Proud Photography Blog

Black and white images look classic and timeless; no wonder so many people choose to take photographs or convert them mono.  Without the distraction of color, black and white images transcend time.  Some images translate better when in mono than ohers, like those with stronger contrasts between white/black, dark/light, highlight/shadow.  In the past, the best black and white photographs were achived with a ‘wet’ darkroom but now, we can print these images at home using a PC.

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Home Printing photographs is becoming an increasingly popular option, as it can be cost effective (especially when producing larger prints) and there can be greater control over the finished print.  However, many people who are new to this find that the colors that they thought they captured or saw on the computer screen aren’t quite what they see on the finished print.  This is because your camera, computer and printer all interpret color differently.  Color management is the way to solve this problem.

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A photographer’s portfolio is his bible.  Traditionally, a portfolio is a folder of some sort – these come in all shapes, sizes and prices.  You can also have a digital portfolio, presented online on a personal website or a third party web host.

You should always include your best work in your portfolio – no exceptions.  Before putting images in there, ask for critiques from people you know are honest.  Quality control is everything, eliminating images that have blur or any technical faults.   This must be the representation of your best work and show what you are capable of.  Ask for opinions and accept criticism.  It is better to have six photographs of high quality than twelve mediocre prints.
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This blog actually dovetails nicely with the series I had recently on color management. So instead of covering all that territory, be sure to go back and check out Part 1 and 2 of “Displaying your photos: screen or print?”

If you’re sick and tired of getting weird photos out of your printer at home, or if you just don’t feel like buying all the ink required to print off you whole honeymood album, your next best friend could be one of several online photo printers. I’m talking about places like Snapfish, Kodak, or Mpix. These companies are all very Read the rest of this entry »

Scenario: You’ve just spent an hour and a half culling through your photos, picked your favorites, doctored them up in photoshop, and are now waiting those few glorious moments as the printer spits out your prize-winning photos.

As you expectantly peek inside the printer and get a glimpse of your adorable pet photo, you realize you are the proud owner of a purple tinted dog, that typically is a stark white labrador retriever. You start jamming the cancel button hastily, your blood pressure rising with every extra spit of purple ink the printer keeps churning out till the memory buffer is emptied in the printer. You want to scream and cry and yell at everything within earshot. (Ok, so maybe that last part is just about me)

In any case most people who have tried printing their photos out on their own printers have gone through Read the rest of this entry »

The Hewlett-Packard A432 Portable Color Photo Printer makes it possible for you to create your own portable photo studio.
Just dock your camera on the Photosmart Portable Photo Printer and you are ready to print beautiful, photos (and wallets, if you like).
Simply view, because it automatically removes red eye.
It also brightens and sharpens photos, and improves color with HP Photo Fix, no PC needed.
Plus, the camera battery recharges itself in the camera.
You can print a 4″ x 6″ inch borderless snapshot in as little time as 60 seconds from a PictBridge-enabled camera.
The A432 is easily transportable thanks to the easy-grab handle and fold-up paper trays.
With the Photosmart you can print anywhere and anytime using the rechargeable battery (sold separately), which supplies up to 75 prints per charge.

Ward off water on photos when using HP Vivera inks and HP Advanced Photo Papers (when printed using HP Advanced Photo Paper and HP 110 Tri-color Inkjet Print Cartridge with Vivera Inks, not available in 4 x 12″ panorama size.)
This printer allows you to preserve your memories with lab-quality photos that resist fading for generations.
Another nice feature is the video function which lets the user exhibit a slide show and photos and video clips on a TV set via the included remote.
Photographers can print directly from select camera phones, notebook PCs and more with the wireless adapter (sold separately - Bluetooth wireless adapter supports camera phones with Bluetooth wireless technology).
The A432 Portable Color Photo Printer is compatible with: HP Photosmart M425, M525, M527, M627, R725, R727, R827, R927, and R967 cameras.
It is priced at $100.

Specifications include:

Support/Connectivity USB-connect to PC or Mac,Microsoft Windows® 98SE, Me, 2000, XP Home, Professional, x64
Editions,Mac OS X v 10.3.9 and greater,Front USB connect to PictBridge-enabled cameras or HP Bluetooth,Wireless Print Adapter(4),HP offers a comprehensive support package for the HP Photosmart A430 Portable Photo Studio Series that includes one year limited hardware warranty backed by HP Customer Care, service and support; one-year technical phone support.

Printer configuration - tell printer what you’re doing

It’s all very well supplying your printer with glossy photo paper, but if it doesn’t realise what you’re using it can’t deliver optimum performance. Almost all printers come with utility software that allows you to select what type of paper you’re supplying it with. Some of the latest models can even detect the paper type automatically. Check your printer’s manual to discover how to select the paper type.

Paper type - how to get best photo prints

If you’re trying to print the photo onto a standard paper you’ll find the results are less than impressive. Normal paper is fine for printing text on, but it acts like blotting paper when used for printing photos. The individual ink droplets get soaked up and make it impossible to produce detailed prints. If you want the best photo prints it’s important to always use high quality photo paper. When the precise ink droplets are fired at photo paper they don’t spread on impact, which means the photo retains its fine detail. Of course, photo paper costs more than standard papers.

Refill inks?

Buying replacement ink cartridges for your printer can be expensive and you might have noticed some cheaper alternatives on the market, such as refill packs or so called “compatible” cartridges. These are usually supplied by third party manufacturers and involve you injecting the replacement ink directly into your old cartridge. If you want to achieve the highest print quality, you should avoid this method of refilling. Injecting the cartridge can easily cause damage to the cartridge itself and result in poor quality prints.

Printer maintenance - keep your printer clean

As with any other object in your house, dust will settle inside your printer over time. A small amount won’t do much harm and you won’t probably noticeany decrease in quality. Problems will start to occur if your printer is left unused for  a while in a dusty environment. It’s tempting to simply get a cloth and wipe away all the dust, but the best way to clean it is to use compressed air. This method doesn’t involveany contact between you and inside of the printer and will blow away the dustfrom even the most concealed areas. Your local computer store should be able to sell you a can of compressed air.