jamie_conlan

martin,

im sure that yours is a firmware problem with the older 4000 scanner, but just for kicks, you should try and download the nikon software from the link that I provided and see if there is any inane update included in there that may help you. if not, sorry for you.

 

I have used vuescan and find it to be a terribly frustrating program. i have used silverfast and do not like it simply because it makes too many auto corrections for me. the best scan in my opinion is a flat scan straight from the nikon software that the user then manipulates in photoshop afterwards, but that is making an assumption on my part that you know how to use photoshop well enough to get the scans that you want.

 

i hope the link I provided may help anyone to resolve their problems, but if not, good luck!

It's a late reply, I know, but for what it's worth:

 

I have a macbook pro and a coolscan 9000 with nikon scan 4 intalled running and working fine. I can't imagine why others are having so much trouble with this. are you downloading the most current software from the nikon site? One important thing I have found, is on the website there are two options for downloading nikon scan. one says "full version" and one says "updater" The option for the updater actually gives you the most recent version of the sofware, regardless of whether or not you have a previous version installed. Follow this link:

 

http://support.nikontech.com/cgi-bin/nikonusa.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=10340&p_sid=vMT-6nMi&p_lva=61&p_accessibility=0&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPTEmcF9zb3J0X2J5PSZwX2dyaWRzb3J0PSZwX3Jvd19jbnQ9NjImcF9wcm9kcz0yNSw1MSZwX2NhdHM9MCZwX3B2PTIuNTEmcF9jdj0mcF9zZWFyY2hfdHlwZT1hbnN3ZXJzLnNlYXJjaF9ubCZwX3BhZ2U9MQ%2A%2A&p_li=#

 

hope you can figure it out and I'd be happy to help anyone with questions.

 

-Jamie

thanks for the replies.

 

I'm making a promo mailer card to send to editorial magazine editors, to give them an example of my work that corresponds to the type of imagery they buy and commission specifically for their magazine stories. The example I posted was to send to an editor looking to hire a photographer for editorial portraits.

 

What I was originally looking for from this post was to see what other people are creating to send to editors.

 

Does anyone out there want to post a Promo Mailer Card that they have been using or designed to compare? This is basically so that people can get ideas on what others are doing that may be successful so that they can in turn try to create a promo card for themselves that will be useful in helping their own commercial careers.

 

This was not meant to be a forum for a critique of my card that I posted that I know has problems. I posted it as an example of something that I had done, wanting to see what others had done. Basically I wanted people to be able to see the possibilities that are out there.

 

Anyone feel like sharing? Post up an image in this thread.

 

Thanks!

Leah,

It's great as an "art" image. I love the balance between negative space and subject. It makes it a slightly more interesting version of everyday life. Throw off your viewer a bit, don't give them exactly what they're expecting. Those image adjustments, in my opinion, are terrible. I would not use any of them if you want to keep the integrity of the image. You could try brightening the eyes as your suggested, but I would leave the shadow and leave the colors natural, i.e. don't brighten the entire image, just the eyes. Gimmicks only confuse the message of your image. Not intended to offend, just my opinion.

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<img src="http://www.blarg.cc/~jamie/00LrUj-37451484.jpg">

Hey All,

Im designing a new promo card for myself and was wondering if anyone wanted to

offer up examples of their own. Here's what I've been working on so far:

 

<img src="http://www.blarg.cc/~jamie/promo_jesse_5.jpg">

 

Thanks for the input!

 

-Jamie

For anyone who's interested, here's what I've found works the best:

 

1. Make sure that your custom ICC profiles (monitor, printer, paper) are accurate. If you do a soft proof in Photoshop and you're colors look completely off, chances are your profiles are off. Make sure that your ink cartridges are fresh, etc.

 

2. In Photoshop, set your working color space to your custom created monitor profile, with your gray gamma set at 1.8

 

3. Convert your image's color space to your monitor profile.

 

4. Do a soft proof of your image with your custom printer / paper profile to make sure that your colors look accurate. If not, make subtle curves adjustments to bring your image back to looking good, remembering that if your colors are WILDLY inaccurate, chances are your profiles are no good.

 

5. Print your image in Photoshop, making sure to set the color management to "Let Photoshop determine colors" and apply your custom printer / paper profile to your image, with relative colorimetric and black point compensation chosen.

 

6. In the printer setup dialogue box that follows, make sure that you apply the exact same settings as the ones that you chose when you created your paper profile.

