Beach... thanks to a good internet connection at Buri Resort and Spa; the weather has been great particular very early in the morning and in the afternoon.

© Gunther Deichmann - day two Puerto Galera,
Philippines

More interesting images will follow shortly but today I like to share with you some scenes in the afternoon taken over the past three days all taken from the same location but with amazing color changes everyday.
Edited a few minutes ago with Aperture 2 on my MacBook Pro applying only minor adjustments, very quick and easy right in front of the beach.

© Gunther Deichmann - day three Puerto Galera,
Philippines

BTW... thanks to the Twitter plug-in for Aperture I send out an image earlier, great integration as always.
The cool part is, by the time I get back home I am almost done with all my editing (2000 images in three days) and concentrate on my next Journey. India is just around the corner...

Now I am going to have a couple of beers under the stars with my buddy Arnold before going to bed.
Enjoy the light in the sky...
GD

Images without Borders helping Haiti!



© Gunther Deichmann - Umbrellas in Snow, Germany

I am happy to announce to be part of the Images without Borders making photos available for sale and raising money for the Earth Quake victims in Haiti, for the substantial and ongoing donation to Doctors without Borders.
Soon you find some of my Images on their site which is sponsored by PhotoShelter and others.
Thanks for the opportunity to be part of Images without Borders.
GD

© Gunther Deichmann - an Egret in the wetlands of Northern Australia

Excerpts from the Blog Post Images without Borders below.

Thanks to the contributions of nearly 100 fine photographers from around the world and the donations from Photoshelter, Bay Photo Lab, and Adorama Pix, we are able to make these fine art prints available to the public for a very low cost...read more @ http://imageswithoutborders.blogspot.com/

© Gunther Deichmann - Hobbit House Manila, Philippines, just a fun evening. QT 1:57min

If you ever pass through Manila then you should check out the Hobbit House (Lord of the Rings) in Malate, founded in 1973 by Expat Jim Turner, a fun and very entertaining place with good music, food and cold beers.

I took this video some time ago while having a couple of beers with my friend Arnold,
of course my little Leica D-Lux 4 was strapped on my belt. As you know, I never leave home without it.

Some very special, fun loving people run this establishment, the “Little People” with their big hearts, great smiles and cool sense of humor.
The main attraction is Egoy the Elvis Presley impersonator, small in size but with exceptional good vocal cords.
I thought… lets try out the video function on the Leica, and see what I can come up with… no tripod using only available light…oh boy it was dark. Plus some flash photography from other Costumers made it even more awkward.

A quick edit in iMovie (iLife’09) inserted a small intro soundtrack to the photos from GarageBand and it was done.
Nothing special, just a fun video with the help of my little friends.

Thank you all, you have been so cool and entertaining, your hearts are so much bigger then most others.
I think even Joe Cocker would love this place and he might join in with his song…
"A Little Help From My Friends" or as I call it “A little Help from my Little Friends”
So, there you have it, never leave home without a camera, try to shoot and experiment just for fun sometimes.
GD

“My Photo Gallery” the Prototype...

© Gunther Deichmann - “My Cambodian Gallery” 1.36 min QT Prototype only.
Broadband recommended 13.2MB

During my last trip in Cambodia I used the new Nikon D300s a lot (I might add for the first time) but had very little time to test the Video function on the D300s (a lot more when I get back from Nepal/India in March)
All image editing was done with Aperture 2.1.4 and the video was very quickly edited using the new Quick Time on Snow Leopard which is fast and so easy to use.

I managed to get a bit of Video footage, nothing special but easily applied in a presentation like this. Of course the music was created in GarageBand before and I pulled this track from my archives.
In due time and when I get back from India I put up a nice mix with stills and Video. Having the ability now to create presentations where we can use stills and video combined is just so nice and cool.
I hope you like this small and first demo...the adventure only started.
Also on YouTube as: "My Gallery" the Prototype http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVi8IgL1tGI&feature=channel
GD

Sort of a chilling story from a Publisher that is...
the email exchange Part Two.

© Gunther Deichmann - Hot Chilies in Phnom Penh just uploaded
on my PhtoShelter Archives.

Today’s article was prompted by my friend Tony Wu an outstanding Underwater Photographer and Mac user.

I received the news from Tony while working on my new GD Photo Workshop site, uploaded yesterday new images into my Agency archives and today finished with more make up on the GD Photo Workshop site (it never stops) plus uploaded some 200 new Photos to my PhotoShelter Archives.

PhotoShelter: Click this link and then click on Link to all Galleries: New Cambodia Dec.2009 http://www.deichmann-photo.com/page6/page6.html

A lot of work done in a relative short time, but it needs to be done, how good are your images if you only have them parked on your Hard drives. As a professional Photographer this work is as important then creating those images. Thanks for the computer age; things are not quiet so horrendous anymore. Good software like Aperture 2 and good fast machines make our lives a lot easier today.

But sometimes I sit back and think about the old days; the horror of labeling slides, storing and editing, and sending them via FedEx or DHL to Agencies was a real pain and expensive!

However the nice part was that fewer Camera Models had been produced, a Nikon F5 or FM2 would last you a lifetime. I still have the old Nikon FM2 Battleship tucked away on standby, including my good old Music…the Classics.

Now new models sprouting up every month like Bamboo, technology has changed and many things around us. But do we really need all those new Camera models? That I leave today for you to decide.

Now back to Tony, my inspiration for this article; Tony just received his new jazzed up MacBook Pro and was beaming with sheer joy, I wont go into tech details now but we both came to the same conclusion…”It is a Never Ending Story”

Yes there is a need to upgrade your Computer otherwise you can’t keep up with the huge file size and Videos, but a very good MacBook Pro is a lot cheaper than some of those Cameras, Tony made the right decision and upgraded his system after many years, it was time. I am very happy for Tony and his new set up, now his emails to me will be even faster, he, he.

_____________________________________

Now part two: Changing Times…

I received this email in the first week of January 2010 from a reputable German Publishing Company requesting 20 to 30 Photos on Palau.

This is a true story! See below excerpts from the email, unedited except for names and the address, everything else I left.

1. Email: Please can you send me Pictures from Palau everithing what you have on the Galleries 20 or 30 Pictures. Thanks we are a Newspaper from Germany

2. My reply:
please advise on your terms, conditions and usage for publishing the Photos.
Best regards,
Gunther Deichmann

3. Reply:
Dear Gunther, For a Newspaper ………  in the Januar for travelogue.

4. My reply:
please advise on your paying/publishing rates, circulation of Newspaper and size of images,
Thank you.
Best regards
Gunther Deichmann

5. Reply:
Dear Günther, we are looking for free Pictures.
Thank you

6. My reply:
Dear…..
sorry but this is the wrong address for free pictures! I have to make a living too. I might remind you that all the images on the website are protected by International © Copyright
Gunther Deichmann

Times have changed!?

GD

Power Mac Center TriNoma presents...


© Gunther Deichmann - Phnom Penh, Cambodia Dec. 2009
Nikon D300s

Be a Professional Photographer this Holiday Season... presented by Power Mac Center TriNoma
3rd Level Mindanao Wing, TriNoma Edsa cor. North Avenue,
Quezon City, Ph: (632) 901-3980

A one hour special on iLife - Aperture 2 - Tips, Tricks and Techniques by Gunther Deichmann.
Power Mac Center TriNoma, 30th of December from 5:00 to 6:00 PM

For questions and special requests, you can call 729-7087 or 88, or email us at training@powermaccenter.com

http://www.powermaccenter.com/training.php

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

I was in the mood last night… for "cooking,"
using only a few ingredients to create a nice meal.

Check out the final meal in YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBdyMR8fq0s&feature=channel

Recipe & Ingredients

Main Ingredients; the Images from India & original audio recording.

MacBook Pro
iPhone with iTalk app. installed
Aperture 2 ( 2.1.4)
GarageBand from iLife ’09
FotoMagico 3 Pro (Version 3.0.8)
Good Internet connection

Just follow these simple steps…after editing the images in Aperture 2 make sure you filed them in their Albums or Smart Albums for easy access in FotoMagico later via the nice build in Media Browser.
Like with any good cooking it is important you have everything well prepared before you start.
I prepared the soundtrack earlier in GarageBand using the original recorded audio on my iPhone from India, mixing it plus adding some instruments. I use iTalk together with iTalk Sync from Griffin an excellent application for the iPhone.

You record with iTalk and later transfer the audio file wireless to your Mac with the installed iTalk Sync. Now you can use the audio file in iTunes or modify it in GarageBand like I have done, mix it up a bit…and bingo! This way you created an original sound track for your presentation or in this case for our FotoMagico slide show.
Pls. Note: I only use my own compositions or paid audio, this is more original and you don’t have to worry about any Copyright infringements.

Lets open FotoMagico…you don’t have to be a Rocket scientist or a famous Chef to do some great cooking in FotoMagico as I explained in my previous post.
Everything is connected… great integration with the Mac…& yes it runs well on Snow Leopard too (I discovered no glitches in FotoMagico 3.0.8 Pro)
Open your Media Browser in FM and select Photos, you have all your iPhoto and Aperture Libraries right here. Of course you have also access the same way to your iTunes Libraries, GarageBand and Videos, yes videos… with FotoMagico 3 Pro you can also include your film clips and mix them up with your still images.
Now you select the images you like and drag them on the time line, move them around the way you see fit, add pan or zoom to each or all, set the timing and pick your transitions.
It is a good Idea to add some black frames at the start and finish like I have done to include some text/information; again FM makes this very easy. Text can also be applied to run over the images, options for different Fonts, sizes and colors are all there, plus so much more.

Once you happy with the flow of your images open the Media Browser again and pick your Music, select the track you like and drag it on the audio time line. It is a good Idea to determine before you start the approx lengths of your show. You can also adjust the soundtrack by moving it into the right position
Options for voice over and additional audio tracks are available, but we keep it simple today…I created the basic Journey Through Colors & Sound slideshow in about an hour of course not including the editing in Aperture 2 and mixing the audio in GarageBand.

