Happy New Year!

To our Friends, Clients, Acquaintances, Facebook Friends and Business Associates... We wish you all Happy Holidays, as well as a Healthy, Joyful and Prosperous New Year!

Image File Transfers - Conventional vs Wireless

What's the best (most efficient) way to transfer image files?
Although there are several ways to transfer image files from your camera to your laptop, today we'll also explore other options that may render your life a little easier when wanting to transmit images quickly to your client while you're still at the event. Below are ways that most people know, in addition to recent findings.

1. The conventional SD or Compact Flash (CF) card in a reader, linked to your computer.  Fast & efficient when using USB 3.0, but you need to carry around a laptop, and you cannot shoot while you're transferring, without using additional memory cards.

2. Tethered using a USB or Ethernet cable from the camera to the computer.  Again efficient, but you need a computer on site, and you're no longer mobile, as you're fixed to your laptop.  Intro to tethering HERE

3. Wireless module from the camera manufacturer. (ex. WTF-E6)

Very costly at purchase, and not very fast when shooting RAW files.  This remains one of the most popular amongst Pros, but is the result worth the expense?  Probably not, when you'll see what other wireless options remain available to you, without needing to lug around a laptop! Additional info of wireless modules HERE  Instead, what would you think of a system that could send your images, quickly & wireless, from your camera to your iPad, iPad mini, and/or iPhone?

4. The Eye-Fi does exactly that!  Without fuss, hassle, or tremendous expense! If you wish to quickly transfer images to your portable Mac tablet, this is the way to do it!  Personally, my cameras (Canon 1Dx) don't support Eye-Fi, because it is based on an SD card, and both my slots are CF.  An SD to CF adapter quickly resolved that problem.  Here's what I've been doing for some time now...

I shoot RAW files in slot No.1 & JPG files in slot No.2 with the 32GB Eye-Fi card. This self-sufficient Wi-fi based card transfers the JPG files (RAW if you wish to do so, and use the X2 Pro cards), to my iPad Mini Retina 128GB tablet. 

Within seconds I can select, edit (using software such as SNAPSEED), and send to my clients.  The iPad mini is small enough to fit in my Newswear chestvest, or have an assistant edit the images while I move around and shoot!  It's cost effective, fast, and reliable, and doesn't require Wi-Fi access, as the card contains it's own Adhoc protocol. Eye-Fi provides a free App for your phone & tablet, and an optional Eye-Fi Computer Center software, if so desired. I strongly suggest you try it out.
Note:  Rumor is, Photo Mechanic might be working on an App for iPad users! :)   The people at Eye-Fi provide an awesome service!

Happy Holidays!

We send you our best wishes for the Xmas Holidays & the upcoming Year!
May your wildest dreams and efforts become reality. Cheers!

Rod Stewart (Bell Center)

A few images from Rod Stewart's concert, held at the Bell Center
on Dec 14th 2013, can be seen HERE

Cataloging Studio Lighting Set-ups

Have you ever considered "cataloging" your various studio lighting set-ups?

Think of the convenience to have all your favorite "Best of" looks, right at your fingertips.  

Here are a few additional reasons why we feel this is a good practice...

1.  It's a great way to present your portfolio along with various options to a client, and having them chose the look of the end result, giving them the sense of participation, and then easily reproducing the EXACT same lighting they chose.

2.  When you have large projects that require you to shoot over several weeks, and need a uniform look.  There's no better way than to document as much information as possible, and keeping it on record.  That way you can change your set-up for other shoots, and can always come back to the original look for that long-term project.

There are a few systems that work online, but personally, I prefer the type that you download a .PSD file and work in Photoshop. 

1.  http://www.lightingdiagram.com/

2.  http://www.lightingdiagrams.com/

Raffy, Montreal-based singer

A quick portrait shoot with RAFFY, this Montreal-based singer with an amazing voice!  If you recall Gwen Stefani in No Doubt's "Tragic Kingdom" album, that's the voice and style, but in French. Simply superbe!  You can download from iTunes HERE, and view several of their videos HERE
You can look them up & see where they'll be next, by following this link to their WEBSITE

A few select images from the portrait shoot, can be seen HERE 

Three Days Grace (Metropolis)

A few images from the Three Days Grace concert, held at the Metropolis
on Dec 11th 2013, can be seen HERE

Portrait Shoot with Stephanie B

Our portrait shoot with Stephanie yielded some very classy images (Aside from the Bloopers).
To see additional pics from this session, click HERE

P!NK (Bell Center) - The Truth About Love, World Tour

A few images from the March 12th 2013 date, can be seen HERE

In the cast of "THE TRUTH ABOUT LOVE" tour, P!NK gave her fans an astonishing performance.  Some would even say, one of the best shows from 2013!

Bill C-11, and the Copyright laws in Canada

A Great Victory For Canadian Photographers! 

Produced by CAPIC Montreal (capicmontreal.ca), the video below provides an overview of the impact of the new law on copyright in Canada, Bill C-11, in force since November 2012.

You can access the video by clicking HERE
   
IN THE VIDEO:
Until the adoption of Bill C-11, photographers were not on the same footing as other creators. They were considered, according to the law, technicians and not artists: when a customer ordered a photo, the copyright belonged to the client.

It was necessary to sign an agreement with the client to ensure the photographer "owned" the rights to the work. This is why CAPIC was created!

Bill C-11 was necessary for the aberration of this old law. Now, photographers are the first owners of copyright works they produce, be it an artistic, personal, or the result of a commission, commercial photographers now automatically own the copyright and moral rights of their work.

This will apply to all new photos taken after the promulgation of the law and not to pictures produced before. Bill C-11 does, however, provide for exceptions. Certain people and institutions can use photographs protected by copyright without the permission of the photographer.

CAPIC still recommends that photographers draft a contract that specifies various business clauses, such as the use of images, licenses sold, payment terms, etc. It is always important to specify that the photographer is the first owner of the copyright of the images produced in the contract.

It is important to remember that a quote or an invoice is not a contract, even if it contains some elements of one.

Link to the CAPIC Articles > HERE
Link to the complete Act > HERE