Envision!

Today I got the chance to visit the Envision Center at Purdue University. I've walked past it countless times over the past 5 years but have never wondered in. There is some pretty cool stuff tucked away in the space between the Union and Stewart. One of the pieces of technology they use that was particular interesting was a device called the cave. This was essentially a 3D viewing space that can be enclosed around you (on 4 sides) allowing you to interact with a 3-dimensional space. The cave uses a pair of 3D glasses in combination with a motion detector that is worn just over the glasses. This censor allows the virtual space to move according to your head movement. Thus, if you turn your head right, if you squat down the view will move down, and so on.

I most definitely see great potential in a set up like this. For one, it can be used to enter a space and become familiar with it, before ever stepping foot inside. It can also be a crucial device in research. The 3D space could be used to measure productivity, accessibility, and functionality of a space and determine necessary changes for the most optimal layout.

Another thing we were shown in the center that I found to be interesting is a tile wall. One of the stations in there was a seven monitor setup that had seven different viewing screens (all making one larger viewing space). The great thing about this is that the data on each screen is also split up into seven different computers. This allows huge data sets to be analyzed and accessed visually, without bogging down a single system. A sample of using this would be to access an area of land, and be able to visually see different components of that same land area, as well as the data that describes it.

Below is a video of the Pharmacy Clean Room that we were given the chance to interact with along with a brief explanation of how this is utilized.



The Envision Center at Purdue is definitely on the forefront of imaging and data representation. This research can be applied to an endless array of fields and professions, making it a very influential and important resource to have on a campus such as Purdue. If you are ever at Purdue and have a chance to stop by, I definitely recommend checking it out.

Learning Creatively

Have I mentioned how great it is to be a photographer in the now? Learning the techniques of digital photography, among other creative activities, has become even easier than before. The days of finding one photographer to teach you the trade are over. Chase Jarvis, a great photographer and inspiring creative, recently announced on his blog the introduction of CreativeLIVE. In conjunction with his recent live broadcast photo shoots, CreativeLIVE is a way for photographers and other artistic folk to learn from the greatest in their respective fields. They not only offer photography classes, but also painting, creative software and even designing and coding programs for the iPhone. The best part of it is... it is FREE! In following his blog and his work, Chase appears to be the kind of guy who knows what he's doing and wants others to be able to learn from him and his new project is another sign of that. Thanks, Chase!

What CreativeLIVE is, is an online site in which you can enroll in "classes" for free. Next you tune in to the sign during the designated times of the class you want to take and learn from the best in the business via a web streamed lecture/demonstration. Once a lesson is over, it becomes available for purchase via download. But wait, there's more! The website offers a live chat in which you can talk with others taking that class as well as those instructing it. Giving you one on one time with professionals as well as colleagues in the industry. The chat is available in two ways: an online chat connection, or via twitter using a hashtag. Below is a great promotional video that Chase put together about the program.




What do you guys think? A worthwhile tool for the creative minds of the world? Anyone know of any other similar programs? The simple fact is you can have these classes at your disposal (if downloaded) anytime you wish. They can also be put on your iPod, iPhone of other electronic device and you can learn tricks of the trade while your waiting on the bus or on your lunch break. I definitely see great potential in this project and I intend on utilizing it as much as possible in my free time. Love learning!

Taking Control

Having control of your DSLR's capabilities is of huge importance in the photography world. Remote control becomes even more important when trying to capture an image with high dynamic range or HDR. These dynamic images are created by capturing several different exposures of one image and combining them together to form an image in which there is adequate exposure of nearly every pixel in the image. Because you are shooting several different exposures of the same image it is important that the camera doesn't move, making changing the settings a risky move even when the camera is mounted. This has forced photographers and manufacturers to come up with remote ways of controlling the camera. In the past this has been done by connecting your camera to a computer and controlling it with software. The problem with this is the amount and size of gear required for the shoot. This has led the team at HDR Labs to develop the Open Camera Control.

To do this, the HDR Labs team has taken a Nintendo DS and created a piece of software that allows you to control your camera by tethering the device to your DSLR via a DYI cable made from a camera release cable, a standard Nintendo DS game housing and a few other circuitry parts. Although this step takes a bit of knowledge on circuit board building and coding, it is still putting the technology into the hands of the consumers and getting them to think outside of the "photographical" box. All of the Camera Control software they have developed for the Nintendo DS can be found here.

