Tch Tch. Nicking wild plants in the UK comes with a fine....probably does in the US too!
No idea what it is!
Bike guy wrote:
I know; sounds stupid. But the last time I can remember visiting a BG was when I lived in Chicago, pre 1975.
Taking a visit to the Atlanta Gardens this Saturday. I don't want to carry a lot of lenses with me. I have a Sony alpha MK 7, II. I have the kit lens, FE 28-70, 3.5-5.6. And a Samyang 35mm 2.8. Should that cover the range? Also a Canon FD 28mm 2.8 with adaptor.
I have been thinking about plant photography and the Gardens would be my first stop. So, for the $22 admission fee, I want the proper lenses. Have hoods and filters.
I do have some other Canon EF lenses, 50mm, 85mm both 1.8, but the latter being heavy.
Appreciate any suggestions.
Of course, I could just take an iPhone!
I know; sounds stupid. But the last time I can rem... (
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So you are anticipating great things, but not sure of the kit you will require....also time of day and season.
Have you checked the internet for images - which should at least get the grey cells working....on composition/angle/ as well as lenses and settings. Where is the sun going to be and can you take advantage of that ? What is the lighting like in glass houses? how are you going to record the names of the particular species you see (Latin or common)
would a card 'background' enable you to isolate a single flower, or a circular reflector bring light in rather than using flash and/or Double as a blank background.
It might be that you take the cell phone only.....talk to the staff and guides and arrange another visit when you have created a shooting list? Most gardens are quite large so being burdened with kit whilst exploring the whole area will be tiring. search online for the current 'highlights' at the time and then create a shorter/better shooting list. It may double the entry price but improve the final results.
have fun
A well thought out article: probably upset some of the Bird Lovers who believe 'anything' is better than 'nothing' . If people have land to grow a variety of plants that attract birds and are able to provide a clean supply of water that is open, with nowhere for predators to hide and stalk then it is a great. Even scrubbing down their food dispensers is a step in the right direction. Remember that 'gardens' are fast becoming the main habitat for wildlife in some areas..We are losing the 'temporary stopping points' for migrating species. We also need to remember the 'ugly' and 'biteing' species too...They are all part of the natural eco system.
have fun
query 2000 years of living memory? Is Moses still alive?
The age of the earth is way much older that that....
The panic about g****l w*****g is two fold : ice floats but when it melts it increases water levels - because not all of the ice is floating.... Ice reflects heat from the sun when it has gone temperatures will rocket.the oceans water will warm and expand - bad news for coastal areas.
High temperatures will make more of the world suffer droughts...less food production More Migration of people to more temperate lands. High risk of conflict.
Whether we can stop g****l w*****g or not......isn't the issue....most cities are located close to water - floods are inevitable, less temperate agricultural land means less space for people and agriculture.
At the current rate of sea level rise, mass migration will probably occur in our children's lives. City flooding will occur much more regularly and agricultural products will increase in price to the point that starvation will affect not only drought effected areas but also much of The Western World..(think about where we import food from in a 'global market')
G****l w*****g may well be a cycle......but it could also be the end of our civilization if not mankind...
It is an El Nino year again and the jet stream is pumping lots of african air our way. Please don't get on the 'global warming' soap box just yet.....In 1986 when we had a similar heatwave - there was no social media to worry us.....we just went out and enjoyed it. These days everyone and their aunt are pestering us with 'Facts' that are but common sense - keep dogs out of cars, unclothe babies and keep them in the shade, drink plenty of water.
JohnR wrote:
I read with interest posts from Hoggers such as :-
“I’m having a GAS attack trying to improve my photography and feel I need to upgrade my D3XXX (D5XXX) to either a D7XXX or a DXXX and any advice or help etc etc…….” or words along those lines. (Substitute Canon or other brands as appropriate)
Yes many, and maybe, helpful replies are given by many Hoggers with no doubt the best of intentions but I do wonder about the wisdom of it all !
Many years ago (too many for comfort!) one would select ones film (according to conditions/subject/location etc), open the camera back and insert the film threading the leader onto the take up spool and winding on a couple of frames to ensure correct take up before closing the back ready for shooting. You then metered your subject (or used the famous triangle) selecting the correct shutter speed and aperture combination to achieve correct exposure for your chosen film/subject. Shots were very carefully framed and focussed before taking as there was no way of knowing if you’d achieved the desired result until after processing. For really important assignments bracketing of exposures was implemented to help insure maybe a good exposure was achieved where shots could not be repeated.