 

7. sit back and watch your beautiful, color accurate print appear before your eyes.

 

I'll be happy to answer any questions that anyone may have.

 

Cheers!

thanks, I'll try that and post my results.

Hi,

wondering who has had success with which options with the Epson 1280.

 

I am using monaco EZ color to create custom ICC profiles for Epson papers (just

what I have on hand right now, not my first choice in paper) and then printing

my files through Photoshop.

 

I have heard many different things as to what is the best way to do this,

achieving mixed results.

 

Currently my work flow is as follows:

 

Profile monitor with Monaco EZ Color using LCD setting and gray gamma of 2.2,

white point of 6500k

 

Profile Paper with Monaco EZ Color obviously making sure to turn off auto color

correction

 

set photoshop color space to the Monaco created monitor profile with gray gamma

of 2.2

 

edit color of image with image color profile of adobe RGB 1998, double checking

against proof setup view of the paper profile i created in monaco and will then

be printing on

 

print using preset settings in the epson driver for the profile i created for

the paper i am using.

 

questions: do I apply the paper profile to the image in photoshop in the

photoshop print setting box (print with preview)?

 

Does this sound right or is there a better way to do it? Usually I get pretty

good results but I'm wondering if people have had better results doing it

another way.

 

Thanks for all the help!

 

-Jamie

There is no contract and I am not dealing directly with HBO, but rather the producer of the feature that we shot the image for.

 

I am about to hand over the negatives, to get my check, and I just want to protect myself, in writing, that they will do what they said they will do, i.e. give me credit and allow me to use the images in my portfolio.

 

It should be fairly simple. Any examples?

 

Thanks

Hi all,

I recently completed an assignment for HBO. These images were created "Work

for Hire" meaning essentially that I have no copyright claims to the images. All

negatives, etc. must be turned over to HBO. Fine, whatever, I knew what I was

getting into when I did the project.

 

However, as this is the first time I have shot "Work for Hire" I have a

question. It was stipulated that I would receive page credit for the image

selected and also that I would have reproduction rights for the sole purpose of

self marketing, i.e. to put in my portfolio.

 

Does anyone have a contract that deals with this, or can anyone give me advice

on how to obtain one? I don't want to leave some mundane point out that will let

them have their way with me, if they don't come through with what they promised.

 

Thanks in advance,

 

-Jamie

I returned it to the seller tonight. I was going to send it to DAG if the seller would refund me $50 to offset the repair cost, but he didn't want to. He probably thought I was lying about the shutter problem.

Don at DAG camera said he would fix it for $100, so I am going to go for that. I went with the R4s, specifically because it had such a good review, in that it was less dependent on electronics than the other models and that those of a serial higher than 1.6 million were extremely reliable. So, I didn't think that I was making a mistake by going with this model. Also, I got the camera body for only $140.00 and it was stated that it was working perfectly. I guess I should have assumed that the seller was lying to me?

 

thanks for all the feedback...

damn, not the answer I wanted to hear. Are you saying that because the repair will be too expensive to bother with?

I now have two 1.5v alkaline batteries in the camera and have tried moving the shutter speed dial, as well as the exposure program dial all the way through their cycle, and the problem persists.

Hi,

I just got a Leica R4s and the shutter is not firing. More specifically, the

film advance lever will not crank, thereby the shutter wont cock and I cant fire

the shutter. I got it out of the box this morning and pressed the shutter once

and it fired, but then I was not able to move the film advance lever again after

that. It does not currently have batteries in it, nor do I have a lens to attach

to it.

 

Is there something that I can do to try to get it to work, or must I send it in

to Leica to be serviced? If I must service it, is the Leica center in NJ the

best bet, or is there a better solution in NYC?

 

Thanks,

Jamie

Great, thanks for the replies, this will definitely help me to make my decision.

 

-Jamie

Hi there all,

I'm looking for a "new" 35mm camera to get back to my B/W roots with and am

considering picking up a nice used Leica R4 and want to couple that with a 35mm.

I have never owned Leica before, only Nikon (which I am also considering, if the

Leica quest falls flat), and so far the cost has been a bit daunting.

 

Is there a marked difference between the first and second generations of the

35mm f/2.8 Elmarit lenses? I have heard that the first generations have fairly

low contrast and soft edge focus. Is this true? Is it really worth spending an

extra $300 to get the second generation lens that is supposedly better?

 

Thanks,

-Jamie