AirBagIt Lowers its Vehicles, Not Performance
Auto lovers are attempting to hit rock bottom with the aid of Mesa, Arizona-based AirBagIt as it expands industry leading line of vehicle lowering and leveling kits.
Already well-known among auto fans for its selection of lowering control arms, lowering shocks and C-notch kits, AirBagIt recently debuted several additions to its industry leading line of customizable body parts, including: vehicle lowering and leveling kits.
AirBagIt has debuted a new series of coils spring lowering kits for both cars and trucks and expanded its diverse selection of leveling kits to include vehicles produced by a host of foreign makers, including Mazda and Isuzu.
“These are really exciting developments for us,” said AirBagIt President, Joe Morrow. “We’ve always been proud to offer the best products to customers who drive a wide array of makes and models. Creating new products that expand our performance abilities – and increase the number of makes and models we can improve – is really something to be proud of.”
AirBagIt’s coil spring lowering kits are specially designed to lower the stance of a car or track without negatively affecting its performance. The latest developments join an existing product line including axle flip kits, lowering block kits, lowering hangers, lowering leaf springs, shock extenders and more. They are customizable to Mazda, Dodge, Chevrolet, Toyota and Ford trucks, as well as cars by Subaru, Volkswagen, Ford, Hyundai, Chrysler, BMW, Mercury and numerous other vehicle makers.
In addition to leveling kits that have proven popular among Ford, Lincoln, Chevrolet, Hummer and Jeep owners, AirBagIt is now offering leveling kits for vehicles manufactured by Toyota, Nissan and other foreign manufacturers.
“The fact that we’ve been able to increase our product lines like this is all about our designers, engineers and mechanics,” Morrow said.
AirBagIt first launched in 1987 under the name of Ratical Tops, a company specializing in assembling convertible tops for most truck brands of the day. In 1992, the firm expanded its specialty lines to include air-suspension systems and other products; that same year, it incorporated as AIM Industries, originator of the AirBagIt and Chassis Tech brands.
“Constant reinvention and dedication to excellence – that’s how you stay on top,” Morrow said. “AirBagIt.com has always been about innovation. In any business, you have to work hard to stay ahead of everybody else, and nobody works harder than our development staff and field mechanics.”
The latest lowering and leveling kits are just some of the newest innovations to be introduced by AirBagIt and Chassis Tech over the last 20 years.
“It’s innovations like these that allow AirBagIt to tell our customers, ‘If you need a suspension kit to improve your vehicle’s look or performance, we definitely have what you’re looking for!’ And when they buy it from us, they know they’re getting the best, because otherwise we wouldn’t put our name on it,” Morrow said.
For more information on AIM Industries or the AirBagIt and Chassis Tech brands call (800) 842-8789.
About AirBagIt
AirBagIt has been the leader of aftermarket air-suspension kits since 1992. Along with the Chassis Tech line of products, AirBagit offers a full line of suspension kits, spindles, 4Link kits, air-lift suspensions, coil spring lowering kits, lambo doors, leveling kits and more. The Mesa, Arizona-based retailer ships over 600 packages every day and offers a full warranty on all non-electrical parts for as long as the buyer owns them (plus a 90-day warranty on electrical parts), as well as a 100-percent refund for unused parts returned within 30 days of purchase.
For additional information, interview and image requests contact VirtuosOnline.
ThoughtLeaderGlobal.com Embraces Brand Transformation
ThoughtLeaderGlobal.com, a dynamic multinational networking organization and producer of targeted business media and events, will host a marketing forum, “Strategic Marketing and Branding” on April 26-27.
ThoughtLeaderGlobal.com will host a marketing forum “Strategic Marketing and Branding” on April 26-27. The concept to this year’s second marketing forum: Embrace transformation.
To combat the unfamiliar waters of the wobbly economy, marketing must evolve to deliver greater value, said ThoughtLeaderGlobal.com Marketing Manager Scott Rogers.
