I was so excited to download iLife '11. It has new features for organizing photos, a variety of templates for making memory books and easy slide show options. With the holidays approaching, I can use all the help I can get organizing our photos from the year and designing calendars for our families as gifts. Offering calendars to clients would be a great holiday service.
The download went fine. My pictures and videos converted to the new version quickly. But my excitement was short lived when I went to make a calendar.
The first red flag came when there was no 'calendar' option from the handy display menu. I checked every drop down menu from the toolbar. I couldn't figure out how to find the option to make a calendar - let alone make the calendar - which really seemed counter intuitive to the most intuitive program I've used.
When I attempted to open a previously published calendar, this is the message I got: "Editing and ordering calendars is not currently supported in this version of iPhoto"
WHAT?!!
How can Apple release a new version of iPhoto so close to the holidays and not offer such a high demand option as a calendar?! I was baffled. Can I remove iLife '11 and reinstall my previous iPhoto? What does that do to my photos, which have already been converted to the new versions? Ugh.
I'm pretty disappointed. So disappointed I caught myself looking at this new gizmo from Dell.
It would be fine to work with another online photo ordering company such as shutterfly or snapfish, but I've been an Apple fan for ages. All of the memory books, cards and calendars I've ordered have worked out perfectly and with no inconvenience. Until now.
print>pixel takes your printed pictures to the digital age. Photos sitting in boxes? Principal Kale Kim will scan in your photos for easy digital archiving. We can also design visual presentations for your special event.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010
Stop Dot
At print > pixel we love pictures. So naturally, that means we love stop motion video, the process of taking still photographs and running them together to form movie-like action. This is an amazing short movie shot on a Nokia N8 cell phone connected to a microscope.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
My life should have iLife '11
Apple announced the newest upgrade to their photo management/movie building/music making suite, iLife. There are some pretty cool updates to utilize, but we here at print>pixel are super jazzed about the iPhoto features. Little enhancements like uploading pictures directly to Facebook, a geographic map display using Places, and a full screen display are amazing. There are more options for building slide shows, photo books and cards. There is even....wait for it...a letterpress card option! I could barely contain my excitement while watching the info film on it.
iMovie also has a number of improvements. In addition to Aperture, we do put slide shows together in iMovie for expanded presentational possibilities. Making trailers, gaining more flexibility with audio soundtracks and new 'one-step effects' will be fun to play with.
This very user-friendly package works for the majority of Apple's customers. The tools make our work easier, making it easier for clients to catalog or share their treasured memories. The Apple site has a number of tutorials and if you're a new user you can take advantage of the one to one sessions, where you can work with a creative professional at any Apple store to learn the software or complete projects.
iMovie also has a number of improvements. In addition to Aperture, we do put slide shows together in iMovie for expanded presentational possibilities. Making trailers, gaining more flexibility with audio soundtracks and new 'one-step effects' will be fun to play with.
This very user-friendly package works for the majority of Apple's customers. The tools make our work easier, making it easier for clients to catalog or share their treasured memories. The Apple site has a number of tutorials and if you're a new user you can take advantage of the one to one sessions, where you can work with a creative professional at any Apple store to learn the software or complete projects.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
NGHS, All Right! Yeah!
Business has picked up this month, which is great! But I have to say the project I'm most excited about this week is a slide show for my 20th High School Class Reunion. Print and digital pictures have been sent to me by my classmates, and I'm scurrying to put all of these hilarious images together. I've had '80s songs drumming through my head since I began this project (that's ridiculous if you know me; I always have '80s songs drumming through my head!) But here's a cover by Bay Area duo Pomplamoose that I've been jammin' to all morning. It's like, totally awesome!
Friday, July 30, 2010
Summertime Blues
This is my third summer as a stay-at-home parent. However, it is my first summer as a work-from-home parent.
During the summer vacations I try not to book my older daughter into too many activities or classes so we can have lounge time together, read, work in the garden or tackle home projects (she has painted many walls with me in our house). My youngest still requires an afternoon nap, so we plan our errands or park outings for the morning, come home to have lunch and some quiet time. We stick to the back yard later in the afternoon or eat dinner outside.
Our first summer with two kids was pretty stressful. I was still unpacking from our year in California while tending to a baby and attempting to convince my oldest she still had my attention. My husband was also changing careers.
We had a better groove last summer, where both kids (then ages eight and one), were content in the wading pool while I brainstormed ideas about a home business.
This summer I have had time for one role only: Referee.
My girls, now ages nine and two, are constantly bickering. #1 attempts to reason with #2. #2 repeats everything #1 says. #1 gets mad, yells. #2 yells back. Sometimes I let them yell it out until they call for me. Sometimes I just separate. Most times I give threats. Once in a while, treats.
