A recent customer service nightmare involving Frigidaire and A&M Home Services in Grand Junction, Colorado made me doubly appreciative of those companies who haven’t forgotten to put the customer first.  I’ll never buy another Frigidaire branded appliance and the morons at A&M Home Services can, well…I’d better not say what they can do.  But, instead of castrating them in public (which I guess I just did) I thought I’d take a moment to celebrate a few companies that have consistently impressed me with outstanding customer service.

Acratech

Makers of the single best ballhead for outdoor photographers, Acratech not only makes a superior product but they treat customers as though we’re their lifeline.  Oh wait, we are – and these guys know it.  They have gone above and beyond several times when I’ve called for service, whether it be buying another product, asking a question or requesting parts needed for repairs.  Even more telling is that everyone I know who has ever needed service from Acratech has been treated with the same courtesy and professionalism I’ve experienced.

Artistic Photo Canvas

Just a couple short months ago I’d never printed one of my photos on canvas.  In fact, I was somewhat leary of it.  Then I find Artistic Photo Canvas (APC) on twitter.  At the time they were offering a promotion for first time customers so I ordered a canvas, but not before barraging them with a bazillion questions that, in retrospect, were probably pretty annoying.  They answered my questions and addressed my concerns promptly and without making me feel like an idiot.  And then the canvas arrived.  I was floored.  It was gorgeous!  So, I did what any good photographer would do and ordered another canvas wrap, this time 3 times the size.  APC called to verify a couple things and within days I was holding a breathtaking 32″ x 48″ canvas wrap.  Not only do they care about their customers, they do absolutely outstanding work.  In fact, I was so impressed, that we partnered with APC to offer a special discount on a gorgeous canvas wrap to purchasers of our iFotoGuide iPhone apps!  Give these guys a shot and you will not be disappointed.

Nik Software

One of my favorite clients convinced me that I needed to try the Nik Software Lightroom and Photoshop plug-in’s.  He knew that I place a high value on companies who deliver great service and, as a business owner himself, it was a sentiment we shared.  He told me about a great experience he’d had with Nik’s customer service department and how much he loved their product.  After my free trial download expired I was so hooked that I bought the Nik Complete Collection.  For some unknown reason I was unable to download one of the plug-in’s.  I called Nik’s Customer Service department and was astonished that it didn’t take 30 minutes to get a real live, English speaking person on the phone.  Nope, within 5 minutes the issue was resolved and I was on my way.  As with Acratech, I’ve since spoken to several others who have been treated just as well when calling Nik for help.  Could it be, a tech company that provides good customer service?  Yes, indeed.

Incidentally, if you’re in the market for some Nik Software you can use coupon code “BEDGE” in the Nik Store to save 15% on your purchase.

Oboz

During the summer of 2009 while on a trip to the Tetons I discovered on the first day that I had forgotten my hiking boots.  Yeah, I’m a scatterbrain at times.  I bought a pair of Oboz Yellowstone’s at a local store on the recommendation of the clerk.  I’m now on my second pair of Oboz boots and can’t say enough good things about them.  I wrote a gear review about the first pair that addressed a couple really minor issues.  A couple days later I received an email from Oboz thanking me for writing the review and explaining that they were about to release a revised version of the boot that addressed those very same issues.  Apparently, I wasn’t the only one who had complained about them.  Unlike so many companies today, Oboz actually listened to customer complaints and made product changes to fix the problem.  Holy crap!  Who does that any more?  Thanks, Oboz, for making a killer product and listening to your customers!

Outdoor Photo Gear

At one point or another most of us have bought something from B&H or Adorama.  Yeah, the prices are good and yes, they’ve generally been helpful when I needed to return something.  However, I can’t say that calling them with a question is the most pleasant experience.  And then there’s Outdoor Photo Gear.  They carry stuff for outdoor photographers at reasonable prices, and their employees are a true pleasure to speak to when questions arise.  They ship stuff fast, pack it well and when the need for a return arises, they have a very generous policy and are very helpful with the process.  Ah, such a nice change!

Pictureline

My first experience with Pictureline about 3 years ago was positive and every one since has been, too.  I’ve dealt with them online, on the phone and in person at the store more times than I can count and they’ve always been pleasant, efficient and helpful.  Most recently, I decided to invest in the equipment for using off-camera flash.  I went into the store and the clerk spent about an hour with me explaining different options and even walking me through some hypothetical set-ups.  Never did I feel rushed or like I was asking ridiculous questions.  The Pictureline employees I’ve had contact with have all been photographers, not some Joe off the road who just needed a job.  And they have always made doing business with Pictureline a great experience.  Their camera and lens prices are slightly higher than most online retailers but I pay it because their service far exceeds that which I have received elsewhere.  And they’re local to Utah!

