hearst

I have a lot of keywords in Album 1 and also in an Excel file. I too am interested in how to import these into Lightroom.

I have just learned that as of May 1 Pt. Lobos south of Carmel in California

will stay open until 1/2 hour after sunset year round. This is a major change

from the past and is really great for photographers. Closing hours will be

posted, presumably at the entrance.

There are lots of books, magazines, websites, articles, etc. that give a vast

array of useful techniques for doing things in Photoshop. I've bought the

books, saved the magazines, and bookmarked the websites. But when I have a

specific Photoshop problem or want to do a specific thing, I have a terrible

time finding the exact page in the book, issue of the magazine, or website that

tells me how to do it. Has anyone come up with a good way of indexing all of

this information so that one can find what one needs in a reasonably short time?

WOW! I'll have to believe you all since you know much more about butterflies than I do. I wondered why it didn't fly when I got close to it, but it never occurred to me that it would be plastic. But that's the kind of neighborhood where people would put plastic butterflies on their fences.

It's real. All I did was the usual Levels adjustment. In the RAW image the whitish parts look a little bit blue. And I thank Michael for telling me what it is.

I photographed it a couple of days ago in the Rockridge part of Oakland

California. I've been searching butterfly websites (though i haven't yet

checked out a butterfly book) and can't find it.<div></div>

I had it fixed under warranty about a year ago. No problem, got it back quickly and no problems since.

I am using Adobe Album 1.0 strictly as a method of cataloging my images. I have

a lot of time and effort invested in reading in all of the files on my image CDs

into the Album catalog file, so I really don't want to have to do all of that

work over with a new kind of software. Album works fine for me, but I'm

thinking of getting a new computer with Vista on it later this year. Does

anyone know if my old version of Album will work with Vista?

I use crossed polarizers as a variable ND filter. Here is something I wrote about it.

 

An Inexpensive Variable Neutral-density Filter

 

by Joe Hearst

 

If you want to make long exposures in bright light, you need a very dense neutral-density filter. It is, of course, possible to buy such filters, but you need different ones for different conditions. Moreover, it is hard to compose a picture while looking through a very dense filter. It is possible to buy a variable neutral-density filter that can go very dark, and you can first compose the scene and then darken the filter and solve your problem. Unfortunately, such a filter costs over $300.

 

A less-expensive way to go if you have a digital SLR is to use crossed polarizers. If your normal circular polarizer has front threads, all you need to do is buy an inexpensive linear polarizer of the same size and attach it to the front of the circular one. (It is necessary for the front polarizer to be linear, not circular; I'll explain the physics if requested.)

 

To make a long exposure, first go into aperture-preferred mode and stop the lens down as far as you can, and set your ISO to the minimum your camera allows. Then, to control the amount of light reaching the camera, first set up the circular polarizer as you usually would for the scene, and then rotate the linear one and look through the viewfinder as the image darkens. If the image starts to turn blue, or you can no longer see the scene, you have gone too far. Cover the viewfinder with your finger (to prevent light from the back interfering with the meter) and watch the exposure time in the LCD as you rotate. When it is long enough, or as long as you can get it without the image in the viewfinder turning blue, shoot a picture with the viewfinder still covered, and look at the histogram. If the histogram is crammed towards the left, use a positive exposure compensation (which will increase the length of the exposure still more) until the histogram looks good.

 

I find that with my cheap linear polarizer the color is still shifted a bit towards the blue, but if you are shooting in RAW (which I recommend) this is easily corrected.

I never had an 18-70, but I've been very happy with the 18-200, and have used it almost exclusively since I got it about 6 months ago. It did have zoom creep but I returned it to Nikon and they fixed it quickly.

 

It also has a situation where sometimes it won't autofocus after being autofocused close up, but if I wiggle the focus a few times it works OK. I read that this is an issue that can't be fixed.

 

Nevertheless, I love it.

Here is another site to give you times and azimuths for rise and set

 

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/suncalc/

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I found the 18-200 VR to be light and versatile, perfect for a large variety of situations, especially without a tripod. Don't need so much speed with VR.

