2008 Summer - Island Photo News

NEWS

TO PHO D N P A ISL GROU DS LAN ERA & S I G M LON ER CA LUB I C M O PRE PHOT

SUMMER 2008

www.IslandPhotoGroup.org

IPG “Learn to STRIP” Workshops!

See The Real In Photographs No, we’re not planning a photo shoot in Las Vegas! Instead, we will be

Some of the primary photographic concepts we will examine are:

presenting a new series of workshops at our first three meetings in August.

The

At each workshop, the STRIP team will present a topic and explain it with preselected photo examples. Then the

• Composition – camera angle;

team will lead the club in “eyes-on”

focus of these STRIP workshops will be

implied lines and shapes; rhythm and

exercises that consider other sample

learning to see and identify the elements,

repetition; dynamic placement; the frame

photos in terms of the particular concept.

attributes and building blocks that are actually present in all photographs.

shape and proportions • Color –harmonies and contrasts; tonal range

Participation in these “eyes-on” workshops will enable photographers to recognize the visual components the images in their viewfinder will contain.

They will make better decisions about which features to enhance in the darkroom. They will be able to notice and appreciate qualities in the work of others.

Experienced critiquers will expand their own “descriptive repertoire” and find new ways to see and think. New critiquers will get experience and training in how to look

• Visual impact – emotional response; subtlety and degree; delay • Subject matter – interpretation; story; photographer’s intention • Center of interest – identifying; how it is supported; secondary and its relationship to main; competing; distractions • Lighting – kind; quality; details; mood

There will be time for questions and clarifications before moving on to the next topic.

The goal: participants will come away with more than just a mild “familiarity” with features in a photograph; with more than just an “exposure” to key ideas. Members who take part in these August STRIP workshops will gain reasonable competence to identify and understand the key components in every photograph.

• Print quality and presentation

at photographs.

Rich Fiedorowicz

[1]

MAKING ART FROM JUNK USING PHOTOSHOP

MINI GALLERY

I was out shooting some photos the other day and I occasionally I find myself taking a photo of something I would never have considered photographing before. I’m not sure if it’s the fact that taking a digital shot is free or if it’s the challenge of what I can do with it in photoshop when I get it home.

So I took this shot of some broken glass on blacktop.

Ok so I have a thing for broken glass, what can I say!

After importing the photo in Lightroom, this is what I shot, as you can see, not much to look at.

I created a Virtual Copy, then increased the black, Clarity and Sharpness Sliders, Cropped it and and made my image look like this.

Next step was to edit the image in photoshop. I created four layers and changed their blending modes to COLOR. On each layer I picked a color that I liked. As you can see by the layers palette, I used shades of Brown, Green, Orange and Blue but you could use any colors you like. The colors could be applied to the layers using any painting tool but I chose to use the Gradient Tool. Im sure a soft brush would work well too.

Because the layers are all in COLOR Blending mode, the different colors mixed nicely but I found it was a bit dark. So I simply added a Brightness / Contrast Adjustment Layer and brought up the brightness until I was pleased with it’s appearance.

I cheated on the soft edge, as it is a feature built into Apple’s Pages Program. (The program I’m using to create this newsletter) However, you can easily create a soft edge in PS too.

Now the whole process took less time that it took me to write this article. Im guessing that the image was created in about 5 minutes from the time I opened it in Lightroom.

Not bad for taking pictures

Anne Marie Denese

of junk!

HOPE YOU LIKE IT, as always comments are welcome!

Joe Pellicone [2]

MATTING & FRAMING IPG FIELD TRIP AND PRESENTATION - MARCH 31, 2008

In our continuing effort to learn different aspects of

right moulding for the job, he moves over to his dual cutoff saws

photography IPG is constantly searching for new and exciting

where he again measures and double checks. This is where we

presentations and workshops.

can drop in that old cliche’ “Measure Twice Cut Once” or is it the

On March

other way around?

