In the digital business world, technology moves at speeds that most of us don't need to keep up with. On the other hand, the changes are imminent, and to not keep up with technology is to leave yourself vulnerable.
I live in the NYC metropolitan area, so I have more opportunities than most to stay abreast. Last month the
Photo Plus Expo was a convention for 50,000 members held in the Jacob Javitts Center. I went there for two of the the four days, researching equipment and ideas. I had many areas I wanted to explore, and in the end I made some key purchases:
Strobes: After I burned out my Norman setup while on-duty in Chicago, I was able to borrow a set of monolights. I am convinced this system is right for me. So I went to B&H and ended up purchasing
this set of Dynalite strobes and a third for front fill-ins, when needed. I opted for larger reflectors which spread the light out smoother and less pinpoint.
Lenses: My primary lenses are both Canon fixed lenses--50 and 100mm macro. Each tends to be a compromise. The 50 is best for large blades and the 100 is just a bit too telephoto for anything but small folders. BOTh are great lenses. Fortunately Sigma just produced a fixed
70mm f2.8 EX DG Macro and the sharpness equals any lens on the market. I am quite pleased with it.
Printer: All the big players (Canon, Epson, HP) had large booths at this show, and each of them had incredible quality prints pumping out. What is important to me was a comparison of MY prints (Canon i9900) and MY files to the current output. That wasn't quite so easy to accomplish. (Imagine 50,000 people all wanting a personal print....). So with a bit of quiet talk and handshakes I was able to get a print from each of the vendors. I chose the
Epson 3800 printer from InkJet Art.com. REALLY nice quality, and the prints look perfectly matched to my calibrated monitor without needing a custom color profile. At $55 per ink cartridge (There are nine) it is not cheap, but cost per milliliter is less than $0.75, so it actually is the least expensive in ink costs of the three vedors. (Tip: I have attempted to use aftermarket inks and custom profiles to adjust them. I spent days trying to make a less-expensive alternate look good. Never, ever, had them work well. For charts and graphs, that would be fine. But, not if someone is paying for a professional quality image.) OEM inks are formulated with viscosities and proprietary ingedients that outside vendors cannot duplicate.
Monitor: I spent more time researching this vital area than any other. In the end I learned a slew of information, and learned of the in-depth secrets that most monitor vedors will not share. (75% of the monitors have displays made by (LG Philips). What is the difference between TN, MVA, PVA, S-PVA, IPS, S-IPS? There IS a difference, and depending upon whether you are a gamer, a movie/video pro, a graphics pro, or a photography pro, they all have attributes that are better or worse than others. I found
this exhaustive thread to be my baseline for learning.
I ended up purchasing a
Dell 3007FWP-HC 30" monitor. It is a true IPS monitor and has other features (Pivot to portrait, card reader, and USB ports all built in.) IPS is best for photography, as the clarity and luminance does NOT chnge much at various angles. (My Samsung 226BW has to be watched dead on. At any other angle it distorts the image luminance. It is the low end TN-style monitor, but GREAT for gamers. Wrong for me.)
Education: I spent a day-long seminar learning Photoshop CS3 from reknowed industry expert
Scott Kelby. There were 1300 participants in the auditorium with (4) large screens. He went over a variety of methods and techniques that the top pros use to make images sizzle and workflow move quickly. It was the best $100 I have spent. I came back with his prepared workbook and it negated the need to take notes. Incredible delivery by the sharp-witted Kelby, who was just as willing to make fun of the obscure Adobe menus and naming of adjustments--as we all rolled our eyes in laughter and agreement.
Editing: Photoshop CS3 trial is now on my PC computer for the next 30 days....
Computer: In August I bought a Mac Tower Pro and the final CS3 upgrade will reside on this, as soon as I take the time to convert. It is not quite as easy as they want to make you believe (after all, Windows XP is easy if it doesn't crash. Don't get me going....
) I have many macro automations which would all need re-recording, so it's not as easy as just switching over.
My Canon EOS-5D camera has remained as good as I need. No upgrade there, till I go to a medium format someday.
And so, I have been managing my technology very closely. Now remains the most important aspect which is to keep my 'artistic' skill level abreast. That doesn't need any of the tools above and defines all of our work.
Any questions? I learned a lot!
Coop