We Need Something New

Here's where things stand at the moment.

Lightroom 6 is just around the corner. I'm sure it will be fine. Just fine. And the official release of Photos for OS X is imminent also. Yay.

Both present decent business opportunities for me. But it's a loveless relationship. I'm not excited. We'll go about our work and get the job done. But that's about it. It's boring sex if you ask me.

Am I jaded? Hardly. I'm spinning cartwheels over my latest camera, the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II. I can't get it in my hands often enough. I want to write about it all the time. I feel like a 17 year old with a new muscle car. 

So I know I'm alive. Really, it's not me. It's them.

With Apple selling out to iPhone snapshooters and focusing on Dick Tracy watches, and Adobe plodding along with their mandated release schedules, who's left to knock our socks off? C'mon guys, what happens after we take the picture can be exciting too.

When it comes to photography software, we need something new. Someone, somewhere has to step up to the laptop and give us code to cheer about.

Cloud storage is not the answer. Hell, not even Apple can keep their servers online. I watch what Olympus is doing with pixel shifting sensors, Fujifilm with killer film emulators, Sony with jewel like cameras that take big pictures, and wonder why they can cause tingles when supposedly the smartest companies on the planet settle for catering to the masses.

I wrote about a free app called Fotor recently. Have you seen this thing? It's terrific. Can you imagine if those creative minds attempted to do something big like Lightroom? You would be racing to your computer after a shoot to play with the images.

Here's the thing... I'm not ready for an iPhone-only, cloud storage, auto everything world. I love photography. I want applications that live up to the standards of my cameras.

Right now, I'm a bachelor when it comes to post production. I'm not tied to anyone.

So, someone please,

thrill me.

-Derrick

Now that Aperture Is Near the End

In a few weeks, Apple will remove Aperture from the Mac App Store, and it will no longer be available. This marks the end of one of the best runs of my career.

I first learned about this software for pro photographers in 2004, while having dinner at an Italian restaurant in San Rafael, CA. I was invited there because my name ranked high in a Google search for iPhoto experts. Think of this meeting as a one-on-one focus group. The name Aperture never came up that night. But we talked at great length about how to improve photo management for serious shooters.

A few months later in 2005, Aperture 1.0 was announced by Apple. Soon after, I recorded the first lynda.com training with Scott Bourne, and I was asked by IDG to teach the first Aperture workshop at Macworld Expo in San Francisco.

Over the next few years I enjoyed incredible access at Apple, created the Inside Aperture web site for O’Reilly Media, recorded podcasts on the Apple campus with project manager Joe Schorr, and started the Aperture Resource Center on The Digital Story.

And things did not slow down from there.  I recorded another six Aperture titles for lynda, was invited to speak on photo management at camera clubs and user groups, started my own workshop series teaching the application, and used it daily for my photography work. 

Then in June, 2014 I received a call from Apple PR. “We are ceasing development of Aperture.” Our growing concerns were finally realized. By April 2015, Aperture will no longer be for sale.

I’ve been asked many times what I’m going do next. Move to Lightroom, maybe? I honestly don’t know; we rarely know our next move after a loss.

As I reflect on the last 10 years, I’m grateful for my good fortune. Accepting an invitation to dine at an Italian restaurant in San Rafael was one of the best business decisions I’ve ever made.

A lot has changed since then. Apple is a much different. DSLRs no longer rule photography. My work at O’Reilly remains online, but I haven’t talked to them in years. I will never have the opportunity to teach Aperture again.

To be honest, I really wanted this to keep going. But it’s over. And soon something new will come along. 

And when it does, the adventure begins again.

-Derrick

How I Made Money with Filters

Let me back in to this conversation by saying that this all came about because I've been selling some of my photography gear.

As part of my transition from DSLRs to more compact mirrorless cameras, I've shed a few lenses that I'm not using anymore. A big part of my selling success is that the glass is in great condition. These optics have no marks or scratches, and I pack them in the original boxes with all of the accessories.

Customers like this because they can save money compared to purchasing a brand new lens, yet receive something that looks just as good. And this brings me to filters.

From day one, I put protection filters on my lenses. I've been through all of the discussions about how they may compromise sharpness or degrade contrast. (Of course they're telling this to a guy who regularly shoots through hotel and airplane windows. What do I know?)

But the fact of the matter is, you can buy a good multicoated filter with excellent light transmission, or you can cheap-out for a hunk of glass glued into a metal ring. There's a big difference.

