CANON U.S.A. ANNOUNCES TWO NEW REALiS MULTIMEDIA LCOS PROJECTORS WITH NEW "PHOTO IMAGE MODE" FOR ADVANCED COLOR MANAGEMENT

Press Release

 

New Mode Allows Users To Have Greater Control Over The Look Of Projected Images.

CANON U.S.A. ANNOUNCES TWO NEW REALiS MULTIMEDIA LCOS PROJECTORS WITH NEW "PHOTO IMAGE MODE" FOR ADVANCED COLOR MANAGEMENT

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., October 6, 2009 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging, today announced the addition of two new projectors to its acclaimed line of REALiS Multimedia LCOS Projectors, the WUX10 Mark II and SX80 Mark II. These projectors include a new Photo Image Mode allowing for advanced color management and adjustments for ambient lighting conditions. This new mode is ideal for professionals with the most discerning image quality needs, including those in the fields of photography, education, engineering and the arts and sciences.

With the introduction of the Photo Image Mode, users can take advantage of added flexibility to improve the look and feel of images being projected. The new Ambient Light function allows users to adjust for lighting conditions by selecting from easy-to-use presets for both the type of lighting (Tungsten, Fluorescent and Fluorescent H) and intensity (Low, Medium or High). When selected, these options will automatically adjust the settings to ensure optimum color reproduction and image quality. In additon to adjusting for ambient lighting, the Photo Image Mode allows for fine-tuning of both color levels (intensity of colors) and color temperature. Similar to the ambient lighting, both of these adjustments can be made with easy-to-use presets. These new functions are ideal for users who are displaying content and cannot control the lighting conditions – such as educators speaking in classrooms or photographers showing their work in an art museum/gallery or at a seminar.
"The emergence of projectors used in the education and photography fields has grown considerably in the past few years," said Yuichi Ishizuka, senior vice president and general manager, Consumer Imaging Group, Canon U.S.A. "With the inclusion of the Photo Image Mode on these new products, users have added flexibility to fine-tune their projected images so they closely reflect how they were initially captured."
The new Canon REALiS WUX10 Mark II Multimedia Projector features an impressive WUXGA 1920 x 1200 native resolution (2.30 megapixels), 3200 lumens of brightness and 16:10 widescreen aspect ratio. This projector is the perfect solution for the increasing number of professional users displaying widescreen content as it supports 1080p full high-definition video (uncompressed) and offers a significantly larger display area than traditional XGA projectors. Similar to all other REALiS models, the WUX10 Mark II features advanced LCOS (Liquid Crystal on Silicon) technology, best known for producing smooth and grid-free images with fine details and exceptional color reproduction.
The new Canon REALiS SX80 Mark II Multimedia Projector is a high-resolution SXGA+ 1400 x 1050 (1.47 megapixels) model combining multiple user-friendly features, such as PictBridge connectivity, with easy installation and overall affordability. The SX80 Mark II also delivers 3000 lumens of brightness, a wide selection of video and audio inputs/outputs (HDMI and DVI included) and advanced LCOS technology. Whether in the corporate or education fields, this new projector provides the amazing quality and reliability users have come to expect from Canon's REALiS Multimedia Projector models.
Additional key features found on both new Multimedia Projectors include:

Genuine Canon 1.5x Powered Zoom/Focus Lens for increased resolution and suppression of lens aberrations

10:0 lens offset to reduce the need for tilting and/or keystone correction

RJ-45 Network Port and built-in network interface for centralized control and monitoring of multiple projector units (both projectors are also compatible with industry-standard controllers)
LCOS Technology
Realizing high levels of imaging performance, LCOS technology has garnered considerable attention within the industry. Compared with devices utilized in projectors employing different types of projection systems, LCOS panels facilitate the reproduction of exceptionally high-resolution images free of the "screen door effect," a visual distraction common to LCD projectors, in which a faint grid pattern appears over the projected image. In addition, Canon's proprietary AISYS (Aspectual Illumination System) Optical Engine further enhances the image quality by maximizing the performance of the LCOS panels and equalizing light from the projection lamp, delivering high brightness and deep contrast.
Availability and Warranty Information
The REALiS WUX10 Mark II Multimedia Projector has a suggested list price of $12,999 while the REALiS SX80 Mark II Multimedia has a suggested list price of $3,999. Both projectors are scheduled to be available in October, and are backed by Canon USA's Three-Year Limited Warranty and its exclusive Projector Protection Program ("Triple P"). Triple P is a FREE service program that provides a loaner projector of equal or greater value in the event that a qualifying unit is in need of repair. Triple P is available on all Canon projector models during the Three-Year Canon USA Limited Warranty period.^*
Free Lamp Offer
In conjunction with this announcement, Canon U.S.A. is also launching a Free Lamp Promotion which will run from October 1 – December 31, 2009. During this time, any qualifying end-user who purchases a new REALiS WUX10 Mark II, REALiS SX80 Mark II, REALiS SX80 or REALiS SX800 Multimedia Projector will receive a FREE lamp by mail – a $579 retail value. For more information about this promotion, including complete terms and conditions, please visit www.usa.canon.com/promotions.
For more information about our full-line of REALiS Multimedia LCOS Projectors, visit www.usa.canon.com/projectors.
About Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Canon U.S.A., Inc. is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions. Its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), a top patent holder of technology, ranked third overall in the U.S. in 2008†, with global revenues of US $45 billion, is listed as number four in the computer industry on Fortune Magazine's World's Most Admired Companies 2009 list, and is on the 2009 BusinessWeek list of "100 Best Global Brands." Canon U.S.A. is committed to the highest levels of customer satisfaction and loyalty, providing 100 percent U.S.-based consumer service and support for all of the products it distributes. At Canon, we care because caring is essential to living together in harmony. Founded upon a corporate philosophy of Kyosei – "all people, regardless of race, religion or culture, harmoniously living and working together into the future" – Canon U.S.A. supports a number of social, youth, educational and other programs, including environmental and recycling initiatives. Additional information about these programs can be found at www.usa.canon.com/kyosei. To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A., sign up for the Company's RSS news feed by visiting www.usa.canon.com/rss.

# # #

† Based on weekly patent counts issued by the United States Patent and Trademark Office
Availability, specifications and prices subject to change without notice. Actual prices are set by the individual dealer and may vary.
All referenced product names, and other marks, are trademarks of their respective owners.

Technorati Tags: Projectors,Canon

PANASONIC INTRODUCES ITS LATEST LUMIX G SERIES DIGITAL CAMERA – THE LUMIX DMC-GF1

The LUMIX GF1, the world’s smallest and lightest system digital camera with built-in flash*, packs powerful DSLR and HD video capabilities into a sleek and easy-to-use compact body

Secaucus, NJ (September 2, 2009) – Today, Panasonic announced the new LUMIX DMC-GF1, the latest addition to the award-winning LUMIX G Series, which debuts as the world’s smallest and lightest system digital camera with a built-in flash*. The LUMIX DMC-GF1 distinguishes itself from previous models with its elegant, compact design reminiscent of classic film cameras, yet builds on Panasonic’s success with the revolutionary LUMIX G Series of digital interchangeable lens system cameras based on the Micro Four Thirds system standard. With its compact size, user-friendly design and ability to record High Definition (HD) video and take professional-quality photos, the LUMIX GF1 continues to redefine digital photography standards.

“Panasonic changed the digital camera industry with the world’s first Micro Four Thirds digital camera, the LUMIX G1 – a compact “DSLR-like” digital camera that produces exceptional image quality. Then, as we continued to raise the innovation bar, Panasonic launched the LUMIX GH1, adding full High Definition 1080p video recording with continuous auto focus,” said David Briganti, Senior Product Manager, Imaging, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. “The new LUMIX GF1 continues the evolution and is the perfect addition to our LUMIX G Series, as its sophisticated, small body makes it easier and more convenient to carry. The GF1 is ideal for point-and-shoot consumers looking to step-up to DSLR-quality or for current DSLR users who want greater convenience without compromising performance quality or creative flexibility.”

With its lightweight body, the LUMIX GF1 provides experienced photographers with the ideal digital camera to carry with them at all times. Like its predecessors in the LUMIX G Series, the LUMIX GF1 eliminates the pentaprism found in traditional interchangeable lens cameras. Thus, this mirror-free structure allows Panasonic to dramatically reduce both size and weight.

