Where should I display my pictures online?

 

Check out my review of the ALL NEW Smugmug at http://www.ronmartblog.com/2013/07/the-all-new-smugmug-has-arrived.html.

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The following article article applies to the older version of Smugmug that no longer exists. All of these features are still in the new version but it has been radically improved.

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So you've read How do I manage and edit all of my photos? and you've got your photos looking their best after reading Scott Kelby's 7 Point System for Photoshop CS3, so now you are ready to share them with the world (or at least your Mom). Now what?

Choices, choices, choices

When I started this article, I thought I would list out some of the bigger name photo sharing places like Shutterfly, Picasa, PhotoBucket, Flickr, etc... and talk a little bit about each one. However, as I started looking through emails from friends and the web, I discovered there are TONS of sites out there! The problem is that most of them suck.

Sure, you can find free places to put photos on the web - that's no problem, because there's tons of sites willing to give you a few gigabytes to store pictures, but when sharing with friends and family you usually want more than that. You want the ability for them to see thumbnails of a photo album, sideshows, larger versions of your masterpiece, and you want them to be able to order their favorite pictures. What's more, you want to be able to add your own look and feel so that you don't have a site that looks like everything else out there. In short, you want more than a hard drive in the sky, or some pathetic low-res picture viewer.

Hello Smugmug

I've tried a bunch of services, and in fact still have photos on flickr, photobucket, photosig.com, and shutterfly. However, none of those services gives me all of the features I want PLUS makes it brain-dead easy to upload my photos (okay, well flickr does rock for that one). Here's some of the things I get with Smugmug, that I honestly can't live without anymore:

• Unlimited storage
• No ads or spam
• EXIF data - (this is huge for a geek like me)
• Password enabled galleries for privacy
• Custom themes
• Photo email
• Numerous photo sizes available instantly
• iPhone support
• I can buy and sell professional prints & gifts at a very reasonable price, with outstanding quality (WAY better than Shutterfly)
• Post photos in blogs & forums
• Basic photo editing tools for things like last minute crops
• USER CONTROLLED download high-res photos or originals
• Organize via slick drag and drop
• Dedicated human readable URL (i.e., http://ronmart.smugmug.com)
• Photo traffic stats
• Support for comments and rating of photos
• Photo communities
• Geotagging with display on Google Maps
• Can order backup DVDs of uploaded photos
• and more

Sure, some of these features can be found on other services, but so far Smugmug is the only one that I know of that has everything I'm looking for - which is why I love it so much!

You get what you pay for (and it's easy for Mom)

Okay, I know what you are thinking. But, hey wait a minute. With all of these free services out there, why on Earth would I pay for a service?

I understand you my friend, because I was the same way. I resisted Smugmug initially, and even built my own web site to host my photos (what a headache that was!). However, I kept lusting after these nice photo galleries I was seeing from friends, and some of the customized galleries I saw just blew my mind. Frustrated by the poor experience my dear Mom was having with my other sites, and the hassle of slow uploads, I decided take up Smugmug on its offer of a free trial. After all, I had nothing to lose, and I could finally see just what it was like to use Smugmug versus my previous favorites Flickr and Shutterfly.

WOW, the first thing I noticed was how easy and fast it was to upload photos. Sure, Flickr and Shutterfly are pretty good at this too, but the speed sure felt faster to me on Smugmug. However, the best part was that I now had a site that allowed me to upload, tag, and store photos in easily (or protected) galleries like Flickr, PLUS the ability to have Mom place orders for prints with no hassle using the best photo shopping cart I've seen on the web.

After using the site for 14 days, I decided to give it a try and haven't looked back since. It's the best thing I ever did because it allows me to focus on other parts of my photography, and presentation is now just a simple drag and drop from my hard disk to the web browser. No hassle, and great results.

Show me da money

While I think Smugmug's basic account is great for most people, what I really love is the pro account that allows me to sell my pictures with custom pricing. This is great because I now have an eStore for my photos where I'm in control of the prices (sorry Mom, no discount coupons until 2009). It also allows me to customize the site so that it can have its own domain name and look like a stand-alone web site, yet I can still take advantage of the rich Smugmug API to avoid having to re-invent the wheel.

