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Update Your Online Directory
Listing!
OWAA headquarters encourages you to review and update
your Online Directory listing today. If you’re not registered or unsure how to update your listing, contact
Member Services Manager Myra Gray.
The RAW Facts about Digital Image Formats
Revisiting the JPG vs. RAW Dilemma
By Bill Becher
While JPG files work for some projects, many professional photographers prefer to shoot
with RAW images. This piece is a response to “The Truth
about JPGs: How to Make the Most of Digital Image Files” by Michael Furtman, in the
September/October Tech-E-Letter. I prefer using RAW files to JPGs. Here is a summary of
reasons why I choose to use RAW:
JPG Problems:
* JPG looses data from compression, even at
highest-quality settings.
* The RAW converter in the camera uses less computing resources
than are available on a
laptop or desktop computer.
* Tonal corrections, color processing, sharpening and white balance
all are set in the camera
when shooting JPG, which can limit the ability to change these
later without degrading the
image.
* Only 8-bit color information is used in JPG (256 brightness
levels), even if the camera is
recording 12 or 14 bits.
RAW Advantages:
* No image data is discarded.
* The original image is retained, so different procession methods
can be applied without
degrading the original image.
* 16-bit TIF images can be produced. Even if you're not taking
advantage of this, processing
eliminates data from clipping. Starting with more data is better,
especially if you have to
make corrections in exposure after the fact.
* Color balance, saturation, tonal balance, exposure correction and
sharpening can be processed
after the fact with more powerful conversion programs and more
sophisticated algorithms on
your computer.
* Improved RAW conversion software can be applied to old RAW files
for better images.
* The cost of memory cards (down to 100 bucks after rebate for a
gig) and increasing speed
(80X for pro cards) means larger file sizes is becoming a
non-issue.
Some refer to RAW images as digital negatives. A better analogy would be to unprocessed,
exposed film. The RAW conversion process develops the image, except, unlike with film, you
can redevelop the image using different software "chemicals" to achieve
different results. I use JPG extensively for newspaper work, but, in my opinion, RAW is
the only way to go for images destined for magazines.
An OWAA member since 2001, Bill Becher, becher.com specializes in outdoor and
adventure travel writing and photography and is a member of Outdoor Writers Association of
California and Press Photographers Association of Greater Los Angeles.
Have
a tech question? Send it in. OWAA’s
Technology Committee will answer it.
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Search
Engine Tips for Journalists
Bill Dedman offers thousands of free
research tools for journalists, as well as down-to-earth search advice on his Web site. His section on search
engine strategy and syntax includes 10 strategies for online searching. Number three, for
example, says to forget keywords and envision the result. Most of the entries on the site
involve journalism education and training, particularly in computer-assisted reporting.
Eileen King
Must-have Graphics Hardware
Your computer has become your darkroom, and it needs to be fast. The graphics card is the
heart of it all. What do you need?
* Shared graphics memory (Intel Extreme,
etc.) steals a portion of your system memory for
graphics display. It is inadequate for digital manipulation;
* PCI graphics cards are the slowest of the dedicated graphics
controllers but still better than
shared;
* AGP graphics cards were, until recently, the best and fastest,
and they still are a good choice,
especially for upgrades;
* PCI Express is the latest, fastest graphics card and a great
choice, but it is not suitable for
upgrades because it requires a different motherboard. Order it on
your new computer.
How much graphics memory do you need? The more, the better. At least 64 megabytes (MB) is
necessary, but I'd suggest either 128 MB or 256 MB. Like all things computer related, the
faster it is, the more expensive the price. Right now, 128 MB seems to be the best value.
Michael Furtman
www.michaelfurtman.com
Stock Portals
A new business model for stock photographers are stock photo portals. They are different
than traditional stock agencies in that the photographer does most of the work, submitting
captioning and key wording. UK-based Alamay
is one such portal. Alamy is more liberal in accepting images from photographers than
traditional stock agencies.
My experience so far has resulted in slow sales, but, as buyers become more familiar with
this type of marketing group, sales might improve. If you have digital files that fit
their specifications, it may open an additional source of income – nothing ventured,
nothing gained!
