AVERAGE COLOR SEEKER

If you are fashion challenged and can't match anything I found a program for you. Us males generally will put anything together without much concern. In design I have spent time just putting stuff together to see which one looks the best.

There is a program called Average Color Seeker that will do it for you in a snap. What color text will be the best? What color mat for the image? It will show you what goes with the photo.

Use this like the auto or the P section on your camera. It will give a starting point and a recommendation but it's up to you to decide on the creation of the piece.

Here are some screen shots and it can be downloaded as a free program here. I am running Vista home prem. and it is not an issue. Actually it will run from a flash drive and is stand alone.

CROSSLOOP - SIMPLE REMOTE HELP

This is the week for playing. The kids are out of school and they are playing and this gives me the chance to play too. I have been browsing and finding new technology that is available that I may be behind on.

One of the best finds was CrossLoop. It is a very simple, easy to install and easy to use program that will let us tech or program minded folks help out our family and friends who are not.

I know you can do the same thing with programs built into windows but if you are not comfortable (like the ones your helping) it can be a huge task to navigate and understand. Crossloop handles all of this in a very easy to understand way with simple buttons, interface and connections. Best of all it is secure.

For those who do not have a tech friend you can hire one from their website. All of this is done with a secure code for each session, be it personal or paid. Tat means you can disconnect at anytime. High speed is recommended on both sides.

The website is CrossLoop. You can download it there as well as find help. I would recommend though to have them download it from the snapfiles site it is easier on the eyes and not too busy.

STILL PLAYING WITH SPROUT

I wanted a project to work on so just for fun I pulled this image of the cyrus's from the net and put a small clip of the song with it. For the text I wanted to use with it I had to use Photoshop and save it as a PNG file. But, it worked really well. I forgot to mention that you should use 300dpi when creating your text to keep it smooth. The bottom bar was built completely with sprout using colors and effects like bevel and glow which gave it an inset look. I put a link for Target stores on the second one directly to Miley's latest album.

I am very impressed with the sprout program so far. I still have not built a complete website from it but I may give that a try too. There is somethings in the works for the Nash Farm Site, educational wise and this may be a very cool way to handle it. I'll keep you posted.



One other piece of advise - your changes are auto saved so if you want 2 different designs you must do 2 sprouts.

testing something else hold on

Something else I wanted to try. I started with Picasa added a template, exported to html. iframed it with sitespinner (my program of chioce) and striped the code. Embeded it here and it worked.

Can't get my name on the black though.



I fixed it with a black background and about a million tries but at least I understand it now and it was frustrating and fun to learn. What a way to spend the weekend. At least it was for educational purposes.

A NEW TOY THATS FREE - SPROUT

I found this little program while browsing the other day. Wanting to put a little flash onto the site I was searching for an easy solution, I found Sprout. The photo is mine, the video is a random video off youtube just to see if it would work. This is a pretty flexible program and the custom creation is a point I like.

Yes this one looks a little stupid and I know it, but this was a test after all. Go on over it's free to play with and you can go "pro" as well. Which I assume you don't have the share button on the bottom. Not sure yet but I will keep playing. Until then what a way to jazz up your site or blog!

You can custom create any size you want so I assume you can build a complete website here. Every object is linkable. The only one I have in this one is to my site, just click on my little head above the music bar.




The only thing I wish is that it handled i-frames as well so I could incorporate things like the tiltviewer above. It just may though, I'll keep playing and see if I can post some questions.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE

Hope you all have a great day!

CUSTOM ART PRINTS AND MATS

Tis the season and those one of a kind gifts abound. I was recently asked about help with a custom mat and how to do the images for it to make it work. Others he asked gave a wide verity of answers and none were wrong but some would be difficult at least to me. On something like this old fashion scissors and tape would be my weapon of the day. Anyway I made this video to show cropping for custom prints and thought I would share it here as well.

Be warned first I went through 4 mics before finding one that worked properly (Newton again) and the audio on this one is not great and I would recommend that you should turn your volume down before viewing and then bring it up to a comfortable level.



Click here to view the video.

I HAVE BEEN WRITING! WANT TO READ IT?

I have a story to tell and for the first time I'm trying my hand at writing.

What is it about?

Well, its about Elise Cantrell. Her hearts desire is to be a sword master and warrior. Her father thinks she should be a girl and serve her family in the usual ways of womanhood. That is until that pesky magic starts. Now shunned by the community as a witch can she continue with her dreams?

It is a fantasy novel. If you are interested in a read and willing to give me some feed back, I would be honored. Just leave me an email address or you can email me at andergraph@bellsouth.net.

I will finish about a chapter a week and it will be somewhere in the neighborhood of 3,000 words per chapter. I am not looking for editing just merely flow and content feedback. So, very little work on your part.

After it is complete I will record it as a podcast novel to get things going.

IT IS ON THE WAY! - RANGERS APPRENTICE #8 - THE KINGS OF CLONMEL

First if you like a good story let me recommend Our History Project website and podcast. Real adventures of the little known sagas of American History- Action, Drama, War, sports and more. It is a great site with some fantastic stories.

Now!

The eighth book in the Rangers Apprentice Series by John Flanagan was published November third and after some delay (not sure why) is now on its way to my waiting hands.

Right now in the United States we are on book #4 so if you want more of the series you need to order from Australia, which is adventure in its self. Expect the delivery to be somewhere around four weeks and by the way don't even bother with Amazon.au they don't have it and is not really in the country.

This is a series that follows a young lad named Will, his training and adventures while growing up in the Ranger Corps. I would really spoil it to give you the entire run down of the series. Let me just say read it. You will not be disappointed. It is a story for the ages, truly. I am enjoying reading with my kids these adventures and my 10 year old has already re-read the series multiple times. She is trying hard to finish them again before the new one gets here. Which means every day we have a battle of wills, me saying - When is going to get here? and her - "It didn't come today did it?

The nice things about these books are that they are (books 1-4) available by most Libraries as a free download audio books through NetLibrary. If you want to discuss this book or others you can head over to the Rangers Apprentice Forum. There are currently 2 websites that I know of for the Rangers Apprentice Books - one is the .com site - http://www.rangersapprentice.com/ and the other is the Australian version of the .com - http://www.rangersapprentice.com.au/index.asp where you can play games, do puzzles and get downloads.

Needless to say I recommend the books and if you have not picked them up, do! They are that good.

