ph 2015 Physician's Fee Schedule Update By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Mon, 17 Nov 2014 11:20:21 -0800 What has changed for physician billing for 2015, new conversion factors, updated regulations, dispute resolution trends. Full Article
ph 2016 Physician Fee Schedule Update By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Thu, 03 Dec 2015 11:47:40 -0800 Effective January 1, 2016 every reimbursement amount changes in the Physician's Fee Schedule. Attend Sue Honor's webinar broadcast to understand these widespread changes. Time for Q&A with Sue Honor will… Full Article
ph 2017 Physician's Fee Schedule Update By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Thu, 16 Feb 2017 15:21:51 -0800 Suzanne Honor-Vangerov presents a program discussing the vital changes for 2017 including conversion factors, types of covered services and what is reimbursed. This course will benefit all who are involved… Full Article
ph Supreme Court Upholds Dismissal of Worker's Civil Suit Against Employer By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Wed, 30 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0700 The Idaho Supreme Court upheld the summary dismissal of an injured worker’s civil suit against his employer based on his injuries from a piece of farm equipment his employer had… Full Article
ph Court Upholds Award for Worker's Elbow Injury from Fall By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Fri, 01 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0700 West Virginia’s Intermediate Court of Appeals upheld an award for a worker’s elbow injury from an on-the-job fall. Case: West Virginia United Health System Inc. v. DeWitt, No. 24-ICA-74, 10/28/2024, published. Facts:… Full Article
ph Court Upholds Finding of Compensability for Worker's Back Injury By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Mon, 04 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0800 West Virginia’s Intermediate Court of Appeals upheld a finding of compensability for a worker’s back injury. Case: Toyota Motor Manufacturing WV Inc. v. Adkins, No. 24-ICA-181, 10/28/2024, unpublished. Facts: Donnie Adkins worked… Full Article
ph Court Upholds Summary Dismissal of Former SAIF Employee's Retaliation Claim By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Mon, 04 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0800 The Oregon Court of Appeals upheld the summary dismissal of a SAIF employee’s claim she that was terminated in retaliation for reporting unlawful conduct. Case: Cuddigan-Placito v. SAIF, No. 760. Full Article
ph Court Upholds Closure of Worker's Claim, Denial of Request to Add Conditions, for More Treatment By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Tue, 05 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0800 West Virginia’s Intermediate Court of Appeals upheld the closure of a worker’s claim, the denial of his requests for additional treatment and the denial of his request to expand the… Full Article
ph Court Upholds Denial of Coal Miner's Claim for Injuries from Fall By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Wed, 06 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0800 West Virginia’s Intermediate Court of Appeals upheld the denial of a coal miner’s claim of injury from a fall. Case: Saunders v. ACNR Resources Inc., No. 24-ICA-128, 10/28/2024, published. Facts: Stephen Saunders… Full Article
ph WCIRB Webinar to Cover Geographic Differences in Claims By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Wed, 06 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0800 The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau will present the findings from its latest study on the variation of claim characteristics in different parts of California during a Dec. 4 webinar. Since… Full Article
ph Court Overturns PTD Award for Pharmacy Worker's Injuries from Fall By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Thu, 07 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0800 A New York appellate court overturned an award of permanent total disability benefits for an injured pharmacy technician. Case: Matter of Thakkar v. Walmart Associates Inc., No. CV-23-0356, 10/24/2024, published. Facts: Purvi… Full Article
ph Court Upholds Denial of Worker's Request to Reopen Claim, Receive Additional Treatment By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Mon, 11 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0800 West Virginia’s Intermediate Court of Appeals ruled that a worker was not entitled to reopen his claim or to receive additional benefits even though he received treatments and expanded the… Full Article
ph Supreme Court Upholds Denial of Worker's Request for Additional PPD By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Wed, 13 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0800 The West Virginia Supreme Court upheld the denial of a worker’s request for additional permanent partial disability benefits for her broken leg. Case: Gajdos v. Appalachian Electronic Instruments Inc., No. 23-720,… Full Article
ph Court Upholds Denial of School Employee's Wrist Injury Claim By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Wed, 13 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0800 The Oregon Court of Appeals upheld the denial of a school district employee’s claim of injury to her wrist. Krista Wilson worked for the Saint Helens School District as a special… Full Article
ph The Impact of Catastrophic Injuries on WC Claims By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Wed, 20 Mar 2024 12:48:28 -0700 A catastrophic claim does not happen often, thank goodness; it accounts for less than 1% of all the WC claims. But when it happens, it takes only one case to… Full Article