31st of this year

Several quick 45 degree cuts of the moulding makes them

members of

ready for the next step, the joiner. This specially designed

Group had the

machine holds the moulding in place at the proper angle while

unique

inserting “V” nails to hold it all together. But Emre says that its the

opportunity to

glue that does the trick, the nails just do the holding while the glue

attend a

is drying.

presentation by

Back to the table where Emre once again is measuring, this

Emre and Allison

time its the glass. He cuts it cleans it and places the photo and

Ocak of

glass into the

Masterpiece Gallery, located at

frame. Four 5020 Sunrise Highway in

quick points are

Massapequa Park.

inserted to keep

Emre demonstrated how to expertly Mat and Frame a photo.

everything

Armed with his wits, a pencil and his creative intuition, Emre made

together. He

a perfect mat and frame for a photo right before our eyes in less

flips it over to

than 30 minutes.

make one last

In the

check and as

photos on this

predicted

page, you can

everything is

see Emre as he

perfect. Over

demonstrates the

once more to insert the rest of the points, and the picture is

different stages

permanently in place. For an added touch of professionalism,

of creating his

Emre adds a paper backing using his secret weapon double sided

own kind of

tape once more. The final step is adding the wire to hang the

artwork (the mat

photo.

and frame).

He starts by

While there is

measuring the photo or art to be framed and then making some

something to be

quick calculations in his head to compensate for margins. Then he

said for having

quickly cuts the matboard into either single or double mats.

the right tools

Using his secret weapon super stick double sided tape to

for the job Emre

put it all together.

makes this

Once the

process look

mat is finished

simple but

and double

believe me it’s

checked for

not.

accuracy he

IPG wishes to

quickly turns his

express a special thanks to Allison & Emre for their demonstration,

attention to the

and hospitality. If you need a frame be sure to check them out,

frame.

you’ll get quality workmanship and a beautiful finished product for

Expertly

a very fair price! Check out their website www.frameyours.com

choosing the

[3]

IPG’s Members Score at PFLI’s Leonard Victor Awards!

2008 LEONARD VICTOR RESULTS COLOR SLIDES "B" 1st Place - Susan Zigman -Flushing -"Mutual Admiration" (23)

COLOR SLIDES "A" 1st Place - John Brokos - Freeport - "Little Hunter" (27) 2nd Place - Ed Sambolin - Sweetbriar - "Winter Cardinal" (27) 3rd Place - Dennis Golin - Flushing -"Canyon Glow" (23)

BLACK AND WHITE "B" 1st Place - John DiGiacomo - Sweetbriar - "Early Winter on the Ausable" (25) 2nd Place - Jim Hughes -Wantagh - "Hawk in BW" (25)

3rd Place - Sharon Schwarz - IPG -"Days Gone By" (26) Sharon Schwarz won third place in the Black & White B Category of the 2008 Leonard Victor Awards with her photo “ Days Gone By“

BLACK AND WHITE "A" 1st Place - Marty SIlverstein -Syosset -"Dinner is Ready" (26) 2nd Place - Dick Hunt - Wantagh -"Magnolia Bud" (26) 3rd Place - Jan Altes - Great Neck - "Hooter" (24)

COLOR PRINTS "B" 1st Place - Mike DiRenzo - Huntington - "Harbor Light" (24) 2nd Place - George Favale - Huntington - "Remnant of an Ancient Sea" (25) 3rd Place - Jim Hughes - Wantagh - "Red Bellied" (24)

COLOR PRINTS "A" 1st Place - Robert Glick - Syosset - "Heeeeere's Johnny" (26) 2nd Place - Jan Altes - Great Neck - Life in the Pond" (24) 3rd Place - Steve Zimic - Nassau - "Stony Brook Stream" (24)

DIGITAL PROJECTION "B" 1st Place - Marvin Lieb - South Shore -"Suns #27 DEOD" (24) 2nd Place - Bob Schwartz - NYBZPS - "Great Blue Argument" (23) 3rd Place - Anastasia Thompkins - NYBZPS - "Cattle Egret" (22)

