ET Photography blog #157.

by LEP Fri Sep 17th, 2010 at 09:27:17 AM EST

Greetings.

Today's entry marks the start of the fourth year for the ET Photo Blog. For the past several months postings to the photo blog have been quite sparse. In my own case I know why my postings have slackened; for the last year I've had health problems and haven't taken many photos. And I realize that the photo blog might appear a bit frivolous for these difficult economic times.

So I'm asking for the opinions of you dear readers and participants. Should we reduce the frequency of the photo blog, to perhaps once a month, or even consider suspending it for a period?

I'll stop talking now and introduce today's blog.

I found this view from the terrace of Le Cantalou (site of last Saturday's meet up) to be interesting.

Today we'll have Photos as Usual and Ask the Experts.

Happy posting.

ET Photography blog #157. | 37 comments (37 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

Photos as Usual (none / 0)

photos as usual

Hey, Grandma Moses started late!

by LEP on Fri Sep 17th, 2010 at 09:29:00 AM EST

Spanking brand new Paris bus on line 95. (4.00 / 5)

Taken on the way to Saturday's meet up.

Hey, Grandma Moses started late!

by LEP on Fri Sep 17th, 2010 at 09:33:41 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Still Life. (4.00 / 6)

Hey, Grandma Moses started late!

by LEP on Fri Sep 17th, 2010 at 09:40:43 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Neck breaker (none / 0)

If there ever was a place designed to break one's neck, that staircase would be it.

by Magnifico on Fri Sep 17th, 2010 at 01:46:27 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Neck breaker (none / 0)

There is a handrail on the left; you just don't see it in this photo.

Hey, Grandma Moses started late!

by LEP on Fri Sep 17th, 2010 at 03:03:45 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Photos as Usual (4.00 / 7)

On the Potomac River at Dusk

National Harbor, Maryland

New Woodrow Wilson Bridge connecting Virginia and Maryland.

"Cherry Blossom" stern wheeler river boat anchored in Alexandria, Virginia.

I can swear there ain't no heaven but I pray there ain't no hell. _ Blood Sweat & Tears

by Gringo (stargazing camel at aoldotcom) on Fri Sep 17th, 2010 at 11:22:10 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Photos as Usual (4.00 / 7)

Another strange artefact in the area of that building up there.

by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Fri Sep 17th, 2010 at 11:45:21 AM EST
[ Parent ]

September (4.00 / 4)

by Fran on Sat Sep 18th, 2010 at 03:08:02 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Photos as Usual (4.00 / 5)

by Fran on Sat Sep 18th, 2010 at 03:11:37 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Photos as Usual (none / 1)

Lovely town. Where is this?

Hey, Grandma Moses started late!

by LEP on Sat Sep 18th, 2010 at 03:48:28 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Photos as Usual (none / 1)

From the sign in the bottom-left corner, it must be somewhere in France. But the only one I can read says "Toutes directions" which doesn't help much.

by gk (gk (gk quattro due due sette @gmail.com)) on Sat Sep 18th, 2010 at 03:53:19 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Photos as Usual (4.00 / 5)

The first two pictures are taken in Plombières-les-Bains and the third one is in Luxeuil-les-Bains. If you look at the french wiki version you find more detailed information.

Both are spas as the area has lots of mineral springs. I used the spa in Plombières-les-Bains. Very interessting place - the spa is spread over different buildings which are connected by tunnels build by the Romans. From the Hamam you can even look into a hamam that was also build by the Romans, but is not used anymore.

There is also a public trinking fountain very you can go and trink the water.

by Fran on Sat Sep 18th, 2010 at 04:05:46 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Photos as Usual (none / 0)

You might be more familiar with two other places in that area - Vittel and Contrexéville.

by Fran on Sat Sep 18th, 2010 at 04:09:30 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Photos as Usual (4.00 / 5)

Since you're soliciting opinions LEP, I'll just give mine. I love the ET Photo blog. It's something I look forward to every week. It adds a glimpse into the lives of the people who hang here, and I find it really interesting.

by sgr2 on Sat Sep 18th, 2010 at 09:28:30 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Photos as Usual (4.00 / 2)

Thanks. I, and I'm sure In Wales, are most happy to hear that.

