This morning as I log onto my computer a reminder popped up suggesting that I calibrate my monitor. I have gotten a little lax in calibrating my monitor every Monday morning since the monitor on my new laptop seems to hold calibration longer than my old one. But, that is no excuse for not calibrating on a regular schedule. I have written about the importance and benefit of color calibrating computer monitors in previous posts but since the last time I mentioned it was in June 2009 I thought it was time to mention it again. And, of course, I did calibrate my monitor this morning.

I use a Pantone huey that I have had for a couple of years and within a minute or so my monitor was calibrated. And, WOW, did it make a difference!

How can you tell if your monitor color is off? Here is a image of a GretagMacbeth Color Checker chart. The graduated grey color blocks on the bottom will help you determine if your monitor needs to be calibrated. If they are really grey(and white and black) and not a little blue or magenta or cyan then you are probably okay. If not, you need to calibrate. My guess is that even if you think it is grey, it is not. So, I suggest you invest in a monitor calibrator.

GretagMacbeth ColorChecker Chart

For us amateurs I would suggest either a Pantone huey or a Datacolor Sypder3express. The are available for about $90.00 and well worth the investment. Both companies have more expensive calibration devices, but unless you are a pro I would not spend the extra bucks.

If you are editing photos and trying to Make The Color Right, you really need to have a calibrated monitor unless, of course, if you are color blind like my friends, Dick and Ron.  They can save the money because it wouldn’t really make a difference. However, there are ways for color blind people to Make the Color Right and I will cover that in a separate post one of these days.

Wayne http://www.correctphoto.com

Photo Import Options
I normally use a card reader when importing pictures but decided to use the USB cable that came with the camera for this example. When I connected the camera cable into the computer Windows 7 automatically installed the driver for my Canon PowerShot G5. Then the Auto Play window popped up giving me several import options. The same option window will appear if you use a card reader or if you plug in the memory chip into a slot on your computer if it supports camera memory chips.

Windows 7 Auto Play Photo Import Options

 I prefer using Windows Explorer to organize and manage my photo files as opposed to Photoshop Elements, Windows Photo Gallery, or other photo organizing software as they tend to take over one’s computer and complicate the process.  The easiest import option is the first one in the list, “Import pictures and videos using Windows”.  The disadvantage of this option is that it forces you to import all of the photos in your camera to a single folder. Since most people are like me and have photos from multiple events in the camera by time they get around to downloading them I generally use the “Open device to view files using Windows Explorer” option. Here is a brief description using both methods.

Import pictures and videos using Windows
Selecting the Import pictures option will pop up the following window.

Windows 7 Import photos with AutoPlay-Enter Folder Name in Tag Field

The first time you use the import function you should click on Import settings and select the settings according to your preferences.  The “Tag” will become the destination folder for the imported photos.

Upload Photo Preference Window

I would suggest setting the Other options as shown. When you click the Import button Windows 7 will automatically create the new folder and transfer the photos to it.  When the transfer is complete Windows Explorer will open and by right clicking on a photo you can select the next action you wish to take. If you just want to look at the photos click on Preview. If you want to edit the photos click on Open with and select the photo editor. 

Right Click on thumbnail to select action

Open device to view files using Windows Explorer.
The the import method I generally use is the “Open device to view files using Windows Explorer as it provides the flexibility to put the photos into multiple folders. When you click on this option the following window will appear.

View camera photo files in Explorer-Select view Large Icons

Actually, when the window pops up it will probably show the “Tiles” view of the photos which are really too small for me. Windows 7 gives you a few more optional views. On the right side of the menu bar click on the little arrow and select Large or Extra Large Icons to increase the size of the thumbnail and it will be easier to select the photos you want to import into a particular folder.

Now left click on the first photo of the group and then hold the Ctrl key down and click on the remaining photos in the group (or, hold the Shift key down and click on the last photo in the group if they are in sequence). Then right click and select Copy.

Select photos to be copied to My Pictures folder

Open the My Pictures folder on your Desktop and select the destination folder for the photos. If you haven’t created a New Folder for the photos you can do so by clicking on New Folder in the Menu bar.

Select destination folder for photos

Then right click on the folder and select Paste and the photos will be transferred to the folder.

Copy photos to selected (Christmas 2009) folder

When the transfer is complete you can open the folder and select the next action or simply close it and go have a cup of coffee or whatever.

Well, Bob, I hope this helps answer the question, “How do I get my photos from my camera to my Windows 7 computer?”  Here are links to some other posts that might be helpful as you explore the wonderful world of digital photography and Windows 7.