To see the very cool and updated cover art see my new post at http://wcandersonreviews.blogspot.com/2010/09/rangers-apprentice-by-john-flanagan-new.html

BOOK REVIEW - THE YOUNGEST TEMPLAR - KEEPER OF THE GRAIL

The new book by Michael P. Spradlin, "THE YOUNGEST TEMPLAR - KEEPER OF THE GRAIL" is a story of Tristan, who was not only an orphan but also now a squire to the Templar Order.



The book is fairly fast paced and intriguing with enough twists to keep you interested. It is written somewhere between first and third person. I generally loath the first person written style and usually can not make it through one without giving up. However, while this is written in a first person fashion it flows very well and will drag you into the story easily. Many writers could take lessons from Spradlin on this style.

The history of the Templar's was well researched and the book contains a nice supply of history to accompany the story. Michael P. Spradlin did a great job with this book and it is the first of his stories that I have read. Which begs me to think I will check out his other writing as well.

Highly recommended - pre-teen to teen for the most part, but anyone with knowledge or is fascinated by this period of time will like the story.

RENAISSANCE MAN

It is not widely known but I have a story to tell and I am giving it a go in writing my first book. Who knows where it will go, but I will finish it. My oldest daughter and I read together before bed sometimes and it has been a treat to share with her my imaginary world.

After I'm done with it I would like to get other opinions and one form is to make an Internet audio book. I have been searching for the right tune to accompany the beginnings and chapter breaks and I think I have stumbled quite literally on a genre I really knew nothing about. But, I like it - are you ready for this Victorian or Classical Guitar. The style ranges from Circa 1400's - early 1920's I understand.

After hearing a few samples I searched the world wide web to see what was out there and there turns out to be not much in the way of listening. However I did run across one site that's intitled "Early Music" by Jon Sayles.

He has quite a bit to sample on this page and to me it is completely different than anything I have listened to. So expand your horizions and give it a listen. You may be suprised.

RE-DISTRUBUTION OF WEALTH

I found this one on a forum from "Candy" (user name) and had to post it. It was too good not to. I think I will give it a try the next time I am out and about. Why not try it for yourself I bet it will leave a lasting impact.

I can't wait.

-----------------------------------

"Now I understand what they mean.... I need to remember this.

Subject: Redistribution of wealth

Today on my way to lunch I passed a homeless guy with a sign that read
"Vote Obama, I need the money." I laughed.

Once in the restaurant my server had on a "Obama 08" tie, again I
laughed as he had given away his political preference--just imagine the
coincidence.

When the bill came I decided not to tip the server and explained to him
that I was exploring the Obama redistribution of wealth concept. He
stood there in disbelief while I told him that I was going to
redistribute his tip to someone who I deemed more in need--the homeless
guy outside. The server angrily stormed from my sight.

I went outside, gave the homeless guy $5 and told him to thank the
server inside as I've decided he could use the money more. The homeless
guy was grateful.

At the end of my rather unscientific redistribution experiment I
realized the homeless guy was grateful for the money he did not earn,
but the waiter was pretty angry that I gave away the money he did earn,
even though the actual recipient needed the money more.

I guess redistribution of wealth is an easier thing to swallow in
concept than in practical application."

-----------------------------------------------

BTW if you get a chance to download Hannity's last hour from Friday do it. It was only Obama supporters and they were asked to say why they supported him. It may be painful to listen to not only the comments but to Hannity. Wow, what a listen it was though. Sorry I am one of those people that really do not like to listen to him. He is as hard and un-wavering on the Republican side as Air America is for the Democrats’. I want some balanced debate because both sides can benefit from the ideas of one another. That is, if they will stop towing the party line and use common sense for a change. However, most are just too concerned with themselves and their pandering constituents than what would be good for the country as a whole.

As far as this election goes we have Ultra Liberal, Liberal, and just plain nuts. There I think that sums up the entire ticket. This is truly a best of the worst campaign. I fear we may never see the Moderate Democrats like Zell Miller or the Conservatives like Ronald Reagan for a long time to come if ever.

Just side note: Have you ever read Thomas Pain's "Common Sense" or how about Poor Richard's (Ben Franklin) wisdom on Hints for those that would be Rich. How about anything that our founding fathers put to paper. The internet is a great tool if you will use it.

HOW DO YOU LOOK?

When dealing with images it is critical that your monitor be calibrated and balanced to see the image in its true light. Many times people are viewing and processing images on an old or non-calibrated monitor and wonder why their pictures do not look right or comes back from the lab with weird colors.

Example: I was setting a layout for a client (who owns a printshop) and he wanted me to set a job from a scan he did. The background on this one was a pattern with red and had photos in the panels. He wanted me to change the text only. When I pulled it up on my system I immediately saw that the background was pink not red. The background had a very intricate pattern and I advise him to him to redo the job from scratch and let me build it up to match the original. He said no because of the money and time. I think his quote was, “I scanned it myself so I know it’s right.”

Two days later he was running the job and I get a call. “There’s a problem with the job.” He said. “it’s coming out pink.”

I’m thinking to myself, “DUH”. I reminded him of our conversation.

“How can we fix this?” I repeated the conversation.

It is a necessary evil that monitor calibration needs to be done. There is also a number of ways to do it and while some will cost you an arm and leg, I found a few online charts that will do the job for most people. I take no credit for these as they belong to others and I have linked accordingly. Click on the links below them and it will take you to their site or article that will give you full descriptions and how to’s.

This first one comes from an artical by Giovanni a member at photosig. I do not have a website for him but I will try and find one.The link for this artical is http://www.photosig.com/articles/1562/article



The next one is from photofriday, the direct link can be found at http://www.photofriday.com/calibrate.php

HISTORY IN HD

If you like old, antique or nostalgia have I got a site for you. It is called Shorpy, History In HD. It claims to be the site of the 100 year old photographs. In truth most are not quite that old but there is a great sampling of Americas past ranging from about every subject; e.g. Dust Bowl Days, Cars, Tractors, Store Fronts, Gas Stations; just about anything can be found here ranging from the 1860’s thru mainly the 1930’s with older and younger photos thrown in from time to time. I like to view the photos by Lewis Hines who covered the plight of the children workers throughout the country.

It is kind of funny that when my kids start complaining about school, homework and the like, I say, “Your right. Let’s see if I can find you a job.” I hit the Shorpy site and bring up photos of various jobs they may enjoy. I like to watch their face get all screwed up when they tell me that they are too little to work and I find a 5 or 6 year old selling papers for 25 cents a day. “Nope, look here’s a kids’ smaller than you. See!” That usually stops the conversation and they go on about their business of doing what they were supposed to be doing to begin with.