Doug Wilson
www.dougwilsonphoto.com
Just
Say No ... to Junk Mail
To reduce junk mail, cut down on waste and save a few trees, follow these easy steps:
1. Most companies offering pre-approved
credit cards and insurance use lists from major credit bureaus. To have your name removed
from these mailing lists, make a phone call (888-567-8688) or do it online.
2. The Direct Marketing Association
represents many mail-order sales companies and estimates that listing your name with its
mail preference service should stop 75 percent of all national mailings. Send a postcard
with your name, address and signature to Mail Preference Service, Direct Marketing
Association, P.O. Box 643, Carmel, NY 10512 or download the
online form.
Katie McKalip
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SCI
Foundation Has Tsunami Relief Fund
Safari Club International (SCI) Foundation has launched Tsunami Disaster
Relief Fund ‘04, a humanitarian effort by which sportsmen may do their part in
helping the victims of Southeast Asia’s recent tsunami disaster. “The SCI
Foundation has already hand-delivered $50,000 to USA Freedom Corps advocated by former
U.S. Presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton,” said John R. Monson, SCI
Foundation president, “The SCI Foundation is now accepting immediate donations for
tsunami relief through the mail or its online resource.” Mail donations to SCI
Foundation Tsunami Relief Fund, 4800 W. Gates Pass Rd., Tucson, AZ 85745; or donate online
at the SCI Foundation Web site
and the SCI site.
Mike Schwiebert
Reserve Rooms Online for Madison Conference
Make planning to attend the 2005 OWAA conference easier by reserving your hotel room
online! The Madison Marriott West is this year’s headquarters hotel. Look to the
right side of its home page for “Check Rates and Availability” and select the
nights you wish to reserve. Enter the group code “xowxowa” then click
“Find.” You also can make reservations by phone; call 800-228-9290. Don't forget
to visit OWAA's Madison site for
up-to-date information on this year's conference.
Outdoor News Bulletin
The Wildlife Management Institute (WMI) is making its monthly Outdoor News Bulletin
available electronically and at no charge to members of OWAA who do not already receive
it. The award-winning Outdoor News Bulletin has been produced by WMI since 1947. To
subscribe, send your e-mail address to onb@wildlifemgt.org.
(WMI mailing lists are never used for other purposes, lent or sold.) For more information
on WMI, visit its Web
site.
Richard E. McCabe
Tongass National Forest Report Online
The Tongass National Forest recently released its annual Monitoring and Evaluation Report
for fiscal 2003. The report is a summary of forest-wide monitoring programs. Tongass
resource specialists gather results of monitoring efforts throughout the forest into the
report, which addresses areas such as air quality, biodiversity, fish habitat, heritage
resources, recreation and tourism, wildlife, soil and water and more. “It’s a
new, more compact version,” said Tongass National Forest Planning Staff Officer Larry
Lunde. “An executive summary highlights forest programs in 2003. A compact disc is
also part of this year’s report. We hope these products,
along with the Web-based access to the report, provides accessible, user-friendly avenues
to learn more about the monitoring process and how it meshes with products and processes
outlined in the Forest Plan.” For a copy of the report, contact Sue Jennings at
907-723-0477, or read the report online.
Kent Cummins
Endangered Species Pledge
The Unified Endangered Species Campaign, designed to support the efforts of hundreds of
non-profit organizations working on Endangered Species issues, is a collaborative effort
of six groups committed to preserving America's natural heritage: The Center for
Biological Diversity, Earthjustice, Endangered Species Coalition, National
Wildlife Federation, Natural Resources Defense Council and The Sierra
Club. The group has initiated the Endangered Species
Act Legacy pledge. Thousands of signatures show that Americans are committed to
leaving a clean and biologically diverse planet for future generations.
April Croft
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Meet Dr. WoodKnot
 Lost as an infant in an old-growth forest, Dr. P.C.