ph Split Supreme Court Upholds Dismissal of Worker's Retaliatory Termination Claim By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Tue, 25 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0700 The Alabama Supreme Court summarily denied a worker’s challenge to the dismissal of her retaliatory termination claim over the dissent of a justice who argued that the court should have… Full Article
ph Court Upholds Award of PTD Benefits for Former Walmart Worker By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Wed, 29 May 2024 00:00:00 -0700 The Utah Court of Appeals upheld the denial of a former Walmart’s worker’s claim for permanent total disability benefits. Darlene Rouse worked for Walmart. She had physical limitations related to a… Full Article
ph Court Upholds Calculation of Pipe Fitter's AWW By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Wed, 16 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0700 The North Carolina Court of Appeals upheld the calculation of a union pipe fitter’s average weekly wage from a project where he was injured. Merck Pharmaceutical contracted with Jacobs Project Management… Full Article
ph Court Upholds Dismissal of Day Care Worker's Claims for Discrimination, Retaliation By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Tue, 25 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0700 An Ohio appellate court upheld the summary dismissal of a day care worker’s claims for disability discrimination, workers’ compensation retaliation and negligence. Case: Long v. KeltanBW Inc., No. 112919, 06/20/2024, published. Facts:… Full Article
ph Court Upholds Summary Dismissal of Worker's Intentional Tort Claim Against Employer By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Fri, 28 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0700 An Ohio appellate court upheld the summary dismissal of a worker’s intentional tort claim accusing his employer of allegedly causing his accident by removing the safety feet from the ladder… Full Article
ph Court Upholds Denial of Benefits for Cumulative Trauma Claim By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Wed, 26 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0700 The Kentucky Court of Appeals upheld the denial of a worker’s claim for multiple injuries from two alleged on-the-job falls and cumulative trauma. Case: Hardin v. Ford Motor Co., No. 2023-CA-1250-WC,… Full Article
ph Supreme Court Upholds Award for Worker With Back Injury, Psychological Condition By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Tue, 27 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0700 The Kentucky Supreme Court upheld an award of benefits for a worker for a back injury with psychological overlay. Case: Laboratory Corporation of America v. Smith, No. 2023-SC-0479-WC, 08/22/2024, published. Facts: Hunter… Full Article
ph Court Upholds Award for Worker With Cumulative Trauma Back Injury By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Mon, 09 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0700 The Kentucky Court of Appeals upheld an award of benefits for a worker with a cumulative trauma back injury. Case: Martin Marietta Materials Inc. v. Stamper, No. 2024-CA-0727-WC, 08/23/2024, unpublished. Facts: James Stamper… Full Article
ph Court Upholds Calculation of Worker's AWW, Denial of Statutory Multiplier By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Tue, 15 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0700 The Kentucky Court of Appeals upheld the calculation of an injured worker’s average weekly wage and a determination that her award was not subject to a multiplier. Case: Burks v. United… Full Article
ph Court Upholds Denial of Coverage for Worker's Opioid Medication By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Mon, 28 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0700 The Kentucky Court of Appeals upheld the denial of coverage for a worker’s opioid medication. Case: Howell v. Floyd County Board of Education, No. 2024-CA-0122-WC, 10/18/2024, unpublished. Facts and procedural history: Judy… Full Article
ph Federal Court Upholds Conviction for Pharmacy Kickback Scheme, Overturns Restitution Order By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Thu, 25 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0700 A federal appellate court upheld a defendant’s conviction for a long-running and lucrative kickback scheme but overturned the restitution order that had been imposed. Case: U.S. v. Young, Nos. 20-13091 and… Full Article
ph Court Upholds Worker's Entitlement to Further Medical Care By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Thu, 30 May 2024 00:00:00 -0700 An Arizona appellate court upheld a determination that a worker was entitled to additional treatment as he had not reached a medically stationary state. Case: Tenet Health System Medical v. Industrial… Full Article
ph Court Upholds Denial of Worker's Request to Reopen Car Accident Claim By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Thu, 20 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0700 The Arizona Court of Appeals upheld the denial of a worker’s request to reopen his claim arising out of a car accident. Case: Parr v. Industrial Commission, No. 1 CA-IC 23-0018,… Full Article
ph Court Upholds Dismissal of Municipal Employee's Tort Suit Against Employer By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Tue, 21 May 2024 00:00:00 -0700 A Louisiana appellate court upheld the summary dismissal of a municipal employee’s suit against her employer for her injuries from a fall allegedly caused by the city’s negligence in maintaining… Full Article