Now there's even more goodness- support for video for Power and Pro users. I don't have any video yet, but when I get my Canon 5D Mark II, you can bet I will!

Great Customer Support

The one thing I REALLY like about Smugmug is their fantastic customer support, and their overall commitment to customer satisfaction. Now really, how many sites do you know that have the CEO blog about the good, the bad, and the ugly of their company?

There's lots of written support too! There's a wiki for common questions, an excellent help system, special topics for pros, a non-nonsense guarantee for great prints, a great forum for advanced topics and an API for the ultimate customization.

And if all else fails, you can always contact them and get a response from a REAL human being who knows what they are talking about and isn't just pasting boilerplate responses or reading from a script.

Okay, I'm convinced - Special Offer for Blog Readers (Coupon Code: SmugRon)

Well hopefully I've convinced you to AT LEAST try out the free trial, but should you decide to join then I've worked out a deal with Smugmug to give you 20% off your first year membership when you use the coupon code SmugRon. I know it's not a huge discount, but hey it beats full price right?

Be sure to visit my Smugmug Pro gallery at http://ronmartinsen.com or my personal gallery at http://ronmart.smugmug.com to see what smugmug is really like!

 

Canvas OnDemand versus Brian Morgan (ordinary guy :-)

A while back I wrote about my experience using Canvas on Demand to print out my favorite F1 photo shown above. Overall the results were great, but this story ended up taking a funny twist.

A co-worker of mine, Brian Morgan, contacted me after reading my article and let me know that he'd like to see how his work using a Epson 9800 (now replaced by the Epson 9880) would compare to that of the "professionals" at Canvas on Demand. To that end, he offered me free canvases in matte (Epson Piezo Pro) and glossy (Epson Canvas Satin) format so I could review the results.

The Verdict

While my favorite price is always free, I warned Brian up front that I wouldn't say his work was good unless it really was. After all, I have no incentive to publish bogus information because it only hurts my creditability, but he agreed that he'd take his lumps if his work wasn't up to standard. He then proceeded to send me two prints using the same identical file I sent to Canvas on Demand, and the results were surprisingly good!

Tone-wise, his prints were slightly brighter than those produced by Canvas On Demand, but I felt his were more accurate to how I had modified my picture on my PC (i.e., he didn't intervene as much and kept my artistic intent - or lack thereof). He did have to upres the photo a bit, and he informed me he use Genuine Fractals (group discount link also part of Plug-in Suite 4) for that. When I had talked to Canvas on Demand about their print they also confirmed they used it as well. He did some selective sharpening (using Nik Sharpener Pro) on the hood (just like CoD). Lastly, he had to add some black borders for the wrap, but other than that he simply printed what I had given him with his minor edits. The results were great, but they didn't include wrapping on wood, so that was a bit of a bummer. However, this made shipping easier, and it was free, so who am I to complain eh?

Out of the two prints, I much preferred the matte printed on Epson Piezo Pro much more than the glossy. The glossy just looked kinda cheesy and attracted too much unwanted light no matter where I put it. CoD appears to print on matte too, so despite my preference to print on glossy or lustre for my personal prints, this is the one (and only) case where I really prefer the matte look.

Cool, so how much does Brian charge?

While these prices will probably be subject to change (i.e., don't quote me), Brian seems to have some pretty affordable prices compared to the competition. In fact, if you ask me, he doesn't charge enough when you consider the fact that his printer alone was well over $5000 after you consider shipping, setup costs, and ink. This doesn't even include the supplies like canvas, but he feels it is worth his effort (and the little extra he generates on the site from his printing business):

Height	Width	Canvas	Fine Art	Luster
40	60	$ 170.00	$ 140.00	$ 120.00
30	40	$   85.00	$   70.00	$   60.00
24	36	$   60.00	$   50.00	$   40.00
20	24	$   40.00	$   35.00	$   30.00
16	20	$   30.00	$   25.00	$   20.00
11	14	$   20.00	$   15.00	$   12.00
8	10	$   15.00	$   12.00	$   10.00

These prices do NOT include shipping, and more importantly don't include mounting (i.e., you are just getting the rolled canvas as it comes out of the printer, so you'll need to get it mounted yourself).

Sweet, so how do I contact Brian?

