Seeing Things – March 2014 Issue 1

 

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The Creative Process

By Greg Osborne


Probably the biggest, or at least most common pothole in any creatives road, is the blank page, canvas, screen, etc., that we face every time we sit down to begin a new project. To be creatively blocked can be the scariest thing for someone who makes their living by, essentially, creating something out of nothing. More intrinsically, artists tend to ground their self image in their vocation. To be “not creative'” is akin to “not being”.


I’ve been extremely fortunate to have had the benefit of good, sometimes great art instructors who taught me “how to be creative”.


With the delivery of a slightly less sarcastic version of David Letterman, one of my art school instructors gave us this speech (well worn, I’m sure) on the first day of my first class in design school:


“All of you are creative (I hope). At some point, you came to the conclusion that there must be a reason for thinking and doing the weird things that you have thought and done over the course of your short, weird lives. It occurred to you, or someone close to you, that it might be a good idea to use this weirdness to your advantage. That’s why you’re sitting here today. Your main frustration, up to this point, is that your weirdness can be erratic, you don’t know how to turn on the creative light bulb that hovers over your weird little heads whenever you feel like it. This will be essential if you are to have any success in this field. That’s why I am standing here today. I’m going to teach you how to turn that light bulb on whenever you feel like it! [yanks on imaginary cord] I will show you how to spin your weirdness into gold. Not boatloads of gold, but enough gold to buy more than the Ramen noodles that you are currently surviving on.”


Condescending, yes; but, it was undeniably true and came as welcome assurance to the group of misfits who had recently landed in the Spring Quarter, Visual Communications Program at the Colorado Institute of Art (condescending sarcasm, by the way, can be a great motivator!).


What I began to learn there has served me well over the two decades that I’ve been able to call myself a working artist. Perhaps my biggest lesson into the mystery of “turning the lightbulb on’ was learning the Art of The Brainstorm. Or more accurately, The Art of The Solo Brainstorm.
Unfortunately, we don’t always have the luxury of an organized group of creative types to meet with and play-off each other whenever we need to drum up a great idea. Most of the time, especially if you’re a freelancer or contract worker, you’re pretty much on your own.


There are many schools of thought on this subject. Some business guru-types advocate nine steps to the “perfect” brainstorm; others, as few as four. However it is broken down, these steps can be applied to virtually any creative endeavor. As I am a graphic designer by trade, I will relay my methodology in that regard, but the basic principles will carry over to most any creative area.



Set Your Stage

Get “your stuff” together. All of those things that you need to function creatively; pens, pencils, markers, X-Men action figures. If you’re brainstorming at your computer, and these days, we usually are, disconnect from the usual electronic activities and distractions; email IM, etc. Music is a personal choice. I happen to prefer lyric free, Brian Eno-type ambient music to set my stage.

Destroy Preconceptions

If you’re still using terms like “Thinking outside the box”; you’re probably still somewhere inside the box. Throw “the box” and the metaphor in the imaginary trash can. Even if it’s just in your own mind, stay away from Creative-Speak, Corporate-Speak and the rest of the Cliche-Speaks. Terms like “synergy”, “harmony” and “maximizing (fill in the blank)” are just exercises in semantics. You’re not in a conference room, you’re a creative community of one. I know, I’m probably abusing my own rule somewhere in this article, but you get the idea.


ALSO: Look at stuff outside of your immediate interest area. For instance, when one of the most creative rock musicians and songwriters in history, Jimmy Page, sat down to write, he funneled blues, country, Eastern and international folk music into some of the most groundbreaking rock music in history.


And then…

 

Feed Your Muse

Surround yourself with creative stimulation. This is something that, in my case, has been acquired over time. In the pre-computer age, it was common to collect “tear sheets” or samples of other peoples work whom you admired, from magazines, books, brochures or other printed materials. This is NOT plagiarism, it is simply collecting and assembling your own version of the design annuals that companies like Graphis and AIGA put out every year.


Of course this can be adjusted to whatever your field happens to be; illustration, photography, writing, etc. Now-a-days, I keep a digital “Grab File” or folder with images that, for whatever reason, captivate me.


RULE OF THUMB: If you find yourself staring at an image for more than a few seconds — even if you hate it — GRAB IT! It may not be obviously apparent, but there is something successful about the image that is holding your attention; something that could provide a spark for the creation of something you DO like in the future. (And just because you don’t think that it’s “good” doesn’t necessarily mean that it isn’t.)

 

Deconstruction

All creative works, good, bad or otherwise, can be a valuable solo-brainstorming exercise in themselves. Google a competitor’s product and de-construct it to find out why it succeeds — or not — at capturing your attention or communicating the idea.

 

Crank Out The Good The Bad and The Ugly Ideas

Do not edit yourself! This is a rock solid principle of the group brainstorm. Whether you use a white board, “mind map” method, or you’re just “sketching out” ideas in Photoshop; keep turning out possibilities — half baked and otherwise. This is the time for quantity; not quality. Ideas are like lily pads; most of the time they exist just to get to the next — hopefully — brilliant lily pad. Spend as much time as you need to get it down, make quick notes or adjustments if necessary, and move on.


