[Rigging Secured Sir]

At my local jetty a couple of days ago.

 

 

 

 

My kinda pictures Clifftop a life on the ocan waves . . . . Going down to my boat this afternoon, see if I can get a few sea bass??? Ho-Humm . . . I get as much pleasure from being afloat as I do fishing these days I will have the camera with me as well, never know, I might get a photo oportunity . . .

 

ET

[Rain stopped play....]

Go straight to the naughty step, you bad boy!

 

Well, I've had a Blue Peter moment.

 

I've cobbled together a basic case made from cut up plastic document wallets, freezer bags, staples and masking tape...the tricky bit was finding something to protect the lens when it was extended, but I've managed that with the plastic top off an air freshener aerosol, held on with an elastic band. The tape is supposed to be waterproof, but time will tell!

 

It's not exactly aesthetically pleasing, but I hope it will do the job.

 

...and wouldn't you just know it? It's stopped raining!

 

Janet

 

 

Janet, the Freezer bag will do to keep the body dry, hold your hand above the lens, compose, press the shutter, then put the camera under your coat lens pointing down. Thats how I took these 'Wood & Water' shots, it was chucking it down . . . fresh out of freezer bags and shower hats

 

 

Had a good day to day, plenty of fairs and tips, one was a £16'er, they gave me £20, dont get that to much these days, more like 20p . . . if you are lucky! Have a good un tomorrow and I can have all of Friday off. Do paper work, make a couple of phone calls, chase care insurance, pay my licence for the next 12 months . . . then if the forecast holds, down to the marina and go for the sea bass on the afternoon tide like a cork out of a bottle.

 

SW

[Anyone else having problems]

http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/forums/loading...s-t1522806.html

 

Thanks 'ayjay', I suspected Elton had not been putting money in the meeter . . . It just seems to have been going on for a long time. Hopefully sorted soon?

 

SW

[Rain stopped play....]

Janet I once read in a magazine that to protect your camera in bad weather you should nick a shower cap from a hotel. Now I know you wouldn't dream of getting one that way, but if you buy or borrow one you then cut a hole in it just big enough for the tip of the lens to poke through and your nice new shiny camera will stay nice and dry.

 

I don't know if it works or not but I see no reason why it should not. By the way you need a clear shower cap so you can see all the bobs & whistles on your pride and joy.

 

Janet, dont try to use the shower cap after you have cut the hole in it though . . .

 

Yes, a large freezer bag will do a similar job . . . ??? not so good as a shower cap though . . .

 

Get inside a large black bin bag, cut small hole for camera lens, and a couple for your eyes . . . . errrrr, its the silly season and I have had a glass or three of some quality Merrydown cider . . .

 

SW

[Anyone else having problems]

Back to squar one, slow as ever again, tells me of ISP falts and things, getting realy fed up. What going on, the other sites I visit do not exhibit the same problem!!!

 

SW

[The Portal!]

Thanks for looking either way folks. Take it for what it is SW, its a cool image (IMHO anyway) and as I've said a few times now, ITS NOT HDR!!

 

Mick.

 

 

OK Mick, I understand, its not HDR, point taken. You know what mate, that b***dy picture has been in my mind all day . . . As I have said, I appreciate the artistry but why not the picture?? It sure is cool the skin colour is 'cadaver' like (perhaps you should visit your doctor Mick?) But thats not the problem . . . its the subtle distortions, makes it look very aggressive, to me, I think you have used distortion? . . . same on the other images off this type as well?

 

As one has got older, one is finding such things in general unsettling, especially if its subtle. TV programs I now turn off with that sort of content, that I would have watched 10 years ago . . . getting a sensitive little thing me. These days, I dont like any form of aggression or confrontation.

 

So, the originality of the artistry is spot on, its the 'Image per-say' I'm having trouble with . . . Does that make sense?

 

SW

[The Portal!]

I'd just like to know what he does to get that effect!

 

I thought the competition entry "The Face" was excellent. Definitely different, but none the worse for that. I wouldn't have called it creepy....more like spooky? Either way, its an image that I very much like.

 

SW, we'll have to agree to disagree on this one. I loved it. However, if I ever start to look like that when I'm loading my washing machiine, please warn me....

 

Janet

 

Janet, Creepy, Spooky? is there a difference when 'the face' is looking at you from the shadowssss . . . ?

 

As for the 'Portal', yes thats OK Janet, I like 'Loony Tunes' too, remember Roger Rabbit . . . ? . . . . I love the idea, just to freaky for me . . . unreal . . .