“Embracing transformation, technology and leadership are key to succeeding in the process,” he added.
There will be a broad range of marketing and related topics separately discussed at the Forum, including technology, social and digital media and building leadership skills.
Attendees at the Forum, set to take place in Amsterdam, will be drawn from governments, industry associations, community groups, academia and marketing professionals, but with a key focus from in-house marketing directors from global companies.
The Forum’s aim is to present global brand developments, marketing needs and strategic methods to connect to customers locally and globally.
The event, which focuses on in-house strategies rather than ad agency-based products and procedures, is meant to provide some front-line perspective on the best modern marketing practices, and the most common branding errors, according to a statement released today by ThoughtLeaderGlobal.com, a dynamic multinational networking organization and producer of targeted business media and events.
“Marketing is required to be innovative to enhance its accountability,” Rogers said. “Social and digital media deserves special focus as it carries major risks but also fantastic rewards for marketing and CRM programmes.”
Among the topics and presenters at the two-day event, according to the ThoughtLeaderGlobal.com statement:
- Alcatel-Lucent: Transforming Marketing Organization and Capability
- Philips: Integrating social network information within your marketing plan
- Deutsche Telekom: How the Brand Can Transform a Large Organization Over Time
- Belgacom: Managing the risks of handling the new social media and digital channels
- Reed Elsevier International: How to build and establish brands among B2B customers
- Amadeus: Internal Branding & Social Media: Employer Branding Through Social Media and Its Relation to Overall Marketing and Brand
- An Electrolux presentation on Brand Engagement: Sponsorship, CRM and Social Media
- Hewlett Packard: New avenues in marketing innovation
- Harman: Bringing your global online identities in line
- SAP: From Strategy to Implementation: Bringing Change to your Sales and Marketing
- Aon: Performance-driven marketing in a B2B2C environment
- DSM: Rebuilding a global brand in relation to reputation management
- Plus additional sessions presented by Microsoft and Rio Tinto
“This Forum will assist companies in learning how to create a more meaningful, successful strategy,” Rogers said.
For more information on the “Strategic Marketing and Branding Forum” or any of the upcoming ThoughtLeaderGlobal.com events, contact Marketing Manager Scott Rogers at +44-203-239-1927 or email info@thoughtleaderglobal.com.
About Thought Leader Global
ThoughtLeaderGlobal.com is a dynamic networking organization that produces targeted business media and events on various issues to senior management in multinational enterprises. ThoughtLeaderGlobal.com’s mission is to produce business events that allow industry representatives to share various approaches to complex commercial challenges, giving event attendees valuable insights on increasingly complex global environments.
For additional information, interview and image request contact VirtuosOnline.
Steven Malman Law Assists the Elderly
Chicago-based law firm channels its efforts into settling a record number of nursing home-related cases in 2011.
The Law Offices of Steven Malman & Associates PC announced that it successfully settled a record number of nursing home-related cases in 2011.
Steven Malman’s diligent law team targeted elder care facilities guilty of neglect, physical abuse and misconduct.
In response to the influx of nursing home-related suits, Steven Malman Law designated a whole team of lawyers to specialize in such cases.
“Such casework has become a huge part of our firm,” according to founding partner Steven Malman.“ There are over 5,000 nursing homes in Illinois and the majority is centered in and around Chicago. They’re run by a handful of families and large corporations that manage these facilities as cheaply as possible to generate the biggest profit, and as a result, in many cases, the patients are truly suffering.”
The law firm blamed drastic Medicare and Medicaid cuts as the culprit to the suffering of the elderly. Steven Malman explained, the insurance cuts have forced the nursing homes to minimize their expenses; causing nursing homes to assist the elderly in the most thrifty manner.
Poor training, insufficient supplies and generally inadequate care have left elderly patients to suffer everything from bed sores and malnutrition to physical and sexual abuse.
“This really stems from a lack of money provided by the government,” Steven Malman said. “But the truth is, most of these homes are putting profitability first.”
