Photography Studio Management Software Nirvana – Sneek Peek!

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On a much needed break from code and building  this evening, as mentioned I’ve been  inspired and have working overtime on an upgrade of my Photography Studio Management Software product.  It is 95% complete, a few more adjustments, finishing up the 80 pages of documentation, recording the how too vids and a bit more testing – the fun stuff!

This version has the basic functionality of the previous but a much cleaner and intuitive interface/workflow.  I have also added some really nice new functions based on queries and interest from customers over the last year since its initial release as well – more to come.  A big one is a live Google calendar with buttons to allow anyone to link/upload there events and appointments right from the program – this makes it available to iphones etc – the calendar is also running live internally.  On previous releases I was only able to support this process with users having Office 2007 installed,  now anyone can use and display it.  GCal is awesome in that it can also sync with Outlook (I do as well with the program) hit the iphones and also hang out on your web site – all for free!

Below is the Google Calendar running in Quest with an open event.  Events may be opened Quest the same way they are on line, just by clicking on the name.  In the display you will see another addition, the ability to produce a detailed Event schedule, it includes the type shoot, client, photographer, and times/titles of the key events for the session.  This becomes available to any web or mobile device and with alerts. The big challenge with Quest was that I support both Office and Non-Office users, with Office Outlook the process is very easy without on the other hand this idea took me many hours of design and testing!!  In a couple clicks and less than 20 seconds data can now be exported to a Non-Office System to Gcal!

In addition to listening to customers and folks interested in the program I constantly follow the Big Players in the business. I have scoured each process/workflow/form they offer asking myself – how could I offer the same functions?  Realistically most of it I could not touch, they have budgets, staffs of skilled programmers and tools but if there is any way a similar function could be designed, built and offered with no operating expenses, training, time or Staff I think I have done a pretty nice job.  The big goal has always been to fill a gap in the market supporting the needs of the 1,000′s of smaller studios in the world with an affordable product and it has worked quite well this last year.

Another function I have added is contact call management. Below is the Main Screen of that page, all of your planned marketing/cold/follow up calls required for that day are displayed – the record to document the call is readily available by clicking on the item.  Each of the pages throughout the program now tabbed by subject, very clean and much easier to manage a business with! 

Below are a few more samples of this work in progress. Edition and Image Tracking.

Package and Job Quote Management Tab.

Product Management Tab.

Ordering Tab.

 

Knuckled Chrome Skies

Knuckled Chrome Skies, originally uploaded by John E Adams.

…The photograph should be more interesting or more beautiful than what was photographed. – Garry Winogrand

Still working bikes from Biketoberfest I liked both results on this and since I couldn’t decide which was better and made a third version -;0)

 

Wireless Camera Control and Bracketing Overdrive on a Budget!

       

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In HDR photography having a good range of exposures is key and although I have done fairly well with my cameras limits of 3 bracketed shots I have been exploring ways of expanding my bracket range other than manually stepping through each shot on the camera.

I stumbled on the amazing Promote® Control ($299) product which allows you to remotely control and set the bracketing parameters and then trigger the shutter. What this does is override the manufactures presets in the camera and any of the supported Canon or Nikon cameras will shoot any number of bracketed shots at any EV! Unfortunately they did not support my camera. Always being amazed that the upper end Nikon’s could bracket 10 shots, I kept digging looking for an alternative to the Promote product.

Update 4-28-2010 – Another soution on the market – The Open Camera Control (OCC) open source project is now complete, a really slick project using a Nintendo DS as the controller.  It does require an assortment of parts semi intensive soldering and programming but may be worth the effort to many as it can also  provide time-lapse shooting with built-in alarm clock and has a Sound Trigger function to name a couple.  They really created a stir in interest and traffic, more than likely the hundreds of thousands – nice!  I drew in a whopping 20 readers here!!

Lining up the three solutions I am still convinced my solution here is the simplest and most cost effective and to top it off neither of the other solutions have a wireless interface! 

First challenge was the software, Nikon Control tethering software did not support my camera, DIYPhotobits.com Camera Control on the other hand hinted that it might work. After several tests I was pleasantly surprised with the performance of the product with my camera, it worked perfectly! I also tried every other free/downloadable tethering  software available but none came close to DIY.  Now my $700 D5000 can bracket even more than 10 the $2k to $7K Nikons are limited to - I have successfully tested bracketing on my camera up to 12 shots.

Next step was to find a remote access solution, I could shoot with a Laptop Hardwired to the camera just like the Promote but wanted to try and get a wireless trigger in play. I was able to do this with two pieces of gear, the Cables Unlimited USB-WIRELESS Dongle Set ($35 – a solution I had seen on a blog) and a cheap Netbook from ebay ($85 – my solution for mobility) running Windows XP.  The Netbook was to support my field work, it is light and with it running on batteries I can take it anywhere (7 inch screen and 1.5 lbs).  The USB set had to be modified with $5 worth of parts from Radio Shack to be able to run it on batteries, out of the box it only operates plugged in. In the picture you can see my Radio shack battery case (4 AA batteries with an on/off switch) mounted to my tripod handle with 2 small screws, the dongle transmitter base was also attached to the battery case with some double sided Velcro. To get a similar professional rig from Nikon WT-4A Wireless Transmitter is about $600, it does offer much better range and performance however.

Now I can program and bracket any number of shots up to 20 feet away from my camera with a total cost of $125.  $175 less than Promote and with wireless, they do not even support this, you are hard wired to you camera at all times!

DIYPhotobits allows you to adjust most of the settings on your camera remotely and also has some wonderful time lapse controls. The images may also be tethered/sent back to the Computer immediately after the sequence. 

 

St Johns Blues

St Johns Blues, originally uploaded by ThePres6.

Daytona Bike Week starts next week and I can feel the energy already!

Not bad considering they don’t even like tripods in here!

Not sure how these things happen, pure coincidence normally while mindlessly pondering some pieces – I happen to view a few in a certain sequence and they seem meant to be. I could have never planned this even though the shots were taken within a few couple weeks of each other – it will fit into my “Heavens Choppers” collection rather nicely however and has opened a new door of interesting imaging for me -;0)

 

Beau Monde – 515 Victory Lane

Beau Monde – 515 Victory Lane, originally uploaded by ThePres6.

the fashionable world…

Another from a collection I shot on Victory Lane in Savannah, Georgia.

 

Cosmic Lights

Cosmic Lights, originally uploaded by ThePres6.

Don’t shoot what it looks like. Shoot what it feels like. – David Alan Harvey

The weather has been bad so I have been stuck with the archives lately and some more experiments. I am planning on doing another bike book after Bike Week this month and I always like to put a heavens chopper view from the perspective of the rider on the cover, this is one of my first candidates -;0)

 

Finesse

Finesse, originally uploaded by ThePres6.

Without craftsmanship, inspiration is a mere reed shaken in the wind. – Johannes Brahms

 

Crossing Into Florida

Crossing Into Florida, originally uploaded by ThePres6.

You become things, you become an atmosphere, and if you become it, which means you incorporate it within you, you can also give it back. You can put this feeling into a picture. A painter can do it. And a musician can do it and I think a photographer can do that too and that I would call the dreaming with open eyes. – Ernst Haas

This is the bridge on Highway 17 that crosses the St Marys river from Georgia into Florida. Caught a couple before it started dumping rain yesterday on the way home -;0)