Though small in size, the LUMIX GF1 does not compromise in advanced features. The LUMIX GF1 thoroughly optimizes the advantages of a system camera to ensure high performance, whether capturing photos or HD video. The LUMIX DMC-GF1 can record 1280 x 720 High Definition video in AVCHD Lite, a format that enables longer recording times. With a dedicated video record button, capturing video is convenient and easy. The LUMIX GF1 can also record HD Motion JPEG in 1280 x 720 and other video recording formats include: QVGA, VGA and WVGA. The LUMIX GF1 has a unique Movie Program Mode that allows consumers to adjust the depth-of-field while shooting in HD video, so background and foreground can be blurred to give creative effects – something typically only possible with expensive professional camcorders.

The LUMIX DMC-GF1 includes the new My Color mode, which includes seven preset effects – Expressive, Retro, Pure, Elegant, Monochrome, Dynamic Art, Silhouette and Custom – all which let users manually set the color, brightness and saturation levels. With the Live View function, users can see how these settings will effect the photo before they shoot, making it easier to capture the exact mood or atmosphere desired. For even more elaborate effects, users can choose from a total of nine Film modes, and set the contrast, sharpness and saturation levels for each. A custom function lets users store their favorite settings in memory. Furthermore, the exposure meter can be displayed in other shooting modes and the correlation between shutter speed and aperture is shown, with a color-coded warning that alerts users when the settings are not in the proper range.

For those users not quite comfortable with extensive manual and creative controls, the LUMIX GF1 provides a user-friendly setting that can address a beginner’s comfort level, while helping them evolve their photography skills. For instance, Panasonic’s new Scene mode, Peripheral Defocus, lets users take a photo where the foreground is in focus and background is blurred – or vice versa. This popular effect can be intimidating for a beginner, but in the Peripheral Defocus mode, by simply selecting the objects to be blurred and focused using the camera’s keypad, it is simple for photographers of any level.

Also, helping to make the LUMIX GF1 more approachable, Panasonic’s popular iA (Intelligent Auto) mode, a system of technologies that engage automatically – no setting changes needed – allows for intuitive use when shooting still or video images. While shooting video, iA activates Panasonic’s O.I.S. (Optical Image Stabilization), which helps reduce video-blurring due to handshake. In addition, Face Detection automatically detects a face in the frame and adjusts focus, exposure, contrast, and skin complexion on it so it always turns out beautifully. Intelligent Exposure continually checks the ambient light level and adjusts the exposure setting as conditions change to prevent blown highlights and blocked shadows. For still photos, the iA system encompasses: Face Recognition (up to six faces can be registered); Auto Focus (AF) Tracking; Mega O.I.S.; Intelligent ISO; Intelligent Exposure; and Intelligent Scene Selector.

The LUMIX GF1 also comes fully-equipped with a built-in flash and a large, 3.0-inch Intelligent LCD with a wide viewing angle and a 460,000-dot resolution. The Intelligent LCD offers automatic backlight control, which when combined with its high-resolution, helps improve visibility in all light environments – from sunny outdoors to low-light interior settings. New for the LUMIX G Series, the LUMIX GF1 is compatible with an optional Live View Finder (DMW-LVF1), which provides the full-time live view function boasting 100% field of view regardless of the attached lens. To further expand the LUMIX G Series system, Panasonic Micro Four Thirds digital cameras can be used with Four Thirds System interchangeable lenses via an optional mount adaptor DMW-MA1 and with the prestigious Leica M/R lenses using Panasonic’s DMW-MA2M DMW-MA3R. These adapters give the user access to the unlimited number of lens properties.

The LUMIX GF1’s sensor technology offers the best of both worlds - the superior image quality of a CCD sensor, and the low-power consumption of a CMOS sensor. Advanced technology makes it possible to read four channels of data simultaneously, helping the LUMIX GF1 deliver 60 frames-per-second full-time Live View images, while maintaining fine detail and rich gradation. The LUMIX GF1’s Venus Engine HD records stunning high-resolution 12-megapixel images using its advanced Live MOS Sensor. This sophisticated LSI circuit separates chromatic noise from luminance noise and applies the optimal noise reduction to each, helping to capture clear and beautiful images even when shooting at high ISO levels.

The contrast AF system adopted in the LUMIX GF1 is not only accurate, but also very quick – approximately 0.3 seconds with the LUMIX G H-FS014045 lens. Users can choose from a wide-range of AF modes, including multiple-area AF with up to 23 focus areas; 1-area AF with a selectable focus area; Face Detection; and AF Tracking. The LUMIX GF1 also has a Quick AF function that begins focusing as soon as the user aims the camera - without pressing the shutter button halfway.

As with all Panasonic LUMIX G Series digital cameras, the LUMIX GF1 is equipped with a highly-effective Dust Reduction system. Thus, if dust gets inside the camera (when changing lenses), Panasonic’s Dust Reduction system addresses this problem by placing a supersonic wave filter in front of the Live MOS sensor which vertically vibrates around 50,000 times per second, thus repelling the dust.

The content captured on the LUMIX GF1 can easily be viewed on a Panasonic VIERA® HDTV by simply inserting the SD/SDCH Memory Card into the VIERA’s SD/SDHC Memory Card slot or into a Panasonic DIGA Blu-ray Disc Player. Alternatively, an optional mini HDMI cable can be used to output still and motion images recorded with the LUMIX DMC-GF1 directly to the TV for easy VIERA Link™ operation, with control of playback functions, such as slideshows, managed from the VIERA HDTV’s remote control.

The Panasonic LUMIX DMC-GF1 will be available in early October 2009 with the option of two kits – both with a suggested retail price (SRP) of $899.95. One kit option includes the newly-announced LUMIX G 20mm/F1.7 ASPH, a compact and lightweight “pancake” lens, while the other kit features the LUMIX G VARIO 14-45mm/F3.5-5.6 ASPH/MEGA O.I.S. The optional Live View Finder DMW-LVF1 has an SRP of $199.95; while the DMW-MA2M and DMW-MA3R both have an SRP of $249.95. All new accessories will also be available in early October.

For more information about Panasonic and its LUMIX G System cameras and accessories, please visit www.panasonic.com/lumix.

*As as of September 2, 2009

•Panasonic in-house comparison. The speed may vary depending on the specifications of PC and the number of images stored in the PC and other condition.

•AVCHD Lite motion images recorded onto an SD Memory Card or a DVD cannot be played on a device that does not support the AVCHD standard.

•Some video recording functions may not be available depending on the lens that is mounted.

•When setting quality to HD, WVGA or VGA, Panasonic recommends using a high-speed card with "10MB/s" or greater displayed on the package.

•Continuous recording exceeding 2GB is not possible when recording motion JPEG. Remaining time for continuous recording is displayed on the screen.

•AVCHD Lite motion images recorded onto an SD Memory Card or a DVD disc cannot be played from a device that does not support the AVCHD standard.

•Turn Face Recognition item ON and register the person with full-face portrait on the shooting menu in advance. Refer to back page for detail.

•Some functions in iA mode may not be available depending on the lens that is mounted.

• Lenses that are not compatible with the contrast AF function can be used with manual focusing.

•There are some limitations to other functions depending on the lens to attach.

About Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company

Based in Secaucus, N.J., Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company is a Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America, the principal North American subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation. (NYSE: PC) and the hub of Panasonic's U.S. marketing, sales, service and R&D operations. In its commitment to provide consumers with extensive imaging resources, Panasonic LUMIX established the Digital Photo Academy, a series of nationwide workshops designed to instruct consumers how to optimize the features on their digital cameras and produce high-quality photos. Panasonic is honored to support OUR PLACE – The World’s Heritage, a project that will create the world’s largest photographic collection of UNESCO World Heritage sites, with acclaimed photographers exclusively using LUMIX digital cameras to capture all images.

Technorati Tags: Panasonic,Lumix,Camera,Digital

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF1 12.1MP Micro Four-Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera

Product Review: Intuos4 From Wacom

Written by T. Michael Testi

 

If you use a product like Adobe Photoshop, or Corel Painter, and you are not using a pen tablet, then you don't really understand what you are missing. A pen tablet allows you much more control than you can get with a mouse. It gives you much more efficiency in movement and the pressure sensitivity gives you the same kind of control that you would get from a pen, pencil, or paint brush.

The Intuos4 consists of a digitized pad that plugs in to the USB port on your computer. Your computer then treats the device as though it were a mouse. Through the use of a product like Photoshop or Painter that can take advantage of the rich technology that the pad enables, such that when you use the pen, you can apply more or less pressure which translates to various thicknesses and more or less affect on your image.