This is truly a fascinating place, but I will warn you. You can get lost in time and spend countless hours there. As of this writing there are 605 pages of photos. All of them can be made supersized by clicking the link under the photo (do it) the detail is unbeliveable. Shorpy has a huge following all ready but if you have never been there it is truly a treat. You can also order any print you see on the site.

I FOUND IT.......AGIAN

I need to share a secret with you. I am a cartography junkie. There I admitted it. I revel in pleasure when it comes to history or maps and could sit for hours on end. I ran across a copy of the 1914 Soil Survey of DeKalb County Georgia today and studied it for a good while. After looking at it all; the landmarks and streets that came to mind and all the memories that they held. I suddenly realized what I was looking at was not just a map, I was looking at my family’s life.


Click on the image for a full size view

Like many families we all came from somewhere and for ours, or for at least 4 or 5 generations, this was home. I doubt very seriously that many of them left this section of the map in their entire life. Scottdale, Georgia was a Mill Town or Mill Village as we called it. Everyone living in or around the mill made their living either working in, around or in support of the Mill. It had its own store, barber, post office, doctors and anything else that was needed. It remained that way for about 65-70 years. Part of our family was still there until the mid 90’s. Retired, but still there.

My immediate family left the village but we did not move off the map until the mid 70’s.Myself being around 9 and my brother being around 15 years old at the time. So what you are looking at is about 1/4th of my life. And what a different world it was. Everyone and I mean everyone knew everybody else. This was a good and bad thing especially when you’re a kid.

That translates to: You were pretty safe no matter where you went and the world mostly revolved around a single baseball field, hundreds of holes, ditches, culverts and anything else you could climb on or in. The down side was if you did get into trouble; which if you are true kid was at least once a day; you could count on more than one spanking. Usually by whoever caught you and then again when you got home. That is if some grown up who hadn’t taken out his or her frustration didn’t see you coming and decide to vent. Hey, you were a kid after all, you had to have done something wrong today right?

Truly though it was a special place and for those of us over 40 a better place because you had and knew what a community was. I am truly lucky because today we live in a more upscale neighborhood; about an hour south; with all the amenities but where we live it is a community once more. Neighbors actually do things with each other. Our kids’ play all the time and travel from house to house and as usual, get in trouble sometimes. Everyone watches out for everyone else, it’s just like the extended family.

Since being married we have moved a couple of times and had some great neighbors but nothing on the scale which we now have. We found a community once more. I think I’ll stay. But it was sure nice to have a look back.

HOW I GOT THE SHOT 3 FOR 1

I missed last month of "How I Got The Shot" so this month I'll throw in a 3 for 1.

I have been trying to show examples of easy shots with very little equipment that anyone can do. Here is a set of different shots with basically the same principle and setup with slightly different settings. All where metered prior to shooting and then adjusted for the look I wanted. Remember a light meter as well as your Auto and P mode will all give you a starting point for your creation. Find that starting point and then adjust the shutter and f stop to see what happens.



On this one I put the light beside me about 10-12 feet from the model and I had my assistant hold the reflector about waist level next to her. That blended the light and took out the shadows.



This one was shot pretty much the same way except I used a larger panel and angled it so it would mix the natural and strobe lights. This not only lit her well but kept the backgound nice and saturated.




This last on was shot with a reflector only that was about 10-15 feet away. I used the silver/gold side because of the distance and it also helped smooth her skin tone out to bring out her eyes.

BUY! BUY! BUY!

In the events over the recent slide and panic over the Wall Street’s slide we can look at it as a failure and pull our money out or we can recognize this as a sale and buy. Is it at the bottom? Who can tell I don’t think so. However if you or your kids have a little money set aside in an account somewhere, now would be a good time to invest in a mutual, index fund or a stock of choice.

Now you noticed I said good time not a great time. The low we hit in the economy was at the lowest since 2005. That’s right 2005, …so. It is a sale but not a bargain. The economy will bounce around for a while but it will recover without question.

Look at it in this since. We are at war, there has been - no rationing, stamps, rubber, metal or tin drives or other life changing factors that has drove the fact into our daily lives. In fact sadly, if it was not in the news every night most Americans would not even know that the war was in existence.

Contrary to popular and media beliefs we have yet to be in a recession look up the definition if you have doubts. While company after company is going under and jobs are being lost make no mistake it is bad, fueled even worse by the panic that is caused by the TV coverage. Jobs are hard to find, money is hard to get and credit is where it should be (given to people that can actually qualify and pay back loans).

That said with a lagging market and a wally-world sale of the countries stocks I found myself looking in all the nooks and crannies to find something to invest. Too bad for me, I didn’t find any. Like most we are strapped too and had nothing to pull from. Then one day over the weekend it struck me.

“How much do the kids have?”

After looking into their savings I found some. Not a lot mind you but some. So, today they are proud owners of a new mutual fund.

They were not excited. They didn’t even know they had money. Frankly, I don’t think they care one way or the other. Isn't that what being a kid is suposed to be.

I can understand that. I grew up in a single parent household until I was 9 or 10. My grandmother took care of us and my mother worked 3 jobs and was still behind most of the time. Did I know? No. I had no idea that we were poor or down on our luck.

To me, my world revolved over a certain set of streets and friends. The days outside playing, getting dirty and bloody was all we cared about. I would think most of the families in the neighborhood were in the same boat, but us kids had not a clue. It all seemed right with the world to us.

Teach them, love them, show them and spend time with them. You can stress the importance of right decisions more with actions followed up with words and explanations. I does not however, work so good the other way around.

SPOOKY SOUTHCOAST RADIO 09-27-08

If your looking for the new episode of Spooky Southcoast Radio I have move all the ones I have cut over to http://spookysouthcoast.blogspot.com/ and you can find it, and all future ones that I cut there.

GREAT SHOTS WITH BAD LIGHTING AND KEEPING THE ACTION

I have done a tutorial about layer blends before and the one in the demo there is not a great difference in the before and after. Here is one that is. At a high school game with the worst lights I have ever seen on one end of the field I took the following picture. Now keep in mind that this was set to ISO 1250 on a 40D with a f/2.o 135 prime and it was at f/2. I wanted to keep the action so I set the Shutter Speed to 500. The first is the original shot.

