Comments on: PMA Australia 2008 http://www.photografica.com.au/iblog/photography/pma-australia-2008/ A blog from Australia primarily about photography, but realistically, anything might slip in... Wed, 07 Jan 2009 04:26:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc By: Robert Edwards http://www.photografica.com.au/iblog/photography/pma-australia-2008/#comment-483 Robert Edwards Sat, 12 Jul 2008 03:50:11 +0000 http://www.photografica.com.au/iblog/?p=98#comment-483 Hi Geoff, Sorry for the dam(n) jargon; "roundtrip metadata" means other applications can share information. e.g. The info you enter at time of download such as your copyright and contact details should be passed on to the image browser, RAW converter and cataloguing application. Otherwise you'll be entering it all again. And again. To future proof your work it's essential to ensure no application locks you in. Before using any software/hardware look at an exit strategy. Proper DAM including metadata is highly valuable, at least as valuable as the pixels. If you can't find an image (or its back up) then how can you enter it into next year's APPAs? :) - Robert. Hi Geoff,

Sorry for the dam(n) jargon; “roundtrip metadata” means other applications can share information. e.g. The info you enter at time of download such as your copyright and contact details should be passed on to the image browser, RAW converter and cataloguing application. Otherwise you’ll be entering it all again. And again.

To future proof your work it’s essential to ensure no application locks you in. Before using any software/hardware look at an exit strategy. Proper DAM including metadata is highly valuable, at least as valuable as the pixels. If you can’t find an image (or its back up) then how can you enter it into next year’s APPAs? :)
- Robert.

]]> By: djaef http://www.photografica.com.au/iblog/photography/pma-australia-2008/#comment-472 djaef Sun, 29 Jun 2008 06:04:40 +0000 http://www.photografica.com.au/iblog/?p=98#comment-472 Thanks Robert. I know a lot less about DAM than I'd like to, as it seems such a complicated topic. For example, when you say "xMedia 2 offers round trip metadata with Lightroom using hierarchical keywords" I sure wish I knew exactly what you mean. It's one of those things that if I saw it in action, I'd go oh yeah, of course, but I'm still a newbie as far as serious DAM practices are concerned. That said, I'm a long way ahead of the vast majority of my fellow ex-Diploma-students, who thought DAM was just a swear word ;) Thanks Robert.
I know a lot less about DAM than I’d like to, as it seems such a complicated topic. For example, when you say “xMedia 2 offers round trip metadata with Lightroom using hierarchical keywords” I sure wish I knew exactly what you mean. It’s one of those things that if I saw it in action, I’d go oh yeah, of course, but I’m still a newbie as far as serious DAM practices are concerned. That said, I’m a long way ahead of the vast majority of my fellow ex-Diploma-students, who thought DAM was just a swear word ;)

]]> By: Robert Edwards http://www.photografica.com.au/iblog/photography/pma-australia-2008/#comment-471 Robert Edwards Sun, 29 Jun 2008 01:11:10 +0000 http://www.photografica.com.au/iblog/?p=98#comment-471 Hi Geoff, Like David I see Microsoft Expression Media as the catalogue component of a solid DAM workflow. Adobe Photoshop Lightroom is essentially a RAW converter. Just as Microsoft can't challenge Adobe with a RAW converter, Adobe can't compete with Microsoft in DAM. This can change over night. ;). Parts of LR are just not sound enough for sound DAM to consider investing a serious body of work in. Adobe may improve this but their priorities are elsewhere for version 2. For lightweight DAM or a beginner LR is better than nothing at all. It does allow you to easily take your images and metadata to another app when you outgrow it. iView never had a serious image editor and nothing has improved in Expression Media 2. What has improved is the DAM aspect which is where Expression Media's strength lies. In fact xMedia 2 offers round trip metadata with Lightroom using hierarchical keywords. Adobe and Microsoft were handing out trial versions of their software at PMA. While I expect Lightroom 2 to be released very soon remember it is definitely a beta and should be treated as such. Expression Media 2 has some bugs that prevent me from recommending it just yet. Sit back and wait until August/September. -- Robert. Hi Geoff,

Like David I see Microsoft Expression Media as the catalogue component of a solid DAM workflow. Adobe Photoshop Lightroom is essentially a RAW converter. Just as Microsoft can’t challenge Adobe with a RAW converter, Adobe can’t compete with Microsoft in DAM. This can change over night. ;).

