kleintje

Lance, you may have a point, but as someone already said before, opinions and tastes differ. The world would be very boring and uniform if everybody on this globe would like exactly the same things. And there would simply be no room left for creativity...

 

Considering the (below) average photos you were referring to; maybe some of the people who post these are just looking for honoust feedback to improve their skills. Maybe they aren't looking for 'wow' 'great' comments, but want to know what's good, what's bad and how they can improve, what to look out for. And it just happens to be that one of the easiest ways to get your photos seen on this site is by putting them up for ratings, resulting in a list of numbers that in the end don't really tell you anything.

Alan, I know a bit about the region since some family of my husband are living there. We ourselves were living in a village closer to Ghent (actually one of my favourite cities in Belgium, but definitely to be discovered on foot or by bike ;o), where you had the outskirts of the Flemish Ardens.

 

Don't know much about Kortrijk or Marke, which are in a different province that I haven't visited that much (yet?), except for the coastal area.

 

If you might be interested in landscapes, a few weeks ago I read in the newspaper that the first National Park in Belgium has opened in Limburg (the most northeastern province). I haven't been there myself yet, but have heard it's rather scenic out there.

 

And your description of boerenworst and markets have made me long for them, so now definitely counting down to next week, when I'm flying over to Belgium for a few months holiday...

Alan, from your previous posts I did figure out you didn't live in Belgium (didn't know in which country though). I only found it strange you were mentioning all these other places in Belgium worth a visit, without mentioning the region in and around Ronse where you had your car serviced.

As you're already in Ronse, ever considered doing a trip in that region? The wider region is known as the 'Ardennes of Flanders' and though not as hilly as the real Ardennes, I found them also more than worth a visit (actually, they're on my 'to-go-to' list for when I'm back over in Belgium in a few weeks time).

OK OK, Can't let this one get over me without at least reacting! I was born in Belgium, lived there for many years (though at the moment living in China).

 

I agree with the Belgian road signs (not only in the wrong place, but way too many of them as well; at some crossings it's like a forest of road signs so don't blame us for not understanding anymore what we can/should do ;o), but if you really want to drive crazy, come over to China. I sometimes feel everyone in traffic has his own set of rules...

<p>I have been living in Ghent, a city nearby Bruges for several years but only visited Bruges a few times (so far ;o). Bruges in itself is a beautiful city and you will have lots of photo opportunities in the city itself. You can also hire a bike (among others at the train station), buy a map at the tourist board (with cycling and walking routes) and make a tour around the city that will bring you in smaller villages and through some really nice landscapes. If you're up to it, you can even cycle to the North Sea (but to be honoust the Belgian coastline is one of the ugliest around, hardly any dunes left and loads of appartment buildings polluting the landscape; the polder landscape before you reach the actual coastal zone however is very nice).</p>

 

<p>Brussels I don't know that well. I haven't been there much and personally I'm not too fond of that city, but depending on the type of photography you're looking for, you'll also have lots of opportunities there (the city itself and the surroundings). To give you a first idea of what there is to see: <url>http://www.visitbelgium.com/bxlhighlights.htm</url></p>

 

<p>And Amsterdam, well it's been over 15 years since I last went there, but I guess you'd better wait if someone who's been there more recently to give you advice on that destination ;o) </p>

(Sorry about the frame but photo was originally destined for other

use)<div></div>

Two lions ready to attack a hyena coming too close to their pride<div></div>

<div></div>

Julie, in that case you indeed get a more elaborate list of photos of which most are probably in the Critique Only category, but you still have to click on the photo, critique it, go back to the Critique Forum - Browse - go back to the page you left of - ... and so forth, while with the other categories you just click on the name of the category and you browse the photos one after another, deciding for each of them whether or not to critique/rate/skip them without having to go back to other lists all the time. I just want to say this feature would also be interesting for the Critique Only category and I wonder why it's not there...

<p>I have noticed that the only way in which to browse the Critique

Only category is by <br>

- or clicking the Critique Only(list), which just shows a list of

titles and names of photos, <br>

- or by clicking on (new) which only shows the last 16 posts in that

category.<br>

Only names and titles say nothing about what might be on the photo

and having to open them one by one to actually see them I find a bit

tiresome after a while. And it would be nice to be able to see more

than just the last 16 new posts.

</p>

<p>While for other categories you also have the possibilities (list)

and (new), it is also possible to click on the name of the category

itself so you can browse through the photos 1 by 1 for commenting

and/or rating (like when going through the RR queue).