Like Albert Einstein said: “Nothing happens until something moves.”

 

Step Back

At this point in your solo brainstorm, it’s a good move to step away from the project. When the ideas stop flowing, it’s time to take a break. Or, if you have the luxury of walking away for awhile, completely remove yourself from the project. Very often, I will jump between projects when I feel that I’m getting stale. Clear your creative palette and re-visit it later.

 

Discovery

Now is the time to cull your ideas. At this point, the good stuff will be apparent and the seemingly crappy or borderline stuff is ready to reveal any fruit that might be ripe for the picking. You’ll know where to cut your losses with the dead end stuff. With fresh eyes and a fresh outlook, the obvious solution(s) quite often jump right out at you.


These tried and true tips and techniques have helped me through some scary-dry creative spells. You can tailor them to fit your particular craft, profession or needs, of course. And hopefully, they’ll help to put you on a relatively smooth, creative road — without the potholes.

And please, feel free to share your thoughts, ideas, comments. We can only make this process better with your help!

2014 Denver Month of Printmaking is Here!
By Reed Art & Imaging
Month of Printmaking Denver (Mo’Print) is a celebration of the art of making original prints to inspire, educate and promote awareness through a variety of public events and exhibitions in Denver and the metropolitan region. For a full schedule of programs and events, go to: http://moprint.org/
The Epic Austin Music History Chronicles
Photography & Words Of Scott Newton
By Reed Art & Imaging

 
 
 
 
Photographer Scott Newton has been an avid observer chronicling the evolution of music, politics, and his own personal life in Austin, Texas, since 1970– from The Armadillo in the early 70s through 35 years of Austin City Limits.
 
If you love the Texas music scene of the 1970s & ’80s, well then friends, this is right up your alley. Scott’s photography is among my favorite ever of this era and of the characters that he brilliantly and intimately captured with his lens… And his personal commentary is icing on the cake. Enjoy.
 
 
Colorado Photography Festival™
By Reed Art & Imaging
The 4th Annual Colorado Photography Festival will be held from June 7-14, 2014. Ten of the nation’s premier photographers will give instruction in the classroom and in the field on numerous aspects of professional photography, from capturing your images to optimizing them in Lightroom. This year’s instructors are Glenn Randall, Dan Ballard, Russ Burden, Andy Cook, Jay Goodrich, Jan Kabili, Mike Berenson, Joseph Roybal, Gene Tewksbury, and Grant Collier.

You Can Now Embed Getty Images’ Gorgeous Photos On Your Blog for Free
By Reed Art & Imaging
    This is shaking up the stock imagery business a little bit. Getty Images is now letting you embed their images for free; with a few, not unreasonable conditions. For more info, go to: http://gizmodo.com
2014 International Call for Entries

By Reed Art & Imaging
This year, CPAC and Center Santa Fe are partnering on the exhibition component of Center’s Project Launch award.


Project Launch is presented to an outstanding photographer working in fine art series or documentary project. The grant includes a cash award to help complete or disseminate the works as well as providing a platform for exposure and professional development opportunities.


This grant is awarded to complete or nearly completed projects that would benefit from the award package. It requires signature of a contract to participate in an exhibition at the Center for Contemporary Arts, during Review Santa Fe and then will travel to CPAC for a second exhibit in 2014.


Learn more at Center
By Reed Art & Imaging

Gallery showings and events can be key to sales for the artists as the go-to event for art buyers. Openings and the ensuing sales are the life-blood of successful galleries. We’ve put together a few resources for the artists and the galleries that rep them.

 

More Call for Entries:

These lists are national and current. If you have a favorite list you want to share, let us know and we’ll pass it along next month.
 
https://www.entrythingy.com/forartists_calls

http://galleryphotographica.com/     2014 San Francisco International Photography Exhibition

http://www.adobeawards.com/us/   Adobe Design Achievement Awards

http://www.ephotozine.com/article/rps-international-competition-157-call-for-entries-23957   RPS International Competition 157 Call For Entries

A few places to get exposure for your gallery:

These may not be the usual place you list an art show, but the usual places might not be the first place the potential buyer looks. Adding these to your existing list can widen your marketing reach and increase buzz.
 
Zvents.com  The feedback we have heard directly is that zvents.com has helped get events listed first page on Google and increase event attendance. 
 
Yelp.com  Yes it’s a review site, but their mobile app offers up a “Things to do in the area” list. Perfect for drawing in folks who are already out on the town and in your neighborhood. Ask your artists and your attendees to leave a review. 

 

Foursquare.com  Another mobile friendly way to bring locals right to your door. Encourage your artists and show attendees to check in to foursquare and leave a review. The more reviews, the better the exposure and the higher the traffic potential. The potential from crowd-sourced marketing is huge. 
 