ph Court Upholds Award for Carpal Tunnel, Denies Employer's Request to Take Offset By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Thu, 05 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0700 A Louisiana appellate court upheld an award of benefits for a worker with carpal tunnel syndrome and ruled that his employer was not entitled to an offset against its liability. Case: Caldwell… Full Article
ph Court Upholds Denial of Worker's Claim for PTD By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Thu, 06 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0700 The South Carolina Court of Appeals upheld the denial of a worker’s claim for permanent total disability benefits. Case: Cox v. Palmetto State Transportation, No. 2019-001936, 05/29/2024, unpublished. Facts: Jennie Cox allegedly… Full Article
ph Court Upholds Summary Dismissal of Worker's Defamation Claims Against Employer By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Mon, 01 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0700 The South Carolina Court of Appeals upheld the summary dismissal of a worker’s defamation claim against his employer for alleged statements made after he appeared to suffer an on-the-job injury. Case:… Full Article
ph Court Upholds Award of Benefits to Nurse, Corrects AWW Calculation By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Thu, 11 Jul 2024 00:00:00 -0700 The South Carolina Court of Appeals ruled that an injured nurse was entitled to benefits for a closed period and that the Workers’ Compensation Commission erred in calculating her average weekly wage. Rachel… Full Article
ph Court Upholds Denial of Worker's Request to Modify Award By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Wed, 26 Jun 2024 00:00:00 -0700 The Kansas Court of Appeals upheld a decision of the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board denying a government employee’s request for a modification of her award. Case: Jackson v. Johnson County, No. Full Article
ph Federal Court Upholds Jury's Finding That UPS Didn't Discriminate Against Injured Worker By ww3.workcompcentral.com Published On :: Mon, 19 Aug 2024 00:00:00 -0700 A federal appellate court upheld a jury verdict finding an employer had not discriminated against an injured employee. Case: Donahue v. United Parcel Service, Nos. 22-3132 and 22-3142, 08/12/2024, published. Facts: William… Full Article
ph Early diagnosis & treatment of peripheral artery disease essential to improve outcomes, reduce amputation risk By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Tue, 14 May 2024 18:00:00 GMT Guideline Highlights: The new joint guideline from the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology provides recommendations to guide clinicians in the treatment of patients with lower extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD) and ... Full Article
ph Remote monitoring and pharmacist helped improve hard-to-control blood pressure By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Thu, 05 Sep 2024 13:00:00 GMT Research Highlights: A new study finds that up to 74% of participants with resistant or difficult-to-control high blood pressure, including those with chronic kidney disease, were able to improve control of their blood pressure within 12 months after ... Full Article
ph Photographing Fall Colors – Where is the Vividness That I Saw By niels-henriksen.blogspot.com Published On :: Wed, 26 Oct 2011 13:08:00 +0000 Many times I've gone out to photograph the beautiful colors that blanket the trees in Fall. My mind and inner vision is completely lit up with these glowing embers that dance in the wind on the trees. At this moment and place nothing seems more wondrous and somehow these colors seems to permeate deep into my collective thoughts where vivid memories live. You may wonder why the need for all these flowery thoughts. Its because when I get home, what I see from the camera is nowhere near as spectacular as how I felt at the time. I do shoot in RAW format and I know that this format from the camera tends to be a little muted but even increasing the vibrancy, it still doesn’t come close to the mind's snapshot. I think that photographing the wondrous colors of fall is actually a hard thing to accomplish if you want to achieve the vision you had at the moment the shutter clicked. I believe there are 2 main reasons for this.First is that the reds, oranges and yellow of the leaves are highly saturated & luminous and beyond the ability of the camera's color gamut to capture. The color space of sRGB and Adobe RGB just don’t extend far enough to record these highly saturated and bright colors. Second the leaves normally have small moments in the wind and they appear to shimmer, thereby giving them the appearance in the mind's memory of being brighter. When I took the above photograph the yellows on these 2 trees did appear this bright. They glowed in the afternoon sun and were even brighter, almost like a candle flame, but upon reviewing the camera's result it was duller and more greenish-yellow. The image below is from camera with white balance on birch tree set to neutral white 5300K. You may find my modified version (1st photo) a bit gaudy but it does reflect how I felt about this scene. I darkened the sky to increase contrast between the 2 yellow tees. I also, for the greenish yellow leaves, shifted the hue to be more yellow and then increased lightness and saturation as much as I could and still retain detail. The grass was also darkened and made cooler, more blue-green, to again increase contrast with the yellow tops. In the photograph below the sun peeked out near sunset just after the rain had gone by and lit up this singular tree. Again the camera made those leaves less bright and more orange. Once again I increased lightness and saturation towards yellow for the bright leaves. I also added a purplish tint to clouds, (complementary color of yellow) to increase color contrast. I extracted the yellow leaves and increased layer size by 10 pixels and then added a slight blur of about 2 and set this layer to overlay. A pseudo Orton effect to give a glowing effect. In the next image below, the colors, except for a little vibrancy, remain mostly as captured. I did change the sky from a bright blue to a duller and less saturated version with clouds. The original blue negative space was too dominating and took viewers vision away from the tree colors. Many of the good fall photographs have lots of cooler and darker tones surrounding bright trees that help make those fall colors more prominent within the scene. If you have good photo-editing tools don't be afraid to play around and change anything to suit your needs and vision. After all, it's how you saw it at least in your mind. Niels Henriksen Full Article Fall Landscape
