johnya

<p>I just bought a Tamron 28-300mm F/3.5-6.3 XR Di VC for my CANON XTI (400) and the chart says that I should be able to set the aperture to 3.5 at 28 and 35 mm but it only goes down to F5.6 at those focal lengths. The lowest aperture on my Canon XTI is 4.5 at around 60mm. The manual says it should go down to 3.5 at the lowest focal lenghts...... HELP.....</p>

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<p>Ok so I just received my copy of the latest issue - WOW - turning each page is like taking another bite of a juicy Porterhouse steak - makes your mouth water. I have only looked at a few pages - over and over - I want to make the experience last so I am going sloooooow. The quality of the paper, the sharpness of each photo, the vivid colors as well as the monochrome tonality, are all superb. As I mentioned to David before, it has the look and feel of a $15 magazine. YOU David did it again. Ok, I have been impatient in the past, as many are, but only because I want to see good artwork of which there is very little out there on the newstand.<br>

<br />I think David made the right choice by waiting instead of putting out an inferior product like most mass produced publications are. Too many times, corners are cut and compremises are made for the BUCK.... ART cannot be rushed. I would rather see only two issues per year, if they are of this quality, then see more issues that are of poorer quality. <br>

Now I will go back to enjoying a few more pages of my magazine .....</p>

<p>Cannot wait to get my copy. I just got the latest issue of COLOR - the special edition - I was one of the winners of their first contest and got two full pages in the mentioned edition which just hit the newsstands - I must say that the quality of their printing leaves something to be desired. Comparing the first issues of COLOR to FOCUS, there is no comparison. FOCUS is slick, sharp, and of the highest quality I have ever seen in a magazine. COLOR needs to find a better printer or they wont be around for long. My photos are washed out and are too dark. No it is not the files I sent them because these same pictures have been published in other magazines and so it is not my photos but the way they got printed. The people at the COLOR magazine should check out FOCUS to find out what a good print should look like. So David, you got no competion as far as I can see. It is a shame because COLOR does publish a lot of good work and I do enjoy the magazine. I just wish they would improve their printing quality. </p>

<p>I do see it (BW) at Barnes & Noble all the time..... I will say that I will never ever subscribe to any of those speciality photo mags again... I will just take my chance of finding it at the newsstands..... so far I received TWO issues of FOCUS since DECEMBER of 2007..... I dont think I missed any ...just has not been published since AUGUST or so of 2008 - wow that makes it 12 months now..... </p>

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<p>according to the publisher, he is in the process of putting out a new issue SOOON.... last time I heard from him, he said he was going to the printer ....... I suspect you will see it in the mail in AUGUST .... MAYBE ..... </p>

<p>You are correct Russ that it is a beautiful magazine but what good is that when he never publishes it. In fact, I will state that of all the photo art magazines that I have enjoyed both in the USA and in Europe, FOCUS is the BEST QUALITY AND BEST PHOTO ART MAGAZINE I EVER SEEN. It is just frustrating to pay for a subscription and then not get the magazine. Ironically I subscribed so I would not miss the few issues that my Barnes and Noble stocks - which interestingly my 2 Barnes and Noble stores management have told me that FOCUS was out of business. His inability to get the mag out isnt helping his business. <br>

I agree from all my correspondences and the emails here, I too concluded he knows ART but not BUSINESS. <br>

He did respond to my emails this morning and has put me back as a friend on Facebook and so I accepted and I will try not to be RUDE as he put it. He promised he would keep updating the progress on the magazine on Facebook. He got upset at me for being negative on his facebook wall but I told him that he was the one who decided to use Facebook as a communications vehicle for his business and needs not to be surprised that some of us would be very frank about our concerns about once again giving us hope that we soon will see another issue. <br>

The sad thing is that he has a great magazine that is worth every penny.... in fact I think he is not asking enough for the issues. He should ask double what he is getting because of the high quality of the paper and inks used. However having said that, it isnt worth anything if he doesnt get it out to us. <br>

I for one want to see Focus continued. So I hope and wish him all the best. </p>

<p>WOW so here it is July 1.... and NO MAGAZINE... and now David once again claims that the next issue is going to the printer next week... so what happened since January when he said the same thing... I AM NO LONGER BELIEVING .... I am now becoming convinced that this is a SCAM....</p>

<p>Dwight I agree with you on this...<br />It is really a shame because I really do like the magazine... problem of course is that if it doesnt get published then what good is it...</p>

