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Key words in this issue: Photoshop | Truth | Search Capabilities | On-Line Shoppers | Digital Arts | Westworks 2003 | Landscape Field Guide | Animals | African Life | Insurance | Stock Photo |

NEWSWORDS: Nash Editions | Getty | Laura Rauch | Jewelry Photos | Primedia | DigitalPhotoContest.com | Planespotters | Non-Print Firms |

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## PhotoAIM weekly newsletter for 11/08/02 ## 386a

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PhotoAIM, the weekly newsletter from PhotoSource

ISSN 1530-0511

If you no longer wish to receive PhotoAIM, see the instructions at the end of this newsletter.

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PHOTOSHOP FOR STOCK PHOTOGRAPHERS - PART 2

by David Arnold

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Advance Notes: Last month I discussed the importance of using image editing software on your digital images, whether generated by a digital camera or a scanner. After a brief overview of seven imaging editing programs, I concluded that while all are quite good, Photoshop--though the most expensive and time-consuming to learn--offers the greatest power and flexibility. This month we'll look at the Photoshop features of greatest use to stock photographers. Next month I'll give you some tips for developing Photoshop proficiency, and review some books, workshops, and training CDs that can lower the learning curve. Then, in the last installment, I'll review some add-on software that can supercharge Photoshop and help you produce more saleable images. -DA

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According to the October issue of Photographic magazine, "more than 70 percent of all imaging is handled in Photoshop." Photoshop can do more than competing programs, and once you've become proficient, do it faster. There's also more help available: 70 to 90 percent of image editing books, articles, workshops, etc., focus on Photoshop. Another Photoshop plus is its open architecture, which accepts third-party plug-ins that add additional features. While most (but not all) other imaging programs accept some Photoshop-compatible plug-ins, none accepts all of them.

What are the downsides of Photoshop? First, cost: $609 vs. $100 or less for most of the competition. Second, complexity and accompanying difficulty of use. Photoshop's plethora of features, and the depth of these features, means you can't just boot it up, mouse through the menus, and consider yourself proficient. And third, Photoshop is hardware hungry. Unless you already have a pretty powerful machine, you'll probably want more RAM, and may want to replace your whole system.

What does Photoshop give you in exchange for your time and money? It can make marginal images acceptable, and good images better. Put another way, it can make you more money. Let's look at a few of the things Photoshop can do for your images. It can rotate and crop them to straighten a slanted horizon or eliminate excess sky or pavement. Click on the crop tool's perspective box and you can correct the keystoning in a building that looks like it's falling over backwards.

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This week's featured photographer on PhotoSourceFolio: Dale O’Dell:

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PHOTOLOSOPHY

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An instrument for truth. . .

Camera As Weapon

We don't often think of a camera as a weapon. However, as society moves forward, it's becoming more apparent that the camera, indeed, is becoming at least a protection device. Photographs and videos, used positively, have brought attention to ills of society, ranging from environmental destruction to political chicanery. The strong reality of still photos and video has served as evidence in court cases ranging from the Los Angeles police beating of Rodney King a decade ago, to the Madelyne Gorman Toogood beating of her 4-year old daughter in the parking lot of a northern Indiana department store last month.

It may be that the still photos and film footage the general public was exposed to in a distant land during the Vietnam War contributed to the halting of that war.

The recent PBS re-run of Ken Burn's Civil War series has honed our awareness of what happened on our own soil to boys that went off to war and never came back. Mathew Brady's records of tragically strewn bodies did not have television to increase their exposure. But the exposure they did get served as a powerful reminder to both sides that war wasn't the answer to the era’s burning issues.

In modern times we have seen reality images not only inform but entertain us. The success of The Blair Witch Project the Survival series, COPS, etc., remind us that as we become more aware of our environment, both urban and natural, we are in a better position to understand where we are and where we are going.

As an editorial photographer, you fit into a society that is hungry for information. Some of it is uplifting - some of it is not always good. There will always be factions in your city, town, or village that will attempt to prevent you from capturing scenes of your experience. It goes with the territory. It's your decision, as it was Mathew Brady's... to do the job. - RE

Note: According to the Electronic Privacy Information Center in Washington DC < epic.org >, the courts have generally ruled that someone in a public place doesn't have the expectation of privacy.