DIGITAL PROJECTION "A" 1st Place - Tom Pfeifer - NWPLI - "Winter Goldfinch" (25)

Joe Pellicone won Second Place in the Digital Category of the 2008 Leonard Victor Awards with his photo “Innocence”

2nd Place - Joseph Pellicone - IPG -"Innocence" (26) 3rd Place - Nelson Rodriguez - NYBZPS - "Food Fight" (25)

[4]

How IPG Members Stacked Up at PFLI’s Leonard Victor CLASS ʼBʼ to CLASS ʼAʼ COMPETITORS ********************************** Anne Denese - BWB 24 25 26 24 Anne Denese - CPB 26 24 24 24 26 24 Anne Denese - DPB 26 24 25 24 Sharon Schwarz - DPB 27 25 24 24 24

ALL STARS - COLOR PRINTS ʼBʼ **************************** 3 23.89 9 Anne Denese 5 23.80 5 Sharon Schwarz

MEDAL WINNERS - 27 POINTS ************************* Sharon Schwarz--ʼThe Vibrant Dahliaʼ-DPB

ALL STARS - COLOR SLIDES ʼAʼ *************************** 13 22.36 14 Pat Hutcherson

RUNNERS UP - 26 POINTS ********************** Charlie Bowman - Standing Guard - CPB Jeff Breiman - Sepia Beach Scene - BWB Anne Denese - Sushi Up High - BWB Anne Denese - My Nutty Friend - CPB Anne Denese - Two Point Landing - CPB Anne Denese - Arizona Valley - DPB Richard Fiedorowicz - Spymate - BWA Richard Fiedorowicz - Orangutan - DPA Joe Pellicone - Innocence - DPA Sharon Schwarz - Days Gone By - BWB Sharon Schwarz - Downy - CPB

ALL STARS - BLACK AND WHITE ʼAʼ ******************************* 12 23.00 5 Richard Fiedorowicz 16 22.71 7 Art Inselsberger 19 22.50 8 Sherman Paur

ALL STARS - DIGITAL ʼAʼ ***************************** 18 22.86 7 Robert Makley 20 22.75 8 Richard Fiedorowicz 28 22.00 5 Joe Pellicone

ALL STARS - COLOR PRINTS ʼAʼ **************************** 17 23.13 8 Jo Edmundson 18 23.00 5 Richard Fiedorowicz 22 22.88 8 Glenn De Bona 22 22.88 8 Sherman Paur 28 22.60 5 Jeffery Blye 34 22.20 5 Lou Cohen 35 22.14 7 Bob Olkowski

ALL STARS - DIGITAL ʼBʼ ***************************** 1 24.17 6 Anne Denese 2 24.14 7 Sharon Schwarz 12 22.57 7 Joseph Prantil 14 22.29 7 Jeff Breiman

See All The Results at http://pflionline.com/

[5]

“BUILDING IMAGE IMPACT; SIX BASIC CONTROLS This article is from Jonathan Penny’s Blog

Next, I wanted to focus attention on the

antique glass plate negatives, and combining it

site and reprinted with his permission. To see

subject, so I selectively blurred the background

with the original image. (I also use scans from

more articles from Jonathan go to: http://

to simulate shallow depth of field/wide open

tintypes, daguerreotypes, aged papers and

jonathanpenney.blogspot.com/

camera aperture.

more)

As we have discussed in previous posts, our goal in printmaking is to tell the photographic story through compelling images.

Building visual impact is essential to grabbing and holding the viewer's attention.

We use six basic elements that, when properly adjusted or enhanced, can transform your images dramatically. They are: •composition/cropping •focus/sharpness; contrast/density •burning/dodging To overcome the flat lighting, I used curves

•texture/border treatment •color balance

Lastly, I wanted to "flavor" the image with a

to increase contrast, while darkening the entire

more interesting color balance; I used the red

image:

and blue curves to provide a subtle sepia/split

There are, of course, other choices to be

tone.

made in the display/presentation of the final printed image, such as paper choice and finish, print size, framing/matting, etc.

