Canon Photo Paper Profiles

For the next time I can't remember which profile to use in Lightroom with which Canon photo paper:

MP = Matte Photo Paper
PR = Photo Paper Pro
SP = Photo Paper Plus Glossy

The numbers are for print quality. Lower numbers are better.

So...

PR1 = Photo Paper Pro, Highest quality
PR2 = Photo Paper Pro, Next best quality
SP1 = Photo Paper Plus Glossy , Highest quality
MP1 = Matte, Highest quality

Jotted this down off the web once upon a time, and I'm tired of digging up the scrap of paper every time I get a different paper! :)

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Drool... Canon Digital Rebel XSi

Oh me oh my... my XTi is jealous...

DPReview has a sneak peek at the latest Canon Digital Rebel 450D XSi.

I am drooling, particularly for the high-ISO noise reduction, spot metering, and live view.

Color management and printing photos

Yesterday, when I went to print up some of the photos I took at the nature preserve, I was extremely disappointed that the colors in the prints did not come through the way they looked on my monitor.

For example, I really liked this shot of the park bench because the red of the bench brought out the red in the tree. (What I couldn't decide is which angle I liked, as I also took one with the full bench in view, but for some reason I like the partial bench shot better).



When I printed it out, the bench looked almost brown, as did the red cone things in the tree - totally killing the effect. So I started Googling monitor calibration, figuring that my monitor wasn't showing me the "real" picture.

After reading through some mind-boggling articles on the topic, it turns out that my printer's color correction was at fault. I found an article on Canon Europe's professional network web site on "really simple color management." It was a moment of revelation.

The article explained that when you print from within Photoshop, you can set the print process to declare Photoshop as the controller of the color profile. Then, you configure Photoshop's color settings to your liking, and in the print dialog, set Photoshop to manage colors and choose your printer's color profile based on the type of media you are using (in my case, premium glossy photo paper, which Canon dubs PR1). Then, go into your printer's color management settings and disable color correction in the printer.

Voila!

My red bench now prints out red, and I'm happy as can be!

Additionally, I set my monitor to use the sRGB color profile. I don't have any monitor calibration tools, but for now, this worked well enough.

I'm using a Canon Pixma iP4200 printer, but these steps should work with any printer that allows you to manage your color settings.

Photography Class

I started my photography class today. It's a 4-week class called "Film/Digital Camera Skills." I'm excited that we'll get to take some field trips to do some shooting, but am a little disappointed that the content of the class is being delivered from a point-n-shoot/auto-mode perspective. I was hoping to get some practice with manual mode and exposure compensation and stuff like that.

Still, I'll get 8 hours worth of shooting time in the field, split between a nature preserve and an "urban" shoot (which is really set in the downtown portion of a suburban town).

I think the most valuable part of this class, to me, will be in having that dedicated time with my camera, and in reviewing the shots that I take and critiquing my work. I hope to pick up some inspiration, tips, and ideas along the way. It's a *very* beginner-level class, though, which is a bit disappointing.

For example, the instructor mentioned reciprocity, and then explained that it's a complex subject that is far beyond the scope of this class.

Sigh.

We've been told to shoot in the picture modes of our camera - portrait mode, landscape mode, sports mode, etc, and to shoot at ISO400.

Always the rebel... I'm going to shoot in Av, Tv, or manual modes, because that's what I need practice with, and I'm going to shoot at ISO100 unless circumstances dictate otherwise. We'll be shooting in bright daylight (9a-1p), so... rebel rebel!

At the end of the class, we are to turn in 10 prints: nine 4x6 prints and one 8x10 print as our "portfolio."

Most of the students in the class have point-n-shoot cameras. I saw 2 other people with Digital Rebels like mine. It looks like it'll be a very basic class, but I'm glad to at least get that 8 hours of field time to force me to get out and take pictures.

Our instructor is a Canon guy, so at least that bodes well for me if I have any specific questions about my camera!

Upgrading the Canon Kit Lens

Here's some more food for thought on the topic of upgrading the Canon 18-55mm kit lens. CameraLabs.com has put together a nice video comparing 3 different Canon lenses, summarized nicely by DPS.

Alex Albrecht Likes Canon Over Nikon

I just finished listening to a podcast interview of Alex Albrecht (of Diggnation fame, one of my favorite podcasts ever), done by iStockphoto.com. At the end, they did a "choose one of the two" sort of thing.

When presented with choice, Nikon or Canon, Alex picked Canon. w00t!

iStockPhoto

I completed an application to contribute photos to iStockPhoto.com today. They claim to be "the world's fastest growing independent library" of royalty-free images. Their prices are cheap to buy stock photos, and you can contribute photos to sell as well.

The application requires you to input your contact info as well as a scan of a government-issued ID, then complete a quiz on their submission guidelines and submit 3 sample photos. The application review process can take a couple weeks to complete.

We'll see!

I found out about this web site through a book I read - The Digital Photography Book by Scott Kelby. I really enjoyed this book. It's a book built on the premise of real world shooting. It is based on what the author would tell you if you were out in the world on a photo shoot with him. It's an easy read, as it's light on theory and big on practicality, and the author has a sense of humor that I enjoyed. Good stuff. He mentioned iStockPhoto.com in his book, so I checked it out.
I'm not really in photography to make a career out of it or anything, but it sure would be exciting to say I sold a picture!

On an unrelated note, I had to attend a photo shoot at work yesterday for a piece that will be in the local newspaper. The photographer had a Canon camera (and what appeared to be a big honkin' professional long lens). I was too shy to ask for any details on his rig, but I sure was curious! "Hey, what's that lens you're using? What settings are you using? Any advice for a n00b?" Nope, I was a big chicken instead :) He hand-held the camera for all of the shots, which were basically composed of a group of people pretending to be in a computer class.

Canon EOS Beginners' FAQ

Wow - there is a TON of useful information for us photo n00bs with Canon EOS cameras in this FAQ!

Canon EOS Beginners' FAQ by Photonotes.org

I was particularly interested to read the information on lens, as it provided a nice categorization of just about every Canon lens known to man. (Lens lists - scroll down a bit).

And finally, I know which Canon lenses are the "full frame" compatible lenses (the EF lenses, with the red dots). The "subframe" lenses are EF-S, with the white alignment dots. My uncle, who has been a professional photographer for probably just about as long as I've been alive (he'll kill me if he reads this for alluding to his age!), recommended that I invest in EF lenses rather than EF-S lenses, since the EF lenses will likely be compatible with full frame cameras of the future (which will become more ubiquitous as the full frame sensors become more affordable), whereas the EF-S lenses will not be compatible.

I'm glad to see that the 70-300 lens I bought is an EF lens! Whew! Lucky one there :)