1 - Does the DVD work on both Macintosh and Windows?
Yes. the DVD works perfectly on both Macs & Windows (or PC’s), either desktop or laptop. It will also work on any platform that can run Adobe Acrobat, and play .mov movie files.
2 - Is the DVD included in the fee for the Expressive Print Seminar or the Digital Summit ?
No. The DVD is sold separately and is not included in the fee of any of our workshops and seminars. The DVD and the workshops/Seminars are entirely different products, each with unique advantages and benefits.
3 - Will the DVD play on my television set?
No. This is a DVD Rom designed to run on your computer. A computer is needed because there are links that open Photoshop files as well as internet links and links to other types of files such as Adobe Acrobat and InDesign files.
4 - Will you provide upgrades to the DVD contents?
Yes. We will provide upgrades when significant software upgrades are released, or when I introduce changes in my workflow, or in the tools and supplies I use.
5 - Will there be a cost for these upgrades?
Upgrades will be free for one full year from the day you purchase the DVD. After one year DVD owners will have the option to buy an “Upgrade pack” which will be priced competitively (5 to 10 % of the cost of the DVD). Each upgrade will be posted to a “Printing Mastery DVD Owner” area on my website. DVD owners will be emailed the link from which they will be able to download the updates for free.
6 - Will the updates make it to the physical DVD?
Yes. Each time one of the 28 steps or 80 sub-steps is updated, the latest version will be featured on the DVD.
7 - Did you keep any secrets for yourself rather than reveal everything you do on the DVD?
No. The DVD is an exact copy of what I do everyday, a comprehensive list of each and every technique I use and have developed and refined over the past 10 years. I did not keep any secret because I wanted the DVD to be both a teaching tool and a faithful record of what I do to create my images. If there is a secret, it is called Mastery, and this secret will be yours if you practice the 28 steps on the DVD time and over again (see section 14 below for more information on Mastery)
8 - How is the DVD priced?
The DVD is priced similarly to my Expressive Print Seminar because the DVD contains the same knowledge as the seminar. The price of the DVD will go up as the Seminar Price increases. The best time to buy the DVD is now as it will not be offered at a lower price in the future. the knowledge offered on the DVD will always be cutting edge because it will be updated as new software, hardware and techniques are introduced.
9 - What are the main differences between the DVD and the seminar?
You can watch the movies on the DVD, listen to the audio files and read the PDF’s as many times as you want, wherever you want and whenever you like. In the seminar, you only hear each presentation once and you must be physically present. This means the DVD saves you a significant amount of money in travel expenses including airfare, hotel, car rental, dining out, etc. You also get to study at your own pace. You can take a year for example to learn this material until you master it. The seminar on the other hand only lasts 2 days.
10 - Why 28 Steps? Why not 30 or 14 or 72 for example?
When I first listed the different steps I follow from raw file or scan to finished, matted print ready to display or sell, I found that I went through 18 separate operations, or steps. I taught these 18 steps at the Expressive Print Seminar in Spring 2006. After the seminar I went back over the steps and realized I had overlooked a number of very important steps, so I re-worked my system. I tried to keep the number of steps to a minimum, but I still reached a total of 28 separate steps. I also found that I go through 80 sub-steps. It took me a total of one year to finalize the exact number of steps I follow. This conclusion is based on 10 years of experience doing digital image processing.
11 - Do you conduct each of the 28 step on every one of your photographs?
Yes. I do go through the 28 steps with each image, with the exception of 1 or 2 steps that are specific to unique types of images (such as conversion to Black and White for example). However, after one develops mastery of my system, a number of these steps are in place and can be conducted without having to think about it. In other words, the system is working for you. This is when you start saving time.
12 - What about the 80 sub-steps? Do you conduct those on every photograph?
The 80 sub-steps are not all used on each image. Instead, they offer different ways to perform one of the 28 main steps. Which of the 80 substeps you choose to use depends on the exact requirements of each image. Basically, you study your image and then you decide which sub steps are the best for this image. It is actually very simple once you learn my system.
14 - What is Mastery?
Mastery allows you to save time by increasing control and efficiency. It is based on knowledge and practice. Once you master the process, your knowledge guides you towards conducting the process quickly and efficiently while exercising total control. In other words, you are able to do a world-class job in the most time-efficient manner. Mastery comes from repetition, from doing the same thing until it becomes second nature. I discuss the concept of Mastery at length in the DVD.
15 - How cutting edge is the information on the DVD?
It is totally cutting edge. In fact, it is the exact process I use right now for my images. The DVD features the latest software and hardware I use. The updates guarantee that you continue to get the latest information as my process changes and evolves.
16 - What is the main idea behind the DVD?
The main idea behind the DVD was to create a high end tutorial. The Mastery DVD is comparable in quality to my Navajoland portfolio, except Navajoland is a fine art project while the Printing Mastery DVD is a tutorial project.