Here is the original image by Zeb Starnes, taken in flat, overhead lighting: The heavy corner burn directs the eye to I felt the

the subject by playing down the busy

subject/

background elements. The burn comes from a

story was

separate curves layer set very dark, then

better suited

selectively painted in just where I wanted it; this

with a

method gives tremendous control and avoids

tighter crop

the "tunnel" effect that presets or actions

to eliminate some unnecesary background

Read part TWO of Jonathan Penney’s article on his blog at: http://jonathanpenney.blogspot.com/ 2008/06/building-image-impact-part-2.html

sometimes produce.

elements. I cropped at an angle to give an

ALSO CHECK OUT:

added sense of motion.

http://www.critique-this.com/

JONATHAN PENNEY CENTER MORICHES, NY, UNITED STATES

For added visual interest, I added my "glass plate" border, which gives a nice aged, distressed edge, along with some grain texture.

As with many of our texture/border treatments, I produced this myself by scanning one of my

[6]

Master Printmaker, specializing in digital imaging services to the professional photographer.

THE NEXT “THEME” PRESENTATION” Our next ‘Themed Photoshoot’ is scheduled for Monday, September 8, 2008.

This month the assignment will be slightly different than what we’ve done before. Instead of having one “theme” for everyone to shoot, we want you to show images of “What You Did This Summer”.

We want each person to pick their own “project”, and try to improve some aspect of your photography by doing so. Below are some suggestions, but feel free to do something that is not on this list.

• • • •

•

Improve your ‘photographic composition’ (leading lines, subject placement, etc) Change your camera angle; shoot from a lower or higher position Try Macro, Landscape, Sports or Floral photography if you rarely do it Shoot only during early morning or twilight to see if you can capture that “special glow” of magical light Try improving your Photoshop techniques (using layers, filters or masks)

•

• •

Shoot images of ‘textures’ (feathers, wood, lace, rust, liquids, glass) and see what designs these textures and images can make Try Photojournalism or Portraits Try ‘panning’: using a slow shutter speed as you follow a moving subject (the subject should be in focus, while the background will be blurred)

MINI GALLERY

The idea is to try something YOU want to improve on, or do something that you’ve never tried before.

Consider going to the library or book store and getting a book on photography. Find a chapter on something that you’ve always wanted to try, and then do just that. Try! As Rich always says “Practice Makes Progress”!

You can submit up to 25 images and be prepared to BRIEFLY discuss what you tried to do and what you learned.

Feel free to email me if you have any questions: Sharon catbird2@optonline.net

Congratulations!

The following IPG members have been upgraded to the “A” Category for the purposes of Critique Night and PFLI Submissions.

Charlie Bowman, Jeff Breiman, Anne Denese, Frank DiVittorio, Joe Prantil and Sharon Schwarz

SUNIL CHHATPAR

Joe Pellicone [7]

MINI GALLERY

ORCHID WORKSHOP If you attended the Orchid Presentation and Workshop by Bill Overton on June 9th, you were one of the fortunate members that got to participate in yet another unique IPG event. The presentation was extremely informative .

Bill shared his experience in photographing Orchids and also gave us some history, and statistics about the many different kinds of in existence. He shared some growing tips too!

THANKS BILL!

ERIKA MONTAPERTO

Bill Overton Presents His Orchid Workshop Joe Pellicone [8]

A Resolution Primer © 2008, John Woram

WWW.IDIGITALPHOTO.COM

What's the resolution of your digital camera? The spec sheet probably lists something in the 6 to 12 megapixel range if it's reasonably new. What about your computer monitor? Whatever it is, you'll have to figure it out yourself because spec sheets are fond of quoting—mis-quoting actually—monitor resolution as “x × y” where two pixel values are given; one for screen width and the other for height. But as any survivor of high-school geometry knows, width and height are dimensions, not resolution. Yes, you can multiply them to find resolution, but nobody ever does that. So it's no wonder that digital newcomers get confused to find “resolution” expressed in one format for a camera, and in another for a monitor.

