Posted under Misc
Hello there, we have had our blogs online for awhile and thought it was high time to see what our readers think of the blog. We want to send usefull information, so please be sure and share your thoughts.
We will send these blog feedback requests from time to time and would love to hear from all of our readers.
Posted under Stock Photography
Key wording, I hate it , you hate it , everyone hates it but it is a fact of life if you want your images to be found. Did you know there are some really good tricks to make key wording your images easier? First I will provide some generic tips for key wording , then some specific tips for key wording on Kachoozie.com.
So here is the flow of how I deal with keywords, first I use Lightroom for my workflow this helps to organize your images, and put them in batches. You can also use Apple’s Aperture, it really is personal preference, both programs can be downloaded for free, and used for 30 days so I encourage you to download them both then decide, which program works best for you.
Once a shoot is complete, I import my images into Lightroom, I have a preset that will add things like my studio name, and copyright info to the files automatically. I import the files into a folder called staging, once the images are there I sort them by type, so some go to stock , others go to my portfolio, then finally I sort some that will end up in photo stores like Zazzle, Cafepress, and Printfection. I also reject any that are not in focus, or the lighting is off. The rejected images, I simply delete them from within Lightroom.
After I have done the initial sort, I further sort the images into batches like dogs, trees, etc, I put them into separate folders to keep them together, so in other words I will have a folder in Lightroom, called dogs.
Once I have all the images sorted I go to Google’s online keyword tool and type in the relevant terms to get the keywords. There is a way to check keywords from other sites, so you may want to try that as well. Google has recently updated the interface, so I typically go back to the old interface, since you can get your keywords and download them easily, you can do this in the new interface but I just prefer the old one. When the keywords come up, I select download into a .Csv or .txt file, and when I download the file I open it in Excel, to edit out words I may not want. When finished I save the file to my desktop, and open up Lightroom, to import the keywords. From within the Library in Lightroom, select Meta data from the drop down menu, then import keywords, and find your file you saved on the desktop. When the keywords have been imported I type in a search term, into Lightroom’s keyword suggestions, and all the keywords I just imported come up, over time you will build your keyword list, and for many images will not have to go to Google to get the keyword suggestions. There is also a website you can subscribe to called controlledvocabulary , it is pretty cool service and will provide a jump start for you in Lightroom as far as keywords go. One thing to remember is the keywords you import are a part of your catalog in Lightroom, so if you have multiple catalogs, you will need to add the keywords again, there may be a way to add keywords from other Lightroom catalogs, I just have not invested the time to figure it out.
Once you have selected the appropriate keywords in Lightroom, for the image you are working on, you can select other like images, and sync the meta data to the other images, this is where I add things like categories, and titles to the images. When the images have all been key worded, I upload them to my portfolio website, and or iSyndica. Since the keywords have been previously added in Lightroom, they will be attached to the images when you upload, you may have minor tweaks but it should not take too much time to adjust them. If you do not use iSyndica, this method still works for uploading directly to stock photo sites.
Now for the Kachoozie portion, when all my images have been uploaded to my portfolio site, and to iSyndica, I also export the images to a folder on my desktop, I name the folder something relevant to the batch I am working on. I login to the Kachoozie photographers section and select batch upload, there is a way to use FTP, however; it is not quite ready for others to use, I will add a blog on that once that is ready. In the batch upload menu, I select the folder I created on my desktop and begin the upload, ( Tip- If you click the upload button again it will give you the upload status, and will let you know the files are uploading). When the files have completed uploading, select the import photos link, this is the important part, since you have previously key worded the images in Lightroom, the keywords are there, however ; they just don’t show. Select the category for the images, and click upload near the bottom of the page. That’s it, your images will be in the queue waiting to be processed with all the keywords, and the categories attached.
Hopefully this process helps make a difficult task of key wording, much easier and less time consuming, This process may or may not work for you, so if you have suggestions please be sure and post them here or on Kachoozie.net
Posted under Misc Photography
The world is filled with amazing photographers, both past and present. The list is endless of gifted and talented image makers. Here are five of my favorites:
RICHARD AVEDON
Richard Avedon was an american photographer who brought an elegance and sophistication to everything he shot. In the NY Times obituary following his death in 2004, Andy Grundberg said that, “his fashion and portrait photographs helped define America’s image of style, beauty and culture for the last half-century.”
