Re: PESO: Didgeridoos in View
Aah - Peets. The company that has taken the Starbucks technique of over-roasting coffee beans to a whole new level. Sadly, the American consumer has been conditioned to think that bitterness is goodness. I cannot agree more. No, in fact, I agree completely g I subscribe to the conspiracy theory that Starbucks habituates its unwitting consumers to such horrendously bitter smoked coffee that in comparison real, well-roasted coffee seems 'weak'. Local roasters are definitely the way to go. The Santa Barbara Roasting Company does a fair job where I live, but I prefer Trader Joe's Kauai (Kona's not-so-ugly cousin) for my morning cup. badri -- PDML Pentax-Discuss Mail List PDML@pdml.net http://pdml.net/mailman/listinfo/pdml_pdml.net
Re: OT: How do you store your precious moments for posterity?
So it turns out quite a few people feel the way I do. I would print my most important images and try to store them archivally. Print and transparency are, after all, the only storage media that don't require readers (apart from human vision, and I don't know when that will be antiquated). I don't think posterity will care about my photography (but then that's what some Indian cave-painters might have thought too!). At any rate I'd like my great-grandchildren to know I fooled around with cameras for a while. Badri On 4/28/06, graywolf [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Well you are taking about theory and I am talking about observed prints. Those prints I were made about 6 months ago on a current model Epson with Epson ink and Epson paper. However it is a low end model printer as
Re: OT: How do you store your precious moments for posterity?
very good thread and probably very useful for designing an archival storage system for digital media. I have a sub-poll: how many of those who primarily shoot digital think it's a good idea to also invest time and money in retaining an 'analog' (print/transparency) copy of your photos in a suitable archive? I find this attractive because, unlike digital storage, analog storage will likely degrade but not be destroyed barring fire/other calamity. Some (fuzzy and faded) memories are better than no memories. On 4/27/06, graywolf [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I think it has to do with computer experience rather than production levels.
Re: Run Windoze on your Mac
I'd have to agree that this certainly makes Apple computers more buy-able for me. I have been a Windows person all my life. I used a Mac for a while and it does do some things better. However the learning I needed to do to get some tasks done was rather frustrating and didn't seem to be worth the pain. And what's the deal with the single mouse-click? G It's downright silly to do Ctrl+Click when you could just use another button. As silly as having one button change both shutter speed and aperture as some all-auto starter SLRs do. Mac seems to have forgotten the 'simple user interface' rules it built its GUI by. btw I work on Windows, surf the net all the time and have never (knock on wood) been afflicted by bugs of the virulent kind. Or spyware. It helps that my office network is administered really well. And you just have to shut all the open doors (or as many as you can). Use Zone Alarm and so forth. I also heard that the Windows-Mac dual boot idea may not work so well because of some differences in the way some drivers are/will be implemented (in the BIOS and not the OS in the Mac but not so in Windows). Does anyone know more about this? Badri On 4/6/06, Bruce Dayton [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Probably time to chime in. This is not meant to push one direction or another, just offering a viewpoint. One thing to keep in mind is that many Windows users (myself included) are plenty happy with their computing. I have no desire or need to consider a Mac, because I am not bothered or annoyed by my current system and I can get all the work done that I want. It seems that many of the Mac users are disgruntled Windows users who have made the switch and are much happier. That is great for them, but there is still a huge number of users who are not going to switch to a Mac, because they don't care to. That is one of the reasons that the Mac market share hasn't changed all that much since it was released. It has floated in the under 10% range for as long as I can remember.