There was a time when the pen tablet was geared just for the commercial artist. They were expensive and the limited amount of software that was enabled to use the device was also geared toward the professional. Then came the Intuous3 which, while having a reasonable pricing structure, also seemed to work with more products, and now had traditional artists as well as photographers getting in on this technology.

Now enter the Intuos4 line of pen tablets. Not only has the price remained reasonable, there are now four sizes to choose from, and the quality of the product has improved dramatically. The total shape and surface have been completely re-engineered to give you more consistent strokes over longer periods of time.

I have worked with the Intuos3 (the 6 x 8 inch) for a number of years and it has become a mainstay in my workflow. Early on, that workflow was primarily photography where it has helped me with things like dodge, burn, sharpen, and blur effects as well as other techniques enormously. Over the course of the last couple of years, I have added Painter to my arsenal and would be hard pressed not having a Wacom tablet. The control is just phenomenal.

In the new Intuos4 line the tablet sizes are small (3.9 x 6.2), medium (5.5 x 8.8), large (8 x 12.8), and extra large (12 x 18.2). The one I now have is the medium and it is roughly the same size as my Intuos3. It is a tad bit smaller on the overall area, but as I realized with the longer width and smaller height is that it works better with my widescreen monitor.

What do you need to run the Wacom Intuos4?

• Windows XP (SP2), Windows Vista, or Mac OS X10.4.8+
• Color Display
• Powered USB Port
• CD/DVD Drive
• Internet connection to download the bundled software that comes with the tablet

What do you get with the Wacom Intuos4?
• The Intuos4 tablet
• The Intuos4 Grip Pen
• The Intuos4 Mouse
• Pen stand
• Ten replacement nibs (five standard, one flex, one stroke, and three hard felt nibs)
• Nib extractor
• 5' USB cable
• Quick Start Guide
• Installation CD (includes tablet driver software and electronic user manual)

OK. This stuff is all cool, but what about the tablet? Well let's start off at the beginning. While it does not bring anything to the table from a quality of the tablet standpoint, it does show me that they are taking everything into consideration, and that is the very well designed packaging. From first look, you just know that there is something special in the box.

Opening the box you have the re-stylized tablet itself. Its black appearance is much sleeker than the previous grey look. The eight programming ExpressKeys are grouped on one side and they are highlighted with illuminated labels that light up in blue and really make it stylish. The pen holder is a little taller, and the pen itself is much sleeker.

Installing the software is a snap. Pop in the disk and follow instructions. You do want to wait till prompted before you plug the tablet in. One of the new things about this tablet is the fact that, unlike the Intuos3, the keys are set on one side and in the middle. There are two USB ports on the unit and you can switch which one based on if you are right-handed or left-handed. Again, well thought out.

So what is new with the Wacom Intuos4?

New tip sensor now gives you ultra control. The Intuos4 now gives you the ability to capture the slightest nuances of pen pressure right down to a single gram of weight.

Twice as much pressure as the Intuos3. The Intuos4 now gives you 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity. This will let you dynamically adjust the exposure, brush size, line weight, and opacity.

More natural feel has been given to the Intuos4 pen style. It features a more contoured barrel which is designed to maximize your grip. It will even reduce the stress to your hand and wrist as well as better emulating your favorite writing, drawing, or painting instrument.

More efficient shortcuts have been implemented by the use of the ExpressKeys. These will give you the ability to activate your own unique shortcuts and modifiers in each of your applications. You can even see your settings change in the illuminated display areas when you switch between applications.

New Touch Ring will give you better control for zooming, scrolling, changing brush size, rotating the canvas, or layer selection. The toggle button in the center allows you to control up to four different functions in each application.

User-defined switches that are located on the pen are preset to right-click and double-click, but you can change them to be what you want based on your most commonly used functions.

Slimmer profile is more comfortable than the Intuos3. It has a more gently sloping feel and an "easy glide" palm rest that provides for more support while working on all areas of the tablet.

Pen tip storage is now in the pen stand. Remember when I said that the pen holder is taller? It is taller so that you can store pen nibs in it. Just twist it off and you will see the ten replacement nibs. In the center is also a small ring that you pull out and it can be used for extracting nibs that wear out from excessive pressure.

Visual references are available on the Intuos4 medium, large, and extra large tablets. The illuminated displays provide a visual reference to each key's function. On the small tablet, pressing the default ExpressKey will display the setting to the screen.

Additional Software is available when you register. You get Nik Color Efex Pro 3 Wacom Edition 6 which are a set of photographic filters for the use in digital photography and transforming your images. You get Wacom Brushes 3.0 which are additional brushes for your use in Photoshop and Photoshop Elements. And you get to pick two out of these three products: Photoshop Elements 7 for Windows or Photoshop Elements 6 for Mac, Autodesk SketchBook Express 2010, or Corel Painter Sketch Pad.

Reversible table makes much more sense than two sets of buttons on each side. Now you can maximize your productivity of both of your hands by having everything on the side that you would use it most on.

The mouse is not really new, but not something that I use much. Along with the pen, there is also a mouse that comes with the Intuos4. Like the pen and tablet, the mouse too is black. For those who use the tablet 24/7, the mouse is there to replace your mouse so you can keep your tablet on your desk the whole time.

The more I work with the Wacom Intuos4, the more I appreciate the 16:9 aspect ratio. I am not sure how this will affect someone with monitor that has a 4:3 aspect ratio, but I think that this can be rectified by limiting the area within the configuration setup.

While it will take some time to really get use to, I do like the ExpressKeys. The reason I say this is that with the Intuos3, the keys were different shapes and different directions. Here they are all the same size and right next to each other and it is easy to think that you are hitting one when you are hitting the one next to it. Not a big deal, just a bit of retraining.

Another great innovation is the Touch Ring. With the old tablet, you had the Touch Strip, but you could only assign it one function. Now the new Touch Ring can support four functions. And switching is all with the press of the central button. The Ring functions much like the ring on an iPod.

The Pen, which is black like the tablet, is also much improved. I liked the old pen really well, but the new one is just so much better. The grip is rubberized and it is so much more comfortable than before. It really feels like you are holding a natural pen. The enhanced sensitivity really gives you the feel of control. The pen stand is also outstanding in its design and use ability.

The tablet itself is a big improvement. The surface has a better feel to it. It is almost like you are drawing on paper or canvas. The ergonomic design is more comfortable than drawing on a paper tablet, but without losing feel.

My only real complaints beyond the closely spaced ExpressKeys are that the black styling is a finger print magnet and a dust collector. It is to a lesser degree the same with the pen.

That said, if you are considering a graphics pen tablet, and are still on the fence, then let me give you a little push. For the price, the Wacom Intuos4 Medium is really a good deal. One thing to keep in mind that from the stand point of size, the medium is probably the largest that most people will need. It takes up a good bit of desk space, but is balanced with the size of the new monitors.

I had my last one for over four years and it has served me well. Once you get accustomed to using the pen tool, you will wonder how you could have survived without it. It is for that reason that I very highly recommend the Wacom Intuos4 Medium Tablet.

Technorati Tags: Wacom,Tablet,Painter,Photoshop

Book Review - Digital Painting In Photoshop By Susan Ruddick Bloom

Written by T. Michael Testi

Most people tend to think of Adobe Photoshop as a program to edit and enhance photographs or make Web graphics, but there is a whole other side to Photoshop that can bring out your inner artist. Whether it is the pigments of the cave dwellers, the materials of the Renaissance, or the pixels of the digital artists humans have felt a need to express themselves through painting.

The goal of Digital Painting in Photoshop is to offer you techniques for working in the new world of digital painting. You will learn how to push pixels instead of pigment. Your monitor will be your canvas. And when all said and done, a printer will apply the pigments. Digital Painting in Photoshop is 248 pages divided into 8 chapters.

Chapter 1, "Introduction to the Concept of Digital Painting," begins by giving a brief overview of painting and its relationship to technology. This is a short chapter wherein the author describes workflow, techniques, and a general outline of the rest of the book.

Chapter 2, "The Basic Tools for Painting in Photoshop," examines the tools that Photoshop gives you for digital painting, most notably its brushes. After examining the brushes that are available, will see how you can make your own brushes, how to work with texture libraries, patterns, and how to apply a pattern texture. This is a detailed chapter and gives you an arsenal to use in the rest of the book.

Chapter 3, "Charcoal Drawings in Photoshop," starts off with a history of the use of charcoal to create drawings. You learn about the traditional materials, and how they are created. Then you will see the techniques used to create charcoal drawings. Finally you look at specific techniques for portraits, landscapes, and a conte brownish-red look.