In June, I imagined the girls could play together long enough for me to squeeze in an hour or so of work. It hasn't really happened that way. When my husband took some vacation time, I thought I'd be off the hook, but that was almost worse.
I always knew I needed to put certain expectations aside when my children were young. That self satisfaction would have greater limits: Fewer date nights, less time with girlfriends, fewer books read, stricter budgets. I even accepted that my "work" now exhibited itself within the minds and bodies of two little girls. But now that I have a mentally stimulating and creative outlet - a business - I need to restrict myself in other areas in order to make room for the business.
Restricting time with my family just doesn't seem right for me at this point. So the business gets shifted down the priority chain a notch.
But I'm not powering down entirely-I'm taking some time to build a website, stylize our logo, organize our branding, marketing and packaging so that once the first leaves fall from the trees we'll be able to boost print > pixel's visibility. Then, at least, I can push that 'Referee' title further away.
During the summer vacations I try not to book my older daughter into too many activities or classes so we can have lounge time together, read, work in the garden or tackle home projects (she has painted many walls with me in our house). My youngest still requires an afternoon nap, so we plan our errands or park outings for the morning, come home to have lunch and some quiet time. We stick to the back yard later in the afternoon or eat dinner outside.
Our first summer with two kids was pretty stressful. I was still unpacking from our year in California while tending to a baby and attempting to convince my oldest she still had my attention. My husband was also changing careers.
We had a better groove last summer, where both kids (then ages eight and one), were content in the wading pool while I brainstormed ideas about a home business.
This summer I have had time for one role only: Referee.
My girls, now ages nine and two, are constantly bickering. #1 attempts to reason with #2. #2 repeats everything #1 says. #1 gets mad, yells. #2 yells back. Sometimes I let them yell it out until they call for me. Sometimes I just separate. Most times I give threats. Once in a while, treats.
In June, I imagined the girls could play together long enough for me to squeeze in an hour or so of work. It hasn't really happened that way. When my husband took some vacation time, I thought I'd be off the hook, but that was almost worse.
I always knew I needed to put certain expectations aside when my children were young. That self satisfaction would have greater limits: Fewer date nights, less time with girlfriends, fewer books read, stricter budgets. I even accepted that my "work" now exhibited itself within the minds and bodies of two little girls. But now that I have a mentally stimulating and creative outlet - a business - I need to restrict myself in other areas in order to make room for the business.
Restricting time with my family just doesn't seem right for me at this point. So the business gets shifted down the priority chain a notch.
But I'm not powering down entirely-I'm taking some time to build a website, stylize our logo, organize our branding, marketing and packaging so that once the first leaves fall from the trees we'll be able to boost print > pixel's visibility. Then, at least, I can push that 'Referee' title further away.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Travis! You're a Year Too Late!
So I am salivating at the new print shop Levi's opened on San Francisco's Valencia Street. The neighborhood is an amazing testament to the best big cities can offer on an intimate scale. The Bay Area branch of Dave Eggers' 826 fabulousness is located there, creative design mecca The Curiosity Shoppe stands across the street, along with Dog Eared Books and a number of restaurants, design spots and cool shops. It was just a year ago this week that I was there last, taking in the eclectic heartbeat of that part of SF.
Apropos to say 'salivating' because the Levi's Print Shop will have a session for students from a local Edible Schoolyards program with Chez Panisse founder, Alice Waters. The students will put together a book of their printed works after a discussion with Waters about finding art in the garden.
Knowing the issues Levi's has had in the past decade to stay hip and current in the age of high-end denim (not to mention solvent and scandal-free), I think this is a pretty shameless ploy to carve a niche. But brilliant? Definitely.
If you've never rolled the cuffs on your Levi's to match the cigarette pack you rolled into the sleeve of your white T-shirt or worn your shrink-to-fit 501's in the bathtub, then this is the perfect opportunity to jump on the crafty bandwagon and gain some exposure to the company that defined denim. Design and handicraft are gaining exposure every day. As much as the next generation loves technology, print is taking on entirely new dimensions.
If this communal hub isn't inspiring enough for you--and as a business owner I am very inspired by companies who choose to not only put a face, but a philosophy behind a brand--Levi's takes it up a notch. This year, Levi's is collaborating with the city of Braddock, PA. They've invested in the town's community center, library and urban farm to help rebuild a city that needs rejuvenating. There are a couple of short films on the site introducing various townspeople and the "Ready to Work" campaign.
I was awed by the stories they told, the images of a once-thriving mill town looking more like a ghost town. But the hope these residents share, their commitment to their town is inspiring. It felt like a positive step and I had my own hope that maybe Levi's would build a factory in Braddock, bringing not only jobs, but truth to the tag, "Made in the USA."