Re: Semi-OT: Notebook PC for Photo Editing
Hi all, I too recently bought a notebook for all-around use including photo editing. I was also wondering about the merits of the extra-brite screens for photo viewing/editing. I was too lazy to research it so I just got a Dell with the TrueLife screen to try it out. I haven't received it yet.. To the best of my knowledge, all the new 'extra bright' screens merely feature a reflective coating on the LCD instead of an anti-glare coating that supposedly increases the display contrast. I imagine one can re-calibrate the screen as one chooses, just like all other displays. My 2 cents on notebooks: Toshibas are neat but not very reliable. I owned two that had the same trouble: insufficient cooling due to the fan vents being on the underside. I think Dell makes the best inexpensive notebooks; reliable enough though people often report problems in the second year. I bought an XPS M140 (P-M 1.73 GHz, 512 MB RAM, 80 GB HDD) for $900 with a 2-year warranty. I think that configuration is light enough but has enough processing oomph for Photoshop. Also, Lenovo Thinkpads are the same as IBM Thinkpads in design. Their service standards may be different. Lenovo, Fujitsu and Apple all certainly make terrific notebooks if your budget is around the $1500 mark. Cheers badri IR jtainter wrote: IR Gang, I am looking at various notebook computers. One of the uses would be IR photo editing, but mostly it is for word processing and internet. Still, I IR would need to be able to do photo editing on it. With all the gear that Pentax IR will be bringing out, I can't spend a lot on it. IR I've noticed that some manufacturers offer screen enhancements that have names IR like True Life (Dell) or TruBrite (Toshiba). The demo on Toshiba's website IR suggests that this is a gamma shift that lightens parts of images. IR Does anyone know anything about this? Is it just a gamma shift that one could IR do oneself? IR On the basis of value for money I am looking at Dell and Toshiba. Acer seems to IR get mixed reviews for reliability. Lenovo is too new to have established a IR track record. (I inquired how their notebooks differed from IBM Thinkpads, but IR the email I got back said that I had to call an 800 number. That's a good way IR for a company to lose me as a potential customer.) IR Thanks, IR Joe
Re: lens and rental advice
Now *that's* an idea... On 7/12/05, Herb Chong [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: shoot a multiimage panorama and stitch it. Herb
Re: lens and rental advice
hey, Thanks all for your suggestions. K-mount rentals seems to be completely non-existent. In Santa Barbara (and LA), Samy's camera will rent Pentax 645 and 6x7 but no 35 mm gear. I had thought maybe things would be different in the big Bay. Thanks Joe and Godfrey for your comments. I am inclined to follow your advice and take just my 50 and 135 with me and try to capture some sense of the grandeur of a 200 foot tall tree on film. It might take some inventive compositions/perspectives. As far as shooting elk goes - I can't think of a way to find a really long lens to use, so I'll try to find a 2x tele and get by with it. In Yellowstone, the elk seem to not notice humans at all and let you get fairly close. I was able to get reasonably good shots with my 135. When I went to Pt. Reyes I couldn't even find the Tule elk - they are endangered aren't they? - and the only animals I found were the happy cows that make 'real california cheese'! I did spot some blue whales from the point over the lighthouse though, but I didn't even try to photograph them.. just spotting them made my trip g Again, thanks all and I'll post the results when i get back. cheers badri On 7/12/05, Shel Belinkoff [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I've attempted to photograph the Elk at Pt Reyes. I wasn't expecting to do so, and therefore didn't have a long enough lens, so I viewed the elk through the finder of my friend's camera. He was using a 400mm, iirc. The elk in that area, while not particularly afraid of human contact, seem to keep their distance. Based on the experience, a 270mm focal length may fall a little short. At least be prepared with something a little longer if at all possible. Shel
lens and rental advice
Hey all, I'm going on a little road trip this weekend: heading north from Santa Barbara along the California coast (but not the Pacific Coast Highway), with a stop in the Redwoods area and ultimate destination Portland, OR. I plan to spend a day or two in the Redwoods parks and then drive on to Portland and spend another couple of days there driving around. I will not be primarily there to photograph the park area and hence don't want to carry too much equipment, but I do hope to come back with a few good shots.. Can anybody suggest a set of must-have lenses/other equipment? I will probably be carrying an MX and shooting Fuji Sensia (for landscapes) and some 400-speed print film (for snapshooting). The only lenses I own are an A50/2 and an M135/3.5. I'm guessing I will need a good wide-angle (is a 28 wide enough to shoot 200-foot redwoods?). A good telephoto will be handy for shooting wildlife - the Roosevelt elk is supposedly very easy to spot there, but I'm hoping to get away with using a 2x teleconverter (or some such) on my 135. Also, would a polarizing filter be necessary? Also, can anybody recommend a good place to rent K-mount lenses in the San Francisco area? Any other suggestions/advice would be much appreciated! Thanks Badri
Re: PESO - Inelegant Feeder
excellent bird pic! After reading your description and having a look, I imagine I see a perplexed look on the guy's face... Was just wondering if you have put your feeder in a place where a long zoom reaches it easily.. do you often try to photograph birds at your feeder? Cheers Badri
Re: The Pentax Glass Phenomenon Continues!