One last check in the Preview before you share your show via YouTube or all the other options including a HD presentation direct from your Laptop.
If you export direct to YouTube like in my case, make sure you have an account or create one before, the rest is fully automatic but could take some time depending on the lengths of your show and of course your connection speed.
We finished our cooking for today now lets serve a good meal to our friends or clients…believe me, FotoMagico 3 Pro made cooking very easy & tasty…Enjoy your meal.

GD

Thanks to Incredible India and Shroff International Travel

Power Mac Center Philippines proudly brings you...
Palawan & beyond...
December 3 to 7, 2009

You are cordially invited to a 4 nights 5 days exclusive Photo Workshop at Club Paradise Palawan with Gunther Deichmann, international multi-awarded travel photographer and Apple Pro Certified Aperture Trainer. Registration fees includes airfare and accommodation from Manila to Club Paradise Palawan, all meals (full Board) and full hands on with Aperture 2. Discover & Explore a different Palawan with the master!
Please book early this Workshop is for a limited number of participants only! Testimonials from previous international PhotoWorkshop.

Registration and Inquiries:  workshops@powermaccenter.com      
0919-2051659 & 0917-5228286. More details will be announced very shortly. 

Explore & Discover Coron & Culion Island plus the amazing african
and endemic wildlife on Calauit Island in Northern Palawan.


Paradise is waiting...Club Paradise, Palawan!

For more information and a recent Video on Club Paradise check out the links below:
The Underwater Channel filmed at Club Paradise and Dugong Dive Center. a very cool Video from this dream destination in Palawan, Philippines. http://www.theunderwaterchannel.tv/clipinfo/4003142

© Gunther Deichmann - Northern Territory,
Australia 1982, Minolta X700, Kodachrome 25ASA

Announcements of New products all over the place…and the battle between Nikon vs. Canon continues big time with their new models ready for the Christmas rush.
Plus a new line of cool products has just been released by Apple…from the Magic Mouse to Mac minis and the new iMac’s.

Rumors and speculations; the announcement by Adobe with a Public Beta Version of Lightroom 3, and the continuous questions when Apple is coming out with Aperture 3, plus so much more. I guess it is this time of the year when we see all those new things hitting the shops for our big Christmas shopping spree.

New technology, new gadgets and computers…great! But aren’t we forgetting something even if we can afford all of those cool things?
Education is the magic word! Do we really understand one or the other software…or Canon v. Nikon?
Technology is progressing at blazing speed… and there is nothing wrong with that, but we should also spend some quality time and money on education, or we forget the real art of Photography soon, becoming a slave of “Photoshopmania”… etc.

A good Camera… (never mind the brand) a good Computer and a good software will NOT create the ultimate Image…but it is You and You alone; your feelings, vision, patience, dedication your heart and passion is what creates the ultimate image.

How many things do we need in a software for processing our Raw images? I remember when I put my 360-page book “Journey Through Color & Time” together using only Aperture 1 for the editing and now we’re asking for so much more…
I have to admit Aperture 1 was a bit tough to work with, but since Aperture 2 everything is just perfect and lets not forget that Aperture 1 was the Pioneer in the new workflow for Photographers and not only in digital…I have mixed both digital and scanned images to produce my Book in Aperture 1 Plus you can’t beat the integration on the Mac with Aperture 2… it is just awesome.

OK maybe I am also a bit biased like David Schloss from Mac Create and the Aperture User Network who has just written this very cool and interesting article; see below excerpts and the Link to the complete article.
We used film for generations, had no choice but to have patience but now we are pushing the developers and engineers, why the rush? Do we really understand eg. Aperture or do we like to play just a bit more with our images?
Besides why should I work with a Lightroom Beta version inviting problems and testing something I don’t have the time for.

For me patience is one of the most important aspects in good photography… lets see and wait when Apple announces a new upgrade to Aperture 2, I am happy with anything they come up with.

I have the patience… I can wait, no problems, but now I have to do some more work in Aperture 2... just like David.
GD

Below the excerpts from David Schloss at Aperture user Network
Adobe Launches LR 3 Public Beta – Adds Some Aperture 1 and 1.5 Features

Adobe has announced their Public Beta of Lightroom 3. Obviously I’m a bit biased here, but I was hoping for a more extensive list of features. As a photographer, I’m really very happy to see competition in the marketplace. The recent Nikon vs. Canon battles have raised the quality level of photographic gear for everyone…

So when I read over the list of improvements for Lightroom 3, I was a bit underwhelmed. I thought, honestly that Adobe would be more forward looking…read the complete artcle at:
http://aperture.maccreate.com/2009/10/22/adobe-launches-lr-3-public-beta-adds-some-aperture-1-and-1-5-features/

A great help for the Digital workflow...BurnToDisc



© Gunther Deichmann - Soft drink Bottles are re-used for Motorbike
Gasoline along the Road just outside of Siem Reap, Cambodia 2009

Before we go into all this technical stuff (not so technical anyway...) I like to mention a nice feedback from Richard Cawthra who was part of our recent Photo Workshop in Cambodia; read what he had to say and how the Workshop has helped him.

LINK (testimonials on GD Photo Workshops)

And for those who have missed it from one of my earlier Blogs I like to re-introduce a very cool Aperture 2 plug in BurnToDisc 2 by Blue Room Software, one of the most useful plug-ins for Aperture 2., for me that is.

I tested it also on Snow Leopard recently and it's working just fine, I encountered no glitches or problems. I been using BurnToDisc for a long time and can highly recommended this plug in for Aperture 2.1.4 just fantastic when you're on the road or your Agencies screaming for images!

The Scenario:
My Agency requested some Photos from my recent trip to Cambodia in high resolution on CD or DVD.
Now here comes the easy part…BurnToDisc is part of my workflow after the shoot, the only thing I had to do select the Images I needed for my agency (the selected and adjusted versions).
I had already created a Smart folder with a selection of Photos, now I narrowed it down even further and selected the ones which had been requested, selecting them one by one by holding down the Apple (Command key), after my selection I open BurnToDisc.
Go to File and click on Export, on the fold down menu you see Burn Master to Disc or Burn Version to Disc.
The rest is easy just follow the instructions and you have your Disc burned in no time with the selected..

Screenshot of BurnToDisc Plug in for Aperture 2.1.4 tested on Snow Leopard

Again, no need to open another software this is direct from within Aperture 2, BurnToDisc has many different options to choose from, even burning multiple Discs, it will show you also how much space you have or is available on your Disc once you have selected your images and open the plug-in.

The nice part is when burning versions to a Disc you can chose within the program which file format you would like to use, in my case I needed them in tiff at 8 bits.
You have the same choice, like with all the other export options within Aperture and that is very cool.
Of course you can also use BurnToDisc for all your Master Images, a perfect way of storing your Raw files on a CD/DVD.
GD

Excerpts from the Blue Room Software Website below:
Disc names are automatically generated from user-defined elements such as disc number, image number, burn date and project name.
BurnToDisc operates with Aperture 1.5, it will also take advantage of the more streamlined background export functionality of Aperture 2.0 and later.

* Images can be exported in multiple formats in the same export session
* Images can be scaled to multiple sizes in the same export session
* Image file names can be taken from the Aperture Library, or augmented from export session metadata
* The placement of images on disc can be in any user-defined folder hierarchy
* Folder names can be static or constructed from metadata
* To allow for varying workflow scenarios, any number of named export configurations can be saved, and then later recalled for use

Minimum System Requirements:
* MacOS X 10.4 Tiger or later
* PowerPC G4, G5 or Intel Macintosh
* Aperture 1.5 or later

Recommended System:
* MacOS X 10.5 Leopard
* Aperture 2.0 or later

BurnToDisc 2 is available for purchase for $49.95 (USD). Existing BurnToDisc 1.x customers can upgrade to version 2.0 for only $19.98.
For more info go to: http://prmac.com/release-id-4604.htm

HANDS ON IN CAMBODIA SEPT. 2009

In the field & the workflow after the shoot
with MacBook Pro's using Aperture 2.

Check out these cool images & click this LINK or go to The Students work on the top bar, you can also click on the image above.
I hope you're going to enjoy them as much as I have.


The Photographs by: Jamie Irenaliena Rayer Keet, Joerg Schueler, Luis Martin Harder, Hubert Weber and Richard Cawthra. They selected six images of their choice I didn’t chose or performed any editing. It was my pleasure to guide this cool group through Photography in the field and then using Aperture 2 for the workflow after the shoot. Plus the Journey to some of the amazing places in Cambodia during our GD Photo Workshop "Angkor Wat & beyond... thank you all for being such a warm and happy group, you have been fantastic! Hope to see you in India next year!
GD

Below is my personal thanks to all those people who
made this Photo Workshop a successful one.

I have also uploaded some of the first testimonials, you can read them
at GD Photo Workshops top bar or click the image above or this LINK.

Thank’s to Jamie from Jakarta, Indonesia, Joerg from Shanghai, China, Luis from Manila, Philippines, Richard from HongKong and Hubert also from Manila, Philippines for their participation in my PhotoWorkshop, Angkor Wat & beyond…you have been a fantastic Group, thank you very much for your kind words and friendship, miss you all.
A very special thanks goes out to Didier from Heritage Adventures for the additional insights. (even Didier became for a few days one of my students)
I am also grateful to the Management and staff from the Heritage Suite Hotel who made all of this possible with their smile and hard work, you made our stay just so fantastic, thank you from the bottom of my heart. A very, special mention goes to my good friend and long time Guide Savuth who was beside us all the time not only carrying some equipment but digging out the bogged 4X4 wheel drive at Mt. Kulen too, thanks my friend.
GD

© 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

MAC CAMPUS ROADSHOW
BY POWER MAC CENTER


ABOVE: using Pages from iWork ‘09

Students from the Computer Science and Photography Department, Teachers and Faculty Members from the Lyceum University attended the Mac Campus Road show. Sponsored by Power Mac Center and organized by Maleng P. Raysag from PMC and the management at Lyceum University.
The Power Mac Center Training Devision had set up an array of iMac’s manned by their staff explaining to Students and Teachers the possibilities on a Mac. I could not help noticing that Photo Booth was a real hit, laughter non stop.

