Rangefinder Magazine
November 2001/Features

The Joy of Digital by Rafael Beer
Should You or Shouldn’t You

A year ago I decided to take the bold step of completely abandoning film-based cameras and venture into digital. As a result, my client base grew, income shot up significantly, and I felt a sense of confidence and exhilaration I hadn’t experienced since I was a teenager and photography was just a hobby.

This photo cost thousands of dollars to produce, calling for a 60x60-foot black velvet background, 80 strobes firing in sequence, and a hand-made computer to sync all the fireworks.

One of the best examples I can give is my ability to replicate for each of my clients one of the official posters I produced for the 1984 Olympic Games. Back then, I spent four years inventing and patenting a new kind of motion camera system. A 4x5 camera mounted on an optical bench was aimed through two mirrors moved by two very touchy motors designed to move lasers. To create the image you see in the illustration on the opposite page,I traced its parabolic path on a digitizing pad, which transferred the shape to a hand-made computer. Then I placed an array of 80 strobes (that’s right, 80!) around the subject and backed all this with a black velvet curtain measuring 60x60 feet.

	This image was made in Photoshop in 15 min

The Olympian in the photo, Michelle Dussere, then got a running start into a round-off, back handspring, before punching off the ground and taking into the air in a graceful backward motion, legs perfectly straight, toes pointed. As soon as I saw the take-off, I hit a computer key, triggering a brief but spectacular display of fireworks. The shutter opened, strobes went off at a rate of 86 flashes per second, and the mirrors moved to push the sequence of images across the film plane before the shutter closed. It cost many thousands of dollars to produce this type of image—placing it out of the reach of the average customer.

But that was then. Now all I have to do is take a picture of a gymnast jumping straight up in the air, import it into Photoshop, cut it with my lasso tool, clone it 18 times, move it around and place it in a template, customize it with the child’s name and color it to match the garment—all of which takes about 15 minutes. The end result, as seen in the illustration, is now gracing the walls of scores of my customers who gladly paid $299 for a 20x30.

Even “ordinary” photos take on a new life with Photoshop. As the series of illustrations shown here demonstrate, I can take a photograph shot against a white background and, as my client is watching, rope it with a “lasso” tool, ask them what their two favorite colors are (to give them a sense of control and participation) and, using the gradient tool, instantly create a background they had a hand in designing. With a few added strokes I can add their name and drop it into a striking template that shows them what a large poster would look like.

If all the possibilities digital offers sound interesting and you want to a piece of the action you’ll need to learn some new computer skills and find a good dealer. Unlike a film-based camera, a digital camera is worthless without a computer, software, printer and someone who will show you how to use the system and service it. Where can you find a reputable and knowledgeable dealer who can help you with this?

WHERE TO BUY DIGITAL
Buying professional digital photo equipment from a camera store or, worse, an out of state mail-order house, is a recipe for failure. You need not only someone who knows how to bundle all the pieces together into a coherent, smooth-working system, you need someone who will show you how to use it, walk you through unexpected computer hiccups, help you upgrade and expand, and know how to service your camera, perhaps even offering you a loaner or rental when your camera needs service or repair.

If I had known what you just learned when I first bought my camera it would have saved me lots of money and aggravation. In a lapse of judgment, I caved into the pressure by my camera store salesman and purchased a digital camera at a discount. When I discovered the camera produced unacceptable images and took it back the next day to trade it for another model, he balked. It turns out he bought the camera from another “reputable” dealer, and that dealer wouldn’t take it back without charging a restocking fee of $1800. When I called this “reputable” dealer to negotiate a compromise, all I got was the ignorant double-talk and rude treatment I hope none of you is ever subjected to.

Compare this experience with the service I recently received from Tri-Prism, the San Diego-based company where I purchased my computer, software and printer. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve had to call them for help, and they always bail me out, promptly and courteously. Recently I had to expand my hard drive capacity so I took my computer to a local dealer in order to purchase and install a larger hard drive (another mistake!). The dealer assured me that he could transfer all my data from the old hard drive to the new one “perfectly.” Yet—and here I made another, near fatal error—when I took the computer to my location without checking it out because I ran short on time, the software would not recognize my card reader. This, folks, was 60 minutes before my first client was scheduled to arrive. I took out my cell phone, called Tri-Prism, and without being put on hold or given a runaround, had one for their experts walk me through the original settings of my software, all of which had been altered during the “perfect” data transfer. Would you hazard a guess as to how long this took? If you said 60 minutes you’re right.

Another outfit that has provided me with outstanding service is Linear Systems of Ontario, California. Though I bought absolutely nothing from them, they invited me to bring in my camera and inspect it at no charge. They have a large inventory of high-end digital cameras and inspect each one before selling it. Chris Parsons, owner of Linear, says he rejects about 10% of the digital cameras because their CCDs are flawed and don’t meet his standards. Do you think the “expert” dealer who sold me my original digital camera does all these things before selling cameras? I don’t think so.

Do yourself a big favor, learn from my experience, and buy from someone who can package the entire digital system together for you and hold your hand while you’re learning to use it. But before you make that call there are several questions you need to answer before your dealer can recommend the system that’s right for you:

Image size and quality. What percentage of your business comes from close-ups, full figures and groups, and what is the biggest enlargement you routinely make? This will determine the camera’s resolution in megapixels, and its cost.

Production volume and speed. How many prints per day do you want to produce with your own digital printer? How many prints per hour? How much are you willing to pay per print? This will determine what kind of packaging software you will need, and whether you should invest in one of the many digital printers that are now available.

Location. Will you be shooting mostly on location or in your studio? This will influence your choice of computer (laptop or tower), how to transfer digital images to it (card reader or Firewire), and type of digital printer you’ll need (assuming you want to print on location).

Sales Method. How do you intend to sell photos: before (pre-paid), during or after the pictures are taken? This will determine whether you’ll want to sell images directly off your computer screen or print proofs, as well as many other factors we don’t have the time or space to discuss here.

Post-production. Will you retouch or manipulate prints in Photoshop, or will you print them just as they are recorded in your camera? This decision will influence the type of computer you’ll need (Photoshop requires lots of RAM and a fast processor, as well as vast hard drive capacity).

Photographers who invest in digital without asking themselves these questions are asking for problems. Chris Parsons says he’s run across several photographers who lost business and credibility when they promised 200 prints by the end of an event, and delivered only 20. This would have never happened if they had analyzed their work-flow and bought a system that could handle it.

To design a digital system that will meet your needs you need to understand your business, set clear goals and do some careful planning. If you take the time to do this you’ll save yourself many thousands of dollars, avoid much aggravation and produce better work. In future articles I will deal with each of the components of a digital system—camera, software, computer, printers and peripherals—and give you practical, field-tested advice that will help you increase your income while advancing your reputation as a true professional, a leader in the digital field.
The following photographers were generous in sharing their time and experience as I learned the digital ropes: Neil Rickman, Photo Art by Neil Rickman (909)627-6558; Daniel Tom, D. Tom Photographic (760)344-8431; and Daniel Taylor, (909)626-1176. Also, the following companies provided invaluable technical assistance: Tri-Prism, Tim Justice, (858)675-7552; and Linear Systems, Chris Parsons, (909) 899-4345.

Rafael Beer is a Los Angeles based professional photographer with over 35 years of experience. Besides photography he is very interested in helping improve our schools. Recently he finished a book on character building and goal-setting for children, entitled: Jump Start: How to Succeed in School and in Life, which is now being used by public and private schools as part of their Life-skills and character curriculum. The book is available on Amazon, where it received a five-star rating. Rafael can be reached at rafbeer@aol.com.