In case you weren't quite sold on the idea of stacking a pair of Levi's next to your 7's, Joe's or Citizens, the site also offers free music downloads on their Pioneer Sessions site from happening musicians like She & Him, The Shins, Raphael Saadiq and The Swell Season. The artists do a great job covering older tunes. I especially love The Swell Season's rendition of "Young Hearts Run Free."
So check out the site. Watch a movie. Download a song. And if you aren't putting some jeans in your virtual shopping cart, I'd be surprised. Yes, it's an advertising campaign. But it's also giving some good people some good tools for their futures. We can't really say that here at print > pixel yet, but we're keeping watch and taking notes for our future.
Oh, and here's a little extra something, just for fun:
Monday, July 5, 2010
Diorama for Dada
I know this is a bit late, but while snooping through our photos, I remembered this fun project we whipped up for Father's Day.
Inspired by Photojojo's tutorial we were able to pick a couple of pictures, cut out the figures and glue it all together in a matter of minutes. Not bad for a late card idea. This diorama was for my father-in-law, who always loves pictures of the grandkids, so I added an envelope to the bottom of the page to insert a few extras.
You can do so much with this idea, whether you want to create an entire cityscape with people walking around or cut out paper wings for your little angels to float around a blue sky. Or, if you have vintage photos you can re-create some fond memories. Wedding photos come to mind...
We'll experiment more to get some exciting scenes together.
Inspired by Photojojo's tutorial we were able to pick a couple of pictures, cut out the figures and glue it all together in a matter of minutes. Not bad for a late card idea. This diorama was for my father-in-law, who always loves pictures of the grandkids, so I added an envelope to the bottom of the page to insert a few extras.
You can do so much with this idea, whether you want to create an entire cityscape with people walking around or cut out paper wings for your little angels to float around a blue sky. Or, if you have vintage photos you can re-create some fond memories. Wedding photos come to mind...
We'll experiment more to get some exciting scenes together.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Moving pictures
Not only is this a fun and catchy tune we've got going in the work room, but I love the polaroid and contact sheet framing.
Mega pixel project
During some recent scanning work for a client, I noticed a fair amount of landscape photographs. They had amazing colors and lovely scenery and probably captured many memorable moments. (Say that ten times fast) I also have lots of scenic photographs without people in them: cloud formations, sand, rocks, water, mountain ranges. I'm embarrassed to show the many pictures I have of plain blue skies. But what to do with them?
Artist - and prolific photographer - Liesl Pfeffer makes incredible collages out of her photographs. I particularly love The Mountains Wait.
Of course, you can cut up original photos to create your own collage. But with digital images you can print your photos onto photo paper for glossy or matte finishes, card stock, or any other fine papers for effect. Manipulating the digital images to enhance a color scheme can also add to your collage work. Imagine using sepia tones to create a cinema-inspired project or adding hyper contrasts for your Warhol homage.
Artist - and prolific photographer - Liesl Pfeffer makes incredible collages out of her photographs. I particularly love The Mountains Wait.
Of course, you can cut up original photos to create your own collage. But with digital images you can print your photos onto photo paper for glossy or matte finishes, card stock, or any other fine papers for effect. Manipulating the digital images to enhance a color scheme can also add to your collage work. Imagine using sepia tones to create a cinema-inspired project or adding hyper contrasts for your Warhol homage.
Pretty Paper
Last week my husband and I celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary. Although I am very happily married, I have to admit that it can be difficult to think of an inspiring gift that we haven't done before--that also stays within our budget. After being together 17 years, married for 14, and our two children, we are usually running out at the last minute for something easy.
I was proud of myself this year because I'd gotten the gifts early (books), figuring I'd spend the extra time on the packaging. Inspired by this hand painted wrapping paper from amazing artist Geninne, I made some fun wrapping paper of my own.
Using photo booth photos we took the year we were married, I scanned the strip, copied it into Photoshop and duplicated it until they fit across an 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper. Luckily, the vertical strip fit three times across. I had to print out two sheets and tape them together to wrap one book, but the tiling effect worked perfectly with the photo booth format. What a fun way to revive an old memory!
I had initially made a pastel-colored card, but once I saw the black and white wrapping on the books and found a black ribbon in my spare ribbon box, I knew a bright red heart would be the perfect accent. Please note that I am not ordinarily so completely coordinated - with clothes, home decor and especially NOT gift wrapping - but it felt great to use items at hand to create such a complete package. A photo-inspired one at that!
I was proud of myself this year because I'd gotten the gifts early (books), figuring I'd spend the extra time on the packaging. Inspired by this hand painted wrapping paper from amazing artist Geninne, I made some fun wrapping paper of my own.
Using photo booth photos we took the year we were married, I scanned the strip, copied it into Photoshop and duplicated it until they fit across an 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper. Luckily, the vertical strip fit three times across. I had to print out two sheets and tape them together to wrap one book, but the tiling effect worked perfectly with the photo booth format. What a fun way to revive an old memory!