With the creation of the Open Camera Control, HDR Labs is hoping to put an idea in the minds of photographers, or rather a canvas, that they can then change and mold into something that fits a style of shooting or artistic vision they have in mind. Just like the creators of Frankencamera they are hoping that manufacturers begin to create cameras that can be programmed by photographers to do things completely unexpected.

Moving Still

The SLR has been the accepted standard camera in professional photography for quite some time. Its versatility and durability has made the SLR ideal for a wide variety of shooting. In the past five to ten years the DSLR has become the camera of choice for some photographers. The switch to digital has been hesitant but more and more photographers are moving past the nostalgic film work and picking up a newer digital version of their old SLR. However, something new has taken over the world of photography. The idea of using a DSLR for video capture is now possible. Over the past few years two major players in the camera manufacturing industry, Canon and Nikon, have released professional DSLR bodies with HD video (720p and 1080p) capabilities. This has not only put a professional still camera in the hands of cinematographers, but also creating a new market for photojournalist to document their work.

Now instead of lugging around huge cameras and lenses along with various other equipment required to capture high quality video, professionals and amateurs alike are able to cary something a bit more confined with them... making having the right equipment at the right time more likely. These cameras are a big hit for photojournalists covering events due to their light weight and ability to shoot in more confined spaces. DSLR's with HD video are also big hits among travel journalists as well because they are so easy to travel the globe with. In addition, users aren't constricted by bulky MiniDV tapes and the time consuming task of capturing all that video in real time! They can simply pop their SD or CF into their computer, edit their piece and upload professional HD video footage to the web. But that is only the start of it. Since the first two models of HD video equipped DSLRs in 2009, photographers have been using their creativity and their conveniently sized cameras to capture shots that have never been done before.

I saw a remarkable example in a post on Chase Jarvis' blog today about a new Nissan commercial that really shows these cameras in action. Using a DSLR mounted in a miniature helicopter in conjunction with other methods, this talented group of photographers, designers, and artists were able to create something quite unique. See the making of video below followed by the finished product.







I have a Nikon D90, one of the first DSLRs to have HD video and am in the market for a Nikon D300s (Nikon's newest addition to it's video capturing arsenal) and I haven't used the video function as much as I would like. After watching this video I hope to push my creativity more and utilize such an amazing piece of photographic equipment. If you have any suggestions on cool ways to shoot video on a DSLR or have shot some video on one yourself, please feel free to comment. I always enjoy seeing and hearing ways that other photographers are utilizing their equipment to make some creative stuff!

Seeing the World One Pixel at a Time

I am sure you have seen those brilliant panoramic images of a stunning skyline at night or the breathtaking view from the top of a mountain. Well now there is an easy way to capture those images and share them with the world.

Traditionally you would set your camera up on a tripod and shoot an image, slightly pan your camera, shoot another image and repeat the process until you had a dozen or so images. Then you would need to take those images into some editing software, such as Photoshop, and run an action that would stitch those images together to make one image.

Well now that is all made simpler with the use of GigaPan Systems Epic Pro. This product is essentially a robotic device that you mount your camera to that will allow you to program in a specific panoramic shot that you wish to take. The Epic Pro walks you through the appropriate steps of your panoramic image by first setting your upper right starting point and lower left ending point. You can set the camera to take up to 20 images per location. Allowing you exposure bracketing or multiple image enhancement The device then directs your camera to take hundreds or even thousands of photos and organizes them into the correct order to generate the panoramic image.

What takes the GigaPan to the next level is its online network of uploaded images. By going to GigPan.org you can upload your panoramic image. The website gives you the ability to share detailed images that are found within your larger panoramic, along with tags, a description, the equipment you took the photo with (such as camera body, lenses, etc.), how many snapshots are stitched together to make your photo, as well as an area that allows viewers to comment on your photo. In addition the image is location aware and plots where your panoramic was taken on a google map.

This device, although it comes with a hefty price tag, allows users to create amazing panoramic photos with ease as well as share them with other users of GigPan. Secondly a community of photographers is created in which they can swap information on how a particular shot was done or offer feedback on a particular shot. The GigaPan Epic Pro is definitely a superb device with an almost endless realm of capabilities.

