Photochrome Camera Club

Adobe introduced the Digital Negative several years ago as an Open Standard. The basic idea is to replace the manufacturer-unique raw file formats with a standard open to everyone. While only a few camera manufacturers have adopted the standard as their raw format, it may still be useful for you to convert your camera raw files into DNG formatted files. The reasons are twofold:

1. Adobe has committed to support the DNG format long term. The manufacturer of your camera has made no such commitment. In fact, some manufacturers have dropped support of older raw formats already.

2. But there may be an even better reason. Since Adobe has supported DNGs since Photoshop CS, converting your raw files into DNGs means you would not need to update your version of Photoshop if you get a new camera. Just download the free DNG Convertor from Adobe, convert your files, and you are ready to edit that award winning shot.

In the February Color News I said:

“Is profiling your camera possible? The short answer is yes, you could. But the longer answer is “it depends.” This would only work if you shoot RAW. Another problem is that Adobe does not provide for custom camera profiles in either Photoshop or Lightroom. There is a work around possible in Adobe Camera Raw and Lightroom. (See http://fors.net/chromoholics/) The software to do the profile is free but it requires that you have a GretagMacbeth 24-patch ColorChecker.”

Now Adobe has decided to support profiles in Adobe Camera Raw. That means both users of Lightroom and Photoshop can use profiles that match those of the camera manufacturer or, even more important, a custom profile specific to your camera.

These profiles are in beta release and are available on the Adobe Labs website. The profiles require Camera Raw 4.5 / Lightroom 2.0 or later. The RAW requirement still stands and you need the GretagMacbeth ColorChecker.

Getting really comfortable with digital photography?  Get ready for the next step: shooting video with your DSLR.  Two DSLR cameras recently introduced have the ability to shoot High-definition Video: The Nikon D90 and the Canon 5d Mark II.

The 12.9 megapixel Nikon was first out of the blocks.  It can shoot up to five minutes of HD video – 1280 x 720 pixels at 24 frames per second – while recording mono sound. You can read more about the camera on the Digital Photography Review website.

The second entry is the full-frame Canon 5d Mark II.  The 21 megapixel Canon can shoot 1920 x 1080 resolution at 30 frames per second for up to 4GB per clip while recording stereo sound.  The 5d Mark II is just coming on the market.  You can read more about it on the Canon website.

The one single most important thing you can do to improve your photographic technique is to learn to use a tripod.  A tripod will produce sharper images with greater depth of field.  This is absolutely essential for macro photography.
A tripod also helps you to make more carefully framed and composed images and reduces the number of “grabshots” that end up in the wastebasket.
Jo-Ann Ordano, Past President

Reprinted from the March 2005 edition of the Photochrome Color News

Image Impact

Know Thy Self – Key Questions To Ask

Unlike recommendations in other articles I’ve read, I think the best way to immerse yourself into this question of whether to use RAW or JPEG file formats, in capture and/or edit, is to ask yourself the following questions:
“What are your goals as a photographer?”

Surprisingly, this is often alluded to in articles I’ve read on this subject, but never explicitly stated. The significance of this question is quite important, as you’ll want to select the right file format to match the following: your output goals (print, online display, etc), your technical comfort level, your available storage capacity, your computer software/hardware capabilities, and the amount of time you’re willing to commit to the post-production of your work.

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