As we all know, digital cameras have already replaced the old film-type cameras. After all, you can take as many shots as you want with a digicam and not worry about wasting film, you can print your own photos at home, and - more often than not - a digicam also doubles as a video camera and a portable USB flash drive, all in one package. Plus, digicams are very pretty.
However, with all the features that we want and all the convenience and hipness they promise, digicams are not cheap either. So if you're about to go out and pick yourself your own cam, you might first want to stop for a minute or two since there are certain things that you might want to know about before forking over your hard-earned cash.
Over at Camera2Photo.com, a guide of 25 essential tips have been compiled to help the casual (and maybe even the pro) photographer pick out the perfect digital camera. Tips that have been included range from how to gauge the price of your selection as compared to its features, warnings to not get wowed by the megapixels that a model supposedly sports, as well as why one should consider optical zoom over a camera's digital zoom capability.
This is one set of rules to follow since it may possibly save you or someone you know either lots of money or from the heartache that is caused by buyer's guilt. Check out the rules by checking out the link below.
Buying a digital camera to get started in the world of digital photography or to replace your old camera? Read tips on getting the best digital camera for your money.
#1: Set a Budget Before Buying
Budget yourself when purchasing a digital camera.
#2: Ignore Digital Zoom
When buying digital cameras, concentrate on optical zoom, not digital zoom.
#3: Two Considerations when Buying a New Camera
Consider these two items before buying a new digital camera.
#4: Small Doesn’t Mean Underpowered
Small digital cameras may be exactly what you need.
#5: Be Careful When Buying Package Deals
Digital camera package deals may be too good to be true - or a real bargain!
#6: Check What the Zoom Really Means
Advertised digital camera zoom levels may not just be optical zoom.
#7: Get a Camera with Magnified Photo Previews
Magnified photo previews can help determine the sharpness of a digital photo.
#8: Is There a Built-In Microphone?
A digital camera microphone can provide added benefits to your photo taking.
#9: Effective Pixels and Foveon X3
Sometimes advertised digital camera pixel counts can be deceiving.
#10: Don’t Expect a Camera to Come with Enough Media
Buying a digital camera? Be prepared to buy some extra media.
#11: What to Look for to Take Night Photography
Helpful features some digital cameras provide to take better night photos.
#12: Don’t Get Caught Up in Megapixels
Megapixels are not everything when it comes to buying a digital camera.
#13: Consider the Total Cost of Ownership
You won’t just be purchasing a digital camera - you may need to buy accessories.
#14: Be Careful with Very Cheap Prices
Beware of the digital camera ‘package deal’ sales technique.
#15: Pre-Programmed Scene Modes May Help
Scene modes make it easier to take digital camera photos in tough lighting conditions.
#16: Does Flash Come with an SLR?
Consider the total cost of ownership when purchasing a digital SLR.
#17: Uses for your Old Digital Camera
Don’t throw away your old digital camera - here are some ways to get some use out of it.
#18: How Much Optical Zoom is Needed?
Do you require a digital camera with 6x optical zoom, or is 2x or 3x enough?
#19: Where is the Tripod Socket?
Make sure when purchasing a digital camera that it fits well on a tripod.
#20: Use Comparative Shopping Search Engines
Looking for the absolute best prices for digital cameras or digital camera accessories? Search many online vendors at once.
#21: Digital Camera Reviews
Links to websites offering reviews of specific digital cameras
#22: More Megapixels Means Greater Cropping Ability
Higher-megapixel digital cameras let you crop more.
#23: More Control May Cost You
To set manual exposure, you might need a more-expensive camera.
#24: Consider a Weatherproof Camera
Some digital cameras are made to withstand moisture.
#25: Look for ISO 50 Support
Look for digital cameras with ISO 50 support for crisper, cleaner images.
http://camera2photo.com/2006/08/25/25-things-you-must-know-before-buying-digital-camera
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Shopping Online For Digital Photography and Electronic Equipment
First: There are two ways these items enter the United States: (1) Each Manufacturer designates an official importer of their goods who then distributes them to the various merchants throughout the country. These goods carry the manufacture’s USA warranty. The company then has factory trained technicians located throughout the US who can repair your purchases if needed. (2) Goods are purchased in a country outside the US and then imported. These are called "Grey Market" goods. You save a little money by purchasing them, but not much. They do not carry the manufacture’s USA warranty. This is perfectly legal. However, in case repairs are needed, the manufacturer may refuse to repair the item or will charge more for the repairs, more than you saved by buying Grey Market. The item may need to be returned to Japan for repairs. The documentation may be in Japanese.
Buyer Beware: You have heard the saying, "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is". When shopping online, if you find a price much lower than all of the others, Beware!!!!!
