Red-Ringed Tupperware Party with (ineffective) Tin Foil Hats

[JSolie]

I recall a Canon was a key part of that one....or am I missing something? :p

ding ding ding ding we have a winnah!

[Belmondo]

moooo and good night, y'all! Moo, and pleasant dreams.....

[Woolburr]

Someone standing behind the cows with matches to light the methane. (on cue, of course).

OMG...what a flipping visual!:lol:

[JSolie]

Someone standing behind the cows with matches to light the methane. (on cue, of course).

LOL! That would be a blast.



just stand a good distance away



(uh-oh, I'm punning again. Somebody slap me...)

[Belmondo]

Needless to say, my favorite part of the 1812 Overture is the last Moooovement.

[Woolburr]

Mo's counterparts at work are going to end up medicating her after she reads this.

[Lightstream]

Someone standing behind the cows with matches to light the methane. (on cue, of course).

ding ding ding ding we have a winnah!

OMG...what a flipping visual!:lol:


I think we need both the cow and the Canon.. an 8fps version preferably, to capture the backblast ;)

[Maureen Souza]

LOL! That would be a blast.



just stand a good distance away



(uh-oh, I'm punning again. Somebody slap me...)
Whoooo hooo...permission!!!!:D

[Maureen Souza]

Mo's counterparts at work are going to end up medicating her after she reads this.
I have a sore throat... i am trying not to get sick but I am laughing an awful lot for feeling so cruddy.

[Woolburr]

I sure as hell am not going to volunteer to be the guy with the match. hehehe

[Maureen Souza]

Needless to say, my favorite part of the 1812 Overture is the last Moooovement.
There are several moooovements going on here at work but you wouldn't want me to describe them.:rolleyes:

[Lightstream]

I sure as hell am not going to volunteer to be the guy with the match. hehehe


"Remote release" comes to mind. Preferably a tremendously long range radio one. ;)

[Lightstream]

There are several moooovements going on here at work but you wouldn't want me to describe them.:rolleyes:


Hmm, your last batch of medical stories were quite interesting.. do share a few more ;)

[Woolburr]

Flame on!

[Belmondo]

Flame on!And be very careful of any particulate matter.

[Maureen Souza]

Hmm, your last batch of medical stories were quite interesting.. do share a few more ;)
Oh lord. Here's one that comes to mind.... I was taking care of a semi-critical patient who came in with extensive drug abuse history and has skin ulcers from popping drugs into the same spots over & over again. He was in 4 point leather restraints and medicated heavily but when I bent over to listen to his lungs, he managed to grab me around the neck and half strangle me. It took 2 nurses and 3 security guards to release me from his grasp....it was quite traumatic (at the time).

[Maureen Souza]

And be very careful of any particulate matter.
:lol: :lol: :lol:
Awww, Tom..... what's a little poo between man & bovine?

[JSolie]

Oh lord. Here's one that comes to mind.... I was taking care of a semi-critical patient who came in with extensive drug abuse history and has skin ulcers from popping drugs into the same spots over & over again. He was in 4 point leather restraints and medicated heavily but when I bent over to listen to his lungs, he managed to grab me around the neck and half strangle me. It took 2 nurses and 3 security guards to release me from his grasp....it was quite traumatic (at the time).

Isn't there a show on TLC where the re-enact these sorts of things?


(rubbing my cheek from the slap---thanks, I needed that! And keep those matches away from Belmondo. I bet his momma told him a thing or two about playng with those :rolleyes:)

[Lightstream]

Oh lord. Here's one that comes to mind.... I was taking care of a semi-critical patient who came in with extensive drug abuse history and has skin ulcers from popping drugs into the same spots over & over again. He was in 4 point leather restraints and medicated heavily but when I bent over to listen to his lungs, he managed to grab me around the neck and half strangle me. It took 2 nurses and 3 security guards to release me from his grasp....it was quite traumatic (at the time).


:(

Druggies are the worst kind. Really the worst. Another testament to your sainthood that you care enough to even bother with them when you know that many of them will go right back to the same self-destructive cycle after you heal them best you can and let them go.

[Belmondo]

:lol: :lol: :lol:
Awww, Tom..... what's a little poo between man & bovine?I decided a long time ago that I don't like lumps in my barnyard music.

I'm off to bed. Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, and I will no doubt be obliged to be pleasant to my bride. That requires rest, and I'd better get started.

Moo, Quack, Plop.

[Maureen Souza]

Isn't there a show on TLC where the re-enact these sorts of things?


(rubbing my cheek from the slap---thanks, I needed that! And keep those matches away from Belmondo. I bet his momma told him a thing or two about playng with those :rolleyes:)
I've never seen a TV show that really depicted real-life hospital situations well. Most of the care we deliver is routine...not so dramatic.


C'mon, Belmondo loves to fight fire with fire...........

[Lightstream]

I decided a long time ago that I don't like lumps in my barnyard music.

I'm off to bed. Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, and I will no doubt be obliged to be pleasant to my bride. That requires rest, and I'd better get started.

Moo, Quack, Plop.


That sounds alarming...!

[Woolburr]

Moo

[Maureen Souza]

:(

Druggies are the worst kind. Really the worst. Another testament to your sainthood that you care enough to even bother with them when you know that many of them will go right back to the same self-destructive cycle after you heal them best you can and let them go.
When Skip was a working cop, he'd find the same people I'd just taken care of in the hospital right back out on the street doing their thing again.
A lot of people hooked on drugs with skin abscesses coded and died. Their systems were so fried out from all the years of abuse that it couldn't hold up during the healing time. I saw a lot of young adults die that way. Pathetic, really.

[Maureen Souza]

Moo
Mooooooooo. Okay, now you've finally broken me down.

[theflyingkiwi]

Someone standing behind the cows with matches to light the methane. (on cue, of course).

Needless to say, my favorite part of the 1812 Overture is the last Moooovement.

