Real World Workflow

9/11 here in NYC is always a time for quiet introspection. I went down to the WTC site a few days ago to pay my respects, and while I’m glad that the great big hole in the ground is showing some signs of progress, it’s still hard not to feel the raw emotion that wells up there like a wildcat oil gusher. Honestly, no matter what side of the political fence you’re on, 9/11 will always be a seminal event that must be learned from and most hopefully never repeated anytime or anywhere.

On a much different note, I’m taking advantage of the quiet am time to jot down a few thoughts about this crazy world of digital techdom. Junior is quietly snoozing in his bassinet, and the dog is snoring, so it seems like the perfect time to weigh in on a few things I’ve noticed as of late:

First off, circle the tech carts, because things have fundamentally changed in this new post-recession order.

The wild salad days of techs pretty much naming a rate are gone. Besides slashed budgets, the fact is that photographers are much more comfortable with digital nowadays, and the associated insecurity that used to provide many of us with a comfortable cushion has gone by the wayside.

Out to pasture, so to speak.

More and more photographers are looking for that new breed of assistant who also knows their way around a digital workflow and is willing to take on that additional task without much of a corresponding bump in income, which is wrong on more than a few levels. If you’re going to take on the responsibility of the photo lab as in years past, you better get compensated for it because the margin of responsibility has shot up exponentially. Blowing up a power pack is one thing. Losing images from a shoot is a whole world of greater hurt.

The other attack on tech world is that of the in house studio. More and more, I’m seeing studios demand that photographers use their own in house digital services, much in the same way they require grip and lighting equipment to be rented through them. Which is fine if all a shooter requires in a tech is a glorified mouse pusher someone competent enough to run the digital side of things on set.

Now this is not a dig on the in-house tech. If anything they are on our side, and I would advance the notion that forming an alliance with a studio can be a very productive and stable revenue stream for us, but I’m getting ahead of myself here. What I want to say is that once again it’s up to us to make ourselves an order above just that of average tech and become a valued, somewhat indispensable member of the creative team. In doing that, I’ve had clients go to bat for me and get me on the set anyway. Studios know that techs can often be more than just operators, and much in the same way they don’t require in-house assistants, they really shouldn’t require an in-house techs either.

What I’m trying to say is, don’t bow out with a whisper. On the contrary, make some noise and negotiate.

When offered a low fee always (politely!) push for a higher rate than is offered, and back it up with how much more you bring to the shoot, whether it’s because you can provide offsite backup and storage, or have mad retouch skills that can translate the shooters vision to the AD while on set, or just because gosh darn it, people like you. The worst that can happen is that they say no, but even in that case you’ve at least opened the door a little for future negotiations and given yourself credit for the hard work and experience you’ve accrued.

It may be a new world order, but that does not mean we should acquiesce to the downward pressure in fees that is occurring. This recession will end one day and we don’t want to spend the first few years of recovery trying to get back to where we were.

Lastly, don’t forget polishing your skills, whether on the software or hardware side. C1 4.0, LR, DAM and Sync solutions, never mind Snow Leopard all could use a little time to make you a faster and better tech on set. Keep an eye out on video too, these 5DMKII and Red cameras are not going away, if anything they are the future.

So there you have it…my world at the moment, both micro and macro. If you can, take a moment today to reflect where this all is, has been and is going. Not just in techworld, but in the bigger picture as well.

Well first off, don’t panic. Business-wise? We don’t know…maybe don’t spend money, pinch the pennies and offer better deals to keep working. Sorry we don’t have more but we do have lots of great photo-related activities that are free (or cheap) to keep you busy while we sort out this horrible mess (hopefully):

MOMA – Target Free Fridays
Every Friday from 4-8pm MOMA is free to the public. And they have a very interesting exhibit called The Printed Picture, which shows a history, in part, of photography all the way up to the digital image. a shimmer of possibility. Photographs by Paul Graham just started this month. And also, George Lois: The Esquire Covers until the end of March.