The program of the day included lectures on Integration on the Mac, Photography, Digital workflow using Aperture2 and a basic Photo Competition using what ever Camera was available; Cell phones, Compact Digital Cameras to SLR’s. , etc.
Part of the presentations included how the Mac can help you and how to speed things up using Aperture 2, (Aperture 2 & beyond…) iWork ’09 and iLife ’09 explaining the cool integration. Life made so easy!

The photo Assignment for the day was again Shadows for group “A” and group “B” Space, allotted time for completion 45 minutes.

© Jhonille Villanueva, Donna Dawn Santander-1st
Nikon D40

After the assignment, with the help of Andrew & Mark-Lee from Power Mac Center we uploaded the images into folders and imported them into Aperture 2 for fast processing and judging using the star rating system in Aperture.

© Aaron Basa-2nd
Sony Cyber Shot


© Paulo Caballero, Prince John Risky Arenas-3rd
Cellphone


© Raymark Espeleta, Geneva Panigbatan-4th
Sony Digital Camera

The highest scoring images received prizes sponsored by Power Mac Center.
Another fun Day minus the rain today, being with a cool group of Students, Teachers and Faculty members using only simple Cameras but creating some nice images.
Thanks everybody, I had a great day!
GD

© Gunther Deichmann - Calendar shoot with Camels,
Rainbow Valley Central Australia

Yes, there are lots of Camels Down Under roaming the Desert, they had been introduced in the mid 19th Century to help the early Explorers to traverse the vast outback.

Why Déjà vu ?


© Gunther Deichmann - Camel Skeleton
in Central Australia

In the past I covered many stories for international magazines and reported on the in humane killing of Horses, Buffalos and Camels.
I was also involved with a research group over the years studying the Camels in Central Australia, fitting them with radio transmitters. This research team had spend years studying these animals due to their uniqueness and pure breed, compare to their cousins in Afghanistan or in the middle east.
The Australian wild Camels have never been domesticated, roaming the vast desert regions of Australia, the largest population can be found in the Simpson Desert.

Gunther Deichmann - Wild Camels in the Simpson Desert the yellow flowers
are only appear after a rare rain storm Central Australia

Yes, there is a problem with introduced species and they are threatening our endemic wildlife. But if a new culling of Camels is to be done, it should be in a human way and not like before leaving wounded animals to a slow and horrific death.
Culling had been carried out before shooting Camels, Buffalos and Horses from Helicopters, these are difficult and moving targets, leaving the animals wounded for days, suffering a slow and painful death.

Gunther Deichmann - Wild Camels in the Simpson Desert Central Australia

Some years ago Australia exported Camels back to Saudi Arabia, they are the purest breeds left in the world. Why not now?
Or as Animal welfare groups suggesting; birth control, giving animals a drug to render them infertile, another more humane alternative.
Please THINK, before the same mistakes been made again!
GD

See below a recent report from the BBC:

The Australian government has proposed a budget to implement a long-standing plan to cull the country's camels by shooting them.
Animal welfare supporters reject the plan, but people sharing the outback with the camels call them a menace.
Unlike the kangaroo or koala, the camel is not an animal automatically associated with Australia.
They were first brought there in the mid-19th Century to help explorers traverse the desert.
But there are now thought to be more than one million roaming the outback.
That is roughly one camel for every 20 people, and the population is set to double over the next decade unless some form of action is taken.
In remote communities they are seen as a troublesome menace, trampling vegetation and occasionally ripping up water pipes, as they search for food and water.
So the Australian government has set aside $16m (£9.7m) to contain the problem and one proposal is to shoot the camels from helicopters or on foot.
Animal welfare groups are opposed to a mass slaughter.
They have suggested another more humane alternative: birth control, giving animals a drug to render them infertile. Read more @ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/2038834.stm

Relaxing Friday afternoon with “Mojito”
& friends at Cafe Havana...

© Gunther Deichmann - Charming waitress at Cafe Havana Makati Greenbelt 3 , Philippines,
Leica D-Lux 4 ISO 400, f:2.5

A nice start for the weekend had a great time with my friend Juergen Warnke from Club Paradise in Palawan at the Cuban “Café Havana” in Greenbelt 3 in Makati. Friday afternoon… a social get together with some nice Drinks called Mojito
…
and the Leica D-Lux 4.

© Gunther Deichmann -
Mojito... at Cafe Havana Makati Greenbelt 3 , Philippines,
Leica D-Lux 4 ISO 400, f:2.5
Cuban mojito drink recipe, the authentic version enjoyed by Hemingway in Havana
______________________________________________

Aperture v. Lightroom, the never-ending saga on the Net, don’t worry I keep it simple and get straight to the point.
I am sure all Aperture 2 users waiting with great anticipation for the next upgrade…
I hope we get to see it soon.
I am not an expert on Lightroom nor I am going to be one, I am happy with Aperture 2 for all my work. I believe the most common problem lies when you work with two or three different software’s instead getting used to one, learning and understanding it properly.
Lightroom has introduced recently some updates and improved the software, however in my opinion there are quiet a few advantages in using Aperture 2.
First of all the smooth integration on a Mac, it is flawless and very smooth, plus in Aperture you can make adjustments at any stage. E.g. if you have an image selected you can pull up the adjustment-HUD right there in the Browser, Full screen in book layouts etc., no need to go back and forth.

This is very cool and feels free and more natural. From what I know and heard of LR this cant be done, LR puts way too much emphasis on the software while Aperture lets you focus on what you want to do with your image.

Check with the Power Mac Center in Greenbelt 3 for Aperture Training and intro Seminars.
http://www.powermaccenter.com/training.php
______________________________________________

More iPhone 3G applications.
In one of my recent Blogs I recommended the GPS from MotionX, another interesting one is AudioBoo you record your voice or a conversation with friend then post it on Twitter or Facebook. Useful? For some of us maybe, check it out and play with it.
For those who use the iPhone Camera, AutoStitch is cool, thanks to my good friend Choon from Singapore who pointed this application out to me.

iPhone 3G Camera, using four images and then AutoStitch

See above an example taken without any planning during last Fridays “Mojito” sessions at Café Havana. Four images stitched together on the iPhone and posted a few seconds later on Twitter. You can even crop the image after it has been stitched.
For more info just go to the iTunes store!
GD

Respect & Prayers for Corazon Aquino...
former President of the Philippines.


© Gunther Deichmann - Prayers for Former President Corazon Aquino, a child holding a Candle inside a church in Manila, on the 4th of August 2009, the colorful reflections are from the Church windows’ for Filipinos there is always hope, may the future be prosperous & democracy will prevail.

“We don’t have to listen or read,
but an Image can speak a thousand words.”

Aquino's presidency saw the restoration of democratic institutions in the Philippines, through the enactment of a new Constitution which limited the powers of the presidency, restored the bicameral Congress, and renewed emphasis on civil liberties. Her administration was likewise hampered by several military coup attempts by disaffected members of the Philippine military which derailed a return to full political stability and economic development.

All images © Gunther Deichmann - Manila August 4th 2009

Last Fridays Power Mac Center Event, the 15th Anniversary.
& DJ Mark - Lee was in his element using a Bose sound system.
____________________________________________

Some 50 students from the Computer Science Department from the Adamson University attended the Photography Seminar. The program of the day included lectures on Photography, Digital workflow and a basic Photo Competition using what ever Camera was available; Cell phones, Compact Cameras to SLR’s. etc.

Students from the Computer Science Department
from the Adamson University in Manila

After a two our lecture on Photography, Keynote presentations and techniques I divided the students into two groups for two different assignments. Assignment “A” was Shadows and group “B” Space, allotted time for completion 90 minutes.

A real fun Day! What was amazing... the images the students took for the competition, the small Digital point and shoot Cameras and Cell Phones had the highest score.
After the assignment, with the help of Andrew & Mark-Lee from Power Mac Center we uploaded the images into folders and imported them into Aperture 2 for fast processing and judging using the star rating system in Aperture 2.
It proved again how easy it is to work with Aperture 2 making selections and using it for something very different today, after all we had to go through some 200 images fast.
Most of the students came from the Computer Science Dept. but had a high interest in Photography and the three lucky winners received prizes sponsored by Power Mac Center.

First Price went to Yves using a
KODAK EASYSHARE
C813 ZOOM DIGITAL CAMERA
Yves took this shot pointing his Camera
into a mirror. Corridor at the University.

Was I surprised? No! The best and most creative images came from Cell Phones and small compact Digital Cameras. Proven again, that if you put your mind to it, you can create some very nice images with what you have got. Photography is you and you alone create these images, equipment helps but if you have nothing else... you use what is available.

Second prize: KIMGHI using a cell Phone, interesting
Image, a building reflecting in water on rough concrete
during todays rain.


3rd prize: Sherwin using a SONY DSC-S40
He took this shot during our lunch break at the nearby Mall

Even more amazing, the weather was real bad raining non-stop, difficult for the Group who had the Shadow assignment; of course we considered that during our judging.
I had a lot of fun too, being with a cool group of students using only simple Cameras but creating some nice images.
Thanks everybody for a great day!
GD

Congratulation & Best wishes to the Power Mac Center
on their 15th Anniversary.



