» Photokina 08
Above: taken by Jeff Greene.
I have just got back from an exhausting week of work at Cologne’s humongous biennial photography trade show. At Photokina I did occupied two presentation slots a day at the Microsoft booth, throughout the six days of the event.
Within minutes of acquainting myself with the theatre and booth space, I could tell this would be different from the setup at the Microsoft Pro Photo Summit. Rather than a contained space with captive viewers, the trade show environment offers freedom for visitors as they pass through and decide how long to watch any particular thing. As a result, the more visual and active presentations work best.
Above: Rehearsal day. Taken by Jeff Greene.
‘Creativity meets efficiency: The art of the digital workflow’
My role was to present two Microsoft imaging programs from my own perspective as a fine art photographer.
First I gave some Flickr background of the story of ‘Miss Aniela’, and then, showing a range of my work throughout the 30 min talk, went on to discuss the programs Expression Media 2 and Capture One Pro. Expression Media is an asset management tool whilst Capture One is a RAW workflow program which may just have the best RAW conversion available. I talked about these two programs in connection with my work, my progress on Flickr, and crucially the elements of control and efficiency digital photographic products like the aforementioned two are offering; in being able to save time and money in producing work both for one’s fine art portfolio (as a self portrait photographer) and in work for clients. For example, I discussed how the two programs have user-friendly visual interfaces, make metadata templates a standard, and are geared for easy communication in the form of web contact sheets and slideshow functions.
Capture One is an essential tool for anyone shooting RAW and also offers tethered shooting, whilst Expression Media is a program for everyone: for both the pro wanting to catalog exhibition prints, to the everyday computer user who has a bunch of loitering snapshots, spreadsheets or word files, etc, on his/her computer.
I showed how these two programs fit into one’s current workflow (for example, I have always used a lot of Photoshop. I made it clear that Photoshop is a crucial part of my process and that as an artist I want products that will fit in within that process, not try and replace it).
Screengrabs of my work in use in these programs featured throughout the second half of the presentation:
Above: taken by Jeff Greene.
I met some great people there at the Microsoft booth where I was working, and also had time to browse more of the fair in my spare hours and check out exactly how vast it was. Everyone from across the spectrum of the photographic/imaging industry were there, from cameras to printer paper to Joby Gorilla tripods. There was also chance to sample fine German cuisine, from sausages to …sausages. And some strudel.
Some more pics:
Above: Nic Fillingham from Channel 10 in action
Above: Garry Stretch from Grimsby… who modelled for demos of photoshoot tethering on Capture One Pro
Above: rather randomly, the Dom cathedral.
This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 1st, 2008 at 5:57 pm and is filed under Exhibition/publicity-linked. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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October 3rd, 2008 at 5:00 am
I love the pictures that depict your experience at Photokina which was a major event for the world of photography (i wish I could have been there, but I was super very busy with work and all). The words spoken on your blog were very well written–as always–and you brought me into the moment that you had through the written word.
All I can say is that I’m in awe with what you have done with your life. You achieved so much in such a short time and I have to say this unequivocally that I really do admire you. I truly do admire you. I admire your talents, down to earth personality, creativity, and the way you carry yourself on Flickr and much, much more.
You are special and a treasure to the arts community. Natalie, you personify art and goodness.
October 3rd, 2008 at 9:50 pm
Ooh, you’ve been acquired by Microsoft have you? Natalie is officially a Microserf!
(I guess everyone on flickr will be when MS finally buys Yahoo).
It must have been quite strange to be promoting software that you’re not known to have been a fan of before, but I guess this is new stuff. Is it really any good?
On that discussion about cameras on your flickr, I was going to mention that one thing that could help you get over the loss of your Sony’s flippable LCD, would be to shoot tethered to a laptop. Sounds like Capture One would be just the ticket for doing that. (The pros say that once you shoot tethered, you’ll hate the “miniscule” LCD on even the largest DSLR).
By the way, I just found out that you can actually screw on some macro diopters to your old Sony camera, and it’s a helluva lot cheaper than buying a proper macro lens for a Canon. I think your blog strips out links, so just such Amazon.
Sounds like you were pretty busy at the show, but I hope you had a good chance to go and look at the displays and demos elsewhere. From what I’ve read online, an awful lot of new products were seen in public for the first time. I imagine it would be difficult to walk around and not start building a huge wishlist.
Anyway, thanks for the news. I love how in the team photo, you’re just a little blur in the middle.
October 4th, 2008 at 10:01 am
Not sure how about the blur in the team pic - it’s a low res image (i resized it quite small) and we’re all pretty much have a meagre share of pixels - need to replace that image i think!
On this particular occasion I was hired to talk about my own work as an artist, but with the added perspective (as part of the ‘work’) of selling two products.
I haven’t been ‘acquired’ by anyone. I am not hired exclusively by Microsoft or told to express anything I don’t genuinely feel myself. I was given the independence to devise my own presentation based upon my work (showing as much as I want, as in the Pro Summit) and left to myself to get my head round products and work them into my presentation in my own personal way, and feasibly, ie., the programs are not trying to replace Photoshop (as they do not perform the kind of manipulative processing as Photoshop provides) and I could make it clear that Photoshop is central to my process, even though it’s an Adobe product.
As for the Sony macro -
I heard about the macro diopters but never got one, I did hear they reduce the quality of the image.
People have also been recommending shooting tethered, I know I will try it, though it will take away the spontaneity of shoots, reduce my wandering radius and be impossible outside (especially when my laptop currently needs to be plugged into the mains all the time else it turns itself off - needs new battery/adaptor methinks).
October 8th, 2008 at 12:03 am
Interesting stuff. Although I was at Photokina I’m sorry I missed you.
You have, recently at least, been a Mac user; are you now a convert? Do you feel you have to be? I’m sure these apps won’t be cross platform so did you feel a bit hypocritical as a mac user promoting things that already exist in other forms, even given your assurance above?
October 8th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
Hi Nico,
Companies compete with each other, but they also gain from working round/accommodating each others’ fortes and selling points. Microsoft sell PCs, but in my experience there’s not exactly a stigma in using a Mac machine in a Microsoft environment - even at Photokina itself.
The fact that I currently use a Mac is not an issue. I don’t endorse/ represent neither Apple nor Microsoft, hence I don’t feel there is the issue of being a ‘convert’. I am not a ‘Mac user’ as much as I’m not a ‘PC user’, I’m simply a computer user - and contrary to your last comment, these programs came to me in Mac versions.
What were you up to at Photokina then?
October 10th, 2008 at 3:08 pm
I used to work at the Photokina many many years ago when I worked in the photo industry and I’m glad to see that not much has changed.
I’m disappointed with your comment about the German cuisine, there is more to German cooking than sausages or strudel, however, German sausages are much better than British ones
I do like Polish ones, too!
October 10th, 2008 at 6:04 pm
Ah haha no, just commenting on what was available at the Kolnmesse. I’m sure the rest of the city, and the country, have alot more to offer :))
Having said that, I do like sausages - and yes i also love Polish sausage.
October 12th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
Wow congrats Natalie, that sounds really exciting! But also must have been a bit scary, without the formal sitdown audience I mean, did you get any hecklers?!
Oh did you get any/many freebies?! (yes im asking all the important questions arent I…)
Is Capture One easy to get, or do you have to buy it? Ive been trying to kick myself into using RAW but no programme I have now is letting me and Im being a bit lazy about it! Seriously though, congratulations again!!
Lucy