Goals and Projects
by | posted in: About The Author, On Creativity | 0

It’s been a long time since I face the blank page, or screen, every day.

Once upon a time, I wrote every day.  For those of you who know me well, you know that was over at my other blog, Diary of a Network Geek.  And you know it was before I had cancer. I have a thousand excuses why I stopped, but none of them matter and I’ll tell you why.
Writers write.
For years, I’ve said I wanted to be a writer, but I haven’t really written.  I’ve been a dilettante, at best.  Or I’ve just blogged and never gone past that.  But, I’m trying to be different.  Again.

I’ve told my fiance that I want to so arrange my life that I have at least an hour every morning to write.  Sure, when I said it, I meant write on a blog, but, really what I want is to write.  I mean, really write, you know, fiction.  I want to tell stories.
I’ve tried everything imaginable to get that jump started.  Well, everything but actually just start writing.  And, honestly, right now, I’d be happy with writing on this blog every day.  At least it would be something.  I’d be developing the habit of writing.  And, maybe, in a way, I’d be doing “Morning Pages” like are described in [amazon_link id=”1585421464″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]The Artist’s Way[/amazon_link].  (Which, let’s be honest here, is just a book for pretentious, self-involved assholes, like me, who are so bourgeois that they invent problems like “writer’s block”.  You know what the cure for writer’s block is?  Sitting down every damn day and actually writing something, anything, instead of bitching about how you don’t feel creative or inspired.  More on that another day.)

So, what’s this all about?
Well, there is much change afoot in my life.  I’m about to marry the most wonderful woman I’ve ever known.  And, in the process of getting to know her, I’ve found my life changing.  For the better, honestly, but changing.  She’s getting me organized.  (I know!  It’s scary for me, too!  But, she’s so damn good at it and I’m finding that I enjoy it.)  And she’s gotten me to read a book that I’ve put off for literally years; [amazon_link id=”0142000280″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Getting Things Done[/amazon_link].  Yeah, I’m about to become one of those people.  I’m about to become one of those people, again, because I was efficient and always on time, if not early, and I want to be that way again.

How does this have anything to do with writing?
Because, Getting Things Done asked me some questions about how I’m living.  Namely, what’s my purpose?  What’s my goal?
That hit hard.  But, it hit hard in a good way and it’s helping me redefine how I choose to spend my time.
I’m choosing to spend it writing more.

But, now, I’m out of time and late to meet a friend for coffee, so I’ll cut this post off here.
See you tomorrow!

Build-It-Yourself Camera
by | posted in: Photography, The Tools | 1

Sometimes, I think the only way to really understand a technology is to build it from scratch.

I’m not sure if that’s really true, or what the folks who created the Bigshot camera had in mind either, but, I have to admit, their product looks like they agree with me.
I usually try to avoid advertising things here, especially if I’m not getting anything cash out of it myself, but I couldn’t resist talking about this fascinating project.  If you read any photography blogs, you’ve probably already heard about this, but, well, I’m going to mention it anyway because you might have missed it.  And, I’ll be honest, I’m having trouble coming up with interesting posts for Fridays this week, so this is the best I’ve got.  Hopefully, I’ll feel more inspired next week.

In any case, the Bigshot is meant to be a teaching aid.
In a nutshell, it’s a digital camera that you can assemble yourself and actually use to take photos.  You don’t have to wire any electronics, they’ve done that for you, but pretty much everything else needs to be glued or screwed together.  It has a couple of lenses on a rotating ring, so your students can produce some different effects that include “regular”, panoramic and 3D modes.  So, yeah, this little $89 camera will take 3D shots!  Obviously, it’s a digital camera, because pretty much only old people and effete artists use film any more.
The camera also includes an LED flash and a timer.  But the feature I think is the most interesting, and most useful to early digital photography students, is that it includes a hand-crank charger!  So, yeah, no batteries required!

The website has information about the camera specifications and instructions for assembly, as well as the free photographic processing software that lets students manipulate their photos.
According to the site, the “…major goal of the Bigshot project is to exploit the engaging nature of cameras to draw young minds to science and engineering.”  That’s something we need more of in this country, and the world, I think, which is another reason I’m mentioning this project this week.