</p>

<p>How comes this is not possible for the Critique Only category? Or

am I missing out on something and does this possibility also exist

for this category?</p>

Jayme, as far as I could figure out the system, I thought the limit on high ratings is more or less restricted to giving 7s to a person who has rated you a 7 the past 14 days. I don't know if the same goes for 6s.

I don't think there is a solution to this rating problem, whether you change it into a scale from 3-7 or 4-10 or wether you keep it the way it is. There will always be the two lowest ratings and people will always feel offended getting one of these. Only the numbers of the ratings people go rambling and complaining about will change. I think the only way a scale with numbers could have a use is when they are used in a completely objective way. But then again, looking at a photo is always to some extent subjective, no matter how hard you try to be objective, so I guess this system will always have its drawbacks.

 

One thing that strikes me in this whole discussion though is why everybody is going on about the 1 and 2 ratings being under revision because of possible abuse, but nobody is thinking of doing the same for the 6 and 7 ratings (unless the moderators are planning to do this in the near future?). How many of the high ratings are giving by mate-raters (anonymously or not), thus distorting averages in a positive way and making photos end up high in the TRP when maybe not always deserving it? So in the end, what you see now in the TRP is not necessarily the best of the best, it could also to a certain extent be those photograpers with the most anonymous mate-raters...

I wouldn't trust it. They are fake or not sold through the official vendors of the companies (so-called grey market), so either way you will have no guarantee, even if they can give you the whole box, including installation CD and warranty papers.

Kah Kit Yoong, the main reason I suggested not to wear the camera in a visible place all the time is because he mentioned he is going to stay more or less in the same place for a longer period of time. To me this makes a big difference on how to keep your gear safe than when you're just travelling around and not staying in a place for a long time.

 

In the latter case your biggest chance of getting robbed is in crowds, be it on streets, in buses or other places. But if you are staying in one place for a longer time, believe me, you will draw attention, already just because of your different skin colour. And if in that case you are showing off your gear all the time not to miss any photographic opportunity, you will draw attention you don't want to. It's just upto you to decide where and when you can wear it and where and when it is safer to keep it in a bag.

For what it's worth, I would find it very difficult to put myself under a label of experience. I have been taking photos for several years now, but most of those years just 'snapping away'. Only since a few years I started to learn more about techniques and the different options a camera offers, but only since a few months, after I bought a digital camera, I really started experimenting with my camera since the cost of film and developing fell away.

 

So what criterion would you use to mark someone as (complete) novice, intermediate or advanced? The number of years someone has been photographing? The number of books (s)he has (read) on photography? Classes someone has taken? The way in which (s)he masters PS? ...

 

In general I think it comes down more to following the work of a number of persons and seeing how they evolve. Also from the portfolio you should be able to get an idea how the earlier posts of a person compare to more recent posts.

 

And for the suggestion about eliminating mate/venge rating further by not posting the name of the photographer in the RR queue, I second that. Moreover, I would also suggest not to mention the name of the photo given by the photographer, since then the risk arises that the photographer just mentions his name as name of the photo, or gives sort of a mark (initials, website, ...) in the name from which his mates/vengers can see who (s)he is.

Thanks! I'll try it out and see if it works! It is sometimes quite frustrating to see the camera come into focus and then suddenly at the end deciding not to...

Guy, thank you!

 

Gerald, I know any camera needs contrast to be able to use autofocus. The reason why I posted this question is that the Coolpix often is not able to focus at closer distance when there is enough light and a reasonable amount of contrast (I once even had a problem with a clear black/white contrast from closeby).

A short while ago I bought a Nikon Coolpix 7900. Although I'm happy

with the overall performance of it, I have noted that it needs very

high contrast in order for the autofocus to work, especially when

taking portraits or close-ups.

 

Since I'm looking into buying a DSLR (with a small preference for

Nikon, since I already have a Nikon F50), I was wondering if the

DSLRs of Nikon have the same problem (or for that matter, DSLRs of

other brands). It's not that I want to use the DSLR on autofocus all

the time, but it is nice to have a autofocus you can rely on.

A 1 Hour Photo Shop can be fun, but in our case the 1 often became 4 or more, since we didn't want the extremely small or big size, but a 'normal' 4x6" print which always seemed a big problem, though it was a size they offered.

 

Also we were never quite sure if and which colour cast we would get on our photos. All depended on the mood of the developer of the day and I suppose of the number of times they already had recycled their chemicals.

 

So in the end we moved on to another (3 Hour) shop which delivered much better quality and the size we desired without discussion. Only, for getting them developed there, I had to wait to see my photos on average 3 months since it was in a place we only visited every once in a while...

