All About Memory
Posted by: Mark Mizen on: January 27, 2012
- In: Digital Photos | History | Scrapbooking
- 1 Comment
Physiologically we are no different than our ancestors who painted images of bison on the walls of the Lascaux cave in France, among the earliest cultural artifacts to have survived to the present day….All that differs us from them is our memories. Not the memories that reside in our own brains, for the child born today enters the world just as much a blank slate as the child born thirty thousand years ago, but rather the memories that are stored outside ourselves-in books, photographs, museums, and these days in digital media.
Joshua Foer, Moonwalking with Einstein, 2011
I thought I knew all about memory. After all, I have been with Creative Memories for thirteen years, first as Director of Technology and now as Director of Digital Development. Creative Memories scrapbooks and photo books are designed to preserve memories.
Yet, I recently realized how little I knew. In Moonwalking with Einstein, Joshua Foer delves into the intricacies of human memory. He provides a details on how we remember and process memories. As Foer indicates, our memories are a painful reminder of how transient we are.
Here are a few interesting facts:
- We are all subject to curve of forgetting. We lose half of all memories in the first hour, another 10% after the first day, and after a month another 14%.
- Much of what we think we have forgotten is actually still present in our minds. Photos and written descriptions help us remember events that we might otherwise forget.
- Our short-term memories hold seven plus or minus two items. We should not rely on our memories for recalling long lists.
- The brain accounts for 2% of the body’s weight, yet consumes 20% of the oxygen we breath. No wonder it takes so much energy to remember everything.
Foer also describes the techniques that are used to memorize long lists such as the order of a deck of playing card or a page of random numbers. These techniques involve associating individual items with graphic images. And while I am glad to know these techniques, I don’t think I’ll use them. It is simply too easy to take a picture with my camera phone and use it to supplement my all too imperfect memory.
Page Prints and the Transition from Silver Halide to Digital Printing
Posted by: Mark Mizen on: January 24, 2012
With digital printing, Creative Memories Page Prints now have improved sharpness, improved image stability, and a better color match to photo books. As the Page Print illustrates, photographs no longer require chemically processing light-sensitive silver halide paper. At the Digital Imaging Marketing Association meeting in January, I presented a technical presentation on Page Prints: The Transition from Silver Halide to Digital Printing and Its Effect on Print Quality.
Predicting the Photo Book Revolution
Posted by: Mark Mizen on: January 20, 2012
“I will tell you that when people are making online albums and want to print them out, they’re not going to print them out as 4 x 6 images, they are going to print them out as albums that can be assembled on the spot. For those of you that are looking around at what type of equipment you should purchase for the next 4 to 5 years, I think you might consider more than just equipment to print out prints, you might start looking at albums. Because when consumers and professionals are creating albums online, they don’t want to print these out and assemble at home, they want to be able to order right from these web sites total album production. So as you walk around (at the PMA show), consider the fact that there’s going to be a dramatic shift in the business from printing prints to printing albums.”
Don Franz, Photofinishing News, PMA, February 2002
Kodak’s recent bankruptcy highlights the transition that has that has taken place from traditional film photography to digital. It is difficult for the leader in any industry to grasp the fact that the rules have changed.
For Creative Memories, the change from traditional photo albums to photo books was inevitable and the handwriting was on the wall as far back as 2002. Photo books are simply too convenient. Photo books group relevant photos, provide descriptive information, and package it in a convenient form.
Creative Memories has embraced this transition and provides high-quality books, leveraging the manufacturing skills developed for traditional scrapbooks. See Top 10 Reasons to Buy Creative Memories Digital Products.
In the future, technology will continue to evolve and Creative Memories must change with it. I am excited about the future and I hope you are too.
Kodak Files for Bankruptcy
Posted by: Mark Mizen on: January 19, 2012
This morning’s headlines include Eastman Kodak’s bankruptcy filing. What does this mean? My suspicion is not much, although the articles I read are unclear as to what will happen to traditional silver halide films and papers.
Film is largely unnecessary given the prevalence of digital cameras and may or may not remain. Traditional photographic paper, on the other hand, still fulfills a role and is likely to continue. After all, prints, either as a photo book or as 4×6 prints, are still the best way to preserve digital photos.
