keith_plechaty

<p>Yes, I posted the same question in the Lightroom Forum. It's not that I don't trust Rodney or Schewe, that was a bad choice of words, I just don't understand. Rodney explained that I should just do tests with LR2 and send them out to the printer to see the results. However, Schewe explained that I should not use LR2 for my photo books since the books are halftone. So I'm confused about what to follow. I don't see the use in investing in Photo Kit Sharpener if I can just use LR2. I did try PKS and the sharpening looks identical to the matte, Hight setting in LR 2. </p>

<p>I agree, I make sure that all the images are at 100% when I apply output sharpening. I apply the same output sharpener routine to each and the bigger images end up showing slight halos around certain areas.<br>

I heard that LR is optimized for inkjet output, however I have also consulted with some others that say that LR's sharpening is fine for photo books. I'm not really sure who to trust on that.<br>

I did do a test print with PKS, and I picked the optimal settings and the halo still shows up and I actually thought the sharpening was too dramatic with PKS. I know I can scale it back though.</p>

<p>I just received 5 test pages back from my Photo Book printer SharedInk. I had sent them 5 pages with all the same images on each page but with various levels of output sharpening applied to each page (sharpening was done from Lightroom 2 and one page was with Photo Kit Sharpener Demo). I'm thinking the Matte, Low setting is the best to my eye. However, here's the question I have. All the smaller images in the book, say around 4x5 look terrific with the output sharpening applied, however, there are several pictures in the book that cover an entire page and I think those images don't look as good as the smaller ones. I'm seeing more white halos around high contrast areas. The halos go away if I don't output sharpen those larger images. What do others do in this case? Do you not apply any sharpening to a picture like that, or do you touch up the picture in photoshop to get rid of the halo?<br>

Thanks!</p>

<p>

<p >I think I may have come up with a solution to quickly resizing images in InDesign and output sharpening them with Adobe Lightroom 2. Basically, I'd be following a similar path that I outlined above.</p>

<ol >

<li >Import RAW images into Lightroom 2.</li>

<li >Color Correct/Sharpen images within the Develop Module</li>

<li >Export RAW images as Tiffs at max res and no output sharpening and import into an InDesign template created by me. Inside of InDesign I resize photos to the desired size.</li>

<li >When I am sure about the size, I run a script that resizes all the images in photoshop and re-imports them back into InDesign at 100%.</li>

<li >Take those same resized images and import them into LR 2. Export the images from LR 2 with export sharpening. Then update everything in Indesign with the export sharpened images.</li>

<li >Create a PDF of the book and then convert PDFs to JPGS to be uploaded to Shared Ink. (They only accept JPGS from a program like InDesign.)</li>

</ol>

<p > </p>

<p >Does all of that make sense? I have a few questions about this process:</p>

<ul >

<li >Will the image quality be the same as if I exported them from LR 2 with export sharpening applied at the very beginning (That would take place in step 3 if I actually did do export sharpening.) If this actually works, it would save a ton of time! </li>

<li >My other alternative would be to purchase PhotoKit Sharpener and automate the output sharpening with the InDesign script and take LR 2 totally out of the output sharpening stage.</li>

<li >Also, when I actually resize images in photoshop with the InDesign script, should I be using Bicubic sharper when reducing the size?</li>

</ul>

<p > </p>

<p >Thanks again for all the help and advice.</p>

</p>

<p>If the output sharpening for LR2 is based on an Inkjet, then should I even be using output sharpening from LR2 since I am printing to an HP Indigo?</p>

<p>Sorry, I was using the incorrect terms. I meant I first do Capture Sharpening with Lightroom and then would do the Output Sharpening. Since the output sharpening is based on an Inkjet printer and I will be printing with a halftone dot, should I just NOT do output sharpening at all?</p>

<p>Thanks for all the responses! So the consensus is generally to do the creative sharpening in the develop module, then do the output sharpening, but only apply output sharpening if you're working at the actual size that you will be using the photo.<br>

The question now is, if I print on matte paper, I will use the matte setting, but what strength would be best to use? The book printer recommended I have some samples printed to see if I could tell the difference.</p>

<p>I'm unsure about how to approach sharpening of individual photos for my photo books. Here's the workflow I follow to print books at Shared Ink:</p>

<ol>

<li>Import RAW images into Lightroom 2.</li>

<li>Color Correct/Sharpen images within the Develop Module</li>

<li>Export RAW images as Tiffs at max res and import into an InDesign template created by me. Inside of InDesign I resize photos to the desired size.</li>

<li>Create a PDF of the book and then convert PDFs to JPGS to be uploaded to Shared Ink. (They only accept JPGS from a program like InDesign.)</li>

</ol>

<p>Here are my questions:</p>

<ul>

<li>In step 3, when I export RAW images as Tiffs to place into InDesgin, what sort of Export Sharpening should I be using? LR has matte and Glossy, and then 3 strengths of sharpening. I generally print on matte paper so I know I could use matte.</li>