I had initially made a pastel-colored card, but once I saw the black and white wrapping on the books and found a black ribbon in my spare ribbon box, I knew a bright red heart would be the perfect accent. Please note that I am not ordinarily so completely coordinated - with clothes, home decor and especially NOT gift wrapping - but it felt great to use items at hand to create such a complete package. A photo-inspired one at that!
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Back to the Future
When we talk about archiving photos, or even just scanning photos so we can use them on the web, sometimes it's hard to imagine a specific purpose. If you don't have an event like a wedding or retirement party where you're presenting yourself to an audience, it's easy to ask why you're taking the time in the first place.
I just love looking at pictures. Mine, yours, anybody's. I'm nosy. I like seeing how people or places change over time. I'm nostalgic. I like scanning in old pictures so I can see them on my laptop (the most commonly viewed screen of any kind in my home) or to pass them to friends or relatives.
Naturally, I was completely excited to find Photojojo's Photo Time Capsule. From the cool and fun Photojojo site, it sends you photos from your flickr account twice a month that were taken the previous year. It's like your younger self paying you a little visit. You can even post messages for your year-older-self to read with the photos! (A cool feature is that you can change your time capsule period to 1, 3, or 6 months or 1 or 2 years ahead.)
Now, here's where I have to make a confession: I probably have one photo in my flickr account. I just haven't taken the time to download my pics. Like many of my soon-to-be-clients, I keep thinking I'll get around to it tomorrow, or next week. But really, the time is now, isn't it? I'll start with one group of photos and send them out straightaway. How else will I get to see them again in three to six months?
I just love looking at pictures. Mine, yours, anybody's. I'm nosy. I like seeing how people or places change over time. I'm nostalgic. I like scanning in old pictures so I can see them on my laptop (the most commonly viewed screen of any kind in my home) or to pass them to friends or relatives.
Naturally, I was completely excited to find Photojojo's Photo Time Capsule. From the cool and fun Photojojo site, it sends you photos from your flickr account twice a month that were taken the previous year. It's like your younger self paying you a little visit. You can even post messages for your year-older-self to read with the photos! (A cool feature is that you can change your time capsule period to 1, 3, or 6 months or 1 or 2 years ahead.)
Now, here's where I have to make a confession: I probably have one photo in my flickr account. I just haven't taken the time to download my pics. Like many of my soon-to-be-clients, I keep thinking I'll get around to it tomorrow, or next week. But really, the time is now, isn't it? I'll start with one group of photos and send them out straightaway. How else will I get to see them again in three to six months?
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Putting it Together
I know this video has been made the rounds already, but I keep coming back to it. (Not that Google needs any additional publicity.) I have always loved pointillism, especially in the art of Georges Seurat and Paul Signac. I'm sure many of you have seen posters where the image is created from a number of other, smaller images. Looking at these images reminds me how important the tiniest speck can be in contributing to a larger, more complicated picture. I also love how a Bay Area artist has re-imagined Seurat's Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
"She's just about the close up the LI-br-ary!"
I am a huge fan of libraries. That doesn't seem so far off, given the satisfaction I get from helping people digitally archive their photographs, does it?
But within the stacks of a library there's a promise of treasure, adventure, excitement. The long rows of shelves hold books that keep pages bound together that contain letters. If you're lucky enough to read those letters, you can string together words, paragraphs, epic journeys. Even the physicality holds allure for me. To know that an insurmountable variety of documentation exists in a specific space makes my neck tingle.
Which is why I was completely overwhelmed to find that one of (if not THE) largest library collections in our country has been digitizing photos and other memorabilia for online access. The Library of Congress has a pretty awesome website. But it looks like they began uploading photos onto their flickr account in 2008 with a notice to readers to add any particulars, wikipedia-style. Interesting.
If you have some time, check out their pictures. I'm particularly enjoying the Lincoln sets, not only for the chance to look at some great pictures, but the tags are interesting, too!
*The above quote is from "It's a Wonderful Life." Watch the clip here.
But within the stacks of a library there's a promise of treasure, adventure, excitement. The long rows of shelves hold books that keep pages bound together that contain letters. If you're lucky enough to read those letters, you can string together words, paragraphs, epic journeys. Even the physicality holds allure for me. To know that an insurmountable variety of documentation exists in a specific space makes my neck tingle.
Which is why I was completely overwhelmed to find that one of (if not THE) largest library collections in our country has been digitizing photos and other memorabilia for online access. The Library of Congress has a pretty awesome website. But it looks like they began uploading photos onto their flickr account in 2008 with a notice to readers to add any particulars, wikipedia-style. Interesting.
