November 8, 2009

Feedback, please: Adobe raw processing vs. others

Competition is a great thing, and over the last few years photographers have benefitted as numerous companies sought to make their raw image processing tools. Various apps have leapfrogged one another, making it possible to extract better image quality even from existing cameras.

Comparing quality can be tricky. To some extent it's subjective ("I prefer skin tone A to skin tone B"), and it's influenced by default values (i.e. the starting point each app chooses) and user familiarity ("I personally am able to get better results in X than in Y"). Add to that a possible lack of awareness of the power enabled by the DNG Profile Editor.

Over the years I've heard fans of Capture One tout the image conversion quality possible in that app. Unfortunately, I've always found it difficult to get any actual, concrete demonstrations of what they're talking about. Lately a number of people (all using fake email addresses, oddly enough) have commented here about how C1 produces "better quality," yet none of them have been able to back up their claims.

So, I ask--not to pick fights, not to start any holy wars, but out of constructive curiosity: Are you getting better results with a raw image processor besides Camera Raw or Lightroom*, and if so, are you willing to share your images (raw & processed) so that we can see exactly what you like/dislike? This sort of concrete data is precisely what we need in order to keep making progress. If you're interested in participating, please add a comment or drop me a line.

Thanks,

J.

* The Lightroom 3 beta includes an improved demosaicing algorithm, so it's the best basis for comparison.

November 7, 2009

Illustrator + Map Data = Interactive Flash

Illustrator PM David Macy points out a couple examples of converting static graphics into dynamic and interactive experiences bound with data and published through Flash. He writes, "These were created using an Illustrator plugin called MAPublisher that can import GIS data and export interactive SWF.

• First is an interactive map of US unemployment published on Forbes.com.
• The second, simpler example is a map of The Who's 1997 Quadrophenia Tour in Europe."

November 6, 2009

Photoshop.com Mobile comes to Android

Building on its great momentum on the iPhone, the Photoshop.com Mobile app is now available for Android phones. The free application offers the same great features as the iPhone version. In addition, says the press release:

Photoshop.com Mobile for Android offers features only available on Android phones. Users can automatically upload pictures to Photoshop.com albums in the background, even when the Photshop.com Mobile application is not running. Photoshop.com accounts provide 2GB of free online photo storage, which equates to over 1,500 photos. Made possible by the Android API, the new tab-based user interface enables users to view local and online content. Also, the Android Photo Browser makes maneuvering through photos fast and convenient, bringing users' complete photo collections right to their pockets.

November 4, 2009

Videos: Extending the Suite

I'm a big proponent of using Flash to extend the Creative Suite. If you've thought of exploring the possibilities, check out this pair of videos from Adobe MAX:

Come see Lee Brimelow and Mark Niemann-Ross demonstrate unexpected things you can do using Flex and Creative Suite.Grab some popcorn and your 3D glasses as we demonstrate how Creative Suite applications can be programmed using Flex and Adobe AIR,and more.

Find out about the many languages and tools available for both designers and developers to customize and automate Creative Suite for integration in larger workflows.

November 3, 2009

A pair of visual juxtapositions

• Who's a tender little death's head, then? 'Till Death Do Us Part. [Via]
• The Lions & Lambs* logo nicely pairs these moral foes.

Utterly tangential: In March, Stephen Colbert said, "I'm coming in like a lion, and going out like a lamb-fed lion."

Adobe TV: Monster creation, Web optimization, & more

You might find these recent video tutorials interesting:

The Russell Brown Show - Halloween Monster Make-Up Kit

In this special "Halloween" edition of the Russell Brown Show, you'll learn how to turn people into monsters. Russell even gives you the files you'll need to do it!

MAX 2009 Design - Photoshop CS4: Essential Techniques and Killer Tips with Terry White

Learn the must-have skills for working with Photoshop and digital images, including color correction, masking, image restoration, and retouching. Terry White will answer the most frequently asked questions on working with digital images and more.

Visual Design - Photoshop CS4: The Essentials of Image Enhancement for Web and Flash Designers

Learn essential skills for using Photoshop CS4 to produce images that look great and load fast for the web and for use with Flash Professional. We'll reveal hidden optimization tools and quick techniques for making images look their best, and more.

Visual Design - Edit Quicker and Faster in Illustrator CS4

Join Design Evangelist Rufus Deuchler as he shows how you can save time when applying and editing fills, strokes, effects and more with the new Appearance panel in Illustrator CS4.

November 2, 2009

San José Photoshop User Group next Tuesday evening

The San José Photoshop User Group is meeting next Tuesday, Nov. 10, at the Adobe SJ office (map). Pizza and drinks kick off at 6:30pm, with talks beginning at 7. The meeting will feature two speakers. As group organizer Dan Clark writes,

Jim Tierney is from plug-in maker Digital Anarchy. He will demo a range of their products, such as Primatte Chromakey, Knoll Light Factory, Backdrop Designer, Texture Anarchy, 3D Invigorator and more.

Jim McCrary was Chief Photographer at the A&M Records photo studio for many years. He shot over 300 album covers along with related publicity and advertising work. Among his many classic album covers are Carole King's "Tapestry", Lee Michaels' "5th" and Joe Cocker's "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" and many others. From 1974 through 1990 he operated his own studio on La Brea Avenue in Hollywood, specializing in technically difficult photographic still-life problems, as well as difficult personality portraits.