You can reach Brian by email at bmorgan@msn.com or by phone at 770-856-1600. He did great work for me, and I'm sure he'll do the same for you. In addition, if you are a printer junkie and want to learn more about how to do your own, I'm pretty sure he can give you some helpful tips as well.

Enjoy!

Having fun with Photography

 

Photography is a tough business because the competition is fierce and the critics are merciless. Sure, you think you have an awesome photo, one that the pros are sure to praise, so you decide to put it up on the web at a place like photosig.com, 1x.com or flickr to get that praise that you know is coming to you. After all, this is THE ONE, the shot that is going to make you respected by other photographers.

You know what I'm talking about, and of course you know what really happens. Your beloved photo that you are so proud of, that your mamma says is the best she's ever seen, and your significant other says you should send to the top magazines, gets ripped to shreds. Your told things like "what's that object coming out of her head", "it looks over saturated", "it looks oversharpened", "it's too dark", "it's too soft", "it's too grainy", "have you ever heard of the rule of thirds", and on and on and on. By the time you are done reading the comments you are so dejected that you are ready to sell your gear and give up even point and shoot photography. However, I'm here to tell you that you are not alone and you shouldn't give up, because remember who your most important critic is - it's you!

 

Enjoy your photography, and really look around at what is being published. I'm sure you'll notice that there are tons of post cards, plenty of brochures, and even a few high-end magazine shots that have the same problems your photos are accused of having. However, you just haven't got your lucky break yet, so hang in there and keep shooting. Try to find a good outlet to share your work, and enjoy the praise of friends and family. Let it motivate and inspire you, but also take your medicine and try to listen to what the critics tell you because they just might be a little bit right. If you use the feedback to improve, then you just might end up becoming a better photographer and turn your hobby into a career.

Why am I writing this? Well because every shot featured in this article contains shots I am personally very proud of, yet everyone has been bashed with some pretty harsh feedback. Sure, some of them got some great praise too, but that's not the ones you remember because it's the tough feedback that really hits where it hurts, but I've gotten a lot of that over the last year and half I've been shooting with a DSLR.

Still not convinced? Well, then spend a little time reading books like these and applying the knowledge and perhaps you'll save yourself some of the harshest feedback:

• Understanding Exposure by Bryan Peterson
• Scott Kelby's 7 Point System for Photoshop CS3
• Light: Science and Magic: An Introduction to Photographic Lighting: Third Edition
• Learning to See Creatively by Bryan Peterson

Oh, and do yourself a favor - stay away from stock photography services - they are crazy brutal! :-)

 

Happy shooting - Ron!

UPDATE: Here’s a parody on how some world famous photographers would fair if they had to get their work reviewed by critics today.

Is the Canon G9 a DSLR replacement, or just another point and shoot?

During the last week of August I finally decided that my kids were old enough to make the pilgrimage down to Disneyland in California. Like most photographers, my immediate thought was of all of the great pictures I could get with those wonderful colors found in a place like Disneyland. Of course, my girlfriend could read my mind and informed me that she would not be a happy camper if I went to Disneyland to take pictures instead of having fun with my kids. She was 100% right so I began to think if there was a way I could still have a great trip, yet get some high quality pictures too.

Initially, I thought I would bring my Canon Rebel XTi with the EF 50mm f/1.4 USM lens so it would be nice and compact, yet I'd still get super sharp images. I gave up on this idea rather quickly as I didn't like the idea of not having a zoom, and my other L-lens choices weren't a good match (and I couldn't imagine going with an inferior lens on a SLR).

Now I was back to square one and trying to figure out how I could get DSLR quality RAW images when it hit me - the Canon G9 could be the answer to my problem! This image stabilizing camera has 12.1 megapixels, saves in RAW format, is durable, and supposedly has a good lens that supports f/2.8 so this was the solution to my problem.

Now all I need is a Canon G9

Now I needed a G9 and in a hurry, so my friend Luc loaned me his G9 and I was off to Disneyland!

In Disneyland I took many pictures, and immediately I fell in love with the powerful features of this camera. It supports up to ISO 1600 so I could get the picture in just about any condition, and its RAW support meant that I could adjust the white balance and exposure +/- 4 stops after shooting if I didn't get the right results in-camera. I was in business and getting great pictures in no-time.

