April, 2009

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No… Blog It To Me!

Thursday, April 30th, 2009

I have been studying some of the new technologies that are available for my (more) serious online clients. Do you really want to be at the top of a Google search? Piece of cake if you don’t mind spending gourmet priced promotional dollars. I know what it takes and I’m already aligned with the big boys that can make that happen. Do you really want to keep your business, your products and services or your informative expertise in front of your existing and new clients? If you do, the very first thing that is an absolute must is to have WordPress blogging software added to your website. After that, and even more important, is to write articles often and religiously that will benefit your followers.

I started my own blog at http://MarcBlake.com/blog last month and have been working diligently using it as a promotional tool and more. I don’t need to explain the promotional tool aspect of my efforts. I do, however, want to elaborate on the “more” aspect.

As you know I involve myself in a number of creative tasks within a variety of creative skill sets. Most recently, I’ve been working with 9-12 year old children at various schools throughout the 26 districts in Fresno County. The name of the program that I’m bringing to the schools is called, “Pipeline to Higher Education.” In general, the purpose of this program is to encourage these young students to consider the options they have available to them in terms of career choices and help them to realize the value of a proper education, setting goals, getting good grades and going to college. I engage these young students with a number of creative activities that are not only academically oriented, but also effervesce with new and exciting creative ventures that include things like; making their own website, learning about professional photography, journalism; including the interview process, working in teams for a common cause, filmmaking; including character development and script writing, breaking the barriers of prejudice that often exist with children of this age group and a crazy amount of other things as well. We have a ball. One of the better moments of these programs is watching the school administrators and staff (you know, principal, directors, other teachers) jaws drop when they see the kinds of things my kids and I are doing.

I use my newly installed blog software to talk about things that I’m doing to help in our community. I also use the blog to write training techniques for specific software that I use as part of digital-technological world of production. There are a number of business models that one can implement into their online blogs. One example of this would be to speak of (blog about) a specific software and provide a review of that software. Then offer links to places where said software can be purchased and have affiliate code embedded in those links generating small amounts of income for you when your blog readers actually purchase that software. I have not done this yet. I certainly have given it consideration and as I develop more relationships with online retailers and software manufacturers I see no reason why I would not begin a program of this nature.

I know of one person who has been blogging for a while now (years). He does a great job and generates over $1 million a year in income from his affiliations based on those that frequent his website, read his blog and go shopping online. This is pretty valid evidence that the number of resourceful links that he provides in his blogging articles are deeply embedded with a huge variety of affiliations that he has out there on the web.

I’d like to demonstrate how my new blog can almost instantaneously generate some immediate additional income for me. Here goes: I invite you to contact me about installing a WordPress blogging system on your website. I can have you up and running in no time at all. The good news is that WordPress is not a commercially sold product. It’s free. If you are one of those types of people who enjoys researching and dealing with large learning curves that are associated with using new software then everything you need to know is available online to get a WordPress installation working for you without my intervention. Just Google WordPress and you’re off and running. However, and here comes the money part, there is a large learning curve with WordPress and I’ve decided to use my blog as a training resource so that, over a period of about 10-14 days, you can read my simple to follow training sessions of the day and put the most crucial aspects of WordPress blogging, configuration and customization to use for your business immediately. I will charge you a fee to install WordPress and then work with you via my training blog so that you can begin enjoying the benefits of your own blog quickly.

Having a blog is absolutely resourceful, informative, fun, beneficial for your business and infinite in its uses. Anyone who knows anything about being a part of today’s web presence would be quick to agree that it’s one of the best things you can do for your company, organization or whatever your informational purposes are.

Blogging is cool. Within the realm of my own enthusiasm to improve my own web presence and share my findings with my client base, I have really seen the value of the blogging mechanism. I can help you have a blog up and running in no time at all. I know what it takes and I know what to do. You will quickly find ways to put your blog to great use and likely generate extra income for your company.

Ready to get started? Feels like a win-win to me.

