Santa and children. Photo © Jim Doty Jr.
It’s the time of year when photo opportunities abound. Grab your camera and go out and take some pictures.
Q&A: MOVING PHOTOS BACK TO YOUR CAMERA
Photo © Jim Doty Jr.
There are times when you might want to move photos from your computer back to your camera, as is the case with the person who sent me the question below. The catch is, you need to do the right things when you download the photos to insure that you can get them back into your camera later on, and it does mean more work than with the usual digital workflow.
TO OUR VETERANS
For serving our country in the past, the present, or the future – we give you thanks.
Remember Me (large screen version) by Lizzie Palmer.
Remember Me (small screen version) by Lizzie Palmer.
Lizzie Palmer was 15 years old when her video was broadcast on FOX News, June 10, 2007.
POINT IROQUOIS LIGHTHOUSE – 2
Point Iroquois Lighthouse, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
Although the front view of the lighthouse is nice with the lawn, stone fence, and flowers (see the Oct 14 post below), I prefer the natural surroundings from the beach side of the lighthouse.The beach side also does a better job of showing off the fall colors.
THE PICKENS PLAN
POINT IROQUOIS LIGHTHOUSE
Point Iroquois Lighthouse. Photo © Jim Doty Jr.
Point Iroquois Lighthouse is on Lake Superior’s Whitefish Bay in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, not far from Sault Ste. Mare. It is on the National Register of Historic Places. There is no charge to climb the 65 foot tower or go through the 1950’s exhibit. Donations are welcomed.
“The Point Iroquois Light was first illuminated in 1857 and its Fourth Order Fresnel lens shone over one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world: the entrance to the St. Mary’s River and the Soo Locks. Point Iroquois became busier with each passing year, and the personnel and facilities required to run the station grew accordingly. In 1870 the house and tower were completely rebuilt, and in 1902, a two-story rectangular brick house was added to the residence to provide housing for the assistant keeper.” (From the web site linked in the next paragraph.)
The lighthouse is no longer active and the lens has been removed from the tower. The lighthouse is managed by the U.S. forest Service and it is part of the Hiawatha National Forest. “The museum and gift shop are open from May 15th through October 15. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., daily. Hours may vary, so call (906) 437-5272 for a current schedule.” More information about the lighthouse is here.
FALL IN MICHIGAN’S U.P.
Fall Color in Michigan’s U.P. Photo © Jim Doty Jr.
October is a great time to be in Michigan if you like fall color. Beginning in the Western U.P. in early October, the color works its way across the U.P. and south through the lower peninsula. In a good year, there is beautiful color somewhere in Michigan for the first three weeks in October. Plan your trip, grab your camera, and come take pictures.
FALL COLOR REPORTS
Aspen Grove, Rocky Mountain National Park. Photo © Jim Doty Jr.
As I write this, fall colors are sweeping across the country from north to south and from higher elevations to lower elevations. Late fall color is blending with early winter in the San Juan mountains of southwest Colorado. Fall colors are at peak in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and near peak in the northern part of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.
New Hampshire is at or near peak across most of the state. Vermont is reporting one of the best fall color seasons in recent memory.
The color season is just beginning in North Carolina. Leaves will turn first in the higher elevations of the Great Smoky Mountains and work there way down to places like Cades Cove.
If you haven’t already done so, it’s not too late to plan your fall color trip, be it nearby or far away.
You can keep track of fall color reports here.
JOHN CHIARA’S TRAILER SIZED CAMERA
Imagine towing a camping trailer sized camera around to your locations and only being able to create one photo per day. That’s what John Chiara does with his homemade camera. Watch a 7 minute video at YouTube.
FIREFOX IS SAFER THAN INTERNET EXPLORER
As the above graphic illustrates, Firefox is a safer web browser than Internet Explorer. Firefox has been my preferred web browser for several years now. As I one of my sons told me (he is my computer guru when I need help), Firefox is faster, better, and safer. I made the switch.
Firefox had tabbed browsing long before IE. Tabbed browsing is so much handier in a lot of situations than opening new windows. When I am using Google search, I open each link in a new tab so I can bounce back and forth between pages and I still have my original Google search page.
Firefox is free, open source software. You can read more about it’s safety advantages here and here.