ph Playful Indulgences with Adobe Pixel Blender for Photoshop By niels-henriksen.blogspot.com Published On :: Thu, 03 Nov 2011 17:48:00 +0000 Sometimes I just find I have a need to play. Not the sand lot type, even though that might be fun, but more along the lines of creativity with my artworks. With painting I can just slop the wonderful colors around and see what happens but clean-up is more effort. But with photography it's not always as easy. I could throw my camera up in the air with a timed shutter and see what happens, but I am afraid of dropping it and then seeing a lot on money becoming dust on the ground with a broken camera. Digital editing allows me that freedom and the only cost is my time. Definitely less risky. I came across a video that shows the use of an Adobe Labs plug-in for Photoshop CS 4&5 called Pixel Bender. Being also a painter I was more interested in the oil painting effects as demonstrated with the image I 'bent' below. I may take this further as I will need to get rid of those bright white objects at the top of frame to make this image useful. The above image was run once in pixel bender to give texture in the parrot, but I found that the remaining detail was all too much the same and still too fine in detail for the background. I masked out the parrot, used the blending too to see if this would help. Not much, so I ran pixel bender again on several iterations on just the background to get the final image above. I didn’t realize until later that the smudging of texture actually added to the larger texture in pixel bender. One again for above image I ran pixel bender to get the effect for the chairs and table and then playing around with iterations on just the background and with the smudging tool to get a less contrasty detail here.In trying to use other images to see how they worked it became apparent that for it to work well there should be sufficient detail and contrast in image for it to produce better results. I also noticed that image size from 800 to 4,000 pixels each had different effects. The largest brush size was 15 pixels and with the large images the effects became smaller. The 2 photos of the fall scene are identical except for image resolution. The above was 1,000 pixels wide and below was 4,000+ wide It's easy to see the difference in effects. For the smaller image I even had tor reduce the brush size so as not to over-dominate the bending effect. From the experiments, or is it playing around, I noticed that when areas were smudged in linear or curved arches it increased the detail effects to make them larger as in the parrot's background and with the same fall scene but with smudging on the trees in image below. These may not be exactly to your taste but if you are digitally creating painting-type images then by combining different effects for areas within the photograph, a more pleasing painting effect can be created. It is important for any effect type that there be variation in texture detail, size and contrast, like a real painting to create harmony and vision flow within the image. The most important aspect is to create images that you like and not for others and that you have fun doing this. While I was playing around I completely lost track of time which for me is a sign that my creative juices are really flowing and I'm exploring new avenues. Please send me some links if you have any digital creations that were just fun and you enjoyed the outcome. Niels Henriksen Full Article creativity PhotoShop software
ph Reviewing your photographs from Older Archives By niels-henriksen.blogspot.com Published On :: Fri, 11 Nov 2011 17:35:00 +0000 Sometimes its just plain fun to go through your archive of older photos. Now with a distant memory of the scenes and events your photographs may appear better than previous scans. This is in part due to that at the time there are too many good photos and those not with the highest rating but still with merit tend to get drowned out. This image was taken at one of the great Buddhas in Kamakura Japan. The hawk like bird may seem small but this Buddha is very large. Without the bird it would be hard to understand the scale of this image. It could be in anyone’s home garden. Besides scale the bird helps to give height to statue as there is the appearance that the head is up high where birds soar. The next image with people in it does convey the scale of the Buddha. In theses type of metal statues the green colors are soft and muted and it is easy for green foliage to overpower the scene. That is why I have mute the greens in the background to give the Buddha statue more visual punch. The Great Buddha of Kamakura (Kamakura Daibutsu) is a bronze statue of Amida Buddha, which stands on the grounds of Kotokuin Temple. It's the second tallest bronze Buddha statue in Japan, at a height of 13.35 meters, surpassed only by the statue in Nara's Todaiji Temple. The statue was originally built in 1252 and located inside a large temple hall. The temple buildings were destroyed many times by typhoons and a tidal wave in the 14th and 15th centuries. So, since 1495, the Buddha has been standing in the open ground. Do take the time to review your collection as there may be hidden gold or at least fond memories of places you've been. Niels Henriksen. Full Article travel