After learning about the “ongoing problem” at many Chicago-based nursing homes, Steven Malman Law created its Nursing Home Team, an act that pushed the law firm to the top in terms of nursing home-related lawsuits filed and successfully settled.
Steven Malman Law is ferociously continuing in its attack against poorly run nursing facilities and is hopeful to dispel of the misconduct in the coming years.
“This is about the proper care of our elderly parents and grandparents, and justice,” Steven Malman said. “It’s not going to be so easy for these profit-first managers anymore.”
About Steven Malman LawSteven Malman graduated from of the University of Iowa and the School of Law at Loyola University-Chicago, and celebrated his 20th year of legal practice in November 2011. Since Steven Malman Law launched in 1994 (with just Malman, one secretary and one assistant), it has grown to include seven attorneys and over a dozen paralegals and administrative staff. The firm has successfully resolved over 8,000 cases, primarily in the areas of workers’ compensation and personal injury, and boasts a 95-percent out-of-court settlement rate. With numerous seven-digit personal injury verdicts to its credit, Steven Malman Law is one the most successful firms serving clients in Illinois’ Cook, Lake, Dupage and Will counties.
For additional information, interview, and image requests contact VirtuosOnline.
AirBagIt Unveils Advanced Face Lift
Mesa, Arizona-based auto-parts shop, AirBagIt, catches the eyes of car enthusiasts by expanding its selection of skins, lights, mirrors and other customizable body styling parts.
Already well-known among auto fans for its selection of cowl-induction hoods, AirBagIt recently debuted several additions to its industry leading line of customizable body parts, including: hoods, buckets and fenders.
“These new selections are awesome,” Joe Morrow, AirBagIt President, said in a recently released press statement.
Continuing with its popular line of auto body items, AirBagIt introduced parts that include blue, silver and red-flamed stainless chrome rear-view mirrors, a wide variety of fenders as well as European tail lights and a broad selection of brake kits.
The auto-parts retailer also revealed products such as red, black and chrome six-hole steering wheels, numerous wheel tubs, brushed-aluminum shifter knobs and a host of make- and model-specific products, such as steel light buckets tailored for the 1989-93 and 1994-99 Cadillac Deville.
“The AirBagIt and Chassis Tech brands have always been about improving vehicle performance, first and foremost, but we’re car- and truck-lovers, too. We appreciate how important a smart, functional and sexy look is to most owners – so expanding on our selection of customizable body parts is both fun and something to be truly proud of,” Morrow said.
Enthusiasts can also check out AirBagIt’s new selection of glowing door hinges, an assortment of flashy windshield squirters and a wide variety of new decals.
“These innovations to our body part selections and cosmetic touches will really help our customers personalize their vehicles,” Morrow said.
AirBagIt first launched in 1987 under the name of Ratical Tops, a company specializing in assembling convertible tops for most truck brands of the day. In 1992, the firm expanded its specialty lines to include air-suspension systems and other products; that same year, it incorporated as AIM Industries, originator of the AirBagIt and Chassis Tech brands.
The revamped body parts and cosmetic selections are the latest innovations to be introduced by AirBagIt and Chassis Tech over the last 20 years.
“We’ve always understood the importance of reinvention and dedication to excellence,” Morrow said. “And if you ask around, most people who understand this industry consider AirBagIt and Chassis Tech to be the best.”
For more information on AIM Industries or the AirBagIt and Chassis Tech brands call (800) 842-8789.
About AirBagIt
AirBagIt has been the leader of aftermarket air-suspension kits since 1992. Along with the Chassis Tech line of products, AirBagit offers a full line of air-lift suspensions, lowering kits, leveling kits and more, plus a broad array of body-styling and cosmetic parts and accessories. The Mesa, Arizona-based retailer ships over 12,000 packages monthly and offers a full lifetime warranty on all non-electrical parts (plus a 90-day warranty on electrical parts), as well as a 100-percent refund for unused parts returned within 30 days of purchase.
