I found this article in Professional Photographer Magazine, and I couldn't agree more with 40+ year photographer Sandro Miller. Let's print!

More recently, he’s struggled with social media’s influence on photography and believes it’s created a “false identification” of what a professional photographer is and why one should be hired. “I and many other photographers have spent our whole lives—30, 40, 50 years—making our craft what it is, [perfecting] our style, and working on it, and we live, eat, die, sleep photography. We didn’t wake up with a cell phone in our hand and take photographs and start getting followers and then start getting hired because we have followers.” Social media has also drawn people away from print and from visiting exhibitions of photography, Miller says. People are missing out when they view photos solely as three-quarters of an inch by three-quarters of an inch squares. “What is getting lost is the true experience, the true engagement of an image on a wall that is powerful, that moves you, and that now you can turn to the person next to you and have a conversation about. You can’t do that on Instagram. It’s click, next image. Click, next image.” Nevertheless, he’s had to embrace social media to keep up with the times. “Do I love it? No, I hate it. I think it’s silly. I think it’s so self-serving. I guess I’m just not that guy who wants to put myself in front of the camera, and shoot these selfies and behind-the-scenes images. I am more private than I think social media allows you to be, so it’s been a challenge.”

Sandro Miller in Professional Photographer Magazine, September 2018, “It’s Personal”, by Amanda Arnold

Professional Photographers of America

Camera RAW or .jpeg?

    


     It's only a gray card shot, but it's savable!
        

    

       
       Are you getting the best images your camera can capture? Consider shooting in RAW instead of jpeg. Why? What's the difference? Here's a short explanation: 
       When you press the shutter, your camera captures an image and, if set on RAW, converts this information to a digital file and stores it on a memory card. If your camera is set on jpeg, it captures the image,  compresses it, converts the file to jpeg format, and stores it on a memory card. So, what's the difference?

       RAW has these advantages: 

• More information to work with. When the file is compressed, it loses a large portion of its data. For instance, a Nikon D810 produces a RAW file of up to 80MB, while the compressed jpeg of the same image in jpeg is around 10MB. You lose 78% of the data! 
• With the proper editing software (Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop CC, or On1 Photo RAW), the editing and enhancement capabilities are amazing. 

       Raw has these disadvantages: 

• It produces very large files, requiring a large amount of memory, and you can't view and edit your images without the right software. (Adobe CC for Photographers is $11 per month, and includes both Lightroom and Photoshop CC. On1 Photo RAW 2018.1 is $120 for the full suite.).
•  RAW editing takes a little more time. It adds another step to the process, and you have to convert it to a jpeg or tiff file to have it printed by your favorite lab. 

       jpeg has this advantages: 

• It is universally readable. You can edit your images with free software you find on the internet.
•  It requires far less memory to store the images on your memory card. (Have you ever really put 2,000 images on a single memory card?)

       jpeg has these disadvantages: 

• The quality of the out-of-camera image is good only if it has been properly exposed. 
• With reduced editing and enhancement ability, there is less margin for error in the editing process than when editing a RAW file. 

      So here's the bottom line, as I see it: If you want better image quality, spend the money for the software, buy a few more memory cards (they're cheap) and learn to use Lightroom and Photoshop, or On1 Photo RAW. Then find a good print lab, not a drug store, to print your images. 
       If it's quick and easy that you're looking for, shoot jpegs.




      

     

Digital Camera Basics: Knobs and Buttons

   
  Do you have a digital camera, but don't understand all the knobs and buttons? I have received several requests for a class on the basic digital camera operation, such as shooting modes, metering modes, scene modes, lens choice, etc. 
     If you are interested in a four-hour session explaining this (and much more), please call or text me at 228-223-0981, email me at SLLinhoss@cableone.net, or message me on facebook.