Tuesday 30 March 2010

Canon Digital Color Management Guidebook

Digital Color Management Guidebook

Proper color management aligns an entire system of cameras, displays and printers to maintain consistent color across different color spaces. For consistent color throughout the photographic process, from capturing an image, to processing it, to final output as a print, a color managed system is essential. This guidebook provides users of Canon cameras and printers with an explanation of what color management is and how to set up a system easily and effectively.

Click here to download. (1.4 MB PDF)

Network Attached Storage

I have now installed a 1 Terabyte Netgear Stora  unit.  This provides a central means to backup all my files and that of the rest of the familes computers. 

The setup was quick an easy the Stora attaches via an ethernet cable to my router.  The Stora can be accessed via a flash enabled web page or by MS file explorer using drag and drop

Further details

Thursday 25 March 2010

Backing up image files a cautionary tale

Backing up image files a cautionary tale

My image files are of great value to me and whilst they reside on my computer’s hard drive. These 20,000 files (200Gb) date back to 1998. I am concerned that if the drive fails they may be lost.

To address this problem I copied them to two external hard-drives and removed them from the hard drive on my PC. So I now had freed up space on my crowded hard drive and had two copies external. All seemed fine.

I had both external hard drives connected to my PC but because of a problem both appeared to fail and could no longer be accessed by the PC. Some companies will recover data from hard drives but at the cost of hundreds of pounds. I left the drives to one side to think more about the problem.

I decided after much thought to take the drives caddies apart and remove the hard-drives. This proved a fairly straight forward process leaving me with one SATA and one IDE drive. I purchased a magic bridge for about £25 this enabled me to access the drives via my PC. The data was all still there and not corrupted; success!!

I am now going to use the 1Tb hard drive in a Network Drive as part of RAID array connected to my network router. This will then provide a storage facility for all the computers on my home network and enable me to store jpeg image files to show as a slide show on the big television via a PS3.

The moral of this is to think carefully about backing up files. I also now have the skills to take external hard drives apart and have the means to get data off.

Photgraphic journey into space with a balloon and duct tape - Times Online

It all sounds very Heath Robinson but a digital camera, a GPS device, some duct tape and a balloon were all that was needed to take some breathtaking pictures of Earth that had Nasa calling.

Robert Harrison, 38, used a collection of cheap parts costing £500 to create a balloon-mounted camera that can travel up to 21.7 miles (35km) above the surface of the Earth. The result is a series of pictures taken from a height that only a rocket or weather balloon can reach. Mr Harrison, an IT director from Highburton, West Yorkshire, has launched 12 high-altitude balloons (HABs) since 2008.


Journey into space with a balloon and duct tape - Times Online.

X-ray vision | Science | guardian.co.uk

X-ray vision | Science | guardian.co.uk

Xray vision provides a new way of seeing and provides an insight into objects

Tuesday 23 March 2010

RICHMOND AND TWICKENHAM PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY ANNUAL EXHIBITION 2010

RTPS is holding its huge annual exhibition over the Easter period. The Society is celebrating its 120th anniversary this year and is including a retrospective section within the work on display, as well as exam course work from local pupils at St. Catherine's School. Photographs are comprised of print, slide and digital work, and cover a wide range of genres. There will be a shop with cards and prints made by members, and books. Also on display will be images from the first RTPS National Open Digital competition (from Easter Saturday onwards). There should be plenty of on street parking over Easter and the last weekend.

The main details are as follows:
Venue: The Landmark Arts Centre, Ferry Road, Teddington, TW11 9NN
Wednesday 31 March - Sunday 11 April
12 noon - 6.30 pm week days
10.30 am - 6.30 pm weekends, including Good Friday and Easter Monday
Admission: £1.50

Further information regarding RTPS can be found at: www.rtps.org.uk

Monday 22 March 2010

Monochrome Print Competition

This week we have the 2nd round of the Club Print Competition. This round features monochrome prints.  This is one on my entries which I converted to achive an almost infra red feel.

Tuesday 16 March 2010

Orchids at Wisley

A great opportunity to photograph exotic orchids. This spring Wisley is home to stunning displays of orchids in all manner of colours, shapes and sizes. Hundreds of these beautiful plants will be on display.

Orchids in the Glasshouse is open 13 March – 11 April daily from 10am – 3.45pm with last entry at 3.30pm.

Africa a photographic adventure 18 March

I am giving a talk about my four week camping trip to south west africa focusing on the photographic challenges.  Lanscapes, people, wildlife. 

