STOCK
PHOTO NEWS from
A-Z FOTOS
No.
20
The
first Modern eZine combining Stock Photography
and Marketing
'Equally
important for picture buyers and image providers.'
February
2006
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CONTENT
*
From the Editor
*
Google is asking for web sites with text
*
Get your Gift for reading and staying
*
Management of digital image files
*
Lost: Blog about Stock Photography
*
Since last SPN
........................................................
Archive of earlier issues of Stock Photo News at
http://www.StockPhotoNews.com
>>>
Subscription information at the end of this ezine.
........................................................
FROM THE EDITOR
This
editorial will be short - I have so much to share with
you.
First a valuable gift - well in fact a few gifts.
If you are a website owner you will be very happy for
them.
I offer them now to my new subscribers. As you have
been my reader for several issues you deserve them,
too, so please read the instructions below.
The
globalization is over us, also regarding more peaceful
things like how to handle digital image files.
You get a more firm footing by reading the
'Universal Photographic Digital Imaging Guidelines'
included here from UPDIG. It is at the end of the
newsletter. I recommend you to save and print it for
further use.
See
the other important updates and information at the
content list. Be especially aware of how Google and
paid ads
are continuing to change the web.
Please
enjoy reading Stock Photo News!
Soren
Breiting, Editor.
----------------
A-Z FOTOS
"Find Stock Photos from most of the World"
http://www.azFotos.com
----------------
Comments,
tips and relevant articles are appreciated. Send
email to sb@TAKETHISAWAY-azfotos.com (please remove
the
inserted part added to avoid email harvesters).
***
Important note: I will not sell or rent the email
addresses belonging to our subscribers - I respect your
privacy. This mail list will only be used to send you
the
monthly ezine. - This ezine uses opt in addresses.***
Soren Breiting
........................................................
PLEASE,
WHITE-LIST STOCK PHOTO NEWS See at the end of the newsletter
how to avoid that you loose coming issues of Stock Photo
News because of SPAM filters.
........................................................
GOOGLE IS ASKING FOR WEB SITES WITH TEXT
The
demand for focused texts on web pages has spurred a
whole industry producing articles. You can get f'ree
articles you are allowed to publish as long as you keep
the
info below with the link to the author. You find some
of
mine articles for use at http://www.free-articles.net
.
The
same f*ree articles might be used by many ezine publishers
and webmasters. This isn't good for the high ranking
of
these websites in Google. Unique text content is much
better, and many struggle to produce it. But you have
another option: you can buy private label articles (PLA).
With PLA you can change everything and you can publish
them
anonymous or with your own name on. Personally I would
never put my name under an article I hadn't written
completely myself. But it is nice to have the freedom
to ad
that kind of content when you can make it relevant for
your
website visitors.
The
quest for text for websites is enhanced dramatically
after the success of Goggle's AdSense Program. Huge
incomes
can be generated to high traffic niche websites.
See http://www.stockphotonews.com/adsensedebate
........................................................
GET
YOUR GIFT FOR READING AND STAYING
Go
to (spec. for this online version of SPN: you need to
sign up to the newsletter at http://www.stockphotonews.com/subscribespn.htm
to get your big bonus) to download your gift. If you
have a website or plan a website this will improve your
success very much.
........................................................
MANAGEMENT
OF DIGITAL IMAGE FILES
The
Universal Photographic Digital Imaging Guidelines from
UPDIG
These
15 guidelines — along with the accompanying Best
Practices documents at the website of UPDIG —
aim to
clarify issues affecting accurate reproduction and
management of digital image files. Although they largely
reflect a photographer’s perspective, anyone working
with
digital images should find them useful. The guidelines
have
three primary goals:
Digital
images look the same as they transfer between
devices, platforms and vendors. Digital images are
prepared in the correct resolution, at the correct size,
for the device(s) on which they will be viewed or printed.
Digital images have metadata embedded that conforms
to the IPTC standards, making the images searchable,
providing
usage and contact information, and stating their creators
or copyright owners.
The
Guidelines (version 1.0 of Universal Photographic
Digital Imaging Guidelines - UPDIG) - for updates later
see
http://www.updig.org/guidelines
1.
Manage the color. ICC profile-based color management
is
the standard.
2.
Calibrate the monitor. Monitors should be calibrated
and profiled with a hardware device.
3.
Choose a wide gamut. Use a wide-gamut RGB color space
(show footnote) for capturing and editing RGB master
files.
