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Editorial - December 2013-January 2014 - part 1 of 1

by Mike McNamee Published 01/10/2013

The last time I looked out of the window it was summer and here we are at Convention time! Welcome to the landmark 70th issue of Professional Imagemaker, once again packed with pictures from our abundantly talented membership. It always amazes me the different styles that are available to showcase, ranging from the retro Hollywood of Louise Sumner and Damien Lovegrove, the classical approach of Dave Newman through the all-spice mixtures from Malta and finally the crazy world that Damian McGillicuddy inhabits. Long may it continue!

Talking of looking back it is some time since we looked at a new camera but the Nikon Df caught our eye with its stylish retro design. It takes us back to the Nikkormat days but without the sweet-sounding film advance.

I occasionally get my 1963(ish) model and crank the lever just for the pleasure ofhearing it again. It's a bit like smelling fixer after all these years - it brings back memories but you wouldn't want to get involved again!

Technology is a wonderful and ever-changing thing. The quad copters we featured some time ago are still plummeting in cost (member, Paul McMullin has bought one more on that at a later date). One even appeared on New Brighton prom as I walked the dog a couple of months back. Adobe have flown up in to the clouds and despite the howls of protest the share price continues to hold up. We have joined then in the sky thanks to their 'influencer' program, indeed some of this magazine has been assembled as part of our initial trials. Access to all the other Adobe software has allowed us to properly explore something that keeps cropping up in seminars and we can confirm (as they say on Strictly) that Photoshop, Lightroom, InDesign and Elements all print exactly the same when correctly set up. We have, however, discovered a couple of wrinkles and will probably give you the full SP in a later issue.

Printing in general continues to improve although 3-D printing and wall paper are grabbing the headlines. The latest version of i1 Profiler is now consistently producing validated contact proof accuracy from 3880, 4900 and 9900 Epson printers (and those are just the ones we have tested). We recently audited the new Epson 11,000 A3 scanner which produced spectacular data using the latest i1 module (the i1 Profiler did not do scanners previously). At the other end of the scale we hear of more and more film scanners being taken out of service as people upgrade to 64-bit systems (anybody remember SCSII!). Screens remain a thorn in the side; the number of people using iMac and Retina screens and being crestfallen when the print emerges is rising. Microsoft are not lagging on the screen front but who in their right (graphics) mind wants to drag their lunch all over their calibrated screen! Thus, the Windows 8 concept is fundamentally flawed for graphics use - sadly , as a user base, we photographers no longer count. Have you noticed how the relaxation of product placement law on TV has let to a rash of swishy iPods being clutched by presenters talking to camera - close your eyes and you can imagine the Australian, clip-board-wielding, gap-year student darting onto the set to thrust this week's tablet into the hands of Jake Humphrey (I bet John Humphrys hasn't got one, he looks more a Post-it man to me).

Finally many happy returns to our blogging dog - somehow we have got her to her first birthday and have all our fingers (and wallets) intact. Shoeleather wear has gone up four-fold but she still has too much energy even though she gets chucked in the Irish Sea most days! To date no sharp, front-on images have been obtained of her running at full speed!

See you in London!

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1st Published 01/10/2013
last update 09/12/2022 14:53:35

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