technical stuff

Why Full-Size Photos Matter

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A small, three-quarter-length bridal photo, about 550 x 700 pixels, will look good on a small screen. But this is a 100% crop after it’s been resized to 11″x14″ (3300 x 4200 pixels). There’s no fine detail or sharpness anywhere in the photo.

Always keep the original, full-size copy of your important photos.

If you need to resize an image, duplicate it first and resize the copy. Never overwrite or discard the original. That original file is your safety net and if you lose it, you usually lose it for good.
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How To Write Full IPTC

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(A very long post about a simple topic.)

Much to my surprise, one of the most popular posts on this blog is a 2018 article about how to write a photo caption. As a follow-up to that article, this post will explain how to fill out the other IPTC data fields found in most photo software.

IPTC refers to the International Press Telecommunications Council, a consortium of major news agencies formed in 1965. The consortium established, and maintains, universal technical standards for the exchange of news data. This means that some of the IPTC fields will apply only to news photographers and perhaps stock agency photographers. But there are several fields that every photographer should be using.
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Getting Better All The Time

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New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi (L) argues with home plate umpire Bruce Dreckman in the eighth inning of their American League East MLB baseball game against the Toronto Blue Jays in Toronto, 06 June 2010.

This is another view-from-my-office photo.

When a photo job doesn’t work out the way you planned, who do you blame?

If you blame your tools, then the solution is to get better tools.

If you blame your customers, then the solution is to get better customers.

But if the blame rests on you, then the solution is to get better.
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On Photography – 50 Years Later

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If you don’t like what you see in front of your camera, you can often wait a few minutes and a better picture might come along. These two skyline pictures were shot less than 20 minutes apart. In those few minutes, the wind blew in the clouds and the automatic lights in many buildings turned on.

This is another view-from-my-office photo.

It’s the 50th anniversary of the publication of US author Susan Sontag‘s essay Photography (link to PDF) which was later re-edited and renamed “In Plato’s Cave.” This renamed essay became the first of six essays in her book, “On Photography.” In Plato’s Cave is probably the most well known of the six essays.
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Washrooms and Photographers

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A big, clean washroom in a sports stadium an hour before the public arrives. A baby changing table, like the one on the far left wall, can be useful to photographers.

This is something they definitely don’t teach in photography school: how do you go to the washroom while shooting an event?
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Camera Bag Security

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A photographer friend recently had their camera gear stolen while shooting a corporate event at a hotel. They put their fully loaded camera bag down for just a couple minutes . . .

We all know to never leave our gear unattended when in public. But that’s often easier said than done.

I use a wheeled case as much as possible not only because it takes the weight off my shoulders but also because it’s easier to secure a wheeled case than an over-the-shoulder bag. A Pelican case or similar is best because there are no zippers and you can lock the lid. Zippers are relatively easy to poke open with a screwdriver, a fork or even a ballpoint pen. Some zippers are made more puncture-resistant than others.

I have several homemade, plastic-coated steel cables of various lengths and matching padlocks. These cables are used on location, in my car trunk and in hotel rooms.
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