ph What to do When a Photo is Missing Parts By niels-henriksen.blogspot.com Published On :: Wed, 07 Dec 2011 16:13:00 +0000 There are times when I'm walking around enjoying the scenery and occasionally taking what I think are interesting photographs around town and I forget to compose correctly. This is normally not noticed until I review them later as I tend not to look at each shot when taken. This is a different shooting mode than when I really want something special. Then the histogram is reviewed and for images with strong contrast several exposures may be taken. And if tripod is available it will be used. The above image is the final edited version that I wanted but failed to capture correctly. Part of the problem is that I wear glasses and sometimes I don't remove them when looking in the camera view finder. I do when the image is critical but for shoot and grab shots I tend to place viewfinder only on the glass face and if I don't line up correctly the image is off centre to what I see. If you have taken several photos then there may be parts in others that you can use to correct test perfect sections. In the 3 photos combined below, the far left image is the one I wanted (#1) but as you can see, it's missing parts like the feet and sidewalk. The 2 other photos (middle #2 and right #3) are ones I used to fill in missing sections and cover parts that needed to be removed. The big problem with the other photographs is that they are from different angles and perspectives and therefore, a direct overlay to match parts will not work. You will need to stretch, twist and rotate a little to make the parts fit. In the next composite photo below with the main image, I extracted the parts of each section that was used to reconstruct the final photograph. Image #1 provides a good frame-work (base layer) for the whole of photo, except I wanted the lady in image #2Image #2 was cut and placed on a separate layer and set to difference mode to make it easier to see when frame matches as it all turns black. I needed her bottom feet from another image (#3) to finish off her legs.There was still the problem of the missing parts of the steps from part #2 which was added by image #4. Rather than placing a whole copy of another image on top and using masking for desired parts and moving around, I recommend only cutting out the main parts from another file and copying to the working file. The reason for this is that when you zoom in on a large image to examine the fit, the handles are no longer available to use for positioning as these are at the edges of image. By only using a cropped parts, the handles for positioning are now just outside the smaller part and available for use even when zoomed in. This is a lot of work and not for everyone. It would be easier to retake the photograph, if possible, but if you're on vacation or it's an impromptu moment, it may not be possible. This process allows you to get the photograph that you wanted but somehow missed.I do realize that I need to be more careful when using glasses and maybe a monocle for the other eye would work. This is one advantage that EV viewfinders on back of camera work well for people with glasses. Niels Henriksen Full Article PhotoShop San Miguel de Allende Technique
ph Why Photographing Hats Can Improve Your Street People Photography By niels-henriksen.blogspot.com Published On :: Tue, 13 Mar 2012 15:40:00 +0000 This wasn’t something that I consciously knew, maybe deep down we all tend to know these types of things, but something I discovered while undertaking a new photography project in San Miguel de Allende. There are many, many ideas to photograph in San Miguel. Doors are a very common theme, I did one last year and one I am continuing this year. I was looking for something different and with the almost constant blue skies and bright sun, even stronger at 6,800 feet, most people if not all the gringos wear hats. Everyday I walk around photographing almost anything and everything. Great fun and focusing on Hats gave me a new challenge. I am reserved when it comes to photographing people out and about on the street. I feel reluctant to invade their privacy but deep down I love how people relate and engage the city streets. Here in Mexico, being such a tourist destination, the locals are even more wary of being photographed and many times hide there face or just look away. If a person is not comfortable with their photo being taken I won't take it. A different type of sun covering When I photographed street people I tended to hesitate too long (should I or not) with taking the shot and the impromptu moment was lost as they tended to now be aware of the camera. This man is not praying but doing close-up photography of the cactus I found out after the fact that when I was just focusing on people's hats I tended to think less of the person and more on the object of the hat. This allowed me to be quicker with the decision to shoot and also it allowed me to shoot more often. Who wouldn't love this big Mexican hat Because I was focusing on an object it even allowed me to approach people and ask then if I could photograph them with their hat as this was a project of mine. I think people felt more comfortable in letting me photograph them because I wasn't really just photographing them. It was an inanimate object and somehow that was OK. A hatted man with lots of hats I suggest you give yourself a try at this project and see if you don't now photograph more people. Niels Henriksen Full Article Portraits San Miguel de Allende Street People
