robinpeeples

<p>One strategy would be to assume (1) that it was probably either adjacent to a holiday (like July 4th) or on a weekend, (2) that it was probably at least 75 degrees (for everyone to be comfortable in shorts and sleeveless shirts), and (3) that it didn't rain, or didn't rain much (unless the memories of people who were there specifically suggest it did rain, which would also be helpful). </p>

<p>So <a href="http://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/KISP/1996/7/5/DailyHistory.html?req_city=East%20Islip&req_state=NY&req_statename=New%20York&reqdb.zip=11730&reqdb.magic=1&reqdb.wmo=99999">check out the weekend and holiday weather records</a> for the <a href="http://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/?year=1996&country=1">months you've narrowed down</a>, and see when it was warm enough and dry enough to be plausible. Looks like June was pretty wet. </p>

<p>I'm still using the same d80 I've had since 2007, and for me, (compared to newer cameras) its biggest limitation is low light performance. I still use it in low light though — all the time. I just can't go into it expecting sharp, portfolio-worthy pictures. I go into it with the goal of capturing moments that will otherwise be lost.</p>

<p>Most often in a dark indoor setting, I use a 50mm f1.4 wide open with the camera set to aperture priority. I don't usually go over ISO 1600 because I find the quality degrades so much—and I have pretty low standards for these kinds of photos.</p>

<p>In a dark bar or restaurant, that'll usually make my shutter speed 1/40 of a second or slower. If I don't have a gorillapod with me (usually don't) and the shutter speed goes below 1/20 of a second, I sometimes set the camera on a table or bar, propped with napkins or coasters to the correct direction and angle.</p>

<p>The last thing I do to try to salvage a picture is turn it black and white in processing. At least with my d80, it seems like high ISOs degrade first by turning wonky colors — especially if you try to lighten the exposure. Converting to b&w eliminates that factor.</p>

<p>The more stuff you put on your resume between the current moment and dropping out, the less important that blip will be. Depending on the path you choose, you may eventually find that you need to finish your degree to get to a certain level, but I don't think you're totally "screwed" right now.</p>

<p>As a person who does "creative" work, I want to mention two things:</p>

<ul>

<li>Many people/businesses/etc don't want (or don't think they need) to hire people specifically to do creative work, but if you bring those skills to the table while also being able to do the job they're hiring for, you will most likely be called on to use them. Sometimes this means they'll overwork or take advantage of you (and you have to watch out for that), but sometimes it means you can eventually carve out a new position for yourself that uses the skills you really value. Either way, you're getting resume-ready professional experience using those skills that might help you get the next, better gig. Getting into an office job doing WHATEVER (data entry, being an assistant to an assistant, interning) is a decent start.<br /><br /></li>

<li>"Creative" people are often expected to be jacks of all trades, and you might get more traction if you can claim some basic expertise in another discipline (like graphic design, basic html/css, copywriting, marketing, etc).</li>

</ul>

<p>You might check out what positions are open at local universities. Once you're in a system like that (no matter the position), it can give you access to a lot of new opportunities. They often have programs where employees can work on their own degrees for free or discounted.</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

<p>To me it looks like most of those DO rely on a ton of natural light. They look bright because there is a bunch of light in the scene already, and the photographers are letting as much light into the camera as they can with wide apertures. Those wide apertures also give a shallow depth of field — when you're talking about the "sharpness" of the photos, my guess is that you're responding positively to the juxtaposition of areas of focus (like the bouquet in the first picture) against a large, smoothly out-of-focus background.</p>

<p>Hmmm... after reading <a href="http://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/50282478">this</a>, <a href="http://www.ifixit.com/Answers/View/109032/Tiny+spots+on+my+pictures.+Any+ideas">this</a>, and <a href="http://www.hyam.net/blog/archives/1909">this</a>, the defective cutoff filter does seem reasonable. By "disease" though, I meant something that would get worse or that I could make worse / ruin my camera. This stinks, but at least it seems like a stable condition.</p>

<p>I'll post again if I learn anything useful.</p>

<p>Alright, thanks for all your feedback. I was afraid someone would tell me my camera had a terrible disease and that attempting to fix it would cause disaster, so it's good to be able to proceed with cleaning more confidently.</p>

<p>Thanks, all. Yeah, I mean I've changed lenses on boats before (as I was when I took the example photo), but never when it's choppy or misty, and always in the cabin or a protected area. Kind of to your point, Dave, I wonder if taking the camera from a really humid place to a drastically drier place (like an airplane) could cause something like that?</p>

<p>Thanks, Michael. It does look like some kind of spray pattern. I'm somewhat careful when changing lenses, facing the camera downward and avoiding exposing the inside of the camera in dusty or wet situations, but the camera has definitely been near the water a fair bit in its life. If that's what it is, will cleaning fix it, or could something be permanently damaged?</p>