Thank You! GD
__________________________________

Plus...Photos & Macs brought to you by
Adamson University, Manila

BE PART OF PHOTOGRAPHY &
MAC LEARNING SESSIONS
Sponsored by Power Mac Center

NEWS RELEASE - EVENTS HIGHLIGHTS
Listen to Mr. GUNTHER DEICHMANN, international acclaimed travel photographer as he shares his exciting works and experience on travel photography. See the latest techniques in making the most out of your pictures...Win exciting prizes and surprises! Join the photo competition at the end of the seminar. Interested participants may bring their digital cameras or cell phone cameras to join... and lastly, learn why Mac is the best computer for schools.
Where:
SD 3/Level, Adamson
Time:
8am-5pm
Schedule:
8am-9am
Registration
9am-11am
Talk by Gunther Deichmann,
11am-12nn
Photo Competition
12nn-1pm
Break
1pm-2pm
Photo Competition Judging
2pm-4pm
Apple Technology - a session on
latest gadgets & Mac products
4pm-5pm

Contact:
Mobile Hotline • 0908 7213422 / 0917 6047980
0918 3427555 / 0922 8647131 / 0910 8897055
Landline • 729 7087 or 88 | 7297128
Email: academy@powermaccenter.com
www.powermaccenter.com

Endemic wildlife under threat!



© Gunther Deichmann - Aerial photo: Thousands of Magpie Geese on the
Flood Plains near Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory, Australia.


© Gunther Deichmann - Whistling Ducks, Kakadu National Park

The Cane Toad is posing a serious threat to Australia’s endemic Wildlife.

During my days when I roamed around in Kakadu National Park some 25 years ago there where NO Cane Toads, now they have invaded this rich in wildlife ecosystem. In recent years they have not stopped and now moving towards north-western Australia invading the Kimberley region too.
Freshwater Crocodiles and a unique type of pygmy crocodile found only in Australia could be wiped out by the dreaded cane toad unless prompt action is taken, zoologists have warned.
Just two populations of the endangered pygmy freshwater crocodile are known to exist, both of them in the country's tropical north. The crocodiles are at risk because they prey on cane toads and then die from the amphibians' highly toxic skin. Isolated in remote rivers and creeks by waterfalls and steep sandstone escarpments, they are about half the size of normal freshwater crocs.

© Gunther Deichmann - Australian Freshwater Crocodile
(Image showing a true gallop), fighting for survival.

“Thanks” to the introduction of Cane Toads to Australia in August 1936. We’re tried to solve a problem… but created a much bigger one.
The idea was to eradicate the grey back cane beetle pests, now the cane toad is considered a pest and invasive species in many of its introduced regions because its toxic skin kills many native predators when ingested.
It has also many negative effects on farmers because of pets and animals eating the creatures.
The cane toad has poison glands, and the tadpoles are highly toxic to most animals if ingested. Because of its voracious appetite, the cane toad has been introduced to many regions of the Pacific and the Caribbean islands as a method of agricultural pest control, notably failing in the case of Australia in 1935, and derives its common name from its use against the grey back cane beetle pests.

All creatures small and big have the right for their existence on this planet, but the Cane Toad does not belong in Australia, STOP interfering with mother nature.





All images © Gunther Deichmann - from left: Sea Eagle, Jabiru black-necked Stork
Tree Snake, large Goanna in front of Termite mounds

A Queensland study showed more than a 50% decline in Gould’s goanna numbers over a seven-month period coincident with the arrival and build up of cane toad numbers.
A fauna survey in Kakadu showed that Gilbert’s dragon and all goanna species significantly declined following cane toad invasion.
Frog-eating snakes in general are susceptible to impacts. These include the northern death adder, western brown snake and red-bellied black snake. There are also numerous reports of freshwater crocodiles dying after eating cane toads in northern Queensland and the Northern Territory. Some water fowls are also no exceptions including the White Breasted Sea eagle.
GD

CANE TOAD FACTS
Cane toads are expanding their range across Northern Australia faster than ever expected, and have been recorded moving up to 20km in just a few weeks.

They have reached the western part of the Northern Territory, and without intervention, are expected to reach the east Kimberley region of Western Australia in one to three years time.

Cane toads need water to survive. With only a relatively narrow band of non-arid country between the eastern Kimberley and the Top End of the Northern Territory, suitable cane toad habitat funnels down to such a relatively small ‘land bridge’ that there is a unique opportunity to slow and hopefully halt their march westwards across Northern Australia.
Since its original introduction the cane toad has had a particularly marked effect on Australian biodiversity.

Cane Toad Research

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cane_toad

The Australian Aboriginals call it…
”Children of the Lightning Man”

Years ago during a Photography excursion into a remote part of Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia I encountered a very rare and strange looking Insect. It was during the month of November just before the onset of the wet season, camping over night at this small rock outcrop, when I got the urge for “natures call.”

I squatted behind some rocks and as I looked up I spotted this bizarre Insect, but not just one, a dozen or so brightly colored orange Grasshoppers covering the small plant right in front of me.
Wow… I hurried up… run back to the campsite and grabbed my Camera. My first approach was very slow, scared that I would spook them, but then to my amazement the Grasshoppers would not move at all, they just sat there like wax figurines.

© Gunther Deichmann - the rare Leichardt Grasshopper
from Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory, Australia

Once I had my shots, I started to realize that this maybe something very special, sure enough, after my return to Darwin I showed the one specimen, I had collected to the Curator of the Northern Territory Museum.
Gunther - this is the very rare Leichardt Grasshopper he said with excitement, they are only found in remote parts of the Northern Territory there have been no sightings for hundred years.

It's named after the explorer, Ludwig Leichhardt who reported great numbers of them as he crossed the Arnhem Land plateau in 1845.
Leichhardt's Grasshopper is bright red, blue and orange. Its strong colors are a defense against predators which works so well that this little grasshopper has Attitude - often it doesn't even bother to fly away when predators approach, exactly what happen when I took the Photos that morning.

© Gunther Deichmann - left: deep inside Arnhem Land, it is here where you can find the Leichardt Grasshopper, if you lucky. right: tribal Aborigines retouching ancient rock art in Arnhem Land, Australia

Normally I leave animals where I find them and don’t interfere with nature, but in this case the Curator thanked me for bringing in just one specimen for research, it was after all about 100 years later.
I have more images but those are tucked away in archives with my international agency Picture Press in Germany.
For the Australian Aboriginals the Grasshopper has a very special meaning, the Jawoyn and Gundjeibmi people of Western Arnhem Land call the grasshopper Alyurr, children of the Lightning Man Namarrgon. A powerful ancestral being, this is evident in the Rock art through out the Arnhem Land Escarpment.
GD

More modifications and updates on my Home Page...


Screenshot of the NEW Home Page

You know we recently improved, updated & created a new look for my Blog pages http://www.deichmann-photo.com/blog.html.

Long overdue, today we uploaded a NEW Home Page look on my main Web Site/Gallery http://www.deichmann-photo.com/home.html
Of course we change the images from time to time and the small flash slide show on the right hand side shows always a few of the latest images, running India at the moment. We made the flash slide show simple and small, keeping the fast loading time of the site plus having all the SEO benefits too.
Hope you like it.
GD

How a Fisherman lost his Sunglasses…

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

© Gunther Deichmann - converted the original image into B&W using the Monchrome
Mixer in Aperture 2 (See if you can spot the Sunglasses in mid air.)

I guess he is still looking for them “today”, he was fishing at an incoming tide and I am sure his Glasses are gone.
Have a good look and see if you can spot the sunshades in mid air. It is cool what you discover during your edit sometimes.
GD

© Gunther Deichmann - Typhoon Huaning in 1997, shot with my X700 Minolta in
an old Hugyfot Underwater Housing right on Roxas Boulevard,

Coffee & High ISO on a rainy day...


© Gunther Deichmann - an interesting effect...
D700 with a f/2.8 180 mm lens ISO 1600

The past few days Manila is blessed again (not sure if that is a blessing) with a lot of Rain, but then we do need water and we are still in the Monsoon season. Tropical Storm "ISANG" is hanging around up north.

About an hour ago...I decided to grab a cup of Coffee and had a look at the back of our Building, that’s when I spotted the Philippines Flag in my neighbors window, ok lets try out the Nikon D700 at high ISO speed and see what I can come up with. (see the shot above)
Then I started to mess around some more with clothing hanging on a washing line in the rain…
hmmm strange, drying clothing in the rain, oh well!
Using the Nikon D700 with a f/2.8 180 mm lens (one of my favorites and perfect for the D700) I set the ISO on 1600 and for some shots on 800 ISO.

D700 with a f/2.8 180 mm lens ISO 800 (cropped image)


D700 with a f/2.8 180 mm lens ISO 1600

The shutter speed varied between a 1/50th and 1/160 of a second my Aperture was wide open at f/2.8, all straight shots and hand held. (too lazy today for putting up a Tripod)

A few minutes later I had imported the RAW files from my CF Card into Aperture 2 and made only these adjustments; Cropping, Auto level, some sharpening (which I do for all digital Images) well, believe it or not, that was it folks… no other twists, turns, pushing and pulling!

Extreme blow up from the original image, more than 200%
D700 with a f/2.8 180 mm lens ISO 1600

It is now an hour later and concluded this rainy day coffee break…the Nikon D700 performed just great at high ISO plus the color was perfect, well for me anyway.
I shoot most of my work on ISO 200 but have no problems using the Nikon D700 at a higher ISO for some serious work. (max. 1600 ISO) As you know I have tested it up to 12000 ISO (you can go to 25000) in the past, but using such a high ISO setting I can only recommend it under extreme circumstances, but it is nice to know you can do it.
GD

“New! My special selection from the Taj Mahal & Rajasthan India April 09”


© Gunther Deichmann - Rajasthan India April ‘09

Back into the wild again...


1975 © Gunther Deichmann - a tranquil and serene setting in this wetland
from the Top End of Australia, but it is also the home of the Saltwater
Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) Kodachrome 25 Minolta X700 20mm lens

This is my follow up article on Images long forgotten and somewhere tucked away in our archives or hard drives...Memories of Outback adventures from the past.

