Kia ora tatou:

I am recovering from the hit on my digestive season that Xmas imposes (in spite of my best intentions to eat like a rabbit) and I have begun to ponder….

Maryjo sent me an email last week (or was it the week before?) asking my thoughts on DNG (digital negative) as a format, and also suggesting I place some sort of suggestion box, where you could throw in suggestions for me to comment on.

Good idea.

This is the easiest way for me to do it, so herewith the suggestion box. Please add any ideas you would like me to write on. I will try to bring this to the top every now and then.

In the meantime:

1. DNG vs RAW vs Jpeg
2. Music and slideshows (or the vexing issue of copyright). Why you really should be afraid. Very afraid. Thinking of selling those AV’s of your holiday in Ulan Bator with Michael Jackson in the background? DON’T!

Ka kite ano

Kia ora tatou:

It is that time of the year again ( isn’t it always?).With Christmas on us, the insane rush to shut New Zealand for a few days will see people buying as if the shops will be shut forever, and tradesmen working 28-hour days to complete work for clients ( you want it when?).

Things I do badly (the list is extensive) include remembering birthdays and writing Xmas cards. My apologies in advance.

I have however written this small piece, my way of thanking you all for your warmth, friendship and support over the year.

It is deeply appreciated.

May Christmas bring you all joy, peace and tranquillity.

Arohanui e hoa (more…)

Kia ora tatou:

After talking and reflecting I have just posted a formal response to the Newsweek article. It is lengthy, some 3500 words in length, so you may want to print it out and ponder it after the post-prandial somnolence of Xmas has worn off, or perhaps when you have been stuck in that bach in the rain for several days.

It is a long read, so I have begun a new page entitled Essays, to give me a place to park biggish outpourings like this.

I look forward to your feedback.

Ka kite ano

Long-term CD/DVD storage

From a blog I haunt…

We’re all making loads and loads of CDs and DVDs nowadays - music compilations, backups and storage for digital photos and video. But what’s the best way to protect these discs from damage?

Here are my top tips for CD and DVD storage.

* Keep fingers off both sides of the disc, not just the “data” side but also the label side. The grease and acids on the skin can damage discs. Pick discs up by putting a finger tip through the hole and resting a thumb on the edge.
* Store discs in a jewel cases. Soft-sleeve cases don’t protect the discs from scratching and deformation. There is also a danger that the plasticizers from some plastic sleeves could cause damage to the discs in the long term.
* Don’t drop or bend discs.
* Don’t stick adhesive labels to the surface (unless they are designed for CDs or DVDs).
* Store discs in a cool and moderately dry environment. Slight temperature and humidity changes won’t harm them but fast changes between very warm and wet conditions to cooler and very dry conditions can sometimes result in warping and distortion.
* Store discs away from bright light as this can damage the dyes used in recordable CDs and DVDs. Keep them away from direct sunlight too (sunlight contains high levels of UV which can damage discs).
* Remove dirt, fingerprints, smudges, and liquid splashes by wiping with a clean cotton fabric in a straight line from the center of the disc toward the outer edge. Never clean in a circular direction around the disc. Use isopropyl alcohol or methanol to remove stubborn dirt.
* For maximum lifespan, don’t store discs horizontally for extended periods. Store them vertically in a jewel case.

A temperature of 18°C and 40% relative humidity is considered suitable for long-term storage.

A CD or DVD can get quite hot when being read (55°C) so it’s a good idea not to keep an important disc in the drive for extended periods.

Kia ora tatou:

Continuing the theme of Christmas on the Ezine…

Garry sent in this image, shot at the Christchurch Santa Parade on 2 Dec.

This guy is really enjoying himself…..

Somehow this image brings a few words to mind…

Every Who
Down in Who-ville
Liked Christmas a lot…

But the Grinch,
Who lived just North of Who-ville,
Did NOT!

The Grinch hated Christmas! The whole Christmas season!
Now, please don’t ask why. No one quite knows the reason.
It could be that his head wasn’t screwed on quite right.
It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight.
But I think that the most likely reason of all
May have been that his heart was two sizes too small.

You can read the rest here

Kia ora tatou:

I will shortly remove the Your Images page. There are a number of treasons for this (no, not a typo!):

1. I am about to (hopefully) replace it with a dialogue, along the lines of Letter to Marthinus
2. Leaving the images in the main body of the post allows you to make comments on it more easily

To that end, I have created a new category, Your images.

And what better way to kick it off than this one….

Alan Blacklock, an enormously-talented and skilled photographer for NIWA in Wellington and a contributor to the Ezine under various pseudonyms, was sitting in his backyard, dreaming of a gift-wrapped haggis, a new sporran and a bottle of Johnny Walker Red, when he looked up and spotted this cloud passing by. He has obviously been a good boy in 2007!

And No, he did not PhotoShop it (see previous post). He is a purist….

Editorial Correction:

BTW It was deep fried haggis, a velveteen sporran and Laphroiag that was going through my mind at the time.

Kia ora tatou:

This week, 2 different people at both ends of the country drew my attention to this article. It couldn’t be more timely, and it goes to the root of a picture-making issue I have been grappling with. I am thinking over my response to John and Alastair. In the meantime, I offer it to all of you for your comment…

Is Photography Dead?
By Peter Plagens
NEWSWEEK
Updated: 2:42 PM ET Dec 1, 2007 (more…)

Kia ora tatou:

I receive an E-letter from PcWorld, which helps me to keep up with developments in IT.

The other day, I received this rant from Oliver Rist, who writes for them…

Mac bigafficionadoes will NOT want to read this….

The headline reads:

Leopard Is the New Vista, and It Pisses Me Off
Microsoft Vista’s been taking its lumps for months now, but it could be Apple’s turn for a sucker punch. Networking and Business Analyst Oliver Rist unloads a Leopard screed that, to be honest, is not for the faint of heart. In a nutshell, Rist was so frustrated with Apple’s new operating system that he rolled back to the previous version. This is quite a tale. Buckle in and get ready for one wild ride.

There is an opposite point-of-view available….

Ka kite ano