Screen Callibration - Ouch

Screen Callibration - Ouch, a photo by Mervin Chiang on Flickr.

Wow! I'm starting to do prints seriously and I'm thinking that my eyes are playing tricks on me. To be honest, up until now, I haven't really cared much about calibrating my screen for print as I've always thought that there wouldn't be much difference from screen to print and the difference would be minor.

However, now that I am doing serious printing, there's a need to calibrate it properly especially when I sent 2 photo books to print and they both came back too saturated. I did a simple "eye ball" calibration. That is:
1. Printed a high quality natural light with proper skin tones photo on high quality paper.
2. Put that next to my screen and used a special program to view the photo
3. adjusted colors, color temperatures and gamma on the screen.

The next step is to get a Spyder or something, but just by doing this simple visual thing, I get such a radical difference!

Poll question: which is better? The top one or the bottom one on your screen?

Brokenvase Photos' Got a Print Pricelist!

5 Friends and a Toddler, a photo by Mervin Chiang on Flickr.

I've finally got around to completing my chosen list of printers for various products. From normal photo prints and enlargements to Canvases and photo books.

What you'll realise though is that I will never be able to compete in price with your "mass printers" like Big W or Harvey Norman. You will however, get a more controlled quality print instead. I can't control what printers customers use once they get the digital negatives from me. Their printers may have off colors or copped the image unprofessionally.

What I'll do before printing is to treat or re-treat the images if required before sending them to the printers and ensure optimal final quality before delivery.

Prices if interest here: http://tinyurl.com/bvpricelist

Retouching Birth Marks

Retouching Birth Marks, originally uploaded by Mervin Chiang.

Retouching is sometimes viewed as an art form or a skill once highly revered during film days. Now with modern technology it is relatively easy. Spots are easily removed. Double chins and eye bags are "photoshopped" out.

The question is, do we want to? Many people might jokingly ask for it. But do you really want a "porcelain" looking family portrait? Sure if it were a fashion magazine shoot, but for family and children, don't you want to retain some "realness" in the photos?

This photo is an example of that. I did 2 versions for the parents to decide which they want. The "could have been" shot versus the reality shot. They chose to keep the reality! They felt that it is what made her a unique individual. In fact she is proud of this birth mark she has! I was told that she'll be upset if I took it out.

I have known Isabel since she was young and I can tell that this mark of hers is slowly fading. Who knows? When she is older, it'll be completely gone and photos are her only way to remember she had them.

Interesting learning!

Shanghai, China - How Many Celebrate Easter?

Shanghai, originally uploaded by Mervin Chiang.

It's Easter and instead of chasing rabbits and chocolate eggs, we always get reminded of God's love and what He did for us on the Cross at our family. As a Chinese and a Christian, listening to my pastor's message on the ABC radio today brought me back some memories of when I did my photography walk in Shanghai China 6 months back. "How many here know God?" I wondered...

Look at the photo! I nearly forgotten I took it. They are buried amongst the thousands of unprocessed personal photos I've yet to go through. This was taken on a Tuesday afternoon. I was overwhelmed by just the sheer number of people on the plaza! This is non-stop for the whole day...

Have a listen to the radio interview of Pastor Ben. A Chinese pastor of the English speaking congregation of the Chinese church I go to on Sundays. Have a listen to the raw, true and real meaning of what Easter is! http://blogs.abc.net.au/queensland/2011/04/up-close-with-ben-ho.html?site=brisbane&program=612_evenings

My Philosophy on Marriage Series #3 of 5

The commitment of matrimony, originally uploaded by Mervin Chiang.

It's been a while since I had time to write the continuation of this series. This blog is about "Commitment" to continue the series I started in February. Full ongoing series here.
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After the first two of the five foundations comes Commitment. “Till death do us part” is a common vow we recite during our wedding. Have you actually stopped to really consider what exactly are you committing to? “Committing to loving each other to the end, of course!” you might say. Well as usual, this is often easier to say than it is to actually do it in practice.

In fact, I’d say that you should place all your efforts to committing to achieve the first two foundations in the series! That is to practice Unconditional Love and Extreme Honesty. You will slowly find that these next three foundations in the series are relatively shorter to explain than the first two because they are quite self explanatory and builds on the important first two.

I mentioned that to continue in love within a marriage is hard work and if you try to change yourself to always practice Unconditional Love is even harder work! Also to constantly strive for zero politics by constantly mining for conflict in extreme honesty to each other so as to achieve emotional and spiritual true intimacy is also very strenuous work! That is why in short, this third foundation is a commitment amongst yourselves work together on the first two foundations... “Till death do us part!”

Life is full of seasons and is like a sine curve. There are ups and there are downs. There will be times when love is challenged and honesty tested and stretches your patience. There will also be times where due to this labour towards love, you have pure joy with each other. Enjoying the fruits of your labour in love! Always remember that continuously working at it, talking about it, living it, brings not only physical but emotional and spiritual intimacy with each other. Statistically, couples who actively do this are less likely to fall apart than those who don’t. This is what it means to have commitment!

Again, referenced permanent link here: http://www.brokenvasephotos.com.au/Marriage/Philosophy-on-Marriage

Vintage Camera Gifts

Vintage Cameras, originally uploaded by Mervin Chiang.

My parents came back today from their trip back to Singapore and brought gifts!

On the left is an ultra vintage Shanghai 203! Thank you uncle Peter!! Bit of history... Prior to 1964 they called it Shanghai 203 after that they renamed it to Seagull 203. They are essentially the same camera. A medium format rangefinder. It's lucky that I got some training in the Holgas to handle these fiddly films again :D I'm so excited!!

On the right is a modern replica German camera Minox DCC 5.1. Honestly its not so good as a camera but it does play on my "collector's syndrome". They sell cute miniature attachments and replica mounted flash etc... Thank you dad! I can see more money there spent! :P

Redback - I wished I had a Macro Lens

Redback - I wished I had a Macro Lens, originally uploaded by Mervin Chiang.

Yeah. 'Nuff said with the title. A Canon EF 100mm f2.8L Macro IS USM would be a nice option!

Sorry just one of my random rantings while going through some of the backlog of personal photos I have yet to process...