Singh-Ray

Last on my list, but certainly not least, is Singh-Ray Filters.  I believe Singh-Ray filters are the best money can buy.  They are expensive but in this case, you do get what you pay for.  Over the years I’ve purchased several filters from them.  When one of my filters developed a strange film that couldn’t be cleaned off I contacted Singh-Ray, expecting to be told to buy another filter.  Instead, they overnighted a new filter to me at no cost (I didn’t ask them to send it overnight, mind you) and requested that I return the defective filter to them (regular old USPS).  A couple years later, when that filter was shattered on rocks due to my own carelessness, I sent Singh-Ray a note asking (sarcastically) if they offered discounts to “morons who leave their tripod mounted cameras unattended on unstable ground in gusty winds”.  Much to my surprise I received a note the next day saying that their records showed the purchase and they extended a generous discount on the replacement.  That isn’t to say they’ll do that every time but hell, they could have told me to pound sand and buy a full cost replacement!  Because of their service and the quality of their product I use only Singh-Ray filters and they’re the only filter I’ll recommend at my workshops.

There you have it.  Seven companies who produce awesome products and deliver top notch customer service.  Is their a company whose service so impressed you that you’d like to give ‘em some props?  Use the comments section below to tell us all about ‘em.  Feel free to include a link to their site, too.

It isn’t often that I get all fired up about software.  However, the announcement that Nik Software’s newest Lightroom and Photoshop plug-in, HDR Efex Pro, will be available for public consumption in October has me as giddy as a girl in a prom dress.

I’ve experimented with HDR in the past using what most consider the current industry standard software – HDRSoft’s Photomatix.  Frankly, I wasn’t terribly impressed.  Now, that isn’t to say that stunning images can’t be created using Photomatix, or for that matter, any other HDR software.  To the contrary, just read Royce Howland’s guest post on my blog last week, “Why I Love HDR - Part 1“.  Then pay a visit to his galleries to see some of the most amazing HDR landscape photography I’ve ever seen.  Clearly, Royce has mastered Photomatix.

After failing at HDR I went back to using filters to tame dynamic range.  Then I tried my hand at manual exposure blends.  While I love the control and final result of blending images by hand, I don’t love staring at a computer monitor for hours on end doing the tedious work required of the technique.  So, I’ve gone back to using filters.  Again.

Now, in walks Nik Software and their badass new HDR Efex Pro plug-in.  Okay, fine – I’m being a little sensationalistic.  I can’t really call it badass yet because I’m not one of the chosen few who was given a pre-release copy to run through the wringer.  But, if it’s even half as good as their other plug-ins it will in fact be badass.  Nik Software knows how to make software for people like me, who would much rather be outdoors photographing than sitting at a desk.  I have complete faith that HDR Efex Pro will allow me to create stunning, natural looking images in less time than blending by hand.  Naturally, you’ll all be the first to hear my initial impressions once I’ve had some time to spend under the hood with it.

Nik is currently taking pre-orders  on HDR Efex Pro, slated for release in October.  Anyone who purchases the Nik Complete Collection after July 25, 2010 will receive HDR Efex Pro free upon release.  And, if you don’t feel like paying full price for any of the Nik plug-ins, you can always use coupon code “BEDGE” at checkout to receive a 15% discount on your order from the Nik Store.

Until October, tick-tock…

Are you excited to try out Nik Software HDR Efex Pro?  What HDR software are you using now?  Let us know in the comments section!  

Tonight I feel a bit like a mad scientist.  For some unknown reason I got an itch to try something totally new in Lightroom and Photoshop.  I made this image of bison grazing in the meadow at Mormon Row in the Tetons while there a couple weeks ago.  Straight out of the camera the image wasn’t terribly exciting but I felt it had potential.  Those of you who are familiar with my work know that my images are generally pretty straightforward.  I don’t apply creative effects and I process the images to look more or less like the scene did when I photographed it.  A little tweak of contrast here, add some saturation there, darken a sky now and again and do a little dodge and burning – voila, the final image appears.  I have nothing at all against images that have been heavily manipulated.  Photography is an art and we should feel free to create our art on our own terms.

