The Panasonic S5 includes important upgrades to its autofocus system, but how much do those improvements extend to video? We put it to the test, shooting side-by-side against the S1H, to find out.
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Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
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Facebook will no longer scan uploaded images for users’ faces by default, according to The Verge. The change will apply to new users who receive the Face Recognition setting as Facebook rolls it out globally over the next several weeks. The Face Recognition feature, which was first introduced in late 2017, will not be turned on unless the user chooses to enable it.
The facial recognition feature works by scanning images for users’ faces and alerting them about these images even if they’re not tagged in them. Users who receive one of these alerts can choose to tag themselves in the image, ignore it, or report the image when applicable.
In an update on the technology following the outcome of its federal appeal in August, Facebook has revealed that the facial recognition feature is rolling out to all users, but that they’ll need to manually enable it if they want the platform to scan other users’ images for their face. A notice in the user’s News Feed will alert that user when the feature becomes available on their account.
Users will be able to find the Face Recognition feature in their account’s Settings menu. Facebook users who currently have Face Recognition on their accounts can find instructions on disabling it here.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
The post Using Face Detection and Recognition in ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate 2019 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Stacey Hill.
Are you a person who takes lots of photos of people? Perhaps you shoot weddings or events? Family portraits? Maybe you like to capture images of family and friends? Eventually, you end up with many images. Some are easy to sort through when they have only one person in them.
However, what about group photos? How do you tag/catalog/sort through those? Do you have to list out everyone’s name in the meta tags manually?
What if you don’t know all the names immediately? What if you find out later that Heather is actually Helen and you have to go back and change it?
Finally, how can you find all the images with a specific person quickly and easily?
Luckily, ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate 2019 makes this task easy with the new Face Detection and Recognition capabilities.
1. Open the program and in ‘Manage’ mode, navigate to the desired folder where you have stored your images.
2. Click on an image of the person you want to name and click on ‘View’ to open in View mode.
3. Face Detection identifies the person by outlining their face.
4. If this outline box is not present, click on the ‘Show Face Outlines’ button (or Shift + B).
5. Once the face is selected, we need to apply the name. Click on the ‘Face’ Tool (or Shift + F) and a dark grey text bar pops up under the outline.
6. Click in the text bar and type the name of the person and press ‘Enter.’
7. If you select any other image with that person and open it in ‘View mode,’ it should automatically select their face and apply the name.
A key point regarding the naming structure you use is to put some thought into what naming convention you use and then keep it consistent. For example, something along the lines of: first name (space) last name or first name_last name. Doing so makes a difference later if you are using search parameters to find people.
What happens if you have more than one Joe Smith? What if you start off using only first names and then you have 3 x David, 4 x Michael, 2 x Louise all in the same wedding party? Being as specific as possible when naming addresses this issue.
Once the software has recognized the face and you have assigned a name to it, it detects that face amongst all your other photos. While it works across any images currently stored on your computer, the data is saved and applied to any new images you import onto your computer.
Therefore, you should only have to tag the person once. ACDSee remembers their name and applies it to any future image with their face in it.
Now you might want to search for all the images with Heather.
1. In ‘Manage’ mode, select ‘Catalog’ on the left-hand panel. The panel is broken up into different sections. At the top is ‘Categories.’
2. The second panel down is ‘People.’ All the names you have applied to your images are listed. Click on any name, and it goes through the database to pull out all the images with that face present in them.
3. In ‘Manage’ mode, you can ‘Quick Search’ by typing the name in the Quick Search box.
1. Search for two or more people by holding down CTRL while selecting a second name in the People section of the Catalog panel. The software finds the images for those people. You can also utilize the ‘Easy Select’ arrows next to the names to select multiple people.
2. Find an image with two specific people in it together by typing both of their names in the ‘Quick Search’ bar as Person 1 + Person 2 to run a Boolean AND search. It is during this process that it’s essential to understand the naming convention you used originally.
In ‘Manage’ mode, select the folder you want to search in and click F3 to search (or right mouse click and select Search). Make sure you put ‘People’ in the ‘Categories’ section or it will search the entire database and potentially pull up other images.