For example, I just bought a Hoya 46mm EVO Antistatic UV Filter for my Olympus 17mm f/1.8 prime lens. It features: 

• 16-Layer Super Multi-Coating 
• EVO Antistatic Coating that Repels Dust, Water, Stain, and is Scratch-Resistant
• Optical Glass Construction

This is a quality optic in its own right, and I don't think my pictures are going to suffer as a result. And since I have many lenses that take this filter size, I will receive years of service from my investment. (I may sell lenses, but I rarely sell filters.)

And this leads me to how I make money with filters. When I sell my lenses, I can list them as "Like New" or "Excellent" condition. This earns me $100-$200 more in revenue for each sale. The front optics are always perfect... they haven't even been cleaned because they don't need it.

I know nobody likes to buy filters (or car tires and things like that). But photographers who are on the go can better protect their gear by shielding that big hunk of glass at the end of their cameras from the elements of the world.

It's not so much an expense, as it is an investment.

-Derrick

The $449 Watchband

Now that I'm back from my latest travels, I had planned on writing about making movies and negotiating deals. But those topics will have to wait for another day.

Today's subject began innocently enough with my having to replace the leather band on my intelligent quartz sport watch. It's a handsome timepiece that I've received many compliments on, until I told the admirer that it was made by Timex.

I logged on to Amazon and found an expedition styled leather strap with polished bucket for $12.99. My current band has lost one of its loops and is over 2 years old. Time indeed for an replacement. 

Coincidently enough, Apple was streaming their presentation about the new Apple Watch. The entry level model costs $349. I figure that it's a small computer. Fair enough. But then there are the watchbands with their own pricing structure. I went online and read the sales copy for the Classic Leather Buckle:

From the renowned ECCO tannery in the Netherlands, the Dutch leather used for this band is milled to give the grain a subtle, distinctive texture. The simple closure is crafted from the same stainless steel as the case. It’s a beautiful take on a traditional band design.

Oh brother... Price: $149

It gets better. The Modern Buckle is $249, and the Link Bracelet is $449 (watch not included).

I had just sold an Olympus OM-D E-M5 in pristine condition with zoom lens, battery, and all of the accessories for $449. A camera that is a marvel of technology made from precious metals with precision craftsmanship sells for the same price as a top of the line watch bracelet made by Apple.

Now I know about fashion and how much designer handbags can cost. I grew up in Southern California. You can easily spend over a grand for a Louis Vuitton Damier Duomo bag. 

But Apple is the company that makes the tools I use to support myself. I think their computers, phones, and tablets are the model of form, function, and yes, value. I've always felt that I got what I paid for.

But there's something that bugs me about them selling a $449 watchband. I never really respected Coach and Gucci. And who knows, maybe I'm still upset about them not honoring their commitment to Aperture users. Hard to say.

What I do know is that I've seen friends wander off like this before. I usually don't go with them. Instead, I'll snuggly loop my new leather watchband around my wrist, fasten the buckle, then smile and wave to them from the distance.

Hoping inside, that it won't be too long before they find their way back home.

-Derrick

Why Personal Projects are Important

I do a lot of work for other people. And I enjoy it. But it's the personal projects that truly satisfy.

This web site is an example. If I didn't have The Nimble Photographer, I wouldn't keep up with my journal entries. Seeing it there daily as a tab in my web browser reminds me that I need to write something with an opinion - not news, not an article, but words from the heart.

Posting to Instagram is also a personal project. Seeing its icon on my iPhone Home screen reminds me how much I love photography. Instagram is my visual journal, a place where I can share something interesting that I saw that day. 

If I hadn't established these platforms for sharing, then I know that the days, weeks, and even months would go by without me creating something that wasn't an obligation.

I have friends who do the same thing. They set up a project and tell themselves that they are going to finish it by the end of the month. And in order to do so, they often have to set aside a few tasks that would otherwise occupy their time.

There will always be tasks, but not always time.

My personal opinion is that life should be more than a checklist of duties. I value my family, friendships, pets, and personal projects.

I don't know what was on my work ToDo list earlier this month. But I do remember writing From the Bad... and publishing a photo on Instagram of a man reading a newspaper in a Chinatown alley painted green. I'm smiling right now thinking about them both.

These are the endeavors that keep me going. Because at the end of the day, I'm more than a job.

And this is from a guy who is very lucky at work.

-Derrick