I can see you are on fire tonight. :lol: that's just too funny.

I sure as hell am not going to volunteer to be the guy with the match. hehehe

I think we should give the matches to the guy who owns a nikon, or the first person that suggests the idea in the first place, or someone who has dropped a couple of L on the ground.

Well I guess Belmondo it's you, 2 out of three ain't bad ;)

[Lightstream]

When Skip was a working cop, he'd find the same people I'd just taken care of in the hospital right back out on the street doing their thing again.
A lot of people hooked on drugs with skin abscesses coded and died. Their systems were so fried out from all the years of abuse that it couldn't hold up during the healing time. I saw a lot of young adults die that way. Pathetic, really.

Yup.. that's just a waste, isn't it? I'm just wondering how come the drugs are so readily available.

[Claire]

It's already Valentine's Day here and I woke up with a big headache and dizziness, so taking the day off to rest. Heck, I have so many overtime hours , so a day here and there doesn't really matter...

[theflyingkiwi]

When Skip was a working cop, he'd find the same people I'd just taken care of in the hospital right back out on the street doing their thing again.
A lot of people hooked on drugs with skin abscesses coded and died. Their systems were so fried out from all the years of abuse that it couldn't hold up during the healing time. I saw a lot of young adults die that way. Pathetic, really.

it is, I sometimes wonder what drives people to do that. I can't understand it myself.

[theflyingkiwi]

It's already Valentine's Day here and I woke up with a big headache and dizziness, so taking the day off to rest. Heck, I have so many overtime hours , so a day here and there doesn't really matter...

so when's ya date?

[Woolburr]

Too much champagne and chocolate last night Claire?

[Maureen Souza]

Yup.. that's just a waste, isn't it? I'm just wondering how come the drugs are so readily available.
I work in a hospital around drugs all the time but I wouldn't have a clue as to where to go out & get some. I've never understood where that come.
it is, I sometimes wonder what drives people to do that. I can't understand it myself.
Ditto.

[Lightstream]

I work in a hospital around drugs all the time but I wouldn't have a clue as to where to go out & get some. I've never understood where that come.

Ditto.

Well, prescription medicine carefully measured and administered by professionals is a good thing, but it should definitely be kept off the streets - out of the hands of the substance abusers.. I'm watching the evening news and every day I hear more of these horrible stories. It's depressing :(

[Skip Souza]

Yup.. that's just a waste, isn't it? I'm just wondering how come the drugs are so readily available.
Supply and demand. As long as someone is willing to buy someone else will be willing to sell.

[JSolie]

I work in a hospital around drugs all the time but I wouldn't have a clue as to where to go out & get some. I've never understood where that come.

Ditto.

Y'all aren't the only ones who wonder why people can do these things to themselves. Back in the 1980's my dad married his second wife, and her son had a penchant for these self-desctructive tendancies. I'm not sure whatever happened to him...I never did get along with him, but I do hope he didn't wind up as a statistic.

[Claire]

so when's ya date?

Oh, I don't have a date. The insurance guy and I just exchanged email and cell numbers. We did a quick chat on MSN last night. He looks tall on his MSN picture, short hair and a beard. I told him I prefer men without beards, he said it's lucky for him he can shave it off. But nah, no date. Maybe a photo excursion at s ome point. We'll see.

Too much champagne and chocolate last night Claire?

Hehe Yesterday I just met up with a few people from a website my friend runs. He and another guy started a website for people who want to meet new people. You put up events, people sign up for the event and then everyone meet. I've been a registered member since the website started, but never gone to any of the events, so thought it's about time I try to get a social life. Unless something happens I'll go for a pub quiz with them tomorrow night.

[Claire]

And drugs are a big no no for me. The closest I've gotten to drugs is inhaling weed in the university dorm and on a night bus in London. The latter I was already feeling sick, then got motion sick, then sick from the cigarette smoke and on top of that the damn weed got me high even though I sat further away from the guys.

[JSolie]

heh... I think we just had a fly-by

[Woolburr]

Did it Moo?

[Lightstream]

heh... I think we just had a fly-by


Watcha mean?

[JSolie]

This...

so when's ya date?

and this...

Oh, I don't have a date. The insurance guy and I just exchanged email and cell numbers. We did a quick chat on MSN last night. He looks tall on his MSN picture, short hair and a beard. I told him I prefer men without beards, he said it's lucky for him he can shave it off. But nah, no date. Maybe a photo excursion at s ome point. We'll see.


:oops:

[Lightstream]

This...



and this...




:oops:


Ahh.... :)

[JSolie]

'tis late & I'm gonna have to sign off for the night.


MOOOOOOO!

[Lightstream]

mooooooooooooooo night!

[Maureen Souza]

Nitey nite, Dan.

[theflyingkiwi]

boo

[Maureen Souza]

'tis late & I'm gonna have to sign off for the night.


MOOOOOOO!
Everyone is bailing out. Or is that bale-ing out.

Night John.

[Woolburr]

Moo....nite all.

[theflyingkiwi]

night all.

[Claire]

This...



and this...




:oops:

Ahh.... :)

???

[Claire]

Seems like everyone is off to bed. I'm still in bed. Want to sleep again soon.

[theflyingkiwi]

???

I am glad I wasn't the only one confused.

I just wasn't going to say anything, I am sure I seem slow enough already :rolleyes:

[Pete]

Brit-shift signing in. Hi guys.

[theflyingkiwi]

you better start Mooooooooooooooing, it's getting quiet in here.

[tommykjensen]

Seems like everyone is off to bed. I'm still in bed. Want to sleep again soon.