 

Sorry Mick, your imagination is grate, I just dont go with the final results coupled with HDR . . . !!! I wont comment any more on HDR . . . I'll get my coat . . . .

 

SW OFC

[The Portal!]

Mmmm???? I still see it as a hint of cartoons, sorry, just not my style, but as you say, you have a fertile mind.

 

Now your competition entry, 'the Face', thats a whole different ball park in my book, creepy, is just one of my thoughts on 'the Face'.

 

SW OFC

[Old photoshop elements ?]

It appears elements 7 is too resource hungry for my PC to run it, if the specs are right. I might try the free downloaded version to check if it works. Failing that I can get 6 for 20 quid off amazon...

 

Rob.

 

Been there Rob, depends on your computer? until I changed to a new one in January, I could only run up to V.4 . . . v.5 crashed my old computer everytime!!! I was light on RAM only 512mb and the CPU was not up to it either, all 6 years old! Up graded to 2GB of RAM, worked fine but the old girl used to throw a general wobbly every few days, very frustrating!! New modern spec., computer in Jan., sorted the problem, now its only finger trouble I have to contend with!

 

SW

[Sunset / sunrise pictures]

Super stuff, Bobj.

 

SW

[Anyone else having problems]

Judy - a couple of things to try that may help and certainly won't hurt. Do in this order.

 

Download and run CCleaner to clear trash from the PC. Harmless clutter but too much of it messes with applications and web browsers are the most affected. http://download.cnet.com/ccleaner/ is a safe site for the download. Once you start it you should see icons on the left side. The broom with the label "cleaner" is the one you want.

 

Next and still in CCleaner, click on the next icon labeled 'registry' and run that. Let it fix all it finds without saving any of the results.

 

Defragment your hard drive. Not sure about specific directions since you didn't mention your operating system but if you do a search in the PC's help files for 'defragment', it should tell you exactly how to do it. The first run if you don't already do it regularly can take up to a few hours. When run monthly (good to do) it will go much faster.

 

Open a command window. Using start>run>cmd is the easiest way to do that. Once you have the window open, key in

chkdsk /f (and note the space after chkdsk) and press Enter. When it tells you it can't do the deed just now, respond Y so it will do it at next reboot and then reboot. It will run the disk check & repair and then reboot itself again. The process can take only a few minutes or several hours.

 

You should now be desludged and your system set to run better. I suggest a cleaning with CCleaner at least weekly, a defrag at least monthly, and chkdsk /f whenever the system starts acting funky.

 

I have been having sloooowww problems loading 'AN' (especially at peak times) on my IEv8/XP, new computer in Jan. All other sites seem to work OK!!! very frustrating that its only AN. So I tried the above, it has 'sort of' worked, its quicker to load now, still slower than other sites, but not the frustrating minutes, that it was before. Thanks Newt.

 

SW

[Old photoshop elements ?]

So do you guys think elements 7 is worth the extra money and/or are any of the older versions worth getting (since I can of course pick them up cheaper off ebay than the latest version) ? I'm not looking at doing tons of stuff with it as I don't really have the time.

 

Cheers,

 

Rob.

 

Rob, Elements v.7 can be had at Amazon currently for as little as £31.00+PP. There are a few on the site listed as used up to £35 . . . in truth they are packages but with out a box, its how I got my Ev.7.

 

The word is, Ev.6 is so close, if you are already running v.6 its not worth the upgrade, wait for v.8??? when ever that might be?

 

The difference between V.2 and v.7 is dramatic and £30'ish + postage is good value. Janet's suggestion of down loading the 30 days free trial is a good idea, it dies after 30 days, delete it from your computer, go to Amazon, buy the unboxed full version for under 40 quid including postage, 'simples'

 

SW

[Old photoshop elements ?]

I have a very old version of photoshop elements (v2) - to play with before I consider getting a newer version. My question is can I work with jpg images and resave again as jpg ? When I played around I couldn't see jpg, just a dozen other file types. So if I can't what is the best to stick with in terms of a format that can be universally viewed and mainains the image quality / resolution ?

 

TIA.

 

Rob.

 

Whew Rob, you are going back a bit . . . I did use Ev2 a looooooooong while ago, think it saves 'JPG' as standard?? Try working on a copy image, save to windows folder, hover mouse over thumb-nail, it will give basic information like that as a pop-up. The present form of Ev7, there are is a whole list of formats when saving, that you need to read carefully the first couple of times, the JPG format can be missed, even worse for me, dyslexia makes list look very jumbled

 

The other comment I would make is, Ev2, if memory serves, bears little resemblance visually on screen to its modern version? Though much of the functionality is similar, albeit extensively added to and refined. Ev7 looking very like full version PS, I now have a copy of CS4 to compare, there is nothing that makes me see any justification in my mind to pay the extra. I have seen that statements in recent media reviews, only professionals and the ultra enthusiast need bother, long live Elements v.7

 

SW

[Times they are a changing . . .]