When I brought it into photoshop I did a duplicate layer and with the levels brightened it until everything was seen clearly>ok> I then went to the layer pallet and chose blending options from the drop down menu>general blending was set to 97>Advanced blending was set to 78 and the final result was the second photo.

I captured a larger image with a screen capture software so it is a little off but I wanted you to see clearly and going though PS would have made it to large. So don't give up on those dark images and use your SS to stop the action.

SHADOWMAGIC!!! IT'S HERE, IT'S HERE

Let me introduce you to John Lenahan. Here he is with his novel "Shadowmagic".



The once, and still, podiobook - Shadowmagic is a story that I fell in love with a couple of years back and I personally have been promoting it myself to anyone that would listen. If you are a SCI-FI and Fantasy Fan this is a must hear and now you can read it as well. The first printing has just hit the shelf in the UK. A limited edition of 1000, and the complete printing will be out soon. But probably not in the US for some time.

It has been a long wait for us fans and I'm glad its here. I have always said that "I will read quite a bit of books each year but there is just a select few that will make it to stay on my self as keepers". Shadowmagic ranks right there at the top. It is so good in fact that I ordered it without hesitation.

Let me offer you a synopsis from John's blog:

“Hi, my name is Conor. Other than my father being a bit of an eccentric lunatic, my life was pretty normal until I got attacked in my living room and whisked away to Tir na Nog, the mystical land of the ancient Celts, where it turns out Dad is the usurped heir to the throne and everybody wants me dead because of some prophecy. Don’t you just hate when that happens?”

Shadowmagic is a rip roaring fun fantasy adventure novel by John Lenahan very loosely based on Irish mythology where every chapter ends on the edge of a cliff (or at least a high curb.) Join Conor as he grapples with typical teenage problems like, how to deal with a father’s high expectations, how to survive in the world on your own and how to woo a beautiful girl - that wants you dead. Shadowmagic a podcast novel for young adults from 12 to 112."

What I really enjoyed about this novel is that it is pretty clean (only a hand full of minor words spread though out the book, which by the way is a snap to leave out while reading the book with little ones around) and I was able to enjoy it with my daughter on audio from podiobooks.com and now we can enjoy the read together as well. We try for one chapter a night which usually turns to 2 or 3 before its over. The story was told in a cliff hanger style that always left you wanting more.

I am looking forward to the quality time this will bring once more to our family and a few giggles as well. I told my daughter that she would have do do the flute music in between chapters and breaks. Listen to at least one chapter to see what I mean.

Visit John's site and give it a listen. You will not be disappointed I promise.

SPOOKY SOUTHCOAST RADIO 9-20-08

Keeping up with the virtual off site achieve.

Show notes from spookysouthcoast.com:

9-20-08 - It's UFO Abductions: Then and Now on tonight's show. First, we'll talk with Kathleen Marden, niece of Betty and Barney Hill and co-author (along with Stan Friedman) of "Captured! The UFO Experience," about what is widely considered the first major UFO abduction case. Then, we'll talk about current cases with renowned researcher and author Dr. David Jacobs.

38.4MB - 1:36 In Length

Right click and "Save Target"

Download the show

JOE BIDEN - PAYING MORE TAXES IS THE PATROTIC THING TO DO

I found this today on Yahoo News:

Biden: Paying higher taxes patriotic for wealthy
By DOUGLASS K. DANIEL, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden said Thursday that paying more in taxes is the patriotic thing to do for wealthier Americans. In a new TV ad that repeats widely debunked claims about the Democratic tax plan, the Republican campaign calls Obama's tax increases "painful."

Under the economic plan proposed by Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, people earning more than $250,000 a year would pay more in taxes while those earning less — the vast majority of American taxpayers — would receive a tax cut.

Although Republican John McCain claims that Obama would raise taxes, the independent Tax Policy Center and other groups conclude that four out of five U.S. households would receive tax cuts under Obama's proposals.

"We want to take money and put it back in the pocket of middle-class people," Biden said in an interview on ABC's "Good Morning America."

Noting that wealthier Americans would indeed pay more, Biden said: "It's time to be patriotic ... time to jump in, time to be part of the deal, time to help get America out of the rut."

McCain released a television ad Thursday charging that Obama would increase the size of the federal government amid an economic crisis. Contending that "a big government casts a big shadow on us all," the ad features the image of a shadow slowly covering a sleeping baby as a narrator misstates the reach of the Obama tax proposal.

"Obama and his liberal congressional allies want a massive government, billions in spending increases, wasteful pork," the ad says. "And we would pay — painful income taxes, skyrocketing taxes on life savings, electricity and home heating oil. Can your family afford that?"

The McCain campaign said the ad is set to run nationally.
______________________________________________________


If you would like a patriotic thing to do how about a donation of every person in every house hold donating a dollar or ten for each person in the family. Set up a tithe have fund raisers or something to that effect. That would be patriotic. This is a disciplinary action for those with drive and motivation.

If you really want to do something for this country support and vote in the Fair Tax. If you have not read it – pick up a copy and do so. Just think that not only would you get your entire paycheck each week, 2 weeks or monthly, each home would get a prebate check to average $480 a month to cover basic necessities. It would eliminate the tax loop holes for everyone and put a wealth of cash back into the failing economy.

Just think it would also be the first time in our history where tourist from all over the world would pay into and support our Social Security. Now that would make an impact.

Neither candidate is in the position to support what would benefit this country. Regardless who wins it will be more of the same because of their own agenda or a congress who benefits from lobbyist to continue the same.

I see tv commercials that have people yelling “it’s my money and I want it now.”
Wrong it’s our money and 70% of us pay nothing at the end of the year. Want to do something patriotic – get a job, fend for yourself, stop waiting for everyone else to save you, give back there are countless places you can make a difference but it is up to you.

SPOOKY SOUTHCOAST RADIO - JEFF BELANGER AND GRANT GRANT CAMERON

I did not want you to miss this show. I am in no way trying to push in, take over or take credit for any part of their show. I am not in anyway involved in the show. I am a fan, and since their archive is not up to date I thought I would make it available here for you to download. The guys do such a good job with it and as we all know sometimes time is short. I am testing new audio software for some upcoming interviews with Southern Sports Week.com so what better way to test it out than with an actual project.

So here it is from their discription on the website www.spookysouthcoast.com

9.13.08: We're talking paranormal and the presidency as we're joined by Jeff Belanger, author of the forthcoming book "Who is Haunting the White House?" and owner of Ghostvillage.com to talk about the ghostly goings-on at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, and then we'll be joined by Grant Cameron, who will discuss with us how much the presidents have known about UFOs and the impact they've had on U.S. history.

