Free Photoshop Book

Ariel found this photoshop book being distributed for free here:  http://photoshop.aws.sitepoint.com/

Free Web Version: Photoshop Express Released Today!

The release of Photoshop Express as an internet application is in line with a new generation of tools available to the public.

The era of “web 2.0″ is upon us!

Web 2.o applications, like this blog, are geared towards moving the editing and managing capabilities away from the “desktop” and onto the internet. This empowers users to work from anywhere with controlled access to public and private communities.

Services like this (and flickr) are expensive to develop and maintain. Especially with lot’s of traffic (requiring high bandwidth) and storage (using hard drive space on a server) not to mention development and maintenance costs (software developers need to eat!). These costs must be supplemented through advertising and the sale of upgraded storage and bandwidth.

Services for image processing on the internet have been available for several years.

I will try to collect a comprehensive list of these, but picassa and flickr are probably the most similar applications that provide similar capabilities. It was inevitable that Adobe would begin to provide this service, and now it’s here. Please try it if you’re interested and leave a comment to share your experiences!

http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshopexpress/

Looking Now Digital Gallery March 16 to June 8, 2008 Baltimore Museum of Art

 

Nineteen photographers were invited to respond to the “Looking through the Lens” exhibit with their own work. This exhibit allows you to explore contemporary responses to the vintage prints. You may also create your own digital images inspired by the original exhibition and submit them for consideration for a future exhibit. Submit inquiries to:

 

 

looking@artbma.org

.

Amelia Island By Palma Allen March 22 to June 1, 2008 Delaplaine Visual Arts Education Center Hall Gallery 40 South Carroll St. Frederick, MD

This exhibit features new photography created on

the beach off-season in Florida while the artist was

on vacation.

Reception: Saturday, April 5, 3 to 5 P.M.

 

For information:

 

 

pix@palmaallen.com

301-698-0656

 

 

Classes with Penn Camera

Introduction to Digital Photography April 19, 2008 8:30 A.M-12:30 P.M.

Fee: $50 VisArts Center in Rockville, MD

Introduction to SLR Photography

April 19, 2008 1:30 to 5:30 P.M.

Fee: $50

VisArts Center in Rockville, MD

Digital Image Editing

May 3, 2008 8:30 A.M.-4:30 P.M.

Fee: $195

ExecuTrain Center in Vienna, VA

Printing Digital Files

May 17, 2008 8:30 A.M.-4:30 P.M.

Fee: $195

Photoworks in Glen Echo Park, MD

RAW File Capture and Editing

May 21, 2008 8:30 A.M.-4:30 P.M.

Fee: $195

VisArts Center in Rockville, MD

To Register, go to

http://www.penncamera.com/events

All participants will receive a discount coupon for Penn Camera merchandise. You can pick up a brochure describing these classes at Penn Camera on the Rockville Pike.

 

 

 

 

Summer Wildflowers and Scenics in WV July 10-13, 2008

This is another of the workshops presented by Bill and Linda Lane throughout the year. If you get on

their mailing list, you will get direct information. Contact information: Bill and Linda Lane

15325 Mountain Road Montpelier, VA 23192

 

 

 

http://www.lanephotoworkshops.com

804-883-7740

 

 

 

 

63rd Annual Photographic Conference Of the New England Camera Club Council July 11, 12, 13, 2008 University of Massachusetts Amherst, MA

This annual conference is extremely well regarded and well attended. It has everything photographers could want – instruction in a wide range of topics, competitions, critique of your work, photo ops, prizes, great speakers, ability to borrow Canon or Nikon equipment, and fun. The registration fees are quite modest and housing in the dorms and meals are very affordable. Examples of presentations and speakers:

George Lepp – feature presentation

Photoshop workshops

Mini-series – Digital SLR, Nature, Portraiture

Hands on help using your camera

Examples of photo ops

Horses (mounted police, Caballos de Paso)

Models both inside and outdoors

Nature set-ups

Campus architecture

For details and/or a folder with registration info:

Margaret Sprott

 

 

dick_margaret@verizon.net

Abraham J. Reisman

51 Emerson Street

Springfield, MA 01118

RNECCC@aol.com

 

 

