chris_newkumet2

<p>many thanks, Jeff... problem solved... I feel like a bit of a dolt, but thanks for pointing the way...<br>

BTW, on the pixel cropping, I got the ratio then simply exported from LR, setting the pixel value as the long edge... lot of ways to skin a cat I guess..<br>

thanks again...</p>

<p>Jeff, much thanks, and I certainly agree with the earlier post of doing things differently next time...it just wasn't an option for this client at this time.<br>

Once again I face the risk of sounding stupid, but the only way I know to "select the background" is to use a lasso tool to trace the jewelry piece, then hit inverse. Is that the way to do it?<br>

As for the cropping, I'm still using PS 4, so the crop dimension boxes do not offer a pixel only option...I figured a work-around though by doing a bit of math and setting the dimensions in relation to the resolution to give me the exact size in pixels-by-pixels the web designer wants.</p>

 

<p>....and here's a ring...</p><div></div>

<p>All:<br>

Much thanks for your input late last week on Lightroom/Photoshop handling of images of jewelry shot on a white background. I have a few follow-up questions as I'm trying to wrap up this project. Let me begin by saying that all of the shooting is done, and was done in a light box mostly on pure-white background boards. There's no chance to reshoot at this point. My questions involve processing what I have.<br>

First, I'm really struggling with certain pieces -- i.e., white pearls and pale silver engagement rings. Basically, when I pull up the white in the background, mostly by using the eyedropper tool in levels in PS, the pearls all but disappear and the rings lose a bunch of detail and depth. I've attached a few files right out of the camera. I'd love to do all this in Lightroom if possible, but can shift into Photoshop as well, which I have to do anyway for some of the rings to clone out the wax used to hold them upright. Any detailed tips would be welcome on how to get the background to go to pure white without losing so much detail would be appreciated. Again, I'm only just competent in portrait-type processing in LR and PS, so step-by-step would be appreciated.<br>

Next, I'm currently using Lightroom 2, but have the LR 4 upgrade sitting on my desk. A few commenters from last week were using LR 4, which seems to include a few new features that might be helpful here. So, should I upgrade right now, even though I'm smack in the middle of this project of processing 1,000-plus images? Does the new capability outweigh whatever bumps and glitches I might run into in switching over?<br>

Finally, a pretty stupid question which I can't seem to sort out because I've never worked strictly for web usage before. How do I crop by pixels, i.e., crop to 600x510 pixels?<br>

Much thanks for all.</p><div></div>

<p>Ah,... I get it now, Patrick.. You're using LR 4, right? I still have LR 2 on my machine, though I have the LR 4 upgrade ready to go. I was planning to hold off on the upgrade until I finish this very large project. After looking at some of the improvements in the Develop module, I'm tempted to install the upgrade now. Do you think that would be problematic, as I've already processed roughly 20% of the 1100 or so images using LR 2?</p>

<p>Patrick, when you say "white slider" in Lightroom, do you mean the "Lights" slider in the Tone Curve panel?</p>

<p>Patrick...much thanks for your attention to this, and sorry to be dense... but I do most everything in LR these days and am far removed from what little PS expertise I may once have had... when you say move white point to 255 in curves, do I have to anchor a point along the curve so that it doesn't pull everything up with it? also, when you mention "a little brush," can you please spell that out a bit? I also have not worked in masks, but I suspect that would be very useful here...how would I place a mask over the jewelry piece? a quick step-by-step would be much appreciated... again, thanks so much for you help on this...</p>

<p>is this format more useful, Patrick?</p><div></div>

<p>Thanks for quick responses... I've shot nearly all of the items, in a lighting device provided by the client just for this purpose...so, at this point, I'm dealing only with the LR/PS processing and will have no opportunity to reshoot. Patrick, attached find a typical image of ear rings... this is a fairly low-rez JPG, but I have all in original RAW files as well...</p><div></div>

<p>For a client, I've been photographing 100s of pieces of jewelry in a white-paneled lighting box. For the most part, the images look great, with a mostly white background. The client wants near-pure white background, while retaining the subtle shadows I've accomplished through lighting. I'm in the midst of the Lightroom/Photoshop work and have run into a few snags. To bring the background up to close to pure white, while leaving the jewelry exposed correctly, or close to it, I've been using the eye-dropper tool in LR, or in PS for tougher light-balancing. My problem is that that approach sometimes leaves the piece of jewelry looking washed out, over-exposed or flat, especially with silver pieces. Any advice for how to handle that? I'd love to pull together a preset because there really are a lot of images to process in not very much time. Also, for another project involving family portraits on a white backdrop, I remember using a technique in PS using a layer to identify where my background was not quite white... I was able to clean it up easily by painting with the clone tool over a layer that I made darker through levels (I think, or may it was exposure). Sadly, I can't recall each step...that technique would be useful for this jewelry project as well. Can someone walk me through that? Any other tips on LR/PS work on jewelry would be welcome. I hope this makes sense...brain not working great today -- I guess I've been looking at too many pictures of engagement rings... all wit and wisdom appreciated.</p>

<p>A friend is planning a September wedding in San Francisco and needs a good photographer. I'm an East Coast guy, so I have no idea who to recommend. She's looking for a real pro with experience who will do the event and then just turn over the digital images. Any suggestions?</p>