As I discussed in The Demise of Kodak?, Kodak makes many other high-quality products, including commercial and home printers. In all likelihood, these products will survive because they address specific digital product needs.
Employees, retirees, and stockholders will certainly suffer with the bankruptcy filing, but the company will continue. I speak from personal knowledge having gone through a similar situation at Creative Memories. And in fact, if Kodak is able to align its debts and business commitments with its business model it is likely to be a far healthier company when it emerges from bankruptcy.
Snapshot Camera of Today
Posted by: Mark Mizen on: January 12, 2012
- In: Cameras | Digital Photos | Mobile | Uncategorized
- 4 Comments
I now have a new camera. Following Annie Leibovitz’s recommendation, I purchased the “snapshot camera of today,” the iPhone 4s and I received a free phone. Another way to look at it is that I purchased a phone and received a free camera. Either way, I spent $200, signed an AT&T two-year contract, and now have a new camera.
The iPhone 4s camera specifications include an 8-megapixel camera sensor, auto focus, LED flash, face detection, and high-definition video. This camera replaces any need that I might have for a compact digital camera, and I always have it with me.The only difficulty I had was with video recording. I could not figure out how to turn off auto focus and the camera kept losing focus when I tried to record the fountains at the Bellagio.
Here are a few photos that I shot while walking around Las Vegas.
What Makes a Good Photo?
Posted by: Mark Mizen on: January 4, 2012
Xerox’s new Aesthetic Quality Image Search evaluates image quality. The current site uses only test photos, but even with this limitation it provides useful information and example photos which help improve quality.
In the future, look for the ability to analyze your photos, as well as the ability to automatically improve aesthetic image quality. Ideally, evaluation will also consider individual preferences.
Here is some of the information from the Aesthetic Quality Image Search:
Beach Photos – A good beach image contains high cliffs, rugged coastlines, eroded landforms, pounding seas. Fast shutter speed (higher than 1/250) will stop the motion of the waves and freeze sea spray. Slow shutter speed will blur the waves and soften the seascape. Add human elements and a sense of scale. Head for piers and rocky promontories to include the sea in the foreground. A polarizing filter will often improve the colour and contrast around the water.
Ref: Lonely Planet’s Guide To Travel PhotogrBaphy
Birds – Birds make fascinating and very very challenging photographic subjects. They will put your patience and technique through the most rigorous test. A 300mm lens is adequate for large birds, but, except from some rare exceptions, to have any hope of filling the frame you really need a focal length of 500mm or 600mm. To emphasize the shape of the bird and the colour of its feather pay careful attention to the background so that it does not get lost in a jumble of branches, twigs and foliage.
Ref: Lonely Planet’s Guide To Travel Photography
Boats -Keep your horizon straight – It’s easy to stay focused on the subject (a boat, a sailor, etc.) and lose track of the way your own boat is rolling. Practice keeping an eye on the shoreline or horizon while you click away. Shoot with fast shutter speeds – Pointing a camera at a moving boat while standing on a moving boat increases the chances of making a fuzzy picture. Look around a lot – It’s very easy to get locked in to the scene in the viewfinder or to the cluster of lead boats. But there is action everywhere on a race course. Every so often take a good look around and see what’s happening – you may find the shot of the day.
Ref: Micheal Bagley Photo
Clouds & Sky – Capturing a stunning photo of the sky is actually quite harder than it seems. The sun must be in the right place and patience is a virtue, waiting for the perfect light or clouds can be tiresome but well worth it. The clouds are what make the sky look so interesting. Too many, all clouds look the same – but as soon as one begins to study the vast number of possible cloud forms and varieties, one realizes that there is more to discover than there is time to observe!