The Australian Saltwater Crocodile and the famous “Sweetheart” from the Finnis River in the Northern Territory some 55 kilometers south west of Darwin City. I used the same process importing the old digitized images from my external hard drives into Aperture 2 applying some adjustments and using the Monochrome Mixer for the Black and White images. Aperture does a great job not only with todays RAW files but also with scanned tiff files from slides or negatives.

Once imported and you made some adjustment you can always revert back to your original file just like you would do with Raw images, this makes Aperture 2 perfect for archiving, cataloging even for your older images, using just one system instead of many.

1979 © Gunther Deichmann - surrounded by flowers a very large
apprx. 16 foot Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) in Yellow Waters
Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory, Australia
Kodachrome 25 Minolta X700


1979 © Gunther Deichmann - see if you can spot this perfectly
camouflaged large about 20 foot Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) on a
muddy River Bank Northern Territory, Australia. Kodachrome 25 Minolta X700

Close encounter of a different kind…and I got very close… sometimes too close to these ancient reptiles during my days in the Northern Territory of Australia. Saltwater or estuarine crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) is the largest of all living crocodilians. Some old historical records from 1930 or there about claim they had been caught up to 33 feet in length, however no photographic records has surfaced to prove this, but I do believe it.
I myself encountered Crocs bigger then the Boat I was sitting in and the boat was 22 feet, it is no joke sitting in an Aluminum Dingy and this massive Croc slides in from the muddy banks hitting in your direction.
A fantastic and a great experience getting up close to these prehistoric animals evolved millions of years ago and still with us today.

1975 © Gunther Deichmann - Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) on the
banks of Yellow Waters in Kakadu National Park
Northern Territory, Australia. Kodachrome 25 Minolta X700.
(using Aperture 2 for the B&W conversion)


1978 © Gunther Deichmann - “blowing bubbles” Crocodile
(Crocodylus porosus) on the banks of the Adelaide River in the
Northern Territory,Australia. Kodachrome 25 Minolta X700.
(using Aperture 2 for the B&W conversion)

I could fill up a book with the many encounters I had with these amazing animals, feeling scared at times and vulnerable, but I am also happy that in my life time I experience the only true survivor of our prehistoric past.
Spending many days out in Bush with Dr. Graham Webb (see my previous article) going where no man has gone before collecting Saltwater Crocodile Eggs for research and a conservation program at the time.
Photography was extremely difficult under these circumstances, wearing a water proof shooting vest which could also act as a floating device, not for me mind you... but for my Cameras, have to get our priorities right!

© Gunther Deichmann - Two days old! Crocodile
hatchlings in a holding tank before
their release into the wild.


© Gunther Deichmann - an interesting reflection -
Two days old! Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus)
Hatchling in a holding tank before its release into the wild.

Part of the research involved being dropped off by helicopter on to floating mats to collect Crocodile Eggs. Floating mats are; a natural floating interwoven grass found in Wetlands at the Top End of Australia, you can actually walk on this grass mat, a very strange feeling, like walking on a water bed. Of course there is always the risk you break through, ending up to your neck in water, not a good feeling with large Saltwater crocs nearby. However this floating mat is the perfect habitat for the Crocs to build their nest and the ideal location for researchers. The research involved collecting eggs, temperature measurements and other data, a high-risk research with nowhere to run in case “Mum” decides to return.

Back at the Laboratory; the Eggs where placed in an Incubator and after hatching the small crocs where tagged and released back into the wild.
GD

Then there was “Sweetheart” a 5.5 meter saltwater crocodile that lived in the Finnis River in the Northern Territory of Australia, some 55 kilometers south west of Darwin city. This enormous Croc was very territorial. It became famous because it took a dislike to the sound of outboard motors and would often attack small boats entering its territory. Presumably it viewed them as a threat or a challenge from a rival Croc.

The Giant Crocodile “Sweetheart”

More info and photos of “Sweetheart.” Check the links below
http://inny.ipbfree.com/index.php?showtopic=1810


http://www.all-about-reptiles.com/crocodile.html

© Gunther Deichmann - Take off... Australian Freshwater Crocodile
(Crocodylus johnstoni)moving at high speed towards a Billabong.
Photo from the mid seventies.

The other day I went through my Archives looking for a particular image when I came across my series on Australian Freshwater Crocodiles. (Crocodylus johnstoni) I remember that time I went out with Professor Dr Graham Webb an expert on Australian Crocodiles collecting data deep inside the Australian Bush in the Northern Territory. Spending days on end camping at Billabongs catching, tagging and releasing these truly amazing Reptiles for research and conservation.

© Gunther Deichmann - One of the very first images showing a true gallop.
Australian Freshwater Crocodile (Crocodylus johnstoni)
Photo from the mid seventies.

It was during this project that we discovered that the Crocodile (not only the Freshwater one) displays a true Gallop, movements just like a Horse, not known previously until this research by Dr. Graham Webb.
The images on todays Blog and many other where most likely the very first showing Crocodiles in a full Gallop, amazing and thrilling times long gone but not forgotten. At the time they where published in a various magazines.

The Black & White Images are from one of those trips, the originals had been shot on Kodachrome film, afterwards or I should say many years later I scanned the slides, now the digital images residing in my archives. By the way this was long before my Nikon days using the X700 Minolta bodies and lenses.

© Gunther Deichmann - Lift off...Australian Freshwater Crocodile
(Crocodylus johnstoni)moving at high speed towards a Billabong.
Photo from the mid seventies.

I imported the tiff files direct from my external hard drives into Aperture 2 and converted them to B&W. So, if you have images from way back have a good look at them you never know what you might come across and if you end up using them or not makes no difference it is worth the memory from times long gone.

A few years later Dr. Graham Webb also discovered what was thought first a new species of a Freshwater Crocodile in a very remote part of Arnhem Land, an Aboriginal Reserve in the Northern Territory. Almost half the sizes of the other know Freshwater Crocs, after a long study it turned out they are exactly the same species but had adapted to this size due to the lack of food in this remote part of the Arnhem Land. Consequently they where named the Pygmy Crocodiles but it is the same species (Crocodylus johnstoni) yet another proof that these reptiles, which developed over million of years, can adapt to changes depending on their location or climate.
The Australian Freshwater Crocodile is at risk today from the increasing number of introduced Queensland Cane Toads and human interference in their habitat. The toad is lethally poisonous to Freshwater Crocodiles (although strangely harmless to Saltwater Crocodiles.
In one of my next articles I introduce you to the Australian Saltwater Crocodile, (Crocodylus porosus) experience with the same Research team…from Hatchlings to a large 22 foot Croc.
GD


See below some info and facts on the Australian Freshwater Crocodiles:

The Australian freshwater crocodile is a relatively small crocodilian. Males can grow 3 meters (9.8 ft) long, while females reach a maximum size of 2.1 meters (6.9 ft). The body color is light brown with darker bands on the body and tail - these tend to be broken up near the neck. Some individuals possess distinct bands or speckling on the snout. Body scales are relatively large, with wide, closely-knit armored plates on the back. Rounded, pebbly scales cover the flanks and outsides of the legs.

The Freshwater Crocodile is not capable of killing or even seriously harming a human. There has only been one recorded attack by a freshwater crocodile on a human; this attack took place at Barramundi Gorge (also known as Maguk) in Kakadu National Park and resulted in very minor injuries to the victim, who managed to swim and walk away from the attack. It is believed the victim swam directly over the small crocodile, in general it is still considered safe to swim with this species.
Distribution and habitat
They are found in the states of Western Australia, Queensland, and the Northern Territory. Main habitats include freshwater wetlands, billabongs, rivers, and creeks. It competes poorly with Saltwater crocodiles but is saltwater tolerant. As an adult its diet consists of birds, bats, reptiles, amphibians and fish. This species can be found in areas where Saltwater Crocodiles cannot and are known to inhabit areas above the escarpment in Kakadu National Park and in very arid & rocky conditions (such as Katherine Gorge, where they are very common and relatively safe from saltwater crocodiles during the dry season.) That being said, they are still consistently found in low-level billabongs, living alongside their larger evolutionary cousins.
This species, until recently, was common throughout much of northern Australia, especially where the much larger and far more dangerous Saltwater Crocodile is not found (such as more arid inland areas and higher elevations) but in recent years the population has dropped dramatically due to the ingestion of local populations of the invasive Cane Toad. The toad is lethally poisonous to Freshwater Crocodiles (although strangely harmless to Saltwater Crocodiles) and is rampant throughout the Australian wilderness. The crocodiles are also infected by Griphobilharzia amoena, a parasitic trematode, in regions such as Darwin, Australia and Irian Jaya.

© Gunther Deichmann - movement in the Thar Desert India, April 09

“7000 images later, a Journey Through
Rajasthan, India… Aperture 2 & beyond…”

The Fine Art Prints!


Fine Art Photo Prints from Rajasthan, India at the recent
Photo Exhibit at the Hyatt Hotel in Manila during the Event
- A Taste of India -

I prepared the selected digital images in Aperture 2 using my calibrated Apple Cinema screens getting them ready for delivery on my portable hard drive. Additional adjustments where not necessary, they reproduced absolutely perfect just like the original from the screen.
Further more OneWorkshop guarantees the archival quality prints, they are certified for their fade resistance.

A big enlargement graces the wall at the PMC, Photo Exhibit at the Power Mac Center in Greenbelt 3, Makati, Philippines some of the images from Rajasthan will be on display from June until the end of July. During this time we have also some Seminars, Workshops & Consultancy on Aperture 2, for more details check with the Power Mac Center.
For questions and special requests, you can call 729-7087 or 88,
or email us at training@powermaccenter.com
http://www.powermaccenter.com/training.php

More Photos on display at the Power Mac Center in Greenbelt 3, if you in the area check out also the Multi Media presentation on the Apple TV set-up.

My advise:
Do not perform major color adjustments on your Laptop, instead work on a good quality & calibrated screen for you final output. You never look back or regret if you invest in a high quality Monitor or Screen they are vital for accurate color renditions and fine-tuning.
Thanks again to Ross Capilli & Rick for an excellent Job.