So, anyway, go check it out and maybe buy one for that kid in your life you want to inspire.  It’s a good cause.

Reboot Your Photographic Creativity
by | posted in: On Creativity, Photography | 1

Do you feel stale?

I know I complain about this all the time these days, but my photography, such as it is, feels really, super stale.  I’m completely uninspired and just feel, well, “stuck” when it comes to my creativity in general and my photography in particular.  I have the photographic equivalent of “writer’s block”.
I have photographer’s block!

So, what to do?
Regular readers, and you know who you are, will know that I mostly try to share something interesting, fun and free on Fridays around here and are probably wondering what my creative angst has to do with all that.  Well, I’m glad you asked!
You see, I have the answer!  Well, one answer.  Well, actually, I don’t have it, per se, but Haje Jan Kamps does!  In fact, he has eleven answers to your photographer’s block.

The only one out of that list I can personally verify is the “self-portraiture” cure.
Back when I first got my first DSLR, I did the Flickr 365 Days project, where you take a self-portrait every day for a year.  It really got my photography going and I’ve thought about doing it again, but, well, I just never seem to have the time these days to commit to that much dedicated photography time.  Still, it really did get me out of my rut and get me started on really exploring my photography.

So, hey, since we know that at least one of those things work, why not check out the rest over at Haje’s site?  You never know what might come of it!

Simulated Camera
by | posted in: Photography | 1

What good is a virtual camera?

Funny you should ask.
So, my regular readers, both of you, know that I love photography.  But, at the same time, you’ll also notice that I haven’t been posting as many photos as I used to post.  There are a lot of reasons for that, but one, and the one I’m going to focus on today, is that I’m rusty.  Rusty in the sense that it’s been so long since I was shooting regularly that I’ve just about forgotten how to use my camera!  No, I am not even kidding.  Sadly, it feels to me like I’ve practically forgotten all but one or two settings and how they effect my photographs.  Seriously!

So, what does that have to do with a virtual camera?
I’m glad you asked!  The other day, I discovered CameraSim, a free, web-based program that “simulates” a DSLR.  It’s a teaching tool that lets you twiddle various standard DSLR settings to see how that will effect your final photograph.  The idea is simple.  What happens when you are in Aperture priority mode, set your ISO to 100 and your aperture to f/14, but it’s overcast?  Well, now you can fiddle with settings and see for yourself!  (Spoiler: Your shot comes out pretty blurry if you’re holding your camera or your subject is moving.)  If you choose “good” settings, you get a clear photo and the app gives you a “smiley face” of approval.  If you don’t choose very good settings, your shot comes out dark or blurry and the app frowns at you.
Like I said, a teaching tool.

The web application is free.  It’s somewhat limited, but it gives you the basic ideas and, again, it’s free.  There is also a $1.99 version for mobile devices which is allegedly better, but I don’t have direct experience with any of those.
So, what the heck, it’s Friday and you’re obviously killing time if you’re reading this blog, so why not go check it out and improve your DSLR settings skills!
And then get out and shoot this weekend!

Keep Track of Your Photography Gear
by | posted in: Photography | 2

If you’re a hardcore photography enthusiast, you’ve probably already seen what I’m about to share.

But, in case you haven’t seen it yet, I’m going to go ahead and share it again.
Theft of camera gear is on the rise.  And, not just from tourists, either!  There have been several articles in the past couple months about photojournalists getting hit, too.  In Russia, they’ll apparently steal the camera right off of you while you’re wearing it!  But, don’t think it’s just a thing that happens in foreign countries while you’re on vacation, because the New York Times reported that the same thing is happening to photojournalists in the Bay Area in California.  In Oakland more than San Francisco, but, still.  So, what are you to do?
Well, they only steal that gear because they can sell it easy and quickly and, of course, because there’s a market for it.  One way to help is to not buy stolen or suspicious gear!  But, then the question becomes, how do you know if it’s stolen?  Now, there’s a website that can help; Lenstag.