3. You can also run a search from the ‘Catalog’ pane. In the ‘People’ section, select all the people you want to search for by using the ‘Easy-Select’ arrows or CTRL/SHIFT clicking. Click the gear icon on the People section header, and change the search type to ‘Match All.’
You can edit/change/remove the name data you have stored, which comes in handy if you have to update the spelling on one. Maybe you forgot you already had a ‘Sebastian’ in there, and you need to change one of them.
1. In ‘Manage’ mode, select ‘Tools’ from the top menu option.
2. From the drop-down menu, select ‘Manage People.’
3. A ‘People Manager’ box opens up with all the names you have saved. You can edit each one as needed by selecting them and using the bottom buttons.
1. The naming convention you use is important, so plan that out in advance.
2. If the face is not automatically detected, and you have to create it manually, the software will not further recognize it in Face Recognition. Also, note that if you use the Remove Faces or Redetect Faces command on an image, manual faces aren’t retained. The Rerun Face Detection option remembers them if you edit images.
3. Currently, there is no facility to import face recognition tags from other software (Picasa as an example). However, a search through the support forums has this listed on the ‘Potential Ideas for Future Updates’ list. It also appears to apply to the exporting of images from ACDSee as well, with the intention of retaining the face recognition tags.
4. There is no easy way to establish if there are currently any unnamed faces.
5. If the software has assigned the wrong name to someone, you can remove it with the Remove Faces function. This removes all face data from the selected image, not just the one wrong one.
6. To ensure a better success rate, you may need to manually select several images of one person so that the software can ‘learn’ that face with accuracy. You achieve better accuracy by naming as many faces in the (first) image as possible.
7. You can manually remove the names from incorrect selections and can rescan in ‘Manage’ mode via Tools | Redetect Faces. You need to correct the wrong name, rather than remove it, otherwise rescanning continues to return the wrong name over and over.
Face detection and recognition is a tool that can make life easier for a photographer with many images of people in their portfolio. The ability to assign a name to a person and have the computer run an algorithm to find all the other images is significantly faster than doing it manually.
To be able to search for images with a specific person (or range of people) becomes faster and more efficient as well.
Is it perfect? If I am honest, not 100% all of the time. However, it is easy to use, easy to manage and does a pretty good job for most requirements. It could be useful for many other things that they may implement into the next version.
Right now, it is an effective time saver for the home photographer with photos of family and friends, through to commercial photographers with wedding/event shoots filling up the portfolio.
The previous 2018 generation of ACDSee was the first version that bought a range of features all together in one space. Thus, giving you the capability to manage and view files, edit Raw files, do creative editing with layers, all in one piece of software.
Leading with this Face Detection and Recognition, the 2019 iteration builds on that initial foundation by bringing specific functionality to boost capabilities even further. Thus, making for a compelling consideration for anyone looking to purchase editing software, especially when it is available via one-off perpetual license purchase.
The post Using Face Detection and Recognition in ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate 2019 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Stacey Hill.
A question seen frequently on photography groups is “What software do I get to process my images in?”. There is the usual flurry of recommendations for the familiar choices and a few random ones thrown in. One option that doesn’t get mentioned as often as it should is ACDSee. In particular the Photo Studio Ultimate 2019 bundle is worthy of consideration for both beginners and more experienced users.
The 2019 version with the newly included Face Detection and Facial Recognition features is a step up from the previous 2018 program, indicating an intention towards AI-based digital asset management.
For anyone wanting a one-stop shop to manage, view, process RAW files, and edit with layers, etc, PLUS only having to pay once for a perpetual licence, ACDSee offers a compelling option in the marketplace.
My background is in Lightroom and Photoshop which is the basis for comparison in this review.
Let us assess this software from the point of view of what it offers a beginner.
Setup and installation are fairly standard as per most software. ACDSee does require you to set up an account as part of the install process (it’s mandatory and cancels the install if you try to opt out), which then requires an extra registration step with an email confirmation. However, once sorted, no further registration is required. If you have registered before, you can use the previous login details.