If you haven’t tried Firefox, it’s about time. You can download it at the Mozilla web site.
SAVE YOUR COPYRIGHTED WORK FROM THEFT – PART 2
The U.S. Senate passed its version of Orphan Works bill, S.2913. It is now in the House of Representatives.
If this bill passes, it will be much easier for someone to declare your art work as an “orphaned work” and sell your work with no compensation to you.
Everything you need to know is here.
Write to your U.S. Representative ASAP.
Find your representative here
or here:
or here:
http://www.house.gov/writerep/
These sites are overwhelmed today so it make take a while to get through.
A sample email is here or after the page break.
SAVE YOUR COPYRIGHTED WORK FROM THEFT – ACT TODAY
Take two minutes and save the copyright for your artistic work.
The “Shawn Bentley Orphan Works Act of 2008” is being hotlined for action in the U.S. Senate, possibly today or this weekend. What are orphan works and how can you lose the copyright to your images? Look farther down this page.
Write to your senators NOW to prevent the theft of your copyrighted art work.
In just a couple of minutes, you can edit and send a simple online email to your senators by going to the web site of the Graphic Artists Guild (GAG).
Where it says “Take Action Now”, fill in your zip code, and click Go.
In Section 1 check the names of your senators. Then edit the form email to insert your name and what you do as an artist (photographer, painter etc).
In Section 2, fill in your name and address information in the form below and click “Send Message”. GAG will send your email to your senators.
Pass the word along to your artistic friends.
*** Â *** Â ***
What are ‘Orphan Works’?
An “orphan work” is a work (such as an image) that is protected by copyright but whose copyright owner cannot be identified and located.
Under some versions of the Orphan Works Bill, it would be possible for someone to claim one of your art works has been orphaned and sell your art work. If you find out about it later, you would have no recourse and receive no compensation.
*** Â *** Â ***
From the ASMP web site:
“As described in a 2005 report that the Copyright Office prepared for Congress, an “orphan work” is a work (such as an image) that is protected by copyright but whose copyright owner cannot be identified and located. It is clear that such a situation harms both creators and users. However, the remedy that was proposed to the 2006 Congress was needlessly unfair to creators, leading ASMP and many other groups to seek changes when the bill was introduced.
ASMP lobbied the issue all year long, presenting our case to Congressional staffers, testifying before the House and Senate committees and, at one point, asking our members to fax letters to their elected representatives. ASMP also helped form a coalition of creator associations (including overseas groups) to press for amendments to the House and Senate bills.
The 2006 bills died in committee. But even then, it was clear that the issue would be raised anew in the next Congress. The forces in American culture that want easier access to copyrighted material have not been stopped, merely delayed.”
Read this AMSP update.
There is also an Orphan Works Q&A at the ASMP web site.
*** Â *** Â ***
Read more at Photo Attorney (follow the links to prior blog posts).
*** Â *** Â ***
Some highlights from License to Steal about Orphan Works legislation:
“However, the bill as currently drafted is terribly one-sided in favor of the publishing and library industries and very flawed when it comes to protecting the rights of photographers. In particular the draft bill:
- Makes it legal for anyone desiring to use a copyrighted work for any purpose to go ahead and use it without a license if they have made “good faith, reasonably diligent search” to locate the copyright owner.
- Use of such an “orphaned work” is free, unless the copyright owner comes forward. But even in that case the copyright owner can only claim (or sue to claim) the normal license fee, but not any additional damages or attorney’s fees–even if the work had a registered copyright.
- And even if the copyright owner discovers the violation, if the user is not making commercial use of the image, then there is no recourse and no compensation.”
IT’S OFFICIAL: The New CANON 5D Mark II
It is now official. After posting teasers on their web sites for the last week, at midnight last night, Canon officially announced the much awaited Canon 5D Mark II.
So what’s new and improved?
*The sensor jumps from 12.8 megapixels on the current model to 21.1 megapixels on the new model. So long as the quality remains good, more megapixels means bigger enlargements.
*High ISO sensitivity jumps from 3200 to 6400 but it can be expanded to ISO 25,600. This is huge news if the quality is still good at the higher ISOs. This should mean better pictures at much lower light levels and faster shutter speeds at lower ambient light levels.
