You may have already been forwarded this by numerous people...
http://www.allgraphicdesign.com/graphicsblog/2009/02/24/worst-photoshop-mistakes-and-disasters/
Friday, 27 March 2009
Wednesday, 25 March 2009
The A3 printer Kev has been waiting for?
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0903/09032502canonpixmapro9500.asp
A bargain at just over £700! Think I'll add it to the fantasy shopping list.
A bargain at just over £700! Think I'll add it to the fantasy shopping list.
Friday, 20 March 2009
Saturday, 14 March 2009
Challenge #5 - reportage
How about a spot of reportage gents? (and if you wish Kev, you can get out and take those candids you like!)
Up to five shots to illustrate/represent the story of the season - the recession. However, because I don't want this to be overly bleak, you can either show the downside of the downturn, or submit "shoots of recovery/optimism" photos, or a mix of both. Reportage rather than overly abstract please.
Usual rules apply. Deadline 15 April (ish).
Can I also suggest that we establish "standing" challenges to avoid people giving up their turn to set challenges with obvious stuff like "winter". Shall we consider that each quarter automatically has a seasonal challenge attached? Summer will run June/July/Aug; Autumn will be Sept/Oct/Nov; Winter pics in Dec/Jan/Feb and Spring shots for March/Apri/May. What do you think?
Up to five shots to illustrate/represent the story of the season - the recession. However, because I don't want this to be overly bleak, you can either show the downside of the downturn, or submit "shoots of recovery/optimism" photos, or a mix of both. Reportage rather than overly abstract please.
Usual rules apply. Deadline 15 April (ish).
Can I also suggest that we establish "standing" challenges to avoid people giving up their turn to set challenges with obvious stuff like "winter". Shall we consider that each quarter automatically has a seasonal challenge attached? Summer will run June/July/Aug; Autumn will be Sept/Oct/Nov; Winter pics in Dec/Jan/Feb and Spring shots for March/Apri/May. What do you think?
Tuesday, 10 March 2009
The Toon
Small selection from my trip to Newcastle last week, starting with some ironwork for Kevin!
Last two with the tripod - worked really nicely and definitely wouldn't have bothered lugging anything bigger or bulkier round with me, so couldn't have got them without the new one.
Uploaded entire set (minus all the beer tasting pics, which will only be of interest to CAMRA readers) to Facebook.
Last two with the tripod - worked really nicely and definitely wouldn't have bothered lugging anything bigger or bulkier round with me, so couldn't have got them without the new one.
Uploaded entire set (minus all the beer tasting pics, which will only be of interest to CAMRA readers) to Facebook.
Thursday, 5 March 2009
Paris
Just back from Paris for the rugby, dontcha know. I quite like this photo of Vanessa and a Parisian icon. Too late for the Portraits round, but I like it anyhow.
Got some other photos of the place including some of the Eiffel Tower and the Pompidou Centre that I think could be good with a little work.
Also two of the missus with some strapping Welsh rugby players the morning after the game.
http://pbase.com/kevinl/paris09
Monday, 2 March 2009
Online Printing
So, who do we use? I have experienced problems using Opera and Photobox. Emailed them and they basically said "Sod off and use IE or Firefox". It used to work perfectly; they've probably bust it by adding lots of flashy graphics and pop-ups. Was just about to order some prints, so I might try another site.
Any recommendations? I'd like it to meet the following
- Good quality
- Competitive price
- Quick despatch
- Ease of upload (I like being able to use FTP with Photobox)
- Work with my browser
Toby
Any recommendations? I'd like it to meet the following
- Good quality
- Competitive price
- Quick despatch
- Ease of upload (I like being able to use FTP with Photobox)
- Work with my browser
Toby
New tripod - Manfrotto Modo
Think I've got away with risking ordering a very unsuitable travel tripod.
Constant problem has been my £40 Jessop finest is too long to fit into any of my luggage, isn't conducive to carrying around and even if I do make the effort is pretty rubbish, with a head that drifts, a spirit level which doesn't work and a portrait angle which isn't a true 90 degrees.
So I ordered a Manfrotto Modo 785SHB for £43 delivered - well aware that it's only meant to be rated for a 1kg load and that the D300 with lens is heavier than that.
Having arrived, the risk is probably worth it. In landscape orientation the tripod copes fine with the D300 (even with the real test of a 70-300) - the included "joystick" grip head doesn't seem to have a problem with keeping everything locked in place (basically all the weight is going straight down through the head and tripod). Different story in portrait mode (when due to the way the head works, the camera weight "shears"), where the camera and 70-300 begins to drift downwards. This is due to the quick release plate not holding firmly enough against the camera base however - rather than the head and tripod itself.
I reckon with a slightly smaller and lighter DSLR, especially with a smaller lens, it would be surprisingly firm.