<p>Chelsey:<br>

Currently, I use a 5D MKII and 7D, with the vertical grips. I like having both a full frame and cropped body... gives me options; plus, the 5D MKII is too slow for sports, which I do occasionally. Both bodies are terrific in high-ISO, low-light situations. </p>

<p>70-200L, f2.8 non-IS... you won't miss the IS; I sure haven't over a few hundred weddings<br>

24-70L, f2.8...great all-around lens, and pretty darn close to a macro to boot<br>

85, f1.8, bang for the buck, one of the great Canon lenses...wonderful portrait lens.. the f1.2 is too heavy and slow to focus for my taste<br>

16-35L, f2.8...terrific for low-angle, dramatic shots, and comes in real handy on a crowded dance floor..<br>

hope that helps...</p>

<p>Sorry, here's the image of the album</p><div></div>

<p>All:<br>

I've been using the "Classic Library" bookbound album by Burnes (see photo) for years to deliver 100 4x6 proofs for wedding and corporate clients. Sadly, I'm told by Send-A-Frame that it's being discontinued. I have two questions: Does anyone know a supplier with some of these still in stock? If not, can you suggest an alternative?<br>

The albums are very nice for what they are, and at about $15 are great for the price. The cover is leather and the pages are bookbound, with a memo space next to the insert.<br>

Any suggestions would be welcome.<br>

Thanks in advance,<br>

Chris</p>

<p>I have 6-7 rolls of Velvia, plus another 5 rolls of NPH, sealed in a plastic container in my refrigerator. The use-by date is 2004, and they've been in the fridge, sealed since before then. I want to get one of my old film cameras out and give it a whirl... is this film usable, or should I simply toss it and go buy some new stuff (though I'm not sure Fuji makes either of these any more)....</p>

<p>

<p >Has anyone else had this experience with their Canon EOS 7D: periodically, the playback on the LCD begins to flicker off too quickly, and then I can't get it to come back up. When this happens, not only can I not get the last image to display, but the Q, menu and picture styles won't display either. I have playback set to the "set" button inside the control wheel on the back. The problem seems to cure itself and reset when I take another picture, or when I hit the dedicated "play" button on the back or turn the camera off and back on, though I can't be sure these consistently work because it's happened only three or four times so far and I haven't been careful about recording the steps I take to get it back to working correctly. There seem to be no ill-effects for the actual images. I'm getting ready to contact Canon repair and send it in, but I thought I'd check to see if I'm overlooking an easy fix or perhaps a firmware update. Thanks for all.</p>

</p>

<p>Sorry to be a pest on topics like this, but I couldn't find any recent discussion of a successor to the Panasonic Lumix LX-3. It came out in August 2008, so I'm wondering, like a lot of people, if it's about to be replaced. I know it's a great camera, and I tried to pick one up last year but it was constantly out of stock. Now I'm paying attention to this again, and would be comfortable picking it up now that it's widely available. That said, I'd sure hate to miss a significant upgrade if its just around the corner. Anyone have any insight on that?</p>

<p>yeah...I lucked out on this... had the 7D sitting in a B&H shopping cart late Saturday and forgot about it... went back on Sunday and it was $100 cheaper... nice</p>

<p>thanks guys... sounds right.. I do need the camera, at least, for wedding season...</p>

<p>All:<br>

I need a few new pieces of Canon gear (7D, EX580II, etc), but have lost track of the Canon rebate cycle. Can someone give me a decent guess of when the next round will kick off? I know they just wrapped up a cycle in late January.</p>

<p>Ann:<br>

I'm no expert, but I understand the Canon battery is a fairly complex animal. For what you've already invested in the 5D MKII, I'd spring for the genuine article. I have that camera, and an extra Canon battery...frankly, the capacity is so great I rarely find myself reaching for the backup, so you'd only need one extra. I've done 12-hour weddings on 50% of the capacity.</p>

<p>Puppy Face, Bob & Glen:<br>

thanks for answering the question... this helps</p>

<p>Sorry to pester with one of those annoying "what have you heard?" posts, but I'm preparing to replace two of my Canon Speedlite 580EX (mk I) flashes. The Mk II has been out for a white, and the Strobist has brought a boatload of new attention to speedlite-based lighting, so I'm wondering if maybe Canon is working on the next best thing. If not, I'll just replace with the 580EX MkII...</p>

<p>All:<br>

I know bits of this have been covered, but I'm looking for the latest info on this particilar issue. I've been working with a local lab that also has the capability to design and host websites. Essentially, they designed my rather simple site, which includes a seemless interface with their lab services. There are galleries, etc, plus a view-your-event type of setup, with clients going to see the images and then purchasing prints. Print orders are satisfied by the lab, which takes a cut... pretty standard stuff. Problem is that I've never really been pleased with the website design, and virtually everything about dealing with the lab side, including uploading, etc., seems clunky and slow. So I need a new approach. My own experience with BluDomain mirrors those of others on this site... the templates seem really cool, the prices very attractive, but the customer service is nonexistent. Is there someone else out there who does what BluDomain offers -- with partial flash and HTML to boost Google recognition -- but with some semblance of customer service? And what about a lab interface? Has anyone worked with Zenfolio? How about the professional service level of SmugMug? Photography is my second job, but I'm fairly busy and need this end of the business to be quick and easy.</p>