doris_chan

"what's up with you ankle biting me like a pesky jack russel from thread to thread?"

? You might want to qualify this, because I have no idea what you're referring to.

"where did i say publishing market? geeze."

OK, so I guess Adobe are more interested in the single user with PS Lite (or whatever it's

called) than, say, Time Inc.. Apple make up a lot more than 3% of the market for graphics

products.

"Why would Adobe code for 3% of the market?"

You really think that Apple has just three per cent of the publishing market where Adobe

gets those big commercial multiple user sales? You need to get out more......

"Is the iMac G5 2GHZ (with 1.5 GB RAM) 'punchy' enough to use PS CS2?"

Yes, it should be fine. I run a dual 1.8ghz G5 with 2 gigs of RAM and it's really fast and

uncrashy when it comes to dealing with big (and multiple) files. On location I use a G4

iBook with the maximum 1.25 gigs of RAM and even it deals well with RAW conversions in

DPP and subsequent Photoshop work - totally unlike the previous G3 iBook which was

slow enough to drive you insane. The only question mark might be over the quality of the

monitor on the iMac, I'd compare it side by side with it's standalone equivalent before

making the jump. Don't even think about the superficially seductive 23 inch display until

Apple acknowledge and deal with the magenta color cast issue......

"I think he has a lens, camera or setting/focus issue, probably lens. You can give him

100hrs of USM training and it won't solve his problem."

He may well have a problem with his lens, and I've already said that I don't think USM is a

solution for inherently soft images. Over, or inappropriate, sharpening is much worse than

no sharpening, but I think even one hour of USM training would be a big help to many

photographers.

"when using USM in digital imaging the overall image is sharpened, (correct me if wrong),

therefore large areas within the image can be unnecessary sharpened such as areas of skin

or sky"

Firstly, if you understand the relationship between the three parameters in USM you can in

effect partially sharpen without damaging other things like sky and skintone. Secondly,

there's no reason at all not to individually sharpen parts of the image utilising, say, the

lasso tool coupled with some feathering.

"I still use USM sparingly to sharpen some images that have been taken with a couple of

lenses often used wide open"

I guess we use sharpening for different things. I don't use it as a tool to enhance

inherently unsharp images but as a means to extract the full potential from a RAW file.

"Hmm, equate as what? a scanned image in a highend scanner or the end result, a

photograph"

Equating the RAW file with a neg or positive on film, and how that RAW file or neg would

make, say, a 20x16 print. When it comes to a scan there are too many variables

(sharpening settings, dust removal, etc) to make a direct comparison.

"digital can be given a sharper appearance film can`t"

This isn't correct, film can be made sharper via the scan or with USM in Photoshop. USM

also has it's equivalent in the wet darkroom, the term existed before a digital age.

"USM sucks for people shots"

USM is infinitely variable. If you understand how it works it'll give you the results you need.

"DSLRs don't NEED to sharpened with unsharp mask"

If you work in RAW with a 20D and want files that equate to the sharpness you'd get from

film, then yes you do "NEED" to sharpen.

"Only one that I can think of can operate solely off the computer's USB port, tho', and it

has a 40GB capacity. The highest capacity model goes up to 160GB and requires separate

AC power"

My experience is that USB (despite the claims) is utterly unreliable when it comes to

powering portable drives, firewire is a much better bet. There are a number of very small

and very light portable drives up to 100gb that'll run off firewire and (theoretically at least)

USB2. It really isn't that big a deal working with digital in remote places, you just have to

plan carefully.

"Is anyone out there able to work in straight photography in black and white and maintian

an attitude of cutting edge or avant garde?"

I don't think so. Black and white is part of the heritage industry, people use it because it's

comforting and familiar. Most of the world's greatest photographs are black and white, but

that's just an historical accident. In almost every genre the most interesting work is now

being produced in color.

"Hardcore PJs, nature, sports, etc photographers have been going into the field with rigs

like this for years and years and always come back with the goods"

Yeah they have. But things have changed, and now most of those very same people are

coming back with the goods from digital. Each have their strengths and weaknesses, but

it's no real problem working on location with digital. A laptop plus back up drives, spare

batteries and discs takes up a lot less bulk than a few hundred rolls of film.

"Coma is indicated"

You're not the only one, we'll all end up in a coma if we waste too much time on graphs

like these.

"I'd say the (digital capture) technology isn't mature enough for your

application.......Judging from magazines that publish travel-style photography (National

Geographic, Travel Photography), it seems that I'm not alone with concerns."

You're misinformed on this, even Geographic is moving towards largely digital capture.

There are issues with using digital in remote or hostile locations but they aren't

insurmountable - if they were you'd not be seeing images bouncing back from places like

Afghanistan and Aceh.

It's not practical to work on an extended basis without a laptop, but something like a 12"

iBook weighs less and takes up less volume than hundreds of rolls of film. Back up

daily in duplicate on two firewire (so you don't need a power supply) drives (the 80gb

LaCie portable drives weigh around the same as an iPod) and, when you get a chance, burn

an edit

onto discs. Also, use fast CF cards and readers so you can minimise battery drain on your

laptop when

downloading.

"I think you have to have an affinity with the street. You have to feel it and know it....."

You've also gotta look it. Think old-school, I can't put it better than Sister Sledge -

Halston, Gucci, Fiorucci.......

"John Brownlow???

You gotta be kidding...."

Pure jealousy from Edmo. Johnny's one of the greats. He comfortably sits in my top five -

Klein, Koudelka, Brownlow, Ren, and Stimpy.

"HI there, I like to park my van close to a corner that overlooks a teenage hangout......"

This sounds disturbingly like the opening scene of a slasher movie.