Have some great ideas? Drop us a line and we’ll add them next month. 
OVER 150 PHOTO CONTESTS:
Show Off Your Skills & Earn Cool Stuff!
Thanks to Wendi over at wsphotodesign.com for sharing this one with us:

Reed Customer Service & Products

trueart@reedphoto.com * PH: 303-573-8084 * TF: 800-999-8084 * FAX: 303-573-8087

www.reedphoto.com
 

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Reed E-News February 2014

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What’s All This Talk About TrueArt?
By Reed Art & Imaging
 
For newer members of the Reed family and for those who have been with us for awhile and are just curious
 
 
 

The TrueArt ™ Experience is Reed Art & Imaging’s proven creative and commercial methodology that ensures an amazing outcome for everyone who walks through our doors. This method is designed to guide you through all phases of the business and creative process by assessing and matching your needs to our comprehensive line of products and services. Reed devised this unique approach to not just simply meet your needs, but exceed your expectations.




Okay, that’s the "elevator speech”, but how do we actually accomplish this?

 





TALENT


To start with, every person at Reed Art & Imaging is passionate about quality, creativity and precision; and everyone here is creative in their own way. Many of us are working artists. That’s why you will hear us say at times; "artists working for artists". The business of "imaging" has moved at a lightening pace over the years; good shops have come and gone. In a bittersweet way, Reed has been the beneficiary of this upheaval by acquiring some of the best artistic, photographic and printing talent in the region.




LISTEN & COLLABORATE


Reproducing fine art, photography, rare family photos, or any visual display is always a collaborative process. With that said, a successful collaboration always starts with getting to know one another. It’s talked about so often that it’s almost a cliche, but we truly do LISTEN to you. In addition to what is actually being spoken, real listening often means understanding what is left unsaid or unexplained. That’s what we ‘listen’ for most of all. With this in mind, we are able to feel out those questions or desires that customers sometimes have trouble verbalizing when they’re unfamiliar with a product or service, or maybe just looking for another direction to go in.




We don’t fill your head with sales pitches and product babble, You talk; we listen; then you talk and we listen some more. When you’ve ‘talked yourself out’, then we advise. Understand, we want you to stay, but If the best solution for you means recommending one of our competitors; then that’s what we will do.




We assume nothing more than your expectation of quality and desire for a satisfying customer experience.  






RESULTS


As ‘creatives’, it is easier to put ourselves in your shoes when you walk through our doors for the first time. Whether you’re a professional artist, photographer, serious intermediate, or someone coming in for a simple, one-off gift for a friend or loved one; we will help you to maximize your budget for the absolute best results.




KNOWLEDGE


We are also not just a storefront business, we are a hive of creative activity that loves to share our knowledge with our guests. If you are more comfortable with seeing the process over being told the process, then a tour of the facilities will gladly be offered. We will be happy to teach you as much as you want to know.




FOLLOW-UP


Oftentimes a client’s frustration comes from ‘Not Knowing’. This can be anything from not having a clear picture of a technique or procedure, unanswered questions, not knowing how to ask the right question, or simply not being kept in the loop during the job process. The TrueArt™ process builds this accountability into the job flow. Again, it gets back to listening and anticipating the needs of our guests.




And when it’s all done; we do it again.  It’s easy to do a great job once. The real trick is doing it over and over again. In the end analysis, Quality with Consistency, is what Reed Art & Imaging strives for. We are…




"At Your Service".

 
 
 

Farm Fresh Celebrates 30th Anniversary with Cover Art Contest


Cash prize provided by Colorado Creative Industries

DENVER – Weds., Feb. 6, 201
Colorado Creative Industries and the Colorado Department of Agriculture today announced a cover art contest in honor of the 30th anniversary of the Colorado Farm Fresh Directory, a listing of farms, farmers’ markets, CSAs, u-picks and roadside stands that offer fresh produce and other farm products direct to the consumer. Amateur and professional artists are encouraged to submit original artwork for the contest. The winning entry will be featured on the cover of the 2014 Colorado Farm Fresh Directory and the artist will receive $500 courtesy of Colorado Creative Industries.

 
Entries must relate to Colorado agriculture in some way. Artwork may be created in any medium, but must be submitted as digital files. The Farm Fresh Directory is the Colorado Department of Agriculture’s most popular publication, and 110,000 copies of Farm Fresh will be distributed statewide the last week of May. 

"Year after year people look forward to this popular publication," said Wendy White, marketing specialist at the Colorado Department of Agriculture. "We hope the cover art contest gets people even more excited about this year’s Farm Fresh."




The 2014 Farm Fresh Directory will be available on the Colorado Department of Agriculture’s website, www.coloradoagriculture.com. The deadline for entries is March 14, 2014. For more contest information, contact Loretta Lopez at 303-239-4115 or visit www.coloradoagriculture.com.



About Colorado Creative Industries:


Colorado’s Creative Industries Division, Colorado’s state arts agency, is a division of the Office of Economic Development and International Trade. Established to capitalize on the immense potential for our creative sector to enhance economic growth in Colorado, the mission of Colorado Creative Industries is to promote, support and expand the creative industries to drive Colorado’s economy, grow jobs and enhance our quality of life. For more information, please visit www.coloradocreativeindustries.org. 