See below some information on the archival printmaking services:

Masterpiece Giclée
OneWorkshop,Inc. is providing the Visual Arts Community, Photographers, Museum Administrators, Gallery Owners and Art Collectors with digital archival printmaking services, using the Giclee (pronounced “zhi-clay”) Printmaking method.
Giclée Printmaking has opened up a whole new set of creative and economical opportunities for both the artist and artist photographer. We invite you to learn more about these opportunities, so we can show you how you can maximize the value of your art by making reproductions using the most cost-effective means. We use only top quality 7 & 8 color-Archival Inks on a wide selection of Archival Fine Art Papers or Canvas that you may choose from in our studios.
Giclee prints are advantageous to artists who do not find it feasible to mass produce their work, but want to reproduce their art as needed, or on-demand. Once an image is digitally archived, additional reproductions can be made with minimal effort and reasonable cost. Another tremendous advantage of giclee printing is that digital images can be reproduced to almost any size and onto various media, giving the artist the ability to customize prints for a specific client.

2241 Ground Floor La Fuerza Plaza II Don Chino Roces Ave corner Sabio St. Makati CityTel (632) 8192074 Telefax (632) 8105094

A Tribute... & my sincere thanks to one
of the best films ever, Kodachrome...
an era has finally come to an end.

© Gunther Deichmann - Cattle Muster near Tenant Creek Northern Territory Australia, Tennant Creek, a small township of about 3500 people located 500 kilometres north of Alice Springs. Shot on Kodachrome 25 ASA in 1983 using a X700 Minolta.

No Digital, Camera and Gadget talk today...

A sad day for photography! Kodak has now finally announced the discontinuation of its Kodachrome Film, what has long been expected became a reality yesterday.
It was my film of choice for many, many years, as a matter of fact most of my award winning images had been taken with Kodachrome 25. Among the well-known professional photographers who used KODACHROME Film was Ernst Haas, Peter Turner, Eric Meola and Steve McCurry but the list goes on, they all used and loved it. As part of a tribute to KODACHROME Film, Kodak will donate the last rolls of the film to George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film in Rochester, which houses the world’s largest collection of cameras and related artifacts. McCurry will shoot one of those last rolls and the images will be donated to Eastman House.

© Gunther Deichmann - APSARA Dancer at the Royal Performance Hall in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, I had been assigned by Animan Magazine from Switzerland to cover the Mekong River. The assignment took some three month to complete and I shot over 300 Rolls of Kodachrome Film, using Kodachrome 25 Pro to Kodachrome 200 Pro. (Nikon FM 2) The image above became a double page spread from a total of 26 pages on my story on the Mekong River in 1992.
See excerpts from Kodak’s press release below.

PRESS RELEASE
Kodak Retires KODACHROME Film; Celebrates Life of Oldest Film Icon in its Portfolio

ROCHESTER, N.Y.--Eastman Kodak Company announced today that it will retire KODACHROME Color Film this year, concluding its 74-year run as a photography icon.

Sales of KODACHROME Film, which became the world’s first commercially successful color film in 1935, have declined dramatically in recent years as photographers turned to newer KODAK Films or to the digital imaging technologies that Kodak pioneered. Today, KODACHROME Film represents just a fraction of one percent of Kodak’s total sales of still-picture films.

“KODACHROME Film is an iconic product and a testament to Kodak’s long and continuing leadership in imaging technology,” said Mary Jane Hellyar, President of Kodak’s Film, Photofinishing and Entertainment Group. "It was certainly a difficult decision to retire it, given its rich history. However, the majority of today's photographers have voiced their preference to capture images with newer technology – both film and digital. Kodak remains committed to providing the highest-performing products – both film and digital – to meet those needs."

While Kodak now derives about 70% of its revenues from commercial and consumer digital businesses, it is the global leader in the film business. Kodak has continued to bring innovative new film products to market, including seven new professional still films and several new VISION2 and VISION3 motion picture films in the past three years. These new still film products are among those that have become the dominant choice for those professional and advanced amateur photographers who use KODAK Films...for the complete Press release go to: http://www.pdngearguide.com/gearguide/content_
display/news/e3i707a10734b4b7a6237915ad940a9443a

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

Also on YouTube NOW in higher resolution,
click here or the Logo.

© 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

“To see something which is not there
makes a great image” GD

This subject is cropping up all the time in Twitter, Facebook and Blogs the web is full of it… gadgets that is. More applications for this and that, new iPhones, new software the list goes on and on, not to mention cameras with this and that new thing.
Sounds cynical…yes, so it should.

© Gunther Deichmann - Vision... the eye and not the gadgets...
Composite created in PS

I recently read an article I picked up on Twitter by Jack Hollingsworth a very simple but so true statement:
Gear is good… but Vision is better!

I have written my fair share of articles about today’s digital Photography, lets call it today...
“Graduating in manipulation.”

As Jack put it, Vision is better… and I agree with him fully hearted. Why do I bring this subject up again is simple.
During a small Exhibition recently at the Hyatt Hotel showcasing images from India, people kept asking…who is the Painter? (by the way I can’t even draw a straight line)

I could consider that as a compliment but when I talked to them they could not believe the images where Photographs, and once they knew, they immediately thought of Computer and Photoshop. Grrrrrr.

This is exactly the dilemma we are facing today, very recently a good friend said to me … education is the magic word or better the lack off it.
I created the image above a long time ago in Photoshop, yes you have heard correctly, and yes I know how to use Photoshop. There is a place for PS no question about it and I have been using PS also but in the right context in commercial and advertising Photography, but not for my documentary and nature work.
The image above portraits an eye surrounded by colors and the “explosion of the brain” during the visualization of an image in front of us. In other words Vision first, then the capture of the image via any media using a camera or through the hand of a painter.
After the “explosion” you get the image like the one below…
NO Photoshop!

© Gunther Deichmann - A Reflection of Excellence the Taj Mahal
India April 2009 - Reflections are the work of Nature!

Since we are in a new age now, of course we need software like Aperture 2 or Lightroom to process our digital images, but lets think for a moment…are we manipulating to much? We do need to process the digital images converting from Raw or creating B/W images, some sharpening and at times adjusting the white balance all of that is acceptable today, but not changing the overall look and color.

Even in underwater photography some divers moving critters around and later fixing a lot in the computer, what ever happen to the real images or better the challenge of getting the perfect shot.
Hence the reason that many good images have been judged and misunderstood today, oh this is a great shot but I am sure he/she done this in the computer.
I stop rambling on now, trying to explain, I don’t have the answers and properly want change a thing but it is somewhat very sad in particular for our next generation and only the proper education can make a difference.
GD

The Rain didn’t stop the “Taste of India” at the
Hyatt Hotel in Manila.

My personal press release!
I just arrived back home, WOW it was a great show with genuine Indian food, traditional dances and some Sitar as background music.
A great evening with some amazing food and great company like:
The honorable Rajeet Mitter Ambassador of India, the Undersecretary of Tourism Philippines Eduardo Jarque, Jr., Mr. Vishnu Hathiramani from the Indian Chambers of Commerce, Anthony A. Sebastian the General Manager of the Hyatt Hotel in Manila.

Getting together for a “Taste of India”

Part of the Gallery

Blessing the Chefs Indian style

I also had the pleasure to be in the company of Lawrence Siason from the Power Mac Center and his wife, my good friend Luis Harder and Company and my better half Grace the sometime driving force behind me.
Overall a fantastic evening, a very special thanks goes to Arjun Shroff and his charming family from Shroff International Travel, without their help and India Tourism my Images on display tonight would not have been there.
Thank you so much!

http://www.incredibleindia.org/

Later in the evening I had a surprise visit by my very good friend Dirk Fahrenbach from Club Paradise and Dugong Dive Center, he just snowed in at the spare of the moment.

I also had some very interesting questions all evening, guests referred to me as a Painter. I wish I could paint, however I cant even draw a straight line.
Maybe my images come across like that, I guess I paint with my camera but NOT Photoshop which I had to point out on numerous occasions. It is just my style, my interpretation and my ability to work with light. As I keep saying…Photography is light…light is Photography.
Thanks to One Work Shop and Ross Capilli for a great job on the archival printing.
We have also some seminars and workshops at the Power Mac Center in Greenbelt 3 shortly, and if you have the time please drop by, I am only to happy to guide you through my Light. However if you feel hungry then you better drop by the Hyatt Hotel for a real “Taste of India”
A very special thanks to the Engineering Dept, PR and Marketing Dept. at the Hyatt Hotel Manila for a very professional service, they did such a great Job, and of course it goes without saying, thanks to the Chefs for a real ”Taste of India”.
All Photos by Hermes Singson, thanks Hermes.
GD

The last frame...


© Gunther Deichmann, looking across the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok at 8:00 PM
Nikon D700 - ISO 6400 - F: 5.6 -
using the Nikon VR 24 to 120 Zoom, handheld at a 1/4 of a second.

On my last day in Bangkok I took the opportunity and shot some frames across the Chao Phraya River which runs through the heart of Bangkok using my Nikon D700 at ISO 6400, lets call it “The last frame”. Amazing how the Nikon D700 can handle this type of situation, even at the high ISO the noise is acceptable. Of course not for huge blowups, but good enough for the web or smaller reproductions in print, and if it gets too noisy at even higher ISO (24000) then we can always resort to Noise Ninja a separate Plug-in for Aperture 2.
GD

© Gunther Deichmann - “playing the Blues...”
My favorite Music, created in iWork ’09 using Pages.

Children had the chance under supervision to play with the latest iMac Computers and iPods. Animation, some basic drawing and other educational software had been installed on all the iMacs with the guidance from the PMC staff.
Laughter and giggles came from the Kids once they discovered and had a go at Photo Booth…just watching them was real good entertainment.