Parts of LR are just not sound enough for sound DAM to consider investing a serious body of work in. Adobe may improve this but their priorities are elsewhere for version 2. For lightweight DAM or a beginner LR is better than nothing at all. It does allow you to easily take your images and metadata to another app when you outgrow it.

iView never had a serious image editor and nothing has improved in Expression Media 2. What has improved is the DAM aspect which is where Expression Media’s strength lies. In fact xMedia 2 offers round trip metadata with Lightroom using hierarchical keywords.

Adobe and Microsoft were handing out trial versions of their software at PMA. While I expect Lightroom 2 to be released very soon remember it is definitely a beta and should be treated as such. Expression Media 2 has some bugs that prevent me from recommending it just yet. Sit back and wait until August/September.

– Robert.

]]> By: djaef http://www.photografica.com.au/iblog/photography/pma-australia-2008/#comment-458 djaef Mon, 02 Jun 2008 23:11:08 +0000 http://www.photografica.com.au/iblog/?p=98#comment-458 You're right of course David. I was just referring to the cataloguing capabilities of Lightroom mostly. That's what I find confusing. We have a clearly defined set of software such as browsers (Bridge) Catalogue software (Expression Media) and RAW Workflow (Capture One, Aperture, Bridge-ACR-Photoshop) but Lightroom tries to do a bit of everything. For someone trying to figure out the best DAM workflow, it's just getting more and more complicated. I tend to stick to Peter Krogh's recommendations, as he seems to know what he's talking about. And from what I was told, Expression Media 2 will retail for around $500 here in Australia. Way too much I think, and that may be incorrect, but it was the distributor that told me that. You’re right of course David. I was just referring to the cataloguing capabilities of Lightroom mostly. That’s what I find confusing. We have a clearly defined set of software such as browsers (Bridge) Catalogue software (Expression Media) and RAW Workflow (Capture One, Aperture, Bridge-ACR-Photoshop) but Lightroom tries to do a bit of everything. For someone trying to figure out the best DAM workflow, it’s just getting more and more complicated. I tend to stick to Peter Krogh’s recommendations, as he seems to know what he’s talking about.

And from what I was told, Expression Media 2 will retail for around $500 here in Australia. Way too much I think, and that may be incorrect, but it was the distributor that told me that.

]]> By: David Sayed http://www.photografica.com.au/iblog/photography/pma-australia-2008/#comment-457 David Sayed Mon, 02 Jun 2008 14:03:18 +0000 http://www.photografica.com.au/iblog/?p=98#comment-457 Actually I would not characterise Expression Media as competing with Lightroom or for that matter other RAW workflow products like Aperture or Capture One. Expression Media is a cataloguing application for rich media, which includes photographic images of course, but handles many other formats: video, audio, vector, fonts, etc. Furthermore, as a cataloguing application, Expression Media is all about organisation and metadata, whereas other products focus on the entire workflow. Expression Media is unique in that it does not impose a particular workflow on you - rather it fits into your existing processes. The pricing you mention sounds like the v1 price. Expression Media 2 sells for $199 in the US - I don't have international pricing handy as I write this. Actually I would not characterise Expression Media as competing with Lightroom or for that matter other RAW workflow products like Aperture or Capture One. Expression Media is a cataloguing application for rich media, which includes photographic images of course, but handles many other formats: video, audio, vector, fonts, etc. Furthermore, as a cataloguing application, Expression Media is all about organisation and metadata, whereas other products focus on the entire workflow. Expression Media is unique in that it does not impose a particular workflow on you - rather it fits into your existing processes. The pricing you mention sounds like the v1 price. Expression Media 2 sells for $199 in the US - I don’t have international pricing handy as I write this.

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