As for the monitor, the confusion continues. Even those who should know better often open a file in Photoshop, then speak of its “image resolution” as if it were an actual property that needed to be watched carefully to make sure it doesn't misbehave. To help lessen a bit of confusion, this feature takes a close look at resolution to find out what it is, and what it isn't.

Screen Resolution One of the enduring—if not, endearing—legends of computer folklore pertains to “screen resolution.” The fable has it that PC screen resolution is 96 pixels per inch, while on a Mac it's 72 pixels per inch. But the myth is easy enough to demolish; all you need do is look at your own monitor. Let's say its screen width is 16 inches. If the screen dimensions are set at 1600 × 1200 pixels, that means the screen resolution is 100 pixels per inch. Reset it to 800 × 600 pixels, and it's now 50 pixels per inch.

Outstanding Website just packed with photo info and short tutorials. It even has a photography dictionary! Make sure you check out this site

JONATHANPENNEY.BLOGSPOT.COM

If you like high contrast and dramatic effects, Check out Jonathan Penney’s blog and website. It’s amazing what he can do with a photograph

www.islandphotogroup.org

To go one step further, plug in a projector, set it to throw an 80-inch image on the screen, and you're now looking at a screen resolution of 10 pixels per inch, or 20 pixels per inch if you reset the display to 1600 × 1200 pixels.

In fact, about the only way to have a 96 pixels-per-inch screen resolution is to dig up an old computer monitor with a screen width of 10.667 inches, and set it to 1024 × 768 pixels. Voila! 1024 pixels spread across 10.667 inches of screen width = 96 pixels per inch. You're probably the only kid on the block whose PC actually agrees with the legend.

Remember to check the IPG Website Calendar for Upcoming Events

Image vs. Print Resolution Now create an image 800 pixels wide and view it under various conditions such as those just described. There's a simple answer to the question, “What is the image's resolution?” and that is, “There isn't any.” For an onscreen image, resolution is no different than velocity, altitude, weight and so on: each term is a non-existent—and therefore meaningless—property. In short, resolution pertains to a monitor screen, not to an image seen on that screen. Change the monitor, change screen configuration, change both; then re-save the image. The next effect is zero—it's still an 800 pixel image; it still doesn't have a screen resolution to call its own. Of course its on-screen dimensions will vary, but that's a function of the display system, not of the image itself.

So, what is that 96 (or, 72) ppi “screen resolution” fable really supposed to mean?

In either case, the number is a Windows or Mac default instruction to a printer, telling it how to print an image that does not contain print instructions in its own file header.

To get a better idea of the relationship between a monitor and the image displayed on it, create a simple bitmap image in the Windows MS Paint applet and save it to the desktop. Right-click the image icon, select the Properties option and then the Summary tab. The horizontal and vertical resolution values both display 96 dpi (which should be ppi, but let's ignore sloppy nomenclature for the moment). If possible, view the same image via the Mac's Preview applet. The “Get Info” option will report that the resolution is 72 dpi.

[9]

OUR WEBSITE

THE IPG WEBSITE & EMAIL SYSTEM is your best way to keep track of what happening with our group.

READ AND ANSWER YOUR EMAIL!

within most modern monitors. Based on these values, it computes the number of dots (uh, pixels) per screen inch and displays that value on the Resolution line. Thus, a 16-inch screen configured to 1360 × 1024 pixels has a screen resolution of 85 dpi, and this is what MS Paint reports. Reconfigure the same monitor to 1600 × 1200 pixels and the Resolution becomes 100 × 100 dpi. Look at the image on another Windows system and you'll probably see other resolution values, based on that system's screen parameters.