Brooklyn Museum: Target First Saturday – Every first saturday of the month, The Brooklyn Museum opens its doors to the public for free. In addition, for $20 you can join the 1stFans, A new first-of-its-kind socially networked Brooklyn Museum Membership. You can sign up for 1stFans here. Also you can participate in the Wikipedia Loves Art through the end of February – a nice little photo project to keep you busy.

The Whitney (Friday: 6–9 pm pay-what-you-wish admission) has Artists Making Photographs: Chamberlain, Rauschenberg, Ruscha, Samaras, Warhol which should prove to be interesting. Also keep in mind that most museums in NYC receive funding on a federal and state level, provided that they allow museum guests to “pay what they wish”. So don’t feel bad about giving less than the suggestion donation, if you cannot afford it.

FREE PANCAKES AT IHOP, BKLYN – February 24th, 2009: OK not photo related, but we got to eat right? On second thought there will be a line around the corner all day. I’d skip it and make them yourself at home, for cheap. In fact, here is the IHOP Pancake recipe, for free

Nonstick Spray
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 heaping teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup cooking oil
pinch of salt

1. Preheat a skillet over medium heat. Use a pan with a nonstick
surface or apply a little nonstick spray.
2. In a blender or with a mixer, combine all of the remaining
ingredients until smooth.
3. Pour the batter by spoonfuls into the hot pan, forming 5-inch
circles.
4. When the edges appear to harden, flip the pancakes. They should
be golden brown.
5. Cook pancakes on the other side for same amount of time, until
golden brown.
Makes 8 to 10 pancakes.

Brooklynbased.net
Check out Brooklynbased.net for more information on free and cheap things to do in Brooklyn. Some of you live here, some of you have yet to visit. Now is a good time, since you are just sitting around doing nothing.

Update Your Portfolio & Other Marketing Endeavors
Now is as good as a time as ever to work on your own book. Several studios are offering really good deals on testing and are opening their doors up to anyone to get people in during these turbulent times: Blue Sky SF for our viewers in San Francisco. I worked out there last year for a few days and the studio is a pretty nice. Here in NYC there is Neo Studios, two decent sized studios at an affordable price. Tribeca Skyline Studios – although I haven’t visited yet, they have been very outgoing and are a new startup so it’s probably a good bet that you are going to get a good deal to start.

Printing Your Book
Blurb.com is an excellent source for printing your portfolio and presenting it the way you want it. For less than $100 you can have a fully customized portfolio printed and bound with a dust jacket. Sure beats the very static leatherbound portfolios that cost $400+.

Printing Business Cards
Moo.com offers custom made business cards, mini-cards, PostCards and stickers, all of which make nice marketing materials. And they start at about $9.99. Quality is great.

Adhesive NYC
It started as an attempt to hook two of their friends up on a date. Its turned into a pretty big networking event at some pretty cool locations (Swift, Ace Bar, & The Frying Pan, to name a few). Don’t bring your book. Just bring some good conversation skills, a few cards and a few bucks for beer. The next ADHESIVE event is February 24, 6:30pm at Swift.

Feel free to add your recommendations in the comments below.

Hey TechHeads, you know the drill. 6pm at DBA, 1st Ave./2nd St. Lets get together and talk about the latest and not so greatest in techland, and what everyone’s doing to stay current with it all. Might have a few goodies and tidbits to share as well.

Hope to see you there.

Good morning techheads.

While slugging it through the iPhone 3G launch at the 59th St. Apple Store in NYC for seven hours yesterday, I had plenty of time to ponder the news last week relating to the 50, and 60 mpix backs being launched by Hassy and Phase ( for an update, head over to luminous-landscape.com and try to duck the personal attacks that get lobbed now and again). In short, and without any official detail yet from the Phase camp, mfdb’s are on the upgrade train again, with Phase supposedly releasing a chip that is essentially full-frame 645, to the tune of 54mm x 40mm, or in that vicinity (remember, official details not available yet and I’m not going to obsess over tenths of millimeters at this point.) with a 6 micron pixel pitch, and around 60 mpix.

In short, a whopper.

