JPEGmini: Product That Puts Images on a "Diet"

See this site for info - the following is an extract from their FAQs page. There is more info located at:      http://www.jpegmini.com/main/faq

Why should I use JPEGmini?

With JPEGmini you can store more photos on your hard drive and online photo service accounts, attach more photos to your emails, and upload your photos faster to the web. If you have an image-intensive website, your pages will load faster, improving user experience, monetization and SEO, and you’ll also reduce your storage and bandwidth costs.

Is JPEGmini a new file format?

No. JPEGmini files are in standard JPEG format, which can be viewed and edited by any browser, photo software or consumer device.

How is JPEGmini different from JPEG?

JPEGmini files are optimized JPEG files, whose parameters have been tuned to significantly reduce the file size without affecting perceptual quality.

How do I make sure that the quality of my photos is not affected by JPEGmini?

JPEGmini technology has undergone extensive user testing according to the ITU BT.500 standard, which proved that average users could not distinguish between original photos and JPEGmini photos. You are welcome to test the quality on your own photos: After optimizing them with JPEGmini, compare them side by side at 100% zoom (“Actual Size”), where each pixel on the screen corresponds to a pixel in the photo.

Can I print my photos after JPEGmini optimization?

Absolutely. Since JPEGmini does not alter the perceptual quality of your photos, you can print them at the same size you would print your original photos, and the prints will look exactly the same. Watch JPEGmini Pro Being tested under the loupe https://youtu.be/xdndN5kobdg

Can I use JPEGmini after using other image editors or compression software?

Yes, JPEGmini accepts standard JPEG files as input, and outputs standard JPEG files as well. So any image editor, effects software, photo management software, etc. can be used before or after JPEGmini optimization. We recommend using JPEGmini as the last step in your photo processing flow, since any JPEG encoding (due to additional edits or processing) applied after JPEGmini optimization will eliminate the optimization benefits achieved by JPEGmini.

Does JPEGmini affect the metadata of my photos, such as the EXIF data?

All the EXIF metadata of the original photo is retained in the JPEGmini version. Users of the JPEGmini Server have an option to remove metadata if they want to further reduce the output file size.

What is the typical file size reduction I can expect from JPEGmini?

This depends on the resolution and quality of the original photo. For high-quality, full resolution photos produced by digital cameras, you can expect a reduction of 50%-80% in file size, while web images are typically reduced by 20-40%.

I tried JPEGmini and the file size reduction was very small. What happened?

JPEGmini achieves the highest file size reduction for first-generation photos created by digital cameras. Using photos that have been edited, re-sized or processed by photo editing software may cause lower reduction ratios.

What is the JPEGmini Web Service?

The JPEGmini Web Service is a free online service for optimizing your photos using JPEGmini technology. You upload your photos to our server, and then download the optimized JPEGmini photos back to your computer.

Do I need to register in order to use the service?

You can optimize single photos without registering to our service here. If you want to upload a collection of photos, you should register for the service here.

How much does it cost to use the JPEGmini Web Service?

Using the JPEGmini Web Service is free both for single photos and for unlimited album processing.

Is there a limit on the number of photos I can upload to the JPEGmini Web Service?

Each album that you upload can contain up to 1000 photos, and can be up to 200 MB in size. You can upload as many albums as you want.

The Art of Reading Pictures

A re-post, versus original article, on 'reading' versus just 'looking at' pictures...

http://erickimphotography.com/blog/2017/09/01/the-art-of-reading-pictures/

In the Nik of Time - Pt. I - Use Nik Software's Silver Efex Pro 2

See the attached 3 jpg's for a 3-page tutorial on Monochrome and how to use a specific software plug-in - Nik Silver Efex Pro 2 (used with Photoshop or Lightroom) - to convert your color photos to monochrome images for posting to the FFF Monochrome Gallery...

Have fun!

This is Not a Selfie! - SJ Museum of Art

Photographic Self-Portraits from the Audrey and Sydney Irmas Foundation
Now through January 14, 2018

Explore the fine art of photographic self-portraiture in the “age of the selfie” through 66 photographs from the 19^th-century to today. Drawn from the collection of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the exhibition includes works by Diane Arbus, Robert Mapplethorpe, Cindy Sherman, Alfred Stieglitz, Lorna Simpson, Andy Warhol, and others.

Solar Eclipse Essentials

In addition to tips from our own Mark Moore on Aug. 4 at the FFF Meeting, here is some info from B&H as an FYI:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/solar-observing/ci/33818/N/3583558376/sba?utm_medium=Email%201651054&utm_campaign=Promotion&utm_source=WeeklySpecials%20170802&utm_content=Retail&utm_term=top-banner

Making the Move to Mirrorless: What You Need to Know

Friday, August 4 from 1-2pm the FFF's guest keynote speaker at our meeting will be from San Jose Camera. Talking about Mirrorless options for photography (cameras & accessories), advantages/disadvantages vs DSLRs & bridge (non-interchangeable lens) cameras, shooting considerations and any other mirrorless-related topics members might like addressed.