I read one rumor that says it is, and I'm considering buying one, so I wonder

if I should hurry up an do it.

It is almost the only lens I use nowadays. I carry the 80-400 VR if I have a vehicle, but since I usually walk around places looking for shots the lens, on the D70, is nice and light and extremely versitile. Almost all of the recent Photos on my website jhearst.typepad.com were made with it so you can get an idea of what it does.

Take a ride on the Elkhorn Slough Safari

 

http://www.elkhornslough.com/

 

You should phone and make a reservation because their schedule varies. You'll see lots of birds and seals, and probably closeups of otters. I spotted an otter hauled out once.

Vandit

 

I'm seriously considering getting a housing for my S70, and your review is very encouraging, but prompts two questions:

 

1. I'm not a good enough diver to really want to deal with an external flash as well as the camera. Can one get decent closeups with the internal flash?

 

2. How long does it take the fogging on the plate to clear?

 

Thanks?

If you live in the SF Bay Area I'll lend you one

I had the problem and Nikon fixed it in two weeks under warranty

And here's another to show the versatility<div></div>

Well, I'm not trying to look like a pro, but I sure find the lens convenient as an amateur. And I don't really use it as a point-and shoot. I've had it for about a month, and several shots have done well in competition - the one with the waves has been accepted at an international exhibition.<div></div>

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I had zoom creep on mine when I pointed it straight down. I sent it to Nikon and had it back, fixed, within two weeks.

Gary Crabbe didn't mention it in his answer, but he is giving an all-day seminar in San Mateo on April. 2

 

http://www.n4c.org/Site%20HTML%20Pages/EVENTS/events.htm

 

Very worthwhile if you can make it.

See my article in the Nov. 2002 issue of the Photographic Society of America Journal "A Free Day in Old Tokyo" . Here is the text - the system doesn't preserve the paragraphing very well.

 

A Free Day in Old Tokyo

by Joseph Hearst

 

Some people who visit Tokyo on business do not realize that beyond the spectacular contemporary architecture of the modern city are neighborhoods that are almost unchanged from days past. A photographer who seeks out these neighborhoods can find many opportunities. There are enough interesting sites within walking distance, or a short subway ride, of Ueno Park, in northeast Tokyo, to fill a free day and use up several rolls of film. I would not recommend starting your day in the park itself, however, because it is about halfway between two interesting areas, Asakusa and Yanaka. It would be better to start at one neighborhood, then go to the park, and then go to the other.

 

It is easy to get around Tokyo by rail and subway. It is also much faster and cheaper than surface transportation. Many signs are in English and station names are shown in our alphabet (called romanji in Japan) as well as Japanese characters. Although there are not many street signs, the major streets have signs in romanji.

 

Asakusa, Yanaka, and Ueno Park itself are described in considerable detail in Frommer's Tokyo, available in bookstores, libraries, or on the Web at http://www.frommers.com/destinations/tokyo/. It includes good maps of the areas, and descriptions of how to get from one attraction to another. I used it extensively in preparing this article.

 

 

Asakusa

A good way to start your day is to take the Ginza line to Asakusa Station, at the end of the line. Follow Kaminarimon-Dori (dori means avenue) two blocks to Nakamise-Dori and turn right. You go through a huge gate, with a big lantern hanging from it, and into an immense arcade, filled with all sorts of shops and restaurants. I was there on a Saturday, and it was crammed with people. On the left is an impressive pagoda, but it was hard to find a good angle for shooting the whole thing. At the far end is a another gate, and then a row of lanterns on the right. An incense burner, where visitors purify themselves, and a small Buddha are on the left.

Through the gate is the main temple: Sensoji, also known as Asakusa Kannon, the most popular temple in Tokyo. It is spectacular, and there are all sorts of fascinating things going on. There are many worshippers, priests, buskers (such as a man with a monkey), and Japanese tourists. It is a wonderful place for pictures of people. I found a photographer taking formal wedding pictures of a family, and they didn't appear to mind my watching and shooting the procedure.

