PhotoTuts author Andrew Gibson has posted a nice tutorial that demonstrates a simple means of “combining exposures”, by creating two different files from the same raw file and then bringing them together in Photoshop. While this technique typically won’t produce as dramatic a result as exposure-bracketing a scene from your DSLR, and then using HDR techniques to bring them all together, it’s also much quicker than most HDR techniques. So if you don’t have a lot of time to dedicate but want to get more from a scene you captured that has a higher dynamic range, it’s worth a look.
Jan 212010
Jan 162010
Since Adobe’s recent announcement that Premiere Pro and After Effects will be 64 bit applications, and other developers are following suit with their plugins, some have wondered if they will have to fork out the money for a brand new computer. In most cases, if you’re already using a decent machine for your digital photography, 3D or motion graphics work, the answer will be “no”. 
SOME 64-BIT BACKGROUND:
• The primary benefit of 64 bit applications is NOT speed. In other words 64 bit processes do not magically run twice as fast as 32 bit processes (don’t let any sales wonk tell you otherwise; they’re in business to sell, not inform). However, the 64 bit applications gain access to (basically) unlimited RAM! That’s a really big deal if you’re opening up huge project files with lots of images, audio, etc. With 64-bit, fewer operations rely on the (relatively slow) hard disk data rates that 32-bit apps often require. Instead, your open file data and operations are piped directly into and out of RAM, assuming you have enough installed.
• For Mac users and PC users who have a Core 2 Duo or later processor, your machine should already be 64-bit capable. For that reason most creative types will NOT need a new computer, unless their computer is quite a bit older (say 4 or 5 years). However, you WILL want to install more RAM if you have space for it. You may be forced to remove (and eBay) old, smaller capacity modules (say 512MB or 1GB) and replace them with higher density modules (2GB or 4GB), especially on laptops. As much as you can afford, get it. RAM is cheap compared to other components or a new Mac / PC. Also IF you are buying a new Mac or PC anyway, DON’T load up on RAM from Apple, Dell, Alienware, etc. If you know how to install it yourself, buy RAM from Crucial.com, Other World Computing, or other reliable retailers. They usually offer much better prices than OEMs.
• For Mac and PC users, both Snow Leopard (10.6) and Windows 7 are full 64-bit operating systems. While parts of older systems are 64 bit, these two are the ones you’ll want to use if you’re going to be using mostly 64 bit apps like AE and Lightroom going forward. Especially on the Mac side. On the PC side sometimes people find a “perfect setup” with their XP Pro and don’t want to tinker with it for fear of crashes or viruses, but generally these are both good systems IME and probably worth an upgrade. Note that many 64 bit applications mayoffer the option to run in either 64 bit or 32 bit mode, so you’ll want to check that on an app-by-app basis before deciding what to do with your system. Your buddy’s priorities may be a little different than yours in that regard.
• For AE users, be aware that all of your favorite plug-ins will probably require an update to run properly in the 64 bit version of AE, so they may not be available right away. The good news is Andrew Kramer over at Video Copilot, is going to do just that (upgrade his plug-ins right away), and the cost to you will be nill!
Jan 152010
John Dickinson of Motionworks put together a fun list (way back in the summer of ot-8… when broadcast wuz simple, sonny!) of production phrases and definitions that might be helpful if you’ve ever wondered what the hell a “bumper” was, if not the front or rear end of a car. Check it out.
Jan 122010
One of the things I’ve mentioned in my training videos, articles and in forthcoming tutorials, is the quality of lighting and how important that is. Just watching videos like those from Gkaster and Alex Roman, we can see that the quality and character of the light plays a huge role, not just in traditional photography but in motion graphics and 3D renderings as well.
I was thinking about this over the weekend and it dawned on me that I should mention a really fantastic educational resource for lighting, which will be useful to anyone who is an aspiring photographer, cinematographer or effects artist. There is a great book written on Lighting, called Light: Science & Magic, from Focal Press (one of my favorite publishers for creative books, along with Peachpit and Lark). This book does a fantastic job of explaining characteristics of light and methods for manipulating and controlling in in specific situations. It’s definitely worthwhile, especially if you’re a student and your prof’s chosen text isn’t really brimming with good information on lighting. Few texts are in my experience.