Remember to bring your prints for next weeks competition

Thursday 11 March 2010

The Photographic Alliance of Great Britain

The Photographic Alliance of Great Britain (PAGB) is an organisation that co-ordinates specific activities for photographic clubs in England, Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland. It does this through 15 geographical regions known as Federations.

PAGB organises national competitive photographic events for its Federations and for clubs. It also offers other services such as Recorded Lectures to clubs and its own photographic Distinctions (known as awards for photographic merit) direct to qualifying club members.

PAGB has strong links with similar organisations in different countries throughout the world through its membership of FIAP (The International Federation of Photographic Art).

Individual membership to PAGB is not possible. Access to the facilities described above is via membership of a club that is affiliated to the PAGB through its Federation.

The PAGB is run by an Executive committee whose members are nominated and elected from members of each Federation at the Annual General Meeting each April. This executive meets three times per year to discuss and arrange the events and matters related to the PAGB.

The PAGB produces an occasional e-mail newsletter and anyone may subscribe to the Newsletter circulation list

Tuesday 9 March 2010

Sunday 7 March 2010

Photography under threat: The shooting party’s over - Times Online

Did you hear the one about the mother banned from taking a snapshot of her baby in the pool? Or the student prevented from photographing Tower Bridge at sunset? Be warned. The authorities now have the power to confiscate your camera — or even arrest you — for daring to take a picture in public
Photography under threat: The shooting party’s over - Times Online

Saturday 6 March 2010

SPA The second round draw for the 2009-10 Inter-Club Competition

The second round draw for the 2009-10 Inter-Club Competition is now available on the SPA website 

Lord Snowdon: 'Taking photographs is a very nasty thing to do' - Telegraph

Most photographers try to establish a rapport with their subjects. Lord Snowdon prefers to let them stew a bit. “I’m not a great one for chatting people up because it’s phoney,” he says. “I don’t want people to feel at ease. You want a bit of edge. There are quite long, agonised silences. I love it. Something strange might happen. I mean, taking photographs is a very nasty thing to do. It’s very cruel.”

Photographs, he says, are not worth framing and hanging on the wall. “I don’t like photographs. They’re all right for pinning up.” Apart from family snaps, the only two portraits from a career spanning 60 years that confirmed him as one of the 20th century’s most innovative photographers, are dimly hung in a long narrow corridor leading to his studio.

Continues

Lord Snowdon: 'Taking photographs is a very nasty thing to do' - Telegraph

Friday 5 March 2010

DPI Competition 4 March

An excellent evening with the slide entry holding up well. The judge Tong Charters from Woking Photographic Society provided valuable and constructive comments on the entries in interesting and entertaining way. I welcomed a number of prospective new members who came along to see Malden Camera Club, they appeared to have enjoyed the evening and we hope to see them again.

Wednesday 3 March 2010

Metropolitan Police Service Photography advice

For those members that are interested in taking photographs in London are well aware of that photography has attracted the attention of the Police in relation to the Terrorism Act 2000, the link below provides advice from the Metropolitan Police to photographers

http://www.met.police.uk/about/photography.htm

Officers have the power to view digital images contained in mobile telephones or cameras carried by a person

Officers do not have the power to delete digital images or destroy film at any point during a search.

From a personal point of view when I have been asked to provide identification , I saw no reason not to. My general approach when stopped is to be polite and explain what and why I am taking photographs. To date I have not been arrested or carted off the local nick for taking photographs.

Tuesday 2 March 2010

4 March Projected Image Competition

This week we have the first round of the Malden Camera Club   Projected Image Competition which will be judged by Tony Charters.

Monday 1 March 2010

Surrey Advertiser Rosebowl Results

Rosebowl Results held last Saturday congratulations to all concerned


Club Scores

Guildford Photographic Society 89

Farnborough Camera Club 86

Malden Camera Club 86

Camping & Caravanning Club Photo Group 85

Godalming Photographic Club 85

Ludshott Photographic Club 85

Cheam Camera Club 84

Kingston Camera Club 83

Richmond and Twickenham Photographic Society 82

Reigate Photographic Society 81

Bookham Camera Club 80

Windlesham and Camberley Camera Club 80

Woking Photographic Society 80

Cranleigh Camera Club 79

Molesey Photographic Club 77

Dorking Camera Club 70

Individual results for the MCC entry

A Splash of Colour John Horne ARPS 19

Fernando Verdasco, Wimbledon 2009 Duncan Grove ARPS 19

Mayfield Lavender Roland Adams 15

Rain Forest John Rowe 16

Secretary Bird Eating Tree Snake Dave Jackson 17