ph Alien Skin Exposure 4 Photographic Software Review By niels-henriksen.blogspot.com Published On :: Thu, 10 May 2012 17:36:00 +0000 There is nothing more wonderful than exploring new tools or ways for something you are passionate about. A B&W Infra-Red (IR) processing of a red barn and green fields What is the Purpose of this Software? Exposure is an add-on photo-editing application for Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom and Elements that provides almost a complete list of film types, both B&W and Color, for processing for the digital darkroom. I say almost as I didn't count the list of film types in this application and I don't even know all the films that have ever been made, but they sure seem to be all here. 'Sepia – blue Finish (modified)' setting with a layer set to 'Lighten' mode (31%) for an Expsure 4 ver. of 'Kodak HIE (Halation moderate)' One test of software is to see how it feels right out of the box. A lot like taking a performance sports car for a test drive. You may not know everything about it but you know how to drive and turn corners. I never read the manual first as I believe that a person with reasonable skills on the computer and with digital editing should know how to turn it on and drive around a little. Exposure 4 did not fail here. It was easy to install and when launched, the layout and buttons were intuitive. The only problem I had was that it was almost 2 hours later when I realized how much I had been playing with the different types of films. How would I use this Photo-Editing Software? Exposure 4 has a great repertoire of classic, vintage and just plain old films both in color and B&W. Combined with these types of film selections are the various processing adjustments you might make in a wet darkroom, such as contrast, toning, bleaching, cross-processing, calotype, platinum and much more. Some of these are obvious as the IR and Platinum and High contrast B&W I have shown above. Even old color films with faded color can provide unique approaches to the photographic images. Without having access to the original old photograph, an older reproduction could be re-made. This could be cast against another image to create a story of 'then and now' and subject of an interesting photographic book. In the image above I took 2 photos and I applied old color film technique to the bordered version to create the effect of laying an old photo on a new photo to show a change over time. How well does it Perform? Having a 7 processors and 12TB of RAM there should be no speed issues with loading and applying application settings. It was just over a sec to load and less to applying any film setting. The window is originally set up with 3 panels. Large central being the photo being edited. The panel on the right is the main adjustment panel color. See composite below. There is enough functionality to do almost everything you want. A minor problem with the numbers dialog boxes. When you enter a number it doesn't apply until you click the panel and if you use the Enter key it applies the Exposure 4 application. I would rather have that only happen when I click the OK button. The panel on the left are all the pre-set film settings which are based on some combination of settings on the right panel. This is great because once you found a style that suits your needs you can then tweak it to best suit the photograph. I did find that using the color filter produced better color (brighter) for me than using the same color on a layer in Photoshop. It might be the preserve luminosity check box. With my sample photos the rendering of effects was clean with no noticeable distortions unless of course you cranked the saturation way up. I like that both side panels can be minimized and it's easy to zoom into a section for better clarity. With a 24” monitor some apps don't allow full screen editing. I also like how you can save your own presets. The above image is from one I tested since I had created a B&W version previously. The software did produce versions that I liked as well and maybe even better than the original. Who is this Software meant for? For anyone how wants to experience the look of chemical film technology and its variant processes. Definitely for commercial ad type photographic needs. Here with the press of a button, a vintage effect can be created without much time spent by the user. For creative types who may want to create story-line or books where the type of photograph is integral to the story experience For fine-art photographers that require a specific look, as with my image of the tree and bench, that is not easily achieved in Photoshop. To create new layers that can be set to one of the blend modes. There is a practice to create a B&W version of your image that looks best and then set this to luminosity for your color photo. While I haven’t experimented that much with these I suspect I will find some of the film output useful as a blend mode. Recommendations This is a good solid product that provides a wealth of film types and genres. It is easy to use and intuitive. I would give this software a 4 – 4 ½ rating. The limiting factor would be price for a new user at approx $249. but an upgrade is only $99. As an investment, I view software the same as a lens. It's a tool to help you meet your needs or goals. Many people find the cost of software somewhat prohibitive and yet see no problem with spending more on a new lens. I love a lens also as there's something about that precision instrument you are holding. But I photo-edit every photo I show to the public. I always want to bring out the very best and convey the feelings and experience I had at the time I took the photograph. The straight out-of-the-camera version doesn’t give me this. It is a mechanical device and not a human. Definitely do download a trial version and play with it. Niels Henriksen Disclaimer: Other than receiving a copy of the software to review, I did not or will not receive any remunerations, gifts or any considerations from this review from the company, its agents or any of its distributors Full Article PhotoShop software