Hey, Grandma Moses started late!

by LEP on Sat Sep 18th, 2010 at 11:04:34 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Photos as Usual (4.00 / 4)

I totally agree! I love looking at the pics and appreciate the effort that goes into setting up the diary each week.

by ElaineinNM on Sat Sep 18th, 2010 at 11:29:28 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Photos as Usual (4.00 / 7)

I'm always so jealous of your European street scenes: sophisticated, colorful, interesting. We do 'hokey' here in small town New Mexico. Here's a few pics from the recent Labor Day parade.

Have to have the horse and wagon, followed by a few tractors!

And here's the Chamber of Commerce tossing out candy for the kids.

And the scrambling kids.

Not sure if you have these guys in Europe, but every parade in the States has the Masons on their trikes.

And of course the political statements!

by ElaineinNM on Sat Sep 18th, 2010 at 11:26:10 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Fr'instance (4.00 / 6)

from Lyon.

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Sat Sep 18th, 2010 at 11:39:20 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Fr'instance (4.00 / 5)

Hey, we have tractors in Bremen too! (though if you look carefully, with new technology they don't stay on the tracks.)

Though i mussay, our politix can be a bit strange.

Can't speak for Bremen, but i used to live in Remscheid, near the Neanderthal center, where we had Masons with 2-wheel trikes.

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin

by Crazy Horse on Sat Sep 18th, 2010 at 02:23:22 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Photos as Usual (none / 0)

Nice tractor! I learned to drive on a John Deere model BR...

by asdf on Sat Sep 18th, 2010 at 03:08:05 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Photos as Usual (none / 0)

i drove those barefoot.

old NDN phrase: "nothing runs like a Deere."

"Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one's courage." - Anaïs Nin

by Crazy Horse on Sat Sep 18th, 2010 at 03:27:59 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Ask the Experts (none / 0)

ask the experts

Hey, Grandma Moses started late!

by LEP on Fri Sep 17th, 2010 at 09:29:43 AM EST

Re: Ask the Experts (4.00 / 2)

My photography is now largely work related with little spare time to dig out photos for the blog. I should make more effort though.

The frequency and the timing of the photoblog could be changed. We tried themes before but it didn't stick for very long.

by In Wales (inwales aaat eurotrib.com) on Fri Sep 17th, 2010 at 09:55:41 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Ask the Experts (4.00 / 5)

Maybe we should talk more about the photos we've picked?

by In Wales (inwales aaat eurotrib.com) on Fri Sep 17th, 2010 at 09:58:53 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Explaining pictures (none / 1)

That would be good.

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Fri Sep 17th, 2010 at 12:04:46 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Ask the Experts (4.00 / 5)

I know it's very difficult for you, trying to make a living in photgraphy. You're very good, however, and with a little (or a lot) of luck you should make it. ;)

Hey, Grandma Moses started late!

by LEP on Fri Sep 17th, 2010 at 10:16:46 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Ask the Experts (none / 0)

My panasonic lumic has decided to cease working. anyone an expert who can advise on what to do or know somewhere i can seek some idea of whether it's worth repairing or junking ?

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Tue Sep 21st, 2010 at 04:28:31 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Ask the Experts (none / 0)

What has actually gone wrong with it? Did anything happen?

by In Wales (inwales aaat eurotrib.com) on Tue Sep 21st, 2010 at 04:30:51 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Ask the Experts (none / 0)

The screen works, but nothing else does. Can't take a photo, can't bring up any menus, can't operate the zoom, there isn't the normal screen info about battery, camera shake etc. And I also have a grid superimposed on the screen.

It's totally inoperable.

I've changed the batteries a couple of times, re-seated the memory card. Nothing.