Still in bed?? Speaking of still in bed. Last night danish television had a shocking progam about how disabled people on one institution in Denmark are treated. The personell that are supposed to take care of the disabled people that are unable to speak or communicate in any way were just sitting all day long watching tv. And they put the disabled people to bed at 7 or 8 pm and don't get them out of bed again until around 10 or 11 am. :evil: :evil:

[Pete]

Funny you should say that Tommy. We had a similar program (British though) on a couple of days ago about some of the shocking "care" that some of our elderly have in "rest homes". There was one case where a guys mother was being cared for after a stroke, she couldn't communicate very much, but it was clear she was in distress. After she passed away, he managed to obtain photographs of her body (he had contacts in the morgue), it turned out that she had very severe untreated and infected bed-sores. The staff were just covering them up in bandages. Terrible the way they charge extorsionate prices for the care and treat them worse than battery chickens.

[Maureen Souza]

Mooooo, everyone. At least I am not talking about bovine methane producing products and lighting matches.
Good morning Pete.

[theflyingkiwi]

night all.

[Lightstream]

night!

[Pete]

On a lighter note, some time ago, I took some shots of my nephew's tag rugby session (mostly because it's fun for me to shoot, and also so other family can see). I sent the link to my photobucket album to their club's rugby site (they have a photo gallery). Turns out the really like them and suggested that I enter a couple for a BBC photo competition.

I'm thinking of either one of these (with better PP work, obviously).
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a294/peteghia/2006-02-04%20Rugby/IMG_1100.jpg
http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a294/peteghia/2006-02-04%20Rugby/IMG_1106.jpg

Rest of the album is http://s13.photobucket.com/albums/a294/peteghia/2006-02-04%20Rugby/

Depends what angle the competition is for though, I guess.

[Lightstream]

100-400mm? And they say that it's too slow to shoot sports? ;)

[Pete]

Yeah.. what do they know, heh? I shot pretty much all of them at ISO320 and 400 (was heavily overcast). The 5D is just total class in low light conditions like this. Who needs stinkin' f/2.8?

[Maureen Souza]

I love the action you captured, Pete.

Personally, I do not listen to too many people's opinions of lenses and cameras. Everyone has specific likes/needs of their equipment and that's all that should matter.

A couple of years ago I thought I'd really like and use a wide angle lens so Skip gave me the 16-35 for my b-day.
Turned out, it really didn't fit my shooting needs so Woolbur bought it and I got the 70-200. That was a much better choice for me and after having 2-3 years of SLR experience, I know know what I like and want.

[Lightstream]

Yeah.. what do they know, heh? I shot pretty much all of them at ISO320 and 400 (was heavily overcast). The 5D is just total class in low light conditions like this. Who needs stinkin' f/2.8?


The sports-at-night or indoor sports shooters. Really, by the time the sun sets, I transition to my tripod and ultrawide lens at f/8 for long exposures.. ;) so no need for 2.8 for me.

[Pete]

Yep.. I want to try for some low light shots with the 5D and see how well I can push it.

[Lightstream]

ISO 1600 looks so clean it looks like a 350D ISO 200 shot. You need to expose it properly, of course. Any shadow recovery will make the grain show up pretty bad. Small wonder I am trading ISO for aperture and using more affordable, smaller zooms.

[Claire]

Still in bed?? Speaking of still in bed. Last night danish television had a shocking progam about how disabled people on one institution in Denmark are treated. The personell that are supposed to take care of the disabled people that are unable to speak or communicate in any way were just sitting all day long watching tv. And they put the disabled people to bed at 7 or 8 pm and don't get them out of bed again until around 10 or 11 am. :evil: :evil:

Funny you should say that Tommy. We had a similar program (British though) on a couple of days ago about some of the shocking "care" that some of our elderly have in "rest homes". There was one case where a guys mother was being cared for after a stroke, she couldn't communicate very much, but it was clear she was in distress. After she passed away, he managed to obtain photographs of her body (he had contacts in the morgue), it turned out that she had very severe untreated and infected bed-sores. The staff were just covering them up in bandages. Terrible the way they charge extorsionate prices for the care and treat them worse than battery chickens.

We've had similar reports in Sweden. It's terrible! The news have reports now and then about things like this as well. Many times it's about the personnel not coming by when someone has called for help. My mom keep saying she doesn't want to grow old in Sweden, and dad says he refuses to end up in a home.

Tommy, I'm home today. Woke up wit a big headache and dizziness. It happens at times, so I need half a day to a day to rest.

[Pete]

Yeah... Learning since I got the 5D that I can really up the ISO without really affecting the image quality. I saw a talk by a wildlife photographer who said that he almost always shoots at ISO400 to get the high shutter speed he wanted. But then again he was using a 1Ds.

[Pete]

Sorry to hear you're not feeling well, Claire. Hope a day at home does you good.

[Lightstream]

Yeah... Learning since I got the 5D that I can really up the ISO without really affecting the image quality. I saw a talk by a wildlife photographer who said that he almost always shoots at ISO400 to get the high shutter speed he wanted. But then again he was using a 1Ds.


In fact even when I was on my 350D I typically shot ISO 400 most of the time because of even slower lenses, but the 5D makes it even more guilt free - I've got the block about going past 400, but the 5D is working to change that.

I wish more people could see things the way you do, that we buy what we need for our requirements.. instead of going on and on and on about "I wouldn't buy that" when it serves no purpose.. especially in the lens recommendation threads. They're not putting themselves in the other guy's shoes to determine what THEY really need....

[Lightstream]

grrr..... this isn't a good thing - I've clocked off hours ago, it's night here, and I'm STILL feeling stressed for no good reason..... almost like I can't switch off.

[tommykjensen]

Tommy, I'm home today. Woke up wit a big headache and dizziness. It happens at times, so I need half a day to a day to rest.

I understand hope you feel better soon. I also woke up with a headache yesterday. I hate that.

[Pete]

grrr..... this isn't a good thing - I've clocked off hours ago, it's night here, and I'm STILL feeling stressed for no good reason..... almost like I can't switch off.

Get away from the computer/tv and do something else. Go for a walk or something or do some non-technical reading. That's what I do when I'm feeling stressed and unsettled.