Build wise, it's aluminum and plastic, but despite this feels pretty high quality and is, importantly, light enough to carry around easily (around 1kg). Carrying round is going to be a revalation compared to the Jessop tripod as the Manfrotto is just under 15 inches long collapsed...and if you split the legs and the centre column/head, you've got two pieces less than 12 inches long to fit into your bag.
Legs are five section, which means opening and closing isn't speediest in the world - but not bad. Locking seems firm but the legs are bendy and the tripod a bit skitterish fully extended (as you'd expect from a five-section aluminum tripod. Legs have different settings which means you can use it as normal, or in ultra-low mode (which lets you get the camera to less than 6 inches from ground). With just one, two or three of the sections extended, makes for a very solid "table" tripod. Max height with all sections extended and centre column up is just under four foot - although it's very unstable like this. I'm much more likely to use it without the centre column and put up with stooping or kneeling to use it, or just something at the scene to put it on to bring it to eye height (how often do you use a tripod at eye height anyway?)
Head unit is very clever, easy to use and includes a setting for photo and video (video setting essentially limits head motion while panning, while photo gives you 360 flexibility).
It's never going to compete with a "proper" tripod for stablity and I'm certainly not going to trust leaving my camera mounted on it while I go and wander round - but for portability it's going to mean I can take a tripod with me in circumstances I never would have done before and importantly be able to take it on short work trips with me, without going to a lot of trouble. I think if used with an eye on the limitations and perhaps with some old-school techniques like a rock bag, it might just perform as well as a tripod three times the price, weight and folded size!
And until I can afford this it will have to do!
(Manfrotto also do a 785B model in the mini-Modo line up - which appears to be more or less identical, except with a slightly longer folded length and bigger max extended height. No greater max load though. Size was my prime factor though and the 785SHB is a few inches shorter when folded.)
If anyone particularly interested, I can take some pics of it in action. Will also update this when I've used it properly and realised what its fatal flaw is!
Constant problem has been my £40 Jessop finest is too long to fit into any of my luggage, isn't conducive to carrying around and even if I do make the effort is pretty rubbish, with a head that drifts, a spirit level which doesn't work and a portrait angle which isn't a true 90 degrees.
So I ordered a Manfrotto Modo 785SHB for £43 delivered - well aware that it's only meant to be rated for a 1kg load and that the D300 with lens is heavier than that.
Having arrived, the risk is probably worth it. In landscape orientation the tripod copes fine with the D300 (even with the real test of a 70-300) - the included "joystick" grip head doesn't seem to have a problem with keeping everything locked in place (basically all the weight is going straight down through the head and tripod). Different story in portrait mode (when due to the way the head works, the camera weight "shears"), where the camera and 70-300 begins to drift downwards. This is due to the quick release plate not holding firmly enough against the camera base however - rather than the head and tripod itself.
I reckon with a slightly smaller and lighter DSLR, especially with a smaller lens, it would be surprisingly firm.
Build wise, it's aluminum and plastic, but despite this feels pretty high quality and is, importantly, light enough to carry around easily (around 1kg). Carrying round is going to be a revalation compared to the Jessop tripod as the Manfrotto is just under 15 inches long collapsed...and if you split the legs and the centre column/head, you've got two pieces less than 12 inches long to fit into your bag.
Legs are five section, which means opening and closing isn't speediest in the world - but not bad. Locking seems firm but the legs are bendy and the tripod a bit skitterish fully extended (as you'd expect from a five-section aluminum tripod. Legs have different settings which means you can use it as normal, or in ultra-low mode (which lets you get the camera to less than 6 inches from ground). With just one, two or three of the sections extended, makes for a very solid "table" tripod. Max height with all sections extended and centre column up is just under four foot - although it's very unstable like this. I'm much more likely to use it without the centre column and put up with stooping or kneeling to use it, or just something at the scene to put it on to bring it to eye height (how often do you use a tripod at eye height anyway?)
Head unit is very clever, easy to use and includes a setting for photo and video (video setting essentially limits head motion while panning, while photo gives you 360 flexibility).
It's never going to compete with a "proper" tripod for stablity and I'm certainly not going to trust leaving my camera mounted on it while I go and wander round - but for portability it's going to mean I can take a tripod with me in circumstances I never would have done before and importantly be able to take it on short work trips with me, without going to a lot of trouble. I think if used with an eye on the limitations and perhaps with some old-school techniques like a rock bag, it might just perform as well as a tripod three times the price, weight and folded size!
And until I can afford this it will have to do!
(Manfrotto also do a 785B model in the mini-Modo line up - which appears to be more or less identical, except with a slightly longer folded length and bigger max extended height. No greater max load though. Size was my prime factor though and the 785SHB is a few inches shorter when folded.)
If anyone particularly interested, I can take some pics of it in action. Will also update this when I've used it properly and realised what its fatal flaw is!
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