A Simple Way to Organize Your Photos

http://www.correctmyphotos.com/2009/12/07/a-simple-way-to-organize-your-photos/

Storing and Archiving Digital Photos-A Simple Way.
http://www.correctmyphotos.com/2009/07/13/storing-and-archiving-digital-photos-a-simple-way/

Previewing Photos in Windows Vista (Win 7) and XP
http://www.correctmyphotos.com/2009/06/29/previewing-photos-in-windows/

Get the Red Out–What to do about Red Eye?

http://www.correctmyphotos.com/2009/06/10/get-rid-of-red-eye-in-photos/

Downloading Photos to Your Computer. Use Windows Explorer.
http://www.correctmyphotos.com/2009/05/21/downloading-photos-to-your-computer-use-windows-explorer/

Crop Photos for a Purpose.
http://www.correctmyphotos.com/2009/02/15/crop-photos-for-a-purpos/

Wayne www.correctphoto.com

Download and Organize Your Photos Before Editing
A number of months ago I wrote a post on transferring photos from your camera to computer so I won’t go into details of the procedure again.  Here is the process I used to organize the photos I took in November 2009. Note that I am now using Windows 7 so the screen shots might look a little different if you are using Windows XP or Vista, but the basics are the same.

1. Download photos to November 2009 file folder in My Pictures folder. 

Download photos to new folder in My Pictures folder

First, I created a New Folder (November 2009) within the My Pictures folder and downloaded all of the photos on the memory card to this folder. You could create multiple folders if you know what is on the memory card. But, if you are like me you probably don’t remember all the photos you took since the last time you transferred photos from your camera to computer.

2. Create New Sub-Folders to Categorize the Photos

After looking at the photos decide how many sub-folders you need to organize them. In my example, I decided to create four folders: Rotary, Garden, Elmore Cabin, and Bill’s Tools.

Create New Subfolders-Right click/New/Folder

To create the new sub-folders simply Right Click the mouse and then click on New-Folder and then name the folder. In this example I decided to keep all of the folders within the November 2009 folder, however, you could create separate folders under the My Pictures folder if you prefer.

3. Cut and Paste Photos into Selected Folder

Now you can select the photos you want to put into a specific folder (Hold the CTRL key down and click on the photos or the SHIFT key to select the first and last photos in a series) and then Right Click and click on Cut.

Select Photos the Cut and Paste into new folder

In this example I selected the photos I took at a Rotary meeting and pasted them into the Rotary folder. Just click on the selected folder, Right Click, and Paste to transfer the photos from the main November 2009 folder to the Rotary folder. Repeat the process until you have moved all of the photos to their respective folders and you will have organized your photos.

Repeat process until all photos are placed in new folders

Now that the photos have been organized the next step is to edit the ones that are worth fixing and keeping and deleting the ones that are not. And, you can rename then photo files if you like. I will talk about that in another post. There are number of post in my blog on photo editing. Go to http://www.correctmyphotos.com/category/photo-editing/

This is the easiest way to organize your photos using the file organizing features of the Windows operating systems (Win XP, Vista, and Windows 7). There are certainly more sophisticated organizing tools available in Windows Photo Gallery and Photoshop Elements, however, I prefer to control the process and keep it simple.

Wayne  www.correctphoto.com

OBN 20” Light Tent
The light tent kit (http://www.obnphoto.com/light_tent.html) included a foldable tent, and four backdrops (white, black, gray, and blue), and a storage case.  For my purposes I selected a 20 inch tent but they offer sizes ranging from 12” to 86”. Here is a photo of my initial test set up.

Light Tent Setup-Light Tent from OBN Photographic Equipment

I chose to use the gray backdrop for reasons that I explained in my previous post and took a few test shots with different lamp positions. I also set my camera to aperture preferred (f8) instead of auto exposure for greater depth of field.  Here is an edited photo of a test shot taken with the best lamp position.

Stangl Bird Photo using Light Tent and Edited with CorrectPhoto Editor

Overall my impression of using a tent for shooting objects is very positive. I still want to do more testing to optimize lighting and I want a smoother background. I might even invest in different and brighter lamps with a diffuser. But, I believe this set up is what I will use for selling some of my bird collection. Here is a comparison of all three of the setups; artificial without tent, natural outdoor, and artificial with tent. Note the different background in the tent shot. I think I like it better than the fleece I used in the other setups, but will reserve judgment. Let me know if you have an opinion. The color of the photo taken in the tent is closer to the actual color of the ceramic bird which is probably the best argument for using a light tent.

Photo Setup comparison: Artifical light, Natural Light, Light Tent

Based on my initial experience and testing I plan to use the light tent for all my product shots and will share my experiences and tips I learned along the way.  My next blog post will focus on editing the photo.

For more information on OBN Photographic Equipment go to their website, http://www.obnphoto.com

Wayne   www.correctphoto.com