<p>oh and David did add me as a friend to Facebook and now he has removed me because he doesnt want anything said that doesnt fit his fantasy world of eating ice cream and other nonsense....... thanks for removing me since it was a waste of my time reading non relevant stuff about you ... I JUST WANT MY MAGAZINE THAT I PAID FOR 18 months ago... I dont want any more bull about IT IS GOING TO THE PRINTER......</p>

got my August issue ( the one with the crying girl ) .... as always GREAT stuff.... read it three times already.. or I should say looked at it three times .... as always it gives me new ideas for my own work and hopefully will also improve my own work

I finally decided on Kaspersky - the installation was easy quick and smooth..... not one problem.... I did a scan right after and it found 3 infested files which I was able to delete .... again these corrupted files were in my computer when I had ZONE Alarm and it had NOT found it. I want to make it clear to everyone reading this that my main issue with Zone Alarm is that when I had problems, I COULD NOT GET A REAL PERSON on the phone to help. I also have a comment to those who say they like ZONE ALARM... well how do you know that you dont have some corrupted files or spyware that it has not found... as I mentioned after I dumped Zone Alarm, Kaspersky found more stuff that I never knew I had.... and my computer now runs so much faster and smoother then when I had ZoneAlarm. That is another thing, ZoneAlarm really slowed down my computer and was a pain all around... Kaspersky seems to do things more in the background and does not take up as much memory ... GREAT PACKAGE... I recommend it.

I just finished a four day painful re-configuration and re-installation of my computer due to a virus attack. Do

not know how it got in. I wanted to share my experience with you regarding the various anti virus and security

protection packages that I tried.

 

In a nutshell

 

ZONELABS ZoneAlarm full package (anti virus, firewall, anti spyware) - that is what was loaded on my machine

Problem: a virus got thru, and subsequently using another package, I found 6 trojans that had gotten in previously

Comments: ZoneAlarm did NOT protect my machine.

 

Bit Defender - I loaded a trial package and it found 6 Trojans that ZoneAlarm had let in and never found during

monthly scans

 

In the process of my HP machine doing a full recovery ( HP DID A GREAT JOB - 5 stars for that ), I ended up

pretty much where I started with the machine 4 years ago - lots of my software had to be reloaded. In the

process of recovery Norton anti virus got loaded since it had been part of my machine when I bought it. The

problem was that I did not know that. So when

I loaded other anti virus packages, they messed up my computer and everything was locked up.

 

So to make a long story short, here is my summary

 

Bit Defender - as I said before had found a bunch of trojans that ZoneAlarm did not. I was able to talk to a

real tech support person on the phone for free, and they helped me get things corrected.

 

Symantics ( Norton) - I had a hec of a problem removing their package - things kept staying stuck in the registry

- Symantics Support was great and they helped me via phone and yes I talked to a real tech support person. ALL FREE.

 

ESET - Tried their program unsuccesfully due to my computer problems - AGAIN ESET tech support was on the phone

with me to help remove their program.

 

I tried to unsuccessfully uninstall ZoneAlarm fully - tried to get them on the phone - no such thing - could not

get tech support on the phone - and was told by ZoneLabs Sales ( yeh you bet I got ahold of SALES on the phone)

that I had to contact support via email - 48 hours later I got a one sentence tech suggestion which did not work

- I finally gave up with them and actually had Bit Defender tech support help me get rid of ZoneAlarm.

 

SO, my recommendations- DO NOT GO WITH ZONELABS - if you ever have a problem they are the only company that I

could not reach by phone for tech support - their email tech support is poor ..... BIT DEFENDER, ESET, and NORTON

are all very good at tech support and each one of them were helpful and had 800 numbers and I was able to contact

all of them within a few minutes wait. ZONELABS not only let malware in, I could not get any phone help from them.

 

I am now still debating between Bit Defender and ESET.

