Mac OS X for Photographers: Optimized image workflow for the Mac user

✍ Scribed by Rod Wynne-Powell, Richard Earney

• Publisher: Focal Press
• Year: 2008
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 326
• Series: Digital Workflow
• Edition: 1
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Let's be direct: if you are a serious photographer using the Apple Macintosh computer platform, this book belongs in your library; even more so, if you're a serious photographer who is considering switching, or has already switched, from the Windows platform to Mac, this book will prove to be an invaluable resource.

Authors who attempt to help you learn sophisticated systems face a real dilemma: make a book too simple and it lacks value and misses the mark; try to cover everything and the reader may get lost in the minutia. This has a further ironic twist with the Mac OS which has been widely touted as being "easy to use" and "just works," yet in reality when applied to a complex enterprise like professional imaging it quickly becomes very complex indeed due to the plethora of diverse tools and processes within the imaging workflow. Developing a scheme for covering a complex topic that ties it together and helps retain the reader's interest is very important, and this is a sterling example of how to do it well.

This book's author, Rod Wynne-Powell, is an accomplished professional photographer, imaging hardware/software expert, process consultant/trainer with extensive involvement as an alpha tester for Adobe Photoshop, and has some of the best credentials in the industry. His method here is to use the digital photographic process -- from capture to output -- as the framework for the book and then overlay it with the discussion of OS X and all the hardware and software that relates with and contributes to it while creating images. The result is a really fine piece of work -- the most timely, purposeful, and complete collection of this kind I've seen. Contents include an Introduction, The System Architecture, Hardware Implications, General Maintenance, Software Assistance, Resources, Color Management, Input and Output, Network-Backup-Archive, Conclusions, Appendix, and Glossary. In many respects this is a "best practices" guide for photography with Macs -- it's that complete, accurate, and useful.

The overall style is first rate -- direct, accurate, very readable, neither preachy nor judgmental, yet not afraid to voice preferences or viewpoints when they inform the reader in making prudent choices. Brief sidebars include cogent ancillary material not appropriate for the main text. And along the way just about every imaginable topic a working photographer might experience is covered, many of which are glossed over in lesser works, making this a valuable learning tool and resource for the business of photography as well as computer platform knowledge.

In summary, this is the best book I've seen on the Mac system as a whole from the perspective of digital imaging and is recommended unreservedly. If you take pictures seriously and use a Mac -- buy it!

