| Re: Portrait Photography
Tom - as I mentioned in email, maybe we can get Rob to add a Digital PRO-PORTRAIT forum to the discussions offered here.
Else until then, I just post portrait topics in here. Feel free I'm interested.
My biggest concerns are...
1. I've read about dropping a CF card and loosing all the images! YIKES I couldn't bare doing this after shooting 60-90 minutes of images during a paying session.
2. I've read similar posts about microdrives loosing images. Either due to bumps, drops, or just because. I give 110% in all my sessions but I really would hate to have to do one over again. My policy is "I don't do retakes" I get it right the first time... because I can't stand doing something over again. If either of these things happen, we'll have problems.
3. Not as likely, but what about after copying them to HD on a main computer the HD crashes or files are deleted by accident somehow.
4. Time is money - and if I have to spend time adjusting color on each image after a sesson - I'm loosing money. I've been trying to test different white balance settings to try and shoot the same color that my lab runs off their Fuji proofer. Being able to simply give them the files I shoot would be most helpful.
5. Once the customer see's the previews - and makes selections. files then need to be retouched on computer. (at this time a film retoucher handles this - if done on computer - I'll have to do the work. I suspect this retouching, file copying, adjusting etc. Would be about 30 to 60 minutes per session. Effectively doubling the time I have to spend per session. (not a exciting prospect).
6. What if they want a 20x24? It might be possible.. I've printed up to 16x20 which have been fine. I think 20x24 might be pushing it. Even so - what if they want to order a 24x30. I sell several a year and I don't think this is gonna be possible with 3.25mp files.
7. If shooting RAW - conversion and transfer time - will quadruple the time I have to spend. Plus I can't get a days worth of sessons images onto a zip, or even a CDR for that matter. Burning multiple CDR's is really time consuming as well. Maybe a 1 gig drive would eliminate this problem? (does the lab have one?)
These are just a few issues I'm concerned with at this time. For me shooting digital doesn't seem practicle or cost effective by any means.
On the plus side. If there is anything someone doesn't like about their sesson images - it's easy to retouch the problem. If you have a lot of these problems - it might be a big plus. (I don't have more than 1-2 of these problems a year). But seems I get the annual 'wandering eye senior' and have a hard time keeping eyes straight. Digital would be of value here. (so use digital just for these tricky clients?)
I have had great results with small children and digital. I think this may become the norm for me. (I shoot very few)
I guess I'll have to slowly phase digital into the studio. Simply making the switch could be a nightmare.
Ron-
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