Effects
Digital photography has opened an entirely new world for imagery manipulation. Film photographers could play endlessly in the dark room on negatives and come up with really neat effects, so it’s no surprise that amazing things can be done to enhance and manipulate digital photography. But just because you can do certain things doesn’t mean you should. For food photography especially, keeping things as natural as possible is almost always the way to go.
Store
Right out of the gate, declare that you will be systematic and organized with your image files! If you don’t, your work will quickly grow to an overwhelming mess, and it will likely require hours at your computer to locate a specific image. It’s just not worth it to allow such a situation. So here’s a system that can get you started.
1) Create Folders
Every time you transfer a batch of files from your camera, put them in a new folder. Name the folder with specific keywords of the shoot or maybe with a date. Just use a name that you’ll be able to relate to quickly. The more specific you are, the more ways you’ll have to find your pictures later.
Whether you use a Mac or PC, labeling your image folders well will let you search for files by alphabetical tag, month, year ... you can even rate them by order of importance.
2) Name Files
After editing a file, you’ll need to save it again—with a new file name. This is important, as it preserves the original version of your image. You can save the edited versions in the same folder you created when originally downloading them to the computer, or you can create a new folder for the edited versions.
When you name the image files, be specific. Use keywords that will help you identify the subject matter quickly. For example, let’s say you took a picture of blueberry waffles for your blog. A generic title, like “breakfast,” likely won’t be too helpful months or years from now. Instead, describe the image and its use. Something like “blueberry_waffles_breakfast_blog_March2011.” Or, if it’s a photo for a magazine, use “blueberry_waffles_breakfast_CharlestonMagazine_Issue 9_March 2011.” You get the idea.
3) Add Tags, Labels
Editing programs such as Lightroom and Photoshop have great systems for flagging, rating, tagging and labeling images. This saves a great deal of time when looking for them. Each editing program being different, refer to the help menu of the one you’re using (or use the how-to manual specific to your program) for information on how to use the various tools.
Tag and label your image files in Lightroom.
Being organized and systematic with your image files makes the business of photography much more efficient and fun. Don’t waste your time being sloppy with your files, especially after working so hard to create them.
And take the extra five minutes needed to add metadata to your images. Metadata is information about your photo. It contains camera settings and other image data that your camera automatically embeds into your file, but metadata can also include any information you want to add about the image or yourself: name, email, street address, copyright info … and even your cat’s name, if you want.
This information can be embedded into any file format, but it is particularly useful if you work from RAW and save to a compressed format, such as JPEG or TIFF. Although metadata can be changed to appear as if your image is the work of someone else, the one you enter and save on the RAW file makes it easier to track the image back to you if you ever need to show proof of ownership of the image. (See section Copyright Consideration.)
Backup and Storage
Trust me, it’s always when you least expect it that you lose files. I’ve had it happen with Word documents, and I definitely don’t want to go through that kind of anxiety with my image files. It’s a huge time eater to try—sometimes in vain—to retrieve or re-create important files.
While I don’t always keep 100% of the files from any given shoot, I do select a handful of pictures to keep from every project—even if it didn’t turn out as well as I’d hoped. I’ve been surprised by requests—even months after a shoot—to purchase images I didn’t think were particularly good. It’s reminded me to keep at least three backups of every file and samples of everything.
With your RAW files especially, backup your images in at least three places. Your computer may crash, your external hard drive may get corrupted, a DVD may get scratched or broken. Or a fire, flood or other natural disaster may occur. So try to ensure that one of your backup places is offsite. … to protect your hobby, your livelihood, your memories.
One of the most popular ways to store files is to use DVDs. But this may not be practical if you photograph with semi- to pro-level cameras, given the size of the files. This is definitely a problem if you shoot RAW or high resolution JPEGs. So in many ways, storing is like editing, a highly personal affair that depends heavily on your budget and specific needs. Below are a few popular options to get your search underway.
RAID: Redundant Array of Independent Disks is a drag-and-drop file backup system that divides and replicates information among several disk drives. This technology increases data storage reliability and improves the input/ output performance of your storage system.
External Hard Drives: It’s always good to have a few external hard drives around the house. These handy devices plug into your computer and allow you to drag and drop files onto them. It keeps all the data as it is on your computer hard drive, so you can delete the folder from your hard drive to free up some space and create additional capacity to your computer system. External hard drives come in a wide range of shapes and sizes, and different models have various levels of storage capacity. External hard drives are not foolproof though; they can get corrupted, so it’s always wise to check how yours is doing before uploading more files.
