PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR MY APPLE MAC PRO

I'M BACK

I took a few weeks off there to recharge the batteries and get away for a bit. Sorry for the radio silence, but now I'm back.

MAC PRO

This will be a little different than the gear posts that I've done in the past. Today, I wanted to review what I'm using for a desktop computer, but more importantly I wanted to go over why I'm still using it.

Sitting on my desk right now is a 2008 Mac Pro. I know what you're thinking, "That's a dated computer!" But in reality it's not. When I purchased this computer (used in 2010) I bought the best I could afford. It came with a high-definition Apple 30" Cinema Display and the internal stats were impressive. Dual quad core processors, 4 x 500GB hard drives, 8GB of RAM, dual DVD burners, and a 512GB video card.

Late model Mac Pro

Since then, I've spent money on upgrades here and there and it's still running lightning fast today. I'm currently running the same processors, 16GB of upgraded RAM, a newer 1GB video card, a 600GB 15,000 RPM hard drive for my operating system and 3 x 2TB storage drives for photos/video. Additionally, I added a 23" Cinema Display to accompany the original 30" and inserted a USB 3.0 PCIe expansion card to increase data transfer speeds from external drives and memory cards. I can run the latest version of OS X and I've had no problems with Photoshop, Lightroom or the Adobe Suite of products. Could I get something newer and faster? Of course. But I like that I spent roughly double what I wanted to spend for the initial computer, and still haven't had the need to upgrade the entire system.

That's my main point here. Instead of purchasing a new computer every 2-4 years, I go for broke on a new computer and then update along the way. Not a bad strategy for saving money in the long run. Also, I can still sell my current computer as a used system after removing the storage drives and adding them to a powered enclosure.

FUTURE COMPUTER

My next computer purchase will likely be a slightly used, new-model Mac Pro with full stats. I'm a little reluctant to go that route because of all the required peripherals to accomplish what I can self-contain in my current Mac Pro tower, but that's the price you pay to move forward. In the meantime, I still use a 13" Macbook Pro alongside my desktop and in the field.

Hope this helped!

 

PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR REVIEW OF THE LEXAR WORKFLOW HUB HR2

NEW CARD READER

With megapixels, memory cards, and file sizes growing year over year, I decided to invest in a higher speed card reader in hopes of saving some time. I settled on the new Lexar Professional Workflow HR2 Hub featuring USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt connectivity.

Lexar HR2 Workflow Hub

FEATURES AND A TIME TRIAL

Lexar Compact Flach Card Reader

I chose the HR2 over the less-expensive HR1 because it features 2 additional Thunderbolt ports in back. That's important because it allows me to connect and copy 4 memory cards to 2 external hard drives using just my MacBook Pro. The maiden voyage took 84 GB to 2 external drives in under 13 minutes. This might not sound significant, but having 2 copies of all files from 4 memory cards all at once was a world of a time saver. In the past, I usually sat and waited for each card to finish before starting the next card. The HR2 let me set them to copy and then walk away for 15 minutes without watching the slow creeping bar of insanity.

My first impressions are that this is a quality product that received some serious thought and attention in its design. Not only do you have the ability to custom configure the hub to fit your needs, but each docking reader can be used as a stand alone card reader as well. In addition to card readers, Lexar now makes portable hard drives that fit within the hub (shown in top ports of image above).

I would definitely recommend this to folks that have been devoting way too much time and attention to downloading cards. Pair this with Carbon Copy Cloner and you have a match made in heaven!

PHOTOGRAPHY GEAR REVIEW OF SENSEI LENS CAPS

THE DILEMMA

It's an age-old debate: Nikon vs. Canon. People can, and will, argue all day long about who has superior image quality and who builds a better camera, but there is one argument never made by Nikon users that gives them a leg up...the lens cap.

I know, I know, it sounds stupid, but it was significant enough for me to write this little post. Nikon has center-pinch lens caps while Canon has outside pinch points. This seems trivial until you're trying to get the lens cap off with a lens hood attached and your fat fingers won't fit. Wake up Canon, you need to change this! Don't believe me? Notice the camera in the picture below is also a Canon camera. Told you!