[Pete]

I wish more people could see things the way you do, that we buy what we need for our requirements.. instead of going on and on and on about "I wouldn't buy that" when it serves no purpose.. especially in the lens recommendation threads. They're not putting themselves in the other guy's shoes to determine what THEY really need....

I get the feeling that many people on here buy lenses because they shots they're taking aren't as good as other peoples and blame problems on their equipment or glass (reading the words "soft copy" is something that especially makes me grind my teeth).

For every good shot I take, I take a huge amount of complete porkers, but that's just the nature of the beast in my opinion. I know my kit can do the job, so I won't blame it for taking the odd duff one (that's entirely my fault). Yes, you're entirely right, I've bought kit that suit my needs - a 50mm fast prime, a decent normal zoom and a telephoto zoom. All I'm missing is a good wide angle, something like the Sigma 10-20 was like on my 30D would suit me fine...

[Claire]

grrr..... this isn't a good thing - I've clocked off hours ago, it's night here, and I'm STILL feeling stressed for no good reason..... almost like I can't switch off.

Get away from the computer/tv and do something else. Go for a walk or something or do some non-technical reading. That's what I do when I'm feeling stressed and unsettled.

I'm with Pete, try to do something to help you relax. Listen to music, read a book or something else.

I understand hope you feel better soon. I also woke up with a headache yesterday. I hate that.

I have low blood pressure at times, that's why I wake up with dizziness. used to have it more in my teens. Thankfully not as often when I got older. The first time it happened I remember jumping out of bed in the morning and when walking I just crashed into the wall. lol

[Lightstream]

Get away from the computer/tv and do something else. Go for a walk or something or do some non-technical reading. That's what I do when I'm feeling stressed and unsettled.

I'm with Pete, try to do something to help you relax. Listen to music, read a book or something else.


Thanks.. I did step away from my computer for a while, took a bath, and I feel a lot better now. I think I have been on the move way too much today, it's been long and difficult and I drank more caffiene than usual. Actually, it's not caffiene.. god knows what it is, but over here it's called V. Just that. The evil stuff comes in green cans and my guys refer to it as 'break glass in case of emergency' (no glass involved, just the reference). ONE can at 9AM in the morning.. and I was jumping till six. That plus adrenalin to get the job done and no wonder my brain never had an opportunity to change gears.

Finally the brain is switched off and I feel a whole lot better.

I get the feeling that many people on here buy lenses because they shots they're taking aren't as good as other peoples and blame problems on their equipment or glass (reading the words "soft copy" is something that especially makes me grind my teeth).

For every good shot I take, I take a huge amount of complete porkers, but that's just the nature of the beast in my opinion. I know my kit can do the job, so I won't blame it for taking the odd duff one (that's entirely my fault). Yes, you're entirely right, I've bought kit that suit my needs - a 50mm fast prime, a decent normal zoom and a telephoto zoom. All I'm missing is a good wide angle, something like the Sigma 10-20 was like on my 30D would suit me fine...

That's true.. instant photog, just add lens ;)

My culling workflow is one of the most refined parts of my workflow :D I have a two-pass cull, first pass is to quickly get rid of all the OOF and completely unuseable shots. They are always there, although now just a tiny percentage (didn't always be the case). Second cull is to eliminate all those I don't like. What most people don't see are the outtakes ;)

For example, the seal rocks shoot was so bad that MOST of it was unsalvageable. Only heroics in PS saved some of it. Actually I had a good reason - it was nearly impossible to shoot on the boat in those seas. I had to sandwich myself against the railings in order to get both hands to hold the lens steady.. it was either that or shoot a 5D and 300mm ONE handed AND try to stabilize it against wave motion.. good luck!

I haven't tried the Sigma 10-20 but personally I bought and loved the Canon EF-S 10-22. No hesitation. Heck I would almost find an excuse to buy the 10-22 back now that I have a 30D.. but that would be ridiculous overlap since the 17-40 does the UW job on the 5D now.

I have seen soft copies, but those were throughly investigated. My camera dealer was trying to sell me a 50/1.4 that was just so utterly hopeless. After I'd put a few dozen shots through it he took over the reins - and his experience with SLRs predates the entire EOS system - we're talking of the days of the Nikon FM, when Nikon was king (hard as it is to imagine ;) ). After he put another few dozen through it with only ONE good shot, I told him "Look, this probably isn't going to work." Eventually we diagnosed that lens - it would only yield sharp shots at absolute minimum focus distance. Anything beyond that and it totally went to pieces.

[Pete]

My culling workflow is one of the most refined parts of my workflow :D I have a two-pass cull, first pass is to quickly get rid of all the OOF and completely unuseable shots. They are always there, although now just a tiny percentage (didn't always be the case). Second cull is to eliminate all those I don't like. What most people don't see are the outtakes

I'm the same. I'll immediately junk all the totally duff ones, keep the intermediates, and work on the ones that look like they'll give good results. Candids of my girlfriend only get deleted after my arm's gone red from all the pinching (then I'll go back at a later date and drag them back out the recycle bin again).

[quote=Lightstream;2706745]I haven't tried the Sigma 10-20 but personally I bought and loved the Canon EF-S 10-22. No hesitation. Heck I would almost find an excuse to buy the 10-22 back now that I have a 30D.. but that would be ridiculous overlap since the 17-40 does the UW job on the 5D now.


I loved the Sigma. From looking at the lens archives here, I couldn't find a significant reason to spend more on the Canon when it gave (to my mind) only marginally better shots. I also compared the Bigma against the 100-400, and for me there was no contest at all.

[SuzyView]

I just read Pekka's message from this morning. I never knew this was going on. It does make things more difficult for the moderators.

Good morning everyone! We've got 2 inches of snow-ice stuff and the whole northern VA and DC areas are shut down.

[Claire]

Morning Suzy!
What message from Pekka?

[tommykjensen]

Morning Suzy!
What message from Pekka?