You know where to find me.

Posted in Business Opportunities | No Responses »

Bloggercise

Wednesday, April 29th, 2009

It’s pretty easy to spend hours and hours sitting in front of your computer. It’s pretty easy for hours, days, weeks, months and even years to go by without getting up from being in front of your computer. Myself, I seem to have forgotten about some of the basics; things like food, sleep, society and sadly even family. Sorry friends, I’ll need to get back to you. I’m working in front of the computer right now.

Speaking of exercise, it’s important to maintain proper healthy lifestyle habits. I know this is true. I wrote a medical training video script on the topic. Then I produced the extensive video itself! Not only might I find myself preaching to the choir, but I very well may even be the choir on this one. Yep, I became Dr. Blake. (My mother would have been very proud – unless it would have embarrassed her, learning that I was not an attorney!)

Well, eventually I did get hungry, sleepy, lonely and most of all felt (a little) guilty for ignoring my family, my friends and I suppose admittedly and probably most important, myself. So I asked myself, “what shall I do to break this habitual behavior of finding my creative projects so compelling that the idea of preparing myself a bowl of breakfast cereal to consume would paradoxically be far too consuming?”

I came up with a solution. While I’m writing this very article, right here and now, I am bloggercising. I’m walking about 3 1/2 mph or maybe it’s kilometers. I don’t know. Quite frankly, I don’t care. What is important is that I am walking. By the time I start the next paragraph I will have burnt off about 60 calories. Hardly a benchmark for someone training to be an Olympic athlete but it’s a huge step for mankind when you consider that I’ve been sitting on my fanny, in front of my computer for about 20 years now.

I’ll spend about 20 or 30 minutes during my bloggercise walk while I write this article. It makes me kind of proud to say not only am I shooting clever prose from the hip but every new word is literally the fruit of my efforts while I’m thinking on my feet.

Hmmm… even though I’m approaching my first mile as I write this article if I had a GPS unit stapled to my forehead the satellite positioning would indicate that I haven’t moved an inch. You guessed it. I’m on a treadmill. However, I am not I’m one of those $900-$45,000 electronic treadmills. You know the ones that simulate climbing up Mount Everest or walking across a desert in search of Mount Sinai. I did purchase a treadmill, but the one I purchased was the cheapest hundred dollar thing I could find. It’s known as a manual treadmill. No motor, no fancy mechanisms, just a pad on a couple rollers and a handlebar to keep me from falling back in my computer chair and spending another 20 years without getting up.

My heart is beating faster now and I’m perspiring. I suppose you didn’t necessarily need that much information. Nonetheless, I actually am getting a workout and I am actually getting my work done. I’d like to summarize my feelings in three words-this is great!

Keep in mind, that I am multitasking. Heaven knows I’ve got plenty of RAM. Excuse me, while I recite a computer command through my USB headset and microphone: “SAVE THIS DOCUMENT.” It’s good to save your work-in-progress often so you don’t lose any gems.

I’m writing the first draft of this bloggercize article (note: in any text editing software) using MacSpeech software which word-recognizes my dictation. No keyboard needed for this one baby!

On a side note, MacSpeech is pretty awesome. It only took me about three minutes to train it to recognize the nuances of my vocal inflections. In fact that entire last line was laid down verbatim like a studio musician cutting tracks for his next big hit… and speaking of music; Isn’t it wonderful that as of the date of this article Bob Dylan has released his 26,000th album written and recorded from an old age home for Jewish Yentas somewhere north of Miami and south of Fort Lauderdale. Bless you boychick. I love that third cut on the album. You know, the Klezmer tune, “Oi, I’m K-Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.”

My doctor told me that I really need to get some exercise. I just completed a photo assignment with an Olympic medalist, yet somehow even that just did not motivate me to make myself exercise. Yes, that’s a problem. I agree. Alas! Now the new improved Marc Blake, under the guise of operation bloggercize, is all out of excuses. Some might ask me if this is pretty fun. “No. Not particularly.” I will admit though that it does feel good to be doing something I know I should be doing. In this case adding a bit of exercise to my daily routine.