The download is here.

Right click and "save target as.." to download.

CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS

Quote from Yahoo Sports:

"Cyclists want apology from USOC over mask flap
By TIM REYNOLDS, AP Sports Writer
Sep 5, 8:53 pm EDT

The four American cyclists who arrived for last month’s Beijing Games wearing black masks and were subsequently ordered to apologize for offending the host nation are seeking an apology from the U.S. Olympic Committee.

In a letter sent to the leadership group of the Athletes Advisory Council, an attorney for the four cyclists—Michael Friedman, Sarah Hammer, Bobby Lea and Jennie Reed—not only asked the USOC to apologize, but said the flap was “emotionally devastating” and adversely affected their performances at the Beijing Games, where none of them medaled and only Hammer managed a top-five finish.

The athletes were provided the masks before the Olympics by the USOC because of ongoing air-pollution concerns in Beijing.

“No athlete who has trained for years to become an Olympic athlete should be subject to such disrespect,” wrote their attorney, Christopher Campbell. “It was their first Olympic Games. They should have been in a supportive environment so that they could enjoy their Olympic experience and perform at peak levels. The false accusations, done in such a public fashion, was humiliating and emotionally devastating. It affected the Athletes’ performance.”

The athletes also want “an unequivocal statement from the USOC that they did not engage in any inappropriate conduct” and “systemic assurance that something like this does not happen to future Olympic athletes.”

The USOC did not comment Friday on whether they had received the letter.

Hammer and Reed were among USA Cycling’s top medal hopefuls entering the games, yet both struggled in Beijing.

Hammer, a two-time world champion, was fifth in the individual pursuit, and Reed finished eighth in the sprint after coming down with a flu-like illness during the Olympics. Lea led the men’s points race before dropping out of the event, citing fatigue, and he and Friedman combined to finish last in the 16-team madison race.

After that race, Friedman had harsh words for the USOC, saying he felt betrayed and insisting that he should have been allowed to wear the masks— because they were distributed by the USOC. More than 200 of the masks were distributed, but only a handful of American athletes publicly revealed wearing theirs at any time in Beijing.

“It is unfortunate that those that are supposed to support the athletes in their Olympic dreams were so quick to look out for their own interests,” said Andy Sparks, Hammer’s personal coach and fiancee, who also served as USA Cycling’s track coach for the Beijing Games."
____________________________________________

Now Let's think about this for a moment. How many medals did the US win in these games? If I'm not mistaken we had more than any other country. This story and demand goes straight to the top in the give me a break category. And, by the way I don't think we as a country would even let people who clearly are not from " 'round here" go walking around with masks in this post 9-11 environment much less getting off a plane. OK, the athletes were embarrassed for not getting the memo that meant- hey that looks stupid so don't put it on, or it is offensive (God, I hate that word)to the country we are going to. I personally would have just assumed this. Especially going to a communistic country where it is legal if they desire to shoot you on the spot for anything they wish. Maybe its just me.

Maybe another question needs to be asked and mind you it is just a question, but -Could it be that this is just a tantrum attributed by poor performance? or Really? How many other athletes did this effect not counting the 90 or so medalist?

Who knows, it is the American way to blame someone else. Our lobbyist and politicians have taught us that. Heaven forbid that someone is held accountable for their own demise.

SPOOKY SOUTHCOAST RADIO

Step into the paranormal with one of my favorite shows Spooky Southcoast. Hosted by Tim Weisberg, Matt Costa and Matt Moniz. It is a freshley well done show with a very hometown appeal. They cover everything paranormal and broadcasts out of AM 1420 in Southeastern Mass.


Spooky Southcoast Radio show 8-30-08 can be found Here.

Right click and "Save Target As". File is 35.5MB 1:41 long

HOW I GOT THE SHOT

I love the look of a softbox, don't you. Any one can do it and it looks great for males and females alike. This was done with a 2 light system but it can be modified for 1 light and softbox. You will need to replace the white v-cards with a silver bounce panel.

I placed the subject about 6-8 feet infront of the blackout cloth to make sure I do not have any light spills because of the v-card panels. Oh by the way, I am using the term v-card panels for the bounce panels because everyone knows what they are. What I really used was a couple of $1 cardboard presentation boards made by Elmer Glue. They really work pretty good and if you lose one no problems I got a case of them around here somewhere.

Anyway, after placing the subject where I wanted him, I metered the shot that I want. I was shooting ISO 100 and the metere said I should go for 1/250 at f/10. Because of his complection I opened up a little and started at 1/125. I had a medium softbox pointed directly 90 degrees to the side.

For the second light here I put up 2 v-card panels diectly to his other side that could wrap around him from front side to back side. For this one I aimed the small strobe directly at the board instead of him. This would pick up some soft spill wrap around light that would create the mood I was looking for here.

Here is the lighting diagram I used for this one.



Play around with this set up. You will be amazed at the range you can get from it. Turn the small light toward him to create the butterfly lighting effect. Turn off the small light and get that mean, don't mess with me look.

MODIFYING LIGHTS WITH UMBRELLAS

Modifying lights are fun. It takes very little to change the mood of a scene by adding or taking away umbrella’s, reflectors, white panels or any number of things you can get your hands on.

Take this shot below. Each shot was taken f/10, 1/125 at ISO 100.



The first was taken with one light with the silver dish that came with the unit. As it should, it comes across as a wide spot; throwing dramatic shadows. This can be used to show a number of things but I mainly think about evil, sadistic, terror or meanness. This lighting technique really requires the subject not to smile because of the shadows it cuts, throws or creates. It closes down the rear lighting for that extra touch. If I were to shoot a burglar outside before he breaks into your house this is the light I would choose to cast the character.

However, this could also be a good use to outline the body. Showing the curves of women or muscles of a man highlighting the form. The light will cut in and allow you to paint with it to really create a piece of beauty and art. if your going to do this please use a solid background.

Let’s add a second light in #2 (middle). The same settings were used, just metered for the two instead of one. Now lets look at this one. It has a more friendly lightings but still hard. Notice both shadows on each side of the nose. It does though still give texture to the image by hiding the folds and the curves. The same metered light is given to this shot but even the background has picked up some light to give it a snapshot look.