Young Frankencamera

It's pronounced "Fronkencamera." Well... not really, but it is one of the most innovative ideas to hit the photography industry since the digital camera. Frankencamera is an open-source digital camera that will essentially give anyone the ability to create software that allows the camera to function in ways that have never been possible before.

The camera has been in development for some time now at Stanford University under the reins of professor Marc Levoy. The camera has gotten it's name, believe it or not, from the concept of Frankenstein. It is essentially a conglomeration of off the shelf parts of other electronic devices. The motherboard is that of a Texas Instruments "system on a chip" that is running the Linux operating system. The imaging chip is from a Nokia N95 cell phone, the body is custom built at Stanford, and the lenses are off the shelf Canon lenses. 

What is great about the Frankencamera is its capabilities. One of the most interesting ideas is allowing the camera to communication with computers on a network. This would allow the camera to analyze a picture that you are about to take and search an online photo hosting site for similar images. Then, the camera will replicate the shutter speed, aperture, and ISO sensitivity of the image it has found online and utilize them in the picture you are about to take. 

Another more, practical use is by extending the camera's dynamic range. This would allow the camera to do something that is currently only done in post production. The idea of high dynamic range is that you take a picture at several different exposures and then combining them into one optimal exposure. With Frankencamera you would be able to do this instantly and give users an exposure that is optimally lit throughout the frame. This feature, as well as some other information about Frankencamera can be seen in the video below.

The greatest feat of Frankencamera is its ability to create something never thought of before. Because Frankencamera is open-source, anyone can create new software to push the camera to its maximum capabilities. This is allowing the photographer to become more and more involved in the way his camera works, and the types of images it can produce. I look forward to further development of this product and I am excited for the future of photography. 

Photosynth

So, for this week's blog I wanted to find something new to write about... something that I haven't heard about. After some digging through emerging technology and photography blogs, I found something cool. It's called Photosynth and is a product of Microsoft. It basically lets you combine tons of images of a given location and uses algorithms to look for similarities within photos to reconstruct them into a 3-D representation of the location you took them.

As a photographer, when I am shooting a subject, I carefully frame my subject in such a manner that the people who view my images are only seeing what I want them to see. I think that doing this successfully is one aspect that separates good photographers from great photographers. Composition has always been a part of the art form. But, as a consumer of photography I often wonder what was happening around that image when it was taken. What was happening just off of frame left, or even behind the photographer. What did this location look like? And maybe that is part of the mystery that makes photography so intriguing. But now, with the use of Photosynth, this is possible.

Below is a video of Photosynth in action.


I can see this product being a wonderful tool for architectural or landscape photographers, because they aren't just able to provide a 360 degree view of their location, but rather a three dimensional look at the surroundings. This is a tool and resource for photographers and definitely has it's place in the photography industry.

Technology is Learning

So being a photographer in the now is quite amazing... if you know how to use your resources. I have only been shooting for about two years now and I have already been able to learn enough to push my hobby into a way of earning some dough. This is all due to the readily available resources on the web.

For years photographers would have to go to classes, read books, attend workshops and even apprentice under other photographers to learn the trade. Well to an extent, this is what I have done only via the web. One of the biggest learning devices for me has been youtube. There are tons of videos posted on the topic of photography... from the basics of using a particular camera, to setting up an outdoor photo shoot, to various methods of post production.

Another great tool has been blogs. Reading the blogs of other photographers is another great resource for me. Photographers such as Chase Jarvis and Zack Arias are two of my most visited blogs. Also following them on twitter (micro blog) allows you to get links and postings that they have found useful and are sharing to all that care to follow. Chase does an especially good job of using his blog as a means of sharing his craft with photographers throughout the globe. Recently Chase has used technology in a way that I haven't quite seen done before.

Twice in the past month or so, Chase has hosted live web streams (read more about it here) of a photo shoot and of the post production on this photo shoot. I was literally able to watch chase from set-up to shooting to tearing down and then in the second stream all of the post production and editing to get those photos into their final form. What made this stream even more amazing was that there was a chat and twitter feed set up right on the site. So people watching could instantaneously communicate with Chase and his crew about certain aspects of the shoot, equipment that was being used and even how to deal with clients. Chase could then read a particular post and immediately offer an answer. This was an amazing way for photographers, professional and hobbyist, to learn the entire process from a real pro. Props to Chase for making the best out of the latest technologies and allowing all of us wannabes to observe the photo shoot Chase Jarvis style.