Chapter 4, "Pastel Drawing in Photoshop," examines the techniques associated with artists like Degas. In this chapter you start off by looking at what constitutes pastel drawings and some of the techniques that are used. Next you will see how to create a pastel brush, look at some issues for when you want to print pastels, and look at some examples of the pastel style.

Chapter 5, "Painting with Watercolors in Photoshop," now turns our attention to replicating watercolor techniques and an overview of the medium. In this chapter you look at a landscape scene and work with the techniques for rendering the image. You will see how to use the appropriate brushes, how to use Pattern Stamp tool and working with a simple two-layer watercolor technique.

Chapter 6, "Painting with Oil Paints in Photoshop," begins with a brief history of oil painting. It then moves to working with an Impasto Technique to recreate the painting that is used on the cover of this book. Next you will work with a Bevel and Emboss Layer style of oil painting. Again you will examine printing considerations with regard to oil painting.

Chapter 7, "Illustration Techniques in Photoshop," now looks at techniques that might be used for illustrative purposes within Photoshop. These include stylization, Faux HDR, pen and ink mixed with aquatinting, a soft focus effect, and a cut out effect.

Chapter 8, "Effects Using Third-Party Software as Photoshop Plug-ins," finally examines some plug-ins for Photoshop that can be used to enhance colors, contrast, and mood. These include Nik Color Efex Pro, Ailen Skin's Snap Art, and Ben Vista's PhotoArtist 2.

Overall, I liked Digital Painting in Photoshop. While I am not much into pastels and charcoal, I realize that since this is an overview book it is meant to expose you to all of the different styles. While it does not go into depth on any given style, it does give you a solid introduction to of them all.

If I had one problem with the book it is that in the second chapter, the author prints out images of all of the brushes as a reference. My thinking is that this should have been located in an appendix with only specific brush information located in the immediate chapter.

Digital Painting in Photoshop is well thought out, well explained, and provides a good look at how digital painting can be accomplished from within Photoshop. If you are familiar with Photoshop, and are willing to explore and experiment, then this book will provide a good foundation into the realm of digital painting and I therefore recommend this book.

 

Technorati Tags: Photoshop,Painting,Art,Adobe

Book Review: Better Available Light Digital Photography - Second Edition By Joe Farace & Barry Staver

Written by T. Michael Testi

Have you ever tried to take photographs when the light was dim and the only thing that you seem to capture was a blur? If you have tried to photograph indoor events like weddings, graduations, holiday lights, or even outdoor events at dusk or later,then you have probably found it to be a difficult experience to capture what you actually saw.

Better Available Light Digital Photography was written to help you understand the many different lighting challenges that you may encounter when shooting in low light conditions. It will attempt to provide you with answers to questions about overcoming these shooting problems, and leave you better armed the next time that you are in a low light situation. Better Available Light Digital Photography is 240 pages in length and divided into 8 chapters.

Chapter 1, "What is Available Light?" begins with a description of what is called, "The Golden Hour." This is the time when the available light outside is truly extraordinary and, for a few minutes, can provide the difference between a photograph and a snapshot. In this chapter you will get a brief overview of the different types of lighting situations and how to understand the problems that exist.

Chapter 2, "Basic Exposure," is more important to digital than it is for color negative film, according to the authors, and so you really need to understand how to get a correct exposure if you want to capture the image you see. In this chapter you will look at images and learn to understand the complexities that you will need to work with while dealing with limited light. You will also look at the camera histogram and how to understand what it means as well as what high dynamic range photography entails.

Chapter 3, "Digital Noise: What it is and How to Deal With It," looks at an effect in your digital images what is the equivalent of grain on traditional film, and that is noise. In this chapter you will explore what noise is, where it comes from, and what you can do to reduce or eliminated it.

Chapter 4, "White Balance Techniques," examines the fact that light is different colors and that can affect the look of your images. These colors com from the different temperatures of light and those can give funny casts to your images. In this chapter you will learn how you can compensate for these casts which can make your images come out closer to what you imagined when you shot them.

Chapter 5, "Fast Lenses," are able to capture more light and therefore are better for low light shooting. The problem is, is that this fast glass also costs much more than a slower lens. Here you will look at the difference between zooms and prime lenses, image stabilization, and other lens features that will have you capturing better images in lower light situations.

Chapter 6, "Tripods and Other Camera Supports," can allow you to slow down the shutter speed, giving you the ability to let in more light without the nasty blur you would get if you were just holding the camera. Here you will look at tripods, monopods, heads, and alternate supports to keep your camera steady and the image clear.

Chapter 7, "Available Light Photography at Weddings," begins with examples of how traditional photographs were taken at weddings in the past and compares it to the new techniques of wedding photography. There has been a lot of change with the inception of the digital camera and this chapter examines what it might take to shoot a wedding from beginning through reception.

Chapter 8, "RAW-Image-File Capture," looks at what the advantages of working with RAW files over other formats by starting with what the difference between a RAW file and JPEG's, Here you will see the what the pro's and con's are and give you information on why you would want to use one over the other. There is also a discussion on what Adobe's digital negatives (DNG) are and where they fit into the equation of file formats.

While I don’t think that it goes deep enough for someone who is experienced in the fundamentals of available light shooting, I do think that Better Available Light Digital Photography is a good book for someone who is just getting into shooting in low light situations. would provide a good resource for someone coming from film and trying to learn the nuances of the digital medium with regard to available light as well.
Better Available Light Digital Photography contains many pictorial examples that are well documented with information and specifics of how the shot was captured. It provides a solid foundation in the relationship of low light shooting with a digital camera and lots of tidbits of practical information. If you are new to low light shooting and want to learn to shoot in available light then you should check out Better Available Light Digital Photography.

 

 

Technorati Tags: Photography,Low Light

Book Review: Real World Adobe Photoshop CS4 by Conrad Chavez And David Blatner

Written by T. Michael Testi

 

Real World Adobe Photoshop CS4 is subtitled "Industrial Strength Production Techniques" because that is really what the focus of this book is - how to move images through Photoshop. But this book is not just about Photoshop, it is also about photography and images and translating your own understanding of images into the digital world of Photoshop.

Real World Adobe Photoshop CS4 knows that when you are in a crunch, you have to have an instinctive, intuitive feel for what is going on in Photoshop to finesse it to your needs. Because of this there is a lot of conceptual discussion that goes on in this book. The goal then becomes how to take what you already know and incorporate it with new tools that will give you the ability to push Photoshop to the limit.

This new edition has been completely gone through, tightened up and updated to take on the new features of Adobe Photoshop CS4 including the Masks panel, Modeless Color Correction, Adobe Camera Raw 5, and much, much more. Real World Adobe Photoshop CS4 is contained in 448 pages divided into 12 chapters.

Chapter 1, "Building a Photoshop System," will show you what you need to build a quality Photoshop system. Mac or PC is not as important as having enough power to do the kind of work you need done. Chapter 2, "Image Essentials," reminds us that computers do not understand about images, tone, color, or any of those other things that we view as important about images. While you won't have to understand binary math to work with Photoshop, it does help to understand how Photoshop thinks.

Chapter 3, "Color Essentials," examines the different ways that different people thing about what makes a color. Regardless of if it is RGB, CMYK, Lab, or some other variation, this chapter looks at the fundamental color relationships and how Photoshop presents them. Chapter 4, "Color Settings," constitutes the heart of this book. While the authors consider every topic to be important, they feel that unless you understand how Photoshop handles color behind the scenes, you will never achieve the quality of image that you should be able to get.

Chapter 5, "Building a Digital Workflow," explores what it takes to build a true digital workflow that allows you to make quick work of your digital images. Because taking digital images is so cheap, you soon find you have so many more images which mean that there are many more images to handle. This chapter is all about getting through Adobe Camera Raw as quickly as possible. Chapter 6, "Essential Photoshop Tips and Tricks," continues the work in chapter 5 in that the biggest boost to your productivity is to accelerate it with the tips and trick found here. As a sideline, included here are a couple of Easter eggs included in Photoshop including one honoring the late Bruce Frasier, one of the authors of this book.

Chapter 7, "Image Adjustment Fundamentals," is about tonal manipulation, the adjusting of the lightness or darkness of your images. This is what makes the difference between a flat image and one that pops out and draws you into it. Chapter 8, "The Digital Darkroom," will show you how to get the most out of adjustment layers to make your adjustments instead of burning pixels. By using these techniques, you will be allowed to experiment more with little or no degradation and maximum flexibility.