Yes I still do almost that with my Olympus OMD EM-1 but using auto ISO limited to 3200 then choosing either aperture priority or shutter speed priority according to subject leaving the camera to choose the others. Very very rarely use full manual. I do this partly from ingrown habit and partly because of the horrendous menu system in the Olympus. On my D3400 I still use this method even though the menus are much more user friendly.
Anyway my point is that I can (and would) do this with any DSLR be it a beginner, advanced or a full pro model. The latest Nikon crop sensor cameras D3500, D5600 and D7500 all use exactly the same 24MP sensor so using the same lens on each camera would produce exactly the same photo. Yes there are differences between each camera in focus points, number of dials and buttons etc etc but none of these affect the quality of the photo in any way and certainly won’t help a beginner improve his (or her) photographic skills. Given a similar camera/sensor quality the only factors affecting photo quality are :- 1. Lens, & 2. Photographer. With 2. Photographer THE most significant factor! To improve ones skills one needs to practice practice practice! Read, learn and inwardly digest as my old college tutor used to say ! If you must spend money then better lenses are far more likely to improve your photographs than a newer camera body would given you use the same old lenses.
Finally I don’t see why we have to differentiate between cameras labelling them “Beginner or Advanced or Professional” as all can be used in exactly the same way. Maybe like power tools for DIY where tools are divided as to useage – light use, medium or heavy might be better. Obviously pro cameras are much more heavily used and necessarily are made more robust. My pro model EM-1 is very definitely much more solidly built than my beginner level D3400!
I wonder if Ansel Adams would have had GAS attacks were he alive today?
I read with interest posts from Hoggers such as :-... (
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It is a combination of Ego and Commercialism. The camera is only as good as the person using it, However the more models you can put into the market, the more sales you can generate. 'Small' 'medium' and 'large' are not in the lexicon of sales managers: they need words that convey 'value' or 'cutting edge' or simply reach out to the vanity of people.
Owning a pro camera does not make you a pro....! How long can a beginner be classed as a beginner? Pro-sumer??? I want that job....fancy being paid to buy 'stuff'!!!!
Camera phones have redefined 'what is photography' for the majority of people. People have redefined what they want from photographs.....as well as those situations that once demanded 'Official' photographers. The quality of photographs used in media has declined to the point that many people could not say what defines a worthwhile image. Like art, good photography is becoming 'just what you like'.AND the choice is out there for you to download!
The next big thing (?) will probably be as expensive as a full frame camera or more....!
The numbers made will be small.....to appeal to those that want 'exclusivity' and will probably have fewer program modes just to give it Kudos as a professional user only model. Their will also be better cameras in phones,drones,cars,head ware, jacket collars etc etc etc. The consumer camera will cease to be a single use item - more a useful accessory. Dirt cheap and prone to fail!
have fun
There is a rub to Linux - they all have slightly different OS (Flavors)
This means that Arch Linux....the repository of all Linux programs will, may or may not work in any given 'flavor'. You end up having to a) stick with what is available in the 'download selection that comes with your OS or test that the program you download actually is compatible with your OS. That said some of the big names like Darktable Ufraw Rawtherapee Gimp and many more are cross platform...
2nd problem is printers...HP is generic but Canon needs the driver to be downloaded! so how are you at 'messing in terminal' or using the fantastic forums and help that is available?
Or put Linux on a partition so that your windows can be used off line and win programs are still available.
Third option is use Wine or Playonlinux to use windows programs
Finally, as I do export the file you want printed to a Windows PC. most file types are compatible to be printed!
I use Manjaro...It is a long term supported OS it actually builds the next kernel using updates and when it is ready and tested it notifies you to start using it...if all Ok delete old kernel or go back to using it and seek help from the forum. (simple click) I tried Ubuntu but their 'new build' had to be installed every 5 years - I was two years into the cycle and the new kernel simply didn't work out of the box - or I couldn't get it to!.
Ubuntu does have more aps than Manjaro though.
As Linux is a simple case of downloading the OS onto a USB and pluging it in to work you can try several WITHOUT actually installing them!
I am not a geek....I have had to use the terminal a couple of times in the three or four years I have been using Linux. Usually after asking for advice from the forum or the WIKI...up to now it has always worked...!
Read the reviews - especially 'When' the particular version is due to be updated!!!! or support stopped!!! and try it out before installing it. I would recommend putting it on a partition so that your old software can be accessed - Most PC repairers will do this for you really cheaply. By using Linux for everything else your PC should be a lot safer from virus and attacks..