© Gunther Deichmann - created in iWork ’09 using Pages

There was also an artist on hand who painted some cartoons on the Kid's faces, nice to see that a company like the PMC organized this week long fun and educational event for children.
All images on this post are taken with the Leica D-Lux 4 my constant travel companion,back home a few hours later, I created the layout with the new Pages from iWork '09

© Gunther Deichmann - created in iWork ’09 using Pages

All the Kids (“the big ones too”) had a lot of Fun myself included, plus I had a nice day out with my Boys.
The images are uploaded already on my PhotoShelter Archive, check out the new Gallery and click this Link…Philippines March 2009

Photo Workshops with Gunther in Cambodia @ http://www.gdphotoworkshop.com/home.html

Search Archives on all Web pages, white Box above the page
http://www.deichmann-photo.com/home.html

Type in your Keywords and you find images from over 25 Countries, from Europe, Australia, SE Asia, Tibet etc. in my PhotoShelter Archive. There are currently more than 5000 selected images in the Archive. If your search fails or only very few images show up (could be many reason e.g. like misspelling or the English verses the American spelling “Color or Colour” go to all Galleries once the page is open. Except for some Galleries like Underwater, Weather, FX etc., most of the subjects are in the order of the Countries, however the latest and NEW IMAGE GALERIES are usually on the top.
Now it doesn’t matter any more which page you on, from now on you can always go direct to my Personal PhotoShelter Archives and Galleries.

We have deleted the “Journey Through Color & Time” Book page, almost out of Print, hence the decision to remove the page, but if you’re still interested in purchasing a copy just send me an email. (http://www.deichmann-photo.com/contact/contact.php)
Some information on the Book is still available in the Links-Info section.

We also added India (sorry…, still empty but soon available) on the Top.
On my Personal PhotoShelter Galleries we did a nice clean up and made some modification on the Home Page.
Both Sites will have some more modification soon, but they have to wait now until I get back, plus some other exciting NEWS up on my return from India, but more on that later, as you know I love suspense...
In the meantime just stay tuned or subscribe to my Blog that I try to update now and then while I am on the road…I guess it all depends on my connection and time.
GD

http://www.apple.com/aperture/action/

Aperture 2 is a powerful and easy-to-use digital image management system that can track thousands of digital images and provides the advanced photographer with high-quality image management and adjustment tools. Designed for the needs of professional photographers or serious amateurs.

Not only that, Aperture is the perfect companion in the field providing you with all the editing tools you need and by the time you get back home from a trip your work is almost done. There is always some down time in between flights or the weather goes real bad and you have to spend time in your Hotel room. With Aperture 2 editing on the road has become so much easier now. By the time you reach home you have already added the captions on import, done your keywords, ratings and applied some adjustments like straightening and cropping.
1. Advanced RAW workflow: From capture to output, you can work with your images captured as RAW files, without having to first convert them to another format before viewing, adjusting, organizing, or printing them. Aperture supports RAW formats from leading digital camera manufacturers (including Canon and Nikon).
2. Flexible image management: An open library structure lets you store photos anywhere you want. You can have Aperture either store image files in the library or simply link to image files in their current locations. This is very useful if you have excisting images on differnt hard drives and now make the change to Aperture. You can also have Aperture link to your iPhoto Library without copying the images
into the Aperture library. Aperture can work with photos stored on any number of hard disk drives and other storage media. You can catalog and search for images that are stored on multiple hard disks, including offline volumes, CDs, and DVDs.
3.Professional project management: Aperture allows you to manage thousands of projects and provides flexible organizational tools, comprehensive metadata support, and powerful search tools that let you find files instantly.
4. Nondestructive image processing: Designed to protect your images from the moment they’re imported, Aperture identifies your original images as digital “masters” and has built-in safeguards to help ensure that you don’t accidentally overwrite or modify them.
5.Versatile printing and publishing: Working directly with your RAW images, you can create color-accurate prints, custom contact sheets, stunning websites, and unique bound books with tools that are intuitive and powerful.
After you’ve finished working on your images, you can use Aperture to export them as files. You can export these files to another application, send them to a printing service or to your clients via email, or publish them on the web.
You can export your images in several formats:
including JPEG, TIFF, PNG, and PSD file formats and during export you can rename, resize, and adjust images and include EXIF information, IPTC information, or other metadata. You can also apply ColorSync profiles and watermarks to files you export.
With Aperture, you can easily create and present slideshows of your images. You can use slideshows to review images with clients, present a series of final select images, or present your images to audiences complete with background music, which you can also create in GarageBand (part of iLife’09)
What better way then finishing the day at the Resort Bar and show of your images with your Dive Buddies or Friends over a glass of Wine or Beer.
Setting Up an Aperture System is easy.
Setting up the hardware for your system can be as simple as connecting your camera or card reader to your computer. You can also set up a system that uses external hard disks and color-calibrated displays.
Download the Aperture 2 trail version and check it out, you want regret it, however if you get stuck Apple provides you with some cool videos (http://www.apple.com/aperture/tutorials/) plus some other useful links below.

Gunther Deichmann: http://www.deichmann-photo.com/blog.html
Aperture User Network: http://www.apertureprofessional.com/

Gunther Deichmann
Apple Pro Certified Trainer for Aperture 2

There is a lot of talk about Pixelmator on the web lately…
so I took the time to find out what this fuzz is all about.

Since the arrival of Aperture there was no need (at least for me) to upgrade or for that matter invest in the latest Photoshop CS4 anymore. I am still using Photoshop CS2, more than enough for my requirements. I started many Moons ago in Photoshop, but then there was nothing else around at the time, now we have Aperture 2 and Lightroom to do all our hard editing work.

Pixemator…No, I have not downloaded it yet, however it is very tempting for a prize of US$ 59.00 I have checked some reports and reviews to give me an inside to find out what is going on…

Screenshot of the Pixelmator site,
click on the image above or this LINK

I guess the best thing to do, open the Pixelmator Website and check it out for yourself, but from what I have read, it is not as intimidating as Photoshop and apparently works super fast on Leopard. For someone who’s just starting in Photography using iPhoto or Aperture 2 maybe this is a very good choice.
Apparently the integration with iLife is very good running on Leopard.

If all of those things are true then we might have a real nice go between Aperture 2 and Pixelmator without the heavy use of Photoshop, not to mention the intimidation and heavy prize tag of the later one.
Aperture 2 will do most of your editing and take care of your RAW files and when you do need that little extra for advertising or commercial work maybe then Pixelmator is the answer now.
It might not do your super heavy stuff like Photoshop, but from what I have read will do just about everything else.
Maybe, just maybe we have something now very affordable for those Photographers who would use Photoshop once in a Blue Moon anyway; Pixelmator could fill this gap nicely.

I can’t say much more now until I have test driven Pixelmator or get some feedback from actually users.
A recent article about Pixelmator (Pixelmator updated to 1.4) is also on the Aperture User Network site @
http://www.apertureprofessional.com/showthread.php?t=24346
For a lot more info on Pixelmator check out their cool website at:
http://www.pixelmator.com/

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

Apple announced today the RAW Support for the New Nikon D3X

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

How do I do this? Select a folder with the images or create a new one with the images you like to use for the Book, then click on the Book icon, you can choose between auto flow or manual adding the images, you still have the option to move them around after they have been placed.
Once you happy with your Book layout you click on the slide show icon add all your effects, music etc. and go to Export or Share.
Now you have a Book for printing (check on the help menu for specs and more details) and a slick slide presentation, having a similar look then your Book.
Now a few new additions in iPhoto ’09; Places Powered by Google, (cool Maps)Face recognition the stuff everybody is talking about, get your images direct into Flickr and Facebook without leaving iPhoto.
Add a smart Album just like in Aperture 2 or create your Mobile Me Web Gallery all of this and the improved interface makes the new iPhoto ’09 a ripper… my only “worry” …what is going to come for Aperture 2 down the road, this could be very interesting.
Talking about integration with iLife and iWork ’09, it is almost “scary” how they worked all of this to perfection.

I have only scratched the surface on the new iLife and iWork ’09 but continue my test drives with both and bring you up to speed in due time.
GD

I have also fixed a few things on my Commercial Photography site…we had a few problems but now I am running iWeb ’09,which is super slick by the way, the new WIDGETS are just awesome; HTML Snipet,Google Maps, RSS Feed, YouTube, Google AdSense, iSight Movie, iSight Photo, Countdown, All is Ok now, so why dont you check it out...best viewed on Safari.
http://web.mac.com/gdimages/gdimages/Home.html

The NEW iLife ‘09 is so cool from what I have tried out and seen, super improvements, but more on that later need to do some more test driving.

The cool Widgets in iWeb ‘09

On or about the 15th of this month I am going to introduce you to our very first “UNDEREXPOSED” guy, Massimo Casal from Hanoi in Vietnam.
Stay tuned for our first special on The Underexposed” and a lot more very Interesting topics including iLife ’09.
GD
http://www.deichmann-photo.com/

Shadows & Colors behind the Scene...


© Gunther Deichmann - “The Shadow Smoker”

A few hours I returned from a commercial Photo shoot and I thought why not share these images with you…sorry cant show you yet the commercial Images but certainly these ones.
Non of the images have been a setup or been manipulated in Photoshop, they just happen to be there.
This was also the first time the Nikon D700 got a very good workout, I am very pleased and extremely satisfied with the D700…she just performed awesome.

© Gunther Deichmann - “The Crew”


© Gunther Deichmann - “What a Pair”

In my next Blog I am introducing a new series called “The Underexposed” images from semi pro and amateur Photographers but with great talent from all over South East Asia. They will share 12 images each month with you, a small representation from their Country.
“The Underexposed”... Photographers I have met during my travel while others I have only known from Emails my Aperture 2 Workshops and Blogs they like to share their love and passion for Photography with you very soon.
GD

© Gunther Deichmann - “The Third Eye” Bali 2008,
this image has a Copyright Watermark of about 10% opacity.