<li>When I finally decide on the size of my images within InDesign, do I need to re-export each image from Lightroom at the correct size? I normally include 100s of images in my books and it would take quite a while to do this.</li>

</ul>

<p>Thanks, any advice is much appreciated!</p>

<p>Thanks James for the informative response. Really appreciated.</p>

<p>I'm hoping to purchase a backpack for my next vacation. I've been looking at the fastpack, 360, and flipside. I'm really up in the air about what would be the best choice. I like the convenience of being able to stow your camera quickly and being able to access it quickly. However, I also like to change lenses often and don't know which bag would be best for this.<br>

When you walk around on vacation, do you use a backpack? Also, do you generally keep your camera around your neck and stow it when you know you're done photographing? Do you use the black rapids strap or a hand strap?<br>

Thanks for the help.</p>

<p>I'd like to purchase a backpack, and mainly have been looking at the Lowepro Fastpack, Think Tanc 360, and Flipside. My goal is to distribute the weight on my back, and I think these two would be great for that. I liked all of these backpacks because of the quick and easy access to your camera. (I think the flipside isn't quite as fast though.)<br>

I like to change lenses quite often, and was wondering what other people do? I know it's not easy to change lenses with the Fastpack. It looks pretty easy to do it with the flipside and 360, but those two looked a little more cumbersome compared to the fastpack.<br>

Thanks for the help.</p>

<p>I was hoping everyone would say go for the 7D! Now I'm a little confused! Some of my reasons for wanting the 7D was to have HD video, better high ISO performance, the self cleaning system, better focus, etc. According to most people though, it would be better for my purposes to go for a 5D Mark 1? I realize this is a terrific camera, but I know that the camera is a little dated and was hoping to go with something more current. Would the 7D in fact provide me with noticeably better ISO performance than my 30D? I'm willing to pay the money for the 7D. For prints at the size I am doing, I'd like to have some cropping opportunities that the 30D doesn't provide all of the time. For my printing purposes, would I notice a large difference between the higher ISOs for the 7D and 5D or 5D Mk II?</p>

<p>Hi. I recently got an email for a rebate on the 7D. As always, that really got me thinking! I own a 30D with 24-105L and a 10-22 EF-S lens. I'd like to list out what I'm looking for and if it's worthwhile to upgrade. Any comments are most appreciated.</p>

<ol>

<li>I primarily use my camera on vacation. I generally shoot on cruise ships, inside churches and mansions, and the landscapes I encounter on my trips. Most of the time there is no possibility of using flash when in museums or churches, so I am hoping the 7D has much better ISO capabilities. Most of the time my 30D is just not enough. It's usually just enough at 1600, but the noise is then very high. I'm hoping to find a camera that is good all around for vacation. (The 7D did sounded like the best all around.) I really enjoy low light photography, so I'm hoping the 7D does better than the 30D. (I realize the 5d Mk II is the king when it comes to low light though, so I'm thinking about that camera as well.)</li>

<li>When I print photos, I almost always print them in photo books (by shared ink). The image sizes range from 4 x 5 all the way up to 16 x 12. Would the 7D be ideal for this, or would it be better to consider a full frame like the 5D Mk II?</li>

<li>I'm really up in the air on whether it's better to go with the 7D or the 5D Mk II. I like wide angle, so I use the 10-22 mm quite a bit. However, I hear the 5D is just better in that arena. I don't know if I even would notice the difference though.</li>

<li>If I print mostly in photo books, wouldn't the 5D Mk II be total overkill? I'm not a professional and don't make money from photography, so I am just wondering if it would be senseless to go with a 5D Mk II. The extra expense of the camera bothers me a little.</li>

</ol>

<p>Thanks for the help!</p>

<p>I own a 24-105L and my complaint isn't really about sharpness. I think that's fine! But I print on (12.0" tall x 16.0" wide) photo books, and there are times when it would be nice to cover an entire page with a photo. I don't have much room for error with the 30D's 8 MBPs sensor. I generally go down to 250 ppi to get the image as big as possible, but that's the max I wanted to go and it doesn't give me any bleed.</p>

<p>I guess it sounds like I hate the 30D! But it really has been a good camera. But there are those times, like when I'm pulling away from a harbor at night and I want to capture the sunset or the buildings along the coast and I just can't get the ISO high enough. When I turn it to "HI" on the 30D the images are just not useable.</p>

<p>I own a 24-105L and a 10-22 EF-S.</p>

<p>I've owned a 30D for several years now and have been very happy with it. I use my camera mostly on vacations. My most recent trip was a cruise through the eastern Mediterranean. I figured the 30D would be the best bet for me at the time because I don't shoot portraits, don't make money from my pictures, and I know it's a lot less expensive compared to a full frame! Now I have come to the point where I want a 7D. I enjoy shooting in low light, especially while I am on the cruise ship. So I was thinking the low light performance of the 7D compared to the 30D would be significantly better? Am I right to assume that? In addition, I print large coffee table photo books of my vacations, and often my 30D pictures don't have enough resolution to cover an entire page. I'd like to have more pixels to work with. I got around this fact by shooting a panorama in portrait mode with my 30D. It came out great, but it's hard to do when you're on the run. So I was thinking the 7D would be easier to get more pixels without shooting a panorama.<br>