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/announcement.php?f=15

[Claire]

Tommy, thanks. I just found it myself.

[Lightstream]

Decided to go practice my product photography. What do you all think of these...

http://pix.lightrefineries.org/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=2488&g2_serialNumber=2

http://pix.lightrefineries.org/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=2491&g2_serialNumber=2

(#2 needs tighter crop but can't be bothered to re-upload it)

[Pete]

Nice... I think you need a bit more light though.

[Lightstream]

FEC already cranked one whole stop... ! ;) is it really that dark?

[Pete]

...might just be me, but they're a bit subdued for product shots. I guess you could boost in CS2 or something. Great shots anyway.

(struggling to contain lens envy)

[Lightstream]

Aww you're just saying that cuz the subject is very photogenic right ;) just kidding.. thanks.. I appreciate the honest feedback.

I changed my light source a little for this one - instead of bouncing off the umbrella I'm using it in a shoot-thru configuration on the right, with a sheet of white cardboard on the left as a reflector. Auto-leveled in PS Elements (you'd be surprised how much power Elements has.. and it's so much cheaper than CS2, much of which I would never use.).

http://pix.lightrefineries.org/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemId=2494&g2_serialNumber=2

BTW.. you'll eventually end up with a 17-40 (UWA on 5D) and 70-200 of some kind.. whether it's f/4, f/2.8 or IS/non-IS is really up to you.. it'll eventually come to that you know it ;)

[Pete]

Looking lots cleaner now. Except for the scratch on your lens hood of course... ;)

[Lightstream]

Thanks.. yeah it's a pity that how all the hoods get so scratched up despite light use. Somehow my 724ISL's hood has it the worst, the rest of them don't seem to attract as many scratches. Wierd.

I compared the images and auto levels really brings out the color and texture.. the rest are so flat. This is my absolute favorite feature in PS - it adds so much to my images that I just can't seem to do in camera, even with proper exposure control.

[Pete]

That's something that's good about CS2. You have incredible control over levels, more so than Auto Levels can give you. Saved plenty of my shots from being fairly dim and dismal affairs and turned them into simply dismal affairs...

[Lightstream]

Naah.. never did like tweaking levels manually. Sometimes, I've learned to trust auto systems where they can really, consistently do a better job than I can. I use Gimp for manual levels - now that's asking for a double dose of trouble :p

[Pete]

It's funny really. I still do the curves myself and when I happen to hit "Auto Levels" (just for the hell of it), it's normally pretty close to what I did manually.

[Claire]

Yoda,
The 2nd version looks much better. I do think you'd be able to boost the image a bit more though.

[Lightstream]

Thanks Claire.. any changes you'd recommend?

[Claire]

For some reason I'm watching "Extreme makeover". Some guy just had a mini makeover and asked a girl out. I mean, what girl can say "No, I won't go on a date with you" on national TV?!

[Lightstream]

I mean, what girl can say "No, I won't go on a date with you" on national TV?!

A mean one ;)

[Claire]

Yoda, is it ok if I play with the image in PS?

[Lightstream]

Sure, go ahead. Would love to see what you come up with.

[Claire]

You saved it as a .bmp? that's unusual.

[Lightstream]

Nope. Force it to save as a .JPG extension, or just rename the file. It will come out OK. My gallery does wierd things like that..

[Lightstream]

ok....very VERY tired......going to pass out now. Cya all tomorrow.. I'll look at the edits when I come back online.

[Claire]

Ok, fixed a bit more with levels, curves, USM, a bit of dodging the shadows and burning the tripod thingy. lol

[Lightstream]

Cool.. I tried playing around with contrast and saturation controls as well. I usually go for the 'easy 20%' of the PP that yields 80% of the results.. the remaining 20% of the results are what take 80% of the time ;)

Thanks for your input, I appreciate it :)

[aussieskier]

Good Moooooorning folks, thought I would check in before class, looks like a bit of a slower night last night eh?

Cheerio

[Jamie Holladay]

Hey all.

[Woolburr]

I get the feeling that many people on here buy lenses because they shots they're taking aren't as good as other peoples and blame problems on their equipment or glass (reading the words "soft copy" is something that especially makes me grind my teeth).

For every good shot I take, I take a huge amount of complete porkers, but that's just the nature of the beast in my opinion. I know my kit can do the job, so I won't blame it for taking the odd duff one (that's entirely my fault).

There are a lot of people out there that just have a gear fetish and even given top of the line tools, couldn't take a good shot to save their @$$, mainly because they don't want to take the time and effort involved to be successful photographers.

It is a whole lot easier for a person to say I got a bad copy of the lens than it is to admit that they don't understand technique or tools well enough to get a quality image. Granted there are some bum lenses floating around, but many times it is just plain operator error.

[Woolburr]

Mooooooooooooooooorning gang.....hey Jamie...congrats on the offer!

[Belmondo]

Heart-shaped Mooooooooos to you all. (Translation: Happy Valentine's Day).

[Pete]

I totally agree, Dan... I'm pretty sure that most of the comments about bad lenses are just down to people not understanding how to get the best out of the equipment or have used inappropriate methods to judge image quality.

[SuzyView]

I'm looking into doing product shooting myself. Haven't done any research yet. Those edits are very nice. I really like the better lighting. When I go to ebay and see dark pictures, I can't see anything, so I don't bid. I have a friend who sells Civil War costumes on ebay like crazy. He sells uniforms for re-enactments. Very lucrative here in VA.

[gjl711]

Good morning. Boy did I get a surprise this Valentines morning. No chocolate for me, but my sweetie did present me with the 30gig Creative Zen... Sweet... Beats the snot out of my flowers. But she is getting a play this weekend. ;) Anyway, trying to figure out if I can download pics from the camera directly to the Zen. Anyone do this? Looks like it should be possible.