An example: I typed "Canon EOS 30D" in www.ask.com. "Ask.com" is like "Google" only better. Up came several options. One was at "Express Cameras", www.expresscameras.com. Their price for this camera was $599 when the next lowest price I could find was a little over $1000. This price raised a red flag for me. I watched the price for a couple of weeks and suddenly it was lowered to $549. Next I "asked" (googled) "Express Cameras". You can't believe the information I found there, ALL OF IT BAD, REALLY BAD. One site I found there was www.resellerratings.com. There were letters after letters telling of really awful experiences buyers had there. The following themes evolved as I read the letters:
(1)Bait and Switch. You order online. The next day you receive a call from them informing you that the item you ordered was Grey Market and out of stock. They don't expect to receive more for 3 or 4 months. However; here is the switch, they can let you have the item with manufactures USA warrantor for $900 ($200 less than they usually charge) with the Deluxe Accessory Package for $400, for a package price of $1300. They go on to list the items in the package, most of which are junk, and try to convince you that you really need them. They are really convincing so you relent. You must have really wanted the item because you ordered it online. Sucker. You should not have done it. You could have obtained the item from a reputable dealer for less money.
(2)An order is placed online. The next day they call you and try to sell you additional items which you don't want and don't need. Being savvy, you stand firm and the end result is that they agree to ship the item the next day for the advertised price. A week later it has not arrived. You call only to be informed that your order has been cancelled. Great news. They can't sell an item for less than they paid for it.
(3)They take your order and ship a different, much less expensive item. You call. They are, to say the least, not very cooperative. You are stuck with an item you would never have ordered.
The men, never women, manning the phones are very good at what they do. They will sell you the Brooklyn Bridge if you are not careful. You must be firm. Sometimes they will hang up on you. Most of the shady sites are located in NYC or in nearby New Jersey.
If you ever get caught in one of these scams, call and cancel your order and immediately call you credit card company and inform them not to accept any charges from this company.
Not to Worry: There are reputable dealers out there. Before you order for the first time from any merchant go to the site, www.resellerratings.com, click on "Store Ratings" and type in the name of the company. At this site you will probably only get negative comments. However, if there are many and they are really bad, you are probably better off not to order from them.
Another approach would be to go to the following sites and look for good prices. Then click on the ratings at the right to get information on the merchant. Only order from those with ratings of 4+. Check on shipping charges. Some charge much more than others. Some have free shipping.
Sites to check for best prices:
There are others.
Sites that I have ordered from and can recommend:
Buyer Beware: You have heard the saying, "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is". When shopping online, if you find a price much lower than all of the others, Beware!!!!!
An example: I typed "Canon EOS 30D" in www.ask.com. "Ask.com" is like "Google" only better. Up came several options. One was at "Express Cameras", www.expresscameras.com. Their price for this camera was $599 when the next lowest price I could find was a little over $1000. This price raised a red flag for me. I watched the price for a couple of weeks and suddenly it was lowered to $549. Next I "asked" (googled) "Express Cameras". You can't believe the information I found there, ALL OF IT BAD, REALLY BAD. One site I found there was www.resellerratings.com. There were letters after letters telling of really awful experiences buyers had there. The following themes evolved as I read the letters:
(1)Bait and Switch. You order online. The next day you receive a call from them informing you that the item you ordered was Grey Market and out of stock. They don't expect to receive more for 3 or 4 months. However; here is the switch, they can let you have the item with manufactures USA warrantor for $900 ($200 less than they usually charge) with the Deluxe Accessory Package for $400, for a package price of $1300. They go on to list the items in the package, most of which are junk, and try to convince you that you really need them. They are really convincing so you relent. You must have really wanted the item because you ordered it online. Sucker. You should not have done it. You could have obtained the item from a reputable dealer for less money.
(2)An order is placed online. The next day they call you and try to sell you additional items which you don't want and don't need. Being savvy, you stand firm and the end result is that they agree to ship the item the next day for the advertised price. A week later it has not arrived. You call only to be informed that your order has been cancelled. Great news. They can't sell an item for less than they paid for it.
(3)They take your order and ship a different, much less expensive item. You call. They are, to say the least, not very cooperative. You are stuck with an item you would never have ordered.
The men, never women, manning the phones are very good at what they do. They will sell you the Brooklyn Bridge if you are not careful. You must be firm. Sometimes they will hang up on you. Most of the shady sites are located in NYC or in nearby New Jersey.
If you ever get caught in one of these scams, call and cancel your order and immediately call you credit card company and inform them not to accept any charges from this company.
Not to Worry: There are reputable dealers out there. Before you order for the first time from any merchant go to the site, www.resellerratings.com, click on "Store Ratings" and type in the name of the company. At this site you will probably only get negative comments. However, if there are many and they are really bad, you are probably better off not to order from them.
