Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2007/06/04
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Ric, Digital photography has driven me nuts in some ways. When I printed in the darkroom I'd run some test strips. Then I'd print a proof. I'd identify some burning and dodging. Then I'd print my final. It sounds like a lot, but I didn't take that long and rarely was I ever able to improve further. With a digital image I tweak more. I print more, too, yet it seems I never get the consistency I got in the darkroom. And that's with printing, which has more inherent consistency (one printer and usually one paper type) than trying to serve the needs of all the different monitor configurations there are out there. Heck I personally use 4 different monitors. They're all calibrated, but they still aren't perfectly equal. DaveR > > I have a friend who is fond of telling folks that good is the enemy of > great, meaning that we shouldn't settle for second best I suppose. > > I guess there's some truth in that, but it doesn't take into account > perfectionist tendencies in some of us. My experience has been that for > those who suffer this tendency, things very often don't get done at all > because we wait for the time to do it just right -- that time never > accumulating. > > As I get older, I fight that more often. I have become more likely to > accept less than the best from myself. I find it a relief. > > I often get advice for improving a photo I post here. I try to fix them > sometimes. If I'm busy, I'm likely to say thanks for the advice and try > to apply it to the next picture. But for this one, good is good enough. > > Advice is accepted and appreciated, though not necessarily immediately > acted on. > > ric > > > > > > On Jun 2, 2007, at 12:07 PM, Jim Nichols wrote: > >> Hoppy, >> >> My appologies. I enjoy photography as a way to relax and achieve a >> reasonable level of accomplishment. I have no interest in embarking on >> another career. As a result, my Leicas are still Barnacks and my >> digital is still a fairly simple device. I have just purchased a used >> film scanner, so I hope to retrieve some memories from 50 years of >> negatives and slides. >> >> I was just curious about the calibration process, and you satisfied my >> curiosity. >> >> I admire your photos with your modern Leica equipment. Someday, I might >> be tempted to try that myself. >> >> Jim Nichols >> Tullahoma, TN USA >> ----- Original Message ----- From: "G Hopkinson" >> <hoppyman@bigpond.net.au> >> To: "'Leica Users Group'" <lug@leica-users.org> >> Sent: Saturday, June 02, 2007 2:22 AM >> Subject: RE: [Leica] IMG:Friday Flower-Begonia >> >> >>> Jim, ouch ;-) >>> My best effort at explaining the process as you asked. >>> Obviously I pitched my information wrongly for what you wanted to know >>> out of curiosity, sorry. >>> Actually a simple process to implement, if that is your interest. >>> >>> Version 2 >>> If you want to preview a print or image accurately on your screen, >>> calibration with the right device is very easy and extremely >>> helpful. 10 to 15 minutes once a month. Everything I described is done >>> by the software with the device. >>> >>> Keep the great pics coming. >>> >>> Cheers >>> Hoppy >>> Guilty of jargon ;-) >>> >>> -----Original Message----- >>> Subject: Re: [Leica] IMG:Friday Flower-Begonia >>> >>> Hoppy, >>> >>> Thanks for the introduction to a level of finesse that I will choose to >>> ignore for now. For my picture work, it makes no sense to complicate >>> my >>> efforts to that extent. I worked for too many years with a few >>> engineers >>> who would pursue the ultimate goal to all ends, but could never >>> accomplish >>> the necessary tasks to succeed in the real world. I hope I never have >>> to >>> get involved to that extent again. >>> >>> Sorry for raving. Thanks for the information. >>> >>> Jim Nichols >>> Tullahoma, TN USA >>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "G Hopkinson" >>> <hoppyman@bigpond.net.au> >>> To: "'Leica Users Group'" <lug@leica-users.org> >>> Sent: Friday, June 01, 2007 6:56 PM >>> Subject: RE: [Leica] IMG:Friday Flower-Begonia >>> >>> >>>> Hoppy then said "Jim the basics are: blah blah, blah.......I should >>>> repeat too, after all of that waffle, that your pic is >>> gorgeous and a worthy member of the Friday Flower galleries!" >>>> >>>> Cheers >>>> Hoppy >>>> >>>> -----Original Message----- >>>> Subject: Re: [Leica] IMG:Friday Flower-Begonia >>>> >>>> Hoppy, >>>> >>>> For these old eyes, the monitor settings as I have them work out >>>> pretty >>>> good. I think I will leave them as-is. I appreciate your help. I >>>> agree >>>> that I must be careful not to oversaturate when making PS adjustments. >>>> Otherwise, the detail in the saturated areas disappears. >>>> Out of curiosity, how do the Spyder devices work? Do they provide a >>>> calibration signal that can be fed to the monitor? >>>> >>>> Jim Nichols >>>> Tullahoma, TN USA >>>> ----- Original Message ----- >>>>> Hoppy secondly said " blah, blah, blah..... Without calibration, I >>>>> would be turning your monitor brightness DOWN, not up. >>> >>> >>>>> -----Original Message----- >>>>> Subject: Re: [Leica] IMG:Friday Flower-Begonia >>>>> >>>>> Hoppy, >>>>> >>>>> How about some help? I have had comments about the intensity of my >>>>> images a couple of times. I can only judge the PS results as I see >>>>> them on my own >>>>> monitor, which is a Dell LCD with the brightness set at 30%. I seem >>>>> to >>>>> recall that you have a calibrated monitor. If you see my images as >>>>> extremely bright, perhaps I need to raise the brightness of my >>>>> monitor so >>>>> that I will not damage the eyesight of my viewers. Got any >>>>> suggestions? >>>>> >>>>> Jim Nichols >>>>> Tullahoma, TN USA >>> >>>>> ----- Original Message ----- >>>>>> Jim, do the squirrels wear sunglasses!! That picture nearly seared >>>>>> my >>>>>> retinas when I opened it. Gorgeous colour, the dark background >>>>>> is very effective, as well. >>>>>> >>>>>> Cheers >>>>>> Hoppy >>>>>> >>>>>> Subject: [Leica] IMG:Friday Flower-Begonia >>>>>> >>>>>> My wife's patio flowers have to endure the activities of the >>>>>> backyard >>>>>> grey >>>>>> squirrels, who like to bury acorns in the containers. >>>>>> Before the flowers are gone, I felt that I should capture one her >>>>>> begonias. >>>>>> >>>>>> Comments/critiques welcomed. >>>>>> >>>>>> http://gallery.leica-users.org/v/OldNick/Begonia.jpg.html >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> Jim Nichols >>>>>> Tullahoma, TN USA >>>>>> >>> >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Leica Users Group. >>> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> Leica Users Group. >> See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information > > > _______________________________________________ > Leica Users Group. > See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information >