Ref: www.smashingtips.com
www.weatherscapes.com
Flowers – The colour and the natural beauty of flowers make them a favourite travel subject, whether they’re growing in pots, decorating the exterior of a building or dominating a landscape in dramatic fields of colour. Flower studies require macro equipment if you want to fill the frame with a single flower and achieve maximum impact. In a sense you are looking to create an environmental flower portrait. Unless the flowers are all parallel to your camera or you are able to work with an aperture of at least f8, you’ll find that typically only one or two flowers will be in focus. The other flowers will form a soft and very pleasing background. Light coloured flowers against a dark background can fool light meters, so meter for the flowers to maintain detail and colour.
Ref: Lonely Planet’s Guide To Travel Photography
Portraits – Pictures of the people we love make us smile. Be ready with your camera and you’ll be rewarded with memories that rekindle emotions for years to come. Get close. Fill the camera’s viewfinder or LCD display with your subject to create pictures with greater impact. Use natural light. You may be surprised to learn that cloudy, overcast days provide the best lighting for pictures of people. Bright sun makes people squint, and it throws harsh shadows on their faces. On overcast days, the soft light flatters faces. Avoid harsh shadows. Avoid harsh facial shadows by using the soft lighting of a cloudy day or a shady area. On sunny days, if your camera has several flash modes, select Fill-Flash.
Waterfalls – The flowing water of rivers and waterfalls can be interpreted in different ways through shutter-speed selection. To give the impression of running water, experiment with shutter speeds from 1/30 to one second. For best results and maximum depth of field use a tripod. Like rainforests, waterfalls photograph best in the evening light of a bright overcast day. Contrast between the water and the surroundings is often naturally high and the soft indirect light allows detail to be recorded in the highlights and the shadows.
Ref: Lonely Planet’s Guide To Travel Photography
Creative Memories Dictionary Update
Posted by: Mark Mizen on: December 21, 2011
Creative Memories has updated the Creative Memories Dictionary. This long overdue update clarifies the terms we use for digital and traditional products. New definitions include 4xD, bleed, color balance, color temperature, compression, dpi, file format, full bleed, gutter, hue, opacity, pixelation, red-eye, sepia, and trim size. If you find digital terminology confusing, this publication is for you. The complete dictionary is available at Creative Memories Dictionary.
The Demise of Kodak?
Posted by: Mark Mizen on: December 6, 2011
- In: History | Industry Info | Printers
- 1 Comment
Two recent articles, Kodak’s Long Fade to Black and Kodak Is a Walking Corpse of a Company and That Makes Us Sad, highlight the difficulty the once dominant American film-maker is facing. Kodak is currently losing $70 million/month, in spite of having some noteworthy technology.
I have a Kodak inkjet printer at home, and Creative Memories uses a Kodak digital press to produce StoryBooks and other products. For complete details, the Wikipedia entry on Kodak includes information on its past history and current products.
My speculation is that Kodak will not disappear, but will instead use Chapter 11 restructuring to improve its corporate balance sheet. What do you think? Will Kodak be relegated to the pages of history or does it have a future?
Easy Photo Book Creation with the 4xD Book Card
Posted by: Mark Mizen on: December 2, 2011
- In: Cards | Photo Books
- Leave a Comment
Creating a photo book can be a daunting task. You need enough photos for 20 pages, as well as the time to create it. That is why Creative Memories offers the 4xD Book Card. This product contains 10 pages, and for easy product creation, it is ideally sized to fit one photo on each page. No templates required, although of course we have those too.
The 4xD Book Card comes with a choice of envelope color and normally retails for $9.95; however, it is now on sale at 20% off or $7.96. The Book Card is the perfect gift and it is ready for mailing. For an even better value, the 3-pack is on sale for $22.36.
Made in North America
Posted by: Mark Mizen on: December 1, 2011
How important is it that the products we purchase are made in America? In general, I purchase products produced by American Manufacturers, recognizing that if we don’t support our manufacturers we all suffer. I am also proud to work for an American manufacturing company.
An ABC news article on Made in America Christmas, as well as an email forwarded to me, prompted me to investigate the origins of Creative Memories products further. As a result of my investigation, I am happy to report that our Calendars and custom cover photo books are entirely manufactured in the United States. Even the spiral binding to the calendar is manufactured in the U.S.
Currently, ABC does not include Creative Memories in its list of Minnesota manufacturers. Feel free to use this link to submit them. I did.