Another approach would be to go to the following sites and look for good prices. Then click on the ratings at the right to get information on the merchant. Only order from those with ratings of 4+. Check on shipping charges. Some charge much more than others. Some have free shipping.
Sites to check for best prices:
- shopper.cnet.com
- www.pricegrabber.com
- www.bizrate.com
There are others.
Sites that I have ordered from and can recommend:
- www.adorama.com
- www.bhphoto.com
- www.newegg.com
- www.itsupplies.com
Monday, February 19, 2007
Pentax will unveil new lenses at Photokina
Pentax will be exhibiting three new interchangeable digital SLR camera lenses, as well and a new medium-format camera, at this year's Photokina in Cologne.
Press Release:
Still in pre-production, Photokina will represent the first opportunity for anyone outside of Pentax's engineering team to view these exciting new products.
Also on demonstration at the show will be the recently launched K10D - Pentax's flagship digital SLR camera, featuring 10 megapixels, Pentax's proprietary shake reduction system and a host of other innovative features. These in turn will be supported by Pentax's current digital compact line-up, which includes marketing leading cameras such as the Optio A20, Optio W20 and Optio T20.
Photokina is one of the world's largest photo and imaging merchandise fairs and runs from 26th September to 1st October in Cologne, Germany. It provides the perfect platform for Pentax to showcase its flagship models to Europe's photographic industry.
Three interchangeable lenses designed for exclusive use with PENTAX digital SLR cameras
* Wide-angle zoom lens; model name (tentative): smc PENTAX-DA* 16-50mm F2.8ED AL[IF]
* Telephoto zoom lens; model name (tentative): smc PENTAX-DA* 50-135mm F2.8ED [IF]
* Super-telephoto zoom lens; Model name (tentative): smc PENTAX-DA* 60-250mm F4ED [IF]
Other product information:
These products are designed for use with PENTAX K- and *istD series of digital SLR cameras. They are being developed as premium, high-end 'star' (*) lenses, which will deliver exceptional performance and optimal image quality. They will feature the PENTAX KAF2 mount, which incorporates additional electrical contacts to drive a built-in supersonic motor used in auto focusing. All three lenses will be available in March 2007.
Lens-interchangeable medium-format SLR camera
Model name (tentative): PENTAX 645 Digital
Product information:
* 18 effective megapixels
* PENTAX 645AF mount
* Compatibility with existing smc PENTAX 645-series lenses
Other information:
This product will be continuously upgraded by incorporating newly developed image sensors, with its final effective megapixels expected to reach 30-megapixels.
Press Release:
Still in pre-production, Photokina will represent the first opportunity for anyone outside of Pentax's engineering team to view these exciting new products.
Also on demonstration at the show will be the recently launched K10D - Pentax's flagship digital SLR camera, featuring 10 megapixels, Pentax's proprietary shake reduction system and a host of other innovative features. These in turn will be supported by Pentax's current digital compact line-up, which includes marketing leading cameras such as the Optio A20, Optio W20 and Optio T20.
Photokina is one of the world's largest photo and imaging merchandise fairs and runs from 26th September to 1st October in Cologne, Germany. It provides the perfect platform for Pentax to showcase its flagship models to Europe's photographic industry.
Three interchangeable lenses designed for exclusive use with PENTAX digital SLR cameras
* Wide-angle zoom lens; model name (tentative): smc PENTAX-DA* 16-50mm F2.8ED AL[IF]
* Telephoto zoom lens; model name (tentative): smc PENTAX-DA* 50-135mm F2.8ED [IF]
* Super-telephoto zoom lens; Model name (tentative): smc PENTAX-DA* 60-250mm F4ED [IF]
Other product information:
These products are designed for use with PENTAX K- and *istD series of digital SLR cameras. They are being developed as premium, high-end 'star' (*) lenses, which will deliver exceptional performance and optimal image quality. They will feature the PENTAX KAF2 mount, which incorporates additional electrical contacts to drive a built-in supersonic motor used in auto focusing. All three lenses will be available in March 2007.
Lens-interchangeable medium-format SLR camera
Model name (tentative): PENTAX 645 Digital
Product information:
* 18 effective megapixels
* PENTAX 645AF mount
* Compatibility with existing smc PENTAX 645-series lenses
Other information:
This product will be continuously upgraded by incorporating newly developed image sensors, with its final effective megapixels expected to reach 30-megapixels.
Have Camera Phone? Yahoo and Reuters Want You to Work for Their News Service
Hoping to turn the millions of people with digital cameras and camera phones into photojournalists, Yahoo and Reuters are introducing a new effort to showcase photographs and video of news events submitted by the public.