Chapter 9, "Making Selections," is as important when silhouetting and compositing images as it is when making nondestructive tonal corrections, color corrections, sharpening, and retouching. But to do this you also have to become comfortable working with masks and channels. Chapter 10, "Sharpness, Detail, and Noise Reduction," points out that for us to have a lifelike image it must have sharp edge definition. No matter what quality there is to your scanner or digital camera, you will loose some definition and hence loose sharpness. Here are some techniques to bring that sharpness back.

Chapter 11, "Essential Image Techniques," is a chapter that gives a lot of techniques that allow your images to soar. This is basically a potpourri of tips and tricks that will not only make your images better, but speed up processing as well. Chapter 12, "Image Storage and Output," provides methods of output for those professional images that you are now creating for both printed as well as online destinations.

Real World Adobe Photoshop CS3 is well thought out and well executed. It is definitely a must-own for anyone who wants to get to the nuts and bolts of working with Photoshop. There are hundreds of tips that can be found in the densely filled pages. So much so, that I don't think that there is anything else that comes close to providing this much detail in a book on Photoshop.

Real World Adobe Photoshop CS4 is not going to be for everyone, but if you have a reasonable knowledge of how Photoshop works and you want to learn how to be more productive, have a better understanding of why it does what it does so that you can control the results that you get, then this is an essential book and I highly recommend it.

 

 

Technorati Tags: Photoshop,CS4,Photography

Software Review: Kubota AutoAlbum V3 From Kubota Image Tools

 

One of the hotter trends in wedding albums is what is called the magazine style. It is a digital photo album that is flush mount and is constructed of a hard bound cover and ridged pages. The flush mount album doesn’t have matted pages and is much like a cross between a traditional wedding album and a coffee table book.

Kubota AutoAlbum V3 is a software program that assists you in creating a magazine style album easily and elegantly. The product consists of software and a layout book. The software contains over 500 different layouts and the Kubota Dashboard for interfacing with the product and automating the process of creating your pages. The layout book gives examples of the layouts.

The program is pretty simple and easy to use. You first activate the Kubota Dashboard for the AutoAlbum. This brings up the selector tools. As you can see in the image you are given a selection of formats.

You have square pages which are created as 10"x10" and can be resized anywhere from 5"x5" to 12"x12". You have square panoramas that are created as 10"x20" and can be resized from 5"x10" to 12"x24". Finally you have 11"x14" rectangle pages.

To get an idea of what the finished pages will look like you can look into the book that contains the page designs. You can also look on the dashboard at each of the codes and as you highlight a code, the layout is displayed in the dashboard as well. The one that I have highlighted is 2010-H0V4RV which translates to 0 horizontal images, 4 vertical images and the template is a rectangle format and vertical in position.

Now before you begin your album, the images need to be prepared properly in Photoshop. They should be color corrected, any retouching or enhancing should be complete as well as any sharpening done.

You then need to take you finished images and make sure that you have a copy because the Kubota AutoAlbum will place each image as a Smart Object on the page and therefore it still remains editable in the page layout.

Once you select your layout and click apply, you will then be prompted to select the images for the page one at a time. In the page illustrated here, the three small images were selected and then the lager one. When the larger one was selected, I was prompted to crop the image for it to fit below the smaller ones. Once done, you are prompted to save it as a .PSD file.

It really was that simple. There is a link to see what some of the page layouts look like on the Kubota site, and although it is for version two, it does give an idea of what you can accomplish with Kubota AutoAlbum V3. It sells for $399 and can be purchased at the Kubota Store.

If you are a professional photographer, especially one who does weddings, portraits, or graduations, you really owe it to yourself to check into the Kubota AutoAlbum, or any of the Kubota products for the photographer. They will allow you to get the maximum productivity with the least amount of effort. I think that the Kubota AutoAlbum will pay for itself in time savings and customer satisfaction over and over again. I highly recommend this product.

 

Technorati Tags: Photoshop,Photography,Plug-in,Kubota

Technorati Tags: Kubota,Photoshop,Plug-in

Software Review: Kubota Pro Pak - Part 1 From Kubota Image Tools

The Kubota Pro Pak is a bundled package of products that contains six of the most popular tools from Kevin Kubota's professional image enhancing tools for Adobe Photoshop. This package includes the four Artistic Series of actions, his Production Tools, as well as his Formula Book which contains 42 separate recipes to get just the look you want.

Who is Kevin Kubota and what makes his actions so special? Well first off he was named one of the top ten wedding photographers of 2007 by Popular Photography Magazine for giving his customers more than they expect by capturing fresh, expressive images. He has now taken that philosophy to Photoshop processing by providing the same techniques to you via his image tools.

Today I will look at the four actions sets known as the Artistic Tools. In case you are not familiar, a Photoshop action is an automated series of steps that have been recorded to provide an effect or series of effects. Some of these actions are totally automated, while others have stopping points that request you to perform some action, usually to paint in where you want some sharpening to occur. In all cases there is a pop-up window that tells you what you need to do.

Artistic Tools Vol. One: The "Classic Film Effects" Pak
In this pak you will find a variety of Black & White Actions, organic film grain, cross-processing effects, sepia effects, and monochrome toning. This set contains over 40 Actions and it includes Skin Cream, Fuji Snappit, Vignette, as well as Eye and Teeth Enhancer.

The black and white effects include conversions that give nice film grain effects without introducing digital noise. In this way they look much more organic and have a better feel. There is not a loss of sharpness and in fact many times the sharpness appears enhanced. There are actions that smooth skin, add glow to the image, add a Hollywood effect, as well as other creative effects for a vignette, giving a romantic feel, and adding vibrancy to the image.

There are color actions that can add a bright sunny effect, a cross processed look, and a contrasty Fugi Velvia film look. There are also image correction actions that raise the shadow values, lower contrasts and saturations, adding warming gel filters to add mood to an image, as well as a mid-tone brightener. There are even actions that will attempt to fix images shot with the wrong white balance. There are examples of "Classic Film Effects" Pak on the Kubota Image Site.

Artistic Tools Vol. Two: The "Modern Chic" Pak
This pak includes what has been known as Lord of the Rings series and is one of the most popular of the Kubota Actions and is what helped make it a HOT ONE award winner. Also it also contains enhancements that give your images color pop, colorful toning, soft glowing and innovative black and white effects. This pak contains over 50 enhancements including Daily Multi Vitamin, Radiant People, Radiance Landscape, Edge Burner, Digital Fill Flash and Smokeless Burn.

These actions under Black and White will give you the ability to work with a modern antique look that will have the user wondering if it is really black and white or color. There are some that will tone your black and white to blue, green, red, and other tones as well as ones to create a more traditional black and white image.

The color effects will help you add 'Life' to everyday images. The Lord of the Rings series aims to mimic the deep, romantic feel of the movie by adding color richness, a soft glowing effect, and contrast. There are several variations on this one.

The Creative effects include one that gives a painterly effect, another with a canvas texture, one that gives an angel glow, one that burns the edges, and one that performs an edge blur. The Image corrections include one to eliminate posterization problems, one that adds digital fill flash, a smokeless burn that works just the opposite of flash fill, one to work details, one to reduce noise, and one that works skin tones.

There are also a set of image bordering actions that will create 4x6 images with borders for printing proofs. There are examples of "Modern Chic" Pak on the Kubota Image Site.

Artistic Tools Vol. Three: The "High Fashion-Edgy" Pak
In this pak while there are a lot of enhancement tools that can be used to work on "everyday" images, you will also find a series funky high fashion looks, glowing and deeply romantic black and white effects, and color styles. This pak contains over 45 enhancements, including Fashion Passion, Kiyoko Punch, Tea Stained, Anime Soft, Anime Bold, Doll Face, Skin Powder Genie and Eye Color Enhancer.

The black and white actions include ones that lighten up the skin tones, add rich warmth to the shadows, have some bronze toning and combine velveteen with a black satin look.

Color effects include a Hollywood glow effect is works for fashion and outdoor scenes, a cross processed look that has more pleasing skin tones than the traditional, a dramatic old world look, a high key contrast that is bold and sassy, a tea-stained look, and a 'Look' that is gentle enough to use every day, but has the punch to make your images pop.

Creative effects include a glow that is made for children, graduates, and fashion images, a look that emulates half photo, half painting, a rich and moody forest look, a soft wash, and a wash-out look. The image corrections include a dark line eraser to remove things like shadows from eyes, an eye color enhancer, a skin powder genie to get that cover girl smoothness, as well as an overall helper to restore detail on a slightly overexposed image.