We recommend Adobe RGB (1998) or ProPhoto RGB. Professional
digital cameras have selectable color spaces. Photographs
intended for print should be captured in a wide-gamut
space, such as Adobe RGB (1998). Photographs intended
only
for the web can be captured in the narrower-gamut sRGB
color space. It is possible, but not strictly necessary,
to
create custom camera profiles. When such profiles work,
they can speed workflow and yield more accurate colors.
Adobe’s Camera Raw program allows for calibration
of a
digital camera, creating in effect a custom profile.
It’s
essential that a photographer choose the correct color
profile when capturing JPEGs or TIFFs, because the camera
will process images into these formats using the specified
profile.
4.
Capture the raw data. For best quality, digital cameras
should be set to record RAW files.
5.
Embed the profiles. All digital files should have
embedded profiles (should be “tagged”),
unless otherwise
noted. Photoshop’s Color Management should be
set to
“always preserve embedded profiles,” and
the “ask when
opening” boxes should be checked to alert you
to profile
mismatches and missing profiles. When profile mismatches
occur, you should elect to preserve the embedded profile.
6.
Color space recommendations:
a.
For the web, convert images to sRGB and embed sRGB
profile before delivery.
b.
For display prints from professional digital color labs
(show footnote), if a custom profile is available, use
it
for soft proofing. Then submit either sRGB or (more
rarely)
Adobe RGB with embedded profiles, as specified by the
lab.
If a lab does not have a custom profile, it’s
usually best
to use the sRGB color space with that profile embedded.
Most professional digital color labs that do have an
ICC
workflow usually require sRGB as the color space to
send to
their RIP or other printer software. A few labs will
work
from Adobe RGB files, so it is best to ask before
submitting files. Those labs that offer custom profiles
provide them as “soft proofing” profiles
only, since they
update their actual profiles on a regular basis, when
they
change chemistry, paper batches or software versions.
c.
For display prints from many consumer digital-print
vendors, a database of custom profiles is available.
(Show
source note.) Otherwise, deliver files in the sRGB color
space with embedded profile.
There
is a free database of ICC printer profiles for
digital labs worldwide at the Dry Creek Photo site.
The
printers covered include Fuji Frontier, Noritsu, Agfa
D-Lab, LightJet, Durst and Chromira printers, among
others.
Because these printers do not recognize embedded profiles,
it is necessary to convert your files to their profiles,
then save them with the profile embedded. Converting
to
these profiles will give you the best color fidelity
and
allow you to soft-proof your digital files before
committing them to print. Labs that don’t use
profiles
usually require that submitted files be converted to
sRGB.
To avoid confusion on your end, it’s still best
to include
the embedded profile, even if the lab will ignore it.
Using
the sRGB color space instead of a custom profile may
yield
less accurate color that doesn’t take advantage
of the full
gamut such printers can produce.
d.
For offset printing, it’s always best to begin
by asking
the printer or the client’s production expert
what file
format, resolution and color space they require. RGB
files
contain many colors that cannot be reproduced by
conventional CMYK printing. This has often led to a
situation where the final result looks nothing like
the
screen version of the file, or the inkjet print of the
file. There are two ways to avoid this confusion:
Files
can be delivered as CMYK files. This is the “safe”
way to go, because the image itself will contain no
colors
that can’t be reproduced by the CMYK process.
Files
delivered as RGB files can be accompanied by a
cross-rendered guide print that includes only colors
reproducible in CMYK.
Files
can also be delivered in both CMYK and RGB. This
allows the photographer to make the artistic decisions
about color rendering, and gives the printer more tools
to
recover from mistakes the photographer may have made
in
converting RGB to CMYK. Ideally, CMYK image files should
be
converted from RGB using the printer’s CMYK profile
with
that profile embedded in the file. It is not always
possible to get the printer’s profile, either
because the
printer does not have one or the client does not know
who
will print the images. In such cases, it’s often
best to
deliver an RGB master file (show footnote), with an
embedded profile and a ReadMe file that explains that
“for
accurate color, the embedded RGB profile should be
preserved” when opening the file. CMYK profiles
and the RGB
alternative are discussed on page XREF 6.
RGB
master files are Photoshop (.PSD) or TIFF files,
optimized in a wide-gamut color space (such as Adobe
RGB or ProPhoto RGB), at either at the digital camera’s
native
file size or interpolated to a larger size (consistent
with
any possible future use) by a RAW file conversion program.