For the last shot, the lights did not change an inch, not one thing on the settings. What we did is put on a 60 inch umbrella for each (2) head. Look at how much more the spread of the light is compared to the second one. We can see everything behind me easily even the photos on the mantel looked metered right. It gave me more depth and a longer range into the image. This light would be good for almost any type of portraiture and will give you a large enough spread to capture the backgrounds a make them apart of the image. It works well for the backdrop portraits because it cuts down on the shadows and delivers a good even light. It will also work on things like weddings, clubs and social events where you want to get the location in it as well.

Play around with it and see what you can get, keeping the setting the same.

THIS CRACKED ME UP

I found this clip while browsing today. It made me laugh and thought that you may enjoy it. It is not for the kids and not for the workplace. So email yourself to check it at home. It is a complete satire on being a professional photographer.



Enjoy

HOW TO RESIZE AND CROP FOR THE SHOT YOU WANT

Original Image and Finished 8 x 10


From time to time I have been asked about this process. Also when I sell a CD from a photo shoot the images are often un edited for size. The process is an easy one but if you are not familiar with Photoshop or photo editing software it can be overwhelming. For this reason I put together a tutorial on how it is done (about 7 minutes long).

This video was done in Photoshop CS2 however any editing software that supports layers can do the same thing. The free programs that are available like Paint.net, Photofiltre and Gimp can all do the job but will have some limitations on controls. Others such as Photoshop Essentials, Lightroom, Painter etc. will be paid license programs but will generally have more control.

For a larger view you can find the Tutorial that will load in your browser at http://wcandersons.com/ButterflyTest.swf . It will take about 30 seconds to load the first time or if you clear your cache after every session each time providing you are using more than Dail-up, but it is larger and you can view it comfortably.



For more visual samples and text describing the process as well as some other tidbits of information on finishing a photo you can go to my CD Information page about Crop Factor at http://wcandersons.com/Crop%20Factor.html. The right grey panel will open to a full size when clicked on.

The video was made with BB Flashback Express. A great write up on ScreenCasting software can be found at DonationCoder.com. If you sign up and donate any amount to the site you get BB Flashback Express for less than $20 (save 50). This is a good buy for a really nice piecs of software. It is not strong enough to capture full length video such as TV or Movies to transfer to your hand held toys or desktop. For that I use ScreenVirtuoso Pro, which is an awsome software but to bulky (file size vs compression) for tutorial use.

HOW I GOT THE SHOT

This is one of the easiest shots to produce and it is also one that can create a very dramatic effect.

First, I was challenged by the harsh afternoon sun. We were at a school so I took him to the breeze way to cut the direct overhead light. I positioned the subject were I saw color behind him. Noting that the final image will look better when: the color behind the subject enhances the clothes, skin and feel of the shot.

I could position the camera with-in 6 feet of the subject, which I did. However, the bright sun I needed to kick into the shot was 12-15 feet away. I had a assistant walk out to the heavy sun and position the 36 inch circle reflector back at the subject. Be careful and understand that the sun is bright and it is uncomfortable for the model. Try to angle it so that the model does not have to squint. Still, keeping in mind the areas you need to fill.

I like to work with the reflectors because:

1. You see what you are getting.

2. For me it makes a more pleasing and contrasty background, allowing all the colors to come through.

3. It is easy to place, easy to handle, it’s light and requires no portable lights, cords or battery packs.

4. Anyone can help you - Friends, Family, Bystanders, Anyone – no experience required.

5. You can bounce the light in or if no shade is available you can hold it above them and have a shoot through diffuser.




Now the shot: I liked the background but wanted to keep the focus on the subject because that is what this shot is all about, right. In AV mode I set the f/stop to 2.8. I was about 6-8 feet away which would give me a long enough depth of field for him. I let the camera set the shutter speed which on this one was 1/3200 seconds. (Note: Don’t ever worry about the high Shutter Speed).

If I had wanted more detail in the background, I personally would have gone with f/8. But I knew the sidewalk was going to blow out (white) on this shot. He was a long way from the reflector so I chose the silver side for distance and because of his skin tone he could take the more direct light. I always shoot in groups of 3’s with the focus being on the eye closest to me.

Give a reflector a try, it only cost about $40 and it has endless possibilities.

BUSY, BUSY, BUSY

Sorry for not updating I have been working with Nash Farm Battlefield and my friend Mark Pollard on getting a new website built. Last year the County bought 204 acres of the rare endangered property that was part of the battle of Lovejoy.

Check out the site and see what we are doing

http://www.henrycountybattlefield.com/

we are still in the text stage even after about 60 hours work with layouts, text and maps. It won't be long now (about another week or two) for the text (history and stories) are done and then we can pretty it up with photos with-in the stories and pages.

DIET FOR ALL (MAYBE)

Have you bee struggling with losing a few pounds like I have. Check out this site if you want to lose wieght quickly. It's the fastest way I have seen with true results. No Kidding. Lose up to 45 lbs. in one day. And most of it under a Doctor's supervision.

LOSE WIEGHT NOW GUARENTEED

You will not regret it. (Maybe)
_________________________________________________

CANON EF 200mm f/2.8L II USM

Let me introduce you to the lens that brought to light my understanding of what “L” quality means, “The Canon 200mm F/2.8 Prime”. What a beauty this is. It is fast, accurate, light and sharp as a laser.

I was contracted to shoot a Major League Baseball Game and I needed a lens that would do the job. I had recently been on vacation and was shooting a Minor League Game from the stands for fun about a month before this life changing meeting. Their photographer was there to shoot as well. Well, me not being a stranger to anybody, introduced myself and asked a few questions. The lights here were not great but he gave me some pointers and advised me that to shoot the game at night I would have to have a 2.8 lens and I would probably have to shoot at 800ISO as well. The whole meeting and Q&A session lasted probably no more than 10 minutes tops.

OK, I needed a 2.8 lens on a shoe string budget to get the job done. After looking at them all I settled on the Canon 200mm f/2.8 prime. Mainly it was because of the price. I really had no idea what I was in for. After the first game was shot I was left with my jaw almost dragging the ground. I could not believe I took those images. I kept calling to my wife, “Hey come here and look at this!”

Was it the perfect lens for this type of shooting? Not really. On some shots it was more lens than I needed while on other shots it was more. Bottom line was I got the shots I wanted. Over the next month or so I played with it endlessly.

Although this is a long range at 320mm on the 1.6 crop body you can find quite a lot of surprising shots at this range: Candid’s, head shots, half body and full body from a distance. It is a great secret lens that will let you take pictures of hard to photo subjects from a distance and just let them be themselves.