and that too for the M28/2.8 (not one of the 28/2s)! I don't think many people like this lens much, going by the discussion on Stan's site. Aww.. wish I had put that up for sale... Badri http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemitem=3879053120 Holy Hoppin Horny Toads! Don
Re: PESO - hair braiding
Thanks a lot for your comments, Frank! I really appreciate the time you guys take to look at pics and give your opinion.. it encourages me to keep going out there, taking pictures. Cheers Badri Very colourful. The framing is good. I wish I could see the braider's face, though, as it's very dark and without detail. cheers, frank -- Sharpness is a bourgeois concept. -Henri Cartier-Bresson
Re: PESO - hair braiding
Thanks for your comments! You're right, the hair-stylist is too dark. Unfortunately I didn't have my huge add-on flash with me that day. These are the (few) times I wish I had a newer body with a built-in flash. Would a half-stop overexposure have worked? Of course, I wasn't thinking about the woman in the shadows at exposure time or I would have tried it. http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=3107800 this is the original image, uncropped. I cropped out the elements I thought were distracting and didn't add to the theme of the hair-braiding stall - but it does have some breathing space. Do you think it looks better? Also, it looks like the woman getting her hair braided is slightly out of focus. Yes, she is a bit soft. I guess my manual focusing wasn't that accurate on this quick snapshot. Again, thanks for looking! Badri
PESO - hair braiding
Hi, http://www.photo.net/photodb/photo?photo_id=3106149 A street shot from Curacao, a small island in the Caribbean I had been to last week. This is a stall in the weekend market (a completely touristy affair) in Willemstad, the capital. Since this is my first PESO I'd really appreciate your input and comments. Thanks Badri
Re: PESO - hair braiding
well it's a mannequin wearing the red hat alright :) and there are two posters tacked up on the cloth below the mannequin, which also seem to be advertisements for the braided-hair look.. I guess that makes it three? Thanks for the comments! Badri Yeah, that was MY question, too...but I couldn't imagine a scenario to require just one! Maybe I'd rather not know? Maybe it's in case you need three?
Re: OT: Travel suggestions
Hey Ryan Well I'm 23 and change so I beat you by a li'l bit. I'd been to London, Oxford and Amsterdam (among other tiny places) last summer and it was terrific. Amsterdam is also quite the place for us 'young' people... with the Rijsmuseum and the van Gogh museum thrown in.. Have a good trip and don't forget to show us your pics of the Queen (I actually did snap the Queen, from many yards away and over the crowd's heads) Cheers Badri On Wed, 3 Nov 2004 13:25:21 +1000, Ryan Lee [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi Gianfranco, Possibly the youngest on the list at a tiny 24. I'd like to go to Dublin sometime in my life, but probably not this trip because it's not too far a stretch from the UK (not intending step on anybody's toes!). But I really
Re: PAW PESO - Breakfast in Bed
Hi Shel and all, A late comment on the original photograph. I think it is interesting - the idea and the description, which suggest that people in all walks of life can enjoy breakfast in bed. It does give me to think, and in that sense it is a good photograph. I agree with Jostein, however, that it doesn't evoke any feelings in me. Maybe that means I am a little jaded and cynical. I could defend myself by saying that I have lived in a big city most of my life and those many years have left me a little less sensitive to poverty or homelessness. I think it is but natural. You might think it a pity. Maybe it is, but the fact remains that the image is just not powerful enough. We have all seen more dramatic, gut-wrenching images in the media. I also think Jostein is right when he suggests that Shel is not close enough. I, personally, would have liked to see this shot close-up, tightly focused on the woman's face and her breakfast things. In the present image I find it hard to discern her expression, and though there is eye contact it is not powerful. I simply do not 'feel' the presence of the woman in this shot. Let me add that I also greatly admire street photographers and their work. Shel and Frank are two of the people whose work makes reading PDML interesting. Cheers Badri On Sat, 30 Oct 2004 20:00:24 +0200, Jostein [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Speaking of assumptions, could you (or anyone else) answer the questions I have interspersed below? I'm quite certain that there's a fundamental discrepancy between intention and perception here, and it would make an interesting lesson for me, I think. If you feel it more appropriate to send it off list, please do. thanks, Jostein - Original Message - From: Shel Belinkoff [EMAIL PROTECTED] You look but you do not see ... tis a shame you are so jaded and cynical. Ok... maybe I didn't make it clear that it was this particular photo that failed to induce any feelings? Did I really