They should be left unsharpened or sharpened only on
a
removable layer, since resizing for future uses is likely.
Master files should be archived along with the RAW files
for a project.
e.
For inkjet and dye-sub printers (show footnote), use
a
wide-gamut color space, such as Adobe RGB, for the source
space. Use a custom profile for the printer-paper
combination in the print space to get the best quality
and
the best match to a profiled monitor. You can easily
bring
desktop and wide-format printers into a color-managed
environment with the help of profiles. If working with
the
manufacturer’s printer driver, turn off all color
management and print a copy of the color target file.
Next,
measure the printed target with a spectrophotometer
to
generate a profile for accurate output on a particular
paper or other medium. Repeat this process for each
paper
stock you use. Most RIP (Raster Imaging Processor) software
offers profiles for a wide variety of papers. Many RIPs
will also allow use of custom profiles.
7.
Formats and names. File formats should always be
denoted by standard, three-letter file extensions.
a.
For the web, use JPEG files.
b.
For print, uncompressed TIFFs are best. Use JPEG only
when bandwidth or storage constraints require it. Use
the
highest JPEG quality setting possible. We recommend
not
using less than “8” quality.
To
avoid problems with files that will be transferred
across computing platforms, name files with only the
letters of the alphabet and the numerals 0 through 9.
Avoid
punctuation marks (other than hyphen and underscore),
accented vowels and other special characters. Keep the
full name (including extension) to 31 characters or
less for files on a network or removable media, and
to 11 characters or less (including the three-letter
file extension) when burning to CDR, in case a recipient’s
computers don’t
support long filenames. For the complete guide to file
naming protocol, see the Controlled Vocabulary website.
8.
Appropriate resolution. Resolution of digital images
is
described by three numbers: height, width and ppi (pixels
per inch). Beware: It’s easy to confuse ppi with
dpi (dots
per inch), which refers to the resolution of a printing
device, or with lpi (lines per inch), which describes
a
halftone grid or screen used for printing images on
a
press. The following target resolutions are meaningful
only
when paired with the height and width at which an image
will appear in the final form:
a.
Low (monitor or “screen”) resolution is
defined as less
than 100 ppi.
b.
Inkjet prints normally need resolutions of 180 ppi to
360 ppi.
c.
Continuous-tone printing requires resolutions of 250
ppi
to 400 ppi.
d.
The offset-printing standard is often considered 300
ppi. But resolutions of 1.3 - 2 times the halftone screen
for the project are considered safe. If the images will
be
printed at 150 lpi, the appropriate image file resolution
range would be 195 ppi to 300 ppi.
9.
Sharpen last. All digital images require sharpening,
during capture or after, and the correct amount to apply
depends on the type of use and size of the final output.
For most uses, it’s best to sharpen little or
none during
capture with a camera or scanner. Sharpening is an art,
and
requires study and practice.
There
are several schools of thought regarding proper
sharpening. One recommended method is to remove capture
softness using a gentle sharpening pass followed by
local
sharpening and/or output sharpening. Sharpening should
be
the final step in reproduction, because resizing and
contrast adjustment affect an image’s sharpness.
Sharpening
is best evaluated at 100 percent and 50 percent
views on your monitor, or by making a print. The most
common sharpening method is to apply an “unsharp
mask”
filter (higher settings for higher-resolution files)
to
images, but other sharpening methods and Photoshop plug-in
programs can be useful, too. Oversharpening creates
obvious halos around edges within images.
10.
Delivery. Digital image files may be delivered on
removable media (removable hard drive, CD-Rs or DVD-Rs),
or via FTP or e-mail. If files are delivered on CD-R,
the
standard disc formatting is ISO 9660 or “Mac OS
extended
and PC (Hybrid) CD.” When delivering images on
a DVD-R,
make sure the recipient can read the chosen format,
since
there are multiple standards. Often speed and convenience
require delivery by File Transfer Protocol (FTP). Although
not a preferred method, e-mail delivery usually works
if
image files are small in number and size, and both sender’s
and recipient’s internet service providers permit
large
attachments.
E-mail
delivery sometimes works better if the image files
are first compressed using RLE compression software
such as WinZip or Stuffit. Check to make sure the recipient
can
access your specific version of compressed files. Delivery
by FTP or e-mail usually precludes delivery of a “guide
print” (discussed below), so a disclaimer should
always be
included that states accurate viewing and reproduction
depend on the recipient properly applying ICC color
management.