The meeting will start at 7:00, in the Park Conference Room of Adobe Systems' East Tower, 321 Park Avenue, San Jose. To park underneath the Adobe building, use the Almaden Avenue entrance, under the East Tower. If the security guard at the parking entrance asks for an Adobe contact, use Bryan O'Neil Hughes's name. Please RSVP to Dan Clark. See you there.

(rt) Type: E.Coli as font, El Vetica, & more

• Handmade:
  • Jessica Hische has posted an alphabet's worth of gorgeous "hand-crafted decorative initial caps" on Daily Drop Cap. Her portfolio site is pretty bitchin', too.
  • I dig the hand-drawn swoops of Si Scott's typography.
• Type + Luchadores = Radness. Check out El Vetica. [Via] (Gratuitous personal tangent: You cannot handle the cute.)
• A typographical infographic: Popular Names in Popular Music, 1891-now.
• Perfect for a new Jack in the Box logo design? Dutch Designer Wins €10,000 for a Font Grown From E-Coli. [Via Marc Pawliger]

November 1, 2009

(rt) Illustration: Japanese monsters, skulls, beer, and more

• Seasonal creepiness:
  • I love these bizarre illustrations: Anatomy of Japanese Folk Monsters. [Via]
  • "I want your skulls..." Lots of cool illustrations.
  • Oh, this heart doesn't look healthy, does it? Here's more such weirdness. [Via]
• Abduzeedo rounds up great Guinness ads past & present.
• The Chopping Block crew has posted tips on using Photoshop to Prep & Color Scanned Drawings.

October 31, 2009

(rt) Photography: Biggest tree photo ever & more

• Interesting iPhone photography roundup (and images) from Phil Coffman. Includes use of Photoshop.com app
• Thinking of digitizing old photos? Macworld compares scanning services. [Via]
• National Geographic:
  • Biggest, Tallest Tree Photo Ever (Our wee man Finn loves the fold-out print version: "Leetle dudes!!")
  • A chimp funeral (pic #2)? That's honestly not something I expected to see today.
• A photo essay in TIME covers history's Top 10 Doctored Photos (many predating Photoshop).

October 30, 2009

(rt) Illustration: Friday Infographics

• Man, what a gorgeous space infographic. See also the lovely Race to the Moon.
• A three-year-old's view of the NYC subway. (I have to get my illustration mojo back & start doing things like this for our boys. I keep wanting to do a diagram of baby Henry scootching around his crib, a la the sailing stones of the Racetrack Playa.)
• A Graphic History of Newspaper Circulation Over the Last Two Decades. [Via]
• Map of how long it takes to get to a 'major' city (+50k people). [Via]

October 29, 2009

Bullet time

New Adventures in Slow-Mo:

Elsewhere:

• Check out Alan Salier's stunning high-speed gallery on Flickr. [Via Tom Hogarty]
• See also the slow-mo detonations captured by Martin Klimas.

October 28, 2009

(rt) Interesting Miscellany: Slick designs, terrible demos, & more

• "Horrifically bad software demo becomes performance art." Oh God, I've been so close to being the podium-gripping guy...
• Design:
  • I dig this Brooklyn Bridge-inspired bottle design (less literal/cheesy than it might sound).
  • "Measure twice, rock once" with the Cassette Tape Measure.
• What *possible* demographic buys Playboy (faux) Hot Wheels? (I'm pretty sure I don't want to know.)
• This forkless cruiser bike looks like a Photoshop job but isn't.
• Music:
  • "Katzenklavier": Worst. Musical Instrument. Ever. (Germans, you're a trippy bunch.) [Via]
  • Rad: Subway stairs as giant piano. Well done, VDub.

October 27, 2009

How goes the war?

• The Big Picture's Afghanistan, September 2009 gallery is full of striking, often heartbreaking images.

• Matthew Cook filters the Iraq war through a hazy, watercolor prism. [Via]

Adobe TV: Removing distortions, using Quick Select

These recent posts on Adobe TV might be up your alley:

Photoshop With Matt Kloskowski: Removing Distortion from Wide-Angle Photos

Wide-angle lenses often introduce distortion into photos. Tall buildings look like they're leaning over, and, depending on how close you are to your subject, some things may look like they're bulging or curved. This tutorial will show how to fix that.

Photoshop for Digital Photographers: How to Train the Quick Selection Tool

Improve the quality of your selections by first training the Quick Selection Tool. This simple technique shows you how to make better, more accurate selections in half the time.

October 26, 2009

(rt) Photography: Glaciers from space, famous Legos, & more

• The natural world:
  • Glaciers, as seen from space. [Via]
  • Amazing undersea image from Nat Geo. [Via]
  • Fascinating--MIT Students Build Space Camera for $150.
• Famous images:
  • Check out the interesting "Iconic Photos" blog. (via @kottke)
  • Mike Stimpson offers Famous photos recreated in LEGO [Via]

• Striking aircraft photography from Josef Hoflehner [Via Christina Wiley]
• "Two Weeks in Forever" is the NYT's interesting 3-minute photo essay about a Marine unit in Afghanistan.
• Here's a 360-degree pano of some Photoshop & Lightroom guys meeting w/customers last week in NYC.