THE SOLUTION

I almost started buying Nikon lens caps, but then I discovered Sensei. Now, I buy a lens cap along with a UV filter whenever I purchase a new lens. They are very inexpensive ($4.50 for a 77mm cap) but add lots of ease of use. My only problem with Sensei is that the back of the cap is open to sand and dirt getting in. This is easily remedied with an occasional rinse.

Go ahead and laugh Canon users, but once you go center-pinch cap, you never go back!

LIGHTROOM PHOTOGRAPHY WORKFLOW

I USE LIGHTROOM

There are plenty of great image editing softwares out there, I just happen to use Lightroom. You can spend hours watching videos and reading blogs about people's workflow in Lightroom and there is no shortage of content. I think everyone is a little different, so I'll tell you what works for me.

STEP 1 | IMPORT

First things first, you have to get your images off your card and into Lightroom. I import directly into Lightroom using a template setup that creates a new folder, renames files, adds keywords, and applies basic development settings. It's an easy process that can be time consuming because I also have Lightroom build 1:1 previews of all images. It takes more time up front, but it saves me loads of time in my development cycle.

After I complete an import, I always run 2 backup processes: the first is Apple's Time Machine to a G-Technooogy external 8TB drive and the second is Carbon Copy Cloner to a matched internal drive.Note, I don;t format my cards until I'm on location for my next shoot. It's always nice to have multiple, multiple backups.

STEP 2 | SELECTION

Once my previews are built and my backups are complete, I quickly run through the images selecting the ones I would like to advance in the development process. I set Lightroom to auto-advance after a star rating is selected, and then I filter the images to only show those images without a star rating. Numerous times I have gone back through images from an old shoot and found several images that were worth saving and retouching. So, I don't delete anything. A quick pass punching numbers and I've got a batch of images ready to be processed.

Here's how I use star ratings:

1. Rejects (I don't delete files, I just use 1 star)
2. Technically Correct (not the selected image from a batch, but still sharp and usable)
3. Initial Selection (untouched, out of camera originals)
4. Retouched (corrected in Lightroom, but maybe not the final select from a batch)
5. Finalized (external adjustments complete, favorite images)

Pair this with color labels and you've got the makings of a great system.

STEP 3 | CORRECTION

I use presets to adjust 90% of images and I copy settings across similar images before applying any local adjustments. The most important thing to note about how I use adjustment presets is that I don't completely adjust any image with a single preset. I have individual presets for every common correction I perform.

• CVS - Adjusts Clarity, Vibrance, Saturation
• LENS - Adds Profile Correction and Removes Chromatic Aberration
• NOISE - Removes Noise at Different Instensities
• SHARP - Sharpens for Landscape or Portrait
• SPLIT - Tones for Warm or Cool Highlights
• VIGN - Adds Pre-Crop Vignette

I make these basic corrections first because it's easier to sync these settings between images and it speeds up the process of individual adjustments. After the basic corrections are complete, I'll go through the selected images one by one and straighten horizons, add graduated filters, remove spots, and add adjustment brushes as needed.

STEP 4 | COLOR LABELS

Color labels are an important part of my workflow, and I use them to designate portfolio quality images. I use a single Lightroom catalog with several hundred thousand images, so color labels help me sort images by genre.

After running through the star ratings, I select final images that will go into my portfolio and onto the website. A 5-star image with a color label is what I deem portfolio quality. I use color labels as noted:

• Red - Outdoor/Adventure
• Yellow - Personal/Family/Friends
• Green - Architecture
• Blue - Commercial
• Purple - Wedding/Family/Portrait

Note that I don't color label any image that doesn't have a 5-star rating.

STEP 5 | EXPORT

Once all of this is completed, I'll use presets to export images for different outputs. From there, I'll share with clients via DropBox, upload to my website, add to print materials, or other final destinations. In all honesty, I rarely use the other features in Lightroom. That's not to say they aren't great.

CONCLUSION

I hope this helps. This wasn't meant to teach you how to perform any of these tasks or create the presets, there are books and videos created for that. Instead, this was meant to outline how I use Lightroom on a regular basis.