 
 
The Photographery of Lynsey Adderio
By Reed Art & Imaging
 
I’m not sure if I can come up with a great definition of art, but as the old saying goes "I know it when see it". The photojournalism of Lynsey Addario will run you through the gamut of human emotion. Her subjects are often heartbreaking as they are breathtaking. They’re never boring as they illuminate the Human Condition like few others can.
 
 
 
 
See and Be Seen
By Reed Art & Imaging

Gallery showings and events can be key to sales for the artists as the go-to event for art buyers. Openings and the ensuing sales are the life-blood of successful galleries. We’ve put together a few resources for the artists and the galleries that rep them.

 

Call for Entries:

These lists are national and current. If you have a favorite list you want to share, let us know and we’ll pass it along next month.
 
https://www.entrythingy.com/forartists_calls


http://galleryphotographica.com/     2014 San Francisco International Photography Exhibition


http://www.adobeawards.com/us/   Adobe Design Achievement Awards


http://www.ephotozine.com/article/rps-international-competition-157-call-for-entries-23957   RPS International Competition 157 Call For Entries

A few places to get exposure for your gallery:

These may not be the usual place you list an art show, but the usual places might not be the first place the potential buyer looks. Adding these to your existing list can widen your marketing reach and increase buzz.
 
Zvents.com  The feedback we have heard directly is that zvents.com has helped get events listed first page on Google and increase event attendance. 
 
Yelp.com  Yes it’s a review site, but their mobile app offers up a "Things to do in the area" list. Perfect for drawing in folks who are already out on the town and in your neighborhood. Ask your artists and your attendees to leave a review. 
 

Foursquare.com  Another mobile friendly way to bring locals right to your door. Encourage your artists and show attendees to check in to foursquare and leave a review. The more reviews, the better the exposure and the higher the traffic potential. The potential from crowd-sourced marketing is huge. 
 
Have some great ideas? Drop us a line and we’ll add them next month. 
 
 
 
OVER 150 PHOTO CONTESTS: Show Off Your Skills & Earn Cool Stuff!
Thanks to Wendi over at wsphotodesign.com for sharing this one with us:
 
 
 
If you no longer wish to receive our emails, click the link below:


Unsubscribe
Reed Art & Imaging 888 Federal Blvd Denver, Colorado 80204 United States (800) 999-8084

Reed E-News January 2014

 

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Recipients of our 2013 Referral Rewards Announced!
By Reed Art & Imaging
We are so blessed to have such loyal friends and fans who share their excitement about us with their network. In a sign of appreciation we are rewarding our top referrers with some pretty cool gifts.
Congratulations to our recipients and a huge thank you to everyone who continues to refer us to their family, friends and business associates!

1st Highest – Most New Customers = Framed Image (Choice of iPad Mini or Microsoft Surface)

2nd Highest – Most New Customers = Karen Rubin ($200 in services)

1st Highest – Total Business Volume From Referrals = Reed Masten ( (Choice of iPad Mini or Microsoft Surface)

2nd Highest – Total Business Volume From Referrals = Andy Marquez ($200 in services)

1st Place – Random Drawing = Alissa Williams ($500 in services)

2nd Place – Random Drawing = Four Reel Productions ($200 in services)

“I’m still shocked about the referral prize. I can’t wait to receive my iPad mini. Thank you so much!!! Not only for the prize, but for the decades of great service Reed has provided me with.”

“I’ve been doing business with Reed Photo since 1982 when I worked for Jefferson County and still used film. Since then I started my own business and transitioned to digital. Reed Photo has always been there for me with great service and expert work. I love their Gallery Mount product and they always get my recommendation when someone comes to me looking for digital restoration, expert printing or canvas transfers. I know they will do a spectacular job!”

Thanks for over 30 years of excellence!

Warm regards,

Reed Masten

Fuji Turns Up the Heat on Retro Design
By Reed Art & Imaging

Image from Verge.comRight on the heels of the successful release of the retro styled Nikon Df, the buzz is gaining momentum for this new entry into the retro styled market. The new camera from Fujifilm rumored to be titled the X-T1 is said to feature a 16megapixel APS-C sensor, interchangeable lenses, wi-fi and more manual controls than you can shake your cable release at. The estimated official announcement date is set for January 28, 2014, with a first sale date projected to be in February, 2014. Sources point to a body-only price of $1,700 US.

Grab more details via Photo Rumors Here

Prepping Your Art for Gallery Presentation
Via cpacphoto.org

cpacphoto.orgFrom exhibition submission to gallery wall, the presentation of your work is vital to how it is perceived. How do you make the best possible print? What kind of mounting and framing is most appropriate? What is archival? What do you ask for in a photo finishing lab? How do you approach a gallery? How do you prepare for portfolio reviews?

Join CPAC Director Rupert Jenkins, Reed Art & Imaging General Manager Gary Reed, and photographer Jessie Paige, at this special Gallery Standards seminar. Using examples from our current juried exhibition, One by One, and the instructors’ own collections, this seminar will cover preservation and conservation standards, options for display, mounting and matting, and best practices for approaching a gallery. If you value and care for your own and others’ photography, this seminar is for you.