*Now for the really surprising, good news (at least so far as I am concerned). For a long time I have wondered why Canon didn’t put a movie mode in a digital SLR. This is a basic feature of many point and shoot digital cameras and it is one of the reasons I run around with a digital point and shoot (the Canon Powershot S3 IS). I like to capture short video clips. Canon finally did it. The Canon 5D Mark II incorporates full HD (1920×1080) video at 30 fps. Finally!! This is the first and only (as of Sept 17) D-SLR to provide a High Definition movie mode. You can play high resolution movies from the new Canon 5D on your HD TV.
*The 5D Mk II has Auto ISO in all modes except manual. If the shutter speed drops below a certain point due to a drop in light levels, the camera jumps the ISO to maintain the desired shutter speed.
More additions and upgrades to the 5D Mark II:
*The dust reduction feature that is part of several other Canon D-SLRs.
*Digic IV image processing.
*A still photo continuous capture rate of 3.9 frames per second.
*“Live View” mode with many options.
*A 3 inch high resolution (VGA) LCD screen.
There is a lot more to this camera but the feature above interest me the most. You can read an excellent preview at DPReview.com.
The specs sound very good. How good is this camera really? I will let you know when reliable test reports begin to appear.
As always, I recommend that you wait to buy any new model of camera until a few months after the camera hits the shelves. That will give Canon time to work out the “new model bugs†that so often happen. The 5D Mark II should be “bug free” a few months after its release. (I know you can hardly resist if you have been waiting for this model.) The cost is expected to be around $2700 USD.
Canon’s 5D Mark II promo page.
Canon has posted a couple of downloadable, full-sized jpeg images here.
THE NEW CANON 7D! (wink)
Everything you need to know about the new Canon 7D is in this article. Enjoy!
I am especially impressed with the built in 10 stop image stabilization system via the vertical grip hand shock system. Adding CS3 “in camera” plus Dolby sound as an add on is pure genius.
*wink*
It is the time of year when rumors abound since Canon often announces new cameras in August and the Canon 5D has been around for quite a while. It’s replacement is highly anticipated so rumors abound.
The truth is, those who REALLY know aren’t saying and those who are saying don’t REALLY know. Violating a NDA (non disclosure agreement) is serious business and could cost someone a job, so you really can’t believe all of the rumors you see on the internet.
This much you can be sure of, Canon will come out with a replacement for the 5D.
What will it be called? Canon 5D Mark II? Canon 3D? Canon 7D? Canon 5D and a half? Anybody’s guess.
When will it be announced? Could be this month, next month at Photokina, or next February (another month when Canon likes to announce new cameras), or whenever. Sometimes Canon accidentally releases info on their European web site a few days before the official announcement.
Personally, I hope it is this month with the new model on the shelves this fall. By the time Canon works out the “new model bugs” that so often happen, it should be safe buy the camera “bug free” a few months after its release.
The 4th of July
Fireworks over Yukon Oklahoma on old U.S. 66. Photo © Jim Doty, Jr.
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
From the Declaration of Independence, signed July 4, 1776. Written by Thomas Jefferson (1762-1826). 3rd US President (1801-09).
To see an engraving of the original and George Washington’s personal printed copy, go here.
to read the entire declaration, click the page 2 link at the right
PORTRAITS: EXCELLENT TUTORIAL ON WHITE SEAMLESS PAPER
Photos © Zack Arias. All rights reserved.
Look at the above photos (you can see them here in a larger size). They were all photographed against a white seamless background.
Are you impressed? I am.
How do you do this?
PHOTOGRAPHER SAYS GOODBYE TO 20×24 INCH POLAROID
Photo © Mary Ellen Mark. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
Noted photographer, Mary Ellen Mark, is going to use her last case of Polaroid 20-24 inch film. It is the end of an era. She bought her last batch of the exotic film when Polaroid announced they would end production. She will use the film to photograph the high school prom in Ithaca New York.
WHAT CAN PHOTOGRAPHERS AND PAINTERS LEARN FROM EACH OTHER?
The Phartists (a combination of PHotographers and ARTISTS) are a self-named group of photographers and painters who enjoy each other’s company and occasionally travel and work together. One of them, Jack Perkins, explores what photographers and painters can learn from each other in an article at The Luminous Landscape. The article is worth reading and I think their logo is delightful.