Ease of Use

As Peter Parker's Uncle Ben said, "with great power comes great responsibility" and immediately I found myself falling into the DSLR trap with this camera by spending time fiddling with all of the controls while my family waited in frustration for me to get the shot.

With this in mind, I quickly switched my mind set from DSLR photographer to touron so I stopped shooting in Av (aperture priority) and went to P (program mode - let the camera decide) with my only control being the focus mode and the ISO settings. In this mode I found myself generally happy with the results early on when it snagged great shots like this:

However, I also became very annoyed with this camera's rotating knob that allows you to switch the ISO settings on the top of the camera because every time I'd take it out of my camera case it would get switched to a different ISO setting and sometimes I wouldn't notice. This of course lead me to do boneheaded things like setting the camera to ISO 80 when I should have been at ISO 800. This of course resulted in long exposures and blurry results as was the case in this photo, which otherwise would have been a cool shot:

That issue aside, I still managed to get plenty of shots that I was quite pleased with (from looking on the G9's display) so I thought I was in good shape.

Gee Ron, these pictures look pretty good, so what's your verdict?

At Disneyland my verdict was that the Canon G9 was an awesome camera, and a legitimate DSLR replacement. Many of the pictures I had taken looked fantastic on its display - like this one:

 

so I began to wonder if I really even needed a DSLR which has massive bulk, greater cost, and fewer megapixels (12.1 on the G9 versus 10+ on my DSLR's). The G9 was a complete success and my borrowed version was first on my wishlist of purchases when I returned back to Seattle.

Oh but wait, there's more - the devil is in the details

When I got home I quickly downloaded my pictures on to my drive and into Lightroom 2.0 so I could see the fruits of my labor. I was good and only took about 190 pictures (where if I had my DSLR I probably would have taken about  1000 per day), and I was pretty sure my keeper ratio was pretty high with shots like this:

However, I was very disappointed when I saw that in digital camera technology - size does matter - pixel size that is. The bottom line is that while the G9 is a great point and shoot camera for sure - way better than any I've seen or used, it simply packs too many pixels into a sensor that is too small with the result being a noisy and soft images. More megapixels aren't always better if your camera can't resolve those pixels properly on an adequately sized sensor so the result of too many pixels for its tiny sensor which means massive noise in shots like this at ISO 800:

Even shots in the daytime like this one seem to be perfect when viewed at a smaller size, but when when you click on the link below to view the original image you'll notice that there's tons of noise even at ISO 200:

But wait Ron, except for those two images above your pictures look pretty darn good

Welcome to the magic of photography post-processing, and in this case in particular - Noise Ninja. With the aid of Lightroom, Photoshop CS3 using some Scott Kelby's 7 Point System techniques, and Noise Ninja I was able to rescue most of my photos so that they would like like this:

In fact, if you hover over most of the photos previously mentioned in this article you'll see a small version of the unprocessed RAW shots the way they came out of the G9. The net result is that you can get some good shots like this:

 

but you'll have to do some hard work in Photoshop (sorry Lightroom 2.0 alone is insufficient) to make them look like they were taken from a Digital SLR camera. If you do, you'll be rewarded with some decent shots and happy memories of a trip enjoyed with your family instead of a trip with your camera. You'll family will love you for it too, so everyone will leave the trip as happy campers.

Conclusion

If you are reading this article to try to decide if you should pick up a camera like a Canon G9 as a complementary camera for when your DSLR just won't do, then I can tell you that this is a fine DSLR companion to own when family comes before photography.

If you are reading this article trying to decide if you should buy a high-end compact camera instead of a DSLR, then I say heck no - they suck in comparison so go read this article and get a proper camera.

If you are reading this article because you are going to Disneyland or some other family-oriented vacation then I can say without question that this is the camera for the DSLR junkie who has to leave their beloved camera behind. Use it and just plan to spend the extra time you would have spent taking photos in your post-processing in Adobe Photoshop CS3 when you return home.

NOTE: The above picture was actually taken from the flight out to Disneyland from the plane by my girlfriend Moonhee Kim. It proves three things:

1. You can get good pics from the plane no matter how crappy the windows look
2. Any G9 photo can be made to look good in Photoshop
3. Anybody can take a good picture (Moonhee is not a photographer)