<p>I've been neglecting this issue for quite a while since I so rarely shoot at the specifications required to reveal it, but I'd really like to fix it if I can.</p>

<p>In all my searching, I can't find any examples of sensor dust as tiny, numerous and densely clustered as this. Is this normal sensor dust? Using a rocket blower does nothing. Is it a moisture / oil situation? Can I clean it? Will a professional be able to clear this up?</p>

<p>My camera is a D80, and I really only see this result at higher f stops using a wide angle lens. The example image is at F/22 and 16mm. I most often shoot at 50mm at or near wide open, and this issue doesn't arise under those conditions.</p>

<p>I appreciate your opinions.</p>

<p><img src="http://robinpeeples.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/sensordust.jpg" alt="sensor dust" /></p>

<p>Alright, thanks so much for all the great feedback! I am glad to hear that those of you commenting here have not experienced the issues reported in some of the negative reviews I read of the 2880.</p>

<p>I'm feeling persuaded that the 3000 might be the best option for me, being in most ways very similar to the 2880, but with larger cartridges, automatic black switching, and wi-fi. </p>

<p>Thanks, Jeff. I do plan to use some unusual papers, but more than that I'm looking for immediacy I can't get by outsourcing the job to someone else. I have a lot of project plans that are on hold because they'll require tinkering and experimentation, and because I usually end up working on things late at night! I want (/have) to be cost-conscious, but at the same time I'm not looking to buy a printer because it's the cheapest way for me to get hard copies, I'm looking to buy a printer because it will be fun and fulfilling and offer a lot of freedom.</p>

<p>What is considered 'high volume' printing? I haven't been able to figure that out to have something to compare my needs to.</p>

<p>I've been researching the best photo printer for my (enthusiastic amateur) needs for a little while and have <em>almost</em> convinced myself to go with the 2880.</p>

<p>I've arrived at that tentative decision because the print quality is widely praised, the media size suits my needs, this is my first printer purchase, and I'm not going to be printing major volume (can't guess exactly how many per month, but my livelihood doesn't depend on selling prints or anything). </p>

<p>It's also the only one I've seen that actually fits well with my budget, but I'm slightly hesitant after reading several reviews complaining about ink cartridges needing to be replaced after only a handful of prints and a few others complaining of clogged heads.</p>

<p>Conversely, I've had a hard time finding anything but glowing praise for all aspects of the 3880. Sounds like a great printer, but I don't really need the larger media size, my printing volume may not be high enough (might ultimately waste ink?), and I wouldn't be too jazzed about spending twice as much money on my first printer. It's just that the (apparent) total lack of fault found with the 3880 by users kind of makes me more concerned about the negative comments about the 2880.</p>

<p><strong>Is ink usage/inefficiency/small cartridge size really a big problem for the 2880? Is it common to get a clogged head? Is it frustrating and expensive to operate (as suggested by some reviews)? If yes, is the r3000 better?</strong></p>

<p>Thanks sincerely for any thoughts shared.</p>

<p>Thanks so much to everyone for all the great suggestions! I've been chewing on them for a bit.</p>

<p>I think I will see if he's interested in going out and shooting film with me (I just purchased an FM2 from the classifieds here which should arrive soon, so we'll both have one! Also, I could use a few lessons). If he enjoys it, perhaps it will reignite his desire to shoot film (and make him realize that he still can despite the prevalence of digital) or perhaps it will make him more excited about exploring the possibilities of digital photography with his d70 (or a different digital camera). I'll scan some of his negatives or slides too to see if that's engaging. Or maybe he's truly no longer interested, in which case I'll drop it.</p>

<p>I'll post back in a while (probably a few months) with an update in case anyone is curious.</p>

<p>Thanks again, all.</p>

<p>Just...wow @ the antiquated argument for the mechanical (rational) male brain versus the emotional (irrational) female brain. The observations in the original post seem pretty valid, but surely the cause is manyfold, has much to do with culture and is a bit more nuanced than ladies being naturally disinclined toward figuring things out.</p>

<p>Jim—I'm not sure. When he talks about it, there's kind of a sadness to it, like talking about the death of a loved one. That makes me think he's still interested, but just doesn't know how to approach it right now. It's possible he's lost interest though, and I certainly won't try to handcuff him to a camera or anything. Just want to have some ideas to talk about the next time it comes up in conversation. Thanks!</p>

<p>Thanks for all the responses so far (so quick!).</p>

<p>I want to add that it's not like I stole the FM2 from him—he hasn't used it in 10 years and doesn't seem to want to (I also have his Olympus 35RC). He loved it, but it's almost like it's not a convenient part of his world anymore. His thing was shooting color slides, but it was getting difficult and expensive to process them...and then his projector broke and was going to be very expensive to replace or repair. I think something he does like about digital is the ease of sharing photos and giving slide shows.</p>