ph Photographing Metal Sculptures and Art Objects By niels-henriksen.blogspot.com Published On :: Wed, 27 Jun 2012 17:51:00 +0000 I had the opportunity to photograph metal artwork for an artist friend who lives near Lynhurst Ontario. For those unfamiliar with this little village, it is about 45 km north of Kingston Ont. along Hwy 15. Noah, the metal-sculpture artist, has a large manicured estate with a man-made pond that is just perfect to have his animal based artworks scattered all about. Almost like seeing a herd of deer in the fields. In fact I did mange to see one deer at the edge of his lawns. But having a couple of Noah’s dogs playing around me meant that I could not get close enough to the deer for a great shot. The reflections on the screen worked to create great contrast with the darker pond water, which meant I didn’t have to do much to have the artwork stand out. Just moving about for greatest contrast. I cropped the right wind since it's a mirror of the other and including it would make it appear smaller. Most of his sculptures are made out of scrap metal parts and therefore, for the most part, tend to have a dull rust color. Dark and mid-tone oranges do not usually stand out well against bright green fields. Even the biker (bicycle and motorcycle) sculptures that have figures on them have muted tones in their clothing. To make them stand out better I desaturated the greens, as with the above example, to an almost grey tone to give the figures more prominence. There are 5 of these along the front near the road. Some artworks, like the bug series below, are painted, but even here we still need to have darker background (hedge in shade) to give more punch to the colors. Even in the above image with its strong yellow and reds, the green has been slightly muted. Most of the bug pieces have long insect like legs but if you include the whole art piece then the main body parts become very small in the photo. Focus on the main sections but include just enough of other parts to give context to photo. For some images I wanted the distortion created by a wide angle lens, where objects nearer are larger and distant objects becomes smaller than reality, to change the perspective in how we view the artwork. I had to use HDR on the photos where I was looking up and a bright sky was behind the sculpture. In the above photo the rust is made more vibrant and the green and blue colors muted a bit. I now know that I need to come back again when the sun is near the evening horizon so that for some sculptures the shadows will add to create a larger subject. Who couldn't love this old Flintstones type car. Some close-ups to focus on the texture of the artwork. And finally a photo for the biker in all of us. Many of his artworks can be seen on Noah's Metal Art and he also has a link with the Frontenac Arch Biosphere And here's the photo of the deer in the field. Niels Henriksen Full Article art Machinery
ph Patience - a Photographer’s Special tool By niels-henriksen.blogspot.com Published On :: Mon, 27 Aug 2012 14:37:00 +0000 Many times we see wonderful scenes and landscapes right in front of us. Our emotions are stirring especially since for the last few moments our vision and senses are taking it all in. Therefore, it must make a wonderful photograph. We take the photograph and move on knowing that we have a great shot because that's how we perceive our visual and sensory experience for this site.But when we get home it seems to lack that something special we experienced back at our location.Others who see the image may say it's nice but in reality it's just another tourist type shot. The experience we had is missing.The key ingredient missing is patience, or just plain waiting for the scene to evolve in either light-shaping or the actors in the scene. These actors can be real people or elements in the changing landscape.Light, it's strength or absence, is the key to all photographs. After this, it's the context of element within the science that further define the photographic experience.As an example, the photographs of a set of wonderfully painted stairs help to demonstrate the importance of patience to wait out a scene until the elements define it in a new perspective. There is a set of beautifully paints stairs just across the street from the Chateau Laurier hotel in Ottawa.But to photograph them is to only copy someone else's work. This is fine if all you want is to show others the beauty of these stairs.But there could be more if you only wait for people in this particular case to add the extra element to make this your own original photograph.I knew people walking up and down the stairs would add interest to the image but without staffed actors I could only wait for what?A few minutes later a solitary well dressed soldier from a ceremony on Parliament Hill was approaching the steps to walk down. Luckily there was no one else nearby to also transcend these steps.I waited until his eyes were near the wolf's eyes and took 3 rapid shots. It's hard to get the arms and legs just right so with 3, one should work well.It wasn't a busy place as these steps are slightly hidden. I felt good with the shot and started to walk on but a short distance later I felt there could be more if I just waited longer, so back I went.After about 15 minutes of waiting a bunch of young children and their parents started to head up. The little