He worked for many years with Harper’s Bazar, Vogue, and Life Magazine, his oeuvre includes such celebrities as Marilyn Monroe, the Beatles, and Audrey Hepburn.
He has published many books. Those of particular interest are Portraits and In The American West.
WILLIAM EGGLESTON
William Eggleston is an american photographer who secured color photography’s place as a recognized and respected art medium.
While teaching at Harvard, Eggleston discovered dye-transfer printing. For three years he read and experimented with the technique until he put together his portfolio entitled “14 Pictures” which was exhibited at the MoMA just two years later.
Eggleston’s work largely focuses around common, everyday objects, such as his most well known image of a tricycle.
JEFF WALL
Canadian Jeff Wall is known for his large-scale, back-lit illfochrome images, mostly of common, ordinary events. However, these seemingly casual photographs were meticulously planned out and coordinated, designed to look as if they were happenstance.
Mimic, (1982), is a classic example of Jeff Wall one frame cinematography. It seems as if Wall just snapped this shot, but in reality, it was a grand production, a recreation of a scene the photographer has witnessed before: The bearded man, walking along side his girlfriend, is making a racial gestures towards the asian man on his right; he is pulling the corner of his eye out to the side, slanting it, in mockery of the asian man’s eyes.
MICHAEL KENNA
Englishman Michael Kenna is best known for his stunning black and white landscapes, although, he has done color and commercial photography, as well.
Over a period of 15 years, Kenna photographed Nazi prison camps, the end result was a magnificent and haunting collection of images published in his book ,“Impossible to Forget: The Nazi Camps Fifty Years After .” Kenna was criticized because his imagery was “too beautiful.”
ANNIE LEIBOVITZ
Annie Leibovitz is an american photographer who got her start as a staff photographer for the newly launched Rolling Stone Magazine. And her career has just gone up from there.
Leibovitz took the last photograph of John Lennon in 1980, which appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone Magazine. Five hours after the photo shoot, John Lennon was murdered.
Posted under Misc Photography
Inevitably, the moment people find out that I am a photographer, the first question they ask is what kind of photography do you do, and the second question is what kind of camera do you use?
I think the frist question is a valid one, although when I say that I enjoy to do photo illustrations and fine art photography, I get nothing but a blank stare, (Apparently, not the answer they were looking for. What do they want m to say, weddings?) But when people want to know the brand and the model of camera I shoot with, I have to bite my tongue and thing of sea horses. Because it does not make a difference what i shoot with.
I am a good photographer because of my photographic eye, not because I have a fancy camera.
I bring this up for two reasons: one, as a photographer you don’t need to buy an $8,000 camera to take good pictures; and two, the public needs to be educated.
YOU DON’T NEED AN $8,000 CAMERA
I can feel the wrath of both Nikon and professional photographers breathing down my neck for what I am about to say but I’m going to say it anyway: Do not buy an $8,000 camera. You do not need it.
The reasoning behind this bold and very unpopular sentiment is many amazing photographers – not just an isolated few – shot with very simple cameras: Richard Avedon, Diane Arbus, Dorthea Lange, to name a few. It hasn’t been until recently with the advent of the digital camera that people, especially photographers, feel the necessity to buy over-priced cameras. The David La Chapelles of the world are perpetuating the perception that photographers are rock stars with entourages and high-end equipment through their bold and extravagant lifestyles.
I have taken amazing images with my plastic $10 Holga, my 6 year old Canon point-and-shoot, and my iPhone, none of which are high-end, pricey cameras.
It’s not the price tag of a camera which determines the quality of an image, but the one pushing the shutter release.
THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO BE EDUCATED
For all the reasons I stated above and more, the public needs to be educated about what constitues a good photograph; it is never because of the model of the camera used the create the image.
As with all art mediums, photography relies on the elements and principles of art:
Aside from these factors, the general principles of composition, the rule of thirds, and a thorough understanding of lighting is needed. Not to mention the basic understanding of exposure, the law of reciprocity, aperture, and shutter speed.
I spent 4 years studying photography before I earned by Bachelors of Fine Arts in Photography. Many artists go on to earn masters degrees in photography. It’s preposterous to assume that purchasing a four-figure camera alone will produce good imagery.
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