Gary Reed graduated from the Art Institute of Colorado in photography, and since 1991 has been the General Manager of Reed Art & Imaging. From 2004 – 2010 he co-managed the Reed Photo-Art Gallery in Denver’s Art District on Santa Fe and in 2005 became an art district board member. He is currently the Treasurer/VP and has been an integral part of their growth and success. Still an avid photographer, he occasionally exhibits and sells his work in various local galleries and art fairs.

Read more and get details at cpacphoto.org by clicking here.

See and Be Seen
By Reed Art & Imaging

Gallery showings and events can be key to sales for the artists as the go-to event for art buyers. Openings and the ensuing sales are the life-blood of successful galleries. We’ve put together a few resources for the artists and the galleries that rep them.

 

Call for Entries:

These lists are national and current. If you have a favorite list you want to share, let us know and we’ll pass it along next month.

A few places to get exposure for your gallery:

These may not be the usual place you list an art show, but the usual places might not be the first place the potential buyer looks. Adding these to your existing list can widen your marketing reach and increase buzz.
 
Zvents.com. The feedback we have heard directly is that zvents.com has helped get events listed first page on Google and increase event attendance. 
 
Yelp.com.  Yes it’s a review site, but their mobile app offers up a “Things to do in the area” list. Perfect for drawing in folks who are already out on the town and in your neighborhood. Ask your artists and your attendees to leave a review. 
 
Foursquare.com.  Another mobile friendly way to bring locals right to your door. Encourage your artists and show attendees to check in to foursquare and leave a review. The more reviews, the better the exposure and the higher the traffic potential. The potential from crowd-sourced marketing is huge. 
 
Have some great ideas? Drop us a line and we’ll add them next month. 

Reed Customer Service & Products

trueart@reedphoto.com * PH: 303-573-8084 * TF: 800-999-8084 * FAX: 303-573-8087

www.reedphoto.com


Watercolor and Canvas Giclee
| LightJet Photo Prints | Gallery Collection Mounting Options

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Reed E-News October 2013

www.ReedPhoto.com
 

Dear Artist,

FTAF 10 

We Want To Thank You!

In years past, many of our loyal friends and associates have been kind enough to send quite a bit of new business our way during the holidays. So this year we want to say thank you. We’ll be rewarding that good behavior with some pretty cool gifts.

Here is how we are saying thanks...

Artist Interviews

An Interview with Mark Sink

Photographer/curator /artist and probable wearer of many other hats, Mark Sink has been as integral to the Denver art community as a certain quarterback has been to the Denver sports scene. An artist who, despite his many successes, has remained as easily approachable and true to his art as he was as a kid studying painting and printmaking at Metro State College in the seventies. Sink is a strong proponent of the ‘less is more’ school of photography; capturing stunningly beautiful images with low-tech tools like the Diana toy camera and the age-old Wet Plate Collodian process. As he made a point of telling us: “My career is very non-photo serious, I’ve used toy cameras much of my career. I’m a ‘reverse technology-o-phile’— going the other direction, you know? The Big Picture comes from that.”

Amongst his many achievements, Sink is responsible for Denver’s Month of Photography (MoP), one of many “Month of Photography” events around the world that bring together an eclectic mix of local artists, galleries and creatives for a month long celebration of the art of photography.

Reed Art & Imaging sat down with Mark in the kitchen of his home in the old Highlands neighborhood of Denver to talk primarily about MoP, but it was hard to limit the conversation to just one facet of a thirty five-plus year artistic journey. The life of Mark Sink has been anything but uneventful…

Read More:

Has This New Sony Changed the Photo Landscape for the Better?

Smartphone photography has been lacking some important features – that is, until now. With Sony’s release of their QX Series “Lens Style Cameras” the camera-phone concept reaches new turf.

The two features I miss most when shooting with my Samsung Galaxy or my iPad are depth of field control and real optical zoom. Both are now possible with this fantastic add-on.

This concept replaces the traditional camera’s body with your mobile device giving you the potential of a really massive view screen. Imagine a point and shoot with 10″ LCD and you get the idea. These lens-style cameras are compatible with any iOS or Android device that will run Sony’s app and can connect via wi-fi or NFC one-touch. Because the camera contains it’s own password protected wi-fi hotspot, no separate wi-fi network is required.

Read More:

Contests and Entries

Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest 2013

Smithsonian Magazin Photo Contest 2013

Enter photographs in any of their five categories and compete to win cash prizes.

  • The American Experience
  • The Natural World
  • People
  • Travel
  • Altered Images

This year theyare also looking forward to highlighting the best photographs taken with mobile devices, so as you enter your work into the aforementioned categories, let them know that it was taken with your phone or tablet reader and show the wonders of this new generation of photography.