Online Remote Backup and Storage Devices: These online “facilities” allow you to back up and store documents and pictures for a monthly or annual fee. Some of the most popular are SOS Online Backup (http://www.sosonlinebackup.com) for Mac only, Carbonite (www.carbonite.com) and Mozy (www.mozy.com). They all offer different storage options, back-up schedules and recovery options, so read online reviews thoroughly as well as each site’s Terms of Usage and FAQs page.
Drobo Data Storage Box: Drobo is an abbreviation for “data robot.” This is a physical box that you store in your home. Depending on which model you select, a Drobo can house up to four, five or eight hard disk drives. Some key features that users appreciate are that Drobos easily add new storage devices very fast and without downtime and that multiple hard drives do not need to match to work with the this device. Manufacturer, capacity and speed can be different among drives supported by a Drobo.
USB Flash Cards: Also called thumb drives, these compact storage devices are highly portable and practical for photographers on the go. I usually keep a couple thumb drives close by when I travel, because they require very little physical space, each one can store up to 32GB, and they are well-priced.
Share
Fortunately, photography is not only about the nitty gritty of camera settings, file backups, storage and post processing. Sharing your pictures online and in print with friends and family—and maybe even clients—is a huge reward after working so hard to create them. So let’s say you want to send your mom a picture of your latest creation or a magazine wants to feature your work in their upcoming issue (woohoo!). Well, there are several options available … and the ones I mention are by no means the only ones.
Email
A quick and easy way to send low-resolution files is to just email them. Of course, you need to be careful about how many images you attach to an email and the size of each file, because there are limits. And the more files you attach to a message, the longer it may take for your computer to upload and send them—and for your recipient to access them. But you can easily send a dozen low res files if you need to use this platform.
File Sharing Programs
At a certain point, email is not going to cut it. When yo
u need to distribute high-resolution files, for example, look into online file sharing programs. Some suggestions:
YouSendIt: www.yousendit.com
Box: www.box.net/signup/g
Cloud Files: www.rackspacecloud.com/cloud_hosting_products/files/
ShareFile: www.sharefile.com/
These services require a minimum payment per use or a monthly or yearly membership, but they are very easy to use and they’re convenient. These programs can take the headache out of exchanging large files in a secure way.
File Transfer Protocol
You may be asked on occasion to use a different method for uploading and transferring files securely. And the most common platform, aside from email and subscription-based file-sharing programs, is the File Transfer Protocol (or FTP). This is a standard protocol used to copy a file from one host to another over the Internet.
Typically, this works as follows:
1) Your client will create an account, username and password.
2) You will receive the server name in order to begin copying files from your computer to the client’s server.
3) You will need to download an FTP access tool to start the process. Since there are many different ones out there, check with your client to find out which ones they use the most. I recommend using the same tool as your client, so if you have any technical issues, someone on their end might be able to help. Widely used access tools include:
Filezila (www.filezila.com)
SmartFTP (www.smartftp.com)
FireFTP (www.fireftp.mozdev.org)
4) Drag and drop your files.
Dropbox
This is a popular file hosting program founded rather recently, in 2008. It relies on cloud computing technology, which synchronizes files, to enable users to store and share files with others across the Internet. One of the greatest attributes of the Dropbox system is that it keeps track of a file you’re working on while letting other people edit, modify and re-save it … without erasing its previous form. This is especially helpful if something goes wrong with your computer or files.
Resolution
Format your images as JPEGs or TIFFs to email or upload them to sharing programs. Because the physical resolution in pixel per image (ppi) of a computer screen is between 72 and 96 ppi, it won’t make much difference to what you see on your screen whether you look at a high or low resolution image there. But resolution matters a lot when you take your pictures to print.
Printing
When preparing your images for print, you must be aware of resolution levels. In the digital camera world, the term resolution is often used to reference a pixel count. You’ll also find the term dpi (dot per inch) used where ppi (pixel per inch) is more appropriate. But both refer to resolution of an image and indicate the number of dots per inch that the printer will render to form your image on a printed page. Without going into details, know that you will get a better-quality image with a greater dpi count.
A printer or a publication will ask you for a high resolution image, either JPEG or TIFF, because they trust that you will have already edited them according to your photographic style or the job specifications.
And although it’s not likely to happen, don’t disregard the possibility of theft. Never share your originals, your RAW files. These precious files store a huge amount of information, including metadata. (See section Add Tags, Labels above for info of metadata.) So if a client requires a copy of an original, be sure to copyright it first to establish proof it is yours.