As far as sharpness goes this is one of the best I’ve seen and on course with the famed 135mm f/2. I knew I was in trouble when I started to analyze each shot and I found I could tell you what time their watch says. Every line wrinkle and detail explodes with this lens.

“Highly Recommended.”

But, beware if this is your first “L” quality lens you will never be happy with less as far as sharpness and detail are concerned.

F STOP, EXPOSURE AND SHUTTER SPEED

This demo comes from Dry Reading by Craig Hickman who states:

"I'm testing a new Flash movie designed to teach exposure concepts as they relate to digital cameras. Anyone can use it but it was originally designed for my students at the University of Oregon in the Digital Arts, Digital Imaging class. It still has a few rough edges and bugs, but you can try it out."

While it is not perfect, it does give you the idea and concept of Exposure, Shutter Speed and ISO changes and what happens to the photo in each situation.

Thanks Craig, its a lot of fun.

____________________________________________________

Sometimes I also want ot check an F-stop table. I have 2 that I have bookmarked for easy access.


This first one comes from Joe Miller's site at http://www.fineart-photography.com/



The second one comes from http://medfmt.8k.com/mf/fstops.html. It does not reference a name but I have used this one for years. Warning: This site does have a popup screen that comes in behind it.

RESEARCHING A LENS TO PURCHASE

A while back I was asked about where I look for reviews when deciding to purchase a lens. I thought I would add the list here so it would be readily available should the need arise for you.

When researching a lens I will search the net and read countless posts and articles but these are the top sites I check.

http://www.fredmiranda.com/reviews/
http://bobatkins.com/photography/digital/10d300dlenses.html
http://www.eflens.com/
http://www.dpreview.com/
http://www.nikonlinks.com/~nicke/photo/lenstest/brand.html
http://www.photozone.de/active/survey/querylens.jsp
http://www.bruidsfotojournalist.nl/gear/photogear.html
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Canon-Lenses/
http://www.pbase.com/lightrules/lenstests
http://www.northrup.org/equipment/
http://www.camerareview.com/templates/compare_specs.cfm?Category=8
http://www.nobell.org/~gjm/photography/lenses.html
http://www.outbackphoto.com/the_bag/uwes_canon_lenses_2004/essay.html
http://www.photographyreview.com/reviewscrx.aspx

Some of these are well known, other may not be. They are listed in no particular order.

Good Luck

CANON 28-135mm IS REVIEW

This lens is one of the lenses I both love and hate. Finally the hate grew greater and I sold it.

It is a good lens and can produce some very fine images. It can also be a frustration and capture about as many stinkers. This is my take on the lens and why.

It is f/3.5-5.6 and does have image stabilization. It can be used for a wide range of situations from wide angle landscape to portrait work. It also has USM for supposed faster focusing.

What I have found that it will focus fast but only in heavy sun. When in the shadows it will tend to hunt. In low light it is unbearable. Can you shoot in any situation? Yes. Can you make this lens work for you? Yes. Is it sharp? Sometimes.

Popular Photography has done a review on this lens that can be found here. Unfortunately it was well after I had the lens. The summary chart pretty much tells the story of what I found. It was pretty good up to about an 8x10 print.

I had originally got an DSLR because the point and shoots could not compete with the instant focusing during school plays and performances. But, I also wanted a lens that would have versatile range and cover most situations I would be in. With the increased ISO I should be able to achieve a good image. There was my flaw. I soon realized that I was a pixel peeper. I had moved up to the DSLR because of preformance and quality. Little did I realize at the time the quality was held in the glass more than the camera it was attached to.

If you are looking for a walk around lens and are not a pixel peeper like me, I would suspect most people would be happy with this lens. However if you are considering this lens check out the new lines of Tamron's (3 Lenses) that range from 18-300, one has IS and the specs sheets and test that I have read confirms that they are equal to if not better on the IQ than the 28-135.

HOW I GOT THE SHOT

For this post I will show you how I made this shot and what I learned in the process.






The setup:

1 large red rug (not roled out all the way)
2 large wicker baskets
1 large potted plant
1 carry basket with 2 sides
1 teddy bear
1 doll bed mattress
1 blanket







The door was opened all the way to allow for the natural light to come in and fill the area the 2 side window blinds were opened. Afternoon sun not direct light.

One large basket was set up for the baby with the mattress and blanket to cover with. The second basket was placed behind him as a background. I did not worry about the room because it would not show in the shot. The large plant was set up behind him to add color and texture to the top crop. The 2 sided basket was placed just beside him for balance and a contrast of greens with one green plant and the other side held a stuffed panda (still dark fur with a splash of white) just incase the shot went wide or I wanted a different angle.

I placed a baby doll in for the test and ISO 100 f/4 @ 1/60 produced a very flattering creamy light with a bounce panel placed beside it (silver side).

The Baby was placed in the basket and we began to shoot. Two things were immediately wrong was I did not account for the the movement of the baby. Mainly the speed of his hands and head.

I got a small monolight from the studio and added a touch of light at it's lowest settings. I had my oldest daughter put her hand in the basket and continued to shoot until the color and spped were to my liking. What suprised me is the amount of light that was poured into the shot to capture all those wiggles and giggles.

What I ended up with was ISO800 f/2.8 and 1/400. All this was done with the natural light, monolight and a bounce panel to get the light the way I wanted.

Make a background for almost nothing

It all started with a good book. How many times have you heard that one. I picked up the book "Master Lighting Guide" by Christopher Grey (122 pages) because it was all about studio lighting with layout designs followed by samples and suggestions. I am still in the learning curve for the studio and this book seemed right up my alley.

In section two he relates that you can make "flying walls" out of just about anything. I love a challenge and have a passion for learning. So, a DIY project for practically nothing? I?m in! What?s to lose?

The concept was great and the look was fine but how do you go about it. Well, it is and is not as easy as it looks. There was no elaboration on how it was done and no tips given. I will walk you through making one of these light weight portable backgrounds and share some shortcuts, pointers and the mistakes I have already made.

I stopped by my local fix it store to pick up a piece of 4?x8? Styrofoam house insulation. I have seen these in blue and pink. The hard part of this is to find a sheet that is not torn, ripped or crushed in places. I found a nice new stack several layers down. After about 10 minutes and heavy inspecting I had 2 good pieces to load. I grabbed a piece of 1/8 inch plywood just in-case this did not work out. Ok, lets see I spent roughly $10 each on the Styrofoam and about $6 for the plywood (I think it was a flooring grade piece).