Read more: 

You can also follow them on Twitter: @SmithsonianMag

Yosemite Renaissance XXIX

Yosemite Renaissance Call for Entries

International Deadline: November 16, 2013 – Yosemite Renaissance is an annual competition/exhibition which is intended to encourage diverse artistic interpretations of Yosemite. Its goals are to bring together the works of serious contemporary artists that do not simply duplicate traditional representations; to establish a continuum with past generations of Yosemite artists; and to help re-establish visual art as a major interpretive medium of the landscape and a stimulus to the protection of the environment. Historically, the arts have played a very important role in the establishment of our State and National Parks. It is our hope that they can be just as important in future efforts to preserve and protect that heritage.

More Details and to Apply:

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How Colors are Created in the Digital World

This short basics post will prime you to understand how colors are specified in digital files. In the reproduction market, of which Reed Art & Imaging is a part of, we use digitally driven devices to make faithful reproductions of original art, photographic captures and digital graphic designs. To accomplish this task with any hopes of repeatable accuracy, there must exist a standard system by which colors can be recorded, transferred, translated and output. These standards exist in theoretical color models. These models are a virtual shape, such as a box, sphere. polygon or other shape that if it were real, would contain every color visible to the human eye.

By SharkD (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

The RGB color model mapped to a cube. The horizontal x-axis as red values increasing to the left, y-axis as blue increasing to the lower right and the vertical z-axis as green increasing towards the top. The origin, black, is the vertex hidden from view.

Because the model is represented by a shape, they are referred to color “spaces”, for the space the object would occupy in the theoretical environment of all colors – visible and invisible. The graphic above is an example of a space that uses Red, Green, and Blue to yield the final color we want to create.

Colors come to our eyes in two ways – or transmitted from a light source or reflected off of a surface.

RGB is called the “primary” space and it’s numerical system can be equated to the brightness values of transmitted light – or how intense the Red light, Green light, and Blue light are shining. As the numeric value increases, the lights get brighter and the closer to white they become. More on that in a bit.

In a CMYK model (the secondary space) we are representing pigments that absorb light. So as the number increases in their scale, the more light is absorbed. So with CMYK, the higher the number, the darker the color appears – exactly opposite of RGB.

In either space, the ratio of how the colors are blended determines the color, while numeric values contribute to how bright or dark it is.

For simplicity, the rest of this article will use only one color model. I’ll use the RGB model for these examples because it’s the model that our clients use and best supports high-end reproduction digital printing.

How Color is Expressed

Color is usually expressed in human terms by it’s

  • Value (light to dark)
  • Saturation (how close to pure is it)
  • Hue (red, purple, green, yellow, orange, etc.)

In the data driven world, it’s expressed as a recipe of the colors required to build its final value, saturation and hue. Image and graphics applications usually use the standard scale of 0-255 ( what is called 8-bit color) to represent the amount of each color present, with 0 being none and 255 being maximum. Dark colors being closer to 0 and light colors being closer to 255. Equal amounts of each color create neutral hues ( grays ) and as the numbers increase from 0 to 255 the value moves from black to white.

Darker values are closer to zero and lighter values are closer to 255

Darker values are closer to zero and lighter values are closer to 255

 

These numbers from 0 to 255 are called “Levels” and in our examples fall into a model of 256 levels – with zero being included as a level.  In an RGB color space, each color is built using various levels, or recipes, of Red, Green and Blue.  Dark Red has a different recipe than Light Red, and the recipes are different for a saturated versus less saturated red.

Fully saturated red is a different build than a less saturated red.

Fully saturated red is a different build than a less saturated red.

Dark Red has a different build than Light Red.

Dark Red has a different build than Light Red.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you can see in the first example above, a fully saturated hue has 255 of it’s requisite colors and none of the other colors. As the color desaturates, it gains some of the other colors; it’s moving closer to a neutral gray.  In the second example we can see that the Darker Red contains none of the other colors, but the Red number is dropping closer to zero; thus making it “blacker.” This darker red is as saturated as it can get at this present value.

A critical point to understand is that in an RGB or CMYK file, color and density are inter-connected. Meaning that any change you make to color data will result in changes to density and visa-versa.

 

The other primary colors are built in the same way, like this:

Color builds of fully saturated Red, Green and Blue.

Color builds of fully saturated Red, Green and Blue.

 

The secondary colors are built from equal amounts of two of the three colors:

Graphical representation of the secondary color recipes

Secondary colors are built from two of the three colors

These secondary colors are thought to be the “opposite” colors to those in the previous example. You will notice their recipes are directly inverse. Red is R255 G0 B0 and Cyan is R0 G255 B255.  They are opposites because when the two colors are combined, they cancel each other out and make gray.  Equal parts of Red and Cyan make gray, same goes for Green with Magenta, and Blue with Yellow.

Intermediate colors such as Orange, Brown, Purple, Daisy Yellow, Lemon Yellow etc. are built by using various values of the three colors where at least one of the colors is greater than 0 and less than 255:

Intermediate color builds

Intermediate colors result from builds using two or more colors.

 

This 8-bit model, using it’s 256 level per color channel architecture allows for approx 16.7 million variants of color and density.  (256 x 256 x 256 = 16,777,216).

Other bit-depths exist that extend the number of available colors; the concepts are the same, but the numbers differ.

