Real World Workflow

8500 frames yesterday in a 12 hour day. Man that was a long transfer to delivery hard drives..

Capture Integration, based out of Atlanta with offices in Miami and Atlanta has launched their new website and with it a host of new quirky videos featuring Phase One durability under extreme conditions. You can check out the videos here.

Stock photography has been such a heated debate in recent years, especially with the rise in digital photography and web use. Many have said it would be the death of Advertising photography while others, including myself see it as just another means to sell advertising photography but not necessarily the downfall of the business itself. But Getty Images has had a tough time making a profit because of the large influx of competitors despite Getty Images buying up other photo archive companies. So its put itself up for sale this week. A full article can be read here.

I don’t know what drives me more nuts…Phase One, who is struggling to release C1V4.0 sometime this millenium(I know 4.0 LE is out, but this doesn’t help me much as most of my work is tethered) and who hasn’t released an update for C1 3.7.x since Moses was ambling the desert, or Leaf, who comes out with a release everytime I turn around.

Ok, I’m not complaining that loudly. I’d much rather have a DB manufacturer who is constantly upgrading their software, an Leaf has finally figured this out. They released a Leopard update within days of the official Apple release, and now here comes 11.0.2. If you are blessed enough to have an AFi, or Rollei shutter system, this update has some pretty cool features for you. For the rest of us, collapsible menus and improved Live Preview are cool, but I’m giddy as a greased pig that I can finally choose how many places for numbering, because filename-10000.mos was pretty annoying. You can also chose underscore, hypen and something else which escapes me right now, but after working 12 hrs with the new version, I’m too tired to check it out.

But you should.

LC 11.0.2

P.S. Jodie Steen, that Leaf lecturer herself has a new LC11 book out on Blurb. It’s on order, and I’ll let you know what I think.

Happy New Year Everyone! Hope it was lots of food and fun, but now it’s time to get back in the saddle for the coming year. Beyond the plethora of resolutions commonly ascribed to a new annum, I’d like to propose a few on the boring business side of the tech fence.

As freelancers, we’re often running pretty loose when it comes to business practices, and the beginning of a new year is a perfect time to do the following if you haven’t already:

1 )Separate those Bank Accounts. I know this is a no-brainer, but I talk to people all the time that don’t do this, and believe me you want to segregate your personal funds from the business side. Many banks require a DBA certificate, so this leads me to the next step:

2) Get a Business License. Ok, maybe this should be number one, but it’s a chicken/egg kind of thing. In addition to allowing you to have a business bank account, a business license also lends credibility and will help you if you ever seek financing down the road.

3) Assemble your Professional Team. That means CPA and JD. Get an accountant and lawyer and get them familiar with your business. You may not need them now, but you will, even for areas that are not necessarily their expertise.

4) Consider joining a professional organization. APA, ASMP, you get the idea. Being part of the professional community is not only a good idea, but a major source of business and knowledge, even if you occasionally just meet for a quick drink and chat.

5) Get a Plan. I know, it’s boring, but this can be really crucial to where you will be in the near future. Most business plans aren’t followed to the letter, but just the exercise can open your eyes to potential pitfalls as well as hidden opportunities.

Tech work can be glamorous, tedious and exhausting, but it should be above all professional. Credibility is everything, and having a solid business base to anchor you is beyond huge.

U.S. DOT Bans Transport of Spare Lithium Batteries in Checked Baggage