You're right SW, they're certainly closing the gab on the bricks, but (and to quote Clifftop, "there's always a but") they're still unable to do a lot of things the old brick can. OK, the shot of the purple flower is good but it still dont have that good an IQ. I think the lens' on the P&S will never be as good as some quality glass on a brick. And what about "Off camera flash"? I doubt they can deal with all that malarky either. BUT, they really do cater for those who are not going to go all the way with photography quite well, so yes, its really something to think about.

 

Mick.

 

ps, I went to an exhibition last weekend. "Wildlife Photographer of the Year". An awesome exhibit it was too. And while nearly all the shots were taken with Canon 5D's, 400D's 1DMKII's and Nikon 2D's etc, there were one or two that were taken with a P&S.

 

I think the point is Mick, its what you want from a camera. Me, I'm happy doing what I do, very simple, but my 'photographers eye' is getting better, therefor I can appreciate my work better, it does not bother me what other think. And those that I do give pictures to, usually by email, are not photographers, so think I'm gods gift! poor deluded souls

 

I also appreciate 'natural' pictures, as you are aware, the Richo CX1 is absolutely spot on for me, and if some times one might like a little more punch, its close enough to only need just that tade of persuasion in PS?

 

Personally, when I first started needing proper photographs for publication back in 1989-90, the only option was SLR, hens I have always had the tie to Nikon with my lenses. These days, I'm happy to be a bumbling hobbyist, its nice to understand whats going on, but if I'm honest, these days, I'm not interested in the trappings, I just cut to the chase. Thats how I am with most things, cars are tools to get from A to B. I'm still using fishing rods and reels 20 years old, although the preferred rods are 5 years old, new by my standards! No I'm not a tackle tart, tackle shops wont get rich on me. My boat is slow, displacement speed, I dont want a hare'um scar'um, shake all you teeth out, wave jumper, 40 miles off shore? I can catch sports and big fish fairly close in, why wast the fuel? Life is a steady procession these days, you wait till you get to 62! In fact my 'younger boating mate' tells me he has hit the 'wall' at 55

 

I'm watching, I like to see where others are heading, but me, the original boring 'steady Eddy'. Will there come a point, in the not to distant future when I will trade my DSLR's for a modern CX1, if they get a view finder on it, yes I'm a candidate? But till then??? You cant take consistently good pictures holding a camera 'Zombie fashion', in bright sun light. See I still have an opinion To qualify the statement slightly, by consistently good I mean, zero shake and good composition, the three point support given by looking through a view finder and no sun glair is essential in the end.

 

Purely a personal view, I am quite happy to stand on the side line and watch . . .

 

SW

[Times they are a changing . . .]

I'm reading other web sights and getting the idea that the compact market is catching up? Catching up with what? My feeling is DSLR's, not the hair shirt, anorak, enthusiast 3lbs hanging around the neck type, they will never change, they are hobbyist of the first order, and more power to their elbow. No, I feel the likes of people like me . . . I love my photography, but get very fed up with the ball and chain hanging around the neck, I go for a walk, to spend some quality time with my partner and our dog. I include my photography as part of my life, it is not my life.

 

Canon, Nikon, Sigma and Richo, have come up with cameras that take pictures, in quality terms, of the first order. Flexibility of the DSLR is reduced, a problem? how many DSLR owners state with pride! ABC's 50mm lens is a permanent fixture to my, super-duper, wiz-bang, overpriced 2lb brick hung around my neck . . . the over priced brick bit is never admitted to admittedly. I have to admit to being in the over priced brick lobby. Have always played with compacts, but there has always been a compromise somewhere, shutter release delay is my pet hate.

 

As I rarely, if ever, print out pictures these days, the computer image of these new super compacts is perfectly good by my standards, the word is, they do a 'pretty dam good A3 print' as well.