The last time it worked was when I downloaded the paris photos onto the laptop.

thanks

keep to the Fen Causeway

by Helen (lareinagal at yahoo dot co dot uk) on Tue Sep 21st, 2010 at 04:40:06 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: ET Photography blog #157. (4.00 / 5)

I should (and do) feel guilty for not posting more often, being retired and all; however, believe it or not, retirement has not turned out to be the "time on your hands" situation one might expect.

Nevertheless, I do constantly look for opportunities for taking and posting photos and still enjoy the weekly photo blog.

I'm not sure a bimonthly would increase production/postings, but it's worth a try. One suggestion about themes would be to announce a theme at least a month in advance to give everyone a chance to give it some thought and start generating photos. That's the way Shutterbug magazine does their monthly theme section. Though they usually provide at least two or three months notice, their process is intended to be competitive.

We might also consider a little light competition here just to stimulate interest. At the end of each blog (cut it off say on Saturday or Sunday at a certain hour) then run a reader/viewer vote poll for best photo in the designated theme, etc.

I can swear there ain't no heaven but I pray there ain't no hell. _ Blood Sweat & Tears

by Gringo (stargazing camel at aoldotcom) on Fri Sep 17th, 2010 at 10:53:00 AM EST

Aix-en-Provence (4.00 / 11)

These were all taken on the Xperia X10 smart phone...

My favourite little bar at Le Place de Augustins.

The street of Happiness

The yard of the hotel Le Manoir - right slap in the centre of the old town. Decent prices too.

My daughter is studying at the ECV (school of visual communication) in Aix. The pun of the cafe name is unforgivable. It's a tough course she's doing and includes - brilliantly - life drawing. For me, life drawing is one of the best ways to study draughtsmanship: the coordination of brain, eye, gesture, and medium. Sadly it hardly exists any more at Finnish art schools.

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Fri Sep 17th, 2010 at 12:42:21 PM EST

Re: Aix-en-Provence (none / 0)

Nice shots!

by sgr2 on Fri Sep 17th, 2010 at 04:26:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Aix-en-Provence (4.00 / 2)

Nice quality for a phone camera.

I can swear there ain't no heaven but I pray there ain't no hell. _ Blood Sweat & Tears

by Gringo (stargazing camel at aoldotcom) on Fri Sep 17th, 2010 at 09:43:18 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Aix-en-Provence (none / 0)

It's a sketchbook camera. OK for documentation, but the pictures are not usable except in low-res media such as web. These pictures also required a bit of tweaking even for this use: a tad more contrast, a bit of colour correction and a final sharpening at destination size.

However, when tied to the phone's other capabilities - location information, dictation, bar code reading etc - the phone becomes a useful professional tool that is highly portable.

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Sat Sep 18th, 2010 at 02:58:53 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Aix-en-Provence (4.00 / 3)

You did a good job at tweaking!

I can swear there ain't no heaven but I pray there ain't no hell. _ Blood Sweat & Tears

by Gringo (stargazing camel at aoldotcom) on Sat Sep 18th, 2010 at 11:50:28 AM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Aix-en-Provence (none / 1)

Depending on the metering system for the original shot, and of course personal taste, I find a little bit more contrast, a little colour correction in the mid range when needed, and a minor sharpening look good on a web page.

You can't be me, I'm taken

by Sven Triloqvist on Sat Sep 18th, 2010 at 01:15:02 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Aix-en-Provence (none / 1)

Yes, I often do that even with my better camera/lens shots. Many really need it since I'm mostly shooting RAW anyway. A levels color adjustment in Photoshop alone (resetting both ends of the histogram for each component color) works wonders for color and the contrast and clarity slides in Adobe Camera RAW or adding a slight "S"to a curves layer for contrast in Photoshop also helps.

The only images that rarely need much sharpening for the web are those from the Foveon sensor (DP2 camera). They are tack sharp right out of the camera.

I can swear there ain't no heaven but I pray there ain't no hell. _ Blood Sweat & Tears

by Gringo (stargazing camel at aoldotcom) on Sat Sep 18th, 2010 at 10:56:49 PM EST
[ Parent ]

ET Photography blog #157. | 37 comments (37 topical, 0 editorial, 0 hidden)

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ET Photography blog #157.

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