It does allow you to choose which drive/directory/folder you want to install it into, as well as if you want to use a non-standard install path. As per the splash page below that opens on Startup—you can auto select the folder to open when the software starts.
Also new is the next screen, which helpfully shows you what the key functions and features are, and where to find them. Both of these can be turned off if desired. You can click on any of the words on the left panel and it will take you to the appropriate screen. Or click through on the NEXT button. Or close it.
Once you have navigated the splash pages, you will be taken to the Manage mode screen.
ACDSee has five main modes in separate tabs for each function—Manage, Photos, View, Develop, and Edit. There are some extra features but these are key ones used in general.
Summary of the features:
Manage mode has access to your computer, direction to find images where they are stored on the computer, and the default option is to view your images in thumbnail view (similar to Grid in LR). It shows EXIF data, histogram, and shot information for a particular image. You can colour code or rate images in Manage Mode.
Photos mode is similar to Manage. It allows a more comprehensive way of viewing image files on your hard drive, and you can drill down to specific day/month/year views.
View mode allows you to view a single image in full screen mode (similar to a single image view in LR) and has some basic editing functions included.
Develop mode is where you edit your RAW image files (similar layout and functions to LR or ACR).
Edit mode is where you can do advanced editing with layers (similar to PS).
There are also the 365 tab, Dashboard tab, and Messages tab. 365 is where you have access to your subscription information, if you opt for it. The Dashboard shows graphical data on image/camera information—if you want to know your most commonly used ISO setting, type, and number of files, it is visible here.
Importing is not required with ACDSee. The software will read folders directly off your computer, displaying and respecting its existing folder structure, just like Explorer. However, users can import off of external sources if they wish to achieve other organizational goals at the same time, such as culling, tagging, renaming, etc.
Once imported, you will then want to view them, cull, tag, and select the best ones for editing.
I have all my images stored on a NAS and it found those with no issues. Above is the Manage page showing the hard drive directory structure and images in thumbnail grid view.
You can rate your images either using numbers or color tags. In the above image it has picked up the color rating I gave one image in LR. If you select the Catalog tab on the left hand menu, you can further refine your search parameters with selecting a specific rating or color tag. In the below example it has used the Red color tag to select images to view.
Also visible in the above image is the histogram (color graph below left) with camera settings above it for the selected image. The fine print at the bottom of the window has the name, file format, date/time taken, and file size information.
The full Manage mode window above, with directory tree/histogram/camera data on the left hand menu, and EXIF data for the selected image on the right hand pane, and all the images on display.
ACDSee has two other image viewing options included. Photos mode and View mode
Photos mode opens with a splash screen explaining what it does.
It offers another way to sort and view your image files and has some granular control. You can get it down to a specific day quite easily and just see the images shot on that day. Probably very helpful for wedding or event photographers. Below is an example where it shows all the shooting days, with a blue bar that gives an idea of how many photos are stored under that day.
View mode is where you can see just a single image using the full screen size. You can zoom in to check the image quality using various zoom features. There is a floating Navigator panel you can activate and use that to ensure you are viewing the correct part of the image. Similar to the Navigator in LR/PS.
There are some very basic editing tools available here, but better functionality is had in Develop mode.
RAW image editing is done in Develop mode and it is laid out very similarly to LR. By default, the Editing tool panel is on the left but it can be moved.
Image with Edit Tool Panel on the left
It’s not immediately obvious, but the white section of the grey bar that ends with the triangle cut out of the bottom is the active slider. You move the light bar to the desired settings. Or type in a number or use the Up and Down arrows on the end.
There are 4 main tabs in the Tool Panel:
Tune – The usual tools for editing a RAW file, exposure, etc. Very similar to LR
Detail – Sharpening, Noise Reduction, and Skin Tuning
Geometry – Lens Correction, Cropping, Perspective adjustments
Repair – Heal/Clone and Red Eye adjustments
In Develop Mode with the Tune Panel open
In general, I found the sliders a bit fiddly to operate; it wasn’t smooth, but apparently it is easier to incrementally adjust sliders with a mouse wheel. My perception of the program is that its application of the settings is quite harsh, so careful use of the sliders is necessary.