Left: The Properties Summary tab for an image created and saved in the MS Paint applet reports that the Horizontal and Vertical Resolution are both 96 dpi. Right: If the same image is viewed in the Mac's Preview applet, the Tools/Get Info option reports an Image DPI of 72.

Contradictory information? Actually, no: it's just that the MS Paint applet writes no resolution data in a bitmap file header, so the operating system itself assigns its own default—96 dpi for Windows, 72 dpi for the Mac. Both of course should be ppi. Also, the Mac's “Image DPI” terminology is mis-leading, as it implies image resolution; as already noted, there's no such thing. The value is simply the Preview applet's way of telling the printer what to do.

As for resolution data seen within other graphics applications, take another look at the same image file in MS Paint. Open the Image menu, select the Attributes option and note the Resolution line: It may show almost anything, typically from about 72 × 72 to 110 × 110 dots per inch. It's a read-only value which cannot be changed by the user.

Entech's PowerStrip utility reads a monitor's EDID and displays screen dimenions (red arrow) in millimeters and inches. Several configuration settings can be selected via the Options section.

Available at http://www.entechtaiwan.com/util/ps.shtm as shareware download.

To sum up, MS Paint's Resolution data indicates the current screen (not image) resolution in pixels per inch. If an image is sent to a printer from within the applet, it will be printed at this resolution. As a quick demo, change the Units from Pixels to Inches and enter a width of 4 and a height of 5 inches. Now change back to pixels: the values will be the product of the Resolution shown in dots per inch and the number of inches that you entered. Measure the image area on screen and then print it.

Both the onscreen and the printed image will be the same size— in this case, 4 × 5 inches.

But keep in mind that none of the above data is part of the image itself. The image has a width and a height, in pixels, and that's all.

This MS Paint image was created on a PC whose screen dimensions were set at 1360 × 1024 pixels on a 16-inch wide screen. With 1360 pixels across a 16inch screen, the screen resolution is 1360/16 = 85 pixels per inch, as indicated by the Attributes' “Resolution” line.

going on here? It turns out that MS Paint reads the screen's pixel dimensions and the physical width of the viewing area.—the latter info is in the EDID (Extended Display Identification Data) burned into an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory) module found

[10]

Now open the same image in Adobe Photoshop in either operating system and select the Image menu's Image Size option.

The Document Size section states the resolution is 72 pixels-perinch. Remember that the header of a bitmap image created in MS Paint lacks print resolution data. In the absence of this information, Photoshop displays its own internal default configuration, which is to print 72 onscreen pixels to the printed inch.

But now, change that resolution to say, 300 pixels-perinch and resave the file (Give it a different name so as not to lose the original file). Close and re-open the file and you'll see that the

Image Size option still displays 300 pixels-per-inch. Unlike MS Paint, Photoshop embeds the print resolution into the file so that your setttings will be preserved if the file is sent elsewhere for printing.

But note that the onscreen effect on the image is zero, and that's for a very good reason: Photoshop has done nothing to the image, other than insert a print-resolution instruction to the printer in the file header, telling the printer what to do. By the way, if you subsequently view this image in either MS Paint or Preview, both applets will now find the resolution data written into the header and display it instead of their default values.

Save for the Web If an image is saved via Photoshop's “Save for web” option, print resolution is of course meaningless, and therefore to reduce file size, this information—along with other data not needed for the web—is stripped from the file header. To prove it, make sure the print resolution is still displayed as 300 ppi, then use the “Save for web” option, again giving the file a different name to preserve the previous version. After saving it, open the file and note the displayed print resolution, which is once again 72 pixels-per-inch. Why? Because Photoshop tossed out the original 300 ppi as part of its “Save for web” operation. With this information once again among the missing, Photoshop reverts to its default 72 ppi, as does the Mac's Preview applet. And in Windows, you'll find 96 dpi is back again, if you right-click the image icon and view the Properties option's Summary tab.