[Jamie Holladay]

Mooooooooooooooooorning gang.....hey Jamie...congrats on the offer!
Thanks Dan and I agree with you rant from above.

[Woolburr]

You know...there are still people out there that have there computers set to display 640x480 and 256 colors.

[Woolburr]

Hey...Happy VD Chief. Moooooooo

[SuzyView]

Good morning. Boy did I get a surprise this Valentines morning. No chocolate for me, but my sweetie did present me with the 30gig Creative Zen... Sweet... Beats the snot out of my flowers. But she is getting a play this weekend. ;) Anyway, trying to figure out if I can download pics from the camera directly to the Zen. Anyone do this? Looks like it should be possible.

Congrats! That's a great toy! Yes, if it has a CF card slot, it should just go right into the hard drive or just view what's on the card. Some viewers won't show thumbnails of RAW, so I would shoot RAW + small JPEG.

[Jamie Holladay]

You know...there are still people out there that have there computers set to display 640x480 and 256 colors.
Naw uh huh, You have got to be kidding me.

What is a 30gb Zen thingy?

[Belmondo]

First shot with the Tammie 17-50, taken on my XT. I think I'm going to like this lens/camera combo.

http://www.onlinephotographers.com/gallery/albums/Hot-August-Nights/Backyard.jpg

[Pete]

Very nice... Looks a tiny bit pickled around the edges of the trees though, or is that just Save for Web at work there?

[Woolburr]

That looks like a workable combo...

[gjl711]

Congrats! That's a great toy! Yes, if it has a CF card slot, it should just go right into the hard drive or just view what's on the card. Some viewers won't show thumbnails of RAW, so I would shoot RAW + small JPEG.
No CF card slot. :(
Naw uh huh, You have got to be kidding me.

What is a 30gb Zen thingy? take a peek "here (http://us.creative.com/products/product.asp?category=210&subcategory=214&product=14331)"

[Belmondo]

Very nice... Looks a tiny bit pickled around the edges of the trees though, or is that just Save for Web at work there?I think you're right, but that doesn't really bother me. The shot was taken wide open under somewhat less than ideal circumstances, including the fact that I was in my underwear.:o:o

I fully intend to work with it much more when time allows. My intended uses of this lens is to carry on walks around the neighborhood, and maybe in the car for 'just in case' shooting. For that, it's fine. I'll still be using the 'good stuff' when possible.

[Pete]

I think you're right, but that doesn't really bother me. The shot was taken wide open under somewhat less than ideal circumstances, including the fact that I was in my underwear.:o:o


Well, you successfully deflected my attention away from image quality with that comment. I think maybe my word "pickled" was a more apt word than I'd previously thought.

[Jon]

Nice place, but shouldn't the largest home in America be on a lake?It is. He had it built specially (the lake, that is). http://www.biltmore.com/

[timbernet]

I think you're right, but that doesn't really bother me. The shot was taken wide open under somewhat less than ideal circumstances, including the fact that I was in my underwear.:o:o

I fully intend to work with it much more when time allows. My intended uses of this lens is to carry on walks around the neighborhood, and maybe in the car for 'just in case' shooting. For that, it's fine. I'll still be using the 'good stuff' when possible.


Nice pool! Looks like a nice place.

[Belmondo]

Nice pool! Looks like a nice place.Thanks. We're very lucky to be where we are.

[Jamie Holladay]

I think you're right, but that doesn't really bother me. The shot was taken wide open under somewhat less than ideal circumstances, including the fact that I was in my underwear.:o:o
TMI Chief

[Woolburr]

There is are two small lakes on the Biltmore Estate that are part of the work done by Frederick Law Olmsted (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Law_Olmsted), along with the French Broad River.

[Belmondo]

TMI ChiefWe have very high fences, and I was outside for maybe a total of 30 seconds in case there were low-flying aircraft.

FWIW, I've actually worn less than that out there, but only at night while transitioning from a wet bathing suit to a soft, fluffy towel.;)

[Jon]

We have very high fences, and I was outside for maybe a total of 30 seconds in case there were low-flying aircraft.

FWIW, I've actually worn less than that out there, but only at night while transitioning from a wet bathing suit to a soft, fluffy towel.;)
Now that's WAY TMI!

[aussieskier]

I think you're right, but that doesn't really bother me. The shot was taken wide open under somewhat less than ideal circumstances, including the fact that I was in my underwear.:o:o


Shot looks good, I am looking at replacing my 17-35 with that, I would like a bit more reach... thanks for the lovely mental image :rolleyes:

[sugarzebra]

It is. He had it built specially (the lake, that is). http://www.biltmore.com/

There is are two small lakes on the Biltmore Estate that are part of the work done by Frederick Law Olmsted (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Law_Olmsted), along with the French Broad River.

Thanks Jon & Woolburr......its amazing what you can learn here on POTN. Apparently the Biltmore Estate was originally 125,000 acres and now is 'only' 8,000 with the rest of the lands now a government owned forest. Sounds like a very similar set up that the Hearst's have done with the castle at San Simeon.....must be nice to have a name like Hearst or Vanderbilt...or maybe not :D

[SuzyView]

Rather be rich than famous any time! And I think I wouldn't trade with those families even if they live there. Imagine the heating bill. :)

[SuzyView]

Tom, great shot! I can't say I ever ventured outside my home in my underwear before to take a shot. ;)

[cylentka]

Tom, great shot! I can't say I ever ventured outside my home in my underwear before to take a shot. ;)

Me neither. Pajamas are the limit.

[Woolburr]

Thanks Jon & Woolburr......its amazing what you can learn here on POTN. Apparently the Biltmore Estate was originally 125,000 acres and now is 'only' 8,000 with the rest of the lands now a government owned forest. Sounds like a very similar set up that the Hearst's have done with the castle at San Simeon.....must be nice to have a name like Hearst or Vanderbilt...or maybe not :D

The land now makes up parts of the Blue Ridge Parkway, the Pisgah National Forest and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It is also home to the
Cradle of Forestry (http://www.cradleofforestry.com/).

