By Peter Krogh
First Edition
November 2005
Pages: 296
ISBN 10: 0-596-10018-3 |
ISBN 13: 9780596100186
(Average of 2 Customer Reviews)
In the world of digital photography, Digital Asset Management (DAM) refers to every part of the process that follows the taking of the picture, through final output and permanent storage. Anyone who shoots, scans or stores digital photographs is practicing some form of DAM, but most of us are not doing so systematically or efficiently. In The DAM Book: Digital Asset Management for Photographers, photographer Peter Krogh presents a solid plan and practical advice on how to file, find, protect and re-use photographs, focusing on best practices for digital photographers using Adobe Photoshop CS2.
Full Description
As professional photographer and author Peter Krogh sees it, "your DAM system is fundamental to the way your images are known, both to you and to everyone else." DAM, or Digital Asset Management, in the world of digital photography refers to every part of the process that follows the taking of the picture, through final output and permanent storage. Anyone who shoots, scans or stores digital photographs, is practicing some form of digital asset management. Unfortunately, most of us don't yet know how to manage our files (and our time) very systematically, or efficiently.
In The DAM Book: Digital Asset Management for Photographers, Krogh brings clarity to the often overwhelming task of managing digital photographs, with a solid plan and practical advice for fellow photographers on how to file, find, protect and re-use photographs. Following a thorough overview of the DAM system and de-mystifications of metadata and digital archiving, Krogh focuses on best practices for digital photographers using Adobe Photoshop CS2. He explains how to use Adobe Bridge, the new CS2 navigational software that replaces the File Browser introduced in Photoshop 7, with full details on integrating Bridge, Camera Raw and Digital Asset Management software.
Compellingly presented in four-color format, The DAM Book: Digital Asset Management for Photographers brings Krogh's award-winning creative approach to a subject that could have been technically intimidating. Instead, Krogh's twenty years of experience and instructive visual storytelling make this material not only accessible, but compulsory reading for serious digital photographers.
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Browse within this book
Cover | Table of Contents | Index | Sample Chapter
Book details
First Edition: November 2005
ISBN: 0-596-10018-3
Pages: 296
Average Customer Reviews: (Based on 2 Reviews)
Featured customer reviews
Photographers need this book, December 05 2005
This is the definitive book on digital asset management for photographers. Peter draws the analogy of learning DAM with color management. Both are essential to any serious photographer, whether a pro or keen amateur. It just takes some longer to realise. With DAM the sooner you start the less you need to catch up.
Reading the DAM Book will save you countless hours, mistakes, and money. I went through many different systems before stumbling on the "right" DAM. Of course I wish Peter's book was available before I had to learn the hard way! Having read the DAM Book I found more ways to further streamline and improve my RAW workflow.
Peter has always been generous in sharing his experience and knowledge in DAM. Thanks for taking the time the write it all down. The DAM Book will be the text photographers and educators turn to for information on asset management for photographers.
-- Robert.
The DAM Book, November 22 2005
From this day forward, all serious photographers, pro and amateur alike, will have 2 pieces of gear in common– a damn good tripod and Peter's DAM book. He takes you, step by easily-followed step, through what can be a daunting process, explains the solid theory behind his recommendations and then GIVES you the best (and in my opinion the only) workflow to follow. He has done all the thinking for you… from the solid perspective of an accomplished, award-winning, prolific professional shooter. I've been fortunate to have received an advance copy of the book, taken Peter's DAM workshop, and can emphatically state that without this workflow, I'd have never made it through the busiest time of my 35-year career. Thank you, Peter.
As digital photographers, we must add both being the lab and the image librarian to our list of skills. Peter demystifies and simplifies what is an overwhelming amount of information to learn, digest, think about, wrap your head around, and put into immediate practice. You can start in the beginning, or you can jump immediately to Chapter 6 and dive right into the workflow. I've already bought a copy for every one of my good clients because they need to know best practices when adding value to my images once they receive them– keywording, access, distribution, archiving, etc.
This book will be your bible, and you will read it over and over again. My images now depend on it. So will yours.
Media reviews
"If you need more hours in the day, or more billable hours, you need to get organized. And this is a good place to start. "
-- Peter Bauer, Photoshop User Magazine, Dec. 2006
"It does not matter if you are a seasoned professional or dedicated amateur - there is something for you here. I would recommend this book if you are finding yourself overwhelmed by a growing catalog of photos and feeling overwhelmed by what it takes to manage them. If you are a professional photographer or are just starting out, you will find value in this book."
-- T. Michael Testi, Blogcritics.org
"The DAM Book by Peter Krogh is much more than a book on how to file and backup your images for safekeeping. That is its strong point. Yet it includes a lot of information on workflow. It is a book definitely worth picking up and browsing through. Getting over the use of a folder system for your images that is based on image content is not easy. Yet, the system Peter Krogh uses does work. As the number of images in a photographer's collection gets larger a system like that in The DAM Book will become a necessity. It makes life easier for the digital photographer. In the event of a major system failure like losing a hard drive, having a simple backup system that is up to date will be all that matters."
-- Jerry Callaghan, Boston West Photographic Society
"There are other books that discuss DAM but this is the first I've encountered aimed at photographers. I consider it essential reading for serious digital photographers."
-- Conrad J. Obregon, Amazon.com
"To really understand this book, and get the most out of it, you should read each chapter while running Adobe Bridge, learning the steps of both data management and program operation. It is not a manual for Bridge - instead it is like a do-it-yourself class for learning Bridge. For photography professionals this can be a VERY valuable book...Overall, I found this book to be very well written, very informative, and very useful. The author goes into a lot of detail for almost every aspect of DAM."
-- Karen McCann, Silicon Valley Computer Society
"The DAM Book: Digital Asset Management for Photographers is a must-read for all photographers who have not established efficient, consistent, flawless workflow systems. With refreshing clarity and keen insight Krogh teaches his reader the concepts underpinning good DAM practices. Then chapter-by-chapter, step-by-step, Krogh shows how to implement what he finds (at the time of writing) to be the most effective workflow."
-- Ethan G. Salwen, The Picture Professional
"This book is a must-read for professional photographers...Peter Krogh drills into complex computer configurations that will make every closet IT person smile, and is generous in providing warnings about those configurations to the novice. His easy-to-follow workflows include examples from his own system, offering insight into the issues and challenges of accommodating an ever-growing archive and the lessons he learned along the way."
-- Kimberley Bermender, American Society of Media Photographers: Northern California
"Overall, I found this book to be very well written, very informative, and very useful. The author goes into a lot of detail for almost every aspect of DAM..."
-- Karen McCann, Barnes & Noble
"Modern digital photography gives both dedicated amateurs and professionals the ability to take previously unheard-of numbers of photographs, which then become difficult to store and access. This guide offers ideas for archiving and cataloging pictures, protecting against accidental loss, migrating existing archives into a new DAM system, importing film images, adding copyright and contact information to image tags, and improving workflow. Also covered is the hardware needed to create a stable archive system that will evolve and grow. The book is illustrated throughout with hardware diagrams, screenshots, and color photographs. Captions under each photograph include the metadata tag keywords used in the database of the author, who is a veteran commercial and editorial photographer."
-- Jane Erskine, Book News