If you have some time, check out their pictures. I'm particularly enjoying the Lincoln sets, not only for the chance to look at some great pictures, but the tags are interesting, too!
*The above quote is from "It's a Wonderful Life." Watch the clip here.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Mutual Appreciation
I spend some time reading blogs. Okay, A LOT of time reading blogs. I follow quite a few here on blogger, as well as a few others I've got bookmarked. Though the topics vary from craft to food to writing to design to photography, I love it when the more personal blogs (those by every day people putting what they love out there vs. companies wanting you to buy their stuff) reflect exactly what's on my mind.
Andrea at Hula Seventy is one of those people I admire and fear. Admire because she's an artist and mom who seems like a great gal to sit down to tea. Fear because since I only know her through my computer, I wouldn't want us to meet and then find we don't hit it off. But I figure a gal who loves the Xanadu soundtrack and taking pictures has got to be a bosom friend.
This week Andrea is celebrating "'roid week," where she's talking a lot about Polaroid cameras and taking Polaroid pictures. Since we here at print>pixel have been pondering the notalgic merit of the new Polaroid 300 vs. the futuristically-interchangeable-lensed-video-capable Olympus Pen, looking at Hula Seventy's photos has been fun. Remember unbalanced color saturation? The white borders? The cool noise the camera made when the picture came out?
What did you love about Polaroids?
Andrea at Hula Seventy is one of those people I admire and fear. Admire because she's an artist and mom who seems like a great gal to sit down to tea. Fear because since I only know her through my computer, I wouldn't want us to meet and then find we don't hit it off. But I figure a gal who loves the Xanadu soundtrack and taking pictures has got to be a bosom friend.
This week Andrea is celebrating "'roid week," where she's talking a lot about Polaroid cameras and taking Polaroid pictures. Since we here at print>pixel have been pondering the notalgic merit of the new Polaroid 300 vs. the futuristically-interchangeable-lensed-video-capable Olympus Pen, looking at Hula Seventy's photos has been fun. Remember unbalanced color saturation? The white borders? The cool noise the camera made when the picture came out?
What did you love about Polaroids?
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Showing off for Mom
Slide shows are pretty fun to whip up. They can be very simple, or cut through with crazy transitions, titles, photo effects--you can personalize your presentation however you prefer.
Last year I made a slide show for my mother's 70th birthday celebration. With Mother's Day on the horizon, I thought I'd share a little tidbit of it with you. Just gearing up to celebrate our favorite gal...
Last year I made a slide show for my mother's 70th birthday celebration. With Mother's Day on the horizon, I thought I'd share a little tidbit of it with you. Just gearing up to celebrate our favorite gal...
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Yo' Mama
Mother's Day is fast approaching (May 9, slackers!) and I for one am glad that I got a few of these gems scanned in of my own mother:
Sunday, April 11, 2010
How to Succeed in Business
Despite getting minimal sleep last night, I feel energetic today thinking about the momentum I'm gaining with print > pixel. Last week I mailed off my first official order, which is a huge milestone. I've completed projects for family and friends, but this was the first job where I quoted a price and actually invoiced the transaction. It feels great.
Today I was fortunate to get another order. When I arrived at the client's house, she had her photos laid out on the table, tidy rows of beautiful black and white photographs of her family. I was excited about this peek into her life, but more than anything, I felt honored.
For many of us using digital cameras, camera phones or cameras built-in to our computers, an image is easily disposable. If it's doesn't satisfy, we can delete it and take another in a matter of minutes. It is just as easily replicated, whether your software allows you to copy and paste, duplicate or make a copy from your master. One of the reasons I get excited about the work I'm doing is because these print photos are literally one of a kind memories. There were probably no reprints made of these black and white photos. It didn't seem like the negatives were still available, either.
Today I was fortunate to get another order. When I arrived at the client's house, she had her photos laid out on the table, tidy rows of beautiful black and white photographs of her family. I was excited about this peek into her life, but more than anything, I felt honored.
For many of us using digital cameras, camera phones or cameras built-in to our computers, an image is easily disposable. If it's doesn't satisfy, we can delete it and take another in a matter of minutes. It is just as easily replicated, whether your software allows you to copy and paste, duplicate or make a copy from your master. One of the reasons I get excited about the work I'm doing is because these print photos are literally one of a kind memories. There were probably no reprints made of these black and white photos. It didn't seem like the negatives were still available, either.
I felt honored and grateful to know that a client put their trust in me to preserve their memories. The first order I returned was sent from Oklahoma. That client boxed up her pictures and sent them to me on the recommendation of a friend. Today, my client gathered her photos into an envelope and pressed them into my arms along with a carton of home-made sorbet.
My orders are rolling in. I'm learning new software. I'm forming relationships with clients and business partners. I am building a business. It's becoming evident that the foundation of my business is trust. Thank you, dear clients, for building it along with me.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Pixel Power!