[Permagrin]

Moooorning all ;) Happy Valentines Day everyone! I'm rested and find that even w/50 posts/page I still have 5 pages of catch up to do! :lol:

Nice Red Tails, Perm! Remind me to introduce you to my friend, the Better Beamer!

Beautiful!

Oh, I emailed her last night's posts. Was that bad?

I recognize these houses! One of them (can't remember which) belongs to the owner of The Shutterbug.

Thanks TD. How would the better beamer help?

The Shutterbug's owner? Great...nice to know I help finance his mansion...sigh

PG...for such a severe crop of the goose at that range it looks decent. I like your fixed contrast/sat version too. The sun appears to be setting? (yellow glow) and painting the geese from the right.

It was a severe crop but like I said, it was just a test. The sun was setting...it was directly behind my back so it reflected up under the wings of the geese

Like you aren't a card carrying member of this group!;) Nice try.

We have to carry cards? Is there a card game with cows? Old Moo'd?

It's already Valentine's Day here and I woke up with a big headache and dizziness, so taking the day off to rest. Heck, I have so many overtime hours , so a day here and there doesn't really matter...

Hope you are feeling better Claire!

Hehe Yesterday I just met up with a few people from a website my friend runs. He and another guy started a website for people who want to meet new people. You put up events, people sign up for the event and then everyone meet. I've been a registered member since the website started, but never gone to any of the events, so thought it's about time I try to get a social life. Unless something happens I'll go for a pub quiz with them tomorrow night.

This sounds like a fun idea. You are supposed to be living a life that the rest of us can vicariously enjoy remember :D

On a lighter note, some time ago, I took some shots of my nephew's tag rugby session (mostly because it's fun for me to shoot, and also so other family can see). I sent the link to my photobucket album to their club's rugby site (they have a photo gallery). Turns out the really like them and suggested that I enter a couple for a BBC photo competition.

Depends what angle the competition is for though, I guess.

Pete, those photos turned out very well!

Good morning. Boy did I get a surprise this Valentines morning. No chocolate for me, but my sweetie did present me with the 30gig Creative Zen... Sweet... Beats the snot out of my flowers. But she is getting a play this weekend. Anyway, trying to figure out if I can download pics from the camera directly to the Zen. Anyone do this? Looks like it should be possible.

Nice, GilJustPlainJohn! Can you tell me if they say they work with Mac software? My ipod is failing and it's going to cost me $60 plus service fees to repair it...I'm just wondering if I want to look in another direction.

First shot with the Tammie 17-50, taken on my XT. I think I'm going to like this lens/camera combo

Chief...that looks good (nice pool!)....I really like the way that lens handles colors. At least with the few that I took w/my sons combo...

I think you're right, but that doesn't really bother me. The shot was taken wide open under somewhat less than ideal circumstances, including the fact that I was in my underwear

I fully intend to work with it much more when time allows. My intended uses of this lens is to carry on walks around the neighborhood, and maybe in the car for 'just in case' shooting. For that, it's fine. I'll still be using the 'good stuff' when possible.

Post some more when you get the chance :)
I was going to say TMI here but....

FWIW, I've actually worn less than that out there, but only at night while transitioning from a wet bathing suit to a soft, fluffy towel.;)

:shock: I'm saving it for here!!!

[gjl711]

Nice, GilJustPlainJohn! Can you tell me if they say they work with Mac software? My ipod is failing and it's going to cost me $60 plus service fees to repair it...I'm just wondering if I want to look in another direction... I am techno-cursed. I am like that character in Little Abner for those who remember and have a black clouds of IC chips always floating above my head. Alas, the Zen will not charge thus, the PC will not recognize it as being connected. We are headed back to the store shortly to exchange the unit. I have had suck a string of bad techno-luck that I am beginning to wonder what I did to pi&& off the techno-gods. In just the last month,

Dead Zen
Snow blower pull cord just broke
Work PC died. It was old though
Hard drive failed. Thank god for RAID
Wifes PC died. Bough new power supply and found that it also didn't work. Turned out that she pressed the start button too hard and pushed the start switch too far in.
Number 1/3 coil failed in truck. Easy to replace but chugging down the highway on 2 of 4 cylinders sucks. chug chug BOOM BOOM chug chug BOOM BOOM
Coffee maker made no coffee but LOTS of smoke.
and.. finally.. Our now by law mandated CO2 detector decided that every night at 2:00 in the morning the house was filled with CO2. Well we panicked the first night, wondered what was going on the second, got pi&&ed the third and went out and bought a new one. The new one reported none.Tell me, what did I do to deserve this. :confused:

[Permagrin]

I am techno-cursed. I am like that character in Little Abner for those who remember and have a black clouds of IC chips always floating above my head. Alas, the Zen will not charge thus, the PC will not recognize it as being connected. We are headed back to the store shortly to exchange the unit. I have had suck a string of bad techno-luck that I am beginning to wonder what I did to pi&& off the techno-gods. In just the last month,

Dead Zen
Snow blower pull cord just broke
Work PC died. It was old though
Hard drive failed. Thank god for RAID
Wifes PC died. Bough new power supply and found that it also didn't work. Turned out that she pressed the start button too hard and pushed the start switch too far in.
Number 1/3 coil failed in truck. Easy to replace but chugging down the highway on 2 of 4 cylinders sucks. chug chug BOOM BOOM chug chug BOOM BOOM
Coffee maker made no coffee but LOTS of smoke.
and.. finally.. Our now by law mandated CO2 detector decided that every night at 2:00 in the morning the house was filled with CO2. Well we panicked the first night, wondered what was going on the second, got pi&&ed the third and went out and bought a new one. The new one reported none.Tell me, what did I do to deserve this. :confused:

AUUUUGH! You have my deepest sympathy! :shock: :shock:
(p.s. I'm sure the exchanged one will work just fine...it's just delayed gratification :) ).