girl was leading the pack and it looked like she would head right for the wolf's ear. There were many others on the steps but I knew I could immediately afterwards take a photo of just the stairs and then edit everyone out.The photograph now looks like the child went up the steps to whippers into the wolf's ear.In many locations, taking the time to wait for something to change within the scene will make it a better photograph. The shadows created by the sun as it sculpts the landscape or intermittent clouds that create highlights within the scene. It could even be the addition of people, or removal of too many or the right combination of their colourful clothing that augments the photograph. Either way, occasionally take the time to explore the environment in front of or behind you and sit and wait for that extra photographic element.Niels Henriksen Full Article composition Street Photography
ph Any Fans of the Photographic Artwork of Niels Henriksen By niels-henriksen.blogspot.com Published On :: Tue, 04 Sep 2012 16:47:00 +0000 That is certainty a self serving title and its fraught with many definitions of term 'fans' but it is also a chance for me to understand something about my readership.This blog is just a few members shy of 1200 subscribers. I'm very grateful that so many find the photographs and articles enjoyable. There are also those who arrive by way of search engines, but from this total group I wonder how many committed fans of my photography I have. Taken in San Miguel de Allende I take many photographs, photo-edit them and then display these on the web just like millions of others do. But as a photographer the biggest pleasure is actually seeing the photo printed on photographic paper and how the texture and tone of the paper support the artistic vision.But out of the entire collection of photographs I capture per year, only about 5 -10 actually have that extra quality or uniqueness that compels me to print large, frame and mount on a wall for display.These fine-art photographs, as I describe them, go through a process of printing them on heavy mate papers (approx 300gsm). Depending on the detail and tonal qualities of the photograph I will print smaller versions (8”x10') on a series from 4-8 different papers to determine which paper best suits the image. After several weeks of just looking at them in different light settings I will select a paper for the final version. In this image I combined 2 photographs to make the composite above as I wanted the boy to appear that he was searching for his princess. Each of these fine-art prints are printed in a small edition series, currently 5, and then titled, numbered and signed and then made available for sale either through my Art web site ' Niels Henriksen Artworks' and through galleries.As part of my marketing strategy, periodically (approx 18months), I increase my prices to reflect the larger, albeit still small, demand for my photographic prints.Prior to this increase in November, I am offering to readers of 'My Camera World' a 25% discount on the current price for a period of 7 days after print is posted on this blog.GuaranteeAll prints purchased from me come with an unconditional full refund guarantee. If you don't like it for any reason you get a full refund. This makes purchasing a print from me completely risk free.Each print comes with with a Certificate of Provenance. See example below Over the next 2 weeks I will post an article about each of these prints that articulate my vision and story behind the photographs.I hope that some of you will see a photograph that you enjoy and will sequentially purchase. I think it's important as a photographer and artist that we also collect other artists work and if not mine then someones else's. I am starting to have a decent collection of artworks already and will continue to collect new pieces every year.By collecting several pieces I can then rotate them on the walls in my house and experience the same joy as when they were first hung.Niels Henriksen Full Article fine art Prints
ph In victory for public health, federal appeals court upholds FDA’s graphic cigarette warnings By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Fri, 22 Mar 2024 19:33:00 GMT WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a major victory for public health, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has unanimously upheld graphic health warnings on cigarette packs and advertising required under a 2020 FDA rule. This... Full Article
ph Choosing A Photography Website Host By blog.howardgrill.com Published On :: Fri, 05 Sep 2014 09:24:04 +0000 A number of weeks ago I posted that I was considering putting together a new website. There were several reasons, but two which were of paramount importance: when I initially coded my current website using Dreamweaver there was no concern about how people might view the site on mobile devices. The situation is very different […] Full Article Business Websites business coding websites
ph American Heart Association grieves the loss of Past President Ralph L. Sacco, M.D., M.S., FAHA, FAAN By newsroom.heart.org Published On :: Tue, 17 Jan 2023 16:51:00 GMT DALLAS, January Full Article
ph How to Clean up Your Photo Backgrounds in Photoshop By psd.fanextra.com Published On :: Fri, 09 May 2014 11:23:34 +0000 In retouching you see this quite frequently, whether you're using seamless paper, vinyl, a fabric hanging or a purpose built infinity cove, it's going to get dirty. You have a couple of options, one is to check out some reviews on Amazon for handheld vacuum cleaners and have your assistant scoot around with it between shots. The other more sensible option, which we'll cover here, is to solve it in post, in this case using Adobe Photoshop. Full Article Photo Effects Tutorials