Again there are also a set of new image bordering actions that will create 4x6 images with borders for printing proofs. There are examples of "High Fashion-Edgy" Pak on the Kubota Image Site.

Artistic Tools Vol. Four: The "Cutting-Edge" Pak
This is a collection of modern image enhancing tools for producing unique looks in the marketplace. There is a three-dimensional "Enter the Dragon" all the way to a cinematic "300-esque." Also, there are new interactive B&W converters for the attempting the perfect tonal blend and richness within your images. This pak contains over 50 enhancements, including BW Full Moon, Highlight Enhancer, Dark Darkener, Popsickle, Punch Drunk, China Doll, Comic Relief, Vignette 2 Auto and Ragged Edges.

The black and white effects include ones with an infrared feel, one with deep blacks, one that allows you to fine tune the tonality of different colors before conversion, one gives a more edgy bold look, and one that you can give a subtle hint of color.

The color effects include "Enter the Dragon" series that gives a three-dimensional, edgy, bold look with lots of texture; one that is more soft and romantic; one that enhances details and removes haziness from your image; the "300-esque" series that attempts to capture the movie's warm perpetual sunset and soft film grain look; and there is one that gives an old London town look.

The image corrections include a contrast brush to paint contrast into areas that need that oomph, highlight rescue where you paint to bring out the highlights that are not there, a Dark Darkener for painting on areas that need to be darker, and a Luminizer for opening up the shadows.

In this pack you also get a series of edges and vignettes for darkening edges and bringing out the focus of your image. There are examples of "Cutting-Edge" Pak on the Kubota Image Site.

Obviously there are too many actions to do more than highlight what each pak contains here. You can get online to evaluate everything for yourself, but with the fact that you have over 40 actions per pak and you can combine them with each other, using multiple actions to create different looks, you really have a limitless array of effects that you can create.

The biggest problem I see with having all of these effects is knowing what to use and when to use it. Obviously, the final results will come from experimentation and trial and error. One thing that helps is that the samples from the Kubota site are a great starting point. It appears that there will eventually be tutorials as well, which will be even better. In part two, along with looking at the Production Tools, I will look at the Kubota Formula Book that gives you 42 step-by-step recipes for getting that certain look and, to me, that is something else that will help the learning curve tremendously as well.

If you are a professional photographer, especially one who does weddings, portraits, or graduations, you really owe it to yourself to check into the Kubota Pro Pak, or any of the Kubota products for the photographer. They will allow you to get the maximum productivity with the least amount of effort. Even if you only use a small portion of the effects, they will pay for themselves in time savings and customer satisfaction over and over again. I highly recommend this product.

 

Technorati Tags: Kubota,Photoshop,Plug-in

Book Review: The Photoshop Lightroom Workbook - Workflow Not Workslow in Lightroom 2 by Seth Resnick And Jamie Spritzer

As co-founders of the photography training and consultancy company D-65, the authors Seth Resnick and Jamie Spritzer understand the importance in the use of Adobe Lightroom 2, and especially in how to manage its workflow. In The Photoshop Lightroom Workbook, they will attempt to present a well tested workflow that photographers can implement exactly as they do at D-65.

What's more is that in The Photoshop Lightroom Workbook the workflow can be adapted to a specific photographers job requirements, or changed on a job by job basis. As being alpha testers of the product, they have worked with the product for a long time and through insider knowledge, tips, and tricks they plan to take you from before you shoot to out to output in an effective and efficient manner.

Chapter one, "Before You Shoot," begins by examining the importance some of the key elements that you need to consider before shooting digital. In this section you will look at memory cards, ISO, white balance, using a color checker, working with histograms, filters, and other important concepts in the digital world.

Chapter two, "Understanding File Formats," looks in to the various file formats that can be used while shooting digital and what some of the pros and cons of each are. Chapter three, "Color Space for Digital" digs down into the four main color spaces that you can work with when dealing with digital; sRGB, Adobe98, ColorMatch, and ProPhoto. Here you will examine why you would or would not want to use each one of them.

Chapter four, "The Lightroom Catalog," now explains the catalog system. One of the main reasons you would want to use Lightroom is for its powerful cataloging and file management system. Chapter five, "Lightroom's Preferences," calls into question the viability of default preferences. Here you will see what the D-65 group uses.

Chapter six, "Lightroom's Architecture," defines how, while Lightroom is an application, it is modular by nature, and how this makes it not only more flexible, but will make it more expandable in the future. Chapter seven, "The Lightroom Library Module," describes the main asset management module and how it can be used to catalog and manage your assets as well as doing some quick corrections.

Chapter eight, "The Develop Module," contains all of the controls that you need to adjust images. In this chapter you will see why D-65 calls this their "tweaking command central" and how you can use it to edit your images nondestructively. Chapter nine, "Global Corrections and Synchronizing Develop Settings," now takes development further by showing you how to apply the changes learned in the previous chapter to your images either individually or in groups.

Chapter 10, "The Slideshow Module," examines that how now that you have adjusted your images, you can put them into a slideshow presentation as a method to deliver to your clients, family, or friends. Chapter 11, "The Print Module," makes printing a breeze with all of the new features in version 2. In this chapter you will see how to print layouts, print to PDF, print to a JPEG and attach a profile, and create contact sheets.

Chapter 12, "The Web Module," gives you the ability to create web galleries from RAW images. Here you will see how it is done and all with little effort and no knowledge of programming. Chapter 13, "D-65's Lightroom Workflow," is all about putting what you have learned thus far, into action. This chapter covers the D-65 workflow that they have developed over the course of working with Lightroom. Starting with a memory card of images, you will be taken all the way through editing, adding metadata and keywords, correcting, presentation, final product, and preparation to archive.

Chapter 14, "Archiving," has the goal of preservation of your catalog. This is not just backing up, but rather assuring that you have an exact duplicate of your catalog and all of your image files in multiple locations.

Chapter 15, "Importing and Exporting Catalogs and Synchronizing Your Laptop and Desktop," answers the question of how you keep your laptop synchronized with your desktop computer and any other computers that you work with. While this may appear confusing at times, D-65 has found a way that works for them, and here they share with you.

Chapter 16, "Taking it up a Notch – Advanced Lightroom," gets into working outside the box. This chapter shows you how to integrate your Lightroom with Photoshop to work with techniques like panoramas and work with actions, and then bring it back into Lightroom.

The Photoshop Lightroom Workbook provides a firm understanding of establishing an end-to-end digital workflow and for anyone who is working at this understanding, this can be a daunting task. This alone makes this a great book to own.

Add to that, The Photoshop Lightroom Workbook also gives you a solid understanding of digital photographic technology as well. You can get a good understanding of how to set everything up and how to move everything for an efficient workflow.

Pleasantly, the authors don't confound by trying to throw everything at you at, only what you need to know to get the job done. It is very systematically done, and very easy to understand from any level of user. If you want to truly become efficient in your digital workflow, then you really need The Photoshop Lightroom Workbook.

 

Technorati Tags: Adobe,Lightroom 2,Photography

Software Review: Vue 7 Infinite from E-on Software

Written by T. Michael Testi

Vue 7 Infinite is one of the professional versions of E-on Software’s Vue 3D product line. Vue is the software product line which is used to create realistic 3D environments. In total, there are seven versions of Vue. Pioneer is the entry-level version for newcomers to 3D graphics. Esprit is designed for artists and illustrators. Pro Studio is geared for the advanced artist, and Complete is for the small studio. Vue Infinite is designed for the professional 3D animator and production studio. Finally, xStream is the integrated solution; this is a version of Infinite that can integrate directly into other 3D applications such as Maya, 3DS, Lightwave, and Cinema 4D. There is also a product called Ozone 3.0 which is an atmospheric plug-in that is used to create skies and atmospheres in a variety of 3D product. To see all of the differences, you can check out the comparative matrix from E-on Software.

Vue Infinite contains all of the features that the other product lines contain; the main difference between Vue 7 Infinite and xStream is that Vue 7 Infinite is meant to run as a standalone product and xStream is built to run in other products.  Other than that difference, the features are the same.

Vue 7 Infinite runs on Windows (2000 or greater), or Mac (OS X 10.4 or later) with 2 GHz or faster processor recommended, 1 GB RAM (2 GB or more recommended), an OpenGL enabled graphics card is not required but highly recommended with 1024x768 in 65K colors/16 bits (24+ bits recommended), and 200 MB free hard-disk space. Multi-processor rendering is only available on all multi-processor OS X, 2000, XP Pro and Vista systems.