Just Ask
Always ask questions, it’s your photography after all! Never be afraid to ask a printer for a sample of their work to see how it is in real life. You want it to be represented the best way possible. If your image is going to a client, ask who will be handling the files. If you have doubt that it will be reproduced well, ask to be put in touch with this person to establish a rapport.
Copyright Considerations
Never think that your photography is not good enough to be stolen. Never think that you are “just a food photographer.” The day might come (if it’s not already happening) when you’ll get picture requests from online or print publications—or that you’ll find your photos on a website without your permission.
To protect your work, you need to secure copyright for your images. It may not prevent people from borrowing pictures (ahem …), but it will give you recourse to make the thieves stop using your work.
A deterrent is to watermark your pictures. A watermark simply puts a seal or a sentence directly on your photo. This is better than nothing, but it doesn’t offer any solid legal protection. A watermark is sometimes a one-line sentence that can be easily cropped out of your picture. If this is your only measure of security, and it is removed through editing, then there is nothing visible that says it is your property.
To avoid this trick, some people place a seal or sentence somewhere on the photo that cannot be cropped out without compromising the quality of the image. This is a good alternative, but it’s distracting to a viewer, especially if the watermark is right in the middle of the photograph. It works, but it’s not ideal.
Most, but not all, editing software programs have a watermarking function. If yours does not, there are programs available online for download. They vary in terms of ease-of-use and price, so I’ll say it again … explore the options.
The second and by far the most effective way to copyright and protect your work is to register it with the US Copyright Office. Even if you deal with countries other than the US, this will establish that the photograph is originally yours. You can start registering your copyright for $35.
There are different types of registration. The best one for you depends on how you wish to register your files: online or paper filing. Each option has a different price. Please visit the US Copyright Office online at www.copyright.gov/ and start reading! There’s a wealth of valuable information there on how to protect your work. Find a detailed tutorial on how to register your work electronically on the ASMP website at http://asmp.org/tutorials/online-registration-eco.html.
The information provided in this chapter is meant to provide you with some ideas to explore for editing, storing and sharing files. There is an entire universe of products and services available for managing photographs. It really pays to spend some time researching and comparing the options to find the tools that can help you.
TIP
Even if you think of your food photography as a hobby for the time being, I strongly recommend you start thinking about the time when you’ll sell a few images here and there or make a career of it. It is a great job, trust me. But it’s important to understand the legal side of things.
Watermark, register and copyright your pictures. You never know where one of your images will appear without your knowledge and who will maliciously make money off of your work. The ASMP (American Society of Media Photographers) has a wealth of articles for you to explore and research the topic of fair use and copyright:
• Copyright Overview Tutorial: http://asmp.org/tutorials/copyright-overview.html
• Videos on Copyright: http://asmp.org/content/registration-counts
• Best Practices for Registering: http://asmp.org/tutorials/best-practices.html
• Terms and Conditions for Image Use: http://asmp.org/tutorials/terms-and-conditions.html
Appendix A: Glossary
Adobe: Creator of Photoshop, Lightroom and numerous other applications for media creation.
Aperture: Term that refers to the size of your lens opening. Aperture is measured in f/stops and affects the exposure and depth of field present in a photograph.
Auto-Exposure: A setting that tells the light meter in a camera to determine automatically what shutter speed and aperture to use in order to obtain a balanced exposure.
Auto Focus: A setting that tells the camera to determine when the subject is sharp and to bring it into focus using motors and a sensor in the camera or lens.
Back Lighting: A setu
p in which light enters a scene from behind the subject, facing toward the photographer.
Camera Shake: Movement of the camera and/or lens when a picture is taken, which results in visible blur. Camera Shake most often occurs at low apertures and low shutter speeds. A tripod can help photographers avoid this.
Camera RAW: An unformatted digital camera file that requires conversion software before it can be edited. Unlike with a JPEG file, the camera does not format or compress a RAW file as it is stored on the memory card. This preserves the original quality of the image. A RAW file is considered a digital negative, because it is not yet usable as an image but contains all the unprocessed data to work with in post processing.
Continuous Lighting: Term that is the opposite of flash lighting. The sun, hot and fluorescent lights, and studio lights are examples of continuous lighting.
Depth Of Field: Often abbreviated as DOF, this term refers to the amount of space in picture that is in focus. Shallow DOF is characterized by very little of the scene (usually the forefront area) in focus; deep DOF means that more of the image is in focus.
Diffuser: A photography tool (anything sheer) that is used to soften and disperse incoming light.
Digital Noise: Appearance of little specks or grain on an image. More likely to be present at high ISO settings.
Directional Light: Any type of light that comes from a particular angle onto a scene.
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