MEMORIAL DAY, IN REMEMBRANCE
Cemetery, The Presidio, San Francisco, California. Photo © Jim Doty, Jr.
Memorial Day began unofficially in a variety of places as people felt the need to recognize those who gave their lives in the Civil War. Memorial Day was officially declared on May 5, 1868, when General John Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic ordered a day of observance when all Union and Confederate Graves at Arlington National Cemetery would be decorated with flowers on May 30, 1868. One state after another adopted May 30 as a Memorial Day observance until all of the Northern states had adopted May 30 by 1890. Many Southern states had picked different days to honor the Confederate dead.
US Border Agents Can Download the Contents of Your Laptop
“Last month a US court ruled that border agents can search your laptop, or any other electronic device, when you’re entering the country. They can take your computer and download its entire contents, or keep it for several days. Customs and Border Patrol has not published any rules regarding this practice, and I and others have written a letter to Congress urging it to investigate and regulate this practice.” The Guardian
EVELYN CAMERON, MONTANA PHOTOGRAPHER
Photo by Evelyn Cameron. Copyright © www.evelyncameron.com
I stumbled across a PBS special, Evelyn Cameron: Pictures From a Worthy Life. Evelyn left a life of privilege in England and ended up on the Montana frontier. She taught herself photography and documented frontier life from 1894 until her death in 1928.
FIXING A COLOR CAST IN PHOTOSHOP
There is a quick and easy way to use Photoshop to correct for a color cast in a photo. It is described in today’s email issue of Digital Darkroom Questions (DDQ) and is reproduced (with permission) below.
PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINT LIFE
We all want our photos to last as long as possible. This article is about maximizing the life of your prints (with a few references to film). Just like color film (both slides and negatives), color prints fade with time. That’s the bad news. The good news is that print life is getting longer and longer with digital prints. Displaying a print properly can double it’s life.
“MY BEAUTIFUL AMERICA”
Yosemite National Park. Photo © 2006 OldBlueWebDesigns.com, All rights reserved. Used with the permission of OldBlueWebDesigns.com.
A friend sent me a link to “My Beautiful America” and I am passing it along here for your enjoyment. It is a “flash” slide show accompanied by meditative renditions of patriotic music. The images are framed in an outline of the United States. To give you an idea what the slide show is like, the reduced size screen capture above is part of the show. To enjoy the full size images, you can see the show here and see more of his movie clips at MyBeautifulAmerica.com.
ADOBE LIGHTROOM 1.4 RECALL
Adobe has recalled Lightroom 1.4. If you have this version of Lightroom, you should uninstall 1.4 and revert back to version 1.3.
More information ia available at Adobe’s Lightroom Journal.
TWO MILLION PAGE VISITS
Fall Maple Leaves, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Photo © Jim Doty Jr.
Time for a quiet celebration.
Some time during the day on Friday, March 7, 2008, someone viewed one of the pages at JimDoty.com, my primary photography web site. Unknown to them, that was the two millionth page visit since the site went online with a single marker page on November 8, 1999. On June 25, 2000 (the site’s “birthday”) the site was expanded from a marker page to 25 pages complete with photos. Today the site has over 400 pages.
WINTER, GREAT SAND DUNES
Winter, Great Sand Dunes National Park, Colorado. Photo © Jim Doty Jr.
As the sun sets in the west it casts wonderful shadows so sunset is my favorite time of day at the dunes.
DUSK – COLORADO
Dusk, Moraine Park, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. Photo © Jim Doty Jr.
Don’t put your camera away at sunset. There can still be some beautiful light long after sunset (or before sunrise).
FILM VERSUS DIGITAL
With Tim Grey’s permission, I periodically reproduce one of his Q&A emails. If you aren’t already on his DDQ (Digital Darkroom Questions) email list and you are seriously involved in digital photography, I would suggest you go here and learn more. Tim used to be George Lepp’s digital guru before going to work for Microsoft. George Lepp is a first class nature photographer and he writes for Outdoor Photographer. I had an opportunity to participate in one of Mr. Lepp’s field seminars several years ago in Alaska.
The question and answer that prompted this post involves the ongoing “film versus digital” debate.