come across as a complete cynic in all questions related to poverty? She's smiling, there's direct eye contact, and she's not the least bit grumpy with my presence. This an obvious mistake on my part. Your comments are worthless since you've made them based on unwarranted assumptions and lack of observation. In addition, apart from being totally mistaken about the photograph, you're attempting to point a negative finger at me personally. Well, I won't take it quietly like I did with the last pic I put up. I would really like to know what I'm accusing Shel of here... My comments were not to evoke sympathy, but to show a similarity between two extreme segments of the population. Both can enjoy a pleasant morning breakfast in bed regardless of social and economic class or their physical situation. It's sad you only perceive the negative. I don't get it... Is the photo posted to show this person's pleasure? To judge someone and their life as you've done is just a load of crap. How, exactly, am I passing judgement on anything but the photo?!? Consider yourself fortunate that you don't have the problems that put this woman on the sidewalk that morning. Consider that you're not mentally ill, that you have some form of socialized medicine to help you when you need attention, that you may have family or friends which she may not have, and you have other resources, both financial and social, to help you should you have the problems that this woman has. Excuse me, but this is exactly the kind of normative patronising I don't like when posted to PDML. For one simple reason; it has nothing to do with the photograph. Whose problem is it? Shel's or mine? It is easy to look down on someone, but, perhaps more difficult to show empathy and understanding until you've experienced some of what they've experienced. Clearly you have not, or, if you have, you have a short memory. Whoa... Am I the only one making assumptions today? Thanks for the scanning tip. Pleasure! I'll make sure to look carefully at facial expressions hereafter. Jostein Shel [Original Message] From: Jostein [EMAIL PROTECTED] Portraits of the Less Fortunate, as Shel calls them, can be interesting. With Shel's intro it seems like we're supposed to feel sorry for this lady, for all the obvious social reasons.This photo fails to provoke such emotions with me. She's just an obese woman, smoking and munching junk food on the pavement. There's no eye contact, and the lady looks grumpy. Possibly with the photographer's presence?
Re: Lunar Eclipse Tonight
Hi, I think I'm going to try to shoot it too.. Moonrise here (California) is at 6 pm and totality is between 7.23 pm and 8.45 pm.. I guess I'll try to shoot the onset of totality when the moon is lower in the sky. It's cloudy here too, though, and there's a thunderstorm forecast - I hope that doesn't hit! Any suggestions on exposure? Thanks Badri On Wed, 27 Oct 2004 09:43:46 -0600, Tom C [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Yep... and I'm planning on shooting it... the weather is supposed to be partly cloudy in these parts tonight, which should allow for some interest
Re: Lunar Eclipse under way!
Wish I had that luck! It's completely clouded over here and I can't even see the eclipse! I don't have a long tele, so I was planning to try multiple exposures using an old beat-up Yashica A TLR - well, maybe next time! Do show us what you get, Mark.. Badri On Wed, 27 Oct 2004 21:55:11 -0400, Ann Sanfedele [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Mark Roberts wrote: Absolutely clear skies and a great view of the moon from my bedroom window! ist-D, Sigma EX 300/2.8 and 2x teleconverter in operation here. :-)
Re: Lunar Eclipse under way!
Amazing pic, Mark! Thanks for sharing. btw check out http://www.mreclipse.com/LEphoto/LEphoto.html it has some really nice hints for photographing eclipses (the site appears to be down right now), especially 'eclipse trails' or multiple exposures Badri
Re: So What's So Great About HCB?
I don't see how the marketing of photojournalism as art or otherwise has anything to do with the merit of the photographer, HCB or anyone else. Any reasonably discerning viewer would know to judge the piece in question based on what it is, not what it is claimed to be. Do you really believe what the ads tell you? How does it matter if the consuming majority or the media or the pretentious little photographer himself calls it the next best thing after the Mona Lisa? You can resent it but should it affect your judgement of the artwork? I know the evaluation of art is subjective, but I thought that means it depends on the what the viewer 'feels' about it, not what he or she thinks of the artist. Badri On Fri, 6 Aug 2004 23:08:55 +0200, Pål Jensen [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Sure, but that doesn't prevent such images being prized and judged on artistic merrits. At photographs are being marketed or published as art in spite of being accidental snapshots, not a product of an unique or sensitive vision, the whole thing becomes highly speculative, as often is the case with excessive violence in the media. Pål
Re: PESO: Grace...