Lenstag is free and, as the site itself says, will “[g]ive your gear the best chance of recovery.”  They go on to say that if you “[r]egister your cameras and lenses with Lenstag and if they ever get stolen, we’ll get the word out to help prevent resale and pass along any tips we receive to help you get them back.”  Just that simple.  But, you can also check here to see if they gear you’re about to buy shows up as stolen.  Granted, since this is such a new service, any gear you find may not be registered here yet, but at least it’s it’s a start!
PetaPixel has a brief review and a step-by-step tutorial to help you get started.  And, they mention that LensRentals and BorrowLenses are using this system to try and slow down gear theft, so I have high hopes that it will make a difference.

I know what I’ll be doing this weekend!

Happy Sysadmin Day!
by | posted in: Marginalia and Notes from the Editor, Red Herrings | 0

Yeesh!  Can you believe I was so busy this year, I almost didn’t notice?!

No, seriously, I was so busy running around at the office and trying to get my lovely fiance’s website squared away that I totally missed that today was Sysadmin Day!

So, here are a couple of things for you to read, especially if you’re NOT a system administrator.  First there’s a link to Ten Things NOT to Say to a Sysadmin.  Trust me, I’ve heard all of these…
Read More

Open Source Digital Darkroom Software
by | posted in: Photography, The Tools | 1

I would imagine by now the few regular readers of this blog have figured out that I love both photography and free software.

I, personally, use Lightroom.  And, yes, I paid for it.  I’ve gotten used to it and I understand the workflow and I can get the little bit of editing I do to photos done that way.  But, I am always on the look out for software that I can recommend to people unwilling to make that kind of investment.  So, I was happy to find LightZone.  It’s free and open source, which is always really cool.  And, it’s not quite a replacement for Lightroom, but, for a free program, it comes as close as any I’ve seen.

LightZone is easy to install and use, but it is somewhat limited.  Basically, this is a digital darkroom program for beginners, which is just fine, because everyone has to start somewhere.  Besides, if  you’re just getting into photography, why spend a lot of money on software you aren’t even sure you need?
Lightzone handles all the basics of  a digital darkroom.  There are filters of every kind and description.  There are the standard healing brushes and modification tools.  The work space is laid out a little differently than Lightroom, as one would expect, but it does seem to have pretty much all the same tools.  Just like Lightroom, LightZone is a “non-destructive” editor, meaning all the changes can be easily modified or even undone, even in later editing sessions!  Instead of using layers concept that so many photo editors do, LightZone lets the user build up a “stack” of tools which can be rearranged, turned off and on, and removed from the stack.   Also, a tool “stack” can be copied to a batch of photos at one time, just like Lightroom can copy the applied settings from one photo to another, or to a batch of photos.  It would take a little getting used to for me now, but if I were just starting out, I would definitely start with LightZone.

One advantage of LightZone over Lightroom is that a number of the plugins I had to buy for Lightroom seem to be features that are built into LightZone.  This is especially useful for people who want to try HDR photography, as LightZone has a bunch of tools for HDR built right in!  Also, LightZone is available for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux and is free on all three platforms.  All that and it will even handle the RAW formats from most camera manufacturers, just like Lightroom!

If you don’t already have a favorite digital darkroom software package, LightZone is definitely worth a look.  You can see screen shots and download it here: LightZone.
Hey, it’s Friday, why not go take a look?  What have you got to lose?

Low-Cost Media Sharing
by | posted in: The Tools | 0

I’m not one to push any products as a rule, but when something that I’ve come to love and rely on goes on sale, I kind of feel like I have to share it.

Some time back, I lost all my photos that were on a network drive that I was using as a backup and storage device.  The one drive in that device, an IOMega 2T Home Media Network Hard Drive Cloud Edition, failed, taking with it all my photos.  I leaned my lesson about backups only being backups if they were redundant, but I didn’t have a lot of money to spend on a high-volume solution.  What I ultimately found was something called Pogoplug.  Specifically, the Pogoplug Media Sharing Device, or POGO-02.  This let me hook up four generic USB drives to my network and, through their free software, access those drives from anywhere with an internet connection.  They even have clients for both iPhone and the whole range of Android devices, including my Nook HD+!  (Which is great for my “other life” as a professional computer geek, because it gives me a way to load all kinds of PDF documentation to my Nook, but that’s a different post.)