The reps from SJ Camera plan to bring demo mirrorless gear with them for FFF members to get some hands-on with to see which models they prefer.

A number of FFF members have expressed interest in downsizing from large DSLRs. Mirrorless is a viable alternative that's typically lighter weight but robust in functionality.

The best part - SJ Camera will be having a SALE the day of the guest talk at the FFF meeting. And, reps from the various camera manufacturers will be at their store a few blocks from Campbell Library. Sometimes SJ Camera will even offer some trade-in on older cameras toward the purchase price of new gear. It's worth asking!

So if you're considering making the move to mirrorless (or treating a member of the family to some mirrorless gear as a gift this year) it could be a fortuitous time to come hear the talk then head on over to SJ Camera to get your next favorite 'toy'!

Looking forward to seeing you at the 1st meeting of the new FFF season....

Lightroom gradient filter new capability

here's a link to a nice new feature in the gradient filter:
http://flip.it/vyZz2j
Roy

Possible Photo Op - Event Photography @ Lotus Live

LOTUS LIVE

 

Earn a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS Title | Saturday, July 15
LOTUS LIVE is an effort to earn the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for the largest human flower. Part human be-in, part artwork, part celebration of our Flower Power exhibition and the 50th anniversary of San Francisco's Summer of Love and ALL FUN!

Be part of history and join us to form a beautiful lotus that can be seen from the sky. We need at least 3,000 community members who want to create something larger than themselves to break the record.

All participants will receive FREE admission to the museum’s Flower Power exhibition, a souvenir event poster, a chance to win raffle prizes, and more. 

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Not sure if drone photography would be allowed around this or not. If interested, check in advance...

Meetup: How to Improve Your Photography

June 6, 2017

https://www.meetup.com/101PhotoClub/events/239412529/?rv=md1&_af=event&_af_eid=239412529&https=on

Adjusting Color in Photographs - Vibrance & Saturation - And, a Light Hand

For several years there was a post-processing trend in photography in which virtually everyone was over-processing their images to produce "crunchy" (surreal) HDR looks. Thankfully that trend has passed... 

Unfortunately it has been replaced by a new, equally awful, trend - the over-saturation of images.

People pull sliders for Saturation (and, Vibrance - oh yes, Vibrance can be way overdone and distort colors too) too far to the right and completely distort the colors in their captured scenes. The result is that colors in photos with overly aggressive uses of Vibrance and/or Saturation sliders have zero resemblance to reality. That is unless the makers were imbibing some interesting 'enhancements' in order to see such a thing at the time of capture or processing... Just go to any arts & wine fest in the past or current year and you will see these abuses of color adjustments.

Experts in photo processing suggest adjusting color (using either vibrance or saturation or a combo of the sliders) to your 1st "hey, this is great" impression point - then sliding back down from that point by a significant amount to a 2nd, "okay, this is artistic, includes some subtlety of color tones and will be something others can relate to" point. That is, if the goal is to create an artful (as in classic painterly art, not 60's neon poster art - even Galen Rowell went over the top in his photographic images) final effect.

It's the same theory as not creating images that are too cluttered with objects.

Less is more.

Here's a tutorial on Vibrance & Saturation. It includes illustrations. Keep in mind that the settings numbers quoted as 'extreme' for the Vibrance slider (~75) in this article are way way too high for general use vs illustrating how Vibrance & Saturation sliders differ.

https://photographylife.com/saturation-or-vibrance/

Hands-on Flash Exposure Demo Program - FFF Meeting, June 2, 2017

After a lecture on how to set a camera and use modifiers that help separate subjects from their surroundings in different types of light, Jerry Ramie took FFF members outdoors to practice flash photography in the open shade at historic Ainsley House. The "models" and some chimping paparazzi at the event are pictured. Ironically, this photographer's captures were not made with a flash.

Cherry Orchard Tour - Photo Op?

June 3, 2017. 10:30-11:30a (one hour). Meet @ the Stand.

The last cherry orchard in Sunnyvale.

In the past they included a tasting of different cherry varietals (pit spitting allowed!).