When you look at how long it took to create both products you also find similarities. The images in the Navajoland portfolio took me 7 to 10 years to create. The portfolio itself took over a year to assemble. The Mastery DVD features everything I learned over the past 10 years. The creation of the DVD itself took one full year.
17 - How does the Mastery DVD fit into your teaching goals?
My teaching is divided in two parts : the first of these two parts is my “live” workshops, an environment where we study in person, either in the field or in the classroom. This is a personal experience where exchange is favored, questions are encouraged and contacts are made. It is also a wonderful opportunity to discover new places, make new friends, create new images, have them reviewed, work 1 on 1 and more.
The second part are my CD and DVD tutorials. These feature knowledge that can be used at a distance, without the need to travel, attend a class or be in physical contact. The CD/DVD tutorials offer extremely high value for your money because you do not need to pay for travel cost, lodging expenses, car rental, restaurants, gas, and other related expenses. They also save you a lot of time compared to learning on your own.
The Printing Mastery Workshop fits into this second part but goes further than my previous CD and DVD tutorials. The Printing Mastery DVD is a support system that operates at a distance, without the need to be in physical contact. The idea behind the Printing Mastery Workshop on DVD is to provide a “club-like” environment . Membership is acquired automatically when the DVD is purchased. Afterwards, DVD owners continue to receive free upgrades for a full year as they are introduced and have the option of purchasing an "Upgrade pack" at an affordable price after the first year is over. The DVD provides unique advantages that are particularly valuable (see Question 9 above).
18 - How does the DVD compares to your other Tutorial CD’s and DVD’s ?
The printing Mastery Workshop on DVD is the first DVD tutorial which is intended to work as a complete course. In effect, this DVD contains all the information that is taught during the Expressive Fine Art Print Seminar. It is designed as a stand-alone product .
My other Tutorial CD’s and DVD’s are designed as support materials that focus on a specific area of photography such as how to compose a photograph, how to create a portfolio, how to start marketing your work and more. While they cover the subject in depth, they are designed to work in conjunction with my workshops, usually as support materials or as exercises used to strengthen your skills. They were not designed to act as a workshop.
My other Tutorial CD’s also contain less information than the Printing Mastery DVD. For example, the Composition CD features two movies while the Printing Mastery DVD features 80 movies. This is because my regular CD’s and DVD’s focus on one specific step of the entire process.
19 - Does this mean your other Tutorial CD’s duplicate the information on the Mastery DVD?
No. There is no crossover and no duplication of information between any of my Tutorial CD’s and DVD’s. Each Tutorial CD or DVD features information that is not available on the other CD’s and DVD’s. I decided to follow this approach because it is efficient and simple and guarantees the highest value for your money.
20 - Can you give me a short list of the different areas covered on the DVD?
The Printing Mastery Workshop on DVD is a complete course in 28 steps and 80 substeps covering every aspect of digital photography from the Raw file or scan to the final, mounted, matted, curated and ready to display fine art print. The course is based on my personal approach to digital image processing, approach developed and refined over the past 10 years. It covers the following areas:
- An introduction discussing what is a fine art print and what to look for when your goal is to create a fine art print
- An in-depth theory of color and black and white and how it relates to digital image processing
- An in-depth tutorial on how to calibrate your entire system from scanner to monitor to printer including all the settings you need to use in the different software packages you work with.
- How to understand color management and why it is so important
- How to decide which color spaces to use, when and why
- How to do Raw conversions with the 5 leading Raw converters
- How to scan on 3 different types of scanners: drum, Imacon and flatbed
- How to perform Global image enhancements, when, why and how
- How to conduct local image enhancements, when, why and how
- How to conduct black and White Conversions following different approaches
- Digital and film "defects" removal
- How to do color optimization
- how to optimize a file for printing
- How to print from Photoshop and from 3 different RIPs
- How to curate your print including why curating is one of the most important steps in the whole process
- How to mount your prints - including dry mounting and other techniques
- How to Mat your prints - including 3 different types of matcutters from the simplest to the most sophisticated
- How to protect your prints from damage
- How to display your prints
These and the rest of the 28 steps are taught through audio files, movies and PDF files. There are a total of over 300 files on the DVD, each focusing on a specific area of the total process.
21 - Can the Printing Mastery Workshop on DVD audio and movie files play on my iPod or Video iPod?
Yes. You can play both the audio files and the movie files on your iPod. The audio files will play on any iPod while the movie files will play on any video iPod.
The audio files will also play on your computer and on any mp3 player.
The movie files on the Printing Mastery Workshop on DVD are provided to you in both Quickime (.mov) and Video iPod (.m4v) formats. You can therefore choose to watch the movies on your computer, on your iPod, or on both. If you do not have an iPod now but are considering having one in the future, your Printing Mastery Workshop on DVD is iPod-ready the day you receive it.
The Printing Mastery Workshop on DVD plays on iPods
Both the audio and the video tutorials will play on your iPod and Video iPod
All materials are Copyright © Alain Briot 2008
All rights reserved worldwide