While you can activate a second screen in Develop mode, the only purpose is to maintain a view of the unedited image for comparison.
The Tune tab also has some spot editing features—Develop Brush, Linear Gradient Tool and Radial Gradient Tool—the equivalent of Adjustment Brush, ND Grad, and Radial Tool in LR.
Edit mode gives most of the expected features you would find in Photoshop and other programs that offer layer/mask functionality. The Filmstrip is visible (similar to Bridge), although you can turn it off to gain the screen real estate back.
Edit Mode open with all the default settings and panels visible
Edit mode offers quite a few extra or useful features. The 2019 version also has an Adjustment layer for Color LUTs, which is a recent new feature brought into LR.
A new feature in the 2018 version was an Actions Menu—a range of preset creative edits you can apply with one click. The 2019 update to this allows you export and import actions as well.
Some of the actions have a really harsh effect like overdone HDR or similar, which was quite noticeable in the 2018 version. In the 2019 version they have toned down the effect in some of the actions, but not all of them. So it pays to pick and choose as it does depend on which action you choose as to what outcome you get. Also it applies it directly to the image so you can’t do it as a layer and then blend in, unless you duplicate the base layer and blend back which has its own issues.
One of the features that did impress me in both the 2018 and 2019 versions was how good a job the Heal tool did in tidying up spots and other issues. On the above image I have removed several spots and imperfections. On the right hand side, in the center of the flower, was a long black mark on a petal (near the small curled one), and that has been seamlessly removed.
An oddity also visible in the above image—in View mode I applied a LOMO preset and liked what it did, and further edited the image to mute the tones and lower the saturation.However, when you use the Navigator tool, as per above, it shows the original RAW file in its unedited state.
Finally I dragged some texture layers, (can be dragged from a second monitor into the Layer Palette), apply some blend modes, adjust the opacity, and soften areas with a mask to reach the final image.
Several new features have been included in the 2019 edition, but one key one is Face Recognition. A short video explains how to use it HERE.
I don’t shoot people/portraits generally but had a few tucked away to test. I could get the Face Recognition to function, however it didn’t automatically find all the other images and assign them correctly. I suspect this is because I have all my images on a NAS and not in the usual directory. If I clicked on each image individually, it did recognise the face and the person.
There are some things I find odd about how the program functions; three different ways to view the image can be a bit confusing. The second monitor view in Develop mode that only holds a copy of the unedited file for a comparison seems like a major waste of screen real estate.
Many new features were included in the 2018 version, and the ones assessed in this review of the latest version have been further enhanced and improved—I am guessing in response to user feedback.
This 2019 version adds a lot of nice new mature touches, and helpful splash screens to introduce you to different features. More accessible help options is a vast improvement: there are links in the Help menu to a Support Community, a Facebook page, and a Twitter account.
Any new software program takes a bit of getting used to, but once you understand it, ADCSee Photo Studio Ultimate 2019 offers any beginner (and more experienced users) a compelling package. It has all the features you need for image management, RAW editing, and more advance editing in one place, with the advantage of a ‘pay once and it’s yours’ option instead of a subscription. Although a subscription option is available, if desired.
At $ 149 USD for the single purchase perpetual licence, you get a LOT of capability all wrapped up in one software program.
8.5 out of 10
Disclaimer: ACDSee is a paid partner of dPS
The post ACDSee Photo Studio Ultimate 2019 Review: Face Detection and Recognition appeared first on Digital Photography School.
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Huawei has just launched the latest flagship model of its sub-brand Honor, and at 400 Euros (approximately $ 475) for the 64GB version or 450 Euros (approximately $ 530) for the 128GB variant, the Honor 10 offers the same Kirin 970 top-end chipset as Huawei’s flagships P20 and P20 Pro at a significantly lower price point.
The camera specifications are different to the Huawei models—unfortunately, there is no P20 Pro-like triple cam—but, at least on paper, the specs still look pretty good. The Honor 10 features a dual-camera setup that comes with a 16MP/F1.8 main camera and a 24MP monochrome secondary chip.