Left: The “Save for Web” option's Optimize Menu button opens a pop-up menu. Check “Include XMP” to write data that would otherwise be discarded when an image file is saved for the web. As a test, Document Size/Resolution was set to a distinctive value of 319 pixels-per-inch. Although the value was indeed saved in the header, neither Photoshop nor Bridge could find it later on—both reported 72 ppi.

Right: The data excerpt shown here is from Phil Harvey's EXIFTool utility, which shows (red arrow) the saved 319 pixels-per-inch resolution. The freeware tool is at http://www.sno.phy.queensu.ca/ ~phil/exiftool/

The Windows DPI Setting To help spread the confusion, Microsoft Windows offers some display-adjustment options that defy common sense. On the Display Properties' “Settings” tab, the “Advanced” button leads to more tabs, and the “General” tab's “Display” section contains the following bit of nonsense: “If your screen resolution makes screen items too small to view comfortably, you can increase the DPI to compensate.”

Photoshop's “Include XMP” Option An interesting variation of this procedure is Photoshop's “Include XMP” feature, with an improved version found in the “Save for Web” option in Photoshop CS3, version 10.0.1 for the PC. The XMP (“Extensible Metadata Platform”) option writes EXIF camera data, GPS data (if present) and document resolution when a file is saved for the web. Adobe Bridge displays the EXIF and GPS data, but not the document resolution. Instead, the File Properties tab displays the default resolution of 72 ppi. It takes a third-party utility such as ExifTool to show the saved document resolution data in the file header. Why does Photoshop go to the trouble of writing data that it can't read later on? So far, Adobe has declined comment.

The Display Properties' “General” tab provides a drop-down menu with a choice of three unintuitive DPI settings.

The “?” button at the top offers the following unhelpful help: “Increasing the DPI increases the size of everything on your screen” (it doesn't) and, for the sake of redundancy, “Decreasing the DPI decreases the size of everything on your screen” (ditto).

Indeed, a little common sense shows that something is wrong here. Consider an area that contains 96 “Normal size” pixels per inch. Now squeeze 120 “Large size” pixels per inch into the same area. Unless you've found some loophole in the

[11]

Photos by Mike Randazzo

IPG 2007-2008 END OF YEAR PARTY!

[12]

laws of physics, this can't be done. So that brings up the question, what do these settings really mean?

To get at the answer, the first bit of nonsense to toss out is that this adjustment does something to change your screen DPI (which again means PPI). Whatever your current screen configuation is, your screen displays a certain number of pixels per inch and this value is unchangeable—unless you re-configure of course, but this is something completely beyond the control of the above settings. To keep the math simple, consider that screen width of 16 inches, set to 1600 × 1200 pixels. As mentioned above, your screen displays 100 pixels per inch, period. You can change the DPI setting to anything you like, and each inch of screen space will still display 100 pixels to the inch.

So, what does this 96/120 DPI adjustment actually do? To root out the answer, think back to that older monitor with a screen width of about 10.67 inches, set at 1024 × 768 pixels; that is, 96 pixels per inch. But with improvements in video systems, a new monitor of the same size might be set at, say, 1280 × 960 pixels, and that works out to 120 pixels per inch.

The result; an image 512 pixels wide that occupied 50% of the old screen width now occupies only 40% on a new monitor of the same width. The image is smaller, and so are all the desktop icons and the text beneath them. What can you do about it? In the case of the image, nothing—it's still 512 pixels wide and you are now looking at it on a 1280 × 960 pixel screen. But if desktop icons and icon text are too small, keep in mind that “Large size (120 DPI)” really means just the reverse of what it seems to mean: that is, since your screen resolution is now about 120 ppi, you might be more comfortable with larger icons and larger fonts.