For additional information, interview and image requests contact VirtuosOnline.
www.ThoughtLeaderGlobal.com Architects Change in the Cloud
Savvy IT directors currently implementing cloud-computing technologies will present a broad range of practical corporate experiences and related topics separately discussed at the Forum, including business development and technology advancements.
Cloud computing provides computation, software applications, data access, and storage resources without requiring cloud users to know the location and other details of the computing infrastructure.
This type of data center environment allows enterprises to get their applications up and running faster, with easier manageability and less maintenance, and enables it to rapidly adjust IT resources (such as servers, storage, and networking) to meet fluctuating and unpredictable business demand.
“Attendees will learn about moving their organization toward a more efficient business mobile-enabled architecture,” said
www.ThoughtLeaderGlobal.com Marketing Manager Scott Rogers.Technology continues to make impressive strides and this year’s IT Forum, to be held in Amsterdam, is seeking to enlighten attendees with the most up-to-date information.
The Forum will address the concept of cloud within the business model as well as illustrate its diverse services and its IT infrastructure, said Rogers.
“In the current economic environment, companies are constantly searching for ways to decrease costs while increasing revenue, and cloud is a key enabler of savings opportunities,” Rogers said.
Among the topics and presenters at the two-day event, according to the
www.ThoughtLeaderGlobal.com statement:- APM Terminals: “Public vs. Private vs. Hybrid”
- Vodafone: Unlocking the true potential for cloud in your organization
- Philips: Moving toward a mobile-enabled business architecture
- GSK Biologicals: Cloud computing and enterprise architecture
- Munich Re on datacenter automation
- IBM: Managing Security and Compliance Concerns in Cloud Computing
- An Austrian government presentation on electronic identities and their uses in cloud computing
- Continental AG on cloud-based, on-demand SAP ERP operations: cloudy vision, or already a reality?
- Deutscher Alpenverein: Cloud Services as an Extension of IT Infrastructure
- Vodafone: Cloud computing as business continuity
“There are obviously many security and identity concerns with cloud, and this year’s event will feature various speakers discussing these issues and how their organizations deal with them,” Rogers said.
For more information on the “Enterprise Cloud Computing Forum” or any of the upcoming
www.ThoughtLeaderGlobal.com events, contact Marketing Manager Scott Rogers at +44-203-239-1927 or email info@thoughtleaderglobal.com.About Thought Leader Global
www.ThoughtLeaderGlobal.com is a dynamic networking organization that produces targeted business media and events on various issues to senior management in multinational enterprises. www.ThoughtLeaderGlobal.com’s mission is to produce business events that allow industry representatives to share various approaches to complex commercial challenges, giving event attendees valuable insights on increasingly complex global environments.
How to Take Gorgeous Photos of Your Kids: 29% Off Today Only
Today is 29 February (at least it is here in Australia as this post goes live) and we’re celebrating the ‘leap year’ with 29% off our super popular Kids Photography eBook – Click!
One of the team here at dPS HQ – Shayne Tilley our marketing guy – celebrates his birthday today. He only gets one every four years (and turns 8 today) and he’s being telling us tales of what it is like to be a ‘leap child’.
He’s not bitter (much) for missing all those birthdays but he did tell us that it puts a lot of pressure on parents of ‘leap children’ to get birthday parties right.
Can you imagine the pressure to put on those parties and to capture them with the perfect birthday party photo?
Whether your kids are born on that extra day in Feb or not, you probably know how it feels to want to capture their special moments with perfect shots. As a Dad I feel it as I watch my boys grow older – sometimes the days feel like they’re slipping by and I wonder if I could do more to record their early years with my camera.
I know many parents feel that pressure so at dPS we want to help ease the burden today and are taking 29% off Click! – our Kids Photography eBook.
29% Off Click! for 29 Hours
For the next 29 hours, Click! can be yours for just $21.29 USD (29% off).