Starting tomorrow, the photos and videos submitted will be placed throughout Reuters.com and Yahoo News, the most popular news Web site in the United States, according to comScore MediaMetrix. Reuters said that it would also start to distribute some of the submissions next year to the thousands of print, online and broadcast media outlets that subscribe to its news service. Reuters said it hoped to develop a service devoted entirely to user-submitted photographs and video.
“There is an ongoing demand for interesting and iconic images,” said Chris Ahearn, the president of the Reuters media group. He said the agency had always bought newsworthy pictures from individuals and part-time contributors known as stringers.
“This is looking out and saying, ‘What if everybody in the world were my stringers?’ ” Mr. Ahearn said.
The project is among the most ambitious efforts in what has become known as citizen journalism, attempts by bloggers, start-up local news sites and by global news organizations like CNN and the BBC to see if readers can also become reporters.
Many news organizations turned to photographs taken by amateurs to supplement coverage of events like the London subway bombing and the Asian tsunami. Yahoo’s news division has already used images that were originally posted on Flickr, the company’s photo-sharing site. For example, it created a slide show of images from Thailand after the coup there in September.
Camera phone videos are increasingly making news themselves. Michael Richards, the actor who played Kramer on “Seinfeld,” was recorded last month responding to hecklers in a nightclub with racially charged epithets. The video was posted on TMZ, the celebrity news site.
The Yahoo-Reuters project will create a systematic way to incorporate images covering a wider range of topics into news coverage.
Starting tomorrow, users will be able to upload photos and videos to a section of Yahoo called You Witness News (news.yahoo.com/page/youwitnessnews). All of the submissions will appear on Flickr or a similar site for video. Editors at both Reuters and Yahoo will review the submissions and select some to place on pages with relevant news articles, just as professional photographs and video clips are woven into their news sites today.
“People don’t say, ‘I want to see user-generated content,’ ” said Lloyd Braun, who runs Yahoo’s media group. “They want to see Michael Richards in the club. If that happens to be from a cellphone, they are happy with a cellphone. If it’s from a professional photographer, they are happy for that, too.”
Users will not be paid for images displayed on the Yahoo and Reuters sites. But people whose photos or videos are selected for distribution to Reuters clients will receive a payment. Mr. Ahearn said the company had not yet figured out how to structure those payments. The basic payment may be relatively small, but he said Reuters was likely to pay more to people offering exclusive rights to images of major events. For now, no money is changing hands between Yahoo and Reuters, but if Reuters is able to create a separate news service with the user-created material, it will split the revenue with Yahoo.
Before photographs or videos are used on the Yahoo site or distributed by Reuters, photo editors at Reuters will try to vet them to weed out fraudulent or retouched images.
This is an imperfect process. Last summer, a blogger discovered that photos of the conflict in Lebanon by a freelance photographer working for Reuters had been digitally altered. Reuters stopped using the photographer and withdrew his work from its archive. The company is now trying to develop software that will help detect altered photographs.
The arrangement with Yahoo is one of several initiatives by Reuters to use the Internet to bring new sources to its news report. It has invested $7 million in Pluck, a company that distributes content from blogs to newspapers and other traditional media outlets. It has also backed two more experimental ventures: NewAssignment.net, an effort to foster reporting that combines the work of professional journalists with input from online readers, and Global Voices, a collection of blogs from less-developed countries.
Yahoo has its own ambitious plans for the You Witness News service. The images received will be used on its sports and entertainment sites. Over time, it wants to expand to local news and high school sports. And it will consider allowing users to contribute articles as well as images. For now, both Yahoo and Reuters are concerned that they do not have the resources to edit and verify such articles.
“News has special constraints on content quality,” said Elizabeth Osder, a senior director for product development at Yahoo. “If we publish text, we want to review it.”
CNN, which is owned by Time Warner and introduced its I-Reports section for user-submitted material on its site in August (www.cnn.com/exchange/), accepts text, images and video. Some submissions are included in its news broadcasts.
“Even the best reporters in most cases are approaching the story from the outside in,” said Mitch Gelman, the executive producer of CNN.com. “What a participant observer can offer is the perspective on that story from the inside out. We feel as a news organization we need to provide both to offer full coverage to our audience.”
Yahoo and Reuters will have other competitors besides mainstream news organizations when it comes to attracting submissions. People with compelling video, for example, may want the instant gratification of putting it on YouTube, the giant video site owned by Google, or some other site.
“The average person witnesses something that is considered news once every 10 years,” said Steve Rosenbaum, who created MTV Unfiltered, one of the first viewer-contributed video programs on television. “When it’s time to put something on the Internet, they will put it in the place they have used before. The numbers tell us that is YouTube.”
Indeed, Yahoo has had some trouble attracting submissions for another high-profile initiative, an effort to solicit videos for a site created jointly with Current, the cable network started by former Vice President Al Gore. As of Friday, that site is no longer accepting new videos.