While heading to the check out I walked by the paint department and saw a crazy looking roller. It was standard size and made out of what looked like a sea sponge with different heights around it. The coast on this was another $10. $36 and tax and I'm out the door. By the way, I would recommend the plywood even if you don't paint it. It is light enough to carry and it holds the flimsy styrofoam down in the truck and prevents it from damage.

Unloaded at the house, I grab some lunch and go through my inventory of paint. You would be surprised how many cans you can collect after 2 kids and some minor school projects. Not to mention the left over?s from the various painting project around the home.

Not really sure of what to use I made a trip the following day to the paint store. I explained what I was trying to do. After the third time of the same explanation and a bug eyed clerk. I told him I just wanted some primer. "OK!" was the joyous response. A can of Kilz2 is $14.

Let me stop you right here to give you a warning.

"ONLY BUY WATER BASED PAINT AND PRIMERS!" Luckily, I chose this to start off with, and yes it was luck and not knowledge. It did not even cross my mind that oil based paint would eat completely through the Styrofoam in less than 2 seconds.

One (1) can of kilz2, no I need some paint. The book recommended that you go at least 2 shades of difference. The blues I chose were 1 shade. Oh, the paint. The top off the line water based one coat does it all 2 pints $23. So far that is $73. That is everything that is needed to create my new master piece. I know it sounds like a lot but I am about to save you some money in just a few minutes.

Newspaper is laid the board is down, non-printed side is up. I apply the first coat of primer, it bubbles up and pops all over the place. Leaving little dots that I need to fill on the next coat. Well 3 coats later it is ready for painting. 1/2 gallon of primer used.

The high dollar paint goes on a smooth a silk with the expected 1 coat. I walk away and let it dry for an hour. Here, is the first tip on painting these: don?t let it dry! Wait about 10 to 15 minutes and then start your crazy roller or rag or sponge (your preference). What I have found is that letting the colors mix a bit adds to the beauty of the piece there will be enough of the highlighted areas left to see.

On the first one I rolled the crazy roller all over the place and in about every direction and it blended pretty nicely. I left it to dry overnight and shot some the next day with my little one. I could only get her to do it if I told her she didn't have to even smile. "Ok". The background looks great and the kid not to bad either.

On others I have waited another 10 to 15 minutes to add highlights. Just going over lightly in one direction to really make it stand out. Here is the other hint. No matter the color, even one that made my bathroom glow green out into the hall still looks white on the highlights. The point is have fun and go crazy. Try different things.

This is where I save you the big bucks! Ready!

The primer that was $14. Don't need it! The expensive paint $23 (1 coat does it all) don't need it!
After doing everything correctly the first go around, now it is time to experiment. The entire wall base coat uses about one-third of a pint. The highlight part uses about one quarter of a pint. So a little bit will go a long way. I started grabbing stuff off the shelf I already had, even stuff that has been there for over 7 years. Slapped it on and presto 1 coat did it for the base.

Conclusion
Don't forget 1 sheet has 2 sides so that is 2 backgrounds per board. One board cost $10, the crazy roller coast is $10 but I have used it on countless backgrounds, or you can opt for the sponge/rag approach ($0). All rollers can be washed ($0). Any water based paint you can find ($0, shed, garage, basement, neighbor, family: get the picture).

You can use different paint for each side or you can just use a base color of your favorite from the other side. Time Painting about 20 minutes and that includes opening the paint can and closing. Clean up: Through the stuff in a water bucket for lunch or dinner and plan on 10-15 minutes.

Final coast per background? Let's go on the high side and call it $12.


Have fun.

More shots on these backgrounds can be found at http://www.wcandersons.com

AF28-75mm F/2.8 XR Di LD Review

I for one understand that quality means “L” when shooting with a Canon Camera. Usually the image that is acquired by an “L” lens is head and shoulders above the pack in terms of sharpness, speed and build quality. I say usually because there are some standouts in the third party market and today I want to give you my opinion on one of those lenses.


The Tamron AF28-75mm F/2.8 XR Di LD.






I am an avid sports shooter and require the need for a f/2.8 or faster lens for most of my shooting. I have been happy with my 70-200 f/2.8 as well as my first L lens purchase the 200 f/2.8 prime. Speed, clarity, construction and results spoke for themselves in the images that were taken with them. So, when I needed a short lens for indoor use I turned to the Canon 24-70L. I purchased the lens for a photo shoot at a local gymnastics school. Due to the dimness of the lights and no windows the lens did not hold up to the stop action speed that was needed. I was able to adapt with the 70-200 and got the job done but it left me scratching my head at the $1300 purchase.

Back to the computer I went, searching all other 2.8 glass with the same relative focal length. I ran across the Tamron 28-75mm and it really had mixed reviews. Some loved it and theirs were tack sharp, while others claimed it was useless.

One review stuck out among the hundreds I had poured over, it stated that the owner was really happy with the lens. In fact like a lot of forums and reviews we read he stated that, “I must have got a good copy.” Ok, that’s not the part that stands out. It was the reply to his post which stated very lengthy that it is about 1 in 10 of these lenses that are stand outs and that they are tack sharp. The same person also stated that about 1-3 Canon lenses are “The One”.

Off I went with this new information to get my lens. To test the theory I shopped locally where I could test the lenses there. I drove around Atlanta for two days and was in at least 5 stores many of which had only one copy. I tested each one at 28, 50 and 75mm at 2.8. None of which were any sharper than the 28-135IS that I normally use and most were softer on at least one of those focal lengths.

Yes, I do understand that that you are going to give up some quality with a zoom, and I know that you are not going to have tack sharpness at all lengths most of the time. But, remember I am looking for that “1” lens that will knock my socks off.

I ended up at a store in Atlanta that had several copies of the lens available. After testing the first two I was getting really down. The store had 3 more left and I almost said, “just forget it” when the sales lady talked me into trying the others since I was there already. I place the third copy of the camera; which by the way was number 8 tried so far.

The heavens parted and the sun shown almost right on the counter itself. “A perfect copy.” I ran through the test twice more at different signage around the store. With a smile I bought it. While standing there I noticed the other two on the counter and suddenly remembered the 1 in 10 quote from the forum.

Most all of my studio work is done exclusively with this lens. It is also my walk around vacation lens as well. At $400 for the Tamron, I saved $900 and matched the speed and image quality of the 24-70L.

I’m happy

wcandersons.com