Image data from the latter is merged computationally with the main camera for advanced digital zoom, lower noise levels and better detail. And, of course, there’s a native monochrome mode as well.
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Huawei puts a lot of emphasis on the camera software, too. As is currently en vogue, AI is used for object recognition, and the Honor 10 has 22 shooting modes that recognize and adjust to different objects and scenes in real time. However, the Honor 10 goes one step further than most similar systems.
It can identify several elements of a scene and optimize them individually, according to the context of the image. This can happen in real-time, thanks to dedicated Neural Processing Unit (NPU).
Finally, the Honor 10 also includes an Apple-like Portrait Lighting mode that works with both the rear cameras and the 24MP/F2.0 front-facing cam.
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Other specs for the affordable flagship smartphone include 4 GB RAM, a 5.84-inch IPS LCD panel with Full HD+ resolution and 19:9 aspect ratio, and a 3,400 mAh battery. A 3.5mm headphone jack is included as well, but the phone does lack a memory expansion slot.
The Honor 10 is available in Europe starting today. No information for availability in other regions has been provided yet. To find out more, watch the video below or visit the Honor website.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
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At its F8 developers conference Facebook not only revealed a number of new Instagram features, the company also talked about how it is using the billions of images on Instagram to train the world’s most accurate image recognition systems.
Training deep learning models for image and object recognition is typically a very labor-intensive task, as each training image has to be looked at and labeled by human workers. This is a serious limitation to the size of training image databases; however, Facebook has found a way to reduce human supervision in the training process by using images that are already labeled… with Instagram hashtags.
Its researchers used 3.5 billion Instagram images with approximately 17,000 hashtags to train deep learning models and the results have been encouraging.
A computer vision system that had been trained with one billion images and 1,500 hashtags, achieved 85.4 percent accuracy on the ImageNet benchmarking tool, outperforming the previous leading system by 2.3 percent.
It will be important to manage the disadvantages of less curated labels but the Facebook research shows that less supervised training of image recognition systems could be a step into the right direction, allowing for the use of much larger and databases and therefore improved image and object recognition and classification.
Translation: finding that photo you never tagged that’s buried miles deep in your archive might soon get a whole lot easier.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
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Given 2017 is the tenth anniversary of the iPhone, many expect Apple to come up with a few special features for this year’s generation of its smartphones. A high-end model with 5.8″ edge-to-edge OLED display is widely rumored and according to a note from J.P. Morgan analyst Rod Hall, this top-of-the-line device could do away with the Touch ID fingerprint reader and introduce 3D-facial recognition with a front-facing laser scanner as a security feature to Apple smartphones.
Removing the fingerprint reader would be an important step to make the edge-to-edge display possible and would also reduce user frustration in wet conditions when Touch ID doesn’t work well. Additionally, it could potentially be more secure, making it ideal for Apple Pay and other mobile commerce applications. Eventually the technology could also be used for augmented reality purposes but according to JPMorgan this is not expected to happen before 2018.
The research note also claims that, based on economies of scale, the 3D recognition technology could also make it onto the lower level models of the 2017 iPhone line. The scanner is said to add $ 10 to $ 15 per module to the iPhone 8’s bill of materials. In combination with the OLED display, glass casing, and related increased production cost this could mean that the new top-model will cost upwards of $ 1000.
What’s your view on the new technology? Would you prefer it over a fingerprint reader, and be willing to pay a premium for it? Let us know in the comments.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
Photography: GMB Akash
Few photographers will have started with the odds stacked so highly against them as GMB Akash. Born in Bangladesh, Akash had no access to photography galleries or darkrooms when he was growing up. There were no opportunities for him to work as an assistant to a well-known professional, learn the trade and begin to build a name for himself. The simplest image-making practiced today by any child with access to their parent’s smartphone was not a part of his childhood.
“In my surroundings and the place I brought up no one can ever thought a boy can devote himself to photography,” he recalls. “Throughout my childhood I did not have access to photographers, their work, or even a camera.”
