Paul Inglis Media :: Digital Darkroom
Shooting digital capture as enabled Paul to attain absolute control over his images from the moment it is shot right through to the final print. In order to achieve this he has invested heavily in both skills and equipment. Paul has chosen both hardware and software carefully to ensure that both integrated seamlessly with his workflow.
Over the years Paul has used all the Microsoft Window Operating Systems (OS) on both Desktops and Laptops. Therefore he has chosen to stick with windows apposed to getting embroiled in the “Which Platform” debate. He has also ditched the desktop in favour of the more portable laptop as they have now become more than powerful enough to cope with the heavy demands of today’s
software's and large image files. Also the 17” screens really are a boon for image editing on the move.
Paul tries to keep his both the Hardware and Software up to date but with a
rapid turn around of new technology plus the sheer cost means that some items
are replaced when they are defunct. However most items are replaced within a
three year period. The core pieces of Hardware and Software used by Paul in his
state-of-the-art Digital Darkroom are mentioned below with a brief explanation.
On crucial pieces of equipment such as his laptop a brief specification has been
provided.
Dell Precision M90
As the heart of the Digital Darkroom centres around his laptop Paul spent a
considerable amount of time researching until he finally settled on the Dell
Precision M90. This laptop has a massive specification
but the main important ones are;
- Microsoft Operating System: Genuine Windows Vista™ Ultimate – English
- LCD: 17" WUXGA (1920 x 1200) UltraSharpTM display with non-reflective technology (anti-glare)
- Processor: Intel® Core™2 Duo T7600 (2.33GHz 4MB L2 cache 667MHz FSB)
- Memory: 2.0GB, 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM Memory (2 x 1024MB)
- Video Card: NVIDIA® Quadro® FX 2500M with 512MB dedicated graphics memory
- Hard Drive: 160Gb (5,400rpm) Hard Drive
- CD/DVD Drives: Internal 8X DVD+/-RW Drive
- Modem: 56.6k V.92 Capable Internal Modem & Adapter
- Wireless Local Area Networking: Intel PRO/Wireless 3945 802.11a/g Mini Card (54Mbps) Core 2 Duo
- Bluetooth: Dell Wireless 350 BlueTooth™ Internal Card
- Primary Battery: M90 Primary Lithium-Ion SMART 9-cell 80WHr battery
Software
Paul has used many software programs over the years some good and others not. This experience has enabled him to select appropriate programs that suit his
workflow. He would rather use an updated version of a software he is familiar
with rather than relearning a completely new program. Below is a list of his
firm favourites, he does use other software's but these are his mainstay.
- Microsoft Office Professional 2007
- Microsoft FrontPage
- Adobe Lightroom
- Adobe Photoshop CS
- ColourVision Spyder2PRO
- Extensis Portfolio
Hardware
Paul has developed a successful workflow and uses various items of hardware
to achieve this seamless flow. Amongst his favourite are;
- Epson Stylus Pro 2400 Printer
- Epson Stylus Pro 7800 Printer
- Epson P-5000
- Wacom Graphire4 Classic XL
- Seagate Push-Button External Hard Drive 500GB
He has two of these Hard Drives and uses them to back-up his entire computer
- twice! They are duplicates!
- Seagate Maxtor One Touch III Turbo Edition 1.5TB (7200rpm)
Again Paul has two of these Hard Drives and uses them to store his images
only - twice! They are duplicates!
Printing
All of Paul Inglis images are faithful to the original subject. It is
his objective to accurately represent exactly what was seen when the image was
made. This is made possible by shooting in RAW files with any necessary
work being done in his digital darkroom. This enables him to optimise
each fine art print using the latest hardware and software tools to achieve his objective.
Therefore he can produce a final product that is a large, vibrant original
fine art print.
All his printing is done on Epson Stylus Pro 2400 and 7800 printers using Epson Ultrachrome archival ink.
The Epson Premium Photo Luster paper that is used brings out the subtle details in each photo with stunning realism, a superb media for
fine art prints. The archival longevity of Ultrachrome prints has been thoroughly tested and documented to far outlast traditional photographic printing techniques.
|