Rick Merlo, United States Men's Olympic Water Polo Silver Medalist

If you’re curious about the exact model of the manual walking treadmill that I purchased or want more information about MacSpeech software I encourage you to email me directly. Of course once I’m inundated with numerous emails requiring numerous personal responses, I’ll jump out of my chair, put on my headset headset and begin one of my getting-nowhere-fast walks while I bloggercise my numerous responses to you all.

Closing Statistics: 25 minutes of walking. I believe I have traveled about 794 miles or maybe that’s 7.2 km or maybe it is 7 calories. Whatever! I think the next article I bloggercise will be on the value of having reading glasses that you can really see through.

“Hey pal. Would you please throw me that towel? Thanks, I appreciate it.

Now where’s my chair I’ve got work to do?

Posted in Philosophy | No Responses »

Imagenomic Plugins: Noiseware Pro – Part 1 of 3

Tuesday, April 28th, 2009

Noiseware Pro is by far one of the most amazing utilities you can include for your post production work in Photoshop.

Okay, in all fairness, if you never shoot in the dark, I suppose you could get through life without it.

Okay, in all fairness, I should define ‘shoot in the dark.” First of all let’s be very clear that” when I say shooting, I”m talking about photography. You know, creating images.

Shooting in the dark [for me] includes covering events like; concerts, indoors activities where there is only low light and a flash is not appropriate, when I am going to use one of these wonderful Mt. Everest-sized ISO settings like 392,042,546 or realistically anything around ISO 1600 or higher, night photography, or perhaps portraits that, for whatever reason, force me to use a higher ISO to get more speed and/or aperture options.

Sometimes more sensitivity is necessary in order to get the job done. However, there are times when it does come at a price and that price is unwanted noise. Why I remember one shoot that I ran into taking family portraits of house flies who are sensitive to the bright light of a strobe. Talk about getting them to hold still? I was at ISO 25,000 wide open and getting buzzed. The noise was unbelievable.

Any of the above mentioned conditions can leave you with a light table of images that have… WAIT, I need to warn you that this article is rated PG and does contain some adult language… So when you have a bunch of pics that you shot in the dark you will likely have a bunch of pics with (your choice of adjectives here) NOISE.

I apologize. I have a picture of my grandmother in my wallet and should mind my tongue.

Those of you who are not entertained by my authorial antics can resolve your disdain by agreeing with me when I say that too many great shots have been compromised by too much noise. Obviously it’s (always) those photographs that are members of the “Once in a Lifetime” genre.

The levity ingested into my article is geared toward taking the edge off the ongoing learning curve that comes with keeping up with today’s technological growth.” At the same time, I felt compelled to do an obligatory homage to those very clever wits and master photographers turned trainers Scott Kelby on Vocals and Mouse and Joe McNally on Lights. (see KelbyTraining.com) Their work is brilliant. Their training is concise. Their enthusiasm for the craft is like a sailor with three sheets to the wind (or in Joe’s case that might be his exact formula for an on-the-fly softbox creation).

Let’s get busy.

Install Imagenomic’s Noiseware Pro plug in into Photoshop

Start Photoshop and open a photograph that has lots of noise.

Go to the Filter menu/Imagenomic/Noiseware Professional… (it opens)

Click OK

DONE.

Thank you, thank you good night, thank you, thank you so much.

Those of you who may have expected more OR are curious as to what kind of magic just happened to salvage that lousy photo you thought you”d never be able to use can stay with me a bit longer.

If your noisy photos are as bad as mine than here is a little side trip with Photoshop that will grace your work.

NOTE: I utilize keyboard shortcuts based on a MAC computer. PC users can substitute the Control key when I reference Cmd (Command) and the Alt key when I reference Opt (Option).

Open a noisy photo.

Zoom in to 100%, then 200% and investigate the severity of the noise.

