Enhance Your Internet Viewing Experience: Calibrate your Computer Monitor

The management of color for digital photography is an extremely complex subject, of which most amateur photographers have little or no understanding. Basically, color management has to do with the whole process of color digital photography, including how photos are processed and viewed. For most amateur photographers, a thorough understanding and application of this process is not practical. However, there is one part of the process that could be practical for non-professionals and would greatly serve the medium of digital photography: calibration of computer monitors. 

The brightness and color rendition of computer monitors changes over time, and the stock monitor brightness and color/contrast monitor settings are generally not ideal for viewing photographic images. Furthermore, the ambient lighting conditions under which a monitor is viewed will have an effect on the viewer's perception of the image (applies to viewing printed images as well). Conscientious professional photographers will calibrate their computer monitors with special software and hardware that enables them to achieve a more consistent and accurate view of photos on their monitors. This specialized software and hardware is not necessarily terribly expensive (although more elaborate and versatile versions can be), nor is it difficult to use for someone who is at least moderately comfortable with installing and using various kinds of computer software.  Here are a couple of examples of monitor calibration tools that are reasonably accessible for the average computer user: Colormunki and Pantone Huey.  Both of these products can be had for under $200.

Ideally, for best viewing of images, the monitor calibration should take into account the nature of the ambient room light. However, even calibrating a monitor without regard to the ambient room lighting can make for a much more accurate photo viewing experience than simply using the stock monitor settings, or, even worse, badly manipulated monitor settings.

Some professional photographers will occasionally go to the extent of calibrating their clients' monitors. However, this is not practical in all cases. Furthermore, serious photographers are interested in disseminating their work to the widest possible audience, in a manner that represents their work as accurately as possible. Since the Internet has now become the preeminent medium for viewing photographs, it makes sense to try to ensure that the photo viewing medium enables viewers to have the best possible viewing experience.

Moore's Law Strikes Again-The Evolution of the Microchip

According to a recent article in Time Magazine, next year Intel will begin distribution of microchips that use what it calls a Tri-Gate transistor. Instead of electrons flowing along a flat channel, as occurs in current transistors, they flow along three sides of a raised fin with the new design. Reportedly, the new transistors will perform about 37% better and use about half the power. Here is an article in PC Magazine that goes into more detail: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2384909,00.asp

Go With a Trackball for Digital Photo Editing

After working with a mouse for a long time for my photo editing, I started to develop some strain in my little finger. I was using that finger to help stabilize the movements. This year I switched to a Logitech trackball and it seems to be working out much better. Here is what I use: http://www.logitech.com/en-us/mice-pointers/trackballs/devices/wireless-trackball-m570.  You can develop hand strain with a trackball too if you overdo it, but I think this trackball is better than a mouse for photo editing. I also frequently make use of a Wacom tablet/stylus (similar to this: http://www.Wacom.com/en/Products/Intuos/Intuos4Medium.aspx), which has the additional benefit of lessening hand strain by using the hand in a different way from a trackball or mouse.

Fujifilm Introduces a New Compact Digital Camera

Fujifilm has recently added the Finepix X100 to its line, and I am very interested in this camera: http://www.finepix-x100.com/ All the reviews I have seen indicate that it is a very well made and high-performing camera, primarily oriented toward professionals and advanced amateurs who want a camera that is very compact and flexible and who do not need interchangeable lenses.  The camera has a 35mm equivalent (full frame) focal-length lens, which serves very well as a normal-to-slightly-wideangle focal length. This camera seems ideally suited for candid "street" photography. The only cons I have read about are that the user interface and some of the ergonomics could be a bit better, but the user interface could potentially be dealt with in a firmware update.  Here is a review of the camera on the Luminous Landscape website: http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/cameras/fujifilm_x100_test_report.shtml

I plan to get one of these cameras within the next year, unless something even better comes out by then.