Digital Asset Management for Photographers

Lately I have been working on digital asset management. I have been reorganizing my files, adding IPTC data, and generally learning how to make sure I can find all my art files as they are now.
It's a big task even though I don't have that many images, maybe a few hundred. I ordered a very recommended book to help me get a better grasp of organizing all my image files, backing them up, and the documentation that goes along with them, the book is The DAM Book: Digital Asset Management for Photographers
This is an incredible book! You might be surprised how much there is to learn about digital asset management. Who knew you could write a 400+ page book and learn that there was still more to learn about it. It was a surprise to me. There is even a web site that goes along with it and a form too at http://www.thedambook.com/

I am backing up all my work better after only a little while of reading the book. I am still learning and will continue enjoying reading this book. Very easy to read. Lots to learn. Great insights. For any person serious about their images who is finding a need to find better ways to manage their images. 5 star rating. Worth it.

XMP metadata of Description, IPTC and figuring out how much I can fill out the rest of the data in each image has been an important thing to figure out and work on over the past few weeks.

I've been re-doing the XMP Data and images from the top originals and putting them into file forms I can find easier. Trying to make sure everything is in order, is filled out correctly and completely and to not have to re-do.

One thing I have thought about Title, Description and Keywords or tags as I sometimes call them that would be good to do it to make it as maxed out as possible with relevant information . Not too much and not too little.

My general guidelines that will be adapted to who I am submitting art work to could be for Title, from at least 3 words up to about 15 words max; Description, minimum of 20 words up to about 90 words max; Keywords, minimum 20 up to about 50 key words.
I am working on keeping this more in mind as I re-do metadata of images and will try to max out the information I can provide about each image so who is meant to find it will.

LIGHT Graphene, light emitting electrochemical cell, LEC, LED, Parabolic

Something I've come across in my search for great lighting for photography is something called LEC, short for light emitting electrochemical cell, made mostly from the material graphene. This is one I consider one to watch, so I signed up for news for this light source and its developments as well as LED's, and parabolic.

One sight in my alerts was where they talked about glowing walls made from this material light source.

I think this light source could have wide spread applications, possibly creating so many surfaces with
various light tones adding a pleasing glow to the world.
I am now getting regular news on graphene, light emitting electrochemical cell, LEC, also LED related topics related to photography. Hopefully they are low cost enough and work well. I'm interested in it especially for its photography applications, as well as home use.

I would love to see more pictures of LEC's in use and places to buy them soon.
I'm wondering if LEC's can get as bright as LED's and have daylight balanced color temperature of light screens around 5600K? Preferably adjustable in brightness and possibly with color changing gels or electronics of some sort?

Hopefully they are low cost enough and work well. I'm interested in it especially for its photography
applications, as well as home use.

As for LED's, they seem very pricey. A one foot square panel, the kind used to shoot some movies and TV shows like the Desperate Housewives and Three and a Half Men, cost about $2,500. The bicolor, adjustable ones cost more.
I have been looking around online and other searching for adjustable daylight balanced LEDs at a lower than cost than $2,500 for a square foot, but comparable in features.

One other source of direct focused soft light is Parabolic, the ones from alienbees I found really impressive for the quality and price. The one that won the 2010 Professional Photographer Hot One Awards. The PLM - Parabolic Light Modification System won for the "Light Modifier" category. They are less expensive than others mentioned. Actually pretty reasonable.

Recent Developments in my Art

Well, it's been a month since I updated this blog. What have I been up to lately?
This past month I've been getting into my art work even more. These past few months I've really gained a reawakening of my creative pursuits after just very sporadically over the last few years.


It's been fun working on stock images. Learning how to do it all, perfecting my images to be good enough.
I have been learning Adobe Photoshop Elements 8. Working with it exclusively for the past month or so. I really like the variety of things it can do. And since I am working on images one at a time right now, I find it sufficient for now. When the come out with the new Adobe Photoshop I may upgrade then.
Some of the things I like about Photoshop Elements 8 are the high quality file saves in 12 bit. The large variety of ways there are to edit images. The before and after previews. And more.
I have also been perfecting my main Zazzle site and one Zazzle site I am doing of a friends photographs mostly taken in Hawaii.
He sent some images of Hanauma Bay in Oahu Hawaii recently that I posted to the MerryGazelle site.
I added a lot of color saturation to the photos so it is a bolder print on tshirts and other items. I like it. Makes it a bit different and painting like with strong rich colors.

Ordered a few items from my Zazzle sites for a friend and a couple of family members besides myself.