For example: 12-bit color – the depth that most digital cameras record in raw format, has 1,728 levels per color channel (instead of 256) with a total number of 5,159,780,352 available colors, much higher than present technology can reproduce in a print or display.  The commonly used 16-bit depth has 4,096 levels per color channel with a total number of 68,719,476,736 available colors – yes that’s 68.7 Billion!  While some professional pigment printers and their RIPs can support a 16-bit file, getting the subtleties from that many colors on paper and dots via a limiting 8 to 12 different ink colors is still problematic.

If you have questions, post them in the comments below.  If you want to see how this all ties together with Photoshop channels, stay tuned, that’s next!

 

Photoshop Channels De-mystified

Color channels are often thought to be the exclusive realm of mystics and Photoshop gurus. If you are willing to dedicate a few minutes of time to learning, I’ll take the mystery out of channels, and give you the power to improve your workflow and your end results.

The colors we see on our monitors and in print are created by combining specific amounts of either Red, Green, and Blue, or Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black with the result being a new intermediate color.  Since the majority of our readers are using the RGB model, I’ll stick with that for our examples. If I get requests in the comments below, I’ll add a section explaining CMYK.

Most users of image editing applications like Photoshop or Gimp, as well as users of other graphic design applications are familiar with, or have heard mention of the 256 levels used to define color and density.  Most often these levels are represented by numeric values from 0 to 255 with zero being one of the levels.  In the RGB model, these levels can be equated with visual light, zero being no light, or pure black and 255 being maximum light – pure white.

The 256 levels represent visual density ranging from black through white.

The 256 levels represent visual density ranging from black through white.

When we build colors in the 8-bit RGB model, we are using 256 levels of Red, Green, and Blue in various combinations called a “build”. You can think of the color-build as a recipe for that specific color.

Intermediate colors result from builds using two or more colors.

Intermediate colors result from builds using two or more colors.

Collectively the color channels are nothing more than a representation of those recipes. And when the recipes for all the pixels are put together in the right order, we have our color image. Viewing our color channels is effectively changing the way your cook-book is organized. So rather than finding the recipe for the pixels on one page of your cook-book, your color cook-book has three pages, one each for Red, Green, and Blue. The Red page tells you how much red to use and where, the same goes for the Green page and the Blue page.  So in our example above if we assume that each colored square represents 1 pixel, the Red page would tell us the first pixel would have 255 red, the second pixel would have 68 red and the third pixel has 126 red. The Green page would read: 1=128 and 2=68 and 3=0 and so on for the Blue page.

Photoshop shows us these channels in a way that our minds can easily process: as images. We can grasp the concept of images much easier than looking at the potentially millions to billions of numbers required for single image. Photoshop’s default is to show you these images as various shades of gray (256 possible shades to be exact). Here is what our example above looks like as color channels:

Red Channel

Red Channel

Green Channel

Green Channel

Blue Channel

Blue Channel

 

 

 

 

 

Where the build calls for zero of a color, that channel represents the area as black. Where it calls for all of that color, it is represented in the channel view as white. All intermediate values show up as the appropriate shade of gray.

 

Real World Examples

This image is pretty much straight out of a raw conversion. The file has been optimized in the conversion to make sure that none of the channels contain either pure black or pure white. This is to mimic the way the eye naturally sees. We’ll compensate for its somewhat flat appearance when we show you how to optimize your files without damaging your color fidelity.

copyright John G Harris

Full color view. This is called the “composite” view.

Here is the view of the red channel, remember lighter areas indicate more red, darker indicates less:

copyright John G Harris

Red channel contents.

Here are the Green and Blue channels, you can click them for larger viewing:

Copyright John G Harris

Green channel contents.

Copyright John G Harris

Blue channel contents.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Notice that the lighter areas of the scene show as lighter in all three channels, and the darker areas of the image are darker in all three channels. You can also see that the areas of the image that are green show as brighter in the green channel in relation to the other two.

Also, all three channels have complete detail from shadows to highlights, nothing is lost. This is critical for full color fidelity. This full range of detail is essentially how channels should be. When channels look muddy or if there is “clipping” to full black or full white, there is a loss of color fidelity. I use channel views regularly to examine the state of a file’s “health”. If the file’s channels are not right, then I know right away I can’t generate the best possible print.

It is key to understand that in an RGB color space, a channel is both color and density information. Any change that you do to a channel will affect the color, saturation and density of your file. If you increase any value in a color channel, let’s say moving the red value of an area from 180 to 185, the resulting color will be more red and lighter.

See, no mystics required.

Reach out in the comments below with questions and comments.

