mark_q

<p><strong>Kari, Gordon & Gerry,</strong><br>

Thank you all for your interest to my idea predefining constraints. If interested to see how my camera positions did relate to the surrounding buildings you may visit my Google Maps page with all the markings:<br>

<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=113114377457882566105.00046775ed85ebf1b7f08&t=k&ll=52.521418,13.410165&spn=0.005973,0.017166&z=17" target="_blank">Link</a></p>

<p>I like to present my idea how to push my creativity by predefined restrictions. In case you are interested in (urban)landscape or architecture photography you might find this method interesting, worth a try even. I have no idea how unique this might be. Maybe you know a photograph working similarly, please tell me then.</p>

<p>While preparing my third visit to Berlin at Easter this year I wanted to have a challenging photography project for myself to engage my mind and eye. Having in my mind Joel Meyerowitz's photos of The Gateway Arc in St. Louis, of which I saw several in early 80s, I wanted to photograph Berlin TV Tower (Fernsehturm) in similar vain from various angles.</p>

<p>While Meyerowitz's goal was to record the look and spirit of St. Louis city in general I decided not to allow myself complete freedom. The song "Rock around the clock" must have been in my head as I designed my shooting method.</p>

<p>Imagine placing a giant clockface on the ground centered around the target and having the 12 o'clock mark pointing to The North. Having Google's satellite photo of Berlin TV Tower as background I traced 12 lines outwards every 30 degrees to positions that likely would be good camera positions, not too far away. I printed this clock face diagram on satellite photo to have with me as "Compass Map" when in Berlin and visiting that location. If required I would allow myself some offset from the axis, but otherwise would just go closer or further away along those shooting axes to find suitable foreground objects to frame the TV Tower. In order to avoid any copyright issues I show you here only the camera positions I used in Berlin around my target, their distances varying between 100 and 550 meters.</p>

<p><img src="http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/5153/berlintvtowershootingst.jpg" alt="" /></p>

<p>Now afterwards I can tell i certainly enjoyed fulfilling this project and I'm quite happy with the results, though me being a tourist many of them look like postcards.</p>

<p>Feel free to take a look at the results, either as a presentation or gallery folder with others' comments to get a better idea about the possible outcome of this shooting method.<br>

<a href="../photodb/presentation?presentation_id=454618" target="_blank">The Presentation of Berlin TV Tower around The Clock</a>.<br>

<a href="../photodb/folder?folder_id=907702" target="_blank">The Gallery Folder Berlin TV Tower around The Compass</a></p>

<p>Back home in Helsinki I did this for second time in familiar surroundings. As in Berlin, I didn't care about the best time of the day to shoot, just wanted to see whatever I would manage to capture within my restrictions.<br>

<a href="../photodb/folder?folder_id=908514" target="_blank">The Gallery Folder Helsinki Olympic Stadium around The Compass</a></p>

<p>During the discussion about these series I got new idea: I would have two rounds around my target, the first freely without my Compass Map, and then again with my restricting map in my hand. The first eight photos on top of this resulting series are those shot without my Compass Map. Their offset angles are stated in terms of hours and minutes instead of degrees.<br>

<a href="../photodb/folder?folder_id=909553" target="_blank">The Gallery Folder Suomenlinna Church around The Compass</a></p>

<p>I'm curious to hear whenever this kind of method would appeal to you to try out yourself. Thanks for your time.</p>

<p>Now, after I OCd my E8400 CPU to 3.9GHz and my 800MHz RAM to 1040MHz the action timings were following:<br>

XP booted normally, CS3 memory default 75% (1271MB): 57 seconds (was 62-64 sec)<br>

XP booted normally, CS3 memory 100% (1695MB): 36 seconds (was 42 sec)<br>

XP in 3GB mode, CS3 memory 76% (2000MB): <strong>23.5 seconds </strong>(was 29-30 sec)</p>

<p>This my very first post here is not a question, just want to tell about my findings as I just finished the Photoshop Speed Test by Retouch Artists on my recently build PC dedicated for photo editing. You might find this interesting?<br>

<br />My PC has Intel E8400, 4GB memory (no OC of either) and 3 HDDs: 80GB, 320GB and 1TB. CS3 scratch file on own partition, on another disk.<br>

<br />I have been reading discussios about how much RAM on a 32-bit Windows system and was quite excited to test the /3GB switch on my XP Home SP3 system running CS3 and to find out how it would affect the performance. Earlier I had found this most encouraging article, though about XP Pro:<br>

<br /><a href="http://www.keptlight.com/blog/?tag=4gb-ram">www.keptlight.com/blog/?tag=4gb-ram</a><br>

<br />First I did edit the boot.ini adding the /3GB option so I could select the normal or 3GB mode during booting. Downloaded from Retouch Artists' site the test image and action file and followed the instructions how to adjust CS3's Performance preferences. More about that here:<br>

<br /><a href="http://www.retouchartists.com/pages/speedtest.html">www.retouchartists.com/pages/speedtest.html</a><br>

<br />As I booted normally CS3 told the available memory being 1695MB. For my first speed test I let CS3 use the default memory 75%, 1271MB: The Speed Test action lasted <strong>62-64 seconds</strong> (tested twice with stopwatch). Then I increased the memory to 100%, 1695MB: action duration <strong>42 seconds</strong>.<br>

<br />Afrer booting with 3GB switch CS3 told available memory being 2633MB. I rounded the default amount of memory up to 2000MB (76%). The test action lasted <strong>29-30 seconds</strong>. Increasing the memory usage to 100% did not shorten the test time any further.<br>

<br />Being the curious and thorough person I am I went further on with testing in "What if...?" spirit. Having XP in 3GB mode I let CS3 use 1695MB (=100% in XP normal mode, now 64%). This test action lasted still the same <strong>30 seconds</strong> (12 sec less than XP in normal 2GB mode). As I lowered the amount of memory to the default 1271MB, 48%, the action lasted <strong>57-59 seconds</strong>.<br>

<br />Needless to mention that I exited and restarted CS3 after each change. As I did this speed test earlier today it's too early to comment any further whenever this 3GB switch would affect my system otherwise. I just wanted to tell the results of this little casual real life test, not trying to claim anything more. Feel free to test your PC with this speed test and report your timings here, thanks.</p>