 

I have to admit that the people in the first shop were always very friendly, and since we had to do our development in a little town about 2 hours driving from our home, the time needed for the development of my films was always dependent on my reply to the question: "At what time do you leave here?"

 

Now we have moved, we have found another shop for developing our photos. No matter what time I bring them to the shop, they are always ready at 6 pm. So I try to collect them at about 5 pm and often have to wait until 6.30... ;o)

 

So, although I still shoot 35 mm, I'm also quite fond of my small digital camera. They both have their advantages and disadvantages and I try to make the best out of both of them!

Whether or not you need a flash also depends on where you are going. In some regions it is not allowed to drive when it is dark, so the earliest you can start a trip then is at dawn and you have to be in before dusk. In both cases you should have enough light to take the pictures you want without using a flash (maybe with adjusted ISO settings).

 

Also something else to consider for whether or not using a flash, is the disturbance of the animals. Studies have showed that a safari car stopping in their neighbourhood can already alert antelopes for the possible presence of a predator closeby, lowering their chances for a succesful hunt. So a flash may not seem a big deal to you, but it might bother the animals more than you think...

I think there are two important things here. First, as said by many before, get yourself a good insurance. I know of some people who got involved in a car accident in Tanzania and lost their cameras and portables. They got them replaced without any problems. If you should get into trouble, make sure you get a decent police report for the insurance company. This can be a great hassle, but just insist if it should happen.

 

Second, don't show of your gear. To the average thief, it doesn't matter so much if you take a brand new DSLR or a worn off SLR that's 15 years old. It's big so it has to be expensive. Most important thing is to assess each situation before you take out your camera. I wouldn't wear it around my neck all the time if I were you, but get a bag you can easily take out or put away your camera (and which doesn't shout "expensive camera inside!"). It's a bit more hassle, but it got me and my camera safely through three years in Tanzania (not Dar though).

 

Lastly, what I missed most when in Tanzania, was a small (point-and-shoot style) camera. In many situations it didn't feel right to take out my SLR. Not only for safety, but also because you draw attention to you with a (D)SLR in a crowd and often loose the unforced pose of most people when they see a big camera pointing at them. In many of those cases a smaller camera wouldn't have posed so many problems. So it might be a good idea to take also a smaller camera with you.

 

For general safety, people who know best are those that live there, so check with them. And whatever camera you take with you, make sure you have a secure place to put it when you are not carrying it with you.

 

Hope you have a good time in Tanzania! And you better already get used to children shouting 'Mzungu' at you! ;o)

Just forgot. For locations, you have obviously Serengeti and Ngorongoro, but December/January is part of the second tourist season, so you will mainly see about 20 busses, cars and overland trucks, all looking at the same animal(s). Though these two parks are definitely worthwhile a visit, you also have some smaller parks. Personally I liked Lake Manyara NP ('just' outside the Ngorongoro), Arusha National Park is also nice (but don't do it if you plan Serengeti or Ngorongoro, then it can turn out to be a small disappointment since you already have seen it all) and then there is also Tarangire, also a often forgotten park, which has lots to offer, given you chose the right season to visit it (should be more information on visiting times in tourist guides).

 

But anyway, if you go with a touring company, choose one that has a history of guiding tourists (and definitely not just the cheapest one, because then you surely end up with problems (no car available, no rooms booked, car is overbooked, ...). Then you can rest asure, they know what they are doing, the guides know where to look for what, ensuring you actually get to see something, and, depending on the guide, they can also give you feedback on the animals themselves and their habits, and therefore can anticipate when they feel something is going to happen.

I agree with Vandit. Point is that in the National Parks in Tanzania, off road driving is forbidden (except for some parts and then only at the end of the long raining season, which is end of March), so a lot of animals are a long distance away. Therefore you will definitely need a tele lens (you could start of with 300 mm, but I usually used a 600 mm).

 

And than also something else, not really having to do with the material you have to carry, but also worthwhile to consider when wanting to take photos. If you are going at the end of this year, you will probably be travelling at the beginning of the raining season. Normally it starts in January, but also December can already bring some heavy rains. Therefore, when booking your trip with a tour operator, make sure you take one with cars of which the roof is lifted upwards. Some only have cars of which the roof is folded open. In the latter case, when it rains, they have to close the roof, so you are only able to take photos through the windows (and when the sun is shining, you are baking in this type of cars). The cars with which the roof is lifted upwards, protect more against rain (and sun!), allowing the roof to stay open in not too heavy rains.

Thanks for deleting the photo! Logging out still isn't as it used to be, but I no longer have to hang up my internet connection. Just closing the window after attempting to log out seems to do the job. :)