 

Here is a link to the Richo CX1 sample shots:

 

http://www.dpreview.com/gallery/ricohcx1_preview_samples/

 

28mm - 200mm lens, no exposure compensation . . . I am impressed. And If you dont believe me read this potted review/spec.:

 

http://www.dpreview.com/news/0902/09021901ricohcx1.asp

 

Would I change? Perhaps not for the Richo as it stands, no view finder(?) but they are getting there, when the DSLR Nikons wear out, or I get to old to hump all that baggage about . . . I might even be prepared to do a little more post PhotoShopping . . . within reason . . . dont lets be to OTT

 

Some of you must have views on the subject, its another move forward that "is here to stay" . . .

 

Times, 'they are a changing' . . . SW OFC

 

PS, just had a peak at the Canon G10 and Sigma DP1 (DP2 out this week I think?) picture samples on 'dpreview'. I rate!!!! the Richo CX1, a bargin at £300'ish? Will they do a ad on view finder as they have with previous models???

[Water and Wood . . . ?]

Cheers SW.

 

That crop is much better. I hadn't tried to fiddle with it in Elements, but I'll have a go as soon as I get home! (I'm house sitting this weekend)

 

It certainly needed sharpening. I'm not sure why it didn't come out much sharper to start with - any ideas?

 

Janet

 

 

Needed sharpening, any ideas . . . ? You had been at the Gin . . .

 

Pictures often need a tad of 'sharp', I suspect from the low elevation, you were crouched at an awkward angle? if so, that can often introduced camera shake I have found? Windy? thats wind blow, not wind . ! . ! . ! excuse me . . . The camera chose to slow a shutter speed? Get the tripod out Janet . . . Exif could have helped to answer some of these.

 

SW ofc

[My first multi off camera flash pic.]

I agree, lighting is interesting? I am seeing what I can only describe as green, blue and red 'noise' on the tread of the tyre? I presume this can be addressed as you become more familiar with the technique?

 

SW ofc

[Water and Wood . . . ?]

 

Any hints and tips on what I should be doing to improve these pictures would be most welcome! I know what I intended to shoot, but the finished result didn't quite live up to my expectations....

 

Janet

 

 

Janet, Fred's advise on the Macro shot I think is good, might try a little stronger colour?

 

This is my version of the normal picture, I have tightened the crop, strengthened the colour in 'levels' made the knot hole a feature and added a touch of sharpen. Try it on the original, as I obviously cant go to far on the reduced pixel count shot.

 

 

SW

[Water and Wood . . . ?]

Cliff love the wood shots, clear as a bell and sharp.

 

i was told many years ago that if taking a photograph with tree or shrubs as the background to give them a spray with the hose first.

 

Janet, maybe try just one bloom as the petal at the top and the blooms in the background tend to take your eyes from the main subject or try and get the whole bunch in focus

 

like that photo medwaygreen has on here.

 

 

Cheers Fred

 

Fred,

Hose? . . . it was chucking it down with rain!!! . . . is that over kill . . .

 

As a last resort/glove compartment option, the '5 mega pixel S50' compact does well I think. Just goes to show, we don't really need expensive DSLR's . . . ???? Been that route in my mind a few times, especially as I the royal we . . . also own a D40X and a D80. If push came to shove, and I had to choose just one camera/lens, to serve me for the remainder of my photographic life, nothing more technical than I do here on site, hard up, no cash . . . so whats new

 

Money no object (within reason) I would probably choose a D90/Nikon 18-200VR. However, if money was an issue, and I had to stick to what I know, keep it cheap, light and practical, the D40X/Nikon 18-70 fits the bill, with the Canon S50 compact making me think twice. The second glance may make me look at the D40X coupled with the 18-200VR superzoom? Would be a tough one, especial as I've been getting results from the 18-200 recently, but its heavy in comparison . . .

 

Why the D40X . . . Its simple, basic operation in the way cameras used to in the days of film, but with the hybrid mixture of main control + menu, it can do all I want, I'm used to the menu system having used a compact on and off for a few years . . . but then I dont have to make the choice, so I can indulge myself and dream of a D90 . . . or the new D5000 . . . now there is an option . . .

 

. . . Mmm, back to Wood and Water . . .

 

SW OFC

[Water and Wood . . . ?]

Janet, trying to look at your photos 'Exif information', ie shutter speed, aperture etc. This information is not available with your pictures. Its usualy transferred and held, unseen, automaticaly, at the point of taking the picture and accessed with an Exif program. However, it is only transferred with the picture when you save your pictures if you use 'save as', I suspect you are using 'save', 'save' does not transfer the exif detail to the picture. Exif information is also a requirement of the competition, although it seems not to be an enforced rule at the mo?

 

SW

[Water and Wood . . . ?]

There is an idea . . . Subject 'Water and Wood' get out this weekend with the camera, garden, local park, even the gutter if it rains, just for fun, see what you come up with?