E-on Software was founded in 1997 with the release of Vue d'Esprit 2. Embraced initially by artists and animators, it has now become a staple in Hollywood and has been used to create scenes in such movies as Pirates of the Caribbean II and The Spiderwick Chronicles as well as for television shows produced by the Discovery Channel. It is also finding its way into advertising and the fine art industry.

So, what's new with Vue 7 Infinite?

• EcoSystem Generation III is the third generation of E-on's technology for creating landscape images. The creation of real world natural environments is extremely complex. With this latest incarnation of EcoSystem, Vue has made it even easier to populate your scenes with millions of plants, trees and other objects to achieve a new level of natural complexity and detail. With automated Smart Scattering and Dynamic Population, you get better detail along with a more natural look. The EcoSystem painter lets you paint over your objects with four different kinds of painting tools. What's more is that you can save your creations and build a whole library that can be used for other scenes and objects.

• The Scene Graph approach lets you manipulate the elements of your scene in the standard way, but you now have a new way to handle your scene that lets you focus on the interactions between elements of the scene. The Scene Graph lets you define custom relationships that let you create elaborate scripts to control terrain, material, or animation properties based on the other items in the scene.

• MetaNodes will give you the ability to group several nodes or links into a single node. These MetaNodes will greatly simplify the readability of your graphs by letting you organize your graph into functional modules. Vue 7 ships with a library of preset MetaNodes to help you build your own graphs. You can continue this library by saving your own MetaNodes for future use.

• Spectral II Cloud Technology is the next generation of the Spectral atmosphere engine and is capable of even more realistic volumetric clouds. There is a new set of algorithms that are capable of rendering much more detailed volume clouds at a much faster rendering time. It is also capable of creating stand-alone "MetaClouds" that can be moved around, scaled, and rotated.

• Indoor and outdoor radiosity is now capable of handling with much more ease the generation of indoor and outdoor renderings with greater realism. In addition, it can do it four to six times faster than the prior version

• Natural Algorithms is a new set of algorithms that are designed to produce more natural-looking terrain geometry and materials. By combining dedicated terrain-production fractal algorithms with specific natural color production nodes, you can create more elaborate and natural-looking scenery.

• Lifelike animations are easier to create because of new technology that adds to the Dynamic Motion Reaction functionalities in Vue. Many times motion can look unnatural and jerky, but now Vue 7 can simulate a more natural movement by introducing loose tracking and linking algorithms. You can even introduce hesitation and approximation in to your animation scripts.
• Improved SolidGrowth 4 and new plant species give you more complex and detailed foliage. Vue 7 ships with over 160 editable SolidGrowth plant species among which includes almost 100 you could have only acquired via Cornucopia3D.com, and another 20 that are brand new. AThe plant generation technology in SolidGrowth has been enhanced as well.

• Water editor now lets you easily create and adjust infinite bodies of water. Switch from still water to stormy weather with a single slider, control the amount of foam at the peak of waves, switch to a more realistic "displaced" water surface, etc

• Faster rendering will have you creating your renders four to six times faster and, on top of that, you will have cleaner images as well.

• New OpenGL preview engine of Vue 7 has been entirely redesigned. Built around a new, robust multi-threaded architecture, it maximizes efficiency on high-end GPUs as well as multi-core systems.

• Macro automation will have you automating repetitive tasks in Vue without having to delve into the intricacies of Python scripting. Vue 7's Macro recording is as easy as pressing the Record Macro button to start recording a set of operations, and save it to disk as a macro. Then you just press the Play Macro button to playback any pre-recorded macros.

• Procedural terrain style presets will let you pick a style of terrain and Vue will create an each-time-different terrain of the corresponding style, complete with all associated materials. This includes both regular and pseudo-infinite procedural terrains.

• Collada file import now gives you the ability to use this new open-source standard for 3D file exchanges in Vue 7. Collada support includes the ability to import fully textured and animated objects.

• Redesigned architecture now takes advantage of the best of multi-core/multi-CPU systems as well as improving overall performance, memory management, and OpenGL stability.

• Bucket rendering is a new way of organizing the rendering process that maximizes spacial correlation of scene geometry. This provides significant improvements when handling billion-polygon scenes, and results in a better optimization of memory resources as well as improved rendering speed.

• Redesigned network services has enhanced the entire handling of network related services and was entirely redesigned in order to provide better performance and improved tolerance to network collisions or faults.

• New license server on top of being able to run as a service, the new License Server offers improved usability features such as automatic detection by Vue seats, easy management of installed licenses via a remotely accessible Web interface as well as hardened network operations.

As with the prior version, Vue 7 Infinite is nothing short of incredible! At first blush, one might look at this product and say that this is really only useful for animation and film production, but that would not be taking into account all of the other industries that could benefit from its use.

For example, if you are a builder, architect, landscape designer, or other professional that needs to simulate an environment, Vue 7 is the perfect application to model your design and/or prototype as a proof of concept design. If you are in advertising, what better way to provide backgrounds and other layout art without having to go on location or pay a high-dollar firm to do equivalent work. The uses are endless.
With seven different version of Vue 7 ranging from $49.95 to $1495 USD, there truly is a version for everyone, and considering what this product can do, each are well worth the price.

I think that while there may not be a "blow me away" single feature in this version, there are so many upgrades that make it a much more improved program. The enhanced render speeds, the multi-processor/multi-core abilities, the painting features and everything else really make it worth the upgrade.

If you want to see what some have done with Vue 7 Infinite, you can check out the gallery that is located on the E-on Software Web site. There is also a pretty active community forum available as well.

If you are still not sure, there are a couple of things that may tip the scale. First is that right now, you can get a public beta version of Pioneer for no money down. It is a free public beta that you should try. Second is that you can get a Personal Learning Edition (PLE) of either Vue 7 Infinite or xStream that are full versions that never expire. The only restrictions are 1) that it is not to be used in commercial products, and 2) that the renders will contain a logo and a watermark for sizes over 800x600 after 30 days. However, if you want to learn the software, everything else works.

From a personal point of (pardon the pun) view, this is a fun product. Really, very easy to use, and if you are fearful of how hard it is to learn, just Google "Vue Tutorial" and you will find all sorts of cool things that you can do with it. I very highly recommend the Vue 7 product line, and especially Vue 7 Infinite.

 

Technorati Tags: Vue,3D,Animation,Art,Landscapes

Product Review: Composer From Lensbaby, Inc.

Technorati Tags: Lensbaby,Lenses,Photography,Bellows Lens

Written by T. Michael Testi

In my prior review of the Lensbaby 3G I said, "Every once and a while a product comes along and you really misjudge it. It may be that you are too hasty, or that you just don't understand the potential that it really brings. Or it just may be that it, over time, has matured into a really great product." Well, the Lensbaby line continues to mature and grow. They have released a number of new lenses and accessories that I am planning on looking at. This first one is called Composer.

The 3G was a bellows style of lens. That is, it is focused by moving the lens to the sweet spot and manipulating the bellows device to gain focus. The Composer is a completely new style of lens that is based on a ball and socket configuration. This provides a much smoother selective focus and affords much more ease in movement. With the 3G you had to use two hands, one to manipulate the bellows, and one to focus the sweet spot, in the Composer, you simply tilt the lens to a desired angle and focus with a traditional barrel ring.

The Composer stays in the proper angle without having to use the screw locks to hold it in place. It also is capable of using the new Lensbaby Optic Swap System which is a series of add-on lenses that can give you additional looks for your Composer. I will cover some of these in a separate review.

While I loved the 3G, the Composer is so much easier to use because of the ball joint architecture. You just push the front element of the lens one way or the other to focus your frame. There is a black ring on the mount that will allow you to adjust how tight the ball joint is and therefore how much wiggle room it has. This one you basically set it and forget it.

 

Once you have your frame set, you then twist on the focusing ring on the front of the lens to sharpen your focus. This is truly simple. It appears to me that the precision quality has improved since you are not trying a balancing act with two hands, but it also seems to have a sharper focus as well.

To change aperture, which will change the effect of the blur, you have these small magnetic disks that you place into the lens. The openings on the disks range from f/2 to f/22. You have a magnetic tool that is supplied which helps you remove the disk.

Because there are no electronic contacts on the Lensbaby, you have to set your camera to aperture priority mode and then let the camera set the shutter speed to get the correct exposure. You can also shoot in manual mode and handle it all yourself as well.