✦ Table of Contents

Mac OS X for Photographers: Optimized image workflow for the Mac user......Page 4
Copyright Page......Page 5
Contents......Page 6
Introduction......Page 14
Mac OS X – Unix......Page 16
Chip change – The Intel Macs......Page 17
System change – 10.4 to 10.5......Page 19
CHAPTER 1 The System Architecture......Page 22
Time-slicing......Page 23
The Mac OS X Tiger and Leopard interfaces......Page 25
Fast User Switching......Page 26
Menu Bar......Page 27
Finder Window structure......Page 30
Finder Window features......Page 31
The View Menu......Page 35
Flow View – Leopard only......Page 37
Drag and Drop & Copy and Paste......Page 38
Title bar features......Page 39
Finder Window – Title bar......Page 40
File Info......Page 42
Making adjustments to windows......Page 43
Apple System Profiler (ASP)......Page 45
Software Update......Page 47
Libraries – Why are there no fewer than three?......Page 49
System level and User level Libraries......Page 50
Apple Macintosh default folders......Page 51
Understanding where things go – and why?......Page 52
The Dock......Page 53
The Dock Preferences......Page 54
Placement of the Dock......Page 55
Switching between Open Applications......Page 56
Finder navigation......Page 57
Faster access to oft-used folders......Page 58
Finding frequently used Files and Folders......Page 59
Navigating menus......Page 60
System Preferences......Page 61
Dashboard......Page 63
Desktop & Screen Saver......Page 64
Spotlight......Page 65
Bluetooth......Page 67
Displays......Page 69
ColorSync Utility......Page 74
Energy Saver......Page 75
Print & Fax......Page 76
Sound......Page 77
.Mac......Page 78
Network Preferences......Page 80
Network......Page 81
Sharing......Page 82
QuickTime......Page 88
QuickTime Pro......Page 90
Keychain......Page 91
Accounts......Page 93
Date & Time......Page 95
Image Capture......Page 96
Startup Disk......Page 97
Universal Access......Page 99
Partitioning a drive......Page 100
Users' Home folders......Page 101
What is happening?......Page 102
What can go wrong?......Page 103
When something does go wrong…......Page 104
CHAPTER 2 Hardware Implications......Page 106
The all new range of Intel Macs......Page 107
Intel Macs and Xserves......Page 108
One size does not fit all......Page 109
State of play......Page 110
Hardware decisions......Page 111
The Intel Macs......Page 114
The PowerMac family......Page 115
Initial Capture......Page 116
Studio still life work – The capture station......Page 117
A capture and editing setup......Page 118
Studio editing station – PPC G5 or Mac Pro......Page 119
An editing setup......Page 120
Alternative thoughts......Page 121
Hard drive thoughts......Page 122
The case for additional hard drives......Page 123
Additional drives......Page 124
Earlier Macs......Page 125
Random Access Memory – RAM......Page 126
Second monitors......Page 127
Image – Safety whilst on location......Page 128
XServe......Page 129
Hubs and switches – Ethernet......Page 130
Firewire......Page 131
Firewire hubs......Page 132
Airport Extreme and Express......Page 133
Wireless connection to a printer......Page 134
Optical media......Page 135
Opening a Burn folder......Page 136
A smooth and stable power supply......Page 137
Monitors......Page 139
Video card interfaces and connectors......Page 141
Calibration......Page 142
Tiger's Printer Setup Utility dialog boxes......Page 143
Print & Fax (Leopard)......Page 144
CHAPTER 3 General Maintenance......Page 146
.DS_Store files......Page 147
Using a picture as a CD's background......Page 148
Permissions......Page 149
Keychain and Keychain Access......Page 151
Keychain First Aid......Page 152
Users and Groups......Page 153
Get Info......Page 154
Additional memory......Page 155
Caches are created to improve speed… but…......Page 156
Some useful maintenance utilities......Page 157
OnyX, MacJanitor, and TinkerTool......Page 158
Mac slowing down?......Page 159
Operating system stability......Page 160
'Zapping the PRAM'......Page 161
Command+Option+P+R and Power Button......Page 163
Key combos for use at Startup and Login......Page 164
C key......Page 165
T key – Target Disk Mode......Page 166
Conclusions from this chapter......Page 167
Modifier keys......Page 168
CHAPTER 4 Software Assistance......Page 170
Installation of software......Page 171
Help......Page 173
Mac Help......Page 174
Disk Utility......Page 175
First Aid tab......Page 176
Erase tab......Page 178
RAID tab......Page 179
Restore tab......Page 181
Log......Page 182
Context-sensitive menus......Page 183
Application menu......Page 185
Screen capture......Page 187
Grab......Page 190
iPhoto......Page 191
From where does the work come?......Page 195
Client–Photographer communication......Page 196
Digital photographer's front end......Page 197
Apple Aperture......Page 199
Adobe Photoshop Lightroom......Page 200
Adobe Bridge......Page 201
IPTC info......Page 203
CHAPTER 5 Resources......Page 206
Magazines and periodicals......Page 207
Subscription Lists......Page 208
Pro-Imaging & ProRental Lists......Page 210
Keeping abreast......Page 211
Apple Inc......Page 212
Really Simple Syndication – RSS......Page 213
Phototalk Radio and Photoshop TV......Page 214
Camera manufacturers......Page 215
Mac User Groups......Page 216
Links to relevant resources......Page 217
Resources – what and why?......Page 221
Recommended sites......Page 222
CHAPTER 6 Color Management......Page 224
Color management......Page 225
How does a digital chip see color?......Page 226
ColorSync......Page 227
Color management – basics......Page 229
ColorSync utility......Page 234
Color conversion......Page 235
RGB or CMYK supply?......Page 236
The conversion process......Page 238
Color management in Photoshop......Page 239
Convert to profile......Page 240
Final thoughts on color management......Page 241
Monitor profiles......Page 242
CHAPTER 7 Input and Output......Page 244
Image Capture......Page 245
Drum scanning......Page 249
An Automator workflow for a Folder Action......Page 250
Scanning images......Page 251
Spotlight – EXIF search......Page 255
Digital capture and metadata......Page 256
Digital images......Page 257
Shooting in RAW using a DSLR camera......Page 258
Quartz engine – PDF and Preview......Page 259
Preview......Page 260
Spotlight – slideshow......Page 263
Output......Page 264
Putting images on the Internet......Page 269
Apache Web Server......Page 270
Handing over images......Page 271
Handing over image files – PDF......Page 272
CHAPTER 8 Network, Backup, Archive......Page 274
Networks......Page 275
Network – AppleTalk......Page 279
Shared items......Page 282
Ethernet networking......Page 285
Creating a Location preset......Page 288
Allocating addresses automatically – DHCP......Page 289
Talking to Windows PCs......Page 290
Backup and Archive......Page 291
Add Spotlight keywords using Automator......Page 292
Archiving......Page 293
Backup......Page 294
Overall strategies......Page 295
Metadata-based strategies......Page 296
CHAPTER 9 Conclusions......Page 298
It just works…......Page 299
Repetitive tasks......Page 300
Appendix......Page 302
Shortcuts......Page 304
Smart Objects......Page 307
Smart Objects and a Catalogue Layout......Page 308
A......Page 310
B......Page 311
C......Page 312
D......Page 313
F......Page 314
I......Page 315
M......Page 316
P......Page 317
S......Page 318
U......Page 319
Z......Page 320
C......Page 322
H......Page 323
O......Page 324
S......Page 325
Z......Page 326