Moreover, said Mr. Rosenbaum, who now runs Magnify Media, which helps Web sites post video contributions, it might be difficult to get the right sort of submissions.
“If you are asking your audience to know what is a national news story of interest to the world, it seems to me there are only two results: whether you get flooded with lots of car fires, or you get nothing. Neither is a particularly good effect.”
Starting tomorrow, the photos and videos submitted will be placed throughout Reuters.com and Yahoo News, the most popular news Web site in the United States, according to comScore MediaMetrix. Reuters said that it would also start to distribute some of the submissions next year to the thousands of print, online and broadcast media outlets that subscribe to its news service. Reuters said it hoped to develop a service devoted entirely to user-submitted photographs and video.
“There is an ongoing demand for interesting and iconic images,” said Chris Ahearn, the president of the Reuters media group. He said the agency had always bought newsworthy pictures from individuals and part-time contributors known as stringers.
“This is looking out and saying, ‘What if everybody in the world were my stringers?’ ” Mr. Ahearn said.
The project is among the most ambitious efforts in what has become known as citizen journalism, attempts by bloggers, start-up local news sites and by global news organizations like CNN and the BBC to see if readers can also become reporters.
Many news organizations turned to photographs taken by amateurs to supplement coverage of events like the London subway bombing and the Asian tsunami. Yahoo’s news division has already used images that were originally posted on Flickr, the company’s photo-sharing site. For example, it created a slide show of images from Thailand after the coup there in September.
Camera phone videos are increasingly making news themselves. Michael Richards, the actor who played Kramer on “Seinfeld,” was recorded last month responding to hecklers in a nightclub with racially charged epithets. The video was posted on TMZ, the celebrity news site.
The Yahoo-Reuters project will create a systematic way to incorporate images covering a wider range of topics into news coverage.
Starting tomorrow, users will be able to upload photos and videos to a section of Yahoo called You Witness News (news.yahoo.com/page/youwitnessnews). All of the submissions will appear on Flickr or a similar site for video. Editors at both Reuters and Yahoo will review the submissions and select some to place on pages with relevant news articles, just as professional photographs and video clips are woven into their news sites today.
“People don’t say, ‘I want to see user-generated content,’ ” said Lloyd Braun, who runs Yahoo’s media group. “They want to see Michael Richards in the club. If that happens to be from a cellphone, they are happy with a cellphone. If it’s from a professional photographer, they are happy for that, too.”
Users will not be paid for images displayed on the Yahoo and Reuters sites. But people whose photos or videos are selected for distribution to Reuters clients will receive a payment. Mr. Ahearn said the company had not yet figured out how to structure those payments. The basic payment may be relatively small, but he said Reuters was likely to pay more to people offering exclusive rights to images of major events. For now, no money is changing hands between Yahoo and Reuters, but if Reuters is able to create a separate news service with the user-created material, it will split the revenue with Yahoo.
Before photographs or videos are used on the Yahoo site or distributed by Reuters, photo editors at Reuters will try to vet them to weed out fraudulent or retouched images.
This is an imperfect process. Last summer, a blogger discovered that photos of the conflict in Lebanon by a freelance photographer working for Reuters had been digitally altered. Reuters stopped using the photographer and withdrew his work from its archive. The company is now trying to develop software that will help detect altered photographs.
The arrangement with Yahoo is one of several initiatives by Reuters to use the Internet to bring new sources to its news report. It has invested $7 million in Pluck, a company that distributes content from blogs to newspapers and other traditional media outlets. It has also backed two more experimental ventures: NewAssignment.net, an effort to foster reporting that combines the work of professional journalists with input from online readers, and Global Voices, a collection of blogs from less-developed countries.
Yahoo has its own ambitious plans for the You Witness News service. The images received will be used on its sports and entertainment sites. Over time, it wants to expand to local news and high school sports. And it will consider allowing users to contribute articles as well as images. For now, both Yahoo and Reuters are concerned that they do not have the resources to edit and verify such articles.
“News has special constraints on content quality,” said Elizabeth Osder, a senior director for product development at Yahoo. “If we publish text, we want to review it.”
CNN, which is owned by Time Warner and introduced its I-Reports section for user-submitted material on its site in August (www.cnn.com/exchange/), accepts text, images and video. Some submissions are included in its news broadcasts.
“Even the best reporters in most cases are approaching the story from the outside in,” said Mitch Gelman, the executive producer of CNN.com. “What a participant observer can offer is the perspective on that story from the inside out. We feel as a news organization we need to provide both to offer full coverage to our audience.”
Yahoo and Reuters will have other competitors besides mainstream news organizations when it comes to attracting submissions. People with compelling video, for example, may want the instant gratification of putting it on YouTube, the giant video site owned by Google, or some other site.