The lens that I worked with is for the Canon line of cameras, but they make mounts for Nikon, Sony Alpha, Minolta Maxxum, Pentax K, Samsung GX, Sigma SD Mount, and Olympus 4/3. The focal length is 50mm with a minimum focus around 18" and maximum focus at infinity. The lens itself weighs 5.5 oz (155.9 g).

As with all of the Lensbaby line, the Composer lens is geared for the creative mind. It is not something that you will use all of the time, but it certainly has created a place for itself within the professional photographer's tool kit. Sure, you could mimic some of this in Photoshop or another graphic application, but kind of like mom's pot roast and the kind you get at a diner, they are just not the same. If you want to get that home cooked creative shot, then I very highly recommend the Lensbaby Composer.

Product Review: ColorMunki From X-Rite

Written by T. Michael Testi

To paraphrase an old Beatles song, "Everyone has something to hide except me and my ColorMunki!" What do I mean? It is the hidden colors that exist in your photo, and because of any number of reasons, don't show up either on your monitor and/or on your printer, because they are not calibrated correctly and together. That is what the ColorMunki can do.

ColorMunki is the latest offering in the profiling and calibration market from X-Rite corporation and it brings some exciting capabilities to the prosumer photographic market as well as to the graphic design community. There are three models of ColorMunki, the ColorMunki Create, the ColorMunki Design, and the ColorMunki Photo.

Just what is a ColorMunki? In the case of the latter two, it is a full circle calibration and profiling product that makes round tripping from your monitor to your printer affordable to non-professional photographer and designer. It runs on Windows 2000, XP Vista with a Pentium IV/Athlon XP or better, or Mac OS X (10.4 or higher) G4 or higher processor, you need a powered USB port, a color monitor with 1024x768 or greater resolution, 16-bit video card (24-bit recommended), 512 MB RAM, and 300 MB of hard-drive space.

There are really two types of ColorMunki. One is geared for Photographers and the other two are targeted to graphic designers and illustrators. The version that I am reviewing is for photographers and is called the ColorMunki Photo.

The ColorMunki functions in two main areas. One is for monitor calibration and the other is for printer profiling and calibration. Anyone who has worked with photographs for any length of time is familiar with the problem with getting the image from the camera, through the computer and on to the printer and having it come out reasonably close to looking like what like what you shot.

One thing to note is that because of the fact that my screen and printer are calibrated differently than yours, there is no way for me to display my results and guarantee that you will see anything close, so all that I can do is explain the process. The company who makes ColorMunki has been making profiling devices for many years and is well established in the professional market and so they bring a lot of respect and reliability to this new device.

When you get the ColorMunki, you get a USB spectrophotometer; that is based on the much more expensive i1 Pro product from X-Rite. It is zipped in a pouch with a sandbag handle. It looks about the size of a construction grade tape measure. You also get a small manual and the installation software. The CD only contains a downloader so you will need an internet connection to get the latest version of the software; and since this is a new product you will definitely want to keep up with updates. The product license also allows you to install and activate ColorMunki on 3 separate computers.

After installing the software, to use the ColorMunki as a monitor profiler you select ColorMunki icon and you are presented with three options. The first is for round tripping between the monitor and the printer; which is probably what you will want to do when you first set up the system. The second option is for monitor calibration; which you will want to do on a regular basis, and the third is for printer calibration. Because the first option encompasses the latter two, I will focus on the second two as individual steps.

The beauty of the ColorMunki system is that it walks you through everything that you need to create a color calibrated monitor. Once you make a couple selections you are requested to hang the product over a spot on the monitor and the system takes over. Basically what happens is that the software displays specific colors on your monitor and the ColorMunki uses its spectrophotometer to measure the colors displayed for correctness. After it completes its process it then gives you the opportunity view the before and after results. You are then asked to save the profile.

Part two is the profiling of your printer. This consists of printing a test chart that contains 50 sample colors in five strips of ten. Once the test chart is printed, you are asked to wait for 10 minutes for the sample to dry; the system puts a timer on the screen which can be overridden if need be. This is where you will need to use some judgment because the longer you wait for the image to dry the better your representation will be, but that could lengthen your workflow because that will also be how long you will need to wait for your actual images to dry to see if your colors are matching.

When profiling you are given the option to create a new profile or optimize an existing profile. One thing to note, you will need to create a new profile for each printer/paper/ink combination. For most people this will really be one printer, one type of ink, and multiple papers. In this case, you will need to create one for each type of paper. Again the ColorMunki gives you options.

Once you select your printer, you will give your profile a name. This will usually identify the type of paper; possibly ink if you are using multiple ink systems. You are then asked to print the 1st test chart. One thing to pay attention to is that you will need to turn off any kind of printer color management that your printer supports. You will need to look to your printer documentation or online support to find out how to accomplish this. If your printer software allows you to, you should save this as a profile within your printer setup because you will need to do this for every test strip you print as well as when you print from your application. One thing to note here is that at this point, the ColorMunki profiles are geared toward printing in Photoshop and QuarkExpress.

Once everything is set, you print your test chart and wait 10 minutes for your sheet to dry. Once it is dry, you take the ColorMunki out of its pouch and place it at the bottom of the first of the five test strips. You can see the example. There are also videos available that show you how as well. On the screen you see a yellow box around the first test strip. You hold the button on the side and slide the unit somewhat slowly over the strip. When you reach the end, you release the button and on the screen you will see either a green or red box around the strip. If it is green, the box moves to the next strip. If it is red, then you will need to rescan the strip. When the color turns back to yellow, you can then rescan.

Once you successfully scanned all of your strips you will be asked to do this again to a second test strip. You will need to select the same setup profile to your printer that you used before. You then print the new strips, dry them, and repeat the scanning. The other option that you can use is to optimize a print profile. What this does is lets you choose an image to further enhance your profile. If you do a lot of portraits, you might choose an image with skin tones, or landscapes, one with outdoor colors. You then print an additional test strip with colors based on this image and scan it for greater accuracy of print rendering.

In most cases, no additional scanning is necessary, or perhaps round one of the image-based optimization will be enough for most people. Without going into too much detail, what this additional scanning does is allows the ColorMunki to target a specific color area in the printer's gamut. If your device is "well behaved" and the colors are linearly spaced when color management is turned off, then the initial profile should perform very well. If not, you may want to experiment for better precision of your color space.

One of the benefits that I really liked in using the ColorMunki is that you have the choice to spend as much or as little time to get much better prints. The optimization allows the ColorMunki to figure out what is going on inside the printer gamut and more accurately characterize the color presented in your photos. It is important to note that you must be consistent with your printer setups or your profile will take a left turn and your output will look nothing like what you intended when you use the profile. While the ColorMunki is a complex device, once you catch on to making sure that a few things are correct, your output will be so much better and reflect more accurately what you see on the screen.

Some other capabilities of the ColorMunki Photo include what is called a "DigitalPouch" program that will let you send images and photos to a client, friend, coworker in a digital package and this package will alert them when they are viewing the content in an environment were the color management is not setup correctly and the colors may not appear correctly. The ColorMunki also has the ability to do 'spot' color measurements that in turn let you use those measurements to build up palettes and color schemes. The ColorMunki also calibrates projectors as well.

There are three models of ColorMunki. I have described the Photo version which was designed with the emphasis on screen-to-print color matching. The other two are more geared toward a color selection, palette creation, and a palette management tool. When you launch the ColorMunki Photo you are presented with a profiling tool, and you have the option to use a color picker tool. With ColorMunki Design however, you first are directed to the powerful tool for color selection and palette creation, and the profiling is just a small button away.

The third product is ColorMunki Create and while it, too, is aimed at the design community, it comes with a colorimeter as opposed to the spectrophotometer. The display profiling option has been simplified quite a bit by removing many of the options, and there is no printer calibration as well.

My personal view is that the ColorMunki is a very welcomed and much needed product in this price range; $499.00 USD for the ColorMunki Photo and ColorMunki Design, since there is not a lot out there under $1000 that does full circle calibration and profiling. The ColorMunki Create is $149.00 USD.

It took a little bit of experimentation to learn how to use the product, but once I spent the time, I have been generating some of the best images from my system to date. From my understanding this learning curve will get smaller as X-Rite adds videos and additional training information to their site along with more in-depth customer support.

I guess at this point, if you have spent hundreds to thousands of dollars on your camera, more on your lenses, another $500 or more on your printer, why would you not own a ColorMunki to get the best output possible? Don't let the most accurate colors of your image hide in your printer; bring them out with ColorMunki. I very highly recommend the ColorMunki.

 

Technorati Tags: X-Rite,Photography,Color Correction,Printer,Camera,Monitor