Hassy is right up there with their 50 mpix offering that Eric I. mentioned in a post last week. They’re working within their “integrated” platform now, and there are some benefits to this setup, like DAC correction and making the rest of us who invested in the H system use an external cable for the bricked H2F. Whatever. I like the Hassy H1/2 system and have worked with it on set for years now and cannot blame Hassy at all for doing what they feel the need to remain competitive and profitable in the marketplace. I do know that I’ve had exactly one query this year from a shooter that was using a Hassy back. Phase and Leaf dominate the NYC rental market, and it would take a hell of a product from Hassy to change this order, but hey, at least they’re making a serious effort.

Where this is all going is what was on my mind yesterday as I people-watched for hours while standing in line. The newly engaged couple next to me was mildly entertaining, as the girl had a freshly inked lower back tattoo of her new beau, “Leon” (I hope you two marry for life, because this could be embarrassing later on…can you say “cover-up”) and the law school intern on my right was cool, having got drunk until 4am and then passing out on his office floor before joining me in line. All this excitement waned rather quickly though, like in the first hour or so, giving me plenty of time to ponder the state of the mfdb mpix wars. Where is this all going?

Forward, is what I eventually came up with. Whether we like it or not, time and tech marches on. While I feel that the gear on many jobs is overkill, say, when using a P45+ for a magazine that publishes at a 6×8″ size, it’s not my call. What the client wants, the client gets, and if having a 50, 60, or 100 gazillion mpix back is what they want, thats what I’ll have to provide. There’s always going to be a market for in-store displays or promo events where the largest file will have a use, if only because that’s what the ad agency thinks is best.

What I worry about is whether the camera systems will be able to keep up, and as we get smaller and smaller pixels, noise and the theoretical limit of light gathering comes into play. How will lenses resolve this? Already depth of field is a huge issue, especially in still life, but in fashion and other genres as well. Will we move to some kind of rapid capture multi-shot that is auto-stacked in almost real time?

I would love to propose that DB manufacturers should be working on the quality of the image rather than the size. Whether through fat (I love the 9 micron) pixels, better profiling and improved color and/or higher iso’s, I think that these factors would have a far greater impact when the ink hits the press than a high mpix count. (And, as traditional print continues to decline as a medium, where does that again leave us when web images are usually optimized at 72ppi?!?!? ) But I think higher mpix backs will continue to hold sway in our business for now and in the future. There will always be shooters who think their ability is enhanced with the latest in equipment, and want the glam factor as part of their overall impact on set, and they’ll turn to us to provide that.

So batten down the hatches, Dtech’s. Get ready for more storage, faster processors and bigger leases because this Wave of Bigness is here to stay. I wish it wasn’t, but it is.

In my view at least. From the Apple Store, with Leon and his tattooed fiancee, law intern guy and me. But now that I have the 3G iPhone I’m at least current and up to date with the latest in phone tech; but wait just a minute, maybe two and that will change.

Here are the directions for those of you who will be joining us for the BBQ in Prospect Park this Saturday

Digital Tech BBQ 6/28 Saturday 12pm-5pm, Prospect Park Park Slope (Bandshell) BBQ Area, Prospect Park, Park Slope, Brooklyn

Directions: Take a Downtown F Train to the 7th Avenue stop. Exit 9th Street and walk towards the park. Enter Park on 9th Street and take left sidewalk up behind the bandshell. We will be just behind the bandshell. Call me at 917.295.5313 if you cannot find us.

On the menu so far:

-Lamburgers
-Steak
-Corn on the Cob
-Veggie Burgers

-Guacamole
-Mojitos (on the dl, though)
-Water

If you plan on coming, please bring a side dish or chips or some sort of snack. If bringing alcohol, please conceal as its a public park and its not allowed (but you know us, the only thing we like more than beer is breaking the rules)

Plan B (for rain): As it turns out there is a possibility for rain. We will have a canopy setup in the event of short mild rains. If it turns out to be a pisser, we will move the bbq to my apartment which is only a few blocks away.