11.
File info. All digital image files should have
embedded metadata — including copyright, usage
license and contact information — that conforms
to the IPTC or the
newer IPTC Core standards. Photoshop users can input
and
edit this information by choosing “File Info”
under the
File menu. Adding caption, title, origin and keyword
data
enhances searches and organization with digital asset
management applications.
12.
Describe what’s there. Provide a ReadMe file in
either
.PDF, .HTML, or .TXT format with all files delivered
for
output. Such files should specify image size(s), color
space(s) and any licenses granted, the copyright owner’s
contact information and, if certain rights are being
withheld, the words “other uses, reproduction
or
distribution are specifically prohibited.” The
ReadMe file
should also include disclaimers noting recipients are
responsible for following an ICC-based color management
workflow.
13.
Send a guide. Whenever possible, include a guide print
with digital image files. A guide print is typically
an
inkjet print that serves as a color reference for
reproduction of a digital image file.
14.
Disk labels. Do not use adhesive labels on optical
media, since they may separate and damage an optical
drive.
Printing directly on inkjet-writable CDRs or DVDRs is
a
good way to provide information such as your copyright,
usage license, file lists and disclaimers.
15.
Long term. Archiving responsibilities should be
clearly stated in writing for everyone involved.
Photographers should note that charging for archiving
could
mean assuming liability for maintaining such archives.
Prudent photographers keep back-ups on external magnetic
drives, as well as on optical media and, if possible,
also
keep duplicate back-ups offsite.
Please
consult for updates at the website of Universal
Photographic Digital Imaging Guidelines UPDIG
http://www.updig.org/ and get information about the
background and organization of Universal Photographic
Digital Imaging Guidelines UPDIG - sign up for future
updates, too.
........................................................
LOST: BLOG ABOUT STOCK PHOTOGRAPHY
I
have lost all my web logs at Google's Blogger a few
weeks ago. I had so many posts in English as well as
in Danish (on other blogs). All decent and useful.
The
general account for me remained but all archives
were gone, no single post remained and the blogs were
completely gone. I don't have a clue of the reason,
and I
had absolutely no warning before. The frustration isn't
less because I haven't been able to get in contact with
a
real person, only the standard auto responders. The
only
reason I can imagine is that I was prosecuted because
I
had reserved I think 4 extra sub domain names (= other
blogs) without starting them.
After
that I have stopped to recommend people to sign
up for a blog at Google. My next step will be to host
it myself and probably to use WordPress as the software.
I will come back to that in the future.
........................................................
SINCE
LAST SPN
For
us in Denmark the world has been rather crazy the later
months. Personally I have from the beginning been 100%
against these cartoons of the Prophet in the newspaper
-
haven't seen them in fact. But to my simple sole it
is out
of proportion to burn and kill as a reaction.
During
the hottest time of the reactions my wife and I were
on travel in the Arab Sultanate Oman on the Arab Peninsular.
We
were everywhere treated with outstanding hospitality
and
friendliness. Very civilized people, interesting culture
and superb nature. We will definitely come back. Let
us
hope that people in Denmark as well as in other countries
can see in the future that we all need to share this
fantastic planet and pay respect to different cultures
and
traditions.
Soren
........................................................
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STOCK PHOTO NEWS
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Mail: If one SPN issue is filtered to your 'bulk' folder,
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The
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You may need to search a filter's help for how to do
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and depending on software/version, they may call it
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Other
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If one of your Stock Photo News issue is being filtered,
add the "azfotos.com" and "stockPhotoNews.com"
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to your
address book or contact list.
THANK YOU! / Soren
........................................................
Copyright
2006 by Soren Breiting, A-Z FOTOS.
http://www.azFotos.com
"Find Stock Photos from most of the World"
Email me at: sb@ azfotosTAKETHISAWAY.com (email spaced
etc to avoid email harvesters).
You
are welcome to forward this newsletter to a friend or
to post it on your own website as long as you keep ALL
content, including the copyright notion and contact
information, intact and keep all links.
Stock
Photo News is 'in principle' a monthly newsletter
edited by me, Soren Breiting.
Due to many travels abroad it is impossible for me to
keep the schedule of the issues strictly fitting to
each month. My intention is to bring quality information
that isn't outdated a month or two later.
To
sign up for Stock Photo News:
Go to http://www.StockPhotoNews.com
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