Family, Photography and other misc news
We are members of both the National Trust and of English Heritage.
Now the National Trust have for some time had an excellent free iOS app for finding places to visit nearby and getting information about them.
Finally English Heritage are also joining the 21st Century (that’s nearly funny) and are releasing their own app, due in April.
Hope it’s free like the National Trust App.
Just a quick note to let you know an update for WordPress for iOS has been released
Using it now to post this. Interface is improved and I look forward to trying it out in anger. The previous version did crash fairly often and once even lost me a post that I had previously posted.
When it comes to standards and companies not following them, I could have a good old rant about many top companies, computer and software companies being the worse.
The other day a photographer friend of mine was demonstrating his new photo editing software.
While key wording and adding other important metadata, we wondered where it was writing this data.
As I suspected, it was using a sidecar file to accompany the jpg’s and raw’s.
What really rilled me was instead of using an xmp sidecar file (an open standard developed by Adobe) which many other software programs can read, not just Adobe Lightroom or Camera Raw, it uses it’s own proprietary format.
Why! Lock in, thats why, but the worry is, will the companies own future software support their own proprietary formats, past history suggests not.
From Wikipedia:
XMP sidecar files. For file formats that have no internal support for XMP data, the data is stored in separate .xmp files with the same base file name. Many photo cataloging applications have support for this file format.
Just a quick note that you can make a donation via Google or Apple’s iTunes.
http://kevinrose.com/blogg/2011/3/14/apples-role-in-japan-during-the-tohoku-earthquake.html
Well last week I did say I was going to photograph the Daffodils. Well the blooms were not yet open but this weekend they were so, with the trusty Nikon D200, 100mm f/2.8 macro lens and the macro flash gear I spent some time trying to get some good shots.
Near the back door next to our poor dead bay leaf trees that have been killed by the hard winter were a likely bunch of Daffodils.
Setting up the tripod, nearly as low as it would go, I composed on the open flower. I wanted a black background so I laid a black cloth behind.
The cloth together with a fairly high shutter speed to under-expose the background, this made the background a nice black.
With only one Daffodil in bloom, I then switched over to the bush that had lots of yellow flowers.
Once again I employed the black cloth and a high shutter speed to underexpose the background.
My attention was then next drawn to the bush next door which seemed to have an inordinate number of lady birds on it.
With so few flowers to chose from my last flower to photograph was the crocuses, a rather pretty purple.
A pleasant afternoon shooting. Nothing to dramatic but good practice.
The lighting was nothing special just front lit via the macro flash. Later in the month when we have more blooms to choose from I will definitely try something a little more challenging.
A few cut flowers, cut glass crystal vase and some studio lighting is in order
During my recent research into studio flash equipment, I came across an announcement by Elinchrom. They are planning to release an app to control your Elinchrom Flash heads.
No real details yet but another posible reason for a photographer to have an iPad around.
Oh and don’t forget, iPad2 released today; at least in America. Oh well just have to wait. Still tempted.
Decisions, decisions:
iPad2 or GF1; We will just have to see.
Well today I had another look at the Micro Four Thirds range.
I am still looking for that perfect travel camera, small pocketable and with high quality large sensor and interchangable lens.
I had a close look again at the Panasonic GF-1. Not the GF-2 as I don’t feel thats as good ergonomically.
I am still very tempted but the lack of decent wide angles, still puts me off. Its the x2 crop factor, I feel wide angle does not really start until you get to 24mm, and on micro four thirds thats 12mm.
There is currently not much to choose from in that range and what there is is very expensive.
Still I going to have to decided soon or if I do want a GF-1, it may have to be a second hand model as they are going fast.
Are you a motorcycist?
Or just a Motorcyclist.
Apart from the last three weeks which has been the longest break off the bike in the last ten years, I normally ride every day. I commute to work, go on riding day outs, even holiday on the bike, touring round europe.
I ride every day not matter it its raining, hot or cold. When I want to go anywhere, even if its just to the shops my thought is always to go on the bike.
Many people question what a real biker is. Some really buy into the lifestyle, they buy the bike, matching outfit, then spend there time talking bikes, polishing bikes but hardly ever riding their bikes.
They often look down on other bikers who might have older bikes, mismatched leathers. Of course anything less then 600cc’s is not a real bike.
I find if you ride, then your a biker, and you should treat all other bikers as such; no matter if a 50cc scooter, 1000cc superbike or that rather tasty Moto Guzzi.
Until I recover, the bike is staying in the garage but sad as I am I did sit on her at the weekend and start her up. It felt good. Hopefully I will be riding again soon.
Well, I managed a full week at work without being admitted to hospital, yeh!
We are both feeling much better. Caroline had a hospital appointment this morning and was given the all clear, while I have my MRI Scan next Wednesday, to make sure there is nothing seriously wrong.
I must admit the hospital were amazed that two members of the same family were admitted to hospital within two hours of each other with different medical emergencies.
All of this means its now been three weeks since I rode any of the motorcycles or have even driven the car. I am not too bothered about the car, but its killing me not to be riding my bike.
Hopefully I’ll be feeling up to it soon.
I was planning a photoshoot this weekend, with a top London Model, we have been trying to make our calendars match now for a couple of years but we both have very busy schedules.
Instead I might have a search round for some spring daffodils and practice my flower photography some more.
As you can see here I still need more practice.
While I have managed to get to the Lincoln Photography show twice now in the last three years it has been some time since I managed to visit some of the bigger shows.
This weekend the Focus on Imaging show starts. I was hoping to get but due to my current ill health once again I will miss it.
If it is anything like the last time I managed to visit, it was a great day out and a chance to try out the latest equipment.
If you manage to get there have a great day out.