A lot of my friends have mentioned that once they decided to have kids, they noticed babies everywhere they went. Pregnant women, babes in arms, strollers, kids in restaurants--their worlds changed just by having babies on the brain.
Well, my world has expanded as well, but not by babies, but by pixels! Here's an amazing video making the rounds on Facebook and Twitter. Enjoy!
Well, my world has expanded as well, but not by babies, but by pixels! Here's an amazing video making the rounds on Facebook and Twitter. Enjoy!
Monday, April 5, 2010
Instant Gratification, Pt. II or This May Be The 'Droid You're Looking For
If you aren't shakin' your Polaroid picture right now, you may not have read my earlier post. Or, maybe you have digital pictures that you'd like to see in a Polaroid format. If that's the case, there's a cool program available to download called Poladroid. It's still in beta, but it works well and even makes that gratifying "mmiikkkgggrrrrreeeggggeeeeerrrr" mechanism sound as it converts your picture to its Polaroid equivalent. The download is free, but they're taking donations.
Check out the before and after images for my poladroid:
Check out the before and after images for my poladroid:
Instant Gratification
I saw a post on twitter today that led me to The Impossible Project, an organization working with Polaroid to develop newly improved film for existing Polaroid instant cameras.
Sweet.
The idea of revitalizing instant film definitely appeals to me. As you may know, Polaroid discontinued manufacturing their instant film a few years ago. You can still get the cameras and the film from amazon.com or ebay.com, but the word was that once the film ran out, it was out. After checking out a few of the film samples on the Impossible Project site, I noticed that there are quite a few varieties of film such as "Blue," "Chocolate," "Fade to Black" and "Image White." Each variety offers a development speciality, casting degrees of color or shadow onto your image. It's just like using the effects tool on a photo program on your computer, but instead of clicking on "Sepia," for your modern image to look aged, you use the "Sepia" film.
I love the vitality of a more analog-centric community. In our technology-driven world it often feels like we're trying too hard to look for the next big thing. The iPad came out days ago and there is already talk of "What's next?" Granted, if you wanted to go way old school, you'd be setting up your darkroom. But the notion of using modern technology to achieve an aesthetic that's accessible to users appeals to me greatly. The film runs about $18-$35, with a $47 variety pack option. I don't know how many exposures you get with each pack, but I assume it's around 10, the same as a single pack of the discontinued Polaroid film. Even if you buy a new Polaroid camera to go with that film, it's still cheaper than an iPad. And it's fun!
I'm pretty excited to have another point of view for photographic expression. The Impossible Project is in the midst of launching their products now, with a big push in summer. Their press release also mentions a store opening in New York City later this year.
Below are two polaroids of my own, the first of me and a family friend in the middle of a snowstorm at Donner Pass. What else but a Polaroid could capture such a blizzard as whiteout haze? And yes, I'm the nine-year-old wearing a funky striped scarf and Hello Kitty knit cap.
The second was taken about 20 years later on one of those smaller, even more portable Polaroids. I think it was called a Sidekick or Slide-something? I'm at a plaid party. That's right, PLAID. I love this picture because the premise of a plaid party is just hilarious, but I'm also about ten weeks pregnant with my oldest daughter.
Sweet.
The idea of revitalizing instant film definitely appeals to me. As you may know, Polaroid discontinued manufacturing their instant film a few years ago. You can still get the cameras and the film from amazon.com or ebay.com, but the word was that once the film ran out, it was out. After checking out a few of the film samples on the Impossible Project site, I noticed that there are quite a few varieties of film such as "Blue," "Chocolate," "Fade to Black" and "Image White." Each variety offers a development speciality, casting degrees of color or shadow onto your image. It's just like using the effects tool on a photo program on your computer, but instead of clicking on "Sepia," for your modern image to look aged, you use the "Sepia" film.
I love the vitality of a more analog-centric community. In our technology-driven world it often feels like we're trying too hard to look for the next big thing. The iPad came out days ago and there is already talk of "What's next?" Granted, if you wanted to go way old school, you'd be setting up your darkroom. But the notion of using modern technology to achieve an aesthetic that's accessible to users appeals to me greatly. The film runs about $18-$35, with a $47 variety pack option. I don't know how many exposures you get with each pack, but I assume it's around 10, the same as a single pack of the discontinued Polaroid film. Even if you buy a new Polaroid camera to go with that film, it's still cheaper than an iPad. And it's fun!
I'm pretty excited to have another point of view for photographic expression. The Impossible Project is in the midst of launching their products now, with a big push in summer. Their press release also mentions a store opening in New York City later this year.
Below are two polaroids of my own, the first of me and a family friend in the middle of a snowstorm at Donner Pass. What else but a Polaroid could capture such a blizzard as whiteout haze? And yes, I'm the nine-year-old wearing a funky striped scarf and Hello Kitty knit cap.