 

SW ofc

[Water and Wood . . . ?]

Parked up waiting for a job, the weather was strange. Very wet, raining but bright . . . I had the Compact in the glove compartment??? is it worth having a hose about??

 

These are the results of not moving more than 20 meters from the car, holding my hand above the lens to stop the rain splashing on it, and on occasions, holding the camera on the floor, pointing and hope, you dont think I was going to grovel, in good clothes do you?

 

Whilst I dont put any, in the watch out Sir David Baily class, or even 1st in the forum competition. I do see them as personal satisfaction, I have a thing about wood and a pleasure to look at . . . occasionally, biased opinion . . .

 

Its also interesting to see the sharpness, colour and how the rain drops help, as I say, only a 5mpx Canon S50 compact.

 

1 Raining!! It would have been better to have got a few leaves and floated then down as a point of interest in the picture, live and learn?

 

2 I like this one, the leaves look so fresh and sharp.

 

3 Not sure about this at all?

 

4 Grain on the sawn stump, bark and shoots, all very clear and defined.

 

5 Good colour, sharp, some may prefer the low angle?

 

6 looks like I have been polishing the Ivy.

 

Open to discussion, criticism and how you would do it! But I think the fact that the weather was so poor encourages one to look at the bad days as well as the ideally lite opportunities. Another point, to get the 6 above, I took 25 shots, not considered by some as good form, the scatter gun approach . . . may be so, but its better than not having any at all?

 

SW

[Jaws . . .]

. . . I have posed these pics on 'AN Photo site' . . . then thought relevant to the Sea Angling forum as well. Old pics 2006, but we are coming into the Tope season within a few weeks, hole bunch of small tides off Suffolk/Essex which will bring the heavily pregnant females in to pup, followed closely by fit, rampant males!!! You want a record breaker, then its the females, but they are like a sack of potatoes to bring in. The males on the other hand are fit a raring to go, they will pull your string as did the male in the picture.

 

At the same time, or just a tad sooner, like now! Smoothounds will be about, they fight like the devil . . . can come up fairly easily first time, see the boat, bang!!!!!!!!!!! dive, dive, dive. Make sure the clutch is set light, any Hound in double figures will test you, believe me, and once you get to the high teens its 'jaws'!!! Smoothound fight twice as hard as Tope pound for pound IMHO, and they dont have teeth, catch them on green hardback crabs, keeps the doggies away. I like tope fishing, but prefer Smoothounds.

 

So for the fun of it . . .

 

Here is a sequence that as anglers you might like. I was fishing on a friends boat as a guest, we had a group of guys who had chartered the boat for the day to go Tope fishing in June 2006. It was to be my last feature article for the fishing magazine media. For those that are not sure, Tope is a shark, teeth and all!!! native to UK waters, rod caught record is about 80 something pounds, 82lbs I think. Bigger have been taken in the past couple of years but were released . . . 90 something?

 

These pictures were taken by John Hanks on his mobile phone . . . it might have been a compact? I was otherwise occupied with the fishing rod

 

 

The head appearing on the right . . . see next picture

 

 

We had not got a net big enough to land it! So this brave soul, hung over the side, 4 guys hanging on to his legs

 

 

The Tope went 38lbs . . . the fat lump wearing the silly hat goes considerably more than that . . . !!! That was 2006 . . .

 

 

Just to prove the point, this is the same, not so fat lump, same smock, but hat less, last year . . . I have lost a lot of weight! The fish is a 7-8lb Thorn Back Ray, 'Roka' in these parts and 'skate wing' in the chippy.

 

 

I am very grateful to John Hanks for the watery Tope shots, far from perfect photographically, but give me pleasure every time I look at them, they are in my 'special memories' category. Non of these are master pieces, but in my book there is more to picture taking than perfection? You may have a view . . .

 

Please enjoy them with me, for what they are . . .

 

SW OFC

[Pics from the snow in OZ]

Like them Fred, like them a lot I feel cool just looking

 

SW OFC

[Favourite Fishing/Pet/Aminal Picture]

Nothing special on the diet, just stop eating between meals, classic or what cut protein and fat intake a little, (fat by a lot!) but the main thing was to increase vegetables, loads of veg!! or salad, pig out on salad . . . o'yes and get diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, surprising how that focuses the mind All under controll now, but still need to loose some more weight, seriouse dieting in winter is not good, especialy the cold one we had this year! gained a couple of kg's over this winter

 

By the way the fish in the pictures went back afterwards.

 

SW OFC