It’s bad. It attacks Windows computers. (Mac’s are safe from this particular worm.)
Go here to download and run Microsoft’s most recent Malicious Software Removal Tool:
http://www.microsoft.com/protect/computer/viruses/worms/conficker.mspx
PHOTO LESSONS FROM THE SPORTS ILLUSTRATED SWIMSUIT ISSUE
SI 2009 Swimsuit Cover
I kid you not. You can learn photography lessons in a lot of different places. A great lesson in lighting is to watch the movie Citizen Kane. Turn off the sound and study the use of light and shadow.
It may seem like big jump from Citizen Kane to the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue (and it is), but they both teach valuable lessons.
You will need to go out and buy the Swimsuit Issue. Then go to this online article [this link no longer works] at the New York Institute of Photography (NYIP) web site. Read the online article and check out references to the pages in the SI swimsuit issue. You will learn lessons in technique, lighting, focus, and detail. Seriously.
The NYIP web site [this link no longer works] is worth checking out on a regular basis for the free, ongoing photo lessons they provide.
Update, February 7, 2024: NYIP no longer owns the NYIP.com domain name so the links no longer work. This NYIP article is no longer online. The 2009 swimsuit issue is not readily available and I don’t know which photos are referred to in this photo lesson, so I looked for images of SI models that match the topics.
WHAT TO DO WHEN PHOTOSHOP QUITS WORKING DUE TO LICENSING FAILURE
You bought Adobe Photoshop CS3 or CS4 and it worked fine for a year or two. Then you get this message:
“Licensing for this product has stopped working. You cannot use this product at this time. You must repair the problem by uninstalling and then reinstalling this product or contacting your IT administrator or Adobe customer support for help.”
You uninstall and reinstall Photoshop and it still doesn’t work. Now you are really frustrated, but you try uninstalling and reinstalling again. No luck. Now what?
ABRAHAM LINCOLN 200 YEARS AFTER HIS BIRTH
Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States
“Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation, so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
Painter Andrew Wyeth Dies
Christina’s World by Andrew Wyeth
Andrew Newell Wyeth died January 16, 2009 at the age of 91. Wyeth was one of the best know American painters in the mid-20th century. Much of his realistic work reflected the land and people around his home in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania and his summer home in Cushing, Maine. Christina’s World is one of his most famous paintings.
HOW GOOD IS THE VIDEO WITH A CANON 5D MARK II?
Pretty amazing! Check out the Vincent Laforet video at the end of this article. This video is causing a lot of buzz among videographers.
The new Canon EOS 5D Mark II is the first Digital SLR to include 1080 high definition video. What is exciting about this is the size of the sensor and what it makes possible in terms of lenses choices and depth of field. It can do things that are impossible with video cameras.
MEMORY CARDS PART 1 – THE BEST WAY TO USE MEMORY CARDS TO AVOID LOST IMAGES
Since downloading problems and lost photos are such common problems (based on the emails I receive) I am writing two articles about memory cards and lost photos. In the first article I dealt with the recovery of lost photos. In this article I will deal with the best ways to use memory cards to minimize the chances of lost images.
MEMORY CARDS PART 2 – LOST PHOTOS
AN UPDATED VERSION OF THIS ARTICLE WITH REVISED LINKS IS HERE .
I received a question today from a person who is having problems downloading photos from his camera body (a Canon 5D Mark II) directly to his computer and using Canon software.
Since downloading problems and lost photos are such a common problem (based on the emails I receive) I am writing two articles about memory cards and lost images. I will deal with lost photos in the article, and how to use memory cards to minimize the chances of lost images in the second article.
SEASONS GREETINGS
Snow glistens in the last light of dusk.
Distant clouds glow with the fading light from the sun, long since set.
A chill fills the calm night air.
Stars twinkle in the deepening winter sky.
The crunch, crunch, crunch of gravel on the path.
Lights come on in the distance. Warm and inviting.
Home. Family. Friends. Dinner and the opening of gifts.
Christmas!
CANON 5D MARK II “BLACK DOT” AND BANDING PROBLEMS
In my September 17 post when the Canon 5D Mark II camera was announced, I wrote:
“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 wasn’t picking on just Canon since cameras from lot of manufacturers are released with some bugs in the first cameras released to the public.
This time around, it is the Canon 5D which has “black dot” and banding problems. A Google search for Canon 5D black dot will turn up lots of articles. A good place top start is Rob Galbraith’s article. And example of the black dots next to white lights is here. Canon has posted a service notice which is reproduced below after the break.
If you haven’t bought the new 5D Mark II and intend to, I would suggest, as I did in September, that you wait until the bugs are worked out.
If you already have the 5D Mark II, you will need to wait for a firmware update and be aware of situations when the problem might show up. Details are in the service notice.
Official Canon Service Notice . . .
THE BEST DIGITAL CAMERA SENSORS COMPARED
The Top 4 Digital Camera Sensors in Overall Image Quality – DxO Labs
How good is your digital camera sensor? How does it compare to other camera sensors in terms of color depth, dynamic range, and low-light high ISO quality? Is there a reliable source where you can find this information?
The good new is yes, there is a great, reliable source for this kind of information – DxO Labs.
Continue reading
SERIOUS SECURITY FLAW IN INTERENT EXPLORER PUTS YOU AT RISK
News outlets today are reporting that a serious security flaw in Internet Explorer (versions IE5 through IE8) makes it possible for hackers to steal the online passwords that you use on the internet. Virtually all security experts are urging users of Internet Explorer are urged to use a different web browser. Firefox, Chrome, Opera, and Safari are recommended as alternatives. Please read the whole story here.