Let’s face it: You’ve been spending too much time on set going cross-eyed staring at those Eizos. It’s summer, you know with that big yellow blob of warmth that we don’t get to see for half the year (unless you’re Eric I. on some damn beach somewhere). So we’re calling you out–that’s right you Tech’ers get your nerdy self over to Prospect Park this coming Saturday, June 28th at 12 noon for an afternoon of fun and frolic. Eric I’s on the grill, I’m mixing up all things nefarious and tasty, and good times are to be had for all. Enter our speedy Set Cart Setup contest, and everyone’s on deck for Digital Back Volleyball. Be on the lookout for prizes and giveaways from some of our favorite vendors. Honestly gang, if there’s one event to make this year, this is it. Details to follow, just put it on the calendar. In Red.

No excuses tolerated. Unless you have a gig. (This being a freelance world we understand that.)

Digital Tech BBQ 6/28 Saturday12pm-5pm, Prospect Park Park Slope (Bandshell) BBQ Area, Prospect Park, Park Slope, Brooklyn
Directions: Take a Downtown F Train to the 7th Avenue stop. Exit 9th Street and walk towards the park. Enter Park on 9th Street and take left sidewalk up behind the bandshell. We will be just behind the bandshell. Call if you cannot find us – 917.295.5313

…to all of you that made it out to Barcade on Thursday. It was a blast, and good to see a good group of techs hanging out and talking shop.

Oh and btw, if you guys really thought I’d leave my DB unattended when I had to excuse myself, you were sorely mistaken. I almost snapped a pic of it in the graffiti covered loo.

Anyway, here’s to next month’s BBQ in the park. Eric I’s insisting on doing all the cooking, which puts me in charge of sophisticated adult refreshments.

Mojitos Anyone?

Just a reminder that we’ve got a great night planned for you. It involves beer, brooklyn and video games. We decided to mix it up a bit and take you to unfamilar terrority (for some) to a little area some refer to as Williamsburg.

When: Thursday May 15th – 6PM – ?? (get there early for happy hour)
Where: Barcade 388 Union Ave (Between Ainslie and Powers), Brooklyn, NY 11211 (718) 302-6464
Directions: By train – hop on the L to Lorimer or the G to Metropolitan. Walk up Union to Ainslie. If you get lost call me Eric I. – 917.295.5313) By Car – hop on the BQE to Metropolitan Avenue, Take a right on Union, its just a few blocks ahead) If you are taking the Billyburg Bridge – exit grand Street, left on Union. But seriously folks its like two stops from Manhattan.

We love to talk shop, but its not required. All are invited. We hope to see you there.

Eric Isaac,Tech Blogger
Real World Workflow
ebisaac@realworldworkflow.com
www.realworldworkflow.com
917.295.5313

…and neither should you.

We’ve got a great night planned for you. It involves beer, brooklyn and video games. We decided to mix it up a bit and take you to unfamilar terrority (for some) to a little area some refer to as Williamsburg.

When: Thursday May 15th – 6PM – ?? (get there early for happy hour)
Where: Barcade 388 Union Ave (Between Ainslie and Powers), Brooklyn, NY 11211 (718) 302-6464
Directions: By train – hop on the L to Lorimer or the G to Metropolitan. Walk up Union to Ainslie. If you get lost call me Eric I. – 917.295.5313) By Car – hop on the BQE to Metropolitan Avenue, Take a right on Union, its just a few blocks ahead) If you are taking the Billyburg Bridge – exit grand Street, left on Union. But seriously folks its like two stops from Manhattan.

We love to talk shop, but its not required. All are invited. We hope to see you there.

Eric Isaac,Tech Blogger
Real World Workflow
ebisaac@realworldworkflow.com
www.realworldworkflow.com
917.295.5313

All are welcome as we tie one on at one of our favorite east village hangouts, big bar. They have Brooklyn Lager on tap and Bass and Stella in bottles (as well as a few others). Come join us so we can bore you with our geeky tech talk. And watch as I get really nerdy and Eric Z. slaps me back into reality.

When: Tuesday April 15th, 2008, 6pm – ???
Where: Big Bar 75 E 7th St B/T 2nd & 1st Ave. New York, NY