"Boris - thanks for the links"

Weird, where did the links go? Has every comment ever made by Boris been removed just

because he took a different stance to a moderator in one thread?

Robert: "it was always gipsies. I can only go by my own experience and have no desire to

pretend, for the sake of political correctness that it was otherwise"

Robert, you've convinced me, f#$% political correctness. You, Dr Knapp, and Eliot have

convinced me that there's a market for it, so I'm pleased to announce my bespoke range of

gypsy child clubbing vacations. I've successfully run seal pup clubbing vacation packages

for ten years and my new tours will every bit as enjoyable. You'll be picked up by limo

from your home and then fly business class to Bucharest. We'll stay in the Athenee Palace

Hilton, there's so much history there as lovers of Olivier Mannings Balakan trilogy know so

well. Each day I'll guarantee each one of you two kills or your money back - what could be

fairer and more reasonable than that? Obviously a package like this doesn't come cheap

but successful physicians like Albert and Eliot understand that the finest things in life

come at a price.....

"Adding a crank will just make it less reliable"

But so much more functional. M4 and M6 owners didn't spend a lot of time moaning about

cranks snapping off. Just as the rest of the world makes the big leap into digital Leica

decrees that the humble crank is dangerously and unreliably hi-tech. Leica, de-evolution

in action. If by some fluke they find a way of surviving I'm sure that 50 years down the line

we can look forward to the arrival of the M8 Camera Obscura.

"It's very easy to tell the gipsies in Romania - you just speak to them and they will tell you"

I thought you were clubbing them as you rode past on your bicycle, not after a nice chat.

"of course they tend to be a little darker than most Romanians"

Many rural Romanians are dark skinned. The color of someone's skin in the Balkans is no

reliable guide to their ethnicity.

"They can steal and often do, it is one of the accepted ways that they make their living"

And how exactly does this make them differ from any other group in society?

"Just talking to certain Roma will reassure you of this"

Just as talking to certain financiers would reassure you that privileged white guys have a

propensity for theft.

"I find the refusal of some people to even countenance that some groups of people do

have cultural tendencies stupid and foolish"

I find the refusal of some people to imagine that particular groups of people are hardwired

to commit crimes stupid and foolish. The opportunities for crime that your economic

status gives you may differ, but the guy who tried to steal from your panniers is no

different to his counterparts at Enron.

"Others may assess the situation and judge that it is more appropriate to make a show of

defence, or even, when pushed, actually defend themselves"

Of course they might, and, depending on the circumstances, I have no real problem with

that. My problem is with the ludicrous tales of people like Albert, which seem to be

nothing but thinly veiled fantasies intended to spread prejudice. His initial account didn't

ring true, when challenged he altered his story, and then, when the anomalies were

pointed out, he just melted away.

"No one asks to be molested by gipsy gangs"

Just as no one asks to be molested by white, black, Jewish, or, for that matter, Martian

gangs.......

Toke, it's good of you to post these for comparison, but it's hard to draw any conclusions

when one of the files is overexposed. I'm aware of the cult of "exposing to the right",

but the canon file has totally blown highlights. It's not a dynamic range issue, it's just been

given too much exposure - look at the histogram.

"how do you think Goldin, Riefenstahl, Modoti, or Weston might have fared"

This has gotta be a first, Riefenstahl included in the Family of Nan.......

Mike: "It's entirely possible that the R digital back does a better job than my digiRebel"

It's also entirely possible that it does a worse job - that large jpg looks really ropey. The

leather bicycle sounds a lot more compelling at half the price.

"what is it that you are objecting to"

I'm objecting to the parading of blanket prejudice and some pretty dubious accounts of

the dangers posed by "gypsies" in Europe.

Just to put this thread into some kind of perspective, try substituting the word gypsy/

Roma in the following quotes with black or Jew. Do you still not find the sentiments

offensive? Are "gypsies" uniquely violent and untrustworthy?

"the gangs of knife-wielding children that terrorize people all over Europe are 99% Roma.

If you see a group of Roma kids, run!"

"you have never been attacked by a band of gypsies (aka Roma). I have and thank G-d I

had my tripod to ward them off. When YOU are walking alone in Europe and a group of

gypsies......starts to surround you, I hope that you will have a

tripod handy"

"gypsy problem is a real one"

"problem is not that big in Russia - it is too cold for gypsies in Russia"

"My experience of gipsies in Europe is that in gangs they are a menace and they are often

intent on robbery, and sometimes with violence"

Robert, I find it interesting that certain people have repeated problems with "gypsy gangs"

in particular places while others clearly don't. I've spent a fair bit of time in Romania and

the

only hassle I ever came across was children begging who have a propensity to stick to you

like glue; it was never threatening and I only ever experienced it in Bucharest, never

anywhere else. We all have an influence over how confrontations pan out. I'm also

intrigued by the sure fire way that so many of you can identify your attackers as being

gypsies - without dialogue I'd struggle to know who was and wasn't a "gypsy" in rural

Romania.

How do you imagine working photographers manage to work in hazardous parts of the

world? Do you believe that they survive only because of their ability to hand out off the

cuff monopod beatings?

"Doris, your petulant point-making is tedious and totally theoretical"

Tedious though it might be you have no idea whether or not it's theoretical.

"Wait till you find

yourself under assault by gipsies (or anyone else)and see how you react before you so

self-righteously critisize others for defending themselves"

I've been assaulted on more than one occasion, but there was nothing I could to defend

myself. I've talked (or ran) my way out of other situations.

"My experience of gipsies in

Europe is that in gangs they are a menace and they are often intent on robbery, and

sometimes with violence. What is your experience?"

My experience is that the smartest way to stay out of trouble is just to conduct yourself

with a bit of dignity, and not to place a blanket demonisation on particular groups.