 

 

There are several subsidiary temples that should not be missed, and when you are finished with them you should take plenty of time to stroll the neighborhood. Try going in all directions � you won't get lost because you can always see the pagoda. Everything is bustling. There are an amusement park, several lovely gardens, many old homes and shops, and lots of street vendors. Try the food. Although I only know about two words of Japanese, I got two elderly ladies in kimono to pose for me.

 

 

 

Ueno

When you have exhausted the possibilities of Asakusa (if you have not exhausted yourself) there are several ways to proceed. If you want to continue your trip with Ueno Park, and you are an enthusiastic walker, go to the big east-west street at the north end of the shrine area, Kototoi-Dori, and turn left. Follow it for about a mile and you will come to a street leading to the left under the railroad tracks and then to Ueno Park. An easier way is to go back to the Asakusa Station and take the subway to Ueno Station. Leave the station to the west and enter the park.

Ueno Park is modern, and home to several major museums. It is famous for cherry blossoms in the spring. As I was walking through I was impressed to see a full-sized cast of Rodin's Gate of Hell outside of the Modern Art Museum! You could spend the whole day in the museums. As you walk westward towards a large pagoda you will come to the Toshugu Shrine, which provides several good photo opportunities. There is magnificent art inside, but, as in most shrines, photography, if permitted at all, is very difficult indoors. The park, as a park, is a medium-sized city park with the usual amenities. The most interesting is probably the Shinobazu Pond, that offers rides on various kinds of boats. If you choose the right angles you might get some good images.

When you exit the park on the far side of the pond you will be on Shinobazu-Dori. Turn right and follow it for half a mile or so past Nezu Station to Kototoi-Dori. About six blocks past Kototoi-Dori a side street to the left (it is Tsutsuji St., but probably not marked in romanji) leads to the Nezu Shrine.

 

 

 

Yanaka

The Nezu Shrine is as intimate and quiet as the Asakusa Kannon is big and bustling. You may be the only tourist there. There are several colorful buildings. A pleasant stream winds through it, and along the stream is an avenue of small torii� donated by local businessmen. These features can help with good compositions. It is a good place to relax, unwind, and photograph details. It is said to be particularly magnificent in azalea season

When you are finished absorbing the ambiance of Nezu Shrine, cross Shinobazu-Dori, go to the next fairly wide street and turn left. You will then be entering the Yanaka district. This neighborhood, in contrast to Asakusa, is quiet, and seems to cater almost exclusively to locals. It is a bit of prewar Tokyo, with some sections even older. Some of the shopping streets give you a small-town feeling, especially the one optimistically called the Yanaka Ginza. You can wander around for some time, looking at old houses, the interesting shops, and a few small Buddhist temples. These temples are usually brown with some gold, in contrast to the vermilion Shinto shrines you have seen earlier. It is not easy to describe the best route, since there are no street names in romanji, but if you have the map from Frommer's it is hard to go too far wrong.

Eventually you will come to the Yanaka cemetery, which is quite extensive and provides both good vistas and pleasant cameos. Spend some time in the cemetery, and then go to its north end where you will find the Nippori Station of the Yamanote Line, from which you can get to anywhere in Tokyo.

 

 

If this itinerary is a bit strenuous for your taste, then you might prefer to leave Ueno Park's museums for one of Tokyo's frequent rainy days, and go directly from Asakusa to Yanaka. In that case you can start your tour of Yanaka at the cemetery, then go to Nezu Shrine, and finish your trip at Nezu Station. To do this take the subway from Asakusa Station to Ueno and change there for the JR Yamanote line going north, and ride one stop to the Nippori Station. The cemetery is at the exit from the north end of the platform.

A city map is available free from the Japan National Tourist Office at http://www.japantravelinfo.com/ and other area maps can be found at http://www.tcvb.or.jp/en/infomation/2area/map/03map_ueno.html and http://www.tcvb.or.jp/en/infomation/2area/map/02map_asakusa.html.

Take plenty of film, and have good shooting!