Notice not only the color noise, but also the severity of busted pixels. These are represented by extraneous vertical and horizontal lines more visible in the shadow areas.

Figure 1: Extraneous blown out pixels are found on extremely noisy images.

We can see that this image is extremely noisy and could require a heavy duty amount of processing to render it into a usable photo.

Duplicate the layer (Cmd+J). It’s always wise to hold on to your original background layer when modifying images in Photoshop.

(OPTIONAL) Use Filter/Noise/Dust & Scratches: Radius 1, Threshold 0 to remove the extraneous vertical and horizontal pixelated blowouts shown in Fig. 1.

Then choose Filter/Imagenomic/Noiseware Professional. Frankly, this software does such an incredible job of cleaning up noisy images that you can accept the default setting, click OK and call it a day.

However, we will investigate some tips to make your visit to this filter more fruitful. First, grab the resizing handle and drag the window to its full size. In this case, bigger is better. Now you can see more of your image.

Now change your preview to 100% using the + or – buttons on the bottom of the filter’s window. This is critically important so your eyes can have a realistic view of the changes that are taking affect.

Here comes some real fun. Press Cmd+N and create a new preview. You”ll see a new tab appear at the top of the window above your image.

Make all the changes you want to become familiar with the (over) 50 possible noise repairing tonality and luminosity tweaks that this in-depth plug in has made available for you. Add another preview tab, and another. You can modify your image all day long and simply compare the various previews by cycling through your tabs. It’s just great!

On of my favorite places to adjust the settings is the sharpening slider found on the Details tab under Detail Enhancement. A tiny push with this utility is all it takes.

Once all your adjustments are complete, go to the fly out menu from the Profile area and save your changes as a manual (user) preset. While you are there, use the Preferences options to set up this handy and useful plug in to behoove your workflow.

Alas, with your adjustments completed, review your previews (if you have created more than one) select the one you are going to go with and click OK.

SInce I am cleaning up the noise on a copy of my background layer (which makes it a transparent layer in Photoshop) the Self-Learning feature of Noiseware Professional becomes disabled.

In order to take advantage of this feature, you would need to work on your background layer inside the Noiseware Professional plug in. When you do use the background layer as your filtering source, make sure you have created a duplicate first and turn off it’s visibility in the layers palette. Then, with your original background layer selected, run Noiseware Professional and it will monitor the trend of (a batch of) your photos by looking at the meta data and other criteria, which is beyond me, to create profiles that can automate your efforts. I can see where this would be useful for production particularly when you have a batch of images that suffer the same noisy consequences from the same shoot.

Meanwhile, back in Photoshop, you can boost the sharpness of your image a little by using the high pass filter. Here are the steps.

Duplicate the layer you repaired with Noiseware Professional (Cmd+J)

Go to Filter/Other/High Pass and use a very small radius like 3 pixels so that only the finest details in your image are seen. Click OK.

Open the Noiseware Professional plug in again and run the default processing to your” “high passed” layer. Click OK. This softens the other areas of this new layer so that you do not introduce new noise.

Change the layer mode to Hard Light and you will have a gentle boost of sharpness especially in some of the highlighted areas where, for example, light is shining in someone’s hair. This is a pleasant enhancement to your image.

Figure 2: This nicely repaired image is virtually noise free and ready for commercial use.

It’s important to note that this powerful plug in filter is abundant with settings. Just keep in mind that plug ins are generally designed to boost productivity by doing their magic with a click or two as compared to suffering your way through multiple layers and Photoshop fixes to try to gain the same effect. My point is that the default profiles that come with Noiseware Professional are already quite an array of the best of the best. You can effectively achieve that noisy clean up job in two clicks and get on with your day. That’s being productive and the results are absolutely elegant (and did I mention lifesaving).

I highly recommend this useful product and am very glad to have it available in my Photoshop arsenal of post production tools. Nice work Team Imagenomic!

Posted in Photography | No Responses »