<p>Louis—I'm definitely not trying to push him to digital. It's just that he went there...and then burned out, so I'm trying to think about how to give it new life. If he got back into his FM2 and never picked up a digital camera again but was happy, I'd be happy too... it just hasn't seemed likely. I love your suggestion about digitizing his film. Maybe that would be a bridge.</p>

<p>Craig—I think you are spot on about the appeal of film, etc. Limitations inspire creativity. I guess I'm just wondering if there isn't a digital recipe for a similar tasting photography-cake? If that makes any sense. Limits can also be self-imposed and still work well.</p>

<p>Anyway, I'll think more what you all have suggested so far. Thanks again for your feedback!</p>

<p>I decided to address the question to this forum because what I'm pondering is how to awaken the same love my dad used to have for photography with "classic manual cameras" instead with today's digital cameras. Basically my question is not specifically about either digital or film photography; it's about how to access some of what my dad used to enjoy... but with modern technology (but please do move this thread if it actually belongs elsewhere).</p>

<p><strong>To those who grew up using classic manual cameras but who now also love digital photography: What is it that <em>makes</em> you love digital photography? What camera do you love? Any feedback is sincerely appreciated.</strong><br /> <strong><br /></strong><br /> Background:</p>

<p>My dad's been an amateur photographer since he was my age (mid-twenties) in the seventies. He loved his FM2 (that I'm now starting to play with), and has hundreds of boxes of slides in storage. He got a 3 megapixel canon point and shoot about ten years ago that he mostly hated, but even still he pretty much completely stopped using film at that point.</p>

<p>Four or five years ago, my mom and I bought him a D70 that would work with some of the Nikon lenses he already had—he likes it better than the point and shoot, but it still doesn't touch the same nerve film photography did.</p>

<p>I recently bought him Lightroom (which I use and love) and a Lynda.com subscription, but he hasn't gotten into it. He's mentioned that he feels like it's just too easy to take a picture these days, so photography has lost its excitement for him. At the same time, I don't think he likes the pictures straight out of his camera very much (but he's not super interested in adjusting them in lightroom either).</p>

<p>It's a bit tragic, but there must be a solution. I grew up with digital, so I just can't quite relate to my dad's lack of excitement for it. This is a big, open, subjective question so I'm not looking for a single concise answer. I'm just hoping for a few ideas to try out. Is there a specific camera body that might strike the same chord? Is there a class he could take or a book to read? A workflow to follow? I'm really eager to hear any suggestion that anyone's willing to share. Thanks for your time!</p>

<p>Thanks for your help so far!<br>

I too have googled and have requests for quotes from several web-based companies (including blackoutcurtains.com, and I'll add backdropoutlet to my list), but I'm really hoping to find first-hand experience.<br>

Thanks also for the tips about rose brand and packcloth.</p>

<p>I work for a university art department, and we need new curtains to separate photo bays in our photo studio. The ones we already have were made some years ago and noone recalls by whom or where (or out of what—it feels like a thin but tightly woven canvas with a synthetic coating).<br>

We need them to be black, fully light-proof (of course), and flame retardant. They'll need to be approx. 15'w x 9.5'h and have grommets along the top to hang them on tracks. They don't need to be pretty (they won't be photographed), or feel nice—they just need to block light, hold up under some abuse, and not catch on fire.<br>

-----------------------------------<br>

A summary of my research:<br>

At fabric stores, I've been able to find fabric that is either light-proof OR flame retardant, but not both. At theater supply companies, I've been able to find curtains that fit our bill, but are velour and probably much fancier than we need (and thus more expensive than we'd like). I've also found some semi-sketchy dotcoms that sell blackout curtains, but I don't know what to think.<br /> -----------------------------------<br>

Does anyone have any recommendations on finding or making blackout curtains?<br>

Thanks so much for any insight, and please let me know if I'm not posting this in the appropriate location.<br>

robin<br>

PS: located in Austin,TX</p>

Hello!

 

So I'm going to be backpacking in Italy and France for a couple of months this

summer, and I'll be keeping a sketchbook with writings, pen and ink stuff, and

watercolor. I've seen a lot of polaroid transfer stuff but never done it myself,

and was thinking it would be really awesome to have that kind of photographic

image alongside of sketches.

 

I've read up on which cameras take the 669 film [100,200,300, or 400 series

Land, + a few others that tend to be more expensive, yes?], but I certainly

don't know what the strengths of any one of them are, or whether it is feasible

to plan to haul one of these cameras all around, especially on top of the other

couple of cameras I am planning to bring. Or whether it will be feasible to do

these image transfers in hostels, etc.

 

So, essentially:

 

-Polaroid image transfers + backpacking?

 

-if yes, recommended model of camera?

 

 

thanks sooo much!

 

robin