Hope this gives you ideas.
via the lens wrote:
Not always, but shooting often is required to learn new skills and improve. Getting better in photography requires gaining knowledge and experience and then putting the two together. Some people can do this, others cannot. Some people just take the same style of image every day for the rest of their lives and never improve and some people learn to take better images. Repetition implies doing the exact same thing thing over and over and most likely your photography will not improve over time with simple repetition. Just my thought on it.
Not always, but shooting often is required to lear... (
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you beat me to it!!!!
You know what a bad habit is ......constantly doing the same thing - and how annoying that can be..
You learn by adding new knowledge to what you already think you know....and seeing things you never notices or knew as a result. Think about your journeys to work every day...can you remember what was different about it 2 days ago, or last week?
As a child I cycled for miles around the countryside. As a scout and scout leader I walked miles throughout The English Lake District. I loved what I discovered. Much later I studied for a Environmental science and Geography degree. I learned to understand 'what I had been seeing'. Add a camera......and you can see why I love Landscapes and why I try to find images that 'bring alive' the reason why and the causes of the landscapes forms that I visit. The camera simply concentrates and links past learning to the present view. I can explain why I shot it and what was particularly striking or interesting... It deepens my love for 'being in the great outdoors'. (oh, an carrying a camera as an excuse).
It clearly shows the amount of work that it takes to get evidence or the shots that create the evidence. It makes you aware of the time and effort and the massive amounts of images they had to take in order to get that one or two 'iconic images'. This is not 'spray and pray'.....not even 'lets visit there so I can get that image'.....Knowing so much about your subject is just as important as 'the shot'.
One of the problems for a 'photographer' is that we see so many great images and expect to be able to take similar shots, on a sunday afternoon with that 'fantastic' camera we bought.......(and the video never mentioned the hours of photoshop it took).
Something to keep in mind when you research 'what shall we shoot today'?
great video and thankyou for spotting it.
george
Most small cameras come with a simple case (Fold over magnetic 'lid')or a zip up bag. If not they are available as an accessory.
The fibers you see are the big ones - most pockets also have micro-fibers, grit, hair etc which may get forced into crevices by the action of walking etc. As for loose change, pocket knife, bunch of keys, metal comb, Handkerchief, toffees, tablets in foil, and all the rest of the paraphernalia that people have in their pockets - keeping your camera there probably is not the best idea. Plus when you sit down it is likely to fall out.
have fun
Architect1776 wrote:
America hater.
Not quite....otherwise Trump would not be threatening Iran over stopping oil tankers.
Besides it is not just the USA that contribute to the excess use of plastics....even countries that use little are now having our 'recycle'd' plastic waste exported (dumped) on them.
Shale gas oil is an industry that only has one use - Plastic.....it is too dirty to burn! A refinery in Scotland is talking about doubling its capacity to make plastic at virtually no extra cost by using it.....Just when everyone else wants to reduce plastic.
China has started to refuse taking US and UK waste....it is getting bad press about its own Carbon footprint and see's this as a sensible reduction policy.
We need the boffins to come up with a new use for existing plastics as well as a believable recycling system.....maybe like India where PEOPLE make money by collecting it rather than Civic authorities 'saying they are'.
On the manual for my first and only film camera it was suggested that the shutter timer allowed the photographer to join in with family group shots - when used with a tripod.
have fun
Coolcameragirl wrote:
Amazon mistake - a Canon 800 mm lens which sells for $13,000 on sale for $94?
Would be cool if you scored one of these deals:
https://petapixel.com/2019/07/17/amazon-accidentally-sold-13000-camera-gear-for-100-on-prime-day/
You would still miss out......this has been running for a week!
As you said before, it is Windows 10.....it has a mind of its own. For every one that says it is a great program, there are many that think it has bloated to the point of death. Too much is being asked of 'windows' for too diverse a user base. I know jet fighters once used sinclair ZX but not now.....
Business IT needs a whole new OS. never mind the millions that are using older Win versions at home.....(often driving cars and living in homes younger than their software)
There is a place for 'old tech' but it is not in the mainstream.
Not only is Microsoft getting bigger and more diverse but so are the many 'feeder' companies like FB and Google. Internet traffic cannot afford to be held back by people insisting on using 'software' older than their children!
No I am not suggesting Linux or Apple....perhaps we should have a break point between 'home' and the rest of the world. Like Mail, you write your letter at home and then post it - not insist on the postman writing the letter for you!
That way the 'worry' about Personal Data might also be allayed.
not everything in life has to be 'live'.
Have fu*
Mother in laws are great.....they don't expect you to do as they say.....only as their daughter says....Keep them both happy with the phrase "Yes, Dear".