The second was taken about 20 years later on one of those smaller, even more portable Polaroids. I think it was called a Sidekick or Slide-something? I'm at a plaid party. That's right, PLAID. I love this picture because the premise of a plaid party is just hilarious, but I'm also about ten weeks pregnant with my oldest daughter.
Monday, March 29, 2010
The Price is Right
I posted a price list for scanning services at print > pixel. You can find it on the tab line above marked, what else? 'Pricing.'
In addition to scanning printed photographs, I can work with you to design a slideshow with a backing soundtrack, transitions and titles. These visual presentations are a wonderful way to celebrate a wedding, shower, birthday or anniversary. They may also serve as a memorial for a loved one who has recently passed. Pricing packages for these services will be posted soon.
I am also researching scanning options for slides and negatives. I've been experimenting with rental equipment as well as my own to find cost efficient solutions with excellent results. I'll keep you posted on my progress and when I can offer those services.
In addition to scanning printed photographs, I can work with you to design a slideshow with a backing soundtrack, transitions and titles. These visual presentations are a wonderful way to celebrate a wedding, shower, birthday or anniversary. They may also serve as a memorial for a loved one who has recently passed. Pricing packages for these services will be posted soon.
I am also researching scanning options for slides and negatives. I've been experimenting with rental equipment as well as my own to find cost efficient solutions with excellent results. I'll keep you posted on my progress and when I can offer those services.
True Colors
The scanning aspect of the print>pixel operation is fairly straightforward: I put the pictures on the flatbed scanner, close the lid, hit 'scan,' and there it goes. There are a few decisions I've made beforehand based on the client's needs regarding format or dots-per-inch, but I do find the "now you see it, now you see it again on your computer screen" ease of scanning very appealing. That's the easy part.
Color correction can be a difficult issue. Most of us don't see colors in the same way and most of the tools we use to capture color have a multitude of ways of expressing them. I don't have much experience with manipulating images to achieve a 'balance of color,' mainly because it can be subjective. When I look through photos I have from my childhood, many of them are dark and a bit orange. I don't mind that. In fact, I kind of prefer it. When I look at them I am reminded that these prints are 30 years old-not only am I nostalgic for the feathered hair and Ditto jeans, but for the overall orange tint of the '70s. It helps frame my memories in a time, a space, an era. As long as the image I'm after is clear, I welcome a little over-saturation.
Not everyone agrees. People want to see the variations of blue and black in a pair of bell bottomed pants. Or trees with green leaves. Or a white dress at a wedding. I completely respect that.
But that is why I'm hesitant to promise color correction when I'm scanning photos. Equipment and clarity of prints or negatives aside, my preferences may not mesh with those of the client's. Regardless of whether or not the whites or blacks are balanced accurately, we all have varied ideas about what makes a picture "good" or "lovely," "bad" or "ugly." You may be interested in a certain look or feeling--these decisions can be based on many factors--but I definitely feel it should be the client's prerogative.
So I have a question for you: Between the following two images, which do you prefer?
Color correction can be a difficult issue. Most of us don't see colors in the same way and most of the tools we use to capture color have a multitude of ways of expressing them. I don't have much experience with manipulating images to achieve a 'balance of color,' mainly because it can be subjective. When I look through photos I have from my childhood, many of them are dark and a bit orange. I don't mind that. In fact, I kind of prefer it. When I look at them I am reminded that these prints are 30 years old-not only am I nostalgic for the feathered hair and Ditto jeans, but for the overall orange tint of the '70s. It helps frame my memories in a time, a space, an era. As long as the image I'm after is clear, I welcome a little over-saturation.
Not everyone agrees. People want to see the variations of blue and black in a pair of bell bottomed pants. Or trees with green leaves. Or a white dress at a wedding. I completely respect that.
But that is why I'm hesitant to promise color correction when I'm scanning photos. Equipment and clarity of prints or negatives aside, my preferences may not mesh with those of the client's. Regardless of whether or not the whites or blacks are balanced accurately, we all have varied ideas about what makes a picture "good" or "lovely," "bad" or "ugly." You may be interested in a certain look or feeling--these decisions can be based on many factors--but I definitely feel it should be the client's prerogative.
So I have a question for you: Between the following two images, which do you prefer?
Sunday, March 21, 2010
A Room of One's Own
print>pixel began in space. A tangled space in my basement, full of boxes holding the major contents of my family's life.
Commonly referred to as "The Box Room," this small space spent our first few years here dark, dank and stuffed to the gills with all the junk we never got around to sorting. When the idea for a home business came to mind, it was mostly because of this room.