Do you think it's worthit to upgrade? If I do upgrade, should I just sell my 30D? I found a place near my house that buys cameras. I could either have them sell it or put it towards a new camera. What would be the best option?<br>

Thanks so much for the help.</p>

<p>I'm a little confused about dispersion. I know that if I want maximum depth of field, I should use a very small aperture. However, I read that if you use your lens's smallest aperture you lose sharpness from dispersion. So how do you know how small to go with aperture to avoid dispersion? I own a 10-22 and 24-105L.<br>

Thanks for the help!</p>

<p>If I want as much DOF as possible when taking closeup shots of my tree, would it be best to go up to something like f14 with both lenses?</p>

<p>Hi, I'm photographing my christmas tree at night and I was wondering what the best Aperture would be for that. I'm using a 10-22 and a 24-104. I've been taking wide angle shots as well as extreme closeups. I'm always confused about what the best aperture should be! It can be so frustrating. I know that if I make the aperture too small you get dispersion and less sharpness. So where in your opinion would be the sweet spot for both of these lenses? Is there a guide I should abide by?</p>

<p>I've been struggling quite a bit on vacation carrying my camera. I know there must be a better way! Currently, my procedure has been:</p>

<ul>

<li>I use a Large Billingham Hadley on my trips. For the plane ride I pack the following into it: Canon EOS 30D, mini tripod, 24-105L, 10-22, batteries, charger, lens hoods, remote release, ipod, memory cards, cleaning things, and even a magazine or two!</li>

<li>When I get to my destination, I empty out the Billingham and just carry my EOS 30D, 2 lenses, memory cards, battery, some cleaning cloths, maps, etc</li>

<li>Whenever I want to shoot something, I just quickly pull the camera out of the messenger style Hadley, shoot something and then put it right back into the bag.</li>

</ul>

<p>My issue has to do with my shoulder and back! Even with that somewhat small amount I feel like my shoulder and back is killing me and uncomfortable. I'm thinking having all the weight to one side is just unnatural and straining? So I'm thinking of changing my system around to make things more comfortable. But I have no idea where to start. Here are some ideas that I wanted to get across:</p>

<ul>

<li>I don't use any type of camera strap and was thinking of getting something from Black Rapids. This would enable me to keep my camera out and ready to shoot whenever necessary and would maybe distribute weight better?</li>

<li>When I am at a restaurant or it is raining, I would like to put my camera somewhere safe. The Lowepro Slingshots look very appetizing because you can stow your camera in it really quickly and take it out pretty quickly too. It would also be nice to have it on my back instead of hanging off a shoulder.</li>

<li>Do you think the Black Rapids system and the Slingshot would conflict with one another?</li>

</ul>

<p>I'm really open to different bag setups, however I don't want to look super conspicuous. I'd rule out a belt of any kind to carry equipment and a photo vest too. (One reason for getting the Billingham was that it doesn't look too much like a camera bag.) But I'm open to bags looking like a camera bag if necessary! I look forward to the suggestions!<br>

Thanks so much.</p>

 

<p>I really need a scanner! Do I go for the Epson v600 or for the v700? My primary need is to to scan reflective media (postcards, boarding passes, old photographs) for the photo books that I create for myself and clients. I will also need to occasionally scan a 35 mm slide. I hesitate to go for the v700 because i feel it might be overkill for what I need. I realize the v700 is just a better all around scanner, but it's hard to justify all that extra money if I'm not even going to use the transparency option that frequently. Of course it's nice when a high quality transparency option is available though!</p>

<p>I'm unsure about how to approach sharpening of individual photos with my photo books. My workflow has always been to work in Lightroom and then export all my photos at their max size along with Lightroom's export sharpening selected. I then drop the photos into an InDesign template created by me and resize the photos to fit my template. I've read that Lightroom sharpens photos optimally at the size that is being outputted. However, with my photo books I generally size pictures down. It's almost impossible to know what size I will want the photo until I use it in the book. What do others do in this case? If I am resizing everything does that ruin Lightroom's sharpening effect?</p>

<p>I'd like to purchase Fotomagico 3.0 to create personal slideshows. However, I'm confused about the pro vs express versions. My ultimate goal is to play these slideshows on my Sony PS3, which recognizes MP4. Can I just buy the express version and accomplis this task? Or does the pro version allow for the highest quality output? I think the express version will only export high quality .mov files. Does that mean I would need to buy an additional converter? Or would it be a lot easier to buy the pro version?</p>

<p>Just another question...I really like the transitions and chapter starts in iMovie. Can I export those small snippets to Fotomagico without too much of a problem?</p>