Click! is all about helping you take gorgeous photos of your kids photos that reflect their big personalities, and capture the spirit of the most precious moments in their lives.
It is about resourcing parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts and anyone else with kids in their lives to take the kind of shots that immediately transport those viewing them to the moment that they were taken.
You can read all about what the eBook covers here but in short…. it’s a pint-sized investment for a lifetime of vivid memories.
This 29-hour offer ends at midnight (US Eastern Time) on 29 February.
Don’t miss out! Get more info on the book here or order your copy directly from the button below.
Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.
Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.
How to Take Gorgeous Photos of Your Kids: 29% Off Today Only
LowePro DSLR Video Fastpack 350 AW [REVIEW]
The DSLR Video Fastpack 350 AW is a new addition to the Fastpack line from LowePro. I was curious when the bag arrived as to what I would find. I don’t shoot a lot of video, but I do at times. Would the bag work well for a ‘regular’ still shooter like myself? Which features did LowePro pack into the bag to make it useful for shooting video with an DSLR? And please tell me they improved the zippers.
The answers to those questions became clear as I took the bag on a number of trips over the course of four weeks, mostly shorter trips around town as well as flights to LA, San Francisco and Portland form my base in Seattle. One thing became clear; this bag is not for everyone. It does not attempt to please all who use it and that’s a good thing. While I know, marketing-wise, it’s best to go after the lions share of the buying public, it is refreashing to see LowePro concentrate on specific photographer needs, such as video DLSR videographers.
Specifications
From LowePro’s site:
| Size(Interior): 10.2W X 5.5D X 8.9H in./ 26 X 14 X 22.5 cm |
Size(Exterior): 13.8W X 9.8D X 19.3H in./ 35 X 25 X 49 cm |
Camera Compartment Inner Dimensions: 10.2W X 6.7D X 9.6H in./ 26 X 17 X 24.5 cm |
| Notebook Compartment Inner Dimensions: 12W X 1.4D X 16.1H in./ 30.5 X 3.5 X 41 cm |
Front Compartment Inner Dimensions: 6.7W X 0.8D X 9.4H in./ 17.0 X 2.0 X 24.0 cm |
Outer fabric: 300D POLY DOBBY PUX2; 600D Polyester |
| Interior Fabric: 200D POLY W/PU |
||
| Weight: 4lbs/1.8kg |
Use In Real Life
I know those numbers often don’t mean a lot without real world use. I’ve tested a number of LowePro and other packs and my expectation for this pack as that I could carry my main body with power grip and longer lens plus a couple of lenses. When I inspected the bags camera compartment, it was clear I would only be able to fit the camera and two lenses. Then there was this longer section on the left side of the camera, where other packs would store additional lenses. I’m not a guy who carries five lenses with him at all times so this appealed to me and I quickly realized I could fit a flash on that side.
The bag is also deep in the camera compartment, meaning my Canon 7D with grip had room to spare, height-wise. This also left space under the flash on the left for additional storage, such as for a smaller microphone. 
That side compartment has a unique bit of divider that creates a false bottom and it’s good thinking of LowePro’s part because if it was not there, the spot for the flash would have wasted space above it. Or maybe they realized there are people like me that would pile additional gear on top anyway, and decided to maximize the usable area (although you do have to rip through velcro to get to that extra space underneath.
The Fastpack capability of this pack is the same as others; drop the bag off your right shoulder and swing it around on your left shoulder. This brings the side opening the bag into play and makes for easy removal of the camera. If you want to grab another lens, it is best to put the bag down and open it up fully. Here there is a slight hitch because of the size. Take a look at the photos and you will see that the spare lens compartments have a bit of overhang of fabric. In other bags this has been more out of the way, but in the 350 it is fairly stiff (at least when new) and rubs against lenses or knuckles. It makes things a trite bit annoying to remove. 
Not horrible, but slightly annoying.