 

My two cents - hope it helps someone

 

John Alives

Hello from wet Florida ........ well David I just went to the mail box, in 25 mph wind driven rain due to the tropical storm FAY being right smack over us here near Cocoa Beach, and guess what, MY FOCUS APRIL ISSUE was in the mail box, in a thick plastic wrap, so it stayed nice and dry .,,,,YEPPYYYY ..... GREAT READING ON A STORMY DAY .... THANKS

 

John

I hope for all of the subscribers, that David will get a handle on his mailing problems. I am sure that the rest of you feel the same way about the quality of the magazine David is publishing. My opinion is that it is the finest photo art publication that I have come across in this country as well as overseas. I have a number of US, French and German art photo mags and Focus tops them all. I hope to some day even have some of my work published in Focus. So having said that, I really don't want to miss one single issue and I subscribed because I could not depend on my BN stores locally to stock enough copies for me to always find one. I love the magazine and that is way I am so frustrated. I have re- read each issue I have many times and each time I see something I missed or I get a new idea for my work. They never get old. I cannot wait to see the next issues. I just hope I will get to see them.

I just got off the phone with David Spivak. He was very nice and took his time to explain that he is still experiencing problems with mailing to subscribers and that the April issue should be mailed for us all to receive sometimes at the latest in July followed by the summer issue not too long after - he expects that we all should have the the last issue and the summer issue all before end of July or early August. He further said that he is working to resolve the late mailings. I also understand that not to expect - even in the future - that we will get our magazines in the mail the same time as it hits the newsstand - it sounds like form his discussion that we will see places like BN having the issue long before we see it in the mail.

I now have sent emails to four different email addresses at focus - no response to any of them

 

I appreciate Jeremy's offer for the phone number but I am afraid to call him - the last time he yelled at me and hung up on me - I really dont need that crap from anyone. Lets face it, HE has the problem - I just want my magazine - I paid for it.

I also want to mention that I had planned on putting a one page ad in a few issues for my photo business but now that I cannot get my magazines and get no repsonses to my emails, I will not spend that kind of money - what if I have a problem with the ad or I want to change something on the proof etc etc - how do I communicate with them - I cannot risk that kind of money - their loose and mine too since I think Focus is a good place for my art work BUT with my low budget I cannot take that chance.

 

John Johny Alives

Well it would be nice if someone would respond to our emails - and from what you are saying does that mean now I wont get my latest issue ? - or is that being shipped with the summer issue? I dont want to miss one and I certainly dont want to go buy one and then get a second one later - the whole purpose for me to subscribe was NOT to miss an issue because my BN doesnt always have one.

 

John (Johny) Alives

well the email you supposed to use for questions regarding subs. is

 

subscriptions@focusmag.info

 

but that one I have written to twice now and after two weeks I have no response

 

I too will cancel my subs and just take my chances at BN - it is sad that it is a fine mag and it appears this guy David is just making excuses for why his customer service in the pits - he says he is too busy - well then hire someone to do it for you - bottom line - poor customer service and NO magazine is just unacceptable

 

 

John ( Johny ) Alives

As of today I have not received any issues since I sent in my check in early February. I did receive my special issue but I have not received any of the bi monthlies. I understand issue #16 was mailed but so far I have not received it. I have emailed twice in the past month and NO RESPONSE. I tried one time to call them and whoever picked up the phone was very nasty and told me not to call them but to email them and then the guy hung up on me. VERY RUDE who ever he was. From all these letters it appears that it was probably Davud Spivak.

 

Anyway, he took my money and I have no magazine and I cannot communicate with them - at least they dont answer the emails. And I cannot call since they yell at you and then hang up.

 

This morning I tried to get on their web page and google keeps coming back saying it cannot find it. SO now I am wondering is Focus out of business?

 

It is sad because it is a really fine art photo mag - the best I have seen but what good is it when you cannot get it.

a comment regarding Tom Meyer's photo - After studying Wabi Sabi for over a year, I do not consider myself an expert but I believe I have a sense as to what Wabi Sabi is and isn't when I look at a picture. I must say the simple bowl with a dried leave is a good example of a Wabi Sabi photograph. The simplicity of the subject and the dead leave in a rusty earthy bowl does reflect the meaning of Wabi Sabi rather well.

 

Johny ( John ) Alives

Along with Wabi Sabi, there is another Japanese term called, Mono No Aware, used to describe the awareness of the transience of things and a sadness at their passing. It is tied into the Wabi Sabi philosophy in that it speaks to the sweet sadness of things that dont last. An old decaying bench, that was sat on by two lovers many years ago, who held hands and kissed gently, is beautiful for its many memories it holds.

 

My two favorite books on the subjects are: Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers by Leonard Koren; and Wabi Sabi, the Japanese art of impermanence by Andrew Juniper.

 

I have started a portfolio at photo.net that conveys my understanding of these terms.

 

John (Johny) Alives