Your Social Media Avatar Could be Killing Your Business

Self-portrait by the depicted Macaca nigra female. See article. (Daily Mail) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Self-portrait of a female Celebes crested macaque (Macaca nigra) in North Sulawesi, Indonesia, who had picked up a photographer’s camera and photographed herself with it

Selfies, party-snaps, cell phone shots, vacation pics, cartoons or just pain “gnarly looking”. This pretty much sums up the bulk of the avatars you’ll see on-line today. For your Facebook page, where you are primarily sharing with family and friends, that might be fun. But for your business related accounts a quality head-shot is not just a good practice. A proper head-shot is becoming critical to the online survival of your business. Since fourth-quarter of 2013, what we do online is becoming increasingly watched and evaluated by the software that drives Google Search. Code-named “Hummingbird”, the new technology being employed evaluates what we put online – our text, videos. audio, and pictures are all being examined for its content. The software can “hear” what is said and “see” what is in a photo. What’s found in your content is then evaluated for its subject matter, type of content, and the tone of voice used. What results in the end is a quality score – essentially a “grade”. What Google is attempting to do is give the highest quality search results to its users. This scoring method effectively eliminates the keyword strategies we used to adhere to for getting good search rankings.  The new system no longer needs keywords to understand what you are talking about. It’s smart enough to get the meaning – or semantics – of your content without the use of keywords. In other-words, according to a 2013 PUBCON keynote address by Matt Cutts of Google, I can write a blog-post about photography, and even if I never use the words: photograph, photography, photographer, or photo, Google will still know what the topic is because of the words I use or who I mention that are related to the craft.  When fully activated, this system will stop looking for words that match what you are searching for, and will look only at the general meaning of your search.

Giving credit where it’s due.

Okay, I get it, right now your likely asking: “Why all this search engine stuff, I thought this was about the picture I use on-ine?”  Well – it is, and all of the search engine stuff is a just a beginning to explain why your head-shot quality is important to your business survival. Gone are the days that your head-shot was just so humans could recognize you. Google wants to make sure that any good content you create is appropriately credited to you, and someone else’s junk content is associated with them and NOT you.  According to video interview featuring Mark Traphagen of Stone Temple Consulting: part of how Google identifies your content is through facial recognition of your head-shot, and partly through other technical means – and the latter can lead to mistaken Identity. The better the headshot – the better the chances they will know it’s you while no head-shot at all could result in failure. This is not to say that your mug is the only way they know it’s you, but it ups the odds for accuracy. To keep things working smoothly, it’s recommended that you use the same avatar across all your social media accounts.

Who you are matters.

The first step in your customer’s buying cycle is to recognize they have a need. The second step is to learn how to meet that need – and preferably through doing business with you. Almost all the information gathering about a business, service or product starts on the web, and now, the great majority of it begins with a search engine. The search results delivered to the user is moving away from how well our website is optimized for keywords and towards deep dependency on what really matters to people: your reputation on the internet and what the user is actually looking for.  How you present yourself online – i.e. the good and the bad of what you post, is added or subtracted to what others are saying about you in conversation and online reviews, to generate a reputation score.  As David Amerland, author of the book Semantic Search so perfectly stated in an online broadcast via Google+:  It’s a shame that it took software to make us behave online, but that’s the truth of what is happening.
And behave you should – assuming you care about the future success of your business. Google no longer sees your business as separate from you, but rather your business AS you. Post a ton of negativity on the web and your business can suffer as a result. All things that lead to you, or anyone that Google knows for sure contributes to your business website, blog, social media, etc. may be factored into your business’ online reputation scores. And you certainly don’t want a mistaken identity tarnishing your hard-earned reputation.

It’s all about you, and it always has been.

Increasingly your personal brand will factor into your business or your employ-ability.  Prospective customers and employers are looking to social media and the web to learn about you before giving the green light to proceeding any further with you. It’s really just a matter of time before software emerges that can give the user a reasonably accurate estimate of your reputation score – along with those with whom you are competing. I estimate that soon your personal brand will carry as much weight or more than your résumé when decision time comes. If you change companies, your score goes with you, while your companies score remains with them. Your score could some day soon become a marketable benefit to hiring you.
Recognition for a company comes in the way of their logo, or a distinct appearance of their products. For you, this recognition comes in the way of your face. So in the very same way that a business keeps the same “visual identity” across all of it’s marketing, so should you. And just as well designed identity-package is important to a brand to build buyer trust, so is a well done head-shot important for your personal brand.

Expectations

Presently the generally accepted suggestions are this:

  • Show your entire face, no close cropping.
  • Both eyes are clearly visible.
  • Good quality lighting – no direct sunlight and no back-lighting – soft light is great.
  • The background is simple, of low contrast and clutter free.
  • Selfies are just a bad idea if you want to elicit trust in your prospect.
  • The picture should look like you. Yes it sound crazy, but we’ve all seen avatars that look little to nothing like the person when you meet them face to face.
  • Hats, scarves, sunglasses are all strongly discouraged.
  • Logos, text and other graphics are not visible.

 

A good head-shot is not out of reach for the budget-minded

Some pro’s will offer a discount to shoot your entire office or team in the same session. If you are a solo-preneur, call a pro and find out how many people you need to get a discounted rate and then call your friends, associates, or work out some other way of getting the minimum numbers you need. I suppose you could have your Ol’ Uncle Joe take the shot with your cell phone, but let’s be real, we can ALL tell the difference between a shot done by a “friend” and one done by a seasoned pro. You can bet your prospective customer can too. Purchasing only happens when the buyer has confidence. A not-so-great shot doesn’t exactly scream “You can trust me to do my best for you”.