As Jason pointed out, there’re always some Thief’s around who steal images: others steal softwares, your car radio or television,
sad to say but it is part of life.
If for example an ad agency uses your images without permission, they are stupid and taken a great risk, registration or no registration plus they will loose their reputation very quick. (I had such a case a long time ago)

© Gunther Deichmann - Hindu Ceremony Bali
lets hope and pray that no one steals our images,
Image imbedded with a slightly visible Watermark

On the other hand the web is not so forgiving, copy and paste is so easy...and here I do agree with Jason, place a watermark on the image will help, but it is never perfect. Cloning with Photoshop makes it easy, if you do place a watermark on your image set the opacity to very weak (say 10% or less) and cover the whole image, this way it does not disturb the image to much and it is difficult to clone.

Registering every one and every image is given you the perfect protection in the US but what about all the other countries Jason did not mention anything about those. Are we only going to use Condoms in the US and not in other parts of the world, that would be very unwise and foolish.
It is a dilemma and only you can make the final decision how to protect yourself against the disease called “Stealing Images”.
The web is full of images like in Flickr, Multiply etc., and most of them dont have a Copyright Watermark, very inviting... it is just like leaving the key in your car engine, or leaving your camera bag in the Taxi and ask the driver to wait until you come back from the Toilet.
I dont have the perfect solution and I dont believe the registration is either, unless you’re a Richard Avedon or some other very famous Photographer, for the time being a good and well placed watermark is a very good choice and if you can proof without any reasonable doubt it is your image you have a very good chance in any court. In todays Digital age most if not all cameras record the time, date and even your location, in case of a dispute just pull your passport out and show that you have been there. Without any reasonable doubt!
The Nikon D700 has already a build in image authentication and copyright information in the menu, and I am sure some others have it too by now.

See below excerpts from Jason Heller’s article in DivePhotoGuide interesting reading for sure... & not only for our Underwater Photographers, thanks for sharing Jason.
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Copyrights: Everything An Underwater Photographer Needs To Know
Author: Jason Heller / January 27, 2009 12:00AM MST Category: Photo
Copyright, Stolen Images, Orphan Works, Copyrights

One of the frequent questions our readers send us relates to protecting images from inappropriate usage and enforcing your copyrights. It seems that underwater photographers take very little time to actual learn the process of properly registering your copyrights (actually most photographers are all in the same boat). The answers for copyrights are actually pretty straightforward, but the approach you chose to protect your images from being stolen and used online can be a bit subjective...
for the complete article go to: http://www.divephotoguide.com/articles/copyrights

Perfect for recording and interviews in the field, taken notes has just become so much easier.
As the name suggests, iTalk and iTalk Sync work real well together, the perfect combination.
Ok.enough sweet talk…say you walking around those amazing Temples in Cambodia with their strange names or you just hanging around a side walk Café, now you use your iPhone and start recording, OK that is nothing new. But now you’re back at your Hotel start editing and Caption your images from the days shoot. Mmmhhhh, what was the name of this Temple again?

Easy, you synchronize your iPhone with your Lap Top and start up iTalk Sync, the recordings from the day are now on your Desk Top or place them in iTunes, it is that easy. But It gets much better, since you gave every recording a name or added additional text to it, a small text file is also attached and parked right next to your sound file on your Desk Top. You can open this text file in Text edit, and you’re ready for copy and paste into your Aperture Metadata, plus you have all the additional info in your sound recordings.

The transfer from the iPhone to Computer is wireless, OK. if no Wi-Fi is available you can always play back the recording and work on your caption manual and transfer everything later when a connection is available, but at least you have a nice recording with all the information.

The aiff and the text file on your Desk Top

I mention in my earlier Blog some of the other cool Applications for the iPhone, but this one is super cool, and set the quality of your recordings is available too.
iTalk is US $4.95 and iTalk Sync is for free, you can download iTalk Sync from this LINK and install it in your Computer. You can buy iTalk from the Apple Store and download it straight into your iPhone.
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Using iTalk Sync is simple and straightforward, below are some details, a text file which is part of the Software.

When you run iTalk Sync, it will immediately scan your local Wi-Fi network to find any iPhone (or iPod Touch 2G) that is running iTalk. So make sure your iPhone or iPod is awake and talking to the network, and is running iTalk. (Henceforth, all instructions referring to "iPhone" should be understood to apply to iPod Touch 2G, as well, unless otherwise noted.)

If iTalk Sync finds more than one iPhone, it will show you a list. Double-click on the name of the iPhone you want to connect with.
Your iPhone will show you a message that your computer is attempting to connect with it. Press Yes or No.
When you okay the connection, iTalk Sync will show you a list of the recordings stored on your iPhone. To transfer the recordings to your computer, simply use your mouse to drag them out of the list and onto your desktop.
Your recordings will be transferred as high-quality AIFF files, which you can play in iTunes or in most other media players. iTunes will give you the option of burning your recordings onto audio CDs, or converting them to a different format such as AAC/MP3, for use with portable music players.
You may want to convert your files; in general, AAC/MP3 files take up less storage room than AIFFs. If you plan to edit your recordings further, keep the original AIFFs and convert a copy of the edited version as AAC/MP3.
http://www.italksync.com/

Tips, Tricks & Techniques... “TRIPLE T”
plus “Food for the iPhone”


© Gunther Deichmann “Food for the iPhone” cool Applications

Lets start with Aperture 2 before we start “cooking” with the iPhone...
Applying Sharpening...which one??? We have two sharpening options in Aperture 2 Edge sharpening and Sharpening. I get always asked why should we sharpen images anyway or most of the time and if so which one do we use.
Most if not all DIGITAL CAMERAS producing a softer image, hence the build in sharpening controls in today’s cameras.
So how come we don’t or I should say I don’t use these? My Camera settings are all set to normal, because it is very difficult to judge from the LCD screen how much or how little sharpening to apply.
I have set all my sharpening parameters in Aperture 2 and since I know my Cameras I perform all the Edge or Sharpening in the Computer using my standard settings.
Of course these can vary from one Camera Model to another, you have to experiment a little to find out which settings works for you best. My recommendation experiment with some of your images and don’t worry you can always go back to your untouched Original, that is the beauty about Aperture’s non-destructive editing.

Aperture’s Sharpening Adjustment does a good job, but it can also get you into trouble.
SHARPENING sharpens everything in your image including nose from darker images found in low light images. If you apply this on Portraits this can have some unpleasant results. Where as in Landscapes and normal exposed images this could look Ok.
Aperture’s EDGE SHARPENING controls lets you apply subtle sharpening effects to only the edges in your images.

Press F to enter Full Screen mode, and then press H to bring up the Adjustments HUD.
(to apply any sharpening you should view your images at full screen mode) Now place your cursor at the area you like to sharpen and press Z to zoom to 100%
Press Control-S to add an edge Sharpening adjustments. Edge Sharpening searches for edges by identifying areas of sudden contrast change.
Try a quick experiment and deactivate Edge Sharpening controls group by deselecting it, and then add normal Sharpening adjustments. Set the intensity to about 0.6 and the radius to 3.1. now you will noticed the difference due to the Global sharpening.
Of course since Aperture 2 we have also our New Dodge and Burn Controls.

Screenshot of Dodge & Burn Panel

In Aperture select IMAGES and on the drop down menu choose Dodge & Burn then on the small drop down window (red square) select Sharpening, choose your brush size and strengths and apply your Sharpening on selected areas only.

This iPhone application is truly one of the better ones, very practical and useful, now I have arranged all my most frequent and important Phone Numbers, no more scrolling and searching just touch and go or should I say call…
http://www.hotchiliapps.com/

Hot iPhone Tip from Hot Chili Apps

Want to call, mail or sms to your preferred contacts with just one touch? Would you like to create your own buttons choosing photos, color, text and add symbols ? Than comcenter is the right app for you. Comcenter is a speeddial/speedmail/speedsms application where you can create your own buttons. Choose a background color with the color picker, take a photo and resize it, add a symbol and manipulate it in size, angle and color. Use text, chose a font, align it and see in a big and a real size preview if you like it. Add phone number or mailadress from your adressbook and even name your button...more at http://www.hotchiliapps.com/

Screenshot of this cool application

For our German readers they have provided the info in German too.:
Würden Sie gerne Ihre Freunde und Kontakte mit nur einem Fingertip anrufen, eine Mail oder eine SMS schicken ? Würden Sie gerne Ihre eigenen Buttons entwerfen ? Mit Ihren Fotos, Hintergrundfarben, Texten und Symbolen ? Dann ist Com Center genau die richtige Applikation für Sie ! Com Center ist eine Speed-Dial / Speed-Mail / Speed-SMS Applikation die Sie ganz individuell gestalten können mehr @..... http://www.hotchiliapps.com/?p=132

Tags: iLife '09, iPhone 3G, iPhone Applications, iTunes Store, Tips,Tricks, Techniques,Tutorials

© Gunther Deichmann - catching the Light...

Take your Camera for a walk...where ever you go; with the family, to meetings, functions or just for a stroll in the Park with your Dog, a Compact one is sometimes good enough, because you never know what crosses your path.
The other day, I walked out of my Apartment and my Son Brandon was jumping up the stairs, beautiful late afternoon light streaming through the window lighting the staircase. I ask him to run up the stairs just one more time so I can capture this magic moment.
I used a slow shutter-speed to emphasize on movement, taken with my little Leica D-Lux 4, processed in Aperture 2 without enhancements, this was natural light at its best.
The following day I attended a function and during my visit to the Toilet “I spotted two famous Photographers inside”, Herb Ritts and Richard Avedon with two famous and classic images. The light in the frame and photo by Herb Rits reflected like an Eclipse in Time Laps.
So, there you have it, never leave HOME with out it...
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Shooting Kinski, Avedon and his famous 1981 Vogue portrait of actress Nastassja Kinski entwined with a boa constrictor. For the story on the shoot and Richard Avedon click this LINK

Herb Ritts began his photographic career in the late 70's and gained a reputation as a master of art and commercial photography...
for more on