“The average person witnesses something that is considered news once every 10 years,” said Steve Rosenbaum, who created MTV Unfiltered, one of the first viewer-contributed video programs on television. “When it’s time to put something on the Internet, they will put it in the place they have used before. The numbers tell us that is YouTube.”
Indeed, Yahoo has had some trouble attracting submissions for another high-profile initiative, an effort to solicit videos for a site created jointly with Current, the cable network started by former Vice President Al Gore. As of Friday, that site is no longer accepting new videos.
Moreover, said Mr. Rosenbaum, who now runs Magnify Media, which helps Web sites post video contributions, it might be difficult to get the right sort of submissions.
“If you are asking your audience to know what is a national news story of interest to the world, it seems to me there are only two results: whether you get flooded with lots of car fires, or you get nothing. Neither is a particularly good effect.”
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Lightning bolt throws photographer in the air
When the sky darkened and lightning began to flash, Kane Quinnell grabbed his new digital camera, hoping to snap some pictures of the approaching storm.
Not having a tripod, he balanced the camera on his car, parked under the carport of his then Old Toongabbie home, and aimed the lens southward.
• A spot in the sun
It never occurred to Mr Quinnell that his new hobby - photographing storms - could be dangerous.
"In the north you could see a few stars and it wasn't raining," he recalled.
"The storm looked like it was five to 10 kilometres to the south. I thought it was perfectly safe to be outdoors, taking photos."
After setting the camera for a four-second exposure he began shooting pictures, suspecting there was little chance of lightning flashing while the shutter was open.
"I hit the button … and there was nothing. I hit the button again … and nothing. On about the fourth attempt I hit the button again and I saw this lightning and heard the thunder.
"It was like a crack. The next thing I was about two metres in the air - it scared the hell out of me."
Mr Quinnell estimated the lightning struck about 20 metres away. "I think it hit the house behind me."
Unhurt, but buzzing with adrenaline, he rushed inside to check the photo on his computer.
"I was amazed. It was the first storm picture I had really taken."
He emailed the picture to friends and suspects one of them forwarded it to the Bureau of Meteorology, because it called to ask if the shot could be published with 11 other spectacular photographs in its 2006 weather calendar.
"Kane," said the bureau's Melissa Lyne, "risked his life to take the [calendar's] August photo of a lightning strike."
Mr Quinnell, an IT technician, said that as a small boy he was frightened by thunderstorms.
"I grew up and got over the fear factor and started to really enjoy the light shows," he said.
Now armed with a tripod, he hopes to continue with his new hobby.
"I am just waiting for some rain. There haven't been may storms lately."
Phil Gordon, a truck driver, farmer and visual artist from Newcastle, said the storm he photographed at Treachery Beach, near Seal Rocks, "was like a living thing".
Although it was sunset, the eastern sky glowed so brightly "it looked like the sun was rising".
He recalled taking 60 to 80 photographs before he and his son Ryan were forced to run for cover from the 40 knot winds and the rain that flooded their camping ground. Then, 10 to 15 minutes after the storm arrived, "it was gone".
The calendar, a not-for-profit bureau project, costs goes on sale today. See www.bom.gov.au/calendar for more details.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=407650&in_page_id=1770
Not having a tripod, he balanced the camera on his car, parked under the carport of his then Old Toongabbie home, and aimed the lens southward.
• A spot in the sun
It never occurred to Mr Quinnell that his new hobby - photographing storms - could be dangerous.
"In the north you could see a few stars and it wasn't raining," he recalled.
"The storm looked like it was five to 10 kilometres to the south. I thought it was perfectly safe to be outdoors, taking photos."
After setting the camera for a four-second exposure he began shooting pictures, suspecting there was little chance of lightning flashing while the shutter was open.
"I hit the button … and there was nothing. I hit the button again … and nothing. On about the fourth attempt I hit the button again and I saw this lightning and heard the thunder.
"It was like a crack. The next thing I was about two metres in the air - it scared the hell out of me."
Mr Quinnell estimated the lightning struck about 20 metres away. "I think it hit the house behind me."
Unhurt, but buzzing with adrenaline, he rushed inside to check the photo on his computer.
"I was amazed. It was the first storm picture I had really taken."
He emailed the picture to friends and suspects one of them forwarded it to the Bureau of Meteorology, because it called to ask if the shot could be published with 11 other spectacular photographs in its 2006 weather calendar.
"Kane," said the bureau's Melissa Lyne, "risked his life to take the [calendar's] August photo of a lightning strike."
Mr Quinnell, an IT technician, said that as a small boy he was frightened by thunderstorms.
"I grew up and got over the fear factor and started to really enjoy the light shows," he said.