CJ Olson Cherries
348 El Camino Real (corner of Mathilda)
Sunnyvale, CA 94087

408.736.3726

Rainiers & Bings are in... And they're willing to sell them to you (along with other fresh fruits, gifts, etc)

Larry Sultan Photo Exhibition - SFMoMA

https://www.sfmoma.org/exhibition/larry-sultan-here-and-home/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=mem-mix-may&utm_campaign=sfmoma-mix&utm_content=version_A

Exhibition

Larry Sultan

Here and Home

April 15–July 23, 2017

Floor 3

This major retrospective examines the work and career of Larry Sultan (American, 1946–2009), an internationally renowned photographer with deep ties to the Bay Area as both an artist and an educator. Sultan’s often intensely personal images — many drawn from his own family’s history — blend documentary and staged elements in their explorations of storytelling, family, and domesticity.
Larry Sultan: Here and Home explores the artist’s 35-year career through more than 200 photographs, a billboard created with conceptual artist and frequent collaborator Mike Mandel, a film, and Study Hall — a room offering a unique glimpse into Sultan’s exploratory process. Works on view include Sultan’s early collaborative projects of the 1970s, made with Mandel, as well as his later work including Pictures from Home (1983–92), The Valley (1997–2003), and Homeland (2006–09). (An exhibition of Mandel’s work, Mike Mandel: Good 70s, is on view on Floor 3, May 20–August 20, 2017.)

Mike Mandel Photo Exhibition - SFMoMA

https://www.sfmoma.org/exhibition/mike-mandel-good-70s/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=mem-mix-may&utm_campaign=sfmoma-mix&utm_content=version_A

Mike Mandel

Good 70s

May 20–August 20, 2017

Floor 3

Good 70s explores the tongue-in-cheek, socially conscious work of conceptual artist and photographer Mike Mandel (American, b. 1950), focusing on projects he made during what was, for him, an incredibly productive decade. This exhibition includes photographs, books, and a film, all made during the same period he was collaborating with his friend, the photographer Larry Sultan. (A retrospective of Sultan’s work, Larry Sultan: Here and Home, which also includes some of the artists' collaborative work, is on view on floor 3 from April 15 to July 23, 2017.)
Some of Mandel's diverse projects from the 1970s include Myself: Timed Exposures (1971), in which he inserts himself into funny and commonplace situations; Seven Never Before Published Portraits of Edward Weston (1974), which reproduces correspondence he initiated with men named Edward Weston; his Baseball-Photographer Trading Cards (1975), featuring subjects such as Ansel Adams and Imogen Cunningham; and his book SF Giants: An Oral History (1979).

Bald Eagle in Milpitas

China Foto Workshop - Oliver Klink

He's offering 4 takers a $600 discount...

http://www.incredibletravelphotos.com/2017-Workshops/2017-Travel-Workshops/07-13-2017-China-People/

San Jose Photoshop Users Group - Update

An update from the San Jose Photoshop Users Group.  Note their plans to live stream on Youtube starting with this Wednesday's meeting on "Ice and Aurora Magic" - of special interest for those who don't like fighting freeway traffic to get to their meetings.  You can sign up for updates on Meetup and/or Facebook - see below.  They also have a meeting on April 6 on "Photoshop CC - Advanced Tips and Techniques" (register on Meetup link below).

Hello Photoshopaholics,

Hope you are doing well. I wanted to share some updates about the group with you all.

We now have a Facebook page for the group!
https://www.facebook.com/sjpug 

Connect with us there by pressing the "Like" button and stay tuned for the latest in Photoshop and Lightroom, and for information on any upcoming events. To attend the events, you will still have to sign-up on meetup.com

We've been experimenting with live-streaming videos, and we have good news! Moving forward, we will try to live-stream all our talks on YouTube, if we have permission from the speaker. We will also live-stream the upcoming talk on photographing Ice and Auroras by Tony Prower. Stay tuned for more information.

Thanks again for being such an active group and for all the feedback which helps us improve.
Have recommendations/suggestions/feedback? Shoot me a message on meetup.com!

Best,
Pallav

iPhone Seminar in Lake Tahoe

Mary Ann Robertson

Dewitt Jones of Outdoor Photographer magazine is teaching an iPhone seminar September 8-10 at Lake Tahoe. Pass it on to the club members?
http://dewittjones.com/seminars.htm

	8:01 AM (7 hours ago)

A Photo Editor's Suggestions for Editing Your Own Photos

Steps he suggests photographers follow when editing the most successful images (selecting the most impactful images, not processing them...) from their pool of shots:

http://www.pdnonline.com/business-marketing/photo-grants-funding/veteran-photo-editor-mike-davis-editing-work/?utm_source=SilverpopMailing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=PDN%20Newswire%20Newsletter%20Template%2003222017%20(1)&utm_content=

Hidden Villa

Just scoped out a possible field trip location: Hidden Villa in Los Altos.

Worth going now as the creeks are flowing and the lambs just born. Maybe a good field trip in August.