The laptop compartment is pretty standard with room for a 17″ laptop in a padded sleeve. It works well but the two compression straps, when buckled, make removing a laptop slightly pinched. Again, not bad by any means, and when the straps are released you can fit a whole hand into the compartment, but just a note. With those straps in place it doesn’t open as fully as other bags I’ve tested. But I do understand why those straps are there and they do help make the pack feel more secure on my back.
Inside the top compartment is a good bit of organization. There is an elastic strap in the bottom to hold down a portable drive. There is a strap near the top especially to hold up headphones used for audio recording and I think this was very considerate. A zippered pocket and some mesh and other pockets make for simple organizing. I noticed, compared to other LowePro packs, that this bag lacks some of the more basic “office” pockets, such as pen holders and a cell phone slot. 
It does have the all important key-keeper strap (thank you!) and a spot for a single business card in case your bag goes missing.
The biggest addition to the bag is an accessory wallet built for video production. It’s not extensive, but I can see how useful it will be. The bag holds cables and cords in place and has room for two remote transmitters (handy for those using something like the PocketWizard for regular still photography or lav mic for video). It’s thoughtful and useful. On the outside there is a hidden tripod boot to hold a small to medium/large tripod or video rigging gear. The all important rain cover has its tucked away location on the bottom of the pack but is still not removable. It fits well and has kept my bag dry more than once. And lastly, the water bottle holder is available and handy of not employing a tripod on the right side.
For comfort, I found the bag in the middle of the road and it works well for the weight it should hold. The waist strap is meant to hold the bag close more than hold weight and is a bit high for my longer torso. The shoulder straps have enough adjustment to keep the bag comfortable for a few hours, but I would want more adjustment available if I were to wear the bag all day on a hike. The padding is ample and comfortable.
Conclusions
While I don’t shoot video and don’t carry around the normal rigging as such, I did find this bag useful. It is smaller sized than the Fastpack 350 Compu-Photo bag I review before and I like that, because it felt more maneuverable. While it was not as wide as the other 350, the additional depth was welcome as it fit a full sized DSLR and longer lens (think 70-200mm f/2.8) better. If you only need a couple of lenses with you, this bag works.
Oh! And the zipper question; yes. Yes, LowePro is using better zippers and this bag does not suffer from the I-must-use-two-hands-to-close-the-main-compartment problem of bags in the past. The zipper speeds around the corners and doesn’t bind up like its predecessors did. 
One other big bonus? The blacked out name/logo on the back. I like a bag that doesn’t completely scream “Camera Bag!” and that subtle change is appreciated.
Photographers with a smaller torso might find the 350 size to be a bit tall, but LowePro makes other bags in this range with the same features that will fit better. I wasn’t planning on liking this bag at first, but it’s growing on me. The main drawback, for me, is pulling out those spare lenses in the cramped side compartment of the main camera storage area. If I can get over that, this bag will be a daily use bag for me.
More details on the pack and a decent video can be found on LowePro’s site.
Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.
Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.
LowePro DSLR Video Fastpack 350 AW [REVIEW]
How to Choose the Right Shutter Speed
Taking good photographs isn’t just about buying the most expensive camera available. Whether you’re a wedding photographer or an amateur looking to turn professional, it’s important that you understand shutter speed and how it can affect the photos you take.
What is Shutter Speed?
The easiest way to explain shutter speed is the length of time the camera shutter is open. Back in the days of “film” photography, this was the time that the film was exposed to the scene. In digital photography terms, the shutter speed is how long the camera’s image sensor “sees” the scene.
Different Shutter Speeds
There are various shutter speeds for various purposes. Measured in seconds (fractions of seconds), speeds are denoted in numbers such as 1/1000 or 1/50. Obviously, the larger the denominator, the greater the speed. The average camera speed is usually 1/60. Speeds slower than this are hard to manage as they almost always lead to blurry photographs.