How about a collage, they're all damn good :) If you're only going to use one, I'd pick # 2. All three are cute but the direct eye contact in # 2 makes it my pick. Good job! Badri
Re: PAW - Gail
Excellent street-shot! I've been there so many times, and yet, I've never 'seen' this image. Since we're talking a lot about HCB today, it is as he said: 'So few people really look - I mean search with their eyes. They identify, Quick! Quick! But looking is questioning, searching. Questioning the relationship of one thing to another and enjoying.' Thanks, Badri
Re: Depth of Field Calculator
Here's another DOF calculator, the page specifies the CoC values used. http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/technical/dofcalc.html
Re: PESO - Floating leaves
Hi Jostein Um... Apparently, water reflects the sun at a different angle. If I That makes sense.. though, and rejected it because i lost the reflections...:-) It's a great shot just as you have made it! Badri
Re: PESO - Floating leaves
Cool abstract, you do have an excellent eye for these Jostein! I must agree, however, that I liked 'Waves' better. Not sure I understand how the leaves reflect the sunlight when the water surface doesn't? Shouldn't the water reflect better? The only explanation I can come up with is that stagnant water on the leaves reflects better than the water which is being perturbed by the ripples. Also wonder if a lower camera position would have made for a better perspective? Great shot, Badri
Re: MZ50 (or maybe 60) vs MZ5n viewfinder
Hi, I don't suppose there's a (pro) fix to make my (newbie) ZX-M viewfinder any better? I've never used any other MF body but I know from comparing specs that it's small, and not terribly bright. It's also got specks of dust on it, but the screen's 'fixed' so I don't know if it's cleanable. I love the split-image focussing, but the microprism collar is useless and a pain. Thanks Badri On Sun, 01 Aug 2004 17:30:00 -0700, Alan Chan [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Just remove the screen and blow of the dust. You might even fit a MZ-M screen for split image.
Re: MZ50 (or maybe 60) vs MZ5n viewfinder
the SF story graywolf mentions is 'A Feeling of Power' by Isaac Asimov, I think. A lowly technician 'discovers' division and the military gets interested in the human algebra project because of the potential of having 'unmachined' combat vehicles that'd give them the competitive edge. Asimov could never resist a little satire, I guess.
Re: MZ50 (or maybe 60) vs MZ5n viewfinder
Thanks, Don. I'll try it when I'm feeling brave enough.. Badri. There's a small release clip hiding behind the mirror bumper foam that releases the focusing screen. A paper clip with a bent end works to release it.
Re: PESO: waves
Superb abstract. I love it! Badri. Hi, Just back from a family holiday at my parents' cottage. Lots to do entertaining the kids, thinning undergrowth and picking berries in the
Re: PAW - LU Window
Brian's right, this image has all the potential for being an 'optical illusion' demo. I'm wondering what the original image looks like, with detail in the background instead of pure black? Neat work. Badri On Fri, 23 Jul 2004 08:17:50 -0500, Norm Baugher [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Cool shot. Norm
zx-m/mz-m metering questions
Hi, I am a novice photographer, learning the game with a ZX-M (MZ-M in Europe, I believe) behind a SMC-A 50/2 lens (I own no other equipment whatsoever, though I intend to get a tripod and maybe a flash). The manual says it does 'Multi (2)-segment metering' if the lens has an information contact (KA and subsequent mounts) but reverts to 'Center-weighted metering' for K mount lenses (SMC, SMC-M). Further, Center-weighted metering results in 1-stop overexposure and hence the user should compensate (or leave the aperture ring on A). Two questions: one, what is 2-segment metering? Does anyone know which areas in the viewfinder comprise the segments, or is there an easy way to find out? Are the two segments weighted equally or differently when calculating the (average) exposure? Second, I can't figure out why center-weighting results in 1-stop overexposure. Could someone illuminate me? Some more questions: the camera can't pass information to a K mount lens, hence Tv and P modes don't work. Then how would setting the aperture at A work? The camera (presumably) can't stop the aperture down as required. Finally, how does flash metering work in the ZX-M? I am totally ignorant about using flashes: how do I set exposure when using a flash? Can I use a Pentax flash (say AF220T) as a fill flash? Thanks, Badri
Re: zx-m/mz-m metering questions
Thanks, Don. I see what you mean now: I thought the 50/1.2 was quoted as an example for all SMC/SMC-M (i.e. K mount) lenses. On Wed, 14 Jul 2004 22:40:23 -0500, Don Sanderson [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I can answer one of those.