The closest Akash came to being able to take pictures, experiment with compositions and f stops, and play with light was holding his father’s old camera, closing his eyes and imagining himself taking pictures.
His imagination seems to have worked. Today, GMB Akash travels the world taking photos that have appeared in more than 80 major international publications including National Geographic, Vogue, Time, and the New York Times. He was the first Bangladeshi selected for the World Press Photo Joop Swart Masterclass in the Netherlands and the first to receive the Young Reporters Award from the Scope Photo Festival in Paris. In 2006, the same year he released his first book “First Light,” he received the World Press Photo award. He’s been named Travel Photographer of the Year and Nikon have selected him as one of their eight influencers in the Asia Pacific region.
“I Have No Time to Play.”
It helps that what Bangladesh lacks in opportunities for photographic training it more than makes in opportunities to tell powerful photographic stories. Akash specializes in the kind of photojournalism that makes a difference. His projects have included Bangladesh’s shipbuilders, its sex workers and its child laborers. It’s those stories that have inspired him to build a career as a photographer.
“Once an eight-year old balloon maker told me: ‘I took some damaged balloons for my little sister. I have no time to play. I have only time to support my parents,’” Akash recalls. “It was at that point that I realized I should turn my lens on lives like hers.”
Akash’s most recent project, “Survivors,” focuses on the people at the bottom of society and spans ten years and seven countries: Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Pakistan and Bhutan. In addition to the sex workers and child laborers with whom Akash has worked over the last decade, the project also includes people coping with the results of climate change as well as the homeless.
The project was funded on Emphas.is, a crowdfunding site for photojournalists. Aiming for $ 9,250 to produce a book made up of the images of people living on the edge of society that Akash has collected over the last decade, he managed to collect $ 10,450 from 94 backers.
That’s an even bigger achievement than it sounds. Bangladesh has no Paypal connection so Akash was unable to collect funds from local friends and family, the first stop for most crowdfunding campaigns.
The success of the campaign he puts down to transparency. Emphas.is users should make a plan, says Akash, identify the project’s strengths and weaknesses, use social networking to build contributions and offer good rewards. (In addition to copies of the book for those donating $ 65 or more, Akash’s rewards included signed thanks from the subjects of the book, a private workshop and a three-day tour of Dhaka.)
“Most importantly if one can evince true dedication for the project, ‘success’ will come,” says Akash.
Giving Back
There may be more to it than that, though. Akash also donated a quarter of the book’s sales price to projects that he runs with friends and well-wishers to help the poor in South Asia escape the cycle of poverty. A portion of the pledges made to the campaign on Emphas.is went to buy rickshaws and sewing machines, as well as education for children. The opportunity not just to see poverty and injustice depicted dramatically in a book of images but, in viewing those photographs, to be able to do something about it, is likely to be a far more effective benefit than any of the rewards offered on the campaign page.
Photography: GMB Akash
But while Akash’s backers are able to enjoy both wonderful photography and contribute to a good cause, Akash himself has been able to build a rewarding career taking pictures of subjects that are both meaningful and important. He says that he only ever photographs the subjects that he finds interesting and inspiring, and never with the aim of winning an award or landing a job with a publication.
He concedes, though, that the awards and recognition do help to land good assignments. The jobs tend to come in directly from magazines, agencies and organizations whenever they need help with a project or want to assign a commission. Ultimately, he argues, it’s his choice of topics to document and shoot, the injustice and poverty that he can see in his native Bangladesh, that have allowed him to build his career.
“Taking photos to feed my passion may be the most important invisible factor to win competitions/publications,” he says.
For most people today, the first steps towards a career as a photographer aren’t difficult to make. The cheapest digital cameras now cost less than the price of an electronic toy and with over a billion smartphones now sold, few children are far from the chance to point at a lens at a flower, a friend or the family pet. The satisfaction that comes with framing, shooting and making an image are now available to everyone.
Turning those first shots into a career, though, may now be harder than ever. It requires determination and talent but it’s also possible to do it with an eye for a story and the determination to use a camera to document injustice and help those who need it.
Photopreneur – Make Money Selling Your Photos
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