Linda Wright: New to Photography but Learning Fast by Vickie Allin

Linda Wright likes to travel and she has taken point-and-shoot type pictures for years to record where she has been, but recently serendipity came into play to open her eyes to how much more there was to photography. Youming Huang, a friend of hers, introduced her to the NIH Camera Club. She has been coming to the Club meetings since February, 2007, and decided to join the Club this year. Through the Club, she met Beth Hunter, who recommended she take a basic photography class with Marsha Liebl at Montgomery College. For that class, she purchased her first digital SLR camera, a Canon Digital Rebel XTi with 17-85 mm. IS lens. That class opened her eyes to how much beauty there is that she had not noticed before, and how many beautiful places there are to take pictures right in her own backyard. Since then, she has been to many special places that she had never visited before, such as McKee-Beshers Wildlife Management Area, Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, the American Indian Museum, and the Franciscan Monastery. She has also gone to some exhibits recommended by the Club, such as Nature’s Best Photography, Annie Leibovitz, and Ansel Adams. Linda came to the U.S. in 1980 on a Student Visa to attend college at Southern Illinois University. She was a computer science major. After she graduated, she moved to Maryland to take a job with a small private company that helps corporations to maintain their United States and International patents by providing computer software and annuity payment services. Linda has been working for the company for twenty years and is the Manager of the Information Technology Department Linda has two sons. Nathan, 17, is a senior at Richard Montgomery High School in the International Baccalaureate program and is in the process of applying to colleges. Clark, 14, is a freshman at Richard Montgomery and is also in the International Baccalaureate program. Linda’s Mother still lives in China and Linda goes back to China to visit her as often as she can. Her brother, a musician who was educated in the U.S., has moved back to China. Her sister lives in Maryland and works at the same company as Linda. Linda says she likes photography because she has gradually realized that it is so much more than just taking a snap shot of pretty sceneries. Her class and the Camera Club competitions have opened up a whole other world – like photojournalism, still life, and macro photography. She says she would never have thought of taking a picture of a cube shaped sculpture, or the windows and walls of the American Indian Museum, or zooming her lens on a stained glass window before – yet these were all winners for her at last month’s Experimental/Abstract competition. They were her first winners and she is so excited!! She wants to take more classes and workshops and has signed up for the Camera Club field trip to Canaan Valley, West Virginia in May. She has been so inspired by the creativity of the other Club members and their openness to learning new things. She says she is learning from everyone, and judging from her beautiful pictures, she will soon become a master herself.

 

Questionnaire Results

Thank you to all who responded to our recent questionnaire.  I got 35 responses and only 9 of the members who attend fairly regularly did not respond.  The results have been shared with our President, Susanne Strickland, and Peter Dunner.  Due to the overwhelmingly positive response to having a second meeting Susanne has directed Peter to proceed with plans for these meetings.  There were many interesting comments, all of which will be considered as these meetings are planned. The results were as follows:

1. Do you think the club should have more than one meeting per month?

Yes-22 No-2 No opinion-10

2. Do you think having two meetings a month would help or hurt the club?

Help-23 Hurt-0 No difference-8 No opinion-1

3. How often do you attend the monthly meetings?

Always-11 Most of the time-14 Occasionally-9 Never-1

4. If there were two meetings per month, which would you attend?

10-Current meeting with speaker and competition

 7-The proposed 2nd meeting

15-Both meetings most of the time

 0-Neither meeting

 2-Both meetings some of the time

 1-Don’t know

6. How would you like to get notices of up-coming photo events?

Get an e-mail right away-24

In the next newsletter-4

In the next newsletter unless the event will occur before that-17

Don’t care-1

7. If photo events were posted on our web site,

would you rather check the site frequently or have e-mails sent for each event?

Check website-4

Get frequent e-mails-27

Either-2

 

 

 

Airline Travel

Although there have been times lately when I have vowed not to fly again, I know that I will not stick to that vow. Therefore, I am always looking for up-to-date information about what is or is not allowed and how others manage the hassles.  Paul Weiler sent a good summary of the rules about batteries. Batteries in equipment are allowed in carry-on and checked baggage. All spares are allowed in carry-on luggage when they are protected from damage and short circuits.  However there is a limit of 2 of the larger lithium ion batteries (more than 8 grams but not more than 25 grams equivalent lithium content/battery).  Lithium batteries of any kind are not allowed in checked luggage. You can protect batteries from short circuiting by carrying them in their original package or in a separate container by themselves where they cannot move around, or by placing tape over the terminals of the batteries.  Marshall Dupuie, our speaker in January, talked about the advantage of traveling light. Then Dick Sprott showed me an item from the travel section of the Washington Post that reinforced that idea.  Scott Vogel wrote about someone on a trip to Brazil whose checked luggage arrived the day before they left to come home and the airline gave them $50 for a clothing allowance. He has found a Buck Head Suiter Duffel Bag for $89.99 at http://www.ebags.com that has lots of pockets and zippers and can hold a lot. I’m sure some of you have tried the vest that John Boretos showed us and found it to be very useful also. 

Ever since my luggage never arrived on my first trip to Europe, I always carry-on a change of clothes, medications, and anything I could not do without. The problem now is that your carry-on luggage is weighed in some international airports.  In order to meet the current weight limits I will have to seriously curtail the amount of equipment I can carry. Dick and I have considered shipping our equipment to ourselves for long trips but have not yet resorted to that. 

If any of you have any tales of woe or good tips, let me know. We all need all the help we can get.