The most common shutter speed settings available on cameras are usually 1/500, 1/250, 1/125, 1/60, 1/30, 1/15, 1/8 etc. Some cameras also allow you the option of measuring shutter speed in full seconds (not fractions) such as 1 second, 2 seconds, 10 seconds etc. This is particularly useful in low light photography or when you are trying to capture movement.
Of course, many photographers use shutter speeds lower than 1/60 and this does not mean all their photographs turn out blurry. For best results, slow shutter speeds should be used when your camera is on a tripod so your camera is stable and there is no shake whilst capturing the shot.
Picking the Ideal Shutter Speed
Now that you know the technical details, how do you go about picking the right shutter speed so you get perfect photos? Needless to say, the demands of wedding photography will be vastly different to photographing a school sports carnival.
The most important consideration when picking the right shutter speed is movement. How much movement do you expect to capture?
Would you like to “freeze” this movement in order to get a clean, clear photo? In this case, you need to use a fast shutter speed. This will let you capture the moment before it escapes you. Or maybe you would like to let the movement appear blurry (intentionally) in the photos to better project the movement? A slower shutter speed should be used in this case.
The actual numbers for the speeds will depend on how “frozen” or “blurry” you want your images to turn out and a little trial and error in the right situation will help you figure this out.
Considering Focal Length
The focal length of your lens will contribute to camera shake and unless you have in-camera image stabilisation, you should consider your shutter speed depending on the focal length as well. For longer focal lengths, you will probably need faster shutter speeds. Without image stabilisation, you are best to use a shutter speed denominator that is larger than the length. So, for 200mm lens, your ideal speed would be 1/250 for a good quality photograph.
Following these tips will help you choose the right shutter speed and will take you a long way towards taking better photos.
Read more about Shutter Speed at – Introduction to Shutter Speed and Understanding Shutter Speed.
Kevin provides various tips and tricks on wedding photography, portrait photography and family photography.
Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.
Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.
How to Choose the Right Shutter Speed
Aperture Three – Viewing the Images
Aperture is about viewing and managing your images and as such your primary workspace is going to be the viewer. As we mentioned in the last tutorial, Aperture’s main window can be used in three basic modes, Browser, Split View and Viewer and in this tutorial I will discuss some of the details of each mode. You can switch modes using the icons on the right side of the tool bar but you can also change modes from the top menu using the View option. One further way to switch the mode is to use the V key, this will cycle through the three modes.
Browser Mode
This is the mode that you would use to view all images within a Project, Folder or Album. You can select these from your Inspector window on the left. So in this mode, at the top left of the Browser screen, the Projects button will show you a thumbnail of each of the projects in Library. A little known feature here is that if you skim you mouse pointer, horizontally across a particular thumbnail, it will cycle through thumbnails of all the images within that Project.
Lets return to a specific album by selecting it in the Library. To the right of the Projects button there is a drop-down box. This allows you to arrange the images according to various criteria, including file name, size, rating and orientation. You can choose to have this order ascending or descending. To the right of this button are two small icons these allow you to switch between the icon (thumbnail) view and a list view, the latter is useful for looking at specific information about files.
To the top right of the Browser screen, the small magnify icon is part of Aperture’s powerful search engine, clicking on this reveals a window with a large range of search options, from specific words to ratings and more. To the right of this, is a search box that allows you to search images using specific keywords. The magnifying glass to the left of this box has a little drop-down triangle that allows you to make searches using Aperture’s rating system.
To the bottom left of the browser, the arrow button is a standard select tool. If you use this in combination with the command key you can select multiple images. To the right is a quick rotate tool, each click will rotate an image 90 degrees anti-clockwise.
The next button will allow you to lift the metadata and/or image adjustments from a selected image and next tool to the right allow you to stamp that information either in it’s entirety or selectively into another image.
To the bottom right of the browser, the first tool from the left allows you to define which metadata you wish to see at the bottom of each thumbnail image. Selecting the button with the number 1 inside means any adjustments will be made only to the primary image among a selection of images. Next is the quick preview button, when this is selected the browser will show only preview images rather than a full version. This is useful if you have a slower system.