Now armed with a tripod, he hopes to continue with his new hobby.
"I am just waiting for some rain. There haven't been may storms lately."
Phil Gordon, a truck driver, farmer and visual artist from Newcastle, said the storm he photographed at Treachery Beach, near Seal Rocks, "was like a living thing".
Although it was sunset, the eastern sky glowed so brightly "it looked like the sun was rising".
He recalled taking 60 to 80 photographs before he and his son Ryan were forced to run for cover from the 40 knot winds and the rain that flooded their camping ground. Then, 10 to 15 minutes after the storm arrived, "it was gone".
The calendar, a not-for-profit bureau project, costs goes on sale today. See www.bom.gov.au/calendar for more details.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=407650&in_page_id=1770
Friday, February 9, 2007
East Africa Photos-How Do They Depict These Countries?
East Africa is the easternmost region of the African continent which is variably defined by geography or geopolitics. "East Africa" usually refers to the countries of Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda, and sometimes Rwanda and Burundi. However "Eastern Africa", a scheme of geographic regions as designed by the United Nations, refers to nineteen territories throughout the eastern part of Africa. These include the following:
- Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda – also members of the East African Communities.
- Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia – commonly referred to as the Horn of Africa
- Mozambique and Madagascar – considered sometimes as part of Southern Africa
- Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe – sometimes included in Southern Africa and formerly of the Central African Federation
- Burundi and Rwanda – often considered part of Central Africa
- Comoros, Mauritius, and Seychelles – small island nations in the Indian Ocean
- Réunion and Mayotte – French overseas territories also in the Indian Ocean
Several countries which are variously considered to be part of East Africa or Eastern Africa' are also member states of the Southern African Development Community. These countries are Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Madagascar and Zambia. Geographically, Egypt and Sudan are sometimes included in this region.
Most of East Africa’s photography revolves around Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda. Within Africa there are seven distinct geographic regions. Kenya's regions make up two larger divisions of these. One of these regions consists of elevated lands forming the southwestern third of the country, the remaining two-thirds forming an arc of low plateaus and plains. Photographs illustrate the magnificent beauty of the land rising gradually westward from a narrow coastal plain in a series of plateaus, culminating in a highland area, bisected by the Great Rift Valley and including the country's highest point, Mount Kenya.
Images highlight the northern and northeastern regions of Tanzania to consist mainly of arid plains and are peopled by semi-nomadic pastoralists. The mainland of Tanzania boasts of distinct geographical divisions: the Coastal Plains, whose width varies from 16 to 64km and whose vegetation is luxuriant and tropical. For the most part photographers have continued to focus on the vast savannas that cover almost 50% of Tanzania's land.
Whilst on the other hand they prefer to present their international audience with pictures of Uganda’s health or lack thereof. Uganda's population is plagued by a large number of infectious diseases, including measles, pertussis, respiratory tract infections, anemia, tetanus, malaria, and tuberculosis. Photographers revel in presenting images of the victims of these diseases.
- Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda – also members of the East African Communities.
- Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somalia – commonly referred to as the Horn of Africa
- Mozambique and Madagascar – considered sometimes as part of Southern Africa
- Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe – sometimes included in Southern Africa and formerly of the Central African Federation
- Burundi and Rwanda – often considered part of Central Africa
- Comoros, Mauritius, and Seychelles – small island nations in the Indian Ocean
- Réunion and Mayotte – French overseas territories also in the Indian Ocean
Several countries which are variously considered to be part of East Africa or Eastern Africa' are also member states of the Southern African Development Community. These countries are Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Madagascar and Zambia. Geographically, Egypt and Sudan are sometimes included in this region.
Most of East Africa’s photography revolves around Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda. Within Africa there are seven distinct geographic regions. Kenya's regions make up two larger divisions of these. One of these regions consists of elevated lands forming the southwestern third of the country, the remaining two-thirds forming an arc of low plateaus and plains. Photographs illustrate the magnificent beauty of the land rising gradually westward from a narrow coastal plain in a series of plateaus, culminating in a highland area, bisected by the Great Rift Valley and including the country's highest point, Mount Kenya.
Images highlight the northern and northeastern regions of Tanzania to consist mainly of arid plains and are peopled by semi-nomadic pastoralists. The mainland of Tanzania boasts of distinct geographical divisions: the Coastal Plains, whose width varies from 16 to 64km and whose vegetation is luxuriant and tropical. For the most part photographers have continued to focus on the vast savannas that cover almost 50% of Tanzania's land.
Whilst on the other hand they prefer to present their international audience with pictures of Uganda’s health or lack thereof. Uganda's population is plagued by a large number of infectious diseases, including measles, pertussis, respiratory tract infections, anemia, tetanus, malaria, and tuberculosis. Photographers revel in presenting images of the victims of these diseases.