My advice is to make the best of the resources that are available. It's amazing how much you can learn with the click of a mouse.

Is it time to jump ship?

Developing a solid workflow is one thing that a busy photographer must learn to do, especially if they want to stay busy. Since I started shooting professionally I have been using Adobe Lightroom. It is great for cataloguing, managing large amounts of files, basic photo correction, as well as ways to export your files into web ready flash galleries and even upload directly to your website for instant client viewing.

However early this month Apple unveiled the most recent update to their popular photo editing/cataloguing software, Aperture 3. It offers a few new features that really take your photo organizing, editing and sharing to the next level. Some of the listed features include: faces, which allows users to organize and search their photos by the people who are in them using new face recognition technology, places, allowing you to organize your photos by location (through GPS technology) and digitally map out your entire trip by the photos you took, and brushes, that allows you to apply adjustments to only certain areas of your photo versus the entire image. These are just a few of the 200+ new features that Aperture 3 is offering. A cool video by one of my favorite photographers, Chase Jarvis, shows how he is using the new version of Aperture can be seen here.

Now this is all great and grand but I have been using Adobe Lightroom for a couple years now and have gotten comfortable and familiar with using it. I also just watched this great workflow video from photographer Zack Arias showing how he uses Lightroom as part of his very productive and efficient workflow.  In watching I learned some features that I didn't know existed in Lightroom and want to explore this technology a little more.

Here lies my dilemma.... is it time to jump on board the Aperture 3 ship, or stick with what I know. Has anyone used one or the other, or both. If so, let me know what features you like or don't like about the software you are using. Thanks!

Everything is amazing right now.

To borrow the ideas of Louis C. K., "Everything is amazing right now and nobody is happy." This was the idea behind the "interview" he had with Conan O'brien. Basically he talks about the fact that things are so much easier now, compared to the past, and everyone still complains about the smallest things. I know as a photographer, I am extremely frustrated when my digital camera is acting up or it is taking too long to transfer images from my SD card to my computer. However, this semester I have been given the opportunity to become more appreciative of the marvel that is modern photography. I am currently taking a Black and White (film) photography course. You know, the camera's your parents had when you were a kid that had to be manually advanced after each shot. Oh yeah, and you couldn't see the image after you took it... you had to wait a whole hour for the Walgreens photo department to process your film.

In this class I have acquired a new found appreciation for the art of photography and print making. I first start with an idea. I then use my camera to frame this idea and press the shutter. From then I have to take the film out of the camera and in complete darkness bust open the canister and load the film onto a reel. Then I add developer to the film for about nine minutes, rinse, add fixer for four minutes, rinse for a minute, add hypo clear for two minutes, a ten minute rinse, and then photoflo for ten seconds. Then the film goes into a dryer. Now I have my negatives. Are you tired yet? Next I choose a negative that I want to print. Load the negative into the enlarger and then run test strips until I find the amount of exposure time I want to make my print at. Then I expose a sheet of photo paper (not your typical ink jet printer photo paper, this stuff is light sensitive). Next the paper goes through the same (roughly) process that the film had to go through. Yes.... all of that for one print!

You can clearly see the difficulty and amount of time that used to go into making one photo. Now, I can actually pull out my phone (which used to only be attached to the wall in your house) and snap off a picture. I can then instantly post that photo to my website, upload it to facebook, tweet it, email it, or text it to a friend, among other options. Your photo could easily be taken and sent to anywhere in the world within seconds. Amazing! If making prints the way I'm learning now was the past to snapping a picture on your cell phone and sending it somewhere instantly, I can't wait to see what the future holds for the world of photography.

Post One

First, welcome. This blog is going to focus on emerging technologies in respects to the photography industry. I have recently been developing my own photography business, Bram Photography, and have greatly utilized some of the newest trends in technology and social media. I feel one of my greatest advantages in the industry so far, is my ability to upload, tag and share my work with the world. I owe a great deal to emerging technologies, as a great majority of my business has been generated through popular social media sites, such as flickr, twitter, and facebook. In this blog, I will share some of the networking tools and technologies I have taken advantage of, as well as explore new technologies within the realm of photography. I hope to explore some of the ways that manufactures of cameras and photographic tools are working to keep up with the ever evolving world of technology. We are truly living in a digital age.  I look forward to recieving feedback, hearing some of your own methods, and discovering things I have yet to find. Thanks for reading.