VASA was developed by Microsoft, but it hasn't been released. Heaven help us if and when they do release. Imagine this. You take a picture of a face and add any audio text to it. the face moves and speaks the text file perfectly. They tried it with a drawing of a Japanese face speaking Japanese. Although MS did not train it to speak Japanese, it performed perfectly. As an added feature, you can specify serious, happy, concerned, or angry. If this becomes available, we will never be able to believe what we see and hear.

Take a look. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/project/vasa-1/

I recently purchased Ansel Adam's book, "The Negative" specifically to understand and learn to apply the zone system of exposure. I just reached the chapter on the Zone System and though I shoot digitally, I'm finding that this system is amazing and can definitely be an added bonus. I also recently purchased a top mint condition Hasselblad 500CM that I'm over the moon excited to start using; however, there are some things that I need to learn about film photography. I've become a student once again and it's truly exciting.

Enjoyed discussion of PRIME vs, ZOOM lenses. Now I would like to ask any one who used TELE EXTENDER supplemental lenses. For over 5 decades, 2X tele extender was very cheap alternative for getting your SLR
camera system, i.e. made a normal lens 50mm/f=1.4 to 100mm/f-2.8. The image quality in center was acceptable but edges are terrible. So, it was used for only portrait photography? Yes, it was very good special artistic tool.
Meanwhile, as optical design and production have been making great progress, I start using two tele extenders for my EF 70-200/2,8. They are small and light weight, 1.4X extender make my lens 105 to 300mm f=4.0. Then, the 2X piece making my relatively heavy big lens 140 to 400mm 5.6. Realized, sensor ISO can be good and much higher than film time, so I had better handling to shoot sport photography EF 300mm f=2.8. Since I borrowed such fast prime lens, I did not have time to make comparison. Is any one there shooting with modern improved tele extender's?

Two nights ago I did a gig at a Chamber of Commerce event at a very high end community center. I was hired by the chamber, as was a social media guy, and a video guy. There was also an independent person taking photos. What we all had in common (and this has never happened before!) was we were all using Sony equipment. Now I know this will ruffle the gentle feathers of so many on this blog, but the reality is that market share is everything, and I as a Sony shooter am even amazed at how much is changing in the professional sphere. Years ago it was rare to find a pro shooting Sony, and now it seems that we are the majority. For there to be four image makers at an event and all of them using Sony had me pretty shocked. People vote with their feet and their money, and the other brands have to be on notice to up their game.

Speculation is that they are the secondary sign of syphilis.
Yes, there are links:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2024/01/18/trumps-red-hand-markings-draw-wild-speculation-including-syphilis-conspiracies/?sh=77bdfee523d4

https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/politics/2024/01/18/donald-trump-hand-sores-photo-social-media/72265930007/

Is it syphilis? I don't have a clue but he certainly is a horn-dog, so it's possible.
If it is, it would probably explain his cognitive decline.