2 Questions...

[photoviolin]

Hi everyone!
My first question has to do with calibrating a projector. I run the computer/projector for my local camera club and we have always had issues with the projector showing far too much contrast compared to what we see on the computer screen. I used to run the projector off of a PC, but this May, I got a Macbook. Since the pc belonged to the school that I teach at, I did not even attempt to calibrate either that or the projector. Now that I have the Macbook I ran Spider 2 Express (which I previously had on my desktop imac). It appears that if I get the "pro" version of the Spider program, I would be able to calibrate the projector with the spider. Is that the case? Is it that easy, or am I missing something?

My 2nd question has to do with posting images online. I am hopefully going to be starting up a website soon, but would like to protect my images from being copied by other people. I have figured out how to imbed my name in the metadata in "Aperture 2", but I don't feel that is enough.... or is it. I have posted a few picts using my mobile me account, but even with the "downloading images" disabled for visitors, I was still able to right-click on the image and copy it to my desktop. Any suggestions on how to keep stuff from being copied?

Thanks in advance!

[1putts]

Hi photoviolin. I have no answer for calibrating a projector, sorry.

As far as trying to stop the copying of images, I don't think you really can. Embedding your name doesn't do anything as the info can be stripped. Sites that offer right-click disabling might stop the casual downloader, but there are ways around it.

Someone may correct me here, but I think the only ways to completely protect your images are by not posting them or employing a very large, intrusive watermark.

[Marko]

Sorry I too know nothing about calibrating projectors,

Someone may correct me here, but I think the only ways to completely protect your images are by not posting them or employing a very large, intrusive watermark.

To my knowledge that statement is 100% correct. Posting them in low res is a good alternative for many people.

[Michaelaw]

I work with data projectors for living as an A/V technician but have yet to see one calibrated on any show I've done. Usually we get into the projector settings and adjust until it looks its best. Sometimes we feed the signal through a switcher which gives us another level of adjustment. Often on large shows we use two projectors and since the units are always available for daily rental, they all have different hours on the bulbs which means side by side in a ballroom, one maybe dull while the other is very bright. Again we mess with menu output settings on both, to try and bring the two units as close as we can. Spyder pro claims to be able to calibrate projectors but how that is done and its level of complexity is something I can't tell you. I don't think it would work for us because hardly ever would the same laptop and projector be coupled together in a show sense. I realize this doesn't help much but it's all I know about calibrating projectors

As far as protecting your images, you may want to look at using "Flash" as your presentation software as It seems to block any downloads but I think your resolution may suffer a bit. If someone wants a copy of your image though, they can still zoom the browser window and "ALT, print screen" then crop in PS. At least the copy would be mostly unusable in a commercial sense if your res was low enough.

[Iguanasan]

Listened to another photography podcast a week or so ago, posted about it here: Photo a day? (Project 365)

This Thomas Hawk fellow had an interesting take on his photos. He posts everything to Flickr, full resolution. He knows people will steal his photos but he also has made enough money from honest people asking to buy his photos to fund his photography habit.

The only way to truly protect a photo online is to not post it. You have to decide for yourself if you want to hide your photos or share them. I've decided to share them and if someone wants to steal them then I'll deal with that if I ever find out about it. Hopefully, they'll just be enjoyed by people who get to see them. And if I'm really lucky I might make a couple of bucks.

[Michaelaw]

Listened to another photography podcast a week or so ago, posted about it here: Photo a day? (Project 365)

This Thomas Hawk fellow had an interesting take on his photos. He posts everything to Flickr, full resolution. He knows people will steal his photos but he also has made enough money from honest people asking to buy his photos to fund his photography habit.

The only way to truly protect a photo online is to not post it. You have to decide for yourself if you want to hide your photos or share them. I've decided to share them and if someone wants to steal them then I'll deal with that if I ever find out about it. Hopefully, they'll just be enjoyed by people who get to see them. And if I'm really lucky I might make a couple of bucks.

Just could never get my head around stealing another persons efforts. If material is not mine, I can't under any circumstance pass it off as my own. To steal a persons work, print it and sell it could never fetch enough coin to overcome the guilt I would carry around inside. If my stuff doesn't make it, it's because I should have been a carpenter not a photographer! I can accept that

[Iguanasan]

Just could never get my head around stealing another persons efforts. If material is not mine, I can't under any circumstance pass it off as my own. To steal a persons work, print it and sell it could never fetch enough coin to overcome the guilt I would carry around inside. If my stuff doesn't make it, it's because I should have been a carpenter not a photographer! I can accept that

I'm totally with you on that. Stealing someone else's work would kill me.

[photoviolin]

Wow!
You folks are really great! I like the frame of thought of Michaelaw and Iquanasan! It makes me remember something I have heard before.... "most people are honest and not out to get you".... unfortunately it are those few that everyone remembers. As for the calibration.... I guess we all have to learn as we go huh?

Thanks for the comments everyone!

[Michaelaw]

If you were a big bank I could rob you no sweat Art however is yours! Of course I'm kidding! I went to college with people who had no problem passing others work off as their own to pass assignments. My partner in a final project did just that. I went to the program chair and asked to drop my partner on a very grade heavy documentary project, a move that nearly caused a failing mark for me. Fortunately my grades everywhere else were enough to pull me through but I would have failed a two year diploma course if I had to rather than pass connected to this kind of behavior! If you are dishonest in your representation of your work as an artist, where does it end?