Bottom line: “Large Size” does not increase PPI; it increases icon and font size because some other factor (a higher-resolution video system) increased PPI. As noted, the numbers above were chosen to keep the math under control, and your mileage may vary, depending on monitor size and pixel dimensions. As another variation, some physical length values are stored in metric format, so there's apt to be some rounding error noted when changing values displayed in inches.

Folklore To wrap it up, here's a pair of observations typical of those often seen in various “How To” articles.

Myth 1: “Keep in mind that most web images are only 72 dpi and will yield very poor results when printed.”

Well, yes and no—or rather, no and yes: web images are not 72 dpi. As already noted, the Save for Web option strips the image file of dpi (actually, ppi) data. That's the point of Save for Web—strip irrelevant data to make an image file size as small as possible. The real reason the image print quality is poor is because the image dimensions are small. Perhaps the web image is only 720 pixels wide. If you simply print it, Photoshop finds no print instructions and therefore prints at its default of 72 ppi. The result? With only 72 pixels to the printed inch, you get a poorquality 10-inch wide print. Tell Photoshop to do the job at 300 ppi, and you'll get your high-quality print. But it will be a bit under 2½ inches wide. The lesson is clear: save two versions of an image file; one for the printer, the other for the web.

And remember, the critical difference between these images is not due to some instruction to a printer; it's the actual dimensions, in pixels, that makes the difference. A 3,000 × 2,000 pixel image is just right for the printer, and completely wrong for the web.

Reduce the dimensions to 750 × 500 pixels for a good web image, and a bad print. As for the magic configuration that produces an image optimized for print and web? Don't even think about it.

Myth 2: “Create a new blank document and set the Resolution to 72 ppi (our image is for the Web—for print images you'll want to go with something higher).”

Set the resolution to anything at all, for it has absolutely no effect on the web image. The reason? If you've been following along, you already know the answer.

THE BLUE ANGELS PHOTOGRAPHED AND PHOTOSHOPPED BY CHARLIE BOWMAN [13]

John Woram

MINI GALLERY Here’s a nice shot from Joe Prantil, Im guessing it’s his Grand Daughter, and Just In Case You Have Not Had Your Fill of Lighthouses, he sent us some more!

Sharon Schwarz

Joe Prantil

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MINI GALLERY 2008 - 2009

EW REN R YOU SHIP ER MB E M AY! TOD

www.IslandPhotoGroup.org http://www.islandphotogroup.com/PDF/IPG%20Membership%20Application.pdf

TOM CROSLEY

Joe Prantil [15]

ISLAND PHOTO GROUP FIELD TRIPS PHOTO SHOOTS WORKSHOPS PROGRAMS CRITIQUE NIGHTS FRIENDSHIP & FUN

Rich Fiedorowicz

classified ads GROUP T- SHIRTS! Available in Large, XL and 2XL. Only $15 each! Purchase from IPG contact: Glen Debona ggdb@optonline.net

HYDROSORBENT DEHUMIDIFIERS Protect your Camera Gear from Mold and Mildew with a REUSABLE Silica Gel Dehumidifier pack. Only $6.00 Glen Debona ggdb@optonline.net

16 x 20 Professional Mat Board Black on one side and White on the other. Only $1.50 ea.

GlenDebona ggdb@optonline.net

BUY & SELL YOUR PHOTO GEAR AT L.I. Photo Exchange http://groups.google.com/group/LIPhotoExchange HOT..HOT .. Seal Hot Press Model 240m. ex cond w/extras. For those who want to have their photographs mounted properly & permanently A Hot Press is the answer.

Serious callers only. Glenn 516-249-3513

EPSON 1270 Color Printer, Prints up to 13x19 Excellent Condition, NEW Black & Color Ribbons!

Call Sherman (516) 333-7623

Nikon D200 Body Only, Excellent Condition Asking $850 Call Joe

(516) 250-6041

ISLAND PHOTO GROUP Meetings the first 3 Mondays of the month at: Ellsworth Allen Park Motor Avenue Farmingdale, NY www.IslandPhotoGroup.org [16]