ON-LINE

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PhotoSourceFOLIO Has New Search Capabilities

You've always been able to conduct text searches at our popular photo gallery website. Now you can target your searches to just the picture captions, and get a results page that includes a thumbnail of the image that matches the found caption. Go ahead, give it a try: http://www.photosourcefolio.com/psf-search.htm (use London for your first try; you'll get lots of hits).

Where Are All the On-line Shoppers?

Well, they're mostly at work! 59% of the $45 BILLION in US Web purchases last year happened in the workplace, with only 37% from home (the other 4% was from schools), according to ComScore. Their sampling was from over 1.5 million Internet users who allow monitoring of their online use. ComScore noted that shopping begins with the workday, jumps sharply at about 10:00am (local time) and builds steadily to noon, where it drops off (natch!). It picks up again around 3:00pm To make the analysis, ComScore excluded travel and large corporate purchases. They also left out Internet auction sales, such as from eBay.

Keeping Your Older Computer Updated

It can certainly be a challenge. Here is a possible solution: http://catchup.cnet.com. It's a free program that you download, install, and run on your Windows computer. It'll scan your computer looking for out-of-date software, security holes, and adware (I wrote about adware and the search-and-remove tool, AD-Aware, by lavasoft last July). Then, it generates a report on your screen telling you the news, and provides website links where you can search for updates and/or patches. As with all updates, it's always best to have a full backup of your system prior to performing any new software or patch installs. Note: The program is Internet-based, and thus will want you to have cookies enabled. You'll also be asked to provide your email address and a bit of other marketing info prior to downloading. I admit I'm always a bit leery of such "blanket update" software. I figure that, at the least, the company is updating their database with the info the program finds on your computer. Maybe that's just me....

BUSINESS NOTEPAD

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SHOOTERS

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Bill Wittman, Ontario, Canada, was the official photographer for World Youth Day 2002, Toronto, Canada. One of his photos is featured on the cover of the WYD Official Souvenir Book, and he has several more photos featured on the inside pages.

CONTESTS

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GOOD STUFF

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK

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"Committee--a group of men who individually can do nothing but as a group decide that nothing can be done."

–Fred Allen

FREE THIS WEEK

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THIS WEEK'S WEB FEATURE

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Got a question about " on-line"?

Watch for developments in the field of stock photography in PhotoAIM's

PHOTOGRAPHY IN THE NEWS

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You'll be the first to know…

Note: If the URL is long, it may extend to two lines. In that case - clicking on it won't work. Instead, "copy and paste" the URL.

"Digital Frontiers: Photography's Future at Nash Editions" - What is the future of photography in the computerized, digital world of the 21<sup>st</sup> century? How is photography as an art form being transformed by computer manipulation of digital images?

Getty Images Inc. (NYSE: GYI), transfers its listing to the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), under the new ticker symbol "GYI."

AP's Laura Rauch Wins E&P Photo Prize - Laura Rauch of the Associated Press has been awarded the $500 grand prize in Editor & Publisher's Third Annual Photos of the Year contest.

High-quality photos of jewelry for the nation's top retail and wholesale Jewelers is produced by Harmon Group, a full-service advertising and marketing company.

Primedia publishing plans to keep titles it has tried to sell, including some hunting- and photography-enthusiast magazines.

DigitalPhotoContest.com Proclaims: 'A Picture Is Worth a Thousand BUCKS!' DigitalPhotoContest.com, an on-line digital photo contest site announced plans to hold it's first ever Compete For Cash(TM) Web Contest.

Civil Liberties Watch: Planespotters Begin Appeal - - British and Dutch planespotters began an appeal Tuesday in Greece against jail terms of up to three years for obtaining state secrets, saying they were indulging their innocent hobby and not spying.

Revenue from Worldwide Digital Camera Sales to Reach $11.8 Billion in 2007 According to InfoTrends Research Group

Non-Print Firms Are the Least Involved with Cross Media - Sixty-one percent of publishers say they work on cross-media projects, compared to 53% of traditional design and production firms and 37% of Internet design and production firms.

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386a

Next Week: Are You Photos Politically Correct?

"Rohn, the work you are doing with your PhotoAIM is excellent - a real service to many photographers who would otherwise would still be in the dark on many important issues. Thanks and we intend to help spread the word."

–Bob Grytten, Editor, Holiday FL