There have been some recent inquiries as to the status of the tutorials, tweets, and other such content I post online. I recently started posting new tutorial videos after a longer than expected hiatus. Such is life, always throwing a curve ball or two your way to make things interesting. As a content creator, I realize the need to be consistent, and reliable for the viewing public.
It was a mistake on my part to neglect this website/blog as one of my communication channels. I’ve been so focused on other social media outlets that I overlooked how empty the website appears from a GA (Google Analytics) perspective. Earlier this month, I wrote a post on Tiffinbox about creating a network of professionals to help grow your business. Essentially, why DIY when you can get some help?
Which brings us to today’s post, and my plans moving forward in 2011. Currently, I’m working on updating this website to make better use of the tutorial videos I release on YouTube. Speaking of videos, I’m still hoping to release a full Lightroom training series by the summer. Folks who enjoy my #852am & #Tip12pm tweets will be happy to know that I expect to start chatting everyone up again the first week of May. There are other items I have on the To Do list, and I’ll announce those in the upcoming months.
As always, I thank you for your patronage, and I look forward to being a part of your Internet consumption again in the weeks to come.
By now you’ve heard the news, Adobe released the Creative Suite 5.5 upgrade today. Yes, I said, “upgrade” as this is a paid release, not to be confused with an “update” typical of dot releases. While early buzz is a mixture of excitement and complaints, what people should focus on is Adobe’s commitment to staying current with industry trends. CS 5.5 addresses the needs of web developers and the importance of mobile technologies. The buzz is around HTML5, CSS3 & EPUB, making InDesign, Flash, Dreamweaver and Adobe’s video production tools well worth a look. Another item worth noting is the subscription model for accessing the Creative Suite. This will be great for people who don’t want the upfront cost of Photoshop or the full Creative Suite. It will also work well for those that have short term projects or use temporary workers. Here are some videos from Adobe TV that demonstrate new features.
Today marks the first official episode of the Designer Roundtable Podcast. This project is the brainchild of Firgs, with some tomfoolery by Erik Bernskiold, a pinch of Landailyn for Photoshop Guru credibility & yours truly to make us an even number. (OK, the kids needed a chaperon–LOL) While the first few episodes are prerecorded, our hope is to eventually run a live interactive show. That means we need your input. Follow @DRTpodcast on Twitter or “like” the official DRTPodcast page on Facebook. (You can also subscribe via iTunes once the show is approved) After you’ve done that, send us your questions & feedback. That is what will make this a GREAT show.
If you aren’t a regular reader over at TipSquirrel.com this is a good week to start. Today Tipsy kicks off the Lightroom 3 series which will run the next two weeks. This is your opportunity to win great prizes, view tutorials, read the latest tips, and did I mention win prizes? As an added bonus this week you can get a massive 35% off Lightroom 3 books from our friends at Peachpit with the code “LR3week”
UPDATE 07/22/2010 – Be sure to read the updated information posted below after the video.
Good evening all.
Thanks to Walter Van Dusen who brought to my attention Walmart is beta testing a new Facebook Connect application. This application allows access to your photo albums for printing. Many photographers have been using Facebook photo tagging as a way to generate word-of-mouth referrals from clients. I would assume a lot of folks have their album security set to “Friends of Friends”. Anyone who is listed with Friends access to your Facebook album will be able to print it via the Walmart application.
Before you decide to delete all your FB albums, it is possible for you to make a quick security settings change. Simply go to the Walmart Photo application and block it. Once blocked your albums will no longer show when someone uses Facebook Connect with Walmart Photo. The application ID on Facebook is 181585006811.
Here’s a quick video tutorial to show you how to block the app:
UPDATE 07/22/2010 – This week’s Tip Tuesday demonstrated a quick way to watermark images via Photoshop using Layer Styles. For MORE protection you can use a Digimarc watermark (accessed via Photoshop’s filter menu). Digimarc is like LoJack for your images, and provides Internet tracking. Loyal readers can try Digimarc’s basic service FREE for 90 days; use the discount code FREETRIAL2010. Take 25% off ANY Digimarc service with code MediaCats2010. Join me next week as I’ll have a video tutorial on how to use Digimarc in Photoshop to watermark your images.
UPDATE 07/21/2010 – I wanted to answer some of the questions posed in the comments. I have verified that if you TAG someone the image is NOT collected in a photo album, therefore it DOES NOT appear via Facebook Connect. This is good information for everyone who tags their clients. Photo albums, profile pictures, & mobile uploads appear when using the Walmart photo center. I did not conduct testing against the other apps listed in the comments, but I assume similar behavior. To find all the retail centers, many suggested to search Facebook for “print” then filter by Applications. This worked well for me.
Several folks commented that people can still save the image to their own computer for printing–that is true. It’s also true that by uploading the image to the Internet it can be taken by anyone. The measures suggested for securing your photos serve more as a deterrent and are not absolute controls. Thieves are lazy, and will take the path of least resistance. RC Concepcion wrote two articles that appear in the last two issues of Photoshop User magazine. He has some great recommendations as to why you would or wouldn’t watermark your images online. If you’re a member of NAPP you can access the back issues online. (If you join with my referral link, you’ll get a free DVD on signup)
UPDATE 07/18/2010 – Thanks to everyone for sharing this article. There have been some good comments, including the fact Walmart is not the only retail print option. As suggested by Rachel, I would block other print apps from companies such as Target, Walgreens, etc. If you’re new to the site, checkout the Tip Tuesday series for video tutorial content.