We had moved back into the house after living in the Bay Area for a year. It was the end of summer and I was six months pregnant with our second child. Before she arrived, I was determined to clear away the clutter of our past life, re-organize what we wanted to keep for the new one and maybe find some baby clothes I'd kept from our older child.
I love organizing. I'm definitely not as organized as I'd like to be, but I love the process of finding a home for something and tucking it in comfortably. My husband hauled the boxes out for me and my daughter helped me organize the piles of stuff: Keep, Toss, Donate, Sell. It felt great to actually get the 'keep' items to their homes right then-sometimes it took a few days. After many months of this, we finally got to the pile of stuff that didn't seem to have a home. The largest faction of which were assorted boxes of photographs.
As I sorted through duplicates and pictures of people I could no longer remember, I found quite a few photographs of my mother. Her 70th birthday was coming up and I began putting aside old black and whites, her wedding photo, shots of a girls' night out, a few funny photos from when we jumped on the back of a rhinoceros statue at a hotel. That was the moment I began thinking about print>pixel. What could I make with these pictures?
My family had a luncheon to celebrate my mother's birthday. I had brought my slide show, which I thought was long at 100 slides and roughly 15 minutes. I figured we could play it after the meal while people were still visiting, or as a background where people felt like they could leave if they needed to. To my happy surprise, most everyone stayed the second time through. And during the third, there were requests to pause at certain pictures so my mom could talk about where she was, what was going on in her life at that time or just to reminisce.
I was thrilled. My mother was overwhelmed. And everyone wanted a copy.
Those 15 minutes brought a lifetime of memories to everyone in the room. I felt proud to have facilitated that experience. My family is from Hawaii and many of my parents' childhood pictures were destroyed during World War II. When I first mentioned this venture to a friend, she said, "Do you really want to sit there feeding the pictures into a scanner, pulling the lid up and down?" But I don't think about the work in that way at all. For me, print>pixel is an opportunity to help someone organize their memories so they might be shared - maybe to even create new ones.
I didn't know the woman who was in most of the pictures I scanned. But by sharing the slide show, the woman I do know as my mother taught me a little of the woman she was before I was born. The daughter that I was pregnant with while I sorted through the box room may not know much of my mother at all. But it feels great to leave a cohesive picture behind, especially when I can point to a photo of my two daughters with me and my mom at that very luncheon.
Commonly referred to as "The Box Room," this small space spent our first few years here dark, dank and stuffed to the gills with all the junk we never got around to sorting. When the idea for a home business came to mind, it was mostly because of this room.
We had moved back into the house after living in the Bay Area for a year. It was the end of summer and I was six months pregnant with our second child. Before she arrived, I was determined to clear away the clutter of our past life, re-organize what we wanted to keep for the new one and maybe find some baby clothes I'd kept from our older child.
I love organizing. I'm definitely not as organized as I'd like to be, but I love the process of finding a home for something and tucking it in comfortably. My husband hauled the boxes out for me and my daughter helped me organize the piles of stuff: Keep, Toss, Donate, Sell. It felt great to actually get the 'keep' items to their homes right then-sometimes it took a few days. After many months of this, we finally got to the pile of stuff that didn't seem to have a home. The largest faction of which were assorted boxes of photographs.
As I sorted through duplicates and pictures of people I could no longer remember, I found quite a few photographs of my mother. Her 70th birthday was coming up and I began putting aside old black and whites, her wedding photo, shots of a girls' night out, a few funny photos from when we jumped on the back of a rhinoceros statue at a hotel. That was the moment I began thinking about print>pixel. What could I make with these pictures?
My family had a luncheon to celebrate my mother's birthday. I had brought my slide show, which I thought was long at 100 slides and roughly 15 minutes. I figured we could play it after the meal while people were still visiting, or as a background where people felt like they could leave if they needed to. To my happy surprise, most everyone stayed the second time through. And during the third, there were requests to pause at certain pictures so my mom could talk about where she was, what was going on in her life at that time or just to reminisce.
I was thrilled. My mother was overwhelmed. And everyone wanted a copy.
Those 15 minutes brought a lifetime of memories to everyone in the room. I felt proud to have facilitated that experience. My family is from Hawaii and many of my parents' childhood pictures were destroyed during World War II. When I first mentioned this venture to a friend, she said, "Do you really want to sit there feeding the pictures into a scanner, pulling the lid up and down?" But I don't think about the work in that way at all. For me, print>pixel is an opportunity to help someone organize their memories so they might be shared - maybe to even create new ones.
I didn't know the woman who was in most of the pictures I scanned. But by sharing the slide show, the woman I do know as my mother taught me a little of the woman she was before I was born. The daughter that I was pregnant with while I sorted through the box room may not know much of my mother at all. But it feels great to leave a cohesive picture behind, especially when I can point to a photo of my two daughters with me and my mom at that very luncheon.
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