Now, I have obviously taken some serious creative liberties with this image.  For starters, my camera doesn’t make square photos.  I used a fairly heavy digital grad filter to darken the sky with a heavy dose of clarity to give more separation in the clouds, added some global negative vibrance to mute the colors, made a curves adjustment to increase contrast, dodged the bison to make them stand out a bit more from the meadow, added a vignette and some “grain” – all in Lightroom 3.  I exported the image to Photoshop CS4 and experimented with different blurs using the gradient tool to keep the bison sharp-ish while blurring out the background.  I didn’t like the results of any of those efforts.  What to do?  Hmmm…

I decided to see what Nik Color Efex Pro 3.0 could do for the image.  I used their “Classic Soft Focus” filter first, painting on the effects only where I wanted them.  I was getting closer but something was still missing.  I tried a few other filters that didn’t work out before discovering the “Glamour Glow” filter.  A very subtle application gave me the results I was looking for, again brushed on sparingly.  I used Nik Viveza 2 to add some additional global contrast and whiten the whites.  The final step was to use Nik Sharpener Pro to sharpen only the bison.  What you see here is the final result of all that wackiness.  Total processing time: about 35 minutes.

I think one of the greatest attributes of digital photography is that it has opened up a whole new world of creativity, both in the field and in post-production.  When it doesn’t cost a penny to click the shutter most photographers are more willing to try new things, experiment with composition and stretch the boundaries of what they’re comfortable with.  Things get even more exciting in the digital darkroom with panoramic image stitching, HDR, blended exposures, an endless variety of filters and plug-ins, not to mention what is possible with nothing more than Lightroom and Photoshop.  And, if you don’t like the results of your weird science, it’s real easy to go back to square one and start all over!

What do you think?  Some have said this image is “too flat”.  Some simply don’t get it.  That’s cool.  Certainly, this is not the kind of processing that is going to appeal to everyone.  I’m just really curious to hear your comments as I really stepped out of my comfort zone with this one.  Be as harsh and critical as you dare.  I’m a big boy and I can take it.  What have you done to experiment and broaden your creative vision?  Let’s hear some ideas!

I’ve been using the Nik Software Complete Collection set of Lightroom and Photoshop plug-ins now for about 8 months.  You may have read my short review of Nik Silver Efex Pro, their black and white conversion plug-in that makes it easy to create stunning monochrome images.  I’m thrilled to announce that I’ve negotiated a deal with Nik Software that allows you to receive a 15% discount in the Nik Software Store using coupon code “BEDGE” at checkout.

My workflow now makes regular use of Nik’s Viveza 2, Color Efex Pro 3.0 and Sharpener Pro 3.0 plug-ins.  Viveza 2 allows you to easily and selectively control light and color in your images.  Color Efex Pro 3.0 puts 52 photographic filters and over 250 effects at your fingertips.  You can probably figure out what Sharpener Pro 3.0 does on your own.  I’ll just say that it does what it does very well and with the greatest of ease.  When needed, I also use Dfine 2.0 to reduce noise without compromising image detail.

The Complete Collection is available in two versions; the regular and the Ultimate Edition.  The regular version provides you with all of Nik’s plug-ins for Lightroom or Aperture.  The Ultimate Edition provides plug-ins for Lightroom, Aperture and Photoshop.  I purchased the Ultimate Edition because I wanted the ability to selectively apply effects using the brush tool in Photoshop.  This functionality is not available in Lightroom or Aperture.

Here’s the thing with Nik’s plug-ins.  They don’t really do anything you can’t already do in Lightroom or Photoshop.  What makes them so amazing is that you don’t have to spend days, weeks or months mastering Photoshop to arrive at the same result.  They’re powerful and they’re simple.  I love the outdoors, not my office.  Nik’s plug-in’s allow me to spend more time outside making images and less time in the office processing them.  That alone is worth the price of entry.  And, Nik makes it easy for you to master their plug-ins with dozens of short video tutorials available on their site and free daily webinars.  Perhaps less tangible but equally important, Nik hasn’t forgotten that we the customer keep them in business and they provide top-notch service when you need it.

Now that you know how I feel about the Nik Complete Collection, why not visit their website and download a free, fully functioning 15 day trial so you can form your own conclusions.  I think you’ll love working with their plug-ins.  If you don’t, it doesn’t cost you a dime.  If you do, head on over to the Nik Software Store and use coupon code “BEDGE” to receive a 15% discount on your purchase.

Give the Nik Software Complete Collection a try, then check in and let me know what you think of it!