[SuzyView]

This is what I shot today while shoveling. That is ice reflecting and with the 20+ mph winds this afternoon, ice falling hard on the ground.

No dust on the sensor, that's the ice flying off the 60 foot tree.

[Woolburr]

I am techno-cursed. I am like that character in Little Abner for those who remember and have a black clouds of IC chips always floating above my head. Alas, the Zen will not charge thus, the PC will not recognize it as being connected. We are headed back to the store shortly to exchange the unit. I have had suck a string of bad techno-luck that I am beginning to wonder what I did to pi&& off the techno-gods. In just the last month,

Dead Zen
Snow blower pull cord just broke
Work PC died. It was old though
Hard drive failed. Thank god for RAID
Wifes PC died. Bough new power supply and found that it also didn't work. Turned out that she pressed the start button too hard and pushed the start switch too far in.
Number 1/3 coil failed in truck. Easy to replace but chugging down the highway on 2 of 4 cylinders sucks. chug chug BOOM BOOM chug chug BOOM BOOM
Coffee maker made no coffee but LOTS of smoke.
and.. finally.. Our now by law mandated CO2 detector decided that every night at 2:00 in the morning the house was filled with CO2. Well we panicked the first night, wondered what was going on the second, got pi&&ed the third and went out and bought a new one. The new one reported none.Tell me, what did I do to deserve this. :confused:

Just did a bit of reading on the Zen...if you get another one...spend 50 bucks to get the 60gb model...according to their site...that is the only model that works correctly for direct photo transfer.

[gjl711]

Just did a bit of reading on the Zen...if you get another one...spend 50 bucks to get the 60gb model...according to their site...that is the only model that works correctly for direct photo transfer.
Thanx, good tip. I am headed back in a bit to exchange it.

[T.D.]

Thanks TD. How would the better beamer help?




The better beamer is a $35 contraption (with about a dollar's worth of plastic in it total!) that magnifies your external flash. Essentially, you are shooting flash photography for BIF. I haven't used mine a ton, but it definitely helps. A lot of bird shooters use it. It can really help light up those tough spots on the boids.

Check it out here:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=Search&A=details&Q=&sku=427602&is=REG&addedTroughType=search
(http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=Search&A=details&Q=&sku=427602&is=REG&addedTroughType=search)

[Permagrin]

The better beamer is a $35 contraption (with about a dollar's worth of plastic in it total!) that magnifies your external flash. Essentially, you are shooting flash photography for BIF. I haven't used mine a ton, but it definitely helps. A lot of bird shooters use it. It can really help light up those tough spots on the boids.

Check it out here:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=Search&A=details&Q=&sku=427602&is=REG&addedTroughType=search
(http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=Search&A=details&Q=&sku=427602&is=REG&addedTroughType=search)

Thanks I'll check it out. I didn't use flash yesterday though...

[Claire]

I saw "Dreamgirls" tonight. Not bad, but waaay too long song numbers at times, and quite a few songs I found being there for fill out to the story. I mean, I like musicals a lot, but some of the times when they burst out singing I just cringed.

Then I walked along Avenyn, the parade street of Gothenburg. Damn, I do miss the London nightlife! I mean, in London on Valentine's Day means theme stuff in clubs. I was hoping some clubs might have something fun going on, but no. Bah.

[SuzyView]

Everything is shut down in the DC area tonight. I am ordering take out from the Chinese place down the street. The restaurants and clubs are all suffering from this bad weather. I wish I could paint the town too.

[Claire]

Suzy, I just finished off a pizza. Mmmm....clay oven baked pizza...thin and crispy....

[gjl711]

Everything is shut down in the DC area tonight. I am ordering take out from the Chinese place down the street. The restaurants and clubs are all suffering from this bad weather. I wish I could paint the town too.I was in Boston for training and hurricane Bob blew through. The entire town shut down except for this little Chinese restaurant. They had no power and were just cooking up all the perishables. We feasted that night on the best Chinese dinner I have ever had.

Suzy, I just finished off a pizza. Mmmm....clay oven baked pizza...thin and crispy.... MMMmmmm... pizza... thin and crispy... I believe that pizza should be elevated to a food group all by itself. Get you breads, fruits, meats, and.. you pizza... :)

[SuzyView]

Panera Bread here has a thin crust pizza thing that is delicious hot and crispy. I crave it sometimes. I'm waiting for my husband to come home to get my take out.

[JSolie]

I am techno-cursed. I am like that character in Little Abner for those who remember and have a black clouds of IC chips always floating above my head. Alas, the Zen will not charge thus, the PC will not recognize it as being connected. We are headed back to the store shortly to exchange the unit. I have had suck a string of bad techno-luck that I am beginning to wonder what I did to pi&& off the techno-gods. In just the last month,
Dead Zen
Snow blower pull cord just broke
Work PC died. It was old though
Hard drive failed. Thank god for RAID
Wifes PC died. Bough new power supply and found that it also didn't work. Turned out that she pressed the start button too hard and pushed the start switch too far in.
Number 1/3 coil failed in truck. Easy to replace but chugging down the highway on 2 of 4 cylinders sucks. chug chug BOOM BOOM chug chug BOOM BOOM
Coffee maker made no coffee but LOTS of smoke.
and.. finally.. Our now by law mandated CO2 detector decided that every night at 2:00 in the morning the house was filled with CO2. Well we panicked the first night, wondered what was going on the second, got pi&&ed the third and went out and bought a new one. The new one reported none.Tell me, what did I do to deserve this. :confused:

Hmm... I think you're in a cycle of failed dependancy sensors. Your best bet would be to fix the coffee maker first, as just about everything else fans out from there...

[Maureen Souza]

I have risen from the bed ;)

Barely.

[SuzyView]

Week of work done now, Maureen? You can relax and enjoy your new computer now. :)