In lieu of prevention: You could place them in the freezer for a little while. The cold causes metal threads to shrink slightly. (I was in the pool!)

Here is a quick and dirty example of a partially desaturated version. There are also very interesting veins in the flower than can be exploited to draw the view into the center.

It means that a third get better, a third get worse, and a third stay the same.

I like them both for what they are. I wonder if you were to only partially desaturate the whole or part of the image, you'd have a third dimension, that can be used to move the viewers through the image. This is what I love about doing post work.

I haven't any doubt about the improvement, but you're about to enter that dangerously seductive world I call "The Printer Zone". At least that was my experience after buying the Epson R3000. It was as if I'd made a commitment to learn about different papers for use with different photo styles, soft proofing vs not to, sharpening and on and on, because .... now I didn't just want to print "snap shots", but to print a photograph.

I've had a solar system installed on my house, and I've converted everything over to LED's or CFL's. I currently have an array of 9 1/2 by 11 1/3 frames on two of the walls in my study, an arrangement that may not lend itself to isolated spots. The other two walls have my larger images for which, I think the LEDs would do nicely.

I'd send it to a Nikon authorized shop. They will probably charge you to examine the camera, and then give you an estimate for the repair costs. I had to send my D800e in, and they estimated two to four weeks (although they also said they could try to expedite it if I really needed the camera back sooner.)

You didn't say what model of Nikon you need to repair. If the repair cost is high enough, you might take this as an opportunity (or excuse) to buy a newer model. Just a thought, but you might find that your cat did you a favor.

I'd like to install track lighting in my study to display my photographs. I'd prefer using LED fixtures for ecology sake. I'd appreciate hearing about your experiences and recommendations. I frame my pictures using non reflective glass for the most part.

I don't think it's an either or question When I bought my first computer (with an eight megahertz CPU,btw) my typing skills began to decline because it was so much easier to correct mistakes. The same danger can be said about shooting digital, with the exception that I still have control of my objective for taking a picture, the ability to discipline my technique, and then the freedom to "work" a shot without worrying about film costs and swapping rolls. I don't shoot professionally. Digital gives me the opportunity to experiment and practice. Digital also gives me the abiliity to work in a digital dark room where I can try to express myself with so much freedom.

I was told by an artist friend that painters paint "miles of canvas" to learn how to paint. Shooting digital allows me to shoot miles of pixels, but I still obligated to use "the little grey cells" if I want to take a good one and learn frm the bad ones. so I try to think first then shoot and shoot and sh....

I'm by no means an expert in HDR, but I believe that CS6 has the ability to assist in treating the "ghosting" effect of the boat movement in the background.

73 and running. You're my hero.

Stands for High Dynamic Range. You set your camera to take a series of bracketed shots, both underexposing and overexposing by a certain number of stops or fractions of stops(5 to 7 exposures perhaps). Put your camera on a tripod with cable release. If it has a continuous shot mode, use it and take the set of shots. Then you can merge the shots using various programs. Later versions of Photoshop or you can download a trial version Photomatix for instance.

The effect is to merge the underexposed shots which have the outside not with blown out highlights, with the interior over exposed shots. As long as there isn't any dramatic movement in the background that can cause "ghosting" you get the full dynamic range.

Some people do HDR for wild colors which can be produced, but, when it's not pushed to extremes, you get a good result.

I suggest you do a web search and read up on it.

If you're going to edit in photoshop, then shoot Raw. I think you're in HDR technique territory with this shot. If you blow out the exterior highlights, they are gone, unless you're just going to clone in the seperate exterior shots.

By the way, check out Google Earth, and take a virtual tour of all of these places.

There's so much to shoot, and so little time to shoot it. Personally, I'd try to go to places I really want to see, and enjoy being there, and then taking some shots. Don't spread yourself too thin. October weather is great.

How soon are you coming? It's Fleet Week this week which climaxes Saturday and Sunday. There are also America's Cup Trials going on in the Bay. The Giants and A's are in the playoffs also, so there's going to be a lot of traffic.

I love to shoot in the Marin Headlands, the Point Bonita Lighthouse, Mount Tamalpais, Muir Woods, Point Reyes, the North Coast above Jenner. And it's fun just being there at the same time. A couple of three day drives...bliss.

Yosemite...WOW! Once in a lifetime type WOW! If you've got the time. There's been a Hantavirus scare, which has been blown out of proportion. You can stay outside the valley. I'm driving up to Lake Tahoe, and taking Hwy 395 south to enter Yosemite from the East before they close Tioga Pass.. Coincidentally, Mono Lake is located right on the way. Then up Tioga Pass to Tuolumne Meadows, then dropping down into the valley, Glacier Point. (Waterfalls in Yosemite are either dry or at low flow at the moment.)

Of course I live in Napa, and the "Crush" is on. The fun is doing the tourist stuff. Try the Wine Train. But I wouldn't spend too much time here because there's a lot more to see elsewhere. (Sorry Chamber of Commerce.) I think the vines are more interesting a couple of weeks after they've been picked. There aren't as many balloons as there used to be perhaps I just don't see them anymore).