Lastly the slider bottom right allows you to change the size of the thumbnails displayed in the browser window.
Each image in browser mode will have specific information around it, depending on how you have set up Aperture. At the bottom of the image you can have a range of metadata ranging from a simple file name to keywords and captions. These are adjusted using the metadata tool discussed above. In the bottom left of an image you may see a star rating, this will be discussed in the next tutorial. The little icon on the bottom left is called a badge and there are a number of different badges that shows information about the state of the image for example whether adjustments have been made or whether the file is a version of a master file.
The Split View Mode
This mode displays a large version of selected images at the top and a film strip browser at the bottom. Below the main image view, the first four icons from the left, in the top row, are the same as from the browser mode. The next four are adjustment tools that we will discuss in the viewer section. To the right there is one new icon, the zoom view which will instantly zoom the selected images to 100% of the image size.
The lower row of tools, above the film strip browser are duplicates of tools we saw in the browser mode.
The Viewer Mode
The viewer mode displays the selected images as large versions. The buttons at the bottom are generally ones we have already discussed except the four quick adjustment tools that we saw in the split mode. The first of these is the horizon leveler, to use this select the tool and click and drag vertically within the image. You will see a grid appears and the image will be turned in the direction of your drag. When happy, release the mouse button.
The next button is the crop tool. Selecting this allows you to crop the image to either a predefined ratio or your own custom setting. Set the image crop you require, then click and drag the mouse across the image. The outside of the crop area will go darker giving you a good indication of the effect of the crop.
Next we have the red eye reducer. select this tool and click it over the offending red eyes to eliminate them.
The last tool, the brush tool, is actually a drop-down menu containing many variations of brushes allowing you to make selective corrections to specific parts of the image.
So that is a brief introduction to the Viewing modes within Aperture. I want to leave you with one last very important piece of information about Aperture (and indeed Lightroom). Both these programs use what’s known as non destructive editing. What this means is that when you apply an adjustment to an image the changes are actually being made to a small information file about the image, not to the actual image itself. This makes both these programs very powerful image adjustment programs as well as management software.
In the next tutorial we will take a brief look at the metadata and ratings system.
Jason Row is a British born travel photographer now living in Ukraine. You can follow him on Facebook or visit his site, The Odessa Files. He also maintains a blog chronicling his exploits as an Expat in the former Soviet Union
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Divorced Man Haunted by Past Cleans His Act
Frustrated with continued rejection, man turns to Online Reputation Management, an Internet reputation management and repair firm, seeking a second chance.
Recently divorced, George, 64, decided to relocate and start afresh. He applied to over a dozen engineering firms and waited for their phone calls summoning him to interview.
But the phone never rang.
“Although I do not have anything to be ashamed of in a Google search,” said George, “search results produce my recent divorce dates, my age and the numerous addresses that I have had due to corporate job relocation.”
George contacted Online Reputation Management, a US firm specializing in online reputation building and maintenance, together they reviewed his search results.
“Human relations personnel check backgrounds and such volatile information looks sketchy,” said Online Reputation Management founder Ed Eshel.
The Online Reputation Management repair team narrowed down the results that appeared when searching George’s name and retaliated by creating positive, accurate information that replaced the negative.
Within weeks, George’s divorces papers, trial dates and numerous residential addresses did not appear on the first three pages of the search engine results.
“Online Reputation Management cleaned my act, they presented me as I really am without all the tainted history,” George said.
About Online Reputation Management
Online Reputation Management offers effective solutions for your Internet branding and reputation repair needs. The firm specializes in promoting your reputation in a positive light, and driving search engines away from negative reviews about you or your business. Online Reputation Management has been working with top companies, and recognized individuals, specifically in the United States, and have achieved tremendous successes in their Internet reputation repair and management services. Online Reputation Management’s services are continuous, and consist of Internet marketing techniques successful in aiding any problem.