Woodknot (a.k.a. John Hong)
was raised by a vegetarian wolf commune until age 10. Discovered by a band of barefoot
hikers and returned to the awkward bosom of humankind, he grew up in an organic, high-tech
household, and the rest, as we all know, is histrionic. If you have a question
for Dr. Woodknot, submit it via the Tech-E-Letter
feedback form.
Selling Editors
on Digital Photos
Dear
Dr. R.U. KnotWood,
At the 2004 OWAA conference, I attended the "Meet the Editors" panel and learned
a lot. One topic involved submitting images. Some of the editors said they don't like
digital images because they are not as easy and quick to review as transparencies. Some of
them complained that the process of opening and viewing images was too slow! The last word
was the suggestion to include thumbnail image sheets with your CD submissions.
I was disappointed to hear that because my image-viewing software, ACDSee Classic,
previews images to look like they are on a light table. If I load an image CD, it displays
as many thumbnails as will fit on screen. I can click the one I want, and it displays full
screen. With a single mouse click, I can move forward or backward to see other images full
screen. It is quick and easy.
I wanted to raise my hand and tell the panelists to get with the new millennium, but I
figured they'd get offended and never buy any stories from me. Then I'd be stuck staying
in another shady motel at this year’s OWAA conference. So I kept my hand down and
mouth shut.
How about you address this issue, Dr. Knotwood, and then they'll be annoyed and offended
by you?
Signed,
Fowl Diplomat
Dr. WoodKnot replies:
Dear Foul Diploma,
You raise a good point. I better get my fanny perpendicular in gear and start pimpin’
more stories or I'll be stuck in a shady motel, too. Wanna share a room?
I hate to disappoint you, but no way am I going to offend or annoy any editors by telling
them to use ACDSee.com or Thumbs Plus. Both of these companies started
as image-viewer vendors, have seen much success and now sell bloated “image
management” software. ACDSee still sells its fast, simple classic version for $35,
while its newest version costs $50-80. Thumbs Plus costs about the same, although it
doesn't seem to sell a "classic" version. (BTW, check out oldversion.com to find some
oldie-but-goodie software.)
I'm thinking my next image viewer will be from IRFANView.com – its product is still
lean and mean. It’s free for non-commercial users and costs $12 for commerical users.
Heck, even Adobe,
which I would not call lean or mean, has a $50 image viewer (Album 2.0), and the latest
Photoshop version has a "not widely mentioned" preview function that comes close
to presenting thumbnails in the "light table" metaphor.
JASC Software includes a good image viewer in its Album 5 Deluxe product, which sells for
$45 download, $49 boxed. FYI, if you are fed up with high prices for Adobe products, look
at JASC.com. The Jasc Paint Ship 9.0
($130) goes head to head with Adobe Photoshop CS ($650) at one-fifth the price.
You’ll see similar savings on its other graphics software. All these outfits have
free, downloadable demo versions.
Sorry, Foul, I won't be prodding editors who prefer slides and who don't worry as much as
we do about slides getting lost, mixed up or safely returned to us in a timely manner.
Good Day!
Dr. P.C. WoodKnot
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Questions/Comments: Let the editor know what you think of OWAA’s Tech-E-Letter.
Editorial Guidelines for OWAA’s Tech-E-Letter: OWAA welcomes your submissions of features
(500 words or less), tips (150 words or less) and emerging news (50 words or less).
E-mail your articles or story ideas to Tech-E-Letter Editor Katie McKalip.
Technology Committee:
Chair: Michael Furtman
Members: John L. Beath, Bill Becher, Scott
Brown, Jeff Carpenter, Eric Hansen,
John Hong, Tes Randle Jolly, Bob Knopf, Marty Malin, Kevin Rhoades,
Katie McKalip, Brett Pauly, Chase Swift, Mike Walker, Doug Wilson
OWAA Staff:
Executive Director, Kevin Rhoades
Tech-E-Letter, OU Editor, Katie McKalip
Member Services Manager, Myra Gray
Administrative Assistant, Dawn Biery
Intern, Jesse Nation-Ames
Subscribe a friend to OWAA’s Tech-E-Letter.
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