The Darlow Report
by Andrew Darlow
2/25/10

Greetings! 
The snow is falling here in the Northeast, and in this 
edition of RDJ, I link to an article I wrote for Professional 
Photographer magazine that should help you make better lab prints 
regardless of the weather. I also announce a few upcoming events, and 
mention some photo, video and printing workshops.
 
Quick Printing Tip: How to get better lab prints 
Photo labs are a fantastic resource for all types of prints (most 
commonly, continuous-tone photo prints on glossy or semi-gloss paper). 
But it can be frustrating to prep a file and send it off, only to get 
back something much lighter, darker, warmer, cooler, or just not as 
vibrant as you had expected.
 
With this in mind, I wrote a two page article for Professional 
Photographer magazine which is available in its entirety here:
http://www.editionduo.com/publication/index.php?i=14346&m=&l=&p=52



 
Also in the article is a link to download a 4x6-inch test photo which 
you can upload to just about any lab.
 
On a similar note, you may also be interested in reading this article 
and press release from my site ImagingBuffet.com about how HP is 
positioning their Indigo digital press as a "photo lab replacement" 
device. There is also very interesting info in the release about 
longevity of Indigo press output on one particular paper:
http://imagingbuffet.com/2010/02/18/
pre-pma-2010-news-from-hp-indigo-longevity-and-arttrust/
 
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FotoFest 2010 Biennial March 12-April 25, 2010 
I had an opportunity to visit Fotofest in Houston in 2008, and it was a 
fantastic experience. Fotofest's Meeting Place Portfolio Reviews are 
well known by photographers worldwide, and there are four 4-day 
sessions, beginning on March 12, this year. You can find out more here about the 
Portfolio Reviews:
http://www.fotofest.org/biennial2010/meetingplace/
 
I found many of the Fotofest exhibitions to be very diverse and well 
worth seeing. The 2010 Biennial’s four principal exhibitions are 
dedicated to Contemporary U.S. Photography, and FotoFest invited five 
curators to put together the exhibitions.
 
For more information, visit the main Fotofest page:
http://www.fotofest.org/biennial2010/
 
And to receive news and information on FotoFest Biennial themes, the 
Meeting Place and Inter-Biennial exhibitions, subscribe to the 
FotoFest Online Newsletter here (archives can also be found on this 
page): http://www.fotofest.org/newsletter.htm
 
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Upcoming Color Management Workshop at Unique Photo in Fairfield, NJ: 
I'm happy to announce that I'll be conducting an all day workshop at 
Unique Photo in Fairfield, NJ on Saturday, April 10, 2010 entitled:
Color Management 101 and Inkjet Printing with Lightroom: Workflow Tips 
& Techniques with Andrew Darlow.
 
The direct link for this workshop can be found here:
http://www.unique-university.com/e/index.php/classes
/color-management-101-and-inkjet-printing.html
 
And below are two more workshops that I'll be conducting in NJ in the 
upcoming months:
 
Upcoming full day Photoshop/printing workshop in Berkeley Heights, NJ
 
Fine Art Inkjet Printing with Photoshop
with Andrew Darlow
 
April 17th or 18th, 2010 - 10AM-5PM
(choose either day)
 
This full day lecture and printing workshop with photographer, author 
and consultant Andrew Darlow will include:
 
• Suggested inkjet printers for quality color and black-and-white 
printing (emphasis will be on Canon, Epson and HP printers and their 
standard pigmented, multi-gray inksets);
• Suggested color management hardware and software for inkjet 
printing, and how to produce, install and use custom printer profiles;
• Tips for selecting inkjet papers for color and black-and-white 
printing;
• Demonstration of a step-by-step printing workflow using Camera RAW 
and Photoshop CS4 (Mac OSX will be used, but Windows-specific 
information will also be covered for those who use Windows);
• Specific Photoshop tips for converting from color to black and 
white, sharpening, sizing and what to do and not to do before and 
after you convert your files,
• Links to and demonstrations of free actions to help optimize print 
quality.
 
Sample prints will be displayed and discussed, and each attendee who 
supplies a file will have one print of one image printed on either an 
Epson or HP pigment-ink-based printer. Paper options will include acid- 
free, high quality semi-gloss, fiber-gloss/semi-gloss and watercolor/ 
matte papers. Each participant will also receive a binder with course 
materials and a list of resources and materials, as well as a minimum 
of 50 sheets of letter-size fine-art sample papers and canvases.
 
Enrollment is limited to only seven participants.
 
Requirements: Some experience using inkjet printers is required. A 
working knowledge of Adobe Photoshop is highly recommended.
 
Tuition for either workshop (April 17th or 18th) is $199 (plus $20 
materials fee). Registrations are on a first come first served basis 
and will close on March 31. Those who register prior to then will 
receive a free 30 minute phone consultation with Andrew, a $100 value.
 
INFORMATION AND REGISTRATION: 908-790-8820 or email 
Nancy Ori. Directions will be sent upon registration.
 
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Two-day Fine Art Inkjet Printing w/ Photoshop Workshop
with Andrew Darlow
at Peters Valley Craft Center in Layton, NJ
May 15-16th, 2010
 
Level: Beginner to intermediate
Tuition: $280
Material & Studio Fee: $25
 
For more information or to register, call 973-948-5200 or view/ 
download the 2010 catalog here:
http://www.petersvalley.org/workshops/index.htm
 
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That's all for now. If you'd like to receive a tip a week from my book 
301 Inkjet Tips and Techniques, and more news and tips like the ones 
here, sign up for my free newsletter by sending me an e-mail.
 
... and here are a few of my social media links if you'd like to connect
(please just mention that you are a RDJ reader for Facebook and
LinkedIn):
 
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/andrewdarlow
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/adarlow
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/adarlow
 
About Andrew:
Andrew Darlow is a photographer, author and digital imaging consultant
based in the New York City area. He is editor of The Imaging Buffet,
an online resource with news, reviews and interviews covering the
subjects of digital photography and printing. Andrew is the author of
Pet Photography 101: Tips for taking better photos of your dog or cat
(www.PhotoPetTips.com) and 301 Inkjet Tips and Techniques:
An Essential Printing Resource for Photographers (www.InkjetTips.com).
He can be reached for private or phone consulting at 732-742-0123.