Well, here’s the thing, starting tonight at 8:00PM, Adorama will have the Pogoplug Media Sharing Device, in black, on sale for $29.99!  Granted, you still will need to add USB hard drives to this, but the device is super simple to setup and use.  And, do yourself a favor, buy two drives of the same size and mirror them together.  That way, if one drive fails you still have the other one with all  your data on it.  (This little baby has four USB slots, so you can hook up four drives, making two mirror pairs.  Which is precisely what I did.)
The only other small downside to this is that it is NOT wireless.  You’ll need to use a short ethernet cable, which they include, to hook it up to your wifi router directly.  But, mostly that’s okay, because most people will want to go ahead and keep all this gear together with that wifi router anyway.  And, again, that’s what I do.

So, if you’ve been looking for a cheap way to get some drives on your home network and share that or access it via the internet, this is a great product and I cannot recommend it enough!  Act fact, because this is only good through the end of July 2013!

Free 3D!
by | posted in: The Tools | 1

So, this month, the theme has been free graphic software, more or less.

Well, as much as I love taking as realistic photos as possible and capturing the actual moment, I have to admit, graphic artists who start with photos and make them into more always impress me.  I’m especially impressed by those who create whole realities from nothing.  That’s one reason I backed the Kickstarter project The Tube Open Movie.  When they’re done developing this, now late, movie, the things they created for it, like sets and lighting setups and even, hopefully, some of the characters, will be available to the open source community to use in their own work, or even as the base for their own 3D models and creations.  And, though the project has been slow and kind of quiet, Backers recently got an update, so we know everything is still proceeding.  In fact, it’s been going at such a break-neck pace that the people running the project just haven’t had time to give us updates!
So, while I’ve been talking about still images most of this month, this week, it’s moving images.  Though, obviously, a thin enough slice of a motion picture is, in fact, a still frame.

And, really, what I’m highlighting today is not the end product, but the tool to make it.  Namely, Blender, the free, open source 3D modeler.  Because,  you see, The Tube Open Movie, is being created with Blender!  Now, I will grant you that 3D creation programs can be pretty intimidating, but Blender has a pretty huge community and support, and plenty of books  you can buy to help you get started.  In fact, while there are quite a few free resources available, I recommend that you buy a book to help you get started from the Blender.org website, because the profits from that will help sustain the software.  Also, The Tube movie is not the first movie to be created with Blender by any means.  Several of those movies are available for sale, including their source characters and some of the tools created to realize them, at the Blender.org site, too.  All well worth checking out!

So, if you’ve ever wanted to get into 3D artistry, Blender is a great, low-cost way to start!
Besides, hey, it’s Friday and you can’t have anything better to do if you’re reading this blog, so why not go grab a copy and install it and see how far you get this weekend?

 

Free Image Viewer, And More
by | posted in: Photography, The Tools | 1

Last week, I shared my favorite free image editor, but this week, I’ve got a bit of software that’s every bit as useful and important.

But, really, it’s more than just a viewer.  This little gem can do every thing from slideshows to file format conversions to cropping.  It can even do some simple editing like sharpening or blurring.  You can choose to view all the graphics in a directory in thumbnail format, or scroll through them one at a time using the arrow keys.
The program I’m talking about has been around for more than ten years and is still free.  Of course, I’m talking about the amazingly useful Irfan View, named after the programmer, Irfan Skiljan.  I’ve used it for years, and I recommend it to everyone.  Mostly for my favorite feature, it’s ability to batch process.
Yes, pretty much every editing feature Irfan View has can be applied to a whole group of files in a big batch, and that includes batch renaming.  And, have I mentioned it’s free?

It’s only for Windows, but it’s really the best graphics viewer out there, especially at the price!
And, since it’s the perfect compliment to GIMP, why not download it today?

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