THE BEST OF THE BEST
The best digital point-and-shoot cameras – 2008
The best digital photo storage
The best general photography books
The best books: nature and landscape photography
The best book: Photoshop retouching
Book recommendations: portrait photography
The best image editing software
The best memory cards for digital cameras
CHRISTMAS GIFTS FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS
It is the time of year that I get asked a lot of questions from people who are buying gifts for photographers, or from photographers wanting to drop hints. (In this post, “photographer” means anyone who likes to take pictures.) “What is the best book for . . . ?” “What are the best point and shoot cameras?” “Is there any really good image editing software for less than $100?” Many of those questions are answered in the articles listed at the below.
BEST DIGITAL PHOTO STORAGE
Don’t lose your digital photos to disc rot or a hard drive crash. Choose the best archival options. . . . .
Continue reading
BEST GENERAL PHOTOGRAPHY BOOKS
So you want to be a better photographer. Start here.
Some of these are out of print but they are still well worth finding on the used book market.
BEST BOOKS: NATURE AND LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY
One of the best ways to improve your photography is to read some good instructional books and then go out and try what you just read about. My favorite landscape and nature photography books are here and here.
Some of these are out of print but they are still well worth finding on the used book market.
BEST BOOK: PHOTOSHOP RETOUCHING
Very short list:
Katrin Eismann and Wayne Palmer’s Adobe Photoshop Restoration & Retouching (3rd Edition) (Voices That Matter)
If you know your way around Photoshop and are looking for an excellent book on retouching with Photoshop, this is it. . .
BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS: PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY
This article has been updated with this article: Excellent “How To Photograph People†Books Continue reading
BEST IMAGING EDITING SOFTWARE
This article has been updated here: The Best Image Editing Software
BEST MEMORY CARDS FOR DIGITAL CAMERAS
Short List:
SanDisk
Lexar
Memory cards are the “film” for your digital camera. You don’t want to have a card failure and lose your photos. A reliable brand is important.
THE BEST TRIPOD HEAD QUICK RELEASE SYSTEM
Short List: Arca-Swiss
The Arca-Swiss quick release system is arguably the best quick release system and certainly the most universal among professional photographers. The system is simple and you can start for less than $80 and use almost any tripod head you now own. . . .
TRIPOD HEAD RECOMMENDATIONS
The short list.
3-Way Tripod heads:
Manfrotto 056 3D Junior Head (replaces 3025)
Manfrotto 3025
Manfrotto 115 3D Super Junior Head (replaces 3028)
Manfrotto 410 Junior Geared Head
Ball Heads:
Slik Pro Ballhead 800
Kirk Enterprises BH-3
Kirk Enterprises BH-1
Really Right Stuff BH-40
Really Right Stuff BH-55
HITLER ON THE NIKON D3X
I never thought I would mention the name “Hitler” in this blog, but life is full of surprises.
Just about everyone who is anyone has an opinion on the new Nikon’s new D3X digital SLR, even Adolf Hitler. Watch the video here.
*smile*
TRIPOD RECOMMENDATIONS – BEST TRIPODS – 2008
Looking for a tripod? This is the place to find information, recommended models, and links to more information.
It is best to buy your tripod legs and tripod head separately. The best brands are interchangeable so you can match the legs you want with the tripod head that you want.
For years I have been recommending Bogen/Manfrotto and Gitzo tripods. . . .
AH! THANKSGIVING!
Freedom from Want – Painting © Norman Rockwell
When I was growing up, we spent many a Thanksgiving and Christmas at grandpa’s house. Thanksgiving was a much anticipated and happy time. We would often leave Pueblo on Wednesday afternoon after dad got home from work. It was a long 7 hour drive to Haxtun in those pre-interstate highway days, so it would be really late by the time we arrived.
A GREAT GPS RECEIVER FOR YOUR CAR AT A GREAT PRICE
The Garmin Streetpilot C550 is a great GPS unit for your car. You can buy one from Amazon.com (link below).
When I decided it was time to get a new “mapping” GPS receiver for my car, I wanted a good “feature set” at a good price. I didn’t need the latest whiz bang unit with every feature imaginable, but I did want one with all the basic navigational features and a simple to use interface. After a lot of online research, I decided on the Garmin C550. I’ve had it for several months now and I am pleased with my decision. It is so well designed that I haven’t opened the manual yet (although I should do that just in case I am missing out on some neat hidden feature).
THE BEST DIGITAL POINT-AND-SHOOT CAMERAS – 2008
2008 SHORT LIST (Top rated cameras listed by name, sensor size in megapixels – mp, and the zoom range of the lens):
Canon PowerShot A720 IS, 8.0 megapixel sensor, 6x zoom lens range
Canon Powershot SD 790 IS, 10 mp, 3x
Canon PowerShot SD 850 IS, 8.0 mp, 4x
Canon Powershot SD 880 IS, 10 mp, 4x
Canon PowerShot SX 110 IS, 8.0 mp, 4x
Canon PowerShot G9, 12.1 mp, 6x
Fujifilm FinePix F50fd, 12 mp, 3x
Fujifilm FinePix F100fd, 12 mp, 5x
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FX37, 10.1 mp, 4x
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX3, 10.2, 2.5x
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ8, 8.1 mp, 5x
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ5, 9.1 mp, 10x
Sony Cyber-Shot DSCW-120, 7.2 mp, 4x
More cameras . . . .
IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR!
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.