Digital Sports Photography - Top-Scoring Shots With Expert Coaching
A digital sports photography article would have been fairly brief as recently as a couple of years ago. In essence, it would have stated that digital cameras have unacceptable shutter lag, and cannot yet achieve the frame rates of their film cousins. End of story.
Well, that particular story has in fact ended. These days the focus is on digital cameras finally reaching the level of film cameras, and being widely used with great effect in digital sports photography. The aim nowadays is to point out the clear benefits offered by the digital route.
In fact, a number of excellent books have appeared on digital sports photography, confirming that this type of photography has finally become an acceptable mainstream digital activity.
In 'Digital Sports Photography', G. Newman Lowrance offers a wealth of information on the techniques and equipment you will need for successful digital sports photography - either as an aspiring professional, or taking shots at the local basketball game.
Lowrance has many years' experience of digital sports photography, and his pictures have been widely published in Official Super Bowl and Pro Bowl game magazines, NFL videos and calendars, NFL Insider Magazine, and elsewhere.
He doesn't hold back, and gives you a lot of information from some excellent sports photographers and editors. Issues such as color management, camera setup, and equipment options are covered. You will discover all the ins and outs of the unique techniques applied to shooting for baseball, football, basketball, ice hockey, soccer, and tennis.
Lowrance also uses his own experiences in digital sports photography, and gives true, autobiographical examples of how to get started and how to succeed as a professional.
His book features many eye-catching sports action photographs that will generate excitement and inspiration. The informative content will motivate you to become familiar with new aspects of the technology, stimulating a keen interest and involvement in this aspect of photography.
In short, 'Digital Sports Photography' will give you the help and guidance you need to make your photos stand out from the crowd!
Another book that illustrates how far digital sports photography has come, is 'Digital Sports Photography: Take Winning Shots Every Time', by Serge Timacheff and David Karlins.
This book helps you to take great shots by overcoming obstacles like rain and crowds, bad lighting, fast-moving athletes, flash limitations, and other challenges.
The authors give advice on how to shoot a wide range of sports: extreme, outdoor, indoor, competitive, recreational, and more. The book provides many full-color examples illustrating professional tips and techniques, and shows how to tackle skilled digital sports photography with any kind of digital camera, from point-and-shoot to SLR.
And the bottom line for many aspiring digital sports photographers is that this book will also teach you how to actually sell your images!
One of the advantages of digital sports photography highlighted, is that once you have the equipment, including enough batteries and memory cards, it doesn't cost anything to snap away at that baseball game...
Well, that particular story has in fact ended. These days the focus is on digital cameras finally reaching the level of film cameras, and being widely used with great effect in digital sports photography. The aim nowadays is to point out the clear benefits offered by the digital route.
In fact, a number of excellent books have appeared on digital sports photography, confirming that this type of photography has finally become an acceptable mainstream digital activity.
In 'Digital Sports Photography', G. Newman Lowrance offers a wealth of information on the techniques and equipment you will need for successful digital sports photography - either as an aspiring professional, or taking shots at the local basketball game.
Lowrance has many years' experience of digital sports photography, and his pictures have been widely published in Official Super Bowl and Pro Bowl game magazines, NFL videos and calendars, NFL Insider Magazine, and elsewhere.
He doesn't hold back, and gives you a lot of information from some excellent sports photographers and editors. Issues such as color management, camera setup, and equipment options are covered. You will discover all the ins and outs of the unique techniques applied to shooting for baseball, football, basketball, ice hockey, soccer, and tennis.
Lowrance also uses his own experiences in digital sports photography, and gives true, autobiographical examples of how to get started and how to succeed as a professional.
His book features many eye-catching sports action photographs that will generate excitement and inspiration. The informative content will motivate you to become familiar with new aspects of the technology, stimulating a keen interest and involvement in this aspect of photography.
In short, 'Digital Sports Photography' will give you the help and guidance you need to make your photos stand out from the crowd!
Another book that illustrates how far digital sports photography has come, is 'Digital Sports Photography: Take Winning Shots Every Time', by Serge Timacheff and David Karlins.
This book helps you to take great shots by overcoming obstacles like rain and crowds, bad lighting, fast-moving athletes, flash limitations, and other challenges.
The authors give advice on how to shoot a wide range of sports: extreme, outdoor, indoor, competitive, recreational, and more. The book provides many full-color examples illustrating professional tips and techniques, and shows how to tackle skilled digital sports photography with any kind of digital camera, from point-and-shoot to SLR.
And the bottom line for many aspiring digital sports photographers is that this book will also teach you how to actually sell your images!
One of the advantages of digital sports photography highlighted, is that once you have the equipment, including enough batteries and memory cards, it doesn't cost anything to snap away at that baseball game...
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